Judy Niemack - What's Love?

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:47
Size: 144,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:25) 1. Feelin’ It In Your Bones
(5:06) 2. Firefly
(4:17) 3. For All We Know
(4:25) 4. Catalyst
(5:01) 5. I’m Moving On
(5:35) 6. What’s Love Got to Do With It
(4:46) 7. Just When I Thought
(4:39) 8. With You
(5:07) 9. Let Life Lead You
(4:27) 10. Blues That Soothe My Soul
(4:34) 11. I’ll Love Again
(4:38) 12. Born to Be Blue
(4:40) 13. Right Here, Right Now

Jazz vocalist Judy Niemack presents a collection of rhapsodic romantic songs on her upcoming album release, What’s Love, due out October 28 on Sunnyside Records. Following Niemack’s lauded 2018 release New York Stories with pianist Jim McNeely and Danish Radio Big Band, What’s Love represents a vulnerable side of the lifelong vocalist’s artistry. In an embrace of her distinctive sound, Niemack’s rich collection of original lyrics paired with select standards offers a glimpse into her resilient and inventive vocal prowess.

An exploration of the healing powers of love, What’s Love presents as a musical reconciliation with the boundless, yet relatable, challenges that continually loop through our lives. While conceptually, What’s Love is a beacon of effervescence, its sound is both capricious and exhilarating. Niemack takes to exploring the many varieties of love in her life on each selection, while also seizing an opportunity to explore her vocal range. Her trademark sound clear, yet warm with a cloudy edge is softer here. Employing this lower timbre, Niemack is keenly aware of her newfound sense of expression: “I haven’t lost my high notes, but gained lower ones,” she adds.

Niemack is joined among the highest level of jazz musicianship for the affair; What’s Love hosts Peter Bernstein on guitar, Sullivan Fortner on piano, Doug Weiss on bass, Joe Farnsworth on drums and Eric Alexander on alto saxophone.

“This is my view of love which, of course, is unique,” the singer, author and professor shares while discussing her inspiration for the title, which also borrows from her arrangement of the Tina Turner hit, “What’s Love Got To Do With It, a high moment on the date for the leader, who takes a slower and more contemplative approach to Turner’s question.

“Michelangelo famously said that he saw the sculpture hidden in a piece of marble and simply revealed it by taking away the stone, bit by bit. Composing for me is similar I have a feeling I want to express, which leads to a poem, words, which then are set to music that I discover on the piano. It just comes to me. My songs grow out of emotion.”

An overt lyrical message of moving ahead after loss, the track “I’m Moving On” gives generous space for each band member to contribute solos that grapple with the notion of moving forward, making the track a more gentle and evocative standout off the record. With Bernstein and Fortner at the instrumental helm, Niemack’s gifted scatting is guided effortlessly throughout “I’ll Love Again” and “Right Here, Right Now” are two examples, where lush instrumentation is met by silken vocal intonations.

While recording at the Van Gelder, Alexander joined the band as a special guest alto saxophonist. He contributes his optimistic original composition “Let Life Lead You.” Though the cheerful message was originally penned ‘Little Lucas,’ a note to Alexander’s son, Niemack was galvanized by its universality. Contributing a new lyric and title, she sings about embracing risk and remaining grateful in moments of opportunity a key sentiment that prevails across the record.

Highlighting her propensity for articulation and translucence as a songwriter and vocalist, Niemack outrivals herself on What’s Love. A deliberate and tasteful meditation on life's various chapters, What’s Love captures the essence of a talent with an unrequited passion for the sounds of storytelling. Judy Niemack, through her confident command and glistening vocal range, is inviting us to think about what ‘love’ means, yet by her own seamless and magical invention, once we accept her call, all we really have to do is listen.

Personnel: Judy Niemack - vocals; Peter Bernstein - guitar; Sullivan Fortner - piano; Doug Weiss - bass; Joe Farnsworth - drums; Eric Alexander - alto saxophone (9)

What's Love?

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Dave Ballou - The Floating World

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:58
Size: 140,7 MB
Art: Front

( 8:54)  1. All the things you are
( 6:25)  2. Bronk
( 5:52)  3. Pannonica
( 6:38)  4. Memories of you
( 5:40)  5. Don and Dewey
(10:02)  6. I hear a rhapsody
( 5:46)  7. The floating world
( 7:50)  8. Time remembered
( 3:49)  9. Plan

On his third release, trumpeter Dave Ballou opts for a standard quartet, with George Colligan on piano, Doug Weiss on bass, and Darren Becket on drums. Ballou's original compositions are less prevalent this time around, and a casual glance at some of the titles  "All the Things You Are," "I Hear a Rhapsody" suggests that The Floating World might be more middle-of-the-road than his previous efforts. That's only partially true, as Ballou can't resist throwing curves. His four originals are decidedly left of center particularly "Bronk," which appears early on. His flugelhorn reading of Thelonious Monk's "Pannonica" (sans Colligan) is fabulous, and his trumpet/piano duo rendition of Eubie Blake's "Memories of You" is inspired on a multitude of levels. Other highlights include Colligan's thunderous solo on "I Hear a Rhapsody" and Ballou's melodic insight on the Bill Evans classic "Time Remembered." Despite its low and inconsistent recording level, The Floating World is superb, proving Ballou's ability to say something very different each time he's heard from. ~ David R.Adler https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-floating-world-mw0001170149

Personnel: Dave Ballou - Trumpet; George Colligan - piano, Doug Weiss - bass,  Darren Beckett - drums.

