Johnny Richards & His Orchestra - Something Else Again

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:36
Size: 95,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:07)  1. Waltz, Anyone?
(2:01)  2. For All We Know
(8:37)  3. Dimples
(5:14)  4. Band Aide
(6:32)  5. Turn Aboot
(4:13)  6. Burrito Borracho
(2:57)  7. Long Ago And Far Away
(5:51)  8. Aijalon

Johnny Richards was one of the more progressive-minded arrangers of the 1950s and '60s, turning out big, heavily orchestrated scores with a sometimes unabashed use of dissonance and a good feel for Latin rhythms. His music has been called "provocatively colorful," though in the case of his notoriously portentous "Prologue" for the ego-tripping Stan Kenton, simply the word "provocative" says it all. Richards grew up in Schenectady, NY, learning piano, violin, banjo, and trumpet; his mother was a concert pianist who had studied with Paderewski. He started writing film scores, first in London in 1932-1933, and then in Hollywood for the remainder of the decade, as Victor Young's assistant at Paramount while studying composition with Arnold Schoenberg. From 1940 to 1945, he led a big band and then returned to Los Angeles to arrange for Charlie Barnet and Boyd Raeburn. He also arranged a string album for Dizzy Gillespie in 1950, along with recording dates with Sarah Vaughan, Helen Merrill, and Sonny Stitt. His most famous association was with Kenton, with whom he started arranging in 1952; Kenton's album Cuban Fire! is an outstandingly flamboyant example of Richards' work. Richards continued to lead his own orchestras in 1956-1960 and 1964-1965, recording for Capitol, Coral, Roulette, and Bethlehem, and co-wrote one of Frank Sinatra's signature songs, "Young at Heart." ~ Richard S.Ginell https://www.allmusic.com/artist/johnny-richards-mn0000242438/biography

Something Else Again

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Carmen Bradford - Home With You

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:44
Size: 124,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:28)  1. You Can Depend on Me
(5:31)  2. My Shining Hour
(4:25)  3. Home With You
(3:02)  4. Take the "A" Train
(3:05)  5. Five Guys Named Moe, Act I: I Know What I've Got
(4:16)  6. The Boys From Syracuse: This Can't Be Love
(2:51)  7. Be the One
(4:29)  8. Singing in the Rain
(4:35)  9. Street of Dreams
(3:59) 10. Sweet Georgia Brown
(4:29) 11. My Ideal
(3:57) 12. How Sweet It Is
(5:29) 13. Wonder Why

Nine years ago, marvelous Carmen Bradford knocked me sideways with her soaring With Respect, and, in 1997 she made it a one-two punch with the equally sublime Finally Yours, which suggested her as an obvious heir to the Sarah-Ella throne. Then, apart from the odd guest spot here and there, nothing (or at least nowhere near enough). Now, after seven too-quiet years, Bradford is back with the multi-shaded Home With You (Azica), still sounding like a million bucks as she traverses a standards-heavy assortment of 13 tracks in the graceful company of pianist Shelly Berg. From the sweetly contemplative “My Shining Hour” and the gorgeously plaintive “My Ideal” to a peppy reading of the Marvin Gaye anthem “How Sweet It Is” (a terrific showcase for Berg’s elegant artistry) and a blistering ride aboard Ellington’s “A” train, Bradford remains a force to be reckoned with-a virtual tornado of talent and imagination. Most satisfying of all is the gentle title track, with music by Berg and lyrics by the wonderful Lorraine Feather, which is as warm and comforting as cocoa. ~ Christopher Loudon https://jazztimes.com/reviews/vox/carmen-bradford-home-with-you/

Home With You

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Beaver Harris 360 Degree Experience - Safe

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1979
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:53
Size: 84,5 MB
Art: Front

(12:06)  1. Boogie On Dawn
( 6:09)  2. J.C. Moses
( 6:05)  3. I Wish I Knew
( 6:27)  4. Don't I
( 6:04)  5. Loving Living

The 360 Degree Music Experience was an American band that performed both traditional and experimental jazz. Active during the 1970s and '80s, the group was initially co-led by drummer Beaver Harris and the pianist Dave Burrell. After Burrell left the group, pianist Don Pullen replaced him. Several other notable musicians were members of the band at one time or another, including Hamiet Bluiett, Cameron Brown, Ron Carter, Ricky Ford, Jimmy Garrison, Grachan Moncur III, Titos Sompa, and Buster Williams among others. The group released two albums for BMG: From Ragtime to No Time and A Well Kept Secret. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_360_Degree_Music_Experience

Personnel:  Drums – Beaver Harris; Bass – Cameron Brown; Bass Clarinet – Ken McIntyre; Bassoon – Ken McIntyre; Flute – Ken McIntyre; Oboe – Ken McIntyre; Piano – Ron Burton; Trombone – Grachan Moncur III

Safe

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Mike Nock - Ondas

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1981
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:14
Size: 117,6 MB
Art: Front

(15:58)  1. Forgotten Love
( 9:11)  2. Ondas
(11:35)  3. Visionary
( 7:59)  4. Land Of The Long White Cloud
( 6:28)  5. Doors

