Dave Liebman - Fire

Styles: Saxophone, Flute Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:34
Size: 159,7 MB
Art: Front

( 8:42)  1. Flash!!
(32:35)  2. Fire
( 9:12)  3. Sparks
( 6:42)  4. Flames
( 7:24)  5. Inferno
( 4:56)  6. Ashes

The Elements: Fire
The four elements found in the natural world (Air, Fire, Water, Earth) represent the ultimate example of duality, observed in both nature and humankind. Whether it is called yin.yang, nigh/day (any opposing pari), the principle remains the same. As Yoda, the Star Wars sage said: "There are always two!!"Extreme manifestation of this duality pertaining to the element of air are realized as tornadoes, hurricanes and cyclones; the for the water element as floors and blizzards; the earth as earthquakes and for fire, conflagration. Equally on the opposite side there are the life-giving and sustaining qualities of air, water, fire and the earth... all gifts of nature granted to the human species. Conceptually, this music alludes to one aspect of the duality of the fire element. Sparks begin the process, evolving into flames, progressing to an inferno... finally ashes remain as a testament to fire's destructive legacy, but with the understanding that fire is also realized as heat, light and sustenance.

The Rhythm Section
My roots with Dave Holland and Jack DeJohnette go back to the late 1960's. I met Dave in London in 1967 when I was visiting Europe for a few months. With Jack it was about that time we met at jam session in New York. My first album as a leader ("First Visit") was recorded in Japan while I was with Miles Davis and they were with Stan Getz along with my long time partner, pianist Richie Beirach. (Also there was the 1988 "Trio + 1" recording with Dave, Jack and my wife Caris Visentin on oboe. When Dave came to New York joining Miles Davis' group in 1968 he ended up living on the second floor of a loft building where I was the first tenant, eventually joined by Chick Corea on the first floor... 138 W. 19th Street. Of course Jack and Dave have gone on to be recognized as one of the classic bass/drum combinations in jazz history and individually two of the greatest artists on their instruments. Jack especially is a force of nature. Besides the programmatic aspect of the recording as described above, there was in my mind the idea of re-creating the feeling of the music we played in the loft days from that early period, featuring a heavy dose of free jazz inspired by Coltrane's seminal recording "Ascension". There were many sessions that might feature several horn players "soloing" together (Mike and Randy Brecker, Terumasa Hino, Bob Berg, Steve Grossman, etc) all embracing the free spirit of the late 60's period both in the real world and musically. At the same time the so-called "fusion" movement with Miles at the head became popular along with the rock/jazz horn band phenomenon... 10 Wheel Drive (the group I played in), Chicago, Blood, Sweat Tears, etc... These contemporary activities co-existed with the jazz tradition we were all still learning about, since many of the original masters were still very active. Quite an exciting period!! If I must say so, we have all definitely improved in the ensuing decades, especially when it comes to playing "free jazz"... the ability to play less, to play soft, to express a feeling above all .... in sum demonstrating maturity at its highest level. For this recording the opportunity to have Kenny Werner join Jack and Dave in the rhythm section was a blessing as he fit right into the very open and loose scenario I was looking for. Playing and communing with these great artists was an honor and privilege.

Dave Liebman
Special thanks to Kurt Renker for his many years of support in both the practical and musical realms; to John Fishell who is my first call engineer; to mix master, Florian Van Volxem; and as always to Caris and Lydia for their ever-present support.
Note: Along with the recordings "Water- Giver of Life" from the later 90's featuring Pat Metheny, "Air" (all available on the internet), and the present Fire" what remains is "Earth" which will conclude my series on the elements. http://davidliebman.com/home/new_releases/fire/

Personnel:  Dave Liebman (ts, ss, wooden flute, c-flute);  Kenny Werner (p);  Dave Holland (b);  Jack DeJohnette (ds)

Fire

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Cat Anderson - Cat's In The Alley

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:23
Size: 144,4 MB
Art: Front

(7:40)  1. Little Man
(2:26)  2. Cat's In The Alley
(4:00)  3. Blue Jean Beguine
(2:48)  4. My Adorable "D"
(3:23)  5. June Bug
(2:37)  6. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
(3:24)  7. Birth Of The Blues
(3:12)  8. You're The Cream In My Coffee
(2:37)  9. Nina
(4:20) 10. Chelsea Bridge
(2:46) 11. The Mexican Bandit
(4:18) 12. Loveinnessence
(4:36) 13. A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing
(3:41) 14. Between Some Place, Goin' No Place
(3:04) 15. Ac-cent-tchu-ate The Positive
(3:45) 16. Summertime
(3:39) 17. Like Dig

As the lead soloist for the Duke Ellington Orchestra and recognized in smaller circles as one of the all-time great jazz trumpet improvisers, Cat Anderson did not have much time for fronting a band of his own. Up until his passing in 1981, Anderson still took many a backseat for listeners, critics, and the general public who knew virtually nothing about him. This single CD should change all of that, a reissue of his first two dates as a leader, with a 15-piece big band Cat on a Hot Tin Horn for Mercury records, and Ellingtonia, for octet, originally on the obscure Wynne label. Both have been out of print on vinyl for decades, making this release more than merely long awaited. Anderson, a proprietor of the upper octave high note solos that bent notes and challenged air traffic lanes, surprisingly takes a backseat for the greater good of the ensemble on most of this, and also finds him an adept composer of original swing to bop music. Of course the bands are fully loaded with great soloists, Ellingtonians or not, most notably fellow trumpeters Clark Terry and Ernie Royal, trombonist Jimmy Cleveland, tenor saxophonists Jimmy Forrest and Ernie Wilkins (also arranger,) and drummer Panama Francis. Of the nine big band charts from 1958, the opener and longest jam, "Little Man," gets the ball rolling with standout solos from the wailin' Forrest, baritone saxophonist Sahib Shihab, Cleveland, and a free-for-all from the trumpet section. 

