Dave Liebman, John Stowell - Petite Fleur: The Music of Sidney Bechet

Styles: Saxophone, Flute And Guitar Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:40
Size: 138,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:35)  1. Petite Fleur
(5:10)  2. Daniel
(5:25)  3. When the Sun Sets Down South
(5:48)  4. Premier Bal
(4:11)  5. What a Dream
(3:55)  6. Petite Fleur (John Solo)
(5:58)  7. Passport
(5:51)  8. Creole Blues
(5:20)  9. Nous Deux
(6:00) 10. Si Tu Vois Ma Mere
(6:47) 11. Summertime
(2:35) 12. Petite Fleur (Dave Solo)

Saxophonist Dave Liebman leans "outside" for the most part. He came to a measure of fame in the bands of Miles Davis, during one of the influential trumpeter's decidedly outside periods the 1970s, when Liebman participated in Davis' On The Corner (Columbia Records, 1972), Dark Magus (CBS-Sony, 1975), and Get Up With It (Columbia, 1977). Post-Davis, the always prolific and adventurous Liebman offered up scores of recordings under his own name. Moving to the new millennium, these include Turnaround: The Music of Ornette Coleman (Jazzwerkstatt, 2009), Lieb Plays The Blues a La Trane (Daybreak, 2010), and Lineage: Rock and Pop Classics Revisited (Whaling City sounds, 2013). Petite Fleur: The Music of Sidney Bechet, features a teaming of Liebman with guitarist John Stowell, a reunion of sorts the duo released a terrific set in 2013: Blue Rose (Origin Records), that showcased the duo's adeptness jazz standards and The Great American Songbook. Petite Fleur is the pair's intimate and unfailingly gorgeous exploration of the music of soprano saxophone pioneer Sidney Bechet, the man who brought the "straight horn" into legitimacy as a jazz vehicle. The New Orleans-born Bechet began his recording career in the early 1920's, well before the advent of alto saxophonist Charlie Parker and the bebop revolution. That era before Parker before the complex harmonizations of bop isn't revisited as much as late 1950s thought late 1960s hard bop, mid-twentieth century cool jazz, or Miles Davis mid-sixties modal approach. Petit Feur says that's a shame. The tune that gives this disc it's title is one of Bechet's most famous offerings is visited three times once as a solo by Lowell; once as a solo by Liebman (on piano); and once as a duo. Direct and beautiful sounds. 

A major shaper of the New Orleans tradition, Becht usually played in ensembles that included more horns a trumpet, a trombone to go along with his soprano saxophone. If Bechet had the melody, the other guys either laid a foundation behind him or they snaked counter melodies around his main theme. This was jazz from New Orleans exuberant and bursting with life. Liebman and Stowell take his tunes and reveal their essence, and make them gentle, often understated ruminations. Bechet wrote straightforward, singable melodies that are accentuated in the one horn, one guitar renderings. As for tone on the soprano sax Bechet's was big. It has been described as emotional and reckless, intense and passionate. Liebman doesn't go that way here though he is more than capable. He instead rolls with a surprising (for him and Bechet) gentleness and deftness for the intricacies of the melodies. His tone here is more often than not clean, pure and sweet. Stowell an adept modern player with a fine discography on Origin Records lays back in a pre-bop mode himself, with shimmering rhythms and sustain and elastic single note forays. And sometimes he brings a Django Reinhardt mode into the picture. Liebman and Stowell's Petite Fleur uncovers a different side of Bechet's seminal, now-traditional sound, one that's been glowing under the shining surface all this time. ~ Dan McClenaghan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/petite-fleur-the-music-of-sidney-bechet-dave-liebman-origin-records-review-by-dan-mcclenaghan.php

Personnel: Dave Liebman: soprano saxophone, wood flute, piano; John Stowell: guitar, nylon-string guitar, fretless baritone guitar.

Petite Fleur: The Music of Sidney Bechet

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Pat Kelley - Overtones For 2 Guitars

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:46
Size: 139.1 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[7:05] 1. Stompin' At The Savoy (Feat. Bruce Forman)
[5:20] 2. Full House (Feat. Anthony Wilson)
[5:03] 3. Impulsive Blues (Feat. John Stowell)
[7:33] 4. Body And Soul (Feat. John Pisano)
[5:51] 5. If I Were A Bell (Feat. John Storie)
[7:22] 6. Corcovado (Feat. Frank Potenza)
[7:28] 7. Nobody Else But Me (Feat. Peter Bernstein)
[5:35] 8. How Deep Is The Ocean (Feat. Howard Alden)
[6:02] 9. Emily (Feat. Larry Koonse)
[3:21] 10. Minor Inconvenience

In his wide-ranging career, Pat Kelley has appeared on more than 2,000 sessions as a studio guitarist, he has often performed with his friend George Benson, and he has been on many smooth and pop sets. However one should never underrate his talents as a jazz soloist.

