Saturday, November 2, 2019

Bob James - Morning, Noon And Night

Styles: Keyboards, Jazz Funk
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:41
Size: 133,1 MB
Art: Front

(6:06)  1. Street Smart
(5:03)  2. Just One Thing
(4:14)  3. Morning, Noon & Night
(5:50)  4. Hands On
(5:54)  5. Over & Over
(4:27)  6. Five O'Clock Chateau
(3:21)  7. When The Love Is Over
(5:41)  8. Nightbeat
(5:52)  9. Baby Cakes
(5:38) 10. Dai Dai Ya
(5:30) 11. Count On It

As one review once put it, James was putting the "smooth" into "jazz" long before the genre had its formal name, and it was fun to take stock of his lengthy quarter-century-plus recording career with 2001's double CD Restoration: The Best of Bob James. Hardly about to rest on his laurels, he's chugging ahead in 2002 with a new Fourplay album (Heartfelt) and this likeable, diverse effort. The idea seems to be to return to the spirit and groove of his classic albums of the '70s and early '80s, but play those licks in the company of latter-day top stars (Rick Braun, Dave Koz, Keiko Matsui, Paul Jackson, Jr., Chuck Loeb). And let's not forget the groovemeisters Vinnie Colaiuta (drums) and Will Lee (bass), so hip and sly on mood-swinging tunes like "Baby Cakes." Considering that the disc mostly focuses on sharply composed, tightly played, and slickly produced tracks by genre hitmakers like Loeb and Paul Brown, it seems curious that James would open with a somewhat alienating, experimental track ("Street Smart"). It opens with scratches, ambience, and darting piano runs that scream "avant-garde," before getting into a heavier groove, classical piano ideas, and finally moving into a brief big band swing section. 

It's interesting, but all over the place. Loeb's tune, "Just One Thing," is the complete opposite, a crisp, dreamy, light funk piece perfect for smooth jazz radio; Jamesand Loeb make good studio bedfellows with a smart, witty repartee and tandem energy. The title track is another excellent middle-of-the-road piece, with Dave Koz providing the genuine smiles and extra commercial melodic thrust. "Hands On" is a bouncy jam piece that evokes the loose energy of James' early albums. And labelmate Braun helps bring the romantic "Five O'Clock Chateau" to a deeper place full of soul and energy. Some of the other tunes seem more artsy and fusion-minded, but all of them have a singular focus. Maybe that's the point -- to provide in a new setting the kind of overview of James' multiple approaches that was captured on the best-of package. ~ Jonathan Widran https://www.allmusic.com/album/morning-noon-night-mw0000225224

Morning, Noon And Night

Enrico Rava - Italian Ballads

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:15
Size: 170,8 MB
Art: Front

(1:54)  1. The Song Of Gelsomina
(5:07)  2. Giulietta Degli Spiriti
(5:23)  3. Un Bel Di, Vedremo
(8:30)  4. Il Cielo In Una Stanza
(4:20)  5. Margherita
(4:40)  6. Bella
(3:22)  7. Un Canto
(7:28)  8. Diva
(5:51)  9. Torna A Surriento
(6:07) 10. Senza Fine
(2:58) 11. E Se Domani
(4:52) 12. Due Note
(3:26) 13. Stringimi Forte I Polsi
(6:01) 14. More
(2:09) 15. O Mio Babbino Caro

He is twelve years old, but he shows even more, this record by Enrico Rava's Electric Five dedicated to the evergreens of our local music. Impressive is the fact that the musicians involved  then only partially established, but today great realities of Italian jazz and not only are so impalpable in this work, in which everyone (perhaps with the sole exception of the guests Richard Galliano and Barbara Casini) is limit to accompany the trumpet of the leader, engaged mostly to the mere exposition of the lyric theme from time to time on stage, without adding anything expressive to it. Indeed, sometimes even removing something from the originals, as in "Margherita" or in the unlistenable "Endless". 

What else to say? That these operations (some time too practiced by Rava, especially live) may have some market feedback, but should be avoided for the sake of jazz music. In fact, while banalities of this kind flood the newsstands as attachments to magazines, the clubs are becoming increasingly deserted and the reviews close their doors.On the contrary, it has even come to reprint its fruits ...Translate By Google ~ AAJ Italy Staff https://www.allaboutjazz.com/italian-ballads-enrico-rava-venus-records-review-by-aaji-staff.php

Personnel: Enrico Rava (trumpet), Domenico Caliri (guitar), Roberto Cecchetto (guitar), Giovanni Maier (double bass), UT Gandhi (drums, percussion), Barbara Casini (vocals), Richard Galliano (accordion).

Italian Ballads

Duke Robillard - Exalted Lover

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:52
Size: 97,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:56)  1. Down Home Country Girl
(3:46)  2. I'll Never Be Free
(2:53)  3. Real Live Wire
(4:59)  4. Exalted Lover
(4:42)  5. Deep Inside
(3:56)  6. How Long Has It Been
(4:12)  7. Tore Up
(4:22)  8. Love Made A Liar Out Of Me
(4:35)  9. Double A Daddy
(3:24) 10. Travelin' Mood

Duke Robillard's second 2003 release could just as well have been titled Living With the Blues, Part 2, since it picks up where his 2002 album of that name left off. Returning to the Roomful of Blues horn sound (where he began his recording career in 1977), Robillard employs brass on the majority of these rocking blues tracks. In fact, both saxist Doug James and trombone player Carl Querfurth (who play on this album) are Roomful alumni, as is pianist Matt McCabe. The horns are used more for embellishment, though, in contrast to Roomful, where they often define the sound. The opening mid-tempo swamp rock of "Down Home Country Girl" kicks things off in tough form with Robillard's gutsy singing fronting the powerful brass, but a short guitar solo fades out just as it builds up a head of steam. Robillard then branches out into classic R&B territory when he duets with Pam Tillis on a sweet and sassy version of "I'll Never Be Free," a tune made popular by Tennessee Ernie Ford, Dinah Washington, Louis Jordan, and others. Rollicking tracks such as "Real Live Wire," "How Long Has It Been" (a crackling vocal and guitar duet with Debbie Davies, returning the favor of Robillard producing her Love the Game album), and a rockabilly-flavored "Love Made a Liar of Me" keep the mood upbeat. The lounge/jazz swing of the title track (with sensual French spoken-word from Aimee Hill along with Robillard playing a guitar synth that sounds like a trumpet) and "Double X Daddy" brings the disc back to the Roomful days with swanky horn solos. "Deep Inside" hearkens back to classic blues/R&B that Robillard does so well. He adds a stinging, staccato, Albert King-styled solo that stabs through the song and is one of the album's finest leads. A percussion-heavy, Bo Diddley-ized version of James Wayne's "Travelin' Mood" closes out an album that shows a few different sides of Robillard, but stays closer to his blues and swing roots. He seems to be having a blast throughout, and even though his voice isn't as polished as his guitar skills, he puts across these songs with exuberance and class. It's another excellent entry to an already strong catalog that continues to improve with age. ~ Hal Horowitz https://www.allmusic.com/album/exalted-lover-mw0000324658

