Laura Fygi - The Lady Wants To Know

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:43
Size: 145,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:05)1. Corcovado (Quite Nights Of Quiet Stars)
(4:35)2. It Might As Well Be Spring
(4:16)3. Dindi
(4:58)4. The Lady Wants To Know
(4:02)5. Triste
(4:32)6. If You Went Away
(4:03)7. You Do Something To Me
(3:16)8. Each And Everyone
(3:35)9. Something About Him
(3:38) 10. How Insensitive
(4:23) 11. Disse Alguem
(4:19) 12. Tell Me All About It
(2:52) 13. Oh Telephone
(3:28) 14. Sabor A Mi
(2:48) 15. Baubles, Bangles And Beads
(2:44) 16. Till There Was You

Like Marisa Monte, the beautiful Laura Fygi is one of the great pretenders to the Astrud Gilberto throne. " The lady wants to know " is a wonderful collection of bossa nova and movie classics which reminds me of the magic I felt in the sixties when I first heard this kind of music for the first time courtesy of the album " Astrud Gilberto ." Joining Laura on the album amongst others, are ' Toots ' Thielemans, Michael Franks and Clark Terry. It oozes the music of Tom Jobim (Dindi, Corcovado, Triste, How Insensitive) and the full sound of strings featuring our own London Studio Orchestra.Like Pamela Driggs of Brasilia, Laura is equally at home singing in English or Portuguese and offers beautiful renditions of the movie tracks, Rodgers and Hammerstein classic " It might as well be spring " from the movie ' State Fair ', " Baubles, Bangles and Beads " from ' Kismet ', ' Cole Porter's ' " You do something to me " from ' Fifty Million Frenchman ' and ' Meredith Willson's ' standard " Till there was you " from ' The Music Man '. Laura sings the stunning but , all too short, ' Everything but the Girls ' classic " Each and Everyone " written by Ben Watt and Tracey Thorn in the early eighties and features the acoustic guitar playing of ' Leonardo Amuedo ', a sound reminiscent of Ricardo Silveira. Michael Franks shares a duet with Laura on the Franks penned " Tell me all about it " If there was ever one person that could influence and assist your career in the music of Brazil, Laura has found him in Michael Franks whose own classic " Antonio's song " from his ' Sleeping Gypsy ' set is one of my all time bossa classics.

This is an album for bossa nova connoisseurs from the old school, it is simple, it has good arrangements, beautifully sung and ' oh so pleasing ' to my ears. This is the kind of music that turned me on to bossa nova music all those years ago and I don't care if this is " nothing new ", it is wonderful music performed by a much under-rated vocalist. My advice on this one is, ' Don't let it pass you by, get out there and try and find a copy. By AAF Staff https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-lady-wants-to-know-laura-fygi-mercury-records-review-by-aaj-staff.php

Personnel: Laura Fygi (vocals); Leonardo Amuedo (guitar); Ferdinand Povel (tenor saxophone); Clark Terry (trumpet); Hans Vroomans (piano); Marcel Serierse (drums, percussion).

The Lady Wants To Know

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Joe Henderson - Power To The People (Remastered 2024)

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2024
Time: 42:41
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 97,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:51) 1. Black Narcissus
(7:04) 2. Afro-Centric
(4:56) 3. Opus One-Point-Five
(4:55) 4. Isotope
(8:44) 5. Power To The People
(4:36) 6. Lazy Afternoon
(7:32) 7. Foresight And Afterthought

The late sixties were an exciting time for jazz, although not a lucrative one. Faced with a declining market share due to the popularity of rock music, jazz musicians were forced to find an audience by pursuing new avenues in composition and instrumentation.

Joe Henderson, a much beloved player for the Blue Note label was dropped in the late sixties. Orrin Keepnews, who certainly could recognize great talent when he saw it, signed him to his newly formed Milestone label. This 1969 release finds Henderson with a near perfect rhythm section. It features imaginative compositions that easily make it a highlight of the accomplished musician's career.

Power to the People is an appropriate title for a session filled with the sense of urgency and charisma found here. Henderson took a page from the compositional methods of the Miles Davis quintet from a few years back in that many of the compositions feature the same dark corners and ambiguous chord structures of that famous group. Only "Incognito" harkens back to an earlier time in Henderson's career.

Henderson has, for the most part, abandoned the harsh tone of his earlier releases for a more smoothed over sound, giving up nothing in confidence. Herbie Hancock and Ron Carter are session musicians here, featured both on acoustic and electric instruments.

Jack DeJohnette, another master who would contribute heavily to Miles' electric period, provides skilled drumming in the background. As an added bonus, two selections feature Mike Lawrence, a promising trumpeter who died in 1983.

As part of the Keepnews Collection, the sound on this release is superb. Carter is served especially well every note is clearly heard. Hancock's electric piano, at times both burbling in the background and providing an acid sting, is also crisp.

While signed to the Blue Note label, Henderson provided seminal releases in the accepted format. On many levels, Power to the People is more satisfying, a neglected gem that showcases an artist reaching for all that he can accomplish. By David Rickert
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/power-to-the-people-joe-henderson-review-by-david-rickert

Personnel: Joe Henderson — tenor saxophone; Mike Lawrence — trumpet (2, 5); Herbie Hancock — piano (3, 4, 6), Fender Rhodes (1, 2, 5); Ron Carter — double bass (1, 3, 4, 6, 7), electric bass (2, 5)Jack DeJohnette — drums

Power To The People (Remastered 2024)

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Chris Potter - Eagle's Point

Styles: Contemporary Jazz
Year: 2024
Time: 40:56
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 94,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:39) 1. Dream of Home
(7:05) 2. Cloud Message
(7:18) 3. Indigo Ildikó
(7:36) 4. Eagle's Point
(6:15) 5. Aria for Anna
(7:40) 6. Other Plans
(8:28) 7. Málaga Moon
(6:39) 8. Horizon Dance

The question that comes to mind after listening to Eagle's Point is this: why have the four musicians, who have known each other since the 1990s, never recorded together before? For the combination of Chris Potter, Brad Mehldau, John Patitucci and Brian Blade is a real meeting of minds; the stars are in perfect alignment.

Potter's previous release, Got The Keys To The Kingdom (Edition, 2023), was a live set, recorded at New York's Village Vanguard, and consisted entirely of covers. Eagle's Point is a studio recording and all the tunes are originals written for the occasion by Potter.

There is no bling to be heard here, no b.s., just gutsy substance. Across the album, Potter's writing and performance has an emphasis on exuberance but from time-to-time touches on the kind of gentle delicacy associated with pianist Bill Evans or composer Erik Satie; within every track, and indeed within most of the solos, the atmosphere moves between outgoing and intense to introspective and softly spoken (hear opener "Dream Of Home" on the YouTube below).

The quartet, each member listening hard to whoever is center stage, moves through these changes in perfect symmetry, like a small murmuration of starlings wheeling over a landscape. It is all gloriously consonant; the only suggestion of dissonance comes from Potter's broken notes in the final few seconds of the closing "Horizon Dance," a Sonny Rollins-esque romp which promises to break into a straight Saturday night calypso at any moment, but never quite does so.

