Friday, October 12, 2018

Bill Evans Trio - Portrait In Jazz

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:22
Size: 99,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:23)  1. Come Rain Or Shine
(6:01)  2. Autumn Leaves
(4:35)  3. Witchcraft
(5:00)  4. When I Fall In Love
(3:16)  5. Peri's Scope
(4:36)  6. What Is This Thing Called Love?
(5:07)  7. Spring Is Here
(4:56)  8. Some Day My Prince Will Come
(5:23)  9. Blue In Green

The first of two studio albums by the Bill Evans-Scott LaFaro-Paul Motian trio (both of which preceded their famous engagement at the Village Vanguard), this Portrait in Jazz reissue contains some wondrous interplay, particularly between pianist Evans and bassist LaFaro, on the two versions of "Autumn Leaves." Other than introducing Evans' "Peri's Scope," the music is comprised of standards, but the influential interpretations were far from routine or predictable at the time. LaFaro and Motian were nearly equal partners with the pianist in the ensembles and their versions of such tunes as "Come Rain or Come Shine," "When I Fall in Love," and "Someday My Prince Will Come" (which preceded Miles Davis' famous recording by a couple years) are full of subtle and surprising creativity. A gem. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/portrait-in-jazz-mw0000187984

Personnel:  Bill Evans – piano;  Scott LaFaro – bass;  Paul Motian – drums

Portrait In Jazz

Malia - Yellow Daffodils

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:39
Size: 109,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:44)  1. Yellow Daffodils
(4:20)  2. My Purple Shoes
(3:29)  3. I Believed In Roses
(3:10)  4. I'm Not Jealous
(2:51)  5. India Song
(4:06)  6. Twinckling little star
(4:29)  7. Lifting You High
(3:47)  8. Angel Kiss
(3:37)  9. Solitude
(3:26) 10. Big Brown Eyes
(4:06) 11. Let It Happen
(3:09) 12. Moon Glows
(3:19) 13. My Purple Shoes [Remix]

A gifted vocalist whose instrument is both strong and sensual, British jazz singer Malia was born into a family of mixed African and English heritage in the small East African country of Malawi, which borders Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia. Malia had limited exposure to music growing up -- her neighborhood could only pull in two radio stations (one in the native language of Chewa, the other in English), and her father's record collection was dominated by the Beatles. That changed when political unrest forced her family to flee Malawi and relocate to London when Malia was 14 years old. Malia took great interest in the rich musical landscape that surrounded her, immersing herself in the dance-oriented new wave sounds dominating the English music scene. The music of Sarah Vaughan and Billie Holiday soon came into her life and transformed her worldview, as she was introduced to influential black artists for the first time. Malia soon set her sights on a career in music. After finishing school, Malia took work as a waitress while she organized a band to accompany her, singing ballads and jazz standards in bars and clubs around London. She experienced a breakthrough during a visit to New York City; at a New York café she heard a pop-jazz track sung in French by vocalist Liane Foly that had been produced by Berklee School of Music graduate Andre Manoukian. Malia was entranced by the enticing mix of pop and jazz sensibilities, and she contacted Manoukian to solicit his help. The pair admired each other's musical ideas and potential, and they set to work on Malia's debut album, Yellow Daffodils, released in 2002. Though the release featured English lyrics, Malia gained enormous recognition in France and Germany. Her subsequent releases, Echoes of Dreams (2004) and Young Bones (2007), found favor among jazz fans across Europe thanks to Malia's unique smoky vocal timbre and sensitive interpretations. In 2012, Malia released Black Orchid, in which she interpreted 13 songs associated with the great jazz musician and activist Nina Simone. Malia took a creative detour with her 2014 album, Convergence, a collaboration with Boris Blank from the long-running electronic pop group Yello. For 2017's Malawi Blues/Njira, Malia composed most of the songs in tandem with keyboardist Alex Wilson. Malia has become an international star, often appearing on the soul and jazz charts in Europe and the U.K., as she maintains a busy touring schedule, appearing on some of the Continent's most important stages. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/yellow-daffodils/259985658

Yellow Daffodils

Doug Raney & Thorgeir Stubo - Everything We Love

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1983
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:16
Size: 94,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:12)  1. Just Friends
(7:27)  2. We'll Be Together Again
(6:22)  3. Half Nelson
(5:56)  4. So Do It!
(6:34)  5. Love Letters
(5:07)  6. Get Out of Town
(5:35)  7. Everything I Love

Everything We Love is a live album (LP) by Norwegian guitarist Thorgeir Stubø and American guitarist Doug Raney released 1984 in Oslo, Norway by Hot Club Records – HCR 19). This is the third album by Thorgeir Stubø released in 1984, and presents an interaction with the famous American guitarist Doug Raney, son of the legendary pioneer bopgitar, Jimmy Raney. Raney was at this time living in Denmark, and on this album Stubø made Doug Raney bring along the Danish top bassist Jesper Lungaard and drummer Ole Jacob Hansen. It was an elegant and perhaps more easily swinging quartet than the previous quintet from Jazz Alive. This time the repertoire also was a bit more conservative with the older standard songs and bop tunes like "Everything I Love" (Porter), "Half Nelson" (Miles Davis), "Love Letters" (Young), "Get out of town" (Porter) Just Friends (Klenner/Lewis), "We'll be together again" (Fisher/Lane) and "So do it" (Montgomery). The two guitarists clearly shows that they have some of the same influences, and they are relatively similar in style. Anyway, it's inequities and Stubø is rougher and a bit more angular in the performance than Raney's slightly smoother style. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everything_We_Love

