Ari Hoenig - Bert's Playground

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:50
Size: 149,4 MB
Art: Front

(10:50)  1. Moment's Notice
( 5:25)  2. The Way You Look Tonight
( 7:13)  3. Seraphic
( 7:49)  4. Ramilson's Brew
( 2:35)  5. Round Midnight
( 6:31)  6. Fall
( 7:59)  7. Bert's Playground
( 4:27)  8. For Tracy
( 8:34)  9. Green Spleen
( 3:23) 10. Embraceable You

The varied contexts in which drummers play make their own sessions as leaders either spottily uneven or dynamically diverse. For Bert's Playground, drummer Ari Hoenig has gathered a troop of six musicians that includes two bassists, guitarists and saxophonists that he mixes and matches to illuminate the fun to be had. After receiving a gentle push from Hoenig and bassist Matt Penman, guitarist Jonathan Kreisberg and tenor saxophonist Chris Potter swing hard on Trane's "Moment's Notice." Guitarist Gilad Hekselman and bassist Orlando Fleming transform Jerome Kern's beautiful "The Way You Look Tonight" into a sandbox for boppy guitar explorations. Kreisberg, layering acoustic and electric guitars, elegantly combines with altoist Will Vinson for "Seraphic"'s subtle spin. This is followed by Hoenig and Penman leading the way up the intricate jungle-gym bars of "Ramilson's Brew." Hoenig eerily conjures up a drum solo version of "Round Midnight" then joins Kreisberg and Fleming for a reinterpretation of Wayne Shorter's "Fall." The title cut is an apt potpourri of post-bop rhythmical playscapes. "For Tracy" again has Hoenig and Kreisberg combining for a gorgeous and leisurely slide. "Green Spleen" is a deliciously funky and wild tenor/guitar seesaw. And Gershwin's "Embraceable You," delicately interpreted by Hekselman's guitar, is a tender reminder that it is time to call it a day. A major aspect of what holds this session together is Hoenig's understated style. He leads not with bravado but with a wonderfully exquisite touch, allowing his band mates to cavort. ~ Elliott Simon https://www.allaboutjazz.com/berts-playground-ari-hoenig-dreyfus-records-review-by-elliott-simon.php

Personnel: Ari Hoenig: drums; Chris Potter: tenor saxophone (1, 4, 9); Will Vinson: alto saxophone (3, 7); Jonathan Kreisberg: guitar (1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9); Gilad Hekselman: guitar (2, 10); Matt Penman: bass (1, 3, 4, 7, 9); Orlando LeFleming: bass (2, 6, 8, 10).

Bert's Playground

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Jonathan Kreisberg & Nelson Veras - Kreisberg Meets Veras

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:17
Size: 122,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:44)  1. Lina Rising
(7:35)  2. Until You Know
(4:57)  3. Every Person Is a Story
(6:35)  4. Bye-Ya
(4:20)  5. Milagre Dos Peixes
(7:06)  6. Goodbye Pork Pie Hat
(8:17)  7. Windows
(7:40)  8. Face on the Barroom Floor

The greatest collaborations are often built upon two unique and different personalities combining to create something beyond their individual realms. Thus is the case with the new 'Kreisberg Meets Veras' project, which promises to be one of the most exciting guitar duos in the jazz and guitar worlds. Jonathan Kreisberg and Nelson Veras are both highly acclaimed artists on their instruments, and they have combined forces to create a program of original works and rarely played classics which welcome the listener to experience the start of a beautiful musical friendship.~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Kreisberg-Meets-Veras-Jonathan-Nelson/dp/B07BC2X59H

Kreisberg Meets Veras

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Jonathan Kreisberg - Nine Stories Wide

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:20
Size: 127,8 MB
Art: Front

(7:17)  1. Summertime
(5:32)  2. Just in Time
(6:43)  3. Dana
(7:57)  4. My Ideal
(5:48)  5. Juju
(7:29)  6. That Reminds Me
(4:37)  7. Fever Vision
(4:30)  8. Michelle
(5:22)  9. Relaxing at Camarillo

