Sarah Vaughan, Michel Legrand - Sarah Vaughan with Michel Legrand

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1973
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 38:54
Size: 62,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:02) 1. The Summer Knows
(3:55) 2. What Are You Doing For The Rest Of Your Life?
(3:13) 3. Once You've Been In Love
(3:06) 4. Hands Of Time (Brian's Song)
(3:06) 5. I Was Born In Love With You
(2:10) 6. I Will Say Goodbye
(2:47) 7. Summer Me, Winter Me
(3:21) 8. His Eyes, Her Eyes
(3:07) 9. Pieces Of Dreams
(4:13) 10. Blue, Green, Grey And Gone
(3:30) 11. Wave
(3:18) 12. Deep In The Night

A meeting that worked better than anyone might expect. Vaughan was still her dynamic, charismatic vocal self, while Legrand didn't obscure or dilute her singing, and also effectively supported her in his own way.~Ron Wynnhttps://www.allmusic.com/album/with-michel-legrand-mw0000271518

Personnel: Sarah Vaughan - vocals; Pete Christlieb, Bob Cooper, Bernard Fleischer, Bill Hood, Jerome Richardson, Bud Shank - flute, reeds (multiple); Vincent DeRosa, Bill Hinshaw, Sinclair Lott, Dick Macker, Arthur Maebe, Richard Perissi, George Price, Ralph Pyle - French horn; Bobby Knight, Charles Loper, Grover Mitchell, George Roberts, Frank Rosolino, Lloyd Ulyate - trombone; Al Aarons, Gary Barone, Conte Candoli, Buddy Childers, Chuck Findley - trumpet; Tommy Johnson - tuba; Dave Grusin, Arthur Kane, Mike Wofford - keyboards; Larry Bunker - percussion; Tommy Tedesco - guitar; Chuck Rainey - bass guitar; Chuck Berghofer, Ray Brown, Bob Magnusson - double bass; John Guerin, Shelly Manne - drums; Michel Legrand - arranger, conductor, piano.

Sarah Vaughan with Michel Legrand

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Michel Legrand - Cole Porter

Styles: Piano Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:46
Size: 162,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:46) 1. Begin The Beguine
(4:22) 2. In The Still Of The Night
(2:20) 3. Just One Of Those Things
(3:10) 4. Ev'rytime We Say Goodbye
(2:45) 5. What Is This Thing Called Love
(2:49) 6. True Love
(1:56) 7. Ridin' High
(2:54) 8. Love Of My Life
(2:40) 9. Too Darn Hot
(3:38) 10. So In Love
(2:25) 11. Don't Fence Me In
(3:07) 12. Anything Goes
(2:29) 13. Love For Sale
(4:04) 14. Close
(2:50) 15. I Get A Kick Out Of You
(3:12) 16. I Love You
(2:46) 17. It's All Right With Me
(2:42) 18. I Am In Love
(2:33) 19. Night And Day
(2:01) 20. You Do Something To Me
(2:24) 21. From This Moment On
(3:29) 22. All Through The Night
(2:31) 23. I've Got You Under My Skin
(2:42) 24. Blow Gabriel Blow

Michel Legrand is a three-time Academy Award-winning French composer, conductor and pianist who composed over 200 film and television scores as well as recorded over a hundred albums of jazz, popular and classical music. He was born on February 24, 1932, in Becon-les-Bruyeres, in the Paris suburbs, France. His father, Raymond Legrand, was a French composer and actor. His mother, Marcelle der Mikaelian, was descended from the Armenian bourgeousie. From 1942 - 1949 young Legrand studied piano at the Paris Conservatoire. There his teachers were Nadia Boulanger and Henri Challan among other renown musicians. He received numerous awards for his skills in composition and piano and mastered a dozen other instruments. In 1947 he attended a concert by Dizzy Gillespie and caught a jazz bug. He started working as a pianist for major French singers. He eventually collaborated with Dizzy Gillespie on several albums and film scores.

In 1954 Legrand became an overnight star after his album "I Love Paris" became a hit, it went on selling over 8 million copies. He followed the success with such albums as "Holiday in Rome" (1955) and "Michel Legrand Plays Cole Porter" (1957). In 1958 he was invited to play at Moscow Festival of Students and Youth. There, in Moscow, he met his future wife, a young French model with who he went on to have three children. In the late 1950s and 1960s Legrand was caught up in the French New Wave. He scored seven films for jean-Luc Godard, he also made ten films with Jacques Demy, and became responsible for creating the genre of musical in the French Cinema. In 1963 Legrand did The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964), the first film musical that was entirely sung. For that film score he received three Oscar nominations. His beautiful, haunting melody, "I Will Wait For You", received nomination for Best Original Song.

In 1966 Legrand decided to take his chances in Hollywood, and moved to Los Angeles with his wife and three children. His friendship with Quincy Jones and Hank Mancini helped him a great deal, especially in meeting the lyricists Alan and Marilyn Bergman. In 1969 Legrand won his first Oscar for Best Music, Original Song for "The Windmills of Your Mind" and was also nominated for Best Music, Original score for a Motion Picture for The Thomas Crown Affair (1968). Eventually Legrand went on to become a star in the US, he received twelve nominations for Academy Awards, and won two more Oscars. He was also nominated for a Grammy 27 times and received 5 Grammys in the 1970s.

