Liz Childs Quartet - Take Flight

Size: 178,0 MB
Time: 76:30
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2012
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. It Could Happen To You (4:49)
02. Dindi (3:49)
03. Lover (5:50)
04. Baby All The Time (4:51)
05. Just One Of Those Things (3:10)
06. Hallelujah (6:31)
07. Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise (4:33)
08. You Don't Know What Love Is (5:56)
09. Meditation (3:49)
10. Bad Luck Card (3:57)
11. Bluesette (4:59)
12. Estate (4:23)
13. Take Flight (3:22)
14. I'll Be Your Baby Tonight (4:35)
15. Baby, Don't Quit Now (1:59)
16. Famous Blue Raincoat (5:18)
17. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To (4:33)

The thing that intrigued me the most about jazz vocalist/pianist Liz Childs' second album Take Flight was that among the seventeen jazz standards and tunes from the great American songbook, the kinds of songs you would normally expect from a jazz singer, she had included two pieces from Leonard Cohen and one from Bob Dylan. Having just reviewed a CD from Monika Borzym, another promising young jazz vocalist, that featured an unlikely repertoire of music from the likes of Fiona Apple and Amy Winehouse, I was interested in seeing what Childs was doing with this material.

There is nothing wrong with songs that are tried and true, but there is something important to be gained both for the artist and the genre when they broaden their horizons. Jazz, after all, is in a real sense about breaking away from the same old same old. It is about taking a piece of music and making it your own. Childs takes us on a biting ride through Cohen's iconic "Hallelujah." At times her voice fairly reeks with bitterness and scorn, at least until the very end. "Famous Blue Raincoat" is a wistful haunting gem. Childs invests both lyrics with an emotional truth that is nothing short of mesmerizing. Bob Dylan's "I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" gets a swinging old style treatment with some nice guitar solo work from Ed MacEachen. Truth to tell, I wouldn't have minded a few more of these kinds of songs.

Not that there's anything wrong her work on the standards; she has a voice that rings with bell like clarity, that can move from intense passion to playful girlishness with equal appeal. She takes a lyric and plumbs its depth weaving sweet scat arabesques around its melodies. Two good examples are the songs which open and close the album. Jimmy van Heusen's "It Could Happen to You" and "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To," the Cole Porter classic, both highlight her scatting talents. Her vocal play on "fire" and "desire" in the Porter tune is a kick. There's a nice little obligatory bossa nova in Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Dindi." There is even a nod to the blues with Bobby Troupe's "Baby All the Time." Among the other standards on the album are Porter's "Just One of Those Things," Lorenz Hart's "Lover," and Toots Thielemans' "Bluesette," each getting a fine reading.

The album takes its title from an original piece by guitarist MacEachen, who also is responsible for arranging ten of the songs on the CD. "Take Flight" offers some nice opportunities for interaction between the singer's scatting and the composer's guitar.

Childs is backed by MacEachen, Dan Fabricatore on bass, and Anthony Pinciotti on drums. She, herself, has decided to escape from the piano for this album. "I wanted," she says, "to experience the freedom to explore singing without being constricted by sitting at the piano, and to be able to more completely respond to the band as a vocalist only. So, that's what this CD is the start of." If this is any indication of what she can do standing at the front of the band, one can only hope to hear more from her in the future. ~Review by Jack Goodstein

Take Flight

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Kimmie Rhodes - Covers

Size: 137,8 MB
Time: 58:39
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Blues Rock, Americana
Art: Front

01. Bluebird (3:31)
02. Yesterday (3:12)
03. Moonlight Mile (5:28)
04. White Freight Liner (3:54)
05. Georgia Lee (4:14)
06. Everything Is Broken (3:37)
07. Birds (2:41)
08. Stuck In A Moment (4:32)
09. Adam's Song (Duet With Rodney Crowell) (5:14)
10. Don't Think Twice (3:48)
11. Southern Accents (4:45)
12. Shame Shame Shame (Duet With Delbert McClinton) (3:47)
13. Cannibals (Duet With Marcia Ball) (3:31)
14. What A Wonderful World (3:07)
15. Little Help From My Friends (3:13)

“Covers” marks a “sea change” for Kimmie Rhodes. For the first time, the songwriters songwriter, puts down her pen to devote an entire album to singing of the songs of others whose music has served milestones of her storied performing and recording career, and her life.

Rhodes first studio adventure since the passing of longtime partner and collaborator Joe Gracey, Kimmie draws deep from a wide range of catalogues – Thiele and Weiss, Lennon and McCartney, Jagger and Richards, Jimmy Reed, Mark Knopfler, Dylan, Bono, Tom Petty, Leon Russell, Neil
Young and Tom Waits, and channels close friends Townes Van Zandt and Rodney Crowell; telling each story in that clear, soaring songbird voice that takes ownership of every composition.

Embellishing the voice is a dream team of pickers including son/collaborator Gabriel Rhodes, multiple Handy Award winner Marcia Ball, singer-songwriter-author Rodney Crowell, songwriter and performer Bill Carter, Delbert McClinton, daughter Jolie Goodnight, guitar hotshot David
Holt (Joe Ely), singer-songwriter/producer Gary Nicholson, pedal steel ninja Tommy Spurlock, fiddler Richard Bowden
(Joe Ely), Glen Fukunaga (Joe Ely), Mike Thompson (The Eagles), Brian Standefer (Alejandro Escovedo).

The chemistry is explosive, and the music, perfect for all radio formats. What’s your pleasure? Vintage pop from the Great American Songbook? “What a Wonderful World.” Beatles? “Yesterday,” “With a Little Help from My Friends” Stones? “Moonlight Mile,” like you’ve never heard it before.
Album rock? Neil Young’s “Birds” or her duet with Marcia Ball on Dire Straits “Cannibals.” Low down blues? “Shame,Shame, Shame,” sung with “the” Delbert McClinton. Texas high lonesome singer-songwriter? “White Freight Liner.” Americana classic? Rodney’s Crowell’s poignant, “Adam Song” with Rodney helping out on the vocals.