At the time of this recording, New Zealand's Mike Nock was one of the great, unsung pianists in European stlyed jazz. His elegant phrasing and wildly inventive melodicism fly in the face of all notions that claim improvisation must be outside Western musical parameters and structures. On Ondas, Nock has assembled a rhythm section that, while never having played together before shared the ability to create the bedrock, however flexible, for the artist's crystalline compositions and solos. Eddie Gomez was a wise choice for this session because of his experience with Bill Evans, who is an obvious influence on Nock's own composing -- as is Keith Jarrett. His pizzicato flourishes and shifting timbres on "Forgotten Love" and "Visionary," while retaining an elemental sense of meter, are remarkable. Christensen is the greatest of all the drummers in the ECM stable. His style is one of paucity and sparse riffs, but his cymbal "dancing" is a trademark favorite of pianists and saxophonists everywhere. He has the ability to open up time, creating a window for improvisers to stretch each note, each interval, each mode, for all it's worth, suspending notions of time and space for the listener. Evidence is on the title track and "Land of the Long White Clouds." For his part, Nock is a magician of lyrical invention. His compositional architecture is created of minor modes and subtle textures. His chords are small enough to be their own rhythm section and large enough to fit all the notes in between them and the next octave in combinatory gestures of shimmering beauty. He does all of this in a manner in which tension and its resolution are in constant flux, never out of balance with one another. His solo on "Forgotten Love," that is based upon Gomez', is a case in point: towering ivy clusters of notes flex over darkened minor chords, up and through the middle and then upper registers of the instrument before inviting Gomez back in. In all, this is a glorious recording by a crack batch of musicians. It is also a stellar example of what Manfred Eicher's label and production offer to the world. ~ Thom Jurek https://www.allmusic.com/album/ondas-mw0000193926

Personnel:  Mike Nock - piano, percussion; Eddie Gómez - bass; Jon Christensen - drums

Ondas

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Stephen Riley, Peter Zak - Deuce

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:23
Size: 153,2 MB
Art: Front

(7:49)  1. Please
(7:01)  2. Lover Man
(5:50)  3. Everything Happens to Me
(1:30)  4. Interlude, Pt. 1
(6:44)  5. Tetragon
(0:48)  6. Interlude, Pt. 2
(6:06)  7. Who?
(6:28)  8. Shala
(6:16)  9. Pannonica
(1:46) 10. Interlude, Pt. 3
(7:29) 11. Exactly Like You
(8:30) 12. Without a Song

Deuce is an apt appellation for tenorist Stephen Riley’s latest Steeplechase affair in league with pianist Peter Zak. It’s his tenth as a leader for the label, joining another half dozen titles as a sideman or co-conspirator. In the game of tennis, it signifies a tie score and is therefore an apposite summation of the concordant relationship Riley’s forged with Zak in recent years. A prolific purveyor for Steeplechase in his own right, Zak logged two sessions as a member of Riley’s quartet before Haunted Heart, the duo date that predates this one. Riley and Zak are exemplary of a time-tested trend at the Danish imprint. Once signed, artists tend to stay. Riley’s early efforts relied on an intriguing absence of piano, allowing his fluid and floating style freedom from strict chordal tethering while retaining the supple support of bass and drums. Conscripting Zak ran counter to that template, but was auspicious given the pianist’s penchant for spare accompaniment and close listening. This project tilts that script a bit by giving Zak greater prominence, most commonly in a series of mid-piece detours where Riley beneficently drops out. Zak revels in the room relegated, spinning lovely melodic variations that match Riley in both intellect and imagination and enliven even the more conventional pieces with a sense of sly, on the fly derring-do.The program reflects Riley’s usual preference for ancient standards intermixed with occasionally more modern fare. In the case of the latter there’s stirring rendering of Joe Henderson’s “Tetragon” that finds him folding in convincing facsimiles of the composer’s wry tonal tractability. 

Monk’s “Pannonica” also receives a reading with Zak playing relative straight man to Riley’s verdant voicing of the platonically-minded theme. Breaking with previous projects, Riley also threads in a trio of “Interludes”, fleeting improvisations formed from cyclic chord progressions that serve as interstitial palate cleansers. Zak’s “Shala” is the other original, a lush ballad that aligns with the aural pastels and watercolors of the rest of the set.“Everything Happens to Me” stands out amongst the standards with Riley’s signature bifurcated rasp ranging through the theme sans Zak at the outset. The pianist’s entry is suitably reserved and uncluttered as the pair glides across a string of variations that convey a cottony cast of comfort without losing sight of the gentle and genial fatalism at the tune’s core. The icing of this particularly well-concocted confection comes in the close as Riley dials up the texture quotient through his reed and spirals into silence with a cadenza ripe in striated tonal richness. Riley and Zak may be working along the comparative edges when it comes to commercial recognition and remuneration, but their partnership is every bit as deserving of close consideration alongside the classic tandem associations in jazz. ~ Derek Taylor

Personnel:  Stephen Riley - tenor saxophone; Peter Zak - piano

Deuce

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Sophie Milman - Live At The Winter Garden Theatre

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 17:28
Size: 40,4 MB
Art: Front

(6:01)  1. Whatever Lola Wants
(3:27)  2. My Baby Just Cares For Me
(3:37)  3. Ochi Chernye (Dark Eyes)
(4:21)  4. Bye Bye Love

Jazz vocalist Sophie Milman is a sophisticated and torchy singer with a bent toward American popular songbook standards. Born in Russia of Jewish heritage, Milman spent much of her childhood in Israel, where her parents moved after the fall of the Berlin Wall. In the early '90s, Milman's family emigrated once again to Toronto, Canada. Having sung from a young age, the then teenage Milman was already familiar with such iconic vocalists as Ella Fitzgerald, Mahalia Jackson, Stevie Wonder, and others. In 2004, a chance performance at "Real Divas" night a local Toronto jazz series brought Milman to the attention of producer Bill King, who then secured a few showcase performances for the burgeoning star. Subsequently, Milman signed a recording contract with Linus Entertainment and released her self-titled debut album. Make Someone Happy followed on JVC in 2007. ~ Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/artist/sophie-milman-mn0000864677/biography

Live At The Winter Garden Theatre

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Walt Weiskopf - Exact Science

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:47
Size: 119,0 MB
Art: Front

(2:54)  1. Telltale
(4:35)  2. Jay-Walking
(4:59)  3. About You
(5:19)  4. Mr. Golyadkin
(5:58)  5. Intuition
(6:45)  6. Indecisive
(4:57)  7. Sad But True
(5:05)  8. Exact Science
(6:05)  9. Scenes from Childhood
(5:06) 10. Falling in Love with Love

