Roberto Ottaviano QuarkTet - Sideralis

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:45
Size: 106,6 MB
Art: Front

(7:41) 1. Vulpecula
(5:09) 2. Berenice's Code
(4:47) 3. Planet Nichols
(3:43) 4. Planet John Lee Hooker
(1:50) 5. Ellingtonia
(2:02) 6. Afro Asteroids Game
(4:20) 7. On the Harmonica Wake
(3:26) 8. Holy Gravity
(4:34) 9. Centaurus
(8:10) 10. Sideralis

For his most recent work, just published, Roberto Ottaviano intended to make a tribute to John Coltrane on the fiftieth anniversary of his death. In reality, the disc is much more than a simple tribute to the great artist, who has always been one of the main points of reference for Ottaviano; the ten original compositions that compose it, all signed by the saxophonist from Bari, represent the ideal synthesis of the musical exploration work carried out over the years by its author. Hence the connection with the Coltrane of the last period, that of the sound research aimed at a cosmic absolute that we also find in this work.

Accompanied by very valid and renowned musicians such as the pianist Alexander Hawkins, bassist Michael Formanek and drummer Gerry Hemingway , Octavian takes us on a journey through the galaxy of contemporary jazz, also recalling some of his roots such as John Lee Hooker , Herbie Nichols and Duke Ellingtoncited directly in the titles of as many pieces, in a continuous exploration based on written forms that leave much room for free improvisation. The long opening piece, "Vulpecula," is already an example of this approach, with its thematic fragments that alternate with freely improvised phases with a broken rhythm; but the culmination of abstraction is reached in the final "Sideralis," eight minutes of indescribable sound immersion in cosmic space. Between the two extremes of the CD we find shorter and more structured pieces that highlight the perfect cohesion of the performers called to a constant work together, in which even the rare individual solos are part of a larger collective moment. The CD certainly represents a challenging and courageous listening, but it pays off with a sound journey that leads us through a very intense and stimulating musical experience.~ Mario Calvitti https://www.allaboutjazz.com/sideralis-roberto-ottaviano-dodicilune-records-review-by-mario-calvitti.php

Personnel: Roberto Ottaviano: saxophones; Alexander Hawkins: plan; Michael Formanek: upright bass; Gerry Hemingway: drums.

Sideralis

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Evan Christopher - The Art of the New Orleans Trio

Styles: Clarinet Jazz
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:57
Size: 122,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:43) 1. CIty Park Swing
(4:34) 2. Hello, Goodbye Blues
(3:21) 3. The Cascades
(5:03) 4. Trois Danses Des Jeunes
(3:50) 5. Meet Me At The Eagle Saloon
(4:42) 6. Let Me Call You Sweetheart
(4:08) 7. Alone At The Ball
(3:15) 8. Old Sober March
(4:07) 9. You'll Be Cryin' The Blues,Not Me
(4:37) 10. Where A True Heart Waits For You
(4:21) 11. Follow The Second Line
(5:11) 12. Lonesome Me

Evan Christopher combines virtuosity, immaculate taste, and enthusiasm with a commitment to exploring the full range of possibilities in the New Orleans clarinet tradition. His highly personal brand of “contemporary, early jazz” strives to extend the legacies of early Creole clarinet heroes such as Sidney Bechet, Barney Bigard and Omer Simeon. Critics remarking on Christopher’s dynamic expressiveness have coined his style “close-encounter music” (NEW YORK TIMES) and have called his respect for the music traditions of New Orleans, “a triumph, joining the present seamlessly to a glorious past.” (THE OBSERVER, UK).

His journey on Clarinet Road began in 1994, when he left his native California to join the New Orleans music community. Diverse freelance work included gigs with musicians such as Al Hirt and veterans of Preservation Hall to funk and brass bands including the Nightcrawlers and Galactic.But in 1996, he left for San Antonio, Texas to appear nightly for nearly three years with the Jim Cullum Jazz Band and record several of their public radio programs, Riverwalk: Live from the Landing. When Christopher returned to New Orleans in 2001, his published research on the New Orleans clarinet style initiated pursuit of a Master’s degree in Musicology at Tulane University. He began touring internationally and producing his “Clarinet Road” series of CDs (STR Digital).

