Saturday, October 8, 2022

John Colianni Quintet - On Target

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:56
Size: 93.7 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[2:33] 1. Apple Honey
[2:20] 2. Ill Wind
[2:08] 3. Northwest Passage
[4:06] 4. Quintet Symphonette
[3:38] 5. Whatcha Know, Joe
[3:51] 6. One For Jimmy Hicks
[2:29] 7. This Side Up
[2:51] 8. 52nd St. Theme
[2:18] 9. Boulevard Of Broken Dreams
[3:24] 10. Strictly Instrumental
[2:58] 11. Gone With 'what' Wind
[1:49] 12. Casa Loma Stomp
[3:16] 13. A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square
[3:11] 14. Jumpin' At The Woodside

Louis Armstrong said that the faster the tempo, the more he could relax, a maxim that certainly applies to this love letter to the swing era. The longtime pianist in the Les Paul Trio, John Colianni boasts a sense of repose that only comes with serious technical virtuosity. With 14 muscular tracks, all standards or originals that sound like standards, interpreted by Colianni’s two-guitar quintet, the group’s sophomore album clocks in at a slender 42 minutes. All but one cut are under four minutes (it comes in at 4:06), and half are under three.

Colianni is used to keeping it short and sweet—he cut his teeth with Lionel Hampton, Mel Tormé and Paul but he makes up for it by playing in double time. Larry Coryell gave him the moniker “Johnny Chops,” and with good reason: Trying to keep up with Colianni would be futile for almost any player; better to just go along for the ride.

Woody Herman had hits on opener “Apple Honey”; “Whacha Know, Joe?,” with its gang vocals; and barnburner “Northwest Passage,” which has Colianni trading with guitarist Justin Lees over Joe Friedman’s rhythm guitar. Count Basie feels as fresh as ever on “Gone With ‘What’ Wind?” and rollicking closer “Jumpin’ at the Woodside.” But the standout here is Colianni’s solo work, especially on “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square,” which sounds like a crisp remastering of Art Tatum. ~Aidan Levy

On Target

Alex Baird - Lemon tree

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:36
Size: 140,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:02) 1. It's you I dig
(5:48) 2. All I needed
(4:44) 3. Bewitched, bothered, and bewildered
(2:48) 4. Lemon tree
(4:48) 5. Don't let me lose my way
(5:18) 6. Save your love for me
(4:07) 7. You're in my arms to stay
(4:01) 8. As long as you want me
(5:25) 9. Never to be yours
(4:40) 10. Connection
(6:55) 11. It's no time to be blue
(5:56) 12. Still crazy after all these years

Contemporary jazz vocalist, songwriter, and Seattlite, Alex Baird strikes a sublime balance of creativity, quirkiness, and artistry on her debut recording Lemon Tree. Produced by acclaimed vocalist Jeff Baker and featuring a renowned gathering of sensitive & highly creative musicians, Alex Baird explores vibrant reimaginings of jazz standards and iconic pop tunes like ‘Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered,’ and Paul Simon’s ‘Still Crazy After All These Years,’ as well as stunning originals reminiscent of artists such as Norah Jones and Carol King.

The album is rounded out by new performances of tunes written and recorded in the '60s by Alex’s late grandmother, Peggi Griffith, an acclaimed torch singer known as the ‘Seattle Darling.’Accompanying Alex on ‘Lemon Tree’ is a ‘Who’s-Who’ of world-class instrumentalists: Darrell Grant (piano), Clark Sommers (bass), Mark Ferber (drums), Thomas Marriott (trumpet), and Lucas Winter (guitar).

With a style that sits at the forefront of contemporary vocal jazz, Alex Baird takes her place alongside the modern singers who are reinvigorating the jazz idiom. Her credits include being the 2018 winner of the Kobe-Seattle Jazz competition, adult division. https://www.alexbairdmusic.com/

Lemon tree

Friday, October 7, 2022

Teddy Edwards - The Inimitable Teddy Edwards

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1976
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:28
Size: 95,1 MB
Art: Front

( 9:59) 1. Sunset Eyes
( 4:43) 2. That Old Black Magic
( 7:20) 3. Mean To Me
( 5:41) 4. Imagine
( 3:35) 5. One On One
(10:08) 6. Stella By Starlight

The underrated tenor great Teddy Edwards had only recorded one album as a leader during before he made this Xanadu date, and he would have to wait around for four years before his next session. The neglect had much more to do with geography (he spent his career living in Los Angeles) than it did with talent. Edwards, backed by pianist Duke Jordan, bassist Larry Ridley, and drummer Freddie Waits, is in top form throughout these five standards (including his most famous original "Sunset Eyes") plus Edwards' newer piece "One on One." Whether it be "Stella by Starlight" (which has an opening tenor cadenza), a relaxed "Mean to Me" or a cooking rendition of "That Old Black Magic," this LP is a superior outing. By Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-inimitable-mw0001881694

Personnel: Teddy Edwards – tenor saxophone; Duke Jordan – piano; Larry Ridley – bass; Freddie Waits – drums

The Inimitable Teddy Edwards

John Coltrane - A Love Supreme: Live in Seattle

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:31
Size: 173,2 MB
Art: Front

(21:53) 1. A Love Supreme, Pt.I: Acknowledgement
( 2:28) 2. Interlude 1
(11:05) 3. A Love Supreme, Pt.II: Resolution
( 6:23) 4. Interlude 2
(15:27) 5. A Love Supreme, Pt.III: Pursuance
( 6:32) 6. Interlude 3
( 4:20) 7. Interlude 4
( 7:21) 8. A Love Supreme, Pt.IV: Psalm

John Coltrane was moving faster than the speed of sound in 1965. Besides divining his place within the music, the world, his God, he was touring; a two week gig with Thelonious Monk at the Village Gate led to Newport then into a frenetic week in Europe. With the classic quartet plus Archie Shepp, Art Davis and Freddie Hubbard he had just completed the mind-bending sonic assault Ascension (Impulse!, 1966). That anyone could keep up with him or think one step ahead of him was Herculean. Few did. That is why we are still fascinated to listen when they do. To discover. To be some small part of something larger.

