Robin McKelle - Impressions of Ella

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:35
Size: 112,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:19) 1. Old Devil Moon
(2:49) 2. My One and Only
(5:51) 3. Lush Life
(2:50) 4. How High the Moon
(4:17) 5. I Won't Dance
(4:40) 6. Embraceable You
(7:01) 7. Do Nothing Til You Hear from Me
(4:37) 8. Robbin's Nest
(3:49) 9. Taking a Chance on Love
(4:46) 10. April in Paris
(3:31) 11. Soon

Versatile US vocalist ROBIN McKELLE is maybe best known in the UK for her still marvellous song, ‘Fairytale Ending’. It first appeared on her ‘Soul Flower’ album and when it was released as a stand alone 7” vinyl single on Expansion it became something of a modern soul favourite. That was back in 2012 and since then Robin has released lots more music across all kinds of genres more soul (remember ‘Heart Of Memphis?), country and Americana amongst them but for her brand new long player Ms McKelle returns to where she started in the business jazz. Her first forays into the world of recording were with jazz albums and now she returns to that genre though with a very particular focus. As the above title suggests, Robin’s new record is an unashamed tribute to the art of Ella Fitgerald… a singer whom Robin has often cited as her greatest influence.

Ms McKelle says: “The concept of the music of Ella came about because she was my first introduction to vocal jazz. I learned so much from her singing the style of her swing feel and her singing resonates [with] me.” Consequently, Robin has chosen 11 songs forever associated with Ella and to help her deliver her “impressions” she’s helped out by a stellar trio Kenny Washington on drums, bassist Peter Washington, and NEA Jazz Master Kenny Barron on piano. McKelle again: “I wasn’t intimidated to make music with them, but [their] résumés were like, ‘Wow!’ [Am I] going to be good enough? Are we going to connect? The exciting thing was having the opportunity to sing over them as a trio; that was such a huge joy.” And joy is evident right through the album. Singer and band gel and deliver with an optimism that only comes from players who just love to make the music they love.

The repertoire consists of plenty of well-known jazz standards (most given their definitive reading by Ms Fitzgerald). So enjoy 21st century takes on favourites like ‘Old Devil Moon’, ‘Lush Life’, ‘Taking A Chance On Love’ and ‘April In Paris’ but also listen up to new takes on lesser known items like the gentle ‘Soon’ and an obscure 1947 song, ‘Robbins Nest’. How could Robin McKelle ignore that one? And what a splendid job she makes of it full on scat in the best Ella Fitzgerald fashion.

Indeed throughout the album, Robin’s not overawed by the material or the iconic status of the singer she’s paying homage to. What an odyssey she’s been on since the late 1990s! ‘Impressions of Ella’ is Robin McKelle’s coming of age album. Her years of performing and recording now bear a generous, mature fruit. https://www.soulandjazzandfunk.com/reviews/robin-mckelle-impressions-of-ella-believe-naive/

Impressions of Ella

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Michele Calgaro - Full Score

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:59
Size: 146,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:25) 1. Short Wave
(5:21) 2. Blizzard
(6:56) 3. Letter To Evans
(5:15) 4. Full Score
(8:51) 5. Souvenirs
(9:42) 6. Live Score
(8:39) 7. Steppin' Zone
(5:45) 8. One For Hall
(6:07) 9. Querida
(1:53) 10. Arise

Michele Calgaro is very active both in teaching and performing, but a little less in recording, especially as a leader. But when he releases a new album, he always does it because he has something new and interesting to say. It took five years to bring back to the studio the quintet that gave us the excellent «Progressions» (2011, Caligola), and we had to wait four more to enjoy the result of this recording session, to which were added other four tunes recorded last year with a different rhythm section, this time a Russian one.

By his side there still are the energetic trumpeter Alex Sipiagin here composer of two songs too and the skilful saxophonist Robert Bonisiolo, both precious and tested adventure companions who, together with Michele, are also the only musicians who appear in all the nine tracks (Arise, the tenth, is a short and delicate guitar solo). «Full Score» is a deep and sincere record, varied and extremely coherent at the same time. If the start with Short Wave is burning to say the least, the atmosphere turns softer and rarefied in Letter to Evans, dedicated to Bill Evans; another successful tribute is paid to Jim Hall with One for Hall.

Michele Calgaro said about his work: “My writing almost always comes from interior aesthetics and stories, conceived for improvisation: a delicate balance, a stimulus for a collective story that also allows the expression of each identity, where the actions of interpretation and impromptu are the true substance of the songs… The luck of being able to walk these paths together with extraordinary musicians, who manage to naturally combine intensity and relaxation, is a priceless value added, and being able to impress some of these moments in a record makes the results of this surprising creative process repeatable and shareable to me…”.https://caligolarecords.bandcamp.com/album/full-score

Personnel: Michele Calgaro (guitars) on all tracks; Alex Sipiagin (trumpet, flugelhorn), Robert Bonisolo (tenor sax) on tracks 1–9; Lorenzo Calgaro (double bass), Mauro Beggio (drums) on tracks 1–5; Makar Novikov (double bass), Sasha Mashin (drums) on tracks 6–9.

Full Score

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Antonio Zambrini, Jesper Bodilsen, Martin Maretti Andersen - Incontro

Styles: Contemporary Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:54
Size: 114,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:48) 1. Incontro
(6:01) 2. Helping Hand
(4:39) 3. Long Ago and Far Away
(5:40) 4. Pat
(7:15) 5. Bolero de Sata
(5:32) 6. Lawns
(4:28) 7. Amaciado
(6:37) 8. Waiting
(5:50) 9. Romania

Jazz pianist and composer from Milan, Zambrini, has drawn the attention of critics and musicians, especially with his “songs,” published his several trios and quartet recordings, as well as reprised and played by various musicians in the jazz area. Trumpeter and composer Ron Horton had Zambrini guest in his Cd “It’s a gadget world,” recorded in New York in 2006, including some of Zambrini’s songs. Pianist Stefano Bollani opens with a tune by Zambrini, his solo album produced by ECM, the famous label in Germany, issued in 2006. Mr. Lee Konitz recorded a series of Zambrini’s tunes in a sequence of three CDs they realized together for the label “Philology” in 2008.

English pianist John Law dedicated to Zambrini’s music his cd “The moment” in 2002. Zambrini was a guest in several broadcastings by National Radio and he was for 7 years partner of Cineteca Italiana, Milan, improvising live piano soundtracks of silent movies.

More recent projects are regarding young guitarist Filippo Cosentino, with an out coming cd along with Jesper Bodilsen and Andrea Marcelli, a new trio with bass player Paolino Dalla Porta and French drummer Manhu Roche, a cd entitled "Dois Lugares," with the great Samba composer and performer Moacyr Luz. Several concerts in the last two years with this "Dois Lugares " project, led by Italian vocalist Francesca Ajmar and with Moacyr Luz himself, who wrote most of the music for this project.

