Orrin Evans - The Red Door

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:21
Size: 144,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:04) 1. Red Door
(7:11) 2. Weezy
(7:35) 3. Phoebe's Stroll
(9:15) 4. The Good Life
(4:36) 5. Big Small
(3:58) 6. Dexter's Tune
(4:12) 7. Amazing Grace
(5:15) 8. Feed the Fire
(4:25) 9. All the Things You Are
(2:43) 10. Smoke Rings
(5:22) 11. They Won't Go When I Go
(3:39) 12. I Have the Feeling I've Been Here Before

A most generous craftsman, composer and bandleader, pianist Orrin Evans never fails to bring out the best of whoever he chooses to create with. The Red Door is gratefully, and gracefully, no exception to that rule.

Whatever musical setting Evans chooses to practice his sinewy, r'n'b inflected post-bop insideman, big band, trio, quartet, duo, whatever a sweet animation propels his music and buoys the players gathered around him. In this case the two core units feature bass legend Buster Williams, drummer Gene Jackson, the late Wallace Roney on trumpet and fellow Philadelphian, tenor legend Larry McKenna. The other quintet features trumpeter Nicholas Payton, saxophonist/flutist Gary Thomas, bassist Robert Hurst and drummer Marvin "Smitty" Smith.

Just as it was a standout track on his second recording with the The Bad Plus, 2019's canny and expressive Activate Infinity (Edition Records), the lead-off title track carousels into consciousness with a brassy, staccato effervescence and witticism courtesy of Payton and Thomas, that Hurst, Evans and Smith quickly wrest control from, deconstruct, then return sprightly to the dance. As Immanuel Wilkins' saxophone did throughout Evan's previous highlight reel, 2021's The Magic of Now (Smoke Sessions Records) Thomas' flute becomes the voice of the circuitous and bluesy "Weezy."

But it may well be "Phoebe's Stroll" that we remember The Red Door for in the years ahead. A jaunty, trio workout of everything that makes Evans tick his quotable, neo-pop melodicism, his patient way with time, his keen, articulate framing and sense of communal dance all in one seven plus minute slice of perfection. It's a grand gesture and sure to be a setlist perennial.

Geri Allen's antic "Feed the Fire" gets the full-on quintet treatment as Thomas and Payton play cat and mouse around Smith and Hurst's elusive current and Evans' pronounced freneticism. Ditto "Smoke Rings." With Buster Williams providing the smooth, second set of the night groove, McKenna, uncurls an entrancing, deep blue solo that defines "The Good Life." Ever a shaman of the collective, Evans brings onboard Jazzmeia Horn who, as has become custom, delivers a slyly impassioned reading of Bill McHenry's feminine forward lyric for Evans' "Big Small," which originally appeared sans lyrics on Flip the Script (Posi-Tone Records, 2012)

A substantive tribute to those whom Evans claims has gotten him to the pinnacle he inhabits right now and to those who will help him carry it forward, (including Sy Smith and Alita Moses, The Red Door is a masterful high point in a career that continues to climb. By Mike Jurkovic
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-red-door-orrin-evans-smoke-sessions-records__14893

Personnel: Orrin Evans: piano; Robert Hurst: bass; Marvin "Smitty" Smith: drums; Gary Thomas: saxophone; Nicholas Payton: trumpet.

Additional Instrumentation: Nicholas Payton: trumpet (1, 2, 5, 10); Gary Thomas: tenor sax (1, 5, 10) flute (2); Robert Hurst: bass (1-3, 5-8, 10, 12); Marvin “Smitty” Smith: drums (1-3, 5-8, 10, 12); Wallace Roney: trumpet (9); Larry McKenna: tenor sax (4); Buster Williams: bass (4, 9); Jazzmela Horn: vocal (5); Sy Smith: vocal (7); Alita Moses: vocal (11).

The Red Door

---

Macy Gray - Stripped

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:07
Size: 118,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:11) 1. Annabelle
(5:04) 2. Sweet Baby
(4:17) 3. I Try
(5:17) 4. Slowly
(4:57) 5. She Ain't Right for You
(4:11) 6. First Time
(6:41) 7. Nothing Else Matters
(3:24) 8. Redemption Song
(5:16) 9. The Heart
(6:49) 10. Lucy

One of the most iconic and instantly recognizable voices in music history is back in a way you've never heard before. Macy Gray makes her Chesky Records debut with her new Jazz infused album, Stripped. Paired with an awe inspiring jazz ensemble that includes Ari Hoenig, Daryl Johns, Russell Malone, and Wallace Roney, Macy's voice is given the space and freedom to truly shine.

Featuring new original songs, intriguing covers, and stunning new arrangements of her classic hits like "I Try," there's something for everyone on this timeless recording. Part of the Chesky Binaural + Series, all recorded with a single microphone, the band appears right before you with this spacious, lush and multi-dimensional recording. Now headphone users will hear the same three-dimensional sound and imaging as audiophiles have for the past 25 years with Chesky Recordings.

Also these new Binaural+ Series albums capture even more spatial realism for the home audiophile market, bringing you one step closer to the actual event. You will hear some of the most natural and pure cool music ever recorded.By Editorial Reviews
https://www.amazon.com/Stripped-Macy-Gray/dp/B01ICF70B6

Personnel: Macy Gray...Vocals; Ari Hoenig...Drums; Daryl Johns...Bass; Russell Malone...Guitar; Wallace Roney...Trumpet

Stripped

---

Carmen Lundy - Fade To Black

Styles: Vocal
Time: 56:42
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 130,8 MB
Art: Front

(8:06) 1. Shine a Light
(3:31) 2. So Amazing
(5:39) 3. Daughter of the Universe
(3:19) 4. Ain't I Human
(5:19) 5. Lonesome Blue Butterfly
(4:41) 6. Spell of Romance
(7:15) 7. Say Her Name
(5:21) 8. Transition (To A Promised Land)
(3:49) 9. Privacy
(5:51) 10. Reverence
(3:45) 11. Rest In Peace

Fade To Black is Carmen Lundy’s 16th album and one of her most personal to date. Grammy® Nominated for her previous album Modern Ancestors, these 11 original songs, written and arranged by Carmen Lundy, were conceived during the challenging months of the pandemic and reflect this time of great loss, sorrow, healing, and hope for a brighter, more inclusive future for us all. Tackling the difficult social issues of our time while also musing on the joys of love and relationships, this stunning set of songs takes us on an emotional journey that culminates in the extraordinary hymn-like ballad titled “Rest In Peace”.

