Jackie McLean - Hat Trick

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:54
Size: 123.4 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1996
Art: Front

[6:52] 1. Little Melonae
[7:41] 2. A Cottage For Sale
[7:47] 3. Solar
[4:32] 4. Bag's Groove
[5:25] 5. Will You Still Be Mine
[5:47] 6. Left Alone
[4:59] 7. Jackie's Hat
[6:02] 8. Sentimental Journey
[4:47] 9. Bluesnik

Veteran altoist Jackie McLean was not familiar with pianist Junko Onishi's playing until shortly before recording this quartet CD (which also includes bassist Nat Reeves and drummer Lewis Nash), but he was apparently pleased with how she sounded. Onishi's bop-oriented style (which sometimes uses more complex chord voicings) fits in well with McLean, and the results are generally memorable. Jackie McLean, one of the few hard bop stylists to embrace aspects of the avant-garde, sounds quite advanced on the straight-ahead program. His distinctive tone is unchanged from the 1960s, and he still displays all of the fire and enthusiasm he had in his early days. McLean really digs into his two durable originals ("Little Melonae" and "Bluesnik"), five standards, Mal Waldron's "Left Alone" and Onishi's "Jackie's Hat" (based on "Sweet Georgia Brown"), making this outing into something quite special. Recommended. ~Scott Yanow

Hat Trick mc
Hat Trick zippy

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Phil Woods - Cool Woods

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 45:55
Size: 84,4 MB
Art: Front

(7:36)  1. Lullaby Of The Leaves
(4:26)  2. All The Things You Are
(7:39)  3. Round Midnight
(7:29)  4. You Don't Know What Love Is
(5:20)  5. Embraceable You
(5:23)  6. Samba Dubois
(7:57)  7. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life

One of the true masters of the bop vocabulary, Phil Woods had his own sound beginning in the mid-'50s and stuck to his musical guns throughout a remarkably productive career. There was never a doubt that he was one of the top alto saxophonists in jazz, and he lost neither his enthusiasm nor his creativity through the years. Woods' first alto was left to him by an uncle, and he started playing seriously when he was 12. He gigged and studied locally until 1948, when he moved to New York. Woods studied with Lennie Tristano, at the Manhattan School of Music, and at Juilliard, where he majored in clarinet. He worked with Charlie Barnet (1954), Jimmy Raney (1955), George Wallington, the Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra, Buddy Rich (1958-1959), Quincy Jones (1959-1961), and Benny Goodman (for BG's famous 1962 tour of the Soviet Union), but mostly headed his own groups after 1955, including co-leadership of a combo with fellow altoist Gene Quill in the '50s logically known as "Phil & Quill." Woods, who married the late Charlie Parker's former wife Chan in the 1950s (and became the stepfather to singer Kim Parker), was sometimes thought of as "the new Bird" due to his brilliance in bop settings, but he never really sounded like a copy of Parker. Woods popped up in a variety of settings in the 1960s on Benny Carter's classic Further Definitions record, touring Europe with the short-lived Thelonious Monk Nonet, and appearing on studio dates like the soundtracks to The Hustler and Blow Up. Always interested in jazz education (although he believed that there is no better way to learn jazz than to gig and travel constantly), Woods taught at an arts camp in Pennsylvania in the summers of 1964-1967. Discouraged with the jazz scene in the U.S., he moved to France in 1968. For the next few years, Woods led a very advanced group, the European Rhythm Machine, which leaned toward the avant-garde and included pianist George Gruntz. Their recordings still sound fresh and exciting today, although this venture would only be a detour in Woods' bebop life. In 1972, he returned to the U.S. and tried unsuccessfully to lead an electronic group that featured keyboardist Pete Robinson.

In 1973, Woods formed a quintet with pianist Mike Melillo, bassist Steve Gilmore, drummer Bill Goodwin, and guitarist Harry Leahey that had much greater success. Their recording Live at the Showboat officially launched the band, which, after a few personnel changes, toured the world. After Leahey left in 1978, it was known as the Phil Woods Quartet until trumpeter Tom Harrell (1983-1989) joined; his spot was then assumed by trombonist Hal Crook (1989-1992) and trumpeter Brian Lynch. Pianist Melillo went out on his own in 1980, and his successors were Hal Galper (1980-1990), Jim McNeely (1990-1995), and Bill Charlap; Gilmore and Goodwin were with Woods from the group's start. Not just bebop repertory bands, Woods' ensembles developed their own repertoire, took plenty of chances, and stretched themselves while sticking to his straight-ahead path. Woods contributed the famous alto solo to Billy Joel's hit recording of "Just the Way You Are" and was one of Michel Legrand's favorite artists, guesting with Legrand on an occasional basis; he made dozens of rewarding recordings himself through the years. After debuting as a leader in the mid-'50s, he recorded for Prestige, Savoy, RCA, Mode, Epic, Candid (the brilliant The Right of Swing in 1961), Impulse, MGM, Verve, Embryo, Testament, Muse, Omnisound, Enja, and Chesky, and recorded with his Quintet/Quartet for RCA, Gryphon, Adelphi, Clean Cuts, SeaBreeze (two sets adding Chris Swansen's inventive synthesizer to the band), Red, Antilles, Palo Alto, BlackHawk, Denon, and quite extensively for Concord. Some key sets include 1960's Rights of Swing on Candid, 1974's Musique Du Bois on 32 Jazz, 1981's Birds of a Feather from Antilles, and 2002's Americans Swinging in Paris from EMI. An Italian label, Philogy (which has some broadcasts and live performances from Woods' bands), is named after the popular and brilliant altoist. Still going strong into the 21st century, Woods cut a live session with the Los Angeles Jazz Orchestra in 2005 that was released by Jazz Media in 2006. American Songbook, which features Woods' treatment of pop and jazz standards, appeared from Kind of Blue later that same year. In 2009, after years of attempting to secure the rights to interpret the work of writer A.A. Milne, Woods released Children's Suite a tribute to Milne's classic book Winnie the Pooh. Phil Woods died from complications of emphysema in September 2015 at the age of 83. ~ Scott Yanow https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/phil-woods/id124283

