Judy Niemack - New York Stories (with Jim McNeely & Danish Radio Big Band)

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:36
Size: 171,2 MB
Art: Front

( 9:39)  1. New York Stories
( 6:58)  2. Suddenly (In Walked Bud)
( 7:03)  3. Talk Awhile (It's Just Talk)
(11:19)  4. A Crazy Song to Sing (Misterioso)
( 8:22)  5. I Should Have Told You Goodbye (Daahoud)
( 9:21)  6. Straight Up to the Light
( 6:04)  7. Fragile
( 9:04)  8. Round Midnight
( 6:41)  9. It's Over Now (Well You Needn't)

A talented and adventurous singer, Judy Niemack has long had an underground reputation in jazz, although she finally received more recognition for her abilities. She sang regularly in school, starting at age seven in a church choir, and at 17 decided to become a professional singer. After meeting Warne Marsh the following year, Niemack became dedicated to jazz. She attended Pasadena City College, had several years of classical study, and also attended the New England Conservatory in Boston and the Cleveland Institute of Music, in addition to private lessons with Marsh. She moved to New York in 1977, and the following year made her recording debut, By Heart, for Sea Breeze. She returned in 1988 with Blue-Bop.

Since that time, Niemack has freelanced with many top jazz musicians (including Toots Thielemans, James Moody, Lee Konitz, Clark Terry, Kenny Barron, Fred Hersch, Kenny Werner, Joe Lovano, and Eddie Gomez, among others), has written lyrics to other musicians' compositions (in addition to writing songs of her own), and has toured Europe regularly. In addition, she has been a top jazz educator, teaching throughout Europe. A colorful improviser, Niemack has continued to recorded as a leader, delivering such albums as 1990's Long as You're Living, 1992's Straight Up, and 1996's Night and the Music. In 2003 she delivered About Time, featuring her husband, Jeanfrançois Prins, on guitar; Eddie Gomez on bass; and David Friedman on vibraphone. What's Going On? appeared on Temps in 2007, followed by In the Sundance in 2009. Niemack paired with pianist Dan Tepfer for Listening to You in 2017. ~ Scott Yanow https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/new-york-stories-with-jim-mcneely-danish-radio-big-band/1405855091

New York Stories (with Jim McNeely & Danish Radio Big Band)

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The Danish Radio Jazz Orchestra, Jim McNeely - Play Bill Evans

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:30
Size: 156.8 MB
Styles: Big band
Year: 2002/2012
Art: Front

[ 8:18] 1. Very Early
[ 9:42] 2. Show-Type Tune (Tune For A Lyric)
[ 7:07] 3. Blue In Green
[10:03] 4. T.T.T.T.T.T.T
[ 7:02] 5. Theme For Debby
[10:43] 6. Theme For Scotty Gloria's Step
[ 8:51] 7. Re Person I Knew
[ 6:40] 8. Turn Out The Stars

Bass – Thomas Ovesen; Drums – Søren Frost; Guitar – Anders "Chico" Lindvall; Percussion – Ethan Weisgard; Piano – Jim McNeely (tracks: 8), Nikolaj Bentzon (tracks: 1 to 7); Reeds – Flemming Madsen, Michael Hove, Nicolai Schultz, Tomas Franck, Uffe Markussen; Trombone – Alf Vestergaard, Axel Windfeld, Steen Hansen, Vincent Nilsson; Trumpet – Benny Rosenfeld, Henrik Bolberg Pedersen, Lars Lindgren, Thomas Fryland, Thomas Kjærgaard. Recorded March 20-24, 2000 at studio 3, Broadcast House Copenhagen.

