Enrico Pieranunzi - Blues & Bach: The Music of John Lewis

Styles: Piano Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:54
Size: 121,9 MB
Art: Front

(7:36) 1. Skating In Central Park
(6:03) 2. Spanish Steps
(4:59) 3. Vendome
(6:12) 4. Autumn In New York
(7:53) 5. Django
(7:30) 6. Concorde
(7:31) 7. Milano
(5:06) 8. Jasmine Tree

If the work of any jazz composer lends itself to elegant reframing, as opposed to crass sweetening, by a chamber orchestra, it is that of John Lewis, co-founder of the Modern Jazz Quartet. Lewis' ambition, most often metaphorically realised but sometimes literally so, was to achieve a synthesis of blues and Bach. His blends were mostly successful and only occasionally, in self-conscious forays into "third stream" music, did his innate vibrancy become subsumed in arid academia.

Lewis composed and recorded a large body of work under his own name and for other bandleaders, but for many people his apotheosis was with the MJQ. Pianist Enrico Pieranunzi and arranger Michele Corcella, here leading the Orchestra Filarmonica Italiana, appear to agree, for all but one of the pieces on the delightful Blues & Bach: The Music Of John Lewis were written by Lewis for the quartet. The exception, Vernon Duke's "Autumn In New York," was recorded by the MJQ for its debut album, Modern Jazz Quartet (Prestige, 1953). A more accurate, though clunky, subtitle for Blues & Bach would be The Music John Lewis Composed For The MJQ.

Anyway, along with Duke's evergreen, there are seven Lewis originals: "Skating In Central Park," "Spanish Steps," "Vendome," "Django," "Concorde," "Milano" and "Jasmine Tree." A mere seven tracks could not possibly include everyone's favourite Lewis/MJQ tunes, but there is a good chance that most of these titles would be on most people's shortlists. The least well known track is probably "Jasmine Tree," from Under The Jasmin Tree (Apple, 1968), a beauty that thoroughly deserves its inclusion.

As collaborators on this project, Pieranunzi and Corcella are well matched. Pieranunzi is as well versed in classical music as he is in jazz, while Corcella has orchestrated for other A-list jazz musicians including Dave Liebman, Steve Swallow, John Taylor and Norma Winstone. Pieranunzi leads his regular trio with bassist Luca Bulgarelli and drummer Mauro Beggio. Corcella conducts ten players, comprising five strings, four woodwinds and one brass. He is also credited as arranger, but whether this is of the Orchestra Filarmonica Italiana, or the orchestra plus Pieranunzi's trio, is not clear. It is inconceivable, however, that Pieraunzi was a passive spectator of the process, even if Corcella wrote the first drafts.

The project was several years in progress, as indicated by the YouTube clip below of a 2018 concert performance with a considerably larger orchestra. The album itself was not recorded until late 2021, and plenty of honing, tweaking and fine focussing happened between times.

It is foolish and presumptuous to attribute opinions to people who are no longer with us. But it is probably safe to say that the odds are that Lewis would enjoy Blues & Bach. The orchestrations bring new facets to the familiar compositions and are as light on their feet as the source material, while Pieranunzi's trio, collectively and as soloists, keeps the music foursquare in the realm of creative jazz.

Footnote: It would be fascinating to hear how Bach would have worked with the blues. The closest we are likely to get is with the MJQ's Blues On Bach (Atlantic, 1974), a concept album built around blues written by Lewis based on various Bach chorales and fugues.By Chris May https://www.allaboutjazz.com/blues-and-bach-the-music-of-john-lewis-enrico-pieranunzi-trio-and-orchestra-challenge-records

Personnel: Enrico Pieranunzi: piano; Luca Bulgarelli: bass; Mauro Beggio: drums
.
Additional Instrumentation: Orchestra Filarmonica Italiana: Cesare Carretta: first violin; Silvia Maffeis: second violin; Erica Mason: viola; Nicolo Nigrelli: cello; Andrea Sala: double bass; Serena Bonazzi: flute; Carlo Ambrosoli: oboe; Damiano Bertasa: clarinet; Luca Reverberi: bassoon; Angelo Borroni: French horn; Michele Corcella: arranger, conductor.

Blues & Bach: The Music Of John Lewis

---

Houston Person - Legends Of Acid Jazz: Truth!

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:54
Size: 182,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:24) 1. Snake Eyes
(4:55) 2. Never Let Me Go
(5:04) 3. Groovin' And A-Groovin'
(5:57) 4. What A Diff'rence A Day Made
(3:58) 5. Soul Dance
(6:03) 6. Here's That Rainy Day
(4:58) 7. Teardrops From My Eyes
(5:26) 8. Blue 7
(8:36) 9. Cissy Strut
(9:27) 10. On The Avenue
(8:39) 11. Wadin'
(5:04) 12. The Pulpit
(5:17) 13. For Your Love

Released in 1999 for Fantasy's Legends of Acid Jazz series, this CD unites two of Houston Person's classic Prestige sessions, 1968's Soul Dance and 1970s Truth!, on a single 78-minute CD. Soul Dance is heard in its entirety, but because the CD didn't have enough room to hold everything from Truth!, the track "If I Ruled the World" ended up being sacrificed. The personnel on the sessions differs while Soul Dance employed organist Billy Gardner, guitarist Boogaloo Joe Jones, and drummer Frankie Jones, Truth! united Person with Frankie Jones, guitarist Billy Butler, electric bassist Bob Bushnell, and percussionist Buddy Caldwell. But the albums are fairly similar in their outlook. Both of them are quite accessible, and both emphasize Person's strong points: funky boogaloos, gritty blues, standards, and sentimental ballads. The tenor titan plays soulfully and authoritatively on material that ranges from "What A Diff'rence a Day Made" and "Here's That Rainy Day" to Horace Parlan's "Wadin," Sonny Rollins' "Blue 7," the Meters' "Cissy Strut" and the Ruth Brown hit "Teardrops from My Eyes." When these albums first came out, they received their share of negative reviews from jazz critics, who had little use for those who set out to fuse hard bop with soul and funk. But the fact remains: much of the music that Person recorded for Prestige was exciting and quite rewarding. Those who like their jazz with a heavy dose of R&B will find a lot to admire on this CD. ~ Alex Henderson https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-truth%21-mw0000248230

Legends Of Acid Jazz Truth!

---

Chihiro Yamanaka - Ballads

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2021
Time: 77:24
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 178,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:50) 1. For Heaven's Sake
(5:58) 2. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
(6:29) 3. Good Morning, Heartache
(2:13) 4. Danny Boy
(8:01) 5. This Masquerade
(4:39) 6. Old Folks
(6:42) 7. On The Shore
(3:10) 8. I Loves You, Porgy
(5:10) 9. Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You
(2:38) 10. Ruby, My Dear
(5:10) 11. Dove
(6:21) 12. Caught In The Rain
(2:20) 13. I Can't Get Started
(4:32) 14. Orleans
(3:30) 15. Abide With Me
(5:35) 16. Thank You Baby

Chihiro Yamanaka, Universal Music/Blue Note recording artist, is one of the most exciting jazz pianists and composers of her generation, and the leader of the Chihiro Yamanaka Trio. The new Chihiro Yamanaka CD, Somethin' Blue, is her Blue Note Records debut.

Chihiro has been a Universal Music/Verve recording artist since 2005, the same year in which she was named Swing Journal’s “Best New Artist." On the occasion of Universal's recent acquisition of Blue Note Records in time for Blue Note’s 75th anniversary Chihiro made the move to Blue Note. As a newly minted Blue Note artist, she has been a big part of the 75th anniversary celebrations, including a concert at the Blue Note Tokyo in which she performed with all-stars including bassist Ron Carter.

Chihiro, who most often performs and records in trio format, assembled a sextet for the Somethin' Blue sessions and created a new compositional universe that places this 2014 album in the lineage of classic Blue Note recordings. Her impressive technical mastery of the piano combines with her improvisational command to make her a member of the pantheon of great pianists who have recorded for Blue Note throughout its history.

