Saturday, July 24, 2021

Papik, Sarah Jane Morris - Let The Music Play

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:28
Size: 103,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:03) 1. Let The Music Play
(4:17) 2. You Are The Best Thing
(4:51) 3. Jericho
(3:49) 4. Hold On To Love
(3:39) 5. Hello It's Me
(3:49) 6. I Really Feel You So (featuring Sarah Jane Morris)
(3:52) 7. Appetite
(4:17) 8. Missing
(3:36) 9. Sweet Love
(4:02) 10. Looking For A Rainbow
(4:09) 11. Lovely Day

Papik is a musical project born from an idea of the Roman arranger and composer Nerio Poggi, a successful author and producer ranging from pop , jazz, from Bossa nova to Soul and who has collaborated, among others, with Mario Biondi. The collaboration between Sarah and Papik begins on the song "I really feel you so" , an unreleased song, while later they work on the cover of Barry White that gives the title to the project and to the album released for Irma Records "Let the music play!".

On the disc the trusted collaborator Tony Remy plays the guitar, all the other musicians are of the Papik project precisely because the disc has a precise sound world that distinguishes the producer. It is a tribute to the '80s, the period from which Sarah's success with “Don't leave this way” comes with the Communards. Sarah has chosen songs by artists she is particularly attached to such as Bill Withers ( "Lovely Day" ), Everything but the girl ( "Missing" ), Simply Red ( "Jericho" ), Tod Rundgren ( "Hello It's me" ) to name some. Sarah's charisma and voice and Papik's sound world give a new light to these songs, create a sunny, cheerful but refined atmosphere, a live that brings back to that magic and lightness we so much need these days.Translate By Google https://casadeljazz.com/evento/sarah-jane-morris-let-the-music-play/

Personnel: Sarah Jane Morris - vocals; Tony Remy - guitar ; Papik

Let The Music Play

Friday, July 23, 2021

Olaf Polziehn - Gentle Touch

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:46
Size: 130,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:47) 1. Jazz Folk
(6:14) 2. Detour Ahead
(5:06) 3. Dedication
(4:55) 4. The Candy Man
(4:32) 5. Remembering
(5:33) 6. Pensativa
(6:24) 7. They Say It's Spring
(6:42) 8. Rachid
(6:20) 9. The Hands Of Time
(3:32) 10. Never Let Me Go
(2:38) 11. Silence

In recent years, Olaf Polziehn, who was born 1970 in Ludwigsburg, has earned a reputation as one of Europe’s most sought-after jazz pianists. Evidence of this includes his concerts and CDs with such musicians as Randy Brecker, Quincy Jones, Patti Austin, Al Jarreau, Take 6, Al Foster, Bobby Durham, Benny Golson, Scott Hamilton, Horacio “El Negro” Hernández, and many others. The pianist Monty Alexander has written of him: “Olaf is in possession of outstanding piano technique and a wondrous touch.” And Bob Mintzer remarked: “Olaf Polziehn is a terrific pianist! He draws upon the tradition and then takes the music to interesting new places, always with a keen sense of taste and style. He makes everyone in the band sound good and is a great conversationalist. All the ingredients for a great piano player!” Olaf Polziehn has been a professor at the Graz University of Art since October 2008. https://www.lucernefestival.ch/en/program/directory-of-artists/olaf_polziehn/2700

Gentle Touch

Groove Collective - Dance Of The Drunken Master

Styles: Acid Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:00
Size: 164,3 MB
Art: Front

(6:49) 1. Out The Door
(3:42) 2. Deal With It
(4:48) 3. Floating
(4:42) 4. Bionic
(5:39) 5. St. Gallen
(6:28) 6. Peep Show
(3:39) 7. Que Te Pasa 'Ti
(6:20) 8. Anna Christina
(4:20) 9. Drunken Master
(4:42) 10. Tangenziale
(5:00) 11. Runaway Child
(5:07) 12. Sending
(5:20) 13. World Bank
(4:18) 14. Hey

With their brand of acid jazz, the Groove Collective mix the spirit of horn bands like Earth, Wind & Fire with the snap of hip-hop and the edge of hard bop on Dance of the Drunken Master. While jazz purists might wince at the gurgling rhythms, most will find it hard to keep still with the thick funk on these tracks. This is music with a sense of fun. ~ Tim Sheridan https://www.allmusic.com/album/dance-of-the-drunken-master-mw0000040922

Personnel: Baritone Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, Vocals, Tenor Saxophone – Jay Rodriguez; Bass Guitar, Electric Guitar, Synthesizer [Additional] – Jonathan Maron; Congas, Percussion, Vocals – Chris Theberge; Drums, Vocals, Drums [Electronic Drums] – Genji Siraisi; Electric Piano [Rhodes], Organ [B-3], Clavinet, Synthesizer [Minimoog, Arp String Ensemble], Vocals – Jonathan Crayford; Flute, Piccolo Flute, Kalimba, Vocals, Music Director – Richard Worth; Guest, Electric Piano [Rhodes], Synthesizer [Minimoog], Clavinet – A.T.N. Stadwijk (tracks: 3, 6, 9); Guest, Trombone – Josh Roseman (tracks: 3, 6, 9, 13); Tenor Saxophone, Vocals – David Jensen; Timbales, Bongos, Percussion, Vocals, Rap [Rhymes] – Gordon "Nappy G" Clay; Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Vocals – Fabio Morgera; Vibraphone, Vocals – Bill Ware III

