Dave Douglas - Brazen Heart

Styles: Trumpet Jazz, Bop
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:01
Size: 150,0 MB
Art: Front

(7:23)  1. Brazen Heart
(3:58)  2. Deep River
(7:31)  3. Hawaiian Punch
(5:38)  4. Inure Phase
(2:55)  5. Lone Wolf
(8:16)  6. Miracle Gro
(5:23)  7. Ocean Spray
(7:34)  8. Pyrrhic Apology
(6:23)  9. There Is A Balm In Gilead
(4:21) 10. Variable Current
(5:33) 11. Wake Up Claire

Leading a quintet whose debut recording, Be Still (Greenleaf Music, 2012) was an elegiac song cycle dedicated to his late mother, Dave Douglas' Brazen Heart, sadly, finds the trumpeter / composer in mourning once again. Damon Douglas, Dave's brother, passed away in June 2015. Yet, the overall tenor of Brazen Heart is completely different than Be Still and its direct antecedent Time Travel (Greenleaf Music, 2013). There are no vocals on Brazen Heart. Also, after many months of touring and recording with this band, Douglas is clearly challenging them (and us) knottier, more complicated material. Gone are the "lead sheet" type tunes (did they ever really exist?) Douglas endeavored to write for this band a few years back. Of course, the quintet rises to the occasion and then some. These are, after all, five of the most gifted (and busy) musicians around today. It's miraculous that Douglas has been able to keep the band intact for four years. The instrumentation remains simple: a classic acoustic jazz quintet lineup. And Douglas' writing for this group, no matter how far it strays from the tried-and-true, remains deeply rooted in the jazz tradition. Though the individual members of the band are actively involved in some truly radical musical experimentation, Douglas seems to prefer other venues for his own experiments with electronics (e.g., High Risk, Greenleaf Music, 2015) and hyphenated genre-crossing hybrid musics. The comforting familiarity of the instrumentation and the inclusion of two gorgeous hymns ("Deep River" and "There is a Balm in Gilead") aside, Brazen Heart is one of Douglas' more risky and adventurous albums. And if you know Douglas' music that's saying something.

"Hawaiian Punch," a medium tempo piece that juxtaposes a lengthy, but very pretty, melody against a jagged succession of heavily syncopated unison hits, evokes the music of Thelonious Monk and Herbie Nichols in a highly personal way. Matt Mitchell's comping sounds a tad wayward until you get to his deeply insightful solo. Linda Oh's virtuosic bass improv is similarly on-point. The intellectually funky "Miracle Gro" is no less engaging. Backed by Rudy Royston's sly machinations, everyone takes brief solos over the changes before the massive, ultra-majestic theme kicks in. Here, the solos tend toward the spare and icy-cool, while the thematic material provides the drama. That said, Jon Irabagon manages to whip up quite a lather here. "Inure Phase" is exactly that: super quick tempos, cliffhanging melodic lines, chiaroscuro harmonies, crazy polyrhythms, and Royston's unbelievable drums rolling and crashing all over the place. The closest thing to a ballad among Douglas' new pieces is "Phyrric Apology;" a rhapsodic mid-tempo piece that frames particularly fetching slow-burn solos by Douglas and Irabagon before taking off into the stratosphere. The rest of Douglas' originals are no less bracing, each a showcase for some different aspect of this amazingly talented and soulful band. The two hymns are understated and tender; contrasting with, yet not incongruous to the brainy dynamism that dominates Brazen Heart. And there's not a whiff of the mawkish or sentimental. Instead, there's a palpable sense of fortitude and gutty resolve at play here. Sure, it's jazz, but on these tracks Douglas and his quintet seem to be channeling the same sort of understated, gospel-inflected mojo that artists such as The Band, Sam Cooke, Van Morrison, and Ben E. King are able to access with stunning regularity. Fittingly, Douglas has chosen to pay tribute to his brother by bravely, brazenly, stepping forward with some of his most advanced and technically challenging music to date. ~ Dave Wayne https://www.allaboutjazz.com/brazen-heart-dave-douglas-greenleaf-music-review-by-dave-wayne.php
 

Personnel: Matt Mitchell: piano; Rudy Royston: drums; Dave Douglas: trumpet; Jon Irabagon: tenor saxophone; Linda Oh: bass.

Brazen Heart

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Sue Raney - When Your Lover Has Gone

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:47
Size: 87,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:00)  1. When Your Lover Has Gone
(3:06)  2. I Stayed Too Long At The Fair
(2:22)  3. If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight)
(3:29)  4. My Ideal
(2:26)  5. It Looks Like Rain In Cherry Blossom Lane
(3:03)  6. It's Easy To Remember
(4:02)  7. Moon Song
(2:59)  8. Heart And Soul
(3:03)  9. If You Were There
(3:21) 10. My Silent Love
(4:20) 11. I Remember You
(2:30) 12. I'll See You In My Dreams

Blessed with a beautiful voice from an early age, Sue Raney has performed music ranging from swinging jazz and ballads to cabaret, middle-of-the-road pop and jingles. Her mother was a singer and a great great aunt had been in German opera. Raney started singing when she was four and a year later she first performed in public, at a party in Wichita, Kansas. Because a voice teacher could not be found for her daughter (because of her extreme youth), Raney's mother took voice lessons herself and then passed down what she learned to Sue. A professional before she was a teenager, Raney worked steadily in New Mexico when her family relocated and took several trips out to Los Angeles during a couple of summer vacations. She joined the Jack Carson radio show in 1954 in L.A. when she was barely 14. Raney then appeared on Ray Anthony's television program and became his band's main vocalist. 

At 18 she started working as a single. She had already recorded for Phillips and then signed with Capitol, recording several middle-of-the-road jazz-influenced pop dates for the company. In the 1960's Raney often appeared on television variety shows, she led her own group and became very active in the studios where her impressive voice helped sell products. By the early 1980's, she was also working as a voice teacher. In the 1990's Sue Raney has sung with the L.A. Voices and Supersax, the Bill Watrous big band and as a single in addition to staying active as a jazz educator and in the studios. Her main jazz recordings were a trio of albums for Discovery in the 1980's; a VSOP/Studio West CD features the singer on various live performances from the 1960's. ~ Scott Yanow https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/sue-raney/id18823089#fullText

When Your Lover Has Gone

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Nara Leão - Garota de Ipanema

Styles: Brazilian Jazz, Bossa Nova
Year: 1986
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:04
Size: 119,6 MB
Art: Front + Back


(3:04)  1. O Barquinho
(3:55)  2. Garota De Ipanema
(3:34)  3. Berimbau
(3:14)  4. Desafinado
(3:18)  5. Wave
(2:48)  6. Corcovado
(3:09)  7. Águas De Março
(3:35)  8. A Felicidade
(4:00)  9. Manhã De Carnaval
(3:45) 10. Chega De Saudade
(2:58) 11. Meditação
(2:34) 12. Samba De Uma Nota Só
(4:00) 13. Água De Beber
(1:49) 14. Você E Eu
(2:25) 15. Samba Do Avião
(3:47) 16. O Que Será

Nara Leão, the Musa da Bossa Nova (Bossa Nova's Muse, as she is affectionately known), was a prominent figure in bossa nova. She didn't restrict herself as a bossa nova singer, though, and was one of the first artists to engage in the movement later known as "canção de protesto" (protest song), an artistic movement which denounced military dictatorship in Brazil. She launched the careers of such composers/interpreters as Chico Buarque, Zé Keti, Martinho da Vila, Edu Lobo, Paulinho da Viola, and Fagner. An international performer in spite of her short, uneducated voice, she left an expressive discography even though death caught her by surprise at such a precocious age.

