Randy Sandke - The Music Of Bob Haggart

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:00
Size: 138,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:26)  1. It Ain't Necessarily So
(2:30)  2. It Takes a Long Pull To Get There
(2:35)  3. I Got Plenty O' Nuttin'
(3:00)  4. Summertime
(3:11)  5. Bess, You Is My Woman Now
(2:12)  6. Oh, I Can't Sit Down
(3:24)  7. I Loves You, Porgy
(4:26)  8. My Man's Gone Now
(3:07)  9. Bess, Oh Where's My Bess?
(2:23) 10. There's a Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York
(3:20) 11. Mardi Gras Parade
(3:22) 12. What's New?
(5:42) 13. Dogtown Blues
(3:10) 14. My Inspiration
(4:39) 15. South Rampart Street Parade
(4:58) 16. At the Jazz Band Ball
(4:27) 17. Big Noise From Winnetka

Most jazz fans are well acquainted with some arrangement or another of George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, but few of them are acquainted with Bob Haggart's charts of the score. The reason is simple: Haggart's arrangements, released at the same time as the Porgy and Bess movie, were pushed to the back of the record racks by versions of the same music by (among others) Miles Davis and Gil Evans, the Modern Jazz Quartet, the Oscar Peterson Trio and Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. Modern-day trumpeter Randy Sandke has decided that this was an unfair quirk of history, and after some detective work and painstaking transcription he's reassembled Haggart's Porgy and Bess plus some other charts under the prosaic title The Music of Bob Haggart.

Haggart's charts for Gershwin don't try to reinvent the wheel as other interpreters at the time did; their sound, straightahead, tart and tight, takes the listener back to Gershwin's own idiom with minimum fuss and maximum verve. Frequent solo breaks allow the stellar band Sandke has assembled to shine; while everyone puts their best foot forward in this endeavor, the two most impressive players are Jon-Erik Kellso on the (frequently muted) puje, sounding period without sounding old, and Sandke himself, alternately caressing and goosing some of the most famous melodies ever written. Jazz fans shouldn't lose sleep over having favored Miles, Oscar or Louis and Ella for so many years; Haggart's version isn't that compelling. But, as this recording proves, it can be a lot of fun in the right hands. ~ Andrew Lindemann Malone  http://jazztimes.com/articles/13713-the-music-of-bob-haggart-under-the-direction-of-randy-sandke-randy-sandke

Personnel:  Bob Haggart (arranger, bass); Randy Sandke (leader, trumpet); Scott Robinson (tenor & baritone saxophones); Jack Stuckey (baritone saxophone); Byron Stripling (trumpet); John Allred, George Masso, Wycliffe Gordon (trombone); Ken Peplowski (clarinet); Derek Smith, Ed Metz, Sr. (piano); Howard Alden (guitar); Greg Cohen (bass); Joe Ascione, Tony DeNicola (drums).

The Music Of Bob Haggart

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Daryl Sherman, Johnny Mercer: A Centennial Tribute

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:57
Size: 146,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:42)  1. I'm Shadowing You
(5:21)  2. Little Ingenue
(5:11)  3. Midnight Sun
(3:20)  4. Jeepers Creepers
(4:38)  5. Come Rain Or Shine
(4:24)  6. The Bathtub Ran Over Again
(6:25)  7. Lazy Bones
(3:00)  8. Peter Piper
(5:38)  9. I Thought About You
(3:21) 10. At The Jazz Band Ball
(4:56) 11. Charade
(4:27) 12. Dream
(4:44) 13. Twilight World
(3:43) 14. Here Come The British

Choosing "I'm Shadowing You" as the opener on Daryl Sherman's fine Centennial Tribute to composer and lyricist Johnny Mercer inevitably recalls Blossom Dearie. Heretofore that tune has pretty much been the exclusive property of the late vocalist. There are also other, more than passing, resemblances between the two singers, both first-class self-accompanists on piano possessing underage sounding voices used effectively to slyly charming ends. With a legacy of 1,500 heartfelt and humorous songs, Mercer's is a rich one from which to choose. Sherman's selections are a welcome mix of classics such as "Come Rain or Come Shine" and "Midnight Sun" with more than a few choice rarities like "The Bathtub Ran Over Again." On the latter Wycliffe Gordon joins Sherman for a delightfully foxy vocal duet. His gravelly sound contrasts perfectly with Sherman's petite smoothness. "Little Ingenue" (co-written with Jimmy Rowles) is another gem. 

Here Sherman's silken glissando, backed by Jerry Dodgion's alto sax, is especially effective in capturing hope in the face of glamour that's a tad shopworn. On "Dream," one of the few songs for which Mercer wrote both music and lyrics, Gordon's trombone provides the most sensitive of accompaniment. As Sherman conjures "smoke rings rising in the air," he is playing heavenly notes behind her. It is a great, great song performed to perfection. The artistry and empathy between Sherman and her fellow musicians makes for a set that is a glowing tribute to one of the great masters of the jazz idiom and the American Songbook. ~ Andrew Velez  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/johnny-mercer-a-centennial-tribute-daryl-sherman-arbors-records-review-by-andrew-velez.php#.VFkx_8mHmtg

Personnel: Daryl Sherman: piano, vocals; Jerry Dodgion: alto sax; Wycliffe Gordon: Trombone, vocals; Howard Alden: guitar, banjo; Jay Leonhart: bass, vocals; Chuck Redd: drums, vibraphone; Marian McPartland: piano, Barbara Carroll: piano.

Daryl Sherman Johnny Mercer: A Centennial Tribute

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Wynton Marsalis - Plays Louis Armstrong - Hot Fives - Hot Sevens

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:43
Size: 169,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:48) 1. Potato Head Blues
(4:01) 2. Twelfth Street Rag
(5:48) 3. Skid-Dat-De-Dat
(4:00) 4. Jazz Lips
(6:31) 5. St. James Infirmary
(3:56) 6. Weary Blues
(4:07) 7. Melancholy Blues
(5:52) 8. Heebie Jeebies
(6:11) 9. Once In A While
(4:05) 10. Ory's Creole Trombone
(7:58) 11. Basin Street Blues
(6:33) 12. Savoy Blues
(3:59) 13. Cornet Chop Suey
(5:46) 14. Fireworks

Wynton Marsalis with Vince Giordano pay tribute to the enduring legacy of Louis Armstrong’s “Hot Five and Hot Seven”

Louis Armstrong achieved fame as a trumpeter, but is also known as one of the most influential singers in jazz. His musical presence, technical mastery and imaginative genius so overwhelmed jazz musicians of his day that he became their principal model, leaving an indelible imprint on the Cadillac is the Lead New York Sponsor of Jazz at Lincoln Center. Jazz at Lincoln Center proudly acknowledges its 2006-07 sponsors: Altria Group, Inc., Bank of America, Bloomberg, The Coca Cola Company, Time Warner Inc., XM Satellite Radio.

