Eliane Elias - I Thought About You: A Tribute To Chet Baker

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2013
Time: 54:49
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 125,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:56) 1. I Thought About You
(4:42) 2. There Will Never Be Another You
(3:53) 3. This Can't Be Love
(5:04) 4. Embraceable You
(3:52) 5. That Old Feeling
(3:38) 6. Everything Depends On You
(3:54) 7. I've Never Been In Love Before
(4:18) 8. Let's Get Lost
(5:13) 9. You Don't What Love Is
(2:11) 10. Blue Room
(3:30) 11. Just Friends
(3:50) 12. Girl Talk
(2:37) 13. Just In Time
(3:05) 14. I Get Along Without You Very Well

On Eliane Eliass second Concord release, the sultry Brazilian pianist-vocalist-arranger wraps her jazz and bossa nova style around classic tunes associated with iconic jazz trumpeter Chet Baker: "I Thought About You," "You Don't Know What Love Is," "Let's Get Lost," "That Old Feeling," and "I Get Along Without You Very Well."

Elias is supported by top flight Brazilian and American musicians, including her rhythm section of guitarist Steve Cardenas, drummers Rafael Barata and Victor Lewis, percussionist Marivaldo dos Santos and her husband, bassist Marc Johnson. Featuring special guests Randy Brecker on trumpet and Brazilian guitarist Oscar Castro-Neve's, considered a founding figure in bossa nova.By Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Thought-About-Tribute-Chet-Baker/dp/B00BXUG0KU

Personnel: Eliane Elias – piano, vocals; Randy Brecker – trumpet, flugelhorn; Steve Cardenas – electric guitar; Oscar Castro-Neves – acoustic guitar; Marc Johnson – double bass; Rafael Barata – drums; Victor Lewis – drums; Marivaldo Dos Santos – percussion

I Thought About You: A Tribute To Chet Baker

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Seamus Blake - New York Factor Vol 1

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:16
Size: 104,3 MB
Art: Front

(7:19) 1. Alone Together
(7:54) 2. From The Heart
(5:33) 3. Waltz For Debby
(9:59) 4. Points Of A Star
(6:10) 5. Hearts Alone
(8:18) 6. Willow Weep For Me

New York based tenor saxophonist/composer Seamus Blake is recognized as one of the finest and most creative young players in jazz.

John Scofield, who hired him for his “Quiet Band,” calls him “extraordinary, a total saxophonist.” In February 2002, he took first place in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition in Washington D.C. As the winner, he performed with Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock.

Seamus Blake was born in England and raised in Vancouver, Canada. At age 21, while still a student at Boston's prestigious Berklee College, he was asked to record with legendary drummer Victor Lewis. After graduation, he moved to New York, where he rapidly established himself on the New York jazz scene.

Seamus has released six albums on Criss Cross Records, from his 1993 debut The Call to the 1995 premiere of the "Bloomdaddies," a “funky, alternative grunge jazz band”, to Way Out Willy, which was released in February 2007. He has also recorded as a leader for the Fresh Sound label. "Stranger Things have Happened" (now available on itunes) features Kurt Rosenwinkel as well as Jorge Rossy and Larry Grenadier from the Brad Mehldau trio. Fresh Sound also recorded a Bloomdaddies cd, " Mosh for Lovers" in 2001. In 2009 the Italian label, Jazz Eyes, released "Live in Italy", Seamus' most successful cd to date. It received 4 1/2 stars from Downbeat.

Blake is a long standing member of the Grammy nominated group, the Mingus Big Band, and is featured on the last six albums. He continues to play and record with the Victor Lewis Quintet, as well as with Bill Stewart and Kevin Hays. He has also performed and/or recorded with Franco Ambrosetti, Dave Douglas, Jane Monheit, Kenny Barron, Sam Yahel, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Pat Metheny, Joe Lovano, Joshua Redman, Brad Meldhau, Larry Grenadier, Wayne Krantz, Jorge Rossy, Jack Dejohnette, Brian Blade, Jeremy Pelt, Eric Reed, David Kikoski, Al Foster and many others.

Most recently Seamus has been touring with the Seamus Blake Electric Band which includes Scott Kinsey, Tim Lefebvre and Jordy Rossy.
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/seamus-blake

Personnel: Seamus Blake tenor saxophone; David Kikoski piano; Alex Claffy bass; Bill Stewart drums; Victor Lewis drums

New York Factor vol 1

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John Bailey - Time Bandits

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:00
Size: 122,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:12) 1. Time Bandits
(5:39) 2. Various Nefarious
(5:15) 3. Long Ago And Far Away
(6:00) 4. Ode To Thaddeus
(4:05) 5. Oh Man, Please Get Me Out Of Here!
(4:36) 6. She's Leaving Home
(4:20) 7. Rose
(5:55) 8. How Do You Know?
(5:42) 9. Lullaby
(6:13) 10. Groove Samba

Versatile and in-demand trumpeter and composer John Bailey has played alongside Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, Jr., and Latin jazz giants Ray Barretto and Arturo O’Farrill as well as with major jazz musicians in NYC. The backing ensemble he has recruited for Time Bandits, his third album as a leader, is testament to his talent. Fronting a quartet that included mainstay drummer Victor Lewis, esteemed pianist George Cables, and virtuoso bassist Scott Colley, Bailey and crew deliver a varied set of seven originals, five by Bailey and one each by Lewis and Cables. In addition, they tackle a well-known standard, a Beatles tune, and a nod to Bailey’s original mentor, trumpeter Ira Sullivan. Bailey can swing with the best of them and quickly downshift into lovely ballads played on his flugelhorn.

The program opens with Bailey’s title track, the sharp, repetitive bursts from his trumpet inviting his bandmates to join in a swinging tune that bears elements of a New Orleans second line parade, and the bustling bebop heard on NYC’s 52nd street in the ‘50s. Cables is in his element, pushing the rhythm along with Lewis and Colley, each of whom step forward with brief statements of their own. “Various Nefarious” may well be inspired by the COVID viruses and whatever viral element is plaguing our political system (as we write, the Republicans can’t even decide on their leader). Musically, its soul-jazz shuffle fits into an Art Blakey-like groove, one perfectly suited to Blakey alumnus Cables, and perhaps the soulful strains that Bailey absorbed while working with Brother Ray. Colley impresses with his walking bassline and Lewis navigates the combo through those ‘various’ changes.

