Dan Barrett, Rebecca Kilgore, Eddie Erickson - BEDlam

Styles: Vocal,Trombone And Guitar Jazz
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:21
Size: 141,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:47) 1. It's a good day
(4:09) 2. All I do is dream of you
(4:18) 3. Blue moon
(3:57) 4. Let's get away from it all
(4:42) 5. Dear Bix
(4:08) 6. The lady's in love with you
(4:38) 7. Oklahoma medley
(4:06) 8. A woman's intuition
(4:10) 9. Sway
(2:30) 10. I want you to be my baby
(4:13) 11. I can't give you anything but love
(4:03) 12. My canary has circles under his eyes
(4:09) 13. If you were the only girl in the world
(3:09) 14. BedLam
(4:15) 15. Bye,bye,baby

BEDlam is another in the series of recordings by the unusual, fun, swinging quartet known as BED. The group’s name is the humorous acronym formed by the names of three of the band members: Becky, Eddie, and Dan. However, bassist Joel Forbes’s contributions are essential to the band’s remarkable sound. As always, Joel is heard playing acoustically here, and his rich, deep bass is much of the reason for the band’s warm, glowing sound.

This is another great collection of interesting and often-overlooked songs from the Golden Era of American songwriting. The voice of Rebecca Kilgore is sublime, and her cool phrasing has made her in demand all over the world. Like the warm-toned trombonist Dan Barrett, Rebecca has performed at Carnegie Hall and at jazz parties and major jazz festivals all over the world. Listen as she reimagines Peggy Lee’s up- tempo hit, It’s A Good Day as a finger-popping, Gospel-infused ode to joy. Dan Barrett uses his special vintage mute for a suitably-bluesy contribution to Blue Moon.

You’ll give Eddie Erickson a standing ovation (as many audiences have done all over the world) when you hear his fantastic guitar playing and his singing. Eddie is also Rebecca’s own favorite vocalist! Eddie’s beautiful baritone voice is heard in several vocals here, and in duets with Rebecca. Eddie was recently inducted into the American Banjo Hall Of Fame. His swinging plectrum banjo playing can be heard in several selections in this variety-packed album. Another highlight in this set is Eddie’s solo banjo rendition of selections from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, Oklahoma! The title track, Bedlam, is of course a riff on the quartet’s name, but it is also a hip, boppish blues melody by the hip, boppish tenor saxophonist Wardell Gray. BED’s longtime friend and resident genius Ray Landsberg contributed the hip, boppish lyrics that Rebecca debuts here. https://danbarrett.bandcamp.com/album/bedlam

Personnel: Rebecca Kilgore Vocals; Dan Barrett Trombone; Eddie Erickson Guitar; Joel Forbes Bass

BEDlam

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Dan Barrett, Rebecca Kilgore, Eddie Erickson, Joel Forbes - Watch Out!

Styles: Jazz, Hard Bop
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:50
Size: 162,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:52) 1. This Could Be The Start Of Something Big
(3:22) 2. Lazy River
(4:25) 3. Lonely Moments
(4:30) 4. It Takes Time
(3:47) 5. In a Little Gipsy Tea Room
(4:42) 6. The Pearls
(4:26) 7. Im An Old Cowhand
(4:30) 8. There I've Said It Again
(3:09) 9. Bye Bye Baby
(3:26) 10. The Waiter and The Porter and the Upstairs Maid
(4:38) 11. Rockin' Chair
(4:05) 12. When You and I Were Young Maggie Blues
(3:08) 13. Watch Out
(4:18) 14. A Hundred Years From Today
(3:08) 15. Skrontch
(5:26) 16. Canadian Sunset
(3:52) 17. Fugue For Tinhorns

