Dave Liebman Trio - Monk's Mood

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:07
Size: 134,0 MB
Art: Front

(2:33)  1. Monk's Mood
(4:39)  2. Teo
(5:40)  3. Pannonica
(7:48)  4. Nutty
(5:14)  5. Reflections
(8:08)  6. Gallop's Gallop
(6:00)  7. Ugly Beauty
(5:46)  8. Monk's Dream
(5:19)  9. Introspection
(4:36) 10. Skippy
(2:18) 11. Monk's Mood II

It’s nice to hear Dave Liebman undo a few buttons and dig in with a trio session. Of late the sax icon has taken to larger ensembles and concept albums. The only concept here is Monk, and Liebman’s only guests are Eddie Gomez on bass and Adam Nussbaum on drums. Seldom played gems such as "Teo," "Gallop’s Gallop," "Introspection," and "Skippy" make this not just another Monk tribute. However, bookending the program with "Monk’s Mood" is not original Danilo Perez did the same on his 1996 Impulse release, Panamonk.  Liebman divides his time between tenor and soprano, playing the larger horn on five of the disc’s eleven tracks. His tenor work on "Nutty" and "Monk’s Dream" is especially hot. Listen for echoes of Sonny Rollins’s 1958 trio with Wilbur Ware and Elvin Jones. "Reflections," another tenor track, is played as a very slow ballad and finds Lieb sounding a bit like Joe Henderson. Nussbaum is at his most subtle on "Pannonica," and gives "Ugly Beauty," "Introspection," and "Teo" an interesting, almost funky twist. The best track award goes to "Skippy." Gomez and Liebman nail the boppish melody together and then Gomez is off and running. Liebman’s soprano foray is pointed and aggressive. When the melody returns, Gomez vocalizes along in his trademark fashion, which somehow turns the excitement up a notch. The disc closes on a mellower note, with Liebman playing not-half-bad piano on "Monk’s Mood" while Gomez handles the melody. In his liner notes Liebman candidly writes about seeing Monk live in the 60s. "I will admit," he says, "that the sameness of presentation, personnel, tempos and repertoire sometimes bored me." It was only later in life that Liebman fully began to appreciate Monk’s music. There’s something quite refreshing about Liebman’s ability to tell it to us straight. Tribute records can come across as impersonal exercises in obligatory reverence. Liebman instead lets us in on his aesthetic experience. He involves his audience in his own musical maturation process. And many of us will no doubt identify. We bullshit ourselves and others by claiming that we emerged from the musical womb already digging Duke and Coltrane and Dolphy and the rest. Much jazz is and should be an acquired taste. Liebman’s love for Monk came with time and effort, and the music on this disc is stronger for it. ~ David Adler https://www.allaboutjazz.com/monks-mood-dave-liebman-double-time-jazz-review-by-david-adler.php

Personnel:   Dave Liebman - tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, arranger, producer, mixing, mastering;   Eddie Gómez - bass;  Adam Nussbaum - drums

Monk's Mood

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Shelby Lynne & Allison Moorer - Not Dark Yet

Styles: Vocal, Guitar
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:18
Size: 86,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:52)  1. My List
(2:23)  2. Every Time You Leave
(4:19)  3. Not Dark Yet
(2:57)  4. I'm Looking For Blue Eyes
(2:54)  5. Lungs
(4:03)  6. The Color Of A Cloudy Day
(2:34)  7. Silver Wings
(4:47)  8. Into My Arms
(5:38)  9. Lithium
(4:46) 10. Is It Too Much

Despite singing together since they were old enough to talk, it took a lifetime for sisters Shelby Lynne and Allison Moorer to record together. United by blood, growing up in the backwoods of Alabama and sharing an unspeakable tragedy they witnessed their father take their mother's life and then his own their coming together on Not Dark Yet was perhaps inevitable, but it wasn't easy. The pair did a celebrated tour together in 2010 and tried to write a collective album afterwards. They ended up abandoning that project, but not the desire to collaborate. With empathic producer Teddy Thompson and a cannily chosen cast of studio aces among them guitarist Doug Pettibone, keyboardist Benmont Tench, and steel guitar player Ben Peeler  they deliver nine cover songs chosen from the canons of rock, country, Americana, and pop before closing with a lone original.  Commencing with the Killers' "My List," they deliver a love song as if facing one another, using the blood ties of sibling union as a hymn of commitment. Tench's piano and the twinned guitars of Pettibone and Val McCallum add a lonesome gospel feel to the languid, steely longing in the lyric. Jessi Colter's "I'm Looking for Blue Eyes" and Merle Haggard's "Silver Wings" are delivered with an intimate familiarity, as if the emotional truth these songs carry were part of their shared DNA. Bob Dylan's title track, penned as a metaphorical elegy to humanity, is underscored here. When Lynne follows her sister's lead, the mournful lyric is stretched toward ghost land where mercurial notions of loss and grief wrap around one another and bleed hard truths. 

