Nnenna Freelon - Listen

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:28
Size: 148,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:25)  1. Gaia's Garden
(3:58)  2. Dad's Delight / Lil B's Poem
(5:15)  3. Will You Still Love Me Tomorro
(6:15)  4. I'll Be Around / I Love You
(6:28)  5. Ballad for Aisha
(4:42)  6. A Hundred Dreams From Now
(3:34)  7. Circle Song
(3:30)  8. Sol Cycle
(5:26)  9. Waste Not Want Not
(4:49) 10. Journey of the Heart
(7:00) 11. Song of Silent Footprints
(4:59) 12. Lost in the Stars
(3:00) 13. Listen

Nnenna Chinyere Freelon is a world-renowned jazz vocalist; she has recorded extensively and been nominated for numerous Grammy Awards. While this doesn't necessarily set her apart from other more prolific female jazz singers, there is one aspect of her career that does: she didn't begin recording until she was in her late thirties. She was born in Cambridge, MA, in 1954 as Nnenna Chinyere Pierce. She began singing at an early age in church, but didn't pursue music as a career until decades later. She graduated from Simmons College, with a degree in health care administration. She worked for a time in in social services for Durham, NC's hospital corporation. In 1979, she married Philip Freelon, an architect. The couple had three children before she began to consider a career in music. She studied with Yusef Lateef, developing her singing through listening to horn players. Her big break came in 1990 while attending the Southern Arts Federation's jazz meeting, and sitting in with Ellis Marsalis. Marsalis was doing A&R for Columbia Records' Dr. George Butler at the time, and asked the singer for a tape, which he passed on to Butler, who signed her. Her self-titled debut recording was released in 1992 and attracted mixed reviews due to Freelon's heavy stylistic debt to Sarah Vaughan  though this was not entirely the vocalist's fault but her producer's. Her second album, a ballad-heavy collection entitled Heritage, was released in 1993, and was received by critics and fans alike as a jewel. Freelon truly established her own voice and style with her 1994 outing, Listen. it was her final recording for Columbia. In 1995 she signed to Concord (where she was granted far more artistic control over her recordings). She released her first album for the label, Shaking Free, in 1996; for it she received her first Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Performance. Maiden Voyage, released in 1998, was also nominated for Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Performance; it displayed her interest in the role of women in music and society as expressed through her sometimes radical but always elegant interpretations of pop and folk songs as well as jazz standards. 

In 2000, Freelon branched out. She made her acting debut in the feature film What Women Want and released her first self-produced set, Soulcall. The album garnered her two Grammy nominations: one for Best Jazz Vocal Album and another for Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying a Vocal for her interpretation of the standard "Button Up Your Overcoat." In 2002 she released Tales of Wonder: Celebrating Stevie Wonder, a tribute recording of songs written by, and associated with, the Motown great, and as a reward, received another Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Album. She recorded her first live album in 2005, and followed it with her radical Blueprint of a Lady: Sketches of Billie Holiday in 2006; this album is wildly refreshing for the way in which Freelon took great liberties with songs associated with Holiday, reinterpreting them in contemporary settings and in her own bold image. And while some jazz critics took notable exception to messing with Lady Day, Freelon was nonetheless honored by the RIAA with another Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Album. In 2008, she appeared as the only vocalist on the Monterey Jazz Festival: 50th Anniversary All-Stars album, fronting a band that starred Benny Green, James Moody, Terence Blanchard, Kendrick Scott, and Derrick Hodge. In 2010, Ms. Freelon released her seventh Concord album, Homefree. ~ Thom Jurek https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/nnenna-freelon/id902838#fullText

Personnel: Nnenna Freelon, Jon Lucien (vocals); Dick Oatts (alto & soprano saxophones); Alex Foster (tenor saxophone); Earl Gardner (trumpet); Scott Whitfield (trombone); Cecil Bridgewater (flugelhorn); Dave Valentin (soprano flute); Yusef Lateef (alto flute); Stan Pollack (violin); Kathryn Klenke (viola); Eugene Moye (cello); Bill Fischer (vibraphone, marimba, bells); Bill O'Connell (piano); Scott Sawyer (guitar); Ron Carter (bass); Ricky Sebastian (drums); Warren Smith (percussion).

Listen

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Dizzy Gillespie - One Night In Washington

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1955
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:08
Size: 113,2 MB
Art: Front

(16:48)  1. The Afro Suite - Manteca
( 7:56)  2. Hobnail Boogie
( 6:25)  3. Wild Bill's Boogie
( 5:15)  4. Caravan
( 6:26)  5. Tin Tin Deo
( 6:16)  6. Up 'N' Downs

Dizzy Gillespie was recruited as a special guest to perform on March 13, 1955, in concert with the Orchestra (a Washington, D.C., big band), a date that was recorded by Bill Potts and not initially released until 1983 by Elektra Musician. Although there was only a brief rehearsal of Gillespie with the band prior to their performance of the trumpeter's "The Afro Suite" (which includes "Manteca" plus a trio of pieces written in collaboration with Chico O'Farrill), they provide excellent support for this extended work, which features the composer extensively. Two pieces from the vast repertoire of Count Basie, "Hobnail Boogie" and "Wild Bill's Boogie," are enjoyable, though pianist Larry Eanet suffers from an inadequate microphone setup. Ed Dimond takes over the keyboard for an explosive Latin-flavored romp through "Caravan," though Gillespie obviously steals the show. The rather reserved small group rendition of "Tin Tin Deo" is curious but still of interest. The closer is bassist Tom McKay's swinging riff tune "Up 'N' Downs," which sounds like it could have easily been a part of Basie's songbook. One oddity about the concert is that Charlie Parker had died during the previous night, but this was not known to the musicians as his passing had not yet been announced. One of the more obscure recordings by Dizzy Gillespie, One Night in Washington is well worth acquiring. ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/one-night-in-washington-mw0000218828

Personnel: Dizzy Gillespie (vocals, trumpet); Dizzy Gillespie; Mike Goldberg (alto saxophone); Joel Davie (tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Jim Parker (tenor saxophone); Charles Frankhauser, Bob Carey (trumpet); Ed Dimond (piano, percussion); Mert Oliver (double bass); George Caldwell, Tom McKay (congas); Angelo Tompros, Spencer Sinatra (tenor saxophone); Al Porcino, Marky Markowitz, Ed Leddy, Bunny Aldhizer (trumpet); Earl Swope, Rob Swope, Dick Leith (trombone); Larry Eanet (piano); Joe Timer (drums).

