Marilyn Scott - The Landscape

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:09
Size: 83,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:09) 1. Thrown out into Space, Butterfly
(4:23) 2. The Landscape
(4:03) 3. Summer Night
(7:01) 4. Irreplaceable
(4:51) 5. Tomorrow
(4:30) 6. Unzip
(6:09) 7. The Sun

A native of southern California, vocalist Marilyn Scott counts among her earliest influences, artists Aretha Franklin, Donny Hathaway, Etta James, Jean Carn and Andy Bey. She began performing in local clubs and fronted soul-jazz bands around the San Francisco Bay area. Among the many friends she made were the guys of Tower of Power, who gave her the opportunity to do backing session vocals with the Oakland-based band. Those recording sessions steered her to making her way back to Los Angeles as a studio session singer, where she performed with musicians and groups including Spyro Gyra, Yellowjackets, Hiroshima, John Mayall, Etta James, Bobby Caldwell and Bobby Womack.

Scott’s first recording in 1977, as a solo artist, was a single version of Brian Wilson’s “God Only Knows”, which led to her first album, Dreams of Tomorrow, on Atco/Atlantic. Her discography continued with, 1983 Without Warning, Polygram, 1991 and 1992 Sin-Drome recordings, Smile and Sky Dancing. 1996 and 1998 Warner Bros. releases of Take Me with You and Avenues of Love. The Japanese Venus Records recording, Every Time We Say Goodbye, in 2008.

Marilyn moved to Prana Entertainment and released from 2001 to 2017, Walking With Strangers, Nightcap, Handpicked, Innocent of Nothing, Get Christmas Started and Standard Blue in 2017. Her 2022 release on Blue Canoe Records marks her most recent release, The Landscape. She has combined her interest in neo-soul, jazz and Brazilian music. She has collaborated with Dori Caymmi, George Duke, Russell Ferrante, Bob James, Jimmy Haslip, Brenda Russell, Bob Mintzer, Perri Sisters, Terri Lyne Carrington, Patrice Rushen and Scott Kinsey.

Marilyn is best known for her Grammy-nominated work as a contemporary jazz vocalist and singer songwriter. As the years have progressed, she has dived deeper into jazz writing and interpretations. Collaborations with many acclaimed artists and musicians have opened and widened her range in a music that’s rich in texture and complexity. https://marilynscott.com/bio-lyrics/#1651100400816-3811bf3e-4475

The Landscape

---

Marilyn Scott - Standard Blue

Size: 123,2 MB
Time: 52:52
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Willow Weep For Me (6:34)
02. Speak Low (6:11)
03. A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing (5:19)
04. Never Let Me Go (5:09)
05. Day Dream (4:35)
06. Blue Prelude (5:33)
07. I Wouldn't Change It (5:15)
08. East Of The Sun (4:47)
09. I've Got It Bad And That Ain't Good (5:44)
10. The Joint Is Jumpin' (3:41)

Vocalist Marilyn Scott is not a new name in music. She has released 14 recording since the late 1980s, including the present Standard Blue. It is odd, then, that she has had so little coverage in these pages. George Harris wrote a revealing piece on her 2006 release, Handpicked (Prana Entertainment), but that is about it. A versatile artist, Scott has been able to exist, multidimensionally, across multiple genre, which has proven to be her charm. She does something very effective and special on Standard Blue, including the bulk of the original Yellowjackets plus Ambrose Akinmusire in doing so.

Joined by keyboardist Russell Ferrante, bassist Jimmy Haslip, guitarist Michael Landau ,and winds player Bob Mintzer (who plays solely bass clarinet here), the core of the Yellowjackets is well represented, bringing with them a contemporary mindset honed to a fine artistic edge. Ferrante handles the arrangement duties, with Mintzer adding his horn arrangement to the sleekly stylized, "Speak Low." Which brings us to what is special, even exceptional, about this recording. Scott addresses nine standards and one original cast very differently from most "standards" recordings.

Ferrante is very forward thinking, putting the contemporary spin he was famous for with the Yellowjackets to work here. Spatial and clever, Ferrante's arrangements incorporate cross-rhythms and time signatures in provocative and delightful ways. "Willow Weep for Me" is airy and ethereal with plenty of space. Scotts voice is certain and assured throughout the recording. Outstanding instrumentally was guitarist Landau, whose solo on the Strayhorn/Ellington "Day Dream" (composed in 1941!) is a revelation in translation. The most effective updating of a tune is the Starwars spin the group puts on Fats Waller's 1937 "The Joint is Jumpin.'" ~C. Michael Bailey

Personnel: Marilyn Scott: vocals; Gary Novak: drums; Michael Landau: guitar; Russell Ferrante: keyboards; Jimmy Haslip: bass; Bob Mintzer: bass clarinet; Ambrose Akinmusire: trumpet.