Carmen Lundy explains, “I approached the writing of this work from being in this moment in time not necessarily looking back, but observant of the times we live in NOW. Traditional Jazz composition involves understanding its evolution and the spirit of improvisation. In this complete oeuvre, I wanted to explore different approaches to harmonic progressions, extended forms, and subtle rhythmic concepts while providing plenty of space for the lyrics and melodies to sing and tell stories without necessarily feeling the need to represent preconceived ideas about vocal jazz, harmonies and rhythms.” This project was funded in part by a New Jazz Works grant from Chamber Music America (CMA). All songs written and arranged by Carmen Lundy (Carmen Lundy Publishing/BMI).
https://carmenlundy.com/product/fade-to-black/

Personnel: Carmen Lundy: vocals, keyboards, guitar, percussion, horn arrangements, backing vocals. Julius Rodriguez: piano. Matthew Whitaker: organ, keyboards, string arrangements, programming. Kenny Davis: acoustic bass, electric bass. Curtis Lundy: acoustic bass. Terreon Gully: drums. Andrew Renfroe: guitar. Wallace Roney Jr.: trumpet. Giveton Gelin: trumpet. Camille Thurman: tenor saxophone. Morgan Guerin: tenor saxophone.

Fade To Black

---

Steve Turre - Generations

Styles: Trombone Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:18
Size: 162,5 MB
Art: Front

(8:46) 1. Planting the Ceed
(6:58) 2. Dinner with Duke
(6:34) 3. Blue Smoke
(4:54) 4. Smoke Gets in Your Eyes
(5:01) 5. Don D.
(8:30) 6. Pharoah's Dance
(8:29) 7. Flower Power
(6:54) 8. Good People
(6:04) 9. Sweet Dreams
(8:04) 10. Resistance

Steve Turre was passed the jazz torch early in his career by some of the music’s greatest masters Art Blakey, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Woody Shaw and Ray Charles, among others. In recent years he’s kindled the same flame in a younger crop of rising stars. On his new album, Generations, Turre brings the eras together, inviting still-vital legends to join a gifted band of rising starts to pay tribute to the elders who have helped shape his sound.

Generations features players including the trombonist’s own son, drummer Orion Turre, as well as trumpeter Wallace Roney Jr., whose late father was a close friend and collaborator of Turre’s. In addition, the youthful core band includes pianist Isaiah J. Thompson and bassist Corcoran Holt.

Over the course of the album this stellar group is joined by saxophonist James Carter, guitarists Ed Cherry and Andy Bassford, keyboardist Trevor Watkis, bassists Buster Williams and Derrick Barnett, drummers Lenny White and Karl Wright, and percussionist Pedrito Martinez.

“There's a balance between youth and age,” Turre says, “Age brings wisdom and knowledge, and youth brings enthusiasm and energy. Playing with each of them stretches me in a different way. The elders stretch me in ways of wisdom, but the youngsters fire it up. All of that is inspiring.”

That inspiration bears fruit in one of the most scintillating and eclectic recordings of Turre’s storied career. “I always like to play with musicians that challenge me,” Turre concludes. “So, coming up, I would usually play with people older than me. My challenge now comes from the youthful energy of the younger players. Jazz is not dead!”

Personnel: Steve Turre - trombone & shells (7); Wallace Roney Jr. - trumpet (1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10) flugel (8); Emilio Modeste - tenor & soprano sax (1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10); James Carter - tenor saxophone (9); Ed Cherry - guitar (3); Isaiah J. Thompson - piano; Corcoran Holt, bass (1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 10); Buster Williams, bass (3, 4, 8, 9); Orion Turre - drums (1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 10); Lenny White - drums (3, 7, 8); Pedrito Martinez, percussion (4, 6, 8); Andy Bassford, guitar (5); Trevor Watkis, Rhodes (5); Derek Barnett - electric bass (5); Karl Wright, drums (5)

Generations

---

Wallace Roney - Mystikal

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:43
Size: 137,9 MB
Art: Front

(8:41) 1. Atlantis
(6:20) 2. Mystikal
(7:59) 3. Stargaze
(5:32) 4. Just My Imagination
(7:33) 5. Hey Young World
(5:14) 6. Poetic
(6:21) 7. Baby's Breath
(6:59) 8. Nicetown
(5:01) 9. I'll Keep Loving You

Upon first listen to trumpeter Wallace Roney's Mystikal one might be inclined to marginalize it as yet another attempt to re-create '70s-era Miles Davis. This would be a mistake. While Roney has always owed a large debt to the iconic jazz innovator -- he even played with Davis on a concert released as Miles & Quincy Live at Montreux -- Mystikal is a modern album made up of vintage parts. Which is to say that while Roney has deep affection for the sounds of '60s jazz and '70s funk and fusion, he is a resolutely forward-thinking musician who borrows from a variety of sources and time periods even when the overall sound is funky. Featuring his longtime working band including pianist Geri Allen, brother saxophonist Antoine Roney, keyboardist Adam Holzman, bassist Matt Garrison, drummer Eric Allen, percussionist Bobby Thomas, Jr., and turntablist Val Jeanty, Roney has largely crafted a sister album to 2004's similarly minded Prototype.

Like that album, Mystikal is in many ways a standard jazz album with some original compositions, a cover of a standard, and a lesser known piece by a well-known artist. This time around that artist is Wayne Shorter, whose "Atlantis" kicks off the album. An expansive and creepily funky piece off Shorter's underrated 1985 album of the same name, Roney turns the song into a moody mix of Miles in the Sky-esque post-bop, '80s hip-hop, and new age atmospherics. Similarly engaging is his melancholy cover of the Temptations classic "Just My Imagination," which draws out the deeper, more sanguine harmonics of the song even while it perfectly embodies the innocent romance of the original. Interestingly, Roney makes room for some straight-ahead but no less adventurous stuff here covering trumpeter Kenny Dorham's jaunty "Poetic" as well as ending with pianist Bud Powell's gorgeous ballad "I'll Keep Loving You." Roney's own compositions do not disappoint either with the hard funk of "Stargaze" and the elegiac "Baby's Breath" displaying the trumpeter's deft creative vision.~Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/album/mystikal-mw0000170965

Personnel: Wallace Roney – trumpet; Antoine Roney – alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, bass clarinet; Geri Allen – piano, Fender Rhodes piano, keyboards; Adam Holzman – keyboards, Fender Rhodes piano; Matthew Garrison – double bass, electric bass; Eric Allen – drumsVal Jeanty – turntables; Bobby Thomas – percussion

Mystikal

---

Geri Allen - Timeless Portrait And Dreams

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:27
Size: 134,3 MB
Art: Front

