Chuck Hedges - Just Jammin'

Styles: Clarinet Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:37
Size: 174,9 MB
Art: Front

(8:52)  1. Broadway
(5:38)  2. Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans
(7:00)  3. Sugar
(9:51)  4. I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You
(6:33)  5. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart
(7:54)  6. Do Nothin' Til You Hear From Me
(6:59)  7. Lullaby In Rhythm
(3:19)  8. In My Solitude
(8:11)  9. The Man I Love
(6:11) 10. Midnight Sun
(5:03) 11. Samba Dese Days

Chuck Hedges would agree that he is a nut who didn’t fall far from the tree. Chicago born and bred, the talented clarinetist settled in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, after touring with Wild Bill Davison, and he still commutes to the Windy City for a regular gig at Andy’s. But he also appreciates jamming with his Wisconsin neighbors, and for some time he has wanted to record with them. (Some of Hedges’ Milwaukee neighbors are commuters, such as Bucky Buchwalter, who returned to music after retiring from 40 years as an executive with Marshall Field in Chicago; and Dave Sullivan, who drives in from Sheboygan.) Arbors Records has provided him that chance. The result is a gentle album of “swinging chamber jazz, possibly what the pioneering Benny Goodman sextet might sound like today, if BG, Lionel Hampton, Teddy Wilson, et al., were still alive and playing,” as Mike Drew, jazz critic and writer for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, opines in the liner notes. Well, I’m not sure I would’ve gone that far, but you’ve got the idea. From their assurance, musicianship, blend, and joie de vivre, these are obviously serious jazzmen who enjoy their music-making enormously and want to share it. To be sure, the music is relaxed and easy to share; as I’m listening in my office, my wife walks past the door, stops, and then comes in just to sit and listen for a spell. This CD provides more than 75 minutes of mellow music on only eleven tunes, so the musicians have plenty of room to stretch out a bit. Ellington’s “Solitude” runs a little more than three minutes, but all the others range between five and ten minutes in length. The longest is also the slowest and moodiest: Victor Young and Ned Washington’s “Ghost of a Chance,” with a delightful guitar quote from “It Might as Well Be Spring,” and tasty solos all around. If you like quotes, listen to Sullivan’s guitar solos: on “I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart,” for David Rose’s “Holiday for Strings”; right at the beginning on “Do Nothin’ Till You Hear from Me,” for Stephen Foster’s “I Dream of Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair”; and on “Samba Dese Days,” for Youmans and Caesar’s “Tea for Two.” The two most up-tempo tunes are left for near the end: “The Man I Love” and “Samba Dese Days,” Sophie Tucker’s old theme song, with a lilting Latin arrangement of “Midnight Sun” sandwiched in between. Any lingering doubts I might have harbored about the technical and musical abilities of these six musicians have been neatly dispelled, long before the last echoes die out. ~ J.Robert Bragonier https://www.allaboutjazz.com/just-jammin-chuck-hedges-arbors-records-review-by-j-robert-bragonier.php

Personnel: Chuck Hedges (clarinet), Henry (Bucky) Buckwalter (vibes), Dave Sullivan (guitar), Gary Meisner (piano), Mike Britz (bass), and Andy LoDuca (drums)

Just Jammin'

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Thelma Gracen - Night And Day

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1955
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:03
Size: 88,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:54)  1. I'll Remember April
(3:03)  2. Night And Day
(4:20)  3. I'll Never Be The Same
(2:35)  4. Tea For Two
(3:43)  5. I'll Get By
(2:38)  6. Out Of Nowhere
(4:01)  7. Solitude
(1:47)  8. Just You, Just Me
(4:15)  9. I'm Yours
(2:47) 10. People Will Say We're In Love
(3:51) 11. More Than You Know
(2:03) 12. Let There Be Love

Thelma Gracen began singing at the age of 15 and in the following years she appeared on the swing bands of Shep Fields (first recordings)  and Jimmy Dorsey . In 1947 she sang in the Gay Claridge Orchestra  ("Juke Box Serenade");  In 1955, she was in Los Angeles by Maynard Ferguson discovered  and was vocalist for Freddie Slack ( "Cow Cow Boogie" ( EmArcy Records ), u. A. With Shorty Sherock , Herbie Harper , Justin Gordon , Al Hendrickson , Morty Corb , Jack Sparrow). In November 1955, she recorded her only self-titled album for Wing with a studio band of West Coast jazz musicians ( Quen Anderson , Georgie Auld , Lou Levy , Barney Kessel , Joe Comfort, and Sid Bulkin ) (ReAssue on EmArCy).  She then interpreted standards such as " I'll Get By ", " I'll Remember April ", " More Than You Know ", " Out of Nowhere ", " Solitude " and " Tea for Two ". Translate By Google https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thelma_Gracen

Night And Day

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Doug Webb - Midnight

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:39
Size: 169,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:24)  1. Try A Little Tenderness
(6:16)  2. I'll Be Around
(6:16)  3. Fly Me To The Moon
(6:25)  4. You Go To My Head
(3:53)  5. The Boy Next Door
(8:56)  6. Crazy She Calls Me
(6:20)  7. Quasimodo
(8:47)  8. Emily
(4:02)  9. You Do Something To Me - bonus track
(8:05) 10. Ask Me Now - bonus track
(3:52) 11. There's A Small Hotel - bonus track
(5:17) 12. Trouble Is A Man - bonus track

Saxophonist Doug Webb leads a superb quartet on Midnight, creating a late-night atmosphere with a hint of nostalgia on a range of classic tunes. Webb's career stretches back for 30 years and includes work with some of the finest jazz musicians, including Bud Shanks, Horace Silver and Freddie Hubbard, as well as leading rock and pop acts including Rod Stewart. Midnight sees Webb joined by an equally talented rhythm section; the result is a true ensemble performance with every musician given the opportunity to stretch out and put their own individual stamp on the recording. Bassist Stanley Clarke and drummer Gerry Gibbs hold down the rhythmic center of the music with an inventive enthusiasm. Clarke, in particular, seems to relish his role in the traditional acoustic lineup, playing with verve. Their command of the rhythm is total, providing space and opportunity for the pianists to take on more of a lead role as well as delivering some exceptional solos. The tunes may be familiar, but the quartet makes each one sound fresh, even when playing them in what might be termed the "standard" fashion. Alec Wilder's "I'll Be Around" finds Webb playing in a style reminiscent of fellow tenor saxophonist Scott Hamilton, the solos by Webb and pianist Larry Goldings are rich and warm. By contrast, "Try a Little Tenderness," usually performed as a ballad by artists such as Otis Redding, is delivered in a swinging, up-tempo, style with a terrific tenor solo from Webb. 