The cover of this CD features the foursome known as BED wearing very serious, almost menacing facial expressions. So...Watch Out! (The inside photos are much less threatening). Once again, the quartet has mined rich, largely-forgotten material from America’s great musical past. Where else could you go to hear The Waiter, The Porter, And The Upstairs Maid? Or how about Duke Ellington’s hip tribute to a Harlem dance step: Skrontch? Dan, Eddie, and Joel offer their take on Jelly Roll Morton’s one-of- a-kind composition, The Pearls. Rebecca calls their hand, and raises the pot with her Western Swing version of I’m An Old Cowhand. There are many other terrific selections in this special collection of seventeen songs. https://danbarrett.bandcamp.com/album/watch-out

Personnel: Rebecca Kilgore Vocals; Dan Barrett Trombone; Eddie Erickson Guitar; Joel Forbes Bass

Watch Out!

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BED (Dan Barrett/Rebecca Kilgore/Eddie Erickson) - Four + 1

Styles: Trombone, Vocal And Guitar Jazz, Swing
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:34
Size: 139,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:45) 1. I've heard that song before
(3:47) 2. This can't be love
(7:41) 3. East of the sun
(3:33) 4. Jubilee
(3:39) 5. Cheek to cheek
(4:38) 6. Say it over and over again
(3:41) 7. The hucklebuck
(4:03) 8. You can't lose a broken heart
(5:12) 9. Midnight in Moscow
(4:30) 10. You're a lucky guy
(4:31) 11. Cross your heart
(3:31) 12. The best things in life are free
(3:04) 13. Seven lonely days
(2:44) 14. Drum booguie
(3:08) 15. I'll see you in my dreams

This fun and interesting set of swinging American songs brings together five close friends who share a fondness for good tunes played with heart, and a swinging beat. BED is an acronym formed by Becky, Eddie, and Dan, three of the four members of that special quartet. (Bassist Joel Forbes is the fourth member of the troupe). BED eventually changed its funny name to honor their default leader, vocalist Rebecca “Becky” Kilgore. The group now performs as the Rebecca Kilgore Quartet. For this session, Becky, Eddie Erickson, Dan Barrett, and Joel Forbes invited their good friend Jeff Hamilton to join them on drums.

Please note there are at least two terrific drummers who share that name. This particular Jeff grew up in New Orleans, and absorbed that city’s special regard for rhythm from the musicians he heard and with whom he performed around town. Additionally, Jeff studied with the great Cie Frazier, who for many years was the drummer with the original Preservation Hall Jazz Band! Over the years, Jeff’s approach has evolved into a very personal mix of New Orleans and later swing styles. He’s a perfect fit for his like-minded colleagues in the Rebecca Kilgore Quartet. In addition to Becky’s beautiful singing and Jeff’s tasty time-keeping, Four + 1 also features vocals by Eddie Erickson. Eddie also shines here in masterful guitar work, and several hip, swinging plectrum banjo solos.

In the competitive jazz scene of New York City, Joel Forbes was at the top of the list of great jazz bassists. A long-time friend of Dan Barrett’s Joel contributes consistently propulsive bass lines, and several horn-like solos. Finally, Dan Barrett displays his usual élan in his trombone solos, and in his thoughtful backgrounds behind each of the singers. For the old favorite Midnight In Moscow, Dan puts down the trombone, and plays cornet. If that isn’t enough, he moves over to the piano to back Becky and Eddie on a rollicking version of The Hucklebuck! Don’t miss this great set of swinging vocal and instrumental jazz! https://danbarrett.bandcamp.com/album/four-1

Personnel: Rebecca Kilgore Vocals; Dan Barrett Trombone; Eddie Erickson Guitar, Banjo; Joel Forbes Bass

Four + 1

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Terry Myers - Smiles

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 65:13
Size: 122,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:33)  1. Them There Eyes
(6:51)  2. Blue Prelude
(6:01)  3. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
(6:58)  4. A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square
(4:27)  5. As Long as I Live
(5:55)  6. Blue Hodge
(4:26)  7. Someday Sweetheart
(4:14)  8. It's You or No One
(6:24)  9. Everything Happens To Me
(4:15) 10. Oh, Baby
(6:13) 11. When Day Is Done
(4:51) 12. Smiles