Like all Potter's albums, Eagle's Point is something which will reward multiple replays, revealing new facets with every spin. By Chris May https://www.allaboutjazz.com/eagles-point-chris-potter-edition-records

Personnel: Chris Potter - Tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, bass clarinet; Brad Mehldau - Piano; John Patitucci - Double Bass; Brian Blade - Drums

Eagle's Point

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Patty Lomuscio - Further To Fly (Sings Simon & Garfunkel)

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2016
Time: 55:22
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 130,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:11) 1. The sound of silence
(7:13) 2. American tune
(4:36) 3. Further to fly
(7:35) 4. Scarborough Fair
(7:12) 5. The boy in the bubble
(6:09) 6. Can't run but
(4:56) 7. (What a) Wonderful world
(5:45) 8. Bridge Over Troubled Water
(6:40) 9. Slip slidin' away

Patty Lomuscio, singer and cellist. In 2016 she recorded her first album as a leader "Further To Fly" with ALFAMUSIC-ROME-, a DISC recorded in September 2015 in New York with Gianluca Renzi on double bass, Jon Davis on piano and Vince Ector on drums..a record entirely dedicated to Paul Simon & Art Garfunkel. Finalist at the Premio Targhe Tenco 2016 with the album Further to fly She is currently Professor of Jazz Singing at the Conservatory of Music "Duni" of Matera She has been Professor of Jazz Singing at the Conservatory of Music "T. Schipa"-Lecce

She was a Jazz Singing Teacher at the Conservatorio "Benedetto Marcello" Venezia She was a Jazz Singing Teacher at the Conservatorio di Musica "N.Piccinni"-Bari She was a Jazz Singing Teacher at the Liceo Musicale Parabita (le) She began singing at an early age. Already at the age of eight, she won city competitions. She then also began studying the cello after winning a scholarship, first in her home town and then at the 'N.Piccinni' Conservatory in Bari, where she graduated with Maestro M.Nicola Fiorino.

She perfected her study of jazz, graduating with top marks, in JAZZ MUSIC, at the N.Piccinni Conservatory in Bari, with her teacher M.Gianna Montecalvo, Roberto Ottaviano, Davide Santorsola,Andrea Gargiulo, Luigi Giannatempo,Vitandrea Morra. In the United States (New York) in November 2011 he perfected and expanded his study of Jazz with pianist M.Jon Davis. In 2002 she attended workshops and seminars with Rachel Gould, Guido Manusardi, Sandro Gibellini. In summer 2003 she won the first "Andria Jazz" competition for young emerging talents in jazz. In summer 2004 she attended the NUORO JAZZ seminar, whose artistic direction was entrusted to PaoloFresu, with jazz singer Maria Pia De Vito, also winning a scholarship.

He published a thesis on 'Charlie Parker and the ballads' in the Nuoro Jazz magazine in 2005. That same year, again at Nuoro Jazz, she illustrated her thesis in front of all the students and teachers at the Nuoro Jazz 2005 seminar. On the occasion of the "Chicco Bettinardi Jazz Competition" held in Piacenza in January 2005, in conjunction with the Piacenza Jazz Festival, she won the "Premio al Femminile" as best female artist competitor. At Nuoro Jazz 2005 she again won the scholarship as best singing student, awarded by Maria Pia De Vito. Also in Nuoro, she attended Uri Caine and John Abercrombie's master classes. In March 2008, she attended a jazz singing seminar with singer Michele Hendricks
https://m.highresaudio.com/en/artist/view/2285a8cc-76d4-4d4c-b606-e3b7c7f3b7d3/patty-lomuscio

Further To Fly

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Chris Standring - As We Think

Styles: Smooth Jazz
Year: 2024
Time: 47:42
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 109,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:58) 1. Chocolate Shake
(5:11) 2. Good Gracious
(4:11) 3. Come Closer
(3:44) 4. Top Hat & Tails
(4:25) 5. Alphabet Soup
(4:26) 6. Bedtime Story
(4:52) 7. Michael's Watch
(4:07) 8. This Life
(4:35) 9. Monday Madness
(4:28) 10. Swings & Roundabouts
(3:39) 11. Too Good To Be True

The title of Chris Standring's new album As We Think is derived from a book written by James Allen in 1902 called As A Man Thinketh. Chris sees the album as an expression of his positive thinking, whereby the fact that Chris is releasing a new album is in itself a reason for optimism.

One could now pontificate about the miserable state of the music industry, especially in the field of instrumental jazz. But let's instead take up the positive attitude of the guitarist, who originally hails from the UK.

Well-known musicians such as Andre Berry (bass), Chris Coleman (drums), Rodney Lee (Rhodes), Lenny Castro (percussion), Dino Soldo (tenor sax, harmonica), Terry Disley (piano), Larry Steen (upright bass), Aaron Janik (trumpet), Brandon Fields (alto sax), Katisse Buckingham (tenor sax) and Ido Meshulam (trombone) contributed to the album.

The album starts with Chocolate Shake and, like the deliciously sweet drink, Chris refreshes us with new guitar sounds. Whereby a pinch of Talkbox should spice up the song a little.

Good Gracious continues in a relaxed and fluffy manner, with keyboard chords and guitar riffs rapidly circling the melody. The horn section and strings provide the necessary rounding off. Rodney Lee sets his own accents with his Rhodes, which bring in something British. Come Closer cannot be denied a certain recognition value. Fans of EWF will be delighted with the horn quotes.

Top Hat and Tails is a phrase commonly used to describe a formal dress code for men. It refers to the combination of a top hat and a tailcoat, typically worn for very formal events such as weddings. Now you should know that Chris married a beautiful woman last year and this song radiates the happiness they both experience in their togetherness.

Alphabet Soup refers to a type of soup that contains small pasta letters or shapes that resemble letters of the alphabet. Alphabet Soup is often used as a metaphor to describe a situation or environment that is complex and filled with a wide variety of elements or influences. Special guest on this tune is Dino Soldo presenting a brilliant bit of tenor sax.

Bedtime Story is a gentle melody that invites you to dream like a tale told by a mother to her child. We don't know who Michael is or what kind of watch he wears. What we do know is that Michael's Watch is a lively uplifting tune.

Reggae is a genre of music which often carries messages of peace, unity, and resistance against oppression. It has a laid-back and uplifting vibe that reflects the relaxed lifestyle and positive outlook of the Jamaican people. Now you understand why Chris has transfered this music style into the groovy This Life.

Monday Madness is a condition we are confronted with every Monday. With his music, Chris has developed his own strategy to make the best out of the beginning of the week. Let me add funky, funky.

The British use the phrase Swings and Rundabouts to describe a situation in which everything evens out in the end. Recognizing this result gives rise to the typical serenity with which everyday things are approached.

The last track Too Good To Be True also reflects this inner calm. Even though Chris views his current life situation with a healthy degree of skepticism, he is enjoying this moment to the full. Dino Soldo makes his second contribution on the harmonica creating an eclectic sound.

Behind the phrase As We Think is the idea of sharing one's thinking with others through publication and thereby contributing to progress in the world.This idea can also be applied to Standring's music, which, with its positive basic structure, hopefully contributes to the right development. But if not, it also has its raison d'être, best entertainment.
http://www.smooth-jazz.de/firstview/Standring/AsWeThink.htm

Personnel: Chris Standring, guitar/composer; Andre Berry, bass; Chris Coleman, drums; Terry Disley, piano; Larry Steen, double bass; Lenny Castro, percussion; Aaron Janik, trumpet; Brandon Fields, alto saxophone; Katisse Buckingham & Dino Soldo, tenor saxophone/harmonica; Ido Meshulam, trombone; Rodney Lee, organ; Walter Murphy, horn arrangements.

