Billy Taylor & Gerry Mulligan - Live at MCG

Styles: Piano And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:35
Size: 160,1 MB
Art: Front

(6:11)  1. Stompin' At The Savoy
(4:57)  2. Just You Just Me
(7:11)  3. Darn That Dream
(5:11)  4. All The Things You Are
(8:19)  5. Laura
(7:27)  6. Line For Lyons
(8:10)  7. Body And Soul
(6:14)  8. Indiana (Back Home Again In Indiana)
(8:23)  9. Come Sunday
(6:28) 10. Capricious

The typical jazz listener easily tires of hearing standards covered by newer artists. However, it's occasionally good to hear the masters revisit some of these old compositions a way of staying connected. Jazz legends Billy Taylor and Gerry Mulligan have done that with Live at MCG. The Manchester Craftsmen's Guild is a non-profit organization in Pittsburgh, USA whose mission is to preserve, present and promote jazz. In doing so, MCG brings in artists such as Taylor and Mulligan to entertain and educate the jazz public. Taylor is a pianist, composer, teacher, lecturer, radio and television personality, recording artist and author. His career began in 1944, and he's enjoyed working alongside such musical powerhouses as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis. Mulligan, who passed away in 1996, was an arranger, composer, saxophonist and conductor, and has shared the stage or studio with icons including Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Lester Young, Duke Ellington, Dave Brubeck and Billie Holliday. Live at MCG captures the pair, backed by Taylor's regular sidemen, during a series of 1993 concerts at the MCG Music Hall. The ensemble performs ten songs, including two originals. Mulligan's baritone sax carries most of the lead on the delightful "Stompin' at the Savoy, though Taylor also licks his chops. 

Drummer Carl Allen helps underscore "Just You Just Me with some crisp work on the cymbals and snare. Bassist Chip Jackson opens up during Taylor's solo. One of the original songs is Mulligan's "Line for Lyons. Here, the quartet functions more as a unit than on most other tracks. Mulligan carries the lead, but Taylor, Allen and Jackson also give strong performances. Again, Jackson shows his skills during Taylor's solo, and later delivers a solo of his own. The other original is Taylor's "Capricious, an energetic closer to this collection. As with "Line for Lyons, the foursome is more of a unit than on other tracks. Allen's rim shots and variances on the toms and cymbals help give this an extra kick. Live at MCG serves a dual purpose: It entertains while providing a subliminal lesson in improvisation, a hallmark of jazz past and present. Having these two masters work together enhances the experience. ~ Woodrow Wilkins https://www.allaboutjazz.com/live-at-mcg-billy-taylor-mcg-jazz-review-by-woodrow-wilkins.php

Personnel: Billy Taylor; piano; Gerry Mulligan; baritone saxophone; Chip Jackson; bass; Carl Allen; drums.

Live at MCG

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Mundell Lowe - A Grand Night For Swinging

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1957
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:59
Size: 88,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:22) 1. It's A Grand Night For Swingin'
(7:18) 2. Blues Before Freud
(7:19) 3. Easy To Love
(2:53) 4. It Could Happen To You
(3:35) 5. Love Me Or Leave Me
(5:37) 6. You Turned The Tables On Me
(6:52) 7. Crazy Rhythm

At one time a listener could place a CD like guitarist Mundell Lowe's A Grand Night for Swinging in the disc player and immediately date it to the 1950s. But the revival of many older styles by younger musicians like guitarist Howard Alden in the '80s and '90s has led to an overlapping of styles. This may make it difficult to match an album to a particular date, but it does help to make older styles more familiar and, thus, accessible. A Grand Night for Swinging is a nice set, featuring Lowe and a good supporting cast including pianist Billy Taylor, bassist Les Grinage, drummer Ed Thigpen, and, on three cuts, alto saxophonist Gene Quill. Known for his cooler tone and lighter touch at the time, Lowe had decided to record an album that proved he could swing a little harder.

The set kicks off with the upbeat title track, a Taylor original, that finds Lowe bopping along with clean flowing lines, similar to Barney Kessel. The up-tempo pieces, like "Love Me or Leave Me" and "Crazy Rhythm," work best, pushing the band into fervent workouts. The addition of Quill on several selections adds depth and drive to cuts like "Blues Before Freud," creating something akin to Kenny Burrell's early '60s work. That this recording should be re-released soon after 2000's Mundell's Mood is fitting; it's a reminder of a distinguished bop/cool tone guitarist who has recorded a number of fine albums since the 1950s. A Grand Night for Swinging will be a real treat for fans unfamiliar with Lowe's earlier work, and a satisfying selection for fans of good jazz guitar.~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr. https://www.allmusic.com/album/a-grand-night-for-swinging-mw0000116708

