Yoko Miwa Trio - Keep Talkin'

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:58
Size: 170,7 MB
Art: Front

( 4:16)  1. Keep Talkin'
( 6:32)  2. In Walked Bud
( 6:25)  3. Secret Rendezvous
( 6:09)  4. Sunset Lane
( 6:25)  5. Boogie Stop Shuffle
( 7:52)  6. Golden Slumbers / You Never Give Me Your Money
( 6:06)  7. Tone Portrait
( 5:52)  8. Casa Pre-Fabricada
( 7:32)  9. Conversation
( 6:38) 10. If You're Blue
(10:08) 11. Sunshine Follows the Rain

Pianist Yoko Miwa was born in Japan, but she has set up shop in Boston, where she teaches at Berklee College of Music. She has also beginning in 2003 with Fadeless Flower (Polystar Records) previously released seven CDs. The superb Keep Talkin' brings that number of recorded offerings from Miwa to eight. The music of Keep Talkin' says that Miwa has fully embraced an American state of mind, beginning with the title tune, a Miwa original that sounds like something out of the hard-grooving Horace Silver songbook. Or add some horns and Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers could come to mind. And apparent right out of the gate: Miwa and her trio play with joy. An especially spritely take on Thelonious Monk's "In Walked Bud" is up next, with a fierce momentum and an assured improvisational gusto from Miwa, aided and abetted by muscular and spicy rhythm from bassist Will Slater and drummer Scott Goulding.

The pianist is in fine form as a composer, offering up six of her own tunes, along with inspired covers of music from the previously mentioned Monk; from Charles Mingus ("Boogie Stop Shuffle"); Joni Mitchell ("Conversations"); and the Brazilian singer/composer guitarist Marcelo Camelo ("Casa Pre-Fabricada"). The album hits its highlight with the eight minute "Golden Slumbers/You Never Give Me Your Money" medley, from the Beatles songbook. The pairing of two of Paul McCartney's loveliest melodies works to perfection in this trio's hands, beginning with a stately and straight up reading on "Slumbers" that transitions into the dreamier "Money," leading into Miwa's searching and assertive improvisation, with the bass and drums cooking on high heat, pushing hard back into "Slumbers." 

The set closes with Miwa's "Sunshine Follows The Rain," with Brad Barrett sitting in on bass, for a pensive and melancholy, yet hopeful and gorgeous close out to a marvelous piano trio outing. ~ Dan McClenaghan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/keep-talkin-yoko-miwa-ocean-blue-tear-music-review-by-dan-mcclenaghan.php

Personnel: Yoko Miwa: piano; Will slater: acoustic bass; Scott Goulding: drums; Brad Barrett: acoustic bass (11).

Keep Talkin'

Zippyshare                  

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Paolo Alderighi, Stephanie Trick - A Jazz Story: volume 2

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 89:25
Size: 206,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:09)  1. Penny Lane
(4:05)  2. Kid From Red Bank
(8:11)  3. Ellington Medley (Sophisticated Lady / Prelude to a Kiss / Just Squeeze Me)
(3:05)  4. The Trolley Song
(2:42)  5. Pilgrim's Score (Tannhäuser's Pilgrim's Chorus)
(6:25)  6. After You've Gone
(5:25)  7. Stradivarius
(4:08)  8. St. Louis Blues
(5:33)  9. Love Me Tender / Blue Suede Shoes
(4:56) 10. Runnin' Wild
(3:21) 11. Temptation Rag / Handful of Keys
(4:05) 12. Ya Gotta Try
(6:00) 13. The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise
(3:51) 14. I Wish I Were Twins
(4:12) 15. Boogie Woogie Valzer
(7:31) 16. Medley Leonard Bernstein
(4:51) 17. I Got Rhythm
(3:08) 18. Little Rock Getaway
(2:39) 19. Warm Worm Boogie

Stephanie Trick “has come to practically dominate the stride piano field,” notes reviewer Jack Rummel. Harlem stride piano, which developed in the 1920s and ’30s, is an orchestral style of two-handed piano playing that not only swings, but is also technically demanding and exciting to watch. Louis Mazetier, a respected interpreter of this genre, writes in the Bulletin of the Hot Club of France that she has “won the esteem of specialists in the genre with wonderful interpretations of stride classics, James P. Johnson, Fats Waller, and Don Lambert (which she learned by ear). She plays these pieces with a punch that is matched by her precise interpretation.”A classically trained pianist, Stephanie began playing piano at the age of five. During the time between her beginning years and high school, her piano teacher exposed her to early jazz, and the syncopation and swinging rhythm piqued her interest. While in college, it became clear to Stephanie that she wanted to pursue stride and classic jazz styles professionally.

With a swinging approach inspired by second-generation stride pianists such as Dick Hyman, Ralph Sutton, and Dick Wellstood (as well as the original Harlem ticklers, James P. Johnson, Willie “The Lion” Smith, and Fats Waller), and one that includes boogie woogie and blues from the late ‘20s, Stephanie was the 2012 recipient of the prestigious Kobe-Breda Jazz Friendship Award, and has performed in many parts of the United States and Europe in a variety of venues, including the Teatro Dal Verme in Milan, Italy, the KIG Dixieland Festival in Dresden, Germany, the Arbors Records Invitational Jazz Party, the Rochester International Jazz Festival, the Gilmore Keyboard Festival, and the Sacramento Music Festival. In 2008, 2010, and 2014, she was invited to perform at the international Stride & Swing Piano Summit in Boswil, Switzerland. A serious student, dedicated to classic jazz and the stride piano tradition, she has played with a number of celebrated musicians, including Dick Hyman, Phil Flanigan, Rossano Sportiello, Allan Vaché, Louis Mazetier, Nicki Parrott, and Danny Coots. 