Personnel:    Doug Raney – guitar;  Thorgeir Stubø – guitar;  Jesper Lundgaard – double bass;  Ole Jacob Hansen – drums

Everything We Love

Bobby Previte - Plutino

Styles: Vocal, Post Bop
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:39
Size: 98,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:33)  1. Austerity
(3:35)  2. Downgrading
(4:50)  3. Rollover
(4:02)  4. Default
(4:51)  5. Volatility
(4:27)  6. Tranche
(6:54)  7. Contango
(8:24)  8. Bailout

The cover with the image of three aliens / musicians who cast their stern and stunned eyes on the things of our world is a good way to listen to the CD that you find in your hands. The three visitors from the space respond to the name of Bobby Previte, in the role of great master of ceremonies and chief delegation, of Beppe Scardino and Francesco Diodati, in that of selected emissaries.

Paying attention to their requests, trusting their good intentions is the pass for a trip across overwhelming and breathtaking soundtracks. Music that comes from space, decipherable with earthly codes, implacable rhythmic scans, tangles of crazy sound waves, magnetic storms that disorient the listener and drag him into whirling black holes. But also an oasis of tranquility, moments of wonder in front of the beauty that still exists in our world, where the baritone sax of Scardino invents a cosmic lullaby with a poignant beauty like "Contango". Or when Diodati's guitar spreads sore electric vibrations on the martial rhythm of Previte in "Bailout," before opening up to delicate acoustic arpeggios that launch Scardino's bass clarinet in a solo of visionary intensity. 
~ AAJ Staff https://www.allaboutjazz.com/plutino-bobby-previte-cafe-royale-review-by-aaji-staff.php

Personnel: Bobby Previte (drums, vocals); Beppe Scardino (woodwinds, voice); Francesco Diodati (guitars, vocals).

Plutino

Lionel Loueke - The Journey

Styles: Vocal And Guitar Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:53
Size: 121,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:13)  1. Bouriyan
(3:54)  2. Molika
(3:57)  3. Bawo
(5:37)  4. Vi Gnin
(4:24)  5. Mande
(4:36)  6. Kaba
(2:18)  7. Dark Lightning
(3:18)  8. Vivi
(5:47)  9. Hope
(3:48) 10. Gbe
(4:05) 11. Gbedetemin
(0:29) 12. Guira
(2:33) 13. Okagbe
(2:26) 14. Reflections On Vi Gnin
(2:21) 15. The Healing

The Journey finds Benin's guitar prodigy Lionel Loueke in a stripped-back setting, often painting gentle sound-sketches using only his voice and a guitar. In place of his long-standing trio, comprised of drummer Ferenc Nemeth and double bassist Massimo Biolcati, Loueke has assembled a divers array of guest musicians for subtle accompaniment when needed. The fifteen songs compiled on this album exhibit some of the most versatile music the guitarist has created to date, and represent a sort of summary of his career- spanning works. The creator himself states "This album is a very personal project—it is the clearest reflection of the melodies and musical atmosphere that I carry within me every day." Besides the jumpy funk-infused opener "Bouriyan" and jam tracks like "Bawo," folkier elements are especially prominent. "Molika" or "Vi Gnin" display the extent to which Loueke has developed as a vocalist, and carry most fragile melodies into the open. While most compositions rely on various acoustic guitars, some of his signature electric guitar playing makes it on to the record as well, the loop-based "Dark Lightning" being a prime example. He also draws from his past catalogue and presents reinterpretations of "Okagbé" and "Gbede Temin," now written together "Gbêdetemin." Both songs were featured on the trio-recording Gilfema (ObliqSound, 2005) and have been stripped down to their very core elements, now presented at a much slower pace in a much more atmospheric fashion. The booklet translates what Loueke sings in the Benin native Fon and reveals lyrics that contemplate war, and question the world we live in. While dancing rhythms and celebratory chants, typical for Lionel Loueke, do find their way into this record, the more reflective side of things prevails and makes this endeavor one of a very profound and touching amplitude. The minimalist instrumental approach only adds to this intimate feeling and places the listener right by the source. If not in person, then this is probably the closest one might ever get to meeting Lionel Loueke. ~ Friedrich Kunzmann https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-journey-lionel-loueke-aparte-review-by-friedrich-kunzmann.php

Personnel: Lionel Loueke: guitars, vocals, percussion; Pino Palladino: bass; Coro Baptista: percussion; John Ellis: soprano saxophone; Christi Joza Orisha: percussion; Robert Sadin: keyboards; Dramane Dembélé: peul flute; Mark Feldman: violin; Patrick Messina: clarinet; Vincent Ségal: cello; Étienne Charles: trumpet; Massimo Biolcati: bass; Ferenc Nemeth: percussion;

The Journey

Thursday, October 11, 2018

Ronnie Laws - Fever

Styles: Saxophone And Flute Jazz 
Year: 1976
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:22
Size: 105,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:31)  1. Let´s Keep It Together
(3:29)  2. Fever
(4:04)  3. All The Time
(7:24)  4. Stay Still (And Let Me Love You)
(4:07)  5. Strugglin´
(2:59)  6. Captain Midnite
(3:44)  7. Karmen
(6:30)  8. Night Breeze
(5:30)  9. From Ronnie With Love

When Ronnie Laws first started recording as a leader in 1975, one of the saxman's strongest allies was Wayne Henderson. That trombonist and founding member of the Crusaders (originally the Jazz Crusaders) was an expert when it came to combining the accessibility of soul and funk with the freedom of jazz, and his guidance proved to be a definite asset when he produced early Laws albums like Pressure Sensitive (1975) and Fever (1976). The popular Grover Washington, Jr. was a strong influence on Laws, whose appreciation of Mr. Magic asserts itself on everything from the funky "Let's Keep It Together" and the gritty "Captain Midnite" to Bobby Lyle's alluring "Night Breeze." 