Personnel:
Kimmie Rhodes – vocals
Marcia Ball – vocals, accordion (Cannibals, Little Help)
Rodney Crowell – vocals (Adams Song, Little Help)
Delbert McClinton – vocals & harmonica (Shame)
Jolie Goodnight – vocals (Cannibals, Little Help)
Bill Carter – vocals, harmonica (Cannibals, Little Help)
Gabriel Rhodes -guitars, keyboards, accordion, mandolin,vocals (Cannibals, Little Help, Stuck Moment)
Mike Thompson – keyboards, bass (Little Help),vocals
Avery Gardner – bass guitar
Glen Fukunaga – bass guitar
John Gardner – drums & perussion
Dony Wynn – drums & percussion
Richard Bowden – violin
Brian Standefer – cello
Will McFarlane – guitars
Colin Linden – slide guitar (Moonlight Mile)
Gary Nicholson – electric lead & solo (Shame Shame)
David Holt -guitar (Shame Shame, White Freight)
Tommy Spurlock – steel guitar

Covers

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Bill Coté - Where Do You Start (Feat. Tamir Hendelman Trio)

Size: 166,5 MB
Time: 71:39
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Swing
Art: Front

01. Where Or When (4:00)
02. When Do The Bells Ring For Me (2:38)
03. Teach Me Tonight (4:58)
04. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life (5:46)
05. L.A. State Of Mind (5:03)
06. Who Can I Turn To (5:09)
07. Satin Doll (4:15)
08. Where Do You Start (4:04)
09. Sunday In New York (3:01)
10. My Funny Valentine (4:42)
11. When Sunny Gets Blue (5:20)
12. Never Let Me Go (5:48)
13. On A Clear Day (3:33)
14. Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most (6:02)
15. I Just Found Out (3:20)
16. Indian Summer (3:53)

I’ve been singing jazz standards for nearly 50 years and have had the honor to be close friends with some of the greatest jazz musicians around. But it wasn’t until a jazz cruise I took in 2010 that my longtime dream of making my own CD was re-ignited. It was on that cruise that I met piano great Tamir Hendelman, who is a regular with the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra and has performed and recorded with the likes of Barbra Streisand and Natalie Cole, among others. We struck up a conversation about music, and Tamir offered to accompany me on a tune. I was pleased and gratified that he liked my voice so much that he strongly encouraged me to make my own recording. This CD is the result of that encounter.

I have lived with the songs on this album for many, many years. They all come from the heart. It was a fantastic experience recording them with Tamir’s great arrangements and the remarkable talents of this stellar band.

Where Do You Start

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Judi D. - Nightshade

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:07
Size: 118,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:21)  1. Tenderly
(6:15)  2. Love Dance
(4:42)  3. You've Changed
(4:20)  4. Out Of This World
(5:34)  5. Sophisticated Lady
(7:03)  6. Up Jumped Spring
(4:18)  7. If You Went Away
(4:11)  8. Weaver Of Dreams
(3:11)  9. All Of Me (A La King Pleasure)
(3:54) 10. Small Feats
(3:15) 11. A House Is Not A Home

While there are plenty of jazz survivors indomitable artists thriving in their 70s and 80s Miami-based Judith Dubowsky can proudly claim that survival opened her path to a jazz career. Diagnosed with thyroid cancer just over a year ago, left with “three notes, my whole range was gone,” and vowing to rebuild her voice, she underwent three years of therapy, enrolled in the University of Miami to earn a Master of Music degree and began intense study of the great female jazz singers. Now, supported by an enviable rhythm section comprised of pianist Kenny Barron, drummer Leroy Williams, bassist Ray Drummond and, doubling on tenor sax and flute, Frank Wess, she has released her debut album.

That Dubowsky is a superb student is evident throughout these ten standards and one original (the heartfelt “Small Feats” that traces her road to recovery and vocal revitalization). Her style borrows heavily from Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McRae and Diana Krall; her phrasing owes a huge debt to Rosemary Clooney (particularly on the disc-opening “Tenderly”). But there’s much more to Dubowsky than mere mimicry. She handles Ellington’s hugely challenging “Sophisticated Lady” with just the right combination of refracted pain, misty disillusion and judgmental disdain. Her “Up Jumped Spring,” superbly underlined by Wess’ sax, effectively blends unexpected pleasure and thankful satisfaction. Best track: a loose-limbed “All of Me,” crafted in homage to King Pleasure, that boldly displays the marvelously imaginative spirit of the unfettered Judi. ~ Christopher Loudon   http://jazztimes.com/articles/18405-nightshade-judi-d

Nightshade

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Glennis Houston - I'll Reminisce You

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:22
Size: 116,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:21)  1. Being Green, But Beautiful
(3:42)  2. Beloved
(3:25)  3. Lonely Without You
(4:49)  4. Lullaby for a Boy
(4:54)  5. Since You Walked Out That Door
(3:47)  6. Mockingbird
(4:07)  7. A Slow Blues
(3:42)  8. Oh! Gee!
(5:40)  9. Spare Change
(4:36) 10. Tears of Stone
(2:43) 11. L.O.V.E.
(3:31) 12. I'll Reminisce You

Calgary vocalist Glennis Houston follows up her debut album Lies of Handsome Men (2004, Self-Produced) with a warm session of light contemporary vocal jazz on I'll Reminisce You. Unlike the first disc comprised entirely of standards Houston designs a repertoire of primarily originals with the incorporation of a handful of cover songs touching on bebop, blues and ballads. This second effort actually began in early 2006 but, life got in the way with family, work, education, pursuing a PhD and other such mundane matters preventing her from fulfilling the goal until now. The singer fronts a standard piano trio with Calgary musicians Sheldon Zanboer on piano, Robin Tufts on drums and Simon Fisk on the violin-shaped bass bassetto, recording the album in both a studio as well as in a live setting. Armed with silky vocals, Houston begins this adventure with a ballad medley of a Joe Raposo song and a Burke/Van Heusen standard "Being Green, But Beautiful" where the vocalist delivers a measure of emotion along the way. 

Clifford Brown's up beat classic "Beloved" is in good hands with Houston voicing Meredith d'Ambrosio's lyrics in swinging fashion something this artist does throughout the album. The first of seven original songs on the disc is the lovely "Lonely without You" followed by "Lullaby for a Boy" and "Since You Walked Out That Door," the first another soft ballad and the latter a bluesy number where the singer reaches. One of the livelier songs on the album, "Oh! Gee!" featuring a swinging Houston and handy solo work from Zanboer and Fisk, is clearly a standout tune but, there's more. The singer's interpretation of the standard "L.O.V.E." and the trio's energetic performance, make this track one of the highlights of the recording.  Other moments of notable mention have to be the cover song "Mockingbird" and Houston's own "Tears of Stone" with the love ballad and title finale song voiced from the heart does indeed leave a lasting impression. Though a long time in the works, songbird Glennis Houston's tasteful performance of traditional vocal jazz on I'll Reminisce You, is well worth the wait. Perhaps her next endeavor may not be as long in coming. ~ Edward Blanco   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=46424#.UvonRoW2yNA
 

Personnel: Glennis Houston: vocals; Sheldon Zanboer: piano; Simon Fisk: bassetto; Robin Tufts: drums.

