Holly Cole Trio - Montreal

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 29:20
Size: 67,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:41) 1. Whatever Lola Wants
(3:18) 2. Little Boy Blue
(5:46) 3. Girl Talk
(5:11) 4. Talk To Me Baby
(5:19) 5. You've Got A Secret
(5:02) 6. Bali Ha'i

Back in the Spring of 2019, Holly Cole, in recognition and celebration of the 40th anniversary of Le Festival International de Jazz de Montreal decided to reform the original Holly Cole Trio, including David Pitch on Bass and Aaron Davis on Piano to perform live in the very intimate cabaret “Lion D’Or, during the Festival de Jazz, July 2-5. It’s been over 25 years since the band performed live as the Holly Cole Trio and these very special performances would bring back many memories of superlative Trio performances in Montreal at the old Club Soda, Spectrum and Place Des Arts. The revival performance was recorded and arranged into a new album entitled Montreal. The Holly Cole Trio recorded together under that name starting in 1986 and from 1990 -1996 made the international best-selling recordings and toured the world with Blue Christmas, Girl Talk, Blame It On My Youth and Don’t Smoke in Bed. Blame It On My Youth was responsible for the international hit recording and video of “I Can See Clearly Now”. Since that time Cole has gone on to record numerous successful solo recordings, including 2018’s HOLLY, all with Aaron Davis on piano and often with David Piltch on Bass however they never toured or played live as a unit again until the 2019 Montreal dates.

The relationship with the Festival is so special that in 2013, the Festival made Cole the 15th winner of their highly prestigious Ella Fitzgerald Award. The award is annually conferred upon “A jazz singer whose talents have had a major impact and influence on the international scene”. Holly is one of only two Canadians to ever receive this prestigious award. Other winners include Sade, Aretha Franklin, Harry Connick, Jr. and Etta James. The first track and lyric video is a version of a show tune from Damned Yankees, titled “Whatever Lola Wants”. The musical opened on Broadway in 1955 and is a song only Holly and the guys could find and so successfully contemporize! Holly states, “the moment I heard “Whatever Lola Wants” I knew it was perfect for us. Sexy, provocative, enigmatic and completely open to interpretation.” https://themontrealeronline.com/2021/03/holly-cole-new-live-album-new-concert-april-2-2021/

Montreal (Live)

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Holly Cole - Girl Talk

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1990
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:48
Size: 107,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:36)  1. My Foolish Heart
(4:33)  2. Girl Talk
(4:33)  3. Talk To Me Baby
(4:39)  4. Cruisin'
(4:44)  5. Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most
(4:19)  6. My Baby Just Cares For Me
(5:59)  7. How Long Has This Been Going On
(4:24)  8. I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry
(5:02)  9. Melancholy Baby
(3:54) 10. Downtown

Girl Talk was recorded live to two-track using a single microphone. The liner notes state that Holly Cole's intention in doing so was to preserve the "quintessence of her live performancs," and the result is dazzlingly successful. The air of intimacy between artist and listener is so great that, if anything, the feeling of being present in the moment is greater here than on the 1996 live album It Happened One Night. On an album recorded "live in concert," the ambient noises that occur when a large number of people are gathered in one place can seem discordant or inappropriate when you're listening to the CD in your car or your living room; the atmosphere can exclude rather than include you. Put on this disc, however, and you can imagine that Holly Cole is singing for you alone. It's easy to focus on Cole's emotionally compelling delivery, and at first you can be so mesmerized that you forget that the vocalist is one part of a trio. 

Listen more carefully, and it becomes apparent that the piano and bass accompaniments are deceptively simple that they are, in fact, providing a counterpoint to the sung lyrics that is almost conversational. Suddenly, these simple arrangements feel quite complex. The most entertaining song on the album may well be Cole's interpretation of the traditionally sunny and euphoric "Downtown." In her expert hands it moves from near cynicism to a guarded openness that makes this standard seem to have a range of meaning you may never have considered. ~ Maya Geryk  http://www.allmusic.com/album/girl-talk-mw0000207577

Personnel: Holly Cole (vocals); John Johnson (saxophone); John MacLeod (trumpet); Aaron Davis (piano)

