Chick Corea - The Montreux Years

Styles: Piano Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 84:26
Size: 193,9 MB
Art: Front

( 7:51) 1. Fingerprints
(13:41) 2. Bud Powell
(11:46) 3. Quartet No. 2 (Pt. 1)
( 4:31) 4. Interlude
( 4:41) 5. Who’s Inside the Piano
( 7:14) 6. Dignity
(10:07) 7. America (Continents Pt. 4)
(14:10) 8. New Waltz
(10:19) 9. Trinkle Tinkle

If there is anything more ambitious than curating an extensive, comprehensive collection covering the history of an artist, it is collating selected works which vividly outline a particular timeline or theme. Chick Corea's The Montreux Years is a fine example of the latter; this seventh edition in the archive series devoted to the iconic festival not only reflects the late composer and pianist's technical skills, but also his eclectic stylistic tastes. And that is not to mention his fondness for collaborations in all manner of settings.

Eight cuts from six performances, with a running time of about seventy-four minutes, somewhat belies the twelve year chronology of The Montreaux Years. The late esteemed musician first appeared at the iconic festival in 1972, then almost two dozen times thereafter, an extended sequence of events which lent itself to exactly the kind of rotating presentations of which this set is a microcosm.

Corea's inimitable combination of formality and playfulness is potent throughout. And it is not just readily on the Akoustic Band's "Quartet #2 (Pt. 1)," but also (literally) at the opposite end of the musical spectrum on "Interlude;" unfortunately, this overlong audience call-and-response, in the company of the Elektric Band, illustrates the man's penchant for crowd-pleasing as an end in itself. As throughout this CD, on "America (Continents Pt.4)" the sound of the recording has all the realism of the room in which the musicians are playing, no doubt due to the MOA process used in the restoration and mastering of the audio by Tony Cousins.

That latter cut is the closest this anthology gets to a solo piano piece here but, fortunately, a snippet of the man alone at the ivories at the outset of "Dignity" mitigates the absence of such a track. On this dedication to the author's mother, the invigorating interplay with drummer Jeff Ballard and bassist Avishai Cohen balances the tranquility of the leader's interval, while saxophonist Bob Berg's high-flying interlude during the final track, just over fourteen minutes of "New Waltz," also makes for a fittingly rousing close.

The liner notes for The Montreaux Years could have been better conceived and executed to more fully align with the music to which they are devoted. Rather than filling many of the fourteen pages inside the hardbound covers with sentimental reminiscences, more pertinent details about the respective timelines of the groups that appear in the set (and perhaps even some discographical info) would accurately place the ensembles within the chronology of Corea's career; such scholarly information would have been more in line with the borderline deluxe design of the package with its 3D lettering on the outer front cover alongside Joe Weghon's colorful art (which also appears on the compact disc itself).

Fortunately, such academic criticism becomes moot when listening to the likes of the easy-going shuffle of The Freedom Band's take on "Bud Powell," especially as it so dramatically contrasts the New Trio's rollicking opening of "Fingerprints." The Montreux Years is a suitably celebratory historical homage to one of the most iconic jazz musicians of our time. By Doug Collette https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-montreux-years-chick-corea-bmg/

Personnel: Chick Corea: piano; Frank Gambale: guitar; Eric Marienthal: saxophone, soprano; Bob Berg: saxophone; Kenny Garrett: saxophone, alto; Tim Garland: saxophone; Hans Glawischnig: bass; Christian McBride: bass; John Patitucci: bass, acoustic; Avishai Cohen: bass; Marcus Gilmore: drums; Dave Weckl: drums; Roy Haynes: drums; Jeff Ballard: drums; Tom Brechtlein: drums; Gary Novak: drums.

The Montreux Years

---

Andy LaVerne Feat. John Patitucci, Bob Sheppard, Dave Weckl - Pleasure Seekers

Styles: Piano Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:51
Size: 127,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:17) 1. Pleasure Seekers
(5:54) 2. Pleasure Centre
(4:45) 3. Chestnuts
(5:33) 4. My Name Only
(4:00) 5. Parisian Thoroughfare
(7:15) 6. Sticky Mike's Frog Bar
(4:23) 7. Triple 3 Double 2
(7:42) 8. Kissing Thru Glass
(5:22) 9. Reverse Osmosis
(3:35) 10. Clearer, Cleaner, Safer, Greener

On this CD, keyboardist Andy Laverne performs eight of his own compositions, one song co-written with guitarist Chuck Loeb, and Bud Powell's "Parisian Thoroughfare." Laverne's arrangements for the quartet (which also includes Bob Sheppard on tenor and various reeds, bassist John Patitucci and drummer Dave Weckl) use light funky rhythms and put an emphasis on melodic improvising.

With the exception of "Chestnuts" (based on "All the Things You Are"), the chord changes are all new. Somehow the quartet (which had only first come together just a few days earlier) sounds like a regularly working band. Overall, this is a pleasing session of accessible yet reasonably explorative jazz.By Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/pleasure-seekers-mw0000265528

Personnel: Piano – Andy LaVerne (tracks: 1-10); Acoustic Bass, Electric Bass – John Patitucci (tracks: 1-10); Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute – Bob Sheppard (tracks: 1-10); Drums – Dave Weckl (tracks: 1-10)

Pleasure Seekers

---

Helen Humes - Swingin' With Humes

Styles: Vocal, Swing
Year: 1961
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:37
Size: 96,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:29)  1. When Day Is Done
(3:55)  2. Home (When Shadows Fall)
(2:53)  3. There'll Be Some Changes Made
(3:36)  4. Some Day My Prince Will Come
(3:48)  5. I'm Confessin'
(3:09)  6. S'posin'
(3:19)  7. Pennies From Heaven
(3:17)  8. The Very Thought Of You
(3:27)  9. Baby Won't You Please Come Home
(4:01) 10. Solitude
(4:01) 11. I Surrender Dear
(2:35) 12. My Blue Heaven

The third of Helen Humes' three memorable Contemporary releases, all of which are out on CD, features the distinctive singer on a dozen standards that she had missed documenting thus far. With fine backup work by trumpeter Joe Gordon, tenor saxophonist Teddy Edwards, pianist Wynton Kelly, guitarist Al Viola, bassist Leroy Vinnegar and drummer Frank Butler, Humes is in top form on such tunes as "When Day Is Done," "There'll Be Some Changes Made," "Pennies From Heaven" and "The Very Thought of You." One of her better albums.
By Scott Yanow  https://www.allmusic.com/album/swingin-with-humes-mw0000691152

Personnel:  Vocals – Helen Humes;  Tenor Saxophone – Teddy Edwards;  Trumpet – Joe Gordon;   Bass – Leroy Vinnegar;  Drums – Frank Butler;  Guitar – Al Viola;  Piano – Wynton Kelly

Swingin' With Humes

---

Samara Joy - Linger Awhile

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:20
Size: 95,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:42) 1. Can't Get Out of This Mood
(4:09) 2. Guess Who I Saw Today
(3:30) 3. Nostalgia (The Day I Knew)
(3:54) 4. Sweet Pumpkin
(4:54) 5. Misty
(4:30) 6. Social Call
(5:04) 7. I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)
(1:47) 8. Linger Awhile
(5:42) 9. 'Round Midnight
(4:02) 10. Someone To Watch Over Me

Every so often a new vocalist blows everyone on the jazz scene away with their distinctive style, charm, and dexterity. Samara Joy is that new voice that’s giving new purpose to the music. Last year, the 22-year-old put out her self-titled album debut; since graduating from college, she has also performed in Switzerland and Paris. (Her live performances are just as breathtaking as experiencing her on wax. For many musicians that’s not so easy, but she does it effortlessly.)