I'll Reminisce You

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Bill Charlap - Along With Me

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:23
Size: 166,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:56)  1. On Green Dolphin Street
(6:05)  2. Along With Me
(4:47)  3. I Was Telling Her About You
(8:29)  4. Has This Song Been Written For You Before?
(7:23)  5. Early To Bed
(5:30)  6. Lonely Town
(9:42)  7. Gone With The Wind
(7:06)  8. A Ghost Of A Chance
(3:27)  9. Donna Lee
(5:32) 10. I'll Be Around
(9:21) 11. Jazzspeak

This CD has the recording debut as a leader of pianist Bill Charlap. Already a member of the Gerry Mulligan Quartet, Charlap would soon join the Phil Woods Quartet/Quintet. A master at swinging veteran standards and casting new light on warhorses, even at this early stage Charlap sounded quite impressive. He is heard in duets with bassist Sean Smith, a trio with bassist Andy Eulau and drummer Ron Vincent, and unaccompanied on "Lonely Town" and "I'll Be Around." Charlap is particularly effective on ballads. The fine recital (which is highlighted by his rendition of his father Moose Charlap's "I Was Telling Her About You," "Gone With the Wind," and an interesting reworking of "Donna Lee") concludes with a nine-minute "Jazzspeak" during which Charlap gives his lifetime story up to 1993. Recommended. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/along-with-me-mw0000627816

Along With Me

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Jim Wynn - Goofin' Off

Size: 110,1 MB
Time: 47:29
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2012
Styles: Jump Blues, Blues Jazz
Art: Front

01. Goofin' Off (2:09)
02. Put Me Down Blues (2:31)
03. Let's Rock (2:26)
04. Blow Wynn Blow (2:08)
05. Down To The Ocean (2:36)
06. Snug As A Bug In A Rug (2:30)
07. West Coast Lover (2:40)
08. Strange Love (3:13)
09. Hollywood Stampede (2:44)
10. J W Bop (2:28)
11. Dog House Blues (2:59)
12. Rubber Legs (2:17)
13. Cold Blooded Boogie (2:44)
14. Fat Meat (2:32)
15. I'm The Boss (2:45)
16. Muffle Joe Shuffle (2:35)
17. Farewell Baby (3:00)
18. PS I Love You (3:03)

Saxophonist and bandleader Jim Wynn was born June 21, 1912, in El Paso, TX, but grew up in Los Angeles, where his first instrument was the clarinet. Switching to tenor saxophone, he began his professional career with Charlie Echols and was a sideman on hundreds of West Coast recordings, including a long association with Johnny Otis. As a bandleader (often billed as Big Jim Wynn), he recorded sporadically from 1945 to 1959 with a dozen different labels, including 4 Star/Gilt Edge (which issued his best-known side, "Ee-Bobaliba"), Modern, Specialty, Supreme, and Mercury. Wynn switched to baritone sax later in his career, and continued working as a sideman into the 1970s. He died in 1977. ~Biography by Steve Leggett

Goofin' Off

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Abigail Rockwell - Union Station

Size: 96,4 MB
Time: 41:19
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2009
Styles: Jazz Vocals, World Fusion, Fado
Art: Front

01. I Got It Bad (4:21)
02. Les Mures Sauvages (3:32)
03. Never Let Me Go (2:32)
04. Modinha (2:21)
05. The Man That Got Away (3:56)
06. Aria (5:52)
07. Midnight Sun (4:16)
08. Medo (3:01)
09. Por Toda Minha Vida (2:30)
10. Trouble Is A Man (3:19)
11. Company (5:34)

Abigail Rockwell is a singer that specializes in international torch songs, which she describes as “songs of longing from around the world.”

Abigail began singing at an early age, writing songs, playing the guitar. The album she listened to over and over was Joni Mitchell’s Clouds. As she got older, training and lessons came, eventually leading her to classical training in her teenage years. As the training evolved, her joy in singing diminished. Worrying about “placement” and the other aspects of classical training took her away from why she loved to sing. Performance anxiety crept in and eventually she just stopped singing publicly, and instead chose to study acting at the Conservatory of Theater Arts & Film at Purchase in New York. She became a “closeted singer,” singing in empty churches, parking lots and at night in her darkened kitchen. Some years later, her mother gave her a recording of Sarah Vaughan. She began singing with it and gradually started to find her voice again, along with the kind of music that suited it. But she still hadn’t met that special teacher that she had been searching for. One day at Urth Cafe in Los Angeles she met Gary Catona, the renowned voice coach. They worked very hard to rebuild her voice and eventually, really for the first time, she found her natural, free singing voice.

Abigail co-produced her debut CD, Union Station, with Bill Brendle, the pianist/arranger/composer who has worked with various artists, including Sergio Mendes, Lamont Dozier and Erykah Badu. It was mixed by Grammy award-winning Mauricio Guerrero and mastered at Capitol by Ron McMaster.

“With the completion of this CD, in effecting a synthesis between my acting and my singing, I feel I’ve finally found my true path. Now I am focused and working on upcoming shows and excited about taking my work to the next level.”
-A.R.

Union Station

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Almaz Yebio - Down To Earth

Size: 123,8 MB
Time: 53:17
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Merry-Go-Round (4:54)
02. Further To Fly (5:41)
03. Hearts And Bones (6:07)
04. En Dag Var Hon Borta (5:11)
05. Down To Earth (4:37)
06. Dancing (5:31)
07. Have A Good Time (4:56)
08. The Little Things (4:24)
09. Solsbury Hill (5:51)
10. Washing Of The Water (6:02)

There are so many great songs out there! From different eras and places. In different styles. My curiosity has taken me into exploring the groove of jazz, the strength of gospel, eclectic composers from Brazil, melancholy in Scandinavian folk songs and the catharsis of free improvisation.
But right under my nose I find LPs with thumbprints still there from my childhood. Simon & Garfunkel and Genesis to name a few. Teenage memories with soundtracks from Paul Simon's or Peter Gabriel's solo projects. They're composers, lyricists and performers a generation before me, whose music deeply affected popular music of today. And they're still going strong.
Almaz Yebio: vocals, Krister Jonsson: guitars, Mats Ingvarsson: Basses, Fredrik Lundin: reeds, Björn Jönsson: drums and Christian Glass: percussion

Down To Earth

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Mariska Veres & Shocking Jazz Quartet - He's Not There

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:44
Size: 109,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:01)  1. He's Not There
(3:59)  2. You Really Got Me
(3:13)  3. Shocking You
(4:32)  4. Radar Love
(5:14)  5. Try A Little Tenderness
(3:26)  6. Venus
(5:11)  7. I Feel The Earth Move
(3:39)  8. Never Marry A Railroad Man
(3:39)  9. Somebody To Love
(3:12) 10. A Lot Of Lovin' To Do
(3:14) 11. All By Myself
(4:17) 12. Rockin' Good Way

Veres began her career as a singer in 1963 with the guitar band Les Mysteres. In 1964 this band made an EP (GTB-label, 10 copies only) and Mariska is singing on side 1: Summertime (solo) and Someone (a duet). In 2010 this EP was re-released by record club Platenclub Utrecht (PLUT 009). On www.platenclubutrecht.nl you can see the sleeve and listen to a part of Summertime. In 1965 she joined the Bumble Bees,[1] the Blue Fighters, Danny and his Favourites and General Four in 1966, and the Motowns later in 1966. She also played organ in the last band. In 1968 she was invited to join Shocking Blue to replace lead singer Fred de Wilde who had to join the army. In 1969/1970 Shocking Blue gained worldwide fame with the hit single "Venus". The month of their arrival in the United States gossip columnist Earl Wilson referred to Veres as a beautiful busty girl.