Graduating from college with a Bachelor of Arts in Music, she was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa academic honor society at the University of Chicago.Stephanie frequently performs with her husband, acclaimed pianist Paolo Alderighi, making fresh arrangements of songs from the Swing Era in a four-hands piano duo, and they currently have four albums together (see www.paoloandstephanie.com). In 2014, they played for the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall at the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival. Stephanie also enjoys accompanying Grammy-nominated lyricist and vocalist Lorraine Feather in a show that features the music of James P. Johnson and other stride piano composers, set to original lyrics by Feather (see www.nouveaustride.com). Stephanie has recorded eleven albums and one DVD. Her solo “Live” CD was awarded the “New Talent Prize 2011” by the Hot Club of France. (CD track listings, video clips, ordering information, and more may be found on her website at www.stephanietrick.com.) http://stephanietrick.com/biography.htm

“One of the nicest gifts to arrive on the jazz piano scene in recent times, and we couldn’t be more delighted to welcome her.”~ Dick Hyman

A Jazz Story: volume 2

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Alan Broadbent - To the Evening Star

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:04
Size: 132,0 MB
Art: Front

( 7:21)  1. As Morning Breaks (The Prize Song)
(11:50) 2. Amfortas 'Lament (Song of the Flower Maidens)
( 6:13)  3. Song to the Evening Star
( 2:40)  4. Bud Meets Carl
( 5:03)  5. Opus Blue
( 3:48)  6. Full Moon and Empty Arms
( 3:24)  7. Strangers in Paradise
( 4:10)  8. Baubles, Bangles and Beads
( 4:32)  9. Since That Time
( 3:03) 10. Candide (Indeed)
( 4:56) 11. Brother Ralf

Alan Broadbent was born in Auckland, New Zealand and in 1966, at the age of 19, received a Downbeat Magazine scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music in Boston. In 1969 he was asked to join Woody Herman's band as his pianist and arranger for 3 years. In 1972 he settled in Los Angeles, beginning a musical relationship with the legendary singer Irene Kral (no relation to Diana Krall). Soon he was also invited into the studio scene as a pianist for the great Nelson Riddle, David Rose and Johnny Mandel. In the early 90s he was asked to be a part of Natalie Cole's famous “Unforgettable” cd, at which time he toured as her pianist and, a little while later, as her conductor. At this time he wrote an orchestral arrangement for her second video with her dad, “When I Fall In Love”, which won him his first Grammy for “best orchestral arrangement accompanying a vocal”.

Shortly after, he became a member of Charlie Haden's Quartet West, touring the festivals of Europe, UK and the USA. It was while with this group that he won his second Grammy, an orchestral accompaniment written for Shirley Horn of Leonard Bernstein's “Lonely Town”. As a soloist and with his jazz trio, Broadbent has been nominated for Grammys twice for best instrumental performance, in the company of such artists as Herbie Hancock, Sonny Rollins and Keith Jarrett. In 2007 he was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit, an honor he holds in high regard. Broadbent is Diana Krall's conductor for her occasional orchestra concerts and is the conductor on her “Live in Paris” DVD. Recently he has been the arranger on Glenn Frey's cd with strings, “After Hours”, and wrote six string arrangements for Sir Paul McCartney's “Kisses On The Bottom” with the London Symphony. He has just returned from solo piano concerts in the UK, Poland and France. It has been his lifelong goal, through his orchestral arrangements and jazz improvisations, to discover, in popular music and standard songs, deeper feelings of communication and love. https://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/alanbroadbent

To the Evening Star

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Steve Khan - Patchwork

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 80:37
Size: 186,4 MB
Art: Front

( 8:08)  1. Epistrophy
( 7:45)  2. C. & D.
( 7:27)  3. Bouquet
( 7:42)  4. Naan Issue
(10:20)  5. A Shade of Jade
( 7:48)  6. Too Late Now
( 6:14)  7. T. & T.
(15:36)  8. The Journey Home
( 6:53)  9. Huracan Clare
( 2:40) 10. Nature Boy - Bonus Track

Amongst the many myths out there about music-making especially in jazz, where the improvisation quotient is often so high is that composing may, indeed, be work, but doesn't require the kind of relentless attention to detail that far more truthfully defines how many artists write and arrange their music. These days, one need only look to music by artists including Pat Metheny, Antonio Sanchez and Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah to find music conceived with intimate and painstaking detail while, at the same time, possessed of plenty of interpretive and improvisational freedom. But for a real window into just how much consideration, time and sweat goes into conceiving a single tune (let alone an entire album), just take a look at the news section of Steve Khan's website where, in addition to other regular (and enlightening) bits and bobs, the guitarist regularly posts detailed notes about the conception and execution of his recordings. Case in point: Khan's notes about Patchwork, the guitarist's fourth installment in a most decided and inimitable exploration of the nexus point where jazz guitar and Latin/Afro Cuban rhythms meet. His website notes reveal, with extraordinary honesty, everything from crises of confidence and moments of grand inspiration to the cornerstones of his ever-imaginative arrangements and much, much more.  Those who've followed Khan's career over the decades know that he's been moving towards this truly unique intersection point for a long time. The Latin influences are crystal clear on earlier Tone Center albums of the new millennium, like 2007's Borrowed Time and 2005's The Green Field.

Still, the guitarist's love affair with all things Latin actually dates further back still, to albums like Public Access (GRP, 1989) (recently collected, almost in its entirety, on BGO Records' 2018 double-disc set Public Access / Headline / Crossings). And while a little less overtly so, there are still plenty of hints of what's to come across Khan's three early '80s Eyewitness band albums, recently reissued, again by BGO, on its 2016 two- CD set, The Eyewitness Trilogy, which collects Eyewitness (Antilles, 1981), Modern Time's (Trio Records, 1982) and Casa Loco (Antilles, 1984). But beyond Khan's gradual, relatively late in life emergence as the preeminent guitarist in Latin jazz, there's another thread that connects every entry in what has, with Patchwork, now expanded to a quadrilogy. Literally every album, from 2011's Parting Shot through 2014's Subtext to 2017's Backlog seemed, at the time, like it would be Khan's last. And yet, from fearing loss of inspiration to physical issues that might have brought his days as a guitarist to an end (but, thankfully, have not), with each album since Parting Shot Khan has not only continued to hone his distinctive marriage of the many facets and touchstones of his musical career into a Latin-informed musical context; he's also managed to raise his game significantly with each successive release.  After a slight personnel detour with Backlog, where Khan's longtime first-call drummer Dennis Chambers was replaced by the equally talented but alternately focused Mark Walker (Oregon, Caribbean Jazz Project, Lyle Mays), the veteran Brecker Brothers, John Scofield, Steely Dan and John McLaughlin stick man is back, once again teaming seamlessly with percussionists Marc Quinones and Bobby Allende, along with Ruben Rodriguez, who has been Khan's recent bassist of choice.