A potent tenor saxophonist and composer firmly in the tradition of John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins, Walt Weiskopf was born in Augusta, GA, and grew up in Syracuse, NY. Upon moving to New York City, he joined the Buddy Rich Big Band in 1981 at the age of 21; two years later, Weiskopf signed on with the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra, concurrently forming his own quartet with brother Joel on trumpet, Jay Anderson on bass, and Jeff Hirshfeld on drums. His debut, Exact Science, appeared in 1989, followed a year later by Mindwalking; Simplicity, released in 1992, topped the European jazz charts for four weeks. After 1993's A World Away, Weiskopf for the first time departed from original compositions to record 1995's Night Lights, a collection of standards; 1997's Song for My Mother, however, returned his own material to the forefront. 

A graduate of the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, Weiskopf and fellow Eastman alum Ramon Ricker teamed in 1990 to write the books Coltrane: A Player's Guide to His Harmony and The Augmented Scale in Jazz; in 1994, Weiskopf also published Intervalic Improvisation, a player's guide for broadening the scope of modern jazz improvisation. In 1996, he joined drummer Rick Hollander's quartet, and as a headliner returned in 1999 with Anytown. Siren was issued a year later. ~ Jason Ankeny https://www.allmusic.com/artist/walt-weiskopf-mn0000237531/biography

Personnel:  Tenor Saxophone – Walt Weiskopf; Bass – Jay Anderson; Drums – Jeff Hirshfield; Piano – Joel Weiskopf

Exact Science

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Ralph Sutton - Ralph Sutton At Cafe Des Copains

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1987
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:51
Size: 126,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:13)  1. Laugh Clown Laugh
(4:30)  2. You Can Depend On Me
(3:30)  3. Poor Butterfly
(4:19)  4. Snowy Morning Blues
(4:48)  5. Russian Lullaby
(5:45)  6. Sweet Sue
(5:32)  7. This Is All I Ask
(3:44)  8. Somebody Stole My Gal
(5:43)  9. St. Louis Blues
(3:14) 10. My Blue Heaven
(4:23) 11. Exactly Like You
(4:05) 12. Christopher Columbus

Ralph Sutton is such a consistent pianist that virtually all of his releases are recommended. At the top of his admittedly small field (stride piano has become an almost extinct art form), Sutton always seems to sound inspired no matter how many times he has performed a particular number. This superior solo CD features Sutton live at Toronto's Cafe Des Copains, recorded live for radio during performances in 1983, 1984, 1985 and 1987. The stride pianist's style, which was fully formed by the mid-1950s, did not change during the era, so there is a strong unity to the music (as if it had all been played the same day). Highlights include "Laugh Clown Laugh," "You Can Depend On Me," "Somebody Stole My Gal" and "Christopher Columbus." ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/at-cafe-des-copains-mw0000873850

Ralph Sutton At Cafe Des Copains

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Bruce Barth featuring Jerry Bergonzi - Sunday

Styles: Piano And Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:57
Size: 127,7 MB
Art: Front

( 7:30)  1. Blue Cube
(11:25)  2. Sunday
( 8:28)  3. Double Billed
(13:10)  4. Afternoon in Lleida
( 6:41)  5. Refuge
( 7:41)  6. Laura

American pianist and composer Bruce Barth pulls together a fine quartet and an attractive repertoire for this superbly recorded 2017 performance. Combining latin and swing styles, the music is rich with atmosphere and brims with joyous sounds and solos. Spanish label Blau Records specialise in recording live shows in as much fidelity as possible. This latest project was recorded at the Espai de la Música Mestre Villa in Bencàssim on 13 May 2017, and brings together a quartet led by Barth and tenor saxophonist Jerry Bergonzi.  Five of the six tracks are originals by one or other, and both are clearly comfortable in their writing roles. Bergonzi’s opening Blue Cube jumps off in a relaxed latin style with a rich-toned sax melody and solo, culminating in a round of audience applause which comes as a shock to those (such as me) who haven’t read the sleeve notes and assume this must be a studio date, so well-balanced and rich is the overall sound. Barth’s Sunday continues the latin feel with its 6/8 lilt, Bergonzi’s solo again building nicely before Barth’s own turn on the piano. Barth has a beautiful style in his soloing, well paced, varied and creating tension-and-release sections which put me in mind of Bill Evans; block chords suddenly giving way to swinging runs, which turn into swirling ostinatos. It’s extremely listenable and rewarding stuff. Drummer Stephen Keogh gets a solo here, plenty of cymbals to the fore as he keeps the groove moving along. The originals keep coming with Bergonzi’s Double Billed, a swinging affair which gives Barth room to stretch out. Double bassist Mark Hodgson’s solo comes across particularly well, again well caught by the mics, sonorous and full. Afternoon In Lleida, another Barth number, is a slower affair, redolent of the Spanish afternoon, starting gently and building into a series of climaxes before subsiding into gentle harmonies. (Perhaps it was that sort of afternoon…?) Refuge is a clean and simple ballad, which serves as a good counterpoint to the drama that has gone before.  The album closes with Bergonzi’s arrangement of David Raksin’s immortal standard Laura. Bergonzi takes the original film score tune and takes it nicely into the band’s sound, with dramatic chords behind the tune before Barth at last get to take the first solo.  All in all this is a very enjoyable collection, beautifully recorded and full of atmosphere. ~ Mark McKergow http://www.londonjazznews.com/2018/03/cd-review-bruce-barth-quartet-ft-jerry.html

Personnel:  Bruce Barth piano; Jerry Bergonzi saxophone;  Mark Hodgson bass; Stephen Keogh drums

Sunday

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LeeAnn Ledgerwood, John Graham Davis, Brandon Lewis - Walkin' Up

