Esperanza Spalding & Milton Nascimento - Milton + esperanza

Styles: Brazilian Jazz
Size: 145,2 MB
Time: 60:59
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2024
Art: Front

1. The Music Was There (0:58)
2. Cais (3:41)
3. Late September (1:26)
4. Outubro (5:17)
5. A Day in the Life (4:36)
6. Interlude for Saci (1:41)
7. Saci (3:29)
8. Wings for the Thought Bird (3:07)
9. The Way You Are (0:43)
10. Earth Song (6:42)
11. Morro Velho (5:15)
12. Saudade Dos Aviões Da Panair (Conversando No Bar) (5:24)
13. Um Vento Passou (para Paul Simon) (4:37)
14. Get It By Now (2:24)
15. Outro Planeta (2:06)
16. When You Dream (9:26)

Sometimes the semiology around an album can tell you more about it than any amount of words attempting to describe the music itself. And the semiology around Milton + esperanza is eloquent. It begins with the overlap with another summer 2024 release, Wayne Shorter's magical double-album Celebration Volume 1 (Blue Note), a previously unreleased recording of Shorter's Quartet in concert in 2014, with liner notes written by Shorter's wife Carolina.

Now consider the overlap. Wayne Shorter recorded with Milton Nascimento on the 1975 album Native Dancer (CBS), and the relationship continued until Shorter passed in 2023. Towards the end of his life, Shorter was a mentor and champion of Esperanza Spalding. Shorter's "When You Dream" (from his 1985 CBS album Atlantis) closes Milton + esperanza. Carolina Shorter is a guest vocalist on the track, singing alongside Nascimento and Spalding. She is heard on another track, too, "Wings For The Thought Bird," chanting a Nichiren Buddhist mantra. Nascimento and Spalding were introduced to each other by the Shorters' friend Herbie Hancock, and they first collaborated on Spalding's Chamber Music Society (Heads Up, 2010).

Enough semiology. The smoke signals should be in clear sight. They promise beauty and depth, and both are delivered in generous quantities. Check the YouTube below.

The music on Shorter's Celebration Volume 1 is superficially different from that on Milton + esperanza. But there are profound similarities. (Shorter's album is scheduled for release on August 23, 2024, a month ahead at the time of writing this review.) Listening to Celebration Volume 1, one feels like one is cruising through space on Starship Shorter, watching an unfolding panorama of quasars, suns, star systems and new life forms pass by. Another metaphor might be one of those deep-sea explorations where strange but beautiful sea creatures drift in and out of the submersible's spotlight. It is a trip alright.

So is Milton + esperanza, but the voyage is closer to home. A recurring theme in the song lyrics seems most of the lyrics are in Portuguese and no English translations are provided, so it is hard to be certain to concern the health of planet Earth and how it can be secured. The music is in the same elevated ballpark as the Shorter album, although Spalding and Nascimento have more instrumental resources at hand than did the Quartet, including a full-sized string orchestra and plenty of guest artists. The latter include Shabaka Hutchings on tenor saxophone and flute on three tracks, the great Guinga on guitar and vocals on two tracks, and Lianne La Havas, Paul Simon and Dianne Reeves helping out on vocals on one track each.

The sixteen tracks include new arrangements of five Nascimento classics, newly written originals by Spalding and an out-of-its-tree reading of The Beatles' "A Day In The Life" (though, it should be said, no further out than the Fab Four managed in 1967 with two four-track tape machines and the zeitgeist). The core band is Spalding's touring group: Matthew Stevens (guitar), Justin Tyson and Eric Doob (drums), Leo Genovese (piano) and Corey D. King (vocals, synth). Most of the album was recorded in Rio de Janeiro in 2023, with Spalding producing, and arranging all but the string orchestra.An utterly enchanting album which at times possesses something approaching a sacred vibe.By Chris May https://www.allaboutjazz.com/milton-esperanza-milton-nascimento-esperanza-spalding-concord-music-group

Milton + esperanza

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Tineke Postma - The Dawn of Light

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:35
Size: 129,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:38)  1. Canção de Amor (Suite I Na Floresta do Amazonas)
(7:10)  2. Falling Scales
(4:19)  3. Before the Snow
(5:37)  4. Leave Me A Place Underground
(6:59)  5. The Observer
(5:47)  6. Off Minor
(4:22)  7. Newland
(4:49)  8. The Man Who Stared At Coats
(4:37)  9. Beyond Category
(6:12) 10. Tell It Like It Is