As irrefutably fine as the lineup on Backlog was, it's great to have Chambers back in the fold, giving Patchwork the same kind of effortless energy and percussion simpatico as Parting Shot and, in particular, Subtext, where longtime Khan contrabassist Anthony Jackson was replaced, permanently it would seem, by Rodriguez, who first appeared with Khan as a guest on three of Borrowed Time's nine tracks. Perhaps the biggest shift, personnel-wise, with Patchwork is the far greater participation of keyboardist, composer and arranger Rob Mounsey. A longtime Khan collaborator with a résumé that includes, amongst many others, Steely Dan, James Taylor and Paul Simon, not to mention his 1987 Denon/Passport duo recording with Khan, Local Color, Mounsey has contributed, increasingly, to all of the guitarist's albums beginning with Borrowed Time. But this time, rather than receiving a "guest musician" credit, Mounsey receives, for the first time, a full band member listing. Between his astute keyboard parts, compelling orchestrations and, on two tracks, full orchestral arrangements, Mounsey's contributions to Patchwork's warm sonics and harmonic sophistications simply cannot be understated. Since Parting Shot, Khan has gradually moved away from his own writing, with that album's seven original compositions/co- compositions reducing to Subtext's three and Backlog's none. Khan's focus may, indeed, have leaned further away from original composition, moving more decidedly towards imaginative and innovative Latin-inflected rearrangements (both harmonically and, perhaps most importantly, rhythmically) of music written by artists including, most prominently, Thelonious Monk, Ornette Coleman and Bobby Hutcherson. But the guitarist's interpretive skills are so strong, so vivid and so inimitable, that even an evergreen tune like Monk's "Epistrophy" feels as much Khan's as it does the original (and similarly unparalleled) composer's. Khan's connection to Monk dates back to his extraordinary Evidence (Arista Novus, 1980), a solo album that, with multiple layers of overdubbed guitar parts (and, on one track, percussion) and creative arrangements of music by artists including Shorter, Lee Morgan, Horace Silver, Joe Zawinul and Randy Brecker, was the first signal that Khan's fusion leanings were on the wane, and that the guitarist's approach to both his instrument and harmony were in the midst of a major paradigm shift that would become clearer still with the release of the quartet-driven Eyewitness the following year. The second side of Evidence is devoted to a medley that, clocking in at over eighteen minutes and seamlessly moving through nine Monk tunes, is the highlight of an album that represents, truly, a series of watershed moments for the guitarist. More... https://www.allaboutjazz.com/patchwork-steve-khan-tone-center-review-by-john-kelman.php

Personnel: Steve Khan: guitar, voice (8, 9); Rubén Rodríguez: baby bass, electric bass; Dennis Chambers: drums; Marc Quiñones: timbal, bongó, percussion; Bobby Allende: conga; Rob Mounsey: keyboards, orchestrations, orchestral arrangements (3, 6): Randy Brecker: flügelhorn (5); Bob Mintzer: tenor saxophone (2); Tatiana Parra: voice (8, 10); Jorge Estrada: keyboards and arranger (9).

Patchwork

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Rick Braun - Crossroads

Styles: Trumpet Jazz 
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:48
Size: 107,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:22)  1. Around The Corner
(4:42)  2. Brazz Street
(4:50)  3. Crossroads
(4:26)  4. The Moment I Saw You
(4:42)  5. I Wish
(4:32)  6. Me And You
(5:11)  7. Family
(5:11)  8. Bahia
(3:54)  9. Come With Me
(4:53) 10. Versace On The Floor

One of contemporary jazz’s most popular artists, trumpeter Rick Braun has a sound built on a silken, lyrical horn voice, usually set over grooving rhythms. On Crossroads, he doesn’t stray too far from that formula, but he deploys it in a rich variety of contexts. A collection of stylistically varied originals and covers, Crossroads includes references to (and appearances by) Braun’s family and friends. Braun collaborated on several tracks with keyboardist Philippe Saisse, a longtime friend, and he composed the tune “Me and You” with another friend and frequent collaborator, guitarist Peter White. The laid-back ballad reflects the pair’s genial bonhomie, with White’s guitar responses to Braun’s horn conveying the feeling of old friends chatting. Braun’s cover of Stevie Wonder’s “I Wish” is a joyous, funky jam featuring yet another longtime friend, saxophonist Richard Elliot, who teams with Braun to form a rollicking horn section.

Braun composed the irresistibly catchy “Around the Corner” for his daughter to dance to, and his 17-year-old son plays the keyboard intro to his gentle, lyrical cover of Bruno Mars’ “Versace on the Floor.” The Americana-esque “Family” was partly inspired by Braun’s grandparents, who were both musical. When composing the piece, Braun drew upon his memories of the music they used to play, and he performs the plaintively lovely melody with palpable emotion. The vibe is evocative of wide-open spaces, the melody underpinned by a chugging rhythm suggestive of train wheels. While not really jazz (or contemporary jazz), it’s an intriguing musical direction that well suits Braun’s sound and style. https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/rick-braun-crossroads-shanachie/

Crossroads

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Bucky Pizzarelli - Green Guitar Blues / Café Pierre Trio

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:00
Size: 174,6 MB
Art: Front

(2:14)  1. Tangerine
(2:39)  2. What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?
(3:13)  3. Medley: Breakfast at Tiffany's / Dreamsville
(2:21)  4. Bizarre
(2:03)  5. The Summer Knows
(3:32)  6. Green Guitar Blues
(2:11)  7. I Don't Know How to Love Him
(3:28)  8. Satin Doll
(3:16)  9. Medley: Cry Me a River / Girl Talk
(3:55) 10. Medley: Adelita / Prelude #4
(1:56) 11. Chicken a La Swing
(2:16) 12. Goodbye
(4:52) 13. Cherokee
(5:33) 14. Invitation
(5:36) 15. Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me
(5:51) 16. Medley: Isn't It Romantic? / Penthouse Serenade / East of the Sun / What Is There to Say?
(3:28) 17. Nola
(4:52) 18. Blues Chromatique
(4:48) 19. Indiana
(4:05) 20. Isfahan
(2:43) 21. My Ship

For more than six decades, the legendary Bucky Pizzarelli has had a stellar career. “The complete jazz musician”, he was a fixture in jazz and the studios since the early ‘50s. The list of big bands and vocalists with whom Bucky has performed and recorded reads like a veritable Who's Who of Jazz. One of the era's most solid rhythm players, Pizzarelli was in high demand, playing and touring with Benny Goodman, Zoot Sims, Bud Freeman, and Stephane Grappelli, and, later, recording with George Van Eps, Carl Kress and George Barnes. His superior mastery of the seven-string guitar is unparalleled. The beloved guitarist has developed a very personal style that sets him apart. He lives in Saddle River, New Jersey, with his wife, Ruth. https://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/buckypizzarelli