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:37
Size: 142,0 MB
Art: Front

( 6:58)  1. This Is for Albert
( 7:19)  2. Lonnie's Lament
(15:15)  3. Out of This World
( 7:22)  4. Black Nile
( 6:21)  5. Ida Lupino
( 4:45)  6. Walkin' Up
( 6:12)  7. If You Could See Me Now
( 7:23)  8. Passion Dance

Ever hear of LeeAnn Ledgerwood? Too few nonmusicians have. Originally from Ohio, the Berklee grad has been working, recording and teaching (jazz piano and composition at the New School) in New York, and obviously battling the glass ceiling while spreading the gospel according to Bill Evans. Well, an upgraded Evans. Maybe that’s what makes her so unmarketable to ordinary jazz fans. She has more technique than she can hope to use. It spills out all over her new release, Walkin’ Up (SteepleChase), but it doesn’t intimidate her two young compatriots, bassist John Graham Davis (a former student of hers) and drummer Brandon Lewis. Nor does it stop her from choosing difficult material, including tunes by Wayne Shorter (“This Is for Albert”), McCoy Tyner (“Passion Dance”), Carla Bley (“Ida Lupino”), John Coltrane (“Lonnie’s Lament”) and Trane’s conception of Harold Arlen’s “Out of This World.” The balladic highlight is Tadd Dameron’s “If You Could See Me Now,” with a well-pitched solo by Davis. Very few have tried to record the Bill Evans-penned title tune; Ledgerwood disposed of it first take. ~ Harvey Siders https://jazztimes.com/reviews/eighty-eights/leeann-ledgerwood-trio-walkin-up/

Walkin' Up

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Scott Colley - Architect Of The Silent Moment

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:34
Size: 130,2 MB
Art: Front

(7:29)  1. Usual Illusion
(7:50)  2. Strip Mall Ballet
(2:52)  3. El Otro
(7:14)  4. Architect Of The Silent Moment
(6:05)  5. Masoosong
(2:58)  6. Feign Tonal
(8:09)  7. From Within
(5:56)  8. Smoke Stack
(7:55)  9. Window Of Time

If an artist is the sum total of his experiences, then Scott Colley's reach is nearly limitless. In twenty years the bassist has appeared on nearly 150 albums, ranging from mainstream work with Jim Hall and Carmen McRae to more left-of-center projects with Andrew Hill and Greg Osby. His own releases have been migrating towards a more expansive viewpoint. On Architect of the Silent Moment Colley brings together a collection of players who share his appreciation for what's come before, but are just as concerned with what's to come. His core quartet features two artists who, despite considerable critical acclaim, have yet to achieve the greater recognition they deserve. Trumpeter Ralph Alessi is a consistently adventurous player who, with a rounded tone, lyrical disposition and unforced technique, rivals the better-known Dave Douglas. The increasingly ubiquitous Craig Taborn is an equally instinctive keyboardist whose roots in the tradition are often obscured by his bold and unrestrained mind-set. Antonio Sanchez, best-known for his work with guitarist Pat Metheny, is a malleable and increasingly in-demand drummer. He's established himself with a broad and stylistically expanding discography in the last decade. All three are as capable of tackling complex compositional constructs as freer flights of improvisation, and Colley challenges them on both fronts and more. Colley is a fine bassist, with a Dave Holland-like ability to make even the most challenging of shifting meters groove viscerally. But it's his writing (all but two pieces here are his) that makes Architect of the Silent Moment stand out. "Window of Time is a good example. It starts out in an open-ended modal fashion, with Alessi and saxophonist David Binney (a co-producer who leaves his own unmistakable signature) delivering Colley's knotty theme. 

Alessi's solo builds over an increasingly tumultuous rhythm section before the tune shifts to a rhythmically displaced backbeat. Adam Rogers' layered guitars, Taborn's B-3 and Alessi's long, rich tones take the tune out, suggesting a different kind of folksy Americana. Colley makes the complex accessible on the spacious "Masoosong, featuring Gregoire Maret, the most important harmonica player since Toots Thielmans. "Feign Tonal opens with a start-stop post bop theme before dissolving into more angular freedom, only to magically blend the two at its conclusion. Andrew Hill's "Smokestack, on the other hand, starts with an impressionistic duet between Taborn and pianist Jason Moran, before settling into an unexpectedly relaxed take that seamlessly shifts between straight and double-time swing. The group's modernistic integration of acoustic and electric textures represents an increasingly popular aesthetic. Like his blend of traditional and contemporary harmonic and rhythmic concepts, Colley clearly doesn't believe in mutual exclusivity. The beauty of Architect of the Silent Moment is its unequivocal sense of purpose, which avoids undue consideration and provides everyone with ample room to move. ~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/architect-of-the-silent-moment-scott-colley-cam-jazz-review-by-john-kelman.php

Personnel: Scott Colley: bass; Ralph Alessi: trumpet; Craig Taborn: piano, Fender Rhodes, Hammond B-3; Antonio Sanchez: drums. Special guests: Dave Binney: saxophone; Jason Moran: piano; Gregoire Maret: harmonica; Adam Rogers; guitar.

Architect Of The Silent Moment

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Enrico Pieranunzi - Jazz Roads

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:39
Size: 101,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:34)  1. Entropy
(1:28)  2. Monologue 1 - Country Sketch
(5:03)  3. New Lands
(2:02)  4. Monologue 2 - Introspection
(1:48)  5. One For Oscar
(3:15)  6. The Seagull
(7:07)  7. From E. To C.
(1:34)  8. Monologue 3 - Answers
(2:22)  9. Blues For B.
(0:44) 10. Monologue 4 - Tout Court
(6:22) 11. The Dawn
(7:16) 12. From E. To C.

