Lyn Stanley - Interludes

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2015
Time: 58:41
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 136,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:03) 1. How Long Has This Been Going On
(3:33) 2. Just One Of Those Things
(4:37) 3. Black Velvet
(4:23) 4. More Thank You Know
(4:31) 5. Boulevard Of Broken Dreams
(5:26) 6. Whole Lotta Love
(3:28) 7. Last Tango In Paris
(5:09) 8. Don't Explain
(2:58) 9. Nice 'n Easy
(5:13) 10. The Island
(3:53) 11. It's Crazy
(4:47) 12. In A Sentimental Mood
(3:15) 13. I Was A Little Too Lonely
(3:18) 14. I'm A Fool To Want You

Vocalist/producer Lyn Stanley has established herself as a foremost stylist of the Great American Songbook. That is no mean feat. The sheer amount of vocal music made each year around the Songbook is impressive. It is too bad that the quality of a great many of those recordings is not equally impressive. Stanley's two previous recordings, Lost in Romance (A.T. Music, LLC, 2013) and Potions: From the '50s (A.T. Music, LLC, 2014), have been an evolving prelude to the present. "How Long has This Been Going On," the opener for Interludes demonstrates Stanley's command of the standard.

But it is not the jazz standard that is special about Interludes. Stanley addresses two more recent compositions: "Black Velvet," released by Alannah Myles in 1989 and Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love," from Led Zeppelin II (Atlantic, 1969).

Lyn Stanley takes on the most white-hot anthem of the carnality of youth. She does so unflinchingly. There is little to be nostalgic about young love once you've learned what you are doing. And that is Stanley's point with covering this song. Arranged by guitarist John Chiodini the nominal blues-rock monolith becomes a steamy rumba propelled by bassist Chuck Berghofer and drummer Paul Kreibich, whose deft tom-tom work amps up the performance's already heady sensuality. Then, there is Stanley, who produced this recording, ensuring that a proper mixture of Bobby Gentry's "Ode to Billy Joe," Peggy Lee's "Fever," and Dusty Springfield's "Son of a Preacher Man" are admixed into one grown up vision of love, sex, and the whole shooting match.

Think if George Gershwin had composed "Summertime" with J.J. Cale and you may begin to get the idea. Stanley must be applauded for taking this gigantic artistic chance. So many "jazz" covers of contemporary material end so badly. In this case, not so. This is a special release in every way. By C. Michael Bailey https://www.allaboutjazz.com/interludes-lyn-stanley-at-music-llc-review-by-c-michael-bailey

Personnel: Lyn Stanley: vocals; Mike Garson, Bill Cunliffe: piano; Chuck Berghofer: bass; Ray Brinker, Paul Kreibich: drums; John Chiodini: guitar; Cecilia Tsan: cello; Brad Dutz: percussion; Bob McChesney: trombone; Hendrik Meurkens: harmonica; Steve Rawlins: finger snaps.

Interludes

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Chris Standring - Wonderful World

Styles: Guitar Jazz, Jazz Funk
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:05
Size: 117,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:54) 1. How Insensitive
(5:50) 2. Night & Day
(4:49) 3. Autumn in New York
(4:44) 4. Estate
(4:47) 5. What a Wonderful World
(3:54) 6. Green Dolphin Street
(4:16) 7. Alfie
(4:40) 8. Falling in Love with Love
(4:56) 9. Sunrise
(3:40) 10. Maxine
(4:30) 11. My Foolish Heart

Wonderful World, the fourteenth album as leader by British guitarist Chris Standring, was no doubt recorded with the best of intentions. And make no mistake, the music is warm and lovely, furnishing an opulent showcase for Standring's mellow guitar. Aside from that, however, there's not a whole lot to say. Standring's "orchestra" consists of a nineteen-member string section, while Geoff Gascoyne's syrupy arrangements call to mind popular string-laden sessions from the 1950s and '60s, "easy listening" albums for "late-night lovers" designed by Percy Faith, Jackie Gleason, Bobby Hackett and others, except this time there's a guitar leading the way instead of a trumpet, oboe or English horn. It's a step removed from Mantovani or the 101 Strings orchestra.

Besides the strings, Standring is supported on various tracks by bassists Gascoyne, Chuck Berghofer or Darek Oles and drummers Peter Erskine, Harvey Mason or David Karasony, but their primary task is to keep time while the orchestra plays and Standring solos. Berghofer does have one brief solo, on Cole Porter's "Night and Day." Elsewhere, it's basically all Standring all the time, save for a brief guest appearance by flugelhornist Randy Brecker on Standring's slow-breaking "Sunrise." Of the album's eleven tunes, only one "On Green Dolphin Street" pushes forward more rapidly than a ballad.

