Wayne Escoffery - Like Minds

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:33
Size: 134,2 MB
Art: Front

(6:02) 1. Like Minds
(7:48) 2. Nostalgia in Times Square
(7:26) 3. Sincerely Yours
(7:55) 4. My Truth
(6:38) 5. Rivers of Babylon
(4:57) 6. Song of Serenity
(4:07) 7. Treasure Lane
(6:29) 8. Idle Moments
(6:08) 9. Shuffle

Like Minds, the latest album from saxophonist Wayne Escoffery, focuses on chemistry particularly the chemistry between old friends and bandmates who’ve played together so often their interplay is beyond telepathic. To that end, Escoffery uses his regular bandmates keyboardist David Kikoski, bassist Ugonna Okegwo, and drummer Mark Whitfield, Jr., replacing his late teacher Ralph Peterson, Jr. as the backbone. While this configuration has been a band for only about seven years or so, Escoffery has played with them in so many other contexts they sound like longtime soulmates. The quartet is joined by other Escoffery compadres from across his career, including trumpeter Tom Harrell, guitarist Mike Moreno, and singer Gregory Porter, all of whom grok Escoffery’s vibe well.

None of this is surprising, mind you even if you’re not familiar with the saxist himself, Escoffery’s position as co-director of the Mingus Big Band proves he knows how to lead the troops. In that respect, he takes them to fields of smooth hard bop (“Sincerely Yours”), mystical spirit jazz (Peterson’s “Song of Serenity”), soulful social commentary (“My Truth,” co-starring Porter and Harrell), smoky balladry (Duke Pearson’s “Idle Moments,” made famous by guitarist Grant Green), and funky bop fusion (Charles Mingus’s “Nostalgia in Times Square”). If that sounds too disparate, it ain’t – the tight arrangements, easy chemistry, and Escoffery’s warm tone make every song sound of a piece with the rest. Always smooth but rarely slick, Like Minds goes down like a great big bowl of spicy pho. By Michael Toland
https://bigtakeover.com/recordings/wayne-escoffery-like-minds-sm

Personnel: Wayne Escoffery - saxophone, tenor; David Kikoski - piano; Ugonna Okegwo - bass; Mark Whitfield Jr - drums; Gregory Porter - voice / vocals; Tom Harrell - trumpet; Mike Moreno - guitar

Like Minds

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Jeremy Pelt - Profile

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:12
Size: 139,0 MB
Art: Front

( 8:41) 1. Aesop's Fables
( 4:01) 2. The Trivium
( 6:03) 3. Mystique
( 6:26) 4. Pieces Of a Dream
( 8:30) 5. A Song For You (Lovebird)
(10:37) 6. Jigsaw
( 6:07) 7. We Share a Moon
( 8:42) 8. You won't Forget Me

His original compositions flow from jazz's straight-ahead tradition. His sextet is keeping the flame alive through solid teamwork and gentle exploration. Their blend treats each instrumental voice equally, but highlights the drummer just a little more than the others. And why not? Ralph Peterson does a superb job of knitting them into one well-composed unit.

Trumpeter Jeremy Pelt hails from Los Angeles. After graduating from Boston's Berklee College of Music in 1988, he moved to New York and has paid his dues with several mainstream organizations. Now, his recording debut offers a larger audience the opportunity to hear this rising star. With his clarion tone and persuasive technique, Pelt rides a creative wave of straight-ahead dreams. Ballads and up-tempo romps take on his personal attitude. Passion and energy build his performance. Undoubtedly, Miles and Freddie and Chet and Booker and Lee came from the same roots as young Jeremy Pelt. It's all from the heart. On top of that, he's surrounded himself with a winning team. This year's top ten list wouldn't be complete without Profile. Tune in as soon as you can.By Jim Santella https://www.allaboutjazz.com/profile-jeremy-pelt-blue-moon-review-by-jim-santella

