Cheryl Bentyne & The Harmony - Moonlight Serenade

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 37:50
Size: 70,0 MB
Art: Front

(2:56)  1. Moonlight Serenade
(3:53)  2. Blue Prelude
(3:15)  3. Alice in Wonderland
(3:51)  4. Caravan
(2:48)  5. How High The Moon
(4:33)  6. Land of Make Believe
(3:55)  7. Soft Strum Blues
(2:22)  8. My One And Only Love
(4:32)  9. For Claudio
(2:47) 10. Tull Tales
(2:53) 11. Since First I Saw Your Face

A member of the Manhattan Transfer beginning in 1979, Cheryl Bentyne's beautiful voice, wide range, versatility, and impressive stage presence made her into a major asset for the popular vocal group from the start. Her father was a clarinetist who led a Dixieland band, and Bentyne sang swing music with his group while in high school. She was the lead singer with the New Deal Rhythm Band (a swing-oriented band) for four years and then in 1979 replaced Laurel Masse with the Manhattan Transfer. In 1992 she released her first solo album, Something Cool. Produced by trumpeter/arranger Mark Isham, it found Bentyne delving into pop standards in a jazz style. Although she continued to perform and record with the Manhattan Transfer, it took over ten years for Bentyne to release her next solo album. Released in 2003, Among Friends featured Bentyne performing in a straight-ahead jazz style on various Great American Songbook standards. Since then, Bentyne has stuck to the acoustic jazz aesthetic, releasing a steady stream of albums including Lights Still Burn and Sings Waltz for Debby in 2004, Let Me Off Uptown in 2005, and Book of Love in 2006.  Bentyne then delivered two composer tribute albums with 2011's Gershwin Songbook and 2012's Let's Misbehave: The Cole Porter Songbook. She next paired with vocalist Mark Winkler for 2013's West Coast Cool. The compilation album Lost Love Songs, featuring tracks from several of Bentyne's Japan-only albums, appeared in 2016.~Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/artist/cheryl-bentyne-mn0000108223/biography

Moonlight Serenade

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Nicki & Lisa Parrott - The Awabakal Suite

Size: 155,2 MB
Time: 66:57
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2003
Styles: Contemporary Jazz
Art: Front

01. Come And Get It ( 6:02)
02. Amblin' ( 7:02)
03. The Awabakal Suite - Part 1-Sawari, Part 2-Qrf, Part 3-Bound For (14:26)
04. Just You And Me As Evidence ( 3:53)
05. Cello Concerto ( 7:01)
06. One For Eric ( 6:12)
07. Jitterbug Waltz ( 5:41)
08. Second Chances ( 5:55)
09. Six Nettes ( 4:42)
10. Bound For South Australia ( 5:58)

The Parrott sisters have pooled their individual talents to release a CD that presents a 360 degree look-see at two of New York City's most exciting jazz musicians. Under the watchful eye of producer Rufus Reid, Nicki and Lisa take the listener on an eclectic jazz journey influenced by Australian folk as well as classical Western and Indian music. Although the creative re-working of standards like Monk's "Evidence" are intriguing, it is the self-penned compositions that make this CD a must-have.

Awabakal Suite is titled after an extinct Australian Aboriginal tribe from Lake Macquari, New South Wales. Nicki and Lisa, who were raised near this lake, elected to record the CD on January 26th, Australia Day. Commemorating the initial English landing, many Australians, including Nicki and Lisa, prefer to refer to this date as "Invasion Day". It has become a day of mourning for the subjugation of Aboriginal peoples. The suite blends Eastern and Western influenced changes in a manner reminiscent of Pharaoh Sanders' Upper and Lower Egypt. Didgeridoo sounds evoke images of native Australians and a marching snare signals British occupation as Lisa plays mournful sax. It is a piece that also weaves childhood themes with historical and political images ending with the catchy "Bound for South Australia", an Australian sea shanty often sung by Australian children.

