Dianne Reeves - The Grand Encounter

Styles: Vocal Jazz 
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:26
Size: 116,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:01)  1. Old Country
(3:23)  2. Cherokee
(8:12)  3. Besame Mucho
(3:46)  4. Let Me Love You
(4:54)  5. Tenderly
(6:06)  6. After Hours
(3:27)  7. Ha!
(5:24)  8. Some Other Spring
(5:08)  9. Side By Side
(4:59) 10. I'm Okay

This CD could have been titled Finally! Dianne Reeves has long had the potential to be the top female jazz singer, but so many of her previous recordings were erratic as she skipped back and forth between idioms without committing herself. However, after years of flirting with jazz and being seemingly undecided whether she would rather be a pop star, she at last came out with a full jazz album in 1996, and it is a gem. The supporting cast on the ten selections (which feature different personnel on each cut) is remarkable and everyone gets a chance to play: trumpeters Clark Terry and Harry "Sweets" Edison, altoists Phil Woods and Bobby Watson, tenorman James Moody, trombonist Al Grey, harmonica great Toots Thielemans (on "Besame Mucho"), pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Rodney Whitaker, and drummer Herlin Riley.

In addition, Joe Williams shares the vocal spotlight on "Let Me Love You" and a touching version of "Tenderly," Germaine Bazzle sings along with Reeves on "Side by Side," and a rendition of Charlie Ventura's "Ha!" has a vocal group consisting of Reeves, Bazzle, Terry, Moody, and the young Kimberley Longstreth. Other highlights include Nat Adderley's "Old Country," "Some Other Spring," and "Cherokee." Despite the heavy "competition," the leader emerges as the star of the set due to her beautiful voice and highly expressive singing. This highly recommended CD is the Dianne Reeves release to get. By Scott Yanow
https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-grand-encounter-mw0000081516

Personnel: Vocals – Dianne Reeves, Germaine Bazzle, Joe Williams , Kimberley Longstreth; Vocals, Tenor Saxophone – James Moody; Vocals, Trumpet – Clark Terry ; Alto Saxophone – Bobby Watson , Phil Woods; Bass – Rodney Whitaker; Drums – Herlin Riley; Harmonica – Toots Thielemans; Piano – Kenny Barron; Trombone – Al Grey ; Trumpet – Harry "Sweets" Edison

The Grand Encounter

---

Peter Leitch Quintet - Portraits and Dedications

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:47
Size: 139,2 MB
Art: Front

( 5:56) 1. Pepper
( 5:25) 2. Visage De Cathryn
( 4:36) 3. Modes for Wood
( 4:38) 4. Warm Valley
( 5:35) 5. Colorado
( 6:21) 6. Portrait of Sylvia
( 2:46) 7. The Winter of My Discontent
( 7:18) 8. A Blues For 'Nita
( 5:45) 9. The Bulldog
(10:22) 10. Shades of Stein

It often seems like the Dutch label Criss Cross is much more enlightened when it comes to recording talented young American jazz musicians than major labels within the U.S.A. Such is the case with guitarist Peter Leitch, who's heard leading this 1988 session.

With alto saxophonist Bobby Watson, pianist James Williams, bassist Ray Drummond, and drummer Marvin Smitty Smith added to the mix, great music was the only possible result. Leitch's "Pepper," a tribute to the late Pepper Adams (who gave him his first job in New York), is a brisk affair with sterling solos by all parties.

His easygoing samba "Portrait of Sylvia" adds Jed Levy's alto flute. Duke Ellington's "Warm Valley" is a soulful duet with Watson that is full of fun and features great interplay as well. Leitch captures the moody air of Alec Wilder's infrequently performed ballad "The Winter of My Discontent" in his solo interpretation. Recommended. By Ken Dryden
https://www.allmusic.com/album/portraits-and-dedications-mw0000429152

Personnel: Peter Leitch (Guitar); Jed Levy (Alto Flute); Bobby Watson (Alto Saxophone); Ray Drummond (Bass); Marvin "Smitty" Smith (Drums); James Williams (Piano).

