Dick Oatts - Simone's Dance

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:39
Size: 137,1 MB
Art: Front

( 9:52) 1. Indigo Rays
( 7:00) 2. Simone's Dance
( 5:21) 3. Half Life
( 7:29) 4. Elohim
( 6:52) 5. Mel's Minor
( 4:47) 6. Reverse Locomotion
( 7:58) 7. Innocent Voice
(10:18) 8. Public Access

Richard Dennis Oatts (born April 2, 1953) is an American jazz saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and educator. While growing up in Des Moines, Iowa, Oatts gained an interest in music from his father, Jack Oatts, who was a saxophonist himself and a respected music educator in the Midwest. After high school, Oatts attended Drake University for one year before dropping out and moving to Minneapolis to begin a career in music in 1972. In 1977, he was called by Thad Jones to join The Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, which later became the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. Oatts moved to New York City to join the band, first playing tenor saxophone, and began playing Monday nights with Jones and Lewis at the Village Vanguard, as well as touring in Europe with them. Eventually Oatts switched to playing alto saxophone in the band, and he continues to play with the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra at the Village Vanguard every Monday night. Oatts' work on woodwind instruments (saxophone, clarinet, flute) became more widely known when he led the crossover jazz group Flim & the BB's in the 1980s and '90s with bassist Jimmy "Flim" Johnson, drummer Bill Berg, and keyboardist Billy Barber. Since the 1970s, Oatts has released more than a dozen albums as a leader and co-leader, and he has appeared on over 100 albums as a sideman with Joe Henderson, Jerry Bergonzi, Eddie Gómez, Bob Brookmeyer, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Joe Lovano and others, working extensively with Steeplechase Records. He has also accompanied Joe Williams, Sarah Vaughan, Mel Tormé, and Ella Fitzgerald. Oatts has taught at the Manhattan School of Music and has been artist-in-residence at the Amsterdam Conservatory. In 2006, he became a professor and artistic director of the jazz studies department at Temple University in Philadelphia. https://www.muziekweb.nl/en/Link/M00000063141/POPULAR/Dick-Oatts

Personnel: Dick Oatts - alto saxophone, writer; Bruce Barth - piano; Dave Santoro - bass, writer; James Oblon - drums

Simone's Dance

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Sarah Spiegel - As Time Goes By

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:45
Size: 90,0 MB
Art: Front

(0:20) 1. Introduction
(2:24) 2. Sentimental Journey
(2:36) 3. (There'll Be Bluebirds Over) the White Cliffs of Dover
(1:59) 4. Milkman, Keep Those Bottles Quiet!
(3:25) 5. We'll Meet Again
(3:08) 6. They're Either Too Young or Too Old
(2:51) 7. I'm in the Mood for Love
(2:07) 8. Comin' in on a Wing and a Prayer
(2:20) 9. As Time Goes By
(1:36) 10. Kiss the Boys Goodbye
(2:59) 11. I'll Be Seeing You
(3:00) 12. There's a Star-Spangled Banner Waving Somewhere
(3:12) 13. When the Lights Go on Again
(4:29) 14. One for My Baby (And One More for the Road)
(2:18) 15. Dreamtime

LA Life &Style Music Scene – Sarah Spiegel, in her debut album AS TIME GOES BY, via Regal Records and Nawyecka Productions, has recorded some of the most beautiful and memorable songs of World War II from her original one-woman show Through the Perilous Fight (We ever Stopped Singing). AS TIME GOES BY, which is now available worldwide on all streaming platforms includes a set list combining familiar classics (“I’m In The Mood For Love,” “The White Cliffs of Dover”) award-winning hits (“One For My Baby,” “As Time Goes By”) plus an original tune (“Dreamtime”) by Spiegel and her musical director Carl Byron. Spiegel’s 1940s big band songs from her acclaimed WWII musical revue allow her multifaceted voice to shine through. AS TIME GOES BY is packed with classic song arrangements of the big band era. Sarah’s song styling and electrifying energy will have your fingers snapping and toes tapping. The “Regal Miz” Spiegel brings the powerful era of big band arrangements and timeless classics to life. http://losangeleslifeandstyle.com/?p=8266

As Time Goes By

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Tom Harrell - Infinity

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:57
Size: 151,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:38) 1. The Fast
(9:40) 2. Dublin
(7:30) 3. Hope
(6:56) 4. Coronation
(6:03) 5. Folk Song
(5:40) 6. Blue
(7:18) 7. Ground
(8:25) 8. The Isle
(1:41) 9. Duet
(6:01) 10. Taurus

A powerful spirituality illuminates Tom Harrell’s work, but that doesn’t mean that there’s anything pretentious or dogmatic going on. An irrepressible sense of play also abounds; trumpeter/flugelhornist Harrell sounds both delighted by his musical quest and enraptured by what he discovers. “The Fast,” this set’s opener, might easily have been titled “The Feast” it’s a veritable smorgasbord of inspiration, propelled by a surging drive reminiscent of Africa/Brass-era Coltrane. (Johnathan Blake’s drumming, reminiscent of Elvin Jones, accentuates that feel.) Harrell’s solo work summons quickness, precision, and focus along with deep melodicism and tonal surety; saxophonist Mark Turner and guitarist Charles Altura, even when they ramp down the velocity, are no less rigorous in their imaginative flow, and their timbre is likewise sure yet flexible and expressive.

Myriad moods and references enrich this set, from the Celtic tinge of “Dublin” and “The Isle” through the meld of stateliness and improvisational exuberance in “Coronation” to the dexterous postbop intensity of such offerings as “Blue” and “Ground.” “Taurus,” the concluding number, seems to both encapsulate and summarize the gifts Harrell shares with us here, as his muted trumpet skips with precision, dexterity, and brio, his solos so logically constructed that one could almost believe he’s able to fully imagine each note, each run, each statement in its entirety before playing it. ~ David Whiteis https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/tom-harrell-infinity-highnote/

Personnel: Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Tom Harrell; Tenor Saxophone – Mark Turner ; Bass – Ben Street; Drums – Johnathan Blake; Guitar, Acoustic Guitar – Charles Altura

Infinity

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Sue Raney - Rain Songs

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:43
Size: 73,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:11) 1. Rain on the Roof
(2:50) 2. Blue Tears
(2:36) 3. Exactly Like You
(2:32) 4. Wanna' Laugh
(3:18) 5. My Prayer
(2:37) 6. September in the Rain
(2:49) 7. I Get the Blues When It Rains
(2:58) 8. Impossible
(2:09) 9. A Blossom Fell
(2:38) 10. Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams
(2:12) 11. The Whippoorwill Song
(2:49) 12. Rain

