Wednesday, January 19, 2022

Steve Turre - Lotus Flower

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:17
Size: 141,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:51) 1. The Lotus Flower
(6:39) 2. Chairman Of The Board
(6:55) 3. The Inflated Tear
(6:27) 4. The Organ Grinder
(2:02) 5. Passion For Peace
(6:48) 6. Sposin'
(6:22) 7. The Fragrance Of Love
(7:03) 8. Blackfoot
(7:23) 9. Goodbye
(5:42) 10. Shorty

You might call Lotus Flower an act of relaxation after the strenuous exercise of the Steve Turre album, for Turre reduces forces and idioms to a more-or-less straight-ahead sextet and concentrates almost entirely upon the trombone. In doing so, he re-stakes his claim to being one of the outstanding voices on the trombone of his time, turning some lovely playing on "The Fragrance of Love" and "Sposin'" and some extremely agile bop work at a fleet pace on "Blackfoot" to cite two extremes. But this sextet has no ordinary front line; Turre shares the spotlight with a violinist (Regina Carter) and a cellist (Akua Dixon), thus deliberately managing to avoid the trumpet/saxophone axis entirely.

Now and then, Turre also throws in a seventh element, Kimati Dinizulu's percussion or Don Conreaux's gong, to add exotic and spiritual flavors to the menu. Carter gets far more swinging time than Dixon on the album indeed, Carter's spiritual forefather seems to be Joe Venuti while Dixon gets typecast into the warm, lyrical role that cellists usually fulfill. Mulgrew Miller (piano, Buster Williams (bass) and Lewis Nash (drums) form the solidly mainstream rhythm section that is, however, occasionally asked to do unconventional things. Fortunately, there are enough off-center textures and quirks on this album to sustain Turre's yen for adventure in the '90s and on the rhythmically Balkanized "Shorty," Turre's conch shells make a welcome if brief cameo return.~Richard S. Ginell https://www.allmusic.com/album/lotus-flower-mw0000047074

Personnel: Trombone – Steve Turre; Cello – Akua Dixon; Double Bass – Buster Williams; Drums – Lewis Nash; Piano – Mulgrew Miller; Violin – Regina Carter

Lotus Flower

The Ralph Sharon Quartet - Plays The Frank Loesser Songbook

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:07
Size: 154,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:04) 1. More Of Loesser
(3:47) 2. Moments Like This
(4:29) 3. Baby, It's Cold Outside
(4:48) 4. Can't Get Out Of This Mood
(4:33) 5. I've Never BeenIn Love Before
(6:41) 6. Sand In My Shoes
(3:20) 7. The Lady's In Love With You
(5:12) 8. Small Fry
(4:01) 9. Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year
(3:46) 10. Guys And Dolls
(3:12) 11. Let's Get Lost
(4:06) 12. Two Sleepy People
(4:29) 13. I Hear Music
(4:29) 14. I Believe In You
(5:03) 15. On A Slow Boat To China

Ralph Simon Sharon was a jazz pianist and arranger. Sharon was born in London, England, to an English mother and Latvian-born father. He emigrated to the United States in early 1954, becoming a naturalized citizen five years later. By 1958, Ralph Sharon was recording with Tony Bennett, the start of a more than 50 year working relationship as Bennett's “man behind the music” on many Grammy Award-winning studio recordings, and touring with Bennett for many years. He found “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” for Bennett, a year after placing it in a bureau and forgetting about it. Sharon discovered the manuscript while packing for a tour that included San Francisco. While Bennett and Sharon liked the song, they were convinced it would only be a local hit. The tune became Bennett's signature song.

Sharon was a jazz pianist in his own right, recording a series of his own albums. But Sharon was best known as one of the finest accompanists who backed up popular singers, including Bennett, Robert Goulet, Chris Connor and many others. Retiring to Boulder, Colorado, from on-the-road work with Bennett when he reached 80, Ralph Sharon continued to perform in the Denver metropolitan area until shortly before his death. Tony Bennett and the Ralph Sharon Trio performed at various jazz venues, including Dazzle Restaurant & Lounge in Denver. He died from natural causes on March 31, 2015. https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/ralph-sharon

Plays The Frank Loesser Songbook

Dan Nimmer - Tea For Two

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:09
Size: 128,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:36)  1. Lu's Bounce
(6:13)  2. Do You Mind
(6:19)  3. Embraceable You
(4:51)  4. Little Neeley
(6:41)  5. Corcovado
(6:18)  6. Tea For Two
(5:13)  7. No Problem
(5:08)  8. Ease It
(5:17)  9. When Lights Are Low
(3:32) 10. Blues For Venus

Dan Nimmer was born in 1982 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. An old soul in a young body, Mr. Nimmer plays with the spirit, the passion and the soul of someone who has been on the planet much longer. With prodigious technique and an innate sense of swing,his playing often recalls that of his own heroes, specifically Oscar Peterson,Wynton Kelly, Erroll Garner and Art Tatum. As a young man, Mr. Nimmer's family inherited a piano and he started playing by ear; he was, if you will, "called" by the instrument.He studied classical piano and eventually became interested in jazz. At the same time,he began playing gigs around Milwaukee. Upon graduation from high school, Mr. Nimmer left Milwaukee to study musicat Northern Illinois University. It didn't take him long to become one of Chicago's busiest piano players. He was working a lot on the Chicago scene so Mr. Nimmer decided to leave school and make the big move to New York City where he was immediately emerged into the New York scene.