Girl Talk

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Holly Cole - Holly

Styles: Vocal 
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:56
Size: 118,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:00)  1. I'm Beginning to See the Light
(3:32)  2. Your Mind Is on Vacation
(2:55)  3. The Goldwyn Follies: I Was Doing All Right
(3:41)  4. And the Angels Sing: It Could Happen to You
(3:13)  5. Ain't That a Kick in the Head?
(4:17)  6. Teach Me Tonight
(2:46)  7. We've Got a World That Swings
(3:40)  8. Shall we Dance: They can't take that away from me
(4:24)  9. Everybody Loves Somebody
(3:21) 10. Pal Joey: I Could Write a Book
(5:03) 11. Golden Apple: Lazy Afternoon

   Canadian vocalist Holly Cole isn't an artist who falls into any one category. Her smoky voice is sultry, yet she's ironically humorous and candid while reshaping traditional standards and pop classics. Jazz is her bedrock, but not exclusively. Cole was a New Year's baby born in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1963. She was surrounded by music from an early age her parents were both classical musicians. As a kid, she immersed herself in pop music and classic rock & roll. Everyone in her family played piano; Cole mastered the instrument, and in 1981, she took up professional singing lessons. Her older brother was talented as well. When Cole was 16, her brother took off for the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston. Cole joined her brother and his pals for an eight-week stint one summer. This break would ultimately lead Cole to her musical calling. Cole's brother had fallen in love with post-war jazz by the time his younger sister started tagging along. She was immediately taken by the intimacy and beauty of Sarah Vaughan, Anita O'Day, Billie Holiday, and Betty Carter. Jazz comprised an art that was both compelling and rich with deep emotion for Cole. She had found her base.

In 1983, Cole left Halifax for Toronto in search of a musical start. She gigged in and around the Queen Street music scene. Within two years, she formed the Holly Cole Trio with bassist David Piltch and pianist Aaron Davis. They spent the next year crafting a warm, minimalist jazz style. Eventually, she and her band became a mainstay on the Toronto jazz circuit, impressing labels from all over. Alert Music's Tom Berry was taken by the trio's sharp presentation and offered the Holly Cole Trio a deal in 1989. Christmas Blues EP appeared that fall. Their debut, Girl Talk, was released in 1990 and the Holly Cole Trio were nearly stars in Canada. Two years later, they landed a contract with Blue Note's Manhattan imprint and issued the sensual Blame It on My Youth. It went on to sell 200,000 copies worldwide while also earning high praise in Japan. Nearly 500 copies were sold a day! The Holly Cole Trio was experimenting with pop elements by the time they recorded their 1993 effort Don't Smoke in Bed. This particular record was more tangible and glossy compared to Cole's earlier work, allowing her to become one of Canada's musical darlings. The trio's rendition of Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now" became a crossover hit and highlighted the group's changing direction. It was a great time for the trio.

The edgy and unpredictable Temptation appeared in 1995. Cole's choice to cover classics by gravelly crooner Tom Waits was ambitious. The formula worked for her, and she reworked material by Joni Mitchell, Mary Margaret O'Hara, and the Beatles for Dark Dear Heart (1997). The Holly Cole Trio then went by Cole's solo moniker; Piltch and Davis remained with her, and Romantically Helpless followed in fall 2000. She released another holiday-themed album, Baby, It's Cold Outside, in 2001, but returned to her eclectic style with Shade in 2003 and Holly Cole in 2007. In August of 2011, Cole re-formed her original trio lineup with Davis on piano and bassist Piltch, with the addition of John Johnson (horns), Rob Piltch (guitars), and Davide DiRenzo (drums) for the recording of a live DVD/CD package. Steal the Night: Live at the Glenn Gould Studio was released in February of 2012. This set was a precursor to a studio collection of 20th and 21st century covers, entitled Night, in July. The latter recording featured an all-star band including bassist Piltch, lap steel guitarist Greg Leisz, and percussionist Cyro Baptista. Cole followed this with an all-new studio recording, Night, in October of 2012. Early in 2018, she returned with Holly, her first album in six years. ~ MacKenzie Wilson https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/holly/1332221080

Holly

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Holly Cole - Dark Dear Heart

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:54
Size: 118.8 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 1987
Art: Front

[3:27] 1. I've Just Seen A Face
[3:58] 2. Make It Go Away
[4:03] 3. Onion Girl
[3:58] 4. Dark, Dear Heart
[4:30] 5. You Want More
[3:48] 6. Timbuktu
[5:16] 7. World Seems To Come And Go
[4:43] 8. River
[4:31] 9. Hold On
[4:51] 10. Brighter Lonely Day (Run, Run, Run)
[4:19] 11. I Told Him That My Dog Wouldn't Run
[4:24] 12. All The Pretty Little Horses

