Cyrille Aimée + Friends - Live at Smalls

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:00
Size: 155,3 MB
Art: Front

(6:56)  1. September in the Rain
(6:16)  2. Que Reste-Il ( I Wish You Love)
(6:36)  3. Yesterdays
(5:43)  4. East Village Inamorata
(9:38)  5. Love for Sale
(6:47)  6. I Was Beginning to See the Light
(6:07)  7. When I Was a Child
(5:29)  8. Lover Man
(7:40)  9. I Mean You
(5:46) 10. Stand by Me

Cyrille Aimée has consistently proven herself to be an unstoppable, undeniable talent in the modern age of jazz. Her culturally rich background has supplied her with the driving force of Dominican rhythm and the incredible swing of the French Gypsies. Taking these natural abilities with her across the world, she has received rave reviews and a loyal following in each country she graces with her voice. She was a finalist in the prestigious Thelonious Monk Vocal Competition of 2010, performing in front of a jury of Al Jarreau, Kurt Elling, Dianne Reeves, Dee Dee Bridgewater. In 2007, Cyrille won both the first and public prize in the Montreux Jazz Festival Competition. For her SmallsLIVE debut, she is accompanied by jazz legend Roy Hargrove as well as tenor saxophonist Joel Frahm. The rhythm section consists of pianist Spike Wilner, bassist Phil Khuen and drummer Joey Saylor. ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Cyrille-Aimee-Friends-Live-Smalls/dp/B004NWHVT4

Personnel:  Cyrille Aimée – vocals;  Roy Hargrove – trumpet;  Joel Frahm – tenor sax;  Spike Wilner -  piano;  Phillip Kuehn – bass;  Joseph Saylor – drums

Live at Smalls

---

Freddy Cole - My Mood Is You

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:02
Size: 119.1 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2018
Art: Front

[5:43] 1. My Mood Is You
[4:52] 2. Temptation
[5:37] 3. Almost In Love
[5:42] 4. I’ll Always Leave The Door A Little Open
[6:19] 5. First Began
[4:32] 6. They Didn’t Believe Me
[6:29] 7. My Heart Tells Me
[5:10] 8. The Lonely One
[4:16] 9. Love Like This Can’t Last
[3:18] 10. Marie

Freddy Cole, vocals; John di Martino, piano; Joel Frahm, soprano & tenor saxophones; Randy Napoleon, guitar; Elias Bailey, bass; Quentin Baxter, drums.

Very few artists stay at the top of their game for their entire career. However, Freddy Cole’s velvet unhurried singing style remains every bit as cool and hip as it was when his first record was released in 1964. Pianist John di Martino, bassist Elias Bailey, guitarist Randy Napoleon and drummer Quentin Baxter, are trusted associates of Cole who respond to his inimitable sense of swing with now intuitive assurance. Guest saxophonist Joel Frahm displays a sympathetic style that puts him in league with such earlier illustrious Cole saxophone allies as Houston Person and David “Fathead” Newman. Time has been kind to Freddy Cole, who is currently singing with the vitality and zest of a man half his age. His seasoned voice is as affecting as ever, his understanding of a song's expressive anatomy never more incisive. His unimpeachable artistry, rather than longevity, is what positions him as today's vocal jazz master.

My Mood Is You mc
My Mood Is You zippy

---

Joan Stiles, Joel Frahm, Matt Wilson - Three Musicians

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:30
Size: 117.9 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[4:03] 1. Everything's Coming Up Roses
[5:06] 2. In The Sunshine Of My Funny Valentine's Love
[5:08] 3. West End Boogie
[6:03] 4. You Don't Know What Love Is
[3:54] 5. Lucky To Be Me
[2:33] 6. All The Things You Are
[4:24] 7. Blood Count
[2:38] 8. O.W.
[3:17] 9. Introspection
[5:37] 10. Nutty
[5:08] 11. Brother, Can You Spare A Dime Can't Buy Me Love
[3:32] 12. Bebopicity

Joan Stiles: piano; Joel Frahm: tenor saxophone(1-3, 5-12), soprano saxophone (4); Matt Wilson: drums (1-5, 9-12).