A Love Supreme: Live In Seattle memorialises for only the second known time; the first full performance of this holy suite was in Antibes, France, on July 26, 1965 released masterfully after decades of bootlegs, variations, and augmentations galore as part of A Love Supreme: The Complete Masters (Impulse, 2013).

Discovered in the private collection of Seattle saxophonist and educator Joe Brazil, this blistering October 2, '65 performance culminated a week's residency at The Penthouse, where the fiercely difficult and unapologetically atonal Live In Seattle (Impulse, 1971) was also recorded. Here, we find Coltrane moving singularly beyond the structures and strictures of the summer, expanding the live sound to include not only McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones and Jimmy Garrison but also fellow rogue sax visionary Pharoah Sanders, second bassist Donald Raphael Garrett and also on sax Carlos Ward.

Despite the lack of contemporaneous fanfare, and given the fact that the night was recorded with two microphones, A Love Supreme Live In Seattle is not only a performance for the ages but a marvelous sounding one as well. Intensely immersive, the music builds upon the original template until it becomes something startlingly original yet again: A revived prayer, a bold logistic, a howling tribute to the soul. Each man is a force of indisputable nature (check out Tyner and Jones especially on "Pursuance: Part III," Coltrane and Sanders free, shrieking energy throughout.) Wheeling, keening, pleading, the music implores the higher power to reveal himself/herself/itself to the club's capacity crowd (275 very lucky souls) and now it implores us, compels us, to pay reverent attention to every moment. To every breath. And pray. By Mike Jurkovic https://www.allaboutjazz.com/a-love-supreme-live-in-seattle-john-coltrane-impulse-records__25172

Personnel: John Coltrane: saxophone; Pharoah Sanders: saxophone, tenor; Carlos Ward: saxophone, alto; McCoy Tyner: piano; Jimmy Garrison: bass, acoustic; Donald Garrett: bass, acoustic; Elvin Jones: drums.

A Love Supreme: Live in Seattle

Shirley Horn - All Night Long

Size: 115,2 MB
Time: 49:41
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1991
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front & Back

01. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To (3:56)
02. Someone Like That In Your Life (4:48)
03. How Insensitive (8:05)
04. Good For Nothing Joe (5:38)
05. Git Rid Of Monday (3:39)
06. All Night Long (8:00)
07. If I Had You (4:53)
08. Meditation (4:33)
09. When Your Lover Has Gone (3:12)
10. If Dreams Come True (2:53)

Shirley Horn chose to leave her jazz career during a good part of the '60s and '70s to raise her family, returning to record an album for Steeplechase in 1978. But 1981 marked a significant increase in her output, recording over several days at the Northsea Jazz Festival and producing two CDs from these performances, some of which are heard on All Night Long. Backed by electric bassist Charles Ables (who would remain with her until his death in 2001) and drummer Billy Hart, Horn captivates her audience with her intimate piano playing and understated yet infectious vocals. She works slowly into sparse arrangements of "Someone Like That in Your Life" and "Good for Nothing Joe," hushing the crowd. She makes the most of the bluesy, whimsical "Git Rid of Monday," an overlooked gem by Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke. Of course, there are plenty of delightful performances of standards like "If I Had You" and "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To," in addition to thoughtful interpretations of a pair of bossa novas by Antonio Carlos Jobim. ~by Ken Dryden

All Night Long

Gregory Tardy - Sufficient Grace

Styles: Saxophone And Clarinet Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:00
Size: 130,8 MB
Art: Front

(7:33) 1. The Omnipresent Cardiologist
(6:43) 2. For Deacon Rocky
(5:09) 3. I Choose You
(7:32) 4. A Tree and It's Fruit
(8:47) 5. The Intelligent Design
(4:23) 6. Sufficient Grace
(6:57) 7. Nick Hoot
(9:53) 8. Janel's Love Song

There's way more than sufficient grace going on here and a strongly soulful swing that really has the whole album coming together, right on the money! Maybe that's no surprise, though, given that the set's issued on the excellent WJ3 label from Willie Jones III, who plays drums at the core of the record, next to the bass of Sean Conly while Tardy carves out all these wonderfully fluid, feeling lines next to the trumpet of Marcus Printup who himself sounds better than usual, and makes for a perfect fit for Tardy. Keith Brown handles piano on the quintet session, all tunes are Tardy originals, and titles include "Tree & Its Fruit", "I Choose You", "For Deacon Rock", "The Omnipresent Cardiologist", "Janel's Love Song", and "Nick Hoot". © 1996-2022, Dusty Groove, Inc.https://www.dustygroove.com/item/125727