Portraits and Dedications

---

Bobby Watson - Back Home in Kansas City

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:49
Size: 151,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:32) 1. Back Home In Kansas City
(7:32) 2. Red Bank Heist
(5:26) 3. Our Love Remains
(6:25) 4. Bon Voyage
(6:33) 5. The Star In The East
(4:38) 6. Mind Wine
(5:41) 7. Celestial
(6:02) 8. Dear Lord
(4:57) 9. Side Steps
(7:15) 10. I'm Glad There Is You
(6:42) 11. Blues For Alto

Saxophonist/composer Bobby Watson draws inspiration from the rich jazz heritage of his Kansas City hometown on his spirited album BACK HOME IN KANSAS CITY, which features an all-star quintet with Watson’s longtime rhythm section of bassist Curtis Lundy and drummer Victor Jones along with pianist Cyrus Chestnut, trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, as well as a special guest appearance by vocalist Carmen Lundy.

“Great melodies are immortal, like a sculpture or a painting,” Watson insists. “This album is more about the singing quality of my instrument.”

As the title suggests, Back Home in Kansas City also pays homage to Watson’s hometown and its own rich musical heritage. The saxophonist grew up in KC, leaving to study at the University of Miami and then spending a quarter century making his name in New York City. He returned home in 2000 to serve as Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Missouri-Kansas City's Conservatory of Music & Dance, retiring 20 years later.

His retirement coinciding with the pandemic, Watson found himself with plenty of time to reflect on Kansas City’s importance to his distinctive sound and, gradually, to play for local audiences who helped attune his approach to the blend of soul and balladry that makes up the new album.

“Being out here in Kansas City has given me a chance to slow down and go deeper into what I want to play,” he explains. “The Kansas City audience is a sophisticated audience because of the history of this town. We've got people out here who have heard a lot of music. So I'm not playing down to the audience, and I'm not trying to simplify anything. I'm simply coming out of what I feel in my heart and my soul.”

The title tune is a contrafact (a new melody written over existing chord changes) on “Back Home Again in Indiana,” also famously the basis for Charlie Parker’s “Donna Lee.” The spirited swinger opens the album on a high note, Jones’ crisp percussion nailing every sudden stop before propelling the band forward again. It’s one of three similar Watson tunes on the album; the yearning “Bon Voyage” is based on Herbie Hancock’s “Maiden Voyage,” while the brisk “Side Steps” is Watson’s reimagining of John Coltrane’s classic (and notoriously challenging) “Giant Steps.”

Watson also drew the haunting ballad “Dear Lord” from the Coltrane songbook, one of several spotlights on the album for his burnished tone and silken melodicism. Chestnut’s achingly delicate touch sets the tone for a gorgeous version of the standard “I’m Glad There Is You,” featuring one of Watson’s most beautiful and moving solo turns. The album closes with the gritty, self-explanatory “Blues for Alto.”

Watson encouraged his bandmates to bring their own material to the session as well. Jones contributes the stealthy “Red Bank Heist,” which feels like Henry Mancini by way of Art Blakey. Chestnut’s sparkling “A Star in the East” is an easygoing waltz that thrives on the rich melody shared by Watson and Pelt. The trumpeter’s offering is the tender “Celestial,” highlighted by his own muted eloquence.

John Hicks’ “Mind Wine” pays tribute to the late pianist, with whom Watson, Lundy, and Jones all worked extensively. Hicks appears on Watson’s 1988 Blue Note debut, NO QUESTION ABOUT IT, as well as LOVE REMAINS; while Watson and Lundy are part of the quartet for Hicks’ 1988 release NAIMA'S LOVE SONG. “John Hicks was a mighty huge influence on me, Curtis and Victor,” Watson says. “When he passed away, that was one of the saddest moments in our lives. He was extremely near and dear to us.”

The saxophonist has long garnered inspiration from vocalists as well as his sax-playing peers and idols. He invited the acclaimed singer Carmen Lundy to join the band for “Our Love Remains,” co-written by Watson and his wife Pamela. In instrumental form, the song was the title track for his 1986 album LOVE REMAINS and was recorded again for 1992’s PRESENT TENSE. The vocal version has previously been recorded by Kevin Mahogany and Melissa Walker, and Lou Rawls was planning his own rendition prior to his death.

“I love hearing singers tell stories,” Watson says. “Joe Williams, Betty Carter, Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McRae, Ella, Gregory Porter, Andy Bey and Carmen does that. She's not just singing the melody, she's putting it out there as a story.”

