Monday, September 19, 2016

Gregory Tardy - He Knows My Name

Styles: Clarinet And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:29
Size: 141,1 MB
Art: Front

(10:49)  1. Christ The Redeemer
( 9:34)  2. Lord Revive Us
( 3:12)  3. As The Deer
( 7:17)  4. Holy Ghost Fall On Me
( 1:48)  5. He Cares
( 9:44)  6. Amen
( 7:18)  7. Jordan River
( 2:47)  8. He Knows My Name
( 8:57)  9. Remember Me

Jazz was once heavily influenced by gospel music and spirituals, though in the 21st century, many younger players have discarded it for the most part. But tenor saxophonist Gregory Tardy not only embraces his Christian upbringing but devotes this entire CD to music that has lifted up his life. Starting with a powerful rendition of the late Rev. James Cleveland's "Christ the Redeemer," Tardy preaches through his majestic horn, with superb backing from pianist Xavier Davis. The influence of John Coltrane is unmistakable in the passionate take of the spiritual "Lord Revive Us" (though Coltrane never recorded, or likely performed this piece), which adds guest trumpeter Philip Dizack and alto saxophonist Riley Bandy. He also explores works by modern composers, including Sharp Radway's snappy "Holy Ghost Fall on Me" and jazz pianist/bandleader Eric Reed's heartfelt miniature "He Cares," the latter an intimate duet by Tardy on clarinet with Davis. 

The guests are also present on a foot-tapping arrangement of the spiritual "Jordan River" and "Remember Me." If the music in churches would swing as hard as Gregory Tardy's band on this session, attendance would likely improve. Highly recommended! ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/he-knows-my-name-mw0000793982

Personnel: Gregory Tardy (clarinet, saxophone); Riley Bandy (alto saxophone); Philip Dizack (trumpet); Xavier Davis (piano); Mike Hawkins (upright bass); Uros Markovic (drums).

He Knows My Name

The Claire Daly Quartet - Baritone Monk

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:19
Size: 130,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:53)  1. Teo
(4:25)  2. Light Blue
(5:26)  3. Two Timer
(4:41)  4. Pannonica
(5:03)  5. Bright Mississippi
(5:04)  6. Ruby, My Dear
(5:25)  7. Let's Cool One
(4:37)  8. Brake's Sake
(4:54)  9. Green Chimneys
(5:22) 10. 52nd Street Theme
(6:24) 11. Holiday Medley

Claire Daly grew up in Yonkers, NY, affording her access to many jazz greats performing live in NYC. Her father supported her enthusiasm about the music and brought her to many live shows including Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Lionel Hampton, Earl "Fatha" Hines, Benny Goodman and more. At the same time, she was hearing contemporary music with her peers at venues like The Schaeffer Music Festivals in Central Park. Her taste runs from the classics through the avant garde, and Claire still believes in the importance of hearing live music regularly.

She graduated Berklee College of Music as an alto player and traveled on the road with both jazz and rock bands, but her life changed significantly the first time she played a baritone sax. It happened to be the first horn Howard Johnson had owned, for sale by a mutual friend. "It was an epiphany. I felt like, There I am this is my voice." Claire hasn’t looked back and has become a well known, leading voice on the big horn. In 2012, The North Coast Brewing Co. in California produced a CD for Claire called "Baritone Monk" to promote their "Brother Thelonious Ale". It was on the Jazzweek Charts for 24 weeks, 9 of which were top ten. This led to headlining at the Monterey Jazz Festival, KC Rhythm‘n Ribs Fest, Pittsfield Jazz Festival and more in addition to touring the United States with the quartet.  http://www.clairedalymusic.com/bioframe.html

Personnel:  Baritone Saxophone – Claire Daly;  Bass – Mary Ann McSweeney;  Drums – Peter Grant (5);  Flute – Claire Daly (tracks: 4);  Piano – Steve Hudson (2);  Vocals – Claire Daly (tracks: 11)

Baritone Monk

Bobby Jaspar - At Ronnie Scott's

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:06
Size: 177,3 MB
Art: Front

( 8:48)  1. Sonnymoon For Two
(10:21)  2. Like Someone In Love
( 9:46)  3. Stella By Starlight
(12:48)  4. Be Like Bud
( 8:20)  5. Our Delight
( 7:43)  6. Darn That Dream
( 8:12)  7. Pent-Up House
(10:05)  8. Oleo


Recorded just a year before his death, this English album (releasing previously unknown music for the first time in 1986) is about the only one released from Bobby Jaspar's final four years. Doubling on tenor and flute while joined by guitarist Rene Thomas, bassist Benoit Quersin and drummer Daniel Humair, Jaspar is heard stretching out on his "Be Like Bud" and five boppish jazz standards. The numbers clock in between 7-10 minutes at this live concert, giving Bobby Jaspar an opportunity to take some of his longest solos on record. Highlights of the spirited set include "Pent-Up House," "Our Delight" and "Oleo." ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-bobby-jaspar-quartet-at-ronnie-scotts-1962-mw0000882127

Personnel:  René Thomas – guitar;  Bobby Jaspar – saxophone;  Benoît Quersin – bass;  Daniel Humair – drums.