In August 2005, when Federal levees failed in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina decimating the city, Christopher left again for Paris at the invitation of the French Embassy’s Cultural Services division, where he formed his group, Django à la Créole. This Europe-based quartet fused Gypsy Swing with Latin-tinged grooves of New Orleans and beyond and was distinguished for an acoustic intimacy paired with driving swing.
Critics charmed by the group queried, “Is there a more graceful band at work at the moment?” (THE SUNDAY TIMES UK).

Three CDs for Lejazzetal (London), in partnership with Frémeaux & Associés (Paris) Django à la Créole (2007), Finesse (2010), and LIVE! (2014) earned the group critical attention worldwide for its elegant character.As a composer, Christopher’s original songs are the high point of acclaimed recordings including Delta Bound (Arbors, 2007) featuring pianist Dick Hyman, The Remembering Song (Arbors, 2010) featuring guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, his clarinet feature on the Grammy-winning New Orleans Jazz Orchestra’s Book One (2012) and his latest Clarinet Road CD, Bayou Chant & Other Textures (STR Digital, 2016).

In July 2010, he had the honor to debut his Treat It Gentle Suite with the Minnesota Orchestra, which was the first concerto written for clarinet with band in the New Orleans style. Evan Christopher began his musical training on clarinet at age 11. In high school, he received the Louis Armstrong National Jazz Award and was one of the first graduates of the prestigious Idyllwild Arts Academy. He continued studies at the University of Southern California and graduated with honors from California State University, Long Beach. A brief teaching stint at the University of New Orleans saw the creation of a New Orleans music ensemble that performed with guest mentors such as Lucien Barbarin and Marcus Roberts. Since 2008, having returned once again to New Orleans, Christopher actively advocates for the cultural workforce and music education.He frequently tours with and records as a guest with forward-looking artists, while performances under his own name are often complemented by workshops and educational and community outreach. Occasional columns about the music scene and New Orleans culture written for NolaVie.com, evidence Evan's passion for the city’s indigenous traditions. https://www.clarinetroad.com/about/

The Art of the New Orleans Trio

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James Williams - Meet the Magical Trio

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:15
Size: 119,9 MB
Art: Front

(7:06) 1. Reedus' Rendezvous
(8:13) 2. Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me
(3:56) 3. Fingers
(6:03) 4. Lazybird
(6:59) 5. Be Real Special
(7:27) 6. Arioso
(6:38) 7. Shenanigens
(5:50) 8. Single Petal of a Rose/A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing

While the first two Magical Trio sessions teamed pianist James Williams with classic veterans (bassist Ray Brown and either Art Blakey or Elvin Jones on drums), this outing matches him with a couple of talented younger musicians: bassist Charnett Moffett and drummer Jeff Watts. But, despite the change in personnel, the advanced straightahead music is not all that different from the earlier dates. Once again Williams contributes a few originals (four this time including a remake of "Arioso") and uplifts some older tunes. Highlights include Thad Jones' "Fingers," John Coltrane's "Lazybird" and a solo medley of "Single Petal of A Rose" and "A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing." Easily recommended. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/meet-the-magical-trio-mw0000654922

Personnel: James Williams - piano; Charnett Moffett - bass; Jeff Watts - drums

Meet the Magical Trio

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Ingrid Lucia - Wanderlust

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:32
Size: 73,8 MB
Art: Front

(1:12) 1. His Eyes Are on the Sparrow
(2:29) 2. You’re Not the Only One
(4:09) 3. Big and Juicy Lips
(3:02) 4. Hey There, Listen for the Love
(3:23) 5. It Had to Be His Way
(3:27) 6. The Escape
(3:13) 7. Dream a Little Dream of Me
(3:51) 8. Mississippi River Blues
(4:03) 9. Wanderlust
(2:38) 10. Nature Boy

Born into a family of street musicians, Ingrid Lucia sang in her family band, the Flying Neutrinos, from the age of eight, so she has music coursing deep in her soul. This sassy New Orleans native has a voice that's prompted thousands of comparisons to Billie Holiday. But despite her stylistic similarities to Lady Day, Lucia's delivery is upbeat, fun and just a bit naughty, in the true Big Easy tradition. Ingrid Lucia grew up in a gypsy-style traveling family band, living in buses, boats and tents for the first eighteen years of her life. She started out as a dancer, but by the age of 8 she was singing in the band.

