Friday, February 19, 2021

Jacqui Naylor - The Long Game

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:15
Size: 137,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:03) 1. Like Someone in Love
(3:50) 2. Give Me One More Chance
(5:25) 3. Fix You
(3:20) 4. I'll Be Loving You
(3:29) 5. Love Look What You've Done
(4:18) 6. Walkin' out the Door
(4:35) 7. Smile
(5:47) 8. The Thrill is Gone
(4:19) 9. Space Oddity
(4:55) 10. The Long Game
(5:43) 11. Don't Give Up
(3:32) 12. Speak Low
(3:17) 13. It's the Right Time
(3:34) 14. All My Life

The Long Game is the 11th album from celebrated vocalist and songwriter, Jacqui Naylor. Known for her ability to seamlessly weave genres and styles from different eras, this artist creates a meaningful collection of love songs, replete with R&B inspired original compositions, Latin imbued jazz standards and sensitively crafted rock anthems. The muscianship and camaraderie of Naylor and long-time bandmates shine brightly throughout this thoughtfully produced album.~Opiniones editoriales https://www.amazon.com/Long-Game-Jacqui-Naylor/dp/B08QRXV5BQ

Personnel: Vocals – Jacqui Naylor; Bass, Backing Vocals – Jon Evans, Guitar – Jon Evans; Piano, Organ, Guitar – Art Khu ; Drums, Percussion – Josh Jones

The Long Game

Thursday, February 18, 2021

Bill Evans - Live at Ronnie Scott's

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1968/2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 99:41
Size: 230,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:58) 1. A Sleeping Bee
(3:01) 2. You're Gonna Hear From Me
(4:53) 3. Yesterdays
(4:45) 4. Turn Out the Stars
(5:53) 5. My Man's Gone Now
(4:46) 6. Emily (Version 1)
(4:59) 7. Spring is Here
(5:58) 8. Embraceable You
(4:25) 9. For Heaven's Sake
(6:26) 10. Someday My Prince Will Come
(5:49) 11. Quiet Now
(6:52) 12. Round Midnight
(3:57) 13. Stella By Starlight
(5:24) 14. Alfie
(3:21) 15. You're Gonna Hear From Me (Version 2)
(5:00) 16. Very Early
(4:13) 17. Emily (Version 2)
(4:57) 18. Waltz for Debby
(4:34) 19. Autumn Leaves
(5:20) 20. Nardis

Bill Evans’ Sunday at the Village Vanguard and Waltz for Debby are undoubtedly two of the finest-crafted live recordings in jazz; the musicianship is legendary, the recording pristine. Yet listening to Live at Ronnie Scott’s, a “new” live album that captures Evans with his mythic 1968 trio bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Jack DeJohnette can make those two earlier albums sound a little sterile by comparison.

The 20 tracks heard on Ronnie Scott’s are culled from a multitude of nights over a four-week engagement that the Evans-Gomez-DeJohnette trio had at the London club in 1968, recorded by DeJohnette with a four-track tape machine and a mic set up between the bass and piano. The audio, even after production work by DeJohnette and Zev Feldman, still hisses and audience chatter can be prominent, yet those qualities make this live album feel more alive. Without the formal trappings of an “official” recording, the group can just play; can defy expectation or necessity to let the music take them where it will. On numbers like “Yesterdays,” the drums roar with a raw, almost punkish ferocity, reflecting the trio’s heightening intensity as they entwine in a collectively improvised rapture. Gomez’s fingers dance across the bass strings almost subconsciously, spryly braiding the melody of “Embraceable You” into a balloon animal of a solo that maintains the original’s lightness but holds a captivating new form.

But it’s on “‘Round Midnight” where this trio reaches its zenith. The role of rhythm section was already fluid in Evans’ groups, but here any distinction of timekeeper versus soloist melts away by the song’s two-minute mark. Time is implied, kept by the constant internal pulse of the group as the three musicians thread their own melodies together. A minute later, it’s hard to tell which of them leads as each voice, in constant motion, rises to meet the latest prompt from its fellows.~ Jackson Sinnenberg https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/bill-evans-live-at-ronnie-scotts-resonance/

Personnel: Piano – Bill Evans; Bass – Eddie Gomez; Drums – Jack DeJohnette.

Live at Ronnie Scott's

Kenny Werner & Roseanna Vitro - Delirium Blues Project: Serve or Suffer

Styles: Contemporary Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:26
Size: 139,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:59) 1. What Is Hip
(9:05) 2. Goodnight Nelda Grebe, the Telephone Company Has Cut Us Off
(7:40) 3. Blue
(4:24) 4. Be Cool
(8:07) 5. Half Moon
(5:13) 6. In the Dark
(4:45) 7. Cheater Man
(6:42) 8. Everybody's Cryin' Mercy
(8:26) 9. Don't Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down

This all-star jazz-meets-R&B project, recorded live at the Blue Note in August '07 is orchestrated by vocalist Roseanna Vitro and pianist Kenny Werner who contributes several head-spinning arrangements of familiar blues, rhythm and blues, and not-quite-blues. The album certainly gets an "A" for effort. "I found the writing process fascinating. Some of the tunes were very familiar in their original recorded versions, but I still wanted to give them a new spin," enthuses Werner. "That required me to honor the essence of what made them work the first time around whether they were funky or nasty or rockin."Werner's opening rearrangement of the '70s R&B classic "What is Hip?" comes blasting out like a cannonball and smartly retains most of the original Tower of Power horn chart, which maximizes the considerable punch of the Delirium all-star horns: Ray Anderson (trombone), Randy Brecker (trumpet), James Carter (tenor sax) and Geoff Countryman (baritone sax, bass clarinet). "Cheater Man" similarly plays rough and tumble but with the big-band R&B meets blues sound of Roomful of Blues, especially when the horns play cat-and-mouse with Rocky Bryant's whippersnap snare in the bridge.

