Dianne Reeves - The Nearness of You

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1988
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:12
Size: 115,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:55) 1. Softly As In A Morning Sunrise
(5:41) 2. Like A Lover
(4:08) 3. How High The Moon
(8:05) 4. For All We Know
(3:19) 5. The Nearness of You/Misty
(6:18) 6. You Taught My Heart To Sing
(5:39) 7. Ancient Source
(9:02) 8. Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most
(3:01) 9. Oh What A Freedom

Five-time Grammy winner DIANNE REEVES is the pre-eminent jazz vocalist in the world. As a result of her breathtaking virtuosity, improvisational prowess, and unique jazz and R&B stylings, Reeves received the Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Performance for three consecutive recordings a Grammy first in any vocal category.

Featured in George Clooney’s six-time Academy Award nominated Good Night, and Good Luck, Reeves won the Best Jazz Vocal Grammy for the film's soundtrack.

Reeves has recorded and performed with Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. She has also recorded with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Daniel Barenboim and was a featured soloist with Sir Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic. Reeves was the first Creative Chair for Jazz for the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the first vocalist to ever perform at the famed Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Reeves worked with legendary producer Arif Mardin (Norah Jones, Aretha Franklin) on the Grammy winning A Little Moonlight, an intimate collection of standards featuring her touring trio. When Reeves’ holiday collection Christmas Time is Here was released, Ben Ratliff of The New York Times raved, “Ms. Reeves, a jazz singer of frequently astonishing skill, takes the assignment seriously; this is one of the best jazz Christmas CD's I've heard.”

In recent years Reeves has toured the world in a variety of contexts including “Sing the Truth,” a musical celebration of Nina Simone which also featured Lizz Wright and Angelique Kidjo. She performed at the White House on multiple occasions including President Obama's State Dinner for the President of China as well as the Governors’ Ball.

Reeves’ most recent release Beautiful Life, features Gregory Porter, Robert Glasper, Lalah Hathaway and Esperanza Spalding. Produced by Terri Lyne Carrington, Beautiful Life won the 2015 Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Performance. Reeves is the recipient of honorary doctorates from the Berklee College of Music and the Juilliard School. In 2018 the National Endowment for the Arts designated Reeves a Jazz Master the highest honor the United States bestows on jazz artists.
https://diannereeves.com/media/
­
Personnel: Lead Vocals [Vocals] – Dianne Reeves; Acoustic Guitar – Kevin Eubanks (tracks: 2); Alto Saxophone – Greg Osby (tracks: 1, 4); Bass – Charnett Moffett (tracks: 1, 3 to 7), Tony Dumas (tracks: 9); Drums – Marvin Smitty Smith* (tracks: 1, 4, 6, 7), Michael Baker (2) (tracks: 9), Terri Lyne Carrington (tracks: 3, 5); Keyboards – David Torkanowsky (tracks: 9); Piano – Donald Brown (tracks: 1, 7), Mulgrew Miller (tracks: 3 to 6, 8); Tenor Saxophone – Gerald Albright (tracks: 9); Vibraphone – Bobby Hutcherson (tracks: 1, 7); Wind Chimes – Ron Powell (tracks: 2).

The Nearness of You

---

Doug Webb - The Message

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:12
Size: 142,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:55) 1. Caught In The Webb
(5:17) 2. Nekide
(5:28) 3. The Message
(4:49) 4. I Was Doing Alright
(4:59) 5. Frustration
(4:26) 6. Doug's Dilemma
(4:53) 7. Keeping Up With The Joneses
(6:14) 8. New Beginning
(4:36) 9. Baubles, Bangles & Beads
(8:35) 10. Where Did You Come From?
(6:54) 11. Bonnie Lass

Tenor saxophonist Doug Webb may have played more gigs than anyone, claiming to never have turned one down. He continues to be the go-to saxophonist on the Los Angeles film and television scene with over 30 years in the business, and over 500 recordings. (One publication claims that he has appeared on over one thousand records). He’s also one of the longest-tenured artists on the Posi-Tone label, retuning with The Message, his eleventh album. While most of his recordings are in a quartet configuration, here he returns to the triple saxophone lineup of his acclaimed 2015 Triple Play, albeit with a mostly different lineup which includes Greg Osby on alto, Bob Reynolds on tenor, Charles Ruggiero on drums, and returning anchor Brian Charette on organ.