On the surface, Three Musicians is a smart collection of performances from a witty threesome, but closer observation reveals deep Cubist intent. In referencing one of Pablo Picasso's masterpieces, pianist Joan Stiles touches on a style of art that rarely finds an overt entrance into jazz, creating a layered, collage ideology within the very fabric of her work.

The term "mash-up" has become the phrase of choice in pop music circles to describe arrangements that weave two separate songs into a single work of art, but that concept is merely an outgrowth of Synthetic Cubism. While few musicians have tapped into the potential of this primarily visual art form, Stiles finds two different ways to touch on this topic. The obvious creation of combinatorial art comes with the merging of musical materials that takes place when she blends "Brother, Can You Spare A Dime?" with The Beatles' "Can't Buy Me Love," or Cream's "Sunshine Of Your Love" with "My Funny Valentine" ("In The Sunshine Of My Funny Valentine's Love"), but her connection to Cubism also comes to light on a different plane. The very interaction between all three musicians on this date can be viewed as an aural, collage-based representation of what Cubism—and jazz—is all about.

Stiles, drummer Matt Wilson and saxophonist Joel Frahm overlap, contrast, collide and collude with one another in complementary fashion as they create music full of wit, wisdom and wonder that would have made Picasso and Georges Braque gush with pride. They deconstruct and reform Thelonious Monk's work to their liking ("Nutty" and "Introspection"), create music that charms and sparkles with beauty ("Lucky To Be Me"), and bring Stiles' own compositions to life ("West End Boogie" and "Bebopicity"). Much of this ground may have been frequently covered, the trio's ability to bring humor into the mix without resorting to caricature helps set it apart.

The majority of the music touches on a chemistry that exists between all parties, but three mid-album tracks delve deeply into the duo relationship between Frahm and Stiles. "All The Things You Are" is a short journey all about weaving melodic, harmonic and rhythmic elements between two parties, while "O.W." is steeped in bluesy interplay; but the beauty of the bunch is the serious-as-can-be take on Billy Strayhorn's "Blood Count," which proves to be the album's emotional centerpiece.

Those prone to analyzing art can make plenty of connections between Stiles' work and Cubism as a whole, or argue the opposite to their heart's content, but that doesn't really matter. Music matters most, and Stiles clearly gets that. ~Dan Bilawsky

Three Musicians

---

Scott Morgan - Songs Of Life

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:25
Size: 115.4 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[3:39] 1. It's You Or No One
[5:16] 2. Little Prayer/Wouldn't It Be Loverly
[4:05] 3. Song Of Life
[3:13] 4. Lazin' Around
[3:10] 5. I Just Found Out About Love
[3:56] 6. Secret O' Life
[4:18] 7. Like A Lover
[3:16] 8. I'm Just A Lucky So-And-So
[4:01] 9. Lost In The Stars
[4:19] 10. I'll Follow
[3:39] 11. This Heart Of Mine
[3:59] 12. Don't Let Me Be Lonely
[3:29] 13. I Will

Scott Morgan: vocals; Fred Hersch: piano; Matt Aronoff: bass; Ross Pederson: drums; Joel Frahm: tenor saxophone (3, 5, 8); Janis Siegel: vocals (10).

There's no greater teacher than life. Its bounties and tragedies, triumphs and defeats, and strange flirtations with absurdist theater and dead on truth have a way of enriching perspective and giving us the tools to communicate at a much deeper level. Few embody that fact better than vocalist Scott Morgan, who, after studying music in college in the '80s, taking a protracted time away from the art form, and reengaging with the craft at the dawn of the new millennium, is finally releasing his debut album.

