Deborah Cox - Destination Moon

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:08
Size: 99,6 MB
Art: Front

(2:41)  1. Destination Moon
(4:07)  2. What A Difference A Day Made
(3:42)  3. Misery
(3:36)  4. Baby, You're Got What It Takes
(4:06)  5. This Bitter Earth
(2:23)  6. Squeeze Me
(3:00)  7. New Blowtop Blues
(4:08)  8. Blue Skies
(3:27)  9. I Don't Hurt Anymore
(4:33) 10. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
(3:23) 11. September In The Rain
(3:55) 12. Look To The Rainbow

Artist tributes are tricky pieces of work. Most of the time, they aren't recorded by the biggest names of the moment, and they're usually sub-par. Instead of putting out an album of new music after a five-year hiatus, and twelve years into her career, Canadian R&B diva Deborah Cox released Destination Moon, a tribute to jazz legend Dinah Washington. Cox refers to this album as a personal tribute to her legend growing up. Frankly, she does justice to the works, which make for a strong representation of Washington's hits over her far too brief career. Cox's voice, in all its purity, has never sounded better, with the honey tones in her raspy instrument flourishing throughout the album's big moments. Unfortunately, the album is full of awkward missteps that steer this work off course: Cox doesn't always connect with the songs. Many of the tracks seem robotic; Cox sings them well, but doesn't emote to the best of her ability, something that has always been a flaw of hers in the past. Therefore, Moon appears to be more of a lifetime biopic of Dinah Washington's musical career than a genuine blockbuster. For an artist like Washington, who has garnered much respect even to this day for her creativeness and emotional capacity, Cox suffers in both attributes. Considering Moon is supposed to be a tribute, as such it seems flat. 

In addition, the timing of the album seems like an odd choice for Cox; there is a five-year gap between this album and The Morning After (excluding Remixed, a collection of dance re-recordings), but this may be because of her label shift from J-Records to Decca. And because she has stayed out of the limelight for some time, jumping back into the music scene with a tribute doesn't seem like the smartest move on her part. In addition, Cox is an R&B diva who is known for her dance tracks and smooth grooves. Jazz seems awkward for the Canadian superstar, who handles the shift well vocally, but seems to have missed the mark in most other places. Ultimately, the album is too indulgent on Cox's part, and in order for the whole piece to be credible, especially for Cox, whose popularity has slowly faded since her newest album, she needed to nail every part of the album, not just the vocals. ~ Matthew Chisling  http://www.allmusic.com/album/destination-moon-mw0000778238

Personnel: Deborah Cox - vocals, background vocais; Rob Mounsey – piano; David Spinozza – guitar; David Finck – bass; Victor Lewis – drums; Andy Snitzer - tenor saxophone; Lew Soloff - trumpet

Destination Moon

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Billy Stritch - Waters of March: The Brazilian Album

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz, Brazilian Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:37
Size: 103,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:04)  1. Waters of March
(4:24)  2. How Insensitive
(4:10)  3. As Rosas Não Falam
(3:43)  4. Gently
(4:48)  5. Astrud
(4:33)  6. If Ever
(3:20)  7. Someone to Light up My Life
(3:25)  8. Samba De Verão
(3:54)  9. So Many Stars
(3:58) 10. Evolution
(4:13) 11. I Don't Want to Be Away from You

An award-winning composer, arranger, vocalist, and jazz pianist of extraordinary range and sophistication, Billy Stritch breathes new life into the Great American Songbook, all the while bringing an easy sense of humor and showmanship to his performances. Born and raised in Sugar Land, Texas, Billy Stritch got his start at age 12, playing piano at his neighborhood First Presbyterian Church. Word spread about the child prodigy, and the local country club hired him for a four-year weekly gig in the piano bar. The dreaded requests came in droves, prompting Billy to rush home and learn all the requisite standards, which would subsequently fill his tip bowl! Inspiration came from jazz greats like Oscar Peterson and George Shearing, but his older sister’s love for Elton John and Billy Joel opened up a new world of pop music which informs his playing to this day. After being turned on to singers like Mel Torme, Ella Fitzgerald, Mark Murphy and Carmen McRae, Stritch started to find his own voice to use in conjunction with the piano mastery. While at the University of Houston, Billy teamed with two female vocalists and created Montgomery, Plant & Stritch. The jazz vocal trio appeared in local saloons, but soon they were playing the most important supper clubs in the country. Eventually, the JVC Jazz Festival paired the group with Mel Torme at Carnegie Hall, they became regulars at the Newport Jazz Festival, and they toured Italy with the North Sea Jazz Festival four years in a row. When the group broke up, Billy made the big move to New York City. He was playing a piano bar when Liza Minnelli stopped in, listened and immediately hired him to arrange for her “Steppin’ Out At Radio City” extravaganza. This led to international performances on stage at The Palais de Congres in Paris, The Municipale in Rio de Janeiro, The Russiya in Moscow, NHK Hall in Tokyo and The Royal Albert Hall in London. He acted as associate producer, pianist and arranger for Minnelli’s Gently CD, which earned two Grammy nominations, and was co-arranger with Marvin Hamlisch for Minnelli On Minnelli at the Palace Theater in New York City. His arrangements have also been performed in the annual Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall, most memorably in the "Multiplying Santa" fantasy.

