Thursday, February 22, 2024

Kool & The Gang - People Just Wanna Have Fun

Styles: Jazz Funk
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:40
Size: 138,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:21) 1. Let's Party (Feat. Sha Sha Jones)
(3:44) 2. Movie Star
(2:29) 3. People Just Wanna Have Fun
(4:13) 4. We Are The Party
(3:28) 5. Vip
(2:49) 6. Na Na Na
(3:17) 7. Go Get It
(3:43) 8. Give Love
(3:31) 9. I Want It All
(3:47) 10. Heaven's Gift
(4:43) 11. Obsession
(3:19) 12. For The Woman In You
(4:14) 13. My Weakness
(5:05) 14. That's What I Love About You
(7:51) 15. 99 Miles To Jc

With six decades of hits, the internationally celebrated group continues to tour the world. The band is led by founding members Robert "Kool" Bell (bassist) and George "Funky" Brown (keyboardist, drummer & producer of this album), who has a new book coming out called Too Hot: Kool & the Gang & Me.

Continuing to release music that makes the good times better and the bad times more bearable, this collection will be the band's 34th studio album, featuring some of the last studio work by founding horn players, Kool's brother Ronald "Khalis" Bell and Dennis "D.T." Thomas, who passed in 2020 and 2021. Lead vocals on the album also include Sha Sha Jones, Shawn McQuiller, Lavell Evans, Dominique Karan, Rick Marcel and Walt Anderson, plus rappers Ami Miller & Ole'.

Both Bell and Brown view People Just Wanna Have Fun as a summation of their long career, during which they sold 70 million albums worldwide with hit singles like "Celebration," "Ladies Night," "Get Down on It," "Hollywood Swinging" & beyond. Since their start in 1964, the group has amassed two Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, a BET Soul Train Lifetime Achievement Award and star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Kool's bass guitar is even featured in the Smithsonian Museum of African-American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.

From Newark to Nairobi, Kool & the Gang have performed continuously longer than any R&B group in history and are the most sampled R&B band of all time, including by Madonna, Jay-Z, Beastie Boys, Janet Jackson, Cypress Hill and P. Diddy. Not to mention their music on soundtracks from Rocky, Saturday Night Fever and Pulp Fiction to Wreck-It Ralph and many more.

Yet, throughout all the success, Kool & the Gang has remained true to their roots while pushing into the future. Bell says of People Just Wanna Have Fun: "You've got the funk, you've got the jazzier tracks, we have a few ballads on there. Then there are songs that cross over to a pop sort of thing. We go from the '70s, the '80s, right into now. It's old school, it's new school we kinda captured it all here. With all our music over the years, people have had fun. So I'd say this album just about sums it all up."By Editorial Reviews
https://www.amazon.com/People-Just-Wanna-Have-Fun/dp/B0C3VZKRB4

Personnel:

Kool & the Gang: Robert "Kool" Bell – bass guitar, keyboards, vocals; Ronald "Khalis" Bell – horns; George "Funky" Brown – percussion, keyboards, production; Sha Sha Jones – vocals; Dennis "D.T." Thomas – horns

Additional musicians: Walt Anderson – vocals; Lavell Evans – vocals; Dominique Karan – vocals; Rick Marcel – vocals; Shawn McQuiller – vocals; Ami Miller – rapping; Ole' – rapping

People Just Wanna Have Fun

Jim Rotondi - Finesse

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2024
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:52
Size: 176,0 MB
Art: Front

(7:31) 1. Ruth
(6:47) 2. Dark Blue
(8:02) 3. Ladybug
(4:18) 4. Designated Hitter
(7:47) 5. Falset
(0:40) 6. Before Curtis
(7:09) 7. For Curtis
(6:25) 8. Going To The Sun
(1:13) 9. Prelude for 14 Strings and Flute
(5:01) 10. Interlude
(7:31) 11. In Graz
(6:03) 12. Happy Feet
(8:19) 13. Miller Time

Here is an album of orchestral jazz that will inevitably make you think of film music, as it was still being made in the 80s. For his ninth album, Jim Rotondi pulled out all the stops, aided by a virtuoso orchestra conducted and arranged by Jakob Helling, all deeply immersed in the rich historical and musical tradition of Austria, where Rotondi currently resides and teaches. Rotondi also called upon his peers, the legendary trombonist Steve Davis, saxophonist Dick Oatts, and pianist Danny Grissett, who come from his prolific years spent in New York.

Ambiance! And yes, it’s all about ambiance, with numerous nods and references to past albums of various great jazz musicians. Sometimes it’s just with intentions, like in an introduction. For example, on the second track, the introduction reminds me of a Miles Davis album. The criteria for this genre are plentiful. The album’s title, Finesse, encapsulates the spirit required for this project and with which Rotondi approached the entire process. “I’m a musician known for recording projects straight out with small groups, in a less strictly organized style,” says Rotondi. “For me, this recording represents attention to every detail, hence the name Finesse.”

And that’s the case here. I dare not imagine the annotated orchestral scores in all directions, supporting an essential note or having an instrument start slightly offset. Such occurrences can be numerous, and that’s the delicate detail in the orchestra that allows the trumpet to reign at every moment, a task as essential as stage lighting. Finesse is also found in the precision of Jim Rotondi’s playing. After organizing an exhibition of his compositions performed with an orchestra and big band, Rotondi turned to Jakob Helling, an Austrian conductor, arranger, and trumpeter, who played an essential role in transforming this project into a recorded achievement.

“After discussing the idea with composer/ arranger Jakob Helling, [he] got in touch with key musicians in Vienna, who were able to provide information about the rest of these musicians,” says Rotondi. “Clearly, at every level, without Jakob’s involvement, this project would never have come to fruition.”

