Friday, October 29, 2021

Peter Bernstein & Guido Di Leone Quartet - Tribute to Jim Hall

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:46
Size: 144,0 MB
Art: Front

(11:52) 1. I'm Getting Sentimental over You
( 6:21) 2. Bon ami
( 6:25) 3. Two's Blues
( 6:22) 4. All Across the City
( 8:14) 5. I Hear a Rhapsody
( 6:01) 6. Waltz New
( 9:19) 7. How Deep Is the Ocean
( 8:10) 8. St Thomas

Jazz guitarist Peter Bernstein was born September 3, 1967, in New York City. He got his first break while attending the New School when he met Jim Hall, who recruited him for a concert of guitarists as part of the 1990 JVC Jazz Festival in New York. The show was recorded by MusicMasters and issued as Live at Town Hall, Vol. 2. Bernstein quickly began playing with other jazz musicians, notably appearing on albums by Lou Donaldson, Michael Hashim, Larry Goldings, Mel Rhyne, Jesse Davis, and Geoff Keezer. He recorded his first album as a leader, Somethin's Burnin', for Criss Cross in December, 1992, as part of quartet with pianist Brad Mehldau, bassist John Webber, and drummer Jimmy Cobb. After working with such artists as Patti Page, Walt Weiskopf, Brian Lynch, Laverne Butler, Eric Alexander, and Hendrik Meurkens in 1993-1994, Bernstein returned to his solo work with Signs of Life. Issued in May of 1995, the album once again found the guitarist backed by pianist Mehldau, along with bassist Christian McBride, and drummer Gregory Hutchinson. Further work as a sideman with Ghetto Philharmonic, Trudy Desmond, Teodross Avery, Joshua Redman, Kevin Mahogany, Grant Stewart, and Mike LeDonne preceded the release of his third album, Brain Dance, in June 1997. This time, he led a quintet also containing organist Goldings, tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander, trombonist Steve Davis, and drummer Billy Drummond. Prior to his fourth album, Earth Tones, Bernstein recorded with Ralph Lalama and Eric Comstock, among others. Earth Tones, issued in August, 1998, found him fronting a trio with Goldings and drummer Bill Stewart.

Five years elapsed before the release of Heart's Content, Bernstein's fifth album as a leader, and he occupied the time working with a wide variety of musicians including Tom Aalfs, Group 15, Jimmy Cobb's Mob, David Bubba Brooks, Doug Lawrence, Sam Yahel, David Morgan, Jon Gordon, Michael Karn, Spike Wilner, Anna Lauvergnac, Harry Allen, Paula West, Nicholas Payton, Etta Jones, Béla Szakcsi Lakatos, Lee Konitz, Klaus Doldinger, and Ralph Bowen. Heart's Content, which was released in May 2003, was credited to "Peter Bernstein + 3," and the three were Mehldau, Bill Stewart, and bassist Larry Grenadier. The same year the album appeared, Bernstein could be heard on albums by Ryan Kisor, Wycliffe Gordon, Janis Siegel, and Martin Sasse, among others. Stranger in Paradise, Bernstein's sixth album, was released in June 2004 by the Japanese Tokuma label, and employed the same lineup as that on Heart's Content. In addition to musicians with whom he had recorded before, Bernstein appeared on albums by Jim Rotondi and Dr. Lonnie Smith in 2004 and Kathy Kosins in 2005. On August 23, 2005, Mel Bay released the DVD Peter Bernstein Trio Live at Smoke, taped at a jazz club on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

Among his many sideman sessions in the mid-2000s, Bernstein added dates with Joe Magnarelli, Alvin Queen, Planet Jazz, Anton Schwartz, John Pisano, David "Fathead" Newman, Don Friedman, Cory Weeds, and Andrew Suvalsky to the list of his credits, along with repeat appearances with others. In January 2009, the newly reactivated Xanadu label released Bernstein's seventh album, Monk, a tribute to Thelonious Monk featuring bassist Doug Weiss and drummer Bill Stewart. In 2013, he paired with guitarist Joachim Schoenecker for the duo album Dialogues. A year later, he joined longtime associates Larry Goldings and Bill Stewart on Ramshackle Serenade. He then made his Smoke Sessions debut with 2016's Let Loose, a lively quartet date featuring pianist Gerald Clayton. Also that year, he collaborated with fellow guitarists Rale Micic, John Abercrombie, and Lage Lund on Inspired. For the guitarist's second Smoke Sessions date, Signs Live!, he reunited the band that had recorded his 1995 album Signs of Life, including pianist Brad Mehldau, bassist Christian McBride, and drummer Gregory Hutchinson. Released in 2017, Signs Live! was the first time Bernstein and the members of the quartet had all played together in over 20 years.~ William Ruhlmann https://www.allmusic.com/artist/peter-bernstein-mn0000317924/biography

Personnel: Peter Bernstein (guitar); Guido Di Leone (guitar); Dario Deidda (bass); Andy Watson (drums)

Tribute to Jim Hall

Dizzy Gillespie - Dizzy In Greece

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1957
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:54
Size: 97,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:40) 1. Hey Pete
(3:47) 2. Yesterdays
(4:18) 3. Tin Tin Deo
(3:22) 4. Groovin' for Nat
(4:06) 5. Annie's Dance
(4:56) 6. Cool Breeze
(4:22) 7. School Days
(3:14) 8. That's All
(4:14) 9. Stable Mates
(3:52) 10. Groovin' High

Dizzy's in Greece, looking very cool in a fez on the cover and really wailing hard with a larger group that includes Billy Mitchell, Charlie Persip, Lee Morgan, Wynton Kelly, and Phil Woods! The mode here is still quite boppish, despite the larger size of the ensemble but Dizzy also manages to bring in some of those wonderfully rich colors that were coming into his later work a tonal depth that's completely amazing, and which pushed Gillespie way past his simple roots of the 40s, into a space that made him one of the most expressive jazz leaders of the 50s. The horn charts alone are totally great and Dizzy's got a wonderful talent for letting the key soloists step out with a really strong voice in the set and although short, the tunes have an incredible reach overall. Titles include "Tin Tin Deo", "Yesterdays", "Groovin' High", "Hey Pete", "Arnnie's Dance", and "Groovin' for Nat". © 1996-2021, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/1776/Dizzy-Gillespie:Dizzy-In-Greece

