Eli Degibri & Kevin Hays Duo - One Little Song

Styles: Saxophone And Piano Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:21
Size: 131,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:27)  1. Spinster
(8:08)  2. Gypsy
(4:59)  3. E.T.
(2:50)  4. Fax To Roni
(8:23)  5. Wish
(6:03)  6. Night In Portugal
(6:55)  7. 8 Ball
(5:20)  8. Cuba
(5:35)  9. What Remains
(3:37) 10. One Little Song

Herbie Hancock noticed Eli Degibiri early. In 1999, the venerable pianist selected the then-unknown saxophonist to perform internationally with his group, citing Eli’s “natural ability toward effective teamwork, focus, willingness to listen, and eagerness to learn, the caliber of which is a rare find in jazz today.” Hancock saw potential: “Eli’s music treads uncharted waters…he has the potential to be a formidable force in the evolution of jazz.” In the last decade, Eli has recorded five albums as a leader, and toured with veterans such as Al Foster, Clark Terry, Jimmy Heath, Eric Reed and the Mingus Big Band. “Don’t miss him,” cautions Ben Ratliff in The New York Times, “He is a very modern improviser, super-artful; his creations are spiky and fractured, but immaculately sculptured.” Kevin Hays has known Brad Mehldau for years; their relationship dates back to high school. On the subject of Hays, his fellow pianist exclaims, “Stellar! Kevin Hays is a true original. Everything he plays has a deep intelligence and swing.” The two artists recently recorded together for the Nonesuch imprint, which is among the latest of Kevin’s dozen releases as a leader or co-leader on labels such as Blue Note, Artist Share, and Steeplechase. Kevin is also highly in-demand as a sideperson, having performed and/or recorded with the likes of Eddie Henderson, Nicholas Payton, Jack DeJohnette, and John Scofield, who proclaims, “[Kevin]’s all-encompassing; phenomenally so!” We’ve been presenting both Eli and Kevin’s groups intermittently since 2002, and we look forward to the second performance by the duo at The Gallery this Thursday, April 26th. This show will launch a short tour for the pair, which also includes stops at An die Musik LIVE (Baltimore), Dazzle (Denver), and SFJAZZ’s Israeli JazzFest (San Francisco). You can stream tracks from One Little Song courtesy of our friends at SFJAZZ (the audio player is on the right towards the bottom). http://www.jazzspeaks.org/eli-degibri-kevin-hays-one-little-song/

Personnel:  Eli Degibri, tenor, soprano sax, vocals; Kevin Hays, piano.

One Little Song

---

Norm Kubrin - Shootin' High: The Songs of Jimmy McHugh

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:45
Size: 108,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:29)  1. It's a Most Unusual Day
(4:07)  2. I'm Shooting High
(5:41)  3. I'm in the Mood For Love
(3:17)  4. Let's Get Lost
(4:27)  5. A Lovely Way to Spend An Evening
(4:04)  6. Exactly Like You
(3:34)  7. I Feel a Song Coming On
(4:24)  8. Don't Blame Me
(4:03)  9. I Can't Believe That You're in Love With Me
(2:03) 10. When My Sugar Walks Down the Street
(4:22) 11. I Can't Give You Anything but Love
(3:07) 12. On the Sunny Side of the Street

Shootin' High: The Songs of Jimmy McHugh was produced by world renowned jazz pianist Ray Kennedy. It features many of New York's finest jazz recording artists including: Ray Kennedy-Piano; Tom Kennedy-Bass; Tony Tedesco-Drums; Joe Cohn-Guitar; Chuck Redd-Vibes; Harry Allen-Sax; Glen Drews-trumpet .Vocalist/pianist Norm Kubrin demontrates his love for the American Songbook in this superb collection of Jimmy McHugh tunes. Kennedy's arrangements and Kubrin's interpretation of these McHugh classics make a most enjoyable listening experience! https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/normkubrin

Shootin' High: The Songs of Jimmy McHugh

---

Deborah Shulman - The Shakespeare Project

Styles: Vocal 
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:21
Size: 104,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:46)  1. All the World's a Stage / If Music Be the Food of Love - As You Like It & Twelfth Night
(3:17)  2. Blow Blow Thou Winter Wind - As You Like It
(4:50)  3. Dunsinane Blues - The Story of Macbeth
(4:37)  4. Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day - Sonnet 18
(1:55)  5. Who is Sylvia - Two Gentlemen of Verona
(4:01)  6. You Spotted Snakes - A Midsummer Night's Dream
(3:43)  7. When to the Sessions of Sweet Silent Thought - Sonnet 30
(2:49)  8. Sigh No More Ladies - Much Ado About Nothing
(3:13)  9. Oh Mistress Mine - Twelfth Night
(2:41) 10. My Love is as a Fever - Sonnet 147
(3:59) 11. Take All My Loves - Sonnet 40
(3:26) 12. Our Revels Now Are Ended - The Tempest

William Shakespeare's works have generated many musical endeavors. Duke Ellington's Such Sweet Thunder (Columbia Records, 1957) and Leonard Bernstein's score for West Side Story are among those which come to mind. In 1941, British composer Arthur Young recorded Shakespeare in Swing (Decca Records, 1941), which featured his compositions over Shakespeare's words. And, in 1964, celebrated British reed player John Dankworth and his wife, Cleo Laine, recorded Shakespeare and All that Jazz, (Fontana Records, 1964), a collection predominantly of Dankworth's jazz tunes with lyrics taken from Shakespeare. With The Shakespeare Project, vocalist Deborah Shulman not only resurrects and refreshes some of the Young/Dankworth-Lane efforts, but adds some terrific new originals from pianist/co-producer, Jeff Colella. Starting with a track which combines Dankworth's "All the World's a Stage" around the up-tempo "If Music Be the Food of Love," it is obvious that this is not going to be a novelty or an over-intellectualized effort. The upbeat tone continues with the modal and swinging, "Blow, Blow Thou Winter Wind," which features tasty guitar work from Larry Koonse. Dankworth's "Dunsinane Blues" is an azure head-tilter with Shulman and pianist Collela soulful. The ballad "Shall I Compare Thee to a Summer's Day" is a textured, dramatic highlight on which Shulman and all shine bright. A challenge which is met exceptionally well here is Shulman's vocal approach to the 16th century lyric. Her voice is very attractive and swinging. The manner in which she caresses the lyrics is exceptional. Dankworth's "Who Is Sylvia?" is an inquisitive, theatrical Laboriel/Shulman duo. His "You Spotted Snakes" is darker fare with tasty ensemble backing. "When to the Sessions of Sweet Silent Thought," a Colella original, is an introspective piano/vocal duet. Arthur Young's, "Sigh No More Ladies" is a bossa nova swinger with a fine Bob McChesney trombone solo and "Oh, Mistress Mine" is delivered in a lilting swing-groove with Shulman's ace piping and another fine McChesney ride. 

Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn's "My Love Is a Fever" and the swinging "Take All My Loves" were also recorded by Dankworth and Lane and are given a fine fresh coat here. Although the lingo served here is near a half-millennium old, Shulman and her team make this rendering as delicious as fresh-baked Elizabethan pie. Go ahead and pull out a plum. ~ Nicholas F.Mondello https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-shakespeare-project-deborah-shulman-summit-records-review-by-nicholas-f-mondello.php

Personnel: Deborah Shulman: vocals; Jeff Colella, piano; Larry Koonse: guitar; Abraham Laboriel: bass (1, 3, 5, 10, 11); Chris Colangelo: bass (2-4, 6, 7, 12); Bob Sheppard: flute, clarinet, soprano sax, bass clarinet; Bob McChesney: trombone; Kendall Kay: drums (2, 3 ,6, 9, 12); Joe LaBarbera: drums (1, 8, 10, 11).

The Shakespeare Project

---

Frank Morgan, George Cables - Montreal Memories

Styles: Saxophone And Piano Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:08
Size: 141,1 MB
Art: Front

(6:29)  1. Now's the Time
(7:01)  2. All the Things You Are
(7:45)  3. A Night in Tunisia
(5:30)  4. 'Round Midnight
(5:00)  5. Confirmation
(8:26)  6. Blues for Rosalinda
(8:24)  7. Helen's Song
(5:02)  8. Lullaby
(7:25)  9. Nefertiti,  Billie's Bounce

Montreal Memories is a duet album recorded at Theatre Port Royal on July 1, 1989, featuring two of the most talented jazz artists of any generation: alto saxophonist Frank Morgan; and pianist George Cables. This is the second duet album they've released, the first being Contemporary's Double Image in 1987. A jazz duet is a format which invites intimacy and profundity, more than the typical quartet or quintet setup. Two musicians must really know each other, to be completely cohesive and able to anticipate the other's changes. This sort of album tends to be either great or lackluster, which makes it a bit of a gamble to record live, but Morgan and Cables play those odds and they pay off well for a second time. And why shouldn't they? They've worked together on and off from the mid-eighties until the Morgan's death in 2007. With a career as pianist for some of the greatest horn players in existence, Cables effortlessly blends his approach with Morgan's singular voice. Both musicians have very recognizable sounds; if one were to remove either from this record, it wouldn't be difficult to tell who's playing. Neither sacrifices a bit of their character to create this, and Montreal Memories is a far stronger album for it. 

The live set swings out of the starting gate with Charlie Parker's "Now's the Time," before mellowing for "All the Things You Are," a standard that allows the pair to showcase their improvisations within the construct of a ballad. Morgan's moody saxophone layers over Cables' subdued piano to lend the song not only emotional resonance but atmosphere. The duo rockets through the familiar, swinging "A Night in Tunisia." A decade earlier, Cables was playing it with another altoist, Art Pepper, during the saxophonist's legendary Village Vanguard sessions. This recording takes the familiarity and toys with it somewhat, giving it a new twist without ever losing sight of its familiar melody. "Round Midnight" seems like a logical choice for a pianist like Cables to include in his set, considering the admiration he held for Dexter Gordon who, at the same time, was making headlines for the classic Thelonious Monk song again, with his appearance in Bernard Tavernier's 1986 film of the same name and subsequent soundtrack. "Confirmation" is an interesting take on a classic Charlie Parker song. Not truly fast-tempo'd, it still feels as if Morgan is pushing just a bit at Cables, nipping at his heels, which has the effect of nudging the heartbeat a bit faster than it would be had they chosen a blisteringly fast song like "Cherokee." It's an unexpected, unique effect halfway through the album. The laid-back tearjerker that Morgan wrote for his wife, "Blues For Rosalinda," is followed by two Cables originals: the ubiquitous "Helen's Song"; and "Lullaby." "Lullaby," as usual, is a weighty and emotional song, perfectly apropos for its title. The song doesn't just ache, it moans and sobs and bleeds all at once, clawing at the heart. "Helen's Song" on the other hand, gets an interesting take from Morgan. While it's typically played with a piano-led trio, this rendition removes the rhythm section and, instead, allows Morgan and Cables to improvise their way through the performance, breathing new life into the pianist's best known composition. If "Lullaby" is intended to lull you to sleep, "Helen's Song" is designed to roust you from it, with its assertions of love and hope. 

Countering the tenderness of the past 22 minutes, the duo chooses to end its live set with an intriguing medley. Bridging Wayne Shorter's "Nefertiti" with another Parker tune, "Billie's Bounce," is a wise choice, taking all of the sounds the audience heard throughout the last hour and molding them together in a way that proves how incredible these two were at the time. With Morgan no longer alive (though George Cables is still performing both solo as well as with jazz super group The Cookers), this album may qualify as the final 2018 posthumous release, alongside music from such legendary artists as Erroll Garner, John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, Dexter Gordon, and Art Pepper. Some were middling, some were a bit disappointing, and some were valuable treasures. Not only does Montreal Memories fall into that final category, it is truly one of the "must hear" jazz albums of the year. ~ Peter Hoetjes https://www.allaboutjazz.com/montreal-memories-frank-morgan-highnote-records-review-by-peter-hoetjes.php

Personnel: Frank Morgan: alto saxophone; George Cables; piano.