Bailey and Cables put their own harmonious stamp on Jerome Kern’s “Long Ago and Far Away,” making it a brisk swinger, while the first ballad, “Ode to Thaddeus,” nods to major trumpet influence, Thad Jones with Bailey’s sustained, warm tone and deeply emotive lines leaving no doubt to the degree ofc reverence which he holds for the iconic bandleader. It’s gorgeous statement. Lewis stirs the group to more nodding in his own “Oh Man, Please Get Me Out of Here” as strains of Dizzy, Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, and Woody Shaw echo through Bailey’s high-pitched jabs and the strolling rhythms from Cables, Colley, and Lewis.

The slowed tempo arrangement for The Beatles’ “She’s Leaving Home” is another opportunity to digest the balladry elegance of Bailey and Cable, drawing out a deeper sense of melancholy than the song’s original. Bailey’s “Rose” is the freest flowing of the pieces with a challenging pattern built on five 12-tone rows, with surprises at each turn, like a game of hide-and-seek set to music.

Colley introduces “How Do Know,” by Gary Dial, originally appearing on the 1982 Sprint from Red Rodney and the Ira Sullivan Quintet, this a tribute to Bailey’s aforementioned mentor. We hear Bailey’s flugelhorn on Cable’s standout track, “Lullaby.” The piece originally appeared on Frank Morgan’s 1989 Mood Indigo and has Bailey and Cables in lockstep as a duo rendering the tune with stunning tenderness. Given Bailey’s stints in Latin jazz, he’d be remiss to not include at least one piece of that ilk and does so with his own rollicking closer, “Groove Samba.”

Bailey’s Time Bandits speaks to tradition and a mastery of the various jazz idioms that only a group of this caliber could execute so deftly. It’s a clinic in tone, harmony, swing, balladry, and precise, declarative soloing.By Jim Hynes https://www.makingascene.org/john-bailey-time-bandits/

Personnel: John Bailey - Trumpet; Victor Lewis - Drums; George Cables - Piano; Scott Colley - Bass

Time Bandits

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Kirk Lightsey - Live at Smalls Jazz Club

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:32
Size: 129,8 MB
Art: Front

(10:01) 1. In Your Own Sweet Way
(12:01) 2. Bro. Rudolph
( 8:57) 3. Pee Wee
( 4:09) 4. Heaven Dance
(13:06) 5. Lament
( 8:17) 6. Blues On The Corner

The new SmallsLIVE Living Masters Series has issued Kirk Lightsey Live at Smalls Jazz Club, their second offering, following this past August’s release of vocalist Sheila Jordan’s Live at Mezzrow. As the series name implies, these recordings honor the best of iconic jazz musicians that are still with us. Detroit native and New York-based pianist Kirk Lightsey has been at his craft for over seventy years, having been born in 1937. For this date, we have Lightsey playing in his wonderful, inimitable style joined by his longtime bassist Santi Debriano, guitarist Mark Whitfield, and drummer Victor Lewis, from the live session on September 13, 2021.

Without delving into a lengthy history on Lightsey, suffice it to say that he cut his teeth with these musicians: Chet Baker, Kenny Burrell, Clifford Jordan, and Sonny Stitt, as well as on his countless ground-breaking recordings as a bandleader, many years of which when he was based in Paris, France. As it turns out, Lightsey, like contemporary Ron Carter at age 85, shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, Lightsey appears on guitarist Simon Belelty’s album Pee Wee, which was released just three weeks ago. So, this live recording enables us to hear Lightsey’s delicate, graceful touch, imaginative melodies, and yes, those lush voicings. Interestingly, these six selections contain only one Lightsey original, “Heaven Dance” although the aforementioned “Pee Wee,” penned by Tony Williams has long been a Lightsey staple that appears on almost every Lightsey project of recent vintage.

Much has been written and debated about the pairing of guitar and piano, but this writer is essentially done with debating the issue as there are so many fine examples of where it works brilliantly including here with Whitfield’s stunning melodicism. This pairing was a clear ‘meant to be.’ The program begins with Dave Brubeck’s “In Your Own Sweet Way” with Whitfield stepping forward immediately and trading lines with the pianist as Debriano and Lewis stir a subtle undercurrent. Jazz fans will recall that just last year Whitfield won a Grammy for his contributions to Christian McBride’s Big Band’s For Jimmy, Wes, and Oliver so his clean, Montgomery-like picking should come as no surprise. Debriano, a veteran of considerable duo work with the pianist, solos nimbly as well with Lewis trading fours on the way out.

The other composers covered, like Brubeck, are no longer with us. They are Eddie Harris, Tony Williams, J.J. Johnson, and McCoy Tyner. Lightsey’s vitality, best exemplified through his ever-vibrant right hand is a marvel as he brightens familiar fare such as “Freedom Jazz Dance” and “Blues on the Corner.” Whitfield is flying on the former and adds a distinctly bluesy tone to Tyner’s oft-covered tune, as the two lead voices lock-in, emitting enough power to light up a New City block. It all comes to hush as first Debriano and then Lightsey improvises lightly around the theme, gradually building it back to a full-throttle quartet explosive close.

As strong as those are, we’d be remiss to overlook Lightsey’s own “Heaven Dance,” first recorded in 1988 with Lightsey’s trio ‘The Leaders’ featuring Cecil McBee on bass and Don Moye on drums. Again, Whitfield adds a new dimension, pushing the tempo across subtle Latin rhythms as he and Lightsey each author brilliant turns with Lewis turning some of his sharpest kit work. As the title implies, J.J. Johnson’s “Lament” is the most tender reading in the set, a vivid portrait of Lightsey’s graceful touch, strengthened by Debriano’s arco technique and Whitfield’s collaborative role.

