Wednesday, April 14, 2021

Elvin Jones, Jimmy Garrison Sextet, McCoy Tyner - Illumination!

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:04
Size: 71,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:33) 1. Nuttin' Out Jones
(3:46) 2. Oriental Flower
(6:25) 3. Half And Half
(4:09) 4. Aborigines Dance In Scotland
(5:12) 5. Gettin' On Way
(5:57) 6. Just Us Blues

Until it was reissued in 1998, this was one of the more elusive Impulse sets of the 1960s. Recorded in 1963 and co-led by John Coltrane's drummer and bassist (Elvin Jones and Jimmy Garrison), the music is most significant for introducing Sonny Simmons (alto and English horn) and Prince Lasha (flute and clarinet), who are joined in the sextet by underrated baritonist Charles Davis and Trane's pianist McCoy Tyner.

Each of the musicians except Jones contributed an original (there are two by Davis); the music ranges from advanced hard bop to freer sounds that still swing. While Garrison's contributions are conventional (this was his only opportunity to lead or co-lead a date), Jones is quite powerful. However, it is the playing of both Simmons, who tears it apart on English horn during "Nuttin' Out Jones," and Lasha (when is he going to be rediscovered and recorded again?) that make this early "New Thing" date of greatest interest.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/illumination%21-mw0000033695

Personnel: Drums – Elvin Jones; Alto Saxophone, English Horn – Sonny Simmons; Baritone Saxophone – Charles Davis; Bass – Jimmy Garrison; Clarinet, Flute – Prince Lasha; Piano – McCoy Tyner

Illumination!

Kristin Korb - What If?

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:25
Size: 84,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:30) 1. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious
(5:46) 2. Copacabana
(5:45) 3. Overjoyed
(4:51) 4. The Power of Love
(5:28) 5. This Is My Life
(5:24) 6. Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight
(4:38) 7. Can't Buy Me Love

American double bassist and vocalist Kristin Korb was primarily based in LA until moving to Denmark about 10 years ago, where she continues to impress audiences with her nonchalant, no-nonsense look at jazz. Her laid-back personality resonates through her music she has a way of taking anything and making it sound cool. This is evident in Korb’s newest release, What If?, where she has rearranged some very recognisable pop songs into trendy jazz numbers. In opening track Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious a song rooted in childhood nonsense from the classic film Mary Poppins Korb has played with mixed metre and pushed the scansion of the lyrics into something musically interesting and even sophisticated. Snorre Kirk on drums is a staple in her band and the two mesh together so well; Korb’s writing is obviously drawn to featuring bass grooves and rhythmic elements and Kirk ties everything together seamlessly.

An admirable trait, in this listener’s opinion, of Korb’s taste in music is that she never shies away from a bit of ‘cheese’, but instead finds a way to turn it into a delicacy thus palatable by pop fans and Michelin star music fans alike. Copacabana is definitely one of Barry Manilow’s most famous hits, and seeing the title on the album jacket may incite an involuntary little cringe. But no need, this arrangement has taken the exotic 70s disco hit and given it a more modal feel with a captivating urgency that wasn’t present in the original. There is something delightful in recognising a piece of music hearing something familiar, realising what it is, and then hearing it in a whole new light. Sometimes simple adjustments, or just an artist putting their own spin on something so famous can be touching. Overjoyed was already a delicate Stevie Wonder song, but here it is soft and twinkly, with the soulful beat removed (it’s a bit of a squidgy synth sound, if you recall), and the passion in Korb’s voice is featured more prominently as a result.

The Power of Love was one track that has changed in style enough that I had to remind myself how the original went. This Huey Lewis and the News song has had such a clever treatment adding more feeling to the lyrics (which are quite an apt message in our divisive world at the moment). The solo by award-winning Danish harmonica player Mathias Heise is bluesy and intricate just what the song needed to tie it together. This Is My Life is from a Shirley Bassey album from the sixties of the same title. This version is poignant and thought-provoking after a year frozen in time and full of reflection. It’s like a celebration of music, our careers and our creativity, and how they are integral to living fulfilled lives. It starts soft, but the trombone solo by Steen Nikolaj Hansen brings a warmth to the tune. By Magnus Hjorth‘s piano solo, the celebration is in full swing. The final chorus with intermingling lines from Korb, Hjorth and Hansen is beautiful and free.

James Taylor’s classic Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight showcases a lightness to Korb’s voice and a bass solo with a richness to balance. Tenor sax solo by Karl-Martin Almqvist may be short but he packs a punch, reminiscent of a Celine Dion power-ballad before Korb brings it back in for a romantic, altered ending. The record ends with another harmonica feature for Heise on a Beatles standard Can’t Buy Me Love. Elements of a New Orleans second line sneak in here and there, with funky punches too, but it swings somethin’ fierce which is just what was needed.~ Lauren Bush https://londonjazznews.com/2021/04/12/kristin-korb-what-if/

What If?

Tuesday, April 13, 2021

Jacob Fischer Trio - Black Orpheus

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:32
Size: 121,2 MB
Art: Front

(6:02) 1. Gentle Rain
(3:52) 2. Small Teardrop
(3:22) 3. Triste
(5:39) 4. How Insensitive
(5:18) 5. Sonho Carioca
(4:00) 6. Once I Loved
(4:58) 7. Assanhado
(4:52) 8. Black Orpheus
(4:39) 9. Bole-Bole
(3:47) 10. Desafinado
(3:58) 11. Doce De Coco
(2:04) 12. This Happy Madness

Danish native Jacob Fischer is a rising star and one of the most in-demand jazz guitarists in Europe. Born in 1967, the self-taught guitarist began working as a professional when he was 17 years old, and since then has participated in more than 200 recordings.