The rest of the tunes are short, ranging from Anderson's supremely confident low octave, vocal-like lead on "Birth of the Blues," the dramatic, Latin "Besame Mucho" flavored, light lavender colored "Blue Jean Beguine," and the jumpier "Mexican Bandit." Earle Warren's bravissimo vibrato on alto sax is featured during "My Adorable D," while the rocking drums of Francis set off the sparks of a "Blues for Sale" spin-off "Cat's in the Alley," and the skittering and even slightly irritating but big themed "June Bug." The large group pieces from 1959, with legendary Elllington trombonist Quentin "Butter" Jackson and different (than Francis for sure) drummer Sam Woodyard, sports an entirely different lineup, with two features, the sensual "Lovelinnessence" and the classic ballad "A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing," for the immortal violinist Ray Nance. Budd Johnson and Rudy Powell split sax and clarinet chores. Johnson is backing Nance, and Powell adds to the advanced modern swinger "Between Some Place, Goin' No Place" the bouncy, fun "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive," and the bright, happy "Like Dig." Throughout the disc you hear many typical Ellington phrases, as if the master is looking over Anderson's shoulder, but they are snippets and not clichés. Besides "Flower," the big band with Anderson upfront does a muted trumpet wah wah plunger-accented "Don't Get Around Much Anymore," while the octet performs a perfect "Chelsea Bridge" and a lush, Ellington-like, hot, slow, and sultry "Summertime," but those are the few and far between covers. This one should, by definition, be impossible to nit-pick, for the recording sound is excellent, the players beyond reproach, and the variety of (then) modern jazz fits the progressive aesthetic of Ellington and the then expanding Anderson to a T. This comes highly recommended; it's nearly essential, and is one of the best mainstream jazz reissues in recent years. ~ Michael G.Nastos https://www.allmusic.com/album/cats-in-the-alley-mw0001161028

Personnel:  Cat Anderson, Ernie Royal, Clark Terry (tp), Jimmy Cleveland, Henderson Chambers (tb), Earl Warren, Jimmy Forrest, Ernie Wilkins, Budd Johnson (reeds), Ray Nance (vln), Jimmy Jones (p), George Duvivier, Jimmy Woode (b), Panama Francis, Sam Woodyard (d)

Cat's In The Alley

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Andrew Hill - A Beautiful Day

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:32
Size: 142,4 MB
Art: Front

( 8:19)  1. Divine Revelation
(11:28)  2. Faded Beauty
( 8:43)  3. Bellezza
( 6:42)  4. 5 Mo
( 7:36)  5. New Pinnochio
( 5:50)  6. J Di
(11:44)  7. A Beautiful Day
( 1:07)  8. 11/8

Andrew Hill followed his first Palmetto release, the widely acclaimed Dusk, with this remarkable live album, which was recorded during a three-night run at New York's Birdland in January 2002. Whereas Dusk featured a sextet, A Beautiful Day boasts a large ensemble, billed at Birdland and previous gigs as the Andrew Hill Sextet + 11. Despite a large regiment of horns, Hill's reflective piano figures prominently. Trumpeter Ron Horton relieves Hill of the conducting burden by serving as musical director, managing an arcane system of cues and transitions and keeping all the players, quite literally, on the same page. The band's peculiar methodology yields a wonderfully complex and layered sound, by turns strident and melodious, driven by the sturdy rhythmic backbone of bassist Scott Colley and drummer Nasheet Waits. Jose Davila reinforces the low end with his omnipresent tuba. Amid the fanfare of full band passages, contemplative interludes emerge, with varied and inspired instrumental colorings. Tenor saxophonists Greg Tardy and Aaron Stewart go toe to toe on the opening "Divine Revelation," an older piece, newly arranged by Horton. "Faded Beauty" includes radiant solos by John Savage on flute and Marty Ehrlich on bass clarinet. Horton steps forward to deliver pointed witticisms on "Belleza," baritone saxophonist J.D. Parron gets the floor on the exuberant "J Di," and Hill weaves spiky piano harmonies into the dense structures of "5 Mo" and "New Pinnochio." The epic title track winds down with an enigmatic foray by trumpeter Dave Ballou, who is joined in short order by John Savage on alto sax. With its wide array of available textures and juxtapositions, the big band proves an ideal vehicle for Hill's powerful, unclassifiable music. ~ David R. Adler https://www.allmusic.com/album/a-beautiful-day-mw0000227787

Personnel:  Andrew Hill – piano;  John Savage – flute (tracks 2 & 4), alto saxophone (tracks 1, 3 & 5-8);  Marty Ehrlich – clarinet (track 4), bass clarinet (track 2), alto saxophone (tracks 1, 3 & 5-8);  Aaron Stewart, Greg Tardy – tenor saxophone;  J. D. Parran – baritone saxophone;  Dave Ballou, Laurie Frink, Ron Horton (tracks 1-6), Bruce Staalens – trumpet;  Mike Fahn, Joe Fielder, Charlie Gordon – trombone;  Jose D'avila – tuba;  Scott Colley – bass;  Nasheet Waits – drums

A Beautiful Day

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Brother Jack McDuff - That's The Way I Feel About It

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:17
Size: 127,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:15)  1. The Age Of Aquarius
(8:49)  2. Blooze In G
(6:14)  3. Theme From Mission Impossible
(8:04)  4. That's The Way I Feel About It
(3:59)  5. Six A.M.
(4:53)  6. Saturday Night Fish Fry
(5:32)  7. Old Folks
(7:46)  8. Flamingo
(4:42)  9. Moody's Mood For Love

At times, McDuff demonstrates how soul-jazz organ stars used to make albums back in their '60s heyday, playing then-current pop hits like "The Age of Aquarius" and the theme from Mission: Impossible (which, thanks to cinema, was a hit all over again in 1996 when this CD was made). We also hear McDuff trying out his vocal cords for the first time on Louis Jordan's "Saturday Night Fish Fry"; actually, he merely talks the lyrics over the rhythm section -- and at 70, he's entitled to this charming lark. Otherwise, this is another fine, home-cookin' soul-jazz session, with McDuff's Hammond B-3 burning at its usual low-intensity, high-blues-content level. Chris Potter dances around the organ on flutes, Andrew Beals and Jerry Weldon offer solid solos on alto and tenor respectively, and the rest of the Heatin' System runs the gamut from Latin to soul-deep grooves. Fans of the genre can buy with peace of mind. ~ Richard S.Ginell https://www.allmusic.com/album/thats-the-way-i-feel-about-it-mw0000024437