The Floating World

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Kevin Hays - 7th Sense

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:55
Size: 147,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:50)  1. Take The D Flat Train
(6:57)  2. Seventh Sense
(7:13)  3. Three Pillars
(8:24)  4. My Man's Gone Now
(5:47)  5. Interlude
(7:08)  6. Space Acres
(5:06)  7. Little B's Poem
(7:57)  8. East Of The Sun
(4:33)  9. Makyo
(4:57) 10. Black Narcissus

Pianist Kevin Hays' style mixes together the influences of Bill Evans and McCoy Tyner and he helps define the modern mainstream on this Blue Note disc. The quintet set also features plenty of solo space from vibraphonist Steve Nelson and the excellent tenorman Seamus Blake. 

Opening with three Hays originals and also including Hindermith's "Interlude" (which finds the group sounding a little like the Modern Jazz Quartet) and such standards as "My Man's Gone Now" and "East of the Sun," the music pays tribute to the past without becoming predictable or overly derivative. It's a fine release. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/seventh-sense-mw0000114092

Personnel: Kevin Hays - piano;  Seamus Blake - tenor saxophone; Steve Nelson - vibraphone; Doug Weiss - bass; Brian Blade -drums

7th Sense

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Eric Alexander - Leap Of Faith

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:16
Size: 132,3 MB
Art: Front

( 8:06)  1. Luquitas
(11:08)  2. Mars
( 3:43)  3. Corazon Perdido
( 3:32)  4. Hard Blues
( 6:46)  5. Frenzy
( 8:14)  6. Big Richard
( 2:16)  7. Magyar
(13:28)  8. Second Impression

Renowned tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander's Leap of Faith stems in part from the decision (hesitantly made) to perform in a trio setting without piano hardly an uncommon arrangement these days but one that Alexander, a shining light on the New York music scene for more than two decades, has rarely explored, either in live gigs or on more than forty-plus albums as leader of his own groups. Also, Leap of Faith was recorded live (no safety net) at New York City's Jazz Gallery by Alexander, bassist Doug Weiss and drummer Johnathan Blake. As if that weren't enough to induce uncertainty, Alexander expanded the "leap" even further by performing only his own compositions and doing so in a free-wheeling mode that more or less moves him from his customary post-bop comfort zone into realms that are more closely associated with John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter or Pharoah Sanders, to name a few. Unlike many exponents of "free jazz," Alexander never loses touch with the harmonic framework that lends such music its aesthetic as well as cerebral appeal. Even when hanging on a discordant limb, he remains at heart an unapologetic straight-from-the-shoulder swinger, even on the cacophonous finale, "Second Impression," on which he sounds as unlike the "usual" Eric Alexander as on anything he has ever recorded. The same holds true on most other numbers, from the fleet and staccato opener, "Luquitas," to the equally propulsive "Second Impression." The tempo (but not the passion) slows to some degree on "Mars," whose harmonic progression, Alexander writes, is based on Bruno Mars' pop hit, "Finesse." A piano is used to good effect on "Corazon Perdido," as Alexander accompanies himself on the moody change-of-pace that leads to another wailer, the gritty "Hard Blues," followed by the mercurial and well-named "Frenzy." Alexander is bold and unrestrained on each of them, as he is on the more moderately paced "Big Richard" and "Magyar," the last based on themes from Bela Bartok's "Music for Strings, Percussion and Celeste." While Blake solos brightly on "Luquitas," and Weiss on "Big Richard," it is Alexander's robust and (unusually) strident voice that animates every number. Leap of Faith traverses new and unexplored territory, for Alexander and his fans, and it is they who must decide whether that leap has thrust him forward or backward. No definitive conclusion will be drawn here. The stars are for Alexander who even in this atypical framework is never less than very good. ~ Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/leap-of-faith-eric-alexander-giant-step-arts-review-by-jack-bowers.php

Personnel: Eric Alexander: tenor saxophone; Doug Weiss: bass; Johnathan Blake: drums.

Leap Of Faith

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Al Foster - Inspirations & Dedications

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop 
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:00
Size: 152,4 MB
Art: Front

(6:42)  1. Cantaloupe Island
(5:39)  2. Ooh, What You Do to Me
(5:01)  3. Simone's Dance
(5:54)  4. Samba de Michelle
(5:31)  5. Kierra
(4:48)  6. Douglas
(1:38)  7. Brandyn
(2:42)  8. Our Son
(4:21)  9. Song for Monique
(5:00) 10. Jazzon
(5:35) 11. Bonnie Rose
(7:25) 12. Aloysius
(5:40) 13. Jean-Pierre

On paper Al Foster's  resume as a supporting artist reads better than most other jazz drummers. He's recorded albums with Dexter Gordon, Art Pepper, Frank Morgan, Sonny Rollins, McCoy Tyner, among a plethora of others. Chances are, those who aren't familiar with his name have heard him somewhere, and for the first time since 2002, they can hear him on Inspirations And Dedications as a band leader. As its title suggests, the album is a somewhat autobiographical release. With its 66-minute runtime divided into 13 tracks, the disc is lengthy without becoming bloated. Foster's quintet is a top-tier group of musicians, including trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, saxophonist Dayna Stephens, pianist Adam Birnbaum, and bassist Doug Weiss. The group plays well together, offering a pleasant sound which pushes the lengthy album along at a quick pace, their consistency never allowing for a lull. Rather than featuring a standout single, each song on this crowded release contributes more to a whole. At its finish, Inspirations and Dedications seems not to be a somber reflection on a life lived, but a celebration of it.  Eight of the aforementioned dedications take the form of family. "Simone's Dance" and "Samba de Michelle" feature some of his heaviest drum work on this release, with the latter being a swinging cymbal-driven tune. 