The others from Jobim's "How Insensitive" to the standards "Autumn in New York," "Falling in Love with Love" and "My Foolish Heart" to "Estate," Burt Bacharach/Hal David's theme from "Alfie" and Donald Fagen's "Maxine" assume the same hushed and reposeful stance, calmly awaiting the entrance of Standring's genteel and melodious manifestos. The atmosphere is so even-tempered that the drummers could have left their sticks at home, as brushes alone even "On Green Dolphin Street" are more than adequate. There is one vocal, by Kathrin Shorr on the title song. As noted, the music is charming, and Standring is a splendid guitarist, but Wonderful World is best suited for those who are happiest living on a diet comprised solely of tender ballads and love songs. By Jack Bowers
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/wonderful-world-chris-standring-ultimate-vibe

Personnel: Chris Standring: guitar; Geoff Gascoyne: bass; Randy Brecker: trumpet; Peter Erskine: drums; Harvey Mason: drums; David Karasony: drums; Chuck Berghofer: bass, acoustic; Darek Oles: bass; Kathrin Shorr: voice / vocals

Wonderful World

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Lauren White - At Last

Styles: Vocal 
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:27
Size: 113,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:01)  1. My One And Only
(4:01)  2. All I Do is Cry
(5:47)  3. Blue Bayou
(3:32)  4. Do You Remember
(4:06)  5. Mack the Knife
(7:02)  6. Love for Sale
(3:58)  7. Brand New Love
(4:33)  8. Superstar
(5:46)  9. My Funny Valentine
(3:14) 10. Why They Call it Falling
(4:21) 11. At Last

Musical suspicions are immediately raised when jazz singer Lauren White is described as a cross between Linda Ronstadt and Norah Jones. White is a twenty year-old native of Grapevine, Texas; a child prodigy singer from age four. She did, indeed, study with the same vocal coach as Jones, but the latter has little of White's smoky and seductive vocal assets as a jazz chanteuse. White performs Roy Orbison's "Blue Bayou"which was one of Ronstadt's biggest hits on At Last, and even sings it in a similar manner, Still, her demeanor is significantly more low-key, avoiding the range of "Blue Bayou on the rest of the album. Now for the good news. This is one impressive debut session. The set list research factor alone shows that roughly half of this album will be unfamiliar material to most listeners. Beginning as a slinky seductress in an after-hours boite on Ira Gershwin's "My One and Only," White follows it up with her original "All I Do Is Cry" in a very similar mode. A jolt of familiarity follows with "Blue Bayou," but then she provides a poignant original, Do You Remember." In order to please the masses, Kurt Weill's world-famous "Mack The Knife" follows. Although delivered in the standard swing format, drummer Mark Ferber makes it interesting with an Ahmad Jamal "Poinciana -type pattern. White takes a chance on the Cole Porter classic "Love For Sale," beginning with the spooky verse, and when the familiar melody sets in, it is played for the storytelling of a "woman of the streets." 

Over the past few decades, it seems that too few vocalists have presented the song in the style or tempo that Ella Fitzgerald did on her Cole Porter Songbook (Verve, 1956). Guitarist Anthony Wilson, who also did the arrangement, gets in some fine blues licks on his solo, as does the appropriate use of Joe Bagg's Hammond B-3 organ. White sings Rodgers & Hart's "My Funny Valentine"a tune which should be given a temporary rest. Her version is ameliorated, however, by Ricky Woodward's gutsy tenor sax solo. Country singer Lee Ann Womack's Why They Call It Falling" is an unexpected treat; a lighthearted look at love on which Norah Jones could also have done a fine job. With the appetite-whetting At Last, the only question is: what's next? ~ Michael P.Gladstone https://www.allaboutjazz.com/at-last-lauren-white-groove-note-records-review-by-michael-p-gladstone.php

Personnel: Lauren White: vocals; Bill Cunliffe: piano; Anthony Wilson: guitar; Ricky Woodard: tenor sax; Brian Piper: piano and arrangements; Chuck Berghofer: bass; Joe Bagg: Hammond B-3 organ; Mark Ferber: drums.

