Monty Alexander - Love Notes

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:17
Size: 111,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:59) 1. Day in Day Out
(4:54) 2. These Love Notes
(6:02) 3. The Nearness of You (feat. Roy Hargrove)
(4:56) 4. As Time Goes By
(4:45) 5. Faith Can Move Mountains
(4:07) 6. Island in the Sun
(4:58) 7. To the Ends of the Earth
(4:30) 8. Moon River
(2:55) 9. Too Marvelous for Words (Live)
(2:32) 10. Straighten up and Fly Right (Live)
(4:33) 11. For Sentimental Reasons

Pianist Monty Alexander is set to release Love Notes this year, fulfilling a decades-long desire to record his first vocal album.

The iconic jazz musician has released 75 recordings as a bandleader over the course of his illustrious career spanning more than 60 years. Alexander’s recording career also includes work as a session musician with Ray Brown, Tony Bennett, Quincy Jones, Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Golson, Clark Terry, Milt Jackson and many more. Now, he’s finally making his debut as a vocalist.

“My desire was emboldened ever since one of our great jazz vocalists, Carmen McRae, heard me sing a tune at the end of a concert and told me, ‘Don’t stop singing!,’ admonishing me like a loving aunt would,” Alexander recalls. “That was back in the 1970s, so it took me 50 years … but I am glad to finally introduce Monty the vocalist and this collection of love songs.”

The 11 tracks on Love Notes are new arrangements of some of Alexander’s favourite songs ever since he was a child in Jamaica; the exception is one original composition, These Love Notes, a previously instrumental fan favourite that’s been newly re-recorded here with lyrics by Brian Jobson. Among the album’s track listing are romantic standards famously recorded by the likes of Henry Mancini, Nat King Cole, Harry Belafonte, Sam Cooke, Frank Sinatra and more.

“These songs harken back to innocent times, the 1950s, when I would hear calypsos and mentos in the streets,” Alexander says, “before I came to America, before the rise of Bob Marley, and certainly before I knew I would have this incredible career as a jazz pianist with over 75 albums recorded to date. Seventy-five albums as a pianist and one as a singer!”

Love Notes features an impressive cast of musicians that includes George Benson, Ramsey Lewis, Joe Sample, Courtney Panton, Karl Wright, Rubens de la Corte, Arturo Sandoval, Paul Berner, Steve Williams, Bobby Thomas Jr., Hassan Shakur and Quentin Baxter. The late Roy Hargrove also makes a posthumous appearance on two of the tracks.The album’s release will be accompanied by tour dates worldwide.

There’s also a biographical documentary in the works called The Monty Alexander Movie. Directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Arthur Gordon, the project is currently in production in Jamaica, the U.S. and Europe.~Adam Feibel https://jazz.fm/monty-alexander-love-notes-first-vocal-album/

Love Notes

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Stephen Riley - I Remember You

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:19
Size: 161,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:58) 1. You Stepped Out Of A Dream
(7:45) 2. My Ideal
(8:17) 3. I'll Remember April
(8:22) 4. Wild Flower
(6:58) 5. I Remember You
(7:14) 6. Ugly Beauty
(8:22) 7. Alone Together
(9:07) 8. God Bless The Child
(7:11) 9. Equinox

American tenor saxophonist Stephen Riley lists John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Stan Getz and Lester Young as his influences. When he just 17, Riley won the Stan Getz/Clifford Brown fellowship, and he has toured and recorded with a host of musicians including, Wynton Marsalis, Joe Levano, Joe Henderson and Michael Brecker. In other words, this man has chops. Riley had recorded around a dozen albums before this one as a leader, and decided that he wanted a change of direction, and use a guitarist rather than a pianist.

The player he chose was in fact, an old music teacher of his, Vic Juris, a guitarist who had played with the likes of Larry Coryell, Lee Konitz, Gary Peacock, Dave Liebman and Joe Locke. Sadly, these would be the last sessions Juris played, because he died from cancer soon after their conclusion. This gives the album’s title a certain poignancy, and on the band photograph on the back of the CD booklet, the three other band members have a trace of a smile on their faces, while Juris looks haunted. The album is dedicated to him.

Bassist Jay Anderson has been a sideman for many including, Bob Belden, Paul Bley, George Cables, Lee Konitz, Bob Mintzer and Maria Schneider. He’s also played with Frank Zappa and David Bowie. Drummer Jason Tiemann’s resume includes Benny Gilson, Dave Liebman and Harold Mabern.

This is a straight-ahead jazz album, with the band playing nine covers, some of them standards from the pop and jazz worlds the composers include Wayne Shorter, Thelonious Monk and John Coltrane. The complementary nature of guitar and sax is strongly evident throughout the album, from the opening bossanova-tinged ‘You Stepped Out Of A Dream’ to the powerful closer, Coltrane’s ‘Equinox’. On the former, the influence of Getz is easy to discern, with Riley’s s airy sax phrases producing a cascade of wispy, sighs, and Juris comping excellently, before playing a solo with such touch and delicacy, that the notes sparkle like raindrops dancing off a lake.

On the nine-minute plus Billie Holiday number ‘God Bless The Child,’ Riley and Juris play together softly and tenderly - Juris’s opening, delicate chords and harmonics are a joy to listen to. The band plays a lovely swinging version of Arthur Schwartz’s ‘Alone Together.’ Riley’s opening, snaking solo is accompanied by more superb comping by Juris (just listen to the chiming chord he strikes at around the 1.45 mark). Wayne Shorter’s waltz-time composition ‘Wild Flower’ is played with some zest, while the title track composed by Gene DePaul is an uptempo, feet-tapping, rendition. A note should be made about the great support provided by the rhythm section of Anderson and Tiemann, Anderson also solos excellently on many tracks including, ‘You Stepped Out Of A Dream,’ ‘Equinox,’ and the band’s excellent interpretation of Monk’s haunting waltz, ‘Ugly Beauty.’

