Ralph Sutton And Dick Cary - Rendezvous At Sunnie's 1969

Styles: Piano And Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:33
Size: 123,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:58) 1. I Can´t Believe
(6:14) 2. S`Wonderful
(6:38) 3. Everything Happens To Me
(4:53) 4. Save It, Pretty Mama
(4:23) 5. Honky Tonk Train
(6:45) 6. Someday Sweetheart
(6:20) 7. I`ve Found A New Baby
(6:18) 8. Louisiana
(6:01) 9. A Hundred Years From Today
(3:40) 10. Echo Of Spring
(5:09) 11. In A Sentimental Mood
(7:48) 12. Undecided
(5:21) 13. Sweet Georgia Brown

The seventh volume in the Arbors label's Historical Series is a delightful live set from 1969, recorded at Sunnie's Rendezvous in Aspen, CO. Aspen was pianist Ralph Sutton's home turf, and trumpeter Dick Cary was driven 2,000 miles to the club by a pair of California-based jazz enthusiasts who intended to record the pair's musical summit meeting. It took more than 25 years for the resulting tapes to finally see commercial release, but they've been worth the wait. Cary and Sutton are a match made in heaven, two men of spectacular musical erudition, gentle musical wit, and uncompromising swing who are equally capable of spinning out sweet and elegant variations on "I Can't Believe That You're in Love with Me" and charging energetically through the barrelhouse boogie-woogie of "Honky Tonk Train".

" Sutton's soft but urgent introduction on "I've Found a New Baby" generates tremendous energy that only continues to build through his solos; listen carefully to his left-hand work and you'll hear a summary of the whole history of jazz piano. Cary has similar stylistic range, wailing and growling Louis Armstrong-style one moment and sighing lyrically the next -- his work on the rarely played alto horn is especially interesting and enjoyable. The producers apparently took special care with microphone placement on this live recording, resulting in unusually good sound quality. Highly recommended.~Rick Anderson https://www.allmusic.com/album/rendezvous-at-sunnies-1969-mw0000255438

Personnel: Piano – Ralph Sutton; Trumpet, Alto Horn – Dick Cary; Bass – Al Hall; Drums – Cliff Leeman

Rendezvous At Sunnie's 1969

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Suzanne Pittson - Blues and the Abstract Truth

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:51
Size: 126,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:50) 1. Butch and Butch
(6:16) 2. My Ship
(5:40) 3. You and the Night and the Music
(5:36) 4. In Love in Vain
(4:35) 5. Blues and the Abstract Truth
(4:42) 6. Out of Nowhere
(5:53) 7. The Meaning of the Blues
(6:52) 8. Love For Sale
(4:13) 9. Somewhere in Tokyo
(6:14) 10. Ginger Bread Boy

Singer Suzanne Pittson, who is based in the San Francisco Bay area, has a wide range, is able to interpret lyrics with proper sensitivity and is a masterful scatter. She improvises constantly, and her solos are full of surprises and chance-taking. In addition to a few fresh versions of standards (including "My Ship," "Out Of Nowhere" and an eccentric "Love For Sale"), Pittson explores such rarely heard material as Oliver Nelson's "Butch And Butch" and "Blues And The Abstract Truth" (both of which have been given lyrics by her husband, pianist Jeff Pittson), Jerome Kern's underrated (and rather emotional) "In Love In Vain," and Jimmy Heath's complex "Gingerbread Boy." The warm vocalist is assisted on this worthy effort (which was not put out until late 1996) by her spouse, along with trumpeter Jack Walrath (who takes several surprisingly extroverted solos), bassist Harvie Swartz and drummer Mike Clark. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/blues-and-the-abstract-truth-mw0000092181

Blues and the Abstract Truth

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George Kahn - Jazz & Blues Revue

Size: 155,2 MB
Time: 66:11
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Blues, Jazz, Soul
Art: Front

01. Cantaloupe Island (4:01)
02. Yes We Can Can (4:56)
03. Summertime (5:56)
04. Beat Me Daddy Eight To The Bar (3:11)
05. Shoo Shoo Baby (4:37)
06. Use Me (5:48)
07. The Boy From New York City/The Way You Make Me Feel (4:17)
08. God Bless The Child (5:22)
09. I'd Rather Go Blind (5:06)
10. Something's Got A Hold On Me (4:31)
11. Rock Me Baby (5:49)
12. Feeling Good (4:49)
13. Afro Blue (7:41)

Billed as the "Sass 'n' Soul World Tour," LA jazz pianist George Kahn presents the Jazz & Blues Revue, his eighth album as leader featuring three of LA's finest female jazz vocalist in his first all-vocal project and departure from previous recordings. On tap, fresh new arrangements of thirteen songs that obviously, not only touch on the jazz and blues landscape but, also include elements from the R&B and soul genres. On vocals throughout the session are Gina Saputo, a Eugene, Oregon native, educator and staple of the LA jazz scene, Crystal Starr winner of the 2011 Hollywood Music Awards for Best R&B singer and Santa Monica's own Courtney Lemmon who released her debut jazz album at the age of fifteen and has appeared on other Kahn recordings.

The pianist provides able support for the singers by assembling a cast of players that include jazz luminaries among them, saxophonist Eric Marienthal and trumpeter Dr. Bobby Rodriguez as well as special guests guitarist Pat Kelly and tenor saxophonist Chuck Manning. Herbie Hancock's "Cantaloupe Island" starts the vocal ball rolling featuring Saputo on lead as the other singers provide the background with solos from Marienthal on the alto and the Dr. on the horn jazzing up the piece. Kahn and the band introduces what seems, at least in the beginning, like a New Orleans styled soulful version of the Gershwin standard "Summertime," but then develops nicely into a percussive Latin jazz tune with vocalist Starr doing the honors while M.B. Gordy lays down the percussion.