"Kierra" offers a cool, mellow vibe, while "Song For Monique" is a new composition sounding as if it could have been lifted from the early 1960s. Dayna Stephens leads the group through a catchy melody, while Jeremy Pelt seizes an opportunity to solo. The drummer's now classic "Bonnie Rose," a tribute to his wife of over 40 years, receives a more mellow reimagining led by Birnbaum and Weiss, contrasting starkly with the more energetic treatment it received on Chris Potter's Pure (Concord, 1994). Foster and Birnbaum condense the drummer's 1997 composition "Brandyn" into a brief duet prelude to "Our Son," a grief-soaked elegy for the child he lost in 2017. 

Though these two songs comprise under four minutes of the album's runtime, they serve as an emotional counterbalance to the rest of Inspirations and Dedications. The quintet doesn't pull their punches here, and their sincerity lends authenticity to the entire production. Self-referential yet still humble, Foster also penned a composition in his own name, titled "Aloysius." The tune opens with an pensive drum solo before Stephens takes up the melody. Bookending the album are homages to the drummer's 1980s bandmates. Herbie Hancock's "Cantalope Island" opens things up, while he later revisits Miles Davis' "Jean-Pierre," which he played with Davis' quintet on the trumpeter's Grammy-winning We Want Miles (Columbia, 1982). The latter retains just enough of the original's attitude to be an upbeat finale. Al Foster doesn't use Inspirations and Dedications to solidify his position as one of jazz's legendary drummers. He doesn't have to. Instead, he utilizes the album to pay homage to his history within the genre. His friends, his family, and his colleagues all receive treatment, and now more than ever, it becomes apparent how great the breadth of his footprint has been. ~ Peter Hoetjes https://www.allaboutjazz.com/inspirations-and-dedications-al-foster-smoke-sessions-records-review-by-peter-hoetjes.php

Personnel: Al Foster: drums; Jeremy Pelt: piano; Dayna Stephens: saxophone; Adam Birnboum: trumpet; Doug Weiss: bass

Inspirations & Dedications

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Mike Moreno - Three for Three

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:43
Size: 128,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:54)  1. The Big Push
(6:27)  2. For Those Who Do
(7:10)  3. You Must Believe in Spring
(5:37)  4. Clube da Esquina No. 1
(9:24)  5. April in Paris
(8:15)  6. A Time for Love
(6:35)  7. Perhaps
(5:19)  8. Glass Eyes

Jazz guitarist and composer Mike Moreno started his musial journey at the age of 15 at the “High School for the Performing and Visual Arts” High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston from where some of the great jazz musicians of our times like Robert Glasper, Jason Moran, Kendrick Scott, Eric Harland, Helen Sung were graduated. At 18, moved to New York and he is actively one of the prominent contemporary jazz guitarists of the 21st century since then. The Joshua Redman Elastic Band, Lizz Wright Band, Nicholas Payton Quartet, Stefon Harris Sonic Creed, Me’Shell N’Degeocello, Jason Moran, Terence Blanchard, Robert Glasper, Ambrose Akinmusire, Gretchen Parlato, Aaron Parks, Claudia Acuña, Greg Osby 4, Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Jeremy Pelt, John Ellis, Myron Walden, Kenny Garrett, Yosvany Terry, Ralph Bowen, Will Vinson are some of the musicians that Moreno has worked with. He released “Between the Lines”, his debut album as a a leader in 2007. Instead of interpreting the well-known standards, he came up with totally original compositions in the first album. His easily recognizable unique lyrical style, mature compositions, the notes he play and didn’t play made his difference amongst his peers since the very first album till the last one. His second album “Third Wish” comes up next on 2008. Besides his own compositions, there were a couple of standards in this album like the very vivid version of Herbie Hancock’s “I Have a Dream” with a creatively striking intro. In 2011 comes the third album “First in Mind” where I have many favorite songs like Joshua Redman’s “Soul Dance” where we can see Moreno’s fluency in acoustic guitar also.  Sonny Rollins’ “Airegin” with a memorable 5/4 intro and a verw well-know jazz ballad “But Beautiful” played in an ethereal way, are to name a few. In 2012 “Another Way” comes next as guitarist’s 4th release as another way to show his masterful compositional abilities. This album for me is the depiction of a science fictional atmosphere as in Luc Besson’s “Fifth Element”. 