Brooks Brothers is the official clothier of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. BET J is proud to partner with Jazz at Lincoln Center to present the television series Journey with Jazz at Lincoln Center. For more information, visit www.jalc.org imprint on the music. The greatest trumpet playing of Louis Armstrong’s early years can be heard on his Hot Five and Hot Seven records, which were originally done between 1925-1928.

The improvisations, which he made on these records of New Orleans jazz standards and popular songs of the day, transformed jazz. Hits from these recordings which include “Potato Head Blues,” “Muggles” and “West End Blues” set the standard and the agenda for jazz for many years to come.
https://www.highresaudio.com/en/album/view/oupppu/wynton-marsalis-louis-armstrong-s-hot-fives-and-hot-sevens

Personnel: Wynton Marsalis, trumpet; Wycliffe Gordon, trombone; Vincent Gardner, saxophone, clarinet; Victor Goines, saxophone, clarinet; Walter Blanding, piano; Don Vappie, piano; Jon Batiste, piano; Carlos Henriquez, drums; Ali Jackson, drums

Plays Louis Armstrong - Hot Fives - Hot Sevens

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Wycliffe Gordon - Dig This!!

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:14
Size: 156,3 MB
Art: Front

(6:02) 1. Dig This!!
(7:58) 2. Mahajual
(8:21) 3. Old Man Blooz Take 2
(7:24) 4. Limehouse Blues
(4:20) 5. The Beautiful Souls
(5:07) 6. Jookin' The Blooz
(7:32) 7. Lonnie's Lament
(5:23) 8. I can't Get Started
(5:22) 9. Cone's Tune
(2:52) 10. Blues Etude #2
(7:47) 11. Old Man Blooz Take 1

Wycliffe Gordon is a trombone player who knows his instrument from the primordial playing of Kid Ory and Honore Dutrey through giants like Jack Teagarden and J.J. Johnson up to and including today's best like Steve Turre. This ability is nowhere better illustrated than on this new CD covering music as classic as "Limehouse Blues" and "I Can't Get Started" and as new as the originals composed for this late 2002 recording date.

As a jazz historian/antiquarian, I admit that my taste runs to the familiarity of the standard chestnuts that greet me like an old friend even when dressed up in the latest style, yet there are still contemporary composer/arranger/players such as Wycliffe Gordon whose modern masterpieces could well qualify as tomorrow's classic staples. "Dig This" and "Old Man Blooz" (which appears here in two takes) are prime examples of the best of 21st century jazz standards in the making.

Again, given my taste for the early giants of this music, it's no surprise that leader/trombonist Gordon and guitarist Peter Bernstein are familiar names. Maybe this also accounts for the fact that I find the Hammond B-3 organist Sam Yahel a fascinating revelation. While too many of the "jazz electric organ" players I hear today are leaning on the bassist and/or drummer for rhythmic impetus, Yahel makes proper use of the Hammond's pedal board to underlay the bass line. Other players, tenor sax man Seamus Blake and drummer Bell Stewart, while not as startling on first listening as Yahel, fulfill their function in the ensemble.

Certain to cause comment and interest is Gordon's unaccompanied trombone solo, "Blues Etude #2." Gordon, like Anthony Braxton before him and Johann Sebastian Bach before him, has shown the power of an unaccompanied line supplying its own melody, harmony and rhythm.

Yet the track I'll keep returning to is Wycliffe Gordon's statement of "Limehouse Blues," which alternates between single and double time. In his distinctive arrangement of this hit tune of 1924 imported from the United Kingdom and defined in recordings by the Benny Goodman Sextet and by the Quintet of the Hot Club of France, Gordon has given new life to a classic which now becomes part of the contemporary repertoire.By Joe Klee. ttps://www.allaboutjazz.com/dig-this-wycliffe-gordon-criss-cross-review-by-joe-klee

Personnel: Wycliffe Gordon - Trombone; Peter Bernstein - Guitar; Seamus Blake - Tenor Sax; Bill Stewart - Drums; Sam Yahel - Hammond Organ.

Dig This!!

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Wycliffe Gordon - Boss Bones

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:28
Size: 144,2 MB
Art: Front

(6:01) 1. Spop
(5:36) 2. The Nick Of Time
(8:39) 3. Recorda-me
(8:37) 4. Another Slow One
(6:12) 5. Stardust
(8:08) 6. Wheatleigh Hall
(6:48) 7. Here's That Rainy Day
(7:32) 8. Nica's Dream
(4:52) 9. Anthropology

Jazz trombonist Wycliffe Gordon has established himself as a major soloist, mostly because of his fine work with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. Gordon’s approach draws upon the sounds of jazz’s New Orleans origins (vocalized growls, smears, etc.) along with the advances of bebop and beyond.

Bones Tones is an unusual album in that it features another trombonist in its “horn section,” namely Andre Hayward, also a member of the Lincoln Center band. Whereas some jazz albums try to impress with the listener with capital-S seriousness, BONES is a swinging, joy-filled frolic through classic jazz standards (by Parker, Gillespie, and Horace Silver) and a few bracing Gordon originals. By Mark Keresman https://www.allmusic.com/album/boss-bones-mw0000785115

Personnel: Wycliffe Gordon (Trombone), Andre Hayward (Trombone) Mike LeDonne (Piano), John Webber (Bass), Kenny Washington (Drums)

Boss Bones

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Herbie Nichols Project - Strange City

Styles: Bop, Piano Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:53
Size: 124,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:49)  1. Moments Magical
(5:21)  2. Enrapture
(7:29)  3. Delights
(4:43)  4. Blue Shout
(4:38)  5. Strange City
(5:11)  6. Karna Kangi
(3:36)  7. The Happenings
(5:23)  8. Change Of Season
(6:39)  9. Some Wandering Bushmen
(5:00) 10. Shuffle Montgomery