R.I.P.
Died: April 1, 2020
Born: January 9, 1926

Green Guitar Blues / Café Pierre Trio

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Ellis Marsalis - Ruminations in New York

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:30
Size: 114,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:51)  1. Things That You Never Were
(4:47)  2. A Moment Alone
(4:08)  3. Haven's Paradise
(4:43)  4. Homecoming
(4:27)  5. After
(3:36)  6. Tell Me
(4:31)  7. Somehow
(4:14)  8. Orchid Blue
(3:40)  9. Happiness Is the Thing
(4:08) 10. Chapter One
(5:05) 11. When First We Met
(2:14) 12. Zee Blues

A Striking solo piano album from the renowned new orleans pianist. Ellis Marsalis began his musical career as a tenor saxophonist, switching to piano while in high school. During the late '50s, Ellis trod the lonely road of modernist jazz in new orleans (with drummer ed blackwell), recorded with cannonball and nat adderley in the '60s and between 1967 and 1970, played the piano in trumpeter Al Hirt's band. Since 1989, ellis has been the director of the jazz studies program at the university of new orleans. https://ellismarsalis.bandcamp.com/album/ruminations-in-new-york

Personnel:  Ellis Marsalis (solo piano)

R.I.P.
Born: 14-11-1934
Died: 01-04-2020

Ruminations in New York

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Wallace Roney - Home

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:40
Size: 139,2 MB
Art: Front

( 7:20)  1. Utopia
( 7:28)  2. Home
( 6:50)  3. Pacific Express
(10:20)  4. Plaza Real
( 8:35)  5. Dawn
( 8:06)  6. Evolution of the Blues
( 9:05)  7. Ghost of Yesterday
( 2:53)  8. Revive

Old-school funk and fusion? Contemporary R&B? Straight-ahead jazz? Open-air modal music? One never quite knows what to expect from a new Wallace Roney project-that is, aside from impressive blowing and a tone that, while still sometimes evocative of Miles, is its own thing of beauty: full, resonant, deftly shaded, often moving in unpredictable and mysterious ways. Roney, joined by his regular bandmates and several guests, touches on several of the stylistic strains mentioned above on Home. It’s chockfull of the leader’s dazzling displays, including the long tones and then quick runs of his “Evolution of the Blues”; that tune also offers a showcase for engaging tenor and soprano solos by Antoine Roney, Wallace’s younger brother, buoyed by the rhythmic punches of pianist Aruán Ortiz, bassist Rashaan Carter and drummer Kush Abadey. Roney’s way with a mute, to produce gorgeously dark and smoky sounds, is on display on the floaty title track as well as the exceedingly slow chestnut “Ghost of Yesterday,” limned with Ortiz’s lush chordings.

Wayne Shorter gets a mini-salute here, with opener “Utopia,” an uptempo unplugged tune with plenty of solo space for the horn men and Ortiz, and “Plaza Real,” which benefits from a lovely melody-first voiced by Antoine’s tenor, then joined by the trumpeter-and a fusion-tinted rhythm section. The ’60s/’70s vibe also dominates the feel of John McLaughlin’s “Pacific Express.” Roney is entirely absent from the closer, “Revive,” a nearly three-minute unaccompanied piece by Bobby Ward, the revered Boston drummer who was pals with Tony Williams (and is heard on three of the album’s eight tracks). It’s a solo in which there is never a dull moment, which might also be said about all of Home. ~  By Philip Booth https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/wallace-roney-home/

R.I.P.
Born: 25-05-1960
Died: 31-03-2020

Home

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Brandee Younger - Soul Awakening

Styles: Harp Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:38
Size: 102,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:53)  1. Soulris (feat. Ravi Coltrane)
(4:43)  2. Linda Lee
(5:22)  3. Love's Prayer (feat. Ravi Coltrane)
(7:01)  4. Respected Destroyer (feat. Sean Jones)
(5:42)  5. Games
(5:30)  6. Save the Children (feat. Niia)
(3:51)  7. Soul Awakening
(7:33)  8. Blue Nile

Sure the recording for Soul Awakening was completed in 2013, but we are more than fortunate that harpist Brandee Younger and producer/bassist Dezron Douglas have chosen now to free this music from the vaults. For Soul Awakening brings a defining clarity to what we've experienced on previous releases, such as the raw, groove/fusion of 2014's The Brandee Younger 4tet: Live at the Breeding Ground (Brandee Younger), and 2016's Wax & Wane (Brandee Younger). Accompanied by her stalwart 4tet: tenor saxophonist Chelsea Baratz, soprano saxophonist Stacy Dillard, drummer E.J. Strickland and Douglas, the disc comes to stirring, ascendant life with Douglas' "Soulris" a powerful wave of spiritual vibe featuring the exultant tenor of Ravi Coltrane, who knows a thing or two about harpists and ascendant riffs. Younger stands fearless alongside Coltrane and drummer Chris Beck, whose combined energy would drown any lesser player. With a wash of celestial glissandi, Coltrane rises gloriously on Younger's own "Lover's Prayer," a soulfully emotive incantation and incarnation of Coltrane's mother, Alice Coltrane. Presented here as a gently swelling, rolling, almost 1960's pop radio instrumental, "Games," composed by another of Younger's great influences, Dorothy Ashby, spotlights Douglas and Strickland exercising great rhythmic restraint under Younger's gorgeous, delicate sweeps. 

Trumpeter Sean Jones, who held his own with Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter on their 2011 Tribute to Miles tour and held the lead trumpet position for Jazz at Lincoln Center from 2004-2010, leads trombonist Corey Wilcox through a range of trade-offs and colors Younger's solos on her ever shifting "Respected Destroyer." Featuring tenor saxophonist Antoine Roney and more shimmering solos from Younger, Alice Coltrane's "Blue Nile" closes Soul Awakening on the same high peak that it thrillingly began. ~ Mike Jurkovic https://www.allaboutjazz.com/soul-awakening-brandee-younger-self-produced-review-by-mike-jurkovic.php

Personnel:  Brandee Younger: harp; Ravi Coltrane: tenor saxophone (1, 3); Chelsea Baratz: tenor saxophone (2, 4, 7); Stacy Dillard: soprano saxophone (7, 8); Antoine Roney: tenor saxophone (8); Sean Jones: trumpet (4); Freddie Hendrix: trumpet (4); Corey Wilcox: trombone (4); Nicole Camacho: flute (7); Niia: vocals (6); Dezron Douglas: bass; E.J. Strickland: drums; Chris Beck: drums (1,3).

