Rebecca DuMaine, Dave Miller Combo - Chez Nous

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:46
Size: 131,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:42)  1. When in Rome
(3:52)  2. So Danca Samba
(4:19)  3. I've Never Been in Love Before
(2:59)  4. Everything I Got Belongs to You
(3:12)  5. Chez Moi
(4:55)  6. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
(3:55)  7. Tangerine
(3:02)  8. Yesterday
(3:37)  9. You're Getting to Be a Habit with Me
(4:21) 10. Just the Two of Us
(4:29) 11. Give Me the Simple Life
(5:09) 12. Alice in Wonderland
(4:31) 13. Do It the Hard Way
(3:37) 14. Que Reste-T-Il/i Wish You Love

Jazz vocalist Rebecca Dumaine is the daughter of pianist Dave Miller and they collaborate for a generous program of mostly standards, several done rather inventively. Joining are bassist Chuck Bennett, drummer Bill Belasco, and on eight of the 14, guitarist Brad Buethe. This is Bay Area’s Dumaine’s fifth CD. Her father has led his own piano trio, with whom Dumaine often works, in the area since the 70s. Two things are immediately striking upon listening to the opening playful “When In Rome.” Dumaine has perfect phrasing, tone and articulation while Miller’s deft touch evokes George Shearing. Jobim’s “So Danco Samba” follows where Dumaine sings in Portuguese. “I’ve Never Been In Love Before”(usually performed as a ballad) is taken in medium tempo and “Everything I’ve Got Belongs to You” is ramped up to a cooking tempo. Dumaine clearly understands every lyric she sings, and if you listen carefully, you can hear her hanging on to or accentuating certain words as she sings. She sings “Chez Moi” in French and beautifully presents an extended version with a rarely heard verse in “I Didn’t Know What Time It Was,” featuring economic solos from Miller, Bennett and Buethe. “Tangerine” is Latin flavored, leading into an emotive father-daughter piano-vocal duet reading of Lennon and McCartney’s “Yesterday.” “You’re Getting To Be a Habit With Me,’ the 50s standard was inspired by the Frank Sinatra and Elaine Elias recordings as Dumaine and combo put a fresh spin on it. They do Bill Withers’ “Just the Two of Us” in the style of Grover Washington Jr., swinging a bit harder with soulful piano and guitar solos. 

They swing on “Give Me the Simple Life” and transform the waltz “Alice in Wonderland” into 4/4 time with improvisations and joyful vocals. “Do It the Hard Way” is an obscure Rodgers and Hart tune, partly inspired by Chet Baker’s version, with piano/drums dialogue and wordless singing during the second vocal. Dumaine sings in both English and French in the animated closer “Que Beste-l-il/I Wish You Love.” Miller comments on the project – This was our most relaxed recording. We were able to go for it more and stretch the music,” Rebecca adds, “The overall tone of the CD is light, playful and engaging rather than being traditional love songs. We love discovering gems from the American songbook that are not overplayed and that we can make into something new.” Some say the Great American Songbook is overplayed ad nauseum. The truth is that there is so much great material there, aside from the same old tunes we usually hear. Many lend themselves to more inventive interpretation as represented here. This will put a smile on your face. While it may not stun you, there’s nothing not to like. 

~ Jim Hynes https://www.makingascene.org/rebecca-dumaine-and-the-dave-miller-combo-chez-nous/

Personel: Rebecca DuMaine - Vocal; Dave Miller - Piano; Chuck Bennett -Bass; Bill Belasco -Drums; Brad Buethe - Guitar

Chez Nous

---

Wallace Roney - Misterios

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:12
Size: 136,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:17)  1. Meu Menino
(4:47)  2. In Her Family
(6:32)  3. Michelle
(6:30)  4. Cafe
(4:52)  5. Misterios
(6:49)  6. Last to Know
(5:18)  7. Memoria E Fado
(6:53)  8. 71+
(5:50)  9. Muerte
(5:19) 10. I Will Always Love You

Trumpeter Wallace Roney avoids the standard repertoire altogether on this CD, playing pieces by Pat Metheny, the Beatles, Egberto Gismonti, Jaco Pastorius and even Dolly Parton among others but, try as hard as he may, he still sounds like Miles Davis every time he hits a long tone or plays a doubletime passage. Backed by a small orchestra that mostly interprets Gil Goldstein arrangements, Roney is the main soloist throughout this interesting ballad-dominated set. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/misterios-mw0000117814

Personnel: Trumpet – Wallace Roney; Bass – Clarence Seay; Drums – Eric Allen; Keyboards – Gil Goldstein; Piano – Geri Allen; Tenor Saxophone – Antoine Roney, Ravi Coltrane

Misterios

---

Joanie Sommers - 'Round Midnight

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:56
Size: 162,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:25)  1. Out of This World
(2:13)  2. There's No Such Thing
(2:22)  3. Seems Like Long, Long Ago
(2:38)  4. Shake Hands with a Fool
(2:29)  5. Hey! Jealous Lover
(2:13)  6. I Don't Want to Walk Without You
(2:30)  7. Mean to Me
(3:48)  8. Make the Man Love Me
(2:37)  9. Ev'rything I've Got
(2:06) 10. The Piano Boy
(2:31) 11. Till There Was You
(2:21) 12. (Theme From) A Summer Place
(2:35) 13. Kiss and Run
(2:14) 14. You Came a Long Way from St. Louis
(3:07) 15. Blues in the Night
(2:31) 16. I Feel Pretty
(3:15) 17. I'll Never Stop Loving You
(3:50) 18. 'Round Midnight
(2:31) 19. Let's Talk About Love
(2:35) 20. I Feel a Song Coming On
(4:45) 21. My Ship
(2:33) 22. Johnny Get Angry
(2:23) 23. Something's Coming
(2:52) 24. A Lot of Livin' to Do
(3:22) 25. After the Lights Go Down Low

Joanie Sommers scored her biggest chart success with "Johnny Get Angry" in 1962. The single, her second solo release, peaked at the number seven spot and charted for more than two months. Her first solo record, "One Boy," was a number from the musical Bye Bye Birdie and only hit number 54 in 1960. She continued to record through the decade, but never had another winner that rose as high on the charts as "Johnny Get Angry." She later achieved a different kind of success in commercials with several different jingles that she sang for Pepsi during the '60s and again two decades later. (The title of one of her later albums, Come Alive, was even derived from one of the Pepsi ad campaigns.) Sommers, whose real name is Joan Drost, was born in New York but grew up in California. During her high school and college years, she sang in school bands. She was 18 years old when Warner Bros. signed her to a contract in 1959 and paired her with Edd Byrnes on one of his singles. She also had a small role in 77 Sunset Strip, the television series that featured Byrnes in the role of Kookie. In addition, she sang on Byrnes' "I Don't Dig You" and "Hot Rock," which appeared on one of his albums. Sommers released an album of her own, the jazz-oriented Positively the Most, and it helped establish her presence in easy listening and adult circles.