This album was a great pleasure to listen to, and one hopes that Riley reaches an even wider audience with it he deserves too. And it’s a fitting swansong to the talented and much-missed Vic Juris.~George Cole https://www.jazzviews.net/stephen-riley---i-remember-you.html

Personnel: Stephen Riley (tenor sax); Vic Juris (guitar); Jay Anderson (bass); Jason Tiemann (drums)

I Remember You

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Gary Bartz Quintet - West 42nd Street

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1990
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:47
Size: 158,4 MB
Art: Front

( 8:51) 1. West 52nd Street
(19:10) 2. Speak Low
(11:45) 3. Its Easy to Remember
(10:02) 4. Cousins
(18:56) 5. The Night Has a Thousand Eyes

After a long period of indifferent recordings, altoist Gary Bartz started to fulfill his potential in the early '90s. Joined by a superb rhythm section (comprised of pianist John Hicks, bassist Ray Drummond, and drummer Al Foster) and trumpeter Claudio Roditi (whose restrained power complements rather than competes with Bartz), the altoist really stretches out, particularly on "Speak Low" and "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes" which both clock in at within seven seconds of 19 minutes apiece. Bartz is quite lyrical on a superior version of "It's Easy to Remember" and also takes inventive solos on his modal blues "Cousins" and Wilbur Harden's "West 42nd Street." A highly recommended gem. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/west-42nd-street-mw0000073378

Personnel: Saxophone [Alto, Soprano] – Gary Bartz; Bass – Ray Drummond; Drums – Al Foster; Flugelhorn, Trumpet – Claudio Roditi; Piano – John Hicks

West 42nd Street

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Abdullah Ibrahim - Solotude

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:41
Size: 99,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:10) 1. Mindiff
(1:56) 2. Trieste My Love
(2:24) 3. Nisa
(2:08) 4. Blue Bolero
(5:04) 5. In-Tempo
(2:30) 6. Dreamtime
(0:38) 7. Blue Bolero (First Reprise)
(1:49) 8. Peace
(1:05) 9. Blues For A Hip King
(1:02) 10. District 6
(0:39) 11. Tokai
(0:14) 12. District 6 (Reprise)
(0:42) 13. Pula
(3:20) 14. Sotho Blue
(0:23) 15. Blue Bolero (Second Reprise)
(1:29) 16. Did You Hear That Sound?
(1:33) 17. In The Evening
(6:27) 18. Once Upon A Midnight
(4:52) 19. The Wedding
(1:06) 20. Signal On The Hill

Abdullah Ibrahim once told a seminar at his M7 Academy in Cape Town, "The devil lives on the stage. This is where the ego comes out." On the strength of Solotude, recorded live on his eighty-sixth birthday, Ibrahim has crushed such personal demons and now lets angels guide his performing. One takes his point though, given that even the most spiritual music needs some sense of conceit to create and promote it. But this is an artist with nothing left to prove or justify, having laid down musical markers since emerging on record as Dollar Brand in 1968.

Solotude is neatly titled, with its aching sense of seclusion and repose. The record was made at Hirzinger Hall in east Germany, during the 2020 lockdown, with no audience beyond a technical crew. If anything, this format works better as each piece is left framed by brief silence rather than applause. The only background noise is actually supplied by Ibrahim with his occasional grunts and gasps of concentrated pleasure. Just possibly they could be groans of annoyance at a fluffed note, inaudible to any but himself. But more probably Ibrahim was captivated in the moment at his piano, just as the listeners are left enrapt.

The opening cut, "Mindif," is one of several which he revisits from a stellar career. Shorn of its previous orchestration, the track's blend of mystic light and golden silence sets a tone; also the album's most spectral cut, it echoes some of Espen Eriksen's noirish turns. "Trieste My Love," reworked from Dream Time (Enja Records, 2019) conveys a sweet sense of longing, while the playful rolls and jabs of "Nisa" are distinct from the brassy rendering on The Balance (Gearbox Records, 2019).

More geeky fun can be had with hearing "District 6" retain its funky swagger from the vibrant African Magic album (Enja Records, 2002). Elsewhere, a stark version of "Sotho Blue" supremely mimics the original's haunting sax and flute parts. Trying to unravel Ibrahim's sonic secrets is probably futile, though his fingertip sensitivity and use of sustain are evident on the romantic contemplations of "Blue Bolero" and "Once Upon A Midnight." Further, several short fragments, such as "Peace," "Blues For A Hip King" and "Tokai," echo a philosophical quality found in Franz Liszt's more intimate works.

Ibrahim presents one of his most enduring songs, "The Wedding," near the end like an encore. New numbers include the rhapsodic "In-Tempo" with its ripples of trilling birdsong, plus the closing cut, "Signal On The Hill," which brings a final note of serenity.

The meditative strength of this outing is born of one who recognises martial arts, medicine and movement as key elements. Ibrahim offers his symphonic poems to us here with quiet reverence. Who could refuse such a gift?~Gareth Thompsonhttps://www.allaboutjazz.com/solotude-abdullah-ibrahim-gearbox-records

Personnel: Abdullah Ibrahim: piano.

Solotude

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Georgia Cécile - Only the lover Sings

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:38
Size: 102,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:38) 1. The month of may
(3:31) 2. Come summertime
(3:18) 3. Always be right
(3:57) 4. He knew how to love
(3:19) 5. Goodbye love
(4:58) 6. Harpoon
(4:57) 7. Bittersweet
(3:55) 8. Ever burning flame
(3:01) 9. Blue is just a colour
(3:59) 10. Love the stars you're under

2021 was definitely something of an annus mirabilis for the vocalist and songwriter, Georgia Cécile. She won a host of new fans supporting Gregory Porter on his four dates at the Royal Albert Hall, made her Ronnie Scott's debut, delivered a standout performance at the EFG London Jazz Festival's opening gala, Jazz Voice, and released her debut album, Only The Lover Sings, which scooped ‘Best Album’ at the 2021 Scottish Jazz Awards.

