Roni Ben-hur - Love Letters

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:34
Size: 111,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:45) 1. To Dizzy With Love
(5:12) 2. Seul, À Paris
(4:48) 3. Fair Weather
(5:06) 4. Lonely Town
(5:29) 5. Alegria De Viver
(6:06) 6. The House That Yosef Built
(6:25) 7. Faint Memories
(5:20) 8. Waiting For Jh
(3:19) 9. Love Letters

The clue’s kind of in the title: after decades in the business as a respected performer and educator, Ben-Hur pays back in spades the love and gratitude he feels for friends and musical heroes. The tone’s set by the sumptuous swing of ‘To Dizzy with Love’, a song dedicated not to Gillespie (although Jensen’s joyous horn evokes the great man), but pianist Barry Harris.

It was Harris who encouraged the young guitarist when he emigrated from Israel in 1985, mentoring him and then inviting him into his own band.

Ben-Hur embraced the styles of Hall and Burrell, clean-toned, mellifluously melodic, but most importantly swinging, swinging, swinging. Even on his own meditative, slow tempoed ‘Seul a Paris’, the swing seduces, helped by Tieman’s deft brushes. But it’s Jensen’s muted horn, evocative of Miles yearning for Juliet Greco, that steals the show.

Jensen and Ben-Hur are long- time collaborators, and their easeful collaboration is a treat: never over-complex, and never stuck in the same voicings. For example, the Brazilian beats of ‘Alegria de Viver’ brings another feel again. Indeed, it would have been good to get more of Ben-Hur’s love of all things Latin; there are only intimations of Baden Powell, one of his Brazilian heroes. Likewise, tapping further into his own Tunisian-Jewish roots may have brought forth even further sweetness. Either way, Ben-Hur remains a touchstone of classic style and swing; and for that deserves our love.By Andy Robson https://www.jazzwise.com/review/roni-ben-hur-love-letters

Personnel: Roni Ben-Hur - guitar; Ingrid Jensen - trumpet; Ugonna Okegwo - upright bass; Jason Tiemann - drums

Love Letters

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Roni Ben-Hur - Signature

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:07
Size: 142.2 MB
Styles: Bop, Guitar jazz
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[4:17] 1. Mama Bee
[9:28] 2. Bacchianas Brasileiras, No. 2 Aria
[8:22] 3. Blues In The Night
[8:01] 4. Eretz
[6:32] 5. Slowly But Surely
[6:33] 6. Choro, No. 1
[5:54] 7. Time On My Hands
[6:19] 8. Luiza
[6:35] 9. So In Love

Bass – Rufus Reid; Drums – Leroy Williams; Guitar – Roni Ben-Hur; Percussion – Steve Kroon (tracks: 2, 6, 8, 9); Piano – John Hicks. Recorded September 12, 2004 at Avatar Studios, NYC.

The person and musician who is Roni Ben-Hur comes shining through on Signature. The record so full of joy that it is easy to just sit back, relax and enjoy a hour's worth of fine music—and it's much more than just good playing. The late pianist John Hicks, a pro's pro if there ever was one, is in sync with Ben-Hur every step of the way through the varying emotions and styles of these tunes.

Ben-Hur is clearly out of the Wes Montgomery mold (at least) and is extremely secure in his technique—so much so, in fact, that it fades into the background, allowing his musical ideas to come to the fore. He uses a clear tone and his playing is very clean and precise. Indeed, partly what makes the album so enjoyable is that Ben-Hur is never predictable. He manages to surprise time after time in an extremely satisfying way. The material comprises an interesting mix of immediately recognizable standards ("Blues In The Night," "Time On My Hands" and "So In Love") and originals ("Mama Bee" and "Eretz" by Ben-Hur, "Slowly But Surely" by Hicks), plus three unusual choices: "Bachiana Brasileiras No. 2, Aria" and "Choro No. 1" by Heitor Villa-Lobos and the relatively lesser-known "Luiza" by Antonio Carlos Jobim.

