Jacky Terrasson - A Paris

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:02
Size: 129,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:10)  1. Plaisir D'Amour
(4:24)  2. Les Chemins De L'Amour
(6:27)  3. Jeux Interdits
(8:52)  4. A Paris
(3:10)  5. I Love Paris In The Springtime
(4:20)  6. Que reste - t'il de nos amours?
(4:44)  7. Ne Me Quite Pas
(3:11)  8. La Vie En Rose
(2:00)  9. Nantes
(3:16) 10. La Marseillaise
(1:08) 11. Rue Des Lombards
(3:22) 12. L'Aigle Noir
(6:22) 13. I Love You More
(1:31) 14. Metro

Jacky Terrasson's 1999 album, What It Is, represented something of a risk. The young pianist's first three albums were barebones trio affairs that had won him rave reviews, whereas What It Is featured additional instruments and was more slickly produced. Gone, it seemed, was the sparse, acoustic approach that had originally given Terrasson his fame. But while this new direction yielded mixed results and left some fans a bit befuddled, one had to respect Terrasson's need to grow and evolve as an artist.Terrasson does much better with his follow-up, A Paris, an homage to the city of his youth and early adulthood. While not a return to the simple piano trio format (there are five guest musicians in addition to two alternating rhythm sections), the album has a spontaneous, natural sound that was lacking from the studio-centric What It Is. What's more, A Paris is packed with new and varied ideas that work, not to mention passionate, fiery playing throughout.Only the last two tracks are originals, the fewest ever on a Terrasson album. "Rue de Lombards," a funk fragment that sounds like an in-studio improvisation, is credited to Terrasson, drummer Terreon Gully, and bassist Remi Vignolo. The rest of the tracks are Terrasson's highly personal readings of songs from French culture. Most will not be familiar to American listeners, with the possible exception of "La Marseillaise" the French national anthem and the Edith Piaf classic "La Vie en Rose," played in a calypso feel by Terrasson and percussionist Minino Gara.Guitarist Bireli Lagrene's cameos on the bluesy title track and the swinging "Que Reste-T'Il de Nos Amours?" are nothing short of brilliant. The latter, which bears an uncanny likeness to Lerner & Loewe's "Almost Like Being in Love," features Terrasson on Fender Rhodes electric piano. Saxophonist Stefano di Battista also makes two fine appearances, playing tenor on the fast, tense "Jeux Interdits" and soprano on the lively and pretty "L'Aigle Noir," one of the two originals. Both Lagrene and Battista return for the brief, full-company finale, an intoxicating funk line by Terrasson titled "Métro." Another highlight is Terrasson resuscitating his funk version of Cole Porter's "I Love Paris," the only song by an American writer and the very one that led off Terrasson's 1994 debut album. Bassist Ugonna Okegwo and drummer Leon Parker, Terrasson's trio mates from his first three albums, both return to play on the Porter track, as well as the opening Piaf number "Plaisir d'Amour" and an exquisite reading of Jacques Brel's "Ne Me Quitte Pas." The latter briefly features Gregoire Maret on harmonica, who played on What It Is. Several rather short pieces are grouped right around the middle of the album, giving that part of the program a collage-like feel that can seem a bit superficial. That aside, Terrasson has pulled off something rare: a concept album that succeeds on a variety of creative levels. In the process, he's given exposure to several excellent European musicians, not to mention some beautiful French music that American audiences ought to hear. ~ David R.Adler https://www.allmusic.com/album/a-paris-mw0000621111

Personnel:  Piano, Producer – Jacky Terrasson; Bass – Rémi Vignolo, Ugonna Okegwo; Drums – Leon Parker, Terreon Gully; Guitar – Bireli Lagrene; Harmonica – Grégoire Maret; Marimba – Stefon Harris; Percussion – Minino Garay; Saxophone – Stefano di Battista

A Paris

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Stefano Di Battista & Nicky Nicolai - Piu' Sole

Styles: Vocal And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:45
Size: 102,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:08)  1. Piu' Sole
(4:00)  2. Sei Come Sei Just How U Are
(3:14)  3. Flora
(4:55)  4. Il Ragazzo Della Via Gluck
(3:28)  5. Lontano Da Qui
(4:03)  6. River
(4:34)  7. Coles Corner
(4:35)  8. Inverno
(5:40)  9. Stella by Starlight
(2:09) 10. Il Nero E il Bacio
(3:54) 11. Vorrei Capire