(1:52)  1. Oh Freedom
(7:07)  2. Melchezedik
(2:27)  3. Portraits And Dreams
(5:22)  4. Well Done
(4:21)  5. La Strada
(2:23)  6. I Have A Dream
(4:27)  7. Nearly
(5:40)  8. In Real Time
(2:48)  9. Embraceable You
(4:51) 10. Al-Leu-Cha
(4:21) 11. Just For A Thrill
(5:59) 12. Our Lady (for Billie Holiday)
(5:05) 13. Timeless Portrait And Dreams
(1:38) 14. Portrait And Dreams, reprise

There's a certain purity, perhaps innocence, about jazz that's played without the bells and whistles of modern technology and untainted by commercial trappings. When that purity is combined with superb songwriting, you have the makings of a recording that will never sound old. So it is with Timeless Portraits and Dreams.  A native of Detroit, Geri Allen began taking piano lessons at age eleven. She graduated from Howard University with a degree in jazz studies, and she later earned a master's degree in ethnomusicology from the University of Pittsburgh. Her professional career has included professorships in music at Howard and the University of Michigan; she has earned several awards. As a recording artist, she has collaborated with Mino Cinelu, Mary Wilson and the Supremes, Tony Williams, Ron Carter and Betty Carter, among others. On Timeless Portraits and Dreams, Allen delivers nearly an hour's worth of musical elegance. The stage is set on the opening tracks, "Oh Freedom and "Melchezedik, two originals that feature Allen on solo piano and then joined by her rhythm section of bassist Ron Carter and drummer Jimmy Cobb. On the latter piece, Carter stretches out. Allen is backed by the Atlanta Jazz Chorus on "Well Done, which features guest vocalist Carmen Lundy. Donald Walden introduces "I Have a Dream with a soft tenor sax solo. George Shirley, the first African-American tenor to sing at the Metropolitan Opera, sings lead on this tribute to the famous speech of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., accompanied by the Atlanta Jazz Chorus. 

Trumpeter Wallace Roney takes the lead on "In Real Time, an upbeat original penned by Allen and Roney. Allen's solo in the middle is one of the finer points of the album, aided by Carter's bass. Though he plays in the background for much of the album, Cobb steps up with a drum solo on the cover of Charlie Parker's "Ah-Leu-Cha. Throughout Timeless Portraits and Dreams, Allen's piano and Carter's bass keep the listener engaged. Cobb's drum work is subtle but effective. Lundy, Walden, Roney, Shirley and the Atlanta Jazz Chorus supplement the trio with great results. The collection includes a bonus CD single, "Lift Every Voice and Sing, which features Shirley and the Atlanta Jazz Chorus. Together, they form a gallery of emotions, thought-provoking messages and good jazz.~ Woodrow Wilkins https://www.allaboutjazz.com/timeless-portraits-and-dreams-geri-allen-telarc-records-review-by-woodrow-wilkins.php

Personnel: Geri Allen, piano; Ron Carter, bass; Jimmy Cobb, drums; Carmen Lundy, vocals; Wallace Roney, trumpet; George Shirley, vocals; Donald Walden, tenor saxophone; Atlanta Jazz Chorus, directed by Dwight Andrews.

Timeless Portrait And Dreams

---

Wallace Roney - Blue Dawn - Blue Nights

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:28
Size: 123,2 MB
Art: Front

(6:13)  1. Bookendz
(5:28)  2. Why Should There Be Stars
(7:54)  3. Wolfbane
(8:13)  4. New Breed
(7:05)  5. Don't Stop Me Now
(9:00)  6. In a Dark Room
(5:15)  7. Venus Rising
(4:15)  8. Elliptical

Wallace Roney's eighth album for the HighNote label, 2019's Blue Dawn-Blue Nights, finds the trumpeter collaborating with a cadre of young lions and balancing dusky after-hours warmth and propulsive post-bop modalism. The album comes three years after the similarly expansive A Place in Time, which featured veterans Gary Bartz, Lenny White, and Patrice Rushen. From that album, only White returns here, playing on half of Blue Dawn-Blue Nights. He and Roney are also joined by an invigorating ensemble including Roney's nephew drummer Kojo Odu Roney, tenor saxophonist Emilio Modeste, pianist Oscar Williams II, and bassist Paul Cuffari. Somewhat of a departure from Roney's past work, Blue Dawn-Blue Nights features songs written by his bandmates, along with a handful of deftly curated covers. The result is a surprisingly cohesive album that benefits from each player's unique yet clearly like-minded point-of-view. Roney opens the album with keyboardist Wayne Linsey's roiling, R&B-inflected "Bookendz." A longtime friend of Roney's, Linsey wrote songs for Miles Davis, and "Bookendz" certainly brings to mind Davis' fusion period with both White and Odu Roney supplying the song's kinetic rhythm. Shifting gears, the band eases into the yearning ballad "Why Should There Be Stars," which works as a showcase for Roney's plaintive lyricism. Contrasting that is White's funky "Wolfbane," a circular groover in which Roney smears and glides against the drummer's dynamic percussion waves. Also compelling is the group's reading of David Liebman's dissonant mid-tempo swinger "New Breed." Originally recorded by Elvin Jones for his 1973 date Mr. Jones, here the melody is played with Harmon-muted intensity by Roney and Modeste. Elsewhere, they sink into "Don't Stop Me Now," a slow-burning R&B slow jam culled from Miles Davis' '80s period, and again evoke Davis' late-'60s quintet on Williams' impressionistic modal piece "In a Dark Room." Closing the album are two of Modeste's compositions, beginning with the driving "Venus Rising" and finishing with the far-eyed "Elliptical," both of which benefit from Roney and his band's burnished harmonic textures. ~ Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/album/blue-dawn-blue-nights-mw0003308946

Blue Dawn - Blue Nights

---

Wallace Roney - Home

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:40
Size: 139,2 MB
Art: Front

( 7:20)  1. Utopia
( 7:28)  2. Home
( 6:50)  3. Pacific Express
(10:20)  4. Plaza Real
( 8:35)  5. Dawn
( 8:06)  6. Evolution of the Blues
( 9:05)  7. Ghost of Yesterday
( 2:53)  8. Revive

Old-school funk and fusion? Contemporary R&B? Straight-ahead jazz? Open-air modal music? One never quite knows what to expect from a new Wallace Roney project-that is, aside from impressive blowing and a tone that, while still sometimes evocative of Miles, is its own thing of beauty: full, resonant, deftly shaded, often moving in unpredictable and mysterious ways. Roney, joined by his regular bandmates and several guests, touches on several of the stylistic strains mentioned above on Home. It’s chockfull of the leader’s dazzling displays, including the long tones and then quick runs of his “Evolution of the Blues”; that tune also offers a showcase for engaging tenor and soprano solos by Antoine Roney, Wallace’s younger brother, buoyed by the rhythmic punches of pianist Aruán Ortiz, bassist Rashaan Carter and drummer Kush Abadey. Roney’s way with a mute, to produce gorgeously dark and smoky sounds, is on display on the floaty title track as well as the exceedingly slow chestnut “Ghost of Yesterday,” limned with Ortiz’s lush chordings.