Personnel: Dizzy Gillespie, trumpet and leader; Joe Gordon, trumpet; Quincy Jones, trumpet; E.V. Perry, trumpet; Carl Warwick, trumpet; Melba Liston, trombone; Frank Rehak, trombone; Rod Levitt, bass trombone; Jimmy Powell, alto saxophone; Phil Woods, alto saxophone; Billy Mitchell, tenor saxophone; Ernie Wilkins, tenor saxophone; Marty Flax, baritone saxophone; Walter Davis, Jr., piano; Nelson Boyd, bass; Charli Persip, drums

Dizzy In Greece

Ingrid Jensen - Now As Then

Styles: Straight-ahead/Mainstream, Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:50
Size: 153,3 MB
Art: Front

(10:59)  1. The Night Has a Thousand Eyes
( 8:29)  2. R Hour
( 6:39)  3. Now As Then
( 7:30)  4. Periwinkle
( 8:42)  5. Gloria
( 6:47)  6. Silver Twiligh
( 8:50)  7. Tony's Town
( 8:51)  8. Dilemma

The familiar groove of the organ trio returns with Ingrid Jensen's newest release. Her resounding trumpet and mellow flugelhorn carry a message that jazz will grow from its tradition of syncopated swing and creative improvisation toward a fresh formula that keeps the best elements on board, while adding virtuosic individual displays and a cohesive ensemble interplay. Trumpet and saxophone give Project O a classic front line flavor that has been espoused by many memorable straight-ahead quintets throughout jazz's history. Gary Versace's Hammond B-3 organ, on the other hand, lends a different mainstream timbre that points in several different directions. It's a great combination. Seamus Blake puts in a solid performance on his guest appearances and complements Jensen's trumpet quite well. Steve Wilson and Christine Jensen, who both add lively alto and soprano saxophone voices to the program, bring out a lighter side of the music. (Christine is Ingrid's sister.) The session includes both serious drama and laid-back swing.

While it's not clear on every track whether we're listening to Christine or Steve, each has sufficient leading roles to verify their individual spirits. Leader Ingrid Jensen is at ease with both. On Christine's "Dilemma," Wilson trades fours with the composer. Both have chosen the alto for this one; Wilson is on the left audio channel and Jensen is on the right. Their natural conversation leads to an open trumpet soliloquy and an eventual coming together of the band's distinctive voices. As with most of the album, an emphasis on rich harmony drives the piece forward with multi-hued layers. Now As Then draws together trumpeter Ingrid Jensen's original thoughts on the creative path that modern jazz needs to follow if it is to achieve continued growth. ~ Jim Santella  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/now-as-then-ingrid-jensen-review-by-jim-santella.php

Personnel: Ingrid Jensen- trumpet, flugelhorn; Gary Versace- B-3 organ; Jon Wikan- drums; Steve Wilson- alto saxophone, alto flute; Christine Jensen- alto saxophone, soprano saxophone; Seamus Blake- tenor saxophone

Thursday, October 28, 2021

Rosana Eckert - Sailing Home

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:14
Size: 111,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:31)  1. Sailing Home
(3:57)  2. Garby the Great
(4:35)  3. Someone Else's Life
(4:52)  4. Waiting
(4:36)  5. Miles of Blue
(4:06)  6. Blue Flower
(4:49)  7. Coriander Stomp
(3:54)  8. Empty Room
(4:55)  9. Lovely Ever After
(5:37) 10. For Good
(3:19) 11. Meant for Me

Rosana Eckert has made a name for herself as a jazz vocals composer and arranger with her previous recordings, At The End Of The Day (GEM Records, 2003) and Small Hotel (GEM Records, 2010). Bright and imaginative, Eckert draws from a lifetime of music beginning with her childhood in El Paso, Texas, where the musical melting pot was richly seasoned with American, Hispanic, and European influences. Educated at the notable music school, the University of North Texas, she went on to become a faculty member in addition to leading her own band, performing as a wedding singer and recording commercial jingles. This wide-openness to anything musical is Eckert's charm. She has a giving and generous musical personality that manifests in her broad format and genre palette. On Sailing Home, Eckert composes or co-composes eleven disparate jazz songs, each with its own character and texture. Eckert's music is as much tactile as tuneful. This tactile musical nature reveals itself in the intersection of a chosen rhythm and the song arrangements. On the title song, Eckert and pianist Peter Eldridge craft a sonic walk on an uneven path.

Over the circuitous figure, guitarist Corey Christiansen lays an infectious muted electric counterfigure. Ben Whittman's prepared steel drums are just gravy. Eckert's singing is bright, positive and inviting, setting a warm tone to the entire project. "Garby The Great" is a slinky, blues-inflected ballad with Eckert singing with authority and awareness, almost as a spontaneous vocalese. Her scat counterpoint to Young Heo's walking bass leads to Christiansen's octaves, and Heo's muscular solo, tartly accented by Christiansen. If a voice can mimic a fingersnap, Eckert's does so.  "Someone Else's Life" shimmers with dubbed vocals, Eckert studying harmony and sound structure in a forward and progressive manner. Eldridge and Christiansen provide a delicate filigree hung on Heo's spare bass playing. Juxtaposed against this shiny surface is the humid and inviting "Waiting," featuring Ginny Mac's whispering accordion weaving with a lazy Reggae beat. The attention grabber is "Coriander Stomp" initiated by a dirty funk line by Christiansen that gives way to drummer Steve Barnes channelling Little Feat's Richie Hayward in a jaunty street march. Christiansen's solo is boss with fuzz and swing. Eckert sings wordlessly, scatting in and out of the musical celebration, which is a good way to describe the entire recording.. ~ C.Michael Bailey https://www.allaboutjazz.com/sailing-home-rosana-eckert-oa2-records-review-by-c-michael-bailey.php

Personnel: Rosana Eckert, vocals; Peter Eldridge, piano, organ, keyboards; Corey Christiansen, electric/acoustic guitars; Young Heo, acoustic bass; Steve Barnes, drums; Ben Wittman, percussion (1, 4, 9); Gary Eckert, percussion (5, 7, 10); Daniel Pardo, alto flute (8, 9); Brian Piper, piano (7); Ginny Mac, accordion (4).