Blessed with a beautiful voice from an early age, Sue Raney has performed music ranging from swinging jazz and ballads to cabaret, middle-of-the-road pop and jingles. Her mother was a singer and a great great aunt had been in German opera. Raney started singing when she was four and a year later she first performed in public, at a party in Wichita, Kansas. Because a voice teacher could not be found for her daughter (because of her extreme youth), Raney's mother took voice lessons herself and then passed down what she learned to Sue. A professional before she was a teenager, Raney worked steadily in New Mexico when her family relocated and took several trips out to Los Angeles during a couple of summer vacations. She joined the Jack Carson radio show in 1954 in L.A. when she was barely 14. Raney then appeared on Ray Anthony's television program and became his band's main vocalist. At 18 she started working as a single. She had already recorded for Phillips and then signed with Capitol, recording several middle-of-the-road jazz-influenced pop dates for the company. In the 1960's Raney often appeared on television variety shows, she led her own group and became very active in the studios where her impressive voice helped sell products. By the early 1980's, she was also working as a voice teacher. In the 1990's Sue Raney has sung with the L.A. Voices and Supersax, the Bill Watrous big band and as a single in addition to staying active as a jazz educator and in the studios. Her main jazz recordings were a trio of albums for Discovery in the 1980's; a VSOP/Studio West CD features the singer on various live performances from the 1960's. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/sue-raney-mn0000491082/biography

Rain Songs

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The Lori Mechem Quartet - Shiny Stockings

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:13
Size: 124,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:39) 1. Splanky
(4:16) 2. The Late, Late Show
(4:33) 3. Pleasingly Plump
(3:41) 4. Meet B.B.
(5:28) 5. In A Mellotone
(4:03) 6. Flight Of The Foo Birds
(4:55) 7. Moten Swing
(5:53) 8. Lil Darlin'
(5:54) 9. Shiny Stockings
(4:47) 10. The Midnight Sun Will Never Set
(4:25) 11. Plymouth Rock
(1:35) 12. One O'Clock Jump

A respected jazz pianist, composer and educator, Lori, along with her husband Roger Spencer, has lived in the Nashville area since 1988. In addition to directing production shows and conducting musical theatre, she has performed with artists such as Dizzy Gillespie, Red Holloway, Jimmy Smith, Cal Collins, Roy McCurdy, Terry Gibbs, Pete Christlieb, Edie Gorme, Bobby Militello, Kirk Whalum and Donna McElroy. A native of Anderson Indiana, Lori received a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana.

Lori’s first CD, “Welcome to Brazil” was nominated for “Best Jazz Album of the Year” by the Nashville Music Awards in 1997. In 2003, Lori’s second CD, “Shiny Stockings, rose to #26 on the jazz charts. In 2005 she released a Brazilian Christmas album on Village Square Music. Since then she has released three more CD’s: “April in Paris” (a second Count Basie album), “The Dream of Life” (original meditation music), and “Return to Ipanema.” Lori and Roger founded and direct the Nashville Jazz Workshop. Lori is responsible for curriculum, student advisement, and special events, and teaches vocal, instrumental, and keyboard classes.https://nashvillejazz.org/people/lori-mechem-

Shiny Stockings

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David Grisman, Denny Zeitlin - New River

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:29
Size: 136,9 MB
Art: Front

( 7:07) 1. Brazilian Street Dance
( 5:45) 2. Dawg Funk
( 4:51) 3. Moving Parts
( 4:55) 4. Blue Midnite
( 5:42) 5. New River
( 4:25) 6. Waltz For Gigi
( 8:45) 7. Dg/dz Blues
(10:29) 8. On The March
( 7:25) 9. Fourteen Miles To Barstow

This set features two eclectic Californians, mandolinist David Grisman and pianist Denny Zeitlin, in a lively and unusual duo setting. The contrast between mandolin and piano couldn’t be greater, of course. Zeitlin’s orchestral playing, with its expansive timbral range and resonating low end, does most of the heavy lifting. Grisman’s instrument has its inherent limitations tiny neck, circumscribed harmonic capacity, somewhat tinny sound. But Grisman is a master at wringing the unexpected from those eight strings.

Not only does he display unparalleled virtuosity and melodic resourcefulness; he also responds to Zeitlin with just the right sonic touches, comping jazz-style on "Blue Midnite" and creating ethereal pick-slide effects on the mini-epic "On the March." The program is evenly split between Zeitlin’s originals and Grisman’s; the loose minor-key "DG/DZ Blues" is co-written. Following the invigorating, Gershwin-meets-bluegrass finale, "Fourteen Miles to Barstow," Grisman and Zeitlin keep the tape rolling for some brief free-improv, a hidden track. Throughout the session, Grisman brings out the new-acoustic, Americana side of Zeitlin, while Zeitlin brings out the jazz in Grisman. The result is music that is refreshingly beyond category. ~ David Adler https://www.allaboutjazz.com/new-river-david-grisman-acoustic-disc-review-by-david-adler.php

Personnel: David Grisman, mandolin; Denny Zeitlin, piano

New River

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Frank Kohl - Coast to Coast

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:00
Size: 118,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:02) 1. Wide Open
(4:46) 2. Coast to Coast
(7:29) 3. A Call for Peace
(8:32) 4. Fly Away
(8:34) 5. Bright Night
(5:06) 6. I Remember Clifford
(8:05) 7. Old Country
(3:23) 8. When All is Well

Frank Kohl approaches the guitar with an exuberant curiosity, but also a well-crafted ability skittering from influence to influence without ever stumbling. He sounds like he’s having a ball, too. That’s led to an album called Coast to Coast that boasts a savvy veteran player’s satisfying structural logic, but also its share of humor and fun. Kohl gets off to a fast start, with “Wide Open,” the first of six original pieces. The Seattle guitarist bursts out amidst a bouncy, insistent rhythm signature from drummer Jon Koty and bassist Steve Roane. That boisterous interplay allows Kohl to work at a varied pace, moving behind the beat and then just in front of it all the while sounding as effortlessly engaging as a classic Wes Montgomery pop-jazz side. Pianist Tom Kohl’s shrewdly involving solo, bolstered a series of trickling runs, only adds to the tune’s stirring optimism. It’s a vibrant, sun-filled opening track.

The album’s title tune follows. A riffy, swinging affair, it’s more in keeping with Montgomery’s earliest post-bop projects. Playing alongside a supremely confident Roane, who consistently lays down a firm bass foundation across the breadth of Coast to Coast, Kohl explores a series of buoyant themes to great effect. When Roane takes a solo turn, he really shines, too adding attractive new contours to the proceedings. A similar swinging symbiosis drives the moving ballad “A Call for Peace,” which again features Doty at the drums. While Kohl unfurls a series of finely spin lines, Doty explores an intriguing selection of polyrhythms. Though wordless, the instrumental nevertheless conveys both a deep concern and a stoic protest in the face of ongoing conflict. Tom Kohl also returns to provide a series of dark shadings at the piano, underscoring the tune’s gravity without ever taking away from the guitarist’s searching, heartfelt solo musings.

