Lina Nyberg - So Many Stars

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:23
Size: 152,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:29)  1. Suddenly
(4:45)  2. So Many Stars
(4:22)  3. The End
(5:39)  4. I'll Be Seeing You
(4:34)  5. Nothing New
(6:50)  6. My Castle
(5:11)  7. For All We Know
(6:33)  8. Once I Was Like You
(2:23)  9. On the Street Where You Live
(5:06) 10. Going to Chicago
(7:09) 11. Lost But Still
(5:46) 12. Ordinary Day
(3:29) 13. Alone

Lina Nyberg was born in Stockholm, Sweden in 1970 and raised in an artistic home. She discovered jazz at age 14 and at 18 years of age Lina began singing with Swedish senior jazz stars such as Bernt Rosengren, Nisse Sandström, Fredrik Norén Band, and others. In 1990 Lina built her own first constellation “Lina Nyberg Kvintett” consisting of Per “Texas” Johansson, Esbjörn Svensson, Dan Berglund and Mikel Ulfberg. After gratuating from the Royal College of Music in Stockholm as a Master of Fine Arts in 1993 she released her first CD- Close (Prophone records). A duo recording with late pianist Esbjörn Svensson. An instant success and Swedish jazz classic. This was also the beginning of a very fruitful cooperation with the brilliant producer and owner of Prophone records, late Erland Boëthius.

Lina and her quintet received the prestigious Swedish Grammis award for her CD “when the smile shines through” in 1995. “OPEN” released in 1998 and recorded with bassist Palle Danielsson and pianist Anders Persson, among others, was nominated for a Swedish Grammis and received raving reviews.Over the years Lina Nyberg has collaborated with various jazz musicians such as John Taylor, Marilyn Crispell, Palle Danielsson and Rigmor Gustafsson. She has toured in Scandinavia, parts of Europe, Vietnam, Canada and Brazil. A couple of times Lina also has toured Japan with Yasuhito Moris Scandinavian Connection. The Brazilian connection is also very strong to Lina and she has produced two cds dedicated to Brazil and its vast musical landscape, Brasilien (Prophone) 2003 with world famous bassplayer Anders Jormin and Brasil Big Bom 2007 (Caprice records) with big band and the great Swedish saxophonist Magnus Lindgren.

Lina Nyberg is one of Sweden’s most creative and innovative jazz singers. For more than 15 years she has been attracting consistent and widespread attention, mostly in Scandinavia, but also in other parts of the world. As a solo artist and producer she has released 16 CDs. Her main constellation right now is Lina Nyberg Band featuring an all-star band: Cecilia Persson, piano, David Stackenäs, guitar, Josef Kallerdahl, bass and Peter Danemo, drums.In September 2011 Lina Nyberg and her band released their latest Cd Palaver (Moserobie Records). The Cd recieved fantastic reviews and was selected by Chicago Reader writer Peter Margasak as the Vocal CD of the year. The music is a blend of influences from Brazilian Tropicalia, European Free form, modern classical composers, the American songbook and old school jazz.

In March 2011 Lina Nyberg was awarded the prestigious Jazzmusician of the Year-prize by the Swedish Radio and in October 2011 she was the Guest of Honour at the Umeå International Jazz Festival.2014 she released her latest CD “The Sirenades” a project including composing music for Norrbotten Big Band on commission and her own quintet. The Cd got a wonderful reception from the press.She was awarded the prestigeous “Lars Gullin Award” and also the Bert Levin award of 75.000 swedish kronor. Lina was nominated as the Jazz composer of the year by the Swedish Radio Jazzkatten jury. http://www.linanyberg.se/?page_id=45

So Many Stars

---

George Robert, Tom Harrell Quintet - Cape Verde

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:24
Size: 161.2 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1995/2014
Art: Front

[ 8:45] 1. Streets
[ 7:22] 2. Softly
[12:36] 3. Morning Star
[ 8:38] 4. Cape Verde
[ 9:58] 5. Missing You
[10:29] 6. Sail Away
[12:34] 7. Fast Lane

Alto Saxophone – George Robert; Bass – Reggie Johnson; Drums – Byron Landham; Flugelhorn, Trumpet – Tom Harrell; Piano – Dado Moroni. Recorded live in Rheinfelden, Switzerland on September 24-25, 1992.

This is the fifth and final release by the George Robert/Tom Harrell Quintet, taped during a pair of Swiss concerts in 1992. As in previous outings, the alto saxophonist and trumpeter/flüegelhornist are in top form and each musician also contributed strong originals as well; the potent rhythm section includes the underrated pianist Dado Moroni, bassist Reggie Johnson, and drummer Byron Landham. Harrell's snappy post-bop strut "Streets" features his flüegelhorn, plus fines solos by Robert and Johnson. An extended version of "Sail Away," an emotional driving samba that is also one of Harrell's best known compositions, is another highlight. Robert's rich ballad "Softly" also has a Latin feel to it, while his hard bop "Cape Verde" is clearly inspired by Horace Silver. The only work not composed by either co-leader is "Morning Star," by Rodgers Grant; this highly enjoyable work features an extensive solo by Moroni. The Robert/Harrell Quintet knew how to go out on top! ~Ken Dryden

Cape Verde

---

Azar Lawrence - The Seeker

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:12
Size: 146,0 MB
Art: Front

(10:27)  1. Gandhi
( 7:45)  2. Lost Tribes Of Lemuria
(12:04)  3. The Seeker
( 9:21)  4. One More Time
( 5:57)  5. Rain Ballad
(10:24)  6. Spirit Night
( 7:12)  7. Venus Rising

Azar Lawrence is fulfilling his musical quest with a most impressive live recording!  Sunnyside Records will drop an incredible live set recorded at the Jazz Standard. This all star collective features saxophonist Azar Lawrence, trumpet great Nicholas Payton, and a critically acclaimed rhythm section of Benito Gonzalez on piano, Essiet Okon Essiet on bass and the mighty Jeff "Tain" Watts on drums. The Seeker pays homage to those harmonic rebels that have forged their own path and this created and elevated the form and function of the improvisational music we have come to know as jazz. For the uninitiated, Lawrence has been cutting his own lyrical trail for the last four decades and has played with such luminaries as Freddie Hubbard and Earth Wind & Fire. 

The original compositions from Lawrence are diverse and visionary in their lyrical thought. Nicholas Payton shares the front line with Lawrence due largely in part to his exceptional conceptual feeling of just where Lawrence was heading on this most unique journey. Picking a highlight or two would be equivalent to asking a parent to pick their favorite child but I'll give it a whirl with "Rain Ballad" and "Spirit Night" topping the list. Both compositions are compelling lush ballad oriented tunes with a zen like serenity move slowly beneath the surface. Both tunes allow for dynamic interplay within the rhythm section with Essiet's bowed bass and Watts finesse on "Rain Ballad" while Gonzalez shines on "Spirit Night." The band finds their groove on the Gonzalez tune "One More Time" with a spirited exchange between Lawrence, Payton and of course Gonzalez.  Azar Lawrence may be a searching artist, the good artists are. The search for the listener can continue with one of the better live sets you will hear. Virtually flawless on all levels. http://www.criticaljazz.com/2014/06/azar-lawrence-seeker-sunnyside-2014.html

Personnel: Azar Lawrence (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Nicholas Payton (trumpet); Benito Gonzalez (piano); Jeff "Tain" Watts (drums).

