Saturday, November 20, 2021

Joe Farnsworth Quartet - My Heroes: Tribute To The Legends

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:44
Size: 116,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:46) 1. George's Dilenma
(7:35) 2. Moanin'
(5:27) 3. No Fills
(4:44) 4. Syeeda's Song Flute
(1:43) 5. Here We Go, Here We Go
(6:23) 6. Cute
(3:38) 7. Two Bass Hit
(7:50) 8. Greensleaves
(3:02) 9. Musashi
(4:33) 10. Reflection

Joe Farnsworth is already regarded as one of the top jazz drummers in the world, but as far as he is concerned, he is just getting started. He is dedicated to the great tradition of jazz drumming as conceived by men like Max Roach, Roy Haynes, Elvin Jones, Billy Higgins and Arthur Taylor and it keeps him in the practice room trying to continue and extend it. Joe was born on February 21, 1968 in South Hadley, Massachusetts into an unusually musical family. His father was a renowned music teacher who immersed his five sons, and it became clear early on that, Joe as the youngest would choose a career in music and would ultimately be a great success. His eldest brother, John, a renowned trombone and saxophone player, exposed him at the age of 12, to the music of Count Basie, John Coltrain, Charlie Parker and the drumming of Tony Williams which led Joe to seek lessons with Alan Dawson out of Boston.

Ultimately enrolling in William Patterson College in New Jersey, he met and befriended Harold Mabern who introduced him to tenor saxophonist George Coleman. Both Harold and George became major influences on Farnsworth's playing. During this time, Joe also sought out and studied with Art Taylor and became friends with saxophonist Eric Alexander. After moving to New York City with brother James, a saxophonist for Ray Charles (1992-1999) when he unexpectedly passed away, Joe became the leader on Friday and Saturday nights as the infamous jazz club Augie's (now Smoke) where he would meet and play with Junior Cook, Cecil Payne, John Ore, Big John Patton, Harold Mabern, Eddie Henderson and John Jenkins. Joe's undeniable talent and hard work ethic started to pay off. He began working with Jon Hendriks in 1992 and then with Diana Krall off and on until he became a full member for a year and half from 1999-2000.

Joe Farnsworth is now known as one of the most recorded drummers on the scene, with over 70 cd's behind him, for musicians such as Wynton Marsalis, Cedar Walton, Pharoah Sanders, Eric Alexander and Benny Golson. His first recording as a leader, “Beautiful Friendship” (Crisscross Records) featured pianist Cedar Walton and trumpeteer Eddie Henderson while his second, “It's Prime Time” (88 Records) included special guest artists Ron Carter, Curtis Fuller, Benny Golson and Harold Mabern, Jr. At 38, Joe has already performed on most of the greatest American and international stages. He appears regularly at New York City clubs like The Village Vanguard (Wynton Marsalis, Cedar Walton), Blue Note (Johnny Griffin, Horace Silver), Birdland (Lou Donaldson), Iridium (George Coleman, Pharoah Sanders) and Jazz at Lincoln Center (Wynton Marsalis). In any given year he is likely to be found backing major artists at the leading jazz clubs and festivals all over the world.

Farnsworth, also a regular on the Jazz Festival scene, has played with Benny Green, Diana Krall (Montreal Jazz Festival), Curtis Fuller and Barry Harris (Northsea Jazz Festival), Pori Jazz Festival, Red Sea Festival and Umbria just to name a few. As a straight-ahead jazz musician, Joe has been compared to his idol “...not unlike Max Roach in his ability to combine furious playing with structural cogency, Farnsworth audaciously travels around the set, establishing unifying ideas without interrupting the barrage of strokes...”

Orthman goes on to describe Joe's career including “...venerable leaders ranging from George Coleman to Benny Golson to Cedar Walton, who frequently call on him to light a fire under their bands. The ability to set all kinds of material in motion, minus fuss and clutter, has also placed him in a coterie of younger, tradition-minded musicians like Eric Alexander (a college classmate during the late 80's), Steve Davis, David Hazeltine and Jim Rotundi, a group of young players that are regulars at Smoke a jazz club in NYC.

In 2006, Japanese label, Commodore Records, will release Farnsworth's third cd, “Drumspeak”. which is sure to change the flavor of drums in jazz today. “Drumspeak” is touted as a festival of musical language incorporating traditional jazz with percussions, drums and various instruments from Japan, Latin-America, Africa and the U.S. Commodore Records will release “Drumspeak” later this year. https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/joe-farnsworth

Personnel: Drums – Joe Farnsworth; Piano – Harold Mabern; Tenor Saxophone – Eric Alexander; Bass – Nat Reeves

My Heroes Tribute To The Legends

Dizzy Gillespie & His Orchestra - A Portrait Of Duke Ellington

Styles: Trumpet Jazz, Big Band
Year: 1984
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:18
Size: 99,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:45) 1. In A Mellow Tone
(4:52) 2. Things Ain't What They Used To Be
(4:21) 3. Serenade To Sweden
(2:34) 4. Chelsea Bridge
(3:04) 5. Upper Manhattan Medical Group
(2:37) 6. Do Nothin Till You Hear From Me
(5:20) 7. Caravan
(3:17) 8. Sophisticated Lady
(3:36) 9. Johnny Come Lately
(4:49) 10. Perdido
(2:58) 11. Come Sunday

A Portrait of Duke Ellington is an album featuring trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie and orchestra performing compositions associated with Duke Ellington, recorded in 1960 and released on the Verve label. All of the orchestral arrangements were provided by then Hi-Lo's accompanist and sometimes arranger Clare Fischer, hired on the basis of a previously recorded but unreleased album with strings, arranged by Fischer for erstwhile University of Michigan classmate Donald Byrd. Byrd played the tape for Gillespie; Gillespie liked what he heard.

