Tim Hagans - The Moon Is Waiting

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:37
Size: 141,8 MB
Art: Front

( 6:22)  1. Ornette's Waking Dream of a Woman
( 6:13)  2. The Moon Is Waiting
( 8:45)  3. Get Outside
( 6:17)  4. First Jazz
( 6:53)  5. Boo
( 7:11)  6. What I'll Tell Her Later Tonight
( 8:59)  7. Wailing Trees
(10:54)  8. Things Happen in a Convertible

Those who mine exploratory veins of music often eschew structure, confusing lack of form with freedom, but trumpeter Tim Hagans knows the difference. The new quartet that he's convened for The Moon Is Waiting is a malleable unit that thrives on bringing unpredictable ideas into structured environments. The music it makes isn't fusion, free jazz, or post-modern patchwork, but it borders on all of those territories. While the first three pieces were commissioned by the Michele Brangwen Dance Ensemble, they don't require accompanying visual stimuli to be stimulating from an artistic stand point. "Ornette's Waking Dream Of A Woman" is introduced with the sounds of suspicion, leading to an explosive second act, while the title track is underscored by constant cacophony. A mysterious ten-note motif makes its mark as the last of these three pieces, "Get Outside," sets sail, but the music takes a drastic turn when drummer Jukkis Uotila shifts to piano. He delivers curious yet stable chordal statements which serve as dividing markers between abstract musings from Hagans and guitarist Vic Juris. Eventually, the piece erupts into a Black Sabbath-worthy groove in seven, with Hagans running rampant atop the mix.

While Hagans has always been a visionary, capable of charting his own course without any outside help, influence or direction, his sidemen on this date help to determine how these pieces play out. Bassist Rufus Reid's tonal presence adds weight to every piece, and his ability to fatten up a unison riff or supply some saucy soloing ("Boo") make him a major asset. Guitarist Vic Juris' chameleon-like abilities help to broaden the sonic variety in the music and, while he's not as well-known as the other musicians, Jukkis Uotila proves to be a powder keg of percussive intensity. He swings in beyond-bop fashion, as Juris and a Freddie Hubbard-like Hagans show what they're made of ("First Jazz"), and he engages the rest of the musicians with perpetual drumming motion as he scampers across the rangy terrain of Hagans' compositions. His steady rhythmic barrage is actually one of the defining characteristics of this ensemble. Hagans has proven to be a master compositional architect in more formal settings, but his ability to let loose with this small group is the key to its success. The Moon Is Waiting is a marvel of elastic expressions from one of the most shrewd and intelligent minds in jazz today.~Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-moon-is-waiting-tim-hagans-palmetto-records-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php
 

Personnel: Tim Hagans: trumpet; Vic Juris: guitar; Rufus Reid: bass; Jukkis Uotila: drums, piano.

The Moon Is Waiting

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Nils Landgren - 3 Generations Disc 1, Disc 2, Disc 3

Album: 3 Generations Disc 1
Styles: Jazz, Big Band
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:28
Size: 93,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:14) 1. Lets Act Together
(4:45) 2. Little Jump
(4:33) 3. You Are a Friend of Mine
(3:03) 4. White Moon
(4:08) 5. Eternal Beauty
(3:21) 6. Lenny
(4:52) 7. Hurt
(2:28) 8. Gammal Fäbodpsalm
(4:55) 9. Send in the Clowns
(4:05) 10. Greta (Live)

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Album: 3 Generations Disc 2
Time: 47:01
Size: 108,2 MB

(3:43) 1. Dear Diary
(4:42) 2. Hide and Seek
(3:52) 3. Dannys Dream
(4:26) 4. Bizarre
(5:40) 5. The Return of Mohammed
(4:05) 6. Mountain
(4:49) 7. Olu
(4:02) 8. Fire and Rain
(4:27) 9. Riverendings
(7:11) 10. My Heart's in the Highlands

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Album: 3 Generations Disc 3
Time: 46:48
Size: 107,7 MB

(5:50) 1. Weltall
(3:37) 2. And so It Goes
(4:19) 3. Blue Corner
(4:01) 4. Mosaique Bleu
(4:13) 5. Modal Submission
(3:39) 6. Früchte
(8:14) 7. Doll of the Bride
(4:50) 8. Silent Way (Live)
(4:50) 9. Don't Stop (Live)
(3:09) 10. Young at Heart

Born in 1956, Nils Landgren began playing drums at the age of six, before at last discovering the trombone at 13. Between 1972 and 1978 Nils studied classical trombone at the music college in Karlstad with David Maytan and at the university in Arvika with Ingemar Roos. Meeting the legendary Swedish Folk-Jazz pioneer Bengt-Arne Wallin as well as the fantastic trombonist Eje Thelin persuaded Nils to move from strict classical studies to improvisation and to begin the development of his own approach.

After his graduation Nils moved to Stockholm to work as a professional trombone player. He was soon touring with the most successful Swedish pop star of that time, Björn Skifs’ “Blue Swede” who got to number 1 in the US pop charts with “Hooked on a feeling”. In 1981 Thad Jones invited the Swede into his new big band project “Ball of Fire”, to take the lead-trombone chair. Ever since that time Nils Landren has been involved in most styles equally: jazz and rock, soul and hip hop, big band sessions, and by his own reckoning, at least 500 albums including such internationals stars as ABBA, The Crusaders, Eddie Harris, Bernard “Pretty” Purdie, Wyclef Jean and Herbie Hancock.

In 1983 Nils’ debut album “Planet Rock” was released, followed by “Streetfighter” in 1984, “You are my Nr 1? in 1985, “Miles from Duke” with Bengt-Arne Wallin in 1987, “Chapter Two 1?, in 1987, “Chapter Two 2? and “Follow your heart” in 1989. Between 1985 and 1987 Nils also performed as actor, singer, trombonist, and dancer in over 360 performances of the Swedish “play of the year”, SKÅL, as well as appearing in several TV-films as an actor.

1992 saw the first performances and recording of the Nils Landgren “Unit”. The final breakthrough beyond Scandinavia came first in 1994: it was at the Jazz Baltica Festival at Salzau in Germany that the “Unit” became the “Funk Unit”. The album “Live in Stockholm” (ACT 9223-2) was released that year and was the foundation for the collaboration with Siegfried Loch and his then young ACT label.

The next Funk Unit release, “Paint It Blue” (ACT 9243-2), was one of 1997's most successful albums and received Germany’s Jazz Award. The following tour of over 100 dates gave Nils Landgren and the Funk Unit their breakthrough in Germany. Inspired by his mentor Bengt-Arne Wallin, Nils Landgren ventured into non-funky realms with a re-working of traditional Swedish folk songs: “Swedish Folk Modern” (ACT 9257-2), his first duo with the pianist Esbjörn Svensson, followed up by “Layers of Light” (ACT 9281-2), an even gentler evocation.

Between January 1998 and January 2001 Nils Landgren was also a member of the NDR Big Band in Hamburg, but continuously touring throughout with the Funk Unit worldwide. During this time three albums were released: after “Live in Montreux” (ACT 9265-2) appeared in 1999 “5000 Miles” (ACT 9271-2) and in September 2001 “Fonk da World” (ACT 9299-2), which was presented live at a special 3 day festival in Hamburg dedicated to Nils Landgren’s music. The “grooving band, which encouraged the younger members of the audience into a dance frenzy, but which was also taken seriously by the greying jazz snobs” (Spiegel), proved that it could be counted as “the best funk band in Europe today” (Stereo).