Also, about Brasil, a long collaboration with the choir director from Sao Paulo, Martinho L. Galati De Olivera, Kept Zambrini through several concerts, finally in Sao Paulo in 2014, playing with some great names of that scene's music like Teco Cardoso, Lea Frerie, and Fabiana Cozza. https://www.antoniozambrini.com/album

Among others, Zambrini performed with Lee Konitz, Mark Murphy, William Parker, Tiziana Ghiglioni, Enrico Rava, Ron Horton, Nenna Frenlone, Hamid Drake, Claudio Fasoli, Tiziano Tononi, Ben Allison, Gabriele Mirabassi, Kyle Gregory, Rita Marcotulli, Javier Girotto, Eliot Zigmund, Jesper Bodilsen, Maria Pia De Vito, Pietro Tonolo, Manhu Roche, Paolino Dalla Porta, Andrea Marcelli, Fabrizio Bosso.

Incontro

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Gretchen Parlato & Lionel Loueke - Lean In

Styles: Vocal, Guitar
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:51
Size: 94,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:58) 1. Akwê
(5:03) 2. I Miss You
(4:27) 3. If I Knew (feat. Burniss Travis & Mark Guiliana)
(1:19) 4. Okagbé Interlude
(4:54) 5. Astronauta
(0:57) 6. Mi Wa Sé Interlude (feat. Marley Guiliana, Burniss Travis, Mark Guiliana)
(4:47) 7. Muse
(3:53) 8. Nonvignon
(4:49) 9. Lean in (feat. Mark Guiliana)
(4:16) 10. Painful Joy
(1:12) 11. Dù Wé Interlude (feat. Burniss Travis & Mark Guiliana)
(4:30) 12. Walking After You

With a voice as sweet and cool as a spring breeze, Gretchen Parlato would sound at home in any cozy jazz club from Paris to Sao Paulo. The sound of Lionel Loueke's voice and guitar is at least 60 percent rhythm, with his plucking and crooning having an innate percussive pulse running through it. Two decades of collaboration and close friendship are on display with Parlato and Loueke's first full duo-recording; Lean In shows the breadth of their globe-spanning interests and dazzling versatility, but most important is the heartfelt warmth through every moment.

The closeness is on display from the first minute, where the duo weave a catchy lead melody and begin scatting their way through the opener in flighty but clearly honed unison. They continue swooping and dipping up and down the scales through pop covers and eloquent originals alike. Loueke's guitar lines and vocal pops make the sound feel as full as that of a whole band already, but a delightfully simpatico rhythm section fills things out that much more in some well-chosen spots, percolating through wandering interludes and fetchingly slinky funk grooves alike.

The group makes a sunny whirl across practically the whole globe, bridging Benin with Brazil and singing in languages from three continents. Parlato's croon stays dreamy and appealing, even when singing of lost loves and ended relationships. Loueke coasts in step with equally fluid melodicism and unreserved cheer. It's a work all about connection, discovery and the simple joy of exploring together. By Geno Thackara https://www.allaboutjazz.com/lean-in-gretchen-parlato-edition-records

Personnel: Gretchen Parlato: voice / vocals; Lionel Loueke: guitar, acoustic.

Additional Instrumentation: Burniss Travis: bass; Mark Guiliana: drums.

Lean In

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Dr. John - The Montreux Years

Styles: Jazz Funk, Soul
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:53
Size: 181,7 MB
Art: Front

( 3:35) 1. Professor Longhair Boogie (Live at Casino Montreux 1986)
( 4:52) 2. You Ain't Such a Much (Live at Casino Montreux 1986)
( 3:30) 3. Sick and Tired (Live at Casino Montreux 1986)
( 4:11) 4. Stack-a-Lee (Live at Casino Montreux 1986)
( 3:51) 5. Accentuate the Positive (Live at Auditorium Stravinski 2007)
( 4:04) 6. Right Place Wrong Time (Live at Auditorium Stravinski 2004)
( 4:53) 7. Rain (Live at Auditorium Stravinski 2007)
(10:34) 8. Going Back to New Orleans (Live at Auditorium Stravinski 1993)
( 4:01) 9. Makin' Whoopee (Live at Auditorium Stravinski 1995)
( 7:18) 10. Big Chief (Live at Miles Davis Hall 2011)
( 7:35) 11. In a Sentimental Mood / Mississippi Mud / Happy Hard Times (Medley) (Live at Miles Davis Hall 2012)
( 8:34) 12. Love for Sale (Live at Auditorium Stravinski 2007)
( 6:07) 13. Let the Good Times Roll (Live at Auditorium Stravinski 1995)
( 5:41) 14. Good Night Irene (Live at Casino Montreux 1986)

New Orleans is considered the birthplace of jazz. In the late 1800s, the city was a melting pot of different cultures, including African, European, and Caribbean. This cultural diversity had a profound impact on the music of the city. The new sounds of Dixieland and ragtime became the foundation in the evolution of jazz. Artists such as Buddy Bolden, King Oliver, Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet and Jelly Roll Morton became the leaders of this new music.

It was the pianists who later became the heart and soul of the New Orleans style of music, combining many different aspects and genres into an increasingly diverse jazz gumbo soup. Pianists like Fats Domino, Allen Toussaint, Professor Longhair and James Booker continued that evolution. However, no musician epitomizes all the styles present in the history of New Orleans music like Dr. John (Mac Rebennack). Dr. John: The Montreux Years is a remarkable testament to both the breadth and talent he was able to convey, especially in a live setting. The 14 tracks on the album (recorded between 1986 and 2012) are a cumulative masterclass that showcases his diversity of style, all the while staying true to the essence of the New Orleans DNA evident in his playing and singing.

The album starts with four tracks from 1986 with Dr. John performing solo. First up is the instrumental boogie-woogie/barrelhouse piano of "Professor Longhair Boogie." This is followed by the bluesy piano and vocals of "You Ain't Such A Much" and the Fats Domino hit "Sick and Tired," also done as a boogie-woogie. The traditional "Stack-A-Lee" is also done in barrelhouse style and closes the solo mini-set.

The remaining songs are a potpourri of styles and ensembles backing the good doctor. There are old pop standards like "Accentuate the Positive" and "Love for Sale" The latter arrangement might be the most interesting one on the record. It starts with a bluesy bass line and wailing tenor sax before Dr. John comes in to somehow fit the melody over that backdrop. Toward the end of the song, he and guest Jon Cleary, lay down a talking, singing lyric over the bass vamping underneath. It is a great example of Dr. John's ability to adapt his style to any setting. As he remarks to the crowd after the song ends, "That ain't the way Cole Porter composed it, but it's damn sure the way we do it."

