Kate McGarry + Keith Ganz Ensemble - What to Wear in the Dark

Styles: Vocal and Guitar Jazz
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:48
Size: 145,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:08) 1. Dancing in the Dark
(7:49) 2. Barrytown
(7:31) 3. Both Sides Now
(5:52) 4. God Moves on the City
(6:48) 5. The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feeling Groovy)
(4:15) 6. Desperado
(5:45) 7. On the Road to Find Out
(7:26) 8. Anthem
(4:47) 9. Here Comes the Sun
(6:23) 10. It Happens All the Time in Heaven

Let us start with a nod to Steely Dan, the rock/jazz group headed up by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, a pair of tunesmiths who hit a career zenith in the early 1970s with albums like Can't Buy A Thrill (1972), Countdown To Ecstasy (1973), Pretzel Logic (1974) and Aja (1974), all on ABC Records. The group drew in top jazz artists to help craft their albums saxophonists Wayne Shorter and Tom Scott, guitarists Larry Carlton and Lee Ritenour, drummers Steve Gadd and Rick Marotta shaping high-polish productions featuring catchy melodies and cerebral lyrics to form up their pop/rock artistry.

Taking a tangent off from this digression we run into vocalist Kate McGarry's What To Wear In the Dark. Comparisons to Steely Dan? Beautiful production, meticulous arrangements and a bunch of top notch jazz players Gary Versace on keyboards, Ron Miles on cornet, Clarence Penn on drums, Keith Ganz of the Keith Ganz Ensemble on guitars creating the backdrops for McGarry's pure-toned everywoman deliveries on tunes mostly familiar, shaped into often unconventional readings of (again, mostly) pop/rock tunes of the 1960s and 1970s.

McGarry offers up her distinctive take on Steely Dan's "Barrytown," Paul Simon's "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)," The Eagles' "Desperado" and George Harrison's "Here Comes the Sun." She picks her composers well, opening with the one Great American Songbook tune of the set, "Dancing in The Dark," featuring a spare arrangement with Gary Versace's sighing accordion playing prominently in the mix.

McGarry has the rare ability to deliver a tune with remarkable immediacy like she is singing it just for you. She sings "Barrytown" with a bounce in her step, with a hopeful self assurance, a clear-eyed aplomb. On Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" McGarry's delivery is angelic, the harp (actually Keith Ganz' acoustic guitar) in a perfect, heavenly simpatico with the singer's inward-looking vocal.

Then there is "Life, I love you," a line from Paul Simon's "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)." It is one of Simon's happiest tunes. McGarry opens with a minute long, rapid fire rant (penned by pianist Hal Galper) about the travails of the working jazz artist, backed by Ron Miles' scratchy cornet complaint, before shifting into the simple melody in which she sings that "Life, I love you," line, drawing, apparently, on the balm the tune served up for her during difficult times.

The set wraps up with "It Happens All The Time In Heaven," penned in part by McGarry, from "The Subject Tonight Is Love" by poet Daniel Ladinsky. Again, she sings just for you, with a beautifully spare and crisp arrangement featuring Versace on organ and Ganz on acoustic guitar, closing up a masterfully-produced, highlight-filled recording. By Dan McClenaghan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/what-to-wear-in-the-dark-kate-mcgarry-keith-ganz-ensemble-resilience-music-alliance

Personnel: Keith Ganz: guitar; Kate McGarry: voice / vocals; Ron Miles: cornet; Gary Versace: piano; Obed Calvaire: drums; Sean Smith: bass, acoustic; Clarence Penn: drums; Becca Stevens: voice / vocals; Erin Bentlage: voice / vocals; Michelle Willis: voice / vocals; Christian Euman: drums; James Shipp: percussion.

