Spyro Gyra - Carnaval

Styles: Fusion, Smooth Jazz 
Year: 1980
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:06
Size: 92,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:03)  1. Cafe Amore
(4:40)  2. Dizzy
(5:51)  3. Awakening
(4:18)  4. Cachaca
(4:42)  5. Fox Trot
(5:10)  6. Sweet 'N' Savvy
(4:42)  7. Bittersweet
(5:36)  8. Carnaval

Founded in 1974 by saxophonist Jay Beckenstein, Spyro Gyra have consistently been one of the commercially successfully pop-jazz groups of the past 30 years. The band became a full-time venture in 1976 and has been touring ever since. Critics love to attack this band's music, which combines R&B and elements of pop and Caribbean music with jazz, but its live performances are often stimulating unlike many of its records, which emphasize the danceable melodies. The roots of Spyro Gyra lay in Buffalo, NY, in 1974. Beckenstein and his longtime friend, keyboardist Jeremy Wall, had been leading a group with a revolving membership; every one of the many members in the band were loosely involved in the local jazz and rock scenes. Around 1974, the group was beginning to gel and cultivate a following. A club owner who wanted to advertise an upcoming appearance by the band asked Beckenstein for the group's name. The saxophonist told him "Spirogyra," a word he learned in a college biology course. The owner misspelled the word as Spyro Gyra, and the band fell into place, featuring Beckenstein, Wall, Jim Kurzdorfer, and Tom Walsh. Not long afterward, the group added keyboardist Tom Schuman. Electric guitarist Chet Catallo, drummer Eli Konikoff, and percussionist Gerardo Velez all joined in 1978 (with Wall dropping out) and bassist David Wofford was added in 1980. Spyro Gyra independently funded and recorded their debut album, releasing the record on the local independent label Amherst in 1976. The record slowly became a success and Amherst sold the rights to the band to Infinity Records, a division of MCA. Wall left the band in 1978, leaving Schuman as the group's main keyboardist. Morning Dance, their first album for Infinity, was released in 1979. 

The record became a major hit, spawning a Top 40 single with "Morning Dance" and going platinum. Morning Dance firmly placed Spyro Gyra as one of the most popular artists in contemporary jazz, and throughout the '80s, their popularity continued growing. Their albums were consistent best-sellers, and their concerts often sold out. In 1983, vibraphonist and marimba player Dave Samuels- who had played on several of the group's albums became a full-fledged member of the band. Over the course of the '80s, the membership of Spyro Gyra fluctuated, but Beckenstein and Schuman remained at its core, keeping the group's signature sound intact. In 1990, MCA's jazz roster was absorbed by GRP, so Spyro Gyra switched labels, releasing Fast Forward, their first album for GRP, later that year. In 1993, Samuels left the touring band, but he continued to play in the studio. By the late '90s, the band featured Beckenstein, Schuman, Julio Fernandez, Joel Rosenblatt, and Scott Ambush, and released Got the Magic in 1999. Two years later the band moved to the Telarc-affiliated Heads Up label and released In Modern Times in 2001, followed by Original Cinema in 2003. Drummer Rosenblatt left the band and was replaced by Ludwig Afonso for 2004's Deep End. A fourth Heads Up album, Good to Go-Go, was issued in 2007. ~ Scott Yanow & Stephen Thomas Erlewine  https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/spyro-gyra/id75445#fullText

Personnel: Hiram Bullock, John Tropea (guitar, electric guitar); Chet Catallo, Rick Strauss (guitar); Harold Kohon, Matthew Raimondi, Richard Sortomme (violin, strings); Peter Simitriades, Sanford Allen, Harry Lookofsky (violin); Lamar Alsop, Guy Lumia (viola, strings); Jonathan Abramowitz (cello, strings); David Darling, Jesse Levy (cello); Jay Levy, Allen W. Sanford, Peter Dimitriades (strings); Randy Brecker (flute, tenor saxophone, trumpet); Michael Brecker (flute, tenor saxophone); Jay Beckenstein (saxophone, alto saxophone, piano); Tom "Bones" Malone (trumpet, trombone); Jeremy Wall, Tom Schuman (keyboards); Rob Mounsey (synthesizer); Dave Samuels (vibraphone, marimba); David Samuels (marimba); Steve Jordan , Eli Konikoff (drums); Errol Crusher Bennett (congas, percussion); Gerardo Velez, Steve Kroon (percussion).

Carnaval

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Allison Adams Tucker - Wanderlust

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:35
Size: 127,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:12)  1. When in Rome
(4:32)  2. Vuelvo Al Sur
(5:29)  3. A Thousand Years
(4:15)  4. Águas De Março
(6:11)  5. Cinema Paradiso
(4:09)  6. Sous Le Ciel De Paris
(5:00)  7. Mediterraneo
(5:05)  8. Pure Imagination
(2:59)  9. Takeda Lullaby
(7:14) 10. Wanderlust
(4:23) 11. Better Days Ahead

Many modern-day jazz vocalists have been known to touchdown in a few different locales over the course of an album, but few to none get their passports stamped in as many places as Allison Adams Tucker does on the aptly named WANDERlust. Tucker brings her multilingual brilliance and cultural savvy to the fore during this expertly planned travelogue. Tucker's voice is a beautiful instrument one that floats, flies, and seduces with its no-fuss delivery and she makes great use of it here, never overselling or overreaching. It's rather impressive, but it impresses on its own terms. That's evident right off the bat when Tucker, all by her lonesome, kicks things off in compelling fashion on an old winner ("When In Rome"). Less than thirty seconds in, she's joined by several members of her dream team band a crew whose full roster includes pianist Josh Nelson, bassist Scott Colley, drummer Antonio Sanchez, multi-reedist Chris Potter, percussionist Rogerio Boccato, and guitarists Romero Lubambo, Mike Moreno, and Stephane Wrembel. These musicians give Tucker's voice the red carpet treatment throughout while continually whisking her away to faraway places where she can speak the language, reflect on her passions, and absorb and refract the essence of different cultures.