When she was a year old, she and her family left Vitória for Rio. In 1954, she took her first violão classes with Solon Ayala and Patrício Teixeira, and then with Roberto Menescal and Carlos Lyra. As an amateur, she participated in the first university presentations where bossa nova was coming together as an organized movement. She performed with names such as João Gilberto, Luiz Eça, Ronaldo Bôscoli (with whom she would have a love affair and later become his fiancée), Carlos Lyra, and others. At that time, she was a reporter for Rio's newspaper Última Hora. The ample apartment of her complacent parents in Rio's south side (zona sul), Copacabana, Posto 4, became a meeting point for musicians, which led many to erroneously establish it as a bossa nova cradle (actually, the cradle was, to some extent, the Cantina do César, but even more appropriately, the Plaza nightclub around 1952). In 1963, she debuted as a professional, working in the musical comedy Pobre Menina Rica, by Vinícius de Moraes and Carlos Lyra. While working on the play, they also acted at the Carioca nightclub Au bon Gourmet. She also debuted in that year in recording studios, singing "Naná" (Moacir Santos), which was included in the movie soundtrack to Ganga Zumba, Rei dos Palmares (Cacá Diegues). She also recorded two tracks on Carlos Lyra's LP Depois do Carnaval (Philips): the marcha-rancho "Marcha da Quarta-Feira de Cinzas" (Carlos Lyra/Vinícius de Moraes) and the samba-jazz "Promessas de Você" (Carlos Lyra/Nelson Lins e Barros). Also in 1963, she toured Brazil, Japan, and France with Sérgio Mendes. When they toured the Northeast, Leão was introduced by Roberto Santana to the so-called Vila Velha Gang, the baianos Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, and Maria Bethânia. Her first LP (Nara), recorded by Elenco, launched the sambista do morro (sambista of the hill) Zé Keti into the middle-class circle with great success with his song "Diz que Fui por Aí" (with H. Rocha). 

She also reintroduced to the same circle the older sambista do morro Cartola ("O Sol Nascerá," together with Elton Medeiros). Along with these two songs, which became all-time hits, another two songs recorded on that album had the same success: "Consolação" (Baden Powell/Vinícius de Moraes) and "O Morro" (Carlos Lyra/Gianfrancesco Guarnieri). On that album, she evidenced her social concerns (still a bit naïve), choosing a non-bossa repertoire. These concerns were even more evident in the following phase of her career when a coup took power over Brazil and installed the military dictatorship; this event provoked her to actively denounce it. Her second album, Opinião de Nara (Leão's opinion, Philips, 1964), brought "Opinião" (Zé Keti). In December 1964, she made a great success with the show Opinião (Gianfrancesco Guarnieri/Augusto Boal) at the Teatro Opinião (Rio). The show brought together Leão, a middle-class young girl, Zé Keti, representing the morro people, and João do Vale, from the poor region of Northeast.

The show was such a longtime success that it robbed the middle-class audiences making the important samba redoubt Zicartola profitable, which was owned by Cartola himself; it closed its doors soon afterwards. It also killed bossa nova in Brazil. Leão delivered passionate speeches against bossa nova in that time, calling it an "alienating" movement. At the same time, the instrumental backing of the show Opinião was pure bossa, as can be heard on a CD reissued in 1994, informing that the rupture, at that time, was more ideological than musical. In 1965, she presented Chico Buarque with his songs "Pedro Pedreiro" (strong social thematic) and "Olê, Olá." Also in that year, she participated in the Teatro Opinião show Liberdade, Liberdade (freedom, freedom), by Flávio Rangel/Millôr Fernandes. She also appeared on Elis Regina/Jair Rodrigues' regular TV show O Fino da Bossa, which eventually also had Chico Buarque, Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, Edu Lobo, Tom Jobim, Vinícius de Moraes, and Ivan Lins. In 1966, she recorded her album Manhã de Liberdade (Philips). Defending Chico Buarque's "A Banda," together with him at TV Record's II FMPB (1966, São Paulo), she won first place (together with "Disparada," by Geraldo Vandré and Théo de Barros). Leão recorded "A Banda," together with the first song composed by the duo Gilberto Gil/Capinam, "Ladainha." The next year, she sang, together with its author, "A Estrada e o Violeiro" (Sidney Miller), at the III FMPB. The song was awarded for Best Lyrics. Between 1966 and 1967, she and Chico Buarque had a regular weekly TV show (Pra Ver a Banda Passar, TV Record). In 1966, she was almost framed in the National Security Law by the War department due to a direct critique against the military in an interview with the Carioca newspaper Diário de Notícias ("our military forces are of no avail"). 

In 1967, she recorded the LP Canto Livre de Nara. In 1968, she joined the Tropicalista movement, joining Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Rogério Duprat, Tom Zé, Capinam, Os Mutantes, Torquato Neto, and Gal Costa on the LP Tropicália ou Panis et Cirsensis. The same year, she recorded her LP Nara Leão, on which she sang Ernesto Nazareth's "Odeon" that had Vinícius de Moraes' lyrics written especially for her. The LP, released at the Carioca nightclub Le Bilboquet, brought two of Veloso's compositions, ("Mamãe Coragem" and "Deus vos Salve Esta Casa Santa," both with Torquato Neto) and the arrangements of Rogério Duprat, which helped establish a connection with Tropicalia. 