Unfortunately for Fischer, especially in light of the critical accolades given the eventual fruit of his, and Gillespie's, labor, Fischer's name was nowhere to be found on the finished LP; widespread awareness of his participation would have to await the CD reissue almost 2½ decades later.

The AllMusic review awarded the album 4.5 stars. The album's original LP release received 5 stars from Billboard, though, owing to Verve's aforementioned oversight, Fischer's contribution went unnoticed. In fact, it was only through the efforts of The Washington Post's Tony Gieske that this, as well as two of Fischer's other groundbreaking efforts in this period, were acknowledged and documented. Regarding the Gillespie LP, Gieske noted:

And on A Portrait of Duke Ellington (Verve MG V 8386), that depth and skill, stimulated by a change in the stale Gillespie repertoire and compemented by rich, radically imaginative arrangements by, I am told, Clare Fischer, result in a really classic album. Fischer, a young conservatory graduate, is a new name to be reckoned with. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Portrait_of_Duke_Ellington

Personnel: Dizzy Gillespie - trumpet; Bennie Green - trombone; Ray Alonge, Richard Berg, Joe Singer - French horn; Jay McAllister - tuba; Robert DiDomenica - flute; Ernest Bright, John Murtaugh, Paul Richie, Stan Webb - woodwinds; George Devens - vibraphone; Hank Jones - piano, celesta; George Duvivier - bass; Charlie Persip - drums; Clare Fischer - arranger, director

A Portrait Of Duke Ellington

David Basse - Uptown

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:03
Size: 119.2 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[5:10] 1. Uptown
[2:34] 2. Something Fried
[3:32] 3. 52nd & Broadway
[6:04] 4. Like Jazz
[3:29] 5. You Won't Hear Me Say Goodbye
[3:26] 6. Living Without You
[4:04] 7. Slow Boat To China
[4:17] 8. Parker's Mood
[4:35] 9. Bidin' My Time
[4:09] 10. Traffic Jam
[6:16] 11. But Anyhow The Blues Don't Care
[4:20] 12. I've Got The World On A String

David Basse: vocals; Phil Woods: alto saxophone; Mike Melvoin: piano; Steve Gilmore: bass; Bill Goodwin: drums.

West Coast singer Mark Winkler (Sweet Spot [Cafe Pacific Records, 2011]) heard David Basse and immediately signed him to his Cafe Pacific Records. Uptown is the first product of this partnership and, for the sake of the male jazz singer, does not come a moment too soon. There exists a huge disparity between female and male singers singing "serious" jazz. For the sake of context, the serious male jazz singers include Mark Murphy and Jon Hendricks (both in the autumn of their spectacular careers) as well as Kurt Elling and Andy Bey (still vital). The vast majority of what passes for as male jazz singers are more cabaret singers, the finest ones including Jim Caruso (The Swing Set [Yellow Sound Music, 2011]) and the aforementioned Winkler.

Basse has one of those confident yet moody voices that totally lacks self-consciousness, something necessary for jazz vocals. His recital on Uptown is a compelling collection of standards and originals tending toward a more conservative (read that: mainstream) vein of vocal performance. However, Basse is not afraid to take on King Pleasure and his brilliant adaptation of Charlie Parker's "Parker's Mood." In doing so, Basse pays special homage to those artists and the art of vocalese, a dying art in competency. Add the presence of Parker scholar Phil Woods and a sublime performance emerges. A perfect union of the blues in jazz, Woods introduces the piece with a chorus of the real thing. Pianist Mike Melvoin and Woods get grand solo space and proceed to show why this "old music" is so important. Basse plays things pretty straight without harnessing the ebullient personality of Pleasure, Parker, the blues, or jazz. ~C. Michael Bailey

Uptown

Klaus Mayer Big Band - Swing Nights

Size: 103,6 MB
Time: 39:03
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz: Big Band, Vocals
Art: Front

01. Fly Me To The Moon (2:40)
02. Deed I Do (3:08)
03. Night And Day (3:33)
04. At Last (4:19)
05. Comes Love (3:57)
06. It Don't Mean A Thing (2:00)
07. I´ve Got The World On A String (3:01)
08. Cheek To Cheek (3:39)
09. Teach Me Tonight (3:48)
10. Time After Time (2:48)
11. Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen (4:23)
12. When You're Smiling/The Sheik Of Araby (1:39)

Exciting collection of big band song and swing from Mexico´s premier big band. Interpreted by young and talented musicians from Guadalajara, Mexico (the youngest one being 16 years old) under the direction of the Austrian saxophonist and bandleader Klaus Mayer. Features a young vocalist whose exceptional talent has led her to develop a unique and intriguing style that exudes youth yet reminds one of the maturity, brilliance and freshness of the great ladies of song Billy Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Etta James. Klaus Mayer, Austrian citizen, who left his country to play jazz in the US and then moved to Mexico where he found fertile grounds and acceptance for his music, formed the band in 2009 inviting young instrumentalists of Guadalajara, Mexico hungry to learn the craft of playing jazz and big band. Initially the band had five horns (term musicians use for wind instruments), a rhythm section of three (piano, bass and drums) and a singer. Over the next six years the instrumentation expanded and now there are five saxophones, three trumpets, three trombones, piano, guitar, drums, bass and vocals. The band has performed with some of Mexico´s famous rock singers like Jose Fors (Cuca), Ugo Rodriguez (Azul Violeta), Sara Valenzuela (La Dosis) and other singers and songwriters like Ricardo Caballero (La Academia), Paola Vergara, Jaramar, Henry Reneau (Afro Brothers) among others. The band is a steady at Mexico´s jazz festivals. It also has done concerts with some important jazz players and big band directors who live in the US like Alex Sipiagin (Mingus Big Band, Dave Holland Sextet), Boris Kozlov (Mingus Big Band), Pete Rodriguez (Celia Cruz, Johnny Pacheco, Tito Puente), Dave Douglas (SF Jazz Collective, John Zorn). The band has steadily expanded its repertoires starting out studying the styles of the orchestras of Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Buddy Rich, Glenn Miller, Duke Ellington, Count Basie.