Personnel: Mundell Lowe - guitar; Billy Taylor - piano; Les Grinage - bass; Ed Thigpen - drums; Gene Quill - alto saxophone (tracks 2, 5 & 6)

A Grand Night For Swinging

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Billy Taylor - Midnight Piano

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1964
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:34
Size: 81,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:43) 1. Midnight Piano
(2:38) 2. You came a long way from St Louis
(3:27) 3. Just The Thought of You
(2:08) 4. A Secret
(2:17) 5. My Romance
(2:30) 6. It's a grand Night for Swinging
(3:18) 7. You Tempt Me
(2:20) 8. Don't Every Say We're Through
(3:16) 9. Days of Wine and Roses
(2:54) 10. Miss Fine
(3:14) 11. That is all I ask
(2:46) 12. Love for Sale

This LP is a follow-up to an earlier collaboration by Billy Taylor and Oliver Nelson with the latter's arrangements, though this time around there are three separate supporting groups. The best tracks are from the big-band session, with an all-star brass and reed section, including Clark Terry and Phil Woods (whose brief solos are instantly recognizable). Taylor wrote several originals for this session, the upbeat and bluesy "Midnight Piano," the charming hard bopper "It's a Grand Night for Swinging," and the easygoing "You Tempt Me," while Nelson contributed the spunky, somewhat playful "Miss Fine."

The horns and rhythm segment hasn't stood the test of time as well due to the rather dated arrangements of "You Came a Long Way From St. Louis" and "Love for Sale" (along with two obscurities written by Teddi Castion). The portion of the record with strings ends up sounding more like mood music than jazz, in spite of the fact that the songs are all classics ("My Romance," "This Is All I Ask," and "Days of Wine and Roses"), except for Taylor's "Just the Thought of You." All of Nelson's arrangements are rather brief (under three and a half minutes each), suggesting that this release was shooting for airplay on easy listening as well as jazz radio stations. Overall, this long out of print LP is an enjoyable though not essential release by Billy Taylor.~Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/midnight-piano-mw0000877053

Personnel: Piano – Billy Taylor; Bass – Ben Tucker; Drums – Grady Tate

Midnight Piano

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Billy Taylor - Solo

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1988
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:20
Size: 166,3 MB
Art: Front

(6:52)  1. All the Things You Are
(4:46)  2. A Bientot
(3:47)  3. Handle with Care
(5:13)  4. Old Folks
(4:12)  5. A Tune for Howard to Improvise Upon
(6:41)  6. Cool and Caressing
(5:04)  7. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
(6:09)  8. Yesterdays
(8:11)  9. More Than You Know
(4:49) 10. A Bit of Bedlam
(4:33) 11. For Undine
(5:14) 12. Billy's Beat
(6:44) 13. Gone with the Wind

Other than a pair of obscure albums from 1956, this was Billy Taylor's first solo piano recording. Released by his Taylor-Made label, the music on this CD is consistently colorful. On the opener "All the Things You Are," Taylor plays the first three choruses quite successfully with just his left hand. Other highlights of this straightahead set include the pianist's "A Bit of Bedlam" (one of seven originals among the 13 songs), "More than You Know," "For Undine" and "Billy's Beat." Well worth checking out. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/solo-mw0000200661

Solo

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Billy Taylor - Ten Fingers, One Voice

Styles: Piano Jazz, Bop, Swing
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:54
Size: 122,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:08) 1. Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams
(5:48) 2. In a Sentimental Mood
(5:31) 3. Joy Spring
(4:49) 4. Laura
(4:27) 5. Easy Like
(4:49) 6. Night and Day
(4:59) 7. Can You Tell By Looking at Me?
(3:10) 8. Early Bird
(6:01) 9. Tea for Two
(3:57) 10. Solo
(4:10) 11. My Heart Stood Still

This is delightful, unrestrained solo piano from one of the foremost jazz performers and educators of our time. For years Taylor recorded with trios, but here he goes it alone and treats the listener to another, more carefree realm of his playing. He covers eight jazz standards and does three originals, including the ballad "Can You Tell by Looking at Me?" and his tribute to Charlie Parker, "Early Bird." "Tea for Two" is probably the most widely recognized cover, but Taylor's treatment of it is far removed from its traditional arrangement. Teddi Castion's "Easy Like" is especially playful and features some great stride work, and Taylor takes Cole Porter's "Night and Day" into places no pianist has gone before. Taylor was 75 years old during this recording, and one would think that at that age perhaps the fingers aren't as nimble as they used to be. He definitely proves that wrong on Clifford Brown's "Joy Spring" (where he changes keys not once but twice!). If you listen closely to this disc while wearing headphones, you can hear Taylor softly vocalizing occasionally an interesting glimpse into what's going on between his ears as the music flows out of him.~ Ann Wickstrom https://www.allmusic.com/album/ten-fingers-one-voice-mw0000602416