Chihiro’s music pivots between her strikingly original compositions and her unique arrangements in which she accomplishes the impressive feat of introducing the element of surprise into some of the most famous songs in the jazz repertoire, contemporary popular music, and even the works of classical composers.

On Chihiro's 2013 CD, Molto Cantabile, she lovingly fractures classical gems, including one that has become a staple of her live shows, Beethoven's "Für Elise," which is exposed to an improbable series of kaleidoscopic variations which could withstand the involvement of knuckles and which let loose a torrent of effects that could lead the listener to wonder whether it's the music of Beethoven or of Thelonious Monk. As this unusual music unfolds, one could easily imagine both Beethoven and Monk looking on with astonishment and, ultimately, complete approval.

Chihiro took this concept in a different direction with her Beatles tribute, the 2012 CD Because, a groundbreaking disc that features some of the most creative reworkings of Beatles classics ever recorded. Along with the title track, “Because” (from Abbey Road), Chihiro transforms such great songs as “Yesterday” and “Michelle” into glittering vistas of her musical imagination.

Chihiro does all of her studio recording in New York City, working with some of the greatest talent in jazz. Her recordings have featured prominent artists such as Jaleel Shaw, Ben Williams, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Larry Grenadier, Jeff Ballard, Kendrick Scott, Gene Jackson, Vicente Archer, Robert Hurst, Yasushi Nakamura, Yoshi Waki, John Davis and Bernard “Pretty” Purdie.

Chihiro performs regularly on three continents. In New York City, Chihiro’s home base, her latest appearance was a spectacular March, 2015 concert with her trio at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola at Jazz at Lincoln Center, where she played to a sellout crowd. Her New York appearances in recent years have also included Iridium Jazz Club, the Blue Note and Carnegie Hall.

Chihiro is active on the west coast (with repeat appearances at Yoshi’s San Francisco, Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz, and Dizzy's in San Diego), in Boston (Café 939, Regattabar), where her popularity is influenced by her status as a Berklee graduate, and in the Washington/Baltimore area (Blues Alley, Kennedy Center, An die Musik, Warner Theater). Among the highlights was her concert that opened the Mary Lou Williams Women In Jazz Festival at the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, a set that was selected for broadcast on National Public Radio's "JazzSet with Dee Dee Bridgewater."

In Japan, Chihiro performs to sellout audiences at large venues across the country, and all of her Universal CDs have topped the Japanese jazz charts. As a classical pianist, she has performed Gershwin’s Rhapsody In Blue with major symphony orchestras. She has become a multimedia celebrity in Japan, hosting her own radio show, making TV appearances, and authoring a book, The Landscape With Jazz.

Europe is fertile ground for Chihiro’s tours, which have included the Umbria Jazz Festival, Bologna Jazz Festival, Sunset-Sunside in Paris, Blue Note Milan, A-Trane in Berlin, the major venues and festivals in Rome including Auditorium Parco Della Musica, Roma Jazz Festival and Alexanderplatz, and a recent weeklong engagement at Marians Jazzroom in Bern, Switzerland.

Keeping pace with Chihiro’s whirlwind touring schedule is her prolific international recording career with Universal Music and Blue Note Records. In the past three years she has had six CD releases. Besides Somethin' Blue, Molto Cantabile and Because, they include After Hours 2, the U.S. release of Reminiscence, and a compilation, My Favorite Blue Note, on which Chihiro served as producer and contributed original music. In the same period Chihiro and Universal also have released an EP, Still Working, and two DVDs, Live In New York, videotaped at Iridium Jazz Club, and Live at Blue Note Tokyo. A Chihiro Yamanaka DVD gives her fans the opportunity to experience on video the spectacular visual presentation that has been seen by anyone who has witnessed the fireball of energy and virtuosity on display at a live Chihiro concert appearance.

Chihiro has received numerous awards, including Jazz Japan’s “Album of the Year” and the Japan Gold Disc Award for best-selling jazz record of the year, along with acknowledgments from critics, fans and musicians for her recordings and live performances. Jazz Life Magazine called Chihiro “one of the greatest jazz talents in decades,” and the late George Russell hailed her as “a very gifted and imaginative musician.”

In JazzTimes Magazine, Giovanni Russonello wrote an enthusiastic review of Chihiro's set at the 2011 Umbria Jazz Festival, opening for Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and Marcus Miller. “Opening for the Tribute to Miles band with her trio, the Japanese pianist tore into two originals at the top of her set…When she announced ‘Take Five,’ the crowd let out a gleeful 'ahh' but they weren’t ready for the voracious reharmonization, full of upward-creeping bass lines and chromatic descents, or her mid-song interpolation of 'In Your Own Sweet Way,' retrofitted in 5/4 time. Right and left, jaws were dropping."
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/chihiro-yamanaka

Ballads

---

Eric Reed - The Adventurous Monk

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:01
Size: 105,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:26)  1. Thelonious
(6:37)  2. Work
(3:39)  3. Reflections
(5:05)  4. Evidence
(4:07)  5. 'Round Midnight
(4:47)  6. Nutty
(4:21)  7. Gallop's Gallop
(4:35)  8. Pannonica
(4:07)  9. Dear Ruby (Ruby, My Dear)
(5:12) 10. Ba-Leues Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are

The third in pianist Eric Reed's ongoing exploration of the music of pianist Thelonious Monk, 2014's The Adventurous Monk is a highly engaging, deeply swinging celebration of the bebop innovator's sound. The album follows up Reed's previous Monk-themed albums, 2011's The Dancing Monk and 2012's The Baddest Monk. Backing Reed here is his adept rhythm section of bassist Ben Williams and drummer Gregory Hutchinson. Also joining Reed is tenor saxophonist Seamus Blake, who appeared on The Baddest Monk, and vocalist Charenée Wade, who lends her urbane, soulful style to Monk's classic "Ruby, My Dear." More than just making a covers album or homage, Reed never fails to seize the opportunity to truly explore the complexities and nuances of Monk's music, endeavoring to find his own voice in the compositions. ~ Matt Collar  http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-adventurous-monk-mw0002618615

Personnel: Eric Reed (piano); Seamus Blake (tenor saxophone); Gregory Hutchinson (drums); Charenée Wade, Ben Williams

The Adventurous Monk

---

John Bailey - Time Bandits

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:00
Size: 122,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:12) 1. Time Bandits
(5:39) 2. Various Nefarious
(5:15) 3. Long Ago And Far Away
(6:00) 4. Ode To Thaddeus
(4:05) 5. Oh Man, Please Get Me Out Of Here!
(4:36) 6. She's Leaving Home
(4:20) 7. Rose
(5:55) 8. How Do You Know?
(5:42) 9. Lullaby
(6:13) 10. Groove Samba

Versatile and in-demand trumpeter and composer John Bailey has played alongside Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, Jr., and Latin jazz giants Ray Barretto and Arturo O’Farrill as well as with major jazz musicians in NYC. The backing ensemble he has recruited for Time Bandits, his third album as a leader, is testament to his talent. Fronting a quartet that included mainstay drummer Victor Lewis, esteemed pianist George Cables, and virtuoso bassist Scott Colley, Bailey and crew deliver a varied set of seven originals, five by Bailey and one each by Lewis and Cables. In addition, they tackle a well-known standard, a Beatles tune, and a nod to Bailey’s original mentor, trumpeter Ira Sullivan. Bailey can swing with the best of them and quickly downshift into lovely ballads played on his flugelhorn.

The program opens with Bailey’s title track, the sharp, repetitive bursts from his trumpet inviting his bandmates to join in a swinging tune that bears elements of a New Orleans second line parade, and the bustling bebop heard on NYC’s 52nd street in the ‘50s. Cables is in his element, pushing the rhythm along with Lewis and Colley, each of whom step forward with brief statements of their own. “Various Nefarious” may well be inspired by the COVID viruses and whatever viral element is plaguing our political system (as we write, the Republicans can’t even decide on their leader). Musically, its soul-jazz shuffle fits into an Art Blakey-like groove, one perfectly suited to Blakey alumnus Cables, and perhaps the soulful strains that Bailey absorbed while working with Brother Ray. Colley impresses with his walking bassline and Lewis navigates the combo through those ‘various’ changes.

