Eddie Henderson - Shuffle and Deal

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Size: 135,2 MB
Time: 59:02
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2020
Art: Front

1. Shuffle and Deal (5:30)
2. Flight Path (5:15)
3. Over the Rainbow (8:11)
4. By Any Means (3:15)
5. Cook's Bay (7:19)
6. It Might as Well Be Spring (9:22)
7. Boom (4:04)
8. God Bless the Child (6:53)
9. Burnin' (4:56)
10. Smile (4:13)

Heading into his 80th birthday, Eddie Henderson issues Shuffle And Deal a material addition to his vast oeuvre of leader dates. The album builds on several long-term creative relationships fostered during the trumpeter’s prolific career. He returns to the studio with practically the same winning lineup from his 2018 release, Be Cool, and daughter Cava Menzies and wife Natsuko Henderson again contribute compositions. Most notably, though, the aesthetic pull of the album derives from Henderson’s deep affinity with freakishly empathic pianist Kenny Barron.

The word “shuffle” is a play on the groove of the title cut a sophisticated, Miles Davis-inspired composition Henderson penned for the album but also describes the recurrence of tunes from his and his players’ established repertoire. Henderson includes two Barron compositions: “Flight Path,” a fervent, melodic imperative, and the charming Latin medium-tempo “Cook’s Bay.” There’s also altoist Donald Harrison’s “Burnin’” and four lovingly polished standards recognizable ballads rendered all the more touching alongside the rambunctious originals.

Besides Henderson’s own pieces, two other tunes are all-new with this release. Menzies’ clever, mixed-meter “By Any Means” delights with its clean horn lines and irresistible harmonic undertow, and Natsuko Henderson’s neo-soul “Boom” featuring Mike Clark’s high-velocity drumming sparkles with intensity.

But it is Henderson’s clarion trumpeting that guides the crush of talent on this album. His musical wisdom, gleaned during decades spent on the best jazz bandstands, informs every unerring note.By Suzanne Lorge
https://downbeat.com/reviews/detail/shuffle-and-deal

Personnel: Eddie Henderson, trumpet; Donald Harrison, alto saxophone; Kenny Barron, piano; Gerald Cannon, bass; Mike Clark, drums.

Shuffle and Deal

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George Robert - Soul Searching

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Size: 172,4 MB
Time: 75:19
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2005
Art: Front

1. Namely You (11:13)
2. Soul Searching ( 8:32)
3. Nostalgie (11:59)
4. African Village ( 9:43)
5. Blue for Trane (12:42)
6. Peace ( 3:25)
7. I've Never Been in Love Before (12:04)
8. Here's That Rainy Day ( 5:37)

Swiss alto saxophonist George Robert shines in this 2003 concert in Lausanne, Switzerland. The influence of Phil Woods is unmistakable at times, though Robert is hardly a mere clone of the American (who has performed and recorded with Robert, while he also wrote the liner notes for this CD).

Joining Robert is an all-star rhythm section consisting of pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Rufus Reid, and drummer Billy Hart. The set starts off with a sparkling interpretation of the standard "Namely You," showcasing Robert, Barron, and Reid. The full band is featured in a driving setting of "I've Never Been in Love Before," while the heartfelt rendition of "Here's That Rainy Day" is a rhapsodic closing number.

Robert penned several originals, including the exotic "Soul Searching," in which the leader plays soprano sax, which he also utilizes in his dramatic "Blues for Trane." Issued by DIW in Japan, this rewarding CD is an important addition to George Robert's discography.By Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/soul-searching-mw0000767509#review

Personnel: George Robert - saxophone; Kenny Barron - piano; Rufus Reid - bass; Billy Hart - drums

Soul Searching

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Dianne Reeves - The Grand Encounter

Styles: Vocal Jazz 
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:26
Size: 116,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:01)  1. Old Country
(3:23)  2. Cherokee
(8:12)  3. Besame Mucho
(3:46)  4. Let Me Love You
(4:54)  5. Tenderly
(6:06)  6. After Hours
(3:27)  7. Ha!
(5:24)  8. Some Other Spring
(5:08)  9. Side By Side
(4:59) 10. I'm Okay

This CD could have been titled Finally! Dianne Reeves has long had the potential to be the top female jazz singer, but so many of her previous recordings were erratic as she skipped back and forth between idioms without committing herself. However, after years of flirting with jazz and being seemingly undecided whether she would rather be a pop star, she at last came out with a full jazz album in 1996, and it is a gem. The supporting cast on the ten selections (which feature different personnel on each cut) is remarkable and everyone gets a chance to play: trumpeters Clark Terry and Harry "Sweets" Edison, altoists Phil Woods and Bobby Watson, tenorman James Moody, trombonist Al Grey, harmonica great Toots Thielemans (on "Besame Mucho"), pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Rodney Whitaker, and drummer Herlin Riley.

In addition, Joe Williams shares the vocal spotlight on "Let Me Love You" and a touching version of "Tenderly," Germaine Bazzle sings along with Reeves on "Side by Side," and a rendition of Charlie Ventura's "Ha!" has a vocal group consisting of Reeves, Bazzle, Terry, Moody, and the young Kimberley Longstreth. Other highlights include Nat Adderley's "Old Country," "Some Other Spring," and "Cherokee." Despite the heavy "competition," the leader emerges as the star of the set due to her beautiful voice and highly expressive singing. This highly recommended CD is the Dianne Reeves release to get. By Scott Yanow
https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-grand-encounter-mw0000081516

Personnel: Vocals – Dianne Reeves, Germaine Bazzle, Joe Williams , Kimberley Longstreth; Vocals, Tenor Saxophone – James Moody; Vocals, Trumpet – Clark Terry ; Alto Saxophone – Bobby Watson , Phil Woods; Bass – Rodney Whitaker; Drums – Herlin Riley; Harmonica – Toots Thielemans; Piano – Kenny Barron; Trombone – Al Grey ; Trumpet – Harry "Sweets" Edison