Townes Van Zandt's "Lungs" is as steely as the original, but is articulated here through the clear lenses of country gospel and blues extending its reach out of death. Nick Cave's "Into My Arms" is a rootsy paean to enduring, committed love, while Nirvana's "Lithium" is not altogether successful because it's delivered with too much reverence. The album's lone original, "Is It Too Much," emerges as a whisper from the ether. Its lyric question addresses the unspeakable plainly, but it's sung as if the sisters are squarely facing one another, each completing the other's thoughts and sentences. They cover each other's grief with grief, and offer shelter and respite from the outside world that cannot hope to understand with the grain in their voices. They acknowledge a pain that can never be assuaged, just accepted as a shared transformative burden as they embrace it and one another. These two walk and stumble through that dark night, leaning together as the lyrics pour down like a river of tears. The song's question may never be answered, but its utterance is enough to guarantee another step for each. Not Dark Yet is a beacon, a glimmer of the possible. It's a stark, beautiful recording that hopefully proves something to both Lynne and Moorer: That what's here is a new beginning and that there is much more to explore. ~ Thom Jurek https://www.allmusic.com/album/not-dark-yet-mw0003066831

Personnel:   Allison Moorer – lead vocals, harmony vocals, acoustic guitar, piano;  Shelby Lynne – lead vocals, harmony vocals, acoustic guitar;  Erik Deutsch – organ, piano;  Don Heffington – drums, percussion;  Michael Jerome – drums, percussion;  Val McCallum – acoustic guitar, electric guitar;   Ben Peeler – electric guitar, pedal steel guitar;   Doug Pettibone – acoustic guitar, electric guitar;  Taras Prodaniuk – bass;  Benmont Tench – keyboard, organ, piano, wurlitzer;  Teddy Thompson – producer, bass, drums, acoustic guitar, background vocals

Not Dark Yet

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Curtis Mayfield - Love Is The Place

Styles: Vocal And Guitar Jazz
Year: 1981
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:17
Size: 84,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:16)  1. She Don't Let Nobody (But Me)
(4:09)  2. Toot An'toot An'toot
(5:32)  3. Babydoll
(5:04)  4. Love Is The Place
(4:28)  5. Just Ease My Mind
(4:50)  6. You Mean Everything To Me
(3:38)  7. You Get All My Love
(4:16)  8. Come Free Your People

A CD reissue of an old Mayfield platter that didn't garner as much interest as some of his other solo releases, and for good reason: Mayfield was experimenting with his sound. After the first three songs nothing else really works until the last cut: "Come Free Your People," one of Mayfield's best albeit little-known message songs. The most engaging of the eight tunes are the reggae-influenced "She Don't Love Nobody Else," "Toot an' Toot an' Toot," and the lilting "Baby Doll."~ Andrew Hamilton https://www.allmusic.com/album/love-is-the-place-mw0000608697

Personnel:  Curtis Mayfield - vocals, guitar;  Fred Tackett, Michael Sembello - guitar;  Dennis Belfield - bass;  David Loeb - keyboards;  Paulinho Da Costa - percussion;  Carlos Vega - drums;  Efrain Toro - marimba, vibraphone;  Sam Small - Theremin;  Julia Tillman Waters, Luther Waters, Maxine Willard Waters, Oren Waters, Dino Fekaris - backing vocals;  Gene Page - string and horn arrangements

Love Is The Place

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Dave Valentin - Tropic Heat

Styles: Flute Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:54
Size: 111,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:40)  1. My Favorite Things
(6:12)  2. Sweet Lips
(5:05)  3. Don Q
(6:10)  4. Danzon For My Father
(4:55)  5. Mr. Evil
(4:45)  6. Bello Amanecer
(6:15)  7. Sam's Groove
(4:01)  8. Tasty Mango
(5:48)  9. Sangria

Flutist Dave Valentin's 16th album for GRP is one of his best. His regular group (a quartet with pianist Bill O'Connell, bassist Lincoln Goines, and drummer Robbie Ameen) is augmented by two percussionists and an excellent seven-member horn section that consists of the reeds of Dick Oatts, Mario Rivera, and David Sanchez; trombonist Angel "Papo" Vasquez; and three trumpeters, including Charlie Sepulveda. All of the horns get their opportunities to solo and the result is a particularly strong Latin jazz session. Valentin continues to grow as a player and he cuts loose on several of these tracks. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/tropic-heat-mw0000625229

Personnel: Dave Valentin - flute; Bill O'Connell - piano; Milton Cardona - congas, percussion; Mario Rivera - tenor saxophone, bass clarinet, vocals; Piro Rodriguez - trumpet;  Bernd Schoenhart - acoustic guitar;  David Sanchez - tenor saxophone;  Robby Ameen - drums;  Dick Oatts - alto & tenor saxophones

Tropic Heat

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Steve Turre - The Very Thought Of You

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:51
Size: 137,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:17)  1. The Very Thought Of You
(6:15)  2. September In The Rain
(4:31)  3. No Regrets
(6:23)  4. Carolyn (In The Morning)
(6:05)  5. Never Let Me Go
(6:17)  6. Sachiko
(4:13)  7. Freedom Park, Sa
(3:29)  8. The Shadow Of Your Smile
(5:27)  9. Time Will Tell
(6:56) 10. Yardbird Suite
(3:51) 11. Danny Boy

The trombone is not always heard out in front of an ensemble. But in the hands of East Coast player (and longtime Saturday Night Live band member Steve Turre, with his caramel tone and rhythmic assurance, it’s the perfect vehicle for a set of ballads like The Very Thought of You. With a quartet including master pianist Kenny Barron, Turre doesn’t stay in one place stylistically. Some tempos inch upward, like “September in the Rain” and the Charlie Parker classic “Yardbird Suite” (the latter featuring tenor sax great George Coleman), while four tracks have full string accompaniment arranged by Marty Sheller. Turre’s originals include stark duets with guitarist Russell Malone (“No Regrets”) and drummer Willie Jones III (“Freedom Park, SA”). “Carolyn (In the Morning),” by trombone forebear J.J. Johnson, is another inspired choice, and the traditional “Danny Boy” makes for an ideal closer, with Turre’s plunger mute evoking wistful moods. ~ Editors' Notes https://itunes.apple.com/ca/album/the-very-thought-of-you/1401033512