Ten Fingers, One Voice

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Lucky Thompson - Accent on Tenor Sax

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1954
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:00
Size: 132,9 MB
Art: Front

( 6:25)  1. Tune For Tex
( 6:24)  2. Where Or When
( 8:05)  3. Mr. E-Z
(13:13)  4. Kamman's A'Comin'
( 7:33)  5. Ever So Easy
( 3:20)  6. Salute To Charlie Parker
( 4:18)  7. Mood Indigo
( 5:02)  8. Easy To Love
( 3:35)  9. Prelude To A Mood

Born in Columbia, SC, on June 16, 1924, tenor saxophonist Lucky Thompson bridged the gap between the physical dynamism of swing and the cerebral intricacies of bebop, emerging as one of his instrument's foremost practitioners and a stylist par excellence. Eli Thompson's lifelong nickname the byproduct of a jersey, given him by his father, with the word "lucky" stitched across the chest -- would prove bitterly inappropriate: when he was five, his mother died, and the remainder of his childhood, spent largely in Detroit, was devoted to helping raise his younger siblings. Thompson loved music, but without hope of acquiring an instrument of his own, he ran errands to earn enough money to purchase an instructional book on the saxophone, complete with fingering chart. He then carved imitation lines and keys into a broom handle, teaching himself to read music years before he ever played an actual sax. According to legend, Thompson finally received his own saxophone by accident a delivery company mistakenly dropped one off at his home along with some furniture, and after graduating high school and working briefly as a barber, he signed on with Erskine Hawkins' 'Bama State Collegians, touring with the group until 1943, when he joined Lionel Hampton and settled in New York City. Soon after his arrival in the Big Apple, Thompson was tapped to replace Ben Webster during his regular gig at the 52nd Street club the Three Deuces Webster, Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, and Art Tatum were all in attendance at Thompson's debut gig, and while he deemed the performance a disaster (a notorious perfectionist, he was rarely if ever pleased with his work), he nevertheless quickly earned the respect of his peers and became a club fixture. 

After a stint with bassist Slam Stewart, Thompson again toured with Hampton before joining singer Billy Eckstine's short-lived big band that included Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Art Blakey in other words, the crucible of bebop. But although he played on some of the earliest and most influential bop dates, Thompson never fit squarely within the movement's paradigm his playing boasted an elegance and formal power all his own, with an emotional depth rare among the tenor greats of his generation. He joined the Count Basie Orchestra in late 1944, exiting the following year while in Los Angeles and remaining there until 1946, in the interim playing on and arranging a series of dates for the Exclusive label. Thompson returned to the road when Gillespie hired him to replace Parker in their epochal combo he also played on Parker's landmark March 28, 1946, session for Dial, and that same year was a member of the Charles Mingus and Buddy Collette-led Stars of Swing which, sadly, never recorded. More...Jason Ankeny https://www.allmusic.com/artist/lucky-thompson-mn0000302799/biography             

Personnel: Lucky Thompson (tenor sax), Jimmy Hamilton (clarinet), Billy Taylor (piano), Sidney Gross (guitar on #1-3), Oscar Pettiford (bass), Osie Johnson (drums).

Accent on Tenor Sax

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Miles Davis - Birdland 1951

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:23
Size: 154.3 MB
Styles: Bop, Trumpet jazz
Year: 2004
Art: Front

[ 6:11] 1. Move
[ 7:31] 2. Half Nelson
[ 7:11] 3. Down
[ 5:51] 4. Out Of The Blue
[ 7:40] 5. Half Nelson
[ 6:42] 6. Tempus Fugit
[12:08] 7. Move
[ 8:36] 8. The Squirrel
[ 5:29] 9. Lady Bird

Bass – Charles Mingus, Tommy Potter; Drums – Art Blakey; Piano – Billy Taylor, Kenny Drew; Tenor Saxophone – Big Nick Nicholas, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Sonny Rollins; Trombone – J.J. Johnson; Trumpet – Miles Davis.

These nine tracks, taken from radio broadcasts from the legendary Birdland in 1951, represent a particularly fruitful period in Miles Davis' development as a bandleader. There are three different broadcasts included here; two comprising six cuts in total were from June and September and have been issued in various forms on bootlegs over the decades. Four cuts, however, taken from a broadcast on February 17, have never been available in any form and it is these as well the marginally better fidelity of the entire set that makes this worth owning for Miles freaks -- and only Miles freaks. The sextet on the February and June dates included J.J. Johnson, Sonny Rollins, Art Blakey, Tommy Potter, and Kenny Drew. In September, Charles Mingus, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Billy Taylor, and Big Nick Nicholas joined Davis and Blakey. The fidelity here is listed on the sleeve as "primitive." That's a nice way to say it sucks bad. These are better than Charlie Parker's Dean Benedetti recordings, but not by much. Soundwise, the best that can be said is that one can hear all of the instruments. The performances, however, particularly as delineated in the three different versions of the cut "Move," are stellar. They are inspired, furious, and cutting. Rollins outdoes himself in the June performance of the cut, and the latter band transforms it entirely. For the record, it is the only duplicate selection. Also, the live version of "Tempus Fugit," with its knotty head and punched-up rhythm, is revelatory in the manner of arrangement for those days and points a solid direction for the immediate future -- check the tempos and structure of the solo breaks on the September session for evidence. While this set is exclusively for those Miles fans who have to have absolutely everything, it is nonetheless worth it for those who have the bootlegs because of the heightened fidelity and the new session. ~Thom Jurek