At Ronnie Scott's

Sunday, September 18, 2016

André Previn - The Popular Previn: André Previn Play's Today's Big Hits

Styles: Piano Jazz 
Year: 1965
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:42
Size: 80,3 MB
Art: Front

(2:58)  1. One Note Samba
(2:50)  2. People (from 'Funny Girl')
(2:26)  3. Bluesette
(2:34)  4. Call Me Irresponsible
(3:02)  5. Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars (Corcovado)
(2:23)  6. Kiss Me, Stupid
(2:11)  7. Never You Mind
(3:23)  8. The Girl from Impanema
(3:01)  9. Gravy Waltz
(2:24) 10. Sunrise, Sunset (from 'Fiddler On The Roof')
(2:55) 11. Manha de Carnaval
(2:30) 12. Goodbye Charlie (from 'Goodbye Charlie')

One of the most versatile musicians on the planet, André Previn has amassed considerable credentials as a jazz pianist, despite carving out separate lives first as a Hollywood arranger and composer, and then as a world-class classical conductor, pianist, and composer. Always fluid, melodic, and swinging, with elements of Bud Powell, Oscar Peterson, and Horace Silver mixed with a faultless technique, Previn didn't change much over the decades but could always be counted upon for polished, reliable performances at the drop of a hat. He started piano lessons in his native Berlin before the Nazi threat forced his family to move to Paris in 1938 and the U.S. the following year. Settling in Los Angeles, the wunderkind Previn began working as a jazz pianist, an arranger for MGM, and a recording artist for Sunset Records while still in high school and by his 18th year, his first recordings for RCA Victor had racked up substantial sales. Originally swing-oriented, Previn discovered bop in 1950 just before his induction into the Army.

Upon returning to Los Angeles, Previn went into overdrive, gigging as a jazz pianist, scoring films, and playing chamber music. Forming a smooth boppish trio with Shelly Manne and Leroy Vinnegar, Previn scored a huge crossover hit with an album of jazz interpretations of My Fair Lady, which in turn led to a series of likeminded albums of Broadway scores and kicked off an industry trend. By 1962, Previn started to make the transition away from Hollywood toward becoming a full-time classical conductor, dropping his jazz activities entirely. He stayed away from jazz for 27 years, with the exceptions of a handful of sessions with Ella Fitzgerald and classical violinist/dabbler Itzhak Perlman. Indeed, in 1984, he was quoted as saying that jazz was "an expendable art form" for him. But in March 1989, shortly before resigning from the Los Angeles Philharmonic in a dispute with management, Previn returned to jazz with a trio album for Telarc with Ray Brown and Joe Pass, showing that he had not lost an iota of his abilities. Subsequently, he returned frequently to the studio as a jazz pianist for Telarc, Angel, Deutsche Grammophon, and DRG when not freelancing as a conductor or composing classical scores. ~ Richard S. Ginell  https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/andre-previn/id702496#fullText

Personnel:  André Previn, piano;  Marty Paich, conductor

The Popular Previn: André Previn Play's Today's Big Hits

Rufus & Chaka - Masterjam

Styles: Vocal, Funk, Soul 
Year: 1979
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:29
Size: 92,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:29)  1. Do You Love What You Feel
(4:52)  2. Any Love
(3:47)  3. Heaven Bound
(4:07)  4. Walk The Rockway
(3:54)  5. Live In Me
(5:58)  6. Body Heat
(4:34)  7. I'm Dancing For Your Love
(4:06)  8. What Am I Missing?
(3:37)  9. Masterjam

As Khan released her first solo album, I'm Every Woman, the band released 1978's Numbers, sans Khan, and it went absolutely nowhere. Masterjam finds them back together, renamed Rufus and Chaka, with Quincy Jones producing the effort. Khan had worked with Jones on his 1978 album, Sounds...And Stuff Like That. The most striking thing about Masterjam is that is doesn't sound like a trademark Rufus effort. Jones' production style is so strong that the band's individual sound is all but lost. It's nothing to cry about, since Jones was at his R&B/pop peak and Rufus couldn't do it any better on their own. The album's first track is "Do What You Love What You Feel," with its subtle horn riffs arranged by Jerry Hey and vocals from guitarist Tony Maiden and Khan. On a track somewhat close to a ballad, the brilliantly arranged "Heaven Bound," Jones gets a good raw vocal from Khan. A frequent Jones collaborator, Rod Temperton, offers the title track and the even better "Live in Me." The album's only low point was a cover of Jones' own "Body Heat." On this version the pace is quickened, inexplicably turned into disco which revealed the lyrics to be paper-thin. Although Masterjam was just more of a Quincy Jones album than a Rufus effort, this ended up being one of the groups' last successful full-studio endeavors. ~ Jason Elias http://www.allmusic.com/album/masterjam-mw0000096521

Personnel: Chaka Khan (vocals, background vocals); Tony Maiden (vocals, guitar); David "Hawk" Wolinski, Kevin Murphy (vocals, keyboards); Bobby Watson (vocals); Sid Sharp (strings); Kim Hutchcroft (flute, saxophone, horns); Larry Williams (flute, saxophone, wind); Gary Grant, Larry Hall (trumpet, flugelhorn, horns); Jerry Hey (trumpet, flugelhorn); Lew McCreary, William Frank "Bill" Reichenbach Jr. (trombone); Seawind (horns); John "J.R." Robinson (drums, hand claps, percussion); George A. Johnson, Jr. , Louis Johnson, Richard Heath (hand claps, percussion).

Masterjam

Joshua Douglas Smith - Unstuck in Time

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 64:46
Size: 118,9 MB
Art: Front

( 8:09)  1. I'll Be Seeing You
( 7:46)  2. Unstuck in Time
( 8:51)  3. Food For Beauty
( 5:37)  4. Like Someone In Love
( 8:47)  5. So It Goes
( 7:35)  6. Good Hair Day
( 7:17)  7. African Flower
(10:41)  8. Toy Tune

“ Still not yet 22 – he was born in New York on August 24, 1982…, Joshua displays his rapidly growing confidence and maturity…The outcome is an invaluable, focussed snapshot of his artistic development …” (Mark Gardner)

Personnel: Joshua Douglas Smith (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Ben Monder (guitar); Billy Hart (drums);  Ron McClure (bass).