One Night In Washington

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Harold Danko - Three of Four

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 68:27
Size: 125,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:37)  1. Jitterbug Waltz
(6:48)  2. Tintiyana
(6:45)  3. Everybody's song but my own
(5:32)  4. Ruby My Dear
(6:31)  5. Turn out the stars
(5:18)  6. 502blues
(7:45)  7. Little Niles
(6:35)  8. Black fire
(6:40)  9. Valse Hot
(5:11) 10. Walk on the water
(5:40) 11. Blue in green

Even when it seems that you've heard all that there is to hear and all of the up-and-coming musicians that are out there to hear, someone will inadvertently pop up and surprise you. Such is the case with pianist Harold Danko, a gentleman who works as a college educator by day, stepping out once in awhile to lead a record date or two for Sunnyside or SteepleChase. It was his recent work for the latter label, as part of a great quartet, that brought Danko to the attention of this reviewer. Since then, his remarkable authority and heartfelt approach has been nothing short of an inspiration. A specific concept is at play for this new trio affair, we get three of the regular quartet's four members on board (bassist Scott Colley and drummer Jeff Hirshfield) and the program consists exclusively of tunes in the waltz tempo of 3/4 time or 6/8 on occasion. And then leave it to Danko to go for broke by sagaciously choosing eleven tracks that run the gamut from Waller's "Jitterbug Waltz" to Andrew Hill's "Black Fire." Avoiding any monotony that might be suggested by the waltz concept, Danko treats each piece creatively. As a result, Bill Evans' "Turn Out the Stars" appears as a lilting bossa and Monk's "Ruby My Dear" gets its first-ever treatment in three. 

Abdullah Ibrahim's "Tintiyana" also must be mentioned because it's stately marching tempo and Danko's rapturous solo make it one of disc's finest moments. As could be expected from a working band, these three men share a musical bond that elevates this set to one of the best piano trio sides in recent memory. Both in support and as a soloist, Scott Colley is quickly becoming a bassist to keep your eyes on with a deep and sonorous sound and quickfire imagination. Danko's style is so much his own that its hard to make the usual comparisons that help to better define a player's approach via the written word. He's at once incendiary on the scorching numbers and movingly introspective on the pretty ballads. In the end, you realize that the possibilities inherent in "three" are more than previously thought imaginable. ~ C.Andrew Hovan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/three-of-four-harold-danko-steeplechase-records-review-by-c-andrew-hovan.php
 

Personnel: Harold Danko- piano, Scott Colley- bass, Jeff Hirshfield- drums

Three of Four

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Earl Hines - One For My Baby

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1974
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:09
Size: 106,5 MB
Art: Front

( 5:03)  1. It's Only A Paper Moon
( 5:16)  2. One For My Baby
( 7:03)  3. Ill Wind
( 5:05)  4. Blues In The Night
( 6:22)  5. Stormy Weather
(12:00)  6. I've Got A Right To Sing The Blues
( 5:17)  7. As Long As I Live

Once called "the first modern jazz pianist," Earl Hines differed from the stride pianists of the 1920s by breaking up the stride rhythms with unusual accents from his left hand. While his right hand often played octaves so as to ring clearly over ensembles, Hines had the trickiest left hand in the business, often suspending time recklessly but without ever losing the beat. One of the all-time great pianists, Hines was a major influence on Teddy Wilson, Jess Stacy, Joe Sullivan, Nat King Cole, and even to an extent on Art Tatum. He was also an underrated composer responsible for "Rosetta," "My Monday Date," and "You Can Depend on Me," among others. Earl Hines played trumpet briefly as a youth before switching to piano. His first major job was accompanying vocalist Lois Deppe, and he made his first recordings with Deppe and his orchestra in 1922. The following year, Hines moved to Chicago where he worked with Sammy Stewart and Erskine Tate's Vendome Theatre Orchestra. He started teaming up with Louis Armstrong in 1926, and the two masterful musicians consistently inspired each other. Hines worked briefly in Armstrong's big band (formerly headed by Carroll Dickerson), and they unsuccessfully tried to manage their own club. 1928 was one of Hines' most significant years. He recorded his first ten piano solos, including versions of "A Monday Date," "Blues in Thirds," and "57 Varieties." Hines worked much of the year with Jimmy Noone's Apex Club Orchestra, and their recordings are also considered classic. Hines cut brilliant (and futuristic) sides with Louis Armstrong's Hot Five, resulting in such timeless gems as "West End Blues," "Fireworks," "Basin Street Blues," and their remarkable trumpet-piano duet "Weather Bird." And on his birthday on December 28, Hines debuted with his big band at Chicago's Grand Terrace.

A brilliant ensemble player as well as soloist, Earl Hines would lead big bands for the next 20 years. Among the key players in his band through the 1930s would be trumpeter/vocalist Walter Fuller, Ray Nance on trumpet and violin (prior to joining Duke Ellington), trombonist Trummy Young, tenor saxophonist Budd Johnson, Omer Simeon and Darnell Howard on reeds, and arranger Jimmy Mundy. In 1940, Billy Eckstine became the band's popular singer, and in 1943 (unfortunately during the musicians' recording strike), Hines welcomed such modernists as Charlie Parker (on tenor), trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, and singer Sarah Vaughan in what was the first bebop orchestra. By the time the strike ended, Eckstine, Parker, Gillespie, and Vaughan were gone, but tenor Wardell Gray was still around to star with the group during 1945-1946.

