Alexis Cole - Zingaro

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:19
Size: 109,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:39) 1. Stompin' At The Savoy
(6:00) 2. God Bless The Child
(2:00) 3. Morning With You
(5:57) 4. Over The Rainbow
(3:31) 5. Sweet Lorraine
(5:01) 6. Body And Soul
(3:50) 7. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You
(6:57) 8. Zingaro
(7:22) 9. I Thought About You
(1:57) 10. Walkin'

On this Toronto-based (but New York-born) vocalist's second release, she takes on several familiar standards with a personal signature, enhanced by a sparse instrumentation: here, she is accompanied solely by guitarist Ron Affif and bassist Jeffry Eckels, who play on all the tracks but the two Cole originals, the upbeat "Walkin' and "Morning With You, both of which feature fine work by Saul Rubin (guitar) and John Roche (bass).

The album's title, which means "gypsy, is taken from a classic tune by Brazilian composers Chico Buarque de Hollanda and Antonio Carlos Jobim, with new English lyrics by Roger Schore, who was on hand at the jam-packed CD release concert at New York's Zinc Bar in July, 2007, where Cole showcased material from the disc with Affif and Eckels. The tune, originally called "Portrait in Black and White (the only one played from a bossa nova point of view), reflects the singer's peripatetic lifestyle in the past few years, she has traveled extensively through South America on a music program with the Berklee College of Music, and has barely kept a permanent mailing address.

One of the disc's highlights is "Stompin' At The Savoy, which Cole cleverly chose to open her set with at the Zinc Bar. The Benny Goodman swing, originally for big band, becomes something much subtler in her hands. On "Baby Ain't I Good To You she takes advantage of the song's simple bluesy structure to suit her own interests. "Over The Rainbow might be a little overplayed, but Cole sings it from the heart, drawing from an earlier experience with the tune while she was working with special education students in North Carolina, as was explained during the concert.

Zingaro is a fine opportunity to discover this singer and 2007 Jazzmobile Vocal Competition winner, who sets herself apart from your average jazz vocalist by taking on various sonic influences without veering too far from jazz. The sparse instrumentation allows the listener to focus on the individual talents of the musicians without distractions. It is a disc that will please purists and more adventurous listeners alike.By Ernest Barteldes https://www.allaboutjazz.com/zingaro-alexis-cole-canopy-jazz-review-by-ernest-barteldes

Personnel: Alexis Cole: vocal; Ron Affif: guitar; Jeffry Eckels: bass; Saul Rubin: guitar; Jon Roche: bass.

Zingaro

---

Eric Reed - Everybody Gets the Blues

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:35
Size: 137,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:49) 1. Everybody Gets the Blues
(8:23) 2. Cedar Waltzin' ~ Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing
(5:28) 3. Naima
(7:49) 4. Martha's Prize
(6:07) 5. Yesterday ~ Yesterdays
(8:49) 6. Up Jumped Spring
(5:00) 7. Dear Bud
(9:30) 8. New Morning
(4:36) 9. Road Life

The title of Eric Reed’s new album has a double meaning as in, everybody understands the blues, and everybody feels down from time to time. “Your blues may not be my blues, but everybody gets them,” he writes in the liner notes. True enough, but this album is too joyful for that to be the parting message. After having listened to it, you’ll understand intuitively if you don’t already why Eric Reed is one of the most reliably good pianists in the gospel-jazz tradition. Reed grew up in the church his father was a Baptist preacher in Philadelphia and here, accompanied by saxophonist Tim Green, drummer McClenty Hunter, and bassist Mike Gurrola, he filters pop medleys, jazz standards, and original compositions through the gospel prism.

That comes through most clearly on his own “New Morning,” whose lovely solo piano introduction, with lush blues-inflected chord voicings, recalls Oscar Peterson’s “Night Train.” There’s a Coltrane cover (“Naima”), a hat tip to Freddie Hubbard (“Up Jumped Spring”), and snippets of two mainstream pop tunes the Beatles’ “Yesterday,” in a medley with Jerome Kern’s “Yesterdays,” and Stevie Wonder’s “Don’t You Worry ’Bout a Thing,” which appears as a tag at the end of “Cedar Waltzin,’” Reed’s nod to Cedar Walton. An actual Walton composition, “Martha’s Prize,” is recast here as a funk number. Near the end, Reed plays a phrase from the buoyant Roy Hargrove earworm “Strasbourg/St. Denis,” an upbeat line that’s in keeping with this album’s optimistic spirit, its title notwithstanding. ~ Matthew Kassel is a freelance writer whose work has been published by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Slate, and The Columbia Journalism Review, among other publications.
https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/eric-reed-everybody-gets-the-blues-smoke-sessions/

Personnel: Organ – Eric Reed; Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Tim Greene; Bass – Mike Gurrola; Drums – McClenty Hunter Jr.

Everybody Gets the Blues

---

Tommy Dorsey - Music Maestro Please!

Styles: Swing, Big Band
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 28:53
Size: 66,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:53) 1. Music Maestro Please
(2:33) 2. A Tisket A Tasket
(3:09) 3. Boogie Woogie
(3:17) 4. Symphony In Riffs
(2:26) 5. Sheik Of Araby
(2:37) 6. I'll See You In My Dreams
(2:37) 7. Shine On Harvest Moon
(3:02) 8. Chinatown My Chinatown
(2:52) 9. Sweet Sue Just You
(3:22) 10. Washboard Blues

Though he might have been ranked second at any given moment to Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Glenn Miller, or Harry James, Tommy Dorsey was overall the most popular bandleader of the swing era that lasted from 1935 to 1945. His remarkably melodic trombone playing was the signature sound of his orchestra, but he successfully straddled the hot and sweet styles of swing with a mix of ballads and novelty songs. He provided showcases to vocalists like Frank Sinatra, Dick Haymes, and Jo Stafford, and he employed inventive arrangers such as Sy Oliver and Bill Finegan. He was the biggest-selling artist in the history of RCA Victor Records, one of the major labels, until the arrival of Elvis Presley, who was first given national exposure on the 1950s television show he hosted with his brother Jimmy.

