Hal Galper, Jerry Bergonzi - Just Us

Styles: Piano And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:08
Size: 147,9 MB
Art: Front

( 5:46)  1. Just Us
(10:37)  2. Unforgettable
(11:02)  3. Moon Glaze
( 8:41)  4. Stablemates
(10:58)  5. Bye Bye Blackbird
( 7:29)  6. Lover Man
( 9:35)  7. I'll Never Be The Same

Jazz pianist, composer, and educator Hal Galper is among the finest post-bop performers, known for his fluid solo performances and work with icons like Chet Baker, Phil Woods, and the Brecker Brothers. An East Coast native, Galper first came to the public's attention playing with Baker's quartet in the mid-'60s before launching his own career with albums like 1972's The Guerilla Band. From there, he played with a string of marquee artists like Lee Konitz, Tom Harrell, and Woods, while also releasing his own largely acoustic piano albums. Since the '80s, he has also contributed to the world of academia, teaching at the New School of Jazz and Contemporary Music and Purchase Conservatory. Galper remains an active performer, balancing his time between teaching, and playing with his trio. Born in Salem, Massachusetts in 1938, Galper first began taking piano lessons at age six. A gifted performer, he entered Berklee School of Music in Boston in 1955, honing his skills by studying with noted pianist and teacher Madame Chaloff. During college, he hit the jazz clubs, playing with such luminaries as Sam Rivers, Herb Pomeroy, and Jaki Byard. He also garnered his own gigs, working as the house pianist at such Boston venues as The Stables, Connelly's, and Lennie's on the Turnpike. 

After graduating, he launched his professional career, touring and recording for three years with iconic trumpeter/vocalist Chet Baker. From there, he also played with such luminaries as Joe Henderson, Cannonball Adderley, and others. By the '70s, he had begun to embrace an expansive soul-jazz and fusion sound, a style he showcased on two 1971 recordings for Mainstream Records; The Guerilla Band and Wild Bird, both of which featured trumpeter Randy Brecker and his brother, saxophonist Michael Brecker. A third Mainstream session, the trio date Inner Journey, followed in 1972 and found Galper returning to a more acoustic sound. He then joined saxophonist Lee Konitz for the straight-ahead duo session Windows. Galper's follow-up as leader, 1976's Reach Out, reunited him with the Brecker Brothers for a fiery and searching post-bop set. Along with several more sessions with the Breckers, he rounded out the '70s with dates on several Enja albums, including Now Hear This with trumpeter Terumasa Hino, and Ivory Forest with guitarist John Scofield. 

The '80s were also a busy time for Galper, who recorded again with Baker. He also worked steadily with Phil Woods for much of the decade, appearing on 14 of the saxophonist's albums. Consequently, his own output slowed somewhat, though he did deliver several highly regarded efforts like 1982's Naturally with bassist Rufus Reid and drummer Victor Lewis, 1986's Dreamsville, and 1987's Time to Remember. After releasing his 1989 trio album Portrait, he decided to return to more regular solo work. Over the next decade, Galper's output increased steadily and he recorded for such labels as Concord, Enja, and Philology with albums like 1992's Tippin', 1995's Rebop, and 1999's Let's Call This That. Along with performing, Galper has worked as an educator he helped found New York's New School of Jazz and Contemporary Music, and taught at Purchase University until 2014. He also authored a highly regarded theory text book, Forward Motion. During these years, he remained active, recording a handful of trio albums including 2007's Agents of Change with bassist Tony Marino and drummer Billy Mintz, 2009's Art-Work with former John Coltrane bandmates bassist Reggie Workman and drummer Rashid Ali, and 2012's Airegin Revisited with bassist Jeff Johnson and drummer John Bishop. In 2018, he delivered Cubist, a quartet date featuring saxophonist Jerry Bergonzi. ~ Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/artist/hal-galper-mn0000550317/biography

Personnel: Piano – Hal Galper;  Tenor Saxophone – Jerry Bergonzi; Bass – Pat O'Leary; Drums – Steve Ellington;

Just Us

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Freddy Cole - Waiter, Ask the Man to Play the Blues

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz 
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:13
Size: 75,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:17)  1. Waiter, Ask The Man To Play The Blues
(2:36)  2. Black Night
(2:36)  3. Rain Is Such A Lonesome Sound
(2:39)  4. Bye Bye Baby
(3:24)  5. Just A Dream
(2:16)  6. Muddy Water Blues
(2:40)  7. Black Coffee
(2:29)  8. The Joke Is On Me
(2:45)  9. I Wonder
(2:22) 10. This Life I'm Living
(3:42) 11. Blues Before Sunrise
(2:23) 12. I'm All Alone

Originally released either in 1956, according to Freddy Cole's official website, or 1964, per the reissue's information, Waiter Ask The Man to Play the Blues: Freddie Cole Sings & Plays Some Lonely Ballads isn't as the title might tempt one to think an exercise in despondent blues and wrist slashing. Actually, it has plenty of tight, low, sizzling bluesy swing. Cab Calloway alumni Milt Hinton and Sam "The Man Taylor (the latter being the instrumental star of the session) are the most notable musicians in the quintet. Cole sings and plays the piano in fine form, Osie Johnson offers smartly played drumming, and Barry Galbraith and Wally Richardson split the guitar duties. The New York recording is a product of its time, with assured long-lasting worth nonetheless. All of the cuts are short and to the point. They do, however, generate interest and radiate musicality. "Muddy Water Blues is a cool, yet engaging percussive piece with a characteristic blues march. Taylor seems eager to jump in until he does exactly that about halfway through with energetic aplomb and swing. This one is a jumping jive that would make an audience clap with abandon. On "I Wonder, Cole sweetens the pot with his tasteful piano playing on a mellow blues, Hinton lays back ever so strong, Taylor seduces with his classic jazzy saxophone tone, and Johnson eats this romantic cooker up. "Black Night and "Rain is Such A Lonesome Sound are similar in scope, extension, and sonic character. On both of these numbers, particularly the second, you'll find yourself marking time with your feet or snapping your fingers to the steady beat. This release is a superb example of urban settled and cosmopolitan blues arousing affection through sheer straightforwardness even when as expected of the blues many of the lyrics are thematically inclined to the loneliest travails of love and life. ~ Javier Aq Ortiz https://www.allaboutjazz.com/waiter-ask-the-man-to-play-the-blues-freddy-cole-verve-music-group-review-by-javier-aq-ortiz.php

Personnel: Piano & vocal: Freddy Cole. Tenor sax: Sam "The Man" Taylor.Bass: Milt Hinton. Drums: Osie Johnson. Guitar: Barry Galbraith & Wally Richardson.