Personnel: Gregory Tardy - Tenor Saxophone, Bass Clarinet and Clarinet; Marcus Printup - Trumpet; Keith Brown - Piano; Sean Conley - Bass; Willie Jones III - Drums

Sufficient Grace

Thursday, October 6, 2022

Olga Konkova Trio - Open Secret

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:10
Size: 140,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:43) 1. Hymn For my Brother
(3:38) 2. Loved Before
(6:25) 3. All Sorts of Weird and Wonderful
(4:39) 4. Rest In Motion
(5:36) 5. Darwin`s Point
(4:00) 6. No Rules
(4:03) 7. The Man With The Van
(2:48) 8. Les Hommes des Sables
(6:07) 9. Open Secret
(6:39) 10. Grande Capitano
(6:21) 11. Discovering the Truth
(4:07) 12. Triste Realidad

This album is a listener’s journey. Imagine a kaleidoscope for the ears. Forms, colors and patterns gently and constantly evolving towards something yet unheard. Cohesive, unpredictable, delicate, intimate, extroverted, somber and playful.

There is a very internal aspect to this music, and the playing of these performers. We don’t hear a musical conversation between the musicians so much as we hear an exchange of thoughts, dreams, and half-forgotten memories. This is not music for spectators. The listener can’t stand outside of the music and watch it go by. We are invited inside. The interplay between the musicians insists that we come and be a part of it.

The material spans the spectrum from quiet introspection, drawing the listener in close, to a driving intensity that challenges the sonic limits of the trio. Sometimes the music is sparse and aesthetic, creating immense weight and value for each individual note. At other times, the sounds come in a seemingly endless cascade to engulf, inundate and overwhelm the listener.

The trio format has always been a challenging one. The sound is open and transparent, unmercifully exposing any flaw, uncertainty or hesitation. Approached too simply, the format stiffens. The bass, piano and drums relegated to their expected functions of melody, harmony and rhythm become ultimately predictable. It would be easy and comfortable to fall back on these traditional roles. But here, every contribution can stand on its own musical merits. This trio playing more closely resembles three soloists united in a common cause. Three distinct and individual voices creating a unique commentary. In this respect, the trio format fits perfectly, showcasing the nuance, depth, sensitivity and imagination of the performers that might otherwise be covered up in a larger ensemble. This is a listener’s album. Get your best pair of headphones ready, and enjoy the ride.
By Scott Pierson Rogers http://www.losenrecords.no/release/open-secret

Personnel: Olga Konkova piano, Fender Rhodes; Per Mathisen upright bass; Gary Husband drums

Open Secret

Art Pepper - Presents “West Coast Sessions!” Volume 2: Pete Jolly

Styles: Saxophone And Piano Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:28
Size: 131,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:07)  1. Strike Up The Band
(4:36)  2. You Go To My Head
(7:35)  3. I Surrender Dear
(6:04)  4. Y.I. Blues
(9:57)  5. Night And Day
(5:59)  6. Everything Happens To Me
(6:49)  7. Out Of Nowhere
(4:46)  8. Y.I. Blues (Alternate Take)
(5:32)  9. Y.I. Blues (Take 3)

The story goes that in 1977, Japanese label Atlas approached saxophonist and erstwhile cool jazz star Art Pepper about possibly doing some recording. Notoriously, Pepper had spent the better part of the prior 20 years in and out of prison and toiling with drug addiction. By the late '70s however, with his wife and then manager Laurie Pepper's help, he had resurrected his career. Subsequently, labels like Atlas were once again hoping to recapture Pepper's distinctive sound on record. To avoid violating his contract with Fantasy/Galaxy, Pepper decided to appear as a sideman on the recordings, bringing on various "headliners" to release under. For his third Atlas date, 1980's Strike Up the Band: Pete Jolly & His West Coast Friends, Pepper hired longtime West Coast pianist Jolly, with whom he had previously recorded the classic 1956 Chet Baker album Playboys. Joining them were bassist Bob Magnusson and drummer Roy McCurdy. The 2017 Omnivore compilation, Art Pepper Presents West Coast Sessions, Vol. 2: Pete Jolly, brings together all of the tracks recorded at the session.

Also included are liner notes from compilation producer Laurie Pepper. Primarily, this is a brightly swinging affair that balances the cool lyricism of the saxophonist's early years with the bluesy, post-John Coltrane harmonic maturity that marked his latter career. Here, we get a handful of lyrical, if sanguinely delivered standards, including a sprightly take on the George Gershwin title track, a soulful, Latin-tinged rendition of Cole Porter's "Night and Day," and a jaggedly buoyant version of Harry Barris' "I Surrender Dear," with Pepper gritting into the melody like he's brushing a cavity. Similarly engaging is the ensemble's soulful, delicately funky version of Pepper's "Y.I. Blues," of which we also get two worthy alternate versions accented by some candid, between-take studio chatter. However, it's their dusky, bittersweet reading of Matt Dennis' "Everything Happens to Me" that sticks with you. Played at the tempo of a slow tide with Pepper's mournfully sweet alto at the crest, it evokes a noir-ish West Coast romanticism. It's almost as if Pepper is looking back through the hazy corridor of sex, drugs, and smoky late-night gigs that stretch back to the '50s. ~ Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/album/art-pepper-presents-west-coast-sessions-vol-2-pete-jolly-mw0003009535

Personnel: Art Pepper (alto saxophone); Pete Jolly (piano); Roy McCurdy (drums).              

