Don Braden - Brighter Days

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:18
Size: 138,3 MB
Art: Front

(6:12)  1. She's On Her Way (Dedicated To
(5:58)  2. I Hear A Rhapsody
(7:44)  3. Sweet T (Dedicated To Stanley
(7:34)  4. Invitation
(3:36)  5. Underground Groove
(5:27)  6. Not Yet (Dedicated To Grover W
(7:00)  7. My Favorite Things
(6:07)  8. Montclair
(4:11)  9. Prelude To A Kiss
(6:28) 10. Brighter Days

Don Braden has long been a top-notch hard bop tenor saxophonist. For this quartet date with pianist Xavier Davis, bassist Dwayne Burno, and drummer Cecil Brooks III, the arrangements by Braden and the choice of songs greatly uplift the program. There are many high points, including the opening ballad "She's on Her Way," tributes to Stanley Turrentine ("Sweet T") and Grover Washington Jr. ("Not Yet"), a driving "Invitation," a duet with drummer Brooks ("Underground Groove"), and the swinging Cecil Brooks original "Montclair." Everything works! This is one of Don Braden's finest recordings so far, a well-conceived and very successful project. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/brighter-days-mw0000006448

Personnel :  Don Braden (tenor saxophone); Xavier Davis (piano); Dwayne Burno (bass); Cecil Brooks III (drums).

Brighter Days

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Kurt Elling - The Questions

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:13
Size: 149,9 MB
Art: Front

(8:05)  1. A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall
(3:46)  2. A Happy Thought
(6:12)  3. American Tune
(4:10)  4. Washing Of The Water
(6:18)  5. A Secret In Three Views
(6:54)  6. Lonely Town
(9:04)  7. Endless Lawns
(6:07)  8. I Have Dreamed
(6:24)  9. The Enchantress
(8:11) 10. Skylark

How does one grapple with existence and its juxtaposition against the present state of affairs? That's the question that hangs heaviest over The Questions. While vocalist Kurt Elling didn't come into this production with a theme in mind, he discovered a through line in the act of wrestling with difficulties and dreams in this age of marked unreason and unrest. With these ten songs he explores that topic to the fullest, coloring the music with his signature blend of authority and understanding.

 A mixture of tones inquiring and knowing sets this meditation on humanity and our times in motion with "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall." Bob Dylan's difficult truths by way of Elling's passionate delivery immediately become the cynosure of ears and minds, though co-producer Branford Marsalis's soprano solo and drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts' pelting finish certainly garner attention. What follows an examining and affirming smile at life in pianist Stu Mindeman's musical setting of poet Franz Wright's " A Happy Thought," a gorgeous treatment of "American Tune" that recasts the Paul Simon classic as a treatise on immigration wrapped in hope's light and trapped in fear's web, and a hymn-like interpretation of Peter Gabriel's "Washing Of The Water" that's as emotive as anything in Elling's discography greatly furthers the image of the artist playing with the powers of enlightenment and doubt.  Through the remainder of the album, Elling paints with the various shades of perception, poetry, and philosophy that he knows so well. The bluesy resonance of "A Secret In Three Views" belies the deep thinking behind his Rumi-inspired lyrics to Jaco Pastorius' "Three Views Of A Secret," "Lonely Town" utilizes lighthearted sounds to frame the topic of solitude, "Endless Lawns" uses pianist-composer Carla Bley's "Lawns" as the musical basis for an arc that includes turmoil and release, and "I Have Dreamed" speaks to a yearning for love to bloom. Then the album closes with "The Enchantress," a work nodding toward matriarchal figures both Marsalis' and Elling's and taking directional cues from poet Wallace Stevens' "The Idea Of Order At Key West," and a toned-down "Skylark," bringing the title of this album into lyrical consideration in a subdued light. The core band members and notable guests all make the weight of their contributions felt along the way here, but Elling manages to carry the weight of the world in his voice. He may not have the answer to all of the questions, but he certainly makes you think about them. ~ Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-questions-kurt-elling-okeh-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Kurt Elling: vocals; Stu Mindeman: piano, Hammond B-3 organ; Joey Calderazzo: piano (4, 6, 9); John McLean: acoustic guitar, electric guitar; Clark Sommers: bass; Branford Marsalis: saxophones; Marquis Hill: trumpet, flugelhorn; Jeff "Tain" Watts: drums.

Thank You my Friend!

The Questions

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Steve Howell - My Mind Gets To Ramblin'

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:24
Size: 110.8 MB
Styles: Country blues
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[4:12] 1. I Can't Be Satisfied
[4:32] 2. Louise
[3:56] 3. All My Friends Are Gone
[4:24] 4. Mississippi Blues
[4:13] 5. Policy Blues
[3:13] 6. Steady Rollin' Man
[3:13] 7. Ain't Nothin' In Ramblin'
[3:38] 8. Prodigal Son
[3:47] 9. Dirty Deal Blues
[2:42] 10. Windy & Warm
[2:26] 11. Ain't You Sorry
[2:53] 12. Joshua F'it The Battle Of Jericho
[5:11] 13. Rowdy Blues

Even though Steve Howell was due to celebrate his 56th birthday three days after the release of My Mind Gets to Ramblin', it was only his second solo album. Howell is an accomplished fingerpicking guitarist and a musical scholar, and the disc is his treatment of country blues, including songs by and associated with Muddy Waters, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Bo Carter, Robert Johnson, Memphis Minnie, and Mance Lipscomb. Doubtless Howell himself would not claim that he and his talented band, including ace session bassist Joe Osborn, who co-produced the album, improved upon the performances of the originators of these songs. Their interpretations are spirited and exact, but never biting, starting with a version of Muddy Waters' "I Can't Be Satisfied" that somewhat belies the title. The emphasis is on getting the details right, and they do, even if the emotions underlying the music are more distilled than expressed. Still, their affection for the form, starting with the leader who sings in an agreeable wheeze, is obvious. If Howell hasn't recorded much, it's probably because he is better appreciated in a live setting than on an album that necessarily comes off as more tribute than competition to earlier performers of the material. ~William Ruhlmann

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Adam Shulman Sextet - Full Tilt

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:00
Size: 153.4 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2018
Art: Front

[7:34] 1. Fantasy In Db
[6:14] 2. Lonesome Dream
[9:10] 3. The Conquerer
[9:25] 4. San Francisco National Cemetery
[5:25] 5. Yeah...So
[8:42] 6. 4th Street Strut
[5:41] 7. Full Tilt
[6:16] 8. The Night We Called It A Day
[8:30] 9. Mr. Timmons

Adam Shulman: piano; Mike Olmos: trumpet; Lyle Link: alto sax; Patrick Wolff: tenor sax; John Wiitala: bass; Evan Hughes: drums.