Dorsey was 21 months younger than Jimmy and thus the second son of Thomas Francis Dorsey, Sr., a music teacher and band director, and Theresa Langton Dorsey. Both brothers received musical instruction from their father. Tommy focused on the trombone, though he also played trumpet, especially early in his career. The brothers played in local groups, then formed their own band, Dorsey's Novelty Six, in 1920. By 1922, when they played an engagement at a Baltimore amusement park and made their radio debut, they were calling the group Dorsey's Wild Canaries. During the early and mid-'20s, they played in a series of bands including the Scranton Sirens, the California Ramblers, and orchestras led by Jean Goldkette and Paul Whiteman, sometimes apart, but usually together. Eventually, they settled in New York and worked as session musicians. In 1927, they began recording as the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra for OKeh Records, using pickup bands, and they first reached the charts with "Coquette" in June 1928. In the spring of 1929, they scored a Top Ten hit with "Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love)," which featured Bing Crosby on vocals.

The Dorseys finally organized a full-time band and signed to Decca Records in 1934. Hiring Bing Crosby's younger brother Bob Crosby as their vocalist, they scored a Top Ten hit with "I Believe in Miracles" in the late winter of 1935, quickly followed by "Tiny Little Fingerprints" (vocal by Kay Weber) and "Night Wind" (vocal by Bob Crosby). They then enjoyed successive number one hits with "Lullaby of Broadway" (vocal by Bob Crosby) and "Chasing Shadows" (vocal by Bob Eberly, Bob Crosby's replacement). The Dorsey Brothers Orchestra was poised to become the biggest band in the country in the spring of 1935 and might have been remembered for launching the swing era, but at the end of May the brothers, whose relationship was always volatile, disagreed, and Tommy left the band (which nevertheless scored another Top Ten hit with "Every Little Movement" that summer). Jimmy Dorsey continued to lead the band, which eventually was billed as Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra and went on to considerable success. But while the Dorseys stumbled, Benny Goodman achieved national success and was dubbed "the King of Swing."

Tommy Dorsey took over the remnants of the Joe Haymes band in founding his own orchestra in the fall of 1935. Signing to RCA Victor Records, he scored an immediate success with "On Treasure Island" (vocal by Edythe Wright), which topped the charts in December 1935, one of four Dorsey records to peak in the Top Ten before the end of the year. Dorsey was back at number one in January 1936 with "The Music Goes Round and Round" (vocal by Edythe Wright) and topped the charts again in February with "Alone" (vocal by Cliff Weston). "You" (vocal by Edythe Wright) gave him his third number one in 1936, to which can be added eight other Top Ten hits during the year. Dorsey was even more successful in 1937, a year in which he scored 18 Top Ten hits, among them the chart-toppers "Marie" (vocal by Jack Leonard), "Satan Takes a Holiday" (an instrumental), "The Big Apple," "Once in a While," and "The Dipsy Doodle" (vocal by Edythe Wright). Dorsey earned his own radio series, which ran for nearly three years. His 15 Top Ten hits in 1938 included the number one "Music, Maestro, Please" (vocal by Edythe Wright), and he had another 11 Top Ten hits in 1939, among them "Our Love" (vocal by Jack Leonard), which hit number one.
More....By William Ruhlmann https://www.allmusic.com/artist/tommy-dorsey-mn0000934072/biography

Music Maestro Please!

---

Ibrahim Maalouf - Capacity to Love

Styles: Mainstream Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:59
Size: 125,0 MB
Art: Front

(1:23) 1. Intro
(5:00) 2. Speechless
(3:27) 3. El Mundo
(2:41) 4. Better On My Own
(2:53) 5. The Pope
(4:39) 6. Quiet Culture (Feat. Pos Of De La Soul)
(3:20) 7. Todo Colores
(3:19) 8. Money
(2:31) 9. Back Home
(3:34) 10. Tout S'illumine
(3:54) 11. Right Time
(3:13) 12. Feeling Good
(4:25) 13. Capacity To Love
(6:10) 14. Our Flag
(3:22) 15. Humble

Ibrahim Maalouf's 15th studio album is a hymn to inclusion, sharing and identity in a world where claiming one's difference has become divisive. A new album under the sign of hope and tolerance sublimated by a guest list as bluffing as unexpected.

CAPACITY TO LOVE is an album that lives up to the ambitions of Ibrahim Maalouf. The famous trumpet player has invited artists such as crooner Gregory Porter, Pos of De La Soul the legendary American rap group, English pop icon JP Cooper, Erick the Architect the charismatic leader of the group Flatbush Zombies or the new Mozart of US rap, winner of "Rhythm + Flow" D Smoke. The album also features French singer and guitarist -M-, Cuban phenomenon Cimafunk, new New Orleans sensation Tank and the Bangas, Quincy Jones' protégé Sheléa Frazier and new talent Alemeda, recently signed to TDE, Kendrick Lamar's historic label. Finally, Ibrahim Maalouf has invited pop culture icons such as Sharon Stone and Charlie Chaplin.

Ibrahim Maalouf is embarking on a new adventure that already promises to be historic. With CAPACITY TO LOVE, he seeks to honor the art of urban music with class and humility, while developing an aspect of his work that nobody would have imagined a few years ago. A true festival in the colors of the artist's dreams.

For the first time, Ibrahim Maalouf decided to produce an album in collaboration with two production geniuses, NuTone and Henry Was. https://www.ibrahimmaalouf.com/en/music/capacity-to-love/

Capacity to Love

---

Chick Corea Band Feat. Sadao Watanabe - Live Under the Sky...80

Styles: Piano And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:32
Size: 106,7 MB
Art: Front

(12:26) 1. Nice Shot
(11:52) 2. Someday My Prince Will Come
(16:17) 3. 500 Miles High
( 5:56) 4. Piano Solo

The Chick Corea Band featured here is a high energy quartet plus saxophonist Sadao Watanabe. In fact, the concert feels at times like a showcase for the world's preeminent Japanese jazz musician who was very much a local hero. The music is electric jazz with heavy Latin and funk elements rather than high concept fusion.