The Very Thought Of You

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Eric Marienthal - Walk Tall: Tribute to Cannonball Adderley

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:19
Size: 127,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:24)  1. Mercy, Mercy, Mercy
(4:23)  2. Work Song
(4:39)  3. Walk Tall
(3:31)  4. Skylark
(4:34)  5. Imagine That
(5:30)  6. The Way You Look Tonight
(4:37)  7. Here In My Heart
(4:23)  8. Sunstone
(3:30)  9. If You Need Me To
(5:28) 10. Country Preacher
(5:01) 11. Unit 7
(4:13) 12. Groove Runner

Contemporary sax whiz and Chick Corea Elektric Band veteran Eric Marienthal has been appearing with impressive frequency on other people's sessions, while occasionally releasing his own CDs. Until now, his more memorable performances have been those he's rendered in service to others. He makes good progress in remedying that situation with his latest,Walk Tall, a tribute to Cannonball Adderley. This program has one foot firmly planted on traditional soil (mostly during the tunes from Adderley's repertoire and a few standards) and the other foot on contemporary turf. Despite the fact that varying amounts of keyboard, bass, and drum programming are added even to the Adderley tunes, it's a pleasing mixture of old and new. The disk opens with a live recording of Cannonball introducing Joe Zawinul's "Mercy Mercy Mercy," with the instrumental track then fading out and the new recording fading in, in a not-too-awkward manner. Marienthal expressively caresses the lead lines while the programming churns in the background. "Work Song" and "Walk Tall" follow, then there's a beautiful ballad rendition of "Skylark." Other highlights include a medium-tempo spirited romp celebrating "The Way You Look Tonight" and the foot-tapping, bass-walking easy swing of "Unit 7." All in all, this is a pretty tasty deal. It's similar in aspirations to theTwist of JobimCD which inaugurated the i.e. music label, that is, placing an artist's work from a previous era in a more modern setting. Some of the contempo luminaries who contribute arrangements, performances, and production to the affair include Harvey Mason, Lee Ritenour, Rob Mullins, Russell Ferrante, Jeff Lorber, and John Beasley. ~ Dave Hughes https://www.allaboutjazz.com/walk-tall-eric-marienthal-ie-music-review-by-dave-hughes.php

Personnel:  Eric Marienthal - alto or soprano saxophone;  Lee Ritenour, Alan Hinds, Michael Thompson, Jeff Lorber - guitar Lee Ritenour, Rob Mullins, Harvey Mason Jr., Jeff Lorber - drum, bass, and keyboard programming;  John Beasley, Russell Ferrante, Ronnie Foster - piano, keyboards Melvin Davis, Reggie Hamilton, Chuck Domanico, Stanley Clarke, Vail Johnson - bass;  Harvey Mason - drums;  Chris Botti, Chuck Findley - trumpet;  Ralph Morrison III - violin;  Luis Conte - percussion;  Kevyn Lettau, Philip Ingram, Heather Mason, Michael Mishaw, Stevie Russell - vocals

Walk Tall: Tribute to Cannonball Adderley

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Sacha Boutros - Sacha Live In Hawaii

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:30
Size: 119,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:44)  1. Our Day Will Come
(3:43)  2. I'm Glad There Is You
(3:02)  3. The Glory Of Love
(2:42)  4. Que Rest-T-Il De Nos Amours-I Wish You Love
(6:09)  5. I Thought About You
(6:15)  6. Delirio
(5:15)  7. At Long Last Love
(5:08)  8. Blame It On My Youth
(6:13)  9. Body And Soul
(4:52) 10. The Way You Look Tonight
(3:20) 11. Tres Palabras

Sacha Live in Hawaii Recorded at Hawaii Public Radio on January 28, 2011 with Hawaii's own award winning Honolulu Jazz Quartet leader Bassist John kolivas and Pianist Dan Del Negro and featuring Derek Cannon on the Flugelhorn. https://www.amazon.com/Sacha-Live-Hawaii-Boutros/dp/B005W4S7BI

Sacha Live In Hawaii

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Sonny Criss - Sonny's Dream (Birth of the New Cool)

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1968
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:29
Size: 104,3 MB
Art: Front

(7:33)  1. Sonny's Dream
(4:23)  2. Ballad For Samuel
(5:52)  3. The Black Apostles
(5:10)  4. The Golden Pearl
(7:34)  5. Daughter Of Cochise
(5:26)  6. Sandy And Niles
(5:06)  7. The Golden Pearl [#][*][Alternate Take]
(4:21)  8. Sonny's Dream (alternate)

For Sonny Criss this was an unusual date. The altoist is backed for the set by a nonet arranged by the great Los Angeles legend Horace Tapscott. The arrangements are challenging but complementary to Criss' style, and he is in top form on the six Tapscott originals. The CD reissue includes two additional alternate takes, and is highly recommended for both Criss' playing and Tapscott's writing. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/sonnys-dream-birth-of-the-new-cool-mw0000087973

Personnel:  Sonny Criss – alto saxophone, soprano saxophone;  Conte Candoli – trumpet;  Dick Nash – trombone;  Ray Draper – tuba;  David Sherr – alto saxophone;  Teddy Edwards – tenor saxophone;  Pete Christlieb – baritone saxophone;  Tommy Flanagan – piano;  Al McKibbon – bass;  Everett Brown Jr. – drums;  Horace Tapscott – arranger, conductor

Sonny's Dream  (Birth of the New Cool)