In music, as in life, not every new voice is worth hearing. Here's one that is. Full Tilt, the fifth CD by San Francisco-born and based pianist Adam Shulman's sextet, is a throwback to those halcyon days when bop was king and giants like Diz, Bird, Miles, Max Roach, Hank Mobley, Benny Golson, Horace Silver, Wardell Gray, Lee Morgan, Kenny Clarke, Clifford Brown, Sonny Stitt, J.J. Johnson, Hampton Hawes, Freddie Hubbard, Milt Jackson, Kenny Dorham, Art Blakey, Dexter Gordon and their kin were its noble emissaries.

Although the album was recorded for Cellar Live, it would have been right at home on Prestige or Blue Note, the sovereign labels during the bop regency of the 1950s and '60s. On the one hand, Shulman's radiant charts, underlined by delightful harmonies and rhythmic patterns, emulate that glorious era while on the other proving decisively that superior music is indeed timeless. For the record, Shulman wrote seven of the album's nine numbers and arranged all of them. Several sound like they could have come straight from the Jazz Messengers or Clifford Brown / Max Roach libraries, and there are deep bows elsewhere to Cedar Walton ("Fantasy in D Flat") and Bobby Timmons (the overtly named "Mr. Timmons"). The ensemble is equally taut and assured on the lone standard, Matt Dennis / Tom Adair's poignant "The Night We Called It a Day," and Shulman's heartfelt eulogy, "San Francisco National Cemetery."

Speaking of the ensemble, Shulman is fortunate to have found and gathered around him a team of blue-chip sidemen who evidently are not only as passionate about bop as he is but are able to translate that ardor into action and improvise in that style about as well as anyone. Trumpeter Mike Olmos, alto Lyle Link and tenor Patrick Wolff share the front line while Shulman, bassist John Wiitala and drummer Evan Hughes comprise a stalwart rhythm section that could have held its ground with any during the heralded Bop Era. Without singling anyone out for special praise, suffice to say that the solos by all hands (including the leader) are as keen and resourceful as those one might expect from their venerable predecessors. Indeed, close your eyes and you may start to believe that some of those hallowed patriarchs have actually made the scene for one last gig. They haven't, of course, but Shulman's time-shifting sextet is beyond any doubt the next best thing. ~Jack Bowers

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Anita O'Day - All The Sad Young Men

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:21
Size: 78.6 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 1961/2012
Art: Front

[3:44] 1. Boogie Blues
[4:12] 2. You Came A Long Way From St. Louis
[2:42] 3. I Want To Sing A Song
[3:17] 4. A Woman Alone With The Blues
[4:28] 5. The Ballad Of The Sad Young Men
[4:07] 6. Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me
[2:38] 7. One More Mile
[3:56] 8. Night Bird
[2:29] 9. Up State
[2:44] 10. Senor Blues

When Creed Taylor took over the production reins from Norman Granz when the latter sold Verve to MGM, he continued to place Anita O'Day in imaginative settings that challenged her creativity. On this LP, she was served with a collection of brilliant, difficult big-band charts, courtesy of a 27-year-old emerging master named Gary McFarland who mixed instrumental voices and tempo changes in querulous, turbulent combinations. Even a truly odd pick like "You Came a Long Way From St. Louis" is enlivened with sprouting shafts of outlaw muted brass and reeds. Another highlight is the contemporary update of O'Day's old flag-waver with the Krupa band, "Boogie Blues," complete with one of her patented flip upturned glissandos at the end. This album must have been a traumatic experience for O'Day, for as she tells the story, the tapes of McFarland's arrangements arrived by mail from New York and she had to overdub her vocals in an empty studio in Los Angeles. Yet it is a tribute to O'Day's abilities that she makes it all sound easy, exhibiting a freedom in phrasing and improvising that is extraordinary even for her. ~Richard S. Ginnell

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The Depaul University Jazz Ensemble, Jeff Hamilton - Salutes Woody Herman

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:28
Size: 143.0 MB
Styles: Big band
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[6:55] 1. Woodchoppers Ball
[4:20] 2. Sidewalks Of Cuba
[4:56] 3. Early Autumn
[5:29] 4. Laura
[5:26] 5. Lemon Drop
[4:56] 6. Blue Flame
[4:26] 7. Sonny Speaks
[4:54] 8. Apple Honey
[8:22] 9. Four Brothers
[5:42] 10. Bijou
[6:58] 11. The Good Earth

Bob Lark: director, flugelhorn solo (4), trumpet solo (6); Marques Carroll: trumpet, flugelhorn; Tom Klein: trumpet, flugelhorn; Bobby Lark: trumpet, flugelhorn; David Kaiser: trumpet, flugelhorn; Corbin Andrick: alto sax, flute; Andrew Janak: alto sax; Sean Packard: tenor sax; Michael Plankey: tenor sax; Mark Hiebert: baritone sax, bass clarinet; Bryan Tipps: trombone; Brett Balika: trombone; Alex Wasily: trombone; Tony Portela: bass trombone; Pete Benson: piano; Brandon Hunt: guitar; Matt Ulery: bass. Special guest artists — Jeff Hamilton: drums; Mark Colby: clarinet (5-7); Thomas Matta: bass trombone (2).

Were he still with us, bandleader Woody Herman would have turned one hundred years young on May 16, 2013. What better way, then, to mark the occasion than by doing something that made "the Chopper" happier than anything else: swinging hard and often. Chicago's DePaul University Jazz Ensemble does precisely that on this superb album comprised of eleven memorable themes associated with Herman and his Herds from the 1940s and '50s, thanks in part to the towering presence of a special guest, drummer Jeff Hamilton, a Herman alumnus who drives the band ever onward with passion and power.

While there's nothing here that hasn't been heard before, perhaps even hundreds of times, the contemporary arrangements, written to accommodate the ensemble's instrumentation, lend every number a fresh slant that is sure to please, as are the animated solos by various members of director Bob Lark's intrepid company of undergrads. In other words, this is no mere facsimile of the Herman Herds but an earnest tribute that builds on the exemplary foundation designed by the maestro and takes it in new and consistently engaging directions. This is nowhere more apparent than in the adroitly renovated charts by Thomas Matta ("Sidewalks of Cuba," "Blue Flame"), Bradley Williams ("Early Autumn"), Joe Clark ("Laura"), Dan Jonas ("Lemon Drop"), Kirk Garrison ("Sonny Speaks") and Carl Kennedy ("Apple Honey," "Bijou"). Three members of the ensemble weigh in with splendid arrangements of their own: pianist Pete Benson (Herman's mega-hit, "Woodchopper's Ball"), guitarist Brandon Hunt (Neal Hefti's "The Good Earth") and bassist Matt Ulery (Jimmy Giuffre's classic "Four Brothers").