Trombones:
Armando González (Gerzz) 1st tenor and bass trombone
Hugo Ayanegui 2nd tenor trombone (Trombone solo on Comes Love)
Adrián Nava 3rd tenor trombone
Samuel Flores Bass and additional tenor trombones
Rodrigo Sandoval additional tenor trombone

Trumpets:
José Luis Alemán 1st and additional trumpet
Oliver García 2nd trumpet
Cesar López 3rd trumpet
Omar Rosales 4th trumpet
Chai Flores additional trumpets

Saxofones:
Sara Ventura Sax 1st Alto Sax
Fernando García 2nd Alto Sax
Klaus Mayer Sax 1st Tenor and Baritone Sax
Juan Daniel Morfín Sax 2nd Tenor Sax

Rhythm section:
Alejandro Castro Bass
Jorge González Piano
Andrés Gallegos Drums
Erik Kasten Guitar

Vocals:
Ana Sandoval

Swing Nights

Andrea Superstein - Worlds Apart

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:31
Size: 115,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:02)  1. Nouveau
(3:22)  2. I Tried
(4:20)  3. De Temps en Temps
(0:41)  4. Be Your Woman
(4:28)  5. You Spend
(3:17)  6. Angel Eyes
(4:26)  7. Never Let It Go
(4:32)  8. Star Blues (Part 1)
(3:06)  9. My Favourite Things (Mes Joies Quotidiennes)
(6:10) 10. Hakol
(4:10) 11. Don't Think Twice It's Alright
(4:04) 12. Garden of Love
(2:47) 13. Star Blues (Part 2)

Jazz musician Andrea Superstein is known for her powerful voice and indie jazz sound. Her third album, Worlds Apart, is a meticulously arranged blend of reimagined classics, and electro-infused original songs. "The added layer of having composed and written a lot of the music and lyrics definitely gives me confidence," Superstein told Hot Air host Margaret Gallagher. The album's title comes from Superstein's relationship with her hometown, Montreal, and her current home, Vancouver. "Montreal still holds a strong place in my heart. Those two cities could not be any more different from each other … [it's] kind of reconciling my love for both places." All the original music on Worlds Apart was written in Vancouver, and every track was recorded in Montreal. Elizabeth Shepherd, an acclaimed jazz musician in her own right, produced the record. When Superstein was a little girl, she would rifle through her parents' basement looking for records. What she found were eight-track tapes of Simon & Garfunkel and Bob Dylan. Now on her new album, the jazz vocalist gives Dylan's Don't Think Twice, It's Alright the Superstein treatment. The tempo is restructured, with some magic jazz dust sprinkled on top. "What I like to do with other people's music is try to look at it from a totally different perspective. I think that's the way I can try to make somebody else's song new." Superstein says she has always been drawn to the doo-wop harmonies of 1950s and '60s music, jazz standards, and the harmonies and social messages of folk music of the '60s and '70s. All that influence pops up in Worlds Apart. ~ Laura Sciarpelletti https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/andrea-superstein-s-new-album-is-a-jazzy-blend-of-originals-and-reimagined-classics-1.4835022

Worlds Apart

Friday, November 19, 2021

David Basse - Old Friends, New Point

Styles: Straight-ahead/Mainstream, Vocal
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:41
Size: 154,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:03)  1. Moanin'
(2:51)  2. Them There Eyes
(4:10)  3. Strangers on a Train
(5:39)  4. Centerpiece
(6:53)  5. Cubicle
(5:43)  6. Sunny Side of the Street
(5:38)  7. Confirmation
(9:37)  8. Wichita Lineman
(4:02)  9. Satin Doll
(5:12) 10. In a Sentimental Mood
(4:55) 11. Take the A-Train
(7:52) 12. Baby All the Time and Juke Joint Blues

David Basse's voice texture has a nodding acquaintance with Johnny Mercer, but his delivery is strictly his own. An ability to scat is his strong suit and it is displayed at it's best on this Disc. Angela Hagenbach will simply steal your heart away. Her low sultry voice combined with a clever vocalese style is the perfect counterpoint to Basse. Bobby Watson, on Alto, provides a nice backdrop to the vocals and adds some soulful solos to the mix. Greg Richter has a style not unlike the great Milcho Leviev, with a bit of Stu Goldberg peeking through now and then. Hip solos with a cascade of notes make for interesting listening. Sam Johnson, Jr. is a Drummer who is a steady timekeeper and a heady exchange man who holds his own on the fours. Matt Pittman on Bass complements the ensemble as the heartbeat of it all and adds some tasty solos in his turns to blow. 'Them There Eyes' features the seductive voice of Hagenbach swinging happily, adding a great treatment to a fine song. 'Strangers On A Train' is an original tune with a brooding, haunting quality to Basse's vocal. 