Personnel:  Jack McDuff: Hammond B3 (+ vocals on "Saturday Night Fish Fry");  John Hart: Guitar;  Andrew Beals: Alto Sax;  Jerry Weldon: Tenor Sax;  Kip Reed: Electric Bass (except last track);  Rudy Petschauer: Drums

That's The Way I Feel About It

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Stanley Clarke - The Message

Styles:  Guitar Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:48
Size: 103,0 MB
Art: Front

(1:58)  1. And Ya Know We're Missing You
(6:59)  2. After the Cosmic Rain/Dance of the Planetary Prince
(3:32)  3. The Rugged Truth
(5:04)  4. Combat Continuum
(2:47)  5. The Message
(5:31)  6. Lost in a World
(3:46)  7. Alternative Facts
(2:25)  8. Bach Cello Suite 1 (Prelude)
(4:04)  9. The Legend of the Abbas and the Sacred Talisman
(3:44) 10. Enzo's Theme
(4:52) 11. To Be Alive

Once upon a time, he was the enfant terrible of jazz bassists, whizz-kid of Chick Corea's Return to Forever. On his latest album, The Message, at the ripe old age of 66, Stanley Clarke is very much the elder statesman, standing back on the cover pic, arms crossed, letting the youngsters grab the limelight and not giving a damn.  Open up the sleeve and there's Clarke again, besuited, sitting in a leather armchair, holding his electric bass, cool and calm, surrounded by the dudes of his band, in ripped jeans, creative hairstyles and looking as though they have attitude problems.  The opening track is a requiem for recently departed musical luminaries Al Jarreau, Tom Petty (yes, Tom Petty), Chuck Berry (yes, Chuck Berry), Larry Coryell and Darryl Brown. Clarke seemingly wants you to know he does not approve of categorization when it comes to music, man.  The main ambience of the album is spacey, courtesy, Clarke says, of L. Ron Hubbard, sci-fi writer and founder of Scientology . But there are many digressions. "Lost in a World" and "After The Cosmic Rain/Dance of the Planetary Prince," leavened with girly back-up vocals, are pure pop. More importantly, "The Message" features the leader on acoustic guitar. It's a lovely number and a relief from the spacey hokum.  But "Combat Continuum" sees Clarke switching to Orson Welles-mode as -courtesy of voice actor Steve Blum -he broadcasts news of an alien invasion. Things are looking grim for Planet Earth until Blum reveals that it was all a linguistic misunderstanding; the aliens only wanted to help us heal the planet from the ecological damage we've inflicted on it.  Meanwhile, full marks, Commander Clarke, for a masterly Bach prelude, expertly bowed. But surely we could have been spared "To Be Alive" the seemingly inevitable rap number. The message (perhaps from an older, wiser civilisation in a galaxy far, far away) is that even a great musician comes unstuck trying to be all things to all men... and women. ~ Chris Mosey https://www.allaboutjazz.com/stanley-clarke-band-the-message-stanley-clarke-mack-avenue-records-review-by-chris-mosey.php

Personnel: Stanley Clarke: guitar, bass; Beka Gochiashvili: piano; Cameron Graves, Pat Leonard, Dominique Taplin: synthesizers; Mike Mitchell: drums; Salar Nadar: tabla; Doug Webb: saxophone, flute; Chuck Findley, Ron Stout: trumpet, French horn; Dwayne Benjamin: trombone; Michael Thompson: guitar; Steve Blum, Skyeler Kole, Trevor Wesley, Sofia Sara Clarke, Chris Clarke, Doug E Fresh: vocals.

The Message

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Terry Blaine - Too Hot For Words

Size: 136,6 MB
Time: 57:51
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1999
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. A-Tisket A-Tasket (3:18)
02. Dinah (4:02)
03. Looking At You (4:00)
04. It's Too Hot For Words (2:36)
05. My Very Good Friend The Milkman (4:18)
06. It's You (3:04)
07. A Ship Without A Sail (4:34)
08. The Joint Is Jumpin' (3:22)
09. Concentratin' On You (4:02)
10. You Go To My Head (4:36)
11. My Mother's Son-In-Law (2:37)
12. I'm No Angel (3:16)
13. You Meet The Nicest People In Your Dreams (2:42)
14. It's Easy To Remember (4:51)
15. Repeal The Blues (2:29)
16. Goodnight My Love (3:54)

With this album of 16 "blasts from the past," Terry Blaine solidifies her position as one of the leading contemporary practitioners of the traditional/swing vocal style. The subtitle for this album is "Great Ladies of Swing," a tribute to those song birds of the past who enthralled the public and, in doing so, set the standards for singers of this musical genre who were to follow. The technique Terry Blaine and Mark Shane use in presenting this tribute is as fascinating as the tribute itself. On most of the cuts, Blaine refines a technique she used in her earlier album, Whose Honey Are You?, by over-dubbing her voice to create background singers. Here she manages to sound as if she is accompanied by the Boswell Sisters, giving each of them a separate and distinct voice. The result is some very interesting vocal combinations, which is Blaine and Shane's objective. On "Looking at You," Cole Porter's under-recorded gem, it's as if Lee Wiley has the Boswell Sisters backing her. An unlikely combination is Mae West backed by these harmonious siblings on "I'm No Angel." On "My Very Good Friend the Milkman," made famous by the inimitable Fats Waller, Shane does Waller's piano while Blaine and her "background singers" do a jivy version of this perky tune. While most of the cuts are indeed "hot," there are some slowly turned-out ballads. Alan Vache's clarinet noodles behind Blaine's poignant delivery of "You Go to My Head" before he takes a patented soft, Benny Goodman-like solo. Blaine's interpretation and style on this tune recalls Bea Wain's with the Larry Clinton Orchestra. Another slow-tempo tune, "It's Easy to Remember," showcases Russell George's arco bass. Many other singers of the past are recalled on this entertaining album, among them Mildred Bailey, Peggy Lee, Ethel Waters, and, of course Ella Fitzgerald on the kick-off song "A-Tisket A-Tasket." Blaine does not imitate the voices of these singers of the past; rather, she sings in a similar style. She has garnered an extraordinary and likeminded set of musicians to work with her on this album. The Texas tailgate trombone of Joel Helleny and Ed Polcer's cornet go a long way in recreating the swing aura of the 1920s-1940s. Mark Shane's piano, however, is the glue which holds the set together. He sets exactly the right mood and pace, promoting Blaine's delivery and phrasing. That these two are musical soulmates is apparent.