Montreal Memories

---

Doris Day - Latin For Lovers And Love Him

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:20
Size: 173,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:55)  1. Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars (Corcovado)
(2:32)  2. Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words)
(2:54)  3. Meditation
(2:22)  4. Dansero
(2:15)  5. Summer Has Gone
(3:39)  6. How Insensitive (Insensataez)
(2:49)  7. Desafinado (Slightly Out of Tune)
(2:41)  8. Our Day Will Come
(3:04)  9. Be True to Me (Sabor a Mi)
(2:31) 10. Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps
(3:23) 11. Be Mine Tonight (Noche de Ronda)
(2:21) 12. Por Favor
(2:40) 13. More
(2:42) 14. Can't Help Falling in Love
(4:23) 15. Since I Fell for You
(2:45) 16. Losing You
(2:57) 17. (Now and Then There's) A Fool Such As I
(4:05) 18. As Long as He Needs Me
(4:30) 19. Night Life
(2:47) 20. Funny
(3:08) 21. Softly, As I Leave You
(2:54) 22. Lollipops and Roses
(2:20) 23. Love Him
(2:40) 24. Moonlight Lover
(2:49) 25. A Whisper Away

Two of Doris Day's best albums  Latin for Lovers and Love Him  are combined on one CD. Although there are a couple of weak moments scattered throughout these records, they still have enough great songs to make this disc a true bargain. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine https://www.allmusic.com/album/latin-for-lovers-love-him%21-mw0000463698

Latin For Lovers And Love Him

---

Vincent Houdijk - Live at the North Sea Jazz Festival

Styles: Vibraphone Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:18
Size: 138,7 MB
Art: Front

( 7:29)  1. Moonshine Song
( 6:52)  2. Grounding
( 7:49)  3. Timeline
( 8:53)  4. Uy Scuti
( 7:21)  5. Kerrara
( 9:42)  6. Vortex
(12:10)  7. '15'

Since the making of his 2013 debut album, 15, Dutch vibraphonist Vincent Houdijk has released two live recordings, each showcasing a mix of songs both old and new. His quintet, aptly named VinnieVibes, consists of Floris van der Vlugt on both alto and soprano saxophone, Gersom Raams on guitar, Sven Happel on double bass/bass guitar, and Haye Jellema on drums. One might think that in a country a third the size of New York, finding suitable musicians to occupy a vibe-led jazz band might prove challenging. But at 31, Houdijk clearly has the experience necessary to assemble and lead a group whose individual strengths mesh well harmonically. Recorded in Rotterdam during July 2018 , all of the songs on Live At The North Sea Jazz Festival are originals composed by Houdijk. Their night begins with the slow burning ballad "Moonshine." Gersom Raams has a sound all his own, and his solos tend to have a certain moody heft to them, both in this song and throughout the album. Following "Moonshine," the band moves through their set list with ease, whether it's the contemplative "Timeline" or the exotic, inventive "UY Scuti." The slightly surreal atmosphere of the latter fits well with its namesake, which is believed to be the largest star in our solar system. The quintet veers slightly off course for the album's penultimate song, "Vortex." Houdijk swaps out his vibraphone for a MalletKat, giving the up tempo tune a modern edge without sounding out of place. It's interesting to see how this group of musicians adapt to any change of direction, and innovative is the word which best describes their unanticipated playing. Dedicated to his brother, a fellow percussionist who sadly perished in a 1996 plane crash, "15" spends ten minutes slowly building up pressure before exploding into a wild ending. Houdijk claims he wrote the song during a period in which he was coming to terms with the tragedy. It has a contemplative groove, cascading up and down before finally submitting to some sort of catharsis in the form of a reckless, emotionally wrought finale. 

The musical equivalent of flinging all the furniture in a room at the walls in a whirlwind outburst, the entire band kicks into high gear for the last couple minutes, memorably finishing their set on a high note. aking a moment to be critical, it would have been nice to see the final song on the album take the expected move and finish with the warbling echo of Raam's guitar to the crowd's applause. Instead, he chose to end with a quiet fade out, a bit like watching a towering wave crash to the shore, without the benefit of seeing it wash away, reclaimed by the sea. Regardless, Vincent Houdijk is a vibraphonist for the 21st century. At times sedate, at others wildly inventive, it seems as if he's attempting to redefine the instrument's place in contemporary jazz. Further commendable is that he manages to do so without the benefit of modern sound-manipulating computer software, instead opting to utilize VinnieVibes' unique European flair both in studio and on stage. While comparisons to vibe greats such as Bobby Hutcherson and Milt Jackson are unfair today, there is little doubt that the talented young vibraphonist deserves and aspires to one day have the kind of recognition they enjoyed. ~ Peter Hoetjes https://www.allaboutjazz.com/live-at-the-north-sea-jazz-festival-vincent-houdijk-vinnievibes-music-productions-review-by-peter-hoetjes.php

Personnel: Vincent Houdijk: vibraphone/MalletKat and all compositions; Floris van der Vlugt: Alto and Soprano saxophones; Gersom Raams: guitar; Sven Happel: double bass / bass guitar; Haye Jellema: drums.

Live at the North Sea Jazz Festival

---

James Williams - I Remember Clifford

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1990
Time: 44:35
Size: 41,0 MB
Art: Front

(9:01)  1. As I Live And Breathe
(6:29)  2. I Remember Clifford
(5:29)  3. Take The Coltrane
(7:47)  4. Simone
(4:32)  5. Focus
(5:34)  6. Shelly
(5:40)  7. Sweet And Lovely

Pianist James Williams channeled the gospel and R&B influences of his youth to forge a soulful, deeply expressive approach to contemporary jazz. A gifted soloist and accompanist, he was also a respected producer and educator. Born in Memphis on March 8, 1951, Williams began piano lessons at age 13. A fan of Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, and Ramsey Lewis, he spent six years as the organist with Memphis' Eastern Star Baptist Church before studying music education at Memphis State University. After befriending fellow pianists Mulgrew Miller and Donald Brown, Williams turned his focus to jazz, drawing influence from Hank Jones, Ahmad Jamal, and local legend Phineas Newborn. At just 22 Williams joined the faculty of Boston's Berklee School of Music, additionally backing touring jazz dignitaries like Milt Jackson, Art Farmer, and Sonny Stitt in groups led by colleague Alan Dawson. During his five years at Berklee, the pianist also developed his compositional skills, and in 1977 issued his first LP as a leader, the Zim label release Flying Colors. Williams joined Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers the following year, completing a lineup that included a young Wynton Marsalis. This iteration of Blakey's long-running group cut no fewer than ten LPs over the next four years. Upon exiting the Jazz Messengers Williams settled in New York City, where he collaborated with Dizzy Gillespie, Freddie Hubbard, and Kenny Burrell in addition to leading his own projects, among them his vocal/instrumental combo Intensive Care Unit, a group featuring saxophonist Bill Pierce, bassist Christian McBride, and drummer Tony Reedus. In 1987 Williams reunited with Blakey and bassist Ray Brown in the Magical Trio. Later incarnations included drummers Elvin Jones and Jeff "Tain" Watts. 

