Paul Bollenback - Brightness of Being

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:16
Size: 156,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:42)  1. Together
(9:00)  2. Unchain My Heart
(6:57)  3. Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing
(6:01)  4. Breathe
(4:50)  5. You Don't Know Me
(5:48)  6. A.M. Special
(6:41)  7. El Desierto
(3:12)  8. Dark Eyes of Floria Tosca, Pt. 1
(5:32)  9. Dark Eyes of Floria Tosca, Pt. 2
(2:11) 10. Dark Eyes of Floria Tosca, Pt. 3
(3:38) 11. Philadelphia
(7:38) 12. Siberian Passages

Good music is where you find it, and breadth of stylistic interest needn't dilute a distinguishable voice. Like Bill Frisell's East/West (Nonesuch, 2005), guitarist Paul Bollenback's Brightness of Being brings these points home most effectively. While Bollenback and Vic Juris are two very different players (Bollenbeck is also younger), both remain sadly underappreciated, despite their ability to elevate every project into something special. Looking at Bollenback's substantial catalogue of recorded work, one can find the same pattern emerging which is really a distinct lack of pattern. While unequivocally mainstream, Brightness of Being is no retro relic. There's nary a standard to be found, although Bollenback places some contemporary songs into straight-ahead but fluidly open contexts. Saxophonist David "Fathead Newman appears on two tributes to the late Ray Charles: "Unchain My Heart, which has a '60s Blue Note soul-jazz vibe; and "You Don't Know Me, which Bollenback relocates from country juke joint to late night smoky bar. But Bollenback interprets even familiar material with an open-minded and unencumbered approach. He constructs his solos every bit as well as Pat Metheny does, but they somehow feel looser. He thinks fast on his feet, effortlessly shifting from clean lines to complex chordal passages, yet always relying on a clear conception and strong narrative development.

Bollenback reinvents Stevie Wonder's "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing, which also features saxophonists Gary Thomas and Tim Garland. Opening almost unrecognizably, the three players enter a heated exchange, ultimately finding their way to the complex chord changes that bridge the chorus and verse. They respect Wonder's melodicism, but Bollenback proves adept at improvising in ways that might seem reckless if they didn't make so much sense. The song ultimately ends as it began Bollenback, Garland and Thomas in virtual free fall, with bassist James Genus and drummer Terri-Lyne Carrington offering intuitive and responsive support. Bollenback's ability to envision greater possibilities is especially vivid in his adaptation of Garcia de Leon's "El Desierto, which starts as a gentle tone poem but then picks up steam for his solo. Again, he skirts the edges of abandon but never loses focus a characteristic equally applicable to Garland's nimble soprano solo. Bollenback's imaginative three-part adaptation of Puccini's "Dark Eyes of Floria from Tosca moves from freedom to form, temporal elasticity to loose swing, change-based improvisation to more open-ended modality. Bollenback's writing demonstrates similar adaptability. "Together may sound straightforward, but its inherent complexity challenges everyone to find common melodic threads. The gently Latin-inflected "Breathe, where Bollenback plays classical guitar, features Chris McNulty's sultry tone in a Norma Winstone-like wordless vocal. The set closes with "Siberian Passages, another deceptive piece where McNulty again mirrors Bollenback, who manages to make the elaborate flow with ease while retaining a simmering intensity. No one album can tell the whole story on Paul Bollenback. But certainly more than any record he's led to date, Brightness of Being demonstrates an out-of-the-box thinker working freely in a compositionally refined yet wholly accessible mainstream context. ~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/brightness-of-being-paul-bollenback-elefant-dreams-records-review-by-john-kelman.php

Personnel: Paul Bollenback: guitar; David "Fathead" Newman: tenor saxophone; Tim Garland: soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, bass clarinet; Gary Thomas: tenor saxophone; James Genus: bass; Terri-Lyne Carrington: drums; Ari Hoenig: drums; Chris McNulty: vocals.

Brightness of Being

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Chris McNulty - Dance Delicioso

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:25
Size: 158,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:57)  1. Primitive
(5:53)  2. Next Day
(4:51)  3. He Moved Through The Fair
(6:06)  4. All Of You
(8:44)  5. Meaning Of the Blues
(5:47)  6. Dance Delicioso
(3:27)  7. Last Farewell
(5:58)  8. Roamin'
(6:47)  9. Star Eyes
(7:35) 10. Only The Silence
(3:15) 11. Last Farewell - Reprise