In 1948, the economic situation forced Hines to break up his orchestra. He joined the Louis Armstrong All-Stars, but three years of playing second fiddle to his old friend were difficult to take. After leaving Armstrong in 1951, Hines moved to Los Angeles and later San Francisco, heading a Dixieland band. Although his style was much more modern, Hines kept the group working throughout the 1950s, at times featuring Muggsy Spanier, Jimmy Archey, and Darnell Howard. Hines did record on a few occasions, but was largely forgotten in the jazz world by the early '60s. Then, in 1964, jazz writer Stanley Dance arranged for him to play three concerts at New York's Little Theater, both solo and in a quartet with Budd Johnson. The New York critics were amazed by Hines' continuing creativity and vitality, and he had a major comeback that lasted through the rest of his career. Hines traveled the world with his quartet, recorded dozens of albums, and remained famous and renowned up until his death at the age of 79. Most of the many recordings from his career are currently available on CD. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/artist/earl-hines-mn0000455522/biography

Personnel: Earl Hines (piano)

One For My Baby

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Marc Bernstein Quartet - Blue Walls

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:18
Size: 138.1 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 1999/2012
Art: Front

[ 6:32] 1. Blue Walls
[ 6:56] 2. Mirror Mirror
[12:33] 3. Poppy Willy
[ 8:07] 4. Giant Steps
[ 8:48] 5. Naked Souls
[ 7:39] 6. A Ballad For Doll
[ 9:41] 7. Gramps Prance

Marc Bernstein - Saxophones and Alto flute; Billy Hart - Drums; Oliver Antunes - Piano; Mads Vinding - Bass.

Saxophonist, composer, producer and educator Marc Kibrick Bernstein was born in Brooklyn, NY on January 19, 1961. After hearing a recording of Benny Goodman's small group at a clarinet lesson as a youngster, Marc started going to the Village Vanguard, Sweet Basil and 7th Ave South to regularly hear, amongst others: Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, James Moody, Gil Evans Big Band, George Coleman, The Brecker Brothers, Harold Mabern, Jaco Pastorius.

Upon graduation from Berklee College of Music in 1984, Marc had been inspired further by hearing great Bostonians like Roy Haynes, Jerry Bergonzi, Allan Dawson, and his sax mentors Jimmy Mosher and George Garzone. Bernstein returned to New York in 1985 and recorded with Hal Galper and Billy Hart. He formed a quartet and duo featuring Hal which performed occasionally until the early 90’s. In addition, Marc played quite regularly with his group featuring Billy during that same period.

Blue Walls

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Nicki Parrott - Fly Me To The Moon

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:54
Size: 128.0 MB
Styles: Easy Listening, Jazz vocals
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[4:00] 1. Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen
[4:00] 2. I Love The Way You're Breakin' My Heart
[5:04] 3. Do It Again
[4:02] 4. Fly Me To The Moon
[2:33] 5. La Vie En Rose
[4:56] 6. Waltzing Matilda
[5:04] 7. I Never Had A Chance
[3:13] 8. Evil Gal Blues
[5:29] 9. For All We Know
[4:19] 10. Charade
[4:56] 11. I Never Dreamed You'd Leave In Summer
[2:54] 12. Them There Eyes
[5:17] 13. Two For The Road

Drums – Billy Drummond; Guitar – Mark Sganga; Piano – John DiMartino; Saxophone [Baritone], Saxophone [Soprano] – Lisa Parrott; Saxophone [Tenor] – Harry Allen; Vocals, Bass – Nicki Parrott.

Australian-born and New York-based Nicki Parrot is a double threat: She can play the bass very competently, and has a singing voice that shares the relaxed sexiness of Julie London and the coquettishness of Blossom Dearie. She has performed and/or recorded with the legendary guitarist Les Paul, pianist Rachel Z and her sister Lisa Parrott. Following her smash hit Venus debut CD Moon River, the eagerly awaited second album is finally here! Her bass playing is more powerful and emotive, and her singing gained on the sultry quotient. Just listen to the very sexy "Do It Again." Nicki surrounded herself with wonderful musicians again. John di Martino, Billy Drummond and Harry Allen -- familiar faces from the previous album -- are joined by Nicki's sister Lisa, who plays baritone and soprano saxophones, and guitarist Mark Sganga.

Fly Me To The Moon

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The Good Fellas - 13 Women

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:10
Size: 142.3 MB
Styles: Swing, Jump blues
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[3:03] 1. Ruby The Redheaded Bartender
[2:01] 2. Il Tuo Bacio E' Come Un Rock
[4:29] 3. Rick'n'roll Boogie
[2:23] 4. Okie Dokie Stomp
[2:39] 5. Dracula Cha Cha Cha
[2:27] 6. Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens
[5:01] 7. Sentirsi Solo
[2:56] 8. The Return Of Sofisticated Ledar
[3:18] 9. Kansas City
[4:24] 10. Those Lips (I'm Livin' For)
[4:24] 11. I'll Never Fall In Love Again
[3:00] 12. I Get A Kick Out Of You
[5:16] 13. You Rescued Me
[3:59] 14. Walkin' With Mr.S
[2:53] 15. Il Ribelle
[4:14] 16. Tickle Toe
[2:29] 17. The Grasshopper
[3:02] 18. Thirteen Women

The most cursory glance down the roster of America’s most popular troubadours, immediately reveals one prime and inescapable fact, the majority are of Italian-American extraction. Caruso, Sinatra, Como, Prima, Monte, Bennett, Darin…the list seems endless. “Why”, many an eager bobby-soxer has asked “are so many of the great singers Italian?” Why, indeed? The answer is, of course, to step into the history and folkways of a people that it would take thousands of words to explain. But, we can briefly say, it’s because of their warm-hearted, unrestrained humour and passion for life. As a part of this good company we can find “THE GOOD FELLAS”. Better known as the “GANGSTERS OF SWING”, dressed in old fashioned, strictly Italian made, double breast Capone suites, wearing two tone shoes, laughing at life like everyone does deep down in the land of pizza and mandolino. To be a “good fellow” means to be a true gentleman, loyal and respectful of strong heritage and traditions. It means to smell of the full Italian flavour, while always hungry for a lady’s kiss among the scene of a Neapolitan moonlight. What they do best is the well-known, truly genuine, Italian way of entertaining known the World over. Swingin and jokin’ all the time with the audience in that half Italian, half English, macaroni language. This band truly swings.

13 Women

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The Ornette Coleman Quartet - This Is Our Music

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:41
Size: 88.6 MB
Styles: Mainstream jazz, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1961/2014
Art: Front

[5:15] 1. P.S. Unless One Has [blues Connotation]
[7:12] 2. Beauty Is A Rare Thing
[6:33] 3. Kaleidoscope
[4:54] 4. Embraceable You
[4:36] 5. Poise
[5:20] 6. Humpty Dumpty
[4:47] 7. Folk Tale

Ed Blackwell - Drums; Don Cherry - Trumpet; Ornette Coleman - Sax (Alto); Charlie Haden - Bass.