Bobby Watson echoes these sentiments on his Alto. 'Cubicle' This is Watson's best effort. His idea filled solo which alludes to 'Laura and 'Green Dolphin Street' is a gutsy, strong soliloquy. A hot piano with a torrent of notes by Greg Richter gives it just the right touch. 'Sunny Side Of The Street' marches right along with Basse leading the way. This tune is hipness personified. David Basse is at his best. The Louis Armstrong impression by Richter (?) only detracted from an otherwise swinging track. 'Confirmation' When you are talking about Charlie Parker, you are going to get this writer's immediate attention . The Piano took a journey to Chopsville and some nice 4's between Basse, Johnson and Watson capped it off in fine fashion. David Basse swung to the max on this tribute to Bird. 'Satin Doll' and 'In A Sentimental Mood' ....on the former Hagenbach simply stole the show, and the latter is an excursion into Torch City . Nice Bird quote by Richter on 'Satin' and Watson's solo on 'Sentimental' reflected the mood set by Angela Hagenbach. 'Baby, Baby All The Time / 'Juke Joint Blues' ..The musical conversation between Basse and Hagenbach was a joy to listen to. The humor, soul and hip delivery was magnificent, it was the perfect closer to a super recording. ~ John Gilbert  
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=9588#.UlihMRCjKSo

Personnel: David Basse and Angela Hagenbach..Vocals, Greg Richter, Piano, Vibes, vocals Bobby Watson,Sax Matt Pittman, .Bass Sam Johnson, Jr., Drums

Old Friends, New Point

Joe Farnsworth - Time to Swing

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:45
Size: 142,6 MB
Art: Front

(7:38) 1. The Good Shepherd
(5:09) 2. Hesitation
(7:30) 3. Darn That Dream
(5:29) 4. Down by the Riverside
(6:09) 5. One for Jimmy Cobb
(4:38) 6. Lemuria
(7:11) 7. Prelude to a Kiss
(7:39) 8. Monk's Dream
(5:31) 9. The Star-Crossed Lovers
(4:48) 10. Time Was

Joe Farnsworth is a well-respected jazz drummer on the scene today that is known for his blazing speed, precision, musical, and melodic playing. Born in South Hadley, Massachusetts, Farnsworth grew up in a musical family; his father was a music educator, and he has four older brothers, two of whom became professional musicians. He graduated from William Patterson College in New Jersey in 1994, where he began playing with saxophonist Eric Alexander and guitarist Peter Bernstein. Farnsworth’s career includes recording over 100 CD’s as a leader and side-man, jazz festivals and world tours with Pharaoh Sanders, Horace Silver, Harold Mabern, McCoy Tyner, Cedar Walton, Diana Krall, Benny Golson, George Coleman, Johnny Griffin, Lou Donaldson, Benny Green, Barry Harris, Curtis Fuller to name a few. He is currently the drummer for McCoy Tyner and a member of the Pharaoh Sanders Quartet, Harold Mabern Trio, and is a founding member of the renowned One for All Quintet. Time to Swing is his latest album featuring Kenny Barron, piano, and Peter Washington, double bass. Wynton Marsalis guest on four tracks.

“Hesitation” by Wynton Marsalis was first heard on Marsalis’ self-titled album in 1982. On this date, the tempo is faster, and Marsalis plays a muted trumpet; both are complimentary upgrades. The Swing by Washington and Farnsworth is excellent. Farnsworth’s brushwork is smooth and balanced. The energy is heightened when Barron enters, and Farnsworth switches to sticks. Barron picks-up where Marsalis leaves off. Barron’s time feel and sophisticated approach to the rhythm changes are outstanding. He is a true master.“Lemuria” is one of the highlights of the project. The trio playing on the date is excellent. The chemistry between Barron and Farnsworth is exciting and interactive. Barron has a vast vocabulary that he spins to build his solo in imaginative ways and textures. Farnsworth’s trading with Barron shows his melodic drum skills. Few drummers can make their kit sing melodically as Farnsworth. Time to Swing is ten songs that showcase Farnsworth’s wonderful musical sense and time mastery. The highlights are the trio selections, tracks five through ten. The chemistry of the trio is something special. Based on the jazz language of the ’50s and ’60s, Time to Swing is a jazz fan pleaser. ~ Sylvannia Garuch https://thejazzword.com/2020/09/1232/

Personnel: Joe Farnsworth - Drums; Kenny Barron - Piano; Peter Washington - Bass; Wynton Marsalis - Trumpet.

Time to Swing

Angela Hagenbach & Musa Nova - Hot Latin Jazz

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:43
Size: 158,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:34)  1. Night And Day
(6:40)  2. Amazonas
(7:20)  3. Papa Gato
(5:57)  4. Spring Is Here
(5:31)  5. And Sammy Walked In
(7:44)  6. Estate
(7:34)  7. Samba 88
(8:06)  8. Close Your Eyes
(7:35)  9. Faltando Um Pedaco
(7:01) 10. Pe De Moleque
(0:36) 11. Wee

Angela Hagenbach & Musa Nova is a six-piece jazz ensemble that evolved from a shared love and passion for Latin music. From Brazilian to Afro-Cuban influences, they present an eclectic mix of Latin jazz with passion and intensity. Covers of compositons by composers such as Jobim, Dori Caymmi, and Ivan Lins are included in the bands' repertoire, as well as original compositons by band members and jazz standards that have been adapted to the Latin idiom. Representative concert and clinic venues include Jazz in Marciac France, U. of OK, U. of NE, U. of MO, and Hot Springs Jazz Festival. https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/hagenbach4

Musa Nova

Tamara Kuldin - Secret Love

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:23
Size: 101.6 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[3:07] 1. Coax Me A Little Bit
[5:20] 2. Love Is The Only Thing
[2:19] 3. Kiss Of Fire
[4:31] 4. I Wish You Love
[3:18] 5. Secret Love
[4:26] 6. Golden Earrings
[3:57] 7. I Touch Myself
[3:33] 8. Say It Isn't So
[2:27] 9. Under Paris Skies
[3:49] 10. Romance In The Dark
[4:18] 11. I Walk A Little Faster
[3:12] 12. Oche Chornye

Enamoured by the romance and sophistication of the golden era of song, sassy vocalist Tamara Kuldin has been captivating audiences from Melbourne, New York to Paris with her renowned playful, yet sultry and heartfelt interpretation of songs from The Great American Songbook, European classics to lesser known vintage jazz & blues gems.