Bunny Brunel on fretless bass and Tom Brechtlein on drums were Corea regulars at the time and the addition of legendary (even then) percussionist Don Alias makes this 1980 Live Under The Sky performance something special. Performed at the Denen Coliseum, Tokyo, Japan, 27 July 1980 and originally broadcast on NHK radio.By Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Under-Chick-Watanabe-Sadao-Corea

Personnel: Chick Corea(p, key), Sadao Watanabe(sax), Bunny Brunel(b), Tom Brechtlein(ds), Don Alias(perc)

Live Under the Sky...80

---

Gerald Wilson Big Band - Moment Of Truth

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:32
Size: 93,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:47)  1. Viva Tirado
(4:26)  2. Moment Of Truth
(5:57)  3. Patterns
(2:58)  4. Terri
(2:41)  5. Nancy Jo
(5:40)  6. Milestones
(5:06)  7. Latino
(4:29)  8. Josephina
(3:25)  9. Emerge

Gerald Wilson's Pacific Jazz albums of the 1960s were arguably the most significant of his career. This CD reissues his second record of the period and has among its highlights the original version of "Viva Tirado" (a catchy number made into a surprise pop hit by El Chicano later in the decade) and a driving rendition of "MIlestones"; the other seven songs (six of which are Wilson's originals) are also quite enjoyable. Among the more notable soloists are trumpeter Carmell Jones, both Teddy Edwards and Harold Land on tenor, guitarist Joe Pass, and pianist Jack Wilson. Recommended. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/moment-of-truth-mw0000654233

Personnel: Gerald Wilson - arranger and conductor; John Audino, Jules Chaiken, Freddie Hill, Carmell Jones, Al Porcino  - trumpet; Lou Blackburn, Bob Edmondson, Lester Robertson, Frank Strong - trombone; Bob Knight - bass trombone; Joe Maini - alto saxophone; Bud Shank - alto saxophone, flute; Teddy Edwards, Harold Land - tenor saxophone; Jack Nimitz, Don Raffell - baritone saxophone; Jack Wilson - piano; Joe Pass - guitar; Jimmy Bond - bass; Mel Lewis - drums; Modesto Duran - congas

Moment Of Truth

---

Althea Rene - Pastel Leather

Styles: Flute Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 30:04
Size: 69,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:00) 1. Pastel Leather
(3:37) 2. Blue Room
(4:03) 3. Tabula Rasa
(4:25) 4. Show You The Way
(4:42) 5. Seven Years Good Luck
(4:39) 6. Jamoca Almond
(4:35) 7. Gogo Bootz

Althea René is releasing her new project titled “Pastel Leather” in mid-October (her hit single “Pastel Leather” is the title track). The theme of the project is a particular duality of human behavior. Sometimes we are forced to exhibit a soft, polite, and forgiving demeanor while quietly maintaining a hard mentality and physical toughness. The project features a powerful lineup of guest artists like vibe master Warren Wolf, trumpeter Lin Rountree, producer/writer Demetrius “Krayon” Nabors, and jazz fusion icon Jeff Lorber. https://althearene.com/product/844053

Personnel: Flute: Althea René; Keyboard & Programming: Demetrius “Krayon” Nabors; Bass: Robert “Rob Bass” Skinner; Guitar: Gary Johnson; Drums: Nate Winn

Pastel Leather

---

Anthony Strong - Easy Sailing

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:38
Size: 121,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:21) 1. Skylark
(4:02) 2. Maria
(3:03) 3. Do It The Hard Way
(3:30) 4. Lucky To Be Me
(3:27) 5. When You Wish Upon A Star
(3:52) 6. Look For The Silver Lining
(2:03) 7. I'm Beginning To See The Light
(3:25) 8. Comes Love
(3:56) 9. Celeste
(4:22) 10. Minute By Minute
(3:36) 11. Don't Dream It's Over
(3:50) 12. Any Old Place
(3:31) 13. Straighten Up & Fly Right
(4:05) 14. Yesterday
(1:28) 15. Nature Boy

Bringing together a lush string orchestra, timeless repertoire and a deep jazz sensibility, British singer-pianist Anthony Strong presents his 5th studio offering 'Easy Sailing' this November. With more than a decade of touring under his belt - from the Los Angeles Hollywood Bowl in the West to Shanghai and Beijing in the East - the record captures the dynamism of his live show, in full technicolour.
Fifteen carefully-crafted songs songs take the listener on a voyage from jazz legends Nat King Cole and Hoagy Carmichael to Musical Theatre great Leonard Bernstein and even The Beatles.
https://www.propermusic.com/gr004cd-easy-sailing.html

Easy Sailing

---

Kitt Lough - Orange Colored View

Styles: Jazz Vocals
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:04
Size: 94,0 MB
Art: Front

(2:30)  1. Honeysuckle Rose
(6:09)  2. Lover Man
(2:15)  3. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
(5:17)  4. Love Me Or Leave Me
(3:45)  5. Sentimental Journey
(3:54)  6. Boulevard Of Broken Dreams
(4:00)  7. No Moon At All
(6:03)  8. Cry Me A River
(2:27)  9. Orange Colored Sky
(4:40) 10. The Very Thought of You

Alternately emotive, sultry and swinging vocals on jazz standards with great arrangements. Makes the old sound fresh and new! There was a time when vocalists infused every carefully chosen lyric with meaning, every precious syllable with emotion, and every note with golden tone. It was the era of the true 'chanteuse'. That era is alive and well, living in the person of Kitt Lough, an inspiring new voice on the jazz scene. Melding sultry, velvety vocals with a beguiling appearance, Kitt creates a romantic experience that transports the listener to an age when glamour, rhythm and romance ruled the day. By turns playful & coquettish or plaintive & mournful, she sparkles in the spotlight with her visual and vocal artistry wherever she sings. She imbues every lyric with an emotional range that makes evident the wealth of her life's experience. Her debut CD "Orange Colored View" is enjoying rave reviews and generous airplay on jazz stations acrss the southeast. Stunningly produced and arranged by Dan Serafini, it showcases her vocal versatility and places her squarely among today's best jazz vocalists. (http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=7456417&style=music&fulldesc=T).