Dance Of The Drunken Master

Corey Wilkes - Cries From Tha Ghetto

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:21
Size: 136,9 MB
Art: Front

( 9:05) 1. First Mind
( 0:44) 2. Abstrakt #1
( 6:30) 3. SICK JJ
( 7:23) 4. Levitation
( 4:49) 5. Rain
(10:53) 6. Cries from Tha Ghetto
( 1:12) 7. Abstrakt #2
( 7:44) 8. Visionary of an Abstrakt
( 1:01) 9. Abstrakt #3
( 5:12) 10. Villa Tiamo
( 0:25) 11. Abstrakt #4
( 4:18) 12. Chasin' LeRoy

Trumpet player Corey Wilkes was just 24 when saxophonist Roscoe Mitchell recruited him to join the Art Ensemble Of Chicago in 2003, four years after Lester Bowie's passing. Since then he has demonstrated remarkable technical and creative ability, serving as a sideman in James Carter's Quintet, Kahil El'Zabar's Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, Rob Mazurek's Exploding Star Orchestra and Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Ensemble. He also leads his own straight-ahead Quintet, the neo-soul outfit Black Slang and the forward thinking sextet Abstrakt Pulse, featured on Cries From Tha Ghetto, Wilkes' sophomore effort a far more adventurous affair than his funky debut, Drop It (Delmark, 2008).

Combining the progressive hard bop of 1960s Blue Note sessions with the exploratory advancements of the AACM, Wilkes' Abstract Pulse features the estimable talents of relative newcomers Kevin Nabors (tenor saxophone), Scott Hesse (guitar), Junius Paul (bass), Isaiah Spencer (drums) and tap dancer Jumaane Taylor. Nabors brawny cadences and Hesse's fleet-fingered fretwork provide Wilkes with a vivacious front line. Paul and Spencer are a resourceful rhythm section, occasionally accompanied by Taylor's quicksilver hoofing. A generous leader, Wilkes provides liberal solo space for his sidemen as well as sharing writing duties. Other than an ethereal cover of Lester Bowie's "Villa Tiamo," all the tunes are originals, most co-written by the band.

Chameleonic in his versatility, it's easy to see why Mitchell picked Wilkes to fill Bowie's spot. On the Jazz Messengers-inspired swing of "First Mind" and "Levitation" he recalls the soulfulness of Lee Morgan, the dexterity of Freddie Hubbard and the harmonic sophistication of Woody Shaw, without resorting to imitation. "Villa Tiamo," reveals his debt to Bowie with expansive pitch bends and half-valve tonal smears, an ability showcased to even greater effect on the haunting dissonances of "SICK JJ" and the labyrinthine "Visionary of an Abstrakt." Conversely, his tender muted refrains on the lush Milesean ballad "Rain" show great restraint.

A diverse session, "First Mind" and Levitation" offer a modernistic spin on classic hard bop conventions, while numbered "Abstrakt" interludes spotlight each member of the group in vociferous freeplay. "SICK JJ" travels further out a menacing fever dream awash with coruscating electric guitar feedback, rumbling electric bass tones and a thicket of caterwauling horns. "Visionary of an Abstrakt" augments spry free bop with a string of searching solos including episodes of unearthly kaleidoscopic bass harmonics and spectral bell-tones. Straddling the line between tradition and the avant-garde, "Chasin' LeRoy" and the lyrical title track encompass the best of both worlds. Expanding beyond the stylistic limitations of his debut album, Cries From Tha Ghetto presents a richer side of Wilkes' artistry, one that lives up to his potential.

Personnel: Corey Wilkes: trumpet and flugelhorn; Kevin Nabors: tenor saxophone; Scott Hesse: guitar; Junius Paul: bass; Isaiah Spencer: drums; Jumaane Taylor: tap dance.

Cries From Tha Ghetto

Gene Ammons & Sonny Stitt - Left Bank Encores

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:11
Size: 168,2 MB
Art: Front

( 9:06) 1. Just In Time
(11:31) 2. They Can't Take That Away From Me
( 9:37) 3. Theme From "Love Story"
( 6:56) 4. Exactly Like You
( 6:02) 5. Don't Go To Strangers
(15:51) 6. Autumn Leaves
(14:05) 7. Blues Up And Down

The antithesis of studio-bred perfection, Left Bank Encores is another interesting artifact of Ammons and Stitt’s long-term partnership. The presence of a large, vocal crowd at the Famous Ballroom doesn’t spur the expected tenor battle; rather, something looser and less dramatic occurs.

During a brisk rendition of “Just In Time,” the set’s opener, Ammons states the melody then delivers a solo full of short, abrupt phrases with a burly, elephantine tone. The rhythm section, comprised of pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Sam Jones, and drummer Billy Higgins, manages to swing efficiently and stay out of Ammons’ way. Brief and to the point, the tenor saxophonist’s soul-stirring accompaniment is a perfect match for Etta Jones’ vocals during a raucous take of “Exactly Like You.”

In contrast to Ammons’ large, lumbering presence, Stitt’s brief turn on the same track is a brilliant patchwork that brings together portions of the tune’s melody, blues locutions, and bebop flights into a coherent statement. “They Can’t Take That Away From Me” is noteworthy for the inspired give and take between Stitt and Walton on the saxophonist’s extended alto solo.~ David A. Orthmann https://www.allaboutjazz.com/left-bank-encores-gene-ammons-prestige-records-review-by-david-a-orthmann.php

Personnel: Gene Ammons - tenor saxophone; Sonny Stitt - tenor and alto saxophone; Cedar Walton - piano; Sam Jones - bass; Billy Higgins - drums; Etta Jones - vocals (4 and 5).

