Gato Barbieri - Che Corazon

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:06
Size: 132,1 MB
Art: Front

(0:37)  1. Introduction
(5:01)  2. Cristiano
(5:05)  3. I Want You
(4:02)  4. Seven Servants
(5:24)  5. Blue Eyes
(5:34)  6. Eclipse
(4:31)  7. 1812
(4:41)  8. The Woman On The Lake
(5:49)  9. Rosa
(3:50) 10. Sweet Glenda
(5:00) 11. Encounter
(4:15) 12. Auld Lang Syne
(3:12) 13. Finale

When Gato Barbieri re-emerged on Columbia in 1997 after a long hiatus from recording, long-time followers wondered whether he would record straight-ahead jazz or embrace the type of lush pop-jazz he had recorded for A&M in the late 1970's. The distinctive tenor saxman opted to go the commercial route, but he kept his dignity intact. 1997's Que Pasa picked up where Barbieri's A&M output left off, and he has a very similar CD in Che Corazon. With guitarist Chuck Loeb producing, he delivers another album of sleek, romantic mood music. To be sure, pop-jazz instrumentals like "Blue Eyes," "Sweet Glenda" and "The Woman on the Lake" aren¹t in a class with Barbieri's challenging, often brilliant post-bop and avant-garde jazz of the 1960s and early 1970s. But they're tastefully done, and they demonstrate that commercial mood music doesn't have to be elevator music. You can think of Che Corazon as "smooth jazz with a brain."~ AAJ Staff https://www.allaboutjazz.com/che-corazon-gato-barbieri-columbia-records-review-by-aaj-staff.php

Personnel: Gato Barbieri (tenor saxophone); Chuck Loeb (conductor, guitar); Frank McComb (vocals); Mitchel Forman, Bill O'Connell (piano); Mike Ricchiuti (keyboards); Will Lee, Ron Jenkins, Mark Egan, Mario Rodriguez, John Beale (bass); Lionel Cordew, Wolfgang Haffner, Robbie Gonzalez, Dave Rataczek (drums); David Charles, Sam Figueroa, Richie Flores (percussion); Carmen Cuesta, Peter Valentine (background vocals).

Che Corazon

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Chuck Loeb - Between Two Worlds

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:01
Size: 149,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:48)  1. Let's Go
(5:46)  2. Hiram
(6:43)  3. Mittens
(5:37)  4. Between Two Worlds
(4:22)  5. Oh No You Didn't
(5:19)  6. Let's Play
(4:21)  7. So Tinha De Ser Com Voce
(6:56)  8. The Great Hall
(7:10)  9. Mean Old Man
(5:40) 10. 360
(6:14) 11. Early Turns to Late

As its title suggests, Between 2 Worlds finds guitarist Chuck Loeb's sublimated split personality at last openly revealed. A household name in smooth jazz circles, the former Steps Ahead luminary this time throws the dice with a program heavier on the straight-ahead jazz component that composes the core of his musical upbringing. Does this project mark the dawn of a new beginning, a passage to this other world? Only time will tell. Customarily dressing the table with a set of his glossy, high-sheen wares, the second half of the program finds the agile guitarist delving into some more substantiated, post-bop-type purlieus, not without the same unbridled enthusiasm and passion that characterizes his pop-jazz work. That said, like those that preceded him in such indissoluble mixing of genres (and aesthetics) Lee Ritenour being a rather convenient comparison the final product unfortunately falls flat in the face of artistically more focused covenants. Too much of this, not enough of that, the apanage of the MOR modicum. From the funky, bluesy stroll of the Robben Ford-tinged "Oh No You Didn't" (featuring daughter Lizzy's soulful vocals) things take a radical turn as Dave Weckl's rollicking kit work introduces the supercharged, intervallic theme of "Let's Play."

A brisk minor blues with booming chordal interjections, the piece emphatically celebrates the precise, George Benson/Pat Martino/Mike Stern school of picking. Halting a brief moment for wife-vocalist Carmen Cuesta's grazing Tom Jobim's tranquil "So Tinha De Que Ser Com Voce," Loeb then launches into the open-strings voicings that open "The Great Hall," a luminous waltz recalling John Abercrombie's mid-70's to mid-80's work that most probably got its title after his former teacher, the great Jim Hall. Though the latter composition is rich enough to endure repeated listening, other tracks may, to some, defy the threshold of tolerance namely, "Hiram," a dedication to the late Hiram Bullock, the title track, and the closing sleeper, "Early Turns To Late." A deft technician with years studio experience behind him, Loeb demonstrates with Between 2 Worlds that his straight-ahead fretwork certainly needs to be reckon with, championed even. But, whether learned jazz listeners will buy into such disparate programming remains improbable. ~ Martin Gladu https://www.allaboutjazz.com/between-2-worlds-chuck-loeb-heads-up-international-review-by-martin-gladu.php

Personnel: Chuck Loeb: guitar; Carmen Cuesta: vocals (2, 4, 7); Lizzy Loeb: vocals (5); Eric Marienthal: saxophones, flute; Till Bronner: trumpet (3); Nathan Eklund: trumpet (1), trombone (1); Brian Culbertson: trombone solo (1); Pat Bergeson: harmonica (11); Will Lee: bass (1, 3, 5), fretless bass melody (2); Gerald Veasley: bass (2, 6); Dieter Ilg: bass (8-11); Dave Weckl: drums (1-3, 5-7); Wolfgang Haffner: drums (4, 8-11); Bashiri Johnson: percussion (1-3); David Charles: percussion (5, 7, 10, 11).

Between Two Worlds

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Carmen Cuesta & Chuck Loeb - Palabras

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:18
Size: 113,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:43)  1. Palabras
(5:00)  2. Te Vas
(5:06)  3. Vaiven
(4:44)  4. Despues
(4:42)  5. Nubes
(4:29)  6. Nada
(4:33)  7. Canción De Las Palabras
(5:13)  8. Barro
(5:28)  9. Belleza
(5:14) 10. Vive

The wife of smooth jazz synthesizer, flute and guitar player Chuck Loeb, Carmen Cuesta has established her own reputation as a soulful pop and jazz vocalist, guitarist and songwriter. Having served an apprenticeship as a background singer for Grover Washington, Jr., Michael Franks, Gato Barbieri, Peabo Bryson, Earl Klugh and Jim Hall and a chorus dancer in such musicals as Godspell, Cuesta has been steadily attracting acclaim as a soloist. Her debut 1996 solo album, One Kiss, which featured guest appearances by Bill Evans and Toots Thielemans, was followed by the impressive Peace Of Mind three years later. A self-taught guitarist, Cuesta wrote her own songs before her fifteenth birthday. Although she attended college, she balanced her studies with work in commercials and Spanish musical theater. She moved to New York at the age of twenty-four. Cuesta's appearances in the New York area have featured the stellar accompaniment of such top-notch jazz players as Will Lee, Michael Brecker, Peter Erskine, Dave Weckl and Mitchel Forman. ~ Craig Harris https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/palabras/1348595007