An acclaimed Italian jazz pianist, composer, and educator, Enrico Pieranunzi is known for his virtuosic, classical-influenced technique, nuanced sense of harmony, and elegantly restrained approach to modern post-bop jazz. Influenced heavily by Bill Evans, Pieranunzi emerged in the 1970s leading his own trio, and quickly established himself internationally as an in-demand sideman for such jazz giants as Chet Baker, Lee Konitz, Phil Woods, and others. Along with performing, he is a dedicated teacher, having worked for many years as a full professor at the Conservatorio di Musica in Frosinone. Recognized as one of the foremost Italian jazz artists, he has garnered a handful of awards, including taking home the 1997 Django d'Or as Best European Jazz Musician and winning the 2014 German Echo Jazz Award as Best International Keyboard Artist. Born in Rome in 1949, Pieranunzi was introduced to classical music and jazz by his father, guitarist Alvaro Pieranunzi. (In addition, his brother is noted classical violinist Gabriele Pieranunzi.) Encouraged to study piano from a young age, he eventually graduated university with a music degree in 1973, and began working as a teacher. However, in 1975 he left his teaching position to focus on leading his jazz trio. He debuted that same year with the album Jazz a Confronto, and followed up with a handful of well-regarded efforts including 1976's New & Old Jazz Sounds with his father, 1976's The Day After the Silence, and 1978's A Long Way. By the '80s, Pieranunzi had gained the attention of many touring American artists, including saxophonists Phil Woods and Lee Konitz, flügelhorn player Art Farmer, and bassist Charlie Haden. He also developed a close working relationship with trumpeter/vocalist Chet Baker, a partnership that resulted in several superb albums, including 1980's Soft Journey and 1987's Silence, which also showcased Haden. The pianist also released more of his own albums, including pairing with bassist Marc Johnson and drummer Joey Baron for several efforts such as 1984's New Lands. He went solo on 1985's What's What, and joined saxophonist Konitz on 1988's Solitudes. Pieranunzi capped the decade by appearing on Ennio Morricone's soundtrack to the acclaimed 1989 film Cinema Paradiso. More work followed in the '90s, including dates with Baker, Haden, and Woods, as well as adventurous sessions with trumpeters Enrico Rava and Eric Vloeimans. As a leader, he recorded regularly for Enja, Timeless, and Soul Note, issuing such albums as 1995's Flux & Change, 1997's Seaward, and 1998's Ma l'Amore No. He also gained increasing praise for his work, including taking home the prestigious Django d'Or as the Best European Jazz Musician in 1997. Two years later, he paired with trumpeter Bert Joris for the quintet date Don't Forget the Poet. 

A duo session with pianist Bert van den Brink followed in 2000. He furthered his own work over the next decade, releasing albums like 2001's Improvised Forms of Trio, 2002's Play Morricone, and 2003's Fellini Jazz. He also paired with acclaimed drummer Paul Motian for a handful of albums, including 2004's Doorways with saxophonist Chris Potter and 2005's Special Encounter with Haden. Pieranunzi also continued his ongoing association with bassist Johnson and drummer Baron, releasing a steady flow of studio and live sessions, including 2008's Yellow & Blue Suites and 2009's Dream Dance. There were also similar efforts with bassist Scott Colley and drummer Antonio Sanchez, such as 2013's Permutations and 2014's Stories. In 2014, he took home Germany's Echo Jazz Award as Best International Keyboard Artist. He returned the following year alongside trumpeter Ralph Alessi, saxophonist Donny McCaslin, and bassist Matt Penman for the forward-thinking quartet album Proximity. He then joined fellow pianist Bruno Canino for the 2016 duo session Americas, and followed in 2017 with another duo date, Duke's Dream with saxophonist Rosario Giuliani. The concert album Wine & Waltzes: Live at Bastianich Winery appeared in 2018. ~ Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/artist/enrico-pieranunzi-mn0000184086/biography

Personnel:   Enrico Pieranunzi - piano;  Birch Johnson - trombone; Riccardo Del Fra - double bass; Roberto Gatto - drums; Giampaolo Ascolese - battery

Jazz Roads

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The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Near-Myth

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1961
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:58
Size: 102,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:16)  1. The Unihorn
(3:51)  2. Bach An' All
(5:40)  3. Siren Song
(4:12)  4. Pan's Pipes
(3:53)  5. By Jupiter
(6:48)  6. Baggin' The Dragon
(3:23)  7. Apollo's Axe
(4:14)  8. The Sailor And The Mermaid
(2:53)  9. Nep-Tune
(3:43) 10. Pan Dance

This is the third and final guest appearance by clarinetist Bill Smith in the place of Paul Desmond with the Dave Brubeck Quartet. Like the earlier record dates, this 1961 session focuses exclusively on Smith's compositions, resulting in a very different sound for the band than its normal mix of the leader's songs and standards. Smith was a member of Brubeck's adventurous octet of the late '40s and, like the pianist, also studied with French composer Darius Milhaud. So the clarinetist is willing to take chances, utilizing a mute on his instrument in "Pan's Pipes," and having drummer Joe Morello use his timpani sticks on the piano strings in the swinging "The Unihorn." Smith proves himself very much in Desmond's league with his witty solos and equally amusing, pun-filled liner notes. While none of these songs became a regular part of Brubeck's repertoire, even after Smith replaced tenorist Jerry Bergonzi as a member of the quartet in 1982, this is easily the best of the three albums that he made with Dave Brubeck during the late '50s and early '60s. ~ Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/near-myth-mw0000263459

Personnel:  Piano – Dave Brubeck;  Bass – Gene Wright;  Clarinet – Bill Smith; Drums – Joe Morello

Near-Myth

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Soesja Citroen - Soesja Citroen sings Thelonious Monk

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:30
Size: 98,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:52)  1. In Walked Bud
(4:51)  2. In Twilight
(4:11)  3. Come With Me
(8:58)  4. 'Round Midnight
(3:23)  5. Well You Needn't
(7:17)  6. Underneath This Cover
(5:42)  7. Blue Monk
(4:13)  8. Sure It Can Be Done

Thelonious Monk has been the subject of many jazz tributes, but not many of them have come from singers. Five years before Carmen McRae recorded 1988's stunning Carmen Sings Monk, Soesja Citroen impressed the European jazz world with this five-star collection of Monk classics. This 1983 date didn't receive much attention in the U.S., but in Europe it went down in history as a jazz-vocal classic. 

