Kate Ceberano - True Romantic: The Best of Kate Ceberano

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:27
Size: 160,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:20) 1. True Romantic
(4:22) 2. Pash
(4:31) 3. I Won't Let You Down
(4:09) 4. Calling You
(4:49) 5. Everythings Alright
(4:06) 6. Love and Affection
(4:01) 7. Change
(4:28) 8. Feelin Alright
(5:32) 9. Brave
(3:56) 10. Bedroom Eyes
(4:37) 11. Time to Think
(4:26) 12. I Dont Know How to Love Him
(4:17) 13. Love Is Alive
(3:24) 14. Young Boys Are My Weakness
(4:17) 15. All That I Want Is You
(4:11) 16. See Right Through

True Romantic – The Best of Kate Ceberano is a greatest hits album released by Australian recording artist Kate Ceberano. It was a commercial success, peaking at number 9 on the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) album chart, and was certified platinum in Australia. The album was re-released in 2004, under the title The Definitive Collection. It includes songs from her time with I'm Talking, tracks from Jesus Christ Superstar, her studio albums Brave, Blue Box and Pash as well as two new tracks. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/True_Romantic

True Romantic: The Best of Kate Ceberano

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David Binney And Edward Simon - Oceanos

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:57
Size: 130,7 MB
Art: Front

(7:30)  1. We Dream Oceans
(9:13)  2. Impossible Question
(9:57)  3. Amnesia
(7:33)  4. El Parrandero
(5:11)  5. Govinda
(6:23)  6. Twenty Four Miles To Go
(3:37)  7. Impossible Question Reprise
(7:29)  8. Home

Reconvening the same core quartet as on Afinidad (Red, 2001), altoist David Binney and pianist Edward Simon demonstrate how a collaborative effort can bear the distinct imprint of each musician while, at the same time, possessing its own indelible stamp. Binney and Simon have emerged, over the past decade, as leaders in an evolving musical context informed by broader cultural concerns, often complex harmonic and rhythmic foundations, and a fresh thematic approach that's eminently lyrical yet steadfastly avoids the obvious. Both are fine soloists, able to combine a sense of the cerebral with deeper emotional resonance. Teamed with bassist Scott Colley and drummer Brian Blade, Océanos is a compellingly listenable album, despite some considerable challenges hidden underneath the covers. Binney's "We Dream Oceans" opens the disc with simmering intensity. Percussionist Pernell Saturnino augments Blade's delicate touch, while guitarist Adam Rogers and Binney double a theme that first stands alone but is ultimately countered by Luciana Souza's wordless vocals. Simon builds a lithely focused solo that gradually intensifies, leading to a recapitulation of the theme and a solo from Binney that's as much about the sound of the notes as the notes themselves, building to a fever pitch only to fade to a gentler coda. While there's plenty of solo space, Océanos is as much about composition and arrangement, with Binney and Simon making judicious use of the added guests. Binney's polyrhythmic and Latin-esque "El Parrandero" makes full use of the three-piece horn section, creating a sound that's at times sharply pointed, other times richly expansive, contrasting with "We Dream Oceans" where the horns are used only briefly to reinforce the tune's final figure. Simon's 9/4 "Impossible Question" is first heard in expanded form, with Rogers' acoustic guitar solo navigating the pianist's changes with ease and Blade delivering a short but energetic solo. Binney's most powerful improvisation of the set is heard on a later reprise; a shorter but more texturally lush version that's expanded to include the horn section and percussion. 

Binney's closer, "Home," begins with a poignant theme that unfolds gradually but keeps returning to the same four-chord pattern. Colley and Simon both deliver lyrical solos before returning to the theme, leading into a repetition of that same four-chord pattern as a foundation for Binney's final solo which, bolstered by the rest of the group, builds the "Home" to a powerful climax before ending on an etheral note. Continuing to collaborate periodically over the years acts as a yardstick of both individual growth and a shared aesthetic for Binney and Simon. Océanos is their best pairing yet an album that brings together two strong musical minds to create a whole that's truly greater than the sum of its parts. ~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/oceanos-david-binney-criss-cross-review-by-john-kelman.php?width=1920

Personnel: David Binney: alto saxophone; Edward Simon: piano; Scott Colley: bass; Brian Blade: drums; Luciana Souza: vocals (1, 2, 5, 6); Adam Rogers: guitar (2, 5); Shane Endsley: trumpet (3, 4, 7); Jesse Newman: trumpet (3, 4, 7); Alan Ferber: trombone (3, 4, 7); Pernell Saturnino: percussion (1, 4, 7).

Oceanos

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Lara Solnicki - The One And The Other

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:24
Size: 102,7 MB
Art: Front

(8:33) 1. Bit Her Sweet Christopher Street
(4:36) 2. Idée Fixe
(3:46) 3. The Embrace
(6:04) 4. Furling Leaf, Retrocede
(6:19) 5. I Pass a Glass
(7:16) 6. II Awe of the Sea
(7:46) 7. III Hollow the Need

Among feelings are nervousness and anxiety. While synonymous in any thesaurus, the two words differ in the same way that thankfulness and gratitude differ, that is, in focus. Nervousness and thankfulness often have no focus, no definite object creating them. Anxiety and gratitude are those feelings, those reactions to the specific. Something clearly gives rise to them. With regards to anxiety and disquiet, Canadian vocalist and composer Lara Solnicki uses "free jazz" and poetry as the stimulus for generating a mood of anxiety. Not anxiety in a bad way. More like a lack of clarity in an otherwise cohesive narrative. Solnicki presents this unease cinematically in discrete vignettes, or tone poems, each following its own creative arc, resolving or not, in a state still possessing tension, but one better realized than before.

The One And The Other is Scolnicki's third release, after A Meadow In December (Self Produced, 2010) and Whose Shadow (Inner Circle Music, 2014). The singer is hyperliterate, existing at a modern-postmodern interface where her art is informed equally by the other, often at the same time. Solnicki plants her spear in the sand in the cleverly entitled "Bit Her Sweet Christopher Street." The piece begins as if awakening, but not quite making it, falling back into that twilight that can disconcert. Jonathan Goldsmith's angular piano and Peter Lutek's screeching saxophone introduce the first fit of concern buoyed on Scott Peterson's bubbling electric bass. After a moment of respite, guitarist Rob Piltch 's Ben Monder-inspired glorious noise stirs the dream before emerging, not quite settled.

"Furling Leaf, Retrocede" is a spoken poetry narration carried slowly along by fractured and unrecognisable music, gently simmering with the occasional release of tension only to double down into further chaos. "Furling leaf, retrocede, whaft, near view" sets up a scene that develops into "Sheer currents beyond the finestra stir machines in this laundromat..." juxtaposing nature versus the mechanised. This performance could be envisioned performed at some yet unnamed, future Village Vanguard, at whatever a poetry slam is called in that way off time. Solnicki's words are clinical, astringent: "Green-yellow ataxia to the flushing gates -Twenty-one; Sixty Six...precocious tides with its attaches of amnesia...pleading sighs in the undertow / with swells of heaving flesh..." With music these are industrial visions, humid, clanging, insomniac: Hypnotic in the same way as Placidyl or Quaalude.