Personnel: Jeremy Pelt: trumpet; Jimmy Greene: tenor saxophone; Robert Glasper: piano; Gerald Cannon: bass; Ralph Peterson: drums; Jaleel Shaw: alto saxophone on "Pieces of a Dream"; Mike Moreno: guitar on "Aesop's Fables"

Profile

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Mike Moreno - Standards from Film

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:33
Size: 153,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:30) 1. Beautiful Love
(5:30) 2. You Stepped Out Of A Dream
(6:55) 3. There Will Never Be Another You
(6:39) 4. Stella By Starlight
(8:17) 5. Laura
(7:31) 6. I Fall In Love Too Easily
(7:00) 7. On Green Dolphin Street
(4:16) 8. My Foolish Heart
(8:06) 9. Invitation
(9:44) 10. Days Of Wine And Roses

At last. An enjoyable alternative to the ghastly albums of "jazzed up" hymns and Christmas carols which spew forth every holiday season. There is nothing overtly Christmassy about guitarist Mike Moreno's Standards From Film, but it is appropriate that the album, recorded in New York in December 2021, was released in the UK in early December 2022 and came out in the US a month or so earlier. It nails the seasonal nostalgia spike and then some.

Moreno, always a lyrical player and never more so than on this occasion, has chosen ten of his favourite evergreens, each of which was either commissioned for a movie soundtrack or included in one within a year or so of being published. They are Wayne King, Victor Young and Egbert Van Alstyne's "Beautiful Love," Herb Brown's "You Stepped Out Of A Dream," Harry Warren's "There Will Never Be Another You," Victor Young's "Stella By Starlight" and "My Foolish Heart," David Raksin's "Laura," Jule Styne's "I Fall In Love Too Easily," Bronislau Caper and Ned Washington's "On Green Dolphin Street," Kaper's "Invitation" and Henry Mancini's "Days Of Wine And Roses." Happily, Moreno does not reinvent, reimagine, recalibrate or otherwise re-screwup any of the tunes; "My Foolish Heart" is given a novel rhythmic foundation, but it works.

After the brief, unaccompanied guitar reading of "Beautiful Love" which opens the album, the remaining tracks have average playing times of just over seven minutes, plenty of time for bookending theme statements and solos that unfold without rush in between. Moreno is the chief soloist, but pianist Sullivan Fortner and bassist Matt Brewer each get turns in the spotlight; Brewer delivers a particular gem on "There Will Never Be Another You."

Moreno, the producer, has inserted brief dialogue soundbites from the source movies at the start or finish of most tracks. This could have been tacky but, if one lightens up and goes with the flow, it works. Check the clip of "Stella By Starlight" below for an example. Less successful is the microphone placement. The piano is close mic'd within an inch of its life and there are occasions, especially when Fortner uses the sustain pedal, that the bass register of the instrument threatens to overwhelm everything else that is going on. But the 4-star rating stands.By Chris May https://www.allaboutjazz.com/standards-from-film-mike-moreno-criss-cross

Personnel: Mike Moreno: guitar; Sullivan Fortner: piano; Matt Brewer: bass; Obed Calvaire: drums.

Standards from Film

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Charlie Porter - Hindsight

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:42
Size: 139,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:49) 1. Tipping Point
(7:00) 2. Hindsight
(6:51) 3. Walking the Plank
(7:52) 4. Things Fall Apart
(7:37) 5. Requiem
(9:43) 6. In Short Supply
(5:55) 7. Going Viral
(5:32) 8. Paradise Lost
(4:19) 9. For Ellis

Portland based trumpeter/composer Charlie Porter is back, and following the trend industry wide over the past year, has released a finely crafted collection of pieces attached to a social narrative. Hindsight examines how we act in hindsight dealing with the long term societal struggles of racism, corruption and inequality. While two of the pieces feature the lyrics of Majid Khaliq and Madelaina Piazza, Porter has namaged to weave the emotional uncertainty of daily life during the Covid-19 pandemic into bittersweet melodies performed by a stellar cast.

