Ken Peplowski - At Mezzrow

Styles: Clarinet And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2024
Time: 60:06
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 138,3 MB
Art: Front

(7:21) 1. Vignette
(4:39) 2. Prisoner Of Love
(9:26) 3. Beautiful Love
(6:23) 4. All The Things You Are
(8:12) 5. Like Young
(3:54) 6. The Shadow Of Your Smile
(5:21) 7. Cabin In The Sky
(5:01) 8. Bright Mississippi
(4:18) 9. Here's To Life
(5:26) 10. Who Knows

Ken Peplowski is an extraordinary jazzman with over 70 personal recordings to his name and prestigious collaborations with a wide range of artists, including Charlie Byrd, Mel Tormé, Hank Jones, Peggy Lee, Woody Allen, Benny Goodman, and Madonna. Needless to say, this album, modestly titled Live at Mezzrow, is a true gem that your ears will quickly embrace, as Ken Peplowski’s melodic sense and saxophone playing are so commanding. On this recording, the band leader is accompanied by Ted Rosenthal on piano, Martin Wind on double bass, and Willie Jones III on drums, offering a captivating performance captured during two one-hour sets. We particularly appreciate the simplicity of this setup, which guarantees a very “club” sound, with Ken Peplowski’s playing alone bringing a form of modernity through his propositions. So, we sit down quietly, a glass in hand, and listen, captivated by the beauty of the moment.

In his own words, Peplowski shares the journey behind the album: “Like most musicians, when the dreaded Covid, along with the accompanying lockdown, struck in 2020, it was the end of work. As a sort of very dark cosmic joke, not only did I have a severe case of Covid in March 2020, but my beloved dog Honeypie had to be euthanized in April 2021. In June of that year, I was diagnosed with multiple myeloma.”

So, this is a very special album with a unique story. Indeed, SmallsLIVE owner and pianist Spike Wilner proposed the idea of this live album to Peplowski, who immediately accepted. The acclaimed multi-instrumentalist said, “This is my favorite way to record I like to work on musical material for a year or two, find interesting pieces that are less often played, revive a few pieces that I haven’t played in years, and simply go into the studio with friends and record like a band on stage, playing the music, with its imperfections, and that’s exactly what we did.”

We crave more of such imperfections because a ten-track live album seems a bit short once we’ve immersed ourselves in this ambiance. Ken Peplowski Live at Mezzrow includes unique interpretations of jazz classics as well as lesser-known gems, all delivered with an authority and nuance that only Peplowski and his colleagues can achieve. Each selection tells a story of Peplowski’s fruitful musical adventures with the architects of this art. The live performance is a true masterclass in interaction, with Peplowski’s melodic refrains soaring above Rosenthal’s harmonic reflections, supported by the rhythmic section of Willie Jones III and Martin Wind, themselves talented melodic musicians.

Needless to say, this album can quickly go on repeat, creating an honest and warm ambiance. Although they are covers, they are arranged with such talent that they can be considered recompositions, and this is probably why this album slips surreptitiously into our “Essentials”. By Thierry De Clemensat https://www.paris-move.com/reviews/ken-peplowski-live-at-mezzrow-eng-review/

Personnel: Ken Peplowski - Clarinet & Tenor Saxophone; Ted Rosenthal - Piano; Martin Wind - Bass; Willie Jones III - Drums

At Mezzrow

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Ann Hampton Callaway - Blues In The Night

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:35
Size: 130,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:31) 1. Swingin' Away The Blues
(5:40) 2. Blue Moon
(6:22) 3. Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most
(3:24)  4. Lover Come Back To Me
(5:14)  5. Stormy WeatherWhen The Sun Comes Out
(3:43)  6. The I'm-Too-White-To-Sing-The-Blues Blues
(6:21)  7. Willow Weep For Me
(2:45)  8. Hip To Be Happy
(5:55)  9. It's All Right With Me
(4:35) 10. No One Is Alone
(4:51) 11. Blues In The Night
(3:08) 12. The Glory Of Love