Standard Blue

---

Marilyn Scott - Handpicked

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:35
Size: 175.3 MB
Styles: Adult Contemporary, Jazz vocals
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[4:39] 1. Starting To Fall
[5:08] 2. You Don't Know Me
[5:35] 3. The Look Of Love
[4:30] 4. Close Enough
[5:37] 5. Get Home
[4:53] 6. In Your Eyes
[4:34] 7. Understanding Love
[3:35] 8. The Last Day
[4:27] 9. Loving You
[4:34] 10. I'm Calling You
[5:05] 11. You Don't Know What Love Is (Feat. Frank Mccomb)
[3:58] 12. Smile
[4:19] 13. Give In
[4:35] 14. Don't Let Love Get Away
[5:46] 15. I Always Think Of You
[5:13] 16. Let Me Be The One

This 16-track retrospective covers ten years of jazz/pop singer/songwriter Marilyn Scott's career, from her first solo recordings in the early '90s to 2001. You'll probably find this album in the jazz section, and there are a few standards on the program, but the bulk of her repertoire is original and her sound is very definitely modern, in an R&B/smooth jazz vein. The tracks gathered here include collaborations with George Duke and the Yellowjackets' Jimmy Haslip, and several songs were co-written with Brenda Russell. The selections don't follow much of a narrative arc -- you don't really get the sense of an artist growing and developing in any particular direction. Instead, Scott explores various avenues of musical expression, from quiet storm-flavored ballads like "The Look of Love" to the slightly awkward soul-funk of "Get Home" and modern reinterpretations of jazz classics like "You Don't Know What Love Is." Her cover of Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes" is technically impressive, but ultimately too imitative of the original to be very interesting. In general, though, this is a handy and attractive overview of what has been, so far, an impressive career. ~Rick Anderson

Handpicked

---

Don Grusin - Raven

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1990
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:59
Size: 126,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:35)  1. Flight Of The Raven
(4:32)  2. Two Lives
(4:43)  3. Hip Hop Be Bop
(6:03)  4. Oracle
(5:28)  5. Outback Oasis
(4:44)  6. Light in the Window
(5:32)  7. Zuma Noon
(5:12)  8. Um Beijo (A Kiss)
(4:24)  9. Graffiti-Bird
(4:14) 10. Highline
(5:26) 11. Catwalk

As he proved in his production of David Benoit's 1989 smash Urban Daydreams, the younger brother of Dave Grusin is a master at texturing various synth textures with the acoustic piano. On his solo debut Grusin once again does a remarkable job of this, mixing up his styles along the way to include bits and pieces of funk, Brazilian and mainstream jazz, along with healthy doses of the obligatory pop jazz formulas. Though the ballads here, such as "Oracle," are likable, Grusin the player is most at home on funky and frisky numbers like the stealthy "Catwalk," which features some tasty acoustic improvisations layered sparingly amidst a contagious synth groove. The best cut is another funkfest, "Graffiti Bird," which features the very punchy solo chops of saxman Eric Marienthal. The horns of Gary Herbig, Gary Grant, and Jerry Hey brass up this cut, as well as the softer line of "Light in the Window," while Sal Marquez's trumpet (which added so much to The Fabulous Baker Boys) adds a mainstream touch to songs like the title cut. The Brazilian vocalizing by Djavan makes "Two Lives" a memorable experience as well. And let's not forget kudos for the solid backbeat by bassist Flim Johnson and skinmaster Tommy Brechtlein. GRP was the smooth jazz mecca for many years, but once in a while the label released a project like this which added a lot of twists to the tried and true. ~ Jonathan Widran http://www.allmusic.com/album/raven-mw0000207728

Personnel:  Don Grusin - Producer, Arranger, Piano, Piano (Acoustic), Synthesizer, Vocals;  Ricardo Silveira – Guitar; Tom Brechtlein – Drums;  Eric Marienthal - Saxophone (Alto), Saxophone (Soprano);  Gary Herbig - Saxophone (Alto), Saxophone (Soprano), Saxophone (Tenor), Flute (Alto);  Kate Markowitz - Vocals, Vocals (Background);  Marilyn Scott - Vocals, Vocals (Background);  Sal Marquez – Trumpet;  Djavan – Vocals;  Jim Gilstrap - Vocals, Vocals (Background);  Gary Grant - Flugelhorn, Trumpet, Flute (Alto);  Jerry Hey - Flugelhorn, Trumpet;  Jimmy Johnson – Bass.