Wayne Shorter gets a mini-salute here, with opener “Utopia,” an uptempo unplugged tune with plenty of solo space for the horn men and Ortiz, and “Plaza Real,” which benefits from a lovely melody-first voiced by Antoine’s tenor, then joined by the trumpeter-and a fusion-tinted rhythm section. The ’60s/’70s vibe also dominates the feel of John McLaughlin’s “Pacific Express.” Roney is entirely absent from the closer, “Revive,” a nearly three-minute unaccompanied piece by Bobby Ward, the revered Boston drummer who was pals with Tony Williams (and is heard on three of the album’s eight tracks). It’s a solo in which there is never a dull moment, which might also be said about all of Home. ~  By Philip Booth https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/wallace-roney-home/

R.I.P.
Born: 25-05-1960
Died: 31-03-2020

Home

---

Wallace Roney - Misterios

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:12
Size: 136,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:17)  1. Meu Menino
(4:47)  2. In Her Family
(6:32)  3. Michelle
(6:30)  4. Cafe
(4:52)  5. Misterios
(6:49)  6. Last to Know
(5:18)  7. Memoria E Fado
(6:53)  8. 71+
(5:50)  9. Muerte
(5:19) 10. I Will Always Love You

Trumpeter Wallace Roney avoids the standard repertoire altogether on this CD, playing pieces by Pat Metheny, the Beatles, Egberto Gismonti, Jaco Pastorius and even Dolly Parton among others but, try as hard as he may, he still sounds like Miles Davis every time he hits a long tone or plays a doubletime passage. Backed by a small orchestra that mostly interprets Gil Goldstein arrangements, Roney is the main soloist throughout this interesting ballad-dominated set. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/misterios-mw0000117814

Personnel: Trumpet – Wallace Roney; Bass – Clarence Seay; Drums – Eric Allen; Keyboards – Gil Goldstein; Piano – Geri Allen; Tenor Saxophone – Antoine Roney, Ravi Coltrane

Misterios

---

Wallace Roney - Prototype

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:43
Size: 123,2 MB
Art: Front

( 7:48)  1. Cyberspace
(10:37)  2. Shadow Dance
( 6:13)  3. Prontotype
( 4:49)  4. Then and Now
( 4:59)  5. Let's Stay Together
( 6:19)  6. Quadrant 329-4-526
( 5:19)  7. Three Views of the Blues
( 7:36)  8. Secret Identity

On Prototype , his first album in four years, trumpeter Wallace Roney continues to develop ideas begun on Village ('97) and No Room For Argument ('00). That is to say, as the liner notes describe, "Miles' playing and his album Nefertiti as one link; Weather Report as the compositional link; Mwandishi (pianist Herbie Hancock groundbreaking early '70s fusion band) as the conceptual link, with John Coltrane as the spiritual link." Roney's links to Miles Davis have been written about and, perhaps, overexaggerated. There is no doubt that Roney's playing and concept of openness stems from Miles and a time in the late '80s when Roney was hanging with the Prince of Darkness. But whereas Miles changed direction countless times during his career, Roney has chosen a starting point for his music that of the transitional Miles period of Nefertiti through Filles de Kilimanjaro and steadfastly evolved the idea, incorporating contemporary technologies and rhythms, painting a picture of where Miles might have gone had he been more evolutionary than revolutionary. Take "Then and Now," with its "I Got Rhythm" changes. It may start out as the most mainstream-sounding piece on the record, but only for about thirty seconds as it quickly breaks down into a freer piece, with wife Geri Allen peppering the song with abstract harmonies while bassist Matt Garrison and drummer Eric Allen play loose and elastic with the time. But while the track unquestionably fits within the context of the album as a whole, it is something of an anomaly. 

"Cyberspace" opens the album with a dark and deep funk groove, Roney and brother Antoine on saxophone stating the attractive yet edgy theme while keyboardist Adam Holzman, who spent time in Miles' late '80s bands, colors the piece with sharp chords and subtle washes. Similarly, "Shadow Dance" finds an expanded horn section building the extended theme over a 3/4 ostinato before heading into more exploratory territory, with guest Don Byron delivering a particularly pungent solo. The title track is a tender ballad, but even though it is one of only two completely acoustic tracks ("Then and Now" being the other), it brings a sense of freedom to the more closely-adhered changes that lends it a consistency with the rest of the record. It is, in fact, this sense of freedom that pervades the whole record, giving it a sense of urgency. That's not to say this is exactly free jazz; rather it is more open-ended jazz where a firm sense of rhythm exists throughout, but with harmonic and thematic liberation the group is less concerned with hanging on specific changes and, instead, uses harmonic devices as a jumping off point, much as early Weather Report did. Prototype continues to evolve Roney's conception of jazz, one that successfully combines inarguable roots with a more contemporary view, incorporating a diversity of influences into a blend where the fundamental notion is that of freedom, but, like Miles before him, with a clearly-defined rhythmic and harmonic basis. ~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/prototype-wallace-roney-highnote-records-review-by-john-kelman.php

Personnel: Wallace Roney: trumpet; Antoine Roney: saxophones; Geri Allen: piano; Adam Holzman: keyboards; Matthew Garrison: basses; Eric Allen: drums; Clifton Anderson: trombone; Don Byron: clarinet; DJ Logic.