Soul Awakening

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Dara Tucker/Charlie Hunter - The Seven Colors

Styles: Vocal And Guitar Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:42
Size: 94,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:34)  1. The Seven Colors
(4:18)  2. Miracle
(3:56)  3. Miss Me
(3:15)  4. Mantle
(4:21)  5. Glory
(4:26)  6. Windows
(1:56)  7. A Place Like This
(4:23)  8. Song of Freedom
(3:19)  9. Bright Red Hue
(4:45) 10. End of the River
(3:24) 11. Won't Be Long

Outstanding jazz vocalist will perform with guitarist Charlie Hunter, producer of her forthcoming album, at Nashville Jazz Workshop.  Acclaimed Nashville jazz vocalist Dara Tucker has enjoyed substantial critical and commercial success in the past couple of years. Besides appearances on NPR's Jazz Night in America and PBS' The Tavis Smiley Show, she was silver medalist in the American Traditions Vocal Competition, and winner of both 2017 Song of the Year (for “Radio") at the Nashville Indstry Music Awards and the 2018 Johnny Mercer Award. Tucker's sound equally combines traditional and contemporary references, blending influences from the classic jazz canon with blues, rock, soul and gospel elements. That mix provides the thematic foundation of her new LP The Seven Colors, which was produced by dynamic guitarist Charlie Hunter.  Though the album won't be officially released until May 31, Tucker and her band (including bassist Greg Bryant and drummer Derrek Phillips), with Hunter appearing as a special guest, will be performing songs from it tonight in an album release concert at the Nashville Jazz Workshop. "Charlie is a master sensei," Tucker tells the Scene in an email. "He brings a musical wisdom that comes primarily from the blues tradition. I’m accustomed to approaching music from the top down. I get a melody [or] lyrics, and I build down to the foundation (bass/drums/groove). Charlie works the complete opposite way  from the bottom up. He helped me to approach music-making from a perspective I never had before. There’s a minimalism there that he strove to maintain. He has always felt that my voice thrives in an environment where it’s competing with very little."

The LP contains both older tunes and newer songs, and represents the fruition of a collaboration that began when Tucker was on the road with Hunter for 40 dates last year. “He asked me to send him some material that would be good for a guitar combo," says Tucker. "I had several songs I had written over the years that I thought would work well in that context, but at the last minute, I decided to write a couple more songs with that specific instrumentation in mind (guitar/bass/drums). I was feeling really inspired after spending a year on the road with Charlie, so the songs I came up with (“Miracle” and “Glory”) really reflect his sound, and fit well with his production concept, I think."The Seven Colors also represents a change from past Tucker releases like Oklahoma Rain, where she was heavily involved in all phases of the recording. "With this album, I took a bit of a backseat after writing the tunes," says Tucker. "I wanted to allow Charlie Hunter to have full reign, and to be able to execute his vision for the songs. So, it was fully collaborative between the two of us  my material, his concept."He welcomed the band’s input when we had different ideas, but it was important to me that it reflect his vision in the end. What we got was something quite different than what we’ve achieved with previous projects. Charlie knows how to make the groove the central thing. I can get a little bogged down with storytelling at times, and the groove often takes a back seat. But he put the groove right up front and helped us craft a project that tells a story while giving that groove its proper respect." Tucker & Co. will share the fruits of their labors starting at 8 p.m. Advance tickets are sold out. Below, check out “Miracle” and “The Seven Colors” from the album, and check with your favorite record store or see Tucker’s website to preorder a copy of the album. https://www.nashvillescene.com/music/nashville-cream/article/21070286/dara-tucker-celebrates-the-seven-colors-tonight

The Seven Colors

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Joe Locke - Storytelling

Styles: Piano and Vibraphone 
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:28
Size: 125,4 MB
Art: Front

(6:33)  1. The Thrill Is Gone
(6:39)  2. Nature Boy
(7:55)  3. Hello Like Before
(5:09)  4. Who Killed Davey Moore?
(5:51)  5. Midnight Star
(7:30)  6. A Tale of Coincidence
(5:55)  7. Blame It On My Youth
(4:46)  8. I'll Be There
(4:06)  9. Don't Let It Bring You Down

In a disappointing shift from 2000's Beauty Burning, vibraphonist Joe Locke enlists vocalist Mark Ledford and keyboardist/co-producer Henry Hey for the pop-oriented Storytelling. Surrounding Locke and Ledford is a solid jazz ensemble: Hey, saxophonist Tim Garland, bassist Eric Revis, drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts, and guitarist Paul Bollenback. But there's a preponderance of contrived rock and Motown covers, including an eye-rolling "I'll Be There." (Is there a need for another remake after Mariah Carey's?) The standards are given fluffed-up, unexceptional treatments, although the ensemble passages toward the end of "The Thrill Is Gone" are a brief ray of light. "Midnight Star," with original words and music (and piano playing) by Locke, unfortunately doesn't rise above the morass, nor does his "A Tale of Coincidence," the only instrumental track. There's some fine playing on the record. Tim Garland's tenor break on Bob Dylan's "Who Killed Davey Moore?" is a highlight, and every solo by Locke, Hey, and Bollenback is an unfailing display of expertise. Ledford's singing voice, too, can be quite appealing  he sounded terrific on Don Byron's A Fine Line: Arias and Leider. But here he's saddled with lame material, and his presence rapidly becomes unwelcome. ~ David R. Adler https://www.allmusic.com/album/storytelling-mw0000001217

Personnel: Drums, Cymbal – Jeff "Tain" Watts ; Guitars – Paul Bollenback ; Piano – Joe Locke (tracks: 5); Piano, Hammond B3, Synthesizer – Henry Hey ; Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, Flute – Tim Garland; Trumpet, Vocals – Mark Ledford; Vibraphone – Joe Locke

Storytelling

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The Andrews Sisters - 'The Dancing 20s' / 'Fresh and Fancy Free'