Joni Mitchell's "Be Cool" fits Vitro's voice and delivery best, with Werner's arrangement wafting comfortably in Mitchell's ethereal and floating jazz-pop fusion, bobbing like a balloon after air punches from its horn chart. Werner's take on "Blue," co-written by Jon Hendricks, echoes the classic "big band with vocalist" sound: Overlaying horns harmonize the introduction, then step aside for Vitro's dance with Werner's acoustic piano to time softly kept by brushes; Vitro steps aside in turn for James Carter's well-trimmed alto solo. Arranged to a rousing blend of classic blues styles the chugging locomotive of electric Chicago blues lugging a boxcar bursting with New Orleans brass "Don't Ever Let Nobody Drag Your Spirit Down" proves the perfect closer. Vitro tugs and pulls with all her might though she sometimes seems a bit overmatched if not by Werner's arrangements then by the material (Lil Green's "In the Dark," for example). Even so, Werner and guitarist Adam Rogers rip off electric blues solos almost as torrid as the call and response between Brecker and Anderson, who proceeds to blow out all the windows with his trombone solo rampage. ~ CHRIS M. SLAWECKI https://www.allaboutjazz.com/serve-or-suffer-delirium-blues-project-half-note-records-review-by-chris-m-slawecki.php

Personnel: Kenny Werner: keyboards, arrangements; Roseanna Vitro: vocals; Randy Brecker: trumpet; James Carter: tenor sax; Ray Anderson: trombone; Geoff Countryman: baritone sax; Adam Rogers: guitar; John Patitucci: acoustic bass, electric bass; Rocky Bryant: drums.

Delirium Blues Project: Serve or Suffer

Wednesday, February 17, 2021

Chick Corea - Delphi I

Album: Delphi I Side 1
Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1979
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 21:39
Size: 49,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:23) 1. Delphi I
(0:46) 2. Delphi II
(1:13) 3. Delphi III
(2:49) 4. Delphi IV
(0:58) 5. Delphi V
(1:49) 6. Delphi VI
(2:09) 7. Delphi VII
(1:28) 8. Delphi VIII
(4:59) 9. Children's Song #20
(2:03) 10. Stride I

Album: Delphi I Side 2
Time: 24:16
Size: 55,6 MB

(5:44) 1. Stride II
(3:00) 2. Stride III
(4:02) 3. Stride IV
(1:13) 4. Stride V
(1:27) 5. Stride VI
(8:48) 6. Stride VII

This set of acoustic piano improvisations by Chick Corea (the eight-part Delphi series, "Children's Song #20" and the seven-part "Stride Time") is surprisingly dull. In the liner notes, Corea states that whatever the message is that he is trying to get across with this music is not complete without the next two volumes. To date they have never been released. This disappointing LP can be safely passed by.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/delphi-i-solo-piano-improvisations-mw0000870554

Personnel: Chick Corea - Piano

R.I.P.

Delphi I

Mary Pearson - You and I

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:52
Size: 124,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:11) 1. Lazy Afternoon
(5:18) 2. The More I See You
(2:59) 3. Take Five
(3:58) 4. What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?
(5:15) 5. I Am Yours / You Are Mine
(4:03) 6. Thou Swell
(5:24) 7. You and I
(4:11) 8. In Your Arms
(5:54) 9. How Long Has This Been Going On?
(3:57) 10. My Funny Valentine
(3:26) 11. I Can't Believe
(5:10) 12. Over the Rainbow

When Nashville is mentioned, jazz, especially jazz vocalizing, is not the first thing that comes to mind in fact, it's likely to come to mind at all for most. Pearson comes from and works out of the country musical capitol of the world, and has been doing so for some time now. With this her first album, she may be driving a small wedge in the monopoly country music enjoys in that city.

There's no ensemble playing on the album. Each tune has Pearson accompanied by just one instrument, ergo the title <|>You and I. With this technique, Pearson has no where to hide, her vocalizing is right out there on the line and she comes off very well. Most of the tracks are ballads. Her duet with drummer Steve Davis "Thou Swell" is the closest thing to an up tempo tune on the album and is as imaginative an arrangement as you're going to hear of this Rodgers/ Hart chestnut. On "The More I See You", it's the piano of Lynn Ariale which backs Pearson's contemplative version of the Mack Gordon/Harry Warren tune written for the 1945 film <|>Diamond Horseshoe. One of the album's highlights is the hushed toned performance of "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?" with John Hart's guitar the sole backing for Pearson. It's a sonata for voice and guitar. Lovers of this tune will see in Pearson's version some of Sheila Jordan's 1977 seminal interpretation made with bassist Arild Andersen. Veteran bassist Harvie Swartz (who has worked often with Jordan) takes center stage with Pearson as they wander through "How Long Has This Been Going on?". Pearson's take on this tune as much as any, crystallizes her thorough understanding of the lyrics of the song she is singing and the ability to convey that meaning to the listener. The interplay between Pearson and Swartz on this cut is so good, it is eerie. In contrast to the mood created by "How Long...", "My Funny Valentine" with Lynne Arriale's piano once more in tow, comes across very brightly, even though like all other tracks, it is sung in slow ballad style. Pianist Fred Hersch joins with Pearson on a quirky reading of Paul Desmond's classic "Take Five" and an endearing "Over the Rainbow."

"Contemplative", "introspective", "melancholy" are descriptors which come to mind when listening to this album. Think of an overcast, chilly day with a slow drizzle interrupted from time to time with a slow momentary clearing and you will have a mental picture of this album..an album which is highly recommended. ~ Dave Nathan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/you-and-i-mary-pearson-arkadia-jazz-review-by-dave-nathan.php

Personnel: Mary Pearson: voice / vocals.