The album continues with a trip to Argentina, as Tucker gives us an alluring take on Nuevo Tango (Astor Piazzola's "Vuelvo Al Sur"). Then there's a dip into modern American pop culture (Christina Perri's "A Thousand Years"), a stop in Brazil (Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Aguas De Marco"), an intimate and heartfelt nod to Italy (Ennio Morricone's "Cinema Paradiso") and a sensuous encounter with French chanson ("Sous Le Ciel De Paris"). The second half of the album proves to be equally broad-minded and worldly, with visits to Spain ("Mediterraneo"), Japan ("Takeda Lullaby"), and even Willy Wonka's factory ("Pure Imagination"). By the time Tucker wraps it all up with back-to-back covers from Bjork ("Wanderlust") and Pat Metheny ("Better Days Ahead"), the listener has come to expect the unexpected. That's the power that jazz and polygot programming can have when they're rolled into one. WANDERlust clearly represents a quantum leap forward for Tucker. 

Much of that is, of course, due to her own hard work, but anybody with a good set of ears knows that a significant amount of credit should also go to these musicians and to producer Matt Pierson, a man who knows more than a thing or two about putting an album together the right way. And then there are the arrangers to acknowledge Nelson, Lubambo, Moreno, Wrembel, and Danny Green. Their respective contributions, as different as they may be, are all endearing works that feed into the theme and serve Tucker well. ~ Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/wanderlust-allison-adams-tucker-origin-records-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Allison Adams Tucker: vocals; Josh Nelson: piano, Fender Rhodes; pump organ; Scott Colley: bass; Antonio Sanchez: drums; Chris Potter: bass clarinet, tenor saxophone, flute; Rogerio Boccato: percussion; Romero Lubambo: guitar (1, 2, 4, 5, 9); Mike Moreno: guitar (3, 7, 10, 11); Stephane Wrembel: guitar (3, 6).

Wanderlust

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Allan Harris - Nobody's Gonna Love You Better

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:02
Size: 110,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:56)  1. Mother's Love
(4:02)  2. Any Major Dude Will Tell You
(4:18)  3. More Today Than Yesterday
(5:55)  4. I Remember You
(2:41)  5. Doralice
(3:43)  6. Moody's Mood for Love
(2:29)  7. Swing
(5:38)  8. Ruby
(4:04)  9. Up from the Skies
(6:40) 10. Blue Was Angry (From the Cross That River Song-Cycle)
(3:32) 11. Secret Moments

The outstanding and internationally renowned vocalist, guitarist and composer Allan Harris sums up his personal perspective on music in clear and straightforward terms. "There is nothing that I have found that defines and gives credence to my place in this wild and mysterious universe than this thing called music." Harris exemplifies that statement perfectly with his stunning new album Nobody's Gonna Love You Better (Black Bar Jukebox Redux), his eleventh album following on the heels of his highly acclaimed 2015 release Black Bar Jukebox. For this, Harris takes an even more eclectic approach, drawing upon the wide range of music that he heard growing up in Brooklyn, and feasting on the expansive palette of the Harlem cultural landscape. "My new album captures some of the varied sounds and feelings that have shaped my growth as an artist. I had not one style to heavily rely upon when putting these tunes together, but only my young memories of music, people and events." Nobody's Gonna Love You Better is a bold statement that builds upon the entire breadth of Harris' already esteemed reputation, demonstrating his enormous versatility within the full scope of his highly creative musical vision. Swinging jazz, rich R&B, sumptuous balladry, wailing rock, rumbling blues and even a touch of playful Brazilian are all woven seamlessly into the tapestry of a musical odyssey that is all Allan Harris. With a deeply resonant baritone/tenor voice that is soulful, richly expressive and flawless in both intonation and phrasing, Harris displays a total command and fluency in every context.

Back from the previous album are the GRAMMY® Award-winning producer Brian Bacchus and Harris' longtime keyboard cohort Pascal Le Boeuf (on acoustic and electric pianos, and Hammond B3 organ), whose deep understanding and empathy for Harris' music creates a marvelous sense of intimacy and shared joy of expression. Pascal is also the primary instrumental soloist and delivers in an inspired fashion throughout. Joining Pascal in the exceptional rhythm section are Russell Hall on acoustic and electric bass, Shirazette Tinnin on drums and cajón, and Freddie Bryant on both electric and classical guitar. Together, with Harris also on acoustic, electric and resonator guitar, they provide impeccably flawless support, whether driving, embellishing, shaping or enhancing the settings as ideally suited to the intent of the music. The delightful repertoire includes four Harris originals, a couple of American Songbook gems, a pair of jazz classics, and re-imaginations of hit songs from Jimi Hendrix, Steely Dan and Spiral Staircase. As he does with every lyric, Harris pays proper homage to those who have provided the inspiration for his own highly personal sound, specifically here to Ray Charles, Nat 'King' Cole and Eddie Jefferson on three individual items. On "I Remember You," Harris channels Nat (a subject of an earlier Harris tribute project) in a beautifully touching rendition with brilliant piano support throughout, as well as a solo that glides in the territory where Red Garland and Erroll Garner meet. "Ruby" from the Ruby Gentry film score, and a major hit for Ray Charles -is satin-smooth balladry over an old-school swing-jazz groove, complete with Bryant's Freddie Green-like guitar strumming. For the iconic "Moody's Mood For Love," Harris takes the concept of making an often-performed song one's own to an entirely new level, offering a totally fresh interpretation in rhythm, phrasing and lyrical structure--to the Eddie Jefferson classic. The Stan Getz/João Gilberto hit "Doralice" is a deliciously infectious samba, sung by Harris in Portuguese, and featuring a fine acoustic solo by Bryant.

The three popular song re-imaginations include a somewhat up-tempo blues shuffle take on Hendrix' "Up From The Skies," with Harris in a neatly syncopated groove over LeBoeuf's funky B3. Pascal's Hammond organ sets a bright tone for a bouncy swing version of Spiral Staircase's mega-hit "More Today Than Yesterday" and Steely Dan's "Any Major Dude Will Tell You" gets a transformation (and relocation) from Americana to Harlem, shifting smoothly between brisk syncopation and atmospheric rubato. The four Harris originals aptly demonstrate that he is as skilled a composer as a vocalist--and his lyrics are moving, heartfelt and poetic. The album opener "Mother's Love (Nobody's Gonna Love You)" begins on a poignant, emotive and dramatic note before morphing into a vibrantly swinging excursion. Its bookend closer "Secret Moments" is a lovely, gentle and lushly evocative ballad, while "Swing" is a powerfully syncopated and punchy romp. Provocative, confrontational and rousing best describes "Blue Was Angry (from the Cross That River song-cycle). Hard-edged, fiery and with a message of barely-controlled ferocity, it flies over a rip-roaring rhythm section and Harris' raw electric guitar. It may be unexpected by Harris' large fan base, but it's deeply emotional and on point.

