Ken Fowser - Right on Time

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:03
Size: 129,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:53)  1. Stand Clear Of The Closing Doors
(3:39)  2. Samba for Joe Bim
(4:21)  3. Duck And Cover
(6:59)  4. No Filter
(5:46)  5. Don't Let Life Pass You By
(4:36)  6. On My Way
(6:40)  7. Keep Doing What You're Doing
(7:22)  8. Fowser Time
(5:44)  9. A Poem For Elaine
(6:59) 10. Knights Of The Round

With the release earlier this year of Right On Time, sax specialist Ken Fowser has now put out as many solo albums as he’s made with former musical partner and vibes ace Kehn Gillece. The last time a Fowser-led work was examined in this space, the tenor man was just stepping out onto his own and it was noted then in this classic, acoustic quintet setting that “Fowser’s tone and delivery is a big bag of soul.” Sax players with those qualities always thrive in an organ and guitar combo where the higher grease quotient fits right in with their diction, and at the urging of producer Marc Free, that’s just what Ken Fowser does for Right On Time. Wisely choosing guitarist Ed Cherry and organist Brian Charette to literally provide electricity to the sessions along with Willie Jones III on drums, it might be the first time most people are hearing Fowser in this type of soul-jazz environment, but it seems as if he’s done this thing all along. Tone and feel is everything here, and this crew consistently delivers. “Samba For Joe Bim” is as advertised, and the low, single lines from Cherry following the higher octave notes from Ken Fowser is one of the little arrangement touches that elevates the quality of these sessions above the crowd of very competent jazz recordings that are still made today. “Duck And Cover” swings authoritatively in the proud tradition of a Posi-Tone recording date, and listeners are treated with Fowser sharing solo duties with trombonist Steve Davis and trumpeter Joe Magnarelli. An imaginative arrangement on another swinger “Knights Of The Round” has the horn players playing a pattern at slightly different spots a la “Row Row Row Your Boat” and Magnarelli later blows a smoldering aside. With the three-man horn front line, a blues-based strain and a steady shuffle, “Keep Doing What You’re Doing” sounds like an electrified Art Blakey tune. “Fowser Time” continues along that same vibe but with a tauter rhythm, and the song’s namesake solos unhurriedly and confidently like a seasoned vet. “No Filter” is a great groove mated to a fetching melody, with another Davis/Magnarelli appearance and further boosted by Cherry’s Montgomery mannerisms. Jones shows a knack for locking down the pulse with taste but for “On My Way,” his refinement is a bit more out front, with multiple fills and a lively trading of fours. Great organ/guitar combos can deliver the coolness as effectively as they bring the heat, and this one makes good on the cool side with the down tempo “Don’t Let Life Pass You By.” Ken Fowser’s pleadings convince and Charette knows just how much emotion to put into his spotlight. https://somethingelsereviews.com/2019/07/13/ken-fowser-right-on-time-2019/

Personnel: Ken Fowser, tenor saxophone; Steve Davis, trombone; Joe Magnarelli, trumpet; Brian Charette, organ; Ed Cherry, guitar; Willie Jones III, drums.

Right on Time

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Sam Most - The Amazing Mr. Sam Most

Styles: Flute, Clarinet Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 30:24
Size: 70,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:46)  1. It Might as Well Be Spring
(6:09)  2. You Stepped Out of a Dream
(3:10)  3. Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise
(4:20)  4. Lover Man
(4:31)  5. Alone Together
(6:25)  6. When Your Lover Has Gone

One of the first great jazz flutists, a cool-toned tenor, and a fine (if infrequent) clarinetist, Sam Most was the younger brother of clarinetist Abe Most. He picked up early experience playing with the orchestras of Tommy Dorsey (1948), Boyd Raeburn, and Don Redman. By the time he led his first session (1953), Most was a brilliant flutist (among the first to sing through his flute) and he briefly had the jazz field to himself. Most recorded fine sessions for Prestige, Debut (reissued on Xanadu), Vanguard, and Bethlehem during 1953-1958, doubling on clarinet. He also worked in different settings with Chris Connor, Paul Quinichette, and Teddy Wilson. After playing with Buddy Rich's Orchestra (1959-1961), he moved to Los Angeles and became a studio musician. Sam Most worked with Red Norvo and Louie Bellson, gained some new prominence with his Xanadu recordings of 1976-1979, and became a local fixture in Los Angeles, sometimes playing in clubs with his brother. Most died of cancer in June 2013; he was 82 years old. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/sam-most-mn0000240834/biography

Personnel:  Sam Most - flute,  clarinet; Hall Overton - piano; Jimmy Raney - guitar; Addison Farmer - bass; Roy Haynes - drums

The Amazing Mr.Sam Most

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Grace Knight - Gracious

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1999
Time: 43:50
Size: 70,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:16)  1. The Ability To Swing
(4:31)  2. Cry Me A River
(5:04)  3. Pappa Was A Rolling Stone
(3:50)  4. Good Morning Heartache
(4:21)  5. Moondance
(4:01)  6. Teach Me Tonight
(3:13)  7. Don't Set Me Free
(3:57)  8. I Need A Little Sugar In My Bowl
(3:47)  9. Come In From The Rain
(3:18) 10. Steamroller Blues
(3:28) 11. Que Sera Sera

