Sonny Greenwich - Sun Song (The Music of Sonny Greenwich)

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1975
Time: 40:07
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 91,8 MB
Art: Front

( 7:15) 1. Lily (Lotus)
(12:08) 2. Peace Chant
(20:43) 3. Starlight/Parting

A gem of a record from the great Sonny Greenwich an open-toned guitarist with a style that's unlike anyone else we can think of a Canadian player who never got much exposure down here in the US, but who really stands apart from most of the jazz guitarists of his generation! There's this unusual sense of color and phrasing that really makes Sonny stand out chords that almost feel as if they're broken open and exposed from a Wes Montgomery sort of tightness able to move with a sense of fluidity, but a unique sense of rhythm that's definitely Greenwich's own.

The rest of the group here really match the spirit of his music maybe more so than on any other record of his as a leader a great lineup that includes Don Thompson on electric and acoustic piano, Rick Homme on bass, Terry Clarke on drums, and Clayton Johnson on percussion. All tracks are nice and long and titles include "Peace Chant", "Lilly Lotus", "Parting", and "Starlight". © 1996-2024, Dusty Groove, Inc.https://www.dustygroove.com/item/994223/Sonny-Greenwich:Sun-Song

Personnel: Guitar – Sonny Greenwich; Bass – Rick Homme; Drums – Terry Clarke; Percussion – Clayton Johnson; Piano – Don Thompson

Sun Song (The Music of Sonny Greenwich)

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Don Menza & Sam Noto - Steppin'

Styles: Saxophone And Trumpet Jazz
v Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 79:31
Size: 182,6 MB
Art: Front

(16:18) 1. Something Old, Something Blue
( 9:11) 2. Lover Man
(15:47) 3. Spanish Boots
(14:05) 4. Paddelin' Maddeline
( 7:39) 5. These Are Things I Love
(16:29) 6. Steppin'

July 1980 I was in Buffalo, N.Y. visiting family and playing a few gigs when I got a call from Sam Noto who was living in Toronto, Canada. He asked if I was interested in doing a gig at Bourbon St. (180 Queen St.) the jazz club in Toronto. I was very much into it. Sam explained it would be a pianoless quartet no problem. In the summer of 1963 we had a pianoless quintet at a club in Buffalo (Big Mothers).

It was 4 months of musical expansion and experimentation for all of us I joined Sam in Toronto and we had a short rehearsal. What you hear on this CD is a result of what I feel was a very special week. There is not much that can be said about Sam that hasn’t already been said. His time with Stan Kenton, Woody Herman, Count Basie, Louie Bellson and numerous small group recordings are all well-documented and worth hearing. As for the rhythm section, Dave Young and Terry Clarke are both what a jazz rhythm section should be but too often is not. They represent the best of jazz players. I was and still am proud to be part of this jazz happening. These are truly the things I love. By Don Menza (February 2023)

Personnel: Sam Noto (trumpet & flugelhorn), Don Menza (tenor sax), Dave Young (bass), Terry Clarke (drums).

Steppin'

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Joe Coughlin - Dedicated to You

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:10
Size: 136,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:42) 1. When Your Lover Has Gone
(3:37) 2. On Green Dolphin Street
(6:33) 3. Lush Life
(5:39) 4. It Could Happen to You
(6:07) 5. They Say It's Wonderful
(4:12) 6. Kiss & Run
(3:56) 7. Autumn Serenade
(4:35) 8. My Ship
(5:40) 9. My One and Only Love
(4:34) 10. Who Cares
(4:58) 11. Nature Boy
(6:31) 12. Dedicated to You

Multi-award winning jazz vocalist Joe Coughlin's career has spanned 4 decades. He's one of the rare breed of singers able to inhabit and truly flourish in the land where jazz meets the great American Song Book. Evident from his first eponymously titled release 40 years ago, it continues to this day where he is reunited with pianist Bernie Senen­sky and drummer Terry Clarke, both of whom performed on that first recording.

Joe cites Johnny Hartman as an early influence when, as a teenager he began to develop an interest in and talent for vocal jazz. Joe and Johnny have also shared sidemen, both having recorded with Lorne Lofsky, Chris Connor and Buff Allen. Over the years, Joe has honed his craft and developed his own sound although the nods to Hartman and Sinatra are still evident. Along with Canadian jazz icons Bernie Senensky and Terry Clarke, joining Joe on this recording are Neil Swainson on bass, a true jazz heavyweight and consummate tenor player, Ryan Oliver. Not surprisingly, the result is impressive.

The album opens with an uptempo, swinging rendition of Eino Swan's "When Your Lover Has Gone", a main­stay of the Hartman and Sinatra catalogue and takes us on a voyage through that Great American Song Book with stops along the way including a magnificent (perhaps definitive) version of Billy Strayhorn's "Lush Life". The deep connection and empathy among Joe and the band members is evident throughout this truly splendid journey.