Birdland 1951

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Billy Taylor - Cross-Section

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:33
Size: 84,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:49)  1. Eddie's Theme
(3:09)  2. Mood For Mendes
(2:55)  3. Lullaby Of Birdland
(3:25)  4. Goodbye
(2:59)  5. Tune For Tex
(3:48)  6. Moonlight In Vermont
(3:12)  7. Biddy's Beat
(2:51)  8. I'll Be Around
(2:56)  9. I Love To Mambo
(3:11) 10. Candido Mambo
(2:57) 11. Early Morning Mambo
(2:17) 12. Mambo Azul

For this CD reissue, pianist Billy Taylor is features on eight songs with his trio of 1954 (which included bassist Earl May and drummer Percy Brice); the four originals (which alternate with standards) were all dedicated to disc jockeys of the time. The trio was pretty tight with Taylor in the lead and, although boppish, it also looked back toward the swing era.

The remaining four numbers match Taylor and May with what was dubbed "Machito's Rhythm Section": Charlie Smith on conga, Joe Mangual on bongos, Uba Nieto playing timbales and Machito himself on maracas. The four mambos are ideal both for listening and for dance music. An enjoyable set. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/cross-section-mw0000203377

Personnel: Billy Taylor (piano); Machito (marimba, maracas); Charlie Smith (drums, congas); Percy Brice (drums); Ubaldo Nieto (congas, bongos, timbales); Chico Guerrero, Jose Mangual (congas, bongos); Claydes Smith (congas).

Cross-Section

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Billy Taylor Quartet - Where've You Been

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1981
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:51
Size: 95,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:07)  1. Where've You Been?
(5:28)  2. Night Coming Tenderly
(3:18)  3. Ray's Tune
(7:03)  4. Antoinette
(4:31)  5. I'm In Love With You
(5:43)  6. All ALone
(5:07)  7. I Think Of You
(3:31)  8. Capricious

This Concord release is most notable for featuring the obscure but talented violinist Joe Kennedy, who spent the bulk of his career teaching music in the Richmond, VA area. Teamed with pianist Billy Taylor, bassist Victor Gaskin and drummer Keith Copeland, Kennedy is the lead voice on many of the eight straightahead Taylor originals and he plays at the peak of his powers; it is a real pity that he did not record more during his career. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/whereve-you-been-mw0000648206

Personnel:  Billy Taylor - piano;  Joe Kennedy - violin;  Victor Gaskin - bass;  Keith Copeland-drums

Where've You Been

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Billy Taylor Trio - Sleeping Bee

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1969
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:43
Size: 98,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:46)  1. La Petite Mambo
(5:37)  2. Theodora
(4:19)  3. Pharaphrase
(5:12)  4. Bye Y'All
(3:27)  5. Don't Go Down South
(5:33)  6. Brother Where Are You
(8:23)  7. There Will Never Be Another You
(5:23)  8. Sleeping Bee

Billy Taylor and his 1969 trio (which includes bassist Ben Tucker and drummer Grady Tate) perform four of Taylor's originals, Errol Garner's "La Petite Mambo," Oscar Brown, Jr.'s "Brother Where Are You" and two standards on this MPS set which was last available as a Pausa LP. The enjoyable music swings and fits perfectly into the jazz mainstream of the era. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/a-sleeping-bee-mw0000875940

Personnel:  Billy Taylor - piano;  Ben Tucker - bass;  Grady Tate - drums

Sleeping Bee

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Billy Taylor - Billy Taylor with Four Flutes

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1959
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:12
Size: 97,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:56)  1. The Song Is Ended
(6:49)  2. Back Home
(2:34)  3. St. Thomas
(4:46)  4. Oh Lady, Be Good
(2:58)  5. No Parking
(4:23)  6. Koolbongo
(7:00)  7. Blue Shutters
(4:47)  8. One for the Woofer
(4:55)  9. How About You?

In the 1950s, pianist Billy Taylor was best known for his work with his trios. For this Riverside set (reissued on CD in the OJC series) Taylor tried something different, writing arrangements for four flutists (including Frank Wess, Herbie Mann, and Jerome Richardson), his rhythm section, and the congas of Chino Pozo. 