"Makin' Whoopie" and "Let The Good Times Roll" are from 1995 and are given stellar big-band arrangements. "Right Place, Wrong Time" from 2004 is here with a similar arrangement to the original. "Rain" is the ballad of the set. Lovingly played and sung, the song is reminiscent of Leon Russell's "A Song For You."

"Big Chief" from 2012 (see the YouTube video below) features Trombone Shorty and is the quintessential New Orleans stomp. Once again paying homage to the song's composer Professor Longhair, Dr. John showcases his piano skills in this joyful performance.

It is a solo rendition of the medley "In a Sentimental Mood/Mississippi Mud/Happy Hard Times" from 2011 that may be the most impressive track on the album. In its seven and a half minutes, he explores the history of New Orleans-style piano. The playing is simple but deep. It is subtle but expressive. It is not flashy but is profound.

A solo performance from 1986, Lead Belly's folk standard "Goodnight Irene," closes the album as it began. Dedicated to James Booker, it is a rollicking boogie-woogie stomper.

Lovingly curated by the Montreux Jazz Festival and overseen by founder Claude Nobs' partner, Thierry Amsallem, this is the tenth installment of The Montreux Years series. The whole album is a wonderful live compilation that shows the many facets of musicianship that made Dr. John the iconic figure he remains.By Dave Linn
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/dr-john-the-montreux-years-dr-john-bmg

Personnel: Dr. John: piano.

Additional Instrumentation: Dr. John: vocals; Dr. John: organ (6, 10), keyboards, guitar (10, 11); Jon Cleary: keyboards, vocals (11); Ronnie Cuber: baritone saxophone (8, 9, 13); tenor saxophone: Alvin "Red" Tyler (9, 13); saxophone: Derek Huston (11); saxophone: Eric Traub (8); trombone: Trombone Shorty (10); trombone: Sarah Morrow (11); trumpet: Charlie Miller (8, 9, 13); Bobby Broom: guitar (9, 13); Cranston Clements: guitar (8); John Fohl: guitar (5-7, 10, 11, 12); David Barard: bass (5-13); Herman "Roscoe" Ernest III: drums (5, 6, 9, 12); Fred Staehle: drums (8); Shannon Powell: drums (10); Raymond Weber: drums (11); percussion: Smiley Ricks (8, 9, 13).

The Montreux Years

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Billy Childs, Buster Williams, Carl Allen - Skim Coat

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:58
Size: 123.5 MB
Styles: Mainstream jazz, Piano jazz
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[4:02] 1. Surrey With The Fringe On Top
[5:49] 2. The Winds Of Change
[6:35] 3. You Don't Know What Love Is
[5:44] 4. Every Time We Say Good-Bye
[6:44] 5. Skim Coat
[7:28] 6. Heroes
[7:52] 7. Love Dance
[5:19] 8. Deja
[4:21] 9. Deceptacon

Skim Coat brings together three highly compatible players: Billy Childs (piano), Buster Williams (bass) and Carl Allen (drums). It’s a thoughtful but accessible modern jazz album—the perfect accompaniment to a pot of coffee and the Sunday newspaper. Metropolitan Records owner Stan Chovnick recruited this trio on the strength of its performance at a 1998 jazz educators conference in New York. A year later the educators were still buzzing about the band's appearance in the Big Apple, and it's easy to hear why. These three players share a special chemistry.

Childs’playing is often compared to Herbie Hancock’s, but the L.A. native has been carving out his own niche for some time now. He's a monster pianist, and his two songs here are high points on the album. Williams is an assertive bassist who’s played with Hancock, Sonny Stitt, Kenny Barron, Sarah Vaughan and dozens more. The veteran bassist contributes three diverse tunes to Skim Coat. Can't forget Allen, an experienced drummer in the Art Blakey mold who lends plenty of texture to these nine tracks. The trio creates a sense of unfolding emotion on these tunes, four of which are covers. "Surrey With the Fringe on Top" and Childs’ "The Winds of Change" are very different tracks, but each follows a similar pattern: Childs establishes the melodic theme before plunging into a spirited bop segment, which segues into a crisp response from Williams. Allen pushes a strong undercurrent before Childs restates the theme. "Surrey" is recognizable but bop-oriented, with a hint of Bud Powell.

"You Don’t Know What Love Is" is given a heady post-bop treatment. The title track is a skittery number with varying tempos and unexpected turns. The trio plays it straight on Cole Porter's "Every Time We Say Goodbye," a gorgeous slow waltz. Bass solos seldom thrill me, but Buster Williams delivers a real beauty here, and all of his solos on Skim Coat are intense but direct. Williams' composition "Deja" is a radiant reverie, and the CD closes with his fast bop ramble "Deceptacon."

Childs impresses throughout. He communicates the comfortable essence of each melody before escorting the listener to different stimulating places. Childs is a piano man to watch closely in the 2000s. As a soundtrack for meditative relaxation, Skim Coat is hard to beat. This is substantive mainstream jazz delivered from the heart. ~Ed Kopp

Skim Coat

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Oscar Castro-Neves - Playful Heart

Styles: Vocal And Guitar Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:43
Size: 128,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:02)  1. Waters Of March
(2:52)  2. Groovin' High/Whispering
(3:48)  3. Watch What Happens
(3:46)  4. My Foolish Heart
(4:29)  5. Manha De Carnaval/Prelude #3
(4:23)  6. Four Brothers
(4:43)  7. The Fool On The Hill
(3:17)  8. Lorry's Swing/Autumn Leaves
(4:38)  9. Send In The Clowns
(4:00) 10. Everything Happens To Me
(4:48) 11. Twenty Year Love Affair
(5:32) 12. Wave
(6:21) 13. Caruso

The beloved Brazilian guitar legend's resumé is so chock-full of varied musical experiences  jazz, pop, film scoring, ten years with Sergio Mendes that his brilliant solo efforts can't help but include informal homages to different eras of his life. He starts out here getting straight to the heart of the matter, paying tribute to his fellow countryman Antonio Carlos Jobim with a self-contained plucky guitar/vocal duet of "Waters of March," which includes spirited scat passages. He moves into samba mode for a lively medley of Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker tunes, "Groovin' High/Whispering," deferring to Toots Thielemans' always engaging harmonica for melody as he harmonizes gently; then they switch roles. His other medley is a wilder, more percussive mix of a standard and an original, "Lorry's Swing/Autumn Leaves." 