Raven

---

Marilyn Scott - Avenues of Love

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:34
Size: 124,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:47)  1. Starting to Fall
(5:02)  2. I Like to Dance
(4:27)  3. Avenida Del Sol
(5:38)  4. The Look of Love
(5:54)  5. Heaven's Design
(4:30)  6. Love is  a Powerful Thing
(5:34)  7. Hold You Up
(6:16)  8. Hey Love
(5:45)  9. Get Home
(3:37) 10. The Last Day

A top-notch adult contemporary vocalist still awaiting a well-deserved crossover commercial breakthrough, Marilyn Scott adds powerful fuel to her cause on Avenues of Love by helping herself with a well-balanced array of production and songwriting talent. George Duke surrounds her with party voices and a kneejerking Latin groove on a playful list of dance steps on "I Like to Dance," then surrounds her clear, sensuous voice with airy, billowing synth cushioning on the Bacharach-David classic "The Look of Love." Scott and bassist Jimmy Haslip reroute to Memphis on Michael Ruff's Wilson Pickett-like pick me up, "Love Is a Powerful Thing," engaging a two-piece horn section that sounds even larger. The Yellowjacket touch is in full effect on the picturesque "Avenida del Sol," which approximates an update of the gentle Astrud Gilberto sound; the tune was written by Scott and Bob Mintzer, and produced by Scott, Haslip, and Russell Ferrante. Scott's greatest gift here is her sense of modulation; she belts like crazy on the funk pieces, but recognizes the emotional power of restraint on the ballads. ~ Jonathan Widran http://www.allmusic.com/album/avenues-of-love-mw0000034777

Personnel : Marilyn Scott (vocals); Ray Fuller, Michael Landau, Paul Jackson, Jr., Mike Miller (guitar); Steve Allen, Brandon Fields (saxophone); Ralph Rickert (trumpet); Bob Mintzer, Walt Fowler (horns); George Duke (piano, synthesizer, keyboards, bass); Michael Ruff (keyboards, background vocals); Russell Ferrante (keyboards); Jimmy Haslip, Fred D. Washington (bass); Joseph Heredia, Will Kennedy (drums); Rafael Padilla, Paulinho Da Costa (percussion); Take 6, Lori Perry, Sharon Perry, Carolyn Perry, Darlene Perry, Jim Gilstrap, Lynn Davis, Alvin Chea, David Thomas, Maxayne Lewis (background vocals).

Avenues of Love

---

Marilyn Scott - Walking With Strangers

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:42
Size: 132,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:30)  1. Loving You
(6:04)  2. I Always Think Of You
(4:26)  3. Give In
(6:35)  4. All Of The Above
(5:51)  5. Beginning With You
(5:13)  6. You Don't Know What Love Is
(4:52)  7. Walking With Strangers
(4:41)  8. Don't Let Love Get Away
(4:44)  9. Who's Looking For Me?
(6:15) 10. No Room For Hate
(4:26) 11. A Call For Peace

The well-known adult contemporary singer debuted her powerful, poetic, and anthemic closing track, "No Room for Hate," in April of 2000 in front of 80,000 people at Equality Rocks, an all-star concert to benefit the Human Rights Campaign. The song and its message of compassion seem even more timely coming out just a few months after September 11. The rest of the time here, Scott's appealing voice tackles her usual spread of romantic lyrics and stylistic excursions to Brazil (the balmy, soundscape-enhanced samba-lite "I Always Think of You," co-written with and featuring guitarist Ricardo Silveira). She's been part of the Los Angeles studio scene for many years and always works with the cream of the crop. The inspirational, semi-gospel-flavored "Give In" features producer Russell Ferrante on keyboards, while Ferrante's fellow Yellowjacket, bassist Jimmy Haslip, plays on various cuts, including the dark-chorded, bluesy retro-soul meditation "All of the Above" (written by Brenda Russell and Michael Ruff) and an elegant cover of "You Don't Know What Love Is." This last cut was produced by drummer Terri Lyne Carrington and features a seductive percussion line and Patrice Rushen's restrained piano behind one of Scott's more emotional vocals (in a duet with Frank McComb). Most of the disc features live drumming, so the programmed groove of the otherwise appealing title track comes as a little bit of a letdown. "Don't Let Love Get Away" is a more overt gospel-flavored rumination on love lost, while "Who's Looking for Me" brings Scott together once again with keyboardist George Duke. 