Fischer impressed with his debut from the Japanese label Venus Records, a Bill Evans tribute album with a simple trio with bass and drums. Now, he has shown a completely different side with his second release Black Orpheus, playing Brazilian music (bossa nova, samba and choro) with acoustic guitar. His authentic feel comes from his experience of traveling and performing throughout Brazil, and support of the great Brazilian drummer Duduka DaFonseca. https://store.acousticsounds.com/d/116472/Jacob_Fischer_Trio-Black_Orpheus-Single_Layer_Stereo_SACD

Musicians: Jacob Fischer, guitar; Martin Wind, bass; Duduka DaFonseca, drums

Black Orpheus

Sarah Moule - Stormy Emotions

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:16
Size: 111,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:29) 1. Nothing Is Mine Now
(4:04) 2. Are We Just Having Fun
(5:02) 3. Never That's When
(4:17) 4. Close To Tears
(4:48) 5. A Magician's Confession
(3:23) 6. Truly Unruly
(3:44) 7. After The Fall
(4:14) 8. On Hold Living In Limbo
(3:05) 9. Time Is The Beast
(4:17) 10. The Long Arm Of Love
(4:46) 11. Fool's Gold
(3:02) 12. Stormy Emotions

The lyrics here are by Fran Landesman. If you’ve encountered any of hers before, you’ll know that although they’re entirely at home in jazz, and mainly concern love, they can’t be tossed about like any old standard. They’re wary, suspicious, suggesting that the singer has been around the block too many times to fall for the usual line of chat. Occasionally there’s a secretive backward glance to lost innocence, hastily suppressed. That’s a lot of nuance for a composer to take on board and for a singer to convey. Landesman declared that she’d got lucky when she met Simon Wallace, her songwriting partner for 18 years until her death in 2011, and had collected a bonus when he married the singer Sarah Moule.

Listening to these 12 tracks, 10 of them previously unrecorded, you can hear what Landesman meant. Moule catches the shifting moods, touchingly in A Magician’s Confession, candidly in Are We Just Having Fun?, and always unerringly. Wallace’s music catches the spirit of each lyric, brilliantly played by his small band. The prize there goes to Mark Lockheart’s soprano saxophone throughout Close to Tears, moving from dialogue with the voice to solo and back again.

Personnel: Sarah Moule (vocals); Simon Wallace (piano & keyboards); Mick Hutton, Neville Malcolm (double bass); Paul Robinson, Rob Young (drums); Mark Lockheart (soprano saxophone & bass clarinet); Nigel Price (electric & acoustic guitar); Charlie Cawood (acoustic guitar)

Stormy Emotions

Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five - Five Guys Named Moe

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:13
Size: 169.9 MB
Styles: Jump blues, Swing, R&B
Year: 1991/2006
Art: Front

[3:05] 1. Five Guys Named Moe
[4:23] 2. Pistol Packin' Mama
[1:30] 3. Jubilee Jingle Rap
[4:43] 4. I Can't Get Started
[4:52] 5. Rose Room
[3:21] 6. Nagasaki
[2:29] 7. End Announcements And Jubilee Theme One O'clock Jump
[1:57] 8. Jumpin' At The Jubilee
[2:51] 9. (I'm Gonna Move To The) Outskirts Of Town
[1:35] 10. The End Of My Worry
[2:17] 11. How High Am I
[2:22] 12. Hey Now, Let's Live
[2:29] 13. Slender, Tender And Tall
[2:19] 14. (My Feet Are Killing Me, Marching In) The Infantry Blues
[3:18] 15. Is You Is Or Is You Ain't (My Baby )
[3:04] 16. Caldonia (What Makes Your Big Head So Hard)
[2:39] 17. Bahama Joe
[2:50] 18. Nobody But Me
[1:25] 19. Caldonia With Opening Announcements
[3:00] 20. You Was Right, Baby!
[2:34] 21. Ofay And Oxford Grey
[2:23] 22. Reconversion Blues
[2:36] 23. On The Atchison, Topeka And The Santa Fe
[2:23] 24. End Theme Caldonia And Announcements
[3:03] 25. Is You Is Or Is You Ain't (My Baby ) (#2)
[2:13] 26. Don't Worry 'bout The Mule
[2:20] 27. Pinetop's Boogie Woogie

Alto Saxophone, Vocals – Louis Jordan; Bass – "Po" Simpkins*; Drums – Rossiere "Shadow" Wilson; Piano – Arnold Thomas; Trumpet – Eddie Roane.

Effervescent saxophonist Louis Jordan was one of the chief architects and prime progenitors of the R&B idiom. His pioneering use of jumping shuffle rhythms in a small combo context was copied far and wide during the 1940s. Jordan's sensational hit-laden run with Decca Records contained a raft of seminal performances, featuring inevitably infectious backing by his band, the Tympany Five, and Jordan's own searing alto sax and street corner jive-loaded sense of humor. Jordan was one of the first black entertainers to sell appreciably in the pop sector; his Decca duet mates included Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, and Ella Fitzgerald.

The son of a musician, Jordan spent time as a youth with the Rabbit Foot Minstrels and majored in music later on at Arkansas Baptist College. After moving with his family to Philadelphia in 1932, Jordan hooked up with pianist Clarence Williams. He joined the orchestra of drummer Chick Webb in 1936 and remained there until 1938. Having polished up his singing abilities with Webb's outfit, Jordan was ready to strike out on his own. The saxist's first 78 for Decca in 1938, "Honey in the Bee Ball," billed his combo as the Elks Rendezvous Band (after the Harlem nightspot that he frequently played at). From 1939 on, though, Jordan fronted the Tympany Five, a sturdy little aggregation often expanding over quintet status that featured some well-known musicians over the years: pianists Wild Bill Davis and Bill Doggett, guitarists Carl Hogan and Bill Jennings, bassist Dallas Bartley, and drummer Chris Columbus all passed through the ranks. ~partial bio by Bill Dahl

Five Guys Named Moe 

Monday, April 12, 2021

Deana Martin - Destination Moon

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:52
Size: 104,6 MB
Art: Front

(2:31) 1. I Love Being Here With You
(2:31) 2. Beyond the Sea
(2:58) 3. Gee Baby Ain't I Good to You
(4:06) 4. Frim Fram Sauce
(3:55) 5. Break It to Me Gently
(2:21) 6. About a Quarter to Nine
(3:45) 7. Where Did You Learn to Love Like That
(4:00) 8. Paradise
(2:44) 9. G.I. Jive
(3:28) 10. Stuck in a Dream With Me
(2:58) 11. Destination Moon
(3:22) 12. Read Between the Lines
(3:03) 13. Nothing but the Best
(3:09) 14. True Love (Duet)

Among the female progeny of post-WWII pop elite who’ve established musical careers themselves-an impressive list that includes Liza Minnelli, Natalie Cole and Nancy Sinatra-Deana Martin, fourth of Dean’s eight children, remains the least known.