He also founded his own production firm, Finas Sound, and with Miller and Brown launched the Contemporary Piano Ensemble, a group dedicated to preserving and promoting the music of Phineas Newborn. In 1999 William Paterson University named Williams its director of jazz studies; he remained with the school until he was diagnosed with the liver cancer that claimed his life on July 20, 2004. ~ Jason Ankeny https://www.allmusic.com/artist/james-williams-mn0000059027/biography

Personnel: James Williams (piano); Ronnie Burrage (drums);  Richard Davis (bass)

I Remember Clifford

---

Joey DeFrancesco - In the Key of the Universe

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:28
Size: 134,9 MB
Art: Front

( 5:18)  1. Inner Being
( 6:42)  2. Vibrations in Blue
( 3:01)  3. Awake and Blissed
( 3:55)  4. It Swung Wide Open
( 5:05)  5. In the Key of the Universe
(11:00)  6. The Creator Has a Master Plan
( 7:52)  7. And So It Is
( 5:30)  8. Soul Perspective
( 4:47)  9. A Path Through the Noise
( 5:15) 10. Easier to Be

This is an important, even historic album. It marks unannounced the return of a great figure of the free jazz era, Pharoah Sanders. Saxophonist Albert Ayler once famously declared, "Trane was the Father, Pharoah was the Son, I am the Holy Ghost." Hammond organist Joey DeFrancesco has orchestrated Sanders' return from oblivion. Without it, the album would be just one more round of Hammond organ tunes that adhere to DeFrancesco's dictum "I just like to swing." Sanders is featured on three numbers: the title track; his own, perhaps best-known song, "The Creator Has A Master Plan"; and "And So It Is." Without in any way disturbing the album's main, happy-go-lucky thrust, these songs provide a glimpse back into another time when brave men sought to expand the music's and their own horizons. Sanders, aged 78, has distanced himself from those free jazz years. His website says: "Although he made his name with expressionistic, nearly anarchic free jazz in John Coltrane's late ensembles of the mid-60s, Sanders' later music is guided by more graceful concerns. The hallmarks of Sanders' playing at that time were naked aggression and unrestrained passion. In the years after Coltrane's death, however, Sanders explored other, somewhat gentler and perhaps more cerebral avenues without, it should be added, sacrificing any of the intensity that defined his work as an apprentice to Coltrane." Hats off to Joey DeFrancesco for this chance to re-evaluate Sanders' work. DeFrancesco's own numbers are executed with his customary panache. "Inner Being" and "Vibrations In Blue" test the limits of the instrumentation to emerge by and large unscathed. "Soul Perspective" is gentle and melodic, with Troy Roberts putting in some good work on tenor and soprano saxophones.  "A Path Through The Noise" speaks for itself it's meditative and calm with DeFrancesco taking a solo on trumpet, which he took up after gigging with Miles Davis as a very young man. ~ Chris Mosey https://www.allaboutjazz.com/in-the-key-of-the-universe-joey-defrancesco-mack-avenue-records-review-by-chris-mosey.php

Personnel: Joey DeFrancesco: organ, trumpet; Pharoah Sanders: tenor saxophone, vocal; Troy Roberts: soprano, alto and tenor saxophone, bass; Sammy Figueroa: percussion; Billy Hart: drums.

In the Key of the Universe

---

Hubert Laws - Law's Cause

Styles: Flute Jazz 
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:20
Size: 79,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:32)  1. No More
(4:31)  2. If You Knew
(3:34)  3. A Day with You
(3:04)  4. Please Let Go
(6:44)  5. Shades of Light
(5:08)  6. Trio for Flute, Bassoon, and Piano
(8:42)  7. Windows

Laws' Cause is the third album by jazz flautist Hubert Laws released on the Atlantic label in 1969. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laws%27_Cause

Personnel:  Hubert Laws - flute, piccolo; Jimmy Owens - trumpet; Karl Porter - bassoon; Chick Corea - piano; Roland Hanna - harpsichord; Kenny Burrell - guitar; Sam Brown - sitar; Ron Carter - bass; Chuck Rainey - electric bass; Grady Tate - drums; Melba Moore - vocals

Law's Cause

---

Lauren White - At Last

Styles: Vocal 
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:27
Size: 113,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:01)  1. My One And Only
(4:01)  2. All I Do is Cry
(5:47)  3. Blue Bayou
(3:32)  4. Do You Remember
(4:06)  5. Mack the Knife
(7:02)  6. Love for Sale
(3:58)  7. Brand New Love
(4:33)  8. Superstar
(5:46)  9. My Funny Valentine
(3:14) 10. Why They Call it Falling
(4:21) 11. At Last

Musical suspicions are immediately raised when jazz singer Lauren White is described as a cross between Linda Ronstadt and Norah Jones. White is a twenty year-old native of Grapevine, Texas; a child prodigy singer from age four. She did, indeed, study with the same vocal coach as Jones, but the latter has little of White's smoky and seductive vocal assets as a jazz chanteuse. White performs Roy Orbison's "Blue Bayou"which was one of Ronstadt's biggest hits on At Last, and even sings it in a similar manner, Still, her demeanor is significantly more low-key, avoiding the range of "Blue Bayou on the rest of the album. Now for the good news. This is one impressive debut session. The set list research factor alone shows that roughly half of this album will be unfamiliar material to most listeners. Beginning as a slinky seductress in an after-hours boite on Ira Gershwin's "My One and Only," White follows it up with her original "All I Do Is Cry" in a very similar mode. A jolt of familiarity follows with "Blue Bayou," but then she provides a poignant original, Do You Remember." In order to please the masses, Kurt Weill's world-famous "Mack The Knife" follows. Although delivered in the standard swing format, drummer Mark Ferber makes it interesting with an Ahmad Jamal "Poinciana -type pattern. White takes a chance on the Cole Porter classic "Love For Sale," beginning with the spooky verse, and when the familiar melody sets in, it is played for the storytelling of a "woman of the streets." 