Ann Hampton Callaway shows off her persuasive pipes on this memorable program of familiar songs and originals. Backed by pianist Ted Rosenthal, bassist Christian McBride and drummer Lewis Nash, she explores the kind of songs that drive Broadway wild. Sherrie Maricle's Diva big band appears on four tracks, while band members Anat Cohen (tenor saxophone) and Jami Dauber (trumpet) fill in on three additional selections with a moving spirit. With a blues theme running through her album, Callaway aims for the dramatic. You can pick up traces of expressive singers in her presentation; singers who have made an impact on her interpretation of this material, such as Lena Horne, Sarah Vaughan, Peggy Lee and Ella Fitzgerald. Callaway's "Hip to be Happy differs from most of the program. Here, she has put on her "Annie Ross thinking cap and has come up with a highly original song that feels as hip as Lambert, Hendricks Ross. She sings it with her sister, Liz, in a cool and comfortable posture. 

Blues in the Night fills the room with big band sounds as Callaway turns on the charm. She enjoys playing the role with authority. Her big voice belts the blues strong enough, and this band turns on the power for emphasis. Quieter interpretations such as "It's All Right with Me, "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most and "Willow Weep for Me demonstrate the singer's heartfelt sincerity. Stephen Sondheim's "No One is Alone, from Into the Woods, brings a beautiful passion to the forum, magnified by Anat Cohen's sultry tenor statements. Tender ballads such as this one reveal the true blue side of Callaway's stage presence, while her program holds plenty of other surprises for her audience. Blues in the Night has all the right ingredients for a true jazz celebration.~ Jim Santella https://www.allaboutjazz.com/blues-in-the-night-ann-hampton-callaway-telarc-records-review-by-jim-santella.php

Personnel: Ann Hampton Callaway: vocals; Ted Rosenthal: piano; Christian McBride: double bass; Lewis Nash: drums; Liz Callaway: vocals; David Gilmore: guitar. Sherrie Maricle and the Diva Jazz Orchestra (1, 4, 6, 11): Sherrie Maricle: drums, leader; Noriko Ueda: double bass; Kristy Norter: alto saxophone, flute; Erica von Kleist: alto saxophone, clarinet, flute; Anat Cohen, Scheila Gonzalez: tenor saxophone, clarinet; Lisa Parrott: baritone saxophone; Tanya Darby, Jami Dauber, Nadje Noordhuis, Alicia Rau: trumpet; Deborah Weisz, Jennifer Krupa: trombone; Leslie Havens: bass trombone.

Blues In The Night

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Ann Hampton Callaway - Fever: a Peggy Lee Celebration!

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:10
Size: 118,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:43) 1. Fever
(3:18) 2. Till There Was You
(2:36) 3. The Glory Of Love (Feat. John Pizzarelli)
(6:06) 4. The Folks Who Live On The Hill
(1:47) 5. Sing A Rainbow
(2:57) 6. I Don't Know Enough About You
(3:37) 7. Claire De Lune
(5:54) 8. Black Coffee
(3:51) 9. I Love Being Here With You
(3:26) 10. The Other Part Of Me
(3:22) 11. Johnny Guitar
(4:53) 12. Where Can I Go Without You?
(2:38) 13. This Is A Very Special Day / It's A Good Day
(2:55) 14. Angels On Your Pillow

Peggy Lee was a remarkable singer and songwriter, but to some listeners, deeply enigmatic. Her time, often well behind the beat, conveyed a subtle sense of irony. "Are you getting this?" she sometimes seemed to say, "or am I going too fast for you?" She could be exuberant and world weary almost in the same breath. It was seemingly up to the audience to decipher her meaning. Lee could convey expectation and experience simultaneously, as in her version of "Folks Who Live on The Hill." "Fever."

Well, it was not as if much imagination was needed, with a drummer dropping exclamation points, but tastefully, not bump and grind. As much as any singer of her generation, even more than Anita O'Day, Lee could convey emotional turmoil, never perhaps really distant from her personal life. She was a singer for adults, like O'Day or Billie Holiday. She could sing sweetly, but that was not her customary image by the time she reached the 1960s.