That band was the Flying Neutrinos. At first the family travelled and played through Mexico, but eventually they returned to their New Orleans roots. When she was 18, Lucia and her cousin, Todd Londagin, took over the Neutrinos and took the group from the streets of New Orleans to the clubs and concert halls of New York City where they played with everyone up to and including Tony Bennett. They soon had their first CD, I'd Rather Be in New Orleans, featuring the great Doc Cheathan. Three additional highly acclaimed CDs have followed. Describing that first CD, the Washington Post said, “There are times when Ingrid Lucia and the Flying Neutrinos' album I'd Rather Be in New Orleans is enticing enough to make even a staunch New Yorker feel homesick for the Big Easy. A sultry, behind-the-beat voice, a combination of sometimes languid, sometimes syncopated rhythms, and lots of evocative brass all conspire to make this a picture postcard of an album.https//musicians.allaboutjazz.com/ingridlucia

Wanderlust

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Rickie Lee Jones - Dutch Courage (Live 1979)

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:30
Size: 123,7 MB
Art: Front

( 6:17) 1. High Gear And Young Blood
( 4:36) 2. Young Blood
( 5:57) 3. The Last Chance Texaco
( 3:40) 4. Easy Money
( 3:41) 5. Chuck E's In Love
( 6:10) 6. Weasel And The White Boys
( 3:17) 7. Sentimental Journey
( 5:04) 8. Coolsville
( 3:16) 9. On Saturday Afternoons In 1963
(11:27) 10. Jam

Hilton Als is a staff writer for The New Yorker magazine; advisory editor at Grand Street magazine; has written about photography and prominent members in the field. The Women, his first book, an extended essay about women and self-invention, was published in November by Farrar, Straus, & Giroux. Think of what you are about to read as a documentary film of sorts, replete with close-ups and fade-outs, starring the premiere song-stylist and songwriter of her generation, Rickie Lee Jones. In this film we see: Rickie Lee Jones’ face, her distinctive mouth, and her thick, beyond shoulder length blonde hair as she walks down a road in a bucolic section of Tacoma, Washington, where she currently resides. It is springtime. She does not wear shoes. She carries a guitar. The sky overhead is as shiny as mica. As Jones searches for a place to sit and play in the sun, we see various aspects of her contemporary life come into frame, engaging Jones’ attention as she smiles, and listens, and reflects. We see her daughter, Charlotte Rose; Jones’ mother and siblings; various friends. All of these people come and go, passing in front of, and behind, our primary focus: Rickie Lee Jones playing her guitar and singing any number of her award winning songs: "Chuck E.’s in Love," or her interpretation of the classic, "Making Whoopee," for which she won a Grammy® in 1990.

As Rickie Lee Jones sings, we hear, in voice over: Rickie Lee Jones is the second of three daughters and one son who are of Welsh and Irish ancestry. She was born on November 8, 1954, in Chicago, Illinois. Her parents, Richard Loris Jones and Bettye Jane Jones, both had peripatetic childhoods: her father lived from hand to mouth in a number of transient hotels, and rode the rails, wandering the country. Her mother was an orphan. She has described her family as "lower-middle-class-hillbilly-hipster. The late Mr. Jones was a performer who supplemented his income as a waiter, furniture mover, and gardener. (Richard Jones’own father was a one-legged vaudeville and carny dancer named Peg Leg Jones. Jones says of her paternal grandfather: "I have one clipping of him, advertising his act, where his name is bigger than Milton Berle’s.") Bettye Jones worked as a waitress; later, she became a nurse.

Between jobs, Richard Jones taught his musically inclined daughter how to sing. And to honor that, Jones used to perform, in her early concerts, "The Moon is Made of Gold," a lullaby her father wrote for her. Since her family led a largely marginal existence, Jones lived in Chicago, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Arizona, and Olympia, Washington by the time she entered high school. By all accounts, Rickie Lee Jones was an extremely solitary child who was especially close to her older brother, Danny. Nevertheless, she preferred the secret world of her imaginary friends and playmates. In an interview, Bettye Jones said that her daughter’s imaginary playmates had "strange names like Bashla and SlowBeeSlow." She continued, "[Rickie] would take them with her to church." When he was sixteen, Rickie’s brother, Danny, suffered a motorcycle accident that left him with one leg and partial paralysis. At the time, Rickie lived with an aunt. But she visited her brother in the hospital constantly. Her mother recalls that she would sing in the hospital’s elevator shaft. "You could hear it all around the hospital," Bettye Jones has said. "It was the eeriest sound I think I ever heard."