In this guise, this is no music with which to unwind after a typically hectic, post-COVID-19 day. But Solnicki does provide the tuneful interlude in the descriptively titled "Idée Fixe" (think Berlioz' Symphonie Fantastique deconstructed to a schizophrenic piano-saxophone duet over a wandering bass). Her wordless melodies tie the piece together into the messy stuff of life. "The One And The Other" is a three section suite combining all the stylistic elements that have preceded them. It takes an informed talent to conceive of and then execute music and lyrics of this complexity.

Lara Solnicki is able to present disintegration in an orderly and understandable fashion. While this is not cocktail party music, it is rich food for thought and contemplation.~ C.Michael Bailey https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-one-and-the-other-lara-solnicki-outside-in-music

Personnel: Lara Solnicki: voice / vocals; Jonathan Goldsmith: keyboards; Peter Lutek: woodwinds; Hugh Marsh: violin; Rob Piltch : guitar; Scott Peterson: bass; Rich Brown: bass; Davide Di Renzo: drums.

The One And The Other

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Blossom Dearie - Les Blue Stars - The Pianist

Styles: Vocal and Piano Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:08
Size: 79,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:46)  1. The Continental
(2:51)  2. The Boy Next Door
(2:34)  3. They Can't Take That Away From Me
(2:34)  4. Moonlight Saving Time (There Ought To Be A)
(2:56)  5. The Surrey With The Fringe On Top
(2:55)  6. April In Paris
(2:42)  7. Blue Moon
(3:24)  8. Down The Depths Of The 90th Floor
(2:50)  9. La Legende Du Pays Des Oiseaux
(3:04) 10. Lettre A Virginie
(2:43) 11. Toute Ma Joie
(2:45) 12. Embrasse-Moi Bien

A distinctive, girlish voice and crisp, impeccable delivery, plus an irrepressible sense of playful swing, made Blossom Dearie one of the most enjoyable singers of the vocal era. Her warmth and sparkle ensured that she'd never treat standards as the well-worn songs they often appeared in less capable hands. And though her reputation was made on record with a string of excellent albums for Verve during the '50s, she remained a draw with Manhattan cabaret audiences long into the new millennium. Actually born with the name Blossom Dearie in the New York Catskills, she began playing piano at an early age and studied classical music before making the switch to jazz while in high school. After graduation, she moved to New York and began appearing with vocal groups like the Blue Flames (attached to Woody Herman) and the Blue Reys (with Alvino Rey). She also played cocktail piano around the city, and moved to Paris in 1952 to form her own group, the Blue Stars of France. Dearie also appeared in a nightclub act with Annie Ross, and made a short, uncredited appearance on King Pleasure's vocalese classic, "Moody's Mood for Love." She recorded an obscure album of piano solos, and in 1954, the Blue Stars hit the national charts with a French version of "Lullaby of Birdland." After hearing Dearie perform in Paris in 1956, Norman Granz signed her to Verve and she returned to America by the end of the year. Her eponymous debut for Verve featured a set of standards that slanted traditional pop back to its roots in Tin Pan Alley, Broadway, and cabaret. 

Her focus on intimate readings of standards ("Deed I Do," "Thou Swell") and the relaxed trio setting (bassist Ray Brown and drummer Jo Jones, plus Dearie on piano) drew nods to her cabaret background. On her next few records, Dearie stuck to her focus on standards and small groups, though her gift for songwriting emerged as well with songs like "Blossom's Blues." She performed in solo settings at supper clubs all over New York, and appeared on the more cultured of the late-'50s New York talk shows. Her husband, flutist Bobby Jaspar, made several appearances on her records, notably 1959's My Gentleman Friend. After a recording break in the early '60s, Blossom Dearie signed to Capitol for one album (1964's May I Come In?), but then recorded sparingly during the rest of the decade. Finally, in the early '70s, she formed her own Daffodil Records label and began releasing her own work, including 1974's Blossom Dearie Sings and 1976's My New Celebrity Is You. She also performed at Carnegie Hall with Anita O'Day and Joe Williams, billed as the Jazz Singers. She continued to perform and record during the 1980s through to the early 2000s, centered mostly in New York but also a regular attraction in London as well. She retired from playing live in 2006 due to health concerns and died quietly in her Greenwich Village apartment on February 7, 2009. ~ John Bush https://www.allmusic.com/artist/blossom-dearie-mn0000758601/biography

Personnel:  Alto Vocals [Contralto] – Blossom Dearie (tracks: 9 to 12), Nadine Young (tracks: 9 to 12); Bass Vocals – Jean Mercadier (tracks: 9 to 12); Double Bass – Herman Garst (tracks: 1 to 8); Drums – Bernard Planchenault (tracks: 1 to 8); Piano – Blossom Dearie (tracks: 1 to 8); Piano, Arranged By – Michel Legrand (tracks: 9); Soprano Vocals [First] – Christiane Legrand (tracks: 9 to 12); Soprano Vocals [Second] – Janine De Waleyne (tracks: 9 to 12); Tenor Vocals [Second] – Christian Chevallier (tracks: 9 to 12); Trumpet, Baritone Vocals – Roger Guérin (tracks: 9 to 12); Vibraphone, Tenor Vocals [Lead] – Fats Sadi (tracks: 9 to 12)

The Pianist

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Joanie Pallatto - My Original Plan

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:01
Size: 144,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:29) 1. Open Your Eyes
(5:00) 2. Do Butterflies Cry?
(5:17) 3. The Blank Page
(4:54) 4. The Confessional
(5:27) 5. My Original Plan
(3:58) 6. Jon's Place
(4:47) 7. About a Song
(2:13) 8. Rest
(3:35) 9. The Photograph
(4:57) 10. Almost 65
(4:09) 11. A Simple Time
(5:38) 12. They Sentenced Us to Paradise
(3:09) 13. This Winter
(4:21) 14. Lucky to Belong to You

Jazzy-Pop! All Original Music from 39th Annual Chicago Music Awards ~ Lifetime Achievement Recipient for Extra-Ordinary Contributions to the Music Industry Singer-Songwriter Joanie Pallatto co-produced by modern guitar virtuoso Fareed Haque featuring an ALL Star Chicago lineup: Joanie Pallatto, Fareed Haque, Howard Levy, Bobby Lewis, Steve Eisen, John Devlin, Luiz Ewerling, Juan Pastor, Kurt Schweitz, Bradley Parker-Sparrow