What to Wear in the Dark

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Kate McGarry, Keith Ganz, Gary Versace - The Subject Tonight Is Love

Size: 141,0 MB
Time: 60:39
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Prologue The Subject Tonight Is Love (1:16)
02. Secret Love (5:00)
03. Climb Down - Whiskey You're The Devil (6:44)
04. Gone With The Wind (4:16)
05. Fair Weather (7:58)
06. Playing Palhaço (4:43)
07. Losing Strategy, #4 (2:57)
08. My Funny Valentine (6:20)
09. Mr. Sparkle What A Difference A Day Made (5:05)
10. She Always Will - The River (7:39)
11. Indian Summer (6:54)
12. Epilogue All You Need Is Love (1:40)

The ancient Greeks spoke of love's many forms, codifying and distilling the essence of every one in detailed thought and language. Each of those documented variants rightly differs from the others, yet the keen mind can certainly discern that all of them basically stem from the same roots: connectivity and understanding. In something of a musical parallel, this outing presents as an exploration, cataloguing, and summation of love in many states. While different aspects of the topic at hand are examined within each track, all are in agreement in their adoption of its foundational pillars.

The trio of vocalist Kate McGarry, guitarist Keith Ganz, and multi-instrumentalist Gary Versace is ideally suited for these investigations of the heart, telescoping each song's core value(s) while also expanding on their meaning. In doing so, this tightknit group proves that it's as perceptive as they come. McGarry may serve as the primary focal point, but this album remains a statement of artistic fellowship between all three of these artists.

The title track—a recitation of a concise work from 14th century Persian Poet Hafiz—serves as a brief scene-setter of a prologue, but the first proper number comes in the form of "Secret Love." This reflection on clandestine bonding proves to be one of the standout tracks on the album, evolving into a soul-searching statement on finding one's inner passion(s). Opening with hush-hush ideals before easing into a buoyant zone featuring a joyous guitar solo from Ganz, it hits every mark its meant to while shining a light on a few that were heretofore unseen. McGarry follows that up by calling to her Irish ancestors on "Climb Down," a slow, spare, and bluesy evocation that moves through humid air. That five-and-a-half minute work stands firmly on its own, yet it resonates on a deeper level when it segues into an Irish folk song—"Whiskey You're The Devil"—with guest Obed Calvaire's martial snare drum calling in the distance.

Those first three numbers make it clear that these simpatico spirits don't deem any single source sufficient for uncovering or expressing love's magic and mysteries; the material that follows, likewise, speaks to varied origins and vantage points. "Gone With The Wind" touches on elegiac sentiments while countering them with suggestions of sunny swing and a light-and-loose departure, Egberto Gismonti's "Playing Palhaço" presents new lyrics from Jo Lawry and deals with love's reality apart from its appearance, "My Funny Valentine" is given a glistening facelift through Ganz's reharmonization, and McGarry's "Losing Strategy # 4," benefitting from Versace's coloristic contributions, investigates the topic of retribution and damaged love in the most heartbreaking of tones.

This album is full of emotional ups and downs, serving as a true reflection of life's rollercoaster, but the ever optimistic epilogue—a brief stroll through "All You Need Is Love" graced by Ron Miles' horn—closes things out with a welcome dose of optimism. That exit is a lesson to the masses in these troubled times about how to move forward, and this album is a gift to us all from a trio with something real and true to express. ~Dan Bilawsky

Personnel: Kate McGarry: vocals, piano (7); Keith Ganz: acoustic guitar, electric guitar, acoustic bass guitar; Gary Versace: piano, keyboard, organ, accordion; Obed Calvaire: drums (3); Ron Miles: trumpet (12).

The Subject Tonight Is Love

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Kate McGarry - Show Me

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:00
Size: 104,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:29)  1. Show Me
(3:43)  2. Gypsy in my Soul
(4:02)  3. Moon and Sand
(4:31)  4. The Thrill is Gone
(5:53)  5. Oceano
(4:01)  6. Aqui O
(6:01)  7. East of the Sun
(3:30)  8. This Is Always
(4:42)  9. Get Out of Town
(4:03) 10. One Eye Laughs, One Eye Weeps