Presents “West Coast Sessions!” Volume 2 Pete Jolly 

Joshua Redman, Brian Blade, Christian McBride, Brad Mehldau - LongGone

Styles: Saxophone, Piano Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:16
Size: 144,6 MB
Art: Front

( 7:21) 1. Long Gone
( 6:21) 2. Disco Ears
( 8:18) 3. Statuesque
( 6:00) 4. Kite Song
( 6:31) 5. Ship to Shore
(12:42) 6. Rejoice

The second album from Joshua Redman's reunited '90s quartet, 2022's LongGone is another warmly relaxed affair showcasing the group's seasoned sophistication. When they first debuted on 1994's Moodswing, they were a cadre of up-and-coming young lions. Almost 30 years later, the lineup of saxophonist Redman, pianist Brad Mehldau, bassist Christian McBride, and drummer Brian Blade is essentially a supergroup of four of the most acclaimed and recognizable jazz musicians of their generation. It's not just that each of them are uber-talented improvisers, which is certainly true. It's that they've grown into four solo artists, primarily for their work as leaders, each with a distinctive and influential style of their own. All of which makes their decision to reunite (as they first did on 2020's RoundAgain) such a delightfully democratic surprise.

As with RoundAgain, there's a sense of jovial familiarity about LongGone, as if the quartet just picked up where they left off with MoodSwing. It's a vibe that's particularly apparent on "Kite Song," a rambling composition with a spindly Paul Desmond-esque melody that nicely evokes the title as Redman and Mehldau tumble as if through clouds, dipping into jaunty swing, folky asides, flourishes of atonal classicism. Also engaging, the opening title track is a tough midtempo swinger in which Redman dances with lithe athleticism over McBride and Blade's fat trampoline groove. We also get "Disco Ears," a wicked modal swinger in the late-'60s hard bop style, while the classical-inflected ballad "Statuesque" moves with spare, stentorian reverence as if the band are playing to a black-and-white slideshow of images from their past. Most of LongGone feels deeply organic, with Redman and his bandmates feeding off each other and working to build something cohesive and bigger than their individual contributions.By Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/album/longgone-mw0003772896

Personnel: Joshua Redman (saxophone), Brad Mehldau (piano), Christian McBride (bass), and Brian Blade (drums)

LongGone

Wednesday, October 5, 2022

Chris Connor - Haunted Heart

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:40
Size: 89,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:29) 1. By Myself
(5:26) 2. Haunted Heart
(3:32) 3. Snowfall
(3:25) 4. But Not for Me
(4:39) 5. Stairway to the Stars
(3:24) 6. Key Largo
(4:13) 7. Only the Lonely
(4:07) 8. Day in Day Out
(3:12) 9. I Wished on the Moon
(3:09) 10. Drinking Again

There is always a moment of trepidation when a jazz legend produces a new record after an absence of several years; a fear that what is will diminish the memory of what was. Thankfully, that is not the case with Haunted Heart, Chris Connor’s wonderful new CD on the HighNote label.

Vocally, the 73-year old singer sounds far younger than her chronological age. Ms. Connor’s voice has dropped noticeably in pitch over the last 30 years. However, she has compensated for the loss of her top notes with superb control over a warm and evocative lower register. Whereas in the 1950s and 1960s, she seemed to attack her material, Ms. Connor now sings from a calm, focused center. The tense energy of her youth has given way to a quiet confidence.

Pianist Mike Abene has drawn on his decades long association with Ms. Connor to craft smart, uncluttered arrangements that play to her strengths. Drummer Dennis Mackrel’s sure touch keeps the rhythm section humming along while Ingrid Jensen on trumpet and flugelhorn and Bill Easley on reeds prove to be much more than special guest soloists. Whether it’s playing unison passages, filling in behind the vocalist or taking extended solos, both Ms. Jensen and Mr. Easley fully integrate themselves into the ensemble. Ms. Jensen, in particular, displays exquisite tonal control and a truly distinctive voice.

However, Ms.Connor’s vast experience is the fulcrum on which Haunted Heart is balanced. The disc opens with a defiantly up-tempo “By Myself” that finds the singer’s formidable command of time undiminished. Nowhere is her lower register better showcased than on “Snowfall,” a composition by her old boss, pianist and bandleader, Claude Thornhill. Ms. Connor shapes the piece as a tone poem with her rich low notes juxtaposed against Mr. Easley’s fluid flute lines. “Day In, Day Out” and Benny Carter’s “Key Largo” (erroneously attributed to Schwartz & Dietz in the CD booklet) have been in Ms. Connor’s “book” for years, but her performances here show no signs of simply going through the motions.

Ms. Connor’s engagement with the material comes through most powerfully on the ballads. Without the use of any discernable dramatic devices, she sharpens the edges on lyrics, and, bypassing sentimentality, uses them to cut away at real emotions. “Haunted Heart” and “Only the Lonely” are masterpieces of unaffected communication. “Stairway to the Stars” and Johnny Mercer and Doris Tauber’s too-rarely heard gem “Drinking Again” are nearly as great.

Haunted Heart is probably Chris Connor’s finest album since 1986’s Classic. It is a compelling and deeply satisfying record by a singer who long ago earned her place in the pantheon of great jazz singers.By Mathew Bahl https://www.allaboutjazz.com/haunted-heart-chris-connor-review-by-mathew-bahl

Personnel: Chris Connor: vocals; Mike Abene: piano and arranger; Ingrid Jensen: trumpet and flugelhorn; Bill Easley: tenor saxophone and flute; Dennis Mackrel: drums; Chip Jackson: bass; Steve Laspina: bass.

