Amina Figarova - Sketches

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:20
Size: 181,4 MB
Art: Front

(7:53)  1. Four Steps to...
(3:09)  2. Unacceptable
(4:43)  3. Sketches
(6:07)  4. Caribou Crossing
(8:53)  5. Breakfast for the Elephant
(5:06)  6. Whotsot
(7:18)  7. Back in New Orleans
(5:56)  8. On the Road
(6:28)  9. Flight N°
(5:38) 10. Look At That
(5:26) 11. Train to Rotterdam
(5:30) 12. Happy Hour
(6:06) 13. Your Room

Thirteen bran the originals composed by Amina Figarova form Sketches, the new album of the pianist of Azerbaijan and resident in Holland. A repertoire born through the travels made with his "musical family," that is the sextet with which he then entered a studio in Amsterdam to record this work composed of songs that bring in a good stylistic variety and a cantabile that it makes the 80 minutes of the CD lasting flowing.The Figarova classical setting and exquisite touch creates figures of shining melodic fluidity ("Four Steps to ...," "Caribou Crossing") and stands out for the simplicity with which it gives character to its solo moments. It is up to the tenorist Marc Mommaas and the trumpeter Ernie Hammes to direct the music to the territories next to the bop, in a band supported by a punctual and solid rhythm section, which however does not have much influence on the final result. While it is determined, with regard to the nostalgic and sentimental element of the whole affair, the contribution of the flautist Bart Platteau, Amina's companion also in life. Sketches turns out to be a job capable of keeping the listener in good company looking for relaxing moments, even if on the whole some more acceleration would not have failed.~ AAJ Staff Italy https://www.allaboutjazz.com/sketches-amina-figarova-munich-records-review-by-aaji-staff.php

Personnel: Amina Figarova: piano; Ernie Hammes: flugelhorn, trumpet; Marc Mommaas: tenor saxophone; Bart Platteau: flute; Jeroen Vierdag: double bass; Chris "Buckshot" Strik: drums.

Sketches

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Sean Jones - Kaleidoscope

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:31
Size: 171,1 MB
Art: Front

(6:48)  1. Allison
(5:19)  2. Journey
(4:48)  3. Never Let Me Go
(6:28)  4. I Come To Thee
(5:54)  5. So Wonderful
(6:13)  6. Esperanto
(0:50)  7. It's Just A Matter Of Time (intro)
(6:18)  8. It's Just A Matter Of Time
(5:56)  9. Say Brah
(6:33) 10. Blak Music
(5:03) 11. Kaleidoscope
(6:40) 12. The Sluice
(6:34) 13. You're The Reason

Trumpeter Sean Jones emphasizes various vocalist friends for his fourth recording as a leader. His previous CDs have leaned toward a more produced pop-oriented approach within a definite modern jazz framework, and this effort leans toward a balance of combining those elements without being overtly commercialized. The first eight cuts all feature the singers, the most effective being rising star Gretchen Parlato. Her beautiful voice levitates Kendrick Scott's ballad composition "Journey," done on his debut CD, receiving a different, less expansive treatment, while the sunny swing waltz "It's Just a Matter of Time" has Parlato and Sachal Vasandani swapping opposing transposed crowded vocal lines. Parlato is special; please pay attention to her in the future. Even more impressive are two spiritualistic pieces, reminiscent of the recent work by pianist Robert Glasper. The opener, "Allison," drips with emotion, informed by the lovely piano playing of Orrin Evans, slight Latin spice, and the wordless vocals of J.D. Walter, while "Esperanto" (not sung in Esperanto) has Carolyn Perteete's siren-song singing, pristine as morning dew. 

At this point one barely notices the trumpet player, until you hear four consecutive instrumentals. "Say Brah" is a cooking typical neo-bopper, "Blak Music" a less clichéd hard bopper, the title track a more modern near-fusion Fender Rhodes-infused piece, and "The Sluice" revealing Jones as a singsongy Lee Morgan/Freddie Hubbard-influenced Young Lion. The pacing and programming of this recording could have been more effectively revisited; it feels like block formatting. It is another fine, not yet definitive musical effort from Jones, easily a Top Ten rising star of contemporary jazz trumpet. ~ Michael G.Nastos https://www.allmusic.com/album/kaleidoscope-mw0000577971

Kaleidoscope

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Karin Krog, Bengt Hallberg - Two of a Kind

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 1982
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:33
Size: 111,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:33)  1. My Man
(2:36)  2. Jeepers Creepers
(3:57)  3. You Must Believe in Spring
(2:16)  4. The Touch of Your Lips
(2:29)  5. The End of the Day Song
(4:12)  6. I Ain't Here
(3:40)  7. Like That
(2:39)  8. Halleluja I Love Him So
(3:47)  9. Spring in Manhattan
(2:01) 10. Love Valk In
(2:40) 11. Dear Bix
(2:01) 12. I'm Coming Virginia
(3:43) 13. Ain't Nobody's Business
(4:03) 14. Cabin in the Sky
(2:48) 15. A Child Is Born

An adventurous singer who is quite versatile, Karin Krog is able to sing anything from standards to fairly free improvisations. She made her recording debut in 1964, appeared at many jazz festivals in Europe in the mid-’60s, and in 1967, came to the U.S., performing and recording with the Don Ellis Orchestra and Clare Fischer’s trio. A world traveler based in Europe, Krog has recorded fairly steadily through the years, using such sidemen as Kenny Drew, Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen, Jan Garbarek, Ted Curson, Dexter Gordon, Palle Mikkelborg, Steve Kuhn, Steve Swallow, Archie Shepp, Bengt Hallberg, and John Surman; she has made records for Philips, Sonet, Polydor, and other European labels.