However, when she joined Shocking Blue she made it clear to the other band members that romantic relationships were not going to happen. Shocking Blue split up on 1 June 1974; Veres continued in a solo career until the band was reunited in 1984. This comeback turned out to be successful, but one of the other original members, Robbie van Leeuwen, stepped back from the group, partly because he had moved to Luxembourg but also because of the success of Bananarama's cover of "Venus". Mariska Veres started the jazz group The Shocking Jazz Quintet in 1993, and recorded an album ('Shocking You') with pop songs from the 60s and 70s, now in a jazz version. From 1993 to 2006 she performed in yet another reincarnation of Shocking Blue (recorded the songs 'Body and Soul' and 'Angel', both produced by former member Robbie van Leeuwen), and also recorded an album with Andrei Serban in 2003, named 'Gipsy Heart', going back to her Romani roots.

A version of "Venus" was posthumously released in 2007, a few months after her death, recorded with pianist/bandleader Dolf de Vries (on the album "Another Touch"). Mariska has recorded "Venus" four times: with Shocking Blue (1969), with the Mariska Veres Shocking Jazz Quintet (1993), with Formula Diablos (in English/Spanish, 1997), and with Dolf de Vries (a lounge version of "Venus", 2005/2006). ~ Bio   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariska_Veres

Shocking Jazz Quartet

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Charlie Parker - The Essential Charlie Parker

Styles: Bop, Big Band
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:15
Size: 138,9 MB
Art: Front + Back

( 3:03)  1. Now's the Time
( 2:49)  2. If I Should Lose You
( 2:55)  3. Mango Mangue
( 3:27)  4. Bloomdido
( 3:31)  5. Star Eyes
( 3:01)  6. Confirmation (master take)
( 3:06)  7. My Little Suede Shoes
( 3:33)  8. Just Friends
( 3:24)  9. Lover Man
(12:56) 10. I Got Rhythm
( 2:59) 11. Repetition
( 3:27) 12. K.C. Blues
( 2:49) 13. Relaxing With Lee (master take)
( 3:08) 14. April in Paris
( 3:04) 15. Okiedoke
( 2:56) 16. The Song Is You

Another anthology that has less value due to the exploding reissue market. These cuts were among Parker's most influential compositions and performances, but they've been reissued many times, both in anthology packages and on re-releases of their original albums. But it's part of the Essentials sampler line, and if you only want a little Parker, it's a good choice. ~ Ron Wynn   http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-essential-charlie-parker-mw0000090502

The Essential Charlie Parker

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Eddie Higgins Quartet & Scott Hamilton - My Foolish Heart

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:37
Size: 169,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:30)  1. My Foolish Heart
(7:59)  2. Russian Lullaby
(5:40)  3. What Is There To Say
(5:22)  4. That Old Black Magic
(5:58)  5. Skylark
(5:49)  6. Night And Day
(6:27)  7. Embraceable You
(6:04)  8. Am I Blue
(6:10)  9. These Foolish Things
(6:23) 10. The More I See You
(5:47) 11. The Song Is You
(6:23) 12. This Love Of Mine

Eddie Higgins has been a solid bop pianist for decades, though he seems most appreciated by the folks who run the Japanese label Venus, for whom he has recorded frequently in his golden years. Joined by two-thirds of Phil Woods' longtime rhythm section (Steve Gilmore and Bill Goodwin), along with special guest Scott Hamilton on tenor sax, Higgins explores a dozen ballads, most of which have been favorites of jazz musicians longer than the pianist has been playing professionally. Higgins doesn't mind taking a back seat to Hamilton's Ben Webster-inspired tenor, though he can also wail when he chooses to do so. The snappy take of "Russian Lullaby" is a highlight, featuring all four of the musicians in turn. One can hear Higgins singing softly to himself as he introduces his lush arrangement of "Embraceable You." While there is nothing groundbreaking about any of the selections, this is excellent music that will provide a perfect backdrop for any jazz fan's romantic evening. ~ Ken Dryden  

http://www.allmusic.com/album/my-foolish-heart-mw0000327856

My Foolish Heart

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Marc Copland, Drew Gress & Bill Stewart - New York Trio Recording Vol.3 - Night Whispers

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 58:29
Size: 94,0 MB
Art: Front

(1:59)  1. Emily (Take One)
(8:36)  2. The Bell Tolls
(8:01)  3. Night Whispers
(2:50)  4. Emily (Take Two)
(6:59)  5. So What
(6:42)  6. Like It Never Was
(7:11)  7. Space Acres
(2:07)  8. Emily (Take Three)
(6:32)  9. Scattered Leaves
(7:27) 10. I Fall In Love Too Easily

Some artists are so consistent that it's difficult to tag one release as better than another. Still, every now and then they manage to release career milestones that stand above the rest. Pianist Marc Copland's Time Within Time (HATology, 2005) is one such watershed a sublime solo piano session that transcends mere virtuosity and digs so deeply into its repertoire that it's almost impossible not to feel fully a part the experience rather than just an innocent bystander.  Night Whispers, the final volume in Copland's New York Trio Recordings series, also including Vol. 1: Modinha (Pirouet, 2006) and Vol. 2: Voices (Pirouet, 2007), is more than just the best of the bunch; it leverages Copland's unique strengths while avoiding a comfort zone that could entice the pianist and his trio to take the road well-traveled. Instead, Copland, bassist Drew Gress, and drummer Bill Stewart explore unexpected twists and turns while remaining true to Copland's introspective nature, simmering with a rare underlying heat that occasionally bursts to a boil. One obvious reason for Night Whispers' distinction is the substitution of Stewart for Jochen Rueckert, the drummer in Copland's longstanding trio. On this set of Copland, Gress, and Stewart originals, and standards including Miles Davis' "So What," Julie Styne's "I Fall in Love Too Easily," and Johnny Mandel's "Emily," the flexible and uniquely melodic drummer has rarely sounded better. Copland's "The Bell Tolls" begins in melancholy abstraction, but following Gress' lyrical solo Stewart begins turning up the heat during Copland's impressionistic turn, leading to a drum solo that perfectly meshes empathic responsiveness with reckless abandon, pushing the group to a level of energy rarely heard from the Copland/Gress/Rueckert trio. 