The three vocalist become the newest version of the fabulous Andrews Sisters of the 30s and 40s with a boogie-woogie-styled romp on "Beat Me Daddy Eight to the Bar" and lay down one mean version of the popular Bill Withers song "Use Me" complete with funky rhythms and superlative piano lines from the leader. Songbird Saputo leads a sassy rendition of the time-honored Billie Holiday classic "God Bless the Child" as Marienthal's expressive alto and the other ladies, do a little blessing of their own on this tune. The Gospel and soul sound is alive and well on the Etta James piece "Something's Got A Hold On Me" with songstress Starr taking the lead and propelling her crisp sharp vocals on a swinging tune punctuated by Kelly's rock-styled guitar riffs.

This vocal experience winds down with Lemmon voicing a stellar arrangement of Anthony Newley's "Feeling Good" while a terrific read of the Mongo Santamaria standard and finale tune "Afro Blue," provides some of the best instrumentals of the recording. Kahn states that "each of my albums features a wide range of styles..." and this new album continues in that tradition with LA songbirds Saputo, Starr and Lemmon voicing their interpretations of the jazz, blues, soul and R&B sounds contained in George Kahn's Jazz & Blues Revue, a vocal jazz statement that begs to be heard. With great vocals, superb instrumentals and an exciting selection of music, this is vocal jazz at its best.

Personnel: George Kahn: piano; Courtney Lemmon: vocals; Gina Saputo: vocals; Crystal Starr: vocals; Lyman Medeiros: bass; M. B. Gordy: drums, percussion; Eric Marienthal: alto saxophone, soprano saxophone; Dr. Bobby Rodriguez: trumpet; Chuck Manning: tenor saxophone (2, 11); Pat Kelly: guitar (2, 3, 8, 11).

Jazz & Blues Revue

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Sonny Rollins - Rollins in Holland - The 1967 Studio & Live Recordings

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 129:51
Size: 298,1 MB
Art: Front

( 4:49) 1. Blue Room
( 5:13) 2. Four
( 6:03) 3. Love Walked In
( 6:57) 4. Tune Up
( 8:13) 5. Sonnymoon for Two
( 9:30) 6. Love Walked In
(22:25) 7. Three Little Words
( 9:33) 8. They Can't Take That Away from Me/Sonnymoon for Two
(14:59) 9. On Green Dolphin St.
(19:45) 10. Love Walked In
(22:19) 11. Four

From the very first decibel of this unrealistically good, previously unreleased recording, Sonny Rollins bears no bones to inform listeners he is suffering no fools. It is a big, Buescher, bellwether sound, the one that gave Rollins the sound and spirit he needed to tell of a man taking it all on without apology. It is also meant to say that, without argument, unrealistically good here is totally understood as a decisively human characteristic and not necessarily one Rollins aspired to. So Resonance dug this one up from some archive somewhere up north where it is way colder and the society is a lot nicer, (to pique your interest, there is a fun, fact-filled one-hundred-page booklet with contemporaneous action photos included) and it makes for a great package Rollins In Holland. It is what Resonance always does and why they are, and should be, lauded.

Then there is the music they find, and there is no alternative fiction going to convince us this is not Rollins, along with drummer Han Bennink and late bassist Ruud Jacobs riding one of those unexplainable peaks of clarity which stir great artists from time to glorious time. One of those updraft moments, as when a young hawk begins its ascent sunward, which awards us the ringingly eloquent "Blue Room." As "Four," "Love Walked In," and "Tuned Up" in real-time attest, both then and now, these guys who, just as a brief historical aside and coincidence, had never met or played before, early on slip into a mindset which serves them unfailingly throughout.

Be it the sheer, free artistry or the moxie of the admen, you won't be able to turn your ears away from Rollins In Holland, because then it goes live and all hell breaks loose and that's not idle, hoary punditry either. All hell breaks does break loose and we are transported back to a time when the music did, and was entrusted by the audience to, distract from the worries of the day. And so "Sonnymoon For Two" finds Rollins' soul urging Bennick on during the drummer's hell-raising solos and conclusively, with no-holds-barred, sets the whole riotous tone for the entire disc-and-a-half to follow. This one is as close to five stars as we're going to get. Have a treat. It's been a hell of a year. ~ Mike Jurkovic https://www.allaboutjazz.com/rollins-in-holland-sonny-rollins-resonance-records

Personnel: Sonny Rollins: saxophone; Ruud Jacobs: bass; Han Bennink: drums.

Rollins in Holland - The 1967 Studio & Live Recordings

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Michael Feinstein - With a Song in My Heart

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:48
Size: 82,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:21) 1. The Summer Knows
(2:34) 2. You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile
(4:15) 3. With a Song in My Heart
(2:52) 4. Real Live Girl
(3:13) 5. Moon River
(2:31) 6. Dance a Little Closer
(4:50) 7. Thanks for the Memory
(2:49) 8. More I Cannot Wish You
(3:32) 9. Polka Dots and Moonbeams
(3:57) 10. I'll Never Fall in Love Again
(4:14) 11. Two for the Road
(3:28) 12. Here's That Rainy Day
(3:40) 13. My Blue Heaven
(2:11) 14. Hallelujah
(3:20) 15. What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?

Singer/pianist Michael Feinstein was both a prime motivator and a beneficiary of arenewed interest in pre-rock popular music that started in the 1980s, a trend that also found Linda Ronstadt selling millions of copies of albums of traditional pop made with conductor Nelson Riddle and that fueled the success of Harry Connick Jr. In Feinstein's case, it allowed him to establish a career as a nightclub entertainer and then move up to theaters while releasing major-label albums; his background as a musical archivist also enabled him to bring a scholar's knowledge to his performances of classic pop music.

He was born Michael Jay Feinstein on September 7, 1956, in Columbus, Ohio. His father, Edward Feinstein, was an executive in the meat business, but had been a band singer, while his mother, Mazie Feinstein, was an amateur tap dancer. Beginning to play the piano by ear at age five, Feinstein grew up fascinated by the pop music of generations preceding him and amassed a large record collection. He moved with his family to Los Angeles in 1976, and there began to come in contact with the people who created the music he adored. He was hired by Ira Gershwin to catalog the veteran lyricist's archives, a job he performed until Gershwin's death in 1983. (He also worked for Harry Warren in 1981-1982.) At that point, he turned to performing as a cabaret artist full-time, beginning in Los Angeles. In 1985, he released his debut album, Pure Gershwin, on Parnassus Records. A 1986 engagement at the Oak Room of the Algonquin Hotel in New York was extended for four months and resulted in the LP Live at the Algonquin (Elektra, 1987). After releasing Remember: Michael Feinstein Sings Irving Berlin (1987), he was able to take his act to Broadway, opening Michael Feinstein in Concert: Isn't It Romantic at the Lyceum Theatre on April 19, 1988. The same year, he released his third album, also called Isn't It Romantic. During 1989, he released two thematic albums, Over There (Angel), devoted to the music of World War I, and The M.G.M. Album (Elektra).