Personnel: Karin Krog - vocals, producer; Bengt Hallberg - piano

Two of a Kind

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Lalo Schifrin - There's A Whole Lalo Schifrin Goin' On

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1968
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 28:50
Size: 68,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:27)  1. Secret Code
(2:29)  2. Dissolving
(2:41)  3. Machinations
(2:35)  4. Bride of the Wind
(2:07)  5. Life Insurance
(2:59)  6. How to Open at Will
(2:12)  7. Vaccinated Mushrooms
(2:41)  8. Two Petals a Flower and a Young Girl
(2:42)  9. Wheat Germ Landscapes
(3:29) 10. Gentle Earthquake
(2:25) 11. Hawks vs. Doves

Though it may seem unlikely that Frank Zappa had much of an influence on the work of Lalo Schifrin, one can detect some cultural crossover on There's a Whole Lalo Schifrin Goin' On. Schifrin was as much a jazz-pop genius as ever, but on this album rock rhythms, musical satire, sound effects, and exotica are all used as camp in a way that is eerily reminiscent of Zappa's more thoughtful efforts. Schifrin being Schifrin, every cut has a distinct and catchy melody, but there are whimsical and satirical themes embedded in the music. Nowhere is this more obvious than in "Hawks Vs. Doves," in which a cheery carnival-like theme is played in counterpoint to a martial air, each interfering with the other. Elsewhere, Schifrin uses unusual percussion, dissonance, and tense, sonically fragmented piano to create soundscapes that are unlike most of the rest of his work. "Secret Code" integrates tabla drums, not a common instrument in American jazz of the time, with a cold, flute-like synthesizer  probably the first time those two instruments were used together. 

This album was ahead of its time in terms of instrumentation, but was a product of its time in that established ways of doing things were being challenged. Fans of Lalo Schifrin's work will find this to rank with his best, and those not familiar with anything but the Mission Impossible theme will be drawn in further by the eccentric genius displayed here. Note: Like many of Schifrin's albums of the period, there is no listing of musicians on the album cover, so it is difficult to know who is responsible for the marvelous performances here, except for Schifrin's own contributions. ~ Richard Foss https://www.allmusic.com/album/theres-a-whole-lalo-schifrin-goin-on-mw0000771728

Personnel:  Lalo Schifrin - piano, synthesizer, arranger, conductor; Tony Terran, John Audino - trumpet; Lloyd Ulyate, Barrett O'Hara - trombone; John Johnson - tuba; Vincent DeRosa - horn; Bud Shank, Ronnie Lang, Sam Most - reeds; Arnold Kobentz - oboe, English horn; Ralph Grierson, Artie Kane, Roger Kellaway, Mike Lang - keyboards; Paul Beaver - keyboards, synthesizer, stereo harp; Carl Fortina - accordion; Howard Roberts, Dennis Budimer, Bill Pitman, Louis Morell - guitar; James Bond, Ray Brown - bass; Carol Kaye, Max Bennett - electric bass; Shelly Manne - drums, percussion; Earl Palmer, Ken Watson, Joe Porcaro, Emil Richards - percussion; Milt Holland - tabla; Bonnie Douglas, Sam Freed, Anatol Kaminsky, Nathan Kaproff, George Kast, Marvin Limonick, Erno Neufeld, Paul Shure - violin; Myra Kestenbaum, Allan Harshman, Robert Ostrowsky, Virginia Majewski - viola; Raphael Kramer, Edgar Lustgarten, Eleanor Slatkin - cello; Catherine Gotthoffer - harp; Robert Helfer - orchestra manager

There's A Whole Lalo Schifrin Goin' On

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Jamie Saft - Solo a Genova

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:58
Size: 148,7 MB
Art: Front

( 3:36)  1. The Makings of You
( 4:41)  2. Human / Gates
( 5:42)  3. Naima
( 7:10)  4. Sharp Dressed Man
( 4:35)  5. Overjoyed
( 4:05)  6. Po'Boy
(12:43)  7. The New Standard / Pinkus
( 6:10)  8. Blue Motel Room
( 4:09)  9. The Housatonic at Stockbridge
( 3:33) 10. Blue in Green
( 7:30) 11. Restless Farewell

Pianist Jamie Saft's Solo A Genova is a revelation. It is, in an extensive discography, his only alone-in-the-piano-chair outing. Saft has made a wide-ranging mark in collaborations with Slobber Pup, Metallic Taste of Blood, The Spanish Donkey and Berserk! These group names don't say it all, but do probably say something (Brash? Unconventional? Loud?) about the sounds they make. But for the jazz fan of the more purist persuasion, his piano trio discs are probably the ones that find their way to the stereos: Asorath: Book of Angels, Vol 1 (Tzadik, 2005), The New Standard (Rare Noise, 2014), and the terrific Loneliness Road (Rare Noise, 2017). These trio sets feature commanding instrumentalists in the bass and drum chairs, making for a satisfyingly egalitarian approach to the craft. Jamie Saft solo is different. Absent the driving rhythms of the trio sets, he proves himself strikingly virtuosic, lushly harmonic, and beautifully fluid. Solo A Genova, as the title suggests, was recorded live in Genova, Italy, but it seems a celebration of America. The pianist covers tunes by quintessentially American artists (with a Canadian, Joni Mitchell slipped in), and he doesn't limit himself to Jazz Standards. 

Compositions by Curtis Mayfield, Bob Dylan, Miles Davis/Bill Evans, Stevie Wonder and Charles Ives are played out with playfulness (Dylan's "Po' Boy), doom (ZZ Top's Sharp Dressed Man); life affirmation (Stevie Wonder's "Overjoyed") and solemn majesty (Ives' "Housatonic At Stockbridge). While Saft's previously mentioned trio discs are uniformly excellent, playing the show alone seems to have freed his artistry. Solo A Genova showcases his uplifting, steeped-in-the-American-sound soul, closing with a gorgeous, got-religion take on Dylan's "Restless Farewell."  As a whole, the reverent nod to America serves as a balm for pains that come from our country's troubled times. ~ Dan McClenaghan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/solo-a-genoa-jamie-saft-rarenoiserecords-review-by-dan-mcclenaghan.php

Personnel: Jamie Saft: piano.