Not only does the Dutch singer impress with her soulful interpretations of Monk's unique melodies, she also demonstrates just how talented a lyricist she is. Citroen embraces the familiar lyrics to "'Round Midnight" which producer Orrin Keepnews described as "the national anthem of jazz" but on gems that range from "Monk's Mood" and "Monk's Dream" to "In Walked Bud," "Crepescule With Nellie," and "Let's Cool One," she provides fine lyrics of her own. And when you consider the fact that Dutch, not English, is Citroen's native language, her command of English seems all the more impressive. For lovers of bop-oriented jazz vocals, this outstanding CD is essential listening. ~ Alex Henderson https://www.allmusic.com/album/soesja-citroen-sings-thelonious-monk-mw0001124792

Soesja Citroen sings Thelonious Monk

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Cannonball Adderley - Live!

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1964
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:55
Size: 105,9 MB
Art: Front

(13:29)  1. Little Boy With The Sad Eyes
( 8:54)  2. Work Song
( 6:46)  3. Sweet Georgia Bright
(15:24)  4. The Song My Lady Sings
( 1:19)  5. Theme

Cannonball Adderley Live! is a live album by jazz saxophonist Cannonball Adderley recorded at Shelly's Manne-Hole and released on the Capitol label featuring performances by Adderley with Nat Adderley, Charles Lloyd, Joe Zawinul, Sam Jones and Louis Hayes. The Allmusic review by Scott Yanow awarded the album 3 (out of 5) stars and states: "When Riverside Records went into bankruptcy, Adderley signed with Capitol, a label whose interest in jazz ... tended to be short-lived. 

As a result, Cannonball's recordings would become more commercial as the 1960s developed but this early Capitol effort is quite good. Charles Lloyd had just joined Adderley's Sextet and his tenor and flute were major assets" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannonball_Adderley_Live!

Personnel:  Cannonball Adderley - alto saxophone; Nat Adderley - cornet; Charles Lloyd - tenor saxophone, flute; Joe Zawinul - piano; Sam Jones - bass; Louis Hayes - drums

Live!

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Louis Bellson - The Louis Bellson Explosion

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1975
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:35
Size: 123,1 MB
Art: Front

(6:02)  1. Intimacy Of The Blues
(5:30)  2. Quiet Riots
(6:45)  3. Carnaby Street
(8:19)  4. Beyond Category
(4:33)  5. Chameleon
(5:17)  6. Open Your Window
(3:29)  7. Movin' On
(7:11)  8. Groove Blues
(5:25)  9. La Banda Grande

A fine mid-'70s date that was both a showcase for Bellson's bombastic drumming and also a nice straight-ahead date with great contributions from Blue Mitchell, Snookey Young, Dick Mitchell and others. It's been reissued on CD. ~ Ron Wynn https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-louis-bellson-explosion-mw0000085941

Personnel: Drums – Louis Bellson; Bass – John Williams; Guitar – Mitch Holder; Keyboards – Nat Pierce, Ross Tompkins; Percussion – Dave Levine, Paulo Magalhaes; Saxophone – Bill Byrne , Dick Spencer, Don Menza, Larry Covelli, Pete Christlieb; Trombone – Ernie Tack, Gil Falco, Mayo Tiana, Nick DiMaio ; Trumpet – Blue Mitchell, Bobby Shew, Cat Anderson, Dick Cooper, Dick Mitchell, Snooky Young

The Louis Bellson Explosion

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Marty Ehrlich - Trio Exaltation

Styles: Saxophone, Clarinet And Flute Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:58
Size: 129,5 MB
Art: Front

(8:30)  1. Dusk
(5:11)  2. Yes Yes
(5:06)  3. Senhor P.C
(6:15)  4. Dance No. 5
(4:14)  5. Stone
(7:18)  6. June 11th, 2015-In Memorium: Ornette Coleman
(6:07)  7. Sometimes
(4:25)  8. The Arc of the Oar
(3:31)  9. Spirit of Jah No.2
(5:17) 10. Reading the River

After his previous release, 2013's magnificent big-band disc A Trumpet in the Morning (New World Records), it was unclear whether multi-instrumentalist Marty Ehrlich would continue down the path of large-scale composition or return to the small-to-medium-sized ensembles he's used for most of his recorded output over the years. Well, he's gone small all right: all the way down to a trio, something he's not done since 2000, when he teamed up with Andrew Cyrille and Mark Dresser on C/D/E (Jazz Magnet). This time he's working with bassist John Hébert and drummer Nasheet Waits, and the album's title, Trio Exaltation, is entirely appropriate, given the plenitude of dynamic and joyous music it features. Hébert and Waits have a good deal of intersecting history, found most recently on Michael Attias's Nerve Dance, from 2017 (Clean Feed). But for their shared link to Ehrlich, we can go back to the Andrew Hill Sextet, when all three worked in the early 2000s with that uniquely enigmatic pianist and composer. It's entirely fitting, therefore, that Hill's composition "Dusk" kicks off the album, as the piece's sinuous melody and controlled freedom establish the template for the trio's modus operandi. When Hébert's ostinato locks in with Waits' strolling toms, the groove feels unshakeable, and yet the music still possesses a sense of yearning and a desire to push free of rhythmic constraints due in large part to Ehrlich's soaring alto saxophone, which is perfect in capturing both the mystery and the power of Hill's vision.  