Since her 2004 debut as a leader, Dutch saxophonist Tineke Postma has released records almost like clockwork every alternate year, with The Traveller (EtceteraNow, 2009), as strong a statement as she's made, featuring a quartet of Americans including drummer Terri Lyne Carrington constant companion since Postma's sophomore For the Rhythm (Munich, 2005). The Dawn Of Light returns to an all-Dutch lineup for the first time since First Avenue (Munich, 2004), with the exception of Grammy Award-winner Esperanza Spalding, whose sweetly appealing voice helps keep the irregularly metered "Leave Me a Place Underground" eminently accessible.  The Dawn of Light reunites Postma with keyboardist Marc Vanroon and bassist Frans van der Hoeven from 2007's A Journey That Matters (Foreign Media). Gigging together since 2006, this is the first time Postma has recorded with this group, which also features drummer Martijn Vink, last heard with her on First Avenue. If artists like drummer Han Bennink and pianist Misha Mengelberg put The Netherlands on the map in the 1960s with their New Dutch Swing, then this new generation of Dutch players is equally forward-thinking, but even more liberal when it comes to the palette from which they work, and the styles from which they draw. 

On this largely acoustic session, which features six Postma compositions written specifically for the group, the aptly titled, tempo-shifting "Beyond Category" one of two tracks written by van Roon goes against type, mixing the keyboardist's Fender Rhodes with some retro synth textures; even van der Hoeven turns on, feeding his double bass through an octave divider for a short but commanding solo in the relatively short track's final moments. The Dawn Of Light may have more limited instrumentation than A Journey, which ran the gamut from quartet to octet, but the greater chemistry of this consistent lineup is apparent from the opening moments of Postma's free-spirited interpretation of Heitor Villa-Lobos' "Canção de Amor." Blending instantaneous spontaneity, rubato lyricism reminiscent of pianist Keith Jarrett's 1970s American Quartet, and lithe contrapuntal elegance all supported with simmering energy by van der Hoeven and Vink Postma's alto solo sets an early high bar which van Roon, on acoustic piano, matches and then raises. Postma's compositional skills continue to develop, whether it's on relative sketches like "Falling Scales," where she provides little more than a roadmap, or the episodic "The Observer," which ebbs and flows in dynamics and tempo, Postma's soprano soaring into fluttering passages that occasionally reach into the stratosphere piercing but pure leading to a stop-and-start piano solo that van Roon mixes with the occasional synth line. Postma recently participated on Terri Lyne Carrington's all-female Mosaic Project (Concord, 2011), which deserves to give her some additional and deserved North American exposure. 

But as strong a performance as the saxophonist turns in there, it's in the context of her own music that her growth is most palpable. Rendering accessibly melodic music with an intrepid spirit that's unafraid to let the music unfold where it may, The Dawn of Light is Postma's most integrated and fully realized album to date; and with the saxophonist still only in her mid-thirties, only time will tell where she goes next. ~ John Kelman  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-dawn-of-light-tineke-postma-challenge-records-review-by-john-kelman.php#.VEAIWBawTP8
 

Personnel: Tineke Postma: alto and soprano saxophones; Marc van Roon: Steinway grand piano, Korg MS 20 synthesizer, Fender Rhodes Mark I; Frans van der Hoeven: double bass; Martijn Vink: drums; Esperanza Spalding: vocals (4).

The Dawn of Light

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Fred Hersch & Esperanza Spalding - Alive at The Village Vanguard

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Time: 67:32
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 155,0 MB
Art: Front

( 9:32) 1. But Not For Me
( 7:36) 2. Dream Of Monk
( 9:03) 3. Little Suede Shoes
(12:03) 4. Girl Talk
( 6:35) 5. Evidence
( 8:29) 6. Some Other Time
( 9:37) 7. Loro
( 4:34) 8. A Wish

Alive at the Village Vanguard captures pianist Fred Hersch and vocalist Esperanza Spalding in an intimate yet inventively expressive duo performance. On first glance, the combination of Hersch (a veteran performer known for his lyrical standards work) and Spalding (a virtuoso bassist and singer known for her highly conceptual, genre-bending albums) may seem like an odd pairing.

Yet there's an unconventional, somewhat maverick, streak running through both artists, one that balances a core respect for the jazz tradition with a desire to draw inspiration from other mediums like art, poetry, and literature. It's that vibrant combination that Hersch explored on his Walt Whitman-inspired Leaves of Grass album and one which Spalding brought to her own poetry-driven concept albums like Emily's D+Evolution. That adventurous, poetic spirit also drives Alive at the Village Vanguard. Recorded in 2018 at the storied Greenwich Village club, the album finds the duo communing over a well-curated set of standards that they bend to their boldly expressive improvisational will.