Waiter, Ask the Man to Play the Blues

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Ray Charles - Live In Japan

Styles: Soul, Jazz
Year: 1975
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 89:25
Size: 205,0 MB
Art: Front

( 0:09)  1. Introduction - The Ray Charles Show
( 4:25)  2. Metamorphosis
( 5:56)  3. Pair Of Threes
( 6:28)  4. Spain
( 3:37)  5. Blowin' The Blues Away
( 0:30)  6. Introduction - Ray Charles
( 2:48)  7. Let The Good Times Roll
( 4:05)  8. Then I'll Be Home
( 5:43)  9. Till There Was You
(10:00) 10. Feel So Bad
( 5:29) 11. Georgia On My Mind
( 2:17) 12. Busted
( 6:58) 13. Am I Blue
( 8:06) 14. Living For The City
( 3:14) 15. I Can't Stop Loving You
( 4:27) 16. Take Me Home, Country Road
( 4:26) 17. Don't Let Her Know
(10:39) 18. What'd I Say

Ray Charles was the musician most responsible for developing soul music. Singers like Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson also did a great deal to pioneer the form, but Charles did even more to devise a new form of black pop by merging '50s R&B with gospel-powered vocals, adding plenty of flavor from contemporary jazz, blues, and (in the '60s) country. Then there was his singing; his style was among the most emotional and easily identifiable of any 20th century performer, up there with the likes of Elvis and Billie Holiday. He was also a superb keyboard player, arranger, and bandleader. The brilliance of his 1950s and '60s work, however, can't obscure the fact that he made few classic tracks after the mid-'60s, though he recorded often and performed until the year before his death. Blind since the age of six (from glaucoma), Charles studied composition and learned many instruments at the St. Augustine School for the Deaf and the Blind. His parents had died by his early teens, and he worked as a musician in Florida for a while before using his savings to move to Seattle in 1947. By the late '40s, he was recording in a smooth pop/R&B style derivative of Nat "King" Cole and Charles Brown. He got his first Top Ten R&B hit with "Baby, Let Me Hold Your Hand" in 1951. Charles' first recordings came in for their fair share of criticism, as they were much milder and less original than the classics that would follow, although they're actually fairly enjoyable, showing strong hints of the skills that were to flower in a few years. In the early '50s, Charles' sound started to toughen as he toured with Lowell Fulson, went to New Orleans to work with Guitar Slim (playing piano on and arranging Slim's huge R&B hit, "The Things That I Used to Do"), and got a band together for R&B star Ruth Brown. It was at Atlantic Records that Ray Charles truly found his voice, consolidating the gains of recent years and then some with "I Got a Woman," a number-two R&B hit in 1955. 

This is the song most frequently singled out as his pivotal performance, on which Charles first truly let go with his unmistakable gospel-ish moan, backed by a tight, bouncy horn-driven arrangement. Throughout the '50s, Charles ran off a series of R&B hits that, although they weren't called "soul" at the time, did a lot to pave the way for soul by presenting a form of R&B that was sophisticated without sacrificing any emotional grit. "This Little Girl of Mine," "Drown in My Own Tears," "Hallelujah I Love Her So," "Lonely Avenue," and "The Right Time" were all big hits. But Charles didn't really capture the pop audience until "What'd I Say," which caught the fervor of the church with its pleading vocals, as well as the spirit of rock & roll with its classic electric piano line. It was his first Top Ten pop hit, and one of his final Atlantic singles, as he left the label at the end of the '50s for ABC. One of the chief attractions of the ABC deal for Charles was a much greater degree of artistic control of his recordings. He put it to good use on early-'60s hits like "Unchain My Heart" and "Hit the Road Jack," which solidified his pop stardom with only a modicum of polish attached to the R&B he had perfected at Atlantic. In 1962, he surprised the pop world by turning his attention to country & western music, topping the charts with the "I Can't Stop Loving You" single, and making a hugely popular album (in an era in which R&B/soul LPs rarely scored high on the charts) with Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music. Perhaps it shouldn't have been so surprising; Charles had always been eclectic, recording quite a bit of straight jazz at Atlantic, with noted jazz musicians like David "Fathead" Newman and Milt Jackson. Charles remained extremely popular through the mid-'60s, scoring big hits like "Busted," "You Are My Sunshine," "Take These Chains From My Heart," and "Crying Time," although his momentum was slowed by a 1965 bust for heroin. This led to a year-long absence from performing, but he picked up where he left off with "Let's Go Get Stoned" in 1966. Yet by this time Charles was focusing increasingly less on rock and soul, in favor of pop tunes, often with string arrangements, that seemed aimed more at the easy listening audience than anyone else. 

Charles' influence on the rock mainstream was as apparent as ever; Joe Cocker and Steve Winwood in particular owe a great deal of their style to him, and echoes of his phrasing can be heard more subtly in the work of greats like Van Morrison. One approaches sweeping criticism of Charles with hesitation; he was an American institution, after all, and his vocal powers barely diminished over his half-century career. The fact remains, though, that his work after the late '60s on record was very disappointing. Millions of listeners yearned for a return to the all-out soul of his 1955-1965 classics, but Charles had actually never been committed to soul above all else. Like Aretha Franklin and Elvis Presley, his focus was more upon all-around pop than many realize; his love of jazz, country, and pop standards was evident, even if his more earthy offerings were the ones that truly broke ground and will stand the test of time. He dented the charts (sometimes the country ones) occasionally, and commanded devoted international concert audiences whenever he felt like it. For good or ill, he ensured his imprint upon the American mass consciousness in the 1990s by singing several ads for Diet Pepsi. He also recorded three albums during the '90s for Warner Bros., but remained most popular as a concert draw. In 2002, he released Thanks for Bringing Love Around Again on his own Crossover imprint, and the following year began recording an album of duets featuring B.B. King, Willie Nelson, Michael McDonald, and James Taylor. After hip replacement surgery in 2003, he scheduled a tour for the following summer, but was forced to cancel an appearance in March 2004. Three months later, on June 10, 2004, Ray Charles succumbed to liver disease at his home in Beverly Hills, CA. The duets album, Genius Loves Company, was released two months after his death. The biopic Ray hit screens in the fall of 2010 and was a critical and commercial success, with the actor who portrayed Charles in the move, Jamie Foxx, winning the 2005 Academy Award for Best Actor for his role. Two more posthumous albums, Genius & Friends and Ray Sings, Basie Swings, appeared in 2005 and 2006 respectively. Charles' recordings began reappearing in various facsimile editions, reissues, re-masters, and box sets as his entire recorded legacy received the attention that befits a legendary American artist. ~ Richie Unterberger https://www.allmusic.com/artist/ray-charles-mn0000046861/biography

Musicians: Reggie Walsh, Bob Coassin, Johnny Coles (flugel), Jack Evans – trumpets; Steve Davis, Wally Huff, Ken Tussing – trombones;  Ed Pratt, Clifford Solomon – alto saxophones; James Clay, Andy Ennis – tenor saxophones; Leroy  Cooper – baritone saxophone; Scott von Ravensberg – drums; Tony Matthews – guitar; Edgar Willis – bass; Ernest Vantrease – organ. The Raelettes: Linda Sims, Dorothy Berry, Estella Yarbrough. Bernice Hullaby, Donna [Jones].