When Rickie was fourteen, she was living in Arizona with her father. Jones has said in an interview that her mother was always afraid she would run away a heartbreak she couldn’t take and so sent her to live with her father; her parents were separated by then. Jones recalls that she once ran away from her father as a result of his need to control his wildly imaginative young daughter, her burgeoning sexuality and charisma, and powerful talent. In an interview for a Rolling Stone cover story published in 1979, Jones said: "I never knew when I was gong to leave. I might be walking over to a kid’s house, then of all a sudden I would just stick out my thumb and hitchhike across three states." In this, Rickie resembles Cissy, the heroine of Tom Robbins’ classic novel, Even Cowgirls Get The Blues, the story of a young girl trying to find the world through the kindness of strangers offering her a ride to anywhere but here. After high school in Olympia, which she had returned to in her mid-teens, Jones began singing more and more. She also wrote lyrics in a little notebook she kept. Sometimes, she’d sing the entire score of "West Side Story," to amuse herself.

By the time she nineteen, Jones was living in Los Angeles, waiting tables and occasionally playing music in out of the way coffee houses and bars. All the while, she was developing her unique aesthetic: music that was sometimes spoken, often beautifully sung, and while emotionally accessible, she was writing lyrics as taut and complex as any by the great American poet, Elizabeth Bishop. In her voice and songs, we saw smoky stocking seams, love being everything but requited. And it was during these years that Jones’ song, "Easy Money," caught the attention of one musician and then the music industry. The song was recorded by Lowell George, the founder of the band, Little Feat. He used it on his solo album, "Thanks, I’ll Eat It Here." Warner Brothers auditioned Jones and quickly signed her to the label.

Her debut on Warners, Rickie Lee Jones, released in 1979, won the Grammy® for Best New Artist. She was hailed by one critic as a "highly touted new pop-jazz-singer-songwriter" and another critic as "one of the best if not the best artist of her generation." In addition to the album’s brilliant songs including the exceptional "On Saturday Afternoons in 1963," the haunting "Last Chance Texaco," and the popular "Chuck E’s in Love"--Jones was becoming a figure whose life was bearing a great deal of emulation by young women and men who found, in her deep and personal and idiosyncratic life and work, a model for the new generation of hipster: She was heralded as a trendsetter in dress (beret, subdresses, heels) and in lifestyle, given her by then famous relationship with two boys she helped to make famous, too: Chuck E. Weiss, a Los Angeles character, and the singer and songwriter Tom Waits, about whom Rickie has said: "We walk around the same streets, and I guess it's primarily a jazz-motivated situation for both of us. We're living on the jazz side of life."More...... https://www.rickieleejones.com/biography.htm

Dutch Courage (Live 1979)

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Dmitry Baevsky - Somethin´ Special

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:57
Size: 98,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:41) 1. Somethin´ Special
(4:39) 2. Fools Rush In
(8:30) 3. Cheesecake
(7:58) 4. Lament
(5:10) 5. Eclypso
(7:08) 6. The End of a Love Affair
(4:48) 7. I Thought About You

“Cheese Cake” (Dexter Gordon) plays. The timbre is that of a tenor saxophone. I wonder to the producer and oh surprise, it's an alto sax! He gave it to me with cheese! I scrutinize criticism and verify that qualified critics also succumbed to his fraud. I reconcile myself to my self-esteem and reaffirm my admiration for Baevsky. Dmitry's sound is warm, thick, dark, with a strong presence and a timbre full of harmonics. In the present work, he has chosen a varied bunch of standards that go a long way with his style. It begins with Somethin 'Special, (Sonny Clark), playing the lie with the timbre of his sax, and with the structure of the theme that begins as a minor blues, to surprise us with an interlude to a ternary rhythm. Piano, drums and double bass talk loquaciously on the song.