Left Bank Encores

Thursday, July 22, 2021

Count Basie - Count Basie Live - 1938 At The Famous Door, NYC

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:47
Size: 175,8 MB
Art: Front

(1:58) 1. Intro - Time Out
(1:41) 2. One Hour
(6:59) 3. Jumpin' At The Woodside
(3:13) 4. I Hadn't Anyone Till You
(4:00) 5. King Porter Stomp
(3:04) 6. OH! Lady Be Good
(1:00) 7. Everybody Loves My Baby
(4:07) 8. Intro - King Porter Stomp
(4:45) 9. John's Idea
(3:56) 10. Nagasaki
(3:08) 11. Doggin' Around
(4:25) 12. Wo-Ta-Ta
(3:03) 13. Yeah Man
(2:26) 14. Out The Window
(5:12) 15. Introduction - Every Tub
(2:25) 16. Song Of The Wanderer
(4:34) 17. Flat Foot Floogie
(3:37) 18. OH! Lady Be Good
(3:08) 19. Boogie Woogie Blues
(5:56) 20. One O'Clock Jump

The Basie band, with Harry James as the guest soloist and new arrival Harry Edison in the lineup, rocked New York's 52nd Street. The band is captured here in six late-night CBS broadcasts in the midst of its first big year of success, in an engagement that was supposed to last six weeks and ended up running four months, before an audience so taken with the group's sound that they willingly moved out onto the sidewalk while the group opened up to full volume for these broadcasts. There's hardly a note out of place, and the band shows its stuff behind renditions of "Jumping at the Woodside," "King Porter Stomp," and "One O'Clock Jump" (a killer finale) clocking in at between five and seven minutes with extended solos, double the length of their records of this era. Basie's piano gets some of the spotlight in a bracing version of "Lady Be Good." The fidelity is good to very good, and only "Everybody Loves My Baby" (a great number) is, alas, incomplete, a result of a transcription disc that was never found. That flaw aside, it is a release like this that transcends any of the criticism of the digital medium put simply, it's only the existence of digital audio and digital editing that permitted an engineer to remove more than 200 scratches per second from the original transcription discs that this CD came from.~ Bruce Eder https://www.allmusic.com/album/count-basie-live%21-1938-at-the-famous-door-nyc-mw0000982377

Count Basie Live -1938 At The Famous Door, NYC

The Bill Evans Guitar Project - Echoes of Bill

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 25:10
Size: 58,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:11) 1. Bill's Hit Tune
(4:57) 2. Children's Play Song
(3:48) 3. Twelve Tone Tune
(6:06) 4. Re: Person I Knew
(5:07) 5. Show Type Tune

On July 2, 2000 John Hebert, Bruce Hall, Rez Abbasi and I got together to play some Bill Evans tunes in Bruce Hall's Brooklyn home studio. Bruce was recording into a now-obsolete digital recording platform (mini disc) at the time, there was a lot of mic bleed, small room, mini-disc....it wasn't Avatar. Despite this the end product sounds remarkably good. Bruce did some beautiful playing and some beautiful engineering here. As far as any of us can remember we just got together to record in this two guitar configuration that one time although we had all played together on many different gigs and recording projects...in a lot of ways New York was and is a small town. We were pretty much reading through some Evans tunes, coming up with quick arrangements, recording and moving on to the next tune. It's got a really nice vibe and for all you guitar players, Rez is absolutely burning.

We met at Bruce's house, read through some tunes, hung out afterward, did a lot of bullshitting and for the next 20 years didn't give the recording much thought, if any. Then...about a year ago Bruce remixed the tunes we recorded and sent us all a copy. It was an emotional experience for me to hear this so many years later and I think for the others as well. All the great memories I have of playing with these stellar musicians, all the miles between then and now, the gratitude that I felt and still feel to these musicians that I admire and respect for including me and for the commitment, heart, soul and talent they put into any and all music that they make.I think you can hear all that in this recording. We got it mastered through Gene Paul at GandJ Audio Gene and Joel Kerr did a freaking great job on that.Huge thanks to Bruce Hall for his hosting, playing and engineering.https://thebillevansguitarproject.bandcamp.com/album/echoes-of-bill

Personnel: Rez Abbasi - Guitar ; Bruce Hall - Drums; John Hébert - Bass; Bruce Saunders - Guitar

Echoes of Bill

Wednesday, July 21, 2021

Gene Ammons, Sonny Stitt - God Bless Jug And Sonny

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:01
Size: 156,6 MB
Art: Front

(16:32) 1. Blue 'N' Boogie
(14:58) 2. Stringin' The Jug
( 5:48) 3. God Bless The Child
( 5:05) 4. Autumn In New York
( 7:44) 5. Ugetsu
(17:51) 6. Bye Bye Blackbird

Jug and Sonny share a place near the top in the pantheon of tandem tenor teams. Their spirited, hard-charging contests, which always seem to end in amicable draws are the stuff of canonical jazz legend so the news of an previously unreleased recording of the pair is undoubtedly enough to set the countenances of their loyal fans to suffusing with expectant grins. Taped live at the Left Bank Jazz Society during Ammons’ twilight time (he would die a little over a year later) the date makes good on its promise. Three tracks clocking in at over fourteen minutes, one apiece as solo features for the individual tenors and a final track showcasing the rhythm section alone- its easy to see that this is a program custom-built to satisfy even the most demanding bop maven.

