Ruby Braff - Braff Plays Wimbledon (Second Set)

Album: Braff Plays Wimbledon (Second Set)

Styles: Cornet Jazz
Size: 146,8 MB
Time: 63:54
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Year: 2007
Art: Front

1. Rockin' Chair ( 4:29)
2. When A Woman Loves A Man ( 5:09)
3. I Cried For You ( 9:26)
4. Pennies From Heaven ( 6:03)
5. Jive At Five (13:30)
6. I'm Pullin' Through ( 5:54)
7. Miss Brown To You ( 5:59)
8. I Know That You Know ( 8:44)
9. Save It, Pretty Mama ( 4:35)

Although cornetist Ruby Braff is joined on this set by flügelhornist Warren Vaché, trombonist Roy Williams, guitarist Howard Alden, pianist Brian Lemon, bassist Dave Green, and drummer Allan Ganley, Vaché's role is, in reality, minor (mostly just ensemble parts with a few short solos), and Williams is only on a few numbers, although he plays very well.

Fortunately, Braff is in prime form throughout, even better here than on The First Set; the phrase "adoration of the melody" (which he coined a few decades ago) perfectly fits his lyrical improvisations. The repertoire consists of veteran standards and the highlights include "I Cried for You," "Pennies from Heaven," and "I Know That You Know," although all nine selections are quite enjoyable.

Braff, a master at utilizing his lower register, sometimes has a musical conversation with himself, jumping between registers. Swing pianist Lemon sounds inspired throughout, while guitarist Alden has a few good spots. A typically rewarding Ruby Braff session. By Scott Yanow
https://www.allmusic.com/album/braff-plays-wimbledon-the-second-set-mw0000441662

Personnel: Ruby Braff - cornet; Brian Lemon - piano; Warren Vaché - flugelhorn; Roy Williams - trombone; Howard Alden - guitar; Dave Green - bass; Allan Ganley - drums

Braff Plays Wimbledon (Second Set)

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Ruby Braff - Braff Plays Wimbledon (First Set)

Album: Braff Plays Wimbledon (First Set)

Styles: Cornet Jazz
Size: 132,2 MB
Time: 57:30
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Year: 2007
Art: Front

1. Someday Sweetheart ( 4:20)
2. The Very Thought Of You ( 7:42)
3. Wouldn't It Be Loverly ( 5:10)
4. I've Got A Feeling I'm Falling ( 5:14)
5. Take The A Train (14:45)
6. This Is All I Ask ( 5:30)
7. It's The Same Old South ( 3:30)
8. When I Fall In Love ( 5:37)
9. China Boy ( 5:40)

Cornetist Ruby Braff sound fine on this set for the British label Zephyr. Most of the selections find him taking passionate and typically lyrical solos on swing standards in a quintet with pianist Brian Lemon, guitarist Howard Alden, bassist Dave Green and drummer Allan Ganley.

A few numbers add Warren Vache on flugelhorn and trombonist Roy Williams, but perhaps due to too much mutual respect, few fireworks fly. One would hope that Braff and Vache would match wits against each other, but this is largely Braff's show.

Still, the music overall (which is highlighted by "Someday Sweetheart," "I've Got a Feeling I'm Falling" and "China Boy") should please trad jazz and mainstream collectors. By Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/braff-plays-wimbledon-the-first-set-mw0000434487#review

Personnel: Ruby Braff - cornet; Brian Lemon - piano; Warren Vaché - flugelhorn; Roy Williams - trombone; Howard Alden - guitar; Dave Green - bass; Allan Ganley - drums

Braff Plays Wimbledon (First Set)

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Rosemary Clooney With the L.A. Jazz Choir - Sings Rodgers, Hart & Hammerstein

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1990
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:24
Size: 118,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:15) 1. Oh, What A Beautiful Morning
(4:55) 2. People Will Say We're In Love
(3:47) 3. Love, Look Away
(6:07) 4. The Gentleman Is A Dope
(2:54) 5. It Might As Well Be Spring
(6:22) 6. The Sweetest Sounds
(3:10) 7. I Could Write A Book
(3:59) 8. You Took Advantage Of Me
(5:58) 9. The Lady Is A Tramp
(4:34) 10. Little Girl Blue
(4:01) 11. My Romance
(3:15) 12. Yours Sincerely

This Rosemary Clooney recording differs from all of her previous Concord albums in that she is joined by the L.A. Jazz Choir (a 12-voice group) on half of the dozen selections. The choral backing is a bit of an acquired taste for jazz listeners but Clooney's backup sextet does consist of tenor saxophonist Scott Hamilton, trumpeter Jack Sheldon (who helps out Clooney with his vocal on "People Will Say We're in Love"), trombonist Chauncey Welsch, pianist John Oddo (who is responsible for both the choral and instrumental arrangements), bassist John Clayton and drummer Joe LaBarbera.