Since 1992, the Herbie Nichols Project has been dedicated to performing the music of a gentleman who in his lifetime was sadly neglected but who left behind a body of work just as idiosyncratic and distinctive as that of Thelonious Monk. Following their two previous releases, Dr. Cyclop’s Dream and Love Is Proximity, the group now makes their debut on the Palmetto label with Strange City, a program made up almost exclusively by tunes that Nichols never recorded himself. Arguably, this set contains some of the ensemble’s finest moments on record to date. There’s much to discover here and the variegated program moves from the almost classical sounding “Moments Magical” that opens the disc to the quintessential “Shuffle Montgomery” that acts as a closer. Along the way there are ample opportunities not only to luxuriate in the compositional genius of Nichols, but also to admire the strong ensemble passages and the individual voices that make up the ensemble. Trumpeter Ron Horton is darkly lyrical on the title track, drummer Matt Wilson is intensely musical during his solo spot on “Blue Shout,” and pianist Frank Kimbrough taps the Nichols genius in a splendid trio take on “Karna Kangi.” These are just three highlights among a great program that not only interprets and extends the Nichols legacy but also speaks highly in regards to each group member’s individual muse. ~ C.Andrew Hovan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/strange-city-herbie-nichols-palmetto-records-review-by-c-andrew-hovan.php
 

Personnel: Frank Kimbrough (piano), Ben Allison (bass), Ron Horton (trumpet & flugelhorn), Ted Nash (tenor saxophone), Michael Blake (soprano saxophone), Wycliffe Gordon (trombone), Matt Wilson (drums)

Strange City

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Evan Christopher, Spanky Davis, Wycliffe Gordon - Times Like These: Jam Session Concert

Styles: Clarinet,Trumpet And Trombone Jazz
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 98:09
Size: 225,7 MB
Art: Front

( 9:02) 1. Deed I Do
( 9:13) 2. Blues in the Air
( 4:38) 3. Blues in Thirds
( 7:38) 4. Basin Street Blues
( 5:15) 5. Rosetta
( 4:41) 6. Passport to Paradise
( 4:05) 7. Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me
( 9:06) 8. St. Louis Blues
(11:06) 9. Si Tu Vois Ma Mère / Petite Fleur / Summertime / Mood Indigo
( 9:05) 10. Royal Garden Blues
( 5:22) 11. Just One of Those Things
( 7:54) 12. Basin Street Blues II
( 4:42) 13. Passport to Paradise II
( 4:00) 14. Georgia Cabin
( 2:14) 15. Times Like These

"This is a rollicking session that will delight both traditional jazz fans and those with ears inclined to more modern sounds ... Gordon shines here and is clearly having a ball."~ Cadence

"My goal is to maintain the integrity of early jazz styles, its structure, but move forward so that it's speaking to an audience of today instead of being something bottled and preserved."~ Evan Christopher

"The high technical quality of this recording and the creative music, featuring compositions by Sidney Bechet and songs he recorded, is intended to serve the memory of the great Wizard and afford joy to the listener. Vive Bechet!~ Eric D. Offner, President of the Sidney Bechet Society

Personnel: Evan Christopher - clarinet; Spanky Davis - trumpet; Wycliffe Gordon - trombone; Jack Lesberg - bass; Mark Shane - piano; Jackie Williams - drums

Times Like These: Jam Session Concert

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Bria Skonberg - So Is the Day

Styles: Vocal And Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:26
Size: 148,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:10)  1. Keep Me In The Back Of Your Mind
(7:35)  2. So Is The Day
(7:30)  3. Hip Check
(4:03)  4. I Wish I Hadn't Forgotten
(4:48)  5. Have A Little Heart
(3:45)  6. Far Away
(5:12)  7. Penny In Your Pocket
(4:29)  8. Let Yourself Go
(5:49)  9. Chilliwack Cheer
(4:08) 10. Big Yellow Taxi
(7:48) 11. Gymnopedie
(4:03) 12. My Friend

It's a rare talent that can straddle and dare request membership in the trumpet artist continuum emanating from Louis Armstrong and progressing down through his "Neo Orleans" progeny: Byron Stripling, Wynton Marsalis and Nicholas Payton (whose big band trumpet section Skonberg graces). However, with her bravura performance on So is the Day, Bria Skonberg confirms that she is not only indeed a triple threat musician player, vocalist and composer but also that that esteemed lineage, consummate entertainers all, would heartily approve her membership. This stunningly beautiful British Columbia native plays (and writes and sings) at levels of excellence and maturity far beyond her years. Whether it's plunging and growling away, soaring across the horn's range ferociously, or delivering beautifully constructed lyrical solo lines, Skonberg demonstrates solid chops and great command of her instrument. Displaying artistic flexibility and fire, she unabashedly channels Armstrong, Cootie Williams, Warren Vache, and other legendary players. It's also obvious that Skonberg is an admiring student of the vocal tradition, too. She exhibits stylistic shades of Peggy Lee, Dinah Washington, and Diana Krall. She has a beautiful voice both soul sultry and innocent sweet and an instrumentalist's feel for melodic line and rhythm. Her vocal and horn chops intertwine seamlessly. "Have a Little Heart" is a perfect example. An insightfully versatile composer, Skonberg delivers nine engaging originals, all stylistically unique. 

She's done her homework; the forms and lyric phrasings are classic. "I Wish I Hadn't Forgotten" frames Skonberg with guest John Pizzarelli, a perfect vocal partner, on an elegant guy/gal swinger. "Penny in Your Pocket" grinds blue with Scott Elias' organ. "Hip Check" (a sidewinder turned inside out to 5/4 time) and "Chilliwack Cheer" deal Cajun spice. "Far Away," the most contemporary of her originals, modulates dreamily. Three well-known selections are given refreshed presentations performed with verve. Joni Mitchell's "Big Yellow Taxi" shines with a bouncy Caribbean groove and a beauty of a Skonberg flugelhorn solo. "Let Yourself Go" and Erik Satie's over-recorded "Gymnopedie" are done in Latin-esque treatments. Skonberg's supporting crew is stellar throughout, and seems to relish placing Skonberg in the spotlight. Swinging woodwind artist Victor Goines, trombone stars Wycliffe Gordon and Michael Dease, and a rhythm section of (terrific) pianist Jeff Lashway, the versatile Randy Johnston on guitar, bassist Kelly Friesen, and drummer Ulysses Owens, Jr. collectively and individually energize. So is the Day, while tipping a hat to tradition, appropriately pushes Bria Skonberg to the forefront of today's musical talents. She has it all so does this superb recording. ~ Nicholas F.Mondello  

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/so-is-the-day-bria-skonberg-random-act-records-review-by-nicholas-f-mondello.php
 

Personnel: Bria Skonberg: trumpet, flugelhorn, vocals; Victor Goines: tenor saxophone, clarinet, flute; Wycliffe Gordon: trombone (1, 9); Michael Dease: trombone (11); Jeff Lashway: piano; Scott Elias: organ (7);Randy Johnston: guitar; Kelly Friesen: bass; Ulysses Owens, Jr.: drums; Roland Guerrero: percussion; John Pizzarelli: guitar, vocals (4).