Thank You Luis!

Live In Japan

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Billy Vaughn - A Strauss Waltz Concert

Styles: Easy Listening
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:11
Size: 73,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:30)  1. Blue Danube
(2:18)  2. Voices Of Spring
(2:57)  3. Tales fromThe Vienna Woods
(2:48)  4. Southern Roses
(2:18)  5. Kiss Waltz
(3:12)  6. Wine,Women And Song
(2:34)  7. Artist's Life
(2:37)  8. Vienna Life
(2:22)  9. Du Und Du
(2:47) 10. Treasure Waltz
(2:23) 11. A Thousand And One Night
(2:20) 12. Emperor Waltz

Billy Vaughn was one of the most popular orchestra leaders and pop music arrangers of the '50s and early '60s. In fact, he had more pop hits than any other orchestra leader during the rock & roll era. Vaughn was also the musical director for many of the hitmakers on Dot Records, including Pat Boone, the Fontane Sisters, and Gale Storm. As a pop music arranger, he was most distinctive for his his clean, inoffensive mainstream adaptations of rock & roll and R&B hits. Vaughn was also a recording artist, and he cut a number of albums of easy listening instrumental music that were very popular throughout the '60s. Vaughn began his professional music career in 1952, forming the vocal quartet the Hilltoppers with Don McGuire, Jimmy Sacca, and Seymour Speigelman. From 1952 to 1957, the Hilltoppers had numerous hit singles, beginning with Vaughn's song "Trying." He left the group in 1955 to join Dot Records as a musical director. Vaughn was responsible for most of Dot's biggest hits of the '50s as he rearranged popular rock & roll and R&B songs for white mainstream groups. His first success was with the Fontane Sisters, who sang with his orchestra on all their singles, including their 1954 breakthrough hit "Hearts of Stone." However, Dot's biggest success was Pat Boone, who had a series of hits with Vaughn's cleaned-up arrangements of rock & roll songs. At the same time he was leading the vocal pop division of Dot, Vaughn was recording his own instrumental records, which frequently were also covers of R&B and country songs. Beginning with 1954's "Melody of Love," Vaughn had a string of easy listening U.S. hit singles that ran for over a decade. He also recorded numerous hit albums, with 36 of his records entering the U.S. album charts between 1958 and 1970. Though he was the most successful orchestra leader of the rock & roll era, he wasn't able to sustain an audience in the late '60s. Vaughn released several albums in the '70s before quietly retiring in the early '80s. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine https://www.allmusic.com/artist/billy-vaughn-mn0000768844/biography

A Strauss Waltz Concert

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Steve Hobbs - Spring Cycle

Styles: Vibraphone Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:43
Size: 146,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:27)  1. Blued Swings
(8:22)  2. Spring Cycle
(6:08)  3. Rough And Ready
(6:35)  4. Para Mis Padres
(5:41)  5. On The Street Where You Live
(5:34)  6. Jean
(5:01)  7. Mr. P.C.
(8:28)  8. Loon Lake
(5:52)  9. Crosswinds
(5:31) 10. Marionettes

Who says universities create an ivory tower mentality? Educator and vibes master Steve Hobbs has put out a delectably enjoyable CD of accessible, yet thought-provoking music. Employing a front line of Tom Harrell (trumpet, flugelhorn), Dave Valentin (flute), and Bob Malach (tenor), his lighter than air thematic statements serve as a perfect foil to the percussive underpinnings of Hobbs and pianist Bill O'Connell. All of Hobbs' compositions are catchy, memorable, and thoroughly enjoyable. The modal "Blued Swings," with its sophisticated interplay between Valentin and Harrell, is breezy. The lithe and lively melody line of "Spring Cycle" will stay in your mind long after the CD is over. Ditto for "Para Mis Padres," with its lovely and breathy flute melody. The originals by O'Connell are just as well crafted, coherently weaving in the solos as if they were part of the composition. The driving "Crosswinds," strutting "Marionettes," and rhythm-shifting "Loon Lake" all fit into the mainstream category, with excellently defined solos provided by Harrell and Malach. The only potential indulgence regarding this record relates to the listener, who may want to put it on over and over. ~ George Harris https://www.allaboutjazz.com/spring-cycle-steve-hobbs-random-chance-records-review-by-george-harris.php

Personnel: Steve Hobbs: vibraphone; Tom Harrell: trumpet, flugelhorn; Bob Malach: tenor saxophone; Dave Valentin: flute; Bill O'Connell: piano; Peter Washington: bass; John Riley: drums; Steve Berrios: percussion.

Spring Cycle

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Jeanne Lee & Ran Blake - The Newest Sound Around

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:50
Size: 121,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:08)  1. Laura
(4:44)  2. Blue Monk
(3:10)  3. Church on Russell Street
(4:14)  4. Where Flamingos Fly
(2:30)  5. Season in the Sun
(4:33)  6. Summertime
(5:09)  7. Lover Man
(3:04)  8. Evil Blues
(2:40)  9. Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child
(4:50) 10. When Sunny Gets Blue
(1:17) 11. Love Isn't Everything
(3:14) 12. Vanguard
(2:52) 13. Left Alone
(2:06) 14. He's Got The Whole World In His Hands
(3:11) 15. Straight Ahead

"Third stream" may have been the bandied term, but this unjustly ignored 1962 duet set, the debut for pianist Blake and singer Lee, who worked up their act while studying at Bard College, plays blissfully free of the lumbering lugubriousness and Big Mac-thick philosophizing that mar so much of that music. The eeriness, the mystery, and the sweetness lie always in the deceptive simplicity, never more so than on the opener, "Laura," sketched by Johnny Mercer as a hazy image of loveliness, always out of reach and perhaps not even real, and she flickers in and out of existence with the strike and fade of Blake's figures, the attack and decay of Lee's intonation, now husky, now fruity, but as exacting as Miles Davis' muted trumpet. "Church on Russell Street" is Blake's alone, a gospel show for solo piano late at night, or early in the morning, when everyone but the pianist and maybe the Lord has gone home. "Where Flamingos Fly," from which Van Morrison peeled a few leaves years later, finds Lee a mournful anti-siren, losing her lover and a few members of the animal kingdom to an island that may be Aruba, Iceland, or even Alcatraz; Blake tests single notes like water drops, rumbles chords for incoming tide, stabs boldly at the not quite in tune top octave on his keyboard. "Season in the Sun" (nowhere near Terry Jacks) injects levity with bassist George Duvivier sitting in (as he does on "Evil Blues," the second dash of comic relief) and Lee dryly, slyly insinuating the brevity of her bikini. "If there's going to be an enduring 'new wave' in jazz styling...this voice, this piano may well be the beginning," reads an uncredited blurb on the cover. The record started no revolution, probably because no other two performers had such chemistry or such a distinctive reaction. As jazz styling, though, it endures unsurprisingly. You hear the set in less than one hour (four CD-only bonus tracks included). You spend decades wandering inside the sound, as you might inside a sonic Stonehenge, savoring each new vantage point discovered, and the impossibility of discovering them all.~ Andrew Hamlin https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-newest-sound-around-mw0000529734
 