Unstuck in Time

Saturday, September 17, 2016

Joe Locke & 4 Walls of Freedom - Dear Life

Styles: Vibraphone Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:39
Size: 132,3 MB
Art: Front

(11:07)  1. Wind in Your Willow
( 7:37)  2. Dear Life
( 5:15)  3. Cut and Paste
( 5:48)  4. Eva
( 5:52)  5. Ennui
( 6:42)  6. For B.B.
( 3:25)  7. Manhattan Rain
( 5:54)  8. Malonius
( 5:54)  9. Verrazano Moon

Following one of the most critically acclaimed records of your career can be tough; doubly so when one of the key group members has tragically passed on. Vibraphonist Joe Locke, who scored big with 2003's 4 Walls of Freedom , was faced with exactly that challenge. Between the time the album was recorded and released tenor saxophonist Bob Berg met with a tragic accident, leaving the future of the ensemble in serious question. A year later Locke has managed to retain the feel of the original band while replacing two members and deliver Dear Life , another impassioned recording of contemporary post bop.  Also gone from the group is bassist James Genus, now replaced by Ed Howard, leaving Gary Novak the only other original member; but between him and Locke they manage to maintain their signature rhythmic drive. Howard doesn't swing quite as hard as Genus, nor does Scottish saxophonist Tommy Smith burn quite as bright as Berg, but they both bring their own personalities to the project, which results in an evolution of sorts. Smith may not have the same level of energy, but he does have a robust sound that combines some of the post-Coltrane elements of players like Berg and Michael Brecker with a bit of the Nordic cool of Jan Garbarek. His playing on the opening track, "Wind In Your Willow," is the perfect confluence of these two styles. Propelled by Novak's powerful drumming, this track comes closest to approximating the sheer energy and vitality of the first release.

But just because the album doesn't have the same kind of energy as the first record doesn't mean it isn't as intense or immediate. The title track is a poignant waltz featuring the kind of memorable melody that Locke is becoming known for. Locke's mallet work places him on a level with contemporary players including Steve Nelson and Stefon Harris, but his style is more direct, with a strong and absorbing lyrical sense. Unlike the first record, which consisted only of Locke compositions, Dear Life also features some interesting choices from other writers. "Cut and Paste," a more recent Ron Carter composition, is a relatively spare structure that provides the foundation for short but fiery solos from Locke, this time using his midi vibes, and Smith; Novak, a sadly underappreciated drummer, although clearly not by this ensemble, contributes some especially strong work. Smith's contribution, "For B.B.," demonstrates a more episodic writing style than Locke's; the tune's middle section also swings harder than anything else on the record, and Howard is a strong component. With an album that manages to retain the successful elements of its predecessor while, at the same time, going in new places with a revamped line-up, Dear Life is another noteworthy effort from Locke, who seems to be constantly gaining ground as a writer, composer and bandleader. ~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/dear-life-joe-locke-sirocco-music-limited-review-by-john-kelman.php
 
Personnel: Joe Locke: vibes, midi vibes, marimba; Tommy Smith: tenor saxophone; Ed Howard: acoustic bass; Gary Novak: drums.

Dear Life

Elli Fordyce - Elli Fordyce Sings Songs Spun of Gold

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:16
Size: 122,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:35)  1. Let's Get Lost
(5:02)  2. Desafinado
(2:45)  3. Softly, as I Leave You
(2:50)  4. A Child Is Born/Waltz for Debby
(3:12)  5. Where Do You Start?
(3:21)  6. Where Am I Going?
(2:41)  7. Pick Yourself Up
(3:40)  8. Oops!
(3:14)  9. In the Wee Small Hours
(3:16) 10. Wave
(3:22) 11. My Heart Stood Still
(4:15) 12. Everything Happens to Me
(2:21) 13. Listen Here
(3:06) 14. I'll Remember April
(2:40) 15. I'm Old Fashioned
(2:50) 16. Where or When?
(1:58) 17. Long Ago and Far Away/Out of Nowhere

Originally from Manhattan, Elli Fordyce is a highly accomplished vocalist and actor. She has performed all over the New York Metro area, other US and North American cities and nearby islands, including an appearance at the New York Cabaret Convention and in festivals. Elli also has numerous acting credits, among them: Film September 12th, TV Cappelle's Show, and Off-Off-Broadway Theatre Guys & Dolls. Prior to returning to New York in 1979, Elli left her musical journey several times. The first to devote time to family; unexpectedly, the next followed a devastating accident on a snowy highway en route to a gig when the car carrying her quartet and equipment crashed into a disabled truck in 1976. A successful year-long tour of "Elli Fordyce And Her Favorite Things" ended abruptly and left several kinds of scars. Soon after, Elli stopped singing for 15 years ("Not even ‘Happy Birthday,’ not even in the shower," she'll say) and focused firmly on much needed physical, emotional and spiritual healing. But for Elli, music was not over. A ginger-colored Yorkie puppy named Dindi (pronounced Gingy, meaning "little jewel" in Portuguese as well as the title of Elli's favorite Jobim bossa nova) brought her back. She discovered that Dindi loved hearing Elli sing the song. Inspiration renewed, Elli joined a cabaret workshop taught by the brilliant MAC-Award-winning singer/songwriter Lina Koutrakos and, soon after, came under the spell of Barry Harris, renowned jazz pianist and educator, to whom she gives much of the credit for putting her squarely back on the path meant for her, making comeback inevitable.