These are four musicians who never miss a step and seemingly never a note. Live performances don’t come any better. Admittedly, this writer bypassed Lightsey’s solo outing, 2021’s I Will Never Stop Loving You (Jojo) but am returning to it now. Lightsey’s piano playing is as bright as his legendary smile. https://glidemagazine.com/281997/legendary-jazz-pianist-kirk-lightsey-shines-leading-quartet-on-live-at-smalls-jazz-club-album-review/

Personnel: Kirk Lightsey - piano; Mark Whitfield - guitar; Santi DeBriano - bass; Victor Lewis - drums

Live at Smalls Jazz Club

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Marilyn Kleinberg - Let your Heart Lead The Way

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:07
Size: 122,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:39) 1. Invitation
(5:29) 2. Alfie
(4:24) 3. I didn't know about you
(5:01) 4. Then I'll be tired of you
(3:15) 5. I just found out about love
(4:58) 6. Never let me go
(5:03) 7. Visions
(5:03) 8. Say it
(4:31) 9. If I only had a brain
(4:43) 10. You won't forget me
(5:56) 11. I didn't know what time it was

In September of 2021, when live music was just sputtering back to life in NYC, I went to see my old friend Marilyn Kleinberg at the Soapbox gallery in Brookyln. She appeared that night with the incomparable John DiMartino on piano, and a bass player who knocked me off my feet; Noriko Ueda.

I was so moved by the performance that right after the last notes were played I approached John and asked what it would take to produce a record of this trio plus a drummer...and me. "Give me a call and we'll discuss it" replied John and to his surprise, I did!

Victor Lewis was the natural choice for drums, being a great friend of Marilyn, and a musical legend in his own right. A short while later, with some arrangement sketches by John, we knocked out eleven songs in one session at Tommy Tedesco's studio. The trio nailed every take of course, and after Marilyn and I did some "touchups" we mixed at Dave Darlingon's Bass Hit studio. we all knew we had captured something special.

I "let my heart lead the way" when I asked John about making the album, and each of the musicians certainly let their hearts lead the way when playing every note. Every step of them process was a delight and flowed like this album was simply meant to be. We hope your heart will resonate with the joy and camaraderie we felt while making this music.

Personnel: Marilyn Kleinberg on vocals; Will Galison, chromatic harmonica; John Di Martino, piano, arrangement; Noriko Ueda, bass; Victor Lewis, drums

Let your Heart Lead The Way

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Lew Tabackin Quartet - Desert Lady

Styles: Flute And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1990
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:02
Size: 149,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:09)  1. Hot House
(9:40)  2. Pyramid
(8:04)  3. Serenade To Sweden
(7:19)  4. Chelsea Bridge
(3:57)  5. Johnny Come Lately
(9:55)  6. Desert Lady
(4:37)  7. A Bit Byas'd
(2:53)  8. You'll Never Know
(5:27)  9. Yesterdays
(7:57) 10. You Leave Me Breathless

The great tenor saxophonist and flutist Lew Tabackin is joined by pianist Hank Jones, bassist Dave Holland, and drummer Victor Lewis on this well-rounded program. The Concord CD has many highlights, including "Hot House," Duke Ellington's "Serenade to Sweden," Tabackin's "A Bit Byas'd," and "You Leave Me Breathless"; the leader's tenor in particular is in top form. Highly recommended to fans of straight-ahead jazz, this release gives one a strong sampling of Lew Tabackin's talents. ~  Scott Yanow  https://www.allmusic.com/album/desert-lady-mw0000208060

Personnel:  Flute, Tenor Saxophone – Lew Tabackin;  Piano – Hank Jones ;  Bass – Dave Holland;  Drums – Victor Lewis

Desert Lady

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Charles Sullivan - Kamau

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:29
Size: 139,2 MB
Art: Front

(11:07)  1. Carefree
(11:57)  2. Dreams Die Young In the Eyes of the Native Son
( 9:33)  3. Malcolm
(12:16)  4. Patrice
( 5:37)  5. Last Embrace
( 9:57)  6. Looking For Love

Charles Sullivan (who changed his name to Kamau Muata Adilifu in 1980) was quite active as a member of various Broadway show orchestras during 1981-95 but had only played jazz on an irregular basis during the interim, most notably with McCoy Tyner's big band. His first date as a leader since a Japanese record in 1974 features Adilifu playing his own originals. The frequently modal music is in some ways a throwback to the acoustic scene of the 1970s in that there are long melody statements and a liberal use of vamps. Adilifu's six originals generally develop slowly but are quite effective in setting moods and serving as viable vehicles for the solos of the trumpeter, tenor saxophonist Craig Handy and pianist Kenny Barron; bassist Rodney Whittaker and drummer Victor Lewis are active and alert in support. Everyone plays up-to-par, making Kamau Adilifu/Charles Sullivan's "comeback" record quite successful as creative jazz. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/kamau-mw0000186257

Personnel:  Charles Sullivan – trumpet; Craig Handy – tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone; Kenny Barron – piano; Rodney Whitaker – double bass; Victor Lewis – drums

Kamau

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Jessica Williams - Live at Yoshi's, Vol. 2

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:21
Size: 159,4 MB
Art: Front

(8:52)  1. Flamenco Sketches (Live)
(8:56)  2. Why Do I Love You (Live)
(6:49)  3. Spoken Softly (Live)
(8:06)  4. Elbow Room (Live)
(5:16)  5. Soldaji (Live)
(8:16)  6. Paul's Pal (Live)
(7:46)  7. Dear Gaylord (Live)
(6:46)  8. Lulu's Back in Town (Live)
(8:29)  9. Summertime (Live)