Too many jazz singers try too hard, placing tech-nique and pyrotechnics above genuine feeling and personal expression. Not Kate McGarry. A Massachusetts native now based in Brooklyn, McGarry has a natural, unaffected manner that separates her from the pack of wannabe divas. On Show Me, McGarry takes a relaxed, patient approach to a well-chosen set of standards plus two Brazilian tunes, sung in Portuguese, including the haunting Djavan ballad "Oceano." McGarry knows the value of taking one's time and there's not a hurried note to be heard on the album. The mood here is quiet, languorous, even melancholy, but McGarry occasionally cuts loose a bit, as on her funky treatment of "Gypsy in My Soul." Though she has serious jazz chops and dis-plays her scat skills on "East of the Sun" and Cole Porter's "Get Out of Town," McGarry's voice and delivery are most reminiscent of jazzy pop singers like Joni Mitchell, Rickie Lee Jones and Holly Cole. Sometimes sweet, sometimes sultry, always abundantly musical. McGarry's also a vocalist who interacts well and creatively with her fellow musicians, and she's surrounded by some fine ones here, including gui-tarist Steve Cardenas, saxophonist Bill McHenry, bassist Scott Colley, drummer Kenny Wollesen and pianist Karen Hammack, along with a small string section on a handful of numbers. With Show Me, Kate McGarry shows she's a singer worth watching - and definitely worth hearing. ~ Joel Roberts https://www.allaboutjazz.com/show-me-kate-mcgarry-palmetto-records-review-by-joel-roberts.php

Personnel: Kate McGarry (vocals); Bill McHenry (soprano & tenor saxophones); Karen Hammack (piano); Scott Colley (bass); Kenny Wollesen (drums); Mauro Refresco, Joe Hinrichs (percussion).

Show Me

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John Hollenbeck - Songs I Like a Lot

Styles: Avant-Garde Jazz  
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:08
Size: 158,8 MB
Art: Front

( 8:12)  1. Wichita Lineman
( 5:25)  2. Canvas
(14:34)  3. The Moon's a Harsh Mistress
(11:23)  4. Man of Constant Sorrow
( 9:35)  5. All My Life
( 5:39)  6. Bicycle Race
( 7:35)  7. Fallslake
( 6:41)  8. Chapel Flies

It's hard to resist, at the very least, looking at an album with as honest and unassuming a title as Songs I Like a Lot; but it's even harder to resist when it turns out that the instigator is John Hollenbeck, founder of and primary composer for Claudia Quintet the chamber jazz ensemble which has, over the course of six albums in nine years, completely defied definition and categorization, beyond combining improvisational prowess and the ability to subtly interpret through-composed music. When Hollenbeck releases a recording under his own name, it's generally in a larger-scale environment, and Songs I Like a Lot is no different, a collaboration with the 16-piece Frankfurt Radio Big Band. But what makes the album different than any that have come before is that, with the exception of one track, this is a collection of cover songs that cover a broad range of sources, from Jimmy Webb to Imogen Heap; from Freddie Mercury and Queen to traditional folk music; and from maverick Japanese composer Nobukazu Takemura to renegade free jazz progenitor Ornette Coleman. It should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with Hollenbeck's unshackled proclivities. It should also come as no surprise that Hollenbeck's intent was to interpret these songs with singers. Given the breadth of material, it's no surprise that Theo Bleckmann is one of two singers recruited for Songs I Like a Lot. Something of a renegade himself, Bleckmann is no stranger to Hollenbeck's recordings, having collaborated regularly, from 2005's A Blessing (OmniTone) through to Claudia Quintet's recent What is Beautiful? (Cuneiform, 2012). Hollenbeck also enlists another familiar face in Gary Versace, a keyboardist who, from guitarist John Scofield and composer/arranger Maria Schneider, to Claudia Quintet with whom he guested on Royal Toast (Cuneiform, 2010) has demonstrated the kind of versatility Hollenbeck's music doesn't just ask, it demands.