So Is the Day

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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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Wynton Marsalis - Big Train & The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra

Styles: Trumpet Jazz, Big Band
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:50
Size: 122,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:48)  1. All Aboard
(5:05)  2. Observation Car
(5:52)  3. Union Pacific Big Boy
(5:08)  4. Smokestack Shuffle
(2:50)  5. Northbound-Southbound
(2:23)  6. Dining Car
(2:24)  7. Night Train
(6:38)  8. Engine
(3:50)  9. Bullet Train
(3:27) 10. Sleeper Car
(2:10) 11. Station Call
(7:08) 12. The Caboose

All Aboard. In keeping with the Duke Ellington precedence, Wynton Marsalis has been composing longer and longer jazz pieces, music that approximates suites. Starting with The Majesty of the Blues (Columbia, 1989) and proceeding through Blue Interlude (Columbia, 1992), Citi Movement (Columbia, 1993), In This House, On This Morning (Columbia, 1994), Jump Start and Jazz (Columbia, 1997), and the Pulitzer Prize winning Blood on the Fields (Columbia 1997). Add to this list Big Train. Big Train is perhaps Marsalis most cogent and consistent composition in the suite genre. It is precisely composed and performed. Happy Go Lucky Special. The overwhelming influence here is Ellington. The rhythm of this disc is saturated with his unique saxophone express. What Marsalis brings to the mix is a more judicious use of space and the rhythm section. Ellington may never have written a note that was not necessary, but his compositions are busy pieces, even if blindingly brilliant. Marsalis, through the LCJO's rhythm section sets up an easy rhythm, sometimes chugging, sometimes walking, always propelling forward. If you find that hard to believe, compare "Union Pacific Big Boy,"Northbound-Southbound," and "Engine." But Ellington is not the only influence. "Smokestack Shuffle" is as much a Thelonious Monk piece as is "Friday the 13th." This disc is also quite instrument specific. As typical of a Marsalis composition, the listener is drowning in plunger-muted brass. Always a fan of the clarinet, Marsalis has written a good deal of clarinet into this piece with all of his reed players contributing on clarinet. This is a fun ride. The Big Train Reprise. Big Train is the fourth installment in the eight volume Swinging into the 21st Century set. It continues the provocatively creative trend that Marsalis has begun with the release of his Standards Volume 5 collection of Monk tunes. Marsalis is (not so) quietly creating a body of work within traditional jazz that should endure the future nicely. ~ C.Michael Bailey https://www.allaboutjazz.com/big-train-wynton-marsalis-columbia-records-review-by-c-michael-bailey.php?width=1920

Personnel: Wynton Marsalis: Trumpet and Director; Seneca Black: Trumpet; Ryan Kisor: Trumpet; Marcus Printup: Trumpet; Riley Mullins: Trumpet; Wayne Goodman: Trombone; Wycliffe Gordon: Trombone, Tuba; Ronald Westray: Trombone; Wessell Anderson: Alto and Sopranino Saxophone, Clarinet; Ted Nash: Alto and Soprano Saxophones, Piccolo, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Flute; Walter Blanding, Jr.: Tenor, Alto, and Soprano Saxophones, Clarinet; Victor Goines: Tenor, Alto, and Soprano Saxophones, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet; Joe Temperley: Baritone Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone; Farid Barron: Piano; Rodney Whitaker: Bass; Herlin Riley: Drums; Roland Guerrero: Percussion; Doug Wamble: Guitar and Banjo.

Big Train

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Adrian Cunningham - Ain't That Right! The Music Of Neal Hefti

Styles: Flute, Clarinet And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:28
Size: 143,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:36)  1. The Odd Couple
(3:06)  2. Scoot
(5:30)  3. Girl Talk
(5:25)  4. Barefoot In The Park
(5:24)  5. Shanghaied
(5:29)  6. Its Awfully Nice To Be With You
(5:16)  7. Ain't That Right
(3:51)  8. Li'l Darling
(4:30)  9. How To Murder Your Wife
(4:34) 10. Zankie
(4:22) 11. Suspicion
(3:51) 12. I've Got Love
(4:28) 13. Cute

Here’s a great idea done right. Woodwinder Adrian Cunningham brings his breathy tenor, fluid clarinet and cirrus sounding flute along with the mix of Wycliffe Gordon/tb, Dan Nimmer/p Corcoran Holt/b and Chuck Redd/dr for an anthology of tunes from the penmeister and arranger Neal Hefti. Hefti made his name writing scores for Count Basie and then made a few bucks doing films like “Barefoot in the Park” and TV themes like “The Odd Couple.” He even married the babe Francis Wayne-whatta guy. Alas, I digress. Anyway…Gordon shows up with his trombone on a handful of the tracks, adding some nice texture to the strutting “Odd Couple” theme and adding fun ‘boney effects here and there while Cunningham’s tenor oozes warmth. Some blues strutting on “Shanghaid” has Gordon soloing with ferver, and the two horns hold back gloriously on the gentle blues “Li’l Darlin’”. Cunningham’s licorice stick is playful on the bopping “Scoot” and sleek on “Barefoot In The Park” while a gospel-grooved “I’ve Got Love” has him cruising over a testifying rhythm section. The latinish “Suspicion” features a gracious flute, and Nimmer is nimble and quick on the dreamy “It’s Awfully Nice To Be With You.” This session’s a winner! ~ George W. Harris https://www.jazzweekly.com/2014/09/adrian-cunningham-aint-that-right-the-music-of-neal-hefti/