The Grand Encounter

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Kenny Barron - Beyond This Place

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2024
Time: 52:50
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 123,3 MB
Art: Front

(6:34) 1. The Nearness of You
(5:35) 2. Scratch
(8:18) 3. Innocence
(6:40) 4. Blues on Stratford Road
(5:36) 5. Tragic Magic
(5:05) 6. Beyond This Place
(3:15) 7. Softly As in a Morning Sunrise
(7:10) 8. Sunset
(4:33) 9. We See

If, like me, you think you’ve known the name Kenny Barron since your earliest childhood, it’s perfectly normal, because the pianist and composer, 13-time Grammy nominee, member of the DownBeat Hall of Fame, is arguably the greatest jazz pianist currently active, with a continued link to the golden age of mid-century jazz, celebrating his 80th birthday… and having associated with other jazz greats (Dizzy, James Moody, Stan Getz, Freddie Hubbard, Yusef Lateef), offering once again an album that is totally impeccable, if not grandiose. “Beyond This Place” presents a quintet featuring one of the most talented and synergistic groups Barron has ever led. An intergenerational ensemble, it includes his longtime rhythm section, bassist Kiyoshi Kitagawa and drummer Johnathan Blake, as well as the unparalleled vibraphonist Steve Nelson, who received one of his first recording mentions with Barron on the pianist’s 1982 LP “Golden Lotus”. Also on board is 26-year-old alto saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins, whose recordings as a leader for Blue Note, “The 7th Hand” and “Omega”, have earned him deep respect and renown among critics and dedicated jazz enthusiasts. The “quartet… has become a group against which members of the younger generation can compare their own ideas,” suggests The New York Times. Wilkins’ presence also serves as a reminder of Barron’s enduring commitment to mentoring in jazz, as an employer of young talent and celebrated music educator. Indeed, the list of Barron’s school alumni is impressive, including Terence Blanchard, Jon Batiste, Aaron Parks, and Gerald Clayton, among countless others.

Immanuel Wilkins, whom Bayou Blue Radio listeners know well through his personal albums as well as his performances on the albums of other great artists, is no stranger. And don’t for a moment imagine that Kenny Barron’s compositions are retro; the pianist offers us one of the most “trendy” albums of all time here. If you have his previous album “The Source” in mind, “Beyond This Place” will surprise you. The artists here present were not chosen at random, and one can feel the improvisational elements that have benefited this project. Kenny Barron’s musical vision is perpetually in search of renewal; his great quality is not to get lost in novelty but always to impress us with his rich and precise playing. “Beyond This Place” begins with a quartet rendition of the standard “The Nearness of You,” highlighting the timeless kinship between Barron and Wilkins two modernists both forward-thinking and respectful of jazz history, with impeccable technique. “Scratch” by Barron, which the composer presented as the title track of a trio recording in 1985 with Dave Holland and Daniel Humair, is a delightfully Monk-like theme attacked here with the energy of Parker/Roach. “Innocence,” a Barron composition that lent its title to his 1978 LP for Wolf Records, is an archetypal post-bop piece, with an elegant and dark theme and a slow burning tempo; later, Barron’s “Tragic Magic” is a livelier and bolder post-bop vehicle that pays homage to his piano hero Tommy Flanagan. Blake’s contribution, “Blues on Stratford Road,” is self-explanatory in the most satisfying way a durable hard bop from a corner bar in the vein of Blue Note. (Blake is actually a Blue Note recording artist as a leader, although his dates are more decidedly contemporary.)

What’s most impressive is the marriage between a form of jazz that has become relatively “classic” and this modernity and the language that ensues. This quintet is truly exciting, full of musical propositions that are evidently the result of collective work, each member listening to and reveling in the flourishes offered by the others. One can only hope that festivals will clamor for this quintet, which for us is as “essential and indispensable” as earth, wind, and fire (and there’s no allusion here to the funk group we adore).
https://www.paris-move.com/reviews/kenny-barron-beyond-this-place-eng-review/

Personnel: Kenny Barron (Piano); Immanuel Wilkins (Saxophone); Jonathan Blake (Drums); Kiyoshi Kitagawa (Bass); Steve Nelson (Vibraphone).

Beyond This Place

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Bill Barron - Higher Ground

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:08
Size: 117,5 MB
Art: Front

(7:52)  1. Caravan
(7:19)  2. I Thought About You
(4:17)  3. More Blues
(5:28)  4. We'll Be Together Again
(6:40)  5. Emanation
(7:40)  6. Alone Together
(6:11)  7. Interpretation
(5:38)  8. Time, Motion, Space

Bill Barron's final recording as a leader (cut just 8½ months before his death at age 62) was released for the first time on this 1993 CD. Barron was still in his prime and this effort (a quintet date with trumpeter Eddie Henderson, pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Rufus Reid and drummer Ben Riley) is more straight-ahead than usual. Barron, who usually did not play standards much, performs four here (including "Caravan" and "Alone Together") and his three originals (plus one by younger brother Kenny) are also very much in the hard bop vein, less avant-garde than usual. The leader's solos, however, are as adventurous as ever, and the CD is easily recommended as an example of his excellent, underrated playing.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/higher-ground-mw0000121824

Personnel: Bill Barron (tenor saxophone); Eddie Henderson (trumpet); Kenny Barron (piano); Rufus Reid (bass); Ben Riley (drums).