Tuneful, swinging and technically polished. Terry Myers isn't worried about anything else jazz is "supposed" to be. Smiles is a relaxed yet energetic romp through some standards, ballads and blues that the Florida-based saxophonist clearly loves to play. There's nothing complex or innovative here, just four musicians having a good time and looking to take the listener along. A jumping "Them There Eyes" introduces Myers's straightforward approach to contemporary swing. He crafts phrases with rhythm and reason that are fun to follow, even if they're rarely surprising. On other fast numbers such as "It's You Or No One" and the title track, Myers sparks solid grooves from neatly structured patterns. Medium tempos are effective but not as stirring. "Blue Hodge" sounds dutiful rather than heartfelt, disappointing in a tune written for the emotive Johnny Hodges.  A spare but spurring rhythm section gives Myers plenty of room: no modern jazz interjections, just steady propulsion. Pianist Johnny Varro occasionally wraps playful counterpoint around Myers's lines, and contributes coy, Teddy Wilson-inspired solos. Bassist Joel Forbes walks effectively behind the band, and drummer Ed Metz maintains an airy, dancing beat. His solos are hummable orchestrations of skins and cymbals, for example on "Don't Get Around Much Anymore."

Duke Ellington's beloved pop song is given a simmering 6/8 waltz treatment, one of the few breaks from pure swing on this album. While the generic Latin feel on "Blue Prelude" suggests a two-drink minimum at the corner lounge, the reflective pace of "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" presents Myers at his soul- searching best. His bright tone darkens slightly, but retains its flexibility. Here and on the other ballad "Everything Happens To Me," the saxophonist truly soars even as he sticks to his stylistic guns. In the liner notes Myers explains that if he had it his way, he'd mostly play ballads; the man could probably get by on those instincts. His soprano sax comes off as merely tepid during medium tempo strolls through "As Long As I Live" and "Someday Sweetheart." More chances to hear him open up on the larger horn would have been welcome. The title of this disc is a great example of honesty in advertising. It won't change the course of music, but it should raise the corners of your lips. You'll know how many more Smiles you need. ~ Andrew J.Sammut https://www.allaboutjazz.com/smiles-terry-myers-arbors-records-review-by-andrew-j-sammut.php
 

Personnel: Terry Myers: tenor and soprano saxophones; Johnny Varro: piano; Joel Forbes: bass; Ed Metz: drums.

Smiles

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Wayne Escoffery - Times Change

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:09
Size: 140.0 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2001
Art: Front

[9:54] 1. Came Back Lucky
[6:51] 2. Beatrice
[6:25] 3. After You've Gone
[7:59] 4. That's All
[6:49] 5. Times Change
[6:30] 6. Dawn
[8:55] 7. Triste
[7:43] 8. Water Pistol

Wayne Escoffery's debut disc features a fine quartet, with Aaron Goldberg on piano, Joel Forbes on bass, and Carl Allen on drums. Brandishing a weighty tenor sax tone, Escoffery leads the group through three originals and five inspired cover arrangements. The laid-back but fiercely swinging "Come Back Lucky" starts off the session, followed by a relatively bright "Beatrice," a full-tilt "After You've Gone," and a touching "That's All." Back-to-back originals follow; the first, "Times Change," is a rhythmically involved swinger, while "Dawn" mellows things out and features the leader on soprano sax. Winding down, the group offers a 7/4 reading of Jobim's "Triste," with a funky modal vamp thrown in. Goldberg then sits out the finale, "Water Pistol," a satisfying mid-tempo rhythm changes tune by Yusef Lateef. Overall, the sound of the recording could be warmer, but Escoffery displays a highly impressive command of the music and the instrument. ~David R. Adler

Times Change

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The Harry Allen And Joe Cohn Quartet - Hey, Look Me Over