As We Think

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Kandace Springs - Run Your Race

Styles: Vocal, Soul
Year: 2024
Time: 57:15
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 169,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:18) 1. Run Your Race
(3:56) 2. So Far So Near
(5:12) 3. Chasing Shadows
(3:52) 4. What Was I Made For?
(3:44) 5. Broken Keys
(5:02) 6. We'll Find A Way
(4:12) 7. Closer To Me
(4:19) 8. Wild Is The Wind
(4:34) 9. Pulse
(3:17) 10. Look
(3:32) 11. Precious Love
(2:44) 12. My Poor Heart
(3:15) 13. Still Lonely
(4:12) 14. If I Had My Way

We already knew it, Kandace Springs possesses one of the most beautiful voices today, navigating through a highly personal style that blends jazz, soul, and blues. I’m not the only one saying this, as The Washington Post declared: “Kandace Springs’ voice is undeniable. She is one of those generational voices; from the first note, you know she’s special.” Accompanied by fantastic musicians on this album: Caylen Bryant on Bass, Camille Gainer on Drums, Carl Sturken, Bob Palmieri on Guitar, Caylen Bryant, Theo Griffin on Cello, Elena Pinderhughes on Flute, Cindy Mizelle, Theo Griffin, Caylen Bryant, Christie Moran on Background Vocals, Jeannette Williams on Cajon, David Mann on String arrangements.

The album features 12 original compositions because Kandace is not just an extraordinary performer but also an excellent pianist and composer. She delivers a very personal album here, with a title dedicated to her father, whom she deeply loved and respected, who passed away in 2021. He was a great athlete, hence the title of this album and its song.

The album and its titular song pay homage to her late father, Kenneth “Scat” Springs, a former collegiate track star who later led his own R&B band and sang backup for artists ranging from Garth Brooks to Aretha Franklin. This album also features two covers, including her surprising rendition of “What Was I Made For?”, the theme song from the Barbie movie, nominated for an Oscar. But what truly marks this album is the emotional depth present in each track.

One notable title is “Closer To Me,” a classic R&B ballad clearly influenced by Prince, who invited her to perform with him at Paisley Park for the 30th anniversary of the Purple Rain album after seeing a video of Kandace performing Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me”. Thus began a close mentorship between Kandace and the “Purple One,” as she continues to call him. They wrote songs together and shared insights on all things musical.

Family is the central point of her life. If “Run Your Race” is dedicated to her father, here’s what Kandace said about her previous album: “Of course, with an album titled The Women Who Raised Me, we would be remiss not to talk about Springs’ mother, Kelly. While Dad arranged for her to learn from professionals like the Wooten Brothers, Mom actually drove young Kandace to these lessons in the family van while listening to the local easy-listening station. That’s where she first heard Dusty Springfield (Springs’ version of “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life” is rich in sorrow and drama) and, repeatedly, the aforementioned Bonnie Raitt hit. She learned the latter in her late teens while working at a local hotel.” Run Your Race is the follow-up to her 2020 album, The Women Who Raised Me, which was praised by The New Yorker, Paris-Move, DownBeat, NPR, and many others. The album featured Kandace interpreting music by female vocal icons like Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Sade, Bonnie Raitt, and Ella Fitzgerald (with Norah Jones joining her on Fitzgerald’s “Angel Eyes”).

In the case of both albums, what makes them successful is evidently the sincerity, a sincerity of the music, lyrics, and her qualities as a great performer, because singing in this manner isn’t something you can fake; it requires an absolute inner richness. In total, this new album features 14 tracks that will resonate in your ears, most likely becoming classics quite quickly, as the secret to a great album is knowing how to package a singer on the basis of acoustic instruments. These are the only albums that endure over time, and this is also generally what makes good blues albums, because the voice is a fragile instrument, and the risk-taking on stage is real when the arrangements are made in such a way as to serve an interpretation of this quality.

Kandace Springs’ artistic consciousness goes much further, extending to recording and mixing, admirable in its simplicity and effective in the best sense of the term, because again, don’t look for big effects; the technique focuses on the essential, purity. Among other highlights of the album are the lush “So Far, So Near,” adorned with strings, and the beautiful and thoughtful “Look,” which Kandace wrote as a teenager. “Chasing Shadows,” which she wrote with Sturken and Rogers, comes alive with a bubbling groove provided by her longtime rhythm section, drummer Camille Gainer-Jones and bassist Caylen Bryant, and with an added edge brought by flutist Elena Pinder-Hughes (Herbie Hancock). She co-wrote the catchy “Pulse” with Gregg Wells (Katy Perry).

To complete the picture regarding this artist, let’s review her history, as it all began for Kandace in 2014, with her first EP for Blue Note Records, produced by Pop & Oak. “Love Got in the Way” was her first music video. Notable collaborations include with Ghostface Killah on his 2014 single “Love Don’t Live Here No More.” She performed on various TV shows such as The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Later… with Jools Holland. Prince asked her to perform with him on stage.

In 2016, her album Soul Eyes was released. Continuing to work with Sturken and Rogers, she also attracted producer Larry Klein. On ballads like “Place to Hide” and relaxing mid-tempo songs like “Talk to Me,” she accompanied herself on piano. Collaborating artists included trumpeter Terence Blanchard, guitarists Dean Parks and Jesse Harris, and drummer Vinnie Colaiuta. Her 2018 album, Indigo, was produced by Karriem Riggins. With R&B influences and a trumpet solo by Roy Hargrove.

“Run Your Race,” although very different from her previous albums, is in my view a major work, showcasing Kandace’s ability to reinvent herself without missteps, which is the mark of great artists…https://www.paris-move.com/reviews/kandace-springs-run-your-race-eng-review/

Run Your Race

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Carmen McRae - For Lady Day, Vol. 2

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1983
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:30
Size: 119,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:29)  1. Intro
(2:06)  2. Laughing At Life
(3:48)  3. You Ain't Gonna Bother Me No More
(2:53)  4. Easy Livin'
(4:41)  5. Yesterdays
(6:18)  6. My Old Flame
(2:50)  7. Nice Work If You Can Get It
(4:48)  8. Billie's Blues
(3:27)  9. Travelin' Light
(5:46) 10. Medley: If You Were Mine / It's Like Reaching For The Moon
(1:36) 11. I'm Painting The Town Red
(5:31) 12. You've Changed
(3:12) 13. Mean To Me

The second volume of Carmen McRae's heartfelt tribute to Billie Holiday, like the first, comes from a broadcast taped by WBGO-FM at the Blue Note in New York City on New Year's Eve, 1983. McRae takes a few minutes to explain the evolution of her tribute and she hardly attempts to sing Holiday's material in the same way, but utilizing her own powerful, emotional approach, often lagging behind the beat. McRae also delves into songs that Holiday performed but are not as readily associated with her, such as "Laughing at Life" and "You Ain't Gonna Bother Me No More." Her rhythm section, including pianist Marshall Otwell, bassist John Leftwich, and drummer Donald Bailey, provides strong support, with the occasional appearance of tenor saxophonist Zoot Sims (especially on "My Old Flame" and "Mean to Me") providing an added bonus. Like the first volume, this Novus CD was not released until after McRae's death, while this outstanding set makes jazz fans wonder why record labels don't mine public radio live broadcasts for similar performances more often.~Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/for-lady-day-vol-2-mw0000176927

Personnel : Carmen McRae (vocals); Zoot Sims (tenor saxophone);  Marshall Otwell (piano); John Leftwich (bass);  Donald Baily (drums).