Bailey and Cables put their own harmonious stamp on Jerome Kern’s “Long Ago and Far Away,” making it a brisk swinger, while the first ballad, “Ode to Thaddeus,” nods to major trumpet influence, Thad Jones with Bailey’s sustained, warm tone and deeply emotive lines leaving no doubt to the degree ofc reverence which he holds for the iconic bandleader. It’s gorgeous statement. Lewis stirs the group to more nodding in his own “Oh Man, Please Get Me Out of Here” as strains of Dizzy, Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, and Woody Shaw echo through Bailey’s high-pitched jabs and the strolling rhythms from Cables, Colley, and Lewis.

The slowed tempo arrangement for The Beatles’ “She’s Leaving Home” is another opportunity to digest the balladry elegance of Bailey and Cable, drawing out a deeper sense of melancholy than the song’s original. Bailey’s “Rose” is the freest flowing of the pieces with a challenging pattern built on five 12-tone rows, with surprises at each turn, like a game of hide-and-seek set to music.

Colley introduces “How Do Know,” by Gary Dial, originally appearing on the 1982 Sprint from Red Rodney and the Ira Sullivan Quintet, this a tribute to Bailey’s aforementioned mentor. We hear Bailey’s flugelhorn on Cable’s standout track, “Lullaby.” The piece originally appeared on Frank Morgan’s 1989 Mood Indigo and has Bailey and Cables in lockstep as a duo rendering the tune with stunning tenderness. Given Bailey’s stints in Latin jazz, he’d be remiss to not include at least one piece of that ilk and does so with his own rollicking closer, “Groove Samba.”

Bailey’s Time Bandits speaks to tradition and a mastery of the various jazz idioms that only a group of this caliber could execute so deftly. It’s a clinic in tone, harmony, swing, balladry, and precise, declarative soloing.By Jim Hynes https://www.makingascene.org/john-bailey-time-bandits/

Personnel: John Bailey - Trumpet; Victor Lewis - Drums; George Cables - Piano; Scott Colley - Bass

Time Bandits

---

Alice Ricciardi & Pietro Lussu - Catch a Falling Star

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:40
Size: 119,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:57) 1. Let's Face The Music And Dance
(3:57) 2. Catch A Falling Star
(3:32) 3. Boys And Girls Like You And Me
(5:11) 4. Clues Blues
(3:58) 5. Good Vibrations
(3:04) 6. Liza
(5:58) 7. Sunday, Monday Or Always
(4:36) 8. Y-am
(3:36) 9. To One I Love
(3:24) 10. What Is This Thing Called Love
(4:23) 11. Utah
(2:58) 12. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart
(2:59) 13. And Pink, And Gold, And Blue

The sources of inspiration are clear (primarily the masterful The Newest Sound Around by Jeanne Lee and Ran Blake) but the expressive choices and personal talents of Alice Ricciardi and Pietro Lussu make the album original and compelling. The Milanese singer was a pupil of Blake at the New England Conservatory and absorbed her rarefied and alienating aesthetic; Pietro Lussu is a highly sensitive pianist, one of the best in Italy, and relates to it in a natural way.

Refinement and interpretative subtleties are the hallmarks of this piano/voice album, aspects that extend to the editing of the cover. The two protagonists are photographed on an athletics track at dusk: an unusual place for artists who are not preparing to compete like athletes but turn around to catch the lights of the first star. That's what the neon sign above them says, which is the title of a 1957 hit by Perry Como.

That simple nursery rhyme becomes the emblem of the disc and takes on an intense, almost metaphysical connotation in the version by Ricciardi and Lussu, in the contrast between the allusive vocal exposition of the singer and the disjointed accompaniment of the piano. The thirteen pieces of the repertoire have been carefully chosen, ranging across the board.

Classic US songbook tunes like "Liza" and "What Is This Thing Called Love"; little-used songs like "Sunday, Monday or Always" or "Boys and Girls Like You and Me"; the Beach Boys classic "Good Vibrations"; three of their originals and a composition by Steve Lacy with lyrics added by Giulia Niccolai (which on Lacy's album Momentum was sung by Irene Aebi). Each of these pieces is transfigured with the refinement and emotional intensity we were talking about. That of the couple is an essential lyricism that respects the melodic significance of the themes without distorting it.

While alternating the piano with the Rhodes, Lussu varies the accents, introduces harmonic asymmetries (Monk and Tristano would be pleased), plays on the contrasts of register and volume with reflexive depth. Ricciardi's singing expresses its value in the chromatic variety, in the clearness of exposition, in the colloquial game with which she varies the accents and reverberations of the voice. While consistent with the poetics of introspection and whisper assimilated by Ran Blake, different climates and situations characterize the musical journey, alternating subtlety and pathos. To remember as brilliant gems the imaginative rewriting of "Good Vibration," the sensuality and lyricism of "Sunday, Monday or Always," the slow and dilated "Clues Blues."By Angelo Leonardi https://www.allaboutjazz.com/catch-a-falling-star-alice-ricciardi-pietro-lussu

Catch a Falling Star

---

Houston Person - The Art and Soul, Vol.1, Vol.2, Vol.3.

Album: The Art and Soul, Vol. 1
Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:52
Size: 121,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:51) 1. You Do Something To Me
(6:53) 2. I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance
(3:54) 3. You're A Sweetheart
(6:49) 4. Maybe You'll Be There
(4:56) 5. All The Things You Are
(5:28) 6. You're My Everything
(5:39) 7. Skylark
(4:36) 8. I Only Have Eyes For You
(5:35) 9. Everything I Have Is Yours
(4:05) 10. Wonder Why

---

Album: The Art and Soul, Vol. 2
Time: 54:34
Size: 125,4 MB

(5:50) 1. Do Nothing Till You Hear from Me
(5:05) 2. Here's That Rainy Day
(4:15) 3. Isn't It Romantic?
(5:48) 4. Fools Rush In
(6:36) 5. It Had to Be You
(6:13) 6. But Beautiful
(5:59) 7. For All We Know
(5:48) 8. Blue Moon
(4:42) 9. Bewitched
(4:13) 10. Don't Get Around Much Anymore

---

Album: The Art and Soul, Vol. 3
Time: 55:20
Size: 127,2 MB

(6:07) 1. Sentimental Journey
(5:09) 2. Where Are You?
(4:32) 3. There's A Small Hotel
(6:43) 4. Tenderly
(6:06) 5. Be My Love
(6:08) 6. It Might As Well Be Spring
(5:05) 7. My Funny Valentine
(6:27) 8. Gentle Rain
(4:04) 9. Mack The Knife
(4:56) 10. The Very Thought Of You

The Art and Soul of Houston Person is an irresistible combination of the celebrated tenor saxophonist and the Great American Songbook. The 30 songs on this generous three-CD set were culled by Person from ten of his HighNote CDs, with the addition of four new songs recorded in spring, 2008. The songs feature an array of talented sidemen, including pianist Bill Charlap, bassists Ron Carter and Ray Drummond and drummer Grady Tate. If that isn't compelling enough, all the tracks were mixed, edited and mastered by the eminent Rudy Van Gelder in his legendary Englewood Cliffs studio.

The collection is full of high points, with several songs particularly worth noting. The upbeat opener, "You Do Something to Me," showcases Person's golden warmth and impeccable swing. The song also features John di Martino's exquisite touch on piano and John Burr's fluid bass. The same group shines on "I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance," elegantly capturing the song's quiet longing. Person exhibits a poignant tenderness and drummer Jerome Jennings adds just the right backup with incredibly spacious brushwork. "Sentimental Journey" is a joyful toe-tapper; "Here's That Rainy Day" explores the rich undertones of melancholy and "Blue Moon" is surprisingly upbeat, with Person's tenor fat and happy. And don't miss "Mack the Knife," a duet with Ron Carter where the two musicians turn the song inside out and trade lines with fluent ease.