The Helling/Rotondi duo works wonders. There is a kind of secret and invisible alchemy between these two artists. When you consider the demands of orchestral form, this work deserves respect. It’s a titanic undertaking of composition, arrangement, and orchestra direction to achieve such a brilliant result. It’s sheer genius! I mentioned it to you in late 2023, and 2024 will be a great year, not only where you might expect. Artists, sometimes barely known, are surprising us at the same level as Jim Rotondi, the ultimate proof of the great vitality of jazz, which has never been so well represented and is one of the most exciting artistic forms.
https://www.paris-move.com/reviews/jim-rotondi-finesse-eng-review/

Finesse

Jay Geils - Jay Geils Toe Tapping Jazz

Size: 125,8 MB
Time: 54:00
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2011
Styles: Jazz: Swing, Jazz Blues
Art: Front

01. Good Quenn Bess (Feat. Billy Novick) (3:46)
02. If I Were A Bell (Feat. Gerard Beaudoin) (4:54)
03. Funky Blues (Feat. Doug James) (5:01)
04. Stuffy (Feat. Billy Novick) (5:01)
05. Theme From M Squad (Feat. Billy Novick, Doug James, John Pierce & Jeff Stout) (3:40)
06. Li'l Darlin (Feat. Billy Novick & Jeff Stout) (4:44)
07. Don't Be That Way (Feat. Al Wilson & Gerard Beaudoin) (6:08)
08. Fish Market (Feat. Billy Novick, Doug James, Jeff Stout & John Pierce) (3:36)
09. Sunny Side Of The Street (4:47)
10. Down For The Double (4:49)
11. One Sweet Letter From You (Feat. Sugar Ray Norcia & Al Wilson) (3:54)
12. Pyramid (3:35)

As a young boy growing up in New Jersey J.Geils was exposed to jazz by his father who had a great collection of classic jazz albums. Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Good man with guitarist Charlie Christian and Louis Armstrong were just a few of the musical giants Jay was exposed to growing up. He played trumpet and drums in his high schools jazz and marching band and even attended jazz band camp. Upon going to college in Boston he traded the trumpet in for a guitar and never looked back. He became part of the then happening" Boston music scene" and formed the J.Geils Blues Band and backed famous blues musicians coming through Boston like Buddy Guy,Junior Wells, Muddy Waters and blues guitar icon Mike Bloomfield.

When the band signed with Atlantic Records they dropped the" Blues Band" moniker and became what would become the greatest" live rock and roll" band in the world, the "J.Geils Band". The rest is part of Rock and Roll history. When the J.Geils Band broke up Jay was burned out on the music business and spent the next years restoring classic Italian sports cars. He didn't even own a guitar. His old band mate Magic Dick got Jay back into the music business when they formed the band Bluestime and made two well received Cd's for Rounder Records and played sold out shows around the country. in 1992 Jay met jazz guitarist Gerry Beaudoin and started coming to his gigs to sit in playing jazz.

The two guitarists hit it off and enjoyed playing together and Jay's third career as a jazz guitarist began. Back in the woodshed Jay returned to his first musical love classic American jazz. Gerry and Jay have since their first gigs together produced six jazz Cd's together and one DVD and have toured the USA and Canada together. Toe Tapping Jazz is his latest and is a tribute to the music Jay grew up listening to. For this special CD Jay assembled a cast of the best musicians in Boston. Please enjoy it.

Jay Geils Toe Tapping Jazz

Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Roy Eldridge And The Swing Trumpets: The Essential Keynote Collection 4, CD 1, CD 2

The Essential Keynote Collection 4 CD 1
Styles: Trumpet Jazz, Swing
Year: 1987
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:27
Size: 172,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:17) 1. Don't Be That Way
(3:00) 2. I Want To Be Happy
(2:56) 3. Fiesta In Brass (Alternate Take)
(2:58) 4. Fiesta In Brass
(2:40) 5. St. Louis Blues (Alternate Take)
(2:40) 6. St Louis Blues
(5:02) 7. Mountain Air
(4:21) 8. Curry In A Hurry (Alternate Take 1)
(4:42) 9. Curry In A Hurry
(4:41) 10. Curry In A Hurry (Alternate Take 2)
(4:43) 11. Stardust (Alternate Take)
(4:33) 12. Stardust
(4:11) 13. Rosetta (Alternate Take 1)
(5:04) 14. Rosetta (Alternate Take 2)
(4:44) 15. Rosetta
(2:58) 16. What Is This Thing Called Love
(3:16) 17. Minor Blues
(2:48) 18. You Know It (Alternate Take)
(2:38) 19. You Know It
(3:02) 20. Lullaby Of The Leaves

The Essential Keynote Collection 4 CD 2
Time: 65:37
Size: 152,1 MB

(2:30) 1. Lust For Licks
(3:06) 2. Just Like A Butterfly
(2:39) 3. B.H. Boogie
(3:08) 4. Twelfth Street Rag (Alternate Take)
(3:06) 5. Twelfth Street Rag
(2:33) 6. Poor John
(3:24) 7. Trumpet Interlude
(2:56) 8. Little Sir Echo
(3:01) 9. Exactly Like You
(2:41) 10. Why Do I Love You (Alternate Take)
(2:38) 11. Why Do I Love You
(3:01) 12. All My Life
(3:19) 13. Groovin' With J.C.
(3:16) 14. What's The Use?
(3:20) 15. The Girl In My Dreams
(3:02) 16. A Pocketful Of Dreams
(2:46) 17. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
(2:50) 18. Wick's Kicks
(3:06) 19. You Can Depend On Me
(3:11) 20. She Didn't Say Yes
(3:07) 21. Black Butterfly
(2:47) 22. Pocatello

Roy David Eldridge was a jazz trumpet player in the Swing era. His sophisticated use of harmony, including the use of tritone substitutions, resulted in him sometimes being seen as the link between Louis Armstrong-era swing music and Dizzy Gillespie-era bebop. Roy's rhythmic power to swing a band was a dynamic tradmark of the Swing Era.

Eldridge was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His nickname was Little Jazz. Eldridge played in the bands of Fletcher Henderson, Gene Krupa and Artie Shaw before making records under his own name. He also played in Benny Goodman's and Count Basie's Orchestras, and co-led a band with Coleman Hawkins.

Also known as “Little Jazz” Roy Eldridge was a fiery, energetic trumpeter who although short in stature was a larger-than-life figure in the jazz trumpet lineage. Stylistically speaking he was the bridge between the towering trumpet stylists Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie. One of a significant number of jazz greats from the city of Pittsburgh, Roy’s first teacher was his alto saxophonist older brother Joe. Some of the great rhythmic drive of Eldridge’s later trumpet exploits could be traced to his beginnings on the drums, which he began playing at age six. His first professional work came at age 16 when he worked with a touring carnival, playing drums, trumpet, and tuba.