This isn't to say that Laws was a Washington clone, or that he unaware of other soul-jazz saxmen like Eddie Harris and David "Fathead" Newman. Laws, in fact, was quite recognizable himself on both tenor and soprano. One tune that definitely isn't in the soul-jazz vein is "From Ronnie with Love," an angular, cerebral post-bop offering that isn't unlike something Jackie McLean would do. 

Because Laws has recorded so many throwaways, one has to approach his catalog with caution; but rest assured that Fever puts his talent to work instead of wasting it. ~ Alex Henderson https://www.allmusic.com/album/fever-mw0000099049

Personnel:  Ronnie Laws - tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute;  Donald Hepburn, Michael Hepburn, Bobby Lyle - electric piano, clavinet, synthesizer;  Marlin the Magician - guitar;  Wilton Felder, Nathaniel Phillips - electric bass;  Bruce Carter, Steve Guttierez - drums;  Bruce Smith - percussion;  Tony Ben - conga;  Murray Adler, Bonnie Douglas, Henry Ferber, Elliott Fisher, Ronald Folsom, James Getzoff, William Kurash, Joy Lyle, Gordon Marron, Paul C. Shure, Felix Sitjar, Carroll Stephens - violin;  Jesse Ehrlich, Nathan Gershman, Raymond J. Kelley, Victor Sazer - vocals;  Ronald Coleman, Augie Johnson, Esau Joyner, Michael Miller, Deborah Shotlow, Douglas Thomas - backing vocals

Fever

Lisa Hilton - Cocktails at Eight

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:33
Size: 88,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:31)  1. Love Will
(3:10)  2. Take Five
(2:11)  3. Shooting Star
(3:25)  4. Seduction
(2:36)  5. I'll Always Be Your Friend
(2:27)  6. Echoes of Harlem
(3:12)  7. Can You See?
(2:24)  8. Kilimanjaro
(2:23)  9. August 1999
(2:44) 10. Candlelight
(1:54) 11. Moon River
(1:15) 12. No Guarantees
(2:57) 13. Waterfall
(1:58) 14. Butterflies
(3:20) 15. I'm on My Own (Remix)

The music on Cocktails at Eight, mostly piano solos by Lisa Hilton although there are also three trio numbers and one with strings and woodwinds, is meant to be relaxing and soothing background music. Hilton has fine musicianship, but she generally sticks to laid-back tempos, unadventurous improvisations, and so-so melodies. Some of the performances border on new age, and the jazz soloing sticks fairly close to the themes. Perhaps one should not look for something in this album that is not here, and just accept it on its own terms, as background for romantic evenings. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/cocktails-at-eight-mw0000600259

Cocktails at Eight

Cedar Walton - Blues for Myself

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1986
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:47
Size: 95,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:54)  1. Blues for Myself
(4:00)  2. Without a Song
(3:51)  3. Sixth Avenue
(3:30)  4. Sophisticated Lady
(3:53)  5. Wonder Why
(5:25)  6. Little Darlin'
(3:10)  7. Let's Call This
(5:11)  8. Just in Time
(5:21)  9. Booker's Bossa
(3:28) 10. Bridge Work

Cedar Walton's second set of unaccompanied solos (following his little-known Clean Cuts release Piano Solos by five years) features the talented veteran pianist exploring six standards (including "Without a Song" and "Just in Time") plus four of his originals. Although always a hard bop stylist, Walton was never just a one-handed pianist and this superior release does not find him or listeners missing a bassist or drummer. Recommended. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/blues-for-myself-mw0000181388

Personnel:  Cedar Walton – piano

Blues for Myself

Esther Kaiser - Songs Of Courage

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:18
Size: 142,4 MB
Art: Front

(7:09)  1. Masters of War
(5:36)  2. Earth Song
(6:24)  3. Open your eyes you can fly
(4:25)  4. Where have all the flowers gone
(5:06)  5. This is not America
(1:38)  6. Yamo (Syrian Theme)
(4:38)  7. Luka
(5:28)  8. Revolution
(1:39)  9. An den kleinen Radioapparat
(6:49) 10. Wanderer between the worlds
(5:35) 11. We shall overcome
(5:48) 12. You´re the voice
(0:55) 13. Yamo (Intro)

"These are rough times when jazz musicians feel they need to position themselves politically. The Berlin singer Esther Kaiser has just released an entire album with "Songs of Courage" (GLM / Soulfood). Flawless and excitingly new-sounding interpretations of Brecht's ("The Little Wireless") to John Farnham's ("You're the voice", not only the jazz community might be dumbfounded as a political song) have taken them from classics like "Where have all the flowers gone "to modern alienation songs like" This is not America "by David Bowie and Pat Metheny is all there, even a" Song of Resignation "- the more defiant" revolution "of the Beatles, which later angered John Lennon against his original meaning interpreted - luckily it made it to the record. Not only is Kaiser a singer who can give any song an individual touch thanks to her calm, but spectacularly shimmering voice, she also has a song-loving band at her side, from which one should at least mention the outstanding bassist Marc Muellbauer. He always keeps the fragile and transparent music of the sextet's extended sextet, which fled to Germany, to the ground. "(Red) Translate by Google https://translate.google.com.br/translate?hl=en&sl=de&u=http://www.estherkaiser.de/&prev=search