Personnel: Joe Coughlin – voice; Bernie Senensky – piano; Neil Swainson – bass; Terry Clarke – drums; Ryan Oliver – tenor saxophone

Dedicated to You

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Emily Remler - Retrospective, Volume Two "Compositions"

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1981
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:53
Size: 139,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:30) 1. Mocha Space
(5:02) 2. Nunca Mais
(6:39) 3. Waltz For My Grandfather
(7:24) 4. Catwalk
(6:28) 5. Blues For Herb
(8:03) 6. Transitions
(4:10) 7. The Firefly
(6:17) 8. East To Wes
(4:30) 9. Antonio
(7:46) 10. Mozambique

Emily Remler (September 18, 1957 – May 4, 1990) was an American jazz guitarist who rose to prominence in the 1980s. She recorded seven albums of hard bop, jazz standards and fusion guitar.

Born in New York City, Remler began to play the guitar at the age of ten. Initially inspired by rock artists such as Jimi Hendrix and Johnny Winter as well as other popular styles of music, she experienced a musical epiphany during her studies from 1974 to 1976 at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. She began to listen to such legendary jazz greats as Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, Pat Martino, Charlie Christian, Miles Davis and John Coltrane and took up jazz with a ferocious intensity, practicing almost constantly and never looked back. After graduating Berklee at age 18 she started her professional career touring around the USA.

Remler's first significant and formative step as a fledgling professional musician was to settle in New Orleans where she played in blues and jazz clubs working with bands such as FourPlay and Little Queenie and the Percolators before beginning her recording career in 1981. She was championed by guitar great Herb Ellis, who referred to her as "the new superstar of guitar". Ellis introduced her to the world at the Concord, CA Jazz Festival in 1978. In an interview with People magazine, she once said of herself: "I may look like a nice Jewish girl from New Jersey, but inside I’m a 50-year-old, heavyset black man with a big thumb, like Wes Montgomery." ~People Mag. 1982~ Recorded for the famous Concord label, Remler's albums showcase the diverse influences of a fast-developing artist who quickly attained a distinctive jazz style on the guitar through her interpretations of jazz standards and her own compositions.

Her first album as a band leader, Firefly, won immediate acclaim and her bop guitar on the follow-up, Take Two, was equally well received. Transitions and Catwalk traced the emergence of a more individual voice, with many striking original tunes, while her love of Wes Montgomery shone through on the stylish East to Wes. When the rhythm section is floating, I'll float too, and I'll get a wonderful feeling in my stomach. If the rhythm section is really swinging, it's such a great feeling, you just want to laugh Emily Remler In addition to her recording career as a band leader and composer, Remler played with artists as diverse as Larry Coryell, with whom she recorded an album entitled Together, and the singer Rosemary Clooney. She played on Broadway for the Los Angeles version of the show 'Sophisticated Ladies' from 1981 to 1982 and produced two popular guitar instruction videos. She also toured for several years in the early eighties as guitarist for Astrud Gilberto.

In 1985, she won the ‘Guitarist Of The Year’ award in Down Beat magazine’s international poll. In 1988, she was 'Artist in Residence' at Duquesne University and, in 1989, received Berklee's Distinguished Alumni award. She married Jamaican jazz pianist Monty Alexander in 1981, the marriage ending in 1984. Her first guitar was her elder brother's Gibson ES-330, and she played a Borys B120 hollow body electric towards the end of the 1980s. Her acoustic guitars included a 1984 Collectors Series Ovation and a nylon string Korocusci classical guitar that she used for playing bossa nova. When asked how she wanted to be remembered she remarked: "Good compositions, memorable guitar playing and my contributions as a woman in music…. but the music is everything, and it has nothing to do with politics or the women’s liberation movement." She appealed to all audiences with her wide understanding of all forms of jazz. She gained respect from fellow musicians and critics because of her dedication, enthusiasm and remarkable skill. Remler, who was a heroin addict, died of heart failure at the age of 32 at the Connells Point home of musician Ed Gaston, while on tour in Australia. Two tribute albums were recorded after her death, Just Friends volume one and two, featuring contributions from Herb Ellis, David Benoit, Bill O'Connell and David Bromberg among many others. In 2006 the Skip Heller Quartet recorded a song called "Emily Remler" in her memory. https://www.jazzmusicarchives.com/artist/emily-remler

Personnel: Guitar – Emily Remler; Bass – Bob Maize, Buster Williams, Don Thompson, Eddie Gomez; Drums – Jake Hanna, Marvin "Smitty" Smith, Terry Clarke; Drums, Percussion – Bob Moses; Piano – Hank Jones, James Williams ; Trumpet – John D'Earth

Retrospective, Volume Two "Compositions"

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Jim Hall - Live in Tokyo

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1976
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:25
Size: 120,3 MB
Art: Front

( 9:08)  1. Billie's Bounce
( 4:55)  2. Twister
( 8:01)  3. Secret Love
( 8:45)  4. Concierto de Aranjuez
(10:57)  5. Chelsea Bridge
(10:37)  6. St. Thomas

One of a pair of recordings made during a tour of Japan for Paddlewheel (a subsidiary of King), the Jim Hall Trio, with bassist Don Thompson and drummer Terry Clarke, is in top form during this 1976 concert. The opener, Charlie Parker's "Billie's Bounce," is an introspective interpretation, though played with plenty of fire, while "Twister," a duo performance credited to both Hall and Clarke, may very well be an improvisation. 