Higher Ground

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Ed Wiley, Jr. - About The Soul

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:24
Size: 152.0 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[8:49] 1. Without A Song
[4:04] 2. Too Close For Comfort
[6:22] 3. Till There Was You
[5:08] 4. Play Ray
[7:49] 5. Giselle
[2:20] 6. I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray
[2:58] 7. Somebody Stole My Gal
[6:30] 8. B Man
[7:08] 9. Bay Area Blues
[5:19] 10. Send Me Someone To Love
[4:53] 11. By Bye Blackbird
[4:58] 12. St. Theresa's Blues

The Houston-raised Ed Wiley Jr. was born into the Texas-tenor style made popular by such fellow Houstonians as Arnett Cobb and Illinois Jacquet. His soulful horn had graced numerous rhythm ’n’ blues bands by 1950 when he had a hit of his own with “Cry, Cry Baby.” Two decades later, Wiley took a long break from music, not returning to performing until the 1990s. Since 1994, he has recorded five albums, About the Soul being the latest. At 76, Wiley displays the confidence and surefootedness of the longtime performer. His technique is still sufficient to execute his earthy ideas, and his tone remains capable of expressing the intense emotion that permeates his music.

Wiley’s colleagues include some of the best in the business — pianists Kenny Barron, John Ozment and the late John Hicks; guitarists Jimmy Ponder and Kevin McNeal; bassists Keter Betts, Mike Boone and Corcoran Holt; and drummers Ben Riley, Mickey Roker and Mark Prince. ~David Franklin

About The Soul

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Ann Hampton Callaway - Easy Living

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:28
Size: 132,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:52) 1. Easy To Love
(4:15) 2. Come Rain Or Come Shine
(5:50) 3. Skylark
(2:33) 4. Nice Work If You Can Get It
(5:32) 5. The Very Thought Of You
(5:59) 6. 'Round Midnight
(3:37) 7. Come Take My Hand
(5:42) 8. Easy Living
(3:25) 9. All Of You
(3:43) 10. Bluesette
(3:28) 11. It Had To Be You
(5:24) 12. In A Sentimental Mood
(4:03) 13. You Don't Know What Love Is

This is Ann Hampton Callaway's seventh recording, Easy Living, is one of her very best. It's a program of well-known standards and fairly stock arrangements, but in the middle is her pristine, well-defined, flexible voice. She retains a lower-end range in her style that suggests only one singer: Sarah Vaughan. She's joined by several different rhythm sections and soloists, including pianists Benny Green (six cuts), Bill Charlap (five), and Kenny Barron (two); bassists Peter Washington or Neal Miner; drummers Clarence "Tootsie" Bean and Lewis Nash; percussionist Jim Saporito; saxophonists Andy Farber, Nelson Rangell, and Gerry Niewood; and on three selections, trumpeter Wynton Marsalis.

A collection of love songs sung convincingly and with no frills, Callaway shows great depth in ballad singing. Hard evidence is presented in her takes of "Skylark" and "The Very Thought of You," with Charlap's glistening piano tones ringing bells for the singer and Farber's tenor sax replies. "'Round Midnight" is the penultimate interp with Barron's wistful piano and Marsalis' spare trumpet offering advice on ol' midnight. Callaway can swing well when she chooses; "Easy to Love" brings home her lower dulcet tones, while Farber's tenor cops a Stan Getz-Joe Henderson type plea bargain.

Green's intro to "Nice Work If You Can Get It" has a "Giant Steps" quote before the singer digs into this lyric. She scats a little during the middle of the program, on the melody line, and the coda, of "Bluesette," and more in the improvised bridge during "It Had to Be You." Bossa nova is always a sidebar for singers, and Callaway uses this Brazilian rhythm on an interesting arrangement of "You Don't Know What Love Is" spiked with high drama, Saporito's Latin percussion, Barron's deft piano, and Niewood's flavorful tenor.

The lone composition of the vocalist "Come Take My Hand" is also bossa, with Rangell's flute chirping on this definitive love anthem. Marsalis is also bolder on the stark ballad title track and a nice version of "In a Sentimental Mood," while it's the singer getting brash and daring in a lower tone than normal for perhaps the highlight "All of You," Green's piano matching the depths of Callaway's yearnings.

It's not hyperbole to understand this is the perfect singer with a perfect voice that sounds so effortless, mature, and flowing. Though the others six recordings are just fine, this one really hits the spot, especially instrumentally. Callaway proves up to the challenge with every measure, phrase, and inflection. By Michael G. Nastos
https://www.allmusic.com/album/easy-living-mw0000253203

Personnel: Vocals, Liner Notes – Ann Hampton Callaway; Alto Saxophone – Nelson Rangel; Bass – Neal Miner (tracks: 1, 4, 8, 13), Peter Washington (tracks: 2, 3, 5 to 7, 9 to 12); Drums – Clarence "Tootsie" Bean (tracks: 1, 4, 8, 13), Lewis Nash (tracks: 2, 3, 5 to 7, 9 to 12); Flute – Nelson Rangel (tracks: 3); Piano – Benny Green, Bill Charlap (tracks: 1, 4, 8, 11, 13), Kenny Barron (tracks: 2, 9); Tenor Saxophone – Andy Farber (tracks: 1, 6, 11, 13), Gerry Niewood (tracks: 6, 9); Trumpet – Wynton Marsalis (tracks: 2, 4, 8)

Easy Living

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Terri Lyne Carrington - TLC & Friends

Styles: Straight-Ahead Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1981/2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:36
Size: 86,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:21) 1. What is This Thing Called Love
(5:31) 2. La Bonita
(5:49) 3. Seven Steps to Heaven
(7:17) 4. St. Thomas
(6:59) 5. Just the Way You Are
(5:37) 6. Sonnymoon For Two

Four-time Grammy-winner, NEA Jazz Master, composer, activist, and educator Terri Lyne Carrington’s remarkable debut album, recorded in October 1981 when she was just 16 years old, provides a rare glimpse into the early talents of this extraordinary multi-faceted artist.