The flutists get their opportunities to solo, and the music (which includes "The Song Is Ended," "St. Thomas," "Oh Lady Be Good," "How About You," and four of Taylor's originals) is essentially bop, but the unusual instrumentation gives the set its own personality. Enjoyable music that certainly stands out from the crowd. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/billy-taylor-with-four-flutes-mw0000113827

Personnel: Billy Taylor (piano); Jerry Sanfino, Frank Wess, Herbie Mann, Jerome Richardson, Phil Bodner, Seldon Powell, Billy Slapin (flute); Dave Bailey , Albert "Tootie" Heath (drums); Chano Pozo ( Luciano "Chano" Pozo Gonzales) (congas).

Billy Taylor with Four Flutes

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Billy Taylor - It's A Matter Of Pride

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:11
Size: 148,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:56)  1. At La Caroussel
(4:50)  2. Picture This
(5:13)  3. It's A Matter Of Pride
(6:07)  4. His Name Was Martin
(5:04)  5. Titoro
(8:45)  6. Back Home
(6:05)  7. Lookin' Up
(7:30)  8. Paraphrase
(4:48)  9. I'm A Lover
(5:54) 10. If You Really Are Concerned
(3:55) 11. Mood For Mendes

This is a particularly well-constructed session by pianist Billy Taylor who is featured in a combo with bassist Christian McBride, drummer Marvin "Smitty" Smith, the congas of Ray Mantilla and, on three songs, tenor-saxophonist Stanley Turrentine; Grady Tate also contributes two warm ballad vocals. All nine songs were composed by Taylor (including three pieces taken from a more extended work in tribute to Martin Luther King) and the results are melodic, boppish and swinging.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/its-a-matter-of-pride-mw0000110539   

Personnel: Billy Taylor (piano), Grady Tate (vocals), Stanley Turrentine (tenor saxophone), Christian McBride (bass), Marvin "Smitty" Smith (drums), Ray Mantilla (congas)

It's A Matter Of Pride

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Christian McBride - Conversations with Christian

Styles: Post-Bop, Straight-Ahead Jazz 

Year: 2011

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 76:27

Size: 175,2 MB

Art: Front

(4:21)  1. Afrika (feat. Angelique Kidjo)

(4:40)  2. Fat Bach and Greens (feat. Regina Carter)

(4:19)  3. Consider Me Gone (feat. Sting)

(6:18)  4. Guajeo Y Tumbao (feat. Eddie Palmieri)

(5:21)  5. Baubles, Bangles and Beads (feat. Roy Hargrove)

(7:07)  6. Spiritual (feat. Dr. Billy Taylor)

(5:09)  7. It's Your Thing (feat. Dee Dee Bridgewater)

(5:32)  8. Alone Together (feat. Hank Jones)

(5:35)  9. McDukey Blues (feat. George Duke)

(9:06) 10. Tango Improvisation #1 (feat. Chick Corea)

(6:39) 11. Sister Rosa (feat. Russell Malone)

(5:36) 12. Shake 'n Blake (feat. Ron Blake)

(6:39) 13. Chitilins and Gelitefish (feat. Gina Gershon)

Plenty of ink has been spilled by those espousing their opinions on the art of the trio, but the duo format doesn't get its due nearly as often either in print or on record. The trio format allows for various permutations in musical interaction, but pairing two artists together is all about direct, head-to-head conversation, and bassist Christian McBride knows a thing or two about this. While McBride has made a name for himself as a go-to bassist for all occasions and styles of music, his podcasts, Sirius-XM Radio Show (The Lowdown: Conversations With Christian McBride) and work as the co-director of The National Jazz Museum in Harlem have also shown the bassist to be an engaging presence in one-on-one games of the aural variety.  While McBride considered the idea of a duo record in the late '90s, he had other things on his mind at the time. Now, more than a decade later, he brings this concept to fruition with some help from thirteen A-list partners. Violinist Regina Carter joins the bassist for a baroque-meets-the-blues exploration of Johann Sebastian Bach's Double Violin Concerto ("Fat Bach And Greens"), vocal-pop icon Sting makes an appearance with guitar-in-hand on "Consider Me Gone," McBride and vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater engage in saucy repartee on the funky and engaging "It's Your Thing," while shtick comes into the picture on a bluesy Jew's harp and vocals-meet-bass number with actress Gina Gershon ("Chitlins And Gefiltefish").