Too Hot for Words serves as a reminder of how enduring the works of the great stylists of the past (and some from the relatively recent past) are, and of the very rich vocal legacy they left behind. In the hands of talented professionals, the reminder is a very entertaining one indeed. ~by Dave Nathan

Too Hot For Words

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Dexter Gordon - Tokyo 1975

Size: 146,8 MB
Time: 63:38
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Fried Bananas ( 9:28)
02. Days Of Wine And Roses ( 8:45)
03. Misty (10:52)
04. Jelly, Jelly, Jjelly ( 7:41)
05. Rhythm-A-Ning (14:06)
06. Old Folks (12:44)

Elemental Music is a record label that can be uttered in the same breath with Omnivore Records and Resonance Records. These labels can be credited with significant additions to the universal jazz catalog. Near recent examples of unreleased performances put out by Elemental Music include: Art Pepper Live At Fat Tuesday's (2015) and Red Garland's Swingin' On The Korner: Live At Keystone Korner (2015), as well as Jimmy Giuffre: New York Concerts (2014).

Elemental Music has since found some previously unreleased performances of Dexter Gordon recorded in Tokyo in 1975, a year prior to the saxophonist's repatriation to the United States after a 14-year residence in Europe, mostly in Paris and Copenhagen. This particular disc contains four performances from the Yubin Chonkin Hall in Tokyo on October 1, 1975. The remaining two selections, Monk's "Rhythm-a-Ning" and "Old Folks," were performed in De Boerenhofstee July 18, 1973 and New Haven Conn, May 5, 1977, respectively, with different rhythm sections. The Tokyo performance falls between two recording dates that resulted in Dexter Gordon -The 1975 SteepleChase Artist. Gordon's return to the United States, marked by his recording Homecoming (Columbia, 1976) captured December 11-12, 1975 at the Village Vanguard in New York City. This was an edgy, progressive date that featured trumpeter Woody Shaw.

In comparison, Dexter Gordon Quartet—Tokyo 1975 is a sedate and straight-forward date. The recital begins with the Gordon original "Fried Bananas," a composition long in the Gordon songbook. He provides a lengthy workout and allows bassist Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen, who performs at the highest level possible. His rhythmic, center-of-the-tone approach and his acute precision add an additional, almost clinical, level to the recording. Ørsted Pedersen's immediate impact can be heard after the head release into Gordon's first solo, when pianist Kenny Drew drops out and Gordon plays trio. Virile and muscular, Ørsted Pedersen wills the beat. Gordon solos well within the lines, proving he is well ensconced at the height of his powers. "Days of Wine and Roses" and "Misty" are dispatched well. The surprise is a performance of Billy Eckstine's "Jelly, Jelly Jelly." Gordon sings as well as blows the blues with gusto and grace. Thelonious Monk "Rhythm-a-Ning," from the Laren show demonstrates why this song was so long in Gordon's playbook. Again playing as a trio, this time with Ørsted Pedersen and drummer Espen Rud, Gordon stretches out, giving a lengthy performance. "Old Folks" from the New Haven show is reedy and organic, the sonics not as good as the Tokyo performances, but nevertheless showing Gordon's command of the ballad. Dexter Gordon Quartet—Tokyo 1975 proves an admirable addition to the Gordon discography. ~Michael C. Bailey

Personnel: Dexter Gordon: tenor saxophone; Kenny Drew: piano; Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen; Albert “Tootie” Heath: drums; Espen Rudd: drums (5); Ronnie Matthews: piano (6); Stafford James: bass (6); Louis Hayes: drums (6).

Tokyo 1975

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Rebecca Hardiman - Rain Sometimes

Size: 94,5 MB
Time: 40:35
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Look For The Silver Lining (6:01)
02. I Didn't Know What Time It Was (5:04)
03. No More Blues (3:57)
04. It's A Most Unusual Day (2:42)
05. Rain Sometimes (4:26)
06. The Things We Did Last Summer (2:09)
07. Make The Man Love Me (4:25)
08. The Late Late Show (2:44)
09. The Night Has A Thousand Eyes (4:30)
10. Something Cool (4:32)

Rebecca started her professional career with the Boston based vocal jazz group The Ritz, performing at the 1987 Montreal Jazz Festival as well as jazz clubs throughout the country. While with The Ritz, she recorded a CD entitled The Ritz for Denon Columbia Records. Rebecca moved to Portland Oregon in 1990 and started the vocal jazz group Euphoria, performing throughout the Northwest for over a decade, most notably opening for Mel Torme’ in 1993 at the Hult Center in Eugene Oregon. In 2013 she embarked on a solo career and quickly became a favorite vocalist with jazz musicians. Rebecca’s style is often compared to Ella Fitzgerald, June Christy, and Nancy Wilson. Rebecca is also a co-founder of an annual jazz festival, and has helped develop several jazz venues in the Willamette Valley area in her home state of Oregon. She performs throughout the Northwest, as well as jazz clubs and various venues in New England, Hawaii, and California. Her CD’s include: The Ritz (1987), My Father’s Business (2009) I’ll Remember April (2013), Easy Living (2015), The Merriest (2016), Honoring Ella: A 100th Birthday Tribute (2017).

Rain Sometimes

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Woody Shaw - Tokyo 1981

Size: 169,4 MB
Time: 73:25
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Rosewood (10:40)
02. 'Round Midnight (15:32)
03. Apex ( 6:51)
04. From Moment To Moment ( 7:45)
05. Song Of Songs (16:13)
06. Theme For Maxine ( 1:47)
07. Sweet Love Of Mine (14:36)

That trumpeter Woody Shaw is considered "underrated" may be a considerable understatement. Shaw died at age 44 in 1989, but he managed to release 33 recordings as a leader (27 in his lifetime) and worked in collaboration with Gary Bartz, Art Blakey, Chick Corea, Stanley Cowell, Eric Dolphy and most notably with Dexter Gordon, on his 1976 Homecoming: Live at the Village Vanguard (Columbia). His recording, Rosewood (Columbia, 1978), his first major label release, is considered his masterpiece. Shaw's seamlessly melodic 69 bars of "Rosewood" inaugurates the newly found, unreleased performance from Tokyo, December 7, 1981. This release is a sister to the recently released Dexter Gordon Quartet: Tokyo 1975, appropriate as Shaw and Gordon enjoyed a fruitful musical relationship.