Morgan's background in musical theater greatly informs his work on Songs Of Life, allowing him to exist in a variety of character spaces and scenes. His strength sits with his ability to tap into the proper emotional streams and put across an idea without coming off as disingenuous. It might sound like something that's easy to do, but it's not. The medley of Dave Catney's "Little Prayer" and Lerner and Loewe's "Wouldn't It Be Loverly"—the former given as a threnody to its composer and other victims of the AIDS epidemic, the latter performed with a touching, featherweight delivery—is a prime example of the candor that comes through in Morgan's voice. "Lost In The Stars" is another one.

In terms of repertoire, Morgan proves to have catholic tastes. He takes a crack at vocalese by writing his own lyrics to a Chet Baker solo for "It's You Or No One," visits two James Taylor tunes, touches on Duke Ellington, investigates a number of Fred Hersch compositions, delivers a wonderfully nuanced take on Alan and Marilyn Bergman's "Like A Lover," and rides off into the sunset with the The Beatles' "I Will." Some of the material, such as Hersch's "Lazin' Around" and Ellington's "I'm Just A Lucky So And So," speaks in lighthearted tones; other tracks swing with style, guided by an ace crew that includes Hersch, bassist Matt Aronoff, and drummer Ross Pederson; and a good number of selections allow for deep reflection and rumination.

Some may shy away from dubbing Morgan a "jazz singer," but the classification of what he does, or what he is, is largely irrelevant. The veracity of his vocal work is what counts. He takes each song on its own terms, pulling personal meaning from the music and words while remaining respectful in his interpretations. That's all that anybody could want or ask for in a singer. ~Dan Bilawsky

Songs Of Life

---

Joan Stiles - Hurly-Burly

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:05
Size: 121.5 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[4:52] 1. The Brilliant Corners Of Thelonious' Jumpin' Jeep
[5:22] 2. Jitterbug Waltz
[5:16] 3. Hurly-Burly (J2 Mary Lou)
[3:05] 4. Pannonica
[4:48] 5. Past Imperfect
[3:47] 6. All Too Soon
[3:53] 7. What Would I Do Without You
[3:20] 8. 'round Midnight
[3:42] 9. Knowledge
[5:26] 10. The Peacocks
[4:28] 11. Bluesicity
[5:01] 12. In The Land Of Oo-Bla-Dee

Joan Stiles: vocals, piano; Lewis Nash: drums; Peter Washington: bass; Steve Wilson: alto saxophone; Jeremy Pelt: trumpet, flugelhorn; Joel Frahm: tenor saxophone.

Back with her own unique take on the piano's place in jazz, the aptly named Joan "mistress of many Stiles presents a session with myriad influences in a variety of formats with her sophomore effort, Hurly-Burly. Her first release, Love Call (ZoHo, 2004), was a breath of fresh air that more than hinted at clever arranging skills combined with an ability to interpret and present the "classics" on her own terms. Hurly-Burly makes good on that promise and is evidence that Stiles has a unique musical voice that doesn't sacrifice accessibility for originality.

With a band full of leaders in their own right, boasting a rhythm section composed of bassist Peter Washington and drummer Lewis Nash, and a three-horn frontline featuring trumpeter/flugelhornist Jeremy Pelt, Steve Wilson on alto and Joel Frahm on tenor, Stiles is able to get fairly complex this time around. She cooks up some very intriguing creations such as "The Brilliant Corners of Thelonious' Jumpin' Jeep," which has the full sextet weaving together three disparate tunes from Monk, Ellington and Johnny Hodges into a wonderfully up-tempo swinger. Other compositions by pianists as diverse as Fats Waller, Mary Lou Williams ("Knowledge and "In the Land of Oo-Bla-Dee ), Ray Charles and Jimmy Rowles ("The Peacocks ) all come out sounding crisp, clean and, well, new. Waller's "Jitterbug Waltz is given a Monkish treatment; the title track, an original, is a bluesy homage to Williams; and Charles' "What Would I do Without You? has Stiles vocally navigating this gospel-infused blues in a superb duet with Pelt's expressive horn. Ellington's "All Too Soon is swung hard by piano trio and Monk's "'Round Midnight is delivered as an achingly beautiful ballad in this classically-inspired solo piano presentation. An emotive yet precise player, Stiles also possesses a deliciously wry sense of musical humor. This is a fun take on jazz piano that effectively carves out a new place for a new talent. ~Elliott Simon