After leading the successful Australian act the Eurogliders, U.K.-born singer Grace Knight launched a solo singing career which saw her become one of Australia's leading jazz divas. In her early teens, Knight sang in folk clubs and first met musician Bernie Lynch while singing on a cruise ship. They would form the highly successful Eurogliders in 1980 and go on to international success. After the Eurogliders split in 1989, Knight sang backup vocals in the Tania Bowra Band before recording the soundtrack to the ABC-TV miniseries Come in Spinner with jazz musician Vince Jones. The album featured 1940s jazz standards and marked a career change for Knight. The singles "I've Got You Under My Skin," "The Man I Love," and "Sophisticated Lady" propelled the album to number five on the national charts in May 1990. Her debut album, Stormy Weather (September 1991), reached number 14 on the national chart in October, and another cover, "Fever," was released as a single. Her second album, Gracious, contained more jazz standards and covers such as "On a Clear Day," "Moondance," "Cry Me a River," and "Papa Was a Rolling Stone." Knight released her fourth album, Live, in February 1996, a double album recorded over three nights at Sydney's jazz venue the Basement. She released her fourth solo album, Zeitgeist, in 2000, a collection which featured several original songs penned by Knight. ~ Brendan Swift https://www.allmusic.com/artist/grace-knight-mn0000194742

Gracious

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Andy Laverne - Shangri-La

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:11
Size: 147,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:48)  1. Noteification
(5:59)  2. Give and Take
(5:56)  3. It's All Good
(6:47)  4. Waltz King
(6:51)  5. Bluestrain
(7:12)  6. Shangri-La
(5:45)  7. Resolute Pursuit
(9:11)  8. Guiding Light
(9:40)  9. Two in One

The previous recording in Andy LaVerne’s large SteepleChase discography (Faith, 2017) featured trumpeter Alex Sipiagin, bassist Mike Richmond, and drummer Jason Tiemann. This new album adds Jerry Bergonzi on tenor saxophone. Some good news about Shangri-La: Sipiagin and Bergonzi are special players. Sipiagin’s solos are complete bold statements and his tone on both trumpet and flugelhorn is penetrating and pure. Bergonzi’s tenor sound is delightfully impure, full of flutters and abrasions and nasal intensities. LaVerne writes some graceful themes. “Guiding Light” is one of two tunes here for the late John Abercrombie, LaVerne’s friend and collaborator. Sipiagin and Bergonzi take turns with the melody in heartfelt calls and responses, touching new emotions of love and loss on each pass. Nine LaVerne originals, balanced among blues, ballads, and postbop shout-outs, are carefully crafted. Some other news about Shangri-La: LaVerne’s well-made tunes sometimes sound generic. “Noteification” is rather like at least 100 convoluted anthems on at least 100 records since the birth of bebop. “Bluestrain” is also vaguely familiar because it could be anybody’s blues. 

When LaVerne solos, the level of creativity drops. His innocuous, pleasant piano work lacks compelling ideas. An unqualified success is the recorded sound of engineer Chris Sulit. In an era when great studios (Systems Two, Avatar, Bennett) keep closing, Sulit, working in his Trading 8s Studio in Paramus, New Jersey, has become a keeper of the flame. Shangri-La is a vivid, dynamic sonic portrayal of an accomplished new-millennium jazz quintet. ~ Thomaz Conrad https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/andy-laverne-shangri-la-steeplechase/

Personnel: Andy Laverne - piano; Alex Sipiagin - trumpet, fluegelhorn; Jerry Bergonzi - tenor saxophone; Mike Richmond - bass; Jason Tiemann - drums

Shangri-La

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Walter Davis, Jr. - Scorpio Rising

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:54
Size: 140,1 MB
Art: Front

(6:50)  1. Backgammon
(8:55)  2. Why Did I Choose You?
(8:10)  3. Just One of Those Things
(7:04)  4. Pranayama
(6:44)  5. Two Different Worlds
(8:36)  6. Four Hundred Years Ago, Tomorrow
(5:30)  7. Skylark
(9:02)  8. Scorpio Rising

Near the end of his life, Walter Davis, Jr. was starting to get the recognition he long deserved. But this Steeplechase CD turned out to be his swan song, as he died the following year. Accompanied by bassist Santi Debriano and drummer Ralph Peterson, the pianist concentrates primarily on his provocative original works. "Backgammon" initially signals a bit of gospel influence before evolving into a solid but innovative hard bop vehicle, featuring solid solos by all three musicians. "400 Years Ago Tomorrow" also throws a curve with an initial Caribbean influence before taking flight into a furious setting. His most famous composition, "Scorpio Rising," is not just a rehash of earlier recordings but a blistering performance complemented by his rhythm section's intuitive playing. The standards are also worthy of praise. His spacious interpretation of "Skylark" and funky introduction to "Just One of Those Things" (before returning to his hard bop roots with Peterson's crisp brushwork) prove very refreshing. Two bonus tracks were added to the CD reissue, adding to its already considerable value. ~ Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/scorpio-rising-mw0000424075

Personnel:  Piano – Walter Davis Jr.; Bass – Santi Debriano; Drums – Ralph Peterson

Scorpio Rising

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'Wild' Bill Davison - Swinging Wild

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:32
Size: 116,8 MB
Art: Front