Personnel: Acoustic Guitar – Duke Robillard; Acoustic Bass – Jesse Williams , Marty Ballou; Baritone Saxophone – Doug James; Bass Guitar – Duke Robillard, Jesse Williams; Drums – Mark Teixeira; Electric Guitar – Debbie Davies, Duke Robillard; Guitar [Dobro] – Duke Robillard; Guitar Synthesizer [Roland] – Duke Robillard; Organ – Steve Burk; Piano – Matt McCabe, Steve Burk); Tenor Saxophone – Doug James , Sax Gordon; Trombone – Carl Querfurth; Trumpet – Scott Aruda; Vocals – Debbie Davies, Duke Robillard, Pam Tillis  

Exalted Lover

The Headhunters - On Top - Live In Europe Disc 1, Disc 2

Album: On Top - Live In Europe Disc 1

Styles: Jazz Funk
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:15
Size: 145,9 MB
Art: Front

( 7:56)  1. 4 String Drive
(10:44)  2. Swamp Thing
( 9:56)  3. Sly
(11:51)  4. Watermelon Man
( 9:10)  5. Loft Funk
(13:35)  6. Butterfly


Album: On Top - Live In Europe Disc 2

Time: 22:06
Size: 51,5 MB

(8:01)  1. Neckbones
(4:26)  2. 4 String Drive - Radio Edit
(1:22)  3. God Make Me Funky
(5:22)  4. Butterfly - Radio Mix
(2:53)  5. Shekere Elegua

It's been said that true funk can be imitated but never duplicated. But in the case of the Headhunters's 2 CD live recording On Top, the band named after Herbie Hancock's 1973 groundbreaking release, Head Hunters (Columbia) continues to uphold the groove. Master percussionist Bill Summers, one of the original members since the 1970s, has kept the essence of Hancock's music alive through various releases including 2003's Evolution Revolution (Basin Street Records). Recorded in Paris, France, this live document also includes another longtime band member Mike Clark (drums) and newer members TM Stevens (bass), Mark Shim (saxophone), Jerry Z (keyboards), and saxophonist Donald Harrison on one track. The unrelenting performance engages an enthusiastic European audience in a wild party atmosphere (in contrast to typical U.S. jazz concerts); the music is a throwback to the sounds of James Brown, Sly and the Family Stone, and other funk progenitors. Heavy beats, thumping electric bass, iced keyboards, and intense solos are all part of the flow on tracks that include "Swamp Thing" and a most serious cover of "Sly" from Hancock's 1973 recording. Clark's drumming is superlative and Stevens's impressive bass work rivals the playing of three more renowned power bassists Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller, and Victor Wooten's Thunder (Heads Up International, 2008). Jerry Z's groovy keyboarding and Shim's deep toned saxophone echoes the voices of Hancock's dazzling keys and Maupin's sinewy bass clarinet on earlier collaborations. Shim is of particular note, bringing not only Maceo Parker soulfulness but also avant-groove chops on "Loft Funk." Summers is like an African jazz/funk griot performing, engaging, and teaching where one of the highlights includes his famous bottle-whistling on the classic "Watermelon Man" as he instructs the audience on the melody's introduction. Another is the ever-smooth "Butterfly" featuring Donald Harrison's splendid horn. The second disk retreads a couple of radio-edit tracks but makes up for them with more live music and an eight minute bonus video of a performance in Bobigny, France. Fusion or jam band, old school or new school, for anyone else who digs da funk, this is the real deal.  ~ Mark F.Turner https://www.allaboutjazz.com/on-top-live-in-europe-headhunters-bhm-productions-review-by-mark-f-turner.php

Personnel: Mike Clark: drums; Mark Shim: saxophone; T.M. Stevens: bass, vocals; Bill Summers: percussion; Jerry Z: keyboards; Donald Harrison: saxophone.


Friday, November 1, 2019

Terence Blanchard - Choices

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:39
Size: 170,5 MB
Art: Front

( 6:45)  1. Byus
( 0:54)  2. Beethoven
( 3:46)  3. D’s Choice
( 6:01)  4. Journey
( 7:11)  5. Hacia del Aire
( 0:40)  6. Jazz Man in the World of Ideas
( 4:20)  7. Him or Me
( 6:08)  8. Choices
( 6:30)  9. HUGS (Historically Underrepresented Groups)
(12:17) 10. Winding Roads
( 4:26) 11. When Will You Call
( 0:55) 12. A New Note
( 5:16) 13. A New World (Created Inside the Walls of Imagination)
( 6:04) 14. Touched By An Angel
( 2:19) 15. Robin’s Choice

Trumpeter/band leader/ film scorer Terence Blanchard is the epitome of an artist who's made good choices. One of the distinct voices in the post-Miles Davis and Wynton Marsalis era, he has moved from being a young-lion with seminal players such as Donald Harrison in Black Pearl (Columbia, 1988), to delivering progressive projects such as Flow (Blue Note, 2005) and winning multiple Grammy awards for albums including 2007's A Tale Of God's Will (A Requiem For Katrina) (Blue Note).  Recorded at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, Choices is, surprisingly, his first completed CD made in his hometown of New Orleans. The warmth, ambiance and acoustics of the venue pours through each track, channeled through modern compositions and inspired performances by a dynamic sextet which includes Fabian Almazan (piano), Derrick Hodge (bass), Kendrick Scott (drums), Lionel Loueke (guitar) and saxophonist Walter Smith III. Blanchard is a meticulous but selfless leader, allowing the younger artists to shine, exchange ideas and contribute to the open process. Imprinted with Blanchard's cinematic and swinging style the music is rooted but contemporary; advocating new ideas that include excerpts of a conversation between Blanchard and philosopher, author, and activist, Dr. Cornel West. The combination of eloquent intellectualism and stirring composition forms a thematic imprint. West's insightful words sprinkled throughout the music are like poetry uplifting, enlightening and provocative; expertly placed within the music as he articulates upon the ideas, questions and choices concerning music, humanity, and spirituality a jazz dialog for the mind and ear. The tracks showcase these young artists as distinguished players and scintillating writers, including Smith's sophisticated movements in "Byus," and Scott's Brazilian-tinged "Journey," with seductive vocals provided by singer Bilal Sayeed Oliver (aka Bilal), who in turn gives a riveting performance on his soulful Lament, "When Will You Call." Almazan's "Hugs" shows his adroit pianism with beauty and drama as it pushes the musicians to new heights. In contrast, Hodge's "A New World" takes it to the streets with a funky swagger, as Blanchard and Loueke shred some notes.  Still, Blanchard's consummate imprint and warm tone permeate the recording, and his mirrored tracks "D's Choice" and "Robin's Choice" are masterful full of emotion, spirit and humanity. Mixing jazz and philosophy within a vibrant setting, the aptly titled Choices, continues to bear the good fruits of his thoughtful decisions. ~ Mark F.Turner https://www.allaboutjazz.com/choices-terence-blanchard-concord-music-group-review-by-mark-f-turner.php