Those same qualities are gloriously evident in Ann Hampton Callaway's well-chosen celebration of Lee. Just in case the listener were inclined to miss them, Callaway's version and it is her version of "Fever" includes a wry commentary on Lee's first marriage to guitarist Dave Barbour, when she was in her apprenticeship to Benny Goodman in the 1940s. It is a nod to Lee's songwriting as well, like "Captain John Smith and Pocahontas," that Lee apparently added. It is instructive to listen to Callaway doing "Till There Was You."

This tune dates from the 1950s, and Lee sold it as a straight love song, no fireworks. Callaway gives a different impression, regret perhaps. When you think of Lee as the voice of experience as in "Is that All There Is?," Calloway's quality is strikingly different. It is the same on "Folks Who Live on the Hill." Lee could have been looking into the future, but Callaway leaves the impression that she has seen it all.

"Black Coffee" has been done by so many artists since Sarah Vaughan that it would take a book to compare them. Callaway gives it a solid blues treatment, and like some others, she has the right voice for it, down and dirty. Lee pretty much did it that way too, but not every singer has. Callaway is true to the original, but then so was Lee. Preference is a matter of taste.

On the other hand, some of the material is, well, if not obscure, probably new to some. "The Other Part of Me," for instance, or "Johnny Guitar," is presumably related to a Joan Crawford film made in 1954 about the risks an independent woman had to take on the Wild West. Lee started young and had a long career that included acting. Not everyone will be familiar with her entire trajectory, or coded allusions to aspects of her personal life.

As for Callaway, this recording only goes to show she has not chosen to coast on past successes, of which there have been many. She is, like Lee, quite versatile, ranging far beyond basic blues, and very much her own singer and songwriter, no matter who her formative influences were.

There are plenty of subtle clues about Callaway's outlook in her singing: anyone who can do a song like "Thoughts and Prayers" is not about to compromise artistry or talent for anyone. Nor, one suspects, would Peggy Lee either. Jazz can be complicated, and so too, its best exponents.By Richard J Salvucci https://www.allaboutjazz.com/fever-a-peggy-lee-celebration-ann-hampton-callaway-palmetto-records

Personnel: Ann Hampton Callaway: voice / vocals; John Pizzarelli: guitar; Ted Rosenthal: piano; Martin Wind: bass, acoustic; Tim Horner: drums; Bob Mann: guitar.

Fever: a Peggy Lee Celebration!

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Ken Peplowski - Easy to Remember (Extended)

Styles: Clarinet And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 100:27
Size: 232,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:31) 1. It's Easy to Remember
(5:51) 2. Restless
(7:58) 3. Copi
(3:42) 4. With Every Breath I Take
(3:22) 5. Louisa
(8:02) 6. Everything I Love
(4:41) 7. I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face
(1:55) 8. Single Petal of a Rose
(3:52) 9. Love Came
(7:07) 10. Good Old Days
(2:36) 11. Junk
(5:37) 12. Smoke Rings
(7:16) 13. High on You
(3:51) 14. Love Came 1 - New York Mix
(3:50) 15. Love Came 2 - New York Mix
(4:30) 16. It's Easy to Remember 1 - New York Mix
(4:32) 17. It's Easy to Remember 2 - New York Mix
(4:42) 18. I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face - New York Mix
(5:51) 19. Restless - New York Mix
(6:31) 20. High on You - New York Mix

Clarinetist Ken Peplowski can be counted on for about one new record a year; it apparently takes him most of that year to decide on material to include on the next album. Peps has been a staple in the jazz world for quite some time, having debuted at age 10 in 1969 in his home town of Cleveland, OH, and toured with Tommy Dorsey's ghost band (led by Buddy Morrow) in the late '70s, before settling in New York. The rap on him is that he is the epitome of jazz traditionalism, but, as this CD demonstrates, that judgment fails adequately to recognize his adventurousness.

Here, supported by a superlative rhythm section, Peplowski has compiled a collection that ranges from Bobby Short's Caf' Carlyle rendition of the title tune to pianist Rosenthal's original "Good Old Days"; "Restless" (from Benny Goodman's book) on tenor sax to Paul McCartney's "Junk"; a revisitation of "Copi" and "Everything I Love" to Joe Cohn's father Al's "High on You"; and Cy Coleman's beautiful "With Every Breath I Take" to the serendipitous "Smoke Rings," with standards from Jobim, Lerner and Loewe, Strayhorn and Ellington to round out the program. Throughout its more than 66 minutes, the threads that hold it all together are Peplowski's innate musicality and impeccable good taste.