Clarke's solos on "Crazy She Calls Me" and Charlie Parker's "Quasimodo" are positive, precise and affecting album highlights. He also takes the spotlight on Bart Howard's "Fly Me to the Moon." The arrangement is rather bland to that point, but Clarke's performance is an object lesson in how to play a bass solo to complement the mood of a tune. Goldings' bell-like piano chords on the closing bars of the tune are an inspired and delightful ending. "You Go To My Head" is a piano and saxophone duet, with pianist Joe Bagg playing on this tune, in a more angular and percussive contrast to Goldings elsewhere on the disc, and works exceptionally well in underpinning Webb. The third of the album's pianists, the young Sri Lankan Mahesh Balasooriya, joins the band for "The Boy Next Door," and brings yet another distinctive style to the group. Closer to Bagg's technique than Goldings, his chordal playing is economical and unselfish, and gives Gibbs the chance to create some inventive drum patterns. Webb puts his own musical identity on this album with confidence. His tone is welcoming, whether he's playing soprano, alto or tenor, and his solos are wonderfully melodic every note counts, with no need to overpower the music with unnecessary displays of complex runs or techniques. Production is exceptionally good, and the trademark Posi-Tone packaging adds to the rather nostalgic feel of the music. Midnight is a triumph of thoughtful yet romantic late night jazz. ~ Bruce Lindsay https://www.allaboutjazz.com/midnight-doug-webb-posi-tone-records-review-by-bruce-lindsay.php

Personnel: Doug Webb: saxophones; Larry Goldings: piano (2, 3, 6-8); Stanley Clarke: bass; Gerry Gibbs: drums; Joe Bagg: piano (1, 4); Mahesh Balasooriya: piano (5).

Midnight

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Jean-Luc Ponty - King Kong

Styles: Violin Jazz
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:00
Size: 101,4 MB
Art: Front

( 4:55)  1. King Kong
( 4:03)  2. Idiot Bastard Son
( 5:36)  3. Twenty Small Cigars
( 7:17)  4. How Would You Like To Have A Head Like That
(19:25)  5. Music For Electric Violin And Low Budget Orchestra
( 2:42)  6. America Drinks And Goes Home

Not just an album of interpretations, King Kong: Jean-Luc Ponty Plays the Music of Frank Zappa was an active collaboration; Frank Zappa arranged all of the selections, played guitar on one, and contributed a new, nearly 20-minute orchestral composition for the occasion. Made in the wake of Ponty's appearance on Zappa's jazz-rock masterpiece Hot Rats, these 1969 recordings were significant developments in both musicians' careers. In terms of jazz-rock fusion, Zappa was one of the few musicians from the rock side of the equation who captured the complexity not just the feel of jazz, and this project was an indicator of his growing credibility as a composer. For Ponty's part, King Kong marked the first time he had recorded as a leader in a fusion-oriented milieu (though Zappa's brand of experimentalism didn't really foreshadow Ponty's own subsequent work). Of the repertoire, three of the six pieces had previously been recorded by the Mothers of Invention, and "Twenty Small Cigars" soon would be. Ponty writes a Zappa-esque theme on his lone original "How Would You Like to Have a Head Like That," where Zappa contributes a nasty guitar solo. The centerpiece, though, is obviously "Music for Electric Violin and Low Budget Orchestra," a new multi-sectioned composition that draws as much from modern classical music as jazz or rock. It's a showcase for Zappa's love of blurring genres and Ponty's versatility in handling everything from lovely, simple melodies to creepy dissonance, standard jazz improvisation to avant-garde, nearly free group passages. In the end, Zappa's personality comes through a little more clearly (his compositional style pretty much ensures it), but King Kong firmly established Ponty as a risk-taker and a strikingly original new voice for jazz violin. ~ Steve Huey https://www.allmusic.com/album/king-kong-jean-luc-ponty-plays-the-music-of-frank-zappa-mw0000099048

Personnel:  Jean-Luc Ponty – electric violin, baritone violectra; Frank Zappa – guitar; George Duke – piano, electric piano; Ernie Watts – alto and tenor sax;  Ian Underwood – tenor sax;  Buell Neidlinger – bass; Wilton Felder – Fender bass; Gene Estes – vibraphone, percussion;  John Guerin – drums;  Art Tripp – drums; Donald Christlieb – bassoon; Gene Cipriano – oboe, English horn; Vincent DeRosa – French horn, descant; Arthur Maebe – French horn, tuben; Jonathan Meyer – flute; Harold Bemko – cello; Milton Thomas – viola.

King Kong

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Walter Davis Jr - If I Get Lucky

Styles: Piano Jazz

Year: 2000

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 61:15

Size: 142,4 MB

Art: Front

(3:04)  1. Santa Claus

(3:19)  2. Jacksonville, Pt. 1

(3:38)  3. Jacksonville, Pt. 2

(3:13)  4. Big Jack Engine Blues

(3:43)  5. You Don't Know Right From Wrong

(3:26)  6. Smoky Mountain

(2:38)  7. Call Your Name

(2:35)  8. Just Want To Think

(3:09)  9. Cotton Club Blues

(2:52) 10. Good Time Woman

(2:55) 11. If I Get Lucky

(3:15) 12. Death Of Bessie Smith

(2:53) 13. Wrapped Up In Bad Luck

(2:54) 14. Cozy Corner Blues

(2:56) 15. Save It All For Me

(2:47) 16. Can't See Your Face

(2:41) 17. Just Thinking

(3:01) 18. Please Don't Mistreat Me

(2:59) 19. Why Should I Be Blue?