Sailing Home

Bruce Forman Quartet - Pardon Me!

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1988
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:18
Size: 110,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:35) 1. Count Down
(5:09) 2. Skylight
(6:07) 3. Pardon Me
(5:45) 4. I Thought About You
(4:15) 5. Blues For Wes
(6:07) 6. Picture Window
(5:58) 7. Autumn Leaves
(4:17) 8. Once Again
(7:00) 9. I Hear a Rhapsody

This strong effort finds guitarist Bruce Forman exploring music that is sometimes adventurous (particularly John Coltrane's "Countdown" and Dave Liebman's "Once Again"), along with some more basic tunes (the ballad "I Thought About You" and his "Blues for Wes"). An added plus to the date is that the quartet (which also includes bassist Jeff Carney and drummer Eddie Marshall) co-stars the superb pianist Bill Childs.~Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/pardon-me%21-mw0000199135

Personnel: Guitar – Bruce Forman; Bass – Jeff Carney ; Drums – Eddie Marshall ; Piano – Billy Childs

Pardon Me!

Frank Foster & Frank Wess - Frankly Speaking

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1985
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:38
Size: 114,5 MB
Art: Front

( 6:32) 1. An' All Such Stuff As'Dat
( 6:47) 2. The Summer Knows
( 7:12) 3. When Did You Leave Heaven?
( 4:44) 4. Up And Coming
( 5:01) 5. One Morning In May
( 3:09) 6. Two Franks
(10:22) 7. This Is All I Ask
( 5:47) 8. Blues Backstage

Using the same personnel as the previous year's Two for the Blues (Frank Foster on tenor and soprano, Frank Wess on tenor and flute, pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Rufus Reid, and drummer Marvin "Smitty" Smith), this set gets the slight edge and is an excellent introduction to the playing of the two Count Basie saxophonists. Foster contributes two originals (including the classic "Blues Backstage"), Wess brings in "Up and Coming," and the quintet also performs five jazz standards including "When Did You Leave Heaven," Hoagy Carmichael's "One Morning in May," and Neal Hefti's "Two Franks." Recommended.~Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/frankly-speaking-mw0000649518

Personnel: Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Frank Foster; Bass – Rufus Reid; Drums – Marvin "Smitty" Smith; Flute, Tenor Saxophone – Frank Wess; Piano – Kenny Barron

Frankly Speaking

Jimmy Smith - Got My Mojo Workin'/Hoochie Coochie Man

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 79:08
Size: 181.2 MB
Styles: Soul-jazz
Year: 1997
Art: Front

[5:12] 1. High Heel Sneakers
[4:23] 2. Satisfaction
[4:06] 3. 1-2-3
[5:37] 4. Mustard Greens
[7:59] 5. Got My Mojo Workin'
[3:57] 6. Johnny Come Lately
[3:48] 7. C Jam Blues
[4:28] 8. Hobson's Hop
[5:57] 9. Hoochie Coochie Man
[5:28] 10. One Mint Julep
[5:41] 11. Ain't That Just Like A Woman
[6:13] 12. Boom Boom
[5:25] 13. Blues And The Abstract Truth
[6:08] 14. Tnt
[4:40] 15. (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction (Alternative Take)

After leading a series of notable jam sessions for Blue Note, organist Jimmy Smith signed a lucrative contract with Verve in 1962. Throughout the remainder of the decade, he recorded songs that ranged from treasures to trash, turning most of the music into bluesy vamps. On this CD, a reissue of the LPs Got My Mojo Workin' and Hoochie Cooche Man, Smith's repertoire ranges from Billy Strayhorn's "Johnny Come Lately" and Oliver Nelson's "Blues and the Abstract Truth" to "I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man" and "I Can't Get No Satisfaction." In most cases, Smith's versions bear little resemblance to the original recordings. The earlier set has Smith featured with both a quartet and an octet arranged by Oliver Nelson. The remainder of the CD is a big band with Nelson's charts making the orchestra as exuberant as Smith's solos. Overall, the CD is not as essential as Jimmy Smith's better Blue Note dates, but is a worthwhile acquisition for fans of the jazz organ due to his enthusiasm and his ability to uplift the material. ~Scott Yanow

Got My Mojo Workin'/Hoochie Coochieman  

Wednesday, October 27, 2021

Bruce Forman with Joe Henderson - Forman on the Job

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:27
Size: 131,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:51) 1. How Long Has This Been Going On
(5:43) 2. Un Poco Loco
(4:26) 3. Autumn Nocturn
(6:33) 4. Real Life
(4:55) 5. Prisione
(3:32) 6. Last Minute Calypso
(6:12) 7. Lullaby
(5:46) 8. A Night In Tunisia
(5:33) 9. Angels Just Are
(4:29) 10. People Will Say We're In Love
(4:23) 11. I Concentrate On You

Guitarist Bruce Forman's second CD for the small San Francisco-based Kamei label features him with bassist John Clayton, drummer Vince Lateano, and sometimes percussionist John Santos, plus guests. Pianist Mark Levine is on eight of the 11 tracks, tenor great Joe Henderson helps out on four, and steel drummer Andy Narell drops by for two. Although there are three Forman originals and one by Clayton ("Angels Just Are"), the emphasis is on bop-era tunes, including Bud Powell's "Un Poco Loco," "A Night in Tunisia," and a swinging "I Concentrate on You." The beautiful "Autumn Nocturne" is a high point.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/forman-on-the-job-mw0000085142

Personnel: Bruce Forman, guitar; John Clayton, Jr, bass; Vince Lateano, drums; Mark Levine, piano

Forman on the Job

Brenda Lee - Sincerely

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:22
Size: 81,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:46) 1. You Always Hurt The One You Love
(2:19) 2. Lazy River
(2:41) 3. You've Got Me Crying Again
(3:19) 4. It's The Talk Of The Town
(2:53) 5. Send Me Some Lovin'
(3:05) 6. How Deep Is The Ocean
(2:32) 7. I'll Always Be In Love With You
(2:53) 8. I Miss You So
(2:38) 9. Fools Rush In
(2:56) 10. Only You (And You Alone)
(2:36) 11. Hold Me
(2:37) 12. I'll Be Seeing You

Brenda Lee had made popular standards a part of her recorded repertoire almost from the time she started making records. But on this 1962 album (known both as Sincerely and Sincerely, Brenda Lee), these did not so much add to her versatility as tilt the LP away from the strengths that had made her so popular in the first place. It wasn't unknown for rock singers to make albums dominated by adult-oriented material in an attempt to broaden their appeal, and Lee could sing this kind of stuff well. The problem was that the record featured almost nothing but these kind of songs, most of them taken at a slow tempo, and none of them rock & rollers (or hit singles, for that matter).