(7:31)  1. Struttin' with Some Barbecue
(4:30)  2. Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams
(7:10)  3. Rose Room
(6:56)  4. What's the Use
(4:52)  5. I Can't Give You Anything but Love
(8:00)  6. Big Butter and Egg Man
(5:20)  7. Memories of You
(6:10)  8. Sweet Georgia Brown

Wild Bill Davison played in Europe quite a bit during the second half of the 1960s. While in England the cornetist was usually joined by the Alex Welsh band but this particular set (the 1965 date is an educated guess) teams Davison with a fine sextet filled mostly with players from Freddie Randall's band of the period. The music, released for the first time in 1999, finds Wild Bill in typically exuberant form playing seven of his favorite warhorses (including "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams," "Memories of You," and "Sweet Georgia Brown") ,plus the relative obscurity "What's the Use." The ensembles are loose but coherent, Bruce Turner (on alto and clarinet) and trombonist Bert Murray get some solo space, and Wild Bill is in fine spirits. Solid Dixieland. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/swinging-wild-mw0000603684

Swinging Wild

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Jackie Cain & Roy Kral - Forever

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:01
Size: 109,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:54)  1. The Duke
(5:01)  2. In A Sentimental Mood
(4:03)  3. I'm Just a Lucky So and So
(3:58)  4. Music is Forever
(4:27)  5. Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most
(2:13)  6. Cheerful Little Earful
(4:04)  7. Through The Windows of Cars
(2:27)  8. Fred Astaire
(2:31)  9. I Never Danced Before
(4:58) 10. The Continental
(6:18) 11. You Didn't Tell Me It Was Wrong
(3:00) 12. I Know That You Know

Jackie and Roy was an American jazz vocal team consisting of husband and wife singer Jackie Cain and singer / pianist Roy Kral. They sang together for 56 years and made almost 40 albums.  Kral's obituary in The New York Times said: "Their voices had similar ranges but were an octave apart, creating unusual harmonies." They first joined forces in 1946, and in 1996 they celebrated their 50th anniversary as a vocal duo. Jackie and Roy's stint with Charlie Ventura's band in 1948 and 1949 brought them recognition; Lou Stein's "East of Suez" was an unusual feature for their voices. Shortly after leaving Ventura in June 1949, they were married and worked together on a regular basis thereafter. Jackie and Roy had their own television show in Chicago in the early 1950s, worked in Las Vegas from 1957 to 1960, settled in New York in 1963, and appeared on some television commercials. They recorded many performances for a variety of record labels through the decades, and performed until Roy Kral died in August 2002. Fairly early in their career, Jackie and Roy were befriended by composer Alec Wilder, who wrote the liner notes for one of their earliest albums, Jackie Cain and Roy Kral (1955). They had always favored Wilder's songs and, ten years after his death, paid tribute by recording an entire album of them, An Alec Wilder Collection. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackie_and_Roy

Forever

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Jorge Pardo - Djinn

Styles: Jazz, Flamenco
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:39
Size: 167,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:00)  1. Lo Se por el Talega
(4:42)  2. Ricardo y Tio Borrico
(4:33)  3. Kl3y2kop1o
(6:05)  4. El Observador y Mezclaito
(4:07)  5. El Gallo de Pedro
(8:56)  6. Djinn
(6:24)  7. Taranta
(5:32)  8. Estaba Soñando...La Deje Dormir
(1:21)  9. Ni Contigo Ni Con Nadie
(5:29) 10. Bulería de la Perla
(3:58) 11. Atlantico Puro
(7:47) 12. Viva el Borrico
(4:05) 13. Te Veia Yo
(4:34) 14. Entre Dos Aguas

Spanish jazz, flamenco and world music saxophonist and flutist Jorge Pardo has a new album titled Djinn. Djinn combines jazz grooves, electronic beats and flamenco. Pardo uses acid Hammond organ, powerful drums, electric bass and flamenco guitar along with guest DJs from the world of electronic music. Jorge Pardo was a member of pioneering Spanish salsa and Latin jazz band Dolores. He later worked with flamenco legends Paco de Lucia and Camarón. His essential albums include Vientos Flamencos, 10 de Paco, Huellas, and Historias de Radha y Krishna. Jorge Pardo will be touring Spain to promote the new album. The next concerts will take place Friday, October 28 at Círculo de Bellas Artes in Madrid and Saturday, October 29 at Sala Malandar in Sevilla. ~ Angel Romero https://worldmusiccentral.org/2016/10/23/jorge-pardo-releases-djinn/

Djinn

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Rodolphe Raffalli, Renée Garlène - Avec georges brassens (J'ai rendez-vous avec vous)

Styles: Guitar and Vocal Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:11
Size: 142,0 MB
Art: Front

(2:35)  1. Pauvre Martin
(3:16)  2. Embrasse-les tous
(5:04)  3. Quatre-vingt-quinze pour cent
(3:03)  4. Philistins
(4:14)  5. La complainte des filles de joie
(5:17)  6. Brave Margot
(3:25)  7. Dans l'eau de la claire fontaine
(3:44)  8. Saturne
(3:43)  9. Le bistrot
(1:56) 10. Maman, papa (texte)
(3:04) 11. Maman, papa
(1:43) 12. Le vent
(3:42) 13. J'ai rendez-vous avec vous
(4:32) 14. Chanson pour l'auvergnat
(2:48) 15. Je suis un voyou - Instrumental
(3:44) 16. Le père Noël et la petite fille
(5:11) 17. Cupidon s'en fout