It follows a mid-time swing with Fools rush in, (Mercer-Bloom), with a livelier and more cheerful tone and phrasing, in keeping with the title of the song.In the following Cheesecake cut, perfectly installed in the language of Dexter Gordon, Dmitry offers us a masterful version, without abandoning the Gordonian wave but using his own arguments. A great Fabio Miano solo and a few bars alternating between breaks and stubbornness lead to a great Joe Strasser drum solo. The fourth track lowers the rhythmic tension, not the emotional one, with a sense of Lament (JJ Johnson), where Baevsky shows his sensitivity and delicacy by threading this beautiful ballad note by note.

In fifth place appears Eclypso (Tommy Flannagan), a calypso, to tone the mood. The piano takes the voice to deliver the witness to the sax. Baevsky's agile phrasing, halfway between hard and Latin, invites the participation of double bass and percussion, which makes it clear that no rhythm is alien to him. Once on, why stop! Dmitry seems to propose with The end of a love affair (Edward Redding) in sixth place, with a final Latin nod. In seventh and last place appears I thougt about you (Jimmy Van Heusen). The song debuts as a ballad floating between undertones, but mutates into a mid-time swing with fresh and fluid phrasing, inviting you to participate in the conversation at the piano and double bass. In conclusion, a great album by a great sax virtuoso ... alto? Yes, stop, accompanied by great performers.
http://majazzine.com/2016/01/dmitry-baevsky-somethin-special/

Personnel: Saxophone – Dmitry Baevsky; Bass – Ignasi González; Drums – Joe Strasser; Piano – Fabio Miano

Somethin´ Special

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Andy Biskin - Early American: The Melodies of Stephen Foster

Styles: Clarinet Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:12
Size: 130,7 MB
Art: Front

(0:41) 1. My Old Kentucky Home, Good-Night!
(2:16) 2. Jeanie With the Light Brown Hair
(5:12) 3. Early American
(3:20) 4. Camptown Races
(3:04) 5. Journey Cake
(3:39) 6. Oh! Susanna
(3:18) 7. Fits and Starts
(2:49) 8. Hard Times Come Again No More
(3:44) 9. Nelly Bly
(3:21) 10. Thin King Thinking
(2:55) 11. Old Folks at Home
(5:31) 12. Old Black Joe
(3:18) 13. Dom Casual
(5:56) 14. There's a Good Time Coming
(3:15) 15. Beautiful Dreamer
(2:56) 16. Kid Proof
(0:51) 17. Old Folks at Home

The songs of Stephen Foster (1826-64) seem to have seeped into our American DNA, especially for those of us of a certain age. We sang "Oh! Susanna," "Old Folks," "Camptown Races" and other Foster gems in elementary school badly, if memory serves me, with an unrestrained, window-rattling youthful gusto on "Oh! Susanna." Those melodies are part of us now. New York-based clarinetist Andy Biskin discovered the simple beauty and straightforward storytelling aspects of Foster's melodies after a chance playing of "I Dream of Jeannie With the Light Brown Hair" on a restaurant gig. He has since developed a deep interest in Foster's material that he brings to the fore on Early American.

Biskin and his cohorts Pete McCann (guitar and banjo), Chris Washburne (trombone, tuba) and John Hollenbeck (drums) craft a sometimes light-hearted and often whimsical sound, infused with warmth and an old-timey feeling, as they play some of Foster's best-known songs. You could call it Americana folk music chamber jazz, with a forward-leaning focus when Biskin's arrangements give the familiar melodies some idiosyncratic twists and turns, updating these timeless sounds with the likes of McCann's searing electric guitar solo on "There's a Good Time Coming."

Biskin slips in six of his own compositions to complement Foster's songs. On his "Thin King Thinking" the clarinet sings the blues in front of a thick tuba growl, before the band slides into an loose-limbed disassemble, like a drunken house band in a mid-19th Century house of ill repute; and on "Kid Proof" the group romps, taking turns, sharing the moments of sound a tuba huff, then a drum clitter-clat and a clarinet trill, the guitar issuing spikey notes all around them. The opening and closing tracks are brief moments (less than a minute each) from just after Foster's time, the tinkle of a wind-up music box from the late-1800s playing "My Old Kentucy Home, Good Night!" and "Old Folks at Home." In between you hear Andy Biskin's updated yet still reverent take on the sounds of Stephen Foster. ~ Dan McClenaghan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/early-american-the-melodies-of-stephen-foster-andy-biskin-strudelmedia-review-by-dan-mcclenaghan.php

Personnel: Andy Biskin: clarinet; Pete McCann: guitar, banjo; Chris Washburne: trombone, tuba; John Hollenbeck: drums, percussion.