Solo a genova

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Plas Johnson - Positively

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1976
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:15
Size: 117,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:33)  1. Positively
(4:44)  2. Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be)
(7:09)  3. Let's Get It All Together
(4:39)  4. Easy For You To Say
(4:50)  5. Never More
(5:29)  6. My Foolish Heart
(5:07)  7. Careless Love (Traditional)
(4:30)  8. A Cottage For Sale
(3:34)  9. Dirty Leg Blues
(4:38) 10. Sea Sea

This CD reissue brings back one of Plas Johnson's few opportunities through the years to lead his own recording session. The appealing tenor jams through a variety of songs that range from straight-ahead to soulful, with touches of gospel and even country. Assisted by guitarist Herb Ellis, electric keyboardist Mike Melvoin, bassist Ray Brown, either Jake Hanna or Jimmie Smith on drums, and Bobby Hall on conga, Johnson shows that he was an overlooked transition figure between Stanley Turrentine and Joshua Redman. Highlights include "Lover Man," "My Foolish Heart" and "Careless Love." 

~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/positively-mw0000593294

Personnel:  Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Plas Johnson; Bass – Ray Brown; Congas – Bobbye Hall; Drums – Jake Hanna , Jimmie Smith; Guitar – Herb Ellis 

Positively

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Joan Osborne - Love and Hate

Styles: Vocal 
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:36
Size: 116,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:43)  1. Where We Start
(2:45)  2. Work On Me
(4:10)  3. Mongrels
(4:35)  4. Train
(3:50)  5. Up All Night
(5:46)  6. Not Too Well Acquainted
(3:37)  7. Thirsty For My Tears
(3:38)  8. Love and Hate
(5:19)  9. Kitten's Got Claws
(4:04) 10. Secret Room
(3:43) 11. Keep It Underground
(2:21) 12. Raga

After nine previous albums that span musical terrains including mainstream pop, blues, throwback soul, rock, and modern country, singer and songwriter Joan Osborne delivers her first formal "song cycle" on Love and Hate. Co-produced once more with Jack Petruzzelli, these songs (all written or co-written by the artist), with their first-person protagonist, traverse the many stages between the poles reflected in the title though thankfully they never quite reach the latter. This record is ultimately a showcase for the songwriter more than it is the singer, one trying to come to grips with mastering this aspect of her craft. In set opener "Where We Start," Osborne is clearly influenced by Van Morrison's trademark weave of jazz and R&B. Its soulful melodic repetition is underscored by a Veedon Fleece-esque string chart, and well-placed use of a Rhodes piano. "Mongrels" and "Kitten's Got Claws" are fine rockers that feature Nels Cline's stinging guitar playing and a female backing chorus that includes Amy Helm, Gail Ann Dorsey, and Catherine Russell, while "Keep It Underground," co-written with Gary Lucas, features the same lineup in a funkier, grittier R&B setting. First single "Thirsty for My Tears" comes close to what passes for contemporary country but much is far less slick. 

"Not Too Well Acquainted" is soulful, jazzy pop that simultaneously recalls Dusty Springfield's kaleidoscopic Philly period and Burt Bacharach's mid'70s era, with gorgeous string and horn charts. Some of these songs falter. The direct melodic quote from Pink Floyd's "Us and Them" in the opening phrase of the title track is the best part of an otherwise mediocre tune. An attempt at lushly orchestrated gospel-tinged soul in "Train" is too limited melodically to overcome its arrangements."Work on Me" and "Secret Room" use Spanish flamenco and fado-inspired frameworks far too lazily to make them work. The tender yet erotic "Raga" places Petruzzelli's banjo and hand percussion (not tablas) in a mix with acoustic guitars, harmonium, and Cline's lap steel. It simultaneously and successfully juxtaposes East Indian and American folk traditions and closes it all on a high note. Lyrically, Osborne misses at times; she can be too obvious with her metaphors, and use age-old clichéd lines from music history or rhymes that feel stretched to fit. 

However, these songs are poignant; they present love's many gradations its victories, difficulties, and failures in a sincere context. Love and Hate is uneven, but is worthwhile for the sheer pleasure and authority in hearing Osborne deliver songs from one of the heart's messiest places. ~ Thom Jurek  https://www.allmusic.com/album/love-and-hate-mw0002627420

Love and Hate

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Phil Woods - Musique Du Bois

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1974
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:30
Size: 125,0 MB
Art: Front

( 7:02)  1. Samba Du Bois
(10:11)  2. Willow Weep For Me
( 8:27)  3. Nefertiti
( 9:12)  4. The Last Page
( 7:20)  5. The Summer Knows
( 6:00)  6. Airegin
( 6:16)  7. Samba Du Bois - Alternative Take

On Musique Du Bois, things start with a chorded bass-alto workout in the intro of "Samba du Bois," actually more a hard bop than Brazilian excursion, with Phil Woods' alto frying on the edges. The most inventive juxtaposition of "All Blues" welded to "Willow Weep for Me" works perfectly over ten-plus minutes, in a steady but quick waltz tempo. This is a tour-de-force reading, Woods wafting over Jaki Byard's blue-green chords. During his solo, the pianist goes light blue in cascading, flowing phrases that tumble out of the 88 keys. "Nefertiti" is vastly different than the Miles Davis-Wayne Shorter original; where that one was haunting, sparse, swelling and free, Woods interprets this as an easy swinger, anchored on terra firma with Byard's scurrying solo and funky R&B coda a listener's delight. The band goes through definite time shifts, from easy bluesy groove to funk and hard bop during "The Last Page"; they swing "Airegin" pretty well; and during "The Summer Knows," the altoist confirms what many have long since known that he is an unsurpassed master when interpreting a standard in ballad form. A lilting alternate take of "Samba du Bois" is the more Latin-oriented one, same tempo but with drums and the trio introing and playing all the way through. This LP is a widely acknowledged modern jazz masterpiece, a classic in the discography of Woods, easily amongst the best five recordings of his long and storied career and a must-buy. 