In a 2004 interview, Person defined jazz as, "something that, when the end of the day comes, after a hard and frustrating day out in the world, relieves you. Relaxes you and makes you feel good." The Art and Soul of Houston Person is exactly that kind of music, a treasure chest of luscious, soothing sound. By Florence Wetzel https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-art-and-soul-of-houston-person-highnote-records-review-by-florence-wetzel

Personnel: John di Martino: piano; Jon Burr: bass; Jerome Jennings: drums; Richard Wyands: piano; Ray Drummond: bass; Kenny Washington: drums; Russell Malone: guitar; Grady Tate: drums; Stan Hope: piano; George Kaye: bass; Chip White: drums; Ron Carter: bass; Peter Washington: bass; Paul Bollenback: guitar; Per-ola Gadd: bass; Bill Charlap: piano.

The Art and Soul,Vol.1,Vol.2, Vol.3

---

Ben Allison - Think Free (Remastered)

Styles: Jazz, Bop
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:08
Size: 115,4 MB
Art: Front

(6:26) 1. Fred
(7:16) 2. Platypus
(6:00) 3. Broke
(6:21) 4. Kramer Vs. Kramer Vs. Godzilla
(5:38) 5. Sleeping Giant
(3:03) 6. The City At Night
(7:16) 7. Peace Pipe
(5:12) 8. Green Al
(2:50) 9. Steve Austin

Think Free (Remastered) is Ben’s 7th studio album and the third release in The Ben Allison Remastered Series 2004-2011, on Sonic Camera Records. It features Shane Endsley (trumpet), Jenny Scheinman (violin), Steve Cardenas (guitar), Ben Allison (bass & acoustic guitar), and Rudy Royston (drums). Originally released in 2009, this version contains two previously unreleased tracks: Steve Austin and The City at Night, both of which were completely improvised. https://benallison.com/#think-free-remastered-section

Personnel: Ben Allison – Bass; Jenny Scheinman – Violin; Shane Endsley – Trumpet; Steve Cardenas – Guitar; Rudy Royston – Drums

Think Free

---

Andy Fusco - Turmoil

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:10
Size: 145,7 MB
Art: Front

(8:34)  1. Minor League
(7:44)  2. Polkadots and Moonbeams
(6:09)  3. Look for the Silver Lining
(6:22)  4. Rhapsodia
(9:46)  5. Hackensack
(7:47)  6. Turmoil
(9:12)  7. The Gypsy
(7:34)  8. Bella's Burn

No turmoil here, as saxophonist Andy Fusco is very much in charge heading up the group with a confident tone and strong sense of voice which maybe also allows a bit more openness in the other players! Fusco blows alto throughout, with a rich, crispy tone that almost moves more towards a tenor at points  and he shares lots of solo space with guitarist John Hart, a player with very open chromes evoking lots of harmonic moments from his instrument, as they ring out strongly with a sense of color that it might normally take a few other players to introduce. The rest of the quartet features Bill Morning on bass and Rudy Petschauer on drums and titles include "Turmoil", "Minor League", "The Gypsy", "Bella's Burn", "Look For The Silver Lining", and "Rhapsodia".  © 1996-2019, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/894257/Andy-Fusco:Turmoil

Personnel:  Andy Fusco - alto saxophone; John Hart - guitar; Bill Mooring bass; Rudy Petschauer - drums

Turmoil

---

Jacques Loussier - Play Bach (5-CD Box Set)

Jacques Loussier - Play Bach Disc 1
Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1959/2020
Time: 34:56
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 81,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:24) 1. Prélude No.1 En Ut Majeur, Bwv 846
(5:00) 2. Fugue No.1 En Ut Majeur, Bwv 846
(4:18) 3. Prélude No.2 En Ut Mineur, Bwv 847
(2:45) 4. Fugue No.2 En Ut Mineur, Bwv 847
(8:53) 5. Toccata Et Fugue En Ré Mineur, Bwv 565
(4:53) 6. Prélude No.8 En Ré Dièse Majeur, Bwv 853
(1:51) 7. Prélude No.5 En Ré Majeur, Bwv 850
(1:49) 8. Fugue No.5 En Ré Majeur, Bwv 850

---

Jacques Loussier - Play Bach Disc 2
Time: 36:48
Size: 85,9 MB

(6:16) 1. Partita N 1 Bwv 825 En Si Bémol Majeur-allemande (Album Version)
(2:28) 2. Partita N 1 Bwv 825 En Si Bémol Majeur-courante (Album Version)
(2:54) 3. Partita N 1 Bwv 825 En Si Bémol Majeur-sarabande (Album Version)
(1:57) 4. Partita N 1 Bwv 825 En Si Bémol Majeur-menuet I (Album Version)
(1:56) 5. Partita N 1 Bwv 825 En Si Bémol Majeur-menuet Ii (Album Version)
(3:07) 6. Partita N 1 Bwv 825 En Si Bémol Majeur-gigue (Album Version)
(4:09) 7. Cantate N 147 Bwv 147 Herz Und Mund Und Tat Und Leben (Album Version)
(2:06) 8. Prélude N 6 En Ré Mineur Clavier Bien Tempere Livre I Bwv 851
(3:26) 9. Suite Pour Orchestre N 3 En Ré Majeur Bwv 1068 (Aria)
(2:54) 10. Prélude N 16 En Sol Majeur Clavier Bien Tempere Livre I Bwv 861
(2:43) 11. Fugue N 16 En Sol Mineur Clavier Bien Tempere Livre I Bwv 861
(2:46) 12. Prélude N 21 En Si Bemol Majeur Clavier Bien Tempere Livre I Bwv 866 (Album Version)

---

Jacques Loussier - Play Bach Disc 3
Time: 36:13
Size: 84,3 MB

(5:34) 1. Concerto Italien Bwv 971 En Fa Majeur - Allegro
(4:36) 2. Concerto Italien Bwv 971 En Fa Majeur - Andante
(5:59) 3. Concerto Italien Bwv 971 En Fa Majeur - Finale
(2:20) 4. Invention À 2 Voix No 1 En Ut Majeur Bwv 772
(3:31) 5. Invention À 2 Voix No 13 En La Mineur Bwv 784
(2:42) 6. Invention À 2 Voix No 8 En Fa Majeur Bwv 779
(1:32) 7. Invention À 2 Voix No 14 En Si Bémol Majeur Bwv 785
(1:12) 8. Invention À 2 Voix No 15 En Si Mineur Bwv 786
(5:03) 9. Fantaisie En Ut Mineur Bwv 906
(3:40) 10. Cantate No 29 Bwv 29 - Ouverture

---

Jacques Loussier - Play Bach Disc 4
Time: 24:47
Size: 57,3 MB

( 4:00) 1. Choral Bwv 721 (Instrumental)
( 4:36) 2. Choral No 16 Bwv 684 (Instrumental)
(11:18) 3. Fantaisie Et Fugue En Sol Mineur Bwv 542
( 4:52) 4. Choral No 1 Bwv 645 (Instrumental)

---

Jacques Loussier - Play Bach Disc 5
Time: 33:20
Size: 77,1 MB

( 7:41) 1. Toccata En Ut Majeur Bwv 564 Toccata (Instrumental)
( 3:42) 2. Toccata En Ut Majeur Bwv 564 Adagio (Instrumental)
( 3:44) 3. Toccata En Ut Majeur Bwv 564 Fugue (Instrumental)
( 3:31) 4. Sonate Pour Flute Et Clavecin En Mi Bemol Majeur Bwv 1031 (Sicilienne En Sol Mineur)
(12:00) 5. 6 Chorals Schubler Bwv 645 Choral N 1 (Reveillez-vous La Voix Des Vei)
( 2:40) 6. Passacaille En Ut Mineur Bwv 582 (Theme)

Pianist Jacques Loussier has spent much of his career performing Bach melodies with his jazz group. Loussier's Play Bach Trio was quite popular during 1959-1978. After a few years off, he formed a new trio along similar lines in 1985, the group heard on this CD.