Throughout Back Home in Kansas City, Watson’s gift for telling stories with his saxophone is on vibrant display. “Johnny Griffin told me that when you solo you want to introduce yourself, talk about how your day went, tell how you feel right now and where you want to take the listener – all through music,” he details. “I know that I have enough technique to last me the rest of my life. But what do I want to say with it? We’re all trying to play one grand solo our whole life in different contexts." https://bobbywatsonjazz.bandcamp.com/

Bobby Watson - alto saxophone; Jeremy Pelt - trumpet;Cyrus Chestnut - piano; Curtis Lundy - bass; Victor Jones - drums

Back Home in Kansas City

---

Louis Hayes - Light and Lively

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:49
Size: 151,3 MB
Art: Front

(12:29)  1. Light and Lively
( 8:26)  2. If You Could See Me Now
( 6:15)  3. Enchantment
(11:59)  4. The 10th Dimention
( 6:23)  5. For the Love of What
( 9:50)  6. Darian
(10:25)  7. Blues for Macao

Not too light but plenty lively as Louis Hayes cooks things up with a great group that includes Bobby Watson on alto, Charles Tolliver on trumpet, Kenny Barron on piano, and Clint Houston on bass! The core trio of Hayes, Barron, and Houston is a great one skipping along with a fluid ease, and always hitting the in-the-pocket sort of rhythms that would be needed to make a session like this come off right and the horns of Watson and Tolliver in the frontline merge and separate with a lyrical soulfulness that takes us back to the best years of the Horace Silver group, especially when Hayes was a part of that ensemble. 

Titles include "For The Love Of What", "Darian", "Enchantment", "Blues For Macao", and "Light & Lively".  © 1996-2019, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/806505

Personnel:  Drums – Louis Hayes;  Alto Saxophone – Bobby Watson;   Bass – Clint Houston;  Piano – Kenny Barron;  Trumpet – Charles Tolliver

Light and Lively

---

Bobby Watson - Appointment In Milano

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:12
Size: 100,4 MB
Art: Front

(10:00)  1. Appointment In Milano
( 8:01)  2. Ballando (dancing)
( 3:31)  3. If Bird Could See Me Now
( 6:26)  4. Watson's Blues
( 8:03)  5. (i'm) Always Missing You
( 7:10)  6. Funcalypso

During 1983-86 altoist Bobby Watson recorded fairly regularly for the Italian Red label. On this album he is joined by an obscure but talented Italian rhythm section (pianist Piero Bassini, bassist Attilio Zanchi and drummer Giampiero Prina) called the Open Form Trio. Actually the highpoint of the date is Watson's unaccompanied solo on "If Bird Could See Me Now." Other memorable selections on the well-rounded set include "Watson's Blues," the ballad "Always Missing You" and the spirited "Funcalypso." Bobby Watson (who doubles on this album on soprano) at that point in time was combining advanced hard bop with some influences from the avant-garde, carving out his own style. Recommended. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/appointment-in-milano-mw0000088997

Personnel:  Alto Saxophone – Bobby Watson;  Bass – Attilio Zanchi; Drums – Giampiero Prina ; Piano – Piero Bassini

Appointment In Milano

---

Danny Gatton, Bobby Watson, Roy Hargrove And More... - New York Stories Vol 1

Styles: Guitar, Saxophone And Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:34
Size: 123,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:51)  1. Dolly's Ditty
(7:01)  2. Wheel Within A Wheel
(3:29)  3. Ice Maidens
(6:32)  4. Out A Day
(5:34)  5. Mike The Cat
(8:26)  6. The Move
(5:11)  7. A Clear Thought
(5:30)  8. 5/4
(7:56)  9. One For Lenny

This interesting outing by an all-star group (guitarist Danny Gatton, altoist Bobby Watson, trumpeter Roy Hargrove, Joshua Redman on tenor, pianist Franck Amsallem, bassist Charles Fambrough and drummer Yuron Israel) is most notable for featuring the brilliant Gatton in a jazz setting. Together the septet, performs nine originals by group members and Gatton and Watson emerge as the main solo stars. Despite its somewhat generic name, this advanced hard bop date is quite memorable. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/new-york-stories-mw0000083242

Personnel:  Danny Gatton (guitar),Bobby Watson (alto saxophone), Joshua Redman (saxophone), Roy Hargrove (trumpet), Franck Amsallem (keyboards),  Charles Fambrough (bass), Yoron Israel (drums)