Guitarist Rodolphe Raffalli is known internationally for his performances of Georges Brassens material, and here he accompanies Renée Garlène, a singer whose precise, rare tone provides sensitive and delicate readings of the same composer s repertoire. Together they form an extraordinarily musical duo: the guitar s aerial phrases seem to hold conversations with the songs themselves, and the pair are backed by a wonderful rhythm section, notably partnered by Teofilo Chantre, the great musician from Cape Verde. Here the Brassens repertoire is tinted with jazz, swing and Brazilian rhythms, providing music that softly weaves through these songs to emphasize all the power of the poetry behind the melodies of Brassens. Augustin Bondoux & Patrick Frémeaux. https://www.amazon.fr/Avec-Georges-Brassens-Rendez-Vous-avec/dp/B07FSRBMCS

Avec georges brassens (J'ai rendez-vous avec vous)

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Johnny Hodges & His Orchestra - In a Tender Mood (Remastered)

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:13
Size: 86,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:06)  1. Who's Excited
(3:22)  2. Sweepin' the Blues Away
(2:50)  3. Standing Room Only
(3:07)  4. Below the Azores
(6:04)  5. Sweet Georgia Brown
(6:08)  6. Duke's Blues
(3:21)  7. Tenderly
(3:03)  8. Tea for Two
(3:26)  9. What's I'm Gotchere
(2:43) 10. Nothin' Yet

Johnny certainly is in a tender mood here playing soulful ballads and mellow tunes with a small combo that includes Flip Phillips on tenor, Lawrence Brown on trombone, Leroy Lovett on piano, and Ray Brown on bass. The sound is laidback and easily swinging with a real focus on Johnny's warm and fluid alto work and the set features some nice original tunes that include "Who's Excited", "Sweepin The Blues Away", "Standing Room Only", "Below The Azores", and "Duke's Blues" plus "Tenderly" and "Nothin Yet".  © 1996-2019, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/366492

Personnel:   Johnny Hodges - alto saxophone; Emmett Berry - trumpet;  Lawrence Brown - trombone;  Leroy Lovett - piano

In a Tender Mood

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YolanDa Brown - Love Politics War

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 79:47
Size: 183,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:12)  1. Million Billion Love
(6:16)  2. Time and Tide
(5:14)  3. Dream Dream Repeat
(4:27)  4. This Kind of Love
(4:55)  5. Heritage
(5:34)  6. Feel No Pain
(3:54)  7. No More War
(6:28)  8. Neutral Ground
(3:56)  9. Roll With It
(5:28) 10. Crocodile Tears
(6:20) 11. General PoliTricks
(5:04) 12. Prosper
(7:08) 13. Never Too Late
(4:25) 14. Sugarcane
(6:18) 15. Love At War

When YolanDa Brown plays live, she covers the stage, energetic and totally into her groove. On categorization of her music, YolanDa is keen not to be driven into any box, and jokes her music could best be described as “posh reggae yes, let’s go with that.” Whatever it’s called, Love, Politics, War features 15 eclectic, very enjoyable tracks. “Crocodile Tears” opens and is funky and starts with a salutation of sax from YolanDa Brown, before the theme reveals itself and follows through the track. There is a beautiful middle section with double saxes and a bounciness to the track which is totally in keeping with her irrepressible spirit. The final section is freer, which is glorious in itself.  “Dream Dream Repeat,” featuring Casey Benjamin of the Robert Glasper band, is a sashaying, reggae-steeped, rhythmic escapade with the saxophones bouncing off each other over the driving rhythms, while “Feel No Pain” (featuring three-time Grammy Award-winning Dame Evelyn Glennie) is, as you would expect, a deeply rhythmic and soul-drenched number which develops both in complexity and textures as the track progresses. The tenor solo is wonderfully rich, though I’m not sure about the playground sounds at the end. “General PoliTricks,” featuring Rick Leon James on bass, is gorgeous, rich and delivers a bounce throughout. That is until a break in rhythm for the sax solo, which is impressively register-crossing and verging on free as it soars and wails. Beautiful. “Heritage” is like a journey, as the sax sings over an ever subtly changing musical arrangement held together by a steady beat. That cadence changes only for a short section around the two-thirds mark, where keys and sax play over what sounds like a stuck record needle that acts as a metronome. “Love at War” is a poem set over music, worded beautifully by the poetess and vocalist Floacist. The stark words, backed by light, contrasting sax, somehow make the dialogue between spoken and sung vocals more interesting. “Million Billion Love” is reggae-infused and an enjoyable number before the arrival of “Neutral Ground.” Trumpeter Keyon Harrold and pianist Jon Cleary bring a NOLA vibe to the music, and the layers are peeled back to reveal sharper, deeper textures and a lovely change of tempo before the crystal clear trumpet solo in the middle section. Cleary’s deceptively laid back, yet intricate style of playing blends well with the sax style of YolanDa Brown on this track, and the minor key interlude just before the final flourish is ear catching. “Never Too Late” is slow, and opens with sax and bass in just off tandem, which is intriguing and clever, before it smooths out into a well-rounded thematic number. “No More War” features Phebe Edwards (Liam Gallagher, Adele, Rita Ora, Lemar, Primal Scream, Donna Summer, Gabrielle and others), and the emotive, gospel/soul-steeped style she uses works well with the exceptional sax. 