As artistic director of the illustrious Berlin Jazz Festival in 2001 Nils Landgren set up a concise overview of the current directions in Scandinavian jazz and was awarded the “Tore Ehrling Prize” by the Swedish Composers’ Federation for his “special contribution in bringing worldwide attention to Swedish jazz”.

A further aspect of Landgren’s multi-facetedness has been shown since 1993, when the album “Ballads” (ACT 9268-2) was recorded, and on its release in Germany in 1999 showed for the first time his talent as an emotional ballad singer. With his tasteful tenor voice he has been compared to the introverted style of Chet Baker. In 2002 he undertook a recording of a sequence of love songs on a “Sentimental Journey” (ACT 9409-2) which was enthusiastically received by public and critics alike. “We want more of this” proclaimed the WOM Journal and so was able to follow this through the production of the album “I Will Wait For You” (ACT 9418-2) where the singer Rigmor Gustafsson – having previously made her name as a guest on “Sentimental Journey” – took centre stage. It stormed into the jazz charts in Sweden and Germany, reaching number 1 and number 2 respectively.

In 2004, after a self-imposed sabbatical of almost two years, Landgren went full steam ahead with his Funk Unit and produced the acclaimed Platinum „Funky Abba“ album (ACT 9430-2); his own personal hommage to one of the greatest pop bands in history. 2005 marks the new album “Creole Love Call” (ACT 9707-2) together with the legendary keyboarder Joe Sample of The Crusaders, in which Nils Landgren can be heard again primarily as a vocalist.

In December 2005, Nils Landgren celebrated Christmas in a church in Stockholm with some friends from the Scandinavian music scene and thus fulfilling a long-time dream. This unique recording of the most beautiful Christmas songs from the middle ages to our time was released in December 2006 on CD and DVD, went gold in Sweden and Germany within a month of its release, and climbed to #2 of the German Jazz charts: “Christmas with my Friends” (ACT 9454-2).

2007 brings the Funk Unit back again. The eighth funk album demonstrates the same killer groove as its award-winning predecessors lead us to expect. Nils Landgren definitely has it: the “Licence to Funk” (ACT 9455-2).

Given the resounding success of JazzFest Berlin ’01, Landgren has been nominated again in 2008 as artistic director of the JazzFest Berlin for the coming three years. At the end of 2008 he will release a sequel of his successful first Christmas album: “Christmas With My Friends II”.

Music knows no borders, music is freedom – this is Nils Landgren’s credo. For every record of his new Funk Unit album “Funk For Life” (released in spring 2010) sold, one Euro goes to the Funk Unit – Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors without borders) project ”Funk For Life” in Kibera Nairobi. By purchasing the CD the buyer will contribute in making life for people in Kibera just a bit easier. And he helps to guarantee that from now on, music will be a central part of the education in Kibera. https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/nils-landgren

3 Generations Disc 1, Disc 2, Disc 3

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Dizzy Reece & Ted Curson - Blowin' Away

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:40
Size: 95,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:23) 1. Stella By Starlight
(6:27) 2. All The Things You Are
(5:37) 3. Bass Conclave
(5:02) 4. Moose the Mooche
(7:04) 5. Marjo
(9:04) 6. Walkin'

Trumpeters Dizzy Reece and Ted Curson team up with a top-notch trio (pianist Claude Williamson, bassist Sam Jones and drummer Roy Haynes) on three of the six numbers on this bebop-oriented LP, originally recorded for Interplay and then soon reissued by Discovery.

In addition to those pieces ("Walkin'" and a basic original apiece by each trumpeter), Reece is showcased on "Stella By Starlight," Curson gets the spotlight on "All the Things You Are," and the rhythm section romps on "Moose the Mooche." It is a pity that Reece and Curson do not get to tangle on all of the numbers, but they do shoot off some fireworks (most notably on "Walkin'"); the playing by all of the veterans is up to par. By Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/blowin-away-mw0000910495

Personnel: Dizzy Reece - trumpet (tracks 1, 3, 5 & 6); Ted Curson - trumpet, flugelhorn (tracks 2, 3, 5 & 6); Claude Williamson - piano; Sam Jones - bass; Roy Haynes - drums

Blowin' Away

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Toshiko Akiyoshi & Lew Tabackin Big Band - Kogun

Styles: Piano And Saxophone
Year: 1974
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:19
Size: 95,1 MB
Art: Front

( 9:13) 1. Elegy
(10:21) 2. Memory
( 6:48) 3. Kogun
( 5:48) 4. American Ballad
( 9:08) 5. Henpecked Old Man

As a writer known for her incorporation of traditional Japanese music into idiomatic big band writing, it is only on the title track of this 1974 recording that this propensity is exhibited. The rest of the album is dedicated to more traditional big band approaches, but, in the hands of Toshiko Akiyoshi, "traditional" techniques always manage to sound fresh. Few of the many twists and turns on display in the five songs off of Kogun fail either to surprise or to work. Although straight-ahead cookers such as "Elegy" (which features a wicked piano solo by the leader) succeed marvelously, it is when Akiyoshi turns to more unconventional writing techniques, such as the spoken word fragments that are interspersed throughout the extraordinary "Memory" or the endlessly shifting form and mood of "Kogun," that her muse is most clearly on display.

This is big band as orchestra, and it is evocative in a way that most other big band records simply are not. Although Akiyoshi's contributions are impossible to downplay, the reason for this record's sublimity must also rest in the orchestra itself, co-led by tenor (and hubby) Lew Tabackin. From trumpeter Bobby Shew to alto saxophonist Dick Spencer, the winds are uniformly excellent, and the rhythm section of Gene Cherico and Peter Donald cook without being heavy-handed. Kogun easily displays why Akiyoshi is such a treasure. It's a record that is simultaneously driving, romantic, and experimental, seductive in its implications and undeniable in its swing. A difficult combination, to be sure, but one for which Akiyoshi clearly has the winning formula.
By Daniel Gioffre https://www.allmusic.com/album/kogun-mw0000351554

Personnel: Toshiko Akiyoshi – piano; Lew Tabackin – tenor saxophone; Tom Peterson – tenor saxophone; Dick Spencer – alto saxophone; Gary Foster – alto saxophone; Bill Perkins – baritone saxophone; Bobby Shew – trumpet; John Madrid – trumpet; Don Rader – trumpet; Mike Price – trumpet; Charles Loper – trombone; Jim Sawyer – trombone; Britt Woodman – trombone; Phil Teele – bass trombone; Gene Cherico – bass; Peter Donald – drums; Scott Ellsworth – voice (on "Memory")

Kogun

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Yannick Robert - Soul Cages Trio

Styles: Guitar
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:12
Size: 120,3 MB
Art: Front

(6:57) 1. A Thousand Years
(5:13) 2. Be Still My Beating Heart
(4:54) 3. Englishman In New York
(7:01) 4. Walking On The Moon
(6:13) 5. Children's Crusade
(4:25) 6. We'll Be Together
(4:21) 7. Fields Of Gold
(4:31) 8. We Work The Black Seam
(4:47) 9. Message In A Bottle
(3:45) 10. La Belle Dame Sans Regrets

Born: October 3, 1960. Guitarist, with a very unique finger playing technic, French Ibanez guitar schools teaching director, Nancy’Music Academy International permanent member, Yannick Robert is very active on the french and international jazz and fusion scene since years. He is endorsed by Ibanez since 1992, who built for him a Fretless signature model, he takes part to the Fretless Guitar Masters and Village of the Unfretted recordings. He is also endorsed by Savarez strings.