In the 1980s and 1990s Legrand continued giving live concerts with his own jazz trio. He also led his big band which he took on several international tours, accompanying such stars as Ray Charles , Diana Ross , Björk , and Stéphane Grappelli who celebrated his 85th birthday in 1992. He also recorded several classical albums, including an album with cross-genre hits entitled "Kiri Sings Michel Legrand" with the opera singer Kiri te Kanawa. During the 2000s Legrand has been working mainly in the studio, and also made several international tours. In 2005 a compilation of Legrand's best known film soundtracks was released under the title "Le Cinema de Michel Legrand", featuring 90 songs composed in the course of his career.By:Steve Shelokhonovhttps://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006166/bio

Cole Porter

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Michel Legrand - 50 Years Of Music And Movies

Styles: Piano Jazz

Year: 2010

File: MP3@320K/s 

Time: 66:31

Size: 153,4 MB 

Art: Front

(3:32)  1. Happy

(5:08)  2. Watch What Happens

(5:26)  3. What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life

(4:20)  4. His Eyes, Her Eyes

(4:12)  5. How Do You Keep the Music Playing

(3:45)  6. Summer Knows

(3:29)  7. I Will Wait for You

(3:18)  8. The Windmills of Your Mind

(4:19)  9. Love Makes the Changes

(3:48) 10. Summer of '42

(2:52) 11. Brian's Song

(4:09) 12. Summer Me, Winter Me

(5:18) 13. Rhapsody in Blue

(3:05) 14. Un Parfum De Fin Du Monde

(9:42) 15. Steve McQueen Tribute

Michel Legrand has made his fame and fortune from writing for films, but he has done significant work in jazz on an occasional basis. In 1957, he arranged a set of Dixieland and swing standards for a French orchestra (recorded on Philips), in 1958 he used three different all-star groups for the classic Legrand Jazz (with such sidemen as Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Phil Woods, Herbie Mann, Bill Evans, Ben Webster, Art Farmer, and others), in 1968 he recorded a strictly jazz set with a trio and Legrand has written for albums led by Stan Getz (1971), Sarah Vaughan (1972), and on several occasions, Phil Woods. Several of his songs (such as "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life," "Watch What Happens," and "The Summer Knows") have been recorded many times by jazz musicians. ~ Scott Yanow  https://itunes.apple.com/br/artist/michel-legrand/id10943?l=en#fullText

50 Years Of Music And Movies

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Blossom Dearie - Les Blue Stars - The Pianist

Styles: Vocal and Piano Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:08
Size: 79,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:46)  1. The Continental
(2:51)  2. The Boy Next Door
(2:34)  3. They Can't Take That Away From Me
(2:34)  4. Moonlight Saving Time (There Ought To Be A)
(2:56)  5. The Surrey With The Fringe On Top
(2:55)  6. April In Paris
(2:42)  7. Blue Moon
(3:24)  8. Down The Depths Of The 90th Floor
(2:50)  9. La Legende Du Pays Des Oiseaux
(3:04) 10. Lettre A Virginie
(2:43) 11. Toute Ma Joie
(2:45) 12. Embrasse-Moi Bien

A distinctive, girlish voice and crisp, impeccable delivery, plus an irrepressible sense of playful swing, made Blossom Dearie one of the most enjoyable singers of the vocal era. Her warmth and sparkle ensured that she'd never treat standards as the well-worn songs they often appeared in less capable hands. And though her reputation was made on record with a string of excellent albums for Verve during the '50s, she remained a draw with Manhattan cabaret audiences long into the new millennium. Actually born with the name Blossom Dearie in the New York Catskills, she began playing piano at an early age and studied classical music before making the switch to jazz while in high school. After graduation, she moved to New York and began appearing with vocal groups like the Blue Flames (attached to Woody Herman) and the Blue Reys (with Alvino Rey). She also played cocktail piano around the city, and moved to Paris in 1952 to form her own group, the Blue Stars of France. Dearie also appeared in a nightclub act with Annie Ross, and made a short, uncredited appearance on King Pleasure's vocalese classic, "Moody's Mood for Love." She recorded an obscure album of piano solos, and in 1954, the Blue Stars hit the national charts with a French version of "Lullaby of Birdland." After hearing Dearie perform in Paris in 1956, Norman Granz signed her to Verve and she returned to America by the end of the year. Her eponymous debut for Verve featured a set of standards that slanted traditional pop back to its roots in Tin Pan Alley, Broadway, and cabaret. 

Her focus on intimate readings of standards ("Deed I Do," "Thou Swell") and the relaxed trio setting (bassist Ray Brown and drummer Jo Jones, plus Dearie on piano) drew nods to her cabaret background. On her next few records, Dearie stuck to her focus on standards and small groups, though her gift for songwriting emerged as well with songs like "Blossom's Blues." She performed in solo settings at supper clubs all over New York, and appeared on the more cultured of the late-'50s New York talk shows. Her husband, flutist Bobby Jaspar, made several appearances on her records, notably 1959's My Gentleman Friend. After a recording break in the early '60s, Blossom Dearie signed to Capitol for one album (1964's May I Come In?), but then recorded sparingly during the rest of the decade. Finally, in the early '70s, she formed her own Daffodil Records label and began releasing her own work, including 1974's Blossom Dearie Sings and 1976's My New Celebrity Is You. She also performed at Carnegie Hall with Anita O'Day and Joe Williams, billed as the Jazz Singers. She continued to perform and record during the 1980s through to the early 2000s, centered mostly in New York but also a regular attraction in London as well. She retired from playing live in 2006 due to health concerns and died quietly in her Greenwich Village apartment on February 7, 2009. ~ John Bush https://www.allmusic.com/artist/blossom-dearie-mn0000758601/biography