Carrington’s very first session, TLC & Friends features an epic and enviable lineup of collaborators, including Kenny Barron on piano, George Coleman on saxophone, and Buster Williams on bass. Her father Sonny Carrington also contributes saxophone to the Sonny Rollins classic “Sonnymoon for Two.”

The album masterfully showcases Carrington's artistry as a drummer and composer, highlighted by the standout original track "La Bonita, a refreshing interpretation of Billy Joel's beloved composition, "Just The Way You Are,” alongside scorching renditions of standards like "Seven Steps To Heaven," and “What Is This Thing Called Love.

The Candid release features original liner notes by Terri Lyne and Sonny Carrington, and a new essay by Dianne Reeves. Though this album captures Carrington at the outset of an auspicious recording career, at the age of 16, she was nearly a veteran. Hailing from a family of musicians - in addition to her father, Carrington’s grandfather and fellow drummer Matt Carrington, performed with Chu Berry and Fats Waller Carrington first shared the stage with Rahsaan Roland Kirk at age five.

By ten she became the youngest musician in Boston ever to receive a union card, and was impressing audiences with Clark Terry and his All-Stars. At age eleven, Carrington was awarded a full scholarship to Berklee College of Music in Boston, when the school’s founders Lawrence and Alma Berk, heard her sit in with the great Oscar Peterson at the suggestion of Ella Fitzgerald (today Carrington teaches at the school and is the founder of the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice).

Carrington would go on to perform with dozens of other legends including B.B. King, Dizzy Gillespie, Illinois Jacquet, Nat Adderley, Jon Hendricks, and many more before she was old enough to drive, and drum masters Art Blakey, Roy Haynes, Max Roach, Buddy Rich and Elvin Jones invited her to sit in with their bands.https://candidrecords.com/products/copy-of-new-standards-vol-1

Personnel: Drums, Arranged By, Design [Cover] – Terri Lyne Carrington; Bass – Buster Williams; Piano – Kenny Barron; Tenor Saxophone – George Coleman

TLC & Friends

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Dizzy Gillespie, The Double Six Of Paris - Dizzy Gillespie & The Double Six Of Paris

Styles: Trumpet Jazz,Vocal, Bop
Year: 1963
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:02
Size: 91,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:45)  1. Emanon
(2:46)  2. Anthropology
(4:16)  3. Tin Tin Deo
(3:28)  4. One Bass Hit
(3:31)  5. Two Bass Hit
(2:28)  6. Groovin' High
(3:05)  7. Oo-Shoo-Be-Doo-Be
(3:02)  8. Hot House
(3:36)  9. Con Alma
(3:10) 10. Blue 'N' Boogie
(3:08) 11. The Champ
(2:44) 12. Ow

This odd but successful pairing finds the Double Six of Paris singing vocalese in French to a dozen bebop classics associated with Dizzy Gillespie. Gillespie, with pianist Bud Powell and a rhythm section, take solos that uplift this date; two songs feature his quintet (with James Moody on alto). Not for all tastes, but this is a unique and colorful addition to Gillespie's discography.By Scott Yanow
https://www.allmusic.com/album/dizzy-gillespie-the-double-six-of-paris-mw0000649530

Personnel: Trumpet – Dizzy Gillespie; Bass – Chris White , Pierre Michelot; Drums – Kenny Clark, Rudy Collins;  Ensemble – The Double Six Of Paris; Piano – Bud Powell, Kenny Barron; Tenor Saxophone – James Moody;  Vocals – Christiane Legrand, Claudine Barge, Eddy Louis, Jean-Claude Briodin, Mimi Perrin, Robert Smart, Ward Swingle

Dizzy Gillespie & The Double Six Of Paris

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Buster Williams & Kenny Barron - The Complete Two as One

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 95:04
Size: 218,0 MB
Art: Front

(11:05) 1. All of You
(11:27) 2. This Time the Dream's on Me
( 3:49) 3. Some Day My Prince Will Come
(15:51) 4. I Love You
( 8:28) 5. My Funny Valentine
(11:03) 6. Will You Still Be Mine?
( 9:57) 7. Some Day My Prince Will Come (Take 2)
(12:43) 8. On a Green Dolphin Street
(10:36) 9. There Is No Greater Love

A wonderful little date from pianist Kenny Barron one that has him working in drumless duo mode, with only the bass of Buster Williams for accompaniment! The tunes are often quite long, and it's beautiful to hear the way Kenny stretches out on the keys buoyed up warmly by Williams' trademark tone basslines that are soft on bite, and round on sound drenched with soul throughout, and creating a subtle pulse that the presence of a drum would only ruin! Barron has a wonderful way of being pensive at points, while still moving things forward strongly and titles include "All Of You", "This Time The Dream's On Me", "I Love You", and "My Funny Valentine". © 1996-2023, Dusty Groove, Inc.
https://www.dustygroove.com/item/148032/Kenny-Barron-Buster-Williams:Complete-Two-As-One-180-gram-pressing

Personnel: Kenny Barron - (piano); Buster Williams - (bass)

The Complete Two as One

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Stan Getz - Apasionado

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1990
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:41
Size: 116,7 MB
Art: Front

(8:06) 1. Apasionado
(7:06) 2. Coba
(6:07) 3. Waltz For Stan
(4:15) 4. Espanõla
(5:26) 5. Madrugada
(4:59) 6. Amorous Cat
(9:00) 7. Midnight Ride
(5:39) 8. Lonely Lady

In the liner notes to this album, Stan Getz comments about how producer Herb Alpert showed him aspects of recording he had never experienced before. In this case, it's how to over-produce without overwhelming a lead soloist, as Alpert loads up this date with synthesizer players, electric instruments, and effects as a backdrop for the ultra-cool tenor of Getz. While not going overboard, it would have been nice to hear this music without the caramel-thick arrangements, leaving just Getz and a rhythm section to play sans the unnecessary sugarcoating.