(3:09) 20. Just Want To Talk Awhile

(March 1, 1911 or 1912 – October 22, 1963) was an African-American blues singer, pianist, and songwriter who was one of the most prolific blues recording artists from the early 1930s to the early 1950s. Davis had a rich singing voice that was as expressive as the best of the Delta blues vocalists. His best-known recording, a version of the train blues standard "Sunnyland Blues", released in 1931, is more notable for the warmth and poignancy of his singing than for his piano playing. His best-known songs included "Come Back Baby", "Ashes in My Whiskey" and "Blue Blues".[ Davis was sometimes billed as "Hooker Joe". He was unrelated to the jazz pianist Walter Davis, Jr. Davis was born on a farm in Grenada, Mississippi. He ran away from home at about 13 years of age, landing in St. Louis, Missouri. He started singing with pianist Roosevelt Sykes and guitarist Henry Townsend. Davis made his first recordings, including the successful "M&O Blues", in 1930, as a singer accompanied by Sykes on piano.[7] A self-taught pianist, Davis increasingly accompanied himself as he became more proficient. His piano playing was described by blues historian Gérard Herzhaft as "primitive but expressive, with an irregular rhythm." Influenced by Leroy Carr, and with a "mournful vocal tone" and a "reflective style and superior lyrics", Davis recorded prolifically for Victor and Bluebird, making over 150 recordings between 1930 and 1952. Many featured Townsend and/or Big Joe Williams on guitar. Described as "one of the finest and most original of all blues singers and pianists", Davis had a varied repertoire, including melancholy songs (such as "Tears Came Rollin' Down", written by Townsend), humorous songs, and songs laced with double entendres (such as "Think You Need a Shot"). According to Townsend, Davis "played some of the saddest songs that was ever heard about".  Townsend denied claims that Davis played club dates in the South and the lower Midwest with Townsend and Big Joe Williams, saying that Davis "didn't do no entertaining, not to my knowledge, none whatsoever. ... Walter was very, very bashful when it came to public entertainment. ... I've never known him to be booked on no job, not even no house party." Townsend also stated that Davis's name was used falsely on club bookings by other musicians in the 1930s. In 1940, Davis had a hit with his recording of "Come Back Baby", a song later recorded by Lowell Fulson, Ray Charles, and many others.[11] Once he was well established as a popular recording artist, he performed regularly in hotels in St. Louis, sometimes with Townsend. In 1952, Davis had a stroke, which effectively ended his recording career. His style of music was already becoming unfashionable.[8] He worked for the rest of his life as a desk clerk in a hotel and as a part-time preacher. He died in St. Louis in 1963, aged about 52,nd was buried in Greenwood Cemetery, in Hillsdale, Missouri. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Davis_(blues)

If I Get Lucky

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Joe Magnarelli, Perico Sambeat - Pórtico

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:05
Size: 129,3 MB
Art: Front

(7:02)  1. Brooklyn
(6:04)  2. Pórtico
(8:14)  3. Little Bandit
(6:31)  4. Compersion
(6:31)  5. Inner Beauty Outer Struggle
(6:44)  6. Transición
(7:03)  7. Mag's Groove
(7:52)  8. We'll Be Together Again

"Joe Magnarelli has been on our radar screen for some time. This is his 4th CD release weve covered since 2011. Beginning with his with strings CD in 2011, and following up with a live Smalls session in 2013 (with the late pianist Mulgrew Miller), Joe then signed with Posi-Tone for last years Lookin Up smoking release." "Top to bottom, Magnarellis Three on Two CD release is a slam dunk issue highlighted by Joe making all the right moves on the jazz court..." http://www.joemagnarelli.com/

In 1980 he began playing sax self-taught. He moved to Barcelona in 1982, where he ended his flute classical studies. At the same time he started attending Taller de Mùsics, where he studied harmony and arrangements with Zé Eduardo. In 1991 he moved to New York, where he attended New School. There he had the chance to play with great musicians such as Lee Konitz, Jimmy Cobb, Joe Chambers, etc. He also worked professionally with Steve Lacy, Daniel Humair, Fred Hersch, Bob Moses, Louis Bellson, Michael Brecker, Bob Mintzer, Maria Schneider, Pat Metheny, Kenny Wheeler, etc. He has been tecahing in some of the most important jazz schools in Spain: Taller de Músics, Musikene, ESMUC, etc, and has been doing workshops all around the world. He has played in festivals and jazz clubs all around the world. Nowadays he combines teaching in Berklee College of Music Valencia Campus with his activity as a jazz performer and Big Band conductor. https://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/pericosambeat

Personnel:  Joe Magnarelli (tp), Perico Sambeat (as), Fabio Miano (p), Ignasi González (b), Andrea Michelutti (d)

Pórtico

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Florence Joelle - Kiss of Fire

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:41
Size: 76,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:40)  1. Hell Be Damned and Look Out (You May Only Live Once)
(2:36)  2. Stardust Merchant
(3:06)  3. When I Get Low I Get High
(3:48)  4. I'll Come Running
(2:50)  5. Gypsy Boy
(3:47)  6. True to Myself
(3:20)  7. Watermelon Gin
(3:03)  8. Unchain My Heart
(2:56)  9. Never Thought I'd See the Day
(3:31) 10. The Look In His Eyes

Florence Joelle and her most worthy henchmen (Huck Whitney, Chris Campion, Arthur Lager) released their debut album, Florence Joelle’s Kiss Of Fire on Zoltan Records on July 10th. Their sound is an exciting smorgasbord of vintage rock ‘n’ roll, jazz and blues all sprinkled with a healthy swish of French style and Tarantinoesque panache. This triumphant debut manages to combine a wonderful blend of unique covers (‘When I Get Low I Get High’ and ‘Unchain My Heart’) with some startling original songs, which flow together seamlessly to make this an album to be taken very seriously. 