Personnel:  Phil Woods - Alto saxophone;  Junko Onishi – Piano;  Ron Carter – Bass;  Bill Goodwin - Drums

Cool Woods

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Joe Lovano - Tenor Time

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:01
Size: 144,6 MB
Art: Front

( 7:05)  1. Walkin'
( 6:46)  2. Why Don't I
( 6:27)  3. Bye Bye Blackbird
( 6:55)  4. Paradox
( 5:08)  5. Ruby My Dear
(10:06)  6. Invitation
( 6:56)  7. Budo
( 5:32)  8. Like Sonny
( 8:01)  9. Dewey Said

This project was Michael Cuscuna’s idea for Toshiba/EMI, which is part of Blue Note in Japan. It was the first time I played the straight tenor exclusively. It’s a unique instrument, with a different feeling than the regular tenor saxophone. In fact, it has a different attitude and personality that comes through the music as well. Because the bell of the horn is directed downward, the sound comes out of the horn differently, using the floor to fill the room with the tone of the horn. The idea was to do some famous music, some classics, and that’s how the repetoire came together. I chose the material and we did one of my originals, Dewey Said, which dedicated to both Dewey Redman and Miles Dewey Davis. Junko is a very soulful, swinging player and we had an instant rapport. http://www.joelovano.com/albums/detail/15/Tenor-Time-

Personnel:  Joe Lovano – Tenor Saxophone;  Junko Onishi – Piano;  Rodney Whitaker – Bass;  Al Foster – Drums

Tenor Time

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Junko Onishi - Live at the Village Vanguard And II

Album:  Live at the Village Vanguard
Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:35
Size: 127,6 MB
Art: Front

( 8:27)  1. So Long Eric
( 9:16)  2. Blue Skies
( 6:32)  3. Concorde
(10:45)  4. How Long Has This Been Going On
( 6:31)  5. Darn That Dream
(14:02)  6. Congeniality

This is a memorable set. When pianist Junko Onishi performs songs from the likes of Charles Mingus ("So Long Eric"), John Lewis ("Concorde"), and Ornette Coleman ("Congeniality"), she interprets each of the tunes as much as possible within the intent and style of its composer. "So Long Eric," although performed by her trio, gives one the impression at times that several horns are soloing together; in addition, polyrhythms are utilized part of the time, Ornette's "Congeniality" has a strong pulse but fairly free improvising, while "Concorde" sounds both distinguished and full of blues feeling, like John Lewis himself. Onishi's exploration of "Blue Skies" uplifts the warhorse through the use of colorful vamps and an altered melody, she takes the slow ballad "Darn That Dream" as a medium-tempo stomp, and her original, "How Long Has This Been Goin' On," is brooding but not downbeat and swings hard without losing its serious nature. There is not a weak selection in the bunch and the interplay between Onishi, bassist Reginald Veal, and drummer Herlin Riley is quite impressive. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-the-village-vanguard-mw0000175639

Personnel: Junko Onishi (piano); Reginald Veal (bass); Herlin Riley (drums).

Live at the Village Vanguard

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Album: Live at the Village Vanguard II 
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:26
Size: 129,3 MB

( 9:19)  1. House of Blue Lights
(10:27)  2. Never Let Me Go
(10:24)  3. Brilliant Corners
(20:29)  4. Ringo Oiwake
( 5:45)  5. Tea for Two

This is a follow up release of additional material from the May 1994 concerts at the Village Vanguard by the 20-something piano sensation, the first volume having been released in 1995 to wide attention. Onishi is a master of the post-bop piano, playing with speed and command. She is also characterized by a heavy-handed, propulsive approach. The album is a traditional piano trio setting. For these concerts, she appeared with new rhythm section mates, bassist Reginald Veal and drummer Herlin Riley, but they must have got their act together during the week at the club, for their playing is tight and assured. Being a live album, it includes only five pieces, all lengthy treatments, of jazz compositions "House of Blue Lights" and "Brilliant Corners," two standards, and a Japanese tune, "Ringo Oiwake." On the repertory pieces, Onishi plays stirringly but adds nothing new, while the Japanese song runs over 20 minutes long, including extended bass and drum solos. The length of these trio tracks might be great, depending on your point of view. ~ Sid Gribetz  http://jazztimes.com/articles/9576-live-at-the-village-vanguard-2-junko-onishi-trio

Personnel: Junko Onishi (piano); Herlin Riley (drums).