While the lineup would at first glance suggest an all-out blowing session, the date is centered in a more disciplined way around the compositions, bringing more ensemble passages like a big band than a series of lengthy solos or heated exchanges. That’s not to say there isn’t plenty of spirit at play in these mostly up-tempo renderings of mostly original material. In fact, while Webb contributes just one, Reynolds offers two with Osby and Charette contributing one each, as well as Webb’s frequent collaborator, Randy Aldcroft, who doesn’t play on the album, authoring three. That leaves just three covers, the title track, Gershwin’s “I Was Doing Alright,” and “Baubles, Bangles, and Beads.” The session invariably swings into hard bop and slight hints of soul-jazz with Charette being the linchpin on bass pedals, textured and nuance comping, concise chords to push the soloists, and his own economical statements.

They open with Webb’s “Caught in the Web” with the three saxophonists making rapid, rousing runs in just a few choruses each. There’s a clear emphasis on getting in out strong entries, focused improvisations, and precise handoffs to the next. Osby’s’ mid-tempo “Nekide” has the composer blowing fiercely before while the other group members join intermittently just to encourage him to go further. Eventually, the tenors get their say, joining in for an eventual explosive climax. The melodic title track follows as the horns mix ensemble parts with energetic individual statements. Charette’s organ and Ruggiero’s pulsating drumming steer the group deftly through changes like those heard on the title track. Charette sets up the mid-tempo Gershwin swinger “I Was Doing Alright” with Webb leading first to snappy snare work from Ruggiero and Osby and Reynolds follow as does Charette with his first solo opportunity.

We next have four consecutive originals, beginning with Reynolds’ “Frustration,” which opens at a blistering pace, settling in somewhat for his tenor solo before passing the baton to Osby’s frenetic cluster of notes and finally to Webb, who like, Reynolds settles it somewhat until Charrette takes up a notch in this turn as all go out with choruses of drum rolls on the eights. “Doug’s Dilemma” is the first of the three Aldcroft compositions, and we can breathe a little as Webb and company deliver the first ballad. The sound of the tenor and organ in unison on the melody is an interesting touch, just another example of how Webb deftly navigates various tempos and brings fresh perspectives to the material. “Keeping Up with the Joneses’ is taken at a steady pace although the title may suggest a brisker one. It’s another swinger. Charrette seems anxious to move into the soul-jazz mode, taking that tact with his solo and carrying the latter half of the tune in that direction. Finally, the highly melodic “New Beginning” is another mid-tempo swinger with concise statements from each front liner and Charette.

“Baubles, Bangles & Beads” is from the 1953 musical Kismet and is most often associated with Frank Sinatra. The quintet puts plenty of juice into this rendition, a feature for Charette, with each stating the theme beautifully to the abrupt close. Reynolds’ “Where Did You Come From” weighs in as the longest rack at eight and half minutes, giving each a chance to stretch at a relaxed pace. As he consistently does, Osby bursts in with a flurry of energy that lifts up the subsequent flights of each soloist. When one threatens to go to stratospheric levels, it almost seems like Webb acts as a conductor, cutting off ideas then offering something else, without any hint of disengagement or loss of continuity. Charette has the closer, “Bonnie’s Lass,” so organ centric that it conjures slight strains of soul-jazz but blossoms into one where the horns take their customary inspired flights.

