Judy Wexler - Back to the Garden

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:15
Size: 105,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:00) 1. Get Together
(4:41) 2. Up on the Roof
(4:03) 3. American Tune
(3:25) 4. Big Yellow Taxi
(4:45) 5. The Times They are A'Changin'
(3:28) 6. Since You've Asked
(3:53) 7. For What It's Worth
(3:33) 8. Everybody's Talkin'
(6:10) 9. Forever Young
(5:14) 10. Who Knows Where the Times Goes

A glance at the tracks on this album might make one think that it is a well-selected gathering of '60s message tunes from compilation stalwart, Rhino Records. That not being the case, rest assured that Back to the Garden presents those iconic Pop selections so incredibly re- imagined that what we experience could easily be considered "new selections." Judy Wexler petite in stature, but tremendously talented and agile in artistry and her cadre of LA's best, delivers her finest performance and certainly most ambitious album to date. And, given her track record, via five celebrated albums, Back to the Garden borrowing a 60's adjective is very "heavy."

Though young when most of these tracks hit the airwaves in chaotic times, Wexler dives fully into the familiar melodic and message content. Jeff Colella & Josh Nelson's unique arrangements and the ensemble's performances brilliantly deliver stunningly new perspectives. "Get Together," originally a more Folk-like side, kicks things off slickly and texturally, and portends different things to come. Joni Mitchell's manifesto about urban development, "Big Yellow Taxi" is the funk-quirky killer champion on this album. "Something's Happening Here" has Wexler, Colella, and team going towards deeper, darker-blue imagery than the original. "Everybody's Talkin' " from "Midnight Cowboy," (United Artists, 1969) is taken slower than normal and has Wexler talking beautifully, followed by a slick Hendrik Meurkens' solo (a nod to Toots Thielemans who performed on the soundtrack).

Wexler's awesome vocal talent, dexterity, and expressive flair lavishly wash across the session. While this was Pop fare in the day, hers is not a Pop voice. Rather, she's a hip vocalist whose tune engagement is paramount. That's quite apparent on "Who Knows Where the Time Goes?" (with a fine Jay Jennings trumpet solo). It would be so easy for a singer to "re-sing" this material. Wexler doesn't. She and the crew have re- ignited it, lending new reflections on Pop gospels. Back to the Garden is quite a recording. It is an accomplishment and truly an aural "Garden of Earthly Delights."~ Nicholas F.Mondello https://www.allaboutjazz.com/back-to-the-garden-judy-wexler-jewel-city-jazz

Personnel: Judy Wexler: voice / vocals; Jeff Colella: piano; Larry Koonse: guitar; Gabe Davis: bass, acoustic; Steve Hass: drums; Bob Thiele, Jr,: guitar, electric; Erin Bentlage: voice / vocals; Danny Janklow: saxophone; Jay Jennings: trumpet; Hendrik Meurkens: harmonica; Sara Caswell: violin; Joel Pargman: violin; Carrie Kennedy: violin; rodney wirtz: viola; Stephanie Fife: cello; Talley Sherwood: voice / vocals.

Back to the Garden

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Judy Wexler - Crowded Heart

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:49
Size: 110,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:40)  1. Circus Life
(5:00)  2. Parisian Heartbreak
(5:23)  3. Crowded Heart
(3:51)  4. Painted on Canvas
(4:45)  5. Stars
(4:55)  6. The Last Goodbye
(4:33)  7. Take My Breath Away
(4:17)  8. I Took Your Hand
(4:53)  9. It's Only Smoke
(5:27) 10. And We Will Fly

For her fifth album, Judy Wexler has embraced a concept that's oddly foreign in the jazz vocal realm. Instead of walking her way down the all-too-familiar avenues for singers classic Broadway-cum-jazz material, canonical works written by revered jazz figures, pop tunes reshaped with harmonic facelifts, self-penned originals she takes the road less traveled by focusing on the work of jazz composers thriving in the present. In doing so she magnifies the importance of these artists, highlights material worthy of greater attention, and elevates her own standing as a gifted stylist and interpreter. Wexler winds her way through this series of new jazz standards with comfort and ease, telling stories and shaping melodies with smarts and sophistication. Whether exploring love's various shades and shapes, peeling back the many layers of emotion in the human experience, moving deftly through simile and metaphor, or unpacking day-to-day life in all its turbulence, she remains a font of feeling and truth. Working closely with pianist Alan Pasqua, her longtime musical partner and co-producer/arranger on this project, Wexler manages to inhabit these songs and deal with them on her own terms while still remaining true to the source material. That's apparent right from the start, as she steps into a world of Luciana Souza's making for "Circus Life." The adrenaline rush and buoyancy of the original prove influential, but there's added weight and poignancy in Wexler's performance. She doesn't simply work from the mold here, and this performance is all the richer because of that fact. 