The original “Fly Away,” not to be confused with the oft-recorded gospel standard “I’ll Fly Away,” begins in a similarly ruminative mood, though from the start this tune has the feel of a reverie rather than a rebuke. Soon, Roane and Jerry Fitzgerald, who takes over on drums for three of the remaining four cuts, have kicked into gear finding a skipping rhythm that allows Kohl to soar once more. Channeling the most free-wheeling, open-hearted sounds of Pat Metheny, Kohl is as amiable as he is quick fingered. During his eventual solo, Tom Hohl plays with a stuttering force; the sounds this time arrive in clusters that suggest an afternoon storm cloud bursting.

Conversely, his opening piano on “Bright Night,” so softly introverted, sounds like something out of Miles Davis’ late-1950s modal jazz triumph Kind of Blue. Kohl answers in kind, playing with a caressing beauty. It’s perhaps the most impressionistic moment on Coast to Coast, and certainly one of its most attractive. Kohl’s take on Benny Golson’s “I Remember Clifford,” meanwhile, has a delightfully bluesy edge. In a move that almost belies some of the prettier moments that came before on Coast to Coast, Kohl punches out rows of notes with power, and grit. Conversely, his opening piano on “Bright Night,” so softly introverted, sounds like something out of Miles Davis’ late-1950s modal jazz triumph Kind of Blue. Kohl answers in kind, playing with a caressing beauty. It’s perhaps the most impressionistic moment on Coast to Coast, and certainly one of its most attractive. Kohl’s take on Benny Golson’s “I Remember Clifford,” meanwhile, has a delightfully bluesy edge. In a move that almost belies some of the prettier moments that came before on Coast to Coast, Kohl punches out rows of notes with power, and grit.~ Nick DeRiso https://somethingelsereviews.com/2011/10/14/frank-kohl-quartet-coast-to-coast/

Personnel: Frank Kohl, g; Steve Roane except 8, b; Tom Kohl except 2, 8, p; Jon Doty 1, 3, JerryFitzgerald 4, 5, 7, d. January, 2008, Madison, CT.

Coast to Coast

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Beegie Adair - Valentine's Day Jazz

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 200:58
Size: 468,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:29) 1. They Didn't Believe Me
(3:17) 2. I've Got You Under My Skin
(3:41) 3. Can't Help Loving
(3:01) 4. L-O-V-E
(3:38) 5. What A Difference A Day Makes
(3:33) 6. Love Me Tender
(3:29) 7. My Romance
(4:03) 8. They Can't Take That Away From Me
(3:45) 9. A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody
(3:17) 10. The Way You Look Tonight
(3:38) 11. For Once In My Life
(3:50) 12. Let's Get Lost
(4:32) 13. My Funny Valentine
(3:32) 14. Young At Heart
(4:18) 15. Unforgettable
(5:25) 16. But Beautiful
(4:26) 17. Fools Fall In Love
(4:18) 18. The Nearness Of You
(3:36) 19. Our Love Is Here To Stay
(4:08) 20. Cheek To Cheek
(3:43) 21. Oh Look At Me Now
(3:53) 22. I Say A Little Prayer
(3:45) 23. Nancy
(4:07) 24. Mona Lisa
(4:50) 25. It's Now Or Never
(4:18) 26. Sophisticated Lady
(3:36) 27. Witchcraft
(4:43) 28. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life
(3:28) 29. Walkin' My Baby Back Home
(4:21) 30. Love Me
(3:43) 31. I've Got A Crush On You
(3:57) 32. When I Fall In Love
(3:34) 33. Strangers In The Night
(3:36) 34. One For My Baby
(4:11) 35. Love Letters
(4:04) 36. Embraceable You
(4:05) 37. My One And Only Love
(3:41) 38. What A Wonderful World
(3:46) 39. All The Things You Are
(3:50) 40. Save The Last Dance For Me
(4:06) 41. I Get A Kick Out Of You
(3:08) 42. Let's Do It
(4:24) 43. Skylark
(3:45) 44. Polka Dots And Moonbeams
(3:51) 45. They Say It's Wonderful
(3:21) 46. It Could Happen To You
(3:51) 47. I Can't Help Falling In Love
(4:19) 48. A Time For Love
(3:13) 49. The Song Is You
(4:03) 50. I Only Have Eyes For You
(3:17) 51. Have You Met Miss Jones
(3:09) 52. Again

Beegie Adair is a prolific, award-winning jazz pianist and arranger known for her interpretations of jazz and popular standards and show tunes. She has sold over two million recordings globally. Her melodic, fleet-fingered style reflects the sounds of her major influences, including George Shearing, Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson, and Erroll Garner. Adair grew up in Cave City, Kentucky, where she began taking piano lessons at age five. She continued to study piano throughout college, earning a B.S. in music education at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green. During and after college, she played in jazz bands, and spent three years teaching music to children before moving to Nashville, where she became a session musician, working at WSM-TV and on The Johnny Cash Show (1969-1971). She and her husband also started a jingle company to write music for commercials.

In 1982, she and saxophonist Denis Solee formed the Adair-Solee Quartet, which evolved into the Be-Bop Co-Op, a jazz sextet. In 1998, she released Escape to New York, her first trio-led date with a rhythm section consisting of Bob Cranshaw and Gregory Hutchinson. She signed to the fledgling Hillsboro label for 2001's Dream Dancing: The Songs of Cole Porter; bassist Roger Spencer and drummer Chris Brown joined her. Dream Dancing was the first of dozens of themed albums devoted to songwriters and singers. In 2002, she was named a Steinway Artist. Most of Adair's recordings have been issued by the independent jazz label Green Hill Productions. They include 2008's Yesterday: A Solo Piano Tribute to the Music of the Beatles, 2010's Swingin' with Sinatra, and 2012's The Real Thing (which spent 20 weeks on the jazz charts and was chosen one of the year's best 100 jazz albums). In 2015, her trio collaborated with saxophonist Don Aliquo on Too Marvelous for Words. Since 2011, Adair and her trio have played Birdland in New York. While visiting, they have often collaborated with vocalist Monica Ramey. In the spring of 2016, that partnership bore fruit on the album Some Enchanted Evening. The following year saw Adair issue the compilation By Request, which featured her most requested and personal favorites. ~ William Ruhlmann https://www.allmusic.com/artist/beegie-adair-mn0000149265/biography

Valentine's Day Jazz

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The Frank Kohl Quartet - Rising Tide

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:15
Size: 118,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:52) 1. Rock and Roll
(8:57) 2. Rising Tide
(5:07) 3. With Tears of Joy
(8:17) 4. Richman Poorman
(4:26) 5. Love Letters
(5:45) 6. Late Night
(8:29) 7. My Romance
(3:19) 8. Beautiful Love Solo Guitar

Rising Tide is Frank Kohl's fourth album as leader, and finds the Seattle-based guitarist slinging an especially contemplative vintage of swing. This time he is joined by his New York City quartet of bassist Steve LaSpina, pianist (and brother) Tom Kohl, and drummer Jon Doty. As Steve Griggs of Earshot Magazine wrote of his last album, Invisible Man, "While Kohl has clearly mastered technique, his guitar solos sing true with room for breath and emotion." These sentiments are nowhere truer than on Rising Tide, guaranteeing a truly welcoming experience.