Maybe that’s because of Moreno’s composition with the same name in the album, who knows? I think Mike Moreno is highly qualified in creating that sci-fi atmosphere with his playing throughtout all of his his albums. In 2015 the guitarist comes with “Lotus” that starts with a beautiful acoustic guitar “Intro” which is my wake up alarm song for more than a year now so I probably know the song better than anybody else in this space. That ”Intro” leads smoothly to “The Hills of Kykuit”. Again in this album we see the beautiful collaboration of Aaron Parks on piano and Mike Moreno on guitar. In October 2017 comes finally “Three for Three”, Moreno’s 6th album as a leader. This album is the third release (after “Third Wish” and “First in Mind”) from Criss Cross Records, a record company in Netherlands with a variety of modern jazz works. It is a trio album, the smallest group Moreno has ever recorded as a leader, with long term collaborators Doug Weiss on bass and Kendrick Scott on drums. And it is the only album where there isn’t any Mike Moreno composition in it. The album starts with the striking version of Wayne Shorter’s underrated composition “The Big Push” which is my favorite in the album. My other favorite is Michel Legrand’s “You Must Believe in Spring”. I must say that it is the best version of this song I’ve heard since Bill Evans. The beautiful Radiohed song “Glass Eyes” cover was a big surprise for me when I first heard. The song has already a misty and cloudy nature and Moreno played it in the best way one can play with again creating his outer space atmosphere. Furthermore, I also must say it is a challenge to choose Charlie Parker’s world-renowned “Perhaps” probably becuase it was one of Charlie Parker’s most known and played compositions. But again with his modern version, it is far different from the mainstream versions we’ve listened millions of times. Mike Moreno is one of the leading modern jazz guitarists of this century with a great technical ability, lyrical one of a kind approach with strong sense of time and rhythm, and always a very melodic player especially seen on the ballads. Not only into jazz but he is also very much into Brazilian music which makes his sound more lyrical maybe. After listening his latest album and hoping that he’ll come again to our country on tour to play, here are some questions about his latest album “Three for Three” with Mike Moreno on guitar, Doug Weiss on bass and Kendrick Scott on drums. http://www.jazzdergisi.com/en/mike-moreno-three-for-three/

Personnel: Guitar – Mike Moreno;  Bass – Doug Weiss; Drums – Kendrick Scott

Three for Three

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Lee Konitz - Pride

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:34
Size: 155,5 MB
Art: Front

( 4:49)  1. Monkian' around
( 6:58)  2. Triste
( 7:04)  3. Come rain or come shine
(13:39)  4. Stellar
( 8:13)  5. Gundula
(11:54)  6. Once I had a secret love
( 8:04)  7. Lover man
( 6:50)  8. Zingaro

Throughout his career, altoist Lee Konitz has always had his ears open and been a musically curious improviser. His brand of relaxed freedom, tied to chordal improvisation but much freer than the usual beboppers, and his cool and distinctive sound have made him a jazz giant for decades. For this set, Konitz is teamed with three musicians (pianist/organist George Colligan, bassist Doug Weiss, and drummer Darren Beckett) with whom he had never played before. However, the combination work well on five standards and three Konitz songs. 

The music always swings, the rhythm section is supportive, and Konitz is as inventive as always. This is also one of the few sessions in which the altoist (on a few cuts) is backed by organ. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/pride-mw0000966063

Personnel: Lee Konitz – alto saxophone; George Colligan – piano, organ; Doug Weiss – bass; Darren Beckett – drums

Pride

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Rich Perry - O Grande Amor

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:03
Size: 151,9 MB
Art: Front

( 7:47)  1. Nardis
(10:00)  2. On Green Dolphin Street
( 8:47)  3. Be anything
(10:27)  4. 29, Rue Jacob
( 7:58)  5. The peacocks
( 8:35)  6. O grande amor
(12:25)  7. Stella by starlight

Rich Perry is undoubtedly one of the most original voices on tenor saxophone today. 

“ Rich Perry continues to surprise us with his thoughtful, well shaped and passionate excursions. O Grande Amor is another of his CDs you will want to play repeatedly ….” (Mark Gardner – from the linernotes)

Personnel: Rich Perry - tenor saxophone; George Colligan - piano; Doug Weiss - bass; Darren Beckett - drums

O Grande Amor

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Jorge Rossy - Stay Here

Styles: Vibraphone Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:35
Size: 118,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:49)  1. Who Knows About Tomorrow
(4:32)  2. Portrait
(4:05)  3. Artesano
(5:16)  4. Blessed
(2:00)  5. Mark's Mode
(5:48)  6. The Newcomer
(6:19)  7. W Waltz
(4:23)  8. Pauletta
(7:04)  9. Mmmyeah
(6:15) 10. Stay Here

Jorge Rossy’s work as a drummer has been so celebrated that casual listeners may be unaware of his chops as a multi-instrumentalist. His repertoire of skills includes trumpet and piano, and Stay There further extends his range to vibraphone and marimba. He’s joined for this 10-track excursion by a sterling band that has previously toured as the Jorge Rossy Vibes Quintet: tenor saxophonist Mark Turner, guitarist Peter Bernstein, bassist Doug Weiss and drummer Al Foster. Rossy’s approach to the mallets is as clean and melodically engaged as his drumming. He tackles his solos from a shade behind the beat, giving his lines the subtlest flavoring of tension and drama. The vibraphonist is also the composer of seven of this album’s tracks, his tunes providing his musicians plenty of airy, open ground on which to interact and assert themselves. “Portrait” proceeds from Bernstein’s burnished intro to reverb-heavy Rossy atmospherics and wailing phrases from Turner. Foster guides the malleable dynamics of “Who Knows About Tomorrow” with equal parts lightness of touch and rhythmic force. On “MMMyeah,” the drummer’s tinging cymbals mesh with Weiss’ firm-handed flow to craft a steady-rolling undercurrent for sharp-edged solos from Bernstein and Rossy. Turner’s gift for emotional clarity is spotlighted on the understatedly mysterious “Mark’s Mode,” and the title track’s smooth, shuffling rhythm sets up a Rossy solo that is simultaneously his most straightforward and expressive playing of the album. Guillermo Klein’s “ArteSano” offers chiming marimba chords, African-inflected support from Foster and a bracing solo by Weiss. 