Personnel: Jeanne Lee: vocals; Ran Blake: piano

The Newest Sound Around

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Jack Jezzro - Brazilian Nights

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:33
Size: 119,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:58)  1. Brazilian Nights
(2:55)  2. Fiesta Español
(4:12)  3. Señor Samba
(4:30)  4. Leblon
(5:43)  5. Paquetá, Isle of Love
(4:25)  6. Café Calypso
(4:07)  7. Latin Storm
(5:01)  8. Miranda
(3:50)  9. The Road to Ponta Porã
(3:59) 10. Ladrón de Corazon
(5:00) 11. The Beach at Ipanema
(3:48) 12. Midnight in Rio

With a title that espouses truth in advertising, guitarist Jack Jezzro has put together a concept album of suave Brazilian music for small ensemble. With his acoustic nylon string model capturing the essence, Jezzro’s program sways with the tropical breeze and basks in the serene Latin moonlight. With complementary interludes from piano, flute and flugelhorn, the guitarist surrounds his features with lively rhythm accompaniment. Citing Earl Klugh, Pat Metheny and Lee Ritenour as three of his more prominent influences, the guitarist provides clear fingerstyle articulation that forms lovely melodies. A native of West Virginia and a graduate of the Eastman School of Music, Jezzro has settled in Nashville, Tennessee to take on the challenge of exploring good music through a variety of styles. On Brazilian Nights Jezzro moves comfortably through his compositions with a genuine feel for the scene and a thorough grasp of the whole package. ~ Jim Santella https://www.allaboutjazz.com/brazilian-nights-jack-jezzro-green-hill-review-by-jim-santella.php

Personnel: Jack Jezzro- guitar; Pat Coil- piano, keyboards; Craig Nelson- acoustic and electric bass; Eric Darken, Glen Caruba- percussion; George Tidwell- flugelhorn on "Paquet

Brazilian Nights

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Hubert Laws - Romeo & Juliet

Styles: Flute Jazz
Year: 1976
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:50
Size: 87,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:12)  1. Undecided
(8:19)  2. Tryin' to Get the Feeling Again
(4:13)  3. Forlane
(7:43)  4. Romeo & Juliet
(5:36)  5. What Are We Gonna Do?
(5:45)  6. Guatemala Connection

Forget the Shakespearean reference in the title which might make you think the whole album's got a Renaissance bent because the album's a nice bit of funky flute jazz from Hubert Laws, done with the same groovy vibe as some of his earlier albums for the CTI label! The set was produced by Bob James, and has lots of strong James touches from the sweet work on Fender Rhodes and clavinet that works nicely with the flute on most tracks, to the full group rhythms that make the best tracks into nice smooth groovers! A few tunes get more introspective, in Hubert's Afro-Classic mode and titles include "Guatemala Connection", "What Are We Gonna Do", "Undecided", "Forlane", and "Tryin To Get The Feelin Again". 
© 1996-2019, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/856880/Hubert-Laws:Romeo-Juliet

Personnel:  Hubert Laws - Flute; Bob James - Fender Rhodes, Clavinet, Keyboards; Eric Gale, Richie Resnicoff, Barry Finnerty, Steve Khan - Guitar; Gary King - Bass; Andy Newmark, Steve Gadd - Drums; Ralph MacDonald - Percussion; Mark Gray - Clavinet, Keyboards; Alan Rubin, Randy Brecker, Jon Faddis, Marvin Stamm, Bernie Glow - Trumpet, Flugelhorn; Allen Ralph, David Taylor, Wayne Andre - Trombone; George Marge, David Sanborn, Howard Johnson, Phil Bodner, Jerry Dodgion, Harvey Estrin - Woodwinds; David Nadien - Concertmaster; Alan Schulman, Alfred Brown, Barry Sinclair, Charles McCracken, Emanuel Green, Emanuel Vardi, Guy Lumia, Harold Kohon, Harry Cykman, Harry Lookofsky, Matthew Raimondi, Max Ellen, Max Pollikoff, Paul Gershman, Seymour Barab - Strings; Denise Wigfall, Kenneth Coles, Robin Wilson, Shirley Thompson, Stanley Stroman - Vocals

Romeo & Juliet

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Blue Mitchell - Down With It

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:36
Size: 95,8 MB
Art: Front

(8:23)  1. Hi-Heel Sneakers
(5:41)  2. Perception
(7:45)  3. Alone, Alone And Alone
(6:16)  4. March On Selma
(7:30)  5. One Shirt
(5:59)  6. Samba De Stacy

Down With It is a fairly standard bop and soul-jazz session from Blue Mitchell. Leading a quintet that features a young Chick Corea on piano, tenor saxophonist Junior Cook, bassist Gene Taylor, and drummer Al Foster, Mitchell creates a laid-back atmosphere which makes R&B covers like "Hi-Heel Sneakers" or the lite bossa nova of "Samba De Stacy" roll along nicely. Just as often, the record is so relaxed that it fails to generate much spark, but each the soloists have fine moments that makes the session worthwhile for jazz purists. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine https://www.allmusic.com/album/down-with-it%21-mw0000091737

Personnel:  Blue Mitchell – trumpet; Junior Cook – tenor saxophone; Chick Corea – piano; Gene Taylor – bass; Al Foster – drums

Down With It

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Dick Sisto - End of Time

Styles: Vibraphone Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:58
Size: 124,8 MB
Art: Front

( 8:08)  1. End of Time
( 5:52)  2. Rhythm Thing
( 6:33)  3. You Must Believe in Spring
( 7:57)  4. Two Five City
(10:25)  5. Nature Boy
( 6:00)  6. Nobody Else but Me
( 5:42)  7. Insider
( 3:18)  8. Back to Nature

Vibraphonist Dick Sisto's follow up to his earlier independently produced CD, American Love Song, is worth seeking. He's backed by a strong rhythm section, including pianist Kenny Werner, bassist Drew Gress, and either Steve Davis or Barry Ries on drums. His "End of Time" was written for the funeral of a good friend, but there's nothing maudlin about the tune; it is a driving yet reflective number. "Rhythm Thing" is another fine original by the leader, an uptempo bop chart that features Barry Ries on flügelhorn; Sisto also composed "Two Five City," a strutting hard bop vehicle. 