For Elektra's Nonesuch imprint, Feinstein launched a series of "songbook" albums recorded with the participation of the veteran songwriters themselves, the first of them devoted to Burton Lane (August 1990, with a second volume in November 1992), followed by Jule Styne (October 1991), Jerry Herman (October 1993), and Hugh Martin (September 1995). Back at Elektra, Feinstein devoted an album to children, Pure Imagination (April 1992). Forever (March 1993) found him balancing contemporary material with the usual standards. He then switched labels, landing at Atlantic Records for Such Sweet Sorrow (March 1995) and Nice Work If You Can Get It: Songs by the Gershwins (February 1996) before moving to Concord Records, beginning with an album to mark the centenary of George Gershwin, Michael & George: Feinstein Sings Gershwin (September 1998).

In 1999, Feinstein lent his name to a new nightclub in New York located in the Regency Hotel, as Feinstein's at the Regency became a venue for sophisticated cabaret entertainers including its namesake. (A second Feinstein's later opened in Hollywood.) The same year, he released Big City Rhythms, fronting the Maynard Ferguson Big Band. Romance on Film/Romance on Broadway (October 2000) was a two-CD set, the first disc recorded live. It was followed by Michael Feinstein with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra in May 2002. In the fall of 2002, Concord announced the formation of Feinstein's own custom subsidiary label, Feinery, intended to "present hidden gems from the American Popular Songbook." It was launched with a new album, Michael Feinstein Sings the Livingston & Evans Songbook, on October 8, 2002. Feinstein's 2003 album, Only One Life, was devoted to the songs of Jimmy Webb. In 2005, he and George Shearing teamed up for Hopeless Romantics. The Sinatra Project appeared in 2008. In 2009, Feinstein and Broadway star Cheyenne Jackson made The Power of Two for Harbinger Records. Fly Me to the Moon (September 2010) on the Duckhole label found him accompanied by jazz guitarist Joe Negri. In 2011, Feinstein followed up his 2008 homage to Sinatra with The Sinatra Project, Vol. 2: The Good Life. ~ William Ruhlmann https://music.apple.com/us/artist/michael-feinstein/269030

With a Song in My Heart

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Marianne Faithfull - The Montreux Years

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:54
Size: 119,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:30) 1. Madame George
(8:06) 2. Broken English
(3:33) 3. Times Square
(5:00) 4. Guilt
(4:37) 5. Song for Nico
(3:00) 6. Come and Stay with Me
(8:11) 7. Sister Morphine
(3:39) 8. She
(2:53) 9. Hold On Hold On
(4:58) 10. Solitude
(5:49) 11. Working Class Hero
(4:36) 12. Tower of Song
(5:21) 13. Strange Weather
(6:35) 14. Why D'ya Do It?

Instantly recognizable with her raw, varied vocal talents and tangible charisma, Marianne Faithfull has been a long-time friend of the Montreux Jazz Festival, appearing five times over a nearly 15-year period: 1995, 1999, 2002, 2005 and 2009. The first live album of Faithfull in over 10 years, Marianne Faithfull: The Montreux Years opens with an enchanting rendition of Van Morrison’s “Madame George,” recorded live at Auditorium Stravinski on July 10, 1995, where Faithfull’s powerful range and unfaltering dynamism was instantly apparent.

The singer’s fans can immerse themselves in these unique recordings, which include several songs from her celebrated album Broken English, such as an electrifying, guitar-heavy performance of the titular track “Broken English,” the soaring “Guilt,” and John Lennon’s rousing anthem “Working Class Hero.” Meanwhile, the haunting sensitivity of “Strange Weather,” recorded live at Casino Barrière on July 6, 2005, captures the bottomless depths of Faithfull’s brutal and ragged beauty.

Marianne Faithfull: The Montreux Years and Muddy Waters: The Montreux Years are the second installment of The Montreux Years series, which started with two true titans, Nina Simone and Etta James. Both have received critical acclaim, and Nina Simone: The Montreux Years debuted at #1 on the U.K. Official Jazz & Blues Albums Chart. Mathieu Jaton, CEO of the Montreux Jazz Festival, adds: “Muddy Waters and Marianne Faithfull have both made indelible marks on the Montreux Jazz Festival and these releases will immortalize their iconic performances for fans both new and old in stunning quality.” http://www.basementdiscs.com.au/shop/marianne-faithfull-the-montreux-years/

The Montreux Years

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Ralph Sutton - It's So Nice It Must Be Illegal!

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 57:12
Size: 131.0 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[0:27] 1. Introduction By Ralph Sutton
[6:16] 2. Honeysuckle Rose
[6:07] 3. Love Lies
[5:12] 4. Echoes Of Spring
[5:22] 5. Everything Happens To Me
[4:02] 6. My Blue Heaven
[6:54] 7. Medley Squeeze Me, Ain't Misbehavin'
[3:35] 8. S'posin'
[6:44] 9. Medley Sophisticated Lady, I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart, Ring Dem Bells
[4:45] 10. Vipers Drag
[5:27] 11. Just One Of Those Things
[2:15] 12. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter

The great stride pianist Ralph Sutton is featured throughout this previously unreleased concert, a set of duets with drummer Michael Silva, who Sutton had met just minutes before going on-stage. Silva is very much in the background as Sutton performs some of his favorite songs. The tempos are usually pretty relaxed and there are no real barnburners, so this set is not as exciting as some of the pianist's most stirring performances. Still, the music is well played and Sutton was clearly having a good time playing before the audience in France. The final two numbers are called "bonus tracks" because they were recorded earlier that day at a rehearsal/soundcheck. "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter" has a good-humored and rare Sutton vocal. All in all, a solid if not essential release from a timeless master. ~Scott Yanow