With 10 superbly-crafted original songs, outstanding arrangements courtesy of Cécile's long-standing songwriting partner pianist and composer Euan Stevenson plus a central vocal performance which mixes passion, power and playfulness, this debut is an astonishing achievement. Cécile kickstarted proceedings at ‘Jazz Voice’ with her fine original and album opener ‘The Month Of May’. It's one of several songs (‘He Knew How To Love’ and ‘Goodbye Love’ are two more) which possesses a Bacharach-like richness both in terms of its arrangement and its harmonic journey. The moving ballad ‘Come Summertime’ showcases Cécile's ability to sustain and really sing through the melodic line. Tempos and textures are nicely varied, with ‘the radio-friendly ‘Always Be Right For Me’ shifting easily through the gears, while the pulsating ‘Blue Is Just A Colour’ emphasizes what an incredibly tight band this is.
https://www.jazzwise.com/review/georgia-cecile-only-the-lover-sings

Only the lover sings

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David Linx - Be My Guest: The Duos Project

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:30
Size: 157,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:48) 1. Letter to Trevor
(3:59) 2. Hunter
(4:26) 3. Página de Dor
(3:59) 4. Close to You
(5:19) 5. Waves
(4:46) 6. Making Do, Making New
(7:50) 7. Round Midnight
(5:25) 8. My Bee
(2:28) 9. Tonight You Belong to Me
(4:20) 10. By the Seine
(2:59) 11. The Bystander Effect
(6:51) 12. Vanguard
(3:28) 13. I Think It's Going to Rain Today
(3:18) 14. Emportez-moi
(5:27) 15. Como la Cigarra

By turns visceral, touching, transporting and illuminating, this set of 15 duets featuring the Brussels-born, Paris-based vocalist, composer and multi-instrumentalist David Linx is a collection that stays with you long after the final bar of the extraordinarily powerful ‘Como La Cigarra’ fades away. Penned by the Argentinean writer and composer, Maria Elena Walsh, Linx is accompanied on this particular song by the gorgeous playing of pianist Gustavo Beytelmann.

Appropriately, Linx describes the album as being “a way of continuing to evolve over and over again and remind me of my youth when I rushed into everything I didn't know, with a curiosity that is still intact”. And it’s this incredible artistic curiosity which makes Be My Guest such an enriching listening experience. Whether it’s the nearly eight-minute meditation on ‘Round Midnight’ in the company of pianist Tigran Hamasyan, the intricate polyphonic web of interlocking lines that Linx creates with fellow vocalist Theo Bleckmann in ‘Waves’, or the incredibly poignant album opener, ‘Letter to Trevor’, in which writer and filmmaker Trevor Baldwin recites a letter penned to him when he was a two-month-old baby by his uncle, the late, great writer and playwright, James Baldwin, Linx’s unerring choice of collaborators enables each song to take flight in a magical way.

Other highlights include the exquisite sound of the cavaquinho(a small, four-stringed member of the guitar family) in ‘Pagina De Dor’, courtesy of Rio-born musician Hamilton De Holanda, the incredibly beautiful timbre of cellist Éric-Maria Couturier in ‘Making Do, Making New’, and the understated electronica of ‘The Bystander Effect’, featuring keys player Diederik Wissels, which sees Linx’s increasingly stacked-up vocal riff panning left to right and back again.
https://www.jazzwise.com/review/david-linx-be-my-guest-the-duos-project

Be My Guest: The Duos Project

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Martin Speake - Two Not One

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@128K/s
Time: 66:29
Size: 153,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:38) 1. Ablution
(8:03) 2. Besame Mucho
(6:39) 3. For Heavens Sake
(3:34) 4. I Found A New Baby
(4:09) 5. Coleman Hawkins
(6:39) 6. If I Had You
(4:22) 7. I'll Never Forget You
(6:02) 8. Skylark
(4:29) 9. Lester's Blues
(6:01) 10. Our Love Is Here To Stay
(4:37) 11. Happy
(2:59) 12. The Nearness Of You
(4:10) 13. Two Not One

Martin Speake's alto saxophone tone is such a beautiful thing in itself, pure and limpid, that it would be possible to float off on it without noticing what he was actually playing. This would be a pity, because his improvised lines are full of ideas and unemphatic elegance. Colin Oxley, best known for his long tenure as Stacey Kent's guitarist, makes the best possible partner, providing rich, subtle harmonies and discreet but firm rhythmic support. Outstanding in a mixed programme of originals and well-chosen standards is a marvellous two-part invention on a blues by Lester Youg.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/mar/25/speake-oxley-two-not-one

Two Not One

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Count Basie Orchestra - This Time By Basie

Styles: Swing, Big Band
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:30
Size: 118,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:15) 1. This Could Be The Start Of Something Big
(2:29) 2. I Left My Heart In San Francisco
(3:59) 3. One Mint Julep
(3:12) 4. The Swingin' Shepherd Blues
(4:33) 5. I Can't Stop Loving You
(3:06) 6. Moon River
(3:11) 7. Fly Me To The Moon
(2:48) 8. What Kind Of Fool Am I
(2:36) 9. Walk, Don't Run
(3:14) 10. Nice 'n' Easy
(3:15) 11. Theme From The Apartment
(3:05) 12. The Hucklebuck
(2:54) 13. Oh, Pretty Woman
(3:05) 14. Oh Soul Mio
(3:43) 15. Shangri-La
(2:57) 16. At Long Last Love

Three decades after the fact, people looking at releases like This Time by Basie would tend to dismiss it as pandering, Count Basie doing a "pops" type outing the cheesy cover art even emphasized the songs over Basie and his band. Nothing could be further from the truth, however this 16-song release reveals a wonderful body of work, and deserves to be better known. For starters, This Time by Basie swings, smooth and easy but taut, or hot and heavy. From Sonny Payne's understated cymbal intro to "This Could Be the Start of Something Big" to the bluesier notes of "One Mint Julep," Basie and company sound like they're enjoying themselves, whether elegantly stretching out on "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" or "Moon River," or soaring into the air on the hotter numbers one of the more surprising covers here is "Walk Don't Run," which even works in a big-band arrangement.