Prototype

---

Wallace Roney - If Only for One Night

Styles: Trumpet Jazz 
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:36
Size: 141,5 MB
Art: Front

(11:34)  1. Quadrant
( 5:48)  2. If Only for One Night
( 5:48)  3. Only with You
(10:31)  4. I Have a Dream
( 8:16)  5. Metropolis
( 7:49)  6. Let's Wait Awhile
( 6:40)  7. I Love What We Make Together
( 5:08)  8. FMS

Wallace Roney's six-year association with HighNote beginning with Prototype (2004), followed by Mystikal (2005), and culminating with Jazz (2007) has allowed the trumpeter to amass a body of work far more indicative of where he's always wanted to be than his largely mainstream run with Muse in the early 1990s. If Only for One Night culled from a four-night run at New York's Iridium continues to paint a broader picture of an artist for whom the lifelong arc of Miles Davis remains an influence, but one distanced from mere mimicry through greater technical facility and an all-encompassing approach to collating a broad set of interests that's in sharp contrast with Davis' more linear evolutionary approach. Most telling is Roney's statement in Francis Davis' liner notes. "I'm not sure Miles had to give up what he already had to get where he was going," says Roney, referencing Davis' well-documented and lifelong rejection of what came before. Unlike most for whom the spirit of Davis looms large, rather than focusing on a single period, Roney integrates aspects spanning Davis' four-decade run, as well as touchstones from the work of John Coltrane and Herbie Hancock. With longtime musical partner/brother/saxophonist Antoine Roney and bassist Rashaan Carter back from Jazz, what's most striking is how seamlessly Roney's quintet navigates the broad stylistic markers demanded by both the original material and covers ranging from Hancock's still modernistic-sounding "I Have a Dream," from The Prisoner (Blue Note, 1969) to a darker look at Brenda Russell's lyrical title track (made famous by Luther Vandross), and Tony Williams' "Only With You," which rivals the rhythmic intensity and effervescent swing of the original on Angel Street (Blue Note, 1988), when Roney was a member of the late drummer's quintet. 

Roney's quintet is as comfortable with an even fierier take of Prototype's fusion-esque "Quadrant" as it is the intensely swinging "Metropolis," from No Room For Argument (Stretch, 2000) two originals that demonstrate the trumpeter's acute ability to fashion an eclectic nexus one clearly hidden to his mentor where all his innovations meet. Roney's chops have never been more exhilarating or tastefully focused, whether waxing prolific on "Metrolopis" or more intently thematic on his closing, a capella "FMS." The group's youngest members demonstrate Roney's ever-astute skill in locating unknown but remarkable talent. Cuban keyboardist Aruán Ortiz organically combines synth washes, choppy organ and Hancock-like clavinet to accompany Wallace and Antoine Roney's fiercely funkified solos on "Quadrant," but turns to acoustic piano for his own impressive solo, while drummer Kush Abadey merges contemporary rhythms and post-bop elasticity throughout, his fluid, less-direct approach turning Davis' "I Love What We Do Together" (previously only recorded as a demo by Davis in the mid-'80s) from what might have been slicker fare into something that relentlessly grows from a simmer to a boil. With even greater emphasis on high powered blowing and group chemistry than recent studio efforts, If Only for One Night is the live album Roney's been harboring for the past several years and further consolidation of where he's been...and where he's going. ~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/if-only-for-one-night-wallace-roney-highnote-records-review-by-john-kelman.php

Personnel: Wallace Roney: trumpet; Antoine Roney: soprano and tenor saxophones, bass clarinet; Aruán Ortiz: keyboards; Rashaan Carter: bass; Kush Abadey: drums.

If Only for One Night

---

Wallace Roney - Jazz

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:05
Size: 149,9 MB
Art: Front

( 8:51)  1. Vater Time
( 5:22)  2. Children of the Light
( 6:29)  3. Inflorescent
( 5:00)  4. Fela's Shrine
( 9:18)  5. Nia
( 5:28)  6. Revolution: Resolution
( 5:46)  7. Her Story
(11:00)  8. Stand
( 7:48)  9. Un Poco Loco

In a time when the definition of the word jazz is in heated debate, it takes a certain amount of courage for trumpeter Wallace Roney to use it as the title of his third release for HighNote. Roney continues to mine the place where contemporary rhythms and technology meet the language of jazz, and while there are those who will balk at his use of turntablists, synthesizers and hip hop rhythms, one listen is all it takes. It may be increasingly difficult to empirically define jazz, but one knows it when one hears it, and Jazz is most definitely a jazz album. With the same core group that's been with him since Prototype (HighNote, 2004) saxophonist/clarinetist/brother Antoine Roney, pianist/keyboardist/wife Geri Allen and drummer Eric Allen there are a couple of new faces, most notably keyboardist Robert Irving III, who replaces Adam Holzman. Both Irving and Holzman were key players in Miles Davis' 1980s bands and, given that Roney's starting point has, since Village (Warner Bros., 1997), been the late trumpeter's earliest forays into electric music and he was a protégé of the late icon in his final years working with Miles alumni has always felt completely right. Roney is no mere Miles clone, however, and only those listening to him with the most cursory of ears could suggest otherwise. Roney possesses a similarly rich tone, an ear for playing exactly what's required no more, no less and an ability to morph pop music like Sly and the Family Stone's "Stand" into an extended and open-ended modal workout. 

But while the persistent, In a Silent Way-like groove that defines its core is referential, the hard-hitting and virtuosic trumpet/drums duo that opens "Stand" is not. Miles' technical skill often ebbed and flowed with his health, but Roney suffers no such inconsistencies. He's never sounded better, moving from strength to strength. Roney's time spent from the mid-1980s to the early-1990s with another Miles alumnus, the late drummer Tony Williams, informs bassist Rashaan Carter's "Inflorescent," a relaxed, largely acoustic track that features Geri Allen's best piano solo of the set. Antoine Roney's "Nia" is another lyrical piece, with subtle turntable work by another regular collaborator, Val Jeanty, and stunning less-is-more (but all the more powerful for it) solos from both Roney brothers. It's the more energetic tracks, however, that are the most revealing indicators of just how far along the trumpeter has come at taking his stylistic starting point and making it his own. His "Vater Time," which begins with a hip hop beat and turntable work by DJ Axum but turns decidedly swinging for Antoine Roney's tenor solo, proves that there is a nexus where the traditional and the modern can coexist. It's a theme that's run through Roney's albums for a decade now, but it's never been so clear, so wonderfully conceived and so flawlessly executed. For those who think jazz has to live in a time warp, Jazz just might sway that opinion. ~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/jazz-wallace-roney-highnote-records-review-by-john-kelman.php

Personnel: Wallace Roney: trumpet; Antoine Roney: soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, bass clarinet; Geri Allen: piano, keyboards (2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9); Robert Irving III: keyboards, Fender Rhodes (1, 4, 6, 8); Rashaan Carter: bass; Eric Allen: drums; DJ Axum: turntables (1, 4); Val Jeanty: turntables (5, 6, 8).

