Judy Niemack & Jay Clayton - Voices in Flight

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:18
Size: 168,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:50) 1. Questions And Answers (Play Pen)
(7:25) 2. Ditto
(6:10) 3. With You (Orange Blossom): Body And Soul
(6:58) 4. You (Hum)
(4:25) 5. Beloved
(4:34) 6. Beginner
(4:51) 7. Looking Back (Reflections)
(4:49) 8. Soaring (Lotus Blossom)
(2:13) 9. Haperchance
(6:24) 10. Eagle Poem
(5:41) 11. He’s A Man (Sagittarius)
(5:10) 12. Like Water Off A Stray Dog
(2:43) 13. Badadadat
(4:57) 14. Wondering

New York City is the center of many worlds, the jazz world being one of them, and musicians have always felt the pull of the Big Apple. In 1977, California-born vocalist Judy Niemack’s improvisation teacher, saxophonist Warne Marsh, told her to move there if she wanted to be a jazz singer, and once she did, she never looked back. Niemack’s experiences in New York shaped her career and life, and by the early 80’s she realized her dream to be professional jazz singer. However, in order to have a career as a jazz singer, it was necessary to perform abroad, and this led to her move to Europe in 1992, where she resided in Brussels and later in Berlin, teaching vocal jazz and performing.

The album “Voices In Flight" is the result of her collaboration with veteran vocalist Jay Clayton, a brilliant and highly influential improviser and teacher. Judy and Jay met in the late 1970s on New York City's vibrant music scene. At the time, Jay was performing avant-garde and experimental music in the jazz lofts and Judy had just arrived from California, making her debut at the Village Vanguard with Warne Marsh. Judy was on the lookout for inspired vocal improvisers and Jay fit the bill a singer with her own sound, a free approach to improvising and an authentic way with a story. Over the years their friendship grew deeper and they became a source of inspiration for each other. https://www.allaboutjazz.com/album/voices-in-flight-judy-niemack-jay-clayton

Personnel: Judy Niemack, Jay Clayton- vocals; Jay Anderson - bass.; Jean francois Prins - guitar; John J. DiMartino - drums.

Voices in Flight

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Judy Niemack - What's Love?

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:47
Size: 144,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:25) 1. Feelin’ It In Your Bones
(5:06) 2. Firefly
(4:17) 3. For All We Know
(4:25) 4. Catalyst
(5:01) 5. I’m Moving On
(5:35) 6. What’s Love Got to Do With It
(4:46) 7. Just When I Thought
(4:39) 8. With You
(5:07) 9. Let Life Lead You
(4:27) 10. Blues That Soothe My Soul
(4:34) 11. I’ll Love Again
(4:38) 12. Born to Be Blue
(4:40) 13. Right Here, Right Now

Jazz vocalist Judy Niemack presents a collection of rhapsodic romantic songs on her upcoming album release, What’s Love, due out October 28 on Sunnyside Records. Following Niemack’s lauded 2018 release New York Stories with pianist Jim McNeely and Danish Radio Big Band, What’s Love represents a vulnerable side of the lifelong vocalist’s artistry. In an embrace of her distinctive sound, Niemack’s rich collection of original lyrics paired with select standards offers a glimpse into her resilient and inventive vocal prowess.

An exploration of the healing powers of love, What’s Love presents as a musical reconciliation with the boundless, yet relatable, challenges that continually loop through our lives. While conceptually, What’s Love is a beacon of effervescence, its sound is both capricious and exhilarating. Niemack takes to exploring the many varieties of love in her life on each selection, while also seizing an opportunity to explore her vocal range. Her trademark sound clear, yet warm with a cloudy edge is softer here. Employing this lower timbre, Niemack is keenly aware of her newfound sense of expression: “I haven’t lost my high notes, but gained lower ones,” she adds.

Niemack is joined among the highest level of jazz musicianship for the affair; What’s Love hosts Peter Bernstein on guitar, Sullivan Fortner on piano, Doug Weiss on bass, Joe Farnsworth on drums and Eric Alexander on alto saxophone.

“This is my view of love which, of course, is unique,” the singer, author and professor shares while discussing her inspiration for the title, which also borrows from her arrangement of the Tina Turner hit, “What’s Love Got To Do With It, a high moment on the date for the leader, who takes a slower and more contemplative approach to Turner’s question.

“Michelangelo famously said that he saw the sculpture hidden in a piece of marble and simply revealed it by taking away the stone, bit by bit. Composing for me is similar I have a feeling I want to express, which leads to a poem, words, which then are set to music that I discover on the piano. It just comes to me. My songs grow out of emotion.”