Instead of opting for the full-on pop diva route, Cole travels a far more interesting path towards the mainstream that picks up on the vapor trails of "I Can See Clearly Now" and her album of Waits covers. "I've Just Seen a Face" retains echoes of its signature melody, but is otherwise a smart reinvention, and Sheryl Crow's "You Want More" or the slinky Aaron Davis cowrite "Timbuktu" make fine follow-ups. Larry Klein's spartan production shines in particular on the title track. ~Jeff Bateman

Showcasing Cole in her most innovative and evocative setting yet, Dark Dear Heart promises to take her way beyond her rabid following. Leaving behind most of the jazz trappings that graced her earlier efforts, Holly moves squarely into a unique pop region which she will undoubtedly claim as her own. Produced by Larry Klein (Joni Mitchell, Shawn Colvin), music here ranges from breezy to unforgettable. 1st AAA single/video: A reworking of the Fab Four's "I've Just Seen a Face."

Dark Dear Heart mc
Dark Dear Heart zippy

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Holly Cole - Romantically Helpless

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:41
Size: 97.7 MB
Styles: Standards, Vocal jazz
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[4:40] 1. One Trick Pony
[3:29] 2. Romantically Helpless
[4:33] 3. I'll Be Here
[2:09] 4. Ghosts
[3:52] 5. Come Fly With Me
[2:51] 6. Dedicated To The One I Love
[3:25] 7. That Old Black Magic
[4:02] 8. If I Start To Cry
[2:58] 9. Loving You
[3:54] 10. Make It Go Away
[3:13] 11. Don't Fence Me In
[3:29] 12. Same Girl

Holly Cole: vocals; Aaron Davis: piano, organ, Fender Rhodes, synthesizer; David Piltch: acoustic bass; Mark Ferguson: piano, trombone; Mark Kelso: drums, 2nd line groover, background vocals; Luc Boivin: percussion, 2nd line groover; Steve Ferrera: 2nd line groover; George Koller: acoustic bass, electric bass; David Gray: acoustic and electric guitars; Kevin Breit: acoustic and electric guitars, dobro; Gerry Leonard: electric guitar; Kim Ratcliffe: guitars; Tory Cassis: background vocals.

The irony of this CD title is hard to miss. Holly Cole’s confident, smoky alto might convey dark humor or cautious optimism, painful regret or self-aware neurosis, but definitely not helplessness. Ms. Cole combines the modern, post-feminist attitude of the Lilith Fair crowd with the sophistication of a pre-rock interpretative singer. Holly Cole has always been difficult to categorize. Jazz purists have never been taken with Ms. Cole’s eagerness to embrace contemporary music forms or her tendency to subvert material from the standard repertoire. Unlike Cassandra Wilson, who transposes rock and pop material into her own unique form of acoustic jazz, Ms. Cole frequently crosses the line that separates jazz and pop. In that respect, Ms. Cole’s artistic sensibility is surprisingly close to that of Peggy Lee’s. Although their styles and voices are very different, Ms. Cole shares Ms. Lee’s affinity for creating deeply personal interpretations out of a wide range of pop material. And like Ms. Lee, Ms. Cole uses jazz as simply one of many interpretive devices rather than as the raison d’ệtre for every performance.

Romantically Helpless, the Canadian singer’s sixth full-length studio album, brings together the different facets of Ms. Cole’s music. Two thirds of the recording mark a return to her early, more jazz-oriented roots. Ms. Cole’s highly idiosyncratic interpretations, often set to a stark, minimalist accompaniment, tend to bring out the dark undercurrents of a lyric. She gives envy an edge in a slinky version of Paul Simon’s “One Trick Pony” and transforms “Dedicated to the One I Love” into a stalker’s love song. Ms. Cole extracts bitterness and hurt from Randy Newman’s “Ghosts” and “The Same Girl” rather than the detached sarcasm usually associated with that composer’s songs. In contrast, her respectful, straightforward reading of Stephen Sondheim’s “Loving You” seems oddly stilted and unexpressive. The three decidedly more upbeat standards offer a welcome respite from the album’s melancholy tone. The brassy swing arrangement of “That Old Black Magic” does not suit Ms. Cole. She is simply not that kind of jazz singer. She is far more appealing on “Come Fly With Me” where she relaxes the tempo giving this usually hard driving song a feeling of affectionate romanticism. Ms. Cole also has a grand time on a version of “Don’t Fence Me In” that isn’t really any more tongue-in-cheek than Bing Crosby’s original recording of the song. The remainder of the album features radio-friendly pop arrangements of songs by both of Ms. Cole’s long time collaborators, Aaron Davis and David Piltch. As far as pop music goes, most of these tracks are fine with “Make It Go Away” the standout. ~Mathew Bahl