The Seeker

---

Avishai Cohen - Two Roses

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:29
Size: 144,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:59) 1. Almah Sleeping
(3:52) 2. When I'm Falling
(4:45) 3. Song for My Brother
(4:24) 4. Two Roses (Shnei Shoshanim)
(4:33) 5. Nature Boy
(7:14) 6. Emotional Storm
(6:24) 7. Puncha Puncha
(5:17) 8. Arab Medley
(8:35) 9. A Child Is Born
(4:55) 10. Alon Basela
(4:11) 11. Morenika
(4:16) 12. Nature Talking

Avishai Cohen dreamed big, with images of symphony orchestras dancing in his head. The Israeli-born bassist maneuvered that dream into a reality with Two Roses, a recording that finds Cohen in the company of the ninety-two piece Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, in addition to his jazz cohorts, Azerbaijani pianist Elchin Shirinov and New Jersey born and bred drummer Mark Guiliana. Eleven of the tunes presented here, in this lush landscape, come from Cohen's pen. The title piece is a popular tune from Cohen's homeland. "A Child Is Born" comes from the Thad Jones Songbook, and "Nature Boy" is the familiar Eben Ahbez tune, recorded by everyone from Miles Davis to Nat King Cole, Sarah Vaughn, John Coltrane, Zoot Sims and many more.

The majestic, sweeping scope of this music suggests Cohen as a nominee for the "Aaron Copland of World" Music Award, as the bassist brings to the table influences which span the globe Afro-Caribbean music, melodies of Israeli folklore, Middle Eastern motifs, North African tinges and hints of Slavic and Russian shadings, all intertwined to create its own unique multicultural listening experience. With a beautiful and implacable grandeur in the embrace of a collective momentum of eighty-plus players including Cohen's occasional "every man of the world" vocals (he sounds like a nondenominational priest singing some kind of jazz Mass) the music could serve as a soundtrack to a grand epic of Cecil B. DeMille proportions, the orchestra at times delicate and fragile, at others powerful and momentous, and always profound.~ DAN MCCLENAGHAN https://www.allaboutjazz.com/two-roses-avishai-cohen-naive-believe__23161

Personnel: Avishai Cohen: bass; Mark Guiliana: drums; Elchin Shirinov: piano.

Two Roses

---

Lina Nyberg, Daniel Karlsson - The Night and the Music

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:22
Size: 113,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:09) 1. Night and Day
(4:51) 2. Let's Face the Music and Dance
(4:26) 3. Red Sails in the Sunset
(5:44) 4. 'Round Midnight
(4:22) 5. Stardust
(3:54) 6. Dream a Little Dream of Me
(4:44) 7. Sure on This Shining Night
(3:36) 8. You and the Night and the Music
(4:09) 9. In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning
(4:36) 10. Good Morning Starshine
(4:46) 11. I Like the Sunrise

Two of Sweden's most successful jazz musicians perform together for the first time. Singer Lina Nyberg and pianist Daniel Karlsson have both had brilliant careers in Sweden and internationally through the years. April 30, 2021 the duo album The Night and the Music will be released, containing a string of famous songs inspired by nighttime. A number of jazz standards and evergreens has been carefully selected, all taking us step by step through evening, night and finally to early morning. You will hear classics like Red sails in the sunset and Thelonius Monk's Round midnight combined with modern hits such as Goodmorning starshine from the musical Hair, but also Samuel Barber's famous composition of James Agee's poem Sure on this shining night. With these melodies, the duo creates an inspiring musical experience for the listener and discovers new worlds in the music. https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Lina-Nyberg/dp/B08YHZVB1T

Personnel: Lina Nyberg - Vocal; Daniel Karlsson - Piano.

The Night and the Music

---

Lori Williams - Full Circle

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:59
Size: 143,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:05) 1. My Funny Valentine
(5:39) 2. Evergreen
(5:11) 3. Turn Turn Turn (To Everything There is a Season)
(5:04) 4. The Shadow of Your Smile
(6:51) 5. Peresina (Full Circle)
(5:11) 6. Bewitched Bothered and Bewildered
(7:41) 7. Come Sunday
(4:52) 8. Way over Yonder
(3:56) 9. The Best is ye
t to Come
(4:32) 10. Auld Lang Syne (4:00) 11. Turn Turn Turn (To Everything There is a Season) - Radio Edit
(3:51) 12. Turn Turn Turn (To Everything There is a Season) - Vocal Version

As the lead vocalist of her self-titled Washington, D.C.-based jazz ensemble, Lori Williams is well regarded in our area for her soothing voice and for performing incredible sets of jazz and R&B. She has also taught vocal music in D.C. public schools for more than 20 years, and is beloved by generations of musicians. Born and raised in Southeast D.C., Williams has been heralded for her voice since she was a young student at Hampton University. Over the years, she has played some of the top places in D.C., as well as venues around the country and the world.

She has directed numerous choirs, such as the National Diamond Girls Jazz Choir (which performed during the Inauguration Ceremony for President George Bush), the Sagamihara Christian Fellowship Gospel Choir in Japan and several gospel choirs throughout the area. “When I started out, I met with two professors who introduced me to jazz and then I was on a radio show on campus, and got the chance to be the jazz program director and hear some music and play some music, and just fell in love with it,” Williams said. “I felt like jazz was my voice and [something] I could identify with.”

Williams will hold a CD release party at City Winery on Sept. 29, introducing fans to her fifth album, “Full Circle,” a return to traditional jazz music. “The music actually came out in July but I was over in Europe at the time so I didn’t get the chance to share the music with people here at home, and I want to be able to showcase my CD to the good folks in Washington, D.C.,” she said. “I’m going to do a couple of tunes off the new CD, but other tunes from other CDs I have put out over the years.” The album offers classic standards such as “My Funny Valentine,” “Evergreen” and “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered” that are done in unique ways and showcase some of D.C.’s best jazz musicians.

“It’s a return to a love of mine, which is traditional jazz,” Williams said. “My father passed last year, and the gentleman who produced the CD, Alan Johnson, found a recording that my dad did in 2012 and we did a Nat King Cole/Natalie Cole-esque kind of vibe, giving me an opportunity to sing along with my dad on a song he put together.” Williams said picking the rest of the set list came from the songs she fell in love with in her late teens and early 20s the tunes that made her fall in love with jazz. “For example, Barbra Streisand was one of the first women singers whose voice I was absolutely captivated by, so I’m doing ‘Evergreen,’” she said. “And because of what’s happening in our world today, ‘Turn, Turn, Turn’ is a very apropos selection.”