New York Stories; Vol 1

---

Peter Leitch - Blues On The Corner

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:06
Size: 162.8 MB
Styles: Bop, Guitar jazz
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[ 7:13] 1. Blues On The Corner
[ 6:57] 2. The Hillary Step
[ 7:20] 3. Nothing Ever Changes My Love For You
[10:23] 4. Johan Carolyn
[ 6:34] 5. Monk's Mood Bemsha Swing
[ 7:42] 6. K. Zee
[ 8:24] 7. Wendy's Shoes
[ 2:40] 8. Bud 'n Bird
[ 7:53] 9. How Long Has This Been Going On
[ 5:55] 10. From This Moment On

Canadian jazz guitarist Leitch continues to be a top player in this idiom as evidenced by his track record of fine recordings, this being another one. There are curiosities that pop up when Leitch's sparsely treated, lean electric guitar sound melds with Kendra Shank's mostly wordless vocalizing and the saxophone musings of Bobby Watson. Renee Rosnes plays piano on six of the ten cuts, while the bass of Dwayne Burno and the poignant drumming of Billy Hart anchor the varied combos. Leitch wrote half of the material. "The (Sir Edmund) Hillary Step" is steeped in bop; Shank's over-the-hump scat sets off a busy Watson and Rosens, then Shank and Hart trade ideas. The lovely, light-bossa swinger "Johan Carolyn," running over ten and a half minutes, sports beauteous guitar and alto sax unison over the modal chords of Rosnes as a vehicle for longer solos. The most gloriously constructed melody is extant during "K. Zee," which offers another unison line but darker, with Shank's sultry voice added to Watson's soprano and Leitch's wide-eyed line. Rosnes is more astounding on a choppy, chiming piano solo. "Wendy's Shoes" is a straight bluesy number scatted by Shank and spiced by Watson's fluent alto. Leitch goes it solo on "Bud & Bird," all in a fast, bright, evenly keeled bebop language. The guitar/bass/drums trio do the Gershwin ballad "How Long Has This Been Going On?" while "Nothing Ever Changes for You My Love" uses the same instrumentation in a bossa-to-swing style. The session is bookended by two anomalous, nay, disappointing or perhaps questionable numbers. The McCoy Tyner-written title track has Leitch displaying a little twang, and the intro chorus has Shank scatting only the first few bars of the melody twice, but all the way through at the end. The hip, charged bop of "From This Moment On" has Shank only singing the name of the tune, but not the lyric, then scatting a bit. This is an interesting aside for Leitch, not his best, but a change up of instrumentation and stance which is certainly unique for him, and, in many instances, welcome. ~Michael G. Nastos

Blues On The Corner

---

Sir Simon Rattle - Duke Ellington Album

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:58
Size: 180.8 MB
Styles: Big band, Contemporary jazz
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[ 9:05] 1. Take The 'A' Train
[ 2:56] 2. You're The One (with Joshua Redman)
[ 5:12] 3. Sophisticated Lady (With Bobby Watson)
[14:09] 4. Harlem (A Tone Parallel To Harlem)
[ 4:50] 5. Isfahan (With Peter Walden)
[ 8:56] 6. Ad Lib On Nippon (Part 2) (With Colin Parr)
[ 9:04] 7. That Doo-Wah Thing From 'it Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing' Part 2, Duet Fugue (With Joe Lovano)
[ 4:33] 8. Something To Live For
[ 5:30] 9. Come Sunday (With Regina Carter)
[ 4:38] 10. Solitude In Transblucency (With Richard Simpson)
[ 2:44] 11. Maybe
[ 7:15] 12. Things Ain't What They Used To Be (With Regina Carter)

Clark Terry, John Barclay, Simon Gardner- trumpet; Joshua Redman, Joe Lovano- tenor saxophone; Bobby Watson- alto saxophone; Regina Carter- violin; Andrew Barnell- bassoon; Colin Parr- clarinet; Peter Walden- English horn; Richard Simpson- oboe; Geri Allen, Mike Renzi- piano; Peter Washington, Mark Goodchild- double bass; Lewis Nash- drums; Lena Horne- vocals; City of Birmingham [England] Symphony Orchestra.

