Beaver Harris, Don Pullen 360° Experience - Well Kept Secret

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2019
Time: 29:01
File: MP3 @ 128K/s
Size: 27,0 MB
Art: Front

(17:27) 1. Gorée
(5:34) 2. Land of the Pharoahs
(8:41) 3. Double Arc Jake
(7:57) 4. Well Kept Secret
(6:47) 5. Newcomer

One of the most striking Don Pullen albums of the 80s a beautifully open session that has the pianist co-leading a version of the 360 Experience group of drummer Beaver Harris with an excellent lineup that also features Ricky Ford on tenor sax, Hamiet Bluiett on baritone, and Buster Williams on bass! The mix of players is unusual, and the sound here is as well a record that easily steps between freer moments and more tuneful passages imbued with the creative spirit of the loft jazz generation, but also taken a step further too possibly via the album's production work by Hal Willner.

There's some truly majestic moments on the album and the whole thing is a great demonstration of the way that the farther fringes of the jazz universe were finding even more focused expression in the 80s during a time when records like this really helped give musicians a great outlet for their new ideas. The set begins with the very long "Goree", which has additional work by Candido on percussion – and other tracks include "Land Of The Pharoahs", "Double Arc Jake", and "Newcomer".© 1996-2024, Dusty Groove,Inc.
https://www.dustygroove.com/item/880168/Beaver-Harris-Don-Pullen-360-Experience:Well-Kept-Secret

Personnel: Beaver Harris, drums; Don Pullen, piano; Hamiet Bluiett, baritone saxophone; Ricky Ford, tenor saxophone; Buster Williams, bass; Francis Haynes, steel drums; Candido, percussion (1); Sharon Freeman, Willie Ruff, Bill Warnick, Greg Williams, french horns (1)

Well Kept Secret

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Chick Corea Akoustic Band with John Patitucci & Dave Weckl - Live

Styles: Piano, Bop
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 134:43
Size: 312,4 MB
Art: Front

( 9:22) 1. Morning Sprite
( 7:30) 2. Japanese Waltz
( 7:13) 3. That Old Feeling
( 9:27) 4. In A Sentimental Mood
(14:22) 5. Rhumba Flamenco
(12:43) 6. Summer Night
( 7:30) 7. Humpty Dumpty
( 9:20) 8. On Green Dolphin Street
(11:44) 9. Eternal Child
(14:23) 10. You And The Night And The Music
( 8:31) 11. Monk's Mood
(12:08) 12. Humpty Dumpty
(10:25) 13. You’re Everything

A posthumous review of a live record sounds like an oxymoron. Particularly when it seems that Chick Corea was with us only yesterday. The sound of this record is lively, bright, and imbued with a richness of colors. The trio of Corea, bassist John Patitucci, and drummer Dave Weckl can take your breath away in an instant. This addition to their rich library is played with as much enthusiasm as it is heart, and with as much passion as it is a sense of fun. The question becomes is it good or is it great? That is for the listener to decide. This is a two live CD set, with only one song, "Humpty Dumpty," emerging from both sets. The trio dug in and played long and creative versions of just about everything, with each set featuring over an hour of hearty improvisational jazz.

Corea kicks off lightly with Patitucci and Weckl soon to follow in a modern take on the Corea composition "Morning Sprite." The nine plus minutes take touched on almost every edge and every corner of what was to come. It was a taste of what was in store. Corea was always concerned about setting the mood and having everyone feeling comfortable. Now placed in a receptive environment, the trio dances into Corea's "Japanese Waltz." Fluid and evenly paced this waltz has Patitucci in duo, with Weckl on brushes, inside the larger hypnotic and interactive trio movement. The pace is lifted as they groove into "That Old Feeling" with a bounce in their step. Weckl concludes with high end artistry that wasn't rushed despite the fiery bebop lines of Patitucci leading him in. Corea's note selection creatively had a Freddie Hubbardesque horn cadence to it. Like most musicians, he did a lot of transcribing. We can wonder if the progressions were knowingly horn centric or if they had just become a part of him.

Just at a moment when the trio could have raised the temperature a bit more, Corea slyly went the other direction with Duke Ellington's "In a Sentimental Mood." The familiar romantic theme is reset with warm lines and soft colors by Corea in solo. He gravitated ever so slightly back to the melody as his mates climbed on board. Their collective note selections and exchanges seem to make the tune melt around you. In no rush, the luscious serenade wrapped just under the ten minute mark. That pales in comparison to the over fourteen minutes of Corea's Latin laced "Rhumba Flamenco." Starting out close to the vest, the song bursted exponentially moments in with a Weckl pop that was pounced on by Corea and Patitucci. The beauty of improvised music. It could just as easily been Corea or Patitucci that led the direction, or the direction could have been different. No matter, they chase after each other with equal skill, passion, and fun. Three masters in their domain racing into a cloud of thunder. A jaw-dropped audience erupted at the conclusion of the driving selection that included an exquisite drum take from Weckl, Patitucci's powerful and tenacious grooves, and eight thousand (slight exaggeration) directional changes by Corea. This piece had show closer written all over it. But not on this night. Not with two more pieces on the playlist. Or was there a playlist? Maybe they were just calling out tunes. Either way, "Summer Night" was up next. The warm sensation of one of those summer nights that you wish would never end was encapsulated in a thirteen minutes plus treatment that has Patitucci finely fingering gently into a warm abyss. Corea embraced it moving with gradual advance into a seamless full swing trio. Corea's flurry of note selections were vivid and energizing, with Weckl and Patitucci playing in kind. "Summer Night" was the delicate balance of upper shelf performance and having a blast doing it. "Humpty Dumpty" made an appearance, with Patitucci and Weckl quickly out the gate in driving swing. The Corea classic found the master jetting on his keyboards with high speed changes on the fly, in a vast array of directions. The show closed with Patitucci really feeling and pushing the groove and Weckl furiously zinging around his kit in unison. Corea reengaged the melody again and again, buzzing mercurial lines of expression in between until it was time for Humpty to fall and call it a night.

