Kristin Korb - Where You'll Find Me

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:48
Size: 133,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:51)  1. How About You
(5:45)  2. Wouldn't It Be Loverly
(5:49)  3. East of the Sun
(6:25)  4. They Say It's Spring
(3:56)  5. Where You'll Find Me
(5:07)  6. Benny
(4:43)  7. Mac
(4:33)  8. My Gingerbread Boy
(5:41)  9. The Man I love
(4:43) 10. Yes, I Know When I've Had It
(5:11) 11. Darn That Dream

Kristin Korb is both a swinging bassist and an occasional jazz singer. Originally she was a guitarist and singer who loved country music; Barbara Mandrell was one of her early musical heroes. Korb also studied piano and violin. She attended the Soundsation Jazz Camp one summer and came away interested in performing jazz. She switched from guitar to electric bass to join a vocal jazz group in the seventh grade, taking up the acoustic bass in 11th grade. Korb earned a degree in Music Education at Eastern Montana College in 1992 and spent the next two years working on her masters in Classical Bass Performance at the University of California at San Diego. She took lessons from Bertram Turetzky who inspired her to sing and play bass at the same time. In 1994, she met and started studying with Ray Brown, who recorded her debut the following year, Introducing Kristin Korb with the Ray Brown Trio. Where that CD has Korb just singing, her other recordings, for Grace Bass and Double K, feature her as both a vocalist and a bassist. Korb taught jazz history, bass, and the vocal jazz ensemble at Grossmont Community College during 1996-2000, and was the Director of Jazz Studies at Central Washington University during 2000-2002. Since moving to Los Angeles in 2002, she has performed at jazz parties, occasionally toured, and led her own trio.
~Scott Yanow https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/kristin-korb/id85824690#fullText

Personnel: Kristin Korb (vocals); Mike Wofford (piano); Jeff Hamilton (drums).

Where You'll Find Me

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Kristin Korb - Finding Home

Size: 102,3 MB
Time: 42:01
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. Something To Celebrate (5:13)
02. Jeg Elsker Dig (Y-Eye Elsker D-Eye) (4:09)
03. 58 Boxes (4:06)
04. Up Again (5:00)
05. It's Spring (3:35)
06. The Letter (4:39)
07. Happy For Me (4:43)
08. Invisible (5:22)
09. Finding Home (5:10)

Kristin Korb treasures the jazz tradition. She is known for her collaborations with Ray Brown, Bruce Forman, Jeff Hamilton and more who have all taken note of her incredible sense of swing. On Kristin’s 2013 release What’s Your Story?, she dug deep into her long-standing relationship with classic jazz material and those musical personalities who influenced her. Out of those relationships and experiences, a more developed and diverse musician is emerging and Finding Home.

Love brought the American bassist and singer to Denmark in 2011. This September, Kristin Korb releases her most personal CD yet. Finding Home features Kristin’s stories of love, travel, language lessons and the peace she has found in her marriage and her adopted country. Instead of her “korbinated” arrangements of jazz standards, Kristin has made the bold leap to write all original material to fit her life experiences.

Personnel:
Kristin Korb – bass & vocals
Magnus Hjorth – piano
Snorre Kirk – drums
Jacob Fischer – guitar
Poul Halberg – guitar solo (Invisible)
Gerard Presencer – trumpet
Karl-Martin Almqvist – tenor saxophone
Steen Nikolaj Hansen – trombone

Finding Home

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Introducing Kristin Korb With the Ray Brown Trio

Styles: Vocal, Bop, Swing
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:54
Size: 112,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:40) 1. A Night in Tunisia
(5:30) 2. Peel Me a Grape
(3:06) 3. Whirlybird
(4:33) 4. Fever
(2:34) 5. Straight No Chaser
(4:09) 6. Black Orpheus
(4:36) 7. Yeh Yeh
(3:36) 8. Ain't Misbehavin'
(6:02) 9. These Foolish Things
(3:53) 10. Funky Tune for Ray
(5:11) 11. Take the "A" Train

Originally from Montana, but now living, performing, and teaching in San Diego, this is Kristin Korb's first album. Not possessed with an especially powerful set of vocal chords, Korb nonetheless weaves delicate figures with a clear, cool, almost vibrato-less voice. Scatting, but not to the point where lyrics are entirely ignored, she's a pleasant, if not overwhelming, addition to the world of jazz vocals. Korb is joined on this session by the dean of bass players, Ray Brown, and his trio that features the outstanding, hard driving piano player Benny Green, an outstanding soloist in his own right. The trio is augmented by two veterans, Plas Johnson on tenor sax and Conte Candoli on trumpet. Johnson, unfairly, is pretty much known for his work on Henry Mancini's Pink Panther. He has done much more and better work, such as with T-Bone Walker, Lou Rawls, and others. His swinging, boppish sax drives "Yeh Yeh."