As a composer, Stritch and Nashville writer Sandy Knox penned the 1994 Grammy Award-winning country song, "Does He Love You?," recorded by Reba McEntire and Linda Davis, which has sold over four million copies nationwide. The song was named one of the Top Ten Country Songs of 1994 by the readers of Music City News and also appears on Patti LaBelle’s CD, Flame. Most recently, it was performed on "American Idol" by Reba McIntire and the show’s winner Kelly Clarkson. In 2001, a new door opened in the professional life of Billy Stritch. He was cast in the role of Oscar, the piano-playing crooner in the Broadway revival of “42nd Street” which starred Christine Ebersole Their show-stopping number together, "I Only Have Eyes For You", led to television spots on The Rosie O’Donnell Show and CBS This Morning. In February 2004, Billy and Christine collaborated on a nightclub act entitled “In Your Dreams” which they have performed at Feinstein’s in New York, The Cinegrill in Hollywood, and Manhattan’s famed jazz nightspot Birdland. In November 2004, the two released a CD also entitled “In Your Dreams” on the Ghostlight Records label and they have many concert appearances scheduled through 2005 and beyond. Billy’s other TV appearances include Sondheim: A Celebration at Carnegie Hall, The Today Show, The Charlie Rose Show and The Oprah Winfrey Show. He was also guest conductor for The Rosie O’Donnell Show when regular musical director John McDaniel was on the road in concert. His first solo recording, “Billy Stritch” (DRG Records), finds Stritch swinging standards with Chip Jackson on bass and Terry Clarke on drums. His follow-up CD on the Touchwood Record label, “Waters Of March: The Brazilian Album”, features Dave Ratajczak on drums, David Finck on bass, along with a 40-piece string orchestra. “Jazz Live”, his third release (Fynsworth Alley), was recorded live at The Jazz Standard in New York City with John Arbo on bass and Dave Ratajczak on drums, and caused the London Times to rave, "Equally gifted as a player and a singer, and doing both with no-holds-power, Stritch is not afraid to dazzle!" http://www.billystritch.com/Billy-Stritch-Bio.html

Personnel: Billy Stritch (vocals, piano); Jukka Linkola (conductor); Emanuel Moriera, Romero Lubambo (guitar); Gerry Niewood (flute, tenor saxophone); Alex Norris (flugelhorn); Glen Ostrin (French horn); Andrew Williams (trombone); David Finck (bass); Dave Ratajczak (drums); Cafe (percussion); Cortes Alexander, Natalie Blalock, Alexandra Haas (background vocals).

Waters of March: The Brazilian Album

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Steve Kuhn - Countdown

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:39
Size: 127,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:53)  1. Countdown
(5:13)  2. Chalet
(3:31)  3. Last Year's Waltz
(6:30)  4. Wrong Together
(7:11)  5. Four
(4:56)  6. Why Did I Choose You?
(6:50)  7. When Lights Are Low
(4:35)  8. She's Funny That Way
(9:36)  9. Speak Low
(3:20) 10. Tomorrow's Son

Experiencing a sort of re-discovery as of late, pianist Steve Kuhn has finally made a path to wider visibility. Of course, Kuhn has largely spent most of his career on the fringes. He was John Coltrane's first pianist before McCoy Tyner came along. His own recordings over the years have featured a style that is singularly his own, not too avant-garde but certainly not cocktail lounge piano either. His wonderful series of recordings for ECM during the late '70s and early '80s were largely overlooked upon issue and now are sadly unavailable. But getting back to that path, Kuhn has recently put out his second piano trio date for the Reservoir label and like its predecessor, Dedication, it's chock full of complexity and substance, yet also very inviting and accessible. The title track that gives the album its name is of course the John Coltrane chops buster and it finds Kuhn in an incendiary mood, yet one senses that it's all done without even breaking a sweat. The same could be said of the pianist's version of "Four", which unfolds in chorus after chorus of brilliant logic. Most apparent on the several ballad performances where the harmonic sophistication tips a hat to Bill Evans, Kuhn also puts on display that marvelous bell-like tone of his, caught beautifully on tape by master engineer Rudy Van Gelder. In addition to the cuts already mentioned you'll find a few more standards and three choice Kuhn compositions, including the minor gem "Last Year's Waltz." Much should be said too in regards to Kuhn's associates here. They are actually a working group and the empathy they share is apparent. A great deal of the success of this and the previous Reservoir set is due to the complexity of communication that goes on between Kuhn and bassist David Finck and drummer Billy Drummond. For those familiar with Drummond's more aggressive style as heard on many a Criss Cross Jazz side you'll be in for a treat when you hear how his already musical drumming is tailored perfectly to fit Kuhn's various moods. Drummond's is an art based on the various colors and textures available from the drum kit and he's so perfectly meshed with Kuhn that at times it's downright uncanny. As part of Reservoir's distinguished New York Piano series, Countdown is a step forward for Kuhn and a valuable addition to this independent's small but substantial catalog. ~ C.Andrew Hovan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/countdown-steve-kuhn-reservoir-music-review-by-c-andrew-hovan.php

Personnel: Steve Kuhn, piano; David Finck, bass; Billy Drummond, drums

Countdown

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Steve Kuhn - Promises Kept

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:25
Size: 134,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:45)  1. Lullaby
(5:03)  2. Life's Backward Glance
(8:12)  3. Trance
(5:34)  4. Morning Dew
(5:19)  5. Promises Kept
(7:31)  6. Adagio
(5:10)  7. Celtic Princess
(5:27)  8. Nostalgia
(5:40)  9. Oceans In The Sky
(5:40) 10. Pastorale