Set two, also known as disc two, finds the trio in immediate full swing and groove. Their improvisational graces filling every lane "On Green Dolphin Street." The oft traveled road has been driven at many speeds by a litany of jazz greats over the years. Miles Davis, along with Bill Evans, and John Coltrane recorded what is often referred to as the definitive version in the late 1950's. Spirits were high right out the starting gate, this second night playing live at SPC Music Hall in St. Petersburg, Florida in 2018. Patitucci smoldering, with Weckl in hot pursuit, paved the way for Corea's customarily relentless pursuit of innovation. Polishing every corner at every seamlessly navigated turn, Corea shined brightly, leaving no doubt he was plugged in this night. With Patitucci's solo a taut extension of where he had been throughout the tune and Weckl's remarkable ability to play with robust energy while maintaining a balance in not overpowering his bandmates, this was an opening number of note. This was followed by Patitucci taking his bow to his strings. What emanated was a dark yet elegant pathway delving into Corea's "Eternal Child." The mood was dramatically set for Corea to solo from ground zero. In no rush, he exposes his deep emotional pallet with heart and sincerity. Patitucci and Weckl quietly emerge in support and the trio gently brings the poignant ballad to a close. The feel of a ballad continues with "You and The Night and The Music." That mood shifts quickly, however, when a more rapid tempo emerges. Corea pounces like white on rice and locks into a fourteen minutes plus riveting piece that thrusts open the floodgates of Corea's fertile imagination. The tune is also a showpiece for Weckl's explosive and fiery drumming. While he again demonstrates his command of power and finesse, it's the recipe that makes it cook. Weckl's bold and recognizable signature sound is defined by his dynamic blend of components forged inside the temperament of a refined artist.

A Thelonious Monk composition seemed inevitable. After all, the telepathic connection between Corea and Monk has long been discussed. "Monk's Mood" was instantly recognizable, with Corea well acquainted with the curiously melodic muse of Monk. His frameless approach seemed to invite the playful and quirky measures of Monk. Not surprisingly, Corea's soloing was at part an immersion into dissonance, while also an integration of their styles. It is easy to become so fixated that you hardly notice Patitucci and Weckl sliding in. Patitucci adds his own spice and quirk to the mix, elevating the epic piece even further. "Humpty Dumpty" is back in the house, and this time sticks around a bit longer. Part of the extension is at the front end, with Corea deftly soloing into a potent wonderland. Now into his own world, free of any boundaries, he spins a fantastical journey before Humpty even began to swing. Even more playful than before, Corea was having about as much as fun as possible, playfully engaging Patitucci and Weckl into interplay that was equally inventive, fun, rhythmic, and energetic. A highly intelligent conversation from the masterful trio. On this night "Humpty Dumpty" did not close out the show. Instead Corea invited his wife and singer Gayle Moran Corea on to the stage, as he had done so many times over the years. She took on the challenge of a very demanding ballad. Corea's composition "You're Everything" covers a lot of range even more when Corea is being playful with it. Half way through the first verse, she laughed and said "My those notes are hard to sing." After an instrumental run, she blistered the second verse with some astonishing high notes. The crowd erupted. Initially for Mrs. Corea's efforts, but then loud and genuine in appreciation of the evening's sensational serenade. Three elite musicians reuniting with the sole purpose of having fun. A celebration of life with longtime friends. The kind of evenings that could be magical...RIP Chick Corea.
~ Jim Worsleyhttps://www.allaboutjazz.com/live-chick-corea-concord-music-group

Personnel: Chick Corea: piano; John Patitucci: bass, acoustic; Dave Weckl: drums; Gayle Moran Corea: voice / vocals.

LIVE

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Ruby Braff - Ad Lib Blues

Styles: Cornet Jazz, Swing
Year: 2002
Time: 44:25
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 101,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:29) 1. Ad Lib Blues
(4:11) 2. I Wish I Could Shimmy Like My Sister Kate
(5:56) 3. 'S Wonderful
(3:49) 4. Hustlin' and Bustlin'
(2:48) 5. There's a Small Hotel
(4:58) 6. What's the Reason (I'm Not Pleasing You)
(3:12) 7. Flaky
(2:35) 8. Shoe Shine Boy
(7:05) 9. Fine and Mellow
(5:17) 10. When It's Sleepy Time Down South

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/

Ad Lib Blues

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Chick Corea - The Mad Hatter

Styles: Piano Jazz   
Year: 1978
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:02
Size: 115,4 MB
Art: Front

( 4:25)  1. The Woods
( 1:08)  2. Tweedle Dee
( 1:39)  3. The Trial
( 6:30)  4. Humpty Dumpty
( 1:19)  5. Prelude To Falling Alice
( 8:17)  6. Falling Alice
( 2:50)  7. Tweedle Dum
(13:07)  8. Dear Alice
(10:43)  9. The Mad Hatter Rhapsody

This post-Return to Forever Chick Corea LP is a bit of a mixed bag. Corea is heard on his many keyboards during an atmospheric "The Woods," interacts with a string section on "Tweedle Dee," features a larger band plus singer Gayle Moran on a few other songs and even welcomes fellow keyboardist Herbie Hancock for the "Mad Hatter Rhapsody." The most interesting selection, a quartet rendition of "Humpty Dumpty" with tenorman Joe Farrell set the stage for his next project, Friends. Overall, this is an interesting and generally enjoyable release.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-mad-hatter-mw0000105344

Personnel: Chick Corea - piano, synthesizer, marimba, percussion, vocals, arrangement;  Joe Farrell - tenor saxophone, flute, piccolo;  Herbie Hancock - electric piano on Falling Alice and The Mad Hatter Rhapsody;  Jamie Faunt - bass;  Eddie Gómez - bass;  Steve Gadd - drums;  Harvey Mason - drum;  Gayle Moran - vocals

The Mad Hatter

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Lauren Henderson - Sombras

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2024
Time: 32:01
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 73,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:35) 1. Fuego
(2:46) 2. Seasons
(3:41) 3. Venas
(3:12) 4. Sombras
(4:29) 5. Illumination
(3:51) 6. Tormento
(5:11) 7. Walking
(3:03) 8. Dignidad
(3:09) 9. Shadows

Every year, like spring, Lauren Henderson releases a new album. While technically they are always sumptuous albums, not all are equal. We adored the previous one, “Conjuring”, but this one seems somewhat lacking. By overemphasizing interpretation, one ends up getting lost and no longer understanding the real intentions behind each track. Lauren Henderson is certainly the most interesting artist from Latin America. Here, the tracks that seem most polished to me are “Shadows”, where Lauren reveals her true emotion, and also “Tormento”. For these two tracks alone, this album deserves your attention. “Sombras”, which gives its name to the album, is clearly formatted for radio but remains pleasant to listen to.

“Sombras” was born from an idea that burned in Henderson’s mind all her life: how does an individual’s cultural heritage shape who they are? As someone whose roots extend to Panama, Montserrat, and the Caribbean but was raised in North America, Henderson embarked on a journey of discovery to answer this poignant question in the kaleidoscopic culture of contemporary society. Throughout “Sombras”, Henderson unveils her own journey through original compositions, shaping stories reflecting her African diasporic origins.