Although jazz and classical music have been combined together in many different ways through the years, no combo has worked harder at swinging Bach than Loussier's units. The pianist pays respect to Bach's melodies before swinging them and his improvisations are a natural outgrowth of the themes. This CD gives listeners an excellent example of his concept and is a constant delight.By Scott Yanow
https://www.allmusic.com/album/jacques-loussier-plays-bach-mw0001939493

Play Bach

---

Per Mathisen - More Secrets

Styles: Jazz Fusion
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:02
Size: 126,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:32) 1. More Secrets
(4:46) 2. Block C
(6:38) 3. Unity
(6:31) 4. Brdo In My Heart
(5:36) 5. As You Are
(5:10) 6. Hidden Stories
(6:07) 7. So Good
(9:20) 8. Wrapped Around Your Finger
(5:18) 9. Off The Wall

Per Mathisen (born 7 October 1969 in Sandefjord, Norway) is a Norwegian jazz musician (upright acoustic bass and electric bass) and composer, known from collaborations with great jazz musicians like Terri Lyne Carrington, Geri Allen, Gary Thomas, Bill Bruford, Alex Acuña, Gary Husband, Ralph Peterson, Nguyen Le and Terje Rypdal. He’s brothers are jazz musicians Hans Mathisen (guitar), Nils Mathisen (keyboards, guitar and violin) and Ole Mathisen (saxophone and clarinet). Mathisen was educated on the Jazz program at Trondheim musikkonservatorium 1991–93, followed by a period at the Berklee School of Music in US, and returned to Norway in 1994.

In 2001 he toured in Europe with Terri Lyne Carrington, has also played with a number of international names, such as Geri Allen, Gary Thomas, Bill Bruford, Gary Husband, Ralph Peterson, Nguyen Le and Terje Rypdal. From 2003 he was member of the transatlantic jazz collective NYNDK (with a release in 2006), so-called because the musicians come from New York, Norway and Denmark.

Mathisen has otherwise participated on recordings with the band “String Zone” (Mystery bag, 2003), Hans Mathisen (Quiet songs 2002–04), Helge Sunde & Norske Store Orkester (Denada, 2005) and Roy Powell Peak Experience Trio (2006), and has been a regular feature as bassist and leader of “workshops” in Groove Valley (annually held in Beiarn in Nordland) where artistic director is Jan Gunnar Hoff.

2013 Played with Joseph Williams, Bill Champlin and Peter Friestedt All Star Band. In the last couple of years Mathisen joins forces on the stage with one of the most recognised Scandinavian jazz names in the world a Swedish guitarist, Ulf Wakenius. In December 2016 together with Utsi Zimring (drums) and David Kikoski (piano, synthesiser, Fender Rhodes, minimoog) he released a studio album New York City Magic under Alessa Records.

The Klangforum Wien – an Austrian chamber orchestra, based in Vienna at the Konzerthaus, which specialises in contemporary classical music, invited Mathisen to play on the latest opera of an Austrian composer Bernhard Lang‘s opera named “ParZeFool/MONDPARSIFAL Alpha 1-8” that was premiered June 4th 2017 at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna, Austria. The orchestra was conducted by Australian condoctor Simone Young, and the piece was directed by German painter, sculptor and performance artist Jonathan Meese.

In October 2017 Mathisen announced a short tour with Jan Gunnar Hoff featuring on the drums one of the greatest Cuban drummers, Horacio (“El Negro”) Hernandez, who was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music. Recording a studio album under Loosen Records in Barxeta (Spain) will follow the tour.

Has been a freelance electric and acoustic upright bass player since 1994 nowadays based out of Oslo (Norway), and Vienna (Austria), and has performed in as many as 35 countries worldwide with some of the most famous musicians on the planet.
He is often referred to as Norway’s answer to Jaco Pastorius on electric bass and Niels Henning Ørsted Pedersen on acoustic upright bass. Since October 2016 Mathisen resides both in Oslo (Norway) and Vienna (Austria).
https://permathisen.com/biography/

Personnel: Electric Bass, Double Bass – Per Mathisen; Drums, Keyboards [Keys] – Gary Husband; Guitar – Hans Mathisen; Saxophone [Sax] – Petter Wettre

More Secrets

---

Kari Kirkland - If (When You Go)

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2023
Time: 41:11
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 94,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:23) 1. I Can't Help It
(5:29) 2. Since I Fell For You
(5:06) 3. Fix You
(5:12) 4. Fragile
(5:22) 5. Good Things Fall Apart
(4:54) 6. If (When You Go)
(4:49) 7. I Didn't Mean To Turn You On
(5:53) 8. Lover, You Should've Come Over

Collaborating once again with Shelly Berg, the duo assembled an all-star ensemble featuring the legendary Peter Erskine, Dean Parks, Kevin Axt, Brian Kilgore, with feature performances by Terell Stafford and Carlitos del Puerto.

Led by Kirkland’s intimate, honest vocal style, the unique arrangements encapsulate an essence of 'hope' in this collection of contemporary songs including Sting’s Fragile, Coldplay’s Fix You, and Jeff Buckley’s Lover, You Should’ve Come Over.

Recorded at Capitol Studios in Los Angeles, Kari's vocals soar over a sonic landscape of pristinely recorded, masterful jazz musicianship, big-band-esque horn lines, lush string arrangements, and top tier production.https://karikirkland.com/

Personnel: Kari Kirkland | Vocals, Co-production Shelly Berg | Keyboards, Arrangements, Co-production Peter Erskine | Drums Dean Parks | Guitar Brian Kilgore | Percussion Kevin Axt | Bass Terrel Stafford | Trumpet Carlitos del Puerto | Bass Jason Arkins | Saxophone David Mason | Saxophone Camilo Molina | Trumpet Michael Gutierrez | Trumpet Brandon Bryant | Trombone Budapest Scoring Orchestra | Strings

If (When You Go)

---

Jan Lundgren Trio - Plays Cole Porter Love Songs

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:52
Size: 158,2 MB
Art: Front

(7:27) 1. I Love Paris
(5:15) 2. When Love Comes Around
(5:52) 3. You´re Be So Nice To Come Home To
(5:46) 4. So In Love
(5:36) 5. At Long Last Love
(7:33) 6. What Is This Thing Called Love
(8:06) 7. Everytime We Say Goodbye
(7:23) 8. Love For Sale
(5:48) 9. Easy To Love
(3:23) 10. True Love
(6:38) 11. I Love You

Lundgren, born in Kristianstad in southern Sweden on March 22nd 1966, and raised in Ronneby, Blekinge, had his first piano lessons at age five. He was soon discovered to have an exceptional musical talent. After a long period of classical training, he discovered jazz more or less by chance in the late 1980’s. He was instantly hooked, rapidly absorbed the jazz piano tradition from Oscar Peterson, Erroll Garner to Bud Powell and Bill Evans, and acquired a depth of knowledge of the Great American Songbook like possibly no other European jazz pianist.

While sailing through his studies at the renowned Royal College of Music in Malmö, he also took up a busy schedule as a professional musician that quickly helped to build his reputation in Sweden. Discovered by Swedish bebop legend Arne Domnérus, he frequently played with other Swedish stars like Putte Wickman and Bernt Rosengren.

Lundgren’s debut album “Conclusion” was released in 1994, and propelled his career firmly forward. The following year saw the formation of the Jan Lundgren Trio with long time student associates Mattias Svensson (bass) and Rasmus Kihlberg (drums), who was replaced in the beginning of the year 2000 by the Dane Morten Lund. This steady band recorded seven well-received and commercially very successful albums for the Swedish label “Sittel” in the period up to 2003. The album “Swedish Standards”, released in 1997 even became a bestseller and reached a place in the Swedish pop charts. But the album “Landscapes” (2003) sold comparably and both releases soon became classics due to their linking Swedish folk music and jazz. The band’s intense tour schedule founds a temporary peak in a concert at Carnegie Hall as part of “Swedish Jazz salutes the USA”.

As a sideman, Lundgren has accompanied such greats as Johnny Griffin, Benny Golson, Herb Geller, James Moody, or singer Stacey Kent. He has also shared the stage with ACT-artist Ulf Wakenius a number of times. Jan Lundgren has been awarded a number of prizes since the early 90’s: In 1997 “Swedish Standards” became “best jazz album of the year”. He was nominated for the “Swedish Grammy” in 1995, 1997 and 2008 and the “Swedish Django d’Or Prize” in 1998, 2001 and 2002.