Like pianist Mulgrew Miller, who recently released a second volume of trio performances from his run at Yoshi's, pianist Jessica Williams is also putting out her own sequel, another 70 minutes of music culled from her July, 2003 stint at the Oakland club, which has become as renowned on the west coast as New York's Village Vanguard is on the east. And it's interesting to hear how different the two pianists are, despite the fact that both fit comfortably within the broader mainstream. For one thing, Williams owes a clear debt to Thelonious Monk. She often includes a Monk tune or two in her sets, and this disc is notable for the absence of material by the idiosyncratic pianist/composer. Still, his influence presents itself in Williams' sometimes quirky approach, although she's a far more dextrous player than Monk ever was. But like Monk, Williams sometimes demonstrates an ironic sense of humour, grabbing onto a note, say, and milking it for all it's worth. It's like a good comedian who knows just how long to use repetition: enough to be effective, but not so much as to overstay her welcome. Her own brightly swinging "Elbow Room uses a little clever dissonance in its wry theme, with clever references to Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue during Williams' extended solo. Her solo lead-in to the Oscar Hammerstein/Jerome Kern standard "Why Do I Love You, with its oddly disjointed left hand/right hand action, is the perfect introduction to the trio's more straightforward entrance. Williams' solo is filled with curious shifts between hard-swinging lines and injected little turns of phrase that seem at first like non sequiturs, but ultimately make perfect sense.

But that's only one aspect of Williams' playing. The disc opens with a version of "Flamenco Sketches, from Miles Davis' classic Kind of Blue, but rather than maintaining a peaceful ambience throughout, Williams and her trio carefully build the piece from elegant gentility to a greater sense of power over the course of nine minutes, making it dramatic but never melodramatic. Bassist Ray Drummond and drummer Victor Lewis seem empathic in their ability to ebb and flow while Williams layers dense chords that alternate with more playful single-note phrases. In fact, playful may be the best word to describe this pianist. She's capable of a more tender lyricism best demonstrated on her own ballad, "Spoken Softly, and a darkly evocative version of Gershwin's "Summertime that shows there's still plenty to say with even the most familiar of material. But the sparkle of "Lulu's Back in Town, with Williams' debt to Errol Garner in full view, is light and just plain fun. Williams may not be the most adventurous player, but with her combination of whimsy and more deeply-felt romanticism, she succeeds at being both entertaining and emotionally compelling. Live at Yoshi's Volume Two is a strong companion piece to Volume One, and proof that the mainstream is alive and well.~John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/live-at-yoshis-volume-two-jessica-williams-maxjazz-review-by-john-kelman.php

Personnel:  Jessica Williams: piano; Ray Drummond: bass; Victor Lewis: drums.

Live at Yoshi's, Vol. 2

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Jessica Williams - Live at Yoshi's, Vol. 1

Styles: Piano Jazz 
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:02
Size: 163,2 MB
Art: Front

( 7:21)  1. I'm Confessin' That I Love You (Live)
( 6:20)  2. Say It over and over Again (Live)
( 7:01)  3. You Say You Care (Live)
( 9:30)  4. Tutu's Promise (Live)
( 6:29)  5. Heather (Live)
(11:26)  6. Alone Together (Live)
( 8:33)  7. Poem in G Minor (Live)
( 6:11)  8. I Want to Talk About You (Live)
( 8:05)  9. Mysterioso (Live)

Pianist Jessica Williams may not be as well known, say, as Mulgrew Miller or Kenny Barron, but she's a powerful and talented pianist more than a little influenced by Thelonious Monk. Still, with an immediately recognizable playing style all her own, Williams clearly belongs in the upper ranks of mainstream pianists, and her latest disc, Live at Yoshi's Volume One , recorded in July of 2003, continues to affirm her position. In a programme composed primarily of well-heeled standards, with two originals and an unusual Billy Cobham song thrown in for good measure, Williams and her trio, featuring bassist Ray Drummond and drummer Victor Lewis, play with energy and complete commitment. Williams' style is defined by a percussive approach that seems quick to spit out ideas; she often jots out rapid phrases peppered with brief octaves. If an artist's playing reflects their personality, then Williams must be energetic and quick-witted, as evidenced by her solos in "I'm Confessin' That I Love You" and "You Say You Care." There is clear joy in her playing and more than a little bit of tongue-in-cheek at times.

But that doesn't mean Williams isn't capable of tenderness as well. Her reading of Billy Cobham's simple ballad "Heather," over Lewis' lightly funky backdrop, is graceful and lyrical. Still, while there is poignancy to her playing, there is a certain power, albeit slightly restrained, that defines her attack. On "Alone Together," the most extended piece of the set, she plays the kind of left hand/right hand counterpoint that is so characteristic of Brad Mehldau, creating hypnotic patterns that raise the tension level until she finally releases, to an almost audible sigh of relief from the audience. Williams' own "Tutu's Promise" comes from Keith Jarrett's space, not unlike "The Cure," being nothing more than a simple four-bar pattern that is used as a simple jumping off point for group interplay. Her "Poem in G Minor" is another simple piece, this time a quiet ballad with Williams' staccato runs alternating with more gingerly built chord passages.  Drummond and Lewis are, as always, the definition of sensitive support, gently provoking Williams on "Mysterioso," while elegantly embracing her delicately swinging work on "You Say You Care." Williams may not break new ground, but as a mainstream pianist she demonstrates a solid sense of solo composition, capable of starting with an idea and developing it over the course of seven or eight minutes. Her focus and wry sense of humour are amongst her most distinctive characteristics, and they make Live at Yoshi's Volume One an engaging, albeit safe, listen. ~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/live-at-yoshis-volume-one-jessica-williams-maxjazz-review-by-john-kelman.php

Personnel:  Jessica Williams (piano), Ray Drummond (bass), Victor Lewis (drums)

Live at Yoshi's, Vol. 1

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Manhattan Jazz Quintet - 25-Tribute to Art Blakey

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:06
Size: 123,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:51) 1. Les Liaisons Dangereuses
(9:15) 2. Moanin'
(6:00) 3. Mosaic
(7:09) 4. Blues for Buhaina
(6:17) 5. Quick Silver
(5:33) 6. Split Kick
(7:30) 7. Come Rain or Come Shine
(6:28) 8. Blues March

