Silky Denims

Sunday, February 12, 2023

Cyrus Chestnut - The Dark Before the Dawn

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:20
Size: 131,7 MB
Art: Front

(7:30) 1. Sentimentalia
(3:27) 2. Steps of Trane
(6:19) 3. The Mirrored Window
(4:42) 4. Baroque Impressions
(2:36) 5. A Rare Gem
(4:09) 6. Call Me Later
(5:36) 7. Wright's Rolls and Butter
(2:53) 8. It Is Well (With My Soul)
(5:36) 9. Kattin'
(4:58) 10. Lovers' Paradise
(3:06) 11. My Funny Valentine
(6:22) 12. The Dark Before the Dawn

Cyrus Chestnut's The Dark Before the Dawn is a mature, versatile album. Chestnut and his trio members Steve Kirby (bass) and Clarence Penn (drums) provide their fortunate listeners with a little bit of everything on this collection. Chestnut pays homage to John Coltrane, and his brilliant "Giant Steps," on the lightning fast "Steps of Trane," and gives J.S. Bach a swinging, 21st century twist on the interesting "Baroque Impressions." "My Funny Valentine" is slow and spacious and represents Chestnut's best ballad playing to date. Mix in originals such as the confident "Sentimentalia," the pretty "The Mirrored Window," the playful "Call Me Later" and the show-stopping "Kattin'." Kirby lays down a rock-solid musical foundation and Penn generates the rhythmic fire, but it is Chestnut who breathes life and soul and meaning into these tunes. He has the unique ability to make complicated music both approachable and enjoyable. The listener won't realize it, but will eventually notice their toes tapping and their fingers snapping to this recommended set. ~ Brian Bartolini https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-dark-before-the-dawn-mw0000125513

Personnel: Cyrus Chestnut (piano); Steve Kirby (bass); Clarence Penn (drums).

The Dark Before the Dawn

John Coltrane - Live at the Village Vanguard And Live At The Village Vanguard Again!

Album: Live at the Village Vanguard

Styles: Hard Bop, Avant-Garde Jazz
Year: 1966
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:37
Size: 84,0 MB
Art: Front

(13:48) 1. Spiritual
( 6:40) 2. Softly as in a Morning Sunrise
(16:09) 3. Chasin' the Trane

Review: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coltrane_%22Live%22_at_the_Village_Vanguard

Personnel: John Coltrane — soprano and tenor saxophone; Eric Dolphy — bass clarinet on "Spiritual"; McCoy Tyner — piano on side one; Reggie Workman — bass on side one; Jimmy Garrison — bass on side two; Elvin Jones — drums

Live at the Village Vanguard

Album: Live At The Village Vanguard Again!

Styles: Hard Bop, Avant-Garde Jazz
Year: 1966
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:41
Size: 97,1 MB
Art: Front

(15:11) 1. Naima
( 6:08) 2. Introduction To My Favorite Things
(20:21) 3. My Favorite Things

Live at the Village Vanguard Again! is one of the more hotly contested albums in John Coltrane's catalog. Released less than a year before his death, the original recording showcased his new quintet with Alice Coltrane, piano; Pharoah Sanders, tenor saxophone; Jimmy Garrison, bass; and Rashied Ali, drums. Additional percussion on the date was provided by Emanuel Rahim. The three selections here are what survive from a much longer tape. Coltrane's signature ballad "Naima" opens the album and goes on for over 15 minutes.

One of the most iconic tunes in his repertoire, the treatment it is given here is radical. While the melody is referenced in the beginning, Coltrane moves it aside fairly quickly to concentrate on improvisation. His tenor solo (heard in the left channel) begins in earnest a minute-and-a-half in. He gradually deconstructs the various phrases in the lyric to blow passionately through them. By the time Sanders begins his (overly long) tenor solo (right channel), the abstraction becomes total. His intensity and ferocity are simply more than the ballad calls for. Even when Coltrane returns to solo again, and gradually winds it down, he has to begin at that hot peak. "Naima" is a different tune when all is said and done. "My Favorite Things" is in two parts. The first six minutes belong to a gorgeous, imaginative solo by Garrison.

The tune's familiar theme is not stated by Coltrane until after the mode is introduced; then bits and pieces of the melody are brought in until they become however briefly the whole head line. It disappears quickly even though referenced occasionally throughout Coltrane's solos. His soprano solos are intense but utterly beautiful. His playing is pure passion and creative imagination, ever aware of the shimmering block chords played by Alice.

Ali skitters propulsively around them, driving insistently until he's allowed to let loose when Sanders and his tenor begin their violent wail that simply disregards the entire tune save for one quote near the end to bring Coltrane back in. Sanders screams through his horn throughout his solo, and when Coltrane rejoins him, it's to meet him and try to rein him in; it leaves the listener exhausted after its 25-minute run. Live at the Village Vanguard Again! is certainly not for Coltrane newcomers, and may indeed only hold value for his most ardent followers despite its many qualities.By Thom Jurek
https://www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-the-village-vanguard-again%21-mw0000652602

Personnel: John Coltrane – soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone, bass clarinet, flute; Pharoah Sanders – tenor saxophone, flute; Alice Coltrane – piano; Jimmy Garrison – bass; Rashied Ali – drums; Emanuel Rahim – percussion

Live At The Village Vanguard Again!

Friday, February 10, 2023

Suzanne Cabot - Fine & Mellow

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:32
Size: 121,2 MB
Art: Front

(6:21) 1. Fine And Mellow
(6:25) 2. The Very Thought Of You
(6:48) 3. Crazy He Calls Me
(4:45) 4. Don't Explain
(2:58) 5. Them There Eyes
(5:13) 6. Vivo Sonhando
(6:17) 7. One Meatball
(6:50) 8. Dream Dancing
(3:55) 9. The Night Has A Thousand Eyes
(2:54) 10. Gotta Have Me Go With You

Suzanne Cabot reveals her sweet and bluesy style in her debut CD, 'Fine and Mellow' with the ever unique improvisations of pianist Pamela Hines and bassist David Clark. There's plenty of Lady Day tunes and it's clear that Cabot is a Holiday fan from the first track, 'Fine and Mellow.'