Hurly-Burly

---

Avishai Cohen - The Trumpet Player

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:56
Size: 135,0 MB
Art: Front

( 6:03)  1. The Fast
(10:31)  2. The Trumpet Player
( 7:43)  3. Dear Lord
( 8:44)  4. Olympus
( 6:52)  5. Idaho
(10:32)  6. Shablool
( 6:27)  7. Giggin'

Avishai Cohen, the trumpet player (not to be confused with the bassist/keyboardist of the same name), comes from a rich musical heritage in his native Israel. His sister is clarinetist Anat Cohen, his brother saxophonist Yuval Cohen, and together they front a fine progressive/contemporary jazz group, 3 Cohens. For his debut CD as a leader, the trumpeter has chosen a trumpet/bass/drums format, challenging because there are no chordal instruments to play off of. The sparseness of the instrumentation means there's nothing to lean on, play off of, or hold back from. This lends itself to the burnished attack and matted finish the horn offers, but also can tend to lead to overly lengthy stretches where Cohen's playing has to constantly command attention and remain interesting to the listener. Certainly drummer Jeff Ballard (also a member of the other Avishai Cohen's bands) is more than valiant in keeping the rhythm navigation on an intriguing keel. Two ten-and-a-half-minute tracks, "The Trumpet Player" and "Shablool," could be virtually the same piece, both in waltz time, both drawn out and singular-minded, both more treatise than short story. "The Fast" is a neo-bop, upbeat jam that displays Cohen's clean lines and angular ideas. Clearly influenced by hard boppers like Clifford Brown, Lee Morgan, and Freddie Hubbard, Cohen takes those precepts and turns them into inexhaustible Zen-like epics. Tenor saxophonist Joel Frahm is added, but plays after the fact on the 5/4 exercise "Olympus," taking the first solo, while a welcome interchange during "Idaho" mixes the group dynamic in a manner reminiscent of the partnership between Don Cherry and John Coltrane. 

The trio does a nice version of Coltrane's "Dear Lord" in 4/4 to implied 3/4, while Frahm jumps in as a soloist only for Ornette Coleman's choppy "Giggin'," where Cohen leaps out of his shell after a playful intro from Ballard and before a deft solo from bassist John Sullivan. The Trumpet Player is a first effort with loads of potential, and as Avishai Cohen's career goes ahead, there will be many collaborators to join with and concepts to explore. This CD sports clear, present, and solid musicianship, but if there is a shortcoming to the proceedings, it is the sameness or lack of variety that prevents the music from becoming great. That should happen in due time.~Michael G.Nastos http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-trumpet-player-mw0000322943

Personnel: Avishai Cohen (trumpet); Joel Frahm (tenor saxophone); John Sullivan (bass); Jeff Ballard (drums).

The Trumpet Player

---

Joel Frahm and Brad Mehldau - Don't Explain

Styles: Saxophone And Piano Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:28
Size: 115,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:22)  1. Don't Explain
(3:52)  2. Get Happy
(3:58)  3. Oleo
(4:39)  4. Round Midnight #3
(5:43)  5. Mother Nature's Son
(5:03)  6. East Of The Sun
(5:32)  7. Turnaround
(5:34)  8. Away From Home
(5:06)  9. Smile
(7:35) 10. Round Midnight