An accomplished stage and TV actress with a respectable voice, decent range and solid sense of swing, Martin has filled two previous albums with tunes made famous by her dad and his cronies. Fond of big, brassy arrangements-think classy, if pedestrian, approximations of Nelson Riddle and Billy May charts-Martin certainly isn’t the most adventurous of singers. But she shares her papa’s warmth and pluck.By Christopher Loudon https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/deana-martin-destination-moon/

Destination Moon

Sonny Simmons - I'll See You When You Get There

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:54
Size: 135,9 MB
Art: Front

( 9:08) 1. Ancient City of Petra
( 5:14) 2. Ballade for Queen Anna
( 4:11) 3. Carebian Fiesta
( 5:33) 4. Colours
( 7:03) 5. I'll See You When You Get There
(11:21) 6. Close Encounter
( 5:01) 7. Fancy Free
( 3:06) 8. Too Late for Tears
( 4:07) 9. Round Midnight
( 4:06) 10. Tenderly

Once upon a time, guys like Chet Baker and Charlie Parker would tour as singles, playing wherever they could get a gig, backed by the local jazz hotshots. These days, as often or not, similar ad hoc gatherings result in CDs like this: alto sax legend Sonny Simmons playing a mix of his own tunes and standards, accompanied by three talented Scandinavian musicians who support the saxophonist ably but complacently.

Simmons appears in duo with, alternately, bassist Mats Eilertsen, pianist Anders Aarum and drummer Ole Thomas Kolberg. Eilertsen gets the most work, playing with Simmons on six of the 10 tracks. Of Simmons’ three partners, he’s the most consistently interesting. Strong and agile in his own right, he nevertheless serves mostly as a backstop off of which Simmons bounces ideas. Aarum and Kolberg are present on two tracks apiece, performing more than adequately but without particular distinction. Simmons is left to do the heavy lifting, and he’s up to the task, combining the most expressive aspects of free playing with his own unique take on postbop harmony and rhythm.~ Chris Kelsey https://jazztimes.com/archives/sonny-simmons-ill-see-you-when-you-get-there

Personnel: Alto Saxophone [Alto Sax], English Horn – Sonny Simmons; Acoustic Bass – Mats Eilertsen (tracks: 1, 4 to 6, 9, 10); Drums – Ole Thomas Kolberg (tracks: 3,7); Piano – Anders Aarum (tracks: 2, 8)

R.I.P.
Born: August 4, 1933
Died: April 6, 2021

I'll See You When You Get There

Jim Snidero - Live at the Deer Head Inn

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:33
Size: 128,0 MB
Art: Front

(0:24) 1. Band Intro by Denny Carrig
(5:58) 2. Now's the Time
(6:52) 3. Autumn Leaves
(0:32) 4. Intro to "Ol' Man River"
(6:57) 5. Ol' Man River
(7:02) 6. Bye Bye Blackbird
(6:48) 7. Idle Moments
(7:00) 8. Who Can I Turn To
(8:11) 9. My Old Flame
(5:44) 10. Yesterdays

This album documents that rarest of events from the past few months: a live jazz gig recorded in October 2020 in front of a live audience who truly and audibly appreciate what the players can do. The quality is truly excellent however, this listener did find the mind prone to wander, drawn by an irresistible temptation to start thinking about what the album represents, the circumstances in which it was made, the story it tells, rather than listening to the album itself. The economy/ecology of putting on music in small venues has always been fragile, but an album like this, and the level of craft and inventiveness to be witnessed, sets one pondering about the things which we have always assumed we could take for granted. Given that it increasingly seems that small-venue gigs might be among the last economic sectors to be “unlocked”, this album makes me want to reflect on what it will take to ensure that the people who have the community-minded instinct and the imperative to make these things happen can continue to do so. That train of thought does inevitably lead to far more questions than answers…

And there’s another reminder of how ephemeral the scene is: the Deer Head Inn in Delaware Water Gap, Pennsylvania is proud to declare itself as the country’s “oldest continuously running jazz club”. In other words, no club in the whole of the US has attained the longevity of this one. This was the venue where, more than half a century ago, a teenager from nearby Allentown called Keith Jarrett received the benefit of encouragement to try sitting in with the house band. And so he did, not just on piano, but also so I read on drums…

The instigator of the gig recorded here is Jim Snidero, an alto saxophonist originally from the Bay Area of California, now also a respected educator with a teaching post at the New School in New York. He had booked a trio of the very best to play with him on this, his first gig in more than half a year. To be reminded just how good all four of them are is perhaps the greatest pleasure of hearing this session. Above all, for me at least, that was the case for that very special bassist Peter Washington. He was a Jazz Messenger back in the mid- to late- 1980s and since then has been a sideman on literally hundreds of albums. Bassist in the trios of Tommy Flanagan and then Bill Charlap, Washington is just astonishingly, consistently, jaw-droppingly good. His solo lines always have a direction, an interest, a story, a particular personality. There is a special moment on Autumn Leaves when he is left completely on his own to solo. I had somehow hoped to be able to write at this point that the sheer authority of his playing had not just compelled the band but also the Deer Head Inn audience to be silent, to listen to him in awe, not to miss a note… but facts have a way of getting in the way of a good story: this and one other track (unspecified in the liner notes and press materials) were not actually a part of the set that night, but were recorded later in the same space, and not at the live gig. That said, it is the playing that counts, and Washington is just stupendous.

Drummer Joe Farnsworth, who once upon a time learnt from Alan Dawson who also taught Tony Williams, Terri Lyne Carrington… is, as ever, both empathetic and in the pocket. Farnsworth is unshowy but unbelievable. Harold Mabern once told me in an interview “Joe Farnsworth is probably the best drummer playing jazz” – and on the evidence of this, I would certainly not demur. More distractions…The fact that this release happens to coincide with an announcement from Orrin Evans that he is leaving The Bad Plus after three years to concentrate on other projects is another sideways thought which takes the mind away from the act of listening. Evans is on fine form here, and the sheer presence and (there might not be a better word) perfection of the Washington/Farnsworth tandem allows the pianist to relish plenty of “out” playing in a joyous, unpredictable way that always sounds fresh and interesting rather than contrived. He is also a wonderfully discreet accompanist notably in My Old Flame.

