Sheila Cooper - Phoenix Rising

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:22
Size: 129.1 MB
Styles: Saxophone & vocal jazz
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[4:44] 1. Man Overboard
[5:00] 2. Learnin' The Blues
[5:00] 3. Phoenix Rising
[4:12] 4. Devil May Care
[3:12] 5. Kiss And Tell
[5:19] 6. The Home Inside My Heart
[3:09] 7. Ridin' High
[6:25] 8. Blues In The Night
[4:44] 9. If I Had You
[2:58] 10. Just Be Livin' In It
[4:13] 11. Don't Look Down
[3:31] 12. Embraceable You
[3:48] 13. Man Overboard (Radio Edit)

Sheila Cooper: vocals, alto saxophone; Gary Versace: piano, Hammond B-3 organ, accordion; Ed Howard: acoustic bass; Billy Drummond: drums; John Hart: guitar (6, 9); Luis Ribeiro: percussion (3, 4).

On “Phoenix Rising”, her fourth CD as a leader, Sheila Cooper brings her songwriting skills to the fore, with six inspired new compositions that match her emotional breadth as a performer, from humorous (“Man Overboard”, “Just Be Livin’ In It”), to romantic (“Kiss and Tell”) to searching (“Phoenix Rising”, “The Home Inside My Heart”). Sheila is backed by master New York musicians Gary Versace on piano, organ, and accordian, Ed Howard on acoustic bass, and Billy Drummond on drums, with guest appearances by guitarist John Hart and Vienna-based Brazilian percussionist Luis Ribeiro, Sheila and her band create grooving, soulful and impassioned moods on these originals and the her signature witty reworkings of standards that complete the set.

"Canadian-born, NYC-based singer and saxophonist Cooper has developed her own self-assured sound as both a vocalist and altoist - her refreshingly simple, unfussy delivery befits her Konitz-esque sax tone while her unpretentious singing draws on her narrative abilities over excessive reliance on technique. RECOMMENDED. ~ TIMEOUT LONDON, UK

Phoenix Rising

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Sheila Cooper & Fritz Pauer - Tales Of Love And Longing

Styles: Vocal And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:35
Size: 116,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:52)  1. Winter Moon
(4:06)  2. He's Funny That Way
(7:54)  3. I'm A Fool To Want You
(6:38)  4. I Didn't Know About You
(4:52)  5. How Deep Is The Ocean
(4:56)  6. Lonely Woman
(4:00)  7. I Gravitate To You
(3:18)  8. Body And Soul
(7:06)  9. So In Love
(2:48) 10. A Kiss To Build A Dream On

This is a most impressive album from Sheila Cooper, accompanied by pianist Fritz Pauer. The identity issue here is further complicated by the fact that alto saxophonist Cooper/vocalist Cooper makes this recording a veritable trio album by virtue of her musicianship. Cooper, originally from Canada, is now based in Vienna, Austria, pairing with Pauer for her third album. These ten tracks are mostly vocals with one unaccompanied instrumental beauty upon which Cooper plays an impressive version of Green and Hyman's "Body and Soul." On other tunes, Cooper switches between alto sax or vocals in the melody lines and solos. The album begins with Hoagy Carmichael and Harold Adamson's haunting "Winter Moon," which carries a jazz-associated reference to Art Pepper's The Art of the Ballad (Prestige, 1956), with Cooper playing very much in the same style as the late altoist. Following her alto solo, the unhurried vocal portion of the track complements the instrumental perfectly. On Cole Porter's "So In Love" the song begins a capella, with Pauer joining in after the first chorus on piano sans sax. Cooper has a gifted vocal style, delivering these ten ballads with a great deal of intimacy and jazz phrasing. 