Described by Rick Kogan of the Chicago Tribune as having “a stirring and special voice,” Joanie Pallatto is a graduate of The University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Pallatto toured with The Glenn Miller Orchestra as a featured vocalist before moving to Chicago in 1979. Co-owner and partner with pianist/composer and husband, Bradley Parker-Sparrow at Sparrow Sound Design Recording Studio and Southport Records, Pallatto has expertise in all aspects of musical production. As a studio singer and voiceover talent, she has recorded on hundreds of Radio and TV commercials. As a jazz vocalist, Pallatto has performed at Chicago clubs City Winery, Andy’s and The Green Mill and New York venues the Iridium, Pangea and Birdland. Concert engagements have include Chicago Jazz Festival, Chicago Cultural Center, The Old Town School of Folk Music, Park West, Stage 773 and Bailiwick Theater; she was also a featured soloist with Daniel Barenboim in “Ellington Among Friends” at Symphony Center in 1999. Awards include: Lifetime Achievement Award for Extra-Ordinary Contributions to the Music Industry, Chicago Music Awards (2021); The Coleman Award in Music Business Entrepreneurship from Elmhurst College (2018) and the Jazz Journalist Association 2016 Chicago Jazz Heroes Award, to Joanie Pallatto & Sparrow.

Joanie Pallatto My Original Plan (2021) featuring modern guitar virtuoso Fareed Haque, showcases Singer-Songwriter Pallatto’s fourteen original Jazzy-Pop songs! Produced by Fareed Haque and Joanie Pallatto. The Single Do Butterflies Cry? is available on all digital platforms, and the music video, a rhythmic journey through nature and the beautiful countryside of Costa Rica, is available for viewing on YouTube.com. This Winter is a heartwarming track from the CD with a music photo video. “Listen closely and find out how to dream and how to use those dreams…With Joanie, the personal becomes universal.”Stephen Cole, award winning songwriter and playwright (from liner notes)

In 2011, Pallatto released the critically-acclaimed CD As You Spend Your Life and the music videos “For My Mother’s Love,” “As You Spend Your Life” and “Playa Bonita” plus Jazz Legend Bob Dorough recorded his vocal and piano on Frank Foster’s “Simone,” with Pallatto’s lyrics. It’s Not Easy is Singer-Songwriter Pallatto’s first CD of ten original tunes and videos (2008.) Christopher Loudon in the May 2011 issue of Jazz Times says of Pallatto “Pallatto sounds a lot like Stevie Nicks if, that is, Nicks was a top-drawer jazz stylist of expansive musical tastes and keen instincts.” and “Trying to channel Pallatto is like attempting to bottle a cyclone. It’s best to just let her run wild…”

Other recordings in Pallatto’s discography include Float Out to Sea with Sparrow (2017); Two Again with pianist/arranger Marshall Vente (2015) Days with Joanie & Sparrow (2013); The King and I (2000) with legendary pianist/composer King Fleming; Words and Music (1999); Two with Marshall Vente (1997); FIRE with Von Freeman (1996); Passing Tones (1995); Who Wrote This Song? (1994); and Whisper Not (LP 1986). Pallatto has continually recorded original music with Sparrow, The Light, a tone poem (2004); Canned Beer (2003), and We Are Not Machines (2001). https://www.katesmithpromotions.com/artists/joanie-pallatto/

My Original Plan

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Sam Cooke - One Night Stand! Live At The Harlem Square Club, 1963

Styles: Vocal, Soul
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:55
Size: 90,0 MB
Art: Front

(1:23) 1. Soul Twist / Introduction
(2:54) 2. Feel It (Don't Fight It)
(3:11) 3. Chain Gang
(2:45) 4. Cupid
(5:11) 5. Medley: It's All Right / For Sentimental Reasons
(5:18) 6. Twistin' The Night Away
(6:18) 7. Somebody Have Mercy
(4:08) 8. Bring It On Home To Me
(2:40) 9. Nothing Can Change This Love
(5:03) 10. Having A Party

Not officially released until 1985, these live recordings from Miami's Harlem Square Club on Jan. 12, 1963, showcase Sam Cooke as a tough, demanding R&B singer, far from the smooth pop stylings of his singles. Playing with his road band and saxophonist King Curtis, Cooke has all-star accompaniment at every turn. But the true star here is Cooke. It's his gritty delivery that reinvigorates the once-mild offerings of "Cupid" and "For Sentimental Reasons" and takes his soul classics like "Chain Gang," "Twistin' the Night Away," "Bring It on Home to Me," and "Having a Party" and turns them into passionate, personal expressions of spiritual power. Cooke brings his gospel best to the material, and his influence on Rod Stewart, Joe Cocker, and an entire generation of rock 'n' roll singers can be traced to his interpretations' phrasings and energy. Even the audience gets involved. With this much excitement, it'd be impossible to not get in the spirit. ~ Editors’ Notes https://music.apple.com/us/album/one-night-stand-live-at-the-harlem-square-club-1963/304822401

One Night Stand! Live At The Harlem Square Club, 1963

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Lisa Bassenge - Mothers

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:55
Size: 136,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:42) 1. Joanne
(3:09) 2. Freight Train
(5:44) 3. Some Other Spring
(4:16) 4. Thin Man
(4:54) 5. Why
(4:12) 6. Don't Come Home A-Drinkin'
(5:58) 7. Woodstock
(4:47) 8. All the Good Girls Go to Hell
(4:26) 9. Home Again
(5:59) 10. At Seventeen
(4:31) 11. Dancing on My Own
(7:12) 12. Song to a Seagull - Live

Lisa Bassenge has called her new album "Mothers". It is a tribute to the mothers of popular music. To women who have created something unique in a creative process. "Both now and in the past, there are so many great works by women," says Bassenge. "It was important to me to emphasize that with my album and to shine the light on all these strong women."

At first glance, the composers Bassenge has chosen could hardly be more different - from hippie icon Joni Mitchell to Eurythmics singer Annie Lennox and pop phenomenon Billie Eilish. And yet they have much in common. "Many songs tell of a moment of self-empowerment for these women - and the success that followed. That's something that touched me very much, because women often don't have the confidence to do such things and think they need encouragement from outside," explains Bassenge. "When I started singing as a teenager, I also often heard 'women can't make music'. In general, we have made a lot of progress in recent years, but we still have a long way to go before women get the recognition they deserve."