Palabras

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Larry Coryell - I'll Be Over You

Styles: Jazz Fusion
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:04
Size: 120,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:57) 1. I'll Be Over You
(4:22) 2. Redwing
(4:43) 3. Tonight Is the Night
(3:06) 4. Try a Little Tenderness
(5:17) 5. St. Louis Blues
(5:14) 6. For the Love of You
(4:50) 7. Nightshade
(4:34) 8. This Love of Ours
(4:49) 9. Before Dawn
(4:28) 10. Cumulus
(5:39) 11. Better Get Hit in Yo' Soul

As one of the pioneers of jazz-rock perhaps the pioneer in the ears of some Larry Coryell deserves a special place in the history books. He brought what amounted to a nearly alien sensibility to jazz electric guitar playing in the 1960s, a hard-edged, cutting tone, and phrasing and note-bending that owed as much to blues, rock, and even country as it did to earlier, smoother bop influences. Yet as a true eclectic, armed with a brilliant technique, he remained comfortable in almost every style, covering almost every base from the most decibel-heavy, distortion-laden electric work to the most delicate, soothing, intricate lines on acoustic guitar. Unfortunately, a lot of his most crucial electric work from the '60s and '70s went missing in the digital age, tied up by the erratic reissue schemes of Vanguard, RCA, and other labels, and by jazz-rock's myopically low level of status in certain quarters.

According to Coryell, his interest in jazz took hold at the age of four, and after his family moved from Galveston to the state of Washington three years later, he began to learn the guitar, studying records by Tal Farlow, Barney Kessel, and Johnny Smith. As a teenager, he played in a band led by pianist Mike Mandel, and by 1965 he gave up his journalism studies at the University of Washington in order to try his luck in New York as a musician. Before the year was out, he attracted much attention jamming in Greenwich Village and replaced Gabor Szabo in Chico Hamilton's band. In 1966, he made a startling recorded debut on Hamilton's The Dealer album, where his blues and rock ideas came to the fore, and that year he also played with a proto-jazz-rock band, the Free Spirits. Coryell's name spread even further in 1967-1968 when he played with Gary Burton's combo, and he was one of the most prominent solo voices on Herbie Mann's popular Memphis Underground album (recorded in 1968). He, Mandel, and Steve Marcus formed a group called Foreplay in 1969 (no relation to the later Fourplay), and by 1973 this became the core of the jazz-rock band Eleventh House, which after a promising start ran aground with a string of albums of variable quality.

In 1975, Coryell pulled the plug, concentrating on acoustic guitar and turning in a prolific series of duo and trio sessions with the likes of Philip Catherine, Emily Remler, John Scofield, Joe Beck, Steve Khan, and John McLaughlin. In the mid-'80s, Coryell toured with McLaughlin and Paco de Lucía, and in 1986 participated in a five-way guitar session with his old idol Farlow, Scofield, Larry Carlton, and John Abercrombie for the Jazzvisions series. Coryell also recorded with Stéphane Grappelli, Charles Mingus, Sonny Rollins, and Kenny Barron, and taped Brazilian music with Dori Caymmi for CTI, mainstream jazz for Muse, solo guitar for Shanachie and Acoustic Music, and (for Nippon Phonogram in Japan) an album of classical transcriptions of music by Stravinsky and Rimsky-Korsakov.

Coryell's career in the early 21st century was just as active. The year 2004 saw the release of Tricycles, an excellent trio date with drummer Paul Wertico and bassist Mark Egan. Electric from 2005 found Coryell playing jazz standards and rock anthems with Lenny White on drums and Victor Bailey on electric bass. In 2006 he released the performance album Laid Back & Blues: Live at the Sky Church in Seattle, followed two years later by Impressions: The New York Sessions on Chesky. In 2011 the guitarist joined a group of musicians closely associated with the Bay Area's Wide Hive label for Larry Coryell with the Wide Hive Players. He then returned in 2013 with The Lift, featuring organist Chester Thompson. Two years later, he delivered his third album for Wide Hive, Heavy Feel. In January 2017, Coryell announced he had reunited members of his '70s fusion group Eleventh House, including trumpeter Randy Brecker, for the album Seven Secrets. The album was slated to arrive in early June of that year, with a number of U.S. summer tour dates confirmed in support of the release. However, following a pair of weekend shows at New York City's Iridium club, Coryell died of heart failure in his hotel room on February 19, 2017. He was 73 years old. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/larry-coryell-mn0000124784/biography

Personnel: Larry Coryell - acoustic, electric, 12-string electric & Flamenco guitars; Sharon Bryant - background vocals; David Charles - percussion; Chris Parks - keyboards, programming; Carmen Cuesta - background vocals; Zach Danziger - drums; Mark Herman - keyboards, programming; Mark Sherman - vibraphone, keyboards, percussion, programming; Dan Heymann - piano; Rick Bottari - keyboards; Tracy Wormwood - bass; Steve Ferrone - drums; Chuck Loeb - guitar, electric guitar; Will Lee - bass; Grover Washington, Jr.- soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone; Peabo Bryson - vocals; Donald Harrison - vocals, soprano & tenor saxophones; Lani Groves - background vocals; Vaneese Thomas - background vocals

I'll Be Over You

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Eddie Daniels - Nepenthe

Styles: Clarinet Jazz
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:41
Size: 143,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:20)  1. Sun Dance
(6:08)  2. Equinox
(5:19)  3. Nepenthe
(6:39)  4. Waltz Of Another Color
(5:44)  5. Sueños (Dreams)
(4:05)  6. Chaser
(6:13)  7. The Only One
(6:15)  8. Soul Eyes
(5:57)  9. The Chant
(4:37) 10. Quiet Space
(5:21) 11. Reverie For A Rainy Day

One of the world's great clarinetists, Eddie Daniels is primarily in the spotlight during this modern jazz set. He is joined by guitarist Chuck Loeb (who is excellent in support and as a secondary solo voice), bassist John Patitucci, either Dave Weckl or Adam Nussbaum on drums, and percussionist Sammy Figueroa. They perform seven diverse Daniels originals (complex but swinging), plus two by Loeb and the standards "Soul Eyes" and "Equinox." This release is not as memorable as Daniels' flashier and more spectacular recordings (it is more mellow at times), but it does contain plenty of subtle creativity and effortless (but brilliant) clarinet solos. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/nepenthe-mw0000207928

Personnel:  Clarinet, Producer – Eddie Daniels; Acoustic Bass, Bass [Six String] – John Patitucci; Drums – Adam Nussbaum;  Dave Weckl ; Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar – Chuck Loeb; Percussion – Sammy Figueroa

Nepenthe

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Earl Klugh - Midnight In San Juan

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:31
Size: 95,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:52)  1. Midnight in San Juan
(4:00)  2. Every Moment with You
(6:06)  3. Kissin' on the Beach
(4:33)  4. She Never Said Why
(4:41)  5. Mobimientos Del Alma (Rhythms of the Soul)
(3:44)  6. Jamaican Winds
(5:27)  7. Theme for a Rainy Day
(7:06)  8. Take You There

The majority of Earl Klugh's albums have been throwaways not because he's choosing pop-flavored jazz and jazzy instrumental pop over straight-ahead jazz, but because of their total lack of substance and musical integrity. One of his more listenable commercial efforts, Midnight in San Juan finds the guitarist placing an unusually heavy emphasis on Latin and Caribbean elements. The CD is decent more often than not, and listeners are reminded of the fact that commercial pop-jazz can be tasteful or not so tasteful. 