Personnel:  Alto Vocals [Contralto] – Blossom Dearie (tracks: 9 to 12), Nadine Young (tracks: 9 to 12); Bass Vocals – Jean Mercadier (tracks: 9 to 12); Double Bass – Herman Garst (tracks: 1 to 8); Drums – Bernard Planchenault (tracks: 1 to 8); Piano – Blossom Dearie (tracks: 1 to 8); Piano, Arranged By – Michel Legrand (tracks: 9); Soprano Vocals [First] – Christiane Legrand (tracks: 9 to 12); Soprano Vocals [Second] – Janine De Waleyne (tracks: 9 to 12); Tenor Vocals [Second] – Christian Chevallier (tracks: 9 to 12); Trumpet, Baritone Vocals – Roger Guérin (tracks: 9 to 12); Vibraphone, Tenor Vocals [Lead] – Fats Sadi (tracks: 9 to 12)

The Pianist

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Michel Legrand - After The Rain

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1983
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:28
Size: 100,6 MB
Art: Front

(8:54)  1. Nobody Knows
(6:21)  2. After The Rain
(6:28)  3. I Was Born In Love With You
(7:55)  4. Orson's Theme
(7:46)  5. Pieces Of Dreams
(6:02)  6. Martina (Les Enfants Qui Pleurent)

This high-quality outing (reissued on CD) features composer Michel Legrand faring quite well as a jazz pianist. He performs six of his compositions (only "Pieces of Dream" is well-known) with a lyrical septet also including altoist Phil Woods (doubling on clarinet), tenor saxophonist Zoot Sims, trumpeter Joe Wilder, guitarist Gene Bertoncini, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Grady Tate. The music generally swings, has plenty of fine melodic solos, and gives listeners a taste of some fresh Legrand material. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/after-the-rain-mw0000267685

Personnel:  Piano, Producer – Michel Legrand; Bass – Ron Carter; Drums – Grady Tate; Guitar – Gene Bertoncini; Saxophone – Zoot Sims; Saxophone, Clarinet – Phil Woods; Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Joe Wilder 

 

R.I.P.
After The Rain

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Michel Legrand - Paris Was Made for Lovers

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:16
Size: 82,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:37)  1. The Windmills of the Mind
(2:44)  2. The Summer of '42
(2:51) 3. I Still See You (Theme From "The Go Between")
(2:15)  4. Sea and Sky
(0:51)  5. Concerto for Cabs
(1:29)  6. The Street Where They Lived
(1:36)  7. Where Love Begins
(2:49)  8. In Love in Normandy
(2:30)  9. A Place in Paris
(2:38) 10. Old Lovers Never Die
(2:25) 11. On the Road (From the Film "The Lady in the Car")
(1:12) 12. Do You Come Here Often
(2:16) 13. They Simply Fade Away
(1:34) 14. Where Love Ends
(1:46) 15. Pavanne for People
(2:36) 16. Paris Was Made for Lovers

This Michel Legrand release contains his original soundtrack for the 1970 movie Paris Was Made for Lovers and updated versions of two of his best known celluloid themes, "Windmills of Your Mind" and "Summer of '42." These new takes on already well-tread material are pleasant at best, while the original soundtrack material is quite good. Particularly impressive are the vocal numbers "Paris Was Made for Lovers" (Legrand in decent vocal form), "A Place in Paris" (Matt Monro sounding like Tony Bennett), and "Sand and Sea" (Dusty Springfield at her best). There are some fine instrumentals, too, like the dramatic themes "Where Love Begins" and "Where Love Ends" and the Ravel-esque ballads "In Love in Normandy" and "They Simply Fade Away" (the latter two are based on the "Sand and Sea" melody). To break up the soundtrack's predominately melancholy mood, Legrand includes some respectable Dixieland jazz ("Concerto for Cabs") and bit of circus music ("Do You Come Here Often?"). Like '60s-era soundtracks by Mancini and Bacharach, Paris Was Made for Lovers succeeds with a winning mix of strong melodies, provocative arrangements, and a variety of styles; and even though it doesn't match the quality of top Legrand releases like The Thomas Crown Affair, it still is worth seeking out. ~ Stephen Cook https://www.allmusic.com/album/paris-was-made-for-lovers-mw0000239004

R.I.P.
Born: February 24, 1932, Bécon les Bruyères, France
Died: January 26, 2019, Paris, France

Paris Was Made for Lovers

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The John Pizzarelli Trio - Let's Share Christmas

Styles: Christmas, Vocal Jazz, Swing, Big Band 
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:36
Size: 101,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:25)  1. Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow
(3:55)  2. Let's Share Christmas
(3:23)  3. White Christmas
(5:03)  4. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
(4:19)  5. What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?
(2:50)  6. Sleigh Ride
(3:46)  7. Christmas Time Is Here
(3:44)  8. I'll Be Home for Christmas
(3:10)  9. Santa Claus Is Near
(3:48) 10. The Christmas Song
(3:12) 11. Snowfall
(3:54) 12. Silent Night