As a result, it's one of the more forgettable albums from her prime, of value only to big fans and completists. All that stated, it's not a terrible record, benefiting from Owen Bradley's typically lush-yet-tasteful orchestral production and characteristically committed Lee vocal performances. None of the tracks are outstanding, however, though none are embarrassing and a few are decent, particularly the one up-tempo number, "Fools Rush In." "Hold Me" is also of note, as it's the same song that P.J. Proby would make into a huge British rock hit in 1964, though it's done in a much more conventional slower romantic fashion here.~ Richie Unterberger https://www.allmusic.com/album/sincerely-brenda-lee-mw0000856303

Sincerely

Ben L'oncle Soul - Addicted To You

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:37
Size: 102,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:11) 1. Two Trees
(3:35) 2. Next To You
(3:35) 3. All My Life
(3:38) 4. Addicted
(4:24) 5. I Love This Game
(3:25) 6. The Best
(5:34) 7. You’re All I Need
(3:37) 8. I Don't Wanna Go
(5:09) 9. Call Me
(3:30) 10. I Just Want You
(3:55) 11. Let It Go

The French Soul-singer, revives the genre to its purest form in recent offering. Flexing his charming vocal timbre through a confluence of black musical influences; to provide a soulful soundscape, that exhibits traces of his Gospel background while exploring hints of traditional R&B and HIp-Hop. Ben formerly known as Ben L’Oncle Soul, the vocally dazzling, hugely entertaining artist from France, first graced stages as a vocalist in the Fitiavana Gospel choir. The ensemble made its album debut in 2009, with ‘I Have A Dream’ comprised of a collection of renditions of English-language soul classics such as ‘Killing Me Softly’, ‘Lean On Me’ and more. Successively, Ben was offered a solo recording deal with the French division of Motown Recordings, resulting in the release of his 2009 EP ‘Soul Wash’. Following shortly after with his full-length debut album ‘Ben L’Oncle Soul’ which hit number five on the French album chart, landing him numerous nominations and awards including; Best Male Singer of the year at The Globes de Cristal and Live Breakthrough at the Victoires de la Musique. Since signing Ben has augmented over 750,000 monthly listeners on Spotify alone with an audience predominately across his native land, Amsterdam and Sao Paulo.

Throughout this review, we'll break down the core musical elements of Ben's fourth album: 'Addicted To You'. That he delineates as an offering that sets forth an accumulation of influences of over the past 10 years. When speaking of Soul music, typically we first think of the most unique and personal instrument of them all; the voice it's fair to say that Ben's vocals are extremely potent. To be truthfully honest, your vocabulary could reach a total vanishing point when trying to describe it. However, there is some historicism here, a lot of the depth we hear stems from his years spent in the Fitiavana Gospel Choir, which he joined in 2004. His melismatic approach to projecting his voice, is best shown in tracks like: 'I Love This Game' an offering that compares the course of love to sport. In addition to ‘The Best’ which conveys the significance of confidence in not only yourself but the ones we love; described by Ben as “the basis of all relationships.” both showcase Ben’s vocal prowess.

You can hear subtle alterations in his timber, in response to him adapting to differing atmospheric emotion from scenes of sensuality, sorrow and longing - throughout this album. To achieve this, we hear him bouncing between speech and song, slightly extending the note at the end of a word at times (a method that does a great job in conveying his expression), whilst keeping his vocals controlled and with purpose at others. Evoking slight parts of black southern Gospel tradition (arguably a descendant of Soul) – A tradition that is known for a choir or singer constantly moving between something that also sounds like talking and singing. Often changing the timber of the voice to preach a message to a church. Moving onto the R&B element, that can be heard within the vibe of each track, somewhat reminiscent of prolific R&B legend D'Angelo (who also shares a Gospel background). Although. we won't hear Ben influenced by D'Angelo's famous falsetto, we will hear similarities in the album's rich instrument heavy production. The track 'Addicted' a song coined as “the albums strongest melody” by Ben: is a good example of this, it’s use of sizzling hats and sultry guitar runs creates an interesting foreground for Ben to lay down his sweet harmonies. Along with the last minute of 'I Don't Wanna Go'a track that displays a sense of betrayal and anger - supplying a invigorating electric guitar moment, accompanied by sweet piano riffs. Notwithstanding, the traditional components, Ben explores a synth lead backdrop in 'I Just Want You' a instaltion that acts as sexual decleration, serves a contemporary R&B feel that’s extremely favoured with in the genre today.

To conclude, 'Addicted to You' is a highly emotive body of work - courtesy of Ben's immaculate vocal expression teamed with his crews perfectly executed production along with some diverse collaborations. It journeys through a real-life turbulent portrayal of a love story, with highs and lows stippled throughout. To be pedantic, I would say although I feel the album supplies us with a wholesome experience due to of all the elements aforementioned; However personally, I would have enjoyed it that bit more if lyrically it was slightly more introspective. I also would have loved at least one of the songs to be acoustic, only because I know that it would sound be a great addition to the offering. Nonetheless, this is definitely an album that will go down a treat with Soul or R&B fans, whether digested in full or taken apart to uplift your go to playlist. It seems that his audience are already lapping this up, as streams are hitting some pretty impressive heights, along with some tracks being sprinkled throughout some of Spotify's best Soul playlists, like 'Soul 'n' the City' which has garnered almost 300,000 likes. https://www.newwavemagazine.com/single-post/ben-addicted-to-you-review-the-nostalgia-you-need