And Jim Snidero himself is well summed-up in a recent Guardian album review by Dave Gelly. Musicians evolve sometimes we can forget that obvious fact and it is indeed his ballad playing, notably on Ol’ Man River, which does draw the listener in best. There is also a neat touch that he decided to start the set with Parker’s Now’s The Time. Parker’s daughter Kim was in the audience, and her voice is audible shouting “Yeah” at the end of one of the tracks. It is a very good thing that Live at the Deer Head Inn exists. It feels like a token of hope, a prayer for the return of live gigs, of interaction, and of rebuilding communities drawn together by a passion for great live music. As the Deer Head Inn’s most famous alumnus once remarked (and with rather greater assuredness than the teenager who once played there): “Jazz is there and gone. It happens. You have to be present for it. That simple.” ~ Sebastian Scotney https://londonjazznews.com/2021/03/22/jim-snidero-live-at-the-deer-head-inn/

Personnel: Jim Snidero (alto saxophone), Orrin Evans (piano), Peter Washington, bass), Joe Farnsworth (drums)

Live at the Deer Head Inn

Bobby Timmons - This Here Is Bobby Timmons / Easy Does It

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:29
Size: 179.7 MB
Styles: Soul jazz, Jazz piano
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[3:29] 1. This Here
[5:05] 2. Moanin'
[2:27] 3. Lush Life
[4:13] 4. The Party's Over
[3:20] 5. Prelude To A Kiss
[5:26] 6. Dat Dere
[5:05] 7. My Funny Valentine
[4:30] 8. Come Rain Or Come Shine
[3:57] 9. Joy Ride
[4:53] 10. Easy Does It
[4:35] 11. Old Devil Moon
[5:49] 12. A Little Busy
[4:51] 13. I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You
[3:29] 14. Pretty Memory
[6:29] 15. If You Could See Me Now
[5:01] 16. I Thought About You
[3:32] 17. Groovin' High
[2:07] 18. Autumn In New York

Twofer: Tracks #1-9 from the 12" album “This Here Is Bobby Timmons” (Riverside RLP-1164); Tracks #10-17 from the 12" album “Easy Does It – Bobby Timmons Trio” (Riverside RLP-9363). Bonus track #18, taken from the album “Pianists Galore!” (Jazz West Coast JWC-506).

Bobby Timmons was one of the leading exponents of the funky school of jazz piano, who also contributed heavily to the so-called “soul” movement with his three hit compositions: Moanin’, This Here, and Dat Dere, all part of his first album, “This Here Is Bobby Timmons.” But he was much more than that.

As this and his second album, “Easy Does It,” show, he was an imaginative, creative bop pianist with a richly varied repertoire. Both albums are models of unaffected, driving trio jazz in which the pianist, a catalytic, combustible player in any situation, makes full, two-handed use of the keyboard without ever resorting to pianistic tricks to make an easy point. Developing his solos with logic, consummate taste and an implacable sense of time, with Sam Jones and Jimmy Cobb providing sterling rhythm support, he showed he was an extremely capable, many-faceted performer as well as the groove-funk-soul purveyor of lazy cliché.

This Here Is Bobby Timmons / Easy Does It

Sunday, April 11, 2021

Jacob Fischer - Guitarist

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:18
Size: 163,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:27) 1. Douce Ambience
(4:59) 2. Detour Ahead
(5:16) 3. Jean de Fleur
(5:14) 4. Gentle Rain
(4:02) 5. Brother Joseph
(3:44) 6. For My Lady
(4:30) 7. Motion
(4:25) 8. Sharing the Blues
(3:41) 9. Swing 39
(3:01) 10. My Serenade
(6:01) 11. Seven Come Eleven
(4:13) 12. West Coast Blues
(5:07) 13. Oriental Shuffle
(5:52) 14. Corner Pocket
(3:05) 15. Kärleksvals
(3:35) 16. Backwaters

On this superb recording, the supremely gifted and surprisingly eclectic Danish artist Jacob Fischer has chosen to interpret pieces by fellow guitarists. In recent years, Fischer has been identified with the Django Reinhardt«s tradition, and several of the songs in this well-chosen set are by Reinhardt or evoke his aura. But Fischer«s personal take on Reinhardt, as well as his inclusion of works by Jimmy Raney, Grant Green, Wes Montgomery, and others suggests that the guitarist draws on a much more varied musical palette. Jazz fans should be grateful to him and the rest of this group for creating music that reinforces the timelessness, artistic honesty, variety, vitality, and continued creative potential of small-group swing. From the album notes by Ed Berger, who retired in 2011 after more than thirty years at the Rutgers Institute of Jazz Studies to pursue freelance writing and photography. He is the author of biographies of Benny Carter and George Duvivier, and is currently writing a book about trumpeter Joe Wilder.

Personnel: Jacob Fischer: acoustic guitar; Bucky Pizzarelli: 7-string guitar; Antti Sarpila: clarinet, soprano sax; Nicki Parrott: bass; Eddie Metz: drums

Guitarist

Maggie Herron - Your Refrain

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:49
Size: 87,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:57) 1. Whatnot
(3:45) 2. He Can't Even Lay an Egg
(4:17) 3. Your Refrain
(5:19) 4. Watching the Crows
(2:24) 5. In Case of Love
(3:17) 6. I Can't Seem to Find My Man
(5:00) 7. Both Sides Now
(4:04) 8. Touch
(4:43) 9. God Bless the Child

Hawaii’s Award-Winning Vocalist, Pianist, and Songwriter Maggie Herron’s Sixth Album, Your Refrain, is a gorgeous, witty, heart-bearing set of original songs written with her late daughter, Dawn Herron, to whom she dedicates the album.