A lover of storytelling through song and inspired by the likes of Doris Day, Peggy Lee, Sarah Vaughan to Nat King Cole, Tamara’s vivacity and vocal prowess has seen her perform alongside some of the finest Australian and international jazz musicians including The B Sharp Big Band, Daryl McKenzie Jazz Orchestra, Wycliffe Gordon, JMQ Quintet…to name a few. Having performed at various jazz festivals and venues including the Melbourne International Jazz Festival, Stonnington Jazz Festival, Eltham Jazz Festival, Phillip Island Jazz Festival, The Famous Spiegeltent, The Arts Centre, Paris Cat Jazz Club, Uptown Jazz Club, Lido Jazz Club, Birdland Jazz Club (NYC), Café Universal (Paris), Tamara knows how to entertain and make an audience feel like they’re part of something special. Singing in all shades of jazz, blues and multilingual affairs of song, Tamara has also recently collaborated with Australian gypsy jazz guitarist Jon Delaney, Italian accordianist Salvatore Greco and highly esteemed double bass player Jonathan Zion to create 'Nostalgique'. A music box of European song from bolero, swing, tango, waltz to bossa.

Tamara released her debut jazz album ‘Secret Love’ in 2015, celebrating her favourite tunes, sentimental and sassy, in a gorgeous bouquet of song. This album features the crème de la crème of Australian and European jazz musicians. Miss her… and you’re missing out.

Secret Love

Alexis Cole - Sky Blossom: Songs from My Tour of Duty

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:21
Size: 156,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:18) 1. Joy Spring
(6:27) 2. Pure Imagination
(5:09) 3. How Long Has This Been Going On
(7:56) 4. All Blues
(7:19) 5. Estate
(5:24) 6. Across the Universe
(6:33) 7. Triste
(6:50) 8. How I Wish
(3:25) 9. Social Call
(4:07) 10. New York State of Mind
(4:55) 11. Our Love Is Here to Stay
(4:52) 12. American Anthem

This big-band bolstered set from ace vocalist Alexis Cole leans on the literal with its subtitle: Songs from My Tour of Duty. In 2009, following a lengthy peripatetic stretch that placed pins on the map in New Jersey, India, Ecuador, Japan and various points across Europe, Cole enlisted in the U.S. Army where, until 2015 she served and sang with the West Point Band’s Jazz Knights. There, she had the opportunity to shine within and above some exceptional Scott Arcangel arrangements tailored to her voice. Yet there was never a focus on formally documenting the majority of that music…until Cole returned to civilian life and made it a priority. Working with collaborator/conductor Jeff Jarvis over the course of several years, she completed the mission and packaged it in this form.

Revisiting her days in uniform, Cole is in peak shape from the start a dynamic vocals take on Clifford Brown’s “Joy Spring” where she swings, scats, and wordlessly joins in on an intricate soli, all within the first three minutes of play. Soaring across a varicolored backdrop on “Pure Imagination,” exploring a sly-to-sensational range on “All Blues,” wrapping her voice around the quiet splendors of Bossa beauty “Estate,” and traveling gracefully to the stars on “Across the Universe,” Cole continues to make her mark(s).

Named after a military term for an opening parachute, Sky Blossom, perfectly reflects the leap into the unknown that led this singer into service and positively shaped her art. Eleven performances (the aforementioned material, two Gershwin goodies, plus single dips into the respective songbooks of Antonio Carlos Jobim, Thelonious Monk, Gigi Gryce , and Billy Joel) highlight Cole’s poise and passion when in grand company. And the twelfth a deeply felt “American Anthem,” with nothing but Jaehun Kang’s piano sharing space puts her patriotic heart in full view.~Dan Bilawskyhttps://alexiscole.com/music

Sky Blossom: Songs from My Tour of Duty

Thursday, November 18, 2021

John Patitucci - Line by Line

Styles: Jazz fusion, Post-bop
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:04
Size: 153,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:08) 1. The Root
(4:12) 2. Agigato
(6:28) 3. Circular
(6:26) 4. Folklore
(5:54) 5. Dry September
(3:27) 6. Nana
(9:38) 7. Theme and Variations for 6-string Bass and Strings
(6:53) 8. Line by Line
(5:58) 9. Evidence
(3:18) 10. Jesus is on the Mainline
(3:56) 11. Incarnation
(3:51) 12. Soaring
(2:50) 13. Tone Poem

John Patitucci's Line by Line is mostly a quiet and thoughtful affair. The performances often feature close interplay between the bassist and guitarist Adam Rogers, with stimulating support from drummer Brian Blade and occasional guest appearances by the great tenor Chris Potter. The music is adventurous but often lyrical, with Patitucci being a key soloist but not completely dominating the performances, giving his sidemen plenty of space of their own. It is interesting to hear the mellow-toned Rogers rocking out a bit on Thelonious Monk's "Evidence." In addition to a Patitucci-Rogers duet on "Nana" and a closing solo electric bass solo on "Tone Poem," two selections add a string quartet and one has a string quintet. Of these, "Theme and Variations for 6-String Bass and Strings" is a major third stream work that reminds listeners that John Patitucci is a very skilled composer in addition to being one of jazz's finest bassists. Recommended. This CD was nominated in 2007 for a Grammy award as Best Jazz Instrumental Album (Individual or Group).~Scott Yanowhttps://www.allmusic.com/album/line-by-line-mw0000762571

Personnel: John Patitucci – double bass, six-string bass guitar; Chris Potter – tenor saxophone; Adam Rogers – electric guitar, nylon-string guitar; Jeremy McCoy – double bass; Brian Blade – drums; Richard Rood – violin; Elizabeth Lim-Dutton – violin; Lawrence Dutton – viola

Line by Line

Charles Kynard - Where It's At!