Let's Share Christmas is an engaging holiday record from John Pizzarelli. Featuring several songs arranged and conducted by Johnny Mandel, Michel Legrand and Claire Fischer, the album isn't just Pizzarelli and his trio  instead, his small combo combines with a series of 40-piece orchestras that give the music a grand, elegant sweep that combines the best of big-band pop and hip, swinging jazz. ~ Thom Owens https://www.allmusic.com/album/lets-share-christmas-mw0000080446

Personnel:  John Pizzarelli – guitar; Martin Pizzarelli – double-bass; Ray Kennedy – piano; Harry Allen – saxophone; Jay Berliner – guitar; Jeff Clayton – saxophone; Andy Fusco – saxophone; Bill Watrous – trombone; Michel Legrand – conductor; The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra; Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra

Let's Share Christmas

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Charito - Watch What Happens: Charito Meets Michel Legrand

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:14
Size: 143,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:03)  1. Watch What Happens
(5:08)  2. Summer Me, Winter Me
(5:40)  3. The First Time
(3:19)  4. Pieces Of Dreams
(4:23)  5. Once Upon A Summer Time
(5:49)  6. How Do You Keep The Music Playing?
(6:48)  7. What Are You Doing The Best Of Your Life?
(3:45)  8. Quand On S'Aime
(3:01)  9. Ask Yourself Why
(6:05) 10. You Must Believe In Spring
(4:22) 11. I Will Wait For You
(3:41) 12. The Windmills Of Your Mind
(6:05) 13. The Summer Knows

Recognized as a prominent jazz singer in Japan, Philippine-born songbird Charito has been a vocal force in Asia and Europe since the early 1990s, and now presents perhaps her most ambitious project to date on Watch What Happens, a delightful collaboration with Grammy Award-winning French composer Michel Legrand. Stating that "This album has become one of my biggest accomplishments ever," Charito does, indeed, deliver a classy performance with her distinctive interpretation of love songs from Legrand's songbook. The singer embarks on an American tour of a project, recorded in France and originally released in Europe in 2008. Gifted with a beautiful, velvet voice, Charito's calm, laidback approach to the music serves her quite well. When Legrand accepted a request from the singer to perform a tune or two with the diva, the project shifted, from the original plan of a series of French love songs played by French musicians, to a collection of Legrand compositions sung exclusively, of course, with the maestro. 

Legrand plays piano as part of the jazz combo, scats on several pieces, and performs a duet with the singer on "Summer Me, Winter Me," "Pieces Of Dreams," and "Quand On S'Aime," where both artists sing in French and seem to have fun with the lyrics. With Alain Mayeras sharing piano duties and providing the musical arrangements, Charito is simply mesmerizing on the title piece, "The First Time," and beautiful "What Are You Doing The Rest of Your Life," from the 1969 movie The Happy Ending all accompanied by a full orchestra and string section (unfortunately, neither the orchestra or many of the key players are listed). Charito lends stylish interpretations to a couple of other Legrand compositions associated with film classics like "The Windmills of Your Mind," from The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) and "The Summer Knows," from the 1971 flick Summer of '42 (1971). 

Though their meeting in Paris was not truly by chance, this recording was never really in the plans and, as luck would have it, Watch What Happens turns out to be a musical invitation that embraces the talents of a legend and the vocal energy of a very special singer. On Watch What Happens, Charito meets Michel Legrand, and the results is a wonderful album of mature light jazz. ~ Edward Blanco https://www.allaboutjazz.com/watch-what-happens-charito-ct-music-review-by-edward-blanco.php

Personnel: Charito: vocals; Michel Legrand: piano, vocals; Alain Mayeras: piano, arranger; orchestra and other players unlisted.

Watch What Happens: Charito Meets Michel Legrand

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VA - Oscar, With Love: The Songs Of Oscar Peterson

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 178:47
Size: 412,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:18)  1. The Contessa (Makoto Ozone)
(3:39)  2. Blues For Smedley (Robi Botos)
(5:43)  3. Celine's Waltz (Oliver Jones, Dave Young)
(5:11)  4. Bossa Beguine (Gerald Clayton)
(3:31)  5. Cool Walk (Benny Green)
(8:16)  6. Dream Of Me (Michel Legrand)
(4:34)  7. Sushi (Renee Rosnes, Bill Charlap)
(3:00)  8. If I Love Again (Ramsey Lewis)
(3:49)  9. On Danish Shore (Justin Kauflin)
(8:51) 10. Ballad For Benny Carter (Kenny Barron)
(2:28) 11. A Little Jazz Exercise (Makoto Ozone)
(5:56) 12. Tranquille (Monty Alexander, Dave Young)
(4:58) 13. Take Me Home (Hiromi)
(3:35) 14. Announcement (Bill Charlap)
(5:20) 15. If You Only Knew (Benny Green)
(6:39) 16. Love Ballade (Renee Rosnes)
(5:22) 17. The Gentle Waltz (Monty Alexander, Dave Young)
(6:14) 18. Summertime (Justin Kauflin)
(6:22) 19. Laurentide Waltz (Ramsey Lewis)
(4:58) 20. Morning (Gerald Clayton)
(7:59) 21. Harcourt Nights (Michel Legrand)
(4:19) 22. Wheatland (Robi Botos)
(5:11) 23. Why Think About Tomorrow (Oliver Jones, Dave Young)
(6:28) 24. One For Oscar (Chick Corea)
(5:06) 25. The Smudge (Kenny Barron)
(4:58) 26. Sir Lancewell (Lance Anderson)
(4:13) 27. Dear Oscar (Makoto Ozone)
(6:03) 28. I Remember OP (Oliver Jones, Dave Young)
(4:03) 29. Oscar's New Camera (Hiromi)
(2:38) 30. OP's Boogie (Lance Anderson)
(4:28) 31. Trust (Monty Alexander, Dave Young)
(4:03) 32. Emmanuel (Robi Botos)
(3:13) 33. Look What You’ve Done To Me (Audrey Morris)
(3:16) 34. Goodbye Old Friend (Dave Young)
(5:18) 35. Hymn To Freedom (Gerald Clayton)
(2:29) 36. When Summer Comes (Robi Botos)