Some of the more worthwhile tunes include the Brazilian-flavored "Kissin' on the Beach," and the salsa-influenced "Mobimientos del Alma," the haunting "She Never Said Why" and the Joe Sample-ish title tune. Harmonica player Toots Thielemans has a melodic cameo on the pensive "Theme for a Rainy Day," and pianist Eliane Elias is in good form on the vibrant "Take You There." Meanwhile, Klugh tosses good taste to the wind on "Every Moment with You," a glaring example of the type of insipid, toothless schlock he so often stoops to playing. This is far from an essential purchase, but overall, it was certainly superior to most of his other commercial albums. ~ Alex Henderson https://www.allmusic.com/album/midnight-in-san-juan-mw0000674962

Personnel: Earl Klugh – guitar, keyboards; Toots Thielemans – harmonica; Ron Carter – bass; Chuck Loeb – guitar; Paul McGill – guitar; Jose Oribe – guitar; Oscar Hernández – bass; Lucio Hopper – bass; Abraham Laboriel, Sr. – bass; Eliane Elias – piano; Ruben Rodriquez – piano; Sammy Figueroa – percussion; Paulinho Da Costa – percussion; Ralph Irizarry – percussion; Barnaby Finch – keyboards; Ronnie Foster – keyboards; Mark Nilan – keyboards; Richard Tee – electric piano; Robby Ameen – drums; Harvey Mason Sr. – drums; Buddy Williams – drums

Midnight In San Juan

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Fourplay - Esprit De Four

Styles: Jazz, Funk, Soul, Fusion 
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:01
Size: 126,6 MB
Art: Front

(7:46)  1. December Dream
(4:12)  2. Firefly
(7:11)  3. Venus
(4:12)  4. Sonnymoon
(6:08)  5. Put Our Hearts Together - Instrumental Version
(4:16)  6. All I Wanna Do
(7:05)  7. Logic Of Love
(6:22)  8. Esprit De Four
(4:26)  9. Sugoi
(3:18) 10. Put Our Hearts Together - Vocal Version

Bands don't last over two decades with minimal turnover in personnel and continued success if they're composed of egotists, prima donnas, drama queens or people that just don't play nice together. Fourplay has endured and thrived because it is an egalitarian coalition of seasoned professionals who set aside private agendas to serve the group dynamic. When a new guitarist joins Fourplay it typically takes their sophomore recording with the long-running band before they truly begin to fit in. In over 20 years there have been only three personnel changes, with original guitarist Lee Ritenour being replaced by Larry Carlton, who manned the spot for 12 years and seven albums, until he exited and Chuck Loeb became the "new guy" on Let's Touch the Sky (Heads Up, 2010). Stability has been a strength for this assemblage of veteran musicians even if consistency has led the band to be dismissed by critics little more than slick, smooth jazz. That was truer before than it is now as the Fourplay of 2012 bears little resemblance to the 1991 version despite three-quarters of the lineup being still composed of founders Bob James, Nathan East and Harvey Mason. James' keyboards are still at the heart of the group, but whoever the guitarist is gives it much of its soul, and on Esprit De Four a lion's share of the direction as well. Loeb is predominantly featured on the first four tracks and guides the group into making music that is too passionate to be "slick." Even when East takes his standard vocal turn on "All I Wanna Do," Loeb's guitar is front and center leading the way. This hardly means the rest of the band recedes into the background. Mason's "Venus" is lush and lovely with James and Loeb gently trading leads before smoothly dueting to the close. "Sonnymoon" is the closest these old pros come to sounding like "classic" Fourplay, as the Mason and East rhythm section keeps things fast and funky. It's just an excuse for four minutes of jamming, but let no one think Fourplay can't still get down when it wants to. 

If Loeb steps up to assert himself as primary soloist, James, who will turn 73 in December 2012, seems willing to relinquish some of the spotlight to Loeb, or at least doesn't seem the least stressed out sharing it. James has a deep fondness for Eastern culture and his two contributions, "Sugoi" and "Put Our Hearts Together," are evidence of that influence. "Put Our Hearts Together" (in both an instrumental and vocal version) is dedicated to the people of Japan in the wake of 2011's horrific earthquake and tsunami. Esprit De Four eschews the Fourplay formula of American chart-topping guest vocalists such as Anita Baker or Michael McDonald in favor of a demonstration of cross-cultural outreach, as Japanese superstar Seiko Matsuda to provides the vocals for "Put Our Hearts Together." The charge most frequently levied at Fourplay by its detractors is that the music is safe and formulaic. While it would be an untruth to say this is the most freewheeling quartet in jazz, it's petty to confuse popularity and acclaim with shallowness and superficiality. Fourplay cares too deeply about its music to be a cynical superstar band conceived as little more than a cash grab. ~ Jeff Winbush https://www.allaboutjazz.com/fourplay-esprit-de-four-by-jeff-winbush.php

Personnel: Bob James: keyboards; Nathan East: bass, vocals; Chuck Loeb: guitars, synths; Harvey Mason: drums, percussion, vibes, synths; Seiko Matsuda: vocals (10); Lizzy Loeb: additional vocals (1); Kenny Mason and the Voices of Praise Choir.

Esprit De Four

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Michael Franks - Rendezvous in Rio

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:39
Size: 129,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:26)  1. Under the Sun
(5:36)  2. Rendezvous in Rio
(5:47)  3. The Cool School
(4:40)  4. Samba do Soho
(5:16)  5. The Critics Are Never Kind
(4:27)  6. Scatsville
(4:24)  7. The Chemistry of Love
(5:41)  8. Hearing 'Take Five'
(4:30)  9. The Question is Why
(6:46) 10. Songbirds