Songs Of Courage

Wednesday, October 10, 2018

Laura Silverstein - Happiness Is A Warm Guitar

Size: 104,0 MB
Time: 44:48
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2012
Styles: Instrumental, Easy Listening
Art: Front

01. Maui Sunrise (2:35)
02. Autumn Leaves (3:55)
03. Tennessee Waltz (4:07)
04. The Water Is Wide (3:26)
05. Bereft (3:54)
06. Gymnopedie #1 (2:55)
07. What A Wonderful World (2:13)
08. Grandfather's Clock (2:03)
09. Freight Train (1:28)
10. Windy And Warm (2:47)
11. Yesterday (2:29)
12. One Note Samba (2:53)
13. Brokeback Mountain (3:59)
14. Over The Rainbow (3:09)
15. Daybreak (2:50)

"Happiness is a Warm Guitar" is a mellow instrumental journey featuring fingerstyle guitar, with accompaniments of tasty players Michael Connolly on violin, mandolin, and bass and Orville Johnson on dobro.

"When I listen to Laura, I hear the love she feels for the guitar and the music. She is grounded in the fingerstyle tradition but always adds a touch of her own to her arrangements. I am especially delighted by her original tunes." John Knowles

Happiness Is A Warm Guitar

Cornelia Luna - Starting Here, Starting Now

Size: 91,0 MB
Time: 39:30
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. When The Sun Comes Out (Feat. William Sperandei & The Bill King Trio) (4:37)
02. Loving You (Feat. Bill King) (3:05)
03. Starting Here, Starting Now (Feat. Mike Murley & The Bill King Trio) (4:04)
04. Gotta Move (Feat. Mike Murley, William Sperandei & The Bill King Trio) (3:36)
05. Any Moment Now (Feat. Gavin Hope & The Bill King Trio) (3:02)
06. Soon It's Gonna Rain (Feat. The Bill King Trio) (4:46)
07. I Don't Care Much (Feat. David Young & The Bill King Trio) (4:10)
08. I Had Myself A True Love (Feat. The Bill King Trio) (4:33)
09. Absent Minded Me (Feat. Bill King) (2:43)
10. Will Someone Ever Look At Me That Way (Feat. The Bill King Trio) (4:51)

It was the summer of 1976 when I found myself working under the baton of conductor/arranger, Peter Matz -- Emmy, Grammy award-winning Hollywood icon -- as part of The Carol Burnett Show in Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe. As music director for the Pointer Sisters, the four women had a twenty-minute feature half-way through Burnett and company's live show. Matz contributed a medley of Ellington tunes strung together with marvelous harmonic transitions and slight time changes for sisters.

Afternoons, Matz and I would congregate around the outdoor swimming pool of the MGM Grand and talk music. It was then I realized this was the same Peter Matz I'd spent hours absorbing his arrangements for Barbra Streisand's Third Album. I could hear the string section on "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered -- It Had To Be You" and "I had Myself A True Love," as if the great outdoors was an amphitheatre for the mind.

Years later, I would interview Matz and wife Marilyn Lovell Matz in Toronto. Both had become activists in the fight against AIDS. People, certain occasions, and chance encounters endure a lifetime . . . I met Cornelia Luna when she was 21 and worked with her on her one-woman show which sold-out 1,200 seats at the Winter Garden Theatre in Toronto. From the downbeat, I knew there was something special about her composure and self-assuredness on stage. Then came the voice; pure and clear tones, soaring notes, and excellent vocal control. I thought, what if we could work together beyond one brilliant evening. That didn't happen because the world and fate had other plans for her. Off Cornelia goes to Broadway and a twenty-year career performing in top venues and shows befitting this exquisite artist.

Cornelia and I reconnected, and began thinking of working together; a project we could collaborate on and the first to come to mind was the early music of Barbra Streisand. The music that captured our attention and spectacular vocalizing of Ms. Streisand. Cornelia and I began researching the early years -- the first recording, the specials -- "My Name Is Barbra," "Funny Lady," even the "Third Album" . . . songs that have gone unanswered through the years beyond Streisand's initial encounters. We then composed a list of songs, not a tribute album, to create a fresh take on the songs that have such great emotional range, lyrics with a story, melodies that surge and harmonies that are flexible for a piano-based jazz trio -- piano, bass, and drums -- songs that we could bring to life again.

Cornelia Luna and trio played the Jazz Bistro in Toronto and explored twenty selections from Streisand's catalog and the music began to take shape. The past was now the present. With Order Of Canada recipient, bassist Dave Young, the brilliant musicianship of drummer Mark Kelso, and me on piano, the trio instantly orchestrated as the songs underwent improvisational shifts and blending of rhythms and colors in support of vocalist, Luna.

The transformation was swift and re-birth inevitable. It was at that moment Cornelia Luna and I decided the right players were in place and the music would get a true makeover worthy of the recording studio.

Starting Here, Starting Now

Dred Perky Scott & The Steve Rudolph Trio - Songs Of Christmas

Size: 130,8 MB
Time: 56:53
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Xmas
Art: Front

01. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (6:40)
02. The Christmas Song (6:45)
03. We Three Kings (8:11)
04. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear (4:38)
05. What Child Is This (8:13)
06. O Little Town Of Bethlehem (5:49)
07. My Favorite Things (8:32)
08. Waltz For Debby (8:01)

"Songs of Christmas" by Dred "Perky" Scott & the Steve Rudolph Trio is a pretty awesome Jazz Christmas album.