Over the past 20 years, Harris has steadily developed his reputation as one of the finest vocalists of his era. Brooklyn-born and Harlem-based, he has forged his sterling credentials through his ten previous albums, covering a broad range of contexts, all netted together within the rich territory of the jazz tradition. In addition to his recordings, he has performed on a worldwide stage that has taken him to prestigious international festivals and halls in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, as well as the 2012 Olympics in London. At home, he has toured nationally at festivals and top venues, including New York's Lincoln Center and D.C.'s Kennedy Center.

He has received numerous awards, including the New York Nightlife Award for "Outstanding Jazz Vocalist" (which he won three times), the Backstage Bistro Award for "Ongoing Achievement in Jazz," the Harlem Speaks "Jazz Museum of Harlem Award," and the DownBeat Critic's Poll Award for "Rising Star Vocalist." Nobody's Gonna Love You Better (Black Bar Jukebox Redux) will continue to build his legacy as another milestone in the extraordinary artistic aesthetic of Allan Harris. ~ The New York Times  http://www.allanharris.com/about

Nobody's Gonna Love You Better

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Les Paul - The Best Of Les Paul

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:04
Size: 75.7 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2001
Art: Front

[2:34] 1. Blue Skies
[2:58] 2. Begin The Beguine
[2:50] 3. Dream Dust
[2:37] 4. Dark Eyes
[2:55] 5. It's Been A Long Long Time
[3:00] 6. Hawaiian Paradise
[2:53] 7. Rumors Are Flying
[2:52] 8. Steel Guitar Rag
[3:01] 9. Somebody Loves Me
[2:26] 10. Guitar Boogie
[2:30] 11. Caravan
[2:23] 12. What Are You Doing New Year's Eve

His achievements spanned decades, but some of Les Paul's most rewarding efforts were his '40s Decca sides-12 of the best of which are collected here! Includes his appearance on Bing Crosby's 1945 #1 hit It's Been a Long, Long Time ; his own debut hit, Rumors Are Flying (with the Andrews Sisters), plus Caravan; Blue Skies; Dark Eyes; Guitar Boogie; Steel Guitar Rag , and more!

The Best Of Les Paul

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Heather Masse, Dick Hyman - Lock My Heart

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:25
Size: 126.9 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz, Mainstream jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[4:59] 1. Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered
[4:20] 2. Lullaby Of Birdland
[5:18] 3. Since I Fell For You
[4:06] 4. Love Is Here To Stay
[5:30] 5. September Song
[4:08] 6. Lost In The Stars
[2:53] 7. Love For Sale
[3:56] 8. If I Called You
[6:37] 9. I Got It Bad And That Ain’t Good
[4:43] 10. Flower Is A Lovesome Thing
[5:07] 11. Morning Drinker
[3:43] 12. I’m Gonna Lock My Heart (And Throw Away The Key)

Heather Masse, part of the Canadian folk duo Wailin' Jennys, teams up with jazz pianist and educator Dick Hyman for a romantic set of standards. Masse and Hyman initially met during an appearance on the radio show A Prairie Home Companion in 2010, performing "I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good," which is included on this set. In a continuation comparable to that first performance together, Lock My Heart is just Masse's voice and Hyman's piano. Over the course of his 60-year career, Hyman has mastered the great American songbook, making him a seamless accompanist to the young vocalist. Masse gained familiarity with these tunes at an early age from her mother, who was a pianist, but she is not a traditional jazz singer, which makes her interpretations of these classics all the more interesting. The majority of tunes on Lock My Heart are standards written by the likes of Rodgers & Hart, George & Ira Gershwin, Billy Strayhorn, Duke Ellington, and Kurt Weill, and to her credit, Masse penned two tracks that fit in neatly with the rest of the program: "If I Called You" and "Morning Drinker." Audiophiles should note that this release is available as a Hybrid Super Audio CD. ~Al Campbell

Lock My Heart

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Paul Williams - Evergreens: The Best Of The A&M Years

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 79:32
Size: 182.1 MB
Styles: Soft rock, AM pop
Year: 2004
Art: Front

[3:18] 1. We've Only Just Begun
[3:38] 2. Waking Up Alone
[4:28] 3. I Never Had It So Good
[3:09] 4. An Old Fashioned Love Song
[2:57] 5. Let Me Be The One
[3:32] 6. Out In The Country
[5:12] 7. I Won't Last A Day Without You
[3:35] 8. Traveling Boy
[3:41] 9. You And Me Against The World
[3:53] 10. That's What Friends Are For
[3:34] 11. Rainy Days And Mondays
[2:58] 12. If We Could Still Be Friends
[2:37] 13. What Would They Say
[4:09] 14. Dream Away
[4:17] 15. A Little Bit Of Love
[3:22] 16. The Family Of Man
[3:04] 17. Nice To Be Around
[3:21] 18. Loneliness
[3:40] 19. Time And Tide
[4:21] 20. Ordinary Fool
[2:58] 21. Evergreen
[3:37] 22. The Hell Of It

In the '70s, Paul Williams was one of the most successful songwriters in pop music, writing hits for the Carpenters, Three Dog Night, Helen Reddy, and the Monkees, and winning an Academy Award for "Evergreen," the love theme from the Barbra Streisand blockbuster A Star Is Born. Williams also enjoyed a career as an actor in television and movies, and was a frequent guest on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, and in the midst of it all, he found the time to record a handful of solo albums in which he interpreted his own songs. Evergreens: The Best of the A&M Years is a 22-track collection that brings together the best moments from the five albums he cut during his tenure with A&M Records -- 1971's Just an Old Fashioned Love Song, 1972's Life Goes On, 1974's Here Comes Inspiration and A Little Bit of Love, and 1975's Ordinary Fool. Evergreens features Williams' performances of many of the hits he penned for others, including "We've Only Just Begun," "Rainy Days and Mondays," "Out in the Country," "You and Me Against the World," "That's What Friends Are For," and "Evergreen," as well as fan favorites such as "Traveling Boy," "Waking Up Alone," and "Nice to Be Around." The album also features "The Hell of It," which Williams wrote and performed for Brian DePalma's cult classic rock & horror film The Phantom of the Paradise. While this sampler leaves out Williams' earliest work (including his recordings with the sunshine pop band the Holy Mackerel), Evergreens is a solid introduction to his best-known and most fruitful period as a recording artist, and the artful production and arrangements on these recordings show off Williams' tunes in a new and impressive light. ~Mark Deming