If you are in the UK keep an eye out for Florence playing live, and in the meantime here is a track from the album, When I Get Low I Get High’ to whet your appetite. http://www.thevinyldistrict.com/uk/2011/07/midweek-music-florence-joelles-kiss-of-fire/

Kiss of Fire

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Craig Chaquico - Acoustic Planet

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:37
Size: 117,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:53)  1. Native Tongue (New At Two)
(5:12)  2. Winterflame
(5:21)  3. Find Your Way Back
(6:59)  4. Gathering Of The Tribes
(4:37)  5. The Grey Wolf Hunts Again
(3:24)  6. Anejo De Cabo
(6:56)  7. Just One World
(3:32)  8. Center Of Courage
(7:38)  9. Acoustic Planet

Acoustic Planet is the second solo album by American guitarist, producer, and composer Craig Chaquico. It was released a year after his first solo album, the critically acclaimed Acoustic Highway. Acoustic Planet received a Grammy nomination in 1994 for Best New Age Album. When Chaquico left Starship in 1990, he began looking for a new musical direction, opting for a solo career as a jazz and New Age instrumentalist to showcase his acoustic music.  Acoustic Planet is his second album of this solo direction. The album was recorded at Chaquico's Lunatunes Studio in Mill Valley, California, mixed at Auravision Studios in Ojai, California, and mastered at Quad Tech Studios in Los Angeles . Acoustic Planet debuted at the top of the Billboard New Age chart on November 12, 1994 and received a Grammy nomination for Best New Age Album the same year. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acoustic_Planet

Acoustic Planet

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Guy Lafitte - Happy ! (Paris, France 1977) [The Definitive Black & Blue Sessions]

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:50
Size: 154,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:25)  1. Put On A Happy Face (take 1)
(6:32)  2. My Foolish Heart
(6:29)  3. Make Someone Happy
(4:29)  4. Get Happy
(7:07)  5. Happy Go Lucky Local
(5:13)  6. Sometimes I'm Happy
(7:43)  7. Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe
(6:16)  8. Put On A Happy Face
(6:00)  9. My Foolish Heart (take 1)
(4:25) 10. Sometimes I'm Happy (take 1)
(7:06) 11. Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe (take 2)

A fine swing tenorman whose main inspiration was always Coleman Hawkins, Guy Lafitte appeared in many mainstream settings through the years. LaFitte started out paying clarinet including with swing-oriented gypsy bands. After switching to tenor in 1947 and moving to Paris, he worked with Big Bill Broonzy (1950), Mezz Mezzrow (1951), Bill Coleman (off and on starting in 1952), Dicky Wells and Buck Clayton. Through the years, Lafitte has frequently led his own mainstream combos and was also often utilized by veteran American players who were visiting France including Lionel Hampton (1956), Duke Ellington (for the 1961 film Paris Blues), Milt Buckner, Wallace Davenport, Arnett Cobb and Wild Bill Davis. As a leader, Guy Lafitte led many sessions during the 1954-93 period (particularly 1954-64) including for CFD, Duc-Thomson, Pathe, French Columbia, VSM, French RCA, Vega, Black & Blue and CTPL. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/guy-lafitte-mn0000652078

Happy ! (Paris, France 1977) [The Definitive Black & Blue Sessions]

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Rare Silk - American Eyes

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1985
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:07
Size: 97,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:58)  1. Oops!
(5:42)  2. Watch What Happens
(2:25)  3. 'Round Midnight
(8:10)  4. Hello
(5:10)  5. American Eyes
(5:24)  6. Storm
(4:40)  7. Up From The Skies
(5:34)  8. Burn It!

For a short time, Rare Silk looked as if it was going to be a significant jazz vocal group. Rare Silk, which consisted of Gaile Gillaspie, Marylynn Gillaspie, Todd Buffa and Marguerite Juenemann (replaced by Barbara Reeves), started out as a swing-oriented group in the vein of The Pied Pipers and (even with the inclusion of a male member) The Andrews Sisters. They appeared with Benny Goodman at the 1980 Playboy Jazz Festival. During the next few years, the ensemble modernized their style to include both bop and funkier material, recording for Polydor (1982) and Palo Alto (1985-86); most notable were their versions of "New York Afternoon," "Red Clay" and "Spain." However, Rare Silk never really did catch on and they eventually broke up. ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/American-Eyes-Rare-Silk/dp/B000NB9SJK

Personnel:  Barbara Reeves, Todd Buffa, Gaile Gillaspie, Marylynn Gillaspie - vocal;    Michael Berry - drums;  Eric Gunnison - keyboards; Kip Kuepper - bass; Arlene Taylor - violin

American Eyes

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Lee Morgan - Candy

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1957
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:04
Size: 97,1 MB
Art: Front

(7:07)  1. Candy
(5:39)  2. Since I Fell For You
(5:06)  3. C.T.A.
(7:27)  4. All The Way
(5:01)  5. Who Do You Love, I Hope
(6:16)  6. Personality
(5:26)  7. All At Once You Love Her

Recorded when he was only 19, Candy was one of the first albums (along with The Cooker, recorded the same year) where Lee Morgan showed his own unique style. His prodigal technical virtuosity had already been proven at this time in the Dizzy Gilliespie band, but Morgan's first solo ventures had been remarkable only because of his young age. Here, the influence of some of Morgan's mentors can be seen, but instead of just emulating the style of older trumpeters like Clifford Brown, he has begun absorbing bits and pieces of the phrasing and style of a wide range of musicians, from Gillespie to Miles Davis, then using them to forge his own sound. Morgan places himself front and center here there are no other horns to carry the melodic lines, leaving him quite exposed, but he manages to perform beautifully. Not merely a technical marvel, his tone on this album was sweet and his playing fluid, infused with joy and crisply articulated emotion. Morgan would later turn out to be an expert songwriter, but here songs like Buddy Johnson's "Since I Fell for You," and Jimmy Heath's "C.T.A." gave him ample space to show off his talents. ~ Stacia Proefrock https://www.allmusic.com/album/candy-mw0000649662

Personnel: Lee Morgan - trumpet; Sonny Clark - piano; Doug Watkins - bass; Art Taylor - drums

Candy

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Grace Knight, Vince Jones - Come In Spinner

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1990
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:09
Size: 108,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:16)  1. I've Got You Under My Skin
(3:04)  2. The Man I Love
(4:17)  3. Mood Indigo
(2:33)  4. Don't Know Much About Love
(4:34)  5. L'il Darlin'
(2:47)  6. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
(4:13)  7. I Get Along Without You Very Well
(3:22)  8. Sophisticated Lady
(3:24)  9. You Go To My Head
(2:56) 10. Loose Lips
(3:40) 11. Body And Soul
(3:14) 12. Joy Juice
(2:21) 13. In A Sentimental Mood
(3:22) 14. Lover Come Back To Me