She had decided to stay out of television for a whole year, for not agreeing with the short vision of art of the producers. In the next year, she moved to France and recorded another LP. In 1971, she recorded Dez Anos Depois (Polydor) in Paris and then went back to Brazil. In the next year, she appeared in the film Quando o Carnaval Chegar (by Cacá Diegues, her husband), together with Chico Buarque and Maria Bethânia. In the following years, she began her psychology college studies, leaving music aside. In that period, she made only sporadic appearances on shows and albums from other artists, such as Fagner. In the late '70s, she released her LP Meus Amigos são um Barato (Philips, 1977), with appearances by Tom Jobim, Carlos Lyra, Edu Lobo, Chico Buarque, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Roberto Menescal, and others. As she learned she had cancer, she returned with full impetus to her career, recording another 11 LPs until 1988. In 1997, she was the theme of the first play by renowned moviemaker Júlio Brassane, Vida-Névoa-Nada. ~ Alvaro Neder http://www.allmusic.com/artist/nara-le%C3%A3o-mn0000371530/biography

Garota de Ipanema

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Barney Kessel - Music To Listen To Barney Kessel By

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1956
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:42
Size: 96,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:29)  1. Cheerful Little Earful
(3:21)  2. Makin' Whoopee
(2:34)  3. My Reverie
(4:03)  4. Blues for a Playboy
(2:30)  5. Love is for the Very Young
(4:35)  6. Carioca
(3:50)  7. Mountain Greenery
(5:03)  8. Indian Summer
(2:47)  9. Gone With the Wind
(3:25) 10. Laura
(3:32) 11. I Love You
(2:29) 12. Fascinating Rhythm

While the title of this recording plays on the then-popular idea of background and mood music, there's still plenty of jazz interest generated by Oklahoma-born guitarist Barney Kessel, one of the true heirs of Charlie Christian. The 1956 session matches Kessel with five reeds (including oboe, flute, and clarinets) and a fine rhythm section made up of other West Coast stalwarts: bassist Red Mitchell and drummer Shelly Manne. The arrangements range from the chamber music texture of "My Reverie" to the briskly swinging renditions of "Mountain Greenery" and "Fascinatin' Rhythm." Kessel plays wonderfully throughout, whether rendering rapid single-note lines or constructing the beautifully chorded introduction to the ballad "Laura." There are also fine solo contributions by Buddy Collette on flute and the superb pianist Jimmy Rowles. ~ Stuart Broomer https://www.amazon.com/Music-Listen-Barney-Kessel/dp/B000000YY0

Personnel:  Barney Kessel – guitar;  Buddy Collette - flute, alto flute, clarinet (tracks 2, 9, 11 & 12);  Junie Cobb - oboe, English horn;  George W. Smith – clarinet;  Justin Gordon - clarinet, bass clarinet;  Howard Terry - clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon;  André Previn (tracks 2, 9, 11 & 12), Jimmy Rowles (tracks 1, 3-6, 8 & 10), Claude Williamson (track 7) – piano;  Buddy Clark – bass;  Shelly Manne - drums

Music To Listen To Barney Kessel By

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Bill Doggett & His Orchestra - Jumping And Swinging

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:21
Size: 87.8 MB
Styles: R&B, Big band
Year: 1967/2011
Art: Front

[3:07] 1. Honky Tonk Pt. 1
[2:35] 2. Honky Tonk, Pt. 2
[2:26] 3. Oof
[2:32] 4. Slow Walk
[2:48] 5. Afternoon Jump
[3:35] 6. Snuff Box
[2:33] 7. High Heels
[2:36] 8. Quaker City
[2:33] 9. Peacock Alley
[2:41] 10. When Your Lover Has Gone
[2:45] 11. Early Bird
[2:52] 12. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
[2:47] 13. Crackers
[2:25] 14. High And Wide

Bill Doggett (February 16, 1916 – November 13, 1996) was an American jazz and rhythm and blues pianist and organist. He is best known for his compositions "Honky Tonk" and "Hippy Dippy", and variously working with the Ink Spots, Johnny Otis, Wynonie Harris, Ella Fitzgerald, and Louis Jordan. His mother, a church pianist, introduced him to music when he was nine years old. By the time he was fifteen, he had joined a Philadelphia area combo, playing local theaters and clubs while attending high school. In 1951, Doggett organized his own trio and began recording for King Records. His best known recording is "Honky Tonk", a rhythm and blues hit of 1956 which sold four million copies (reaching No. 1 R&B and No. 2 Pop), and which he co-wrote with Billy Butler. The track topped the US Billboard R&B chart for over two months. He won the Cash Box award for best rhythm and blues performer in 1957, 1958, and 1959. He also arranged for many bandleaders and performers, including Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, and Lionel Hampton.

As a jazz player Doggett started in swing music and later played soul jazz. His bands included saxophonists Red Holloway, Clifford Scott, Percy France, David "Bubba" Brooks, Clifford Davis, and Floyd "Candy" Johnson; guitarists Floyd Smith, Billy Butler, Sam Lackey and Pete Mayes; and singers Edwin Starr, Toni Williams and Betty Saint-Clair. His biggest hits, "Honky Tonk" (the Part 2 side of the record) and "Slow Walk" featured saxophonist Clifford Scott. He continued to play and arrange until he died, aged 80, of a heart attack in New York.

Jumping And Swinging

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Paul Bley Trio - Bebop

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:53
Size: 141.7 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 1990
Art: Front

[4:35] 1. Now's The Time
[7:43] 2. My Little Suede Shoes
[7:02] 3. Ornithology
[4:19] 4. A Night In Tunesia
[6:25] 5. Don't Blame Me
[7:35] 6. The Theme
[2:34] 7. Bebop
[6:28] 8. Lady Bird
[4:32] 9. Tenderly
[3:09] 10. Steeplechase
[3:48] 11. Barbados
[3:39] 12. 52nd Street Theme

Double Bass – Bob Cranshaw; Drums – Keith Copeland; Piano – Paul Bley. Recorded December 22, 1989.

A surprising album from Bley, long considered an outside player with little, if any, affinity for straight bop. He shatters that myth on this set, going through a dozen songs, including such anthems as "Ornithology" and "The Theme," with vigor, harmonic distinction, and rhythmic edge. He's brilliantly backed by bassist Bob Cranshaw, providing some of his best, least detached playing in quite a while, and drummer Keith Copeland, navigating the tricky changes with grace. ~Ron Wynn

Bebop

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Larry Carlton - Plays The Sound Of Philadelphia

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:46
Size: 88.8 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[4:26] 1. Could It Be I'm Falling In Love
[3:29] 2. Back Stabbers
[3:00] 3. If You Don't Know Me By Now
[3:27] 4. Drownin' In The Sea Of Love
[3:31] 5. I'll Be Around
[4:54] 6. You Make Me Feel Brand New
[3:22] 7. Bad Luck
[3:03] 8. Never Give You Up
[3:47] 9. Mama Can't Buy You Love
[3:02] 10. Only The Strong Survive
[2:40] 11. Mighty Love

Larry Carlton: guitar; Tony Desare: piano; Paul Shaffer: organ; Tommy Byrnes: rhythm guitar; Christopher Li'Nard Jackson: bass; Andrea Valentini: drums; Vic Stevens: percussion; Bill Labounty: vocals; Carla Benson: background vocals; Charlene Holloway: background vocals; Mark Douthit: saxophone; Darcy Hepner: baritone saxophone; Steve Guttman: first trumpet; Nick Marchione: trumpet; Dale Kirkland: trombone; Chris Komer: French horn.