Live at the Village Vanguard II

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Junko Onishi - Musical Moments

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:24
Size: 150,0 MB
Art: Front

( 5:29)  1. Hat And Beard
( 3:39)  2. I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues
( 7:21)  3. Back In The Days
( 6:17)  4. Bittersweet
( 5:34)  5. Ill Wind
( 8:11)  6. Musical Moments
( 4:37)  7. Something Sweet, Something Tender
( 4:36)  8. G. W.
( 3:15)  9. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
(16:20) 10. So Long Eric, Mood Indigo, Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me

With the release of her 1993 Blue Note debut Cruisin', pianist Junko Onishi arrived as one of the most promising of Japan-born jazz musicians. Growing up in Tokyo, Onishi received classical piano lessons but became quite interested in jazz. She studied at Berklee and after three years moved to New York. Already a well-developed player, Onishi worked with Joe Henderson, Betty Carter, Kenny Garrett, and Mingus Dynasty before recording her debut as a leader. She considers her style to be based on Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, and Ornette Coleman; her other recordings from the '90s include 1994's Live at the Village Vanguard, 1995's Piano Quintet Suite, and 1999's Fragile. After Fragile, Onishi took a break from releasing albums to focus on developing her music. She returned over ten years later with 2009's Musical Moments. She followed that up a year later with her 2010 Verve debut, Baroque, which featured several Onishi originals as well as interpretations of some 20th century classical pieces, including "The Three Penny Opera." Bio ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/artist/junko-onishi-mn0000307945/biography

Personnel: Junko Onishi – Piano; Yosuke Inoue – Bass; Gene Jackson – Drums; Reginald Veal – Bass (#10); Herlin Riley – Drums (#10)

Musical Moments

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Junko Onishi - Baroque

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:48
Size: 171,7 MB
Art: Front

( 9:04)  1. Tutti
( 5:51)  2. The Mother's (Where Johnny Is)
(19:41)  3. The Threepenny Opera
( 4:47)  4. Stardust
(10:45)  5. Meditations for a Pair of Wire Cutters
( 9:48)  6. Flamingo
(10:24)  7. The Street Beat/52nd Street Theme
( 4:26)  8. Memories of You

The world has been a slightly less happy place since Junko Onishi's last record. After establishing herself as one of the finest young jazz pianists around with her debut, Wow (EMI, 1993), Onishi released a string of fine Blue Note recordings: Live At The Village Vanguard Volume 1 and Volume 2 (both 1994); the superb Cruisin' (1994), featuring her majestic "Eulogia"; and Piano Quintet Suite (1995).

With Fragile (Blue Note, 1999) a virtual rock covers album that took on Jimi Hendrix, Cream and The Righteous Brothers Onishi's recorded output all but vanished in the U.S., while the pianist reportedly released a number of CDs in Japan. Now on Verve, Onishi is back with another unpredictable but typically excellent effort. A more lavish-sounding record than the rock n' raw Fragile, Baroque gives Onishi the opportunity to showcase her formidable compositional and arranging skills. Working with durable and longtime band members Rodney Whitaker and Reginald Veal, (bass), Wycliffe Gordon (trombone), and fellow former Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra band mate Herlin Riley (drums) along with stellar guests Nicholas Payton (trumpet) and woodwind/reed phenom James Carter Baroque is Onishi's show, yet every musician shines brightly. Riley and Gordon solo engagingly in avant-garde fashion on the album's obvious highlight, "The Three Penny Opera," which, according to the liners, features a piano solo based a musical score by Onishi's mentor and friend, the great Jaki Byard. This Onishi original is both a surprise and a revelation, with all the musicians allowed to stretch more than on her previous recordings. 

As evidenced by the album's opener, "Tutti," Onishi's style has now allowed for a more improvisational approach. In some of her earlier records, her classical training sometimes kept things rather tight. But on numbers like bassist Charles Mingus' notoriously difficult "Meditations for a Pair of Wire Cutters," the pianist seems to have taken a page from the composer's book, allowing her seasoned fellow musicians room to interpret more freely. Onishi gives herself two beautiful unaccompanied piano showcases on Baroque: Hoagy Carmichael's "Stardust" and Eubie Blake's "Memories of You." Both are fresh takes, technically impressive, and inventive without fussiness. Baroque's expansiveness and variety make for what could be Onishi's most purely entertaining CD to date. ~ Keith Henry Brown  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/baroque-junko-onishi-verve-music-group-review-by-keith-henry-brown.php

Personnel: Junko Onishi : piano; Rodney Whitaker: bass; Reginald Veal: bass; Wycliffe Gordon: trombone; Herlin Riley: drums; Nicholas Payton: trumpet; James Carter: tenor and soprano saxophones, bass clarinet, flute; Roland Guerrero: congas.

Baroque

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