Her alto similarities to Lee Konitz are noticeable, while her vocal presentation could be compared to a number of jazz singers emeritus. It's hard not to draw a comparison to the June Christy and Stan Kenton's Duet (Capitol, 1955), in which a surprisingly restrained Kenton provided a soft piano cushion for vocalist Christy's cool delivery. The album's singular purpose of presenting an aptly titled collection of love songs works consistently, although the piano solo on Berlin's "How Deep Is The Ocean" is taken up-tempo. The song selection includes one Cooper original "I Gravitate to You," in addition to the rarely heard vocal version of Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman," concluding on an optimistic note with the Kalmar/Ruby standard, "A Kiss to Build A Dream On." Just what Sheila Cooper has planned for her next project is breathlessly awaited. ~ Michael P.Gladstone  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/tales-of-love-and-longing-sheila-cooper-candid-records-review-by-michael-p-gladstone.php

Personnel: Sheila Cooper: vocals, alto saxophone; Fritz Pauer: piano.

Tales Of Love And Longing

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Sheila Cooper - Since You Were Mine

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 46:35
Size: 106.7 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz, Vocal jazz
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[2:25] 1. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
[5:01] 2. Meet Me At No Special Place
[5:57] 3. You Turned The Tables On Me
[3:58] 4. Shall We Dance
[4:57] 5. The Thrill Is Gone
[6:58] 6. Lonely House
[3:45] 7. I Wake Up In The Morning Feeling Fine
[5:00] 8. I'll Build A Stairway To Paradise
[4:26] 9. If I Only Had A Brain
[4:06] 10. The Gentleman Is A Dope

The Canadian-born, New York-based singer, alto saxophonist, composer and arranger is -- as saxophone star Lee Konitz notes -- "a singer on her horn and with her voice, and that's the best playing for me."

Sheila Cooper has created imaginative and elegant renderings of popular standards that showcase her fresh, sexy voice and crisp, swinging alto sax playing. Also featured is the world-class rhythm section of Renee Rosnes on piano, Scott Colley on acoustic bass, and Billy Drummond on drums.

Since You Were Mine

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Sheila Cooper - While The World Is In Slumber

Styles: Vocal And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:55
Size: 131,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:51)  1. It's All Right With Me
(3:46)  2. Tulip Or Turnip
(6:52)  3. Warm Valley
(6:19)  4. Cry Me A River
(4:55)  5. An Occasional Man
(5:28)  6. Brookliner Boogaloo
(3:28)  7. Too Close For Comfort
(5:59)  8. In The Still Of The Night
(4:20)  9. 100 Easy Ways To Lose A Man
(5:08) 10. Love's Echo (For Calli)
(4:44) 11. Stardust

Alto saxophonist and singer Sheila Cooper combines a sense of jazz cool with humor and passion to bring new life to old treasures from the American songbook.

Canadian-born, New York-based singer, alto saxophonist, composer and arranger, Sheila Cooper is as saxophone legend Lee Konitz has noted "a singer on her horn and with her voice, and that's the best playing for me." Ever since she moved to New York, she has been wowing audiences at the city's top venues, including the Blue Note, Birdland, The Knitting Factory and Five-Spot.

And her European tours in support of her acclaimed first CD "Since You Were Mine" which featured world-class rhythm section Renee Rosnes, Scott Colley and Billy Drummond were triumphantly successful, playing to enthusiastic audiences in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Slovakia. "It was so thrilling to have people lining up in the break to have me autograph CDs," says Cooper. "I was quite overwhelmed by how excited they were."

Her follow-up CD, "While the World is in Slumber" featuring her trademark quirky, yet elegant renderings of popular standards, also includes two original compositions (one vocal, one instrumental). Her clever additional lyrics to Leonard Bernstein's little-known "100 Easy Ways to Lose a Man" wittily personalize and update a 50's gem. And her fresh, sexy voice is beautifully showcased by her imaginative and seductive arrangements of the songs, "In the Still of the Night" a line from which inspired the CD's title "Cry Me a River" and "It's All Right With Me." Also heard on the CD are the wonderful musicians John Hart on guitar, Chris Berger on acoustic bass and Marcello Pellitteri. More.. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/sheilacooper2

Personnel:  Sheila Cooper: vocals, alto saxophone; John Hart: guitar; Chris Berger: acoustic bass; Marcello Pellitteri: drums

While The World Is In Slumber

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