Highlights amid all of this surprising splendor include Marshall Royal's alto sax on "What Kind of Fool Am I" and Frank Foster's tenor sax on "Something Big." Quincy Jones arranged and conducted This Time by Basie, and the record was successful, returning the Count to the pop charts on the eve of the British Invasion. The last five songs here are drawn from Pop Goes the Basie, a 1965 album arranged and conducted by Billy Byers, and produced by Teddy Reig the playing is as good as the companion work on numbers like "The Hucklebuck." Their version of Roy Orbison's "Oh, Pretty Woman" is a big-band blues rendition of the song (sung by Leon Thomas) that buries the original's grand operatic romantic sensibilities in a posed soulfulness. "Oh Soul Mio" (highlight by Al Grey's trombone work), "Shangri-La" and "At Long Last Love" (both prominently featuring Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis) come off better the last number could've come off of any of Basie's best post-1951 albums. The remixing from the original three-track studio asters has yielded an especially clean sound with vivid stereo separation, enhancing the solos (check out Davis' on "At Long Last Love") and the overall ensemble.~Bruce Eder

This Time By Basie

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Pat Bianchi - In the Moment

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:54
Size: 138,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:43) 1. Humpty Dumpty
(7:20) 2. Blue Gardenia
(7:29) 3. Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing
(3:46) 4. Mr. PM
(7:51) 5. Barracudas (General Assembly)
(5:25) 6. Crazy
(6:51) 7. No Expectations
(5:43) 8. I Want to Talk About You
(7:11) 9. Fall
(4:29) 10. Four in One

If you glance at the tracks listed here, you may be tempted to start out with two notable collaborations and one Willie Nelson-penned country classic. Not a bad move, as it turns out. The cameos by vocalist Kevin Mahogany, who died in late 2017, and guitar legend Pat Martino, organist Pat Bianchi’s mentor and bandmate, swiftly live up to expectations, albeit in sharply contrasting performances.

And the thoroughly reinvigorated reprise of Nelson’s “Crazy” somehow manages to salute both Patsy Cline and vintage organ-combo traditions with as much ingenuity as ease. It’s just one of several reminders of Bianchi’s flair for devising fresh, compact arrangements. Over the course of 10 tracks, Bianchi and a seasoned cast of session mates cover a lot of ground. Besides Nelson and Billy Eckstine the prime inspiration for Mahogany’s luxe, soulful rendering of “I Want to Talk About You” In the Moment features compositions by Chick Corea (“Humpty Dumpty”), Stevie Wonder (“Don’t You Worry ’Bout a Thing”), Miles Davis/Gil Evans (“Barracudas [General Assembly]”), Wayne Shorter (“Fall”), and Thelonious Monk (“Four in One”).

Throughout, Bianchi, guitarist Paul Bollenback, and drummer Byron Landham make an agile, tightly cohesive trio. The keyboardist and guitarist often display a mutual talent for offsetting resonating atmospherics with flashing chromaticism, while Landham is busy neatly negotiating dynamic tempo shifts and tricky rhythmic displacements. It soon becomes clear that the trio’s special guests are prepared for similar challenges. So don’t be surprised when guitarist Peter Bernstein, vibist Joe Locke, and drummer Carmen Intorre, Jr. suddenly snare, and reward, your attention. ~ Mike Joyce https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/pat-bianchi-in-moment-savant/

Personnel: Pat Bianchi (organ); Paul Bollenback (guitar); Byron Landham (drums). With special guests: Peter Bernstein (guitar); Carmen Intorre Jr.(drums); Joe Locke (vibes); Kevin Mahogany (vocal); Pat Martino, (guitar)

In the Moment

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Burak Bedikyan - Introspection

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:39
Size: 116,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:55) 1. Warm At Heart
(3:49) 2. See It For Yourself
(4:01) 3. Call For Peace
(5:11) 4. Can't Hear The Unheard
(4:59) 5. Free Your Mind
(5:18) 6. Simply For You
(3:16) 7. Seven Gates
(4:45) 8. Y
(3:12) 9. Deluded
(4:47) 10. Darkness Falls, Still There's Light Alone
(5:21) 11. Finale

Pianist Burak Bedikyan's sixth release on Steeplechase, the absorbing Introspection, took shape around a short, commissioned piece. The organizers of Turkey's oldest jazz festival, the Akbank, asked for the composition for its thirtieth anniversary in 2021. As Bedikyan started work on this, he improvised extensively on his home piano and recorded these experiments. The result is moving and contemplative music which is melancholic yet hopeful, simultaneously ethereal and earthy.

The angular "Call for Peace" opens with sparse chimes and a hymn-like mood. It is easy to imagine these resonant chords echoing inside a church. The crystalline melody that coalesces out of these bursts of notes and cascading lines retains the original spirituality yet transcends specific religious roots. Similarly, the sober "Deluded" has a meditative ambience yet one with an undercurrent of an insistence due to its driving cadence. The gradual build-up of tempo transforms the wistful tune into a simmering, passionate one while maintaining the eastern motif at its core. The percussive conclusion expresses a mix of ire and confidence.

"Free Your Mind," in contrast, has more buoyancy and joy. Its theme has bluesy undertones and Bedikyan's breathtaking virtuosity gives it a boppish thrill. The densely woven phrases brim with clever twists and inventive ideas. The lithe and elegant performance is vibrant, with a polished spontaneity which retains a slight gritty edge. "Finale," the aptly named album closer, is a lyrical, otherworldly lullaby laced with mysticism and enveloped in an expectant atmosphere. The meandering extemporization flows effortlessly and with grace, and forms a forlorn yet brightly-hued piece.

Although the impetus for Introspection was the aforementioned celebration in his native Istanbul, Bedikyan put in this, very personal, recording his experience during Covid19. This life-altering world event and its impact on Bedikyan's life resulted in these sublime and reflective tracks. The brilliance of Bedikyan's artistry and its maturity make this music speak to anyone, regardless of the type of encounter with and even beyond the pandemic.
~ Hrayr Attarian https://www.allaboutjazz.com/introspection-burak-bedikyan-steeplechase-records

Personnel: Burak Bedikyan: piano.