Touring internationally has sharpened her skills. There’s plenty of evidence of that musical maturation on her new recording Linger Awhile, a nostalgic stroll through well-known and obscure standards. One trait she carries on from her last album is the mixing of swing and sweet tunes. The romantic feel she infuses into songs would make any loving couple want to hold each other while listening to her sing. By Veronica Johnson https://jazztimes.com/author/veronica-johnson/

Personnel: Samara Joy: voice / vocals; Ben Paterson: piano; Pasquale Grasso: guitar; David Wong: bass; Kenny Washington: drums.

Linger Awhile

---

Teresa Brewer & Stephane Grappelli - On the Road Again

Styles: Vocal, Violin Jazz
Year: 1983
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:19
Size: 81,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:46) 1. On The Road Again
(2:49) 2. It Had To Be You
(3:52) 3. Come On And Drive Me Crazy
(2:58) 4. Smile
(4:50) 5. After You've Gone
(2:57) 6. I Love A Violin
(2:57) 7. Don't Take Your Love From Me
(5:15) 8. Them There Eyes
(5:50) 9. As Time Goes By

Teresa Brewer started out as a spunky novelty vocalist in the 1950s and weathered the rise of rock to emerge as an exuberant jazz singer in the 1970s. Though some find it disconcerting to hear her cutesy, slightly nasal Your Hit Parade-style delivery in a jazz context, at her best she can swing with a loose and easy fervor, aided greatly by the distinguished company she often keeps on her records.

Brewer started singing on Major Bowes' Amateur Hour at the age of five and scored her first big hit as a teenager in 1950 with the diabolically catchy "Music! Music! Music!" That ditty found its way onto almost every jukebox in the land and launched a series of hit singles on Coral stretching all the way to 1961. Her marriage to record producer Bob Thiele in 1972 led to her re-emergence via a long string of albums for Thiele's labels (Doctor Jazz, Signature, Red Baron), often in tandem with such luminaries as Count Basie, Benny Carter, Duke and Mercer Ellington, Stephane Grappelli, Earl Hines, and Clark Terry. By Richard S.Ginell https://www.allmusic.com/artist/teresa-brewer-mn0000017882/biography

Personnel: Vocals – Teresa Brewer; Violin – Stephane Grappelli; Acoustic Guitar – Diz Disley; Bass – Jack Sewing; Electric Guitar – Martin Taylor

On the Road Again

---

Herb Alpert - Midnight Sun

Styles: Trumpet Jazz

Year: 1992

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 51:28

Size: 119,1 MB

Art: Front

(6:06)  1. Midnight Sun

(3:54)  2. All The Things You Are

(5:18)  3. Someone To Watch Over Me

(5:53)  4. In The Wee Small Hours

(4:22)  5. Friends

(6:52)  6. A Taste Of Honey

(5:47)  7. Mona Lisa

(5:09)  8. I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face

(3:51)  9. Silent Tears And Roses

(4:13) 10. Smile

Having recently sold A&M to PolyGram for a cool $500 million, and with his short but hugely affecting association with the late Stan Getz on his mind, Herb Alpert finally took the plunge and recorded what he called a jazz album, his last for the label he co-founded. But this would not be a conventional blowing session; rather it is an intimate, inward, wee-small-hours kind of album where, muted and not, Alpert's horn sighs, laments and sings over a conventional rhythm section and underneath a blanket of lush strings. Without a doubt, Miles Davis in his introspective '50s mode is Herb's primary inspiration always has been  and he uses space between the notes in similar ways, but always with his own tone and distinct phrasing. Two old favorites from the TJB days, "A Taste of Honey" and "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face," are revisited; "Taste" is completely transformed into a dark elegy that breaks into the light before turning back to the shadows. One track, "Friends," was left over from 1990, where Herb was joined by a luminous-sounding Getz; they really play like intimate friends together. This is not a terribly spontaneous album Alpert is too much the master of structure to leave very much to chance but it creates a mood of melancholy serenity that is difficult to resist.
By Richard S.Ginell http://www.allmusic.com/album/midnight-sun-mw0000612559

Personnel: Herb Alpert (vocals, trumpet); Larry Carlton, John Pisano, Barry Zweig (guitar); Stan Getz (tenor saxophone); Frank Collett, Eddie del Barrio (piano); Monty Budwig (bass); Harvey Mason, Jeff Hamilton (drums).

Midnight Sun

---

Quincy Jones - Explores The Music Of Henry Mancini

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 37:52
Size: 86.7 MB
Styles: Crossover jazz
Year: 1968/2009
Art: Front

[2:51] 1. Baby Elephant Walk
[3:14] 2. Charade
[3:48] 3. Dreamsville
[4:09] 4. Bird Brain
[2:42] 5. Days Of Wine And Roses
[2:28] 6. Mr. Lucky
[3:26] 7. The Pink Panther
[2:50] 8. (I Love You) And Don't You Forget It
[3:08] 9. Soldier In The Rain
[3:45] 10. Odd Ball
[2:31] 11. Moon River
[2:54] 12. Peter Gunn

As modern big-band leaders go, Quincy Jones in the '60s would be first choice for many composers who wrote for a television series or the cinema. Though not the original themes, Jones was quite able to produce a full album featuring Henry Mancini's famous songs from movies and the small screen. This collection of the familiar and obscure Mancini done in 1964, preceded famed epic scores written by Jones from films The Pawnbroker and The Deadly Affair. It comprises several well-known hit tunes and a smattering of cuts not easily identifiable as the hummable and memorable Mancini classics. Taken from three separate sessions, the bands assembled by Jones are loaded, including Jerome Richardson, Billy Byers, Urbie Green, Clark Terry, Ernie Royal, Snooky Young, Mundell Lowe, Zoot Sims, Phil Woods, and Seldon Powell, Drummer Osie Johnson plays on all tracks, pianist Bobby Scott is a central figure, as are bassists Milt Hinton and Major Holley. A young saxophonist and flutist named Roland Kirk appears on four tracks, and the emerging vibraphonist Gary Burton is on another eight. A burgeoning talent, Jones was 31 when these recordings were made, and gaining momentum for his talents in Hollywood and Los Angeles. Though everybody knows "Baby Elephant Walk," they might not have heard the thorny electric guitar, staccato bells, and bowed bass and vocals via Holley and Hinton that Jones inserts into this version. Where the cool and slinky theme from "Pink Panther" also has the bassists jiving vocally and using their arco techniques under flutes and finger snaps, "Mr. Lucky" is the epitome of Count Basie like cool, while the spy music of "Peter Gunn" retains the bassists trickery as Burton's electrically echoed marimba and a Phil Woods alto sax solo broaden the scope of "Peter Gunn"'s field.