~ Michael G.Nastos https://www.allmusic.com/album/musique-du-bois-mw0000207406

Personnel: Phil Woods - alto saxophone, composer; Jaki Byard - piano; Richard Davis - bass; Alan Dawson - drums

Musique Du Bois

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Dave Stryker - Full Moon

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:55
Size: 149,4 MB
Art: Front

(8:45)  1. The sphinx
(5:52)  2. I mean you
(8:21)  3. Wise one
(5:40)  4. Leadbelly sez
(9:03)  5. Bayou blues
(8:58)  6. Deluge
(2:13)  7. Monk's mood
(8:18)  8. The disguise
(7:42)  9. Full moon

WASHINGTONIANS may know guitarist Dave Stryker's work by way of the soulful accompaniment he's provided saxophonist Stanley Turrentine in concert dates and recording sessions over the past decade, but his new quartet album, "Full Moon," presents a much broader picture of his exceptional talent and diverse tastes. Unlike some recordings that attempt to demonstrate a musician's stylistic reach, only to end up sounding contrived and disjointed, "Full Moon" is as cohesive as it is adventurous. The quartet's precise interplay, honed over a period of 10 years and four recordings, distinguishes each arrangement and manifests itself in both subtle and stirring forms, from the sly, conversational exchanges between Stryker, bassist Jay Anderson and drummer Jeff Hirshfield to the brash but precise unisons stated by Stryker and saxophonist Steve Slagle. In addition to this near telepathic level of teamwork, "Full Moon" consistently benefits from the resourcefulness and ingenuity Stryker and Slagle demonstrate as improvisers and from a series of truly distinctive arrangements. Among the best are a New Orleans funked-up version of Thelonious Monk's "I Mean You," Stryker's own languid musing "Bayou Blue," and Ornette Coleman's bop-inspired theme, "The Disguise." DAVE STRYKER -"Full Moon" (SteepleChase). Appearing Wednesday at Blues Alley with the Steve Slagle Quartet. To hear a free Sound Bite from this album, call 202/334-9000 and press 8109. ~ Mike Joyce https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1995/02/03/stryker-hits-mark-on-full-moon

Personnel:  Guitar – Dave Stryker; Alto Saxophone, Flute – Steve Slagle;  Bass – Jay Anderson; Drums – Jeff Hirshfield

Full Moon

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Claude Tissendier, Claude Bolling - Ellington Moods

Styles: Saxophone , Clarinet Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:02
Size: 130,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:14)  1. Nuances
(5:39)  2. Pour Duke
(4:01)  3. Aaron
(3:33)  4. Alter Ego
(5:19)  5. Blowing the Groove
(4:29)  6. It's a Sun of a Beach
(5:09)  7. Princess
(7:12)  8. Afterblue
(5:14)  9. Spatial Mood
(6:24) 10. Phil
(3:43) 11. Fashion Power

Born France. While studying classical clarinet and alto saxophone at Toulouse Conservatory, Tissendier began playing jazz. His interests followed a chronological path, starting with New Orleans music, passing through the mainstream into bop. In 1977 he joined the big band led by Claude Bolling and also worked with Gerard Badini and others. In the early 80s he taught at the Paris School of Jazz and in 1983 formed a sextet especially to recreate the music of John Kirby. In demand for club and festival dates, the band won many awards for both live performances and records. In 1987 Tissendier formed Saxomania, a seven-piece band featuring two alto saxophones, two tenors and three rhythm. Once again he won honours and gained invaluable experience and exposure accompanying visiting American jazzmen including Benny Carter, Buddy Tate, Jimmy Witherspoon and Spike Robinson, with some of whom he also recorded. Tissendier’s alto playing is striking for its intensity and driving swing and the high musical standards displayed by the Saxomania band ably demonstrate that his is a major talent. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/claude-tissendier-quintet-mn0000391438

Personnel:  Claude Tissendier, alto sax, clarinet; Claude Bolling, piano # 1; Georges Arvanitas, piano # 2; Patrice Galas, piano # 3; Philippe Baudoin, piano # 4; Stan Laferriere, piano # 5; Andre Persiani, piano # 6; Henri Renaud, piano # 7; Alain Jean Marie, piano # 8; Patrice Authier, piano # 9; Aaron Bridgers, piano # 10; Claude Carriere, piano # 11; Jean-Christophe Vilain, trombone; Dominique vernhes, tenor sax; Jean Eteve, baritone sax; Pierre-Yves Sorin, bass; Vincent Cordelette, drums

Ellington Moods

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Eddie Palmieri & Cal Tjader - Bamboleate

Styles: Latin Jazz, Salsa, World Fusion
Year: 1967
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:21
Size: 76,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:25)  1. Bamboleate
(2:30)  2. We've Loved Before
(5:39)  3. Resemblance
(5:23)  4. Mi Montuno
(3:53)  5. Samba do Sueno
(3:48)  6. Guajira Candela
(5:38)  7. Pancho's Seis por Ocho
(3:02)  8. Come and Get It

The second album pairing Palmieri and Tjader, Bamboleate moves beyond El Sonido Nuevo into the respective territories of each artist. "Bamboleate" is the Latin cooker ones expects from Palmieri but didn't find on the more subdued El Sonido Nuevo. "Semejanza" is an equally affecting jazz lilt led by Tjader. Framed by a melody that could have come straight off the Vince Guaraldi Trio's Charlie Brown Christmas album, it has an equally indelible, locomotive rhythm. Tjader's samba, "Samba de Los Suenho," is a welcome departure from the relative rigidity of El Sonido Nuevo. Also vital are the vocal tracks (Palmieri's), but the blatant channel-switching in "Guajira Candela" is an abuse of stereo separation. "Pancho's Seis por Ocho" is typical of the deep, midtempo Afro rhythm of Bamboleate and El Sonido Nuevo. 