Addicted To You

Frank Foster & Frank Wess - Two for the blues

Styles: Saxophone, Flute Jazz
Year: 1984
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 45:54
Size: 84,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:41)  1. Two For The Blues
(6:18)  2. Send In The Clowns
(4:12)  3. Your Beauty Is A Song Of Love
(4:18)  4. But For The Likes Of You
(5:44)  5. Heat Of Winter
(4:16)  6. Nancy With The Laughing Face
(5:03)  7. Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most
(5:32)  8. A Time For Love
(3:46)  9. Traccia 09

This CD reissue of a Pablo date features Frank Foster (on tenor and soprano) and Frank Wess (tenor, flute and alto) at their best. They perform three Wess originals, one by Foster, and a variety of mostly underplayed standards (including Neal Hefti's "Two for the Blues," plus "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most") and a surprisingly uptempo "Send In the Clowns." With pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Rufus Reid and drummer Marvin "Smitty" Smith offering stimulating support, this is an excellent showcase for the two Franks. A follow-up Concord set (Frankly Speaking) used the same personnel. 
~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/two-for-the-blues-mw0000267573

Personnel: Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Frank Foster;  Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Flute – Frank Wess; Bass – Rufus Reid; Drums – Marvin Smith;   Piano – Kenny Barron 

Two for the blues

Tuesday, October 26, 2021

The Dime Notes - The Dime Notes

Styles: New Orleans jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:31
Size: 115,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:56) 1. Original Jelly Roll Blues
(4:04) 2. Alabamy Bound
(4:36) 3. Aunt Hagar's Children's Blues
(3:05) 4. Black Stick Blues
(5:19) 5. The Pearls
(3:34) 6. 'Tain't Clean
(4:17) 7. Otis Stomp
(6:16) 8. Si Tu Vois Ma Mere
(2:58) 9. The Camel Walk
(4:59) 10. The Crave
(3:39) 11. I Believe In Miracles
(3:16) 12. Ole Miss
(2:52) 13. Turtle Twist
(2:50) 14. What A Dream

The Dime Notes have unearthed a repertoire of stomps, blueses, and forgotten gems of the era from musicians such as Johnny Dodds, Jelly Roll Morton and Red Nichols. Fronted by Chris Barber’s long-time clarinetist David Horniblow, an established figure on the London jazz scene and American pianist Andrew Oliver, a recent arrival to the UK, the band is anchored by the unstoppable pulse of London’s finest rhythm guitarist Dave Kelbie.

The bass chair is occupied by London bassist Louis Thomas, in demand across many genre boundaries with his huge sound and stylistic versatility. The Dime Notes present a fresh take on a timeless style, emphasizing the propulsive grooves and sultry melodies which made early jazz revolutionary, controversial, and wildly popular. https://lejazzetal.com/the-dime-notes/

Personnel: David Horniblow – Clarinet; Andrew Oliver - Piano; Dave Kelbie - Guitar; Louis Thomas - Double Bass

The Dime Notes>

Maxine Sullivan - Moments Like This

Styles: Vocal, Swing
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:57
Size: 165,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:57) 1. Loch Lomond
(2:26) 2. I'm Coming Virginia
(2:42) 3. Annie Laurie
(3:04) 4. Blue Skies
(3:03) 5. Easy To Love
(3:02) 6. The Folks Who Live On The Hill
(2:56) 7. It's Wonderful
(3:05) 8. Moments Like This
(3:15) 9. Please Be Kind
(3:22) 10. Night And Day
(3:03) 11. Say It With A Kiss
(2:39) 12. I'm Happy About The Whole Thing
(2:44) 13. When Your Lover Has Gone
(2:22) 14. My Ideal
(3:06) 15. Everytime We Say Goodbye
(3:07) 16. This Heart Of Mine
(2:49) 17. I'm The Caring Kind
(2:57) 18. Mad About The Boy
(2:51) 19. I Can't Get Started
(2:44) 20. Skylark
(2:51) 21. Come Rain Or Come Shine
(2:07) 22. Taking My Time
(3:00) 23. Summertime
(2:54) 24. Legalize My Name
(2:38) 25. Miss Otis Regrets

Maxine Sullivan had very little formal music training. She was discovered while singing at the Benjamin Harrison Literary Club in Pittsburg by Gladys Mosier. Mosier was, in the mid 1930's, working in Ina Rae Hutton’s big band and an acquaitance of fellow pianist Claude Thornhill. She soon introduced her new find to Thornhill and as his protege', Maxine Sullivan made her first records in June of 1937, accompanied by the pianist's all-star band.

The critics at Metronome magazine received Maxine's first records warmly, giving the discs good ratings and reviews. Around the same time Maxine became the vocalist at The Onyx Club in New York. It was here that she formed both a music and personal partnership with bass-man John Kirby who she soon married. Kirby had worked with Fletcher Henderson in the early 1930’s as well as Henry Red Allen. A busy man in 1937, the stellar bassist recorded with Teddy Wilson, Willie The Lion Smith, Frankie Newton, Midge Williams, Charlie Barnet, and Lionel Hampton all prior to the first records he made with Maxine on August 6th, 1937 which also saw accompaniment from Thornhill on piano. Sullivan and Kirby remained married until 1941.

It was this first session with Kirby that proved to be both a blessing and a curse for Maxine Sullivan. It produced a hit record, a swing version of a Scottish folk song called Loch Lomond. Unfortunately it "typed" her and she depended on similar folk style performances for many subsequent records, despite her ability to adapt to other forms of Pop and jazz songs equally well. Her cool, soft, tone and subtle and intimate style was equally swinging on records like Nice Work If You Can Get It, Blue Skies, St Louis Blues, and Stop Your Breaking My Heart. Unfortunately there were a bevy of records like Darling Nellie Gray, Annie Laurie, Molly Malone and others that began to sound all very similar.

In 1940 Sullivan and Kirby were featured on the radio program Flow Gently Sweet Rhythm. They were the first black jazz stars to have their own weekly radio series. Sullivan and Kirby’s last shows together were in the fall of 1941 and were recorded by two different transcription companies, World and Associated. In the mid 1940s she was recorded with the bands of Teddy Wilson, Benny Carter, and Jimmie Lunceford and can be heard singing mainly ballads with all three groups.