“The Newcomer,” composed by Rossy’s sister Mercedes, is a pensive ballad coaxing gently felt statements from Weiss, Bernstein and an especially warm-toned Turner. Foster contributes the breezy “Pauletta,” where Rossy adds glistening accents and Bernstein takes a quietly cheerful solo. The tune’s effect epitomizes the entire album: easily enjoyable music, unimpeachably well played. ~ Matt R.Lohr https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/jorge-rossy-stay/
 

Personnel:  Jorge Rossy - vibes, marimba;  Mark Turner- tenor saxophone;  Peter Bernstein - guitar;  Doug Weiss - bass, Al Foster - drums.

Stay Here

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Alyssa Graham - Echo

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:21
Size: 120,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:10)  1. America
(4:41)  2. Pictures Of You
(4:19)  3. Echo
(3:59)  4. Arkansas
(4:47)  5. My Love
(5:17)  6. Butterflies
(3:42)  7. I Burn For You
(5:38)  8. Involved Again
(4:03)  9. Once Upon A Summertime
(5:27) 10. Coming Home
(3:14) 11. Izaura

Jazz is a paradox that is both compromising and uncompromising. It is compromising as an assimilating art, one that absorbs all influences that touch it. It is uncompromising that jazz demands virtuosity and creativity. It is this paradox that allows the genre to contain both a Sarah Vaughan and Dianna Krall, and a Grant Green and John McLaughlin beneath its tent. It is jazz that welcomes the better angels of creation into its realm to manifest any number of delightful and inventive manners. Jazz, by its very nature, is evolving in four dimensions. Norah Jones, for example, with a crack band and a Country and Western sensibility, has reformed the interface between jazz and popular music. Think of Jones as Josef Haydn, a musical trailblazer inventing a new way to look at an established genre, one further perfected by Mozart's inevitable invention. Norah Jones' Mozart is Alyssa Graham. New York native Graham and guitarist/husband Douglas Graham recorded the singer's first release in their living room on a self-produced shoestring. The result was What Love Is (2005) which was selected for several Best of 2005 lists. Graham has since honed her musical approach to a fine edge, with Echo at once pure metal and perfect amalgam. Echo boasts a Latin influence and indeed one exists. But there is none of the piquant tartness of a typical Latin outing. Instead, the collective efforts of Jeff Haynes' essential percussion, guitarists Graham and Romero Lubambo and the Hendrik Meurkens-influenced Gregoire Maret are distilled into dense tension, sounding as if it has been there all the time. This is familiar music and that is its magic. Paul Simon's "America" is rendered as a siren song buoyed by purring congas and round nylon stings. This same formula transforms Michel LeGrand's "Once upon a Summertime" in a similar manner; quietly and with great grace. 

Pianist John Cowherd shares composing duties with both Bryan McCann ("Echo" and "Arkansas") and Douglas Graham ("Pictures of You" and "My Love") to anchor the disc. "Echo" is a sophisticated vignette, a cross between Burton Cummings and Bruce Hornsby. Graham's delicious intonation is perfectly balanced by Cowherd's Norah Jones-like octaves. "Arkansas" is a potent pastoral smart and informed and mysterious. "My Love" powerfully recalls Elton John's Tumbleweed Connection (MCA , 1971) and Jackson Browne's The Pretender (Asylum, 1976), especially in Cowherd's fine piano solo and Graham's solid high, rich alto. Into this mix is "Involved Again." Composed by Jack Reardon ("The Good Life"), "Involved Again" was written for Billie Holiday and was slated to be recorded by her, save for the singer's death in 1959. The song remained shelved until Reardon heard Alyssa Graham. The song would have been perfect next to "I'm A Fool to Want You" and "But Beautiful," from Holiday's Lady in Satin (Columbia, 1958). Graham captures perfectly the conflict of forgiven love, totally committed at a cost. She has spent her time wisely, perfecting her art and the art that came before her. Echo is a fine wine with a heady base and nose and an expansive finish. It is to be savored after many listenings. ~ C.Michael Bailey https://www.allaboutjazz.com/echo-alyssa-graham-sunnyside-records-review-by-c-michael-bailey.php

Personnel: Alyssa Graham: vocals; Jon Cowherd: vocals, French horn, piano, organ; Douglas Graham: guitars; Romero Lubambo: guitar; Elizabeth Lim-Dutton, Laura Seaton: violin; Lawrence Dutton: viola; Sachi Patitucci: cello; Gregoire Maret: harmonica; Doug Weiss: bass guitar; Obed Calvaire: drum; Jeff Haynes: percussion.