Trombonist Mark Weinstein contributes the closing "Ven y Recibelo (Come an' Get It)," a mod/soul cooker on par with the best of Verve all-stars Tjader, Ogerman, Winding, and Schifrin. Finally, the album was reissued in 1977 as Tico LPS-88806 and distributed by Fania. The reissue at least features illustrations of Tjader and Palmieri by Jose Vargas. 

~ Tony Wilds https://www.allmusic.com/album/bambol%C3%A9ate-mw0000273328

Personnel:  Eddie Palmieri - piano, writer; Cal Tjader - vibraphone, writer;  Barry Rogers - trombone;  Mark Weinstein - trombone, writer; George Castro - flute; Bobby Rodríguez - bass;  Kako - timbales;  Manny Oquendo - percussion; Tommy López - conga;   Ismael Quintana - chorus; Willie Torres - chorus

Bamboleate

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Barbara Rosene - All My Life

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:12
Size: 115,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:04)  1. All My Life
(3:56)  2. Till Then
(4:00)  3. Stairway to the Stars
(2:57)  4. (How Little It Matters) How Little We Know
(4:23)  5. Fools Rush in
(3:21)  6. You'd Be So Nice to Come Home to
(4:05)  7. Blame It on My Youth
(2:56)  8. Until the Real Thing Comes Along
(3:56)  9. Trust in Me
(5:50) 10. You Are Too Beautiful
(3:40) 11. What Is There to Say
(3:31) 12. It Could Happen to You
(3:25) 13. I'll Look Around

On her first two recordings, Deep Night and Ev'rything's Made for Love, both made for the Stomp Off label, Barbara Rosene showed how comfortable and natural she is singing material from the 1920s. Rather than copying her predecessors, she sounds very much like herself. All My Life moves Rosene up to the 1930s, '40s, and '50s, displaying her talents as a creative and warm swing singer. Her beautiful voice perfectly fits the material, as does her subtle improvising. Backed by a fine jazz quintet that includes trumpeter Simon Wettenhall, Peter Martinez on clarinet and tenor, and pianist Tom Roberts, Rosene makes the vintage material sound fresh, lively, and sometimes touching. Among the highlights are such superior songs as "Till Then," "Fools Rush In," "Trust in Me," and "It Could Happen to You." While listening to these tunes, it becomes clear that Barbara Rosene really knows the meaning behind the lyrics, and she sometimes brings out hidden beauty in even the most familiar songs. Even on the sadder ballads, All My Life is a musical joy. It is highly recommended. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/all-my-life-mw0000145781

All My Life

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Don Byron - Music for Six Musicians

Styles: Clarinet Jazz
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:16
Size: 143,1 MB
Art: Front

( 1:45)  1. 'Uh-Oh, Chango!' / White History Month
( 5:47)  2. Shelby Steele would be mowing your lawn.
(10:00)  3. (The press made) Rodney King (responsible for the LA riots)
( 5:32)  4. 'I'll chill on the Marley tapes...'
( 6:53)  5. SEX/WORK (Clarence/Anita)
( 2:30)  6. La Estrellita
( 9:49)  7. '...that sucking sound...' (for Ross Perot)
( 4:38)  8. Crown Heights
( 4:31)  9. The Allure of Entanglement
( 8:46) 10. The Importance of being SHARPTON

Like its 2001 sequel, this 1995 outing delves heavily into Latin rhythms and boasts ambitious, well-wrought compositions, not to mention extraordinary playing  particularly from the unsung pianist Edsel Gomez and Byron himself, on both bass and B flat clarinets. The sextet also features Graham Haynes on cornet, Kenny Davis on electric bass, Jerry Gonzalez on congas, and Ben Wittman on drums. Four special guests appear (guitarist Bill Frisell, bassists Lonnie Plaxico and Andy Gonzalez, drummer Ralph Peterson), although the where-and-when particulars aren't spelled out on the disc packaging. Byron is clearly preoccupied with race politics here; most of his titles mention headline grabbers of the 1990s, from Shelby Steele, Clarence Thomas, and Ross Perot to Rodney King and Al Sharpton. The poet Sadiq begins the album with a reading of his tendentious "White History Month," which Byron sets against a winding clarinet chorale, "'Uh-Oh, Chango!'" Ultimately, however, the politics are more of an undercurrent than a central theme. Hip grooves and raucous interplay prevail, although Byron sets a more contemplative tone with "SEX/WORK (Clarence/Anita)," which has the flavor of a classical theme. Byron furthers the classical allusion with a virtuosic, unaccompanied reading of Manuel Ponce's "La Estrellita" and a fabulous duet with Edsel Gomez, "The Allure of Entanglement.~ David R.Adler https://www.allmusic.com/album/music-for-six-musicians-mw0000122190

Personnel:   Clarinet, Clarinet [Bass] – Don Byron; Bass [Electric] – Kenny Davis; Congas – Jerry Gonzalez; Cornet – Graham Haynes;  Drums – Ben Wittman; Piano – Edsel Gomez

Music for Six Musicians

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George Colligan, Jesper Bodilsen - Twins

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:08
Size: 140,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:04)  1. Twins
(6:52)  2. Nobody else but me
(6:40)  3. Behind the door
(6:32)  4. Wrap your troubles in dreams
(9:18)  5. Consolation
(4:43)  6. Scandinavian rhythm
(6:26)  7. Heavens of a hundred days
(8:13)  8. So tender
(6:16)  9. Arioso