She’s no stranger to City Winery, having played this venue three times and the one in Atlanta a couple of times as well. “The ambiance there is absolutely incredible. Also, I love wine,” Williams said. “I’ve traveled to Europe and have been introduced to different types of wines, and I just love how sophisticated City Winery is. People are coming there with the expectancy of hearing great music and enjoying great food and wine. It’s a good combination.” Williams is making a big change in her life this fall, as she is relocating to Georgia to become a full-time musician, artist, and symposium director for colleges and universities teaching students about the essence of jazz and lyrical content through her commissioned program “Positive Music For Positive Minds.”

“My dad’s no longer here, my mom’s no longer here, and I need something new,” she said. “I’ll be coming back but sometimes in order to come back to one’s hometown and be truly seen, you need to disappear.” One thing that will not change is her love of being onstage. “I love sharing an experience about peace and positivity,” Williams said. “I’m still learning. When you’re a performer, you are using every part of who you are. I’m grateful that I am part of a circle that is giving me advice and I can surround myself with great producers and musicians, and always enjoy singing live.” Keith Loria http://www.fairfaxtimes.com/articles/lori-williams-comes-full-circle/article_0c8d19ee-e141-11e9-9a26-9758114f0c9a.html

Full Circle

---

Lauren White And The Quinn Johnson Trio - Ever Since the World Ended

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 30:37
Size: 71,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:52) 1. If You Never Fall in Love with Me (Del Sasser)
(4:11) 2. Just the Two of Us
(4:16) 3. Ever Since the World Ended
(4:21) 4. Alone Together
(3:46) 5. Remembering the Rain
(3:53) 6. Some of That Sunshine
(3:39) 7. Take Love Easy
(2:35) 8. Shattered

There is a cadre of West Coast jazz musicians who tacitly orbit one Mark Winkler. This embarrassing wealth of talent includes: Cheryl Bentyne, Dolores Scozzesi, Judy Wexler, Robyn Spangler, Gary Brumburgh, Jeffery Gimble, Ada Bird Wolfe, and our present subject, Lauren White. White, an original East Coast product, expatriated to Westward to act and sing...and record. Her previous recording, Life In The Modern World (Cafe pacific Records, 2019) was the (unknowing) opening bookend to a most curious cultural year we are just completing. Considering the view from here and now, that album could have just as well been entitled, Life on Mars (with apologies to David Bowie). Life In The Modern World is now potently ironic considering our Darwinian, Covid-19 wake up call.

Eighteen months or so later, White reacts to the plague year with Ever Since The World Ended, the title piece a composition of Tippo, MS native Mose Allison. from his 2006 Blue Note recording of the same name. White shares vocal duties with friend and colleague Dolores Schozzesi. White used the pandemic as a programming opportunity, bringing together songs sung in response to the veritable unknown and never experienced.

Supported again by pianist Quinn Johnson and his rhythm section of bassist Trey Henry and drummer Ray Brinker. Lockdown and quarantine is captured in Bill Withers' "Just The Two Of Us," and the chestnut "Alone Together," an experience had by so many that the phrase, "the new normal," actually makes sense. The introversion of the period is expressed in the juxtaposition of "Remembering the Rain" (this helmed by bassist Kevin Axt, guitarist Grant Geissman, and drummer Chris Wabich) with "Some of that Sunshine."

White closes her recital with Jimmy Webb's plaintive "Shattered," completing the circle that began with Life In The Modern World, a modern world showing that the Medieval remains among us. White expands an already impressive artistry with a great mind for programming nuance. Higher themes enhance the listening experience, something White, and the rest of her West Coast Cadre, has internalized and put into capable practice. White's sturdy yet pliable alto guides a delicate balance through the disparate, yet related songs: soothing and accepting.~ C.Michael Bailey https://www.allaboutjazz.com/ever-since-the-world-ended-lauren-white-cafe-pacific-records

Personnel: Lauren White: voice / vocals; Quinn Johnson: piano; Trey Henry: bass, acoustic; Ray Brinker: drums.

Ever Since the World Ended

---

Anaïs Reno - Lovesome Thing (Feat. Emmet Cohen)

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:09
Size: 122,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:54) 1. Caravan
(5:26) 2. Mood Indigo
(2:41) 3. Still in Love
(5:25) 4. Chelsea Bridge / A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing
(5:15) 5. I'm Just a Lucky So-and-So
(5:37) 6. It's Kind of Lonesome Out Tonight
(4:24) 7. Day Dream
(4:35) 8. I Ain't Got Nothin' but the Blues
(4:22) 9. All Roads Lead Back to You
(1:06) 10. U.M.M.G. (Upper Manhattan Medical Group)
(5:47) 11. Lush Life
(3:30) 12. Take the "A" Train

Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn were collaborators for several decades beginning in the late 1930s. They became so closely intertwined musically that it was frequently impossible to distinguish their work. Anaïs Reno a young and promising singer has chosen to use their compositions as the basis for her debut release Lovesome Thing: Anaïs Reno Sings Ellington & Strayhorn. This choice was not without risk as the harmonic structure and lyrics of some of the compositions are better suited to a more experienced vocalist. However, Reno was undeterred and the results are more than impressive.

In addition to being fearless in her choice of material, Reno had the foresight to look for a supporting musical cast that would enhance her vocal efforts. Pianist and arranger Emmet Cohen was an ideal selection as he is a stellar and inventive musician. Rounding out the band are Russell Hall (bass), Kyle Poole (drums), Tivon Pennicott (saxophone) and on a couple of tracks violinist Juliet Kurtzman, who also happens to be Reno's mother.

The opening Ellington tracks "Caravan" and "Mood Indigo" had co-writers, namely Juan Tizol on the former and Barney Bigard for the latter. Cohen has put together a rhythmically off-beat construction for "Caravan" that gives Reno the foundation to test her vocalese before the lyric begins. Pennicott covers much ground with his Middle-Eastern influenced solo, before Reno picks up the lyric again in the out chorus. Cohen's light fingered piano opening on "Mood Indigo" foretells the interpretation offered by Reno. Gliding over the lyrics, she shows a gift for flowing delicacy, that segues into Kurtzman's violin for an uncluttered interjection.

The impact of Ellington and Strayhorn either separately or together cannot be underestimated in the jazz world. Their work here as co-composers includes "Day Dream" and "All Roads Lead Back To You." The former was written as a feature for alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges in order to take advantage of his restrained vibrato and daunting glissandos. Here Reno imparts an earthy intimacy to the number. The second number is also known as "Lotus Blossom" and is emotionally similar to the former composition, although slightly more melancholy. "Lush Life" was Billy Strayhorn's first classic composition, written when he was just a teenager. It is filled with demanding harmonies and is complex chromatic music. The lyrics tell the story of the isolation of a black man who declined to compromise his sexual identity. No small stretch for a debutante singer, but one which she reaches with assurance. The final track in this session, "Take The "A" Train," was the first composition that Strayhorn wrote for Ellington. History tells us that the composition's name was based on directions that Ellington gave to Strayhorn to find Ellington's apartment in Harlem from mid-town New York. Reno's interpretation of the composition uses the imbedded swing norms and harmonic cleverness to deliver an "A" train experience.