There are times and places where Wexler and Pasqua choose to create by ironing out some aspects of the model Gregory Porter's "Painted On Canvas," for example, is coolly paved in 4/4 here but they're just as quick to uncover or explore an illustrative wrinkle heretofore unseen. That point shows true and clear on "It's Only Smoke," a Larry Goldings original with lyrics penned by Cliff Goldmacher. Rather than wring sentiment from Goldmacher's pen, Wexler lets his words and Goldings' melody shine under the light of their inherent beauty. She reminds us that sometimes a song just needs to be appreciated, not mined. In choosing to explore the work of artists like Porter, Souza, Kurt Elling, and Rene Marie, Wexler shows a fondness for individualism and demonstrates a keen ear for strong material. That gift is not terribly surprising, given her sterling reputation and high standing in the vocal community, but it still deserves to be noted. ~ Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/crowded-heart-judy-wexler-jewel-city-jazz-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Judy Wexler: vocals; Alan Pasqua: piano, melodica , whistling; Larry Koonse: guitar; Josh Johnson: alto saxophone; Bob Sheppard: alto flute; Stefanie Fife: cello; Darek Oles: bass; Steve Hass: drums; Aaron Serfaty: percussion.

Crowded Heart

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Judy Wexler - Easy On The Heart

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 58:10
Size: 133.2 MB
Styles: Vocal
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[5:38] 1. Moment To Moment
[4:39] 2. I'm In Love
[3:19] 3. Humdrum Blues
[4:58] 4. Easy On The Heart
[2:46] 5. Nobody Else But Me
[4:22] 6. In My Life
[4:05] 7. Beautiful Love Gorgeous Creature
[5:20] 8. Tell Him I Said Hello
[5:42] 9. Love Is A Necessary Evil
[4:34] 10. Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
[3:16] 11. If You Could Love Me
[5:10] 12. Down Here On The Ground
[4:15] 13. I Got Lost In His Arms

Vocalist Judy Wexler makes her recording debut with Easy on the Heart. Wexler is quickly becoming a staple of the Los Angeles jazz scene and, like many other jazz artists in Southern California, deserving of better recognition. Joining her are other LA jazz stalwarts like saxophonist Bob Sheppard, pianist Alan Pasqua (a former member of Tony Williams' Lifetime), bassist Darek Oles, and trumpeter Steven Campos.

Instead of the usual standards, Wexler does well by choosing some lesser-known jazz songs, as well as a couple of pop tunes. Her assertive, no-frills delivery is a dominant and pleasant feature in her singing, as it focuses our attention on the clear and lucid storytelling. The extras in her style are subtle, delicate, well-timed, purposeful, and a testament to her good taste.

Playful and lovely songs like "Nobody Else But Me" and Oscar Brown Jr.'s "Humdrum Blues" are nicely countered with more morose features like Abbey Lincoln's "I'm in Love" and the album's best piece, "Tell Him I Said Hello." Wexler's forte is jazz, though she delves into pop tunes like the Beatles' "In My Life" and Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right." Both are satisfactory, though they lack the dynamic range of the livelier jazz fare. On the album's final offering, for example, Irving Berlin's "I Got Lost in His Arms," she clearly knows what liberties to take, what lines to stretch and, more importantly, how to enchant us fully.

While this album more than meets any demands of a debut effort, here's hoping time and experience challenge Wexler to greater artistry and individuality. Certainly, as heard on Easy on the Heart, her skills are more than ready for such a project. ~Germein Linares

Judy Wexler: vocals; Alan Pasqua: piano; Darek Oles: bass; Tim Pleasant: drums; Bob Sheppard: sax; Steven Campos: trumpet.

Easy On The Heart

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Judy Wexler - Under A Painted Sky

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:08
Size: 137,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:35)  1. Wonderful Wonderful
(4:38)  2. And How I Hoped For Your Love
(4:19)  3. An Occasional Man
(3:59)  4. Don't Wait Too Long
(5:41)  5. The great City
(7:48)  6. Avec Le Temps
(4:00)  7. A Little Tear
(4:58)  8. Last Time for Love
(4:45)  9. Café
(3:43) 10. Whisper Not
(5:05) 11. Till There Was You
(5:30) 12. Sack Full of Dreams

Few singers would dare dive into music associated with Johnny Mathis, Carmen McRae, Abbey Lincoln and the 1962 film, The Music Man, on the same album; even fewer would be able to pull it off as vocalist Judy Wexler does on Under A Painted Sky. Wexler possesses a voice for the ages, and puts it to good use on a dozen delicious numbers that cover myriad moods and spotlight the stellar instrumentalists in her band. Wexler's prior releases Easy On The Heart (Rhombus, 2005) and Dreams And Shadows (Jazzed Media, 2008)  were elevated by classy arrangements and pianistic underpinnings from pianist Alan Pasqua, and this partnership continues to bear fruit on this project. Pasqua paints pictures of a sunny nature ("Wonderful Wonderful"), crafts spine-tingling settings ("Avec Le Temps") and directs swinging scenes that delight in every way ("The Great City" and "Whisper Not"), leaving Wexler free to fully explore the possibilities that reside within each one of these gems. Wexler's vocals are ebullient and enthusiastic on "Wonderful Wonderful," as the album gets underway, but she isn't all sunshine and splendor. 