Manhattan Jazz Quintet, an all-star band led by pianist and arranger David Matthews and a brainchild of Japanese producer Shigeyuki Kawashima, celebrates its 25th anniversary with this strong tribute album to Art Blakey. This is also the super-group's second release from the Birds Records label, following the extremely successful V.S.O.P. which not only became Swing Journal Gold Disc but also won the prestigious magazine's 2008 Jazz Disc Silver Award. In addition to Matthews, the current edition of band features trumpeter Lew Soloff, tenor saxophonist Andy Snitzer, bassist Charnett Moffett and drummer Victor Lewis. They perform the quintessential tunes associated with Art Blakey and his Jazz Messengers, including "Moanin'", "Mosaic" and "Blues March," all arranged by Matthews with a few modern twists. According to the MJQ's tradition, Matthews also wrote an original tune "Blues For Buhaina," a funky blues dedicated to the legendary drummer. The all-star band sounds terrific here. The rhythm section provides kinetic grooves and pushes the entire group. The horn players' performances are inspired and intensely hot! The sound quality of the recording is also quite good. Recommended for fans of hard bop jazz! Produced by Shigeyuki Kawashima. Recorded at Sear Sound Studio, New York, February 27 & 28, 2009.~Swing Journal Gold Disc http://www.eastwindimport.com/product info.asp?ProductId=1186

Personnel: David Matthews (piano); Lew Soloff (trumpet); Andy Snitzer (tenor sax); Charnett Moffett (bass); Victor Lewis (drums)

25-Tribute to Art Blakey

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Steve Slagle - High Standards

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1982
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:36
Size: 104,5 MB
Art: Front

( 6:50)  1. Grand St. Blues
( 8:19)  2. Peace
( 4:46)  3. Moments Notice
(10:40)  4. I Hear A Rhapsody
( 6:25)  5. I Thought About You
( 8:33)  6. Speak Low

Born 18 September 1951, Los Angeles, California, USA. Starting out playing saxophones while still very young, Slagle moved to the opposite side of the country where he studied at the Berklee College Of Music. Subsequently, and through the 70s, he worked with artists as diverse as Stevie Wonder, John Scofield and Machito. In the early years of the next decade he was with Woody Herman’s band, playing tenor saxophone, and also worked with Lionel Hampton, playing alto, and Charlie Haden, Carla Bley, Steve Kuhn, and Mingus Dynasty. At the end of the 80s he was musical director for the Ray Barretto Band. His first album as a leader was released in 1983, and during the 80s he often worked with a quartet featuring Jaco Pastorius (bass), Mike Stern (guitar) and Adam Nussbaum (drums). In the following decade Slagle recorded several sessions for SteepleChase Records, with musicians including Tim Hagans and Ryan Kisor (trumpets), Kenny Drew Jnr. (piano), Cameron Brown (bass), and Gene Jackson (drums). Slagle also co-leads a group with Dave Stryker (guitar), and works as lead altoist and chief arranger with the Mingus Big Band. A brilliant stylist, who also plays soprano saxophone and clarinet, Slagle’s work indicates his abiding interest on the transitional music that followed hard bop into free jazz, although he is at his considerable best when he underpins these latter-day forms with the essence of the blues. His striking technical mastery of his instruments is always evident but it is never used for its own sake. Although adept on all the instruments in his arsenal, Slagle is perhaps must interesting on alto, where his sinuous solo lines create a musical atmosphere that is both demanding and compelling in its intensity. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/steve-slagle-mn0000033922/biography                 

Personel:  Alto Saxophone – Steve Slagle;  Bass – Harvie Swartz;  Drums – Victor Lewis;  Guitar – Mike Stern;  Piano – Teddy Saunders

High Standards

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John Hicks - East Side Blues

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1988
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:43
Size: 123,3 MB
Art: Front

(7:10)  1. East Side Blues
(6:03)  2. Yemenja
(7:18)  3. Never Let Me Go
(6:43)  4. Out of Somewhere
(7:15)  5. Mow's Move
(8:01)  6. Is That So?
(4:32)  7. Somedity
(6:38)  8. A Beautiful Friendship

East Side Blues is an album by pianist John Hicks's Trio recorded in Japan in 1988 and released on the Japanese DIW label. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Side_Blues

Personnel:  John Hicks - piano; Curtis Lundy - bass; Victor Lewis - drums

East Side Blues

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John Hicks Trio - Moanin' - Portrait of Art Blakey

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:43
Size: 113,7 MB
Art: Front

(7:25)  1. No Problem
(7:05)  2. Whisper Not
(8:14)  3. Nica's Dream
(7:18)  4. Moanin'
(7:13)  5. Blues March
(7:26)  6. A Night In Tunisia

A longtime fixture of the New York City jazz landscape, pianist John Hicks was an artist of uncommon versatility, moving effortlessly from pop standards to the avant-garde while retaining the dense physicality and intense energy that were the hallmarks of his approach. Born December 12, 1941, in Atlanta, Hicks was still an infant when his preacher father relocated the family to Los Angeles. He spent the better part of his teen years in St. Louis, and counted among his classmates there the young Lester Bowie. Hicks' mother was his first piano teacher, and after a stint at Lincoln University in Missouri he attended the Berklee School of Music and the Juilliard School; he later cited influences spanning from Fats Waller to Thelonious Monk to Methodist church hymns, and his catholic listening tastes were instrumental in shaping his far-ranging skills as a player. After touring in support of bluesman Albert King and hard bop tenor saxophonist Johnny Griffin, Hicks backed singer Della Reese during a 1963 New York club residency, and the city remained his home for the rest of his life. In the wake of stints with Kenny Dorham and Joe Henderson, Hicks joined Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers in 1964, collaborating alongside the likes of trumpeters Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard. Two years later, he signed on with singer Betty Carter, like Blakey a keen judge of emerging talent. Upon exiting Carter's band in 1968, Hicks spent the remainder of the decade with Woody Herman and entered the decade to follow as a first-call sideman. He also moonlighted as an educator, and during the early '70s taught jazz and improvisation at Southern Illinois University.