He recently took part on the cine-concert of the original movie soundtrack The Artist with the Strasbourg symphonic orchestra and the composer Ludovic Bource. He produced more than twenty methods and teaching Dvds, and has released about twenty albums among which La Danse du Chat (2011) and Echec et Malt (2013), recorded at Peter Gabriel’s Real World Studios with the Blues & Beyond Quartet, with world known bass player Dominique Dipiazza, harmonicist Sébastien Charlier et drummer Yoann Schmidt, with whom he has toured in the whole world.

He recently released with his Soul Cages Trio (2017) an album dedicated to jazz arrangements of Sting’s compositions, and also Baïkal (2017) in duet with Belgian bass-player Benoit Vanderstraeten, and ?nally with the Millenium trio (2018) with Franck Agulhon (drums) et de Benoit Vanderstraeten (basse).

In September 2019 has been released AGORA quartet’s ?rst album recorded with Franck Agulhon, Diégo Imbert (cb) and Sébastien Charlier. Yannick Robert is guitar referent at the MAI, and collection director at MAI BOOKS, LEMOINE and HAL LEONARD editions. He has also recorded a lot of teaching modules for the music teaching website imusic-shool.com https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/yannick-robert

Personnel: Yannick Robert: Electric Fretless Guitar; Gilles Coquard: Electric Bass; Cedric Affre: Drums

Soul Cages Trio

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Joe Locke - Wire Walker

Styles: Vibraphone Jazz
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:58
Size: 135,9 MB
Art: Front

( 6:46) 1. A New Blue
( 4:57) 2. May You Shine
( 8:33) 3. Barbara
( 5:53) 4. Six Years Remembrance
( 9:49) 5. Stand Inside the Circle
(10:20) 6. A Time for Love
( 4:31) 7. Young and Foolish
( 8:06) 8. Wire Walker

Vibraphonist Joe Locke's career seemed to take off during his time working with Steeplechase, not only because of his formidable playing but his ability to vary his accompanists and the mix of music from one session to the next. This 1992 date features a rhythm section of Dave Kikoski, Ed Howard, and Marvin "Smitty" Smith, as well as saxophonist Danny Walsh.

The group is clearly fired up on the opener, Jimmy Heath's "A New Blue," and easily maintain their momentum throughout the rest of the date. The lush treatment of Johnny Mandel's "A Time for Love" and his revival of the overlooked ballad "Young and Foolish" (inspired somewhat by pianist Bill Evans' trio arrangement) are also outstanding tracks. Locke contributed three originals; the very demanding post-bop "Wire Walker" proves that Locke's quintet can meet almost any musical challenge. Highly recommended. By Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/wire-walker-mw0000436639

Personnel: Vibraphone – Joe Locke; Bass – Ed Howard; Drums – Marvin "Smitty" Smith; Piano – Dave Kikoski; Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone – Danny Walsh

Wire Walker

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David Lahm - Jazz Takes on Joni Mitchell

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:02
Size: 143,7 MB
Art: Front

(7:03) 1. Solid Love
(6:44) 2. Song for Sharon
(6:14) 3. Edith and the Kingpin
(5:56) 4. Coyote

(7:19) 5. Blue Motel Room
(7:32) 6. The Blonde in the Bleachers and the Vamp from Hell
(5:23) 7. The Fiddle and the Drum
(6:57) 8. Solid Love (alternate version)
(8:50) 9. Shadows and Light

I somehow forgot just how intertwined pop star Joni Mitchell’s music has been with jazz. Maybe its because my sister bought the new Joni Mitchel records, and I only listened to them from the bedroom across the hall, that I didn’t memorize her album covers. But looking back on Mitchell’s work, up pops Bud Shank, Larry Carlton, and Jaco Pastorious. Her Mingus record was more a love offering than a musical statement.

Now, twenty-years later she’s back, singing on Herbie Hancock’s Gershwin tribute, and is paid homage to on trumpeter Dave Douglas’ Moving Portraits (DIW/Japan). Add to that, this tribute from producer/pianist David Lahm. The musicians include saxophonists Lew Tabakin and Thomas Chapin, trumpeter Randy Brecker, violinist Mark Feldman, and drummer Kenny Washington. Lahm effortlessly moves from a Kansas City styled opener “Solid Love” to a Jaco Pastorious tribute “Coyote.”

Chapin, a saxophonist we lost last year to cancer is haunting but so is Lew Tabakin. Wow, his straight-ahead jazz is so very expressive. On “Blue Motel Room,” he compliments organist Mike LeDonne and William Galison’s harmonica to slide the blues into your back pocket. Lahm reveals Joni Mitchell as a true jazzbo, something that could have wrecked her career so many years ago. By Mark Corroto https://www.allaboutjazz.com/jazz-takes-on-joni-mitchell-david-lahm-arkadia-jazz-review-by-mark-corroto

Personnel: David Lahm: Piano; Randy Brecker: Trumpet; Lew Tabackin: Tenor sax; Thomas Chapin: Alto sax/flute; Mark Feldman: Violin; Friedman: Vibraphone; William Galison: Harmonica; Roger Rosenberg: Sax/clarinet; Ron Vincent: Drums; Peter Herbert: Bass; Ed Naumeister: Trombone; Mike LeDonne: Organ; Kenny Washington: Drums; Peter Washington: Bass

Jazz Takes on Joni Mitchell

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Barry Harris Trio - Magnificent!

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1969
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:23
Size: 91,1 MB
Art: Front

(6:42)  1. Bean And The Boys
(4:04)  2. You Sweet And Fancy Lady
(4:17)  3. Rouge
(4:01)  4. Ah-Leu-Cha
(6:05)  5. Just Open Your Heart
(4:22)  6. Sun Dance
(5:20)  7. These Foolish Things (Remind Me Of You)
(4:28)  8. Dexterity

By the time pianist Barry Harris recorded his first session as a leader in 1958, Breakin' It Up for the Argo label, Charlie Parker had already been dead for three years and the be-bop movement that he had helped usher in was already giving way to the more visceral advance of hard bop and the beginning strains of Ornette Coleman's "new thing" approach. For Harris, who was a died-in-the-wool be-bopper, this meant coming on the scene a bit too late to be part of the music that had inspired his own jazz quest. Subsequently, while Harris' love of the be-bop language in no way makes him a one-trick pony, his style has somewhat limited his range of expression over the years. Coming off a string of Riverside releases that tended to possess a nagging feeling of sameness, Harris was to fare much better with his series of Prestige recordings. He added horns for his first two efforts, Luminescence and Bull's Eye, a move that seemed to broaden his musical palette. Then in 1969 at the end of his tenure with the label, Harris would return to the trio format, but with a more mature outlook. 