Regardless of context, guitarist Larry Carlton has built a reputation as one of the tastiest guitarists around, whether he's supporting singer/songwriter Joni Mitchell, jazz/pop hybrid Steely Dan or soulful jazz/funksters The Crusaders. His own records, while always accessible—at times, crossing the line into smooth jazz territory—demonstrate a distinctive blend of sweet and gritty tone, bluesy soulfulness, and plenty of jazz chops, often surfacing in the most unexpected places. Live in Tokyo With Special Guest Robben Ford (335 Records, 2009), was harder-hitting than usual, suggesting that though Carlton (and Ford) chooses easier-on-the-ears contexts, he never sacrifices the core qualities that make him worth scoping out.

Plays the Sound of Philadelphia is Carlton's homage to the songwriting team of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, who were responsible for a seemingly endless string of soul/R&B hits in the 1960s and '70s. The songwriting/production duo, responsible for massive hits by artists including The O'Jays ("Backstabber"), Jerry Butler ("Only the Strong Survive"), Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes ("If You Don't Know Me By Now") and Joe Simon ("Drownin' in the Sea of Love"), built a sound that, ultimately, became directly associated with the town they called home.

Rather than taking these iconic songs and stretching them out for extended soloing, Carlton keeps them short—radio-friendly, and single-length, just as they were back in the day. A couple of background vocalists deliver familiar choruses throughout as a backdrop for Carlton's ever-perfect tonal and melodic choices, and Bill Labounty sings lead on a couple tunes, including the bright "Drowning in the Sea of Love" and anthemic "Only the Strong Survive," these reverent arrangements never stretching far from their original sources. Six horns drives a five-piece rhythm section that includes, along with pianist/arranger Tony DeSare, Late Show with David Letterman stalwart, Paul Shaffer, on organ.

But, at the end of the day, with a collection of songs near-Jungian in their familiarity, and terrific charts from DeSare and trumpeter Steve Guttman, it's Carlton's visceral tone and ability to get to the heart of each song in an unfailingly personal way that make this 11-song set, at just under forty minutes, a thoroughly appealing look back, for those who miss the days when The Sound of Philadelphia ruled the airwaves. All the while, Carlton's broader harmonic knowledge bolsters his chordal work on "Could It Be I'm Falling in Love"—his warm, clean tone and octave-style playing clearly referencing Wes Montgomery—while at the end of the more up-tempo "Back Stabber," Carlton combines bluesy bends with the barest hint of bebop sensibility.

And that's the beauty of Plays The Sound of Philadelphia, which also comes with a bonus "Making of" DVD. As much as this fits more in the adult contemporary category than jazz, Carlton peppers the session with plenty of markers that make clear his jazz roots remain an undercurrent beneath everything to which he sets his mind. It may not be edgy or forward-thinking, but it grooves to its sources with plenty of booty-shaking soul, all the while providing the ever-tasteful Carlton with plenty of room to deliver. And deliver he does, from start to finish. ~John Kelman

Plays The Sound Of Philadelphia

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Jack Sheldon - Playing For Change

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:04
Size: 144.4 MB
Styles: Bop, West Coast jazz
Year: 1986/2007
Art: Front

[4:38] 1. Angel Eyes
[5:51] 2. Along Came Betty
[5:10] 3. Ne Quittez Pas
[3:44] 4. You Better Go Now
[4:52] 5. The Chase
[5:19] 6. Dear Ann
[3:17] 7. Wait And See
[5:39] 8. That Old Feeling
[4:02] 9. Follow Me
[4:58] 10. Just For A Thrill
[4:43] 11. Trane's Strain
[4:57] 12. No Trump
[5:48] 13. Nancy

Alto Saxophone – Jerry Dodgion; Bass – Rufus Reid; Drums – Ben Riley; Flugelhorn – Don Sickler (tracks: 2); Piano – Barry Harris (2); Trumpet – Jack Sheldon. Recorded May 24 & 25, 1986 at Englewood Cliffs, NJ.

Jack Sheldon is probably better known for his trumpet playing on other musicians' record dates, but this 1986 studio date more than proves he is a capable leader. With fellow veterans Barry Harris on piano, alto saxophonist Jerry Dodgion, bassist Rufus Reid, and drummer Ben Riley, Sheldon is in top form. Also known for his humorous vocals, he sticks exclusively to trumpet on this occasion, delivering a lyrical solo in "Angel Eyes" and trading licks with Dodgion in a brisk rendition of "The Chase." Fluegelhornist Don Sickler (who did most of the arrangements for the date) sits in during "Along Came Betty." Sheldon also contributed the original ballad "Wait and See," an emotional work that connects with the listener without the need of a lyric. Recommended. ~Ken Dryden

Playing For Change

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The Stryker/Slagle Band - Keeper

Styles: Guitar and Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:28
Size: 135,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:30)  1. Keeper
(5:28)  2. Bailout
(5:42)  3. Ruby My Dear
(6:27)  4. Came To Believe
(5:48)  5. Bryce's Peace
(5:07)  6. Blue State
(6:29)  7. Sister
(5:42)  8. Gold Dust
(6:13)  9. Convergence
(4:58) 10. Good 4 U

Guitarist Dave Stryker is one of the most prolific talents in jazz, with almost two dozen releases as a leader, and stints with artists including Stanley Turrentine and Jack McDuff. His unique style has garnered him a number of prestigious awards. No less productive is Stryker's long-time co-leader, saxophonist Steve Slagle, who has led his own bands for twenty years and played with a highly impressive roster including Carla Bley, Steve Kuhn and Joe Lovano. Having worked together for the past decade, The Stryker/Slagle Band incorporates collective experience and talent in Keeper, a fine and diverse collection of originals.

Stryker's title track opens the set with a brisk, R&B feel and an infectious hook. Slagle's fluid work is complimented by Stryker's structured but free-flowing guitar typically hovering closer to the lower register while drummer Thelonious Monk's "Ruby My Dear," giving it a soulful reading that showcases Slagle's liquid textures and Stryker's complimentary mix of chord melodies and crystalline notes.

Virtuoso bassist Jay Anderson, another long-time collaborator, comes front and center as he anchors "Bryce's Peace," a poignant acknowledgment of Stryker's late father, whose artwork decorates the CD's cover. The slow tempo ballad segues nicely into "Blue State," which is, appropriately, the most blues flavored track on Keeper and a fine platform for Slagle's soulful alto and Stryker's somewhat gospel-influenced playing, reminiscent of Otis Rush. 