In 2005, after being in New York for about a year and playing with many different musicians, Mr. Nimmer got hired by Wynton Marsalis to become a member of his Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and the Wynton Marsalis Quintet, both in which he has been member ever since. In addition to Wynton Marsalis, Mr. Nimmer has performed and or recorded with Jimmy Cobb, Norah Jones, Willie Nelson, Paul Simon,Chick Corea, George Benson, Houston Person, Eric Clapton, Tom Jones, Jon Faddis, Benny Golson, Brian Lynch, Lewis Nash, Peter Washington, Fareed Haque and many more. Nimmer has appeared numerous times on television including the The Tonight Show w/ Jay Leno, The Late Show w/ David Letterman, The View, Good Morning America, The Early Show, The Kennedy Center Honors, Live From Abbey Road, and Live From Lincoln Center PBS. You can also see him in Apple's video iPod commercial "Sparks". He has released five of his own albums on the Venus label (Japan). Nimmer has played at the White House, The Royal Albert Hall (London), Salle Pleyel (Paris), Disney Hall (LA), the Hollywood Bowl and many other renowned venues and festivals around the world. Dan Nimmer is a Yamaha Artist. ~ Bio http://www.dannimmer.com/new%20bio1.html

Personnel:  Dan Nimmer – piano;  David Wong – bass;  Pete Van Nost - drums

Tea For Two

Tuesday, January 18, 2022

Brad Mehldau Trio - Brad Mehldau Trio Live

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 156:08
Size: 358,2 MB
Art: Front

( 0:15) 1. Introduction
( 8:44) 2. Wonderwall
(13:07) 3. Ruby's Rub
(10:38) 4. O Que Será
( 9:10) 5. B Flat Waltz
(23:30) 6. Black Hole Sun
(13:03) 7. The Very Thought Of You
(12:00) 8. Buddha Realm
(10:40) 9. Fit Cat
(11:35) 10. Secret Beach
(16:16) 11. C.T.A.
(12:08) 12. More Than You Know
(14:57) 13. Countdown

Brad Mehldau Trio Live is a live album by American pianist and composer Brad Mehldau's Trio released on the Nonesuch label in 2008. The album received universally favourable reviews. AllMusic awarded the album 4 stars and in its review by Thom Jurek, states "Those new or curious about the trio will be astonished by what's here, pure and simple. For seasoned jazz fans and those of the pianist in particular, this is nothing short of total delight". The Guardian's John Fordham observed "Since the mid-1990s, the prodigiously gifted pianist Brad Mehldau has been turning out one disc a year. Yet every Mehldau venture offers a new mix of standard songs and deconstructed pop themes; a new level of understanding within his group; a new twist on old piano-trio rules; and a startling new freedom in the way the pianist's left hand cajoles, threatens and encourages his right".

On All About Jazz, John Kelman noted "Ballard has lit an unmistakable fire under this group, but it's the trio's increasing open-mindedness that distinguishes Live from its previous live outings. Refined simplicity contrasts with sophisticated complexity while spare economy coexists alongside busier dynamics, making Live another exceptional milestone in a career defined by gradual but unrelenting growth and exploration". PopMatters reviewer Ron Hart said "On Brad Mehldau Trio Live, he provides yet another impressive showcase from his favorite NYC stage across a massive two-disc set that features his latest trio, which includes longtime bassist Larry Grenadier and daring new drummer Jeff Ballard." JazzTimes reviewer, Thomas Conrad commented "Mehldau plays here with a daring abandon that sweeps all of the 12 performances far from where they began. Yet he is not reckless; every piece sustains one large idea. Grenadier and Ballard never crowd the musical space, yet their indispensable, defining roles occur in the foreground". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brad_Mehldau_Trio_Live

Personnel: Brad Mehldau - Piano; Larry Grenadier - Bass; Jeff Ballard - Drums

Brad Mehldau Trio Live

Lena Bloch & Feathery - Rose of Lifta

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:59
Size: 142,4 MB
Art: Front

(10:20) 1. Promise of Return
( 8:09) 2. Mad Mirror
( 6:50) 3. New Home
(10:00) 4. Climbing Rose of Lifta
(10:19) 5. Old Home
( 9:24) 6. Mahmoud Darwish
( 6:55) 7. Wintry Mix

Saxophonist Lena Bloch knows something about the pain of separation from one's homeland. Born in Russia, she emigrated to Israel in 1990, then to Europe and, finally, in 2008, to the United States, setting up shop in New York City's fertile jazz ground. In 2014, Feathery, (Thirteen Note Records), the album and her quartet of that name, came into being. The group's second album, Heart Knows (Fresh Sound New Talent, 2007), cemented her distinctive horn-and-rhythm-section approach, with bassist Cameron Brown, pianist Russ Lossing and drummer Billy Mintz, a group that crafts a spacious, wide open sound full of spontaneous beauty and unpredictability four feathers dropped in a gentle breeze to sway and drift in intersecting paths of circuitous gravitation goals. Rose Of Lifta moves that sound further along.

Superior ensembles develop deep levels of telepathy, a singularity of purpose. That is evident here. It has become a cliche to say someone usually a rhythm section player, a drummer, bassist or pianist elevates the music. With Lena Bloch's Feathery, everyone participates in the four-way elevation in a series of seven compositions four by Bloch, three from pianist Lossing which makes the set sound like an interwoven suite. The influence of pianist Lennie Tristano is here, as are Middle-Eastern motifs; and, while soloing doesn't generally get a front seat, Losing and Bloch lay down some understated beauties.

Appealing and approachably complex sounds evolved in part from the influence of Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, a writer from a country of multitudes of dispossessed and displaced souls. Bloch herself is no stranger to this problem, having left her own homeland for Israel, then Europe, to finally settle in the United States only to slip into a precarious status in her chosen homeland due to a fight with the buracracy of obtaining legal residency. A yearning for home (the old one and a new one) gives her music a soulfulness and honesty, pointing perhaps to a universal human need for roots, new or old, that informs Rose Of Lifta. The music has a delicacy of four-way articulation underlain by an on-the-sleeve emotional, longing-for-home honesty in creation of a distinctive quartet sound for which comparisons cannot be found. Fresh and beautiful stuff.~Dan McClenaghan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/rose-of-lifta-lena-bloch-and-feathery-fresh-sound-records

Personnel: Lena Bloch: saxophone; Russ Lossing: piano; Cameron Brown: bass; Billy Mintz: drums.