To mark the ninetieth anniversary of the legendary jazz pianist Oscar Peterson's birth (August 15, 2015), Peterson's widow, Kelly Peterson, produced a tribute album for the ages: Oscar, with Love, a marvelous three-disc set comprising ten never-before-recorded Peterson compositions, nineteen of his better-known works and seven compositions written especially for him, performed by sixteen contemporary piano masters on Peterson's personal Boesendorfer Imperial piano at his private studio in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Makoto Ozone has the honor of opening Disc 1 with a warm-hearted reading of Peterson's lovely ballad, "The Contessa." He is followed, in order, by a veritable who's who of noteworthy (no pun intended) keyboard artists: Robi Botos, Oliver Jones, Gerald Clayton, Benny Green, Michel Legrand, Renee Rosnes, Bill Charlap, Ramsey Lewis, Justin Kauflin, Kenny Barron, Monty Alexander, Hiromi, Chick Corea, co-producer Lance Anderson and Peterson's close friend, Chicagoan Audrey Morris. While most tracks showcase the solo piano, Peterson's longtime bassist, Dave Young, accompanies Jones ("Celine's Waltz," "Why Think About Tomorrow," "I Remember OP"), Alexander ("Tranquille," "The Gentle Waltz") and performs alone on "Goodbye Old Friend." Morris plays and sings on "Look What You've Done to Me," while Charlap and Rosnes appear separately on "Announcement" and "Love Ballade," respectively, and together on "Sushi."

The songs written for Peterson include Corea's earnest "One for Oscar" (composed especially for this album), and his bravura performance, which leads off Disc 3, is one of the set's myriad highlights. As for others, any song on which Barron, Jones, Legrand, Lewis, Charlap or Rosnes are in the driver's seat is almost by definition a highlight, and none of them is less than inspired, nor are Ozone, Alexander, Anderson, Botos, Clayton, Green, Hiromi, Kauflin or Morris. Jones, who like Peterson was born in Montreal, is closest to his fellow Canadian in spirit, and even though he was roughly eighty years old when the album was recorded, plays with the agility and vigor of someone many years his junior. Lewis, another newly minted octogenarian, shows no deference to Father Time on his opulent features, "If I Love Again" and "Laurentide Waltz," while the (now) eighty four year old Legrand is sublime on "Dream of Me" and "Harcourt Nights." That's not to demean the (relatively) younger lions Botos, Clayton, Hiromi and Kauflin each of whom makes an auspicious impression. And for brio emblematic of Peterson himself, dig Ozone's busy fingers on "Dear Oscar" and "A Little Jazz Exercise." This is an album on which every participant seems entirely aware that he or she is not merely playing another song but is offering his or her homage to one of the most renowned jazz pianists who ever lived. That fondness and appreciation are palpable from start to finish, which is one (of many) reasons why Oscar, with Love is an album to be applauded and treasured. Others include immaculate sound, splendid packaging, erudite and inclusive liner notes by Basie trumpeter Scotty Barnhart, and warm personal remembrances by Peterson's daughter, Celine. An exemplary tribute worthy of the name and the monarch to whom it is inscribed. ~ Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/oscar-with-love-oscar-peterson-two-lions-records-review-by-jack-bowers.php

Personnel: Monty Alexander: piano; Lance Anderson: piano; Kenny Barron: piano; Robi Botos: piano; Bill Charlap: piano; Gerald Clayton: piano; Chick Corea: piano; Benny Green: piano; Hiromi: piano; Oliver Jones: piano; Justin Kauflin: piano; Michel Legrand: piano; Ramsey Lewis: piano; Audrey Morris: piano, vocal; Makoto Ozone: piano; Renee Rosnes: piano; Dave Young: bass.