Born Vincent Hugh Jones, 24 March 1954, Paisley, Scotland. In 1955 Jones’ family emigrated to Australia and lived in Wolloongong, New South Wales. The son of a musician, he was exposed to the jazz greats at an early age and he began to play trumpet in local bands. As an admirer of cool jazz he was especially influenced by Chet Baker and Miles Davis. In 1974 Jones began many years of playing and singing on the New South Wales club and jazz circuit. In 1982 he recorded his debut, Watch What Happens, which featured standards and some original material. The success of the album enabled him to form a sextet that played and toured extensively. More recordings followed, and Jones became a popular festival and cabaret attraction. In 1990 he accepted an acting role in the ABC period series, Come In Spinner. The subsequent album soundtrack of standards, with Jones and Grace Knight, became a milestone in the Australian recording industry as the biggest selling Australian jazz album ever, with sales in excess of 200, 000. Jones rejected the commercial and celebrity opportunities that beckoned, preferring to concentrate on his own musicality and he released and produced new albums each year. Standards became less obvious in his repertoire and originals, written by himself or band members, became more prominent. In 1992, he toured Europe with his sextet which included Barney McAll, Lloyd Swanton and Andrew Gander. There were concerts in The Netherlands, Germany, England and at the Montreux International Jazz Festival. An effective concert and cabaret performer, Jones’ sensitive, almost tortured persona, complimented the melancholic nature of his music, which became increasingly more introspective. After the release of Trustworthy Little Sweethearts, the Jones band toured Europe to considerable success. When he returned to Australia Jones retreated to his isolated farm in rural Victoria to compose new material. The album, Future Girl, contained original material, much of it inspired by his passion for the environment and conservation. Jones maintains full control in all aspects of his recordings and performs only when inclined, but his fierce independence and dedication to his art has resulted in a highly original and important body of work. By the late 90s he had developed more as a vocalist who occasionally played the trumpet. His singing is individual and eloquent, containing sensitive phrasing and sincerity. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/vince-jones-mn0000216835/biography

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. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/grace-knight-mn0000194742

Personnel:  Vocals – Grace Knight, Vince Jones; Baritone Saxophone – Tony Buchanon; Bass – Lloyd Swanton; Clarinet – Lee Hutchings; Clarinet, Alto Saxophone – Col Loughlan; Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Jason Morphett; Drums – Andrew Gander; Guitar – Jim Kelly; Piano – Max Lambert; Trombone – Bob McIver; Trumpet – Dick Motz, John Hoffman, Paul Panichi 

Come In Spinner

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Howard McGhee, Teddy Edwards - Wise In Time

Styles: Trumpet And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:57
Size: 170,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:04)  1. I Want To Talk About You
(6:05)  2. If You Could See Me Now
(7:04)  3. Crescent
(7:42)  4. Ruby My Dear
(5:06)  5. Time Waits
(7:46)  6. Relaxing At Camarillo
(6:53)  7. Reflections
(7:35)  8. Blues In The Closet
(4:38)  9. On A Misty Night
(4:08) 10. In Walked Bud
(4:14) 11. Yardbird Suite
(6:36) 12. Moose The Mooche

Originating from the same recording sessions (trumpeter Howard McGhee's last) that resulted in its superior companion Young at Heart, this set is a bit of a disappointment. McGhee, tenor saxophonist Teddy Edwards, pianist Art Hillery, bassist Leroy Vinnegar and drummer Billy Higgins all sounded fine on the other record but this album sticks exclusively to ballads and the results are dragging and a bit dreary. The renditions of such songs as "I Want to Talk About You," "I Remember Clifford" and John Coltrane's "Crescent" do not even come close to comparing with more definitive earlier versions and the musicians sound a bit tired. Skip this set and get Young at Heart (and some of Howard McGhee's earlier albums) instead. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/wise-in-time-mw0000428357

Personnel: Howard McGhee – trumpet; Teddy Edwards – tenor saxophone; Art Hillery – piano; Leroy Vinnegar – bass; Billy Higgins – drums

Wise In Time

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Lalo Schifrin - Towering Toccata

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1976
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:09
Size: 95,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:05)  1. Towering Toccata (Based on the Toccata & Fugue in D Minor)
(4:20)  2. Frances' Theme (From the Film "The Day of the Animals")
(6:16)  3. Macumba
(2:51)  4. Eagles in Love (From the Film "The Eagle Has Landed")
(4:13)  5. Theme from "King Kong" (From the Paramount Film "King Kong")
(2:43)  6. Most Wanted Theme
(6:09)  7. Midnight Woman
(4:48)  8. Roller Coaster (From the Universal Film "Rollercoaster")
(4:41)  9. Eagles in Love (From the Film "The Eagle Has Landed") - Alt. Take

After scoring an unexpected high-profile success with the disco/jazz fusion of Black Widow, Lalo Schifrin quickly recorded a follow-up album in a similar vein. 1977's Towering Toccata replicates the elegant yet dance-friendly style of Black Widow to the tee, right down to the unconventional cover choices. The best of these is the title track, an insistently rhythmic piece that transforms Bach's gothic-organ extravaganza "Toccata and Prelude in F Minor" into a mid-tempo disco workout that backs up Schifrin's jazzy explorations on the electric piano and synthesizer with scratching rhythm guitar and a pronounced dance beat. Other notable moments on this album include "Most Wanted Theme," which is transformed from action-show theme music into a symphonic funk workout, and "Rollercoaster," a funky vamp from the Schifrin soundtrack of the same name that is ideally suited for Towering Toccata's disco/jazz mindset. There is even another monster-movie theme cover in the vein of the previous album's "Jaws"; this time, it's a disco-friendly treatment of John Barry's "Theme From King Kong" that layers atmospheric horn and flute lines over a bottom-heavy rhythm section fueled by wah-wah guitar and synth bass. However, other tracks on Towering Toccata fail to be as distinctive or adventurous as these highlights. For instance, the original tunes ("Macumba," "Midnight Woman") fit the album's mood but are lacking strong hooks and memorable twists in their arrangements that distinguished the originals on Black Widow. This problem of inconsistent material, combined with the fact that the album is basically a stylistic carbon copy of its predecessor, means that it isn't the ideal follow-up to Black Widow that Schifrin fans might have hoped for. That said, the album has enough strong tunes and enough of a consistent sound to please hardcore Lalo Schifrin fans and anyone who loved Black Widow. ~ Donald A.Guarisco https://www.allmusic.com/album/towering-toccata-mw0000742076