A quiet piece like the excerpt from Rodrigo's "Concierto de Aranjeuz" is tailor-made for Hall's often subtle, rather understated approach to his instrument. First-rate versions of "Chelsea Bridge" and "St. Thomas" round out this highly recommended live set, which has never been issued outside of Japan nor made available on CD.~Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/live-in-tokyo-mw0001245277

Personnel:  Guitar – Jim Hall;  Bass – Don Thompson;  Drums – Terry Clarke

Live in Tokyo

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Jim Hall - Textures

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:33
Size: 118,3 MB
Art: Front

( 6:58) 1. Fanfare
( 9:46) 2. Ragman
( 6:44) 3. Reflections
( 4:46) 4. Quadrologue
(12:54) 5. Passacaglia
( 5:59) 6. Sazanami
( 4:23) 7. Circus Dance

Now this is really different. Without dropping his electric and acoustic guitars for a minute, Jim Hall reaches back to his early classical studies and joins the Third Stream. The result is an absorbing set of seven Hall compositions that reveal a hitherto unseen, serious, sometimes whimsical side of a musician we all thought we had pegged. A lot of this is rooted in 1950s classical/jazz fusions from Stan Kenton to Gunther Schuller, yet Hall thankfully makes even the most cerebral passages sound attractive, thanks in part to the delicate, still-soft timbres of his electric guitar. Each piece is quite different from that of its neighbor; two ("Fanfare," "Reflections") have surprisingly dense and dissonant writing for a brass septet, another ("Quadrologue") uses pizzicato strings plunking acerbically over a repeated ostinato, still another is an informal "Passacaglia" with isolated interludes for solo classical guitar. The splendidly nostalgic "Sazanami," with steel drum tappings over a Caribbean shaker rhythm, is the closest thing to a strictly jazz-oriented groove on the CD, and a mock "Circus Dance" for oompah-ing brass adds a touch of droll and morose humor at the end of the program.

The most original piece is probably "Ragman," with its contemporary string writing, Middle Eastern flavor, and Joe Lovano rattling around the percussive rhythms on soprano sax. Signing with Telarc allegedly a safe refuge for aging jazz stars seems to have brought out the daring explorer in Hall in this and his previous release, Dialogues. More power to him.~ Richard S. Ginell https://www.allmusic.com/album/textures-mw0000023650

Personnel: Guitar, Composed By, Arranged By – Jim Hall; Bass – Scott Colley; Drums – Terry Clarke; Flugelhorn – Claudio Roditi; Soprano Saxophone – Joe Lovano; Steel Drums – Derek DiCenzo; Trombone – Jim Pugh; Trumpet – Ryan Kisor

Textures

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Rob McConnell And The Boss Brass - Atras Da Porta

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 1985
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:57
Size: 113,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:14)  1. Easy To Love
(5:24)  2. Flowers
(4:59)  3. Jo Jo's Dance
(5:46)  4. Atras Da Porta
(8:48)  5. Amor Ate O Fim
(7:11)  6. Autumn In New York
(4:57)  7. Didi
(6:34)  8. Bye Bye Blues

Virtually every release by Rob McConnell's Boss Brass is easily recommended to fans of straight-ahead and swinging big bands. Put out by the Canadian Innovation label, this release is a bit unusual in that five of the songs are by Latin American composers, two of which were arranged Jorge Calandrelli; in addition, the 22-piece orchestra plays "Easy to Love," "Autumn In New York," and "Bye Bye Blues." Although the material might be a bit different than usual, the band's distinctive sound is unchanged, and there is plenty of solo space for the usual top-notch players altoist Moe Koffman, guitarist Ed Bickert, flugelhornist Guido Basso, and Eugene Amaro on tenor. An interesting set that finds the big band showing a lot of flexibility. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/atras-da-porta-mw0000195203

Personnel:  Valve Trombone – Rob McConnell;  Alto Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet – Jerry Toth; Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Flute, Piccolo Flute – Moe Koffman; Baritone Saxophone, Bass Clarinet – Bob Leonard;  Bass – Steve Wallace; Bass Trombone – Ron Hughes; Drums – Terry Clarke; French Horn – George Stimpson, James MacDonald; Guitar – Ed Bickert; Percussion – Brian Leonard , Memo Acevedo; Piano, Electric Piano – Jimmy Dale; Tenor Saxophone, Flute – Eugene Amaro; Tenor Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet – Rick Wilkins; Trombone – Bob Livingston , Dave McMurdo; Trombone [Lead] – Ian McDougall; Trumpet [Associate Lead], Flugelhorn – Erich Traugott; Trumpet [Lead], Flugelhorn – Arnie Chycoski; Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Dave Woods , Guido Basso, John MacLeod 

Atras Da Porta

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Rob McConnell Tentet - Music of the Twenties

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:44
Size: 165,4 MB
Art: Front

(8:53)  1. Thou Swell
(6:26)  2. Remember
(8:49)  3. Lover, Come Back to Me
(5:19)  4. Can't We Be Friends
(5:43)  5. Always
(6:12)  6. I Can't Believe That You're in Love With Me
(7:54)  7. Indian Summer/Summertime
(6:54)  8. How Long Has This Been Going On
(4:13)  9. You Do Something to Me
(7:33) 10. With a Song in My Heart
(3:44) 11. What I'll Do