And this is where this album gains its significance. Once informed of the foundation of this album, one can understand the musical propositions it contains. The album title, “Sombras,” is a Spanish word that translates to “Shadows” in English. This title evokes the idea that someone’s ancestry is their shadow self. It represents a metaphor wherein present actions and the self are the light and visible world, while genealogy is the unspoken and hidden driving force that subtly shapes a person into what they are. Wrapped in mystery, each song on “Sombras” plays with this balance between the visible and the invisible, and the many elements, decisions, and events that have led each person even generations before to where they are today.

So, I set out to re-listen to this album. Initially, I couldn’t grasp the thread because I lack that culture. Where I saw a sort of void, it’s actually the most personal album Lauren has produced to date. What Henderson presents is not just an album; rather, “Sombras” stands as a testament to the power of an idea brought to life. By posing a bold question, Henderson has generated a response as diverse as the range of cultures she delves into. With a sparkling passion, “Sombras” hauntingly oscillates between the light and shadows of identity as Henderson depicts the formation of the person and the soul.

In fact, by the third listen, I began to feel the intentions, doubts, and risks taken by the artist on each track. It’s an album that needs to be tamed, listened to deeply, and appreciated for the work of Joel Ross (vibraphone), Sean Mason (piano), Jonathan Michel (bass), and Joe Dyson (drums, percussion). The album was recorded by Daniel Sanint of Flux Studios, who has recorded Henderson’s entire discography. What I appreciate in this kind of album is the need to be tamed, and in this case, this album quickly becomes indispensable. Let’s hope Lauren Henderson continues to bless us with such beautiful albums. By Thierry De Clemensat
https://www.paris-move.com/reviews/lauren-henderson-sombras-eng-review/

Sombras

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Lee Ritenour, Dave Grusin - Brasil

Styles: Guitar And PianoJazz
Year: 2024
Time: 41:51
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 95,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:03) 1. Cravo E Canela
(3:36) 2. For the Palms
(3:20) 3. Catavento
(4:48) 4. Vitoriosa
(5:48) 5. Meu Samba Torto
(7:06) 6. Stone Flower
(4:04) 7. Boca De Siri
(5:12) 8. Lil Rock Way
(3:51) 9. Canto Invierno

Just as sunshine pop offered a counterweight to psychedelic hard rock in the late 1960s, soft jazz evolved in the 1970s as a lighter FM alternative to the mystical psychedelic jazz fusion movement. Two artists who helped pioneer soft jazz were guitarist Lee Ritenour and keyboardist Dave Grusin. Mind you, these categories weren't exclusive. There was plenty of crossover by musicians between the two genres.

Now Ritenour and Grusin have teamed up on the newly released Brasil (Candid). Recorded in São Paulo, Brazil, Brasil turns to the bossa nova, gentle samba and a range of other rhythms combined with a hushed jazzy spin. The album features bassist Bruno Migotto, drummer Edu Ribeiro and percussionist Marcelo Costa. Added to the rhythm section are guitarist Chico Pinheiro on two tracks; composer, singer and guitarist Celso Fonseca on his composition “Meu Samba Torto” and vocalist Tatiana Parra. Other special guests include vocalist-composer Ivan Lins, harmonica player Grégoire Maret and guitarist Chico Pinheiro.

What I love about this album is that Ritenour's and Grusin's distinct instrumental sounds remained intact. Listening to the album, you know it's them. They simply are placed in a Brazilian setting, which allowed them to add young local musicians who have the authentic Brazilian flavor. The shift clearly was a great move, considering how surfy the music sounds. Perfect timing given the high temperatures across the country of late.

I also love the album's quiet demeanor. Overall, it has the sound of calm water washing up on the sand at night and then receding. The vocals are similarly serene. By Marc Myers
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/news/lee-ritenhaur-and-dave-grusin-brasil/

Brasil

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'Wild' Bill Davison - Just a Gigolo : Wild Bill Davision With Strings

Styles: Cornet Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:37
Size: 80,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:35)  1. Mandy, Make Up Your Mind
(2:58)  2. Black Butterfly
(2:23)  3. If I had You
(3:56)  4. Just a Gigolo
(2:16)  5. Blue Again
(2:39)  6. When Your Lover Has Gone
(2:39)  7. Sugar (That Sugar Baby of Mine)
(3:12)  8. Sweet and Lovely
(2:28)  9. Rockin' Chair
(2:50) 10. She's Funny That Way
(3:03) 11. (I Don't Stand) A Gost of a Chance
(3:32) 12. Wild Man Blues

One of the great Dixieland trumpeters, Wild Bill Davison had a colorful and emotional style that ranged from sarcasm to sentimentality with plenty of growls and shakes. His unexpected placement of high notes was a highlight of his solos and his strong personality put him far ahead of the competition. In the 1920s, he played with the Ohio Lucky Seven, the Chubb-Steinberg Orchestra (with whom he made his recording debut), the Seattle Harmony Kings, and Benny Meroff. After he was involved in a fatal car accident that ended the life of Frankie Teschemacher in 1932 (his auto was blindsided by a taxi), Davison spent the remainder of the 1930s in exile in Milwaukee. By 1941, he was in New York and in 1943 made some brilliant recordings for Commodore (including a classic version of "That's a Plenty") that solidified his reputation.

After a period in the Army, Davison became a fixture with Eddie Condon's bands starting in 1945, playing nightly at Condon's. In the 1950s, he was quite effective on a pair of albums with string orchestras, but most of his career was spent fronting Dixieland bands either as a leader or with Condon. Wild Bill toured Europe often from the 1960s, recorded constantly, had a colorful life filled with remarkable episodes, and was active up until his death. A very detailed 1996 biography (The Wildest One by Hal Willard) has many hilarious anecdotes and shows just how unique a life Wild Bill Davison had. By Scott Yanow
https://www.allmusic.com/artist/wild-bill-davison-mn0000254397/biography

Personnel: Bass – Frank Carroll, Jack Lesberg; Clarinet – Bob Wilber; Cornet – Wild Bill Davison; Drums – Bobby Rosengarden , Don Lamond; Guitar – Art Ryerson , Barry Galbraith; Piano – Gene Schroeder; Trombone – Cutty Cutshall

Just a Gigolo : Wild Bill Davision With Strings

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Dave Bass - No Boundaries

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2019
Time: 72:40
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 167,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:31) 1. Lennie’s Pennies
(7:13) 2. Spy Movie End Credits
(4:40) 3. Agenbite of Inwit
(6:20) 4. If I Loved You
(6:07) 5. La Mulata Rumbera
(4:29) 6. Tango Adagio
(4:08) 7. Time of My Life
(5:24) 8. Siboney
(5:49) 9. Neither Have I Wings
(7:05) 10. Danzon #1
(5:09) 11. Swing Theory
(6:44) 12. In The Rain
(3:55) 13. Hallucinations

In 2015, Dave Bass retired from the Office of the Attorney General of California after twenty years of service and returned to his first professional love playing the piano, a career that a wrist injury forced him to abandon about thirty years ago. No Boundaries is the third release, and second for Whaling City Sound, in Bass' comeback. "My first two CDs were recorded while I was still working as a lawyer, during whatever vacation time I could amass," he explains.