Porter is no stranger to the abstract art of applying social commentary to instrumental composition, as this recording follows his acclaimed statement of the American condition, Immigration Nation (OA2, 2019). The two albums feature some common denominators in superb alto saxophonist Nick Biello, and the grounding presence of bassist David Wong and drummer Kenneth Salters. New to the crew is pianist Orrin Evans, vibraphonist Behn Gillece, guitarist Mike Moreno and transcendent vocalist Jimmie Herrod.

Getting down to the bones of the music, Hindsight is a fine jazz album that has two distinct chapters, and a delightful tag at the end. The opener, "Tipping Point," is a neo-bop gem that swings hard and fast, highlighted by Wong's relentless bass line. Porter's thick sound and elegant articulation is evident from the outset, as is the madly swinging Biello's otherworldly talents. The addition of Evans pays immediate dividends, as is the case throughout these nine tunes. While his solos are always an intrepid delight, his comping behind his mates enables the rhythm section to unspool freely and provide a seamless center for soloists to orbit about.

Adding Gillece to the mix for the title track, Porter offers a lovely ballad featuring a melody so beautiful, it seems as if the soloists handle it with special regard. Porter's muted solo is lush, his long tones expressing romance and melancholy. Evans shines once again, reimagining the piece with colorful chord voicings.

"Things Fall Apart" sends the album on a completely different path. Herrod's vocals are surrounded by a darker, electric fabric of sound, with the vibe set primarily by guitarist Moreno, and electric bassist Damian Erskine's Jaco-esque work. Herrod beautifully renders Khaliq's prose, and is joined by rapper Rasheed Jamal in that recitation. There is a slight disconnect in the arrangement as Jamal enters the fray in terms of phrasing, acting much like a double time solo within a ballad.

"In Short Supply" takes yet another turn, incorporating African instrumentation. Bassekou Kouyate joins on n'goni (African traditional guitar), and Mahamadou Tounkara provides amazing depth on tama (African Talking Drum). Herrod sings melody without lyrics, like a fresh wind blowing off the water.

While six of the tunes in this collection sound more like modern, post-bop jazz with traditional instrumentation, Porter is not afraid to wander into different quadrants of his imaginative compositional prowess. "For Ellis" welcomes his newborn son to the world in a very personal way. Porter's solo trumpet is framed by a choral arrangement performed by the Hallowed Halls Gospel Choir. The piece is detached from common grounding elements, left adrift and guided by Porter's gentle, yet abstract manifestations on trumpet.

Albums cobbled from work of seemingly disparate parts, can at times be seen as unfocused artistically. But having lived through 2020, an epic year of isolation we have all endured, the music on this album more seems like echoes of a mind left to the vagaries of time and space. It somehow finds a way to the listener's inner sanctum and sheds a light on that which we have all experienced collectively. It will be interesting in so many ways some decades down the road, to look back at this period of time in terms of jazz composition. With Hindsight, Porter leaves a blaze on that particular trail. By Paul Rauch https://www.allaboutjazz.com/hindsight-charlie-porter-oa2-records

Personnel: Charlie Porter: trumpet; Nick Biello: saxophone; Orrin Evans: piano; Mike Moreno: guitar; Behn Gillece: vibraphone; David Wong: bass; Kenneth Salters: drums; Damian Erskine: bass, electric; Jimmie Herrod: voice / vocals; Rasheed Jamal: voice / vocals; Majid Khaliq: violin; Mahamadou Tounkara: percussion; Bassekou Kouyate: various.

Hindsight

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Mike Moreno - Three for Three

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:43
Size: 128,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:54)  1. The Big Push
(6:27)  2. For Those Who Do
(7:10)  3. You Must Believe in Spring
(5:37)  4. Clube da Esquina No. 1
(9:24)  5. April in Paris
(8:15)  6. A Time for Love
(6:35)  7. Perhaps
(5:19)  8. Glass Eyes