And back she Is! Her first CD, "Something Still Cool" (after an 8-year birthing period), was an overnight sensation, getting rave reviews. "Whatever the term means ... you know it when you hear it. And Elli Fordyce is cool! ... as implied in the title, once cool, always cool, vintage cool ... Ms. Fordyce has the spirit and voice of one of the blessed, the spirit and stamina of eternal song." (Bob Gish, Jazz Improv-New York); "Fordyce's voice is lovely with strong command, a natural rhythmic touch and just a touch of a rough edge ... scatting with aplomb, she also shows a knack for the south-of-the-border sound .... a true showcase for a singer whom one wishes would have never had to give up singing for so long ... better late than never ... heartfelt version of "Something Cool" ... doesn't sing by rote, and her vocal ideas are full of imagination and personality, but neither does she detract from the beauty of the melody ... it is clear that Elli Fordyce knows ... the real meaning of 'cool.'" (Brad Walseth, www.jazzchicago.net) "I am enjoying your music so much! Your CD was a great surprise for me. I always [love] discovering great talent for our audience ... very lucky to have your new tracks for their enjoyment at radioIO." (drmike, www.radioIO.com). A wonderful review by Rob Lester may also be read at http://www.talkinbroadway.com/sound/march2708.html and Rob also named the CD one of his Top-Ten-Vocal picks for 2008. The CD has been nominated as well for a MAC (Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs) Award, the winner of which will be announced on May 18th at BB King’s in MAC's Award Ceremony. With the release of "Songs Spun Of Gold," many of Elli's dreams since she was 3 years old are unfolding and she’s frequently heard to say, "It's never too late!" "In the light, she dances to silent music. Songs that are spun of gold somehow in her own little head." Those lyrics by Gene Lees on the bridge of "Waltz for Debby" are the inspiration for the title of this CD, and for it's title tune by the genius Bill Evans. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/ellifordyce2

Elli Fordyce Sings Songs Spun of Gold

George Wallington - The New York Scene

Styles: Piano Jazz 
Year: 1957
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:17
Size: 90,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:27)  1. In Salah
(6:14)  2. Up Tohickon Creek
(4:55)  3. Graduation Day
(7:12)  4. Indian Summer
(8:05)  5. 'Dis Mornin'
(7:21)  6. Sol's Ollie

Before he retired from music in 1960, pianist George Wallington led a series of excellent bop-based quintet albums. For this particular CD (a reissue of a date originally put out by New Jazz), Wallington heads a group featuring altoist Phil Woods, trumpeter Donald Byrd, bassist Teddy Kotick and drummer Nick Stabulas. With the exception of the standard "Indian Summer," the repertoire is pretty obscure (with now-forgotten originals by Byrd, Woods and Mose Allison in addition to "Graduation Day") but of a consistent high quality. The emphasis is on hard-swinging and this set should greatly please straightahead jazz fans. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-new-york-scene-mw0000707494

Personnel: George Wallington (piano); Donald Byrd (trumpet); Phil Woods (alto saxophone); Teddy Kotick (bass); Nick Stabulas (drums).

The New York Scene

Rotem Sivan - Enchanted Sun

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:29
Size: 112,7 MB
Art: Front

(7:23)  1. Here With You
(3:47)  2. There Without
(4:15)  3. Rodent's Blues
(5:32)  4. Isn't It Romantic?
(4:07)  5. Scene #5
(7:36)  6. How Long Has This Been Going On?
(4:02)  7. Keep Breathing
(5:59)  8. Enchanted Sun
(5:43)  9. Sun-Song

Is this destined to be one of the great undiscovered albums of the year? Released with little fanfare on Steeplechase's Lookout strand back in June, Enchanted Sun has picked up precious few reviews. Maybe it is just the summer slumber. Let us hope so, for the debut recording from Israeli-born, New York-based guitarist Rotem Sivan and his trio deserves to get n.o.t.i.c.e.d.  Unusually for a modern guitar-led album, there are no loops, no effects, no overdubs, no turntablists, no fusionism. There is nothing inherently wrong with any of those things (except fusionism, obviously). But how refreshing it is to hear classicism such as this. The first point of reference which suggests itself is the work of guitarist Johnny Smith on Roulette in the 1950s. Sivan favours radiant, upper register, single-note lines over Smith's lush, chorded treatments, but he casts the same ineffably romantic spell. The second point of reference is the trio clarinetist Jimmy Giuffre led at the 1958 Newport Festival (immortalised in the documentary film Jazz on a Summer's Day). The presence of guitarist Jim Hall in Giuffre's trio is incidental here; it is the buoyant, limber freshness of the trio's overall performance that resonates.

Of the nine tracks on the album, only two are covers: George Gershwin's "How Long Has This Been Going On?" and Richard Rodgers' "Isn't It Romantic?" Eighty-one years after it was written, Rodgers' piece receives another definitive performance. The rest of the tunes were written by Sivan, who, more often than is decent for someone so young, approaches the same melodic heights as the composers of those two treasures from the standards repertoire. If you could hear a great perfume an understated dream weaver such as Guerlain's Après l'Ondée or L'Artisan Parfumeur's Timbuktu it would sound like this. Like those two olfactory masterpieces, Enchanted Sun is concerned with luminescence rather than impact, and the shimmer lingers long. A captivating debut. 
~ Chris May https://www.allaboutjazz.com/enchanted-sun-rotem-sivan-steeplechase-lookout-review-by-chris-may.php
 
Personnel: Rotem Sivan: guitar; Sam Anning: bass; Rajiv Jayaweera: drums.

Enchanted Sun

Richard Elliot - Summer Madness

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:09
Size: 101,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:03)  1. Cachaca
(4:19)  2. Breakin' It Down
(4:22)  3. Europa (Earth’s Cry Heaven’s Smile)
(3:58)  4. West Coast Jam
(4:31)  5. Harry the Hipster
(4:25)  6. Slam-O-Rama
(4:43)  7. Back to You
(5:11)  8. Ludicrous Speed
(4:08)  9. Summer Madness
(4:26) 10. Mr. Nate’s Wild Ride

When tenor saxophonist Richard Elliot began preparing Summer Madness, his follow-up to 2014’s critically acclaimed Lip Service, he knew exactly what he wanted to do. First and foremost, it had to be funky. “When I was growing up in the ’70s and first learning to play the saxophone,” he says, “I was mostly attracted to instrumentally based R&B and to jazz that had R&B roots. This record definitely goes down that path, leaning more on the funk side.” He also knew precisely who he wanted to accompany him on the new music. “I wanted to involve my band,” Elliot says. “A lot of artists tour with a group of musicians, and then when it’s time to make a record they hook up with a producer and go into the studio and use completely different people that maybe they’ve never even met before. I feel that if you’re lucky enough to have a regular group of musicians that you work with, and you don’t draw on their talent and their inspirations, you’re short-changing yourself.” Summer Madness, set for release on September 9, 2016 via Heads Up, a division of Concord Music Group, is a new kind of Richard Elliot recording. For one thing, the cast includes two other horn men augmenting Elliot’s signature sax work: trumpeter/trombonist Rick Braun, who also produced the album and, on several tracks, baritone saxophonist Curt Waylee. Most importantly though, the music was created from scratch as Elliot and his handpicked musicians formulated and honed their ideas in the studio, with Braun’s ultra-capable guidance. For Elliot, recruiting the additional players and having the entire band plus a well-respected veteran producer help him shape the music was integral to the project’s success.