Prior to this release, the sisters had gone in different directions. Lisa, known for her playing with big band "Diva", the PLK trio and for a smoky Ben Websteresque sax on two Derek Bronston Quartet releases has become a versatile contemporary player with a recognizable light touch who can also "honk" with the best. Nicki appears weekly with Les Paul and is one of New York City's most sought after bassists. She combines Skitch Henderson, Johnny Frigo and Johnny Varro session work with permanent spots in "David Krakauer's Klezmer Madness", "Mikveh", and the "Ron Jackson Duo". For their first collaboration, these two diverse musicians have put together a tight band prominently featuring Kevin Hays (piano) and Dion Parson (drums) that is able to adeptly switch styles while maintaining a solid rhythm.

Nicki's "Come and Get It" and Lisa's "Amblin" showcase Lisa's sax playing in a tight jazz combo setting, with some fine solo trading. Nicki never sacrifices this underlying rhythm for ego tripping solos. Of special mention is the arrangement of Schuman's Concerto in A Minor opus 129 for Cello and Orchestra. Kevin Hays treads that dangerous line of classical/jazz piano without sacrificing the inherent feel of the piece as Nicki plays the cello line exquisitely on bass. The listener's mind floats through heartrending images in the elegant Nicki Parrott composition "Second Chances" only to be jolted to the ceiling by "Six Nettes" that features some of Lisa's best manic playing and honks. Nicki keeps up and anticipates every move as bass and sax drive each other to the point of no return only to be brought back by Nicki's solid line to close out the album.

Up to this point, Nicki and Lisa Parrott were two musicians who happened to be sisters. With The Awabakal Suite they have hearkened back to common roots from their diverse individual perspectives to produce a collective self-portrait. ~by Elliott Simon

Personnel: Nicki Parott (double bass), Lisa Parrott (alto and baritone saxophone), Kevin Hays (piano), Dion Parson (drums), Cafe De Silva (percussion)

The Awabakal Suite  

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Teri Roiger - Ghost of Yesterday: Shades of Lady Day

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:41
Size: 133,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:23)  1. Lady Day and John Coltrane
(3:41)  2. (I Don't Stand A) Ghost of a Chance
(3:50)  3. What a Little Moonlight Can Do
(7:49)  4. You Don't Know What Love Is
(5:46)  5. Fine and Mellow
(3:26)  6. Them There Eyes
(5:15)  7. It's Easy to Remember
(5:10)  8. Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans
(4:48)  9. Lady Day
(5:22) 10. Ghost of Yesterday
(5:18) 11. These Foolish Things
(2:48) 12. Lady Sings the Blues

Since Billie Holiday was a major influence on Abbey Lincoln, it’s entirely apt that vocalist Teri Roiger, who owes a considerable debt to both, follows her 2012 tribute to Lincoln a fine, thoughtful appreciation with an equally imaginative salute to Holiday. Roiger opens with a less funky but no less stirring take on Gil Scott-Heron’s “Lady Day and John Coltrane.” Later, she offers up her own paean, “Lady Day,” based on music contributed to Roiger by the late David “Fathead” Newman, dotted with Holiday touchstones, including references to Lester Young and “Don’t Explain.” Both Young and Holiday recorded “(I Don’t Stand) A Ghost of a Chance With You,” though not together. Roiger introduces her version by adding sage lyrics to Young’s solo, with Jay Collins accompanying on tenor saxophone. Young’s solo on “Fine and Mellow,” recorded with Holiday, is lyrically retraced with equal aplomb, here with support from trombonist Roswell Rudd. And she adds an interesting twist to “Them There Eyes,” inserting Ella Fitzgerald’s scat solo, again fitted with new lyrics. Roiger bypasses Holiday’s sturdiest signatures “Strange Fruit,” “God Bless the Child,” “Good Morning, Heartache,” “Lover Man” filling the balance of the album with selections from across her sizeable songbook. Traveling from a wistfully tender “It’s Easy to Remember” to a laidback “Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans,” she closes with a dusky reading of Holiday’s late-career masterpiece, “Lady Sings the Blues.” https://jazztimes.com/reviews/vox/teri-roiger-lady-day/

The Band: The new recording features Wayne Hawkins (piano), John Menegon (bass), Steve Williams (drums) + The Visitors: Roswell Rudd (trombone), Jay Collins (baritone and tenor sax), Steve Gorn (clarinet & bansuri flute), Rebecca Coupe-Franks (trumpet), Mark Dziuba (guitar) & Abdou Mboup (percussion).