While her early work touched upon standards and bossa nova favorites, Spalding's most recent albums (Twelve Little Spells and Songwrights Apothecary Lab) were more experimental in tone, stylistically closer to prog rock and avant-garde singer/songwriter pop. She doesn't play the bass here, choosing instead to dig deep into her vocals and use each song as a springboard to spin out wholly new lyrics and melodies that make each track her own. Similarly, Hersch is unfettered throughout, offering extended intros and instrumental passages that spiral outward and back again with freewheeling bliss. Together, they seem to magically stumble into unexpected flights of fancy, as when Spalding expounds upon the lyrics to "But Not for Me," analyzing and reframing lyricist Ira Gershwin's Shakespearean word choice with a gleeful sense of irony, singing "'Oh, 'Alas,' I get that one, 'hi-ho,' not so much."

Or how she expounds on Neil Hefti and Bobby Troupe's "Girl Talk," reframing the meaning of the song on the fly with a humorous, slyly feminist point of view and bold harmonic asides that Hersch never fails to underscore with his own colorfully wry chords. Elsewhere, Spalding displays her lithe vocal skills, singing Thelonious Monk's "Evidence" in wordless vocalese, punctuating her lines with a modern tap dancer's guttural swagger as Hersch twirls around her. Much more than simply a lively jazz standards album, Alive at the Village Vanguard captures these two jazz kindred spirits in joyous, creative play. By Matt Collar
https://www.allmusic.com/album/release/alive-at-the-village-vanguard-mr0005869165

Personnel: Piano, Producer – Fred Hersc; Vocals, Producer – Esperanza Spalding

Alive at the Village Vanguard

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Wayne Shorter - Live At The Detroit Jazz Festival

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:38
Size: 127,6 MB
Art: Front

(14:20) 1. Someplace Called "Where"
(21:43) 2. Endangered Species
( 8:37) 3. Encontros e Despedidas
( 4:41) 4. Drummers Song
( 6:16) 5. Midnight in Carlotta's Hair

Wayne Shorter is arguably the greatest living jazz composer and a key participant in some of the most iconic jazz recordings of all time. Wayne Shorter is arguably the greatest living jazz composer and a key participant in some of the most iconic jazz recordings of all time. Here he is joined on stage by an all star band each of the musicians leaders and jazz icons in their own right. The record also pays tribute to the late Geri Allen, who composed some of the material.https://www.prestomusic.com/jazz/products/9366902--live-at-the-detroit-jazz-festival

Personnel: Wayne Shorter: tenor and soprano saxophone; Leo Genovese: piano and keyboards; Esperanza Spalding: bass and vocal; Terri Lyne Carrington: drums

Live At The Detroit Jazz Festival

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Fourplay - Energy

Styles: Jazz, Crossover Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:25
Size: 115,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:52) 1. Fortune Teller
(5:25) 2. The Whistle
(4:17) 3. Ultralight
(4:57) 4. Cape Town
(5:07) 5. The Yes Club
(3:09) 6. Prelude For Lovers
(6:35) 7. Look Both Ways
(5:21) 8. Argentina
(4:54) 9. Comfort Zone
(4:45) 10. Sebastian

Fourplay is as much a conundrum as a contrivance. Their punning name suggests sexy jazz and both levels are sometimes achieved but if this collective's aim of producing what is, after all, supposed to be "pretty music" meets its goal, it may sell millions but it rarely rises above agreeable (for those paying attention) or merely listenable (for those doing other things). Energy, the foursome's eleventh release and seventh with Larry Carlton in place of original guitarist Lee Ritenour, continues this foray but with slightly better than average results. While no Fourplay album has ever produced any definitive musical statement, the eponymous first album (Warner Bros., 1991) contains many of what remains today to be the band's best and best-known music ("Bali Run," "101 Eastbound," "Moonjogger").

It also set the group's "fourmula" "Bali Run" rewrites, a strikingly anonymous ballad featuring a high-profile or label-mate singer and low-key riff-based tunes from each of the group's four leaders. Only occasionally has the group appeared to go for something greater. Several examples include "Chant" from Between The Sheets (Warner Bros., 1993), Snowbound (Warner Bros., 1999), a charming and unusual holiday collection, and the quite fine Heartfelt (Bluebird, 2002).