Evergreens: The Best Of The A&M Years

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Eli Yamin - You Can't Buy Swing

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:43
Size: 141.3 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[6:07] 1. I Want To Be A Teacher
[6:24] 2. You Can't Buy Swing
[4:22] 3. Getting Somewhere
[5:23] 4. Well, You Better Not
[5:07] 5. Bop To Normal
[8:31] 6. Rwandan Child
[5:48] 7. Just One
[5:50] 8. Katiana's New Start
[6:47] 9. Jacquet's Meditation
[5:38] 10. Waltz On The Hudson
[1:41] 11. In Walked Barry

Eli Yamin is Artistic Director of The Jazz Drama Program and Director of Jazz At Lincoln Center’s Middle School Jazz Academy. He is a jazz pianist, composer, educator, broadcaster, bandleader and Steinway artist. Eli’s joyful and swinging piano playing has led him to perform at top concert halls and festivals in the United States, India, China, Mali, Japan and throughout Europe. Through his touring experiences, Eli is continually blown away by the power of jazz to uplift, inspire and build community all over the world. As a leading educator passionately committed to expanding the jazz audience, Eli is teaching jazz to business leaders, middle school students, music teachers and college professors. He is a consultant for The Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad, produced with the U.S. State Department, the National Endowment for the Arts, Fordham University Graduate School of Business and WBGO Radio. Eli’s six jazz musicals for children have been performed for thousands of people by hundreds of young folks. They include Message From Saturn, about the healing power of the blues and Nora’s Ark, a modern retelling of the biblical tale. He has recorded numerous CD's including Suns of Cosmic Consciousness, with the group Solar, and most recently, You Can't Buy Swing, with the Eli Yamin Quartet. Eli has played, recorded and taught with Barry Harris, Wynton Marsalis, Illinois Jacquet, Walter Perkins, Perry Robinson, Mercedes Ellington, Kate McGarry, Claire Daly and Bob Stewart. Eli holds a Master's Degree in Music Education from Lehman College, City University of New York and has appeared on CBS Saturday Morning, PBS, Fox News and National Public Radio.

You Can't Buy Swing

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Paula Santoro - Mar Do Meu Mundo

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:08
Size: 91.9 MB
Styles: Brazilian jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[4:08] 1. Guanabara
[4:22] 2. Alegria
[3:52] 3. Homem Ao Mar
[3:36] 4. Samburá De Peixe Miúdo
[3:19] 5. Flor
[6:02] 6. Mar Deserto
[3:14] 7. Arabesco
[5:29] 8. Luz Da Terra
[2:57] 9. Joana Dos Barcos
[3:04] 10. Água Salobra

If we think of a CD as a photograph, a faithful snapshot of a specific moment from an artist’s career, Mar do Meu Mundo is the picture of a singer who is releasing her fifth album confident about the musical aesthetics that she defends and in which she believes. Paula Santoro has an almost chamber style and sings to put the music, not herself, in the center of attention. Without distracting the audience with free virtuosities, the voice joins the instrumental part of the band, comprised of Rafael Vernet (piano and arrangements), Kiko Freitas and Rafael Barata (drums), Guto Wirtti and Zeca Assumpção (double bass), Marco Lobo (percussion), Daniel Santiago (guitar and electric guitar) and invited musicians as the UAKTI group and Maurício Tizumba (congado drum).

One of the greatest singers of her generation, Paula Santoro was born in Belo Horizonte (MG) and has lived in Rio de Janeiro for many years. With several works on stage and recording and TV studios, she became more prominent from 2002 on, when she won the third place in the 5th Visa Music Awards (V Prêmio Visa de Música). Besides of the four released albums, her discography has dozens of collaborations in albums from artists like Guinga, Nivaldo Ornelas, Pacífico Mascarenhas and Eduardo Neves.

All songs in her new album have the sea as subject or have the word “sea” in the lyrics, a concept that was created spontaneously. During the work’s pre-production, Paula noticed that most of the songs selected for the repertory had this characteristic, so she decided to focus on this subject. “It’s not just the sea as a nature element. I also mean the inner sea, the personal one – with turbulences, calmness and mysteries”, she explains.

Mar Do Meu Mundo

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Buddy De Franco, Oscar Peterson - Buddy De Franco & Oscar Peterson Play George Gershwin

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:56
Size: 93.7 MB
Styles: Post bop
Year: 1954/2006
Art: Front

[3:44] 1. I Wants To Stay Here
[5:21] 2. I Was Doing All Right
[4:20] 3. 's Wonderful
[4:53] 4. Bess, You Is My Woman Now
[2:26] 5. Strike Up The Band
[3:49] 6. They Can't Take That Away From Me
[4:32] 7. The Man I Love
[3:18] 8. I Got Rhythm
[4:19] 9. Someone To Watch Over Me
[4:09] 10. It Ain't Necessarily So

Clarinetist Buddy DeFranco and pianist Oscar Peterson usually make for an exciting team, and the thought of them romping through George Gershwin tunes is quite appealing. However, this 1998 CD finds the two soloists (plus guitarist Herb Ellis, bassist Ray Brown and drummer Bobby White) surrounded by strings arranged by Russ Garcia. The arrangements are OK, but nothing special; the tempos are generally on the slower side. Although everyone plays well, the overall results are not too memorable and often a bit sleepy. "New" alternate takes of "I Wants to Stay Here" and "Someone to Watch Over Me" augment the original LP program. ~Scott Yanow

Buddy De Franco & Oscar Peterson Play George Gershwin

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George Wallington - Knight Music

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1956
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:35
Size: 84,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:18)  1. Godchild
(3:05)  2. Serendipity
(3:05)  3. Billie's Tune
(3:46)  4. The Ghostly Lover
(2:40)  5. Up Jumped the Devil
(2:56)  6. It's All Right with Me
(3:47)  7. The End of a Love Affair
(3:02)  8. Will You Still Be Mine
(4:45)  9. In a Sentimental Mood
(3:14) 10. World Weary
(2:51) 11. One Night of Love

The fine bop pianist George Wallington hasn't received the recognition he deserved, possibly because of a two-dozen year gap from 1960-1984 when he was entirely out of the music business. This first-rate trio date for Atlantic has finally come out on CD and should help gain him some posthumous attention. One of his two greatest compositions, "Godchild" (which appears on the classic Miles Davis release The Birth of the Cool), opens the disc with a flourish, but there are many strong originals present. The lively stair-stepping "Serendipity" and the furious "Up Jumped the Devil" are worthy of comparison to Bud Powell. Wallington also covers several standards such as "Will You Still Be Mine?" and "It's All Right With Me" with finesse and imagination. ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/knight-music-mw0000058916

Personnel: George Wallington (piano); Teddy Kotick (bass); Nick Stabulas (drums).