An overt lyrical message of moving ahead after loss, the track “I’m Moving On” gives generous space for each band member to contribute solos that grapple with the notion of moving forward, making the track a more gentle and evocative standout off the record. With Bernstein and Fortner at the instrumental helm, Niemack’s gifted scatting is guided effortlessly throughout “I’ll Love Again” and “Right Here, Right Now” are two examples, where lush instrumentation is met by silken vocal intonations.

While recording at the Van Gelder, Alexander joined the band as a special guest alto saxophonist. He contributes his optimistic original composition “Let Life Lead You.” Though the cheerful message was originally penned ‘Little Lucas,’ a note to Alexander’s son, Niemack was galvanized by its universality. Contributing a new lyric and title, she sings about embracing risk and remaining grateful in moments of opportunity a key sentiment that prevails across the record.

Highlighting her propensity for articulation and translucence as a songwriter and vocalist, Niemack outrivals herself on What’s Love. A deliberate and tasteful meditation on life's various chapters, What’s Love captures the essence of a talent with an unrequited passion for the sounds of storytelling. Judy Niemack, through her confident command and glistening vocal range, is inviting us to think about what ‘love’ means, yet by her own seamless and magical invention, once we accept her call, all we really have to do is listen.

Personnel: Judy Niemack - vocals; Peter Bernstein - guitar; Sullivan Fortner - piano; Doug Weiss - bass; Joe Farnsworth - drums; Eric Alexander - alto saxophone (9)

What's Love?

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Judy Niemack - Long As You're Living

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:42
Size: 140,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:33) 1. Long As You're Living
(4:20) 2. Waltz For Debby
(6:10) 3. The Maestro
(7:25) 4. Good Bye Pork Pie Hat
(3:13) 5. Caribbean Fire Dance
(7:10) 6. The Island
(3:31) 7. Monk's Dream
(5:01) 8. You've Taken Things Too Far
(3:38) 9. To Welcome The Day
(4:45) 10. Out Of This World
(3:48) 11. I Should Have Told You Goodbye
(6:03) 12. Infant Eyes

The term "jazz singer" has been misused so often so long that one hesitates to employ it. But if it has any meaning at all, the marvelous work of Judy Niemack is a veritable definition. She is a musician in the truest sense, having mastered her instrument (a beautiful one) and her chosen language and crafted her own style (...) There isn't one insincere or tawdry note anywhere in this fine, varied program which displays the full range of Judy Niemack's voice, imagination, and perhaps above all, taste a rare comodity in this or any other age. If you want to know what real jazz singing can be (but rarely is), listen to Judy Niemack, who never takes things too far, just far enough. ~ Dan Morgenstern http://www.judyniemack.com/albuminfo.aspx?ID=905

Personnel: Judy Niemack vocals, Fred Hersch piano, Joe Lovano tenor saxophone (on 1, 4, 8 and 11), Scott Colley bass, Billy Hart drums

Long As You're Living

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Judy Niemack, Wolfgang Köhler - Sing Your Song

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz 
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:05
Size: 129,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:16)  1. My Old Man
(6:00)  2. Isn´t It Romantic?
(6:13)  3. Lost in the Stars
(3:29)  4. Sing Your Song
(4:57)  5. One for My Baby
(4:55)  6. Eagle Poem
(4:38)  7. Where Love Has Gone
(6:16)  8. The Judgement of the Moon and Stars (Ludwig´s Tune)
(2:55)  9. Asphalt Nightmare
(6:51) 10. Lonely House
(4:29) 11. I´m All Smiles

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://www.allmusic.com/artist/judy-niemack-mn0000248476/biography

Wolfgang Köhler (born October 15, 1960 in Hofgeismar ) is a German professor of jazz and jazz pianist . As a piano player in the group “ Just Friends ”, Köhler undertook several tours from 1978 to 1991 through the German-speaking countries. From 1980 he studied at the Hochschule der Künste in Berlin with Walter Norris and others. Since then he has played with numerous well-known artists such as Jiggs Whigham , Randy Brecker , Herb Geller , Benny Bailey , Gitte Hænning , Nigel Kennedy , John Marshall and Ack van Rooyen . From 1982 to 1986 he was a member of the RIAS dance orchestra and later also a pianist in several talk shows. He is repeatedly invited to productions as a soloist in the successor orchestra, the RIAS Big Band .Wolfgang Köhler composed two theater revues (in collaboration with the playwright Gerhard Haase-Hindenberg ) and several film scores, including for the ZDF children's series “Karfunkel”. Since 1999 he has been professor for jazz piano at the Hanns Eisler Music Academy in Berlin . Since 2005 he has been playing with Tahsin Incirci in the “Duo Divan” alongside his professional activity. Since 2000 he has been a band leader with the “Allan Praskin Wolfgang Köhler Quartet”. https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfgang_K%C3%B6hler_(Pianist)