Jazz guitarist and composer Mike Moreno started his musial journey at the age of 15 at the “High School for the Performing and Visual Arts” High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston from where some of the great jazz musicians of our times like Robert Glasper, Jason Moran, Kendrick Scott, Eric Harland, Helen Sung were graduated. At 18, moved to New York and he is actively one of the prominent contemporary jazz guitarists of the 21st century since then. The Joshua Redman Elastic Band, Lizz Wright Band, Nicholas Payton Quartet, Stefon Harris Sonic Creed, Me’Shell N’Degeocello, Jason Moran, Terence Blanchard, Robert Glasper, Ambrose Akinmusire, Gretchen Parlato, Aaron Parks, Claudia Acuña, Greg Osby 4, Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Jeremy Pelt, John Ellis, Myron Walden, Kenny Garrett, Yosvany Terry, Ralph Bowen, Will Vinson are some of the musicians that Moreno has worked with. He released “Between the Lines”, his debut album as a a leader in 2007. Instead of interpreting the well-known standards, he came up with totally original compositions in the first album. His easily recognizable unique lyrical style, mature compositions, the notes he play and didn’t play made his difference amongst his peers since the very first album till the last one. His second album “Third Wish” comes up next on 2008. Besides his own compositions, there were a couple of standards in this album like the very vivid version of Herbie Hancock’s “I Have a Dream” with a creatively striking intro. In 2011 comes the third album “First in Mind” where I have many favorite songs like Joshua Redman’s “Soul Dance” where we can see Moreno’s fluency in acoustic guitar also.  Sonny Rollins’ “Airegin” with a memorable 5/4 intro and a verw well-know jazz ballad “But Beautiful” played in an ethereal way, are to name a few. In 2012 “Another Way” comes next as guitarist’s 4th release as another way to show his masterful compositional abilities. This album for me is the depiction of a science fictional atmosphere as in Luc Besson’s “Fifth Element”. 

Maybe that’s because of Moreno’s composition with the same name in the album, who knows? I think Mike Moreno is highly qualified in creating that sci-fi atmosphere with his playing throughtout all of his his albums. In 2015 the guitarist comes with “Lotus” that starts with a beautiful acoustic guitar “Intro” which is my wake up alarm song for more than a year now so I probably know the song better than anybody else in this space. That ”Intro” leads smoothly to “The Hills of Kykuit”. Again in this album we see the beautiful collaboration of Aaron Parks on piano and Mike Moreno on guitar. In October 2017 comes finally “Three for Three”, Moreno’s 6th album as a leader. This album is the third release (after “Third Wish” and “First in Mind”) from Criss Cross Records, a record company in Netherlands with a variety of modern jazz works. It is a trio album, the smallest group Moreno has ever recorded as a leader, with long term collaborators Doug Weiss on bass and Kendrick Scott on drums. And it is the only album where there isn’t any Mike Moreno composition in it. The album starts with the striking version of Wayne Shorter’s underrated composition “The Big Push” which is my favorite in the album. My other favorite is Michel Legrand’s “You Must Believe in Spring”. I must say that it is the best version of this song I’ve heard since Bill Evans. The beautiful Radiohed song “Glass Eyes” cover was a big surprise for me when I first heard. The song has already a misty and cloudy nature and Moreno played it in the best way one can play with again creating his outer space atmosphere. Furthermore, I also must say it is a challenge to choose Charlie Parker’s world-renowned “Perhaps” probably becuase it was one of Charlie Parker’s most known and played compositions. But again with his modern version, it is far different from the mainstream versions we’ve listened millions of times. Mike Moreno is one of the leading modern jazz guitarists of this century with a great technical ability, lyrical one of a kind approach with strong sense of time and rhythm, and always a very melodic player especially seen on the ballads. Not only into jazz but he is also very much into Brazilian music which makes his sound more lyrical maybe. After listening his latest album and hoping that he’ll come again to our country on tour to play, here are some questions about his latest album “Three for Three” with Mike Moreno on guitar, Doug Weiss on bass and Kendrick Scott on drums. http://www.jazzdergisi.com/en/mike-moreno-three-for-three/