On Overtones 4 Two Guitars, Kelley performs one duet apiece with guitarists Bruce Forman, Anthony Wilson, John Stowell, John Pisano, John Storie, Frank Potenza, Peter Bernstein, Howard Alden and Larry Koonse. The music is comprised of straight ahead renditions of standards (plus an original blues) including such numbers as “Stompin’ At The Savoy,” “Body And Soul,” “Nobody Else But Me” and “How Deep Is The Ocean.” Even with all of the different guitarists involved, there is a strong unity and consistency to the set with each performance swinging, featuring some friendly competition and lots of good vibes and interplay.

Overtones For 2 Guitars mc
Overtones For 2 Guitars zippy

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David Friesen - Star Dance

Styles: Jazz, Post-Bop
Year: 1976
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:29
Size: 110,1 MB
Art: Front

(6:00)  1. Winter's Fall
(4:15)  2. Duet and Dialogue
(3:48)  3. Dolphin in the Sky
(3:45)  4. Star Dance
(3:05)  5. 1 Rue Brey
(4:13)  6. Fields of Joy
(6:06)  7. A Little Child's Poem
(3:26)  8. Clouds
(3:50)  9. Children of the Kingdom
(2:57) 10. Mountain Streams

The Inner City CD reissue series has many fine recordings listed, and depending on your point of view and taste level, any of them might be considered important coming out of jazz in the mid- to late '70s. Bassist David Friesen's debut album, Star Dance, has to be considered pivotal and central in the stance of contemporary music for many reasons, not the least of which being that the playing of the musicians is excellent. It also sets a tone for the coming together of world musics in the spirit of the pioneering ensemble Oregon and has within its grasp both spiritual and earthy elements that few groups were able to merge. With elements culled from Friesen's upbringing in the Pacific Northwest, progressive jazz of the '60s, folk-rooted sounds, chamber music, and New York City funk, Friesen and his band sound as unique unto themselves as any band before, during, or after this time period. Paul McCandless (on loan from Oregon), fellow Pacific Northwest friend/electric guitarist John Stowell, and Big Apple studio drummer Steve Gadd are unlikely bedfellows with Friesen, yet achieve common-ground status within this broad mix of styles. McCandless plays the double-reeded English horn on the majority of these selections, and for the outstanding "Winter's Fall" coalesces with Friesen's sky church bowed harmonic bass alongside Stowell's tiny guitar notes, as Gadd's 7/8 beat takes over the three in a 4/4 funky midsection. 

The title track is a trio sans Gadd, which strikes a much more baroque and rural pose in unison lines. "Dolphin in the Sky" is dedicated to friend Jack Howell, a somber, slow tearjerker as if at a gravesite during a funeral, extracting great emotional depth, especially from McCandless. Dancing gleefully, "Mountain Streams" is a flowing, dense, and textural piece that taps into the natural, feminine side of life. On his more familiar oboe, McCandless plays with the full quartet during "Clouds," as the title suggests in a slow, wafting motif, while "Fields of Joy" is also unmistakably similar to the ancient and present music of Oregon, very composed, traipsing through rows of daisies, and breaking into a samba beat. There's a bass/drums duet improvisation, "1 Rue Brey," and an unaccompanied bass solo, "Children of the Kingdom," which readily reveals Friesen's religious center with strummed harmonics and a thematic-based ostinato for improvising off of. The sonic footprint created by this ensemble is both arresting and disarming a sound that uniquely speaks to a higher power and universal dialect. Now that the album is once again in print, there's no excuse to pass on this excellent recording, fused from many disparate elements and brilliantly performed by all the participants. ~ Michael G.Nastos http://www.allmusic.com/album/star-dance-mw0000877461

Personnel: David Friesen (acoustic bass); John Stowell (electric guitar); Paul McCandless (oboe, English horn); Steve Gadd (drums).