Echo

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Walt Weiskopf - Day In Night Out

Styles: Saxophone And Flute Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:42
Size: 139,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:42)  1. Day In Night Out
(5:54)  2. West Side Waltz
(5:27)  3. City Of Sin
(6:42)  4. Blue In Two
(5:36)  5. Walk In The Woods
(6:03)  6. Off Yellow
(6:00)  7. Lean And Green
(7:17)  8. Heather On The Hill
(6:01)  9. Solid Citizen
(5:57) 10. I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good

Most of us find that there are certain musicians who speak to us through their music in a profound way that makes for a special connection. These are the artists who find a prominent space in our collections because we continuously seek out all of their current musical endeavors. For this reviewer, saxophonist Walt Weiskopf has always been a musician to watch. Not to take anything away from other jazz saxophonists, but Weiskopf's musical persona is the complete package. He has an identifiable sound, chops aplenty, great ideas, and a strong emotional base that is often absent in other technically gifted players. Beginning with 1993's Simplicity, Weiskopf has led a strapping and diverse series of albums for Criss Cross that rank among the finest the label has to offer. Additionally, his name has been getting out there more frequently these days as he continues to perform with rock icon Steely Dan.

His first large ensemble work since Siren (Criss Cross, 2000), Day In Night Out brings back a few familiar faces from his previous nonet records, but ultimately opts for a smaller unit composed of some new friends. As usual, the emphasis here is on Weiskopf's own unique compositions and a few sagacious reworkings of select standards. The title track opens up the program with one of Walt's signature licks, namely a tightly voiced serpentine melody with the saxophone choir speaking and breathing as one. Harmonized backing lines soon follow and the whole thing ends up sounding much larger than the sum of these few parts. Weiskopf has a wonderful knack for working in three quarter time and "West Side Waltz" is just the latest example of his prowess. It's also a great place to hear the palette of colors he uses in creating his canvas which, in this case, finds the humming of flutes figuring prominently in the mix.

Rich textures and hues mark the slower numbers such as "City of Sin" and "Off Yellow," where Weiskopf gives as much prominence to the ensemble structures as he does to the solos. It's interesting to note that in the liners, the saxophonist comments on the influence of Don Sebesky and the CTI albums of the '70s. He comments on the iconic arranger's skill of achieving a large sound with a small number of musicians and that's exactly what Weiskopft attains in his work here, as heard in the cacophony he generates on the opening gambit of "Lean and Green." Equally intriguing are the horn accents that punctuate a splendid reading of "Heather on the Hill," yet another standard to get the red carpet treatment arranging wise from Weiskopf.

As a leader, Weiskopf is more than generous with sharing the solo space. Prominent in the mix are Andy Fusco, a firebrand with a sound that nods towards James Spaulding, and Gary Smulyan, heir apparent to the burly style of the late, great Pepper Adams. Filling some big shoes is drummer Kendrick Scott, since Weiskopf usually prefers the company of modern powerhouse Billy Drummond. What Scott may lack in visceral punch, he more than makes up for in a swinging beat and crisp sound that shades his accompaniment to the needs of the arrangement. Weiskopf himself is so fluent that he is able to execute anything and his tone retains its weight regardless of range. A thoroughly accomplished work from start to finish, Day In Night Out can be appreciated for its technical virtuosity, bur remains surprisingly accessible. It not only sets a benchmark for jazz that functions within the tradition, but speaks with individuality and emotional attachment. Need one ask for anything more? ~ C.Andrew Hovan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/day-in-night-out-walt-weiskopf-criss-cross-review-by-c-andrew-hovan.php

Personnel: Walt Weiskopf: tenor sax and flute; Andy Fusco: alto sax, flute, clarinet; Gary Smulyan: baritone sax; Michael Leonhart: trumpet; John Mosca: trombone; Peter Zak: piano; Doug Weiss: bass; Kendrick Scott: drums.

Day In Night Out

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Kevin Hays - Go Round

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:17
Size: 156,7 MB
Art: Front

( 7:55)  1. Daybreak
(10:23)  2. Early Evening
(10:33)  3. Go Round
( 5:59)  4. When I Wake
( 6:01)  5. The Run
( 5:54)  6. Sutra
( 8:14)  7. Quiet
(10:19)  8. Invitation
( 2:55)  9. Sutra (Reprise)

Pianist Kevin Hays shows individuality on this CD and he certainly takes chances. The compositions (all but "Invitation" were penned by Hays) must be quite difficult to play because according to the liners "Daybreak" is 12 bars with a couple of bars in 5/4, "The Run" has sections in 5/4, 4/4 and 3/4 in every chorus and "Invitation" is completely altered. Both of the tenors (the obscure Steve Hall and Seemus Blake) somehow manage to sound comfortable and creative in this format which is an extension of the controlled freedom of Wayne Shorter and Andrew Hill. On some tracks Hays plays an electric piano and, with Hall's Shorter-influenced tenor, one thinks of early Weather Report or 1970s Herbie Hancock; Blake adds to the atmosphere by sometimes electrifying his sax. The alert and versatile playing of bassist Doug Weiss and drummer Billy Hart is also quite impressive. This is thought-provoking music that grows in interest over time. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/go-round-mw0000174907

Kevin Hays (piano & Fender Rhodes), Steve Hall (tenor saxophone), Seamus Blake (tenor & soprano saxophone), Doug Weiss (bass), Billy Hart (drums) & Daniel Sadownick (percussion).