This Boston-based trio offers a very intimate take on ten tunes without drums. The fresh improvisations in this close setting make you feel as though the stage is three feet away. Hines and Clark offer strong solos to make this CD a three-way creative journey that you'll want to listen to over and over. By Product Description
https://www.amazon.ca/Fine-Mellow-Suzanne-Cabot/dp/B008IG0B8O

Fine & Mellow

The Boswell Sisters - Jazz Age Scattin'

Styles: Vocal, Swing
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:17
Size: 92,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:51) 1. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter
(3:14) 2. Shuffle Off To Buffalo
(3:14) 3. When I Take My Sugar To Tea
(3:17) 4. Shout, Sister, Shout!
(2:53) 5. If I Had A Million Dollars
(3:06) 6. Dinah
(3:04) 7. Shine On, Harvest Moon
(2:59) 8. Roll On, Mississippi, Roll On
(2:39) 9. Heebie Jeebies
(3:24) 10. It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing
(2:48) 11. Rock And Roll
(3:22) 12. Forty-second Street
(3:21) 13. The Object Of My Affection

Definitely the most talented and arguably the all-around best jazz vocal group of all time, the Boswell Sisters parlayed their New Orleans upbringing into a swinging delivery that featured not only impossibly close harmonies, but countless maneuvers of vocal gymnastics rarely equaled on record. Connee (sometimes Connie), Helvetia (Vet), and Martha Boswell grew up singing together, soaking up Southern gospel and blues through close contact with the Black community. They first performed at vaudeville houses around the New Orleans area, and began appearing on local radio by 1925. At first, they played strictly instrumentals, with Connee on cello, saxophone, and guitar; Martha on piano, and Vet on violin, banjo, and guitar. The station began featuring them in a vocal setting as well, with Connee taking the lead on many songs (despite a childhood accident that had crippled her and left her in a wheelchair).

Word of their incredible vocal talents led to appearances in Chicago and New York, and the Boswell Sisters began recording in 1930 for Victor. By the following year, they'd moved to Brunswick and reached the Hit Parade with "When I Take My Sugar to Tea," taken from the Marx Brothers' film Monkey Business and featuring the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra in support. The trio continued to work with many of the best jazzmen in the field (including Eddie Lang, Joe Venuti, and Bunny Berigan), and appeared in the 1932 film extravaganza The Big Broadcast with Bing Crosby and Cab Calloway. The Boswell Sisters hit the top of the Hit Parade a second time in 1935 with "The Object of My Affection" from the film Times Square Lady. One year later, however, both Martha and Vet retired from the group in favor of married life.

Connee had already made a few solo sides for Brunswick as early as 1932, and she continued her solo career in earnest after the Boswell Sisters parted. She hit number one twice during the late '30s, with the Bing Crosby duets "Bob White (Whatcha Gonna Swing Tonight?)" and "Alexander's Ragtime Band," and continued recording into the '60s.By John Bush
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-boswell-sisters-mn0000521942/biography

Jazz Age Scattin'

Rex Stewart - Solid Rock - Swingin' Cornet

Styles: Cornet Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:07
Size: 87,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:20) 1. Solid Rock
(2:47) 2. Rexatious
(2:33) 3. Tea And Trumpets
(2:46) 4. Without A Song
(2:59) 5. Lazy Man's Shuffle
(3:10) 6. My Sunday Gal
(3:04) 7. Mobile Bay
(3:25) 8. Linger Awhile
(4:15) 9. Diga Diga Doo
(4:23) 10. Cherry
(4:18) 11. Bugle Call Rag

Rex Stewart (1907–1967) was an American jazz cornetist best known for his work with the Duke Ellington orchestra.

After stints with Elmer Snowden, Fletcher Henderson, Horace Henderson, McKinney's Cotton Pickers, and Luis Russell, Stewart joined the Ellington band in 1934. Ellington arranged many of his pieces to showcase Stewart's half-valve effects, muted sound, and forceful style.

Stewart co-wrote "Boy Meets Horn" and "Morning Glory" while with Ellington, and frequently supervised outside recording sessions by members of the Ellington band. After eleven years Stewart left to lead his own groups. He also toured Europe and Australia with Jazz at the Philharmonic from 1947 to 1951. From the early 1950s on he worked in radio and television and published highly regarded jazz criticism. Jazz Masters of the Thirties is a selection of his criticism.
https://www.jazzmusicarchives.com/artist/rex-stewart

Solid Rock - Swingin' Cornet

Gary Versace - Time Frame

Styles: Post Bop
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
oyston Time: 59:37
Size: 136,9 MB
Art: Front

(8:38) 1. Cold Duck Soup
(9:32) 2. Distant Call
(7:14) 3. Red Cross
(6:51) 4. Faro
(8:52) 5. Panda Blue
(7:49) 6. Sweet Surprise
(3:56) 7. Evidently
(6:41) 8. One Year From Today

Since basing himself in New York City in June of 2002, jazz organist, pianist, and accordionist Gary Versace has quickly become one of the busiest and most versatile musicians on the scene, often featured in bands led by musicians such as John Scofield, John Abercrombie, Maria Schneider, Matt Wilson, Lee Konitz, Eliot Zigmund, Scott Wendholt, Joe Magnarelli, Danny Gottlieb, Seamus Blake, John Hollenbeck, Andy LaVerne, Adam Nussbaum, Brad Shepik, Ingrid Jensen, Tim Ries and many others.