Personnel: Lalo Schifrin - piano, keyboards, arranger, conductor; Burt Collins, John Frosk, John Gatchell - trumpet; Urbie Green - trombone; Joe Farrell, Jeremy Steig - flute; Gerry Niewood - alto saxophone; David Tofani, Lou Marini - tenor saxophone, flute; Ronnie Cuber - baritone saxophone; Clark Spangler - keyboards; Eric Gale, John Tropea - guitar; Will Lee - bass; Steve Gadd - drums, dahka-de-bello; Max Ellen, Paul Gershman, Emanuel Green, Charles Libove, Marvin Morgenstern, David Nadien, Max Pollikoff, Matthew Raimondi - violin; Lamar Alsop, Manny Vardi - viola; Charles McCracken, Alan Shulman - cello

Towering Toccata

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Mike Moreno - Three for Three

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:43
Size: 128,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:54)  1. The Big Push
(6:27)  2. For Those Who Do
(7:10)  3. You Must Believe in Spring
(5:37)  4. Clube da Esquina No. 1
(9:24)  5. April in Paris
(8:15)  6. A Time for Love
(6:35)  7. Perhaps
(5:19)  8. Glass Eyes

Jazz guitarist and composer Mike Moreno started his musial journey at the age of 15 at the “High School for the Performing and Visual Arts” High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston from where some of the great jazz musicians of our times like Robert Glasper, Jason Moran, Kendrick Scott, Eric Harland, Helen Sung were graduated. At 18, moved to New York and he is actively one of the prominent contemporary jazz guitarists of the 21st century since then. The Joshua Redman Elastic Band, Lizz Wright Band, Nicholas Payton Quartet, Stefon Harris Sonic Creed, Me’Shell N’Degeocello, Jason Moran, Terence Blanchard, Robert Glasper, Ambrose Akinmusire, Gretchen Parlato, Aaron Parks, Claudia Acuña, Greg Osby 4, Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Jeremy Pelt, John Ellis, Myron Walden, Kenny Garrett, Yosvany Terry, Ralph Bowen, Will Vinson are some of the musicians that Moreno has worked with. He released “Between the Lines”, his debut album as a a leader in 2007. Instead of interpreting the well-known standards, he came up with totally original compositions in the first album. His easily recognizable unique lyrical style, mature compositions, the notes he play and didn’t play made his difference amongst his peers since the very first album till the last one. His second album “Third Wish” comes up next on 2008. Besides his own compositions, there were a couple of standards in this album like the very vivid version of Herbie Hancock’s “I Have a Dream” with a creatively striking intro. In 2011 comes the third album “First in Mind” where I have many favorite songs like Joshua Redman’s “Soul Dance” where we can see Moreno’s fluency in acoustic guitar also.  Sonny Rollins’ “Airegin” with a memorable 5/4 intro and a verw well-know jazz ballad “But Beautiful” played in an ethereal way, are to name a few. In 2012 “Another Way” comes next as guitarist’s 4th release as another way to show his masterful compositional abilities. This album for me is the depiction of a science fictional atmosphere as in Luc Besson’s “Fifth Element”. 

Maybe that’s because of Moreno’s composition with the same name in the album, who knows? I think Mike Moreno is highly qualified in creating that sci-fi atmosphere with his playing throughtout all of his his albums. In 2015 the guitarist comes with “Lotus” that starts with a beautiful acoustic guitar “Intro” which is my wake up alarm song for more than a year now so I probably know the song better than anybody else in this space. That ”Intro” leads smoothly to “The Hills of Kykuit”. Again in this album we see the beautiful collaboration of Aaron Parks on piano and Mike Moreno on guitar. In October 2017 comes finally “Three for Three”, Moreno’s 6th album as a leader. This album is the third release (after “Third Wish” and “First in Mind”) from Criss Cross Records, a record company in Netherlands with a variety of modern jazz works. It is a trio album, the smallest group Moreno has ever recorded as a leader, with long term collaborators Doug Weiss on bass and Kendrick Scott on drums. And it is the only album where there isn’t any Mike Moreno composition in it. The album starts with the striking version of Wayne Shorter’s underrated composition “The Big Push” which is my favorite in the album. My other favorite is Michel Legrand’s “You Must Believe in Spring”. I must say that it is the best version of this song I’ve heard since Bill Evans. The beautiful Radiohed song “Glass Eyes” cover was a big surprise for me when I first heard. The song has already a misty and cloudy nature and Moreno played it in the best way one can play with again creating his outer space atmosphere. Furthermore, I also must say it is a challenge to choose Charlie Parker’s world-renowned “Perhaps” probably becuase it was one of Charlie Parker’s most known and played compositions. But again with his modern version, it is far different from the mainstream versions we’ve listened millions of times. Mike Moreno is one of the leading modern jazz guitarists of this century with a great technical ability, lyrical one of a kind approach with strong sense of time and rhythm, and always a very melodic player especially seen on the ballads. Not only into jazz but he is also very much into Brazilian music which makes his sound more lyrical maybe. After listening his latest album and hoping that he’ll come again to our country on tour to play, here are some questions about his latest album “Three for Three” with Mike Moreno on guitar, Doug Weiss on bass and Kendrick Scott on drums. http://www.jazzdergisi.com/en/mike-moreno-three-for-three/

Personnel: Guitar – Mike Moreno;  Bass – Doug Weiss; Drums – Kendrick Scott

Three for Three

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Chuck Hedges - Swingtet - Live at Andy's (Live)

Styles: Clarinet Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:31
Size: 168,3 MB
Art: Front