Combining jazz composition with orchestration is always a risky proposition; the outcome can often be bombastic, syrupy or melodramatic. But in the proper hands the combination can yield a result that is truly beautiful, allowing for a dramatic enhancement of the writing that, while allowing for some improvisational context, truly brings out its essence. "A life's dream," according to pianist Steve Kuhn, Promises Kept takes a life's work of material and, in the sensitive hands of conductor/orchestrator Carlos Franzetti, treats it with reverence and respect, heightening the emotional content without ever becoming grandiloquent or over-dramatized. Utilizing a string ensemble that is strong on violins, Franzetti's collaborative arrangements with Kuhn emphasize the light ; the orchestrations never become overbearing or weighty. From the opening notes of "Lullaby," it is clear that the they are meant as subtle refinements; while they do, on occasion, dominate, they never overwhelm. Kuhn is a lyrical and often romantic writer who manages to avoid the obvious trappings and create pieces that go to unexpected places; unpredictable though they may be, his melodies are so richly hued as to feel oddly familiar. And by revisiting older pieces including "Trance," "Oceans in the Sky," and the often-reconsidered "Life's Backward Glance," Kuhn creates a sense of history for those familiar with his work. Franzetti, in fact, was approached because he was so intimately familiar with Kuhn's work as to be able to sing lyrics to thirty-year old Kuhn pieces from memory. The result is a recording where strings, piano and long-time Kuhn collaborator David Finck's double-bass blend smoothly into a coherent whole.

Differentiating form from extemporization is difficult and, ultimately, pointless; what is the point is how the result manages to combine structure with a sense of surprise. "Life's Backward Glance" begins with deep cellos evoking a haunting theme that is gradually joined by the higher strings, moving from disquieting to beautiful; Kuhn's rubato theme brings a sense of romance as he shades the piece with subtle improvisations. The whole album is characterized by a multiplicity of layers that yield new experiences, new nuances, with every listen. While the album traverses a breadth of emotion, there is nothing jagged or confrontational. But what makes Promises Kept unique is its ability to wash over the senses without becoming merely beautiful background music. As smooth and sensuous as it is, it demands attention. From Kuhn's unpredictable writing and playing to the emotive yet subtle orchestration, Promises Kept succeeds where so many other albums fail, creating a sense of deep beauty that never accedes to excess. ~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/promises-kept-steve-kuhn-ecm-records-review-by-john-kelman.php?width=1920

Personnel: Steve Kuhn (piano), Carlos Franzetti (conductor), David Finck (double-bass)with: Violins: Christa Feeney, Liz Lim-Dutton, Richard Sortomme, Karl Kawahara, Barry Finclair, Helen Kim, Robert Shaw, Carol Pool, Anca Nicolan; Violas: Sue Pray, Karen Ritscher, Vince Lionti; Cellos: Stephanie Cummins, Richard Locker, Joshua Gordon

Promises Kept

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Kenny Rankin - Because Of You

Styles: Vocal, Piano And Guitar Jazz 
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:27
Size: 107,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:26)  1. Berimbau
(5:39)  2. What Am I Gonna Do With You...Aime?
(3:04)  3. Haven't We Met?
(3:48)  4. 'Round Midnight
(5:20)  5. Someone To Watch Over Me
(6:27)  6. Erienda
(2:44)  7. I Could Write A Book
(2:30)  8. Always
(4:04)  9. This Old Man
(3:40) 10. Doralice
(4:38) 11. Because Of You

Recording his only CD for the audiophile Chesky label, Rankin moved closer to making a full-blown comeback. His reworking of old favorites such as "Berimbau" and "Haven't We Met," alongside such pop evergreens as "Round' Midnight," "Someone to Watch Over Me," "I Could Write a Book," "Always," and "Because of You," brought some of the old Rankin magic back. The pronounced jazz sound made more sense in light of Rankin's direction at the time, but the album failed to break through to any sizable audience. 

It features some of Rankin's best singing in years, as well as superb sound, making it his best release since The Kenny Rankin Album. ~ Stephen J. Matteo https://www.allmusic.com/album/because-of-you-mw0000271916

Personnel: Kenny Rankin (vocals, piano, guitar), George Young (saxophone, flute), Danilo Perez (piano), David Finck (bass), Dave Ratajczak (drums), Steve Kroon (percussion).

Because Of You

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Rondi Charleston - Love Is The Thing

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:16
Size: 111,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:08)  1. If I Were A Bell
(4:49)  2. You Fascinate Me So
(5:22)  3. Wouldn't It Be Loverly
(3:30)  4. I've Got Just About Everything
(5:17)  5. It Might As Well Be Spring
(3:32)  6. Talk To Me Baby
(3:41)  7. This Is Always
(4:01)  8. Love Is The Thing
(3:15)  9. Easy To Love
(5:28) 10. Something To Live For
(2:01) 11. Nobody Else But Me
(4:07) 12. A Time For Love

Love Is The Thing is a superlative collection of jazz and American popular standards, all united by an emerging musical star. Rondi Charleston proves herself as a jazz singer - she can swing in any tempo and puts a glorious sense of space, soul and simplicity in her ballads. Love Is The Thing features an all-star lineup of some of the world's finest jazzmen. https://www.amazon.com/Love-Thing-Rondi-Charleston/dp/B0002IQNCO

"A magnificent album...we haven't heard anything like this in years. Rondi Charleston is dynamite!" ~ WRTI (NPR)

"Even though Rondi Charleston has the pipes of an angel, she never shows off...utterly honest..." ~ New York Voices

"One of the most romantic albums in recent memory...one rich delicacy after another." ~ Cabaret Scenes

"Utterly delightful...she works her way into her listener's hearts...a joy to hear." ~ New York Times

Personnel: Rondi Charleston (vocals); Rondi Charleston; David Finck (bass instrument); Adam Rogers (guitar); Joel Frahm (alto saxophone); Glenn Drewes (trumpet); Peter Eldridge, Tedd Firth (piano); Erik Charleston (vibraphone); Lewis Nash (drums)

Love Is The Thing

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Karrin Allyson - By Request: The Best Of Karrin Allyson