Here, they may have actually come up with the "energy" to make something that matters slightly more than usual. As always, keyboardist Bob James and guitarist Larry Carlton are the predominant soloists although bassist Nathan East's occasional warm vocalizations give this band its distinct personality and while James often contributes the stronger tunes, Carlton steps up here with two mildly funky gems, "Ultralight," offering a brief and welcome respite by Bob James on Fender Rhodes, and "Comfort Zone," which seems to have jumped right out of the Crusaders catalog (Carlton was one of the Crusaders in the 1970s). But, like so much in the Fourplay band book, even these lack the sort of drama or sustained interest that make a memorable tune compelling.

Bob James contributes three interesting compositions, most notably the enchanting "Sebastian," which is based on a beautiful Bach piano piece and nicely recalls his synth-driven take on Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, "Ludwig," from 1983. James mines more of his past on "The Yes Club," a jaunty sprite that echoes his Lucky Seven (Columbia, 1979) fusion days and "Look Both Ways," which initially suggests One On One (CBS, 1979), his 1979 foray with Earl Klugh, then moves to suggest a few pieces on the pair's 1992 collaboration, Cool (Warner Bros., 1992). Indeed, "Look Both Ways" offers one startling minute that is the jazziest and most exciting this foursome has ever gotten. This is the way to look.

With four players of the caliber of Bob James, Larry Carlton, Nathan East, and Harvey Mason, talented and experienced beyond imagination and certainly capable of choosing their own direction, it's easy to hope for more than what Energy provides. But now, well past the group's 15-year mark, it's unreasonable to expect any substantial change. Despite this, Energy lives up to its claim, invigorating Fourplay to deliver one of its more interesting and enjoyable releases.~Douglas Paynehttps://www.allaboutjazz.com/energy-fourplay-heads-up-international-review-by-douglas-payne

Personnel: Bob James: keyboards; Nathan East: bass, vocals (4, 10); Larry Carlton: guitar; Harvey Mason: drums; Sara East: background vocal (4); Noah East: background vocal (4); Elijah East: background vocal (4); Marcel East: programming (4), percussion (4), keyboards (4), guitar (4); Esperanza Spalding: vocals (6).

Energy

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Esperanza Spalding - 12 Little Spells

Styles: Straight-ahead/Mainstream
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:43
Size: 129,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:53)  1. 12 Little Spells
(4:53)  2. To Tide Us Over
(4:17)  3. 'Til The Next Full
(4:35)  4. Thang
(4:53)  5. Touch In Mine
(4:35)  6. The Longing Deep Down
(3:27)  7. You Have To Dance
(4:26)  8. Now Know
(3:36)  9. All Limbs Are
(5:07) 10. Readying To Rise
(5:07) 11. Dancing The Animal
(5:52) 12. With Others

Jazz bassist, singer, songwriter, producer and genius Esperanza Spalding has been hard a work this month developing musical arrangements themed around the human body for a new concept album titled, 12 Little Spells. Spalding has been sharing each new track through her social media outlets at 12:12 p.m. every day, which are separately focused around a specific area of the human anatomy. Spalding also announced on Tuesday morning that she’ll be bringing her new bag of spells to audiences around the country starting next month for a brief, six-date North American tour. The run of shows will begin in San Francisco in just over a month on Nov. 19. From there, Spalding will visit select U.S. cities including Los Angeles, Dallas, Munhall, Pennsylvania; Atlanta and closing out with a performance at New York City’s Town Hall on Dec. 12 - more specifically, 12/12 in accordance with her album’s numerical “12” theme. Spalding full tour scheduled can be seen listed below. Tickets to select shows on the short tour will begin pre-sale later this week on Thursday, Oct. 18, with general sales following on Oct. 19. According to Vanity Fair, the accompanying tour will be a 12-date run in accordance with the running numerical theme, so fans should be on the lookout for more dates to be announced as the album’s release draws closer by the day. Speaking of days, the past few have seen Spalding continue to roll out her body-themed tracks, including songs and pieces written about Arms, Fingers, Solar Portals, Feet, Abdominals, Hips, Mouth and Spine. 12 Little Spells is currently scheduled for a full digital release this Friday, Oct. 19. The jazz prodigy was also recently recruited to perform on John Legend’s debut Christmas album, providing some instrumentation on the song, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” https://www.axs.com/esperanza-spalding-bringing-12-little-spells-to-select-cities-this-fal-134243

12 Little Spells

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Tom Harrell - Colors of a Dream

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:57
Size: 149,2 MB
Art: Front