To my ear, the album's trajectory soars after Short's contribution; the old cabaret singer's spirit is willing, but his raspy voice is weak. Peps' tenor is breathy and Cohn's and Leonhart's solos, laid-back on a gently swinging "Restless." "Copi" is a lovely, slow jazz waltz for tenor, while Peps' introspective clarinet drips clover honey on "Every Breath." Jobim's "Louisa," suggested by Peps' frequent duo partner Howard Alden, is as delicate as a blossom, featuring delicious interplay between Peplowski's clarinet and Rosenthal's piano. A long, elegant, out-of-rhythm clarinet cadenza opens Cole Porter's "Everything I Love," clearly one of the high points of the album; the eventual addition of other instruments interrupts the reverie with almost abrupt suddenness, although the comfortable swing of the rendition, the beauty of the tune, and, in eight minutes, its thoroughness of exploration make the intrusion easy to forgive.

Peps' brief, unaccompanied solo on Ellington's "Single Petal of a Rose" seems to capture perfectly the Duke's intent; this to me is the album's emotional center. Nothing could follow it more appropriately than a Strayhorn ballad. Rosenthal's brisk original, remotely reminiscent of "Savoy," injects a nice change of pace, while Paul McCartney's pleasantly simple "Junk," wistfully sung by Kim Liggett, with Cohn's accompaniment and Peplowski's clarinet obbligato, provides some unexpected variety.

The album concludes with a solidly swinging "Smoke Rings" and an up-tempo "High on You," taken with a samba beat; Peps switches to tenor for both of these.~ J.Robert Bragonier https://www.allaboutjazz.com/easy-to-remember-ken-peplowski-nagel-heyer-records-review-by-j-robert-bragonier.php?width=1920

Personnel: Ken Peplowski - clarinet, tenor sax; Joe Cohn- guitar; Ted Rosenthal - pianist; Joe Fitzgerald - bassist; Jeff Brillinger - drummer; Bobby Short - vocals (track 1); Kim Liggett- vocals(track 11)

Easy to Remember (Extended)

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Bill Charlap, Ted Rosenthal - Gerry Mulligan Songbook

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:31
Size: 162,7 MB
Art: Front

(7:19)  1. Line For Lyons
(5:40)  2. Walkin' Shoes
(7:47)  3. Song For Strayhorn
(2:52)  4. Bark For Barksdale
(7:16)  5. Curtains
(4:49)  6. Rocker
(5:44)  7. Lonesome Boulevard
(5:49)  8. Festive Minor
(7:48)  9. Noblesse
(6:02) 10. Wood On Wood
(9:24) 11. Jazzspeak

Although Gerry Mulligan was once famous for his celebrated "pianoless" quartets, the maestro in later years hired two exceptional, young pianists, Bill Charlap and Ted Rosenthal. The pianists, along with two other Mulligan alumni, bassist Dean Johnson and drummer Ron Vincent, celebrate the memory of their old boss in these bright, spirited, often-witty renditions of 10 of his jazz songs. Charlap and Rosenthal are most empathetic collaborators. Their overlapping voicings are often deliciously reminiscent of Bill Evans' overdubbing of himself on "Conversations with Myself" and "Further Conversations with Myself." The more overlapping, the more interactive and contrapuntal sounding it gets, the more exciting it gets. The music has a spontaneous edge, but never sinks into chaos or the clatter of keyboards colliding. These are high-quality, tasteful servings, certainly not some sort of Mulligan stew casually tossed on the listener's plate. The pianos come out roaring on Mulligan's "Line for Lyons," the opening tune for the session ranging from "Walkin' Shoes" to "Song for Strayhorn." Chiaroscuro's Hank O'Neal has long provided a haven for fine piano music, whether it's Dave McKenna's or Jess Stacy's. Charlap and Rosenthal, although from a much-younger generation, fit into O'Neal's piano pantheon. Anyone, in fact, who likes good piano music, whether jazz or classical, can derive much pleasure from this piano songbook. On the CD's last selection, Jazzspeak a regular feature on Chiaroscuro, in which musicians speak of art, life or whatever the four ex Mulliganites recall their boss/mentor rather fondly, even when acknowledging he was a demanding taskmaster who wanted things done right. Right, they agree, was Always his way. https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-1997-07-31-9708010828-story.html