Personnel: Terence Blanchard: trumpet; Fabian Almazan: piano; Derrick Hodge: bass; Kendrick Scott: drums; Lionel Loueke: guitar; Walter Smith III: saxophone; Dr. Cornel West: spoken word (1-3, 6, 8, 10, 12, 13, 15); Bilal: vocals (3, 4, 10, 11, 14).

Choices

André Previn - The Subterraneans

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:36
Size: 91,0 MB
Art: Front

(1:57)  1. Why Are We Afraid?
(3:07)  2. Guido's Blackhawk
(4:01)  3. Two By Two
(4:14)  4. Bread And Wine
(2:44)  5. Coffee Time
(3:27)  6. A Rose And The End
(2:28)  7. Should I
(1:32)  8. Look Ma, No Clothes
(5:37)  9. Things Are Looking Down
(4:20) 10. Analyst
(1:57) 11. Like Blue
(3:06) 12. Raising Caen

MGM director Ronald McDougall didn't do much right in adapting Jack Kerouac's novel The Subterraneans for the big screen first, the lead character of Mardou Fox (played by Leslie Caron) was transformed from black to white, and future A-Team star George Peppard was miscast as Kerouac's alter ego, Leo Percepied. And don't even mention Robert Thom's clumsy, lightweight screenplay. But at least composer André Previn had the good sense to recruit cool jazz giants including Gerry Mulligan, Russ Freeman, and Dave Bailey to perform his Subterraneans score: jazz not only fueled Kerouac's work, but his prose sought to evoke the rhythms and energy of bebop. Indeed, this music comes far closer to accurately capturing Kerouac's writing than any of the film's dialogue. Previn also deserves credit for articulating the sadness of the original novel, deftly combining horns and strings to create a score that is dark and emotive. ~ Jason Ankeny https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-subterraneans-original-soundtrack-mw0000906573

Personnel: André Previn – piano, arranger, conductor; Gerry Mulligan – baritone saxophone (tracks 1, 3, 4, 6 and 8–10);  Carmen McRae – vocals (track 5); Art Farmer (tracks 4 & 9), Jack Sheldon (1, 3, 6, 8 & 10 and 12) – trumpet; Bob Enevoldsen – valve trombone (tracks 1, 3, 4, 6 and 9); Art Pepper – alto saxophone (tracks 1, 3, 4, 6 & 8–10 and 12); Bill Perkins – tenor saxophone (tracks 1, 3, 4, 6 and 9); Russ Freeman – piano (tracks 4, 9 and 12); Buddy Clark (tracks 4 & 9), Red Mitchell (tracks 1-3, 5–8, and 10–12) – bass; Dave Bailey (tracks 4 & 9), Shelly Manne (tracks 1–3, 5–8, and 10–12) – drums

The Subterraneans

Warne Marsh & Kenny Drew - I Got A Good One For You

Styles: Saxophone And Piano Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:01
Size: 142,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:53)  1. I Got A Good One For You
(7:46)  2. Sophisticated Lady
(4:31)  3. On Green Dolphin Street
(5:41)  4. Sippin' At Bells
(4:31)  5. Ev'rytime We Say Goodbye
(4:50)  6. Little Willie Leaps
(5:16)  7. Easy To Love
(4:05)  8. Body And Soul
(4:54)  9. Ornithology
(9:45) 10. Star Eyes
(4:44) 11. Softly As In A Morning Sunrise

Warne Marsh told writer Nat Hentoff "the big thing I got from Lennie Tristano was the feeling that if music was worth that much to him, it could mean that much to me to play only what I wanted to play”. The Storyville catalogue is rich in the recorded work of Warne Marsh but the highligt certainly is "Body And Soul", a tune with strong jazz tenor links. Here Marsh fashions a masterly improvisation over the harmonies, creating melodic statements of great richness for two choruses. Music such as this is the very essence of jazz; four men united in the creation of spontaneously creative music after what must have been only a short time available for rehearsal. The result speaks for itself. https://www.storyvillerecords.com/products/i-got-a-good-one-for-you-stcd8277

Personnel: Warne Marsh (tenorsax), Kenny Drew (piano), Bo Stief (bass) and aage Tanggaard (drums)

I Got A Good One For You

Simon Spillett - Sienna Red

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:42
Size: 172,1 MB
Art: Front

(8:30)  1. Mini Minor
(9:02)  2. Lifeline
(6:52)  3. Souriya
(6:57)  4. Peace Pipe
(8:15)  5. Rumpus
(7:50)  6. Ricardo
(8:28)  7. Pint of Bitter
(8:43)  8. The Right to Love
(6:19)  9. Sienna Red
(3:42) 10. Oleo

After winning the 2007 Rising Star category in the BBC Jazz Awards, tenor saxophonist Simon Spillett now has this very disc up for public voting in the 2008 Best Album section. Fundamentally, it's a representation of what he does onstage, though the fact that this recording can't possibly scale the heights of an in-person experience is some testament to Spillett's blowing power. His ascension over the last few years has been swift, to the point where he's now a serious challenger to reedsman Alan Barnes for the British hard bop sceptre. Woodville is the latter's record label, so here's an endorsement from a fitting source. Of course, there's Peter King and Don Weller to consider too, but there's something about Spillett's approach that aligns him with Barnes. Spillett is already a veteran of all the prestigious London clubs, and is now throwing himself completely into the establishment of his own quartet's comet-like reputation, boasting the line-up of John Critchinson (piano), Andrew Cleyndert (bass) and Spike Wells (drums). It's impossible to avoid mention of the great Tubby Hayes as Spillett's guiding light in terms of style and attack, but this doesn't mean that he's forsaking the development of a personal vocabulary. This follow-up to 2007's debut album is as swift as Simon's soloing articulation. He absolutely doesn't dally. On the opening Mini Minor, barely is the theme shot out than the tenorman's skating off on a winding solo, the combo coping well with their own solos, the end result being an introductory portfolio of their wares. It's as if Spillett is attempting to cram life itself into each eight minute outburst. That's about the average tune-length, as extended time is needed to accommodate Simon's spillage. When the songs aren't hurtling at high velocity, they adopt a brash swaying motion, and a ballad spot tends to turn up after every third chaser, just to prove that Spillett is also a sensitive breather. Peace Pipe sounds anything but peaceful. In fact, it's rather more agitated than Rumpus, which has its own staccato flourishes. Spillett saves Oleo until last, and it's a rollercoaster that brooks no argument. https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/3rqv/