Recorded during the shelter in place order, the album features a dazzling cast of collaborators, including pianist Larry Goldings, guitarist Larry Koonse, saxophonist Bob Sheppard, and arrangers Geoffrey Keezer, Gillian Margot, and Bill Cunliffe. Pianist, Maggie Herron’s 2019 project, Renditions, won the Na Hoku Hanohano Award for Jazz Album Of The Year. The album revealed the jazz-steeped singer/songwriter as a beguiling interpreter of standards. Her poignantly enthralling new album Your Refrain was released on her Herron Song Records label and captures a creatively charged mother-and-daughter communion cut short by tragedy.

A luminous presence on Hawaii’s jazz scene for more than four decades, Herron has earned national renown as a gifted singer/songwriter. Less known is that she collaborated with her daughter, lyricist Dawn Herron, on many of her songs. They were in the midst of a fruitful patch of writing when a bicycle accident took Dawn’s life on April 5, 2020. She was 49 and left a husband and two teenage sons. Deep in mourning and on pandemic-induced hiatus from her eight-year tenure as a resident musician in the Halekulani Hotel-Waikiki, Herron decided to channel her love and grief into recording her recent collaborations with Dawn.

The title track, “Your Refrain,” is a powerful song about loss, but the album is brimming with life, wit, and humor. The opening track, “WhatNot,” is a bluesy ode to melancholy, featuring the brilliant pianist Larry Goldings and the superb, well-traveled tandem of bassist David Enos and drummer John Ferraro. The trio accompanies Herron on the hilarious “He Can’t Even Lay An Egg,” a sly piece of funk on which Dawn puts a fowl spin on the war of the sexes, and “I Can’t Seem to Find My Man,” a playfully wry piece that combines Frishbergian detail with Lennon and McCartney tunefulness.

The great Los Angeles saxophonist Bob Sheppard contributes exquisite soprano sax work on “Watching the Crows,” an uncommonly poetic affirmation about attaining insight into oneself. On first hearing of that song earlier this year, with Maggie backing herself on piano, Dawn told her, “mom, it’s my favorite collaboration to date”. Maggie had spent years coaxing her daughter to work on songs together. “Dawn had been writing short stories and poems most of her life and I kept asking her to write lyrics for me. I knew she would be great at it. With this newest release we now have 19 songs recorded as co-writers,” Herron says. The first two songs they wrote together were the romantic love song “Je T’aimerais”, arranged by Geoffrey Keezer, and “Le Printemps est Arrivé” where Dawn drew on her fluency in French. It is a graceful piece Maggie recorded with trumpet star Rick Braun, who also joined her on vocals. Both songs are on her 2014 album Good Thing.More......... https://bigislandmusic.net/award-winning-vocalist-maggie-herron-releases-sixth-album-your-refrain/

Your Refrain

Jimmy Heath - Peer Pleasure

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1987
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 47:50
Size: 87,7 MB
Art: Front

(7:23) 1. Trane connection
(6:15) 2. Song for Ben Webster
(7:01) 3. You Can See
(6:01) 4. Is That So?
(6:25) 5. Ellington's Stray Horn
(8:03) 6. Forever Sonny
(6:40) 7. I Waited for You

The most unusual aspect of this CD is that Jimmy Heath, in addition to his usual tenor and soprano, also plays alto (his original instrument) on two of the six numbers. The material pays tribute to John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Ben Webster (an Ernie Wilkins original), and Dizzy Gillespie, and "Ellington's Stray Horn" is included along with a Monty Alexander original. Two songs are played by Heath with guitarist Tony Purrone, bassist Stafford James and drummer Akira Tana; pianist Larry Willis makes the group a quintet on one piece, and trumpeter Tom Williams expands the band to a sextet for the three remaining selections. The largely straight-ahead set benefits from the changing instrumentation and the fresh material, and Jimmy Heath (60 at the time) shows that he was still very much in prime form.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/peer-pleasure-mw0000651348

Personnel: Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone – Jimmy Heath; Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Tom Williams; Acoustic Bass – Stafford James; Drums – Akira Tana; Electric Guitar – Tony Purrone ; Piano – Larry Willis

Peer Pleasure

Saturday, April 10, 2021

Jacob Fischer Trio - Django

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:13
Size: 148,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:28) 1. Napolitana
(5:02) 2. Metabolic Age
(3:43) 3. Small Teardrop
(6:03) 4. Django
(5:31) 5. Sonho Carioca
(4:49) 6. Theme for Ernie
(4:08) 7. Frère Joseph
(4:53) 8. Retrato Em Branco e Preto (zingaro)
(3:24) 9. Accent Circonflexe
(3:11) 10. Brother Can You Spare a Dime?
(4:34) 11. Parisian Thorughfare
(4:50) 12. Amarcord
(2:46) 13. Hugos Howl
(3:25) 14. Den Allersidste Dans
(3:18) 15. Huset på Christianshavn

Jacob Fischer Trio made their record debut in 2008 with the Danish violinist Svend Asmussen as guest musician. With Django , the trio follows up on the success with Italian Fancesco Cali as guest musician on accordion. Django is, as the title suggests, a tribute to Django Reinhardt - the Belgian guitarist, who to that extent came to form a school within the genre mix jazz / gypsy. Few guitarists, like him, have created a style. But he did, despite a physical weakness

Like Django Reinhardt, Jacob Fischer plays guitar. And no one can be in doubt: Jacob Fischer is both fascinated by Django Reinhardt's universe and even an excellent guitarist with an obvious sense of the genre. Add to that the fact that he has managed to get Francesco Cali on accordion, you have the basic elements of what has become a good, expressive album. For that's what Django is: A beautiful, well-crafted whole with a simple set-up and a simple expression. An instrumental album that reflects the fusion of Jacob Fischers, Hugo Rasmussen, Janus Templetons and Fancesco Calis in the genre. https://translate.google.com.br/translate?hl=en&sl=da&u=https://gaffa.dk/anmeldelse/52688/jacob-fischer-trio-django&prev=search&pto=aue

Personnel: Guitar – Jacob Fischer; Guitar [Rhythm] – Regin Fuhlendorf; Accordion – Francesco Calì; Bass – Hugo Rasmussen; Drums – Janus Templeton

