Diana Krall - Christmas Songs

Styles: Vocal, Piano, Christmas
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:50
Size: 103,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:25)  1. Jingle Bells
(4:01)  2. Let It Snow
(4:23)  3. The Christmas Song
(3:14)  4. Winter Wonderland
(3:07)  5. I'll Be Home for Christmas
(3:34)  6. Christmas Time Is Here
(2:53)  7. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
(4:19)  8. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
(4:32)  9. White Christmas
(4:10) 10. What Are You Doing New Year's Eve
(3:27) 11. Sleigh Ride
(3:40) 12. Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep

On her first full-length Christmas album, pianist/vocalist Diana Krall delivers a smoky, sophisticated, and slightly melancholy album perfectly suited to accompany egg nog cocktails and romantic afterglow holiday affairs. Although there isn't anything unexpected on Christmas Songs Irving Berlin's "Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep" is as close to obscure as it gets Krall coos life into such standards as "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve," and "I'll Be Home for Christmas." It also doesn't hurt that she gains top-notch support from the Clayton-Hamilton Orchestra, whose urbane arrangements help bring to mind similar works by such iconic vocalists as Nat King Cole, June Christy, and Frank Sinatra. But it's not all deep sighs and bedroom eyes; on the contrary, Krall keeps things swinging with such uptempo numbers as the joyous "Jingle Bells," "Winter Wonderland," and the Blossom Dearie-inflected "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town." If you like your holiday albums cool and classy, Christmas Songs is a stocking stuffer that's sure to please. 

~ Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/album/christmas-songs-mw0000703424

Personnel:  Diana Krall - piano, vocals, arranger

The Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra: Jeff Hamilton - drums; Robert Hurst - upright bass; Anthony Wilson - guitar; Gerald Clayton - piano on "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"; Tamir Hendelman - piano on "Sleigh Ride", fender rhodes on "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve"; Jeff Clayton - alto saxophone, flute; Keith Fiddmont - alto saxophone, clarinet; Rickey Woodard - tenor saxophone solos, clarinet; Charles Owens - tenor saxophone, clarinet; Adam Schroeder - baritone saxophone, bass clarinet; Rick Baptist - trumpet

Christmas Songs

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Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra - Shout Me Out

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:30
Size: 152,7 MB
Art: Front

(9:27)  1. Shout Me Out
(6:36)  2. Max
(4:47)  3. Plunger Mute Syndrome
(7:03)  4. Yellow Flowers After
(4:46)  5. Grizzly
(3:35)  6. Day by Day
(5:28)  7. Nice to Meet You
(4:58)  8. One for Horace Tapscott
(2:04)  9. Barbara's Rose
(5:39) 10. I Want a Little Girl
(9:04) 11. How Insensitive