Copland's title track is surprisingly upbeat despite its harmonic abstrusity and contrapuntal melodicism, as Stewart's turbulent but firm support drives the pianist to an uncharacteristically heated solo, all the while retaining a touch so delicate that it almost demands leaning forward into the music to catch it all. "Scattered Leaves" also simmers with smoldering energy, an altered blues not unlike Voices' "River's Run," with marvelously indirect interplay between Copland, Gress, and Stewart. Gress' dark-hued tone poem, "Like It Never Was," revolves around a gently explored, repetitive motif, as does Stewart's "Space Acres," though the latter does gradually pick up a head of steam. Copland often divides his albums into sections through exploring multiple takes of a tune, and here it's three solo readings of "Emily": softly abstract ("Take One"); song-like and literal ("Take Three"); and near stream-of-consciousness ("Take Two"). Copland's ties to the tradition are undeniable, but he's rarely swung as hard as he does here on "So What" where, once its familiar theme is dispensed with, it becomes an improvisational free-for-all that remains structured, even as it's clear there's little holding the trio back. It's rare that a single personnel change so significantly alters a group's dynamic and creativity, but Stewart makes Night Whispers an outstanding and definitive trio disc for Copland. On the merits of this seminal set, it would be almost criminal were this group to be but a one-time affair. ~ John Kelman  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=31682#.Uv0IQIXYMbg
 

Personnel: Marc Copland: piano; Drew Gress: bass; Bill Stewart: drums.

New York Trio Recording Vol.3 - Night Whispers

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Carol Fredette - Everything in time

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:27
Size: 136,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:34)  1. Without rhyme or reason
(4:52)  2. I wish I knew
(3:15)  3. Dream dancing
(3:21)  4. Last night when we were young
(3:53)  5. The way you look tonight
(4:31)  6. Vivo sonhando (Dreamer)
(3:48)  7. Pieces of dreams
(4:38)  8. I was born in love with you
(3:20)  9. This is a fine romance
(3:07) 10. O pato (The duck)
(4:03) 11. Bilhete (Ticket)
(4:45) 12. Love thy neighbor
(3:40) 13. Would you believe
(4:15) 14. Only trust your heart
(4:17) 15. Wait a little while

Jazz vocalist Carol Fredette's singing is characterized as a clinic in singing with perfect diction. With a linguist's ear, Fredette concretely pronounces every word to every song she sings as if to commit them to platinum casts for use by International Bureau of Weights and Measures. Fredette accomplishes this not in some self-conscious way, but with a humor and grace that betrays a fully lived jazz life. This is further reflected in the breezy tone Everything in Time takes. Light latin jazz, humid islands, and secure mainstream treatments populate this fully realized collection. Fredette's previous recording, Sings Dave Frishberg and Bob Dorough: Everything I Need (Brownstone, 1999) showed her a versatile and capable interpreter of these two modern vocal composers. 

She carries her amore for Dorough to the opening track of Everything in Time, "Without Rhyme or Reason." Fredette's conversational delivery provides delight, service with a smile and a wink. "I Wish I Knew" sports some nifty horn arrangements, incorporating teases from "If I Were a Bell." Fredette's Brazilian bent reveals itself in Cole Porter's "Dream Dancing" and Jobim's "Vivo Donhando (Dreamer)." Fredette's septet swings effortlessly through these pieces, trumpeter Barry Danielian and the saxophone tag-team of Aaron Heicke and Bob Malach. "Last Night When We Were Young" and "The Way You Look Tonight" provide a stable standards fulcrum to the recital. They are given a relaxed treatment, the latter being played in 3/4 time. Fredette is particularly effective on these seasoned ballads. Her singing is reminiscent of a hip Julie Andrews (think a jazz Sound of Music or Mary Poppins). Everything in Time is a satisfying stroll with a songbird. ~ C.Michael Bailey
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=33198#.UvogdoW2yNA

Personnel: Carol Fredette: vocals; Helio Alves: piano; Dario Eskenazi: piano; Andy Ezrin: piano; David Finck: bass; Leonardo Amuendo: guitar; Adriano Santos: drums; Victor Lewis: drums; Mauro Refosco: percussion; Barry Danielian: trumpet; Aaron Jeicke: saxophone; Bob Malach: saxophone.

Everything in time

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Rossano Sportiello, Eddie Metz & Nicki Parrott - It's a Good Day

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:50
Size: 146,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:45)  1. Theme From "Grumpy Old Men" End Title
(3:57)  2. Pick Yourself Up
(5:16)  3. Quintessence
(3:42)  4. Lavender Blue
(4:27)  5. This Is No Laughing Matter
(3:42)  6. It's a Good Day
(6:04)  7. Don't Love Me
(5:53)  8. Theme From "2nd Movement of the Piano Sonata N. 8 Op. 13"
(5:00)  9. Too Late Now
(7:26) 10. For You, For Me, Forevermore
(4:07) 11. Last Night When We Were Young
(4:39) 12. Invention
(4:47) 13. Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring

There is much to be said for musical simpatico. These trio-mates have it in great abundance in live concert – and on the recording studio, as this newest Arbors CD attests. Their forte is in gems from the Great American Songbook, jazz standards and adding jazz twists to classical music. The latter is a natural fit because of Milan native Rossano Sportiello’s classical piano training and amazing chops in so many styles.