Mixing modes, tempos, and moods, he mines standards ("Watch What Happens," "My Foolish Heart") and Brazilian classics (more by Jobim and Luiz Bonfá), and offers a dreamy take on "The Fool on the Hill," the Beatles song that Mendes made a famous cover of. No matter the rhythm pattern, outside percussion influence, or ensemble contribution (Don Grusin and Gary Meek make notable contributions), the soul of each tune is Castro-Neves' precise, melodic strings. From the diversity of this disc, it's clear he has a lot of beautiful memories to play with. ~ Jonathan Widran  http://www.allmusic.com/album/playful-heart-mw0000323776

Personnel : Oscar Castro-Neves (vocals, keyboards, guitar, bass); Gary Meek (winds); Toots Thielemans (harmonica); Don Grusin (piano); Calos Del Rosario (bass, drums, percussion); Charlie Bisharat.

Playful Heart

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Tony Kofi - Future Passed

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:59
Size: 150,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:20)  1. The Journey
(4:55)  2. Suibokuga
(5:17)  3. Zambia
(4:22)  4. A Song For Pappa Jack
(6:34)  5. As We Speak
(7:47)  6. Blue Pavel
(5:29)  7. The Eternal Thinker
(7:04)  8. Jubilation (For Boo)
(9:45)  9. Brotherhood
(3:14) 10. April The 13th
(4:40) 11. This Dream Of Mine (For MJ)
(1:27) 12. We Out

Though its nuances may not be readily apparent online, the back and front sleeve art for Future Passed, London saxophonist and ex-Tomorrow's Warrior Tony Kofi's second album as leader, is reminiscent of the time-travelling cover of Curtis Counce's 1958 recalibration of hard bop, Exploring The Future. There are no astronauts on Kofi's sleeve, true, but the retro TV console, its 1960s design inspired by NASA space helmets, and the deep space panorama surrounding it, suggest a similar restlessness with present time and space. There are musical parallels, too: both albums grow out of, but are not constrained by, the hard bop codifications of the late 1950s. But while Exploring The Future was an attempt to fast-forward out of the era, Future Passed is concerned with recapturing its passion and hard driving swing. The album is an authentic recreation of the neon-lit soul-jazz of the period, flickering with glimpses of Jimmy Smith, Cannonball Adderley, Lee Morgan and Hank Mobley, and co-starring the full fat B3 Hammond of Anders Olinder, a young Swede who belies his professorial appearance by playing like he cut his teeth backing up Willis "Gator" Jackson in tent shows. All of the tunes are Kofi originals, distinctive but deep in the tradition.

Greasy and hard swinging, as far retro as ever can be, it's the real deal. But that's only part of the album's appeal, for the eloquence of Kofi's playing be it ecstatic, meditative, funky, pretty or sorrowful can take the music beyond genre, into the timeless verities of the jazz continuum. The band is dynamite, too. Along with Olinders, who crackles and burns from start to finish, Kofi has assembled a formidable team of young London lions, including fellow ex-Tomorrow's Warriors Robert Fordjour on drums, happy most of the time to stay out of the spotlight and drive the engine, and guest trumpeter Byron Wallen, who steps forward magnificently on the boppish "The Journey" and with elegaic tenderness on Kofi's memorial to his father, "A Song For Pappa Jack." In his own, less spectacular and more rootical way, Kofi is as important and to-be-treasured a player and composer as his contemporaries who are pushing back the boundaries via electronica, through-composition and infusions of rap, folk, world musics, minimalism, whatever. ~ Chris May https://www.allaboutjazz.com/future-passed-tony-kofi-specific-jazz-review-by-chris-may.php

Personnel: Tony Kofi: alto, soprano, baritone saxophones; Anders Olinder: B3 Hammond Organ; Robert Fordjour: drums; Byron Wallen: trumpet (1,3,4); Cameron Pierre: guitar (5,8-10); Donald Gamble: percussion (3,8).

Future Passed

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Ute Lemper - Time Traveler

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:50
Size: 94,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:06) 1. Time Traveler
(4:40) 2. In My Flame
(3:58) 3. Moving On
(4:36) 4. Magical Stone
(4:53) 5. At the Reservoir
(4:09) 6. Little Face - the Sequel
(3:45) 7. Man with No Face
(3:23) 8. Envie D'Amour
(3:29) 9. Cry in the Dark
(3:46) 10. The Gift

With Time Traveler Ute Lemper accomplishes the unusual feat that, for listeners, the 23 years which lie between the individual songs aren't obvious at all. The present in the past and the past in the present merge as if by osmosis. With her new album, Ute Lemper emancipates herself musically from all categories. Depending on socialization and personal preferences one can hear these songs as pop, rock, jazz, soul or chanson, all of these at once, or simply just as Ute Lemper.

She is no longer ready to live up to any expectations, but rather draws inspiration from songs that she herself enjoys listening to. This includes references to artists and bands like Hiatus Kaiyote, John Legend, Joni Mitchell, Sarah McLachlan, Annie Lennox, Erykah Badu or Robert Glasper but without attempting to copy any of them. All songs are one hundred percent Ute Lemper. In some pieces she takes risks in terms of production and sound, initially luring the listener onto a completely wrong path, such as in the title track; in others she conceals small surprising details in the production, putting the songs, herself and not least of all the auditory perception to the test over and over again.

Time Traveler is a very personal album, but its message extends far beyond Ute's own life experience. With Time Traveler, Ute Lemper has given a wonderful gift to herself. And yet, first and foremost, it is an album that functions like a signpost. In the unsparing self-honesty with which, in a most accessible way, Ute Lemper reflects on her life, it's possible for most listeners to find themselves as well. Also available is Ute Lemper's fantastic tribute to Marlene Dietrich Ute Lemper - Rendezvous With Marlene SKU. By Editorial Review https://www.amazon.com/Time-Traveler-Ute-Lemper/dp/B0BYPM51LS

Time Traveler

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Roxy Coss - Disparate Parts

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:51
Size: 238,0 MB
Art: Front

(1:09) 1. February (Take 3)
(6:35) 2. Part I: The Body
(6:02) 3. Part II: The Mind
(4:42) 4. Part III: The Heart
(6:19) 5. Part IV: The Spirit
(1:06) 6. February (Take 5)
(5:56) 7. Disparate Parts
(7:26) 8. Ely, MN
(1:17) 9. February (Take 1)
(6:34) 10. Mabes
(5:50) 11. Sunburn
(1:41) 12. February (Take 4)
(5:48) 13. Warm One
(1:21) 14. February (Take 2)

Let's just get thing one out into the open right away: Disparate Parts has plenty of balls to spare.