Conte Candoli has been on so many albums, he's likely lost count, but he hasn't lost his touch of waxing lyrically behind a singer in the tradition of fellow Stan Kenton player, Don Fagerquist. Guest guitarist, the Brazilian Oscar Castro-Neves, takes center stage in Latin-tinged tunes like Luis Bonfa's "Black Orpheus." "Peel Me a Grape" is done, appropriately, in an Anita O'Day style and there's a very delicately delivered "These Foolish Things" and an almost hymn-like "Take the "A" Train." These slower tunes are balanced by a winging version of Neal Hefti's "Whirlybird." A nice program of varied tunes offered by top professionals provides a little more than 45 minutes of pleasant entertainment.~Dave Nathan https://www.allmusic.com/album/introducing-kristin-korb-with-the-ray-brown-trio-mw0000081031

Personnel: Kristin Korb - vocals; Ray Brown Trio - Bass; Plas Johnson - tenor saxophone; Conte Candoli - trumpet; Oscar Castro-Neves - guitar; Benny Green - piano; Gregory Hutchinson - drums

Introducing Kristin Korb

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Kristin Korb - In The Meantime

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:07
Size: 120,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:42)  1. Lucky To Be Me
(4:01)  2. I Got It Bad
(5:17)  3. You Fascinate Me So
(2:50)  4. Lover Come Back To Me
(5:52)  5. Ain't Misbehavin'
(5:39)  6. Better Than Anything
(7:54)  7. Tears Of The Sun
(4:52)  8. Love Walked In
(5:27)  9. If I Am Ever Yours
(5:28) 10. Tomorrow's Another Day

This doesn’t have to be a stressful time, biting our fingernails, waiting for things to happen. Today, you could make a new friend, drive down the coast and feel the wind in your hair, or bump into the love of your life. Good stuff is just a moment away. Be open to the change, and walk into it singing. Kristin Korb’s CD: In The Meantime is meant to comfort, encourage, and elevate your spirit to be present in the world. It explores the adventures that can find you if you are open to them, in the meantime. What are you waiting for?  http://www.kristinkorb.com/album/in-the-meantime/

Personnel:  Llew Matthews (pn), Larry Koonse (g), Steve Barnes (d), Nick Mancini (v), Bob Sheppard (s),  Kristin Korb (vo)

In The Meantime

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Kristin Korb - What's Your Story?

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:20
Size: 120,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:30)  1. Will You Still Be Mine
(5:14)  2. Flamingo
(4:42)  3. Traveling Groove Merchant
(3:27)  4. Doralice
(4:27)  5. What's Your Story Morning Glory
(4:07)  6. Don't Fence Me In
(3:16)  7. Them There Eyes
(3:13)  8. Moments Like This
(5:09)  9. Red Wagon
(3:54) 10. Green Dolphin Street
(4:59) 11. Always Searching for My Baby
(5:16) 12. I Wanna Be Loved

Though many a fine bassist Jay Leonhart, John Miller and Clipper Anderson among them occasionally sings, Kristin Korb numbers among the rare few who excel at both. When Korb launched her recording career in 1996, she ceded bass duties to her mentor and hero, Ray Brown. Since then, across five albums including What’s Your Story?, she has accompanied herself, maintaining a distinctly Brown-tinged bass style. As a singer, the Montana-born Korb seems of the same school as Tierney Sutton (who hails from Nebraska), her sunny wide-openness enticingly shaded by a faraway hint of dark clouds. And though Korb tends to be vocally looser than Sutton, they also share an ability to sidle up to a song, size it up and, with vaguely cynical cautiousness, nail its emotional heart. Working in the sparest settings since 2004’s Get Happy, Korb fronts a piano-less trio featuring drummer Jeff Hamilton and guitarist Bruce Forman for a wide-ranging dozen tracks. 