Sir Simon Rattle conducts the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in a celebration of Duke Ellington’s music. Each impressive orchestration has been reworked by Luther Henderson to provide a full sound. The orchestra performs admirably with accurate interpretations of classic Ellington songs. Along the way, we find Clark Terry, Bobby Watson, Joe Lovano, Regina Carter, Lewis Nash and Josh Redman trading solos with the ensemble. They work together on three tracks, recalling the personal spirit of Ellington’s music and how it was created to fit his individual band members.

Some time ago, Duke Ellington and Luther Henderson discussed what would some day become this particular project. Ellington asked Henderson to arrange “Harlem” (from “Far East Suite”) for performance by a symphony orchestra, combined with his band in concerto grosso form. The two gentlemen agreed that it would represent a blending of two cultural traditions: Western European and African.

Lena Horne sings three songs. Her vocal lines, however, were prerecorded. Thus, there’s a distinct separation in sound between vocalist and accompaniment. Horne’s features appear cold and distant, while Lovano, Watson, Nash, Geri Allen and Peter Washington attempt to make things appear more convincing. Watson has a feature on “Isfahan” and Allen has a feature on “Ad Lib on Nippon,” while Carter and Terry take center stage for a lovely arrangement of “Come Sunday.” Much of the 80-minute album remains focused on celebrating Ellington’s music through full orchestral colors and carefully interwoven instrumental voices. As if to remind us of the balance achieved here between jazz and classical, Clark Terry takes over the closing number with a classic mumbles and wah-wah trumpet routine. The program makes a fine tribute to the music of Duke Ellington and presents these treasured pieces in a slightly different light. ~Jim Santella

Duke Ellington Album

---

Bobby Watson - Made in America

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:40
Size: 149,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:42)  1. The Aviator “for Wendell Pruitt”
(5:12)  2. The Guitarist “for Grant Green”
(6:18)  3. The Butterfly “for Butterfly McQueen”
(7:51)  4. The Cyclist “for Major Taylor”
(6:44)  5. The G.O.A.T. “for Sammy Davis, Jr.”
(5:49)  6. The Entrepreneur “for Madam C.J. Walker
(6:17)  7. The Jockey “for Isaac Murphy”
(1:06)  8. A Moment of Silence
(7:53)  9. The Real Lone Ranger “for Bass Reeves”
(4:02) 10. The Computer Scientist “for Dr. Mark Dean”
(6:41) 11. I’ve Gotta Be Me

Saxophonist, composer, producer, and educator Bobby Watson grew up in Kansas City, KS. As a consequence, his playing is steeped in the roadhouse blues tradition of his native city. He got his formal education at the University of Miami, where his fellow students included Pat Metheny, Jaco Pastorious, and Bruce Hornsby. The college has a distinguished, long-running, and well-respected jazz performance program. After he was graduated in 1975, he moved to New York City, the jazz capitol of the world, and soon found employment as musical director for Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. Watson stuck with Blakey's group from 1977 to 1981, and then pursued session and tour work with more vigor, working with drummers Louis Hayes and Max Roach, saxophonists George Coleman and Branford Marsalis, multi-instrumentalist Sam Rivers, guitarist Carlos Santana and trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. He's also worked with a who's-who in the jazz vocal world, including Joe Williams, Dianne Reeves, Lou Rawls, Betty Carter, and Carmen Lundy. Finally he launched his own group, Bobby Watson & Horizon with bassist Curtis Lundy and drummer Victor Lewis, and they recorded for Blue Note and Columbia Records. Watson and Horizon were in demand and on the road from the mid-'80s to the late '90s, and he still performs with the group, with differing sidemen. Watson has amassed nearly 30 recordings as a bandleader and he's a veteran sessionman, having recorded on more than 100 other recordings. As a composer, he has recorded more than 100 of his original compositions, and his arrangements for big bands have circulated internationally. Watson, basing himself alternately in New York City and Kansas City, has been a first-call musician for more than three decades now, and he also served as a member of the adjunct faculty at William Paterson University in the mid-'80s and at the Manhattan School of Music from 1996-1999. In 2000, he was selected as the first William D. and Mary Grant/Missouri Distinguished Professor of Jazz Studies, and he's been working at the University of Missouri/Kansas City, balancing live concerts around the world with his teaching responsibilities. Since 2000, Watson's recordings under his own name include three excellent releases for the Palmetto Records label, based in New York City. They include Live & Learn (2002), Horizon Reassembled (2004), and From the Heart (2008). ~ Richard Skelly https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/bobby-watson/id3492427#fullText