Slagle then switches to soprano for the first time on "Gold Dust," an appealing composition that also features Stryker on nylon string guitar. Both offer deceptively complex solos, disguised by the piece's overall tranquil atmosphere. Keeper closes with Slagle's Latin-influenced "Good 4 U," adding yet another stylistic dimension to the collection and allowing Slagle to reach back to his earlier work with Machito and Ray Barretto. The piece also provides a solo opportunity for Lewis, who gets to show his innovative and rhythmic style at various points throughout the song. Keeper is the fifth collection from The Stryker/Slagle Band; a multi-talented group that is not only resilient, but shows, with each successive release, that it is not content to rest on its creative laurels. Stryker and Slagle continue to grow musically both independently and as collaborators and have a knack for surrounding themselves with world-class rhythm sections that play to their strengths while contributing to the group's overall energy. ~ Karl Ackermann  https://www.allaboutjazz.com/keeper-stryker-slagle-band-panorama-records-review-by-karl-ackermann.php
 

Personnel: Dave Stryker:guitar; Steve Slagle: alto and soprano sax; Jay Anderson: bass; Victor Lewis; drums.

Keeper

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Cab Calloway - The Swinging Big Band Leader with Chu Berry 1937-1944

Styles: Big Band, Swing
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:54
Size: 143,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:46)  1. Queen Isabella
(2:35)  2. Savage Rhythm
(2:29)  3. Bugle Blues
(2:17)  4. Three Swings and Out
(3:25)  5. Penguin Swing
(2:50)  6. Peck-A-Doodle-Do
(2:50)  7. Hoy Hoy
(2:59)  8. Jive
(2:24)  9. Do You Wanna Jump Children
(2:20) 10. Floogie Walk
(2:41) 11. Pluckin' The Bass n'2
(3:05) 12. Paradiddle
(2:31) 13. The Lone Arranger
(3:19) 14. Hardtimes (Topsy-Turvy)
(2:55) 15. Bye Bye Blues
(2:54) 16. A Chicken Ain't Nothing But A Bird
(3:01) 17. Special Delivery n'2
(3:00) 18. The Great Lie
(2:41) 19. Tappin' Off
(2:53) 20. 105 In The Shade
(2:53) 21. Ghost Of a Chance n'2
(2:58) 22. Lonesome Nighns

One of the great entertainers, Cab Calloway was a household name by 1932, and never really declined in fame. A talented jazz singer and a superior scatter, Calloway's gyrations and showmanship on-stage at the Cotton Club sometimes overshadowed the quality of his always excellent bands. The younger brother of singer Blanche Calloway (who made some fine records before retiring in the mid-'30s), Cab grew up in Baltimore, attended law school briefly, and then quit to try to make it as a singer and a dancer. For a time, he headed the Alabamians, but the band was not strong enough to make it in New York. The Missourians, an excellent group that had previously recorded heated instrumentals but had fallen upon hard times, worked out much better. Calloway worked in the 1929 revue Hot Chocolates, started recording in 1930, and in 1931 hit it big with both "Minnie the Moocher" and his regular engagement at the Cotton Club. Calloway was soon (along with Bill Robinson, Ethel Waters, Louis Armstrong, and Duke Ellington) the best-known black entertainer of the era. He appeared in quite a few movies (including 1943's Stormy Weather), and "Minnie the Moocher" was followed by such recordings as "Kicking the Gong Around," "Reefer Man," "Minnie the Moocher's Wedding Day," "You Gotta Hi-De-Ho," "The Hi-De-Ho Miracle Man," and even "Mister Paganini, Swing for Minnie." Among Calloway's sidemen through the years (who received among the highest salaries in the business) were Walter "Foots" Thomas, Bennie Payne, Doc Cheatham, Eddie Barefield, Shad Collins, Cozy Cole, Danny Barker, Milt Hinton, Mario Bauza, Chu Berry, Dizzy Gillespie, Jonah Jones, Tyree Glenn, Panama Francis, and Ike Quebec. His 1942 recording of "Blues in the Night" was a big hit. With the end of the big band era, Calloway had to reluctantly break up his orchestra in 1948, although he continued to perform with his Cab Jivers. Since George Gershwin had originally modeled the character Sportin' Life in Porgy and Bess after Calloway, it was fitting that Cab got to play him in a 1950s version. Throughout the rest of his career, Calloway made special appearances for fans who never tired of hearing him sing "Minnie the Moocher." ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/artist/cab-calloway-mn0000532957/biography

Personnel:  1-20 - Cab Calloway & His Orchestra with Chu Berry (19, 20); Shad Collins, Irving Randolph, Lammar Wright, Dizzy Gillespie, Jonah Jones (tp), Claude Jones, Keg Johnson, De Priest Wheeler, Tyree Glenn (tb), Garvin Bushell, Andrew Brown, Chauncev Haughton (cl, as), Walter Thomas, Chu Berry, Ted McRae (ts), Hilton Jefferson (as), Bennie Paine (p), Morris White, Danny Barker (g), Milton Hinton (b), Leroy Maxey, Cozy Cole, J. Heard (dm), Cab Calloway (vo) and others... New York, 1937/1944;  21-22 - Chu Berry with Cab Calloway & His Orchestra – 1940

The Swinging Big Band Leader with Chu Berry 1937-1944

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Stan Killian - Unified

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:28
Size: 122,9 MB
Art: Front

(7:30)  1. Twin Dark Mirror
(8:17)  2. Elvin's Sight
(6:32)  3. Unified
(9:30)  4. Center
(6:42)  5. Isosceles
(7:52)  6. Window Of Time
(7:01)  7. Eternal Return

Unified is tenor saxophonist Stan Killian's third album and his debut for the Sunnyside label. It's high-quality, straight-ahead modern jazz, played with a real swing by Killian and his band, and enlivened by the contributions of three top-drawer guest horn players. Leader/composer Killian hails from Texas, home of Texas tenors like Arnett Cobb and Illinois Jacquet. Killian's own sound certainly has a big, wide open, feel to it but there's a gentleness there as well, a warmth and friendliness of tone. Venezuelan pianist Benito Gonzalez has a lightness of touch that enables him to create some delicate but swinging solos, as well as some finely tuned rhythms. Killian and Gonzalez play on all seven tunes, interlacing their instrumental lines with a skill and confidence that suggests a longstanding musical relationship. Bassists Corcoran Holt and Bryan Copeland, and drummers Darrell Green and McClenty Hunter share rhythm section duties. Whatever the combination of players, each of the quartets is impressive in its own right the rhythm playing of Gonzalez, Hunter and Holt that underpins Killian's lyrical solo on "Center" being particularly fine. The addition of a guest player to each of the numbers simply puts icing on the musical cake.