As always, the focus is on standards, including a saucy “Red Wagon,” a loping “Don’t Fence Me In,” a sultry “Flamingo” and a tender “Moments Like This” worthy of Peggy Lee. Korb’s fog-bound “On Green Dolphin Street” best showcases the solidity of her bass skills. And songwriter Amber Navran’s sly, slightly stalker-ish “Always Searching for My Baby,” which finds Korb in freewheeling Annie Ross-meets-Joni Mitchell territory, demonstrates how superbly she can navigate more contemporary material. ~ Christopher Loudon  http://jazztimes.com/articles/96916-what-s-your-story-kristin-korb

Personnel:  Kristin Korb - Bass / Vocals; Bruce Forman – Guitar; Jeff Hamilton - Drums

What's Your Story?

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Kristin Korb - Why Not?

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:06
Size: 72,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:53) 1. Come Rain or Come Shine
(4:20) 2. I've Told Every Little Star
(4:42) 3. I Surrender Dear
(4:16) 4. Warm Valley
(4:31) 5. Zanzibar
(4:11) 6. Summer Wind
(4:11) 7. Sommervind (Bonus Track)

The flip side of “What If?” is “Why Not?”. It features Korb’s love of foot-tapping standards and lesser known gems with the intimate feel of an “unplugged” album. This is your personal invitation to join the party. In comparison to “What If?”, Korb’s arrangements are more straight ahead and less elaborate. They tend to lean on the tradition of feel-good swing. “It has been difficult for me to articulate my thoughts about ‘Why Not?’. One part of me feels like I didn’t do enough for this side. I didn’t make any crazy arrangements and the process in recording these tracks felt ‘easier’ in some way, almost like a sigh of relief in being able to re-connect with my bandmates again. Together, we celebrate a lifetime of great music making, being present in the moment, and being there for each other. Isn’t that enough?”

Korb’s familial connection to her bandmates Magnus Hjorth on piano and Snorre Kirk on drums is clear from the first beat. In contrast to “What If?”, this project is all about the trio and their interplay. I Surrender Dear opens with this baroque-ish chase between the instruments before exploding into an intense and high speed game of cat and mouse. “It takes a lot of energy for us to be positive and resilient in these times. We also need soft places to land, to breathe, to reconnect with ourselves, and to nurture our souls. Warm Valley does this for me.” Magnus Hjorth’s sensitive intro on the Duke Ellington classic sets the scene for this intimate duo.

A special highlight is guitarist Bruce Forman’s arrangement of Jerome Kern’s I’ve Told Every Little Star. Forman’s arrangement brings a vulnerability to the story that doesn’t exist in the original version. Korb’s bass solo takes that feeling even deeper. “This year, I celebrate 25 years since “Introducing Kristin Korb” was released with my mentor, Ray Brown. Ray opened the world to me through that CD. He inspired me in so many ways and challenged me to always bring my ‘A game’. I will be forever grateful. While I feel like I’ve made my own path musically, Ray is still a big part of it.” Ray’s influence is heard in the foot stomping opening track Come Rain or Come Shine. His spirit returns again in the final track Summer Wind. Korb closes the project with a tip of the hat to her life now in Denmark. Summer Wind was originally recorded in German and Danish before Johnny Mercer set his text to the music. The bonus track Sommervind has her singing in Danish, but it swings just the same. “What If?” and “Why Not?” were released as independent digital releases. In conjunction with the digital release of “Why Not?”, Korb and company are releasing the hard copy as a double disc compilation: “What If / Why Not”.

Personnel: Kristin Korb: All Vocals, Bass; Magnus Hjorth: Piano; Snorre Kirk: Drums; Tira Skamby: Percussion (Zanzibar)

Why Not?

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The Kristin Korb-Todd Johnson Trio - Get Happy

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:44
Size: 136.8 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2004
Art: Front

[3:53] 1. I'm Old Fashioned
[4:59] 2. Top Of The World
[4:45] 3. Just A Closer Walk With Thee
[4:19] 4. If You Never Fall In Love With Me
[4:10] 5. Moon River
[4:42] 6. Sunshine & Slim
[4:30] 7. Cheek To Cheek
[2:08] 8. Wonder Why
[3:28] 9. Get Happy
[4:04] 10. You Don't Know What Love Is
[4:42] 11. Goin' Home
[2:58] 12. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
[3:09] 13. Everything Happens To Me
[4:32] 14. Blues For Hellen
[3:19] 15. When You're Smilin'

Kristin Korb, vocals & upright bass; Todd Johnson-6-string bass; Kendall Kay, drums.