Rose of Lifta

Luciana Souza - The Book of Longing

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:44
Size: 94,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:14)  1. These Things
(3:27)  2. Daybreak
(4:34)  3. Alms
(4:57)  4. Night Song
(3:12)  5. Paris
(4:00)  6. The Book
(4:47)  7. Tonight
(4:19)  8. We Grow Accustomed to the Dark
(3:14)  9. A Life
(2:56) 10. Remember

Since releasing her Sunnyside debut, The Poems of Elizabeth Bishop and Other Songs in 2000, Brazilian vocalist and composer Luciana Souza has woven poetry into the fabric of her work. Subsequent recordings such as Neruda, Tide, and Speaking in Tongues have all employed this approach as the prime vehicle of creative expression for her as a singer and composer, and she shapes the poems as complementary means in generating human connection and meaning. The Book of Longing is titled after Leonard Cohen's collection of poems, lyrics, and drawings of the same name. Here she strips down her charts to offer a new direction in ten relatively brief songs. Souza chose guitarist Chico Pinheiro and bassist Scott Colley as her accompanists (she provides organic percussion selectively), as well as her husband and longtime producer Larry Klein to helm these sessions. The program includes four works by Cohen, and one each by Edna St. Vincent Millay, Christina Rossetti, and Emily Dickinson, alongside a trio of her own songs. Her own "These Things" offers gently syncopated rhythms and minimal textures provided by strings and whispering percussion, Souza's vocals inhabit words and the spaces between them with disciplined phrasing and concision as her musicians provide a color palette that adds depth and dimension. One cannot help but hear the trace influence of Joni Mitchell on this tune. "Daybreak" hearkens back musically to her Brazilian influences, such as Tom Jobim and Dory Caymmi, as slippery bossa is kissed by chamber jazz. Cohen's "The Book" is a vehicle for Souza's canny ability to find the stillpoint inside a lyric. As Colley's bass highlights the changes, Pinheiro's chord voicings and single-string fills add an airy backdrop to her vocal, enveloping it effortlessly. Souza travels through each syllable in the tune's lyric, imparting tenderness and tolerance amid the melancholy weight of meaning it contains. On "Night Song" (also by Cohen), her wordless vocalese introduction engages in taut yet breezy interplay with her sidemen. Their intuitive soloing is fleet and creates a net for Souza, who bridges the feelings of separation and loneliness in the lyric to the unconditional love it celebrates. Dickinson's "We Grow Accustomed to the Dark" is introduced by a rugged bassline. Along with Pinheiro's guitar, they deliver riffs suggestive of blues and rock. But when Souza begins to sing, she wraps both instrumentation and words in a jazz embrace to quietly dynamic effect. Rossetti's "Remember" is a languid elegy, and Souza allows the words to penetrate her to the marrow. Her painfully intimate delivery equates the oncoming pain of death's impossible-to-bear separation with a present in which two souls are joined in the union of heartbreak and longing. Her desire and acceptance drip like honey from her lips, arresting the moment in time. On Book of Longing, Souza displays yet again, her stark and remarkable originality in works of deceptive simplicity and elegance. The empathy and equanimity she displays with her sidemen is actually the sound of musical and emotional generosity. ~ Thom Jurek https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-book-of-longing-mw0003184454

Personnel:  Luciana Souza - voice & percussion;  Chico Pinheiro - guitar;  Scott Colley - bass

The Book of Longing

Dick Sisto, Fred Hersch - Duo Live

Styles: Vibraphone And Piano Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:31
Size: 130,3 MB
Art: Front

(6:51)  1. Theme for Ernie
(6:18)  2. Francisca
(7:38)  3. I Think of You
(3:18)  4. The Chase
(5:09)  5. Maurice
(7:18)  6. Only Trust Your Heart
(6:56)  7. Infant Eyes
(6:47)  8. Evidence
(6:13)  9. Blue Monk

While vibist Dick Sisto has been compared to both Gary Burton and Milt Jackson, his own lyrical style manages to synthesize both without ever succumbing to imitation. Sisto began playing vibes in grade school and continued studying through college, eventually playing in groups that included future luminaries Maurice White and David Sanborn. After relocating to California in the early '70s, Sisto became involved in a number of projects, both within and outside of traditional jazz contexts, from backing Swami Kriyananda and poet Gary Snyder to participating in Thomas Buckner's Ghost Opera Company. Eventually establishing a base in the Midwest, Sisto added teaching to his resumé with a three-year stint at the Univeristy of Kentuky, followed by numerous clinics and educational concerts. All of this has coincided with international touring and recordings with, among others, Fred Hersch, Kenny Werner, and Barry Ries. ~ Wade Kergan https://www.allmusic.com/artist/dick-sisto-mn0000215042

Personnel:  Dick Sisto - vibraphone;  Fred Hersch - piano

Duo Live

Steve Slagle - High Standards

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1982
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:36
Size: 104,5 MB
Art: Front

( 6:50)  1. Grand St. Blues
( 8:19)  2. Peace
( 4:46)  3. Moments Notice
(10:40)  4. I Hear A Rhapsody
( 6:25)  5. I Thought About You
( 8:33)  6. Speak Low