Anaïs Reno exudes confidence on this debut and with experience should develop into a singer who will delve further into the heart of the songs she chooses.~ PIERRE GIROUX https://www.allaboutjazz.com/lovesome-thing-anais-reno-sings-ellington-and-strayhorn-anais-reno-harbinger-records

Personnel: Anaïs Reno: voice / vocals; Emmet Cohen: piano; Russell Hall: bass; Kyle Poole: drums; Tivon Pennicott: saxophone, tenor; Juliet Kurtzman: violin.

Lovesome Thing

---

Kate Ceberano - True Romantic: The Best of Kate Ceberano

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:27
Size: 160,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:20) 1. True Romantic
(4:22) 2. Pash
(4:31) 3. I Won't Let You Down
(4:09) 4. Calling You
(4:49) 5. Everythings Alright
(4:06) 6. Love and Affection
(4:01) 7. Change
(4:28) 8. Feelin Alright
(5:32) 9. Brave
(3:56) 10. Bedroom Eyes
(4:37) 11. Time to Think
(4:26) 12. I Dont Know How to Love Him
(4:17) 13. Love Is Alive
(3:24) 14. Young Boys Are My Weakness
(4:17) 15. All That I Want Is You
(4:11) 16. See Right Through

True Romantic – The Best of Kate Ceberano is a greatest hits album released by Australian recording artist Kate Ceberano. It was a commercial success, peaking at number 9 on the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) album chart, and was certified platinum in Australia. The album was re-released in 2004, under the title The Definitive Collection. It includes songs from her time with I'm Talking, tracks from Jesus Christ Superstar, her studio albums Brave, Blue Box and Pash as well as two new tracks. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/True_Romantic

True Romantic: The Best of Kate Ceberano

---

David Binney And Edward Simon - Oceanos

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:57
Size: 130,7 MB
Art: Front

(7:30)  1. We Dream Oceans
(9:13)  2. Impossible Question
(9:57)  3. Amnesia
(7:33)  4. El Parrandero
(5:11)  5. Govinda
(6:23)  6. Twenty Four Miles To Go
(3:37)  7. Impossible Question Reprise
(7:29)  8. Home

Reconvening the same core quartet as on Afinidad (Red, 2001), altoist David Binney and pianist Edward Simon demonstrate how a collaborative effort can bear the distinct imprint of each musician while, at the same time, possessing its own indelible stamp. Binney and Simon have emerged, over the past decade, as leaders in an evolving musical context informed by broader cultural concerns, often complex harmonic and rhythmic foundations, and a fresh thematic approach that's eminently lyrical yet steadfastly avoids the obvious. Both are fine soloists, able to combine a sense of the cerebral with deeper emotional resonance. Teamed with bassist Scott Colley and drummer Brian Blade, Océanos is a compellingly listenable album, despite some considerable challenges hidden underneath the covers. Binney's "We Dream Oceans" opens the disc with simmering intensity. Percussionist Pernell Saturnino augments Blade's delicate touch, while guitarist Adam Rogers and Binney double a theme that first stands alone but is ultimately countered by Luciana Souza's wordless vocals. Simon builds a lithely focused solo that gradually intensifies, leading to a recapitulation of the theme and a solo from Binney that's as much about the sound of the notes as the notes themselves, building to a fever pitch only to fade to a gentler coda. While there's plenty of solo space, Océanos is as much about composition and arrangement, with Binney and Simon making judicious use of the added guests. Binney's polyrhythmic and Latin-esque "El Parrandero" makes full use of the three-piece horn section, creating a sound that's at times sharply pointed, other times richly expansive, contrasting with "We Dream Oceans" where the horns are used only briefly to reinforce the tune's final figure. Simon's 9/4 "Impossible Question" is first heard in expanded form, with Rogers' acoustic guitar solo navigating the pianist's changes with ease and Blade delivering a short but energetic solo. Binney's most powerful improvisation of the set is heard on a later reprise; a shorter but more texturally lush version that's expanded to include the horn section and percussion. 

Binney's closer, "Home," begins with a poignant theme that unfolds gradually but keeps returning to the same four-chord pattern. Colley and Simon both deliver lyrical solos before returning to the theme, leading into a repetition of that same four-chord pattern as a foundation for Binney's final solo which, bolstered by the rest of the group, builds the "Home" to a powerful climax before ending on an etheral note. Continuing to collaborate periodically over the years acts as a yardstick of both individual growth and a shared aesthetic for Binney and Simon. Océanos is their best pairing yet an album that brings together two strong musical minds to create a whole that's truly greater than the sum of its parts. ~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/oceanos-david-binney-criss-cross-review-by-john-kelman.php?width=1920

Personnel: David Binney: alto saxophone; Edward Simon: piano; Scott Colley: bass; Brian Blade: drums; Luciana Souza: vocals (1, 2, 5, 6); Adam Rogers: guitar (2, 5); Shane Endsley: trumpet (3, 4, 7); Jesse Newman: trumpet (3, 4, 7); Alan Ferber: trombone (3, 4, 7); Pernell Saturnino: percussion (1, 4, 7).

Oceanos

---

Lara Solnicki - The One And The Other

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:24
Size: 102,7 MB
Art: Front

(8:33) 1. Bit Her Sweet Christopher Street
(4:36) 2. Idée Fixe
(3:46) 3. The Embrace
(6:04) 4. Furling Leaf, Retrocede
(6:19) 5. I Pass a Glass
(7:16) 6. II Awe of the Sea
(7:46) 7. III Hollow the Need

Among feelings are nervousness and anxiety. While synonymous in any thesaurus, the two words differ in the same way that thankfulness and gratitude differ, that is, in focus. Nervousness and thankfulness often have no focus, no definite object creating them. Anxiety and gratitude are those feelings, those reactions to the specific. Something clearly gives rise to them. With regards to anxiety and disquiet, Canadian vocalist and composer Lara Solnicki uses "free jazz" and poetry as the stimulus for generating a mood of anxiety. Not anxiety in a bad way. More like a lack of clarity in an otherwise cohesive narrative. Solnicki presents this unease cinematically in discrete vignettes, or tone poems, each following its own creative arc, resolving or not, in a state still possessing tension, but one better realized than before.

The One And The Other is Scolnicki's third release, after A Meadow In December (Self Produced, 2010) and Whose Shadow (Inner Circle Music, 2014). The singer is hyperliterate, existing at a modern-postmodern interface where her art is informed equally by the other, often at the same time. Solnicki plants her spear in the sand in the cleverly entitled "Bit Her Sweet Christopher Street." The piece begins as if awakening, but not quite making it, falling back into that twilight that can disconcert. Jonathan Goldsmith's angular piano and Peter Lutek's screeching saxophone introduce the first fit of concern buoyed on Scott Peterson's bubbling electric bass. After a moment of respite, guitarist Rob Piltch 's Ben Monder-inspired glorious noise stirs the dream before emerging, not quite settled.