Personnel: Saxophone [Tenor], Producer – Simon Spillett; Double Bass – Andrew Cleyndert; Drums – Spike Wells; Piano – John Critchinson

Sienna Red

Patrice Jégou - If It Ain't Love

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:51
Size: 154,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:19)  1. Lover Come Back to Me (A Cappella)
(2:40)  2. Jersey Bounce
(4:46)  3. Baubles, Bangles, And Beads
(5:08)  4. Yes We Can, Can
(5:34)  5. I'm So Glad I'm Standing Here Today
(4:05)  6. Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams
(3:14)  7. If It Ain't Love
(4:42)  8. Estate (Summer)
(3:24)  9. Lover Come Back to Me
(3:40) 10. Waltz for Debby
(4:42) 11. Losing You
(3:04) 12. Just Squeeze Me
(3:53) 13. Where Do You Start?
(5:00) 14. Remembrances (In Memory of Stan Getz)
(4:25) 15. Please Send Me Someone to Love
(5:08) 16. It Might Be You

Listening to Canadian vocal artist Patrice Jégou's second album, If It Ain't Love, one would never think that she once was a world-class professional figure skater. One would also immediately discern that she and her similarly world-class musical partners have delivered a perfect-10 performance. Surrounded on the opener by Take 6's Mark Kibble and Alvin Chea, Jégou and the "sextet" burn a capella through a terrific send up of "Lover Come Back to Me." Backed by the swinging Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra and a fine Count Basie-like arrangement by John Clayton, Jégou covers the old Benny Goodman horse, "Jersey Bounce" with flair. Things soften with a gorgeously lush rendition of "Baubles, Bangles and Beads" with Maestro Jorge Calandrelli's strings caressing Jégeou's vocal silk. The tone grows funk-gospel gumbo on Allen Toussaint's "Yes We Can, Can" (with Tata Vega joining Jégou) and followed by the highly inspirational "I'm So Glad I'm Standing Here Today." Jégou and her friends soar celestial on both cuts. Across the session, Ms. Jégou demonstrates that she has very strong vocal chops, graceful lyric sensitivity, ace pitch and a killer groove feel. She works extremely well with all the various ensembles large, small and a capella.

That's the sign of a very talented artist. She's got the chops and the breadth to belt out Big Band swinging behind the Clayton-Hamilton unit ("If It Ain't Love," "Just Squeeze Me," "Please Send Me Someone to Love") or to go romantically seductive ("Estate" and "Remembrances"). She's a capella bella on "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams"" and swings tail on a second send-up of of "Lover Come Back to Me" (both of these with the entire, Grammy-heavy Take 6 crew). Her performance of Bill Evans' classic, "Waltz for Debby" is dynamically dynamic and her take on Randy Newman's country-esque "Losing You" is sentimental, not saccharine. "Where Do You Start" is a Jégou-Calandrelli vocal gem that's as wonderful as Barbra Streisand's celebrated version (which was also done by Maestro Calandrelli). Stephen Bishop's "It Might Be You" from Tootsie (Warner Bros., 1983) is Jégou being pop pure that wraps a fine ribbon around the fifteen prior goodies. Kudos are due to the all-star cast of performers and arrangers, including Jorge Calandrelli, John Clayton, Mark Kibble, Mike Lang and David Paich. The production values all around are impeccable, as one would expect from Jégou and her entire star-quality family. It certainly is to our benefit that Patrice Jégou gave up skates for song. She is a very gifted and versatile talent and it's all here to relish. To paraphrase an old Tennessee Ernie Ford '50s pop tune: "You hear sixteen tunes and what do you get?" in the case of If It Ain't Love, possibly a small golden Gramophone. ~ Nicholas F.Mondello https://www.allaboutjazz.com/if-it-aint-love-patrice-jegou-prairie-star-review-by-nicholas-f-mondello.php

Personnel: Patrice Jegou: vocals; Mark Kibble: vocals (1, 8, 9), percussion (9); Alvin Chea: vocals (1); Take 6: vocals (6) ; The Clayton-Hamilton Orchestra (2, 7, 12, 15); Gilbert Castellanos: trumpet (2); Mike Lang: piano (3, 5, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16) Rhodes (4,14), Ramon Stagnaro: guitar (3, 13,), acoustic guitar (14); Kevin Axt: bass (3, 5, 8, 13); Ray Brinker: drums (3, 13); Luis Conte (3, 13): Percussion (3); David Lang: Wurlitzer (4); David Paich: Hammond B-3, piano (4); Dean Parks: guitar (4); Abraham Laboirel, Sr.: bass (4, 14); Steve Ferrone: drums (4, 14); Lenny Castro: percussion (4, 14); Tom Scott: tenor saxophone (3); Choir (4, 5): Bill Cantos (4), Kurt Lykes, Jamie McCrary, Jason Morales, Melodye Perry, Alfie Silas. Tiffany Smith, Tata Vega; Larry Koonse: acoustic guitar (5, 8), guitar (14); Michael Thompson: electric guitar (5, 8); John "J.R." Robinson: drums (5, 8); Yaron Gershovsky: piano (9), Boris Kozlov: bass (9); Cliff Almond: drums (9); Steve Patrick, Mike Barry: trumpets (9); Doug Moffet: tenor and baritone saxophone (9); Sam Levine: alto saxophone (9); Roy Agee: trombone (9); Greg Phillinganes: keyboards(16).