Personnel:  Bill Charlap, Ted Rosenthal, piano; Dean Johnson, bass; Ron Vincent, drums

Gerry Mulligan Songbook

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Noriko Ueda Trio - Debut

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:18
Size: 108,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:36)  1. Bohemia After Dark
(5:11)  2. Blue Sunset
(4:28)  3. Just in Time
(5:12)  4. Forget Me Not
(5:39)  5. Double Vision
(3:59)  6. Parisian Thoroughfare
(5:58)  7. The Loop
(5:38)  8. For All We Know
(5:33)  9. The Touch of Your Lips

Born 14 March 1972, Osaka, Japan. From the age of 14, Ueda studied classical piano and two years later began playing electric bass. Her piano studies continued until she was 20, and in the meantime she had also begun to compose. During the last two years of these studies, she concurrently studied classical singing at Osaka College of Music. It was at this time that she made the change to playing the acoustic double bass, which thereafter became her principal instrument. After leaving Osaka College early in 1992, Ueda began playing at the city’s jazz clubs, work that provided an opportunity to accompany visiting jazz musicians such as Kenny Barron, Joe Chambers, Benny Green, Roy Hargrove, Jimmy Smith and Grady Tate. In 1994, she joined pianist Kiyoshi Takeshita for a year and then went to the USA to study at the Berklee College Of Music, where she majored in jazz composition. While at Berklee, she appeared on the 1997 BMG release Summa Cum Jazz: The Best Of Berklee College Of Music. From 1996, she led an all-Japanese, all-female trio, Groovin’ Girls, which has recorded in the studio and also appeared on Black Entertainment Television’s Jazz Central. With her in the group are pianist Takana Miyamoto and drummer Masumi Inaba. Ueda has composed extensively, often for big bands. Several of her pieces were used on Live At TUC, a 2001 radio broadcast on FM Tokyo. In 2000, 2002 and 2003 her compositions were performed at the BMI Annual Showcase Concerts. Her ‘Castle In The North’ won her the 2002 BMI Foundation’s Charlie Parker Jazz Composition Prize and the following year her ‘Power Of Spring’ was played at the BMI Annual Showcase Concert. This same composition was selected for the BMI Jazz Composer’s Workshop and was performed at the IAJE (International Association for Jazz Education) Annual Conference in January 2004. Ueda is a member of DIVA, the all-female big band, led by drummer Sherrie Maricle, and she also plays as a member of the DIVA small group, Five Play. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/noriko-ueda-mn0000119737

Personnel:  Noriko Ueda (bass) Ted Rosenthal (piano) Quincy Davis (drums).

Debut

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Adrian Cunningham - Jazz Speak

Styles: Saxophone, Clarinet And Flute Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:14
Size: 141,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:32)  1. The Source
(5:44)  2. Let«s Fall In Love
(6:24)  3. Mood Indigo
(5:57)  4. Getting Down Uptown
(5:48)  5. Rachel's Dance
(3:31)  6. Appalachia
(6:34)  7. Petite Fleur
(5:23)  8. Jazz Speak
(6:10)  9. Autumn Moon Over the Calm Lake
(4:15) 10. Tempus Fugit
(5:52) 11. Janelle

Australian jazz musician Adrian Cunningham fronts a prestigious quartet that includes pianist Ted Rosenthal, bassist John Clayton and drummer Jeff Hamilton. Cunningham is now based in New York City when not touring internationally. Patrons who attended the New Year’s Eve concert by Pensacola Symphony got to hear him when he played with trombonist Wycliffe Gordon’s group. This CD is a mix of familiar tunes plus some lesser known ones as well as some by Cunningham himself. The artist is equally facile with clarinet, tenor saxophone and flute. As stated, familiar tunes include Arlen and Koehler’s Let’s Fall in Love; Ellington and Bigard’s Mood Indigo, Sidney Bechet’s Petite Fleur along with Bud Powell’s Tempus Fugit. There are five Cunningham originals which are also exciting. One unusual tune, unfamiliar to me, was Lu Wencheng’s Autumn Moon Over the Calm Lake. This is Chinese composer, Wencheng’s most famous tune. Purists would not put it in the jazz category, but most would agree it is a relaxed, typical Chinese melody and quite lovely. 