At Last

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Ernie Watts, Pete Christlieb, Rickey Woodard - The Tenor Trio

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:06
Size: 142,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:11)  1. Blues Up and Down
(7:23)  2. Strollin'
(5:42)  3. Groovin' High
(6:28)  4. Love for Sale
(4:04)  5. St. Thomas
(5:41)  6. Fried Bananas
(5:47)  7. Here's to Alvy
(6:06)  8. Holy Land
(5:52)  9. Moten Swing
(5:16) 10. Eternal Triangle
(5:30) 11. Little Pony

In his book Jazz For Beginners, Ron David says that nobody really loves jazz. "People love Miles or Dixieland or Free Jazz or Fusion or two, three or four of the above but nobody loves jazz. It's too varied." Truer words were never written. I like to think of myself as a lover of all kinds of jazz, but when it really comes down to it, I prefer swing, bop, fusion, and anything that smacks of the blues. Sure I relate to Miles, Coltrane and Ornette, but they appeal more to my brain than my viscerals. Basie, Blakey and Metheny hit me right in the gut. Since The Tenor Trio bops and swings simultaneously, here's one CD that really presses my buttons. The Tenor Trio consists of saxmen Ernie Watts, Pete Christlieb and Ricky Woodard. Once his cushy gig on the Tonight Show ended, Watts quickly became a respected mainstream player with a succession of fine albums. Christlieb is a lesser known but no less capable Tonight Show alum. Woodard has blown his sax for Ray Charles and the Clayton-Hamilton Orchestra. These three pros engage in some friendly but ferocious battles on this superbly arranged 10-track release. There are no originals here, but the saxmen put their collaborative stamp on some well-chosen chestnuts. The three saxophones blend beautifully, the solos are intensely competitive, and terrific backup is provided by pianist Gerry Wiggins, bassist Chuck Berghofer and drummer Frank Capp. Tunes include Horace Silver's "Strollin'," Sonny Rollins' "St. Thomas," Benny Moten's "Moten Swing," and Neil Hefti's "Little Pony." The Tenor Trio delivers graceful, joyous bop that's never dissonant. Mainstream jazz seldom sounds this catchy. ~ Ed Popp https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-tenor-trio-watts-christlieb-and-woodard-jvc-review-by-ed-kopp.php

Personnel:  Tenor Saxophone – Ernie Watts, Pete Christlieb, Rickey Woodard;  Bass – Chuck Berghofer;  Drums – Frank Capp;  Piano – Gerry Wiggins

The Tenor Trio

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The Howard Roberts Quartet - Whatever's Fair

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 28:02
Size: 64.2 MB
Styles: Easy Listening, Guitar jazz
Year: 1966/2014
Art: Front

[2:33] 1. The Shadow Of Your Smile
[2:34] 2. Sweet September
[2:33] 3. Pussy Cat
[2:25] 4. Whatever's Fair
[2:01] 5. This Is The Life
[2:36] 6. On A Clear Day You Can See Forever
[2:33] 7. I'll Only Miss Her When I Think Of Her
[2:40] 8. Manha De Carnaval
[2:57] 9. Michelle
[2:38] 10. A Taste Of Honey
[2:27] 11. Bye Bye Blues

Bass Guitar – Chuck Berghofer; Drums – Earl Palmer; Guitar – Bill Pitman, Howard Roberts; Organ – Henry Cain; Percussion – Jill Roberts.

We're still in the wild '60s when Howard Roberts was on a roll producing some very fine pop-oriented guitar jazz as was the fad these days, a fact easily witnessed by this magnificent Capitol LP. Forget rock 'n roll for a moment, this is expertly crafted Daiquiris-by-the-pool music by the top session men.

Whatever's Fair mc
Whatever's Fair zippy

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Roberta Gambarini - So In Love

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 68:20

Size: 156.4 MB

Styles: Jazz vocals

Year: 2009

Art: Front

[3:03] 1. So In Love

[2:48] 2. Day In Day Out

[5:05] 3. Get Out Of Town

[4:59] 4. Crazy

[3:27] 5. That Old Black Magic

[4:48] 6. Estate

[5:56] 7. Beatles Medley:Golden Slumbers/Here, There And Everywhere

[6:13] 8. I See Your Face Before Me

[4:52] 9. From This Moment On

[4:39] 10. This Is Always

[6:23] 11. You Must Believe In Spring

[5:31] 12. You Ain't Nothing But A J.A.M.F

[6:37] 13. Medley From Cinema Paradiso:Main Theme Song/For Elena

[3:53] 14. Over The Rainbow

Bass – Chuck Berghofer, George Mraz, Neil Swainson; Drums – Al Foster, Jake Hanna, Montez Coleman; Flugelhorn – Roy Hargrove; Piano – Eric Gunnison, Gerald Clayton, Tamir Hendelman; Tenor Saxophone – James Moody.