Initially released about a year before Getz passed away, the end result is a lazy and far too sweet group of pieces that muck up romance in a smothering fashion. Where string arrangements can sound beautiful, the sleepy synths on "Waltz for Stan" and echoplexed sax during "Madrugada" and especially the nine-minute ambling "Midnight Ride" are not just a trifle overbearing. Eddie del Barrio's "Coba" fares better in a fusion-on-the-rock-side mode mixed with Brazilian tropicalia, while the title track utilizes an acoustic big band mixed with synths and electric piano in a ballad-to-light-samba-to-heavy-beats sauce.

"Española" starts with an out of tune electric bass guitar followed by some clichéd electric guitar from Michael Landau, while "Amorous Cat" reflects its title in a light funk rhythm. Some very good players are included, like drummer Jeff Porcaro (Toto), percussionist Paulinho Da Costa, acoustic guitarist Oscar Castro-Neves, and keyboardist Kenny Barron, with George Bohanon and Oscar Brashear in the big-band horn section. Otherwise, this recording is far from essential music made by Stan Getz, more suitable for mood music elevator wallpaper than a substantive listening experience. By Michael G. Nastos
https://www.allmusic.com/album/apasionado-mw0000655019

Personnel: Tenor Saxophone – Stan Getz; Bass – Jimmy Johnson ; Drums – Jeff Porcaro; Electric Guitar – Michael Landau; Oscar Castro Neves; Piano – Kenny Barron; Saxophone – William Green; Synthesizer, Electric Piano – Mike Lang; Trombone – George Bohanon, Reginald Young; Trumpet – Noland Smith Jr., Oscar Brashear, Rick Baptist; Tuba – Tom Johnson

Apasionado

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Kenny Barron - Festival Jazz Sous Les Pommiers

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 83:32
Size: 192,4 MB
Art: Front

( 9:50) 1. New-York Attitude
(12:36) 2. How Deep is The Ocean
(11:20) 3. Night Fall
( 7:06) 4. Memories of You
(11:02) 5. Bud Like
(11:21) 6. Skylark
(14:02) 7. Calypso Calypso
( 6:12) 8. Cook’s Bay

Kenny Barron's unmatched ability to mesmerize audiences with his elegant playing, sensitive melodies and infectious rhythms is what inspired "The Los Angeles Times" to name him "one of the top jazz pianists in the world" and "Jazz Weekly" to call him "The most lyrical piano player of our time."

Philadelphia is the birthplace of many great musicians, including one of the undisputed masters of the jazz piano: Kenny Barron. Kenny was born in 1943 and while a teenager, started playing professionally with Mel Melvin's orchestra. This local band also featured Barron's brother Bill, the late tenor saxophonist. At age 19, Kenny moved to New York City and was hired by James Moody after the tenor saxophonist heard him play at the Five Spot.

He joined Dizzy Gillespie's band in 1962, where he developed an appreciation for Latin and Caribbean rhythms. After five years with Dizzy, Barron played with Freddie Hubbard, Stanley Turrentine, Milt Jackson, and Buddy Rich. In 1971 he joined Yusef Lateef's band. It is Lateef who Kenny credits as a key influence in his art for improvisation. In 1973 Kenny joined the faculty at Rutgers University as professor of music. He held this tenure until 2000, mentoring many of today's young talents including David Sanchez, Terence Blanchard, and Regina Bell. In 1974 he recorded his first album as a leader for the Muse label, entitled "Sunset To Dawn." This was to be the first of over 40 recordings (and still counting!) as a leader.

Throughout the 1980's, Kenny collaborated with the great tenor saxophonist Stan Getz, touring with his quartet and recording several albums, one of which was nominated for a Grammy ("People Time") Also during the 80's, he co-founded the quartet "Sphere," along with Buster Williams, Ben Riley and Charlie Rouse. This band focused on the music of Thelonious Monk and original compositions inspired by him. Sphere recorded several outstanding projects for the Polygram label, among them "Four For All" and "Bird Songs." After the death of Charlie Rouse, the band took a 15-year hiatus and reunited, replacing Rouse with alto saxophonist Gary Bartz. This reformation made its debut recording for Verve Records in 1998.

Kenny Barron's own recordings for Verve have earned him five Grammy nominations, most recently for "Spirit Song" in 2000. Prior Grammy nominations went to "Sambao," "Night and the City" (a duet recording with Charlie Haden) and "Wanton Spirit" (a trio recording with Roy Haynes and Haden.) It is important to note that these three recordings each received double-Grammy nominations (for album AND solo performance.) Barron consistently wins the jazz critics and readers polls, including Downbeat, JazzTimes and Jazziz magazines. He has been named Best Pianist by the Jazz Journalists Association every year since 1997 and was as a finalist in the prestigious 2001 Jazz Par International Jazz Award.