With the exception of a few tracks, this disc is pretty much typical middle-of-the-road Scott; she could be the poster girl for adult contemporary singers but she should also take a cue from Randy Crawford and try some more up-tempo material. ~ Jonathan Widran http://www.allmusic.com/album/walking-with-strangers-mw0000017175

Personnel : Marilyn Scott (vocals); Ray Fuller, James Hara (guitar); Patrice Rushen (piano, keyboards); Renato Russell Ferante (keyboards); Jimmy Haslip (electric bass, fretless bass, keyboards, percussion); Vinny Coliauta, Terri Lyne Carrington, Michael White (drums); Darlene Perry, Lori Perry, Carolyn Perry, Leslie Smith (background vocals).

Walking With Strangers

---

Marilyn Scott - Nightcap

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:06
Size: 93,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:02)  1. I Wished On A Moon
(4:00)  2. Smile
(4:59)  3. Here's That Rainy Day
(5:28)  4. Stardust
(4:04)  5. Isn't This A Lovely Day
(5:16)  6. Here's To Life
(5:04)  7. Yesterdays
(6:10)  8. If It's The Last Thing I Do

Over the course of seven previous recordings, while establishing herself as a premier adult contemporary singer/songwriter, Marilyn Scott has carried on a quiet but steady love affair with the Great American Songbook. Her rendition of "The Look of Love" (from 1998's Avenues of Love) earned producer George Duke a Grammy nomination for Best Arrangement with vocals. Earlier recordings feature stunning versions of the classics "Let Me Be the One," "The Summer Knows," and "You Don't Know Me." On this much too short but still very satisfying collection, Scott's flirtation with pop standards evolves beautifully into a life-changing romance with the help of some of Los Angeles' most acclaimed studio musicians and jazz performers Brandon Fields (sax), Rick Baptist (trumpet), Ray Fuller (guitar), Brian Bromberg (upright bass), Dan Higgins (flute), Brazilian guitarist Dori Caymmi, and Vinnie Colaiuta (drums). Nightcap also marks the first time that frequent collaborator Duke has produced and arranged an entire Scott recording. The choices are inspired, from the coolly swinging Brazilian romance of "I Wished on the Moon" (from the Billie Holiday catalog) to the tender trio arrangement of "Smile" and understated poetry of "Stardust" (featuring Duke on piano and Rhodes). Scott skips through a nice variety of moods the heartfelt melancholy of "Here's that Rainy Day" balancing the optimistic "Isn't This a Lovely Day," with her bright vocal cruising gracefully over Bromberg's throbbing bass. The soulful big-band brass textures on "If It's the Last Thing I Do" adds a classy closing touch. ~ Jonathan Widran http://www.allmusic.com/album/nightcap-mw0000166040

Personnel: Dori Caymmi (vocals, guitar); Dean Parks, Ray Fuller (guitar); Dan Higgins (flute, tenor saxophone); Brandon Fields (alto saxophone); Rick Baptist (trumpet); George Duke (keyboards); Vinnie Colaiuta (drums); Lenny Castro (percussion).

Nightcap

---

Marilyn Scott - Innocent Of Nothing

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:48
Size: 133,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:57)  1. Round & Round
(6:13)  2. 'Round Midnight
(4:44)  3. Icebox
(5:40)  4. Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most
(4:22)  5. Moods
(5:30)  6. It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)
(5:54)  7. Share It
(5:34)  8. The Wilderness
(4:49)  9. A Flame
(5:08) 10. A Change
(4:53) 11. Walking With Stranges (Bonus Track)

Throughout her career, singer Marilyn Scott has straddled a line between traditional jazz vocals and the poppier side of fusion. Innocent of Nothing tilts slightly toward the latter, with catchy R&B-based tunes like "Icebox" and "Round and Round" alongside an oddly overwrought version of Bob Dylan's "It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)" that brings Scott Walker's melodramatics to mind. However, Scott's jazz side reasserts itself on her challenging take on the Thelonious Monk standard "Round Midnight," which Scott approaches with the rhythmic fearlessness of Jeanne Lee or indeed Monk himself. Throughout, producer and bandleader George Duke keeps the emphasis on Scott's vocals, using the tropes of contemporary smooth jazz (lots of fretless bass and electric piano, that sort of thing) while never letting the album devolve into soulless background music prettiness, even on lightweight tunes like "A Flame." In terms of Scott's vocal technique, Innocent of Nothing is something of a step back from 2004's Nightcap, a masterful collection of standards that features some of Scott's finest singing, but as a whole, this album shows that interesting work can still be done in the oft-maligned field of jazz-pop. ~ Stewart Mason  http://www.allmusic.com/album/innocent-of-nothing-mw0000529680