A second guest, Mark Colby, best known as a tenor saxophonist, appends tasteful clarinet passages on "Blue Flame" and "Sonny Speaks," while fellow DePaul faculty member Matta solos on bass trombone on "Sidewalks of Cuba" and director Lark speaks out on flugelhorn ("Laura") and trumpet ("Blue Flame"). Alto saxophonist Corbin Andrick is featured on "Apple Honey," trombonist Bryan Tipps on "Bijou." Other soloists of note are Benson, Ulery, Hunt, trumpeters David Kaiser and Marques Carroll, trombonists Alex Wasily and Brett Balika, alto Andrew Janak, tenors Mike Plankey and Sean Packard, baritone Mark Hiebert and, last but not least, the indefatigable Hamilton, an outstanding choice for the drum chair.

Salutes Woody Herman succeeds admirably on two levels: as a showcase for the first-class DePaul University Jazz Ensemble, and as a suitable reminder of Herman's unequivocal brilliance as a bandleader. ~Jack Bowers

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Buddy DeFranco - Baby Steps

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:59
Size: 114.4 MB
Styles: Clarinet jazz
Year: 1995/2012
Art: Front

[7:13] 1. Stormy Weather
[7:00] 2. Flamingo
[7:28] 3. Baby Steps
[5:41] 4. I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
[5:17] 5. Get Out Of Town
[6:09] 6. I Cover The Waterfront
[4:48] 7. Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye
[6:19] 8. Canadian Sunset

Smooth, lyrical, lucid, precise -– they almost do justice to the unmistakable sound of clarinetist Buddy Defranco. His technical expertise has been likened to that of Artie Shaw, his melodic capabilities rival Benny Goodman's, he's been dubbed "The Charlie Parker of the clarinet."

The bebop revolution of the 1940s enabled Buddy to break looses from the confines of swing and granted him "the freedom to float" he desired. The challenge was clear: from "king" of the swing instruments, the clarinet was not well suited to bebop, due to its temperamental nature. Buddy eventually got recording dates with many of the bebop legends plus a steady spot in the Count Basie septet. While the Basie gig was prestigious within the jazz community, trumpeter and fellow band member Clark Terry (left) recalled the interesting "reverse racism" Buddy encountered for being the only white member of the septet.

The 1950s were a prolific time for Buddy. He formed his own quartet with drummer Art Blakey, pianist Kenny Drew, and bassist Eugene Wright. In 1954, he embraced the opportunity to play a European tour with the spectacular Billie Holiday. Through producer Norman Granz, Buddy was paired with his boyhood idol, pianist Art Tatum, and was featured on the Jazz at the Philharmonic recordings. Despite his success, Buddy struggled with the only major criticism of his long career, a column by jazz writer Nat Hentoff.

When rock and roll began to steal the jazz's thunder towards the end of the 1950s, Buddy made ends meet with studio work for film and television until he was invited to lead the Glenn Miller Orchestra in 1966. During the subsequent period, Buddy met and married his wife Joyce, and joined forces musically with vibraphonist Terry Gibbs. Gibbs and Defranco formed a dynamic pair, complimenting each other musically and personally. Buddy Defranco continued to progress with time, influencing young clarinetists with his gentle, generous personality and his ceaseless energy for experimentation.

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Brian Lynch - Peer Pressure

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1986
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:55
Size: 123,7 MB
Art: Front

(10:11)  1. Thomasville
( 8:44)  2. Park Avenue Petite
( 6:01)  3. Peer Pressure
( 7:00)  4. The Outlaw
( 9:00)  5. Change of Plan
( 4:59)  6. 'Nother Never
( 7:57)  7. I Concentrate on You

Lynch wrote three of the seven tracks, while Horace Silver, Benny Golson, Tommy Turrentine and Cole Porter penned one apiece. His trumpet sound definitely borrows from previous modern masters Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan & Bill Hardman, and the influence of Silver, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and those of the hard/post bop movement cannot be denied. The latin tinge is also prevalent on the Brazilian bossa inflected "Change Of Plan" and Silver's Afro-Cuban tinged classic "The Outlaw." These two selections serve Lynch well for future excursions away from strict mainstream jazz. A rock solid date from a promising musician whose star is on the rise. ~ Michael G.Nastos https://www.allmusic.com/album/peer-pressure-mw0000410785

Brian Lynch Sextet: Brian Lynch (trumpet, flugelhorn); Jim Snidero (alto saxophone); Ralph Moore (tenor saxophone); Kirk Lightsey (piano); Jay Anderson (bass); Victor Lewis (drums).

Peer Pressure

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Lady Kim - Left Alone

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:45
Size: 131,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:23)  1. Left Alone
(4:09)  2. Afro Blue
(4:47)  3. When Sunny Gets Blue
(4:48)  4. Since I Fell For You
(5:21)  5. I'm Glad There Is You
(2:32)  6. If I Were A Bell
(5:50)  7. Misty
(3:29)  8. Softly As In A Morning Sunrise
(5:50)  9. Angel Eyes
(4:00) 10. On A Clear Day
(5:21) 11. Bird Alone
(3:09) 12. Strange Fruit

I started singing in Boston as a young girl, inspired by Barbra Streisand and Diana Ross. My mom introduced me to the music of Billie Holiday, and I was hooked. My plans to become a pediatrician went out the window. Since then I’ve been described as “a musical jewel” with a repertoire that has included jazz standards, jazz-not-so-standards, the blues, funk, and reggae. Throughout my career I’ve been lucky enough to perform in a variety of great places : from The New York Jazz Session in Irkutsk, Siberia to the Blue Note in Fukuoka, Japan; from the Montreal’s International Jazz and Off Jazz Festivals to the Ginza Jazz Festival, Japan. And I have performed with a variety of stellar artists: from jazz bassist William Parker to the undeniable funk of George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic; from Joe Hisaishi’s Japanese New World Philharmonic Orchestra to New Orleans’ Charles Neville. Originally from the States, I work with a fabulous group of Montreal musicians.  My vocal style has been called “warm as hot chocolate”, and the band and i swing with tunes from Thelonius Monk, make you cry with some of the best jazz standards, as well as open your ears with original songs! Montreal’s wonderful jazz critic, Len Dobbins, was also a fan and referred to me as a “great vocalist” he recommends listening to. I hope you enjoy what you hear. Singing is my deepest joy, is the place where I am my most real and best self. http://kimzombik.com/music/bio/