If It Ain't Love

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Miles Davis - Star People

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1983
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:53
Size: 135,6 MB
Art: Front

(11:03)  1. Come Get It
(10:07)  2. It Gets Better
( 8:33)  3. Speak
(18:46)  4. Star People
( 5:51)  5. U 'n' l
( 4:30)  6. Star on Cicely

On this 1983 release, Miles Davis rediscovers the blues. He really stretches out on "Star People," making dramatic use of silence and placing each note carefully. "Come Get It" is also memorable although "U 'n' I" (which had the potential to catch on) is only heard in a truncated version. In general Davis is in fine form on this set and, although saxophonist Bill Evans is barely heard from (many of his solos were edited out), the contrasting guitars of Mike Stern and John Scofield hold one's interest. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/star-people-mw0000023240

Personnel: Miles Davis – trumpet, keyboards; John Scofield – electric guitar; Mike Stern – electric guitar; Bill Evans – tenor & soprano saxophone; Marcus Miller – electric bass; Tom Barney – electric bass; Al Foster - drums; Gil Evans – arranger (uncredited)

Star People

Dave Weckl - Heads Up

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:57
Size: 113,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:13)  1. 7th Ave. South
(6:41)  2. Heads Up
(5:21)  3. Taboo
(5:34)  4. Tomatillo
(5:11)  5. Peripheral Vision
(5:32)  6. Tee Funk
(5:44)  7. Against The Wall
(5:38)  8. Full Moon
(3:58)  9. Trigger Happy

On drummer Dave Weckl's GRP set the rhythms are funky but complex and intelligent, Weckl's sidemen are very complementary and the grooves are quite infectious. Altoist Eric Marienthal and tenor saxophonist Steve Tavaglione get to blow up a storm twice apiece over vamps, Jay Oliver's synth spot recalls Chick Corea on "Tomatillo" and there are strong cameos by trumpeters Randy Brecker and Jeff Beal. 

Listeners who hate the sound of electronics would best avoid this date, but within its genre Heads Up is a superior effort. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/heads-up-mw0000077788

Personnel: Drums – Dave Weckl; Keyboards, Programmed By [Synth] – Jay Oliver; Soprano Saxophone – Eric Marienthal, Steve Tavaglione; Trumpet – Randy Brecker, Jeff Beal ; Bass – Jimmy Earl, John Patitucci.

Heads Up

Larry Willis Trio - The Big Push

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:55
Size: 122,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:27)  1. The Surrey with the Fringe on Top
(6:36)  2. Today's Nights
(6:25)  3. The Day You Said Goodbye
(6:12)  4. Just Wait and See
(5:45)  5. Annika's Lullaby
(7:44)  6. I Have a Dream
(4:00)  7. Everything I Have Is Yours
(4:39)  8. The Big Push
(5:02)  9. Poppa Nat

Pianist Larry Willis has been on over 300 sideman sessions and led eighteen of his own albums since 1970, fifteen of them since 1989. Willis has been in involved in many sub-genres of jazz, largely in the earlier years including jazz-rock fusion and the avant-garde. He was the pianist for Blood Sweat & Tears in the early '70s, Sonny Fortune in the late '70s, and David "Fathead" Newman, Carla Bley and Nat Adderley in the '80s. His albums have appeared on Groove Merchant, Audioquest, Brunswick and Mapleshade. In choosing a trio for The Big Push, Willis selected drummer Al Foster, his old student partner from the High School of Music & Art in Manhattan, and the in-demand bassist Buster Williams. The tunes are a combination of a few sturdy standards, two originals and jazz standards. Beginning with an untempo version of the Rodgers & Hammerstein classic "The Surrey with The Fringe on Top," Willis and company find out what makes its wheels turn; his tribute to former employer Nat Adderley is a poignant "Poppa Nat." Buster Williams steps in frequently to provide fine support for Willis, notably on the ballads and mid-tempo tracks; Al Foster supplies just the right touch for the cookers as well as the tastefulness needed on the ballads. ~ Michael P.Gladstone   https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-big-push-larry-willis-highnote-records-review-by-michael-p-gladstone.php

Personnel: Larry Willis: piano; Buster Williams: bass; Al Foster: drums.

The Big Push

Mary Stallings - Songs Were Made to Sing

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:27
Size: 151,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:07)  1. Stolen Moments
(4:28)  2. Lover Man
(6:25)  3. Blue Monk
(7:14)  4. Ill Wind
(4:41)  5. While We're Young
(6:08)  6. Lady Bird
(3:36)  7. When I Close My Eyes
(3:59)  8. Prelude to a Kiss
(3:32)  9. Third Time is the Charm
(5:12) 10. 'Round Midnight
(5:34) 11. Soul Mates
(4:13) 12. Give Me the Simple Life
(5:14) 13. Sugar

Mary Stallings tends to inspire superlatives, and Songs Were Made to Sing is sure to coax another chorus of well-deserved, overdue praise. Released on the verge of her 80th birthday, the album captures an ageless artist at full power, a peak she’s been hitting consistently since Concord relaunched her recording career with a series of excellent albums in the 1990s. A teenage star in San Francisco who learned her craft performing with giants like Ben Webster, Teddy Edwards, and Louis Jordan, Stallings made an auspicious recording debut as a jazz singer with Cal Tjader in 1961. Though she spent the next dozen years touring with the likes of Dizzy Gillespie, Billy Eckstine, and the Count Basie Orchestra, she didn’t release another album for almost three decades. “Rediscovered” anew several times since then, Stallings just keeps doing her thing, infusing songs with a surfeit of soul. A piquant blues inflection marks every note Stallings sings, and her taste in material and collaborators never fails. She’s found another stellar accompanist/arranger here in pianist David Hazeltine, who leads a top-shelf rhythm section with bassist David Williams and drummer Joe Farnsworth. Right from the slow-burning opener “Stolen Moments,” featuring saxophonist Vincent Herring and trumpeter Eddie Henderson, the album returns again and again to themes of rue, longing, and wistful regret, Stallings’ emotional sweet spot. The album’s many high points include her preaching the blues on Abbey Lincoln’s lyrics for “Blue Monk” (with some expert alto commentary from Herring), and a devastatingly slow and urgent take on “Ill Wind” that prompts exquisite muted accompaniment from Henderson. Stallings reveals the inimitable personality in her phrasing: The way she inserts pauses between words in the “Ill Wind” line “let me rest today,” for example, reminds you it’s a plea for death. A jazz artist of the highest order, Stallings keeps adding to her legacy. ~Andrew Gilbert https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/mary-stallings-songs-were-made-to-sing-smoke-sessions/

Songs">Songs Were Made to Sing

Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Archie Shepp Quartet - Lover Man

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:06
Size: 138,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:28)  1. Stars are in Your Eyes
(6:11)  2. Lover Man
(9:23)  3. Brandnew World / Breaking a new day
(5:38)  4. Margy Pargy
(5:21)  5. My Funny Valentine
(6:49)  6. Lush Life
(6:17)  7. Squeeze Me
(5:18)  8. Yesterday's
(8:37)  9. Tribute to Bessy Smith