Bill Evans' compositions have been interpreted in countless ways through the years, but not so often by big bands. Who better than Jim McNeely, a fine pianist and one of jazz's most imaginative arrangers, to glean fresh insights from Evans' music? Leading the fine players of the Danish Radio Jazz Orchestra, McNeely sets his sights on some of Evans' strongest melodies, and he consistently finds new angles. The latent dissonance of "Very Early" is fully apparent when the interval-leaping line is placed over a pedal point, or the final B major 7th chord, for instance. There are other surprising touches, like the half-time tag that breaks up "Waltz for Debby"; the climactic shout choruses (and orchestrated Bill Evans solo) in "Show-Type Tune"; the medley-style juxtaposition of "Twelve-Tone Tune" and "Twelve-Tone Tune Two"; and the jarring burst of a chord that ends "Turn Out the Stars," gradually fading to close out the album. Lead trombonist Vincent Nilsson arranged the one piece not composed by Bill Evans: "Theme for Scotty/Gloria's Step" combines Clare Fischer's requiem for Scott LaFaro with a stormy reading of LaFaro's most famous tune, which remained in Evans' repertoire long after the bassist's untimely death. Tenor saxophonist Tomas Franck, one of the album's more prominent soloists, gives "Blue in Green" an unusually turbulent, quasi-"out" arrangement. Other outstanding performers include bassist Thomas Ovesen and flügelhornist Henrik Bolberg Pedersen. ~David R. Adler

Play Bill Evans mc
Play Bill Evans zippy

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Mike Richmond - Dance For Andy

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:01
Size: 169,9 MB
Art: Front

( 8:44)  1. Conflictions
( 6:53)  2. Invitation
( 8:44)  3. Emily
(10:14)  4. Dance For Andy
( 8:28)  5. I Remember Clifford
( 8:58)  6. Gospel
( 5:18)  7. Witchi-Tai-To
( 7:08)  8. Blues For Spock
( 9:30)  9. You And The Night And The Music

“ This is an excellent example of CD’s advantage over LP. The playing time is almost 1 1/4 hours and the sound is superb DDD; the music is all of a very high quality…I’ve played this CD a good many times since receiving it, and its appeal has in no way diminished. Could be one for my Top Ten of 1991.” (Mike Shera, Jazz Journal International )

Personnel:  Mike Richmond - bass;  Larry Schneider - tenor & soprano sax;  Jim McNeely - piano;  Keith Copeland - drums

Dance For Andy

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Stan Getz - Live in Paris

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:10
Size: 131,7 MB
Art: Front

( 6:04)  1. Un Grand Amor
( 5:02)  2. Blood Count
( 8:23)  3. Airegin
( 7:28)  4. Blue Skies
( 9:46)  5. On The Up And Up
(10:16)  6. I Wanted To Say
(10:07)  7. Tempus Fugit

One of the all-time great tenor saxophonists, Stan Getz was known as "The Sound" because he had one of the most beautiful tones ever heard. Getz, whose main early influence was Lester Young, grew to be a major influence himself, and to his credit he never stopped evolving. Getz had the opportunity to play in a variety of major swing big bands while a teenager due to the World War II draft. He was with Jack Teagarden (1943) when he was just 16, followed by stints with Stan Kenton (1944-1945), Jimmy Dorsey (1945), and Benny Goodman (1945-1946); he soloed on a few records with Goodman. Getz, who had his recording debut as a leader in July 1946 with four titles, became famous during his period with Woody Herman's Second Herd (1947-1949), soloing (along with Zoot Sims, Herbie Steward, and Serge Chaloff) on the original version of "Four Brothers" and having his sound well-featured on the ballad "Early Autumn." After leaving Herman, Getz was (with the exception of some tours with Jazz at the Philharmonic) a leader for the rest of his life. During the early '50s, Getz broke away from the Lester Young style to form his own musical identity, and he was soon among the most popular of all jazzmen. He discovered Horace Silver in 1950 and used him in his quartet for several months. After touring Sweden in 1951, he formed an exciting quintet that co-featured guitarist Jimmy Raney; their interplay on uptempo tunes and tonal blend on ballads were quite memorable. Getz's playing helped Johnny Smith have a hit in "Moonlight in Vermont"; during 1953-1954, Bob Brookmeyer made his group a quintet and, despite some drug problems during the decade, Getz was a constant poll winner. After spending 1958-1960 in Europe, the tenor man returned to the U.S. and recorded his personal favorite album, Focus, with arranger Eddie Sauter's Orchestra. Then, in February 1962, Getz helped usher in the bossa nova era by recording Jazz Samba with Charlie Byrd; their rendition of "Desafinado" was a big hit. During the next year, Getz made bossa nova-flavored albums with Gary McFarland's big band, Luiz Bonfá, and Laurindo Almeida, but it was Getz/Gilberto (a collaboration with Antonio Carlos Jobim and João Gilberto) that was his biggest seller, thanks in large part to "The Girl from Ipanema" (featuring the vocals of Astrud and João Gilberto).