Styles: Vocal 
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:18
Size: 152,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:47)  1. Don't Bring Lulu
(2:34)  2. Me Too
(2:59)  3. That Naughty Waltz
(2:11)  4. A Smile Will Go a Long Long Way
(1:54)  5. Barney Google
(2:37)  6. Collegiate
(2:40)  7. Last Night On The Back Porch
(2:11)  8. When Francis Dances With Me
(3:21)  9. Back In Your Own Backyard
(2:00) 10. Keep Your Skirts Down Mary Ann
(3:11) 11. The Japanese Sandman
(2:52) 12. Show Me The Way To Go Home
(2:17) 13. The Song Is You
(2:52) 14. You Do Something To Me
(2:43) 15. Comes Love
(3:02) 16. Nevertheless
(3:00) 17. With Every Breath I Take
(2:16) 18. Of Thee I Sing
(2:11) 19. Hooray For Love
(2:42) 20. My Romance
(2:27) 21. Tea For Two
(2:14) 22. I Could Write A Book
(2:57) 23. Let There Be Love
(3:10) 24. Younger Than Springtime

After the Andrews Sisters reunited in 1956, they joined Capitol Records, which initially had them re-record their big Decca hits for the LP The Andrews Sisters in Hi-Fi, then followed with a more conventional effort, Fresh and Fancy Free, and a concept album, The Andrews Sisters Sing the Dancing 20's. Those last two Capitol collections are paired on this CD in reverse chronological order. That means, however, that the material itself is in rough chronological order by date of composition, since Dancing 20's, of course, finds the sisters covering songs from the decade before they became popular, albeit in souped-up arrangements by Billy May. All concerned have fun with songs like "That Naughty Waltz" and "Barney Google." Fresh and Fancy Free, on the other hand, is typical of the kind of albums Capitol labelmates like Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole were making around the same time. Again, Billy May handles the charts and the baton, and the songwriting credits are full of names like Gershwin, Kern, and Porter. May has the singers take the rarely used introductory verses to "Of Thee I Sing" and "Tea for Two" to give them a different feel. He introduces a Latin rhythm into "Let There Be Love," pacing the arrangement with bongo drums, and has the strings play in a Japanese tonality for "Younger Than Springtime" to evoke the Oriental aspect of the song from South Pacific. It is notable that, unlike so many of the Andrews Sisters' Decca recordings, these performances do not feature Patty Andrews singing a solo lead, accompanied by her two harmonizing sisters, Maxene and LaVerne. Instead, almost invariably, the songs are sung in three-part harmony throughout; only in rare instances is there a brief solo line. Maybe that was a condition of the reunion, since the sisters' early-‘50s breakup was precipitated by Patty Andrews' departure for a solo career; she is not spotlighted at the expense of her siblings here. ~ William Ruhlmann https://www.allmusic.com/album/sing-the-dancing-20s-fresh-and-fancy-free-mw0000384813

'The Dancing 20s' / 'Fresh and Fancy Free'

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Club des Belugas - Strange Things Beyond the Sunny Side

Styles: Soul, Nu Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:03
Size: 127,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:27)  1. Quapa, Pt. 1
(4:11)  2. Quapa, Pt. 2
(4:36)  3. Don't Look Back
(3:48)  4. Crazy Lazy Friday Afternoon
(3:31)  5. Oh My Girl - French Version
(4:36)  6. There's Nothing But You
(4:07)  7. Strange Things Beyond the Sunny Side
(3:46)  8. Running Life
(4:09)  9. Yadadey Samba
(3:48) 10. Part Time Aliens
(3:54) 11. Lithium
(3:46) 12. Secondary Importance
(4:29) 13. Hear My Call
(3:50) 14. La Taillade

Club des Belugas is coming of age! This is their 18th year and their 11th Studio Album called "Strange Things Beyond The Sunny Side". Almost 2 years in the making, this much anticipated release does not disappoint. Club des Belugas has used firm favorite vocals from Maya Fadeeva, Anna-Luca, Antoine Villoutreix, Ashley Slater, and Iain Mackenzie. They combine their talents to make an amazing and sophisticated modern classic Nujazz masterpiece. Perfect for the bars and cool clubs of the world or for just chilling at home. For sure you will hear this album on your favorite radio stations this coming autumn, if not get requesting, it's a must listen to. Club des Belugas is the leading Nujazz band in Europe, setting standards that the competition envy. They have combined contemporary European Lounge & Nujazz Styles with Brazilian Beats, Swing and American Black Soul of the fifties, sixties and seventies using their unique creativity and intensity. Their music has appeared on illustrious TV adverts from Samsung, LG, Victoria's Secret, McDonalds USA, Nivea, Whiskas, Issey Miyake, Woolworth, KIA, Honda, TESCO and even The German National Soccer Team. They also have appeared on over 2000 compilations (almost 10 million CDs), in hundreds of TV shows and series like Homeland, CSI Miami, CSI New York, Revenge, SYTYCD USA, Oprah Winfrey Show, Dancing with the Stars and in many international movies. Their live band has performed more than 350 times with concerts all over the world. Get playing and make it THE Jazz Album of 2019 and on!!!! With special thanks to Johnny Popkess for his amazing painting used for the cover. https://www.beatport.com/release/strange-things-beyond-the-sunny-side/2697749

Strange Things Beyond the Sunny Side

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Maggie Herron - Renditions

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:48
Size: 118,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:34)  1. Centerpiece
(4:05)  2. Ain't Misbehavin'
(4:53)  3. All of Me
(2:42)  4. Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps
(3:58)  5. I'm Beginning to See the Light
(4:19)  6. I Will
(4:16)  7. Just One of Those Things
(2:58)  8. Come Away with Me
(3:56)  9. I'll Be Seeing You
(4:24) 10. Don't Wait Too Long
(5:35) 11. I Thought About You
(4:03) 12. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You

Jazz vocalist and pianist Maggie Herron takes a bit of a departure on her latest platter titled Renditions. Her previous four albums featured original compositions but with her latest she has chosen to go the standard route, reinterpreting some classics of the genre with a few surprises along the way. She is the core of her Pacific Rim band which also includes Darek Oles on bass and Ray Brinker on drums. Featured guests include Larry Koonse (guitar), Rocky Holmes (alto sax), Dean Taba (bass), Bob Sheppard (flute) and Noel Okimoto (drums).

The album opens with “Centerpiece” featuring the core trio at its expressive best. Herron’s piano and vocals are a nice match, both endearing with her husky jazz voice, excellent scatting and melodic piano tones. The song locks into an understated groove before piano, bass and drum solos are revealed. With the classic “Ain’t Misbehavin” it’s just Herron and Oles reinterpreting the familiar melody and soaking it in some fabulous piano and bass interaction. One of the prettiest tracks has to be “All Of Me” featuring Koonse’s crystalline leads and infectious rhythmic strums and Holmes’ tuneful alto sax. Just an all-around great track. 