Thanks to Arbors records for their help in presenting Mr. Cunningham to the wider jazz audience. As readers of The Syncopated Times jazz monthly already know, Adrian has a monthly column about jazz and his peripatetic activity. ~ Norman Vickers  https://jazzpensacola.com/cd-review-jazz-speak-adrian-cunningham/

Personnel:  Adrian Cunningham - tenor sax, clarinet, flute; Ted Rosenthal - piano; John Clayton - bass; Jeff Hamilton - drums

Jazz Speak

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Ted Rosenthal Trio - Rhapsody In Gershwin

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:40
Size: 134.3 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[17:06] 1. Rhapsody In Blue
[ 4:52] 2. Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
[ 5:53] 3. Fascinatin' Rhythm
[ 5:40] 4. I Loves You Porgy
[ 5:30] 5. They Can't Take That Away From Me
[ 6:06] 6. Strike Up The Band
[ 6:34] 7. Someone To Watch Over Me
[ 6:54] 8. Love Walked In

Ted Rosenthal: piano; Martin Wind: bass; Tim Horner: drums.

The glories of George Gershwin have been well-documented in jazz settings. In fact, many would argue that Gershwin's music has been done to death. So does the world really need another tribute to this iconic tunesmith? In theory, it does not. Supply and demand, and the very nature of saturation, would say that a more-than-sufficient dose of Gershwin has been given to the world, so it's time to move on. However, these principles have never applied to this type of art. When somebody has something valuable to add to the jazz canon, it doesn't matter if they're the first, tenth, hundredth, or thousandth person to essay a specific topic. Good art is good art, and Rhapsody In Gerswhin certainly qualifies under this measure.

For his fifteenth album as a leader, pianist Ted Rosenthal decided to dive into the Gershwin songbook, visiting oft-covered favorites with his trio mates—sensitive-and-swinging drummer Tim Horner and beautifully balanced bassist Martin Wind. Together, they reimagine what this music can be. This trio works at the balance point between expectations and possibilities. It gives Gershwin's melodies, harmonies and rhythms their due, but applies transformative touches to all of them. The seventeen-minute "Rhapsody In Blue" is the perfect example. All of the sweeping sections and elegant melodic strains are there, but transitory nature surrounds this interpretation as the trio swiftly cuts from idea to idea. Shifting roles, styles and ideas enliven this performance of an oh-so-familiar classic. The seven other songs on the album speak to sophistication and wit. "Let's Call The Whole Thing Off" finds Rosenthal playing against and around the rhythm section, brilliantly avoiding the too-cute-by-half trap that so many versions of this song fall into. "Fascinatin' Rhythm" lives up to its name for a change, with quizzical call and response between Rosenthal and Horner, flowing streams of piano beneath Wind's arco melodies, and driving swing episodes. "I Loves You Porgy" is a mellow Bill Evans-ish beauty, "They Can't Take That Away From Me" finds Rosenthal and Wind in fine form, gliding atop the gilded swing of Horner, and Rosenthal's "Strike Up The Band" rewrite is rhythmically striking, moving from understated strolls to fast-and-furious sprints. The album then closes with a slowly drifting "Someone To Watch Over Me" and a lively "Love Walked In."

