Benny Benack III - Third Times the Charm

Styles: Contemporary Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:52
Size: 149,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:21) 1. Third Time's The Charm
(3:54) 2. I'll Never Fall In Love Again
(5:30) 3. Scootin'
(7:08) 4. Catching Drift
(4:38) 5. Thank You For The Heartbreak
(3:34) 6. Gary, Indiana
(5:41) 7. In A Mellow Tone
(4:29) 8. It's Not Unusual
(4:58) 9. Twilight Blue
(4:41) 10. Roylike
(3:14) 11. Jade
(3:00) 12. American Woman
(4:24) 13. Giselle
(5:14) 14. Pretty Eyed Baby

Though the title of this third album from multihyphenate Benny Benack III might imply misfires with his first two go-rounds, the truth really runs contrary to that line of reasoning. One of a Kind (BB3, 2017), while flying under the radar, introduced some listeners to a talent far too large to be contained; and A Lot of Livin' To Do (La Reserve, 2020) proved to be a strong follow-up statement, earning greater attention and acclaim for a dashing leading man with the world on a string. Now, building on those past successes while capitalizing on his growing experience(s), Benack is in full bloom and truly coming into his own.

Third Time's The Charm is the portrait of a debonair dynamo both strong and wise, able to power along or play with patience, all depending on what the music and the moment require. Tapping pianist Emmet Cohen's trio with bassist Russell Hall and drummer Kyle Poole, and adding some ace guests when the time is right, Benack brings his many talents as trumpeter, singer, lyricist, composer, arranger and producerto the fore. For starters he offers the title track a snazzy, swinging number that's chock-full of charm and a lovely, loyal take on "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" that leaves no doubt as to the power and poetry of a Bacharach-David tune in the right hands. The first two numbers on an album that presents 14, they bode very well for the balance.

Following those introductory offerings, Benack brings some more good friends into the fold. Guitarist Peter Bernstein, appearing on several numbers spread out across the program, drops by for some boogaloo action on "Scootin,'" plays the perfect chordal accompanist on the intimate and muted "Thank You For The Heartbreak," and proves key to the bossa-based beauty of "Jade." Tenor saxophonist Chad Lefkowitz-Brown makes for a well-matched frontline partner on the churning and waltzing "Catching Drift" and noir-ish, swirling "Twilight Blue." Vocalist and trumpeter Bria Skonberg complements and counters Benack in perfect form on an irresistible "In a Mellow Tone." And Michael Stephenson puts his tenor to good use on the funky "Roylike" and shares the vocal spotlight with the leader on scat-friendly closer "Pretty Eyed Baby."

Each of the aforementioned artists add volumes with their appearance(s), and in doing so they also reinforce Benack's elevated position and place in this music. Not that this all-rounder needs any help, of course. Even while sharing the spotlight, Benack is beaming. Whether gleefully singing and blowing the praises of "Gary, Indiana" with his piano pal by his side, delivering mellifluous and magical crooning over a "Poinciana"-influenced groove on "It's Not Unusual," jettisoning his whole crew (save for a mood-setting and song-grounding Hall) on a thrilling take on The Guess Who's "American Woman," or bathing the ears in tender balladry during "Giselle," this leader is always on point. His star power is absolutely undeniable. Benny Benack III is quite simply a force to be reckoned with, and Third Time's The Charm says as much or more. By Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/third-times-the-charm-benny-benack-iii-la-reserve-bandstand-presents

Personnel: Benny Benack III - trumpet; Emmet Cohen - piano; Russell Hall - bass.; Kyle Poole - drums; Ruben Fox - saxophone; Chad Lefkowitz-Brown - saxophone tenor; Peter Bernstein - guitar.