Fans and critics often cite her 1965 album, Softly the Brazilian Sound, as one of her best efforts. In 1966, the singer signed with Columbia Records. One of her following recordings was a version of "Alfie," which both Cher and Dionne Warwick also covered it. While Sommers' version didn't get the notice that the other two did, she had the satisfaction of placing in the Top Ten in the easy listening category. She also appeared in On the Flip Side, a television special that starred Rick Nelson. The show's soundtrack contains two versions of "Try to See It My Way," one of which is a duet with Nelson while the other is a Sommers solo. The singer, married with three children, stepped out of the spotlight as the '70s approached. Before retiring, she made numerous television appearances on the shows of Johnny Carson, Dinah Shore, Dean Martin, Mike Douglas, Bobby Darin, and others. Sommers started singing and making appearances again during the '80s. ~ Linda Seida https://www.allmusic.com/artist/joanie-sommers-mn0000784759/biography

'Round Midnight

---

Teddy Edwards, Houston Person - Close Encounters

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:02
Size: 110,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:24)  1. Twisted
(4:59)  2. Blue and Sentimental
(9:44)  3. Pennies from Heaven
(5:46)  4. Night Train
(6:16)  5. I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance
(7:00)  6. The Breeze and I
(8:53)  7. Little Girl Blue

A follow-up to their previous excellent CD Horn To Horn has the two veteran tenor saxophonists with the same drummer, Kenny Washington, joined by pianist Stan Hope and bassist Ray Drummond. They swing and stroll through another seven standards, Edwards with his lithe, breezy, matter-of-fact tone, Person displaying the bluesy, street smart literate, fluid approach that always holds him in good stead. There are two selections where Edwards and Person play in lock step, note for note before trading solos. "Twisted" and "The Breeze & I" echo a collective century of jazz friendship, both knowing the tune so well, no stumbling at all. They play in harmony for the old rugged "Night Train," alternate during the easygoing "Pennies From Heaven," and the even smoother "Blue & Sentimental." Each also gets a feature, Edwards consummately punctuating his flattened interpretation of "I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance," while Person goes a little over the top putting his soulful stamp on "Little Girl Blue." Hope does get a smidgen of solo space here and there, while Drummond and Washington do their rhythmic duties admirably, as always. The beautiful thing is that while Edwards continually refines, picking notes even more carefully, and Person digs deeper into his blue gutbucket, there's no stepping on toes. The late Gene Kalbacher, on his liner notes for Horn to Horn called it a mutual "caress" rather than a tenor duel. There's a bit of flailing, but the respectful attitude of these two present-day jazz giants is clear and admirable. This CD is easily as good as the first collaboration, albeit clocking in at only 48 minutes or so. ~ Michael G.Nastos https://www.allmusic.com/album/close-encounters-mw0000243147

Personnel:  Teddy Edwards, Houston Person – tenor saxophone; Stan Hope – piano; Ray Drummond – bass; Kenny Washington – drums

Close Encounters

---

Bruce Barth - Hope Springs Eternal

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:22
Size: 154,9 MB
Art: Front

(8:48)  1. Hope Spring Eternal
(8:10)  2. Wondering Why
(9:20)  3. The Hour of No Return
(7:17)  4. Darn That Dream
(9:08)  5. The Epicurean
(8:16)  6. Up and Down
(7:58)  7. Full Cycle
(8:23)  8. The Revolving Door

On “Hope Springs Eternal” veteran East Coast pianist Bruce Barth is supported by a fine entourage consisting of Steve Wilson: alto/soprano saxophones/flute; Ed Howard: bass and Adam Cruz drums. The title cut leads off with Barth’s melodic touch and Wilson’s lush lyrical soprano. Barth is the pilot here as he’s prone to shift gears and investigate various avenues of melodic development while displaying enviable chops. Steve Wilson is a fine player and meshes well with Barth’s stylistic approach. Another Barth original composition “Hour Of No Return” is an up tempo burner. The rhythm section of Cruz and Howard are in superb form. They will jab and spar with Barth’s ever-evolving inventions. On “Hour Of No Return” Barth is the painter of colorful imagery. The pace is frenetic and eventually Wilson and Barth regroup to calm things down. Barth’s right hand is poetry in motion complimented by huge block chords. Steve Wilson cuts his alto to shreds in Barth’s “The Revolving Door” which is a bright, cheerful tune with a strong melody line. Barth’s “Up and Down” swings from the bottom up. Barth’s expressive and sweeping execution is at times reminiscent of McCoy Tyner; although, Barth’s identity is firmly established. Bruce Barth is a fine pianist and should benefit from Double-Time Records esteemed producer/educator Jamey Aebersold. I look forward to hearing more from Barth in the near future. ~ Glenn Astarita https://www.allaboutjazz.com/hope-springs-eternal-bruce-barth-double-time-jazz-review-by-glenn-astarita.php

Personnel: Bruce Barth - piano, composer;  Steve Wilson - alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, composer;  Ed Howard - Bass;  Adam Cruz - drums, composer

Hope Springs Eternal

---

Harold Betters - At the Encore

Styles: Trombone Jazz 
Year: 1962/2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:46
Size: 98,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:28)  1. Blow Your Horn
(4:50)  2. Moanin'
(2:54)  3. One Mint Julep
(4:19)  4. Stella by Starlight
(3:35)  5. When My Dreamboat Comes Home
(2:33)  6. Hold It
(2:02)  7. Stand by Me
(3:49)  8. My Funny Valentine
(3:40)  9. Ram-Bunk-Shush
(3:30) 10. When You And I Were Young Maggie
(4:17) 11. Ebb Tide
(3:43) 12. Georgia On My Mind

The beginning of a great side-stream tradition in jazz a series of recordings done by trombonist Harold Betters for the Pittsburgh-based Gateway label! Betters was a heck of a player with a sound that could have rivaled Bennie Green, had he stayed in New York but he was a family guy by nature, and determined to return to his local Pennsylvania roots. Fortunately, the team at Gateway were smart enough to document Betters work on the Pittsburgh scene with a series of great albums this being the first of a very successful run in the 60s. 

The tunes are short, tight, and to the point with a very soulful style of gutbuckety trombone work, laid out over piano trio backing. Lots of hard-hitting numbers with an R&B influence, and titles include "Hold Hit", "Moanin", "Stand By Me", "Ebb Tide", and "One Mint Julep".  © 1996-2019, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/75744

Featuring : Harold Betters (trombone), Joe Ashliman (drums), Joe Hughes (guitar), Al O'brien (bass)

At the Encore

---

Carl Saunders - Be Bop Big Band

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:36
Size: 179,1 MB
Art: Front

(6:31)  1. Compilation
(8:20)  2. Love Dance
(3:39)  3. Emily
(8:36)  4. I'm All For You
(8:08)  5. Perceptive Hindsight
(6:38)  6. Never Always
(5:42)  7. Some Bones Of Contention
(5:19)  8. Strike Out The Band
(5:10)  9. Autumn In New York
(6:34) 10. Dearly Befuddled
(5:07) 11. An Apple For Christa
(7:48) 12. Baby Blues