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1963
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:27
Size: 87,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:41) 1. I'll Fly Away
(2:43) 2. Amazing Grace
(2:39) 3. Motherless Child
(4:58) 4. The Lord Will Make A Way Somehow
(2:21) 5. I Want To Be Ready
(3:14) 6. Smooth Sailing
(5:17) 7. I Wonder
(3:28) 8. Blue Greens And Beans
(9:02) 9. Sport's Lament / Where It's At

Organ, electric bass. Charles Kynard is an organist whose jazz-funk leanings rival his predecessors and peers, though not eclipsing them. Solid, though never flashy. He also plays electric bass. Kynard's album Reelin' With the Feelin' has been sampled and appears on several acid jazz releases.~Michael G.Nastos https://www.allmusic.com/artist/charles-kynard-mn0000206382/biography

Personel: Saxophone – Clifford Scott; Drums – Milt Turner; Guitar – Howard Roberts; Organ – Charles Kynard

Where It's At!

Amy Yassinger & Shout Section Big Band - Cruisin'

Size: 145,9 MB
Time: 62:35
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Big Band, Vocals
Art: Front

01. Lullaby Of Broadway (4:24)
02. For Once In My Life (3:27)
03. Don't Be That Way (3:55)
04. One O'clock Jump (6:12)
05. I Love This (5:59)
06. Together Wherever We Go (5:00)
07. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter (5:07)
08. So In Love (4:16)
09. Cruisin' (4:02)
10. Rhode Island Is Famous For You (4:53)
11. Skyfall (4:37)
12. On The Street Where You Live (4:08)
13. Let The Good Times Roll (3:15)
14. Time After Time (3:14)

"Cruisin'" is a terrific new album by Chicago jazz singer extraordinaire, Amy Yassinger and one of the Midwest's top Big Bands, Shout Section Big Band. This Windy City team has created something truly special. The album features everything from Tin Pan Alley songs of the 1920's to a big band arrangement of 2012's biggest hit song. On this album the band features some of Chicago's top performers.

Cruisin'

Sylvie Courvoisier & Mary Halvorson - Searching for the Disappeared Hour

Styles: Piano And Guitar Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:26
Size: 138,9 MB
Art: Front

(2:54) 1. Golden Proportion
(6:16) 2. Lulu’s Second Theorem
(5:17) 3. Faceless Smears
(3:16) 4. Four-Point Play
(5:53) 5. Moonbow
(6:58) 6. Torrential
(4:55) 7. Mind out of Time
(3:15) 8. Party Dress
(4:48) 9. Bent Yellow
(6:00) 10. The Disappearing Hour
(6:03) 11. Gates & Passes
(3:46) 12. Blizzard Rings

By now, we are all aware of the notion of “pandemic time” when your normal routine has been disrupted to the point that it is difficult to remember the day of the week much less the time of the day. Two experienced New York-based composer / improvisers, pianist Sylvie Courvoisier and guitarist Mary Halvorson, have attempted to capture this phenomenon in 12 duet pieces.

While both are well-known in modern creative jazz circles, their approach on Searching for the Disappeared Hour is more classically oriented, or at least better described as chamber jazz. To that point, each composition includes a series of melodic and harmonic structures that Courvoisier and Halvorson fluidly traverse. There is little repetition or traditional thematic development they say their piece and move on. But along with and between the written aspects is plentiful room for improvisation.

At first blush, the tone is pastoral and quiet, with contrapuntal themes that are colorful, upbeat, and vary from spare to densely arranged. But upon deeper listens, the experimentalism of this duo comes to the fore. Most notably Halvorson’s use of extended techniques and note-bending on the electric dispels any notion that the album is easy listening, as does Courvoisier’s angular and percussive moments.

But perhaps most remarkable is how they have captured the emotional roller coaster of the last 18 months. Even within a piece, the mood can move several times between joyous interludes and darker expressions. Happiness can turn in an instant to gloom or melancholy, and vice versa. Consequently, Searching for the Disappeared Hour works on multiple levels. It can be listened to as a testament to the technical prowess of two musicians. But it is also a strangely moving exploration of the disorientation that we all have felt in recent months. https://avantmusicnews.com/2021/10/16/amn-reviews-sylvie-courvoisier-and-mary-halvorson-searching-for-the-disappeared-hour-2021-pyroclastic-records/

Searching for the Disappeared Hour

Wednesday, November 17, 2021

Janice Hagan - Let's Misbehave

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:57
Size: 142,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:06)  1. All That Jazz
(3:37)  2. Whatever Lola Wants
(3:59)  3. Too Darn Hot
(3:48)  4. Let's Fall in Love
(4:13)  5. You Do Something to Me
(4:25)  6. Makin' Whoopee
(4:28)  7. Do It Again
(3:31)  8. Roxie
(3:54)  9. Cabaret
(3:18) 10. Taking a Chance on Love
(3:24) 11. Squeeze Me
(4:01) 12. My Heart Belongs to Daddy
(3:52) 13. Some Like It Hot
(3:45) 14. Come Rain or Come Shine
(3:54) 15. September Song
(3:36) 16. Let's Misbehave

Let's Misbehave features singer Janice Hagan's jazzy interpretations of some of Broadway's biggest, sassiest songs, including "All That Jazz," "Whatever Lola Wants," and "My Heart Belongs to Daddy." Hagan's throaty alto is a good vehicle for these songs as well as "Let's Fall in Love," "Makin' Whoopee," and smokier tracks like "September Song" and "Do It Again." While the album is somewhat samey, given its theme and the style of music, it's still quite an enjoyable listen for fans of show tunes and vocal jazz. ~ Heather Phares  http://www.allmusic.com/album/lets-misbehave-mw0000439731

Personnel: Janice Hagan (vocals); Jake Langley, Jacob Langley (guitar); Pat Kilbride (bass guitar); Chris Gale (tenor saxophone); William Sperandei (trumpet); William Carn (trombone); Tyler Yarema (piano); Mark Mariash (drums).