The three guest musicians on Unified are all bona fide stars of modern jazz and they more than repay Killian's invitation. Of the two trumpeters, Jeremy Pelt's brighter sound is a fine contrast to Killian's. Roy Hargrove's tone is a little warmer, less bell-like, and complements rather than contrasts with the tenor player. David Binney adds alto sax to three numbers, his sound also complementing Killian and adding depth to their unison playing. On Gonzalez's "Elvin's Sight" dedicated to drummer Elvin Jones and featuring excellent percussion from Green the pair swings beautifully, while on the hauntingly dreamlike "Unified," both saxophonists give controlled but emotionally engaging performances. The guests on Unified all play beautifully, and their presence certainly attracts attention. But Killian's own contributions as lead musician/writer are stylish and engaging, and the core quartets on the album demonstrate their ability to stand alone as musical ensembles , just as the album title suggests. ~ Bruce Lindsay https://www.allaboutjazz.com/unified-stan-killian-sunnyside-records-review-by-bruce-lindsay.php
 

Personnel:  Stan Killian: tenor saxophone;  Benito Gonzalez: piano;  Corcoran Holt: bass (1, 4, 5, 7);  Bryan Copeland: bass (2, 3, 6);  Darrell Green: drums (1-3, 5, 6);  McClenty Hunter: drums (4, 7);  Roy Hargrove: trumpet (1, 5);  Jeremy Pelt: trumpet (4, 7);  David Binney: alto saxophone (2, 3, 6).

Unified

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Ella Fitzgerald - Sings Sweet Songs For Swingers

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:38
Size: 90.8 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 1958/2003
Art: Front

[3:11] 1. Sweet And Lovely
[3:03] 2. Let's Fall In Love
[3:42] 3. Makin' Whoopee
[4:15] 4. That Old Feeling
[2:21] 5. I Remember You
[2:59] 6. Moonlight Serenade
[2:59] 7. Gone With The Wind
[3:21] 8. Can't We Be Friends
[4:33] 9. Out Of This World
[3:01] 10. My Old Flame
[3:44] 11. East Of The Sun (And West Of The Moon)
[2:25] 12. All Or Nothing At All

Recorded just before and after the period that she made the George and Ira Gershwin Songbook, Ella Fitzgerald is in fine form on this obscure LP, performing a dozen standards. Although two songs are by Harold Arlen, the composers were in most cases less prolific than the ones she saluted in her songbook series. Ella is backed by a large unidentified orchestra conducted and arranged by Frank DeVol. Swingers alternate with ballads, and as usual, Ella uplifts everything, including "Let's Fall In Love," "Moonlight Serenade," "Gone With the Wind" and "East of the Sun." An enjoyable if not classic release. ~Scott Yanow

Sings Sweet Songs For Swingers

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Ben Sidran - Dylan Different Live In Paris At The New Morning

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:30
Size: 140.8 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[6:25] 1. Intro Gotta Serve Somebody
[4:45] 2. Rainy Day Woman
[5:19] 3. Blowin' In The Wind
[5:30] 4. Subterranean Homesick Blues
[4:56] 5. All I Really Want To Do
[4:09] 6. Tangled Up
[3:20] 7. Everything Is Broken
[9:54] 8. Maggie's Farm
[5:15] 9. Love Minus Zero (No Limit)
[3:16] 10. The Times They Are A-Changin'
[4:16] 11. On The Road Again
[4:18] 12. We Are Here But For A Minute

Pianist-vocalist Ben Sidran is one of those rare characters celebrated as much for their intelligent pronouncements on jazz as their ability to play it, and his 1971 book Black Talk remains one of the great dissertations to deal with both the music and its wider socio-cultural context. In fact, there has always been something wily and urbane in Sidran’s lyric writing and delivery, regardless of whether the subject is lovers, critics, or lovers who criticise. That the smart 67-year-old Chicagoan should tackle the songbook of Bob Dylan, another famously sharp pen in contemporary pop culture, thus makes a certain amount of sense and right from the downbeat Sidran appears to revel in the words as well as melodies of songs that he grew up with and on.

Recorded in concert at Paris’ celebrated New Morning, Sidran is on chipper form, backed by a European group that features both trumpeter Erik Truffaz and his longstanding bass guitarist Marcelo Guiliani as well as guitarist/vocalist Rodolphe Burger and drummer Albert Malo. They all skip heartily along the most well-trodden of roads in Dylan land – Subterranean Homesick Blues, The Times They Are Changin’ (no "a-" on this tracklisting) and All I Really Want to Do – and essentially bring more blues to the folk-blues that underpinned a major part of Dylan’s oeuvre. Certainly, the band has the chops to give the renditions the requisite energy that Sidran’s gritty, at times snarling vocal delivery requires, and, on the whole, they capture the sense of dissent and defiance that the originals embody. Maggie’s Farm, extrapolated into a dark, brooding 10-minute epic in which Giuliani’s bass and Truffaz’s trumpet improvise sinuously around a jutting two chord vamp that implies electric Miles without the electricity, is a choice cut.

It’s a shame, though, that the set ends with the sole Sidran original, We Are Here but for a Minute – it’s one that really does not highlight his proven songwriting talents to the greatest effect. It’s basically a pastiche of Lay Lady Lay with maudlin, faux-thespian spoken word that jars somewhat compared to the preceding ebullience. ~Kevin Le Gendre

Dylan Different Live In Paris At The New Morning                 

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Hilario Durán - Francisco's Song

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:22
Size: 154.2 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 1996
Art: Front

[6:29] 1. Francisco's Song
[3:39] 2. Medley Matamoros
[6:06] 3. Lush Life
[9:23] 4. For Emiliano
[5:14] 5. Esto Si Tiene Que Ver
[1:59] 6. Giant Steps
[5:13] 7. Confession
[5:37] 8. Tiembla Tierra
[5:45] 9. Suavecito
[4:28] 10. Conqueta Conquín
[5:20] 11. Days Dreams
[4:34] 12. Esperando La Carroza
[3:27] 13. Hot House

Cuban pianist Hilario Duran was a dynamic presence on Jane Bunnett's "Spirits of Havana," particularly on the tune "Yo Siempre Oddara." Bunnett returns the favor here, playing alto sax and flute on five of thirteen selections. The other principals are Alain Caron, bass, and Sonny Greenwich, guitar. Duran plays solo piano on "Suavecito," "Medley Matamoros," "Conqueta Conquin," and "Lush Life." Two numbers, "Francisco's Song," and "Hot House" employ the full quartet. The remaining tunes offer various configurations of piano, guitar, and bass. Duran composed seven tunes, including "For Emiliano," his tribute to the late Cuban pianist Emiliano Salvador. The standards are the aforementioned "Hot House," "Lush Life," and "Giant Steps." His reading of "Lush Life" is Tatumesque, full of trills and runs. Duran's playing draws on his native Cuban traditions and has a strong classical component. He has a liquid tone and his virtuosity gets full play on these exploratory,ruminative selections. ~Marcela Breton