As a trumpeter Roy had come under the spell of Louis Armstrong’s irrisistable style. Among his earliest band affiliations were Oliver Muldoon, Horace Henderson, Zack Whyte, Speed Webb, and his own band, under the banner of Roy Elliott and his Palais Royal Orchestra. In 1930 he made the move to New York and headed straight to Harlem, where he gained work with a number of dance bands, among which was the Teddy Hill band. He left New York in 1934 to join the Michigan-based McKinney’s Cotton Pickers alongside such significant players as tenor man Chu Berry. Roy returned to New York to rejoin Teddy Hill in 1935, with whom he made his first recordings as a soloist in 1935. Prior to recording with Hill he toured with the Connie’s Hot Chocolates revue. After he left Hill’s band he became the lead trumpeter in Fletcher Henderson’s orchestra where his upper register abilities were highlighted. It didn’t take long for Eldridge to exert himself as a bandleader, forming his own octet in 1936 in Chicago; a band which included his brother Joe.

Eldridge recorded with the Three Deuces group, then left music for a short time to pursue radio engineering, an interesting twist considering his Chicago group’s nightly radio broadcasts. By the end of the 1930s after freelancing with such a wide array of bands Eldridge had gained notice as one of the swing bands’ most potent soloists. In 1941 he joined drummer Gene Krupa’s band. Not only did he provide trumpet fireworks for Krupa’s outfit he also sang, recording a memorable duet with the band’s female singer, Anita O’Day (NEA Jazz Master 1997) on the tune “Let Me Off Uptown” in 1941. Later, after Krupa’s band disbanded in 1943, and a period of freelancing, he toured with the Artie Shaw band in 1944. After Shaw it was time for Roy to lead his own big band, though economics forced him back to small swing groups.

In 1948 Norman Granz recruited Eldridge for his Jazz at the Philharmonic, an ideal situation for Roy since he was one of the ultimate jam session trumpeters. He toured briefly with Benny Goodman and took up residence in Paris in 1950, where he made some of his most successful recordings. He returned to New York in 1951 and continued freelancing with small bands, including work with Coleman Hawkins, Benny Carter, Ella Fitzgerald, and Johnny Hodges. He made notable albums for Verve Records alongside Hawkins and continued freelancing and leading a house band at Jimmy Ryan’s club in New York. In 1980 he was felled by a stroke but that didn’t cut off his musicality. Disabled from the rigorous demands of playing the trumpet, Eldridge continued to make music as a singer and pianist until his 1989 passing.
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/roy-eldridge/

The Essential Keynote Collection 4 CD 1, CD 2

Melba Moore - Imagine (Deluxe Edition)

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:37
Size: 105,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:05) 1. So In Love
(3:33) 2. Take Me Away
(3:51) 3. Can't Stop The Rain
(3:19) 4. Imagine
(4:18) 5. Since I Took My Heart Back
(4:37) 6. Take Her Picture Down
(4:18) 7. Free
(3:33) 8. The Highest Star
(2:47) 9. Joy & Pain
(4:22) 10. Forever
(3:25) 11. It Seems To Hang On
(3:24) 12. It Seems To Hang On (Pride Mix)

You don’t get to be six decades deep in your career without talent and tenacity. The ever-legendary Melba Moore has both in spades and continues to extend her legacy with each passing year. In 2022, she released her 28th album Imagine to great acclaim from her fans. Now she’s giving us all a special treat with her latest single “It Seems To Hang On.”

“It Seems To Hang On” is a cover of the Ashford & Simpson staple from their 1978 album Is It Still Good To You. While that version, with its pulsing disco grooves, was perfect for its era, Melba retools the song to fit her style and the current day. To that effect, it’s now become a mid-tempo R&B cut perfect for two-stepping to or just lounging around thinking about your love.

Melba is still in fine voice as she sings and harmonizes over the warm mix of synth piano, bass and gently knocking drums. Her vocal is subtle as she evokes the feeling of being wrapped up in a love that will always linger. She even makes time for a spoken moment on which she gets a little sassy before falling back into the groove.

“I recorded this classic as a way to honor my fans as well as two very special people Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson who opened up so many doors of opportunities for me,” the singer said of the song in a press release.

We’ll always have time for Melba Moore and “It Seems To Hang On” is a welcome addition to our playlists. The song will be added as a bonus track on Imagine, but you can give it a spin in full below.By D-Money https://soulbounce.com/2023/06/melba-moore-it-seems-to-hang-on/

Imagine (Deluxe Edition)

Mark Lewandowski - A Bouquet (for Lady Day)

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:12
Size: 107,0 MB
Art: Front

(0:53) 1. Day Breaks
(5:17) 2. More Than You Know
(4:14) 3. This Year’s Kisses
(6:07) 4. P.s. I Love You
(4:08) 5. What A Little Moonlight Can Do
(4:45) 6. Billie’s Blues
(3:21) 7. Lady Sings The Blues
(6:06) 8. Some Other Spring
(0:52) 9. The Still Of The Night
(5:17) 10. Who Wants Love?
(5:07) 11. Left Alone

A regular in the Mingus Big Band and Wynton Marsalis' quartet, New York-based Mark Lewandowski has won numerous awards for his sonorous double bass playing, which can be appreciated in settings as diverse as John Zorn's The Book of Beri'ah (Tzadik Records, 2018) and Joe Chambers's Dance Kobina (Blue Note Records, 2022). As a leader, Lewandowski previously released the joyous, highly personal Fats Waller homage Waller (Whirlwind Records, 2017) and, following his relocation from London to New York, the impressive, all-originals calling-card Under One Sky (MGL Music, 2021). For his third opus, Billie Holiday provides the inspiration.

As with Waller, Lewandowski teams up with pianist Liam Noble. Whereas that was a trio recording (with drummer Paul Clarvis) A Bouquet For Lady Day is mostly duets, with singer Heidi Vogel lending smoky gravitas to "Lady Sings The Blues" and "Left Alone," songs which also acknowledge Holiday's collaborators Herbie Nichols and Mal Waldron.

Given the reduced setting, the aim from the outset was evidently to avoid slavish reproduction or mawkish tribute. Instead, Lewandowski and Noble revel in intimate dialogues as playful as they are tender. The overarching mood is mellow, the exchanges melodious; clearly, this is a celebration of Holiday's musical gifts to the world, with little room for mournful reflection on the darker aspects of her short yet storied life.