Ghost of Yesterday: Shades of Lady Day

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Ida Sand - Meet Me Around Midnight

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:44
Size: 121,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:37)  1. Mr Pianoman
(2:46)  2. Bang Bang
(3:59)  3. Brutal Truth
(4:04)  4. Every Little Bit Hurts
(4:03)  5. Here Comes The Rain Again
(3:49)  6. One For My Baby
(5:15)  7. Feeding Off The Love Of The Land
(4:32)  8. Higher Ground
(5:04)  9. At Last
(2:53) 10. Baby Don't You Tear My Clothes
(4:12) 11. Maybe You'll Be There
(3:17) 12. Use Me
(4:08) 13. Home

29-year-old singer and pianist Ida Sand didn't feel rushed to start a solo career: Born into a musical family her father was an opera singer, her mother a church musician she studied music in Stockholm and then worked with a large number of Swedish musicians, honing her skills. One of these musicians was Nils Landgren, who gave Sand ample opportunity to show her talent on the latest release of his Funk Unit, Licence to Funk, and now that she has finally recorded an album under her own name, Landgren is on board as a producer and also guests on a number of songs. 

Meet Me Around Midnight is a vocal jazz album deeply influenced by blues and soul, and Sand's experience as a musician shows: she has an earthy, expressive voice, but she never feels the need to push it into the spotlight where other young singers make every song a showcase for their undeniably impressive technique, Sand is refreshingly relaxed and focuses on the songs, not on herself. Most of the tracks are covers, and they have been selected from a wide range of sources: Sand performs two Stevie Wonder songs ("Feeding Off the Love of the Land" and "Higher Ground"), the Eurythmics composition "Here Comes the Rain Again," Nancy Sinatra's "Bang Bang," a Lightnin' Hopkins song ("Baby Don't You Tear My Clothes") and the old Arlen-Mercer song "One for My Baby" (made famous in versions by Frank Sinatra and Etta James). She finds a fresh arrangement for most of these, some more acoustic-based, with piano, bass, drums, and vocals as the main ingredients, and others more electric, giving them a bluesy touch with guitar and electric piano. 

Sand's own composition "Brutal Truth" is one of the album's highlights, a funky R&B song with a soulful groove, and her beautiful piano ballad "Home" quietly ends the album. Not every song on Meet Me Around Midnight is a standout, but even the less exciting arrangements ("At Last") are performed skillfully enough to make the album work as a whole. Sand is a promising new talent on the music scene, and with her subtle feel for dynamics, Meet Me Around Midnight shows more sophistication than you'd expect from a debut album. It's simply a good listen all the way through.~ Christian Genzel http://www.allmusic.com/album/meet-me-around-midnight-mw0001507074

Meet Me Around Midnight

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Michael Weiss - Persistence

Styles: Piano Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:33
Size: 111,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:19) 1. Persistence
(5:09) 2. Second Thoughts
(5:54) 3. Apres Vous
(4:53) 4. Only The Lonely
(6:47) 5. Jitterbug Waltz
(6:38) 6. Epistrophy
(6:50) 7. Once I Loved
(6:59) 8. Birthday Blues

It’s entirely appropriate that one of Michael Weiss’ signature compositions is titled “Apres Vous,” as the pianist has mostly made a name for himself as a sideman with many jazz luminaries. He’s backed Art Farmer, George Coleman, Benny Golson, Junior Cook, and Slide Hampton; most notably, he spent more than a decade backing the great saxophonist Johnny Griffin. In addition, he used to play with the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra.