It's So Nice It Must Be Illegal

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Linda Lavin - Love Notes

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2020
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 38:17
Size: 62,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:35) 1. I've Got My Eyes on You
(2:46) 2. Not a Care in the World / Shall We Dance
(3:02) 3. I Wish I Were in Love Again
(4:50) 4. I Can't Tell You Why / I Walk a Little Faster
(4:00) 5. Chega de Saudade (No More Blues)
(3:02) 6. Stars Would Fall
(3:01) 7. Just Squeeze Me (But Don't Tease Me)
(3:32) 8. Black Cow
(3:36) 9. Ace in the Hole / Rap Tap on Wood
(3:12) 10. It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing) / I Got Rhythm
(2:20) 11. You Must Believe in Spring
(2:15) 12. How High the Moon

Linda Lavin’s new CD, Love Notes, is a timeless collection of terrific songs from the Great American Songbook that has the feel and sound of a classic album from the ’50s or ’60s but with a few surprising tracks from the likes of the Eagles and Steely Dan. Lavin sounds better than ever and the joy of her performance is infectious.

Opening with a rare Cole Porter (if there is such a thing), “I’ve Got My Eyes On You,” the singer wastes no time establishing her absolute ownership of this material and revealing the sparkling support that her musicians provide throughout of particular note is music director Billy Stritch on piano and vocals, and violinist Aaron Weinstein who proves equally adept and entertaining on mandolin. I am always tickled when a singer includes “Not A Care In The World” (Vernon Duke, John LaTouche) and I defy anyone not to smile when they hear Lavin deliver “I’m as gay as a Disney cow.” Including the not always done verse, Rodgers & Hart’s “I Wish I Were in Love Again” shines as fresh and new as if it were written yesterday. Conversely, “I Can’t Tell You Why” (Don Henley, Timothy B. Schmit, Glenn Frey) which was (comparatively) written yesterday, takes on the luster of an American classic especially when paired with “I Walk A Little Faster” (Cy Coleman, Carolyn Leigh).

“Chega de Saudade” (“No More Blues”) ( Antonio Carlos Jobim, Vinícius de Moraes) is a dazzler, with wonderful supporting vocals by Stritch. An original by Joel Lindsey and Wayne Haun, “Stars Would Fall,” is an instant classic a beautifully fashioned love song given more than its due by Lavin’s romantic, soaring delivery. A couple of Duke Ellington tunes put her in a solid, classic jazz setting which fits her like a hand in a silken glove. Her version “You Must Believe In Spring” (Michel Legrand, Jacques Demy, Marilyn and Alan Bergman), a complex song that has been the downfall of many a vocalist, is a revelation in an effortless performance of passion and beauty. “How High The Moon” (Nancy Hamilton, Morgan Lewis) is a joyful closer to a recording with one high point after another. The repertoire, the production, the arrangements, the playing, and the exceptional vocals come together to give us one of the CDs of the year. Linda Lavin has become, over time, a major vocalist whose personal takes on so many great songs are a delight and a wonder.~ Gerry Geddes https://bistroawards.com/cd-review-linda-lavin-love-notes/

Personnel: Billy Stritch: piano; Aaron Weinstein: violin; Tom Hubbard: bass; Jeff Barone: guitar; Daniel Glass: drums; Joel Key: banjo.

Love Notes

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Aretha Franklin - Runnin' Out of Fools

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1964
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 38:06
Size: 62,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:33) 1. Mockingbird
(2:32) 2. How Glad I Am
(2:47) 3. Walk On By
(2:46) 4. Every Little Bit Hurts
(2:21) 5. The Shoop Shoop Song (It's in His Kiss)
(2:36) 6. You'll Lose a Good Thing
(2:43) 7. I Can't Wait Until I See My Baby's Face
(2:58) 8. It's Just a Matter of Time
(2:33) 9. Runnin' Out of Fools
(3:02) 10. My Guy
(2:26) 11. Two Sides of Love
(2:06) 12. One Room Paradise
(0:39) 13. A General Market Advertisement from Columbia Records
(0:53) 14. A Special Ad for Christmas
(2:52) 15. The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)
(2:12) 16. Winter Wonderland

Before signing to Atlantic in the late ‘60s and cementing her musical legacy, Tennessee teenager Aretha Franklin was dutifully climbing the charts, lending her mighty voice to some of pop’s most celebrated standards. Here she tackles “Mockingbird” with a singular sultry swing arguably casting it as the definitive version while Burt Bacharach’s “Walk On By” is gentle and atmospheric, her skyscraping vocals taking a more controlled, mellow turn. The winking sway of “The Shoop Shoop Song (It’s in His Kiss)” foreshadows her later sass. https://music.apple.com/us/album/runnin-out-of-fools-expanded-edition/425847724

Runnin' Out of Fools

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Ruby Braff Trio - Me, Myself And I

Styles: Cornet Jazz
Year: 1988
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 51:28
Size: 83,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:39) 1. Muskrat Ramble
(3:34) 2. Let Me Sing And I'm Happy
(4:10) 3. You've Changed
(4:10) 4. You're A Lucky Guy
(5:01) 5. Honey
(2:43) 6. No One Else But You
(3:21) 7. Me, Myself And I
(4:52) 8. Dream Dancing
(3:20) 9. When You're Smiling
(4:12) 10. When I Fall In Love
(4:32) 11. Swan Lake
(3:16) 12. That's My Home
(3:34) 13. Jubilee

Although often overlooked in popularity polls, cornetist Ruby Braff during the 1980s and '90s recorded many classics and near-classics. For this trio set with guitarist Howard Alden and bassist Jack Lesberg, Braff's repertoire ranges from the dixieland tunes "Muskrat Ramble" and "When You're Smiling" to superior popular numbers such as "You've Changed," "When I Fall in Love" and "You're a Lucky Guy." As usual he brings an individual sound, swing, melodic creativity and passion to each of his improvisations.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/me-myself-i-mw0000204639