Romantically Helpless

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Holly Cole - Don't Smoke in Bed

Styles: Vocal Jazz

Year: 1993

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 44:51

Size: 103,5 MB

Art: Front

(4:12)  1. I Can See Clearly Now

(4:19)  2. Don't Let The Teardrops Rust Your Shining Heart

(4:43)  3. Get Out Of Town

(3:27)  4. So And So

(3:40)  5. The Tennessee Waltz

(4:49)  6. Everyday Will Be Like A Holiday

(3:00)  7. Blame It On My Youth

(2:55)  8. Ev'rything I've Got

(3:57)  9. Je Ne T'Aime Pas

(2:36) 10. Cry (If You Want To)

(4:43) 11. Que Será Será

(2:26) 12. Don't Smoke In Bed

Holly Cole explores a number of styles on her second album, Don't Smoke in Bed, without overreaching her grasp. Adding pop, blues, country, and a French ballad to her standard, low-key jazz, Cole demonstrates that not only does she have impeccable taste, but she has the talent to make all of the material sound convincing. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine http://www.allmusic.com/album/dont-smoke-in-bed-mw0000103241

Personnel: Holly Cole (vocals); David Lindley (steel guitar); Bryan Epperson, Mihai Tetel, Martin Loomer, Young Dae Park, Christopher Redfield, Mark Skazinetsky, Simon Fryer, Charles Elliot , Mary Carol Nugent, Nicole Zarry, Katherine Palyga, Joel Quarrington, Atis Bankas, Carol Fujino, Paul Meyer, Susan Lipchak, Mark Sabat (strings); Howard Levy (harmonica); Art Avalos (saxophone, percussion); Joe Henderson (saxophone); Aaron Davis (piano); David Piltch (percussion).

 

Don't Smoke in Bed

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Various Artists - Bob Belden's Shades Of Blue

Styles: Contemporary Jazz, Post-Bop
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:40
Size: 162,3 MB
Art: Front

(6:54)  1. Dianne Reeves, Geri Allen - Maiden Voyage
(5:34)  2. Jacky Terrasson - Un Poco Loco
(5:49)  3. John Scofield - Tom Thumb
(2:36) 4. Cassandra Wilson, Ron Carter - Joshua Fit De Battle Ob Jericho
(8:21)  5. Tim Hagans, Bob Belden - Siete Ocho
(7:40)  6. Marcus Printup - You've Changed
(5:36)  7. Holly Cole, Javon Jackson - Hum Drum Blues
(5:56)  8. Geoff Keezer - 2300 Skiddoo
(6:08)  9. Renee Rosnes - Song For My Father
(6:51) 10. Kurt Elling - Tanganyika Dance (The Man From Tanganyika)
(4:41) 11. T.S. Monk, Ron Carter - Evidence
(4:29) 12. Eliane Elias - Una Mas

In 1994, producer-tenor saxophonist Bob Belden received the unusual assignment of putting together a variety of all-star groups to revisit tunes associated with the Blue Note legacy. From November 1994 to March 1995 he recorded most of Blue Note's then-current roster, documenting 39 compositions in all. Twelve are on this CD, while many of the others have been released in Japan. Each of the dozen numbers uses a different group and they are generally consistent, if not filled with surprises. Dianne Reeves, Cassandra Wilson, Holly Cole, and Kurt Elling are heard on vocal features (Reeves and Elling fare best), trumpeter Marcus Printup shows off his warm tone on "You've Changed," and, in a performance that brings back the "Bitches Brew" era (and is both the most modern and the most dated of these interpretations), Belden, trumpeter Tim Hagans and three keyboardists explore Andrew Hill's "Siete Ocho." 