Jazz

---

Dizzy Gillespie - To Diz with Love

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:22
Size: 152,2 MB
Art: Front

(14:43)  1. Billie's Bounce
(10:37)  2. Confirmation
(12:52)  3. Mood Indigo
(11:28)  4. Straight No Chaser
(16:40)  5. A Night in Tunisia

Dizzy Gillespie's final recording, taken from a month he spent featured at the Blue Note in New York, matches the aging giant with such fellow trumpeters as Jon Faddis, Wynton Marsalis, Claudio Roditi, Wallace Roney, Red Rodney, Charlie Sepulveda and the ancient but still brilliant Doc Cheatham (who cuts both Diz and Faddis on "Mood Indigo"). Although Gillespie was no longer up to the competition, the love that these fellow trumpeters had for him (and some fine solos) makes this historic CD worth getting. ~Scott Yanow

https://www.allmusic.com/album/to-diz-with-love-diamond-jubilee-recordings-mw0000077323

Personnel:  Dizzy Gillespie - trumpet;  Doc Cheatham (track 3), Jon Faddis (track 3), Wynton Marsalis (tracks 2 & 4), Claudio Roditi (tracks 1 & 5), Wallace Roney (tracks 1 & 5), Charlie Sepulveda (track 4), Lew Soloff (unbilled, track 5) - trumpet;  Red Rodney - flugelhorn (track 2);  Junior Mance - piano;  Peter Washington - bass;  Kenny Washington - drums

To Diz with Love

---

Christopher Hollyday - Christopher Hollyday

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:33
Size: 138,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:47)  1. Appointment in Ghana
(8:25)  2. Omega
(5:42)  3. Bloomdido
(4:43)  4. This Is Always
(6:35)  5. Ko-Ko
(7:05)  6. Little Melonae
(8:19)  7. Embraceable You
(6:37)  8. Blues Inn
(6:16)  9. Bebop

Altoist Christopher Hollyday's first release for Novus (following a few small-label sets) immediately made him one of the top Young Lions of the era. Nineteen at the time, Hollyday was clearly strongly influenced by Jackie McLean (one of his main teachers), but holds his own with an all-star group comprised of trumpeter Wallace Roney, pianist Cedar Walton, bassist David Williams, and drummer Billy Higgins. Performing two of McLean's originals ("Appointment in Ghana" and "Omega") and five bop standards, the young saxophonist shows plenty of potential and fares quite well.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/christopher-hollyday-mw0000653669

Personnel:  Saxophone [Alto] – Christopher Hollyday;  Bass – David Williams ;  Drums – Billy Higgins;  Piano – Cedar Walton;  Trumpet – Wallace Roney

Christopher Hollyday

---

Wallace Roney - Obsession

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:41
Size: 98,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:12)  1. Obsession
(8:01)  2. Scenario One
(8:56)  3. Alone Together
(7:30)  4. Seven
(7:40)  5. Black Moon
(4:22)  6. Donna Lee

In the early days of his career, trumpeter Wallace Roney was tagged as being yet another Miles Davis-influenced player, though a focused hearing of his fourth CD as a leader will demonstrate how much he was developing his own voice on this exciting hard bop session with tenor saxophonist Gary Thomas, pianist Donald Brown (like the leader, an alum of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers), bassist Christian McBride, and drummer Cindy Blackman. Roney's furious "Obsession" crackles with energy, showcasing the trumpeter, Thomas, and Brown. McBride contributed the loping, bluesy "Black Moon," while Blackman's "Scenario One" is full of twists, dominated by her drums. 

The one standard is "Alone Together," with Roney utilizing a mute, inviting the inevitable comparisons to Miles. But the sizzling take of "Donna Lee" finds Roney very much in his own voice. An enjoyable early effort, Obsession unfortunately lapsed from print with the sale of Muse, and it is increasingly difficult to acquire. ~ Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/obsession-mw0000078455

Personnel:  Wallace Roney - trumpet;  Gary Thomas - tenor saxophone, flute;  Donald Brown - piano;  Christian McBride - bass;  Cindy Blackman - drums

Obsession

---

Wallace Roney Sextet - Kind Of Blue: Copenhagen Jazz Festival

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 85:14
Size: 196,4 MB
Art: Front

(17:14)  1. So What
(12:57)  2. Freddie Freeloader
( 5:18)  3. Blue In Green
(14:14)  4. All Blues
(11:57)  5. Flamenco Sketches
( 6:04)  6. Milestones
(10:42)  7. Ah-Leu-Cha
( 6:44)  8. The Theme

Trumpeter Wallace Roney is a forward-thinking, post-bop musician with a healthy respect for the jazz tradition. Blessed with a warm yet plaintive trumpet tone and a lithe improvisational style, Roney's distinctive playing bears the influence of such legendary predecessors as Miles Davis, Clifford Brown, and Woody Shaw. While many of his albums display his talent for swinging and harmonically advanced acoustic jazz, others reveal his love of genre-bending, electrified funk, hip-hop, and soul. Born in Philadelphia in 1960, Roney grew up alongside his younger brother, saxophonist Antoine Roney, and first displayed an interest in playing the trumpet around age four. As an adolescent, he enrolled in Philadelphia's Settlement School of Music where he studied trumpet privately with Sigmund Hering of the Philadelphia Orchestra. From there, he attended the Duke Ellington School of Music in Washington, D.C., where he gained further tutelage under Langston Fitzgerald of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. At the same time that Roney was receiving formal music training, his father was encouraging him to transcribe jazz solos of artists like Clifford Brown, Dizzy Gillespie, and others. Consequently, by his teens, Roney was an accomplished performer appearing regularly with both classical chamber groups and jazz ensembles. During this time, he took lessons with several trumpet luminaries including Gillespie, Clark Terry, and Woody Shaw. He also had the opportunity to play with pianist Cedar Walton's group. After high school, Roney attended both Berklee School of Music in Boston and Howard University before relocating to New York City in the early '80s. Although he had already played with such luminaries as drummer Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, replacing Wynton Marsalis, who was touring with Herbie Hancock's V.S.O.P. Quartet in 1981, Roney's initial time in New York was a struggle that also found him taking jobs in Latin dance and other kinds of bands to make ends meet. His break came in 1985 when he toured with Miles Davis alum/drummer Tony Williams, appearing on two Williams' albums Foreign Intrigue in 1985 and Civilization in 1986. Also around this time, he returned to Blakey's Jazz Messengers, this time replacing trumpeter Terence Blanchard. These esteemed gigs helped launch Roney into the upper echelons of the jazz scene. As a solo artist, Roney made his debut in 1987 with the album Verses on Muse, featuring drummer Williams, saxophonist Gary Thomas, pianist Mulgrew Miller, and bassist Charnett Moffett. Several more Muse albums followed, all of them sophisticated showcases for Roney's adventurous, post-bop and modal-influenced style. While Roney had long admired Miles Davis, an admitted influence who had mentored him on and off since first hearing him play at Davis' Carnegie Hall birthday gala in 1983, it was during Davis' famed 1991 tribute concert to Gil Evans at Montreux (later released as Miles & Quincy Live at Montreux) that he cemented his image as the heir apparent to Davis' legacy. Invited by Quincy Jones to participate in the concert, Roney sat next to Davis, trading solos on various Evans arrangements culled from such classic Davis releases as Birth of the Cool, Miles Ahead, and Sketches of Spain. Tragically, Davis, who was gravely ill at the time, died roughly a month after the Montreux concerts.