To anyone who may be wondering why Rob McConnell would devote an entire album to music that is almost eight decades old, all I can say is, “listen.” Not only don’t they write ‘em like that anymore, they almost never play ‘em this way either. Irving Berlin, Rodgers and Hart, the Gershwins, Cole Porter, Victor Herbert, Sigmund Romberg, Jimmy McHugh and other legendary Tin Pan Alley tunesmiths have seldom sounded fresher or more fashionable than in this dazzling tour de force by McConnell’s spectacular Tentet, thanks on the one hand to Rob’s bright and imaginative arrangements (and one by Rick Wilkins) and on the other to the ensemble’s scintillating performance. Almost everyone in the all-star Tentet is showcased on at least one number, and everyone gets into the solo act on the hot-blooded opener, Rodgers and Hart’s “Thou Swell” (from A Connecticut Yankee, 1927). “I’ve often wondered how I could feature everyone in this band on one number,” Rob writes. “This is the answer.” And what an answer it is, with McConnell’s nimble valve trombone pointing the way toward shimmering solos by all hands. R&H are also represented by “With a Song in My Heart” (1929; solos by tenor Mike Murley, pianist Dave Restivo), Berlin by “Remember” (1925; chart by Wilkins, solos by Restivo and bassist Steve Wallace), “Always” (1925; featuring Guido Basso, flugelhorn) and “What’ll I Do” (1924; Steve McDade, trumpet). Alto P.J. 

Perry is the headliner on Romberg’s mercurial “Lover Come Back to Me” (1928). Trombonist Terry Promane softly caresses the melody and Murley solos on the Gershwins’ “How Long Has This Been Going On” (1927), while McConnell and Restivo are the main men on McHugh’s “I Can’t Believe That You’re in Love with Me” (1926), tenor Alex Dean and drummer Terry Clarke on Porter’s “You Do Something to Me” (1929). Romberg’s carefree “Indian Summer” (1929) is briefly paired with the only song that doesn’t date from the ‘20s, “Summertime,” written in 1935 by George and Ira Gershwin, DuBose Heyward and Dorothy Fields for the folk opera Porgy and Bess. The soloists are Dean and Wallace (“Indian Summer”) and Basso (muted on “Summertime”). “I decided,” says Rob, “that a small tribute to Miles Davis and Gil Evans with a bit of ‘Summertime’ at the end [of ‘Indian Summer’] would be OK.” And indeed it is. That covers everything except the loosely swinging Kay Swift / Paul James standard from 1929, “Can’t We Be Friends,” on which McConnell states the melody and Wallace is the featured soloist. About the only decision one has to make when listening to McConnell’s Tentet (as was true of the late and grievously lamented Boss Brass) is, which is more impressive, Rob’s arrangements or the ensemble itself? And as is always the case, the “competition” has to be ruled a draw. When all is said and done, it’s simply impossible to choose between perfect and flawless. One thing is sure, and that is that whenever McConnell and his ensemble come together to record, there is more musical talent in that one studio than in all the rock bands in the universe. No matter what the era, the Rob McConnell Tentet makes every song truly irresistible. Another clear-cut winner. ~ Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/music-of-the-twenties-rob-mcconnell-tentet-review-by-jack-bowers.php

Personnel: Rob McConnell, Terry Promane, trombone; Guido Basso, Steve McDade, trumpet, flugelhorn; P.J. Perry, alto sax; Mike Murley, Alex Dean, tenor sax; Dave Restivo, piano; Steve Wallace, bass; Terry Clarke, drums.

Music of the Twenties

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Rob McConnell Tentet - Thank You, Ted

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:52
Size: 140,3 MB
Art: Front

( 9:42)  1. If I Were A Bell
(11:33)  2. Like Someone In Love
( 5:10)  3. Everything Happens To Me
( 6:51)  4. The Outlaw
( 4:30)  5. I'll Never Stop Loving You
( 8:22)  6. Constantly
( 3:40)  7. The Folks Who Live On The Hill
( 6:29)  8. Somewhere In The Night
( 4:31)  9. For All We Know