Michael Franks' laid-back vocals have made him the choice of a new generation of cool school attendees. With Rendezvous in Rio, his debut release for Koch Records, Franks continuously shows why he is still at the top of his game with brand-new songs that will soothe, undo your stresses, or put you in a romantic mood. The various musical styles on the CD include two Brazilian sambas, one titled "Under the Sun," pointing you toward the Southern Hemisphere and the warmth of Rio de Janeiro and Bahia. A master of phrasing and elongated notes, Franks tells his great stories in several tempos that literally have you wanted to take this journey with him. "Rendezvous in Rio" starts with Café's percussive whistle and the rhythmic flow of Romero Lubambo's guitar. Chris Hunter's sax and flute solos also heighten the imagery of Franks' sexy vocals. "The Cool School" starts with the beautiful guitar accompaniment of Chuck Loeb and continues under Franks' vocals with a hushed flow of cool/smooth riffs that make this song one of the best on the CD. With the artistry of such respected contemporary jazz artists as Jeff Lorber, Jimmy Haslip, Chuck Loeb, and Alex Al and the lilt of the carnival whistle, Michael Franks has conspired to entertain you, and has succeeded. You're sure to enjoy this very special Rendezvous in Rio. Recommended. ~ Paula Edelstein https://www.allmusic.com/album/rendezvous-in-rio-mw0000442477

Personnel: Michael Franks (vocals); Robbie Dupree (vocals, background vocals); Carmen Cuesta-Loeb, Larry Hoppen, Pamela Driggs (vocals); Chuck Loeb (guitar, piano, keyboards, programming); Dwight Sills, Marc Shulman, Mike DeMicco, Romero Lubambo (guitar); Gary Meek (flute, saxophone, tenor saxophone); Chris Hunter (flute, saxophone); Andy Suzuki (woodwinds); Roger Burn (piano, keyboards, vibraphone); Jeff Lorber (keyboards, programming, drum programming, percussion programming); Charles Blenzig (keyboards, programming); Scott Petito (keyboards); Jimmy Haslip (electric bass); Jerry Marotta (drums, percussion); Michael White , Michael White , Wolfgang Haffner, Brian Dunne, Vinnie Colaiuta (drums); Café (percussion); Leslie Ritter, Veronica Nunn, Beth Reineke (background vocals); Eric Marienthal (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); David Sancious (piano, keyboards).

Rendezvous in Rio

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Carmen Cuesta-Loeb - Toda una vida

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:43
Size: 119,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:46)  1. Voy a Apagar la Luz
(3:50)  2. Quizás, Quizás, Quizás
(4:23)  3. Contigo Aprendí
(4:40)  4. Eu Sei Que Vou Te Amar
(4:02)  5. El Reloj
(4:57)  6. La Puerta
(4:40)  7. El Día Que Me Quieras
(4:52)  8. No Te Confundas
(4:09)  9. Dos Gardenias
(4:16) 10. Como Fue
(3:16) 11. Bésame Mucho
(3:46) 12. Toda una Vida

“Toda Una Vida” is not your typical Boleros album even though it has mostly Bolero standards. Spaniard singer Carmen Cuesta gives a nice jazzy spin to classic Boleros in her CD with the help of jazz guitarist and husband Chuck Loeb. “Most singers at one point in their career will want to do a Boleros album…” Carmen told me in an interview with Latino Music Café. “There are so many good Bolero albums out there, that I wanted to give mine something different. I wanted to combine the American influence of Jazz with the Latin essence of the Bolero” said the singer raised in Madrid.To be able to achieve this beautiful differentiation in “Toda Una Vida”, it helps to work (and be married ) with legendary guitarist Chuck Loeb, who played in Stan Getz´s band. 

“Collaborating with Chuck allowed me to take (the songs) into a slightly different dimension, a new approach” says Carmen in her press release for “Toda Una Vida” (released January 2014). In our conversation, Carmen said that they wanted to change the tempo of the typical Bolero, but still keeping the essence of the message and feeling of each song. This extraordinary mix of beautiful Bolero standards with a slightly different musical approach was achieved thanks to Chuck Loeb’s musical mastery as well as the participation of Madrid-based renown musicians. “Toda Una Vida” was co-produced by popular Spanish music producer Paco Ortega and was recorded in Ortega’s Musicgrama recording studio in Madrid.¨ For her 6th album, Carmen Cuesta selected a combination of songs that include renown Bolero standards, a few less known Boleros, and then added one song of her own authorship. “My first thought was to record less known but beautiful Boleros that people might not be familiar with; but then decided that I also wanted to record some Bolero standards that I really love. To round up the album I thought, ‘why not add one of my own compositions?’, and added “No Te Confundas”. http://www.latinomusiccafe.com/2014/02/16/carmen-cuestas-jazzy-boleros-in-toda-una-vida/

Personnel: Carmen Cuesta: vocals; Chuck Loeb: guitars, additional keyboards; José San Martín: drums, shakers; Antonio “Toño” Miguel: acoustic bass; Moisés P. Sánchez: piano, electric piano; Yuvisney Aguilar: percussion; Antonio Serrano: harmonica (3); Kike Perdomo: flute (2); Oli Rockberger: piano (12).

Toda una vida

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Till Bronner - Love

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:17
Size: 119.7 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz, Trumpet jazz
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[6:44] 1. Where Do You Start
[5:32] 2. What Stays
[6:41] 3. Our Game
[9:23] 4. Brazil
[3:30] 5. Ich Hab' Noch Einen Koffer In Berlin
[5:45] 6. We Fly Around The World
[5:17] 7. I Fall In Love Too Easily
[6:00] 8. Here's That Rainy Day
[3:21] 9. Time Will Tell

Bass – Tim Lefebvre; Drums – Wolfgang Haffner; Guitar – Chuck Loeb; Percussion – David Charles; Piano, Keyboards – Frank Chastenier; Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Vocals – Till Brönner; Vocals – Carmen Cuesta.

A young traditionalist from Germany, Till Brunner owes a big debt to Chet Baker. On his Verve debut, Love, the trumpeter plays it cool, muted, and lyrical, reducing songs to their melodic essence. He also sings on two ballads (including our featured track, "We Fly Around the World"), and, like Baker, he approaches them in a straightforward fashion that charmingly emphasizes the limitations of his voice. He even plays one of Baker's mainstays, "I Fall in Love too Easily." Bronner is joined by a mix of German and American sidemen: guitarist Chuck Loeb, pianist and keyboardist Frank Chastenier, bassist Tim Lefebvre, drummer Wolfgang Haffner, percussionist David Charles, and vocalist Carmen Cuesta. ~Jazziz Magazine

Love mc
Love zippy

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Bob Mintzer - Art Of The Big Band

Styles: Saxophone Jazz, Big Band
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:25
Size: 143,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:51)  1. Without A Song
(5:04)  2. Brazilian Affair
(7:25)  3. Christopher Columbus
(6:30)  4. Easy Living
(7:59)  5. Art Of The Big Band
(6:47)  6. Moonlight Serenade
(6:44)  7. Elvin's Mambo
(4:44)  8. Weird Blues
(7:57)  9. Paul's Call
(4:20) 10. But Not For Me