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:47
Size: 153,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:26)  1. Night And Day
(6:02)  2. Moanin'
(5:55)  3. What's New
(3:54)  4. O Pato (The Duck)
(4:07)  5. Sous Le Ciel De Paris (Under Paris Skies)
(4:15)  6. Life Is A Groove (Jordu)
(6:44)  7. Everything Must Change
(4:20)  8. A Felicidade (Happiness)
(6:11)  9. Sweet Home Cookin' Man
(6:20) 10. Nature Boy
(3:44) 11. And So It Goes
(3:48) 12. Cherokee
(4:54) 13. Next Time Around (Soultrane)

Straight-ahead jazz vocalist Karrin Allyson came from Kansas City to the world at large, becoming as popular as any singer of her generation. These 12 selections plus one previously unissued track, done over a span of 11 recordings and 15 years, show why she has become likable, marketable, and admired within certain circles of the mainstream standard-bearers. She also writes a little, plays some piano, interprets others' lyrics to well-known standards, and tosses in a considerable amount of seductive Brazilian or French tunes done in their native language. Allyson's controlled voice never soars skyward or through wispy clouds, but her sensible style is one that easily attracts regular nightclubbers, as well as festival crowds who just want to hear good music professionally performed. Her sophistication through the years has grown considerably, but she has never been the cutesy singer who needed to grow up, and has remained as poised and polished as the first day she chose to sing for a living. This recording also displays a mix of the many collaborators she has worked with, including many of her friends from home. She's very comfortable with the blues, as the Bobby Timmons evergreen "Moanin'" displays, going from a scatted intro to the famous Jon Hendricks lyric. She uses two guitarists for the light samba take of "Night and Day," the perky "O Pato," and the convincing, heartfelt "Nature Boy." An accordion accompanies the waltz "Sous le Ceil de Paris," and she sings well in Portuguese on the happy, bouncy "A Felicidade." Working separately and together with the wonderful singer Nancy King, Duke Jordan's "Jordu" is turned into "Life Is a Groove" with Allyson's swinging lyrics, while her original "Sweet Home Cookin' Man" is a fan favorite about an imaginary sweetheart gourmet chef, with the modal piano of Paul Smith keeping the griddle sizzling. In retrospect, her version of the ballad "What's New?" is especially poignant and bittersweet to hear, considering that the late tenor saxophonist Bob Berg and pianist James Williams are backing her up. Both died far too young, making this statement a forever unanswered question. "Cherokee" is the most unusual arrangement, jamming the gears from idle neutral to furiously fast sixth gear at the drop of a flag like a drag race. Certainly there are those who would choose different tracks, but this is a very good overview of what Allyson has done in her relatively short career and there's much more to come. ~ Michael G.Nastos http://www.allmusic.com/album/by-request-the-best-of-karrin-allyson-mw0000816546

Personnel: Karrin Allyson (vocals, piano, shaker); Nancy King (vocals); Danny Embrey (guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Rod Fleeman (acoustic guitar); Carter Brey (cello); Randy Weinstein (harmonica); Gil Goldstein (accordion, piano); Kim Park (alto saxophone); Bob Berg (tenor saxophone); Paul "Scooby" Smith, Mulgrew Miller, James Williams , Bruce Barth (piano); David Finck, John Patitucci, Bob Bowman (acoustic bass); Todd Strait (drums, percussion); Lewis Nash (drums); Michael Spiro (pandeiro, shaker, surdo).

By Request: The Best Of Karrin Allyson

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Karin Krog, Steve Kuhn Trio - Where You At?

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz 
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:45
Size: 125,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:44)  1. The Meaning of Love (Feat Steve Kuhn)
(3:55)  2. Where You At (Feat Steve Kuhn)
(4:33)  3. Lazy Afternoon
(5:23)  4. It Could Be Hip
(4:30)  5. Speak Of Love
(5:34)  6. Canto Mai
(7:38)  7. Saharan
(3:37)  8. You Say You Care
(4:33)  9. Kaleidoscopic Vision
(4:07) 10. Missing Calada
(4:06) 11. Gloomy Sunday

One of Europe's leading jazz singers meets piano virtuoso Steve Kuhn and his trio: creative, swinging, original, and very charming! Karin Krog is perhaps Norway's leading jazz singer, and certainly its most idiomatic. She is a unique artist with a great international reputation, and possesses her own recognizable style and voice. She has worked with Don Ellis, Archie Shepp, Dexter Gordon, John Surman, and more. "A band poised between the drummer's rugged swing and a robustly underwired lyricism." (Penguin Guide To Jazz) ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Where-You-at-Karin-Krog/dp/B00009XBX7

Personnel:  Vocals – Karin Krog;  Double Bass – David Finck;  Drums – Billy Drummond;  Piano – Steve Kuhn

Where You At?

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Andre Previn, David Finck - We Got Rhythm: A Gershwin Songbook

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:04
Size: 162.7 MB
Styles: Standards, Jazz-pop
Year: 1998
Art: Front

[3:15] 1. They All Laughed
[4:59] 2. Someone To Watch Over Me
[4:15] 3. Oh, Lady, Be Good
[5:47] 4. A Foggy Day
[5:33] 5. Do It Again Soon
[5:09] 6. Girl Crazy I Got Rhythm
[4:52] 7. Girl Crazy Embraceable You
[6:49] 8. He Loves, She Loves/Our Love Is Here To Stay
[3:31] 9. Fascinating Rhythm
[4:39] 10. Isn't It A Pity
[4:27] 11. boy what love has done to me/i've got a crush on you
[6:00] 12. Love Walked In
[5:21] 13. The Man I Love
[6:22] 14. 's Wonderful