For Lady Day, Vol. 2

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Ronnie Cuber Quartet - Airplay

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:20
Size: 157,8 MB
Art: Front

( 8:12)  1. Bread And Jam
( 7:23)  2. New Orleans 1951
(10:42)  3. Pit Inn
( 4:58)  4. One For Hank
(10:59)  5. Jazz Cumbia
( 7:31)  6. Passion Fruit
(10:49)  7. Trane's Waltz
( 7:42)  8. Airplay

A powerful baritone saxophonist with a huge, deeply emotive sound, Ronnie Cuber is a highly respected New York bandleader and session musician with a decades-long career playing in the jazz, pop, and Latin scenes. Initially emerging as a gifted jazz soloist in New York in the 1960s, Cuber quickly distinguished himself playing a wide-ranging mix of hard bop and Latin jazz, including hits with Maynard Ferguson, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Lee Konitz, Eddie Palmieri, Mario Bauza, and others. He also became an in-demand session player and sideman, working with a list of marquee artists like Frank Zappa, Chaka Khan, and Billy Joel. While his 1976 debut, Cuber Libre, is an underappreciated Latin jazz classic, he has also contributed to such landmark albums as Paul Simon's Graceland, Steely Dan's Gaucho, and J.Geils Band's Freeze Frame, just to name a few. Cuber remains an active studio and touring performer while continuing to pursue his own jazz interests, playing regularly with the Mingus Big Band and releasing his own well-regarded albums such as 2009's Ronnie. Born in 1941 and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Cuber grew up in a musical family with a mom who played piano and a dad who favored the accordion. By his teens, the gifted tenor saxophonist had grabbed the attention of noted musician and jazz educator Marshall Brown, who selected him to play with the Newport Youth Band at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1959. Around this time, Cuber switched to baritone as his main instrument, drawing upon Gerry Mulligan and Pepper Adams as influences. By the early '60s, he was working professionally, playing first with Slide Hampton, and then joining Maynard Ferguson's band for several years. It was with Ferguson that he made his recorded debut, appearing on albums like 1963's The New Sound of Maynard Ferguson, and 1965's Color Him Wild. Stints with Woody Herman and Lionel Hampton followed, as did session and gig work playing Latin music with legendary bandleaders like Eddie Palmieri, Charlie Palmieri, and Mario Bauza. By the '70s, Cuber was recording regularly, appearing on soul-jazz sessions with George Benson, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Grant Green, and others. As a leader, he made his recorded debut on 1976's Cuber Libre!, a swaggeringly propulsive, Latin jazz date with pianist Barry Harris, bassist Sam Jones, and drummer Albert "Tootie" Heath. 

The album showcased his distinctive style, mixing an aggressive, meaty tone, with fluid, harmonically rich lines. He quickly followed-up with the more post-bop-leaning The Eleventh Day of Aquarius, which also featured trumpeter Tom Harrell. As well during the '70s, Cuber developed a fruitful relationship with saxophonist Lee Konitz, with whom he recorded several albums. He also recorded alongside R&B sax legend King Curtis. There were also notable hits with Idris Muhammad, Terumasa Hino, and more. The baritonist began branching out into pop and rock during this period, playing on Frank Zappa's Zappa in New York, and building his reputation as a reliable studio player with albums like Average White Band's Soul Searching, Chaka Khan's Chaka, Patti Austin's Havana Candy, and more. During these years, he also continued his vibrant Latin work, appearing with Dom Um Romao, Ismael Miranda, Willie Colon, and others. Cuber's reputation as a go-to session player grew throughout the '80s as he appeared on albums by bevy of marquee artists including Aretha Franklin, Chic, and Luther Vandross. He played on Paul Simon's classic Graceland, put his R&B-experience to use on J. Geils Band's breakthrough Freeze Frame, and contributed to Steely Dan's Gaucho. He also worked with Billy Joel, appearing on albums like 1983's An Innocent Man and 1986's The Bridge. Also during this period, he appeared on television as a member of the Saturday Night Live Band. 

Despite his busy schedule, he found time to record his own projects, bringing all his varied experience to bear in a jazz setting on 1981's New York Jazz, 1985's Passion Fruit, and 1987's Pin Point. Into the '90s, Cuber played regularly with the Mingus Big Band (of which he was a founding member), and furthered his long association with Dr. John, touring and arranging for the singer during the summer. In 1993, Cuber returned to his solo work with The Scene Is Clean on Milestone, a lush, string-accented, Latin-jazz session featuring organist Joey DeFrancesco, pianist Geoff Keezer, and others. He then issued handful of albums for SteepleChase, including 1994's Airplay, and 1996's In a New York Minute. 

He also organized an all-baritone Gerry Mulligan tribute band, and in 2000, again joined Dr. John on tour, alongside organist and longtime-friend Dr. Lonnie Smith. As a leader, Cuber stayed busy for SteepleChase, issuing 2009's Ronnie, and 2012's Boplicity. In 2018, he returned with the standards-heavy Ronnie's Trio, with bassist Jay Anderson and drummer Adam Nussbaum. ~ Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ronnie-cuber-mn0000331319/biography

Personnel:   Ronnie Cuber - baritone saxophone;  Geoff Keezer - piano;  Chip Jackson - bass;  Ben Perowsky - drums

Airplay

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Candy Dulfer - Saxuality

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:00
Size: 208,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:21)  1. Lily Was Here
(3:50)  2. Pee Wee
(4:12)  3. Saxuality
(5:00)  4. So What
(4:21)  5. Jazzid
(4:08)  6. Heavenly City
(5:18)  7. Donja
(3:55)  8. There Goes The Neighbourhood
(4:57)  9. Mr. Lee
(4:15) 10. Get The Funk
(4:11) 11. Home Is Not A House
(4:27) 12. Lily Was Here (DNA Remix)

Dutch smooth jazz saxophonist Candy Dulfer's debut album, 1990's Saxuality, made a splash both critically and commercially upon its release and helped propel her to global stardom. The daughter of saxophonist Hans Dulfer, Candy Dulfer had performed since she was an adolescent and by her early twenties was opening for Madonna and Prince. Saxuality builds upon these experiences with productions from multi-instrumentalist Ulco Bed that are equal parts Prince, David Sanborn, and '80s Miles Davis. Although Dulfer's slick approach here fits squarely in the pop-jazz vein, she was inspired early on in her career by such players as Sonny Rollins and Maceo Parker. Consequently, these influences help make Saxuality a more funky and engaging listen than many similar albums of the time. While not exactly innovative, Bed's mix of programmed beats and synths next to actual instruments was fairly inspired and the album works as a bridge between the club-oriented acid jazz coming out of Europe in the late '80s and the radio-friendly smooth jazz of American artists like George Benson and Spyro Gyra. Not only did Saxuality perform well for Dulfer, selling well over a million copies worldwide, but it also garnered a Grammy Award nomination for Best Contemporary Jazz Album.~Matt Collar http://www.allmusic.com/album/saxuality-mw0000262954

Personnel:  Patricia Balrak, Wies Ingwersen, Hugh Kanza - Backing Vocals & Vocal Ad-Libs;  Ulco Bed - Guitars, Keyboards, Drum Programming, Synth Bass;  Candy Dulfer - Saxophone, Keyboards, Vocals;  Hans Dulfer - Tenor Saxophone;  Frans Hendrix - Percussion, Programming;  Edwin Rath – Drums; Dave Stewart – Guitars;  Michel Van Schie, Dimitri Veltkamp – Bass;  Fred Anindjola, Bobby Van De Berg – keyboards;  Martino Latupeirissa – percussion;  Bill "Funky Cold" Malina - engineer

Saxuality

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Kenny Drew Jr. - The Rainbow Connection

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:58
Size: 134,5 MB
Art: Front