Tokyo 1981 contains six selections from the said performance, augmented by a single performance of the Paris Reunion Band recorded at Den Haag, July 14, 1985. Shaw's brand of jazz was very much a product of the period in which he recorded. The trumpeter favored compositions with complex melodic and harmonic elements. Shaw's tone is lyrical with a hard edge. That contrasts well with the fluid playing of trombonist Steve Turre, evidenced on the ballad "From Moment to Moment." This show is closed with two Shaw originals, the modal-extended "Song of Songs," which as introduced is reminiscent of Lee Morgan's "Search For a New Land," and "Theme for Maxine" composed for Shaw's manager, Maxine Gordon (and wife of Dexter Gordon). "Song of Songs" is an outgrowth of the post-bop pioneered by Miles Davis 15 years before. Tony Reedus's drumming is forward progressive and Mulgrew Miller's piano potently clear in a McCoy Tyner sense. Tokyo 1981 is a worthy addition to the Woody Shaw catalog. Is there more of this music lurking in the shadow? ~C. Michael Bailey

Personnel: Woody Shaw: trumpet, flugelhorn; Steve Turre: trombone, percussion; Mulgrew Miller: piano; James Stafford: bass; Tony Reedus: drums.

Tokyo 1981

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Marissa Mulder - Two Tickets Left: Songs Of Hope

Size: 108,9 MB
Time: 46:39
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Cabaret
Art: Front

01. Chelsea Morning (3:09)
02. Hand In My Pocket (3:44)
03. Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (5:11)
04. It's Amazing The Things That Float (4:38)
05. Old Fashioned Hat (4:19)
06. Martha (5:31)
07. Chasing The Sun (4:45)
08. I Remember (3:44)
09. Beautiful (2:27)
10. End Of The World (4:05)
11. Take It With Me (5:02)

Marissa Mulder is a natural; a rarity among cabaret singers. You never hear her struggling to tell a story or to make a point or to show off the range and beauty of her sparkling perfectly pitched soprano. Whatever she sings just seems to spill out of her without forethought or calculation.
Her choices of songs on her exquisite album, “Two Tickets Left” are as instinctively right as her unaffected delivery, bolstered by the sensitive contributions of her musical compatriot Nate Buccieri on piano and backup vocals. Always, the emotional truth of whatever she sings is right there in front of you. Even when she’s telling someone else’s story, she makes it hers.
Her voice sparkles like a sunlit fountain in Joni Mitchell’s “Chelsea Morning,” the album’s opening cut. You can see “the sun through yellow curtains, the rainbow on the wall,” and can savor her breakfast of milk and toast and honey, and feel the warmth of the sun pouring in “like butterscotch” and “sticking” to her senses. She makes romantic happiness, when it comes, seem easy.
Her version of the Elton John-Bernie Taupin ballad, “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” cuts through any grandiosity to reveal a free-spirited narrator determinedly rejecting show business glamor to embrace her country roots. As her voice glides with fearless ease over the song’s challenging, semi-operatic intervals she never loses the thread or the note.
The persona who inhabits many of the songs on “Two Tickets Left” shrugs off contradictions and embraces simplicity like the frisky narrator of the Alanis Morrissette hit, “Hand in My Pocket,” who declares, “I’m broke but I’m happy,” “I’m high but I’m grounded, “I’m green but I’m wise.” Or in the language of Walt Whitman, “Do I contradict myself? Very well, Then, I contradict myself. I am large. I contain multitudes.” In other words, So what? I’m just happy to be alive.
She infuses “It’s Amazing the Things That Float,” Pete Mills’s song about a flood, with a powerful sense of wonder. More than a disaster, the flood is an adventure.
So is Matt Alber’s “End of the World,” in which passionate lovers riding a rollercoaster debate whether to break up or to continue. “I don’t wanna fall, I don’t wanna fly/ I don’t wanna be dangled over the edge of a dying romance, but I don’t wanna stop.”
A deeper sense of wonder infuses “Martha” and “Take It With Me,” two great songs by Tom Waits that evoke the preciousness of memory and of ordinary things that in retrospect loom as achingly transcendent illuminations. A humble space like “Beulah’s porch” on which two lovers once fell asleep decades earlier assumes a monumental personal significance.
At the core of Mulder’s sensibility is a belief in an essential innocence. It shines out of her in every note and syllable. ~Stephen Holden

Two Tickets Left

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McCoy Tyner - McCoy Tyner And The Latin All-Stars

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:52
Size: 143,3 MB
Art: Front

(11:02)  1. Festival In Bahia
( 6:59)  2. Poinciana
(12:23)  3. Afro Blue
(10:34)  4. A Song For Love
( 8:36)  5. La Habana Sol
( 5:24)  6. We Are Our Father's Sons
( 6:51)  7. Blue Bossa

McCoy Tyner's percussive piano style has always worked well within an Afro-Cuban groove, and this recording provides an excellent setting for him and his all-star lineup to work in. Mixing genre classics like "Afro Blue" and "Poinciana" with original material, Tyner's first release for the Telarc label provides a completely satisfying, highly rhythmic experience. Regular bassist Avery Sharpe combines with a three-man percussion section to propel the group's extended explorations. Besides the leader's instantly recognizable pianistic flurries and fat, two-handed chords, the front-line foursome of flute whiz Dave Valentin, saxophonist Gary Bartz, trumpeter Claudio Roditi and bone-and-shell man Steve Turre is superb, both in ensemble passages and individual solo spots. In the course of his long career, McCoy Tyner has recorded in nearly every conceivable setting. Though many of his solo, trio and quartet dates are superb, his expansive style has often been most enjoyably showcased in the company of multiple horns. From the rollicking opener "Festival in Bahia," to the beautiful "A Song for Love," to the straightforward timbale-driven Latin groove of "We Are Our Father's Sons," McCoy Tyner & the Latin All-Stars makes a potent case for inclusion in the upper tier of Tyner's catalog. ~ Jim Newsom https://www.allmusic.com/album/mccoy-tyner-the-latin-all-stars-mw0000235460