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Cat Anderson - Cat Speaks: The Definitive Black & Blue Sessions

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1977
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:48
Size: 160,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:24)  1. Good Queen Bess
(6:05)  2. The Cat Hums
(4:14)  3. Stompy Jones
(5:23)  4. The Cat In G Flat
(4:26)  5. The Jeep Is Jumpin'
(5:13)  6. Baby Won't You Please Come Home
(6:13)  7. Black And Tan Fantasy
(4:40)  8. Struttin' With Some Barbecue
(6:14)  9. Cat Speaks
(7:33) 10. What Am I Here For
(5:24) 11. The Cat In G Flat (take 1)
(7:52) 12. Just Squeeze Me

Cat Anderson, 60 at the time of this session, was still at the height of his power at the time. Heading a quintet with fellow former Ellington member Sam Woodyard on drums plus Frenchmen Gerard Badini on tenor and clarinet, pianist Raymond Fol and bassist Michel Gaudry, Cat not only blasts out a few high notes but displays his expertise in the lower registers and with the plunger mute; he even takes a vocal on "The Cat Hums." This small group swing Lp (which has among its more memorable performances spirited renditions of "Stompy Jones" and "The Jeep Is Jumpin'") is one of Cat Anderson's finest and is well worth searching for. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/cat-speaks-mw0000373665

Cat Speaks: The Definitive Black & Blue Sessions

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Jonathan Butler - Close To You

Styles: Vocal And Guitar Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:11
Size: 104,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:32)  1. Do You Know the Way to San Jose
(3:34)  2. I'll Never Fall in Love Again
(3:29)  3. This Guy's in Love with You
(4:31)  4. Alfie
(3:29)  5. I Say a Little Prayer
(3:45)  6. Walk on By
(4:28)  7. (They Long to Be) Close to You
(3:46)  8. The Look of Love
(3:45)  9. Cape Town
(4:54) 10. What the World Needs Now is Love
(4:53) 11. A House is Not a Home

Dearly Beloved, Jonathan Butler having loudly even hysterically, you might feel proclaimed to the world that he has fallen in love with Jesus, let us consider his latest album and ponder Verse Two of "I'll Never Fall In Love Again" by Messrs. Hal David and Burt Bacharach:  What do you get when you kiss a girl? You get enough germs to catch pneumonia. Surely anyone who can turn words like that into a smash hit must be blessed with genius, regardless of what you think of the rest of their oeuvre, which includes "Do You Know The Way To San Jose?" and "What The World Needs Now Is Love." South African born singer/guitarist Butler revisits the David-Bacharach songbook for the bulk of Close To You, and also trots out his own "Cape Town," a decidedly ordinary eulogy to the place he calls home. He returns to the David-Bacharach songbook for his final number, "A House Is Not A Home," which oozes sentimentality from every pore and which you might expect to have been rendered obsolete by such modern songs as Stephen Sondheim's "Live Alone And Like It" which laud the benefits of living alone.  Butler has a ready smile and a warm voice which allow him to get away with almost anything, though he wisely treats "I Say A Little Prayer" as an instrumental, apart from a little scatting, which gets him off the hook from singing about putting on his make up. All the same, it can feel strange on occasion hearing a man interpret a song like "Walk On By," which Dionne Warwick so much made her own.  Although in this age of gender bending, as Cole Porter would undoubtedly have said, had he not died in 1964: "Anything Goes." ~ Chris Mosey https://www.allaboutjazz.com/close-to-you-jonathan-butler-jonathan-butler-mack-avenue-records-review-by-chris-mosey.php

Personnel: Jonathan Butler: vocals, guitar, percussion, bass, drum programming; Ramon Islas: percussion; Donald Hayes: saxophones; Cameron Johnson: trumpet; Nadira Kimberly: violin; Dan Lutz: bass; Jodie Butler, Antonio Sol, Francis Benetez, Terry Wood, Sandie Hall Brooks, Francis Livings, Amy Keys, Guy Maeda, Anick Byram, Clydene Jackson, Leyla Hoyle, James Zavaleta, Paulina Aguirre, Aleyna Van Antwerp, Jenny Karr, Sharlotte Gibson, Adrian Brizz, Bianca McClure, Vangie Gunn, Brigette Bryant, Andrea Grossi, Dorian Holley, Fred White, Carlis Murguia, Will Wheaton, Charlean Carmon, Aleta Braxton: background vocals.

Close To You

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Dizzy Gillespie - Dizzy On The French Riviera

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:34
Size: 90,0 MB
Art: Front

(10:20)  1. No More Blues
( 5:15)  2. Long, Long Summer
( 2:44)  3. I Waited For You
( 3:27)  4. Desafinado
( 8:33)  5. Here It Is
( 3:38)  6. Pau De Arara
( 4:34)  7. For The Gypsies