Versace was voted a "rising star" on the Hammond organ in the last three Downbeat critics polls, and was the subject of a feature article in the July 2004 issue of Keyboard magazine.

Versace has been a featured soloist on several critically acclaimed recordings of recent years: accordionist on Maria Schneider's Grammy-winning recordings "Concert in the Garden" and "Sky Blue" and as the pianist on John Hollenbeck's Grammy-nominated large ensemble recording, "A Blessing."

Over the past five years, Versace has appeared as a leader for the Criss Cross and SteepleChase labels, and as a sideman on over 50 recordings with artists on various labels including Palmetto, ACT, Omnitone, Songlines, Pirouet, High Note, Justin Time, ArtistShare, Fresh Sound, Kind of Blue, and many others.

As a pianist, Versace performed in a two-piano recital with Marian McPartland, and in April of 1999 appeared on her acclaimed National Public Radio program, "Piano Jazz." McPartland has called him "...endlessly inventive...(Versace) really has an extraordinary talent."

Gary Versace has a masters degree in music performance from the Eastman School of Music, and spent eight years as a tenured associate professor in the jazz studies department at the University of Oregon. He remains active as a clinician and guest soloist both nationally and around the world.
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/gary-versace/

Personnel: Piano – Gary Versace; Bass – Jay Anderson; Drums – Rudy Royston

Time Frame

Thursday, February 9, 2023

Gunhild Carling - Good Evening Cats

Styles: Swing, Vocal
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:43
Size: 84,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:47) 1. Good Evening Cats
(4:20) 2. My Lovin' Heart Can't Forget
(4:22) 3. Mack The Knife
(4:55) 4. Love Song From The Attic
(2:23) 5. Million Stars Are Out Tonight (Feat. Billy Stritch & Nanna Carling)
(3:05) 6. Att Angöra En Brygga (Feat. Idun Carling)
(4:04) 7. Two Movie Stars
(2:44) 8. Monday Through Sunday
(4:05) 9. La Vie En Rose
(2:55) 10. Wave

Swedish musical sensation Gunhild Carling is an internationally acclaimed superstar whose show is a can’t-miss event! Whether she’s singing favorite swinging jazz standards, playing one of many instruments (trumpet, trombone, harmonica, oboe, harp, flute, recorder, or jazz bagpipe!) or juggling and tap dancing, Gunhild’s sublime showmanship shines. And just wait for the finale spoiler alert she plays three trumpets at once!

Carling competed as a celebrity dancer in Let’s Dance 2014 on TV4 placing third. Was also on Sweden’s Dancing with The Stars. Gunhild performed for Sweden’s Got Talent in 2017 and this year she is currently on America’s Got Talent season 2019.

She recently performed with her 'Carling Big Band' at the Royal Palace in Stockholm in the celebration for King Carl XVI Gustaf's Ruby Jubilee. Performing such great memorable vintage songs such as "Minnie the Moocher," "Sweet Georgia Brown," "All of Me," "It Had to Be You," and an endless repertoire of songs, Gunhild masterfully takes you back to another era like a time machine.

Between Touring with her own band, she performs in several configurations from solo to orchestra to symphony and as a featured singer and multi-instrumentalist in several of Postmodern Jukebox's songs, including a 1920s jazz swing version of "Material Girl", and a 1920s hot jazz cover of ABBA's "Dancing Queen”. Gunhild Carling keeps serenading audiences in the US and all around the world today.
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/gunhild-carling

Good Evening Cats

Alex Sipiagin - Mel´s Vision

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:17
Size: 163,8 MB
Art: Front

( 9:25) 1. Mel's Vision
( 8:54) 2. Summer's End
( 8:03) 3. Four by Five
( 9:08) 4. Maritima
(10:01) 5. Vesnianka
( 6:21) 6. Bird Food (Take 2)
( 8:30) 7. Balmoral Point
( 3:50) 8. Peggy's Blue Skylight
( 7:01) 9. Bird Food (Take 1 – Alternate Take)

The music of trumpeter Alex Sipiagin just keeps getting more and more complex with every record to a point where it always a bit hard to assign any sort of easy label to his style, and figure out what he's going to give us next!

This really fresh album is full of surprises not just in the choice of material, but in the way that Alex and the group interpret it moving through original tunes by group members and some well-chosen modern jazz numbers balanced in a really five-pointed way between the trumpet, tenor of Chris Potter, piano of David Kikoski, bass of Matt Brewer, and drums of Johnathan Blake! Potter brings a nice edge to the proceedings, in a way that definitely has an influence on Kikoski and titles include "Summer's End", "Four By Five", "Maritima", "Bird Food", "Vesnianka", "Mel's Vision", and "Balmoral Point". © 1996-2023, Dusty Groove, Inc.https://www.dustygroove.com/item/137173/Alex-Sipiagin:Mel-s-Vision

Personnel: Alex Sipiagin - Trumpet; Chris Potter - Saxophone; David Kikoski - Piano; Matt Brewer - Bass; Johnathan Blake – Drums

Mel´s Vision

Kirk Knuffke Trio - Gravity Without Airs

Styles: Cornet Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 90:23
Size: 208,4 MB
Art: Front

(11:37) 1. Gravity Without Airs
( 5:39) 2. Stars Go Up
( 4:28) 3. Between Today and May
( 6:43) 4. The Sun Is Always Shining
( 8:44) 5. Birds of Passage
( 6:12) 6. Time Is Another River
( 2:52) 7. Paint Pale Silver
( 4:21) 8. The Water Will Win
( 9:56) 9. June Stretched
( 6:08) 10. Blinds
( 6:22) 11. Piece of Sky
( 5:59) 12. Shadows to Dance
( 7:17) 13. Heal the Roses
( 4:00) 14. Today for Today

An adventurous improviser with a fat, warm tone, cornetist Kirk Knuffke takes his bold jazz style to another level on 2022's Gravity Without Airs. The Colorado-born/New York-based Knuffke has carved out a distinctive niche in the modern jazz landscape with his artful duo and trio albums. He has also been a vital member of creative ensembles like drummer Matt Wilson's Big Happy Family and drummer Allison Miller's Boom Tic Boom. Here, he is joined by two stellar veteran performers in pianist Matthew Shipp and bassist Michael Bisio, essentially two-thirds of Shipp's trio as of 2009 (minus drummer Newman Taylor-Baker). Knuffke's pairing here with Shipp feels intrinsic and spiritually connected to the pianist's early work as a member of saxophonist David S. Ware's ensembles.