One gets the impression that Webb could play virtually anything. His career reflects it and this album echoes strains that we’ve heard in jazz for the past six decades or more. These players know how to get in and get out, holding little back, saying tons with just a few impassioned choruses on most of the tracks in this joyous session. https://glidemagazine.com/273671/veteran-saxophonist-doug-webb-goes-all-out-with-bop-soul-jazz-mission-via-the-message-album-review%EF%BF%BC/

Personnel: Doug Webb - tenor saxophone; Greg Osby - alto saxophone; Bob Reynolds - tenor saxophone; Brian Charette - organ; Charles Ruggiero - drums

The Message

---

Greg Osby - The Invisible Hand

Styles: Saxophone And Clarinet Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:20
Size: 150,6 MB
Art: Front

(8:02)  1. Ashes
(5:10)  2. Who Needs Forever
(5:40)  3. The Watcher
(7:40)  4. Jitterbug Waltz
(7:39)  5. Sanctus
(4:32)  6. Indiana
(8:44)  7. Nature Boy
(6:00)  8. Tough Love
(7:29)  9. With Son
(4:22) 10. The Watcher 2

Greg Osby has come a long way from his beginnings in St. Louis playing funk and R&B. His sound crossed our radar screens after moving to Brooklyn and joining forces with Steve Coleman in the mid-‘80s to form M-BASE, an urban-beat driven jazz. Osby had a very calculated, sometimes emotionless sound. It was if he was working equations in his head as he played. Where his older recordings suffered from a staid studio approach, his recent effort, Banned In New York, a live “bootleg” recording, displays Osby as an emotional quick-witted band leader. His last disc, Friendly Fire, a co-led affair with Joe Lovano proved Osby deserves to be considered as one of the top musicians working today. The Invisible Hand is further proof that Osby treads comfortably between the past and, importantly, the future of jazz. Joining him are Gary Thomas and Teri Lynn Carrington from his early Brooklyn days and two of the professor emeriti of jazz, Jim Hall and Andrew Hill. Hall is a guitarist that favors a subtle touch; a peculiar feature for someone so associated with cutting edge jazz. He has recorded classic albums with Sonny Rollins, Lee Konitz, and Paul Desmond. Lately, his Telarc dates have featured his third stream thinking. Andrew Hill’s Blue Note dates of the sixties were cerebral efforts, not quite post-bop and not really free jazz affairs. Early in Osby’s career he was a sideman for the late-‘80s Blue Note comeback of Hill. Likewise, he has recorded on two recent Hall dates. The Invisible Hand trades mathematics for emotion. The slow to mid-tempos presented are fertile grounds for group interplay and interpretation. For instance, they take on Fats Waller’s “Jitterbug Waltz,” a tune forever associated with Eric Dolphy. Rather than compete with our collective memories, Osby deconstructs the composition choosing bug parts over the whole, reworking it as an intellectual exercise. Osby’s deference to his esteemed colleagues shows. A stately and exquisite affair. 

~ Mark Corroto https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-invisible-hand-greg-osby-blue-note-records-review-by-mark-corroto.php  

Personnel: Alto Saxophone, Clarinet, Producer, Liner Notes – Greg Osby; Bass – Scott Colley; Drums – Terri Lyne Carrington; Flute, Flute [Alto], Tenor Saxophone – Gary Thomas; Guitar – Jim Hall; Piano – Andrew Hill

The Invisible Hand

---

Andrew Hill - But Not Farewell

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:22
Size: 146,1 MB
Art: Front

( 7:20)  1. Westbury
( 7:12)  2. But Not Farewell
( 8:28)  3. Nicodemus
(17:19)  4. Georgia Ham
( 5:44)  5. Friends
( 3:44)  6. Sunnyside
(13:32)  7. Gone

This is a recommended set of stimulating post-bop jazz. Andrew Hill's highly distinctive piano playing and unusual compositions hint at the past while following their own rules. The feeling of polyrhythms is present in several of Hill's seven compositions on this CD. The tightness of the bass-drum team (Lonnie Plaxico and Cecil Brooks) is quite impressive, as is the blend of Robin Eubanks' warm trombone and Greg Osby's alto. Osby's angular improvisations, which seem out of place in standard bebop, sound perfectly at home in Andrew Hill's music. "Friends" features the altoist's lyricism in a duet with the pianist. Although the final two numbers (including the 13-and-a-half-minute freely improvised "Gone") are solo piano performances, it is the quintet tracks with Osby and Eubanks that are the main reason to acquire this disc. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/but-not-farewell-mw0000263609