"Dreamsville" is a luscious ballad with harp and piano featured, "Days of Wine & Roses" starts typically pristine but runs into detailed, progressive interpretations, and "Moon River" is completely changed up into a waltz with Kirk's irresistible small saxello solo. The very hip, easy swinging "Odd Ball" is certainly the least-known Mancini piece not related to any cinematic connection, as quickened horns contrast against the slower beat and the choppy chords of Scott. The obscure "Charade" is really a jewel of the brilliance in re-arrangement Jones proffers, and perfectly deserving of its title. As slowed 3/4 in quicker 6/8 time signatures surface via an obtuse ostinato bassline, the horns accent fully juxtaposing lines swinging amongst a bit of psychedelia. A cute waltz is "Bird Brain," bouncy and fun with the flutes ricocheting off the walls, while "And Don't You Forget It" is a cowboy samba appropriate for any spaghetti western. Harmonicist Toots Thielemans is featured on one track, the ballad "Soldier in the Rain," with the sighing horns as the precipitation. How Jones is able to interpret Mancini's music with such diversity and new ideas is positively amazing, providing a unique listening experience for even the staunchest Q fan. ~Michael G. nastos

Explores The Music Of Henry Mancini

---

Patty Lomuscio - Star Crossed Lovers

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:37
Size: 95,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:20) 1. Lullaby (For Ambra)
(4:08) 2. Star Crossed Lovers
(3:37) 3. This Can't Be Love
(6:34) 4. Left Alone
(5:09) 5. You're My Everything
(4:40) 6. E Se
(4:23) 7. Cedar's Blues
(5:24) 8. Body & Soul
(3:17) 9. Love Walked In

The Italian singer Patty Lomuscio had long dreamed of making an album in New York with pianist Kenny Barron. Now she has done so. Alongside Barron is drummer Joe Farnsworth, bassist Peter Washington and Vincent Herring on alto saxophone.

The title track, comes across really well. Lomuscio's talents start to shine through and then with the next offering, "This Can't Be Love," it becomes obvious that a certain British Dame has influenced this Mediterranean songstress: her scatting is reminiscent of Cleo Laine and indeed so is the general style here. Joe Farnsworth's drum solo is also really enjoyable. A Billie Holiday song fills slot four with piano and sax solos bringing extra enjoyment to "Left Alone."

"You're My Everything," which comes from the 1931 revue The Laugh Parade is competently sung. Conversely, unless one speaks Italian, one won't understand the lyrics of "E Se." It was written for Lomuscio by her friend Mario Rosini and its meaning is close to her father. It would not sound amiss in a James Bond film as the hero walks into a cocktail bar and sees the beautiful woman singing on the stage.

"Body and Soul" is another 1930s composition, this time penned by Edward Heyman, Robert Sour and Frank Eyton. Last is the George and Ira Gershwin number "Love Walked In." Patty Lomuscio has produced an emotional and enjoyable album. By Paul Beard https://www.allaboutjazz.com/star-crossed-lovers-patty-lomuscio-challenge-records

Personnel: Patty Lomuscio: voice / vocals; Kenny Barron: piano; Vincent Herring: saxophone; Peter Washington: bass; Joe Farnsworth: drums.

Star Crossed Lovers

---

Joe Lovano & Dave Douglas Sound Prints - Other Worlds

Styles: Saxophone And Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:58
Size: 161,9 MB
Art: Front

(9:59) 1. Space Exploration
(1:04) 2. Shooting Stars
(7:34) 3. Life On Earth
(5:59) 4. Manitou
(7:45) 5. Antiquity to Outer Space
(8:32) 6. The Flight
(5:42) 7. The Transcendentalists
(7:32) 8. Sky Miles
(8:23) 9. Pythagoras
(7:25) 10. Midnight March

Soundprints is a quintet that saxophonist Joe Lovano and trumpeter Dave Douglas assembled to carry on the spirit and philosophy of Wayne Shorter's music. Both of the band's previous albums featured compositions by Shorter himself but this is their first effort to contain only new material written by either Lovano or Douglas.

As the album and track titles suggest, there is an underlying theme of space exploration here which reflects Shorter's long-time love of science fiction. Pieces like "Space Exploration" and "Antiquity to Outer Space" begin with the trumpet and saxophone gracefully shooting upwards like a rocket soaring into space, as the rhythm section faintly tumbles around them. On "Exploration," that leads to Lovano and Douglas playing strings of long notes separately and together, supported by the busy pattering of Linda May Han Oh's bass and Joey Baron's drums. On "Antiquity" the horns soar in unison and slowly gain speed before they give way to an eloquent rolling solo by pianist Lawrence Fields.

These five musicians play with a unity which really shows on quieter pieces such as the swaying waltz "Manitou" and the serene "The Transcendentalists." where everything flows together led by Douglas' muted trumpet and Lovano's rapturous tenor lines. The entire album sparkles with inspired work from all the players. Baron's jogging beat and Field's bright, searching piano stand out amidst the backdrop of "Life On Earth" while Oh keeps the beat tight and drops in a monster bass solo. The rhythm section maps out a freely pulsing beat on "Sky Miles" which suggests Wayne Shorter's time in the 60's Miles Davis quintet. "The Flight" has Lovano and Douglas jostling each other over a melody with sharp, funky corners while, on "Pythagoras," the horns play with a hip swagger as they spiral and swoop over the push-pull rhythm.

Joe Lovano and Dave Douglas are both involved in a lot of varied projects but this band feels like the simplest and most freewheeling either does right now. The music can sound a bit complex on the surface but it has energy and a contagious spirit of fun. At heart, these are five excellent musicians creating music which combines familiar elements and exploratory freedom. This release shows that Soundprints has become a very formidable unit. By Jerome Wilson
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/other-worlds-joe-lovano-and-dave-douglas-soundprints-greenleaf-music

Personnel: Joe Lovano: saxophone; Dave Douglas: trumpet; Linda May Han Oh: bass; Lawrence Fields: piano; Joey Baron: drums.