What's particularly engaging about the group's work is just how organically balanced it is. While Knuffke certainly grabs the lion's share of the spotlight, many of his compositions hinge upon the trio's dynamic interplay and the raw, textural landscapes they carve out together. In fact, the first sound you hear on the opening title track is a scratchy, strummed chord from Bisio that Shipp quickly augments with an airy, off-kilter harmony. All of this leads to Knuffke's mournful, breathy entrance, his minor-key melody a streak of golden light in the trio's swirling storm clouds.

They sustain an equally imagistic vibe throughout the rest of the album, straddling the line between free-jazz tone poems and moody, architectural chamber jazz. Knuffke is a dynamic soloist with a style that can be bluesy and linear one minute and fractured and full of spatter-paint squelch the next. It's a sound that brings to mind the work of legendary Italian free jazz trumpeter Enrico Rava, especially recalling his classic 1975 ECM date The Pilgrim and The Stars. On Gravity Without Airs, Knuffke and his trio grab your ears with a tactile beauty.By Matt Collor
https://www.allmusic.com/album/gravity-without-airs-mw0003720607

Personnel: Kirk Knuffke: cornet, compositions; Michael Bisio: bass; Matthew Shipp: piano

Gravity Without Airs

Joe Henderson - Four!

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1968
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:45
Size: 165,9 MB
Art: Front

(13:37) 1. Autumn Leaves
(12:18) 2. Four
(14:57) 3. On The Trail
(11:46) 4. Star Dust / Old Folks
(16:04) 5. On Green Dolphin Street
( 3:00) 6. The Theme

This live session from 1968 features the great tenor Joe Henderson (who was then just a few days short of turning 31) playing for the first and possibly only time with the Wynton Kelly Trio. Henderson, pianist Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Jimmy Cobb really stretch out on six standards (including a two-song medley), all of which clock in between 11:47 and 16:05 (except for a three-minute "Theme"). Henderson really pushes the rhythm section (which, although they had not played with the tenor previously, had been together for a decade) and he is certainly inspired by their presence. This is a frequently exciting performance by some of the modern bop greats of the era. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/four-mw0000120886

Personnel: Joe Henderson – tenor saxophone; Wynton Kelly – piano; Paul Chambers – bass; Jimmy Cobb – drums

Four

Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames - 20 Beat Classics

Styles: Pop/Rock
Year: 1981
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 57:45
Size: 93,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:45) 1. Yeh Yeh
(2:32) 2. Getaway
(2:15) 3. Do Re Mi
(2:55) 4. My Girl
(2:32) 5. Sweet Things
(2:26) 6. Point Of No Return
(2:51) 7. Get On The Right Track, Baby
(2:38) 8. Ride Your Pony
(4:22) 9. Moody's Mood For Love
(3:28) 10. Funny How Time Slips Away
(2:35) 11. Sunny
(3:21) 12. Sitting In The Park
(2:12) 13. Green Onions
(2:35) 14. In The Meantime
(3:44) 15. Papa's Got A Brand New Bag
(2:14) 16. Blue Monday
(2:23) 17. Pride And Joy
(3:51) 18. Pink Champagne
(2:38) 19. Let The Sunshine In
(3:21) 20. I Love The Life I Live

The best compilation of Fame's work, finding his R&B-jazz fusion at its most potent (and most commercially successful) on these 20 cuts from the mid-'60s. Like a Mose Allison for the British Invasion, Fame sings and plays with a soulful verve on this set of blue-eyed soul. Includes the #1 British hits "Yeh Yeh" and "Get Away," although "Ballad Of Bonnie And Clyde" is missing. ~ Richie Unterberge http://www.allmusic.com/album/20-beat-classics-mw0000742302

Personnel: Georgie Fame (vocals, keyboards).

20 Beat Classics

Wednesday, February 8, 2023

Peter Bernstein - The Peter Bernstein Collection, Vol. 1.

Styles: Stage & Screen
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 81:18
Size: 187,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:05) 1. Megiddo Opening Titles
(3:38) 2. Use A Firm Hand
(0:58) 3. Love Montage
(5:27) 4. Keep Your Immortal Soul And Stone's Broadcast
(1:47) 5. President Falls
(3:20) 6. Warning Gabriella
(4:30) 7. The Conspiracy
(4:03) 8. Helicopter Escape
(3:05) 9. Too Late For Gabriella
(2:14) 10. Assembly At Megiddo
(2:49) 11. The War Begins
(5:58) 12. Free Will
(3:03) 13. God's Light
(1:57) 14. Megiddo End Credits
(6:20) 15. First Battle : Main Title
(3:33) 16. Back Home : Sisters Reunited
(2:12) 17. The City
(1:43) 18. True Feelings
(4:44) 19. To The Rescue
(3:10) 20. Ambush
(5:45) 21. After The Kids : Damaged Uplink
(6:39) 22. The Final Rescue
(2:07) 23. End Credit

Obviously my early musical experience begins with my father, Elmer Bernstein, the Academy Award winning film composer whose credits include The Man With the Golden Arm, The Ten Commandments, The Magnificent Seven, To Kill a Mockingbird, Ghostbusters, The Age of Innocence and about 200 others. Of course I didn’t care at all when I was young, but it was fun going recording sessions before I was going to school and absorbing it all, watching it happen and hearing all that music. I was told that I learned to conduct symphonies from memory by watching him practice. Fortunately this was before YouTube.