Dred "Perky" Scott has been performing, off and on, since he was 11 (when he was known as "Little Perky Wonder"). He's traveled the world, working with all the great Jazz artists, but he always returns home to Central Pennsylvania. Scott , these days, is a pastor at the United Methodist Church in Baltimore. Additionally, the Rev. performs at churches throughout the region as part of his "Jazz in the Sanctuary" series.

Steve Rudolph is not just the pianist, but a long time composer, arranger, producer, and educator. He, too, has toured the globe and worked with the greats and near greats (even has the Mills Brothers on his resume). Steve had a Christmas album sans vocalist, "Christmas With The Steve Rudolph Trio", in 1999. Matt Wilson was his drummer for that one. Rudolph is also from Central PA and, though they are always doing their own thing, he and Scott have performed together regularly for 40+ years. They are brothers in Jazz, brothers from different mothers. They don't often record together, though, their best known collaboration being the album "Nine" from 2007.

Songs Of Christmas

Marianne Trudel & Karen Young - Portraits: Songs Of Joni Mitchell

Size: 124,4 MB
Time: 53:53
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. Man From Mars (5:27)
02. Cactus Tree (5:18)
03. The Dry Cleaner From The Moines (3:15)
04. Both Sides Now (6:31)
05. Cherokee Louise (5:25)
06. Shine (5:42)
07. Sunny Sunday (2:56)
08. Tin Angel (5:15)
09. California (4:02)
10. Last Chance Lost (4:13)
11. Borderline (5:44)

Marianne Trudel: Marianne Trudel is a multi-talented pianist, composer, improvisor, and arranger. A generous and engaging artist, a veritable powerhouse in Quebec and Canada's instrumental music scene, Marianne Trudel has presented multiple artistic projects that not only bring her considerable skills to the fore but also her keen sense of creativity. At once energetic and passionate, her music cross-cuts a wide swath of musical interests. Her moving, spellbinding music is not easily labelled, one of its many strengths.She has presented her music in various countries: Canada, United States, Mexico, France, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, England, Scotland, Italy, Hungary, Lituania, and China. She has published 6 recordings as a leader, all having garnered rave reviews (JUNO awards nominee, ADISQ and Prix Opus award).

Karen Young: Singer-composer and arranger Karen Young started her professional career with a single, folk song Garden of URSH, in 1971. In the mid 70's she discovered the Bebop vocals of the group Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, which determined her never-ending passion for jazz. She received the Oscar Peterson prize of FIJM in 2016 and a career grant from CALQ (Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec) in 2008. She received two Felix awards; Best jazz album in 1988 for Contredanse with Michel Donato and Best vocal Classical album in 2008 for her album Âme, corps et désir (music of the 14th century). Karen Young has never refused a musical challenge, having sung in more than twenty languages. Going from the impossible charts of SMCQ to children's songs you can hear her voice on more than 40 albums.

Portraits

Philip Catherine - Babel

Styles: Guitar
Year: 1980
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:01
Size: 82,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:19)  1. Babel
(6:14)  2. Janet
(4:53)  3. Riverbop
(5:05)  4. Spirale
(5:52)  5. Philip a Paris
(4:01)  6. Magic Ring
(3:34)  7. Dinner-Jacket

An immensely gifted Belgian guitarist, Philip Catherine is a highly regarded performer known for his harmonically nuanced, deeply lyrical playing and crisply rounded fretboard touch. Born in London in 1942 to an English mother and Belgian father, Catherine moved to Brussels with his family at a young age. As a teenager, he became interested in the guitar, influenced at the time by French singer/songwriter and poet George Brassens. By age 14 he was taking lessons, and learning the basic elements of jazz improvisation when he discovered Django Reinhardt. He quickly absorbed the jazz legend's distinctive style, and eventually picked up other influences, including Belgian guitarist René Thomas. He also immersed himself in albums by such luminaries as Art Blakey, Clifford Brown, Max Roach, and others.  Catherine began playing gigs while in his teens, working in a trio with American Hammond B-3 specialist Lou Bennett and drummer Oliver Jackson. There were also stints with Belgian saxophonist Jack Sels and Philadelphia-born/Brussels-based drummer Edgar Bateman. In 1970, violinist Jean-Luc Ponty asked him to join his band and, inspired by contemporaries like John McLaughlin and Larry Coryell, Catherine stayed with Ponty for a year, dedicating himself to the progressive fusion sound. Also during this period, he attended formal music classes at Berklee College of Music in Boston. After returning to Belgium, Catherine found himself in high demand and developed a bevy of connections, including playing with Klaus Weiss, Les McCann, Karin Krog, Dexter Gordon, and others. As a solo artist, he made his debut with 1971's Stream, a funky, inventive mix of acoustic and electric jazz. He followed up in 1975 with Guitars and September Man, both also highly inventive, fusion-influenced albums. Sessions with Herb Geller, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, and Charles Mingus followed, as did a duo tour with guitarist Coryell. Also during the '70s, he paired with close associate saxophonist Charlie Mariano for a handful of sessions, and rounded out the decade with his own Nairam, which also featured Mariano, along with trumpeter Palle Mikkelborg and others. During the '80s, Catherine's profile continued to rise as he released several more well-regarded efforts, including Babel, End of August, and Trio with guitarist Christian Escoude and violinist Didier Lockwood. 