Having visited a long list of European territories and venues, Lundgren has also been on extended tours of Australia and Japan. He has visited the USA about 15 times and recorded some well-received albums for the label “Fresh Sound”. In 2006 Lundgren becomes part of the ACT family: Initially he was featured as a sideman on the Ida Sand album Meet Me Around Midnight (ACT 9716-2). In July 2007 he released his first ACT album Fresu – Galliano – Lundgren: Mare Nostrum (ACT 9466-2), followed by Magnum Mysterium (ACT 9457-2), which will be released in November of 2007.

In 2008 Lundgren could reap the fruits of his labour, and his Mare Nostrum was performed in front of sold out houses on prestigious stages throughout Europe (Salle Gaveau – Paris, Tonhalle – Zurich, Victoria Hall – Geneva, Teatro Dante Aligheri – Ravenna, S. Caecilia – Rome …) as well as at Jazz Baltica, the North Sea Jazz Festival, and the Istanbul Jazz Festival. There are many good reasons why the band has been called “the first European super group”.

In the same year Lundgren was honoured with the Swedish Django d’Or, and began a collaboration with the classical trumpet player H?kan Hardenberger and the Swedish writer Jacques Werup an exiting melange of modern classical and free music, of jazz and compositions of Jan Lundgren.

Lundgren also brought the Jan Lundgren 3io back to life in 2008, albeit with a new drummer, Zoltan Csörsz Jr who proved to be a truly lucky catch for the trio. A new repertoire has resulted in the new ACT album European Standards (ACT 9482-2) which will be released in Mai 2009 together with the re-release of Swedish Standards (ACT 9022-2) from the ACT Jazz Classics series.

Lundgren is part of a remarkable and long tradition of innovative pianists from Sweden like Jan Johansson who passed away early, and in more recent times Bobo Stenson and Esbjörn Svensson. Lundgren has never made life easy for himself, and has always tried to utilize his phenomenal technique to enhance his musicality. His ability to integrate the most disparate musical influences into a fascinating whole is unique in itself. Whether its contemporary classical music, the inexhaustible northern folk tradition or the pulsating groove of jazz, deeply rooted in Afro-American music: Lundgren has a unique way of leading the listener on a voyage of discovery sometimes relaxed, sometimes utterly invigorating through his highly individual soundscapes.
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/jan-lundgren

Personnel: Piano – Jan Lundgren; Bass – Jesper Lundgaard; Drums – Alex Riel

Plays Cole Porter Love Songs

---

Al Haig - Al Haig Meets Master Bop Saxes

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:27
Size: 164,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:36)  1. Light Gray
(2:48)  2. Stoned
(2:45)  3. Matter and Mind
(2:36)  4. The Toup
(3:05)  5. In a Pinch
(3:07)  6. It's the Talk of the Town
(2:51)  7. Five Star
(2:29)  8. Sugar Hill Bop
(3:28)  9. Twisted
(3:21) 10. Southside
(4:38) 11. Easy Living
(4:07) 12. Sweet Lorraine
(2:34) 13. Pardon My Bop
(3:02) 14. As I Live and I Bop
(2:44) 15. Interlude in Bebop
(2:42) 16. Diaper Pin (Pinhead)
(2:26) 17. Skull Buster
(2:43) 18. Ante Room
(2:47) 19. Poop Deck
(3:20) 20. Pennies from Heaven
(2:49) 21. Indian Summer
(2:57) 22. Long Island Sound
(2:42) 23. Mar-cia
(2:39) 24. Crazy Chords

Al Haig was one of the primal bop pianists. He endures in perpetuity with the spirits of George Wallington, Joe Albany, Dodo Marmarosa, Bud Powell and Elmo Hope. In the year 2000, Definitive Classics came up with a beautiful album of Haig's collaborations with tenor saxophonists Wardell Gray and Stan Getz, recorded in 1948 and 1949. Gray's genius is at once refreshing, his logic irresistible. Getz, like Gray, was profoundly influenced by Lester Young, and Haig was in many respects the ideal collaborator for their brand of bop-to-cool progressive jazz. That's why this music feels so pleasant and natural up inside of your head. Putting Getz and Gray together with Haig as the backbone of the collection makes all the sense in the world. This is superlatively hip music, perfect for cooking, booking, commuting, computing, operating heavy machinery or slacking off and cutting loose like there's no tomorrow.
~ arwulf arwulf; http://www.allmusic.com/album/al-haig-meets-master-bop-saxes-mw0000609243

Personnel:  Al Haig (piano), Wardell Gray, Stan Getz (saxophone)

Al Haig Meets Master Bop Saxes

---

João Gilberto - The Best Hits

Styles: Brazilian Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:49
Size: 81,8 MB
Art: Front

(1:50) 1. A Primeira Vez
(1:15) 2. Bim Bom
(1:17) 3. Bolinha De Papel
(2:03) 4. Brigas Nunca Mais
(1:59) 5. Chega De Saudade
(2:00) 6. Corcovado
(1:55) 7. Desafinado
(1:50) 8. Discussão
(1:27) 9. Doralice
(1:55) 10. É Luxo Só
(2:14) 11. Hó-bá-lá-lá
(1:54) 12. Outra Vez
(1:51) 13. Presente De Natal
(2:03) 14. Rosa Morena
(2:19) 15. Samba Da Minha Terra
(1:37) 16. Samba De Uma Nota Só
(1:46) 17. Se É Tarde Me Perdoa
(1:47) 18. Só Em Teus Braços
(1:36) 19. Um Abraço No Bonfá

Born João Gilberto do Prado Pereira de Oliveira on June 10, 1931, in the town of Juázeiro in the northeastern state of Bahia, Brazil. His father was a wealthy merchant who insisted that all of his seven children receive an education. Gilberto defied his father's wishes however, devoting himself to music after receiving a guitar from his godfather at the age of 14.

By the age of 18, Gilberto had moved to Salvador, the capital of Bahia, where he sought to earn a living as a radio performer. While never finding major success as a solo artist on radio, he gained the attention of a member of the vocal group Garotos da Lua (Boys from the Moon), who performed regularly on Radio Tupi in Rio de Janeiro, and he was invited to join the group. Gilberto moved to Rio to replace the group's vocalist, Jonas Silva, whose subdued style displeased the group's artistic director. Ironically, Gilberto would later popularize a whisper-like vocal method highly reminiscent of Silva. Gilberto lasted only one year with Garotos da Lua. After showing up late or altogether missing several performances, the group fired him.

In 1955, Luis Telles, the leader of the traditional singing group Quitandinha Serenaders, with whom Gilberto had performed for a time, convinced Gilberto to move to Porto Alegre. From there, Gilberto moved to Diamantina, where he lived with his older sister, and her husband. There, Gilberto played music constantly, often practicing in the bathroom where the acoustics were best. It was in this environment that Gilberto developed his signature singing style, a quiet sound absent of vibrato that allowed him to most accurately set the tempo of his vocals to the rhythm of his guitar. In finessing his style, a variation on the traditional Brazilian samba, Gilberto incorporated the influences of several musical genres, both from Brazil and America.

Gilberto returned to Rio in 1956, where he renewed his acquaintance with musician and composer Antonio Carlos Jobim. In 1958, Gilberto recorded Jobim's composition "Chega de Saudade." Although Gilberto's intense demands in the studio significantly prolonged the recording session, the song was released on the Odeon label as a single along with "Bim-Bom" on July 10 of that year. While the record was not an immediate hit, it eventually gained widespread popularity and established bossa nova, which in English means "new wave," as an exciting new musical form. Gilberto released three albums in the bossa nova style over the next three years in his home country: “Chega de Saudade,” “O Amor, o Sorriso e a Flor,” (Love, Smile, and the Flower); and “João Gilberto,” all on Odeon. He exhibited the same exacting standards for his live performances as for his studio recordings, refusing to play in clubs where audiences talked while he was on stage.