You and I

Tuesday, February 16, 2021

Kelley Suttenfield - When We Were Young: Kelley Suttenfield Sings Neil Young

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:59
Size: 115,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:29) 1. Harvest Moon
(3:51) 2. Heart of Gold
(4:48) 3. Only Love Can Break Your Heart
(4:01) 4. The Losing End (When You're On)
(4:57) 5. Flying on the Ground
(5:22) 6. The Needle and the Damage Done
(2:50) 7. Love Is a Rose
(6:13) 8. Down by the River
(3:19) 9. Fool for Your Love
(4:31) 10. Barefoot Floors
(4:32) 11. Old Man

Kelley Suttenfield is an acoustic jazz vocalist whose lush resonance and graceful approach have captivated fans and critics alike. In the words of writer Carol Banks Weber (AXS com), she “breathes her own loving, sensitive and reverent persona into every lyric.” She has just released her thirds album “When We Were Young: Kelley Suttenfield Sings Neil Young” which Jazz Music Archives calls the “number one pick for sleeper, surprise masterpiece of the year.” Plans are underway for tours in US and UK, EPK and additional information can be found at: www.kelleysuttenfield.com. https://www.jazziz.com/new-releases/when-we-were-young-kelley-suttenfield-sings-neil-young/

Personnel: Kelley Suttenfield, vocals; Tosh Sheridan, guitars, back-up vocals (tracks 3, 4); Matthew Fries, piano, Fender Rhodes (tracks 2, 5, 7); Phil Palombi, double bass; Eric Halvorson, drums, percussion (tracks 2, 5, 7, 10); The Memling Ensemble String Trio (tracks 2, 3, 6, 8, 11)

When We Were Young: Kelley Suttenfield Sings Neil Young

John Scofield, Steve Swallow, Bill Stewart - Swallow Tales

Styles: Guitar Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:52
Size: 121,7 MB
Art: Front

(9:29) 1. She Was Young
(5:24) 2. Falling Grace
(3:31) 3. Portsmouth Figurations
(9:24) 4. Awful Coffee
(7:10) 5. Eiderdown
(4:11) 6. Hullo Bolinas
(4:50) 7. Away
(4:30) 8. In F
(4:22) 9. Radio

It was Gary Burton who brought Steve Swallow with electric bass in tow into the teaching ranks of the Berklee College of Music in the early 1970s. Burton had already introduced Swallow's songs to the students, one of whom, a fresh-faced John Scofield, would go on to play and record with both men. Scofield and Swallow's musical partnership has proven the more durable, having begun in the late 1970s. Here, the former teacher and student pick up where they left on the Grammy-winning Country For Old Men (Impulse! 2016), with Scofield putting his inimitable stamp on nine Swallow originals. The nine straight-ahead tracks cover almost half a century of Swallow's career, from the early-mid 1960s, when Swallow was part of Burton's innovative groups, up until the early 2010s. Singable melody and harmonic depth are the common threads throughout. "She Was Young," originally tailored by Swallow to a poem by Robert Creeley a major influence and sung by Sheila Jordan on the album Home (ECM, 1980), is a beautiful feast. Bill Stewart no stranger himself to Scofield switches back and forth between brushes and sticks as the music waxes and wanes. Swallow keeps the melody flowing as Scofield, in top form, digs deep, but it is in the trio's extended workout where real sparks fly.

These compositions could almost have been written for Scofield, who revels in the ever-bright melodic terrain, the effortless swing that Swallow and Stewart engender, and the changes that invite fresh improvisational impetus at every turn. Swallow's compositions are rooted, but always moving forward. They are also rather handsome. The aforementioned "She Was Young," and the exquisitely tender ballad "Away," are particularly gorgeous. Scofield is one of the most exciting electric guitarists of his generation, but he is often at his most alluring at relaxed tempi; the slower reworking of "Awful Coffee," which features a typically singsong solo from Swallow, and the gently strolling "Hullo Bolinas" reveal the nuance and soul in Scofield's broad-ranging vocabulary. The modern-day jazz standard "Falling Grace" sees Scofield and Swallow in expansive mode, their respective solos imbibed with the composition's underlying melodic charm. Stewart, a dynamic presence throughout, comes into the spotlight with a solo turn on "Eiderdown," but in truth, his ceaselessly inventive playing throughout the album is a constant source of surprise and delight. Here, Stewart employs his ride cymbal like a cracking whip that spurs Scofield on. "Radio," from the Times Square (ECM, 1978) album with Burton, Roy Haynes and Tiger Okoshi, sees Swallow's deceptive walking bass line and Stewart's more overtly fractured rhtyhms provide the friction that ignites Scofield's blue touch paper. Swallow Tales, Scofield's heartfelt homage to a significant figure in modern jazz, exudes the spontaneity and excitement arising from a single afternoon in the studio. Swallow's playing is as lithe as ever, while his compositions, channelled through such caring, intuitive hands, sound evergreen.~ Ian Patterson https://www.allaboutjazz.com/swallow-tales-john-scofield-ecm-records

Personnel: John Scofield: guitar; Bill Stewart: drums; Steve Swallow: bass.

Swallow Tales

Monday, February 15, 2021

Margriet Sjoerdsma - Drawing Circles

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:59
Size: 104,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:55) 1. Better Try My Best
(3:12) 2. I Was Meant To Be
(3:23) 3. Let It All Out
(3:20) 4. All The Way
(2:59) 5. Glow In The Dark
(3:41) 6. Monkey Monday
(6:45) 7. We're OK
(3:07) 8. Drawing Circles
(3:30) 9. Isn't It Funny
(3:08) 10. Been There Done That
(4:14) 11. Give It All Up
(3:37) 12. I Will Recall

After a period of creative reflection, writing and hard work Margriet launched this year already her third album 'Drawing Circles'. Her first albums 'With the whisper of a morning'(2006) and 'Bloom'(2008) has brought her on stage at the North Sea Jazz Festival, the Concertgebouw and the Kleine Komedie. She has also be on tour to Bulgaria, Croatia and South Korea. Margriet studied jazz at the Conservatory but she has always been inspired by artists like Jeff Buckley, Joni Mitchell and Sheryl Crow. On her first two albums particularly jazz influences can be heard. Her album 'Drawing Circles' has a different angle. The condition for this record was that she would start writing songs that she also would like to listen to. She always wrote, but now she forced herself to dive deeper into it. She often could not find the peace to a song or a text to finish. That peace she has taken now consciously. She also wanted to write with others to gain new ideas. For this album she wrote with Louk Boudesteijn, Maarten van Damme, Jan Peter Hoekstra and Martijn van Agt.