Haunted Heart

Dave Liebman - Selflessness

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:34
Size: 130,5 MB
Art: Front

(7:46) 1. Mr. Day
(5:37) 2. Compassion
(8:39) 3. My Favorite Things
(7:52) 4. Ole
(5:50) 5. Lazy Bird
(4:10) 6. Peace on Earth
(4:38) 7. One Up One Down
(7:22) 8. Selflessness
(4:36) 9. Dear Lord

Finding one's inspiration in an iconic figure like John Coltrane presents a huge challenge for any musician. The sheer scope of the master's vision and the uniqueness of his instrumental voice can become overwhelming particularly if the ultimate aim is to forge one's own path. But over a long and highly accomplished career, Dave Liebman has managed to do just that, even if it meant that for a time he had to break free of Coltrane's shadow by setting aside his tenor sax in favor of the soprano, allowing him to cultivate his individuality more decisively. On Selflessness, his latest offering from his regular working group, Expansions, he sticks with the straight horn on this fine tribute to Coltrane, helped by some crafty arrangements of nine well-selected tunes.

The repertoire runs the gamut of Coltrane's output. "Lazy Bird" comes from the Blue Train (Blue Note, 1957) session, while "My Favorite Things," "Olé" and "Mr. Day" are all from the late 1950s/early 1960s Atlantic years. Finally, the later Impulse! work is also represented, with "Dear Lord," "Compassion" and the title track drawn from some of Coltrane's most searching, spiritually focused music. Liebman is in top form throughout, from the charging opener, "Mr. Day" on which his biting solo pulses with energy, to "Dear Lord," the gorgeous closer, when bassist Tony Marino's evocative arco solo leads Liebman to some of his most reflective moments on the record.

Liebman's associates are consistently superb, as drummer Alex Ritz transitions smoothly from the hard swinging "Lazy Bird" to skilled use of the frame drum on the expansively atmospheric "Olé." Pianist/keyboardist Bobby Avey is as effective on the solo rubato piano opening of "My Favorite Things" as he is working the synths on the otherworldly "Compassion." And Matt Vashlishan serves as the perfect second horn for Liebman: he's outstanding on alto sax on "My Favorite Things" but just as compelling in a more meditative vein when playing flute on "Dear Lord" and "Peace on Earth."

Most importantly, Liebman's arrangements manage the trick of capturing Coltrane's spirit while avoiding sounding beholden to the pieces' original formulations. There's a lot to discover here, and Liebman has successfully revealed yet more layers to the vital Coltrane legacy.
By Troy Dostert https://www.allaboutjazz.com/selflessness-the-music-of-john-coltrane-dave-liebmans-expansions-dot-time-records

Personnel: Dave Liebman: Saxophone, Soprano; Matt Vashlishan: Saxophone, Alto; Bobby Avey: Piano; Tony Marino: Bass; Alex Ritz: Drums.

Additional Instrumentation: Dave Liebman: Wooden Flute (4); Matt Vashlishan: Flute (6, 9), Clarinet (4), Wind Synth (2); Bobby Avey: Synthesizers (4, 2, 8, 9); Alex Ritz: Frame Drum (4).

Selflessness

Carmen McRae, Shirley Horn - Sarah: Dedicated To You

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:06
Size: 177,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:54)  1. Poor Butterfly
(3:22)  2. I've Got the World On a String
(4:06)  3. Misty
(2:41)  4. Wonder Why
(3:49)  5. Send In The Clowns
(6:18)  6. Black Coffee
(5:18)  7. Tenderly
(2:34)  8. The Best Is Yet To Come
(2:35)  9. I Will Say Goodbye
(2:58) 10. The Lamp Is Low
(4:53) 11. It's Magic
(5:58) 12. Dedicated To You
(4:50) 13. I'll Be Seeing You
(3:37) 14. Sarah
(4:55) 15. If You Could See Me Now
(3:58) 16. Wave
(7:36) 17. Embraceable You
(3:34) 18. Sarah

The follow-up to the essential Carmen Sings Monk is a tribute to the recently deceased Sarah Vaughan that ranks at the same very high level. Carmen McRae's final recording finds the singer backed by the Shirley Horn Trio (unfortunately, Horn turned down McRae's request to sing a bit) on 13 numbers associated with Sassy, plus Carroll Coates' original "Sarah." On such songs as "Poor Butterfly," "Misty," "Tenderly," "I'll Be Seeing You" and even "Send in the Clowns," McRae brings back the spirit (and some of the phrasing) of Sarah Vaughan while still sounding very much like herself. This very well-conceived tribute is a classic of its kind and a perfect swan song for Carmen McRae. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/sarah-dedicated-to-you-mw0000320725

Personnel: Carmen McRae (vocals); Shirley Horn (piano); Charles Ables (electric bass); Steve "Syco Steve" Williams, Steve Williams (drums).