As a composer and pianist of considerable merit, George Colligan has been written about here before, as he has developed quite a catalog of releases for both the Spanish Fresh Sound and Danish SteepleChase labels. Able to remake himself in subsequent works, his efforts for SteepleChase range from savvy trios ( Activism with Dwayne Burno and Ralph Peterson and Stomping Ground with Drew Gress and Billy Hart) to audacious hard bop quintets highlighting the work of peers such as tenor man Mark Turner (i.e. The Newcomer and Constant Source ). Managing to create quite a good deal of excitement in the duo format of just piano and bass, Colligan has hit his stride once again with Twins, featuring Danish bass virtuoso Jesper Bodilsen. Recorded by SteepleChase front man Nils Winther in Denmark during the winter of 2000, this collection of nine pieces clocks in at just a tad over an hour and includes not only two Colligan originals, but also some well-chosen pieces from fellow pianists Keith Jarrett, James Williams, and John Stetch. "Arioso" swings energetically in an advanced style. Even a swing chestnut like "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams" takes on an unsullied and contemporary face via Colligan's sophisticated harmonic sense. The remarkable thing is that as technically proficient as he is, Colligan's playing is always presented with grounded passion and logic. In other words, he has really developed his own voice. A real keeper all the way around, Twins is yet another fine collection to add to Colligan's already imposing body of work. ~ C.Andrew Hovan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/twins-george-colligan-steeplechase-records-review-by-c-andrew-hovan.php

Personnel: George Colligan (piano) & Jesper Bodilsen (bass)

Twins

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Paul Bley Trio - Closer

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1965
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 28:04
Size: 65,6 MB
Art: Front

(2:53)  1. Ida Lupino
(2:19)  2. Start
(3:26)  3. Closer
(2:53)  4. Sideways In Mexico
(3:15)  5. Batterie
(2:14)  6. And Now the Queen
(3:21)  7. Figfoot
(2:28)  8. Crossroads
(2:55)  9. Violin
(2:16) 10. Cartoon

Pianist Paul Bley is an innovator whose imagination eclipses the norm. He never wavers from a challenge and there is always an air of expectancy each time Bley sits at the piano. He is comfortable in any setting and his music has been shaped by several peers. Among them were Sonny Rollins, Carla Bley, Jimmy Giuffre, Charles Mingus, Don Cherry and Ornette Coleman. In the final analysis, however, it is his vision that propels the music forward. He fills it with vigor and dynamism, with space and lyricism; nothing is out of focus, every challenge is within his grasp. His eloquence is shaped by his ability to balance silence with sound, as well as his penchant for, and skill with, unusual phrasing. Bley recorded Closer in 1965. He took a different direction from the previous album Barrage (ESP Disk, 1964) which he had recorded with saxophonist Marshall Allen, trumpeter Dewey Johnson, bassist Eddie Gomez and percussionist Milford Graves. 

On Closer, with bassist Steve Swallow and Barry Altschul on percussion, Bley concentrated on compositions by Carla Bley, with a tune each from Ornette Coleman and Annette Peacock, as well as an original. Bley caresses melody. He gives it an organic soul with an illumining beauty as he does on "Violin." He goes off on a slight tangent, adding space, giving Swallow the room to ruminate on the bass with delicate phrases. The mood is reflective and quietly effective. "Sideways in Mexico" is a more collaborative effort. Bley acknowledges the melody and then punctuates chords and phrases with a two-handed attack. There is a change of emphasis and direction as his lines dart and scamper and then open the door for Swallow and Altschul to hold an interweaving rhythm convention. Another song of remarkable beauty and feeling comes in "Ida Lupino." The melody has an immediacy that nestles in the mind and Bley lingers over it, his phrases rippling like a gently flowing brook. He unleashes a couple of thunderous chords that startle—this only adds to his stature as one who stamps his credentials with extraordinary signposts. Bley makes a welcome return with one of his best. ~ Jerry D'Souza https://www.allaboutjazz.com/closer-paul-bley-esp-disk-review-by-jerry-dsouza.php

Personnel: Paul Bley: piano; Steve Swallow: bass; Barry Altschul: drums.

Closer

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Emanuele Cisi Feat. Roberta Gambarini - No Eyes: Looking at Lester Young

Styles: Vocal And Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:22
Size: 134,3 MB
Art: Front

(6:36)  1. No Eyes (feat. Roberta Gambarini)
(6:52)  2. Lester Left Town (feat. Roberta Gambarini)
(4:13)  3. Jumpin' at the Woodside
(5:58)  4. Presidential Dream (feat. Roberta Gambarini)
(3:42)  5. Tickle Toe
(6:37) 6. Goodbye Porkpie Hat (feat. Roberta Gambarini)
(4:23)  7. Prezeology
(6:29)  8. Easy Living (feat. Roberta Gambarini)
(7:11)  9. These Foolish Things
(4:48) 10. That's All
(1:29) 11. Jumpin' with Symphony Sid/Lester Said

This sought-after tribute by Emanuele Cisi to Lester Young is so rich in historical references and literary references that a review risks neglecting the main and characterizing element: No Eyes is primarily a wonderful musical journey, which fascinates by emotional participation, melodic essentiality and lyricism. The project was able to get in tune with the artistic identity of the great saxophonist, without getting lost in didactic imitations and enhancing the specifics of the leader, singer Roberta Gambarini and the rhythm section formed by Dino Rubino , Rosario Bonaccorso and Gregory Hutchinson. Only a heartfelt participation with the spirit of Lester's music-in the sense of expressive modernity and artistic autonomy rather than stylistic traits-could produce a disc with such an intense feeling. The project, long cherished by Cisi, is inspired by a poem by David Meltzer-precisely "No Eyes" -dedicated to Lester Young. 