His interpretations of standards are also inspired. "You Must Believe in Spring" is played with a samba feeling, "Nature Boy" has a more exotic air than usual due to Sisto's use of a talking drum in addition to vibes. Ries also plays talking drum on several selections, including his composition "Insider," which has a captivating theme that is hard to predict. The closer, "Back to Nature," is a group improvisation by Sisto, Werner, and Ries that moves easily into free jazz. ~ Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/end-of-time-mw0000006131

Personnel:  Dick Sisto - Vibraphone; Barry Ries - Trumpet/Flugelhorn; Kenny Werner - Piano; Drew Gress - Bass; Steve Davis - Drums

End of Time

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Sandy Cressman - Entre Amigos

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:53
Size: 124,4 MB
Art: Front

(7:00) 1. Como Eu Quero Cantar (I Just Want to Sing..)
(5:09)  2. Here in Your Arms
(4:40)  3. Não Me Acorde Não (Don't Wake Me)
(5:04)  4. Ela É (She is)
(5:25)  5. Eu Mais Você (Me Plus You)
(6:32)  6. Para Hermeto (For Hermeto)
(5:29)  7. Nossa História (Our Story)
(5:45)  8. Deixa O Amor Florescer (Let Love Flourish)
(4:34)  9. Menina Vai (Go Girl!)
(4:10) 10. Eu Vou Lembrar (I Will Remember)

While many an American jazz singer flirts with the Brazilian Songbook, San Francisco vocalist Sandy Cressman made a name for herself as a true devotee of Brazil s greatest contemporary composers, interpreting songs by post-bossa masters like Milton Nascimento, Hermeto Pascoal, Gilberto Gil, and Filó Machado in Rio-accented Portuguese. The friendships forged with Brazilian and Brazilophile musicians during her musical travels course through her captivating new album Entre Amigos, a project that marks a major new chapter for Cressman as a tunesmith. Entre Amigos features a gorgeous array of new songs created with an impressive cast of collaborators, including the celebrated Pernambuco frevo composer/bandleader Spok, pianist/composer Jovino Santos Neto, and pianist Antonio Adolfo, rising Brazilian-American guitarist Ian Faquini, a Brazilian jazz master who got his start at the center of Rio s early 1960s bossa nova scene. The CD features such notable musicians as drummers Dennis Chambers and Celso Alberti, guitarist Ray Obiedo, and horn players Harvey Wainapel, Jeff Cressman, Natalie Cressman and Eduardo Neves.

A Brazilian experience that is sure to touch the heart and soul of all jazz fans. Sandy Cressman delivers vocals that are filled with story telling passion laced with a personal touch. Sandy performs this wondrous ballad filled CD in the poetic language of Portuguese. One need not understand the words to appreciate these emotion inspired songs. Sandy's voice is crisp, sultry and expressive, with a tone similar to the great Latin vocalist, Gloria Estefan. Sandy's star stunning vocals are also supported by an all-star cast of jazz musicians. Each song composed with a lively Brazilian flare that will wake up the tired soul of jazz fans all over the world looking for something special to add to their collection. Sandy Cressman has become one of my favorite female vocalist and I'm sure she will impress you as well. Enjoy this one for years to come! ~Jazz Review

Cressman pours out her love, sometimes to excess, for the delightfully sensuous and melodious Brazilian lyrics in all her renditions. ~ San Francisco Examiner, Phillip Elwood

...Here, then, is a nest of true chirps (bop term for female singer), ladies who aver, it would seem, that without a song the day wouldn't even begin, let alone never end. ~ Downbeat, Zan Stewart https://www.amazon.com/Entre-Amigos-Sandy-Cressman/dp/B01MYBC4MA

Entre Amigos

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Darren Barrett - Deelings

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:54
Size: 134,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:47)  1. Creative Locomotion
(6:25)  2. Her Gentle Way
(6:45)  3. Eirlav
(4:06)  4. There Will Never Be Anouther You
(9:49)  5. C Minor Joint
(8:32)  6. Middle East
(7:27)  7. I'm Glad There Is You
(6:37)  8. I Sent the Fax
(2:23)  9. Dee's Theme

You don't have to be signed to Blue Note to embrace a Blue Note type of sound. Take Darren Barrett, for example. Deelings, the trumpeter's second album as a leader, was recorded for the Cincinnati-based J Curve label, not Blue Note. But it is impossible to listen to this post-bop/hard bop CD without thinking of the Blue Note sound of the late '50s and '60s. The writing has a strong Jazz Messengers influence, and Barrett's brassy, big-toned trumpet playing recalls such Clifford Brown-influenced Blue Note trumpeters as Freddie Hubbard and Lee Morgan. The strong Blue Note influence isn't all that surprising when you consider that Deelings was produced by Donald Byrd, who also recorded for Blue Note and was, like Hubbard and Morgan, a Jazz Messenger with a Brown-minded sound. Deelings is hardly groundbreaking, but while Barrett isn't the most original player in the world, the "Young Lion" deserves credit for playing as soulfully as he does. Obviously, the recordings of Brown, Hubbard, and Morgan have made him realize that feeling should be as important to an improviser as technique. Barrett also deserves credit for doing most of the writing himself; the only overdone standards that he embraces on this CD are "I'm Glad There Is You" and "There Will Never Be Another You." The latter has been heard countless times as a high-speed barnburner, but Barrett approaches it as a ballad. Deelings isn't a masterpiece, but it's an enjoyable, if derivative, example of how influential the classic Blue Note sound continues to be. 

~ Alex Henderson https://www.allmusic.com/album/deelings-mw0000587156

Personnel: Darren Barrett- trumpet; Jimmy Greene- tenor saxophone; Aaron Goldberg- piano; Reuben Rogers- bass; John Lankin- drums.

Deelings

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Dave Holland - Drum-a-Bye Baby

Styles: Vocal, Post Bop
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:27
Size: 153,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:00)  1. Rhythm of the Night
(6:02)  2. Slumbertown
(5:34)  3. A' Noite
(5:00)  4. Bein' a Kid
(5:00)  5. In You an Angel (feat. David LaMotte)
(5:27)  6. Kalimba Bimba
(4:43)  7. Kojo Rockabye
(6:06)  8. Waltzin' in the Milky Way
(3:13)  9. Soft Stone
(5:26) 10. Dreamin' Switch (feat. Elise Witt)
(5:30) 11. La La Lullaby
(4:38) 12. When Carpets Fly
(5:41) 13. Counting Drums (Better Than Counting Sheep)

Created with all drums/percussion and vocals, Drum-A-Bye Baby features world music style instrumentals and new, original songs inspired by Dave’s own personal experiences with his daughter. Each track is inspired by a different world music genre and over 100 instruments from around the world are featured on the project. While Dave's gentle vocals are featured on many of the tracks, he also calls on a couple of folk singer-songwriter notables, Elise Witt & David LaMotte, to lend their talents to the mix. With the addition of lush background vocals ( by Megan Weatherford & Jonathan Payne) skillful producing (by Jonathan Payne) and Dave's creative compositions, Drum-A-Bye Baby promises to be a collection of songs your family will enjoy, time and time again. https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/drumabyebaby