(6:26)  1. Tango
(7:01)  2. Velejar (Sail Away)
(6:19)  3. Phantasy in Latin
(5:06)  4. State
(3:18)  5. Seventy
(9:01)  6. Blues 2013
(5:16)  7. Nite Life
(4:58)  8. Even If
(6:43)  9. Walkway
(4:18) 10. Family
(6:25) 11. Goin' Out

After a full career which has spanned decades without a lull Tom Harrell is as busy as ever. Here is a project which supplements his working quintet with two additions saxophonist Jaleel Shaw and bassist/singer Esperanza Spalding. Esperanza can be heard lending her voice to a number of Tom's impressive compositions, sometimes using it in a such way that it takes on the role of a instrument and also delivering a wonderfully unique version of his popular "Sail Away" in Portuguese ("Velejar"). Colors of a Dream is perhaps Harrell's most imaginative recording to-date. ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Colors-Dream-Tom-Harrell/dp/B00F5O1YME 

Personnel:  Tom Harrell – composer, producer, primary artist, trumpet, flugelhorn;  Esperanza Spalding – bass, vocals;  Wayne Escoffery – sax (tenor);  Jaleel Shaw – sax (alto);  Ugonna Okegwo – bass;  Johnathan Blake – drums;  Fleurine Elizabeth Verloop – composer, lyricist

Colors of a Dream

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Esperanza Spalding - Radio Music Society

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:37
Size: 131.9 MB
Styles: Adult Contemporary R&B, Contemporary jazz
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[6:32] 1. Radio Song
[5:33] 2. Cinnamon Tree
[4:32] 3. Crowned & Kissed
[1:53] 4. Land Of The Free
[5:14] 5. Black Gold (Special Guest Algebra Blessett)
[4:40] 6. I Can't Help It
[3:40] 7. Hold On Me
[5:47] 8. Vague Suspicions
[6:35] 9. Endangered Species
[4:19] 10. Let Her
[4:32] 11. City Of Roses
[4:16] 12. Smile Like That

Esperanza Spalding's fourth album, Radio Music Society (a companion piece to Chamber Music Society in name only) is one of enormous ambition -- polished production, sophisticated, busy charts, and classy songwriting -- that consciously juxtaposes neo-soul and adult-oriented jazz-tinged pop. It employs a stellar cast, largely of jazz musicians, to pull it off. She produced the set, with help from Q-Tip on a couple of numbers, and wrote all but two songs here: a cover of "I Can't Help It" (a Michael Jackson cover written by Stevie Wonder) and Wayne Shorter's "Endangered Species." There are truckloads of players, including three different all-star drummers in Terri Lyne Carrington, Jack DeJohnette, and Billy Hart, saxophonist Joe Lovano, and guitarists Jef Lee Johnson and Lionel Loueke on "Black Gold" (which also contains his vocals and an appearance by the Savannah Children's Choir). Though Ms. Spalding takes most lead vocals, there are also duet appearances from Lalah Hathaway and Algebra Blessett. Backing vocalists include Gretchen Parlato (who also anchors a chorus on several tunes) and Leni Stern. The American Music Program horn section appears on three cuts. The highlights here include "Crowned & Kissed" (a Q-Tip co-production) with its rubbery bassline, contrapuntal horns, Leo Genovese's artful pianism, and Carrington's impeccable sense of swing that bridges funk, neo-soul, jazz, and hip-hop. "Radio Song" contains layered interpolated rhythms (again courtesy of Carrington), sparkling Rhodes piano, syncopated horns and backing chorus, Spalding's alto croon, and a taut, popping bassline. Lovano's saxophone adds a truly elegant and graceful dimension to "I Can't Help It." The charts on Shorter's tune (with lyrics by Spalding) illuminate what may have been the composer's intent all along -- and nod at Pastorius-era Weather Report simultaneously. DeJohnette's funky subtlety drives the knotty fingerpop of "Let Her," and Hart's trademark, shimmering cymbal work on "Hold on Me" complements Spalding's sultry vocal in retro bluesy pop -- it's one of only a couple of places on the record where she plays acoustic bass. While Radio Music Society may play better to younger pop audiences than more die-hard jazzheads, this program is so diverse and well executed -- despite a little overreaching -- it's anybody's guess. ~Thom Jurek

Radio Music Society mc
Radio Music Society zippy

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Various Artists - Disney Jazz: Everybody Wants To Be A Cat, Vol. 1