Personnel: McCoy Tyner: piano;  Gary Bartz: saxophones; Claudio Roditi: trumpet, flugelhorn; Steve Turre: trombone; Dave Valentin: flute; Avery Sharpe: bass; Ignacio Berroa: drums;  Johnny Almendra: timbales;  Giovanni Hidalgo: percussion

McCoy Tyner And The Latin All-Stars

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Roberta Gambarini - The Shadow Of Your Smile - Homage To Japan

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:58
Size: 154,3 MB
Art: Front

(7:07)  1. The Shadow Of Your Smile
(5:01)  2. Fly Me To The Moon
(3:58)  3. Someone To Watch Over Me
(5:15)  4. Embraceable You
(2:20)  5. Nobody Else But Me
(4:40)  6. Rainy Days And Mondays
(5:43)  7. Moanin
(4:12)  8. Poor Butterfly
(3:58)  9. My Shining Hour
(4:05) 10. Whisper Not
(5:29) 11. I Remember Clifford
(5:29) 12. Satin Doll
(4:40) 13. Close To You
(5:01) 14. My One And Only Love

Between 2006 and 2009, Italian émigré Roberta Gambarini delivered a trio of albums that earned her widespread plaudits as the heir apparent to Ella or Sarah or both. Then … a deafening silence. A trickle of fresh Gambarini material did appear last year with her four-track appearance on the Pratt Brothers Big Band’s terrific 16 Men & a Chick Singer Swingin’. Now, at last, Gambarini has released a new (if slightly difficult to obtain) disc. The album was recorded in New Jersey earlier this year with an ace quartet of saxophonist/flutist Justin Robinson, pianist George Cables, bassist John Webber and drummer Victor Lewis. But you won’t find it at your local CD outlet. Like the majority of her vocalist peers, Gambarini has an enormous following in Japan. The affection is mutual, and The Shadow of Your Smile is her exclusive billet-doux to them. (It is even subtitled Hommage [sic] to Japan.) And fortunate the Japanese are, for this is Gambarini’s finest outing to date, her plush, round notes and pearlescent tone shown to superb advantage. The mood is generally mellow, with lithe readings of “Someone to Watch Over Me,” “Embraceable You,” “Poor Butterfly,” “My One and Only Love” and the haunting title track plus a double-dip into the Carpenters’ songbook for “Close to You” and “Rainy Days and Mondays.” But she also gives her chops a healthy workout on a down-‘n’-dirty “Moanin’,” a scat-infused “Satin Doll” and a breezy “Fly Me to the Moon” that’s at once Sassy-warm and Sinatra-cool. https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/roberta-gambarini-the-shadow-of-your-smile/

Personnel:   Roberta Gambarini (vo);  George Cables (p);  John Webber (b);  Victor Lewis (ds);  Justin Robinson (as)

The Shadow Of Your Smile - Homage To Japan

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Jazz Crusaders - Freedom Sound

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:00
Size: 76,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:40)  1. The Geek
(5:56)  2. M.J.S. Funk
(4:46)  3. That's It
(8:26)  4. Freedom Sound
(3:49)  5. Theme From Exodus
(4:22)  6. Coon

The first album by the Jazz Crusaders (which started an extensive series for Pacific Jazz) introduced the colorful quintet. With trombonist Wayne Henderson and tenor saxophonist Wilton Felder giving the ensembles a unique sound, the group (also featuring regular members pianist Joe Sample and drummer Stix Hooper along with guests Jimmy Bond on bass and guitarist Roy Gaines) managed to strike a balance between creative hard bop and accessible soul-jazz. In addition to their version of "Theme From Exodus" (hoping to jump on the bandwagon created by Eddie Harris' hit rendition), the Jazz Crusaders perform originals by Felder, Henderson, and Sample ("Freedom Sound"). ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/freedom-sound-mw0000677988

Personnel:  Wayne Henderson - trombone;  Wilton Felder - tenor saxophone;  Joe Sample - piano;  Roy Gaines - guitar (tracks 1 & 4);  Jimmy Bond - bass;  Stix Hooper - drums

Freedom Sound

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Franck Avitabile - Just Play

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:48
Size: 143,8 MB
Art: Front

( 4:01)  1. Resonance
( 3:42)  2. Lettre A Loïse
( 5:07)  3. My Romance
(11:15)  4. August In Paris
( 3:56)  5. Memories
( 3:25)  6. Magic Mirror
( 3:48)  7. Smile
( 2:39)  8. Moddy Piano
( 4:22)  9. Morning Star
( 3:01) 10. Dreamland
( 5:13) 11. Isopod
( 4:32) 12. Real Addict
( 2:59) 13. Corps & Ames
( 4:40) 14. Nature Boy

Franck Avitabile (born 24 November 1971) is a jazz pianist who also has a master's degree in Discrete mathematics from the École Normale Supérieure de Lyon.  Avitabile was born in Lyon, France. At nine, he began to study music at the Lyon Conservatoire, including Bach, Mozart and Debussy. At seventeen, he became interested in jazz, particularly Keith Jarrett and Chick Corea. Later, he became the only musician for whom Michel Petrucciani produced a record. Both are synesthesia[1] composer and performer. He is also the composer of 60 published compositions.[2] In 2016, Franck Avitabile became record producer of Michel Petrucciani with the album Both Worlds Live North Sea Jazz Festival (1998), including a LIve with The Hague Philharmonic (1997) and a duet with Steve Gadd at Montreux Jazz Festival (1998). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franck_Avitabile

Just Play

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Ulf Wakenius - Eternity: Solo Acoustic Guitar

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:10
Size: 99,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:42)  1. Mash
(4:50)  2. Two For The Road
(3:26)  3. Once Upon A Time In America
(2:30)  4. When You Wish Upon A Star
(3:14)  5. Summertime
(4:37)  6. Alfie
(4:31)  7. Cheek To Cheek
(6:10)  8. Danny Boy
(5:28)  9. Ain't Misbehavin
(3:38) 10. There Is No Business Like Show Business