Some of Dizzy Gillespie's best and most well-known material from the '60s with a truly talented band is included on this set of recordings done in France. A group of American expatriates and Europeans really musicians from all over the world accompany the trumpeter for music that spans bop, Brazilian sounds, and originals. Argentine pianist Lalo Schifrin plays piano and contributes the arrangements, and Leo Wright is Gillespie's main foil on flute and alto sax, while Hungarian Elek Bacsik plays guitar in subtle ways that reflect the overall style of the sounds inspired by the French Riviera. A classic, stretched-out take of Antonio Carlos Jobim's "No More Blues" kicks off the set, with the sound of kids on an ocean beach leading to Gillespie and Wright trading halves of the melody line as playful as the children in a perfectly played bossa. Another Jobim standard, "Desafinado," has Wright's bright flute and the muted trumpet of Diz in a more pensive but still hopeful romantic mood. "I Waited for You" is the ultimate languid, laying-in-wait ballad, with Schifrin's refrains cuing the trumpeter's procrastinations, while "Long, Long Summer" is the pianist's ode to a sullen affair with ultraviolet light cool shades included in a swinging and modal approach. "For the Gypsies," penned by the leader, has Bacsik more up-front rhythmically, as Wright's mysterious flute contrasts with Gillespie's sharply precise notes in a sneaky quick bossa rhythm. Also written by Dizzy, "Here It Is" is as memorable a tune as he ever did, a signature strutting shuffle jazz/blues that exemplifies the joy in life always present in his music. That all of the participants are extremely talented and can mix and match with Gillespie beautifully makes this an album that should appeal universally to all jazz lovers, and especially his biggest fans. ~ Michael G.Nastos https://www.allmusic.com/album/dizzy-on-the-french-riviera-mw0000188085

Personnel: Dizzy Gillespie – trumpet, vocals;  Lalo Schifrin – piano;  Leo Wright - flute, alto saxophone, vocals;  Elek Bacsik - guitar;  Chris White - double bass;  Rudy Collins - drums;  Pepito Riestria - percussion;  Charlie Ventura - tenor saxophone, bass saxophone

Dizzy On The French Riviera

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Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane - Thelonious Monk With John Coltrane

Styles: Piano And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1961
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:51
Size: 107,4 MB
Art: Front

(6:22)  1. Ruby, My Dear
(6:41)  2. Trinkle, Tinkle
(5:16)  3. Off Minor (take 4)
(6:40)  4. Nutty
(3:11)  5. Epistrophy (alt. take)
(9:46)  6. Functional (alt. take)
(7:52)  7. Monk's Mood

Universally regarded as one of the greatest collaborations between the two most influential musicians in modern jazz (Miles Davis notwithstanding), the Jazzland sessions from Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane should be recognized on other levels. While the mastery of the principals is beyond reproach, credit should also be given to peerless bassist Wilbur Ware, as mighty an anchor as anyone could want. These 1957 dates also sport a variety in drummerless trio, quartet, septet, or solo piano settings, all emphasizing the compelling and quirky compositions of Monk. A shouted-out, pronounced "Off Minor" and robust, three-minute "Epistrophy" with legendary saxophonists Coleman Hawkins, Gigi Gryce, and the brilliant, underappreciated trumpeter Ray Copeland are hallmark tracks that every jazz fan should revere. Of the four quartet sessions, the fleet "Trinkle Tinkle" tests Coltrane's mettle, as he's perfectly matched alongside Monk, but conversely unforced during "Nutty" before taking off. Monk's solo piano effort, "Functional," is flavored with blues, stride, and boogie-woogie, while a bonus track, "Monk's Mood," has a Monk-Ware-Coltrane tandem (minus drummer Shadow Wilson) back for an eight-minute excursion primarily with Monk in a long intro, 'Trane in late, and Ware's bass accents booming through the studio. This will always be an essential item standing proudly among unearthed live sessions from Monk and Coltrane, demarcating a pivotal point during the most significant year in all types of music, from a technical and creative standpoint, but especially the jazz of the immediate future. ~ Michael G.Nastos https://www.allmusic.com/album/thelonious-monk-with-john-coltrane-mw0000188439

Personnel:  Thelonious Monk — piano;  John Coltrane — tenor saxophone;  Ray Copeland — trumpet on "Off Minor" and "Epistrophy";  Gigi Gryce — alto saxophone on "Off Minor" and "Epistrophy";  Coleman Hawkins — tenor saxophone on "Off Minor" and "Epistrophy";  Wilbur Ware — bass on all except for "Functional";  Shadow Wilson — drums on "Ruby, My Dear", "Trinkle, Tinkle" and "Nutty";  Art Blakey — drums on "Off Minor" and "Epistrophy"

Thelonious Monk With John Coltrane

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Elmo Hope Sextet And Trio - Homecoming!

Styles: Piano Jazz

Year: 1961

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 50:26

Size: 116,6 MB

Art: Front

(5:56)  1. Moe, Jr. (take 4)

(4:41)  2. Moe, Jr. (take 2)

(3:14)  3. La Berthe

(6:33)  4. Eyes So Beautiful As Yours

(5:15)  5. Homecoming

(6:48)  6. One Mo' Blues

(5:33)  7. A Kiss For My Love (take 5)

(5:39)  8. A Kiss For My Love (take 4)

(6:43)  9. Imagination

Homecoming! is a particularly high-spirited record for this stage in Hope's troubled career. Following an extended stay in Los Angeles, a number of the day's top players helped welcome a refreshed Hope back to New York on this session. Tenor saxophonists Frank Foster and Jimmy Heath, as well as trumpeter Blue Mitchell, form the front line on the sextet numbers, while on all tracks Hope is joined by the rhythm section of Percy Heath and Philly Joe Jones. Four of the album's (original) seven tracks are sextet performances and the two alternate takes only appear on the Fantasy Original Jazz Classics CD reissue. The Dameron-esque bop numbers sizzle and weave and the tenor work of Frank Foster is especially rewarding on the album's bouncing opener, "Moe, Jr.," take four on the CD. The three ballads are equally fresh and less doom-ridden than comparable performances found elsewhere in his catalog. Expect fine performances by all. This great hard bop record is highly recommended. ~ Brandon Burke https://www.allmusic.com/album/homecoming%21-mw0000093981

Personnel:  Elmo Hope - piano;  Blue Mitchell - trumpet (tracks 1, 2, 4, 7 & 8);  Frank Foster, Jimmy Heath - tenor saxophone (tracks 1, 2, 4, 7 & 8);  Percy Heath - bass;  Philly Joe Jones - drums

Homecoming!