"Furling Leaf, Retrocede" is a spoken poetry narration carried slowly along by fractured and unrecognisable music, gently simmering with the occasional release of tension only to double down into further chaos. "Furling leaf, retrocede, whaft, near view" sets up a scene that develops into "Sheer currents beyond the finestra stir machines in this laundromat..." juxtaposing nature versus the mechanised. This performance could be envisioned performed at some yet unnamed, future Village Vanguard, at whatever a poetry slam is called in that way off time. Solnicki's words are clinical, astringent: "Green-yellow ataxia to the flushing gates -Twenty-one; Sixty Six...precocious tides with its attaches of amnesia...pleading sighs in the undertow / with swells of heaving flesh..." With music these are industrial visions, humid, clanging, insomniac: Hypnotic in the same way as Placidyl or Quaalude.

In this guise, this is no music with which to unwind after a typically hectic, post-COVID-19 day. But Solnicki does provide the tuneful interlude in the descriptively titled "Idée Fixe" (think Berlioz' Symphonie Fantastique deconstructed to a schizophrenic piano-saxophone duet over a wandering bass). Her wordless melodies tie the piece together into the messy stuff of life. "The One And The Other" is a three section suite combining all the stylistic elements that have preceded them. It takes an informed talent to conceive of and then execute music and lyrics of this complexity.

Lara Solnicki is able to present disintegration in an orderly and understandable fashion. While this is not cocktail party music, it is rich food for thought and contemplation.~ C.Michael Bailey https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-one-and-the-other-lara-solnicki-outside-in-music

Personnel: Lara Solnicki: voice / vocals; Jonathan Goldsmith: keyboards; Peter Lutek: woodwinds; Hugh Marsh: violin; Rob Piltch : guitar; Scott Peterson: bass; Rich Brown: bass; Davide Di Renzo: drums.

The One And The Other

---

Blossom Dearie - Les Blue Stars - The Pianist

Styles: Vocal and Piano Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:08
Size: 79,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:46)  1. The Continental
(2:51)  2. The Boy Next Door
(2:34)  3. They Can't Take That Away From Me
(2:34)  4. Moonlight Saving Time (There Ought To Be A)
(2:56)  5. The Surrey With The Fringe On Top
(2:55)  6. April In Paris
(2:42)  7. Blue Moon
(3:24)  8. Down The Depths Of The 90th Floor
(2:50)  9. La Legende Du Pays Des Oiseaux
(3:04) 10. Lettre A Virginie
(2:43) 11. Toute Ma Joie
(2:45) 12. Embrasse-Moi Bien

A distinctive, girlish voice and crisp, impeccable delivery, plus an irrepressible sense of playful swing, made Blossom Dearie one of the most enjoyable singers of the vocal era. Her warmth and sparkle ensured that she'd never treat standards as the well-worn songs they often appeared in less capable hands. And though her reputation was made on record with a string of excellent albums for Verve during the '50s, she remained a draw with Manhattan cabaret audiences long into the new millennium. Actually born with the name Blossom Dearie in the New York Catskills, she began playing piano at an early age and studied classical music before making the switch to jazz while in high school. After graduation, she moved to New York and began appearing with vocal groups like the Blue Flames (attached to Woody Herman) and the Blue Reys (with Alvino Rey). She also played cocktail piano around the city, and moved to Paris in 1952 to form her own group, the Blue Stars of France. Dearie also appeared in a nightclub act with Annie Ross, and made a short, uncredited appearance on King Pleasure's vocalese classic, "Moody's Mood for Love." She recorded an obscure album of piano solos, and in 1954, the Blue Stars hit the national charts with a French version of "Lullaby of Birdland." After hearing Dearie perform in Paris in 1956, Norman Granz signed her to Verve and she returned to America by the end of the year. Her eponymous debut for Verve featured a set of standards that slanted traditional pop back to its roots in Tin Pan Alley, Broadway, and cabaret. 

Her focus on intimate readings of standards ("Deed I Do," "Thou Swell") and the relaxed trio setting (bassist Ray Brown and drummer Jo Jones, plus Dearie on piano) drew nods to her cabaret background. On her next few records, Dearie stuck to her focus on standards and small groups, though her gift for songwriting emerged as well with songs like "Blossom's Blues." She performed in solo settings at supper clubs all over New York, and appeared on the more cultured of the late-'50s New York talk shows. Her husband, flutist Bobby Jaspar, made several appearances on her records, notably 1959's My Gentleman Friend. After a recording break in the early '60s, Blossom Dearie signed to Capitol for one album (1964's May I Come In?), but then recorded sparingly during the rest of the decade. Finally, in the early '70s, she formed her own Daffodil Records label and began releasing her own work, including 1974's Blossom Dearie Sings and 1976's My New Celebrity Is You. She also performed at Carnegie Hall with Anita O'Day and Joe Williams, billed as the Jazz Singers. She continued to perform and record during the 1980s through to the early 2000s, centered mostly in New York but also a regular attraction in London as well. She retired from playing live in 2006 due to health concerns and died quietly in her Greenwich Village apartment on February 7, 2009. ~ John Bush https://www.allmusic.com/artist/blossom-dearie-mn0000758601/biography

Personnel:  Alto Vocals [Contralto] – Blossom Dearie (tracks: 9 to 12), Nadine Young (tracks: 9 to 12); Bass Vocals – Jean Mercadier (tracks: 9 to 12); Double Bass – Herman Garst (tracks: 1 to 8); Drums – Bernard Planchenault (tracks: 1 to 8); Piano – Blossom Dearie (tracks: 1 to 8); Piano, Arranged By – Michel Legrand (tracks: 9); Soprano Vocals [First] – Christiane Legrand (tracks: 9 to 12); Soprano Vocals [Second] – Janine De Waleyne (tracks: 9 to 12); Tenor Vocals [Second] – Christian Chevallier (tracks: 9 to 12); Trumpet, Baritone Vocals – Roger Guérin (tracks: 9 to 12); Vibraphone, Tenor Vocals [Lead] – Fats Sadi (tracks: 9 to 12)

The Pianist

---

Joanie Pallatto - My Original Plan

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:01
Size: 144,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:29) 1. Open Your Eyes
(5:00) 2. Do Butterflies Cry?
(5:17) 3. The Blank Page
(4:54) 4. The Confessional
(5:27) 5. My Original Plan
(3:58) 6. Jon's Place
(4:47) 7. About a Song
(2:13) 8. Rest
(3:35) 9. The Photograph
(4:57) 10. Almost 65
(4:09) 11. A Simple Time
(5:38) 12. They Sentenced Us to Paradise
(3:09) 13. This Winter
(4:21) 14. Lucky to Belong to You

