Showing posts with label Grace Kelly. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Grace Kelly. Show all posts

Monday, January 2, 2023

Grace Kelly - All That I Need

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:01
Size: 36,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:20) 1. All That I Need
(4:11) 2. Spoon
(4:14) 3. A Night In Tunisia
(4:30) 4. Queens
(3:12) 5. We Will Rise
(6:08) 6. The Night Time
(3:58) 7. Good To See You Again
(4:09) 8. Shut Up And Dance
(5:16) 9. And So It Goes

An unequivocal musical prodigy, singer-saxophonist-songwriter-composer and band leader Grace Kelly has rocked the jazz world with sold-out concerts, 14 acclaimed albums and a resume that includes performing at the Hollywood Bowl and as part of the house band for “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” all before reaching her mid-twenties.

Kelly’s early career featured performances at Barack Obama’s 2009 inauguration at age 16 and at 14 as a soloist with the Boston Pops playing an original composition arranged for the legendary orchestra; she has since then played over 900 shows as bandleader in 35 countries at venues like the Kennedy Center and Moscow Symphony Hall and for the Montreal, Newport, and Montreux international jazz festivals. Touted for her scorching saxophone stylings and purring vocals, Kelly has performed and recorded with renowned artists including Lin Manuel- Miranda, Dave Brubeck, Lee Konitz, Phil Woods, Huey Lewis, Harry Connick Jr., Gloria Estefan, Questlove, and Wynton Marsalis.

Kelly was named the winner of “Song of the Year” for her single “Feels Like Home” in the 2018 John Lennon Songwriting Contest, and has been named nine times consecutively in the Annual Downbeat Magazines Critics Poll “Rising Star Alto Saxophone” from the age of 17 in 2009 and winning the poll in 2017 (Youngest ever named to Downbeat critics poll in 2009.). She has also won multiple ASCAP Composer Awards, Boston Music Awards, and International Songwriting Awards. She has also appeared as a featured performer in films and television, including acclaimed documentary “Sound of Redemption: The Frank Morgan Story”, Amazon’s Emmy-nominated original series “Bosch”, and featured in the 2017 Emmy-winning Yamaha production “The Right Note”

Featured by Vanity Fair as a millennial shaking up the jazz world, Kelly’s state-of-the-art brand of electro jazz-pop and inventive digital content are pushing her to the forefront of the fusion scene, alongside names like Snarky Puppy, Jacob Collier, Cory Henry, Robert Glasper, Jon Batiste, and Too Many Zooz.

My new upcoming album “All That I Need” was inspired by the different emotions that embody the courageous spirit. I found myself on a journey thinking about what the courageous spirit feels and looks like to me. Kelly states, “I wanted to write an album that was fueled by the feeling of courage. Coming out of the pandemic, as an artist, I found myself battling the fear-based thought of: am I ever going to be able to do this thing that I love again for people? But I choose to be an optimist. To move forward with some type of courageous spirit. I always want to step into places that might feel scary or challenging in order to create an opportunity for both personal and artistic growth. That was the initial idea behind “All That I Need.”

The inspiration behind the album came in different forms I found inspiration in the written words of the great poet and activist Maya Angelou. Her bold beautiful words in her poem “And Still I Rise” inspired Grace to write the track, “We Will Rise.” It is a song dedicated to women all around the globe, a song about pushing forward during challenging times and standing up together to advocate and fight for our rights.
For full review please follow the link:
https://smoothjazzdaily.wordpress.com/2022/12/10/grace-kelly-all-that-i-need/

All That I Need

Monday, May 28, 2018

Grace Kelly - Go Time Brooklyn

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:27
Size: 76,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:46)  1. It Don't Mean a Thing
(5:08)  2. Count on Me
(6:14)  3. Trying to Figure It Out
(6:07)  4. Green Chimneys (SaxDrum Duet)
(4:53)  5. By the Grave
(5:16)  6. Billie Jean

Not to be confused with the famous Philadelphia-born actress who became Princess Grace of Monaco and died in 1982, the Grace Kelly profiled in this bio is a straight-ahead jazz saxophonist/singer who had several albums in her catalog before she was 17. The precocious New England native has made the alto sax her primarily instrument, but she also plays the tenor and soprano saxes and Kelly can play clarinet, flute, acoustic piano, and drums, as well. At times, Kelly will put down her saxophone and sing, although she is an instrumentalist first and foremost. Kelly has included original compositions in her repertoire along with jazz and Tin Pan Alley standards, but unlike a lot of straight-ahead jazz artists, she does not shy away from rock or R&B songs. Kelly has recorded her share of Beatles classics, and she has also provided jazz interpretations of Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine" and Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours." Charlie Parker, Jackie McLean, Phil Woods, Sonny Stitt, and Cannonball Adderley are among the saxophonist/singer's prominent influences on alto, whereas on tenor and soprano, one hears elements of Wayne Shorter, John Coltrane, and Stan Getz in her playing. In fact, Kelly has been quoted as saying that hearing Getz (who her mother listened to frequently at home) was the thing that inspired her to take up the sax when she was a child. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/go-time-brooklyn/1384252597

Go Time Brooklyn

Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Grace Kelly/Phil Woods - Man With The Hat

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:22
Size: 100,5 MB
Art: Front