Drum-a-Bye Baby

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Billy Vaughn - Blue Hawaii

Styles: Easy Listening 
Year: 1959
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:43
Size: 76,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:02)  1. Blue Hawaii
(2:22)  2. Hawaiian Paradise
(2:05)  3. Little Brown Gal
(2:43)  4. My Isle Of Golden Dreams
(2:41)  5. Hawaiian Wedding Song
(2:34)  6. Sweet Leilani
(2:38)  7. Cocoanut Grove
(2:22)  8. Trade Winds
(3:01)  9. Beyond The Reef
(2:10) 10. My Little Grass Shack
(2:11) 11. Song Of The Islands
(1:49) 12. Hawaiian War Chant
(1:52) 13. Hawaiian Sunset
(2:07) 14. Aloha Oe

Ukulele player, arranger and conductor Billy Vaughn (1919–1991) wanted to deliver an Exotica album in 1959 on Dot Records without neglecting his beloved Country style, that's the basic premise which, naturally, is poeticized and transfigured in the liner notes. The result is called Blue Hawaii and delivers the schmaltziest horn sections you can possibly find on any Exotica-related vintage LP of the 50's or 60's. There are good reasons to link this work to the Exotica canon, and at the same time, there are strong counter-arguments which repudiate just that. I am willed to put it near the genre for reasons you're going to find out during the review. Let's just say for now that Billy Vaughn failed miserably in virtually all regards. Of course, the liner notes try to lure the listener with colorful sentences, but they taste all the more sour and bitter once he or she accomplished to wade through the whole album. Without any further quibble of mine, I'll dive deeper into the whopping amount of fourteen compositions below, but close this opening paragraph with a section off the liner notes and ask you to keep it in mind: "How enchanting to mainlanders is the vision of Hawaii, where caressing tradewinds flow gently across palm-shaded lawns, sunbathers bask dreamily on the sands of Waikiki, and the surf murmurs softly and rhythmically!" 

The album launches with the titular Blue Hawaii, the composition of Leo Robin and Ralph Rainger that was made world-famous by Bing Crosby in 1937. Vaughn's interpretation sounds like it was delivered by Werner Müller, as it has the typical German feel to it: silky polyphonous horns, accompanying bass tubas, further brazen big band sections and the occasional complemental piano chords. And this very formula is maintained throughout the album, with only a few alterations. Harry Owens' Hawaiian Paradise adds a crunchy guitar and a sun-soaked ukulele to its double bass-backed brass extravaganza, bringing the prototypical Hawaiian feeling to the table for the first time, and Don McDiarmid's and Lee Wood's Little Brown Girl enhances the formula with a Dixieland-like setup and a humming mixed choir; the best things are the cool guitar backings and the intermixed piano, but that's about it. The Hawaiian feeling is nil. Walter Blaufuss' My Isle Of Golden Dreams is so disgusting that it is actually great. Rarely do I use such harsh words in my reviews – here's a reminder of My 5 Golden Rules but Vaughn's try is nothing short of a joke: piles of horns paint a German alpine vista, and even if Billy Vaughn plucks along with his ukulele to the aah-aahing choir, there is not even a glimpse of a successful synergy perceptible. It's getting better, though! Charles E. King's Hawaiian Wedding Song is presented flawlessly here, with lots of dreamy steel guitar twangs, ukulele licks and a cornily humming choir that actually augments the clichéd reverie. The trumpets and muted trombones are still on here, but much reduced and less important. The only great song out of seven on side A, for Harry Owens’ second featured song, Sweet Leilani of 1934, boosts the saccharine levels of the horns to hazardous proportions and makes things worse due to the mellow cymbals and piercing horns, with only the final vibraphone-esque note leaving a good impression. And don't get me started on the final piece of side A, John Sebastian's auspicious Cocoanut Grove which hides its wonderful guitar base frame and ukulele skeleton under one too many brass instruments and a spectral choir. Only the middle section puts the guitars to the forefront. 

Side B offers more of the same, I'm afraid: Trade Winds is germanized with too much trumpets, but beneath their surface glint wonderful vibraphone droplets which are then coupled with a cool steel guitar. Listening to both of them in adjacency to the choir and the trumpets makes me all the more sad, as the potential of Trade Winds is completely gone. Billy Vaughn's take on Jack Pitman's Beyond The Reef, however, is actually quite good! The dreaminess is expanded with the wondrously warped twangs of steel guitars, the plasticity of the ukuleles, mild double bass lines and the humming choir. The horns are surprisingly fitting this time, making this the best track of side B. Tommy Harrison's and Johnny Noble's My Little Grass Shack is yet another good outing due to its iridescent vibraphones, Honky Tonk pianos and the theremin-like steel guitar goodness, expanding the instrumental pool to great success. The humming choir is brought back, and its inclusion isn't embarrassing at all, but somehow fits into the scenery in a weirdly twisted way. Good work, I say! The second featured tune by Charles E. King is next, Song Of The Islands written in 1930. It's a highly ephemeral brass song with a syrupy Schlager euphony that is still so totally out of place that it remains astonishing to me even after 11 tracks, with three more to follow: the traditional Hawaiian War Chant meshes lackluster, pale drums with the well-known bad joke of swinging Folk music. The woeful blueprint is wearing cumbersome on this point, but thank the tiki gods for the looming end of this LP, as the penultimate Hawaiian Sunset ends the brass panopticon with gleaming vibraphones, the melting schmaltz of the choir and the despised horns. The final piece is… well…? Aloha Oe, of course. The main melody is played on two trumpets, with added tremolo ornaments that make things worse. The choir is breathing the last aahs, as Billy Vaughn says good-bye with the help of spiraling piano sprinkles and an actually great steel guitar dreaminess. It's over! Seriously, if there is one record that destroys and trashes the characteristic traits of brass instruments, it's Billy Vaughn's Blue Hawaii. And don't you tell me that this isn't a proper Exotica record! 

