Bria Skonberg - What It Means

Styles: Vocal And Trumpet Jazz
Size: 127,7 MB
Time: 55:24
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2024
Art: Front

1. Comes Love (4:30)
2. Sweet Pea (3:40)
3. Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans (4:13)
4. The Beat Goes On (6:51)
5. In The House (6:23)
6. Cornet Chop Suey (4:44)
7. Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy) (5:27)
8. Days Like This (3:23)
9. Petit Fleur (4:35)
10. Elbow Bump (7:05)
11. Lullabye (Goodnight My Angel) / A Child is Born (4:29)

Trumpeter and vocalist Bria Skonberg says the great joy of music has always been in sharing it. “I love to perform. I love to prepare songs in ways that surprise and delight listeners.” WHAT IT MEANS is Skonberg’s heartfelt homage to the music and traditions of New Orleans. Most of the musicians on the album are from New Orleans; Ben Jaffe on sousaphone, singer Gabrielle Cavassa, trombonist Ethan Santos, Guitarist Don Vappie, drummer Herlin Riley, bassist Grayson Brockamp, and saxophonist Rex Gregory.

One of the most famous songs about the Crescent City is, ‘Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans.’ By shortening the title to WHAT IT MEANS Skonberg transforms it into a broader statement, encouraging her audience to consider what truly matters to them personally.

Not everything on WHAT IT MEANS is from the world of jazz. John Lennon’s ‘Beautiful Boy’ took on new meaning when Skonberg had her first child. There are tunes by Billy Joel, Sonny Bono, and Van Morrison.

Skonberg’s wah wah mute is used to great effect on the 1939 jazz standard ‘Comes Love.’ Aurora Nealand’s soprano saxophone echoes Sidney Bechet, but it’s smoother, without Bechet’s gritty vibrato. Ben Jaffe’s sousaphone evokes New Orleans parade music. The mood shifts with Chris Pattishall’s piano solo, transporting the music to Cuba. Skonberg is mute-less and playing beautiful unison lines with the band, and engaging in an animated call and response with drummer Herlin Riley.

Skonberg’s playing is marked by crisp articulation and a powerful attack, perfectly capturing the spirit of Louis Armstrong’s 1926 recording ‘Cornet Chop Suey.’ Don Vappie’s banjo helps preserve the authentic feel of Armstrong’s Hot Five.

‘In the House’ was one of the original compositions Skonberg wrote for the album, and it’s a beaut. It sounds more hard bop than traditional New Orleans jazz, but It really shows off her trumpet chops. I like the way she switches from playing with a mute, and then not. Pattishall’s melodic piano and the bass work from Grayson Brockamp make this one of the album’s highlights.
I have never liked Sonny Bono’s ‘The Beat Goes On.’ Skonberg is a much better singer, but I thought this is a song that should be left to the ashes of history until I heard her band resurrect this sixties turkey and give it life. Rex Gregory’s tenor saxophone has a lot of fun with the melody. Skonberg’s trumpet playing is a delight. It’s obvious she’s having fun on this album. Ethan Santos’s trombone playing adds a lot to this tune.

Skonberg wanted to record some pop songs from her past that she loved, and I respect that. I don’t have as warm a spot in my heart for some of those pop hits from the past. There is a lot to enjoy on Bria Skonberg’s WHAT IT MEANS. It is a wonderful tribute to the music and the history of New Orleans.By Tim Larsen https://jazzviews.net/bria-skonberg-what-it-means/

Personnel: Bria Skonberg – Trumpet & Vocal; Don Vappie – Guitar, Banjo (track 6); Chris Pattishall – Piano; Grayson Brockamp – Acoustic Bass; Herlin Riley – Drums, Percussion; Aurora Nealand – Soprano Saxophone (track 1); Rex Gregory – Tenor Saxophone, Bass Clarinet (tracks 4,8-10); Ethan Santos – Trombone (tracks 4, 8-10); Ben Jaffe – Sousaphone (tracks 1, 10); Gabrielle Cavassa – Vocal (track 8)

What It Means

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Joshua Redman & Gabrielle Cavassa - Where Are We

Styles: Saxofone Jazz, Vocal, Post Bop
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:38
Size: 142,2 MB
Art: Front

(7:43) 1. After Minneapolis (face toward mo[u]rning)
(5:20) 2. Streets Of Philadelphia
(4:54) 3. Chicago Blues
(5:37) 4. Baltimore
(4:41) 5. By The Time I Get To Phoenix
(5:05) 6. Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans?
(3:55) 7. Manhattan
(3:13) 8. My Heart In San Francisco (Holiday)
(4:47) 9. That’s New England
(0:16) 10. Alabama (intro)
(1:55) 11. Stars Fell On Alabama
(7:54) 12. Alabama
(5:10) 13. Where Are You?