Django

Ralph Peterson - Triangular

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1988
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:09
Size: 108,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:05) 1. Bemsha Swing
(7:37) 2. Triangular
(5:16) 3. Water Colors
(6:17) 4. Princess
(5:57) 5. Just You, Just Me
(4:38) 6. Move
(6:42) 7. Splash
(5:34) 8. Smoke Rings

This is a consistently simulating trio session by the creative drummer Ralph Peterson. On "Bemsha Swing," Peterson's drumming is straight from a New Orleans parade band while "Just You, Just Me" (which features pianist Geri Allen doing her witty impressions of Thelonious Monk) has the trio playing the opening and closing melody choruses in three different tempos simulataneously. "Move" really cooks and each of the five originals (bassist Essiet Essiet's "Splash," three diverse Peterson compositions and the fairly free improvisation "Triangular") have their own personalities. Although Allen is the lead voice, the musical communication between the members of the group results in each musician having an equally important role. Highly recommended.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/triangular-mw0000202206

Personnel: Drums – Ralph Peterson; Bass – Essiet Okon Essiet, Phil Bowler; Piano – Geri Allen

Triangular

Nicki Parrott - If You Could Read My Mind

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:36
Size: 128,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:48) 1. I Can See Clearly Now
(4:18) 2. Jolene
(4:42) 3. If You Could Read My Mind
(4:36) 4. Vincent
(4:32) 5. Every Breath You Take
(4:56) 6. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
(4:31) 7. You Belong To Me
(4:04) 8. We've Only Just Begun
(4:54) 9. This Girl's In Love With You
(4:42) 10. Do That To Me One More Time
(4:16) 11. Lean On Me
(4:11) 12. The Water Is Wide

Nicki Parrott, an internationally acclaimed bassist, arrived in New York in May of 1994, the recipient of a grant from the Australia Council for the Arts allowing her travel to the US and study with her mentor, one of the world’s premiere double bassists, Rufus Reid. In the same year she was also nominated for the “Australian Young Achievers Award”.Today, Nicki Parrott is a world-class double bassist and an emerging singer/songwriter. In her work with artists from around the globe she has brought a signature sound to every bass part she has played. She performs regularly at the world’s best Jazz Festivals and can be seen Monday’s at the Iridium Jazz Club in New York City with the legendary guitarist and inventor, Les Paul. Since June of 2000, this union has been an ideal showcase for her musical abilities, flair for improv, and gift for entertaining a crowd.Born in Newcastle, Australia, Nicki Parrott began her musical training on the piano at the age of four. She also took up the flute and continued to play both instruments throughout her school years. At the age of 15, Nicki switched her focus to the double bass, formed a band with her older sister Lisa (alto sax) and began composing instrumental pieces that they would eventually record for their premier CD release, The Awabakal Suite (2001).

After completing high school, Nicki moved to Sydney and attended the New South Wales Conservatorium of Music, where she graduated with an Associates degree in Jazz Studies. When bassists such as the legendary Ray Brown (Dizzy Gillespie, Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Oscar Peterson) and John Clayton (Diana Krall, Whitney Houston) were playing in town, Nicki would find them, contact them and arrange lessons from them. She was awarded a scholarship to the prestigious Pan Pacific Music Camp, and soon after, took first place in the 1992 Jazz Action Society's Annual Song Competition for her composition, Come and Get It.In 1990, Nicki began touring Australia with Russian musicians Daniel Kramer and Alexander Fischer playing sold out shows across the country. This was followed by successful tours with American trumpeters Bobby Shew and Chuck Findley. When she was off the road, Nicki was consistently playing bass with other world-renowned jazz musicians like New Zealand’s Mike Nock (piano), Australia's Dale Barlow (tenor sax), Paul Grabowsky (piano), Bernie McGann (alto sax) and the explosive Ten Part Invention.

In May of 2002, The Nicki and Lisa Parrott Quartet headlined the prestigious Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival held at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. The show was broadcast on NPR and was well received by the press. She was also the resident bassist with the Kitchen House Blend, a house band that premiered and performed new music from local New York composers. They would blend jazz, hip-hop, classical and rock in one evening...“It was a very creative experience”.Nicki expanded her musical repertoire and appeared on the Broadway stage in such shows as: Imaginary Friends, You're a Good Man Charlie Brown, Summer of '42, and Jekyll and Hyde. She is still active on Broadway today and regularly performs in the comedic musical, Avenue Q.

Since coming to the United States Nicki Parrott has performed and/or recorded with such notable musicians as Randy Brecker, Skitch Henderson, Jose Feliciano, Rebecca Paris, Bucky Pizzarelli, John Pizzarelli, Warren Vache Jr., Clark Terry, Michel Legrand, Billy Taylor, Dick Hyman, Patti Labelle & the New York Pops Orchestra, Annie Ross, the Florida Pops Orchestra, Terri Thornton, Holly Hoffman, DIVA, Marlena Shaw, Monica Mancini, Patrice Rushen, Harry Allen, Red Holloway, Kenny Davern, Mike Stern, Bernard Purdie, John Tropea, David Krakauer, Howard Alden, Randy Sandke, Greg Osby, Jack Wilkins, Ken Peplowski, Johnny Frigo, Joe Wilder, Houston Person, Wycliffe Gordon, Rachel Z and Johnny Varro.

Nicki has also performed at most of the world’s major jazz festivals. In the United States she’s appeared at the Newport Jazz Festival (2005), the Litchfield Jazz festival (2005), the Jazz in July concert series at the 92nd street Y (2003, 2004), the Detroit Jazz Festival (2005) and the Lionel Ha mpton Jazz Festival (2001). Outside the USA Nicki has appeared at the Cully Lavaux Festival (Switzerland - 1995), the Grimsby Jazz Festival (UK - 1996), Berlin Jazz Festival (Germany - 1998), the Ottawa Jazz Festival (2004), the Krakow Music Festival (Poland), JazzAscona (2005, 2006), Bern Jazz Festivals (Switzerland - 2005, 2006), Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival (UK - 2006) and of course, she has played at numerous music festivals across Australia. Nicki Parrott is committed to the continuing musical education women receive in order to further their careers and ultimately remain active as musicians past their teen years. In keeping with her sense of community, Nicki’s desire is to teach underprivileged kids to play instruments and learn to enjoy music. It is her belief t hat teaching music to children helps keep them interested in school and out of trouble. https://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/nickiparrott

Nicki Parrott loves old pop songs with good lyrics and good melodies and decided to feature them into this jazz setting.