(6:09)  1. Softly as in a Morning Sunrise
(5:31)  2. New Orleans
(7:53)  3. Cheek to Cheek
(6:04)  4. Nuage
(7:18)  5. It's Allright with Me
(5:04)  6. Gamblers' Waltz
(5:11)  7. Breakfast Feud
(5:50)  8. I Don't Wanna Be Kissed
(4:52)  9. Liza
(5:15) 10. She's Funny That Way
(6:41) 11. Autumn Leaves
(6:38) 12. The Blues (My Naughty Sweetie Gives Me)

The talented clarinetist Chuck Hedges is joined by some excellent Chicago-based players (vibraphonist Duane Thamm, guitarist Dave Bany, bassist John Bany, and drummer Charles Braugham) for a spirited set of superior swing-based tunes. "Softly As in a Morning Sunrise," "It's Allright With Me," "Breakfast Feud," and "I Don't Wanna Be Kissed" are among the high points of this consistently swinging and very enjoyable music, a bit of a throwback to the 1950s. Hedges has rarely been given the opportunity to lead a record session, so that fact (on top of the high quality of the music) makes this successful effort something special. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/swingtet-live-at-andys-mw0000123863

Personnel: Chuck Hedges - clarinet; Duane Thamm - vibraphone, chimes;  John Bany - bass, vocals; Dave Bany - guitar;  Charles Braugham - drums

Swingtet Live at Andy's

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Thelma Gracen - Thelma Gracen / Introducing Milli Vernon

Styles: Vocal 
Year: 1955
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:01
Size: 165,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:50)  1. I’ll Remember April
(3:01)  2. Night and Day
(4:17)  3. I’ll Never Be the Same
(2:34)  4. Tea for Two
(3:40)  5. I’ll Get By
(2:35)  6. Out of Nowhere
(3:55)  7. Solitude
(1:47)  8. Just You, Just Me
(4:14)  9. I’m Yours
(2:46) 10. People Will Say We’re in Love
(3:48) 11. More Than You Know
(1:59) 12. Let There Be Love
(2:19) 13. Weep for the Boy
(2:11) 14. Moments Like This
(2:58) 15. Spring Is Here
(2:48) 16. ST. James Infirmary
(3:14) 17. My Ship
(2:05) 18. This Year’s Kisses
(3:03) 19. Moon Ray
(2:35) 20. Everything but You
(3:02) 21. Every Time
(2:52) 22. Blue Rain
(2:39) 23. I Don’t Know What Kind of Blues I’Ve Got
(3:37) 24. I Guess I’ll Have to Hang My Tears out to Dry

Thelma Gracen
Just where the boundary lies between the singer of popular songs and the real jazz singer is very often difficult to delineate. Thelma Gracen’s name may not ring any bells for neither jazz fan nor pop addict, but don’t let that deter you. After enjoying a few of her songs, you will realize that she had what it takes to be not only a good singer, but a good jazz singer. She has the beat, the feeling, and that special inner understanding of a lyric that can make an indifferent song sound good, a good song sound great, and a great song sound the way it was meant to sound.

Introducing Milli Vernon
Before this recording session, Jazz singer Milli Vernon was virtually unknown, and for good reason. She had served her apprenticeship singing with various bands under the name Pat Cameron, and on club dates in the New York area for about six years. Her voice was pretty and expressive, and she had a strong sense of time, good intonation and a kind of flexible, intimate quality to her voice that makes her sound like no other. For her first album, Milli was backed beautifully by Dave McKenna, Jimmy Raney, Wyatt Ruther, Jo Jones, and on all but three of the tracks by Ruby Braff as well, in a collection of seldom recorded tunes which include Artie Shaws’s moody Moon Ray. https://www.freshsoundrecords.com/thelma-gracen-milli-vernon-albums/46591-thelma-gracen-introducing-milli-vernon-2-lp-on-1-cd.html

Personnel: Thelma Gracen, Milli Vernon (vcl), Ruby Braff (tp), Georgie Auld (ts), Quentin Anderson (tb), Lou Levy, Dave McKenna (p), Barney Kessel, Jimmy Raney (g), Joe Comfort, Wyatt Rhuter (b), Sid Bulkin, Jo Jones (d)

Thelma Gracen / Introducing Milli Vernon

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Dave Stryker - Blue to the Bone III

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:41
Size: 167,9 MB
Art: Front

( 7:57)  1. Stan's Shuffle
( 8:31)  2. Complicity
( 5:21)  3. Crazy House
( 6:05)  4. If 6 Was 9
(11:09)  5. For Jack & T
(11:20)  6. Going Home
(10:01)  7. So Long Eric
(10:43)  8. Soulful Mr. Timmons
( 1:29)  9. Doin' the Bone

Dave Stryker’s Blue to the Bone Band, ongoing since ’96, features the guitarist with three other rhythm players and four horns. Established to showcase his blues side, it covers the jazzier realm of the blues as opposed to primitive, gutbucket territory. The horn section (alto saxophonist Steve Slagle, baritone saxophonist and chief arranger Bob Parsons, trumpeter Brian Lynch, and trombonist Clark Gayton) functions as an extension of Stryker’s guitar sound, and the rhythm section (pianist James Williams, bassist Anderson and drummer Tim Horner) keeps the blues feeling true underneath. Stryker’s “For Jack and T” salutes the late organist Jack McDuff and tenorman Stanley Turrentine, two of the guitarist’s former employers. “Doin’ the Bone” is a short, funky cut with Tower of Power-style horns. Slagle arranged Charles Mingus’ “So Long, Eric,” and Williams and Parsons arranged the pianist’s “Soulful Mr. Timmons,” in which the composer takes a stomping, most satisfying solo. There are solid solos from all hands throughout the album, with the lesser-known Gayton taking honors here and there with his triphammer tonguing. Based on the personnel and the feeling of these performances, I’d like to catch this group live. ~ By Owen Cordle https://jazztimes.com/archives/dave-stryker-blue-to-the-bone-iii/

Personnel: Alto Saxophone – Steve Slagle; Baritone Saxophone – Bob Parsons ; Bass – Jay Anderson; Drums – Tim Horner; Guitar, Liner Notes – Dave Stryker; Piano, Organ – James Williams ; Trombone – Clark Gayton; Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Brian Lynch