If there were an award for “most improved big band,” the opinion here is that the C–HJO would win going away, as its two most recent albums ( Explosive!, with vibraphonist Milt Jackson, and now Shout Me Out! ) have moved well beyond its earlier endeavors to prove beyond any doubt that this is one of the most talented and exciting ensembles performing anywhere in the lower forty eight. Clearly, the primary role model is Basie, and the C–HJO is emphatically adhering to the swinging blueprint laid bare by the Count and refined during his many years in the big band trenches. Coleader John Clayton’s deeply grooved “Nice to Meet You” is dedicated to Basie, and there are innumerable splashes of the Count’s peerless style elsewhere on the album, from wailing shout–choruses and assertive rhythms (punctuated by co–leader Jeff Hamilton’s assiduous drum work) to pianist Bill Cunliffe’s spare, Basie esque phrasings, crisp unison passages by brass and reeds and boppish narratives by the band’s squadron of accomplished soloists. There are three other dedications, Hamilton’s “Max” (for longtime friend and Jazz supporter Max Ketteman), co–leader Jeff Clayton’s “Barbara’s Rose” (for St. Louis Jazz promoter Barbara Rose) and Charles Owens’ “One for Horace Tapscott,” honoring the pianist who was a leading player on the Los Angeles Jazz scene. Bassist John Clayton, the band’s principal composer / arranger, also wrote “Shout Me Out!,” “Plunger Mute Sydrome” (for 22–year–old phenom Isaac Smith) and “Grizzly,” while trumpeter Clay Jenkins contributed “Yellow Flowers After.” Completing the program are the standards “I Want a Little Girl” (charmingly sung and played by veteran trumpeter Snooky Young) and “Day by Day” (featuring Rickey Woodard’s thundering tenor sax) and Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “How Insensitive” (performed not by the band but as a “conversation” between John Clayton’s arco bass and Hamilton’s drums). The other soloists are baritone Lee Callet, guitarist Jim Hershman and both Clayton brothers (John on bowed bass, Jeff on alto) on "Shout Me Out!"; Woodard, Hamilton, Cunliffe and trumpeter Bobby Rodriguez on "Max"; trumpeter Jenkins on "Yellow Flowers"; trumpeter Oscar Brashear, trombonist George Bohanon and bassist Christoph Luty on "Grizzly"; Woodard, Smith and Brashear on "Nice to Meet You"; Cunliffe, Hamilton and alto Owens on "Horace Tapscott"; Jeff Clayton and trombonist Ira Nepus on "Barbaras Rose." If you want to hear a band that has found its niche and speaks in a clear and confident voice, check this one out. ~ Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/shout-me-out-clayton-hamilton-jazz-orchestra-review-by-jack-bowers.php 

Personnel: Jim Hershman (guitar); Jeff Clayton (flute, piccolo, oboe, alto saxophone); Charles Owens (clarinet, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Keith Fiddmont (clarinet, alto saxophone); Rickey Woodard (clarinet, tenor saxophone); Lee Callet (bass clarinet, baritone saxophone); Clay Jenkins, Oscar Brashear, Bobby Rodriguez (trumpet); Isaac Smith , George Bohannon, Ira Nepus (trombone); Maurice Spears (bass trombone); Bill Cunliffe (piano); Jeff Hamilton (drums).

Shout Me Out

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Carmen Bradford - With Respect

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:15
Size: 122,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:52)  1. Even Steven
(4:08)  2. You'll Have To Swing It (Mr. Paganini)
(4:58)  3. Look Who's Mine
(5:10)  4. High Wire
(4:47)  5. Finally
(3:52)  6. Maybe Now
(4:12)  7. Little Esther
(4:43)  8. Ain't No Use
(4:43)  9. Was I In Love Alone
(5:53) 10. He comes to Me for Comfort
(5:53) 11. Nature Boy

Carmen Bradford is a belter, a singer not afraid to show off her emotions or to occasionally go over the top. She toured with Count Basie's Orchestra for nine years but somehow never achieved much fame, only recording on a very irregular basis as a singer despite her strong musicality and powerful pipes. This set is a fine all-around showcase, featuring her with a variety of small groups including ensembles with either Cedar Walton or Donald Brown on piano. Among the other prominent players are vibraphonist Steve Nelson, guitarist Dori Caymmi, saxophonist Charles Owens, and (on a closing duet version of "Nature Boy") guitarist Michael O'Neill. Although it probably was not the best idea to perform "You'll Have to Swing It (Mr. Paganini)" (since Ella owns it), Bradford sounds particularly strong on the more recent and obscure material, including Chick Corea's "High Wire," Cedar Walton's "Even Steven," and Red Mitchell's "Finally." Since she has not recorded all that often since this period, With Respect is still Carmen Bradford's definitive recording. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/with-respect-mw0000174309

Personnel:  Vocals – Carmen Bradford;  Bass – James Leary, Robert Hurst;  Drums – Ralph Penland;  Flute, Saxophone – Charles Owens;  Guitar – Dori Caymmi , Michael O'Neill, Wali Ali;  Percussion – Bill Summers;  Piano – Cedar Walton, Donald Brown;  Vibraphone – Steve Nelson