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Will Boulware - Summertime

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:24
Size: 118,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:05)  1. Slow Down
(4:15)  2. Till
(7:30)  3. On Green Dolphin Stree
(5:13)  4. Thumbs
(5:32)  5. Moment's Notice
(3:59)  6. Big Band
(6:01)  7. E.S.P.
(5:48)  8. Who's Blues
(5:57)  9. Summertime

Rhythm team has been playing the bass in full story following the past two works by Richard Bonna, drums has been increasingly sharp instead of Billy Kilson from this time. I admire the wonder of the rhythmic team of this work from the original song "Slow Down" of the first thrilling theme. The combination of Bonna and Kilson is a speed sense, and in the sharpness it will be no doubt saying that it is the top class rhythm corps of the era. In this album in which the original and standard were interwoven in about half, the standard song was arranged to be easy to listen with pop sounds filled with Boureware's melodic, but in the original song it was a contemporary that was a little adventurous It is arranged. Eric Alexander of tenor who is participating in the three songs guests also listens to the performance of expressible expression that matched Boulewear's pop sense. It can be said that it is a work that seems to be a boule wear that can be enjoyed straight to the whole. People who want to listen to Bona's base are also satisfying. (Masato Hashi). https://translate.google.com.br/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://jazzfusion.com/cd2007/will_summertime.htm&prev=search

Personnel:  Will Boulware (piano), Richard Bona (bass), Billy Killson (drums), Eric Alexander (t.sax 3 songs participation)

Summertime

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Joani Taylor - In A Sentimental Mood

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:20
Size: 146,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:27)  1. This Can't Be Love
(4:58)  2. In A Sentimental Mood
(4:19)  3. Embraceable You
(5:24)  4. Alfie
(3:46)  5. Undecided
(3:14)  6. Sentimental Journey
(7:01)  7. Lover Man
(5:23)  8. Love Walked In
(3:57)  9. A Ghost Of A Chance / I Can't Get Started
(6:43) 10. More Than You Know
(6:41) 11. Be My Love
(5:19) 12. I Just Had To Hear Her Voice

About three years ago at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival, I was standing in the back of a concert in studio B at CBC. Joani was singing a ballad to an audience of approximately three hundred people. She had the room in the palm of her hand and I was starting to get all choked up. I looked around the room and saw that I wasn't alone. There were a lot of people trying to pretend they weren't wiping away tears. Over the years, I've seen Joani do this many times. The first time was decades ago at the El Mocambo nightclub in Burnaby and I think she was only sixteen then. I've had the honour and privilege of witnessing and playing with some wonderful artists who can do this, who can connect to something deep inside themselves and touch something deep inside us. But still and all, they are relatively rare. To be able to do this an artist has to, as well as have the skill of their craft and of their art, go deep inside themselves to go beyond style, tradition, politics and personality, plus find a connection to their own essence. Then they need the willingness to be vulnerable enough to open up and connect with the people they are playing with and for. For me, Joani has always been a benchmark of this kind of intimacy. Every time I play with her she completely connects and any move I make moves her. When she performs for an audience, she takes them to someplace new and magical. Working on this project has been a great joy for me, especially the writing sessions with Joani and Miles. Things just seemed to fall into place naturally and the results are open and sincere. The beautiful original music by Sharon Minemoto, Ross Taggart and Jimm Taylor was a delight to play and I think show many different sides to Joani's “Own Voice”. Her original lyrics show the same intimacy as her performances. The three non-originals take us in different soul-stirring directions again. The recording sessions with all these beautiful players were so inspiring. Every cut is first or second take. For this reason, I think the music has a fresh, raw, and honest quality that I love. Every time I listen to these takes of Joani, Miles, Ross, Brad, Buff, Bernie and Doug, it makes me laugh and cry. I think this is a generous offering from a beautiful and continually developing, but maturing artist of great depth and breadth. I hope there is much more to come from Joani, my longtime friend, because I know she certainly has a lot more to say. ~ Bob Murphy http://www.joanitaylor.com/index2.html

Personnel:  Joani Taylor - Voice - Vocal;  P.J. Perry - Alto & Tenor Saxophones;  Miles Black - Piano;  Neil Swainson - Bass

In A Sentimental Mood

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Andrew Hill - Passing Ships

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:40
Size: 109,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:09)  1. Sideways
(7:08)  2. Passing Ships
(8:32)  3. Plantation Bag
(9:49)  4. Noon Tide
(6:22)  5. The Brown Queen
(6:27)  6. Cascade
(5:11)  7. Yesterday's Tomorrow

The history of Blue Note Records is in many ways the history of the golden age of jazz. When Blue Note changed, the whole face of jazz changed. After releasing classic sides one after another for much of the '60s, Blue Note veered off into populist funk and, despite its present renaissance, never really recovered. With today's Blue Note subsisting on fewer quality releases and the RVG reissue series, its reputation of yore seems firmly in the past. If so, the occasional new "old" album released by the label is a rare opportunity to be part of those heady days. Pianist Andrew Hill, like Wayne Shorter, or Herbie Hancock, was one of the main proponents of the Blue Note style - heavy post bop that didn't shy away from experimentation. Hill's albums like Point of Departure or Compulsion probably would be mentioned in the same breath as Juju or Maiden Voyage if he had more consistent exposure. By the late '60s, Hill's tenure at Blue Note was almost up and several sessions he recorded remained unissued, not seen as commercially viable. What has become the recently released Passing Ships is a rare chance to hear Hill's advanced melodic and harmonic concepts applied to a nonet including such musicians as Woody Shaw, Julian Priester, Joe Farrell and Ron Carter. 