Born 18 September 1951, Los Angeles, California, USA. Starting out playing saxophones while still very young, Slagle moved to the opposite side of the country where he studied at the Berklee College Of Music. Subsequently, and through the 70s, he worked with artists as diverse as Stevie Wonder, John Scofield and Machito. In the early years of the next decade he was with Woody Herman’s band, playing tenor saxophone, and also worked with Lionel Hampton, playing alto, and Charlie Haden, Carla Bley, Steve Kuhn, and Mingus Dynasty. At the end of the 80s he was musical director for the Ray Barretto Band. His first album as a leader was released in 1983, and during the 80s he often worked with a quartet featuring Jaco Pastorius (bass), Mike Stern (guitar) and Adam Nussbaum (drums). In the following decade Slagle recorded several sessions for SteepleChase Records, with musicians including Tim Hagans and Ryan Kisor (trumpets), Kenny Drew Jnr. (piano), Cameron Brown (bass), and Gene Jackson (drums). Slagle also co-leads a group with Dave Stryker (guitar), and works as lead altoist and chief arranger with the Mingus Big Band. A brilliant stylist, who also plays soprano saxophone and clarinet, Slagle’s work indicates his abiding interest on the transitional music that followed hard bop into free jazz, although he is at his considerable best when he underpins these latter-day forms with the essence of the blues. His striking technical mastery of his instruments is always evident but it is never used for its own sake. Although adept on all the instruments in his arsenal, Slagle is perhaps must interesting on alto, where his sinuous solo lines create a musical atmosphere that is both demanding and compelling in its intensity. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/steve-slagle-mn0000033922/biography                 

Personel:  Alto Saxophone – Steve Slagle;  Bass – Harvie Swartz;  Drums – Victor Lewis;  Guitar – Mike Stern;  Piano – Teddy Saunders

High Standards

Monday, January 17, 2022

Seamus Blake - Solid!

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:44
Size: 144,2 MB
Art: Front

(10:07) 1. Insert Witty Title
( 5:16) 2. Moving One
( 8:10) 3. Weeks On Ed
( 6:48) 4. Writer's Block
( 8:42) 5. Rules Of Etiquette
( 6:36) 6. Chasing Fanshawe
( 8:57) 7. Fresh Fruit
( 8:04) 8. Here We Go

New York based saxophonist/composer SEAMUS BLAKE is recognized as one of the finest exponents of contemporary jazz. His music is known for its sophistication, bold improvisations and “sheer swagger". John Scofield, who hired Seamus for his “Quiet Band,” called him “extraordinary, a total saxophonist.” Throughout his 24 year career, Seamus has garnered critical praise for his masterful playing, his fine compositional skills and for his facility as a leader.

Since moving to Paris in February 2018 Seamus has been invited to perform the music of his recent CD, "Superconductor" with a number of European Jazz Bands. Beginning with the Latvian Radio Jazz Band early in 2018, Seamus has performed with the Trondheim Big Band and The Sibis Alumni Big Band (Sibelius Institute , Helsinki),in September. He is scheduled to perform his music with The Tuesday Big Band (Amsterdam) on November 6/7, and The Subway Jazz Orchestra on November 14.

In 2017 Seamus assembled a new quartet, The French Connection. The band ( Seamus, Tony Tixier piano, Florent Nisse, bass, and Gautier Garrigue, drums) recorded their first CD in Paris in November, 2017 and have toured in France and Spain. The CD will be released on the Whirlwind label. Three promo videos will be available on Youtube in January. Seamus has a busy schedule in Europe in 2018. Check the Performance page for details. Superconductor is Seamus’ most ambitious project to date and was released in December 2015. The talent includes Nate Smith, Matt Garrison, Scott Kinsey, a 7 piece orchestral ensemble as well as special guest appearances by John Scofield and Gonzalo Rubalcaba. The album marks the debut of Seamus on EWI (electronic wind instrument). Seamus plays on the 2015 Grammy nominated Camino by pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba.

Seamus Blake was born December 1970 in England and raised in Vancouver, Canada. At age 21, while still a student at Boston's prestigious Berklee College, he was asked to record with legendary drummer Victor Lewis. After graduation, he moved to New York, where he rapidly established himself on the New York jazz scene. In February 2002, Seamus took first place in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition in Washington D. C. As the winner, he performed with Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock. As a leader/co-leader , Seamus has released 16 albums. He is featured as a sideman on over 70 CDs.

Seamus has played on six of of the Grammy nominated Mingus bands’ albums He continues to play and record with Bill Stewart, Kevin Hays, David Kikoski and Alex Sipiagin. Seamus is frequently featured as a guest artist. In 2010 he was guest of honor at the International Saxophone Symposium in Washington hosted by the US Navy Band. Seamus was a member of John Scofield’s Quiet Band and toured and recorded with Dave Douglas. Some of the many other artists he has worked with include Eric Reed, Ethan Iverson, Chris Cheek, and Matt Penman. https://seamusblake.com/biography

Solid!

Myron Walden - Momentum

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:58
Size: 125,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:32) 1. Of Three Worlds
(5:05) 2. The Road Ahead
(8:12) 3. Pulse
(3:52) 4. Vision Of A Visionary
(4:08) 5. Miles
(1:39) 6. When Time Stood Still
(5:25) 7. What Goes Up Must Come Down
(6:22) 8. Longing
(1:32) 9. Like A Flower Seeking The Sun
(5:42) 10. Memories
(6:05) 11. Carnage
(1:19) 12. When Time Stood Still

Sometimes a break can be the best thing a musician can take. Not getting tired by any means, if a four-year sabbatical from recording as a leader results in as strong a comeback as reedman Myron Walden's, perhaps artists should take breaks more often. A charter member of drummer Brian Blade's Fellowship Band, Walden is back with not one, but three CDs over the next couple months. The first, Momentum, is a potent modern mainstream set that takes trumpet icon Miles Davis' legendary 1960s quintet as a touchstone, but achieves reverence without sacrificing its own voice.

