Deelee Dube - Trying Times

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:39
Size: 109,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:15) 1. Tryin' Times
(3:49) 2. Still Trying (feat. Russell Malone)
(4:13) 3. On a Clear Day
(4:15) 4. Ugly Beauty (Still We Dream)
(5:36) 5. 500 Miles High
(3:44) 6. Thou Swell
(3:38) 7. Lazy Afternoon (Feat. Russell Malone)
(6:14) 8. Joy
(6:38) 9. Unity
(4:13) 10. Still We Try (Spoken Word Tone Poem)

Five years ago, the annual Sarah Vaughan International Vocal Competition named Deelee Dube its first British winner and (2016) Sassy Award recipient, landing Dubé a spot at the Montreal International Jazz Festival and recording contract for this Concord Records debut.

Trying Times marks a major label debut, but Deelee Dube is no artistic novice. She started violin lessons when she was four and put together her first band when she was fourteen. Her 2016 release Tenderly was produced and arranged by Italian tenor saxophonist Renato D'Aiello and performed with D'Aiello's quartet. In early 2017, they teamed to present Sarah Vaughan Reimagined: Deelee Dubé Sings Sarah Vaughan with the Renato D'Aiello Quartet at Royal Albert Hall. Dubé is also a published poet and her project artwork has been exhibited at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre.

Trying Times begins with its title track, opened by Dubé's strong and soulful unaccompanied voice, which here lands somewhere between Miss Sarah's sassy swing and Anita Baker's gospel of soul. The instrumental accompaniment builds into a classic, inventive jazz sound, with dissonant horns smudging the lyrics about trouble and pianist (arranger and producer) Benito Gonzalez slipping and sliding into a funky blue haze.

Then Dubé and company thoroughly conquer the series of powerful, challenging tunes that form the backbone of this debut. After romping through a sharp and energetic "On a Clear Day," they downshift into the version of "Ugly Beauty (Still We Dream)" which pairs Carmen McRae's lyrics with the only waltz Thelonious Monk ever wrote. Pianist Gonzalez smudges several "wrong notes" to honor Monk's unique style, just like he mines the sound of Horace Silver from the opening title track, and the singer's hushed final verse dishes a delicious blend of naivete and misterioso.

Next, Dubé's voice detonates "500 Miles High," originally written by Chick Corea to feature vocalist Flora Purim in Return to Forever, into liftoff and orbit. It leaps and bounds like quicksilver its hard-driving and twisting melody, making each note ring and shine. "500 Miles High" divebombs into a full- bore roadrunner's take on "Thou Swell," where pianist Gonzalez, bassist Corcoran Holt and drummer Mark Whitfield Jr. trade flurries of notes and chords like sparring partners, so fast and furious that your ears can barely keep up. "Thou Swell" closes with an explosion of vocalese fireworks, and then downshifts into a tender duet with Russell Malone's guitar on a languid "Lazy Afternoon."

Altogether, Trying Times presents an incredible range of material energetically performed by a singer and band with the chops to back it up. It's a most impressive debut. (Here's hoping that arranger Gonzalez tries to take on a "On a Clear Day You Can See 500 Miles High" medley for Dubé's follow-up.)By Chris M. Slawecki https://www.allaboutjazz.com/tryin-times-deelee-dube-concord-music-group

Personnel: Deelee Dube: voice / vocals; Benito Gonzalez: piano; Russell Malone: guitar, electric; Corcoran Holt: bass; Mark Whitfield Jr.: drums; Eric Wyatts: saxophone, tenor; Duane Eubanks: trumpet; Andrae Murchison: trombone.

Trying Times

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Robin Eubanks and Mental Images - Get 2 It

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:30
Size: 169,7 MB
Art: Front

(8:02)  1. Metamorphos
(5:32)  2. Get 2 It
(5:23)  3. Essi
(2:16)  4. REM State
(6:38)  5. Blues for Jimi
(8:36)  6. Cross Currents
(5:57)  7. RNB-First Take
(6:26)  8. Sabanna
(8:53)  9. House of Jade
(5:13) 10. Reunion
(5:57) 11. Indo
(4:31) 12. AudioNotes