“Prosper” is a rhythmic, driving song/prayer about the search for freedom from discrimination and forgiveness, with lovely male vocals over the funky beat. “Roll With It” opens with quiet, rhythmic bass before brassy blares smother the gentleness. This is then replaced with a dance rhythm and funky vibes, under which the sax enters, rhythmic and seemingly settled into the groove before lifting up and over after the half way mark to lead. “Sugarcane” is easy, hanging behind the beat and laid back in style while never complacent. “This Kind Of Love,” featuring Raheem Devaughn on vocals, is gentle, strolling and packed with powerful words which belie the gentleness of the backing music and vocals. “Time and Tide” has a spiritual, moving cadence which the sax introduces and the gentle backing re-iterates. There is a sense of movement, a constant building and reflection. A super track to finish. Every track on YolanDa Brown’s Love, Politics, War has a certain eclecticism to it, with rhythm changes, tempo trips and gentle offset sections where a musician takes the central role, always on a changing basis. The sax is central, however, and key to the driving behind each track. There is a warmth running through this music, that opinion possibly being influenced by the very warm YolanDa I met and was greeted by with a huge bear hug a month or so back when I saw her play live. YolanDa Brown is coming of age. There is a confidence and quality to her playing, and she is more than willing to extend her range and try a different take on her music. She may joke about her genre being a new one but any way you name it, it is certainly in a class of its own. http://somethingelsereviews.com/2019/04/15/yolanda-brown-love-politics-war/

Love Politics War

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Kirk Lightsey - Estate

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:41
Size: 146,4 MB
Art: Front

(8:35)  1. Estate
(7:23)  2. You and the Night
(9:32)  3. Heaven Dance
(8:32)  4. Infant Eyes
(4:29)  5. One Finger Snap
(8:57)  6. Goodbye Mr.Evans
(8:15)  7. Kutala
(7:54)  8. Vapallia

Three great, different, musical personalities sign this beautiful album, interacting freely on two main grounds of choice: the fervent inventiveness and an extremely mimetic approach, which leads the three musicians to regain possession of the sensibility as well as the formal principles most dear to fellow travelers. Here is Don Moye sinuously bending to the persuasive, soft harmonies of "Estate" with a subtle and refined drumming, full of precious found on the metric and beat plane. His soloism is always full of sudden and multidirectional solutions, in varying the post-baptism trend of the themes signed by the pianist.

All supported by incisive and broken plots, in the name of an equal dialogical comparison. Eccentric wheelies; free forms; elegant and refined atmospheres; rich and varied sounds. These are some of the trump cards of this trio, which thanks to the class of individual musicians succeeds in the difficult intent of making the most diverse improvisational and compositional traditions interact: Africa; cultured citations of academic language; the practice of the mainstream. On excellent levels the test of the chameleon-like Lightsey, in the continuous search for abstract and suspended notes, to better support the oblique and cultured solutions of the magnificent double-bass player Tibor Elekes. His is once again one of the most superb pianisms of the entire contemporary jazz scene, to incorporate two distinct trends in a wise harmonic thought: soft and cantabile sounds, reinvigorated by the angular and fragmented lines of the African-American piano heritage. But all three musicians are equally responsible for this extremely successful and composite journey, which the Italian label Itinera did well to promote and document.~ AAJ Italy Staff https://www.allaboutjazz.com/estate-kirk-lightsey-balance-point-acoustics-review-by-aaji-staff.php

Personnel: Kirk Lightsey (piano); Famodou Don Moye (battery); Tibor Elekes (double bass).

Estate

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Larry Coryell - Traffic

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:55
Size: 145,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:12)  1. Judith Loves Jazz
(3:58)  2. Manic Depression
(7:35)  3. Door #3
(7:09)  4. Joyce's Favorite
(7:56)  5. Misterioso
(5:37)  6. Dedication
(7:18)  7. Drums & Bass
(3:43)  8. Jake's Lullaby
(5:14)  9. Overruled
(9:11) 10. Electric Jam

CBW are guitarist Larry Coryell, former Weather Report bassist Victor Bailey and drummer Lenny White a trio capable of ear-blasting blues and funk. What distinguishes this fierce but patchy jazz-rock set from its CBW predecessor, Electric, is an unplugged delicacy on a couple of slow tracks, and good reworkings of imports like Hendrix's Manic Depression and Monk's Misterioso. Coryell, who was a 1970s jazz-rock guitar pioneer, mixes raw fluency and an R&B player's boogieing drive on Door £3. A one-take exercise, the set has its insecurities (Bailey sounds initially uncertain of the famous ascending hook of Misterioso, and Coryell's time can waver), but a what-the-hell boldness usually wins out - like the guitarist's ghostly use of the slide on Misterioso, or Bailey's chord-playing and tapping effects on Drums & Bass. Lots of raw blues and power-playing - though perhaps everybody from Scofield to D'Angelo has reworked these surefire ingredients in more subtle ways. … we have a small favour to ask. More people are reading and supporting The Guardian’s independent, investigative journalism than ever before. And unlike many news organisations, we have chosen an approach that allows us to keep our journalism accessible to all, regardless of where they live or what they can afford. But we need your ongoing support to keep working as we do. ~ John Fordham More... https://www.theguardian.com/music/2007/jan/12/jazz.shopping1

Personnel: Acoustic Guitar – Larry Coryell; Drums – Lenny White; Electric Bass – Victor Bailey; Electric Guitar.