While the hyperbole involved in the album's title may border a bit on overstatement, the newly-reissued Magnificent easily ranks among Harris's better and most realized trio dates.There's much that is attractive about this set because even among the expected bop tunes like "Dexterity" and "Ah-Leu-Cha," we get such notable Harris originals as "You Sweet and Fancy Lady" (one of his best-known pieces), "Just Open Your Heart," and the Latin-tinged "Sun Dance." Ron Carter and drummer Leroy Williams form a well-oiled team with ample support and choice solo spots of their own. Although Harris continues to be a strong and committed performer, his Prestige period still holds special treasures of which Magnificent happily belongs. ~ C.Andrew Hovan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/magnificent-barry-harris-prestige-records-review-by-c-andrew-hovan.php

Personnel: Barry Harris- piano; Ron Carter- double bass; Leroy Williams- drums.

Magnificent!

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Gonzalo Rubalcaba - Turning Point / Trio D'ete

Styles: Piano Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:07
Size: 101,5 MB
Art: Front

( 6:36) 1. Infantil
(10:07) 2. Otra Mirada
( 2:10) 3. Turning I
( 7:34) 4. Iku
( 3:15) 5. Turning II
( 8:04) 6. Hard One
( 6:18) 7. Joy,Joie

Turning Point is the new album by GRAMMY-Award winning pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba. Turning Point introduces a new trio, Trio D’été, which features stalwart bassist Matt Brewer and star drummer Eric Harland. The second in a planned trilogy of trio recordings, this new release follows in the footsteps of Rubalcaba’s Skyline, which won the GRAMMY award last year for Best Jazz Instrumental Album.

During his 35 years as a recording artist, Gonzalo Rubalcaba has been averse to repeating himself from one album to the next, adhering to a tenet once summarized by Wayne Shorter as “everything that’s happened is a work in progress,” or, as Duke Ellington suavely put it, “my favorite recording is the next one.” Along those lines, in recent years – as on Skyline with Ron Carter and Jack DeJohnette, Rubalcaba has retrospected on earlier experiences, reconsidering the raw materials and approaching them with an attitude of speculative creativity.

Those imperatives guided Rubalcaba in 2018 as he conceived Turning Point, recorded in Miami a month after Skyline. Like Skyline, Turning Point demonstrates Rubalcaba’s protean approach to the piano trio, a configuration he’s investigated before the public gaze since his 1990s Blue Note recordings with Carter, DeJohnette, Charlie Haden, John Patitucci, Jeff Chambers, Paul Motian and Ignacio Berroa.

Although Rubalcaba has deep roots with both musicians, the Rubalcaba-Brewer-Harland configuration was a new one circa 2018. Turning Point is Brewer’s fifth recording with Rubalcaba since 2007, when he played on Avatar, a quintet session with alto saxophonist Yosvany Terry, trumpeter Michael Rodriguez and drummer Marcus Gilmore on which Rubalcaba premiered “Infantil,” a reimagined version of which opens this album. He’s subsequently performed on 5Passion productions XXI Century, which featured the Rubalcaba’s trio with Brewer and Marcus Gilmore; Suite Caminos, an ancient-to-future evocation of Afro-Yoruba ceremonial; and Charlie, Rubalcaba’s bolero-centric homage to Haden.

Rubalcaba’s maiden voyage with Harland also occurred in 2007, when they joined Chris Potter and Dave Holland in a “Monterey All Stars” unit that toured the U.S. during that summer and recorded one album. Explaining his thinking about their second encounter, Rubalcaba says: “I wanted to do a trio record of original music, based in the language of jazz, not completely straight ahead, but bringing in other elements that are part of my musical memory and my personality as a musician. I thought that Eric could help me rhythmically his background is not only straight ahead, but also from R&B he plays drums in a very modern way, which is what I was looking for.

While Skyline was a collaborative effort featuring compositions from Rubalcaba, Carter and DeJohnette, on Turning Point, Rubalcaba takes on a more pivotal role as both composer and producer. “Of course, I put my faith in Eric and Matt, and I wanted them to make that music like this is their music, too. They’re both serious about being up to date and informed about everything happening at the moment, not only here, but different points around the world. They have American music, of course, but also music from India, from Brazil, from Africa, from musicians I don’t know. This is healthy, because you can tell them, ‘this is my idea, and I’d like to have that sound and go in that direction,’ and their level of reference allows them to connect quickly with that idea.”

As an example, Rubalcaba cites his tour de force treatment of the aforementioned “Infantil,” dedicated to guitar legend John McLaughlin, who, he says, “has always had the feeling of someone who has remained fresh and active and curious over so many decades, keeping the attitude of a young rebel.” The structure contains on-a-dime metric modulations from funk to Latin to straight-ahead.

Another highlight is “Otra Mirada (Another Look)” an original bolero that debuted on Supernova (Blue Note), released the same year as Nocturne, for which Rubalcaba convened Nuyorican bass master Carlos Henriquez, then 20, and Cuban drum titan Ignacio Berroa. For Trio D’été, Rubalcaba presents a completely reharmonized treatment, also including different harmonic progressions in the solo section.

“Bolero was everywhere at my house and with my family in Havana,” Rubalcaba says. “For a long time I’ve presented my relationship with the bolero while changing as much as I can harmonically and rhythmically to look in another way at what bolero is or has been until today. As a style, I think of the bolero as a very European music with a very Latin rhythm section. The melody can be made by an Italian composer from the 18th or 19th century, and harmonies are coming sometimes from jazz music or American music, or even European music in its most classical way. Then the bongos, congas and maracas are behind, changing the rhythmic colors. On ‘Otra Mirada’ if we eliminate the drums and leave only bass and piano, it could easily be chamber music. The drums transform it, take the music in another direction.”

Brewer’s precise, deliberate, resonant tumbao introduces “Ikú” (the Yoruba term for “death” or “la muerte”), whose stately, bittersweet melody Rubalcaba extracted from a chant he’d heard in childhood at funeral ceremonies. Harland sound-paints throughout on mallets. “It appears always in a sad mood when you’ve lost someone or are remembering someone who passed away,” Rubalcaba says of the piece. “At the same time, the melody of the line and the spirit of that music sounds beautiful to me. Everything is in there the darkness or the bright side, the sweetness and beauty or the sad and nostalgic part. How you appreciate the music depends on the day, the moment you’re living.”

Portions of “The Hard One” sound like two drummers having a conversation. Rubalcaba first recorded it on the 1998 album Inner Voyage, when tenor titan Michael Brecker joined his Jeff Chambers-Ignacio Berroa trio; two years later he revisited it with Henriquez and Berroa on Supernova. In the booklet notes for Inner Voyage Rubalcaba wrote that Chambers kept referring to the piece as “the hard one” during rehearsals for a Japanese tour that preceded the album, and “we decided that the name was appropriate.” He added: “…it’s connected to some of Chick Corea’s work during the early ’80s; I also connect it with the language developed by composers like Berg, Bartok, Stravinsky and Schoenberg.”

He concludes the proceedings with the brisk, playful, interactive, self-descriptively titled “Joy, Joie,” Rubalcaba’s only composition written specifically for Trio d’été. He describes it as an ode to “a spirit that cannot be dark and cannot be down, that’s bright, filled with light. It’s probably the least formally complex piece on the record two sections, like typical standards in American music, AABA, and then solos, and then the coda. That’s it.”