Sing Your Song

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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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Judy Niemack - 2 albums: Blue Nights / Jazz Singer's Practice Session

Album: Blue Nights
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:38
Size: 168.6 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[4:09] 1. I Ain't Got Nothin' But The Blues
[5:15] 2. Bluesette
[5:28] 3. Blue
[5:11] 4. Interplay
[6:44] 5. Moanin'
[7:24] 6. Blue In Green
[5:27] 7. A Crazy Song To Sing
[6:23] 8. Lullaby Of The Leaves
[7:02] 9. In A Sentimental Mood
[5:47] 10. Night In Tunisia
[5:17] 11. Afro Blue
[9:26] 12. All Blues

Judy Niemack has released so many outstanding CDs that it seems unfathomable that this 2007 release for Blujazz is her first U.S. recording since Heart's Desire and only her third U.S. album overall. But she makes up for lost time with a typically adventurous outing, backed by guitarist Jeanfrançois Prins (her husband), pianist Jim McNeely, bassist Dennis Irwin, and drummer Victor Lewis, with guest appearances by saxophonist Gary Bartz and trumpeter/flügelhornist Don Sickler on selected tracks. Niemack's sassy take of Duke Ellington's "I Ain't Got Nothin' But the Blues" and her scatting in unison with Prins' guitar in a romp through "Bluesette" open the disc with a bang, but she cools things down with her intricate interpretation of Bill Evans' "Interplay," for which she supplied delightful lyrics. "A Crazy Song to Sing" has more of a vocalese quality, describing the appeal of performing Thelonious Monk's "Mysterioso," punctuated by Bartz's smoldering alto sax solo. "In a Sentimental Mood" is set up by an intriguing blend of guitar, flügelhorn, and alto sax, with Niemack delivering a captivating performance. Judy Niemack has been one of the most underrated jazz vocalists of her generation, and this brilliant effort should awaken critics who have unjustly overlooked her consistently excellent work. ~Ken Dryden

Blue Nights

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Album: Jazz Singer's Practice Session
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:39
Size: 113.7 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2004
Art: Front

[4:09] 1. Misty
[4:47] 2. Lullaby Of Birdland
[4:07] 3. How High The Moon
[3:07] 4. Wave
[5:07] 5. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
[3:14] 6. All Of Me
[5:08] 7. My Funny Valentine
[3:35] 8. Teach Me Tonight
[3:12] 9. One Note Samba
[2:59] 10. Summertime
[3:25] 11. Lover Man
[3:41] 12. I Got Rhythm
[3:03] 13. Bye Bye Blackbird

Judy Neimack has a strong magical voice that takes you to the martini bar where you can kick back and relax, oh wait -- you're supposed to be learning! She has chosen well-loved jazz standards, and shows you how it's done. Highly recommended! ~Mellani Day

Jazz Singer's Practice Session

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Judy Niemack & Dan Tepfer - Listening To You

Size: 108,1 MB
Time: 46:38
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. There Will Never Be Another You (5:09)
02. Listening To You (4:06)
03. Body And Soul (5:45)
04. Like A Butterfly (4:14)
05. You've Taken Things Too Far (5:20)
06. When Chick Came Around (4:21)
07. You're My Thrill (5:44)
08. Epistrophy (5:43)
09. All The Things You Are (6:12)

Personnel:
Judy Niemack - vocals
Dan Tepfer - piano

Jazz aficionados are often concerned with lineages within the music and the passing of the torch. There aren’t many musicians left who have witnessed and assisted in the development of jazz and improvised music as much as saxophonist Lee Konitz has. From the height of bebop to the current avant-garde, Konitz has established himself as a cornerstone and link between many adventurous musicians.

Two such musicians are vocalist extraordinaire Judy Niemack and the exceptional pianist Dan Tepfer. Both have been fortunate enough to play and collaborate with the legendary saxophonist. It was only natural that Niemack and Tepfer would find such a rapport when they finally met via Konitz. It took the duo no time to be at ease with each other and to pursue a lively recording, entitled Listening To You.