Personnel:  Bobby Watson [alto saxophone]; Stephen Scott [piano]; Curtis Lundy [bass]; Lewis Nash [drums]

Made in America

---

Rufus & Chaka - Masterjam

Styles: Vocal, Funk, Soul 
Year: 1979
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:29
Size: 92,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:29)  1. Do You Love What You Feel
(4:52)  2. Any Love
(3:47)  3. Heaven Bound
(4:07)  4. Walk The Rockway
(3:54)  5. Live In Me
(5:58)  6. Body Heat
(4:34)  7. I'm Dancing For Your Love
(4:06)  8. What Am I Missing?
(3:37)  9. Masterjam

As Khan released her first solo album, I'm Every Woman, the band released 1978's Numbers, sans Khan, and it went absolutely nowhere. Masterjam finds them back together, renamed Rufus and Chaka, with Quincy Jones producing the effort. Khan had worked with Jones on his 1978 album, Sounds...And Stuff Like That. The most striking thing about Masterjam is that is doesn't sound like a trademark Rufus effort. Jones' production style is so strong that the band's individual sound is all but lost. It's nothing to cry about, since Jones was at his R&B/pop peak and Rufus couldn't do it any better on their own. The album's first track is "Do What You Love What You Feel," with its subtle horn riffs arranged by Jerry Hey and vocals from guitarist Tony Maiden and Khan. On a track somewhat close to a ballad, the brilliantly arranged "Heaven Bound," Jones gets a good raw vocal from Khan. A frequent Jones collaborator, Rod Temperton, offers the title track and the even better "Live in Me." The album's only low point was a cover of Jones' own "Body Heat." On this version the pace is quickened, inexplicably turned into disco which revealed the lyrics to be paper-thin. Although Masterjam was just more of a Quincy Jones album than a Rufus effort, this ended up being one of the groups' last successful full-studio endeavors. ~ Jason Elias http://www.allmusic.com/album/masterjam-mw0000096521

Personnel: Chaka Khan (vocals, background vocals); Tony Maiden (vocals, guitar); David "Hawk" Wolinski, Kevin Murphy (vocals, keyboards); Bobby Watson (vocals); Sid Sharp (strings); Kim Hutchcroft (flute, saxophone, horns); Larry Williams (flute, saxophone, wind); Gary Grant, Larry Hall (trumpet, flugelhorn, horns); Jerry Hey (trumpet, flugelhorn); Lew McCreary, William Frank "Bill" Reichenbach Jr. (trombone); Seawind (horns); John "J.R." Robinson (drums, hand claps, percussion); George A. Johnson, Jr. , Louis Johnson, Richard Heath (hand claps, percussion).

Masterjam

---

Rufus With Chaka Khan - The Very Best Of

Styles: Vocal, Funk, Soul
Year: 1982
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:08
Size: 99,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:30)  1. Do You Love What You Feel
(4:40)  2. Tell Me Something Good
(4:00)  3. Dance With Me
(4:09)  4. Hollywood
(5:42)  5. Stay
(4:31)  6. Once You Get Started
(4:45)  7. You Got The Love
(4:21)  8. At Midnight (My Love Will Lift You Up)
(3:06)  9. Please Pardon Me (You Remind Me Of A Friend)
(3:20) 10. Sweet Thing

The Very Best of Rufus with Chaka Khan is a greatest hits album by funk band Rufus and singer Chaka Khan, originally released on the MCA Records label in 1982. The collection comprises ten of the group's biggest hits on the ABC/MCA labels, including "You Got the Love", "Sweet Thing", "At Midnight (My Love Will Lift You Up)", "Do You Love What You Feel", "Tell Me Something Good", "Stay", "Hollywood" and "Dance Wit Me". The Very Best of... was released in late 1982, prior to the recording of the band's two final albums, both for the Warner Bros. Records label, and does consequently not include their hits "Ain't Nobody" and "One Million Kisses", both from the 1983 double-set Stompin' at the Savoy - Live. However, it doesn't contain any material from their 1973 self-titled debut album or their recent album at the time, 1981's Camouflage. It also doesn't contain any material from the Khan-less albums Numbers (1979) and Party 'Til You're Broke (1981). The ten track Very Best of Rufus featuring Chaka Khan was re-released on CD by MCA/Geffen Records in the mid 1990s in both the US and Europe and is to date the only career retrospective available with the band. Rufus and Chaka Khan's ABC/MCA back catalogue (1973–1982) is as of 2003 distributed by the Universal Music Group.In a contemporary review, Billboard said The Very Best Of revisits the group's "spine-tingling brand of soul-gone-funk", which remains potent because of Khan's singing. Village Voice critic Robert Christgau said the compilation contained Khan's "great Rufus songs". Stephen Thomas Erlewine gave it four-and-a-half out of five stars in his review for AllMusic, and Dave Thompson gave the record an eight out of 10 in his 2001 book Funk. "All the hits and no misses", he wrote. "A great comp". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Very_Best_of_Rufus_with_Chaka_Khan