I mean, you're right, but the promises, release date, cover artwork, delivered material and used instruments evoke anything but an Exotica outing. But no, Vaughn destroys the good mood, phantasmagoria and mirage of each and every track on there. Even the briefly mentioned Werner Müller doesn't inject such an overly gargantuan dose of German mannerisms and Folk styles. The vibraphones, ukuleles, steel guitars and pianos don't have a single chance to fight or actually declare victory over the horn heaviness. The humming choir is an audacity, as are the poorly revved up drums on Hawaiian War Chant which sound just the least bit more powerful than on all the other included tracks. Translation: yawn! If there are people out there who are fond of this work and actually shake their head in disdain because of the harshness in this review, please take my sincere apologies, but I do believe that Billy Vaughn tried to cash in on the Exotica craze by aiming at certain audio-visual triggers and then negating them once the record is spinning. The liner notes are a frivolity: "a swaying couple can suddenly imagine themselves beneath a starry sky, with moonlight silhouetting Diamond Head and touching the restless sea with silver." Come on, not with Billy Vaughn's Blue Hawaii, that is not possible. Well, that is all I have to say about this bad Exotica/Folk/Country concoction. The best song of side A is the Hawaiian Wedding Song, and side B delivers a trace of greatness due to the dreaminess of Beyond The Reef, with My Little Grass Shack reaching a close second place. Avoid the album, even if you already own it. I inherited it, but yeah, I admit that this is a lame excuse. http://www.ambientexotica.com/exorev123_billyvaughn_bh/

Credits: Orchestra – Billy Vaughn And His Orchestra

Blue Hawaii

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Paul Desmond & Jim Hall - Bossa Antigua

Styles: Saxophone And Guitar Jazz
Year: 1964
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:27
Size: 137,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:47)  1. Bossa Antigua
(5:07)  2. Night Has A Thousand Eyes
(4:37)  3. O Gato
(5:41)  4. Samba Cantina
(4:34)  5. Curação Doloroso
(6:22)  6. Ship Without A Sail
(4:33)  7. Aliança
(6:17)  8. Girl From East 9th Street
(7:21)  9. Night Has A Thousand Eyes (alt tk)
(5:09) 10. Samba Cepeda
(4:54) 11. O Gato (alt tk)

Bossa Antigua picks up the samba-based rim shots of drummer Connie Kay on Take Ten and tries to make a whole new record out of them. While the title track duplicates the original percolating groove of "El Prince," other tracks like "Samba Cantina" revert to a typical bossa nova rhythm of the period, which leads one to conclude that "bossa antigua" is merely whatever Desmond says it is. Of the album's two non-originals, "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes," of course, is made-to-order for Desmond's wistful, sophisticated temperament, and he delivers exactly what a Desmond devotee would expect and love; and "A Ship Without a Sail" has some memorable off-the-cuff solo ideas. Jim Hall is around again to lend subtle rhythm support and low-key savvy in his solos, and like many Desmond companions of this period, he makes a fine sparring partner in the contrapuntal exchanges. The Brubeck Quartet's Gene Wright again lends a sturdy hand on bass. The playing is wonderful throughout, though just missing the full-throttle inspiration of Take Ten. ~ Richard S.Ginell https://www.allmusic.com/album/bossa-antigua-mw0000238995

Personnel:  Paul Desmond – alto saxophone; Jim Hall – guitar; Gene Cherico (track 8), Eugene Wright (tracks 1-7 & 9-11) – bass; Connie Kay – drums

Bossa Antigua

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Avi Rothbard, Wayne Escoffery - Standard Solo and Duet Sketches

Styles: Guitar And Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:59
Size: 142,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:14)  1. Sweet Blue
(4:03)  2. How Long Has This Been Going On?
(5:49)  3. Let's Call This
(5:26)  4. The Shadow of Your Smile
(5:41)  5. Satellite
(6:50)  6. Confessin'
(4:59)  7. Alone Together
(4:19)  8. Old Devil Moon
(4:45)  9. Ugly Beauty
(3:27) 10. What Is This Thing Called Love?
(4:43) 11. Inutil Paisagem
(5:37) 12. The End of a Love Affair

Guitarist and composer Avi Rothbard is one of New York’s prominent jazz guitarists and a jazz clinician. Born and raised in Kibbutz Gan Shmuel, Israel, Avi Rothbard has moved to Boston Mass in the summer of 1995, after receiving a scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music. During his Berklee years, Mr. Rothbard has received The Jimmy Hendrix Award, Boston Jazz Society Award, Guitar Dpt. Achievement Award and The William Leavitt Award. Mr. Rothbard holds a Masters degree in jazz studies from the City College of New York and is also a 2013 recipient of the Bronx Council on The Arts award(BRIO) in the instrumental music category. A prolific composer, Rothbard’s compositions are featured in several recordings of his peers. In 2014 , Avi Rothbard has won the John Lennon Award for the jazz category. Since residing in New York City in 1999, Avi Rothbard has led and co-led ensembles in some of the major jazz venues around the world. Mr. Rothbard has worked with jazz veterans, as well as the new generation of jazz masters such as Ben Riley, Jeremy Pelt, Freddy Cole, Wayne Escoffery, Gregory Porter, Ray Drummond, Alex Blake, Mike Clark and Jay Leonhart, to name just a few.  Avi Rothbard’s name is included in Scott Yanow’s book: “The Great Jazz Guitarists: The Ultimate Guide” "Young Lions" is a term that jazz journalists have been using to describe the long list of straight-ahead, acoustic-oriented jazz improvisers who were born in the '60s, '70s, and '80s, and London native Wayne Escoffery is among the many Young Lions who started building his catalog in the early 2000s. Escoffery, who plays post-bop and hard bop, is a tenor saxophonist with a big, full tone; his influences on the tenor have included, among others, John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Dexter Gordon, Joe Henderson, and Sonny Rollins. Escoffery plays the soprano sax as a second instrument, and his most obvious inspirations on the soprano include Coltrane and Shorter. But whether he is on the tenor or the soprano, Escoffery has maintained a decidedly straight-ahead perspective that is quite faithful to the spirit of the Young Lion movement. Notes by Alex Henderson https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/avirothbard4

Personnel:  Guitar, Producer – Avi Rothbard; Tenor Saxophone – Wayne Escoffery (tracks: 1, 3,5, 6, 8, 9, 12)

Standard Solo and Duet Sketches (feat. Wayne Escoffery)

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Booker Little - Out Front

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:03
Size: 101,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:46)  1. We Speak
(6:17)  2. Strength And Sanity
(8:10)  3. Quiet Please
(5:44)  4. Moods In Free Time
(4:51)  5. Man Of Words
(6:41)  6. Hazy Blues
(5:31)  7. A New Day

Booker Little was the first trumpet soloist to emerge in jazz after the death of Clifford Brown to have his own sound. His tragically brief life (he died at age 23 later in 1961) cut short what would have certainly been a major career. Little, on this sextet date with multi-reedist Eric Dolphy, trombonist Julian Priester, and drummer Max Roach, shows that his playing was really beyond bebop. His seven now-obscure originals (several of which deserve to be revived) are challenging for the soloists and there are many strong moments during these consistently challenging and satisfying performances. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/out-front-mw0000197893

Personnel: Booker Little - trumpet; Julian Priester - trombone; Eric Dolphy - alto saxophone, bass clarinet, flute; Don Friedman - piano; Art Davis (tracks 1, 3 & 7), Ron Carter (tracks 2 & 4-6) - bass; Max Roach - drums, timpani, vibraphone

Out Front

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Chie Imaizumi - Unfailing Kindness

Styles: Post Bop, Big Band
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:06
Size: 129,4 MB
Art: Front