Throughout his career, Kenny Barron has been the pianist of choice for some of jazz's greatest musicians. Now at age 58, whether he is playing solo, with his Trio or his newest ensemble, "Brazilia" (a quintet featuring some of Brazil's greatest musicians), Kenny Barron is now recognized the world over as a master of performance and composition.https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/kenny-barron

Personnel: Kenny Barron, piano; Kigashi Kitagawa, bass; Johnathan Blake, drums

Festival Jazz Sous Les Pommiers

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Dominick Farinacci - Lovers, Tales & Dances

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:55
Size: 139,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:22) 1. Don't Explain
(6:30) 2. Libertango
(5:52) 3. Estate
(6:27) 4. Vision
(5:09) 5. Ne Me Quitte Pas
(3:32) 6. E Lucevan Le Stelle
(3:53) 7. Erghen Diado (Song Of Schopsko)
(6:19) 8. Silent Cry
(3:54) 9. Love Dance
(3:41) 10. Bibo No Aozora
(6:51) 11. Lonely Woman
(4:18) 12. The Theme From The Pawnbroker

The mass appeal of a jazz recording does not necessarily compromise its value or its artistic integrity; it simply means that the artist has mastered the difficult task of balancing the creative and the commercial. Trumpeter Dominick Farinacci has done just that on his debut album, Lovers, Tales & Dances.

Farinacci sounds a lot like Clifford Brown, with the same lyricism albeit without the same range, mastery and fluidity. Some of the material also hints at Brown's recordings with strings and female vocalists. The tracks with string arrangement are a tad on the smooth side, but Farinacci's trumpet rescues them from becoming mundane through his brilliant improvisations. The vocal number is reminiscent of Helen Merrill with Clifford Brown (Emarcy, 19554), but singer Hilary Kole lacks Helen Merrill's emotional intensity. The leader elevates this track once again if not to the CD's high point then to a level where it does not sound out of place, despite adding little to the whole.

The choice of material again reflects the balance between artistic creativity and popular appeal. Songs vary from Jacques Brel's "Ne me quitte pas" and Astor Piazzolla's "Libertango," to the Billie Holiday standard, "Don't Explain," and Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman," which represents the real high point of this record.

The sidemen include Joe Lovano, Kenny Barron and Lewis Nash, but despite being in the company of masters, Farinacci not only maintains his own but remains the dominant voice throughout, successfully interacting with these seasoned veterans during the ensemble work.

Despite the faults of a few, too-smooth string arrangements, an average vocal number and the debutant style of the leader, this impeccably mastered recording is a very promising first work by an artist who, if he maintains the momentum demonstrated here, may well become one the pillars of jazz in the near future.By Hrayr Attarian https://www.allaboutjazz.com/lovers-tales-and-dances-dominick-farinacci-koch-records-review-by-hrayr-attarian

Personnel: Dominick Farinacci: trumpet, flugelhorn; Joe Lovano: tenor saxophone; Joe Locke: vibraphone; Kenny Barron: piano; James Genus: bass; Marc Johnson: bass; Lewis Nash: drums; Jamey Haddad: percussion; Hilary Kole: vocals; Guilherme Monteiro: guitar; Rich DeRosa: strings and horns conductor.

Lovers, Tales & Dances

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Buster Williams - Crystal Reflections

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1976
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:45
Size: 114,2 MB
Art: Front

( 7:20)  1. Prism
( 9:30)  2. The Enchanted Flower
( 5:21)  3. I Love You
( 5:38)  4. I Dream Too Much
(11:47)  5. Vibrations
( 3:29)  6. My Funny Valentine
( 6:38)  7. I Dream Too Much

Bassist Buster Williams is well featured here on this pretty, interesting set from 1976, his second disc as a leader. Crystal Reflections concentrates on exploratory duets with keyboardist Kenny Barron (the exceptional Barron original, "The Enchanted Flower"), pianist Jimmy Rowles (two versions of "I Dream Too Much") and vibraphonist Roy Ayers ("My Funny Valentine"). Elsewhere, Williams combines with Barron, Ayers and drummer Billy Hart for three impressionistic pieces: William's sensitive "Prism," Cole Porter's "I Love You" and Roy Ayers's Spyro Gyra-like "Vibrations." Even when Williams overdubs synthesizer and female voices overtop "Prism" or when Roy Ayers doubles up on sythn for "Virgo," the effect is sensitively considered and the result is quite a positive contribution to the success of each piece. This set is much more likely to appeal to fans of Kenny Barron, Jimmy Rowles or Roy Ayers. But bassist Williams proves himself a worthy leader here. He's a sympathetic, melodic player whose perceptive and intuitive string work is often simple and effective, never showy and very much a beneficial part of the whole. Like the title suggests, this is music that is as pretty as it is intelligent. Recommended. ~ Douglas Payne https://www.allaboutjazz.com/crystal-reflections-buster-williams-32-records-review-by-douglas-payne.php

Personnel: Buster Williams: bass, synthesizer; Kenny Barron: piano, electric piano; Jimmy Rowles: piano; Roy Ayers: vibes, synthesizer; Billy Hart: drums; Nobu Urushiyama: percussion; Suzanne Klewan: voice.

Crystal Reflections

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Ali Ryerson - I'll Be Back

Styles: Flute Jazz
Year: 1993
File: MP3@128K/s
Time: 49:58
Size: 46,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:41) 1. Bobby's Minor
(4:33) 2. L'Ode A' Muse
(5:28) 3. I'll Be Back
(7:51) 4. Peace
(6:24) 5. Thinking of You
(7:29) 6. Nobody Knows
(4:59) 7. Song For Myself
(4:59) 8. Samba De Gago
(3:33) 9. That's All

It is a testament to flutist Ali Ryerson that on her second release she is not overshadowed by her all-star rhythm section (pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Danny Gottlieb) and that her sidemen sound happy to be playing with her. The music on this CD ranges from Bobby Jaspar's blues "Bobby's Minor" to a memorable version of Horace Silver's "Peace" and an emotional "That's All." Nothing that innovative occurs, but Ryerson's very pleasing flute sounds perfectly at home in this modern mainstream setting. Recommended for straight-ahead jazz fans.By Scott Yanow
https://www.allmusic.com/album/ill-be-back-mw0000104451

Personnel: Alto Flute, Flute – Ali Ryerson; Bass – Cecil McBee; Drums – Danny Gottlieb; Piano – Kenny Barron

I'll Be Back

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Kenny Barron - The Source

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:30
Size: 154,8 MB
Art: Front

(8:02) 1. What If
(6:13) 2. Isfahan
(6:04) 3. Teo
(9:42) 4. Daydream
(6:16) 5. I'm Confessin' (That I love you)
(8:53) 6. Dolores Street, SF
(5:42) 7. Well You Needn't
(8:34) 8. Sunshower
(8:00) 9. Phantoms

He may admit to jitters whenever he first sits down at his chosen instrument to record or perform, but elder statesman and NEA Master Kenny Barron never fails to elicit a warm, enveloping sense of elegy, wit and emotional balance to whatever setting the music finds him.