To that end, Rising Tide opens with two original grooves: Rock and Roll and the title track. The former makes for some of the album's smoothest sailing, while Rising Tide eddies and whirls in its own unique way. Both showcase the bandleader at the height of his compositional powers, expressed in a playing style that is equal parts declaration and implication. Kohl's wheelhouse is his balladry, which finds ample proof in the sweeter inflections of With Tears of Joy and Richman Poorman. Both are emblematic products of a keen melodician, highlighting the artisanal sound that Kohl painstakingly elicits from his instrument.

Not to be ignored, however, are the contributions of his top-flight sidemen, who from their treasure hunt through Victor Young's Love Letters emerge with sensitive rewards. My Romance (Rodgers and Hart), for its part, showcases the rhythm section's effervescent synergy. Like a hot cup of mulled cider on a winter's evening, it goes down smooth and warms from within, emboldened by a hint of spice: exactly the kind of nostalgia we need in the impending season. Between these standards, Late Night, another Kohl original, shows the band at its interlocking best. Here one gets the nimble improvising of LaSpina, brother Kohl's delicate pianism, and Doty's effortless exchanges. As with each Kohl-penned tune, the title almost suggests itself, whispered like a premonition over the waters of his creative spirit.

A solo take on the Victor Young classic, Beautiful Love, closes out the set with barest essentials. The title perfectly describes the depth of Kohl's playing, which in its unaccompanied state embraces us as we are. Kohl's music has all the makings of classic territory, and this album is its ideal topography. Each melody blossoms with a formal yet spontaneous sound built upon heartfelt foundations and quality rapport. To many musicians, smooth exteriors and genuinely emotional interiors make for a difficult balance. In Kohl's hands, however, such equilibrium feels as inevitable as the music. The tide may be rising, but on this album's platform Kohl is riding his way into continued success. http://home.nestor.minsk.by/jazz/news/2017/01/1901.html

Personnel: Guitar – Frank Kohl ; Bass – Steve LaSpina (tracks: 1 to 7); Drums – Jon Doty (tracks: 1 to 7); Piano – Tom Kohl (tracks: 1 to 7)

Rising Tide

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Gabriela Anders - The Ring

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:02
Size: 98,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:07) 1. Shattered Love
(4:34) 2. Tres Palabras
(4:32) 3. That Old Feeling
(3:33) 4. Something to My Head
(4:42) 5. Aunque Sufra Después
(3:44) 6. The Ring
(4:28) 7. Nunca Mais
(3:18) 8. Condescending
(5:18) 9. En Las Manos
(4:40) 10. I've Grown Accustomed to His Face

Some months before the Covid-19 outbreak, Gabriela Anders began tracking a new CD of piano/voice duets in studios scattered around NYC. With no idea what was coming, she happened to finish recording the album's three other musicians just as it hit. Amidst the fear and uncertainty at the virus' epicenter, Gabriela continued recording, creating intimate portraits of struggle and redemption against the bizarre backdrop of the pandemic. The project’s pianists, Jim Ridl, Jean-Michel Pilc and Jon Cowherd - radically different stylists from different corners of the jazz world - offer their unique sensibilities to Gabriela’s voice and music. The results, unified by some of the strongest, most imaginative singing and orchestration of Gabriela’s career, elevate the record far beyond the predictability of the commonplace duo aesthetic. “The Ring” is fun and beautiful, surprising and moving, a one-of-a-kind breakout statement from a unique artist's take on what it means to be a jazz singer. https://gabrielaanders.bandcamp.com/album/the-ring

The Ring

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Merry Cristmas and Happy New Year

Andrew Hill - Les trinitaires

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:07
Size: 164,5 MB
Art: Front

( 9:10) 1. Joanne
( 9:06) 2. What's New ?
(11:30) 3. Little Spain
( 4:31) 4. 15.08
( 5:17) 5. Metz
( 7:58) 6. Dusk (Take 1)
( 6:03) 7. Labyrinth
( 5:01) 8. Seven
( 6:51) 9. Dusk (Take 2)
( 5:37) 10. I'll Be Seeing You

Les Trinitaires finds master composer Andrew Hill alone at the piano in a small French club just 18 months before recording his well-regarded ensemble recording Dusk. This is a stark, moody set, not the place to begin to explore Hill's prickly work with its angular, elusive melodies. His solo presentation is stark and ruminative. For those already engaged with his work, this offers a glimpse of the skeletal foundations of compositions, especially "Dusk" and "15/8," which would later appear on Dusk in full ensemble form. These versions of the compositions are similar to seeing the sketches made for an oil painting. The session also includes two newly minted compositions, "Metz" and "Labyrinth," which were written during his stay at the club. Hill's rendering of the two standards "What's New?" and "I'll Be Seeing You" with their dark, dense altered chords and oddly loping left-hand figures give insights into this important composer's sonic world. ~ David Dupont https://www.allmusic.com/album/les-trinitaires-mw0000434819

Personnel: Andrew Hill - piano

Les trinitaires

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George Coleman - Danger High Voltage

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:10
Size: 157,2 MB
Art: Front

( 9:55) 1. Isn't She Lovely
(10:22) 2. Conservation
(13:31) 3. Portrait Of Jennie
( 5:06) 4. Simone
(10:03) 5. Tenderly
(12:42) 6. Follow Me
( 6:29) 7. Pretty Blues

George Coleman isn’t just the answer to the trivial pursuit question “Who were the tenor saxophonists in Miles Davis’ Band after John Coltrane and but before Wayne Shorter.” The correct answers; Hank Mobley, Sam Rivers, and George Coleman, if not achieving Miles Davis super-stardom all went on to significant careers. Miles suggested that Coleman left his sixties group because of tension. Davis said he played too perfect and that his bandmates were looking for more freedom and, one can suspect, a looser sound. My take is that George Coleman, like his Memphis jazz brother Harold Mabern, played with a blues/swing the aggressive young lions Herbie Hancock and Tony Williams were trying to eschew, for hipness sake. Like Mobley (now deceased) and more recently Rivers, Coleman has a gang of loyal devotees to his music.