Styles: Saxophone And Guitar Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:30
Size: 138,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:30)  1. With the Wind and the Rain in Your Hair
(6:07)  2. Take Four
(6:10)  3. It's Been a Long, Long Time
(6:19)  4. Hey, Look Me Over
(5:29)  5. Seven Come Eleven
(6:23)  6. I'll Only Miss Her When I Think of Her
(6:08)  7. Travisimo
(6:32)  8. Get Out
(3:18)  9. Pick Yourself Up
(7:30) 10. Danielle

The Harry Allen-Joe Cohn Quartet was recently nominated for the best small ensemble of the year by the Jazz Journalist Association for its 2006 Jazz Awards. Hey, Look Me Over offers several convincing reasons why. Playing a selection of jazz standards favoring the harmonious marriage of the tenor and guitar, Allen and Cohn fashion ten tracks of brisk and mellow music with a good dose of swing. Their quartet, featuring bassist Joel Forbes and drummer Chuck Riggs, performs regularly on the New York jazz scene. Influenced by legendary saxophonist Stan Getz, Allen chose a staple of Getz's repertoire for the opener in "With the Wind and the Rain in Your Hair" to demonstrate his talents on tenor. The band opens up in swinging style with the Sammy Cahn tune "It's Been A Long, Long Time," featuring respectable solos by the leaders. The title track, a showcase piece for the band, finds Cohn taking center stage with a romp on guitar, followed by Forbes on bass and finishing with a high-pitched tenor statement by Allen.


The group turns soft and mellow on the Cahn/Van Heusen ballad "I'll Only Miss Her When I Think Of Her," with a deliciously soft and sleepy melody. Allen and Cohn use the familiar "Pick Yourself Up" to play off each other, going back and forth on this short and fun track. One of three compositions by Al Cohn (Joe Cohn's dad), and perhaps the best on this album, is "Danielle," played like a soft samba. Riggs uses the brushes, Allen does his best Getz interpretation, and Cohn strums the guitar like Charlie Byrd on this beautiful and memorable closer. Hey, Look Me Over is a truly pleasant set of colorful and tasteful charts performed with grace and elegance. Allen and Cohn form the nucleus of a formidable, first-rate combo with a distinct style of its own. Take a hint from the title and look this one over... you may like what you hear. ~ Edward Blanco  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/hey-look-me-over-harry-allen-arbors-records-review-by-edward-blanco.php

Personnel: Harry Allen: tenor saxophone; Joe Cohn: guitar; Joel Forbes: bass; Chuck Riggs: drums.

Hey, Look Me Over

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Harry Allen - Hits By Brits

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 58:17

Size: 133.4 MB

Styles: Saxophone jazz

Year: 2007

Art: Front

[7:04] 1. Cherokee

[7:16] 2. Roses Of Picardy

[6:56] 3. Just In Time

[4:18] 4. These Foolish Things

[6:33] 5. I Hadn't Anyone Till You

[4:31] 6. You're Blasé

[7:05] 7. Limehouse Blues

[3:34] 8. A Nightingale Sang In Berkely Square

[5:48] 9. Got A Date With An Angel

[5:08] 10. The Very Thought Of You

Recording Date: November, 2006. Drums - Chuck Riggs: Guitar – Joe Cohn; Saxophone – Harry Allen; Trombone – John Allred; Bass - Joel Forbes.

Tenor saxophonist Harry Allen can evoke Lester Young disciples like Stan Getz or Zoot Sims one minute and the heavier swing-era tenorists the next. On his latest release, Allen’s sound and articulation lean toward the aggressive end of the scale, although on ballads like “You’re Blasé” and “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square,” he often brings to mind a reflective Sims or Ben Webster.