Favorites: the band’s elegant take on Quincy Jones’ ballad "Quintessence,” its romp through “Lavender Blue,” which Burl Ives sang in the 1948 Disney film So Dear to My Heart, Sportiello’s solo take on “This Is No Laughing Matter,” and bassist-singer Nicki Parrott’s warm and vibrant vocal approach to “Pick Yourself Up” and the Peggy Lee classic “It’s a Good Day.” Other treats: the band’s jazz adventures on two classical pieces: Beethoven’s “Piano Sonata” and Bach’s “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring.” Drummer Eddie Metz Jr.’s subtle surprises enhance his solid swing. As evidenced by this project, it is great to see Rachel Dombers carrying on the work of her late husband, Arbors founder Mat Dombers, who passed away in September 2012.   http://kenfrancklingjazznotes.blogspot.com.br/2014/02/cds-of-note-short-takes.html

It's a Good Day

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Hank Jones - Little Girl Blue

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:09
Size: 178,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:35)  1. Now's The Time
(5:42)  2. Little Girl Blue
(8:18)  3. There Is A Small Hotel
(4:35)  4. Odd Number
(3:42)  5. Things Are So Pretty In The Spring
(5:55)  6. My Funny Valentine
(7:15)  7. Moonlight Becomes You
(5:21)  8. Cyrano
(2:45)  9. Blues For Lady Day
(3:16) 10. Have You Met Miss Jones?
(3:20) 11. Gone With The Wind
(3:14) 12. Kankakee Shout
(2:32) 13. How About You?
(4:12) 14. You Don't Know What Love Is
(3:17) 15. It Had To Be You
(3:46) 16. Polka Dots And Moonbeans
(3:25) 17. Mamboisies
(2:54) 18. But Not For Me

The oldest of the three Jones brothers (Hank, Thad and Elvin), Henry “Hank” Jones was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi and grew up in Pontiac, Michigan, where he studied piano at an early age and came under the influence of Earl Hines, Fats Waller, Teddy Wilson and Art Tatum. By the age of 13 Jones was performing locally in Michigan and Ohio. While playing with territory bands in Grand Rapids and Lansing he met Lucky Thompson, who invited him to New York City in 1944 to work at the Onyx Club with Hot Lips Page. In New York, Jones regularly listened to leading bop musicians, and was inspired to master the new style. While practicing and studying the music he worked with John Kirby, Howard McGhee, Coleman Hawkins, Andy Kirk, and Billy Eckstine. In autumn 1947 he began touring in Norman Granz's Jazz at the Philharmonic concerts, and from 1948 to 1953 he was accompanist for Ella Fitzgerald, developing a harmonic facility of extraordinary taste and sophistication. During this period he also made several historically important recordings with Charlie Parker for Norman Granz's labels. After several years as a freelance player, which included engagements with Artie Shaw and Benny Goodman, and recordings with such artists as Lester Young, Milt Jackson, Cannonball Adderley, and Wes Montgomery, in 1959 Jones joined the staff of CBS where he stayed until the staff was disbanded 17 years later. 

With his rare combination of talents as a strong soloist, sensitive accompanist, and adept sight-reader, Jones has always been in great demand for recording sessions of all kinds. By the late 1970s his involvement as pianist and conductor with the Broadway musical Ain't Misbehavin' (based on the music of Fats Waller) had informed a wider audience of his unique qualities as a musician. During the late 1970s and the 1980s Jones continued to record prolifically, as an unaccompanied soloist, in duos with other pianists (including John Lewis and Tommy Flanagan), and with various small ensembles, most notably the Great Jazz Trio. The group took this name in 1976, by which time Jones had already begun working at the Village Vanguard with its original members, Ron Carter and Tony Williams (it was Buster Williams rather than Carter, however, who took part in the trio's first recording session in 1976); by 1980 Jones' sidemen were Eddie Gomez and Al Foster, and in 1982 Jimmy Cobb replaced Foster. The trio has also recorded with other all-star personnel, such as Art Farmer, Benny Golson, and Nancy Wilson. In the early 1980s Jones held a residency as a solo pianist at the Cafe Ziegfeld and made a tour of Japan, where he performed and recorded with George Duvivier and Sonny Stitt.  http://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/musician.php?id=8166#.UvObZrSGeNA

Little Girl Blue

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Pat Metheny - Kin (<—>)

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:16
Size: 162,0 MB
Art: Front

(15:15)  1. On Day One
(11:56)  2. Rise Up
( 2:14)  3. Adagia
(10:14)  4. Sign Of The Season
(11:06)  5. Kin (<—>)
( 7:51)  6. Born
( 0:38)  7. Genealogy
( 5:33)  8. We Go On
( 5:25)  9. Kqu

Strangely enough, the release of Kin (<—>) may be the one that most polarizes longtime fans of guitarist Pat Metheny. There are those who feel that, beginning with 2005's last recording with his then-longstanding Pat Metheny Group, that he'd become too complex, too chops-heavy and too distanced from the accessible music of recordings like Travels (ECM, 1983) and Still Life (Talking) (Nonesuch, 1987). He further distanced himself from a number of his core constituents with Orchestrion (Nonesuch, 2010), and his superb but even more challenging collaboration with John Zorn on Tap, concurrently released on Nonesuch and Zorn's own Tzadik label.  It's true that Metheny writing has become increasingly complex, oftentimes cinematic and episodic long-form compositions incorporating influences ranging from minimalist composer Steve Reich to more idiosyncratic melodic forms distanced from the more singable history of Pat Metheny Group's best and most successful work. 

But if an artist is to grow, he needs to have the freedom to go where his muse takes him, and if the majority of Metheny's work over the past decade has shown anything, it's been a fearless insistence on following that muse, with the hopes that his fans will join him on the journey. Well, it now appears that Pat Metheny Group is dead, long live Pat Metheny Unity Group, an extension of the quartet that he put together in 2012, documented on the excellent Unity Band (Nonesuch, 2013), a record that, with reed multi-instrumentalist Chris Potter onboard alongside bassist Ben Williams and Metheny's drummer of choice since 2002, Antonio Sanchez, it looked like Metheny was heading in a direction that, while not exactly Pat Metheny Group, was closer to it than anything he'd done since The Way Up (Nonesuch, 2005).  Still, from textural and contextual perspectives, this was much more a playing band than the increasingly scripted Pat Metheny Group, and was not averse to lengthy solo excursions when the group hit the road for over 100 live dates in 2012. Unity Group, on the other hand, fleshes the Unity Band out to a quintet with the addition of Giuilio Carmassi perhaps the most diverse multi-instrumentalist with whom Metheny has ever played, clocking in a total of eleven different instruments, ranging from keyboards to reeds, brass to vibraphone, and recorder to whistling. Perhaps most importantly, he also sings, bringing a texture back that has been missing from Metheny's work for nearly a decade.