Born: April 16t, 1958 in Halmstad, Sweden. Ulf Wakenius. A jazz guitarist extraordinaire acclaimed and celebrated all over the world. Between 1997 and 2007 Ulf held what may have been the most prestigious spot in jazz for a guitarist: a chair in the Oscar Peterson Quartet.This was the coronation of a career which included many record-breaking moments.Wakenius guitar duo Guitars Unlimited rocked Scandinavia in the early 80s, culminating in the 1985 Melody Grand Prix, which was seen by 600 million viewers, probably the largest audience a jazz guitar duo ever had. Shortly after that Wakenius started a extremely successful and long-lasting collaboration with the legendary bass player Niels-Henning Örsted Pedersen.( NHOP), and both of his duo albums with bass icon Ray Brown, topped the US Jazz Charts.The last few years he's been touriing the world with the amazing Korean singer Youn Sun Nah. Oscar Peterson has publicly described Ulf as one of the greatest guitarists alive in the world today and many of today’s most acclaimed jazz guitarists are among Ulf’s fans, including Pat Metheny, John McLaughlin, John Scofield and Mike Stern. Great Rhythmic feel combines with a extraordinary lyrical touch- his emphasis is always on melodies and groove. He has been filmed by Clint Eastwood. His next release on ACT will be Ulf Wakenius-Solo "Momento Magico" http://www.ulfwakenius.net/

The guitar solo album of this time declared "I'm dedicating to Joe Pass", but there you can see what kind of mind can afford. That's because Wolf has thought that this time he painted his own music world, whereas the previous solo album showed the performance under the influence of the pass. This time I feel strongly about the same era sex. 

And you can listen to the highly artistic musical expressions that let him know about his Verschuzo. Based on jazz, musicality such as bossa nova and classic is also reflected, not music for music, jazz for jazz, thought for the scene of the heart of one musician named Wolf Waschenius and beautiful things It is a spelled work. https://translate.google.com.br/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://spiceoflife.shop-pro.jp/%3Fmode%3Dcate%26cbid%3D909895%26csid%3D3%26sort%3Dn%26page%3D2&prev=search

Eternity: Solo Acoustic Guitar

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Cat Anderson - Americans Swinging In Paris

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1964
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:07
Size: 131,1 MB
Art: Front

(7:59)  1. A "Chat" With Cat
(5:05)  2. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
(2:50)  3. Muskat Ramble
(3:55)  4. A Gathering In A Clearing
(5:13)  5. C Jam Blues
(4:15)  6. Confessin'
(3:28)  7. For Jammers Only
(5:18)  8. Concerto For Cootie
(5:48)  9. Black And Tan Fantasy
(3:55) 10. Blues For Laurence
(6:18) 11. Ain't Misbehavin
(2:58) 12. You're The Cream In My Coffee

Cat Anderson was arguably the greatest high-note trumpeter of all time. His solo on "Satin Doll" from Duke Ellington's 70th Birthday Concert is a perfectly coherent chorus consisting of notes that are so high that it is doubtful if another trumpeter from all of jazz history could hit more than one or two. He first learned trumpet while at the Jenkins Orphanage in Charleston and toured with the Carolina Cotton Pickers, a group in which he made his recording debut. During 1935-1944, Anderson played with many groups including those of Claude Hopkins, Lucky Millinder, Erskine Hawkins, and Lionel Hampton. Hampton loved his high-note mastery, although Hawkins reportedly fired Anderson out of jealousy. In 1944, Cat Anderson was first hired by Duke Ellington and it ended up being the perfect setting for him. Ellington enjoyed writing impossible parts for Cat to play, and Anderson received publicity and a steady income. He was more than just a high-note player, being a master with mutes and having a fine tone in lower registers, but no one could really challenge him in the stratosphere (although Maynard Ferguson, Jon Faddis, and Arturo Sandoval have come close). Anderson was with Ellington during 1944-1947, 1950-1959, and off and on during 1961-1971. Occasionally he would go out to lead his own bands but he always came back. After Ellington's death, Cat Anderson settled on the West Coast where he often played with local big bands, including an exciting one led by Bill Berry. ~ Scott Yanow https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/american-swinging-in-paris/696362646

Americans Swinging In Paris

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Illinois Jacquet & Lester Young - Battle Of The Saxes

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 1955
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 21:45
Size: 51,6 MB
Art: Front

(2:44)  1. Flying Home
(2:42)  2. Blow Illinois Blow
(2:21)  3. Goofin' Off
(2:28)  4. Illinois Blows The Blues
(2:52)  5. D.B. Blues
(2:25)  6. Lester Blows Again
(2:57)  7. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
(3:11)  8. Jumpin' With Symphony Sid

Illinois Jacquet (Jean-Baptiste Illinois Jacquet, October 31, 1922 - July 22, 2004) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist. The brother of the trumpeter Russell Jacquet and the drummer Linton Jacquet.

Illinois began to perform in 1939 in the orchestra of Milton Larkin. In 1942 he participated in the recording of the hit "Flying Home" with the orchestra Lionel Hampton. In 1993 he played the song "C-Jam Blues", on the lawn near the White House, together with President Bill Clinton at the inauguration of the latter. Collaborated with Arnett Cobb, Dexter Gordon, Cab Calloway, Charles Mingus, Lester Young, Count Basie and many others. Lester Young (27.08.1909 - 15.03.1959) is an American jazz tenor saxophonist and clarinetist. His virtuosic improvisations, which were remarkably smoothly phrased, influenced many saxophonists of the second half of the 20th century.