On his first solo go-round in forty years, The Source, like its distant predecessor At The Piano (Xanadu, 1982) has Barron brimming with the same empathy and effervescence, but with all the reflective nature the years tend to instill in a man who has made one to one conversation an art form. An art form with his peers, ranging from Dave Holland to Regina Carter, Freddie Hubbard, Stan Getz, Booker Ervin, to Mulgrew Miller, as well as listeners far and wide.

"What If?" reimagined and reframed from its bop conscious 1986 original (on Enja's What If?), finds renewed power in a bass line that is impossible to avoid. It not only underpins the melody, it actively becomes it as The Source sails forth from there. As he has for year out of reverence and inquisitiveness, Barron revisits Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn's "Isfahan" with a glee reminiscent of Thelonious Monk. Which makes perfect sense in so many ways since Monk's own slipknot, "Teo," exuberantly follows. Deft, agile, lyrical and vibrant, Barron brings all his emotion to another Strayhorn epiphany, "Daydreams," before bringing us to a quiet place of Zen on his own "Dolores Street SF."

More Monk follows with the chromatic skip of "Well You Needn't" and, if Barron still needs a spotlight for his love of barrelhouse and Monk himself, well here it is. A steady rolling energy emanates from the track and you sense Barron, whose sense of improv is as alive here as on any other of The Source's nine highlight performances, is really enjoying himself. The disc closes with two highly regarded Barron staples: "Sunshower," its melodic resonance still a source of invention after its initial hearing on Innocence (Wolf, 1978), and "Phantoms.," which still holds all its dark tones even when the master steers the tune away from them, serving as a final reflection on a man who can make light and dark his building blocks without relying heavily on either. By Mike Jurkovic
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-source-artwork-records

Personnel: Kenny Barron: piano.

The Source

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Patty Lomuscio - Star Crossed Lovers

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:37
Size: 95,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:20) 1. Lullaby (For Ambra)
(4:08) 2. Star Crossed Lovers
(3:37) 3. This Can't Be Love
(6:34) 4. Left Alone
(5:09) 5. You're My Everything
(4:40) 6. E Se
(4:23) 7. Cedar's Blues
(5:24) 8. Body & Soul
(3:17) 9. Love Walked In

The Italian singer Patty Lomuscio had long dreamed of making an album in New York with pianist Kenny Barron. Now she has done so. Alongside Barron is drummer Joe Farnsworth, bassist Peter Washington and Vincent Herring on alto saxophone.

The title track, comes across really well. Lomuscio's talents start to shine through and then with the next offering, "This Can't Be Love," it becomes obvious that a certain British Dame has influenced this Mediterranean songstress: her scatting is reminiscent of Cleo Laine and indeed so is the general style here. Joe Farnsworth's drum solo is also really enjoyable. A Billie Holiday song fills slot four with piano and sax solos bringing extra enjoyment to "Left Alone."

"You're My Everything," which comes from the 1931 revue The Laugh Parade is competently sung. Conversely, unless one speaks Italian, one won't understand the lyrics of "E Se." It was written for Lomuscio by her friend Mario Rosini and its meaning is close to her father. It would not sound amiss in a James Bond film as the hero walks into a cocktail bar and sees the beautiful woman singing on the stage.

"Body and Soul" is another 1930s composition, this time penned by Edward Heyman, Robert Sour and Frank Eyton. Last is the George and Ira Gershwin number "Love Walked In." Patty Lomuscio has produced an emotional and enjoyable album. By Paul Beard https://www.allaboutjazz.com/star-crossed-lovers-patty-lomuscio-challenge-records

Personnel: Patty Lomuscio: voice / vocals; Kenny Barron: piano; Vincent Herring: saxophone; Peter Washington: bass; Joe Farnsworth: drums.

Star Crossed Lovers

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Gerry Gibbs Thrasher Dream Trios - Songs From My Father: The Music Of Terry Gibbs Disc 1, Disc 2

Album: Songs From My Father: The Music Of Terry Gibbs Disc 1
Styles: Jazz, Bop
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:11
Size: 110,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:05) 1. Kick Those Feet
(5:07) 2. Smoke em Up
(4:04) 3. Bopstacle Course
(4:19) 4. Nutty Notes
(4:13) 5. Take It from Me
(7:54) 6. Sweet Young Song of Love
(5:03) 7. The Fat Man
(6:54) 8. Lonely Days
(5:27) 9. Hey Chick

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Album: Songs From My Father: The Music Of Terry Gibbs Disc 2
Time: 48:34
Size: 111,5 MB

(5:06) 1. Townhouse 3
(5:43) 2. T & S
(3:25) 3. 4 AM
(3:28) 4. Waltz For My Children
(4:35) 5. Hippie Twist
(5:53) 6. Lonely Dreams
(4:56) 7. For Keeps
(5:05) 8. Pretty Blue Eyes
(4:21) 9. Gibberish
(5:57) 10. Tango For Terry

Songs from My Father. What a marvelous idea! and not simply for the sentiment. Drummer Gerry Gibbs' father happens to be Hall of Fame vibraphonist (and sometime song writer) Terry Gibbs, who is still on the scene at ninety-seven (and, in fact, making a guest appearance on the first disc of this superlative two-CD set). Eighteen of the elder Gibbs' songs, written between 1949 and 1985 (and one more, "Tango for Terry," by the late Chick Corea) are performed by four of his son's well-chosen (and well-named) Thrasher Dream Trios, whose members include pianists Kenny Barron, Patrice Rushen, Geoff Keezer, Corea (the last recorded appearance before his passing in February 2021), organist Larry Goldings and bassists Ron Carter, Buster Williams and Christian McBride most, if not all, of whom will one day earn the same Hall of Fame status accorded Terry Gibbs.