Of the many pianists who are featured on this set (including Geri Allen, Jacky Terrasson, Renee Rosnes, and Eliane Elias), Geoff Keezer's fairly free improvisation on Herbie Nichols' "2300 Skidoo" is the most memorable. Quite unusual is the complete absence of any of the quintet or sextet lineups that were almost a trademark of Blue Note in the '50s and '60s, and the relatively few trumpet and saxophone solos. Sure to be a collector's item, this CD is not essential but it has enough variety to keep the interest of most jazz listeners. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/shades-of-blue-mw0000184479

Bob Belden's Shades Of Blue

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Holly Cole - The Best Of Holly Cole

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:03
Size: 105.4 MB
Styles: Cabaret, Vocal jazz
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[3:20] 1. Trust In Me
[4:37] 2. Calling You
[3:10] 3. God Will
[2:58] 4. Blame It On My Youth
[4:10] 5. I Can See Clearly Now
[4:18] 6. Don't Let The Teardrops Rust Your Shining Heart
[2:35] 7. Cry (If You Want To)
[3:44] 8. Jersey Girl
[3:28] 9. Train Song
[2:54] 10. I Want You
[3:57] 11. Make It Go Away
[3:25] 12. I've Just Seen A Face
[3:21] 13. Alison

As leader of the Holly Cole Trio, the smoky-voiced jazz chanteuse has created an impressive catalog over the last decade with her longtime cohorts Aaron Davis (piano) and David Piltch (string bass), seamlessly mixing blues, pop, and jazz. This collection gathers tunes which allow the sultry singer to stand out above sparse yet often playful arrangements. The first three tracks epitomize the diversity of her approach. On "Trust in Me," she plays it subtle and sly, asking her lover to "trust in me," sometimes singing a few bars a capella. She shows her wares as a torch singer on "Calling You," while a spry arrangement of Lyle Lovett's "God Will" offers a glimpse of her blues persona. Part of Cole's charm comes from the way she interacts with her mates; the first verse of "I Can See Clearly Now" is sung richly over Piltch's plucky solo bass before Davis' piano and a gentle string section glide in. Many people were puzzled that a singer who excels at jazz standards would tackle the Tom Waits catalog, but some of the best tracks from the Waits tribute Temptation show up here as well. "Jersey Girl" is particularly impressive, with Cole's low voice rising above a chorus of "sha-la"s and Davis and Piltch's simple percussive magic. ~Jonathan Widran

The Best Of Holly Cole

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Holly Cole - Night

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 39:46
Size: 91.0 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[3:14] 1. You Only Live Twice
[3:37] 2. Walk Away
[3:09] 3. Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues
[4:30] 4. You've Got A Secret
[4:03] 5. Viva Las Vegas
[3:25] 6. I Only Have Eyes For You
[3:28] 7. I Thought Of You Again
[3:53] 8. Love Lies
[3:06] 9. Whistling Past The Graveyard
[3:23] 10. If You Go Away
[3:52] 11. If You Could Read My Mind

Internationally acclaimed recording and touring artist Holly Cole returns with NIGHT, her first studio album in over five years. Supported by musicians Cole recognizes as soul mates and companions, NIGHT presents a reunion of the original Holly Cole Trio, featuring pianist Aaron Davis and bassist David Piltch along with co-producer Greg Cohen. The line-up is completed by Davide DiRenzo (drums), Johnny Johnson (horns), Greg Leisz (lap steel), Kevin Breit (guitars), Cyro Baptista (percussion) and others.

In trademark Holly Cole fashion, NIGHT crosses different corners of the musical spectrum from the first focus track, a Bond theme by John Barry (“You Only Live Twice“), to a Mort Shuman classic (“Viva Las Vegas“) to Tom Waits (“Walk Away“, “Whistling Past The Graveyard“), Jaques Brel (“If You Go Away”) and Gordon Lightfoot (“If You Could Read My Mind“). A song by late Sixties/early Seventies Canadian folk-pop duo The Poppy Family has gently found its way into the repertoire (“I Thought Of You Again“). All of this is complimented by an American songwriter/folk classic from the Danny O’Keefe songbook (“Good Time Charlie’s Got The Blues“), a riveting version of a Captain Beefheart tune (“Love Lies“), a timeless pop ballad (“I Only Have Eyes For You“) and – a wonderful new Holly Cole original – “You’ve Got A Secret“.

Night

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