Personnel:  Andrew Hill - piano; Greg Osby - soprano saxophone (tracks 1-3), alto saxophone (tracks 4 & 5); Robin Eubanks - trombone (tracks 1-4); Lonnie Plaxico - bass (tracks 1-4); Cecil Brooks III - drums (tracks 1-4)

But Not Farewell

---

Marc Copland, Greg Osby - Night Call

Styles: Piano And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:59
Size: 129,2 MB
Art: Front

(7:04)  1. Autumn Wind
(3:31)  2. Cyrille in Motion
(7:42)  3. Echoes of Another
(5:41)  4. Night Call
(7:14)  5. Ciré
(5:12)  6. Skippin' Around
(8:14)  7. A Time Ago
(4:38)  8. Forge
(6:37)  9. Soul Eyes

A month doesn't go by without a new record from pianist Marc Copland; at least it feels that way. And that's not a bad thing. Copland, by operating within the independent label arena and with a variety of companies, has managed to buck the normal trend that says an artist can't put out more than one album every year or two. And Copland is one of those rare musicians who, by teaming with an ever-widening group of collaborators, continues to reveal new depths with each release. From What It Says , his dark duet recording with bassist Gary Peacock, to the more outgoing yet melancholic post bop of The Jigsaw , his quartet recording with British saxophonist Stan Sulzmann, Copland demonstrates an ability to mould himself with the people he is working with, while at the same time asserting his own style, which manages to skirt the grey area between the in and out, the dark and light, the bold and introspective. Over the years Copland has been building his reputation as a most intuitive and sympathetic partner, but especially in context of the duet, a format that he seems to favour. Case in point: last year's outstanding Round and Round , which teamed him with alto saxophonist Greg Osby for a set that was filled with implication and an abstract yet appealing ambience. 

Osby, malleable as always, seemed to fit perfectly within Copland's musical universe. And it's clear that they both enjoyed working together because a year later we have them back together again for Night Call , a set that finds them even more simpatico. The wonder of discovery is replaced with a deeper understanding that can only come from spending time together. This time around the material, again featuring five Copland originals, three Osby pieces and one standard, is a little more outgoing, a little more direct, but the emphasis is still on darker places. Copland's "Autumn Wind," with a repeating motif whose complexion is constantly shifted by Copland's reharmonizations, could easily fit within the Ralph Towner songbook. Melancholic without being melodramatic, it sets the pace for a program that is accessible yet operates within its own harmonic space. Copland has long since dispensed with his earlier influences of Evans and Jarrett and created a personal language that is all about contrast and paradox. What is remarkable about Copland's playing, and in particular his teaming with Osby, is how so much is implied with so little; one can feel a richer sense of orchestration with the barest of statements. As before, Osby's contributions fit perfectly within Copland's world view, showing just how adaptable a player he is on a program that is as far removed from his collaboration with Charlie Hunter and Bobby Previte, the electronica album Latitude , as is humanly possible. Night Call may be more rhythmically defined than its predecessor, but it is no less elusive. Copland and Osby make music that engages without compromise, exploring the space where two players merge into a single voice. ~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/night-call-marc-copland-nagel-heyer-records-review-by-john-kelman.php

Personnel: Marc Copland (piano), Greg Osby (alto sax)

Night Call

---

Andrew Hill - Eternal Spirit

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:42
Size: 155,3 MB
Art: Front

( 9:57)  1. Pinnacle
(10:24)  2. Golden Sunset
( 4:53)  3. Samba Rasta
( 6:19)  4. Tail Feather
( 7:47)  5. Spiritual Lover
( 8:44)  6. Bobby's Tune
( 7:32)  7. Pinnacle (alternate take)
( 5:16)  8. Golden Sunset (alternate take)
( 6:45)  9. Spiritual Lover (alternate take)

Andrew Hill returned to the Blue Note label (where he made many significant releases during 1963-80) for a stimulating quintet date with vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, altoist Greg Osby, bassist Rufus Reid and drummer Ben Riley in 1989. The pianist's six originals (which are joined by three alternate takes on the CD) his dense chords behind the other improvisers and his own unpredictable solos are not all overshaowed by his talented sideman, even Osby who is heard in particularly inspired form. 