Aside from sessions with Ellis Larkins and Bob Haggart, her recorded output was little until 1955 and 1956. Finally recorded singing better material in the company of musicians like Dick Hyman, and old cohorts Buster Bailey, Charlie Shavers, and Russell Procope; Sullivan produced a series of sides that were her most exciting since her 1937 sessions. In the late 50’s she branched out to new areas of study, in nursing and playing valve trombone, which she played at numerous concerts and festivals in 1958. From 1958 to 1966 nursing took up her career. In ’66 she reemerged playing several festivals with her new husband pianist Cliff Jackson. From then until 1986 she continued to appear at festivals and can be heard with musicians from Doc Cheatham to Scott Hamilton. Her last recorded concert was at The Fujitsu-Concord Jazz festival held in Tokyo in September of 1986.

Maxine Sullivan appeared in the movies St. Louis Blues and Going Places, the latter opposite of Louis Armstrong. On stage, she was seen in Swingin’ The Dream in 1939, and Take A Giant Step in 1953. She toured Great Britain in 1948 and again in 1954. In her later concert appearances she traveled to France for several performances in 1984 and to Sweden many times beginning in 1975 and ending in 1984. Maxine Sullivan died in April of 1987, little more than one month short of her 76th birthday and just 8 months after her last recorded concert appearance. The last song she performed at the Fujitsu – Concord Jazz Festival and her last performance on record…was Loch Lomond. http://www.swingmusic.net/Sullivan_Maxine.html

Moments Like This

The Randy Johnston Trio - Riding the Curve

Styles: Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:09
Size: 133,1 MB
Art: Front

( 6:20)  1. The Song Is Ended
( 8:26)  2. All Through the Night
( 6:12)  3. I Get Along Without You Very Well
( 8:25)  4. High-Heel Sneakers
(10:04)  5. You've Never Been There!
( 5:13)  6. The Park
( 8:08)  7. Wives and Lovers
( 5:18)  8. For Thomas

Recorded on April 30, 1998. Includes liner notes by Bob Blumenthal. Further asserting himself as a premier jazz guitarist, Johnston presents his fifth recording as leader, the second with organist Joey DeFrancesco (the first was In-A-Chord). Idris Muhammad plays the drums with usual aplomb, and tenor saxophone legend Johnny Griffin shows up on two cuts. Johnston does a little bit of everything on this one. There's the midtempo swing of "The Song Is Ended," the funky R&B of "High-Heel Sneakers" (which recalls Jimmy Smith), and the waltzing "Wives and Lovers." On a dangerously slow version of "I Get Along Without You Very Well," Johnston adds some quicker lines. "All Through the Night," featuring Griffin on tenor, is smooth and swift. There are two Johnston originals "The Park" is an easy, no-frills bossa, while "For Thomas" (dedicated to Johnston's old college roommate, the late Thomas Chapin) is a swinging remembrance of more innocent days. 

The longest cut is another piece reminiscent of Jimmy Smith, Griffin's ten-minute-plus "You've Never Been There!" It features a blues groove with tenor sax/guitar unison, an element that Johnston is well-known for. Johnston is an accessible musician whose lyricism is ever-present but rarely flashy. Following in the tradition of legends like Grant Green, Wes Montgomery, and Pat Martino, he proves himself immensely capable on this fine CD, as he continues to grow and mature into one of the best in the business. ~ Michael G. Nastos this trio was formed during a tour of Spain in 1997 - guitarist Johnston, Hammond B-3 player Joey DeFrancesco, drummer Idris Muhammad, as well as special guest saxophonist Johnny Griffin, swing from start to finish Randy Johnston Trio: Randy Johnston (guitar); Joey DeFrancesco (organ); Idris Muhammad (drums). http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=1184800&style=music&fulldesc=T

Recording information: Nola Recording Studio (04/30/1998).  Additional personnel: Johnny Griffin (saxophone). 

Jennifer Wrobleski - Jennifer Wrobleski Sings for Harold

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:24
Size: 81,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:31) 1. Love You Madly (feat. Harold Mabern, Joe Farnsworth & Alex Claffy)
(4:04) 2. Heres That Rainy Day
(3:31) 3. Central Park West
(3:28) 4. Red Top (feat. Harold Mabern, Joe Farnsworth & Alex Claffy)
(3:08) 5. Pick Yourself Up (feat. Harold Mabern, Joe Farnsworth & Alex Claffy)
(5:31) 6. The Folks Who Live on a Hill (feat. Harold Mabern, Joe Farnsworth & Alex Claffy)
(4:25) 7. But When the Music Stops (You Always Come Back to Me)
(3:31) 8. Cheek to Cheek
(5:11) 9. Over the Rainbow (feat. Harold Mabern)

Vocalist and painter, Jennifer Wrobleski (formerly Farnsworth) has recently moved to Alpharetta. Born in Pittsburgh, PA, Ms. Wrobleski has lived up and down the east coast. She studied opera at the New England Conservatory of Music and musical theatre at the Boston Conservatory of Music. After school, she began her singing career with The Walt Disney Company in Orlando, FL. As the character, Cinderella, she sang and danced in the Magic Kingdom’s Cinderella Surprise Celebration show. She also played the role of Belle in MGM’s Beauty & The Beast show.

In early 2005, she formed a jazz quartet and performed throughout Florida and Georgia, including Downtown Disney’s Pleasure Island Jazz Company, the House of Blues Orlando, Nikki Beach Miami, Churchill Grounds Atlanta and Sambuca in Buckhead. Later, having moved to NYC, Ms. Farnsworth performed regularly with Harold Mabern Jr, Joseph Farnsworth, Eric Alexander, John Webber, Sharp Radway and Anthony Wonsey. Oftentimes, she was a featured vocalist with the Harold Mabern Jr Trio at the Village Vanguard, Dizzy’s Coca-Cola Club and clubs around the world including Greece,Vienna,Russia and Italy. In addition to the music, Ms. Wrobleski is an avid painter. Her portrait of jazz legend, Harold Mabern Jr is on display at Smalls Jazz Club NYC, a portrait of Teddy Wilson is hanging on the walls at Mezzrow Jazz Club in NYC, as well as a mural at the famed Harlem restaurant, Charlie’s Bar & Kitchen. https://www.jenniferfarnsworthpaintings.com/about

Jennifer Wrobleski Sings for Harold

Monday, October 25, 2021

Django Reinhardt - Compact Jazz: Django Reinhardt In Brussels

Styles: Gypsy Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:02
Size: 112,0 MB
Art: Front