Other Worlds

---

Lee Konitz - You and Lee

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:37
Size: 77,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:50)  1. Ev'rything I've Got (Belongs to You)
(4:22)  2. You Don't Know What Love Is
(4:14)  3. You're Driving Me Crazy
(4:03)  4. I Didn't Know About You
(4:10)  5. You're Clear Out of This World
(3:42)  6. The More I See You
(4:10)  7. You Are Too Beautiful
(4:02)  8. I'm Getting Sentimental Over You

One of the lesser-known Lee Konitz albums, this LP (which has not been reissued yet on CD) features the altoist joined by six brass and a rhythm section for eight Jimmy Giuffre arrangements. The shouting brass contrasts well with Konitz's cool-toned solos and together they perform eight underplayed standards. Guitarist Jim Hall and pianist Bill Evans (who are on four songs apiece) are major assets behind Konitz on this pleasing set. ~ Scott Yanow

Personnel:   Lee Konitz – alto saxophone; Marky Markowitz – trumpet; Ernie Royal – trumpet;  Phil Sunkel – trumpet;  Eddie Bert – trombone; Billy Byers – trombone; Bob Brookmeyer – valve trombone;  Bill Evans – piano;  Jim Hall – guitar;  Sonny Dallas – bass;  Roy Haynes – drums

You and Lee

---

Eddie Harris - Cool Sax, Warm Heart

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 33:10

Size: 76.0 MB

Styles: Jazz-funk

Year: 1964/2002

Art: Front

[2:55] 1. Chicago Serenade

[3:51] 2. Since I Fell For You

[3:00] 3. Stum Stang

[2:20] 4. Django's Castle

[4:20] 5. More Soul, Than Soulful

[2:44] 6. Everthing Happens To Me

[4:23] 7. But Not For Me

[6:59] 8. Brother Ed

[2:33] 9. Hip Hoppin'

Eddie Harris – tenor saxophone; Wynton Kelly – piano (tracks 1, 2, 6 & 7); Warren Stephens – guitar; Melvin Jackson – bass; Bucky Taylor – drums; The Malcom Dodds Singers – vocals.

A really fantastic album that's one of Eddie Harris' most unique albums of the 60s! The record features Eddie blowing in that lean and soulful mode that he used on his best Vee Jay albums – a bit exotic, but never meandering, with impeccable placement in all his solos, and a tone that's probably one of the most revolutionary he ever used. Some tracks have a backing chorus of female voices, singing in a floating mode that's hip and easy – and others are straighter jazz tunes, with a nice little groove.

Cool Sax, Warm Heart  

---

Hilde Louise Asbjørnsen - Movies & Stories Like This

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:02
Size: 90,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:25) 1. They Don't Make Movies
(5:00) 2. Look to the Stars
(4:05) 3. Carry Around
(4:38) 4. Miscue
(3:43) 5. We Won't Recall
(4:08) 6. Fashion
(3:45) 7. It's Not Spring
(5:03) 8. Funny How Love
(5:11) 9. Undeceivable

On «Movies & Stories like this» jazz singer and songwriter Hilde Louise Asbjørnsen and pianist Anders Aarum present nine original songs about intangible love. The inspiration from Piaf, Brell and Weill is expressed through the atmosphere of the songs, which range from bolero, tango and French waltz to jazz ballads.

Hilde Louise's lyrics spinn around both the minor and the major love affairs. From everyday relationships, the ones that don’t reach the silver screen, but nevertheless come with great drama, to the big love stories, where everything falls to pieces.

Hilde Louise Asbjørnsen has released 11 albums since 2004, and continues to be an important part of the Norwegian jazz scene. Her latest album «Red Lips, Knuckles and Bones» was released on Ozella Music (DE) to great reviews, and was presented at Jazzahead in 2019. She has also nurtured an extensive career in cabaret and musicals on the side. Her latest show and book, «Stardust», is a tribute to female superstars from century past. Stardust got top reviews, is still touring Norway, and will play at Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2023.

Anders Aarum is a graduate of the Conservatory of Music in Agder, the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Gothenburg Academy of Music and the Norwegian Academy of Music in Oslo. He has released 5 albums with his own compositions, the two last ones on Ozella Music, and worked as a pianist, producer and arranger to a number of prominent jazz names like Knut Riisnæs, Ola Kvernberg, Sonny Simmons, Nora Brockstedt, Sigurd Køhn, Julie Dahle Aagård, Randi Tytingvåg. In addition to his own trio, he regularly plays with Knut Riisnæs Quartet and Oslo Jazz Ensemble, and has been Asbjørnsen's pianist, arranger and producer since 2005.

Hilde Louise on Movies & Stories Like This: I have thought a lot about how love governs our lives. It can lie dormant for periods, but then, suddenly, it jumps up like a panther and takes control of everything. It comes in all shapes, and causes the deepest longing, endless sorrow and divine happiness, makes us hate, lie, steal and turns the most introverted dry stick into a generous and empathic lover. Love never ceases to amaze me. This is not a tribute to beauty love, but a celebration of its mysteries https://www.galileomusic.de/artikel/26003/Asbj%C3%B8rnsen_Hilde_Louise_Movies_and_Stories_Like_This

Movies & Stories Like This

---

Susan Alcorn, Leila Bordreuil, Ingrid Laubrock - Bird Meets Wire

Styles: Free Improvisation,Jazz
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:18
Size: 125,0 MB
Art: Front

(11:29) 1. Area 41
( 5:23) 2. Bird Meets Wire
( 8:23) 3. Is Is Not
(11:32) 4. Topology of Time
( 5:43) 5. Cañones (El pueblo unido)
( 7:36) 6. The Fourth World
( 4:08) 7. Indigo Blue (Wayfarin Stranger)

It may be impossible for anyone to free the pedal steel guitar entirely from its roots in country music but, if anyone can, Susan Alcorn would have to be the leading candidate. She has a phenomenal range on the instrument, capable of everything from folk-drenched Americana to abstract excursions, and she will sometimes combine her variegated tendencies on the same release, as she did on Pedernal (Relative Pitch Records, 2020), using a quintet to embody her atmospheric meditations. Here she teams up with saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock and cellist Leila Bordreuil, and the results are just as transfixing.

The majority of the album is freely improvised, and the opener, "Area 41," perfectly encapsulates the air of mystery which prevails in much of Alcorn's music. Bordreuil's deeply resonant cello communes with Alcorn's capacious gestures, and Laubrock joins with breathy flutterings and longer, sustained notes. The track possesses a strange momentum and palpable sense of unease, with a seething subterranean energy, yet the overall effect is to draw the listener into the recording, to see where things may go next. And other pieces open up similar terrain, with "Bird Meets Wire" seeing a more animated Alcorn fueling Laubrock's surging leaps over Bordreuil's drones, and "Topology of Time" providing an elongated, fragmented exploration which never flags despite its eleven-plus minute duration. "The Fourth World" delves into another sinuous world of sound, with Alcorn's arpeggios spurring delicate ruminations from Laubrock which evince a fragile beauty.