Bass seems intent on proving the title of No Boundaries by opening and closing it with tunes by two of modern music's most challenging pianists. "To my mind, Lennie Tristano and Bud Powell are connected, which is why I begin and end with their compositions," the pianist explains. "Just the linear approach in the heads show how they spent a lot of time playing classical repertoire, then went their own way." The oddly shaped melody of "Lennie's Pennies," which Bass has been playing since the 1970s, illuminates the colorful rhythmic and harmonic connections between his piano, Carlos Henriquez's bass and Jerome Jennings' drums. And Bass hauls piano ass through the closing "Hallucinations" like a jackrabbit with its tail on fire, tangling and untangling complicated and crackling lines like electric lightning.

Three tracks that swap Jennings out for percussionists Carlos Caro, Mauricio Herrera and Miguel Valdes pull No Boundaries into Latin jazz, but it's no stretch. "All three are from Cuba," Bass says, "and their rhythm is so strong that you can play anything on top of them." In "Siboney" and especially "La Mulata Rumbera," Bass illustrates precisely that, driving his piano through two different active lines simultaneously, twinkling and wrinkling the upper register while his left hand stomps out rhythm with flamenco fury simply great Latin jazz piano.

Bass just keeps pushing (stylistic) walls down: A cinematic moody brooding with saxophonist Ted Nash titled "Spy Movie End Credits" because it "just sounded that way"; channeling bop pianist Elmo Hope through the thick, knotty James Joyce nod "Agenbite of Inwit"; and a gorgeous "If I Loved You" that showcases Karrin Allyson's simply breathtaking vocal from the Rodgers/Hammerstein songbook.

Multi-instrumentalist Nash contributes saxophones, clarinets, and flutes, and co-produced No Boundaries with Bass. "I don't generally produce other people's records, but I really think that Dave is an evocative composer and I believe in his vision," suggests Nash. "I love his passion. He has the enthusiasm of a college student, plus maturity, and he's hearing very personal sounds." By Chris M. Slawecki https://www.allaboutjazz.com/no-boundaries-dave-bass-whaling-city-sound

Personnel: Dave Bass - piano Ted Nash - flute, alto flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, soprano sax, alto sax, tenor sax (all tracks except 13), Karrin Allyson - vocals (tracks 4, 7) Carlos Henriquez - bass Jerome Jennings - drums (all tracks except 5, 8, 10) Carlos Caro - guiro, bongos, bell (tracks 2, 4, 5, 8, 10) Miguel Valdes - bata, conga (tracks 5, 8, 10) Mauricio Hernandez - timbales, maracas (tracks 4, 5, 8, 10)

No Boundaries

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Karrin Allyson - A Kiss for Brazil

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 2024
Time: 46:28
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 106,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:18) 1. Flor de Lis
(5:10) 2. Month of March in Salvador (Dunas)
(4:03) 3. The Gift (Recado Bossa Nova)
(4:58) 4. O Grande Amor
(3:57) 5. Antigua
(4:57) 6. The Island
(4:57) 7. Manha de Carnaval
(4:37) 8. So Many Stars
(4:45) 9. Wave
(3:40) 10. Only Trust Your Heart

A Kiss for Brazil is Kansas-bred Grammy-nominated singer Karrin Allyson's third release to feature Brazilian music (From Paris to Rio, Concord, 1999; Imagina, Concord, 2008), and her first to showcase Brazilian musicians: Vitor Gonçalves on piano and accordion, Rafael Barata at the drums, plus the acclaimed singer-guitarist and songwriter Rosa Passos

"Month of March in Salvador (Dunas)" is easily unassuminglyn the high point. Passos cowrote "Dunas" with the poet Fernando de Oliveira for the album Festa (Velas, 1993). With the help of Barata, Allyson created an excellent new English counterpart to the lyric, which speaks of the many natural wonders of Bahía at summer's end. Passos sings the Portuguese, Allyson, the English, in a setting that swings gently around Passos' rhythmic guitar, the wispy timbres and luxurious phrasing of the two singers echoing one another as Gonçalves weaves a languid throughline with his accordion. Together, they create an ambiance that is effortlessly appealing and warmly gracious.

American jazz musicians have long been attracted to Brazilian songs, adapting them by (among other things) creating a substantial body of English lyrics that, frankly, tend to fall short of the mark as art and craft, with notable exceptions. Susannah McCorkle, who was fluent in several languages and worked as a translator, wrote sensitive and nuanced English lyrics, some of which can be heard on her Sabía album (Concord, 1990). Jobim penned powerful English translations of his own words. "Inútil Paisagem" springs to mind first, along with "Águas de Março" and "Triste." With her refreshingly lucid lyric to "Month of March in Salvador," Allyson situates herself among the exceptional few.

"The Island" is Alan and Marilyn Bergman's English version of Ivan Lins' "Começar de Novo," a story unto itself. Lins recounted the song's history in a 2014 social-media post. To encapsulate, he wrote "Começar de Novo [Beginning Again]" in 1979, with his longtime collaborator Vitor Martins. The Globo network had commissioned the piece for the telenovela Malu Mulher (1979-80). Martins' lyric speaks of starting over after a relationship has ended, summoning one's courage, contemplating lessons learned; all themes addressed in the novela. But, as Lins pointed out, there are lines between the lines.

In 1979, Brazil was still under military rule, led by President João Figueiredo, a cavalry man who a year earlier had publicly expressed a preference for the smell of horses over that of the people ("o cheirinho dos cavalos é melhor do que o cheiro do povo"). When Martins wrote about making a fresh start "without your dominion, without your spurs," he was indirectly, metaphorically addressing Figueiredo as well, whose term would drag on for another six years. Working with Martins' lyric, Lins struggled to create music that expressed the whole ball of wax, personal and political. He planned to show it to Elis Regina, but Brazilian popular singer Simone got there first (Som Livre, 1979). It boosted her career and turned out to be his most enduringly popular tune.