Ammon’s robust and throaty horn initiates the Gillespie classic “Blue ‘n’ Boogie” digging in deep around the theme and sounding off with sassy abandon through a ruddy stream of elongated notes. Stitt chimes in on the heels of his confrere’s solo with a lighter, less pugilistic tone, taking his time in cavorting with the rhythm section’s supportive swing. Engaging in a chain of overlapping exchanges the pair trade phrases before a final joint summation takes the tune out. “Stringin’ the Jug” affords Ammons inaugural honors a second time and the heavyweight tenor comes out swinging again. Jabbing and feinting through his series of choruses he again shows himself less light on his feet than Stitt and resorts on occasion to repetitive stock phrases. An uncharacteristic coarseness also invades his tone and its not always clear whether the change is a product of the recording fidelity or his own fading prowess. Stitt again sounds completely in control from the onset of his own protracted declaration, the speed of his unfurling lines matched by Higgins’ scampering drums.

The next two tracks provide opportunities to hear the individual horns in isolation with the rhythm section and the differences between Stitt and Ammons in these undiluted settings are particularly enlightening. Ammons’ gilded exploration of the Billie Holiday staple “God Bless the Child” balances just the right of measure of tenderness with muscular grit. Stitt hoists his alto for “Autumn in New York” working similar magic of the standard’s balladic changes. Walton’s “Ugetsu,” which first gained notoriety as an entry in the Jazz Messengers songbook gives the saxophonist’s a rest and the resulting trio shines on its own terms. Rounding out with a final burner in the form of a seventeen-minute “Bye Bye Blackbird” the tenor warhorses take one final gallop through the trenches.

As two-tenor conclaves go this one earns high marks. All the more so because unlike earlier recorded meetings between Jug and Sonny, track lengths allow for the duo to truly put each other through the paces. Listeners with a keen ear for the work of either man will find their expectations met many times over.~ Derek Taylor https://www.allaboutjazz.com/god-bless-jug-and-sonny-fantasy-jazz-review-by-derek-taylor.php

Personnel: Gene Ammons- tenor saxophone; Sonny Stitt- tenor & alto saxophones; Cedar Walton- piano; Sam Jones- bass; Billy Higgins-drums. Recorded: June 24, 1973, Baltimore, MD.

God Bless Jug And Sonny

Lou Tavano - Meets Alexey Asantcheeff

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:53
Size: 100,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:04)  1. Fascinating Rhythm
(6:50)  2. Little Niles
(5:41)  3. Resolution
(8:29)  4. My Funny Valentine
(4:27)  5. Monk's Dream
(5:36)  6. Afro Blue
(6:43)  7. I Loves You Porgy (Live)

A voice you never heard before, a whisper as well as a burning wind. Priestess of the Sound, she would be, according to the rumors, haunting the outskirts of Paris... Lou Tavano's first album as a leader was recorded November 2011, and arranged by Alexey Asantcheeff. Released October 2012, self-produced, and entitled "Meets Alexey Asantcheeff", it is the result of their collaboration, their story since the day they met. "This record is an invitation to enter Lou's imaginarium. The audacious and modern arrangements bring the classic interpretation of jazz standards to a whole new level. There you are in a surprising strange universe, rarely wandered around by jazz singers... The will to tell the story behind the words is obvious here. Lou leaves us bewitched, bothered and bewildered." https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/loutavano

Personnel:  Lou Tavano - vocal; Alexey Asantcheeff - piano & arrangements; Damien Varaillon - double bass; Tiss Rodriguez - drums

Meets Alexey Asantcheeff

Eric Le Lann & Jean Marie Ecay - Eric Le Lann & Jean Marie Ecay Play Jobim

Styles: Trumpet Jazz, Bossa Nova
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:58
Size: 99,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:45)  1. Olha Maria
(4:49)  2. Inútil Paisagem (If You Never Come To Me)
(2:44)  3. Desafinado
(2:35)  4. Luiza
(2:54)  5. Lígia
(3:12)  6. Águas de Março
(3:47)  7. Retrato Em Branco E Preto (Portrait In Black And White)
(3:37)  8. O Amor Em Paz (Once I Loved)
(2:55)  9. Bras Dessus
(3:24) 10. Arabie
(2:43) 11. Meditação (Meditation)
(3:29) 12. Corcovado
(2:57) 13. Ana Luiza

Eric Le Lann had the idea of an album tribute to Antonio Carlos Jobim following his participation in 2002 in the albumWinter Garden Henri Salvador very influenced by bossa nova. How to play the 2005 Jobim without falling into cliché, déjà vu? How to renew the genre after jazz giants like Stan Getz, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie  Byrd? Simply playing purer, simpler in. Le Lann has put a damper on his trumpet, Ecay took his acoustic guitar. They agreed to play songs little known, in the most pure way as direct as possible. Likewise, the sound is crisp, direct. As the attacker to the point, they go to the heart.