Personnel:  Adrian Cunningham - flute, clarinet, tenor saxophone; Wycliffe Gordon - trombone; Chuck Redd - drums; Dan Nimmer - piano

Ain't That Right! The Music Of Neal Hefti

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Duchess - Laughing At Life

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:26
Size: 128,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:11)  1. Swing Brother Swing
(3:49)  2. On the Sunny Side of the Street
(6:08)  3. Laughing at Life
(3:14)  4. Everybody Loves My Baby
(4:27)  5. Stars Fell on Alabama
(3:43)  6. Give Him the Ooh La La
(3:07)  7. Where Would You Be Without Me
(5:59)  8. Creole Love Call
(3:30)  9. Hallelujah I Love Her (Him) So
(5:02) 10. Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye
(3:07) 11. Strip Polka
(4:57) 12. Here’s to the Losers
(2:58) 13. We’ll Meet Again
(2:07) 14. Dawn (Bonus Track)

Jollity seems to be at a premium these days, so thank God for DUCHESS. This fizzy vocal trio is the antidote to all things grim, bringing joy to the masses one smile and song at a time. Amy Cervini, Hilary Gardner, and Melissa Stylianou three of the most captivating vocalists around today clearly appreciate great music laced with good humor. With their trio debut DUCHESS (Anzic Records, 2015) they delved into a brand of Boswell Sisters-inspired music that you just don't hear much in the here and now. That overwhelmingly positive presentation smart and sassy in conception, polished and pert in execution put DUCHESS in a different category from all of the other vocal jazz groups out there in the mix. Oded Lev-Ari laid the groundwork with his arrangements, tapping into an appealing retro sound; the stylishly swinging trio of pianist Michael Cabe, bassist Paul Sikivie, and drummer Matt Wilson brightened the picture around and beneath the vocalists; guitarist Jesse Lewis and saxophonist Jeff Lederer added their inimitable instrumental voices to a number of tracks; and the three frontwomen put merriment front and center in their music. That turned out to be a formula for success, so DUCHESS saw no need to rock the boat here. 

While there are tweaks to the cast on this sophomore date Jared Schonig picks up where Wilson left off on drums, bassist Matt Aronoff takes the baton from Sikivie, clarinetist Anat Cohen and trombonist-vocalist Wycliffe Gordon join in as special guests on two songs apiece everything basically works off of the same template used for the group's debut. The result? More high times, womanly wit, tight harmonies, unadulterated swing, and welcome surprises. Laughing At Life starts in a pure jazz vein that's heightened by Lederer's horn ("Swing Brother Swing") and ends with a breezy tone that's established through Lewis' guitar work ("We'll Meet Again," "Dawn"). A bevy of musical gems rest between those points. Some, more or less, stay on the straight and narrow ("On The Sunny Side Of The Street"); many, however, do not. The ladies of DUCHESS let their hair down from time to time, capitalizing on bawdy themes with a nudge and a wink (Johnny Mercer's "Strip Polka") and impressing with rapid fire lyrics and turn-on-a-dime movements ("Everybody Loves My Baby"). And when they're not riding high over a cooking band or engaging in musical high jinks, they melt the heart ("Stars Fell On Alabama"). Simply put, this is a class act. DUCHESS' blend of the silly and sophisticated adds up to one satisfying musical sum. ~ Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/laughing-at-life-duchess-anzic-records-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Amy Cervini: vocals; Hilary Gardner: vocals; Melissa Stylianou: vocals; Michael Cabe: piano; Matt Aronoff: bass; Jared Schonig: drums; Jesse Lewis: guitar (1, 3, 6, 7, 9-11, 13, 14); Jeff Lederer: (1, 3, 11, 12); Anat Cohen: clarinet (4, 13); Wycliffe Gordon: trombone (5, 8), vocals (5, 8).

Laughing At Life

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Wynton Marsalis Septet - Blue Interlude

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:12
Size: 165,3 MB
Art: Front

( 3:19)  1. Brother Veal
( 5:55)  2. Monologue For Sugar Cane And Sweetie Pie
(37:09) 3. Blue Interlude(The Bittersweet Saga Of Sugar Cane And Sweetie ie
( 5:18)  4. And The Band Played On
(12:17)  5. The Jubilee Suite I. Day To Day/ II. Running And Gambling/ III. Grace.
( 7:11)  6. Sometimes It Goes Like That

With Wynton Marsalis, exuberance, energy and high-level musicianship is never an issue, but long-windedness can be. This may be one of the best of the trumpeter's mid-sized ensembles, a septet, with pianist Marcus Roberts, trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, saxophonists Wessell Anderson and Todd Williams, bassist Reginald Veal, and drummer Herlin Riley. It is also to the credit of Marsalis that he allows solid group interplay, and much room for his sidemen to not only stretch, but to also include their written works in the repertoire. The problem is for the listener, as the bulk of this material lays in long form, and is more a test for the band's stamina than the pleasure of the beholder. It works in concert, but not on the radio or at home. The 37-plus-minute title track, a grandiose treatise on bittersweet romance, is the most egregious with lengthy solos, tight but verbose ensemble sections, up-and-down dynamics, and rhythmic variations. "The Jubilee Suite" is only 12 minutes, and much more concise, echoing anthemic clarion calls, a hip modern New Orleans groove, and features for the clarinet of Williams and Marsalis. "And the Band Played On" is a processional march, and "Brother Veal" exudes a warm feeling marinated in easy swing, with the clarinet of Williams again a focal point. The last piece, "Sometimes It Goes Like That," is the most complex melody, using the typical variable tempo and melodic devices that make a Marsalis jazz tune fairly recognizable. The cover art and title might indicate this was a blue interlude in the personal life of Marsalis translated into music (and words on the indulgent "Monologue" prelude to the title cut) and self-consciously rendered. It's fine music, but not particularly unique or original. ~ Michael G.Nastos https://www.allmusic.com/album/blue-interlude-mw0000076016

Personnel:  Wynton Marsalis – trumpet; piano and spoken word (2); Reginald Veal – bass; Herlin Riley – drums; Marcus Roberts – piano; Wessel Anderson – alto saxophone; Todd Williams – tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, clarinet; Wycliffe Gordon – trombone