Lisa Bassenge not only covers the twelve pieces, she makes them her own - with her changeable, soulful voice and the gentle jazz instrumentation. As on her previous album "Borrowed and Blue" she recorded "Mothers" with swedish pianist Jacob Karlzon and danish bass player Andreas Lang. https://herzogrecords.bandcamp.com/album/mothers

Personnel: Lisa Bassenge (vocals); Jacob Karlzon (piano); Andreas Lang (bass)

Mothers

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Lambert, Hendricks & Ross - Home Cookin'

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:30
Size: 92,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:26) 1. Home Cookin'
(2:18) 2. Halloween Spooks
(4:47) 3. Popity Pop
(3:52) 4. Blue
(3:17) 5. Mr P.C.
(5:27) 6. Come on Home
(3:05) 7. The New ABC
(2:33) 8. Farmer's Market
(3:06) 9. Cookin' at the Continental
(2:50) 10. With Malice Towards None
(3:45) 11. Hi-Fly

The premier jazz vocal act of all time, Lambert, Hendricks & Ross revolutionized vocal music during the late '50s and early '60s by turning away from the increasingly crossover slant of the pop world to embrace the sheer musicianship inherent in vocal jazz. Applying the concepts of bop harmonies to swinging vocal music, the trio transformed dozens of instrumental jazz classics into their own songs, taking scat solos and trading off licks and riffs in precisely the same fashion as their favorite improvising musicians. Vocal arranger Dave Lambert wrote dense clusters of vocal lines for each voice that, while only distantly related, came together splendidly. Jon Hendricks wrote clever, witty lyrics to jazz standards like "Summertime," "Moanin'," and "Twisted," and Annie Ross proved to be one of the strongest, most dexterous female voices in the history of jazz vocals. Together Lambert, Hendricks & Ross paved the way for vocal groups like Manhattan Transfer while earning respect from vocalists and jazz musicians alike.

The act grew out of apartment jam sessions by Lambert, a pioneering arranger and bop vocalist who had appeared in groups led by Gene Krupa and Buddy Stewart though he had also gained infamy leading a vocal choir on the disastrous "Charlie Parker with Voices" session recorded for Clef in 1953. That same year, Lambert met Jon Hendricks, who had similar vocal specialties that extended to lyrical changes. The pair debuted with a radically reworked version of "Four Brothers," which featured lyrics by Hendricks and note-for-note duplications of the original solos by Al Cohn, Zoot Sims, Stan Getz, and Woody Herman. They recorded a few other sides but were unsuccessful until a chance meeting with solo vocalist Annie Ross hit paydirt.

The first LP by Lambert, Hendricks & Ross was 1957's Sing a Song of Basie. Though the trio originally intended to hire a complete vocal choir to supplement their voices, the general incompetence of the studio voices led them to multitrack their own voices. The results were excellent, incredible vocal re-creations of complete solos from Basie classics like "One O'Clock Jump," "Down for Double," and "Avenue C" with added lyrics by Hendricks. The next year's follow-up, Sing Along with Basie, featured the bandleader himself and his group in a supporting role. Perhaps realizing that multi-tracking was a bit of a gimmick, Lambert, Hendricks & Ross then recruited a straight rhythm trio and began touring and recording that way. The first studio effort, 1959's The Swingers!, represented a leap in quality and musicianship, leading to a contract with Columbia later that year. The trio recorded three albums for the label during the next two years, including a tribute to Duke Ellington.

All three had pursued separate solo projects during the trio's run. After constant touring began to wear her out, Ross left the group in 1962. Lambert and Hendricks replaced her with Yolande Bavan, and continued recording for RCA. However, it was nearly impossible to replace a soloist of Ross' caliber, and the three albums Lambert, Hendricks & Bavan recorded between 1962 and 1964 were decidedly below par. The group broke up in 1964, and Lambert's death in a traffic accident just two years later quashed any hopes of a reunion. Both Hendricks and Ross continued to perform and record, with Ross doing much theater and film work as well.~ John Bush https://www.allmusic.com/artist/lambert-hendricks-ross-mn0000106987/biography

Home Cookin'

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Johnny Griffin - Johnny Griffin

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 26:05
Size: 60,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:35) 1. I Cried For You
(3:03) 2. Satin Wrap
(2:29) 3. Yesterdays
(3:09) 4. Riff-Raff
(3:51) 5. Bee-
(3:17) 6. The Boy Next Door
(3:33) 7. These Foolish
(3:05) 8. Lollypop

Instead there are more formalist notions that suggest Paul Gonsalves and Coleman Hawkins. In addition, the album-closer, "Lollypop," comes out swinging hard with an R&B hook that digs in. Mance propels Griffin with fat, greasy chords that suggest a Chicago bar-walking honk frenzy, but Griffin's own playing is too sophisticated and glides like Lester Young around the changes. Also notable here is Ware's beautiful bop run "Riff Raff."

The bassist knew not only how to write for but arrange for horns. Mance and Griffin are in it knee-deep, note for note, with Mance adding beefy left-hand clusters to the melody as Ware and Smith play it straight time until the solo, when the middle breaks up and everybody goes in a different direction. It's got the hard bop blues at its root. This recording is brief, as it originally came out on a 10" LP, but is nonetheless a necessary addition to any shelf that pays Johnny Griffin homage.~ Thom Jurek https://www.allmusic.com/album/johnny-griffin-mw0000461284

Personnel: Johnny Griffin – tenor saxophone; Junior Mance – piano; Wilbur Ware – bass; Buddy Smith – drums

Johnny Griffin

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Frank Kohl - Invisible Man

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:29
Size: 116,1 MB
Art: Front

(6:07) 1. Invisible Man
(5:13) 2. In Your Arms
(6:15) 3. Born Again
(6:21) 4. Falling Sky
(7:48) 5. My Funny Valentine
(5:29) 6. Round About
(4:44) 7. My One and Only Love
(8:28) 8. Alone Together

Guitarist Kohl's third release as a leader, 2015's Invisible Man, features the New York bassist Steve LaSpina, whom Kohl first heard perform with guitar master Jim Hall. The music is a tight east coast sound, with many originals by Kohl. Elegant in simplicity, eschewing the thicker layers of many jazz presentations, this recording is to the point and floats along nicely. Kohl says "May we all believe in ourselves and not be deterred by the obstacles we face, I dedicate my music to that invisible part in all of us."~ Opiniones editoriales https://www.amazon.com/Invisible-Man-Frank-Kohl-Quartet/dp/B00U0FJLO6

Personnel: Frank Kohl-Guitar; Steve LaSpina-Bass; Tom Kohl-Piano; Jon Doty-Drums

Invisible Man

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Melody Gardot - Sunset In The Blue (Deluxe Version)

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:39
Size: 182,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:34) 1. If You Love Me
(4:52) 2. C’est Magnifique
(5:48) 3. There Where He Lives In Me
(3:57) 4. Love Song
(6:04) 5. You Won't Forget Me
(4:33) 6. Sunset In The Blue
(4:05) 7. Um Beijo
(3:37) 8. Ninguém, Ninguém
(4:48) 9. From Paris With Love - Single Version
(4:26) 10. Ave Maria
(3:47) 11. Moon River
(3:04) 12. I Fall In Love Too Easily
(2:42) 13. Little Something
(4:21) 14. From Paris With Love - Acoustic
(5:25) 15. Love Song
(4:06) 16. Trav'lin' Light
(3:27) 17. What Is This Thing Called Love
(4:54) 18. C'est Magnifique - Live In Namouche Studios

Melody Gardot emerged from her own smoky shadows of the mid-2000s as if she were some femme fatale emanating from a film noir movie. The plot twist was that she was the good girl, but it was her body that had been damaged in an auto accident. An extensive recovery followed. Her long, lean cane only reinforced her long, lean looks. The shades added just a touch of mystery. If there was anything positive, it was that she confronted the challenges and drew on them as a source of inspiration for some of her songs. Gardot's debut disc contained ten compact, yet gripping, originals and the sophomore release was a compelling and seamless second chapter. Taking elements of Julie London's sultry purr and Sade's sophisticated snap, Gardot nonetheless charted her own original course. Even more great music followed over the next decade.