Coleman has been part of many significant groups (Lionel Hampton, Elvin Jones, Horace Silver, Jimmy Smith, Chet Baker, Max Roach, and Cedar Walton and recordings (Herbie Hancock’s Maiden Voyage, and Miles Davis’ Four And More, My Funny Valentine, & Live at Antibes ). His output as a leader has been sparse (for such a great talent), with his last release being the Telarc recording I Could Write A Book: The Music Of Richard Rodgers (1998). His Octet, which has been around in some form or an other since 1973, has criminally been recorded only a few times. The Two And Four recording company rights a wrong in the debut release by Coleman’s Octet. The disc opens with Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely,” the octet laying such a driving blues groove you barely notice Coleman doesn’t take a solo until nearly four minutes into the song. It’s that Memphis sound that hooks you from the get-go. Harold Mabern’s piano swings so hard throughout, there is not much that could go wrong here.

Percussionist Daniel Sadowick augments the octet of two tenors, alto, and baritone saxophones, trumpet, piano bass and drums. His hand drumming along with master bassist Ray Drummond, George’s son on drums and the aforementioned Mabern, are a rhythm section with a blues predilection. Their take on the standard “Tenderly,” arranged by Ned Otter, is a rapid paced reworking which sheds every ounce of sentimentality for passionate swing. This is an octet that thinks it’s a quartet. They regard changes most little big bands would never attempt and apply generous space rarely heard in octet recordings. Highlights include trumpeter Jim Rotondi’s solo on “Portrait Of Jenny,” Coleman’s “Pretty Blues” with full-horn front split off into a call-and response, and Frank Foster’s composition “Simone” with the coltrane-esqe solo by Ned Otter. Maybe Miles Davis was right; George Coleman’s playing is too perfect. Not perfect, as in the criticism of Wynton Marsalis’ unemotional playing. But perfect in the sense of Dizzy Gillespie’s always playing the correct note at the right time. Coleman’s timing is faultless, and no one could ever say his horn is indifferent. This Memphis tenor has a large blues sound with enough passion to get your ass dancing.~ Mark Corroto https://www.allaboutjazz.com/danger-high-voltage-george-coleman-two-and-four-review-by-mark-corroto.php

Personnel: Tenor Saxophone – George Coleman, Ned Otter ; Trumpet – Jim Rotondi; Piano – Harold Mabern; Acoustic Bass – Ray Drummond; Alto Saxophone – Adam Brenner; Baritone Saxophone – Gary Smulyan; Percussion – Daniel Sadownick

Danger High Voltage

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Dick Oatts - Standard Issue, Vol. 2

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:24
Size: 136,7 MB
Art: Front

(12:47) 1. Stella by Starlight
(13:42) 2. On Green Dolphin Street
(16:20) 3. Love Thy Neighbor
( 3:46) 4. Moonlight in Vermont
(12:47) 5. You Stepped out of a Dream

During his long career, saxophonist Dick Oatts has been a capable sideman on many important dates. On this follow-up to his earlier Steeplechase CD, he explores familiar standards in live jams recorded between 1997 and 1999; with one exception, all of these tracks are extended blowing sessions. Starting off on alto sax, accompanied by bassist Dave Santoro and drummer James Oblon, Oatts' tone is soft during his initial choruses in "Stella By Starlight" before cutting loose with a driving solo; his reworking of the venerable chestnut "On Green Dolphin Street" is a treat. Pianist Harold Danko joins the trio for the last three songs, and Oatts switches to tenor sax for "Love Thy Neighbor," a great standard that had fallen somewhat out of favor among jazz musicians in the final decades of the 20th century. Oatts is every bit as accomplished on the larger instrument, with a fat, confident tone, while Danko's chops are also never in question. Following a rather brief but wild take of "Moonlight in Vermont" with Oatts back on alto, the CD wraps with a thorough workout of "You Stepped out of a Dream." ~ Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/standard-issue-vol-2-mw0000969599

Personnel: Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Dick Oatts; Bass – Dave Santoro; Drums – James Oblon; Piano – Harold Danko

Standard Issue, Vol. 2

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Jeremy Pelt - The Art of Intimacy, Vol. 1

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:23
Size: 120,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:54) 1. Love Is Simple
(7:17) 2. Little Girl Blue
(6:02) 3. Always on My Mind
(4:01) 4. I've Just Seen Her
(4:36) 5. Then I'll Be Tired of You
(6:48) 6. Ebony Moonbeams
(5:52) 7. While You Are Gone
(8:02) 8. Ab-o-lutely
(3:47) 9. I'll Never Stop Loving You

Jeremy Pelt needed to get some years behind him before he could make an album like The Art of Intimacy, Vol. 1. Like many young lions, the trumpeter spent his early years spitting fire and chasing after ideas to see what stuck: most comfortable in post-bop and modal settings, with the usual suspects Miles, Hubbard, et al serving as his guiding light, he also ventured into spacious, orchestral creations, funk and electronically augmented jams, always adventurous, often audacious.

Pelt long ago proved his chops, versatility, and willingness to step out where he hadn’t before 2019’s The Artist was anchored by a multi-part suite inspired by Rodin’s sculptures but never has he taken such a deep, long breath and simply played it so cool, as he does here. What makes The Art of Intimacy so surprising is its deliberate lack of sparks, its soft, rounded edges: At 43, Pelt (who self-produced) has made the least encumbered recording of his career, a low-key, drummerless trio session, consisting primarily of ballads, most of them standards, that virtually defines the phrase “mellow jazz.”

You couldn’t have chosen better partners for this venture than pianist George Cables and bassist Peter Washington, both older gentlemen who ooze mellifluousness and sensitivity in their playing. On tracks like Rodgers and Hart’s “Little Girl Blue” and Yarburg/Schwartz’s “Then I’ll Be Tired of You,” the trio’s mutual respectfulness is omnipresent, as much in the open spaces as in their measured, deftly navigated interactions. Of the few original compositions, both Pelt’s opening “Love Is Simple” and his co-write with Washington, “Ab-o-lutely” (which Cables sits out), manage to say much with little. The Art of Intimacy, Vol. 1 is a warm, welcoming, familiar blanket bring on volume two.~ Jeff Tamarkin https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/jeremy-pelt-the-art-of-intimacy-vol-1-highnote/

The Art of Intimacy, Vol. 1

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Rob Zinn - Yesterday Again

Styles: Trumpet Jazz, Smooth Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:10
Size: 104,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:37) 1. Back Where We Started
(4:27) 2. Noche Caliente
(4:19) 3. Yesterday Again
(4:42) 4. Scheherazade
(4:18) 5. Love Is the Answer
(4:00) 6. Time for Blues
(4:08) 7. Lost Inside
(6:09) 8. Freddie's
(5:05) 9. Your Sweet Caress
(4:21) 10. Close Your Eyes