My musical education began with piano lessons. Then 1964 came along and I turned 13. It was perfect timing: The Beatles and Bob Dylan (among others) entered my consciousness and the whole world changed overnight. I decided I wanted to be a bass player – mostly because the rock n roll band at school needed one. I learned by playing along to my favorite records all day, every single day after school. Eventually I studied bass with Carol Kaye, a member of the legendary “Wrecking Crew” group of LA studio musicians. About the same time at California Institute of the Arts I was lucky enough to study with pioneering electronic music composer Morton Subotnick. I cobbled together the rest of my musical education out of a few other colleges and many years of private study and apprenticeships.

I began my professional music career as a rock n’ roll bass player when I was 14 and was in the record business as a touring bass player, band member, session player, arranger and record producer for the next 20 years. As time passed it became clear that there was going to be more opportunity for me as a composer. I began by working for other composers as an orchestrator and arranger. I orchestrated all or part of almost all of my father’s scores from 1974-1986, while still working in the rock n roll record business. Orchestration credits from the era include Animal House, Trading Places and Ghostbusters, as well as the scored portions of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video.

My career as a composer began in 1981. The first breakthrough orchestral assignment was The Ewok Adventure for LucasFilm (1985); a major television event in its time, and its sequel (1986). Soon after came my first T.V. series, 21 Jump Street (1987-1991). It was a huge success. It was also one of the very first shows recorded in a home studio using mostly synths and samples. Those two projects put me on a road that has continued to this day.

I studied conducting early on since it was one of the necessary skills for film composing at that time. Little did I know that it would become one of my main occupations and allow me to return to my roots as a live performer. I have organized and/or conducted concerts of Elmer Bernstein film music throughout the world.
https://petermbernstein.com/bio/

The Peter Bernstein Collection, Vol. 1.

The John Sheridan Trio - Artistry 3

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:21
Size: 150,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:14) 1. It's Been So Long
(3:48) 2. I'm Glad There Is You
(5:50) 3. Soon
(6:14) 4. Wonder Why
(4:56) 5. Ev'rything I Love
(8:07) 6. Change Partners
(6:10) 7. The Folks Who Live On The Hill
(4:48) 8. I'll Always Be In Love With You
(5:20) 9. Poor Butterfly
(4:21) 10. I Never Knew
(4:50) 11. No Love, No Nothin'
(5:37) 12. Let's Get Away From It All

There's something refreshing about the way a piano trio can bring a simple, straightforward beauty to even familiar tunes. Pianist John Sheridan is joined by bassist Dave Stone and drummer Tony DeNicola on Artistry 3 for an even dozen pieces from the classic songbook. With an exception or two, however, the music chosen isn't overly familiar, giving the album a nice combination of recognizable style (mainstream jazz) and fresh material.

As with many piano trios, the success here depends on the interplay among the performers. Sheridan's light touch provides a high-key contrast to Stone's heavy-in-the mix bassline, and this balance works very well on "I'm Glad There Is You" and Cole Porter's "Ev'rything I Love." DeNicola uses brushes for the light touch on the former piece, perfectly complementing the mood of his partners. While this group really stands out on a piece like "Poor Butterfly," the musicians also offer fun versions of upbeat material like "It's Been So Long" and "I'll Always Be in Love With You."

The most ambitious effort here is the medium-tempo "Changing Partners," an Irving Berlin composition that the trio develops for eight minutes. For anyone fond of classic piano trios, the John Sheridan Trio adds a fresh sheen to a great set list.
By Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.https://www.allmusic.com/album/artistry-3-mw0000209476

Personnel: John Sheridan - piano; David Stone - bass; Tony DeNicola - drums

Artistry 3

John Patitucci Trio - Live in Italy

Styles: Jazz fusion, Post-bop
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:04
Size: 120,2 MB
Art: Front

(12:03) 1. Visa (Live)
( 4:07) 2. Out West (Live)
( 8:23) 3. Three Pieces Of Glass (Live)
(14:10) 4. Mali (Live)
( 4:10) 5. Echoes Of Scarlatti: In Memory Of Chick Corea (Live)
( 9:08) 6. Without A Song

Jazz bass icon John Patitucci had a fruitful tour of Italy in July of 2021, and now the rest of the world gets to hear the magic that happened along the way. His new album, Live In Italy, features him alongside saxophonist Chris Potter and drummer Brian Blade, whom he calls the some of the greatest musicians in the history of jazz.

“The chemistry between the three of us is born out of decades of playing together in different ensembles, and also as a trio at times,” Patitucci writes. “The freedom, connection and our shared influences make this trio one of my favorite groups to play in, ever. The venues that we played in throughout Italy, many outdoors, were very inspiring throughout this tour.”

A master of the six-string electric and double bass, Patitucci and his trio explore a variety of musical landscapes on the album. The song list ranges from a classic Charlie Parker blues called “Visa” to new compositions such as “Out West” and “Three Pieces of Glass”.