On Sunset in the Blue, Gardot is pensive but patient and often soothing. Gliding up to the microphone, she is cautious and intimate as she beckons the lush strings to support the album's opener, "If You Love Me." Her vulnerable voice continues to lightly float on many of the songs including the second selection, "C'est Magnifique" (featuring guest Portuguese Fado singer Antonio Zambujo). Later, the lyrics of "You Won't Forget Me" proclaim that her former beau "won't forget me / on nights like this / The moon will cast / Upon you the shadow of my kiss" but her emotions reveal the truth she will never be able to forget him. Moments later, she delivers "From Paris With Love," a romantic postcard from France. Gardot's cool lyrics reveal "Lovers tucked into a quiet café / Sat beneath a shade of red / They fall in love like fallin' out of bed." Undoubtedly, Bogart and Bergman are sitting just a table or two away.

As the album draws to a close, Gardot presents a pair of American Standards, "Moon River" and "I Fall in Love Too Easily," before treating us to a final bonus song featuring guest artist Sting. Gentle, supportive guitars weave in and out of the album while understated trumpets and saxophones appear sparingly. When they do appear, they are welcome additions that make rich contributions.

One of Gardot's strengths on Sunset in the Blue is that more than half of the songs are originals, almost as if she were crafting a modernized set of American Standards. "From Paris With Love" could certainly be added to that prestigious list. If there is a weakness, it is the lack of musical variety as you find yourself hoping for surprise twists. Ironically, she gives us almost too much of a good thing. Regardless, find your own corner table, order a vintage French Bordeaux and listen as Sunset in the Blue gently unfolds.~ Scott Gudell https://www.allaboutjazz.com/sunset-in-the-blue-melody-gardot-verve-records

Personnel: Melody Gardot: voice / vocals; Antonio Zambujo: voice / vocals; Till Bronner: trumpet; Donny McCaslin: saxophone,tenor; Anthony Wilson: guitar; Dadi Carvalho: guitar; Nando Duarte: guitar, acoustic; Larry Klein: guitar, acoustic; Philippe Baden Powell: piano; Sam Minaie: bass; John Leftwich: bass, acoustic; Chuck Berghofer: bass, acoustic; Chuck Staab: drums; Vinnie Colaiuta: drums; Paulinho Da Costa: percussion.

Sunset In The Blue (Deluxe Version)

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David Binney - Aliso

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:21
Size: 168,5 MB
Art: Front

( 7:57)  1. Aliso
( 7:56)  2. A Day In Music
( 8:53)  3. Toy Tune
( 9:16)  4. Strata
( 5:01)  5. Teru
( 6:30)  6. Fuchsia Swing Song
( 5:59)  7. Bar Life
( 7:46)  8. Think Of One
(13:59)  9. Africa

In a career now in its third decade, alto saxophonist David Binney's greatest accomplishment, despite being a player of no small worth, has been as a composer whose often knottily idiosyncratic tunes manage to remain not just accessible, but deeply compelling. From the earliest days of Lost Tribe through to last year's outstanding Third Occasion, Binney's distinctive compositional style has become a touchstone for players on the New York scene and beyond. It's not that he can't play directly in the tradition his own work couldn't come from anyplace but he just generally chooses not to. While past albums, including 2005's Bastion of Sanity (Criss Cross), have occasionally included songs from the standards repertoire, the saxophonist has never before released an album like Aliso, where five of its nine tracks are not Binney originals, taking up well over half of its 73-minute running time.  A function of its participants being unable to convene until the night before the recording, Aliso could be considered a tad schizophrenic. Binney's tunes are not exactly more direct, but they are less complex, encouraging even greater emphasis on blowing; a nice dovetail with music from Wayne Shorter, Thelonious Monk, Sam Rivers and John Coltrane. With a largely fixed quintet (only the piano chair is shared, between John Escreet and the more prevalent Jacob Sacks), Binney demonstrates his considerable alto prowess with both dark balladry and elegant swing (Shorter's "Teru" and "Toy Tune," respectively). 

He also shows a lesser-known ability to rip through changes coming fast and furious, on a burning take of Rivers' "Fuchsia Swing Song." The rest of the band also capably handles Binney's modern approach to the mainstream, especially bassist Eivind Opsvik and drummer Dan Weiss, who are rarely heard in straight-ahead settings. But for those jonesing for more of the Binney they've come to know and love, the saxophonist's four compositions more than do the trick. Guitarist Wayne Krantz last heard on a Binney album in 2002 (Balance, on ACT) and whose Krantz Carlock Lefebvre (Abstract Logix) was a 2009 fusion milestone sits out on most of the standards, but his contribution to the rest of Aliso is purposeful; uncanny in its ability to push and pull time, harmony and melody, all with a slightly gritty tone and idiosyncratic turn of phrase. Whether it's the more visceral groove of the title track which also features one of Binney's most effervescent solos of the set the more temporally elastic "A Day in Music" or metrically challenged "Bar Life," Krantz's inimitable playing supports Binney's assertion, "Wayne is one of my favorite musicians ever."  Krantz does join on a pedal-to-the-metal version of Coltrane's modal masterpiece, "Africa" the cover tune that aesthetically fits best with Binney's own writing, despite its inherent compositional simplicity. 

There's nothing wrong with being a little schizophrenic; not, at least, when the result is as unmistakably fine as Aliso an anomaly in Binney's discography, perhaps, but one that still remains a significant marker in his overall body of work. ~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/aliso-david-binney-criss-cross-review-by-john-kelman.php

Personnel: David Binney: alto saxophone; Wayne Krantz: guitar; Jacob Sacks: piano (2-6, 8); John Escreet: piano (1, 7, 9); Eivind Opsvik: bass; Dan Weiss: drums.