There also were dates with Aldo Romano, Stéphane Grappelli, and Kenny Drew. Also in the '80s, he gained attention for his work with legendary West Coast trumpeter/vocalist Chet Baker, touring and appearing on such albums as 1983's Mr. B and 1985's Strollin'. Although his 1986 album, Transparence, layered keyboards into his atmospheric sound, his work with Baker pointed toward a more acoustic-leaning aesthetic. It was a sound he further embraced on 1990's I Remember You. Dedicated to Baker (who died in 1989), the album also featured trumpeter/flügelhornist Tom Harrell. Throughout the '90s, Catherine released a steady stream of albums for smaller jazz labels like Enja, Criss Cross, and Dreyfus, including albums like Moods, Vol. 1, Spanish Nights, and 1999's Guitar Groove. In 2001, he returned with Blue Prince, which found him balancing his love of acoustic jazz and electric fusion. Joining him were trumpeter Bert Joris, bassist Hein van de Geyn, and drummer Hans Van Oosterhout. Joris was also on board for 2002's Summer Night. The orchestral album Meeting Colours followed three years later. The more intimate Guitars Two appeared in 2008. He then joined bassist van de Geyn, pianist Enrico Pieranunzi, and drummer Joe La Barbera for the 2010 live album Concert in Capbreton. A year later, he delivered the trio date Plays Cole Porter, followed by 2013's warmly sophisticated Côté Jardin. The duo album New Folks with bassist Martin Wind followed a year later. He then joined the Orchestre Royal de Chambre de Wallonie for 2015's The String Project: Live in Brussels. Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/artist/philip-catherine-mn0000287463/biography

Personnel:  - Philip Catherine - guitars, guitar synthesiser, vocoder;   Jean Claude Petit - Keyboards and synthesisers;  Andre Ceccarelli - drums and percussions;  Jannick Top - electric bass
String Quartet:  Pierre-Yves Defayes (violin);  Roger Berthier (violin);  Pierre Llinares (viola);  Hervé Derrien (cello) with: The Voices of Isabelle and Janet Catherine

Babel

Amedeo Ariano, Francesca Tandoi, Luca Bulgarelli - Triplets

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop 
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:01
Size: 95,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:43)  1. FSR
(4:33)  2. The Sheik of Araby
(5:04)  3. You Don't Know Me
(4:03)  4. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
(6:00)  5. I Thought About You
(5:36)  6. Body and Soul
(4:46)  7. Bulgariantandoj
(6:13)  8. When Sunny Gets Blue

A really crackling little album from this Italian trio a group led by drummer Amedeo Ariano, which maybe gives them a slightly different approach to the music than the usual piano trio! Pianist Francesca Tandoi is very much on top of things grabbing notes in bold handfuls, and using them to sculpt a surprisingly soulful sound for the set but many of the tunes are also very strongly driven by the rhythm duo, with Ariano on drums and Luca Bulgarelli on bass the latter of whom we might be discovering here for the first time, but have become instant fans thanks to the richness of his sound! The tunes are all familiar, but they're exploded nicely in that way that only the best trios can do, like the Oscar Peterson combo of the 60s with Ray Brown on bass. There's a female singer in a few spots we assume it's Tandoi but most of the focus is instrumental. Tracks include "I Didn't Know What Time It Was", "FSR", "The Sheik Of Araby", "You Don't Know Me", "BulgArianTandoj", and "When Sunny Gets Blue".  © 1996-2018, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/887126/Amadeo-Ariano-Luca-Bulgarelli-Francesca-Tandoi:Triplets-Japanese-paper-sleeve-edition

Personnel: Piano – Francesca Tandoi;  Vocals – Francesca Tandoi (tracks: 3,8);  Double Bass – Luca Bulgarelli;  Drums – Amedeo Ariano  

Triplets

Lisa Bassenge - Borrowed and Blue (Bonus Version)

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:28
Size: 120,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:07)  1. Three Cigarettes in an Ashtray
(4:51)  2. Feel Like Breaking Up Somebody's Home
(3:59)  3. I'll Be Seeing You
(3:00)  4. Keep Me in Your Heart for a While
(7:13)  5. My Man's Gone Now
(5:10)  6. I'll Be Here in the Morning
(2:44)  7. Grandma's Hands
(3:37)  8. Still Crazy After All These Years
(4:36)  9. Norwegian Wood
(4:13) 10. Rambling Man
(6:32) 11. I'll Be Seeing You (Live) [Bonus Track]
(3:21) 12. Keep Me in Your Heart for a While (Live) [Bonus Track]


“Singer Lisa Bassenge entered the jazz scene at the beginning of the 2000s and yet made it unmistakably clear that the jazz concept is too narrow for her. The Berlin artist placed herself as a pop song interpreter, Hildegard Knef adept and Club Icon with the project Micatone. In passing, she occupied a new, exciting musical field and let jazz turn somersaults with new ideas. And she did all this with her very own interpretative strength, which was to become her trademark. Their subsequent albums in German even made it into the pop charts. The media was upside down.  Now there is no peace, but after a trip to producer legend Larry Klein, Lisa Bassenge has now created a new musical environment for herself. Her international trio, consisting of Swedish pianist Jacob Karlzon and Danish bassist Andreas Lang, dig deep into the world of songs. With classics like'Still crazy after all these years', 'Norwegian Wood', soul tunes like 'I feel like breaking up somebody's home', Waren Zevon's 'Keep me in your heart' or the bluesy 'Ramblin' man' the new repertoire is well presented.” https://www.propermusic.com/product-details/Borrowed-and-Blue-259931