My interest in Signature was piqued by the South American tunes and Ben-Hur's "Eretz." Villa-Lobos, whose compositions form part of the core repertoire of classic guitar players, is a master of understatement, producing beautiful melodies and harmonies from seeming simplicity. His music is very direct, straightforward and highly emotional. The Aria played here was originally composed for eight cellos and soprano voice, so the first task was to arrange it for the band, allowing some room for soloing in a composition that changes meters often. Ben-Hur makes the second task seem natural: he fills every note with the passion and emotion that the composer put into the piece. The Choro will be familiar to any classic guitarist, and this arrangement is very true to the spirit of the original. Jobim's "Luiza" might not be recognized by most people who know his other, more popular tunes. Nevertheless, it is far from a lesser work, and Ben-Hur sings it through his guitar in a simple arrangement that lets the music speak for itself. Finally, Ben-Hur's own "Eretz" speaks directly from the heart of someone with a love of his homeland, in this case Israel. The tune's emotions, as complex as Israel's history, deliver "... a prayer, my prayer for peace." ~Budd Kopman

Signature

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Roni Ben-Hur, Santi DeBriano - Our Thing

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:48
Size: 130.0 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[6:14] 1. Green Chimneys
[3:55] 2. Milonga For Mami
[4:27] 3. Our Thing
[4:30] 4. Fotografia
[5:43] 5. Afroscopic
[5:19] 6. Anna's Dance
[4:40] 7. Isabella
[5:08] 8. Earl's Key
[7:29] 9. Suave
[5:27] 10. Ela É Carioca
[3:50] 11. Let's Face The Music And Dance

Roni Ben-Hur: guitar; Santi Debriano: acoustic bass; Duduka Da Fonseca: drums, percussion.

Together on disc for the first time, this unusual trio fabulously expresses the passionate emotionality, worldly diversity, and musical virtuosity that defines the contemporary jazz of New York City. Guitarist Roni Ben-Hur, bassist Santi DeBriano, and drummer Duduka Da Fonseca converged on the NYC jazz scene in the 1980s, and have been influencing the sound of the jazz metropolis ever since. This New York-based all-star trio features artists, well-known to jazz fans as leaders and sidemen, who have consistently performed at clubs and festivals, received high press accolades, and gained significant collective jazz and world radio spins for their releases

Our Thing mc
Our Thing zippy

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Roni Ben-Hur With The Barry Harris Trio - Backyard

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:40
Size: 116.0 MB
Styles: Bop, Guitar jazz
Year: 1995
Art: Front

[8:10] 1. The Thrill Is Gone
[5:40] 2. Dance Of The Infidels
[3:54] 3. Ask Me Now
[5:08] 4. Backyard
[3:56] 5. Canal Street
[5:03] 6. Never Let Me Go
[4:51] 7. Audubon
[6:18] 8. Something To Live For
[7:37] 9. Burgundy

Often one can judge the merits of a lesser-known player by the musicians he or she uses on their recordings. For this fine release from the Swiss TCB label, guitarist Roni Ben-Hur is joined by the immortal bop pianist Barry Harris, bassist Lisle Atkinson and drummer Leroy Williams for a set of delightful bop. Ben-Hur, who came to New York in the mid-1980's so as to study with Harris, has a cool sound (a little reminiscent of Jimmy Raney) and is a relaxed and inventive improviser. The repertoire features attractive chord changes and underplayed standards including "The Thrill Is Gone," Bud Powell's "Dance Of The Infidels" and Sonny Rollins' "Audubon." There are also two originals by Harris (the title cut is based on "Embraceable You"), one from the guitarist and an effective vocal by Ben-Hur's wife Amy London on "Something To Live For." This set is easily recommended to fans of bop. ~Scott Yanow

Backyard mc
Backyard zippy

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