There are no weak performances on this superb post bop effort, Andrew Hill's strongest recording in several years. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/eternal-spirit-mw0000202207

Personnel:  Andrew Hill - piano;  Greg Osby - alto saxophone;  Bobby Hutcherson - vibes;  Rufus Reid - bass;  Ben Riley - drums

Eternal Spirit

---

Greg Osby - Symbols of Light (A Solution)

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:23
Size: 122,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:22)  1. 3 for Civility
(5:42)  2. Repay in Kind
(6:57)  3. 'M'
(4:14)  4. The Keep
(3:15)  5. Golden Sunset
(5:03)  6. This Is Bliss
(6:29)  7. One Room
(4:39)  8. Northbound
(3:32)  9. Wild Is the Wind
(3:34) 10. Social Order
(4:30) 11. Minstrale Again (The Barefoot Tap Dance)

Both Ted Nash and Tom Harrell have explored the "double quartet" concept. Now we can add to the list Greg Osby, whose music sounds nothing at all like theirs. Supplementing his working quartet (Jason Moran, Scott Colley, Marlon Browden) with a string quartet, Osby heightens the dark, austere quality of his harmonies. This results in some of the most moving music of Osby’s career. On the whole, it’s more striking and focused than last year’s Invisible Hand. It also features some of Jason Moran’s best playing on record. Wisely, Osby doesn’t run the strings concept into the ground: Andrew Hill’s "Golden Sunset" is a sax/piano duo, as is the closing "Minstrale Again (The Barefoot Tapdance)." Strings appear only at the beginning of "One Room." And "Wild Is the Wind," the old Johnny Mathis hit, is performed without strings or drums. The sound of the album never gets old. Osby’s originals are strong, particularly "Northbound," which features his most inspired horn playing on the date. Other highlights include Moran’s "Repay In Kind" and Masabumi Kikuchi’s "M." ~ David Adler https://www.allaboutjazz.com/symbols-of-light-a-solution-greg-osby-blue-note-records-review-by-david-adler.php

Personnel:  Greg Osby - alto saxophone, soprano saxophone;  Jason Moran - piano;  Scott Colley - bass;  Marlon Browden - drums, percussion;  Christian Howes - violin;  Marlene Rice - violin;  Judith Insell - viola;  Nioka Workman - cello

Symbols of Light (A Solution)

---

Greg Osby - Inner Circle

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:59
Size: 105,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:58)  1. Entruption
(4:07)  2. Stride Logic
(4:14)  3. Diary of the Same Dream
(4:09)  4. Equalatogram
(6:36)  5. All Neon Like
(4:45)  6. Fragmatic Decoding
(4:41)  7. The Inner Circle Principle
(6:16)  8. Sons of the Confidential
(6:08)  9. Self-Portrait in Three Colors