My vision for a "bass duo" began sometime in 2003. I'd been working successfully as a solo bass act, but missed the interplay of another musician. I knew if I could find the right bass player it just might work. Shortly thereafter, I discovered Kristin Korb. I contacted her and spoke with her about my idea. She said, "Let's give it a try." So I booked us at a duo series I was hosting. She came and had dinner with my family and me, we talked over a few tunes and we were off to the gig. Well, the rest is history. My vision was rapidly becoming a reality. Just one thing was missing. I found it quickly in Kendall Kay. He's one of the finest drummers and people you'll ever hope to work with. He ALWAYS plays the RIGHT thing at the RIGHT time. My vision is now complete.

I hope you find this CD musical, entertaining, and a little bit innovative. Not bad for 2 bass players and a drummer! ~ Todd Johnson

Get Happy

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Kristin Korb - What If?

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:25
Size: 84,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:30) 1. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
(5:46) 2. Copacabana
(5:45) 3. Overjoyed
(4:51) 4. The Power of Love
(5:28) 5. This Is My Life
(5:24) 6. Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight
(4:38) 7. Can't Buy Me Love

American double bassist and vocalist Kristin Korb was primarily based in LA until moving to Denmark about 10 years ago, where she continues to impress audiences with her nonchalant, no-nonsense look at jazz. Her laid-back personality resonates through her music she has a way of taking anything and making it sound cool. This is evident in Korb’s newest release, What If?, where she has rearranged some very recognisable pop songs into trendy jazz numbers. In opening track Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious a song rooted in childhood nonsense from the classic film Mary Poppins Korb has played with mixed metre and pushed the scansion of the lyrics into something musically interesting and even sophisticated. Snorre Kirk on drums is a staple in her band and the two mesh together so well; Korb’s writing is obviously drawn to featuring bass grooves and rhythmic elements and Kirk ties everything together seamlessly.

An admirable trait, in this listener’s opinion, of Korb’s taste in music is that she never shies away from a bit of ‘cheese’, but instead finds a way to turn it into a delicacy thus palatable by pop fans and Michelin star music fans alike. Copacabana is definitely one of Barry Manilow’s most famous hits, and seeing the title on the album jacket may incite an involuntary little cringe. But no need, this arrangement has taken the exotic 70s disco hit and given it a more modal feel with a captivating urgency that wasn’t present in the original. There is something delightful in recognising a piece of music hearing something familiar, realising what it is, and then hearing it in a whole new light. Sometimes simple adjustments, or just an artist putting their own spin on something so famous can be touching. Overjoyed was already a delicate Stevie Wonder song, but here it is soft and twinkly, with the soulful beat removed (it’s a bit of a squidgy synth sound, if you recall), and the passion in Korb’s voice is featured more prominently as a result.

The Power of Love was one track that has changed in style enough that I had to remind myself how the original went. This Huey Lewis and the News song has had such a clever treatment adding more feeling to the lyrics (which are quite an apt message in our divisive world at the moment). The solo by award-winning Danish harmonica player Mathias Heise is bluesy and intricate just what the song needed to tie it together. This Is My Life is from a Shirley Bassey album from the sixties of the same title. This version is poignant and thought-provoking after a year frozen in time and full of reflection. It’s like a celebration of music, our careers and our creativity, and how they are integral to living fulfilled lives. It starts soft, but the trombone solo by Steen Nikolaj Hansen brings a warmth to the tune. By Magnus Hjorth‘s piano solo, the celebration is in full swing. The final chorus with intermingling lines from Korb, Hjorth and Hansen is beautiful and free.

James Taylor’s classic Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight showcases a lightness to Korb’s voice and a bass solo with a richness to balance. Tenor sax solo by Karl-Martin Almqvist may be short but he packs a punch, reminiscent of a Celine Dion power-ballad before Korb brings it back in for a romantic, altered ending. The record ends with another harmonica feature for Heise on a Beatles standard Can’t Buy Me Love. Elements of a New Orleans second line sneak in here and there, with funky punches too, but it swings somethin’ fierce which is just what was needed.~ Lauren Bush https://londonjazznews.com/2021/04/12/kristin-korb-what-if/

What If?

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