I'd best take care when reviewing this album by trumpet maestro Carl Saunders, as I could run short of laudatory adjectives before the appraisal has been completed. For those who are unfamiliar with his c.v., Saunders has been enriching big-band trumpet sections for more than four decades, having cut his teeth with the renowned Stan Kenton Orchestra while still a teen-ager in 1960. The pedigree is immaculate too; Carl's mother, Gail Sherwood, once sang with Kenton, and his uncle, Bobby Sherwood, was a well-known bandleader in the '40s. While Saunders has presided over a number of bands in his hometown of Las Vegas, he has recorded only twice before as leader, and never with an ensemble that is in any way comparable to this one. Saunders has made a lot of friends in the music business, and with friends like these one is able to put together a big band so proficient and powerful that it can easily blow almost any adversary out of the water. But no orchestra is better than its charts, and here Saunders scores another coup with the inclusion of half a dozen incontestably brilliant compositions and arrangements by his long-time friend and mentor, the late Herbie Phillips, to whom the album is dedicated. To them Saunders adds three of his own ("I'm All for You," "Never Always," "Baby Blues"), Ivan Lins' "Love Dance" and the beauteous standards "Emily" (a tour de force for the superb young trombonist Andy Martin) and "Autumn in New York" (showcasing Saunders' mind-blowing trumpet). Phillips was fond of clever titles, and his tunes include "Perceptive Hindsight," "Some Bones of Contention" (the "'bones" in question belonging to Martin and Bob McChesney), "Strike Out the Band," "Dearly Befuddled" and "An Apple for Christa" (for the late teacher-turned-astronaut Christa McAuliffe). Phillips also wrote the sunny opener, "Compilation," which serves to introduce another of the band's stellar improvisers, veteran alto saxophonist Lanny Morgan, whose fiery deposition complements those by Saunders, McChesney, tenor Jerry Pinter and pianist Christian Jacob. Saunders is featured on trumpet and flugel on "Love Dance," on trumpet (with Morgan) on "I'm All for You," but he's not the only member of that section to make the spotlight his own. Ron Stout is bright and agile on "Hindsight" and "Never Always," Bobby Shew smooth and steady on "Strike Out the Band," Bob Summers quick and expressive on "Christa" before Saunders returns to close the show with a typically eloquent discourse on "Baby Blues." Other soloists of note include tenor Doug Webb ("Hindsight," "Dearly Befuddled"), alto Brian Scanlon ("Never Always") and bassist Kevin Axt ("Baby Blues"). Well, we're nearing the end of the review and have a few adjectives left, so we may as well use some of them now. Awesome. Spectacular. Breathtaking. Sublime. Be Bop Big Band is all of that and more. Simply put, one of the most memorable big-band albums in recent memory, one that should not be passed over by anyone who admires the genre. ~ Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/be-bop-big-band-carl-saunders-sea-breeze-jazz-review-by-jack-bowers.php

Personnel: Carl Saunders,Frank Szabo,Bobby Shew,Ron Stout,Bob Summers,Scott Englebright,trumpet; Charlie Loper, Andy Martin, Bob McChesney, trombone; Pete Brockman, Sam Cernuto, bass trombone; Lanny Morgan, Brian Scanlon, alto sax; Jerry Pinter, Doug Webb, tenor sax; Bob Efford, baritone sax; Christian Jacob, piano; Kevin Axt, bass; Santo Savino, drums.

Be Bop Big Band

---

Dexter Gordon - Doin' Allright (Remastered 2015)

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1961
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:44
Size: 123,7 MB
Art: Front

( 9:18)  1. I Was Doing All Right
( 7:27)  2. You've Changed
( 5:45)  3. For Regulars Only
(12:21)  4. Society Red
( 6:14)  5. It's You Or No One
( 6:14)  6. I Want More
( 6:21)  7. For Regulars Only (Alternate Take)

From the first track of this record in Blue Note's 45rpm double-disc reissue series tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon certainly seems to be doing just fine. That opener, "I Was Doing All Right," lilts along with a nice 'n' easy, early 1960s treatment of an insistently positive George Gershwin melody. Gordon doesn't rush his solo, but allows it to intensify naturally from the surrounding breeze. He explores the entire range of his instrument, allowing his pace to ebb and flow while never jettisoning himself from the track of comfortable swing. Trumpeter Freddie Hubbard enters on and retains a brasher course, slashing through a stream of jagged, harmonic lines. Pianist Horace Parlan goes farther afield, injecting the tune with some passing abstract figures. Coming back from the R&B-tinged fade with which he ends the first track, Gordon enters "You've Changed" with acrobatic flips and spirals before settling his horn into the rhythm's crackling warmth. Again, the saxophonist leaves no point on his horn's tonal spectrum untouched, all along dipping into the sugary pools of regret left by the passage of time. Hubbard traces the low, stretched breaths of drummer Al Harewood's brushes, then works the harmony and, later, moans along with Gordon as the leader makes his return. "For Regulars Only," the first of two Gordon originals, lifts the record's spirits back to its opening contentment. Together, Gordon and Hubbard graph a sharp-toothed, yet pleasant, bop melody. Alone, Gordon's tone is bright and forceful, his lines angular and dancing. 

Hubbard, for whom this racing, riff-heavy tune seems tailor-made, surprises a bit by softening the edges of his blowing, rather than cutting into the listener with the expected blare. It's a relaxed, somewhat against-type approach that works to excellent effect. Parlan, for his part, operates here like a film editor, attaching several unresolved passages into a series of piano jump-cuts before the horns return to restate the theme. Yet, despite the solid work heard throughout the first three numbers, the album's lasting value resides on what originally constituted its second side (and which here comprises the second disc). "Society Red," the second Gordon original, is a relaxed, yet powerful, blues that first hands the solo reins to Hubbard. He's in no hurry to jolt the listener, but rides the relaxed vibe awhile. Soon, however, he enters his familiar blowing terrain, spitting piercing shots to the heavens. Gordon revisits some of these volleys with a deeper, warmer sound and the occasional growl. Much as in the album's opener, he steadily builds his story, ever filling the available space with more information more details without ever disrupting the flow, like a boxer expertly working the speed bag. Parlan applies a soft, rolling touch, skewing the blues into an abstract take on ragtime. This nice recollection of jazz's first steps gives way to bassist George Andrew Tucker's only individual statement on the record: a loping bend to the space-time continuum. "It's You or No One," brings all the aforementioned together to close the album. 

A burning bop pow-wow, it's awash with quick, flowing lines, staccato shots, trills and R&B warble. Gordon turns in what may be his best solo of the set here, augmenting the curls of his Spirograph drawing with sharp cutbacks and drooping sighs. While brief, Hubbard's sprinting effort also impresses, retaining through the speed the kind of warmth that made Miles Davis' trumpet smile. Parlan spins a spiked wheel, twirling through cyclical motifs with a cubist touch. The horns blow in to clear the field, then trade with Tucker's bass before giving way to Harewood's brief, but aggressive drum solo. Gordon and Hubbard then join forces a last time to see the album out with a final battle charge. It's a glorious send-off for an album that's rote procedure in spots, but comes on in the second half with two inspired hard bop attacks. ~ Matt Marshall https://www.allaboutjazz.com/dexter-gordon-doin-allright-by-matt-marshall.php

Personnel: Dexter Gordon, tenor sax; Freddie Hubbard, trumpet; Horace Parlan, piano; George Tucker, bass; Al Harewood, drums.