Shepp has been criticized for his more commercial ventures such as this, but many will enjoy its accessibly light charm. Most of the numbers are standards, including "My Funny Valentine," "Lover Man," and "Lush Life," and are performed by the saxophonist backed by a solid rhythm section. Dave Burrell is wonderfully deft on piano, and he is given ample opportunity to interact with Shepp. Annette Lowman sings on several numbers, and she adds just the right touch and phrasing. Shepp is in somewhat less than perfect form, but he is clearly enjoying himself. There is a touch of a blues and R&B feel that adds to the ambiance. Unlike some of Shepp's other ventures, there are no attempted serious statements made only relaxing, good, swinging jazz that lifts the spirits or touches the soul, if only just a bit. ~ Steve Loewy https://www.allmusic.com/album/lover-man-mw0000542922

Personnel: Archie Shepp – tenor saxophone; Annette Lowman – vocals; Dave Burrell – piano; Herman Wright – bass; Stephen McCraven – drums

Lover Man

Marsha Bartenetti - Feels Like Love

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:36
Size: 122,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:23)  1. Orange Colored Sky
(5:32)  2. You Go to My Head
(3:08)  3. Guess Who I Saw Today
(3:36)  4. Hallelujah
(5:13)  5. Cry Me a River
(2:50)  6. L O V E
(4:21)  7. You've Changed
(4:31)  8. Little Girl Blue
(3:56)  9. Ten Cents a Dance
(5:07) 10. Heaven Down Here
(3:51) 11. Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word
(5:28) 12. The Man That Got Away
(2:40) 13. All Right, Okay, You Win

“I’m sorry, that’s not a valid password. Please try your call again later.” That voice you hear just may be Marsha Bartenetti, who segued from a successful singing career (she won the 1980 Best Vocalist in the American Songwriters Association’s International) to the lucrative voiceover market. She was deemed by the press as “The Voice America Loves to Hate” and “The Voice Mail Queen.” She’s solidly back on track with the release of her latest CD …feels like LOVE, which she featured during her Feinstein’s debut. Bringing along friend and Musical Director Steve Rawlins, Bartenetti’s repertoire includes well-known chestnuts from the Great American Songbook as well as a few modern composers and lyricists. Her arrangements blend in jazz stylings and a pop sensibility that makes for easy listening with her clean, clear phrasing. Examining all facets of love, her set included the hopeful phase with a slow, longing “You Go to My Head” (J. Fred Coots/Haven Gillespie), the betrayal of Elisse Boyd and Murray Grand’s powerful “Guess  Who I Saw Today,” to Arthur Hamilton’s “Cry Me a River.” The complement of locals David Rokeach on drums, Mike Bordelon on bass, and Danny Brown sax, added to the richness of the sound. Bartenetti related emotionally on Elton John and Bernie Taupin’s “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word,” and Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” and these would be her finest vocal deliveries. “Orange Colored Sky,” written by Milton DeLugg and Willie Stein and recorded by Nat King Cole, shows Bartenetti can swing, as does her rendition of Peggy Lee and Dave Cavanaugh’s (with the pen name William Schluger) “I Love Being Here with You.” Hitting all the bases from swing to light jazz, Bartenetti shines when she makes strong connections to a song. She saved the best for last, closing with the lovely Jimmy Van Heusen/Johnny Burke “But Beautiful,” offering it as a love note to her audience. A classy touch from a real pro. ~ Steve Murray https://cabaretscenes.org/2017/05/01/marsha-bartenetti-marsha-bartenetti-feels-like-love/

Feels Like Love

Paolo Birro - Castello Nights

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:57
Size: 109,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:41)  1. On a Misty Night
(3:44)  2. Groovin High
(3:31)  3. Coming on the Hudson
(3:08)  4. Boo Boo's Birthday
(6:00)  5. I Can't Get Started
(5:27)  6. Gnid
(3:26)  7. Good Bait
(4:36)  8. Criss Cross
(5:32)  9. 'Round About Midnight
(4:48) 10. Tin Tin Deo

Paolo Birro was born in Noventa Vicentina, Vicenza, Italy in 1962.  He completed his classical piano studies at the Vicenza Conservatory with a summa cum laude degree in 1987, afterwhich he devoted himself to the jazz language which had fascinated him from his childhood. In 1992, in trio with Sandro Gibellini e Mauro Negri, he won the first prize for the performing group section at the Barga Jazz International Contest.  In 1996, after the releasing of his first trio album “Fair Play”, he was nominated “Best New Talent” by the critics of  the  magazine “Musica Jazz."  His career has offered him the opportunity to perform with jazz legends such as Lee Konitz, Buddy De Franco, Art Farmer, Johnny Griffin and many other internationally-known artists including Scott Hamilton, Gianni Basso, Ruud Brink, Eliot Zigmund, Bobby Watson, Ronnie Cuber, Harry Allen, Tom Kirkpatrick, Charles Davis, Enrico Rava, Erwin Vann, Aldo Romano, Richard Galliano, Robert Bonisolo, Paolo Fresu, Tiziana Ghiglioni, Chuck Israels, Matt Renzi.  As a sideman he has contributed to the recording of over 50 albums by some of the most important jazzmen working in Italy; in particular the artistic relationship with saxophonists Pietro Tonolo, Emanuele Cisi, Claudio Fasoli and the american trumpet player (living in Italy) J Kyle Gregory has been more continuative, as documented in a series of works published by independent labels, including Egea, Splasc(h), Soulnote and Velut Luna. He is a regular member of the Lydian Sound Orchestra directed by Riccardo Brazzale, one of the most critically acclaimed Italian bands in the recent years. As a leader or co-leader  he has released several albums in solo, duo and trio: his last releases include “Sbàndio” (Almar Records), a solo piano performance based on the cultural traditions of his native region in Italy, and “Passion Flower” (Philology) an homage to the music of Billy Strayhorn recorded together with the saxophonist Lee Konitz and “Radiotrio” (Almar Records) with Federico Malaman (el. bass) and Mauro Beggio (drums). As an educator he has taught Jazz piano, improvisation and ensemble at the ”Civici Corsi di Jazz” (Milan), International Jazz Master Classes at Siena, Jazz Department of the Bologna Conservatory, “Il Suono Improvviso” (Venice), Perugia Classico, Summer stages at Loano, and the Jazzinty Workshop in Novomesto (Slovenia).  He is currently Head of the Jazz Department at the Conservatory of Vicenza. http://www.lydiansoundorchestra.com/birro.html

Personnel: Paolo Birro (Piano), Aldo Zunino (Bass) and Alfred Kramer (Drums).