(8:45)  1. Man With The Hat
(5:20)  2. Love Song From Brazilian Suite
(6:34)  3. People Time
(7:01) 4. Ballad From Very Sad And Very Tired Lotus-Eaters
(5:04)  5. Gone
(4:13)  6. Every Time We Say Goodbye
(6:22)  7. The Way You Look Tonight

Jazz veteran Phil Woods carries the alto sax torch from Charlie Parker, following in the footsteps of Art Pepper, Julian "Cannonball" Adderley and Lee Konitz. Now he bestows the honor on 18-year-old altoist/vocalist Grace Kelly, its light shining on Man With A Hat. Woods, 80, with over a half-century of playing, first met Kelly in 2006 when she was 14 and attending the Stanford Jazz Residency Program in California, where Woods was an instructor. He encouraged her and, a few months later, they were reunited at a Woods gig in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. When he invited her onstage, he was so moved as to remove his iconic leather cap and place it on her head. Hence, four years later, Man With A Hat is named and dedicated to Woods' bebop legacy. The two saxophonists appear with a solid group, performing seven standards and two originals. Special mention goes to pianist Monty Alexander, who stands out with always creative solos and backing. Kelly appears with Woods on the first four tracks, the saxophones blending and weaving in and out the master in support, letting the pupil show of her stuff with vibrant solos. On the final three numbers, she is on her own, in quartet and duo settings.

The opener, Kelly's "Man With the Hat," is dedicated to Woods, of course, immediately establishing the happy bebop sprit of the disc. Each saxophonist delivers sweeping choral lines in tandem, before Kelly solos. This sets the pattern for subsequent songs: unison lines in the introduction, setting off centerpiece solos. Alexander also introduces himself right away, fingers joyously moving all over the keyboard. Kelly's plaintive take on Billy Strayhorn 's "Ballad for Very Tired and Very Sad Lotus-Eaters" is very impressive, as she charms with sensual filigrees. She also takes two vocals turns, and is particularly effective on Benny Carter's "People Time," introducing new lyrics by singer/screenwriter Deborah Pearl with her lovely, pliant voice. For the finale, a jaunty stroll through Jerome Kern's "The Way You Look Tonight," Kelly offers her own updated interpretation of bop, while always considering roots. Near the end of the piece, Alexander breaks the brisk mood with a majestic interlude, before breaking into its lickety-split finish. Kelly released her last Cd, GRACEfulLEE (Pazz, 2008), with Lee Konitz. Now, with Man With A Hat, she can certainly join both of these giants in the alto sax brigade. ~ Larry Taylor https://www.allaboutjazz.com/man-with-the-hat-grace-kelly-pazz-productions-llc-review-by-larry-taylor.php

Personnel: Grace Kelly: alto sax, vocals;  Phil Woods: alto sax;  Monty Alexander: piano;  Evan Gregor: bass;  Bill Goodwin: drums;  Jordan Perlson: percussion.

Man With The Hat

Monday, May 22, 2017

Grace Kelly - Mood Changes

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:07
Size: 118,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:36)  1. Happy Theme Song
(5:57)  2. Comes Love
(4:28)  3. Tender Madness
(6:15)  4. 101
(4:03)  5. But Life Goes On
(6:15)  6. Ain't No Sunshine
(5:01)  7. Here, There, And Everywhere
(3:20)  8. I'll Remember April
(5:41)  9. It Might As Well Be Spring
(4:26) 10. I Want To Be Happy

Grace Kelly has surprised the jazz world with her immense talent, even though she is still only in her teens. She has already received high praise from Phil Woods and Lee Konitz (the latter of whom appeared on her last CD). Kelly's fifth CD under her own name features her on alto, tenor, and soprano saxophone plus vocals, while she composed four songs and wrote all of the arrangements. Her enticing approach to the standard "Comes Love" utilizes a catchy vamp with overdubbed alto and soprano, producing a fresh approach to a standard that is often played with little imagination. "I'll Remember April" is mandatory for every bopper's repertoire and Kelly doesn't disappoint with her inspired workout in her breezy chart. Her bossa nova scoring of "It Might as Well Be Spring" showcases her delightful vocals. Trombonist Hal Crook is added for Kelly's demanding chart of "I Want to Be Happy," which changes keys in unexpected places and showcases the three horns in engaging interplay. The teenager's chops as a songwriter are also considerable, especially given her age. Her cheerful opener, "Happy Theme Song," bursts with joy in an upbeat setting, while she wails over her rhythm section with confidence and a touch of humor by working in a lick from "If I Only Had a Brain." "Tender Madness" is a bittersweet, touching ballad with moving solos by the leader on tenor sax, trumpeter Jason Palmer, and pianist Doug Johnson. Guitarist Adam Rogers guests on two selections. Kelly's setting of the Beatles' "Here, There and Everywhere" reveals new facets to one of their lesser-known gems, though Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine" remains a rather monotonous tune that Kelly manages to salvage with her surprisingly funky yet intricate alto lead. Grace Kelly is no mere flash in the pan, and her considerable gifts are blossoming with every new recording. ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/mood-changes-mw0001930695

Personnel:  Grace Kelly - Alto/Soprano/Tenor Saxophones and vocals;  Jason Palmer- Trumpet;  Doug Johnson- Piano;  John Lockwood- Bass, Electric Bass;  Jordan Perlson- Drums;  Terri Lyne Carrington- Drums;  Adam Rogers- Guitar; Hal Crook- Trombone

Mood Changes