"Começar de Novo" has taken on a life of its own since then. In addition to its place as the theme song for Malu Mulher, it served as the soundtrack for a groundbreaking and much discussed sex scene in the series, complete with on-screen feminine orgasm. It is this ethos that the Bergmans pursued in writing "The Island," supplanting the Martins lyric with a forthrightly libidinous invitation to tryst on a fantasy island. Allyson sets the scene perfectly, singing seductively and sincerely, with Gonçalves tendering a rhapsodic piano solo over Barata's sizzling cymbals. She ends in a barely audible whisper ("we're almost there"). The performance is charming, but her chops would have allowed her to include the Portuguese lyric as well, for a deeper resonance.

Allyson did not intend for A Kiss for Brazil to be as she put it a "deep dive" into Brazilian music, but more "an act of affection" for what it has given her, and for Rosa Passos, her guest artist. Working with Passos was "a breeze," she emphasized, "like a Brazilian breeze on the beach," a warm sentiment that pervades the program. By Katchie Cartwright
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/a-kiss-for-brazil-karrin-allyson-origin-records

Performers: Karrin Allyson - vocal, piano (8,10), shakers (7); Rosa Passos - vocal (2,4), rhythm guitar (2); Vitor Gonçalves - Fender Rhodes (1,9), piano (3,4,5,6,7), accordion (2,3,7,8); Harvie S - bass; Yotam Silberstein - guitar (1-9); Rafael Barata - drums (1-9)

A Kiss for Brazil

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Vivian Buczek & Claes Crona Trio - Dedication to My Giants

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:04
Size: 124,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:27)  1. Joyspring
(5:45)  2. What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?
(4:50)  3. All the Way
(3:49)  4. Whisper Not
(4:40)  5. Nica's Dream
(4:43)  6. How Do You Keep the Music Playing?
(2:57)  7. My Shining Hour
(3:25)  8. Once You Love
(4:32)  9. I Got a Woman
(4:47) 10. Didima
(3:01) 11. Stockholm Sweetning
(4:00) 12. Very Early
(4:03) 13. Four

Dedication To My Giants, is Vivian Buczek's tribute to those giants of jazz who have inspired the Swedish vocalist's own work. While Frank Sinatra and Ray Charles get a mention, Buczek's giants for are predominantly instrumentalists John Coltrane, Miles Davis and Clifford Brown included and as a result her song selection for this, her third album, avoids the most obvious vocal standards and gathers up some more unusual numbers. It's an impressive and enjoyable album. The first five songs are bona fide jazz classics, and Buczek's interpretations are worthy additions to the canon. On Brown's "Joy Spring," with lyrics by Jezra Kaye, Buczek summons up the spirit of Annie Ross. Her version of Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman and Michel Legrand's "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?" is beautifully performed, with only Claes Crona's piano for company. Horace Silver's "Nica's Dream" swings gently, with Crona on electric keyboard and guest guitarist Andreas Oberg adding a warm toned solo.

"Once You Love," written by Buczek and her father Bruno, also stands out. There's another fine vocal from Buczek, and more of Crona's percussive yet graceful piano. Charles' "I Got A Woman," a vocal duet with Roger Pontare, is less successful: Pontare's voice is ideal for interpreting Charles' vocals, but Buczek's lighter, smoother, style isn't as suited to the demands of this bluesy song. Buczek sings "Very Early" by Bill Evans and lyricist Carol Hall, accompanied by Kenji Rabson's sparse but sympathetic double-bass. Her phrasing and tone are excellent. As with her version of "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?" such a stripped-down musical backing is potentially risky, but both songs show Buczek's strength as a vocalist, as well as highlighting the talents of her accompanists. Dedication To My Giants was recorded in 2009 but has not been readily available outside Sweden. Buczek establishes herself as a talented jazz singer, and a strong interpreter of ballads, with an ear for an intriguing mix of songs. Her work deserves to be known more widely.By Bruce Lindsay http://www.allaboutjazz.com/dedication-to-my-giants-vivian-buczek-crown-jewels-review-by-bruce-lindsay.php

Personnel: Vivian Buczek: vocals; Claes Crona: piano; Kenji Rabson: bass; Robert Ikiz: drums; Roger Pontare: vocals (6, 9); Andreas Öberg: guitar (5, 7, 9, 13).

Dedication to My Giants

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Lyn Stanley - Potions

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2015
Time: 58:45
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 137,0 MB
Art: Front

(2:55) 1. Lullaby Of Birdland
(4:01) 2. Cry Me A River
(3:40) 3. Fly Me To The Moon
(3:29) 4. Hey There
(2:35) 5. I'm Walkin'
(4:35) 6. You Don't Know Me
(4:27) 7. In The Still Of The Night
(4:39) 8. The Thrill Is Gone
(3:31) 9. A Summer Place
(3:26) 10. Love Potion #9
(3:52) 11. Teach Me Tonight
(3:21) 12. After The Lights Go Down Low
(5:23) 13. Misty
(2:47) 14. The Party's Over
(5:56) 15. The Man I Love

We Baby Boomers are a persnickety bunch. We revel in our nostalgia while keeping a jaundiced eye on current trends and how derivative they are compared with those we experienced when they were really new. Critics dismiss this nostalgia as wasted pathos, pining away for what can never be again. That is missing the point. Memory and reminiscence are powerful comforts much like a cat's purr. They help us recall and allow us to put the past into perspective in the relative safety of our own minds and time.

Music proves to be a most potent generator of nostalgia. Most properly, it acts as our life soundtrack, the Stones' "Gimme Shelter" in turbulent times and Vivaldi's "Winter" when calm. A well-programmed collection of songs, housed within a thoughtful theme can be a most effective nostalgia stimulant. Such programming maximizes the joy and pleasure of the music above and beyond the songs considered individually.

It is this invention in programming and repertoire choice that makes singer Lyn Stanley accomplished by any measure. Her debut recording, Lost in Romance (A.T. Music, LLC, 2011) revealed the singer's keen ear for the well-known and not-so-well-known in the American Songbook. By including the less known songs, Stanley has effectively expanded the Songbook, something she continues on Potions: From the '50s.

On Potions, Stanley assembles 15 pieces prominent in the 1950s. They are not all jazz standards or showtunes, though both are in evidence. Stanley's artistic care and attention to detail expresses itself from the start in George Shearing's superb "Lullaby of Birdland." Pianist Bill Cunliffe consorts with bassist Mike Valerio and drummer John Robinson, establishing a light Latin vibe over which Stanley delivers George David Weiss' piquant lyrics. Tom Rainer provides a woody clarinet to the mix, making the piece quite international. "Cry Me a River" is taken at a ballad pace, accented by Ricky Woodards's tenor saxophone. The effect is close, smoky, intimate.