Ipanema girl is not the appointment. You will recognize from the standard "Corcovado", "Desafinado". The version of "Aguas do Março" now mell into my head to the original and to the French version of Georges Moustaki "Waters of March". Are also included a version of "Portrait in Black and  White" Eric Le Lann played in duo with Martial Solal in 1999. Vannes Jazz Festival Every musician is entitled to his composition. "Arm" to Ecay, "Arabia" for Le Lann, compositions that fit perfectly among the songs of Jobim. The dry sound of the trumpet of Le Lann mingles wet sound of the guitar of Ecay. An acoustic fusion. A music taste drip, note by note, in the early hours of the day and night. We were expecting this album forward. To listen every morning to make sure the day will be sunny. ~ Translate by google  http://www.citizenjazz.com/Eric-Le-Lann-Jean-Marie-Ecay.html

Eric Le Lann & Jean Marie Ecay Play Jobim

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Circlin' Back: Celebrating 50 Years

Styles: Vocal, Country, Big Band
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:27
Size: 181,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:29)  1. You Ain't Going Nowhere
(3:54)  2. Grandpa Was a Carpenter
(3:58)  3. Paradise
(3:35)  4. My Walkin' Shoes
(4:54)  5. Tennessee Stud
(4:03)  6. Nine Pound Hammer
(3:49)  7. Buy for Me the Rain
(6:08)  8. These Days
(3:51)  9. Truthful Parson Brown
(4:17) 10. Keep on the Sunny Side
(4:25) 11. Catfish John
(4:41) 12. An American Dream
(4:36) 13. Long Hard Road (The Sharecropper's Dream)
(4:43) 14. Mr. Bojangles
(3:53) 15. Fishin' in the Dark
(3:48) 16. Bayou Jubilee/Sally Was a Goodun
(3:58) 17. Jambalaya
(5:18) 18. Will the Circle Be Unbroken

Friends always meant something special to the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band  their 1972 breakthrough, Will the Circle Be Unbroken, was filled with them so it only makes sense that the group rounded up a bunch of pals for a 50th anniversary concert held at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium on September 14, 2015. Released a year later, Circlin' Back: Celebrating 50 Years does indeed play like a celebration. Revisiting an equal portion of hits and traditional tunes, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band sound as deep and wise as the Nashville veterans did when they guested on Will the Circle Be Unbroken, but the nice thing about the Circlin' Back concert is that it takes into account the smoother hits the band had in the '80s: Rodney Crowell and Alison Krauss sit in on "An American Dream" and Jimmy Ibbotson plays on "Fishin' in the Dark." Here, they're presented in stripped-down arrangements that nevertheless echo the soft rock gloss of the hit singles, and when combined with rollicking bluegrass, rustic folk, and straight-ahead country, it results in a full portrait of what the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is all about. Better still, Circlin' Back is just a good time: as John Prine, Vince Gill, Sam Bush, Jackson Browne, and Jerry Jeff Walker take the stage, the entire thing feels like a party which, of course, is what it was. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine http://www.allmusic.com/album/circlin-back-celebrating-50-years-mw0002973136

Circlin' Back: Celebrating 50 Years

Tuesday, July 20, 2021

Laura Benanti - Songs from My Fair Lady

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 12:54
Size: 30,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:50) 1. Wouldn't It Be Loverly?
(3:00) 2. Just You Wait
(3:48) 3. I Could Have Danced All Night
(2:15) 4. Show Me

Songs from My Fair Lady, an EP of four new tracks from Lincoln Center Theater’s award-winning production, featuring its current star Laura Benanti. The recording captures the Tony Award-winner’s critically acclaimed performances of four of Eliza Doolittle’s signature songs from the legendary score. The special CD and digital album will feature Laura Benanti singing Lerner & Loewe’s iconic “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly,” “I Could Have Danced All Night,” “Just You Wait,” and “Show Me.” This recording, as well as the production’s 2018 original cast recording, was produced by David Lai and Ted Sperling. https://www.broadwayrecords.com/broadway/laura-benanti-songs-from-my-fair-lady

Songs from My Fair Lady

Marvin 'Hannibal' Peterson, George Adams - The Angels of Atlanta

Styles: Trumpet And Saxophone
Year: 1981
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:36
Size: 100,4 MB
Art: Front

(12:46) 1. The Angels of Atlanta
( 8:29) 2. The Story Teller
( 6:43) 3. The Inner Voice
( 5:13) 4. Mother's Land
(10:23) 5. Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child

Although the Harlem Boys Choir is occasionally utilized, and Pat Peterson takes a soulful vocal on "The Inner Voice," this CD is very much trumpeter Marvin "Hannibal" Peterson's date. The explorative trumpeter is heard at his absolute peak, taking lengthy and fiery improvisations that show off not only his virtuosity but his emotional range. The superlative band (tenor saxophonist George Adams, pianist Kenny Barron, cellist Diedre Murray, bassist Cecil McBee, and drummer Dannie Richmond) really inspires Peterson, who stretches the boundaries of his music toward gospel and soul without watering down the jazz content. This well-balanced set is one of Hannibal's finest recordings.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-angels-of-atlanta-mw0000358685

Personnel: Trumpet – Marvin "Hannibal" Peterson; Bass – Cecil McBee; Cello – Diedre Murray; Choir – The Harlem Boys Choir; Drums – Dannie Richmond; Piano – Kenny Barron; Tenor Saxophone – George Adams; Vocals – Pat Peterson