In 2016, veteran trumpeter and flugelhornist Rob Zinn launched an exciting new phase of his distinguished, multi-faceted career, emerging as an internationally recognized independent smooth jazz artist and composer with his critically acclaimed albums Walk The Walk (2018) and Yesterday Again (2016). Walk the Walk was selected for the 61st Grammy Ballot for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album. Rob is currently recording songs for his third album. Once again working with producer Paul Brown, as well as first time collaborations with producers Greg Manning and Adam Hawley. The latest album is gonna be heavy on contemporary grooves, Rob Zinn style, with a few surprises thrown in. Zinn, an endorser of Chicago based Phaeton Trumpets released his sophomore album, Walk The Walk in April 2018. Produced by 2-time Grammy winner Paul Brown, Walk The Walk is an explosive collection of a multitude of styles that Zinn has performed over the years, including funk, Latin, R&B, rock, pop and urban jazz. In addition to showcasing his infectious songwriting and versatility on horns, it included guest appearances by East Coast based genre great Andrew Neu (saxophones) and West Coast great Michael Paulo (saxophones) and of course Paul Brown’s tasty guitar licks on several tracks. Songs from the album received airplay on over 125 smooth jazz stations around the world with a listening audience in 90 countries.

Rob’s songs have charted top 50 on such prominent outlets as the Billboard Smooth Jazz National Airplay and Audience charts, America’s Music Chart powered by mediabase, the Smooth Jazz Top 50 Album chart, Smooth Jazz Radar chart, Smooth Jazz Indie chart, Smooth Jazz Network Top 100 chart, Groove Jazz Music Chart Top 30 and the RadioWave Internet Play chart, and received “Most Added” designations on Nielsen/Billboard numerous times. Zinn has performed at numerous jazz festivals such as the Mallorca Jazz Festival, Clifford Brown Jazz Festival, Lake Arbor Jazz Festival, Berks Jazz Festival, Sandy Shore’s Jazz Weekender, Sweet Jazz Festival and the Jazz Legacy Foundation Jazz Festival as well as venues throughout the country. When not playing with his own band, Rob often appears as a sideman with guitar player and double Grammy winner Paul Brown. A native of Maryland who grew up and established his musical career in neighboring Delaware, Zinn brings to his solo artistry a dynamic history as an ensemble performer and popular sideman. While performing in his high school jazz band and in the college jazz band at the University of Delaware, he “cut his teeth” and began his professional career with a prominent 15-piece swing band. Playing with them from the ages of 17 to 25, he performed hundreds of gigs throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware at top venues, big band society dances and numerous special occasions

Zinn then joined the horn section of the heavily booked 7-piece dance party band Group Therapy, which performed heavy jazz and funk (from Tower of Power to The Brecker Brothers) everywhere from outdoor concerts and country clubs to state fairs and 800-1000 seat venues, opening for, among others, legendary acts like The Spinners, Kool & The Gang, Tower of Power and Average White Band. During his stint with this ensemble, Zinn expanded his repertoire to include lead and harmony vocals, keyboards and percussion. While playing regularly with the swing band and Group Therapy, Zinn also gigged with Just Friends, a hip big band that played the music of Buddy Rich, Hank Levy and Maynard Ferguson; and the Brian Pastor Big Band, which performed hip big band music by everyone from Buddy Rich to contemporary master and multiple Grammy winner Gordon Goodwin. Zinn later exercised his blues chops with Delaware Rock & Roll Delaware Hall of Fame band Rockett 88 and with The Jimmy Pritchard Band, which represented the Jersey Shore Jazz and Blues Foundation and competed in the annual Memphis based competition, the International Blues Challenge. Performing with both groups at various blues festivals gave the trumpeter a taste of what he is now enjoying as a leader in his own right. Over the years, he has free-lanced with many area bands and occasionally participates in tribute shows (The Beatles, George Harrison, Bruce Springsteen) at World Café Live and The Queen in Wilmington. Zinn has also played at the venue’s annual Shine the Light shows, which feature tributes to single years in pop music and raises money for music programs for underprivileged students.

Though there were no professional musicians in his immediate family, Zinn’s grandfather was a semi-pro trumpeter, so it made sense for him to carry on in that tradition when he began playing at age 9. His parents were big music lovers, and he grew up surrounded by the traditional sounds of Andy Williams, Jack Jones, Frank Sinatra, Herb Alpert, Al Hirt and Johnny Mathis. His two older sisters introduced him to the Beatles and later on his own he discovered Steely Dan, Tower of Power, Chicago, Maynard Ferguson and Chuck Mangione, while also playing along to Herb Alpert records. He added flugelhorn to his arsenal when he was a 3-time selection to the all-state jazz band in high school. all of those musical experiences paving the way, Zinn is excited about the fresh opportunities coming his way that will allow him to continue performing his own music for a rapidly growing fan base. “It is amazing to be able to take these ideas rolling around in my head, commit them to a demo, and then be part of the process of bringing a fresh composition to life with amazing musicians,” he says. The most gratifying thing, though, is playing my songs live. It’s great being a working musician interpreting other people’s compositions, but there’s nothing like making meaningful connections with my own music. I want people to feel something when I play, feel the emotion in what I’m expressing whether it’s through the melody, chords or performance – and to create a special moment in time for them. That’s the ultimate for me.” http://robzinn.com/bio/.

Yesterday Again

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RP Quartet - Poney Jungle

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:32
Size: 113,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:50) 1. Raging Piece
(4:51) 2. Brilliant Corners
(3:43) 3. Nefertiti
(3:36) 4. Take the a Train
(4:06) 5. Duke Ellington's Sound of Love
(3:39) 6. Like Sonny
(3:34) 7. E.S.P.
(2:53) 8. Light Blue
(4:40) 9. Reincarnation of a Lovebird
(4:11) 10. A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing
(4:34) 11. Isfahan
(3:51) 12. Joshua

For its fourth opus, the most badass French string quartet of the young guard revisits the standards of the monuments of jazz: Mingus, Ellington, Coltrane, Monk, Shorter. Without a doubt one of the most relevant training when it comes to delivering artistic experimentation based on a heritage base. The RP Quartet matures here to get to the core of its art, this "Jungle Pony" is a crazy musical cavalcade, a powerful pitfall combining candor and brilliance. Augustin BONDOUX For its fourth opus, the most badass string quartet in France’s young guard revisits standards written by some of the monuments in jazz, namely Mingus, Ellington, Coltrane, Monk and Shorter. And this four-piece is probably one of the most relevant around when it comes to artistic experiment based the material that belongs to our heritage. Here the RP Quartet shows its increasing maturity as it closes in on the essentials of its art, and Poney Jungle is a wild, powerful musical horse ride that clears every obstacle with sincerity and brio. Translate By Google https://www.discogs.com/RP-Quartet-Poney-Jungle/release/15655399

Personnel: Contrabass – Damien Varaillon; Guitar – Edouard Pennes, Rémi Oswald; Violin – Bastien Ribot