But Alcorn's muse can also lead her in less rarefied directions. "Cañones (El Pueblo Unido)" and "Indigo Blue (Wayfarin' Stranger)" make contact with folk and protest music traditions, and although they are hardly straightforward renditions, they reveal the way in which Alcorn's forbidding soundscapes can sometimes give way to a poignant lyricism. Built loosely on the Chilean protest song "El Pueblo Unido," "Cañones" has Alcorn at her most melodic, as her articulation of the simple tune floats alongside Laubrock's repeated staccato rhythms and Bordreuil's gentle dissonance. And there is a similar magic on "Wayfarin' Stranger," with a graceful treatment that avoids falling into sentimentality by leaving room for all three musicians to explore the tune's contours freely.

Somehow inhabiting a place that seems simultaneously recognizable and disorienting, this superb trio of improvisers successfully creates a musical vocabulary all its own on this mesmerizing release. By Troy Dostert https://www.allaboutjazz.com/bird-meets-wire-susan-alcorn-leila-bordreuil-and-ingrid-laubrock-relative-pitch-records

Personnel: Susan Alcorn: guitar, steel; Leila Bordreuil: cello; Ingrid Laubrock: saxophone.

Bird Meets Wire

---

Jerry Lee Lewis - Country Class / Country Memories

Styles: Country
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:09
Size: 159,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:20) 1. Let's Put It Back Together Again
(3:05) 2. No One Will Ever Know
(2:54) 3. You Belong To Me
(3:43) 4. I Sure Miss Those Good Old TImes
(2:51) 5. The Old Country Chruch
(2:14) 6. After The Fool You've Made Of Me
(2:50) 7. Jerry Lee's Rock & Roll Revival Show
(2:40) 8. Wedding Bells
(4:28) 9. Only Love Can Get You In My Door
(4:41) 10. The One Rose That's Left In My Heart
(3:16) 11. The Closest Thing To You
(3:56) 12. Middle Age Cracy
(3:05) 13. Let's Say Goodbye Like We Said Hello (In A Friendly Kind Of Way)
(3:45) 14. Who's Sorry Now
(2:19) 15. Jealous Heart
(3:32) 16. Georgia On My Mind
(2:34) 17. Come On In
(2:15) 18. As Long As We Live
(2:43) 19. (You'd Think By Now) I'd Be Over You
(3:04) 20. Country Memories
(3:15) 21. What's So Good About Goodbye
(2:30) 22. Tennessee Saturday Night

Is there an early rock & roller who has a crazier reputation than the Killer, Jerry Lee Lewis? His exploits as a piano-thumping, egocentric wild man with an unquenchable thirst for living have become the fodder for numerous biographies, film documentaries, and a full-length Hollywood movie. Certainly few other artists came to the party with more ego and talent than he and lived to tell the tale. And certainly even fewer could successfully channel that energy into their music and prosper doing it as well as Jerry Lee. When he broke on the national scene in 1957 with his classic "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On," he was every parents' worst nightmare perfectly realized: a long, blonde-haired Southerner who played the piano and sang with uncontrolled fury and abandon, while simultaneously reveling in his own sexuality.

He was rock & roll's first great wild man and also rock & roll's first great eclectic. Ignoring all manner of musical boundaries is something that has not only allowed his music to have wide variety, but to survive the fads and fashions as well. Whether singing a melancholy country ballad, a lowdown blues, or a blazing rocker, Lewis' wholesale commitment to the moment brings forth performances that are totally grounded in his personality and all singularly of one piece. Like the recordings of Hank Williams, Louis Armstrong, and few others, Jerry Lee's early recorded work is one of the most amazing collections of American music in existence.

He was born to Elmo and Mamie Lewis on September 29, 1935. Though the family was dirt poor, there was enough money to be had to purchase a third-hand upright piano for the family's country shack in Ferriday, LA. Sharing piano lessons with his two cousins, Mickey Gilley and Jimmy Lee Swaggart, a ten-year old Jerry Lee Lewis showed remarkable aptitude toward the instrument. A visit from piano-playing older cousin Carl McVoy unlocked the secrets to the boogie-woogie styles he was hearing on the radio and across the tracks at Haney's Big House, owned by his uncle, Lee Calhoun, and catering to Blacks exclusively.

With box sets and compilations, documentaries, a bio flick, a memoir, and his induction to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame all celebrating his legacy, Lewis continued to record and tour, delivering work that vacillated from tepid to absolutely inspired. While his influence will continue to loom large until there's no one left to play rock & roll piano anymore, the plain truth is that there's only one Jerry Lee Lewis, and America...Follow the link to read full Bio.. By Cub Koda https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jerry-lee-lewis-mn0000332141/biography

R.I.P.

Born: September 29, 1935 in Ferriday, LA

Died: October 28, 2022, DeSoto County, Mississippi, United States

Country Class / Country Memories

---

Kristiana Roemer - House of Mirrors

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:51
Size: 84,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:02) 1. House of Mirrors
(4:14) 2. Beauty is a wound
(4:46) 3. Virgin soil
(2:01) 4. Deine Hände
(4:57) 5. Dark night of the soul
(3:03) 6. Manchmal
(3:56) 7. Lullaby for N.
(5:54) 8. Sugar
(4:53) 9. Duke Ellington's sound of love

Kristiana Roemer is a young German singer whose voice has a lilt and plush texture reminiscent of Annette Peacock. On this, her first album, she uses her intriguing sound in the service of both conventional jazz tunes and floating, airy pieces which border on art songs. Most of the material here is her own writing, though some lyrics derive from others' poetry. In addition, she proves her jazz bona fides by including familiar tunes by Stanley Turrentine and Charles Mingus.

The suppleness of Roemer's jazz singing shows in her easy gliding on "Virgin Soil" and dreamy swoon on "Lullaby For N." Addison Frei' plays rich piano on both tracks. Dayna Stephens' gushing tenor sax highlights the former and Ben Monder adds chiming guitar to the latter. She also does right by the two non-originals, sounding sassy and seductive on Turrentine's "Sugar" and bringing a deep yearning feel to Mingus' "Duke Ellington's Sound of Love."

The other pieces are where Roemer's writing and voice stretch out. She sails over groaning bass and piano and jittery percussion on "Beauty Is A Wound," and sings simply and endearingly on "House Of Mirrors" over Frei's tinkling piano and Gilad Hekselman's bent guitar notes. On "Manchmal," taken from a Herman Hesse poem, she delicately sings in German as Frei and Monder quietly murmur under her. The guitarist is also a presence on "Dark Night of the Soul," accenting the surging piano repetitions which back Roemer's melodic flow. Drummer Adam Arruda and bassist Alexander Claffy are strong throughout the CD but their work here is really exceptional as they keep the song's tense pulse going.