Orange Colored View

---

Willis Jackson - Soul Night Live!

Size: 166,2 MB
Time: 71:23
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1964/2002
Styles: Jazz: Soul Jazz
Art: Full

01. The Man I Love (5:45)
02. Perdido (7:58)
03. Thunderbird (5:17)
04. Polka Dots And Moonbeams (5:59)
05. All Soul (4:59)
06. Flamingo (5:47)
07. I Can't Stop Loving You (6:33)
08. One Mint Julep (4:00)
09. Up A Lazy River (3:06)
10. Jumpin' With Symphony Sid (4:19)
11. Tangerine (2:44)
12. Ebb Tide (4:13)
13. Blue Gator (6:21)
14. Secret Love (4:14)

The term "soul" was tossed around quite a bit in the '60s and '70s. It usually had an African-American connotation -- as in soul brother, soul sister, soul food, soul music (a specific style of R&B), or James Brown, the Godfather of Soul. But the term isn't always used in reference to black culture; soulful means expressive, and in that sense, country greats Ernest Tubb and Patsy Cline were seriously soulful. However you define the word soul, Willis "Gator" Jackson was the epitome of it. The tenor titan played with a tremendous amount of feeling, and in the '60s, Prestige wasn't shy about using the word soul in connection with his work. Recorded at a New York club called the Allegro on March 21, 1964, Soul Night Live! isn't soul music in the James Brown/Rufus Thomas/Sam & Dave/Marvin Gaye sense; however, Jackson's quintet (which also includes trumpeter Frank Robinson, guitarist Pat Martino, organist Carl Wilson, and drummer Joe Hadrick) offers instrumental soul-jazz/hard bop that has just as much humanity and blues feeling. Jackson doesn't play any vocal-oriented R&B -- which is what the term "soul music" usually referred to in the '60s and '70s -- but he does bring a wealth of emotion to the table on tunes that range from the standard "Flamingo" to the funky boogaloo "Thunderbird." Jackson throws listeners a major curve ball on George & Ira Gershwin's "The Man I Love," which starts out at its usual ballad tempo before suddenly turning into a 100-mile-an-hour bop workout. "The Man I Love" has been recorded hundreds of times over the years, but rarely at a fast tempo. Soul Night Live! is an accurate title for this LP, which does, in fact, focus on a night of soulfulness. [The 2002 CD reissue on Fantasy adds the entirety of the album Tell It..., also recorded on March 21, 1964 at The Allegro in New York.] ~by Alex Henderson

Soul Night Live! 

---

Julius Watkins Sextet - Volumes 1 & 2

Styles: Jazz, Bop
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:18
Size: 97,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:21) 1. Linda Delia
(5:09) 2. Perpetuation
(4:28) 3. I Have Known
(4:53) 4. Leete
(4:45) 5. Garden Delights
(3:35) 6. Julie Ann
(4:18) 7. Sparkling Burgundy
(5:00) 8. B And B
(4:45) 9. Jor-du

Before the rise of bebop, the French horn was never heard as an improvising instrument in jazz. John Graas, who worked with Stan Kenton and Shorty Rogers, was the first jazz French horn player to lead his own record date, in 1953. However, Julius Watkins soon surpassed him as a major soloist and would be the top jazz French horn player to emerge until the 1990s. He appeared as a soloist on a Thelonious Monk date in 1953 next to Sonny Rollins, and in 1954-1955 recorded music for a pair of very rare Blue Note 10" LPs. All of the latter performances are on this CD reissue.

The 42 minutes of music find Watkins heading sextets with either Frank Foster or Hank Mobley on tenor, guitarist Perry Lopez, George Butcher or Duke Jordan on piano, bassist Oscar Pettiford, and Kenny Clarke or Art Blakey on drums. The French horn/tenor front line is an attractive sound (substitute Watkins for a trombonist, and one has the Jazz Crusaders); when Watkins formed Les Jazz Modes (which lasted for five years) a few years later, he would use Charlie Rouse as his tenor.

The French horn might be a difficult instrument, but Watkins played it with the warmth of a trombone and nearly the fluidity of a trumpet. All nine straight-ahead selections on his CD are group originals, with Duke Jordan's future standard "Jordu" being heard in one of its earliest versions. Overall, the music fits into the modern mainstream of the period. This early effort by Julius Watkins is easily recommended.By Scott Yanow
https://www.allmusic.com/album/julius-watkins-sextet-vols-1-2-mw0000601261

Personnel: French Horn – Julius Watkins; Bass – Oscar Pettiford; Drums – Art Blakey (tracks: 5 to 9), Kenny Clarke (tracks: 1 to 4); ; Guitar – Perry Lopez; Piano – Duke Jordan (tracks: 5 to 9), George Butcher (tracks: 1 to 4); Tenor Saxophone – Frank Foster (tracks: 1 to 4), Hank Mobley (tracks: 5 to 9)

Sextet Volumes 1 & 2

---

Craig Davis (with John Clayton & Jeff Hamilton)- Tone Paintings: The Music of Dodo Marmarosa

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2022
Time: 50:51
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 117,3 MB
Art: Front

(6:23) 1. Mellow Mood
(5:13) 2. Dodo’s Bounce
(6:08) 3. Dodo’s Blues
(2:53) 4. Escape
(4:03) 5. A Ditty For Dodo
(3:57) 6. Opus No. 5
(4:12) 7. Compadoo
(4:12) 8. Dary Departs
(3:24) 9. Tone Paintings
(3:16) 10. Battle Of The Balcony Jive
(7:06) 11. Dodo’s Lament

The subtitle of pianist Craig Davis' second album, Tone Paintings, is "The Music of Dodo Marmarosa." For those who may be inclined to ask, "Dodo who?" the album offers a mini-biography of Pittsburgh-born Michael (Dodo) Marmarosa, an exceptionally talented pianist whose promising early career was cut short by the crushing weight of mental and emotional problems that proved too unbearable for him to overcome. At his peak, in the decade from 1940-50, Marmarosa was a member of big bands led by Gene Krupa, Charlie Barnet, Tommy Dorsey and Artie Shaw, and played and/or recorded with Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie (on Parker's first recordings for Dial Records), Wardell Gray, Lionel Hampton, Mel Torme, Lester Young and Willie "The Lion" Smith, among others, as well as recording with his own groups. The peerless Art Tatum, asked in the mid-'40s to name the most promising young pianists he'd heard, singled out Marmarosa and Red Garland.