Left Alone

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Ari Ambrose - Retrospect

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:12
Size: 156,5 MB
Art: Front

(11:03)  1. Last Stand
( 7:21)  2. Sophisticated Lady
( 8:13)  3. Back Road
(10:11)  4. Retrospect
(11:49)  5. Gone With The Wind
(10:00)  6. Escapade
( 9:32)  7. Just One Of Those Things

At just forty-two years of age, tenorist Ari Ambrose may seem a bit young to be releasing a record with the title Retrospect. The realization that it’s his fourteenth as a leader for Steeplechase applies credence to the logic of the choice. Ambrose came of age as a player under the Danish label’s loyal auspices, part of a peer group that includes Stephen Riley, Chris Byars, Jed Levy and slightly older saxophonists like Rich Perry and Greg Tardy. It’s collective fast company, but Ambrose has long aligned his activities with equity between history and interpretive industry. This session falls right in step with his abiding philosophy of embracing programs canted toward older tunes. Two originals join five standards, but there are also subtle deviations most prominently in how the leader approaches the material. Ambrose notes a longitudinal change in his thinking through interview snippets in the liners, zeroing in on the stylistic distinctions between Sonny Stitt and Gene Ammons and how his younger self was enamored by the fearless skill of the former. As an older player, it’s Ammons that now holds the edge in Ambrose’s estimation. In a simplified sense it’s an affirmation of the worth of presence and feeling over technical prowess.

The shift in emphasis is immediately evident in Ambrose’s rendering of the Ellington ballad “Sophisticated Lady”, his horn essaying the theme with an eloquence that’s rife with all sorts of subtle decisions in terms of inflection and tone. Trumpeter Alex Norris follows suit with a velvety brass sound that echoes the precedent of Kenny Dorham with a warm, translucent sound. No coincidence then that two of Dorham’s tunes show up in the set starting with the relatively obscure “Back Road”, a bright boppish line that shows off the winsome confluence in the frontline tandem. “Escapade”, also borrowed from the classic Joe Henderson album Our Thing (1964), speaks to the quintet’s strengths. Pianist Jeremy Manasia leads the rhythm section in ensuring that all the technical necessities are ably shored up. Bassist Jay Anderson and drummer Donald Edwards are the other architects in framing the formulations of the horns with thoughtful support. That heavy lifting accomplished, Ambrose and Norris are free to blow at length, shaping solos that blend melodic ingenuity with an ear toward graceful dramatic exposition. “Gone with the Wind” carries the pungent aroma of mothballs in nearly all of its modern iterations, but the quintet rises to a collective challenge in outfitting it with a fresh scent and largely succeeds. In heart and mind, the “new” Ambrose is the same as the old, but a deep maturity in his playing built on a discography now safely in the double digits suggests he still has much to say. ~ Derek Taylor

Personnel:  Ari Ambrose  (tenor saxophone, composer);  Alex Norris  (trumpet);  Jeremy Manasia  (piano);  Jay Anderson  (bass);  Donald Edwards  (drums).

Retrospect

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Donny McCaslin - Casting For Gravity

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:49
Size: 148,5 MB
Art: Front

(7:20)  1. Stadium Jazz
(6:19)  2. Says Who
(7:40)  3. Losing Track Of Daytime
(4:13)  4. Alpha And Omega
(5:51)  5. Tension
(5:52)  6. Praia Grande
(8:32)  7. Love Song For An Echo
(3:58)  8. Casting For Gravity
(7:25)  9. Bend
(6:34) 10. Henry

If saxophonist Donny McCaslin stuck a toe into the ocean of electric jazz with his previous album Perpetual Motion (Greenleaf, 2010), then with Casting For Gravity he dives headfirst into the sea. But don't worry, with his musical dexterity and adeptness on horn, he is in no danger of sinking. In fact, he takes to these waters like a thirsty horse. The saxophonist of choice for the band leaders including trumpeter Dave Douglas, singer Kate McGarry, and composers/arrangers Ryan Truesdell, and Maria Schneider, McCaslin grew up in California listening to fusion, pop, and bands like Tower Of Power that infused R&B and funk into their jazz horn section. For awhile in the 1990s, he played in a revived version of vibraphonist Mike Mainieri's Steps Ahead. Steps Ahead, with its various lineups that included saxophonist Michael Brecker, keyboardist Don Grolnick and drummers Peter Erskine and Steve Gadd, is the touchstone for this recording. That is, a time when fusion was not a dirty word.

The saxophonist surrounds himself with talent here, starting with producer/saxophonist David Binney, a fellow saxophonist and former member of the 1990s collective Lan Xang, with McCaslin. The album opens with the oxymoronic "Stadium Jazz," a melodic burner with ever- changing rhythms, and finds drummer Mark Guiliana powering all things ablaze. The pair feed off each other throughout, trading rounds on "Tension," as electric bassist Tim Lefebvre tinkers in thunder-making. The inspiration here is both the jazz fusion of Weather Report and the electronica of bands like Aphex Twin and Boards Of Canada, whose song, "Alpha And Omega," gets covered here, with keyboardist Jason Lindner's spooky synths and McCaslin's processed, echo-y effects. As the song progresses the electronics threaten and bully the affair, all the while McCaslin Enduring on a short, four-minute song that begs for a longer live production. Like jazz giant Wayne Shorter, McCaslin's sound suffers no ill effects of fusion, nor is he compromised by the genre. He goes toe-to-toe with the electric funk on "Says Who" and sails above the changes on the tour de force "Praia Grande." On the thoughtful closer "Henry," a softer tone is called, with Linder on electric piano and McCaslin delivering his trademark runs. ~ Mark Corroto https://www.allaboutjazz.com/casting-for-gravity-donny-mccaslin-greenleaf-music-review-by-mark-corroto.php

Personnel: Donny McCaslin: tenor saxophone; Jason Lindner: electric piano, acoustic piano, synthesizers; Tim Lefebvre: electric bass; Mark Guiliana: drums.