Personnel: Marilyn Scott (vocals); George Duke, John Beasley, Patrice Rushen, Russell Ferrante (keyboards); Jimmy Haslip, Brian Bromberg (bass instrument); Vinnie Colaiuta (drums).

Innocent Of Nothing

---

Marilyn Scott - Take Me With You

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 45:02

Size: 103.1 MB

Styles: Soul-jazz vocals

Year: 1996/2001

Art: Front

[5:14] 1. Let Me Be The One

[4:35] 2. I'm Calling You

[4:35] 3. Close Enough

[4:04] 4. Take Me With You

[4:29] 5. Bird Of Beauty

[3:14] 6. The Summer Knows

[4:18] 7. Modern Man

[5:39] 8. I'm In Love Once Again

[4:12] 9. That's The Way It Should Be

[4:36] 10. Just To See You Again

After a number of years paying her dues as a backup singer and recording for a number of indie labels with mixed success, Marilyn Scott finally brings her crisp, romantic vocal stylings to Warner Bros. on Take Me With You, a stylish potpourri of pop, soul, jazz and Brazilian influences tailor made to fit the definition of the finest in Adult Contemporary music. While Scott's powerful yet subtle and smoky voice ties all the loose threads together, the collection's strengths lie in its frolicsome diversity. Scott changes moods depending on the producer du jour. George Duke elicits cool, straightforward pop, while longtime cohorts Russell Ferrante and Jimmy Haslip forge her range from standard to hip-hop influenced jazz. Ironically, the most exciting track, a percolating Brazilian treatment of Stevie Wonder's "Bird of Beauty," is also the least commercial from a corporate marketing standpoint. Without the radio typical sheen, producer Dori Caymmi allows Scott to romp through a loping playground where even elegant Kevyn Lettau-like Portuguese is within the realm. Perhaps the reason it's taken Scott so long to break through on a higher level is the type of stunning diversity typified here. It's been worth the wait. ~Jonathan Widran

Take Me With You

---

Marilyn Scott - Every Time We Say Goodbye

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:13
Size: 112,0 MB
Art: Front + Back

(5:56)  1. Every Time We Say Goodbye
(4:05)  2. I Got Lost In His Arms
(5:35)  3. Lonely Town
(4:29)  4. Detour Ahead
(4:27)  5. Do You Know The Way To San Jose?
(5:10)  6. Autumn In New York
(4:26)  7. I Love Paris
(5:04)  8. Cry Me A River
(3:20)  9. Caravan
(4:36) 10. Somewhere

Marilyn Scott has straddled several music styles over her career though she is better known as a pop or smooth jazz singer. Unfortunately, that background rarely serves a musician well who attempts a straight-ahead CD with seasoned mainstream players interpreting standards. Scott's alto voice is at best average and a bit nasal, while the use of frequent reverb is evidently to cover up for her shortcomings. Her grating inflections in each song reveal her primary music interests. Particularly annoying are Scott's draggy setting of Cole Porter's "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" (which is misspelled on the cover) and the lightweight "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?" (a Burt Bacharach tune that was a hit for Dionne Warwick), which is recast in a bland bossa nova arrangement with a rather uninspired vocal. It is a shame that veterans like pianist Cyrus Chestnut, guitarist Paul Bollenback, and tenor saxophonist/clarinetist Ken Peplowski aren't featured more in these rather brief arrangements, aside from a sizzling "Caravan." The producers would have been better off writing a check to Scott and sending her packing after a few takes, while retaining the instrumentalists for their own record date. ~ Ken Dryden   

http://www.allmusic.com/album/every-time-we-say-goodbye-mw0001198488

Personnel: Bass – Gerald Cannon ; Drums – Willie Jones III ; Guitar – Paul Bollenback ; Piano – Cyrus Chestnut; Saxophone [Tenor]; Clarinet – Ken Peplowski ; Vocals – Marilyn Scott

Every Time We Say Goodbye

---