Doin' Allright

---

The Don Menza Quartet - Mostly Mancini - With a Jazz Touch

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:43
Size: 178,9 MB
Art: Front

(10:14)  1. Mr. Lucky
(12:37)  2. Dreamsville
(10:42)  3. Days of Wine and Roses
(11:57)  4. Cream Puff
( 9:24)  5. Loss of Love
( 7:41)  6. Brazilienza
(10:00)  7. My Huckleberry Friend
( 5:04)  8. I Like the Look

Don Menza is a powerful tenor saxophonist who, although able to effectively imitate most of the top stylists (from Coleman Hawkins to John Coltrane), has a distinctive sound of his own. Menza started playing tenor when he was 13. After getting out of the Army, he was with Maynard Ferguson's Orchestra (1960-1962) as both a soloist and an arranger. A short stint with Stan Kenton and a year leading a quintet in Buffalo preceded a period living in Germany (1964-1968). After returning to the U.S., he was with Buddy Rich's big band in 1968, recording a famous solo on "Channel One Suite" that utilized circular breathing and was quite classic. He settled in California and has worked with Elvin Jones (1969), Louie Bellson, as an educator, and in the studios. Don Menza, who has made far too few records, recorded as a leader for Saba (1965) in Germany, Discwasher (1979), Realtime, and Palo Alto (the latter two in 1981). ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/don-menza-mn0000184137/biography

Mostly Mancini - With a Jazz Touch

---

Brian Culbertson - Nice & Slow

Styles: Jazz,  Smooth Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:04
Size: 111,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:02)  1. Just Another Day
(4:05)  2. Get It On
(4:43)  3. Nice & Slow
(4:22)  4. I Could Get Used to This
(4:48)  5. Without Your Love
(3:47)  6. Someone
(0:36)  7. Together Tonight - Prelude
(5:41)  8. Together Tonight
(3:56)  9. All About You
(6:42) 10. I Wanna Know
(4:17) 11. Someone

The artists in smooth jazz whose success endures the longest are those who develop an identifying trademark in their style when you hear their song, you know it's them. A veteran of the genre at age 28, keyboardist Brian Culbertson has over the years made his particular imprint a very distinctive interaction with horns. On his latest, Nice & Slow, he's sometimes even the one playing them. On the throbbing, funky "Get It On," his high register piano musings take verses on their own, then blend on the chorus sections with Jim Reid's tenor and a snazzy trumpet and trombone section played by Culbertson; there's also a brief section where his horns do a call and response with the keys. Reid's tenor takes on a Steve Cole like "double tone" flavor on the mid-tempo groover "Without Your Love," which is given a bluesy effect with the Hammond B-3 of Ricky Peterson. Peterson's B-3 simmers coolly behind Culbertson's reflective melody which joins on the chorus with Kirk Whalum's lush tenor on "I Wanna Know." Culbertson wrote the moody, retro soul-flavored "Just Another Day" with Jeff Lorber, and duets on the chorus with the unmistakable breezy tones of Herb Alpert's trumpet. The soft-spoken "I Could Get Used to This" features Dave Koz's soprano in a more quiet harmonic role. Koz co-wrote one of the most memorable tracks, the ultra-hooky "All About You," but ironically doesn't play a note; thus we get to hear Culbertson adorned only with the balmy acoustic guitar caress of Michael Thompson. Culbertson has also become a happy member of the "soulful vocals are cool" brigade, providing the grooves behind an emotional Sheree & Trey Lorenz on the title track and the ultra-romantic "Someone," featuring Kenny Lattimore. ~ Jonathan Widran https://www.allmusic.com/album/nice-slow-mw0000003444

Nice & Slow

---

Nicki Parrott - Papa Loves Mambo

Styles: Vocal, Post Bop
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:18
Size: 168,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:34)  1. Papa Loves Mambo
(4:34)  2. Somos Novios
(4:02)  3. Perfidia
(4:06)  4. Kiss Of Fire
(3:15)  5. Historia De Un Amor
(4:02)  6. Te Extrano
(4:05)  7. Tango
(4:35)  8. Green Eyes
(3:52)  9. Dos Gardenias
(4:26) 10. Oblivion
(2:39) 11. Blue Tango
(3:15) 12. No Me Platiques Mas
(3:27) 13. Moliendo Cafe
(5:19) 14. Alfonsina Y El Mar

Nicki Parrott, an internationally acclaimed bassist, arrived in New York in May of 1994, the recipient of a grant from the Australia Council for the Arts allowing her travel to the US and study with her mentor, one of the world’s premiere double bassists, Rufus Reid. In the same year she was also nominated for the “Australian Young Achievers Award”. Today, Nicki Parrott is a world-class double bassist and an emerging singer/songwriter. In her work with artists from around the globe she has brought a signature sound to every bass part she has played. She performs regularly at the world’s best Jazz Festivals and can be seen Monday’s at the Iridium Jazz Club in New York City with the legendary guitarist and inventor, Les Paul. Since June of 2000, this union has been an ideal showcase for her musical abilities, flair for improv, and gift for entertaining a crowd. Born in Newcastle, Australia, Nicki Parrott began her musical training on the piano at the age of four. She also took up the flute and continued to play both instruments throughout her school years. At the age of 15, Nicki switched her focus to the double bass, formed a band with her older sister Lisa (alto sax) and began composing instrumental pieces that they would eventually record for their premier CD release, The Awabakal Suite (2001). After completing high school, Nicki moved to Sydney and attended the New South Wales Conservatorium of Music, where she graduated with an Associates degree in Jazz Studies. When bassists such as the legendary Ray Brown (Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Oscar Peterson) and John Clayton (Diana Krall, Whitney Houston) were playing in town, Nicki would find them, contact them and arrange lessons from them. She was awarded a scholarship to the prestigious Pan Pacific Music Camp, and soon after, took first place in the 1992 Jazz Action Society's Annual Song Competition for her composition, Come and Get It. In 1990, Nicki began touring Australia with Russian musicians Daniel Kramer and Alexander Fischer playing sold out shows across the country. This was followed by successful tours with American trumpeters Bobby Shew and Chuck Findley. When she was off the road, Nicki was consistently playing bass with other world-renowned jazz musicians like New Zealand’s Mike Nock (piano), Australia's Dale Barlow (tenor sax), Paul Grabowsky (piano), Bernie McGann (alto sax) and the explosive Ten Part Invention.