American jazz guitarist Charlie Byrd discovered the music of Gilberto, Jobim and other bossa nova artists during a goodwill jazz tour of Latin America sponsored by the U.S. State Department. Byrd introduced the musical form to American jazz saxophonist Stan Getz, and the two recorded a top-selling bossa nova album together, “Jazz Samba.” The album spent 70 weeks on the American pop charts and hit number one. Gilberto moved to the United States in 1962, and in 1964, he and Getz recorded “Getz/Gilberto,” which featured the Jobim-penned bossa nova classic, "The Girl from Ipanema," sung by Gilberto's then-wife Astrud Gilberto. Both the album and the song earned Grammy Awards that year. Gilberto remained in the U.S. until 1980, with the exception of a two-year stay in Mexico. During his time in the U.S. and Mexico, he released only a handful of LPs, including the live album “Getz/Gilberto II,” (1966) “Joao Gilberto en México,” (1970) “João Gilberto,” (1973) “The Best of Two Worlds,” (1976) and “Amoroso.” (1977).

Gilberto returned to Brazil, where he came to be known as O Mito (the legend) and released several more albums, including “João Gilberto Prado Pereira de Olieira,” (1980) “Brasil,” with Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil and Maria Bethânia (1981) “Live in Montreux,” (1987) “Joao,” (1991) “Eu Sei Que Vou Te Amar,” (I Know I'm Going to Love You, 1995) and “Joao Voz e Violao.” (2000).

Gilberto continues to perform, but only on occasion. He appeared at the JVC Jazz Festival at New York's Carnegie Hall in 1998 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the first bossa nova single, and embarked on a U.S. tour in 2003.He remains an enigmatic figure, but his introduction, and contribution to Brazilian influenced jazz, cannot be denied. https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/joao-gilberto

The Best Hits

---

Joan Chamorro - Joan Chamorro Presenta's Big Band Disc 1, Disc 2

Album: Joan Chamorro Presenta's Big Band Disc 1
Styles: Mainstream Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:39
Size: 93,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:32) 1. There´s A Small Hotel
(5:16) 2. Avó
(5:47) 3. Na Baixa Do Sapateiro
(5:52) 4. Tennessee Waltz
(5:19) 5. Deed I Do
(3:44) 6. B-a-b-y
(5:44) 7. Squatty Roo
(4:22) 8. Lidian Thoughts

---

Album: Joan Chamorro Presenta's Big Band Disc 2
Time: 36:03
Size: 83,4 MB

(3:37) 1. Put Your Head On My Shoulder
(4:09) 2. I Concentrate On You
(4:26) 3. But Not For Me
(6:03) 4. Long Yellow Road
(4:20) 5. Deixa
(4:56) 6. There Is No Greater Love
(5:12) 7. Sense Pressa
(3:16) 8. Chega De Saudade

In 2021, the Barcelona Jazz Festival dedicated the artist portrait to me and I had 5 concerts. For one of them I had the idea of bringing together all the musicians with whom I had recorded a CD from the “presentas” collection. There were 15 musicians and I could almost form a big band: Andrea Motis, Eva Fernández, Magalí Datzira, Rita Payés, Marc Martín, Joan Mar Sauqué, Èlia Bastida, Joan Codina, Alba Armengou, Carla Motis, Joana Casanova, Jan Domènech, Marçal Perramon, Joan Martí and Alba Esteban.

I completed the sections with two trumpet players, Elsa Armengou and Gerard Peñaranda, a saxophonist, Koldo Munné (with whom I am currently recording his presentation CD), three trombonists (Claudia Rostey, Max Tato and Perot Rigau, and for the rhythm section I had the one who had been the first drummer of the SAJB: Arnau Julià.

Each of the musicians presented chose a theme. In most cases I asked for special arrangements for the occasion and Joan Monné was in charge of writing them. All the recordings I have made are important and make me feel proud and happy, but the one we made for JAZZING 12 VOL. 2, with practically all the musicians who had been members of the Sant Andreu Jazz Band, and this one you are holding in your hands are really very special to me.

They are the summary of something important, of something wonderful; they are the summary of a precious dream that has no end. The music on this new CD is marvellous and we can hear the maturity they have all reached over the years. None of the protagonists of this work are now in the Sant Andreu Jazz Band, but I feel that each and every one of them will always be part of our history. A story of unwanted success, the result of constant work and of believing that jazz can be and is a music that young people can fall in love with. This big band was my dream and now, once again, it has become a reality. https://jazztojazz.com/en/product/joan-chamorro-presentas-big-band/

Musicians: Andrea Motis · Alba Esteban · Alba Armengou · Joan Mar Sauqué · Elsa Armengou · Gerard Peñaranda · Joan Martí · Joana Casanova · Eva Fernández · Èlia Bastida · Marçal Perramon · Koldo Munné · Rita Payés · Joan Codina · Max Tato · Perot Rigau · Claudia Rostey · Jan Domènech · Marc Martín · Magalí Datzira · Carla Motis · Arnau Julià · Joan Chamorro

Joan Chamorro Presenta's Big Band Disc 1, Disc 2

---

Agneta Baumann - I Am an Illusion

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1981/2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:11
Size: 97,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:46) 1. I Am An Illusion
(4:09) 2. Unlucky In Love
(4:10) 3. Our Love
(3:40) 4. The Queen Of Hearts
(3:25) 5. You Stopped Loving Me
(3:18) 6. Just The Two Of Us
(3:06) 7. Time Will Tell
(4:14) 8. Once Again
(4:25) 9. Everything Or Nothing
(4:08) 10. Hooray For Love
(3:44) 11. När Du Tar Mig I Din Famn

Born 1944, Kalmar, Sweden. As a child Baumann sang at school in both the choir and jazz band. After leaving school, she sang in hotels and restaurants, developing a reputation as a popular entertainer. Although her early musical interests were mainly centred on pop, she began playing close attention to singers from the jazz world, notably Billie Holiday, Carmen McRae, Anita O’Day and Sarah Vaughan. For a while, Baumann was obliged to work outside music but from the mid-60s gained some success with the Golden Girls, a Copenhagen-based Motown Records -style group. In 1968, she went out as a solo singer and band leader in her own right and by the end of the decade was in demand in Sweden and other countries in Scandinavia and northern Europe. A spell in the late 70s with pianist Knud Jørgensen and bass player Bengt Hanson strengthened her jazz singing credentials.

Following the death of her husband in 1986, Baumann stepped out of the spotlight for some years but returned to the stage in 1995. Now committed to jazz, she quickly established a following in Stockholm and was soon becoming very popular in the same areas she had conquered 30 years earlier as a contemporary pop singer. She made her jazz recording debut in 1996, and the following year received a scholarship from Laila and Charles Gavatin’s Foundation for Jazz Music.

In the late 90s and early 00s, Baumann made appearances at jazz festivals in Copenhagen, Helsinki, Krakow, Moscow and Warsaw, while continuing to strengthen her Stockholm base. Among other instrumentalists with whom she has worked are bass players Hans Backenroth and Palle Danielsson, pianists Gösta Rundqvist and Lasse Bagge, trumpeter Bosse Broberg, tenor saxophonist Anders Lindskog, and drummer Johan Löfcrantz. Baumann’s liquid vocal sound and elegant and sometimes stately delivery are particularly well suited to ballads and her interpretation of lyrics is both fluid and deep. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/agneta-baumann-mn0001400868/biography

I Am an Illusion

---

Victor Goines - Love Dance

Styles: Clarinet And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:14
Size: 157,3 MB
Art: Front

(7:02) 1. Wonderful, Wonderful
(8:56) 2. Love Dance
(6:51) 3. New Arrival
(5:11) 4. Cootie
(9:48) 5. Sunrise
(6:30) 6. Confirmation
(9:08) 7. Midnight
(7:23) 8. Out The Box
(7:20) 9. Home

On Love Dance, the excellent follow-up to New Adventures (Crisss1274CD) Victor Goines is joined by pianist Peter Martin, bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Greg Hutchinson, each an A-lister of modern swing. Goines focuses more on the clarinet, which he plays with assured virtuosity and creative flair - he developed an international reputation on the instrument during his tenure with the Wynton Marsalis Septet - but also uncorks a series of authoritative tenor improvisations.
https://www.prestomusic.com/jazz/products/8054512--love-dance