Knight Music

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Gabrielle Chiararo - Gabrielle the Voice of Love

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:48
Size: 159,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:31)  1. Breakfast Club De Paris
(4:10)  2. Rendez-vous Au Club Bossa
(3:53)  3. Let Me Answer This
(3:55)  4. Flaubert Chante
(4:59)  5. Amore Mio
(4:30)  6. Tango A Rouen
(5:41)  7. True Tide
(4:19)  8. Fool Me
(4:40)  9. Martino Cafe
(4:17) 10. Dans Tes Bras
(4:58) 11. Solo Tu Mio Amor
(5:07) 12. Today One Day
(3:40) 13. Cap Aux Antilles
(4:44) 14. Raise The Stakes Tonight
(5:16) 15. Million Stars

Born in Paris, Gabrielle is half-French, half-Italian-American and was raised in France and America. Her love of singing began early, listening to such artists as Aznavour, Cocciante, Julien Clerc, Peter, Paul and Mary, the Beach Boys, and the Beatles. At school, she participated in plays, musicals, talent hows and choirs until she reached university where she began to take voice lessons, studying operatic arias. She continued with the choir and joined Henry's VIII, an a cappella group with whom she recorded her first album. During her college years, she also formed a jazz ensemble called the Jazz Cats in which she was the soloist. Her studies brought her from New York to Florence, where she pursued her love of the Italian language and its cinema. She then attended drama school in London, where she continued with her singing lessons and branched out into musicals and jazz technique. Gabrielle has worked as a professional actress and singer in the U.S., England and Italy and is now part of the English and French language voice over community in Rome. Her musical interests range from traditional Chanson Francaise, 1940s jazz standards, tango, Doo Wop, Bossanova, 60s rock n roll, 80s new wave, to modern music. She met Giacomo Bondi when he was looking for a backing vocalist who could sing in Portughese on Brazilian Jim Porto's latest release, "Diga". Their collaboration has been constant ever since. 

Don't be surprised if one day you spot Gabrielle on the metro singing along to a song by Caetano Veloso, Blossom Dearie, Sam Cooke, or the E42, or even writing the lyrics to her next song, be it pop, lounge, jazz or bossa. She has just finished working in the studio with producer Giacomo Bondi from GBMUSIC, on a Nu-Jazz/Lounge project called JAZZ SCHEMA. Two of her latest songs "Tango Matto" and "Amore Mio" can be found respectively on the compilations by sunsweptmusic "Neo Tango" and "Amore Mio. http://www.last.fm/music/Gabrielle+Chiararo/+wiki

Gabrielle the Voice of Love

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Kenny Wheeler - Six for Six

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:01
Size: 132,9 MB
Art: Front

( 8:18)  1. Seven, Eight, Nine (Part 1)
( 5:06)  2. Canter N. 6
( 5:55)  3. The Long Waiting
( 8:06)  4. Four, Five, Six
( 7:24)  5. Ballad N. 130
( 5:34)  6. Seven, Eight, Nine (Part 2)
( 6:56)  7. The Imminent Immigrant
(10:38)  8. Upwards

When artists move into their eighties, every new album is a gift. It's difficult enough for any octogenarian musician to maintain his/her game, but especially horn players, for whom embouchure and breath are so essential to tone and reach. Six for Six is, however, a curious gift from expat Canadian trumpeter Kenny Wheeler, who's made Britain his home since the mid-'50s. Recorded in 2008, it's his first sextet recording since 2003's Dream Sequence and even that album only featured one piece for all six players. What that really means, then, is that Six for Six is Wheeler's first real sextet date since 1980's Around 6, and his very first with a lineup consisting, in addition to his inimitable horn work, of two saxophones, piano, bass and drums. It's a curious program: a full six of its eight tracks were heard just last year on Wheeler's superb big band outing, The Long Waiting (Cam Jazz, 2012), but they couldn't be more different, demonstrating just how malleable Wheeler's charts can be. Recorded in 2011, The Long Waiting, "Seven, Eight, Nine" was a relatively concise, mid-tempo swinger that featured just one solo (Wheeler); here, it's broken into two parts spread across the record. The album-opening "Part 1" opens with a powerful a cappella intro from drummer Martin France that sets the tone for an album that's Wheeler's most flat-out incendiary since Double, Double You (ECM, 1984). Unlike The Long Waiting's mixed meter reading of 7/8, 6/8 and 4/4, "Part 1" here sticks with a constant 4/4, but at a much brighter clip and with plenty more solo space for Wheeler, tenor saxophonist Bobby Wellins and soprano saxophonist Stan Sulzmann.

Excising the original's second theme for further extrapolation, "Seven, Eight, Nine (Part 2)," is taken at a slightly slower pace than "Part 1" (but still considerably brighter than the big band version) and, while significantly shorter, still leaves room for impressive solos from Sulzmann (this time on tenor), Taylor and Wheeler, with Laurence a firm but pliant anchor and France, once again, playing with fire and unfettered freedom throughout this bright 6/8 take. Wellins is the only new face here, with Sulzmann, pianist John Taylor and bassist Chris Laurence all longtime Wheeler collaborators; and, although France only made his first recorded appearance with Wheeler on The Long Waiting, he's been gigging with the trumpeter for some time, and has been a member of Taylor's trio since the pianist's superb Angel of the Presence (Cam Jazz, 2006). Still, with Wellins an alumnus of British luminaries like Stan Tracey and Tubby Hayes, it's unlikely that this is the first time he and Wheeler have broken musical bread together. On the flip side to more powerful tracks like "Upwards," which more closely mirrors the energy of The Long Waiting's version, albeit with a significantly altered arrangement, Six for Six's fresh look at "The Long Waiting," with its spare duo intro from Wheeler and Taylor, is taken at a slower pace, while the more amiable pulse of the big band's "Four, Five Six" is deserted here for a shorter version that still manages to squeeze in another piano/trumpet intro, a fiery rubato exchange between Sulzmann and Wellins and, finally and at a faster clip space for concise but high octane solos from Wellins, Taylor, Wheeler and France.