Stanley's nod to Sinatra is in a sprite and bouncy "Fly Me to the Moon. The singer assimilates the country and western of Eddy Arnold's "You Don't Know Me" and the early New Orleans rock of Fats Domino's "I'm Walkin,'" Bill Cunliffe and guitarist Thom Rotella trading eights in the solo section. Central to the collection's theme is Leiber & Stoller's "Love Potion #9." Stanley pulls a sexy samba out of the tune, propelled by Kenny Werner's piano and Hammond B3. Stanley punctuates the disc with a delicate and revealed "Misty" that showcases her command of all things ballad.

The music industry is changing so quickly and seems moving away from the cogently produced arranged album format. That is too bad. On Potions, Stanley perfects the thematic ring of her collection, adding one more bit of the past, analog recording. Music this warm should be bonded like fine brandy heated by the smoke of a Monte Cristo.By C. Michael Bailey
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/potions-from-the-50s-lyn-stanley-at-music-llc-review-by-c-michael-bailey

Personnel: Lyn Stanley: vocals; Kenny Werner: keyboards; Bill Cunliffe: Keyboards; Mike Lang: keyboards; Johannes Weidermeuller: bass; Mike Valerio: bass; Joe LaBarbera: drums; Ari Hoenig: drums; John Robinson: drums; Glenn Drewes: trumpet, flugelhorn; Thom Rotella: guitar; Rickey Woodward: tenor saxophone; Tom Rainer: clarinet; Luis Conte: percussion.

Potions

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Hendrik Meurkens - The Jazz Meurkengers

Styles: Harmonica Jazz
Year: 2024
Time: 53:42
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 123,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:49) 1. A Slow One
(6:09) 2. Belgian Beer At Dawn
(6:01) 3. A Lullaby For Benny
(5:37) 4. Silver's Serenade
(6:05) 5. Meurks' Mood
(6:59) 6. Dreamsville
(5:53) 7. If I Were A Bell
(5:46) 8. A Tear For Toots
(5:19) 9. Smada

Harmonica virtuoso Hendrik Meurkens brought together an outstanding group of musicians in The Jazz Meurkengers, which is a swinging tribute to the allure of hard-bop jazz. Supported by the resourceful and highly adaptable rhythm section of pianist Steve Ash, bassist Chris Berger and drummer Andy Watson, the band was augmented by the impeccable guitarist Ed Cherry on four tracks and bebop tenor saxophonist Nick Hampton on four different tracks giving the ensemble the energy, creativity, and reverence of the jazz tradition.

The nine-track session opens with a Meurkens original, "A Slow One," with a bubbling tone and slicing swing. Meurkens, Cherry and Ash are leading the way, each focusing equally on melody and texture as they interrogate the music. "Belgian Beer At Dawn" is another Meurkens number and contrafact based on the chord changes on "Stella By Starlight." It is a spirited chart, with Meurkens offering a juicy and distinct solo while Hampton's tenor has a rich tone in his unhurried playing. Watson makes his drums musically expressive in his exchanges with Meurkens and Hampton.

Horace Silver's composition "Silver's Serenade" comes from the 1963 Blue Note recording of the same name. It is one of Silver's most recognizable pieces, with an artful balance of mood and structure. Meurkens, Cherry and Ash use authoritative solos filled with long, seamless phrases conveying knowledge of harmony and form. Peter Gunn was a 1950s TV detective series in which jazz was noteworthy. The Henry Mancini composition "Dreamsville" was the background music to the romantic sequences. Meurkens, Cherry, and Ash are again front and center, with solos unsurpassed in clarity and elegance. In all the charts in which Cherry participated, his guitar work has been fluid and expressive, and his solos brimming with soul and sophistication.

"If I Were A Bell" was composed by Frank Loesser for the 1950 musical "Guys and Dolls." It became a jazz standard after it was recorded by trumpeter Miles Davis on the 1958 Prestige album Relaxin' with The Miles Davis Quintet. Meurkens' arrangement has a powerful sense of swing with an energetic solo from Hampton. Ash's up-tempo excursion shows he is a pianist who relishes logic and discovery.

Toots Thielemans was a Belgian-born musician who made his mark on jazz history with the playing of the chromatic harmonica. Acknowledging his inspiration from his playing, Meurkens wrote a ballad, " A Tear For Toots." for Thielemans's centennial year in 2022. Meurkens' reading is heartfelt and filled with delicate lyricism. Both Cherry and Ash are emotionally lucid and sure-footed. In summary, Meurkens and his ensemble have crafted a tasteful and inventive release.By Pierre Giroux https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-jazz-meurkengers-hendrik-meurkens-cellar-music-group

Personnel: Hendrik Meurkens - harmonica; Ed Cherry - guitar on tracks 1,4,6,8; Nick Hempton - tenor saxophone on tracks 2,5,7,9; Steve Ash - piano; Chris Berger - bass; Andy Watson - drums

The Jazz Meurkengers

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Shorty Rogers - Short Stops

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1953
Time: 63:49
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 146,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:52) 1. Powder Puff
(2:42) 2. The Pesky Serpent
(3:27) 3. Bunny
(3:14) 4. Piroutte
(3:31) 5. Morpo
(3:20) 6. Diablo's Dance
(3:07) 7. Mambo Del Crow
(2:40) 8. Indian Club
(3:00) 9. Coop de Graas
(3:37) 10. Inifinity Promenade
(3:18) 11. Short Stop
(3:39) 12. Boar-Jibu
(3:28) 13. Contours
(3:26) 14. Tale Of An African Lobster
(3:31) 15. Chiquito Loco
(2:43) 16. Sweeheart Of Sigmund Freud
(2:54) 17. Blues For Brando
(2:40) 18. Chino
(3:20) 19. The Wild One (Hot Blood)
(3:12) 20. Windswept

This double LP offers listeners a strong introduction to the trumpet playing and arrangements of Shorty Rogers, but unfortunately it has gone out of print and was the first and last in its series. The 32 selections feature six different groups headed by Rogers during 1953-1954, ranging from an octet to a big band; all of the bands feature sidemen who essentially formed a who's who of West Coast jazz.