With two landmark albums already under its belt, the Ornette Coleman Quartet spent nearly a year out of the studio before reconvening for This Is Our Music. This time, Billy Higgins is replaced on drums by Ed Blackwell, who has a similar knack for anticipating the ensemble's direction, and proves a more fiery presence on tracks like "Kaleidoscope" and "Folk Tale." The session is also notable for containing the only standard (or, for that matter, the only non-original) Coleman recorded during his tenure with Atlantic -- Gershwin's "Embraceable You," which is given a lyrical interpretation and even a rather old-time, sentimental intro (which may or may not be sarcastic, but really is pretty). In general, though, Coleman disapproved of giving up his own voice and viewed standards as concessions to popular taste; as the unapologetic title of the album makes clear, he wanted to be taken (or left) on his own terms. And that word "our" also makes clear just how important the concept of group improvisation was to Coleman's goals. Anyone can improvise whenever he feels like it, and the players share such empathy that each knows how to add to the feeling of the ensemble without undermining its egalitarian sense of give and take. Their stark, thin textures were highly distinctive, and both Coleman and Cherry chose instruments (respectively, an alto made of plastic rather than brass and a pocket trumpet or cornet instead of a standard trumpet) to accentuate that quality. It's all showcased to best effect here on the hard-swinging "Blues Connotation" and the haunting "Beauty Is a Rare Thing," though pretty much every composition has something to recommend it. All in all, This Is Our Music keeps one of the hottest creative streaks in jazz history going strong. ~Steve Huey

This Is Our Music

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Herb Ellis, Freddie Green - Rhythm Willie

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:15
Size: 86,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:10)  1. It Had to Be You
(5:56)  2. Rhythm Willie
(3:39)  3. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You
(5:08)  4. A Smooth One
(4:24)  5. When My Dream Boat Comes Home
(4:08)  6. Conversations
(4:26)  7. I Want a Little Girl
(5:21)  8. Orange, Brown and Green

Guitarist Herb Ellis is joined by rhythm guitarist Freddie Green, pianist Ross Tompkins, bassist Ray Brown and drummer Jake Hanna for this lightly swinging but uneventful program which has been reissued on CD. Since Green as usual does not solo, his contribution is purely as a background player. Ellis, Tompkins and Brown are the lead voices on a variety of swing tunes; best are "It Had To Be You," "A Smooth One" and "When My Dream Boat Comes Home." ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/rhythm-willie-mw0000197167

Personnel:  Herb Ellis, Freddie Green (guitar);  Ross Tompkins (piano);  Ray Brown (bass);  Jake Hanna (drums).

Rhythm Willie

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Rebecca Jenkins - Blue Skies

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 29:57
Size: 69,6 MB
Art: Front

(2:19)  1. They Can't Take That Away From Me
(2:22)  2. Moon River
(2:02)  3. Like Someone In Love
(2:45)  4. Corcovado (Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars)
(2:26)  5. Blue Skies
(2:41)  6. In My Solitude
(2:25)  7. Cheek To Cheek
(2:37)  8. Once I Loved
(3:06)  9. God Bless the Child
(2:42) 10. Night and Day
(1:36) 11. All of Me
(2:51) 12. In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning

Rebecca Jenkins, one of Canada’s most beloved and accomplished actresses, returns to her jazz roots with the release of a new CD of jazz standards, Blue Skies. With Blue Skies Jenkins brings her pure and soulful voice, and her original phrasing and interpretations, to twelve jazz standards, backed by musicians, Alan Matheson (trumpet), Joel Bakan (guitar), and Liam MacDonald (drums and percussion). Blue Skies was independently co-produced by Jenkins with Bakan (writer of The Corporation book and film). Jenkins burst onto the Canadian film scene with her best actress Genie Award-winning performance as a 1940s jazz singer in Anne Wheeler's Bye Bye Blues (the soundtrack was released by Warner Bros. as an album). Her soulful and charismatic singing and acting in that film launched a career that has included numerous critically-acclaimed and award-winning roles in Canadian and American film and television. Among other things, she played the lead in the CBC series Black Harbour, starred alongside Oscar winners Tim Robbins (Bob Roberts) and Kevin Spacey (Darrow), and played lead roles in several recent feature films written and/or directed by Daniel MacIvor (Past Perfect, Marion Bridge, Wilby Wonderful, Whole New Thing).

As a singer, Jenkins toured and recorded as back-up vocalist with the Parachute Club and Jane Siberry. Over the years she has performed original and other material, including the jazz repertoire, in front of symphony orchestras, on radio shows (among other things, she co-hosted and performed songs on CBC Radio’s Quiet There’s a Lady On Stage, broadcast from the Glenn Gould theatre), at music festivals, on compilation albums (such as Bruce Cockburn’s Kick at the Darkness), at clubs and concert halls, and for film and television soundtracks. Her original song Something’s Coming, which she performed on the feature film Wilby Wonderful soundtrack, was nominated for a Genie Award for best original song. She also co-wrote and performed, with Aaron Davis, the title track to The Sunrise, a television adaptation of a Margaret Atwood short story, in which she starred and was nominated for a Gemini Award. https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/rebeccajenkins

Blue Skies

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Peter Zak - My Conception

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 69:51
Size: 130,1 MB
Art: Front

(7:05)  1. Shala
(4:47)  2. These Are Soulful Days
(9:02)  3. Mahmoud's Memory
(4:03)  4. Fungii Mama
(6:22)  5. Propinquity
(4:57)  6. Circling Columbus
(6:08)  7. My Conception
(4:35)  8. Camel
(6:11)  9. Witchcraft
(6:47) 10. With a Song In My Heart
(4:20) 11. Serenity
(5:28) 12. By Myself

Pianist Peter Zak, a heralded talent in the trio setting, flies solo on his excellent My Conception, where he skillfully dissects and reconstructs a roster of originals and standards, giving them depth of character and unrealized poignancy. Zak's originals are ambitious and diverse. He plays the mercurial "Shala with building emotion and lyricism as his boundless ideas grow exponentially. He deftly explores every harmonic and melodic possibility of the beautiful "Mahmoud's Memory, telling a story that is complex yet uncluttered. The repeated figure of "Circling Columbus means to convey the frustration of dealing with midtown traffic, but Zak works out on the tune like someone who thrives on the energy. "The Camel is another challenging, well-executed tune that ends with a clever flourish. 