Aliso

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Georgia Mancio - Silhouette

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:07
Size: 127,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:54) 1. Sihouette
(5:09) 2. Question the Answer
(5:00) 3. Solace
(5:11) 4. Take It With Me
(5:29) 5. Just in Time
(5:48) 6. Slowly
(5:24) 7. TransOceanica
(5:10) 8. Modinha
(4:46) 9. Slice
(4:43) 10. Finisterre
(2:27) 11. Sihouette 2

Georgia Mancio celebrates 10 years as a professional jazz singer with Silhouette, her third album. The mix of standards and original compositions, delivered in Mancio's light but distinctive voice, and accompanied by some of the finest musicians on the British jazz scene, is a genuine cause for such celebration. Silhouette is innovative, lyrically inventive, risky at times and always rewarding.

Mancio's vocal delivery is reminiscent of Anita O'Day's; her enunciation is clear and precise but there is a lightness in the delivery that is immediately enticing. On most of the original songs she acts as lyricist, while two of the album's three pianists take responsibility for the music Tim Lapthorn composed four songs while Kate Williams does the job on "Silhouette." Only one original song, "Finisterre," is written by Mancio alone. It's a strange, slightly threatening, first person tale on which Mancio is accompanied solely by Dave Ohm's percussion. "Silhouette" opens the album, with a sad tale of an old man reflecting on his life "like a dream half-remembered" that could be inspired by the plays of Samuel Beckett. The backing, especially Williams' piano and Julie Walkington's bass, is superb and sets the standard for the remaining songs. A fresh arrangement of "Silhouette" closes the album this time it's a wordless a capella duet between Mancio and Ian Shaw that adds even more mystery to the song.

"Question the Answer" is a quirky number that might best be described as "semi-original," wedding Mancio's lyrics to Pat Metheny's song of the same name. The arrangement, by Mancio and pianist John Pearce, features fine piano from Pearce and elegant flute from Gareth Lockrane, while the lyric challenges the cynicism of politics and religion, albeit a little disingenuously. The tune swings, and the overall feel is strongly reminiscent of songs featured on the satirical British '60s TV show That Was The Week That Was, as a musical commentary on current events. That program was both popular and controversial the singer was Millicent Martin, a stylish jazz vocalist who later found greater fame as Daphne's mother on the TV show Frazier.

Two covers merit special mention and ably demonstrate Mancio's risk-taking. On Tom Waits and Kathleen Brennan's "Take it With Me," Mancio delivers a beautiful and ultimately optimistic vocal, underpinned by sparse and empathic bass and cello from Walkington and Gregor Riddell. Mancio and Ohm's arrangement of "Just In Time" plays with the rhythm and tempo of the tune, creating shifts in mood and style but never failing to ensure that the tune swings from beginning to end. It's helped enormously by two more fine performances from Pearce and Lockrane, although Mancio's vocal would benefit from added bite in the faster passages.

Silhouette is a fine album, demonstrating what can be accomplished by singers when they are prepared to innovate and take risks. Mancio's performance often within arrangements that would expose any weakness puts her at the top of the ever-growing tree of jazz vocalists, and can only enhance her reputation.~ Bruce Lindsay https://www.allaboutjazz.com/silhouette-georgia-mancio-roomspin-records-review-by-bruce-lindsay.php

Personnel: Georgia Mancio: vocals; Julie Walkington: double-bass; Dave Ohm: drums, percussion; John Pearce: piano (2, 5, 8); Kate Williams: piano (1); Tim Lapthorn: piano (3, 6, 7, 9); Dave Colton: guitar (6); Gareth Lockrane: flute (1, 2, 5, 9); Gregor Riddell: cello (4, 7); Ian Shaw: vocals (7, 11).

Silhouette

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Kenny Burrell - The Artist Selects

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:14
Size: 173,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:59) 1. This Time The Dream's On Me - Remastered 2000
(6:05) 2. Delilah - Remastered 2000
(3:49) 3. But Not For Me - Remastered
(4:42) 4. Phinupi - Remastered
(4:46) 5. Love, Your Spell Is Everywhere
(7:59) 6. Scotch Blues - Remastered
(4:43) 7. Weaver Of Dreams - Remastered 2000
(9:35) 8. Swingin' - Remastered 1987
(5:25) 9. Chitlins Con Carne
(2:43) 10. Soul Lament - Remastered 1999/Rudy Van Gelder Edition
(4:01) 11. Midnight Blue - Remastered
(5:30) 12. These Foolish Things - 20 Bit Mastering; 1998 Digital Remaster
(6:02) 13. Hackensack - Remastered
(4:49) 14. Freedom

Taking a cue from ECM’s: rarum series, Blue Note has initiated their own The Artist Selects series, allowing living legends to hand-pick their own “best-of” compilations and even sequence them. The inaugural portion of the series, launched Oct. 4, features albums from guitarist Kenny Burrell (pictured), also saxophonist Lou Donaldson, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard and composer/arranger Gerald Wilson. The musicians cull their Blue Note releases, while Wilson selects from his Pacific Jazz recordings. Emphasizing the “artist selects” title, the liner notes contain first-person testimony from the artist of how the recordings came to be and how the process developed. By Katherine Silkaitis https://jazztimes.com/archives/blue-note-begins-artist-selects-series

Personnel: Guitar – Kenny Burrell (tracks: 1-14); Bass - Ben Tucker (tracks: 5,8,14), Major Holley (tracks: 9,11), Oscar Pettiford (tracks: 4), Paul Chambers (tracks: 1,2,7), Sam Jones (tracks: 6); Congas – Candido Camero (tracks: 1,2), Ray Barretto (tracks: 5,8,11,14); Drums – "Philly" Joe Jones (tracks: 12,13), Art Blakey (tracks: 6,8), Bill English (tracks: 5,9,11,14), Kenny Clarke (tracks: 1,2,7), Shadow Wilson (tracks: 4); Organ – Jimmy Smith (tracks: 13); Piano – Bobby Timmons (tracks: 8), Duke Jordan (tracks: 5), Herbie Hancock (tracks: 5,14), Tommy Flanagan (tracks: 1,2,4,7); Tenor Saxophone – Frank Foster (tracks: 4), Junior Cook (tracks: 5), Stanley Turrentine (tracks: 9,14), Tina Brooks (tracks: 5,8); Trumpet – Louis Smith (tracks: 6)

The Artist Selects

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Bobby Hutcherson - The Best Of The Blue Note Years

Styles: Vibraphone Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:14
Size: 159,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:33) 1. Blues Mind Matter
(5:10) 2. Little B's Poem
(8:05) 3. Bouquet
(6:16) 4. Ghetto Lights
(5:57) 5. Patterns
(4:44) 6. 'Til Then
(5:18) 7. Dave's Chant
(9:26) 8. Same Shame
(7:47) 9. Ummh
(6:25) 10. Houston St. Thursday Afternoon
(6:28) 11. Roses Poses

Quick. Name some jazz vibraphonists. Most of you would pick the legendary Lionel Hampton, who played in Benny Goodman's band, among others. Some of you would name Milt Jackson, who's one-fourth of the Modern Jazz Quartet. But what about Bobby Hutcherson?