After backing Carter on her 1976 date Now It's My Turn, Hicks returned to her backing group full-time. The exposure vaulted him to new renown, and in 1979 he finally led his own studio effort, After the Morning. With 1981's Some Other Time, cut with bassist Walter Booker and drummer Idris Muhammad, Hicks also emerged as a gifted composer, writing his best-known effort, "Naima's Love Song," in honor of his young daughter. He recorded prolifically in the years to follow, concentrating on solo and small ensemble work including stints as member of the Power Trio and the Keystone Trio. He also served as the regular pianist with the Mingus Dynasty Band and for a time led his own big band. Hicks enjoyed his greatest commercial success with a series of tribute LPs celebrating the music of his mentors and influences, highlighted by 1998's Something to Live For (a collection of Billy Strayhorn compositions), 2000's Impressions of Mary Lou (Williams, of course), and 2003's Fatha's Day (honoring Earl Hines). Hicks' longest and most rewarding collaboration was his partnership with flutist Elise Wood, which launched in 1983 and after several studio sessions and tours culminated in marriage in 2001, around the time of the release of their duo recording Beautiful Friendship. Hicks died suddenly on May 10, 2006. Just three days earlier, he delivered his final performance at Harlem's St. Mark's United Methodist Church, where his father served as a minister prior to his own death. Hicks was 64 years old. ~ Jason Ankeny http://www.allmusic.com/artist/john-hicks-mn0000224920/biography

Personnel:  Piano – John Hicks;  Bass – Marcus McLaurine;  Drums – Victor Lewis

Moanin' - Portrait of Art Blakey

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The Stryker, Slagle Band - The Scene

Styles: Guitar, Saxophone And Flute Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:22
Size: 127,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:38)  1. Skee
(6:18)  2. The Scene
(7:08)  3. Six For Teo
(6:55)  4. Two Sense
(5:25)  5. Kindred Spirits
(5:43)  6. Hopewell's Last
(7:48)  7. Brighter Days
(3:43)  8. Fingers In The Wind
(5:42)  9. Strikology

Consummate professionals, guitarist Dave Stryker and saxophonist Steve Slagle continue to raise the bar of instrumental interplay with The Scene. This pair eschews gimmickry for chops and produces some of the best post-bop anywhere. Joe Lovano, himself one of the busiest and best tenor saxophonists around, joins them again, as he did on their previous release, Latest Outlook (Zoho, 2007).  Along with this powerful frontline, a rhythm section of bassist Jay Anderson and Victor Lewis on drums and the music's compositional strength turns what would otherwise be a good collaboration into a great one. Take, for example, the opening "Skee" dedicated to the late bassist Dennis Irwin on which Lovano and Slagle blend beautifully against a hypnotic rhythm, or Slagle's tribute to his late brother, "Hopewell's Last," a gorgeous soprano (Slagle)/tenor (Lovano) showcase.  The aptly titled "Kindred Spirits" finds Stryker breaking out his acoustic to dovetail with Slagle's alto and Lewis' superb cymbal work, while Roland Kirk's "Fingers In The Wind" pairs an understated acoustic guitar with flute for an arrestingly melodic interlude. "Strikology," with bop chops emerging fore and aft, closes out another strong effort from the Stryker/Slagle Band.~ Elliott Simon https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-scene-stryker-slagle-band-zoho-music-review-by-elliott-simon.php

Personnel: Dave Stryker: guitar; Steve Slagle: alto and soprano sax, flute; Jay Anderson: bass; Victor Lewis: drums; Joe Lovano: tenor sax (1, 3, 6, 7).

The Scene

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Klaus Doldinger - Blind Date (Back In New York)

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:31
Size: 128,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:22)  1. Friendship
(5:26)  2. Blue Circle
(6:30)  3. Here to Be
(4:59)  4. East River Drive
(4:51)  5. September Song
(5:26)  6. Hasta manana
(6:20)  7. What's New ?
(6:19)  8. Blind Date
(4:37)  9. Erinnerung
(5:36) 10. Stop and Go

Klaus Doldinger, best-known for leading the excellent fusion group Passport in the 1970s and '80s, has had a diverse and episodic career. He started out studying piano in 1947 and clarinet five years later, playing in Dixieland bands in the 1950s. By 1961, he had become a modern tenor saxophonist, working with such top visiting and expatriate Americans as Don Ellis, Johnny Griffin, Benny Bailey, Idrees Sulieman, Donald Byrd, and Kenny Clarke, recording as a leader for Philips, World Pacific, and Liberty. However, in 1970, he initiated a long series of fusion-oriented sessions for Atlantic that featured his tenor, soprano, flute, and occasional keyboards with an electric rhythm section. In addition to writing music for films (including Das Boot) and television in Europe, Doldinger has remained active as a player who occasionally explores his roots in hard bop into the late '90s, but because he has always lived in Europe, he remains underrated in the U.S.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/klaus-doldinger-mn0000101962/biography

Personnel: Tenor Saxophone [Tenor Sax], Soprano Saxophone [Soprano Sax] – Klaus Doldinger ; Bass – Ira Coleman; Drums – Victor Lewis; Featuring [Also Featuring], Percussion – Don Ernesto (tracks: 6, 8); Featuring [Also Featuring], Vibraphone [Vibraharp] – Stefon Harris (tracks: 4, 6, 7); Guitar – Peter Bernstein (tracks: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10); Piano – Kevin Hays

Blind Date (Back In New York)

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George Cables - I'm All Smiles

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year:  2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:24
Size: 134,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:27)  1. Young at Heart
(6:15)  2. I'm All Smiles - From "The Yearling"
(5:46)  3. Speak No Evil
(7:49)  4. Bésame Mucho
(5:59)  5. Ugly Beauty
(7:18)  6. Love Is a Many Splendored Thing
(5:41)  7. Celebration
(4:16)  8. Three Views of a Secret
(5:09)  9. Thermo
(3:40) 10. Monk's Mood