(2:53) 1. Place De Brouckere
(2:53) 2. Seul Ce Soir
(2:37) 3. Mixture
(3:06) 4. Bei Dir War Es Immer So Schon
(3:14) 5. Vous Et Moi
(3:01) 6. Distraction
(2:53) 7. Blues En Mineur
(3:04) 8. Studio 24
(2:56) 9. Divine Beguine
(4:10) 10. Nuages
(3:06) 11. Djangology
(3:04) 12. Eclats De Cuivres
(2:36) 13. Django Rag
(2:46) 14. Dynamisme
(2:54) 15. Tons D'Ebene
(2:43) 16. Chez Moi A Six Heures

Django Reinhardt was the first hugely influential jazz figure to emerge from Europe and he remains the most influential European to this day, with possible competition from Joe Zawinul, George Shearing, John McLaughlin, his old cohort Stephane Grappelli and a bare handful of others. A free-spirited gypsy, Reinhardt wasn't the most reliable person in the world, frequently wandering off into the countryside on a whim. Yet Reinhardt came up with a unique way of propelling the humble acoustic guitar into the front line of a jazz combo in the days before amplification became widespread. He would spin joyous, arcing, marvelously inflected solos above the thrumming base of two rhythm guitars and a bass, with Grappelli's elegantly gliding violin serving as the perfect foil. His harmonic concepts were startling for their time making a direct impression upon Charlie Christian and Les Paul, among others and he was an energizing rhythm guitarist behind Grappelli, pushing their groups into a higher gear. Not only did Reinhardt put his stamp upon jazz, his string band music also had an impact upon the parallel development of Western swing, which eventually fed into the wellspring of what is now called country music. Although he could not read music, with Grappelli and on his own, Reinhardt composed several winsome, highly original tunes like "Daphne," "Nuages" and "Manoir de Mes Reves," as well as mad swingers like "Minor Swing" and the ode to his record label of the '30s, "Stomping at Decca." As the late Ralph Gleason said about Django's recordings, "They were European and they were French and they were still jazz."

A violinist first and a guitarist later, Jean Baptiste "Django" Reinhardt grew up in a gypsy camp near Paris where he absorbed the gypsy strain into his music. A disastrous caravan fire in 1928 badly burned his left hand, depriving him of the use of the fourth and fifth fingers, but the resourceful Reinhardt figured out a novel fingering system to get around the problem that probably accounts for some of the originality of his style. According to one story, during his recovery period, Reinhardt was introduced to American jazz when he found a 78 RPM disc of Louis Armstrong's "Dallas Blues" at an Orleans flea market. He then resumed his career playing in Parisian cafes until one day in 1934 when Hot Club chief Pierre Nourry proposed the idea of an all-string band to Reinhardt and Grappelli. Thus was born the Quintet of the Hot Club of France, which quickly became an international draw thanks to a long, splendid series of Ultraphone, Decca and HMV recordings.

The outbreak of war in 1939 broke up the Quintette, with Grappelli remaining in London where the group was playing and Reinhardt returning to France. During the war years, he led a big band, another quintet with clarinetist Hubert Rostaing in place of Grappelli, and after the liberation of Paris, recorded with such visiting American jazzmen as Mel Powell, Peanuts Hucko and Ray McKinley. In 1946, Reinhardt took up the electric guitar and toured America as a soloist with the Duke Ellington band but his appearances were poorly received. Some of his recordings on electric guitar late in his life are bop escapades where his playing sounds frantic and jagged, a world apart from the jubilant swing of old. However, starting in Jan. 1946, Reinhardt and Grappelli held several sporadic reunions where the bop influences are more subtly integrated into the old, still-fizzing swing format. In the 1950s, Reinhardt became more reclusive, remaining in Europe, playing and recording now and then until his death from a stroke in 1953. His Hot Club recordings from the `30s are his most irresistible legacy; their spirit and sound can be felt in current groups like Holland's Rosenberg Trio.~Richard S.Ginell https://www.allmusic.com/artist/django-reinhardt-mn0000136220/biography

Compact Jazz: Django Reinhardt In Brussels

Charles Kynard - Legends Of Acid Jazz

Styles: Soul Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 76:46
Size: 123,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:57) 1. Afro-Disiac
(5:07) 2. Bella Donna
(9:07) 3. Trippin'
(7:14) 4. Odds On
(7:56) 5. Sweetheart
(5:05) 6. Chanson Du Nuit
(7:55) 7. Wa-Tu-Wa-Zui (Beautiful People)
(4:38) 8. Winter's Child
(6:11) 9. Zebra Walk
(9:30) 10. Something
(9:03) 11. Change Up

Charles Kynard (1933-79) had a brief, rather low-key career as an organist. By day, he maintained a full-time career working with kids with special needs and taught piano between gigs and his job. He only recorded infrequently, doing sessions and two albums under his own name for Pacific Jazz in the early 1960s and several sessions and three records under his own name for Mainstream Records during 1971-74. But it is, perhaps, the four records he did for Prestige between 1968 and 1970 that the organist is best known for. Legends of Acid Jazz combines the last two of these, Afro-Disiac and Wa-Tu-Wa-Zui. On both, Kynard showcases his remarkable ability to exploit the heck out of an interesting groove. The best of his originals usually sticks to variations of the blues or out-and-out boogaloos. But it's the machine-gun attack of his left hand and the churning grind he maintains with his feet - despite the ever-presence of a bassist - that separates Kynard's playing from the crowd.The counterpoint he offers with his right hand is what usually puts the fun in his funk.