Francisco's Song

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The Gene Harris Quartet - Funky Gene's

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:46
Size: 130.0 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 1994/2004
Art: Front

[6:55] 1. Blues For Basie
[5:22] 2. The Trouble With Hello Is Goodbye
[6:21] 3. Old Funky Gene's
[6:41] 4. Everything Happens To Me
[7:21] 5. Nice 'n' Easy
[5:10] 6. Ahmad's Blues
[4:37] 7. Bye Bye Blues
[7:34] 8. Children Of Sanchez
[6:41] 9. Blues In Hoss' Flat

All of Gene Harris' recordings for the Concord label in the 1990s are easily recommended, and this one is no exception. The Harris quartet (with the fine guitarist Ron Eschete, bassist Luther Hughes, and drummer Paul Humphrey) digs into such material as "The Trouble With Hello Is Goodbye," "Everything Happens to Me," "Nice 'n' Easy," "Bye Bye Blues," and Chuck Mangione's "Children of Sanchez," turning everything into a blues-oriented groove. Harris was always in his prime on piano (mixing together Oscar Peterson and the boogie-woogie greats with his own brand of soul) and this quartet was a perfect setting for him. Another fine effort. ~Scott Yanow

Funky Gene's

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Seamus Blake - The Jazz Side Of The Moon

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:30
Size: 127.0 MB
Styles: Bop, Cool jazz
Year: 2001
Art: Front

[ 6:26] 1. Breathe
[ 3:43] 2. On The Run (Part1)
[11:00] 3. Time
[ 2:17] 4. Any Colour You Like
[ 8:42] 5. The Great Gig In The Sky
[ 6:49] 6. Money
[ 6:23] 7. Us And Them
[ 6:20] 8. Brain Damage
[ 3:45] 9. On The Run (Part 2)

These are somewhat loose interpretations of this classic record. They take harmonic and melodic liberties with the music that are very much in the spirit of jazz, but it still maintains the atmosphere of the original. The group is made up of premier players, and they have very good chemistry for a one-off band.

For me, the drum work of Ari Hoenig is the highlight of the record. His feel is loose and the groove constantly shifting, but his time is always solid. He is also able to play with great fire and intensity without being too loud or having too much clutter. This is my favorite type of drumming. Sam Yahel is also great on the Hammond B-3. He often plays hypnotic, repetitive figures that serve the music perfectly. When he takes the lead, there is never a wasted note - everything is always in good taste. Mike Moreno, who I was not so familiar with before hearing this, is a nice addition to the band. He is a very fluid soloist, and adds nice textures and colorations to the music that often recall David Gilmour's classic work on the original recording. Seamus Blake is also a great player. However, there are times that he doesn't quite fit in with the rest of the band in my opinion. I think his tone is different here than on his great 2007 session as a leader "Way Out Willy." This may have something to do with the way "Jazz Side" was recorded, but regardless, I prefer his playing on the aforementioned "Willy." Highly recommended, whether you're a fan of the Floyd or not. ~ScottyB

The Jazz Side Of The Moon

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Dmitry Baevsky - Over and Out

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:07
Size: 158,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:39)  1. Poinciana
(5:16)  2. Reflection
(4:29)  3. Over and Out
(5:18)  4. Chega de Saudade
(4:59)  5. Brilliant Corners
(5:43)  6. The Feeling of Jazz
(4:48)  7. In the Know
(6:03)  8. Turquoise
(7:01)  9. Tonight I Shall Sleep (With a Smile on My Face)
(4:59) 10. Circus
(6:50) 11. Silver Screen
(6:56) 12. Stranger in Paradise

New York based saxophonist Dmitry Baevsky's fourth release as a leaderOver and Out finds the St Petersburg native in a spare setting backed only by bass and drums. With his alto's warm, organic tone in the spotlight, Baevsky interprets a mixture of his originals and standards with intense lyricism and confident and mature bravado. Baevsky endows pianist Cedar Walton's "Turquoise" with an eastern mysticism as his warm, languid saxophone meanders fantastically around the main theme. His clever improvisation drips with poetry and his melodic exchanges with drummer Joe Strasser's thrilling and whimsical rumble add a layer of intrigue to the tune. Strasser's thunderous beats burst to the surface on the energetic and fiery title track. Baevsky's blistering notes flood his own composition with feverish spontaneity and boppish virtuosity. Bassist David Wong anchors the delightfully stormy music with his complex walking lines. Wong takes a melancholic and mellifluous solo on pianist Ray Bryant's "Reflection." Baevsky's agile and muscular extemporization intricately constructs passionate and inventive harmonic structures around the main motif simultaneously transforming it yet staying true to its spirit.

The respectful deconstruction of well known tunes their infusion with a fresh perspective without compromise of their essence is something Baevsky does well. It allows him to craft a cohesive album with such diverse pieces as pianist Thelonious Monk's "Brilliant Corners" and multi-instrumentalist Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Chega de Saudade." Monk's splendid classic Baevsky interprets with a haunting and ethereal angularity, laying down vibrant and crystalline phrases. A contemplative and sublime duet between Wong and Strasser ushers in the conclusion. Baevsky burns through the breezy effervescence of Jobim's popular song with ardent vigor but also with deep sensitivity without losing sight of Bossa Nova's playful romanticism. Strasser and Wong weave a percolating rhythmic backdrop peppered with Brazilian hints. With this stimulating record Baevsky proves himself a superbly well-rounded musician. Solidly mainstream yet boldly explorative Over and Out is a captivating work, full of elegant charm and vivid excitement. Despite the finality of its title's colloquial meaning hopefully Baevsky will continue on this brilliantly creative path. ~ Hrayr Attarian https://www.allaboutjazz.com/over-and-out-dmitry-baevsky-bluejazz-review-by-hrayr-attarian.php
 

Personnel: Dmitry Baevsky: alto sax;  David Wong: bass;  Joe Strasser: drums.

Over and Out

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Sue Raney - Songs for a Raney Day

Styles: Vocal Jazz

Year: 1959

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 31:43

Size: 74,3 MB

Art: Front

(2:49)  1. I Get the Blues When It Rains

(2:58)  2. Impossible

(2:09)  3. A Blossom Fell

(2:38)  4. Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams

(2:12)  5. The Whippoorwill Song

(2:49)  6. Rain

(2:11)  7. Rain on the Roof

(2:50)  8. Blue Tears

(2:36)  9. Exactly Like You

(2:32) 10. Wanna' Laugh?