Poney Jungle

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Zaz - Effet miroir

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:53
Size: 123,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:38) 1. Demain c'est toi
(2:57) 2. Qué vendrá
(3:19) 3. On s'en remet jamais
(3:26) 4. J'aime j'aime
(3:29) 5. Mes souvenirs de toi
(2:25) 6. Toute ma vie
(3:30) 7. Je Parle
(5:17) 8. Résigne-moi
(3:35) 9. Ma valse
(3:55) 10. Si c'était à refaire
(2:27) 11. Pourquoi tu joues faux
(3:54) 12. Plume
(3:39) 13. Nos vies
(3:17) 14. Saint-Valentin
(4:57) 15. Laponie

French chanteuse powerhouse ZAZ has dominated the international pop scene for nearly a decade, yet she’s left little imprint on our shores. Despite glowing lauds from NPR and BlackBook, her unique style of gypsy jazz, Latin grooves and pop sensibilities rarely make waves on our side of the Atlantic. It’s a shame: ZAZ’s talent is undeniable. Her sound encompasses coy yet mature songwriting, sensual and soulful vocal delivery, and admiration and respect for fusing style and genre. It’s anyone’s guess if her latest, Effet Miroir, will spread her name across North America, but there’s no denying the depth, variety, and unbridled personality on this record. It’s a tired trope to compare every French superstar female singer to the legendary Edith Piaf. No one will ever mimic the soul and the sound of the little sparrow, but Piaf’s vivacious, rebellious spirit lives on in ZAZ’s pitch-perfect pop execution. In lesser hands opening track “Demain C’est Toi” would sound like a stale saccharine ballad with rolling piano and swelling strings. Coming from ZAZ’s tender yet deliciously gritty voice, however, the track sounds convincing and–dare one say–undeniably passionate.

ZAZ makes a habit of embracing global music styles that suit her personality, and while the results don’t always click they are still unquestionably novel efforts. The gypsy/reggae groove of “Qué Vendra” recalls her manouche roots while “J’aime j’aime” flexes a stock pop sensibility. It’s easy to argue that a French singer cherry picking non-Euro-centric styles is a cheap tactic, a ploy to draw in the Putamayo crowd. True, not everything is a raging hit, but they never detract or sound detrimental. The soca guitars backing “Porquoi Tu Joues Faux” add a nice color, but not much else. ZAZ’s personality shines through every track, for better or worse. She’s not a chameleon; she doesn’t accommodate to the songs as much as they bend to her will, centering themselves around her musical conviction. It’s a sound that works well on the stripped piano and voice intimacy of “Ma valse,” a track that lets her flirt with Jacques Brel-inspired drama without sounding over-emotive, yet not every track fares as well. The disco-funk of “On s’en remet jamais” feels misplaced, a tune that grooves yet doesn’t feel as cohesive as other dance anthems. The grandiose crowd pleaser “Nos Vies” sounds generic with tight guitars and reverb-drenched drums coming off as oddly uninspired. This would be enough for most singers, but ZAZ’s consistently stellar track record over the past decade demands more.

There’s still plenty of old world romance throughout Effet Miroir with traces of piano ballads and gypsy jazz, but more than anything the album represents a sonic evolution. Successful or not, the variety of sounds and styles is an impressive blend of electronic and acoustic tracks that sound slick without losing their soul. Still, not everything on the album shines, with a handful of tracks feeling oddly typical and uninspired. The garage rock-laced pop of “Je Parle” is a standout, a catchy track that still demonstrates ZAZ’s soulful crooning, but the glitchy programming of“Résigne Moi” fails to deliver. “Si C’était á Refaire” packs a tight funk beat, perhaps the most bombastic we’ve heard from the French chanteuse yet. There’s no denying Effet Miroir is an attempt to bring ZAZ to a broader audience. It’s light and accessible, packed with global-friendly grooves to appeal to the widest audience possible, yet with ZAZ’s voice and conviction it generally succeeds. Her slinky, playful delivery infuses a carefree spirit into each tune, yet even she can’t deliver a record full of miracles. Nonetheless, Effet Miroir soars more than it stumbles, an excellent demonstration that pop can have just as much substance as style.~ Andy Jurik https://spectrumculture.com/2018/12/13/zaz-effet-miroir-review/

Effet miroir

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Suzanne Vega - An Evening of New York Songs and Stories

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:16
Size: 147,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:18) 1. Marlene on the Wall
(4:03) 2. Luka
(0:44) 3. 'So How Many People Are Here from out of Town?'
(3:16) 4. New York Is a Woman
(0:39) 5. 'This Next Song Takes Place on 59th Street...
(2:43) 6. Frank and Eva
(0:26) 7. 'So I Myself Came to New York City When I Was 2 ½ Years Old'
(4:28) 8. Gypsy
(2:52) 9. Freeze Tag
(3:39) 10. Pornographer's Dream
(0:21) 11. 'This Next Song Is Called New York Is My Destination'
(3:19) 12. New York Is My Destination
(0:50) 13. 'The First Time I Saw Lou Reed...'
(4:15) 14. Walk on the Wild Side
(3:33) 15. Ludlow Street
(3:03) 16. Cracking
(0:07) 17. 'And Now We've Got a Song About Those Times...'
(4:49) 18. Some Journey
(0:10) 19. 'I'm Gonna Close with This Song...'
(5:03) 20. Tom's Diner
(0:17) 21. 'Would You Like Another One?'
(3:03) 22. Anniversary
(3:02) 23. Tombstone
(4:04) 24. Thin Man

With such a long and storied career starting from her first releases in 1985, Suzanne Vega draws from her discography to create An Evening of New York Songs and Stories, a live album composed of some of Vega’s most notable songs that have to do with the Big Apple itself. It’s no secret that New York City is important to Vega, and that really shines through on this album. But what stands out even more than that is Vega’s aptitude for weaving narratives, using her folk-inspired style to make each song a complete story in and of itself. Releasing a live album right now is a smart move. With a lot of concerts being canceled or at the very least restricted, albums like this one are one way to get a part of the live experience. And while many will probably say that there’s no substitute for watching a show live, An Evening of New York Songs and Stories does a commendable job of hitting some of the high notes. There are several interludes from Vega where she introduces the next song and gives a little bit of its background. These are usually very short and they’re casual, not intrusive, and they help the album flow a bit better. However, there are definitely some aspects of a live performance that don’t translate over. There’s no mystery as to whether Vega will do an encore when she says “this next one will be the last” and there are four tracks after it.