The Angels of Atlanta

Monday, July 19, 2021

Gerry Mulligan - California Concerts - Volume 1, Volume 2

Album: California Concerts - Volume 1

Styles: Saxophone And Piano Jazz
Year: 1954
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:28
Size: 117,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:59) 1. Blues Going Up
(5:06) 2. Little Girl Blue
(5:34) 3. Piano Blues
(5:32) 4. Yardbird Suite
(3:54) 5. Blues For Tiny
(3:48) 6. Soft Shoe
(3:24) 7. Making Whoopee
(5:33) 8. Darn That Dream
(4:09) 9. Ontet
(8:24) 10. A Bark For Barksdale

This CD documents a concert by Gerry Mulligan's Quartet when the baritonist's group featured trumpeter Jon Eardley, bassist Red Mitchell and drummer Chico Hamilton. Half of these ten selections were either previously unissued or only available as part of obscure samplers. The music, comprised of standards, some blues and a few Mulligan originals, is quite enjoyable, swinging lightly and with plenty of interplay between the horns.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/california-concerts-vol-1-mw0000194211

Personnel: Baritone Saxophone, Piano – Gerry Mulligan; Bass – Red Mitchell; Drums – Chico Hamilton; Trumpet – Jon Eardley

Album: California Concerts - Volume 2
Time: 69:24
Size: 161,3 MB

(3:14) 1. Makin' Whoopee
(3:06) 2. Nights At The Turntable
(5:20) 3. Blues For Tiny
(3:16) 4. Frenesi
(3:44) 5. Limelite
(4:04) 6. People Will Say We're In Love
(7:16) 7. Western Union
(5:28) 8. I Know, Don't Know Why
(7:14) 9. The Red Door
(6:59) 10. Polka Dots And Moon Beams
(4:20) 11. I'll Remember April
(5:37) 12. There Will Never Be Another You
(3:51) 13. It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
(5:50) 14. In A Sentimental Mood/Flamingo/Moon Mist

The second of two CDs in this series mostly consists of previously unissued material taken from a high school concert featuring the Gerry Mulligan Quartet (which at the time featured trumpeter Jon Eardley) plus two guests (valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer and tenor-saxophonist Zoot Sims). This swinging and often-witty cool bop music is quite enjoyable and highly recommended.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/california-concerts-vol-2-mw0000651638

Personnel: Baritone Saxophone, Piano – Gerry Mulligan; Bass – Red Mitchell; Drums – Chico Hamilton (tracks: 1 to 5), Larry Bunker (tracks: 6 to 14); Tenor Saxophone – Zoot Sims (tracks: 6 to 14); Trumpet – Jon Eardley; Valve Trombone, Piano – Bobby Brookmeyer (tracks: 6 to 14)

California Concerts -Volume 1, Volume 2

Naomi & The Handsome Devils - The Devil's Music

Styles: Vocal, Swing
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:03
Size: 124,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:44) 1. Little Girl Blues
(3:14) 2. Dream Of You
(4:07) 3. Perdido
(3:01) 4. A Good Man Is Hard To Find
(2:33) 5. Blues With A Beat
(3:51) 6. Sugar
(3:38) 7. Isn't It Romantic
(2:54) 8. Delta Bound
(3:30) 9. I'm Livin' In A Great Big Way
(2:57) 10. If We Never Meet Again
(3:35) 11. Shoo Shoo Baby
(4:21) 12. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart
(3:48) 13. Pennies From Heaven
(2:32) 14. Rose Of The Rio Grande
(5:12) 15. These Foolish Things

Naomi & Her Handsome Devils is a 7 piece classic jazz band playing music that swings. The band members were hand picked from the top talent in the traditional jazz scenes of New York and Chicago, with vocalist and bandleader Naomi residing in Minneapolis. Their popularity on the global swing dance scene comes from their focus on swing-era fare from the 1920's through the 1940's and their bandleader Naomi Uyama's experience as an international lindy hop champion.

In the summer of 2014 they recorded and released their self-titled debut album "Naomi & Her Handsome Devils". They continue to play and tour, developing their sound and drawing on both rare tunes and timeless classics. https://www.last.fm/music/Naomi+&+Her+Handsome+Devils/+wiki

The Devil's Music

Diana Panton - To Brazil With Love

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:46
Size: 151,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:00)  1. Samba Saravah
(4:05)  2. This Happy Madness
(1:55)  3. The Telephone Song
(5:24)  4. Manha de Carnaval
(3:29)  5. So Nice
(4:21)  6. Is It Really You?
(4:01)  7. The Night Has A Thousand Eyes
(5:28)  8. Daus Mon Ile
(4:41)  9. Felicidade
(4:21) 10. Tu Sais Je Vais T'aimen
(3:41) 11. Dreamer
(4:44) 12. And I Love Him
(4:40) 13. Fuis Comme L'Oiseau
(6:52) 14. Que Reste Toil de Nos Amours?