André Previn moves seamlessly from the world of classical music to jazz and film, but on this occasion, the pianist covers 14 gems from the vast repertoire of George Gershwin. Well accompanied by bassist David Finck, Previn faces the same challenge every jazz musician must address: finding new paths through Gershwin's frequently recorded masterpieces. Previn uses a train-like bassline substitution to open and close a rollicking take of "They All Laughed," while the pianist is more laid-back in the bluesy treatment of "Oh, Lady Be Good" to better feature Finck initially. Previn's modification of "I Got Rhythm" provides some added dissonance. The haunting setting of the ballad "The Man I Love" suggests an added degree of melancholy. While this session was released on a classical label, Deutsche Grammophon, something that always seems to confuse record-label marketing departments, music store personnel, and consumers as well, it is very much a jazz date and a fine effort by André Previn and David Finck. ~Ken Dryden

We Got Rhythm: A Gershwin Songbook

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Chuck Mangione - The Feeling's Back

Styles: Flugelhorn Jazz 
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:00
Size: 132,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:51)  1. Mountain Flight
(7:39)  2. Consuelo's Love Theme
(6:36)  3. Leonardo's Lady
(6:05)  4. Fotografia
(3:34)  5. Quase
(5:06)  6. Aldovio
(5:59)  7. Once Upon A Love Time
(8:25)  8. Manhã De Carnaval
(3:51)  9. Maracangalha
(4:50) 10. Le Vie En Rose

Chuck Mangione, who all but disappeared from the radar screens after his enormously successful run of best-selling albums in the mid- to late-'70s, says "the feeling's back" and, if we are to judge from his even-tempered debut for Chesky Records, so is Chuck, who seems to be playing his dulcet flugel as well as ever. He's always had a well-developed ear for beguiling melodies, and that too seems as keen as ever. While one may question the music's Jazz content, none can doubt its loveliness or charm. The downside is that much of the date is rather dreamy and atmospheric, as if everyone were reaching for another crossover chart-buster such as "Land of Make Believe," "Chase the Clouds Away," "Feels So Good" or "Hill Where the Lord Hides." In that respect, there are several noteworthy candidates including "Consuelo's Love Theme," "Leonardo's Lady," "Aldovio" and "Once Upon a Love Time," each of which appears to have been written by Mangione with that purpose in mind. Equally lovely are the relatively more familiar "Mountain Flight" by Toninho Horta; Jobim's "Fotografia"; Luis Bonfá's "Manhã de Carnaval," and Edith Piaf's mega-hit from the '50s, "La Vie en Rose." There are only two songs designed to stir one's blood and quicken the pulse rate, Dori Caymmi's "Maracangalha" and Mario Adnet/Carlos Sandroni's "Quase," and even they simmer more than cook. Also, this is Chuck's show all the way, with the flugel commanding the spotlight and everyone else remanded to the chorus. Nothing wrong with that (it is his gig), but one should be aware that Mangione isn't playing much Jazz these days; the session is long on melody but short on improvisation. 

If you heard any of Chuck's well-received albums of a generation ago, you'll pretty much know what to expect.  The Feeling's Back is in many ways a throwback. Whether it can recapture the special magic of the '70s remains to be seen. ~ Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-feelings-back-chuck-mangione-chesky-records-review-by-jack-bowers.php
 

Personnel: Chuck Mangione (flugelhorn);  Cliff Korman (piano, keyboards);  Jay Azzolina (guitar);  Paulo Braga (drums);  Sanders (vocals);  Gerry Niewood (flute, alto flute);  Sarah Carter (cello);  David Finck (acoustic & electric basses); Kip Reid (electric bass); Cafe (percussion).

The Feeling's Back

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Eddie Daniels - Beautiful Love

Styles: Flute And Clarinet Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:13
Size: 118,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:03)  1. Awakening
(5:41)  2. Beautiful Love
(4:43)  3. First Gymnopedie
(5:52)  4. Waltz For Mirabai
(5:37)  5. The Ninth Step
(5:04)  6. We'll Always Be Together
(5:11)  7. A Take On Five
(4:59)  8. Love's Journey
(4:25)  9. Brunete
(4:34) 10. Summer's Gone

A remarkable clarinetist who ranks at the top of his field, Eddie Daniels sounds quite restrained throughout the easy listening set, although he throws in a few complex runs on "Beautiful Love." 

With a tasteful rhythm section (including guitarist Chuck Loeb and pianist Bob James), Daniels mostly sticks to melodic interpretations during a theme apiece by Bach, Erik Satie, and Rachmaninov, four of his own originals, two by Loeb, and the title cut. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/beautiful-love-mw0000098727

Personnel: Eddie Daniels (alto flute, clarinet); Lawrence Feldman (alto flute); Ron Odrich (bass clarinet); Bob James (piano); Chuck Loeb (guitar); David Finck, Tim LeFebvre (bass); Wolfgang Haffner (drums); David Charles (percussion).

Beautiful Love

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John Basile - Time Will Reveal

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:47
Size: 112,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:30)  1. Up Up and Away
(3:13)  2. Killer Joe
(4:35)  3. La Samba
(5:24)  4. Betcha By Golly Wow
(5:21)  5. Morning
(4:36)  6. Time Will Reveal
(5:55)  7. Superstar
(3:11)  8. Groovin'
(2:48)  9. Jordu
(4:43) 10. For the Love of You
(3:25) 11. Mambo Inn

Set aside, for a moment, the classic venues like the Montreux Jazz Festival and to truly appreciate jazz you have to understand it's not a form of music that was ever intended to be heard in the great outdoors and in football stadiums. To truly groove on jazz it should be listened to indoors. Preferably, in concert halls with superb acoustics and cozy clubs where the musicians can not only be seen, but heard. Which is where guys like John Basile comes in. It's not likely Basile is ever going to fill stadiums with thousands of rabidly enthusiastic fans who have traveled for miles and camped out for days just to hear the Boston-based guitarist play. That kind of mass hysteria is limited to dinosaur rock bands like The Rolling Stones lumbering through "Jumpin' Jack Flash" for the umpteenth time. Jazz thrives in the quiet, not the loud and so does John Basile. He plays in a smaller league where bombast and big sound is neither expected nor enjoyed. Basile is part of the overlooked and unappreciated group of pros going about the serious business of keeping the idiom alive. Basile's Time Will Reveal is a showcase for his deft and melodic guitar playing as he's supported by a group of savvy sidemen tight as a drumhead and a perfect compliment to his sensitive and supple performance on 11 compositions.