Walden's writing has always demonstrated a distinctive blending of front line horns that almost sounds like a single voice, but especially in the context of the Fellowship where it's a confluence of reeds. Still, even when writing for saxophone and trumpet, as Walden does here, there remains a skillful commingling, with the horns often orbiting around each other harmonically before coming together in strong unison. The relaxed yet simmering feel of "Pulse" a waltz-time ballad driven by flexible drummer Kendrick Scott's visceral, in-the-pocket groove with bassist Yasushi Nakamura provides a modal context for solos building with inevitable intensity by Walden and trumpeter Darren Barrett, while David Bryant's atmospheric electric piano pushes the band into territory somewhere between Miles' Filles de Kilimanjaro and Miles in the Sky, both from Columbia in 1968.

Walden deserts his usual axe in favor of tenor saxophone, proving himself as thoughtful yet fiery a player on the bigger horn as he is on alto, and using the instrument's lower register to accomplish many of the ideas he'd normally play on bass clarinet (also left in its case). Miles may be the touchstone, but Walden's charts are far more challenging to navigate—especially "Carnage," an up-tempo burner featuring Scott's marvel of in-the-moment, polyrhythmic invention.

With plenty of solo space for everyone, Walden also contributes three largely through-composed miniatures, serving as rallying points throughout Momentum's 55-minute set. "Like a Flower Seeking the Sun," with Nakamura's evocative, chordal intro, is redolent of Shorter's enduring title track to Davis' Nefertiti (Columbia/Legacy, 1967), with its repeated front line motif a foundation for Scott's imaginative, polyrhythmic invention. Two versions of "When Time Stood Still" bookend five tunes, ranging from the indigo-tinged "Longing" to the barnstorming "Carnage"—managing, both in less than 100 seconds, to provide brief yet definitive solos spots: the first, some empathic in-tandem free play from Walden and Barrett; the second, a closing statement supporting Scott's ongoing emergence as an increasingly ubiquitous post-bop powerhouse of choice.

On its own, Momentum would be enough to say that Walden is back, and with a vengeance. As part of a triptych that will ultimately conclude with the reflective In This World and funk-driven Countrified (both due out on Walden's Demi Sound Records in January, 2010), it's but one of three that will paint the broadest picture of Walden's expansive interests yet; a document of one of the modern mainstream's most provocative saxophonists, composers, and bandleader.~John Kelmanhttps://www.allaboutjazz.com/momentum-myron-walden-demi-sound-records-review-by-john-kelman

Personnel: Myron Walden: tenor saxophone; Darren Barrett: trumpet; David Bryant: electric piano; Yasushi Nakamura: bass; Kendrick Scott: drums.

Momentum

Kazumasa Akiyama - Dig My Style

Styles: Piano Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:48
Size: 99,6 MB
Art: Front

(7:50) 1. I Believe in You
(4:48) 2. Summer Dreamer
(3:46) 3. Got That Feeling
(4:34) 4. Keep on Loving
(6:10) 5. Dig My Style
(5:14) 6. Gettin' on
(4:05) 7. Shining Guitar
(4:16) 8. Mother Eyes - Estate

Kazumasa Akiyama Tokyo, 1955 is a Japanese fusion and jazz guitarist. Kazumasa Akiyama played in the Tokyo jazz scene from the 1970s, including with Isao Suzuki's sextet, with whom he also made his first recordings. He also collaborated on recordings by Mikio Masuda, Noriko Miyamoto and Yasuaki Shimizu. In 1978 he made his debut album Dig My Style (Flying Dog) with Yasuaki Shimizu, Mikio Masuda, Masanori Sasaji, Kazuya Sugimoto, Hideo Yamaki and Tatsuji Yokoyama. In 1979 the fusion record Beyond the Door followed, in which Masanori Sasaji, Motohiko Hamase, Akira Doi, Noriko Miyamoto and singer Jimmy Satoshi Murakawa participated. In the 1980s and 1990s, Akiyama worked with Yasuko Agawa, Tatsuya Nakamura, Tsuyoshi Yamamoto, Chin Suzuki, Mari Nakamoto, Chie Ayado and the Kosuke Mine quintet, among others.

According to discographer Tom Lord,the jazz and fusion guitarist participated in 21 recording sessions between 1976 and 1998. He also worked as a studio musician on recordings by, for example, Noriko Miyamoto and Lisa Ono. More recently, he played in a quartet with Hikari Ichihara, Koichi Inoue and Nori Shiota, as well as in a sextet by Hironori Suzuki (with Shota Watanabe, among others). He also recorded Quiet Storm (2005) and Dr. Rain (2008).Translate By Google https://www.wikipe.wiki/wiki/nl/Kazumasa_Akiyama

Dig My Style

Dick Sisto, Fred Hersch - American Love Song

Styles: Vibraphone Jazz
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:21
Size: 153,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:04)  1. Falling in Love with Love
(5:13)  2. Everytime We Say Goodbye
(7:53)  3. My One and Only Love
(5:34)  4. Doxy
(5:30)  5. Little Dancer
(4:35)  6. Moments Notice
(6:11)  7. Beautiful Love
(8:00)  8. Monks Dream
(4:54)  9. Summer's Gone
(6:17) 10. If I Should Lose You
(7:05) 11. Some Other Time

Vibraphonist Dick Sisto has spent much of his adult life away from the recognized jazz centers, but his swinging approach with the Fred Hersch Trio belies this fact. This private issue covers great standards by classic songwriters, including "Falling In Love With Love" and "Beautiful Love." Sisto also successfully explores jazz compositions by John Coltrane ("Moment's Notice"), Tom Harrell ("Little Dancer"), and Sonny Rollins ("Doxy"). His soft ballad "Summer's Gone" fits right in with this enjoyable outting. ~ Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/american-love-song-mw0000925464