What is, perhaps, a bigger surprise is the appearance of singer Kate McGarry though, with Versace a regular collaborator since her third record as a leader, The Target (Palmetto, 2007), there's already a clear connection to the musical circles these players inhabit. McGarry is, in fact, the first voice heard on Hollenbeck's expansive version of Jimmy Webb's "Wichita Lineman," and his instincts are justified from the first note she sings, combining pure and reverent delivery with understated interpretation. It's a song that's been covered many times but never so cinematically. McGarry shares the tune with Bleckmann, and if the two are ideal on their own, it's how their timbres complement each other even though they rarely sing together that further makes them such astute choices. As for his arrangement, Hollenbeck's skill at taking small but defining motifs from an original song and use them as starting points for broader orchestrations is what makes this set of eight tunes so successful. If "Wichita Lineman" is cinematic, then Hollenbeck's arrangement of Webb's "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" is positively IMAX. Opening intimately, with McGarry's voice and Versace's piano alone together, a layer of flutes slowly insinuates itself into the arrangement, followed by a minimalist Steve Reichian pulse from Hollenbeck, on marimba, and guitarist Martin Scales that soon becomes an undercurrent over which the episodic piece builds, over fourteen minutes, to a breathtaking climax of swirling melodies that, despite the seven-second gap between them, seems to run conceptually into an equally unfettered arrangement of "Man of Constant Sorrow," made popular in the new millennium by the Coen Brothers' popular film Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000). 

The traditional folk tune's tempestuous intro all low horns and tumultuous drums seems to make perfect sequential sense, even as it leads to a second section of strummed acoustic guitar and Bleckmann's delivery of the familiar tune: the call to McGarry's response. It is, however, more Midwestern, perhaps, than Deep South, especially when saxophonist Julian Arguelles' tenor solo soars over Scale's rapid strumming to recall the spirit of guitarist Pat Metheny's classic 80/81 (ECM, 1980). There's plenty more, from Hollenbeck's rubato arrangement of Ornette Coleman's "All My Life" laying bare the alto saxophonist's inherent lyricism, despite coming from the more extreme Science Fiction (Columbia, 1971) to a version of Queen's "Bicycle," which is clever without being coy, and Hollenbeck's sole compositional contribution, "Chapel Files," closing the album on a gentler note. These may be songs Hollenbeck likes, but it's how he hears them and, subsequently, arrange them for this large ensemble that's indicative of an unerring ability to find good music in any corner, nook or cranny, turning it into something personal without ever losing what made it so good in the first place. ~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/john-hollenbeck-songs-i-like-a-lot-by-john-kelman.php
 

Personnel: John Hollenbeck: arranger, conductor, mallet percussion, bicycle; Theo Bleckmann: voice; Kate McGarry: voice; Gary Versace: piano. Organ; Heinz-Dieter Sauerborn: alto and soprano saxophones, flute; Oliver Leicht: alto saxophone, clarinet, alto clarinet, flute; Steffan Weber: tenor and soprano saxophone, flute; Julian Argüelles: tenor and soprano saxophone, flute; Rainer Heute: bass saxophone, bass clarinet; Frabk Wellert: trumpet, flugelhorn; Thomas Vogel: trumpet, flugelhorn; Martin Auer: trumpet, flugelhorn; Axel Schlosser: trumpet, flugelhorn; Günter Bollman: trombone; Peter Feil: trombone; Christian Jaksjø: trombone, tenor horn; Manfred Honetschläger: bass trombone; Maretin Scales: guitar; Thomas Heidepriem: bass; Jean Paul Höchstädter: drums.

Songs I Like a Lot

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Jeremy Fox - With Love

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:36
Size: 120.4 MB
Styles: Piano jazz, Vocal jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[4:19] 1. That Old Feeling (Feat. Kate Reid)
[4:56] 2. All My Tomorrows (Feat. Kate Mcgarry)
[4:22] 3. Three Little Words (Feat. Kevin Mahogany)
[4:49] 4. Get Out Of Town (Feat. Derek Fawcett)
[4:56] 5. Not While I'm Around (Feat. Sunny Wilkinson)
[4:02] 6. Girl Talk (Feat. Wendy Pederson)
[4:19] 7. Dindi (Feat. Rose Max & Ramatis Moraes)
[5:31] 8. Friendship (Feat. Anders Edenroth)
[4:14] 9. I'm Glad There Is You (Feat. Peter Eldridge)
[5:55] 10. Moon Ray (Feat. Lauren Kinhan)
[5:10] 11. So Many Stars (Feat. Kate Reid)