Over the past few decades, it seems that too few vocalists have presented the song in the style or tempo that Ella Fitzgerald did on her Cole Porter Songbook (Verve, 1956). Guitarist Anthony Wilson, who also did the arrangement, gets in some fine blues licks on his solo, as does the appropriate use of Joe Bagg's Hammond B-3 organ. White sings Rodgers & Hart's "My Funny Valentine"a tune which should be given a temporary rest. Her version is ameliorated, however, by Ricky Woodward's gutsy tenor sax solo. Country singer Lee Ann Womack's Why They Call It Falling" is an unexpected treat; a lighthearted look at love on which Norah Jones could also have done a fine job. With the appetite-whetting At Last, the only question is: what's next? ~ Michael P.Gladstone https://www.allaboutjazz.com/at-last-lauren-white-groove-note-records-review-by-michael-p-gladstone.php

Personnel: Lauren White: vocals; Bill Cunliffe: piano; Anthony Wilson: guitar; Ricky Woodard: tenor sax; Brian Piper: piano and arrangements; Chuck Berghofer: bass; Joe Bagg: Hammond B-3 organ; Mark Ferber: drums.

At Last

---

Jeff Lorber - Worth Waiting For

Styles: Jazz Fusion, Jazz Funk 
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:31
Size: 132,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:19)  1. Rain Song
(4:46)  2. The Underground
(4:26)  3. Yellowstone
(5:02)  4. Punta Del Este
(5:20)  5. Lost With You
(5:28)  6. Worth Waiting For
(5:58)  7. High Wire
(6:04)  8. Wavelength
(5:24)  9. Columbus Ave
(5:16) 10. Do What It Takes
(4:22) 11. Jazzery

After a seven year layoff, feisty veteran funkmaster Lorber steps out from the producer's chair with a fun filled all star project. The keyboardist, best known for his fusion years, has been far from idle during that time, producing for pop jazz sax gods Kenny G and Eric Marienthal, and mixing for U2 and Paula Abdul. His latest lives up to its title...though not resoundingly so. As he did with Marienthal's brilliant Oasis, Lorber divides his keyboard time between punchy, soulful rhythms and mellifluous textures that pour on the romance. Easygoing exercises like "Yellowstone" and the Latin tinged "Punta Del Soul" inspire a cool charm, but it's danceable cookers like "High Wire" and "Jazzery" that keep the disc spiraling. The only track that seems out of step is "Do What It Takes," whose production takes on a dated, 70s Crusaders sheen. Spirited performances surround Lorber's tasty keywork, most notably those of Art Porter, Gary Meek, Dave Koz and Bruce Hornsby. ~ Jonathan Widran https://www.allmusic.com/album/worth-waiting-for-mw0000097821

Personnel:  Alto Saxophone – Art Porter (tracks: 1), Dave Koz (tracks: 7), Gary Meek (tracks: 11); Drum Programming, Hihat – Curt Bisquera (tracks: 10); Drums – John Robinson  (tracks: 1, 3, 6, 7, 9, 11); Electric Bass – Alec Milstein (tracks: 1-4, 6-11); Flute – Gary Meek (tracks: 3); Guitar – Buzz Feiten (tracks: 8), Oliver Leiber (tracks: 7), Paul Jackson Jr. (tracks: 1-4, 6-10); Guitar [Nylon] – Lee Ritenour (tracks: 10);  Percussion – Paulinho Da Costa (tracks: 1-6, 8-10); Piano [Additional] – Bruce Hornsby (tracks: 3); Producer, Written-By – Jeff Lorber (tracks: All); Soprano Saxophone – Art Porter (tracks: 9), Dave Koz (tracks: 6), Gary Meek (tracks: 2, 3, 8); Vocals – Alec Milstein (tracks: 4), Eric Jordan (tracks: 5), Janis Siegel (tracks: 4)

Worth Waiting For

---

Pablo Held - Investigations

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:41
Size: 124,1 MB
Art: Front

(7:47)  1. Investigations
(4:20)  2. Dr. Freeds
(5:18)  3. I'll Dream of Flowers
(6:24)  4. Yearning
(4:58)  5. Stubborn
(5:38)  6. April Sonne
(6:13)  7. Birkenhain
(4:45)  8. Haiku Kit
(3:13)  9. Pinatubo - Bonus Track
(5:01) 10. Sonja's Rumba - Bonus Track

The complex title perfectly characterises Pablo Held's compositional approach. Here he utilises light and shade to mix swathes of tranquillity with petulant stabbing phrases accompanied by equally sharp drum retorts. However, and this is crucial, the piece flows together seamlessly. The lissome nature of "Dr Freeds" betrays an influence of Bill Evans but the ethereal, searching quality encapsulating "I'll Dream Of Flowers" is more reminiscent of compositions by Held's erstwhile mentor, the British jazz piano virtuoso John Taylor. The integrated tightness of the trio on the opening to "Yearning" is phenomenal as is the coiled-spring tension that's released half way through that number. The lyricism of "April Sonne," the sonic contours of "Birkenhain" or the questioning staccato piano runs on the spacey "Haiku Kit," here embellished by guest keyboardist Hubert Nuss, all add up to a very superior studio session indeed. 

Investigations is the tenth album by Held as leader with his regular rhythm section comprising Robert Landfermann on bass and Jonas Burgwinkel on drums which he's used since their first record together in 2007, Forest Of Oblivion. The trio gel together as well as any jazz unit could hope to aspire and even exude something of the near-supernatural compatibility of the legendary Keith Jarrett/Gary Peacock/Jack DeJohnette line-up. In 2014 the Held's trio recorded a live album in Cologne with guitarist John Scofield The Trio Meets John Scofield, (Pirouet Records, 2016); and whilst mostly recognised as a European outfit, as evidenced by this stunningly beautiful album, the group really needs to be recognised as a world class trio of exceptional talent. ~ Roger Farbey https://www.allaboutjazz.com/investigations-pablo-held-edition-records-review-by-roger-farbey.php

Personnel: Pablo Held: piano; Robert Landfermann: double bass; Jonas Burgwinkel: drums plus Hubert Nuss: keyboards.