Clooney interprets the music of Richard Rodgers and lyrics which are split almost evenly between Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein. Most of the tunes are fairly well-known (including "It Might as Well Be Spring," "I Could Write a Book," "You Took Advantage of Me" and "My Romance") but Rosemary Clooney makes them sound fresh and alive.By Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/sings-rodgers-hart-hammerstein-mw0000207686

Personnel: Rosemary Clooney – vocals; Jack Sheldon – trumpet, vocal (track 2); Chauncey Welsch – trombone; Warren Vaché Jr. – cornet; Scott Hamilton – tenor saxophone; John Oddo – piano, vocal and instrumental arrangements; John Clayton – bass; Joe LaBarbera – drums; The L.A. Jazz Choir – vocals (tracks 1,3,7,10-12)

Sings Rodgers, Hart & Hammerstein

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Warren Vaché - Dream Dancing

Styles: Vocal And Cornet Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:01
Size: 143,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:19) 1. Close Your Eyes
(4:05) 2. Too Late Now
(4:52) 3. Quasimodo
(6:28) 4. Lover Come Back To Me
(9:50) 5. Dream Dancing
(3:04) 6. Blue Lou
(5:56) 7. Some Other Time
(4:39) 8. You're A Lucky Guy
(4:36) 9. You're All The World To Me
(4:01) 10. What's New
(4:05) 11. I'm Shooting High
(5:00) 12. Not Exactly Paris

Cornetist Warren Vache has been a mainstay of the New York jazz scene since the mid-1970s. He frequently appeared and recorded with Scott Hamilton's combo and developed a lengthy recording contract with Concord Records as well as appearing on the local club circuit. Vache is perhaps the prime mover in the stimulation of the continued interest and growth of post-war small combo swing and prior to his own groups worked with Benny Goodman and Kenny Davern. Most recently his continued work with Arbors and prolific past five years with Nagel-Heyer Records have been evident.

The quintet assembled for this session features frequent partner pianist Bill Charlap, who has attained stardom over the past few years as a pianist of choice insofar as lyricism and respect for the melody are concerned. Reedman Harry Allen plays tenor sax on four tracks. The rhythm is supplied by Dennis Irwin's bass and Eddie Locke's drums. The twelve songs reflect largely entries from the Great American Songbook and the presentation is partially in a "society jazz" format. These tunes, like the opening "Close Your Eyes," are played in a straightforward swing style as Vache's beautifully shaped tones lead the way for the combo.

The cornetist throws a musical bone to the bebop crowd with a tasty version of Charlie Parker's "Quasimodo," in which his horn takes on an almost puckish quality. Harry Allen, another Gotham favorite of many, is heard effectively on the title tune first stating the melody and then steping aside for Vache's similar reading. Allen's tenor solo shows his Getz-ian style and makes the most of it and he also gets a similar opportunity on the ballad "What's New?". Bill Charlap gets his share of well placed and effective solos on the album but is also an excellent feeder for the group. Vache gets a chance to vocalize on "Not Exactly Paris" to close the session.~MICHAEL GLADSTONE https://www.allaboutjazz.com/dream-dancing-warren-vache-arbors-records-review-by-michael-p-gladstone

Personnel: Warren Vache, cornet, vocal; Harry Allen, tenor sax; Bill Charlap, piano; Dennis Irwin,bass; Eddie Locke,drums

Dream Dancing

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Randy Sandke - Uptown Lowdown - A Jazz Salute to The Big Apple

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 82:46
Size: 191,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:07) 1. Echoes of Harlem / Drop Me Off in Harlem
(3:37) 2. Jungle Nights in Harlem
(3:33) 3. Boys from Harlem
(2:31) 4. Sugar Hill Penthouse (3:07) 5. Blue Belles of Harlem
(5:28) 6. Harlem Speaks
(3:09) 7. Chinatown, My Chinatown
(6:44) 8. Rose of Washington Square / Broadway Rose
(5:13) 9. Slumming on Park Avenue
(5:59) 10. 42nd Street
(5:48) 11. Scrapple from the Apple
(8:14) 12. Nostalgia in Times Square
(8:31) 13. Grand Central
(4:42) 14. 52nd Street Theme
(7:47) 15. Take the "A" Train
(5:09) 16. What's New

It took a German recording team to enable trumpeter/arranger Randy Sandke to assemble this all-American, 12-piece ensemble for a panorama of New York-inspired tunes, recorded in the Big Apple in the Sylvia and Danny Kaye Playhouse as part of the 1999 JVC Jazz Festival. In doing so, he raided the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, as well as several independent history-minded players in the area, and emerged with a band that fires off the numbers with crisp virtuosity in any idiom called for. Thankfully, there is also more than enough gusto in the playing, due in no small part to the live festival recording situation. "The Harlem Medley," a lengthy leadoff stream of delicacies from the land of Ellingtonia, gets close enough to the Ellington sound to convey the idea without being slavishly imitative or ghostly.

The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra boys know their Ellington craft well and apply the plunger mutes accordingly. From there, the band doubles back to Dixieland, works its way up to swing, and slides without a glitch into bebop ("Scrapple From the Apple"), a Mingus shuffle blues ("Nostalgia in Times Square"), transitional Coltrane ("Grand Central"), and some Monk ("52nd Street Theme"), before being deposited back in Harlem by naturally the "'A' Train." In between the main tour stops, Concord Jazz teammates guitarist Howard Alden and clarinetist Ken Peplowski serve up another of their fluid duets on Irving Berlin's "Slumming on Park Avenue."

Other high points include clarinetist Allan Vaché wailing in the trad flagwaver "Chinatown" and trumpeters Sandke and Warren Vaché duking it out on "42nd Street." In all, a well-recorded souvenir of what sounds like a heartwarming local celebration.~ Richard S.Ginell https://www.allmusic.com/album/uptown-lowdown-a-jazz-salute-to-the-big-apple-mw0000102679

Personnel: Randy Sandke - trumpet; Warren Vaché - trumpet; Wycliffe Gordon - trombone; Ken Peplowski - clarinet, tenor sax; Allan Vaché - clarinet; Scott Robinson - alto sax, tenor sax, flute; Joe Temperley - baritone sax; Howard Alden - guitar; Eric Reed - piano; Mark Shane - piano; Rodney Whitaker - bass; Joe Ascione - drums

Uptown Lowdown - A Jazz Salute to The Big Apple

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