Personnel: Guitar – Mike Moreno;  Bass – Doug Weiss; Drums – Kendrick Scott

Three for Three

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Jimmy Greene - Gifts And Givers

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:44
Size: 146,9 MB
Art: Front

( 9:26)  1. Mr. McClean
( 7:37)  2. Greene Blues
( 8:49)  3. Forever
(10:10)  4. Magnolia Triangle
( 8:07)  5. 26-2
(10:18)  6. Blue Bossa/Boudreaux
( 9:14)  7. Eternal Triangle

It's probably time to cast aside labels like "up-and-coming" and "rising star" when describing Jimmy Greene. As Gifts and Givers makes clear, the Connecticut-born tenor saxophonist has definitely arrived. An inventive, technically-advanced mainstreamer, Greene made his mark in the bands of Horace Silver, Tom Harrell and Harry Connick Jr., as well as with younger studs like Jason Lindner and Avishai Cohen. On his fifth effort as a leader, he's paired with another young tenor titan, Marcus Strickland. The two saxophonists prove themselves a like-minded and well-matched pair as they lead an explosive rhythm section the superb drummer Eric Harland, bassist Reuben Rogers, guitarist Mike Moreno and promising young pianist Danny Grissett (now he is a "rising star") through a set of compelling originals and nicely varied standards, including John Coltrane's harmonically complex "26-2," New Orleans legend James Black's intricate "Magnolia Triangle" and Kenny Dorham's "Blue Bossa" (with Greene doubling on soprano sax). While they mostly steer away from the sort of twin-tenor battle popularized by Sonny Stitt and Gene Ammons, Greene and Strickland do get into some high-octane, old school jamming, notably on Stitt's bebop chestnut, "Eternal Triangle." 

The opening "Mr. McLean" is a rousing tribute to Greene's mentor, the great alto saxophonist Jackie McLean, with the two tenors expertly capturing McLean's intensity and unique inside-outside sensibility. All in all, it's an impressive outing that should help solidify Greene's reputation as one of the better tenor saxophonists of his generation. 

~ Joel Roberts https://www.allaboutjazz.com/gifts-and-givers-jimmy-greene-criss-cross-review-by-joel-roberts.php

Personnel: Jimmy Greene: tenor and soprano saxophones; Marcus Strickland: tenor saxophone; Mike Moreno: guitar; Danny Grissett: piano; Reuben Rogers: bass; Eric Harland: drums.

Gifts And Givers

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Jimmy Greene - Flowers: Beautiful Life, Vol. 2

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:38
Size: 146,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:50)  1. Big Guy
(6:26)  2. Stanky Leg
(4:20)  3. Flowers
(7:17)  4. Second Breakfast
(4:19)  5. Fun Circuits
(6:38)  6. Stink Thumb
(5:17)  7. Someday
(7:52)  8. December
(5:30)  9. Amantes
(5:59) 10. Something About You
(6:04) 11. Thirty-Two

In 2012, saxophonist Jimmy Greene lost his six-year-old daughter Ana Grace Marquez-Greene when she was murdered alongside 20 of her schoolmates during the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Poignantly, he paid tribute to Ana on his soulful 2014 album Beautiful Life. For 2017's buoyant follow-up, Flowers: Beautiful Life, Vol. 2, Greene continues to draw inspiration from his daughter's short life, this time exploring her love of dance. Joining Greene here is a stellar lineup featuring pianist Renee Rosnes, bassists John Patitucci and Ben Williams, drummers Otis Brown III and Jeff "Tain" Watts, guitarist Mike Moreno, percussionist Rogerio Boccato, and guest vocalists Jean Baylor and Sheena Rattai. If the first Beautiful Life found Greene in an understandably grief-stricken and deeply poetic state of mind, Flowers reveals a man who will never fully let go of his pain, but who is much more connected to the memory of his daughter's vitality and love of life than the tragedy of her death. This vitality is reflected in the animated grooves and lively melodies Greene brings to Flowers. There's also an experimental vibe here, with Greene bending his largely acoustic post-bop sound a bit more heavily toward fusion, as on the knotty groover "Fun Circuits." Similarly, "Stink Thumb," with its spacy Rhodes keyboard, brings to mind the '70s jazz of Herbie Hancock's Mwandishi band. Even the far-eyed, soprano saxophone feature "Something About You" explodes mid-song into a choppy, angular improvisation. Still, there is a bittersweet tinge to the proceedings reflected in the languid, Latin flow of "Amantes" and the yearning vocal ballad "Someday." Remarkably, on Flowers: Beautiful Life, Vol. 2, Greene remains a productive, positive-minded artist whose music, and memory, have only deepened in their harmonic, rhythmic, and spiritual grace. ~ Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/album/flowers-beautiful-life-vol-2-mw0003019114