   “I didn’t want to direct them,” he says. “I wanted to bring them in and let them be part of the process the writing, the arranging and to do it all together. I had a lot of confidence that these guys are mature enough musically. Everybody brought what they do to the table and we all put our heads together. We didn’t have rehearsals first, we didn’t have writing sessions first. We booked some days in the studio and the music just poured out.” The result of these impromptu jams seven new originals and three classic interpretations is unquestionably one of the most electrifying and gratifying recordings of Richard Elliot’s three-plus-decade solo career. From the opening salvo, a super-funkified take on Spyro Gyra’s “Cachaca,” through the closing “Mr. Nate’s Wild Ride,” spotlighting bassist Nathaniel Phillips, who wrote the track along with Elliot and Braun, Summer Madness is one of those albums that simply takes hold the moment you press play and never lets go. Along the way it touches down on a variety of moods and styles, from Latin- and African-inspired funk to soul jazz, even flirting with fusion on the hard-driving, appropriately titled “Ludicrous Speed.”  A couple of sparkling ballads pay tribute to heroes of Elliot’s going back to his earliest days of musical discovery: “Europa,” on which he honors one of his saxophone inspirations, the late Gato Barbieri who famously remade the Carlos Santana-penned track in his own image, and the title track “Summer Madness,” a mid-’70s hit for funk titans Kool & the Gang. Among the original compositions, “Harry the Hipster,” says Elliot, “is reminiscent of songs that had cool, recurring melodies and a funky pulse the idea was not to wrap yourself up in how much complexity you could put into the song, but how much feeling and groove can you put into the song?” Another highlight, the band-written “West Coast Jam,” is Elliot’s nod to yet another influence, the late leader of funk trailblazers Zapp, Roger Troutman, while “Breakin’ It Down,” which arrives early on Summer Madness, is designed, he says, to bridge the genres of funk and contemporary jazz, with which Elliot has long been associated. “I sort of formulated that theory later though,” he confesses. “When we were making the music we were just making it.”

   It should come as no surprise to Elliot’s longtime fans that he would, at some point in his career, choose to celebrate funk in such a dedicated, decisive way. It was, after all, with the legendary Tower of Power that many first heard the saxophone virtuosity of Richard Elliot. Although he was born in Scotland and grew up in Los Angeles, where he started playing saxophone while in middle school, his five-year run with the Bay Area institution ToP during the 1980s was when Richard Elliot first came to prominence. “I learned more about being a musician, about being a performer, about being a team player in a horn section, about how to make a statement when you step out and do a solo, from being with Tower of Power than from any other group or artist I ever worked with,” Elliot says, adding that it was “initially terrifying” to find himself among some of the most accomplished and highly respected musicians on the funk/R&B scene. In fact, he learned enough from working with them, Elliot says now, to know that he was ready to go off on his own when he did. “Leaving Tower of Power was the hardest decision I ever made,” he says now, but great things were to follow almost immediately. By the late ’80s, Elliot  had launched his solo career and was signed to Blue Note Records, where he worked with the legendary record executive Bruce Lundvall, an early champion of Elliot’s work. Since then, Elliot has released more than 20 albums as a leader, and has also polished his chops serving as a sideman for a considerable list of diverse giants, including Motown hitmakers Smokey Robinson and the Temptations. One of Elliot’s favorite projects was the collaborative 2013 release Summer Horns, which found him teaming up with fellow sax-slingers Dave Koz, Gerald Albright and Mindi Abair the album was nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Pop Instrumental Album. Throughout all of his music, Richard Elliot has always strived to achieve one certain goal. “Miles Davis said, ‘The hardest thing for a musician to do is sound like himself.’ That stuck with me,” Elliot says. “If you fixate on a single influence, you tend to sound like someone who’s trying to sound like that person. I never know if I’ve achieved that goal but on occasion I’ve had someone come up to me and say, ‘I heard a song on the radio and I knew it was you.’” Summer Madness puts a bit of a new twist on the classic Richard Elliot sound, but you won’t doubt for a single second who you are hearing. http://www.richardelliot.com/

Summer Madness

Friday, September 16, 2016

Eddie Henderson - Time and Spaces

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:05
Size: 119,8 MB
Art: Front

(7:10)  1. Water Babies
(6:58)  2. Spaces
(7:10)  3. Masqualero
(4:42)  4. Tender You
(7:16)  5. Entropy
(5:52)  6. Summer Knows
(5:53)  7. Angola
(7:00)  8. Directions

Long before Wallace Roney became a Miles Davis protege in the late '80s, Eddie Henderson had forgone his training in medicine, falling under the direct and indirect influence of the Prince of Darkness in the late '60s. With groups including Herbie Hancock's Mwandishi band from '70 to '72, Henderson forged a voice whose tone may have been influenced by Davis, but with an adventurous spirit all his own. In the ensuing years, while the spirit of Miles never left him, Henderson developed his own body of work, one that in recent years has seen him returning to a more hard bop style. Until now. His latest release on Sirocco, Time & Spaces , finds Henderson in an almost schizophrenic mood, alternating between the more cerebral post bop of Miles' mid-'60s band and his more fusion-informed work of the later '60s, and a more tender and lyrical disposition. While this could come across as unfocused in lesser hands, it all makes perfect sense under Henderson's leadership. Ably supported by pianist Dave Kikoski (who doubles on Fender Rhodes and synthesizers on two tracks), bassist Ed Howard, and drummer Victor Lewis, Henderson reconvenes the group that was responsible for most of his last recording, '03's So What , for a session that combines the heady intellectualism of Wayne Shorter's "Water Babies," "Masqualero," and "Angola" with a more poignant duet with Kikoski, "Tender You," and the late-night romanticism of "Summer Knows (Theme from Summer of '42)." 