Casting For Gravity

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Bob Florence Limited Edition - Eternal Licks and Grooves

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:23
Size: 161,9 MB
Art: Front

(14:03)  1. Eternal Licks And Grooves
( 6:15)  2. Claire De Lune
( 8:08)  3. Mirror Images
( 6:34)  4. Guiding Star
(12:15)  5. Invitation
( 9:30)  6. I'm Old Fashioned
(13:34)  7. Appearing In Cleveland

In a world of unrestrained hyperbole, where competent athletes are superstars and slim, attractive women supermodels, words like awesome, spectacular, phenomenal, superlative and breathtaking are too often over-used and undeserved. But not in this case. On Eternal Licks and Grooves, the Bob Florence Limited Edition is awesome, its soloists spectacular, guest artists Carl Saunders, Scott Whitfield and Peter Erskine phenomenal, Florence's piano playing superlative, his compositions and arrangements breathtaking. Florence, who recently turned seventy-five, has recorded more than a dozen big-band albums starting with Name Band 1959 (Carlton) and this may well be the best one yet. That's not hype; simply a fact. From "Eternal Licks and Grooves, commissioned to honor Count Basie, through "Appearing in Cleveland, his memorable salute to Stan Kenton, Florence operates with the unerring skill of a master surgeon, scrupulously appraising whole themes or fragments thereof and carefully splicing them together as only he can to produce fresh and exciting musical expositions. About his buoyant arrangement of "Claire de Lune, Florence writes, "When I do an arrangement of a standard composition, I become the composer, an assertion that applies not only to Claude Debussy's classic work but to Bronislaw Kaper's "Invitation and Jerome Kern / Johnny Mercer's "I'm Old Fashioned, each of which glistens in Florence's capable hands. Besides "Grooves and "Cleveland, Florence wrote "Mirror Images and co-wrote "Guiding Star with Fred Manley.

Florence puts Whitfield to work immediately, and the trombonist responds with a blistering solo on "Grooves, complementing thermal statements by guitarist Larry Koonse, tenor Tom Peterson, trumpeter Larry Lunetta and drummer Erskine (who kicks the band relentlessly throughout). Florence's exquisite solo piano introduces "Claire de Lune, on which trumpeter Saunders is typically astonishing, even inserting a brief quote from "Autumn Serenade (if there's a better all-around trumpeter playing today, I've yet to hear him). The melodious "Mirror Images (denoting Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn) features Don Shelton's sensuous soprano sax, the lovely ballad "Guiding Star Bob Carr's supple baritone sax and Bob McChesney's satiny trombone. As on "Claire de Lune, Florence adroitly states the melody on "Invitation and "Old Fashioned before gently but persistently taking the standards where he wants them to go. Florence, tenor Jeff Driskill, trumpeter Steve Huffsteter and bassist Trey Henry are showcased on the former, trombonist Alex Iles and alto Kim Richmond on the latter (Richmond's amiable solo is especially charming). The inspired soloists on "Cleveland are Florence, Koonse, baritone Bob Efford and trumpeter Ron Stout. Truth be told, there's neither a weak spot nor false note on the album. At the risk of sounding, well, hyperbolic, one could easily make the case that Eternal Licks and Grooves is an unequivocal masterpiece. In the end, however, that's up to each listener to decide. ~ Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/eternal-licks-and-grooves-bob-florence-mama-records-review-by-jack-bowers.php

Personnel: Bob Florence: composer, arranger, piano; Pete DeSiena: trumpet, flugelhorn; Lee Thornburg: trumpet, flugelhorn; Larry Lunetta: trumpet, flugelhorn; Steve Huffsteter: trumpet, flugelhorn; Ron Stout: trumpet, flugelhorn; Don Shelton: alto, soprano sax, clarinet; Kim Richmond: alto, soprano sax, clarinet; Jeff Driskill: tenor sax, clarinet; Tom Peterson: tenor sax, clarinet; Billy Kerr: tenor sax, clarinet; Bob Efford: baritone sax, bass clarinet; Bob Carr: baritone sax, e flat contra alto clarinet; Charlie Loper: trombone; Alex Iles: trombone; Bob McChesney: trombone; Craig Gosnell: bass trombone; Larry Koonse: guitar; Trey Henry: bass. Guests: Peter Erskine: drums; Carl Saunders: trumpet; Scott Whitfield: trombone.

Eternal Licks and Grooves

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Horace Silver Quintet - Juicy Lucy

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:31
Size: 97.3 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[5:33] 1. Swingin' The Samba
[5:44] 2. Juicy Lucy
[4:50] 3. Come On Home
[5:29] 4. Cookin' At The Continental
[5:28] 5. You Happened My Way
[5:26] 6. Mellow D
[4:44] 7. Finger Poppin'
[5:15] 8. Sweet Stuff

From the perspective of the 21st century, it is clear that few jazz musicians had a greater impact on the contemporary mainstream than Horace Silver. The hard bop style that Silver pioneered in the '50s is now dominant, played not only by holdovers from an earlier generation, but also by fuzzy-cheeked musicians who had yet to be born when the music fell out of critical favor in the '60s and '70s.

Silver's earliest musical influence was the Cape Verdean folk music he heard from his Portuguese-born father. Later, after he had begun playing piano and saxophone as a high schooler, Silver came under the spell of blues singers and boogie-woogie pianists, as well as boppers like Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell. In 1950, Stan Getz played a concert in Hartford, Connecticut, with a pickup rhythm section that included Silver, drummer Walter Bolden, and bassist Joe Calloway. So impressed was Getz, he hired the whole trio. Silver had been saving his money to move to New York anyway; his hiring by Getz sealed the deal.

Silver worked with Getz for a year, then began to freelance around the city with such big-time players as Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, and Oscar Pettiford. In 1952, he recorded with Lou Donaldson for the Blue Note label; this date led him to his first recordings as a leader. In 1953, he joined forces with Art Blakey to form a cooperative under their joint leadership. The band's first album, Horace Silver and the Jazz Messengers, was a milestone in the development of the genre that came to be known as hard bop. Many of the tunes penned by Silver for that record -- "The Preacher," "Doodlin'," "Room 608" -- became jazz classics. By 1956, Silver had left the Messengers to record on his own. The series of Blue Note albums that followed established him for all time as one of jazz's major composer/pianists. LPs like Blowin' the Blues Away and Song for My Father (both recorded by an ensemble that included Silver's longtime sidemen Blue Mitchell and Junior Cook) featured Silver's harmonically sophisticated and formally distinctive compositions for small jazz ensemble.

Silver's piano style -- terse, imaginative, and utterly funky -- became a model for subsequent mainstream pianists to emulate. Some of the most influential horn players of the '50s, '60s, and '70s first attained a measure of prominence with Silver -- musicians like Donald Byrd, Woody Shaw, Joe Henderson, Benny Golson, and the Brecker Brothers all played in Silver's band at a point early in their careers. Silver has even affected members of the avant-garde; Cecil Taylor confesses a Silver influence, and trumpeter Dave Douglas played briefly in a Silver combo.