Winding down our conversation, Rubalcaba revealed what his fan base can expect for volume three of this three-part extravaganza intended to showcase “three different trios, different projections, different language, different sounds and different ways to approach the music.” It will be an album of “Latin fusion” featuring “players from Latin culture not only Cuba.” “My plan is to bring new original compositions for this album, not music I’d already done and want to recompose,” Rubalcaba says. “That will be the challenge.”https://lydialiebman.com/index.php/project/gonzalo-rubalcaba/

Personnel: Gonzalo Rubalcaba (Piano); Matt Brewer (Bass) and Eric Harland (Drums)

Turning Point / Trio D'ete

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Nathaniel Cross - The Description Is Not The Described

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 27:21
Size: 62,9 MB
Art: Front

(7:13) 1. Goodbye For Now
(4:30) 2. Charge It To The Game
(8:23) 3. Light In The Darkness
(7:14) 4. Who Looks Inside, Awakes

Trombonist Nathaniel Cross is a key presence on London's alternative jazz scene, just like his brother, Theon Cross, who plays tuba in Shabaka Hutchings' Sons of Kemet. Until now, however, Nathaniel has probably been better known among his fellow musicians than with the general public, for he has been most active behind the scenes as a session musician and arranger. Among other major names Cross has worked with are his longtime friend, drummer and producer Moses Boyd, on whose Mercury Prize nominated Dark Matter (Exodus, 2020) Cross played and arranged four of the ten tracks, singers Zara McFarlane and Macy Gray, and grime stars Stormzy and Kano.

The Description Is Not The Described should raise Cross' public profile considerably. A four-track EP coming in at around thirty minutes, it is packed with positive, uplifting jazz which in trademark London style augments its jazz foundation with elements of other musics, including calypso, Afro-Cuban, hip hop and broken beat. As well as Cross, the core band features two other cracking horn players, trumpeter Dylan Jones of Ezra Collective and tenor saxophonist Richie Garrison, another ranking session musician, whose credits include pianist Robert Glasper, trumpeter Roy Hargrove and saxophonist Soweto Kinch. Simon Mitchell is on keyboards and the drummer is Saleem Raman, a regular member of the house band at Ronnie Scott's.

The EP title is inspired by one of philosopher Jiddu Krishnamurti's maxims. Cross chose it because he feels it reflects the state of the world in 2021. "So many of us are caught up in labels and descriptions that we end up looking at people for what they are, rather than embrace them for who they are," he says. "No matter how detailed the description is, it will never capture the essence."

Opening track "Goodbye For Now" is dedicated to Cross' late father, who passed in March 2020 at a tragically young age. Its opening bars make touching references to the signature ostinatos of John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme" and Pharoah Sanders' "The Creator Has A Master Plan." The track includes a short extract from a tape-recorded conversation between Cross, when he was a toddler, and his father, from a cassette which Cross found when he was sorting out his father's belongings after he passed. You can hear the love in both voices. The positive vibe is maintained in brief solos traded by Cross, Garrison and Jones (three from each of them). "Charge It To The Game" and "Light In The Darkness" are similarly vibrant, with more fine solos. The tempo, but not the heat, decreases a little on the closer, "Who Looks Inside, Awakes," a maxim coined by the psychoanalyst Carl Jung. Always good advice, it is newly appropriate in this age of social media, suggesting one looks for validation inside oneself rather than in the number of likes generated by tweets and instagrams. The Description Is Not The Described is a stonking debut, all the more welcome for being overdue.By Chris May https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-description-is-not-the-described-nathaniel-cross-first-word-records

Personnel: Nathaniel Cross: trombone; Dylan Jones: trumpet; Richie Garrison: saxophone, tenor; Saleem Raman: drums; Simon Mitchell: keyboards.

The Description Is Not The Described

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Barry Harris - For The Moment

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 77:34
Size: 177.6 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 1984/2000
Art: Front

[5:56] 1. I Love Lucy
[6:00] 2. My Heart Stood Still
[4:43] 3. Bean And The Boys
[5:50] 4. To Monk With Love
[2:55] 5. For The Moment
[7:09] 6. Chico The Man
[8:31] 7. Reflections Light Blue Well You Needn't Rhythm-A-Ning
[7:35] 8. Shaw Nuff
[5:02] 9. 7-9-3-4-0
[6:15] 10. Save Some For Later
[6:21] 11. Looking Glass
[5:03] 12. To Monk Wih Love
[6:09] 13. One More Blues

Throughout his career, pianist Barry Harris has kept the spirit of bebop and the music of Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk alive in his joyous and creative playing. For this live concert, Harris is heard in a trio with bassist Rufus Reid and drummer Leroy Williams. There is a four-song Thelonious Monk medley, five originals (including "To Monk With Love" and "For the Moment," which Harris played at Thelonious' funeral), "My Heart Stood Still," and a boppish version of the "I Love Lucy Theme." A delightful and enthusiastic set. ~Scott Yanow

For The Moment

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Sheila Jordan - Better Than Anything: Live (Feat. Harvie S & Alan Broadbent)

Size: 150,1 MB
Time: 65:07
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Better Than Anything (Live) (6:37)
02. If I Had You (Live) (9:15)
03. The Best Thing For You (Live) (5:54)
04. I Concentrate On You (Live) (3:59)
05. Medley: You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To/Mourning Song/Japanese Dream/What'll I Do (Live) (13:55)
06. Confirmation (Live) (5:53)
07. Waltz For Debby (Live) (4:24)
08. Falling In Love With Love (Live) (8:38)
09. The Caterpillar Song (Live) (6:27)

One of the most consistently creative of all jazz singers, Sheila Jordan has a relatively small voice, but has done the maximum with her instrument. She is one of the few vocalists who can improvise logical lyrics (which often rhyme), she is a superb scat singer, and is also an emotional interpreter of ballads. Yet despite her talents, Jordan spent much of the 1960s and '70s working at a conventional day job. She studied piano when she was 11 and early on, sang vocalese in a vocal group. Jordan moved to New York in the 1950s, was married to Duke Jordan (1952-62), studied with Lennie Tristano, and worked in New York clubs. George Russell used her on an unusual recording of "You Are My Sunshine" and she became one of the few singers to lead her own Blue Note album (1962). However, it would be a decade before she appeared on records again, working with Carla Bley, Roswell Rudd, and co-leading a group with Steve Kuhn in the late '70s. Jordan recorded a memorable duet album with bassist Arild Andersen for SteepleChase in 1977, and has since teamed up with bassist Harvie Swartz on many occasions. By the 1980s, Sheila Jordan was finally performing jazz on a full-time basis and gaining the recognition she deserved 20 years earlier. She recorded as a leader (in addition to the Blue Note session) for East Wind, Grapevine, SteepleChase, Palo Alto, Blackhawk, and Muse, resurfacing in 1999 with Jazz Child. ~ Scott Yanow

Better Than Anything

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Rosemary Clooney With the L.A. Jazz Choir - Sings Rodgers, Hart & Hammerstein

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1990
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:24
Size: 118,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:15) 1. Oh, What A Beautiful Morning
(4:55) 2. People Will Say We're In Love
(3:47) 3. Love, Look Away
(6:07) 4. The Gentleman Is A Dope
(2:54) 5. It Might As Well Be Spring
(6:22) 6. The Sweetest Sounds
(3:10) 7. I Could Write A Book
(3:59) 8. You Took Advantage Of Me
(5:58) 9. The Lady Is A Tramp
(4:34) 10. Little Girl Blue
(4:01) 11. My Romance
(3:15) 12. Yours Sincerely

This Rosemary Clooney recording differs from all of her previous Concord albums in that she is joined by the L.A. Jazz Choir (a 12-voice group) on half of the dozen selections. The choral backing is a bit of an acquired taste for jazz listeners but Clooney's backup sextet does consist of tenor saxophonist Scott Hamilton, trumpeter Jack Sheldon (who helps out Clooney with his vocal on "People Will Say We're in Love"), trombonist Chauncey Welsch, pianist John Oddo (who is responsible for both the choral and instrumental arrangements), bassist John Clayton and drummer Joe LaBarbera.