Traffic

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Lorez Alexandria - Only Happy

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:58
Size: 173,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:27)  1. Trav'lin' Light
(2:10)  2. No Moon at All
(3:39)  3. Detour Ahead
(2:35)  4. Softly as in a Morning Sunrise
(3:13)  5. Don't Explain
(3:02)  6. I'm Just a Lucky So-And-So
(2:58)  7. Early in the Morning
(2:58)  8. Baltimore Oriole
(3:02)  9. Spring Will Be a Little Late This Year
(2:16) 10. Baby, Don't You Cry
(2:49) 11. Nature Boy
(3:23) 12. I Was a Fool
(3:28) 13. So Long
(2:50) 14. The End of a Love Affair
(3:45) 15. Traveling Down a Lonely Road (Love Theme from "La Strada")
(3:19) 16. Good Morning Heartache
(2:22) 17. Almost Like Being in Love
(3:49) 18. Love Look Away
(2:23) 19. I Ain't Got Nothin' but the Blues
(2:44) 20. Trouble Is a Man
(2:45) 21. It Could Happen to You
(2:53) 22. I Want to Talk About You
(3:04) 23. I Almost Lost My Mind
(3:11) 24. Baltimore Oriole II
(2:42) 25. Rocks in My Bed

A solid singer who is superior at interpreting lyrics, gives a soulful feeling to each song, and improvises with subtlety, Lorez Alexandria was a popular attraction for several decades. She sang gospel music with her family at churches starting in the mid-'40s and worked in Chicago nightclubs in the 1950s. With the release of several albums for King during 1957-1959, Alexandria became popular beyond her hometown, and by the early '60s she was living and working in Los Angeles. In addition to the King label, her earlier recording sessions were for Argo and Impulse, while her later albums were for Discovery and Muse. Despite a long period off records (only a few private recordings during the 1965-1976 period), Alexandria survived through the many changes in musical styles and could be heard in excellent form up until she retired in the mid-'90s. Not long after retiring, Alexandria suffered a stroke, and her health declined until her death in May 2001. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/lorez-alexandria-mn0000282731/biography

Only Happy

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William Parker - Mass For The Healing Of The World

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:53
Size: 163,6 MB
Art: Front

( 0:31)  1. Invocation
(13:22)  2. First Reading (dawn Song)
( 8:46)  3. Hallelujah
( 5:44)  4. Mysticism
(13:01)  5. Response (muezzin S Call)
(6:55) 6. Second Reading (cathedral In The Mountains)
( 8:36)  7. Willows (can You Give Me Back My Life)
(13:55)  8. Cantos (love God)

Mass for the Healing of the World provides instant nostalgia in the quick change world of modern jazz. Built around William Parker's luminous and now defunct In Order To Survive band, the disc delivers an encore taste of Cooper-Moore's big handed piano stylings and Susie Ibarra's pandemic percussion with Parker's subharmonic depth charges. Old friends Rob Brown and Roy Campbell, Jr. join tenor titan Assif Tshar and others to create this lively version of the Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra. The Mass begins with an Invocation read by Alex Lodico in Italian. Portentously unfolding with Dave Hofstra's tuba and Ibarra's tympani, "First Reading (Dawn Song)" sets the tone invoking awe of the sacred. Cooper-Moore's broken glass fills keep the rapture grounded. The orchestra's tone colors recall serial Stravinsky as it heats up and stretches. Suddenly, Cooper-Moore uses low stately chords to set up Aleta Hayes' singing of Parker's inspirational lyric. He slips his accompanist's leash to tear into the opening of "Hallelujah." Dave Sewelson's mild baritone sax blows overwhelmed by a piano blizzard. As the rhythm section threatens to fly off the stage, it parts to reveal Parker, the driving heat at the core, firing on all pistons. A spacious opening of tiered fanfares prepares "Mysticism," then a heavy lockstep rhythm provides foundation for Chris Jonas' soaring, roiling soprano, Cooper-Moore breaking stride with shattering chord shards. Altered soprano and processed trombone get "Response (Muezzin's Call)" going, then space is replaced by swing as the rhythm section plays it fairly straight. Tshar blows some torrid tenor and soon enough Brown scorches the stage. Little Huey rolls and blares as Moore/Parker/Ibarra/Brown burn into the Italian night. Lewis Barnes' trumpet dances wildly with the ecstatic crew. "Second Reading (Cathedral in the Mountains)" sets a down blue groove in motion for Campbell to decorate. When Lodico returns with trombone, Campbell peels off sheets of brass a la Don Cherry. An emotional ballad, "Willows (Can you Give Me Back My Life)" has Darryl Foster's thoughtful soprano navigating the minors. Richard Rodriguez soulfully sweeps through on trumpet. "Cantos (Love God)" sounds like an outtake from the Peach Orchard, with its determined stride. Brown and Campbell restlessly wrestle through the rigid structure with unstoppable power. One wonders how many recorded Little Huey performances languish in the can. This one documents a night six years ago that is both timeless and a time capsule. Like all Little Huey projects, all manner of musics emanate from the assembled musicians, all the musics tinted blue. ~ REX BUTTERS https://www.allaboutjazz.com/mass-for-the-healing-of-the-world-william-parker-black-saint-review-by-rex-butters.php