Personnel: Vibraphone – Dick Sisto; Bass – Drew Gress; Drums – Tom Rainey; Piano – Fred Hersch

American Love Song

Saturday, January 15, 2022

Matt Dusk - Good News

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:06
Size: 105,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:18) 1. Good News
(3:37) 2. I Wouldn't Change A Thing
(3:54) 3. On Vacation
(3:14) 4. Feels Good
(3:09) 5. It's Not That Easy
(2:55) 6. Never Gonna Fool Me
(3:14) 7. Operator Please
(2:58) 8. Love Attack
(3:14) 9. Don't Hate On Me
(3:55) 10. It Can Only Get Better
(3:32) 11. Do You Love Me
(2:45) 12. Love Don't Let Me Go
(5:13) 13. One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)

Good News is the fifth studio album by Canadian jazz singer Matt Dusk. It was released by on October 27, 2009. The album is a departure from previous Matt Dusk standard, having influences of Palm Beach Pop and crooner standards of the 1950s in a modern feel. The albums is filled with original tracks, plus a bonus classic available in Canada and on iTunes in the standard and deluxe edition. https://dbpedia.org/page/Good_News_(Matt_Dusk_album)

Personnel: Matt Dusk – vocals, backing vocals, keyboard, producer; Ron Lopata – bass guitar, keyboard, producer; Jukka Immonen – keyboard, co-producer; Terry Sawchuk – mixing engineer; Richard Dodd – mastering engineer; Joel Parisien – backing vocals; Quisha Wint – backing vocals; Justin Abedin – guitar; Davide Direnzo – drums, percussion; Ross Macintyre – bass guitar; Alex Kundakcioglu – trumpet; Rob Somerville – trombone; Chris Gale – alto sax, bari sax, horn arrangements; Steve Macdonald – tenor sax, horn arrangements

Good News

Andrej Hermlin & His Swing Dance Orchestra - Life Goes To A Party

Styles: Swing, Big Band
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:47
Size: 153,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:21) 1. Life Goes To A Party
(2:43) 2. Jump, Jump's Here
(3:40) 3. Blue Moon
(3:09) 4. The Dipsy Doodle
(2:28) 5. Nonstop Flight
(3:30) 6. Over The Rainbow
(2:57) 7. Wll All Right
(3:47) 8. Pickin' The Cabbage
(3:02) 9. Jeepers Creepers
(2:44) 10. Dinah
(2:59) 11. Sweet Sue, Just You
(5:49) 12. You Go To My Head
(2:15) 13. I'll See You In My Dreams
(3:59) 14. Chattanooga Choo Choo
(2:26) 15. God Save The Swingking
(2:39) 16. The Glory Of Love
(3:22) 17. Tropical Nights
(2:28) 18. A Tisket, A Tasket
(4:29) 19. Yes Indeed
(4:52) 20. Sing, Sing, Sing

Hermlin was born the son of the writer Stephan Hermlin . Hermlin grew up bilingually through his mother Irina Belokoneva-Hermlin, who was from Russia . Hermlin received his first piano lessons at the age of seven. After graduating from the Carl von Ossietzky High School in Berlin-Pankow, he studied piano from 1986 to 1990 at the Hanns Eisler Academy of Music in Berlin . He learned the swing style he played by himself . In 1986 he founded the Swing Dance Band , which became the Swing Dance Orchestra in 1995 , of which he has been the band leader ever since. So far (as of 2014) Hermlin has released more than ten CDs with this formation and has performed with it regularly, both nationally and internationally. The Swing Dance Orchestraplays swing in the style of the 1930s, partly with original equipment, such as consoles from that time, and mostly unamplified only the singing is amplified and recorded with microphones with a historical look (but modern inner workings). Andrej Hermlin became known beyond his music when he was arrested after the 2008 presidential election in Kenya on suspicion of terrorism. Hermlin had previously supported the democracy movement and candidate Raila Odinga , with whom he is friends. In the village of Thumaita, 130 kilometers from Nairobi , he and his wife Joyce built an art deco style house.

He is involved in the community, wired the village , had street lamps installed and organized the garbage collection . Due to the reforms in the party and as a supporter of Gorbachev , Hermlin joined the PDS in February 1990 "when everyone else had left". For a time he was a member of the Berlin State Executive of the PDS and a candidate for the House of Representatives . He has been a member of the Left Party since it was formed and regularly appears at their events. Due to his interest in historical aviation , Hermlin supported a referendum by the Berlin CDU in 2007 to keep Tempelhof Airport open . With me you are beautifulHermlin specially designed a program of swing pieces by Jewish musicians to protest anti-Semitism. Hermlin and his wife Joyce have two children. His son David Hermlin and daughter Rachel Hermlin perform as singers and dancers with their father's orchestra. Andrej Hermlin lives in Berlin-Niederschönhausen in the house where his father lived and where he grew up. The equipment of the house is at the level of 1927, but modernized. The furniture dates from the period 1930-1960. The Biermann affair had begun in the living room of the house. Hermlin's father Stephan had written a petition against the expatriation, which had been signed by twelve people in the living room.https://de-m-wikipedia-org.translate.goog/wiki/Andrej_Hermlin

The Swing Dance Orchestra is a multinational orchestra in big band format from Berlin , which mainly plays swing in the style of the 1930s; its predecessor was founded as a quintet in 1986 by Andrej Hermlin (band leader) with four other musicians. The first rehearsals of the quintet, which was still called the Swing Dance Band at the time, took place in a father's garage. The first appearance took place in the spring of 1987 in what was then the construction workers' youth club with a repertoire of 15 titles. In 1995 today's formation was created. https://second.wiki/wiki/swing_dance_orchestra

Life Goes To A Party

Al Grey - Ya Dig ?