With Respect

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The Charles Owens Trio - A Day With Us

Size: 159,6 MB
Time: 69:02
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Caravan (10:30)
02. Dutch ( 7:32)
03. Ummg ( 6:26)
04. The Man I Love (10:01)
05. Take Five ( 8:03)
06. Something ( 6:12)
07. No Resolution ( 6:54)
08. On A Slow Boat To China ( 8:14)
09. You Go To My Head ( 5:07)

Even when factoring in the vital contributions of bassist Andrew Randazzo and drummer Devonne Harris, there's no denying Charles Owens' firm hold on the nine tracks of A Day With Us. Throughout a program consisting largely of standards, the music is ruled by the broad, resonant sound of the leader's tenor saxophone and the dogged persistence that characterizes everything he plays. As if building something momentous on the spur of the moment with his wits and the force of his will, the sounds conjure up hard labor, sweat, and grime. In some instances Owens shovels notes out of the bell of his horn; in others, he wields a pneumatic drill.

Most of Owens' solos (not to mention his introductions and post-out head forays) are long, irrepressible and headstrong. Just when you begin to wonder when he'll stop, give up, or bow out, there comes another chorus (or two or three) of smart, brawny invention. For all of the detours and digressions, the architecture of his solos is logical and relatively easy to follow. More often than not, when an improvisation ends, it begs the question: How can Owens sound so earthy, deep-rooted, yet move relentlessly and cover so much territory? And there's something positively addictive about the long way, Owens' preferred, circuitous route to a destination. Upon reaching the conclusion of "You Go To My Head," the disc's last track, an all-too-brief cadenza thwarts the expectation—and the desire—for another elongated, effusive, daring statement.

Owens employs a number of devices that keep any threat of monotony or predictability at bay. He executes the in and out heads of "Caravan," "The Man I Love," and "You Go To My Head" in somewhat different ways, altering the tunes' identities and shifting the music's emotional temperature. A protracted and wildly inventive solo introduction animates "Caravan," the disc's opening track. The leader reinforces the tight-knit character of his working band by playing accompanying figures to Harris' solos on "Caravan," "UMMG," and "Take Five." Owens' puckish sense of humor often appears out of nowhere and disappears just as quickly. For instance, a number of tart, staccato bites flavor an otherwise sober "The Man I Love" solo. In contrast to a forthright take on the rest of the song, he transforms a portion of the bridge of "You Go To My Head" into a jaunty burlesque.

"Something" and "The Man I Love" are two prime examples of Owens ability to fashion familiar material to suit his improvisational character. Dispensing with the customary protracted introduction, the saxophonist executes a straightforward rendition of George Harrison's tune and includes a rather faithful reproduction of Harrison's guitar solo from the Beatles' recording. Owens gradually releases himself from some of the song's constraints and constructs something raw, ragged, and romantic on top of it.

The record's masterpiece is a ten-minute treatment of George Gershwin's iconic "The Man I Love." To Owens' credit, throughout the melody and a good deal of the improv, it's tough to identify what, emotionally speaking, he seeks to convey—hope, guarded optimism, yearning, weariness, resignation? Slowly and painstakingly shaping the line he compels the listener to pay close attention to every note. The melodies Owens finds during his solo are just as purposeful and emotionally amorphous. For a time he opens up a bit, gradually becoming vigorous and terse, among other things cutting loose with one scream, shadowed by a short-lived silence. In contrast to the opening the out head is penetrating, at times almost rubbing the melody raw. The two-minute plus cadenza that follows marks the return of the restless, probing, bold tenor saxophonist. Owens defies the relative caution of the rest of the track in favor of going wherever his imagination takes him, and in doing so, leaves "The Man I Love" behind. ~David A. Orthman

Personnel: Charles Owens: tenor saxophone; Andrew Randazzo: bass; Devonne Harris: drums

A Day With Us

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