As the elder Gibbs came of age in the bop era—gigging with a Who's Who of jazz luminaries including Woody Herman, Buddy Rich, Benny Goodman, Chubby Jackson, Mel Torme and Louie Bellson, and later leading his Los Angeles-based Dream Band most of his engaging themes can trace their roots to bop, and the trios take to them like ducks to water. The line-ups are traditional piano-bass-drums save for Dream Trio 3, on which Goldings' Hammond B3 organ complements Gibbs and pianist Rushen. Their appearances are close to evenly divided, with Trios 1 and 2 performing on four tracks each, Trios 3 and 4 on five apiece, and everyone (plus Terry Gibbs, whose extended vibes solo is as sharp and resourceful as ever) having an absolute blast on "Hey Chick," which closes the first disc. The title is no doubt coincidental, as the tune was written in 1961 when Corea was a mere twenty years old.

"Hey Chick" follows "Lonely Days," the nearest pretense to a ballad on the first disc. The same holds true for the most part on the second disc, as swinging is what Terry Gibbs was (and is) about. Trio 3 comes out blazing on the disc's sunny, samba-like opener, "Townhouse," wherein Goldings adds color with some bird-like special effects, as does Trio 2 on the lively "T&S," as Barron crafts a stunning solo while Gibbs and Williams lend rhythmic backbone. Gibbs, Keezer and McBride keep the fire burning on "4 AM," as they do on "For Keeps" and "Gibberish." "Waltz for My Children" (Trio 1), the disc's lone serenade, showcases Corea in typically masterful form. The first seven tracks on the first disc from "Kick Those Feet" (1964) to "The Fat Man" (1958) are exemplary, as are the others on the second disc, from the dynamic "Hippie Twist" to the well-grooved "For Keeps," and especially the melodious "Pretty Blue Eyes." While none has entered the rarefied pantheon of jazz standards, several could and even should be gauged by that barometer. At the very least, they should be played more often; they are that good. And so, it goes without saying, are the trios Gerry Gibbs has assembled to give them life. Songs from My Father is more than a marvelous idea; it is a musical treat from end to end, and a well-deserved show of appreciation from son to father for the guidance and wisdom that have assuredly helped shape his impressive career. By Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/songs-from-my-father-gerry-gibbs-thrasher-dream-trios-whaling-city-sound

Personnel: Gerry Gibbs: drums; Chick Corea: piano; Kenny Barron: piano; Patrice Rushen: keyboards; Geoffrey Keezer: keyboards; Larry Goldings: organ, Hammond B3; Ron Carter: bass; Buster Williams: bass; Christian McBride: bass; Terry Gibbs: vibraphone.

Songs From My Father: The Music Of Terry Gibbs Disc 1, Disc 2

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Gary Bartz - There Goes the Neighborood

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:29
Size: 162,3 MB
Art: Front

( 9:47)  1. Racism (Blues in Double Bb Minor)
( 8:39)  2. On A Misty Night
(13:28)  3. Laura
( 8:58)  4. Tadd's Delight
(10:09)  5. Impressions
(10:13)  6. I've Never Been In Love Before
( 9:11)  7. Flight Path

Although he dismissed notions about a comeback, this '90 album was the triumphant, exuberant vehicle Gary Bartz hadn't made in quite a while. His rippling solos and dominant presence were welcome for fans who wondered if he had squandered the potential he'd shown in the '60s. ~ Ron Wynn https://www.allmusic.com/album/there-goes-the-neighborhood-mw0000678444

Personnel:  Gary Bartz - alto saxophone; Kenny Barron - piano; Ray Drummond - bass; Ben Riley - drums

There Goes the Neighborood

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Charles Sullivan - Kamau

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:29
Size: 139,2 MB
Art: Front

(11:07)  1. Carefree
(11:57)  2. Dreams Die Young In the Eyes of the Native Son
( 9:33)  3. Malcolm
(12:16)  4. Patrice
( 5:37)  5. Last Embrace
( 9:57)  6. Looking For Love

Charles Sullivan (who changed his name to Kamau Muata Adilifu in 1980) was quite active as a member of various Broadway show orchestras during 1981-95 but had only played jazz on an irregular basis during the interim, most notably with McCoy Tyner's big band. His first date as a leader since a Japanese record in 1974 features Adilifu playing his own originals. The frequently modal music is in some ways a throwback to the acoustic scene of the 1970s in that there are long melody statements and a liberal use of vamps. Adilifu's six originals generally develop slowly but are quite effective in setting moods and serving as viable vehicles for the solos of the trumpeter, tenor saxophonist Craig Handy and pianist Kenny Barron; bassist Rodney Whittaker and drummer Victor Lewis are active and alert in support. Everyone plays up-to-par, making Kamau Adilifu/Charles Sullivan's "comeback" record quite successful as creative jazz. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/kamau-mw0000186257

Personnel:  Charles Sullivan – trumpet; Craig Handy – tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone; Kenny Barron – piano; Rodney Whitaker – double bass; Victor Lewis – drums

Kamau

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