( 5:42)  1. Confrontation
( 5:54)  2. There Is No Greater Love
( 7:07)  3. Serenity
( 4:18)  4. Boo Boo's Birthday
( 6:26)  5. Nelson Avenue Morning
( 6:20)  6. Coral Sea
( 5:18)  7. Rhythm - A - Ning
( 5:16)  8. The Rainbow Connection
(11:34)  9. Invitation

Kenny Drew, Sr. was so legendary a pianist that Kenny Drew, Jr. was bound to be compared to his father, however hard he fought to establish his own identity. And the fact that they played the same instrument didn't exactly discourage comparisons. But the son is very much his own man, and his individuality asserts itself on The Rainbow Connection, which was recorded when he was a month away from his 30th birthday. Drew has competent support in bassist Charnett Moffett, drummer Cody Moffett and trumpeter Terence Blanchard, and he proves that he's no clone of his father on material ranging from "Invitation" to the Thelonious Monk classics "Rhythm-A-Ning" and "Boo Boo's Birthday" (a difficult tune that, unlike "Rhythm-A-Ning," is far from well-known). Especially revealing is his interpretation of his father's haunting "Serenity." If anything would have encouraged Drew, Jr. to emulate Drew, Sr., it would be "Serenity," but he manages to do his own thing with it. Initially released by the Japanese Jazz City label, this decent post-bop/hard bop date was reissued on CD by Evidence in 1998. ~ Alex Henderson https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-rainbow-connection-mw0000035007

Personnel: Piano – Kenny Drew Jr.; Bass – Charnett Moffett; Drums – Codaryl "Cody" Moffett; Trumpet – Terence Blanchard

The Rainbow Connection

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Django Reinhardt And The Swingbands Of Paris - Avec Django À Montmartre

Styles: Gypsy Jazz
Year: 2024
Time: 51:17
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 118,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:17) 1. A.B.C.
(2:15) 2. Le Sheik
(2:12) 3. Margie
(2:18) 4. Finesse
(2:40) 5. Blues primitif
(2:43) 6. Honeysuckle Rose
(2:58) 7. Crazy Rhythm
(2:36) 8. A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody
(2:21) 9. Swing Guitar
(2:38) 10. Sérénade D'Hiver
(2:37) 11. Oriental Shuffle
(3:09) 12. Tel Quel
(3:05) 13. After You've Gone
(2:54) 14. Are You In The Mood?
(2:36) 15. Zuidersee Blues
(3:01) 16. Topsy
(2:31) 17. I Know That You Know
(2:54) 18. Jumping At The Woodside
(3:16) 19. Porto Cabello
(2:46) 20. Babik

The man who became the 1st European jazz giant was born Jean Baptiste Reinhardt on January 24 1910 in a Gypsy encampment at Liberchies Belgium. His father was a traveling entertainer so he lived with his mother and her tribe. His early childhood was spent in and around Liberchies. At age 8 he moved with his mother and her clan to France and settled in a camp outside the gates of old Paris. He first started playing music on an old banjo/guitar at age 12 and soon started playing in cafes and dance halls in Paris accompanying and accordionist. He made his first recordings under the name of Jiango Reinhardt when he was in his late teens.

On November 2nd, 1928 a fire destroyed the caravan that Django Reinhardt shared with his wife together with all their belongings and severely burnt his left hand and his right leg. Despite initial hesitation to seek medical attention on his part and talk of amputating the leg by the first physician he saw, proper care received in a nursing home helped save his leg but permanently scarred his left hand.

During the 18 months spent convalescing he created a new technique in playing the guitar that made up for the extremely limited use he had of his 4th and 5th fingers. In 1934 Django and other musicians including Stéphane Grappelli, whom Django had met during an intermission when both were playing at a local hotel, Louis Vola, Roger Chaput and Django's brother Joseph formed the Quintette du Hot Club de France. They recorded their first jazz sides under that name and these early 78s propelled them into stardom.

They created the concept of lead guitar backed by a rhythm guitar and they also used their string instruments to create percussion like sounds since they lacked any percussionists or drummers in their group. After this initial success they continued to record and tour Europe. They started recording material composed by Django himself and American standards. Django did not know how to read and write music and only later in life taught himself how to read and write French. They also played and recorded with expatriate and visiting American musicians such as Coleman Hawkins, Benny Carter, Rex Stewart and Louis Armstrong.

When World War II broke the Quintet was touring England. Django and other returned to Paris but Grappelli stayed in England thus ending the first incarnation of the Quintette du Hot Club de France. Clarinetist Hubert Rostaing was hired to replace Grappelli. Django somehow survived the dark years of Nazi rule when many of his people perished in concentration camps. Jazz was banned under Hitler.

Django was only allowed to play his music because of the aid of a Luftwaffe official who loved jazz and admired his skill. After the war he rejoined Grappelli and they continued to tour even visiting the US and playing in 1946 with Duke Ellington. He stayed in New York for a while but in 1948 returned to France and played mostly electric guitar except on his later days masterpiece Djangologie which he recorded together with Grappelli and a trio of Italian musicians.

In 1951 he retired to to Samois sur Seine, near Fontainebleau France. He lived there until May 16, 1953, when, collapsed outside his house and was declared dead from a brain hemorrhage on arrival at the hospital in Fontainebleau.https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/django-reinhardt/

Avec Django À Montmartre

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Raul De Souza - Sweet Lucy

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 1978
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:31
Size: 95,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:27)  1. Sweet Lucy
(3:19)  2. Wires
(7:34)  3. Wild And Shy
(4:18)  4. At Will
(4:57)  5. Banana Tree
(6:17)  6. A Song Of Love
(4:25)  7. New Love
(5:09)  8. Bottom Heat

Raul De Souza is one of the mysteries of the jazz world. In the 1970s, it was obvious that the Brazilian trombonist had a lot going for him: a distinctive and appealing tone, major chops, versatility, and a lot of soul and warmth. So why did he mysteriously fade into such obscurity in the 1980s? In an ideal world, De Souza would have built a huge catalogue. But regrettably, his recording career was short-lived. Produced by George Duke, 1977's Sweet Lucy is the first of three albums that De Souza recorded for Capitol in the late '70s. Vocal-oriented funk jams like "Wires" and the title song (both written by Duke) are catchy, but the fusion and pop-jazz instrumentals are where De Souza really shines. When he stretches out on "Bottom Heat," "Wild and Shy," and other pieces that he composed himself, De Souza shows a great deal of potential as a soloist. The LP's weakest track is a performance of the Brazilian ballad "New Love (Cancão do Nosso Amor)," which finds De Souza attempting to sing. 