In May of 2002, The Nicki and Lisa Parrott Quartet headlined the prestigious Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival held at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. The show was broadcast on NPR and was well received by the press. She was also the resident bassist with the Kitchen House Blend, a house band that premiered and performed new music from local New York composers. They would blend jazz, hip-hop, classical and rock in one evening...“It was a very creative experience”. Nicki expanded her musical repertoire and appeared on the Broadway stage in such shows as: Imaginary Friends, You're a Good Man Charlie Brown, Summer of '42, and Jekyll and Hyde. She is still active on Broadway today and regularly performs in the comedic musical, Avenue Q. Since coming to the United States Nicki Parrott has performed and/or recorded with such notable musicians as Randy Brecker, Skitch Henderson, Jose Feliciano, Rebecca Paris, Bucky Pizzarelli, John Pizzarelli, Warren Vache Jr., Clark Terry, Michel Legrand, Billy Taylor, Dick Hyman, Patti Labelle & the New York Pops Orchestra, Annie Ross, the Florida Pops Orchestra, Terri Thornton, Holly Hoffman, DIVA, Marlena Shaw, Monica Mancini, Patrice Rushen, Harry Allen, Red Holloway, Kenny Davern, Mike Stern, Bernard Purdie, John Tropea, David Krakauer, Howard Alden, Randy Sandke, Greg Osby, Jack Wilkins, Ken Peplowski, Johnny Frigo, Joe Wilder, Houston Person, Wycliffe Gordon, Rachel Z and Johnny Varro. 

Nicki has also performed at most of the world’s major jazz festivals. In the United States she’s appeared at the Newport Jazz Festival (2005), the Litchfield Jazz festival (2005), the Jazz in July concert series at the 92nd street Y (2003, 2004), the Detroit Jazz Festival (2005) and the Lionel Ha mpton Jazz Festival (2001). Outside the USA Nicki has appeared at the Cully Lavaux Festival (Switzerland - 1995), the Grimsby Jazz Festival (UK - 1996), Berlin Jazz Festival (Germany - 1998), the Ottawa Jazz Festival (2004), the Krakow Music Festival (Poland), JazzAscona (2005, 2006), Bern Jazz Festivals (Switzerland - 2005, 2006), Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival (UK - 2006) and of course, she has played at numerous music festivals across Australia. Nicki Parrott is committed to the continuing musical education women receive in order to further their careers and ultimately remain active as musicians past their teen years. In keeping with her sense of community, Nicki’s desire is to teach underprivileged kids to play instruments and learn to enjoy music. It is her belief t hat teaching music to children helps keep them interested in school and out of trouble. https://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/nickiparrott

Personnel: Nicki Parrott - vocals & bass; Ken Peplowski - clarinet & tenor sax; Vince Cherico - percussion; Justin Poindexter - acoustic & electric guitar; Sam Reider - accordion

Papa Loves Mambo

---

Erik Truffaz - Mantis

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:43
Size: 135,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:35)  1. The Point
(7:49)  2. La Mémoire du silence
(6:32)  3. Saisir
(2:14)  4. No Fear
(4:48)  5. Nina Valeria
(3:57)  6. Parlophone
(3:50)  7. Magrouni
(7:45)  8. Mantis
(4:09)  9. Yasmina
(2:42) 10. Mare Mosso
(4:49) 11. Tahun bahu
(4:27) 12. Snachy Baby

The innate concord between representation and abstraction, the crucial breakthrough of 20th Century art, palpable in the work of Picasso, Matisse and Klee, has a musical counterpoint in jazz recordings such as Mantis. The quartet is Truffaz’s medium and with the support of three noteworthy musicians, of which guitarist Manu Codjia receives the most attention soloing, he manages to parlay his low to mid register brand of trumpet playing into a captivating acoustic proposal. At times, Truffaz’s blowing technique is so understated that he resembles a flautist playing a trumpet facing down. When listening to Truffaz, one must relearn the art of hearing somewhat unexplored trumpet possibilities; although such relearning can be done with ease. Perhaps, “ease” and precision when expressing oneself, even when most abstract and muted, is what such a lesson is all about. His modus operandi works well within the swerving edges provided by the fellow members of the group, whose mutual dialogue is constantly punctuated by a felicitous brand of jumpy coarseness that adds unique textures to the offerings in this date. When need be so, however, Truffaz taunts his listeners with commanding puffs worthy of anyone’s respect.

“The Point” opens up as the drummer edges a thick substratum from the cool and relaxed bass lines, with electronic guitar punctilios that take off into challenging decompositions, after Truffaz’s initial solo. García and Benita are matchless in their percussive ideas and touches, closing it up as they give way to a punchy and edging give and take between guitar and trumpet. 

“La Mémoire du Silence,” or “The Remembrance of Silence,” is a model for the use of space in jazz. It is not so much romantic as it is thoughtful with plenty of atmosphere and an edge of its own. It is ready made for Truffaz. 

In “Saisir”, the drum backbeat and the guitar lines lend an air of familiarity to friendly floating riffs from Truffaz and Benita in the bass until they all join in a pulsating exploratory venture. Bravo to García for his use of the rim!
“No Fear” briefness features Truffaz with a clear line of sight and minimal pointillist support. His embracing tone is evident here. 

“Nina Valeria” offers a rare composition in the history of jazz whereupon Truffaz is simply paired with one of the two special guests in this album, Anour Brahem. He plays the oud and the result is enthralling as the deep and ancient sweetness of the oud adds just the right zing to the elongated breathy harmonies from Truffaz. 

“Parlophone” is an experimental tune relying mostly on vocalizations and sound effects that could serve as musical background for a scene for a science fiction film featuring a futuristic public transportation station. 

Mounir Troudi is the other special guest in Mantis. He provides Arab vocalizations in “Magrouni” that interplay effectively with its odd metering and the layered response from the group. This lashing tune gets to the point in a hurry. Truffaz makes the most out of the title cut highlighting his low sizzling heat as a précis for an equally warm statement from Codjia’s electric guitar, as well as a welcomed, albeit all too brief, bass account. It should be noted that all musicians in this tune, as well as the rest of the CD, have spanking new thoughts well worth repeated listening. An acoustic guitar and trumpet duo in “Yasmina” provides yet another opportune pairing in Mantis and a momentary respite from the engaging nature of the previous tune. Truffaz dwells on a higher register here. Right before the concluding “Tahun Bahu,” with a characteristic sense of engaged relaxation, the short composition “Mare Mosso” whets one’s appetite quite well as Truffaz engages in guitar like riffs that work well within a Middle Eastern percussive feel, with a concluding animal horn-like effect on the trumpet. Stay for a few silent seconds after the conclusion for a surprise instrumental bonus...~ Javier Aq Ortiz https://www.allaboutjazz.com/mantis-erik-truffaz-blue-note-records-review-by-javier-aq-ortiz.php

Personnel: Erik Truffaz- trumpet; Manu Codjia- guitar; Michel Benita- acoustic bass; Phillippe Garcia- drums; Anour Brahem- oud on "Nina Valeria;" Mounir Troudi- vocal on "Magrouni."