It's not just because, with the exception of The Long Waiting, Six for Six is Wheeler's first Cam Jazz recording to feature a drummer though France certainly lights one heckuva fire underneath his band mates, while still proving capable of a gentler disposition on more subdued fare like "Ballad N. 130" and the brighter, but lighter-textured "The Imminent Immigrant," making its first appearance since Wheeler's quartet date All the More (Soul Note, 1997). In a career now approaching its sixth decade, Wheeler's writing has not lost any of the unmistakable lyricism that's been a defining touchstone since early recordings like the classic Gnu High (ECM, 1976), but even as he's passed the 83 mark this year, Wheeler's lost neither his tone nor his remarkable reach his closing, stratospheric note at the end of "Four, Five, Six" being something to which many trumpeters half his age still aspire. Not since Double, Double You has Wheeler released an album as exhilarating as Six for Six. With a sextet capable of delivering both the firepower and the poetry, hopefully this won't be another of the one-shot deals that have defined the rest of Wheeler's nevertheless impressive discography. ~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/kenny-wheeler-six-for-six-by-john-kelman.php
 

Personnel: Kenny Wheeler: trumpet, flugelhorn; Stan Sulzmann: tenor and soprano saxophone; Bobby Wellins: tenor saxophone; John Taylor: piano; Chris Laurence: bass; Martin France: drums.

Six for Six

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Bobby Jaspar - Cool Jazz Sounds

Styles: Flute And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:43
Size: 163,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:35)  1. Memory of Dick
(3:24)  2. There's a Small Hotel
(3:09)  3. Too Marvelous for Words
(3:01)  4. All the Things You Are
(2:49)  5. Hikueru
(2:31)  6. Nory's Kick
(3:47)  7. What's New?
(9:04)  8. Parisian Thoroughfare
(7:13)  9. Flute Blues
(3:21) 10. Stardust
(6:44) 11. More of the Same
(4:33) 12. Give Me the Simple Life
(6:36) 13. 52nd Street
(8:48) 14. Formidable

A fine bop-oriented soloist equally skilled on his cool-toned tenor and flute, Bobby Jaspar's early death from a heart ailment was a tragic loss. As a teenager, he played tenor in a Dixieland group with Toots Thielemans in Belgium. He recorded with Henri Renaud (1951 and 1953) and played with touring Americans, including Jimmy Raney, Chet Baker (1955), and his future wife Blossom Dearie. In 1956, Jaspar moved to New York, where he worked with J.J. Johnson, was briefly with Miles Davis (1957), and with Donald Byrd. He mostly freelanced during the remainder of his career. Bobby Jaspar recorded for Swing, Vogue, and Barclay while in Paris, and led dates for Prestige and Riverside in the U.S. during 1957. ~ Scott Yanow https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/bobby-jaspar/id2625804#fullText

Cool Jazz Sounds

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The Eric Ineke Jazzxpress - Dexternity

Styles: Jazz, Mainstream Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:07
Size: 110,7 MB
Art: Front

(0:16)  1. Dexter Gordon - Announcement
(5:29)  2. Fried Bananas
(5:06)  3. The Panther
(5:38)  4. Tivoli
(6:15)  5. Boston Bernie
(5:17)  6. Sticky Wicket
(5:32)  7. Body and Soul
(3:12)  8. Soy Califa
(5:56)  9. Mrs. Minniver
(5:22) 10. Cheese Cake

Normally when Dexter toured in Europe back in the sixties and seventies, it was as a solo musician picking up local rhythm sections in each city along the way. But in Holland, he had a “working band” with Rein de Graaff on piano, Henk Haverhoek on bass and Eric Ineke on drums. 

The main reason for this was that their booker Wim Wigt managed to find gigs in Hilversum, Leiden, Veendam, Venlo, Zwolle, Den Haag, Heemskerk, Amsterdam, De Woude, Rotterdam, and Eschede. When Dexter would tell people about all the towns he had played in during his time in Holland, they were incredulous. He would tell them that there were jazz lovers in all these places in a country the size of the state of Maryland. Dexternity is a tribute by 'the working band drummer' Eric Ineke. This tribute includes some of Dexter’s signature compositions including Fried Bananas, The Panther (composed in tribute to the Black Panthers), Tivoli, Boston Bernie, Sticky Wicket, Soy Califa, Mrs. Miniver, and Cheese Cake. They have also included the classic Body and Soul,  the composition that “must” be played every night, according to Dexter Gordon. 

Dexternity

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Charlie Christian, Dizzy Gillespie - After Hours (Remastered)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:38
Size: 115.9 MB
Styles: Bop, Guitar jazz
Year: 1964/2000
Art: Front

[8:51] 1. Swing To Bop
[8:11] 2. Stompin' At The Savoy
[6:07] 3. Up On Teddy's Hill
[3:03] 4. Down On Teddy's Hill
[2:24] 5. Guy's Got To Go
[4:54] 6. Lips Flips
[6:12] 7. Stardust (Vers 1)
[7:29] 8. Kerouac
[3:22] 9. Stardust (Vers 2)

AFTER HOURS is an excellent live document of the early roots of bebop, capturing this exciting music in the process of being built by its pioneering architects. Recorded live in New York City at jam sessions at Minton's Playhouse and Monroe's Uptown House in 1941, these tapes feature young modernists Charlie Christian, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Kenny Clarke, and Don Byas as they pushed the structural materials of swing toward something new and intense.