Jazzy-Pop! All Original Music from 39th Annual Chicago Music Awards ~ Lifetime Achievement Recipient for Extra-Ordinary Contributions to the Music Industry Singer-Songwriter Joanie Pallatto co-produced by modern guitar virtuoso Fareed Haque featuring an ALL Star Chicago lineup: Joanie Pallatto, Fareed Haque, Howard Levy, Bobby Lewis, Steve Eisen, John Devlin, Luiz Ewerling, Juan Pastor, Kurt Schweitz, Bradley Parker-Sparrow

Described by Rick Kogan of the Chicago Tribune as having “a stirring and special voice,” Joanie Pallatto is a graduate of The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Pallatto toured with The Glenn Miller Orchestra as a featured vocalist before moving to Chicago in 1979. Co-owner and partner with pianist/composer and husband, Bradley Parker-Sparrow at Sparrow Sound Design Recording Studio and Southport Records, Pallatto has expertise in all aspects of musical production. As a studio singer and voiceover talent, she has recorded on hundreds of Radio and TV commercials. As a jazz vocalist, Pallatto has performed at Chicago clubs City Winery, Andy’s and The Green Mill and New York venues the Iridium, Pangea and Birdland. Concert engagements have include Chicago Jazz Festival, Chicago Cultural Center, The Old Town School of Folk Music, Park West, Stage 773 and Bailiwick Theater; she was also a featured soloist with Daniel Barenboim in “Ellington Among Friends” at Symphony Center in 1999. Awards include: Lifetime Achievement Award for Extra-Ordinary Contributions to the Music Industry, Chicago Music Awards (2021); The Coleman Award in Music Business Entrepreneurship from Elmhurst College (2018) and the Jazz Journalist Association 2016 Chicago Jazz Heroes Award, to Joanie Pallatto & Sparrow.

Joanie Pallatto My Original Plan (2021) featuring modern guitar virtuoso Fareed Haque, showcases Singer-Songwriter Pallatto’s fourteen original Jazzy-Pop songs! Produced by Fareed Haque and Joanie Pallatto. The Single Do Butterflies Cry? is available on all digital platforms, and the music video, a rhythmic journey through nature and the beautiful countryside of Costa Rica, is available for viewing on YouTube.com. This Winter is a heartwarming track from the CD with a music photo video. “Listen closely and find out how to dream and how to use those dreams…With Joanie, the personal becomes universal.”Stephen Cole, award winning songwriter and playwright (from liner notes)

In 2011, Pallatto released the critically-acclaimed CD As You Spend Your Life and the music videos “For My Mother’s Love,” “As You Spend Your Life” and “Playa Bonita” plus Jazz Legend Bob Dorough recorded his vocal and piano on Frank Foster’s “Simone,” with Pallatto’s lyrics. It’s Not Easy is Singer-Songwriter Pallatto’s first CD of ten original tunes and videos (2008.) Christopher Loudon in the May 2011 issue of Jazz Times says of Pallatto “Pallatto sounds a lot like Stevie Nicks if, that is, Nicks was a top-drawer jazz stylist of expansive musical tastes and keen instincts.” and “Trying to channel Pallatto is like attempting to bottle a cyclone. It’s best to just let her run wild…”

Other recordings in Pallatto’s discography include Float Out to Sea with Sparrow (2017); Two Again with pianist/arranger Marshall Vente (2015) Days with Joanie & Sparrow (2013); The King and I (2000) with legendary pianist/composer King Fleming; Words and Music (1999); Two with Marshall Vente (1997); FIRE with Von Freeman (1996); Passing Tones (1995); Who Wrote This Song? (1994); and Whisper Not (LP 1986). Pallatto has continually recorded original music with Sparrow, The Light, a tone poem (2004); Canned Beer (2003), and We Are Not Machines (2001). https://www.katesmithpromotions.com/artists/joanie-pallatto/

My Original Plan

---

Sam Cooke - One Night Stand! Live At The Harlem Square Club, 1963

Styles: Vocal, Soul
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:55
Size: 90,0 MB
Art: Front

(1:23) 1. Soul Twist / Introduction
(2:54) 2. Feel It (Don't Fight It)
(3:11) 3. Chain Gang
(2:45) 4. Cupid
(5:11) 5. Medley: It's All Right / For Sentimental Reasons
(5:18) 6. Twistin' The Night Away
(6:18) 7. Somebody Have Mercy
(4:08) 8. Bring It On Home To Me
(2:40) 9. Nothing Can Change This Love
(5:03) 10. Having A Party

Not officially released until 1985, these live recordings from Miami's Harlem Square Club on Jan. 12, 1963, showcase Sam Cooke as a tough, demanding R&B singer, far from the smooth pop stylings of his singles. Playing with his road band and saxophonist King Curtis, Cooke has all-star accompaniment at every turn. But the true star here is Cooke. It's his gritty delivery that reinvigorates the once-mild offerings of "Cupid" and "For Sentimental Reasons" and takes his soul classics like "Chain Gang," "Twistin' the Night Away," "Bring It on Home to Me," and "Having a Party" and turns them into passionate, personal expressions of spiritual power. Cooke brings his gospel best to the material, and his influence on Rod Stewart, Joe Cocker, and an entire generation of rock 'n' roll singers can be traced to his interpretations' phrasings and energy. Even the audience gets involved. With this much excitement, it'd be impossible to not get in the spirit. ~ Editors’ Notes https://music.apple.com/us/album/one-night-stand-live-at-the-harlem-square-club-1963/304822401

One Night Stand! Live At The Harlem Square Club, 1963

---

Lisa Bassenge - Mothers

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:55
Size: 136,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:42) 1. Joanne
(3:09) 2. Freight Train
(5:44) 3. Some Other Spring
(4:16) 4. Thin Man
(4:54) 5. Why
(4:12) 6. Don't Come Home A-Drinkin'
(5:58) 7. Woodstock
(4:47) 8. All the Good Girls Go to Hell
(4:26) 9. Home Again
(5:59) 10. At Seventeen
(4:31) 11. Dancing on My Own
(7:12) 12. Song to a Seagull - Live

Lisa Bassenge has called her new album "Mothers". It is a tribute to the mothers of popular music. To women who have created something unique in a creative process. "Both now and in the past, there are so many great works by women," says Bassenge. "It was important to me to emphasize that with my album and to shine the light on all these strong women."

At first glance, the composers Bassenge has chosen could hardly be more different - from hippie icon Joni Mitchell to Eurythmics singer Annie Lennox and pop phenomenon Billie Eilish. And yet they have much in common. "Many songs tell of a moment of self-empowerment for these women - and the success that followed. That's something that touched me very much, because women often don't have the confidence to do such things and think they need encouragement from outside," explains Bassenge. "When I started singing as a teenager, I also often heard 'women can't make music'. In general, we have made a lot of progress in recent years, but we still have a long way to go before women get the recognition they deserve."