Basile and producer/bassist David Finck selected songs for Time Will Reveal that will instantly be familiar to anyone who listened to AM or FM radio from the '50s through to the '80s. In some ways when a musician covers well-known pop hits like The 5th Dimension's "Up, Up and Away" or The Isley Brothers "For the Love of You" they are opening themselves up to be compared unfavorably to the original. The listener who is familiar with the song being covered comes to the table with a certain anticipation of how faithful to the original the new interpretation should be. Too often producers treat covering pop tunes as an exercise for bored musicians to warm up over before tackling the "serious" music. Wisely, Finck's production avoids the trap of slavishly trying to recreate, note-by-note, Benny Golson's classic "Killer Joe," made popular by Quincy Jones and Duke Jordan's "Jordu," or suffocating the songs under a glob of strings, synthesizers, background vocals or lumbering solos. The music here is traditional jazz with the arrangements featuring acoustic instruments (drums, bass, vibes, piano) and Basile's genial guitar at the center. It's a delight to hear musicians respect the original material instead of trying to radically reinvent it. Time Will Reveal offers a fine showcase of Basile's facile and flowing guitar style and a tastefully restrained group of musicians playing expressively without embellishment. It's the kind of album that keeps sneaking back into your CD player.~ Jeff Winbush http://www.allaboutjazz.com/time-will-reveal-john-basile-underhill-jazz-review-by-jeff-winbush.php

Personnel: John Basile: guitars; David Finck: bass; Clint DeGanon: drums; Roger Squitero: percussion; Joe Locke: vibes; Bill O'Connell: piano; Barry Danielian: trumpet; Bob Mallach: tenor saxophone; Byron Olsen: piano (10); Jeff Kievit: trumpet (6).

Time Will Reveal

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Mary Cleere Haran - This Funny World: Sings Lyrics By Hart

Styles: Vocal, Cabaret
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:58
Size: 142,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:18)  1. Manhattan
(3:06)  2. I Married An Angel
(3:32)  3. I'll Tell The Man In The Street
(2:30)  4. Way Out West
(5:06)  5. Everybody Loves You - Sleepyhead
(3:51)  6. With A Song In My Heart
(3:06)  7. Chicago
(5:04)  8. A Tree In The Park
(4:20)  9. Falling In Love With Love
(4:09) 10. Easy To Remember
(3:11) 11. A Lady Must Live
(3:56) 12. This Funny World
(3:45) 13. Wait Till You See Him
(3:10) 14. Everything I've Got
(4:36) 15. My Friend The Night
(4:12) 16. The Blue Room

Mary Cleere Haran emerged in the 1980s' revival of interest in classic pop and cabaret singing. The second of eight children in an Irish Catholic family, she was the daughter of a professor of theater and film at San Francisco City College and grew up immersed in the music and movies of the 1930s and '40s, forming a permanent attachment to the songs of the classic pop songwriters of that era. She began singing as a teenager and moved to New York in the late '70s, where she made her Broadway debut playing a band singer in The 1940s Radio Hour in 1979. 

She toured with the show, then settled in New Jersey and began performing the club circuit. She made her official cabaret debut at the Ballroom in New York in 1988, where she was acclaimed by critics. She began to appear in other prestigious clubs in major cities, and made her recording debut in 1992 with the album There's a Small Hotel (Live at the Algonquin) on Columbia Records. Also busy as a researcher and television producer for PBS, Haran continued her live performance career while making regular recordings This Heart of Mine: Classic Movie Songs of the Forties (1994), This Funny World: The Songs of Lorenz Hart (1995), Pennies from Heaven (1998), and The Memory of All That: Gershwin on Broadway. Crazy Rhythm was issued in fall 2000. ~ William Ruhlmann http://www.allmusic.com/artist/mary-cleere-haran-mn0000859476/biography

Personnel: Mary Cleere Haran (vocals); Richard Rodney Bennett (arranger, piano); Fred Sherry (cello); Ted Nash (tenor saxophone); Bill Charlap (piano); David Finck (bass); Tim Horner (drums).

This Funny World

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Peter Cincotti - Peter Cincotti

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:55
Size: 122,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:18)  1. I Changed the Rules
(4:20)  2. Comes Love
(3:58)  3. Are You the One?
(4:14)  4. Sway
(4:18)  5. Miss Brown
(3:47)  6. Lovers, Secrets, Lies
(3:49)  7. The Fool on the Hill/Nature Boy
(3:45)  8. Ain't Misbehavin'
(4:48)  9. Come Live Your Life With Me
(3:12) 10. Spinning Wheel
(3:20) 11. You Stepped Out of a Dream
(4:07) 12. Rainbow Connection
(3:53) 13. Sal's blues

Inevitably, on his debut album, Peter Cincotti is still in the phenomenon stage of his career. The wonder is that a 19-year-old can play jazz piano and sing at such a professional level, and the issue of how distinctively he does it is one largely to be tabled for the present. Even so, the charm of his work lies in its stylistic openness, which might not be expected of a jazz performer who is older. Cincotti makes no distinction between the kind of pop songs adopted for jazz interpretation in the past and more contemporary pop songs that have not been much used for such treatment. In his liner notes, he says he's always wondered what Blood, Sweat & Tears' hit "Spinning Wheel" would sound like as an instrumental played by Erroll Garner, and so he tries to do it that way, and the answer is it doesn't sound bad at all.