At a time when jazz is being pulled in every direction at once in search of a future some fear may not exist, musicians such as George Cables, Essiet Essiet and Victor Lewis are proving that, for those who listen, there is no place quite like the present. Essiet became the trio's bassist for its 2012 Highnote release My Muse, and has remained since. Cables has been fortunate with drummers throughout his career as a band leader. During the 1970s and 1980s he played with both Billy Higgins and Carl Burnette. In the 1990s future Cookers band-mate Billy Hart would join him for multiple albums, including the excellent Night And Day (DIW, 1991). Since 2001, Victor Lewis has been his drummer of choice; in fact both Lewis and Essiet have been the pianist's most frequent cohorts when taking the live stage as a trio in the 2010s. Though he was hardly gone for long, I'm All Smiles is something of a comeback album. Early in 2018, George Cables lost much of his left leg by way of amputation. It took a year of recovery, physical therapy and crutches to be well enough again to take the stage, both as a member of the Cookers and with this very trio. Cables dedicates I'm All Smiles to "all those people that sent gifts and messages of support and encouragement during the time [he] was dealing with serious medical issues and unable to play the piano or make gigs." Judging by the album's cover art, which features a dapper Cables leaning on a piano and smiling jauntily, he intends to convey that he is back in good spirits. Contrasting sharply with his previous effort, The George Cables Songbook (Highnote, 2016), all of the songs present on I'm All Smiles are covers of other artists' compositions, save for the newly penned "Celebration," which hurdles forward with an unbound energy befitting its self-explanatory title. 

The trio kicks things off with the widely covered "Young At Heart," which became known in the early 1950s as a Frank Sinatra ballad vehicle, before shifting into the title track. It's here that Cables really lets loose his trademark wit and passion. Written by Michael Leonard and Herbert Martin for the 1965 Broadway musical The Yearling, and subsequently covered by Hampton Hawes, Bill Evans and Barbra Streisand, "I'm All Smiles" is the most playful recording this trio has released yet. It's hard to be sure where the song is going until Cables decides to let his left hand draw out the four note lead-in to the chorus. In some ways this is his method of winking at his audience, knowing that at this point in his career they are wary enough to follow along with his amusements. The trio shifts into the album's second act with "Besame Mucho," a standard Cables hasn't recorded since he was part of Art Pepper's most consistent and comfortable group on the 1979 Galaxy album of the same name. Rather than the frantic, "by the seat of your pants" delivery of Pepper's version, Cables now sets his own pace, calmer and more sure-handed. While it's easy to wistfully recall the more wild, impassioned interpretations of that era now four decades past, the trio present here offers a more measured approach which works well within the context of this album. Cables once said "every time I play with somebody different I have to put on a different hat." To his avid listeners, the pianist doubtlessly wears his own cap, and his inimitable playing style now honed over a half-century, is immediately recognizable. That style permeates Thelonious Monk's "Ugly Beauty" and "Monk's Mood." The latter is a solo piano piece which provides a quiet, self-searching end to the album, allowing it to ebb away rather than suddenly break. One of the finer points of discovery during I'm All Smiles is the way the pianist cohabits other musician's works. He shrewdly keeps the soul of a composition such as Wayne Shorter's "Speak No Evil" and Freddie Hubbard's "Thermo" alive while subtly sprinkling his own ingredients into the pot. The result of his efforts are albums like this, wherein a keen-eared listener will find an exercise of intuitive musical expertise which has endured personal strife and tragedy and climbed ever closer to perfection. I'm All Smiles is a triumph the sort of jazz piano album which comes along just once in a while to remind genre fans why they started listening in the first place. ~ Peter Hoetjes https://www.allaboutjazz.com/im-all-smiles-george-cables-highnote-records-review-by-peter-hoetjes.php

Personnel: George Cables: piano; Essiet Essiet: bass (1-9); Victor Lewis: drums (1-9).

I'm All Smiles

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Woody Shaw - Stepping Stones: Live At The Village Vanguard

Styles: Cornet Jazz
Year: 1979
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:35
Size: 162,1 MB
Art: Front

( 9:12)  1. Stepping Stone
(11:16)  2. In a Capricornian Way
( 8:35)  3. Seventh Avenue
(12:04)  4. All Things Being Equal Are Not
(11:14)  5. Escape Velocity
(17:12)  6. Blues for Ball
( 1:00)  7. Theme for Maxine

It's one thing to play the right note, it's another to get it; one thing to play a phrase, another to get to its essence. With academic jazz education more accessible than ever, countless aspiring musicians are learning its vernacular. But music, like all art, is more than technique it's an indefinable truth that can only come from complete immersion and commitment. Learn the language, but without getting on the bandstand every night, playing with as many people in as many contexts as possible, and it's impossible to make the transition from aspiration to being. It's possible to tell almost immediately whether or not a group has managed to get inside the music, transcending mere method. That may not be something you can easily articulate, but it's something you know. From the opening notes of Columbia/Legacy's reissue of the late trumpeter Woody Shaw's 1978 live recording Stepping Stones: Live at the Village Vanguard, there's the instant ring of truth here is a group of players who don't just play notes, they mean them. Hot on the heels of his critically-acclaimed The Moontrane (Muse, 1975), Shaw found himself on a major label with the kind of promotional power that should have led to greater acclaim. Still, his uncompromising devotion to a chosen path contrary to the popular predominance of fusion at that time resulted in a reputation that was greater amongst his fellow musicians than the greater listening public. 