While McBride is more than comfortable and compelling in every setting on this album, the piano and bass partnerships on display seem to rise above the rest of the performances. Eddie Palmieri brings high energy Latin jazz into the mix on "Guajeo Y Tumbao," the dearly departed Dr. Billy Taylor brings a sense of calm and peace to the album with his own "Spiritual," which opens and closes with some gorgeous arco work from McBride, and George Duke delivers the most chops-heavy piano work on the record, with "McDukey Blues." While the late Hank Jones' isn't nearly as aggressive as Palmieri or Duke, his connection with McBride may be more powerful and palpable, and this pair deserves to be dubbed The Great Jazz Duo for this performance. Preconceived notions concerning structure seem to surround most of these numbers, but McBride's duet with pianist Chick Corea is of the organically-developed variety. Suspense-filled sounds and Spaniard-Argentine influences abound as "Tango Improvisation #1" takes shape, but a blues foundation sneaks into the music as the piece develops, and the final act surrounds choppy, paranoid single-note statements from Corea's piano. Conversations With Christian McBride may, ultimately, be critically eclipsed by the bassist's fine big band record, The Good Feeling (Mack Avenue, 2011), that arrived a mere two months before this collection, but that would be a shame. These albums are actually companion pieces that highlight McBride's mastery of all things musical. ~ Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/conversations-with-christian-christian-mcbride-mack-avenue-records-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Christian McBride: bass; Angelique Kidjo: vocals (1); Regina Carter: violin (2); Sting: vocals (3), guitar (3); Eddie Palmieri: piano (4); Roy Hargrove: trumpet (5); Dr. Billy Taylor: piano (6); Dee Dee Bridgewater: vocals (7); Hank Jones: piano (8); George Duke: piano (9); Chick Corea: piano (10); Russell Malone: guitar (11); Ron Blake: tenor saxophone (12); Gina Gershon: vocals (13).

Conversations with Christian                

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Billy Taylor - One For Fun

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:48
Size: 84.2 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 1959/2002
Art: Front

[3:45] 1. Summertime
[3:31] 2. One For Fun
[1:52] 3. That's For Sure
[4:23] 4. A Little Southside Soul
[5:06] 5. Blue Moon
[4:25] 6. Makin' Whoopee
[5:30] 7. Poiniana
[3:31] 8. At Long Last Love
[4:41] 9. When Lights Are Low

Bass – Earl May; Drums – Kenny Dennis; Piano – Billy Taylor; Recorded in NYC, June 24, 1959.

Billy Taylor's touch at the piano is supple, stylish, and elegant. It was cultivated in the New York City bop scene of the 1940s, where Taylor played in combos led by Gerry Mulligan, Lee Konitz, Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Pettiford, and others. Taylor's bebop heart and mind are happily at work throughout this 75-minute CD of upbeat, swinging music that brings together two LPs made up of three distinct sessions. Throughout, Taylor's sophisticated ease of execution, his rich musical imagination, and the strong support of his sidemen make this a classy and satisfying compilation. Seven of the tracks for The Billy Taylor Touch were recorded with Taylor's first regular trio in 1951. On these, Taylor, bassist Earl May, and drummer Ed Thigpen are joined by the fine guitarist John Collins, a rhythm specialist who gives the music much of its personality. Collins would make a similar contribution later in the '50s with the Nat "King" Cole trio. There are also four tracks from a 1958 session, again with Taylor joined by May and Thigpen. On One for Fun from 1960, May is back on bass, this time with Kenny Denis on drums. The set has a more contemporary feel than the earlier tracks and features three Taylor originals, including the cool, yet cooking, "A Little Southside Soul." Among the standout tracks, the Rogers and Hart classic "Blue Moon" is transformed by Taylor and company into a vehicle for some of the CD's best solo and group work. ~Jim Todd

One For Fun

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Erroll Garner, Billy Taylor - Separate Keyboards

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 33:44

Size: 77.2 MB

Styles: Piano jazz

Year: 1955/2009

Art: Front

[2:56] 1. A Cottage For Sale

[3:02] 2. Rosalie

[3:02] 3. Everything Happens To Me

[2:48] 4. Stairway To The Stars

[3:01] 5. September Song

[2:56] 6. All The Things You Are

[2:36] 7. Mad Work

[2:32] 8. Solace

[2:40] 9. Night And Day

[2:43] 10. Alexander's Ragtime Band

[2:39] 11. The Bug

[2:43] 12. Take The 'A' Train

For this CD (put out by the Japanese Denon label), there are six selections apiece from pianists Erroll Garner and Billy Taylor. The Garner titles (which are also available elsewhere) are rhapsodic ballads that are both melodic and whimsical. The Taylor sides include the four songs that he cut at his very first session as a leader (March 20, 1945) plus two cuts made with a quintet (comprised of tenor saxophonist Jon Hardee, organist Milt Page, bassist John Simmons and drummer Shadow Wilson) in 1949. Despite the brief playing time (just 36 minutes) and lazy packaging (which includes three major misspellings on the back cover), the music is enjoyable and worth picking up if it can be found at a budget price. ~Scott Yanow