Zak is equally skilled at interpreting others' major and minor classics. He strides confidently through Cal Massey's "These Are Soulful Days, taking rewarding risks with the melody and tempo. He puts a light, tender touch on the title tune by Sonny Clark, and plays Blue Mitchell's calypso-flavored "Fungii Mama with a contagious vibrancy. Zak steps outside the box by playing the standard "Witchcraft in a more contemplative tempo, then boldly opts out of the usual fast reading of "With A Song in My Heart, choosing to remake it as a lovely ballad. Zak plays with richness and fluidity, artfully blending the many colors on his palette to create bright landscapes. Zak plays with a confidence born of his undeniable skill. There are moments throughout My Conceptionwhere one can almost hear him thinking out loud as he pauses to peek around corners as he decides which harmonic route to take. Zak always makes the right choices, and audiences will continue to reap the benefits of hearing this wonderfully talented piano man. ~ Terrell Kent Holmes https://www.allaboutjazz.com/my-conception-peter-zak-steeplechase-records-review-by-terrell-kent-holmes.php?width=1920

Personnel: Peter Zak: piano

My Conception

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Benny Carter with Ben Webster and Barney Bigard - BBB & Co.

Styles: Saxophone And Clarinet Jazz
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:55
Size: 80,2 MB
Art: Front

(10:14)  1. Opening blues
( 7:46)  2. Lula
( 4:46)  3. When lights are low
(12:07)  4. You can't tell the difference

One of Benny Carter's last jazz recordings before he became totally immersed in writing for the studios, this set matches his alto and trumpet with tenor great Ben Webster, clarinetist Barney Bigard and trumpeter Shorty Sherock on a pair of lengthy blues and Carter's "Lula" and "When Lights Are Low." All of the swing all-stars are in fine form, making one wish that they were not being so neglected by critics and fans alike during this era; Webster soon left the U.S. permanently for Europe. Although not essential, this set is fun. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/bbb-co-mw0000091962

Personnel: Benny Carter (alto saxophone); Ben Webster (tenor saxophone); Barney Bigard (clarinet); Shorty Sherock (trumpet); Jimmy Rowles (piano); Dave Barbour (guitar); Leroy Vinnegar (bass); Mel Lewis (drums)

Benny, Ben & Barney                

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Buddy Tate, Abdullah Ibrahim - Buddy Tate Meets Abdullah Ibrahim: The Lengendary 1977 Encounter

Styles: Piano And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1977
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:18
Size: 139,0 MB
Art: Front

( 7:14)  1. Goduka Mfundi
( 6:52)  2. Heyt Mazurki
( 8:30)  3. Poor Butterfly
( 7:32)  4. In A Sentimental Mood
( 4:43)  5. Doggin' Around
( 7:25)  6. Just You, Just Me
( 7:24)  7. Shrimp Boats
(10:35)  8. Django

Initially a meeting between swing tenor saxophonist Buddy Tate and post-bop pianist Abdullah Ibrahim (still widely known as Dollar Brand in 1977 when this CD was recorded), this seems like a possible misfire. Instead, it proves to be an inspiration, as each player taught the other new music and they successfully blended their disparate jazz backgrounds into one outstanding album. The first track, "Goduka Mfundi," is particularly interesting; it's an original by Ibrahim that Tate and the rhythm section (drummer Roy Brooks and bassist Cecil McBee) had just learned prior to recording it, and the composer sits out this hypnotic African groove tune. The pianist's other original is the tasty blues "Heyt Mazurki." Tate's quick tutoring of Ibrahim also pays off huge dividends, as "Doggin' Around" is the most smoking performance of the date, while "Just You, Just Me" proves to be a unique mix of swing and African jazz. The remaining two quartet tracks are familiar turf to all parties. Tate's soulful tone recalls Ben Webster in "Poor Butterfly," though Ibrahim clearly steals the show with his well-disguised, dreamy introduction to Duke Ellington's "In a Sentimental Mood." At this point Tate had to leave for a gig, and the date was completed as a trio. "Shrimp Boats," a piece that Ibrahim recorded on several different occasions, is slow to develop but a very infectious chant-like work. The pianist actual chants along with the almost Middle Eastern-sounding introduction that eventually unfolds into John Lewis' well-known "Django"; in fact, this ten-plus minute piece is nearly over by the time they segue into its theme, following McBee's terrific arco bass solo and Brooks' superb drum solo. It's a shame there wasn't an encore meeting between Ibrahim and Tate following the making of this memorable disc. ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/buddy-tate-meets-abdullah-ibrahim-the-legendary-encounter-mw0000188790

Personnel: Abdullah Ibrahim (piano); Buddy Tate (saxophone); Roy Brooks (drums).

Buddy Tate Meets Abdullah Ibrahim: The Lengendary 1977 Encounter

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Roberta Gambarini - So In Love

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 68:20

Size: 156.4 MB

Styles: Jazz vocals

Year: 2009

Art: Front

[3:03] 1. So In Love

[2:48] 2. Day In Day Out

[5:05] 3. Get Out Of Town

[4:59] 4. Crazy

[3:27] 5. That Old Black Magic

[4:48] 6. Estate

[5:56] 7. Beatles Medley:Golden Slumbers/Here, There And Everywhere

[6:13] 8. I See Your Face Before Me

[4:52] 9. From This Moment On

[4:39] 10. This Is Always

[6:23] 11. You Must Believe In Spring

[5:31] 12. You Ain't Nothing But A J.A.M.F

[6:37] 13. Medley From Cinema Paradiso:Main Theme Song/For Elena

[3:53] 14. Over The Rainbow

Bass – Chuck Berghofer, George Mraz, Neil Swainson; Drums – Al Foster, Jake Hanna, Montez Coleman; Flugelhorn – Roy Hargrove; Piano – Eric Gunnison, Gerald Clayton, Tamir Hendelman; Tenor Saxophone – James Moody.