Blue to the Bone III

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Ron McClure - Never Forget

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:40
Size: 157,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:52)  1. Halfmoon Again
(7:28)  2. Hello Spring
(4:07)  3. Lament for Lost Heroes
(7:26)  4. Belle
(6:39)  5. Never Forget
(8:41)  6. Hey New Day
(6:12)  7. We'll Say Hello Again
(6:32)  8. Illusions Of ...
(6:23)  9. Stinky Fingers
(9:16) 10. Remember Me

A resourceful and flexible bassist, Ron McClure has thrived in hard bop, jazz-rock, and free and bebop sessions and bands. One of the finest upper register players on either acoustic or electric, his rhythmic skills are tremendous. McClure has also been an active educator since the early '70s, teaching at Berklee and Long Island University and doing workshops both nationally and internationally. He started on piano at age five, and later played accordion and bass. McClure studied privately with Joseph Iadone and attended the Hartt School of Music, graduating in 1963. He later studied composition with Hall Overton and Don Sebesky. McClure played with Buddy Rich in the mid-'60s, and worked and recorded with Marian McPartland, Herbie Mann, and Maynard Ferguson during that same period. McClure played in Wyton Kelly's band in 1966, then joined Charles Lloyd in 1967. The Lloyd group also included Keith Jarrett and Jack DeJohnette, and enjoyed unusual popularity and publicity for a late-'60s jazz band. They were the first American group to play at a Soviet jazz festival, and also appeared at the Fillmore, one of the few jazz acts to play there. McClure was a founding member of the jazz-rock band the Fourth Way -- with Michael White, Mike Nock, and Eddie Marshall -- in 1968. They got a good response at the Newport and Montreux festivals in 1970, but disbanded in 1971 after a three-year stint. During the '70s, McClure played with Joe Henderson, Gary Burton, Mose Allison, Jack DeJohnette, Dave Liebman, Thelonious Monk, Tony Bennett, and Jarrett. He recorded with Jerry Hahn, Julian Priester, Cal Tjader, and the Pointer Sisters, and spent three years with Blood, Sweat & Tears in the mid-'70s. McClure played and recorded with George Russell, Tom Harrell, John Scofield, John Abercrombie, Mark Gray, Jimmy Madison, Adam Nussbaum, Richie Bierarch, Vincent Herring, Kevin Hayes, Bill Stewart, and Michel Petrucciani in the '80s and '90s. McClure has done sessions as a leader for Ode, Bellaphon, EPC, Steeplechase, and Ken Music. He has a few dates available on CD. ~ Ron Wynn https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ron-mcclure-mn0000831201/biography 

Personnel: Bass – Ron McClure; Alto Saxophone – Vincent Herring; Drums – Bill Stewart; Piano – Kevin Hays; Trumpet – Eddie Henderson

Never Forget

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The Fat Babies - Chicago Hot

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:33
Size: 141,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:18)  1. Snake Rag
(2:42)  2. London Cafe Blues
(4:58)  3. San
(3:41)  4. Alexander's Ragtime Band
(4:04)  5. I Surrender Dear
(4:04)  6. Dardanella
(2:54)  7. Black Snake Blues
(3:21)  8. Here Comes the Hot Tamale Man
(4:31)  9. Froggie Moore
(4:25) 10. Willow Tree
(2:55) 11. Weary Blues
(4:50) 12. Liza (All the Clouds'll Roll Away)
(4:00) 13. Please
(2:43) 14. Susie
(3:43) 15. Tight Like This
(4:19) 16. Stomp Off, Let's Go

What 's old is new again or maybe it's more accurate to say, what used to be hip is hot again. The Fat Babies' Chicago Hot harkens back to the early jazz-blues amalgamation of King Oliver, and is as vibrantly interpreted by this seven-piece ensemble as it was when the music was originally pressed onto 78 RPMs. In the past decade, Hot Jazz has been steadily gaining fans as many contemporary musicians find new inspiration in these old forms. The Fat Babies is a very talented incarnation of this hep-cat renaissance. Borrowing mainly from the music of Chicago's famous South Side, the Fat Babies also incorporates the phrasing and feel of hot jazz extraordinaire, Bix Beiderbecke thanks to cornetist Andy Schumann. Coupled with the sly lines of clarinetist John Otto, Schumann's inventive and catchy improvisations radiate on tracks like Jelly Roll Morton's "Froggie Moore" and "Black Snake Blues," by blues singer Victoria Spivery. The music really comes to a boil when cornet and clarinet are joined with the propulsion of trombonist Dave Bock's melodic turns. In "Here Comes the Hot Tamale Man," all three wind instruments rise and fall in a torrent of Dixieland bliss trading eights while the others lay down a supportive bedrock. With Otto flying high, Schumann lets loose a swinging, raspy solo invention before giving ground to Bock's rhythmically exciting and melodically spot-on solo. Typical of Chicago style Hot Jazz, most tracks employ a swinging, upbeat style whose format lends itself to inventive, fast-paced soloing. A notable exception is Fats Waller's medium-paced classic "Willow Tree," its beautiful melody allowing the soloists time to intersperse quick melodic darts with glistening, held notes. 

The track is also a great opportunity for the rhythm section; throughout Chicago Hot, these three display remarkable timing as a unit, masterfully weaving together for the fast tempo and quick accent breaks of the Hot Jazz format. On this slower track, however, there's space and time to drink in their combined appeal. Pianist Paul Asaro impresses with his dramatically quiet intro to "Liza (All The Clouds'll Roll Away)" before the tune takes off into a quick, trotting pace, matched beautifully by the pianist's crisp, accentual phrasing. There may not be many second acts in American history, as author F. Scott Fitzgerald claimed, but there is a long tradition of second looks especially in music which has always proven itself extraordinarily malleable and awaits only a young enough audience to appreciate the newness these old sounds can accommodate. 

~ Jack Huntley https://www.allaboutjazz.com/chicago-hot-the-fat-babies-delmark-records-review-by-jack-huntley.php

Personnel: Beau Sample: string bass; Andy Schumm: cornet; John Otto: clarinet, saxophones; Dave Block: trombone; Paul Asaro: piano; Jake Sanders: tenor banjo; Alex Hall: drums; Mike Walbridge: tuba.

Chicago Hot

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