This big-band date by Bob Mintzer from the early '90s utilizes some of the Big Apple's top available musicians of the era, including trumpeters Marvin Stamm and Randy Brecker, saxophonists Scott Robinson and Roger Rosenberg (both of whom double on clarinet), and pianist Phil Markowitz. Mintzer has moved freely between contemporary and mainstream jazz depending on the record date and personnel, but on this DMP release he incorporates a bit from each style. At times that's a problem, because straight-ahead fans will find the smooth jazz-like rhythm section in the standard "Without a Song" rather lame compared to the writing for the brass and reeds. Fortunately, when electric bassist Lincoln Goines is replaced by acoustic bassist Michael Formanek, as in "Christopher Columbus" (where Robinson swings like mad on tenor) and Mintzer's inventive chart of "Easy Living," all is well. The originals are a mixed bag, with the dynamic "Art of the Big Band" and the tricky "Weird Blues" being especially noteworthy. ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-art-of-the-big-band-mw0000674388

Personnel:  Acoustic Bass – Michael Formanek;  Arranged By – Bob Mintzer;  Bass Trombone – David Taylor;  Clarinet – Roger Rosenberg, Scott Robinson;  Congas – Frankie Malabe;  Drums – John Riley (2) (tracks: 5, 9, 10), Peter Erskine;  Electric Bass – Lincoln Goines;  Flute – Lawrence Feldman, Peter Yellin;  Guitar – Chuck Loeb;  Piano – Phil Markowitz;  Saxophone – Bob Mintzer, Lawrence Feldman, Peter Yellin, Roger Rosenberg, Scott Robinson (2);  Trombone – Dave Bargeron, Keith O'Quinn, Matt Finders (tracks: 2, 3, 8, 9), Mike Davis;  Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Laurie Frink, Marvin Stamm, Randy Brecker, Bob Millikan

Art Of The Big Band

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Chuck Loeb - My Shining Hour

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1988
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:20
Size: 141,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:30)  1. The Chant
(6:29)  2. Asi Sera
(6:56)  3. My Shining Hour
(9:06)  4. If I Were a Bell
(5:26)  5. Maxine
(6:05)  6. Let All Notes Ring
(5:57)  7. Tarde
(6:00)  8. I Just Can't Stop Loving You
(4:40)  9. Brunet
(5:05) 10. My Funny Valentine

A skillful guitarist capable of playing any style of music, Chuck Loeb's own solo projects have generally been commercially successful crossover jazz, which has been classified through the years as "contemporary" or "smooth" jazz. He started playing guitar when he was 11; discovered jazz when he was 16; took lessons from Jim Hall, Pat Metheny, and Joe Puma; and attended the Berklee College of Music. Loeb freelanced in New York (with Hubert Laws, Chico Hamilton, and Joe Farrell, among others), and then in 1979 joined Stan Getz's group for two years. While in New York, Loeb worked on jingles and soundtracks both as a player and a composer. He spent 1985-1987 with Steps Ahead and later produced recordings by Donald Harrison, Nelson Rangell, Larry Coryell, George Garzone, and Warren Bernhardt, among others. As a performer, Loeb was part of Petite Blonde (a group featuring saxophonist Bill Evans), Metro, and the Fantasy Band, and played with Gary Burton, Dave Samuels, and many others; in addition, his compositions have been recorded by quite a few pop/jazz artists. Loeb made his first solo record in 1988, recorded extensively for DMP, and switched to Shanachie in 1996. Over the next seven years he released six albums for the label, beginning in 1998 with The Moon, the Stars and the Setting Sun, followed by Listen in 1999. Loeb remained active in the 21st century, releasing In a Heartbeat in early 2001, All There Is in 2002, and eBop one year later. The guitarist wrapped up his tenure with Shanachie in 2005 with When I'm with You, and signed with Heads Up International, a division of Telarc. His first outing for the label was Presence, released in 2007.  In 2010, Loeb replaced Larry Carlton as the guitarist for Fourplay, but continued as a producer, composer, arranger, and guitarist on his own, starting his own label, Heads Up, and with the release of Plain 'n' Simple in 2011 he revisited the world of 1960s jazz bebop organ trios. It's Love, an album with saxophonist Eric Marienthal, appeared in 2012. Loeb returned to Shanachie in 2013 with Silhouette, an eclectic album featuring the guitarist backed by four distinct ensembles including a group with drummer Peter Erskine and an organ trio with Pat Bianchi. Two years later, he again paired with Marienthal for Bridges, which also featured bassist John Patitucci. In 2016, Loeb delivered his 22nd studio album, Unspoken, featuring a bevy of collaborators including Jeff Lorber, Nathan East, Andy Snitzer, Till Brönner, and many more. Loeb died of cancer on July 31, 2017 at the age of 61. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/artist/chuck-loeb-mn0000125479/biography

Personnel:  Chuck Loeb (Guitar); Makoto Ozone (Piano, synthesizer); John Patitucci (Bass); Dave Weckl (Drums); Pat Rebillot (Piano); Carmen Cuesta (Vocals 02, 07).

My Shining Hour

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Chuck Loeb - Mediterranean

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:24
Size: 149,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:46)  1. Mediterranean
(4:52)  2. Mr. Z
(4:56)  3. Heart
(6:12)  4. Discipline
(6:12)  5. Twelve
(4:42)  6. Let It Be
(4:51)  7. In the Paint
(5:31)  8. FYI
(6:28)  9. Far Star
(4:45) 10. Memory Lane
(5:15) 11. Carbo Fuel
(4:49) 12. Autumn

Guitarist Chuck Loeb ends up with an enjoyable yet very typical collection on this outing. Typical, meaning easy to swallow and occasionally remarkable but for the most part the kind of music radio eats up and listeners have been saturated with. We've heard this kind of thing before. Loeb's tender and breezy acoustic work dominates, but the electric fire he sets on go for broke zoomers like "Mr. Z" and "Carbo Fuel" are far more distinctive and better worth the price of admission. As a composer, Loeb is more than able, but his blistering contributions to Nelson Rangell's projects far surpass the mellow fare he presents here. Rangell, fellow saxman Bill Evans and keyboardist Mitch Forman add lots of spark and improvisational energy to a disc that simply needs a little less cool breeze and more electric gale. ~ Jonathan Widran http://www.allmusic.com/album/mediterranean-mw0000098754

Personnel: Chuck Loeb (guitar, keyboards); Elizabeth Loeb, Christina Loeb, Carmen Cuesta (vocals); Paul Peabody (violin); Nelson Rangell (flute, piccolo, alto saxophone); Bill Evans (tenor saxophone); Mitchel Forman (piano, keyboards); Clint DeGanon, Zach Danziger (drums); David Charles (percussion).