One can rest assured that whenever Rob McConnell enters a recording studio he’ll be accompanied by a group of the finest jazz musicians Canada has to offer and that the charts he brings with him will flash and gleam like the Aurora Borealis. No exception here, as Rob and his Tentet pay their warm respects to Ted O’Reilly, the amiable host of Toronto’s premier Jazz radio program, “The Jazz Scene,” for twenty-seven years before his retirement last April. Having written and recorded (with the Boss Brass) two of O’Reilly’s theme songs, “T.O.” and “T.O.2,” McConnell the composer takes a holiday here, choosing instead to adapt seven pages from the Great American Songbook to complement Horace Silver’s “The Outlaw” and Vic Dickenson’s “Constantly.” But all the arrangements are his, and as usual, each one is a paragon of graceful lyicism and dynamic group interplay. The Tentet, a pared-down version of the Boss Brass, is so good it makes it harder for one to mourn the loss of the larger ensemble. Of course, most of these gentlemen played with the Brass before McConnell was forced to disband the orchestra, so what we have is a sort of “Boss Brass Lite,” which may have less calories but is every ounce as satisfying as its meatier cousin. The rhythm section, of course, is an indispensable ingredient in any successful recipe, and the Tentet is well-seasoned by the superlative trio of pianist Dave Restivo, bassist Steve Wallace and drummer Terry Clarke, whose zesty cooking gives the ensemble a broad comfort zone in which to collaborate and improvise. McConnell holds the tempos in check, preferring slow to moderate, with only “The Outlaw,” “Constantly” and Frank Loesser’s “If I Were a Bell” exceeding the speed limit, but everyone seems thoroughly at ease within that leisurely framework and there are moments of great charm and beauty in every chart. There are marvelous solos too, with Rob’s expressive valve trombone showcased on “Everything Happens to Me” and (with Terry Promane’s slide trombone) Billy May’s “Somewhere in the Night” (which some may recall as the theme from a ’50s television show, The Naked City ), flugel master Guido Basso passionate on “I’ll Never Stop Loving You,” alto saxophonist P.J. Perry eloquent on “For All We Know,” dueling tenors Mike Murley and Alex Dean loose and swinging on “The Outlaw.” Dean, Wallace and Basso light the scoring lamp on “If I Were a Bell,” Murley, Promane and Restivo on “Like Someone in Love,” McConnell, Wallace and Perry on “Constantly.” A second triumphant album for the irrepressible Tentet, which is doing everything in its power to fill the enormous void created by the unfortunate departure of the Boss Brass. ~ Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/thank-you-ted-review-by-jack-bowers.php?width=1920

Personnel: Rob McConnell, leader, arranger, valve trombone; Steve McDade, trumpet; Guido Basso, flugelhorn; P.J. Perry, alto sax; Alex Dean, Mike Murley, tenor sax; Terry Promane, trombone; Dave Restivo, piano; Steve Wallace, bass; Terry Clarke, drums.

Thank You, Ted

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Marvin Stamm - Mystery Man

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:05
Size: 152,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:40)  1. Mark Time
(6:33)  2. Influence
(6:54)  3. Marionette
(7:51)  4. Man With the Cucumber (Mannen Med Gurkan)
(6:10)  5. Re-Re
(7:34)  6. Giuseppe
(6:07)  7. Old Ballad
(8:15)  8. Mystery Man
(6:13)  9. A Method To The Madness
(3:45) 10. My Funny Valentine

Trumpeter Marvin Stamm, rather than drag out the usual bebop standards, mostly introduces new material on his CD. Four songs are played by Berg's quartet with pianist Bill Charlap, bassist Mike Richmond, and drummer Terry Clarke; six add Bob Mintzer's tenor, and of those songs, three find Bob Malach (on tenor and soprano) making the band a sextet. Because Stamm paid as much attention to varying tempos and moods as he did to changing the instrumentation, this set holds one's interest throughout, swinging hard in a modern fashion. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/mystery-man-mw0000619145

Personnel: Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Marvin Stamm;  Bass – Mike Richmond; Drums – Terry Clarke; Piano – Bill Charlap; Tenor Saxophone – Bob Mintzer , Bob Malach

Mystery Man

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The Bob Brough Quartet - Time Away

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:18
Size: 114,4 MB
Art: Front

(7:28)  1. Traneian Blue
(5:58)  2. Entity
(7:09)  3. Basketball
(5:59)  4. Time Away
(5:42)  5. Winter Waltz
(4:55)  6. Dear Benjamin
(8:19)  7. Light Chasers
(3:44)  8. Blue Pickup

Bob Brough was hot, hot, hot back in 1982, with the trio Timewarp, on the CD Time Warp when it was given a Juno nomination. And Bob was hot, hot, hot back in 2003 with Richard Underhill's Quintet on the CD Tales from the Blue Lounge, when Richard’s CD won a Juno-award. Now, in 2008 Bob is hot, hot, hot following a 3-year-long adventure with the most recent version of The Bob Brough Quartet which has culminated in the release of a new CD, Time Away, celebrated officially at the Rex Jazz and Blues Bar on November 7, 2008. At the CD-release engagement, Bob Brough on tenor saxophone, Adrean Farrugia on piano, Artie Roth on bass, and Terry Clarke on drums, played two rousing sets comprised of jazz standards and original compositions by Bob or Adrean. Impeccable cohesiveness was the order of the evening as the 4 dynamic musicians moved as one through incredibly speedy and difficult improvised passages. The Quartet ended the evening with an audience calling for more and none the least unaware of the unstoppable nature of the energy in this fiery ensemble; nor of the up-beat determination of Bob Brough. Born in 1948 in Toronto, at 14 Bob was handed a baritone saxophone, his first musical instrument, in high school. Within days, his artistic vision was born “to make music and be heard.” Bob is “The Senator” of Globe & Mail jazz critic Mark Miller's book Boogie, Pete, and The Senator, published by Nightwood Editions in 1987. https://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/bobbrough

Personnel:  Bob Brough on saxophone;  Artie Roth on bass;  Terry Clarke on drums;  Adrean Farrugia on piano

Time Away

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The Ken Peplowski Quintet - Sonny Side

