Don Byron - Music for Six Musicians

Styles: Clarinet Jazz
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:16
Size: 143,1 MB
Art: Front

( 1:45)  1. 'Uh-Oh, Chango!' / White History Month
( 5:47)  2. Shelby Steele would be mowing your lawn.
(10:00)  3. (The press made) Rodney King (responsible for the LA riots)
( 5:32)  4. 'I'll chill on the Marley tapes...'
( 6:53)  5. SEX/WORK (Clarence/Anita)
( 2:30)  6. La Estrellita
( 9:49)  7. '...that sucking sound...' (for Ross Perot)
( 4:38)  8. Crown Heights
( 4:31)  9. The Allure of Entanglement
( 8:46) 10. The Importance of being SHARPTON

Like its 2001 sequel, this 1995 outing delves heavily into Latin rhythms and boasts ambitious, well-wrought compositions, not to mention extraordinary playing  particularly from the unsung pianist Edsel Gomez and Byron himself, on both bass and B flat clarinets. The sextet also features Graham Haynes on cornet, Kenny Davis on electric bass, Jerry Gonzalez on congas, and Ben Wittman on drums. Four special guests appear (guitarist Bill Frisell, bassists Lonnie Plaxico and Andy Gonzalez, drummer Ralph Peterson), although the where-and-when particulars aren't spelled out on the disc packaging. Byron is clearly preoccupied with race politics here; most of his titles mention headline grabbers of the 1990s, from Shelby Steele, Clarence Thomas, and Ross Perot to Rodney King and Al Sharpton. The poet Sadiq begins the album with a reading of his tendentious "White History Month," which Byron sets against a winding clarinet chorale, "'Uh-Oh, Chango!'" Ultimately, however, the politics are more of an undercurrent than a central theme. Hip grooves and raucous interplay prevail, although Byron sets a more contemplative tone with "SEX/WORK (Clarence/Anita)," which has the flavor of a classical theme. Byron furthers the classical allusion with a virtuosic, unaccompanied reading of Manuel Ponce's "La Estrellita" and a fabulous duet with Edsel Gomez, "The Allure of Entanglement.~ David R.Adler https://www.allmusic.com/album/music-for-six-musicians-mw0000122190

Personnel:   Clarinet, Clarinet [Bass] – Don Byron; Bass [Electric] – Kenny Davis; Congas – Jerry Gonzalez; Cornet – Graham Haynes;  Drums – Ben Wittman; Piano – Edsel Gomez

Music for Six Musicians

---

Kenny Kirkland - Kenny Kirkland

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:37
Size: 143,6 MB
Art: Front

(8:07)  1. Mr. J.C.
(3:32)  2. Midnight Silence
(1:35)  3. El Rey
(6:02)  4. Steepian Faith
(6:49)  5. Celia
(6:01)  6. Chance
(5:39)  7. When Will the Blues Leave
(8:36)  8. Ana Maria
(7:48)  9. Revelations
(5:19) 10. Criss Cross
(3:04) 11. Blasphemy

Keyboardist Kenny Kirkland's long-overdue debut as a leader really stretches his talents and is occasionally unpredictable. Virtually each of the performances has its own personality and the personnel and instrumentation differ throughout the release. Among the highlights is "Mr. J.C." (which features some stormy Branford Marsalis tenor), an electric Latin but still boppish update of Bud Powell's "Celia" (taken as a duet with percussionist Don Alias), the struttin' "Steepian Faith," a driving rendition of Ornette Coleman's "When Will the Blues Leave" that has some free bop alto from Roderick Ward, and Latin versions (with percussionist Jerry Gonzalez) of two standards not normally thought of as belonging to that idiom: Wayne Shorter's "Ana Maria" and Thelonious Monk's "Criss Cross." This highly recommended CD has more than its share of brilliant moments. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/kenny-kirkland-mw0000676542

Personnel: Kenny Kirkland (piano, keyboards); Branford Marsalis (soprano & tenor saxophones); Charnett Moffet, Robert Hurst, Christian McBride (bass); Steve Berrios (drums, percussion); Jeff "Tain" Watts (drums); Don Alias (bongos, percussion); Jerry Gonzalez (congas, percussion).

Kenny Kirkland

---

Jerry Gonzalez - Ya Yo Me Cure

Styles: Latin Jazz, Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1979
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:44
Size: 109,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:43)  1. Agueybana Zemi
(8:23)  2. Nefertiti
(5:24)  3. Ya Yo Me Cure
(2:59)  4. The Lucy Theme
(8:59)  5. Evidence
(6:54)  6. Baba Fieden Orisha
(8:19)  7. Caravan

The debut recording as a leader by Jerry Gonzalez, Ya Yo Me Cure features an early version of the trumpeter/Latin percussionist's Fort Apache Band (although it had not been named at this point). The advanced Latin jazz set (which has been reissued on CD) features such notable sidemen as trombonist Steve Turre, Mario Rivera on tenor, pianist Hilton Ruiz, singer Frankie Rodriguez and several percussionists. In addition to three originals by Rodriguez, the hot ensemble Latinizes such unlikely tunes as "Caravan," Wayne Shorter's "Nefertiti," Thelonious Monk's "Evidence" and "The Lucy Theme." Frequently exciting music. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/ya-yo-me-cure-mw0000197255

Personnel: Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Coro – Jerry Gonzalez;  Backing Vocals – Milton Cardona;  Bass, Coro – Andy Gonzalez;  Bata – Gene Golden;  Coro – Carlos Mestre;  Drums – Don Alias;  Electric Guitar – Edgardo Miranda;  Guiro, Percussion – Vincente George;  Lead Vocals, Bata – Frankie Rodriguez;  Piano – Hilton Ruiz;  Saxophone, Coro – Mario Rivera;  Timbales – Nicky Marrero;  Trombone – Steve Turre;  Trombone, Coro – Papo Vázquez

Ya Yo Me Cure

---

Jerry Gonzalez, The Fort Apache Band - Rumba Para Monk

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:46
Size: 164.3 MB
Styles: Latin jazz, Trumpet jazz
Year: 1989/1995
Art: Front

[11:13] 1. Monk's Mood
[ 6:42] 2. Bye-Ya
[ 5:36] 3. Nutty
[ 9:45] 4. Little Rootie Tootie
[10:03] 5. Misterioso
[ 7:26] 6. Ugly Beauty
[ 9:30] 7. Reflections
[11:28] 8. Jackie-Ing

Jerry Gonzalez - trumpet, flugelhorn, percussions; Steve Berrios - drums, percussions; Andy Gonzalez - bass, Carter Jefferson - tenor sax, Larry Willis - piano.

"Inspired not only by Monk's originality and power, but by the spirit of dance and celebration that inhabited his music, Gonzalez has done considerably more than graft Latin elements onto Monk tunes. He has analyzed the natures of the compositions and infused then with the Latin rhythms he finds inherent in them." ~Doug Ramsey

Rumba Para Monk

---