After graduating from Berkeley High School in 1986, Joshua Redman (son of jazz legend Dewey Redman) won a full scholarship to Harvard, where he graduated summa cum laude in 1991. He was accepted at Yale Law School to become a lawyer. Instead, he embarked on a musical career which quickly turned luminous. He won the Thelonious Monk Institute's prestigious jazz saxophone competition in 1991, before moving to Brooklyn, becoming part of the thriving scene there. His debut album, Joshua Redman (Warner Brothers, 1993) was shortly followed by Wish (Warner Brothers, 1993), the latter with a band comprising Pat Metheny, Charlie Haden and Billy Higgins. Since then he has released over twenty albums in many different settings and is acknowledged as one of jazz's leading figures on tenor sax.

Where We Are is his debut on the Blue Note label. It is a thematic musical journey across the USA. Every track (except the title track which closes the record) references a city or geographic location. It also features vocalist Gabrielle Cavassa on nine of the album's twelve tracks.

The first stop is "After Minneapolis (face toward mo[u]rning)." On it, Redman begins by quoting the melody of Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land" before beginning a short exploration of the tune and ending with a long, sustained note which leads into the piano playing single chords on the downbeat. Cavassa starts singing the lyrics written by Redman which reference the George Floyd killing over a dirge-like melody. Three minutes in, the band explodes onto the scene and Redman explores the pain and chaos of that tragedy before returning to the melody.

The next destination is Bruce Springsteen's Oscar Award-winning lament "Streets Of Philadelphia" Guest Kurt Rosenwinkel adds his unique sound which introduces the song before Cavassa enters. The interplay between Redmond and Rosenwinkel is very effective as the tune later turns more bluesy.

At this point, the album turns problematic. The remaining seven vocal tracks continue to have a slow, sameness to them. They are all ballads sung in a similar, lilting manner. Cavassa sings them all in a style reminiscent of Melody Gardot with her rich, sultry tone. "Chicago Blues" adds the vibes of Joel Ross which only increases the softening effect. The band is always empathetic, trying to create the space for Cavassa's vocals. "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" is done even more slowly than the original. "Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans" is also taken at a languid pace. Guest Nicholas Payton on trumpet, along with Redman, plays a coda where they jam together in a New Orleans style, adding a welcome change of pace.

"My Heart In San Francisco (Holiday)" is a mash-up of the Thelonious Monk tune and the standard Tony Bennett made famous. The twist with the Monk tune is very clever and works well but, once again, it is sung in the same manner as the others. "That's New England," "Stars Fell On Alabama" and "Where We Are" are more of the same. There is some differentiation in the arrangements of course, but not enough to change the overall vibe.

The saving grace of this album is the three instrumentals. "Baltimore" is a beautiful arrangement where Redman and pianist Aaron Parks get a chance to expound on the haunting melody in a post-bop manner. "Manhattan" by Rogers & Hart, is the swinging mid-tempo song on the album. Guest guitarist Peter Bernstein shows his bluesy skills before Redman turns it up a notch. It is the rare fun piece on the record. John Coltrane's classic "Alabama" is the album's standout track. Redman channels Coltrane by going inside out. He solos through the entire track, showing off his deep tone and intricate ideas.

In the liner notes, Redman explains, "On one level, this is an album 'about' America at once a celebration and a critique but it is also, to varying degrees, a ballads album, a standards album, an album of romantic longing, an album of social reflection, an album of melodic invention, an album of improvisational adventure, an album of mash-ups, perhaps even a tribute album of sorts."

The ironic thing is while all the titles refer to many of the various and diverse parts of the country, the songs selected for the vocals, along with Cavassa's singing style, are anything but. Taken individually, they are all lovely, well-sung and well-played performances. The contributions of the four guest stars add some sizzle to their respective tracks and Redman with his core quartet is always solid but, taken as a whole, this album is less than the sum of its parts. It could have been so much more. By Dave Linn
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/where-are-we-joshua-redman-blue-note-records

Personnel: Joshua Redman: saxophone; Gabrielle Cavassa: voice / vocals; Aaron Parks: piano; Joe Sanders: bass; Brian Blade: drums.

Additional Instrumentation: Kurt Rosenwinkel: guitar (2); Peter Bernstein: guitar (7); Nicholas Payton: trumpet (6); Joel Ross: vibes: (3); Gabrielle Cavassa: guitar (13).

Where Are We

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