Styles: Saxophone And Clarinet Jazz
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:01
Size: 116,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:46)  1. Ring Dem Bells
(5:25)  2. Bright Moments
(4:47)  3. Don't Take Your Love From Me
(4:32)  4. When I Take My Sugar To Tea
(4:12)  5. Ugly Beauty
(5:48)  6. Sonny Side
(4:01)  7. Everything I Love
(3:57)  8. Who Wants To Know?
(4:26)  9. Half Nelson
(4:39) 10. Alone At Last
(3:25) 11. Hallelujah

Switching between tenor, clarinet and alto, Ken Peplowski is hard-swinging and consistently brilliant throughout this quintet set with guitarist Howard Alden, pianist Dave Frishberg, bassist John Goldsby and drummer Terry Clarke. The music is mostly mainstream swing, with the highlights including "Ring Dem Bells," "When I Take My Sugar to Sea," Sonny Stitt's "Sonny Side" and "Hallelujah." 

As if to show that he is aware of later styles, Peplowski also does a good job on Rahsaan Roland Kirk's "Bright Moments," Thelonious Monk's "Ugly Beauty" and Miles Davis' "Half Nelson." Recommended. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/sonny-side-mw0000199765

Personnel:  Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet – Ken Peplowski;  Bass – John Goldsby;  Drums – Terry Clarke;  Guitar – Howard Alden;  Piano – Dave Frishberg

Sonny Side

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John Handy - Recorded Live at the Monterey Jazz Festival

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1965
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:17
Size: 179,3 MB
Art: Front

(27:29)  1. If Only We Knew
(19:34)  2. Spanish Lady
(31:12)  3. Tears of Ole Miss (Anatomy of a Riot)(Bonus Track)

John Handy's performance at the 1965 Monterey Jazz Festival was a sensation and arguably the high point of his career. The altoist, using a quintet that included violinist Michael White, guitarist Jerry Hahn, bassist Don Thompson, and drummer Terry Clarke (all of whom were young unknowns at the time), played two lengthy songs: the 27-minute "If Only We Knew" and "Spanish Lady," which lasts a mere 19 and a half minutes. After a brief theme, "If Only We Knew" mostly features unaccompanied solos. Handy's opening statement immediately quieted the crowd, which was amazed by the altoist's courage and the logic of the advanced yet tonal music. "Spanish Lady" also has a long Handy statement and builds up to a very exciting conclusion. 

Even over three decades later, the music sounds fresh, colorful, and innovative. The original Columbia LP (which has been long out of print) had reversed the order of the songs and even their titles so this Koch CD reissue is very welcome on several levels. Highly recommended. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-the-monterey-jazz-festival-mw0000081959

Personnel:  John Handy – alto saxophone;  Mike White – violin;  Jerry Hahn – guitar;  Don Thompson – bass;  Terry Clarke – drums

On bonus track:   John Handy – alto saxophone;  Bobby Hutcherson - vibraphone;  Pat Martino - guitar;  Albert Stinson - bass;  Doug Sides - drums

Recorded Live at the Monterey Jazz Festival

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Jay McShann - Airmail Special

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:31
Size: 125,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:48)  1. Airmail Special
(6:46)  2. Drop Me Off In Harlem
(3:37)  3. Blue And Sentimental
(4:39)  4. Swingin' The Blues
(7:05)  5. Rose Room
(6:01)  6. The Lucky Old Sun
(4:44)  7. Blue Lou
(4:33)  8. Tenderly
(7:28)  9. Jumpin' The Blues
(4:46) 10. Rockin' In Rhythm

Pianist Jay McShann, bassist Neil Swainson and drummer Terry Clarke swing up a storm throughout this joyful set. They interpret eight standards, mostly from the 1930s, including "Airmail Special," "Drop Me Off In Harlem," "Blue Lou" and McShann's famous "Jumpin' the Blues." Although few real surprises occur, these renditions are enthusiastic and swinging, and thus very enjoyable. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/airmail-special-mw0000653408

Personnel:  Jay McShann - piano;  Neil Swainson - bass;  Terry Clarke - drums.

Airmail Special

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Laurie Beechman - Time Between The Time

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:43
Size: 116,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:32)  1. Another Hundred People
(3:22)  2. It Might Be You
(4:01)  3. Look At That Face
(3:18)  4. A Very Precious Love
(3:33)  5. Long Before I Knew You
(4:14)  6. The Look Of Love
(3:50)  7. A House Is Not A Home
(3:08)  8. I'll Never Stop Loving You
(4:21)  9. The Shining Sea/The Shadow Of Your Smile
(4:22) 10. Soon It's Gonna Rain/Rain Sometimes
(3:12) 11. Music That Makes Me Dance
(3:52) 12. Time Between The Time
(3:41) 13. Never Never Land
(3:11) 14. Home