Beyond the historical significance of these sessions, however, the music is simply fabulous. There are revisions of "Stardust" and "Stompin' at the Savoy, " but the tunes are mainly blues-based improvisations, with plenty of syncopated play and stretched-out soloing from all involved. Christian's guitar takes center stage--his fluid, fleet-fingered style and mellow amplified tone have become such a stock part of jazz guitar, it is hard to remember that he almost single-handedly wrote the book. Though Gillespie gets double-billing on this set, he only appears on four of the nine tunes, but one can hear early hints of the advanced technical style that would explode in his work with Charlie Parker in the later '40s. This music is truly classic. ~AllMusic

After Hours (Remastered)

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Lena Seikaly - Lovely Changes

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:01
Size: 96.2 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[4:06] 1. Amateur
[4:33] 2. Memento
[3:37] 3. Triste
[3:41] 4. What Was I Supposed To Do
[4:03] 5. The Way You Look Tonight
[4:47] 6. Here Again
[4:07] 7. God Only Knows
[4:09] 8. Can't Get Out Of This Mood
[4:11] 9. Everytime We Say Goodbye
[4:42] 10. Waltz #1

Given Lena Seikaly’s firm grounding in harmony and composition, it’s no surprise that a musician sharing the bandstand with her once remarked on a harmonic progression she’d written: “Man, those are some lovely changes!” The phrase struck a chord and emerged as the title of her second recording.

On Seikaly’s new album, her second, there are Lovely Changes in more ways than one. The album presents a constantly shifting harmonic and rhythmic landscape in which familiar jazz classics by Cole Porter, Frank Loesser and Jerome Kern co-exist alongside Seikaly originals and unexpected arrangements of more contemporary songs by Elliot Smith, Brian Wilson and Amie Mann; a touch of 1967 Antonio Carlos Jobim bridges the gap. Seikaly’s cool, classic jazz voice breathes a cohesive beauty into the recording, the release of which she celebrates with a show this Sunday at Blues Alley. Her vocals are complemented by the savvy arrangements and sensitive musicianship that she and her band mates put forward; the group is comprised of Dan Roberts on piano, Tom Baldwin on bass and Dominic Smith on
drums. ~Ken Avis

Lovely Changes

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Various - Wall Of Sound: The Very Best Of Phil Spector 1961-1966

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:00
Size: 121.4 MB
Styles: R&B, Pop-Rock
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[2:30] 1. The Crystals - He's A Rebel
[2:19] 2. The Crystals - Da Doo Ron Ron
[2:40] 3. The Ronettes - Be My Baby
[2:37] 4. The Crystals - Then He Kissed Me
[2:45] 5. Darlene Love - (Today I Met) The Boy I'm Gonna Marry
[2:52] 6. The Ronettes - Baby, I Love You
[2:42] 7. The Crystals - He's Sure The Boy I Love
[2:50] 8. Bob B. Soxx & The Blue Jeans - Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah
[2:24] 9. Darlene Love - Wait Til' My Bobby Gets Home
[3:15] 10. The Ronettes - Walking In The Rain
[2:20] 11. The Crystals - Uptown
[2:49] 12. Darlene Love - Why Do Lovers Break Each Others Hearts
[2:55] 13. The Ronettes - Do I Love You
[2:45] 14. Darlene Love - A Fine, Fine Boy
[2:29] 15. The Crystals - There's No Other Like My Baby
[3:44] 16. The Righteous Brothers - You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling
[3:03] 17. The Ronettes - (The Best Part Of) Breakin' Up
[2:29] 18. Darlene Love - Not Too Young To Get Married
[3:25] 19. Ike Turner - River Deep, Mountain High

Phil Spector was really more of a back-tier session musician, songwriter, and occasional producer when he started his own Philles Records imprint in 1961. He had some success, having written, played guitar, and sung backup vocals on 1958’s “To Know Him Is to Love Him” (which hit the top of the pop charts that year) as part of the Teddy Bears and he worked for a time as part of the production team for Leiber & Stoller, co-writing “Spanish Harlem” for Ben E. King and playing guitar on the Drifters' “On Broadway,” and he produced minor sides for LaVern Baker and Ruth Brown, among others, but there was really little to distinguish him from any number of other hopefuls clustered around the pop music scene as the 1960s dawned. But Spector was driven, single-minded, and stubborn, and he had a sound in his head. Now with his own label, he set out to record a series of singles he termed “little symphonies for the kids” that are among the most distinctive and influential recordings in the history of pop music. Combining massed pianos, guitars, string arrangements by Jack Nitzsche, tons of layered percussion, and huge washes of echo, working with the West Coast’s best session players (including Hal Blaine, Tommy Tedesco, Larry Knechtel, Leon Russell, and Harold Battiste -- the so-called Wrecking Crew), and leaning heavily on his engineer Larry Levine to catch all of this in the small confines of Gold Star Studios in Los Angeles, Spector developed his “Wall of Sound” production approach, controlling every aspect of the recordings until, even though he wasn’t singing or even playing any instrument, they became -- in essence -- Phil Spector records. This is not to diminish the singers he used -- Ronnie Bennett, Darlene Love, Tina Turner, and the Righteous Brothers, among others -- but a Spector recording in the 1960s was just that, a Spector recording. This 19-track set collects the best of his Philles releases, including the classics “He’s a Rebel,” “Da Doo Ron Ron,” and “There’s No Other Like My Baby” by the Crystals, “Be My Baby,” “Baby, I Love You,” “Walking in the Rain,” and “(The Best Part Of) Breakin' Up” by the Ronettes, the Righteous Brothers' “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling,” and Ike & Tina Turner's “River Deep, Mountain High.” Spector amassed a singular catalog at Philles between 1961 and 1966 and his legacy will always be linked to it -- for those five years, there was no one on earth making better-sounding pop records. The proof of that is collected here. ~Steve Leggett

Wall Of Sound: The Very Best Of Phil Spector 1961-1966

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Charlie Mariano - S/T

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:41
Size: 86.3 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[5:29] 1. Where Or When/Johnny One Note
[3:58] 2. The Very Thought Of You
[3:08] 3. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
[5:21] 4. King For A Day
[4:19] 5. Darn That Dream
[4:32] 6. Floormat
[6:42] 7. Blues (Traditional)
[4:09] 8. I Heard That You Cried Last Night

Charlie Mariano is an American jazz alto saxophonist. He played with one of the Stan Kenton big bands, Toshiko Akiyoshi (his then wife), Charles Mingus, Eberhard Weber, the United Jazz and Rock Ensemble and numerous other notable musicians.

His career can easliy be divided into two. Early on he was a fixture in Boston, playing with Shorty Sherock (1948), Nat Pierce (1949-50) and his own groups. After gigging with a band co-led by Chubby Jackson and Bill Harris, Mariano toured with Stan Kenton's Orchestra (1953-55) which gave him a strong reputation. He moved to Los Angeles in 1956 (working with Shelly Manne and other West Coast jazz stars), returned to Boston to teach in 1958 at Berklee and the following year had a return stint with Kenton. After marrying Toshiko Akiyoshi, Mariano co-led a group with the pianist on and off up to 1967, living in Japan during part of the time and also working with Charles Mingus (1962-63).