The sunny disposition of the swinging "This Year's Kisses," the gentle blues of "P.S. I Love You" and a gossamer reading of "What a Little Moonlight Can Do," which features an exquisite bass solo, speak to the beauty of Holiday's musical soul.

It is in the imaginative deconstruction of Holiday's self-penned "Billie's Blues" and Franz Waxman & Gus Kahn's "Who Wants Love?" where bassist and pianist flip between gnarly improvisation and walking blues figures that the duo's bridging of old ways and modern byways is seen in starkest relief.

The spaces between the eleven tracks are threaded with brief field recordings of police sirens, rainfall, car horns and a dog barking in the distance a nod, perhaps to Holiday's beloved canine friends. These sounds provide a noirish ambiance, though one rendered with a light touch.

"Left Alone" closes the set on the bluest of notes. To spare accompaniment, Vogel's rich tenor invests Holiday and Waldron's devastating portrait of hurt, rejection and longing with an aching which Holiday would probably have recognised all too well. It is a fine performance from the vocalist, though somewhat at odds with the album's generally upbeat vibe.

Lewandowski's heartfelt homage to Billie Holiday is full of grace, grit and soul much like her incomparable voice. A second volume of such splendid fare would not go amiss.By Ian Patterson
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/a-bouquet-for-lady-day-mark-lewandowski-ubuntu-music

A Bouquet (for Lady Day)

Tuesday, February 20, 2024

Eileen Mager - Songs of Life

Styles: Vocal 
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:22
Size: 173,9 MB
Art: Front

(2:05)  1. Darest Thou Now, O Soul
(4:36)  2. What God Doeth, That Is Rightly Done
(3:32)  3. High O'er the Lonely Hills
(4:49)  4. The Butterfly
(1:51)  5. Yes, That's the Way Things Are
(3:00)  6. Birdsong
(3:17)  7. Ridente La Calma
(3:55)  8. Gospel Blues
(2:01)  9. Juba: Ev'rytime I Feel the Spirit
(2:03) 10. From Far, From Eve and Morning
(4:24) 11. Laudate Dominum
(2:30) 12. An Die Musik
(4:32) 13. Recordare
(2:10) 14. Widmung
(3:19) 15. Yih'yu L'ratson
(2:53) 16. Adon Olam
(2:58) 17. Avinu Malkeynu
(3:40) 18. I Vow to Thee, My Country
(3:00) 19. Psalm 23
(2:31) 20. 4 Songs for Voice and Violin, Op. 35: I. Jesu Sweet
(1:03) 21. My Soul Has Nought but Fire and Ice
(1:23) 22. I Sing of a Maiden
(2:18) 23. My Leman Is So True
(2:08) 24. Ain't That Good News?
(2:18) 25. For I Will Consider My Cat, Jeoffry
(1:56) 26. How Joyful Is My Heart

A WORD ABOUT "SONGS OF LIFE" Eileen Mager

All of my life, I've been fascinated by and often humbled by the extraordinary strength and resilience of the human spirit. Our capacity for love, humor, spirituality, and joy, often in spite of whatever reverses and downright horrors and tragedies life may dish out. We are inspired by life's challenges, each other, all of nature, our connection with our Deity, the beauty that surrounds us, music, and life itself. These songs express those sources of inspiration. We begin with "Darest Thou Now, O Soul" a challenge to one's own soul to walk out "toward the Unknown Region" to take on life's adventure. We continue with songs expressing a lifetime of experiences and responses to them responsesliturgical songs, and a Benjamin Britten song which has perhaps the oddest expression of faith and worship I have ever encountered "For I Will Consider My Cat, Jeoffry." It all concludes with Bach's song of reconciliation with the spiritual, "Wie freudig ist mein Herz" ("How Joyful Is My Heart"). I was assisted in this project by some wonderful musicians and friends: pianist/organist Ellen Brown, bassoonist John Friedeman, flutist Lisa Tharp, and violinist Jim Apperson. "Songs of Life" is, to say the least, an eclectic collection. But then, isn't life a mixed bag as well? I hope you enjoy them...More https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/emager7

Songs of Life

James Walsh Gypsy Band - Muscle Shoals '79

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:41
Size: 81,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:49) 1. I've Got The Feelin'
(2:46) 2. Looks Like You Got Down In Love
(3:39) 3. Lie To Me
(3:20) 4. The Caves Of Altamira
(3:34) 5. It's Over Now
(3:30) 6. Where Do We Get Off
(2:42) 7. This Time The Feelin' Is Right
(4:11) 8. Alabama Eyes
(3:32) 9. Lovin' You
(3:34) 10. Just Like Fallin' In Love

The soaring, sometimes harrowing vocals of singer/guitarist James Walsh reveal an obvious debt to the unrestrained raw passion of the late Jeff Buckley. In the late '90s, Walsh read that one of his favorite artists was a Buckley fan. Out of curiosity, Walsh purchased a Buckley record and became an admirer himself, eventually listening to similar artists such as Tim Buckley (Jeff's father), Van Morrison, and Neil Young.

Those influences eventually helped carve the sound and confessional lyrics of his band, Starsailor, named after a Tim Buckley LP. Walsh formed Starsailor in Wigan, England, with James Stelfox (bass), Ben Byrne (drums), and Barry Westhead (keyboards) in 2000. Walsh took piano lessons when he was 12, and by the time he met Stelfox and Byrne in college, he already had songs written. After two Top 20 hits in England with "Fever" and "Good Souls," Starsailor released their critically acclaimed first album, Love Is Here, in the U.K. in 2001. By Michael Sutton https://www.allmusic.com/artist/james-walsh-mn0001926207#biography

Personnel:
James Walsh Gypsy Band :
James Walsh : Lead vocals & Keyboards
Richard Jorgensen : Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Piccolo, Trumpet & Vocals
Deone Johnson : Trumpet, Solo Flugelhorn & Vocals
Todd Hansen : Trombone, Bass Trombone & Vocals
Bob Jones : Bass & Vocals
Jim Behringer : Lead Guitar & Vocals
Scott Fronsoe : Bass & Vocals
Ernie LaViolette : Drums & Percussion

Additional Musicians :
Tower Of Power Horns
Emilio Castillo : Tenor Saxophone
Lenny Pickett : Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone & Tenor Saxophone
Stephen 'Doc' Kupka : Baritone Saxophone
Greg Adams : Trumpet & Flugelhorn


Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section
Barry Beckett : Keyboards
Roger Hawkins : Drums
David Hood : Bass
Jimmy Johnson : Guitar

Muscle Shoals '79

Bill Barron Quartet - Live at Cobi's, Vol.1 (1987-1988), Vol.2 (1985)

Album: Live at Cobi's, Vol.1 (1987-1988)

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:44
Size: 159,9 MB
Art: Front

(13:01) 1. This One's for Monk
(12:15) 2. Easy Does It
(10:54) 3. Confirmation
( 9:44) 4. Row House
( 5:52) 5. Angel Eyes
( 8:40) 6. Voyage
( 9:18) 7. Until Further Notice

Live at Cobi's is a live album by saxophonist Bill Barron which was recorded in 1987 and 1988 and released posthumously on the SteepleChase label in 2005.