Blue Interlude

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Anat Cohen - Claroscuro

Styles: Clarinet And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:35
Size: 155,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:46)  1. Anat's Dance
(6:21)  2. La Vie En Rose
(8:51)  3. All Brothers
(6:01)  4. As Rosas Nao Falam
(4:23)  5. Nightmare
(7:41)  6. Tudo Que Voce Podia Ser
(7:44)  7. And The World Weeps
(6:06)  8. Olha Maria
(2:42)  9. Kick Off
(4:45) 10. Um A Zero
(6:10) 11. The Wedding

Art begets art on Anat Cohen's Claroscuro. The Israeli-born, New York-based multi-reedist leaves the confines of Benny Goodman's world behind, following her clarinet-only sojourn into king of swing territory, Clarinetwork: Live At The Village Vanguard (Anzic, 2010), with a wide-ranging musical treatise on the balance between light and dark. Cohen addresses each end of the color spectrum on its own terms during this eleven-song program but, more often than not, plays one off the other within a single performance. She's savvy enough to know that dark doesn't exist without light and that the contrast and marriage between the two is what makes them stand apart. Jason Lindner's "Anat's Dance" opens the program and focuses on Cohen's sunny clarinet work, Lindner's moody piano and the shifting rhythmic terra firma that morphs beneath them. Cohen's bass clarinet connects with Paquito D'Rivera's clarinet as they move over a primal percussion foundation on her "Kick Off, while pan-global rhythmic purpose and open exploration collide on drummer Daniel Freedman's "All Brothers." These prove to be the only originals on this album, but originality resides in every second of music. Cohen delivers her most soulful tenor performance to date on "The Wedding," produces some poignant soprano work at the start of "Tudo Que Voce Podia Ser," and walks a line between seductive and mournful on "As Rosas Nao Falam." She shares a deep and abiding love for choro music with D'Rivera ("Um A Zero"), engages in a Louis Armstrong-based love affair with trombonist/vocalist Wycliffe Gordon ("La Vie En Rose") and calls on her famous Cuban clarinet companion again for a trip through clarinetist Artie Shaw's psychosis-slathered theme song ("Nightmare"). Both men join Cohen on one track, Dr. Lonnie Smith's "And The World Weeps," and the results are electric; the song goes from mannered dirge to bluesy epic in Duke Ellingtonian fashion. Cohen's omnivorous musical persona is well-documented on Notes From The Village (Anzic, 2008), where she jumped from saxophonist John Coltrane and singer Sam Cooke to pianist Fats Waller with ease, and Noir (Anzic, 2007), where she hit a homerun merging "Samba de Orfeu" and "Struttin' With Some Barbeque," but she works the musical diversity concept in a different way on this one. Notes From The Village was pleasing in a hard-to-pin-down way and Noir was fueled by passion, but Claroscuro succeeds on poise and shapeliness. The unrestrained enthusiasm that Cohen beautifully exhibits in other places is replaced here by a more deliberate and controlled balance of highs and lows, ups and downs....and light and dark. Claroscuro is a colorful date that confirms what's already been said about Anat Cohen on numerous occasions: she's one of a kind. ~ Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/claroscuro-anat-cohen-anzic-records-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Anat Cohen: clarinet, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone; Jason Lindner: piano; Joe Martin: bass; Daniel Freedman: drums; Wycliffe Gordon: trombone, vocal; Paquito d’Rivera: clarinet.

Claroscuro

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The Count Basie Orchestra - All About That Basie

Styles: Jazz, Big Band, Swing
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:11
Size: 110,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:40)  1. Everyday I Have The Blues
(4:26)  2. Can't Hide Love
(3:38)  3. My Cherie Amour
(3:24)  4. Don't Worry ‘Bout Me
(4:25)  5. Tequila
(4:53)  6. Hallelujah
(3:53)  7. April In Paris
(3:08)  8. Honeysuckle Rose
(4:35)  9. Hello
(4:56) 10. Sent For You Yesterday
(6:08) 11. From One To Another

The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra celebrates their 80th anniversary as the premiere big band in jazz with a collection of classic material a twist on a few modern hits (Adele, Leonard Cohen, Stevie Wonder, and others). Special guests include: Stevie Wonder, Carmen Bradford, Kurt Elling, Take 6, Jamie Davis, Jon Faddis, Wycliffe Gordon, Joey DeFrancesco, Eric Reed, Rickey Woodard, and Gregg Field. ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/About-That-Basie-Count-Orchestra/dp/B07FDVCMHP

Featuring Take 6, Kurt Eling, Carmen Bradford, Jon Faddis, Wycliffe Gordon, Jamie Davis, Joey Defrancesco and Stevie Wonder…

All About That Basie

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Eric Reed - Musicale

Styles: Piano Jazz 
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:10
Size: 149,7 MB
Art: Front

( 7:29)  1. Black, as in Buhaina
( 4:27)  2. Longhair's Rumba
( 5:59)  3. Cosa Nostra (Our Thing)
( 5:20)  4. Frog's Legs
( 1:13)  5. Scandal I
( 4:14)  6. Pete and Repeat
( 3:38)  7. A Love Divine
( 3:44)  8. Baby Sis
( 1:06)  9. Scandal II
( 7:17) 10. Shug
( 4:06) 11. Upper Wess Side
( 1:56) 12. Scandal III
( 3:07) 13. No Sadness, No Pain
(11:28) 14. Blues to Come

It is easy to be fooled initially by pianist Eric Reed's latest recording. He starts off the set with an effective tribute to Art Blakey and sometimes takes solos that are influenced by McCoy Tyner's chord voicings, but the music on a whole is actually fresh and fairly original, rather than just a copy of the Blue Note years. Except for the final two numbers (pieces by James Leary and Wessell Anderson), all of the music was composed by Reed, and these range from somber ballads and solid swing to the upbeat church feel of "Baby Sis" (which has a heated wah-wah solo from guest trombonist Wycliffe Gordon). Half of the selections are trio numbers for Reed with bassist Ben Wolfe and drummer Gregory Hutchinson, while the remainder of the set has a two-horn quintet (except for altoist Wessell Anderson's ballad feature on "Upper Wess Side"). Anderson and trumpeter Nicholas Payton (who sounds more like Freddie Hubbard every day) make for a potent team, particularly when they solo together on "Pete and Repete." Although the three "Scandal" pieces, which are brief fragments of the same number, are a bit frivolous and certainly inconclusive, the remainder of the program serves as a strong example of modern mainstream jazz. Eric Reed continues to grow as an improviser and composer with each recording. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/musicale-mw0000612195