Early on in her still relatively nascent career, Canadian vocalist Diana Panton had the great fortune, and good sense, to align herself with two outstanding jazz countrymen, multi-instrumentalist Don Thompson and guitarist Reg Schwager. It was Thompson who encouraged her to study at the Banff Centre, where her instructors included Norma Winstone, Sheila Jordan and Jay Clayton. Jordan has since likened Panton’s voice to “the sweetest bird you’ll ever hear.” Thompson and Schwager have been guiding forces on all her albums, including this, her fourth. Also onboard, alternating rudders to this sleek schooner, are Brazilian drummers and percussionists Maninho Costa and Silas Silva. Panton does, indeed, have a delightfully sweet (though never cloying) sound, a tonal purity that is arrestingly beautiful. She is also a skilled linguist her day job is teaching French making this cross-cultural exploration all the more intriguing, and pleasurable. She serves up Brazilian gems in Portuguese (a sun-dappled “Samba Saravah” and buttery “Manha De Carnaval”) and English (the frisky “Telephone Song” and ebullient “So Nice”), augmented by French interpretations of “Eu Sei Que Vou Te Amar” and “Você Abusou” and a bilingual (French/English) “A Felicidade.” Additionally, she unfurls an exquisite “And I Love Her,” soft as a moonbeam, and, with Thompson’s assistance, makes an impressive songwriting debut with the gently swaying “Is It Really You?” ~ Christopher Loudon   http://jazztimes.com/articles/29393-to-brazil-with-love-diana-panton

To Brazil With Love

Alan Broadbent - Burlesque

Styles: Piano Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:04
Size: 137,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:32) 1. Black Silk
(4:04) 2. Teaser
(4:36) 3. Showtime
(4:09) 4. Slick
(4:13) 5. Please Me
(4:15) 6. Mr Good Time
(4:19) 7. Someday in Spain
(4:09) 8. Opening Line
(4:25) 9. Bump
(5:21) 10. Catwalk
(4:17) 11. Flame
(4:59) 12. Tango Time
(5:39) 13. The Mover

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

Shortly after, he became a member of Charlie Haden's Quartet West, touring the festivals of Europe, UK and the USA. It was while with this group that he won his second Grammy, an orchestral accompaniment written for Shirley Horn of Leonard Bernstein's “Lonely Town”. As a soloist and with his jazz trio, Broadbent has been nominated for Grammys twice for best instrumental performance, in the company of such artists as Herbie Hancock, Sonny Rollins and Keith Jarrett. In 2007 he was awarded the New Zealand Order of Merit, an honor he holds in high regard.

Broadbent is Diana Krall's conductor for her occasional orchestra concerts and is the conductor on her “Live in Paris” DVD. Recently he has been the arranger on Glenn Frey's cd with strings, “After Hours”, and wrote six string arrangements for Sir Paul McCartney's “Kisses On The Bottom” with the London Symphony. He has just returned from solo piano concerts in the UK, Poland and France. It has been his lifelong goal, through his orchestral arrangements and jazz improvisations, to discover, in popular music and standard songs, deeper feelings of communication and love. https://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/alanbroadbent

Burlesque

Michael Dease - Grace

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:42
Size: 157.3 MB
Styles: Trombone jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[1:42] 1. Discussao
[6:31] 2. Blues On The Corner
[5:40] 3. In A Mist
[8:26] 4. I Talk To The Trees
[7:10] 5. Four
[4:09] 6. Tippin'
[5:30] 7. Setembro
[5:28] 8. 26-2
[5:56] 9. Toys
[5:56] 10. Love Dance
[6:16] 11. Grace
[5:53] 12. Salt Song

Michael Dease: trombone, valve trombone; Roger Squitero, Circle Rhythm: vocals, percussion; Mark Whitfield: guitar, acoustic guitar; Yotam: acoustic guitar, electric guitar; Sharel Cassity: alto flute, alto saxophone; Eric Alexander: tenor saxophone; Roy Hargrove: trumpet, flugelhorn; Claudio Roditi: flugelhorn; Steve Davis: trombone; Cyrus Chestnut: piano; Gene Jackson: drums.

Michael Dease is to the trombone what Harry Allen is to the tenor saxophone. Lyrical, traditional, well-studied and broad based, both artists can equally get their freak on when necessary. Dease's trombone style contains many influences, but like many conservatory-trained musicians, Dease has had the time and practice to develop is own potent voice. Emerging among a class of young musicians that include Sharel Cassity and Carol Morgan, Dease presents as a neo-traditionalist with pristine chops and a universal exposure (both bandstand and didactic) to music providing him a virtual library from which to draw. Technically, that is all well and good as a description; but what does Dease sound like? Dease's previous recordings, Dease Bones (Astrix Media, 2007) and Clarity (Blues Back Records, 2008) found Dease honing his already very capable craft. His voice and tone have become perfectly rounded with a rich and creamy timbre superbly captured on the Jobim opener, "Discussao."

Bix Beiderbecke's "In A Mist" is post-modern updated by Dease, making it both more densely impressionistic and swinging at the same time, proving that the two not need mutually exclusive. Dease allows himself ample room for exploration with a reigned-in rhythm section providing the propulsion without getting in the way. Dease approaches Miles Davis' "Four" where he doubles on trombone and tenor saxophone. More ballad than bebop, Dease's treatment is languid and moody like an opiate nod. Cyrus Chestnut holds the piece together with a concise solo before Dease does his best Scott Hamilton.