Saxophonist Joel Frahm's third outing on Palmetto is a showcase for duets with pianist Brad Mehldau. Frahm impressed with his 1999 debut Sorry No Decaf as a neo bopper and I missed his 2000 venture on The Navigator. The studio can get pretty lonely with only two artists performing and we're happy to report that this is a relaxed and stimulating session for these two old friends from West Hartford, Connecticut. Frahm has chosen standards and jazz standards with a minimal number of original compositions so that the listener can easily gauge his performance with the many artists who have recorded tunes like "Don't Explain", "Smile" and "Get Happy". I don't hear any of the swagger of his tenor sax debut recording but that isn't what is called for here. His musical persona on the ballads is akin to Lee Konitz, although on tenor sax, both introspective and inherently swinging. Likewise Frahm's use of soprano sax on the Lennon-McCartney "Mother Nature's Son", "East of the Sun" and "Smile" displays probing lines rather than bold declarative sentences. Brad Mehldau, one of the hottest piano figures of the past decade, acts here as a good foil and provides the piano feeds that are needed. Although he isn't given much solo space, Mehldau is playing a melodic backbone for Frahm's statements. Mehldau also occasionally uses a stride-like left hand on some up-tempo work. Since this is Frahm's date, we do not get the usual Mehldau liner notes which explain the Existential meaning of liner notes. Instead the two musicians individually reflect back to their high school years and what it meant to them. So this is a good multi-purpose album to start the New Year off with for wining, dining or romancing.~Michael P.Gladstone https://www.allaboutjazz.com/dont-explain-palmetto-records-review-by-michael-p-gladstone.php
 

Personnel: Joel Frahm,tenor and soprano sax;  Brad Mehldau, piano

Don't Explain

---

Joel Frahm - We Used To Dance

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:01
Size: 140,9 MB
Art: Front + Back

(6:08)  1. Bob's Blues
(6:43)  2. Nad Noord
(8:57)  3. Joanne Julia
(4:24)  4. A Whole New You
(7:54)  5. Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most
(4:29)  6. Jobimiola
(5:59)  7. My Ideal
(6:23)  8. Song For Abdullah
(4:23)  9. The Dreamer
(5:38) 10. We Used To Dance

Joel Frahm is a big, gentle looking man with a big, warm sound on the tenor saxophone. On We Used To Dance, he reunites with pianist Kenny Barron, with whom Frahm studied at the Rutgers University jazz program. Frahm has also enlisted the services of the rest of the rhythm section that contributed so much to the later recordings of Stan Getz: bassist Rufus Reid and drummer Victor Lewis. The result is a solid disc of outstanding music. Frahm can play, and shows it on all ten tracks, including two well-known standards ("Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most" and "My Ideal"), two of Barron's fine compositions ("Joanne Julia" and "Song for Abdullah") and six Frahm originals. "Bob's Blues" belies Frahms's contention in the liner notes that his originals are "another baby step in my continuing attempts to write music." This fine piece is far more than that, evoking an irresistible late night vibe. As he does throughout the disc, Barron quickly establishes that he is not simply sitting in to comp behind a former student; he solos beautifully, connecting with Frahm in a sustaining musical partnership.

On Frahm's aptly titled "Jobimiola," Lewis opens and the band jumps into a swinging Brazilian-inflected romp. Frahm is clearly enjoying himself as he quotes "You and the Night and the Music," then heads back towards more Tom Jobim-like riffs. Lewis and Reid create a compelling context for Frahm's entrance to "Song for Abdullah." Throughout the recording, the bassist and drummer are consistently tasteful and musical, whether soloing or keeping time behind Frahm and Barron. "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most" highlights Frahm's gorgeous tone on the tenor. In his interplay with Barron he establishes clearly that this is far more than a recital by teacher and graduate. Frahm has learned his musical lessons well, and his ample talent establishes him as an equal participant in music making with these three outstanding players.~Geoff Mirelowitz https://www.allaboutjazz.com/we-used-to-dance-joel-frahm-anzic-records-review-by-geoff-mirelowitz.php
 

Personnel: Joel Frahm: tenor saxophone; Kenny Barron: piano; Rufus Reid: bass; Victor Lewis: drums.

We Used To Dance

---