Oscar, With Love: The Songs Of Oscar Peterson

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Hilary Kole - You Are There

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:40
Size: 139,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:56)  1. If I Had You (with Hank Jones)
(5:03) 2. Every Time We Say Goodbye (with Cedar Walton)
(4:53)  3. It's Always You (with Freddy Cole)
(6:58)  4. Lush Life (with Kenny Barron)
(4:11)  5. These Foolish Things (with Dave Brubeck)
(4:15)  6. I Remember (with Mike Renzi)
(4:32)  7. How Do You Keep the Music Playing (with Michel Legrand)
(4:37)  8. But Beautiful (with Hank Jones)
(4:12)  9. Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise (with Benny Green)
(4:18) 10. Strange Meadowlark (with Dave Brubeck)
(4:16) 11. You Are There (with Alan Broadbent)
(4:24) 12. Two for the Road (with Steve Kuhn)
(5:01) 13. All the Way (with Monty Alexander)

Vocalist Hilary Kole is more than a mere interpreter of songs. Like the great singers who came before her, Kole is a master storyteller who merges cabaret sensibilities, jazz vocal craft and a slight hint of folk charm into one appealing package. She possesses a voice that could fit naturally on a Broadway stage or in a swanky jazz club, and she puts it to good use on this all-standards affair. Kole sticks to the softer side of the jazz canon, interpreting thirteen ballad gems with eleven different pianists of note. Had she only been able to get one of these master craftsmen like Hank Jones or Dave Brubeck the project would likely have drawn interest from the jazz listening public, but with a roster of ivory ticklers that's as deep as the ocean, she ups the interest quotient considerably.

Each pianist merges with Kole in a different, wondrous way, bringing a little bit of themselves into the songs. Hank Jones largely takes a back seat to Kole, befitting a pianist who spent many a year supporting singers, but his playing on "But Beautiful" is all class and charm. Kole brings an overwrought sense of drama to Michel Legrand's "How Do You Keep the Music Playing?," as the composer also magnifies the intense emotional outpouring on piano. Mike Renzi provides rippling tides of sound on "I Remember," and Kole's vocals are as lovely as a clear blue sky.

While the aforementioned differences from track to track might not pop up on everybody's radar, there are other things to help make certain songs stick out. Freddy Cole adds his vocals to the mix on "It's Always You," while Benny Green brings more of himself into his performance, perhaps, than anyone else, with some bluesy licks and a bit of honky tonk machismo taking "Softly, As A Morning Sunrise" to a different place. Kenny Barron's superb playing ups the ante on "Lush Life," and Kole proves up to the challenge, delivering a jewel of a performance. 

When Barron solos, he takes the music in a different direction, with his staccato left hand playing against his running right. Other highlights include Alan Broadbent's masterful shaping of the title track, and Kole's two meetings with Brubeck. If people are truly measured by the company they keep, then Kole deserves all the accolades in the world for You Are There; fortunately, she does just as well when measured on her own merits throughout this captivating set. ~ Dan Bilawsky  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/you-are-there-hilary-kole-justin-time-records-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Hilary Kole: vocals; Hank Jones: piano (1, 8); Cedar Walton: piano (2); Kenny Barron: piano (4); Dave Brubeck: piano (5, 10); Alan Broadbent: piano (11); Freddy Cole: vocals and piano (3); Benny Green: piano (9); Steve Kuhn: piano (12); Michel Legrand: piano (7); Mike Renzi: piano (6); Monty Alexander: piano (13).

You Are There

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Michel Legrand - Lost in Music: Sounds of Summer

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 103:48
Size: 238,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:19)  1. Blue and Sentimental
(3:29)  2. The Windmills of Your Mind
(2:52)  3. Baby, Just for Me
(2:55)  4. 'Round Midnight
(2:39)  5. This Can't Be Love
(1:36)  6. People Will Say We're in Love
(5:15)  7. Blue Moon
(2:27)  8. Falling in Love With Love
(3:20)  9. Wild Man Blues
(2:26) 10. There's a Small Hotel
(2:31) 11. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
(3:15) 12. Too Marvelous for Words
(2:34) 13. My Funny Valentine
(5:07) 14. The Lady Is a Tramp
(3:44) 15. Stompin' At the Savoy
(2:14) 16. A Wonderful Guy
(2:30) 17. Some Enchanted Evening
(2:35) 18. Summertime
(3:16) 19. I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)
(2:24) 20. Have You Met Miss Jones
(5:15) 21. Jitterbug Waltz
(2:32) 22. It Might as Well Be Spring
(2:26) 23. Getting to Know You
(4:11) 24. Django
(2:49) 25. You're Just the Kind
(3:10) 26. Yesterdays
(2:28) 27. Old Devil Moon
(2:20) 28. Nuages
(3:16) 29. In a Mist
(2:10) 30. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
(5:49) 31. A Night in Tunisia
(2:33) 32. Marie
(1:04) 33. With a Little Bit of Luck
(3:02) 34. If I Loved You

Michel Legrand has made his fame and fortune from writing for films, but he has done significant work in jazz on an occasional basis. In 1957, he arranged a set of Dixieland and swing standards for a French orchestra (recorded on Philips), in 1958 he used three different all-star groups for the classic Legrand Jazz (with such sidemen as Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Phil Woods, Herbie Mann, Bill Evans, Ben Webster, Art Farmer, and others), in 1968 he recorded a strictly jazz set with a trio and Legrand has written for albums led by Stan Getz (1971), Sarah Vaughan (1972), and on several occasions, Phil Woods. Several of his songs (such as "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life," "Watch What Happens," and "The Summer Knows") have been recorded many times by jazz musicians. ~ Scott Yanow  https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/michel-legrand/id10943#fullText

Lost in Music: Sounds of Summer

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Jessye Norman - I Was Born in Love with You: Jessye Norman Sings Michel Legrand