Personnel: Greg Hutchinson - Drums; Peter Martin - Piano; Reuben Rogers - Bass; Victor Goines - Clarinet, Saxophone

Love Dance

---

Charlie Hunter [feat. John Ellis & Derrek Phillips] - Friends Seen and Unseen (Remastered)

Styles: Jazz fusion, Post-Bop
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:52
Size: 130,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:31) 1. One For The Kelpers
(5:40) 2. Freedom Tickler
(6:41) 3. Lulu's Crawl
(6:56) 4. Darkly
(6:22) 5. Soweto's Where It's At
(3:42) 6. Running In Fear From Imaginary Assailants
(6:58) 7. Eleven Bars For Gandhi
(3:56) 8. Bonus Round
(4:42) 9. My Son The Hurricane
(5:20) 10. Moore's Alphabet

The prolific and ever interesting Charlie Hunter continues to change musical colors. For over ten years the unique guitarist has continued to produce releases that prove his talent and popularity. Some have hailed Hunter as the new crossover jazz prince who has attracted younger audiences with recordings such as last years Right Now Move and 2001‘s Songs from the Analog Playground which featured guest singers Kurt Elling, Mos Def, Theryl de Clouet, and pop sensation Norah Jones.

With music that is clearly open to the masses be it jazz or otherwise the guitarist is in a class by himself when it comes to technique. His claim to guitar fame lies in his ability to simultaneously play both bass and guitar parts on his specially designed eight-string guitar, which results in most of us asking, “How in the world is he doing that?”- A technique primarily used by Hammond B-3 players in which Hunter also produces organ-like sounds on his guitar. But his success lies not only in his ability but also in his choice of musicians that have been featured with the guitarist in various groups from duo to quintet formats.

The new recording Friends Seen and Unseen finds the guitarist going back to his roots in a trio setting. His last trio release was the landmark Bing, Bing, Bing released in 1995 which put the guitarist on map. Hunter’s new trio features the dynamic skills of saxophonist John Ellis and drummer Derek Phillips both from Right Now Move. The trio setting is naturally more intimate and allows the musicians to interact with a tight yet free style with music that should appeal to both long time and newer fans.

The new material is a well-rounded mix of styles that prove Hunter is more than just a jam-band guitarist. Hunter’s music has always been and continues to be about the groove. The opening piece “One For The Kelpers” features a funky vibe with Hunter’s bass strings laying down the slow cooked groove while “Freedom Tickler” introduces a freer melody allowing the trio to stretch things out musically with open solos. Never one to take himself too seriously Hunter adds both depth and humor on “Lulu’s Crawl” which could be the theme song for a sleazy Vegas strip tease show, with honking saxophone, guitar effects, and vivid drumming.

The trio members are up for the challenge and bring their own diverse styles to the music. Ellis is not only a fine saxophonist but also adds some nice touches with baritone sax and also strong flute work on “Darkly”. Derek Phillips also shines on “Darkly” with crisp drum work that is the glue to the recording as he provides expert timing and energetic kit work on every selection.

If Hunter is about the essence of the groove, he is also knows something about the blues. His unique take on “Running In Fear From Imaginary Assailants” has a delta blues feel as he incorporates wah-wah-slide effects and other touches as Ellis and Phillips join in on the fun. The very next selection “Eleven Bars For Ghandhi” seems to pay homage to guitar greats such as BB King and Buddy Guy with wailing notes and soulful phrasing.

With loose comparisons to other recordings there are familiar selections such the reggae themed “Soweto's Where It's At” which recalls 1997’s Bob Marley themed Natty Dread and “Moore’s Theme” which brings to mind 1996’s odd but special Ready...Set...Shango!. With a debatable marketing statement that states that this is Hunter’s best recording ever, the new recording clearly stands on its own and proves that the maturing guitarist still has that special something that keeps the music fresh, vibrant, and enjoyable.By Mark F. Turner
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/charlie-hunter-trio-friends-seen-and-unseen-by-mark-f-turner

Personnel: Charlie Hunter - 8-string guitar, John Ellis – Saxophones, Derrek Phillips - Percussion

Friends Seen and Unseen

---

Fletcher Henderson - Smack is Back!

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:47
Size: 87,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:25) 1. I Want To
(3:19) 2. Gulf Coast Blues
(3:02) 3. My Oriental Rose
(3:18) 4. Midnight Blues
(3:33) 5. Chime Blues
(3:07) 6. Fancies
(2:56) 7. Love Days
(3:12) 8. Beale Street Mama
(2:54) 9. Trot Along
(2:46) 10. Unknown Blues
(3:02) 11. Bamboo Isle
(3:07) 12. Down By The River

Fletcher Henderson was very important to early jazz as leader of the first great jazz big band, as an arranger and composer in the 1930s, and as a masterful talent scout. Between 1923-1939, quite an all-star cast of top young Black jazz musicians passed through his orchestra, including trumpeters Louis Armstrong, Joe Smith, Tommy Ladnier, Rex Stewart, Bobby Stark, Cootie Williams, Red Allen, and Roy Eldridge; trombonists Charlie Green, Benny Morton, Jimmy Harrison, Sandy Williams, J.C. Higginbottham, and Dickie Wells; clarinetist Buster Bailey; tenors Coleman Hawkins (1924-1934), Ben Webster, Lester Young (whose brief stint was not recorded), and Chu Berry; altoists Benny Carter, Russell Procope, and Hilton Jefferson; bassists John Kirby and Israel Crosby; drummers Kaiser Marshall, Walter Johnson, and Sid Catlett; guest pianist Fats Waller; and such arrangers as Don Redman, Benny Carter, Edgar Sampson, and Fletcher's younger brother Horace Henderson. And yet, at the height of the swing era, Henderson's band was little-known.

Fletcher Henderson had a degree in chemistry and mathematics, but when he came to New York in 1920 with hopes of becoming a chemist, the only job he could find (due to the racism of the times) was as a song demonstrator with the Pace-Handy music company. Harry Pace soon founded the Black Swan label, and Henderson, a versatile but fairly basic pianist, became an important contributor behind the scenes, organizing bands and backing blues vocalists. Although he started recording as a leader in 1921, it was not until January 1924 that he put together his first permanent big band.

Using Don Redman's innovative arrangements, he was soon at the top of his field. His early recordings (Henderson made many records during 1923-1924) tend to be both futuristic and awkward, with strong musicianship but staccato phrasing. However, after Louis Armstrong joined up in late 1924 and Don Redman started contributing more swinging arrangements, the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra had no close competitors artistically until the rise of Duke Ellington in 1927. By then, Henderson's band (after a period at the Club Alabam) was playing regularly at The Roseland Ballroom but, due to the bandleader being a very indifferent businessman, the all-star outfit recorded relatively little during its peak (1927 to 1930).

With the departure of Redman in 1927, and the end of interim periods when Benny Carter and Horace Henderson wrote the bulk of the arrangements, Fletcher himself developed into a top arranger by the early '30s. However, the Depression took its toll on the band, and the increased competition from other orchestras (along with some bad business decisions and the loss of Coleman Hawkins) resulted in Henderson breaking up the big band in early 1935. Starting in 1934, he began contributing versions of his better arrangements to Benny Goodman's new orchestra (including "King Porter Stomp," "Sometimes I'm Happy," and "Down South Camp Meeting"), and ironically Goodman's recordings were huge hits at a time when Fletcher Henderson's name was not known to the general public. In 1936, he put together a new orchestra and immediately had a hit in "Christopher Columbus," but after three years he had to disband again in 1939.

Henderson worked as a staff arranger for Goodman and even played in B.G.'s Sextet for a few months (although his skills on the piano never did develop much). He struggled through the 1940s, leading occasional bands (including one in the mid-'40s that utilized some arrangements by the young Sun Ra). In 1950, Henderson had a fine sextet with Lucky Thompson, but a stroke ended his career and led to his death in 1952. Virtually all of Fletcher Henderson's recordings as a leader (and many are quite exciting) are currently available on the Classics label and in more piecemeal fashion domestically. By Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/fletcher-henderson-mn0000152490/biography

Smack is Back!

---