Kristiana Roemer's voice has a combination of softness and firmness which conveys both strength and sensitivity. Her songs have a haunting, wistful feel which perfectly matches her sound. Her band here is fine at being either ethereal or swinging as the songs dictate . This is an excellent debut for her. By Jerome Wilson https://www.allaboutjazz.com/house-of-mirrors-kristiana-roemer-sunnyside-records

Personnel: Kristiana Roemer: voice / vocals; Addison Frei: piano; Alex Claffey: bass; Adam Arruda: drums; Ben Monder: guitar; Dayna Stephens: saxophone; Rogerio Boccato: percussion.

Additional Instrumentation: Gilad Hekselman (1); Ben Monder (5,6,7); Dayna Stephens (3,8); Rogerio Boccato (2).

House of mirrors

---

Aaron Parks, Matt Brewer, Eric Harland - Volume One

Styles: Piano Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:53
Size: 112,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:31) 1. Greetings
(7:18) 2. All The Things You Are
(9:13) 3. Aspiring To Normalcy
(3:51) 4. Centering
(9:13) 5. Maiden
(7:02) 6. Eleftheria
(5:42) 7. Of Our Time

Pianist Aaron Parks has released a couple of sizzling-yet-cool recordings in recent years with a band called Little Big. It is a quartet in which Parks composes and arranges for a band that includes guitarist Greg Tuohey and, in melodic and rhythmic inclination, connects us back to his unforgettable Blue Note debut recording, Invisible Cinema. Parks’ identity in that mode is strong: he finds ways to mold structures for improvisation that sonically evoke indie-rock and hip-hop alongside the tradition that threads back through Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans, Bud Powell, and Nat Cole.

But Parks has another side in which he is the consummate sideman or cooperative leader, a pianist who works well outside his particular “sound” which is to say “in the tradition” but with his musical personality intact. His new recording, Volume One, features a trio co-led with bassist Matt Brewer and drummer Eric Harland. It seems at first blush – like a more traditional jazz trio date because the band often sounds loose rather than like it is building some kind of New Jazz for the future. But Volume One generates a highly distinctive sound. It just does it on the sly.

The trio’s loose approach to the super-standard “All the Things You Are” is telling. Coming to this late-Covid session without rehearsal or planning, you would expect them to sound free-wheeling here. Parks fills his solo with craggy, open left-hand chords that engage in a bouncing dialogue with his always-melodic right hand two voices playing tag with each other and then bringing Harland’s popping snare and Brewer’s full-toned acoustic bass into the play as well. It has a jam-session scamper in its bones like it was not excessively thought-through. But the arc of the performance is artful. It creeps to life out of a sensitive opening, moves into a vintage bass solo, climaxes on the “piano solo”, but then comes back down again with Parks playing the harmonic wash of the tune very quietly over Brewer’s gentlest accompaniment and Harland’s barely-there brushes. By its conclusion, it has earned the weight and care of Keith Jarrett’s “Standards Trio”. In short, this is not just a jam session.

The trio also seems utterly at home in the tradition of “Centering” by the late Frank Kimbrough, a mid-tempo tune with walking bass and wire-brush swing. The pocket is light and deep at once as Park floats the melody with gentle ease. Again, the suggestion is that this is a casual affair with an off-the-cuff vibe. Your ears might feel the same way about Parks’s opener, “Greetings”, with its percolating Afro-Brazilian groove with impressionistic harmonies that would have been ideal at home on a mid-1960s date. Until that is, you hear some of them with improvised piano lines spooling upward in abstract loops of melody that sound suspiciously more 21st century. It’s a taste of what’s to come because the session really isn’t the throwback it might seem, initially, to be.

For example, Eric Harland’s tune “Maiden” is a stately ballad that invites the trio to step forward. The simpler folk/gospel harmonies refer to the graceful, heart-tugging sound of some of the pianists of the 1970s. Then Brewer’s featured solo refocuses your ear on how this style also had a champion in Charlie Haden. “Eleftheria” (a Greek word and name meaning “freedom”), another Parks tune, also uses Harland’s clattering polyrhythms beneath a charming post-bop set of searching harmonies. Both Brewer and Parks play dancing solos that frame the piece a bit in the tradition of Chick Corea/Stanley Clarke.

Several of the performances on Volume One feel more urgent at the moment. The two compositions by Matt Brewer, while still harmonically in the jazz tradition, are closer to the New Jazz framework where the written material and the improvising feel more seamless and harmonic structure is bendable. “Aspiring to Normalcy” uses a composed left-hand piano arpeggio as a structural element for a length. As the trio drops that line for a period, the sense that they are “playing the chord changes” also disappears in favor of a more open structure. Intriguingly, Brewer’s second offering, “Of Our Time”, also uses piano arpeggiation as a central part of its written element, which stretches across a long structure that defies the basic form of a “jazz standard”. Harland improvises over (under? around?) the thrum of arpeggiated harmonies, continuing to be in the spotlight as Parks plays and embellishes the melody. Rather than return to the theme after “solos”, the performance ends with Harland’s improvisation melding with the theme, which never really went away.

So the real parlor trick of this Aaron Parks/Matt Brewer/Eric Harland trio is the way the band cloaks so much dazzle by avoiding flash, avoiding show-offery. Every jazz musician learns to play “All the Things You Are”, right? But as you listen more carefully to that performance on Volume One and certainly the original tunes, you hear the quiet authority of the band’s creativity. You may listen to Brewer’s solo on “Things” ten times and still discover new moments of thrill within it. If that’s the case, and it should be, listen to how Brewer accompanies Parks on the improvisation that immediately follows. He finds a funky pocket that has him spinning an exceptional melody on the bottom that sounds like a daring counterpoint to Parks and polyrhythmically in conversation with Harland. Or, three minutes into “Normalcy”, as the written arpeggio melts away, luxuriate in Parks’s restraint as he leaves space in his melodic lines, allowing the harmonies to ooze and bleed, making the trio sound orchestral and moody rather than busy, making the band have a distinct sound that is much more than its pure collection of notes.

I have no doubt that, despite the modernism and order that emerges as you listen more deeply to Volume One, the session really was largely unplanned. The familiarity and brilliance of Brewer, Harland, and Parks mean that the program would develop structure and weight over time, naturally. That makes the recording all the more magical.

second volume from this session, as its title implies, is supposed to be coming in a few months. It isn’t typical for a band to have two gems in quick succession. But as you listen to this first collection for a third or fourth time, ask yourself where the weak moments are. It is unassuming, perhaps, but quietly, consistently, utterly wonderful. https://www.popmatters.com/aaron-parks-matt-brewer-volume-one

Personnel: Aaron Parks, piano; Matt Brewer, bass; Eric Harland, drums

Volume One

---

John Hiatt with the Jerry Douglas Band - Leftover Feelings

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:31
Size: 95,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:26) 1. Long Black Electric Cadillac
(3:06) 2. Mississippi Phone Booth
(3:46) 3. The Music Is Hot
(3:29) 4. All the Lilacs in Ohio
(3:26) 5. I’m in Asheville
(4:38) 6. Light of the Burning Sun
(4:43) 7. Little Goodnight
(3:26) 8. Buddy Boy
(3:34) 9. Changes in My Mind
(3:25) 10. Keen Rambler
(4:28) 11. Sweet Dream

Leftover Feelings is not the first such group collaboration in John Hiatt's varied and lengthy career North Mississippi Allstars were integral to Master of Disaster (New West Records, 2005). But there's an even more unusual kinship in play here between this gifted songwriter and The Jerry Douglas, if only because this LP is even more deeply steeped in bluegrass style(s) than the comparably acoustic-based Crossing Muddy Waters (Vanguard, 2000).