The irony of this material lying dormant for 34 years is that this Hill is more commercial; apparently Blue Note didn't agree then but with interest resurging for the idiosyncratic pianist, Passing Ships is available now as a period document, a burning bridge away from '60s progressive jazz. Hill's music doesn't translate very well to a big band, though this may be the strange audio levels and a presumed lack of substantial rehearsal. Howard Johnson's tuba sounds jarring on occasion, Ron Carter is underwhelming, and this is only rookie Lenny White's second session.  Bright spots include the double punch of trumpeters - Shaw and Dizzy Reece, both underappreciated and overshadowed by the era's more strident players. Even more satisfying is how the late Joe Farrell completely takes over, playing no less than five disparate instruments: soprano and tenor sax for lead work, alto flute and bass clarinet for moody ambience and English horn for stylistic filigree. What was originally a curio piece of large ensemble writing by Hill becomes an opportunity to see why everyone was so high on Farrell before he bottomed out on the CTI label in the '70s. Whatever he is playing, the music centers on him, the other musicians granting him well-deserved space.  But if you forget this is an Andrew Hill record, the twists of his compositions remind you. Much of the material is the typical bread-and-water post bop which Blue Note pioneered, Hill's leads calmly flowing through the steep ravine of the horns. Of the seven tunes, three are the length and intellectual meat of the album. The title track features all the perks of Hill's playing: suspensions, ostinatos, thought-provoking dissonances. "Plantation Bag" is quite a funky plantation, Hill's island roots in evidence. "Noon Tide" is the freest, most quintessential Hill piece; one segment demonstrates the subtleties of Hill's accompaniment. As Farrell leads, Hill comps underneath, distinctly changing the feel of the piece five times with his chord voicings. Hill, a product of an era that had many virtuosos, may be able to the most with the least, which is probably why his take on the avant-garde seems less dated than many. While not his best album, and there may be other sessions more deserving of resuscitation, the moments where Hill stretches out and Farrell makes one strong contribution after another make one pine for the days when Blue Notes were the notes. ~ Andrey Henkin https://www.allaboutjazz.com/andrew-hill-passing-ships-by-andrey-henkin.php?width=1920

Personnel:  Andrew Hill - piano;  Ron Carter - bass;  Julian Priester - trombone;  Dizzy Reece - trumpet;  Woody Shaw - trumpet;  Lenny White - drums;  Joe Farrell - bass clarinet, alto flute, English horn, soprano sax, tenor sax;  Bob Northern - French horn;  Howard Johnson - tuba, bass clarinet

Passing Ships

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Linda Eder - If You See Me

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:32
Size: 112,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:04)  1. Before the Parade Passes By
(4:56)  2. As If We Never Said Goodbye
(6:07)  3. Music That Makes Me Dance / Ca
(3:20)  4. You'll Never Walk Alone
(2:38)  5. What Did I Have That I Don't H
(2:25)  6. Down with Love
(3:28)  7. Bring Him Home
(4:17)  8. Pure Imagination
(4:23)  9. Losing My Mind
(5:21) 10. The Best Is Yet to Come / The Man I Love  Just in Time - Medley
(4:27) 11. I Have a Voice
(4:01) 12. If You See Me

Linda Eder's career has had the kind of variety many performers would envy: everything from Broadway to solo albums to concert halls. If You See Me, her latest release, is her seventeenth solo album, which itself is an applause-worthy feat. The album itself is mostly a greatest-hits journey through theatre history, from Gershwin to Sondheim and plenty of others in between. Although some of the tracks don't quite hit the mark, others are genuinely wonderful. The album kicks off with a pair of classics: "Before the Parade Passes By" from Hello Dolly and Sunset Boulevard's "As If We Never Said Goodbye." These are deceptively tricky songs: emotionally rich and sometimes difficult to perform without ending up very mannered. Eder's vocals vacillate back and forth: she nails the most powerful parts, but sometimes strays into a slightly breathy style that takes us out of the moment. The energy picks up a bit later in the album, as the song choices take a turn for the jazzy. "Down With Love," midway through the album, is one of the highlights. This type of music is clearly in Eden's wheelhouse, and her voice is perfectly suited to the style. Some of the tracks here are a little on the overdone side. "What Did I Have That I Don't Have" has some odd vocal mannerisms; combined with the easy-listening vibe makes it one of the more skippable tracks. There are a pair of medleys, both of which sound great on paper, but in practice, do little to transform the songs beyond singing them one after the other instead of as separate tracks. It's a shame that the arrangements don't do a bit more, because some of the pieces - especially the section of "The Best Is Yet To Come" - are excellent on their own. Eder is by far at her best with the unadorned songs that give her a chance to show off simple, pure vocals. Aside from oddly-chosen backup vocals, her "Pure Imagination" is genuinely beautiful, as is her rendition of "Bring Him Home." By far the best song on the whole album, though, is Carousel's "You'll Never Walk Alone." It's one of the most powerfully moving songs in the American theatre canon, and Eder's calm strength more than does it justice. One of the effects of covering so many famous songs is that it can be hard to put your own stamp on them. Eder sidesteps this by closing out the album with a pair of songs that feel like they're allowing her personality to shine through. "I Have A Voice," originally written as a charity single for an anti-bullying campaign, feels like the album's anthem: self-assured and hopeful. Finally, "If You See Me" closes out with plenty of energy and charm. If You See Me is a mixed bag, but there are plenty of gems to be found within. https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/BWW-Album-Review-Linda-Eders-IF-YOU-SEE-ME-20180818