Personnel: Nicki Parrott (vocal); Larry Fuller (piano); Lewis Nash (drums); Harry Allen (tenor sax); David Blenkhorn (acoustic and electric guitars)

If You Could Read My Mind

Mary Ann Hurst - Wishing On A Star

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:52
Size: 101,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:23)  1. Pete Kelly's Blues (Up/Swing)
(4:45)  2. Soon It's Gonna Rain
(3:48)  3. Skylark
(5:11)  4. A Taste Of Honey
(3:31)  5. People Get Ready
(5:11)  6. You Must Believe In Spring
(2:45)  7. When You Wish Upon A Star
(4:11)  8. Ain't No Sunshine
(3:19)  9. Surrey With The Fringe On Top
(3:20) 10. 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)
(4:23) 11. Pete Kelly's Blues (Ballad Version)

Although billed as a trio effort, this album is a showcase for singer Mary Ann Hurst. Her previous track record includes the rather dauntingly-titled Chinese Folksongs In A Jazz Mode from 2000. There's nothing quite as exotic here, simply a well-wrought session that begins with more than a touch of the cool female vocalists of the 1950s. Even the opening track, "Pete Kelly's Blues," is pure jazz nostalgia, taken from the soundtrack of the Jack Webb film. Hurst's trio is not your usual piano/bass/drums unit but a combination of voice with acoustic guitar and percussion, giving this album a decidedly intimate patina. Mary Ann Hurst deivers many of the tunes in ballad tempo, raising the tempo on others to provide contrast to such titles as "Skylark," "When You Wish Upon A Star," and "You Must Believe in Spring." "Soon It's Gonna Rain," "A Taste of Honey," with a Latin pulse from Gilad, and a mid-tempo "The Surrey With The Fringe On Top" all work to provide a well-mixed set. A few of these songs, like Paul Simon's "Feelin' Groovy" and Bill Wither's "Ain't No Sunshine," seem to be in need of temporary retirement. Let us respect the value of percussionist Gilad and especially guitarist/arranger Freddie Bryant on this album. Bryant is a wonder, either strumming on the up-tempo songs or providing sensitive playing and solo work on the majority. The tongue-in-groove fit of his playing and Hurst's smoky vocals place this album on a special shelf. ~ Michael P.Gladstone https://www.allaboutjazz.com/wishing-on-a-star-mary-ann-hurst-love-bug-review-by-michael-p-gladstone.php

Personnel: Mary Ann Hurst: vocals; Freddie Bryant: guitar; Gilad: percussion.

Wishing On A Star

Eli Degibri Trio - Live at Louis 649

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:53
Size: 171,7 MB
Art: Front

(10:28)  1. NY-TLV-NY
(11:08)  2. Every Time We Say Goodbye
(10:41)  3. Gypsy
(13:30)  4. Pum-Pum
( 8:47)  5. I Fall in Love Too Easily
(11:36)  6. Shoohoo
( 8:41)  7. Colin's Dream

Over the years, the phrases "organ/tenor group," "tenor/organ group," and "organ/sax combo" have often been synonymous with soul-jazz. When soul-jazz fans hear the words "organ" and "tenor" in the same sentence, they immediately think of all things funky; they immediately think of Stanley Turrentine's work with Shirley Scott or Gene Ammons' encounters with Jack McDuff and Johnny "Hammond" Smith. But one shouldn't forget about the post-bop innovations of Larry Young, who moved organ groups beyond soul-jazz and paved the way for everyone from Barbara Dennerlein to John Medeski. And on this live album, one hears a tenor/organ trio that has nothing to do with soul-jazz and everything to do with post-bop. The tenor saxophonist is Eli Degibri (who is also heard on soprano sax) and the organist is Gary Versace; rounding out the threesome is drummer Obed Calvaire. This 74-minute CD was recorded in August 2007 at Louis 649, a small club in Lower Manhattan's Alphabet City section (which was notoriously dangerous in the 1970s and 1980s but became quite gentrified during New York City's Rudy Giuliani/Michael Bloomberg era). Degibri could have easily embraced a sax/bass/drums format at Louis 649 but the fact that he went the organ route instead was a good thing, because this release is a worthwhile example of a post-Jimmy Smith approach to tenor/organ jazz. The trio's performances are hardly groundbreaking by 2007 standards; Young's groups were doing this type of thing 40 years earlier. But the performances are solid, albeit derivative, on the Tin Pan Alley warhorses "I Fall in Love Too Easily" and "Every Time We Say Goodbye" as well as Degibri originals that include "Shoohoo," "Colin's Dream," and the moody "Gypsy." Although not a five-star masterpiece, Live at Louis 649 is a respectable document of Degibri's sax/organ encounters in downtown Manhattan. ~ Alex Henderson http://www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-louis-649-mw0000794666

Personnel: Eli Degibri  (saxophone); Gary Versace (organ, Hammond b-3 organ); Obed Calvaire (drums).

Live at Louis 649

James Clay - Tenorman: The Kid From Dallas

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:37
Size: 152.5 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[3:28] 1. In A Sentimental Mood
[4:36] 2. The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea
[4:30] 3. Easy Living
[4:32] 4. Minor Meeting
[3:40] 5. Airtight
[4:46] 6. Willow Weep For Me
[4:27] 7. Three Fingers North
[4:12] 8. Lover Man
[4:16] 9. Marbles
[2:41] 10. It's Allright With Me
[5:29] 11. Scrapple From The Apple
[6:15] 12. Out Of The Blue
[5:31] 13. Sandu
[8:07] 14. Cheek To Cheek

James Clay (ts), Bobby Timmons (p), Jimmy Bond (b), Peter Littman (d), Lorraine Geller (p), Red Mitchell (b), Sonny Clark (p), Lawrence Marable (d).

In the summer of 1956 James Clay was a 20-year-old tenor saxophonist from Dallas, who had been living and playing in Los Angeles since mid-1955. At that time his colleagues were all young and independent experimentalists, completely outside of the flourishing West Coast jazz movement – players like trumpeter Don Cherry, bassist Billy Higgins, and altoist Ornette Coleman – and though he said he was not an outside player, he worked easily within the unconventional settings of Coleman’s compositions.