Sarah: Dedicated To You

Kathy Ingraham - Everlasting Cool

Styles: Vocal
Time: 33:35
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 77,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:25) 1. Taste of Honey
(3:31) 2. Why Don't You Do Right
(6:12) 3. Angel Eyes
(5:30) 4. Cry Me a River
(3:39) 5. I'm All Smiles
(5:39) 6. Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye
(3:37) 7. Ceyx & Alcyone

Kathy Ingraham’s new album 'Everlasting Cool' is a winner with Kathy’s takes on tunes you know-but have never heard like this! Kathy is a full throated, emotional singer, with a lot of chops and soul interacting on one another.....'Everlasting Cool' from beginning to end…with a few left turns into some hot territory too. By Randy Brecker

“Everlasting Cool features Kathy Ingraham in top form.” By Scott Yanow

Out of this world jazz vocalist and composer Kathy Ingraham returns with the release of her third solo album, Everlasting Cool. Adding to the catalogue of her debut album Cool Night (2017) and follow up album Paper Doll (2020), which are comprised primarily of original works, she wanted to pay homage to the artists who have inspired her as a composer.

Maintaining the style that is uniquely her own, Everlasting Cool is her loving interpretation of some favorite jazz standards. The album also features one original composition, “Cyex & Alcyone.” Always achieving a rare level of authenticity, Ingraham has been compared to a wide range of artists, including Kate Bush, Bjork, Eva Cassidy and even Kurt Elling. Speaking wisely from her decades long experience in music (and in life), Ingraham laughingly credits her at-once powerhouse and sensitive vocal abilities to “embracing her own limitations.”

She is most recently known as the voice that sang Johnny Depp off into the dark night with “Little Things” in the 2019 movie The Professor. As a result of an organic outgrowth of her fan base, her music has been embraced internationally and is now playing in over 90 countries. A true renaissance woman, Ingraham studied voice at Berklee, is a published poet and also holds degrees in Psychology and Gerontology.

Her new release, Everlasting Cool, features exciting collaborations with some of her most talented contemporaries. This “real deal, serious talent,” as she calls them, includes Clifford Carter (piano and arrangements), Randy Brecker (trumpet and flugelhorn), Steve Pearce (double bass), Joel Rosenblatt (drums), William Galison (harmonica), Peter Sachon (cello), and Evan Christopher (clarinet). These conversations, in the universal language of music, have been particularly precious to Ingraham and her collaborators as of late, “no matter the social distance, the music reaches out and effects each of us intimately."
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/news/vocalist-kathy-ingrahams-inspiring-new-jazz-album-everlasting-cool-is-out-of-this-world/

Everlasting Cool

Tuesday, October 4, 2022

Emanuele Cisi, Eric Reed - Clear Days, Windy Nights

Styles: Saxophone And Piano Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:46
Size: 132,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:54) 1. On a Clear Day
(7:06) 2. Work
(7:47) 3. Song for Iolanda
(5:30) 4. The End of a Love Affair
(7:48) 5. Juta's Walk
(5:28) 6. Last Night When We Were Young
(5:28) 7. On a Windy Night
(4:57) 8. The Silver House
(6:44) 9. On a Clear Day, Pt.2

Clear Days, Windy nights, Emanuele Cisi's latest recording effort, is a tribute to the ideas born and developed starting from the 1940s in the famous Fifty-second street of New York. Well played, authoritatively representative of a precise musical movement, the album aligns with the rigor that the style imposes on ethereal ballads ("Song for Iolanda" and "Last Night When We Were Young"), captivating fast themes ("The End of a Love Affair "), episodes taken from the Monk repertoire (" Work ") and medium swing in which space is given to the basic expressive foundations that the reference model imposes.

Accompanied soloism, original themes composed by the same leader mimetically adhering to the reference jazz genre, rhythmic drive with a good swing component represent the ingredients of this record production.

The saxophone style is characterized by the delicacy of the sound; the instrumental voice is characterized by being soft and unobtrusive. The phrasing can be discreet and exhaustive and allows Cisi to express himself perfectly within the post-boppistic climate of reference.

The authoritative pianist Eric Reed is the authoritative pianist Eric Reed who supports and constructively re-elaborates the aesthetic visions of the Turin saxophonist.The disc appear in only two tracks ("Work" and "The Silver House") the balanced trombone of the good Humberto Amesquita.

Although the project does not show any opening data towards elements extraneous to a codified lexicon, it is nevertheless pleasantly light. Clear Days, Windy nights hovers in a suspended time, in which the basic criteria on which the entire modern jazz tradition is based fluctuate; it is a sort of dogmatic example of musical modernism that does not need linguistic compromises or lexical interferences of any other nature to express itself: the whole album is well liked and listened to for what it wants to be. Translate by Google....By Luigi Sforza https://www.allaboutjazz.com/cleary-days-windy-nights-emanuele-cisi-abeat-records-review-by-luigi-sforza

Personnel: Emanuele Cisi: saxophone (tenor); Eric Reed: piano; Vincenzo Florio: double bass; Adam Pache: drums; Humberto Amesquita.

Clear Days, Windy Nights

Karen Marguth - Until

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:59
Size: 122,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:13) 1. Comes love
(5:07) 2. Until
(5:23) 3. Black crow
(5:02) 4. What color is love
(3:42) 5. La ronda
(6:20) 6. Hearts and bones
(4:24) 7. Maureen
(4:08) 8. Close your eyes
(4:58) 9. Twistable turnable man
(5:35) 10. Old friends - Bookends
(4:03) 11. Days of wine and roses

Bay area vocalist and educator Karen Marguth hit the jazz recording scene with 2009's self-titled debut and has released a series of excellent albums. On 2015's Just You, Just Me is Marguth and bassist Kevin Hill build from the promise of previous efforts like her excellent Carrol Coates songbook A Way With Words by taking somewhat of a left turn. Taking cues from the bass and voice master, Sheila Jordan, she tackles classics like "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" "I Got it Bad," and "Imagination" perfectly capturing their melodic and rhythmic contours, and emotional essence in the sparsest of settings. She makes her greatest impact on her scat-laden rendition of the title track, a surprisingly blues-y and quite humorous rapid fire "Blues My Naughty Sweetie Taught Me," and fresh songs like her loping version of Phoebe Snow's "Harpo's Blues" and the charming Johnny Mercer tune "Love's Got Me in a Lazy Mood." Other inspired choices include takes on Nellie Lutcher and Rickie Lee Jones. Marguth is quite assured in a variety of modes, and she and Hill have faultless chemistry.