Among the other soloists are altoist Art Pepper; tenors Bill Holman, Bill Perkins, Zoot Sims, Bob Cooper, and Jimmy Giuffre; trumpeter Harry "Sweets" Edison; pianist Hampton Hawes; and altoists Herb Geller and Bud Shank. The majority of the selections are Rogers originals; there is music from the Marlon Brando film The Wild One and a Count Basie tribute set. Swinging and surprisingly fiery "cool jazz" that deserves to be reissued on CD in full. By Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/short-stops-mw0000192401#review

Short Stops

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George Colligan Trio - Living For The City

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2011
Time: 66:11
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 151,5 MB
Art: Front

(9:27) 1. It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing
(7:20) 2. Water Babies
(9:06) 3. Living For The City
(7:25) 4. Close To You
(7:05) 5. I Can't Make You Love Me
(6:10) 6. Keep Me Hanging On
(7:20) 7. Along Came Betty
(6:31) 8. Cold Duck Time
(5:44) 9. The Girl From Ipanema

George Colligan is an advanced jazz pianist and composer who has done high-ranking work as a sideman and a leader. His most high-profile association, with vocalist Cassandra Wilson, began in 2000 and continues at the time of this writing. He has also played with Ravi Coltrane, Robin Eubanks, David Gilmore, Myron Walden, Steve Wilson, and many other stellar musicians, young and old. His own bands have boasted talents as formidable as Mark Turner and Kurt Rosenwinkel.

Born in New Jersey and raised mostly in Maryland, Colligan began his musical life on the trumpet, an instrument on which he still occasionally performs and records. (Colligan is also a viable jazz drummer.) He attended the Peabody Conservatory as a classical trumpet major but became increasingly drawn to jazz piano. In 1990 he attended the Banff Summer Jazz Workshop in Canada.

After several years as a freelancer in the Maryland area, Colligan relocated to New York, where his success has continued to mount. Colligan released his first two albums, 1996's Activism and 1997's Newcomer, on the Steeplechase label. Switching to the Fresh Sound New Talent label, he followed up in 1999 with Unresolved and in 2000 with Desire. Agent 99 appeared in summer 2001.
https://www.jazzmusicarchives.com/artist/george-colligan

Personnel: Piano – George Colligan; Bass – Joshua Ginsburg; Drums – E.J. Strickland

Living For The City

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Maucha Adnet & Gustavo Bergalli - Unit

Styles: Vocal And Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2005
Time: 42:23
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 97,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:14) 1. Felicidade
(7:35) 2. To Wisdom The Price
(3:42) 3. Por Causa De Voce
(4:15) 4. After The Sun
(4:01) 5. Agua De Beber
(3:55) 6. Minha Saudade
(3:38) 7. So Tinha De Ser Com Voce
(2:58) 8. Chega De Saudade
(6:01) 9. Estate

On this record Jazz Unit collaborates with the Brazilian singer Maucha Adnet. The result is nothing short of great. With her warm, sensual voice Maucha brings out the essence of Bossa Nova to the delight of the listener.

Also featured on this album is Gustavo Bergalli that delivers a striking performance on trumpet/flugelhorn. This recording reflects the level of musicianship that Jazz Unit possesses. Or in the words of Maucha Adnet herself; They are great musicians ... and really captured the "vibe" of Bossa Nova. Check out Jazz Unit's First Cd, Bridges and Yaqui.

MAUCHA ADNET(vo), GUSTAVO BERGALLI(tp,flh), HAKAN ANDERSSON(acc), NICLAS HOGLIND(g), JONAS CASTELL(b), KRISTOFER JOHANSSON(ds,perc).

Unit

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Dave Grusin & Lee Ritenour - Harlequin

Styles: Piano And Guitar Jazz
Year: 1985
Time: 46:56
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 107,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:43) 1. Harlequin
(4:59) 2. Early A.M. Attitude
(4:59) 3. San Ysidro
(5:18) 4. Before It's Too Late
(6:09) 5. Silent Message
(5:18) 6. Cats Of Rio
(5:37) 7. Beyond The Storm
(4:03) 8. Grid-Lock
(5:49) 9. The Bird

Harlequin is an album by American pianist Dave Grusin and American guitarist Lee Ritenour released in 1985, recorded for the GRP label. The album reached No. 2 on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz chart.

Harlequin earned a 1986 Grammy award for Best Arrangement On An Instrumental for “Early A.M. Attitude”. The album also earned Grammy nominations for Best Engineered Recording, Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocals, and Best Pop Instrumental Performance
(Wikipedia, https://goo.gl/Ck4b1R).
http://projazz.net/dave-grusin-lee-ritenour-harlequin-full-album/

Personnel: Dave Grusin – keyboards, conductor; Lee Ritenour – guitar; Ivan Lins – vocals; Jimmy Johnson – bass; Abraham Laboriel – bass; Carlos Vega – drums; Harvey Mason – drums
Paulinho Da Costa – percussion; Alex Acuña – percussion

Harlequin

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Nat King Cole - Live At The Blue Note Chicago

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2024
Time: 79:04
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 182,4 MB
Art: Front

(0:16) 1. Frank Holzfeind Introduction
(2:30) 2. Little Girl
(3:44) 3. Unforgettable
(3:29) 4. It's Only A Paper Moon
(3:45) 5. Love Is Here To Stay
(3:42) 6. Too Marvelous For Words
(2:34) 7. What Does It Take
(2:34) 8. You Stepped Out Of A Dream
(3:59) 9. Exactly Like You
(4:14) 10. Sweet Lorraine
(3:55) 11. Can't I
(0:09) 12. Band Introduction
(3:30) 13. Calypso Blues
(0:27) 14. Frank Holzfeind Introduction #2
(2:08) 15. Walkin' My Baby Back Home
(3:50) 16. Mona Lisa - Too Young
(2:28) 17. Blue Gardenia
(3:17) 18. Straighten Up And Fly Right
(3:37) 19. Funny (Not Much)
(2:46) 20. Somewhere Along The Way
(2:16) 21. Nature Boy
(3:22) 22. Pretend
(3:52) 23. A Fool Was I
(3:20) 24. If Love Is Good To Me
(2:53) 25. I Am In Love
(2:40) 26. This Can't Be Love
(3:36) 27. Route 66

A great small club performance from Nat King Cole of the sort he never really recorded for Capitol Records, even though this set is right in the middle of his glory days on the label! In some ways, the set hearkens back to Nat's roots maybe no surprise, as he's back in Chicago and the combo here features John Collins on guitar, Charlie Harris on bass, and Lee Young on drums working with Cole to offer up some nicely lean versions of tunes you might know from his fuller, more polished studio versions.