Personnel: Cornet – Ruby Braff; Bass – Jack Lesberg; Guitar – Howard Alden

Me, Myself And I

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Ralph Sutton - I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:12
Size: 113,4 MB
Art: Front

(8:02)  1. If I Could Be with You, Jitterbug Waltz, Say Yes, Slightly Less Than Wonderful
(3:07)  2. Morning Air
(7:48)  3. St. Louis Blues
(2:17)  4. I've Got The World On A String
(4:17)  5. Shine
(2:55)  6. Honky Tonk Train Blues
(4:30)  7. Old Fashioned Love
(2:46)  8. Handful Of Keys
(2:16)  9. Ain't Nobody's Business If I Do
(4:46) 10. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter
(6:23) 11. I Got Rhythm

Ralph Sutton was the greatest stride pianist to emerge since World War II, with his only close competitors being the late Dick Wellstood and the very versatile Dick Hyman. Nearly alone in his generation, Sutton kept alive the piano styles of Fats Waller and James P. Johnson, not as mere museum pieces but as devices for exciting improvisations. Although sticking within the boundaries of his predecessors, Sutton infused the music with his own personality; few could match his powerful left hand. Ralph Sutton played with Jack Teagarden's big band briefly in 1942 before serving in the Army. 

After World War II he appeared regularly on Rudi Blesh's This Is Jazz radio show and spent eight years as the intermission pianist at Eddie Condon's club, recording frequently. He spent time playing in San Francisco, worked for Bob Scobey, moved to Aspen in the mid-'60s, and became an original member of the World's Greatest Jazz Band with Yank Lawson, Bob Haggart, and Bud Freeman. In the 1970s, he recorded many exciting albums for the Chaz label and then cut albums for quite a few labels. Despite suffering a stroke in the early '90s, Sutton kept a busy schedule through the mid-'90s, playing at jazz parties and festivals. He died suddenly on December 29, 2001, in his car outside a restaurant in Evergreen, CO. Although he would have received much greater fame if he had been born 20 years earlier and come to maturity during the 1930s rather than the 1950s, at the time of his death it was obvious that Ralph Sutton had earned his place among the top classic jazz pianists of all time. ~ Scott Yanow  https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/ralph-sutton/id1579569#fullText

I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart

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Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra - Groove Shop

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 1990
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:07
Size: 119,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:20)  1. Georgia
(5:35)  2. Rain Check
(3:31) 3. 'Tain't What You Do (It's the Way That You Do It)
(5:27)  4. Brush This
(3:30)  5. How Great Thou Art
(5:48)  6. Groove Shop
(6:06)  7. Sashay
(5:34)  8. Melt Away/A Time for Love: Melt Away / A Time For Love
(3:22)  9. I Won't Dance
(9:52) 10. Night Train

This Capri CD was the debut of the Clayton-Hamilton Orchestra, a notable L.A.-based big band co-led by bassist John Clayton, altoist Jeff Clayton, and drummer Jeff Hamilton. The 18-piece group has many top soloists, most notably the three co-leaders; tenor saxophonist Rickey Woodard; trumpeters Snooky Young, Clay Jenkins, and Oscar Brashear; and trombonist George Bohanon. However, it is the arrangements of John Clayton that give the orchestra its own sound. Highlights include "Raincheck," Young's vocal and trumpet feature on "T'Aint What You Do," Hamilton's showcase on "Brush This," Oscar Brashear's "Sashay" (which has a Clayton chart that recalls Thad Jones), and "Night Train." Highly recommended. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/groove-shop-mw0000273728

Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra: Jeff Clayton (soprano & alto saxophones, flute, oboe); John Clayton (acoustic bass); Jeff Hamilton (drums); Bill Green (alto saxophone, clarinet, flute); Ricky Woodard, Bob Hardaway (tenor saxophone, clarinet); Lee Callet (baritone saxophone, bass clarinet); Bobby Bryant, Snooky Young, Oscar Brashear, Clay Jenkins (trumpet, flugelhorn); George Bohanon, Ira Nepus, Thurman Green (trombone); Maurice Spears (bass trombone); Mike Lang (piano); Doug MacDonald (guitar); Herb Mickman (acoustic bass).

Groove Shop

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Alan Broadbent - Broadbent plays Brubeck

Styles: Piano Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:47
Size: 144,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:00) 1. The Duke
(4:58) 2. One Moment Worth Years
(5:09) 3. Bossa Nova USA
(5:56) 4. Summer Song (feat. London Metropolitan Strings)
(4:55) 5. Blue Rondo A La Turk (feat. London Metropolitan Strings)
(7:20) 6. Strange Meadowlark (feat. London Metropolitan Strings)
(7:48) 7. In Your Own Sweet Way (feat. London Metropolitan Strings)
(4:58) 8. Weep No More (feat. London Metropolitan Strings)
(5:40) 9. When I Was Young (feat. London Metropolitan Strings)
(5:39) 10. Theme for June
(4:21) 11. Home at Last

In 1961 when Alan was 14 he found Howard Brubeck’s transcriptions, in two volumes, of Dave Brubeck’s solo album “Brubeck plays Brubeck” in a music store in Auckland, New Zealand. By this time he was aware of Dave Brubeck as “Take 5” was the rage on the radio, even in the then remote corner of the world where Alan lived. He had no idea how the music was supposed to be played, having no reference to Dave’s LP, which was impossible to find anyway. So being a good sight reader, Alan began to play the pieces as written, without any knowledge of, or feeling for, jazz rhythm. From the first pages, beginning with “The Duke”, to the last, “Swing Bells”, Alan was enthralled with the harmony and melodies. He had never heard such rich and beautiful chord progressions before. So he played his heart out, lingering over passages, savoring a chord here, dwelling on a bar there, finding meaning and expression in the music that Dave probably didn’t know was there. In fact, many years later, before the youtube encyclopedia of music, Broadbent finally got his hands on an old, well-worn, LP and was surprised, shocked really, at how Dave would nonchalantly rush through a bar that he had had a religious experience with.