"We have written a lot on guitar, which was new to me. It inspired me again to sit alone behind the piano, trying things out. Not from an idea to write, but to see what currently occurs. "Therefore in 'Drawing Circles' the guitar is central instead of the piano. "I have been working closely with pianist / composer Dimitar Bodurov, and asked Martijn van Agt to join me for the recordings on guitar. "Yesterday was the video recording of two songs of her and soon I will share with you the recordings, made by Eric van Nieuwland and Ron Beenen but first the photos of Margriet getting ready for her photoshoot. https://fashionart.patriciareports.nl/2011/12/margriet-sjoerdsma-introduction.html

Drawing Circles

Chick Corea - Delphi 2 & 3

Album: Delphi 2 Side One
Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1980
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 23:06
Size: 44,0 MB
Art: Front

(1:06) 1. New World I
(0:45) 2. New World II
(1:30) 3. New World III
(1:14) 4. New World IV
(1:30) 5. New World V
(1:07) 6. New World VI
(9:42) 7. Sad Song
(2:40) 8. Samba
(3:28) 9. North Brasil

Album: Delphi 2 Side Two
Time: 26:30
Size: 49,7 MB

(6:36) 1. Mountain Top
(2:46) 2. Voices
(7:22) 3. Spirits
(4:59) 4. Waltze For My Folks
(2:23) 5. Unicorns I
(2:21) 6. Unicorns II

Album: Delphi 3 Side One
Time: 26:43
Size: 51,8 MB

(4:05) 1. Mime I
(4:57) 2. Mime II
(2:43) 3. Ballet I
(0:38) 4. Ballet II
(3:05) 5. Ballet III
(1:10) 6. Ballet IV
(0:32) 7. Ballet V
(1:50) 8. Ballet VI
(0:31) 9. Ballet VII
(0:26) 10. Ballet VIII
(0:20) 11. Ballet IX
(0:55) 12. Ballet X
(0:41) 13. Ballet XI
(0:39) 14. Ballet XII
(4:03) 15. Poem I

Album: Delphi 3 Side Two
Time: 27:09
Size: 50,7 MB

(11:33) 1. Concerto Flamenco
( 3:22) 2. Poem II (Liana)
( 3:34) 3. Poem III (Thaddeus)
( 4:59) 4. Poem IV (Remember The Hearts)
( 3:39) 5. Poem V (Remember The Hearts

Innovator and Pioneer:
Since embarking on a solo career in 1966, Chick has been at the forefront of jazz, both as a renowned pianist forging new ground with his acoustic jazz bands and as an innovative electric keyboardist with Return to Forever, the Elektric Band, and now the electro/acoustic Vigil. His extensive discography boasts numerous albums, beginning with his 1968 classic, Now He Sings, Now He Sobs.

Renowned Pianist-Composer Chick Corea - A Prolific Explorer Of Jazz And Classical Music

A DownBeat Hall of Famer and NEA Jazz Master, 23-time Grammy winner, and keyboard virtuoso, Chick Corea has attained living legend status after five decades of unparalleled creativity and an artistic output that is simply staggering. Chick is the fourth-most-nominated artist in the history of the Grammys, with 65 nominations. He's also earned 3 Latin Grammy Awards, the most of any artist in the Best Instrumental Album category.

From straight ahead to avant-garde, bebop to fusion, children's songs to chamber music, along with some far-reaching forays into symphonic works, Chick has touched an astonishing number of musical bases in his illustrious career while maintaining a standard of excellence that is awe-inspiring. A tirelessly creative spirit, Chick continues to forge ahead, continually reinventing himself in the process. https://chickcorea.com/about-chick/

Piano – Chick Corea

R.I.P.

Delphi 2 & 3

Sunday, February 14, 2021

Mariangela Cagnetta - E–Motion

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:43
Size: 110,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:41) 1. Things Ain’t What They Used to Be
(4:55) 2. Afro Blue
(7:12) 3. Nature Boy
(3:32) 4. Lawns
(4:24) 5. Caravan
(2:55) 6. Lazy Afternoon Phunk
(5:19) 7. And I Love Him (Medley)
(2:32) 8. Speak Low
(4:33) 9. Blue in Green
(4:19) 10. Giant Steps
(4:15) 11. Moon River

A glance at the track listing on this album might prompt the title of another tune "So What's New?" However, after a thorough listening, a more appropriate musical response could be "I Never Knew." e-motion is an innovative, fascinating and marvelously performed modern perspective on eleven jazz standards delivered by superior musicians. The ensemble is minimal a vocalist, an electric bassist and a drummer. That's it. The musicians' creative output is anything but. Vocalist Mariangela Cagnetta is an incredibly versatile, talented and mature artist. She has terrific vocal chops across the session. It takes a highly competent and involved singer to walk this type of tightrope. Cagnetta is right at home communicating and responding magnificently with ace bassist, Viz Maurogiovanni and master drummer, Pierluigi Villani. She's a gem.

While the program is familiar, each of the arrangements is creatively unique and precisely structured for the trio format. For example, Duke Ellington's "Things Ain't What They Used to Be" gets a hip, rock re-do, as do "Caravan" and a darker feminine take on The Beatles' pop hit, "And I Love Him." The interplay among and between voice, bass and drums is the the marvel of this album whether it is Cagnetta scatting as a dervish over Maurogiovanni's pulsating bass, Villani's percussive bedrock on "Lazy Afternoon Phunk" or "conversing" in duo with Villani's ace polyrhythmic set and brush work on "Speak Low." Cagnetta's emotional depth and poetic lyric approach is displayed brilliantly on the exotic "Nature Boy," on Mongo Santamaria's "Afro Blue," and the killer closer, "Moon River." Classics "Blue in Green" and "Giant Steps" are recognizable, but delivered with "Lucy in the Sky" kaleidoscope glasses. Bassist Maurogiovanni, a regular contributor to drummer Villani's sessions, is a Miroslav Vitous / {m: Jaco Pastorius = 10148}} acolyte displaying incredible technical proficiency, deep drive and a bopper's heart. Villani has proven over the years that he's hands-down a world-class musician. They are both creatively outstanding on this session.~ Nicholas F.Mondello https://www.allaboutjazz.com/e-motion-mariangela-cagnetta-caligola-records-review-by-nicholas-f-mondello.php

Personnel: Mariangela Cagnetta: vocals, flute, backing vocals; Viz Maurogiovanni: electric bass; Pierluigi Villani: drums.