Most recent album: On 2021's Until (OA2), Marguth continues her eclectic approach interpreting Paul Simon's "Hearts and Bones" and "Old Friends/Bookends" with great clarity, exploring Latin rhythms on Maria Gomez's "La Ronda" and Sting's "Until," and swinging with aplomb ("Comes Love," "Close Your Eyes"). She also contributes the original tune "Maureen" and take listeners on a unique journey on Andrew Bird and Shel Silverstein's "Twistable Turnable Man.
"https://originarts.com/oa2/reviews/review.php?ReviewID=1091

Personnel: Karen Marguth: Vocal; David Aus: piano; Richard Giddens: bass; Pat Olvera: bass; Dan Feiszli: bass; Brian Hamada: drums; Nathan Guzman: drums; Gilbert Castellanos: trumpet; Mike Taylor: guitar; Eva Scow: mandolin; George Ramirez: percussion; Omar Ledezma, Jr.: percussion and vocals; John R. Burr: piano; Matt Finders: bass; Kelly Zaban Fasman: drums; Erik Jekabson: trumpet.

Until

Alvin 'Red' Tyler - Graciously

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:09
Size: 103.4 MB
Styles: New Orleans R&B, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1987/2011
Art: Front

[4:49] 1. Count 'em
[5:23] 2. Cutie Pie
[6:57] 3. Graciously
[5:11] 4. Here's That Rainy Day
[4:30] 5. If My Shoes Hold Out
[4:50] 6. Greystoke
[5:18] 7. Like So Many Others
[8:07] 8. Dreamsville

This is the second of two late-'80s straight jazz dates by Alvin "Red" Tyler, better known for his years toiling in the city's R&B studios. Tyler savored the opportunity to do more than play short bursts, demonstrating his expansive skills on the disc's eight cuts. While the soulfulness remained in his tone, Tyler proved he could handle hard bop chord changes, build and complete ideas, and head a jazz combo. The cuts "Dreamsville," "Here's That Rainy Day," and "Like So Many Others" emphasize the jazz connection, but the R&B and blues base comes through on "Cutie Pie" and "Count 'Em." This is nicely played, at times above-average, jazz from a celebrated veteran getting to show another side of his musical personality. ~Ron Wynn

Graciously

Neil Swainson - Fire in the West

Styles: Contemporary Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:47
Size: 137,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:46) 1. Fire in the West
(5:09) 2. Fool's Gold
(7:41) 3. Cascades
(7:26) 4. Standing Back
(5:31) 5. Fell Among Thieves
(5:06) 6. Kyushu
(7:53) 7. Late Afternoon
(6:04) 8. Near North
(4:51) 9. Gone Away
(4:18) 10. Silver Mine

It hardly seems possible, but it took thirty-five years for Canadian bassist extraordinaire Neil Swainson to lead a sparkling quintet in this new recording of Swainson original compositions entitled Fire In The West. His prior recording from 1987 was called 49th Parallel and received little attention at the time. However it was re-released as an LP in 2020 by Reel to Real Records and it generated some welcomed critical reviews. Accompanying Swainson in this outing was a blue-chip rhythm section of pianist Renee Rosnes and drummer Lewis Nash, with a first rate front line of trumpeter Brad Turner and tenor saxophonist Kelly Jefferson.

The session opens with the title track "Fire In The West" which was inspired by a flight over the forest fires which were raging in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia at the time. This up tempo tune begins with some Turner and Jefferson unison playing which states the theme, before each of the principals takes a solo turn, working out their ideas. All of this was nicely done, while Swainson's sturdy hand maintained the composition's rhythmic pulse. As will be evident throughout the album, Swainson was a fan of the front line pairings that predominated in the '50s, with the bands of Miles Davis, {Art Blakey}} and {Horace Silver}} so, accordingly, his compositional structures reflect this dynamic.

Some of the charts Swainson created have implied dedications to a variety of influences and influencers. "Fell Among Thieves," which could be classified as a lament, is carried throughout by Jefferson's compelling mournful tenor saxophone with Rosnes providing support in a svelte linear style. The title is meant to convey how good people often fall into difficult company. "Kyushu" is a musical reflection on time the composer spent on the Japanese island of the title. Laid out in a relaxing swinging tempo, the band delivers a straight ahead rhythmic feel which supports the improvisations offered by Turner, Jefferson and Rosnes. Finally, in an acknowledgement to Horace Silver, one of his musical influences, Swainson penned "Silver Mine." The bop-fashioned line charges out of the gate in a full-fisted attack. The solos taken by Turner and Jefferson are down the center and Rosnes delivers a single note excursion which is filled with Silver nuggets. In summation, a musical excursion well worth the wait.By Pierre Giroux https://www.allaboutjazz.com/fire-in-the-west-neil-swainson-neil-swainson-cellar-records

Personnel: Neil Swainson: bass, acoustic; Renee Rosnes: piano; Lewis Nash: drums; Brad Turner: trumpet; Kelly Jefferson: saxophone, tenor.