All the tunes are by Englishmen, except “Just in Time,” whose composer, the American Jule Styne, was born in London. Well-known bandleader Ray Noble wrote “The Very Thought of You,” “I Hadn’t Anyone Till You” and the classic jazz vehicle “Cherokee.” Also included are “Roses of Picardy,” “These Foolish Things,” “Limehouse Blues” and “Got a Date with an Angel.” The informal arrangements consist largely of Allen, guitarist Joe Cohn and trombonist John Allred (on four tracks) stating the melody, taking choruses, trading phrases and taking the chart out.

Allen is in great form, whether swinging ebulliently or caressing a melody, and the virtuosic Allred is consistently impressive. Cohn seemingly inherited dad Al’s melodic sense, as he spins nimble, tuneful lines at any tempo. The fine rhythm section also includes bassist Joel Forbes and drummer Chuck Riggs.~David Franklin

Hits By Brits

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The Harry Allen & Joe Cohn Quartet - Stompin' The Blues

Styles: Guitar And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:17
Size: 150,0 MB
Art: Front

(7:33)  1. You're Driving Me Crazy
(7:17)  2. I'll Get By
(5:10)  3. Stompin' the Blues
(5:01)  4. My Old Flame
(4:52)  5. Don't Want to Have To
(5:21)  6. But I Will
(9:20)  7. I Only Have Eyes for You
(8:18)  8. (I Would Do) Anything for You
(6:28)  9. Medley It Might As Well Be Spring, Spring Is Here
(5:54) 10. So There

Despite his still young age, tenor saxophonist Harry Allen has released nearly 40 CDs. Even more impressive is that he plays mostly standards, and while that well is deep, there's no easy chore in making American popular songs fresh and vibrant within the mainstream. Allen accomplishes this by changing up his bands, working hard on his personalized post-Stan Getz voicings, and occasionally inviting veteran hero/musicians to his recording sessions. In this case, fellow tenor man Scott Hamilton joins the band Allen co-leads with the excellent primarily rhythm guitarist Joe Cohn, and there's a story behind the recording date. Hamilton, living in London, England, flew to the U.S. shortly after the terrorist threat there in February of 2007 and was forced to check his saxophone instead of carrying it with him on the flight, and it was badly damaged in transit. But somehow Hamilton was able to piece the hurt horn together, and he sounds as good on it as he ever has. Trombonist John Allred is another modern miracle on this effort, as his playing in accord with, opposite to, and in conversational mode with Allen is sheer genius. 

Why is Allred not hailed as one of the top five jazz trombonists going today? Some good swingin' music is created as Allen and Allred trade alternating choruses for the obscure "I'll Get By" and go back and forth in chat-chat mode during "I Only Have Eyes for You," while each adopts solo lines on the medley melodies of "It Might as Well Be Spring" (Allred) and "Spring Is Here" (Allen). Of the three selections with the twin tenors plus 'bone, "You're Driving Me Crazy" is as interactive as any Dixieland tune, the deep saxes take eight-bar turns for "My Old Flame," and all three horns hit a singsong groove as the cool bass of Joel Forbes and Cohn's guitar prep "(I Would Do) Anything for You." Of the originals penned by Allen, "Don't Want to Have To" evokes a Gerry Mulligan or Dave Brubeck/Paul Desmond classical jazz stance moving forward, wryly followed by the just fine swing of "But I Will." The title track is a basic romping, bopping 12-bar blues, while the end game piece, "So There," has Allen and his band syncopatin' as hard as he ever has. This is yet another complete, effervescent, solid session for Allen. It's also a treat to read the liner notes by Herb Wong. Any jazz fan can receive special insight reading what Dr. Wong has to say. ~ Michael G.Nastos  http://www.allmusic.com/album/stompin-the-blues-mw0000786043

Personnel : Joe Cohn (guitar); Harry Allen, Scott Hamilton (tenor saxophone); John Allred (trombone); Joel Forbes (bass instrument); Chuck Riggs (drums).