Perhaps due to his early experience working as a staff songwriter, John Hiatt has often been somewhat self-conscious as a tunesmith. Nevertheless, this resident of Nashville invariably manages to record new material so that the musicianship is fully on par with the songs. On "Keen Rambler," for instance, Douglas exudes the same joy making his dobro sing so effortlessly as Hiatt does nonchalantly tossing off the vocal. As relaxed as is the gait of the whole ensemble on "Music Is Hot" which almost but not quite belies its title it is nevertheless as unified in its collective effort as on the two upbeat tracks that precede it, "Long Black Electric Cadillac" and "Mississippi Phone Booth."

Of course, the lighthearted, infectious tone of those two tunes lends itself to exposition of natural camaraderie. Still, such potential requires the participants to ignite it, which is exactly what Hiatt, Douglas and company manage to do in realizing the fundamental challenge of expert recording conducted in RCA's famed Studio B: capturing those evanescent moments when superior material inspires comparable playing and vice versa. Such is the sense with "All The Lilacs In Ohio," where the performance seems to have a life of its own, and producer Douglas, along with recording/mixing engineer Sean William Sullivan, manage to capture the room as well as the music playing in it.

With most of these eleven cuts hovering between the three or four and a half minute mark, Leftover Feelings plays like a quick succession of lightning flashes captured in the proverbial bottle. And yet that dynamic doesn't preclude the contemplative effects of a song like "I'm In Asheville." On the contrary, that very brevity sustains the initial impact and deepens the subsequent impression of such material, thus nurturing the inclination to listen repeatedly and bask in the charms of its lyrics as well as its arrangement. There's nothing casual about the meeting John Hiatt's and the Jerry Douglas Band's musical minds, but neither is there any sense those involved fussed too much over the details.

On the contrary, everything seems to come naturally to these practiced collaborators for the duration of the LP. Even in a somewhat melancholy moment such as "Light of the Burning Sun," the 'less is more' premise prevails, in this case, with dobro and pedal steel fleshing out the fragile emotion(s) the front man infuses into the words he chose. Likewise, during "Little Goodnight," some brusque electric guitar from Mike Seal intertwines with violin to replicate the conflicting feelings that arise from the mini-drama sketched in the lyrics.

And it's all of a piece, as are the best moments throughout Leftover Feelings. Like the knowing air in Hiatt's vocal on "Buddy Boy," echoed by the comping of strings (arranged by Christian Sedelmeyer) behind him, his voice gives way to one of the few solos on the album: it's all worth becoming engrossed in the sequence of sounds, replete with surprise as is invariably the case.

"Changes In My Mind" may be one of the few songs of pure personal expression from John Hiatt here, but the Jerry Douglas Band is just as fully invested in playing it as the author is in singing it, that reciprocal dynamic ultimately the key to the success of this track and, indeed, this whole outing.By Doug Collette https://www.allaboutjazz.com/leftover-feelings__23183

Personnel: John Hiatt: guitar; Jerry Douglas: multi-instrumentalist; Daniel Kimbro: bass; Mike Seal: guitar; Christian Sedelmeyer: violin; Carmela Ramsey: voice / vocals.

Additional Instrumentation: John Hiatt: guitar; Jerry Douglas: background vocals; Daniel Kimbro: tic-tac bass, string arrangements; Mike Seal: acoustic and electric guitars; Christian Sedelmyer: string arrangements.

Leftover Feelings

---

Grant Green - Funk in France - Paris to Antibes

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 118:06
Size: 271,2 MB
Art: Front

( 4:33)  1. I Don't Want Nobody to Give Me Nothing
( 4:21)  2. Oleo (Live): Oleo
( 7:18)  3. Insensatez (How Insensitive)
( 8:07)  4. Untitled Blues
( 7:01)  5. Sonnymoon for Two
( 7:05)  6. I Wish You Love
(18:00)  7. Upshot
(14:34)  8. Hurt So Bad
(19:46)  9. Upshot
(27:17) 10. Hi-Heel Sneakers

Resonance's Funk in France: From Paris to Antibes (1969-1970) is two archival recordings in one package. Most of the first disc is devoted to an October 26, 1969 concert given at La Maison de la Radio's Studio 104, where Grant Green was supported by bassist Larry Ridley, drummer Don Lamond, and, on "I Wish You Love," guitarist Barney Kessel, while the second part of Funk in France combines four highlights from two July 1970 appearances at the Antibes Jazz Festival. While the two performances were separated by a matter of months, they're quite different in execution. The Paris concert finds Green pushing toward the funky pop-jazz hybrid he'd make his specialty in the early '70s but not quite committing to it just yet. Green doesn't hide his allegiance to funk by opening the proceedings with a percolating version of James Brown's "I Don't Want Nobody to Give Me Nothin' (Open Up the Door and I'll Get It Myself)," a version that doesn't serve as a keynote as much as a harbinger to what came later. Apart from a loosely lyrical "Untitled Blues," Green and company are in relatively straightforward bop territory, playing two Sonny Rollins tunes and the standard "I Wish You Love" along with Antonio Carlos Jobim's "How Insensitive." It's a lively set, but understated when compared to the cooking selections from Antibes.

Working with an organist and saxophonist lets Green lean into R&B, and the quartet digs in hard, spending nearly 20 minutes grooving on the original "Upshot," then extending Tommy Tucker's dance hit "Hi-Heel Sneakers" to nearly half an hour. Here, Green is woodshedding the hard jazz-funk he'd debut on Alive!, the landmark Blue Note LP he'd record just a month later, and while the performances on Funk in France are neither as pop-oriented nor hard-charging as the material there, that's also their appeal. Green has his style in place and he has the freedom to jam as long as he desires. The results aren't just mesmerizing, they're danceable. ~ Stephen Tomas Erlewine https://www.allmusic.com/album/funk-in-france-from-paris-to-antibes-1969-1970-mw0003168826

Personnel: Grant Green – guitar; Larry Ridley – bass; Don Lamond – drums; Barney Kessel – guitar; Claude Bartee – tenor saxophone; Clarence Palmer – organ; Billy Wilson – drums

Funk in France - Paris to Antibes

---

Helle Brunvoll - How Am I to Know?