Clooney interprets the music of Richard Rodgers and lyrics which are split almost evenly between Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein. Most of the tunes are fairly well-known (including "It Might as Well Be Spring," "I Could Write a Book," "You Took Advantage of Me" and "My Romance") but Rosemary Clooney makes them sound fresh and alive.By Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/sings-rodgers-hart-hammerstein-mw0000207686

Personnel: Rosemary Clooney – vocals; Jack Sheldon – trumpet, vocal (track 2); Chauncey Welsch – trombone; Warren Vaché Jr. – cornet; Scott Hamilton – tenor saxophone; John Oddo – piano, vocal and instrumental arrangements; John Clayton – bass; Joe LaBarbera – drums; The L.A. Jazz Choir – vocals (tracks 1,3,7,10-12)

Sings Rodgers, Hart & Hammerstein

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Lew Tabackin With The Netherlands Metropole Orchestra - Pyramid

Styles: Jazz, Hard Bop
Year: 1999
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 56:04
Size: 103,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:57)  1. Battle Royal
(5:04)  2. Isfahan
(6:04)  3. Speak Low
(6:28)  4. Broken Dreams
(3:55)  5. Night And Day
(6:58)  6. Yesterdays
(6:12)  7. Are You Real?
(6:03)  8. Pyramid
(6:07)  9. All Too Soon
(5:12) 10. Sweet And Lovely

Lew Tabackin's guest appearance with the Netherlands Metropole Orchestra is one of the most enjoyable in their series of collaborations with jazz soloists. Tabackin is a swinging tenor saxophonist and a top notch flute player as well, playing both on the exciting opener by Duke Ellington, "Battle Royal" and showcasing his lyrical flute on "Speak Low." In addition to his outstanding playing throughout the CD, he composed the haunting bittersweet ballad "Broken Dreams." Most of the arrangements by conductor Rob Pronk complement Tabackin's playing without overwhelming him with excessive strings. This is a very wellcrafted release worth purchasing. ~ Ken Dryden  http://www.allmusic.com/album/pyramid-mw0000667776

Personnel: Peter Tiehuis, Lex Bolderdijk (guitar); Joke Schonewille, Rosetty de Ruiter-Verwoerdt (harp); Herman Van Haaren, Arlia de Ruiter, Erica Korthals Altes, Denise Ruyters, Lucia Domski, Rudolf Vobornik, Dennis Koenders, Marianne Heuvel, Elisabeth Cats, Pauline Terlow, Wim Kok, Rami Koch, Marijn Rombout, Moortje Koch, Ernö Olah (violin); Anne-Mariue V.D. Bogaard, Mieke Honingh, Aimee Versloot, Michael Klier, Julia Jowett (viola); Hans Bonsel, Wim Grin, Olaf Groesz, Bastiaan Van Der Werf (cello); Friederike Darius, Janine Abbas, Mariel Bos (flute); Martin De Ruiter, Willem Luijt (oboe); Leo Van Oostrom, Marc Scholten, Leo Janssen, Max Boeree, Dick Vennik (saxophone); Jan Hollander, Jan Ppsthof, Henk Heijink, Ruud Breuls (trumpet); Wim Timmermans, Roel Koster (French horn); Paul Woesthuis, Jan Elsink, Bart Van Lier (trombone); Martin V.D. Berg (bass trombone); Cor Bakker, Hans Vroomans (piano, synthesizer); Eric Winkelmann, Arend Liefkes (double bass); Herman Rieken, Arno van Nieuwenhuize, Eddy Koopman, Cees Kranenburg, Mike Schäperclaus (drums, percussion).

Pyramid

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Millenium Trio - Millenium Trio (feat. Yannick Robert, Franck Agulhon, Benoit Vanderstraeten)

Styles: Guitar, Post Bop
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:49
Size: 105,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:06) 1. Baïkal
(0:31) 2. Remember
(5:51) 3. Asakusa
(4:04) 4. Millenium
(6:44) 5. Le train matcha
(4:59) 6. Thank You Mr. Mac Low
(4:53) 7. Je me suis fait tout petit
(5:21) 8. Can't Help Falling in Love
(4:29) 9. Bopping in Tokyo
(0:44) 10. Siberian Trip
(3:01) 11. Shinkansen

But who hides under this name of Millenium Trio which one could believe linked to literature or cinema…?Millenium Trio is in fact the meeting of three remarkable musicians: guitarist Yannick Robert, drummer Franck Agulhon and bassist Benoit Vanderstraeten. Once you have been told this, you immediately understand that musical poetry will be there, which is indeed the case on this album, recorded visibly in the style of a "live", which gives a most pleasing result.

I have always known Yannick Robert as being a discreet guitarist, never looking for great effects, but with the right note and poetic writing, working like an artisan who calls his work into question 1,000 times, to keep only the best. And “Millenium”, more than his other albums, is the culmination of a journey that began with his “Soul Cages Trio” (*). On this opus, Yannick Robert and his two accomplices work wonders. It's a real pleasure to listen to this album, as always with Yannick Robert. It's an album that speaks to our feelings and is for everyone!

We are of course waiting with great impatience to discover this trio on stage, but in the meantime, “Millenium” is our great “Coup de coeur” which will be available on May 4, 2018. An album which appears on the Alien Beats Records label and which will be distributed by Incredible.And icing on the cake, a concert for the release of this album is scheduled for June 28 at Sunset, in Paris! Remember to book your seats! Translate By Google https://www.paris-move.com/reviews/millenium-trio-millenium/

Personnel: Yannick Robert (g), Benoit Vanderstraeten (b) , Franck Agulhon (dm)

Millenium Trio (feat. Yannick Robert, Franck Agulhon, Benoit Vanderstraeten)

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Albare & Co - Freedom

Styles: Guitar, Big Band
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:16
Size: 129,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:37) 1. Freedom
(4:58) 2. Adeus
(5:56) 3. La Fiesta
(5:30) 4. Lost Compass
(4:06) 5. Love is Always
(6:51) 6. Randy Makes Me Smile
(4:56) 7. Shimmozle
(5:11) 8. Sketches
(6:13) 9. Sunny Samba
(5:54) 10. New Expectations

"Jazz is the voice of freedom," says Israeli-born guitarist & composer Albare, "and it will never be silenced." To that end, Albare has assembled a world-class sextet to perform seven of his sunny, swing-based compositions, two others co-written with pianist Phil Turcio and Turcio's graceful "Shimmozle."