Silver recorded exclusively for Blue Note until that label's eclipse in the late '70s, whereupon he started his own label, Silveto. Silver's '80s work was poorly distributed. During that time he began writing lyrics to his compositions, and his work began to display a concern with music's metaphysical powers, as exemplified by album titles like Music to Ease Your Disease and Spiritualizing the Senses. In the '90s, Silver abandoned his label venture and began recording for Columbia. With his re-emergence on a major label, Silver once again received a measure of the attention his contributions deserve. Certainly, no one ever contributed a larger and more vital body of original compositions to the jazz canon. Silver died in New York on June 18, 2014 at the age of 85. ~bio by Chris Kelsey

Juicy Lucy mc
Juicy Lucy zippy

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Etta Cameron - I Have A Dream

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:49
Size: 114.1 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[3:17] 1. Imagine
[3:06] 2. Everything Is Beautiful
[4:35] 3. Bridge Over Troubled Water
[3:21] 4. You Are So Beautiful
[5:11] 5. With A Little Help From My Friends
[5:02] 6. I Have A Dream
[3:49] 7. Yester-Me, Yester-You, Yesterday
[3:20] 8. What A Wonderful World
[4:25] 9. Knockin' On Heaven's Door
[4:22] 10. Sailing
[4:26] 11. Tears In Heaven
[4:49] 12. Amazing Grace

Etta Cameron (b. Ettamae Louvita Coakley, November 21, 1939, Nassau, Bahamas – March 4, 2010, Aarhus, Denmark) was a Bahamian–Danish singer. She especially sang jazz and gospel, and left her mark in the Danish music culture through her entire career from her arrival in Denmark in the 1970s. She was made a Knight of Dannebrog in 1997. Etta Cameron was also well known as one of the judges in the first two seasons of Scenen er din, the Danish version of the American TV show Star Search.

She came to Denmark from the DDR, but found herself unable to leave East Berlin for five years, after a performance commitment during which time she had lost her passport. Etta died on March 4, 2010 after a long illness. She had two children, Debbie and Steve. Debbie Cameron is following her mother's footsteps and is going for a singing career.

I Have A Dream mc
I Have A Dream zippy

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Warren Vaché, The New York City All-Star Big Band - Swingtime!

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:49
Size: 141.5 MB
Styles: Big band, Swing
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[3:01] 1. Swingtime!
[5:15] 2. From This Moment On
[3:56] 3. I've Got My Fingers Crossed
[4:00] 4. Mr. Bojangles
[4:36] 5. The Way You Look Tonight
[6:09] 6. Stompin' At The Savoy
[8:23] 7. B. D. Blues
[3:16] 8. Jumpin' At The Woodside
[4:35] 9. A Portrait Of Jenny
[3:52] 10. Ain't Misbehavin'
[6:27] 11. Saturday Night Fish Fry
[3:14] 12. When You're Smiling
[4:59] 13. Let The Good Times Roll

Alto Saxophone, Clarinet – Chuck Wilson; Baritone Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Clarinet – Alan Barnes; Bass – Murray Wall; Drums – Jake Hanna; Piano – Steve Ash; Tenor Saxophone – Harry Allen, Rickey Woodard; Trombone – John Allred, Matt Bilyk; Trumpet – Randy Sandke; Trumpet, Vocals – Warren Vaché. Recorded on January 11 and 12, 2000.

Some album titles so accurately describe the contents that there's almost nothing meaningful that a poor review can say about it. Such is the case with Swingtime!, wherein what is advertised is precisely what one gets—a baker's dozen of inflexibly swinging sorties by trumpeter Warren Vaché and his New York City All—Star Big Band (underweight division). The band includes only two trumpets (Vaché and Randy Reinhart), two trombones, four saxophones and rhythm, but after listening for a few moments you won't care about that, as these gentlemen more than compensate for fewness of numbers by pouring their heart and soul into every note on the page. Mind you, this isn't "contemporary" Jazz—no one is trying to plant fresh seeds or set new standards—but sure as the sunrise, it does swing! A large measure of credit for that must go to the intrepid rhythm section, anchored by drummer Jake Hanna and crowned by Steve Ash's tasteful piano and Murray Wall's walking bass. But everyone has a hand in making this engine go, and the band's consistently sparkling section work is complemented by emphatic solos from Vaché, Ash, tenors Rickey Woodard and Harry Allen, trombonist John Allred and clarinetist / baritone Alan Barnes, each of whom has technique and resourcefulness to burn. Besides playing sublime trumpet, Vaché discloses solid albeit unpolished vocal talent on "I've Got My Fingers Crossed," "Saturday Night Fish Fry" and "Let the Good Times Roll." Swingtime! reminds me of another superb Nagel—Heyer album released some five years ago, The Buck Clayton Swing Band Live from Greenwich Village, on which Vaché also played. Clayton's band was larger (16 members) but the payoff was about the same—pure, unvarnished swing from first note to last. If swing's your bag, open this one for a bushelful of pleasure. ~Jack Bowers

Swingtime! mc
Swingtime! zippy

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Russell Gunn - Ethnomusicology Vol.4 - Live in Atlanta

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:42
Size: 128,3 MB
Art: Front

( 0:39)  1. Sam Yi (spoken intro)
( 6:32)  2. Blue In Green
(11:11)  3. More Sybil's Blues
(13:09)  4. Summertime
( 7:59)  5. Lyne's Joint
(16:10)  6. Shiva The Destroyer

As an alternative to Wynton Marsalis, who steadfastly hangs onto the singular American Jazz Tradition and, granted, eloquently and skillfully keeps it alive through his playing, educating and entrepreneuring, trumpeter Russell Gunn has shown an unerring desire over the course of the past ten years to merge styles into a personal language that asserts jazz as the melting pot it truly is. As much as Gunn has proven himself to be a capable hard and post bop player on early albums including Young Gunn and Gunn Fu, it has been with his not altogether consistent but always searching series of Ethnomusicology recordings where he has shown his true colours. Blending hip hop, soul, blues, traditional jazz forms, rock and more, Ethnomusicology Vol. 4: Live in Atlanta shows that diverse elements can blend into a cogent and cohesive whole that is truly greater than the sum of its disparate parts. Opening the set with a dramatic reading of the Bill Evans/Miles Davis classic "Blue in Green," Gunn segues from the rubato introduction of the theme into an up-tempo samba that would have fit well in the early, Latin-based Return to Forever. Rocky Bryant's energetic drum solo leads into a fitful electric trumpet excursion from Gunn that segues into "More Sybil's Blues," which starts as a rocking feature for guitarist Carl Burnett's Albert Collins-inflected lines before shifting into a soulful vamp that nods more than a little to Miles' '80s bands, before returning to another blues-drenched, Stevie Ray Vaughan-esque solo from Burnett.