Niemack stands apart as one of her generation’s most celebrated vocalists. She is originally from California; her jazz studies began with saxophonist Warne Marsh, who famously studied and performed with piano polymath Lennie Tristano along with Konitz. Niemack moved to New York City in the late 1970s and began to make a name as a vocalist, writing lyrics for and collaborating with many well-known musicians, including Pat Metheny, Kenny Barron, Don Grolnick, Toots Thielemans, Mike Stern, and Konitz.

Dan Tepfer has become an important figure in his generation’s developments within the worlds of jazz, modern classical and improvised music. His path within jazz crossed with Konitz very early on, whereby he established a long-running collaboration with the saxophonist.

Niemack and Tepfer’s first encounter came when Tepfer and Konitz were in Berlin for a performance. While keeping a home in New York, Niemack had been teaching for many years at the Jazz Institut Berlin, and she always made the effort to hear Konitz when he performed nearby, allowing the singer and the pianist an opportunity to be introduced in this instance. In the Spring of 2012, Tepfer returned to Berlin where he met up with Niemack to rehearse at the Jazz Institut.

In September 2012, Niemack invited Tepfer to record at Acoustic Recording in Brooklyn, New York, for her first recording in nine years. There was a special emphasis on improvisation, interpretation and taking chances during the proceedings, as Niemack has always advocated the role of the vocalist as a musician. The duo took on a number of the standards they had rehearsed in Germany, though maintaining a playfulness throughout the session. The musicians relied on pure improvisation, though letting the lyrics retain their message. Tepfer doesn’t accompany as much as interact in time to Niemack. Listeners can hear the incredibly creative treatments from Tepfer and the joy that both brought to the recording.

The program begins with a light but insistent take on Harry Warren and Mack Gordon’s “There Will Never Be Another You.” Konitz’s “Listening To You” is based on the chord changes of “All The Things You Are” and features lyrics Niemack wrote at the saxophonist’s request, which she turned into a tribute to Konitz. Tepfer and Niemack perform a lilting version of the chestnut “Body and Soul,” which is followed by “Like a Butterfly,” a piece written by her friend, pianist Ronnie Mathews; Niemack’s original lyrics describe the carefree dancing of a young girl whose responsibilities are yet to come.

Niemack’s bittersweet “You’ve Taken Things Too Far” is about taking stock after the dissolution of a relationship and coming to unexpected realizations about love. “When Chick Came Around” is another composition by Konitz with lyrics by Niemack that heralds the work of the great pianist Chick Corea. Niemack revisits Gorney and Clare’s “You’re My Thrill,” with pathos and drama, having originally recorded it with Cedar Walton on her first recording. The extemporary version of Monk and Clarke’s “Epistrophy” is a true revelation and testament to the duo’s singularity. The program concludes with Kern’s “All The Things You Are,” a beautiful sendoff.

How better to celebrate one of the most creative and exploratory musicians jazz has been blessed with? Niemack and Tepfer are two fully developed, exemplary musicians regardless of instrument, who find a way to make music resonate and creativity blossom, as their hero Lee Konitz has done for decades. Listening To You is a wonderful example of the legacy being passed and beauty being made in its honor.

Listening To You

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Lee Konitz - Rhapsody II

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:52
Size: 163,1 MB
Art: Front

(8:09)  1. Body And Soul
(1:12)  2. Short Cut #1
(4:38)  3. Another View
(4:10)  4. Lover Man
(1:02)  5. Short Cut #2
(5:48)  6. Kary's Trance
(3:40)  7. Trio #2
(0:59)  8. Indiana Jones #1
(6:49)  9. You Don't Know What Love Is
(2:09) 10. Variation #1
(5:48) 11. Variation #2
(7:53) 12. Some Blues
(1:17) 13. Short Cut #3
(1:31) 14. Indiana Jones #2
(3:33) 15. Round And Round And Round
(4:31) 16. Sittin' In
(1:33) 17. Indiana Jones #3
(6:02) 18. Body and Soul, Finale

This follow-up to Rhapsody is another eclectic mix, with 19 tracks featuring the veteran alto saxophonist in various small group settings. Baritone sax great Gerry Mulligan and the leader flesh out an inspired duet of "Lover Man" and pianist Peggy Stern joins them for the spacy, extemporaneous "Trio #2." The brilliant flugelhornist Clark Terry is only featured on three very brief improvisations based on "Indiana," which is wasting a great talent. Konitz switches to soprano sax for a moody version of "You Don't Know What Love Is" with vocalist Sheila Jordan and bassist Harvie Swartz. This is an interesting but not essential CD that falls short of its namesake predecessor and The Lee Konitz Duets (Original Jazz Classics). ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/rhapsody-vol-2-mw0000081654