Following his high-profile show with Davis, Roney had established himself as a rising jazz star. He built upon this renown, signing a major-label deal with Warner Bros. and releasing several well-received albums with his brother, saxophonist Antoine Roney, and wife, pianist Geri Allen, including 1993's Misterios, 1995's Wallace Roney Quintet, and 1996's Village. Conversely, during this period Roney appeared on several of Allen's albums including 1997's Eyes in the Back of Your Head and 1998's The Gathering. In 2000, Roney took a creative turn toward funk, hip-hop, and experimental post-bop with the album No Room for Argument on Concord. It was a direction he stuck with through several more albums for Highnote, including 2004's Prototype and 2005's Mystikal. Roney never fully retreated from straight-ahead jazz, though, and generally incorporated a variety of jazz styles on his albums. This varied approach is represented on such releases as 2007's Jazz, 2010's If Only for One Night, and 2012's Home. In 2013, Roney delivered Understanding, his sixth album for Highnote. Also in 2013, he premiered his live version of saxophonist Wayne Shorter's "Universe," a long-form orchestral composition originally written for the Miles Davis' quintet in the late '60s. Abandoned for decades, "Universe" was eventually given to Roney, who spent much of the next several years touring the piece, which included playing an NPR broadcast performance at the 2014 Detroit Jazz Festival. In 2015, Roney appeared as a member of the ensemble Powerhouse on the album In an Ambient Way, which also included saxophonist/producer Bob Belden, drummer Lenny White, keyboardist Kevin Hays, guitarist Oz Noy, and bassist Daryl Johns. A reworking of Miles Davis' 1969 recording In a Silent Way, In an Ambient Way was the brainchild of Belden, who died a month before its release. After Belden's passing, Roney took time off from his "Universe" activities to tour with Powerhouse. ~ Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/artist/wallace-roney-mn0000813629/biography

Personnel:  Wallace Roney-trumpet;  Mark Turner-tenor sax;  Vincent Herring-alto sax;  Benny Green-piano;  Buster Williams-bass;  Jimmy Cobb-drums

Kind Of Blue: Copenhagen Jazz Festival

---

Vincent Herring - Evidence

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1990
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:51
Size: 130,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:24)  1. Mr. Wizard
(8:14)  2. I Sing A Song
(6:23)  3. Stars Fell On Alabama
(5:58)  4. Voyage
(7:39)  5. Hindsight
(6:36)  6. Never Forget
(7:49)  7. Evidence
(8:45)  8. Soul-Leo

The underrated but talented hard bop altoist Vincent Herring is in excellent form on the quintet date Evidence. While Herring's tone is as usual a bit reminiscent of Cannonball Adderley, he comes up with many fresh ideas and swinging phrases on the eight songs, which include two of his originals and one song from pianist Mulgrew Miller. Miller and trumpeter Wallace Roney also take consistently rewarding solos, with bassist Ira Coleman and drummer Carl Allen offering stimulating support. Highlights include Herring's warmth on "Stars Fell on Alabama" and the driving versions of "Voyage" and Cedar Walton's "Hindsight." Easily recommended to fans of Herring's straight-ahead playing. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/evidence-mw0000690802?

Personnel: Vincent Herring: Alto Saxophone; Wallace Roney: Trumpet; Mulgrew Miller: Piano; Ira Coleman: Bass; Carl Allen: Drums.

Evidence

---

Rodney Whitaker - Children of the Light

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:36
Size: 160,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:47)  1. Mandela's Muse
(4:30)  2. Broadway
(6:06)  3. One Silent Moment
(5:31)  4. On Green Dolphin Street
(5:13)  5. Woman Child
(7:25)  6. Mood Swings
(6:53)  7. (Queen) Roz
(5:51)  8. Children of the Light
(7:00)  9. Langman
(7:13) 10. El Morro
(7:02) 11. Cultural Warrior

For his debut as leader, Rodney Whitaker takes center stage on several melodies and solos frequently. His playing is well-rounded in every respect, and he has a supple, sleek, strong tone. His core group for this outing consists of James Carter (tenor sax), Cassius Richmond (flute), Wallace Roney and Nicholas Payton (trumpet), Cyrus Chestnut (piano), Karriem Riggins and Gregory Hutchinson (drums), and Andrew Daniels (percussion); pianist Geri Allen and baritone saxophonist Alex Harding make cameo appearances. Three of the 11 tracks were penned by Whitaker the bass/percussion workout "Woman Child," the jungly "(Queen) Roz," and the crackling "Langman." Ken Cox's triumphant melody for Nelson Mandela, "Mandela's Mood," is a highlight, featuring bright melodies and Afro-Cuban underpinnings. Everyone solos on this piece, but it's Carter's histrionics that really provide the exclamation point. There are two hard boppers a version of "Broadway" featuring a path-clearing solo by Carter, and Richmond's "Mood Swings," which finds Carter and Roney acting like Wayne Shorter and Miles Davis. The title track features Payton's plaintive head statement and Chestnut's fervid solo. Whitaker's wife, Monzola, contributes the soft "One Silent Moment," while Roney lights things up for "On Dolphin Street." Allen waxes poetic beneath a bed of exotic, subtle rhythms on "El Morro," and the finale, "Cultural Warrior," is languid and solemn. Whitaker shows a grand diversity on this complete package of modern jazz. Highly recommended. ~ Michael G.Nastos http://www.allmusic.com/album/children-of-the-light-mw0000085197

Personnel:  Baritone Saxophone – Alex Harding (tracks: 3);  Bass – Rodney Whitaker;  Drums – Gregory Hutchinson (tracks: 4-6, 9, 10), Karriem Riggins (tracks: 1-3, 7, 8, 11);  Flute – Cassius Richmond (tracks: 1, 3, 10);  Percussion – Andrew Daniels (tracks: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10);  Piano – Cyrus Chestnut (tracks: 1-3, 6-9, 11), Geri Allen (tracks: 4, 10);  Tenor Saxophone – James Carter (3) (tracks: 1-4, 6, 7, 9, 10);  Trumpet – Nicholas Payton (tracks: 1, 2, 3, 7, 8), Wallace Roney (tracks: 4, 6, 9, 10)