Jeremy Fox: piano (5), keyboards (6); Kate Reid: vocals (1, 11); Kate McGarry: vocals (2); Kevin Mahogany: vocals (3); Derek Fawcett: vocals (4); Sunny Wilkinson: vocal (5); Wendy Pedersen: vocals (6); Rose Max: vocals (7); Anders Edenroth: vocals (8); Peter Eldridge: vocals (9); Lauren Kinhan: vocals (10); Daniel Strange: piano, keyboards; Rene Toledo: guitar; Geoffrey Saunders: bass; Michael Piolet: drums; Ramatis Moraes: guitar (7); Lindsey Blair: guitar (6); Zach Larmer: guitar (6); Steve Lewis: drums (6); Angelo Versace: piano (4); Tim Jago: guitar (4); Daniel Susnjar: drums (4); Ryan Chapman: trumpet, flugelhorn; Paul Equihua: trumpet, flugelhorn; Jared Hall: trumpet, flugelhorn; Derek Ganong: trumpet, flugelhorn; Eric Bowman: trombone; Stephen Szabadi: trombone; Chris Gagne: trombone; Major Bailey: bass trombone; Neil Carson: alto saxophone; Dan Andrews: tenor saxophone; Alex Weitz: tenor saxophone; Matt Burchard: tenor saxophone; Derek Smith: tenor saxophone, clarinet, bassoon; Matt Small: clarinet; Ernesto Fernandez: flute; Erin Fishler-Branam: background vocals (8); Sherrine Mostin: scratch vocals; Pedro Fernandez: percussion; Nathan Skinner: vibraphone; Maria Chlebus: vibraphone (6); Vivek Gurudutt: table; Phuttaraksa Kamnirdratana: harp; Cassandra Eisenreich: flute; Allison Hubell: flute; James Drayton: oboe; Rachel Lueck: English Horn; Peter Bianca: clarinet; Carlos Felipe Vina: bassoon; Julia Paine: bassoon; Mathew Shefcik: flugelhorn; Stanley Spinola: horn; Larysa Pavecek: horn; Jon Lusher: horn; Sarah Williams: horn; Adam Diderrich: concertmaster; Michelle Godbee: violin; Patricia Jancova: violin; Karen Lord-Powell: violin; Zachary Piper: violin; Katrina Schaefer: violin; James Schlender: violin; Arianne Urban: violin; Steffen Zeichner: violin; Amanda Diaz: viola; Emily Jones: viola; Robyn Savitzky: viola; Kathryn Severing: viola; Joy Adams: cello; Sarah Gongaware: cello; Cecelia Huerta: cello; Chris Young: cello.

Dr. Jeremy Fox has certainly made his mark in the jazz world but, not as a singer or musician but rather, as an educator/clinician, vocal coach and arranger, and on his inaugural album With Love, Fox offers an inspirational vocal album of jazz standards deserving serious attention. Assembling a group of ten world-class vocalist with varied combos, studio orchestra, a big band and a string section, Fox presents eleven newly-arranged standards from the likes of Sammy Cahn, Cole Porter, Neil Hefti and Artie Shaw among others. Writing custom arrangements for a host of top-notch singers was, in part, based on his Doctoral project in Jazz Composition at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, the beautiful music found on this album, is the result of that creative effort.

Based in Miami, FL, the Doctor draws from many area singers with national reputations like fellow alumnus Kate Reid, Kevin Mahogany, Wendy Pedersen as well as drawing international artists like Peter Eldridge and Lauren Kinhan —both members of the renowned New York Voices—along with Brazilian singer Rose Max and Swedish vocalist Anders Edenroth. Opening the music is a brand new arrangement of the time-honored Lew Brown/Sammy Fain standard "That Old Feeling" with Professor Reid providing the smooth vocals befitting such a tune. Essentially, book ending the album by appearing one more time on the finale, Reid—with the accompaniment of the String section—provides a truly inspiring version of the Sergio Mendes staple "So Many Stars."

Grammy-nominated singer Kate McGarry graces the recording with a tender treatment of the Cahn/Van Heusen standard "All My Tomorrows" followed by one of the highlights of the disc with baritone vocalist Kevin Mahogany's superb voicing of "Three Little Words." Not to be outdone, Derek Fawcett—founding member of the Chicago-based pop group Down The Line—delivers a fantastic version of "Get Out of Town," featuring Alex Weitz on tenor saxophone with some of the best instrumentals of the recording. Versatile jazz singer Sunny Wilkinson provides a warm and gentle take of the Stephen Sondheim song "Not While I'm Around" followed by a terrific arrangement of the Hefti/Bobby Troupe classic "Girl Talk," delivered by the sensational Wendy Pedersen with a little help from alto saxophonist Neil Carson.