Jonathan Kreisberg is an exciting young guitarist whose two latest releases will go a long way toward affirming his prominent place in the jazz landscape.Nine Stories Wide is a multi-layered program of old and new classics blended with originals. "Summertime" opens with a forbidding bass line by Larry Grenadier over Kreisberg's small intro over the theme. It's clear from this song that Kreisberg is a master of space: how to give it to his band mates and how to fill it effectively without wasting it. Drummer Bill Stewart lays down some fine licks and Grenadier adds a fine plucked solo. "Just In Time" is a burner that opens with a quicksilver statement, the trio plays the theme, then Kreisberg builds a challenging solo over Grenadier's power walking and Stewart's ride cymbal-driven comping. Kreisberg's original "Dana" is a bossa nova groove, with crisp single-note phrasing leading to spitfire harmonic runs. "My Ideal" is delivered with warmth and reverence. The trio handles Wayne Shorter's "Juju" with gusto, with Stewart recalling Elvin Jones' thrashing on the drums and Kreisberg inventing clever chord play over the classic melody. The other classics the group plays, "Michelle" and "Relaxing At Camarillo," are both arranged to Kreisberg's specs, that is, with carefully planned spacing so that the melodies are recognizable but stretched suitably enough so that the trio can weave its magic without constraint. ~ Terrel Kent Holmes https://www.allaboutjazz.com/jonathan-kreisberg-nine-stories-wide-and-unearth-by-terrell-kent-holmes.php

Personnel: Jonathan Kriesberg: guitar; Larry Grenadier: bass; Bill Stewart: drums.

Nine Stories Wide

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Jonathan Kreisberg - New For Now

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:09
Size: 128.6 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[8:18] 1. Gone With The Wind
[5:41] 2. New For Now
[7:42] 3. Stardust
[5:45] 4. Peru
[6:37] 5. Five Bucks A Bungalow
[9:02] 6. From The Ashes
[5:30] 7. Ask Me Now
[7:31] 8. All Or Nothing At All

Jonathan Kreisberg (G); Gary Versace (Hammond B3 Organ); Mark Ferber (D). Recorded October 13, 2004 in Brooklyn, NY, USA by Max Bolleman.

Jonathan Kreisberg's second outing for Criss Cross features the versatile guitarist's working organ trio with Gary Versace at the Hammond B3 and Mark Ferber on drums. The forward looking group demonstrates its considerable knowledge of the jazz tradition while subtly stretching melody, harmony, rhythm and texture to push the music into the future.

The date delivers fresh, inspired interpretations of three Great American Songbook classics along with Thelonious Monk's Ask Me Now and four impressive originals, that demonstrate the leader's prowess as a composer of intelligent songs that swing in a new direction

New For Now mc
New For Now zippy

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Dr. Lonnie Smith - All In My Mind

Styles: Jazz, Hard Bop
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:37
Size: 133,3 MB
Art: Front

(8:18)  1. JuJu
(6:55)  2. Devika
(9:27)  3. 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover
(7:44)  4. On A Misty Night
(9:51)  5. Alhambra
(8:20)  6. All In My Mind
(5:58)  7. Up Jumped Spring

Recorded during his 75th birthday celebration at the Jazz Standard in New York City, All in My Mind follows B-3 boss Dr. Lonnie Smith's acclaimed 2016 release, Evolution, which marked his return to Blue Note Records. Again unobtrusively produced by label boss Don Was, the seven-track set places the great organist in the company of his working trio with guitarist Jonathan Kreisberg and drummer Jonathan Blake. In addition, drummer Joe Dyson and vocalist Alicia Olatuja appear on a track each. The program, like Smith's best Blue Note work from the days of yore (1968-1970), is wildly diverse. It opens with a cooking read of Wayne Shorter's classic modal composition "Juju." Smith's Hammond B-3 goes deep beneath the surface structure of the tune to reveal the subtle colors and tones inherent in the original melody, Kreisberg highlights them with slippery grace and shifting arpeggios, and Blake drives the strident yet mysterious groove with tasty breaks and fills. Smith's labyrinthine solo builds on the changes to balance groove and keyboard pyrotechnics. Another highlight is the nine-and-a-half-minute version of Paul Simon's "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover." Commencing as a slow burn with Kreisberg stating the melody and guest Dyson relying heavily on funky, syncopated breaks, Smith's entry offers subdued tonal shades in the changes until the refrain, when the trio shifts gears toward improvisation, carrying the tune into previously unknown regions. Smith's trio displays its elegant chops and close camaraderie on a sultry, lyrical read of Tadd Dameron's classic "On a Misty Night." They listen closely, while implicitly knowing how to utilize harmonic and dynamic understatement for maximum expression. Smith includes a pair of his own compositions here as well. First is the long, moody, and exploratory "Alhambra," with his keyboard strings and muted trumpet sounds, eventually evolving into a free-for-all jam with everyone digging deep. He also revisits "All in My Mind," from 1977's Funk Reaction. The latter is a more retiring (but no less satisfying) version, with Olatuja's gorgeous voice as its focal point. The set closes with a soul-jazz cum post-bop read of Freddie Hubbard's sprightly "Up Jumped Spring" that finds the great organ master allowing his playful side to come to the fore, gliding through the changes to set the pace for his sidemen. While this set doesn't possess the raw fireworks of his recordings on Palmetto such as Boogaloo to Beck, Too Damn Hot, and Spiral, it more than compensates in taste and outstanding musicianship, making for a thoroughly enjoyable listen from end to end. ~ Thom Jurek https://www.allmusic.com/album/all-in-my-mind-mw0003131644