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:28
Size: 145,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:42)  1. Summer Knows
(4:00)  2. Dans Ses Yeux
(4:39)  3. Je Vivrai Sans Toi
(6:40)  4. What are you doing the rest of your life?
(3:24)  5. I was born in love with you
(3:03)  6. Dis - moi
(3:47)  7. Les Enfants Qui Pleurent
(3:34)  8. Moon And I
(2:28)  9. Celui - là
(4:44) 10. Windmills of your Mind
(4:52) 11. You must believe in Spring
(3:53) 12. La Valse Des Lilas
(3:43) 13. Afterthoughts
(3:43) 14. Les Parapluies De Cherbourg
(6:09) 15. Between Yesterday and Tomorrow

Five-time Grammy and three-time Academy Award winner Michel Legrand is one of the greatest songwriters active today. His "Windmills of Your Mind" and "You Must Believe In Spring," among others, are classics of the popular song repertoire. Soprano Jessye Norman is one of the most beloved singers in all of music. She has dazzled audiences throughout the world with her mastery of the operatic and song literature. This recording offers a rare opportunity for two superstar performers from different musical worlds to collaborate in a program. Norman's dark, rich soprano is ideal in fifteen Legrand classics sung in both French and English. Her shading and flawless breath control makes each song a mini-masterpiece. Legrand's delicate piano playing provides lyrical, blues-inflected accompaniment and he is supported by a veteran rhythm section of Ron Carter on bass and Grady Tate on drums. http://www.allmusic.com/album/i-was-born-in-love-with-you-jessye-norman-sings-michel-legrand-mw0000609994

Personnel:  Bass – Ron Carter; Drums – Grady Tate;  Piano – Michel Legrand;  Vocals – Jessye Norman

I Was Born in Love with You: Jessye Norman Sings Michel Legrand

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Nicolas Folmer - Plays Michel Legrand

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:14
Size: 138,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:50)  1. Oum Le Dauphin
(3:20)  2. Watch What's Happen
(6:05)  3. Tu Dormiras Longtemps
(8:43) 4. The Windmills Of My Mind (Les Moulins De Mon Cœur)
(6:38)  5. Once Upon Summertime
(2:47)  6. Quand Ça Balance!
(5:02)  7. A Quiet Room
(6:40)  8. Papa Can You Hear Me
(4:34)  9. You Must Believe In Spring
(5:50) 10. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life
(4:40) 11. Summer 42

After “I comme Icare” (Django d’Or new talent) and “Fluide”, Nicolas Folmer, considered as one of the best trumpttist of his generation, signs his third album as leader and is charged with deep emotion for Michel Legrand revisiting his repertoire who really becomes a very important part of French cultural patrimony. Nicolas Folmer, orchestratist himself (he is especially the co-leader of the Paris Jazz Big Band) and unconditional of the composing style and interpreter of Michel Legrand who has proposed this confirmed project. Michel Legrand was invested into this project as well playing piano and singing for 2 headings of this album, and also keeping Nicolas Folmer company and his group in concert. http://www.cristalrecords.com/cristalrecords/en/419

Personnel:  Nicolas Folmer : Trompette, arrangements;  Thierry Eliez : piano;  Jérôme Regard : contrebasse (sauf titres 7, 11);  Mauro Gargano : contrebasse (7, 11);  Benjamin Henocq : batterie;  Michel Legrand : piano, chant (7, 11)

Plays Michel Legrand

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Oscar Peterson - Perfect Peterson: Best of the Pablo & Telarc Recordings (Disc 2)

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:24
Size: 173,1 MB
Art: Front

( 8:49)  1. Honeysuckle Rose
(12:09)  2. Kelly's Blues
( 8:55)  3. Wheatland
( 4:50)  4. In A Mellow Tone
( 5:45)  5. Tin Tin Deo
( 8:48)  6. Nighttime
( 6:25)  7. Reunion Blues
( 8:27)  8. Satin Doll
( 7:27)  9. Ja-Da
( 3:47) 10. Morning In Newfoundland

Perfect Peterson: Best of the Pablo & Telarc Recordings (Disc 2)

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Oscar Peterson - Perfect Peterson: Best of the Pablo & Telarc Recordings (Disc 1)

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:21
Size: 168,5 MB
Art: Front

( 4:52)  1. Tenderly
( 3:20)  2. How High the Moon
( 8:01)  3. Nuages
( 5:21)  4. Blues Etude
( 6:57)  5. Caravan
( 7:17)  6. I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
( 4:26)  7. Summertime
(10:47)  8. If I Were a Bell
( 3:18)  9. (Back Home Again In) Indiana
( 4:47) 10. I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)
( 7:11) 11. Nigerian Marketplace
( 6:57) 12. On the Trail

While it's true that Oscar Peterson compilations appeared with regularity form the early '60s on, only a few of them as with most recording artists have any real merit. This two-disc collection from the Concord Music Group's Telarc label, is one of them. Appearing less than a year before his death, this compilation concentrates on recordings issued from the '50s through the middle of the '80s on Dizzy Gillespie's Pablo label, and those made for Telarc between 1990 and 2000. Many live dates are included here from both labels, including "Tenderly" with Herb Ellis and Ray Brown at the J.A.T.P. concerts in Japan; the trio dates at Zardi's in 1955 ("How High the Moon"), in Copenhagen with Joe Pass, Stéphane Grappelli, and Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen in 1979, and Mickey Roker in 1979 ("Nuages"). There's the beautiful duet reading of Juan Tizol's "Caravan" with Gillespie in the studio in 1974, as well as the title track form the Nigerian Marketplace album but recorded live in Japan in 1982.