Castello Nights

The Chico Freeman Project - Out of Many Comes the One

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:06
Size: 152,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:06)  1. Guitar
(4:10)  2. Didn't Even Know You
(6:58)  3. Filaraki
(5:34)  4. India Blue
(6:20)  5. Out of Many Comes the One
(6:35)  6. Lift Me Up
(5:34)  7. Twelfth of Never
(5:06)  8. A Teardrop In the Rain
(5:12)  9. Tzivaeri
(5:14) 10. Cartegena
(4:18) 11. Miss You Like Smoking
(6:54) 12. Part of Me - Filaraki - English Version

Chico Freeman's 2004 Arabesque release Out of Many Comes the One brings a bit of chillout jazz and sophisticated funk into the mix along with pretty vocals by Jennifer Hamady, who works up fine ruminations during "Tzivaeri" and "Miss You Like Smoking." The combination of relaxed grooves and elegant vocalizing has plenty in common with the efforts of Detroiters Wendell Harrison and Donald Byrd. 

A seasoned instrumentalist whose artistry is rooted in decades of creative endeavor, Freeman sounds at his best during "Filaraki" and "Part of Me," which feel like salutations from and for Yusef Lateef. ~ arwulf arwulf https://www.allmusic.com/album/out-of-many-comes-the-one-mw0001461211

Personnel: Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Producer – Chico Freeman; Bass – Orlando Marin; Drums – Abe Fogle; Guitar [Guitars] – Bill White; Piano, Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes], Organ, Keyboards – Misha Tsiganov

Out of Many Comes the One

Stan Getz Quartet - Getz At The Gate

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 139:14
Size: 321,0 MB
Art: Front

( 0:25)  1. Announcement By Chip Monck
( 7:49)  2. It's All Right With Me
( 9:20)  3. Wildwood
( 6:27)  4. When The Sun Comes Out
(12:01)  5. Impressions
( 8:35)  6. Airegin
( 9:45)  7. Like Someone In Love
( 8:29)  8. Woody 'N' You
(10:27)  9. Blues
( 5:01) 10. Where Do You Go
( 8:19) 11. Yesterday's Gardenias
( 7:25) 12. Stella By Starlight
( 8:52) 13. It's You Or No One
( 6:57) 14. Spring Can Really HangYou Up The Most
(14:18) 15. 52nd Street Theme
(14:57) 16. Jumpin' With Symphony Sid

Connoisseurs of Stan Getz continue to get lucky with newly discovered live recordings. The last was Moments In Time (Resonance, 2016), a single CD documenting parts of a week-long residency with a quartet including pianist JoAnne Brackeen in San Francisco in 1976. Getz At The Gate, recorded fifteen years earlier, is another substantial addition to Getz's catalogue. Over two CDs, or three LPs if you prefer, it includes all 139 minutes which Getz's band performed at New York's Village Gate on November 26, 1961. Recorded just a month after the completion of Getz's with-strings masterpiece Focus (Verve, 1961), the package captures him at the top of his game. After two and a half years living in Denmark, Getz returned to the US in early 1961 to encounter a jazz world in the throes of change. Ornette Coleman was carrying the torch for free jazz, Miles Davis had brought modal jazz into the mainstream and John Coltrane had put clear water between himself and Sonny Rollins to become the pre-eminent tenor saxophonist on the New York scene. Getz, who had lost none of his competitive edge while in Europe, realised he could not simply pick up where he had left off if he wanted to keep his place at the head table. He was not about to become either a modal or a free player, but he was prepared to recalibrate a little. He put together a new-guard quartet comprising pianist Steve Kuhn, who had briefly been a member of Coltrane's quartet in 1960, bassist Scott LaFaro, who had just left Coleman's band, and drummer Roy Haynes, with whom Getz had first worked in the late 1940s and who was fresh from recording with Eric Dolphy. Getz took the group into the Village Vanguard in March 1961 for his New York comeback. A review in The New York Times reported that Getz was "a much more venturesome musician" than when he last played in the city. The quartet played an acclaimed set at the Newport Jazz Festival in July. Things were looking good. Tragically, four days later, La Faro was killed in an auto accident.

La Faro was replaced by John Neves and the new lineup augmented by valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer went into the studio in September to make Recorded Fall 1961 (Verve), a relatively little-known treasure in Getz's discography. Two months later, Getz took the quartet (without Brookmeyer) into the Village Gate for the gig preserved on Getz At The Gate. Despite their quality, Recorded Fall 1961, Focus and Getz At The Gate were all overtaken by events. In early 1962, the tapes of Getz's bossa nova debut, Jazz Samba (Verve, 1962), hit Verve's office. They had hit written all over them. Getz's other projects were put on hold. Recorded Fall 1961 and Focus dropped off the promo schedule and Getz At The Gate lay forgotten in the vaults. Only now, in June 2019, is the album getting its first release. The Getz At The Gate set lists are mostly drawn from the Great American Songbook with which Getz had made his name, plus four jazz standards (Gigi Gryce's "Wildwood," Dizzy Gillespie's "Woody "n You," Thelonious Monk's "52nd Street Theme" and Sonny Rollins' "Airegin"). Getz's readings range from the lush and intimate through the fierce and stomping and, as ever, he pulls improvised melodies out of the air which are as beautiful as the tunes they are grounded in. A gorgeous reading of Harold Arlen's "When The Sun Comes Out" is among the highlights. The odd-man-out among the track titles is "Impressions," the tune John Coltrane had remodelled out of Miles Davis' "So What" (from Davis' 1959 CBS album Kind Of Blue). It would be fascinating to hear Getz play Coltrane's piece but, disappointingly, he sits out the number, which is a trio feature for Kuhn, who had performed it while a member of Coltrane's band. On the rarities front, however, Getz At The Gate does include the only known Getz recordings of "52nd Street Theme," Cole Porter's "It's Alright With Me" and Dick Robertson's "Yesterday's Gardenias." Getz At The Gate has borderline longueurs, in the shape of a couple too many bass solos. But such was the small-group gigging paradigm of the time. Getz is in exalted form throughout and you can't get too much of that. ~ Chris May https://www.allaboutjazz.com/getz-at-the-gate-stan-getz-verve-review-by-chris-may.php

Personnel: Stan Getz: tenor saxophone; Steve Kuhn: piano; John Neves: bass; Roy Haynes: drums.