Mantis

---

Enrico Rava, Barbara Casini - Vento

Styles: Vocal, Guitar And Trumpet
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:07
Size: 115,6 MB
Art: Front

(0:46)  1. Aspettando un Sogno
(3:50)  2. L'Angelo
(4:50)  3. Cidade do Amor Demais
(7:10)  4. La Maschera
(4:31)  5. Vento
(4:56)  6. Bolero do Parecer
(1:34)  7. Ballo
(5:10)  8. Malinconica Abitudine
(6:03)  9. Un'Alba Limpida
(4:59) 10. Une petite folie
(4:49) 11. Fin de l'ennui
(1:24) 12. Early Autumn

She was born in Florence, on July 30, 1954, to Florentine parents, who rarely set their sights on Italy. In the house we listened to the songs in vogue, jazz and classical music. Barbara played the piano, the guitar, but above all sang, of everything: the Beatles, Rita Pavone, Mina. Then one day "new" records arrived, a new sound coming from overseas: the Bossa Nova . Barbara was fifteen years old. Thus began his love for Brazilian music , an extraordinary love that never ended, and which, once grown, pushed her to a turning point in life: despite her degree in psychology, she abandoned the project to become a psychoanalyst and decide to be a singer. He throws himself into the frantic search for everything concerning Brazil, music, literature and the Portuguese language itself. Finally in 1982 he made his first trip to that dreamed land. Elis Regina has been dead for a year and Barbara has already internalized her way of singing, she knows every breath, every smile and every tear that comes out of Elis's song. On that first trip he fills a suitcase with records , and the soul of sounds and names! He realizes that there is an unknown and wonderful world of composers, musicians, and performers who open new horizons to explore. When Barbara returns to Brazil, she goes a long way, from Rio to S Luis do Maranhão, "discovers" the Nordeste, re-falls in love, meets Luiz Gonzaga while she is recording her latest album just before she dies, learns her songs and those of Geraldo Azevedo, Xangai, Jatobá. His repertoire changes radically: Barbara in Italy spreads the popular music of that different Brazil, plays the triangle and the zabumba, canta côco e baião, maracatu and bumba meu boi, once again he enjoys and is moved. In the meantime he forms the Trio OUTRO LADO with Beppe Fornaroli and Naco , with whom he records an LP, "Outro Lado", (reprinted on CD by Philology in 1999). Many years pass, many journeys, many meetings. In 1994 he formed a quartet with Stefano Bollani on the piano, Raffaello Pareti on the double bass and Francesco Petreni on drums, a group that remained active until the early 2000s. He collaborates with great Italian and foreign musicians of the jazz scene (Enrico Rava, Stefano Bollani, Fabrizio Bosso, Phil Woods, Lee Konitz) and Brazilian Popular Music, such as Toninho Horta and Guinga, and participates with various formations in the most important Italian festivals. Along his more than thirty-year career he also engages with jazz and with Italian and French songs. Translate By Google http://www.barbaracasini.it/barbara-casini-biografia/

This hugely popular trumpet player (born in Trieste, Italy in 1939) almost single-handedly brought Italian jazz to international attention. He began playing Dixieland trombone in Turin, but after hearing Miles Davis, switched instruments and embraced the modern style. Other key meetings were with Gato Barbieri, with whom he recorded movie soundtracks in 1962, and Chet Baker. He began to play with Steve Lacy and also teamed up with South African expatriates Louis Moholo and John Dyani and recorded The Forest and the Zoo (ESP) live in Argentina. In 1967, he moved to New York, playing with Roswell Rudd, Marion Brown, Rashied Ali, Cecil Taylor, and Charlie Haden. In a brief return to Europe, Rava recorded with Lee Konitz (Stereokonitz, RCA) and Manfred Schoof (European Echoes, FMP). From 1969 to 1976, he was back in New York, recording Escalator Over the Hill with Carla Bley's Jazz Composers' Orchestra. After his first album as a leader, Il Giro del Giorno in 80 Mondi (Black Saint), he began to lead his own pianoless quartets and quintets. His recorded output numbers over 100 records, and over 30 as a leader. ECM has reissued some of his essential recordings of the '70s, like The Pilgrim and the Stars, The Plot, and Enrico Rava Quartet, while Soul Note and Label Bleu published CDs by his innovative Electric Five (in reality a sextet, as he always excludes himself from the count), which includes two electric guitars. With keyboard master Franco D'Andrea and trumpeter Paolo Fresu, Rava recorded Bix and Pop (Philology) and Shades of Chet, tributes to Bix Beiderbecke and Armstrong, and to Chet Baker, respectively. Also of note are Rava, L'opera Va and Carmen, gorgeous readings of opera arias. In 2001, he created a new quintet with young talents Gianluca Petrella, Stefano Bollani, Rosario Bonaccorso, and Roberto Gatto, and toured with old friends Roswell Rudd and Gato Barbieri, releasing Easy Living with them in 2004 on ECM. Three years later, after Bollani, who had struck out as a solo player, was replaced by Andrea Pozza, The Words and the Days came out. In 2007, Rava and pianist Stefano Bollani released The Third Man on ECM. Rava followed the release in 2009 with New York Days, a collection of moody originals with a film noir tinge, backed by a band that included Bollani, tenor saxophonist Mark Turner, bassist Larry Grenadier, and drummer Paul Motian. Rava broke in a new all-Italian quintet for Tribe, which was issued by ECM in the fall of 2011. Its members included trombonist Gianluca Petrella, pianist Giovanni Guidi, bassist Gabriele Evangelista, and drummer Fabrizio Sferra. Guitarist Giacomo Ancillotto also guested on the set, expanding the lineup on various selections. Rava made a wide left turn for 2012's On the Dance Floor. Amazingly, the trumpeter only became aware of pop singer Michael Jackson's music after his death, and he became obsessed with it. The album, his tribute to what he considers the late singer's contribution to 20th century music, was recorded with Parco della Musica Jazz Lab at the Rome Auditorium; it is entirely comprised of Jackson's material. In 2019, he appeared alongside saxophonist Joe Lovano on the live ECM date Roma. Translate By Google ~ Francesco Martinelli https://www.allmusic.com/artist/enrico-rava-mn0000182392/biography

Personnel:  Barbara Casini (vocals, guitar); Enrico Rava (trumpet, flugelhorn); Mauro Negri (clarinet); Stefano Bollani (piano); Giovanni Tommaso (bass); Roberto Gatto (drums)

Vento

---

Richie Kamuca - Drop Me Off In Harlem

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1977
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:08
Size: 75,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:55)  1. Drop Me Off In Harlem
(4:35)  2. I Didn't Know About You
(3:15)  3. All Alone
(4:45)  4. Dear Bix
(3:36)  5. Three Little Words
(5:05)  6. It Must Be True
(3:06)  7. With The Wind And The Rain In Your Hair
(3:50)  8. Harlem Butterfly

Richie Kamuca's three Concord albums, all recorded within a year of his death, are each highly recommended. This set has inspired instrumentation. Three songs feature the cool-toned tenor in a trio with Herb Ellis (playing acoustic guitar) and bassist Ray Brown, while the remaining five are duets with pianist Dave Frishberg. Kamuca takes a surprising and effective vocal on "Dear Bix" and alternates light romps with lyrical ballads. Highlights of the consistently memorable set include "Drop Me Off In Harlem," "Three Little Words" and "Harlem Butterfly."~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/drop-me-off-in-harlem-mw0000919853

Personnel: Richie Kamuca - tenor saxophone; Dave Frishberg - piano; Ray Brown - bass; - Herb Ellis - guitar

Drop Me Off In Harlem

---

Bobby McFerrin - Simple Pleasures

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1988
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:50
Size: 78,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:54)  1. Don't Worry Be Happy
(2:56)  2. All I Want
(2:44)  3. Drive My Car
(2:08)  4. Simple Pleasures
(2:58)  5. Good Lovin'
(3:38)  6. Come To Me
(2:51)  7. Susie Q
(3:58)  8. Drive
(3:55)  9. Them Changes
(3:44) 10. Sunshine Of Your Love

This CD will always be remembered for including Bobby McFerrin's surprise hit "Don't Worry, Be Happy." Actually, overall, this album is not quite up to the level of his previous two, for instead of taking unaccompanied vocals, the remarkable singer overdubbed his voice many times, which reduces the miraculous nature of his talents. 