Go Round

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Joe Roccisano - Nonet

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 59:22
Size: 96,5 MB
Art: Front

(7:12)  1. Moment's Notice
(6:17)  2. Mr. Day
(5:34)  3. Days of Wine and Roses
(6:26)  4. Springsvill
(8:48)  5. Charade
(6:56)  6. Some Other Time
(4:51)  7. So In Love
(7:54)  8. No More Blues
(5:20)  9. America

Joe Roccisano had only a month to live when Nonet was recorded on October 9, 1997 on November 9, the Charlie Parker-influenced alto saxman died of a massive heart attack at the age of 58. For Nonet, his final studio date as a leader, Roccisano led what his friend Phil Woods would term a "little big band" a nine-piece unit that includes, among others, trombonist Conrad Herwig, tenor saxophonist Tim Ries, baritone saxophonist Jack Stuckey, trumpeter Greg Gisbert, pianist Bill Charlap and drummer Terry Clarke. Enjoyable, if conventional, Nonet finds Roccisano sticking with what he did best straight-ahead hard bop and familiar jazz and pop standards such as John Coltrane's "Moment's Notice" and Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Chega de Saudade (No More Blues)." This swan song reminds us that while Roccisano was never an innovator, he was a warm, likable improviser who always swung. ~ Alex Henderson http://www.allmusic.com/album/nonet-mw0000046092

Personnel: Joe Roccisano (alto saxophone); Tim Ries (tenor saxophone); Jack Stuckey (baritone saxophone); Bob Millikan, Greg Gisbert (trumpet); Conrad Herwig (trombone); Bill Charlap (piano); Doug Weiss (bass); Terry Clarke (drums).

Nonet

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Joel Weiskopf - Where Angels Fear To Tread

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:28
Size: 161,7 MB
Art: Front

(7:59)  1. Patience
(7:15)  2. Breakthrough
(5:26)  3. Came to Believe
(9:11)  4. Love Song
(9:02)  5. Elegy for D Sharpe
(8:49)  6. Lonely Evening
(8:09)  7. Where Angels Fear to Tread
(6:48)  8. Time Remembered
(7:45)  9. Free Fall

Award-winning pianist/composer Joel Weiskopf has long been established in the straightahead jazz scene in the USA and abroad. While he has released a number of leader albums, this is his debut leader outing on SteepleChase. On this album Weiskopf brings out his time-tested repertoire (all originals plus Bill Evans' "Time Remembered") for a quintet date with his Syracuse compatriots, trumpeter Joe Magnarelli and saxophonist Andy Fusco, plus drumming sensation Jaimeo Brown.

"Joel Weiskopf is a serious jazz pianist with an individualistic style that is an amalgam of a great number of influences from American jazz to Brazilian samba." - C. Andrew Hovan, CD Review http://www.propermusic.com/product-details/Joel-Weiskopf-Where-Angels-Fear-to-Tread-227884

Personnel: Joel Weiskopf (piano), Joe Magnarelli (trumpet, flugelhorn), Andy Fusco (alto and soprano saxophone), Doug Weiss (bass), Jaimeo Brown (drums)

Where Angels Fear To Tread

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Roberto Gatto Quartet - Sixth Sense

Styles: Contemporary Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:16
Size: 140,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:07)  1. One for Avi
(7:25)  2. Sixth Sense
(4:43)  3. Hat on the Bobcat
(5:41)  4. Togo
(7:50)  5. Bonanza
(4:54)  6. Dee's Dilemma
(5:05)  7. Unknown Shape
(7:01)  8. Black and Tan Fantasy
(5:36)  9. Remember Rockefeller at Attica
(7:50) 10. Peace

"Sixth Sense" is the first CD of a new, spectacular training pianoless. The quartet assembled by Roberto Gatto is the most unique and interesting you could find in issue. The melody part is performed by two horns, trumpet young and acclaimed Avishai Cohen and the tenor sax and clarinet Francesco Bearzatti.  "Sixth Sense" to be released March 30, 2015 for the label Music Park Records, it is the first CD of a new, spectacular training pianoless. The quartet assembled by Roberto Gatto is the most unique and interesting you could find in issue. The melody part is performed by two horns, trumpet young and acclaimed Avishai Cohen (Rising Star 2012 according to the Downbeat Critics Pool already internationally established) and the tenor sax and clarinet in a great representative of Italian music in the world Francesco Bearzatti (named best European musician in 2011 by the Académie du Jazz). To support him and accompany him in the rhythm part, a prominent representative of the new generation of jazz bass, the New York Doug Weiss.

Four personalities who have put at the service of music, their cultural and musical with great transport and energy, but above all with originality. He imposed on the national jazz scene in the mid-70s, Roberto Gatto - born in 1958, with a path that knows no setbacks from about forty years - has never exhausted the thirst of research and testing. The latter feature that, combined with extraordinary skill, led the drummer to write the history of Italian jazz. Removed the clothes of prestigious sideman alongside national players (Enrico Rava, Enrico Pieranunzi) and international (Johnny Griffin, John Abercrombie, Chet Baker, Steve Lacy, Pat Metheny, Bob Berg, Curtis Fuller, George Coleman, Joe Zawinul etc.) Cat, undertook more vigorously the activities of leaders creating its formations harbingers of original projects, never predictable. To mention in this regard the acclaimed Perfect Trio completed by Alfonso Santimone and Pierpaolo Ranieri, the recent New York Quartet, index increasingly frequent stays in the Big Apple, which sees drummer converse with the brass of the Chilean young saxophonist Melissa Aldana, next Nir Felder and Joe Lepore, and the newest play with Zappa Quintorigo, especially live work dedicated to one of his best-loved artists defined the best and most convincing jazzy tribute to the music of Frank Zappa. Translate by google  http://www.traccedijazz.it/index.php/nuove-uscite/24-nuove-uscite-italiane/1063-roberto-gatto-sixth-sense