Borrowed and Blue (Bonus Version)

Tuesday, October 9, 2018

Carme Canela & Joan Monné Trio - Granito De Sal

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:19
Size: 127,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:22)  1. Granito De Sal
(4:41)  2. Ana E Eu
(4:38)  3. Rosa Morena
(6:23)  4. Marta
(5:46)  5. Lucille
(5:24)  6. Te Recuerdo Amanda
(3:46)  7. Julia
(4:55)  8. El Testament D'Amèlia
(5:34)  9. Pannonica
(5:40) 10. La Pomeña
(4:07) 11. Beatriz

Carme Canela is over 50 years old and has been singing professionally for more than three decades, so it must be assumed that her appearance as “new talent” is an attempt to broaden her audience. The most obvious link with jazz is a fine rendition of uncredited English lyrics to Monk’s Pannonica. Otherwise the eclectic repertoire (including Julia by Lennon and McCartney) underlines what I’ve gleaned that she doesn’t see herself as purely a jazz singer. Nevertheless the excellent backing trio is clearly working within the jazz idiom and Carme-la combines musicality and emotion in a delightful manner, with moods and tempos nicely varied. ~ Graham Colombé, Jazz Journal

Personnel:  Carme Canela - vocals;  Joan Monné - piano;  Marko Lohikari - bass;  David Xirgu - drums

Granito De Sal

David S. Ware Quartet - Corridors & Parallels

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:55
Size: 112,1 MB
Art: Front

( 1:20)  1. Untitled
(10:02)  2. Straight Track
( 4:22)  3. Jazz Sci-Fi
( 5:58)  4. Superimposed
( 3:08)  5. Sound-a-Bye
( 0:37)  6. Untitled
( 8:59)  7. Corridors & Parallels
( 3:11)  8. Somewhere
( 3:17)  9. Spaces Embraces
( 6:07) 10. Mother May You Rest in Bliss
( 1:48) 11. Untitled

On Corridors & Parallels, you can almost feel tenor saxophonist David S. Ware reaching for the sky. It's a high-octane experience. His yearning, seeking vision on the horn always aims for new heights, and on this record he definitely manages to get just a little closer. The new David S. Ware Quartet record distinguishes itself from the first 12 (!!) with the following two features: * it includes electronic music for the first time; and * it represents Ware's big "comeback" from his major label contract.

About that first part, don't be fearful: Matthew Shipp has figured out how to play the synthesizer just fine. And about the second, be joyous: those corporate tentacles always reach into nooks and crannies and manage to smooth out hard edges where they're most needed. Music always works better when those evil tentacles disappear from the scene, in this listener's opinion. It's hard to classify Corridors & Parallels because the record has so many unexpected angles and quirks. "Superimposed," for example, is a duet between Shipp and Ware. Shipp plays a pre-programmed rhythm track along with additional elements dynamically added live. Meanwhile Ware wastes no time in this context to draw ever-narrowing circles of light, but his integration into the rhythmic feel of the piece is patently devoted. (On other tunes, real live drummer Guillermo E. Brown makes himself quite visible. Brown's prowess and versatility are dumbfounding throughout Corridors & Parallels. It's been said before, but the world of music needs more from Guillermo E. Brown. As Ware put it in typical understatement last we talked, "Guillermo can play the drums." Indeed.) Only one tune after "Superimposed," "Sound-A-Bye" takes an eastern drone effect to its physical and virtual limits. Here Ware challenges the stereotype that his music must always be fast and furious; and the argument is quite compelling. Bells, gongs, and church-like keyboards accompany Ware on a five-minute excursion through just about as many notes. (And that's not under-exaggerating by much.) About Shipp's melodic synthesizer on Corridors & Parallels : it's generally not terribly polyphonic, and he generally doesn't change voices midway through a piece. That, of course, converts Shipp's role from the wildly unpredictable, explosive human dynamo to the pensive and taciturn commentator. He's an extremely smart player, so he adapts well to the new role. It's interesting. It works. When he chooses to play synth drums, the product can be so good it fools the human ear into thinking about drum kits. (Fooled mine on "Superimposed," until I learned the truth.) Ware has invaded a new dimension of sound on Corridors & Parallels. He's making more use textured drumming, including Guillermo Brown's many colors of expression, and he's reinvented Shipp's role in the group. This new effort is a fine record: a living document of an group in flux, and a stand-alone work of art. It will be quite revealing to hear what happens next after such a dramatic change. This is living, breathing music. ~ AAJ Staff https://www.allaboutjazz.com/corridors-and-parallels-aum-fidelity-review-by-aaj-staff.php

Personnel: David S. Ware: tenor saxophone; Matthew Shipp: synthesizer; William Parker: bass; Guillermo E. Brown: drums.