Robin Eubanks' electronic trombone is something else. Horn players have been trying for decades to create a vocal-like sound on their instruments. The plunger mute helped brass players when jazz was young. The electronic saxophone and EWI have allowed reed players to play harmony and create inspiring effects; yet, neither instrument has allowed sufficiently for vocal effects. Instead, flute players achieve their vocal effects through ' well ' vocalizing. Over the years, creative artists such as Lester Bowie have experimented with natural-sounding vocal sounds expressed through a horn. Eubanks' session comes a long way from early tailgate trombone and the timeless junior high school antics of creating kissing sounds or a horse's holiday neigh through the trumpet. Combining hard core electronic experimentation with down-to-earth trombone artistry, Eubanks brings his latest album to a wider audience. Singing the blues, he works the electronic trombone through "Blues for Jimi," resembling the wordless vocals of scat singing. The fascinating sounds, while somewhat eerie at times, are placed in a tasteful jazz environment. A blues organ trio supports Eubanks as it would any emotional singer. Only the title track contains actual vocal expression. The other vocal-like exhibitions are through the electronic trombone. Several selections place Eubanks' trombone in a sextet format with modern mainstream originals. His brother, Duane, joins on trumpet for some hard bop hitting. A propelling rhythm section drives both brothers forcefully. Samples of two of the album's tracks are available at the trombonist's mp3 site . Showing his true potential, Eubanks performs "Essie," a lovely trombone ballad, with Kevin Eubanks' acoustic guitar accompanying. Having recorded six CDs as a leader, Robin Eubanks has proven that he has an unyielding respect for jazz's traditions. Placed in this context, his highly individualized, singing, electronic trombone makes a warm addition to the jazz world and should encourage others to explore similar new avenues for expression. 

~ Jim Santella https://www.allaboutjazz.com/get-2-it-robin-eubanks-rem-review-by-jim-santella.php

Personnel: Robin Eubanks (trombone & electric trombone); Duane Eubanks (trumpet); Kevin Eubanks (acoustic guitar); Maya Azucena (vocals); George Colligan, Michael Cain (keyboards); Lonnie Plaxico, Dave Holland (bass); Billy Kilson, Gene Jackson (drums); Mino Cinelu (percussion)

Get 2 It

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Avery Sharpe - 400: an African American Musical Portrait

Styles: Vocal, Hard Bop
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:35
Size: 133,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:03)  1. Arrival
(4:51)  2. Is There A Way Home
(5:36)  3. Colonial Life
(3:02)  4. Fiddler
(5:14)  5. Antebellum
(7:15)  6. A New Music
(5:35)  7. Harlem And The War To End All Wars
(6:54)  8. Blues and World War II
(6:34)  9. Aint Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around
(6:25) 10. 500

In 1619 the White Lion, a British privateer which had just successfully raided a Spanish slave ship, arrived in the Jamestown colony with its contraband cargo of twenty-some African slaves. Thus began the tumultuous legacy of the African American experience in North America a four-hundred-year saga that bassist Avery Sharpe traces skilfully and poignantly on 400: An African American Musical Portrait. Sharpe has never been reluctant to acknowledge the forces that have shaped him musically and culturally. His Legends and Mentors (JKNM Records, 2008) paid tribute to three of his longtime musical colleagues and teachers, McCoy Tyner, Archie Shepp and Yusef Lateef. But consider also his multiple efforts to draw deeply from the well of the black experience in America; projects like Extended Family II: Thoughts of My Ancestors (JKNM Records, 1995) and Epic Ebony Journey (JKNM Records, 2001) sought out the enduring traits of African Americans' resilience and fortitude, locating them within the profound resources of African culture and seeing their evolution through black Americans' various struggles and triumphs. However, those earlier albums seem a mere prelude to 400. This is truly Sharpe's statement record, with a sweeping historical vision conveyed through a well-defined series of ten musical vignettes that encompass four centuries of African American life. It is an ambitious undertaking, to be sure. 

The album has a "family" feel, not only due to the presence of veteran associates like saxophonist Don Braden, drummer Ronnie Burrage, and pianist Zaccai Curtis, all of whom have collaborated previously with Sharpe. Just as important is the "Extended Family Choir," consisting largely of Sharpe's family members, who offer valuable emotional strength and musical heft on four of the cuts. His brother, Kevin Sharpe, directs the ensemble, while his niece, Sofia Rivera, has a particularly stirring turn on an emphatic spoken-word part on "Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around," Sharpe's take on the traditional civil rights anthem, which invokes the substantial history of African American protest from the Jim Crow period to Black Lives Matter. The choir's presence on the first two tracks, "Arrival" and "Is There a Way Home," is just as effective, offering a visceral articulation of the fear and foreboding that accompanied slaves' early lives in the colonies along with the burgeoning sustenance for resistance they began to find by looking homeward to the African continent. Sharpe's songwriting strategies are smart ones, utilizing a wide stylistic range to embrace as much of the African American musical tradition as possible. African rhythms and instrumentation (notably, Tendai Muparutsa on the djembe) enliven "Arrival" and "Is There a Way Home," while later historical moments see other idioms emerge. "Fiddler" has both classical and folkish elements, as violinists Kevin Zhou and Sophia Jeongyoon Han give a glimpse of slaves' nascent musical expressions, whereas "A New Music" signals the presence of early jazz through a stately rag from Curtis that segues into jaunty New Orleans swing. Through it all, a spirit of strength and endurance is undeniable, with moments of brightness which continually lighten the music. Guitarist Kevin Eubanks is an essential presence in this regard; even on "Arrival," a track that could easily succumb to despair, Eubanks' nimble acoustic flourishes suggest the possibilities of hope and potential, as they do on several of the cuts. Braden, too, has some energizing moments, soloing fervently on "Arrival" and undertaking a bop-based strut on "Blues and World War II." Fittingly, the album's last track, "500," features strong modern jazz fueled by a post-bop sensibility. It points beyond the album's historical trajectory, both musically and politically, and makes clear that the African American story, like that of jazz itself, is a narrative that is very much still unfolding. ~ Troy Dostert https://www.allaboutjazz.com/400-an-african-american-musical-portrait-avery-sharpe-jknm-records-review-by-troy-dostert.php

