The North Star Jazz Ensemble - The Way You Look Tonight

Styles: Jazz, Mainstream Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:12
Size: 141,2 MB
Art: Front

(6:10)  1. The Way You Look Tonight
(4:59)  2. Every Time We Say Goodbye
(3:08)  3. Taking A Chance On Love
(5:37)  4. It Never Entered My Mind
(4:27)  5. I'm Old Fashioned
(4:54)  6. What A Wonderful World
(5:15)  7. My One And Only Love
(3:33)  8. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
(3:39)  9. Tangerine
(3:34) 10. I've Got The World On A String
(5:23) 11. I Thought About You
(3:33) 12. Cheek To Cheek
(3:10) 13. Tenderly
(3:44) 14. Stompin' At The Savoy

North Star Jazz Ensemble, as much as any inhabitant of their stable, epitomize the jazz philosophy of New England's North Star label. Get a bevy of good musicians in a studio, give them a play list of familiar standards that are tastefully arranged, and then let them express themselves, with special emphasis on the melody and chord structure which elevated these songs into the standard category in the first place. This does not mean the session is limited to mere recitation of the melody. There is plenty of room for improvisation hear Artie Montanaro's enterprising wending trombone on "The Way You Look Tonight." But the extemporization is not so far out as to dissociate it from the basic melody, losing many of the listeners in the process. 

The members of the ensemble, put together for this recording session, are all well-respected New England musicians. Guitarist Gray Sargent works with Tony Bennett, mouth organ player Mike Turk has been with Donna Byrne and Paul Broadnax, and horn player Jeff Stout with Gary Burton. Each member of the octet gets a chance to display their considerable individual talent. Mike Turk's harmonica takes the spotlight on "I'm Old Fashioned." Bruce Abbott's tenor on "My One and Only Love" recalls John Coltrane's solo on that seminal album with Johnny Hartman. This album is filled with exquisite playing of great American romantic ballads by jazz musicians of the highest caliber. It reminds one just how well this music can sound if played in a forthright, elegant manner without the artifices found on too many CDs. Recommended. ~ Dave Nathan  http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-way-you-look-tonight-mw0000666423

Personnel: Gary Sargent (guitar); Bruce Abbott (soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Jeff Stout, John Allmark (trumpet, flugelhorn); Artie Montanaro (trombone); Paul Mason (drums).

The Way You Look Tonight

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The North Star Jazz Ensemble - The Very Thought Of You

Styles: Jazz, Mainstream Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:38
Size: 146,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:00)  1. Time After Time
(5:07)  2. The Very Thought Of You
(2:58)  3. Steppin' Out With My Baby
(3:47)  4. Emily
(4:35)  5. It Had To Be You
(4:09)  6. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart
(6:10)  7. Here's That Rainy Day
(4:22)  8. Ain't Misbehavin'
(4:41)  9. Angel Eyes
(5:06) 10. These Foolish Things
(4:32) 11. I Get A Kick Out Of You
(5:16) 12. As Time Goes By
(4:55) 13. My Foolish Heart
(2:54) 14. Someone To Watch Over Me

Rhode Island-based label North Star specializes in, among other things, the romantic side of jazz. Utilizing top-flight studio and performing musicians from the New England area playing classic standards with slightly jazzy arrangements, the label has turned out several quiet, easy-to-listen-to jazz albums. While the music has a romantic bent, it is by no means just a maudlin recital of melody lines of classic standards. There are improvisation, dynamics, and character, all done in a gentle manner. The music doesn't shout at you  it whispers, caresses, and seduces. Listen to Artie Montanaro on trombone and Bruce Abbott on soprano sax explore, not dismember "The Very Thought of You." Similarly, John Allmark's slightly up-tempo trumpet is the foil for Abbott, this time on tenor with Steve DeConti's guitar laying down chords underneath.

There's even some Dixieland thrown in with "Ain't Misbehavin." The play list has 14 items and the ensemble actually a septet takes more than an hour to get through them. So it's not just three minutes and then on to the next track; there is thoughtful and innovative, if quiet, playing involved. This album is recommended as get-your-attention background to dinners, long walks, or just the enjoyment of listening to good music performed at its peak. ~ Dave Nathan  http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-very-thought-of-you-mw0000614485

Personnel: Bruce Abbott (soprano, alto & tenor saxophones); John Allmark (trumpet, flugelhorn); Artie Montanaro (trombone), Jeff Stout (flugelhorn); Ron Fournier (piano); Steve DeConti (guitar); Marty Ballou (bass); Paul Mason (drums).

The Very Thought Of You

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