Personnel: Tony Maiden (vocals, guitar, percussion, background vocals); Ron Stockert (vocals, keyboards, background vocals); Chaka Khan (vocals, background vocals); Bobby Ray Watson, Bobby Watson (vocals); Al Ciner (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, background vocals); Kevin Murphy (piano, Clarinet, organ, keyboards, synthesizer, ARP synthesizer, background vocals); David "Hawk" Wolinski (keyboards, background vocals); Moon Calhoun, André Fischer (drums, percussion, background vocals); John "J.R." Robinson , John "4 Daddman" Robinson (drums, percussion); Dennis Belfield (background vocals).

The Very Best Of

---

Grover Washington Jr. - All My Tomorrows

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:27
Size: 172,3 MB
Art: Front

(8:57)  1. É Preciso Perdoar
(6:19)  2. When I Fall In Love
(6:58)  3. I'm Glad There Is You
(4:56)  4. Happenstance
(6:18)  5. All My Tomorrows
(8:11)  6. Nature Boy
(4:03)  7. Please Send Me Someone To Love
(7:32)  8. Overjoyed
(5:01)  9. Flamingo
(7:15) 10. For Heaven's Sake
(8:55) 11. Estate ('Ess-Tah-Tay') (In Summer)

Eddie Henderson's lovely flugelhorn colors the opening track, "E Preciso Perdoar (One Must Forgive)," setting the mood for a very mellow set. Washington, accompanied by six pieces, plays the standards straighter than Johnny Mathis sings them; everything is ratcheted down '40s-ish/'50s-ish cozy nightclub style. Freddy Cole resembles his brother, Nat King Cole, on "Overjoyed," while "Happenstance" showcases Henderson's absolute trumpeting skills. But if you expected to exercise your fingers with a few impromptu snaps, these tracks won't take you there. 

Washington's Winelight album, one of his best, was laid-back also but Washington's M.O. was stamped all over it; here you need credits and liner notes for verification, and only the opening tune emits any sparks. An attempt to silence the die-hard jazz critics who considered him a lightweight, but a disappointment for his Mister Magic fans. ~ Andrew Hamilton http://www.allmusic.com/album/all-my-tomorrows-mw0000119244

Personnel: Grover Washington, Jr.(soprano, alto & tenor saxophones); Jeanie Bryson, Freddy Cole (vocals); Bobby Watson (alto saxophone); Bobby LaVell (tenor saxophone); Jimmy Cozier (baritone saxophone); Eddie Henderson, Earl Gardner (trumpet, flugelhorn); Robin Eubanks (trombone); Freddy Cole, Hank Jones (piano); Romero Lubambo (guitar); George Mraz (bass); Billy Hart, Lewis Nash (drums); Steve Berrios (percussion).

All My Tomorrows

---

Dee Dee Bridgewater - Prelude To A Kiss: The Duke Ellington Album

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:13
Size: 121,0 MB
Art: Front

(2:26)  1. Midnight Indigo
(5:02)  2. I'm Beginning To See The Light
(4:15)  3. Bli-Blip
(3:30)  4. Fleurette Africaine
(3:52)  5. Prelude To A Kiss
(4:29)  6. Caravan
(4:20)  7. Solitude
(4:27)  8. Mood Indigo
(4:16)  9. Night Creature: Fast
(7:28) 10. Night Creature: Andante Misterioso
(3:52) 11. Night Creature: Moderato - Faster Swing - Moderato
(4:11) 12. Come Sunday

This release is more properly identified as a various artists compilation, which includes the pop sounds of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. Most of the orchestrations and arrangements are pleasant, even if they're not blatantly original. Alto saxophonist Bobby Watson is superb on "Mood Indigo" and the exotic "Fleurette Africaine." 