Like Marmarosa (and legendary pianist Erroll Garner), Davis hails from Pittsburgh, and was well aware of Dodo's trail-blazing career at the keyboard. What is lesser known (and what Davis chooses to emphasize here) is Marmarosa's singular proficiency as a composer. To do so, he has enlisted the services of a blue-chip rhythm section comprising bassist John Clayton and drummer Jeff Hamilton to perform ten of Marmarosa's seductive original compositions and one flat-out charmer ("A Ditty for Dodo") by Davis. The bop influence is strong throughout, as is Marmarosa's capacity to write enchanting melodies that also swing.

The album's opening number, the Garner-like "Mellow Mood," was written when Marmarosa was a scant fourteen years old (yes, he was a child prodigy who became a professional musician in his mid-teens and listed among his early musical influences Chopin, Ravel, Debussy and Stravinsky). "Mood" is delightful, but no more so than Dodo's eight other themes, which include a blues, a bounce, a battle, a lament and "Tone Paintings." There is even a clever contrafact ("Compadoo") of the standard "Sweet Georgia Brown." The tasteful and deeply grooved "Dary Departs" is among the album's several highlights, as is the animated "Battle of the Balcony Jive," which leads to the pensive and suitable closing number, "Dodo's Lament."

The album's other numbers are "Dodo's Bounce," "Dodo's Blues," "Escape" and "Opus No. 5." The guess here is that Davis an artist to keep an eye on plays them precisely as Marmaroso would have wanted. As for Clayton, he is simply one of the finest bassists on the scene (his solos are models of elegance and perception), while Hamilton's superior talents with sticks and brushes remain at their peak. As trio sessions go, it does not get much better than this. An exemplary tribute to a remarkable musician whose legacy should neither be undervalued nor overlooked.By Jack Bowers
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/tone-paintings-craig-davis-mcg-jazz

Personnel: Craig Davis: piano; John Clayton: drums; Jeff Hamilton: drums.

Tone Paintings

---

Howard Mcghee - Introducing The Kenny Drew Trio

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:38
Size: 129,3 MB
Art: Front

(2:36) 1. Meciendo
(2:50) 2. Lo-flame
(2:52) 3. Fluid Drive
(2:53) 4. I'll Remember April
(3:10) 5. Fuguetta
(2:51) 6. Donnellon
(2:54) 7. Lo-flame (Alt. Take)
(5:21) 8. Yesterdays
(2:29) 9. Stella By Starlight
(3:24) 10. Gloria
(2:45) 11. Be My Love
(3:33) 12. Lover Come Back To Me
(4:43) 13. Everything Happens To Me
(2:50) 14. It Might As Well Be Spring
(2:27) 15. Drew's Blues
(4:23) 16. Yesterdays (Alt. Take)
(3:29) 17. Everything Happens To Me (Alt. Take)

This 1998 CD has all of the music from two formerly scarce 10" LPs. Trumpeter Howard McGhee heads an all-star group that includes trombonist J.J. Johnson, tenor saxophonist Brew Moore, pianist Kenny Drew, bassist Curly Russell, and drummer Max Roach on "I'll Remember April," an original by the leader and four songs (plus an alternate take) by Drew, who was making his recording debut.

Because it was the tail-end of the 78 era, all of the performances are between 2:34 and 3:07 in length but the concise solos are generally quite strong. Although McGhee gets the top billing on this CD, the second half of this disc is actually by the Kenny Drew Trio (with Russell and drummer Art Blakey) from three years later, Drew's debut as a leader. Other than his "Gloria" and the basic "Drew's Blues," all of the music (which is augmented by two alternate takes) is standards including "Be My Love," "Yesterdays," and a surprisingly heated rendition of "It Might As Well Be Spring." Easily recommended to bebop collectors. By Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/introducing-the-kenny-drew-trio-mw0000601264

Personnel: Howard McGhee - Trumpet; J.J. Johnson - Trombone; Brew Moore - Saxophone; Kenny Drew - Piano; Curly Russell - Bass; Max Roach - Drums

Howard Mcghee Introducing The Kenny Drew Trio

---

Ben Wolfe Quintet - Live At Smalls

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:12
Size: 140,1 MB
Art: Front

( 7:26)  1. Block 11
( 7:36)  2. For The Great Sonny Clark
( 8:57)  3. Telescope
(11:12)  4. Contraption
( 8:41)  5. Unjust
( 3:12)  6. I'll Know You More
( 5:06)  7. Double Czech
( 7:57)  8. Coleman's Cab
( 1:01)  9. The Trade

In New York City, there's a popular venue known as Smalls Jazz Club. The Ben Wolfe Quintet introduces a series of performance recordings, simply titled Smalls Live. A Baltimore native, Wolfe's professional associations include Wynton Marsalis, Harry Connick, Jr. and Diana Krall. He is currently a faculty member at Julliard School of Music, Jazz Division. 

The high-energy, attention-grabbing "Block 11"one of nine songs, all composed and arranged by Wolfe begins the set, with Ryan Kisor's blistering trumpet inspiring thoughts of the late Freddie Hubbard. Pianist Luis Perdomo delivers a solo, accompanied only by Wolfe and drummer Gregory Hutchinson. The band slows to a near stop before shifting back into gear as tenor saxophonist Marcus Strickland follows with a passionate solo, supported by Hutchinson, as the song downshifts again for its conclusion. The band swings on the easygoing "Telescope," with trumpet and sax blending for the melody before splitting into layered leads. Strickland takes point for a pleasure jaunt while, after Perdomo's solo, Hutchinson shows his skills in a call-and-response with the rest of the group. Te closing "The Trade" is a brief duet for Wolfe and Hutchinson.