Corridors & Parallels

Enrico Rava - Flashback

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:32
Size: 157,6 MB
Art: Front

( 7:15)  1. Misterioso
( 8:35)  2. The Way You Look Tonight
( 8:53)  3. Polka Dots and Moonbeams
( 9:47)  4. Line for Lyons
( 3:07)  5. Nature Boy
(10:28)  6. Old Devil Moon
( 7:01)  7. I'll Close My Eyes
( 5:25)  8. There's No You
( 7:57)  9. Misterioso - 2nd emotion

This hugely popular trumpet player (born in Trieste, Italy in 1939) almost single-handedly brought Italian jazz to international attention. He began playing Dixieland trombone in Turin, but after hearing Miles Davis, switched instruments and embraced the modern style. Other key meetings were with Gato Barbieri, with whom he recorded movie soundtracks in 1962, and Chet Baker. He began to play with Steve Lacy; he also teamed up with South African expatriates Louis Moholo and John Dyani and recorded The Forest and the Zoo (ESP) live in Argentina. In 1967, he moved to New York, playing with Roswell Rudd, Marion Brown, Rashied Ali, Cecil Taylor, and Charlie Haden. In a brief return to Europe, Rava recorded with Lee Konitz (Stereokonitz, RCA) and Manfred Schoof (European Echoes, FMP). From 1969 to 1976, he was back in New York, recording Escalator Over the Hill with Carla Bley's Jazz Composers' Orchestra. After his first album as a leader, Il Giro del Giorno in 80 Mondi (Black Saint), he began to lead his own pianoless quartets and quintets. His recorded output numbers 100 records, 30 as a leader. ECM has reissued some of his essential recordings of the '70s, like The Pilgrim and the Stars, The Plot, and Enrico Rava Quartet, while Soul Note and Label Bleu published CDs by his innovative Electric Five (in reality a sextet, as he always excludes himself from the count), which includes two electric guitars. 

With keyboard master Franco D'Andrea and trumpeter Paolo Fresu, Rava recorded Bix and Pop (Philology) and Shades of Chet, tributes to Bix Beiderbecke and Armstrong, and to Chet Baker, respectively. Also of note are Rava, L'opera Va and Carmen, gorgeous readings of opera arias. In 2001, he created a new quintet with young talents Gianluca Petrella, Stefano Bollani, Rosario Bonaccorso, and Roberto Gatto, and toured with old friends Roswell Rudd and Gato Barbieri, releasing Easy Living with them in 2004 on ECM. Three years later, after Bollani, who had struck out as a solo player, was replaced by Andrea Pozza, The Words and the Days came out. In 2007, Rava and pianist Stefano Bollani released The Third Man on ECM. Rava followed the released in 2009 with New York Days, a collection of moody originals with a film noir tinge, backed by a band that included Bollani, tenor saxophonist Mark Turner, bassist Larry Grenadier, and drummer Paul Motian. Rava broke in a new all-Italian quintet for Tribe, which was issued by ECM in the fall of 2011. 

Its members included trombonist Gianluca Petrella, pianist Giovanni Guidi, bassist Gabriele Evangelista, and drummer Fabrizio Sferra. Guitarist Giacomo Ancillotto also guested on the set, expanding the lineup on various selections. Rava made a wide left turn for 2012's On the Dance Floor. Amazingly, the trumpeter only became aware of pop singer Michael Jackson's music after his death, and he became obsessed with it. 

The album, his tribute to what he considers the late singer's contribution to 20th century music, was recorded with Parco della Musica Jazz Lab at the Rome Auditorium; it is entirely comprised of Jackson's material.~ Francesco Martinelli https://www.allmusic.com/artist/enrico-rava-mn0000182392/biography

Personnel:  Enrico Rava (tp, flgh), Gianni Basso (tenor sax), Stefano Bollani (p), Ares Tavolazzi (bass), Massimo Manzi (drums)

Flashback

Jack Reilly Trio - November

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 45:42
Size: 83,9 MB
Art: Front

( 7:16)  1. With a Song in My Heart
(10:09)  2. January
( 7:34)  3. Minor Your Own Amos
( 8:42)  4. November
( 5:56)  5. Lento for Carol
( 6:03)  6. Kyrie

Pianist Jack Reilly has the unenviable position of being an artist well respected and admired by his peers for his composing and performing faculties, but never quite achieving that level of public acclaim his prodigious talents deserve. There was no one defining moment when the pianist decided jazz was to be his livelihood. It grew on him as he hung out at community jazz joints on Staten Island listening to the local piano players. He was pushed over the edge when he heard the modernism of the Lennie Tristano Quintet and made his musical debut with John LaPorta in 1958 at the Newport Jazz Festival. Over the years, he has worked with Ben Webster and with the George Russell Big Band. Reilly has an impressive musical education resumé. In addition to private studies with Tristano, Reilly also studied with the shadowy but influential Hall Overton and composer of contemporary music Ludmila Ulehla. It is this background that compelled Reilly's attention to the instrument. With his exceptional technical skills and musical sensitivity, he could have stuck to the tried-and-true form of standard jazz and pop repertoire. Rather, he took the high-risk but rewarding road of playing his own compositions which are vignettes of modern jazz. His highly engaging compositions can be heard to best advantage on The Brinksman, with a stunning "Masks," and two masterful albums Tzu-Jan: The Sound of the Tarot, Vol. 1 and a second volume covering the same theme. These extraordinary recordings provide an impressionist evocation of the exotic Thoth Tarot Cards. Even when working in the standard material idiom, there is a sense that the songs are being turned out in an entirely new set of clothes. Reilly's creative horizons extend beyond shorter works to larger ones such as a "Jazz Requiem," "Jazz Oratorio," and "Theme and Variations for Orchestra" as well as to classical forms. The world premier of "Orbitals, Piano Concerto took place in 2001 in Michigan. His more than 300 shorter pieces include blues, children's lullabies, jazz tunes, and music for the theater, including music for a play by Samuel Beckett. Given his history, his accomplishments, and his interests, Jack Reilly has made him a melodious Renaissance man, and because of this is clearly an artist deserving of far wider recognition. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/november-feat-jack-six-ronnie-bedford/1068761621

November