(3:18) 11. My Prayer

(2:37) 12. September in the Rain

Blessed with a beautiful voice from an early age, Sue Raney has performed music ranging from swinging jazz and ballads to cabaret, middle-of-the-road pop and jingles. Her mother was a singer and a great great aunt had been in German opera. Raney started singing when she was four and a year later she first performed in public, at a party in Wichita, Kansas. Because a voice teacher could not be found for her daughter (because of her extreme youth), Raney's mother took voice lessons herself and then passed down what she learned to Sue. A professional before she was a teenager, Raney worked steadily in New Mexico when her family relocated and took several trips out to Los Angeles during a couple of summer vacations. She joined the Jack Carson radio show in 1954 in L.A. when she was barely 14. Raney then appeared on Ray Anthony's television program and became his band's main vocalist. At 18 she started working as a single. She had already recorded for Phillips and then signed with Capitol, recording several middle-of-the-road jazz-influenced pop dates for the company. In the 1960's Raney often appeared on television variety shows, she led her own group and became very active in the studios where her impressive voice helped sell products. By the early 1980's, she was also working as a voice teacher. In the 1990's Sue Raney has sung with the L.A. Voices and Supersax, the Bill Watrous big band and as a single in addition to staying active as a jazz educator and in the studios. Her main jazz recordings were a trio of albums for Discovery in the 1980's; a VSOP/Studio West CD features the singer on various live performances from the 1960's. ~ Scott Yanow  https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/sue-raney/id18823089#fullText

Songs for a Raney Day

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Lucky Thompson, Gigi Gryce - Street Scenes

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:01
Size: 159,0 MB
Art: Front

(2:41)  1. Quick as a Flash
(2:14)  2. The Parisian Knights
(2:59)  3. Street Scene
(3:16)  4. Angel Eyes
(3:12)  5. To You Dear One
(4:00)  6. But Not For Tonight
(3:00)  7. A Distant Sound
(2:51)  8. Once Upon a Time
(3:01)  9. Still Waters
(3:08) 10. Theme for a Brown Rose
(3:32) 11. A Sunkissed Rose
(3:44) 12. Portrait of Django
(4:16) 13. Paris the Beautiful
(2:52) 14. Purple Shades
(3:36) 15. La Rose Noire
(3:34) 16. Anne Marie
(4:20) 17. Hello
(3:57) 18. Evening in Paris
(3:59) 19. Strike up the Band
(2:40) 20. Serenade to Sonny

Tenor saxophonist Lucky Thompson recorded enough material as a leader during the first half of 1956 (mostly in Paris) to fill up 12 LPs. This CD has music from two of his rarer sessions, featuring Thompson playing 12 songs (ten of which are his originals) with a French octet that includes pianist Martial Solal and some fine sidemen; these sessions were last available as the Xanadu LP Brown Rose. Thompson's warm tenor is well showcased at a variety of tempoes during the high-quality music. None of the songs caught on but the performances are quite enjoyable. In addition, this CD reissue features altoist Gigi Gryce on six numbers cut in France in 1953 when he was touring with Lionel Hampton's Orchestra; those selections are from the same sessions that resulted in classic recordings by trumpeter Clifford Brown although Brownie (who appears on one of these numbers) is not heard from here. The CD concludes with two selections from the same period featuring the young trumpeter Art Farmer in a sextet/septet with trombonist Jimmy Cleveland and altoist Anthony Ortega. Although not essential, this reissue is easily recommended to collectors of 1950s straightahead jazz. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/lucky-thompson-and-gigi-gryce-in-paris-mw0000172915

Featuring : Gigi Gryce (saxophone), Lucky Thompson (saxophone), Art Farmer (trumpet), Quincy Jones (trumpet), Anthony Ortega (saxophone), Martial Solal (piano)

Street Scenes

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Aaron Neville - Apache

Styles: Vocal, Soul
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:20
Size: 113,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:13)  1. Be Your Man
(3:50)  2. All of the Above
(4:09)  3. Orchid in the Storm
(5:50)  4. Stompin' Ground
(4:31)  5. Heaven
(4:35)  6. Hard to Believe
(3:59)  7. Ain't Gonna Judge You
(3:46)  8. I Wanna Love You
(3:52)  9. Sarah Ann
(3:47) 10. Make Your Momma Cry
(5:43) 11. Fragile World

There are few vocalists as distinctive as New Orleans’ Aaron Neville. Between solo outings and those with his brothers in the legendary Neville Brothers Band, Neville’s golden tenor has captivated generations of lovers mostly through ballads. From his first hit “Tell It Like It Is” to 1989’s “Don’t Know Much,” his Grammy-winning collaboration with Linda Ronstadt, and onto 2013’s terrific set of Don Was produced doo-wop covers, his dulcet voice has charmed a generation. But one thing Neville isn’t known for is his songwriting. Even 1967’s “Tell It Like It Is” was penned by someone else and given to Neville. Proving it’s never too late to change, the 75-year-old Neville pens or co-writes all but one track on this album that also shifts away from the honeyed (some might say syrupy) love tunes most listeners associate with him. The opening “Be Your Man” starts with a ’70s funk vibe that sounds like an outtake from the Shaft soundtrack, while other tunes dip into Dap-Kings styled R&B (“All of the Above”) and a gutsy, bubbling New Orleans groove with horns on “Hard to Believe.”

Certainly Neville has benefitted from the work of sympathetic producers. From Don Was to Daniel Lanois, as well as this disc’s Eric Krasno (who is known for his work with Soulive, co-wrote nearly every song and contributes guitar), Neville excels when the production supports but doesn’t overwhelm his unique shimmering voice. Kranso has nailed a perfect sound for the singer to delve into, providing a tougher, grittier backing and letting Neville reveal that his singing is just as effective on harder edged material. That doesn’t mean he has abandoned the ballads he sings so convincingly. On the contrary, songs such as the cliché titled “I Wanna Love You,” the slow gospel/blues of “Heaven” and the Spanish Harlem rhythms of “Sarah Ann” allow Neville to let that sweet tone splash over quieter, more tender fare. But the album’s title that has not only been Neville’s nickname (a picture of his Apache tattoo spread across his back is included in the booklet), but an indication of the various bloods including Native American  that run through his DNA, suggesting this might be Neville’s most personal project yet. His approach, even this late in life, hasn’t lost an ounce of its shimmering luster and these original tunes never devolve into some of the sappy qualities that occasionally marred Neville’s earlier releases. Those who believe the singer’s best work is behind him will rethink that after one spin of the impressive Apache, an album significantly the first on his own label  that ranks with the finest in Neville’s storied career. ~ Hal Horowitz http://americansongwriter.com/2016/07/aaron-neville-apache/

Personnel:  Aaron Neville – Vocals;  Eric Krasno – Bass, Guitar, Vocals;  Adam Smirnoff – Guitar;  Adam Deitch – Drums;  Nigel Hall – Vocals;  Eric Bloon – Trumpet;  Ryan Zoidis – Saxophone

Apache

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