Saxophonist Roxy Coss' acute, teasingly biting tone and rich, no boundaries disposition to composing and jamming has placed her high in the generational echelon of new and challenging players. She willingly and unapologetically blends and blurs the lines to suit any and all missives, and the fourteen fireballs heard loud and clear on Disparate Parts broach nothing less. Commandeering the same team of trusted cohorts that broke sharply into view on 2018's impactful The Future Is Female (Posi-Tone) and 2019's fiercely defining Quintet (Outside In) guitarist Alex Wintz, pianist/keyboardist Miki Yamanaka, bassist Rick Rosato and drummer Jimmy Macbride hold no bars as they charge headlong into the ever cresting Disparate Parts.

Coss, seven months pregnant and ready to rumble with the best of them at recording time, opens the set briskly with "February (Take 3)," only to enter a vaguer formlessness which serves as the launch pad for the explosive "The Body." Hitting hard and often, the track crunches like classic grunge only to give way to a succession of romping, bandstand hand-offs. But Coss and company quickly pull the rug out, as Wintz blasts into a feverish slicing solo. It is startling! It is exhilarating! It is the great noise of young humans breaking from the folly of their warring elders who have locked them down for two whole years.

"The Mind" swirls into consciousness as if working its own equilibrium from the monumental track before it. With her Rhodes geared to overdrive, Yamanaka carries the tune like Chick Corea, like Herbie Hancock, like Joe Zawinul in grand fusion fervor. Coss telegraphs over Yamanaka's insistence as Macbride and Rosato drive and drive and drive. "The Heart" and "The Spirit," the last two entries to Coss's conceived suite, culminate in yet another singular Wintz solo as Coss implores or her soprano and the rhythm section washes over it all.

The full-on, hard bop animated title track finds Coss's strident solo serving to blow clear the way for Wintz's fleet fingered filigree and even shimmering Rhodes work by Yamanaka, who seems particularly charged up on this set. But truth be told and with such stunning evidence as Wintz's prosaic "Ely, MN," Yamanaka's "Sunburn," where Wintz and Coss are absolutely heroic in their playing and 3/4 timed tribute to Harold Mabern, "Mabes," and Macbride's reflexive, "Warm One" that can be said for one and all, which makes Disparate Parts as complete and forceful a statement as it can humanly be. By Mike Jurkovic https://www.allaboutjazz.com/disparate-parts-roxy-coss-outside-in-music

Personnel: Roxy Coss: saxophone, tenor; Alex Wintz: guitar; Miki Yamanaka: piano; Rick Rosato: bass, acoustic; Jimmy Macbride: drums.

Disparate Parts

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Tony Kofi Quartet - Silent Truth

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:24
Size: 124,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:27)  1. Giants
(4:11)  2. Dante
(4:54)  3. Cicada
(5:16)  4. First Breath
(6:50)  5. If I Spoke My Mind
(6:49)  6. Oont
(5:00)  7. Unremoved
(7:30)  8. Inner Truth
(3:19)  9. Disharmony
(5:04) 10. Bishop's Move

Saxophonist Tony Kofi is that increasingly rare thing on the British jazz scene, a player who didn't spend three years "learning" the music at an academic institution, but who discovered it, and developed his gift for it, mostly on the bandstand. True, Kofi did once spend a year at Berklee College of Music on a full scholarship, but the bulk of his learning curve came earlier, in workshops and on gigs in his hometown, Nottingham, and later, in the real-world finishing schools of the London-based Jazz Warriors and Tomorrow's Warriors. As he tells it, Kofi came to the alto saxophone, his main instrument, via a near miracle. Having left school, he was working as an apprentice carpenter on a building site. One day, he fell three floors through the empty shell of the building. He should have died, but didn't and on the way down his mind flashed on a brilliantly illuminated alto. Kofi knew that, if he survived, the alto was his destiny. The Silent Truth is Kofi's third album as leader, following Plays Monk (All Is Know) (Specific Jazz, 2004), which featured the same quartet on a set of Thelonious Monk compositions, and Future Passed (Specific Jazz, 2006), a brilliant, irresistible celebration of late 1950s/early 1960s saxophone/organ groove combos. This time, Kofi's urgent, testifying alto played in a heavily vocalized style peopled by the likes of Charlie Parker, Lou Donaldson, Cannonball Adderley, Earl Bostic and Dudu Pukwana is featured on a set of band originals generally, but not exclusively, inspired by the more visceral end of the hard bop of the 1960s. The exceptions are pianist Jonathan Gee's acerbic "Disharmony" and lovely Pat Metheny-esque ballad "Cicada," and bassist Ben Hazleton's pretty "Oont," on which Kofi plays soprano. Most of the tempos are up, as established with the swinging funk of Kofi's opening "Giants," in which his riffing, multi-tracked horns trade hard-driving fours with drummer Winston Clifford. But even when the pace is more measured, as on "Cicada," "Oont" and the intimate, after-hours vibe of Kofi's "First Breath," it feels like everything could boil over at a moment's notice. Kofi solos with his trademark soulful lyricism, and gives plenty of solo time to the outstanding Gee, here most frequently in Horace Silver/Bobby Timmons/Les McCann sanctified funk mode. If the parameters, as on Kofi's previous albums, are mostly retro, the impact of the music is again wholly of today. Kofi deals not so much with the past as with the eternal truths of jazz music swing, in-the-moment lyricism, the lust for life and he continues to find compelling ways to express them. His albums are heartfelt, unpretentious explosions of joy, and precisely what the doctor ordered. ~ Chris May https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-silent-truth-tony-kofi-specific-jazz-review-by-chris-may.php

Personnel: Tony Kofi: alto, soprano and baritone saxophones; Jonathan Gee: piano; Ben Hazleton: double-bass; Winston Clifford: drums.

Silent Truth

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Mike Clark - Mike Clark Plays Herbie Hancock

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:14
Size: 106,4 MB
Art: Front

(7:18) 1. Toys
(7:10) 2. Speak Like A Child
(4:01) 3. Dual Force
(7:17) 4. Dolphin Dance
(5:24) 5. Sorcerer
(5:31) 6. Chan's Song Never Said
(5:55) 7. Empty Pockets
(3:34) 8. Actual Proof

The music of Herbie Hancock has affected the lives of generations of jazz performers. Like many of these musicians, it was the opportunity to play with the great pianist/composer that introduced the great drummer Mike Clark to the jazz world at large. To show his appreciation, Clark presents a selection of his favorite Hancock pieces performed with a trio on his new recording, Mike Clark Plays Herbie Hancock.

Mike Clark was a burgeoning professional drummer in the Bay Area during the late 1960s. He regularly played post-bop gigs with Woody Shaw and Bobby Hutcherson, but it was in organ trios and funky gigs with his friend, bassist Paul Jackson, that really cemented Clark’s standing on the scene.