If You See Me

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Les McCann Ltd - Plays The Shout

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:07
Size: 96,8 MB
Art: Front

(7:55)  1. But Not For Me
(8:18)  2. A Foggy Day
(4:08)  3. The Shout
(2:03)  4. Set Call (Sonar)
(7:14)  5. C Jam Blues
(3:43)  6. Jubilation
(6:00)  7. Night In Tunisia
(2:43)  8. Set Call (Cute)

Les McCann Ltd. Plays the Shout (also referred to as The Shout) is a live album by pianist Les McCann recorded in 1960 and released on the Pacific Jazz label. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_McCann_Ltd._Plays_the_Shout

Personnel:  Les McCann (piano), Leroy Vinnegar (bass), Ron Jefferson (drums)

Plays The Shout

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Curtis Mayfield - Give, Get, Take And Have

Styles: Vocal, Soul, Funk
Year: 1976
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:42
Size: 86,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:27)  1. In Your Arms Again (Shake It)
(3:11)  2. This Love Is Sweet
(3:59)  3. P.S. I Love You
(3:52)  4. Party Night
(3:36)  5. Get A Little Bit (Give, Get, Take And Have)
(4:01)  6. Soul Music
(4:22)  7. Only You Babe
(5:36)  8. Mr. Welfare Man
(3:34)  9. Only You Babe (Single Edit)

Less sociopolitical than previous efforts, Give Get Take Have offers "Mr. Welfare Man" as its sole attempt to enlighten and enhance. Mayfield was obviously experiencing the joys of new love when he cut "Only You Babe" and "This Love Is Sweet," and the tear-jerking numbers "In Your Arms Again" and "Party Night." His aching falsetto coos and purrs, but sounds weakened on this LP. Overall, the album falls short of Mayfield's former releases, but even great artists don't always achieve their usual high standards. This was originally released on Curtom Records in the mid-'70s.~ Andrew Hamilton https://www.allmusic.com/album/give-get-take-and-have-mw0000110128

Give, Get, Take And Have

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Big Al Sears - The Rocking & Honking Tenor 1945-1952

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:01
Size: 174,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:30)  1. It Don't Mean A Thing   [Duke Ellington & His Orchestra, 1945]
(4:56)  2. Let The Zoomers Droll   [Duke Ellington & His Orchestra, 1945]
(3:08)  3. Otto Make That Riff Staccato   [Duke Ellington & His Orchestra, 1945]
(4:07)  4. Blues On The Double   [Duke Ellington & His Orchestra, 1945]
(3:56)  5. In A Jam   [Duke Ellington & His Orchestra, 1945]
(2:44)  6. The Beautiful Indians 1   [Duke Ellington & His Orchestra, 1946]
(7:23)  7. One O'Clock Jump   [Duke Ellington & His Orchestra, 1947]
(2:26)  8. Searsy   [Al Sears & The All-Stars Rhythm Section, 1945]
(2:27)  9. Long Long Ago   [Al Sears & The All-Stars Rhythm Section, 1945]
(3:00) 10. Baltimor Bounce   [Al Sears & His Orchestra, 1951]
(3:00) 11. Now Ride The D Train   [Al Sears & His Orchestra, 1951]
(3:02) 12. Groove Station  [Al Sears & His Orchestra, 1951]
(2:47) 13. Marshall Plan   [Al Sears & His Orchestra, 1951]
(2:18) 14. Nell Don't Wear No Button Up Shoes   [Al Sears & His Orchestra, 1951]
(2:58) 15. Huffin' & Puffin'   [Al Sears & His Orchestra, 1952]
(2:19) 16. Sear-Lously   [Al Sears & His Orchestra, 1952]
(3:00) 17. Dutch Treat   [Rex Stewart's Big Eight, 1945]
(2:52) 18. Something To Pat Your Foot To   [Johnny Hodges & His Orchestra, 1951]
(2:52) 19. Castle Rock   [Johnny Hodges & His Orchestra, 1951]
(3:06) 20. Sideways   [Johnny Hodges & His Orchestra, 1952]
(5:59) 21. Sweet Georgia Brown   [Johnny Hodges & His Orchestra, 1952]

By 1945 tenor saxophonist Albert Omega Sears (1910-1990) had worked with Elmer Snowden, Roy Eldridge, Helen Humes, Andy Kirk, Lionel Hampton, Arnett Cobb, Budd Johnson, and Lester Young. This insightful retrospective allows an unprecedented overview of Sears' middle period, providing important context for the powerful tenor's later recordings by including highlights from his years with Duke Ellington. Sears is also featured in front of an "All Star Rhythm Section" with Gene Schroeder at the piano; as part of an Ellingtonian front line with Rex Stewart's Big Eight; as a fortifying force in the Johnny Hodges Orchestra; and as leader of his own bands in 1951 and 1952. 

Admirers of this exciting and all-too-often overlooked musician who don't mind having ten tracks in duplicate might want to match this compilation with Ocium's excellent survey, Al Sears and His Orchestra: The Big Raw Tone, also released in 2003. It's all meat. ~ arwulf arwulf https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-rocking-and-honking-tenor-1945-1952-mw0000321653

The Rocking & Honking Tenor 1945-1952

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