Investigations

---

Dan McMillion - Tribute To Maynard

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:54
Size: 87,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:13)  1. Four
(3:05)  2. Norwegian Wood
(4:15)  3. Round Midnight
(3:12)  4. People
(4:26)  5. Gonna Fly Now
(5:34)  6. Green Dolphin Street
(4:07)  7. Just Friends
(3:55)  8. Bridge Over Troubled Water
(6:03)  9. Watermelon Man

Known for his powerful trumpet, Dan McMillion and his High Octane Band pay homage to the greatest trumpet player in the world, Maynard Ferguson. Hear Maynard’s signature sound recreated by Dan McMillion along with the stratospheric energy of High Octane. http://www.carrollwoodcenter.org/event/dan-mcmillion-high-octane/

Tribute To Maynard

---

Deanna Reuben - The Very Thought of You

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:00
Size: 131,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:31)  1. Easy to Love
(5:45)  2. I See Your Face Before Me
(4:11)  3. Haunted Heart
(3:57)  4. Devil May Care
(4:24)  5. The Very Thought of You
(5:08)  6. How Insensitive
(4:05)  7. Where Do You Start
(5:23)  8. Just Squeeze Me
(4:19)  9. I Didn't Know About You
(2:50) 10. Over the Rainbow
(3:07) 11. Make Someone Happy
(4:42) 12. Some Other Time
(4:31) 13. Cinema Paradiso

Deanna Reuben, concert vocalist and recording artist, has become one of the finest interpreters of the Great American Songbook working today.  To date, she has recorded four albums. the latest being a lively jazz holiday recording entitled “Christmas is Here,” released in 2013. Her greatest honor came when in October, 2017, she received an email from Peter Stoller, the son of the iconic rock'n roll composer, Mike Stoller.  Mike and the most distinguished lyricists of our time, Marilyn and Alan Bergman, collaborated to write the single "If the Truth be Told."  Peter told Deanna that his father heard her on an L.A. radio station and asked if she would be interested in recording their new single. This was an opportunity she couldn't turn down. She immediately engaged two of her finest musicians, recorded and released If the Truth be Told in November 2017.  Her first recording, “The Look of Love,” released in 2005, brought her high praise from critics and casual listeners alike.   Her sophomore album, “On Life and Love,” released in 2009 features two of her original compositions.  Teaming with R. Martin Mellinger, her haunting ballad “Here in the Night,” leaves her audiences mesmerized as she makes that soulful connection.  In 2012, Deanna released her third album, “The Very Thought of You," and in 2013 she released "Christmas is Here."  She has received extensive commercial radio airplay time across the U.S., as well as internet airplay and downloads from I-Tunes, Spotify, Rhapsody, Sound-cloud, Pandora, Amazon and others. Physical CD's may be purchased through CD Baby and Amazon. Earlier in her career, while maintaining a full time job in real estate, she followed her dream and became a professional soloist with the prestigious Washington Singers, and the former internationally renowned Paul Hill Chorale.  She shared the stage with artists such as Marvin Hamlisch, Yo Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman, and performed in venues such as The Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, the Mann Center, and Wolf Trap. 

A long-time fan of the great American songbook, Reuben began to find a new voice among ballads from the golden era of Broadway and standards from such composers as Harold Arlen, Arthur Schwartz, Frank Loesser and Michel Legrand. Songs from the American Songbook became her new forte, developing a distinctive and highly emotive style.  Deanna doesn’t so much sing to a crowd as engage in a musical dialogue, with a voice and style that’s been compared to Barbra Streisand, Diana Krall and Astrud Gilberto. Today she chooses performance venues of jazz clubs, performing arts centers, universities, private and corporate events.  Over the last several years, she has performed in the Berks Jazz Fest, one of the largest jazz venues in the country. Reuben has shown an ability to combine the lyricism of Puccini with the panache of a stage performer and a personality and vulnerability that are innate, creating a near-perfect musical conduit for personal connections with her audience.  She has a tremendous sense of style and vocal talent, and the ability to interpret and convey songs with an authenticity and heart that is real.  She also has an incredibly lyric voice and a warmth of tone that combine to create an earthy beauty that is compelling.  It is that sense of personal veracity, however, that touches an audience, whether from the stage or through a set of speakers. Deanna graduated from Alvernia University with a B.A. in Music, and served on Alvernia's Board of Trustees as well as the Reading Symphony Orchestra board.  She maintains a private studio teaching voice, piano and theory.  In addition, she has composed, produced, and directed community choral organizations. https://deannareuben.com/bio/

The Very Thought of You

---

Denny Zeitlin - Solo Voyage

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:44
Size: 149,0 MB
Art: Front

( 4:47)  1. Bemsha Swing
( 5:38)  2. Miyako
( 8:50)  3. Cascade
(12:10)  4. Quiet Flow
( 4:11)  5. Walking, Prancing, Marching, Dancing
( 2:10)  6. Prelude
( 3:40)  7. In Your Own Sweet Way
( 6:24)  8. I Should Care
( 1:44)  9. Interlude 1
( 3:00) 10. Lament
( 3:48) 11. Interlude 2
( 4:11) 12. Moving Parts 1
( 4:06) 13. Moving Parts 2

Most jazz artists must face the harsh reality that it's almost impossible to sustain a living by making music. Many find themselves having to take alternate employment in order to allow pursuance of their art, and then face the considerable challenge of doing so without impeding their continued development. So perhaps Denny Zeitlin has had it right all along. While managing to generate a world-class reputation as a pianist, he's also maintained a second life as a practicing psychiatrist. Consequently, Zeitlin maintains a considerably sparer performance schedule, has a relatively small body of recorded work, and is less connected into the jazz community through sideman appearances. But his life choices clearly haven't impeded his ability to maintain the kind of artistic growth and reputation of better-known pianists like Herbie Hancock, Brad Mehldau, and Keith Jarrett. Solo Voyage is another fine example of just how fully-formed and well-conceived Zeitlin's music is, even though it isn't his sole profession. His first solo recording since Live at Maybeck Recital Hall, Vol. 27 (Concord, 1992), Solo Voyage finds Zeitlin comfortably mixing well-known tunes like Dave Brubeck's "In Your Own Sweet Way, Wayne Shorter's less-recorded "Miyako, and Monk's "Bemsha Swing with his own compositions and a number of free improvisations. While not many things link Zeitlin to Keith Jarrett, one common aspect they share is the ability to pull song-like constructs out of the ether. The freely improvised prelude and interludes that are scattered throughout the eight-part "Solo Voyage suite are remarkably well-formed. But while Jarrett seems to be more about extrapolating ideas in a kind of unbridled stream of consciousness, Zeitlin is more focused, using his improvisations to act as thematic introductions or almost summary codas to composed pieces. 