"Summertime" starts at a surprising clip, the band vamping for nearly three minutes before Gunn's wah-wah trumpet pulls the theme out of its up-tempo funkiness and draws it down into a moving solo piano segment by Nick Rolfe which demonstrates that, as stylistically broad as the group can be, the essence of the jazz tradition is never too far away. But it doesn't last long before the rhythm section is back and turntablist D.J. Neil Armstrong is bringing a hip hop element into the mix. "Lynne's Joint" is a schizophrenic tune that blends a soulful theme with a rhythm section that combines spacious simplicity with a busier urban edge. Gunn has come under no uncertain degree of heat for his unapologetically cosmopolitan approach. Purists are quick to dismiss it as something other than jazz, while supporters see it as a logical progression, a natural evolution. Whether or not one subscribes to Gunn's concept, there is no doubt that he is an extremely talented player with a specific vision that has been consistently developing over the course of the last decade. And he surrounds himself with capable players who clearly understand the history and the future of jazz. Pariah or visionary, Gunn deserves respect for finding his direction and following it with determination, passion and zeal. ~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/ethnomusicology-vol-4-live-in-atlanta-russell-gunn-justin-time-records-review-by-john-kelman.php

Personnel: Russell Gunn (electric trumpet, flugelhorn), Nick Rolfe (piano, fender rhodes, keyboards), Carlos Henderson (electric bass), Carl Burnett (electric guitar), Kahlil Kwame Bell (percussion), Rocky Bryant (drums), D.J. Neil Armstrong (turntables)

Ethnomusicology Vol.4 - Live in Atlanta

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Cleo Laine & John Williams - Best Friends

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1976
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:52
Size: 98,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:08)  1. Feelings
(2:44)  2. Time Does Fly
(4:39)  3. Killing Me Softly With His Song
(2:21)  4. Before Love Went Out Of Style
(4:11)  5. My Day Has Started With You
(3:18)  6. Wave
(3:34)  7. Eleanor Rigby
(3:09)  8. Awake My Love
(3:42)  9. If
(3:34) 10. Charms
(3:06) 11. Sleep Now
(4:19) 12. He Was Beautiful

With a multi-octave voice similar to Betty Carter's, incredible scatting ability, and ease of transition from a throaty whisper to high-pitched trills, Cleo Laine was born in 1927 in the Southall section of London, the daughter of a Jamaican father and English mother. Her parents sent her to vocal and dance lessons as a teenager, but she was 25 when she first sang professionally, after a successful audition with the big band led by Johnny Dankworth. Both Laine and the band recorded for Esquire, MGM and Pye during the late '50s, and by 1958, she was married to Dankworth. With Dankworth by her side, Laine began her solo career in earnest with a 1964 album of Shakespeare lyrics set to Dankworth's arrangements, Shakespeare: And All That Jazz. Laine also gained renown for the first of three concert albums recorded at New York's Carnegie Hall, 1973's Cleo Laine Live! At Carnegie Hall. She also recorded two follow-ups (Return to Carnegie and The 10th Anniversary Concert) the latter of which in 1983 won her the first Grammy award by a Briton. She has proved a rugged stage actress as well, winning a Theater World award for her role in the Broadway musical The Mystery of Edwin Drood, (in addition to Tony and Drama Desk nominations as well). In 1976 she recorded a jazz version of Porgy and Bess with Ray Charles, and also recorded duets with James Galway and guitarist John Williams. Laine and Dankworth continued to tour into the 1990s, and she received perhaps her greatest honor when she became the first jazz artist to receive the highest title available in the performing arts: Dame Commander. ~ John Bush https://www.allmusic.com/artist/cleo-laine-mn0000120273/biography

Personnel:  Vocals – Cleo Laine;  Arranged By [Guitar & Rhythm] – John Dankworth;  Arranged By [String] – Paul Hart ;  Bass – Dave Markee, Pete Morgan;  Cello – Kathy Giles;  Drums – Kenny Clare, Tony Kinsey;  Guitar – John Williams ;  Producer, Electric Piano, Violin – Paul Hart ;  Producer, Soprano Saxophone, Clarinet – John Dankworth;  Viola – Chris Hartley ;  Violin – Celia Mitchell, Gerry Richards, Lorrie Lewis

Best Friends

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Houston Person - To Etta with Love

Styles: Saxophone Jazz

Year: 2004

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 54:29

Size: 124,9 MB

Art: Front

(5:18)  1. It's Magic

(6:20)  2. Love Walked In

(4:43)  3. Don't Misunderstand

(4:55)  4. I Should Care

(5:22)  5. Don't Go To Strangers

(6:00)  6. For All We Know

(6:31)  7. Since I Fell For You

(4:31)  8. Ain't Misbehavin'

(7:11)  9. What A Wonderful World

(3:33) 10. Gee Baby Ain't I Good To You

One of the longest-lasting and critically lauded partnerships in jazz, the duo of vocalist Etta Jones and tenor saxophonist Houston Person ran from a concert in 1968 to Jones' death in 2001 on the same day their last album together, Etta Jones Sings Lady Day, was released. In tribute to Jones, To Etta With Love finds Person digging into various standards that Jones loved throughout her career. There is a melancholy, heartbreaking quality to these tracks. The fact that liner notes are included on an album without a vocalist only serves to further underline how much Jones' personality and style inform every note Person plays. The journeyman's warm, burnished tenor sound veritably weeps and more often soars through such classics as "Don't Go to Strangers," "For All We Know," and "Gee Baby Ain't I Good to You." Backing Person here are the always sensitive talents of pianist Stan Hope, guitarist Paul Bollenback, bassist Per-Ola Gadd, and drummer Chip White. Much like the singer Person knew, To Etta With Love is an understated, moving, and swinging elegy. ~ Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/album/to-etta-with-love-mw0000397922    

Personnel: Houston Person (tenor saxophone); Per-Ola Gadd (bass instrument); Paul Bollenback (guitar); Stan Hope (piano); Chip White (drums).