Then Alan found the music to “Strange Meadowlark” and others that he has included in “Broadbent plays Brubeck”, as well as one by Dave’s brother, Howard; a tribute to him and his hard work (without the aid of digital devices!) that enabled that young fellow down under to revel in the music. Alan Broadbent has sought, in his arrangements, to recreate those feelings about these pieces that have never left him in all these years and to offer another dimension to them through the expressiveness of the peerless musicians of The London Metropolitan String Orchestra. Again “Broadbent plays Brubeck” is a dream come true album for 2-time Grammy Award winner Alan Broadbent, much like Alan’s earlier Album „Developing Story“. Long time partner and close friend Ralf Kemper, a Grammy winning producer, invited Alan again to record „Broadbent plays Brubeck“ at Abbey Road Studios in London. Alan accepted and the recording took place in 2018 at the famous Abbey Road Studio 2. Alan recorded the piano part a little later at Ralf’s Riverside Studios Cologne in Germany.

Alan has received 14 Grammy Award nominations and won 2 Grammy Awards for “Best Orchestral Arrangement Accompanying a Vocal", one for Natalie Cole and one for Shirley Horn. He was nominated for "Best Improvised Jazz Solo" alongside Keith Jarrett, Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter. Alan has arranged and conducted for Sir Paul McCartney, Diana Krall, Pat Metheny, Linda Ronstadt, Michael Bublé and many more.

The London Metropolitan Orchestra is one of the best symphonic orchestras in London and is regularly booked by major Hollywood studios and record companies, including live performances with artists such as Paul McCartney, U2, Eric Clapton, Annie Lennox, Sting, Bryan Adams, Quincy Jones, Pink Floyd, Jon Bon Jovi, Vangelis, Simply Red, Pet Shop Boys etc. Ralf Kemper shares mixing and mastering credits with Jonathan Allen. In 2013 Jonathan won the BAFTA Sound Award for the recording and mixing of the movie "Les Misérables". He recently also recorded for Gregory Porter and Eliane Elias. The producer, Ralf Kemper, is himself a Grammy Award winner in 2010 for Best Instrumental Record and Best Producer Of The Year at the Latin Grammys for Arturo Sandoval’s “A Time For Love". His film “Jimmy Scott: I Go Back Home“ premiered at the prestigious SXSW festival, was introduced by Quincy Jones at the 50th Montreux Jazz Festival and has won several awards at international film festivals. All songs composed by Dave Brubeck except „Theme for June“, composed by Howard Brubeck https://riverside-studios-cologne.com/news/detail/broadbent-plays-brubeck

Alan Broadbent – arranger, conductor & piano; Harvie S – bass; Hans Dekker – drums; David Juritz – Concertmaster and Solo Violin on "Strange Meadowlark"; London Metropolitan Strings

Broadbent plays Brubeck

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Ida Landsberg - Jazz Sessions

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:54
Size: 92,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:57)  1. Blue Moon
(3:26)  2. They Can't Take That Away from Me
(3:34)  3. Angel Eyes
(4:20)  4. Fly Me to the Moon
(3:40)  5. From This Moment On
(4:09)  6. Close to You
(3:42)  7. How High the Moon
(3:43)  8. Cry Me a River
(3:54)  9. Don't Take Your Love from Me
(4:25) 10. Night and Day

Music is in my life since I can think.In my case music always had been present but for a long time it wasn’t at the centre of my thinking and activities yet. It was more an accompaniment of every of my daily actions, an accessory, an atmosphere, a song to sing or an open ear for sounds and noises. I always had a very sensible ear that hated rumors and couldn’t tolerate notes that weren’t perfectly clean. Who loved high and clear voices and memorized melodies quickly. I didn’t grow up in an artist environment even though my grand-grandmother, from which I had my name Ida, was a sculpturist and lived surrounded by famous 19th Century painters in Kleinmachnow just outside Berlin. One of her friends were Max Liebermann. I know her only from my father’s tellings.

I passed my childhood and adolescence by studying languages, literature and science, but music was my everyday companion, my friend, my breathe. That doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t have been in constant contact with music making. In my earliest childhood, I sang on my grandmother’s balcony and the neighbors listened to me. At the age of 6 I started to play piano, to sing in a church choir and to be part of a children dance theatre.  Also my family enjoyed music. My grandmother played piano, my father accordeon and my mother guitar. They wanted to give us a good musical education. My mother was the one who raise my love for classical music as she took me to the opera house since I was a child. I knew all the arias of Mozart’s “Magical Flute” by heart and sang them the whole day long. She was also the one who forced me to practice piano everyday when I was about to quit at the age of 13. I couldn’t be any more thankful that she insisted.

I was very active at school performances. After a long and intense 70s musical rebel period in my adolescence at the sound of the The Doors, Janis Joplin and the Beach Boys, I discovered jazz music which would have been my strongest passion. Charlie Parker and Dave Brubeck had become my new heroes, Nina Simone and Ella Fitzgerald my idols.  Soon the desire of letting music be a central part of my life became concrete. I was admitted to the Berlin University of Fine Arts and studied music pedagogy there until I left Germany for a student exchange program. My time at the UdK was one of the greatest I can remember. I had a female a cappella trio, sang in different choirs and we made plenty of University productions. It was a busy and fun period. http://www.idalandsberg.net/about-me/

Jazz Sessions

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Geri Allen, Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette - The Life Of A Song

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:29
Size: 150,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:55)  1. LWB's House (The Remix)
(8:08)  2. Mounts & Mountains
(8:15)  3. Lush Life
(6:13)  4. In Appreciation - A Celebration Song
(7:12)  5. The Experimental Movement
(4:40)  6. Holdin' Court
(4:05)  7. Dance Of The Infidels
(5:19)  8. Unconditional Love
(5:24)  9. The Life Of A Song
(4:33) 10. Black Bottom
(5:40) 11. Soul Eyes