It seems incredible that Roberta Gambarini didn't win the Thelonious Monk Jazz Vocal Competition but she was new to the U.S., having just arrived from her native Italy. But with each new release, she has demonstrated that she is easily the most accomplished vocalist of the competitors for the prize, while pianist Hank Jones, who knows a thing or two about great singers, refers to her as the "greatest vocalist to come along in the past 60 years." With a rhythm section rotating between three talented up-and-coming pianists Tamir Hendeman, Eric Gunnison, or Gerald Clayton) plus veteran bassists George Mraz, Neil Swainson, or Chuck Berghofer and seasoned drummers Jake Hanna, Al Foster, Jeff Hamilton, or Montez Coleman, Gambarini works her magic with familiar standards and a few unexpected choices. She has a love of Cole Porter's songs, opening with a touching, richly textured "So in Love," a virtual rhapsody in a duet with piano. She restores the oft-omitted verse to "Get Out of Town" then delivers a driving rendition that shows off her gift for interpreting a song that has likely been recorded by all vocal jazz greats who have preceded her, proving she belongs in their company; she is joined by the soft tenor sax of James Moody. Her rapid-fire scatting is a highlight of her brisk treatment of "From This Moment On." Gambarini is also very comfortable looking outside of jazz for material, adapting Willie Nelson's "Crazy" with a master's touch, with subtle trumpet added by Roy Hargrove, while she has equal success with a medley of Beatles songs, including a moving "Golden Slumbers" that segues into a breezy "Here, There and Everywhere." But Gambarini's hilarious lyrics for Johnny Griffin's blues "The JAMFs Are Coming" (retitled "You Ain't Nothin' But a J.A.M.F.") prove to be the big surprise, showing off her incredible scatting range and sense of humor, though like a true lady, she never specifies what Griffin meant by a JAMF (hint: an acronym starting with "Jive Ass"). Roberta Gambarini continues to shine brightly as one of top jazz vocalists of her generation with this outstanding release. ~Ken Dryden

So In Love 

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Big Band Ritmo Sinfonica Citta Di Verona - Restless Spirits

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:50
Size: 159.9 MB
Styles: Modern jazz, Big band
Year: 1989
Art: Front

[6:59] 1. African Mood
[6:49] 2. Blues For My Sleeping Baby
[6:59] 3. Peaceful Heart
[9:50] 4. Ambiguous
[7:46] 5. Restless Spirits
[6:37] 6. Short & Shorter
[8:38] 7. Standard Life
[6:38] 8. Maliblues
[9:33] 9. Ambiguous (Alternate Take)

Marco Pasetto: conductor, soprano saxophone (8); Patricia Ballardini: flute, Franco Lissandrini: flute; Beatrice Maistri: flute; Barbara Mazzon: flute; Guilia Realdini: flute; Elena Zavarise: flute; Giovanna Bissoli: soprano saxophone; Emanuele Ballini: alto saxophone; Paolo Girardi: alto saxophone; Paolo Pesenti: alto saxophone; Orazio Boscagin: tenor saxophone; Stephano Buttura: tenor saxophone; Sandro Avesani: baritone saxophone; Filippo Borgo: clarinet; Caterina Gatto: clarinet; Elisabetta Grego: clarinet; Alessandro Manfredi: clarinet; Nicola Zeggio: clarinet; Peolo Delaini: bass clarinet; Marco Finato: bass clarinet; Anna Vittoria Zanardi: bassoon; Matteo Costanzi: trumpet; Giorgio Fiorini: trumpet; Davide Gagliardo: trumpet; Sandro Gilioli: trumpet; Marco Sorio: trumpet; Saolo Agostini: trombone: Linda Anzolin: trombone; Gino Farenzena: trombone; Giorgio Morelato: trombone; Giordano Bruno Tededchi: trombone, solo (1); Ester Anzolin: cornet; Denis Cavallini: cornet; Graziana Marchioni: cornet; Marco Pallaver: cornet; Mario Cracco: tuba; Ivo Bonazzi: guitar solo (7); Giuseppe Gasparini: electric bass, intro (3), solo (7); Luca Zoccatelli: electric bass; Daniele Rotunno: keyboards intro (5); Giorgio Buttura: glockenspiel; Stefano Zuffellato: drums, solo (4); Stefano Sartori: percussion; Renzo Zambolin: transcriptions; Roberto Magris: acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes; Massimo Greco: trumpet, horn; Sbibu: percussion.

Even if pianist and composer Roberto Magris could have performed Restless Spirits with a small ensemble, he probably would not have done so. Here is the conundrum: might Magris have created this music in a large ensemble because he intended it to reflect a secret narrative that ponders the journey of the soul? The trick is to follow the sequence of the repertoire. This is a musical suite, which could very well have been cleverly developed to mirror that dramatic journey of the "restless spirits" moving with wafting, changing rhythms—body and soul—in search of inner peace. Magris might surely have taken a leaf from some epic Latin poetry.

Consider how this group of nine pieces is set in a carefully determined sequence; almost a mirror of the journey of the soul in Dante Aligheieri's classic 13th epic poem of eternal human exodus, The Divine Comedy. The journey takes souls and spirits through Purgatory and into Paradise. Therefore, the key is to succumb to the charms of the music and give in to its narrative. This is beautifully written and arranged, and constitutes a deeply profound meditative journey. Magris has cast the story in a modern context—or at least one where the idioms of jazz will allow some license. For instance, in the introduction, the music begins with a track called "African Moods." Here is a not-so-oblique reference to the cradle of civilization; the Great Rift Valley described by African historian Cheika Anta Diop. The music follows a babble-and-rumble opening, like Charles Mingus "Pithecanthropus Erectus," to a state of equanimity. The story unfolds with rambunctious percussion and ritualistic chants; then the movement gives over to the glorious bleating narrative of Giordano Bruno Tedeschi's trombone.