It seems incredible that Roberta Gambarini didn't win the Thelonious Monk Jazz Vocal Competition but she was new to the U.S., having just arrived from her native Italy. But with each new release, she has demonstrated that she is easily the most accomplished vocalist of the competitors for the prize, while pianist Hank Jones, who knows a thing or two about great singers, refers to her as the "greatest vocalist to come along in the past 60 years." With a rhythm section rotating between three talented up-and-coming pianists Tamir Hendeman, Eric Gunnison, or Gerald Clayton) plus veteran bassists George Mraz, Neil Swainson, or Chuck Berghofer and seasoned drummers Jake Hanna, Al Foster, Jeff Hamilton, or Montez Coleman, Gambarini works her magic with familiar standards and a few unexpected choices. She has a love of Cole Porter's songs, opening with a touching, richly textured "So in Love," a virtual rhapsody in a duet with piano. She restores the oft-omitted verse to "Get Out of Town" then delivers a driving rendition that shows off her gift for interpreting a song that has likely been recorded by all vocal jazz greats who have preceded her, proving she belongs in their company; she is joined by the soft tenor sax of James Moody. Her rapid-fire scatting is a highlight of her brisk treatment of "From This Moment On." Gambarini is also very comfortable looking outside of jazz for material, adapting Willie Nelson's "Crazy" with a master's touch, with subtle trumpet added by Roy Hargrove, while she has equal success with a medley of Beatles songs, including a moving "Golden Slumbers" that segues into a breezy "Here, There and Everywhere." But Gambarini's hilarious lyrics for Johnny Griffin's blues "The JAMFs Are Coming" (retitled "You Ain't Nothin' But a J.A.M.F.") prove to be the big surprise, showing off her incredible scatting range and sense of humor, though like a true lady, she never specifies what Griffin meant by a JAMF (hint: an acronym starting with "Jive Ass"). Roberta Gambarini continues to shine brightly as one of top jazz vocalists of her generation with this outstanding release. ~Ken Dryden

So In Love 

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The Chuck Berghofer Trio - The Film Music Of Ralph Rainger: Thanks For The Memory

Size: 184,2 MB
Time: 78:36
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2008
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Miss Brown To You ( 5:09)
02. Easy Living ( 5:47)
03. Sweet Is The Word For You ( 5:02)
04. Please ( 4:32)
05. Blue Hawaii ( 4:21)
06. If I Should Lose You (Feat. Sue Raney) ( 5:04)
07. Havin' Myself A Time ( 4:20)
08. Faithful Forever ( 4:08)
09. June In January ( 5:24)
10. Moanin' Low ( 4:39)
11. Here Lies Love ( 5:52)
12. I Wished On The Moon ( 5:29)
13. Love In Bloom ( 4:12)
14. Thanks For The Memory (Feat. Sue Raney) ( 3:45)
15. For These Memories...Thanks! (10:44)

Personnel: Jan Lundgren (p), Chuck Berghofer (b), Joe La Barbera (d), Sue Raney (vcl on #6 & 14)

Following his tribute to film composer Bronislau Kaper, record producer Dick Bank has turned his attention to another great talent who’s overdue for recognition. Ralph Rainger was a virtuoso pianist who enjoyed a fruitful collaboration with lyricist Leo Robin at Paramount Pictures in the 1930s. The result was a cavalcade of hit songs, many of which went on to become standards and also jazz perennials, including…

“Easy Living,” “I Wished on the Moon” (lyric by Dorothy Parker), “If I Should Lose You,” “Blue Hawaii,” “Love in Bloom,” “Please,” and “Thanks for the Memory.” (Rainger is less recognized as a pioneer in film scoring, as he often worked without credit in the early 1930s, when multiple composers would contribute to a movie’s underscore.)

To interpret the selections, Bank called on three of the finest jazz players in Los Angeles: pianist Jan Lundgren, drummer Joe La Barbera, and the great bassist Chuck Berghofer, who has never served as a leader on a record date—until now. Appropriately enough, he states the melodic line on several of these tunes, giving them a fresh, lively approach. This is impeccably tasteful straight-ahead jazz.

In addition to the titles mentioned above, the disc includes “Moanin’ Low,” Rainger’s first hit, with words by Howard Dietz, “Faithful Forever” from Max Fleischer’s animated feature Gulliver’s Travels, and many others.

A bonus track features Rainger in a rare, somewhat “canned” radio interview from 1937 that concludes with the composer playing a florid piano rendition of “Love in Bloom.” Then he and Leo Robin perform the same song at a famous 1940 ASCAP concert that took place in San Francisco.

An accompanying booklet fills us in on Ralph Rainger’s life and untimely death, and includes some publicity articles that appeared under his and Leo Robin’s byline in the 1930s along with photos and sheet music covers. I can’t think of a better tribute to an unsung figure from Hollywood’s—and popular music’s—golden age. ~Leonard Maltin

The Film Music Of Ralph Rainger

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