On her fifth CD release, Dance Delicioso, Australian-born vocalist Chris McNulty sings a couple of classics, Cole Porter's "All of You" and the tried and true "Star Eyes", givng each tune a distinctive turn. The familiar melodies are surrounded here by McNulty's well-crafted original tunes, Annie Lennox's "Primitive," Bobby Troup's "Meaning of the Blues," and the haunting traditional Irish song "He Moved Through the Fair." You often hear the words "sultry" and "sensuous" used to describe the voices of lady singers, but McNulty doesn't strike me that way. Hers is a richly feminine sound, with a dash of sauce on "All of You," a jaunty, melody-stretching romp that has an innovative feel to it. McNulty sounds sad in a recovery mode from love lost, perhaps on Bobby Troup's "Meaning of the Blues," a take on the tune that contains a bunch of exquisite moments, like Sonny Barbato's sweet accordion work, with a gorgeous little solo in front of the whisper of Paul Bollenback's accoustic guitar. On "Star Eyes," McNulty goes with a more horn-like delivery, reminiscent of Ella Fitzgerald as she pushes melody around inside a bouncy arrangement. The set, produced by McNulty and guitarist Paul Bollenback, has a high polish. Those exquisite moments I mentioned in "Meaning of the Blues" applies to every song here, with some surprises. The traditonal Irish tune "He Moved Through the Fair" is done with a dark yet airy style that features Erik Friedlander's deep-toned cello sound. The McNulty-penned title tune tells a handful of life-affirming stories, with some lush background harmonies, and listen to her voice as it rises from womanly to girlish as she when she tells a young girl's tale. A beautiful, original, polished effort. ~ Dan McClenaghan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/dance-delicioso-chris-mcnulty-elefant-dreams-records-review-by-dan-mcclenaghan.php

Personnel: Chris McNulty: voice; Paul Bolenback: guitars; Gary Bartz: alto saxophone; Mulgrew Miller, John DiMartino: piano; Sonny Barbato: accordion; Erik Friedlander: cello; Ugommo Okegwo: bass; Billy hart-drums; Cafe da Silva: percussion; Joel Frahm: saxophones; Dave DiPietro: soprano saxophone; Gary Thomas: tenor saxophone.

Dance Delicioso

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Chris McNulty - Eternal

Size: 137,3 MB
Time: 58:53
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. The Saga Of Harrison Crabfeathers (4:38)
02. A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing (6:50)
03. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life (6:14)
04. Where Is Love (5:16)
05. You Are There (3:07)
06. Star Dust (2:49)
07. Nature Boy (5:42)
08. Yesterday I Heard The Rain (3:49)
09. Love Came On Stealthy Fingers (5:07)
10. On A Clear Day (6:03)
11. With Every Breath I Take (5:35)
12. Boulevard Of Broken Dreams (3:38)

Eternal is a work of love and loss, a celebration of life, and a poignant piece of artistic expression. Vocalist Chris McNulty crafted this album as a tribute to her son, Sam, who passed away in 2011.

This album took shape in the days following Hurricane Sandy in 2012, as McNulty, with no electricity, heat, or running water, sat with her thoughts and selected songs that reflected the complex emotions that were running through her. In the end, despite dealing with the fresh and never-ending pain of losing a child and the devastation following the storm, the songs that McNulty chose weren't about darkness and pathos: As McNulty herself notes, "Eternal is a collection of songs full of light, love, creativity, beauty and humility."

The music on Eternal is brought to life with clarity by a jazz trio melded with a chamber ensemble. Pianist John di Martino put together nine arrangements for the trio while Steve Newcomb arranged three of the pieces and did all of the orchestrations for the strings and winds. The resultant blend is beautiful and seamless, as sensitivity reigns supreme.

The material is a mixture of familiar songs that resonate with McNulty, classics seen in a new light, and lesser-known numbers that perfectly mirror the singer's feelings. There's Steve Kuhn's "The Saga Of Harrison Crabfeathers," a rarely-performed piece with lyrics that seem tailor-made for the occasion; "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?," taking on a new lease on life as a haunting tribute; "Stardust," painted with complex hues and wistful vocals; "On A Clear Day," which proves to be the most uplifting number on the album; and "Boulevard Of Broken Dreams," an understated yet powerful finale.

While Eternal can certainly be appreciated as a blind listen, this music takes on deeper meaning with knowledge of the backstory. Art can certainly be separated from the circumstances that produce it, but in this case, it probably shouldn't be. ~Dan Bilawsky

Personnel: Chris McNulty: vocals; Steve Newcomb: orchestrations (1-11), arrangements (4-6); Mazz Swift: violin; Josh Henderson: violin; Amanda Lo: violin; Trevor New: viola; Meaghan Burke: cello; Marika Hughes: cello; Jodie Rottle: flute, alto flute; Ivan Barenboim: clarinet, bass clarinet; John Morgan-Bush: French horn; Ben Wendel: bassoon; John Di Martino: trio arrangements (1-3, 7-12); John Di Martino: piano; Ugonna Okegwo: bass; Gregory Hutchinson: drums; Paul Bollenback: guitar; Matthew Jodrell: trumpet.