The song is gorgeous, but De Souza doesn't do it justice because, quite honestly, he can't sing calling his voice thin is being charitable. Besides, De Souza doesn't need to use his vocal chords to sing; he does plenty of "singing" with his trombone, and his command of that instrument makes Sweet Lucy an LP that is excellent more often than not. ~ Alex Henderson http://www.allmusic.com/album/sweet-lucy-mw0000869231

Personnel:  Trombone – Raul De Souza;   Backing Vocals – Deborah Thomas (tracks: 1, 2, 5), Lynn Davis (tracks: 1, 2, 5), Sybil Thomas (tracks: 1, 2, 5), Victoria Miles (tracks: 1, 2, 5);  Bass – Byron Miller, Embamba (tracks: 6, 7);  Drums – Leon Ndugu Chancler;  Guitar – Al McKay;  Keyboards – Dawilli Gonga (tracks: 1, 2, 6), Patrice Rushen;  Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Freddy Hubbard* (tracks: 2, 3, 8)

Sweet Lucy

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Carmen McRae - For Lady Day, Vol. 1

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1983
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:15
Size: 117,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:32)  1. Intro
(2:34)  2. Miss Brown to you
(4:21)  3. Good morning heartache
(4:24)  4. I'm gonna lock my heart and throw away the key
(6:23)  5. Fine and mellow
(1:26)  6. Them there eyes
(6:18)  7. Lover man
(2:20)  8. I cried for you (now it's your turn to cry over me)
(6:42)  9. God bless the child
(2:57) 10. I hear music
(3:17) 11. I'm pulling through
(4:06) 12. Don't explain
(2:50) 13. What a little moonlight can do

Carmen McRae always considered Billie Holiday to be the most important influence not only on her singing but on her life. Six years before she recorded her monumental tributes to Thelonious Monk and Sarah Vaughan, McRae performed a Billie Holiday set at New York's Blue Note Club that was broadcast over the radio; on the first of two volumes, McRae, who talks movingly about Lady Day at the beginning of the set and accompanies herself on piano on "I'm Pulling Through," is heard in prime form, combining the power and range of her earlier years with the emotional depth and behind-the-beat phrasing of her last period. Accompanied by her rhythm section of the time (pianist Marshall Otwell, bassist John Leftwich, and drummer Donald Bailey) and occasionally the tenor of Zoot Sims, McRae really digs into the material, interpreting the songs in her own style but with a knowing nod toward Holiday. This wonderful set is far superior to most of the Billie Holiday tribute albums and reminds one how much Carmen McRae is missed.~Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/for-lady-day-mw0000123562

Personnel: Carmen McRae (vocals, piano), Zoot Sims (tenor saxophone), Marshall Otwell (piano), John Leftwich (bass), Donald Bailey (drums).

For Lady Day, vol. 1

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Ronnie Cuber - Live at JazzFest Berlin

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:15
Size: 145,0 MB
Art: Front

(12:31)  1. Tokyo Blues
( 6:11)  2. Coco B
( 9:28)  3. Things Never Were What They Used to Be
( 8:27)  4. Passion Frui
( 8:45)  5. Tell Me a Bedtime Story
( 8:18)  6. Perpetuating the Myth
( 9:31)  7. Arroz con Pollo

Baritone saxophonist Ronnie Cuber’s third release for SteepleChase predates his association with the label, and might be thought of as a happy accident. At the titular fest, in 2008, Cuber’s quartet-with pianist Kenny Drew Jr., electric bassist Ruben Rodriguez and drummer Ben Perowsky-played a two-set show that the four remembered as a highlight of their European tour. Unbeknownst to them, the concert was recorded for a radio broadcast, and Cuber subsequently opted to give the music an official release. He had good instincts: The seven tunes culled from the evening have Cuber and co. in fine form, with the saxophonist, underappreciated pianist Drew and the in-sync rhythm section excelling on blues, swing and Latin-oriented tunes, including four originals.

The band romps from the get-go with Horace Silver’s “Tokyo Blues,” its call-and-response head opening up into an extended solo for Cuber, who incorporates artful repetition, syncopation, overblowing effects and a Gershwin reference before turning it over to Drew. He proceeds to build a dizzying, masterful solo, and Rodriguez and Perowsky also shine on the 12 1/2-minute tune. The samba rhythms of Clare Fischer’s bright, catchy “Coco B” fuel sterling improvisations by Drew and Cuber. So, too, do the fertile Afro-Caribbean grooves of Cuber’s “Passion Fruit,” the title track from the saxophonist’s 1985 album, which opens up for a high-energy montuno section, and his “Arroz con Pollo,” bolstered by Rodriguez’s fleet-fingered workout. 

The quartet also takes on Herbie Hancock’s melancholy, slowly shifting “Tell Me a Bedtime Story” and two originals from Drew: the funk-edged “Things Never Were What They Used to Be,” a nod to the Mercer Ellington tune, and “Perpetuating the Myth,” a strolling, twisting, bluesy piece with a bari-and-piano unison melody that nods to Monk. Fat, gritty tone? Check. Agile, clever improvisations? Check. Cuber still has it. ~ Philip Booth https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/ronnie-cuber-live-at-jazzfest-berlin/

Personnel: Ronnie Cuber: baritone saxophone; Kenny Drew Jr.: piano; Rubén Rodríguez: bass; Ben Perowsky: drums.

Live at JazzFest Berlin

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Christian McBride/Edgar Meyer - But Who's Gonna Play the Melody?

Styles: Jazz Fusion
Year: 2024
Time: 66:15
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 152,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:56) 1. Green Slime
(4:43) 2. Barnyard Disturbance
(3:29) 3. Bebop, of Course
(5:15) 4. Bass Duo #1
(3:59) 5. Solar
(4:33) 6. Canon
(3:25) 7. Philly Slop
(1:55) 8. Interlude #1
(4:18) 9. FRB 2DB
(6:01) 10. Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered
(6:08) 11. Bass Duo #2
(5:05) 12. Lullaby for a Ladybug
(5:35) 13. Days of Wine and Roses
(1:45) 14. Interlude #2
(4:02) 15. Tennessee Blues

It is not known exactly how many duets of this nature have fallen into the lackluster bin of audio history. But rest assured that But Who's Gonna Play The Melody? is as far from that incalculable number as the moon is from the sun.

Emblematic of Christian McBride's whole groove credo, everything falls into place quickly, smoothly, and easily on But Who's Gonna Play The Melody?. On the bassist's gazillionth high spirited musical offering, McBride soul-teams with finger-snapping, bluegrass-bred, classical composer & bassist Edgar Meyer who has previously played with Joshua Bell, Bela Fleck, and Yo-Yo Ma for a most rousing revelry. Both virtuosos with a keen sense of humor, McBride and Meyer curate their heartland musical idiosyncrasies, resulting in some very sweet moments such as the hip swaying "Green Slime" and the see-sawing "Barnyard Disturbance," both mischievous Meyer originals.

McBride answers those compositional hijinks with "Bebop, Of Course" and, as the duo reels and rolls from that throbbing bounce-a-thon, they willingly engage in "Bass Duo #1," a complex yet informal and actively conversational Meyer invention. In the overall scheme of things, it comes as no surprise that the duo follow up with a romping take on Miles Davis's richly languid "Solar" (Miles Davis Quintet, Prestige, 1954.)

"Canon," with its chamber echoes and achingly emotive arching, catches the lift and frees itself with "Philly Slop," a noir jump-hop which the ever- agile duo jitterbug merrily through. On "FRB 2DB" Meyer thoroughly enjoys his time on the grittier side of the classical tracks and McBride is gleeful to be his bro-boy companion.

With McBride sidling over to the piano to provide delicate guardrails, an extremely wistful "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered," gracefully unravels as Meyer takes his bow to the tune and soars. "Bass Duo # 2" pops as elegantly and playfully as its predecessor, with the two masters slurring, walking, giving way. It is a six-minute lesson in the art of being human, ready to compromise for the better of all, here and now, ready to support, to huddle, to move forward towards a more perfect union. And that is what But Who's Gonna Play The Melody? is really all about.By Mike Jurkovic https://www.allaboutjazz.com/but-whos-gonna-play-the-melody-christian-mcbride-mack-avenue-records

Personnel: Christian McBride – acoustic bass (all tracks except 8, 12); piano (tracks 8, 12); Edgar Meyer – acoustic bass (all tracks except 10, 14); piano (tracks 10, 14)

But Who's Gonna Play the Melody?