Italian saxophonist Stefano di Battista has released a trio of albums as a leader, two of which were never issued in the U.S. The third, a U.S. release in 2000 from Blue Note, is self-titled and mainly features di Battista's own compositions. In addition, it includes "Song for Flavia" by Rosario Bonaccorso and a pair of songs by Jacky Terrasson, "Chicago 1987" and "Little Red Ribbon." Both bassist Bonaccorso and pianist Terrasson appear on the album, accompanied by former Coltrane drummer Elvin Jones and trumpeter Flavio Boltro. Di Battista, a native of Rome who plays both soprano and alto saxophone, took up the instrument when he was 13 to play with some friends from his neighborhood. When he heard recordings by alto saxophonist Art Pepper, he knew the sound of jazz was for him. Later he received guidance from Massimo Urbani, another influential alto saxophonist. By his early twenties, di Battista had begun performing in Paris, thanks to an invitation from Jean-Pierre Como. The two had met during the Calvi Jazz Festival.

Within two years the Italian saxophonist had established himself at the Sunset, a prominent jazz hot spot in the City of Lights. He appeared frequently on the bill with Michel Benita, drummer Stéphane Huchard, and drummer Aldo Romano. From there he proceeded to work as a soloist, which led to associations with such artists as cornetist Nat Adderley, drummers Daniel Humair and Jimmy Cobb, and the late French pianist Michel Petrucciani, among others. Petrucciani invited di Battista into a sextet he was then forming and extended the invitation to include trumpeter Boltro, who frequently accompanied di Battista. Di Battista put out his debut recording as a leader for Label Bleu in 1997. Volare kicked up a lot of attention for the saxophonist and received an award nomination in France. The following year he put out A Prima Vista. The recording of his third album in 2000 so impressed veteran jazz drummer Jones that when the album was finally wrapped up and in the vault, he scooped up di Battista for his Elvin Jones Jazz Machine tour. Di Battista released his second album on Blue Note, the Charlie Parker tribute album Parker's Mood, in 2005. https://itunes.apple.com/it/artist/stefano-di-battista/id14638702#fullText

Piu' Sole

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Stefano Di Battista - Italian Standards

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:23
Size: 125,5 MB
Art: Front

(7:08)  1. Attenti al lupo
(5:00)  2. Mille giorni
(6:41)  3. Metti una sera a cena
(8:49)  4. Almeno tu nell'universo
(8:33)  5. Quattro Marzo 1943
(6:19)  6. Quando
(6:24)  7. My suite rose
(5:24)  8. Il mare d'inverno

Italian saxophonist Stefano di Battista has released a trio of albums as a leader, two of which were never issued in the U.S. The third, a U.S. release in 2000 from Blue Note, is self-titled and mainly features di Battista's own compositions. In addition, it includes "Song for Flavia" by Rosario Bonaccorso and a pair of songs by Jacky Terrasson, "Chicago 1987" and "Little Red Ribbon." Both bassist Bonaccorso and pianist Terrasson appear on the album, accompanied by former Coltrane drummer Elvin Jones and trumpeter Flavio Boltro.  Di Battista, a native of Rome who plays both soprano and alto saxophone, took up the instrument when he was 13 to play with some friends from his neighborhood. When he heard recordings by alto saxophonist Art Pepper, he knew the sound of jazz was for him. Later he received guidance from Massimo Urbani, another influential alto saxophonist. By his early twenties, di Battista had begun performing in Paris, thanks to an invitation from Jean-Pierre Como. The two had met during the Calvi Jazz Festival.

Within two years the Italian saxophonist had established himself at the Sunset, a prominent jazz hot spot in the City of Lights. He appeared frequently on the bill with Michel Benita, drummer Stéphane Huchard, and drummer Aldo Romano. From there he proceeded to work as a soloist, which led to associations with such artists as cornetist Nat Adderley, drummers Daniel Humair and Jimmy Cobb, and the late French pianist Michel Petrucciani, among others. Petrucciani invited di Battista into a sextet he was then forming and extended the invitation to include trumpeter Boltro, who frequently accompanied di Battista. Di Battista put out his debut recording as a leader for Label Bleu in 1997. Volare kicked up a lot of attention for the saxophonist and received an award nomination in France. The following year he put out A Prima Vista. The recording of his third album in 2000 so impressed veteran jazz drummer Jones that when the album was finally wrapped up and in the vault, he scooped up di Battista for his Elvin Jones Jazz Machine tour. Di Battista released his second album on Blue Note, the Charlie Parker tribute album Parker's Mood, in 2005.~Linda Seida http://www.allmusic.com/artist/stefano-di-battista-mn0000015276/biography

Italian Standards

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