Lisa Bassenge not only covers the twelve pieces, she makes them her own - with her changeable, soulful voice and the gentle jazz instrumentation. As on her previous album "Borrowed and Blue" she recorded "Mothers" with swedish pianist Jacob Karlzon and danish bass player Andreas Lang. https://herzogrecords.bandcamp.com/album/mothers

Personnel: Lisa Bassenge (vocals); Jacob Karlzon (piano); Andreas Lang (bass)

Mothers

---

Lambert, Hendricks & Ross - Home Cookin'

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:30
Size: 92,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:26) 1. Home Cookin'
(2:18) 2. Halloween Spooks
(4:47) 3. Popity Pop
(3:52) 4. Blue
(3:17) 5. Mr P.C.
(5:27) 6. Come on Home
(3:05) 7. The New ABC
(2:33) 8. Farmer's Market
(3:06) 9. Cookin' at the Continental
(2:50) 10. With Malice Towards None
(3:45) 11. Hi-Fly

The premier jazz vocal act of all time, Lambert, Hendricks & Ross revolutionized vocal music during the late '50s and early '60s by turning away from the increasingly crossover slant of the pop world to embrace the sheer musicianship inherent in vocal jazz. Applying the concepts of bop harmonies to swinging vocal music, the trio transformed dozens of instrumental jazz classics into their own songs, taking scat solos and trading off licks and riffs in precisely the same fashion as their favorite improvising musicians. Vocal arranger Dave Lambert wrote dense clusters of vocal lines for each voice that, while only distantly related, came together splendidly. Jon Hendricks wrote clever, witty lyrics to jazz standards like "Summertime," "Moanin'," and "Twisted," and Annie Ross proved to be one of the strongest, most dexterous female voices in the history of jazz vocals. Together Lambert, Hendricks & Ross paved the way for vocal groups like Manhattan Transfer while earning respect from vocalists and jazz musicians alike.

The act grew out of apartment jam sessions by Lambert, a pioneering arranger and bop vocalist who had appeared in groups led by Gene Krupa and Buddy Stewart though he had also gained infamy leading a vocal choir on the disastrous "Charlie Parker with Voices" session recorded for Clef in 1953. That same year, Lambert met Jon Hendricks, who had similar vocal specialties that extended to lyrical changes. The pair debuted with a radically reworked version of "Four Brothers," which featured lyrics by Hendricks and note-for-note duplications of the original solos by Al Cohn, Zoot Sims, Stan Getz, and Woody Herman. They recorded a few other sides but were unsuccessful until a chance meeting with solo vocalist Annie Ross hit paydirt.

The first LP by Lambert, Hendricks & Ross was 1957's Sing a Song of Basie. Though the trio originally intended to hire a complete vocal choir to supplement their voices, the general incompetence of the studio voices led them to multitrack their own voices. The results were excellent, incredible vocal re-creations of complete solos from Basie classics like "One O'Clock Jump," "Down for Double," and "Avenue C" with added lyrics by Hendricks. The next year's follow-up, Sing Along with Basie, featured the bandleader himself and his group in a supporting role. Perhaps realizing that multi-tracking was a bit of a gimmick, Lambert, Hendricks & Ross then recruited a straight rhythm trio and began touring and recording that way. The first studio effort, 1959's The Swingers!, represented a leap in quality and musicianship, leading to a contract with Columbia later that year. The trio recorded three albums for the label during the next two years, including a tribute to Duke Ellington.

All three had pursued separate solo projects during the trio's run. After constant touring began to wear her out, Ross left the group in 1962. Lambert and Hendricks replaced her with Yolande Bavan, and continued recording for RCA. However, it was nearly impossible to replace a soloist of Ross' caliber, and the three albums Lambert, Hendricks & Bavan recorded between 1962 and 1964 were decidedly below par. The group broke up in 1964, and Lambert's death in a traffic accident just two years later quashed any hopes of a reunion. Both Hendricks and Ross continued to perform and record, with Ross doing much theater and film work as well.~ John Bush https://www.allmusic.com/artist/lambert-hendricks-ross-mn0000106987/biography

Home Cookin'

---

Johnny Griffin - Johnny Griffin

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 26:05
Size: 60,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:35) 1. I Cried For You
(3:03) 2. Satin Wrap
(2:29) 3. Yesterdays
(3:09) 4. Riff-Raff
(3:51) 5. Bee-
(3:17) 6. The Boy Next Door
(3:33) 7. These Foolish
(3:05) 8. Lollypop

Instead there are more formalist notions that suggest Paul Gonsalves and Coleman Hawkins. In addition, the album-closer, "Lollypop," comes out swinging hard with an R&B hook that digs in. Mance propels Griffin with fat, greasy chords that suggest a Chicago bar-walking honk frenzy, but Griffin's own playing is too sophisticated and glides like Lester Young around the changes. Also notable here is Ware's beautiful bop run "Riff Raff."

The bassist knew not only how to write for but arrange for horns. Mance and Griffin are in it knee-deep, note for note, with Mance adding beefy left-hand clusters to the melody as Ware and Smith play it straight time until the solo, when the middle breaks up and everybody goes in a different direction. It's got the hard bop blues at its root. This recording is brief, as it originally came out on a 10" LP, but is nonetheless a necessary addition to any shelf that pays Johnny Griffin homage.~ Thom Jurek https://www.allmusic.com/album/johnny-griffin-mw0000461284

Personnel: Johnny Griffin – tenor saxophone; Junior Mance – piano; Wilbur Ware – bass; Buddy Smith – drums

Johnny Griffin

---

Frank Kohl - Invisible Man

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:29
Size: 116,1 MB
Art: Front

(6:07) 1. Invisible Man
(5:13) 2. In Your Arms
(6:15) 3. Born Again
(6:21) 4. Falling Sky
(7:48) 5. My Funny Valentine
(5:29) 6. Round About
(4:44) 7. My One and Only Love
(8:28) 8. Alone Together

Guitarist Kohl's third release as a leader, 2015's Invisible Man, features the New York bassist Steve LaSpina, whom Kohl first heard perform with guitar master Jim Hall. The music is a tight east coast sound, with many originals by Kohl. Elegant in simplicity, eschewing the thicker layers of many jazz presentations, this recording is to the point and floats along nicely. Kohl says "May we all believe in ourselves and not be deterred by the obstacles we face, I dedicate my music to that invisible part in all of us."~ Opiniones editoriales https://www.amazon.com/Invisible-Man-Frank-Kohl-Quartet/dp/B00U0FJLO6

Personnel: Frank Kohl-Guitar; Steve LaSpina-Bass; Tom Kohl-Piano; Jon Doty-Drums

Invisible Man

---

Melody Gardot - Sunset In The Blue (Deluxe Version)