The session begins, appropriately enough, with Albare's open-hearted "Freedom," which introduces fellow front-liner Randy Brecker on trumpet. Soprano saxophonist Ada Rovatti (who also plays splendid alto and tenor saxophones) makes her first appearance on "La Fiesta," a rhythmic bossa nova not to be confused with Chick Corea's composition of that same name. This one was written by Albare, as were "Freedom" and "Adues" (or "Adeus," as it is spelled both ways), which precede it. The lively "Lost Compass," co-authored by Albare and Turcio, is next, followed by the easygoing "Randy Makes Me Smile" (with Brecker's mellow flugelhorn counterbalancing a robust tenor saxophone solo by Rovatti) and "Shimmozle."

Albare plays guitar in the manner of some of his main influences, Django Reinhardt, Wes Montgomery and Antonio Carlos Jobim, combining old-world swing with more modern phrasings. It works well, especially when complemented by Brecker and Rovatti's expressly contemporary stance. As for the rhythm section (Turcio, bassist Phil Rex, drummer Felix Bloxom), it is diligent and flexible, tending to business while giving the front line ample room to breathe.

"Sketches" is another meditative number, leading to the buoyant "Sunny Samba" and free-wheeling finale, "New Expectations" (sans Brecker and Rovatti). Freedom isn't a classic session but a very good one with no letdown in quality from start to finish.
By Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/freedom-albare-and-co-self-produced

Personnel: Albare: band/orchestra; Randy Brecker: trumpet; Ada Rovatti: saxophone; Phil Turcio: keyboards; Phil Rex: bass; Felix Bloxom: drums.

Freedom

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Julian Lage - Squint

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:37
Size: 104,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:27) 1. Etude
(3:25) 2. Boo's Blues
(4:30) 3. Squint
(4:35) 4. Saint Rose
(5:28) 5. Emily
(3:59) 6. Familiar Flower
(3:15) 7. Day and Age
(6:53) 8. Quiet Like a Fuse
(3:31) 9. Short Form
(4:18) 10. Twilight Surfer
(3:12) 11. Call of the Canyon

Before discussing guitarist Julian Lage's album, some food for thought... A credible argument could be put forward to say that the jazz piano trio reached its pinnacle of perfection with Bill Evans' Village Vanguard performances of June 1961, with the trio of bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian, and that trios led by guitars, another chordal instrument, have long since replaced piano led trios at the evolutionary edge of the music.

Still thinking aloud, as it were, the acoustic piano might also be said to be increasingly anachronistic across jazz, its place taken in many young bands by an electric keyboard, or a guitar, or by no chordal instrument at all. On the other hand, the explanation for that could simply be cyclical. In any event, no denigration of acoustic pianists is intended. It is indisputable, however, that jazz guitar trios continue to push the boundaries of the music or, as in the case of Lage's Blue Note debut, Squint, bring a fresh spin to the lyric territory in which Bill Evans excelled.

All but two of the eleven tracks on Squint are Lage originals and they range from blues rock to exquisitely beautiful ballads. Predictably, Blue Note is pushing the first strand, which, enjoyable as it is, forms the smaller proportion of the album. The only YouTube clip available at the time of writing is "Boo's Blues," and the album's first single is "Saint Rose." Both tunes are radio-friendly drive-time chuggers. Among the ballads, a highlight is undoubtedly the cover of Johnny Mandel's "Emily," but Lage's "Day And Age" and "Quiet Like A Flower" are every bit as gorgeous. The guitarist's playing on all three tracks is as harmonically elevated as Bill Evans was on, say, "My Foolish Heart" and "Waltz For Debby" at the Vanguard (or indeed on the versions of "My Funny Valentine" and "Romain" he recorded in a duo with guitarist Jim Hall in 1962 for the United Artists album Undercurrent).

Lage excels throughout Squint as both an improviser and a composer, and he is well served by bassist Jorge Roeder and drummer Dave King, both of whom had toured with him for two years before the pandemic delayed the completion of recording. From every angle, and from start to finish, the album is a delight. By Chris May
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/squint-julian-lage-blue-note-records

Personnel: Julian Lage: guitar, electric; Jorge Roeder: bass, acoustic; Dave King: drums.

Squint

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Lew Tabackin Quartet - Desert Lady

Styles: Flute And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1990
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:02
Size: 149,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:09)  1. Hot House
(9:40)  2. Pyramid
(8:04)  3. Serenade To Sweden
(7:19)  4. Chelsea Bridge
(3:57)  5. Johnny Come Lately
(9:55)  6. Desert Lady
(4:37)  7. A Bit Byas'd
(2:53)  8. You'll Never Know
(5:27)  9. Yesterdays
(7:57) 10. You Leave Me Breathless

The great tenor saxophonist and flutist Lew Tabackin is joined by pianist Hank Jones, bassist Dave Holland, and drummer Victor Lewis on this well-rounded program. The Concord CD has many highlights, including "Hot House," Duke Ellington's "Serenade to Sweden," Tabackin's "A Bit Byas'd," and "You Leave Me Breathless"; the leader's tenor in particular is in top form. Highly recommended to fans of straight-ahead jazz, this release gives one a strong sampling of Lew Tabackin's talents. ~  Scott Yanow  https://www.allmusic.com/album/desert-lady-mw0000208060

Personnel:  Flute, Tenor Saxophone – Lew Tabackin;  Piano – Hank Jones ;  Bass – Dave Holland;  Drums – Victor Lewis

Desert Lady

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Judy Niemack - What's Love?

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:47
Size: 144,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:25) 1. Feelin’ It In Your Bones
(5:06) 2. Firefly
(4:17) 3. For All We Know
(4:25) 4. Catalyst
(5:01) 5. I’m Moving On
(5:35) 6. What’s Love Got to Do With It
(4:46) 7. Just When I Thought
(4:39) 8. With You
(5:07) 9. Let Life Lead You
(4:27) 10. Blues That Soothe My Soul
(4:34) 11. I’ll Love Again
(4:38) 12. Born to Be Blue
(4:40) 13. Right Here, Right Now

Jazz vocalist Judy Niemack presents a collection of rhapsodic romantic songs on her upcoming album release, What’s Love, due out October 28 on Sunnyside Records. Following Niemack’s lauded 2018 release New York Stories with pianist Jim McNeely and Danish Radio Big Band, What’s Love represents a vulnerable side of the lifelong vocalist’s artistry. In an embrace of her distinctive sound, Niemack’s rich collection of original lyrics paired with select standards offers a glimpse into her resilient and inventive vocal prowess.

An exploration of the healing powers of love, What’s Love presents as a musical reconciliation with the boundless, yet relatable, challenges that continually loop through our lives. While conceptually, What’s Love is a beacon of effervescence, its sound is both capricious and exhilarating. Niemack takes to exploring the many varieties of love in her life on each selection, while also seizing an opportunity to explore her vocal range. Her trademark sound clear, yet warm with a cloudy edge is softer here. Employing this lower timbre, Niemack is keenly aware of her newfound sense of expression: “I haven’t lost my high notes, but gained lower ones,” she adds.