Introspection

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Jonah Jones - Confessin'

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:50
Size: 107,7 MB
Art: Front

( 5:39) 1. Love Is Just Around The Corner
( 4:46) 2. Confessin'
( 7:09) 3. Saint Louis Blues
(16:49) 4. Ellington Medley Don't Get Around Much Anymore I Let A Song Go Out Of
( 4:05) 5. The Sheik Of Araby
( 3:37) 6. Birth Of The Blues
( 4:43) 7. Confessin' (Take 2)

Born in Louisville, Kentucky in 1909, trumpet player Jonah Jones turned professional at the age of 17. After working in many bands, he formed his own quartet, the Jonah Jones Quartet, in 1955. He made a string of successful albums with Capitol in the late fifties. After that he rarely recorded again, but continued playing until his death in 2000.

Confessin'

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Giacomo Gates - You

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:22
Size: 126,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:33) 1. Exactly Like You
(2:30) 2. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
(1:46) 3. With Plenty of Money and You
(2:21) 4. I Didn't Know About You
(3:15) 5. The Nearness of You
(1:52) 6. It Had to Be You
(1:52) 7. I Thought About You
(2:37) 8. I Want to Talk About You
(2:12) 9. I Mean You
(3:11) 10. P.S. I Love You
(2:16) 11. Are You Havin' Fun Yet?
(3:25) 12. I Remember You
(4:40) 13. You're Blasé
(2:31) 14. Everything But You
(2:29) 15. You've Changed
(4:34) 16. Since I Fell for You
(3:40) 17. I've Got News for You
(2:28) 18. You Never Miss the Water 'Till the Well Runs Dry

It is an interesting linguistic and grammatical fact that the word "I," capitalized and without its lower case pal's head-dot, appears only in the English language. It is also the most frequently seen word residing in popular song titles. With You the high priest of hip, Giacomo Gates, turns the tables on that not-so-lonely letter and salutes I's near-runner up, "You" with a "book" of 18 genuinely swinging "Yous."

As a jazz singer, Gates has historically been in a sumptuous love affair with words. On over a dozen albums he's demonstrated that he's a "vocalese" vizier and scat-singing jongleur. On this album arguably his best effort to date he and a very involved rhythm section run through "You" tunes in an experience that brings to mind a time when lyrics had a more poetic aspect and pungency; when a vocalist fronting a rhythm trio was a most common format, and when track lengths were produced within strict time limits.

Gates launches the session with an up-tempo take on "Exactly Like You" with surprise contrafacts and scat. His rhythmic play with melody parlayed with his shrewdly toying with a lyric's presentation is at the forefront on "How Could I Know About You" and "It Had to Be You." His takes on "I Want to Talk About You," "P.S. I Love You" demo the vocalist's dynamic range and ability to wring emotional juice from a ballad's lyric. Thelonious Monk's jazz classic "I Mean You" offers a feisty piano solo by Tim Ray following Gates' pointing the finger. A verbal prologue prefaces a very soulful take on the Lenny Welch 60's hit, "Since I Fell for You."

While there are well-known GAS workhorses here, additional gems emanate from You that haven't been heard in ages, i.e., "Are You Havin' Any Fun?" and Ray Charles' "I've Got News for You," (both with scatted solos) and the Mills Brothers hit, "You Never Miss the Water 'Till the Well Runs Dry." All are performed with superior style, subtle humor, and soul. Those unique selections also point to brilliant production savvy.

The dynamic rhythm section is completely tied into Gates' energies and buys in whole hoagie. They're obviously having a ball. Pianist Tim Ray is outstanding, ghosting Gates and slyly answering and feeding the leader with great taste and flair. Bassist John Lockwood is rock- solidly swinging throughout. Drummer James Lattini is hands-down the perfect trio presence. When Gates, as he frequently does, toys with the time or throws in melody-altered triplets, the entire section embraces and joins the parade.

Rest assured this effort is no novelty. There's everything here that ultimately results in a most enjoyable experience. Simply put: You is an ideal way to cure your cabin fever, COVID Blues, or whatever ails you.~ Nicholas F. Mondello https://www.allaboutjazz.com/you-giacomo-gates-savant-records

Personnel: Giacomo Gates: voice / vocals; Tim Ray: piano; John Lockwood: bass; James Lattini: drums.

You

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Manhattan Jazz Quintet - 25-Tribute to Art Blakey

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:06
Size: 123,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:51) 1. Les Liaisons Dangereuses
(9:15) 2. Moanin'
(6:00) 3. Mosaic
(7:09) 4. Blues for Buhaina
(6:17) 5. Quick Silver
(5:33) 6. Split Kick
(7:30) 7. Come Rain or Come Shine
(6:28) 8. Blues March

Manhattan Jazz Quintet, an all-star band led by pianist and arranger David Matthews and a brainchild of Japanese producer Shigeyuki Kawashima, celebrates its 25th anniversary with this strong tribute album to Art Blakey. This is also the super-group's second release from the Birds Records label, following the extremely successful V.S.O.P. which not only became Swing Journal Gold Disc but also won the prestigious magazine's 2008 Jazz Disc Silver Award. In addition to Matthews, the current edition of band features trumpeter Lew Soloff, tenor saxophonist Andy Snitzer, bassist Charnett Moffett and drummer Victor Lewis. They perform the quintessential tunes associated with Art Blakey and his Jazz Messengers, including "Moanin'", "Mosaic" and "Blues March," all arranged by Matthews with a few modern twists. According to the MJQ's tradition, Matthews also wrote an original tune "Blues For Buhaina," a funky blues dedicated to the legendary drummer. The all-star band sounds terrific here. The rhythm section provides kinetic grooves and pushes the entire group. The horn players' performances are inspired and intensely hot! The sound quality of the recording is also quite good. Recommended for fans of hard bop jazz! Produced by Shigeyuki Kawashima. Recorded at Sear Sound Studio, New York, February 27 & 28, 2009.~Swing Journal Gold Disc http://www.eastwindimport.com/product info.asp?ProductId=1186