Personnel:  Illinois Jacquet (saxophone), Lester Young (saxophone)

Battle Of The Saxes

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Robbie Williams - The Heavy Entertainment Show

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:13
Size: 143,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:22)  1. The Heavy Entertainment Show
(3:02)  2. Party Like a Russian
(3:58)  3. Mixed Signals
(3:28)  4. Love My Life
(4:17)  5. Motherfucker
(3:13)  6. Bruce Lee
(3:16)  7. Sensitive
(4:14)  8. David's Song
(2:55)  9. Pretty Woman
(4:25) 10. Hotel Crazy (with Rufus Wainwright)
(3:47) 11. Sensational
(4:20) 12. When You Know
(4:51) 13. Time On Earth
(4:19) 14. I Don't Want to Hurt You (with John Grant)
(3:44) 15. Best Intentions
(3:53) 16. Marry Me

The Heavy Entertainment Show is the eleventh studio album by English recording artist Robbie Williams. It was released on 4 November 2016 through Columbia Records. In May 2016, it was announced that Robbie Williams had signed a recording contract with Sony Music. Robbie Williams said in statement: "They're [Sony Music] inspired, I'm inspired. I'm more ready than I ever have been and I'm totally convinced I'm in the right place. I look forward to working on this album, which is an album I'm immensely proud of, in this exciting new partnership with Sony Music." The track "Mixed Signals" features all four members of the American alternative rock band the Killers performing all the instruments, as well as writing the song. The album was announced on 25 September 2016, and the same day the album's title track "Heavy Entertainment Show" was released on Spotify and as an "instant grat" through iTunes Store. The album's first official single, "Party Like a Russian", was released on 30 September 2016. The second single, "Love My Life", was released on 20 October 2016. 

On 7 November, Williams announced a concert tour titled The Heavy Entertainment Show Tour to promote the album. It began on 2 June 2017 in Manchester, England and is set to end in November 2018 in Mexico City. The Heavy Entertainment Show received a Metacritic score of 59 based on 9 reviews, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Neil Z. Yeung of AllMusic was highly positive in his 4-star review, saying "Aptly titled, Williams is entertaining as ever, a consummate showman until the end. The album is a grab bag of ideas, darting here and there in its pursuit of a hit. However, this isn't too much of a distraction, Mr Entertainment and his bombast do not disappoint. The Heavy Entertainment Show is his most invigorated album in years, a truer return to the pop realm than Take the Crown. Here, Williams dresses up his antics in expert production with plenty of cheekiness to spare." Kitty Empire from The Observer gave a mixed three-star review stating, "Cheek, swagger and schmaltz, the tunes that could only come from Williams make this record entertaining, if a little groan worthy. The could-be-anybody songs just don’t stick in the memory." Tim Jonze from The Guardian gave a negative two-star review and said, "A lurching mess of styles, it lurches from one thing to the next, be that MOR balladry, glam rock or orchestral show tunes." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Heavy_Entertainment_Show

The Heavy Entertainment Show (Deluxe)

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Will Boulware - Take Five

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:47
Size: 147,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:33)  1. Take Five
(3:18)  2. Very Early
(3:09)  3. You Are Too Beautiful
(5:41)  4. Be Ready
(6:38)  5. Body And Soul
(4:02)  6. Jingle
(3:53)  7. Wonder
(5:06)  8. How Deep Is The Ocean
(4:42)  9. Invitation
(7:39) 10. My Foolish Heart

The Boulware family moved to Charlotte, North Carolina then Atlanta, Georgia where Will started playing the piano at age five. Wills father played the guitar and sang cowboy songs along with his mother, Alberta Boulware Connelly, who still sings quite well. At age 10, Will bought a set of drums and formed his first group "Wee Willy & The Winks" in which he played drums doing surf music until 13 when he traded in the drums for his first electric keyboard and started to listen to Jimmy Smith and his father's Erroll Garner and Dave Brubeck records. When he was fourteen, he was already in an R&B group performing. He also played the organ in a trio he formed called the Booger Band  and started performing his own compositions. By 1972, his songs were recorded by B.B. King. At 21 Will moved to New York City where he mainly worked doing recording sessions in commercial field. In the 1980s, Boulware lived in California doing some solo piano gigs and working with guitarists such as Scott Henderson, Phil Upchurch and Ron Eschete. By 1990, Boulware moved back to NYC where he started working with the late Phyllis Hyman. He also started in 1993 a 10-year organ stint with saxophonist Maceo Parker and touring with The Blues Brothers (1998), John Scofield (1999) and Carla Bley (2000). He also performed on Rodney Jones recordings and others. ~ From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Personnel:  Will Boulware (Piano);  Lonnie Plaxico (Bass); Richard Bona (Bass Electric); Billy Kilson (Drums).

Take Five

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Maggie Herron - A Ton of Trouble

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:50
Size: 111,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:50)  1. A Ton of Trouble
(4:12)  2. Perfect Specimen
(4:48)  3. Scheherazade
(3:04)  4. Salty Wine
(4:18)  5. Dance Me to the End of Love
(3:19)  6. Red Hot Jazz
(3:34)  7. Small Stuff
(4:17)  8. There Is Love
(4:57)  9. Changing Winds
(3:17) 10. Monkishness
(4:12) 11. The Dove & the Bourbon
(3:55) 12. In My Life

Nominated for the 2018 Na Hoku Hanohano Award for Single of the Year, Maggie Herron's rendition of “In My Life” (Lennon/McCartney) features Larry Koonse-Guitar and Dean Taba-Bass with Maggie On vocals. Maggie Herron’s CD, ‘Between the Music and the Moon’ is the winner of the 2017 Na Hoku Hanohano Award for Jazz Album of the Year. Nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year, the CD features 12 original songs with engineering and mastering by Paul Tavenner. The title track features guitarist, Grant Geissman. With 10 original and 2 cover songs, Maggie delivers her rich,contralto vocals over horn driven, guitar laden original bluesy and New Orleans style songs. Contemplative and storytelling songs feature Maggie at piano along with 2 guest jazz piano greats on several tracks: Bill Cunliffe and Geoffrey Keezer. The making of A Ton Of Trouble “was born during a year of flu, a broken arm and the natural lowering of my vocal range,” Herron explains. However, Herron has successfully managed to turn her troubles into lyrical creative fodder, including elements of humor, fun, contemplation and storytelling. Herron relied on some longtime collaborators to help with the album’s eleven other jazz pieces. Bill Cunliffe arranged six of the albums songs as well as accompanies Herron on piano for those tracks. Bassist,Dean Taba, who also regularly performs live with Herron at Lewer’s Lounge in Waikiki, plays on all but one of the album’s tracks. Her daughter, Dawn Herron, co-wrote lyrics for five of the albums original songs. The album was engineered by Paul Tavenner at Big City Recording Studios. Maggie can be seen weekly, performing at Honolulu's premier jazz club, Lewers Lounge.  https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/maggieherron7

A Ton of Trouble

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