In JazzTimes Chris Kelsey wrote "Straightahead tenor players who regularly stretch themselves and break a sweat in the process are too few and far between these days. That’s what makes a record by someone like the late Bill Barron so attractive. Barron had no such problems cutting loose. He possessed an original voice-not revolutionary, but unique in its way."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_at_Cobi%27s.

Personnel: Bill Barron – tenor saxophone; Fred Simmons – piano; Santi Debriano – bass; Ben Riley – drums


Album: Live at Cobi's, Vol.2 (1985)

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:28
Size: 161,5 MB
Art: Front

(11:22) 1. September 1979
(15:37) 2. Spring Thing
( 8:50) 3. What's New
(14:57) 4. Interpretation
( 8:23) 5. Tragic Magic
(11:18) 6. Cherokee

Way more than just a part 2 to the first set of material from Bill Barron at Cobi's in New York because although this set, like that one, is previously unreleased it was recorded three years before the first volume, and also features a completely different lineup, a quartet with brother Kenny Barron on piano, Cecil McBee on bass, and Ben Riley on drums! With a lineup like that, the session has a tightness that's really great a sense of dynamic energy that matches Barron's studio sessions from the same later years of his life and which, like those sides, hangs beautifully in a space between angular modernism and straighter soulful expression!

The Bill Barron of these years is one who barely misses a step from the brilliance of his early 60s experiments with Ted Curson and there's still plenty of that young fire here in these recordings, possibly even deepened nicely with age. Bill is playing both tenor and soprano sax, and titles include "Spring Thing", "September 1979", "Interpretation", "Tragic Magic", and "What's New". © 1996-2024, Dusty Groove, Inc.
https://www.dustygroove.com/item/427806/Bill-Barron-Kenny-Barron:Bill-Barron-Live-At-Cobi%27s-Vol-2

Personnel: Bill Barron – tenor saxophone; Kenny Barron – piano; Cecil McBee – bass; Ben Riley – drums

Live at Cobi's, Vol.1, Vol.2

Avalon Jazz Band, Tatiana Eva-Marie - Paris

Styles: Vocal, Jazz Band
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:01
Size: 103,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:26) 1. Swing rêverie
(4:32) 2. Les oiseaux de Paris
(3:02) 3. Place blanche
(3:07) 4. Belleville
(3:17) 5. Utrillo
(3:20) 6. Paris je t'aime
(3:08) 7. Chanson pour Guillaume
(3:23) 8. Le petit cheval
(3:20) 9. Romance
(3:13) 10. Paris au mois de Septembre
(3:20) 11. Bébert d'Anvers
(3:25) 12. Venez donc chez moi
(3:22) 13. Quel temps fait-il à Paris?

Tatiana Eva-Marie and the Avalon Jazz Band represent Parisian culture and bohemian spirit in New York City.
This swing band performs French jazz songs, old classics with a hot twist and American standards,celebratingFrance,lovemusic.music
https://avalonjazzband.bandcamp.com/

Tatiana Eva-Marie is a Swiss-born vocalist based in Brooklyn who sings 1930s-style swing and gypsy jazz. She moved from Paris to New York City in 2011, and formed the Avalon Jazz Band in 2014 with violinist Adrien Chevalier. Her singing has been compared to the jazz vocalists Cyrille Aimée and Cécile McLorin Salvant. Her band opened for vocalist and pianist Norah Jones. She is the daughter of musicians Louis Crelier and Anca Maria, and she grew up in France and Switzerland. Eva-Marie was a finalist on the first season of the television show Music Explorer (fr), a musical competition show in France, in 2014. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatiana_Eva-Marie

Paris

Monday, February 19, 2024

Jessye Norman - Roots: My Life, My Song Disc 1, Disc 2

Album: Roots: My Life, My Song Disc 1

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:47
Size: 115,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:25)  1. African Drum Invocation
(1:45)  2. His Eye Is On The Sparrow
(2:25)  3. I Want Two Wings
(3:20)  4. Lord, I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray
(4:40)  5. Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child
(3:59)  6. Heaven
(1:29)  7. Somewhere
(3:22)  8. My Baby Just Cares for Me
(5:01)  9. Stormy Weather
(6:38) 10. Mack The Knife
(4:34) 11. Another Man Done Gone
(5:07) 12. Pretty Horses
(4:56) 13. God's Gonna Cut You Down

A sticker included on at least some versions of this Sony Classical release promises "music from Berlioz to Ellington," which would make it a pretty common type of classical vocal recital that includes a dash of jazz. That's not what's happening here at all, and there isn't even any Berlioz included. There is the "Habanera" of Georges Bizet, but that's given a tango-jazz treatment, and otherwise the only work from the European concert tradition is Poulenc's Les chemins de l'amour, a piece heavily influenced by popular song. This is not a souvenir or survey of Jessye Norman's career, but is instead oriented toward the roots mentioned on the cover. And, as such, it's quite an accomplishment. The two-disc program can be roughly divided into four overlapping and interpenetrating sections: spirituals, pop, French song, and jazz, with an introduction of African drumming. That's unusual enough as it is, but what really makes news here are the completely original treatments in each of the main categories. No information is included as to how the album took shape; some of it is apparently taken from live concerts in Munich and Frankfurt, Germany. Norman is accompanied by a small combo that serves the non-jazz as well as the jazz pieces. Even standards like "Stormy Weather" and "Mack the Knife" are given free, quiet, highly personal treatments, and there's very little "operatic" singing in evidence even in the spirituals, which could stand up to it. You might think of the entire collection as a jazz performance, based on its sense of individualistic departure from preexisting models, or as a uniquely personal rumination on a great singer's deep roots. The cumulative effect of the program is quite powerful, and Norman deserves a great deal of credit for taking chances with a project she could easily just have phoned in. ~ James Manheim https://www.allmusic.com/album/roots-my-life-my-song-mw0001993532