Personnel: David Matthews (piano); Lew Soloff (trumpet); Andy Snitzer (tenor sax); Charnett Moffett (bass); Victor Lewis (drums)

25-Tribute to Art Blakey

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Lauren Bush - Dream Away

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:49
Size: 128,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:04) 1. You stepped out of a dream
(6:08) 2. Dream away
(6:11) 3. If this isn't love
(5:35) 4. The shadow of your smile
(5:06) 5. Keep it to yourself
(5:28) 6. Blackfriars
(4:42) 7. You're everything
(6:12) 8. In a mellow tone
(5:34) 9. Spring can really hang you up the most
(5:44) 10. Hopelessly devoted to you

There's no "i" in "team," or so the motivational speakers of the world will have us believe, but as far as music is concerned every effective team needs an ear or two. The team responsible for Dream Away from vocalist and lead artist Lauren Bush to the instrumentalists and producers is well-served by ears and uses them to excellent effect. Throughout this album of standards and contemporary songs it's clear that everyone listens to the words, the music and each other crafting a collection that is very much an ensemble work, albeit with Bush's vocals to the fore.

This is the second album from Canadian-born and London-based Bush, following, at something of a distance, 2016's self-released All My Treasures. It maintains the high standard set by that debut. Bush is joined once again by pianist Liam Dunachie, drummer David Ingamells and trumpeter Miguel Gorodi, with Conor Chaplin replacing Andrew Robb on bass.

The producers pianist Dunachie and Ian Shaw, a fine singer and performer in his own right and engineer John Prestage have together ensured that the album benefits from superb sound, ensuring crystal clear vocals and instrumentation. Bush is an excellent interpretive singer, whether she's giving an edge to the lyrics of "You Stepped Out of a Dream," bringing a laid-back and mellow approach to "In a Mellow Tone," adding a dewy-eyed torch-song quality to the Olivia Newton-John hit "Hopelessly Devoted to You," or engaging in some lively scatting. Throughout the album, the instrumentalists offer sympathetic backing as well as contributing engaging solos.

Dream Away is a consistently fine album, but one or two tracks deserve special mention for the quality of the performances. "Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most," a voice and piano duet between Bush and Dunachie, is a delightful take on this well-known number. "If This Isn't Love" warms up the coldest day, Bush's cheerily upbeat vocal driven by Chaplin and Ingamells' bouncy bass and drums (which also underpin Dunachie's equally upbeat solo).

"Keep it to Yourself" music by Geoff Gascoyne, lyrics by Bob Dorough is a gently swinging song, with a burst of scat from Bush, a Dunachie piano solo and some considered trumpet phrases from Gorodi. On "Blackfriars," a new song written by Bush and saxophonist Fliss Gorst about events on a bridge over the river Thames, Bush and Gorst channel the ghosts of musical stars of the 1930s, invoking romantic scenes in a Hollywood version of London that would suit Fred and Ginger just fine.~Bruce Lindsayhttps://www.allaboutjazz.com/dream-away-lauren-bush-self-produced

Personnel: Lauren Bush: voice / vocals; Liam Dunachie: piano; Conor Chaplin: bass, acoustic; David Ingamells: drums; Miguel Gorodi: trumpet; Fliss Gorst: saxophone, tenor.

Dream Away

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Chris Byars - The Music Of Duke Jordan

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:46
Size: 154,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:07) 1. Jordanish
(7:15) 2. Undecided Lady
(6:54) 3. There's A Star For You
(5:22) 4. If I Did - Would You
(5:24) 5. The Bullet (Shinkansen)
(3:05) 6. Gabrielle's Wish
(4:07) 7. Lesson In Love
(6:32) 8. Paula
(9:07) 9. Glad I Met Pat
(6:41) 10. Sultry Eve
(6:07) 11. Table Chess

Award-winning saxophonist, composer, bandleader and educator Chris Byars, explores the music of another bebop great, this time pianist Duke Jordan.

Apart from his focus on composing his own music, Chris Bryars has been highly interested in studying the vast repertoire of jazz composers of the 20th century. His endeavour has so far culminated in 'Blue Lights - The Music of Gigi Gryce' (SCCD31662), 'Lucky Strikes Again - The Chris Bryars Octet Plays the Music of Lucky Thompson' (SCCD31713) and his exploration of the music of Freddie Redd on 'Music Forever' (SCCD 31743). Now to add to this impressive list Chris Byars compiled eleven gems from the book of Duke Jordan (1922 - 2006), who was one of the early and most original bebop pianists. Israeli-born singer Yaala Ballin wrote lyrics and sang two of the Jordan melodies ("Sultry Eve" and "Lesson in Love").

Personnel: Chris Byars (alto saxophone), Stefano Doglioni (bass clarinet), John Mosca (trombone), Pasquale Grasso (guitar), Ari Roland (bass), Stefan Schatz (drums), Yaala Ballin (vocal - 4 & 7) and others

The Music Of Duke Jordan

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McCoy Tyner & Freddie Hubbard Quartet - Live at Fabrik Hamburg 1986

Styles: Piano And Trumpet Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 127:08
Size: 291,9 MB
Art: Front

(11:15) 1. Inner Glimpse
( 0:42) 2. Announcemet
(14:36) 3. Latino Suite
(14:53) 4. Body and Soul
(25:47) 5. Nero-Terra
(17:44) 6. Island Birdie
(14:43) 7. Round Midnight
(17:10) 8. Blues For Basie
(10:13) 9. What Is The Thing Called Love

Warning! Highly Flammable Material! This superb album, recorded in Hamburg in 1986 and never previously released, ought to come with a caution, so incendiary is it.