Henderson's own "Entropy," which superimposes a swinging sensibility over a deep, dark groove, may be the revelation of the set, a tune that has its reference point in Miles' work of the late '60s, but is less dense, less brash. Kikowski peppers the piece with abstractions on Fender Rhodes, while Howard and Lewis are more implicit, alluding to a variety of feels without ever settling wholly on them for any length of time. The album closes with a powerful version of Joe Zawinul's "Directions," with Henderson's approach honouring the looser, rockier inflection of the tune without becoming overly aggressive. Over the course of a forty-year career, Henderson has managed to build a strong reputation for integrity and personal vision, even while he remains a little more under the radar than he deserves. Perhaps it is his ongoing reference to Miles that has caused him to be ultimately well-regarded but not considered a creative trend-setter, but that's a moot point. One testimonial of a true performer is the ability to create vibrant music that remains current while honouring the traditions that came before. By mixing the abstract and the corporeal, the tender and the strong, the old and the new, the Time and Spaces , Henderson has created a paradoxical recording that manages to ultimately succeed on its own term as a unified, coherent and cogent statement. ~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/time-and-spaces-eddie-henderson-sirocco-music-limited-review-by-john-kelman.php

Personnel: Eddie Henderson (trumpet), Dave Kikoski (piano, Fender Rhodes/Keyboards on "Entropy," "Directions"), Ed Howard (bass), Victor Lewis (drums).

Time and Spaces

Charlie Parker And His Orchestra - Swedish Schnapps

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1951
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:31
Size: 126,6 MB
Art: Front

(2:40)  1. Si Si
(3:17)  2. Swedish Schnapps (alternate take)
(3:13)  3. Swedish Schnapps
(2:39)  4. Back Home Blues (alternate take)
(2:50)  5. Back Home Blues
(3:26)  6. Lover Man
(2:49)  7. Blues For Alice
(2:41)  8. Au Privave (alternate take)
(2:45)  9. Au Privave
(3:12) 10. She Rote (alternate take)
(3:08) 11. She Rote
(3:27) 12. K. C. Blues
(3:42) 13. Star Eyes
(3:22) 14. Segment
(3:18) 15. Diverse
(2:57) 16. Passport (rare)
(2:59) 17. Passport (common)

Musicians like to observe that for all his notoriety as the wellspring of bebop, Charlie "Bird" Parker's music was loaded with the blues. Swedish Schnapps is as good a place as any to make that connection with Parker's music, including as it does two of his most enduring bop heads based on the blues, "Au Privave" and "Blues For Alice." While you wouldn't mistake either composition for a Muddy Waters tune, both relate Bird's off-kilter accents and serpentine melodicism at walking tempos that let you hear what's actually going by, instead of leaving you astonished but bemused. To really drive the point home, there's "K.C. Blues," which finds the altoist at his hollerin' best, and "Lover Man," certainly one of the bluesiest 32-bar standards around. http://www.allmusic.com/album/swedish-schnapps-mw0000265091

Personnel: Charlie Parker (alto saxophone); Kenny Dorham, Miles Davis, Red Rodney (trumpet); Al Haig, John Lewis, Walter Bishop (piano); Ray Brown, Teddy Kotick, Tommy Potter (bass); Max Roach, Kenny Clarke (drums).

Swedish Schnapps

Paul Bley - Annette

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:51
Size: 151,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:52)  1. Touching [take 1]
(8:30)  2. El Cordobes
(6:26)  3. Cartoon
(3:46)  4. Albert's Love Theme
(4:26)  5. Kid Dynamite
(6:47)  6. Miracles
(5:03)  7. Blood [take 1]
(6:26)  8. Annette
(4:26)  9. Both
(2:46) 10. Blood [take 2]
(8:37) 11. Mister Joy
(1:45) 12. Touching [take 2]

Those familiar with the music of Paul Bley, as well as Annette Peacock after whom this album is named, and whose compositions are featured will recall the nervy sense of creativity that flowed through their veins and music. In fact, the manner in which Peacock's work is described also fits Bley; both play music that is austere, exacting, somewhat laconic, minimalist and always wildly individual, which is what makes it so sensual, singular and utterly memorable. And while Bley's music has always been instrumental in nature, Peacock's was defined not just by the primal highs and lows of her voice, but also by the nakedness of her lyrics; the soft scream of her poetry that propelled her songs. So to find her music played here without words is both a surprise and a big challenge. The slashing experimentalism of that music was, however, almost certainly an invention of Bley's as much as it was Peacock's. They were husband and wife during the time most of this music was composed and recorded, though they were not even remotely connected when this album was made in 1992. So Bley 's remarkable intimacy in interpreting these songs instrumentally is astounding, notwithstanding his being ably abetted by another of Peacock's ex-husbands, bassist, Gary Peacock, who brings his robust melodism to this date as well. To complete the trio, which surreptitiously inhabit Peacock's bitter oeuvre is Franz Koglmann, credited with originating the idea before he took some charts to Bley, who was in the unique position of making, just five months prior to this album, another record featuring the music of his another significant ex-other, Carla Bley, on Plays Carla, (SteepleChase, 1992).