To Etta with Love

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Eric Kloss - Sky Shadows In The Land Of The Giants

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:40
Size: 174,3 MB
Art: Front

( 6:25)  1. In A Country Soul Garden
(13:15)  2. Sky Shadows
( 6:45)  3. The Girl With The Fall In Her Hair
( 6:43)  4. I'll Give You Everything
( 7:11)  5. January's Child
( 7:32)  6. Summertime
(11:02)  7. So What
( 5:19)  8. Sock It To Me Socrates
( 5:36)  9. When Two Lovers Touch
( 5:48) 10. Things Ain't What They Used To Be

Although he’s apparently maintaining a low profile these days, saxophonist Eric Kloss recorded quite a few albums for Prestige records by the time he reached the tender ago of 19. Here, Prestige has reissued Kloss’ Sky Shadows and In The Land Of The Giants on 1 Compact Disc. From the liners....” This Music, from 1968 and ’69, finds the emerging Kloss in full flight, whether the setting is post-bop or modal, standard or balladic”. At this juncture, Kloss shows maturity, outstanding technical chops and depth while the now famous supporting cast were obviously motivated and geared up for these sessions.  Tracks 1-5 were originally released as Sky Shadows and feature: Kloss; Alto & Tenor Saxophones; Pat Martino; Guitar: Jaki Byard; Piano: Bob Cranshaw; Bass and Jack DeJohnette; Drums. Here, Kloss’ “In a Country Soul Garden” is soulful, bouncy and blends R&B and Jazz motifs featuring a vibrant tempo and memorable hook as “Sky Shadows” also serves as a fitting vehicle for Kloss’ often linear phraseology. On “Sky Shadows”, Kloss’ straight-up yet fluent approach along with near flawless intonation, counterbalances the narrative style and clear toned phrasing by the great guitarist, Pat Martino. Here, the late pianist Jaki Byard, performs as if he were truly inspired or motivated for both of these sessions. Byard’s impossibly fast lead soloing and rippling chord clusters are awe-inspiring! 

Sadly, Jaki Byard is no longer with us yet his numerous contributions to jazz and jazz education are meritorious and will stand for many years to come. Tracks 6-11 were originally released on In the Land Of The Giants as the personnel here consists of Kloss; Alto Sax, Booker Ervin; Tenor Sax; Jaki Byard; Piano; Alan Dawson; Drums and Richard Davis; Bass. Highlights are, an absolutely stunning, up-tempo version of Miles Davis’ “So What” featuring the towering and vigorous tenor saxophone work of the late Booker Ervin. Here, Kloss and Ervin take turns reaching for the stars via soaring and electrifying lead soloing!........Not a cutting contest yet these esteemed gentlemen perform with conviction as if they were possessed by spirits... Kloss’ sweet alto sax tone and sumptuous phrasing is evident on “When Two Lovers Touch”. On the Ellington classic, “Things Ain’t What They Used To Be” Kloss’ expressionism and emotive lyricism displays mature sensibilities and expertise for such a young lad. Prestige has performed a dutiful service for jazz enthusiasts by releasing these gems from a man who seems to have toggled his career between fame and relative obscurity. Recommended.. ~ Glenn Astarita https://www.allaboutjazz.com/sky-shadows-in-the-land-of-the-giants-eric-kloss-prestige-records-review-by-glenn-astarita.php

Personnel: Eric Kloss (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Pat Martino (guitar); Booker Ervin (tenor saxophone); Jaki Byard (piano); Jack DeJohnette, Alan Dawson (drums).

Sky Shadows / In The Land Of The Giants

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Ulf Wakenius - Notes From The Heart

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:53
Size: 127,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:38)  1. Memories Of Tomorrow
(4:56)  2. Dancing
(4:36)  3. Innocence
(4:21)  4. The Windup
(4:17)  5. My Song
(3:47)  6. Mon Coer Est Rouge
(4:59)  7. Everything That Lives Laments
(5:04)  8. The Cure
(7:45)  9. So Tender
(5:19) 10. U-Dance
(4:06) 11. Prayer

One of the most significant artists of the past forty years, pianist Keith Jarrett continues to base his ever-evolving style on a remarkable stream of consciousness approach to improvisation. But with Jarrett focusing his energy almost exclusively on his longstanding Standards Trio and improvised solo piano performances for the past two decades, it's easy to forget that he's also written a wealth of memorable compositions. Still, Jarrett asserts that improvisation is nothing less than composition in real time, and he's absolutely right. But Jarrett's influence reaches beyond pianists. His ability to combine an almost fragile lyricism with richer complexities and imbue the jazz language with an appealing folksiness has influenced more than one generation of players on other instruments, including the equally influential guitarist Pat Metheny. Swedish guitarist Ulf Wakenius' style has clearly been filtered through Jarrett and Metheny, but that's not to imply he lacks his own voice. On Forever You (Stunt, 2004) he demonstrated their same deep respect for melody and the essence of song, but with an economical approach that belied his considerable virtuosity. 

On Notes from the Heart the first album ever to feature a single artist paying tribute to Jarrett the composer and the performer Wakenius turns his attention to interpreting his music. By approaching not only some of Jarrett's more well known songs, but also material from his solo piano improvisations, Wakenius proves Jarrett's statement that the real time compositional nature of improvisation is more than self-justification for abandoning conventional writing. Restricting himself to classical guitar, Wakenius mines a cross-section of material from many stages of Jarrett's career, from the delicately melancholic and Latin-informed "Everything That Lives Laments, from The Mourning of a Star (Atlantic, 1971) to the more ostinato-based, groove-centric title track from The Cure (ECM, 1991). Jarrett's European Quartet is represented by the gently balladic "Innocence from Nude Ants (ECM, 1980), the vulnerable beauty of the title track to My Song (ECM, 1977), and the more up-tempo folksy complexity of "The Windup, from Belonging (ECM, 1974). The American Quartet is represented here, as is the Standards Trio. Throughout, Wakenius often layering his linear lines over an overdubbed rhythm guitar track is sensitively accompanied by two long-time associates: bassist Lars Danielsson, who also adds occasional piano and cello, and drummer Morten Lund. But the most compelling pieces and the best evidence of Jarrett's compositional sensibility in any context are those fashioned from his solo piano works. "Memories of Tomorrow, better known as "Köln II C from The Köln Concert (ECM, 1975), is an elegant bossa, while "Mon Couer Est Rouge, from Concerts (ECM, 1981) is a profoundly touching duet with Danielsson on piano. Throughout, Wakenius' evocative playing at times exploring the meaning of a single note, elsewhere more elaborately fashioned phrases digs deep into Jarrett's material, dispensing with all artifice and getting right to the core. Notes from the Heart is aptly titled. Wakenius pays reverent homage to Jarrett in the best way possible by demonstrating Jarrett's unequivocal influence and fully subsuming it in his own pure and unaffected musical approach. Simply beautiful. ~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/notes-from-the-heart-ulf-wakenius-act-music-review-by-john-kelman.php

Personnel: Ulf Wakenius: acoustic guitars; Lars Danielsson: double-bass, cello, piano; Morten Lund: drums.

Notes From The Heart

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