On her 1990 debut album Listen to My Heart, Laurie Beechman, best known for her roles in Broadway shows like Cats and Les Miserables, predictably performed her songs from those shows along with a selection of other show music. Three years later, her second album, Time Between the Time again chose primarily from theater and film songs, but it had more of a personal character and more of a narrative structure. Recently married, the singer examined romantic love in a contemporary setting, beginning with Stephen Sondheim's "Another Hundred People," about how people find each other, moving on to early infatuation in "It Might Be You" from the film Tootsie, and, by the middle of the album, advancing to songs of full-blown devotion. Later, songs like a medley of "Soon It's Gonna Rain" from The Fantasticks and "Rain Sometimes" detailed difficulties in a long-term relationship, and the title song concerned the specific problem of maintaining a relationship in the entertainment business with its itinerant nature, before "Never Never Land" from Peter Pan and "Home" from The Wiz concluded the cycle by touching on the magical nature of love. Beechman inhabited the narrative with an actress' talent, glowing with new love on "Look at That Face," for example, but restraining her well-known ability to belt until some of the later songs. Often, however, she retained a certain distance from the material, and, just turning 30-years-old, still seemed to be trying to perform the material precisely rather than fully experience the emotions expressed in the songs. Her stage roles had required a high degree of technical efficiency, but little emotional involvement; on her solo albums, she was still feeling her way towards expressing her real feelings in song. But Time Between the Time marked a significant advance in that direction. ~ William Ruhlmann https://www.allmusic.com/album/time-between-the-time-mw0000105854

Personnel: Laurie Beechman (vocals); John Pizzarelli (guitar); Mike Renzi (piano, synthesizer); Jay Leonhart (acoustic & electric basses); Warren Odze, Terry Clarke (drums); Tom Spahn (programming).         

Time Between The Time

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Jim Hall - Commitment

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:04
Size: 105.5 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 1976/2012
Art: Front

[ 7:13] 1. Walk Soft
[ 3:30] 2. One Morning In May
[11:44] 3. Lament For A Fallen Matador
[ 3:20] 4. Down The Line
[ 1:50] 5. When I Fall In Love
[ 5:48] 6. My One And Only Love
[ 5:58] 7. Bermuda Bye Bye
[ 6:37] 8. Indian Summer

There is lots of variety on this CD reissue, which features guitarist Jim Hall in several different settings. He has separate duets with pianist Don Thompson (Hoagy Carmichael's delightful "One Morning In May"), his wife Jane Hall (who sings "When I Fall In Love"), pianist Tommy Flanagan, and drummer Terry Clarke. He also overdubs acoustic and electric guitars on his solo "Down the Line," teams up with pianist Flanagan and flugelhornist Art Farmer on two duets, and uses a slightly larger group on "Lament for a Fallen Matador," a Don Sebesky adaptation of a classical piece that has the haunting voice of Joan LaBarbara. Overall, there is plenty of intriguing music on this recommended set. ~Scott Yanow

Commitment

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Scott Whitfield - Speaking Of Love

Styles: Vocal And Trombone Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:09
Size: 157,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:08)  1. A Beautiful Friendship
(4:20)  2. Sugar
(4:25)  3. Come To Me
(5:49)  4. I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
(6:32)  5. I'm A Romantic Sap
(5:44)  6. Adagio In Pearl
(4:18)  7. Two People
(5:09)  8. It's You!
(8:07)  9. Only At Lonely Times
(4:17) 10. I Love You
(4:48) 11. What Went Wrong
(5:16) 12. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
(1:56) 13. When I Fell In Love
(4:14) 14. All Of You

Coated with sugar and filled with swing, Speaking of Love offers a blast from the past as Scott Whitfield scat sings with the enthusiasm of Mel Tormé, introduces a vocal quartet that recalls the Four Freshmen, teams with guest artists Cheryl Bentyne, Bucky Pizzarelli, Marvin Stamm, Memo Acevedo and Scott Robinson, and adds lovely trombone melodies to enhance the romance. Through original songs and memorable standards, Whitfield brings an upbeat message of good cheer to the forum. His trombone dashes and darts gracefully through casual melodies and invites camaraderie from his sidemen. On "Adagio in Pearl, for example, he introduces the reflective piece with a mellifluous trombone soliloquy and follows later with a velvet interlude that supports the vocal duet between himself and Bentyne quite well. Trumpeter Stamm and saxophonist Robinson add considerably to the session's swinging spirit, while Whitfield's rhythm section provides a strong foundation. The big surprise of the album is the Manhattan Project, which provides stellar examples of lyrical delight. The group is right on target, and each member plays an instrument too. Whitfield is at his best on trombone. While he scat sings quite well, his vocal lyric interpretations are not warm, convincing or thrilling. There's a great contrast between his vocals and those of his guests. He seems to enjoy singing, but he never gets deep enough into his subject matter to make a difference. Whitfield's singing takes a significant turn on "I Can't Give You Anything But Love, where his manner comes close to an impersonation of Dean Martin. It's better than the rest of the program, but his "main squeeze rests with the love that he gets from his trombone. The instrument never fails to give Whitfield a clear picture of what he wants to express. ~ Jim Santella https://www.allaboutjazz.com/speaking-of-love-scott-whitfield-summit-records-review-by-jim-santella.php

Personnel: Scott Whitfield: vocals, trombone, arranger; Ted Kooshian: piano; Mary Ann McSweeney: bass; Willard Dyson, Terry Clarke: drums; The Manhattan Vocal Project: Pete McGuinness, Scott Whitfield, Kevin Osborne: vocals, trombone; Joe Elefante: vocal, alto saxophone; Special Guests: Bucky Pizzarelli: guitar; Cheryl Bentyne: vocals; Marvin Stamm: trumpet, flugelhorn; Memo Acevedo: percussion; Scott Robinson: tenor saxophone, bass saxophone, bass flute.