R.I.P.
Died: September 30, 2019
Born: September 15, 1945, Augusta, Georgia, United States


Album: Roots: My Life, My Song Disc 2

Time: 48:30
Size: 112,2 MB

(6:28)  1. Les Chemins De L'Amour
(4:27)  2. J'ai Deux Amours
(4:28)  3. April In Paris
(5:31)  4. Habanera
(3:23)  5. Take The 'A' Train
(5:43)  6. Blue Monk
(4:04)  7. Solitude
(6:15)  8. It Don't Mean A Thing
(2:41)  9. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
(5:26) 10. When The Saints Go Marching In


Brother Jack McDuff - Walk On By

Styles: Soul Jazz
Year: 1966
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:27
Size: 88,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:41) 1. Walk On By
(6:48) 2. Around The Corner
(5:47) 3. Haitian Lady
(2:20) 4. Talking 'Bout My Woman
(2:33) 5. Jersey Bounce
(4:08) 6. For Those Who Choose
(2:20) 7. Too Many Fish In The Sea
(6:23) 8. There Is No Greater Love
(4:23) 9. Song Of The Soul

A marvelous bandleader and organist as well as capable arranger, "Brother" Jack McDuff has one of the funkiest, most soulful styles of all time on the Hammond B-3. His rock-solid basslines and blues-drenched solos are balanced by clever, almost pianistic melodies and interesting progressions and phrases.

McDuff began as a bassist playing with Denny Zeitlin and Joe Farrell. He studied privately in Cincinnati and worked with Johnny Griffin in Chicago. He taught himself organ and piano in the mid-'50s, and began gaining attention working with Willis Jackson in the late '50s and early '60s, cutting high caliber soul-jazz dates for Prestige. McDuff made his recording debut as a leader for Prestige in 1960, playing in a studio pickup band with Jimmy Forrest. They made a pair of outstanding albums: Tough Duff and The Honeydripper. McDuff organized his own band the next year, featuring Harold Vick and drummer Joe Dukes.

Things took off when McDuff hired a young guitarist named George Benson. They were among the most popular combos of the mid-'60s and made several excellent albums. McDuff's later groups at Atlantic and Cadet didn't equal the level of the Benson band, while later dates for Verve and Cadet were uneven, though generally good. McDuff experimented with electronic keyboards and fusion during the '70s, then in the '80s got back in the groove with the Muse session Cap'n Jack. While his health fluctuated throughout the '90s, McDuff released several discs on the Concord Jazz label before succumbing to heart failure on January 23, 2001, at the age of 74. By Ron Wynn
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jack-mcduff-mn0000118853#biography

Personnel: Jack McDuff - organ; Red Holloway (tracks 2 & 8), Harold Ousley (tracks 3, 6 & 9) - tenor saxophone; Pat Martino - guitar; Joe Dukes - drums; Unidentified orchestra arranged and conducted by Benny Golson (tracks 1, 4, 5 & 8)

Walk On By

Bill Barron - Higher Ground

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:08
Size: 117,5 MB
Art: Front

(7:52)  1. Caravan
(7:19)  2. I Thought About You
(4:17)  3. More Blues
(5:28)  4. We'll Be Together Again
(6:40)  5. Emanation
(7:40)  6. Alone Together
(6:11)  7. Interpretation
(5:38)  8. Time, Motion, Space

Bill Barron's final recording as a leader (cut just 8½ months before his death at age 62) was released for the first time on this 1993 CD. Barron was still in his prime and this effort (a quintet date with trumpeter Eddie Henderson, pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Rufus Reid and drummer Ben Riley) is more straight-ahead than usual. Barron, who usually did not play standards much, performs four here (including "Caravan" and "Alone Together") and his three originals (plus one by younger brother Kenny) are also very much in the hard bop vein, less avant-garde than usual. The leader's solos, however, are as adventurous as ever, and the CD is easily recommended as an example of his excellent, underrated playing.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/higher-ground-mw0000121824

Personnel: Bill Barron (tenor saxophone); Eddie Henderson (trumpet); Kenny Barron (piano); Rufus Reid (bass); Ben Riley (drums).

Higher Ground

Dave Pietro - The Talisman

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2024
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:09
Size: 156,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:08) 1. Essence
(6:26) 2. The Windmills Of Your Mind
(8:11) 3. Auriga
(7:19) 4. The Talisman
(8:15) 5. Alexandra
(7:05) 6. Yvette
(7:31) 7. Eternal Optimism
(7:46) 8. Until The Day
(9:24) 9. Adagietto From Symphony No. 5

Things kick off here in classic hard bop guise finding US altoist Dave Pietro fuse with trumpeter Scott Wendholt the rhythm section steered so consummately by Billy Drummond. Pietro's first album for Danish label Steeplechase, tunes include originals, a version of Michel Legrand's timeless 'The Windmills of Your Mind' and I didn't see this coming at all a beautiful version of Mahler’s 'Adagietto' from his 5th symphony.

Pianist Gary Versace is very listenable throughout I'd pick out his soloing on 'Auriga' and on the introduction to the Mahler, while bassist Jay Anderson adds gravitas to the stand-out title track so well. Pietro is more a modernist than you'd think at first glance, essentially steeped in the language of bop and beyond, and knows exactly what he wants to say with it. He has very persuasive tone on a subdued ballad like 'Alexandra' and again melds so well with Wendholt on 'Yvette'. Recommended. SG https://www.marlbank.net/posts/dave-pietro-the-talisman-steeplechase

Personnel: Dave Pietro - (alto saxophone) Scott Wendholt - (trumpet) Gary Versace - (piano)

The Talisman

Sunday, February 18, 2024

Alan Barnes - Cannonball (20th Anniversary Edition) [Live at Wakefield Jazz Club]

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:52
Size: 165,2 MB
Art: Front