Thumbing through some jazz history books, you might find a page or two mentioning his name in passing, which is a shame. Not many people can make the vibes swing or sing, and Hutcherson should be added to the list. The recently released Bobby Hutcherson: The Best of the Blue Note Years spans nearly a decade of recordings with the record label beginning in 1965. The liner notes includes some background information from Down Beat magazine correspondent Mitchell Feldman. Hutcherson glides through the 11 tracks from 11 different albums with the greatest of ease. His sidemen are no slouchers themselves, including pianists Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, saxophonists Sam Rivers and Harold Land, bassist Ron Carter, and drummers Billy Higgins and Joe Chambers.

On "Dave's Chant," it starts out with a Latin feel, but then jumps into cut-time swing, with Hutcherson playing a Charlie Parker-like solo on the vibes, paving the way for Land to take the solo reins. Hutcherson's mallets travel so fast along the vibes during "Patterns," one would wish a movie camera had been trained on him during the recording session in order to see the brilliance. He's also eager to branch into different genres, like on the funk-blues-injected "Ummh" or the Latin influence in "Rose Poses." But this collection doesn't merely showcase Hutcherson. In most cases, he backs off to let the other players shine. Listen to Hancock's amazing solos on "Little B's Poem" and "Bouquet," or Rivers' and Hubbard's solos on "Ghetto Lights." In all, it's a collection that features the best of this relatively unknown yet phenomenal vibraphonist. ~ Michael Fortuna https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-best-of-the-blue-note-years-bobby-hutcherson-blue-note-records-review-by-michael-fortuna.php

Personnel: Bobby Hutcherson: vibes; Herbie Hancock: piano; Joe Henderson: alto saxophone; Freddie Hubbard: trumpet; Ron Carter: bass

The Best Of The Blue Note Years

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Topsy Chapman and The Pro's - My One and My Only Love

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:37
Size: 140,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:31) 1. If Dreams Come True
(4:40) 2. Just a Little While to Stay Here
(4:39) 3. I Still Get Jealous
(4:03) 4. Someday You'll Be Sorry
(4:01) 5. Mood Indigo
(6:27) 6. Somewhere Over the Rainbow
(5:18) 7. I Can't Give You Anything but Love
(3:47) 8. Bye Bye Blues
(5:22) 9. Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans
(5:08) 10. Baby Won't You Please Come Home
(5:08) 11. My One and Only Love
(3:01) 12. Deacon Jones
(5:27) 13. Solitude

The delightful musical One Mo'Time introduced singer Topsy Chapman to admiring audiences around the world. The production, which is set in 1920s New Orleans, reached cult status in its run at the old Toulouse Theater in the French Quarter in the 1980s before being exported to New York and then to Europe. Much of the local cast traveled with the play and thus Chapman, long-considered a living treasure in New Orleans, received some well-deserved exposure before a larger audience.

Chapman, who grew up not far from New Orleans in Kentwood, LA, was raised in the gospel music tradition. That gospel-tinged fervor is evident in her voice today, as she sings with some of the top musicians in the city of New Orleans. She still makes appearances at some of the popular gospel brunch venues around the city, but she mostly lends her elegant style to groups such as the Magnolia Brass Band, the Jim Cullum Jazz Band, and the Lars Edegran Orchestra. She gigs with the best of the best at venues in the Crescent City at popular clubs such as Donna's, Snug Harbor, and the Palm Court, as well as at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, and the Satchmo Summerfest.

Chapman's affinity for the music of Armstrong is captured on her 2001 CD My One and Only Love. Recorded as Topsy Chapman and the Pros, the record does feature some real pros, such as Lucien Barbarin, Don Suhor, and Duke Heitger. The singer is joined on vocals by her two daughters, Yolanda "Peb" Windsay and Jolynda "Kike" Phillips. Among the selections are Armstrong's "Someday You'll Be Sorry" and "I Still Get Jealous." Another excellent release is Jazz in New Orleans: The Nineties. Working with Brian Carrick and his New Orleans Heritage Band, Chapman has made an uplifting record of gospel tunes such as "In the Sweet By and By" and "Just a Closer Walk With Thee." Her work with the Magnolia Jazz Band can be heard on their 1994 eponymous release, featuring jazz standards and popular tunes.

The vocalist also appears on Cubanismo!'s 2000 CD Mardi Gras Mambo-Cubanismo! in New Orleans. Chapman really fits in the groove, especially on her danzon-style duet with John Boutté, "It Do Me Good." In 2002, Chapman was nominated for Best Female Jazz Vocalist in the prestigious Best of New Orleans Awards given by Gambit magazine. With several records out there, personal appearances, and glowing reviews in journals from Ebony to the New York Times, her star is shining brighter than ever.~ Rose of Sharon Witmer https://www.allmusic.com/artist/topsy-chapman-mn0000792037/biography

Personnel: Topsy Chapman vocals, Jolynda (Kike) Philips vocals, Yolanda "Peb" Windsay vocals, Duke Heitger trumpet, Lucien Barbarin trombone, Don Suhor clarinet + alto sax, Rickie Monie piano, Mark Brooks bass, Ocie Davis drums.

My One and My Only Love

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Stanley Cowell - Live at Keystone Korner Baltimore

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:53
Size: 165,3 MB
Art: Front

(12:39) 1. Cal Massey
( 6:49) 2. Charleston Rag
(11:59) 3. Montage For Toledo
( 4:51) 4. Equipoise
( 5:11) 5. It's Time
(12:14) 6. Banana Pudding
( 9:33) 7. No Illusions
( 8:33) 8. This Life

A real standout set from pianist Stanley Cowell one of his few dates in recent years to feature more than a trio lineup and recorded in a live setting that really seems to ignite some old school fires in Stanley's music! Make no mistake Cowell is always wonderful but there's a nice edge to his compositions here, as Stanley hits a bit harder, and drives things along to match the energy from the trumpet of Freddie Hendrix and alto of Bruce Williams who play in a lineup that also features Tom DiCarlo on bass and Vince Ector on drums.