While the music on Kin (<—>) is closer in spirit to Pat Metheny Group than anything he's written in that time, he's given the band a different name for a reason: Pat Metheny Group simply cannot exist without the participation of longtime keyboardist and co-composer Lyle Mays. That said, for those who've missed the epic compositional work of Pat Metheny Group, this will be the closest they're likely to get, as there's no indication that a reunion with Mays is in the cards. So, how does Kin (<—>) stack up against Pat Metheny Group? Is it even fair to draw comparisons? And is it possible to put hopes for a PMG reunion away and, rather than castigating PMUG for what it isn't, celebrate it for what it is?  The answers? First, Pat Metheny Unity Group is the new Pat Metheny Group; second, comparisons are absolutely fair, but only in the context of an artist who has made it crystal clear that his uncompromised growth as a musician is predicated on where he wants to go, and nothing else; and third, yes, without question, there is plenty to celebrate about Kin (<—>) . Kin (<—>) is, if anything, PMG updated with a different set of players, to be sure (other than, of course, Sanchez, who joined PMG for 2002's Warner Bros. release, Speaking of Now), and with lessons learned by Metheny both compositionally and texturally over the past decade. Artists like Metheny rarely, if ever, stand still after all, and so it's no more reasonable an expectation for Metheny of 2014 to sound like Metheny of 1978, 1989, 1997 or 2005; at the same time, Metheny's voice is so distinctive that, from the very first note, it's instantly recognizable a guitarist often imitated but never copied. And it's not as if Metheny hasn't changed personnel in PMG over the years; only Mays, in fact, dates back to the beginning of the band, and if PMG bassist Steve Rodby is no longer a group member, he remains part of the Metheny team as a co-producer and video director, listed as associated producer on Kin (<—>).  What Unity Group does, with the addition of Carmassi, is expand the palette of Unity Band so that it possesses a similar orchestral potential of PMG. Add to that Metheny's Orchestrionics having reviewed the first Orchestrion album in 2010, it turns out to have been an error to suggest that it was going to be a one-time project, as Metheny has, time and again, worked with a new means of generating sound and, once honed, simply added it to his existing arsenal of acoustic, electric and synth guitars. That now includes a smaller, more road-portable version of the Orchestrion.

But Pat Metheny Unity Group doesn't just rely on significant multi- instrumental contributions from Metheny and Carmassi; It has been years since Potter has been called upon to contribute as many saxophones, clarinets and flutes as he has here (a total of six instruments; live, he will apparently play even more). While Ben Williams proved, on Unity Band, a superb addition on acoustic bass, here he also doubles on electric; and even Sanchez moves away from his kit for a feature on cajón. While Carmassi is an important addition to the group, it should be noted that he's largely in a supporting role; Metheny and Potter remain the primary soloists, with Williams and Sanchez also getting some space. Unity Band demonstrated Metheny's desire to work with a real playing band again, the way PMG was in its earliest days, before it become so reliant on structure that everything, solos included, were predicated on strict definition. Kin (<---->) finds a very happy medium between the expansive writing for which Metheny has become so known with PMG, and the greater improvisational freedom afforded on projects like 80/81 (ECM, 1980), Song X (Nonesuch, 1985)...and Unity Band. With four of Kin (<---->)'s nine tracks clocking in at over ten minutes the opening "On Day One" a full quarter-hour Metheny still explores the growing multiplicity of elements that have been gradually added to his compositional arsenal over the decades. "On Day One" is, perhaps, the best example of this happy medium. Opening with a rubato theme that should challenge any core constituents who suggest Metheny has lost his way with melody, it soon turns to a polyrhythmic mélange of percussion and hand claps, for an irregular-metered theme doubled on guitar and Orchestrion marimba. When Potter enters, the theme takes a rhythmic and melodic twist before returning to its primary motif as Metheny moves into a middle section redolent of Steve Reich's pulses, as a lead-in to a bar-raising first solo from the guitarist that feels more open-ended than '90s-'00s PMG solos as does Potter's, which follows. The impression whether or not it's true is that these are not solos of predefined lengths but, instead, are up to the soloist (and, perhaps, Metheny) to define when it's time to come to a close. And if they are predefined for the recording, the sense remains that they'll be of undetermined duration in performance. "Rise Up" is driven by Metheny's heavily strummed acoustic guitar, reminiscent of older album like As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls (ECM, 1981), but with hand claps and Sanchez's combination of cajón and cymbal washes setting the tone, it turns into another Metheny original possessing unequivocally singable melodies—this time, largely articulated by Potter's soprano, before Metheny joins in for the second time around.

It's hard to know if the problem some longtime fans have is with the extensive soloing, but if that's where Metheny's head is at, he's sure doing it in a way that doesn't neglect his ability to create richly textured compositional contexts and accessible melodies. These are not "head-solo-head" pieces, but epic in the best sense of Metheny's now forty-plus year career. And if Metheny has, in the past decade, seemed more about creating complex pieces that, with their greater number of layers, felt more eminently accessible only revealing their compositional depth on deeper investigation there are a number of pieces on Kin (<—>) which easily hearken back to that approach while still incorporating lessons learned in the ensuing years/decades.

The soulful but electronics-driven "We Go On," with its strong backbeat and poppy melody, could easily be an outtake from We Live Here (Nonesuch, 1994); the brief, through-composed "Adagia" feels like an unreleased track from his Grammy-winning Secret Story (Nonesuch, 1992); while the balladic closer, "KQU," could easily have fit on the 80/81 sessions.

That Metheny is consolidating past efforts, as he enters his sixties, is really nothing new. Are there hints of First Circle (ECM, 1985) or The Way Up to be found on Kin (<—>)? Absolutely. Anyone who has followed his career knows that almost every step Methney has taken forward has also been about bringing along what's come before. Kin (<—>) may not be Pat Metheny Group of old, but with nearly a decade gone by, like it or not, that group is now a thing of the past. Pat Metheny Unity Group is the new PMG, and Kin (<—>) is as strong a statement as could be expected from an artist who has, over the decades, consistently pushed himself into new territories with fresh colors, previously unheard compositional constructs, growing acumen as a guitarist—and new musical partners to help him realize wherever his muse is taking him. ~ John Kelman   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=46249#.UvZC0YW2yNA
 

Personnel: Pat Metheny: electric and acoustic guitars, guitar synth, electronics, Orchestrionics, synths; Chris Potter: tenor saxophone, bass clarinet, soprano saxophone, clarinet, alto flute, bass flute; Antonio Sanchez: drums, cajón; Ben Williams: acoustic and electric basses; Giuilio Carmassi: piano, trumpet, trombone, French horn, cello, vibes, clarinet, flute, recorder, alto saxophone, Wurlitzer, whistling, vocals.