Styles: Straight-Ahead Jazz,Jazz-Pop 
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:18
Size: 155,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:01)  1. Roy Hargrove - Ev'rybody Wants To Be A Cat
(3:51)  2. Esperanza Spalding - Chim Chim Cher-ee
(4:02)  3. Dave Brubeck - Some Day My Prince Will Come
(5:16)  4. Regina Carter - Find Yourself
(3:56)  5. Joshua Redman - You've Got A Friend In Me
(4:52)  6. Dianne Reeves - He's A Tramp
(5:39)  7. Kurt Rosenwinkel - Feed The Birds (Tuppence A Bag)
(4:28)  8. The Bad Plus - Gaston
(5:59)  9. Roberta Gambarini - Alice In Wonderland (With The Dave Brubeck Trio)
(7:13) 10. Alfredo Rodriguez - The Bare Necessities
(3:12) 11. Nikki Yanofsky - It's A Small World
(6:24) 12. Gilad Hekselman - Belle
(5:18) 13. Mark Rapp - Circle Of Life

What a discovery; what a great idea. Producer Jason Olaine has taken songs from a number of Disney movies some rarely recorded by jazz musicians and made fresh new versions, utilizing some of today's most well-known jazz artists. The performers range from 90 year-old piano legend Dave Brubeck to 17 year-old Canadian vocalist Nikki Yanofsky; established horn players such as trumpeter Roy Hargrove and saxophonist Joshua Redman; and international performers including Israeli-born/US-based guitarist Gilad Hekselman and avant-garde Cuban pianist Alfredo Rodriguez. Olaine has given these diverse artists full control, and they have mined 13 gems from the Disney catalog.  Hargrove delivers a sprightly, hard bop rendition of the sparkling "Everybody Wants to Be A Cat," from 1970's The AristoCats, while accordionist Gil Goldstein provides the haunting opening to Esperanza Spalding's creative arrangement of "Chim Chim Cher-ee," from Mary Poppins (1964), the bassist later vocalizing along with her bowed lines to underscore the song's evocative mood Brubeck gets two selections: first, a swinging version of "Someday My Prince Will Come," from 1937's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, where the pianist breezes through the lilting melody, before coming on strong with his trademark chordal fury; later, he gives fine accompaniment to singer Roberta Gambarini on the theme song to Alice in Wonderland (1951).

Regina Carter's exotic violin merges with accordionist Gary Versace and kora master Yacouba Sissoko in the captivating and ear-opening "Find Yourself," from Cars (2006), while Redman adds depth to the innocuous "You've Got A Friend in Me, " from Toy Story (1995), the tenor saxophonist's creative energy unleashed in a trio with bassist Matt Penman and drummer Gregory Hutchinson. The irrepressible The Bad Plus is mind-blowing on a rousing version of "Gaston," from Beauty and the Beast (1991), taking this French-flavored tune through creative hijinks to a stirring climax, delivered with the brio of an Edith Piaf ballad. On the many strengths of Olaine's Everybody Wants To Be A Cat: Disney Jazz Volume 1, hopefully Volume 2 won't be far behind. ~ Larry Taylor  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/everybody-wants-to-be-a-cat-disney-jazz-volume-1-various-artists-disney-records-review-by-larry-taylor.php
 

Personnel: Roy Hargrove: trumpet (1); Justin Robinson: alto saxophone (1); Ameen Saleem: bass (1); Thaddeus Dixon: drums (1) Esperanza Spalding: bass, vocal (2); Gil Goldstein: piano, accordion (2); Dave Brubeck: piano (3, 9); Michael Moore: bass (3, 9); Randy Jones: drums (3, 9); Regina Carter: violin (4); Gary Versace: accordion (4); Yacoba Sissoko: kora (4); Chris Lightcap: bass(4); Alvester Garnett: drums, percussion (4); Joshua Redman: tenor saxophone (5); Matt Penman: bass (5); Gregory Hutchinson: drums (5); Dianne Reeves: vocal (6); Peter Martin: piano (6); James Genus: bass (6); Alvester Garnett: drums (6); Kurt Rosenwinkel: guitar and piano (7); Joshua Thurston-Milgrom: bass (7); Tobias Backhaus: drums (7); Ethan Iverson: piano (8); Reid Anderson: bass (8); Dave King: drums (8); Roberta Gambarini: vocal (9); Alfredo Rodriguez: piano and percussion (10); Nikki Yanofsky: vocal (11); Paul Shrofel: piano (11); Rob Fahle: bass (11); Geoffrey Lang: drums (11); Rod DiLauro: trumpet (11); Pat Vetter: alto saxophone (11); Christopher Smith: trombone (11); Jean Frechette: baritone saxophone (11); Gilad Hekselman: guitar (12); Joe Martin: bass (12); Obed Calvaire: drums, percussion (12); Mark Rapp: trumpet (13); Jamie Reynolds: piano, keyboards (13); Rene Hart: bass (13); Greg Gonzales: drums (13).