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Viktoria Tolstoy - Stealing Moments

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2024
Time: 44:22
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 102,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:27) 1. A Love Song
(4:43) 2. Good and Proper End
(4:07) 3. Wherever You're Going
(4:23) 4. Hands Off
(4:34) 5. Summer Kind of Love
(4:32) 6. I Don't Wanna Lose You
(4:49) 7. License to Love
(3:51) 8. What Should I Do
(6:16) 9. Synchronicity
(4:35) 10. Stealing Moments

For me, the album that stands out and allowed me to discover the music of Viktoria Tolstoy was her beautiful album “Letters to Herbie“, released in 2011. Her previous album “Stations” from 2019 only added to Viktoria’s musical excellence over time.

With a beautiful vocal technique and a selection of tracks from musicians and singers well-known to those who listen to Bayou Blue Radio, including Nils Landgren, Iro Rantala, Esbjörn Svensson, Ida Sand, Lars Danielsson, Caeclie Norby, etc., Viktoria adeptly appropriates each track with great intelligence. It’s an album characterized by its gentle and remarkably interpreted style.

Talking about this album so long before its release might surprise you, but the reason is simple: we receive so many albums that it’s challenging to keep up with the latest releases. With this album set to be released on March 1st and February already filled with other releases, the only way for us to talk about it is now.

“When you sing, the sun rises,” as Pat Metheny once told Viktoria Tolstoy. The common thread across all the tracks on “Stealing Moments” is her powerful, crystal-clear voice, coupled with her temperament, where lightness and sparkling energy irresistibly coexist. Listeners will enjoy this music as much as she does, and she knows it. As she subtly reformulates the words of the album title into an implicit invitation: “Let me steal a little bit of time to listen.”

Surrounded by remarkable musicians: Joel Lyssarides on piano & keys, Krister Jonsson on guitar, Mattias Svensson on bass, Rasmus Kihlberg on drums & percussion, all skillfully highlighting Viktoria’s voice, make this album a very intimate experience. The finesse is not only in the voice but also in the musicians’ play. This album is so easy to listen to that one finds oneself almost frustrated at the end, wishing for two or three more tracks. So, you go back to the beginning and settle in even more comfortably.

What better way to celebrate the arrival of spring? Artists like Viktoria Tolstoy have contributed to the radiance of the ACT label, and we are delighted that she hasn’t fallen through the cracks like many other talented artists who have disappeared from the label over the years.

“Stealing Moments” is a very European album that will certainly be appreciated in the USA for its sincerity in its creative form. The editorial teams of Bayou Blue Radio and Paris-move have once again placed this beautiful album on the “must-have” pile. If you enjoy romantic and poetic albums, this one is for you! https://www.paris-move.com/reviews/viktoria-tolstoy-stealing-moments/

Stealing Moments

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Ruby Braff - The Mighty Braff

Styles: Cornet Jazz
Year: 1989
Time: 61:28
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 142,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:40) 1. Blue And Sentimental
(2:38) 2. This Can't Be Love
(3:02) 3. Mean To Me
(2:27) 4. Ellie
(2:50) 5. Blue Room
(3:14) 6. I Can't Get Started
(2:58) 7. You're A Sweetheart
(2:45) 8. Struttin' With Some Barbecue
(7:48) 9. Sometimes I'm Happy
(5:42) 10. Auld Lang Syne
(3:44) 11. Easy Livin'
(4:27) 12. Flowers For A Lady
(3:54) 13. Foolin' Myself
(3:59) 14. I'll Be Around
(2:23) 15. It's Easy To Blame The Weather
(3:52) 16. Pullin' Through
(2:58) 17. You're A Lucky Guy

Ruby Braff began his jazz career as an out-of-time traditionalist playing with veteran jazzmen of an earlier age, and rose to establish his own standing as one of the handful of leading artists playing in traditional and mainstream idioms.

He did so on the back of one of the most beautiful instrumental sounds in jazz, a prodigious gift for phrasing melody, and an acute harmonic sense which revealed his awareness of more modernist developments in jazz. Louis Armstrong remained his touchstone and only avowed master, but his playing also reflected the influence of musicians like Bix Beiderbecke and Bobby Hackett. His musical voice, though, was always very much his own.

He was born Reuben Braff in Boston, and was self-taught on his instrument. He said that he wanted to play saxophone, but his father bought him a cornet instead. His trumpet style, which largely eschewed high-note pyrotechnics in favour of a softer exploration of the middle and bottom registers of the instrument, reflected that original love of reed rather than brass sonorities.

He began working in local clubs in the Forties, and was recruited for the band led by the veteran clarinettist Edmond Hall at the Savoy Cafe in Boston in 1949. He made the move to New York in 1953, and was soon in demand for gigs and recording sessions in a traditional and mainstream vein.

His loyalty to traditional jazz at a time when the focus had shifted to more modern styles starved him of work for a time in the Fifties, but he returned to prominence with an All-Star touring band created by pianist and jazz impresario George Wein. Wein remained a loyal backer of the cornetist, and featured him regularly on his international tour and festival circuit.

He worked with major band leaders like Buck Clayton, Benny Goodman and Bud Freeman as a young man, and in turn became something of a musical mentor to a new generation of young mainstream musicians in the Seventies, including saxophonist Scott Hamilton and guitarist Howard Alden.

In the Eighties and Nineties he made a series of recordings for the major mainstream jazz labels Concord Jazz and Arbors, and formed highly-regarded duo partnerships with pianists like Mel Powell, Ralph Sutton, Dick Hyman, Ellis Larkins and Roger Kellaway.

Braff worked with singer Tony Bennett for two years from 1971-73, then formed a very popular and artistically successful band with guitarist George Barnes. The relationship ground to a halt in 1975 in characteristic fashion when Braff fell out with his collaborator.

That pattern of alienating those around him was repeated on many occasions. Braff may have made some of the most beautiful music in jazz, but his own character was precisely the opposite. He was notorious for his abrasive and insulting behaviour to other musicians, promoters and even fans, a tendency made all the worse by his failing health over many years (he suffered from emphysema, glaucoma and heart problems).

He was the headline artist at the first Nairn Jazz Festival in northern Scotland in 1990, and his appearance at the 2002 event was to be the last performance of his life. He cancelled a subsequent scheduled concert at the Brecon Jazz Festival in Wales and returned home. He was never fit enough to perform in public again.https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/ruby-braff/

The Mighty Braff

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Conte Candoli Octet & Art Pepper - Mucho Calor

Styles: Trumpet And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1958
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:48
Size: 103,4 MB
Art: Front

(6:55) 1. Mucho Calor
(3:07) 2. Autumn Leaves
(5:30) 3. Mambo De La Pinta
(2:22) 4. I'll Remember April
(3:23) 5. Vaya Hombre Vaya
(5:48) 6. I Love You
(3:49) 7. Mambo Jumbo
(5:27) 8. Old Devil Moon
(3:58) 9. Pernod
(4:23) 10. That Old Black Magic

This recording brings back an obscure session from the long defunct Andex label that was probably recorded around 1956. The emphasis is on Latin jazz with altoist Art Pepper, trumpeter Conte Candoli, tenor saxophonist Bill Perkins, pianist Russ Freeman, bassist Ben Tucker, and drummer Chuck Flores interacting with the percussion of Jack Costanza and Mike Pacheko. With arrangements by Bill Holman, Johnny Mandel, Benny Carter, and Pepper, the music is quite jazz-oriented if a touch lightweight. Worth investigating by fans of the idiom. By Scott Yanow
https://www.allmusic.com/album/mucho-calor-mw0000731997