Early American: The Melodies of Stephen Foster

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Thelonious Monk - Palo Alto

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:23
Size: 109,1 MB
Art: Front

( 7:00) 1. Ruby, My Dear
(13:16) 2. Well, You Needn't
( 6:36) 3. Don't Blame Me
(14:01) 4. Blue Monk
( 4:25) 5. Epistrophy
( 2:02) 6. I Love You Sweetheart Of All My Dreams

The back story makes this album irresistible even before you’ve listened to it: In 1968, a 16-year-old jazz fan at Palo Alto High School in California decides to hold a concert in the school’s auditorium to raise funds for its International Club and convinces Thelonious Monk’s manager that his client should be the headliner. (Not surprisingly, the student, Danny Scher, would soon become a major force in the live-music production world.) As concert day approaches, one of the school’s janitors, an audio enthusiast, offers to tune the piano in exchange for recording the show, a deal that’s quickly agreed to. On the afternoon of October 27, the Thelonious Monk Quartet gives its only known high-school performance. Afterward, the janitor (his name apparently lost to history, though researchers are no doubt still working on that) hands the young promoter a tape. It goes in a box, where it sits for the next 50 years. When its owner rediscovers it, he contacts Monk’s son T.S., who first tickled by the story, then impressed by the recording’s quality sanctions its release.

All praise be to that anonymous janitor. Palo Alto’s sound quality may not be absolutely optimal, but its clarity is astounding. You can hear everything, from the creaks of the piano bench to the quiet, regular swish of Ben Riley’s hi-hat on “Ruby, My Dear” and it’s even in stereo. There are no big surprises here in terms of material: four Monk evergreens (“Well, You Needn’t,” “Blue Monk,” and “Epistrophy” in addition to “Ruby”) and typically jagged solo rollicks through “Don’t Blame Me” and “I Love You (Sweetheart of All My Dreams).” Even so, this is one of the best live Monk recordings available, maybe even the best, and certainly the best by this band. Which brings us to a key point: Monk is known for his compositions, his piano style, and his personal idiosyncrasies. He’s not known so much as a bandleader. But Palo Alto should add ammunition to the arsenal of those who believe his 1964-’68 quartet wasn’t just a great vehicle for his tunes but a superlative band in its own right. Riley, bassist Larry Gales,and saxophonist Charlie Rouse truly understood Monk’s music, and Monk himself, on a basic emotional level in ways that few others did yes, more than Trane, more than Sonny, more than Blakey and that’s clear in every note they play here.

As is the utter joy that Monk and his men take in performing for their young audience. More than five decades since it was recorded, this music simply bounces out of the speakers, the spring in its step only heightened by time. ~ Mac Randall https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/thelonious-monk-palo-alto-impulse-sony/

Palo Alto

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Michael Weiss - Soul Journey

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:14
Size: 136,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:21) 1. Optimism
(6:56) 2. El Camino
(5:59) 3. Soul Journey
(6:59) 4. Orient Express
(7:07) 5. Atlantis
(7:14) 6. The Prophecy
(8:05) 7. The Cheshire Cat
(5:54) 8. La Ventana
(4:35) 9. Second Thoughts

Pianist Michael Weiss took home the Grand Prize in the 2000 BMI/Thelonious Monk Institute's Composition Competition for his song "El Camino," which is included on Soul Journey. This Latin-flavored mainstream beauty features three-horn harmonies and tasty soloing all around. "El Camino" is a sure winner, but the CD is full of other fine Weiss-composed songs: the upbeat opener, "Optimism"; the brooding title tune; and the brassy "Second Thoughts." The septet takes a very mainstream approach a three horn front line (trombone/trumpet/alto sax) and a standard jazz rhythm section, plus an additional percussionist. An Art Blakey approach, though with a smoother sound, harmony more in the forefront of the proceedings, and glowing unison blowing. Ryan Kisor stands out on trumpet solos with his buttery smooth tone.