“‘Three Pieces of Glass’ is a piece inspired by a book that was suggested to me by a pastor friend,” Patitucci shares. “The three pieces of glass in our modern society are the phone, the computer and the television. The effects of these devices, positive and negative, are being felt in real time and are of great consequence in our world.”
https://www.notreble.com/buzz/2022/09/22/john-patitucci-trio-live-in-italy-now-available/

John Patitucci Trio: Live in Italy

Buddy Tate & White Label - Tate's Delight - Groovin' at the Jazz Festival

Styles: Saxophone And Clarinet Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:33
Size: 130,2 MB
Art: Front

( 8:53) 1. On Green Dolphin Street
( 9:07) 2. In A Mellotone
( 6:41) 3. Mood Indigo
( 7:40) 4. Jumpin' At The Woodside
( 9:29) 5. Now's The Time
(10:17) 6. Lester Leaps In
( 4:22) 7. Tate's Delight

Storyville Records present the legendary American saxophonist Buddy Tate in a meeting with the Danish quintet White Label on the new album Tate’s Delight Groovin’ at the JAZZ Festival.

The meeting took place at the Holstebro JAZZ Festival in September 1982. JAZZ stands for Jutland’s Active Musicians’ Society. For almost 20 years since the foundation in 1975, the society presented an annual jazz festival during the last week of September. The concerts took place at the Holstebro Hall and the nearby Restaurant Laksen.

Tate’s Delight was recorded at Restaurant Laksen with no rehearsals. Some tunes, but not all, were agreed upon, when BT and White Label took the stage. It became one of those spontaneous events, where the music is created on the spot, but one for which the musician has been preparing throughout his career as an improvising jazz musician.

The album is separated into two parts. First, BT is heard with the rhythm section, showcasing his beautiful, but rarely heard clarinet on magnificent renditions of the Duke Ellington tunes In A Mellow Tone and Mood Indigo. On the second part of the album, Jens Søndergaard and Poul Valdemar Pedersen join in on the last three songs, recreating the intense jam session spirit of the golden age of swing.

Buddy Tate was a prominent tenor saxophonist during the swing era who joined Count Basie’s Orchestra in 1939 after the death of Herschel Evans. He remained in the band for 9 years until he moved to New York City, where he led a crowd-pleasing group for 21 years (1953-74) at the prestigious Celebrity Club in Harlem. BT kept busy after the Celebrity Club association ended, playing and recording in a small-group format that included Basie veterans like trumpeter Buck Clayton and trombonist Al Grey.

White Label was a Danish quintet based in the city of Odense, where they performed regularly at a popular venue called Sophus Ferdinand. Three musicians alto saxophonist Jens Søndergaard, pianist Ole Matthiessen and bassist Niels Præstholm were from Copenhagen, while trumpet player Poul Valdemar Pedersen and drummer Ove Rex were from Odense. In March 1982, the group toured the Soviet Union, playing 10 concerts in Tbilisi, Baku and Moscow. The quintet was one of the first bands from the West to play in the USSR in several years. The tour was a success, and was repeated in 1983 and 1985.

This session is an excellent example of the musical encounters that have taken place in Denmark over the years. BT was among the many legendary international stars, who came and played with Danish musicians, thus contributing to the special bond between Danish and American jazz.

So, kick your feet up and enjoy one of the finest American tenor saxophonists from the swing era groove irresistibly with White Label!
https://storyvillerecords.bandcamp.com/album/tates-delight

Personnel: Buddy Tate - tenor saxophone / clarinet; Ole Matthiessen - piano; Niels Præstholm - bass; Ove Rex - drums; Poul Valdemar; Pedersen - trumpet; Jens Søndergaard - alto saxophone

Tate's Delight - Groovin' at the Jazz Festival

Tuesday, February 7, 2023

Mingus Big Band - The Charles Mingus Centennial Sessions

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:30
Size: 146,2 MB
Art: Front

(7:22) 1. Work Song (Break The Chains)
(7:42) 2. The I Of Hurricane Sue
(1:01) 3. Intro To Nobody Knows The Bradley I Know
(5:46) 4. Nobody Knows The Bradley I Know
(8:15) 5. Meditations For Moses
(7:43) 6. All The Things You Could Be By Now If Sigmund Freud's Wife Was Your Mother
(6:35) 7. Don’t Let It Happen Here
(6:49) 8. Profile Of Jackie
(8:21) 9. Hobo Ho
(0:22) 10. Intro To Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting
(3:29) 11. Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting

The legacy of Charles Mingus is continuing to be celebrated this year by his legacy bands. Now the Mingus Big Band has released The Charles Mingus Centennial Sessions, which marks the 100th anniversary of the bassist and composer’s birth with 22 of his compositions.

The work includes new arrangements of his timeless songs with narrations by Charles’s son Eric Mingus. The Charles Mingus Centennial Sessions was recorded with over 30 of the world’s leading musicians, rotating in the Mingus Big Band tradition, they say.

Bass on the album is handled by three men: Boris Kozlov, Andrew McKee, and Mike Richmond. Each has played an important role in the group. Kozlov has been in the band for over two decades and is the current co-leader of the group. McKee spent a decade in the ’90s and is featured on many recordings. When Mingus died in 1979, his widow Sue Mingus (who passed away in September 2022) launched the Legacy band with Mike Richmond in the bass seat.
https://www.notreble.com/buzz/2022/10/20/mingus-big-band-releases-the-charles-mingus-centennial-sessions/

Musicians: Dr. Alex Pope Norris, Tatum Greenblatt, Walter White, Philip Harper, Anthony Fazio, Jack Walrath, Alex Sipiagin - Trumpets; Conrad Herwig, Joe Fiedler, Robin Eubanks, Coleman Hughes - Trombones; David Taylor - Bass Trombone; Earl McIntyre - Bass Trombones & Tuba; Alex Foster (co-leader), Brandon Wright, David Lee Jones, Ron Blake, Alex Terrier - Alto Saxophones - Abraham Burton, Wayne Escoffery, Scott Robinson, Sam Dillon - Tenor Saxophones; Jason Marshall, Lauren Sevian - Baritone Saxophones; David Kikoski, Theo Hill - Piano; Boris Kozlov (co-leader), Andrew McKee, Mike Richmond - Bass; Adam Cruz, Donald Edwards, Johnathan Blake, Tommy Campbell - Drums; Eric Mingus, Renee Manning, Alex Foster - Vocals