The songs themselves are some of the best of the best of Vega’s work, being pulled from a large span of time. From 1985’s “Marlene on the Wall,” which opens the performance, to 2012’s “Ludlow Street” and to 2016’s “New York is My Destination,” almost the entirety of Vega’s career is represented here. Each song’s story draws the listener in, creating a personable and intimate atmosphere that’s boosted by the well-produced audio and non-intrusive audience noises. Standouts include “Frank and Ava,” which follows a tumultuous couple on 59th Street, “Freeze Tag,” a somber tale of childhood and love and its end, and the aforementioned “New York is My Destination.” This last one is notable because Vega initially wrote it for a play about Carson McCullers to embody her hopes and aspirations and ideas about New York City, and here on this album it serves as roughly the same thing – the idealized version of the city that so many dream of.

But like New York City, this album is incredibly multifaceted. It shows the city’s sides while showing Vega’s own multitude of talented approaches to songs. “Ludlow Street” in particular stands out as opening with a darker, captivating sound that blends with Vega’s dynamic voice. During the chorus, the song shifts into a more hopeful tone as the titular location is brought up as a kind of refuge. Vega uses not just her voice and words but also her instrumentals to paint this picture, to draw out the emotions she intends to convey. A similar darker tone shines through on “Some Journey,” although this track is as a whole more sorrowful and reflective than in the moment like “Ludlow Street.” However, “Some Journey” builds on its opening well, adding in musical flourishes and instruments to keep the flow. This aspect combines with the lyrics to portray Vega getting lost in fantasies of what could have been, drifting into her own thoughts and away from the reality of the situation until the built-up music falls away and Vega’s vocals stand out stark against spartan chords as her actual experience dawns. A thrumming lower riff starts to kick in as she regains her determination, and hope breaks through the clouds in a fascinating instrumental section. And at the very end, everything stops dead and lands on one final resolution, a spelled-out chord that finishes off the piece with lingering admiration. This album successfully encapsulates the aspects that led to Vega’s longevity in the industry, and brings a bit of the concert experience to the home in the process.~ Josiah Cottle https://music.mxdwn.com/2020/10/04/reviews/album-review-suzanne-vega-an-evening-of-new-york-songs-and-stories/

An Evening of New York Songs and Stories

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Massimo Faraò Trio, Giulia Lorvich - The Great Thing in the Sky (50 Years with the Moon)

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:48
Size: 154,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:10) 1. Moon over Bourbon Street
(4:26) 2. Moondance
(7:03) 3. Sister Moon
(4:38) 4. Blue Moon
(6:53) 5. What a Little Moonlight Can Do
(5:08) 6. No Moon at All
(4:11) 7. How High the Moon
(4:48) 8. The Great Gig in the Sky
(3:51) 9. Moonlight Shadows
(3:24) 10. Dancing on the Moonlight
(5:59) 11. Walking on the Moon
(3:30) 12. Goodnight Moon
(3:26) 13. Half Moon
(4:15) 14. Moonlight Drive

Born in Bologna in 1985, she has been interested in music since she was a child, studying classical piano for 3 years. He then began to take an interest in African American music, and later in jazz in particular. In the meantime he studied theater and diction, then working for 2 years with the Living Theater, a theater improvisation workshop led by Gary Brackett. In 2014 she obtained, with a grade of 110 and honors, the Bachelor's Degree in Jazz Singing at the Girolamo Frescobaldi Conservatory in Ferrara, presenting a thesis on the rhythmic and stylistic approach of Anita O'Day, and in 2016 she obtained, with the same vote, the Biennial Degree of specialization in Jazz Singing and Didactics of Singing at the same institute, presenting a thesis on the relationship between music and text and scat vocality. In 2010 he also obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Semiotic Sciences at the Alma Mater Studiorum in Bologna, with a thesis on musical languages.

She studied jazz singing with Tiziana Ghiglioni, Marta Raviglia and Giuppi Paone, and also attended numerous singing and jazz improvisation workshops held by established musicians and teachers, including Maestro Barry Harris, of whom she has been a student since 2010, Sheila Jordan, Kevin Mahogany, Dena DeRose, Michele Hendricks, Rachel Gould, Cinzia Spata, Gorge Garzone, Bob Stoloff, Denise King and others. She has performed regularly in jazz clubs and Italian clubs since 2008, accompanied by different formations, in duo, trio, quartet or quintet depending on current needs and projects. Among others, she has performed at: Bravo Caffè and Cantina Bentivoglio in Bologna, Bologna Jazz Festival, Jazz Club Turin, Vapore (Porto Marghera), Porretta Soul Festival, Gregory's Jazz Club (Rome), Salina Jazz Festival (Messina) Selva In Jazz (Bo), Gezzmatazz Festival (Genoa), Bobby Durham's Jazz Fest (Isola del Cantone, GE), Umbria Jazz, Enosteria (Brescia), Ferrara Jazz Club, Andora Jazz Festival, Valsamoggia Jazz Club, Teatro del Baraccano (BO). Together with the trio composed by Massimo Faraò (piano), Aldo Zunino (double bass) and Marco Tolotti (drums) in the spring of 2014 he recorded his first album as a soloist, containing a selection of jazz standards, and released in May 2015 for the Racing Jazz label.

In April 2015 he made the prestigious collaboration with drummer Jimmy Cobb, recording a double disc of Italian music rearranged according to the jazz language; the disc, in which Faraò and Zunino also play , is published by the prestigious Azzurra Records label. For the same label and with Massimo Faraò in 2019 he released the album The Great Gig In The Sky.On the other hand, the album Minutes of Gold, released on the Velut Luna label in collaboration with Egea Music, is in 2018, in which she is a vocal interpreter and author of the texts in English. Since 2014 he has been teaching vocal technique privately, jazz singing, English language and diction for singing, and since 2015 he has held the chair of singing at the Bentivoglio Music School (BO), the Enzo Suffritti Music School in Finale Emilia (Modena). and the Giovanni Capitano Music School of Ozzano (BO).She also works as an organizer of masterclasses of American artists in Italy, to whom she also acts as an interpreter during the lessons: the most important events she helped organize were the masterclass by Kevin Mahogany in Bologna (October 2013) and Sheila Jordan in Turin (April 2014).

He has collaborated with numerous musicians including: Jimmy Cobb, Massimo Faraò, Paolo Birro, Byron Landham, Aldo Zunino, Andrea Pozza, Steve Williams, Carlo Atti, Alessandro Minetto, Jimmy Villotti, Massimo Manzi, Massimo Tagliata, Luigi Scerra, Giannicola Spezzigu, Andrea Calì, Andrea Grillini, Stefano Dallaporta, Filippo Cassanelli, Oreste Soldano, Domenico LoParco, Luca Pisani, Teo Ciavarella, Massimo Dall'Omo, Alessandro Altarocca, Giancarlo Bianchetti, Jacopo Salieri, Nicola Govoni, Pietro Lussu, Fausto Negrelli, David Muehsam, Guglielmo Pagnozzi, Groove City Soul Band and others. Translate By Google https://giulialorvich.wixsite.com/giulialorvichjazz/about-me

The Great Thing in the Sky (50 Years with the Moon)

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