Deeply influenced by the early psychedelic era as well as elements of the Way of Zen, Annette Peacock composed works that were characterized as much by hypnotic whorls as by the use of silence and harmonic space between phrases and lines. Right from the early mid-sixties, when Peacock joined Albert Ayler, her earliest work was marked by an invention all her own, an idiom that she called "free-form song." One of these is the miraculously beautiful, "Albert's Love Theme," which she composed to mark her devoted friendship with the great saxophonist. Her songs were designed for sound and silence, a sonic architecture that she continues to work with to this day, as even her most recent work shows. Bley remains true to Peacock's stylistic idiosyncrasies throughout this album. His heart-wrenching performances of "Touching" and "Blood" cast Peacock as a musical doppelganger of author Sylvia Plath. Peacock's originals possess stripped down emotions that bare her soul, and Bley's versions emanate directly from his artistic soul. His astounding work is matched, note-for-note by the ingenious soul-searching minimalism of Peacock's sinewy pizzicato playing, as well as the lonesome, electrifying beauty of Koglmann's trumpet and flugelhorn, capturing Peacock's sensibilities ever so accurately, especially on Miracles." Small wonder this album remains as fresh 18 years on as it was when it was originally released. ~ Raul D’Gama Rose https://www.allaboutjazz.com/annette-paul-bley-hatology-review-by-raul-dgama-rose.php
 
Personnel: Paul Bley: piano; Franz Koglmann: flugelhorn, trumpet; Gary Peacock: double bass.

Annette

Art Farmer Quintet - Plays The Great Jazz Hits

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1967
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:07
Size: 104,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:35)  1. Song For My Father
(5:27)  2. Round Midnight
(3:58)  3. Sidewinder
(4:47)  4. Moanin'
(3:59)  5. Watermelon Man
(3:13)  6. Mercy, Mercy, Mercy
(5:38)  7. I Remember Clifford
(3:38)  8. Take Five
(5:27)  9. Gemini
(4:20) 10. The In Crowd

Really great work from Art Farmer one of a handful of records from the mid 60s that have the trumpeter picking up a slightly sharper edge than before a nice contrast to some of his more spacious albums on labels like Argo or Atlantic! The vibe here is almost a small group take on the Jazztet sound that Art created with Benny Golson but a bit more organic overall, thanks to a tight rhythm trio that features Cedar Walton on piano, Walter Booker on bass, and Jimmy Roker on drums who almost give the record a Prestige Records sort of vibe. 

The great Jimmy Heath plays sublime tenor in the lead and turns out to be a perfect partner for Art, helping hit a different sound than his material with Golson and although the tunes are mostly the jazz hits promised in the title, they get some really fresh readings here – as the pair make magic on tunes that include "Take Five", "I Remember Clifford", "Watermelon Man", "Song For My Father", "Sidewinder", "Moanin", and "Gemini". © 1996-2016, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/711481

Personnel:  Art Farmer - flugelhorn, trumpet;  Jimmy Heath - tenor saxophone;  Cedar Walton – piano;  Walter Booker – bass;  Mickey Roker – drums.

Plays The Great Jazz Hits

Thursday, September 15, 2016

Lyman Woodard Organization - Don't Stop The Groove

Size: 110,9 MB
Time: 47:51
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1979/2009
Styles: Jazz/Funk, Hammond Organ
Art: Front

01. Don't Stop The Groove (7:13)
02. Disco Tease (7:29)
03. Ron's Song (5:56)
04. Theme In Search Of A Sportspectacular (6:58)
05. Down Lowe (6:57)
06. Kimba (6:21)
07. Djarum (6:53)

Detroit jazz-funk trio the Lyman Woodard Organization were taking their own crack at a “Detroit sound” at the same time Motown was making the Jackson 5 a dance floor staple.

Recorded live January 26, 1979 at Cobb's Corner, Detroit, Michigan, with brilliant trumpeter Marcus Belgrave, this record captures the show stopping power of the Lyman Woodard Organization’s live performances. Perfectly blending their R&B-styled jazz and funky grooves, it is our pleasure to preserve this performance.

Don't Stop The Groove

Catherine Russell - Harlem On My Mind

Size: 122,1 MB
Time: 52:22
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Harlem On My Mind (4:13)
02. I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me (4:08)
03. Swing! Brother, Swing! (2:30)
04. The Very Thought Of You (5:03)
05. You've Got The Right Key But The Wrong Keyhole (3:52)
06. Don't Take Your Love From Me (4:49)
07. Blue Turning Grey Over You (3:07)
08. You're My Thrill (4:40)
09. I Want A Man (3:52)
10. When Lights Are Low (4:47)
11. Talk To Me, Talk To Me (3:16)
12. Let Me Be The First To Know (5:00)
13. Goin' To Town (2:58)

With her sixth album, Harlem On My Mind, Grammy® Award-winning vocalist Catherine Russell journeys to the blue heart of the great African American songbook. Swinging forth with soulful interpretations, Russell taps the golden age of Harlem, as befits this vibrant daughter of jazz. Vocalists Ethel Waters, Billie Holiday, Etta James, and Dinah Washington provide inspiration where tunesmiths like Benny Carter, Irving Berlin, Andy Razaf and Fats Waller once ruled the roost of a renaissance which continues to reverberate. Of the title track, Russell says, “It’s about not forgetting your roots,” which also serves as her modus operandi for the entire 12 song collection. “The album is comprised of songs from artists who played at The Apollo in Harlem, where all African American artists of note appeared.”

Russell is a native New Yorker, born into musical royalty. Her father, the late Luis Russell, was a legendary pianist/composer/bandleader and Louis Armstrong’s long-time musical director. Her mother, Carline Ray, was a pioneering vocalist/guitarist/bassist who performed with International Sweethearts of Rhythm, Mary Lou Williams, and Sy Oliver. Russell notes, “My mother was born and raised in Harlem and my father led one of the leading orchestras in Harlem, which was part of the inspiration for this album.