Styles: Trombone Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:05
Size: 177,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:00) 1. Something's Got a Hold on Me
(5:23) 2. Stardust
(2:58) 3. I Don't Want to Cry
(5:40) 4. King Bee
(4:14) 5. Through for the Night
(4:52) 6. Al-Amo
(3:32) 7. Stand by Me
(6:09) 8. Stella by Starlight
(4:48) 9. Boss Tina
(4:29) 10. Night and Day
(5:11) 11. Stone Crazy
(4:23) 12. African Lady
(4:54) 13. The Way You Look Tonight
(2:56) 14. Laughing Tonight
(3:49) 15. Deep Fried
(3:20) 16. Nothing but the Truth
(5:19) 17. Blues in the Night

Al Grey's trademark phrases and often humorous use of the plunger mute long made him quite distinctive. After getting out of the service, he was with the orchestras of Benny Carter (1945-1946), Jimmie Lunceford (1946-1947), Lucky Millinder, and Lionel Hampton (off and on during 1948-1953). Grey was a well-featured soloist with the classic Dizzy Gillespie globetrotting orchestra during 1956-1957 (taking an exciting solo at the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival on a blazing version of "Cool Breeze"). He was with Count Basie's orchestra on three separate occasions (1957-1961, 1964-1966, and 1971-1977), led a band with Billy Mitchell in the early '60s, and had a group with Jimmy Forrest after leaving Basie in 1977. In later years, Grey performed and recorded often with Clark Terry, made a CD with the Statesmen of Jazz, and for a time led a quintet that featured his son Mike Grey on second trombone. Al Grey recorded as a leader for Argo (1959-1964), Tangerine, Black & Blue, Stash, Chiaroscuro, and Capri, and co-led an excellent Pablo date in 1983 with J.J. Johnson. He died of complications from diabetes on March 24, 2000.~Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/al-grey-mn0000931891/biography

Personnel: Al Grey - trombone; David Burns - trumpet; Bobby Hutcherson - vibraphone; Hugh Lawson - piano; Calvin Newborne - guitar; Herman Wright - bass; Otis Finch - drums

Ya Dig ?

Kurt Rosenwinkel - Kurt Rosenwinkel Plays Piano

Styles: Piano Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:26
Size: 111,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:44) 1. Love Signs
(4:45) 2. Music
(4:37) 3. Lost Song
(5:09) 4. Whispers of Love
(4:13) 5. The Cross
(4:32) 6. For Dad
(4:34) 7. Cycle Five
(5:00) 8. Hommage à Mitch
(4:48) 9. Reassurement
(6:00) 10. Heavenly Bodies

Composer, multi-instrumentalist, bandleader, and Heartcore Records founder Kurt Rosenwinkel is acclaimed as one of the finest jazz guitarists of his generation, but many might not know that he is also an accomplished pianist. Heartcore Records is proud to present Kurt Rosenwinkel Plays Piano, an album of original compositions written and performed by Kurt Rosenwinkel. Some songs have been recorded and performed before, and will be familiar to fans of Kurt’s music. They are presented here as solo piano pieces, with the melodies, chord voicings, and rhythmic structures of these pieces intact and unadorned by the interpretation of bandmates. Listeners are afforded a glimpse into Kurt Rosenwinkel’s long relationship with the piano, as well as rare insight into his probing compositional mind. https://shop.heartcore-records.com/product/kurt-rosenwinkel-piano

Kurt Rosenwinkel Plays Piano

Friday, January 14, 2022

Ray Gelato & Kai Hoffman - Hey Boy! Hey Girl!

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:15
Size: 127,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:25)  1. Hey Boy! Hey Girl!
(2:37)  2. I've Got You Under My Skin
(3:25)  3. You're Just in Love
(4:17)  4. Cold Cold Heart
(4:14)  5. Under a Blanket of Blue
(3:17)  6. They All Laughed
(1:59)  7. Let's Call the Whole Thing Off
(2:45)  8. Nothin's Too Good for My Baby
(3:21)  9. The Lady Is a Tramp
(3:24) 10. Don't Worry 'Bout Me/I'm in the Mood for Love
(3:01) 11. Undecided
(3:24) 12. Frim Fram Sauce
(3:54) 13. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
(4:03) 14. I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire
(3:46) 15. If I Didn't Care
(2:36) 16. That Old Black Magic
(1:37) 17. Hey Boy! Hey Girl! (Reprise)

Hey Boy! Hey Girl! is a fabulous show celebrating the magic of the boy/girl duets. Great artists such as Louis Prima and Keely Smith, Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong helped to bring this concept great popularity. Ray Gelato, (winner Ronnie Scotts best band, Radio 2 best jazz vocalist nominee), and Kai Hoffman (smoky-voiced award-winning US Diva and Ronnie Scott’s regular) have developed a wonderful, fun show, taking tunes from the great American songbook! You will hear such classics as ‘That Old Black Magic’, ‘I’m in the Mood for Love’, ‘Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off’, and many, many more wonderful tunes. All performed with fun, romance and swing! Hey Boy!, Hey Girl! is sure to rock you out of your seats with Ray and Kai’s fun and jumpin’ renditions of some of your favorite classic songs. The golden age of the vocal duet is back!  http://www.kaihoffman.co.uk/index.php/line-ups/hey-boy-hey-girl/

Hey Boy! Hey Girl!

Don Scaletta - All In Good Time !