Personnel: Lee Konitz (soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Judy Niemack, Sheila Jordan (vocals); Jeanfrançois Prins, John Scofield (guitar); Mark Feldman (violin); Toots Thielemans (harmonica); Gerry Mulligan (baritone saxophone); Clark Terry (flugelhorn); Kenny Werner (piano, synthesizer); Frank Wunsch, Peggy Stern, Yuko Fujiyama (piano); Jeff Williams (drums).

Rhapsody II

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Lee Konitz - Rhapsody

Styles: Saxophone Jazz

Year: 1993

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 62:44

Size: 143,9 MB

Art: Front

( 4:31)  1. I Hear a Rhapsody

(12:05)  2. Lo Ko Mo And Frizz

( 7:11)  3. The Aerie

( 8:52)  4. Trio No 1

( 5:07)  5. All The Things You Are

(19:00)  6. Exposition

( 5:55)  7. Flyin' - Mumbles and Jumbles

Lee Konitz's Evidence release has seven selections from the veteran altoist that utilize different all-star personnel. The performances all have a similar commitment to relaxed and melodic freedom, but some work better than others. "I Hear a Rhapsody" (featuring a haunting vocal by Helen Merrill) precedes a more abstract "Rhapsody" (titled "Lo-Ko-Mo-And Frizz") which has wandering interplay by Konitz (on alto, soprano, and tenor), Joe Lovano (switching between tenor, alto clarinet, and soprano), guitarist Bill Frisell, and drummer Paul Motian. Jay Clayton's beautiful voice and adventurous style is well displayed on "The Aerie," and baritone great Gerry Mulligan sounds reasonably comfortable on a free improvisation with Konitz and pianist Peggy Stern, but a fairly straightforward vocal by Judy Niemack on "All the Things You Are" is followed by an overlong (19-minute) exploration of the same chord changes (renamed "Exposition") by the quartet of Konitz, clarinetist Jimmy Giuffre, pianist Paul Bley, and bassist Gary Peacock; their different approaches never really mesh together, and this selection is a bit of a bore. The final performance, an extroverted duet by Konitz (on soprano) and flügelhornist Clark Terry (titled "Flyin': Mumbles and Jumbles") adds some badly needed humor to the set. While one can admire Lee Konitz for still challenging himself after all this time, some of the dryer material on the CD (especially the two quartet numbers) should have been performed again; maybe the next versions would have been more inspired. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/rhapsody-mw0000174310

Personnel:  Alto Saxophone – Lee Konitz; Baritone Saxophone – Gerry Mulligan;   Piano – Peggy Stern;  Vocals – Helen Merrill, Judy Niemack, Jay Clayton;  Bass – Ben Allison;  Drums – Jeff Williams

Rhapsody

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Judy Niemack - Blue Nights

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:37
Size: 168,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:09)  1. I Ain't Got Nothin' But The Blues
(5:47)  2. Night In Tunisia
(5:17)  3. Afro Blue
(9:25)  4. All Blues
(5:15)  5. Bluesette
(5:28)  6. Blue
(5:12)  7. Interplay
(6:43)  8. Moanin'
(7:25)  9. Blue In Green
(5:27) 10. A Crazy Song To Sing
(6:23) 11. Lullaby Of The Leaves
(7:02) 12. In A Sentimental Mood

Judy Niemack has released so many outstanding CDs that it seems unfathomable that this 2007 release for Blujazz is her first U.S. recording since Heart's Desire and only her third U.S. album overall. But she makes up for lost time with a typically adventurous outing, backed by guitarist Jeanfrançois Prins (her husband), pianist Jim McNeely, bassist Dennis Irwin, and drummer Victor Lewis, with guest appearances by saxophonist Gary Bartz and trumpeter/flügelhornist Don Sickler on selected tracks. Niemack's sassy take of Duke Ellington's "I Ain't Got Nothin' But the Blues" and her scatting in unison with Prins' guitar in a romp through "Bluesette" open the disc with a bang, but she cools things down with her intricate interpretation of Bill Evans' "Interplay," for which she supplied delightful lyrics. 