Kenny Barron - Without Deception

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:35
Size: 151,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:20) 1. Porto Alegre
(5:51) 2. Second Thoughts
(6:35) 3. Without Deception
(6:50) 4. Until Then
(6:48) 5. Speed Trap
(6:58) 6. Secret Places
(6:01) 7. Pass It On
(7:39) 8. Warm Valley
(8:27) 9. I Remember When
(5:03) 10. Worry Later

The strong rapport between pianist Kenny Barron and bassist Dave Holland can be felt all the way through Without Deception. Much like their previous collaboration, 2014’s The Art of Conversation, the music they create is often quiet and subdued. But this understatement pulls the listener closer, into the vastness of Barron’s melodic vocabulary and the drive that Holland gently exerts behind him, before the bassist steps forward to take one of many well-placed solos. With musical chemistry like that, any extra elements might seem unnecessary. Drummer Johnathan Blake, however, fits right in with Barron and Holland. Although he plays a second-line groove on Holland’s “Pass It On” and emphasizes the bossa nova of Barron’s “Porto Alegre,” in many other cases Blake plays around with the beat rather than merely stating it, adding more heft to the music.

Barron contributes four originals to the set. The contoured theme of the title track flows like one alluring statement; “Speed Trap,” on the other hand, gives his partner the chance to walk almost freely. Holland’s other contribution, “I Remember When,” emphasizes the lyrical quality of his writing. The trio also finds opportunity and inspiration in works by Mulgrew Miller (“Second Thoughts”), Duke Ellington (“Warm Valley”), and Barron’s protégé Sumi Tonooka (“Secret Places”). Thelonious Monk’s “Worry Later” downplays some of the composer’s eccentricities during the theme, but Barron sprawls across the keys and bar lines during his solo to acknowledge the source. Albums like Without Deception make clear why Barron and Holland are regarded as masters. Even while keeping things calm in a straight-ahead trio setting, they still pack a punch. https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/kenny-barron-dave-holland-trio-featuring-johnathan-blake-without-deception-dare2/

Personnel: Kenny Barron – piano; Dave Holland – bass; Johnathan Blake – drums

Without Deception

Amy McConnell & William Sperandei - Stealing Genius

Styles: Vocal And Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:58
Size: 121,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:52)  1. Wild is the Wind
(4:25)  2. Padam… Padam
(4:35)  3. Soon It's Gonna Rain
(4:27)  4. I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire
(4:09)  5. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
(3:35)  6. The Look of Love
(4:20)  7. Suspicious Minds
(3:47)  8. From Russia with Love
(4:23)  9. La Vie en Rose
(4:15) 10. Thank You
(3:54) 11. Candy
(4:33) 12. Soul on Fire
(2:36) 13. Back in Your Mind Somewhere

“For its jaw-dropping chutzpah, Stealing Genius deserves a JUNO Award,” said the Toronto Star’s Peter Goddard. Stealing Genius producer Feisal Patel wanted to make an album with William Sperandei for years. “William is the best trumpet player I’ve heard. When I first heard him, I couldn’t believe he was playing in this small club in Toronto.” William, who studied with Ellis Marsalis in New Orleans, has played with some of the best, including Wynton Marsalis, Andrea Bocelli, David Foster and more. William and Feisal both wanted to work with a singer, but they had a very specific idea of what they were looking for  a jazz singer who loved melody. After years of searching, they found Amy. Amy’s singing background is jazz and musical theatre so “she understands the art of singing as an expression of words,” William says. “Her tone is incredibly beautiful and she feels the lyrics.” Amy is just as big a fan of William’s. “William is amazing. He stands there and music pours out of him. And it’s different every time and it’s brilliant every time. He plays with so much imagination and fire.” Together, they set out on a journey through some of the most beautiful melodies of the 20th century.http://junoawards.ca/nomination/2014-vocal-jazz-album-of-the-year-amy-mcconnell-william-sperandei/

Personnel: Amy McConnell – vocals;  William Sperandei – trumpet.

Stealing Genius

Tuesday, November 16, 2021

Francesca Leone Quartet - Racing Against Time

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:45
Size: 117,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:18) 1. Eu Preciso Aprender a Ser Só
(3:23) 2. Fascinating Rhythm
(4:53) 3. Composed on Piano for Mal Waldron
(4:52) 4. Wide Awake
(4:48) 5. Emily
(5:37) 6. Funk in Deep Freeze
(5:00) 7. 16 Tuxedos over a Blue Curtain / From Mingus to Duke
(7:41) 8. So in Love
(6:31) 9. Que reste-t-il de nos amours
(4:35) 10. Racing Against Time

Francesca Leone (born in Bari in 1974) is an Italian jazz singer. In 1993 she began studying singing at Il Pentagramma (The Pentagram), a music school in Bari, with Mariella Carbonara. She deepened her study of jazz singing and improvisation with Paola Arnesano, and also became a member of a female vocal quartet called The Four Sisters. Over the years, she has furthered her training by participating in events such as the Umbria Jazz Festival, seminars with Tiziana Ghiglioni, Sheila Jordan, at the seminar on vocal harmony with Charles Lomanto and Voicecraft techniques with Roberto Demo. She has also participated in workshops with Dado Moroni, Roberto Gatto, Gilson Silveira, Bobby Durham, and Irio De Paola, and won a scholarship in 2007 at the Spoleto Vocal Jazz Workshop that is held each summer in Spoleto, Umbria, under the tutelage of Michele Hendricks.

Leone teaches vocal jazz at Il Pentagramma. Her singing style is inspired by singers of the 50s, and the Francesca Leone Quartet release, A Tribute To Chet Baker, is a tribute to the great singer and trumpet player who performs with his quartet. Leone also collaborates with Pippo Lombardo in his project, Marchio Bossa, and has appeared on several of the group's albums, including Italian Lounge Music, No Bossa No Party, Best Of Lounge - Fantasy, and Colorando under the Azzurra Music label. All the Way: The Jimmy Van Heusen Songbook (2006) is Leone's first CD as leader with Guido Di Leone, Teo Ciavarella, and Aldo Vigorito for the jazz records label, fo(u)r.