Children of the Light

---

Bill Evans - Escape

Styles: Saxophone Jazz, Jazz Fusion
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:09
Size: 171,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:34)  1. Swing Hop
(5:59)  2. Escape
(6:19)  3. Reality
(6:00)  4. The Sunday After
(4:38)  5. Rattletrap
(5:15)  6. Flash In Dreamland
(7:39)  7. Coravilas
(4:55)  8. Easilee
(5:27)  9. Undercover
(5:55) 10. La Di Da
(4:38) 11. Armsakimbo
(6:15) 12. Aftermath
(5:30) 13. Undercover (Remix - Marcus' Mad Flav)

From Miles Davis' Doo-Bop to albums by Greg Osby and Steve Coleman, much of the "jazz/rap fusion" released has been more hip-hop than jazz essentially, hip-hop with jazz overtones. Bill Evans, however, has featured rappers in much the way a hard bopper would feature a singer -- on "Reality" and the poignant, reggae-influenced "La Di Da," rapper Ahmed Best successfully interacts with an actual, spontaneous, improvisatory band instead of merely pre-recorded tracks. Best's rapping style a cerebral approach akin to De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest instead of more hardcore rappers like Tupac Shakur and Ice-T  is well-suited to this challenging and complex jazz-fusion setting. On the instrumental side, Escape's triumphs range from the hard-edged jazz-funk pieces "Undercover" and "Rattletrap" to the sensuous, Brazilian-influenced "Coravillas." Though capable of tenderness and vulnerability, Evans has the good sense to avoid bloodless "smooth jazz" altogether. ~ Alex Henderson http://www.allmusic.com/album/escape-mw0000647830

Personnel: Bill Evans (soprano, alto & tenor saxophones, background vocals); Mark Ledford, Loni Groves, Robin Beck, M.C.900 FT JESUS (vocals); Ahmed Best (rap vocals); Wallace Roney (trumpet); Ken Meccia (trombone); Chelsea Orchestra (strings); Jim Beard (Hammond B-3 organ, keyboards, bass, drums, programming, loops, background vocals); Jon Herington, Gary Poulson, Lee Ritenour, Nick Moroch (guitar); Ron Jenkins, Victor Bailey, Mark Egan, Marcus Miller (bass); Max Risenhoover, Billy Kilson, Steve Ferrone (drums); Manolo Badrena (percussion, background vocals); Nalini (background vocals). .

Escape

---

Steve Turre - Woody's Delight

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:29
Size: 155,0 MB
Art: Front

( 6:45)  1. Woody's Delight
( 7:07)  2. Something For Sweets
( 8:01)  3. In Retrospect
( 4:06)  4. Luna
( 6:25)  5. Annette's For Sure
( 8:37)  6. Adios Mi Amigo
( 7:20)  7. Manny's Mambo
( 8:16)  8. 3 For Woody
(10:47)  9. Brother Bob

Trombonist and master of musical shells Steve Turre has been playing professionally since he was 13, working with a variety of bandleaders including Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Ray Charles, and Chico Hamilton, although he credits his musical maturity to his eight-year tenure with trumpeter Woody Shaw (which began when he was in his thirties). Turre recorded 14 albums with Shaw and it is to Shaw's influence and memory that the album's title refers. Turre wrote eight of the nine compositions here. The wildly diverse program includes five trumpeters Claudio Roditi, Jon Faddis, Wallace Roney, Chocolate Armenteros, and Freddie Hendrix three keyboard players, four bass players (including Buster Williams), two drummers, and three bongo, timbales, and conga percussionists. Faddis' fiery acrobatics are heard on the title track a skittering, jaunty blues in G-minor and on "Something for Sweets" (for Harry "Sweets" Edison), a strolling Basie-esque blues where both Faddis and Turre use mutes. Roney is showcased on "In Retrospect," a shimmering, mysterious, ethereal ballad that Turre wrote for him, reflecting the influence of Miles Davis on the trumpeter. Roney also appears on "Luna," which reflects the influence of Shaw's ambitious compositional style and use of extreme harmonic intervals on Turre. Perhaps the most beautiful entry on the set is Roditi's jazz-samba "Annette's for Sure," with bassist Nilson Matta and drummer Duduka Da Fonseca (who also plays berimbau). 

Together the band creates an authentic samba atmosphere that is underscored by Venezuelan pianist Luis Perdomo and Turre's shells. There is a killer Latin number here too in "Manny's Mambo," dedicated to Oquendo Turre also spent time in Conjunto Libre. The trumpeter here is 83-year-old legend Chocolate Armenteros. Both men and pianist Perdomo play moñas like the house is burning down, as percussionists and drummer underscore the joyous dance feel. "Adios Mi Amigo" is a Latin ballad written for Turre's late colleague and friend, pianist Hilton Ruiz. Roditi's solo is achingly beautiful and is underscored by Turre's use of the plunger mute and Andy Gonzalez's bassline. Youthful up-and-comer Hendrix is showcased on the final two cuts here, the modal "3 for Woody," and the deep, bluesy swing of "Brother Bob." Woody's Delight is not a mere tribute to Shaw's influence on Turre (though that would be enough); it displays the trombonist's wide angle and ambitious compositional and arranging skills with true flourish. The music here is all soulfully articulated and expertly performed, the album some of Turre's finest work. ~ Thom Jurek http://www.allmusic.com/album/woodys-delight-mw0002280215

Personnel: Steve Turre: trombone and shells; John Faddis: trumpet (1, 2); Wallace Roney: trumpet (3, 4); Claudio Roditi: trumpet (5, 6); Chocolate Armenteros: trumpet (7);  Freddie Hendrix: trumpet (8, 9);  Xavier Davis: piano (1 – 4, 8, 9);  Luis Perdomo: piano (5, 6, 7);  Aruan Ortiz: Fender Rhodes (4); Buster Williams: bass (1 – 4); Andy Gonzalez: bass (6, 7); Corcoran Holt: bass (8, 9); Nilson Matta: bass (5); Dion Parson: drums (1 – 4, 8, 9); Duduka Da Fonseca: drums and percussion (5, 6); Jimmy Delgado: timbales and conga (6, 7); Pedro Martinez: bongos and campana; George Delgado: conga (7).

Woody's Delight

---