Musically, there's nothing to complain about here, with Wolfe and his sidemen tight throughout the disc. The only negative is the packaging. Dark purple print over a solid black background makes it difficult to read song titles, players' instruments and other notes. Despite that, Live at Smalls scores big. ~ Woodrow Wilkins  

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=38413#.Uoz4KeJc_vs

Personnel: Ben Wolfe: acoustic bass; Marcus Strickland: tenor saxophone; Ryan Kisor: trumpet; Luis Perdomo: piano; Gregory Hutchinson: drums.

Live At Smalls

---

Benny Golson - Gettin' With It

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:20
Size: 86,1 MB
Art: Front

( 6:15)  1. Baubles, Bangles And Beads
( 5:11)  2. April In Paris
( 6:55)  3. Blue Streak
( 6:40)  4. Tippin' On Thru
(12:16)  5. Bob Hurd's Blues

Benny Golson leads a potent quintet in this 1959 studio date; the tenor saxophonist is joined by pianist Tommy Flanagan, trombonist Curtis Fuller, bassist Doug Watkins, and drummer Art Taylor. Golson's snappy arrangement of "Baubles, Bangle and Beads" features Fuller's fine mute work and Flanagan's upbeat inventive solo before he introduces his big-toned tenor into the mix. Golson's slight vibrato and Taylor's swirling brushwork are highlights of his interpretation of "April in Paris." The remaining three tracks are all originals by the leader: the up-tempo hard bop cooker "Blue Streak," the jaunty strut "Tippin' on Thru," and the extended blues "Bob Hurd's Blues," which will get anyone's feet tapping. This is one of Benny Golson's best dates as a leader because one not only gets to enjoy his always strong arrangements, but his consistently first-rate tenor sax solos. Highly recommended. ~ Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/gettin-with-it-mw0000180765

Personnel: Benny Golson - tenor saxophone; Curtis Fuller - trombone; Tommy Flanagan - piano; Doug Watkins - bass; Art Taylor - drums

Gettin' With It

---

Helen Merrill - Any Time

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:32
Size: 160,3 MB
Art: Front

(2:38) 1. I See Your Face Before Me
(2:27) 2. My Heart Would Know
(2:37) 3. Maybe Tomorrow
(4:46) 4. When The Sun Comes Out
(3:20) 5. Just Imagine
(2:29) 6. Condemned Without Trail
(2:39) 7. Cold, Cold Heart
(2:28) 8. Half As Much
(2:14) 9. I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry
(2:04) 10. Dearly Beloved
(3:04) 11. A Heart Full Of Love
(2:18) 12. This Time The Dream's On Me
(2:20) 13. You Don't Know Me
(2:55) 14. Bye Bye Blackbird
(4:02) 15. The Nearness Of You
(3:31) 16. All Of You
(2:21) 17. Devoted To You
(2:39) 18. Any Time
(4:19) 19. I'm Here To Get My Baby Out Of Jail
(2:08) 20. I Remember You
(2:28) 21. You Win Again
(3:17) 22. Softly As A Morning Sunrise
(3:26) 23. Summertime
(2:47) 24. Let Me Love You

Helen Merrill was born on July 21, 1929, in New York City. She is a first generation American, her parents immigrated from what is now known as Croatia. She began singing as a teenager in the late 1940s. In 1951, she was a vocalist with the Earl Hines band. She recorded two songs on the Roost label in 1953, ‘My Funny Valentine’ and ‘The More I See You’, which mark the beginning of her long recording career. These recordings led to her being signed to a contract on the newly launched EmArcy label of Mercury Records. The first single released by EmArcy Records (EmArcy 16000) was by Helen Merrill. She recorded five albums for EmArcy from 1954-1958. Her debut album, “Helen Merrill” has never been out of print. Her recordings of this period were with highly regarded and talented musicians including Clifford Brown, Barry Galbriath, Frank Wess, Marian McPartland, Bill Evans, Quincy Jones, Hal Mooney, Gil Evans, Milt Hinton, and Osie Johnson.

In 1959, she moved to Europe where she continued to record and perform. The move exposed her to a greater world-view and her music began to reveal this, recording several folk songs on the 1964 album “The Artisrtry of Helen Merrill”. In the early 1960s she made her first tour of Japan as a musician. This would have a major influence on her career later. In the mid-1960s she collaborated with Dick Katz on two memorable albums “The Feeling Is Mutual “and “A Shade of Difference.”

Both of these albums are striking in the creativity of all the musicians involved. Besides Mr. Katz these included Thad Jones, Jim Hall, Ron Carter, Arnie Wise, Hubert Laws, Gary Bartz, Richard Davis, Elvin Jones, and Pete LaRoca. Moving to Japan in the late 1960s, due to her husband’s career, she recorded several albums for the Japanese Victor label working with Japanese musicians including Sadao Wantanabe, Norio Maeda, Masahiko Satoh, Takeshi Inomata, and Hozan Yamamoto. Two of these albums included collaborations with American musicians Teddy Wilson and Gary Peacock. While residing in Japan she also hosted a program for a Tokyo radio station.

Miss Merrill returned to live in the United States in the mid-1970s. Her first recording upon her return was the 1976 album, “Helen Merrill/John Lewis”. It was nominated for a Grammy award as was her 1980 album “Chasin’ The Bird’. In the late 1970s she took on a new role as the producer for albums by pianists Tommy Flannagan, Roland Hanna, Al Haig, and Dutch vocalist Ann Burton.

Her career continued in full swing during the 1980s. Early in the decade she recorded albums once again in Japan. Other recording sessions during this time include a composer series, albums of the music of Irving Berlin, Jerome Kern, Cole Porter, and Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein. Her wonderfu 1980 album, “Casa Forte”, was produced and arranged by Torrie Zito, who she had a long marriage to until his death in 2009. Mid-decade she recorded two notable albums for the Owl label in France with pianist Gordon Beck and others.

From 1987 to the present, she has recorded a number of albums of high merit, both musically and artistically. These include a collaboration with Gil Evans as they revisited their 1956 recording “Dream of You.” The new album entitled “Collaboration.” She recorded “Brownie,” a tribute to Clifford Brown. With Ron Carter she recorded “Duets,” an album with only bass and vocal. Other albums of this period, “Clear Out of this World” and “You and the Night and the Music”, reveal her maturity and what it brought to her music and interpretations, strengthening her legacy as a jazz original.