Personnel: Trumpet – Conte Candoli; Alto Saxophone – Art Pepper; Bass – Ben Tucker; Bongos – Jack Costanza, Mike Pacheko; Drums – Chuck Flores; Piano – Russ Freeman; Tenor Saxophone – Bill Perkins

Mucho Calor

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Rod Stewart with Jools Holland - Swing Fever

Styles: Swing
Year: 2024
Time: 38:25
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 87,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:02) 1. Lullaby Of Broadway
(3:02) 2. Frankie And Johnny
(2:18) 3. Walkin' My Baby Back Home
(2:39) 4. Almost Like Being In Love
(3:20) 5. Tennessee Waltz
(2:33) 6. Oh Marie
(2:54) 7. Sentimental Journey
(2:58) 8. Pennies From Heaven
(2:56) 9. Night Train
(2:55) 10. Love Is The Sweetest Thing
(2:24) 11. Them There Eyes
(2:50) 12. Good Rocki'n Tonight
(2:26) 13. Ain't Misbehavin'

Through his five volumes of the Great American Songbook, the rascally Rod Stewart has been down this way before, but the addition of Jools Holland adds an extra dimension to his latest outing. Stewart’s age-worn and smoky voice can still deliver, as these 13 covers of classic big band numbers prove.

The album opens with the snappy, rousing ‘Lullaby Of Broadway’, which sets a high bar for an orchestra who come on as full-blooded as you might expect. Although Stewart says he wants to leave the rock ‘n’ roll stuff behind for a while, the versions of ‘Good Rockin’ Tonight’ and ‘Night Train’ suggest a reluctance to go all the way with that aim.

He even manages to smuggle a languid touch of mischief into the relatively sedate ‘Tennessee Waltz’. Elsewhere, the singer can still surprise with comfortable and convincing run-throughs of such harmless classics as ‘Pennies From Heaven’ and ‘Love Is The Sweetest Thing’ , while he even dusts off ‘Ain’t Misbehavin’ from volume five of his “songbook” series for a worthy re-run.
https://www.hotpress.com/music/album-review-rod-stewart-with-jools-holland-swing-fever-23010196

Swing Fever

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Sarah Jane Morris - Sisterhood

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2024
Time: 53:14
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 122,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:29) 1. Sisterhood
(5:35) 2. Couldn't Be Without
(4:24) 3. Tomorrow Never Happens
(5:04) 4. So Much Love
(5:33) 5. Jazz Side Of The Road
(5:34) 6. Rimbaud of Suburbia
(4:34) 7. Sing Me A Picture
(4:33) 8. Junk In My Trunk
(5:07) 9. For The Voiceless
(7:17) 10. Miss Makeba

On International Women’s Day 8 March 2024, British soul, jazz and R&B singer Sarah Jane Morris launched her new album The Sisterhood.

It is her tribute to ten iconic women singers and songwriters, who have had a massive influence on the development of the popular song. This is Morris’s lock-down project. She and her husband artist Mark Pulsford spent the months of isolation studying the lives of pioneering singers and musicians, women whose music is world famous, but whose stories are less well known. Together Morris and Pulsford then wrote a series of song lyrics, each an illuminating, sometimes shocking tale from the lives of these remarkable women.

Morris then got together with her long time co-writer/co-producer/guitarist Tony Rémy to write the music. Each song would be absolutely contemporary, it would also reflect the styles, forms and influences of the artists depicted. The ten women chosen are: Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, Miriam Makeba, Aretha Franklin, Janis Joplin, Joni Mitchell, Rickie Lee Jones, Annie Lennox and Kate Bush representing a wide mixture of styles of popular music.

To honour the legacies of these stars, whilst creating new work demands a breadth of experience of different popular musical forms as well as great versatility in performance styles. Clearly Morris and Rmy have the necessary skills.

The Sisterhood is a musical tour de force. Right from the funky opening bars of the Aretha Franklin tribute Sisterhood, with its rousing refrain “We lock arms in sisterhood”, the wall of sound arrangement, and beautiful Jason Rebello piano solo, you know you are in for a musical ride. Bessie Smith gets a potted biography, Couldn’t Be Without, and a lovely horn arrangement courtesy of Byron Wallen. I was impressed by the way Rémy comfortably inhabits the wild man rock guitar of Big Brother and the Holding Company on the Janis Joplin inspired Tomorrow Never Happens. Morris, who once, inexplicably, was passed over by Hollywood to play Joplin in a biopic, a role for which she would have been perfect, is right at home in that rock genre.

The hit single of the album for me would be the Nina Simone homage So Much Love, for which Rémy has written a soul ballad with a smooth groove and Sally Herbert, former fellow-Communard violinist turned orchestral arranger, has provided a lush string arrangement it’s a lovely tune which deserves airplay.

Most of the lives of the women featured are extraordinary. Morris says of On the Jazz Side of the Road, the song she wrote for Rickie Lee Jones: “Her grandfather was a one-legged tap dancer in vaudeville. You couldn’t make that up. She went out for a year with Tom Waits. Dr John got her hooked on heroin. She was influenced by Van Morrison and she was hitching her way round America aged 12. It’s all in this song….”

Then comes a complete change, Rimbaud of Suburbia, Morris’s homage to Kate Bush whom she links to Rimbaud – both started their creative lives as young teenagers. There are guest appearances from Orphy Robinson on vibes, David Coulter on jaws harp, some appropriately electronic drums from Martyn Barker (echoes of Peter Gabriel in there somehow) and a dreamy pop string arrangement from Italian cellist Enrico Melozzi, with whom Morris has played over many years.

I am on more familiar territory with the next track, a homage to one of my favourites, Joni Mitchell. Nice details in this one something of a Tom Scott period feel, Patrick Clahar has a lovely solo, another set of strings from Melozzi, and the repeated line “Joni of starlight”.

And so the variety continues with, in my opinion the other hit single of the piece, the Billie Holiday tribute Junk in my Trunk. It’s a gentle jazz/hip hop number underpinned by drummer Westley Joseph, with a plethora of guitars and some gorgeous brass from Quentin Collins.

A classy piece dedicated to Annie Lennox For the Voiceless celebrates both her music, and her work for human rights charities, before the tribute to Miriam Makeba brings the album (and the live show too) to a rousing close, with the huge sound of the Soweto Gospel Choir, Morris’s voice weaving in and out, above and below.

Morris and Rémy play with their usual bandmates Henry Thomas on bass guitar, Tim Cansfield on guitar, and new member Jason Rebello on piano and keyboards. The band is augmented by many starry friends and colleagues and there are guest appearances from Courtney Pine and Dominic Miller too, arrangements from The Chaps, with sterling work from backing singers Gina Foster and Beverley Skeete.

Rémy’s guitar runs through the album, though so chameleon-like is his playing that you may need to check the sleeve notes, as I did to see who was playing which guitar bits on Miss Makeba (answer Tony Rémy – all guitars). His range is astonishing, playing every kind of guitar, including bass, but also keyboards, and even occasionally drums and drum programming.

What ties this varied collection of songs together is Morris’s magnificent voice. As John Fordham writes in the liner notes, on first hearing Morris in the 1980s: “Sarah Jane’s sound caught the raw majesty of legends like Janis Joplin and Nina Simone, and her octave-vaulting contralto range stretched from sonorous reverberating low tones to a searingly soulful falsetto.” https://londonjazznews.com/2024/03/14/sarah-jane-morris-the-sisterhood/

Sisterhood

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