E–Motion

Joey Alexander - Warna

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:12
Size: 143,1 MB
Art: Front

(6:43) 1. Warna
(5:11) 2. Mosaic (Of Beauty)
(5:33) 3. Lonely Streets
(4:25) 4. Downtime
(3:44) 5. Affirmation I
(7:16) 6. Inner Urge
(5:22) 7. We Here
(4:08) 8. Tis Our Prayer
(4:35) 9. Fragile
(5:47) 10. Our Story
(5:47) 11. Affirmation III
(3:37) 12. The Light

Hard to believe that after all of Joey Alexander’s accolades at the tender age of 16 Grammy nominations, a Grand Prix at the Master-Jam Fest, and a personal Jazz at Lincoln Center invite from Wynton Marsalis he’s done it all (and more) without a major-label deal. Warna (“color” in Alexander’s native Bahasa Indonesian) finds him, for the first time, in fine historic company on Verve. And the music? It’s proceeding with nary a hiccup. Youth propels the pianist, to be sure, but he’s hardly a slick trickster or a Warp Nine showoff. Writing 10 of 12 tracks here (with Sting’s “Fragile” and Joe Henderson’s “Inner Urge” thrown in), he distinguishes himself as before, first through simple, elegantly stated figures, then through lively and deep variation (more harmonic than rhythmic) on each.

With due kudos to the man in charge, this album belongs to all who play on it. Bassist Larry Grenadier never fails to deepen and enrich Alexander’s left hand. Drummer Kendrick Scott treats empty space as a tidepool, stirring his sticks to find a variety of rhythmic life in every go-round. Guest percussionist Luisito Quintero sticks steadfastly to Scott until they sound like one man with four hands. The other guest, flutist Anne Drummond, adds a bracing cold-spring ambience to two tracks. A tad jarring compared to the easy familiarity of the other four, but another intriguing direction of which I would have liked to hear more. This album will get plenty of hype; Alexander’s age and seemingly instant cred guarantee nothing less. I was pleasantly surprised, though, by the richness in restraint and the intuitive mastery of space and silence from everyone. By Andrew Hamlin https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/joey-alexander-warna-verve/

Personnel: Piano – Joey Alexander; Acoustic Bass – Larry Grenadier; Drums – Kendrick Scott; Flute – Anne Drummond

Warna

Saturday, February 13, 2021

Alex Sipiagin - Relativity

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:27
Size: 155,7 MB
Art: Front

(11:26) 1. Relativity
( 6:59) 2. Propagation of Light
( 4:31) 3. Space and Time
( 9:09) 4. Simultaneity
( 6:37) 5. Clocks in Motion
( 8:01) 6. Addition of Velocity
( 6:05) 7. Difficult Cosmos
( 4:51) 8. Spacetime
( 9:44) 9. Unbounded

Some years ago, Alan J. Friedman and Carol C. Donley published a book with the intriguing title Einstein as Myth and Muse, which traces the cultural influence of Einstein's theory of relativity. The impact of Einstein's theory on the public imagination has been profound and its influence on modern jazz as a muse is very artfully evident in the titles of the beautifully performed tracks of the Alex Sipiagin album Relativity: Music of Dave Lisik with performances by Chris Potter, Will Vinson, John Escreet, Boris Koslov, Eric Harland and Alina Engibaryan. As a theoretical physicist specializing in Einstein's theory of relativity, I look at the physical aspect of reality while jazz represents complex musical aspects of reality. Each track on this album highlights a particular aspect of Einstein’s theory. Relativity means looking at reality from different aspects to gain a better perspective of the whole. My ruminations consider what Einstein's theory has to say about the physical aspect of each title of this beautiful album. Let's take a look: Relativity: Einstein's theory of relativity is the result of a conflict between Newton's classical physics of motion and Maxwell's theory of light. This lack of harmony between Newton and Maxwell is what Einstein had to deal with.

Propagation of Light: All the visible information that comes to us from the universe, whether on the large or small scale, is due to light which, like sound, travels as a wave. These light waves travel at a constant speed of 186,000 miles per second. The speed of light does not change whether you're moving towards a light beam or away from it. Ordinary objects like a baseball change their speed if you're running towards the baseball after it is pitched or away from it. Light behaves differently. Space and Time: Newton says that, just like the baseball, light should change its speed depending on whether you're moving towards the source of light or away from it. Einstein said the speed of light doesn't change with the speed of the source and there is an important reason why: the speed of light stays the same because space and time change. Simultaneity: According to Einstein's theory of relativity, events that happen for you at the same time if you're standing still, did not happen for me at the same time if I'm moving relative to you. Time is relative.