In the late 1990s recordings continue. In 1998, she recorded “Carrousel” with Finnish composer Heikki Sarmanto, he specifically desiring to work with her. In 1999, she released “Jelena Ana Milcetic aka…Helen Merrill.” This album is an intertwining of her Croatian heritage with her musical history. It is a marriage of music and art of the highest degree.

Her last album to date, “Lilac Wine,” is of songs that she had never recorded with the exception of ‘Lilac Wine.” On this album she continues to push to the future as she took the composition, ‘You,’ from the English rock band Radiohead, and gave it her own interpretation, accompanied by her son, rock singer and composer, Alan Merrill.

It should be noted that during this long career, 60 years plus, Helen Merrill has and continues to perform live at various venues throughout the world, as well as participating on panels and discussion groups with respect to music and her experiences as a jazz musician. In 2014 was was inducted into ASCAP’s Jazz Hall of Fame as a Living Legend. Her three nights of ‘Sayonara’ performances in Tokyo, Japan at the Blue Note Club in April, 2017, were standing room only. https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/helen-merrill

Any Time

---

Aga Zaryan - A Book Of Luminous Things

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:49
Size: 116,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:10) 1. Music Like Water
(4:39) 2. Like A He-bear And A She-bear
(3:43) 3. This Only
(2:33) 4. Eye Mask
(5:48) 5. Autumn Quince
(3:16) 6. Meaning
(3:42) 7. A Gift
(4:19) 8. A Parable Of The Poppy
(4:05) 9. I Talk To My Body
(4:53) 10. A Song On The End Of World
(4:30) 11. On Prayer
(4:05) 12. This World

Aga Zaryan (born Agnieszka Skrzypek January 17, 1976) is an internationally recognized Polish jazz vocalist of the new generatio.She was named Jazz Vocalist of The Year in the European Jazz Forum Magazine's yearly Jazz Top readers' poll in 2007, 2008 and 2009.She is also the first Polish artist ever to release an album on Blue Note.

'A Book Of Luminous Things' is an ambitious project focused around texts by Polish Nobel Prize winner poet Czeslaw Milosz and some of his favourite poetess(Jane Hierschfield, Anna Swirszczynska, Denise Levertov). All tracks are composed by Michal Tokaj, and they are melodious , pensive and relaxed and are sung in English. What the album lacks in diversity, it gains in unity but it's main problem is the lack of real hits.

Aga Zaryan's new project features a strong cast: Michal Tokaj on piano and Munyungo Jackson on percusion who remain from her previous project are joined by bassist Darek Oleszkiewicz ("Penumbra") and guitarist Larry Koonse who together with the Polish Radio String Orchestra manage to create a good album. Aga Zaryan is a promising young artist , I'm waiting with interest her future releases.
https://www.jazzmusicarchives.com/review/a-book-of-luminous-things/233734

A Book Of Luminous Things

---

Dave McKenna & Buddy DeFranco - You Must Believe In Swing

Styles: Clarinet And Piano Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:15
Size: 131,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:08)  1. You Must Believe In Swing
(8:24)  2. Invitation
(6:31)  3. The Song Is You
(5:41)  4. If You Could See Me Now
(5:26)  5. Darn That Dream
(5:30)  6. Autumn Nocturne
(5:55)  7. Poor Butterfly
(5:01)  8. You Must Believe In Spring
(4:24)  9. Anthropolgy
(4:12) 10. Detour Ahead

Sing, Sing, Sing. Dave McKenna and Buddy DeFranco have been active musicians over approximately that same period. Both are recognized as expert in their respective musical areas. Dave McKenna is an acknowledged master of the swing piano school, specializing in songs of the 1930s. Buddy DeFranco is reputed to be the evolutionary link between Benny Goodman and Eddie Daniels. These two performers make for a splendid and interesting duo. The clarinet, because of Benny Goodman, will forever be heard in terms of the swing era. Buddy DeFranco, however, cultivated it for Be-bop. Both the splendid and interesting elements in this duo are manifest in the combination of a swing instrument (clarinet) played by a Be-bopper and a Be-bop instrument (piano) played by a swing specialist. A Fine Sauce of Flatted Fifths. 

The synergistic performances on this record are of a very high order. It is fun to listen to McKenna?s full-chorded, two-handed swing approach sliding beneath the slippery, boppish DeFranco, and make no mistake about it, DeFranco is 100% Be-bop. It is not unlike a fine sauce. A sauce is actually nothing more than a well-blended emulsion, a mixture of oil and water. Well-blended, because McKenna and DeFranco respond well to one another, but still oil and water. Still different. And the listener never loses sight of that difference. Swing, Swing, Swing. The disc opens with a DeFranco original, "You Must Believe in Swing", a take off on the Bergman-Legrand composition, "You Must Believe in Spring", performed later on the disc. It is a medium tempo blues that is all Be-bop. The duo competently navigates through the ballads "Invitation" and "The Song is You" to arrive at the next Be-bop cornerstones, Tadd Dameron?s "If You Could See Me Now" and "Darn That Dream". Both are fun romps in the repertoire, but the real fun is in the Bop anthem "Anthropology". 

DeFranco begins the head straight, but soon careens off in the same way Charlie Parker did on his famous and unrecognizable recording of "Embraceable You". I cannot help but compare this clarinet version of "Anthropology" with another, Art Pepper?s performance on The Complete Village Vanguard Sessions (Contemporary 9CCD-4417-2, 1995). The first portion of this performance is also a tight and exciting duet (with bassist George Mraz). Pepper?s version possesses a greater discipline and sheer musical tension than DeFranco, but DeFranco has merit in his risk-taking abandon. Where Pepper?s performance is dead serious, DeFranco?s is playful and has fun. Having Fun. That pretty well sums up this record. Both performers sound comfortable and friendly. It is hard to believe that anyone would not like the sound of a clarinet in a piano duet. Played happy or sad, they always have a sound of hope and good will. Kind of like what these two Jazz giants have. ~ C.Michael Bailey  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/dave-mckenna-and-buddy-defranco-you-must-believe-in-swing-dave-mckenna-concord-music-group-review-by-c-michael-bailey.php#.VCy_1RawTP8
 

Personnel: Dave McKenna: piano; Buddy DeFranco: clarinet.