"A Crazy Song to Sing" has more of a vocalese quality, describing the appeal of performing Thelonious Monk's "Mysterioso," punctuated by Bartz's smoldering alto sax solo. "In a Sentimental Mood" is set up by an intriguing blend of guitar, flügelhorn, and alto sax, with Niemack delivering a captivating performance. Judy Niemack has been one of the most underrated jazz vocalists of her generation, and this brilliant effort should awaken critics who have unjustly overlooked her consistently excellent work. ~ Ken Dryden  http://www.allmusic.com/album/blue-nights-mw0000574510

Personnel: Judy Niemack (vocals); Jean françois Prins (guitar); Don Sickler (trumpet, flugelhorn); Jim McNeely (piano); Dennis Irwin (bass instrument); Gary Bartz (soprano saxophone, alto saxophone); Victor Lewis (drums).

Blue Nights

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Judy Niemack With Cedar Walton Trio - Blue Pop

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1988
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 64:04
Size: 118,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:26)  1. Bolivia
(5:38)  2. Gentle Rain
(4:31)  3. Gee Baby
(3:48)  4. Softly As In A Morning Sunrise
(2:59)  5. Dizzy Atmosphere
(4:26)  6. Parker's Mood
(3:50)  7. Wheelers And Dealers
(5:06)  8. Born To Be Blue
(2:52)  9. Love For Sale
(5:51) 10. Moanin'
(4:43) 11. Lover Man
(6:08) 12. Angel Eyes
(3:02) 13. The More I See You
(5:37) 14. You Are My Thrill

One does not usually encounter such songs as Cedar Walton's "Bolivia," "Dizzy Atmosphere" and "Moanin'" on vocal albums, but Judy Niemack has always been a very instrumental-oriented jazz singer. Whether scatting, stretching out words, or singing unexpected notes, Niemack (who should be much better-known) is consistently brilliant on this CD from the French Freelance label. She is assisted by Walton, bassist Ray Drummond, drummer Joey Baron and (on three of the 14 numbers) trombonist Curtis Fuller throughout the consistently swinging and often adventurous set. Recommended. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/blue-bop-mw0000367856

Blue Pop

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Judy Niemack - Jazz Singers' Practice Session

Styles: Jazz, Brazilian Jazz
Label: Gam
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:09
Size: 116,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:12)  1. Bye Bye Blackbird
(4:47)  2. Misty
(4:10)  3. Lullaby at Birdland
(3:10)  4. How High the Moon
(5:10)  5. Wave
(3:17)  6. You’d Be So Nice to Come Home to
(5:11)  7. All of Me
(3:38)  8. My Funny Valentine
(3:15)  9. Teach me Tonight
(2:59) 10. One Note Samba
(3:28) 11. Summertime
(3:44) 12. Lover Man
(3:03) 13. I Got Rhythm

A talented and adventurous jazz singer, Judy Niemack has long had an underground reputation in jazz, although she finally began to receive 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. In 1977, she moved to New York and the following year made her recording debut for Sea Breeze. Since that time, Niemack has freelanced with many top advanced musicians, including Toots Thielemans, James Moody, Lee Konitz, Clark Terry, Kenny Barron, Fred Hersch, Kenny Werner, Joe Lovano, and Eddie Gomez, among others, 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. Judy Niemack, a colorful improviser, has recorded as a leader for Sea Breeze, Stash, and Freelance. ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi  http://www.artistdirect.com/artist/bio/judy-niemack/473472 .

Jazz Singers' Practice Session

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Big Band Jazz Terrassa & Judy Niemack - What's Goin' On

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 61:42

Size: 141.3 MB

Label: Temps

Styles: Big Band, Vocal jazz

Year: 2007

Art: Front

[6:03] 1. New York Stories

[5:25] 2. Some Other Time

[3:57] 3. Them There Eyes

[4:55] 4. Fever

[4:35] 5. Love For Sale

[4:21] 6. One More Time

[4:51] 7. Night In Tunisia

[5:11] 8. The Man I Love

[4:49] 9. What's Going On

[3:35] 10. I Wish You Love

[6:59] 11. Angel Eyes

[6:56] 12. Cherokee

"New York Stories" was originally an instrumental by Jeanfrancois Prins. He asked me to write a lyric about the Big Apple, where we met. When the Spanish "Jazz Terrassa Big Band" proposed recording a CD with me, I suggested working with Peter Herbolzheimer, with whom I often perform in Germany. In this song, we celebrate the excitement arriving in New York City, which for jazz musicians is the musical center of the world.

What's Goin' On?

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