Clocks in Motion: Einstein says that time for moving clock slows down. The faster you move, the more your clock slows down. Your heart is a clock so you age less the faster you move relative to everyone else. Addition of Velocity: If someone is running towards you and throws a baseball at you, the baseball will be coming at you faster than if they were standing still when they threw the ball at you. The velocity of the runner is added to the velocity of the baseball. If they are running at you while they are shining a flashlight, according to relativity, the velocity of light beam is the same as if they were standing still. In other words, adding any velocity to the velocity of light does not change the velocity of light. This is because space and time are changing. Difficult Cosmos: Relativity shows that the universe is much richer, deeper and more complex than we had ever thought before. When we look out into the universe, we are looking into the past. The universe we see now is the universe as it was because it takes time for light to reach us. Spacetime: The famous mathematician Hermann Minkowski stated that, because of Einstein's theory of relativity, "space by itself and time by itself are doomed to fade away into mere shadows and only a kind of union of the two will have an independent reality." Space and time are joined into a four-dimensional “spacetime.” Unbounded: The theory of relativity has given us a new view of the universe that is no longer constrained by the mechanical world of Newton. Jazz also gives us a new view of music that is radically different from the classical music of Bach, Beethoven and Brahms. To me, all the pieces in this dynamic album of modern jazz have a have a wonderful har

Personnel: Alex Sipiagin, trumpet and flugelhorn; Chris Potter, tenor saxophone; Will Vinson, alto saxophone; John Escreet, piano; Boris Kozlov, bass; Eric Harland, drums; Alina Engibaryan, voice

Relativity

Chick Corea - Plays

Album: Plays Disc 1
Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:09
Size: 135,6 MB
Art: Front

(2:12) 1. Chick Talks Mozart and Gershwin
(4:18) 2. Mozart: Piano Sonata in F, KV332 (2nd Part - Adagio) - Live in Clearwater / 2018
(7:39) 3. Someone To Watch Over Me - Live in Clearwater / 2018
(2:18) 4. Improvisation on Scarlatti - Live in Paris / 2018
(2:07) 5. Scarlatti: Sonata in D minor K9, L413 Allegro - Live in Paris / 2018
(5:39) 6. Yesterdays - Live in Paris / 2018
(0:41) 7. Chick Talks Bill Evans and Antonio Jobim - Live in Berlin / 2018
(7:22) 8. Waltz For Debby - Live in Berlin / 2018
(5:06) 9. Desafinado - Live in Berlin / 2018
(4:14) 10. Chopin: Prelude Op. 28 #4 - Live in Paris / 2018
(5:00) 11. Scriabin: Prelude Op. 11 (Part 1) #4 - Live in Paris / 2018
(0:20) 12. Chick Talks Monk - Live in Berlin / 2018
(4:13) 13. Pannonica - Live in Berlin / 2018
(2:33) 14. Trinkle Tinkle - Live in Berlin / 2018
(4:20) 15. Blue Monk - Live in Berlin / 2018

Album: Plays Disc 2
Time: 53:54
Size: 126,3 MB

(5:55) 1. Pastime Paradise - Live in Clearwater / 2018
(0:46) 2. Chick Talks Paco - Live in Clearwater / 2018
(9:33) 3. The Yellow Nimbus - Live in Paris / 2018
(0:58) 4. Chick Talks Portraits - Live in Paris / 2018
(2:22) 5. Portrait: Henrietta - Live in Paris / 2018
(2:08) 6. Portrait: Chris - Live in Paris / 2018
(0:22) 7. Chick Talks Duets - Live in Paris / 2018
(3:57) 8. Duet: Yaron - Live in Paris / 2018
(3:06) 9. Duet: Charles - Live in Paris / 2018
(0:42) 10. Chick Talks Children's Songs - Live in Paris / 2018
(1:43) 11. Children's Song No. 1 - Live in Paris / 2018
(1:12) 12. Children's Song No. 3 - Live in Paris / 2018
(2:36) 13. Children's Song No. 4 - Live in Paris / 2018
(1:24) 14. Children's Song No. 9 - Live in Paris / 2018
(3:49) 15. Children's Song No. 10 - Live in Paris / 2018
(1:33) 16. Children's Song No. 15 - Live in Paris / 2018
(3:43) 17. Children's Song No. 17 - Live in Paris / 2018
(7:57) 18. Children's Song No. 12 - Live in Paris / 2018

As we huddle and binge on our national and moral failings, having as buoyant and engaging an artist come into our homes, as Chick Corea does on Plays, is simply a great, beautiful thing, and one of the core reasons that, even in the face of the daily ire, the majority of us hold tight the better part of ourselves in order to share it with the greater whole. It is not a matter of greatest performance of this or that or whatever, it is a matter of the honesty ringing forth as Corea, seemingly without effort, glides, leaps and bounds, across a host of his inspirations. Featuring agile illuminations of, among others, Scarlatti, Chopin, Bill Evans, George Gershwin, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Stevie Wonder, Thelonious Monk, Corea, his ageless touch and positivity on full display, crafts a shimmering Indra's web that connects the life force that composer has given to the player so that he can now connect deeply with his thankful audience. Music to feel, dance with, make love with, and create.

But that doesn't make any of Plays twenty-six performances (it's a double disc set) background music to the new normal. This gig plays like you're sitting (or standing) in any of the venues where this witty, whimsical set of animated miniatures was captured for posterity. A sincerely warm host, Corea explains his thinking that delights in pairing Mozart with Gershwin, Evans with Jobim. He spontaneously creates tone poems for two audience members. He improvises with two other audience participants who, it was later discovered, were French pianist Charles Heisser, and French-Israeli jazz pianist Yaron Herman. His Cirque du Soleil-styled ballet through three by Monk, "Pannonica," "Trinkle Tinkle," "Blue Monk," deliciously sum up the whole of Plays: It's great to be alive and listening.~ Mike Jurkovic https://www.allaboutjazz.com/plays-chick-corea-concord-jazz

Personnel: Chick Corea: piano

R.I.P.
Born: June 12, 1941, Chelsea, Massachusetts, United States

Died: February 9, 2021

Plays

Friday, February 12, 2021

Sonny Stitt - Stitt Goes Latin

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1963
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:59
Size: 94,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:36) 1. Are You Listening
(4:42) 2. Amigos
(4:10) 3. My Little Red Suede Shoes
(6:11) 4. Ritmo Bobo
(5:25) 5. I Told You So
(5:19) 6. Chic
(5:16) 7. Senor Jones
(5:15) 8. Autumn Leaves

Musically born in the great tradition of Charlie Parker, Sonny Stitt was one of the alto sax giants in Jazz history. Recorded in 1963 and originally released on the Roost label, Stitt Goes Latin catches him at the head of an all-star line-up, a highly distinctive combo in full Latin mood, featuring Thad Jones on trumpet, a young Chick Corea on piano, Larry Gales on bass and a fabulous drums and percussion section with the great Willie Bobo on drums, Carlos "Patato" Valdes - congas, bongos and Osvaldo "Chihuahua" Martinez - cowbell, maracas. Needless to add that on this fine disc the music flies high through a series of catchy elegant tunes and highly sophisticated and yet infectious Afro-Latin grooves. https://www.roughtrade.com/gb/sonny-stitt/stitt-goes-latin