Jazz fans searching for a quintessential forward-thinking artist should look no further than the musical musings of Mr. Greg Osby. He's an artist who will not be satisfied with the status quo. Distinguished as an alto saxophone stylist, his voice is unique and easily recognizable among the masses. His recordings of the past few years have all been modern exercises in jazz music that are entertaining, cerebral, and illuminating. As any successful visionary, he has surrounded himself with like-minded individuals who continue to push the envelope of jazz; such as piano extraordinaire Jason Moran and vibraphonist Stefon Harris. His previous recording Symbols of Light (A Solution), which implemented a string quartet into his eclectic mix, was one of 2001's top jazz picks.  Inner Circle continues on the same high level that Osby has been operating at throughout his career. His music is progressively expanding into new boundaries on the ubiquitous jazz theme. It swings, grooves and moves with a distinctive style. The recording features Osby originals with covers by Euro-Pop sensation Bjork and famous bassist Charles Mingus. The title Inner Circle could easily refer to one of the tightest set of young musicians paving the jazz path today. The musicians have been featured on recordings by Jason Moran and Stefon Harris. Bassist Taurus Mateen and drummer Eric Harland comprise one of the most dynamic and talented rhythm sections on the scene today. Osby and Moran have formed a unique and wonderful symbiosis over the past few years that allows for freedom and expression with wide possibilities. Stefon Harris' vibe work just keeps getting better. All the compositons are creative with odd patterns and complex arrangements that never leave the listener too far, and will also encourage a deeper appreciation for the art form. The many highlights include the circuitous and hypnotic "Fragment Decoding" and the brilliant "Inner Circle Principle" with its memorable solos expressed by each musician. With Osby at the helm, one can only anticipate the next move in his forward progression. ~ Mark F.Turner https://www.allaboutjazz.com/inner-circle-greg-osby-blue-note-records-review-by-mark-f-turner.php

Personnel: Greg Osby: Alto Saxophone; Jason Moran: Piano; Stefon Harris: Vibraphone; Tarus Mateen: Bass; Eric Harland: Drums

Inner Circle

---

Aruan Ortiz, Michael Janisch - Banned In London

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:25
Size: 177.2 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[13:59] 1. Precisely Now
[15:49] 2. Jitterbug Waltz
[17:06] 3. Orbiting
[10:34] 4. Ask Me Now
[19:54] 5. The Maestro

It could turn out that the best live jazz album released in the U.S. this year will be one recorded at a British pizza joint in 2011. That was when pianist Aruán Ortiz and bassist Michael Janisch brought their co-led quintet-an international ensemble featuring established star Greg Osby on alto saxophone, Barcelona’s Raynald Colom on trumpet and versatile veteran Rudy Royston (Bill Frisell, JD Allen, et al.) on drums-to the Pizza Express Jazz Club for the London Jazz Festival. The quintet was wrapping up a two-week European tour, and their extended takes on the five compositions they served up in Soho were tight, fiery and creative.

The Wisconsin-raised, London-based Janisch calls things to order with a soulful two-minute bass intro to his own “Precisely Now,” punctuated by the occasional clinking of diners’ cutlery. Ortiz and Royston briefly set up the unison horn melody, which Colom and Osby follow with blistering solos. Osby, whose live album Banned in New York possibly inspired this one’s title, provides a masterly intro of the same length to Fats Waller’s “Jitterbug Waltz,” then returns after Colom’s quick read of the melody with a wide-ranging solo. Janisch’s bass quiets to a steady heartbeat as Ortiz begins his solo soft and slow, the piano then building in abstraction and intensity until Ortiz exits, as had Osby, with a snippet of Waller’s theme.

Ortiz introduces the fourth and most ballad-like song of the set, Thelonious Monk’s “Ask Me Now,” with Osby joining in for some exquisite duo action before the rest of the band steps in. The Cuban expatriate also contributes the set’s other two tunes, “Orbiting” (the title track of his fine 2012 quartet album) and “The Maestro.” Janisch and Royston provide exemplary support throughout. Let’s hope these busy, far-flung musicians have occasion to regroup and do it again soon. ~Bill Beauttler

Banned In London mc
Banned In London zippy

---

Greg Osby - St. Louis Shoes

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:25
Size: 120,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:59)  1. East St. Louis Toodle-oo
(6:00)  2. Shaw Nuff
(6:50)  3. Light Blue
(5:33)  4. Whirlwind Soldier
(5:03)  5. Summertime
(5:55)  6. Milton on Ebony
(6:37)  7. The Single Petal of a Rose
(2:29)  8. Bernie's Tune
(7:56)  9. St. Louis Blues