Personnel: Avery Sharpe: double bass, vocals; Kevin Eubanks: acoustic and electric guitar; Don Braden: tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute; Ronnie Burrage: drums and percussion; Tendai Muparutsa: djembe; Duane Eubanks: trumpet, flugelhorn; Zaccai Curtis: piano; Davis Whitfield: piano (8); Kevin Zhou: violin; Sophia Jeongyoon Han: violin; Kevin Sharpe, Shaina Paris, Sofia Rivera, Wanda Rivera, Heshima Moja, Robert Rivera: vocals (1, 2, 5, 9).

400: an African American Musical Portrait

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B.J.Jansen - Common Ground

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:40
Size: 150,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:25)  1. Stacey's Pace
(5:39)  2. Carol's Dream
(5:58)  3. Street Walk
(4:50)  4. Brandon's Blues
(5:06)  5. Soul Loss
(4:24)  6. Angela's Aggravation
(5:32)  7. Bucket Full of Soul
(5:05)  8. Relaxin' with Jessica
(7:22)  9. Common Ground
(4:43) 10. Angela's Aggravation (Alternate Take)
(6:09) 11. Bucket Full of Soul (Alternate Take)
(4:20) 12. Stacey's Pace (Alternate Take)

Cincinnati-born baritone saxophonist B.J. Jansen's tenth album is titled Common Ground for good reason: his sextet consists of NEA Jazz Master trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis, drummer Ralph Peterson, trumpeter Duane Eubanks, pianist Zaccai Curtis, and bassist Dezron Douglas all of whom revel in improvisation. His group's shared affinity for jazz in the straight-ahead vein compelled Jansen to employ a "hands-off" tactic as leader, prompting the end product's great diversity of playing and style. The album has its post- bop pieces, hard bop workouts, Coltrane-esque spirituals, and mellifluous ballads, constituting an album that sounds classic, yet modern in its permissive borrowing from jazz's past.  From the first muscular bars of "Stacey's Pace," the aura of Common Ground is made clear: uncluttered, timeless jazz that harkens back to the all-star sessions of the late '50s and early '60s. A nimble bass solo by Douglas ushers in spirited improvisation from the remainder of the group, assembling sounds that likely would've reverberated off the walls of the Five Spot in its heyday. Influenced by the harmonic intricacy of Charlie Parker's compositions, "Angela's Aggravation" swings with a bebop approach, featuring a blazing solo by Jansen that conveys unbridled passion without compromising clarity. Further venturing down jazz's stylistic evolution, "Street Walk" exudes a post-bop flavor with its angular melody and dynamic structure. Anchored by Peterson's intrepid, at times explosive, sense of rhythm, players are impelled to solo at their most dexterous. 

Not lacking in tranquility, ballads "Carol's Dream" and "Soul Loss" impart the sextet's softer side, with Jansen filling open space with languid phrasing throughout the latter. As the concluding piece, the improvised title track seems to hit the crux of the album resolute unity through music. Leading his band from a spiritual introduction to reckless free playing, Jansen's sinuous trajectory never falters due to this mutual perceptivity. If the Blue Note and Prestige sessions of old occupy a sizeable portion of your music collection, Common Ground is an essential new release (the album even includes three alternate takes, akin to modern jazz reissues). Backed with a band of the highest caliber, Jansen's adroitness and appreciation for jazz produces a sound that radiates with classic charm. While his influence lies in the traditional, Jansen's individuality will surely cement his position in the line of great baritone players. ~ Mattew Aquiline https://www.allaboutjazz.com/common-ground-bj-jansen-ronin-jazz-review-by-matthew-aquiline.php

Personnel: B.J. Jansen: baritone saxophone; Delfeayo Marsalis: trombone; Duane Eubanks: trumpet; Zaccai Curtis: piano; Dezron Douglas: bass; Ralph Peterson: drums.