The set's a great reminder that at the core, even during the big years, Nat was still a jazzman at heart as you'll hear on tunes that include "Funny", "Straighten Up & Fly Right", "Nature Boy", "Route 66", "This Can't Be Love", "Somewhere Along The Way", "Mona Lisa/Too Young", "Exactly Like You", "Sweet Lorraine", and "Calypso Blues".© 1996-2024, Dusty Groove, Inc.
https://www.dustygroove.com/item/171853/Nat-King-Cole:Live-At-The-Blue-Note-Chicago-2024-Record-Store-Day-Release

Live At The Blue Note Chicago

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Jack Walrath - Heavy Mirth

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:39
Size: 155,2 MB
Art: Front

(6:12)  1. Bassballs
(8:36)  2. Dark Star
(9:57)  3. It Must Be A Holiday, So Why Do I Have The Blues
(5:14)  4. Cloak And Dagger
(7:36)  5. Anthropoid Epiphany
(8:45) 6. A Long, Slow, Agonizing Descent Into The Depths Of Dispair
(8:17)  7. Road Kill
(6:02)  8. Drifting
(6:56)  9. Blood

Jack Walrath has long been heralded by astute writers who recognize his willingness to experiment in his writing and playing. This 2008 session pairs the veteran trumpeter (who served with Charles Mingus, Ornette Coleman, and as a member of Mingus Dynasty) with tenor saxophonist Abraham Burton, pianist Orrin Evans, Mingus Big Band bassist Boris Kozlov, and the in-demand drummer Jonathan Blake, interpreting nine stimulating originals by the leader. The rapid-fire, insistent theme of "Bassballs" proves immediately infectious.

A spirited Latin undercurrent adds a twist to "Cloak and Dagger," with Walrath's powerful solo as its centerpiece. The jaunty "Anthropod Epiphany" has a humorous flavor, while the breezy "Roadkill" showcases Kozlov's fleet solo and Burton's full-bodied tenor. The loopy "Blood" sounds like something that Charles Mingus might have written. The bluesy "A Long, Slow, Agonizing Descent into the Depth of Despair" features Evans' delicious gospel-inflected piano, with a fine improvised vocal and a bit of playful scatting by TC III. Highly recommended. ~ Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/heavy-mirth-mw0001983516

Personnel: Jack Walrath (trumpet); Abraham Burton (tenor saxophone); Orrin Evans (piano); Jonathan Blake (drums)

Heavy Mirth

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Alina Bzhezhinska & HipHarpCollective - Reflections

Styles: Harp Jazz
Year: 2022
Time: 62:58
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 144,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:17) 1. Soul Vibration
(6:39) 2. For Carrol
(7:12) 3. Fire
(3:46) 4. Reflections
(5:28) 5. Afro Blue
(6:06) 6. Alabama
(5:01) 7. African Flower
(3:46) 8. Paris sur le toit (instrumental)
(5:40) 9. Sans End
(5:03) 10. Action Line
(3:47) 11. Paris sur le toit (feat. Sanity & Tom They/Them)
(6:08) 12. Meditation

In an inspired piece of programming, London's Barbican Centre presented the then virtually unknown harpist Alina Bzhezhinska and her quartet as one of the support bands on its November 18, 2017 one-nighter A Concert for Alice and John, a show headlined by Pharoah Sanders. It would be an exaggeration to say Bzhezhinska stole the show (see "Pharoah Sanders" above), but she was sensational, offering up fresh readings of Alice Coltrane tunes and a few originals, accompanied by Tony Kofi on saxophones, Larry Bartley on bass and Joel Prime on drums.

The Ukrainian-born, London-based Bzhezhinska went on to release an outstanding debut album, Inspiration (Ubuntu, 2018), made with the quartet which performed at the Barbican.

Reflections, recorded in autumn 2020 and summer 2021, is the follow-up. It follows the same trajectory as Inspiration but adds a few twists. The biggest of these are the expanded personnel and a splash of funk. Kofi and Prime are still on hand, in a collective lineup which also includes Jay Phelps on trumpet, Mikele Montolli on electric bass and double bass, Julie Walkington on double bass, Ying Xue on violin and viola, and Adam Teixeira drums. Vocals and a rap are also featured on two of the twelve tracks. Not everyone plays on every track. There are a couple of trios, a septet, and various points between.

On Inspiration, Bzhezhinska demonstrated that she had oodles of soul, a quality not usually associated with harpists, who can be a tad wafty. She plays to this strength on Reflections, in the manner of her playing, her choice of material and her arrangements. There are hip hop beats, funk beats and backbeats in general, and little straight four/four. The material itself, all of which places great store in melody, is a mixture of originals and tunes written by or associated with John Coltrane ("Alabama" and "Afro Blue"), Alice Coltrane ("Fire," co-written by Coltrane and Joe Henderson), and that other great American harpist, Dorothy Ashby ("Soul Vibration," heard on the YouTube clip below, and "Action Line"). Duke Ellington's "African Flower" is given an exquisite reading. Bzhezhinska produced the sessions, the engineer and mixer was Ben Lamdin, and the sound is clean, warm and uncluttered. Playing time is just over an hour and it flies by. By Chris May https://www.allaboutjazz.com/reflections-alina-bzhezhinska-bbe-records

Personnel: Alina Bzhezhinska: harp; Tony Kofi: tenor saxophone and soprano saxophones (3, 5, 6, 7); Jay Phelps: trumpet (2, 3, 5); Mikele Montolli: electric bass and double bass (1-3, 5, 7-9, 11, 12); Julie Walkington: double bass (4, 12); Ying Xue: violin and viola (1, 8, 11); Adam Teixeira: drums (1-5, 7-12); Joel Prime: percussion (1-3, 5-12); Vimala Rowe: vocal (5); Sanity: rap (11); Tom They: rap (11).

Reflections

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Charles McPherson - Horizons

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1968
Time: 38:40
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 88,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:52) 1. Horizons
(8:08) 2. Lush Life
(5:22) 3. Ain't That Somethin'
(5:17) 4. Night Eyes
(6:42) 5. I Should Care
(7:17) 6. She Loves Me

Charles McPherson's fifth Prestige album (which was reissued in 1998 in the Original Jazz Classics series) differs from the first four in that McPherson contributed four of the six originals. Assisted by pianist Cedar Walton, the up-and-coming guitarist Pat Martino, bassist Walter Booker, drummer Billy Higgins and (on three of the songs) the obscure but fluent vibraphonist Nasir Hafiz, the altoist is in typically swinging and boppish form.

Best among his originals are the catchy "Ain't That Something" and "She Loves Me," while "Lush Life" is taken as an alto guitar duet. By playing bop-oriented music in 1968, Charles McPherson could have been considered behind the times, but he was never a fad chaser and he has long had a timeless style. This music still sounds viable and creative decades later.By Scott Yanow
https://www.allmusic.com/album/horizons-mw0000602135#review

Personnel: Charles McPherson - alto saxophone; Nasir Rashid Hafiz - vibraphone; Cedar Walton - piano; Pat Martino - guitar; Walter Booker - bass; Billy Higgins - drums

Horizons

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