However, McFerrin's renditions of "Drive My Car," "Drive," and "Sunshine of Your Love" (the program is quite diverse), plus the catchy "Don't Worry," are generally unique and worth hearing. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/simple-pleasures-mw0000199391

Personnel: Bobby McFerrin - vocals

Simple Pleasures

---

Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis, Harry 'Sweets' Edison - Jawbreakers

Styles: Saxophone And Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1990
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:29
Size: 96,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:13)  1. OO-EE!
(5:18)  2. Broadway
(6:34)  3. Jawbreakers
(3:33)  4. Four
(4:38)  5. Moolah
(4:42)  6. A Gal In Calico
(5:54)  7. I've Got A Crush On You
(5:34)  8. Close Your Eyes

Harry "Sweets" Edison and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis always made for a logical combination for both had immediately recognizable sounds and could say an awful lot with one note. This early collaboration (reissued on CD), their first joint recording, finds the pair joined by pianist Hugh Lawson, bassist Ike Isaacs and drummer Clarence Johnston. 

The repertoire (three basic Edison originals plus five jazz standards) serves as strong vehicles for swinging solos with highlights including "Broadway," "Four" and "A Gal in Calico." Easily recommended to straightahead jazz fans as are the later Sweets-Lockjaw recordings. 

~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/jawbreakers-mw0000312066

Personnel:  Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis - tenor saxophone; Harry "Sweets" Edison - trumpet; Hugh Lawson - piano; Ike Isaacs - bass; Clarence Johnston - drums

Jawbreakers

---

Zee Avi - Ghostbird

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:36
Size: 82,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:52)  1. Swell Window
(3:23)  2. Anchor
(3:53)  3. 31 Days
(3:40)  4. Milestone Moon
(2:20)  5. Siboh Kitak Nangis
(3:15)  6. The Book Of Morris Johnson
(2:28)  7. Madness
(2:39)  8. Bag Of Gold
(3:35)  9. Concrete Wall
(2:55) 10. Roll Your Head In The Sun
(3:32) 11. Stay In The Clouds

Frequently, debut albums are interesting but simply do not fulfill their artistic potential. This is the case with Zee Avi’s self-titled 2009 debut. While interesting and flush with Avi’s lovely voice the songs ventured at times into a cloying cuteness. The listener was tempted to wish for a more mature, jazzier version of Avi. Luckily, 2011 gives us Ghostbird, an 11-song meditation that only gets better upon replay. One part island breeze and one part classic jazz, Ghostbird sounds like a record you would find in your grandmother’s attic, the work of some jazz age ingénue. But, no, you’re listening to Avi, a twentysomething native of Malaysia in possession of an old-soul voice. It would be easy to dismiss this music as easy listening, one more Jack Johnson-style veg-out disc, but the sheer beauty of her floaty alto voice and shimmering arrangements help it stand out and stand up to repeat listens.Opener “Swell Window” captures attention from the start, with its chime-like lyrical repetition. “31 Days” pops up a few tracks later, a meditation on growing up: “At the ripe age of 17/I moved into that big, bad city,” she croons. Later she learns “I’m half crazy/you’re too sane.” This has been done before, of course, but the earnestness in Avi’s delivery sells it.“Siboh Kitak Nangis” best exemplifies Avi’s smoky jazz skills. All the while, its foreign lyrics hypnotize in the way that Sigur Rós’s Icelandic wanderings do. A few tracks are, yes, cute (particularly “The Book of Morris Johnson”), but “Concrete Wall” pays back your patience in spades, Avi giving one side of a lovers’ quarrel with a darkness that has eluded her before. Its smoldering passive aggression has a mature tone that suits her. Jaw-dropping closer “Stay in the Clouds” features strong, clear strings and a throaty rasp of a jazz-throwback vocal. Singing softer in her higher register, Avi intones, “Can I please stay in the clouds forever/‘cause I really like it here,” an almost cruel irony when the song must, inevitably,end. Fortunately, you can hit repeat, and you will. ~ Megan Ritt https://consequenceofsound.net/2011/09/album-review-zee-avi-ghostbird/

Ghostbird

---

Harold Mabern - The Leading Man

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:01
Size: 126,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:24)  1. Yes or No
(4:40)  2. Save the Best for Last
(6:48)  3. Full House
(6:27)  4. She/Mr.Lucky
(7:36)  5. Alone Together
(6:11)  6. The Man from Hyde Park
(6:17)  7. B & B
(7:17)  8. T-Bone Steak
(4:17)  9. Mercury Retro

Since his emergence onto the New York scene in 1959, pianist Harold Mabern has become one of the few true living jazz stylists on the piano. Having played with everyone from Lionel Hampton to Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Wes Montgomery, and Lee Morgan, Mabern has the experience and the depth of knowledge sufficient to be called a master. There is no one on the scene who sounds like him, and his sense of lyricism, rhythm, time, and the entire range of dynamics in his playing attract other players as well as listeners. The Leading Man, issued in 1993, is considered a classic, both for its selection of material and the performances of the various ensembles Mabern assembled for the date. But there is something else, too nowhere in Mabern's recorded catalog is there a performance like this from him. His playing, while always inspired, is revelatory in its sense of full orchestration and the shifting timbres of his solos against the bassline (played by Ron Carter). Also on this set are drummer Jack DeJohnette, alto man Bill Easley, fellow Memphian and trumpeter Bill Mobley, guitarist Kevin Eubanks, and vocalist Pamela Baskin-Watson. With the exception of DeJohnette and Carter, all the other players rotate on this stunning collection. The standout track is Montgomery's "Full House," which features Eubanks and Mabern trading eights, then fours, then slipping into solo breaks at the same time, in close harmony and gliding through the arpeggios like a skater on ice. The medley of "She" and "Mr. Lucky," by George Shearing and Henry Mancini, respectively, is a chance for Mabern to show both his lyrical and dynamic abilities by tracing the melodies of each tune through the other, then harmonically combining them in rhythmic patterns of graceful elegance. Easley gets the chance to reveal the depth of his modal style on Wayne Shorter's "Yes or No." Mabern slips phrases from McCoy Tyner's comp book into the body of the tune, but the harmonic architecture and the interval changes in and out of mode are all his. Easley sets the bar high and delivers by blowing through those harmonies, not inside them. There is a bit of everything here, from the aforementioned exercises to the greasy funk of Jimmy Smith's "T-Bone Steak" to Mabern's compositions such as "B&B," where Mobley plays with the emotion of Chet Baker and the melodic chops of Fats Navarro. The last tune, "Mercury Retro," is one of Mabern's too. A piano solo, it begins as an exercise in dissonant counterpoint, transforming itself inside of five minutes into a jazz ballad that becomes a boogie-woogie blues to a classical rondo and even a prelude and fugue; it's just amazing. You never get the feeling the guy is showing off, either. The Leading Man proves beyond the shadow of a doubt that Mabern is just that. ~ Thom Jurek https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-leading-man-mw0000121742