With Rhapsody In Gerswhin, Rosenthal reminds that single-mindedness in programming does not equate to one dimensional performances. Everything here might bear the trademark of George Gerswhin, but the multi-faceted nature of these performances is all about Rosenthal. ~Dan Bilawsky

Rhapsody In Gershwin

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Ted Rosenthal - Out of This World

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:17
Size: 149,8 MB
Art: Front

(8:11)  1. Out of This World
(6:52)  2. So In Love
(4:45)  3. Have You Met Miss Jones
(8:24)  4. Prelude No. 2
(6:00)  5. Embraceable You
(5:56)  6. People Will Say We're In Love
(6:11)  7. Lotus Blossom
(6:57)  8. How Long Has This Been Going On
(4:35)  9. Cry Me a River
(6:23) 10. In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning

2011 has been productive year in the recording realm for pianist Ted Rosenthal. His contribution to The Westchester Jazz Orchestra's superb Maiden Voyage Suite (WJO Records) helped elevate the re-imaging of pianist Herbie Hancock's classic Maiden Voyage (Blue Note, 1965) to the highest level of big band artistry. With Out of this World, Rosenthal slips back to the more minimal piano trio, for his exquisite interpretations of some of The Great American Songbook's most beloved compositions. Covering classic tunes by some of the Songbook's best-known composers with a high sheen and Rosenthal's distinctive style and refined touch, the trio opens with the title tune, written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer. The trio takes the tune on a rolling and fluid 9/8 groove that seems to float on the clouds, buoyed by bassist Noriko Ueda's succinct bounce and drummer Quincy Davis' odd-meter surprises. It wouldn't be a standards set without some Cole Porter. Rosenthal and the trio explore the beauty of the composer's "So in Love," beginning with a wistful elegance that slips from Latin groove to up-tempo swing. 

And if a standards set must have some Cole Porter, George Gershwin certainly can't be left out. There are three of Gershwin's works: "Prelude #2," taken into the deep blues; another odd-meter tryst with "Embraceable You;" and "How Long Has This Been Going On?," which gets the lightest of Rosenthal's touch wistful and pretty, full of inventive eddies. "Lotus Blossom," from the pen of Billy Strayhorn, is delicately lovely, and "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning," which was covered so perfectly by vocalist Frank Sinatra on his 1955 Capitol Records album, In the Wee Small Hours, is the perfect closer here, a reverent treatment of the timeless ballad full of longing and, in the hands of Rosenthal and his trio, a glimmer, perhaps, of hope. ~ Dan Mcclenaghan   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=40854#.UwfxsIVZhls
 

Personnel: Ted Rosenthal: piano; Noriko Ueda: bass; Quincy Davis: drums.

Out of This World

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Ted Rosenthal Trio - My Funny Valentine

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:48
Size: 160,2 MB
Art: Front

(6:42)  1. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
(6:43)  2. My Funny Valentine
(5:16)  3. Alone Together
(6:58)  4. Lover Man
(8:26)  5. Softly As In A Morning Sunrise
(6:48)  6. Don't Explain
(4:28)  7. Autumn Leaves
(7:18)  8. I Fall In Love To Easily
(6:23)  9. Summertime
(7:11) 10. Falling In Love With Love
(3:33) 11. 'S Wonderful

In a skittish music industry where labels increasingly blur their identities and grab at gimmicks just to stay alive, it's reassuring to know that Venus Records continues to produce high-quality, straight-ahead jazz. Based in Japan but recording mostly in New York, Venus has a longstanding, signature focus on documenting the world's best piano trios, and My Funny Valentine is no exception. This project was conceived by leader Ted Rosenthal as an instrumental tribute to singer Helen Merrill, who has long been a huge star in Japan; together they have performed many of the tunes on this CD, including "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To," which was Merrill's first and most beloved hit (her 1954 Emarcy eponymous album on which it arrived was voted "best album of the past 50 years" in a Japanese magazine readers' poll). Like virtually every Venus artist, Rosenthal and his colleagues bassist George Mraz and drummer Al Foster are world-renowned players with impressive pedigrees who are at the absolute top of their game. Given the label's famous preference for familiar standards in traditional arrangements, the challenge is to play them with both respect and creativity. This trio rises tunefully to that challenge with soulful romanticism, a dash of mischief, and the highest level of seamless interplay. Between Rosenthal's fluid eloquence, Mraz's deep lyricism, and Foster's subtly propulsive accents, they give new life to classics like "Alone Together" and "Softly As in a Morning Sunrise." My Funny Valentine offers seventy minutes of pure mainstream jazz, with an emphasis on luxurious ballads. This CD is so melodic that you can even play it for people who claim to dislike this music. It may even convert a few. ~ Dr.Judith Schlesinger   

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=29174#.Ut6UK7RpQ2w

Personnel: Ted Rosenthal: piano; George Mraz: bass; Al Foster: drums.