Personnel:  Jimmy Greene (soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxes);  Jean Baylor & Sheena Rattai (vocals);  Rogerio Boccato (percussion);  Otis Brown III & Jeff `Tain` Watts (drums & percussion);  Kevin Hays & Renee Rosnes (piano and Rhodes electric piano);  Mike Moreno (guitar);  John Pattitucci & Ben Williams (bass).

Flowers: Beautiful Life, Vol. 2

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Mette Juul - There Is A Song

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:59
Size: 135,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:07)  1. Baltimore
(4:35)  2. Roll Roll
(3:41)  3. There Is A Song
(4:50)  4. Song For Dannie
(4:31)  5. In The land Of Plenty
(5:28)  6. Double Rainbow
(5:33)  7. Berlin Is Calling
(3:28)  8. Evening Song
(4:22)  9. Aurora Butterfly
(4:56) 10. Cold Heart
(5:27) 11. In A Paris Night
(5:56) 12. Northern Butterfly

After making his debut in 2010 in the role of classical Coming (jazz singer from the Dark, Cowbell Music), the Danish Mette Juul started to prefer the intimate atmosphere of the ballad copyright, on Joni Mitchell model. The change peeked in the second disc (Moon on My Shoulder, Calibrated 2012), yet full of intense jazz versions of songs like "April in Paris," "Softly as in a Morning Sunrise" or "Hum Drum Blues." In this third album the choice is clear: Mette Juul presents itself in the role of songwriter who composed the lyrics and music of his songs, mostly ballads that pass slowly, she plays with delicate grace and conversational intimacy. The only exception is "Double Rainbow," where Rodney Green has the opportunity to express most rhythmic dynamism. As in previous works, his companions are first-rate: next to the drummer just mentioned, the guitarist Mike Moreno and the bassist Joe Sanders, we reconfirmed the trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire and the talented Danish pianist Nikolaj Hess. Equipped with a bright and clear tone exposure, Mette at times recalls Helen Merrill, although the repertoire the ranks of different sizes, the fact of Joni Mitchell, Ricky Lee Jones or Tracy Chapman, who represented his first vocal patterns. The singer is accompanied with acoustic guitar and his folk themes show a clear identity, which is maintained until the Akinmusire trumpet bends climate towards jazz. The combination is effective. The album is melodically elegant, harmonically sophisticated and has everything it takes to please a wide audience. (Translate by google) ~ Angelo Leonardi https://www.allaboutjazz.com/there-is-a-song-mette-juul-universal-international-review-by-angelo-leonardi.php

Personnel: Mette Juul: voce; Ambrose Akinmusire: tromba; Nikolaj Hess: pianoforte; Mike Moreno: chitarra; Joe Sanders: contrabbasso; Rodney Green: batteria.