It takes time to assess St. Louis Shoes. In fact, to wax intellectual about the process, it requires the exegetical approach usually reserved for vast, inter-textual novels like Dr. Faustus or Gravity's Rainbow. Each encounter reveals ever new intrigues, insights, and moments of grace. And just like with Faust, you?d better go back to the source material.
Each of the nine tracks on St. Louis Shoes is based on another composer's work. Through these, Greg Osby gifts the listener with a treatise on sax styles, displaying a range of tone moving from Hawkins to Young, Parker to Hodges, and finally, to his own unmistakable diamond-hard, angular voice. However, Osby has not produced a tribute album. Everything resonates with his own style, and nothing can be set aside as simply another take. This is jazz inter-textuality and it sounds great. St. Louis Shoes opens with a direct reference to Osby?s birthplace, St. Louis Toodle-oo. This bold reconfiguration of Ellington's seminal work begins slowly, the opening retaining much of the original material. However, it quickly builds on the latent threat implicit in Ellington's rhythms, thickening to enhance the sinister quality, so that in the end it feels as if you have traveled into the depths of St. Louis, and into a musical vision completely Osby's own.

Initially, Osby's performance of the next track, Shaw Nuff, sounds like what Parker might have laid down had contemporary recording quality been what it is today, and the LP already in existence. However, this is not straight emulation or resurrection. With Payton as antagonist, Osby bends and twists the original, extending it into a six minute wild ride. Conversely, Light Blue comes in at just about half the size of Monk's original. As always, Monk?s idiosyncratic yet sophisticated structure provides fertile territory for improvisers willing to delve into the material. Osby next turns to Whirlwind Soldier, written by contemporary vocalist, composer, and former co-member of Osby's M-Base project, Cassandra Wilson. By including a contemporary piece, Osby indicates that this project is not about reclaiming the past through homage. It's about improvisation and innovation, something that can be accomplished when working off of the latest as well as the oldest material. Osby ends his album by returning to one of jazz's oldest works, St. Louis Blues. Originally written by W.C. Handy and first recorded in 1920, St. Louis Blues was popularized by Louis Armstrong in 1930. Osby's takes this wealth of history into account, proceeding at a slow tempo to accentuate the piece?s blues mood. Referenced are Armstrong's succinct note placements, Gillespie?s faster, more dynamic lines, as well as the Latin-influenced rhythmic deviations of Gillespie's big band arrangement. Green keeps the piece moving with a frenetic but soft rhythm, while O'Neal's piano work stands out here as particularly adept.  It takes time to assess Osby's St. Louis Shoes. Time to listen, to think, to sift through old albums and memories, then to listen all over again. There is a wealth of material here. Listen and see what emerges for you. ~ Franz A. Matzner https://www.allaboutjazz.com/st-louis-shoes-greg-osby-blue-note-records-review-by-franz-a-matzner.php width=1536
 

Personnel: Greg Osby - alto saxophone; Nicholas Payton - trumpet, fluglehorn

St. Louis Shoes

---

Greg Osby - Banned in New York

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:11
Size: 133,6 MB
Art: Front

(12:54)  1. 13th Floor
(13:24)  2. Pent-Up House
(11:47)  3. I Didn't Know About You
(14:09)  4. Big Foot
( 2:42)  5. Big Foot (excerpt)
( 3:12)  6. 52nd Street Theme