At the time, Hancock’s ground-breaking, electric Mwandishi ensemble broke up due to financial constraints. Hancock began to regroup a smaller, funkier ensemble and hired Jackson. Hancock initially had Harvey Mason for the drum chair, but his work constraints wouldn’t allow him to join. Jackson recommended Clark for the group and the Headhunters were born.

Clark’s tenure with Hancock and the Headhunters broke the drummer into the jazz consciousness and allowed him to do some revolutionary things on his instrument. Eventually, the pull of acoustic jazz playing was too much for Clark to deny and he settled in New York City and joined its incredible jazz scene. Clark remains indebted to Hancock for opening the door to a wider audience. Hancock also introduced Clark to the study of Buddhism.

Though he was known for his association with some of Hancock’s funkiest music, it was the sophisticated contemporary sounds of Hancock’s 1960s Blue Note recordings that Clark appreciated most. Clark knew that if he recorded any of his former boss’s music, it would be these pieces that he would love to take on.

Once Clark decided he wanted to go for the project, he knew just the musicians he would incorporate in a trio. Bassist Leon Lee Dorsey and pianist Jon Davis have been longtime collaborators, open to any stylistic challenge and, mostly importantly, they always swing. It just so happened that Dorsey had studio time available at Manhattan Sky Studio in New York City at the beginning of June 2022, where the trio convened and recorded a program of Hancock tunes in one or two takes, apiece.

The pieces the trio selected for the recording were pared down from a longer list of pieces they considered. Interestingly, the majority of the pieces come from Hancock’s mid to late 1960s releases on Blue Note, the outliers being “Empty Pockets” from 1962 and Buster Williams’s “Dual Force (Firewater)” from Hancock’s The Prisoner.

The recording begins with a stately version of “Toys,” Davis taking a sweeping approach on the classic from Hancock’s 1968 album, Speak Like a Child, that Clark has been playing since he was a teenager. From the same album, “Speak Like a Child,” is a gorgeously insistent piece that seems to play itself. Buster Williams’s grooving “Dual Force” provides a fantastic harmonic bed for the trio to explore. Davis’s brave suggestion to perform the highly played chestnut “Dolphin Dance” as a ballad stimulated the trio into a unique and wonderful performance.

Hancock’s “The Sorcerer” was another piece that Clark just had to play on the recording because of its sophisticated, harmonic approach. Composed for the 1980 movie Round Midnight, Stevie Wonder and Hancock’s “Chan Song” is reborn with a shuffle arrangement at the suggestion of Davis, harking back to Clark’s days of playing with blues legends during a period in Texas. The original Takin’ Off version of “Empty Pockets” remains a Clark favorite and he finds himself swinging like his hero, Billy Higgins, on the trio’s updated take. The recording concludes with “Actual Proof,” a piece that Clark provided the original drum beat on for Thrust. Here the trio takes another approach, stripping the piece down, making it more conceptual and angular.

The singular experience that Mike Clark received playing with Herbie Hancock does not outweigh the influence of the legendary pianist’s compositional gifts to Clark’s musical world. The great drummer chose to honor Hancock by playing pieces that continue to inspire him on his new Mike Clark Plays Herbie Hancock.

Personnel: Mike Clark - drums; Jon Davis - piano; Leon Lee Dorsey - bass

Mike Clark Plays Herbie Hancock

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Jack Jezzro - Guitar By Candlelight

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:27
Size: 102,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:03) 1. I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good
(3:26) 2. Make Someone Happy
(3:48) 3. Solitude
(3:24) 4. Autumn Leaves
(4:19) 5. Cheek To Cheek
(3:21) 6. I've Grown Acustomed To Her Face
(3:07) 7. Lady Be Good
(3:54) 8. Darn That Dream
(2:51) 9. Moonglow
(4:16) 10. Body And Soul
(4:06) 11. Sweet Lorraine
(3:46) 12. The Nearness Of You

Grammy nominated guitarist, bassist and producer Jack Jezzro has been one of Nashville's most versatile performers and studio musicians for over 30 years. He has appeared on many award-winning recordings and has numerous albums as an artist to his credit. His vast guitar discography as a recording artist includes the critically acclaimed Jazz Elegance and Brazilian Nights recordings along with the Grammy nominated A Day's Journey album. By Editorial Reviews
https://www.amazon.com/Guitar-Candlelight-Jack-Jezzro/dp/B00SJ9UG3U

Guitar By Candlelight

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Count Basie - Basie Meets Bond

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:35
Size: 94,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:01)  1. 007
(3:45)  2. The Golden Horn
(3:37)  3. Girl Trouble
(2:26)  4. Kingston Calypso
(4:06)  5. Goldfinger
(4:02)  6. Thunderball
(4:15)  7. From Russia With Love
(3:58)  8. Dr. No's Fantasy
(3:38)  9. Underneath The Mango Tree
(3:49) 10. The James Bond Theme
(3:54) 11. Dr. No's Fantasy - First Version

Leave it to one of the most swinging big bands of its time to make a silk purse out of a cow’s ear. Visiting themes from James Bond movies, arrangers Chico O’Farrill and George Williams craft hip and bristling versions of what might appear to be less than complimentary pieces for jazz exploration. But then O’Farrill was a master writer and he proved that this Bond thing wasn’t just a fluke when a year later in 1966 he helped to develop the catchy Basie's Beatles Bag. With its low sputtering bones and lively cowbell taps, “Kingston Calypso” is typical of the transformation with strains of “Three Blind Mice” worked in just for fun. “Dr. No’s Fantasy” gets things blaring from the git-go as drummer Sonny Payne’s swaggering backbeat pushes further and further, Basie injecting those sparse few notes here and there with characteristic élan.

And those are just two highlights among many, not to mention the boisterous and characteristic statements of tenor man Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis. Originally issued on the United Artists label, Basie Meets Bond can be recommended without reservation despite what might seem like the misguided intentions of some marketing exec. ~ C.Andrew Hovan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/basie-meets-bond-count-basie-capitol-records-review-by-c-andrew-hovan.php?width=1920

Personnel: Count Basie (piano); Al Aarons, Sonny Cohn, Wallace Davenport, Phil Guilbeau (trumpets); Henderson Chambers, Al Grey, Grover Mitchell (trombones); Bill Hughes (bass trombone); Marshall Royal (alto saxophone); Bobby Plater (alto saxophone & flute); Eric Dixon (tenor saxophone & flute); Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis (tenor saxophone);Charlie Fowlkes (baritone saxophone & bass clarinet); Freddie Green (guitar); Norman Keenen(bass); Sonny Page (drums) 

Basie Meets Bond

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Sharp Little Bones Feat. Tony Kofi - Volumes I & II