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:36
Size: 129,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:26) 1. Day by Day
(5:35) 2. Forget Me
(9:07) 3. Too Late Now
(8:15) 4. Wild is the Wind
(4:39) 5. How Am I to Know
(2:32) 6. This Hotel
(4:53) 7. The Riverman
(6:02) 8. A Time for Love
(9:03) 9. You Won't Forget Me

Helle Brunvoll has been exhibiting professionally for over 20 years. She uses several artistic tools - with an emphasis on painting. Her greatest artistic inspiration is nature, and in her own words: "You can discover a whole universe in your own back garden! All you need is to be sensitive enough to spot it."

Helle's 2009 debut as a jazz vocalist took everyone by surprise with the critically acclaimed album "In Your House". The album featured original compositions by guitarist / composer Halvard Kausland. The music is based in the classic jazz tradition and jazz vocal legends such as Blossom Dearie, Shirley Horn, Monica Zetterlund and Karin Krog. On the next album, "Your Song", Helle also made her debut as a composer. Go to the discography and check out the song "The Apple Tree". "Why do I share my time between music and the visual arts? Simply because these art forms complement each other. It's all about creating images both visually and musically." http://www.hellebrunvoll.no/en/index.html

How Am I to Know?

---

Ruben Blades (with Roberto Delgado & Orquesta) - Salswing!

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:52
Size: 104,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:36) 1. Paula C.
(3:39) 2. Pennies from Heaven
(3:12) 3. Mambo Gil
(4:32) 4. Ya No Me Duele
(2:12) 5. Watch What Happens
(3:50) 6. Cobarde
(3:42) 7. Do I Hear Four?
(4:32) 8. Canto Niche
(3:37) 9. The Way You Look Tonight
(5:42) 10. Contrabando
(4:13) 11. Tambó

In the liner notes to this recording, veteran Latin pop singer Rubén Blades explains that Salswing! is meant as a demonstrative statement: About his own ability to grow beyond being a Panamanian singer, to show that musicians can speak to an audience beyond their own nationality, and to celebrate the stellar chops of the Roberto Delgado Orquesta backing him.

Regardless of the purpose behind these sessions, the reality is that this is one of the best big band swing albums in recent memory. Blades and Delgado have found a sweet spot between the rock-infused retro-swing of recent vintage (think Brian Setzer, Cherry Poppin' Daddies) and the passive concert environment of most jazz-oriented big bands (Gordon Goodwin, Toshiko Akiyoshi). Instead, we get a full album of hard-charging, dance-ready big band jazz and salsa.

And Delgado's outfit is solid they play with the kind of relaxed confidence that only comes from playing night after night together. Not since Doc Severinson was backing Johnny Carson on "The Tonight Show" have we heard a swing band with this combination of cockiness and chops. Matt Catingub's Waikiki combo Big Kahuna and the Copa Cat Pack was about the closest, but that project too often veered into Polynesian cocktail-hour shtick.

Of course, neither of those bands had a singer of the caliber of Blades (although the Copa Cat Pack did back Rosemary Clooney on her final recording, in 2001). And if Blades' background is more in salsa, in the 1990s he did participate in several of Kip Hanrahan's jazz and Latin projects he was one of Hanrahan's go-to vocalists, along with Sting and Jack Bruce.

While Blades contributes five compositions to "Salswing," the three tracks that will inevitably be used as a measuring stick are the interpretations of Swing Era standards: "Pennies From Heaven," "Watch What Happens" and "The Way You Look Tonight."

On all three, Blades, Delgado and company just kill it. Delgado's arrangement of "Watch What Happens" doesn't stray too far from the arrangement on Count Basie's album On the Road (Pablo, 1981). But Blades' vocal approach is far different from the jazz-infused one Dennis Rowland brought to the Basie recording, with Blades sounding more like Buddy Greco or a late-in-life James Darren, during his crooner period. Blades is in full Vegas showroom mode here hiding just half-a-beat off the song's meter, and singing in a near-conversational tone.

"The Way You Look Tonight" is approached along the lines of Nelson Riddle's classic arrangement for Frank Sinatra. While Blades hews faithfully to the arrangement in his vocals, his phrasing and tonality are nothing like Sinatra's which presents new sides to the song, and the arrangement, giving it a fresh appeal.

Where those two songs borrow heavily from well-known renditions, "Pennies From Heaven" comes out of the gate in a wholly original vein far more up-tempo than most arrangements, with Blades in a finger-snapping Vegas crooner mode.

A lesser-known cover, "Mambo Gil," by Gili Lopez, could have come out of a time machine—it's arrangement and execution perfectly capturing the feeling of 1950s' Latin big bands. Paula C," penned by Blades, starts the album in a strong Latin vein: to American ears, maybe not too far from what Tito Gomez or Desi Arnaz were doing in Cuba in the 1940s and 1950s. But with its vibes and strings in its opening measures, it also hearkens to post-war cocktail music before Blades' vocal centers the performance. Co-written with Jeremy Bosch, "Ya No Me Duele" is a gorgeous ballad, with Blades softening his vocal and coupling it to Juan Berna's lovely piano. "Contrabando," another Blades original, was first recorded by Blades on his 1988 release, "Antecedente." The arrangement here is slowed down a touch, and of course, room for a few instrumental solos is carved out.

Blades' final contribution, "Tambo," the closing song, was originally recorded by Pete Rodriguez in 1978, appearing as the B side of a single. It gets full salsa big band treatment here, and is perhaps the most purely dance track on the album.

With its seamless blending of jazz, Panamanian and other Latin threads, Salswing recalls the heady days of the Big Band Era when not just American bands adopted 12-16 piece combos, but similarly sized and configured outfits were playing ballrooms, dance halls and nightclubs in cities across the globe: Big bands were playing chanson for dancing couples in Paris, tango in Montevideo and Buenos Aires, boleros and guarachas in Havana. The Big Band Era was more than swing it was the sound of a global generation. And on Salswing! Blades and Delgada capture about as broad a swath of Big Band Era music as any band yet assembled. By Jim Trageser https://www.allaboutjazz.com/salswing-ruben-blades-self-produced__10976

Personnel: Rubén Blades: voice / vocals; Roberto Delgado: composer/conductor; Ademir Berrocal: congas; Juan Berna: piano; Raul Rivera: bongos; Carlos Perez Bido: drums; Juan Carlos Lopez: trumpet; Alejandro Castillo: trumpet; Francisco Del Vecchio: trombone; Avenicio Nunez: trombone; Carlos Ubarte: flute; Carlos Agrazal: saxophone, alto; Ivan Navarro: saxophone, tenor; Luis Carlos Perez: saxophone, tenor.

Salswing!

---