Speaking Of Love

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Rob McConnell & The Boss Brass - Brassy & Sassy

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:09
Size: 154,9 MB
Art: Front

(11:59)  1. Strike Up The Band
( 4:42)  2. Hey
( 7:11)  3. Very Early
( 7:04)  4. Things Ain't What They Used To
(11:23)  5. Scrapple From The Apple
( 5:50)  6. Embraceable You / Why Did I Ch
(18:57)  7. Blue Serge Suit(E)

This CD can serve as a perfect introduction to Rob McConnell's Boss Brass. The leader's arrangements (plus one by Ron Collier) uplift such standards as "Strike Up the Band," "Things Ain't What They Used to Be" and "Scrapple from the Apple"; trombonist Ian McDougall introduces his three-part, 19-minute "Blue Serge Suit(e)," and many veteran soloists are featured, including the tenors of Eugene Amaro and Rick Wilkins, trumpeters John MacLeod and Guido Basso, guitarist Ed Bickert, and McConnell himself on valve trombone. Throughout, the Boss Brass is heard in prime form. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/brassy-and-sassy-mw0000076889

Personnel:  Rob McConnell (valve trombone), Moe Koffman, John Johnson (soprano & alto saxophones, flute, clarinet), Eugene Amaro (tenor saxophone, flute, clarinet), Rick Wilkins (tenor saxophone, clarinet), Bob Leonard (baritone saxophone, flute, clarinet, bass clarinet), Arnie Chycoski, John MacCleod, Guido Basso, Dave Woods (trumpet, flugelhorn), Ian McDougall, Bob Livingston, Jerry Johnson (trombone), Ernie Pattison (bass trombone), Gary Pattison, James MacDonald (French horn), Don Thompson (piano), Ed Bickert (guitar), Steve Wallace (bass), Terry Clarke (drums), Brian Leonard (percussion).

Brassy & Sassy

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Joe Roccisano - Nonet

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 59:22
Size: 96,5 MB
Art: Front

(7:12)  1. Moment's Notice
(6:17)  2. Mr. Day
(5:34)  3. Days of Wine and Roses
(6:26)  4. Springsvill
(8:48)  5. Charade
(6:56)  6. Some Other Time
(4:51)  7. So In Love
(7:54)  8. No More Blues
(5:20)  9. America

Joe Roccisano had only a month to live when Nonet was recorded on October 9, 1997 on November 9, the Charlie Parker-influenced alto saxman died of a massive heart attack at the age of 58. For Nonet, his final studio date as a leader, Roccisano led what his friend Phil Woods would term a "little big band" a nine-piece unit that includes, among others, trombonist Conrad Herwig, tenor saxophonist Tim Ries, baritone saxophonist Jack Stuckey, trumpeter Greg Gisbert, pianist Bill Charlap and drummer Terry Clarke. Enjoyable, if conventional, Nonet finds Roccisano sticking with what he did best straight-ahead hard bop and familiar jazz and pop standards such as John Coltrane's "Moment's Notice" and Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Chega de Saudade (No More Blues)." This swan song reminds us that while Roccisano was never an innovator, he was a warm, likable improviser who always swung. ~ Alex Henderson http://www.allmusic.com/album/nonet-mw0000046092

Personnel: Joe Roccisano (alto saxophone); Tim Ries (tenor saxophone); Jack Stuckey (baritone saxophone); Bob Millikan, Greg Gisbert (trumpet); Conrad Herwig (trombone); Bill Charlap (piano); Doug Weiss (bass); Terry Clarke (drums).

Nonet

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John Handy - The 2nd John Handy Album

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1966
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:49
Size: 137,3 MB
Art:  Front

( 5:34)  1. Dancy Dancy
( 7:30)  2. Theme X
( 6:08)  3. Blues For A Highstrung Guitar
( 4:35)  4. Dance For Carlo B
(13:45)  5. Scheme No 1
( 7:46)  6. A Bad Stroke of Luck
( 5:39)  7. Blues For A Highstrung Guitar (alt)
( 8:50)  8. Debonair

Altoist John Handy's second Columbia album was actually his fourth as a leader. Utilizing the same musicians who had joined him during his sensational set at the 1965 Monterey Jazz Festival (violinist Michael White, guitarist Jerry Hahn, bassist Don Thompson and drummer Terry Clarke), Handy performs five of his complex yet accessible originals, which include the "Theme X" (in 5/4 time), the catchy "Blues for a Highstrung Guitar," and the adventurous "Scheme #1."The CD reissue adds three previously unissued alternate takes to the earlier program. This would be the unit's only studio album, and after disbanding, they did not reunite until 1994. The memorable music is highly recommended.~Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-2nd-john-handy-album-mw0000605710

Personnel: John Handy (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Jerry Hahn (guitar); Terry Clarke (drums).

The 2nd John Handy Album

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