Magris leads the extraordinary 48-piece Big Band Ritmo Sinfonica Citta di Verona into the next, softer episodes in a masterful, modal command of the ebony and ivory keys. "Blues for My Sleeping Baby" and "Peaceful Heart" are pieces of a kind, which make brilliant use of the timbral values of brass, woodwinds and limited strings. The low end of the tonal spectrum defines the grave stakes, with a harmonic excursion from Giuseppe Gasparini's electric bass intro into "Peaceful Heart." Magris expresses human despair commandingly, with timeless pulse and amorphous tone in "Ambiguous" and "Restless Spirits." It appears a stroke of genius on the part of Magris in his use of the Fender Rhodes for the former track, as he manipulates pitch to suggest turmoil and create the attendant feelings of upheaval and fear. "Restless Spirits" begins atonally against the backdrop of a raging ensemble, and then settles somewhat after the piece reaches a tonal plateau. Moreover, there is complete resolution in the following parts of the suite—"Short and Shorter," perhaps a puckish comment on the relative insignificance of artistic endeavor, through "Standard Life" and a return to the mythical paradise in the African landscape with "Mali Blues." "Ambiguous," repeated with denser arrangements, fills in for a dramatic coda. This is an inspired work from a thoughtful musician. ~RAUL D'GAMA ROSE

Restless Spirits

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Ingram Washington - Sings To The Max

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:59
Size: 119.0 MB
Styles: Easy Listening, Vocal
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[4:04] 1. Oh! Lady Be Good
[4:34] 2. Witchcraft
[4:32] 3. Crazy
[3:23] 4. I've Got The World On A String
[2:51] 5. Secret Love
[3:50] 6. Make Up Your Mind
[4:06] 7. Gee Baby ( Ain't I Good To You )
[3:25] 8. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down
[4:36] 9. The Sentimental Touch
[4:52] 10. Since I Fell For You
[4:21] 11. But Beautiful
[3:42] 12. Mean To Me
[3:38] 13. It's Allright With Me

Ingram Washington (USA) grew up in a musical family. At an early age he was taken to concerts such as Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Billy Eckstine where his interest in jazz music and singing began. Ingram is an popular international artist because of his easy-listening style of singing and warm voice. This album called "Sings To The Max" is a delight to listen to. Recommended!

Sings To The Max

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Ada Montellanico & Enrico Pieranunzi - Danza Di Una Ninfa

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:41
Size: 130,4 MB
Art: Front

(7:23)  1. Mi sono innamorato di te
(5:29)  2. Da quando
(6:13)  3. Mia cara amica
(4:51)  4. Quasi sera
(6:24)  5. Danza di una ninfa sotto la luna
(4:12)  6. Che cos'è
(5:39)  7. Ho capito che ti amo
(5:39)  8. Il tempo passò
(5:49)  9. In qualche parte del mondo
(4:59) 10. O me

E ra night of a cold winter, that of 27 January 1967 . A gunshot breaks the silence and the room 219 of the annex Savoy is filled with death: Luigi Tenco , misunderstood genius, commits suicide. Truncate his brief but intense life, not before he left a message of protest: " I love him very much to the Italian public - wrote the son of a farmer - and I have dedicated, unnecessarily, five years of my life. I do this , not because he was tired of life (anything), but as an act of protest against an audience that sends 'Me you and roses' in the final and a committee that selects 'the' revolution. I hope it will help clarify things to someone. Hello. Louis . " That his gesture has clarified the ideas to those who are in the "control room" at the Sanremo Festival, it is not established. But one thing is certain, and Dance of a nymph or confirms, Luigi Tenco he left a message of strong self. Indelible!

L 'album, which also play Paul McCandless (sax, oboe, horn, clarinet and flute), Bebo Ferra (guitar), Luca Bulgarelli (double bass), Michael Anger (drums), Piero Salvatori (cello) and " Arke String Quartet ", opens with" I love you "on introduction of soprano sax dense lyrical and instrumental significance. A mixture, successful, contemporary and harmonies - never banal sounds - that support the voice of Ada Montellanico . Voice and piano, as in the best traditions of jazz, with some assistance from the soprano McCandless . The arrangement is refined, without stylistic exaggerations. Even just Pieranunzi is "leaning" elegantly on harmonic solutions that support the phrasing of sax that follows. Ever since , it becomes bolder from a musical standpoint. But it's "philological" very consistent with the work of Tenco. It 'the first of the four tracks, never engraved by the great songwriter and to whose "musicazione" helped Ada Montellanico . The others are: Dance of a nymph under the moon , O Me and My dear friend . And this is the third track on the album, which lends itself very well to a very jazzy arrangement and if we want, even a little 'unconventional, but only in that regains a more traditional visibility and maybe even more tonal. Improvisations, including that of Enrico Pieranunzi , are particularly rhythmic. Nearly evening respects the "melancholy" of Luigi Tenco, respects their musical poetry and arrangements are subject to the imperative, supreme, to draw in the imagination of the listener shadows and uncertain shapes, flowing before his eyes at nightfall, on a beach, along the sea. The piano is chained to the voice of Montellanico : holding hands, Ada and Henry! Dance of a nymph under the moon is really ethereal! A composition that lies on the equally lyrical Tenco ethereal to get a fine result, cultured. The oboe gives the song a rarefied atmosphere, almost impalpable, on which shows a little 'guitar, returning to the track in soft Mediterranean sounds. 

Certainly the most beautiful song of the album. What is it? has a decidedly jazz dimension, it is a medium where the rhythm section, at least as long as you support the voice, is "two", then running at a "four", only for the Pieranunzi and McCandless . The work produced for the label Egea is a real journey into the poetic and musical world of Luigi Tenco. Also I realized that I love you is not so different. Very "open" as a rhythmic dimension  as if to comply with a stylistic exercise where the singer was a master: take up the guitar and "tell" his poem with the rhythmic freedom of movement is argued on a very studied and refined harmonic frame. The time passed has a nonsochè of classical, is a song timeless, timing. Tenco wrote it with Reverberi telling of a life that seems to have its greatest musical expression in the deep just Pieranunzi . Somewhere in the world just the style signature brings the sixties and only slightly different - even in the harmonic structure developed by Pieranunzi expressive model of Luigi Tenco. 