Personnel: Sonny Stitt - alto saxophone, tenor saxophone; Thad Jones - trumpet; Chick Corea - piano; Larry Gales - bass; Willie Bobo - drums; Carlos "Patato" Valdes - congas, bongos; Osvaldo "Chihuahua" Martinez - cowbell, maracas, jawbone

Stitt Goes Latin

Regina Carter - Swing States: Harmony in the Battleground

Styles: Violin
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:27
Size: 115,1 MB
Art: Front

(1:41) 1. Welcome to Swing States from Regina Carter
(4:05) 2. Georgia On My Mind
(4:02) 3. Rocky Mountain High (Colorado)
(6:08) 4. Dancing in The Street (Detroit, Michigan)
(0:48) 5. Jon Batiste 504
(6:41) 6. You Are My Sunshine
(1:04) 7. We Shall Overcome
(0:56) 8. Harvey Mason in Kansas
(5:46) 9. Home on the Range (Kansas)
(1:01) 10. John Daversa in the Everglades
(4:57) 11. Swanee River (Florida)
(5:03) 12. Pennsylvania
(6:34) 13. On Wisconsin!
(0:35) 14. Faygo Boat Song (Michigan)

We’re edging closer toward the United States’ 59th quadrennial presidential election, and it’s that pivotal event anchoring violinist Regina Carter’s sanguine Swing States: Harmony In The Battleground. The music never approaches the acerbic tone of the Black Lives Matter protests that followed George Floyd’s killing or the maudlin tenor surrounding the inescapable COVID-19 pandemic two events that almost certainly will impact the decisions of voters. Instead, Carter delivers ingenious covers of idiomatic tunes associated with U.S. swing states places that could decide the country’s next political epoch. Carter opens the album with a spoken-word recollection of growing up in Detroit and how observing cultural differences works toward shaping how individuals vote. She also mentions watching her older family members head to the polls a pertinent recollection given recent reports of voter suppression efforts and the centennial anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which worked to give women in the U.S. the right to vote. Other band member pianist Jon Batiste, trumpeter John Daversa and drummer Harvey Mason provide their own personal mementos of Louisiana, Florida and Kansas.

The overarching theme of unity is channeled through masterful makeovers of chestnuts, like the rambunctious reading of “On Wisconsin!” and a blues-honed take of “You Are My Sunshine (Louisiana).” The high point, though, is the dramatic rendition of “Dancing In The Streets.” Instead of the tune being driven with its signature jack-hammering rhythm, Carter recasts it as an elegiac ballad, the bandleader and Daversa elongating the melody across the rhythm section’s lumbering tempo. Her violin then rises with luminous yet oblique improvisation, a feat illustrating her keen musicality and interpretive prowess.Even though guarded optimism permeates Carter’s latest effort, solemnity sneaks through in spots, articulating the gravity of what Americans are set to face in coming months.~ John Murph https://downbeat.com/reviews/detail/swing-states-harmony-in-the-battleground

Personnel: Regina Carter (violin), Harvey Mason (drums), Jon Batiste (piano), John Daversa (trumpet, flugelhorn), Kabir Sehgal (bass, percussion), Alexis Cuadrado (bass).

Swing States: Harmony in the Battleground

Thursday, February 11, 2021

Matt Herskowitz - Mirror Image

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:31
Size: 132,4 MB
Art: Front

( 5:55) 1. Tribute to John Coates
( 8:31) 2. Gnossienne: No.1/ Moment Musical No.3 in F-Minor
( 5:38) 3. Song for Katya
( 4:15) 4. Ballade
(11:30) 5. Piano Concerto in G: Adagio Assai
( 3:20) 6. Mirror Image
( 4:17) 7. Rêve cinématique
( 7:08) 8. The Last Hope
( 1:25) 9. Last Impressions
( 5:28) 10. My One and Only Love

To play jazz on the piano, a musician must at some point come to terms with the weight of the instrument’s history. The modern drum kit started to come together in the 1920s; the electric guitar, which, unlike its classical forebears, would be played through an amplifier, primarily with a plectrum, would not be manufactured until the 1930s. But the piano so central to the sound of mainstream jazz predates the genre by over 200 years.

On the solo album Mirror Image, released on Montreal’s Justin Time Records, the accomplished pianist Matt Herskowitz demonstrates his command of both the jazz and classical traditions through a mixture of original pieces, compositions by the likes of Ravel, Satie and Schubert, and a jazz standard. The fusion of jazz and classical has its own rich history; third stream music has enjoyed a degree of popularity since the 1960s. This synthesis is used to great effect by Herskowitz, not as a way to showcase two separate skill sets, but as a framework with which to display an intelligent, well-developed, honest approach to music making that honours the pianist’s personal experiences on the instrument. Highlights include bluesy, gospel-tinged flourishes on Gottschalk’s The Last Hope, the percussive title track Mirror Image, and My One And Only Love, which closes the album. Herskowitz’s truest success, however, is the thread with which he so effectively and confidently connects the album’s many elements into a sensible whole.~ Colin Story https://www.thewholenote.com/index.php/booksrecords2/jazzaimprovised/29485-mirror-image-matt-herskowitz

Mirror Image

Wednesday, February 10, 2021

Carly Johnson - Carly Johnson

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:44
Size: 122,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:48) 1. Take Care
(4:10) 2. Demons
(4:12) 3. The Believer
(4:21) 4. For You
(3:55) 5. I Don't Care (Zirophux)
(5:11) 6. Get Alone with You
(3:31) 7. Hit the Ground Running
(3:59) 8. This Home
(5:00) 9. I Used to Cry
(4:56) 10. Eternally Hopeful
(4:28) 11. Take My Hand
(5:08) 12. Burn Your Fears

“New singer Carly Johnson is a revelation versatile, tuneful, and with an emotional range that floats from first-person intimate to brassy belting with the greatest of ease.”~ Jacob Duncan, Liberation Prophecy

“...the sort of voice that can rile listeners into fiery elation, or ease them into a blue velvet-lined dream.” ~ Lara Kinne, LEO Weekly

“The power and scope of her voice takes on epic proportions.