Personnel: Dr. Lonnie Smith (vocals, organ, keyboards); Jonathan Kreisberg (guitar); Johnathan Blake (drums).

All In My Mind

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Dr. Lonnie Smith - Evolution

Styles: Jazz, Straight-ahead/Mainstream

Year: 2016

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 63:21

Size: 146,0 MB

Art: Front

(14:04)  1. Play It Back

( 8:20)  2. Afrodesia

( 5:51)  3. For Heavens Sake

( 6:43)  4. Straight No Chaser

( 7:18)  5. Talk About This

(11:09)  6. My Favorite Things

( 9:53)  7. African Suite

Artist repatriation seems to be something of a theme in the Don Was era of Blue Note Records. In 2013 there was the return of saxophonist Wayne Shorter, a jazz giant who delivered many of his landmark '60s albums on this storied imprint. Then, in 2015, Charles Lloyd left ECM for Blue Note, a label that had previously held one Lloyd album in its portfolio. Now, as 2016 arrives, organist Dr. Lonnie Smith returns to the fold. Evolution is Smith's first album for Blue Note in forty-five years, and it's a real humdinger. Everything we've come to expect from him, included the unexpected, is here. The album is populated with raunchy riffs, greasy grooves, soulful sermons, tidal organ shifts, moody statements, hard-hitting solos, and punchy interjections, all of which help to enliven throwback songs, standards, and new pieces alike. This is past, present, and future Smith rolled into one.

The album kicks off with "Play It Back," a funky number from Smith's Live At Club Mozambique (Blue Note, recorded 1970/released 1995). Double drumming from the likes of Johnathan Blake and Joe Dyson underscores the music, setting a foundation for soloist after soloist to build upon; Robert Glasper, making his lone guest appearance on the album, hits it out of the park when he steps to the plate; the horns sound hot, whether riffing together or taking to the spotlight as individuals; and the good doctor does what he does best. Smith follows that up by inviting Joe Lovano into the picture to reprise his role on "Afrodesia." Lovano originally recorded the song with Smith some forty years ago, working his magic with his tenor. Here he turns to his G mezzo soprano saxophone, delivering the goods on this grounded groove number. Then, for good measure, Lovano brings out his main ax on "For Heaven's Sake," a balladic mood painting that stands as gentle contrast to the majority of the material on the playlist.

The remaining four tracks are split evenly between new originals and standards. That first category includes "Talk About This," a funky number with a hard-hitting solo from trumpeter Maurice Brown, and "African Suite," which stands apart thanks to John Ellis' flute work and some Afrocentric accents and underpinnings. The standards "Straight No Chaser" and "My Favorite Things," both delivered by the trio of Smith, Blake, and guitarist Jonathan Kreisberg prove to be fiery and forward-thinking. The former is a take-no-prisoners performance that's set aflame by the spark of life. And the latter? It's a piece that's full of surprises. It emerges from uncertainty, departs into the shadows, and emits power and potency from its core. It takes tremendous creativity to pull a rabbit out of the hat on such a well worn piece, and this trio has that and then some. Dr. Lonnie Smith left Blue Note as a young man, but he returns as a sagacious elder. The wisdom he's gained in the intervening years is parceled out in his every gesture, flourish, and note. Evolution is but a single album, yet it speaks to a lifetime of music making from one of our most treasured organists. ~ Dan Bilawsky  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/evolution-dr-lonnie-smith-blue-note-records-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php?width=1024

Personnel: Dr. Lonnie Smith: Hammond B-3 organ, keyboards (6, 7); Robert Glasper: piano (1); Joe Lovano: G mezzo soprano saxophone (2), tenor saxophone (3); Johnathan Blake: drums; Joe Dyson: drums (1-3, 5, 7); Jonathan Kreisberg: guitar; Keyon Harrold: trumpet (1); Maurice Brown: trumpet (2, 3, 5); John Ellis: tenor saxophone (1, 2, 5), bass clarinet: (3), flute (7);