Another feature distinguishing Zeitlin from Jarrett is his conception, which is equally advanced harmonically, but leans toward the tonal and round-edged, as opposed to Jarrett's predisposition to the jaggedly atonal and the lyrical. That doesn't mean that Zeitlin's music lacks emotional impact; the improvisation "Walking, Prancing, Marching, Dancing is filled with drama as he utilizes broad flourishes to build the tension. Zeitlin embraces a complete view of the jazz tradition, with an evolved sense of stride propelling "Cascade and a more abstract impressionism characterizing the gentle "Quiet Now. He's also not averse to embracing technology, utilizing synthesizers to either create subtle orchestration, as he does on "Prelude, or to provide a sequenced backdrop for his imaginative reading of "In Your Own Sweet Way. While neither overtly cathartic like Jarrett nor abstractly virtuotsic like Mehldau and Hancock, Zeitlin brings his own intrinsic compositional perspective and somewhat contained sense of adventure to Solo Voyage. He may not release records as frequently as some players, but when he does, each one is invariably a significant event, and Solo Voyage is an engaging journey from start to finish. ~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/solo-voyage-denny-zeitlin-maxjazz-review-by-john-kelman.php

Personnel: Denny Zeitlin (piano, synthesizer)

Solo Voyage

---

Michael Wolff - Jumpstart

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1995
Time: 54:02
Size: 49,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:30)  1. Pinocchio
(5:31)  2. Ballade Noir
(6:03)  3. Cannonblues
(4:53)  4. Little M
(3:51)  5. Fall
(4:50)  6. Shades of Gray
(6:06)  7. Nefertitti
(5:36)  8. Jumpstart
(6:52)  9. I Fall in Love Too Easily
(4:47) 10. All Of You

From the first cunning abstractions the pianist improvises on Wayne Shorter's classic "Pinocchio," it's clear that Michael Wolff is more than just another one-trick pony. As the leader of Arsenio Hall's musical posse, Wolff proved himself an adept bandleader and sidekick, performing in a variety of styles, particularly in the jacked up contemporary funk mode the audience came to expect. However, as Jumpstart! makes plain, Michael Wolff is a modern jazz player with authentic credentials in the post-'60s idiom. This virtuoso keyboardist plied on his trade with numerous leaders, most notably Cannonball Adderley, whose heady blend of soul, hard bop, funk and modality made him one of jazz's most respected improvisers before his untimely death. Wolff evokes his presence through the tippling tempo, jagged harmonies, funky grace notes and teetering melodic runs of "Cannonblues." Like many pianists enamored of the '60s, Wolff is clearly indebted to the free-form inventions of Herbie Hancock, but throughout Jumpstart! Wolff betrays a knowledge of pre-bop piano evoking the likes of Milt Buckner when employing a bouncing two-handed attack. On the jittery starts and stops of the title tune, Wolff's jagged snaking lines, sudden rhythmic rushes of consonant and dissonant variations, and his agitated layers of chords indicate a broad romanticism of "I Fall In Love Too Easily" and his own "Ballade Noir" are indicative of a graceful touch and elegant melodic conception. https://www.allmusic.com/album/jumpstart-mw0000177266

Personnel:  Michael Wolff - Piano; Christian McBride - Bass; Tony Williams - Drums

Jumpstart

---

Joe Henderson Quintet - At The Lighthouse

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:12
Size: 175,8 MB
Art: Front

( 5:37)  1. Caribbean Fire Dance
( 8:19)  2. Recorda-Me
(10:31)  3. A Shade Of Jade
( 4:30)  4. Isotope
( 9:01)  5. 'Round Midnight
( 8:33)  6. Mode For Joe
( 7:33)  7. Invitation
(11:30)  8. If You're Not Part Of The Solution, You're Part Of The Problem
( 9:47)  9. Blue Bossa
( 0:46) 10. Closing Theme

I was pretty late coming to Joe Henderson. I was never a big sax aficionado, least of all tenors; once I got through Trane, Shorter, Rahsaan, Bartz, and Branford, I kind of grew a preference for alto players. That being what it is, there is a certain class of tenor players who do not wow me so much for their own singular identity, as much as their amazing ability to blend into an ensemble so very well (even if they are the leader). Henderson is one of those, and I do really admire his breadth in that regard. He has class and a vast technique that lets him work gigs like this to maximum. At the Lighthouse is a 1970 performance that had been split up on various releases and box compilations, but was finally loosed upon the record buying public by Milestone/Fantasy in 2004. It is one of Henderson at his peak, playing with a hearty, fat tone that slides around between warm and bubbly to boisterous and blaring. His band has Woody Shaw working a crisp trumpet, that is not too harsh or bright tonally, and reminds me of Clifford Brown a little. The rhythm department is my favorite part; Lenny White on traps never disappoints, and since I love electric piano (the Fender Rhodes is technically incapable of sounding bad…ever), the support from George Cables impresses me (because I had never recalled his name ever entering memory before this album), especially on Invitation. The take on the ‘Round Midnight Monk standard has a lot of space, which lets the various players work through nine minutes of challenging interpretation. The same interplay and great soloing happens on the Kenny Dorham composition Blue Bossa. Henderson brings a few of his on compositions, like Isotope, which are challenging and a whole push back into hard bop in the best way. White hammers and dances on the kit, making the pulse seem both out of control and effortless. The odd duck of the album is another Henderson-penned cut, f You’re Not Part of the Solution, You’re Part of the Problem. It is the closest to funky soul-jazz as this set gets, but at eleven and a half minutes makes for a filling slice of sonic badonkadonk. The sole track where acoustic bassist Ron McCLure switches to electric, he locks in with White in a linear groove workout that lets Shaw, Henderson and even Cables have a field day. I give at least partial credit to the great quality of the recording to uber-producer Orrin Keepnews. Solid! https://devrandom.net/~zeruch/wordpress/?p=453
 

Personnel: Tenor Saxophone – Joe Henderson; Bass – Ron McClure; Bass [Electric] – Ron McClure; Congas – Tony Waters; Drums – Lenny White; Electric Piano – George Cables; Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Woody Shaw

At The Lighthouse

---

Christina Lux - Pure Love

Styles: Vocal And Guitar Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:39
Size: 106,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:26)  1. Shelter
(5:51)  2. Believe
(7:32)  3. Best Friend
(4:39)  4. Liar
(4:03)  5. You Say You Love Me
(4:48)  6. Love Is...
(4:23)  7. Let It Flow
(3:55)  8. You Mean So Much to Me
(7:00)  9. Late at Night