She can burn like fire just as easily as she can flow and crash like water.”~ TOPS Magazine https://www.carlyjohnsonmusic.com/artist-page

Carly Johnson

Tuesday, February 9, 2021

Vangelis Katsoulis - The Exile Of Dreams

Styles: Avant-Garde Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:57
Size: 142,9 MB
Art: Front

(7:59) 1. The Final Act
(7:01) 2. Invention
(7:40) 3. What Memories Of What Forgotten Moments
(6:59) 4. Endless Dream
(9:25) 5. Tears From The Sky
(4:22) 6. East Of The Heart
(3:12) 7. Landscape Of Sadness
(5:19) 8. Farewell
(9:56) 9. In Vain

A Greek composer and producer who spins compelling confections from a host of different genres, Vangelis Katsoulis' early works were influenced by the avant-garde movement of the 1970s, but as his career progressed he began introducing elements of jazz, rock, orchestral, minimalism, new age, and ambient electronic music into his oeuvre. Not to be confused with his fellow composer and countryman Vangelis (born Evángelos Odysséas Papathanassíou), Katsoulis was born in Athens, and studied music in both Greece and Germany before issuing his debut album in 1975. Improvisation, jazz, and electronics began to feature more prominently in his work during the 1980s, and in 1989 he co-founded Utopia, an independent record label. In addition to his myriad studio albums highlights include Through the Dark, Silent Voyage, and Pictures from Inside Katsoulis is a prolific producer and film and television composer who took home the first prize for best soundtrack at the 1994 Thessaloniki International Film Festival. In 2014 he released Sleeping Beauties, a collection of early and unreleased works.~ James Christopher Monger https://www.allmusic.com/artist/vangelis-katsoulis-mn0001384599/biography

Personnel: Vangelis Katsoulis: keyboards, percussion, sound effects; Paolo Fresu: trumpet, flugelhorn; Bendik Hofseth: tenor saxophone; Arild Andersen: bass; Paul Wertico: drums and percussion; Takis Farazis: piano.

The Exile Of Dreams

Fiona Fergusson - The Gift

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:16
Size: 116,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:18) 1. The Gift of Love
(3:44) 2. You’d Be so Nice to Come Home To
(3:12) 3. Almost Like Being in Love
(4:22) 4. Tenderly
(4:01) 5. Love Me or Leave Me
(3:50) 6. Beautiful Love
(3:30) 7. What Is This Thing Called Love
(4:58) 8. Dindi
(4:42) 9. Love for Sale
(4:04) 10. Bring It Back
(4:02) 11. Black Nile
(4:28) 12. Blue Moon

As daughter from a Jazz Pianist and Arranger (Ken Fergusson) born in Scotland, raised in Holland and Germany, Fiona Fergusson was brought up listening to Jazz music from an early age. She was influenced by the sounds of the legendary Big Bands such as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Benny Goodman Orchestra e.g. and after listening to Ella Fitzgerald, Carmen McRae and Sarah Vaughan she was completely dedicated to become a Jazz singer. She accomplished Vocal education in Lissabon, Münich and at the Sängerakademie Hamburg. Although life turned out leading her in other directions she continued singing. For the last 25 years she has been performing in clubs and events with various musicians and bands in Austria and Germany. 2016 she decided to take the next step towards her goal of becoming a profesional Jazz vocalist.

The talented singer started visiting concerts and Jazzclubs all over Europe and joined Jam-Sessions to show her talent on various stages. Thats how she met the Austrian drummer Klemens Marktl and his swinging Trio in 2018 and they encouraged her to start working on her debut album “THE GiFT“
https://fionafergusson.com/www.fionafergusson.com/Biography/Biography.html

Personnel: Fiona Fergusson – vocals; Gregor Fticar – piano; Philipp Zarfl – bass; Klemens Marktl – drums/arrangements; Feat: Jim Rotondi - trumpet

The Gift

Monday, February 8, 2021

Richie Beirach - Round About Federico Mompou

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:19
Size: 149,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:29) 1. Impressiones Intimas #1
(8:09) 2. Música Callada # 6
(2:13) 3. Fantasie on Musica Callada # 10
(6:37) 4. Música Callada # 10
(2:58) 5. Bass Fantasie on Música Callada # 1
(3:55) 6. Música Callada # 1
(1:48) 7. Música Callada # 27
(4:37) 8. Around Música Callada # 27
(3:13) 9. Fantasie on Música Callada # 19
(1:00) 10. Around Música Callada # 19
(3:42) 11. Música Callada # 19
(7:42) 12. Música Callada # 18
(1:58) 13. Fantasie on Música Callada # 18
(2:31) 14. Música Callada # 15
(8:19) 15. Música Callada # 22

Richard "Richie" Beirach (born May 23, 1947) is a jazz pianist and composer born in New York City. He initially studied both classical and jazz before entering the Berklee College of Music. In 1972 he began working with Stan Getz. He also worked with Chet Baker and in the 1990s worked well with Swedish saxophonist Henrik Frisk. He maintained an ongoing musical partnership with David Liebman from the 1970s to the 90s, in Lookout Farm, Quest and many duos. Richie Beirach's style is influenced by Art Tatum, Bill Evans, McCoy Tyner, Chick Corea and his earlier classical training. It is also individualistic with many touches all its own. Several of his compositions, "Leaving" and "Elm" for instance, have found their way into the jazz standard repertoire.
https://wn.com/richie_beirach_round_about_federico_mompou/musician

Personnel: Piano – Richie Beirach; Double Bass – George Mraz; Violin – Gregor Huebner

Round About Federico Mompou