Other tracks bring Ehrlich's tuneful instincts to the fore not to mention his technical facility on a range of instruments, including bass clarinet, shown convincingly on "Dance No. 5," as a sing-able melody (and another engaging ostinato by Hébert) driving the piece with an irresistible momentum. On "Spirit of JAH No. 2" Waits' Caribbean-infused rhythms inspire an infectious duo with Ehrlich, this time on wooden flutes; and the clarion purity of Ehrlich's clarinet on "Reading the River" sustains the record's most swinging track, with a seemingly endless progression of lengthy, flowing lines.  While the music is undeniably appealing when it's rooted in strong rhythm and groove, it is just as affecting when the three move out into less-charted rhythmic territory. Case in point is "Senhor P.C.," dedicated to Clean Feed label impresario Pedro Costa, where Hébert's superb arco playing melds with Ehrlich's freer musings on alto and Waits's gradual ascension of intensity in a gripping five-minute burst of energy. And even more impressive is the album's tribute to Ornette Coleman, "June 11th, 2015 In Memoriam." With an emotional arc that is both haunting and liberating at the same time, the trio expands on a poignant melody with a controlled passion and fury that only find their full release at the piece's cathartic finish. Ehrlich's compositions have always been rich enough to warrant the treatment a larger ensemble can provide. But his improvisational skills as an instrumentalist are also prodigious, so it's a treat to have such a terrific recording on which to hear them. Trio Exaltation is a triumphant release for all three players, and one that should earn abundant accolades. ~ Troy Dostert https://www.allaboutjazz.com/trio-exaltation-marty-ehrlich-clean-feed-records-review-by-troy-dostert.php

Personnel: Marty Ehrlich: alto saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet, wooden flutes; John Hébert: bass; Nasheet Waits: drums.

Trio Exaltation

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Ike Quebec - Bossa Nova Soul Samba

Styles: Saxophone Jazz, Latin Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:10
Size: 106,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:10)  1. Loie
(3:01)  2. Lloro Tu Despedida
(5:41)  3. Goin' Home
(4:42)  4. Me 'N You
(3:42)  5. Liebestraum
(3:32)  6. Shu Shu
(5:15)  7. Blue Samba
(4:00)  8. Favela
(3:29)  9. Linda Flor
(3:33) 10. Loie - Alternate Take
(2:38) 11. Shu Shu - Alternate Take
(3:21) 12. Favela - Alternate Take

This is quite a painful disc to listen to. Not because of the music which is beautiful but because of the events surrounding it. Recorded in October 1962, it was to be tenor saxophonist Ike Quebec's final album. Less than four months later he died of lung cancer. This fact rather sticks in the mind like a house guest who has outstayed his or her welcome. Wistful, pretty and elegiac, the music is somehow a fitting final statement from a player best known for more muscular, extrovert, swing-to-bop balladeering. The wonder is that Quebec was able to create such lovely music when he must have known his end was near. But as session engineer Rudy Van Gelder says in the liner notes to this RVG remaster, "Ike always played beautifully, even at the end, when he was dying...I mean, literally dying." And it's true. Despite the circumstances surrounding it, Bossa Nova Soul Samba is an album of beauty. 1962, of course, was the year it seemed every jazzman was making a bossa nova album. Tenor saxophonist Stan Getz began the trend with Jazz Samba (Verve, 1962), made with guitarist Charlie Byrd and containing the chart hit "Desafinado." By the time Quebec was in the studio, even big-tone tenor maestro Coleman Hawkins was on board, with Desafinado (Impulse!, 1962). Next up were Sun Ra & The Solar Myth Arkestra with Sugar Loaf Mountain Bossa Party! (no, I made that up actually, but it might have been). By the end of the year, the genre was already in danger of becoming a cliché; not least for its reliance on the songwriting of Antonio Carlos Jobim, whose tunes dominated many track listings. But Quebec had the wit to ring the changes with the material for Bossa Nova Soul Samba he began his time with Blue Note, after all, as an A&R man. The tunes are the real thing, but little known; Brazilian composers are used, but not Jobim; and there are two originals by Quebec ("Blue Samba," "Me 'n' You"), who also, imaginatively, re-arranges Anton Dvorak's "Goin' Home." Bossa nova was well suited to Quebec's physical and, one imagines, mental states at the time of this recording. It requires no strutting or grandstanding, and lends itself instead to subtlety and ellipsis. The saxophonist plays with heartrending tenderness throughout, sensitively supported by guitarist Kenny Burrell, drummer Willie Bobo and bassist Wendell Marshall. If you already know Quebec's chef d'oeuvres The Complete Blue Note 45 Sessions (Blue Note, 1959-62) and Blue And Sentimental (Blue Note, 1961), Bossa Nova Soul Samba will enhance your understanding of both, while also providing plenty of enjoyment in its own right. ~ Chris May https://www.allaboutjazz.com/bossa-nova-soul-samba-ike-quebec-blue-note-records-review-by-chris-may.php

Personnel: Ike Quebec: tenor saxophone; Kenny Burrell: guitar; Wendell Marshall: bass; Willie Bobo: drums; Garvin Masseaux: shekere.