Getz could have spent the next decade sticking to bossa nova, but instead he de-emphasized the music and chose to play more challenging jazz. His regular group during this era was a piano-less quartet with vibraphonist Gary Burton, he recorded with Bill Evans (1964), played throughout the 1965 Eddie Sauter soundtrack for Mickey One, and made the classic album Sweet Rain (1967) with Chick Corea. Although not all of Getz's recordings from the 1966-1980 period are essential, he proved that he was not afraid to take chances. Dynasty with organist Eddie Louiss (1971), Captain Marvel with Chick Corea (1972), and The Peacocks with Jimmy Rowles (1975) are high points. After utilizing pianist Joanne Brackeen in his 1977 quartet, Getz explored some aspects of fusion with his next unit, which featured keyboardist Andy Laverne. Getz even used an Echoplex on a couple of songs but, despite some misfires, most of his dates with this unit are worthwhile. However, purists were relieved when he signed with Concord in 1981 and started using a purely acoustic backup trio on most dates. In 1987, Getz had a large tumor removed from behind his heart. Subsequent tests revealed that he had liver cancer and cirrhosis, most likely due to years of substance abuse. Undeterred, Getz embarked on a strict, herbal-based diet hoping to treat the lymphoma. By fall 1988, MRI scans revealed that the tumor had dramatically shrunken in size. Buoyed by the good news, Getz remained active, touring with pianist Kenny Barron and recording the albums Apasionado (1990) with Herb Alpert and You Gotta Pay the Band (1990) with vocalist Abbey Lincoln. Sadly, Getz's cancer never fully abated and he died on June 6, 1991 at age 64. His final recording, 1991's People Time, is (despite some shortness in the saxophonist's breath) a brilliant duet set with Barron. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/stan-getz-mn0000742899/biography

Personnel:  Stan Getz - tenor saxophone;  Jim McNeely – piano;  Marc Johnson – bass;  Victor Lewis - drums

Live in Paris

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Phil Woods - Real Life

Styles: Saxophone And Clarinet Jazz
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:54
Size: 160,4 MB
Art: Front

(7:32)  1. Real Life
(9:52)  2. Quill
(5:52)  3. Idols
(8:44)  4. Loose Change
(6:30)  5. Waltz for Harry
(5:05)  6. Sail Away
(8:39)  7. Laddy Buck
(6:59)  8. Bouquet
(6:22)  9. Viable Blues
(3:17) 10. How's Your Mama!

During a major portion of his career, Phil Woods predominately led a quartet or quintet, so the opportunity to work with his Little Big Band gave him a special pleasure, by expanding both the brass and reeds to an octet. His third release to feature the octet includes his working quintet at the time, including trombonist Hal Crook, pianist Jim McNeely, plus his longtime rhythm section, bassist Steve Gilmore and drummer Bill Goodwin. Guests include Woods' former sideman trumpeter/flugelhornist Tom Harrell, alto and baritone saxophonist Nick Brignola, plus alto and tenor saxophonist Nelson Hill. Although the economics of touring with a band this size made it impossible to tour, the musicians dove into the difficult arrangements with plenty of gusto and end up sounding as if they had been playing them in concert for months. McNeely's challenging "Real Life" is especially inspired, while Woods is joined by both Brignola and Hill on alto saxes for a bluesy rendition of "Quill," a tribute to Woods' former partner, Gene Quill. The leader switches to clarinet for the powerful "Waltz for Harry," written in memory of Woods' former guitarist, Harry Leahey; Harrell's warm flugelhorn and McNeely's piano solo are also featured. Harrell's "Sail Away," one of his most important compositions, is arranged by Woods to feature Crook's potent trombone. The program ends with a boisterous rendition of Woods' usual set closer, including snatches of several pieces, among themDizzy Gillespie's famous introduction to "All the Things You Are," a blistering bit of "52nd Street Theme," plus the closing tags of "Salt Peanuts" and "Harlem Nocturne." Sadly, this would be the final recording of this octet, as the death of Nick Brignola in 2002 prevented a reunion of this particular lineup of jazz all-stars. ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/real-life-mw0000265141