Fire in the West

Monday, October 3, 2022

David Flanagan - Eleventh Hour

Styles: Jazz, Bop
Year: 2021
File: MP3@128K/s
Time: 46:34
Size: 43,6 MB
Art: Front

(1:27) 1. The Old Man and the Hill
(1:14) 2. Eleventh Reflection
(6:35) 3. Bring Deeps
(1:55) 4. Refraction i
(6:08) 5. Kirk on the Bay
(4:31) 6. Refraction ii
(6:24) 7. Dog Days
(5:24) 8. Bloodline
(4:14) 9. Horizon Vision
(8:36) 10. The Castle on the Waves

David Flanagan is a bassist, composer and improviser from the Orkney Islands and is currently based in Glasgow.

As a band leader, David thrives on pushing the boundaries of contemporary jazz performance and composition, whether it be through his large ensemble writing, incorporating free improvisation into a big band, utilising electronics to create sonic soundscapes or his exhilarating quartet music.

His most recent works - The Unseen Genisis & Vista Impacts - written for trio and quartet respectively, pushes Flanagan’s music into complex structural and harmonic landscapes while still achieving an uplifting approach to contemporary jazz.

David’s album - Eleventh Hour - draws inspiration from the landscape of the Orkney Islands as well as contemporary jazz composers and performers such as Henry Threadgill, Matt Mitchell, Steve Lehman and Tim Berne. https://davidflanaganmusic.com/biography

Eleventh Hour

John Allred, Jeff Barnhart, Danny Coots - The ABCs Of Jazz

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:07
Size: 155.9 MB
Styles: Swing
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[4:36] 1. Pick Yourself Up
[6:41] 2. My One & Only Love
[3:28] 3. All Through The Night
[5:03] 4. I Believe In Miracles
[3:49] 5. Anita
[5:11] 6. Some Of These Days
[8:18] 7. First Song
[4:05] 8. Just One Of Those Things
[5:33] 9. Medley Puttin' On The Ritz Bernie's Tune
[3:57] 10. In The Still Of The Night
[7:13] 11. Medley Jitterbug Waltz Valse Hot
[3:27] 12. You Must Be Losin' Your Mind
[3:17] 13. There's A Gal In My Life
[3:23] 14. High Society

John Allred - trombone; Jeff Barnhart - piano; Danny Coots - drums; Dave Stones - bass.

Jeff Barnhart, one of the top stride pianists on the scene today, and the versatile and very fluent trombonist John Allred, join with drummer Danny Coots and bassist Dave Stone in a wide-ranging repertoire, which includes three obscure Fats Waller tunes, an unlikely medley, a long-forgotten Hoagy Carmichael song, numbers by Sonny Rollins and Charlie Haden, and a pair of dixieland warhorses in presenting an unusually eclectic program of The ABC’s Of Jazz.

The ABCs Of Jazz

Conrad Herwig - The Latin Side of Mingus

Styles: Trombone Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:40
Size: 130,3 MB
Art: Front

(7:38) 1. Gunslinging Bird
(6:58) 2. Boogie Stop Shuffle
(5:50) 3. Don't Let It Happen Here
(8:46) 4. Goodbye Pork Pie Hat
(5:03) 5. Hora Decubitus
(7:16) 6. Duke Ellington's Sound of Love
(6:16) 7. All the Things You Could Be By Now If Sigmund Freud's Wife Was Your Mother
(8:50) 8. Better Get Hit in Your Soul

After receiving four Grammy nominations for his highly successful series of recordings that "latinize" the music of John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Joe Henderson, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock and Horace Silver, Conrad Herwig turns his attention to the legendary Charles Mingus. An imposing figure in jazz, Mingus was known for being complicated, volatile and a touched-by-genius innovator. As an homage to this influential artist, Conrad Herwig provides a fiery excursion into the world of Afro-Caribbean rhythms skillfully applied to Mingus' wildly imaginative compositions.

Joining Herwig is special guest trumpeter Randy Brecker together with long-time "Latin Side" band colleagues pianist Bill O'Connell, reedman Craig Handy and the trumpet/flugelhorn of Alex Sipiagin with the rhythm section of Luques Curtis, Robby Ameen and Camilo Molina. Collectively they bring a vibrant spirit and authority to this repertoire which is unique among today's salsa ensembles. Featured tunes run the gamut from the thoughtful and intimate "Duke Ellington's Sound of Love" to the unbridled joy of "Boogie Stop Shuffle" with the somewhat lop-sided introduction to the opening track, "Gunslinging Bird," being the perfect harbinger of things to come. This latest installment in Conrad Herwig's "Latin Side" series pays tribute to the work of Charles Mingus with progressive arrangements, propulsive rhythms, exciting solos and the consummate musicianship of the leader and his bandmates. Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Latin-Side-Mingus-Conrad-Herwig/dp/B0BB8HHK72

Personnel: Conrad Herwig - Trombone; Randy Brecker - Trumpet; Alex Sipiagin - Trumpet; Craig Handy - Saxophone; Bill O'Connell - Piano; Luques Curtis - Bass; Robby Ameen - Drums; Camilo Molina - Percussion

The Latin Side of Mingus