The title takes up an expression of the particular vocabulary of the saxophonist (meant "I do not care") and poetry opens the record, incorporated in the performance of "These Foolish Things." The piece begins with the evocative exposition of the theme by the saxophonist who leaves Roberta Gambarini to repropose on that text the famous improvisation by Young in December 1945. The singer from Turin, who has long been at the top of international jazz, gives an exemplary demonstration of eloquence. technique and color variety, expressed with relaxed appeal and rare grace. His presence is fundamental and illuminates other tracks on the record. In particular the masterly version of "Roland Kirk , the bewitching "Easy Living" or the unison in scat with the tenor saxophone of Cisi in "Lester Left Town." The virtuosity and inventiveness of the leader shine in the exciting reinterpretation in duo sax / drums, of "Jumpin 'at the Woodside," where his Coltranian ancestries shine and in other pieces in quartet: some are classics of Lester Young reformulated with respect ("Tickle Toe") or with fanciful grafts of Prez's voice ("Jumpin 'with Symphony Sid"); others are original songs of the leader. It could not miss a classic ballad ("That's All") exposed without unnecessary attempts to echo the historical versions of the saxophonist. ~ Angelo Leonardi https://www.allaboutjazz.com/no-eyes-looking-at-lester-young-emanuele-cisi-warner-jazz-review-by-angelo-leonardi.php

Personnel: Emanuele Cisi: tenor saxophone; Roberta Gambarini: voice; Dino Rubino: piano, flugelhorn (5, 11); Rosario Bonaccorso (bass); Greg Hutchinson: drums.

No Eyes: Looking at Lester Young

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Midnight Serenaders - Sweet Nothin's

Styles: Retro Swing 
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:23
Size: 138,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:28)  1. I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby
(2:39)  2. Swing Brother Swing
(2:29)  3. He's A Curbstone Cutie
(5:27)  4. Pettin' In The Rain
(3:23)  5. I Can't Dance I Got Ants In My Pants
(3:28)  6. Sweet Nothin’s
(4:39)  7. How'd Ya Do
(4:01)  8. Diga Diga Do
(3:32)  9. Daddy Won't You Please Come Home
(3:37) 10. Who Walks In When I Walk Out
(3:29) 11. Some Of These Days
(5:18) 12. Comes Love
(4:51) 13. There'll Be Some Changes Made
(5:27) 14. Down In Shangri-la
(3:29) 15. Baby (Darlin') Baby

The Midnight Serenaders are back with a follow-up to their very popular debut 2007 release "Magnolia" with this new collection of 1920's and 30's influenced jazz and pop songs. This recording features four original songs penned by singer/ukulele player Dee Settlemier. Riding the crest of the neo-traditional jazz craze presently occurring on the West Coast, the MIDNIGHT SERENADERS are a six-piece swing band playing regularly to enthusiastic audiences throughout the Pacific Northwest. Performing vintage pop, Hot Jazz, and Hawaiian instrumentals, as well as an expanding collection of Jazz Age-sounding original songs, these six veteran musicians strive to share their love for the music of the 1920’s, 30’s and 40’s. With an exciting stage show, tight musical arrangements, and outstanding solo and harmony vocals, MIDNIGHT SERENADERS fans include nostalgists, swing dancers, melody junkies, retro-clothing hounds, and folks who simply appreciate good quality, jubilant music...More.. https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/mserenaders2

Sweet Nothin's

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Abdullah Ibrahim - The Enja Heritage Collection: Banyana

Styles: Piano, Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1987
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:15
Size: 92,8 MB
Art: Front

( 2:04)  1. Banyana - The Children Of Africa
( 6:17)  2. Ishmael
( 8:17)  3. Asr
( 6:25)  4. The Honey Bird
( 6:45)  5. The Dream
(10:24)  6. Yukio-Khalifa

Abdullah Ibrahim sings and plays soprano on "Ishmael" but otherwise sticks to piano on this trio set with bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Roy Brooks. As usual Ibrahim's folkish melodies (this CD has six of his originals plus a previously alternate take of "Ishmael") pay tribute to his South African heritage and Islam religion without becoming esoteric or inaccessible. Some of the unpredictable music gets a bit intense (Ibrahim is in consistently adventurous form) but his flights always return back to earth and have an air of optimism. An above average effort from a true individualist. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-banyana-children-of-africa-mw0000204709

Personnel: Piano, Soprano Saxophone, Composed By – Abdullah Ibrahim;  Bass – Cecil McBee; Drums – Roy Brooks.

The Enja Heritage Collection: Banyana

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Peter Skellern - Cheek To Cheek

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:59
Size: 106,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:36)  1. Cheek To Cheek
(4:32)  2. The Continental (You Kiss While You Dance)
(2:41)  3. Puttin' On The Ritz
(2:24)  4. Top Hat, White Tie And Tails
(3:49)  5. Stormy Weather
(2:30)  6. All Or Nothing At All
(3:07)  7. Busy Line
(3:23)  8. Love Is The Sweetest Thing
(2:35)  9. Two Sleepy People
(3:08) 10. Deep Purple
(3:31) 11. Raining In My Heart
(3:55) 12. Where Do We Go From Here
(2:46) 13. They All Laughed
(3:53) 14. The Way You Look Tonight

A composer, singer, and musician, Peter Skellern played trombone in a school band and served as organist and choirmaster in a local church before attending the Guildhall School of Music, from which he graduated with honors in 1968. Because "I didn’t want to spend the next 50 years playing Chopin," he joined the vocal harmony band March Hare which, after changing their name to Harlan County, recorded a country-pop album before disbanding in 1971. Married with two children, Skellern worked as a hotel porter in Shaftesbury, Dorset, before striking lucky at the end of 1972 with a self-composed U.K. number three hit, "You're a Lady." The album Not Without a Friend consisted entirely of original material (aside from a rendition of Hoagy Carmichael's "Rockin' Chair"), and another U.K. hit single with the title track to 1975's Hold on to Love established Skellern as a purveyor of wittily observed if homely love songs of similar stamp to Gilbert O'Sullivan. He earned the respect of Beatles fans (already manifested following Derek Taylor's production of Not Without a Friend) when George Harrison assisted on Hard Times and the title number was later recorded by Ringo Starr. 