It's the songs, though, that star on Soul Journey. And though Weiss doesn't call attention to himself as an instrumentalist, additional listens reveal a richness to his own solos, a smooth and understated eloquence. He tells stories when it's his turn: structured mini-songs beginning, middle, end slipped into the middle of the compositions. Another listen, and Steve Wilson's trombone solo on "La Ventana" sparkles. Then there's the very "jazzy" workout "The Cheshire Cat", where trumpeter Kisor sings a cool song before altoist Steve Wilson brings things back to a simmer. A standout effort by Michael Weiss and crew.~ Dan McClenaghan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/soul-journey-michael-weiss-sintra-records-review-by-dan-mcclenaghan.php

Personnel: Michael Weiss, piano, Fender Rhodes; Steve Wilson, alto sax; Ryan Kisor, trumpet, flugelhorn; Steve Davis, trombone; Paul Gill, bass; Joe Farnsworth, drums; Danile Sadownick, percussion

Soul Journey

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Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - Just Coolin'

Styles: Jazz, Hard Bop
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:57
Size: 89,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:40) 1. Hipsippy Blues
(6:26) 2. Close Your Eyes
(6:22) 3. Jimerick
(4:43) 4. Quick Trick
(5:59) 5. M&M
(8:43) 6. Just Coolin'

This previously unreleased March 1959 studio session captures the Jazz Messengers in a period of transition. Benny Golson had departed; Wayne Shorter had not yet arrived. In the interim, the tenor chair was filled by Hank Mobley, who’d been a member of the original Messengers, appearing on their breakout albums At the Café Bohemia, Volumes 1 and 2, recorded in 1955 and released the following year. Jazz itself was also transitioning during this time; bebop had morphed into the funkier, more roots-driven hard bop (due in no small part to Art Blakey and the Messengers’ pioneering work), and the even rootsier Saturday night/Sunday morning amalgam that became known as soul-jazz was on the horizon (several musicians here, including Lee Morgan and Bobby Timmons, would be central in this development).

Appropriately, then, these six tracks half of them penned by Mobley are buoyed by a hip, streetsy swagger, striding along the nexus between hard bop and soul-jazz. Mobley, alternately beguiling and blues-drenched, sounds in places almost like a tenorized Lou Donaldson, his characteristic flashes of humor adding both spice and hipster irony to his lines; Morgan imbues his usual technical virtuosity with fiery emotionalism, as if to give a workshop in the ongoing bop/hard-bop evolution. Timmons’ solo work is slyly understated but punctuated with spiky jabs, scurries, and curlicues. Blakey may be a bit more restrained than usual, yet he remains determinedly in control, relentlessly inspiring (compelling?) the soloists to alter their mood or rhythmic approach or, sometimes, just ratchet things up to a higher level with a well-placed kick, cymbal fusillade, or press roll. Until now, the only extant documentation of this Messengers unit had been At the Jazz Corner of the World, recorded at Birdland by Alfred Lion a few weeks later. Although the “without-a-net” creative tension of a live performance is necessarily missing here, this is an invaluable opportunity to hear a short-lived but significant incarnation of one of jazz’s most fabled groups. ~ David Whiteis https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/art-blakey-the-jazz-messengers-just-coolin-blue-note/

Personnel: Bass – Jymie Merritt; Drums – Art Blakey; Piano – Bobby Timmons; Tenor Saxophone – Hank Mobley; Trumpet – Lee Morgan

Just Coolin'

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The Peddlers - How Cool Is Cool Disc 1, Disc 2

Album: How Cool Is Cool Disc 1

Styles: Jazz-Pop
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:39
Size: 146,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:18) 1. Time After Time
(3:41) 2. Girl Talk - From the Motion Picture "Harlow"
(2:34) 3. Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)? - From "The Roar Of THe Greasepaint"
(2:37) 4. Stormy Weather
(3:26) 5. Smile
(3:24) 6. Empty Club Blues
(2:28) 7. You're The Reason I'm Living
(3:43) 8. It Ain't No Big Thing
(3:02) 9. Sneakin' Up On You
(3:30) 10. Pentathalon - Instrumental
(2:01) 11. What Now My Love
(6:06) 12. Lover
(2:27) 13. Say No More
(2:36) 14. Irresistable You (2:43) 15. Murrays Mood - Instrumental
(1:42) 16. Nine Miles High
(2:15) 17. Comin' Home Baby
(3:38) 18. On a Clear Day You Can See Forever
(3:12) 19. Basin Street Blues
(2:40) 20. Nobody Likes Me
(3:23) 21. I'm A Boy In Love