Styles: Contemporary Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 80:54
Size: 186,6 MB
Art: Front

(7:05) 1. Ury Bop
(5:14) 2. Layli's Lullaby
(4:41) 3. Stranger Danger
(3:23) 4. Brie en Croute
(4:45) 5. Chromatose
(7:39) 6. Hiddenness
(7:58) 7. Downfall
(5:49) 8. Roo's Blues
(5:42) 9. Mackerel Sky
(8:22) 10. Troll Stroll
(6:58) 11. Sorceress
(6:07) 12. Trailblazing
(7:05) 13. Blue Finger

A blockbuster double album of entirely new, exciting music recorded during the hottest two days of summer 2022 and following their recent sell-out shows, Sharp Little Bones (Volumes I & II) captures the energy, virtuosity, and soul of the house trio of Peggy's Skylight (a multi-award-winning jazz venue). Joined by MOBO-nominated, multi-BBC Jazz and Parliamentary Jazz Awards winner Tony Kofi, they are a quartet of virtuosos playing brand-new compositions that reach deep within but far beyond the jazz canon.

Their sound has a fresh, contemporary appeal: live acoustic forces rooted in bebop and blues, embellished with tasteful electronics and warm, analogue synth textures: an eclectic audio melting pot of jazz, funk, blues, and bop; beautiful bass-led melodies, spacious ballads, spiritual and expansive atmospheres, hard swingers, and groove-led pieces packed full of vibe, with room for expressive solos and group-led improvisation within well-crafted, melodic writing and tight, rhythmical arrangements.

Personnel: Tony Kofi Tenor Sax; Simon Paterson Upright and Electric Bass; Paul Deats Piano, Rhodes and Synthesiser; Andrew Wood Drums

Volumes I & II

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Chris Standring - The Lovers Remix Collection

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:55
Size: 119,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:05) 1. Sensual Overload
(6:12) 2. Liquid Soul
(4:33) 3. Kaleidoscope
(4:19) 4. Albatross
(4:29) 5. Moon Child
(4:40) 6. Contemplation
(4:15) 7. Yesterday's Heaven
(4:44) 8. Another Train
(5:21) 9. Heart of the Matter
(5:49) 10. Gentle Persuasion
(3:23) 11. Reflection

Ultimate Vibe Recordings presents an eleven track set of Chris Standring's most popular chilled out songs with The Lovers Remix Collection, all reworked for 2023 and bristling with his unique and soulful R&B/jazz stylings. Featuring such fan faves as Kaleidoscope and Liquid Soul, this sensual collection of songs sets the mood for any romantic occasion.

Eleven-time Billboard chart topping guitarist Chris Standring wanted to do something special to commemorate his 25th anniversary as a solo recording artist. While his contemporary jazz-based catalogue is comprised of a variety of tones, tempos and textures from instrumental pop and improvisational jazz to soul powered funk and romantic ballads - the requests that he receives most from fans conveys their ardent affection for his chill grooves, seeding the concept for “The Lovers Remix Collection.” On the set arriving June 9 from Ultimate Vibe Recordings, Standring revisits ten songs from his original songbook along with one new track, a bluesy, country twang meets electronic jazz version of Peter Green’s “Albatross,” a personal favorite from when he was growing up in England.

Standring plays electric or nylon string guitar on the collection, exhibiting alacritous dexterity, impassioned precision and virtuoso technique while reimagining some of his most popular tunes, putting a completely different spin on lesser-known numbers, and applying fresh varnish to the mix on a few selections that, with time and distance from when they were originally recorded, “deserved a different take.” Known for imbuing a retro 1970s nuance to his recordings, “The Lovers Remix Collection” sounds futuristic and state of the art, has a mesmerizing vibey feel and a chill jazz ambiance. And yes, the project definitely has a visceral sensual allure.

“When I conceived this project, I wanted it to be the ultimate make out music for a romantic occasion. But don't let me put ideas in your head. I just make the music,” laughed the Los Angeles-based Standring who remixed the album entirely on his own. https://www.chrisstandring.com/lovers-remix-collection-album.html

The Lovers Remix Collection

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Lee Konitz meets Antonio Zambrini Trio - Standardslee, Chapter 2

Styles: Saxophone And Piano Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:42
Size: 176,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:59) 1. Diane
(6:04) 2. Get out of Town
(8:35) 3. For All We Know
(9:57) 4. Don't Explain
(6:54) 5. Just in Time
(5:42) 6. For Heaven's Sake
(7:06) 7. A Ghost of a Chace
(7:43) 8. Sil-Lee
(5:37) 9. Check Lee
(6:43) 10. Diane (Alternate)
(7:16) 11. Darn that Dream (Take 1)

Jazz pianist and composer from Milan, Zambrini, has drawn the attention of critics and musicians, especially with his “songs,” published his several trios and quartet recordings, as well as reprised and played by various musicians in the jazz area.

Trumpeter and composer Ron Horton had Zambrini guest in his Cd “It’s a gadget world,” recorded in New York in 2006, including some of Zambrini’s songs. Pianist Stefano Bollani opens with a tune by Zambrini, his solo album produced by ECM, the famous label in Germany, issued in 2006.

Mr. Lee Konitz recorded a series of Zambrini’s tunes in a sequence of three CDs they realized together for the label “Philology” in 2008. English pianist John Law dedicated to Zambrini’s music his cd “The moment” in 2002. Zambrini was a guest in several broadcastings by National Radio and he was for 7 years partner of Cineteca Italiana, Milan, improvising live piano soundtracks of silent movies.

More recent projects are regarding young guitarist Filippo Cosentino, with an out coming cd along with Jesper Bodilsen and Andrea Marcelli, a new trio with bass player Paolino Dalla Porta and French drummer Manhu Roche, a cd entitled "Dois Lugares," with the great Samba composer and performer Moacyr Luz. Several concerts in the last two years with this "Dois Lugares " project, led by Italian vocalist Francesca Ajmar and with Moacyr Luz himself, who wrote most of the music for this project.

Also, about Brasil, a long collaboration with the choir director from Sao Paulo, Martinho L. Galati De Olivera, Kept Zambrini through several concerts, finally in Sao Paulo in 2014, playing with some great names of that scene's music like Teco Cardoso, Lea Frerie, and Fabiana Cozza.