( 8:43)  1. Worksong
( 8:48)  2. Jubilation
(10:00)  3. Clouds
(10:16)  4. Dis Here
( 6:23)  5. Azule Serape
( 7:23)  6. Blue Daniel
(10:31)  7. Dat Dere
( 9:45)  8. Jive Samba

Alan Barnes was born in Cheshire in 1959. He studied at Leeds College of Music and became proficient on alto and baritone saxophones and clarinet. Following graduation in 1980, Barnes led several groups, including Pizza Express Modern Jazz Sextet, and recorded with Dave Newton, Tony Coe, Ken Peplowski, and Warren Vache. He dominated the saxophone and clairnet section of the British jazz awards throughout the '90s and performs at major international jazz festivals. Barnes has also spent time teaching.By Al Campbell https://www.allmusic.com/artist/alan-barnes-mn0000936422

Cannonball (20th Anniversary Edition)

Patrick Yandall - Dance in the Rain

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:02
Size: 143,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:21) 1. City Boy
(4:25) 2. Find Your Purpose
(4:17) 3. Dance In The Rain
(4:21) 4. House Party
(4:20) 5. Poly Funk
(4:28) 6. Seascape
(4:37) 7. Cool That
(4:08) 8. East Of Nathans
(4:07) 9. Just Dance
(4:42) 10. Backstage
(5:06) 11. Sabishi
(4:11) 12. Sol Food
(4:21) 13. The Joy In You
(4:33) 14. Summer Sky

I used to review a lot of albums by the American guitarist Patrick Yandall. However, this is only the first time that he is discussed on my site.

Patrick grew up in a military family, but was already playing trumpet in fourth grade. In this way he wanted to escape the nomadic life. After a sports accident in Bay City, Michigan, which resulted in a broken hip, Patrick shifted his focus to the guitar.

His father's fondness for jazz led him to a lifelong fascination. When the family settled there, Patrick developed a preference for the progressive styles of Jimi Hendrix, Yes, Steely Dan and George Benson. But he was also influenced by R&B and soul artists such as Earth, Wind & Fire, Stevie Wonder and Rufus.

A revelation was a concert by Jeff Lorber with a young Kenny G on sax and Roy Ayers. Patrick started playing nightclubs when he was thirteen and learned to mix jazz with rock and R&B. In the early eighties he moved to San Diego and played in cover bands. That led to studio work in LA for Kevin Flournoy, Gene-O Cole, Under The Lake, Will Donato, Rocco Ventrella, Nathan Brown, Rod Best, The Ghost Trio, etc. He also performed with J. Michael Verta, Michael Paulo, among others , Scott Wilkie, Carl Evans, Jr. (Fattburger), Hollies Gentry III, Greg Vail (Kilauea), Tommy Emmanuel, Tom Braxton.

Now he has released a new album, containing smooth jazz, R&B and contemporary jazz. 'City Boy' opens with a nice, cheerful guitar playing, after which 'Find Your Purpose' continues in the same atmosphere. Vocalist Gene-O Cole is a guest on the title track. The party atmosphere is clearly there on 'House Party', followed by the very funky sounding 'Poly Funk'.

After that you can experience the tranquility of 'Seascape', which continues in the mid-tempo of 'Cool That'. 'East of Nathans' maintains that relaxed vibe, while 'Just Dance' encourages you to sway along. Then we pop into 'Backstage'to get acquainted. The Japanese inspired 'Sabishi' sounds a bit melancholic, followed by 'Sol Food'. Joy and cheerfulness are the themes of 'The Joy in You', after which 'Summer Sky' closes with a summer feeling.

Again a nice album interspersed with Patrick's guitar skills. It's up to you to discover this!
http://www.smooth-jazz.de/Patrick/Yandall/DanceInTheRain.htm

Dance in the Rain

Brother Jack McDuff - Tobacco Road

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:44
Size: 77.2 MB
Styles: Soul-Jazz
Year: 1967/2005
Art: Front

[1:59] 1. Teardrops From My Eyes
[2:55] 2. Tobacco Road
[3:49] 3. The Shadow Of Your Smile
[5:08] 4. Can't Get Satisfied
[2:37] 5. Blowin' In The Wind
[4:10] 6. And The Angels Sing
[2:35] 7. This Bitter Earth
[5:54] 8. Alexander's Ragtime Band
[4:33] 9. Wade In The Water

Brother Jack McDuff recorded an enormous number of albums during the '60s, so it can be difficult to figure out where to start digging a little deeper into his output (which Hammond B-3 fans will definitely want to do). 1967's Tobacco Road stands out from the pack for a couple of reasons. First, unlike many of his groove-centric albums, it's heavy on standards and pop/rock tunes (seven of nine cuts), which make for excellent matches with McDuff's highly melodic, piano-influenced style. What's more, about half of the album finds McDuff leading a large ten-piece ensemble arranged and conducted by J.J. Jackson, including a soulful horn section that sounds straight out of Memphis or Muscle Shoals (though this was recorded at Chess studios in Chicago). McDuff himself handles the arrangements on the rest of the material, which is done in a guitar/sax/drums quartet. The LP's style is fairly unified, though -- no matter what format, the tunes are given fantastically funked-up treatments that sound surprisingly natural. And these aren't grooves where everyone just settles back and stays in the pocket; McDuff attacks the arrangements with wildly funky rhythms and solos, and there's a polyrhythmic sense of interplay that recalls the best Southern soul. Arguably the most distinctive track is a cool, grooving quartet version of "The Shadow of Your Smile," complete with snaky bassline and airy flute solos from Danny Turner. Unfortunately, none of the tracks are all that long, in keeping with the jukebox/radio orientation of McDuff's Atlantic period, but that won't prevent soul-jazz fans from thoroughly enjoying Tobacco Road.

Tobacco Road

Betty Bryant - Lotta Livin'

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2024
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:52
Size: 103,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:27) 1. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
(4:18) 2. Put a Lid on It
(5:04) 3. Baby Baby All the Time
(5:40) 4. Blues to Get Started
(3:21) 5. Chicken Wings
(7:48) 6. Stormy Monday
(4:14) 7. Katydid
(4:46) 8. The Very Thought of You
(4:10) 9. A Lot of Livin’ to Do

First, double-check to make sure there aren't any misprints. No, it's an honest-to-goodness fact that Betty Bryant who sings, plays piano, wrote four of the nine numbers and arranged half a dozen on her fourteenth album really was almost ninety-four years old when Lotta Livin' was recorded in 2023.