The biggest complaint is that there isn't anything here actually from that classic album on this set. Disc two begins with the great reunion of the trio at the Blue Note in 1990, from which the historic set was taken with Bobby Durham on drums: "Honeysuckle Rose," "Kelly's Blues," and "Wheatland" all come from those sets. Other live cuts include "Reunion Blues," with Benny Green, Ellis, Brown, and drummer Lewis Nash from the Tribute to Oscar Peterson concert in New York, and "Night Time" from Oscar in Paris. There are a few studio numbers here as well including "In a Mellow Tone," with Brown, Nash, Benny Carter, Clark Terry, and Lorne Lofsky, and the stellar version of "Tin Tin Deo," with Roy Hargrove, Ørsted-Pedersen, and Ralph Moore was recorded in Canada for release on mid-'90s albums like The More I See You and Trail of Dreams: A Canadian Suite. With the exception of the aforementioned minor complaint, this is a fine overview of some of Peterson's most productive years. Included is an excellent liner essay by writer James Isaacs. ~ Thom Jurek  http://www.allmusic.com/album/perfect-peterson-best-of-the-pablo-telarc-recordings-mw0000727150

Personnel: Oscar Peterson, Benny Green, Count Basie: piano;   Herb Ellis, Lorne Lafsky, Ulf Wakenius, Joe Pass: guitar;   Ray Brown, Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen, John Heard, David Young: bass; Bobby Durham, Lewis Nash, Martin Drew, Karriem Riggins, Mickey Roker, Louis Bellson: drums; Benny Carter: alto sax; Clark Terry: flugelhorn; Roy Hargrove, Dizzy Gillespie: trumpet; Ralph Moore, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis: tenor sax; Milt Jackson: vibes; Michel Legrand: strings; Stephane Grappelli: violin.

Perfect Peterson: Best of the Pablo & Telarc Recordings (Disc 1)

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Natalie Dessay & Michel Legrand - Entre Elle et Lui

Styles: Chanson

Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:31
Size: 150,0 MB
Art: Front + Back

(3:23)  1. Chanson de Delphine
(3:06)  2. Le Cinema
(2:18)  3. Chanson de Delphine a Lancien
(4:31)  4. Papa Can You Hear Me?
(2:39)  5. Recette pour un Cake d'Amour
(4:09)  6. La Valse des Lilas
(3:06)  7. Les Moulins de Mon Coeur
(1:57)  8. L'Ame Soeur a l'Hamecon
(7:51)  9. What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?
(3:25) 10. Chanson des Jumelles
(3:24) 11. Le Rouge et le Noir
(2:02) 12. Conseil de la Fee Lilas
(6:14) 13. Duo de Guy et Genevieve
(3:04) 14. La Chanson de Louba
(2:02) 15. La Chanson
(2:55) 16. Paris Violon
(5:04) 17. The Summer Knows
(4:13) 18. Mon Dernier Concert

After her triumphs in the world’s great opera houses, Natalie Dessay crosses over. A tribute to the legendary Michel Legrand who has scored some of the most famous musical soundtracks. This autumn, starting in fine fashion with two concerts at Paris’ legendary ‘music hall’ the Olympia, she undertakes a tour of France with the celebrated composer and jazz pianist Michel Legrand.

Legrand trained at the Paris Conservatoire with no less a teacher than Nadia Boulanger and is known around the world for his haunting music for Jacques Demy’s 1964 film Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (The Umbrellas of Cherbourg), and for his work in Hollywood, which has brought him three Oscars: for his scores for the 1983 Barbra Streisand film Yentl and the 1971 film The Summer of’42, and for his song, ‘The Windmills Of Your Mind’, from the 1968 Steve McQueen movie The Thomas Crown Affair.

Dessay first became aware of Legrand at the age of six or so, when she saw another film directed by Jacques Demy, the fairy tale Peau d’âne. “At the time, I would never have imagined singing with him. Now we are good friends and I am lucky enough to work with him on a regular basis ... I think Michel Legrand is a genius, just as Mozart was a genius. He is also a melodic virtuoso. You hear two notes and you know it’s one of his songs.” Dessay describes popular song as “an art that can demand great refinement. A song like Georges Brassens ‘Saturne’ has as much value, for me, as an opera by Bellini. In opera, you open up and let go. In a popular song, like when your singing German lieder or French art-song, you have to concentrate your voice – to learn to say a lot with less power, especially if you are using a microphone.”

The album that Dessay and Legrand have recorded together is Entre elle et lui (Between Her and Him). With a focus on voice, piano, bass and drums, it includes Legrand’s Oscar-winners, a duet from Les Parapluies de Cherbourg – which brings Dessay together with her husband, the bass-baritone Laurent Naouri, the Lilac Fairy’s song from Peau d’âne (as sung in the film by the enchanting Delphine Seyrig), and the sisters’ sassy duet from Les Demoiselles de Rochefort, performed in Jacques Demy’s film by Catherine Deneuve and her real-life sister Françoise Dorléac, but appropriated here (in this) album by Dessay and fellow soprano Patricia Petitbon. A further special guest on the album is the distinguished harpist Catherine Michel, who is also Michel Legrand’s wife.  http://www.mdt.co.uk/dessay-natalie-michel-legrand-entre-elle-et-lui-erato.html

Entre Elle et Lui

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