Sixteen years after his tragic death in 1989, the significance of his potent melodies, bright tone, and incisive improvisational style are finally being recognized, with his blend of change-based writing and open-ended modality resulting in flexible but eminently memorable songs. Shaw's band at the time saxophonist Carter Jefferson, pianist Onaje Allan Gumbs, bassist Clint Houston, and drummer Victor Lewis may be the best working group of his career. With everyone but Jefferson contributing songs to the set, it's clear that this is a cooperative, despite Shaw's name on the marquee. They come charging out of the gate for "Stepping Stone with transcendent intensity. Jefferson is especially notable, combining vivid themes with occasional Coltrane-esque sheets of sound. Shaw's "In a Capricornian Way is a modal waltz that's more slow burn than high heat, the perfect setup for Lewis' equally modal 7/4 workout, "Seventh Avenue. But with all the energy and pure engagement of songs like Houston's up-tempo swinger "Escape Velocity and Shaw's equally fast-moving "Blues for Ball, it's Gumbs' lyrical "All Things Being Equal Are Not one of two previously unissued tracks that's the gem of the set. Shaw who eschews trumpet on this date for cornet and, on this song, flugelhorn squeezes pure emotion out of Gumbs' deeply moving ballad. While capable of fleet-fingered runs, Shaw understood the potency of a simple phrase, a well-chosen note, and a perfectly timed trill. Something the entire band clearly understands, making Stepping Stones an album that's more than strong material and imaginative playing. Indeed, it's a deep musical truth that many seek, but few find. ~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/stepping-stones-live-at-the-village-vanguard-woody-shaw-sony-bmg-legacy-review-by-john-kelman.php

Personnel: Woody Shaw: cornet, flugelhorn; Carter Jefferson: tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone; Onaje Allan Gumbs: piano; Clint Houston: bass; Victor Lewis: drums.

Stepping Stones: Live At The Village Vanguard

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Eddie Henderson - Phantoms

Styles: Trumpet Jazz 
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:34
Size: 137,1 MB
Art: Front

( 7:21)  1. Beauty in the bambles
( 5:59)  2. Little girl blue
(10:57)  3. Phantoms
( 8:27)  4. In walked Lila
( 8:01)  5. Jitterbug waltz
( 8:10)  6. Naima
( 5:40)  7. Dolphin dance
( 4:54)  8. Milestones

The master trumpeter from Herbie Hancock’s first band made his first recording for SteepleChase after several years’ absence from the scene. Evolving from the Miles Davis sound of the late 60s Henderson’s playing has developed into a very intriguing personal style.  “ This must be among his best recordings ….” (Jazz Journal)

Personnel: Trumpet – Eddie Henderson; Bass – Wayne Dockery; Drums – Victor Lewis; Piano – Kenny Barron; Vibraphone – Joe Locke 

Phantoms

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Terell Stafford - Centripetal Force

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:40
Size: 156,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:58)  1. Addio
(5:36)  2. I'll Wait
(6:20)  3. Skylark
(7:12)  4. Old Devil Moon
(4:43)  5. A Child Is Born
(6:47)  6. Mia
(7:48)  7. For The Broken Hearted
(6:58)  8. My Romance
(7:15)  9. Daahoud
(7:58) 10. Somebody Bigger Than You And I

Centripetal Force is a good title for this CD, Terell Stafford's second as a leader. In physics, it describes how separate energies gravitate toward the center; here, the center is more than Stafford's beautiful horn there's a warm calm at the core of this music, regardless of tempo. Some of this comes from familiarity, since Stafford, Stephen Scott, and Victor Lewis were bandmates in Bobby Watson's hard bop '90s group, Horizon. But there's nothing hard about this release, which is full of soul and heart. Stafford's playing is clean, fluid, and expressive, whether he's going flat-out on an incandescent "Old Devil Moon" or being achingly tender describing "My Romance," accompanied only by Scott's eloquent piano. On the purely beautiful "A Child Is Born," he duets with Russell Malone, who also delivers memorable solos on the relaxed and swinging "Skylark" and Lewis' high-energy opener, "Addio." Stafford offers two fine compositions of his own: the haunting "I'll Wait," with subtle percussion (including bird sounds) supplied by Daniel Moreno, and "Mia," an intriguing mix of light and shadow that balances Stefon Harris' pearly vibe tones with Stafford's smoky flugelhorn and the honey of John Clark's French horn. Stafford's talent for building solos is especially evident on Scott's "For the Broken Hearted," which is more lively than its title suggests. An exciting "Dahoud" and a loving ballad tribute to Stafford's grandmother round out the ten tracks by these ten superb musicians. But while there's plenty of brilliance here, there's no trace of flash: Stafford goes straight for the honest meaning in every tune. And whether his tone is golden or growling, muted or crystalline, he communicates straight to the listener's center. ~ Judith Schlesinger https://www.allmusic.com/album/centripetal-force-mw0000483798

Personnel:  Trumpet – Terell Stafford; Bass – Ed Howard (tracks: 1 to 4, 6, 7, 9, 10); Drums – Victor Lewis (tracks: 1 to 4, 6, 7, 9, 10); Flugelhorn – Terell Stafford; French Horn – John Clark (2) (tracks: 6); Guitar – Russell Malone (tracks: 1, 3, 5); Percussion – Daniel Moreno (tracks: 1, 2, 7, 10); Piano – Stephen Scott (5) (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 6 to 10); Tenor Saxophone – Ron Blake (tracks: 9), Tim Warfield (tracks: 4); Vibraphone – Stefon Harris (tracks: 6, 7)

Centripetal Force

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Terell Stafford - Time To Let Go

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:01
Size: 122,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:43)  1. Time To Let Go
(6:16)  2. Was It Meant To Be?
(5:57)  3. Polka Dots And Moonbeams
(7:17)  4. Qui Qui
(8:09)  5. On The Trail
(4:33)  6. Why?
(6:27)  7. Soon
(5:49)  8. Send In The Clowns
(3:45)  9. Just A Closer Walk With Thee

This scintillating set is appropriately titled Time To Let Go and truly reflects the trumpeter's musical state of mind. Firmly established as a contemporary jazz master, Terell Stafford is now getting the critical acclaim his talent deserves. Unlike many of his peers, he is nothing short of seasoned. He spent five years touring with Bobby Watson's scintillating post-bop quintet, which included pianist Ed Simon, drummer Victor Lewis and saxophonists Steve Wilson and Tim Warfield who join Terell here, together with vibraphonist Steve Nelson. ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Time-Let-Go-Terell-Stafford/dp/B000NVLA9Q

Personnel:  Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Terell Stafford; Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Steve Wilson ; Bass – Michael Bowie; Drums – Victor Lewis; Percussion – Victor See Yuen; Piano – Edward Simon; Tenor Saxophone – Tim Warfield; Vibraphone – Steve Nelson 

Time To Let Go

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