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1965
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:58
Size: 94,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:57)  1. Exodus
(5:36)  2. You're My Girl
(4:06)  3. Walk With Buddha
(1:55)  4. They Can't Make Her Cry
(6:18)  5. Secret Love
(8:52)  6. We Kiss In A Shadow
(2:39)  7. Chim Chim Cher-Ee
(4:09)  8. Here's That Rainy Day
(3:22)  9. Bitter Wine

If anyone has any information on this album are welcome!

Personnel: Don Scaletta(p), Ted Blondell(b), Nikki Lamkin(dr)

Andrej Hermlin & His Swing Dance Orchestra - Happy Birthday Mr. Swing!

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:21
Size: 99.2 MB
Styles: Swing, Big band
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[2:50] 1. Bugle Call Rag
[2:28] 2. Careless
[2:29] 3. Lonesome Road
[3:17] 4. Embraceable You
[2:50] 5. I Come From A Musical Family
[3:08] 6. Five O'clock Whistle
[2:36] 7. Happy Birthday Mr. Swing
[3:42] 8. Only You
[3:31] 9. One O'clock Jump
[4:38] 10. Blues In The Night
[3:02] 11. King Porter Stomp
[3:26] 12. Minnie The Moocher
[5:19] 13. Drummin' Man

Initially, the first jam sessions were conducted in Andrej’s parents’ garage. Back then the four young musicians playing with Andrej Hermlin could not imagine what would result from their experimental music-making. But one thing they knew for certain: they wanted to play swing, and they wanted it to sound authentic. In their first gig in the spring of 1987 in an establishment then called the “Club of Young Construction Workers”, the group played their entire repertoire – barely more than 15 titles. Several years later the SWING DANCE BAND – with new outfits, and now including a guitarist and female vocal soloist – could be heard playing at larger ball events. Bettina Labeau, at that time married to the bandleader, is still today the vocal soloist of the orchestra. At the end of 1995 the band renamed itself the SWING DANCE ORCHESTRA, now there was a small wind section and arrangements were added to attempt to emulate the sound of the American big bands. On a rather coincidental trip to New York, Andrej Hermlin was rather surprised to experience the new craze for swing in the U.S. In view of the thousands of young swing dancers at “Midsummer Night Swing“ on Lincoln Plaza the Berlin bandleader vowed: “I’ll bring my orchestra to New York no matter what the cost.”

In the summer of 1999 – after months of difficult preparations, everything was finally ready: the band traveled to America. The first gig of the SWING DANCE ORCHESTRA in America took place high above the roofs of Manhattan – in the restaurant of the World Trade Center “Windows of the World“ – a place that no longer exists. Many remarkable things have happened since then: David Rose was signed on as second vocal soloist, the band appeared more often on television, released more albums, was involved in film productions and gave guest performances in Hong Kong, Brussels, Zurich and London. But during all these years, Andrej Hermlin’s foremost goal was to found his own big band. He waited a long time to do it, but since the beginning of 2001 he has been the bandleader of an orchestra with 16 musicians. In the following summer he fulfilled a dream: he returned with his band to the “Big Apple“, played in the “Rainbow Room“, at the legendary “Hotel Pennsylvania“ – and at the “Midsummer Night Swing“ at Lincoln Plaza…

In 2004 the orchestra traveled to the Glenn Miller Festival in Clarinda, Iowa, Glenn Miller’s native city. The SWING DANCE ORCHESTRA has played gigs in the most prestigious concert halls in Germany and elsewhere. Under the Sony/BMG label the orchestra has released the albums : “Live in New York“ and “Benny Goodman´s Carnegie Hall Concert 1938“ – evidence of an amazing development which began so modestly many years ago. All of the old pals who played back then in the garage are still playing together today as musicians in the SWING DANCE ORCHESTRA. The story of this extraordinary band has not yet come to an end, so keep posted to find out what will happen next.

Happy Birthday Mr. Swing!

Dan Nimmer - Kelly Blue: Tribute To Wynton Kelly

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:39
Size: 132,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:29)  1. No Blues
(5:43)  2. Brimsha Man
(3:57)  3. On A Clear Day
(2:46)  4. Quick Jump
(5:09)  5. Close Your Eyes
(5:16)  6. Eleanor
(5:09)  7. Kelly Blue
(5:56)  8. On The Trail
(6:04)  9. If You Could See Me Now
(5:21) 10. Autumn Leaves
(6:49) 11. Temperance

In 2004, Wynton Marsalis hired 21-year-old Dan Nim-mer for his quartet and for the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. It is easy to hear what Marsalis likes about Nimmer. He has lights-out chops and is a deeply traditional player. Nimmer’s second recording as a leader, Kelly Blue, is a curious project. It is described as a Wynton Kelly tribute, but it is more like a channeling. Nimmer does a Wynton Kelly so exact it is spooky. He not only gets the elastic snap of Kelly’s swing, his harmonic ingenuity and his scurrying phrasing, he gets Kelly’s single most inimitable characteristic: his touch. Like Kelly, Nimmer can make every note pop like a champagne bubble.

Nimmer provides lush, complete, immaculate trio versions of songs Kelly usually recorded with horns (“Autumn Leaves,” “No Blues,” “On the Trail”). His portamento portrayal of “If You Could See Me Now” is even more luminous than Kelly’s and is the highlight of the album. The songs that Kelly never knew (like the ultra-funky Nimmer original “Brimsha Man”) sound like Kelly has come back to earth to play them. It’s all great fun, but the question (as it so often seems to be for musicians associated with Wynton Marsalis) is whether Nimmer’s technique and intimacy with history will eventually lead to the development of a distinctive personal voice. ~ Thomas Conrad http://jazztimes.com/articles/18897-kelly-blue-dan-nimmer-trio

Kelly Blue - Tribute To Wynton Kelly