Common Ground

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Jeff Williams - Another Time

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:31
Size: 120,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:23)  1. Search Me
(7:49)  2. She Can't Be a Spy
(5:05)  3. Double Life
(8:02)  4. Purple, Blue and Red
(7:20)  5. Fez
(5:29)  6. Under the Radar
(6:42)  7. Go Where You're Watching
(5:38)  8. Another Time

The catch-all term "playing time" is often used as a descriptor for drummers that find a steady, supportive pattern and play it ad infinitum, whether to the benefit or detriment of a band, but that definition has always been limiting. Drummer Jeff Williams, for example, has and plays impeccable time, but he paints around the lines and shifts patterns to accent and highlight what's happening in the music at any given moment. He's the rare drummer who understands and conceptualizes time as something beyond the standard "spang-a-lang" status quo, and this ideal comes to the fore with Another Time. While Williams has been an important voice on the jazz scene for four decades, he's always managed to stay slightly under the radar because his credits have often marked him as a supporting player rather than a leader. Williams secured his place in jazz history as a founding member of the far-reaching band Lookout Farm in the early '70s, and racked up an impressive list of sideman credits in the decades that followed. He has constantly been called upon to provide backing for left-leaning artists-in-the-know, like fellow Lookout Farm members Dave Liebman and Richie Beirach, pianist Richard Sussman, the legendary Lee Konitz, and saxophonist Bill McHenry, but Williams has only stepped out on his own on relatively few occasions over the past two decades. For this, the first record released under his name in the new millennium, Williams brought together a piano-less quartet that occasionally leans on the sound of early Ornette Coleman ("Search Me"), but isn't handcuffed to any single influence. 

Williams penned five of the eight pieces on the album, with each of his band mates contributing one song each to round out the program, and he brings different artistic elements into the mix on each number. "Fez" marries Coleman's ideals with Middle Eastern sounds a la John Zorn's Masada and the title track begins without drums, with some buzzing arco work from bassist John Hébert underscoring the horn lines of trumpeter Duane Eubanks and alto saxophonist John O'Gallagher. Elsewhere, Williams shifts the sands of time from slow and dirge-like to spirited and snappy ("Purple, Blue And Red"), shines a spotlight on Hébert sans band ("She Can't Be A Spy"), and gives plenty of solo space to the fine horn players he employs. While Another Time is another clear indicator of Williams' drumming talents, it also serves as a fine display of his skills as a composer. One can only hope that he doesn't wait so long to release his next disc. ~ Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/another-time-jeff-williams-whirlwind-recordings-ltd-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Jeff Williams: drums; Duane Eubanks: trumpet; John O'Gallagher: alto saxophone; John Hébert: bass.

Another Time

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Duane Eubanks - Things Of That Particular Nature

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:35
Size: 122.7 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[7:06] 1. Purple, Blue, And Red
[4:07] 2. As Is
[3:39] 3. Rosey
[7:46] 4. Holding Hands
[4:57] 5. Beer And Water
[3:32] 6. Anywhere's Paradise
[3:33] 7. Dance With Aleta
[6:22] 8. Aborted Dreams
[7:41] 9. Slew Footed
[4:47] 10. P

Duane Eubanks - trumpet, flugelhorn; Abraham Burton - tenor saxophone; Marc Cary - piano, Fender Rhodes; Dezron Douglas - bass; Eric McPherson - drums; Steve Nelson - vibraphone.

Sometimes all one needs to move along is a little prompting. With a bit of discipline, motivation and, maybe, a little help from the Universe, opportunities will arise and lead the willing to his goal. Philadelphia trumpeter, Duane Eubanks is thankful for the motivation the Universe has provided him with and dedicates his new recording – Things of that Particular Nature – to his main influences and motivators: his father, his mentor, Mulgrew Miller, and his wife. These three individuals were the driving forces behind the creation of his new recording, Eubanks’s first in nearly a decade.

Eubanks was also fortunate to have strong role models while growing up. His father, William Eubanks, was stern and strong, a veteran and police officer, who moved through the ranks to detective, a rare feat for an African American man at that time. He passed his own moral compass and level headedness on to his four sons, three of whom became tremendous musicians with their father’s full support. The late, great pianist Mulgrew Miller provided another brotherly role model for Eubanks as he began his career as a professional musician. Miller’s personality was much like Eubanks’ father’s, allowing their professional relationship to become more akin to that of mentor and friend. It was Miller’s advice and support that helped nurture Eubanks in becoming the musician he is.

Things Of That Particular Nature mc
Things Of That Particular Nature zippy

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