Two beautiful soft spots on the recording come from first, the Edenroth original "Friendship" complete with cello, flugelhorn and flute solos, and the Jimmy Dorsey immortal "I'm Glad There Is You" voiced with emotion by Eldridge. Fellow New York Voices member, Kinhan gets to swing a bit on the big band arrangement of Shaw's perky "Moonray" assisted by pianist/keyboardist Daniel Strange, director of an All-Star Jazz ensemble in Coral Gables, FL. Cleverly crafted for some of arranger Jeremy Fox's favorite singers, With Love is a treasure trove of gorgeous arrangements, outstanding vocal performances and stellar instrumentals—all defining this charming recording as one of the best vocal albums on the jazz landscape. ~Edward Blanco

With Love

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Deanna Witkowski - From This Place

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:17
Size: 138,4 MB
Art: Front

(6:44)  1. Let My Prayer Rise (Psalm 141)
(5:34)  2. I Heard The Voice Of Jesus Say
(4:49)  3. From This Place
(2:37)  4. Evening Mass: Kyrie
(3:07)  5. Evening Mass: Gloria
(2:53)  6. Evening Mass: Sanctus
(2:43)  7. Evening Mass: Agnus Dei
(6:53)  8. O, The Deep, Deep Love
(2:52)  9. Christ The Light
(3:19) 10. Never Before
(1:39) 11. Make Your Wonders Known
(5:45) 12. Pass Me Not
(3:51) 13. Keep In Mind
(2:48) 14. Take My Life And Let It Be
(3:36) 15. Song Of Simeon

Deanna Witkowski takes the spiritual road on From This Place through gospel, Catholic liturgy, blues and jazz, and 19th century text to which she has written music. Sacred music and jazz have come together through Mary Lou Williamsand Duke Ellington, to name two, while John Coltrane brought in his own ardent beliefs to several of his compositions. Witkowski's sacerdotal calling is strongl manifested, particularly in the sincerity of her singing.

"Let My Prayer Rise (Psalm 141)" is a gospel tune with Donny McCaslin laying the groove on the tenor saxophone. His warmth embraces the innate fervor with Witkowski adding to the impact with her pure, soaring voice. McCaslin is comfortable in several situations and this is one more for him; he makes it a memorable experience. Laila Biali and Kate McGarry join Witkowski on the a capella "Never Before," the purity of their harmonies circling and descending in a cloak of velvet. The words, written by Witkowski, are a testament to her faith and sound unabashedly naked in their sensibility; they harken back to the time when the human soul sought the spirit of the Lord and found communion with it. The mood is relaxed when Peter Eldridge turns up for a quartet to take on the joyous "Keep in Mind" accompanied by the piano and a melodic turn of phrase on the electric bass by John Patitucci. The juxtaposition of the two works well with the intensity of the first being calmed by the relaxing timbre of the second.

The modern does not escape her and Witkowski gives "Take My Life and Let it Be" and "Song of Simeon" straightforward contemporary turns. They are intensely personal evocations, but "Take My Life and Let It Be" may be in better form because of the harmonies. Witkowski comes up solidly on the side of faith and those who lean towards religious music will be rewarded. ~ Jerry D’Souza  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/from-this-place-deanna-witkowski-tilapia-records-review-by-jerry-dsouza.php

Personnel: Deanna Witkowski: piano, vocals; Donny McCaslin: soprano and tenor saxophones; John Patitucci: acoustic and electric basses; Scott Latzky: drums; Laila Biali: vocals (5, 7, 10, 13); Peter Eldridge: vocals (5, 7, 13); Kate McGarry: vocals (5, 7, 10, 13).