My Funny Valentine

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Bob Brookmeyer & Ted Rosenthal - One Night in Vermont

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:55
Size: 145,2 MB
Art: Front

(10:40)  1. Night and Day
( 8:35)  2. Embraceable You
( 7:49)  3. Yesterdays
( 9:37)  4. Darn That Dream
( 8:35)  5. How Deep Is the Ocean
( 8:07)  6. What's New
( 9:29)  7. All the Things You Are

Two people. That’s all you need to create a stunning album complete with all of jazz’s beloved nuances, all the explosive vitality of a live performance and all those stirring moments that remind you why you need it in your life. One Night In Vermont, pianist Ted Rosenthal and trombonist Bob Brookmeyer’s new live album, contains all of these, but it also captures a historic evening the first time the pair played together as a duo. August 28th, 2001 at Wilmington, Vermont’s Memorial Hall Center for the Arts must have been a very special evening for all in attendance, for each of the seven standards on this disc buzz with brilliant beauty. Cole Porter, George and Ira Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin... they’re all here. Rosenthal and Brookmeyer, distinguished composers and arrangers themselves, take classic melodies from these revered songwriters, and enliven them with glistening contrapuntal streams, gracious improvisations, and playful duels. They bring a strong orchestral wisdom to the duo setting, expanding their capacity for expression and utilizing the absence of a rhythm section to their advantage. 

The pairing of trombone and piano provides for a tasteful contrast. In “Night And Day,” the two complement each other with opposing textures. Brookmeyer’s trombone takes on a rough tone as Rosenthal’s piano shimmers. During “Embraceable You,” Rosenthal comps tactfully over Brookmeyer’s solo, emphasizing each phrase with sharp, conspiratorial chords. Rosenthal’s own solo is ferociously rousing the kind that provokes a heightened pulse, and quickened breath. During his “Yesterdays” solo, it’s pure pleasure when Rosenthal loosens his grip and tumbles into the warbling melody that is so essentially of the Fred and Ginger era. Rosenthal and Brookmeyer play emphatically together. As one slows down, enraptured in the moment, the other takes the lead, propelling the team forward, but of course not stealing the spotlight. Both toy with rhythms like expert clowns juggling a collection of objects of varying shape and weight. Inciting nostalgia as with “Darn That Dream,” or compassion with “All The Things You Are,” this music simultaneously relaxes and invigorates. Listen and soak in the tub. Listen and button your cuff links for a swinging night out. Either way, listen. ~ Celeste Sunderland   

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=13739#.UovGtuJc_vs

Personnel: Ted Rosenthal (piano), Bob Brookmeyer (valve trombone)

One Night in Vermont

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Jay Leonhart - Sensitive To The Touch

Styles: Jazz

Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:54
Size: 227,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:06)  1. Ding Dong The Wicked Witch Is Dead
(7:52)  2. Accentuate The Positive
(8:21)  3. Come Rain Or Come Shine
(8:50)  4. My Shining Hour
(5:44)  5. Let's Fall In Love
(5:15)  6. Devil & The Deep Blue Sea
(4:35)  7. Get Happy
(7:43)  8. I've Got The World On A String
(5:34)  9. Ill WInd
(8:53) 10. If I Only Had A Brain
(3:57) 11. As Long As I Live

Feeling very much at home in a swing setting, Jay Leonhart takes on Harold Arlen, making Arlen's hits zip to new life on Sensitive to the Touch. From the clarinet, bass, drum opening of "Ding Dong the Wicked Witch Is Dead" to the sax, bass, vocalizing of the last tune, "As Long as I Live," this band swings hard. 

Leonhart and clarinetist/saxophonist Ken Peplowski have such obvious synchronicity, while pianist Ted Rosenthal and drummer Grady Tate don't hesitate to jump right into the fray. ~Sunsh Stein

http://jazztimes.com/articles/10849-sensitive-to-the-touch-the-music-of-harold-arlen-jay-leonhart .

Sensitive To The Touch

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