Among others, Zambrini performed with Lee Konitz, Mark Murphy, William Parker, Tiziana Ghiglioni, Enrico Rava, Ron Horton, Nenna Frenlone, Hamid Drake, Claudio Fasoli, Tiziano Tononi, Ben Allison, Gabriele Mirabassi, Kyle Gregory, Rita Marcotulli, Javier Girotto, Eliot Zigmund, Jesper Bodilsen, Maria Pia De Vito, Pietro Tonolo, Manhu Roche, Paolino Dalla Porta, Andrea Marcelli, Fabrizio Bosso.
https://www.antoniozambrini.com/album

Personnel: Alto Saxophone – Lee Konitz; Piano, Liner Notes – Antonio Zambrini; Double Bass – Ares Tavolazzi; Drums – Massimo Manz

Standardslee, Chapter 2

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Aretha Franklin - Unforgettable: A Tribute To Dinah Washington

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1964
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:15
Size: 90,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:40) 1. Unforgettable
(4:34) 2. Cold, Cold Heart
(3:29) 3. What A Difference A Day Made
(3:27) 4. Drinking Again
(5:09) 5. Nobody Knows The Way I Feel This Morning
(2:39) 6. Evil Gal Blues
(2:44) 7. Don't Say You're Sorry Again
(4:32) 8. This Bitter Earth
(3:35) 9. If I Should Lose You
(2:18) 10. Soulville
(3:02) 11. Lee Cross

Since her youth Franklin had admired Dinah Washington, and it's a safe bet that the level of emotional commitment Washington brought to her work was a major influence on the blossoming style of Aretha, not to mention Washington's effortless sense of swing. Shortly before she died, Washington took appreciate notice of her acolyte as well. So Aretha's tribute to Washington is as logical as it is satisfying.

Recorded when Aretha was just 21, UNFORGETTABLE is somewhat of a departure from her more R&B-oriented early work. However, the string arrangements of Johnny Mersey adn the jazzy bass work of George Duvivier mesh perfectly with Franklin's high-flying vocal fireworks. From the slow, subtle caress of "What a Difference a Day Made" to the organ-led blues of "Nobody Knows the Way I Feel This Morning," the young Aretha is in total command of the material here, simultaneously paying homage to and progressing from the influence of Washington. By AllMusic
https://www.allmusic.com/album/unforgettable-a-tribute-to-dinah-washington-mw0000123999

Unforgettable: A Tribute To Dinah Washington

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Astrud Gilberto - The Collection

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:30
Size: 95.0 MB
Styles: Bossa Nova, Latin jazz vocals
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[2:51] 1. Corcovado (Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars)
[2:11] 2. Once I Loved
[6:31] 3. The Girl From Ipanema
[1:49] 4. Bim Bom
[2:45] 5. How Insensitive
[2:44] 6. Felicidade
[1:55] 7. Manha De Carnaval
[2:22] 8. Fly Me To The Moon
[1:59] 9. Dreamer
[2:53] 10. Light My Fire
[2:55] 11. O Morro
[2:39] 12. Meditation (Meditação)
[2:39] 13. Dindi
[2:49] 14. Beach Samba
[2:21] 15. Berimbau

The honey-toned chanteuse on the surprise Brazilian crossover hit "The Girl From Ipanema," Astrud Gilberto parlayed her previously unscheduled appearance (and professional singing debut) on the song into a lengthy career that resulted in nearly a dozen albums for Verve and a successful performing career that lasted into the '90s. Though her appearance at the studio to record "The Girl From Ipanema" was due only to her husband João, one of the most famed Brazilian artists of the century, Gilberto's singular, quavery tone and undisguised naïveté propelled the song into the charts and influenced a variety of sources in worldwide pop music.

Born in Bahia, Gilberto moved to Rio de Janeiro at an early age. She'd had no professional musical experience of any kind until 1963, the year of her visit to New York with her husband, João Gilberto, in a recording session headed by Stan Getz. Getz had already recorded several albums influenced by Brazilian rhythms, and Verve teamed him with the cream of Brazilian music, Antonio Carlos Jobim and João Gilberto, for his next album. Producer Creed Taylor wanted a few English vocals for maximum crossover potential, and as it turned out, Astrud was the only Brazilian present with any grasp of the language. After her husband laid down his Portuguese vocals for the first verse of his and Jobim's composition, "The Girl From Ipanema," Astrud provided a hesitant, heavily accented second verse in English.

Not even credited on the resulting LP, Getz/Gilberto, Astrud finally gained fame over a year later, when "The Girl From Ipanema" became a number five hit in mid-1964. The album became the best-selling jazz album up to that point, and made Gilberto a star across America. Before the end of the year, Verve capitalized on the smash with the release of Getz Au Go Go, featuring a Getz live date with Gilberto's vocals added later. Her first actual solo album, The Astrud Gilberto Album, was released in May 1965. Though it barely missed the Top 40, the LP's blend of Brazilian classics and ballad standards proving quite infectious with easy listening audiences.

Though she never returned to the pop charts in America, Verve proved to be quite understanding for Astrud Gilberto's career, pairing her with ace arranger Gil Evans for 1966's Look to the Rainbow and Brazilian organist/arranger Walter Wanderley for the dreamy A Certain Smile, a Certain Sadness, released later that year. She remained a huge pop star in Brazil for the rest of the 1960s and '70s, but gradually disappeared in America after her final album for Verve in 1969. In 1971, she released a lone album for CTI (with Stanley Turrentine) but was mostly forgotten in the U.S. until 1984, when "Girl From Ipanema" recharted in Britain on the tails of a neo-bossa craze. Gilberto gained worldwide distribution for 1987's Astrud Gilberto Plus the James Last Orchestra and 2002's Jungle. ~bio by John Bush

The Collection

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Buster Williams & Kenny Barron - The Complete Two as One

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 95:04
Size: 218,0 MB
Art: Front

(11:05) 1. All of You
(11:27) 2. This Time the Dream's on Me
( 3:49) 3. Some Day My Prince Will Come
(15:51) 4. I Love You
( 8:28) 5. My Funny Valentine
(11:03) 6. Will You Still Be Mine?
( 9:57) 7. Some Day My Prince Will Come (Take 2)
(12:43) 8. On a Green Dolphin Street
(10:36) 9. There Is No Greater Love

A wonderful little date from pianist Kenny Barron one that has him working in drumless duo mode, with only the bass of Buster Williams for accompaniment! The tunes are often quite long, and it's beautiful to hear the way Kenny stretches out on the keys buoyed up warmly by Williams' trademark tone basslines that are soft on bite, and round on sound drenched with soul throughout, and creating a subtle pulse that the presence of a drum would only ruin! Barron has a wonderful way of being pensive at points, while still moving things forward strongly and titles include "All Of You", "This Time The Dream's On Me", "I Love You", and "My Funny Valentine". © 1996-2023, Dusty Groove, Inc.
https://www.dustygroove.com/item/148032/Kenny-Barron-Buster-Williams:Complete-Two-As-One-180-gram-pressing

Personnel: Kenny Barron - (piano); Buster Williams - (bass)

The Complete Two as One

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