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:39
Size: 182,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:34) 1. If You Love Me
(4:52) 2. C’est Magnifique
(5:48) 3. There Where He Lives In Me
(3:57) 4. Love Song
(6:04) 5. You Won't Forget Me
(4:33) 6. Sunset In The Blue
(4:05) 7. Um Beijo
(3:37) 8. Ninguém, Ninguém
(4:48) 9. From Paris With Love - Single Version
(4:26) 10. Ave Maria
(3:47) 11. Moon River
(3:04) 12. I Fall In Love Too Easily
(2:42) 13. Little Something
(4:21) 14. From Paris With Love - Acoustic
(5:25) 15. Love Song
(4:06) 16. Trav'lin' Light
(3:27) 17. What Is This Thing Called Love
(4:54) 18. C'est Magnifique - Live In Namouche Studios

Melody Gardot emerged from her own smoky shadows of the mid-2000s as if she were some femme fatale emanating from a film noir movie. The plot twist was that she was the good girl, but it was her body that had been damaged in an auto accident. An extensive recovery followed. Her long, lean cane only reinforced her long, lean looks. The shades added just a touch of mystery. If there was anything positive, it was that she confronted the challenges and drew on them as a source of inspiration for some of her songs. Gardot's debut disc contained ten compact, yet gripping, originals and the sophomore release was a compelling and seamless second chapter. Taking elements of Julie London's sultry purr and Sade's sophisticated snap, Gardot nonetheless charted her own original course. Even more great music followed over the next decade.

On Sunset in the Blue, Gardot is pensive but patient and often soothing. Gliding up to the microphone, she is cautious and intimate as she beckons the lush strings to support the album's opener, "If You Love Me." Her vulnerable voice continues to lightly float on many of the songs including the second selection, "C'est Magnifique" (featuring guest Portuguese Fado singer Antonio Zambujo). Later, the lyrics of "You Won't Forget Me" proclaim that her former beau "won't forget me / on nights like this / The moon will cast / Upon you the shadow of my kiss" but her emotions reveal the truth she will never be able to forget him. Moments later, she delivers "From Paris With Love," a romantic postcard from France. Gardot's cool lyrics reveal "Lovers tucked into a quiet café / Sat beneath a shade of red / They fall in love like fallin' out of bed." Undoubtedly, Bogart and Bergman are sitting just a table or two away.

As the album draws to a close, Gardot presents a pair of American Standards, "Moon River" and "I Fall in Love Too Easily," before treating us to a final bonus song featuring guest artist Sting. Gentle, supportive guitars weave in and out of the album while understated trumpets and saxophones appear sparingly. When they do appear, they are welcome additions that make rich contributions.

One of Gardot's strengths on Sunset in the Blue is that more than half of the songs are originals, almost as if she were crafting a modernized set of American Standards. "From Paris With Love" could certainly be added to that prestigious list. If there is a weakness, it is the lack of musical variety as you find yourself hoping for surprise twists. Ironically, she gives us almost too much of a good thing. Regardless, find your own corner table, order a vintage French Bordeaux and listen as Sunset in the Blue gently unfolds.~ Scott Gudell https://www.allaboutjazz.com/sunset-in-the-blue-melody-gardot-verve-records

Personnel: Melody Gardot: voice / vocals; Antonio Zambujo: voice / vocals; Till Bronner: trumpet; Donny McCaslin: saxophone,tenor; Anthony Wilson: guitar; Dadi Carvalho: guitar; Nando Duarte: guitar, acoustic; Larry Klein: guitar, acoustic; Philippe Baden Powell: piano; Sam Minaie: bass; John Leftwich: bass, acoustic; Chuck Berghofer: bass, acoustic; Chuck Staab: drums; Vinnie Colaiuta: drums; Paulinho Da Costa: percussion.

Sunset In The Blue (Deluxe Version)

---

David Binney - Aliso

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:21
Size: 168,5 MB
Art: Front

( 7:57)  1. Aliso
( 7:56)  2. A Day In Music
( 8:53)  3. Toy Tune
( 9:16)  4. Strata
( 5:01)  5. Teru
( 6:30)  6. Fuchsia Swing Song
( 5:59)  7. Bar Life
( 7:46)  8. Think Of One
(13:59)  9. Africa

In a career now in its third decade, alto saxophonist David Binney's greatest accomplishment, despite being a player of no small worth, has been as a composer whose often knottily idiosyncratic tunes manage to remain not just accessible, but deeply compelling. From the earliest days of Lost Tribe through to last year's outstanding Third Occasion, Binney's distinctive compositional style has become a touchstone for players on the New York scene and beyond. It's not that he can't play directly in the tradition his own work couldn't come from anyplace but he just generally chooses not to. While past albums, including 2005's Bastion of Sanity (Criss Cross), have occasionally included songs from the standards repertoire, the saxophonist has never before released an album like Aliso, where five of its nine tracks are not Binney originals, taking up well over half of its 73-minute running time.  A function of its participants being unable to convene until the night before the recording, Aliso could be considered a tad schizophrenic. Binney's tunes are not exactly more direct, but they are less complex, encouraging even greater emphasis on blowing; a nice dovetail with music from Wayne Shorter, Thelonious Monk, Sam Rivers and John Coltrane. With a largely fixed quintet (only the piano chair is shared, between John Escreet and the more prevalent Jacob Sacks), Binney demonstrates his considerable alto prowess with both dark balladry and elegant swing (Shorter's "Teru" and "Toy Tune," respectively). 

He also shows a lesser-known ability to rip through changes coming fast and furious, on a burning take of Rivers' "Fuchsia Swing Song." The rest of the band also capably handles Binney's modern approach to the mainstream, especially bassist Eivind Opsvik and drummer Dan Weiss, who are rarely heard in straight-ahead settings. But for those jonesing for more of the Binney they've come to know and love, the saxophonist's four compositions more than do the trick. Guitarist Wayne Krantz last heard on a Binney album in 2002 (Balance, on ACT) and whose Krantz Carlock Lefebvre (Abstract Logix) was a 2009 fusion milestone sits out on most of the standards, but his contribution to the rest of Aliso is purposeful; uncanny in its ability to push and pull time, harmony and melody, all with a slightly gritty tone and idiosyncratic turn of phrase. Whether it's the more visceral groove of the title track which also features one of Binney's most effervescent solos of the set the more temporally elastic "A Day in Music" or metrically challenged "Bar Life," Krantz's inimitable playing supports Binney's assertion, "Wayne is one of my favorite musicians ever."  Krantz does join on a pedal-to-the-metal version of Coltrane's modal masterpiece, "Africa" the cover tune that aesthetically fits best with Binney's own writing, despite its inherent compositional simplicity. 

There's nothing wrong with being a little schizophrenic; not, at least, when the result is as unmistakably fine as Aliso an anomaly in Binney's discography, perhaps, but one that still remains a significant marker in his overall body of work. ~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/aliso-david-binney-criss-cross-review-by-john-kelman.php

Personnel: David Binney: alto saxophone; Wayne Krantz: guitar; Jacob Sacks: piano (2-6, 8); John Escreet: piano (1, 7, 9); Eivind Opsvik: bass; Dan Weiss: drums.

Aliso

---