R.I.P.
Born - December 7, 1955
Died - July 31, 2017

Mediterranean

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Bob James - Dancing On The Water

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:43
Size: 152,8 MB
Art: Front

(7:04)  1. Alone Together
(6:06)  2. The Green Hour
(4:03)  3. Bogie's Boogie
(8:11)  4. Altair and Vega
(6:38)  5. Hum Drum
(7:41)  6. Last Night When We Were Young
(4:57)  7. Dancing on the Water
(4:37)  8. Modesty
(5:31)  9. Tapawingo
(5:53) 10. Autumn Nocturne
(5:57) 11. Duo Oto Subito

Dancing on the Water features a collection of solo piano performances by Bob James plus duets by James with a diverse array of artists, including bassist Dave Holland, guitarist Chuck Loeb, and pianists Keiku Matsui and Joe Sample. James wrote nine songs on the CD everything except "Alone Together" and "Last Night When We Were Young." Four songs ("The Green Hour," "Bogie's Boogie," "Hum Drum," and "Modesty") receive the benefit of James performing solo on acoustic piano. His duet with Keiko Matsui, "Altair and Vega," is an eight-minute masterpiece featuring exceptional interplay between the pianists. The sweet melodies along with fine, balanced technique and tremolo earn this duet high marks. Piano and bass duets by James and Dave Holland are featured on "Last Night When We Were Young" and "Autumn Nocture"; both songs strike an artful balance with rhythmic improvisations that reflect the duo's award-winning jazz styles in a complementary setting. Chuck Loeb expands his awareness of jazz guitar on the title track, "Dancing on the Water." His joyful interpretations and subtle surprises make the music of the acclaimed jazz pianist sound fresh and new. Two tracks with Joe Sample, "Alone Together" and "Tapawingo," exhibit the emotive and superbly inventive bebop-based compositions at the hands of two masters. Their crisp, flowing lines and intricate melodic voicings reflect the influence of such jazz icons as Thelonious Monk and McCoy Tyner. This is an excellent CD and Bob James continues his exceptional musical dialogues with more pronounced affection for traditional jazz styles than on previous releases. ~ Paula Edelstein http://www.allmusic.com/album/dancing-on-the-water-mw0000625099

Personnel: Bob James, Keiko Matsui, Joe Sample (piano); Chuck Loeb (guitar); Dave Holland (bass).

Dancing On The Water

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Stan Getz - Autumn Leaves

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1980
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:58
Size: 139,8 MB
Art: Front

( 7:19)  1. Autumn Leaves
(12:07)  2. Billie's Bounce
( 5:46)  3. Heart Place
( 8:39)  4. Kali-Au
( 9:21)  5. Chappaqua
( 3:48)  6. Nature Boy
(13:56)  7. Empty Shells

One of the all-time great tenor saxophonists, Stan Getz was known as "The Sound" because he had one of the most beautiful tones ever heard. Getz, whose main early influence was Lester Young, grew to be a major influence himself, and to his credit he never stopped evolving. Getz had the opportunity to play in a variety of major swing big bands while a teenager due to the World War II draft. He was with Jack Teagarden (1943) when he was just 16, followed by stints with Stan Kenton (1944-1945), Jimmy Dorsey (1945), and Benny Goodman (1945-1946); he soloed on a few records with Goodman. Getz, who had his recording debut as a leader in July 1946 with four titles, became famous during his period with Woody Herman's Second Herd (1947-1949), soloing (along with Zoot Sims, Herbie Steward, and Serge Chaloff) on the original version of "Four Brothers" and having his sound well-featured on the ballad "Early Autumn." After leaving Herman, Getz was (with the exception of some tours with Jazz at the Philharmonic) a leader for the rest of his life. During the early '50s, Getz broke away from the Lester Young style to form his own musical identity, and he was soon among the most popular of all jazzmen. He discovered Horace Silver in 1950 and used him in his quartet for several months. After touring Sweden in 1951, he formed an exciting quintet that co-featured guitarist Jimmy Raney; their interplay on uptempo tunes and tonal blend on ballads were quite memorable. Getz's playing helped Johnny Smith have a hit in "Moonlight in Vermont"; during 1953-1954, Bob Brookmeyer made his group a quintet and, despite some drug problems during the decade, Getz was a constant poll winner. After spending 1958-1960 in Europe, the tenor man returned to the U.S. and recorded his personal favorite album, Focus, with arranger Eddie Sauter's Orchestra. Then, in February 1962, Getz helped usher in the bossa nova era by recording Jazz Samba with Charlie Byrd; their rendition of "Desafinado" was a big hit. During the next year, Getz made bossa nova-flavored albums with Gary McFarland's big band, Luiz Bonfá, and Laurindo Almeida, but it was Getz/Gilberto (a collaboration with Antonio Carlos Jobim and João Gilberto) that was his biggest seller, thanks in large part to "The Girl from Ipanema" (featuring the vocals of Astrud and João Gilberto). 

Getz could have spent the next decade sticking to bossa nova, but instead he de-emphasized the music and chose to play more challenging jazz. His regular group during this era was a piano-less quartet with vibraphonist Gary Burton, he recorded with Bill Evans (1964), played throughout the 1965 Eddie Sauter soundtrack for Mickey One, and made the classic album Sweet Rain (1967) with Chick Corea. Although not all of Getz's recordings from the 1966-1980 period are essential, he proved that he was not afraid to take chances. Dynasty with organist Eddie Louiss (1971), Captain Marvel with Chick Corea (1972), and The Peacocks with Jimmy Rowles (1975) are high points. After utilizing pianist Joanne Brackeen in his 1977 quartet, Getz explored some aspects of fusion with his next unit, which featured keyboardist Andy Laverne. Getz even used an Echoplex on a couple of songs but, despite some misfires, most of his dates with this unit are worthwhile. However, purists were relieved when he signed with Concord in 1981 and started using a purely acoustic backup trio on most dates. In 1987, Getz had a large tumor removed from behind his heart. Subsequent tests revealed that he had liver cancer and cirrhosis, most likely due to years of substance abuse. Undeterred, Getz embarked on a strict, herbal-based diet hoping to treat the lymphoma. By fall 1988, MRI scans revealed that the tumor had dramatically shrunken in size. Buoyed by the good news, Getz remained active, touring with pianist Kenny Barron and recording the albums Apasionado (1990) with Herb Alpert and You Gotta Pay the Band (1990) with vocalist Abbey Lincoln. Sadly, Getz's cancer never fully abated and he died on June 6, 1991 at age 64. His final recording, 1991's People Time, is (despite some shortness in the saxophonist's breath) a brilliant duet set with Barron. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/artist/stan-getz-mn0000742899/biography

Personnel:  Stan Getz - tenor saxophone;  Andy LaVerne – keyboards;  Brian Bromberg – bass;  Chuck Loeb – guitar;  Victor Jones - drums

Autumn Leaves

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Mark Soskin - Overjoyed

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:52
Size: 132,9 MB
Art: Front

(7:28)  1. Awakening
(5:09)  2. Postcards
(5:43)  3. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
(5:23)  4. Song for Lea
(4:39)  5. Rhythm-A-Ning
(6:04)  6. Overjoyed
(7:11)  7. Con Alma
(3:52)  8. Home Movie
(7:15)  9. It Never Entered My Mind
(5:05) 10. Old Devil Moon