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Album: How Cool Is Cool Disc 2

Time: 76:42
Size: 176,6 MB

( 4:01) 1. People - From The Musical Production "Funny Girl"
( 2:53) 2. In The Still Of the Night
( 2:49) 3. Ebb Tide
( 2:34) 4. Just A Pretty Song
( 2:38) 5. Lost Continent
( 4:34) 6. Prime Of My Life
( 3:21) 7. Some Of This Some Of That
( 2:44) 8. Handle With Care
( 2:04) 9. Horses Collar
( 4:11) 10. Where Have All The Flowers Gone
( 3:16) 11. Little Red Rooster
( 2:23) 12. Southern Women
( 3:07) 13. By The Time I Get To Phoenix
( 6:33) 14. Girlie P. S. I Love You
( 2:22) 15. Day In Day Out
( 2:26) 16. City Living
(10:41) 17. Lockshen Pudding - Instrumental
( 4:04) 18. Birth
( 3:05) 19. That's Life
( 3:55) 20. Steel Mill
( 2:50) 21. Wasting My Time

Two CD 42 track set featuring their complete CBS recordings. Once derided as three blokes in matching shirts playing easy listening interpretations of pop hits, they now have a certain retro cool for what keyboardist/ vocalist Roy Phillips describes as 'a sort of pop-art-jazz' and can be seen as an influence on acts as diverse as Air & Lemon Jelly. This double CD compilation gathers the group's three late-60s albums they cut for CBS (Freewheelers, Three in a Cell and Birthday) as well as singles and rare recordings. Unbelievably tight, The Peddlers could swing with the best of them and their rich organ and funky rhythms recall both Ramsay Lewis & Booker T & the MG's. Although The Peddlers did not split up until 1976, the group (and their fans) consider these recordings the finest recordings Peddlers available and listening to them is a pleasure. Imaginative interpretations of 'Little Red Rooster' and 'Stormy Weather' alongside brooding originals make this a definitive set of a seriously underrated '60s act who truly embody the pop-art-jazz thing like no other. Sony Jazz. 2002. ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/How-Cool-Peddlers/dp/B00006L403

How Cool Is Cool Disc 1, Disc 2

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Tommy Flanagan, John Coltrane, Kenny Burrell - The Cats

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1983
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:21
Size: 97,5 MB
Art: Front

( 7:24) 1. Minor Mishap
( 5:55) 2. How Long Has This Been Going On?
( 7:55) 3. Eclypso
( 9:07) 4. Solacium
(11:58) 5. Tommy's Tune

The Cats are John Coltrane, Kenny Burrell, Tommy Flanagan, and Idrees Sulieman, heavyweights that clearly mark this as a Prestige All-Stars blowing session. However, this 1957 recording is actually a showcase for Flanagan, a rising star in his first major role. None of the tunes are all that challenging, following basic blues formulas that befit the nature of the session, which was probably quickly organized and recorded. But as you might expect this gives the players plenty of opportunities to wail.Coltrane demonstrates that he would soon be exploring more harmonically advanced territories than the others, tearing through rapid-fire solos with no trouble whatsoever. Burrell takes a more laid-back approach, stringing together bluesy licks in a relaxed fashion. If there's a weak link here, it's Sulieman, who despite a few nice solos seems tentative in spots and a little directionless in others.
But fortunately this is Flanagan's session, a gifted sideman who provides the right support to make sure that everyone stays on course. Along with the sextet tunes, a trio recording of "How Long Has This Been Going On?" proves that Flanagan was capable of handling the spotlight on his own. The slow, graceful rendering of the standard proves that the pianists had plenty of originality and taste and is the only track on the album that stands out. The Cats isn't the best recording by any of these musicians, who recorded in various combinations elsewhere (the later Kenny Burrell with John Coltrane , which also features Flanagan, is an essential purchase), but nevertheless The Cats is a solid album with plenty of tasty playing.~ David Rickert https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-cats-john-coltrane-prestige-records-review-by-david-rickert.php

Personnel: Tommy Flanagan - piano; John Coltrane - tenor sax; Idrees Sulieman - trumpet; Kenny Burrell - guitar; Doug Watkins - bass; Louis Hayes - drums.