( 9:05)  1. A Change for the Better
( 5:50)  2. The More the Merrier
( 9:47)  3. Unfailing Kindness
( 6:30)  4. Lonley...
( 7:56)  5. Round and Round
(10:40)  6. Adversity
( 6:16)  7. Another Day

To all but the most jaded of cynics, Chie Imaizumi's Unfailing Kindness is sure to provide many hours of comfort for the soul as this extremely accessible and yet deeply rewarding music washes away all that might ail it. Imaizumi is letting us see her up close and personal as each tune translates her emotional being at various times in her recent life into music. The fact that this music is for large forces (ten players most of the time) makes it all the more remarkable, since it is light and limber with intricate arrangements that do not, however, sound congested or overburdened. There is much room for soloing, and when they get the chance to fly, the soloists make the most of it. The feeling that leads to the solo is one, though, of the underlying music pushing the performer out front, or lifting them above the others, rather than someone just stepping out and wailing. Imaizumi received her original musical training on the electric organ before she switched to piano, winning awards and beginning to record in Japan. The fact that she does not play on this record might seem strange but it is, in reality, part of the emotional roller coaster that the music represents. Among other issues in her life at the time, Imaizumi was afflicted with tenosynovitis, a painful repetitive stress injury, which forced her to stop playing. Anyone who has been through this kind of thing, especially a musician, knows how devastating not being able to function can be. However, Imaizumi turned adversity into opportunity. Indeed, the sixth and longest track is named "Adversity" and is the most interesting musically as it moves through many different moods and emotions. Turning her talents away from the playing and toward composing and arranging, she now builds worlds of sound with the help of other musicians. 

The album starts off with a bang with three very up tunes "A Change for the Better," with its Caribbean rhythms, "The More the Merrier," which kicks back with a New Orleans backbeat, and "Unfailing Kindness," with its meter switching between 5/4 and 4/4. Things take a needed rest with "Lonely," in which Imaizumi remembers how a three month tour felt, but rebounds with the driving changes tune "Round and Round," before getting to the aforementioned "Adversity." 

There are many subtleties in constant change throughout each tune, and an attentive listener will be rewarded many times over. The word is that actually attending an Imaizumi performance and watching her conduct her music is something else altogether. Many jazz fans find music to be highly emotional, and Imaizumi's music exudes both optimism and overcoming difficult times, but mostly the joy of creating and being able to share it. Highly recommended. ~ Budd Kopman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/unfailing-kindness-chie-imaizumi-review-by-budd-kopman.php

Personnel: Greg Gisbert: trumpet, flugelhorn; Ron Miles: trumpet, flugelhorn; John Gunther: alto and soprano saxophones, flute, clarinet; Gary Smulyan: baritone saxophone, bass clarinet; Alex Heitlinger: trombone; Mike Abbott: guitar; Jeff Jenkins: piano, Hammond B3; Mark Simon: bass; Paul Romaine: drums; Manavihare

Unfailing Kindness

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Dizzy Reece - Soundin' Off

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:58
Size: 96,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:05)  1. A Ghost of a Chance
(7:58)  2. Once in a While
(7:30)  3. Eb Pob
(7:46)  4. Yesterdays
(7:10)  5. Our Love Is Here to Stay
(6:27)  6. Blue Streak

Originally issued in 1960 and subsequently reissued multiple times in a variety of formats, the trumpeter Dizzy Reece's fourth Blue Note outing as a leader is here presented in Super Audio CD format by the APO label. While it would have been nice to see a bit more material on a reissue like this (with at least a couple of alternate takes), the original program is densely packed with high-quality music and makes for a solidly satisfying listening experience on its own. The opening track, interestingly enough, is both a ballad and a standard: on "Ghost of a Chance" Reece plays with a buttery, burnished tone that coats the familiar melody in a golden haze like the quality of light at dusk. The sun rises again on the next track, a midtempo number titled "Once in a While," and the tempo ratchets up another notch on "Eb Pob," a rather undistinguished composition on the "I Got Rhythm" changes that is completely redeemed by the quality of the solos. "Yesterday" finds pianist Walter Bishop delivering a curiously lackadaisical solo, but he gets back in the groove on a wonderful version of "Our Love Is Here to Stay." The program ends with a nice, bouncy blues original titled "Blue Streak." Throughout the album, Reece digs into his bag of sonic tricks without ever doing anything that detracts from the music itself. Soundin' Off is a little bit uneven, but is never less than a solid pleasure to listen to. ~ Rick Anderson https://www.allmusic.com/album/soundin-off-mw0000368905

Personnel:  Dizzy Reece - trumpet; Walter Bishop Jr. - piano; Doug Watkins - bass; Art Taylor - drums

Soundin' Off

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Nancy Kelly - Well, Alright!

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:41
Size: 135,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:33)  1. But Not For Me
(5:06)  2. I Wish You Love
(5:51)  3. Who Can I Turn To
(4:56)  4. I Only Have Eyes For You
(4:12)  5. I Love Being Here With You
(4:01)  6. Let's Fall In Love
(5:55)  7. For Once In My Life
(6:02)  8. Alright, Okay, You Win
(5:32)  9. Since I Fell For You
(6:35) 10. Let It Be Me
(5:54) 11. Fine And Mellow

The best things in life, and jazz, happen spontaneously. Which brings us directly to Ms Kelly, who again has teamed up with tenorist Houston Person. They collaborated in ’06 on Born to Swing; now their unique rapport graces a fledgling label in Bellevue, WA, Saying It With Jazz. Kelly and Person say it with eloquence, spread over eleven live tracks, backed by a highly responsive rhythm section: pianist Randy Halberstadt; bassist Jeff Johnson; and drummer Gary Hobbs. Kelly gives a master class on every track, belting “But Not For Me” at supersonic speed, avoiding words as if they were road-blocks, but never losing the jazz pulse. Person quotes from “Third Man Theme;’ Halberstadt offers his own, from “Surrey With the Fringe.” Kelly comes roaring back for the out chorus, resorting to scat for the title. “Who Can I Turn To” gives Kelly a chance to channel Carmen McRae; Anita O’Day is conjured up during “I Only Have Eyes,” containing Kelly’s signature visceral growl. Her range comes in handy on “Let’s Fall in Love:” she ends on the fifth, then suddenly swoops an octave higher. The girl’s fearless; does it again at the end of “Let It Be Me.” The title tune gives Halberstadt his solo highlight: Brubeck-flavored. Person’s tour de force comes on “Since I Fell For You.” BIllie Holiday’s “Fine & Mellow” evolves into a shuffle-shout, call-and-response with Kelly’s adoring audience. That’s how it went all night: the humor of a jazz conversation with everyone hearing each other; no need for arrangements. Person is a sensitive listener, filling in Kelly’s gaps with intelligent comments. The two must be joined at the hip very hip. ~ Harvey Siders https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/nancy-kelly-well-alright/

Well, Alright!

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