There Is A Song

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Jason Palmer - Places

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:23
Size: 166,3 MB
Art: Front

( 9:48)  1. Urban Renewal (For High Point)
( 9:22)  2. Falling In (For Guimaraes)
( 8:49)  3. Berlin
(10:51)  4. Bern
( 9:01)  5. Rising Sign (For Paris)
( 2:10)  6. Silver (For Xalapa)
( 7:55)  7. American Deceptionalism Part I (For DC)
( 8:49)  8. Sprit Song (For Rozzy)
( 5:34)  9. American Deceptionalism Part II

Apart from Mark Turner, none of the musicians on this recording, including the leader, are known to me but I am more than happy to make their acquaintance through the medium of what is another fine release from Steeplechase Records. And what a superb record it is; one that will caress the discerning ear and repay hours of repeated listening being a refined post-modern extension of timeless hard-bop conventions that will stimulate the palate, jaded by too much exposure to so called `cutting edge` eclecticism. Palmer, if you don’t already know, is a top drawer trumpeter whose plangent clarion call is an elegant summation of much that has gone before but whose fervent chromaticism pushes at the boundaries of conventional expression, marking out new territory  without risking the listeners’ alienation. His middle register lyricism occasionally boils over into a higher register but without ever sounding strident or histrionic.

In this recording he has assembled a band of contemporaries, some of whom he first encountered at college and others during subsequent assignments, to perform a suite of pieces that take their inspiration from various cities he has visited during the course of his career. They aren’t strictly jazz impressions in the Brubeck sense of being musical tone poems but rather more personal visions that unite a place and time with the feelings they engender. Many open with extended cadenzas either for solo instrument or two part counterpoint before segueing into either a knotty hard –bop theme or a legato wistfulness reminiscent of `Birth of the Cool` introspection. Ensemble writing is carefully balanced with solo interpretatation and in this context the contribution made by Mark Turner is particularly valuable; his rigorous and sinuous variations recall the almost academic dedication of the Tristano alumni, Warne Marsh and Lee Konitz, but couched in expressive, personal and more contemporary terms All involved ensure music making of the highest quality: there is some superlative bass playing; guitar that moves between scintillating arpeggios and dense vamping and what drumming! Kendrick Scott’s cymbal work is pure sonic poetry almost stealing the show in the way he makes his entries behind the respective soloists, building and releasing tension, judiciously applying accents to gather and drive the forward momentum. If you are a true believer in the power of jazz to renew and build upon its deeply ingrained conventions in a way that doesn’t compromise its core values then this is a record you will what to hear and own. ~ Euan Dixon http://www.jazzviews.net/jason-palmer-sextet---places.html

Personnel: Jason Palmer (trumpet) Godwin Louis (alto sax) Mark Turner (tenor sax) Mike Moreno (guitar) Edward Perez (bass) Kendrick Scott (drums)

Places

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Allison Adams Tucker - Wanderlust

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:35
Size: 127,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:12)  1. When in Rome
(4:32)  2. Vuelvo Al Sur
(5:29)  3. A Thousand Years
(4:15)  4. Águas De Março
(6:11)  5. Cinema Paradiso
(4:09)  6. Sous Le Ciel De Paris
(5:00)  7. Mediterraneo
(5:05)  8. Pure Imagination
(2:59)  9. Takeda Lullaby
(7:14) 10. Wanderlust
(4:23) 11. Better Days Ahead

Many modern-day jazz vocalists have been known to touchdown in a few different locales over the course of an album, but few to none get their passports stamped in as many places as Allison Adams Tucker does on the aptly named WANDERlust. Tucker brings her multilingual brilliance and cultural savvy to the fore during this expertly planned travelogue. Tucker's voice is a beautiful instrument one that floats, flies, and seduces with its no-fuss delivery and she makes great use of it here, never overselling or overreaching. It's rather impressive, but it impresses on its own terms. That's evident right off the bat when Tucker, all by her lonesome, kicks things off in compelling fashion on an old winner ("When In Rome"). Less than thirty seconds in, she's joined by several members of her dream team band a crew whose full roster includes pianist Josh Nelson, bassist Scott Colley, drummer Antonio Sanchez, multi-reedist Chris Potter, percussionist Rogerio Boccato, and guitarists Romero Lubambo, Mike Moreno, and Stephane Wrembel. These musicians give Tucker's voice the red carpet treatment throughout while continually whisking her away to faraway places where she can speak the language, reflect on her passions, and absorb and refract the essence of different cultures.