Bossa Nova Soul Samba

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Della Reese - The Ultimate Della Reese

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:11
Size: 100,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:09)  1. Don't You Know
(4:23)  2. If Ever I Should Leave You
(1:56)  3. I Wanna Be Around
(1:36)  4. S'Wonderful
(2:26)  5. What Is There To Say
(5:03)  6. The Lamp Is Low / After The Lights Go Down Low / Fly Me To The Moon
(1:43)  7. I Could Have Danced All Night
(3:20)  8. Swing Low Sweet Chariot
(3:05)  9. I'm Always Chasing Rainbows
(2:11) 10. Put On A Happy Face / I Want To Be Happy
(2:25) 11. But Not For Me
(2:51) 12. Chicago
(4:26) 13. Misty
(2:16) 14. Tea For Two
(3:14) 15. Whatever Lola Wants

Renowned as both a television star and a top-flight interpreter of jazz, blues, R&B, gospel, and straight-ahead pop music, Della Reese's many talents ensured a long, varied, and legendary show biz career. In addition to being nominated for both an Emmy and a Grammy and receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Reese was also an ordained minister in the Universal Foundation for Better Living, an association of churches she helped found in the early '80s. Born Deloreese Patricia Early on July 6, 1931, the young Reese began singing in the Baptist church choir in her hometown of Detroit at age six. In 1945, having developed quite rapidly, she caught the ear of legendary gospel queen Mahalia Jackson, who invited Reese to join her touring choir; Reese did so for the next five summers. Upon entering Wayne State University to study psychology, Reese formed a women's gospel group, the Meditation Singers, but her college career was cut short by the death of her mother and her father's serious illness. Reese worked odd jobs to help support the rest of her family; she also continued to perform with the Meditation Singers and various other gospel groups. Encouraged by her pastor, Reese began singing in nightclubs in hopes of getting a singing career off the ground; recently married to a factory worker named Vermont Adolphus Bon Taliaferro, her name was too long to fit on marquees, and she eventually arrived at her performing alias by splitting up her first name. After impressing a New York agent, who promptly signed her, Reese moved to New York and joined the Erskine Hawkins Orchestra in 1953. 

A year later, she had a recording contract with Jubilee, for whom she scored hits like "And That Reminds Me," a 1957 million-seller. Switching to RCA Victor, Reese landed her biggest hit in 1959 with "Don't You Know?," a song adapted from Puccini's La Bohème; this cemented her career, leading not only to plentiful appearances on variety shows, but successful nightclub tours of the country and eventually nine years of performances in Las Vegas, as well as recording contracts with a variety of labels over the next few decades. Building on her previous variety show experience, Reese made a small bit of television history in 1969 when she became the first woman to guest-host The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Later that year, she became the first black woman to host her own variety show, the syndicated Della, which ran until 1970. Following its cancellation, Reese returned to her nightclub tours, often putting in guest appearances on television shows like The Mod Squad, Sanford and Son, and Chico and the Man; after three prior failed marriages, Reese also found a lasting relationship with producer Franklin Lett, whom she married in 1978. On October 3, 1980, while taping a song for The Tonight Show, Reese suffered a brain aneurysm that nearly proved fatal; however, thanks to a successful operation, she was able to make a full recovery. She kept up her singing career and appeared on television shows like Designing Women, L.A. Law, and Picket Fences, as well as the Eddie Murphy films Harlem Nights and The Distinguished Gentleman. Reese also starred in the Redd Foxx sitcom The Royal Family from 1991-1992, and garnered what was undoubtedly her highest level of recognition in the inspirational drama series Touched by an Angel, a quite popular program that ran for nine years, between 1994 and 2003, on the CBS network. After Touched by an Angel finished its run, Reese continued to act intermittently on television through to 2014. She died at her home in Encino, California in November 2017 at the age of 86. ~ Steve Huey https://www.allmusic.com/artist/della-reese-mn0000196544/biography

The Ultimate Della Reese

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Alan Pasqua, Peter Erskine, Dave Carpenter - Standards

Styles: Piano Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:30
Size: 158,9 MB
Art: Front

(9:05)  1. The Way You Look Tonight
(7:46)  2. Dear Old Stockholm
(6:10)  3. Deep in a Dream
(6:31)  4. Con Alma
(6:29)  5. It Never Entered My Mind
(6:26)  6. Speak Low
(7:26)  7. I'm Glad There Is You
(5:41)  8. I Hear Rhapsody
(6:03)  9. I'm Old Fashioned
(6:47) 10. I Could Have Danced All Night

Representing the other half of a two-release project from drummer Peter Erskine's Fuzzy Music label that also includes Worth The Wait (2008), with trumpeter Tim Hagans and the Norrbotten Big Band, Standards is exactly what the title implies a session of old standards with a couple of new acquaintances thrown in for good measure. In an attempt to come as close as possible to the sound produced in a concert experience, the recording was made in an acoustically live space and enhanced with two pair of KMF Audio Stereo Tube Microphones. Performed by a veteran trio that also features pianist Alan Pasqua and bassist Dave Carpenter, the music is rhythm-based light jazz taken from the Great American Song Book and played in a straight-ahead style that comes across with warmth and elegance. Opening with the Sinatra staple "The Way You Look Tonight, Pasqua leads the music with light touches on the keys, giving way to an extended solo by Carpenter and putting a new face on this old classic that composers Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields would not recognize. The Van Heusen/de Lange cushy ballad, "Deep In a Dream, features Erskine's soft brush strokes, which he employs many times throughout the recording. The drummer uses the cymbals and picks up the sticks for a rather interesting rendition of Dizzy Gillespie's "Con Alma that swings to a different rhythm and beat than the original, while Pasqua performs magnificently on a beautiful interpretation of "It Never Entered My Mind. The group goes on to play delicious versions of standards including "Speak Low, "I'm Old Fashioned and "I Could Have Danced All Night, but none of these match the intensity and energy conveyed by their performance of "I Hear a Rhapsody, clearly the best cut on the disc. Completing a two record release that stretches the range in performance from featuring new music with the big band sound to the limited voice of a small combo, Standards represents the other side of Erskine's musical personality with a repertoire of familiar tunes that jazz audiences will love. ~ Edward Blanco https://www.allaboutjazz.com/standards-peter-erskine-fuzzy-music-review-by-edward-blanco.php

Personnel: Alan Pasqua: piano; Dave Carpenter: bass; Peter Erskine: drums.

Standards

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