Mixing the Beatles' "Fool on the Hill" with Nat King Cole's "Nature Boy" may not have been his idea, but it is typical of the eclectic approach he takes to music, and it works. And then there's the closing track, "Rainbow Connection," a Muppets theme that winks good-naturedly at Cincotti's youth. His originals are not particularly impressive, and the acknowledged influence of his mentor, Harry Connick, Jr., is obvious, especially vocally, but Cincotti, supported by a good rhythm section (David Finck, bass, and Kenny Washington, drums) and the tenor saxophone of Scott Kreitzer on three tracks, is a promising pianist with a good feel for ensemble playing, and that may assure him a career even after the crowds attracted by his prodigy status and publicity machine subside. ~ William Ruhlmann  

http://www.allmusic.com/album/peter-cincotti-mw0000021508

Personnel: Peter Cincotti (vocals, arranger, piano);Scott Kreitzer (tenor saxophone); David Finck (bass); Kenny Washington (drums).

Peter Cincotti

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Steve Kuhn trio - Mostly Coltrane

Styles: Piano Jazz

Year: 2009

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 77:29

Size: 181,6 MB

Art: Front

(5:00)  1. Welcome

(7:31)  2. Song of Praise

(6:23)  3. Crescent

(6:00)  4. I Want To Talk About You

(8:45)  5. The Night Has A Thousand Eyes

(5:12)  6. Living Space

(3:50)  7. Central Park West

(6:04)  8. Like Sonny

(3:41)  9. With Gratitude

(4:19) 10. Configuration

(6:53) 11. Jimmy's Mode

(8:21) 12. Spiritual

(5:24) 13. Trance

Although he's spent most of his career focusing on interpreting the music of others, pianist Steve Kuhn's albums for the ECM label have largely been about his small but significant repertoire of original music. Which makes Mostly Coltrane a real anomaly by comparison to earlier works like those reissued in the three-CD box set Life's Backward Glances - Solo and Quartet (ECM, 2009). Still, Kuhn has a perhaps little-known connection that makes this set of, well, mostly material either composed or covered by John Coltrane a stronger fit than might be expected. Kuhn gigged briefly with the iconic saxophonist in the early months of 1960, a transitional time for Coltrane. But instead of focusing on the repertoire Kuhn played with him, the pianist addresses a bigger picture, ranging from the more mainstream standards Coltrane was performing at the time of Kuhn's employment to the extreme experimentation so definitive of the saxophonist's later years, prior to his untimely death in 1967 at the age of 40.

Kuhn reunites his trio from Remembering Tomorrow (ECM, 1996) ubiquitous drummer Joey Baron and bassist David Finck, a longtime partner who also appeared on the pianist's last release for ECM, 2004's string-driven Promises Kept. But to make the connection to Coltrane complete, Kuhn also enlists saxophonist Joe Lovano. The beauty of Mostly Coltrane is that while the album is, indeed, reverential to the spirit of Coltrane, stylistically it's all Kuhn and his quartet.

Kuhn plays with a more delicate touch than Coltrane's longest-standing pianist, McCoy Tyner, so even when he heads into the swinging modal territory that Tyner carved out so singularly on "Song of Praise," first heard on Coltrane's Live at the Village Vanguard (Impulse!, 1962), it possesses none of Tyner's forceful, block-chord attack. Instead, with Lovano similarly eschewing Coltrane's infamous "sheets of sound" without sacrificing any of the passion, Kuhn plays it more impressionistically, although there's nothing implicit about the turbulent underpinning created by Finck and Baron.

Still, even Baron mainly plays it less hard-hitting than his Coltrane counterpart, the late Elvin Jones. While Jones would boil over on the title track to Crescent (Impulse!, 1964), Baron largely opts for a simmer on Kuhn's rubato arrangement, with greater power only occasionally demonstrated and, instead, more left to implication. Even when the quartet shoots for greater extremes on "Configuration," from Stellar Regions (Impulse!, 1967) including an incendiary opening duet between Baron and Lovano it feels somehow more truly collaborative and less a pure vehicle for Coltrane's by then truly out-of-this-world explorations.

Kuhn's motivic ability to build solos from the smallest of building blocks has always been a strength, and here he excels at taking music so strongly associated with Coltrane that it's difficult to imagine anyone else playing it, not just making it fit within his overall discography, but specifically within his ECM work. His own compositional contributions the new "With Gratitude" and a retake of the title track to Trance (ECM, 1975), both solo vehicles for the pianist fit just as comfortably in the overall program as do the two standards. These are Billy Eckstine's gentle ballad, "I Want to Talk About You" and the enduring Bernier/Brainin classic "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes," taken here at a fast clip.