Kin (<—>)

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Tina Ferris - Caught In The Moment

Size: 125,2 MB
Time: 53:28
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Blues Jazz
Art: Front

01. Can't Get Out Of This Mood (2:50)
02. The Very Thought Of You (2:28)
03. Who Will The Next Fool Be (4:28)
04. Tenderly (4:23)
05. The Blues Are Out Of Town (2:56)
06. Serenade In Blue (4:21)
07. Mood Indigo (3:03)
08. Baby, Won't You Please Come Home (3:50)
09. I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good (5:24)
10. What Will I Tell My Heart (4:56)
11. The Nearness Of You (2:19)
12. There's No You (2:44)
13. You Don't Know What Love Is (3:25)
14. The Man I Love (3:33)
15. I Fall To Pieces (2:40)

As a woman in her seventh decade putting together her first CD, I have been asked why now have you decided to record? Since that question will come up again , I will attempt to answer it here. A saying comes to mind when you don't know where you're going every road takes you there. Inner-city Detroit may not have been the ideal place to grow up, but grow up there I did, and there were some benefits to the experience. Detroit was a melting pot in the 50's and great music filled the air. I listened to rhythm and blues, jazz, country and gospel music. I was also influenced by the music of my culture which was Greek. My mother played piano and my aunts Alice and Kiki would sing beautiful Greek love songs. Music was in the air that I breathed and I sometimes would skip a day of school just to stay home an listen to music. When I was sixteen I was supposed to meet with Berry Gordy (Motown mogul) I never went to meet him cause I was too insecure about my abilities as a singer. Later on my friend Don Z who was a disc jockey on late night radio encouraged me to become a singer but I didn't have the confidence to pursue a career at that time either . I married in my mid- twenties, and left for California where I raised my family. I recently got back to doing what I always loved "singing". this CD is the result of some great musicians offering to play for me.

Caught In The Moment

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Neha - The Dreamer

Size: 126,2 MB
Time: 53:38
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Swing
Art: Front

01. The Dreamer (5:04)
02. Whole (5:08)
03. The French Man (4:46)
04. Dreaming In Indigo (3:36)
05. The Darkness (5:27)
06. Breathe In (3:48)
07. Baby Come Home To Me (6:22)
08. On To You (4:25)
09. Some Lovin' (3:28)
10. The Willow Tree (1:53)
11. Dans Ma Rue (4:12)
12. Way Back Then (5:24)

Neha’s music has that nostalgic quality to it, one that will have you feeling like you’re sitting in a Parisian street café sipping a glass of champagne. Her arrangements are thoughtful and complex, and her sumptuous powerhouse of a voice will leave you awed at the 5’2 framed young Indian woman.

The Dreamer, produced by Neha and mastered by award-winning engineer Mark Donahue, is the singer-songwriter’s debut album, arriving as a delicate and fresh surprise, chock-full of lasting impressions. Neha (pronounced NEY-ha) penned eleven of the twelve tunes on her album, demonstrating her prowess as an artful songwriter.

A graduate of Northwestern University with a degree in Economics, Neha spent four years post-college working for the tech giant, Google, Inc in the Bay Area. She penned some of her first tracks from her cubicle, and spent much of her free time hitting the jam sessions and songwriting open mics in San Francisco before quitting to pursue her Masters degree at the prestigious New England Conservatory of Music.

An account of all things reverie, The Dreamer openly explores Neha’s deepest personal thoughts and wants. Songs like “The Dreamer,” and “Way Back Then” explore her desire to go against cultural and social expectations of her, while songs "The Darkness" and "Whole" give us an intimate understanding of who Neha is as a person. Other songs like "The Willow Tree," and "The French Man" play on her innocence and penchant for day dreaming, delivered through charming lyrics and wispy vocal lines.

Backed-up by her exceptionally talented six bandmates whom she met at NEC (Connor Baker - drums, Evan Allen - piano, Dorsey Bass - bass, Bobby Spellman - Trumpet, Katie Seiler - vocals, Rachel Panitch - violin and vocals), The Dreamer is a tenderly crafted record, a definitive smorgasbord of Neha’s life experiences. Rooted in her love affair with jazz, folk, blues, and her mother’s long standing classical Indian musical training, the record results in a gorgeously personal and open account of Neha's life and deepest vulnerabilities, painted in piercing melodies and whimsically crafted arrangements.

"Music is as necessary to me as food or air" says the first generation Indian-American singer-songwriter. "Leaving the life I led in San Francisco [at Google] and starting all over was one of the hardest things I've ever done, but definitely the most gratifying as well. I spent so much of my life dancing around [creativity], wishing I could be part of that community of creating music and art, but never had the courage to follow through. Finally I just realized I owed it to myself to really go for it, head first. Everyone should have the chance to pursue what they've always envisioned for themselves."

Don't miss this singer-songwriter's debut album.

The Dreamer

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Butch Miles & Howard Alden - Soulmates

Styles: Jazz, Swing
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:30
Size: 180,3 MB
Art: Front

(6:52)  1. Lady Be Good
(5:06)  2. Did You Call Her Today
(6:57)  3. The Claw
(4:10)  4. Azalea
(4:26)  5. Them There Eyes
(7:00)  6. I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me
(6:08)  7. Tico Tico
(5:43)  8. Jubilee
(5:03)  9. Barney's Blues
(5:10) 10. What A Little Moonlight Can Do
(6:19) 11. Gone With The Wind
(7:20) 12. Funkallero
(8:10) 13. Tickle Toe

Butch Miles has made relatively few recordings as a leader during his long career, especially when compared to the prolific output of co-leader Howard Alden during the 1980s and 1990s, but this very enjoyable concert in Hamburg's Amerika Haus is available again as a limited-edition reissue, following its initial issue in 1995. Miles clearly knows how to propel a band, having previously served with Count Basie and the Dave Brubeck Quartet while Alden was in the process of becoming one of the most in-demand guitarists of the 1990s because of his effortlessly inventive playing and encyclopedic knowledge of songs. Trumpeter Randy Sandke, tenor saxophonist Harry Allen, and bassist Frank Tate were frequently collaborators with Alden on recording dates or in touring packages of various editions of the George Wein All Stars. The guitarist's wife, Terrie Richards Alden, adds her flirty vocals to a swinging take of "Them There Eyes," coasts along with Tate's tasty bass introduction to "I Can't Believe That You're in Love With Me," and takes a subtle approach to the brisk "What a Little Moonlight Can Do." Although the instrumental repertoire is primarily swing in nature, with imaginative treatments of warhorses like "Lady Be Good" and "Jubilee," they explore less familiar territory such as Duke Ellington's lovely "Azalea" (a delicious Alden-Sandke duet), Barney Kessel's "Barney's Blues" (a feature for the rhythm section alone), and Bill Evans' tricky "Funkallero" (which includes Alden's brief but humorous detour into Raymond Scott's "Powerhouse"). All of the musicians on this highly recommended CD are in top form throughout this memorable concert. ~ Ken Dryden   http://www.allmusic.com/album/soulmates-mw0000059914

Personnel:  Butch Miles - drums; Howard Alden - guitar; Randy Sandke - Trumpet; Harry Allen - tenor sax; Frank Tate - bass; Terrie Richards Alden - vocal

Soulmates

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