Personnel: William Parker, bass, pocket trumpet; Rob Brown, Marco Eneidi, alto sax; Chris Jonas, soprano sax; Darryl Foster, tenor and soprano sax; Assif Tshar, tenor sax, bass clarinet; Dave Sewelson, baritone sax; Alex Lodico, Masaiko Kono, trombone; Roy Campbell, Lewis Barnes, Richard Rodriguez, trumpet; Dave Hofstra, tuba; Cooper Moore, piano; Susie Ibarra, drums, tympani; Aleta Heyes, vocals.

Mass For The Healing Of The World

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Heather Bennett - All Through The Night

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:55
Size: 133,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:24)  1. All Through The Night
(6:18)  2. Mary
(4:31)  3. Blues Etude
(5:04)  4. Someday You'll Be Sorry
(5:35)  5. Dreamer
(7:04)  6. Nature Boy
(3:47)  7. When It's Sleepytime Down South
(5:40)  8. Lost Girl
(6:54)  9. All My Loving
(4:11) 10. Boo-Bop
(2:22) 11. Search For Peace

To listen to the Pianist, Composer, Singer Heather Bennett is to browse through a well-assorted choice of Straight-Ahead transformed for modern times. Echos of Hard-Bop, Bebop, Post-Bop, Originals, modern interpretations of Pop Numbers... With a definite knowledge of tradition, her compositions impressively present an intelligent path from the present to the future of Jazz through her expressive, powerful, but also lyrical piano playing. Heather Bennett, daughter of a classical pianist, majored in music in Texas and North Carolina (Magna cum Laude in Jazz-Performance) and has lived in the "Big Apple" since 1997 where she stays quite active in numerous musical projects. There she initiated, among other things, a female quintet with bassist Erin Wright, worked with muscians like Ingrid Jensen, Ed Schuller, Georg Schuller, Randy Brecker, Ari Hoenig and constantly plays with her groups in the NYC Jazz Clubs. Recently her 4th and latest CD "Suite Talk" appeared with, among others, Drummer Billy Hart and Bassist Rufus Reid. https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/hbennett2

Personnel:  Heather Bennett - Piano, Billy Heart - Drum, Dennis Irwin - Bass, Dave Pietro - Alto Sax

All Through The Night

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Christian Sands - Facing Dragons

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:30
Size: 143,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:11)  1. Rebel Music
(7:17)  2. Fight for Freedom
(7:22)  3. Yesterday
(8:26)  4. Sangueo Soul
(7:29)  5. Sunday Mornings
(8:44)  6. Frankenstein
(7:12)  7. Her Song
(5:40)  8. Samba de Vela
(4:07)  9. Rhodes to Meditation

Save for a busy, perhaps too restrained take on The Beatles' "Yesterday" and the predictable South American rhythm driven "Sangueo Soul," Facing Dragons is pianist Christian Sands third powerhouse release in a shade over two years. Crisply performed by his core trio, bassist Yasushi Nakamura and the untiring Jerome Jennings on drums, Facing Dragons may not explode out at you like last year's Reach, his debut as a leader, or the concussive live energy that spilled over onto the EP Reach Further, but it certainly ups the ante and gives plenty of fuel to those who argue that Sands is the leading pianist of his generation. Mentored by Dr. Billy Taylor as a teen and recently named creative ambassador to The Erroll Garner Project, Sands, unbridled by the past and hugely aware of all the music around him, brings it all. Colored with clusters of block chords and a bright melody, "Rebel Music," the dynamic and nimble opener, finds the trio locked in synch and quickly setting the tone. Over a tumbling churn, saxophonist Marcus Strickland's deep tone holds front and center until trumpeter Keyon Harold joins the conversation. "Sunday Mornings" features an organic duet with guitarist Caio Afune and a gospel to reggae slide beat that's just exquisite to hear. Jennings is integral here, carrying the tune with a broad, bouncing strut.  "Her Song" is a lyrical, floating dialog between pianist and guitarist, yet Nakamura's resonant suppleness is the central key to the whole affair. "Frankenstein" with its shifts and subtleties may very well call to mind Chick Corea or Herbie Hancock, but there is no imitation going on here. To close the disc, Sands wanders his on Fender Rhodes for the spacey "Rhodes To Mediation" that some might find indulgent, but the recommendation is to just float along with it. ~ MIKE JURKOVIC https://www.allaboutjazz.com/facing-dragons-christian-sands-mack-avenue-records-review-by-mike-jurkovic.php

Personnel: Christian Sands: piano, Fender Rhodes; Caio Afune: guitar; Keyon Harrold: trumpet; Jerome Jennings: drums; Yasushi Nakamura: bass; Roberto Quintero, Cristian Rivera: percussion; Marcus Strickland: saxophone.