Getz At The Gate

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Bill Evans & Lee Konitz - Play The Arrangements Of Jimmy Giuffre

Styles: Piano And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:29
Size: 172,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:08)  1. Palo Alto
(5:02)  2. When Your Lover Has Gone
(9:50)  3. Cork'n' Bib
(4:29)  4. Somp'm Outa' Nothin'
(3:36)  5. Someone To Watch Over Me
(3:55)  6. Uncharted
(3:59)  7. Moonlight In Vermont
(5:08)  8. The Song Is You
(1:58)  9. Darn That Dream
(4:48) 10. Ev'rything I've Got (Belongs To You)
(4:19) 11. You Don't Know What Love Is
(4:00) 12. I Didn't Know About You
(3:57) 13. I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
(4:11) 14. You're Driving Me Crazy
(4:08) 15. You're Clear Out Of This World
(3:39) 16. The More I See You
(4:12) 17. You Are Too Beautiful

Merged from two brilliant 1959 studio sessions, this disc is, just as the title and artist credits suggest, a showcase for three immense talents. Those expecting to hear the snap-crackle of Roy Haynes' snare or Bob Brookmeyer's punctuated counterpoints after reading the all-star lineup may be surprised to hear them relegated to the background, but any disappointment will end there. The brilliant playing of Konitz and Evans, paired with Jimmy Giuffre's sensitive arrangements, is enough to satisfy any true jazz lover. Assembled for the album Lee Konitz Meets Jimmy Giuffre, the first band, a quintet of saxophones backed by the rhythmic underpinnings of Evans, bassist Buddy Clark and drummer Ronnie Free, immediately shows its musicality on the angular, quasi-atonal "Palo Alto. After a rundown of the pointillistic Giuffre arrangement, Konitz jumps in and alternately toys with and floats over the buoyantly swinging rhythm section and airy horn backgrounds. Konitz and Evans solo at length on "Somp'm Outa' Nothin', which can only be described as a blues that has a hard time getting off the "one" chord. The arrangement is quintessential Guiffre, with its dense tone clusters and recurring rhythmic pedal; Evans takes incredible liberties with the harmonic structure and shows an early affinity for Monk. Following a chamber-jazz reworking of "Darn That Dream, in which Giuffre masterfully exploits the subtle harmonic movements using a quintet of saxophones, the album is rounded out with a number of tracks from the '59 album You And Lee. Recorded five months after the initial Konitz/Giuffre studio session, this date finds a trio of trumpets and trombones replacing the saxophone section and adding a distinct edge to the music. Konitz is clearly the leader here; his probing, inventive solos are featured throughout the lineup of reworked standards, and the comping work is split by Evans' piano and the earthy guitar of Jim Hall. The tunes, especially "You Don't Know What Love Is, show Konitz at his best. He dazzles the listener with his sensitivity and invention and revels in the shimmering, transparent beauty evoked by Giuffre's arrangements. ~ Matthew Miller https://www.allaboutjazz.com/play-the-arrangements-of-jimmy-giuffre-bill-evans-lone-hill-jazz-review-by-matthew-miller.php?width=1920

Personnel: Band 1: Lee Konitz, Hal McKusick: alto saxophone; Ted Brown, Warne Marsh: tenor saxophone; Jimmy Giuffre: baritone saxophone/arrangements; Bill Evans: piano; Buddy Clark: bass; Ronnie Free: drums.

Band 2: Marky Markowitz, Ernie Royal, Phil Sunkel: trumpet; Eddie Bert, Billy Byers; trombone; Bob Brookmeyer: valve trombone; Lee Konitz: alto saxophone; Bill Evans; piano; Sonny Dallas: bass; Roy Haynes: drums; Jimmy Giuffre: arranger, conductor.

Play The Arrangements Of Jimmy Giuffre

Robyn Bennett & Bang Bang - The Wait

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:18
Size: 121,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:49)  1. Too Much
(5:24)  2. Stop
(5:09)  3. For You and Me
(5:14)  4. The Wait
(4:00)  5. Ok, All Right
(4:07)  6. Stay
(3:55)  7. Take Me Back
(4:06)  8. I Won't Back Down
(3:06)  9. Something Tells Me
(6:53) 10. Caravan
(2:53) 11. Live and Learn
(4:36) 12. Goodnight

The red-headed beauty, daughter of university professors grew up in Pennsylvania (USA). Music and dance have always been a big part of her life. She started jazz and ballet lessons at only 3 years old, piano lessons at 6, trumpet at 10 and she sang regularly in different choirs. Her early influences were eclectic, including Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Ray Charles, Fleetwood Mac, Harry Connick Jr., Ella Fitzgerald, Willie Nelson, Billy Holiday and Billy Joel. Robyn’s love of music, dance and the stage led her to musicals, performing in productions of «West Side Story», «Carousel» and «South Pacific». After high school, she left her small, rural town and headed for New York University where she studied in the musical theater program for two years. Having a hard time finding balance in the big city, seeking out calm and open spaces, she then continued her studies at the prestigious Vassar College where she graduated in 2001 with a Bachelor of Arts. Having always been attracted to France and French culture, Robyn packed her bags and went to Paris to get a Masters degree in French literature at the Sorbonne. In 2006, she settled definitively in Paris and a new adventure began. She joined the cast of the musical « Cabaret » (Dir. Sam Mendes) which played for 2 years at the famous Folies Bergères theater. Dance captain of the cast, she also played the role of Texas and understudied the lead role of Sally Bowles. It was during this production that Robyn met the jazz trombone player, Ben Van Hille. The chemistry they had together was instantaneous. The energy and emotion they shared on stage was infectious, and they decided that they had to make music together. Robyn Bennett and Bang Bang is born ! After two self-produced albums comprised mostly of cover material (Bang Bang in 2009 and Live Until You Die in 2011), they put their songwriting skills together to create their first album of original songs. « The Wait « is released in 2013 and is a real success ! A true melting pot of the music of New Orleans today: blues, funk, country, soul and rock, with jazz as the thread tying it all together. This year, on April 8th, the band unveils « The Song is You » a second album, more polished and open to an even wider audience. Jazz influences are still present, but the « pop » aspect becomes more important. Rock and swing, soul and funk come together for a powerful shot of musical energy ! Irresistible rhythms, melodies that stay in your head and explosive horns are all in there. Surely Robyn is the best person to speak about it : « This album is about empowerment, about knowing who you are, about being confident in the choices you make, and not succumbing to the pressures of society or caring about what other people think. It's about being positive, open, and knowing that the answers lie within you. We are affirming a style, affirming a sound, and there is so much positive energy in knowing that you're doing the right thing. That you're living life to the fullest, the way you want to live it, and not by anyone else's rules. » Translate by Google http://www.carre-magique.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/BIO-MEDIA-Robyn-Bennett-janv2016.pdf

The Wait