The orchestra does a fine job with the rarely heard suite "Night Creature." Singer Dee Dee Bridgewater shines frequently; backed by a superb quartet including Wynton Marsalis, she delivers a delightful cover of "I'm Beginning To See The Light." But it is her hypnotic, chanting introduction, backed by Middle Eastern percussion and Steve Turre's conch shells, that gives this release an occasional freshness usually lacking in similar Ellington tributes. ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/prelude-to-a-kiss-the-duke-ellington-album-mw0000611119

Personnel: Dee Dee Bridgewater (vocals); The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra; John Mauceri (conductor); Robert Sadin, Slide Hampton, Alan Broadbent, Henry Martin, Clare Fischer (arrangers); Hassan Hakmoun (vocals, gimbra, percussion); Charles McPherson, Bobby Watson (alto saxophone); Wynton Marsalis (trumpet); Steve Turre (shells); Bruce Dukov (concertmaster); Cyrus Chestnut (piano); Robert Sadin (organ); Vincent Nguini (guitar); Ira Coleman (bass, drums); Jeff Hamilton (drums); Cyro Baptista (percussion).

Prelude To A Kiss: The Duke Ellington Album

---

Bobby Watson - Love Remains

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:14
Size: 103,9 MB
Art: Front

(9:06)  1. The Mystery Of Ebop
(9:20)  2. Love Remains
(6:05)  3. Blues For Alto
(3:35)  4. Ode For Aaron
(6:21)  5. Dark Days (For Nelson Mandela)
(4:47)  6. Sho Thang
(5:56)  7. The Love We Had Yesterday

Altoist Bobby Watson has always been a consistent improviser whose roots are in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers but who is open to freer innovations. For this Red album, Watson is joined by pianist John Hicks, bassist Curtis Lundy and drummer Marvin "Smitty" Smith for five of his originals, one by his wife Pamela Watson and Curtis Lundy's "Sho Thang." With such titles as "The Mistery of Ebop," "Blues for Alto" and the title cut, the high-quality music is essentially advanced hard bop and gives Watson a good opportunity to stretch out on some challenging structures. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/love-remains-mw0000196231

Personnel: Bobby Watson (alto saxophone); John Hicks (piano); Marvin "Smitty" Smith (drums).

Love Remains

---

Bobby Watson - This Little Light Of Mine

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 55:54
Size: 128.0 MB
Styles: Hard bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1991/2010
Art: Front

[3:25] 1. Misterioso
[3:23] 2. Donna Lee
[4:24] 3. These Foolish Things
[4:50] 4. Rock The House
[3:32] 5. This Little Light Of Mine
[3:58] 6. Tico Tico
[4:01] 7. Body And Soul
[3:15] 8. Sundance
[3:15] 9. Recorda Me
[3:07] 10. Giant Steps
[2:25] 11. Mes' Tou Bosporou Ta Stena (Take 1)
[2:59] 12. Over And Over
[2:50] 13. Yebga And Me
[2:13] 14. Five One Four
[5:49] 15. Blue Sax
[2:21] 16. Mes' Tou Bosporou Ta Stena (Take 2)

Bobby Watson accepted the challenge of doing an entire CD of unaccompanied alto saxophone solos and succeeded in putting together an outstanding, wide-ranging collection. The opener, Thelonious Monk's "Misterioso," finds him alternating between the theme and improvisations that show off his brilliant technique. By comparison, the up-tempo runs through Charlie Parker's "Donna Lee" and the Latin favorite "Tico Tico" seem almost effortless as his ideas spring forth. He also explores Joe Henderson's "Recorda Me," John Coltrane's "Giant Steps," and every saxophonist's mandatory ballad, "Body and Soul," with the same degree of adventure and risk-taking. The old spiritual "This Little Light of Mine" is subtle and soulful. Watson also composed five of the songs, with the catchy miniature blues "Five One Four" standing out from the pack. The only real complaint with the CD is the label's extremely sloppy typesetting on the back of the booklet, as there several errors in the listings of songs and composers. ~Ken Dryden

This Little Light Of Mine

---