From This Place

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Kate McGarry - Easy To Love

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:04
Size: 126.1 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[5:19] 1. My Heart Stood Still
[3:33] 2. The Night Has a Thousand Eyes
[6:14] 3. Autumn Nocturne
[5:17] 4. Just You, Just Me
[4:30] 5. Get It Straight
[4:24] 6. Body and Soul
[5:31] 7. The Thrill Is Gone
[3:26] 8. Easy to Love
[3:58] 9. Haunted Heart
[4:41] 10. A Felicidade
[4:48] 11. Dearly Beloved
[3:17] 12. You're Nearer

KATE MC GARRY vocals; PAUL KREIBICH drums; KAREN HAMMACK piano; ERIC VON ESSEN - bass.

Easy to Love is a most appropriate title for the recording debut of vocalist Kate McGarry. Right from the voice-bass intro on “My Heart Stood Still”, you know that this is to be no run-of-the-mill progam. An immediate reaction may be to notice the exceptional diction and enunciation and the distinctive phrasing that McGarry demonstrates. It's not surprising to learn that her greatest influences have been such unique stylists as Jon Hendricks, Betty Carter, and Mark Murphy, as well as the great lady of jazz vocals, Ella Fitzgerald.

Born in Cape Cod, MA, McGarry earned a bachelors degree in Afro-American Music and jazz at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, where she also studied improvisation with the innovative saxophonist Archie Shepp. Singing was in her blood, and she began a professional career as soon as she graduated college, working local venues around Boston.Moving to California in 1988, she appeared at the Monterey Jazz Festival, backed by an AII-Star Band led by Hank Jones and Clark Terry.With a lot of encouragement from singer and vocal coach Sue Raney, McGarry gradually began showing up at some of the top Los Angeles nightspots. She also landed a singing spot in the Wesley Snipes movie “Money Men”, and can be heard on the soundtrack.

Easy To Love

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Kate McGarry & Keith Ganz - Genevieve & Ferdinand: Live

Size: 113,9 MB
Time: 49:25
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Full

01. American Tune (3:24)
02. Ten Little Indians (5:14)
03. Aquelas Coisas Todas / Third Wind / Aqui O (6:12)
04. Can't Help Loving That Man (4:33)
05. Plea For A Good Night's Rest (4:48)
06. Line 'em Up (5:24)
07. Mr. Long Gones (2:35)
08. Let's Face The Music And Dance (5:30)
09. Pretending To Care (5:00)
10. Smile (2:06)
11. Beneath A Crozet Trestle Bridge (4:36)

There is no greater beacon of sincerity, honesty and emotional purity than Kate McGarry. She's proven it time and again, whether singing standards, modern day favorites, originals or obscurities, and she does so once more on Genevieve & Ferdinand.

In some ways this album marks a new beginning for McGarry; it's her first live album, first duo recording, and first release on the Sunnyside imprint. All of that might lead people to believe that McGarry's starting with a blank slate here, but nothing could be further from the truth. She actually capitalizes on her own history and an affinity for intimacy during this beautiful and bewitching album. She weaves her way through eleven songs that reference her previous recordings ("Aquelas Coisas Todas," "Aqui O" and "Let's Face The Music And Dance"), her back story ("Ten Little Indians") and the spirit of the American singer-songwriter breed.

As the album unfolds, McGarry's voice is the obvious focal point. Her heartfelt delivery on Paul Simon's "American Tune" and her own "Ten Little Indians" reinforce her reputation as one who sings from the heart. In that respect, nothing changes as the album continues, but the ear's perspective is altered after those first two songs. The chemistry that exists between McGarry and her most trusted ally— guitarist/husband Keith Ganz—becomes readily apparent during "Aquelas Coisas Todas/Third Wind/Aqui O," and it's hard not to notice it after that point. Ganz brings an understated sophistication to every track on the album and he proves to be a master tailor of moods, making the perfect outfits to drape around McGarry.

Together, McGarry and Ganz—a.k.a Genevieve and Ferdinand—wind their way through an eclectic playlist that's charming as can be. They shine a light on underexposed songwriters like Paul Curreri ("Beneath A Crozet Trestle Bridge") and Devon Sproule ("Plea For A Good Night's Rest"), reimagine the work of James Taylor ("Line 'Em Up"), and deliver a haunting and powerful rendition of an Irving Berlin classic ("Let's Face The Music And Dance"). Two other singular vocal talents— Gian Slater and Theo Bleckmann—join up for a slow and enchanted take on Todd Rundgren's "Pretending To Care," but everything else remains a tale of two artists.