Strictly speaking, Live At Fabrik presents pianist McCoy Tyner's trio with bassist Avery Sharpe and drummer Louis Hayes and guest artist Freddie Hubbard on trumpet and flugelhorn. In actuality, Hubbard's power-packed presence transforms the unit into a co-led quartet, as the cover art acknowledges. The 2 x CD album is, in effect, the chronicle of a summit meeting between two giants of post-bop jazz one of them, Hubbard, on the rebound from a fall from grace occasioned by his embrace of fusion in the 1970s, the other, Tyner, a bandleader who had never let his standards drop.

Hubbard exploded on to the scene at the start of the 1960s with a series of Blue Note albums under his own name and that of tenor saxophonist Tina Brooks and lest we forget, Tyner was the pianist on Hubbard's 1960 own-name debut, Open Sesame. Sideman dates followed for the likes of tenor saxophonist John Coltrane, pianist Herbie Hancock, drummer Art Blakey and reed player Eric Dolphy. The 1970s, by contrast, were for the most part a wasteland, as Hubbard hitched his wagon to fusion and the pursuit of big bucks.

Tyner, on the other hand, after spending the first half of the 1960s as a member of Coltrane's classic quartet, kept the faith, metaphorically and literally (he had changed his name to Suleiman Saud in 1955), unencumbered, unlike Hubbard, by the need to maintain an expensive lifestyle which included a heavy late-1970s cocaine habit. But by the mid-1980s, Hubbard was back on the same page as Tyner and keen to prove it. The opening track on Live At Fabrik is a fiery performance of Tyner's propulsive "Inner Glimpse," on which Hubbard matches Tyner's intensity lightning flash by lightning flash, and the temperature rarely drops for the next two hours.

In a 2001 interview with All About Jazz's Craig Jolley, Hubbard said that, back in the 1960s, "Lee Morgan was the only young cat that scared me when he played. He had so much fire and natural feeling. I had more technique, but he had that feeling." Many listeners, including hardcore Morgan fans, would dispute the "natural feeling" part of that judgement, both as regards high-octane material such as "Inner Glimpse" and ballads such as John Green's "Body And Soul" and Thelonious Monk's "Round Midnight," both of which are given emotionally charged readings by Hubbard (and Tyner).

Disc one concludes with a twenty-six minute performance of Hubbard's "Neo-Terra," previously heard on his ghastly Bob James-produced 1976 Columbia album, Windjammer. This time out it makes for exhilarating rather than infuriating listening (although to nitpick, Hubbard's pyrotechnics do at times touch on flash rather than substance).

And so the party continues. Side two highlights include Tyner's high spirited "Island Birdie" and raucous "Blues For Basie." The sound is perhaps a little boomy at times, but that may have been unavoidable in the cavernous converted-factory space of Fabrik which appropriately, the liner notes tell us, at one period manufactured explosives. Tyner and his trio are high impact throughout Live At Fabrik, but perhaps the biggest cause for celebration is Hubbard, back with a bang.
~Chris May https://www.allaboutjazz.com/live-at-fabrik-mccoy-tyner-freddie-hubbard-quartet-jazzline-classics

Personnel: Freddie Hubbard: trumpet; McCoy Tyner: piano; Avery Sharpe: bass; Louis Hayes: drums.

Live at Fabrik Hamburg 1986

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Wesla Whitfield - Let's Get Lost

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:48
Size: 139,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:40) 1. Let's Get Lost
(5:29) 2. Don't Blame Me
(4:58) 3. I Can't Believe That You're in Love with Me
(5:12) 4. Too Young to Go Steady
(3:07) 5. I Just Found out About Love
(2:28) 6. It's Me Remember?
(4:41) 7. You're a Sweetheart
(4:51) 8. They Really Don't Know You
(3:25) 9. I've Got My Fingers Crossed
(5:19) 10. On the Sunny Side of the Street
(3:40) 11. Hoory for Love
(3:23) 12. You're the One for Me
(5:25) 13. Where Are You
(2:32) 14. I'm Shooting High
(2:36) 15. Warm and Willing

Although not in the same class as innovators like Jerome Kern, Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Cole Porter or Harold Arlen, the composer Jimmy McHugh (1894-1969) achieved, by any standard, the songwriting trifecta. His songs were of exceeding musical merit, they enjoyed huge commercial success, and they have endured the test of time. In his seminal book, American Popular Song, Alec Wilder observed that Mr. McHugh “wrote a great many songs, among them some of the best pop songs ever written.” In The Unsung Songwriters, his survey of Tin Pan Alley songwriters published last year, Warren W. Vaché noted that Mr. McHugh’s songs “have become fixtures in the jazz catalog . . . and will probably remain an integral segment of our musical heritage.” Yet, for all that, Mr. McHugh’s songs are rarely associated with him. The singer Wesla Whitfield seeks to remedy that situation on her latest recording, Let’s Get Lost: The Songs of Jimmy McHugh.

At the beginning of the new century, Wesla Whitfield has emerged as one of the finest living interpreters of songs from the beginning of the last century. Like Rosemary Clooney and Sylvia Syms, Ms. Whitfield is a jazz-influenced storyteller rather than an improviser. Her dry, acidic voice has a way of sharpening the edges of a song. Never content to simply define a song by its tempo, Ms. Whitfield extracts meaning from every word. She focuses the listener’s attention on lyrics in a way that can make you think you are hearing the words to a warhorse like “I Can’t Believe That You’re In Love With Me” for the first time.

She mines all the wit from Johnny Mercer’s lyric for “You’re the One for Me” without ever sounding like she is trying to be witty. Ms. Whitfield also has the gift of taking antiquated expressions like “You’re a Sweetheart” or “that doggone moon above” (from “Don’t Blame Me”) and making them sound natural and even poignant. With her tendency to hold long, sustained notes with no vibrato and her clear-eyed approach to lyrics, Ms. Whitfield’s ballad singing strongly recalls the late Irene Kral.

As always, anchoring this collection is Ms. Whitfield’s pianist, arranger and husband, Mike Greensill. Both as an accompanist and an arranger, Mr. Greensill seems to have a deep understanding of exactly the kind of support his wife requires. He plays with a light touch and an attentive ear. His smart, superbly crafted arrangements make good use of not only the reeds but also the rest of the excellent rhythm section. Mr. Greensill also explores the many gradations of tempo that exist between slow and fast on this generally well-paced CD.