Paradoxically, however, his only recordings were straight ahead, not at all in line with Ornette’s controversial music. On them his ideas flow melodically, especially in ballads and mid-tempos. On faster tunes, his blowing statements come from the strong swinging style and hot tone that characterized other Texas tenors such as Illinois Jacquet and Arnett Cobb, with a hard-bop approach clearly influenced by his idol Sonny Rollins. This CD contains all James Clay studio performances on tenor sax while the young kid from Dallas was living in Los Angeles in the mid Fifties.

Tenorman: The Kid From Dallas

Friday, April 9, 2021

Ralph Peterson - Triangular III

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:56
Size: 154,4 MB
Art: Front

(6:20) 1. Uranus
(5:09) 2. Beatrice
(6:18) 3. Inner Urge
(7:09) 4. Backgammon
(5:55) 5. Manifest Destiny
(7:16) 6. Skylark
(9:27) 7. 400 Year Ago Tomorrow
(6:14) 8. The Art of War
(7:31) 9. Moments
(5:32) 10. Blues for Chooch

At the age of 53, Ralph Peterson has come full circle in terms of his role in modern jazz. Back in the '80s, he was considered a "young lion" when he debuted with hard bop collective Out of the Blue. These days, he can be considered an accomplished jazz elder, giving back generously to a new generation of up and comers as a dedicated educator. It is in this spirit that he has assembled a new piano trio group with two of the best and brightest talents on the current scene, pianist Zaccai Curtis and his brother Luques Curtis on bass.

The first installment of the Triangular series goes back to the 1989 Blue Note session featuring Geri Allen. Then in 2000 the sophomore set would spotlight pianist David Kikoski. This latest incarnation is something different altogether, both in the fact that it is a live recording and that there's a special element contained in the work of the Curtis brothers that seems to really inspire Peterson to new heights. Furthermore, this is a musician-owned product bearing the imprimaturs of both Onyx Records and Truth Revolution.

A mentor of Peterson's, pianist Walter Davis Jr. gave the drummer an early education in growth and development as an artist. One need go no further than a listen to Davis's Steeplechase set Scorpio Rising to hear the innate potential of the young drummer. Peterson repays the favor by featuring three of Davis' sublime originals. The opening "Uranus" is a genuine flag-waver, with its ingenious use of an eight note repeated vamp that provides the underlayment for one of Ralph's incendiary solos. "Backgammon" is notable for a sublime statement from Luques, a fully developed story that hits the high points and low points and everything in between. The bassist also ushers in "400 Years Ago Tomorrow," a stately melody that is contrasted against a swing-inflected blowing section.

A tip of the hat is given to a pair of Blue Note saxophonists, although uniquely fresh arrangements are the order of the day for this trio. Sam Rivers' "Beatrice" opens with the vamp figure from Coltrane's "Syeeda's Song Flute." The entire piece is an example of how Zaccai can set a mood through his mature storytelling. The Curtis' Latin roots can be heard in the 5/4 clave that transforms "Inner Urge." Ralph maneuvers his way through the thorny grove, adding further textures via the use of jam block and cowbell. Zaccai contributes two of his own originals to the set. "Manifest Destiny" seems to be cut of the same cloth as Joe Chambers' Blue Note compositions of the late '60s. Of a more introspective nature, "Moments" starts with Ralph using his mallets on the toms to establish a mood. He then uses a tambourine attachment to accent key phrases along with the pianist's right hand. With a distinct sense of ebb and flow, this beautiful piece might be one of the highlights of the entire set.

Ralph's own compositional genius is represented by an upbeat "The Art of War," a swinger that alludes to the drummer's martial arts background as a fourth-degree black belt. "Blues for Cooch" is a reference to a young Peterson's fascination with trains, but its form evades the customary. Eschewing the 12-bar form of the blues, this original actually is structured in eighteen bars, made up of three groups of six. Pay close attention to how Zaccai and Luques make it all sound so natural. Not an easy feat to be sure. Recorded just prior to Peterson undergoing hospitalization for some serious health issues, there is a sense of joy and abandon in these proceedings that is palpable. Aided and abetted by a fine recording job, it is no exaggeration to suggest that this might be one of the drummer's finest recorded moments and it certainly speaks volumes in terms of the potential of the Curtis Brothers.~ C.Andrew Hovan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/triangular-iii-ralph-peterson-onyx-music-label-review-by-c-andrew-hovan.php

Personnel: Ralph Peterson, Jr.: drums; Zaccai Curtis: piano; Luques Curtis: bass.

Triangular III

Amanda Tosoff - Words

Size: 100,6 MB
Time: 39:58
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz: Piano Jazz, Vocals
Art: Front

01. Daffodils (6:03)
02. Cool Embrace (4:50)
03. Simultaneous Windows (4:07)
04. Too Late (2:05)
05. Owl Pellet (3:25)
06. Living In The Past (4:45)
07. Down To The Water (6:18)
08. The First Day Of Winter (4:37)
09. Little Bird (3:46)

Amanda Tosoff is a B.C-raised Toronto-based pianist, composer, and bandleader, with five albums to her credit. Along her fascinating career path, Amanda has performed with such internationally recognized artists as Ingrid Jensen, Emilie-Claire Barlow, Phil Dwyer, Christine Jensen, Brad Turner, Kelly Jefferson, and Jodi Proznick. She has also opened for jazz legends Bobby Hutcherson, Renee Rosnes, Oliver Jones, and Brazilian singer Luciana Souza, and her groups have recorded for CBC Radio programs Hot Air, Tonic, Jazz Beat, Canada Live, and Espace Musique’s series, Portraits Jazz.

On her brand new release Words, Amanda takes an adventurous leap beyond the confines of conventional jazz. She has taken poems and lyrics that possess a personal resonance for her and framed them in original new compositions that utilize vocals for the first time (sung by highly-regarded singer Felicity Williams of such bands as Hobson’s Choice, Broken Social Scene, and Bahamas). The result is an eclectic collection that incorporates elements of jazz, art song, classical, and folk/pop.

Words