Separate Keyboards  

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Earl Coleman - Love Songs

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1967
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:34
Size: 80,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:32)  1. People
(3:58)  2. There's No You
(2:52)  3. A Day In The Life Of A Fool
(2:57)  4. I've Got You Under My Skin
(4:44)  5. I Wish I Knew
(5:11)  6. I Won't Tell A Soul
(2:40)  7. The Work Song
(2:57)  8. Manhattan Serenade
(2:58)  9. Charade
(2:42) 10. When Did You Leave Heaven

Despite his warm voice and the optimistic liner notes, this album was Earl Coleman's only recording as a leader from 1957-76. Coleman, whose baritone voice was originally influenced by Billy Eckstine, is long overdue for rediscovery, as was Johnny Hartman who gained some posthumous fame in the 1990s. Coleman is joined by either a big band led by pianist Billy Taylor and featuring flutist Jerome Richardson, or by Taylor's combo with trumpeter Eddie Williams, guitarist Gene Bertoncini, bassist Reggie Workman and drummer Bobby Thomas. A few of the tunes, such as "People" and "Charade," are throwaways, but even those are uplifted by Coleman's warmth. Highlights include "There's No You," "I Wish I Knew" and "When Did You Leave Heaven." This underrated LP will hopefully be reissued on CD someday and makes one regret that Coleman recorded so little during his prime. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/love-songs-mw0000879193

Personnel:  Earl Coleman – vocals;  Frank Foster - tenor sax;  Jerome Richardson – flute;  Billy Taylor – piano;  Eddie Williams – trumpet;  Gene Bertoncini – guitar;  Billy Taylor – piano;  Reggie Workman – bass;  Bobby Thomas - drums

Love Songs

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Clark Terry - One On One

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:05
Size: 151.3 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[5:08] 1. L-O-V-E (Love) (Feat. Monty Alexander)
[4:30] 2. Just For A Thrill (Feat. Geri Allen)
[3:40] 3. Liza (All The Clouds'll Roll Away) (Feat. Eric Lewis)
[4:06] 4. The Intimacy Of The Blues (Feat. Kenny Barron)
[3:21] 5. You Can Depend On Me (Feat. John Lewis)
[4:52] 6. Memories Of You (Feat. Roland Hanna)
[8:09] 7. Honeysuckle Rose (Feat. Benny Green)
[3:58] 8. Willow Grove (Feat. Barry Harris)
[5:33] 9. Solitude (Feat. Tommy Flanagan)
[4:06] 10. Blue Monk (Feat. Don Friedman)
[6:54] 11. Misty (With Billy Taylor)
[3:48] 12. Swingin' The Blues (Feat. Junior Mance)
[3:36] 13. Jungle Blues (Feat. Eric Reed)
[4:22] 14. Skylark (Feat. Marian Mcpartland)

Right in the middle of celebrating his 79th birthday, Clark Terry went into the studio for several days to record 14 duets with a different pianist on each track, with many of them being veterans of many record dates and/or concerts with him. Terry remains one of the most easily identifiable trumpeters and flügelhorn players in jazz, so much so that more than one critic has claimed the ability to identify him after just one note. Each track is dedicated to a great performer of the past, though no attempt is made to copy famous recordings, of course. Terry's brilliant flügelhorn swings mightily along with Monty Alexander on the surprising dedication to Nat King Cole of "L.O.V.E.," which was a hit for him after Cole had all but quit playing piano and enjoyed even greater success as a popular singer. The choice of Lil Hardin Armstrong's "Just for a Thrill" is also an interesting one, versus her better known "Struttin' With Some Barbecue"; Terry's fat tone on his big horn is well complemented by Geri Allen. Terry scats an imitation of brushes on cymbals to introduce "Swingin' the Blues" with Junior Mance before switching to muted trumpet. Old friend Marian McPartland works with Terry to produce a mesmerizing rendition of "Skylark." Also present are Sir Roland Hanna, Kenny Barron, John Lewis, Barry Harris, Tommy Flanagan, Don Friedman, Billy Taylor, Benny Green, Eric Reed, and Eric Lewis. There is not one performance that rates less than excellent within this very highly recommended CD. ~Ken Dryden

One On One

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Ramsey Lewis, Billy Taylor - We Meet Again

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:05
Size: 128.4 MB
Styles: Piano jazz, Crossover jazz
Year: 1990
Art: Front

[4:35] 1. I'm Just A Lucky So And So
[6:19] 2. Django
[4:35] 3. Cookin' At The Continental
[5:42] 4. Somewhere Soon
[7:41] 5. We Meet Again
[7:20] 6. Quite Now
[5:15] 7. Soul Sister
[6:52] 8. Waltz For Debby
[7:41] 9. Nigerian Marketplace

Features Billy Taylor as Lewis and Taylor played duets on several songs composed by Taylor as well as songs composed by Duke Ellington, Chick Corea (who wrote the title song of the album), Oscar Peterson, Bill Evans and Horace Silver.