The Charles Mingus Centennial Sessions

Roberta Piket - West Coast Trio

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:40
Size: 140,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:25) 1. Mentor
(8:19) 2. Falling In Love With Love
(7:03) 3. A Bridge To Nowhere
(5:16) 4. Humpty Dumpty
(5:44) 5. Flor De Lis
(6:31) 6. Yemenja
(3:33) 7. My Buddy
(5:31) 8. Conception
(6:14) 9. Windmills Of Your Mind

Roberta Piket is now on a don’t-touch-me-pinnacle and the release of this West Coast Trio, album has everything to do with it. The prodigiously-gifted pianist is also joined here by guitarist Larry Koonse on two songs and her partner and (otherwise) ubiquitous drummer, the mighty Billy Mintz on Djavan’s exquisite piece, “Flor de Lis”. However, the electrifying momentum for the West Coast Trio recording has been sustained with intoxicating energy by Darek Oleszkiewicz, who’s justifiably all the rage in music circles these days and by Joe La Barbera the drum-playing member of the legendary “La Barbera” Music dynasty.

Those of us familiar with Miss Piket’s work from elsewhere vividly recall her virtuosity and immaculate taste in melody as well as her harmonic and rhythmic genius, but nothing can prepare one for the utter beauty of her playing on this disc. Clearly Miss Piket is possessed of a virtuoso two-handed technique that allows her to make melodies rise in parabolic arcs that vary from fluid and gentle to wild and spine-tingling. And we hear both kinds in songs such as “Humpty Dumpty” and “Conception” (the latter kind) and “Falling in Love with Love” and “Windmills of Your Mind” (the former kind).

However, more than anything the music on this recording is affirmation that Miss Piket ticks all the Romantic virtuoso boxes: sweeping tunes, kaleidoscopic orchestral colours, moments of lyrical reflection, passages of demanding chordal piano (writing and) playing. And it’s capped off with a soaring, epic and dancing finale that ends in triumphant swirling peals, performed to perfection by the pianist together with this extraordinary trio. And certainly one cannot emphasize this neo-Romanticism that brings out the contrasts in tone and colour turning each of these pieces into a seductively habitable sound world not only for Miss Piket but for all lovers of this music.

For it is like the gathering and welcome storm that emphasizes intense passion as an authentic source of aesthetic experience, placing ever-growing new emphasis on such emotions as apprehension and awe especially in confronting the sublimity and beauty of human nature. It elevates the folk art of Jazz to its rightful nobility stressing its spontaneity as a desirable characteristic (as in the musical impromptu). So that when assigning the justifiably high value to the achievements of “heroic” individualists and artists, it correctly locates Miss Piket, whose skill and great imagination is sublime, in the upper tier of artistry because her music heard here (and elsewhere) has indeed raised the very quality of the society in which we live.https://jazzdagama.com/music/roberta-piket-west-coast-trio/

Personnel: Roberta Piket: piano; Darek Oleszkiewicz: bass; Joe La Barbera: drums; Larry Koonse: guitar (3, 8); Billy Mintz: drums (5)

West Coast Trio

Kim Waters - That Special Touch

Styles: Smooth Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:08
Size: 99,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:11) 1. Joy Dance
(4:45) 2. House Call
(4:21) 3. Easy On Me
(5:03) 4. That Special Touch
(3:47) 5. Get Ur Groove On
(3:46) 6. If I Was Your Man
(3:58) 7. Listen To Your Heart
(4:19) 8. Morning Sunrise
(4:23) 9. Breathless
(4:31) 10. Pathway To Love

Kim Water's new album That Special Touch (2020) is his 25th recording and fifteenth CD for the Shanachie label. In contrast to his earlier recordings, he developed his musical ideas not in the studio but on the piano at home like he did on Shakedown. This concept has crystallized as productive.

Kim Waters is evolving into a multi-instrumentalist. He performs almost all instruments, but of course his focus is on the saxophone. Chris Harris plays the guitars, and his daughter Kayla guests on the track Easy On Me. With the exception of two covers, Kim wrote all the tunes himself.

The album opens with the emotional Joy Dance, which musically describes that feeling for which Kim's music stands, joy and love. “I think that everybody needs love. It’s something for certain that in today’s world, we need more of and if we had more of it, the world would be a better place,” explains Waters. Kim takes it up a notch with House Call. The goal is clear, the song should cause a sensation in clubs.

English singer Adele is known for writing and interpreting particularly heartwarming songs. Her song Easy On Me immediately caught the interest of Kim, who delivers a perfect rendition on the saxophone. Kim fosters a special relationship with his daughter Kayla. Her piano accompaniment reveals her extraordinary talent.

The title song That Special Touch has that Midas radiation immediately finding the attention of the listener. In the tradition of earlier R&B songs, Kim finds the approach to a contemporary interpretation. The drum programming of Get Ur Groove On is strongly reminiscent of the early songs of such formations as Al B Sure, Chuckii Booker or New Edition.

If I Was Your Man of the singer Bruno Mars is the second cover of the album. Kim cleverly uses the popularity of this hit to enrich his album with it. The rendition is featuring singer Raynard Gibson.