The singer/songwriter and guitarist Christina Lux is a phenomenon. Since the mid-eighties she has become one of Germany's most wanted backup singers . She has been touring with the Jule Neigel Band back in 1989 and more recently, as a special guest, supportet Fury in the slaughterhouse on their 1998 tour. Renowned artists such as Grace Jones, Oleta Adams, Gabrielle and Nina Hagen had her sing backing vocals on prime-time TV shows. She sang on studio albums for Mick Karn of Japan fame and Deep Purple's Jon Lord. Even on dance records such as RMB's Mission Horizon (2001) her unique voice can be heardBut Christina Lux also has a career of her own. Since releasing her first two solo albums "She is Me" (1998) and "Little Luxuries" (1999) she has performed countless club concerts all around the country. Some of these were as a soloist, others as a member of her own trio including bass-player Marius Goldhammer ( Marla Glen..) and her one-man-percussion-orchestra Roland Peil (Die Phantastischen 4..). She has opened shows for Paul Young in 1999 and for New York's Tuck+Patti in 2001. Music magazine "Gitarre & Bass" (7/2001) says, " What sets her apart from others is her warm and deeply touching voice, supported by her finely tuned feeling for spontaneity and free-flowing improvisation combined with her jazzy, grooving rhythm guitar...truly great!"While the music industry sometimes fails to recognize the gold in their own backyard, Christina Lux is regarded as a brilliant musician's musician by critics both at home and in other countries. Perhaps this is because of the wide range of her repertoire: songs that are written in authentic American English, sung with her dark magic velvety voice, blending acoustic soul and funky folk with jazzy improvised highlights. According to the music magazine Soundcheck, she holds her own in a comparison with Rickie Lee Jones or Shawn Calvin.Christina Lux is a truly exceptional live artist. Her latest offering Pure Love, gives the best feel yet for the spontaneity of her live performances. Since, with the exception of two tracks, it was recorded in live situations, we're able to experience the pure magic of one of her concerts...pure pleasure! ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Pure-Love-Christina-Lux/dp/B00005T7OQ

Pure Love

---

Barney Wilen - French Ballads

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 1987
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:22
Size: 130,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:41)  1. L'Ame Des Poetes
(3:05)  2. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life
(4:28)  3. Sous Le Ciel De Paris
(3:51)  4. Syracuse
(4:11)  5. Un Ete 42
(4:11)  6. My Way
(7:15)  7. Les Feuilles Mortes
(4:13)  8. Once Upon A Time
(4:42)  9. Seule Ce Soir
(4:27) 10. Manoir De Mes Reves
(4:17) 11. Tears
(4:19) 12. La Vie En Rose
(2:38) 13. Les Moulins De Mon Coeur

Barney Wilen's mother was French, his father a successful American dentist-turned-inventor. He grew up mostly on the French Riviera; the family left during World War II but returned upon its conclusion. According to Wilen himself, he was convinced to become a musician by his mother's friend, the poet Blaise Cendrars. As a teenager he started a youth jazz club in Nice, where he played often. He moved to Paris in the mid-'50s and worked with such American musicians as Bud Powell, Benny Golson, Miles Davis, and J.J. Johnson at the Club St. Germain. His emerging reputation received a boost in 1957 when he played with Davis on the soundtrack to the Louis Malle film Lift to the Scaffold. Two years later, he performed with Art Blakey and Thelonious Monk on the soundtrack to Roger Vadim's Les Liaisons Dangereuses (1960). Wilen began working in a rock-influenced style during the '60s, recording an album entitled Dear Prof. Leary in 1968. In the early '70s, Wilen led a failed expedition of filmmakers, musicians, and journalists to travel to Africa to document pygmy music. Later Wilen played in a punk rock band called Moko and founded a French Jazzmobile-type organization that took music to people living in outlying areas. He also worked in theater. By the mid-'90s, he was working once again in a bebop vein in a band with the pianist Laurent de Wilde. Much of Wilen's later work was documented on the Japanese Venus label. ~ Chris Kelsey https://www.allmusic.com/artist/barney-wilen-mn0000117853/biography

Personnel: Barney Willen - Saxophone; Michel Graillier - Piano; Ricardo del Fra - Bass; Sangoma Everett - Drums

French Ballads

---

Benny Green - The Place To Be

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:51
Size: 135,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:59)  1. Nice Pants
(2:31)  2. Playmate
(6:59)  3. I Want To Talk About You
(3:10)  4. The Place To Be
(5:13)  5. I Felt That
(6:16)  6. Pensativa
(5:56)  7. One Of Another Kind
(5:23)  8. Which Came First?
(3:28)  9. Noreen's Nocturn
(7:13) 10. Concertina
(2:29) 11. The Gravy Waltz
(4:09) 12. The Folks Who Live On The Hill

Benny Green is one of the most gifted jazz pianists around, and The Place To Be shows off his abilities in a variety of settings. The album starts off with a big band arrangement of “Nice Pants” which at times sounds like it’s based on the changes of “Critic’s Choice,” a tune that was a staple of the Buddy Rich book from the 1960s. It has a time medium tempo swing to it and features an excellent bass solo by Christian McBride in addition to Green’s omnipresent powerhouse piano. The big band groove is also found in “I Want to Talk About You,” partly based upon “How High the Moon,” and “I Felt That,” the latter tune with a Thelonious Monk-inspired melody. Green’s trio work is outstanding and nicely varied. “Playmate” is a real tour de force and features blazingly fast single-line and octave runs a la Oscar Peterson. In the middle of the song there is a lot of nice stride piano. 

Green and company change pace with “Pensativa,” a pleasant bossa nova that is indebted to Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “Wave” and also to “You Came Along from Out of Nowhere.” “One of Another Kind” is an interesting composition and almost sounds like an up-tempo version of Miles Davis’ “So What?” Green displays a similar eclecticism with his solo piano pieces. They range from a swinging version of Steve Allen's “Gravy Waltz” to the highly contrapuntal “The Place To Be” to a very sensitive and understated performance of the beautiful ballad “The Folks Who Live on the Hill.” The last song is one of the most poignant compositions in the Great American Songbook, yet it is not performed that often, the most recording being Diana Krall’s. Benny Green is a consummate jazz pianist. He’s mastered all the past styles from Kansas City stride to Bill Evans to bebop and beyond and he’s taking the music to heights unknown. The Place To Be is just that, the place where everyone who appreciates great jazz will want to be. 

~ William Grim https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-place-to-be-benny-green-blue-note-records-review-by-william-grim.php

Personnel: Benny Green, piano; Delfeayo Marsalis, trombone; Christian McBride, bass; Byron Stripling, trumpet; Gary Smulyan, baritone sax; John Clark, flugelhorn; Kenny Washington, drums; Herb Besson, tuba; Jerry Dodgion, flute, alto sax

The Place To Be

---