Personnel: Phil Woods (alto saxophone, clarinet),  Nelson Hill (tenor & alto saxophone),  Nick Brignola (alto & baritone saxophone),  Tom Harrell (trumpet),  Hal Crook (trombone),  Jim McNeely (piano), Steve Gilmore (bass), Bill Goodwin (drums).

Real Life

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Jim McNeely - Winds Of Change

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:02
Size: 137,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:18)  1. Winds Of Change
(6:48)  2. Too True To Be Good
(9:07)  3. Power Gap
(7:20)  4. Yours And Mine
(9:00)  5. All Or Nothing At All
(6:30)  6. Quietude
(7:00)  7. Brooder's Waltz
(7:56)  8. Bye-Ya

Jim McNeely's 1989 trio session with bassist Mike Richmond and drummer Kenny Washington is a proverbial "hidden gem" in his discography. The pianist's advanced yet accessible compositions include the dramatic opener, "Winds of Change," which starts in a Latin setting with shades of Igor Stravinsky's early ballets, along with the haunting "Brooder's Waltz." Another original, "Power Gap," features the leader on DX-7 and showcases Washington's superb brushwork. Since McNeely is a veteran of the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, it shouldn't be surprising that he is a fan of Jones' compositions. 

His touching take of "Yours and Mine" and the gently swinging interpretation of "Quietude" would have pleased Jones. Washington opens Thelonious Monk's "Bye-Ya" unaccompanied, while McNeely's rollicking arrangement has a Latin undercurrent. ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/winds-of-change-mw0000265985

Personnel: Jim McNeely (piano, synthesizer), Mike Richmond (bass), Kenny Washington (drums)

Winds Of Change

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Jim McNeely Quintet - Rain's Dance

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1976
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:00
Size: 123,7 MB
Art: Front

( 6:12)  1. Wishful Thinking
(10:38)  2. Little Green Men
( 4:28)  3. Tipe Tizwe
(10:46)  4. Rain's Dance
( 9:29)  5. For The Crazy One
(12:25)  6. Rain's Dance

Pianist Jim McNeely, who includes stints with Ted Curson, Stan Getz, Thad Jones and Mel Lewis, and Phil Woods on his lengthy resume, has been gradually recognized by the jazz public as a terrific composer, but these 1976 sessions, which mark one of his earliest dates as a leader, show him to be a very advanced writer at an early stage of his career. The hypnotic opener, "Wishful Thinking," features Larry Schneider on soprano sax in a modal setting. McNeely switches to electric piano for his playful "Little Green Men." On the catchy "Tipe Tizwe," based on a traditional African folk song, the leader plays both piano and African thumb piano (which is rarely heard in jazz), and is joined only by percussionist Sam Jacobs. "Rain's Dance" is a driving post-bop composition that marks the typical ebb and flow in the intensity of a summer storm; it's heard in two separate takes, featuring fine solos by McNeely, bassist Mike Richmond, and Larry Schenider on tenor sax. This adventurous date by Jim McNeely is well worth acquiring. ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/rains-dance-mw0000580108

Personnel:  Bass – Mike Richmond;  Drums – Bob Merigliano;  Piano, Electric Piano, Composed By – Jim McNeely;  Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Larry Schneider

Rain's Dance

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