Personnel: Piano – Eric Reed; Bass – Ben Wolfe, Ron Carter;  Drums – Gregory Hutchinson, Karriem Riggins;  Saxophone [Alto] – Wessell Anderson;  Trombone – Wycliffe Gordon;  Trumpet – Nicholas Payton        

Musicale

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Wycliffe Gordon - The Search

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:22
Size: 150,2 MB
Art: Front

(6:37)  1. Cheeky
(5:52)  2. What Is This Thing Called Love
(3:25)  3. He Looked Beyond My Fault (Danny Boy)
(5:29)  4. Frantic Flight
(7:16)  5. The Search (Part I and II)
(5:42)  6. Touch It Lightly
(4:31)  7. Georgia on My Mind
(2:49)  8. Sweet Georgia Brown
(5:14)  9. Blues for Deac'n Cone
(5:43) 10. Sign Me Up
(5:05) 11. Stardust
(5:22) 12. Ba-Lue Bolivar Ba-Lues
(2:12) 13. Rhythm-A-Ning

Nagel Heyer knows a good thing when it sees or rather, hears it. It has brought trombonist Wycliffe Gordon to the studio or captured him at live performances several times during the year, either, as here, as a leader or as a sideman with other Nagel Heyer jazz artists. Judging from the play list expand Gordon's recorded output. Consequently, the CD's agenda includes not only some classic standards, but modern music by Thelonious Monk, a couple of blues things and five originals by Gordon. Gordon and his colleagues clearly enjoy the diverse list they have been asked to perform. There's musical testifyin' on the traditional Sign Me Up where Gordon displays his agility on the Tuba. Then comes the dripping corn pone, chicken gravy Southern blues on "Blues for Deac'n Cone" with the piano of Eric Reed and the bass trombone of Roger Floreska getting important air time. We also hear Gordon on the didgeridoo. So what's a didgeridoo? This long, straight instrument has been used for many years in the playing of traditional aboriginal music. It's a big thing in Australia to the point of being the subject of several of its own web sites. It is the main instrument on Gordon's "The Search" and variously sounds like a mouth organ, drum, a tightly strung fiddle and some others I can't quite place. But it is unique and when used in combination with other instruments like Winard Harper's drum, it is important to the statement Gordon wants to make through this composition.  Other to note include a beautiful haunting rendition of "Stardust" by Gordon and Reed with their contrasting styles giving some new life to this classic tune and a swinging Gordon composed "Cheeky". Confident in his expertise as a trombonist, Gordon is not averse to inviting other significant players of that instrument to join him on this CD. All these trombones recall those J. J. Johnson/Kai Winding Octet recordings from the 1960's. The trombone choir approach is used effectively on "Danny Boy". This is a top flight album of excellent music skillfully arranged and played with imagination and verve. Highly recommended. ~ Dave Nathan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-search-wycliffe-gordon-review-by-dave-nathan.php?width=1536

Personnel: Wycliffe Gordon : trombone, tuba, didgeridoo; Marcus Printup: trumpet; Ron Westray: trombone; Delfeayo Marsalis: trombone; Jen Krupa: trombone; Dave Gibson: trombone; Roger Floreska : bass trombone; Victor Goines: tenor saxophone; Walter Blanding, Jr.: tenor saxophone; Ted Nash: alto saxophone, flute; Eric Reed: piano; Rodney Whitaker: bass; Winard Harper: drums, percussion; Herlin Riley: drums, percussion.

The Search

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Paradigm Shift - Shifting Times

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:37
Size: 118.2 MB
Styles: Soul-Jazz-Funk
Year: 2004
Art: Front

[4:02] 1. Sandu
[5:03] 2. Yesterdays
[4:10] 3. Sanibel Breeze
[5:28] 4. Half A World Away
[6:10] 5. Shifting Times
[6:25] 6. Big Brother
[4:56] 7. First Shift
[3:57] 8. Simplistic Blues
[2:54] 9. Why Not Scrambled
[5:50] 10. Petra's Lament
[2:37] 11. My Foolish Heart

Melvin Henderson (guitar), Gerry Youngman (organ, flugelhorn), Ted Poor (drums), Wycliffe Gordon (trombone), Joe Locke (vibraphone), Marcus Printup (trumpet), Bill Tiberio (saxophones).

A paradigm shift implies a move into a new framework, and so the organ trio Paradigm Shift is probably misnamed, as there is nothing particularly evolutionary about what it does. Shifting Times is, however, a captivating session of mainly original compositions that owes a great deal to the Blue Note soul jazz of the late '60s. Equal parts Jimmy Smith, Grant Green and Donald Byrd, Paradigm Shift does manage to pay homage without being completely imitative, and that is where the shift may come in; as reverential as Shifting Times is, it succeeds in feeling completely contemporary.

Guitarist Melvin Henderson, organist Gerry Youngman (who also doubles on flugelhorn), and drummer Ted Poor make up Paradigm Shift, but they enlist the assistance of some high profile players to juice up a session that is, quite simply, a load of fun, with sumptuous grooves and solid playing from all. Trombonist Wycliffe Gordon plays hard and heavy on four tracks, growling vigorously on "Sandu." Trumpeter Marcus Printup jabs and parries with Gordon on the same track, plays it lyrical on the Crusaders-informed "Half a World Away," and contributes a piercing muted solo on "First Shift." Vibraphonist Joe Locke pays tribute to Bobby Hutcherson on "Yesterdays" and the slap-happy "Big Brother."

Henderson is a capable player in the Grant Green vein, although there are smatterings of Kenny Burrell, and even Wes Montgomery, in what he does. His tone is clean and warm, and his ideas flow effortlessly, with a spare economy that occasionally lights a fire, as on the up-tempo "Why Not Scrambled." Youngman, an energetic and vivacious organist throughout the set, manages to play his flugelhorn brightly yet tenderly on "My Foolish Heart," which finds him in duet with Henderson. Poor is a groove-centric drummer, equal parts swing and backbeat.