Like all of Ms. Whitfield’s recordings, Let’s Get Lost is a mixture of the familiar and the forgotten. Even veteran song hounds will be surprised by the three beautiful and obscure ballads unearthed here: “Warm and Willing,” “They Really Don’t Know You” and “It’s Me, Remember.” There are also a number of rarely heard verses reunited with their more often encountered choruses. Throughout his long career, Mr. McHugh wrote with some very talented lyricists including Frank Loesser, Ted Koehler, Harold Adamson, and his most prominent partner, Dorothy Fields. The album allows the composer’s unique “voice” to be heard by not drawing too heavily from any one of these collaborations.

Let’s Get Lost is not by any means ground breaking or revelatory. However, it is a thoughtful and satisfying examination of the music of a songwriter whose best work surprisingly reflects Tin Pan Alley’s vision of itself: bright, optimistic and, most importantly, hummable.
~Mattheu Bahlhttps://www.allaboutjazz.com/lets-get-lost-the-songs-of-jimmy-mchugh-wesla-whitfield-review-by-mathew-bahl

Personnel: Wesla Whitfield: vocals; Mike Greensill: piano; Ken Peplowski: clarinet, tenor sax; Gary Foster: alto flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, tenor sax; Michael Moore: bass; Joe LaBarbera: drums.

Let's Get Lost

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Stephen Riley - My Romance

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:28
Size: 152,8 MB
Art: Front

(7:41) 1. Paul's Pal
(9:01) 2. Jitterbug Waltz
(8:06) 3. My Romance
(6:35) 4. My Little Suede Shoes
(5:05) 5. Steeplechase
(5:49) 6. Gentle Rain
(4:23) 7. Fall
(8:30) 8. Shiny Stockings
(5:27) 9. Rain Check
(5:46) 10. Recorda Me

"No matter what group Riley puts together for a record date, he merits top marks every time" Ken Dryden (The New York City Jazz Record) attested on Riley's Hold'em Joe, here saxophonist Riley put together his first-ever organ trio with Brian Charlette, one of the hottest B-3 players today.

The organ trio setting propels Riley's unique sound to a new dimension.

"Riley continues to surprise listeners with his creative settings of familiar jazz."~Ken Dryden on 'Friday The 13th'https://www.propermusic.com/sccd31932-my-romance.html

Personnel: Stephen Riley: tenor saxophone; Brian Charette: B-3 Hamond organ; Billy Drummond: drums

My Romance

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Lew Soloff - Speak Low

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1987
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:21
Size: 126,9 MB
Art: Front

(7:55) 1. Marilyn
(7:26) 2. Duty Blues
(7:45) 3. Speak Low
(9:14) 4. Raunchy Rita
(4:39) 5. Reincarnation of a Lovebird
(9:51) 6. But Beautiful
(8:28) 7. Stella by Starlight

In May of 1968, Lew Soloff got the call to replace Randy Brecker in a fledging jazz/rock band called Blood, Sweat and Tears. The band became a immediate hit, selling millions of albums and winning a Grammy Award for their initial release. Since then, he has become one of New York's "first call" trumpeters and has never lost his love for jazz, which is apparent in his 1987 album, Speak Low. ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Speak-Low-Lew-Soloff/dp/B001CJJPJK

Personnel: Trumpet – Lew Soloff; Bass – Richard Davis; Drums – Elvin Jones; Piano – Kenny Kirkland

Chris Barber and His Jazz Band - Folk Barber Style

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 1965
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:22
Size: 83,3 MB
Art: Front

(2:17) 1. Banks of The Bann
(2:16) 2. Alabamy Bound
(3:21) 3. Midnight In Moscow
(2:03) 4. Tom Dooley
(2:28) 5. Streets of Laredo
(2:37) 6. Midnight Special
(2:01) 7. So Long, It's Been Good to Know You
(2:03) 8. When Johnny Comes Marching Home
(2:09) 9. Wimoweh
(3:17) 10. On Top of Old Smokey
(2:14) 11. Kisses Sweeter Than Wine
(2:02) 12. Ha, Ha, This-A-Way
(2:48) 13. Goodnight Irene
(2:38) 14. Bobby Shaftoe

Donald Christopher Barber OBE (17 April 1930 – 2 March 2021) was an English jazz musician, best known as a bandleader and trombonist. As well as scoring a UK top twenty trad jazz hit with "Petite Fleur" in 1959, he helped the careers of many musicians. These included the blues singer Ottilie Patterson, who was at one time his wife, and Lonnie Donegan, whose appearances with Barber triggered the skiffle craze of the mid-1950s and who had his first transatlantic hit, "Rock Island Line", while with Barber's band. He provided an audience for Donegan and, later, Alexis Korner, and sponsored African-American blues musicians to visit Britain, making Barber a significant figure in launching the British rhythm and blues and "beat boom" of the 1960s.

Barber was born in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, on 17 April 1930. His father, Donald Barber, was an insurance statistician who a few years later became secretary of the Socialist League, while his mother was a headmistress. His parents were left-leaning, his father having been taught by John Maynard Keynes, while his mother became, in Barber's words, "the only socialist mayor of Canterbury". Barber started learning the violin when he was seven years old. He was educated at Hanley Castle Grammar School, near Malvern, Worcestershire, to the age of 15, and started to develop an interest in jazz. After the end of the war, he attended St Paul's School in London, and began visiting clubs to hear jazz groups. He then spent three years at the Guildhall School of Music, and started playing music with friends he met there, including Alexis Korner.More,,,https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Barber

Personnel: Chris Barber (trombone); Pat Halcox (trumpet), Ian Wheeler (clarinet, alto, soprano); Eddie Smith (banjo, guitar); Dick Smith (bass); Graham Burbidge (drums); Ottilie Patterson (vocals, melodica).

Folk Barber Style

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