Genevieve & Ferdinand doesn't contain bold proclamations or daring musical acts, but it's filled with some of the most genuine music that anybody is likely to ever hear. That's the gift that McGarry and Ganz give, and it's a gift that keeps giving more with each listen. ~Review by Dan Bilawsky

Personnel: Kate McGarry: vocals; Keith Ganz: guitar; Theo Bleckmann: vocals (9); Gian Slater: vocals (9).

Genevieve & Ferdinand

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Kate McGarry - Girl Talk

Styles: Jazz Vocals
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:46
Size: 103,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:43)  1. We Kiss In A Shadow
(5:36)  2. Girl Talk
(2:17)  3. I Just Found Out About Love
(4:50)  4. The Man I Love
(5:38)  5. O Cantador
(4:25)  6. This Heart Of Mine
(2:34)  7. I Know That You Know
(5:39)  8. Looking Back
(4:49)  9. Charade
(3:10) 10. It's A Wonderful World

There are many reasons to like vocalist Kate McGarry's Girl Talk. There's the lively set list, first of all a mix of all-too-well-known and too-little-known standards, with a fine Brazilian number thrown in. There's the uniform excellence of the band: witness Gary Versace's idiomatic organ accompaniment on "Girl Talk"; guitarist Keith Ganz sensitive throughout, but especially on the forlorn folk tune "Looking Back"; the stately Brazilian duet "O Cantador," with Kurt Elling; and bassist Reuben Rogers' nice feature on "I Just Found Out About Love." McGarry herself approaches every mood and tempo with ease and assurance. 

Her bluesy reading of the title tune, for example, with its hopelessly sexist lyric ("the weaker sex, the speaker sex"), coos and flirts, but winks at every turn in the direction of Betty Carter's feminist deconstruction from Finally (Roulette, 1969). There's all that, and there's McGarry's subtle and important contribution to the long co-evolution of jazz and rock 'n' roll. On the one hand, there are jazz players playing rock 'n' roll tunes, like pianist Herbie Hancock's The New Standard (Verve, 1996). On the other, there are players who incorporate rock 'n' roll textures, techniques, preferences and norms into jazz performance. In recent years, the best example may be bassist Todd Sickafoose, who marvelously described his musical approach in an AAJ interview as "[Duke Ellington's] 'Black and Tan Fantasy,' as played by John [Lennon] and Paul [McCartney]." The first of these tendencies is, in part, a way of dealing with the depletion of the repertoire: how many times can you squeeze meaning out of "All The Things You Are"? Why not do some Nirvana numbers instead? McGarry has played this side of the fence: she garnered notice years back with a plaintive version of The Cars' "Just What I Needed." The second tendency is more complex, and has to do with the necessary regeneration and renewal of musical materials in jazz. 

And it's here that McGarry's contribution is most vivid on this record. The repertoire and the instrumentation fit comfortably in the jazz canon. But McGarry's singing and, to a lesser degree, the acoustic guitar speak to an audience as familiar with Joni Mitchell and Rickie Lee Jones as with Betty Carter. Of course, one need only compare the singing and compositions of Mitchell and Jones to the work of a more traditional folk singer like Joan Baez to recognize that they long ago merged jazz sensibilities into their folk music. McGarry, accordingly, infuses the jazz repertoire with this same jazz-folk sensibility nowhere more evidently than on the masterful version of "The Man I Love." In some ways, McGarry follows the lead of Carter (again), whose glacially paced interpretation on Look What I Got! (Verve, 1988) is similarly bleak. At the same time, and particularly in her soaring vocal coda, McGarry plumbs the Mitchell-Jones vocal groove. In so doing, she manages to convey both whispery fragility and tremendous power; a remarkable performance.~Jeff Dayton-Johnson 

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=42024#.UiSupT-wVw8

Personnel: Kate McGarry: vocals; Keith Ganz: guitar; Gary Versace: organ; Reuben Rogers: bass; Clarence Penn: drums and percussion; Kurt Elling: vocals 

Girl Talk

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