Third Times the Charm

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Chad Lefkowitz-Brown - Standard Sessions

Size: 202,2 MB
Time: 86:59
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. This I Dig Of You (5:07)
02. Scrapple From The Apple (6:56)
03. Alone Together (6:05)
04. Green Dolphin Street (7:46)
05. Old Folks (7:16)
06. When Will The Blues Leave (6:57)
07. Almost Like Being In Love (8:27)
08. I’ll Remember April (8:41)
09. Out Of Nowhere (7:51)
10. What Is This Thing Called Love (6:14)
11. Yardbird Suite (8:42)
12. You Stepped Out Of A Dream (6:52)

Hailed as a "sax phenom" by The New York Daily News, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown is one of the first prominent jazz musicians to emerge out of the millennial generation. He has toured globally as a soloist, and with numerous jazz artists and pop icons ranging from Arturo O’Farrill to Taylor Swift. Chad is also a member of the multi-Grammy award winning Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, and he is on faculty at the San Francisco Conservatory as a visiting artist. Downbeat Magazine selected his latest release, “Onward” as an Editor’s Pick for 2017, commending his “technical abilities that mask the difficulty of his wondrously intricate lines.”

A native of Elmira, New York, Chad established himself as a jazz prodigy at age 11, performing throughout New York State under the mentorship of local jazz hero, George Reed, who was known for backing legends like Teddy Wilson, Buddy Tate, and Marian McPartland.

Chad went on to pursue a formal education in the arts at the Brubeck Institute, a prestigious fellowship program created by jazz legend Dave Brubeck. While studying at the institute, he performed regularly with Brubeck and was a member of the Brubeck Institute Jazz Quintet.

Chad received many accolades during his scholastic career, including 15 DownBeat Magazine Student Music Awards for categories such as "Best Jazz Soloist" and "Best Original Song."

Since graduating from the Brubeck Institute, Chad has performed throughout four continents, and has appeared at venues including Carnegie Hall, the Super Bowl, and Madison Square Garden. His debut album, Imagery Manifesto, was named “Debut Album of the Year” by jazz critic and author, Doug Ramsey, and his most recent recording as a leader, “Onward,” features jazz legend, Randy Brecker.

Standard Sessions

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Chad Lefkowitz-Brown - Onward (Feat. Randy Brecker)

Size: 126,1 MB
Time: 54:41
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Onward (5:14)
02. Isn't She Lovely (6:23)
03. Franklin Street (6:31)
04. Giant Steps (5:06)
05. The Nearness Of You (5:47)
06. Deviation (5:22)
07. Blues For Randy (6:32)
08. Impetuous (7:22)
09. All Of You (6:20)

Hot jazz saxophonists sharing the stage and/or recording booth with pop artists: Wayne Shorter collaborating with Joni Mitchell; Donny McCaslin breathing fire with David Bowie; and now, Chad Lefkowitz-Brown touring the world with Taylor Swift. Onward, Lefkowitz-Brown's sophomore CD release as a leader, touches on pop music with a robust reading of Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely," showing that he, like McCaslin, can torch a pop song melody. But about half of the music of comes from the gold mine of the jazz standards/Great American Songbook realm. The rest come from the deft pen of Lefkowitz/Brown.

Tone and energy-wise, it's hard not to think of the late saxophonist Michael Brecker on the disc's opener. The young saxophonist—twenty-seven years of age at the time of this release—displays a fierce drive, an assured urgency and an up-from-the-gut power. This is mostly a saxophone out in front of a piano/bass/drums rhythm section affair, with trumpeter Randy Brecker two Lefkowitz-Brown originals.

John Coltrane's "Giant Steps" opens with an insouciant sax/drums interlude, leading into an intrepid yet faithful interpretation of the tune. And where "Blues For Randy," with Randy Brecker sitting in, recalls the Brecker Brothers sound, "Impetuous," a Lefkowitz-Brown original, sounds like an outtake from McCoy Tyner's classic Infinity (Impulse! Records, 1995), a disc that featured Michael Brecker sitting in with Tyner's trio.

Then the young sax man gets tender-hearted, with a gorgeous, Coleman Hawkins-esque reading of "The Nearness Of You," before he and the band give Cole Porter's "All Of You" an exhilarating, swinging modern lean. ~by Dan McClenaghan

Personnel: Chad Lefkowitz-Brown: tenor saxophone; Steven Feifke: piano; Jimmy MacBride: drums; Raviv Markovitz: bass; Randy Brecker: trumpet (3, 7).

Onward

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