Evolution

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Jonathan Kreisberg - Night Songs

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:32
Size: 141,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:22)  1. Laura
(8:51)  2. Autumn In New York
(7:13)  3. September Song
(7:13)  4. Prelude To A Kiss
(7:54)  5. Spring Is Here
(7:23)  6. I'll Be Seeing You
(5:55)  7. Blue In Green
(5:32)  8. Nefertiti
(6:04)  9. Warm Valley

Few artists dare to strictly play ballads on any full project, for it appeals to a specific audience only concerned with the soothing, relaxed quality of jazz. Guitarist Jonathan Kreisberg has chosen this route, performing the music effectively, calmly, and with the rationale of a poker player silently holding all the right cards until the proper moment to lay them out, as well as his or her calculated emotions. Gary Versace is the surprise element here, as he has put away his potent Hammond B-3 for a piano sound much more in tune with the introspective techniques employed by Bill Evans. Bassist Matt Penman (SF Jazz Collective, Kurt Rosenwinkel) and drummer Mark Ferber (Fred Hersch, Lee Konitz) utilize the difficult elements of tasteful restraint and loving patience in supporting the guitarist and pianist in ultimately subtle means and ways. The program is all standards, none of them at all challenging, many somber and wistful. 

"Laura" is the opener, a real beauty for starters as Kreisberg's one-note lines accent Versace's cascading piano chords. The program turns reflective on slow songs as the classic heartache evinced in "Autumn in New York," the tango styled, even keeled "September Song," and a midtempo melancholy refrain of "I'll Be Seeing You." Kreisberg plays much acoustic guitar very much in the style of Joe Pass or Kenny Burrell, and when he picks up an amplified model, it is toned down and kept completely in check, as in the slowly blossoming "Spring Is Here" or a laid-back version of the Miles Davis Kind of Blue icon "Blue in Green." Wayne Shorter's "Nefertiti" offers a slightly steelier tone and the churning piano of Versace in contrast. The final selection, Duke Ellington's "Warm Valley," is a bit different with an arrangement in 5/4 time led by the sullen tones of Penman, while the three main instruments trade mercurial melody lines spontaneously. 

This is Kreisberg's seventh effort as a leader, and at this point in his career, he was compelled to make this muted statement to touch the hearts of those who favor cooler heads prevailing over feverish neo-bop or modern jazz music. It's a credible effort, geared for people inclined to close off this troubled world and convene with one's significant other over dinner, drinks, and sitting by the fireplace. ~ Michael G.Nastos  http://www.allmusic.com/album/night-songs-mw0000808581

Personnel: Jonathan Kreisberg (guitar); Gary Versace (piano); Matt Penman (bass guitar); Mark Ferber (drums).

Night Songs

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Jonathan Kreisberg - Wave Upon Wave

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:07
Size: 147,5 MB
Art: Front

(9:17)  1. Wave Upon Wave
(8:27)  2. Until You Know
(5:13)  3. Stella by Starlight
(6:12)  4. Wild Animals We've Seen
(8:44)  5. Being Human
(9:55)  6. From the Ashes
(7:54)  7. The Spin
(8:23)  8. Peace

Wave upon wave of praise has followed the release of each one of guitarist Jonathan Kreisberg's leader dates small group affairs that are typically built with equal parts energy and taste; Wave Upon Wave, balancing fire with heart, stealth movement with direct engagement, and power with grace, is likely to garner some more. The fleet-fingered Kreisberg focuses on originals here, shifting between the mellow ("Being Human") and the charged ("Until You Know"). And through it all, regardless of style and syntax, his molten-and-focused tone shines through. There's a liquid glow behind his every gesture, whether he's flowing atop drummer Colin Stranahan's spry movements in five ("From The Ashes"), taking a more reflective path, or charging into the fray ("Until You Know"). He delivers his fair share of jaw-dropping, guitar hero-esque feats during his solo stands ("Wild Animals We've Seen" and "The Spin"), but nobody would mistake this for a shred-fest. Kreisberg probes and hits hard at times, but there's also lots of breathing room to be found on this date. The band that's featured here Kreisberg's working quartet augmented by pianist Kevin Hays on half the tracks is quite an outfit. 