She deals in flirty and sensual singing on "An Occasional Man," delivers enthralling vocals of a haunting nature with "Avec Le Temps," touches on the ups-and-downs in the game of love during "And How I Hoped For Your Love," and utters a wise warning about getting sucked into the quicksand of New York's social scene with "The Great City." While Wexler needs no help selling any of these songs, the instrumentalists add volumes to each piece, as they mirror the moods that are established through the arrangements and vocals. Tenor saxophonist Bob Mintzer adds some grit to "The Great City," Bob Sheppard's soprano saxophone swoops and soars with a fine balance between grace and gusto on "Till There Was You," and Walt Fowler 's flugelhorn emphasizes the dream-like state of "Café." Pasqua and guitarist Larry Koonse blend well, whether dealing with Brazilian- laced music ("And How I Hoped For Your Love") or songs of peace and hope ("Sack Full Of Dreams"), and the bass and drums team of Darek Oles and Steve Hass has a terrific hookup in virtually every stylistic setting. While both of Wexler's previous albums were outstanding displays of her vocal talent, Under A Painted Sky is her best yet the third time truly is the charm. ~ Dan Bilawsky   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/under-a-painted-sky-judy-wexler-jazzed-media-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php#.U6d6e7G4OSo
 

Personnel: Judy Wexler: vocals; Alan Pasqua: piano; Darek Oles: bass; Steve Hass: drums; Larry Koonse: guitar; Bob Mintzer: tenor saxophone; Bob Sheppard: soprano saxophone; Walt Fowler: trumper, flugelhorn; Alex Acuna: percussion.

Under a Painted Sky

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Judy Wexler - What I See

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:23
Size: 112,9 MB
Scans: Front

(6:30)  1. Tomorrow Is Another Day
(3:15)  2. The Moon Is Made of Gold
(4:17)  3. Convince Me
(4:46)  4. They Say It's Spring
(5:25)  5. A Certain Sadness
(5:11)  6. The Long Goodbye
(3:49)  7. Just for Now
(5:35)  8. Follow
(3:28)  9. Another Time, Another Place
(3:21) 10. A Kiss to Build a Dream On
(3:37) 11. Laughing at Life

Vocalist Judy Wexler is more than a mere singer of songs. She's an actress, mood painter, song archaeologist and vocalist par excellence, and those designations shouldn't be taken as independent virtues; they all merge in her marvelous musical pursuits.

When I See is Wexler's fourth album, but it only took two Easy On The Heart (Jazzopolis, 2005) and Dreams & Shadows (Jazzed Media, 2008)  to establish her as one of the most highly respected vocal artists on the West Coast. She furthered her sterling reputation with the all-encompassing Under A Painted Sky (Jazzed Media, 2011), and she's likely to do the same with this one; it's a real beaut.

What I See finds Wexler covering a lot of ground again, as she moves from Benny Carter to John Williams to King Pleasure. She's in familiar company, working with some longtime colleagues like multi-reedist Bob Sheppard, drummer Steve Hass and pianist/arranger Jeff Colella, but she continually avoids the familiar in all other aspects of her work; she doesn't radically reinterpret anything or purposely pounce on never-before-heard numbers, but she also doesn't tread over well-worn ground.

Wexler kicks off the album with a comfortably swinging take on Pleasure's "Tomorrow Is Another Day." Her reading of this better-things-are-on-the-horizon statement is neither depressed nor sunny; it's matter-of-factly honest about the topic at hand. A similar sense of clarity and truthfulness shines through on every number. Wexler's acting credentials no doubt help her in this regard, but it never sounds like she's acting. When Judy Wexler sings a song, it becomes her song and her story, period. She's more than convincing on "Convince Me," a slow jam-of-a-song if ever there was one, and her voice rises to the occasion on "The Moon Is Made Of Gold." The mere mention of spring on "They Say It's Spring" and "Just For Now" brings a blooming quality to her voice, and she carries "Follow" forward in her own inimitable fashion.

The A-list musicians that join Wexler on this journey also do their part to make this a magical listen. Sheppard is ever-impressive, delivering the goods on bass clarinet ("Tomorrow Is Another Day") and adding warmth with his alto flute ("A Certain Sadness"), and Ron Stout adds a touch of brass beauty to the proceedings ("The Moon Is Made Of Gold"). Colella and guitarist Larry Koonse match Wexler in the sensitivity department and prove to be the instrumental MVPs on the project.

What I See, much like Wexler's prior album, is a marvel of sincerity and beauty.~ Dan Bilawsky  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=45314#.UlHATRDNn8o

Personnel: Judy Wexler: vocals; Jeff Colella: piano; Larry Koonse: guitar, ukulele; Chris Colangelo; bass; Steve Hass: drums; Ron Stout: flugelhorn, trumpet; Bob Sheppard: bass clarinet, alto flute; Scott Whitfield: trombone; Billy Hulting: percussion.

What I See

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