Facing Dragons

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Lou Tavano - For You

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:15
Size: 117,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:49)  1. Quiet Enlightenment
(4:50)  2. Emotional Riot
(2:33)  3. The Letter
(4:05)  4. Rest Assured
(3:49)  5. L'artiste
(4:05)  6. For You
(3:08)  7. It's a Girl
(4:30)  8. The Call
(0:22)  9. Baboushka
(3:57) 10. Petite Pomme
(4:11) 11. All Together
(5:18) 12. Afro Blue (Bali Hues)
(5:33) 13. Through a Nightmare

She is the new vocal-jazz sensation in a Parisian scene already jam-packed with impressive names. Now in her early 30s, Lou Tavano is bringing out her first album, a work that will attract the same attention as her trade-mark shock of fiery-red hair. Every song on 'For You' is its own little cosmos that reveals Tavano s extraordinary talent for creating a musical universe in which words carry just as much weight as the notes. ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/You-LOU-TAVANO/dp/B019ZRVJIA

Personnel:  Alexey Asantcheeff / piano, spoken word in Russian; Arno de Casanove / trumpet, flugelhorn; Maxime Berton / soprano & tenor saxophones, bass clarinet, alto flute; Alexandre Perrot / acoustic bass; Ariel Tessier / drums; Background vocals and percussions performed by Lou Tavano & her musicians

For You

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Chico Freeman - The Unspoken Word

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:06
Size: 179,4 MB
Art: Front

( 2:35)  1. The Unspoken Word
(14:29)  2. Gano Club
(11:13)  3. Playpen
( 9:19)  4. Infant Eyes
(10:01)  5. Peace Maker
(14:25)  6. Misty
(16:01)  7. Rythmn A Ning

An excellent tenor saxophonist and the son of Von Freeman, Chico Freeman has had a busy and diverse career, with many recordings ranging from advanced hard bop to nearly free avant-garde jazz. He originally played trumpet, not taking up the tenor until he was a junior in college. Freeman graduated from Northwestern University in 1972, played with R&B groups, and joined the AACM. In 1977, he moved to New York, where he worked with Elvin Jones, Sun Ra, Sam Rivers' big band, Jack DeJohnette's Special Edition, and Don Pullen, in addition to leading his own groups. He recorded a dozen albums as a leader during 1975-1982. Starting in 1984, Freeman has played on a part-time basis with the Leaders, he has recorded on a few occasions with his father and in 1989, he put together an electric band called Brainstorm. Chico Freeman has recorded through the years as a leader for Dharma, India Navigation, Contemporary, Black Saint, Elektra/Musician, Black Hawk, Palo Alto, Jazz House, and In & Out. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/chico-freeman-mn0000110829/biography

Personnel: Tenor Saxophone – Chico Freeman;  Alto Saxophone – Arthur Blythe; Bass – Curtis Lundy; Drums – Idris Muhammad; Piano – Julian Joseph; Sleeve – Richard Orr Design

The Unspoken Word

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Ed Palermo - New York City Saturday Night Swing

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:23
Size: 78,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:11)  1. Eddie's Boogie
(3:13)  2. The Vamp Is Back
(2:40)  3. Ladies & Gentlemen
(3:30)  4. Jumpin' Jeans
(3:21)  5. Starlight Romance
(3:00)  6. Mambo Cabana
(2:41)  7. Swing Time
(2:58)  8. Feelin' Lucky
(2:47)  9. Broadway, Please
(3:24) 10. Home Base Blues
(2:34) 11. Easy Living

Ed Palermo has been leading his own big band for more than 25 years, an accomplishment all by itself. Prior to that he had performed or recorded with Aretha Franklin, Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Celia Cruz, Lena Horne, Tony Bennett, Mel Tormé, Lou Rawls, Melba Moore, Debbie Gibson, the Spinners, and many others. He has also written and arranged for The Tonight Show, Maurice Hines, and Eddy Fischer, and his arranging talents were singled out by master arranger Gil Evans: "I first heard Ed Palermo's music in a small club in the SoHo section of Manhattan. He was using the instrumentation of a traditional 'big band' yet his arrangements and songs were anything but that. When I thought the music was going a certain direction, it would suddenly turn a corner. Ed has the ability to keep that important balance between cohesiveness and unpredictability. Ed Palermo's music is alive and represents now." Palermo has done arrangements of composers ranging from Jimi Hendrix and the Beatles to Shostakovich and Milhaud. However, he is probably best known for his arranging of the music of Frank Zappa for his big band, which has been performing the Zappa repertoire steadily for two decades. In 1997 he released the critically acclaimed The Ed Palermo Big Band Plays the Music of Frank Zappa on Astor Place, featuring the band with guest musicians Mike Stern and Mike Keneally. In July 2002, the Ed Palermo Big Band played at the Zappanale Festival in Bad Doberan, Germany, and a year later a Swedish version of the band performed at the Umeå Internationella Kammarmusik Festival in Sweden with guests Napoleon Murphy Brock and Keneally. Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance, their second recording of Zappa material, was released in May 2006. Three years later, Palermo and company returned with another Zappa-themed big-band effort, Eddy Loves Frank. Oh No!! Not Jazz!! Followed in 2014. In 2017 he delivered The Great Un-American Songbook, Volumes I & II, which featured jazz reworkings of songs by British rock acts including the Beatles, Cream, the Rolling Stones, Radiohead, and more. ~ Sean Westergaard https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ed-palermo-mn0000791880/biography

New York City Saturday Night Swing

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