A minor hit in 1978, "Love Is the Sweetest Thing" (featuring Grimethorpe Colliery Band) was part of a tribute to Fred Astaire that won a Music Trades Association Award for Best MOR Album of 1979. Skellern subsequently wrote and performed six autobiographical programs for BBC television, followed by a series of musical plays (Happy Endings), and also hosted the chat show Private Lives in 1983. A year later he formed Oasis with Julian Lloyd Webber, Mary Hopkin, and guitarist Billy Lovelady in an attempt to fuse mutual classical and pop interests, but the band's recordings failed to make a major impact. In 1985, Skellern joined Richard Stilgoe for Stilgoe and Skellern Stompin' at the Savoy, a show in aid of the Lords Taverners charity organization. This led to the two entertainers working together on several successful tours and in their two-man revue, Who Plays Wins, which was presented in London's West End and New York City. After becoming disenchanted with the record business for a time, in 1995 Skellern issued his first album in nearly eight years. Originally conceived as a tribute to the Ink Spots, it eventually consisted of a number of songs associated with that legendary group, and a few Hoagy Carmichael compositions "just to break it up." He later wrote sacred choral music and was ordained as a deacon and priest in the Church of England. After developing an inoperable brain tumor, he died in February 2017 at 69 years of age. 

~ Rovi Staff https://www.allmusic.com/artist/peter-skellern-mn0000687269/biography

Cheek To Cheek

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Rahsaan Roland Kirk - The Vibration Continues

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 90:19
Size: 210,5 MB
Art: Front

( 4:52)  1. The Inflated Tear
( 6:28)  2. Introduction And Medley (Live At The Village Vanguard, New York, NY May 12, 1970)
( 3:46)  3. Water For Robeson and Williams
( 5:42)  4. Volunteered Slavery
( 2:51)  5. I Love You Yes I Do
( 3:40)  6. Rahsaanic
( 4:39)  7. Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me
( 2:25)  8. Ain't No Sunshine
(13:05)  9. A Tribute To John Coltrane
( 7:14) 10. Old Rugged Cross
( 6:04) 11. The Black and Crazy Blues
( 6:22) 12. Portrait of Those Beautiful Ladies
( 8:40) 13. If I Loved You (Live At Keystone Korner, San Francisco, CA, June 9, 1973)
( 3:49) 14. Creole Love Call
(10:36) 15. Seasons (Live At Newport Jazz Festival, Newport, RI July 1968)

Arguably the most exciting saxophone soloist in jazz history, Kirk was a post-modernist before that term even existed. Kirk played the continuum of jazz tradition as an instrument unto itself; he felt little compunction about mixing and matching elements from the music's history, and his concoctions usually seemed natural, if not inevitable. When discussing Kirk, a great deal of attention is always paid to his eccentricities playing several horns at once, making his own instruments, clowning on stage. However, Kirk was an immensely creative artist; perhaps no improvising saxophonist has ever possessed a more comprehensive technique one that covered every aspect of jazz, from Dixieland to free and perhaps no other jazz musician has ever been more spontaneously inventive. His skills in constructing a solo are of particular note. Kirk had the ability to pace, shape, and elevate his improvisations to an extraordinary degree. During any given Kirk solo, just at the point in the course of his performance when it appeared he could not raise the intensity level any higher, he always seemed able to turn it up yet another notch.  Kirk was born with sight, but became blind at the age of two. He started playing the bugle and trumpet, then learned the clarinet and C-melody sax. Kirk began playing tenor sax professionally in R&B bands at the age of 15. While a teenager, he discovered the "manzello" and "stritch" the former, a modified version of the saxello, which was itself a slightly curved variant of the B flat soprano sax; the latter, a modified straight E flat alto. To these and other instruments, Kirk began making his own improvements. 

He reshaped all three of his saxes so that they could be played simultaneously; he'd play tenor with his left hand, finger the manzello with his right, and sound a drone on the stritch, for instance. Kirk's self-invented technique was in evidence from his first recording, a 1956 R&B record called Triple Threat. By 1960 he had begun to incorporate a siren whistle into his solos, and by '63 he had mastered circular breathing, a technique that enabled him to play without pause for breath. In his early 20s, Kirk worked in Louisville before moving to Chicago in 1960. That year he made his second album, Introducing Roland Kirk, which featured saxophonist/trumpeter Ira Sullivan. In 1961, Kirk toured Germany and spent three months with Charles Mingus. From that point onward, Kirk mostly led his own group, the Vibration Society, recording prolifically with a range of sidemen. In the early '70s, Kirk became something of an activist; he led the "Jazz and People's Movement," a group devoted to opening up new opportunities for jazz musicians. The group adopted the tactic of interrupting tapings and broadcasts of television and radio programs in protest of the small number of African-American musicians employed by the networks and recording studios. In the course of his career, Kirk brought many hitherto unused instruments to jazz. In addition to the saxes, Kirk played the nose whistle, the piccolo, and the harmonica; instruments of his own design included the "trumpophone" (a trumpet with a soprano sax mouthpiece), and the "slidesophone" (a small trombone or slide trumpet, also with a sax mouthpiece). Kirk suffered a paralyzing stroke in 1975, losing movement on one side of his body, but his homemade saxophone technique allowed him to continue to play; beginning in 1976 and lasting until his death a year later, Kirk played one-handed. ~Chris Kelsey https://www.allmusic.com/artist/rahsaan-roland-kirk-mn0000864257/biography

The Vibration Continues

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