Another heartwarming rendition is of The Beatles’ “I Will” which sounds great in the trio format. Herron’s vocals and piano are particularly convincing and the bass solo fits in like a glove. This is another one of those jazz albums that exudes warmth and thoughtfulness with great care taken, treating these classics with the respect they deserve. A four star release to these ears. https://www.seaoftranquility.org/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=22053

Renditions

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Tape Five - The Roaring 2020s

Styles: Swing
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:53
Size: 111,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:12)  1. Party Like Its 1929
(3:33)  2. Ballroom Troopers
(3:40)  3. The Cats Pyjamas
(3:17)  4. Boheme Supreme
(3:14)  5. Saint Pauls Infirmary
(3:30)  6. Happy
(3:18)  7. Lady Moustache
(3:33)  8. I Shot the Sheriff
(3:27)  9. Duesenberg
(3:38) 10. Once Upon a Summernight
(3:17) 11. Why Don't You Just Call
(3:30) 12. Saturday Night Down on the Corner
(3:12) 13. Watch out We're Coming Boys
(3:27) 14. The Diary of Don Geroonibop

The Roaring 2020s“  is TAPE FIVE ́s seventh album. Sepia colored retro-modern screens- hots in music: a vintage car cruise with the instrumental „Duesenberg“, a driving dixie clarinet in „The Cats Pyjamas“. Who ́s that „Boheme Supreme“? A retro uptempo version of R&B hit „Happy“, the beat is waltzing through the hall with „Ballroom Troopers“… The gypsy swing ballad „Once upon a summernight“, and the old black corded phone: „Why don ́t you just call?“ A hommage to Brooklyns good old days „Saturday Night down on the corner“, or a rendezvous with the myste- rious beardy dame in „Lady Moustache“. This is the soundtrack of the roaring 2020s it all starts up with the song:  Party like it ́s 1929! https://electroswingthing.com/tape-five-the-roaring-2020s/

The Roaring 2020s

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Ralph Sutton - Little Light

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:30
Size: 179,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:52)  1. My Monday Date
(6:01)  2. I've Found a New Baby
(4:00)  3. Indiana
(6:38)  4. West End Blues
(5:47)  5. Panama Rag
(8:28)  6. I Thought I Heard Buddy Bolden Say
(5:11)  7. Muscat Ramble
(2:37)  8. Clarinet Marmalade
(6:36)  9. After You've Gone
(5:28) 10. Basin Street Blues
(6:07) 11. On the Sunny Side of the Street
(4:56) 12. Down in Jungle Town
(5:09) 13. St. James Infirmary
(5:33) 14. Chinatown, My Chinatown

Ralph Sutton was the greatest stride pianist to emerge since World War II, with his only close competitors being the late Dick Wellstood and the very versatile Dick Hyman. Nearly alone in his generation, Sutton kept alive the piano styles of Fats Waller and James P. Johnson, not as mere museum pieces but as devices for exciting improvisations. Although sticking within the boundaries of his predecessors, Sutton infused the music with his own personality; few could match his powerful left hand. Ralph Sutton played with Jack Teagarden's big band briefly in 1942 before serving in the Army. After World War II he appeared regularly on Rudi Blesh's This Is Jazz radio show and spent eight years as the intermission pianist at Eddie Condon's club, recording frequently. He spent time playing in San Francisco, worked for Bob Scobey, moved to Aspen in the mid-'60s, and became an original member of the World's Greatest Jazz Band with Yank Lawson, Bob Haggart, and Bud Freeman. In the 1970s, he recorded many exciting albums for the Chaz label and then cut albums for quite a few labels. Despite suffering a stroke in the early '90s, Sutton kept a busy schedule through the mid-'90s, playing at jazz parties and festivals. He died suddenly on December 29, 2001, in his car outside a restaurant in Evergreen, CO. Although he would have received much greater fame if he had been born 20 years earlier and come to maturity during the 1930s rather than the 1950s, at the time of his death it was obvious that Ralph Sutton had earned his place among the top classic jazz pianists of all time. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ralph-sutton-mn0000389980/biography

Little Light

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Sarah Menescal - My World

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:52
Size: 75,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:19)  1. Cryin'
(2:49)  2. Hunting High and Low
(3:32)  3. What's up?
(3:20)  4. I Don't Want Your Love
(3:12)  5. Where is My Mind?
(3:02)  6. Used to Love Her
(3:37)  7. High and Dry
(3:04)  8. Oh L'amour
(3:27)  9. 19th Nervous Breakdown
(3:26) 10. Out of Touch

Sarah Menescal is the singer who has brought the bossa nova till an absolutely new place. Owner of a gorgeous voice and surrounded of an incredible crew of producers and musician she has arrived to the record studios with a solid career on her back. (Vintage Café, Jazz and 80s series, etc) On our artistic profit they have recorded this, her second album: "Consequence of Love" giving extremely sensitive versions of pop hits like Adventure of a Lifetime, Shout, Free Fallin´, Mercy, Mercy Me and Lanterna dos Afogados, among many others.

My World

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Burak Bedikyan - Istanbul Junction

Styles: Piano Jazz 
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:09
Size: 145,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:54)  1. Particles
(6:33)  2. Moods
(6:59)  3. Toprak
(9:49)  4. Aquarian
(8:27)  5. Valentine
(6:44)  6. Reminiscence
(5:06)  7. Innerview (for Ayse)
(7:15)  8. L'ombre Lumineuse (Dedicated to Olivier Messiaen)
(5:19)  9. Postlude

Istanbul-born and New York-based pianist Burak Bedikyan is an inventive composer and intelligent improviser with a subtle touch. His fifth release, the intimate and cinematic Istanbul Junction, showcases his talents fully as he leads a new band through nine of his captivating originals.  The album's overall ambience is dramatic and darkly-hued, and the various tracks expand within it with vibrant poetry. The main theme of "Moods," for example, consists of expectant and simmering refrains. These progress into an intriguing and serpentine melody out of which emerge Bedikyan's dense chords, forming an elegant and crystalline improvisation. Hungarian saxophonist Gabor Bolla contributes a warm, sinewy solo which is yearning and emotive, and fades seamlessly into the closing head. Middle Eastern influences delightfully color some of the music, like the tender and wistful "Toprak"; it starts with Bedikyan's resonant and sparse notes which the band's undulating refrains follow. Over Turkish drummer Can Kozlu's rustling lithe beats and American bassist Matthew Hall's reverberating thumps Bedikyan's extemporization expands with simmering lines. Bolla's eloquent and bittersweet tenor mirrors Bedkyan in spontaneity and lyricism.