Star Dance

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John Stowell & Michael Zilber Quartet - Basement Blues

Size: 126,4 MB
Time: 53:54
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Basement Blues (5:17)
02. Nobody Else But Me (5:46)
03. Stowell In Heart (5:08)
04. Stay Right There (5:05)
05. Violin Memory (4:42)
06. Later That Night (5:52)
07. I Wish (4:33)
08. Have Yourself A Vince Guaraldi Xmas (4:39)
09. Stowell Mates (8:27)
10. Very Early (4:21)

Basement Blues is the third Origin Records CD offering from the John Stowell/Michael Zilber Quartet, following Shot Through With Beauty (2009) and Live Beauty, (2013). Guitarist Stowell's approach is distinctive—silvery chords and pinprick single notes that reverberate from the rafters. Saxophonist Zilber is a flawless, soulful technician on soprano and tenor saxophones. Bassist John Shifflett and drummer Jason Lewis are perfection in the supportive rhythm rolls. It all comes together in a cohesive set that is probing and cerebral and laid-back approachable.

The set features two classics: Jerome Kern's "Nobody Else but Me" and the closer, pianist Bill Evans' "Very Early." All other tunes are originals from the pens of Stowell or Zilber, with one group-written composition, "Later that Night," that—with such a groove—doesn't sound like a free improvisation, though it may well be.

The disc's title tune, written by Zilber, opens the set on a reflective note. Zilber is exquisite on soprano horn, and he adds some almost subliminal piano to the rhythm, a subtle and beautiful sparkle behind Stowell's piquant solo. Jerome Kern's "Nobody Else But Me" is given a playful turn, and "Stowell In Heart," from Zilber's pen, is introspective, wandering, lovely, a somewhat amorphous type of tune that could be mistaken for a Wayne Shorter composition. Stowell's "Violin Memory" features Zilber putting out a robust and gritty sound on tenor sax to contrast with Stowell's effortless grace.

With three disc's now to their credit, the John Stowell/Michael Zilber Quartet has crafted a group sound as individualistic, and as modernistic and compelling, as any out there. ~Dan McClenaghan

Personnel: Michael Zilber: saxophones, piano; John Stowell: guitars; John Shifflett: bass; Jason Lewis: drums.

Basement Blues

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John Stowell & Michael Zilber Quartet - Live Beauty

Size: 142,7 MB
Time: 61:49
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz: Guitar Jazz, Post Bop
Art: Front

01. In The Park (11:54)
02. Shot Through With Beauty (11:34)
03. Quantum Theory ( 7:12)
04. Stowell What ( 7:58)
05. Cookie Monster Blue ( 9:02)
06. My Funny Valentine ( 6:21)
07. Wabash III ( 7:46)

Recorded live at Berkeley's California Jazz Conservatory in 2012 at the end of a two-week tour, "Live Beauty" captures the lithe and dynamic Bay-Area quartet that John Stowell and Michael Zilber have co-led for the past 7 years. It well represents the effortless empathy and telepathy these four musicians have developed during that time. "...there's no mistaking Stowell's remarkable prowess and sensitivity on electric and acoustic guitars--or the fun he's having in this highly interactive setting." JazzTimes.

Personnel:
Michael Zilber - Saxes
John Stowell - Guitars
John Shifflett - Bass
Jason Lewis - Drums

Live Beauty

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John Stowell & Dave Liebman - Blue Rose

Styles: Guitar And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:58
Size: 133,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:34)  1. Blue Rose
(9:31)  2. Black Eyes
(2:20)  3. How Deep Is The Ocean
(6:03)  4. Fe Fi Fo Fum
(3:46)  5. Isfahan
(4:23)  6. Everything I Love
(3:44)  7. Time Remembered
(8:11)  8. Until Paisagem
(6:10)  9. Molten Glass
(4:05) 10. My Ideal
(5:06) 11. Everybody's Song But My Own

Saxophonist Dave Liebman joined guitarist John Stowell and bassist Don Thompson on three tunes on Stowell's The Banff Sessions (Origin Records, 2002). More than a decade later, Stowell and Liebman have teamed up on a duo outing, Blue Rose. The two artists' take on a bunch of jazz standards and Great American Songbook tunes has a beautiful fluidity in this pared down setting. Stowell's lines are crisp and clean, while Liebman's keening soprano sax slices sweetly through the guitarist chords, while his tenor has a fiery and undomesticated sound. The duo opens with the title tune, from the Duke Ellington songbook. "Blue Rose," the song, was written by Ellington specifically for vocalist Rosemary Clooney, for an album of the same name, released on Columbia Records in 1956. Stowell and Liebman give the tune a plucky turn. Liebman's blowing the soprano sax here, proving why is is one of the top practitioners of the "straight horn." 