We Meet Again

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Susannah McCorkle - As Time Goes By

Styles: Vocal Jazz

Year: 1986

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 44:26

Size: 104,0 MB

Art: Front

(3:34)  1. September In The Rain

(4:16)  2. I Can't Give You Anything But Love

(4:03)  3. Taking A Chance On Love

(4:56)  4. For All We Know

(5:12)  5. As Time Goes By

(3:12)  6. I Get A Kick Out Of You

(6:03)  7. Alone Together

(4:16)  8. Pennies From Heaven

(4:52)  9. You Don't Know What Love Is

(3:57) 10. Blues In The Night

McCorkle was born in Berkeley, California. She studied modern languages at the University of California, Berkeley. McCorkle began singing professionally after hearing recordings of Billie Holiday in Paris in the late 1960s. She nearly became an interpreter at the European Commission in Brussels, but moved instead to London in 1972 to pursue a career in singing. While in the UK, she made two albums which, although well received, enjoyed only limited circulation. In the late 1970s, McCorkle returned to the United States and settled in New York City, where a five-month engagement at the Cookery in Greenwich Village brought her to wider public attention and elicited rave reviews from critics.

During the 1980s, McCorkle continued to record; her maturing style and the darkening timbre of her voice greatly enhanced her performances. In the early 1990s, two of the albums McCorkle made for Concord Records, No More Blues and Sábia, were enormously successful and made her name known to the wider world. She was recorded by the Smithsonian Institution which at the time made her the youngest singer ever to have been included in its popular music series. McCorkle played Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher and Alice Tully Halls five times and Carnegie Hall three times, and was featured soloist with Skitch Henderson and the 80-piece New York Pops in a concert of Brazilian music. Thanks to her linguistic skills, McCorkle translated lyrics of Brazilian, French, and Italian songs, notably those for her Brazilian album Sabia. She had a special affinity for Bossa Nova and often cited Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Waters of March" as her personal favorite. McCorkle also had several short stories published and, in 1991, began work on her first novel. She published fiction in Mademoiselle, Cosmopolitan Magazine, and non-fiction in the New York Times Magazine and in American Heritage, including lengthy articles on Ethel Waters, Bessie Smith, Irving Berlin and Mae West.

A survivor of breast cancer, McCorkle suffered for many years from depression and committed suicide at age 55 by leaping off the balcony of her 16th-floor apartment on West 86th Street in Manhattan. She was alone in her home at the time. The police immediately entered her home after identifying her body and found no foul play. Suicide was ruled the manner of death. One year later, in a New York magazine tribute entitled "Jazz Bird", Gwenda Blair wrote, "Onstage, singer Susannah McCorkle exuded a sultry self-confidence that won her lifelong fans. But in private, she fought depression so deep and so well hidden that a year after her suicide, even some in her most intimate circle wonder how they missed the cries for help." Haunted Heart, a biography of Susannah McCorkle written by Linda Dahl, was published in September 2006 by University of Michigan Press. ~ Bio  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Susannah_McCorkle

Personnel: Susannah McCorkle (vocal),  Jimmy Heath (ts), Ted Dunbar (g), Billy Taylor (p), Victor Gaskin (b), Tony Reedus (d)

As Time Goes By

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Billy Taylor - The Billy Taylor Touch

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:44
Size: 86.4 MB
Styles: Hard bop, Piano jazz
Year: 1958/2005
Art: Front

[2:54] 1. You Make Me Feel So Young
[4:47] 2. Early May
[4:21] 3. Can You Tell By Looking At Me
[4:11] 4. I Get A Kick Out Of You
[2:42] 5. Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams
[3:29] 6. Willow Weep For Me
[3:01] 7. Good Groove
[3:00] 8. What Is There To Say
[3:11] 9. Thou Swell
[3:21] 10. The Very Thought Of You
[2:42] 11. Somebody Loves Me

Billy Taylor's touch at the piano is supple, stylish, and elegant. It was cultivated in the New York City bop scene of the 1940s, where Taylor played in combos led by Gerry Mulligan, Lee Konitz, Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Pettiford, and others. Taylor's bebop heart and mind are happily at work throughout this CD of upbeat, swinging music. Throughout, Taylor's sophisticated ease of execution, his rich musical imagination, and the strong support of his sidemen make this classy and satisfying. Seven of the tracks for The Billy Taylor Touch were recorded with Taylor's first regular trio in 1951. On these, Taylor, bassist Earl May, and drummer Ed Thigpen are joined by the fine guitarist John Collins, a rhythm specialist who gives the music much of its personality. Collins would make a similar contribution later in the '50s with the Nat "King" Cole trio. ~Jim Todd

The Billy Taylor Touch

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