The second career began with the formation of his early fusion group Osmosis in 1967. Known at the time as a strong bop altoist with a sound of his own developed out of the Charlie Parker style, Mariano began to open his music up to the influences of folk music from other cultures, pop and rock. He taught again at Berklee, traveled to India and the Far East and in the early '70s settled in Europe. Among the groups Mariano has worked with have been Pork Pie (which also featured Philip Catherine), the United Jazz and Rock Ensemble and Eberhard Weber's Colours. Charlie Mariano's airy tones on soprano and the nagaswaram (an Indian instrument a little like an oboe) fit right in on some new agey ECM sessions and he also recorded as a leader through the years for Imperial, Prestige, Bethlehem, World Pacific, Candid (with Toshiko Akiyoshi in 1960), Regina, Atlantic, Catalyst, MPS, CMP, Leo and Calig among others.

Charlie Mariano

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Sheila Cooper - Phoenix Rising

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:22
Size: 129.1 MB
Styles: Saxophone & vocal jazz
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[4:44] 1. Man Overboard
[5:00] 2. Learnin' The Blues
[5:00] 3. Phoenix Rising
[4:12] 4. Devil May Care
[3:12] 5. Kiss And Tell
[5:19] 6. The Home Inside My Heart
[3:09] 7. Ridin' High
[6:25] 8. Blues In The Night
[4:44] 9. If I Had You
[2:58] 10. Just Be Livin' In It
[4:13] 11. Don't Look Down
[3:31] 12. Embraceable You
[3:48] 13. Man Overboard (Radio Edit)

Sheila Cooper: vocals, alto saxophone; Gary Versace: piano, Hammond B-3 organ, accordion; Ed Howard: acoustic bass; Billy Drummond: drums; John Hart: guitar (6, 9); Luis Ribeiro: percussion (3, 4).

On “Phoenix Rising”, her fourth CD as a leader, Sheila Cooper brings her songwriting skills to the fore, with six inspired new compositions that match her emotional breadth as a performer, from humorous (“Man Overboard”, “Just Be Livin’ In It”), to romantic (“Kiss and Tell”) to searching (“Phoenix Rising”, “The Home Inside My Heart”). Sheila is backed by master New York musicians Gary Versace on piano, organ, and accordian, Ed Howard on acoustic bass, and Billy Drummond on drums, with guest appearances by guitarist John Hart and Vienna-based Brazilian percussionist Luis Ribeiro, Sheila and her band create grooving, soulful and impassioned moods on these originals and the her signature witty reworkings of standards that complete the set.

"Canadian-born, NYC-based singer and saxophonist Cooper has developed her own self-assured sound as both a vocalist and altoist - her refreshingly simple, unfussy delivery befits her Konitz-esque sax tone while her unpretentious singing draws on her narrative abilities over excessive reliance on technique. RECOMMENDED. ~ TIMEOUT LONDON, UK

Phoenix Rising

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Kenny Wheeler & John Taylor - On The Way To Two

Styles: Trumpet And Piano Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:43
Size: 108,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:12)  1. Canter#2
(5:54)  2. Fedora
(1:42)  3. Sketch No. 1
(5:47)  4. Quiso
(4:33)  5. Who Knows?
(2:57)  6. Sketch No. 2
(5:05)  7. Clore To Mars
(3:22)  8. Fortune's Child
(2:45)  9. Sketch No. 3
(8:22) 10. Flower Is A Lovesome Thing

Trumpeter/flugelhornist Kenny Wheeler's death in September, 2014 led to the posthumous release on ECM of the beautiful and moving Songs For Quintet. However, since 2004, Wheeler recorded on CAM Jazz label, many times with the pianist who seems to be everywhere, John Taylor, starting with the duo-recording Where Do We Go From Here?.  2005 found Wheeler recording two albums with Taylor, a quartet record, What Now? and a second duo record 2005 Other People.  It turns out that there was a third recording in 2005, the understated, beautiful and moving duo recording with Taylor, On The Way To Two. Making this release especially poignant is the fact that during the album's production Taylor wrote these words to Wheeler in the liner notes:

To my friend Kenny,

I want to tell you what a joyful and exhilarating time I have had listening to this music that we made a decade ago. You sound so alive and brilliantly creative inspiring me all the way. The new pieces are beautiful and your playing of them breathtaking. I should have asked how you did it and also how you managed to cope with some of my rather oblique comping throughout the session! I remember we were not so convinced of our efforts at the time  which was often the case of course but the passage of time has allowed me a more objective view.  It was a privilege and joy to play with you for most of my life and I wish you were here now to listen to this music again with me. All thanks and love, John.

Unfortunately, Taylor himself passed before the album's production was finished. On the short side, with just under forty-five minutes of music, the core individual musical attributes of Wheeler and Taylor, as well as their remarkable communication is on display for all to hear. Of the ten tracks, five are Wheeler compositions, with three improvisatory "Sketches," one Taylor composition, and ending with the longest track, Billy Strayhorn's "A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing." Recorded spaciously, the music is quite intense in the sense of there being absolutely nothing extra, requiring concentration; this is not background music. In juxtaposition and in contradiction to this intensity is the music's low heat that works delightfully with the composed/improvised lines that manage to be unpredictable while feeling inexorably logical. The one Taylor composition, "Close To Mars," has the mournfulness of a Wheeler composition, but with a clearer construction, making this track feel a bit more grounded, while the three "Sketches," which include some inside-the-piano sounds, provide some aural palate cleansing and a bit of relaxation. Everything comes together with the magnificent rendition of the Strayhorn tune. Wheeler's sound, pitch choices and the way he plays each note differently are completely apropos for this tune, as is Taylor's lush accompaniment and close reactions to Wheeler. On The Way To Two is just about perfect and is a fine musical document to the memories of Kenny Wheeler and John Taylor. ~ Budd Kopman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/on-the-way-to-two-kenny-wheeler-john-taylor-cam-jazz-review-by-budd-kopman.php
 

Personnel:  Kenny Wheeler: trumpet, flugelhorn;  John Taylor: piano.

On The Way To Two

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