Stompin' The Blues

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Harry Allen & Scott Hamilton - 'Round Midnight

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:13
Size: 178,7 MB
Art: Front

( 6:03)  1. My Melancholy Baby
( 8:01)  2. Great Scott
(11:29)  3. How Am I To Know
( 6:26)  4. The Opener
(11:50)  5. Baubles, Bangles and Beads
(10:23)  6. Hey Lock!
( 8:10)  7. Lover
( 6:06)  8. Flight Of The Foo Birds
( 6:40)  9. 'Round Midnight

Johannes Brahms was called "the keeper of the flame" for Beethoven. Tenor saxophonist Harry Allen and Scott Hamilton are the same keepers for a tenor tradition that existed from the swing era through hard bop. The pair champions a sound and method established by Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster and Lester Young: a broad, dense tone, both confident and hesitant. Allen and Hamilton highlight a stylistic history that ended in 1956 when Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane recorded "Tenor Madness." This music is romantic, balladic and, when played up-tempo, swinging.  'Round Midnight is a predictable recording, which is exactly perfect because one knows just what to expect from these two and their many recordings for Nagel-Heyer, Arbors Records, Concord and various other labels. It is a collection of nine standards, all having great empathy for one another and a brilliant rhythm section smoothing them out before these two saxophonists. Pianist Rossano Sportiello must be singled out for attention for his certain and sure guidance of the music. Bassist Joel Forbes and drummer Chuck Riggs are solid throughout. 

Each was afforded solo space that was well used. No matter the age of the composition, whether 1912's "My Melancholy Baby" or 1958's "Great Scott," Allen and Hamilton swing them with a personal touch and professional ability. The sympatico shared between the two saxophonists is impressive. At once, they are very similar players with very different sounds even within the constraints of the material. Allen's tone is full-bodied and sure, while Hamilton's is a bit breathier, somewhere between Zoot Sims and Dexter Gordon. 'Round Midnight is not another Tenor Madness (Prestige, 1956). It is Tenor Elegance. ~ C.Michael Bailey  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/round-midnight-harry-allen-challenge-records-review-by-c-michael-bailey.php#.U77ydrFryM0
 

Personnel: Harry Allen: tenor saxophone; Scott Hamilton: tenor saxophone; Rossano Sportiello: piano; Joel Forbes: bass; Chuck Riggs: drums.

'Round Midnight

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Rossano Sportiello, Harry Allen, Joel Forbes - I Walk With The Music: The Hoagy Carmichael Songbook

Size: 163,9 MB
Time: 70:33
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Mainstream Jazz
Art: Front

01. Moon Country (6:37)
02. In The Cool, Cool, Cool Of The Evening (5:17)
03. I Get Along Without You Very Well (3:21)
04. New Orleans (7:17)
05. The Nearness Of You (5:49)
06. I Walk With Music (5:22)
07. Two Sleepy People (3:55)
08. Rockin' Chair (6:36)
09. One Morning In May (5:53)
10. Georgia On My Mind (6:37)
11. April In My Heart (6:32)
12. Jubilee (4:24)
13. Skylark (2:47)

What does Hoagy Carmichael’s music sound like in your mind? I think of leaves rustling and water flowing over small stones; I think of a musical playfulness allied with deep feelings, sadness and joy. His music has been given life on a million pianos and by tens of millions of singers and instrumentalists — but it is sublimely expressed on a new CD by the trio of Harry Allen, tenor saxophone; Rossano Sportiello, piano; Joel Forbes, string bass.

I WALK WITH MUSIC: THE HOAGY CARMICHAEL SONGBOOK is both familiar and fresh, both embracing and sweetly surprising. Harry, Rossano, and Joel are masters of small-group playing: each of them is a superb soloist, able to entrance us all by himself. But they excel at swing synergy, so that this trio is much more than the three soloists assembled in a room. Their deep empathy for Hoagy’s melodies comes through: they do not use the chord changes as a reason to convert the composer’s deep melodic lines into a series of ninths and thirteenths. Indeed, this CD is a master class in singing through instruments.

I Walk With The Music

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