Life of a Song is Geri Allen's first recording under her own name in six long years. She teams with the rhythm section of bassist Dave Holland and drummer Jack DeJohnette, whom she worked with on the late Betty Carter's stellar live date Feed the Fire in 1993. Allen composed eight of the album's 11 cuts, and the covers include Bud Powell's "Dance of the Infidels," Billy Strayhorn's "Lush Life," and Mal Waldron's "Soul Eyes." This last selection is augmented by the participation of Marcus Belgrave on flugelhorn, saxophonist Dwight Andrews, and trombonist Clifton Anderson. The album's title reflects the depth of commitment to the song forms inherent in jazz. Allen is in fine form here, and one can hear her various instrumental and vocal influences. The album swings, but looks underneath swing for its subtleties and its edges, too. The set opens with a playful, pianistic dissonance on "LWB's House (The Remix)" and lest punters be alarmed, the tune is not "remixed" at all, but is actually an earlier composition reworked. The bluesy funk here is augmented with Afro-Cuban rhythms and a series of tonal shifts where Allen is trying to emulate the African stringed instrument, the kora. Swing is inherent in every chorus, and Holland and DeJohnette keep the pace relaxed yet deeply focused. The interplay between Holland and Allen on "Mounts and Mountains" particularly during the bassist's solo passage are remarkable as she responds with a contrapuntal solo that draws on both Herbie Hancock and Ahmad Jamal. Elsewhere, on the Powell tune her facility to usher it in a relaxed, easy way, and then dazzle with her two-handed counterpoint in the solo showcase Allen's quick wit and dazzling chromatic command. The title cut, with its obvious Hancock homage in the head and swinging head, is one of the album's many high points. This is a trio date that has all the elements: an indefatigable lyricism and honesty of emotion, as well as beautiful colors and deft, even uncanny engagements among the three principals. What a welcome return for Allen, who expertly displays she's been refining her chops and listening deeply to her Muse these past six years. ~ Thom Jurek http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-life-of-a-song-mw0000151431

Personnel:  Geri Allen – piano;  Dave Holland – bass;  Jack DeJohnette – drums;  Marcus Belgrave – flugelhorn;  Dwight Andrews – saxophone;  Clifton Anderson – trombone.

R.I.P.
Born:  June 12, 1957 
Died:  June 27, 2017

The Life Of A Song

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Nina Simone - Here Comes The Sun

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:27
Size: 152.1 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 1971/2015
Art: Front

[3:32] 1. Here Comes The Sun
[4:48] 2. Just Like A Woman
[3:14] 3. O-O-H Child
[4:58] 4. Mr. Bojangles
[4:41] 5. New World Coming
[3:29] 6. Angel Of The Morning
[6:16] 7. How Long Must I Wander
[5:07] 8. My Way
[3:25] 9. Tanywey
[1:39] 10. My Father Dialog
[8:10] 11. Jelly Roll
[3:49] 12. Tell It Like It Is
[8:41] 13. 22nd Century
[4:31] 14. What Have They Done To My Song Ma

Just past the point where a great artist reaches too far for new material, 1971's Here Comes the Sun presented Nina Simone in a contemporary setting with eight covers of recent rock hits. Though the title track isn't very embarrassing -- her voice betrays a few technical faults -- there are few successes with the rest of the material. Simone's versions of "O-o-h Child," "Mr. Bojangles," "Just Like a Woman," and "My Way" are historical curiosities and sound terribly dated (the furious bongos and sweeping strings on the last is a dénouement). Much of the problem lies with the arrangements, though several times these passable rock songs get the best from Simone's interpretive skills. ~John Bush

Here Comes The Sun

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Geri Allen - Timeless Portrait And Dreams

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:27
Size: 134,3 MB
Art: Front

(1:52)  1. Oh Freedom
(7:07)  2. Melchezedik
(2:27)  3. Portraits And Dreams
(5:22)  4. Well Done
(4:21)  5. La Strada
(2:23)  6. I Have A Dream
(4:27)  7. Nearly
(5:40)  8. In Real Time
(2:48)  9. Embraceable You
(4:51) 10. Al-Leu-Cha
(4:21) 11. Just For A Thrill
(5:59) 12. Our Lady (for Billie Holiday)
(5:05) 13. Timeless Portrait And Dreams
(1:38) 14. Portrait And Dreams, reprise

There's a certain purity, perhaps innocence, about jazz that's played without the bells and whistles of modern technology and untainted by commercial trappings. When that purity is combined with superb songwriting, you have the makings of a recording that will never sound old. So it is with Timeless Portraits and Dreams.  A native of Detroit, Geri Allen began taking piano lessons at age eleven. She graduated from Howard University with a degree in jazz studies, and she later earned a master's degree in ethnomusicology from the University of Pittsburgh. Her professional career has included professorships in music at Howard and the University of Michigan; she has earned several awards. As a recording artist, she has collaborated with Mino Cinelu, Mary Wilson and the Supremes, Tony Williams, Ron Carter and Betty Carter, among others. On Timeless Portraits and Dreams, Allen delivers nearly an hour's worth of musical elegance. The stage is set on the opening tracks, "Oh Freedom and "Melchezedik, two originals that feature Allen on solo piano and then joined by her rhythm section of bassist Ron Carter and drummer Jimmy Cobb. On the latter piece, Carter stretches out. Allen is backed by the Atlanta Jazz Chorus on "Well Done, which features guest vocalist Carmen Lundy. Donald Walden introduces "I Have a Dream with a soft tenor sax solo. George Shirley, the first African-American tenor to sing at the Metropolitan Opera, sings lead on this tribute to the famous speech of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., accompanied by the Atlanta Jazz Chorus. 

Trumpeter Wallace Roney takes the lead on "In Real Time, an upbeat original penned by Allen and Roney. Allen's solo in the middle is one of the finer points of the album, aided by Carter's bass. Though he plays in the background for much of the album, Cobb steps up with a drum solo on the cover of Charlie Parker's "Ah-Leu-Cha. Throughout Timeless Portraits and Dreams, Allen's piano and Carter's bass keep the listener engaged. Cobb's drum work is subtle but effective. Lundy, Walden, Roney, Shirley and the Atlanta Jazz Chorus supplement the trio with great results. The collection includes a bonus CD single, "Lift Every Voice and Sing, which features Shirley and the Atlanta Jazz Chorus. Together, they form a gallery of emotions, thought-provoking messages and good jazz.~ Woodrow Wilkins https://www.allaboutjazz.com/timeless-portraits-and-dreams-geri-allen-telarc-records-review-by-woodrow-wilkins.php

Personnel: Geri Allen, piano; Ron Carter, bass; Jimmy Cobb, drums; Carmen Lundy, vocals; Wallace Roney, trumpet; George Shirley, vocals; Donald Walden, tenor saxophone; Atlanta Jazz Chorus, directed by Dwight Andrews.