Disney Jazz: Everybody Wants To Be A Cat, Vol. 1

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Nicholas Payton - Bitches

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 72:35
Size: 166.2 MB
Styles: R&B-jazz, Adult contemporary jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[3:56] 1. By My Side (Ildeth's Blues)
[6:36] 2. Freesia
[4:55] 3. Shades Of Hue
[4:54] 4. Truth Or Dare
[5:22] 5. Togetherness Foreverness
[3:30] 6. Indigo
[4:20] 7. You Are The Spark
[3:55] 8. The Second Show (Adam's Plea)
[5:08] 9. Flip The Script
[5:07] 10. Love And Faith
[4:08] 11. Don't I Love You Good
[4:25] 12. Istole Your Iphone
[5:35] 13. You Take Me Places I've Never Been Before
[6:04] 14. Give Light, Live Life, Love
[4:33] 15. Bitches

Left turns don’t get much sharper than this one. Bitches features guest vocal appearances from Esperanza Spalding, N’dambi, Saunders Sermons, Cassandra Wilson, and Chinah Blac. Nicholas Payton does the rest -- not just the trumpet, but all of the instrumentation, all of the songwriting, and most of the vocals. Those who have followed Payton’s career as a jazz musician with no interest in left-field R&B of the previous several years -- including but not limited to Sa-Ra, the Foreign Exchange, Dâm-Funk, and Bugz in the Attic -- will be thrown. Like those artists, Payton was born in the ‘70s and is inspired by R&B acts that thrived during that decade and the following one. In the liner notes, Payton cites Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Michael Jackson, and he might have an affinity for those who started as jazz instrumentalists prior to crossing into R&B during the ‘70s -- Ronnie Foster, George Benson, Patrice Rushen, and Herbie Hancock, to name four of many. Bitches traces the cycle of a romantic relationship, from beginning to end, that dovetails with Payton’s broken marriage. Major points in the story line include the lively “Freesia” (a blissful duet with Spalding, who shines), the funky but furrowed “Truth or Dare” (the woman strays), the floating yet pensive “Indigo” (the man strays), “The Second Show” (the man is ready for a fresh start), the deceptively liquid “Don’t I Love You Good” (the man is somewhat embittered about the woman’s new love interest), and the gospel-tinted “Give Light, Live Life, Love” (where the man shakes off negativity and looks to the future). Throughout, Payton's voice carries an affable, conversational quality. He won’t be compared to his heroes listed above, but he certainly holds his own with his fellow vocalists here, and the lyrics and melodies are mostly top level (merely passable or goofy when not). The slower material, instrumentally reminiscent of Lonnie Liston Smith & the Cosmic Echoes (circa “Love Beams”) and Roy Ayers Ubiquity (circa “Gotta Find a Lover”), is tasteful and solid, but the songs with chunky synthesizers and heavy drum programming, sometimes charmingly sloppy, are the real kick. ~Andy Kellman

Bitches

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Esperanza Spalding - Esperanza

Styles: Straight-ahead/Mainstream
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:56
Size: 156,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:39)  1. Ponta De Areia
(3:46)  2. I Know You Know
(3:57)  3. Fall In
(7:27)  4. I Adore You
(8:01)  5. Body & Soul
(4:29)  6. She Got To You
(4:24)  7. Precious
(6:57)  8. Mela
(5:47)  9. Love In Time
(4:40) 10. Espera
(7:33) 11. If That's True
(5:11) 12. Samba Em Preludio

For the purist who wants to know what all the excitement is about Esperanza Spalding, they can skip directly to track 11 "If That's True" of her sophomore album Esperanza, where she works out on the acoustic bass in an all-out jam with Donald Harrison on alto saxophone and Ambrose Akinmusire on trumpet. It flat-out smokes, and showcases the Berklee-trained bassist as potentially one of the more promising young talents in jazz. First though, she's going to have to decide whether she's a bassist who sings, or a singer who plays bass. She may choose to be both, but while Spalding is a capable vocalist, she has a long way to go before she becomes an exceptional one. As a bassist, she's much closer. As the principal musician, songwriter, composer and producer, Esperanza Spalding might have been better served to have an executive producer supervising. There is a lot of ground covered here; and while she's brimming with ideas, this album is crying out for some judicious editing. You can hear the joy and passion of this 23-year-old talent, and you certainly can't criticize her for enthusiasm. The trouble is Spalding doesn't know when to quit when she's ahead. Clocking in at over an hour in length, she doesn't really have enough first-rate material to justify the running time. Some of the songs go on too long, meander tediously and become a bit repetitious. Spalding's intentions never seem less than a willingness to please and demonstrate her considerable chops, but she doesn't yet know that more isn't always better. 