You Must Believe In Swing

---

Ed Polcer & His Swingtet - Lionel, Red & Bunny

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:08
Size: 140.0 MB
Styles: Big band, Swing
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[3:02] 1. King Porter Stomp
[3:45] 2. Stompin' At The Savoy
[3:20] 3. Darn That Dream
[3:45] 4. Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise
[2:27] 5. It Might As Well Be Spring
[5:57] 6. Bernies Tune
[3:28] 7. I See Your Face Before Me
[4:23] 8. Down By The Old Mill Stream
[4:22] 9. Don't Take Your Love Away From Me
[2:49] 10. Just One Of Those Things
[4:01] 11. I Can't Get Started With You
[2:49] 12. Blue Skies
[4:17] 13. I'm Old Fashioned
[3:34] 14. I May Be Wrong
[4:12] 15. I Hadn't Anyone Til You
[4:50] 16. Almost Like Being In Love

In addition to Ed Polcer, this swinging CD features (among others) vibraphonist John Cocuzzi as well as Vince Giordano, John Allred, Ken Peplowski, Ken Ascher, Joe Ascione, Norman Simmons, Frank Tate, and Judy Kurtz on vocals.

Ed Polcer has become one of the most sought after performers on the jazz festival circuit. He has appeared in hundreds of concerts, festivals and jazz parties throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Ed joined Benny Goodman's Sextet for an American tour in 1973. An expert showman, Ed has led numerous concerts with varied themes, including his extensive U.S. tours for Columbia Artists. In 1992, '93 and '94, "A Night At Eddie Condon's", transported the audience back to the famous nightclub and gave a musical retrospective of American jazz over the last 100 years. Since 1996, Ed's "Magic of Swing Street" has offered classic jazz in its many forms as it was played on New York's fabled W. 52nd Street, including four appearances at New York's Lincoln Center. Ed's recent presentation, "When Broadway Meets Swing Street", merges show tunes with the world of swing. "Lionel, Red & Bunny" is a centennial celebration of legendary jazz musicians Lionel Hampton, Red Norvo and Bunny Berigan.

In 2004, he was honored to play for the official opening of the Louis Armstrong House museum, and became a member of the Statesmen of Jazz. President Clinton invited Ed to play for the 1994 Congressional Ball in the White House, and in 2001, Ed appeared in a command performance in Bangkok for the King of Thailand. If you dropped in at Eddie Condon's club in New York City between 1975 and 1985, chances are good you ran across Ed. Besides being the resident cornetist and bandleader at that historic jazz spot, he was also the manager and co-owner. At Princeton University, he joined Stan Rubin's Tigertown Five, perhaps the best-known collegiate Dixieland group of the day. With that band he made several Carnegie Hall appearances and performed at the wedding of Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly in Monaco.

In the 1980's, Ed was honored to serve as President of the International Art of Jazz, as well as a member of the Advisory Panel of the Jazz Musicians Foundation of New York. Ed's biography has been included in the New Grove Dictionary of Jazz, the Encyclopedia of Jazz in the '70s and the Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz, both compiled by Leonard Feather and Ira Gitler, and Trumpet Kings by Scott Yanow. In Great Britain, Ed is listed in The Guinness Who's Who of Jazz, as well as Jazz, the Essential Companion and Jazz, the Rough Guide. Chip Deffaaa devoted a full chapter to Ed in Traditionalists and Revivalists in Jazz.

Lionel, Red & Bunny

---

Art Blakey & The Jazz Messenger - In Concert

Styles: Jazz, Hard Bop
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:38
Size: 176,0 MB
Art: Front

( 9:05) 1. Moon River
( 6:23) 2. Contemplation
(13:08) 3. Lester Left Town
( 8:30) 4. Round Midnight
(15:06) 5. It's Only A Papermoon
(16:21) 6. Arabia
( 8:03) 7. Blues March

Recorded in Copenhagen, this set captures one of the most fabled editions of the Messengers trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, saxophonist Wayne Shorter, trombonist Curtis Fuller, pianist Cedar Walton, and the now-too-often-forgotten bassist Jymie Merritt, along with their indefatigable leader in full flight. It’s the usual mix of standards and originals, this time contributed by Shorter (“Contemplation,” “Lester Left Town”) and Fuller (“Arabia”), in the classic hard-swinging Messengers style.

Shorter’s solo on “Moon River” sets the pace: This “river” is closer to a tsunami than the gently rippling dreamscape of Mercer and Arlen’s original vision. Throughout, Hubbard summons both the technical brio of old-school bebop and the gospel fervor of the burgeoning hard-bop style. Fuller likewise melds acuity, imagination, and a timbral sureness that rivals such bop-era progenitors as J.J. Johnson. Walton exploits the percussive, as well as melodic and harmonic, capacities of his instrument, creating shifting textural landscapes that he then negotiates effortlessly. And Blakey, of course, is an unstoppable force of nature.

Hubbard’s muted tenderness as he caresses Monk’s “’Round Midnight” is toughened by his wry humor and the unwavering focus of his extended lines; Shorter’s “Contemplation” lives up to its title, albeit infused with forward-driving impetus devoid of bathos; “It’s Only a Paper Moon” is a flat-out romp, spiced by Walton’s sly insertion of a quote from Monk’s “Rhythm-a-Ning”; Shorter’s solo on Fuller’s “Arabia” is a six-minute-plus marathon that explodes into uncharted realms of power and imaginative intensity.

Such is the heat and virtuosity these artists summon that it can be almost exhausting listening to take them on their own terms and rise to meet the bar they set, but it’s well worth the effort: a bracing flight of inspiration, challenges, and, most importantly (as William Blake would remind us), “wing’d exulting swift delight.”
https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/art-blakey-the-jazz-messengers-in-concert-1962-steeplechase/

In Concert

---