Sensitive to the Brazilian sounds and rhythms inspired by João Gilberto, she formed the Francesca Leone Quartet together with Guido Di Leone, Giuseppe De Lilla and Fabio Delle Foglie, and the foursome recorded Bossa na minha casa ("Bossa in my house") in 2008. In 2004, Leone had also formed the vocal quintet Mezzotono, and together they won the prize for best a cappella group at the 2008 Solevoci Festival in Varese, and in June 2008 released their album, Mezzotono. https://www.last.fm/music/Francesca+Leone/+wiki

Racing Against Time

Ches Smith and We All Break - Path of Seven Colors

Styles: Latin Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:41
Size: 160,5 MB
Art: Front

( 2:41) 1. Woule Pou Mwen
( 9:05) 2. Here's the Light
( 9:39) 3. Leaves Arrive
( 6:07) 4. Women of Iron
(13:35) 5. Lord of Healing
( 7:05) 6. Raw Urbane
( 8:57) 7. Path of Seven Colors
(11:29) 8. The Vulgar Cycle

Drummer/percussionist Ches Smith, an acclaimed bandleader and seasoned Tim Berne sideman, is also a devoted student of Haitian music and traditional drumming. Path of Seven Colors is the culmination of a long and immersive process, essentially a dream come true for this son of Sacramento based in New York. Collaborating with Haitian singer/lyricist and percussionist Daniel Brevil, Smith formed We All Break, which started as a unique four-piece with Brevil on vocals and tanbou drum, Markus Schwartz on tanbou as well, Smith on drum set, and Matt Mitchell (Smith’s Tim Berne bandmate) on piano. In 2017, that group quietly made an eponymous album, now being offered as a bonus disc to accompany the new, more expansive Path of Seven Colors.

Alto saxophonist Miguel Zenón, whose own work has explored connections between cutting-edge jazz and traditional Puerto Rican idioms, broadens the palette of Path of Seven Colors with his beautifully centered tone and flawless melodic execution at all speeds. Nick Dunston adds bottom on upright bass while driving the rhythm and filling an ensemble role with subtle notated parts, bowed passages, and other curveballs. Schwartz, the Danish-born, Brooklyn-based master of traditional Haitian drums, returns on tanbou and also joins the choral circle for spellbinding vocal chants in Haitian Creole with Brevil, Sirene Dantor Rene, and Fanfan Jean-Guy Rene (who plays tanbou as well). Smith joins the Creole chanting circle himself, as can be seen in Mimi Chakarova’s beautiful 50-minute documentary on the making of the album.

Mitchell’s piano provides harmonic density and dreamlike dissonance, locking in rhythmically at every juncture. He and Zenón improvise like fiends, the tanbou drums groove and ring out, the massed voices rise to sing Brevil’s gorgeous original melodies and traditional Haitian ones as well. Demanding and highly virtuosic in character, the music has a strong African imprint and an inescapably emotional pull — not least because this album release coincides with a new period of political dislocation in Haiti. Smith’s approach is ambitious yet humble and highly personal, a gesture of support to the Haitian people and a love letter to the musical culture they’ve made. https://music.apple.com/us/album/path-of-seven-colors/1554582490

Personnel: Ches Smith: drums, percussion, vocals; Miguel Zenón: alto saxophone; Matt Mitchell: piano; Nick Dunston: bass; Sirene Dantor Rene: vocals; Daniel Brevil, Markus Schwartz and Fanfan Jean-Guy Rene: tanbou, vocals.

Path of Seven Colors

Tommy Dorsey, Jimmy Dorsey - Swingin' In Hollywood

Styles: Jazz, Swing, Big Band
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:14
Size: 176,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:13)  1. We'll Get It
(2:53)  2. Song Of India
(5:52)  3. So Long, Sarah Jane
(3:28)  4. If I Had You
(3:19)  5. Thunder And Blazes
(3:52)  6. Katie Went To Hati
(3:17)  7. Hawaiian War Chant
(2:38)  8. You Dear
(3:52)  9. One O'Clock Jump
(2:50) 10. Noche De Ronda
(3:06) 11. Milkman Keep Those Bottles Quiet
(2:58) 12. I Know Its Wrong
(2:29) 13. Battle Of The Balcony Jive
(3:23) 14. I Should Care
(3:01) 15. National Emblem March
(3:16) 16. John Silver
(3:16) 17. The Guy With The Slide Trombone
(3:25) 18. Boy! What Love Has Done To Me!
(5:06) 19. Star Eyes
(5:26) 20. Fascinating Rhythm
(3:23) 21. Opus One

Although credited to the Dorsey Brothers, this is not a collection of collaborations or duets, just an anthology of tracks that one or the other of the brothers filmed and recorded for MGM soundtracks in 1942-1945. It's actually much more weighted toward Tommy (who has 13 of the 21 sides) than Jimmy; it's mostly instrumental, but vocalists like Bob Eberly, Helen O'Connell, and Nancy Walker are featured on some of the selections. The sound is good, and as a dozen of the items were previously unreleased (with 13 appearing for the first time in stereo), Dorsey collectors will consider this indispensable. For the more general fan, it's not the first place to get acquainted with their work, but it's quite respectable early-'40s swing. In general, it's more effective the harder and faster it swings  as on Jimmy's extended version of "One O'Clock Jump," and Tommy's "Battle of the Balcony Jive" and "Opus One"  and the less it resembles movie musicals.~ Richie Unterberger https://www.allmusic.com/album/swingin-in-hollywood-mw0000599571

Swingin'In Hollywood