Eternal

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Chris McNulty - Whispers the Heart

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:42
Size: 153,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:57)  1. Summer Me, Winter Me
(6:24)  2. Make It Easy
(5:24)  3. Come Rain or Shine
(5:27)  4. Lonely Town
(7:15)  5. Springosphere
(4:51)  6. If You Never Come to Me
(4:00)  7. How deep is the Ocean
(2:12)  8. Quiet Your Thoughts, part 1
(5:03)  9. Quiet Your Thoughts, part 2
(5:54) 10. I Should Care
(8:42) 11. Lullaby for a Young Boy
(5:28) 12. When Love was You and Me

Whispers The Heart, the sixth album from Chris McNulty, a native-born Australian, continues the positive vibe of last year's Dance Delicioso, with a similar cast of jazz players. McNulty has selected an average collection of tunes, some of which are familiar titles from the Great American Songbook, plus others which make this an interesting package. The Michel Legrand/Alan and Marilyn Bergman movie song "Summer Me, Winter You," the Bacharach/David '60s hit "Make It Easy On Yourself" (with a guest appearance by Frank Wess on tenor sax), Leonard Bernstein's showtune "Lonely Town," and Abbey Lincoln and Thad Jones' "When Love Was You and Me" (a fine duet with Paul Bollenback) all add to this collection. It isn't so much any actual tune but McNulty's delivery that places this singer ahead of the crowd. 

On titles like "How Deep Is The Ocean," McNulty slows the pace down and applies a distinctive cool '50s femme vocalist attitude that really works. On Jobim's "If You Never Came," she sounds very much like Lani Hall singing lead for Sergio Mendes' Brazil '66. Her version of the Cahn/Stordahl/Weston standard "I Should Care" is taken at mid-tempo and given a fine swing treatment. Chris McNulty adds three original tunes ("Springosphere," "Quiet Your Thoughts," "Lullaby For A Young Boy") to the album. There are also lots of good solo opportunities here for Paul Bollenback's guitar, Ingrid Jensen's flugelhorn, Dave Pietro's tenor sax and flute, and Tineke Postma's alto and soprano sax. ~ Michael P.Gladstone  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/whispers-the-heart-chris-mcnulty-elefant-dreams-records-review-by-michael-p-gladstone.php#.U522Eyioqdk
 

Personnel: Chris McNulty: vocals; Paul Bollenback: guitar; Frank Wess: tenor saxophone (2); Ingrid Jensen: flugelhorn; Dave Pietro: tenor saxophone, flute, clarinet; Tineke Postma: alto and soprano saxophone, flute; Gary Versace: piano; Ed Howard: bass; Matt Wilson, Montez Coleman: drums; Rogerio Boccato: percussion.

Whispers the Heart

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Chris McNulty - The Song That Sings You Here

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 67:08
Size: 153.7 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[5:51] 1. How Little We Know
[6:42] 2. How Are Things In Glocca Morra
[8:22] 3. Jitterbug Waltz
[6:59] 4. Lonely Woman
[8:48] 5. On The Street Where You Live
[4:47] 6. Last Night When We Were Young
[7:30] 7. The Lamp Is Low
[6:04] 8. One Less Bell To Answer
[3:36] 9. Letter To Marta
[8:26] 10. Long Road Home - The Song That Songs You Here

Great art often results from conflict, pain or loss. Australian-born singer Chris McNulty notes that The Song That Sings You Here, in spite of being conceived and recorded before she suffered the death of her son Sam, could have just as easily been conceived and recorded after, summing these circumstances into a type of preemptive creative process filled with both grief and gratitude. The temporal results are a highly refined offering filled with robust standards, finely delivered by the singer's precision quintet under her arrangement direction and that of guitarist Paul Bollenback.

McNulty neatly arranges The Song That Sings You Here, presenting the eight standards first, before concluding the disc with her originals. In attendance are two triptychs contrasting the old with the new. The first pits a suitably bluesy take on Fats Waller's "Jitterbug Waltz" and a swing with momentum view of Lerner and Lowe's "On The Street Where You Live" on either side of pianist Horace Silver's languid "Lonely Woman." These songs are dealt with at length, all greater than six minutes. McNulty's pliant voice navigates the disparate terrain of each song, the direction illuminated with Bollenback's informed playing.

The second threesome includes "Last Night When We Were Young," The Lamp is Low" and "One Less Bell to Answer." The subdued mood of these songs is amplified by McNulty's spot-on delivery, the latter Hal David/Burt Bacharach piece delivered with palpable heartbreak.

The disc closes with McNulty's originals. "Letter to Marta" was composed by McNulty in her teen years and only recently titled, a brief impression of where one belongs and when one realizes it, performed by McNulty and pianist Andrei Kondokov alone. "Long Road Home— The Song That Sings You Here" receives full band support. Breezy and light, the song is naturally sophisticated, with McNulty's most assertive vocals on the disc—eschewing the balladic approach used for the majority of The Song That Sings You Here for a harder emotional approach, and galvanizing the entire offering. ~C. Michael Bailey

Recording information: Eastside Studios, Manhattan.

Chris McNulty (vocals); Anita Wardell (vocals); Paul Bollenback (guitar); Igor Butman (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Graham Wood (piano, Fender Rhodes piano); Andrei Kondokov (piano); Marcus Gilmore (drums).

The Song That Sings You Here

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