A longtime sideman, most notably with Sonny Rollins, Mark Soskin has only had rare opportunities to lead his own sessions. He began taking piano lessons when he was seven. Although he later considered Cedar Walton to be his most important influence, Soskin actually spent his teenage years playing often with R&B bands. He studied classical music at Colorado State University in 1971 but transferred to the Berklee School of Music the following year. In 1975, he moved to San Francisco where he worked with Azteca, Joe Henderson, Bill Summers, Pete Escovedo, and Billy Cobham, touring with the CBS All-Stars, a group that also included Cobham, Tom Scott, Steve Khan, and Alphonso Johnson. During 1978-'90 and occasionally afterwards, Soskin was a member of Sonny Rollins' band, recording many sets with the great tenor. Since then he has remained active in the San Francisco Bay area. Soskin has recorded several dates as a leader, including Rhythm Vision for Prestige (1979), and Solo Piano for Vartan Jazz (1996). ~ Scott  Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/artist/mark-soskin-mn0000844918/biography

Personnel:  Mark Soskin-piano, electric piano;  Lincoln Goines-acoustic and electric basses;  John Riley-drums;  Chuck Loeb-guitar

Overjoyed

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Wolfgang Haffner - Urban Life

Styles: Contemporary Jazz, Fusion

Year: 2001

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 51:54

Size: 137,4 MB

Art: Front

(5:30)  1. Urban Life

(5:07)  2. Keep Going

(5:04)  3. The Real Thing

(6:14)  4. Nightride

(6:37)  5. Rising Sun

(5:31)  6. Criss Cross

(5:47)  7. Time Out

(6:32)  8. Long Way Home

(5:28)  9. After Hours

Wolfgang Haffner was born in Wunsiedel/Germany in 1965. He started playing drums and piano at the age of six. He began his career as a professional musician in the German French Jazz Ensemble, conducted by German Jazz legend Albert Mangelsdorff. The Band played Festivals including the Paris Jazzfestival and the Jazzfest Berlin. Haffner later became the drummer in Klaus Doldingers "Passport", with whom he played for 11 years, touring Europe and Southafrica. From 1994 to 1995 he was the drummer in the Band of one of the greatest female singers of all times, Chaka Khan. 1994 he joined the US Fusion Superband METRO with Chuck Loeb, Mitch Forman and Anthony Jackson. In 1997 Haffner and his long-time colleague Roberto Di Gioia started their succesful Group "Zappelbude".
Haffner worked with many great Jazz Artists including Pat Metheny, Michael & Randy Brecker, Larry Carlton, Bill Evans, Earl Klugh,Woody Shaw, Roy Hargrove, Johnny Griffin, CassandraWilson, Joe Pass, Bob James, Joe Lovano, Clark Terry, Pat Martino, Eddie Daniels, Mc Coy Tyner, Art Farmer, Pee Wee Ellis, Esbjoern Svensson, Joe Sample, Fred Wesley, Roy Ayers, Hiram Bullock, Will Lee, Robben Ford… ), also with artists and Bands like Jan Garbarek, Michael Franks, "Die Fantastischen Vier", No Angels, Stefan Raab Helge Schneider, Xavier Naidoo, Sasha, Wolfgang Niedecken, Konstantin Wecker, DePhazz, Lalo Schifrin, NDR Big Band Hamburg and the WDR Big Band Cologne.

Haffner has played Festivals around the world, such as Montreux, Paris, Chicago, North Sea Jazzfestival, Los Angeles, Berlin, Vienna, San Diego, Geneva, Amsterdam, Nice, Stockholm, Madrid, Oslo, Zurich, London. He toured more than 50 countries (Argentinia, Brasil, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Chile, Uruquay, Mexico, Peru, Bolivia Columbia, Portugal Southafrica, USA, India, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Italy, Jordan, Poland, Hungary, Thailand, England, Spain, Japan, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Latvia, Russia, China…)  In 2002 Haffner formed the Wolfgang Haffner Band which toured Europe. When not performing with his own Band he plays with the Nils Landgren Funk Unit of sweden. Haffner has played on about 350 Recordings, including 11 albums under his own name. In spring 2004 he produced the new album of the iclandic supergroup "Mezzoforte". http://www.last.fm/music/Wolfgang+Haffner/+wiki

Personnel:  Alto Saxophone – Ian Hendrickson-Smith;  Bass – Will Lee;  Bass, Synthesizer, Guitar, Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Roberto Di Gioia;  Drums, Producer, Arranged By – Wolfgang Haffner;  Flugelhorn, Trumpet – Till Brönner;  Guitar – Chuck Loeb, Martin Scales, Peter Tiehuis;  Guitar [Wah Wah] – Peter O'Mara;  Keyboards – Eythor Gunnarsson;  Percussion – David Charles (2), Marcio Doctor;  Piano – Bob James;  Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Michael Forman;  Rap – Tom Nicolas Jr.;  Soprano Saxophone – Jay Beckenstein;  Tenor Saxophone – Lothar Van Staa, Pee Wee Ellis, Tony Lakatos;  Trombone – Fred Wesley, Ludwig Götz, Nils Landgren;  Trumpet – Andy Haderer, Rüdiger Baldauf;  Vibraphone – Roy Ayers;  Vocals – Carmen Cuesta, Eddie Greene

Urban Life

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Chuck Loeb - Unspoken

Size: 137,9 MB
Time: 59:27
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz: Smooth Jazz
Art: Front

01. Cotton Club (Feat. Jeff Lorber) (5:04)
02. Natural Light (Feat. Andy Snitzer) (6:06)
03. Unspoken (Feat. Brian Culbertson) (6:11)
04. Happy Hour (Feat. Mitchel Forman) (6:02)
05. Affinity (Feat. Everette Harp) (5:17)
06. Treetops (Feat. Jeff Lorber & Eric Marienthal) (5:06)
07. Si Se Puede (Feat. Till Bronner) (5:32)
08. Way Up High (Feat. Carmen Cuesta) (3:03)
09. Cut And Run (Feat. David Mann) (5:51)
10. Voramar (Feat. Eric Marienthal & Pat Bianchi) (7:24)
11. Via Verde (Feat. Christina Loeb) (3:45)

The Hitmaker Is Back! With over 30 top ten Smooth Jazz radio hits to his credit, including an incredible 20 #1s, Chuck Loeb is truly an icon and pioneer of the Smooth Jazz genre. Unspoken features guest appearances by Smooth Jazz superstars Brian Culbertson, Jeff Lorber, Everette Harp and Eric Marienthal, plus the great Will Lee (of David Letterman fame). In addition, the album features vocals by Carmen Cuesta (Mrs. Loeb), whose sensuous vocals have resulted in her own growing fan base.