Bryant's rough and edgy voice is remarkably strong and steady, while her piano playing simply defies any generational labels. As a vocalist, no note seems out of her reach, and she knows how to swing in any setting. Bryant is a true-blue jazz singer whose years of experience underline her every note and phrase. Besides which, she's a sharp and clever writer, as her quartet of likeable compositions proves.

Bryant's groovy "Katydid" is a linguistic delight, as are "Chicken Wings" and "Put a Lid on It." On her other theme, the breezy "Blues to Get Started," Bryant plays piano all the way and shows she's no greenhorn at the keyboard either. Tenor saxophonist Robert Kyle solos neatly there, as he does on several numbers, and moves to harmonica on "Chicken Wings." Other soloists are trumpeter Tony Guerrero, bassist Richard Simon, guitarist Kleber Jorge and drummer Kenny Elliott. Of course, Bryant has to ring down the curtain with Lee Adams and Charles Strouse's "A Lot of Livin' to Do" from the Broadway smash Bye Bye Birdie, taken at a slower and more amorous pace than usual.

Bryant opens with the standard "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" and appraises Bobby Troup's "Baby Baby All the Time," Ray Noble's "The Very Thought of You" and T-Bone Walker's "Stormy Monday," all with a style and panache that are clearly her own. She closes "A Lot of Livin' to Do" with a brief look at her bucket list and the affirmation, "ain't life grand" which, in her case, is unarguably true. While others may deem getting out of bed in the morning a triumph at her age, Bryant remains focused, feisty and ready to take on the world. Bravo! Score one for the power of savoir-faire and positive thinking.By Jack Bowers
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/lotta-livin-betty-bryant-self-produced

Lotta Livin'

Saturday, February 17, 2024

Lisa Lynn - Call Me Baby

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:41
Size: 88,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:54) 1. Don't You Feel My Leg
(3:54) 2. Sweet Dreams
(4:27) 3. You Ain't Woman Enough
(3:12) 4. Sweet Georgia Brown
(5:42) 5. Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans
(3:31) 6. Sure Had A Wonderful Time Last Night
(4:32) 7. At Last
(2:41) 8. Am I Blue
(2:55) 9. Wings Upon Your Horns
(2:50) 10. Oh Darling

Torch singer Lisa Lynn manages to light a few fires on her latest disc, including a couple of country and western tunes penned by another Lynn who goes by the first name of Loretta (no relation except perhaps in spirit.) I’d say Miss Lisa does a pretty good job on the C&W numbers, but my own tastes go into sharp decline a few miles west of Lafayette. Loretta Lynn is no slacker when it comes to songwriting and both these tunes, “You Ain’t Woman Enough” and “Wings Upon Your Horns” are hamonious and clever. Dave Easley’s steel guitar works well in creating the proper mood for this material.

I still prefer Lisa Lynn doing the “Red Hot Mamma” style that she does best, and her opener on this CD is a grand example of the genre. “Don’t You Feel My Leg” managed to be pretty steamy as well as wonderful fun when Danny Barker wrote it and wife Blue Lu Barker recorded it back in the 1930s. Blue Lu was still doing it in the ’80s, by which time Maria Muldaur had also latched on to the number and made it into one of her super specials. You could have heard both of them doing it at Jazz Fest some 20 years ago. Lisa’s version isn’t quite strong enough for her to claim total contemporary ownership, but she does a more than creditable job here and I’d call it the most memorable piece on the disc.

Producer and pianist Leslie Martin is a great help on that one and also provides some very solid Professor Longhair style accompaniment to the next cut, “Sweet Dreams.” There’s some other very nice things here, a pleasant version of “Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans”, a very strong “At Last” which seems to be getting a great deal of local attention these days, and an interesting closer, the John Lennon / Paul McCartney song “Oh Darling.” All in all it’s a solid job and I’m glad to see “Don’t You Feel My Leg” is still making it around. You know who else recorded it in 2006 under the title, “Don’t You Get Me High”? Van Morrison! Never thought much of him when it comes to legs, though.https://www.offbeat.com/music/lisa-lynn-call-me-baby-independent/

Call Me Baby

Allan Harris - Live at Blue LLama

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:23
Size: 157,2 MB
Art: Front

( 4:38) 1. Sunny
( 6:17) 2. Jeannine
( 6:16) 3. New Day
( 6:31) 4. The Very Thought Of You
( 4:45) 5. So What?
( 6:39) 6. Black Coffee Blues
( 5:22) 7. Shimmering Deep Blue Sea
( 8:40) 8. Spain
( 7:34) 9. There She Goes
(11:36) 10. Nature Boy

I have to admit the first thing that caught my attention about this album was the fact it was recorded at one of the region’s premier venues, Ann Arbor’s Blue Llama Jazz Club. That little tidbit aside, it didn’t take long to fall in love with the recording itself, which is being released this Friday.

There are a lot of great things going on with this album, the first live recording Harris known as the “Jazz Vocal King of New York” has issued in 13 years. First, Allan Harris is every bit of an outstanding vocalist as one might believe from the moniker.

On this 10-song disc, drawn from two live performances at the Blue Llama in January, he performs classics such as “Sunny,” “The Very Thought of You,” “So What?” and “Spain” to go along with several fine originals, each performed with skillful and intriguing jazz rhythm and textures.

His band is stunning throughout, with some really hot solos by keyboardist Arcoiris Sandoval, bassist Marty Kenney, drummer Norman Edwards, Jr., and saxophonist Irwin Hall. They really cut loose on the final song, “Nature Boy,” the Eden Ahbez classic that the great Nat King Cole turned into a hit way back in 1948.

Consider this unbelievable short list of superstars who have covered “Nature Boy” since then, including Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis, Bobby Darin, George Benson, Peggy Lee, Celine Dion, Grace Slick, Aaron Neville, the Tony Bennett-Lady Gaga duet, and Cole’s daughter, Natalie Cole. Amazingly, Harris and his other four band members come up with an arrangement that has a cool, spicy vibe and is distinctive from past versions.

This is a great album recorded only about an hour from most of Toledo. Harris said in his liner notes there was minimal editing beyond some of the distracting audience sounds being filtered out and is “the way we performed it live with all the grit and glory.”https://www.toledoblade.com/a-e/music-theater-dance/2023/07/26/

Live at Blue LLama