Dease does get his bebop on for Oscar Peterson's "Tippin'" playing J.J. Johnson fast, taking corners like Curtis Fuller. His fluid chops are on display on this song with a taut and effusive solo where he is able to exercise his considerable solo prowess. It is as a balladeer that Dease excels and where his true strength lies, as demonstrated on the two Ivan Lins compositions "Setembro" and "Love Dance." Dease's lone composition, the title piece, is a mid-tempo swinger that sums up well what Dease's finely crafted jazz is all about. C. Michael Bailey

Grace

Saturday, July 17, 2021

Dave Brubeck - Lullabies

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:43
Size: 99,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:10) 1. Brahms Lullaby
(3:30) 2. When It’s Sleepy Time Down South
(3:00) 3. Over The Rainbow
(3:14) 4. Danny Boy
(2:10) 5. Going To Sleep
(2:28) 6. There’s No Place Like Home
(2:46) 7. Lullaby For Iola
(4:21) 8. Koto Song
(3:07) 9. All Through The Night
(2:54) 10. Softly, William, Softly
(2:39) 11. A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes
(2:20) 12. Briar Bush
(2:22) 13. Sleep
(3:31) 14. Summertime
(1:03) 15. Brahms Lullaby - Reprise

Pianist and composer Dave Brubeck's centenary falls in December 2020 and two albums are being released to coincide. One is the outstanding Time OutTakes (Brubeck Editions), consisting of out-takes from the sessions which produced Time Out (Columbia, 1959). The album includes vibrant alternative readings of "Blue Rondo A La Turk," "Kathy's Waltz" and "Time Out" itself among previously unheard versions of the first five tracks from the 1959 album. Unlike so many previously unheard (for good reason) collections of out-takes, Time OutTakes is killer.

The second commemorative disc is Lullabies, a solo set which Brubeck recorded in 2010 with his grandchildren in mind. The material comprises five Brubeck originals and nine covers including Johannes Brahms' "Wiegenlied" (aka "Brahms Lullaby"), Clarence Muse's "When It's Sleepy Time Down South," Harold Arlen's "Over The Rainbow," Frederic Weatherly's "Danny Boy," Jules Shear's "All Through The Night" and George Gershwin's "Summertime." Speaking about the project, Brubeck said, "Some are original pieces that I thought would appeal to babies as well as an older generation. I hope the littlest ones will respond to this music and that parents and grandparents will enjoy it as well."

Simple and soothing in conception and performance, Lullabies, Brubeck's last known studio recording, is light years away from the blazing, double-fisted pyrotechnics of Time Out (whose greatness has been rendered near invisible by familiarity, in the same way that Miles Davis' Kind Of Blue, also released by Columbia in 1959 is often taken for granted). But Lullabies reminds us of another side of Brubeck's music, and it is good to have it around.~ Chris May https://www.allaboutjazz.com/lullabies-dave-brubeck-verve-music-group

Personnel: Dave Brubeck - Piano.

Lullabies

Michael Dease - Coming Home

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:07
Size: 158,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:59)  1. Solid Gold
(5:46)  2. Motherland
(7:46)  3. Blues Etude
(4:56)  4. In A Sentimental Mood
(7:01)  5. Good & Terrible
(7:43)  6. Lifewish
(6:42)  7. The Shade Of The Cedar Tree
(3:41)  8. Just In Time
(6:30)  9. All Heath
(5:41) 10. The Release
(6:18) 11. Take It To The Ozone

Trombonist Michael Dease's Coming Home is the evolutionary culmination of all of the small group work of which he has been a part. Dease's musical personality reveals itself fully on the disc, one he has populated with a very fine band and thoughtfully composed and selected pieces for that band. Dease's previous work as a leader on Dease Bones (Astrix Media, 2007), Clarity (Blues Back Records, 2008) and Grace (Legacy Jazz Productions, 2011), as well as with multi-reedist Sharel Cassity on Just For You (DW Records , 2009) and Relentless (Legacy Jazz Productions, 2009). Where Curtis Fuller is the patriarch, Wycliffe Gordon the earthy keeper of the flame (and Dease's teacher) and Luis Bonilla the Latin soul of the trombone, Dease is its intellectual heart. Following his fellow Augusta Georgia trombonist teacher to Juilliard, Dease established himself as part of an ambitious group of young musicians who were combining smarts, chops, bandstand and practice and translating that into recordings. Members of this group include Sharel Cassity, trumpeter Carol Morgan, and pianist Orrin Evans.

Dease's compositional and performance approaches are ruled by passionate precision. His playing is exact and well practiced. His tone is expansive and uniform through all registers. These characteristics are demonstrated immediately on the opening tune, "Solid Gold" where Dease shows great velocity in both head and solo playing. He adds mass to this velocity, creating an infectious momentum when playing with a mute as on Duke Ellington's "In a Sentimental Mood." Tony Lustig drops in with his tenor saxophone for the piece giving it a throaty presence. Lustig adds foundation to "Good and Terrible" with his crack baritone playing. His solo is at once gentle and virile on this angular, post-bop piece. Alto saxophonist Steve Wilson turns the gas on high, navigating Dease's complex circuitry. Dease rolls up his sleeves and gets his hands dirty on a searing performance of Oscar Peterson's "Blues Etude." While playing with his typical precision in the head, Dease begins to properly slur and wail in his solo, throwing off notes like pale blue sparks. He shares his solo space with bassist Christian McBride who amply demonstrates why he is Christian McBride and no one else. The instructive presence of pianist Renee Rosnes is heard throughout this fine disc as its timekeeper and drummer Ulysses Owens, Jr. Dease could not have put together a better band for this recording. He has come fully into his own as a leader. ~ C.Michael Bailey  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/coming-home-michael-dease-d-clef-records-review-by-c-michael-bailey.php

Personnel: Michael Dease: trombone; Steve Wilson: alto saxophone; Renee Rosnes: piano; Christian McBride: bass; Ulysses Owens, Jr.: drums; Eric Alexander: tenor saxophone: tenor saxophone (11); Tony Lustig: tenor saxophone (4), baritone saxophone (5); Andrew Swift: percussion (10).

Coming Home