"Timeless...will deeply satisfy any listener who enjoys Smooth Jazz." -- Allmusic

"The Clark Kent of jazz guitar." -- New York Times

Unspoken

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Marion Meadows - Dressed to Chill

Styles: Saxophone Jazz, Smooth Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:33
Size: 130,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:01)  1. Dressed to Chill
(4:17)  2. Remember Me
(4:44)  3. Dance with My Daughter
(4:35)  4. Miss Know It All
(4:32)  5. Bounce
(4:36)  6. I Believe I Can Fly
(4:20)  7. Coco Flow
(4:31)  8. Just My Style
(5:21)  9. Scent of a Woman
(4:05) 10. Steppers...Let's Do This
(6:09) 11. 1000 Dreams
(5:17) 12. To Love Her

Soprano saxist Marion Meadows has been a crown prince in the smooth jazz court for so long, it's easy to wonder if he remembers his days woodshedding with Joe Henderson and Norman Connors' Starship Orchestra. He's been wildly successful, and his time with the Heads Up label has hardly been wasted; his rep is deep and wide, and his records move. Unlike a better selling counterpart on the same instrument, Meadows has a keen sense of rhythm and pitch, and his tonal control is top-notch. Given the tunes here, interchangeable deep relaxing grooves that borrow on everything from trip-hop to jazz, and house to Wes Montgomery's early experiments check "Remember Me," for evidence of the latter it's easy to forget the individuality Meadows possesses not only on soprano, but also on tenor and flute (he employs all three on "Coco Flow,") as well as alto on the opening title track. He duets with himself on soprano and tenor on "Bounce" and "Remember Me." Meadows' key collaborator here is composer, programmer, and keyboard whiz Mike Broening. He's the guy who comes up with the skeletal, wispy rhythm loops leaving the need for a drummer non-existent. There are three tracks with vocals here, "Miss Know It All," an urban soul ballad with Will Brock doing his best Terence Trent D'Arby, and "1000 Dreams" with Caji Da Bahia, an overblown sunstorm of loaded overdubbing. The cover of R. Kelly's "I Believe I Can Fly" is an understated ballad with some beautiful phrasing by Meadows, even when the all too familiar chorus kicks in. When the backing vocalists Vanessa and Lori Williams and Raymond Reeder enter, they are so utterly masked by production technique, it's hard to tell they are real singers. But it works, especially in the bridge when Meadows actually plays some blues lines. Meadows is a seriously gifted if unchallenged musician. He could use a new writing partner, but that doesn't mean that Dressed to Chill won't satisfy fans; it most certainly will. ~ Thom Jurek http://www.allmusic.com/album/dressed-to-chill-mw0000534068

Personnel: Marion Meadows (flute, bass clarinet, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Will Brock (vocals); Freddie Fox (guitar, electric guitar, flugelhorn); Chuck Loeb, Randy Bowland (guitar); Thano Sahnas (acoustic guitar); Mike Broening (piano, keyboards, programming); Lori Williams, Raymond Reeder (background vocals).

Dressed to Chill

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Till Bronner - Chattin With Chet

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:59
Size: 126,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:33)  1. You Don't Know what Love Is
(5:53)  2. Everything Happens to Me
(4:46)  3. She Was Too Good to Me
(4:42)  4. Have You Met Chet
(5:15)  5. When I Fall in Love
(3:00)  6. My Funny Valentine
(4:44)  7. Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye
(5:37)  8. Tell Me
(5:28)  9. But Not for Me
(2:39) 10. Not Like This
(5:16) 11. Chattin with Chet

Trumpeter and crooner Till Brönner is the most famous German jazz musician of his generation, updating traditional bebop sensibilities via elements of contemporary R&B and hip-hop. Born in Viersen, Germany, on May 6, 1971, Brönner discovered the music of Charlie Parker at 13, and later studied jazz trumpet at the Hochschule für Musik Köln. After just three semesters, he turned professional as a member of pianist Horst Jankowski's RIAS-Tanzorchester. In 1993 he cut his debut solo LP, Generations of Jazz, a traditional hard bop homage recorded with guests including bassist Ray Brown and drummer Jeff Hamilton. The album won a number of awards, among them the Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik and the Preis der Deutschen Plattenindustrie. With his third release, 1996's German Songs, Brönner arranged classic German film themes for jazz quartet and classical orchestra, anticipating the creative detours of sessions to follow. 1998's Love heralded his first release for the venerable Verve imprint as well as his debut as a singer, and two years later he issued Chattin with Chet, a project that cemented his growing debt to the American cool jazz legend Chet Baker. After scoring the acclaimed 2001 feature Jazz Seen, a documentary spotlighting the influential photographer William Claxton, Brönner resurfaced a year later with the ambitious Blue Eyed Soul, a collaboration with Japanese DJ Samon Kawamura and soul vocalist Mark Murphy that embraced electronica idioms to update the trumpeter's sound into the postmodern era. 

A concert tour with soul singer Joy Denalane followed, setting the stage for Brönner's biggest mainstream hit to date: 2004's That Summer, which reached number 16 on the German pop charts and made him the nation's biggest-selling jazz artist of all time. Two years later he resurfaced with the Larry Klein-produced Oceana, an all-star effort featuring contributions from singers spanning from Madeleine Peyroux to model Carla Bruni. In 2009, Brönner paid tribute to the the music of Brazil with Rio  particularly the bossa nova. In addition to his own vocals, he also enlisted artists Melody Gardot, Kurt Elling, Annie Lennox, Sergio Mendes, Luciana Souza for the project. A collection of softer versions of rock classics At the End of the Day appeared a year later. The set included the unlikely pairing of his band with metal band Type O Negative on a surprisingly reverent cover Seals & Crofts' "Summer Breeze." Brönner eschewed vocals altogether on his next project, a self-titled album that featured his own band and some background strings, released in 2012. The set looked back at the production sounds of labels like CTI and Verve under Creed Taylor for inspiration, in a thoroughly modern jazz context; the tunes showcased his trumpet chops as the predominant voice of the recording. In 2014, Brönner fulfilled a life-long dream by recording The Movie Album. Cut in Los Angeles with a host of the city's top-flight studio musicians, it collects a wide range of film themes and songs from the classic to 21st century (including "As Time Goes By" from Casablanca and "Happy" from Despicable Me 2). The set also featured appearances by notable vocalists (including Gregory Porter) who assisted him in realizing these interpretations. It was issued by Universal International in September of 2014. ~ Jason Ankeny http://www.allmusic.com/artist/till-br%C3%B6nner-mn0000927067/biography

Personnel:  Till Brönner- Trumpet, Keyboards, Flugethorn, Ride Symbal, Vocals;  Frank Chastenier- Piano, Fender Rhodes;  Wiebke Schroeder- Voices;  Carmen Cuesta- Vocals;  Gregorie Peters- Tenor Sax;  Chuck Loeb- Guitar;  Dean Brown- Guitars;  Karl Schloz- Rhythm Guitar;  Dieter Ilg- Bass;  Tim Lefebvre- Electric Bass;  Gene Lake, Wolfgang Haffner- Drums;  Zach Danzinger- Drum Programming;  David Charles- Percussion;  Samon Kawamura- Turntables

Chattin with Chet

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