Lovano is in equally fine form, capturing Coltrane's shimmering intensity on "Spiritual," but playing it on the Hungarian tarogato rather than the soprano saxophone towards which Coltrane became so disposed in his later years. He shines in the most understated of ways on a short but sweet duet with Kuhn on Coltrane's often-recorded and elegant ballad "Central Park West," from Coltrane's Sound (Atlantic, 1960), the two seemingly joined at the hip. Baron's ability to be both subtle and powerful sometimes instantaneously makes him an equal partner and superb foil for Kuhn's interpretive and sometimes sparse approach. Both players are capable as is Lovano of fervent energy and expansive dynamics, but they avoid the relentlessness that Coltrane was demonstrating by the time of Stellar Region's "Jimmy's Mode," which also features a rare but impressive solo from Finck. Mostly Coltrane is the ideal homage. There's no shortage of the intrepid exploratory spirit (and spiritual inspiration) that's made Coltrane a cultural icon for generations of musicians and fans, but equally there's no missing the personal qualities that define Kuhn and his group. A rare opportunity to hear Kuhn outside the trio setting he's largely preferred for most of his career, Mostly Coltrane may not appear, on first glance, to jibe with his original composition-focused discography for ECM, but in its absolute retention of the markers that have defined his work for the label, it's nothing short of a perfect fit. ~ John Kelman   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=33244#.UxgE44VZhhk

Personnel:  Steve Kuhn: piano; David Finck: double-bass; Joey Baron: drums; Joe Lovano: tenor saxophone, taragato (12).

Mostly Coltrane

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Roger Davidson & David Finck - Umbrellas & Sunshine: The Music Of Michel Legrand

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 51:57
Size: 118.9 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[5:21] 1. Les Parapluies De Cherbourg
[4:08] 2. La Valse Des Lilas
[3:52] 3. Les Enfants Qui Pleurent
[5:17] 4. The Summer Knows
[4:13] 5. Watch What Happens
[4:07] 6. His Eyes, Her Eyes
[4:18] 7. The Easy Way Medley
[3:41] 8. The First Time
[3:27] 9. You Must Believe In Spring
[2:37] 10. Look
[5:15] 11. Je Vivrai Sans Toi
[3:36] 12. How Do You Keep The Music Playing
[1:59] 13. Les Parapluies De Cherbourg [piano Solo]

In popular culture, Michel Legrand (who turned 79 on February 24, 2011) is best known for his accomplishments as a composer. But people who really know their jazz also respect the Paris native for his work as an acoustic pianist, and on Umbrellas & Sunshine: The Music of Michel Legrand, fellow acoustic pianist Roger Davidson pays tribute to both Legrand the composer and Legrand the pianist. Forming an intimate duo with upright bassist David Finck, Davidson salutes Legrand's pianistic style, but does so on his own terms. In other words, Davidson acknowledges elements of Legrand's playing, but isn't actually trying to emulate him; the lyrical Davidson still sounds like himself. And he tackles an intriguing variety of Legrand pieces on this 2009 recording. Many of the songs are well-known standards, including "You Must Believe in Spring," "Watch What Happens," "The Summer Knows," and "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?" (which is part of a medley that also includes "The Easy Way"). But Davidson makes his share of less obvious choices as well. Among them: "His Eyes, Her Eyes" (from the 1968 film The Thomas Crown Affair), "The First Time" (which was heard in Falling in Love Again, a romantic comedy from 1980), and the obscure "Look." Many people who are big admirers of Legrand are unfamiliar with "Look," and the very fact that Davidson included that rarity shows that he wasn't afraid to do his homework. So even though Umbrellas & Sunshine has its share of well-known standards, Davidson obviously didn't want this 52-minute CD to have an all-standards-all-the-time approach. Davidson is hardly the first jazz musician to pay homage to Legrand, and he certainly won't be the last. But his sense of adventure makes Umbrellas & Sunshine one of the more memorable Legrand tributes of the 2000s. ~Alex Henderson

Umbrellas & Sunshine The Music Of Michel Legrand

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Andre Previn & David Finck - We Got It Bad: An Ellington Songbook

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 72:28
Size: 165.9 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[5:35] 1. Take The A Train
[4:42] 2. Isfahan
[3:49] 3. I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)
[6:09] 4. Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me
[6:29] 5. Chelsea Bridge
[6:51] 6. Things Ain't What They Used To Be
[5:18] 7. In A Sentimental Mood
[4:37] 8. Squatty Roo
[4:31] 9. Come Sunday
[6:36] 10. Serenade To Sweden
[6:08] 11. I Didn't Know About You
[7:43] 12. In A Mellow Tone
[3:54] 13. It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)

Previn has always been an adept, if not brilliant, pianist whose jazz leanings have belied his classical training. Here he interprets the music of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn lovingly and as well as any legit jazzster could, with help from the fine bassist David Finck. While this music can easily stand on its own, Previn's technical ability and heartfelt stretching of the original blueprints urge these well-worn tunes to carry new meaning and substance. If there are any stock treatments here, it's because the pianist tends to lay back and let the melodies come to him, as evidenced on the steady-paced "Isfahan," the easy "Serenade to Sweden," and the even easier swung "I Didn't Know About You." Previn wrings every emotional drop out of "In a Sentimental Mood," dismisses a time frame for the pristine "I Got It Bad" and "Come Sunday," while Finck is in late for the pensive "Chelsea Bridge." Melody is more implied with tempos at half and full speed on "It Don't Mean a Thing," Previn uses an off-minor change-up on the good swinger "Things Ain't What They Used to Be," and swaps 4/4 in the bridge for a waltzing 3/4 head and tail on "Take the A Train." Obviously an admirer of Oscar Peterson, Previn takes liberties and risks on the easy swing take of "In a Mellow Tone," trades ripped-up lines with the capable Finck, counter-punching during "Do Nothin' 'Til You Here From Me," and fervently digs into the up-tempo "Squatty Roo." Perhaps Previn's voracity is not well known, or as regarded in the modern jazz world as it should be, but on this recording it's clear how great he can be. This second CD with Finck, the previous being a Gershwin songbook "We Got Rhythm," signifies a step up for the veteran pianist, and is perhaps his shining recorded hour. Recommended. ~Michael G. Nastos

We Got It Bad: An Ellington Songbook

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