Personnel: Harold Mabern – piano; Ron Carter – bass; Jack DeJohnette – drums;  Bill Mobley – trumpet, flugelhorn; Bill Easley – alto sax; Kevin Eubanks – guitar; Pamela Baskin-Watson – vocals

R.I.P.
Born: March 20, 1936, Memphis,Tennessee,United States
Died: September 19, 2019

The Leading Man

---

Sam Harris - Interludes

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:27
Size: 110,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:28)  1. Prelude: Drone
(3:50)  2. Incantation
(3:20)  3. Ataraxia
(2:47)  4. Calls
(3:28)  5. Louis Wain
(1:21)  6. Interlude: Incidental Music
(2:25)  7. Manul at Rest
(3:47)  8. Spells
(1:51)  9. Manul at Sea
(4:12) 10. Chthonos
(5:15) 11. The Hermit Darger
(2:24) 12. No Hay Banda
(1:39) 13. Manul in Space
(6:33) 14. Postlude

2014 is shaping up to be a big year for pianist Sam Harris: first off, he has already played on two of the year’s most critically-acclaimed new releases, Rudy Royston’s 303 (Greenleaf) and Ambrose Akinmusire’s the imagined savior is far easier to paint (Blue Note). Harris is more than just a sideman on these records; his harmonies give each one their distinctive color and feel, and he has been duly recognized for these contributions. In his review of 303, Nate Chinen of The New York Times singled out Harris as a “… strong voice in ascendence.” Meanwhile, while listening to Akinmusire’s new album, Steve Smith of the Times and Time Out New York tweeted this: Mmm. Becca Stevens, Ambrose Akinmusire, Sam Harris and strings. Yes, yes, yes. Steve Smith (@nightafternight) March 6, 2014. Secondly, Harris has just released his debut album as a leader, Interludes (Fresh Sound). The style and personality that shines through on 303 and imagined savior comes out in full force here. All of the tracks on this album are Harris originals, and he demonstrates a sense of form that is unique among his peer group. Rather than constructing tunes that stretch into vehicles for instrumental solos, Harris creates concise and intimate vignettes: tone poems for a chamber ensemble of jazz instruments. He expands typical post-bop piano harmony into new territory, with curious dissonances and asymmetrical spacings one part Herbie Hancock, one part Paul Bley. He plays with texture in interesting ways, using vintage keyboards like the mellotron and Fender Rhodes to create a near-symphonic palette. He builds up intricate rhythmic grids and breaks them down again with equal aplomb. Interludes is thus a perfect descriptor of Harris’s music: a connector between the mainstream and the avant-garde, between the formal and the fanciful. As fans of The Jazz Gallery know, Harris has been honing this unique sound on the Gallery’s stage for several years now as both a leader and sideman. On Thursday, Harris will perform two sets as a belated celebration for the release of Interludes. While the album features contributions from saxophonists Roman Filiu and Ben van Gelder, Harris will present the music on Thursday with his trio featuring Martin Nevin on bass and Craig Weinrib on drums. Come out to hear Harris’s memorable and atmospheric themes stripped down to an elemental form. http://www.jazzspeaks.org/sam-harris-interludes/

Personnel: Sam Harris (piano, synthesizer), Ben Van Gelder (alto sax, bass clarinet), Roman Filiu (alto sax, flute), Martin Nevin (bass in all tracks except #8,7,12), Ross Gallagher (bass on #2,4,6,8,9,10,13), and Craig Weinrib (drums).

Interludes

---

Eric Alexander - Leap Of Faith

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:16
Size: 132,3 MB
Art: Front

( 8:06)  1. Luquitas
(11:08)  2. Mars
( 3:43)  3. Corazon Perdido
( 3:32)  4. Hard Blues
( 6:46)  5. Frenzy
( 8:14)  6. Big Richard
( 2:16)  7. Magyar
(13:28)  8. Second Impression

Renowned tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander's Leap of Faith stems in part from the decision (hesitantly made) to perform in a trio setting without piano hardly an uncommon arrangement these days but one that Alexander, a shining light on the New York music scene for more than two decades, has rarely explored, either in live gigs or on more than forty-plus albums as leader of his own groups. Also, Leap of Faith was recorded live (no safety net) at New York City's Jazz Gallery by Alexander, bassist Doug Weiss and drummer Johnathan Blake. As if that weren't enough to induce uncertainty, Alexander expanded the "leap" even further by performing only his own compositions and doing so in a free-wheeling mode that more or less moves him from his customary post-bop comfort zone into realms that are more closely associated with John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter or Pharoah Sanders, to name a few. Unlike many exponents of "free jazz," Alexander never loses touch with the harmonic framework that lends such music its aesthetic as well as cerebral appeal. Even when hanging on a discordant limb, he remains at heart an unapologetic straight-from-the-shoulder swinger, even on the cacophonous finale, "Second Impression," on which he sounds as unlike the "usual" Eric Alexander as on anything he has ever recorded. The same holds true on most other numbers, from the fleet and staccato opener, "Luquitas," to the equally propulsive "Second Impression." The tempo (but not the passion) slows to some degree on "Mars," whose harmonic progression, Alexander writes, is based on Bruno Mars' pop hit, "Finesse." A piano is used to good effect on "Corazon Perdido," as Alexander accompanies himself on the moody change-of-pace that leads to another wailer, the gritty "Hard Blues," followed by the mercurial and well-named "Frenzy." Alexander is bold and unrestrained on each of them, as he is on the more moderately paced "Big Richard" and "Magyar," the last based on themes from Bela Bartok's "Music for Strings, Percussion and Celeste." While Blake solos brightly on "Luquitas," and Weiss on "Big Richard," it is Alexander's robust and (unusually) strident voice that animates every number. Leap of Faith traverses new and unexplored territory, for Alexander and his fans, and it is they who must decide whether that leap has thrust him forward or backward. No definitive conclusion will be drawn here. The stars are for Alexander who even in this atypical framework is never less than very good. ~ Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/leap-of-faith-eric-alexander-giant-step-arts-review-by-jack-bowers.php

Personnel: Eric Alexander: tenor saxophone; Doug Weiss: bass; Johnathan Blake: drums.

Leap Of Faith

---