“Banned in New York” is Greg Osby’s 4th Blue Note release and was recorded live at an undisclosed venue in New York City. A surprisingly good recording considering the lone piece of equipment was a “mini-disk recorder” placed on a table in front of the band. Nevertheless, Osby and his exceptional band flaunt their range of musical gifts on this fast paced up-beat excursion.Osby’s original composition “13th Floor” opens the set in glowing fashion. Pianist Jason Moran sets the pace with huge “McCoy Tyner-esque” block chords, a quick dexterous right hand and astute phrasing. Here, Moran clearly identifies himself as a shrewd band mate and crafty improviser. He possesses the skills that could easily project him into numerous session dates and share the limelight with others twice his age. A mid-tempo number, “13th Floor” also features some burning heat from Osby’s alto while the rhythm section of Atsushi Osada (b) and Rodney Green (d) handle the peaks and valleys. Osada and Green seem ready to explode here but opt to tease and insinuate while displaying consideration for Osby’s articulate yet sinewy phraseology.The Quartet also performs admirable renditions of Sonny Rollins’ “Pent Up House”, Monk’s 52nd Street Theme and Duke Ellington’s sublime “I Didn’t Know About You”. Charlie Parker’s “Big Foot” is given classic be-bop treatment. On “Big Foot” Osby brandishes his superior chops while making it all sound so easy."Banned In New York” is being sold at a reduced price and is several notches above your proverbial home grown analog bootleg recording. A quality effort, which receives high, marks for representing Osby’s terrific band as a serious “live” act minus some of the normal fluff and cosmetics. Nice work guys! ...Recommended. ~ Glenn Astarita https://www.allaboutjazz.com/banned-in-new-york-greg-osby-blue-note-records-review-by-glenn-astarita.php

Personnel:  Greg Osby - alto saxophone;  Jason Moran - piano;  Atsushi (Az'Shi) Osada - bass;  Rodney Green - drums

Banned in New York

---

Greg Osby - Black Book

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:30
Size: 130,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:41)  1. Pillars
(5:10)  2. Mr. Freeman
(4:54)  3. Rocking Chair
(3:38)  4. Buried Alive
(4:52)  5. Poetry in Motion
(4:57)  6. Black Book
(3:31)  7. Smokescreen
(4:36)  8. Brewing Poetry
(4:45)  9. Intuition
(4:48) 10. Fade to Black Medley: A) A Brother and a Token
(3:53) 11. Fade to Black Medley: B) In a City Blues
(6:39) 12. Fade to Black Medley: C) Urbanite Kodes

Post-bop saxophonist Greg Osby was born April 3, 1960 in St. Louis, playing in a series of R&B, funk, and blues units throughout his teen years before attending Howard University. Upon graduating from the Berklee School of Music, he settled in New York City and went on to play behind Jack DeJohnette, Andrew Hill, Herbie Hancock, and Muhal Richard Abrams; during the mid-'80s, Osby also served alongside Steve Coleman, Geri Allen, Gary Thomas, and Cassandra Wilson as a member of the renowned M-Base Collective. Making his solo debut with 1987's Sound Theatre, Osby went on to record several sets for the JMT label, also earning notice for his impressive contributions to Hill's 1989 date, Eternal Spirit, and its follow-up But Not Farewell; with 1990's Man-Talk for Moderns, Vol. X, he cut his first headling session for Blue Note, with subsequent efforts for the company (including 1993's 3-D Lifestyles and 1995's Black Book), pioneering a distinctive fusion of jazz and hip-hop. While 1996's Art Forum captured the saxophonist in an acoustic setting, Osby continues exploring new avenues with each successive release, capturing the improvisational intensity of his live dates with 1999's Banned in New York and reuniting with Hill and fellow elder statesman Jim Hill for the following year's The Invisible Hand. 

2001's Symbols of Light (A Solution) was a varied effort that witnessed him teaming with a string quartet, while the next year's Inner Circle was an older recording of sessions that featured a knockout version of Bjork's "All Neon Like." Osby teamed with pianist Marc Copland for 2003's Round and Round, while St. Louis Shoes was released that same year on Blue Note. Also released on Blue Note was 2005's Channel Three, which saw Osby working with drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts and bassist Matt Brewer. In 2008, Osby released 9 Levels, his first recording on his own Inner Circle Music label. ~ Jason Ankeny https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/greg-osby/1018518 https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/greg-osby/1018518

Personnel:  Greg Osby, alto & soprano saxophones, keyboards - Mulgrew Miller, acoustic piano - DJ Ghetto, turntable - Calvin Jones, bass - Bill McClellan, drums - Sha-Key, microphone (rhythm poetry) - Mustafo, microphone (rhymes) - The Betmix, (beat poetry) Featuring; Markita Morris, Taj McCoy, Riva Parker & Bernard Collins

Black Book

---