While Paradigm Shift may not break down any musical barriers, these players know how to have a good time, and that is evident throughout Shifting Times. There's a party atmosphere to the record that makes it an entertaining listen. Playful and unassuming, Shifting Times is the perfect music when you're looking for something to engage the body as well as the mind. ~John Kelman

Shifting Times mc
Shifting Times zippy

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Wycliffe Gordon - Dreams of New Orleans

Styles: Trombone And Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:32
Size: 170,0 MB
Art:

(4:33)  1. When the Saints Go Marching In
(4:17)  2. Darktown Strutters' Ball
(5:34)  3. St. Louis Blues
(4:08)  4. Chinatown
(6:24)  5. Panama
(3:10)  6. Lil' Liza Jane
(7:07)  7. Some of These Days
(4:02)  8. Tiger Rag
(4:52)  9. Avalon
(5:12) 10. Royal Garden Blues
(5:53) 11. St. Louis Blues
(5:36) 12. Won't You Come Home Bill Bailey
(4:54) 13. Back Home Again in Indiana
(2:44) 14. Down by the Riverside
(4:05) 15. Sweet Papa, Mama's Getting Mad

Trombone player Wycliffe Gordon is best known for his work with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, under the direction of jazz maestro, Wynton Marsalis. The versatile trombonist can scat, multi-note, slide, and plunge, just like he stepped out of the 1930s. Gordon has played with many jazz luminaries, including Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Henderson, Branford Marsalis,Lionel Hampton, Tommy Flanagan, and Shirley Horn. His musical colleagues call him "Pine Cone," since he grew up in the piney woods of Georgia. It must have been this Ellington era quality that caught the ears of jazz educator Wynton Marsalis, who heard Gordon play while the trumpeter was giving a workshop at Gordon's alma mater, Florida A&M University. Their fortuitous meeting resulted in Gordon joining the Wynton Marsalis Septet, as well as the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, in 1989. As a member of the illustrious band, Gordon contributed as both musician and composer. Gordon, who like Charles Mingus says he hears music in his head all the time, has managed to write some of it down, and then hear it performed all over the world by the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. Whether they know it or not, National Public Radio fans are familiar with the musician's work: In 1993, Gordon composed the NPR theme song. Gordon, an admirer of Louis Armstrong, J.J. Johnson, and Jack Teagarden, prefers the melodic approach to playing and composition. The listener can hear that on any of his outstanding recordings. His first outing was with fellow trombonist Ron Westray on their 1996 release, Bone Structure. More good things came with Slidin' Home, recorded in 1999. Joined by Victor Goines, Eric Reed, Rodney Whitaker, Herlin Riley, Milt Grayson, Joe Temperley, and Randy Sandke, Gordon really struts his stuff on this one, showing a wide range of influences from big band to gospel.

The Search, recorded in 2000, ranges as far and wide as the title suggests, and includes Gordon holding forth on the didgeridoo. Gordon, whose father was the pianist at the church the trumpeter grew up in, devotes himself to his gospel roots on The Gospel Truth, (2000). What You Dealin' With, (2001), continues in a jazz vein with original compositions and jazz standards. Gordon's 2002 release We may be his best yet, as the trombonist collaborates with pianist Eric Reed on jazz and gospel tunes. Besides performing and educating at his own music school in his hometown of Augusta, GA, Gordon has another important project: writing the score for the Oscar Micheaux 1925 silent film, Body and Soul. Paul Robeson starred in the movie about race, religion, and small town life in the South. Gordon drew upon his own Southern upbringing to produce music from the church, the bars, and the home, to be performed by the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. Gordon has begun to evidence an interest in vocalizing, something which he says he plans to do increasingly. The results are sure to be top drawer, as the exuberant Wycliffe Gordon throws himself into things, body and soul. ~ Rose of Sharon Witmer  https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/dreams-of-new-orleans/557724173

Personnel: Wycliffe Gordon (trombones, trumpet, vocals), Jon Erik-Kellso (trumpet, backing vocals), Adrian Cunningham (clarinet, soprano saxophone), Michael Dease (trombone, tenor and baritone saxophone, trumpet, backing vocals), Matt Munisteri (guitar, banjo, vocals), Ibanda Ruhumbika (tuba), Marion Felder (drums)

Dreams of New Orleans

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Herlin Riley Quintet - Watch What You're Doing

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:15
Size: 129,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:28)  1. Watch What You're Doing
(8:53)  2. New York Walk
(4:05)  3. John Lewis
(5:16)  4. Soscalalah Blues
(6:45)  5. Sunshine in My Pocket
(5:57)  6. Coodie Coo
(5:28)  7. Warm All Over
(8:30)  8. Myrosa's Mirage
(5:49)  9. Blood Groove

While I’d hate to be accused of hyperbole, we’ll save a lot of time here if we just cut to the chase. Drummer Herlin Riley’s debut set as a leader is as strong a maiden voyage as anything in recent memory, along with being an early contender for one of the best new jazz releases of 2000. Taking a cue from boss Wynton Marsalis, Riley has assembled a diverse and devastatingly attractive set of nine originals that have been tailored to meet the needs of the ensemble at hand, very much in keeping with Ellington and Marsalis conventions. Even if you weren’t aware of Riley’s New Orleans heritage, the title track sports a buoyant second-line groove complete with those Southern spices, Victor Goines’ lusty baritone akin to James Carter’s forays on the instrument. Tweak things up a notch and you’ve got the up-tempo burner “New York Walk,” complete with an extended tag that launches some pyrotechnics from Riley at the tune’s conclusion. Creative voicings come your way with soprano sax and muted bone on “Coodie Coo,” an odd-metered line in 7/4. 

In fact, a break with conventional time signatures continues with “Myrosa’s Mirage” which is in five and with “Soscalalah Blues” which shuffles between a 12/8 groove and a straight ahead 4/4. As lead voices, Gordon, Goines and Kisor (on two cuts) conjure a robust sound that actually makes this band sound like a larger unit than what it is in reality. The former makes delicious use of various mutes, while the latter develops a distinctive voice on his many saxophones as well as clarinet. Whitaker and Barron form an exceedingly unified team with Riley, whose own well-dispersed solos are musical blockbusters in their own right. But there I go belaboring the point. Grab this disc. It’s a gem; ‘nuff said. ~ C.Andrew Hovan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/watch-what-youre-doing-herlin-riley-criss-cross-review-by-c-andrew-hovan.php?width=1920

Personnel: Herlin Riley- drums; Ryan Kisor- trumpet (tracks 2 & 4 only), Wycliffe Gordon- trombone; Victor Goines- clarinet, tenor, soprano, & baritone saxophone; Farid Barron- piano; Rodney Whitaker- bass.

Watch What You're Doing

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