O continually the scaffolding of ' Arke String Quartet in Somewhere in the world , which goes to support the song, of course, more elaborate and ambitious cd. Or I did swing expressions in the rhythm section that incardinano in the plan, sometimes a bit 'Latin, of Enrico Pieranunzi . The song is an elegant succession of poetry and music: excellent phrases in unison. Translate by google http://www.jazzitalia.net/recensioni/danzadiunaninfa.asp#.WJI801MrKUl

Personnel:  Voice – Ada Montellanico;  Cello – Piero Salvatori;  Double Bass – Luca Bulgarelli;  Drums, Percussion – Michele Rabbia;  Guitar – Bebo Ferra;  Piano, Arranged By – Enrico Pieranunzi;  Soprano Saxophone, Oboe, English Horn, Bass Clarinet, Flute – Paul McCandless

Danza di una ninfa

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Dusko Goykovich - Muenich Serenade

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:39
Size: 148,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:32)  1. Doboy
(6:52)  2. Muenich Serenade
(6:02)  3. Balkan Reflections
(7:14)  4. In My Dreams
(5:13)  5. Bembasha
(9:25)  6. My SHip
(5:41)  7. Downtown Talk
(4:29)  8. Pete's Bits
(5:05)  9. Domicile Blues
(8:01) 10. Summertime

An excellent bop-based soloist who has recorded rewarding sets for Enja, Dusko Goykovich played in Yugoslavia and Germany before visiting the U.S. for the first time with Marshall Brown's International Youth Band (playing at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival). Goykovich attended Berklee (1961-1963) and played with the orchestras of Maynard Ferguson (1963-1964) and Woody Herman (1964-1966) before deciding to return to Germany, leading a group with Sal Nistico (1966). He was with the Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band (1968-73) and had a 12-piece band with Slide Hampton (1974-1975). Miles Davis is his main influence, but Dusko Goykovich (who has been quite active during the '80s and '90s in Europe) has his own extroverted style. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/artist/du%C5%A1ko-gojkovi-mn0000129309/biography

Personnel:  Trumpet – Dusko Goykovich;  Bass – Yasuhiko Sato;  Drums – Kruno Levacich;  Piano – Peter Mihelich

Muenich Serenade

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Harold Danko - New Autumn

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1995
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 66:03
Size: 121,2 MB
Art: Front

( 7:38)  1. Notzenytz
( 5:28)  2. Fresh Space
( 6:26)  3. Ticket To Obscurity
( 8:47)  4. New Autumn
( 6:20)  5. Hamsters
(10:01)  6. Omniperception
( 5:56)  7. Hopelessness Regained
( 6:58)  8. Other Things In The Space
( 8:25)  9. Sizzle

By 1995, pianist Harold Danko had led the same quartet for several years and his musicians had really mastered and grown into Danko's complex originals. Danko and tenor saxophonist Rich Perry (both of whom had developed fairly original voices) often sound as if they are thinking alike during this CD and their mutual intuitiveness is a vital element in interpreting the tricky and constantly surprising music; bassist Scott Colley and drummerer Jeff Hirshfield are quite alert in support. The dividing line between composition and improvisation on some of the less conventional songs is sometimes difficult to find and there are many occasions where the lead voices (and sometimes all four musicians) are soloing together or at least freely commenting on each other's flights. Some performances swing while others float. New Autumn is a subtle yet explorative recording that will grow on most listeners over time. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/new-autumn-mw0000436058

Personnel:  Harold Danko(Piano), Jeff Hirshfield(Drums),  Rich Perry(Saxophone),  Scott Colley(Bass)

New Autumn

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Wolfgang Haffner - Acoustic Shapes

Styles: Jazz, Straight-ahead/Mainstream 
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:10
Size: 136,1 MB
Art: Front

(6:32)  1. Silent Way
(7:46)  2. Shapes
(6:28)  3. Faithless
(6:27)  4. Star
(2:47)  5. Crusin
(4:29)  6. Some Other Time
(5:42)  7. New Life
(9:56)  8. 24 Hours

There are those who view the blending of electronica textures and rhythms with jazz is akin to the coming of the Antichrist but, like it or not, it's an increasingly pervasive component of modern jazz. In North America, artists including Wallace Roney, Dave Douglas and Mike Mainieri have been incorporating sampling, turntables and real-time sonic processing with great success. Even more popular in Europe, with artists including Nils Petter Molvaer, Eivind Aarset and Bugge Wesseltoft regularly pushing the envelope, jazz is moving toward exciting new places, and attracting a much-needed younger demographic without sacrificing anything in the way of substance.  Wolfgang Haffner has been stylistically cross-pollinating for two decades, but it was with Shapes (ACT, 2006) that the German drummer threw his hat more decidedly into the electronica ring. An in-demand player with significant international exposure through his work with Klaus Doldinger's Passport, the transatlantic collective Metro, and trombonist Nils Landgren's Funk Unit, it was a planned 2007 Funk Unit tour, when original opening act Ida Sand backed out and Landgren asked the drummer to put together an opening act, that Haffner recognized the potential for reworking the music of Shapes for an entirely different setting. Recruiting pianist Hubert Nuss and bassist Lars Danielson, Haffner rearranged seven of Shapes' twelve originals, and added the high velocity swinger, "Star," to round out the fifty-minute program.

Danielsson was, perhaps, the only choice for the bass chair. His discography ranges from the ambitious NuJazz-meets-orchestra of Mélange Bleu (ACT, 2006) to a more intimate acoustic duo with keyboardist Leszek Mozdzer, Pasodoble (ACT, 2007). For his role as featured soloist in the Wagner Reloaded Project performance at Norway's Punktfest 06, Danielsson a multi-instrumentalist who also plays piano and cello—has evolved a personal approach to bass that rivals Germany's Eberhard Weber in its unmistakable sound. An unshakable rhythmic anchor throughout, he's an equally impressive pizzicato lead voice on the dramatically impressionistic "Crusin," segueing into the melancholy "Some Other Time," where a lush arco delivers its singable theme before being joined by Nuss. The single biggest impression, when listening to this live recording, is how easily material originally conceived for a far broader soundscape can be reimagined for an acoustic trio, a testament to the concept that good music is where you find it. 

As a drummer, Haffner is equally comfortable driving the fiery pulse of "24 Hours," first with brushes during Nuss' dexterous and ideationally brim-filled solo, then switching to sticks for Landgren's sole guest appearance, ratcheting up the heat as it morphs into an energetic piece of funk. Haffner solos rarely, but when he does it can be with unrelenting energy at the end of "24 Hours" or focused construction during the considerably more complex "Shapes." A broad-scoped drummer with rare multidisciplinary compositional skills, Haffner's name has largely been made by the company he's kept. Now, however, with Shapes and Acoustic Shapes, he's proving himself deserving of attention as a leader, a singular talent well worth watching. 

~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/acoustic-shapes-wolfgang-haffner-act-nu-jazz-review-by-john-kelman.php

Personnel: Wolfgang Haffner: drums; Hubert Nuss: piano; Lars Danielsson: bass; Nils Landgren: trombone (8).

Acoustic Shapes

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