Sometimes more is just more, and a little restraint could have boosted Esperanza from "pretty good" to "great." Spalding's vocals are best when she's scatting and freestyling on "I Adore You" and "Cuerpo Y Alma," with the latter built around Leo Genovese's piano, Otis Brown's drums and her bass. Singing in Portuguese without lyrics serves Spalding well, because while her singing is pretty and occasionally even soars, her range is limited and some of the lyrics are a bit humdrum. On the outstanding "Mela," Spalding allows Akinmusire's trumpet to take the lead as she dutifully holds the bottom down and drummer Horacio Hernandez madly pounds the hell out of his kit. This track and "If That's True" are the strongest indicators of how "bad as she wanna be" Spalding is when she plays within the dynamics of the group and is not the star attraction. Blessed with talent, youth, training and outrageously good looks, Spalding is a young woman ready to make some noise, and is here to stay in the jazz world. If she can just check some of her excesses and play to her strengths, she's going to be making more and better music for a long time to come. ~ Jeff Winbush   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=29444#.Uy25B4UqPro
 

Personnel: Esperanza Spalding: vocals, acoustic bass; Leo Genovese: piano, Rhodes, Wurlitzer; Gretchen Parlato; background vocals; Jamey Haddad: percussion; Otis Brown: drums, background vocals; Horacio Hernandez: drums; Donald Harrison: alto saxophone(6,11); Ambrose Akinmusire: trumpet (8,11) ; Nino Josele: guitar (12).

Esperanza

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Esperanza Spalding - Junjo

Styles: Straight-ahead/Mainstream
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:07
Size: 112,9 MB
Art: Front

(7:56)  1. The Peacocks
(5:06)  2. Loro
(5:51)  3. Humpty Dumpty
(7:51)  4. Mompouana
(3:39)  5. Perazuán
(5:13)  6. Junjo
(4:55)  7. Cantora De Yala
(6:59)  8. Two Bad
(1:32)  9. Perazela

Esperanza Spalding's debut drives jazz's modern mainstream with a hip-sounding classic piano trio. Her emotional, wordless vocals and conversational bass playing offer a delightful celebration of music as folk art. Spalding's bass playing gets noticed while she interprets traditional jazz favorites as well as fresh new originals. Spalding, who was born in 1984, is younger than most jazz all-stars. And yet the fierce power of her trio proves that these musicians have all paid their dues many times over. The leader, a Portland, Oregon native, graduated from the Berklee College of Music in Boston and now teaches there. Like many of us, she was turned on to jazz by Kind of Blue. Her pianist and drummer on this date, Aruán Ortiz and Francisco Mela, are from Cuba. She's chosen two of the best for her opening salvo in the competitive world of music. 

Of her chances, she says, "If your music is meant to be out there, and you stick to it and put everything you have into that, rather than making sure that someone is taking a nice picture of you, it will work. I think she's on her way to certain success. You can't argue with good taste. Unlike vocalese, Spalding uses a soft, wordless pattern that allows one vowel sound to flow into the next. It's not unlike the Portuguese sounds that often drive a bossa nova. She does sing one song with lyrics on Junjo, however, only to emphasize this point even stronger. "Cantora de Yala, sung in Spanish with nothing more than bass accompaniment, flows naturally with a poignant charm. The trio's interpretation of Chick Corea's Humpty Dumpty offers the best look at Spalding's bass playing. She likes to move with a comfortable rhythmic drive that never fades. Her concept remains lyrical from start to finish; she creates a focus for her energy and ensures that it follows a path toward beauty. Fresh voices such as this one on the modern jazz scene prove that good taste will always win over greedy ambition. ~ Jim Santella   

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=22613#.Ux9hB4VZhhk 
 

Personnel: Esperanza Spalding (vocals, acoustic bass); Aruán Ortiz (piano); Francisco Mela (drums).

Junjo

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