Niemack is joined among the highest level of jazz musicianship for the affair; What’s Love hosts Peter Bernstein on guitar, Sullivan Fortner on piano, Doug Weiss on bass, Joe Farnsworth on drums and Eric Alexander on alto saxophone.

“This is my view of love which, of course, is unique,” the singer, author and professor shares while discussing her inspiration for the title, which also borrows from her arrangement of the Tina Turner hit, “What’s Love Got To Do With It, a high moment on the date for the leader, who takes a slower and more contemplative approach to Turner’s question.

“Michelangelo famously said that he saw the sculpture hidden in a piece of marble and simply revealed it by taking away the stone, bit by bit. Composing for me is similar I have a feeling I want to express, which leads to a poem, words, which then are set to music that I discover on the piano. It just comes to me. My songs grow out of emotion.”

An overt lyrical message of moving ahead after loss, the track “I’m Moving On” gives generous space for each band member to contribute solos that grapple with the notion of moving forward, making the track a more gentle and evocative standout off the record. With Bernstein and Fortner at the instrumental helm, Niemack’s gifted scatting is guided effortlessly throughout “I’ll Love Again” and “Right Here, Right Now” are two examples, where lush instrumentation is met by silken vocal intonations.

While recording at the Van Gelder, Alexander joined the band as a special guest alto saxophonist. He contributes his optimistic original composition “Let Life Lead You.” Though the cheerful message was originally penned ‘Little Lucas,’ a note to Alexander’s son, Niemack was galvanized by its universality. Contributing a new lyric and title, she sings about embracing risk and remaining grateful in moments of opportunity a key sentiment that prevails across the record.

Highlighting her propensity for articulation and translucence as a songwriter and vocalist, Niemack outrivals herself on What’s Love. A deliberate and tasteful meditation on life's various chapters, What’s Love captures the essence of a talent with an unrequited passion for the sounds of storytelling. Judy Niemack, through her confident command and glistening vocal range, is inviting us to think about what ‘love’ means, yet by her own seamless and magical invention, once we accept her call, all we really have to do is listen.

Personnel: Judy Niemack - vocals; Peter Bernstein - guitar; Sullivan Fortner - piano; Doug Weiss - bass; Joe Farnsworth - drums; Eric Alexander - alto saxophone (9)

What's Love?

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John Daversa - All Without Words: Variations Inspired by Loren

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:14
Size: 168,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:08) 1. Loren's Theme
(4:47) 2. Searching but Never Finding
(6:30) 3. Two Steps Forward
(7:38) 4. Seeing It Again for the First Time
(5:08) 5. The Urgency of Every Moment
(6:46) 6. Invisible Things
(5:50) 7. Walking in Our Own Footsteps - The Circle Game
(8:02) 8. The Smallest Thing
(6:16) 9. A Day Is Forever - Like Any Other
(4:58) 10. Three Roads Diverged
(6:06) 11. Learning Simply to Be
(7:01) 12. It’s Enough to Be Here, Now

Music can be inspired by many things, such as romantic affection, personal experience, world events and social concerns among many others. This extraordinary piece of music was inspired by a parent's love for a child.

Trumpeter John Daversa asked his friend, composer Justin Morell, to write a large-scale orchestral piece for him. Morell came up with a composition based on his life with his son, Loren, who is autistic. Loren struggled with verbal communication from a very young age and completely lost the ability to speak by the time he was three. Nevertheless, Morell has constantly strived to connect and communicate with his son who was sixteen at the time this was recorded. The ongoing cycle of joys and sorrows in this struggle and the bond of undying love that powers it is all reflected in this music.

The work is a twelve movement trumpet concerto featuring Daversa backed by a full orchestra of jazz and classical musicians plus a choir, The main musical theme is a simple rising and falling melody Daversa plays at the beginning, based on Loren's own wordless singing, which is then put through eleven variations. The leader is the main soloist, working through a myriad of settings with classical and jazz elements. "The Urgency of Every Moment" has a brisk, cascading motif played by the string section that could be an orchestral cityscape written by Leonard Bernstein or Aaron Copland. "Seeing It Again for the First Time" moves along on a creeping jazz pulse led by Tal Cohen's piano and Justin Morell's own guitar playing. In both settings, and throughout the CD, Daversa's trumpet is a bright, glowing presence. He shines whether he is pushing out quietly childlike melodies over sweeping orchestral movement or vaulting gracefully and soulfully over a tense string theme.

The obvious comparisons for this work are the joyful humanity of Maria Schneider's music and the legendary collaborations of Miles Davis and Gil Evans. Davis and Evans never got to work on a scale this grand, but when Daversa blows eloquently over a rising curtain of piano, strings and voices on "Invisible Things" or plays muted over a slow pulse then switches to majestic open horn as the orchestra gets louder on "A Day Is Forever," the lineage is clear.

Some of the titles of the movements such as "A Day Is Forever," "The Urgency of Every Moment," and "Learning Simply To Be" convey the idea of taking joy from the present moment and approaching life with patience and compassion. The quiet, unceasing beat that consistently underlines the music brings home the fact that this composition is about an ongoing process of communication and discovery. The potent feelings expressed throughout are summed up in the final movement, "It's Enough To Be Here, Now" where Daversa's poignant whispers over the rhythm section's soft pulse seem to be suffused with quiet determination and love.

This music would sound wonderful even without its context. Knowing where it came from makes it infinitely more more powerful. John Daversa's trumpet playing is masterful throughout, giving the element of mercurial, unceasing life to the compassionate vistas Justin Morell composes. For beauty and heart, this music is above and beyond anything else around today. It is an outstanding recording.By Jerome Wilson https://www.allaboutjazz.com/all-without-words-variations-inspired-by-loren-john-daversa-jazz-orchestra-tiger-turn

Personnel: John Daversa: trumpet; Justin Morell: guitar; Tai Cohen: piano; Dion Kerr: bass; David Chiverton: drums.

Additional Instrumentation: Scott Flavin, orchestra conductor; Amanda Quist, choir conductor; Abby Young, concertmaster. Conrad Fok: Piano; Lev Garfein: Violin; Strings: Violin I: Abby Young; Sheena Gutierrez; Karen Lord-Powell; Steffen Zeichner; Ashley Liberty; Gregory Carreno; Violin II: Svetlana Salminen; Yuhao Zhou; Orlando Forte; Katarina Nazarova; Julia Jakkel; Viola: Matt Nabours; Vishnu Ramankutty; Ross DeBardelaben; Cello: Brent Charran; Shea Kole; Tadao Ito; Bass: Brian Powell; Ethan Olaguibel; Winds: Jennifer Grim: flute; Alyssa Mena: flute, alto flute; Troy Roberts: soprano and tenor saxophone; Melvin Butler: soprano and tenor saxophone; Matt Clarke: clarinet; Frankie Capoferri: clarinet, bass clarinet; Gabriel Beavers: bassoon; Melanie Villarreal: bassoon; Richard Todd: horn; Stan Spinola: horn; Antoni Olesik: timpani, vibraphone, glockenspiel, marimba; Choir: Emily Finke: soprano; Safia Zaman: soprano; Alexandra Colaizzi: alto; Kate Reid: alto; Sidney O’Gorman: tenor; Noah Zaidspiner: tenor; Thandolwethu Mamba: bass; Dylan Melville: bass.

All Without Words: Variations Inspired by Loren

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