The album continues with a trip to Argentina, as Tucker gives us an alluring take on Nuevo Tango (Astor Piazzola's "Vuelvo Al Sur"). Then there's a dip into modern American pop culture (Christina Perri's "A Thousand Years"), a stop in Brazil (Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Aguas De Marco"), an intimate and heartfelt nod to Italy (Ennio Morricone's "Cinema Paradiso") and a sensuous encounter with French chanson ("Sous Le Ciel De Paris"). The second half of the album proves to be equally broad-minded and worldly, with visits to Spain ("Mediterraneo"), Japan ("Takeda Lullaby"), and even Willy Wonka's factory ("Pure Imagination"). By the time Tucker wraps it all up with back-to-back covers from Bjork ("Wanderlust") and Pat Metheny ("Better Days Ahead"), the listener has come to expect the unexpected. That's the power that jazz and polygot programming can have when they're rolled into one. WANDERlust clearly represents a quantum leap forward for Tucker. 

Much of that is, of course, due to her own hard work, but anybody with a good set of ears knows that a significant amount of credit should also go to these musicians and to producer Matt Pierson, a man who knows more than a thing or two about putting an album together the right way. And then there are the arrangers to acknowledge Nelson, Lubambo, Moreno, Wrembel, and Danny Green. Their respective contributions, as different as they may be, are all endearing works that feed into the theme and serve Tucker well. ~ Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/wanderlust-allison-adams-tucker-origin-records-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Allison Adams Tucker: vocals; Josh Nelson: piano, Fender Rhodes; pump organ; Scott Colley: bass; Antonio Sanchez: drums; Chris Potter: bass clarinet, tenor saxophone, flute; Rogerio Boccato: percussion; Romero Lubambo: guitar (1, 2, 4, 5, 9); Mike Moreno: guitar (3, 7, 10, 11); Stephane Wrembel: guitar (3, 6).

Wanderlust

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Mike Moreno - First In Mind

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:36
Size: 150.2 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[7:47] 1. First In Mind
[8:49] 2. Soul Dance
[5:45] 3. Suite For Keyboard No. 6 In A Minor 3. Corrente
[6:04] 4. By Myself
[8:27] 5. But Beautiful
[7:12] 6. Milagre Dos Peixes [miracle Of The Fishes]
[7:36] 7. A Flor E O Espinho [the Flower And The Thorn]
[8:29] 8. In A Silent Way
[5:24] 9. Mantra

Mike Moreno: guitar; Aaron Parks: piano and Fender Rhodes; Matt Brewer: bass; Kendrick Scott: drums.

First In Mind , Mike Moreno's sophomore effort for the Criss Cross label, finds the 31 year-old guitarist interpreting songs both old and new. He explores selections from his former band mate Joshua Redman and one by upcoming singer/songwriter Josh Mease; Milton Nascimento and Miles Davis receive attention, too. It's an eclectic mix, but one wrangled into a consistent program via his sharp musical aesthetic. Pianist Aaron Parks once again serves as a foil for the guitarist. Over the years, the pair has developed a strong musical affinity: Moreno was featured on Parks' stunning debut, Invisible Cinema (Blue Note, 2008), and Parks appeared on Moreno's own debut, Between the Lines (World Culture, 2007). Together, they pursue a new type of romanticism, a sound punctuated by lush arrangements and plaintive melodies easily comparable to that pioneered by Pat Metheny and Lyle Mays in the early '80s, a style most evident in the moody retelling of "In A Silent Way."

Moreno plays electric guitar on most of these tracks (on a custom-built Marchione that he helped design) except on Redman's "Soul Dance," where he switches to acoustic. His improvised lines often explode into a dense maze of notes, but sometimes they taper at their peak. This ability to skim past vast reservoirs of technique in pursuit of a greater melodic purpose is a distinguishing characteristic in his playing. First in Mind boasts a sterling rhythm section and many high level performances, yet its success owes more to the overall sound, one both melodic and easy to digest—a quality that can, by now, be expected from any Moreno project.~Andrew

First In Mind

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