His tone has a sweetness, a purity of tone as his notes twine themselves around Stowell's warm string play. Liebman switches to tenor for saxophonist Wayne Shorter's "Fe Fi Fo Fum." Liebman, on tenor, is one of the more recognizable voices on that particular horn. His tone can be clean, but it will switch, unexpectedly, to segments of gruff, growly blowing that threatens to break out into a free zone. The duo goes back to Ellington territory, with Billy Strayhorn's "Isfaran." Liebman's tenor blossoms out of an extended Stowell solo, giving the tune a forlorn mood. Cole Porter's "Everything I Love" brings back a bright mood, with Liebman's tenor sounding particularly frisky. Liebman, surpisingly, switches to piano for pianist Bill Evans' "Time Remembered," for a poignant and ruminative take on the tune, much in line with Evans recorded versions. Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Until Paisagem" has a restraint, a beautiful delicacy. Liebman's back on soprano, with an added richness to his sound on this Brazilian groove. Two veterans, Stowell and Liebman, take on this set of standard tunes in their own distinctive way. A gorgeous, uncluttered set, exploring the purity and beauty of the familiar.~ Dan Mcclenaghan http://www.allaboutjazz.com/blue-rose-john-stowell-dave-liebman-origin-records-review-by-dan-mcclenaghan.php#.VA-wuxY4zjI
 

Personnel: John Stowell: guitars; Dave Liebman: soprano and tenor saxophones,wood Flute; piano (5).

Blue Rose

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Kendra Shank & John Stowell - New York Conversations

Size: 135,6 MB
Time: 57:49
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Blue Skyes (6:15)
02. Throop (3:56)
03. Hard Travelin'/Motherless Child (5:25)
04. Rush Hour (1:24)
05. New York Conversations (4:28)
06. Ghost (3:35)
07. Silent Photographer (4:25)
08. My Romance (4:03)
09. Za-Zoh (3:55)
10. Songs & Lullabies (5:44)
11. Like Someone In Love (3:37)
12. Simple Pleasures (4:21)
13. Walk Talk (3:32)
14. I'll Be Seeing You (1:51)
15. Glad Mango (1:10)

At a time when it is often difficult to tell the difference between a supposed jazz vocalist and a run-of-the-mill Las Vegas lounge singer, when it comes to an artist like Kendra Shank there is never any question. Listen to her latest album, New York Conversations, a collaboration with guitarist John Stowell, due for an April 8 release. This is a jazz singer who plays her voice the way a Miles plays his trumpet, a Monk his piano, and Stowell is a musical match. They have put together an inventive hour of music that shows what a creative team can do when they have the confidence in each other to let themselves work freely outside the lines.

New York Conversations is not an album for those looking for the ordinary, the safe. This is music pushing the edge, and when you work near the edge, there is always the danger of falling off. Not to worry when it comes to Shank and Stowell. They push; they don’t jump. Of course when your set list includes completely improvised sink-or-swim pieces, you had better be on your game. With the exotic vocal phrasing and rhythmic strains of tracks like “Za-Zoh” and “Glad Mango,” the duo is clearly on the very top of its. As Shank describes the duo’s process in the liner notes, they find themselves “just sitting in silence until one of us hears a sonic idea that leads us down an unfolding, shape-shifting path,” in what she calls “the alchemy of collaboration.”shank and stowell

Still, the joy of inventive collaboration is not limited to the completely improvised pieces. Their original compositions and their work on standards is equally imaginative. Whether the skat opening to Rodgers and Hart’s “My Romance” or the haunting introduction to Irving Berlin’s “Blue Skies,” which opens the album, Stowell and Shank take no prisoners. They work their magic from the songs’ openings to their conclusions.

Shank, an adept looper, uses her skills to add a variety of textures and colors to the performance even in the moment. Stowell, points to her skill “in using a loop station to create multiple voices and harmonies in real time.” Again, the emphasis is on spontaneity.

Original compositions range from the title song, which is simply a playful list of New York City neighborhoods leading to some vocal gyrations which some may find a bit affected, to the sensitive “Ghost,” a haunting lesson from beyond the grave. There is a lot of fine vocalese in Stowell pieces like “Throop” and “Simple Pleasures” with its hints of “Manhattan.”

If you’re looking for a musical experience that is out of the ordinary, New York Conversations is an album you need to hear.

New York Conversations

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