Personnel:  Roberto Gatto – Drums;  Avishai Cohen – Trumpet;  Francesco Bearzatti - Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet;  Doug Weiss - Double Bass

Sixth Sense

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Walt Weiskopf - Siren

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:03
Size: 117,2 MB
Art: Front

(1:56)  1. Galss Eye
(8:36)  2. Siren
(8:00)  3. In A Daze
(5:13)  4. Close Your Eyes
(6:37)  5. Victory March
(6:20)  6. Night in Ferrara
(6:17)  7. Zone
(2:20)  8. Baby Won't You Please Come Home
(5:41)  9. Separation

It’s very fitting that in the liner notes to saxophonist and composer Walt Weiskopf’s sixth set as a leader for Criss Cross, writer Bill Milkowski comments on the lack of information or publicity available to the general jazz public on the intrinsic worth of Weiskopf. Whole heartedly concurring, this reviewer has felt that the world has been too long asleep on Weiskopf’s efforts to expand the jazz tradition in a way that maintains conventions but also allows for individual expression to reign supreme. And maybe it’s because Weiskopf’s art is not flashy in the radical sense (you won’t find electronics, hip hop scratchers, or rappers here) that he continues to remain just a bit out of the range of everyday radar. As a significant follow-up to his previous nonet recording, the sublime and wonderful Song For My Mother, the recently issued Siren is every bit as powerful. In fact, aside from the substitution of bassist Doug Weiss for Peter Washington, the same cast of characters is again assembled, with Conrad Herwig, Jim Snidero, and brother Joel Weiskopf proving to be dependable soloists throughout. It should also be said that one couldn’t envision such a record without the talents of drummer Billy Drummond. His capacity to spur on each soloist and to add color to the ensemble is without equal.

Weiskopf’s writing remains one of his biggest assets, although this time around we also get two standards thrown into the mix, along with an original apiece from Snidero and brother Joel. The opening and brief “Glass Eye” makes the most of some angular counterpoint before the loping title track sets the stage. The sunny ensemble sports a muted Joe Magnarelli on trumpet and Anders Bostrom on flute, the latter contributing a breathy solo of his own later on in the track. “In a Daze” is a Snidero line in waltz tempo and Weiskopf’s Coltrane-inspired bursts of energy are purely delightful. Then the tenor man gets romantic with “Close Your Eyes,” a lush arrangement including Bostrom’s lovely flute once again. Further highlights include another ¾ line, “Waltz in Ferrara” and “Zone,” a brisk track that finds the horns shouting from the git-go and Scott Robinson’s gutsy baritone sax taking a bow (long live the Pepper Adams legacy!). Whether or not this record will bring Weiskopf some additional fans is hard to say. Certainly the sense of artistic veracity and sheer joie de vivre presented here is beyond reproach and only the most foolish would selectively choose to ignore its implications. ~ C.Andrew Hovan  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/siren-walt-weiskopf-criss-cross-review-by-c-andrew-hovan.php

Personnel: Walt Weiskopf (tenor sax), Anders Bostrom (flute & alto flute), Jim Snidero (alto sax & flute), Scott Robinson (baritone sax & bass clarinet), Joe Magnarelli (trumpet), Conrad Herwig (trombone), Joel Weiskopf (piano), Doug Weiss (bass), Billy Drummond (drums)

Siren

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Al Foster, Dave Kikoski, Chris Potter, Doug Weiss - Brandyn

Size: 128,9 MB
Time: 55:20
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1997
Styles: Jazz: Saxophone Jazz
Art: Front

01. The Chief (7:35)
02. Brandyn (5:21)
03. Monk Up & Down (9:11)
04. Barney Rose (7:30)
05. Amsterdam Blues (6:32)
06. Hope (7:25)
07. No Title (5:51)
08. Black Nile (5:51)

Drummer Al Foster is widely recognized as a first call jazz drummer who has worked with many greats, including an extended tour of duty with Miles Davis, as well as stints with Cannonball Adderley, Sonny Rollins, Thelonious Monk, Freddie Hubbard, Herbie Hancock, and Joe Henderson. This 1996 studio session made for the German Laika label is evidently Foster's first opportunity to record as a leader. Putting together an excellent band, with saxophonist Chris Potter (who doubles on soprano and tenor), pianist Dave Kikoski, and bassist Doug Weiss, Foster writes challenging post-bop compositions that inspire his bandmates, while he is perfectly happy to give them the spotlight. His bittersweet, bluesy "Monk Up and Down," is harmonically rich, with a superb tenor solo by Potter. The saxophonist contributed the percolating "Amsterdam Blues," suggesting the lively night scene of Harlem in its heyday. Kikoski composed the driving "Hope." The one familiar piece is Wayne Shorter's "Black Nile," played with gusto by the quartet. This may not be an easy CD to find, but it is obvious to anyone hearing it that Al Foster merits more opportunities to lead his own record dates. ~Review by Ken Dryden

Brandyn

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