Equally engrossing is the charmingly angular "Innerview (For Ayse)" which finds Bedikyan, unaccompanied, flirting with dissonance. The tune itself is deeply introspective and passionate with overlapping chords and breathtaking cascades which demonstrate Bedikyan's virtuosity on the keys. Bedikyan pays homage to one of his idols, the ingenious 20th century composer Olivier Messiaen, on the moving and mellifluous "L'ombre Lumineuse." The piece eschews overtly Western Classical phraseology and is more akin to a jazz ballad. Kozlu's sparkling percussion and Hall's agile lines form a restless and supportive rhythmic framework. Bedikyan infuses his pianism with a bittersweet melancholy while Bolla builds an intricate extemporization with graceful facility and raw emotion. The ensemble concludes with a sublimely synergistic performance. Istanbul Junction is a cohesive work, and a high point of Bedikyan's superb career. As Kozlu points out in the liner notes, Bedikyan has singularly fused various traditions into a personal artistic statement. The record is, perhaps, his most mature and unique to date. ~ Hrayr Attarian https://www.allaboutjazz.com/istanbul-junction-burak-bedikyan-steeplechase-lookout

Personnel: Burak Bedikyan: piano; Matthew Hall: bass; Can Kozlu: drums; Gabor Bolla: tenor sax

Istanbul Junction

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Hannah Svensson - Places and Dreams

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:25
Size: 118,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:22)  1. Places and Dreams
(5:12)  2. Beautiful Day
(4:22)  3. Woodstock
(4:45)  4. Friday Afternoon
(3:57)  5. Honeysuckle Rose
(5:28)  6. Something in Return
(3:58)  7. Catch the Stars
(4:10)  8. Not Meant to Be
(4:56)  9. Let Go
(3:58) 10. Malibu Song
(5:12) 11. När natten blir dag

Critically acclaimed singer and songwriter Hannah Svensson releases a new album: ""Places and dreams"" which consists of newly composed material by Hannah as well as interpretations by Joni Mitchell and Dave Castle. The music is characterized by strong melodies and the material on the new album is a meeting between jazz and pop harmonies with plenty of room for improvisation. The group's musical influences range from jazz, pop and blues where their own sound goes like a theme through each song. The album as well as live concerts feature four distinguished jazz musicians: Jan Lundgren (Piano) Ewan Svensson (guitar) Matz Nilsson (bass) and Zoltan Czörsz (drums) who together with Hannah form a fantastic group. Hannah Svensson paves her own way and with five albums established herself as one of our most appreciated jazz singers. She is heard in many different combinations and contexts both in Sweden and internationally. I see music as a lifelong journey and with this album I have landed in something new that has always been within me. Some of the songs are written almost ten years ago, they have been lying there, waiting to be picked up at the right time and context. ""Places and dreams"" is a summary of things that have inspired my life. A dream can take me to new places, but a place can also create dreams, whether it is far away on the beach in Malibu, a beautiful day in the Gothenburg archipelago or a Friday afternoon in Copenhagen. (Hannah Svensson) ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Places-Dreams-Hannah-Svensson/dp/B07WV6DCTH

Places and Dreams

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Diana Panton - A Cheerful Little Earful

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:29
Size: 123,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:58)  1. Happy Talk
(3:11)  2. It's A Most Unusual Day
(2:32)  3. A You're Adorable
(3:52)  4. Red Red Robin
(2:55)  5. I Don't Want to Live On the Moon
(3:28)  6. Cheerful Little Earful
(3:16)  7. If You Feel Like Singing Sing
(3:15)  8. Music and Me
(3:46)  9. Pocketful of Miracles
(5:28) 10. Look to the Rainbow
(3:43) 11. All In the Golden Afternoon
(2:43) 12. Experiment
(3:55) 13. Aren't You Glad You're You
(3:11) 14. Sing A Rainbow
(4:10) 15. Hush-A-Bye Island

The graphics on A Cheerful Little Earful by Diana Panton and, to a certain extent, this title as well may cue a “children’s record”, but make no mistake Miss Panton’s gorgeous winter 2019 release will have a much broader appeal. The “cheerful little earful” evokes the joy of music really. It also brings together repertoire that celebrates the creativity of timeless song from an era that is all but lost to us in an age when every recording musician seems compelled to pen his or her own songs. While that’s not necessarily a bad thing, there is nothing like the eternal magic of song that lives and breathes and is aglow in the Great American Songbook; songs from timeless films and Broadway hits written by masters such as Oscar Hammerstein II and Richard Rodgers, Sammy Cahn and Jimmy van Heusen, “Yip” Harburg and Burton Lane, and Cole Porter among others. More to the point, there’s nothing like the eternal magic of this repertoire sung by Diana Panton, with the great musicianship of Don Thompson and Reg Schwager accompanying her along the way. As ever on A Cheerful Little Earful Miss Panton is on top of her game. She gives notice throughout that she is an artist of the first order.

Her instrument is gorgeous; lustrous, precise and feather-light. Her musicianship is also fierce as she digs into the meaning of each word, brings ceaseless variety to soft dynamics and gives every phase grace. As ever, in everything she sings on yet another magnificent disc, Miss Panton brings narratives vividly to life and creates rhapsodic atmosphere. Songs such as “Pocketful of Miracles” and “Look To The Rainbow” are exquisite examples of everything that is timeless and great about Miss Panton’s musicianship. Miss Panton has the unique privilege of enjoying the extraordinary musicianship of Don Thompson, the veritable doyen of Canadian music; as well she has been fortunate to have the masterful guitarist Reg Schwager on each of her albums. Mr Thompson – whether as the arranger of note or whether on piano, bass or vibraphone – and Mr Schwager both bring deeply interiorised readings of this music. This complements the vision and artistry of Miss Panton in a matchless way. This music, as with that of her other albums, is light on melancholy, and saturated with the imaginative and luminous colour of joy. These, and other reasons mentioned in the course of this review make A Cheerful Little Earful an irresistible record, one that is likely to also garner many accolades as it gets its rightful due on radio and other media.~ Raul Gama https://torontomusicreport.com/reviews/cd-reviews/diana-panton-a-cheerful-little-earful/

Personnel: Diana Panton: vocals; Reg Schwager: guitar; Don Thompson: bass, piano and vibraphone

A Cheerful Little Earful

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