Harlem On My Mind

Dylan Taylor With Mike Clark & Larry Coryell - One In Mind

Size: 150,7 MB
Time: 64:26
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz: Jazz Fusion
Art: Front

01. The One Or The Nine (4:24)
02. Loft Funk (6:59)
03. Jumbo Liar (5:15)
04. Song For Dennis (5:04)
05. Excerpt (From War And Peace) (5:23)
06. John's Abbey (9:17)
07. Hittin' And Missin' (7:35)
08. Alabama Rhap Corollary (5:20)
09. Jem'n'eye'n (8:25)
10. The Dragon Gate (6:41)

Personnel:
Larry Coryell - Guitar
Mike Clark - Drums
Dylan Taylor - Bass

Bassist/Cellist/Composer and Arranger Dylan Taylor is a veteran mainstay of the greater Philadelphia area Jazz scene. During his busy career Dylan has provided the bottom anchor for name artists such as Lee Konitz, Freddie Hubbard, Mose Allison and Larry Coryell, and taken part in steady local Jazz engagements in Center City's better hotels with pianist Tom Lawton's trio at the Four Seasons and saxophonist Tony Williams' quartet at the RitzCarlton.

Taylor has recorded extensively for the C.I.M.P. label on respective releases with saxophonist Bobby Zankel, vibraphonist Khan Jamal and Vocalist Kelly Meashey, and was a longtime member of Bobby Zankel's "little big band," The Warriors of the Wonderful Sound, with recordings on Dreambox Media.

Dylan studied bass with Al Stauffer, Dennis Sandole, Buster Williams (under an NEA Jazz study Fellowship) and John Pattitucci at City College of New York, where he also studied composition with Mike Holober. In 2013 Taylor's musical score for the feature film Takao Dancer was premiered at the Tokyo International Film Festival.

Taylor's first self-produced project as leader, 2013's Sweeter for the Struggle, features his friend Larry Coryell and three of Dylan's original compositions. On both the recording and at the CD release concert, the legendary guitarist joined top Philadelphia Jazz talents including the aforementioned Tom Lawton and Bobby Zankel; one of the tunes, Art the Messenger (inspired by drummer Art Blakey), encapsulates Taylor's spiritual feelings regarding both his musicmaking/ bandleadingapproach and his overall worldview: Specifically, that positive hope combined with the musical diversity displayed in his compositions weaving together AfroCuban,fusion, straight ahead, blues and avantgarde canplay a part in a larger message of connecting us all individually to something bigger than ourselves, a sum truly greater than its parts. As Dylan Taylor states, "I hope that my music can contribute in some way to this process.

One In Mind

Lolo Gervais - Under A Lolo Moon

Size: 134 MB
Time: 23:44
File: FLAC
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. Tainted Love (3:17)
02. Higher Love (3:18)
03. Wild Women (3:27)
04. I Will Survive (Autumn Leaves) (4:22)
05. Angel Eyes (2:16)
06. Dynamite (4:07)
07. Teach Me Tiger (2:54)

Stirring up a mix of classic modern pop, rock and soul tunes into a fun Neo Vintage party soundtrack— vocalist Lorraine Gervais belts out over the backdrop of a mean ragtime/boogaloo/stride piano, standup bass, horn riffs, gypsy guitar & slammin drumbeats — creating a great party wherever they end up.

Lolo Gervais takes tunes of one style and then recreates them into roaring 20's, swinging 30's, New Orleans funky boogaloo style, swanky 50's & 60's, classic early Motown & beyond. Everything is fair game as they bend musical genres into whole new grooves that are hot to hear and fun to play.

Think Paula Abdul meets Louis Armstrong, or Daft Punk, Michael Jackson and Sting running headlong into a funky 1920's swing, Kenny Loggins grooving over an old New Orleans style beat, or Pharrel Williams, the Clash, and Train gettin all jazzed up into 50's swank with a touch of old school Jackson 5 or African Highlife grooves laid over the top. A great rhythm ride down the track of a party you want to go to!

Lolo Gervais began in 2015 after Lorraine Gervais & Jacob Aginsky, as kindred musical spirits who've separately worked alongside the likes of Zap Mama, Mavis Staples, Pink, Chris Isaak, Etta James, Taj Mahal, Charlie Hunter & Pete Escovedo, realized that they both gravitated towards taking tunes from one era and antiquing them into anything from classic swing to vintage funky boogie beats of all kinds. Under Jacob's music direction with Lorraine as frontswoman and a hot rhythm section behind them— the band goes off into musical territories where few others dare…

Under A Lolo Moon

Kat Gang - Love & The Lack Thereof

Size: 110,7 MB
Time: 47:31
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. You're All The World To Me (4:27)
02. You've Really Got A Hold On Me (3:43)
03. Love And The Lack Thereof (3:15)
04. They Were You (4:45)
05. My Shining Hour (4:51)
06. Then I'll Be Tired Of You (6:11)
07. Wings And Fangs (5:40)
08. Nobody's Heart (Belongs To Me) (2:12)
09. Oh, But I Do! (3:53)
10. The Sweetest Sounds (3:12)
11. It's The Last Dance (5:17)

Love and the Lack Thereof is a beautifully crafted and passionate example of some of the best vocal jazz available today. The album features Kat Gang's romantic, sly, and swinging take on lesser-known gems from the American Songbook, from the Lerner and Lane classic "My Shining Hour" to the bittersweet "Nobody's Heart (Belongs To Me)" by Rodgers and Hart. The musicianship here is outstanding, with Mike Renzi leading the way as pianist/ arranger alongside Jay Leonhart on bass and Buddy Williams on drums. Guest appearances by Harry Allen on saxophone and Warren Vache on flugelhorn add spirit and depth. The album was one of the last recordings ever made at the historic Nola Recording Studios, with the great Jim Czak as engineer.

Love & The Lack Thereof