Sunny Cowell performs a beautiful vocal version of the classic "Equipoise" maybe worth the price of the album alone and other tracks include "Cal Massey", "Montage For Toledo", "This Life", "Banana Pudding", "No Illusions", and a take on the Max Roach tune "It's Time". © 1996-2021, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/969232/Stanley-Cowell:Live-At-Keystone-Korner-Baltimore

Personnel: Piano – Stanley Cowell; Alto Saxophone – Bruce Williams ; Bass – Tom DiCarlo; Drums – Vincent Ector; Trumpet – Freddie Hendrix; Vocals – Sunny Cowell

Live at Keystone Korner Baltimore

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Frank Kohl - The Crossing

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:38
Size: 134,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:17) 1. The Crossing
(6:50) 2. O Grande Amour
(7:23) 3. The Masquerade Is Over
(5:06) 4. The Goodbye
(6:41) 5. Yesterday's
(9:17) 6. Middle of Nowhere
(6:11) 7. Sojourn
(5:28) 8. New Moon
(5:19) 9. Brigas Nuncas Mais

Guitarist Frank Kohl has consistently put forth meaningful and eminently well-conceived guitar releases. His latest album titled The Crossing presents a dual guitar and upright bass approach. Kohl from the Seattle Washington jazz scene has collaborated on several albums with bassist Steve LaSpina, the two are joined by guitarist John Stowell. The album is introspective and offers mature and seasoned performances by all. Kohl and Stowell have a unique bond with each guitarist being their own unique stylist, but both coming from the traditional Barney Kessel style of jazz guitar approach.

The Crossing is Kohl’s fifth leader album, filled with equity of original and comely standards the listener is treated to a trio that displays masterful collaboration, each taking on their role with panache and impeccable artistry. Kohl’s originals are filled with fresh ideas and composed with an inclination of the jazz guitar tradition.

His arrangements of tastefully chosen standards ring with promise atmospheric delight. For example, Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “O Grande Amour” is given a relaxed playthrough by the trio. LaSpina has a breezy bossa nova feel that both Kohl and Stowell embellish. Both have the rhythmic language of the bossa nova mastered in both their accompanying and single-note playing. It is interesting to hear how both guitarists approach the melody, Kohl plays the melody first, with Stowell performing it the last time. Each has their own unique way of bringing out the charm of the Jobim melody. Stowell solos first; his lines are carefully constructed around the harmony and maintains a flowing eight-note pattern. Kohl’s solo has a wide range of techniques and colors, from rhythmically repeated notes to chordal statements.

“Middle of Nowhere” is a Kohl original with a straight-eight feel provided by LaSpina. The melody is catchy and joyful. The two guitarists have outstanding interaction on this track. Both speak the same jazz language, and that gives them the ability to complement each other. Hearing these two guitarists perform is going to be a treat for all jazz guitar fans. Kohl once again proves his acumen for writing smartly constructed originals adorning them with equally styled arrangements of standards. At first, I was unsure of the two guitarists’ idea, but Kohl and Stowell prove they are both masters of collaboration, each contributing to the success of a dual guitar sound. LaSpina per usual is nothing less than magical. It is easy to hear why artists such as the Mel Lewis’s orchestra (1978–82), Stan Getz (1986-87), Jim Hall (from 1988), Andy LaVerne (from 1989), and Benny Carter (latter half of the 1990s) called upon his bass predilection. The Crossing is worth the journey. Partake and enjoy. https://5fingerreview.com/frank-kohl-the-crossing-review/

Personnel – Frank Kohl: guitar; John Stowell: guitar and nylon string guitar; Steve LaSpina: contrabass

The Crossing

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Alexandra Shakina - Mood Indigo

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:38
Size: 142,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:44) 1. Estate
(5:36) 2. I Could Have Told You
(6:29) 3. Isn't It Romantic?
(4:10) 4. Let's Face The Music And Dance
(3:13) 5. Love you Madly
(5:24) 6. Mood Indigo
(3:42) 7. Only Trust Your Heart
(5:07) 8. A Sleepin Bee
(4:00) 9. Take Love Easy
(3:02) 10. You Are The Top
(4:03) 11. Comes Love
(5:39) 12. I'm A Fool To Want You
(5:22) 13. I Thought About You

One of the Russian diva who sings in a jazz mood with a romantic husky voice, the long-awaited second album of Alexandra gives you a wonderful love song cocktail! Translate By Google https://www.venusrecord.com/v2/release/VHCD-1267.html

Personnel: Alexandra Shakina, vocals; Massimo Farao', piano; Nicola Barbon, bass; Gianni Cazzola, drums

Mood Indigo

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Sonny Simmons - Last Man Standing

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:42
Size: 135,1 MB
Art: Front

( 8:42) 1. Call to Order
(11:00) 2. Ancient Ritual
( 4:30) 3. La Benedectina
( 4:34) 4. Janet's Mood
(15:45) 5. Black Gardenia
( 8:34) 6. Melodius Theme
( 5:34) 7. Theme for Ernie

This is the latest in a series of albums under saxophonist Sonny Simmons' name put out by the Norwegian Jazzaway label; a further instalment in the documentation of an abundantly creative artist, but one who only relatively recently has started to receive the kind of exposure he deserves. The setting here is a straight-ahead one and Simmons thrives in it. In the company of a rhythm section that does everything a listener might ask of it, and a whole lot more besides, Simmons puts himself across in a program consisting of his original compositions and Tadd Dameron's "Theme For Ernie," the inclusion of which indicates the leader's appreciation of a tradition goes back a whole lot further than a lot of people might imagine.

The same might be said of Simmons' grasp of the musical forms outside of the area he's most readily associated with. "Janet's Mood" is a case in point, not least because its ballad form serves as a vehicle for Simmons' acidic lyricism, happily purged of false sentiment. Pianist Anders Aarum shows here his mastery of a kind of fractured chromaticism that's entirely his own at the same time as he evokes the spirit of prime McCoy Tyner. On the subject of chromaticism, the leader's phrasing on "Black Gardenias" has about it that compellingly relentless quality that saxophonist John Coltrane might have blazed a trail for, but which has still made for better than worthwhile music ever since. The quartet maps out that territory so effectively here that it can only be called remarkable, especially when in so doing Simmons puts out his knowledge of where the music is his coming from whilst simultaneously putting out his own thoughts. In that balance, perhaps, lies true expression.

"Melodious Theme" underscores the group's empathy in no insignificant fashion, Simmons navigating the stormy sea blown up by his accompanists with customary aplomb and bringing galvanic phrases to bear whilst seemingly straining against the limits of human expression. Having said that, there's an important quality that he shares with saxophonist Fred Anderson he never resorts to screaming through his horn as a device for making a point, facile or otherwise. The impassioned logic that both men pour out through their music-making is a shared thing of wonder.

"Theme For Ernie" has about it that wistful air that's emblematic of much of Tadd Dameron's music. Simmons emphasises it through the simple expedient of initially singing the melody through his alto saxophone before putting in some potent variations. What one can only assume to have been ample rehearsal time makes a difference here, so cohesive is the group's thinking. If not that, then that indefinable quality that makes for compelling music was in the room at the time, and what's true in this instance is equally true of the whole program.~ Nic Jones https://www.allaboutjazz.com/last-man-standing-sonny-simmons-jazzaway-review-by-nic-jones.php

Personnel:Sonny Simmons: alto saxophone; Anders Aarum: piano; Mats Ellertsen: bass; Ole-Thomas Kolberg: drums. Torstein Lofthus: drums .

R.I.P.