Saxophonist Will Vinson, once again, proves to be a simpatico front line partner for Kreisberg, able to dish it out all by his lonesome or blend in beautifully with the guitarist, depending on the circumstances at hand; bassist Rick Rosato the most unassuming player on this album is the backbone of this band; Hays comes in and out of the picture, enriching the sound without altering the group dynamic; and Stranhan proves to be the X factor, bringing a lot of horsepower and creativity to the animated material, furthering the state of repose when he picks up brushes, and putting a gentle, Vernell Fournier-worthy groove behind "Stella By Starlight," one of two classics on the program. Together, these men make for a formidable combination throughout Wave Upon Wave. ~ Dan Bilawsky  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/wave-upon-wave-jonathan-kreisberg-new-for-now-music-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php#.VHeCsMmHmtg
 

Personnel: Jonathan Kreisberg: guitar; Will Vinson: saxophone, piano (3); Rick Rosato: bass; Colin Stranahan: drums; Kevin Hays: piano (1, 5, 6, 7).

Wave Upon Wave

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Jonathan Kreisberg - One

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:10
Size: 107,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:11)  1. Canto De Ossanha
(6:02)  2. Summertime
(1:21)  3. Without Shadow
(5:23)  4. Skylark
(5:04)  5. Caravan
(2:02)  6. Tenderly
(4:04)  7. My Favorite Things
(5:26)  8. Hallelujah
(4:17)  9. E.S.P.
(4:42) 10. I Thought About You
(2:33) 11. Escape From Lower Formant Shift

The liner notes may say no overdubs or loops were used, but Jonathan Kreisberg might just as easily have included that "No guitars were harmed in the making of ONE." Beyond work with artists like vibraphonist Joe Locke on Sticks and Strings (Music Eyes, 2007) and organist Dr. Lonnie Smith on Spiral (Palmetto, 2010), the guitarist has slowly built a personal discography that includes the particularly impressive The South of Everywhere (Mel Bay, 2007) and Shadowless (New for Now, 2011). Kreisberg may come from a progressive rock background but has, over the past fifteen years, evolved into a virtuoso guitarist who, nevertheless, never substitutes style for substance. Still, it's a ballsy move to turn to that most exposed of contexts the solo recital and to do so without the looping and overdubbing so often used to allow others access to more expansive sound worlds. ONE covers considerable territory with nothing more than one man, one guitar and, on a couple tracks, some effects to broaden Kreisberg's palette. 

It's hard not to think of seminal solo guitar innovator Joe Pass on Kreisberg's bright take on Juan Tizol's "Caravan," and a set-defining, similarly acoustic look at saxophonist Wayne Shorter's "E.S.P." that combines high-velocity, cascading phrases with ethereal abstractions, only to resolve into an unexpectedly Latin-esque main section. Kreisberg's language is, however, more modernistic, and here and throughout the album Kreisberg creates an impression of multiple guitarists by combining instrumental mastery with sleight-of-hand, effortlessly moving between bass, chordal and melodic roles to simultaneously imply all three. Kreisberg resorts to a clean, warm, hollowbody electric tone on Baden Powell/Vinicius De Moraes's classic "Canto De Ossanha" one of a number of ONE's covers that have been recorded almost ad nauseum, but which Kreisberg makes his own through distinctive arrangements and melodic invention. Kreisberg nails Leonard Cohen's often-covered "Hallelujah," combining respect and irreverence as, in an extended coda, he layers dissonances that, nevertheless, remain completely in context Cohen's melody lines are largely intact but moved a half step or three away from the tune's harmonic center, their tension finally resolved as Kreisberg returns to consonance to finish the tune with some impressive finger-picking. 

Kreisberg kicks in more overt effects on ONE's two originals. On the serpentine "Without Shadow," his guitar sounds more like an organ," while on the dark- hued "Escape From Lower Formant Shift," Kreisberg's heavily overdriven tone harkens back to his pre-jazz days. But in a set that also includes other chestnuts like "Skylark" and "Summertime," Kreisberg's originals serve notice of his broader concerns. Kreisberg may love standards like "Tenderly" and "My Favorite Things," but what he does with them is never less than thoroughly contemporary. ONE may be 46 minutes of one man, one guitar, but in Kreisberg's hands it becomes a master class in just how unlimited that seemingly reductionist context can be. Truly solo jazz guitar recordings are few and far between, but with ONE, Kreisberg not only pays homage to past masters like Pass, George Van Eps and Lenny Breau, he makes clear that here, in the new millennium, he's unequivocally worthy of being mentioned in the same breath. ~ John Kelman   

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/one-jonathan-kreisberg-new-for-now-music-review-by-john-kelman.php#.U2mKkihvCPM
 

Personnel: Jonathan Kreisberg: guitar.

One

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