Timeless Portrait And Dreams

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Donald Brown - Autumn in New York

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:06
Size: 151,3 MB
Art: Front

(6:48) 1. Make Sure You're sure
(7:47) 2. I Can't Give You Anything but Love
(5:14) 3. Strange
(5:41) 4. Miro's Flight
(6:32) 5. I Was Just Thinking About You
(6:20) 6. Dorothy's Love Letter
(8:18) 7. If I Should Loose You
(6:27) 8. Willow Weep for Me
(6:20) 9. Killer Joe
(5:39) 10. Autumn in New York

In spite of a lengthy discography of recordings as a leader, pianist Donald Brown remains a talent deserving of wider recognition. Whether it is due to his soft-spoken nature or the fact that his series of excellent recordings for the French label Space Time is not yet widely enough distributed in the U.S., Brown's abilities as a player, composer, and arranger are never in question. On this trio date with bassist Essiet Essiet and drummer Billy Kilson, the veteran catches listeners off guard with a laid-back opener, a dreamy take of Stevie Wonder's ballad "Make Sure You're Sure." His off-kilter approach to the old warhorse "I Can't Give You Anything but Love" and wailing treatment of "If I Should Lose You" add new life to these time-tested standards. Perhaps his most intriguing arrangement is the bluesy saunter through "Willow Weep for Me." The bright and somewhat funky "Dorothy's Love Letter" is among the three superb originals which Brown contributed to this very enjoyable CD.~Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/autumn-in-new-york-mw0000235054

Personnel: Piano, Liner Notes – Donald Brown; Acoustic Bass – Essiet Essiet; Drums – Billy Kilson

Autumn in New York

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Gloria Lynne - Encore (Remastered)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 25:16
Size: 57.9 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[2:23] 1. They Didn't Believe Me
[1:58] 2. It Just Happened To Me
[2:45] 3. Bali Ha'i
[2:27] 4. Indian Love Call
[2:58] 5. Please Be Kind
[2:34] 6. One Step From Heaven
[2:37] 7. My Reverie
[2:41] 8. My Prayer For You
[2:17] 9. Intermezzo
[2:31] 10. Try A Little Tenderness

Truly one of America's greatest jazz vocalists, Gloria Lynne was the first jazz artist to have hits in the jazz, r&b, and pop categories simultaneously. She has influenced countless singers with her unique "Soul Jazz" style and continues to inspire new fans with her classic performances. This collection focuses on some of the best performances from her early years for the audiophile Everest label, from the late 1950's through the early 1960's. Featuring "Try A Little Tenderness," "Indian Love Call," "One Step From Heaven" and more. All selections newly remastered.

Encore (Remastered)

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John Surman - Proverbs And Songs

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:32
Size: 114,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:11)  1. Prelude
(4:55)  2. The Sons
(6:41)  3. The Kings
(7:39)  4. Wisdom
(4:50)  5. Job
(7:42)  6. No Twilight
(5:00)  7. Pride
(4:06)  8. The Proverbs
(5:24)  9. Abraham Arise!

Multi-reedist John Surman returns to his chorister roots and lays bare his compositional prowess with this oratorio commissioned by the Salisbury Festival and premiered in June of 1996. The Salisbury Festival Chorus, founded in 1987 by Howard Moody (of whose compositions the Hilliard Ensemble and Trio Mediaeval have been strong proponents) approaches its Old Testament sources as the composer sets them: that is, with panache, a flair for syncopation, and raw intensity. Add to this pianist John Taylor in an unexpected turn on cathedral organ, and you’ve got a recipe for one of Surman’s most intriguing catalogue entries to date. Despite the forces assembled, it is he who dominates the palette. The “Prelude” immediately places his cantorial baritone amid a wash of organ in a free-flowing Byzantine mode, thereby establishing a rich narrative quality from the start. Our first foray into choral territory comes in the form of “The Sons,” a robust piece that works men’s and women’s voices in an iron forger’s antiphony toward genealogical harmony. At first, the thicketed singing feels more like a shoreline along which reed and pipes crash in pockets of light and bas-relief. Yet as the “The Kings” soon proves, it is capable of the jaunty togetherness at which Surman excels. “Wisdom” has its finger most firmly on this pulse of greater fellowship, for there is a wisdom of Surman’s own in the brushwork of his soprano, which dances for all the world like the world. This being a live BBC Radio 3 recording that was later mixed down at Oslo’s Rainbow Studio, the quality is rather compressed. 

Then again, so is the music, the message of which is as dense as its King James texts. The album’s space is left to Taylor, its images to the voices, its method to Surman’s winds. There is a rusticity to the album’s sound that matches the unadulterated emotions of the music. We hear this especially in “Job,” which like its scripture upholds divine reason in the face of hardship. The chanting here is a form of punctuation, the snaking baritone lines its restless grammar. “No Twilight” continues to unravel the sopranic weave in what amounts to the heart of the album, both in spirit and in execution, and places the voices at the slightest remove to haunting effect. Surman’s streaks of sunlight here the voices of reason add depth of field to this vision, so that the whimsical shallows of “Pride” emphasize the frivolity and fragility of their eponym. The truth comes out in the ruminative organ solo that epilogues the piece. “The Proverbs,” with its ominous recitation, is the freest and builds eddies of judgment and self-reflection (note Surman’s brilliant evocation of the dissenter) until the rays of sacrifice blind with “Abraham Arise!” In light of the stellar body of choral work that ECM has produced, Surman’s forays into the same are not life-changing, if only because they are about unchanging life. True to the lessons at hand, it is more descriptive than it is aesthetic. Its juxtaposition of distinct sonic color schemes is pure Surman, and represents not a detour from but a dive into the kaleidoscope of his discography…and one well worth taking, at that. https://ecmreviews.com/2013/02/15/proverbs-and-songs/

Personnel: John Surman baritone and soprano saxophones, bass clarinet; John Taylor organ

Proverbs And Songs

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