Afro-Disiac pits the organist in a quintet with tenor staple Houston Person and elevated by the presence of guitarist Grant Green. This was a reunion of sorts for Kynard and Green, the two having appeared together on 1968's The Soul Brotherhood. The originals, mostly by Kynard's school chum Richard Fritz, and Kynard's eloquent cushioning offer an ideal environment for the guitarist - much more favorable than Green's own recordings from the period. Kynard is more of a featured presence on the Wa-Tu-Wa-Zui, adding his electric piano stylings to "Winter's Child" and the dance floor classic, "Zebra Walk." Here, Kynard revels in a sextet that features the much-lamented honker Rusty Bryant, trumpeter Virgil Jones and guitarist Melvin Sparks. The tunes aren't as memorable as the first session and the playing doesn't have the edge or energy that Kynard could generate elsewhere (for evidence, check out the monster Reelin' with the Feelin', which is paired with Wa-Tu-Wa-Zui on the British BGP CD). But this "legend of acid jazz" is worth hearing and exploring and for fans of guitarist Grant Green, the first six songs are required listening. ~Douglas Payne https://www.allaboutjazz.com/legends-of-acid-jazz-charles-kynard-prestige-records-review-by-douglas-payne

Players: Charles Kynard: organ, electric piano; Houston Person, Rusty Bryant: tenor sax; Virgil Jones: trumpet; Grant Green, Melvin Sparks: guitar; Jimmy Lewis: Fender bass; Idris Muhammad, Bernard Purdie: drums.

Legends Of Acid Jazz

Georgia Mancio & Alan Broadbent - Quiet Is The Star

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:14
Size: 95,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:34) 1. I Can See You Passing By
(5:11) 2. When You're Gone From Me
(4:44) 3. Let Me Whisper To Your Heart
(5:19) 4. Tell The River
(2:46) 5. All My Life
(4:45) 6. If I Think Of You
(4:50) 7. Night After Night
(4:50) 8. If My Heart Should Love Again
(3:11) 9. Quiet Is The Star

Quiet Is The Star is the new album by vocalist/lyricist Georgia Mancio and Grammy-winning pianist/composer Alan Broadbent and the much anticipated companion to their 2017 Songbook. The album spotlights the purity and parity of the duo setting in 9 co-written songs exploring the ties we weave in life: sisterly, maternal, romantic, universal. One voice, one piano, one dialogue. Georgia’s deeply nuanced singing (“sublime, clarity and poise personified, intimate yet dynamic”, Jazzwise) is embraced by Alan’s rhapsodic solo piano, indicating the breadth of his musicianship, from accompanist to Big Band/orchestral leader. Recorded in late 2019, it re-unites with Songbook producer Andrew Cleyndert and artist Simon Manfield, whose bespoke watercolours perfectly accompany the subtle variations of mood. The album will be released 27 March 2021, alongside The Songs Of Alan Broadbent & Georgia Mancio a book of 33 co-written works from both albums (Songbook and Quiet Is The Star) and many more besides. https://www.allaboutjazz.com/album/quiet-is-the-star-georgia-mancio

Personnel: Georgia Mancio (voice & lyrics); Alan Broadbent (piano & music)

Quiet Is The Star

Jennifer Wrobleski - Jennifer Wrobleski

Styles: Vocal Jazz, Bossa Nova
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:17
Size: 72,0 MB
Art: Front

(2:11)  1. So Nice
(2:46)  2. Daddy
(3:27)  3. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
(2:17)  4. One Note Samba
(2:51)  5. I Don't Know Enough About You
(3:03)  6. Chega De Saudade
(3:01)  7. Triste
(5:49)  8. A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square
(5:48)  9. Giant Steps

Jazz Vocalist Extraordinaire, Jennifer Wrobleski is a sought-after recording artist on New York’s Jazz scene and abroad.  She is from Pittsburgh and currently resides in Bronx, New York. 

She began her studies in classical music at Boston’s New England Conservatory.  Thereafter, she moved south to perform in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom CastleShow as Cinderella.  Spending four years in Orlando, Jennifer stayed busy with voiceover work and performed in other Disney shows.  She performed as Belle in MGM’s Beauty and the Beast and Flora in the world’s longest running dinner theatre show:  The Hoop Dee Doo ~ Review at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort.

At the same time, Ms. Wrobleski lead her own Jazz quartet, playing local clubs such as Disney’s Pleasure Island Jazz Company, House of Blues Orlando, The Starlight Lounge, Nikki Beach Miami.  In addition to performing,  she was also the creator and host of the Jazz radio show “Interview with the Artists” on WLOQ-FM, Orlando, Florida.  The  program rapidly grew in popularity with interviews of Ramsey Lewis, Michael Buble and other notables in the Jazz world.  The segment became so popular that it ultimately evolved into a summertime concert series.   In addition to leading her own group, Ms. Wrobleski has also worked with Jazz icon and master Harold Mabern, Jeremy Pelt, Dwayne Burno, Joe Farnsworth, Curits Lundy and others.  She has also made guest appearances with the Joe Gransden Big Band and the Michael Andrew Big Band.  She has performed at major Jazz clubs in New York such as Dizzy’s Coca-Cola Club, Smoke Jazz & Supper Club, and others.  She can be seen regularly at The Refinery, Club Macanudo, Cafe du Soleil, Chez Lucienne.  Her self-titled debut recording was released in 2010. ~ Bio  http://jenniferwrobleski.com/biography.html

Dave Young, Phil Dwyer Quartet - Fables And Dreams

Styles: Bop, Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:04
Size: 132,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:58)  1. Darn
(7:34)  2. NPS
(6:16)  3. All Of Me
(9:47)  4. Fables Of Faubus
(6:21)  5. Himh
(6:59)  6. Shifting Emphasis
(6:41)  7. Winter Song
(5:57)  8. Dobro
(3:29)  9. Whims Of Chambers

This CD features a quiet quartet that is often filled with inner tension and low-volumed heat. Bassist Dave Young engages in close interplay with guitarist Rob Piltch (whose tone is sometimes reminiscent of the late Jimmy Raney's), Phil Dwyer contributes lyrical tenor solos and some moody piano (sometimes sounding a bit like McCoy Tyner on the latter instrument) while drummer Michel Lambert is fine in support. Five of the nine songs are originals by bandmembers while the other pieces (including an abstract "All of Me" and a rather passionless version of Charles Mingus's "Fables of Faubus") almost sound like new compositions; the closing tenor-bowed bass duet on "Whims of Chambers" is most memorable. If the overall results on this session are are not all that unique, the well-played set does serve as a a good example of today's modern mainstream acoustic jazz and should satisfy most listeners. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/fables-and-dreams-mw0000963650   

Personnel:  Phil Dwyer - tenor saxophone, piano, composer;  Michel Lambert - drums, composer;  Rob Piltch - guitar;  Dave Young - acoustic bass.

Fables And Dreams