Also on his new album Kim follows the proven concept of putting the love relationship in the center of his musical performances. Listen To Your Heart, Breathless or The Pathway To Love are fashionable examples. Inspired by his fans, Kim Waters has nailed it again with That Special Touch. http://www.smooth-jazz.de/firstview/Waters/ThatSpecialTouch.htm

That Special Touch

Massimo Farao, Francesca Tandoi - The Double Piano Sessions, Vol. 2

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:40
Size: 176,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:54) 1. Beat's Up
(5:56) 2. Darn That Dream
(4:36) 3. F.S.R.
(5:02) 4. You Are My Everything
(3:56) 5. I'm Confessing That I Love You
(5:47) 6. If I Were a Bell
(6:40) 7. The Summer Wind
(4:17) 8. I Will Wait for You
(4:48) 9. O sole mio
(7:23) 10. Body and Soul
(6:25) 11. How Deep Is the Ocean
(6:10) 12. Bis Blues
(5:24) 13. Goodbye
(5:15) 14. Work Song

Francesca Tandoi started to play classical piano at an early age. After a few years she got very much interested in jazz music and became a big fan of swinging virtuoso piano players like, Oscar Peterson, Phyneas Newborn, Gene Harris, Bobby Timmons, and other musicians of that generation. She started her carrier as a teenager in Italy, especially in the jazz scene of Rome, her own city. She had the chance to play and perform with many great italian musicians, joining some of the most important italian jazz festivals all around the country. In 2009 she moved to the Netherlands and in 2013 she gradueted with a special mention at the “Royal Conservatory of The Hague” in jazz piano and singing.

After that she moved to the Conservatory of Rotterdam “Codarts” and got her Master degree in 2015 writing a thesis about “The art of rearranging jazz standards for jazz piano trio” . In Holland she started playing with some of the finest dutch and international jazz musicians and performed all around the world. Jazz festivals in Japan, Malesya, Indonesia, India. Tours all around Europe. Holland, Italy, Swiss, Germany, France, Belgium, Czech Republic, Greece, Ukraine. She also performed in many important jazz festivals as North sea jazz festival, Maastricht jazz festival, Breda jazz festival, Bosendorfer gala 2013, and many others, both as accompanist and as a leader of her trio. With her trio (Frits Landesbergen on drums and Frans van Geest on double bass) she recorded three CD's for a japanise label: Atelier Sawano For Elvira (2014) Something blue (2015) Wind Dance (2016) https://music.metason.net/artistinfo?name=Francesca%20Tandoi

The Double Piano Sessions, Vol. 2

Monday, February 6, 2023

Annie Ross - Autumn Rain in The City: Songs for a Rainy Day

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:11
Size: 76,9 MB
Art: Front

(2:10) 1. Manhattan
(2:19) 2. I Love Paris
(2:41) 3. Gypsy In My Soul
(2:15) 4. The Lady's In Love With You
(2:26) 5. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea
(2:22) 6. Don't Worry 'Bout Me
(2:26) 7. I've Told Every Little Star
(2:46) 8. 'T Ain't What You Do
(2:30) 9. Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone
(2:56) 10. Skylark
(3:22) 11. I Didn't Know About You
(4:52) 12. Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying

Annie Ross has been an abundant contributor to the art of jazz for over 50 years. Born in the UK, she has been a permanent resident of the USA for many years and a US citizen since 2001. The following are some highlights of what has been a long and illustrious career in jazz:

Annie Ross is one of the pioneers of vocalese and the composer of "Twisted", one of the most well known examples of that art, as well as "Farmers Market", "Jackie" and many others. A founding member of Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, considered the greatest jazz vocal ensemble of all time, her influence is present in all subsequent practitioners of vocalese. “Twisted“ has been recorded by a host of vocalists, including some not normally associated with jazz, including Joni Mitchell and Bette Midler.

Annie Ross toured in the 50’s with the extraordinary Lionel Hampton band that included Art Farmer, Clifford Brown, Gigi Gryce, and Quincy Jones. Ms. Ross has recorded with James Moody, Kenny Clarke, Milt Jackson, Harry Sweets Edison, the Count Basie band, Louis Armstrong, Gerry Mulligan, Art Farmer, Chet Baker and many more. In this variety of settings, she became known as a great jazz singer, masterful at ballads and up tempos, with the ability to swing hard, improvise and make every lyric meaningful and revealing.

As a child, Annie Ross entered a talent show on the radio accompanied by the Paul Whiteman Orchestra, which resulted an a six-month contract with MGM. She went to Hollywood at age eight where she appeared in "The Little Rascals" singing a jazz version of "Loch Lomond." At age eleven she appeared as Judy Garland’s sister in "Presenting Lily Mars." At age 14 she composed the song "Let's Fly", which was subsequently recorded by Johnny Mercer and Jo Stafford.

In Paris in the late 40’s, she met up with musicians involved in modern jazz, including James Moody, Kenny Clarke, Charlie Parker, Coleman Hawkins, Billy Strayhorn, and displayed an unerring ear and savvy sense of harmony, which was much appreciated. At 19, she recorded “Le Vent Vert” with Moody. Back in the U.S. at age 21 she recorded for Savoy, along with Clarke, Milt Jackson and Percy Heath. She worked on 52nd St. with Max Roach, Tommy Potter and George Wallington and subbed for Billie Holiday at the Apollo Theater. The original recordings of “Twisted” and “Farmer’s Market” were done in 1952 with Wallington on piano and Art Blakey on drums.

Annie Ross has continued to bring the essence of jazz to a broad spectrum of listeners internationally, by touring, through her recordings, conducting workshops, writing, and appearances in film, television and radio.

Currently, Annie Ross is living in New York and is still active as a jazz performer, having recently performed in New York, Scotland, and Spain as well as having recorded a new CD, Let Me Sing.https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/annie-ross

R.I.P.

Born: July 25, 1930, Mitcham, United Kingdom

Died: July 21, 2020, New York, New York, United

Autumn Rain in The City: Songs for a Rainy Day