These tenures have given Weiss a sophisticated approach to the millennial-era hard-bop piano. He’s neither a revivalist nor a classicist, but rather a virtuoso who continues to dive into harmonic textures and melodic structures in search of beauty and surprise. On Persistence, a concise, eight-track program of originals and standards, he finds plenty. His stellar band includes saxophonist Eric Alexander, another player more often heard as a sideman than a leader, plus bassist Paul Gill and drummer Pete Van Nostrand.

The band’s rapport highlights the title track, a convivial, up-tempo piece that never feels rushed. It’s especially evident in Alexander’s solo as Weiss alternately pushes and lays back in his accompaniment and Van Nostrand adds catchy rhythmic flourishes. It sounds like an insightful roundtable discussion with instruments doing the talking. During their sprightly and nimble take on “Apres Vous,” the solos stand out, especially Weiss’ richly textured improvisations and Alexander’s fervent, blustery licks. The quartet turns Fats Waller’s “Jitterbug Waltz” into a jaunty, gleeful mid-tempo romp. They also scale the mountain that is Thelonious Monk’s “Epistrophy,” putting their own assertive stamp on it with Alexander’s pithy lines and the leader’s elegant flourishes headlining the accomplishment. Weiss and his bandmates demonstrate that although he doesn’t record as a leader often, he makes these outings count. https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/michael-weiss-persistence-cellar-live/

Persistence

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Conrad Herwig, Richie Beirach, Jack DeJohnette - The Tip Of The Sword

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:35
Size: 114,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:49) 1. Where The Tip Of The Sword Settles
(7:11) 2. Mastery Of The Mind
(6:28) 3. Thought Precedes Action
(7:30) 4. The Void
(6:50) 5. Inner Sincerity
(7:06) 6. Moonlight On The Water,Rebirth
(6:37) 7. Being, Non-Being

Much of trombonist Conrad Herwig’s activity in recent years has been focused on exploring the so-called Latin side of jazz giants like John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock. Though not without their charms, those albums’ central concept, by its very nature, tends to limit inventiveness; they exist in a box enforced by a demanding gimmick. Whether or not Herwig has begun to chafe at those restrictions, The Tip of the Sword takes off in a wholly opposite direction, driven largely by freedom and openness. Though all seven compositions are credited to Herwig, the material is defined by the interactions between the trombonist and his heavyweight counterparts, pianist Richie Beirach and drummer Jack DeJohnette.

All three play with a predictably impressive vigor, and a certain hectic momentum propels most of the tracks. That’s certainly true of the tense, antic opener, “Where the Tip of the Sword Settles,” during which Herwig’s bluster is met by Beirach’s caffeinated urgency and DeJohnette’s all-over-the-kit hyperactivity. “Mastery of the Mind” builds at a much more patient pace, Herwig wailing with breathiness and the occasional stuttering catch while DeJohnette dances around his cymbals and Beirach muses. But it’s “The Void,” the album’s literal centerpiece, that finds the trio reining itself in to its starkest point, beginning with a lengthy solo piano turn that basks in the instrument’s resonance. “Inner Sincerity” restores the brisk pace with DeJohnette’s ebullient rhythms, which bear traces of his globetrotting influences without suggesting any particular culture or style. https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/conrad-herwig-richie-beirach-jack-dejohnette-the-tip-of-the-sword/

Personnel: Conrad Herwig - trombone; Richie Beirach - piano; Jack DeJohnette - drums

The Tip Of The Sword

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Melissa Aldana - Second Cycle

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:59
Size: 169,7 MB
Art: Front

( 7:54)  1. Ellemeno
( 6:23)  2. Meeting Them
( 9:11)  3. Liquiescence
( 6:21)  4. First Cycle
( 4:56)  5. Second Cycle
( 7:10)  6. Free Fall
( 5:25)  7. My Own World
( 7:15)  8. Polyphemus
( 7:24)  9. I'll Be Seeing You
(11:54) 10. L Line

Melissa Aldana may still be in her early twenties, but the tenor saxophonist already knows what it is like to play with big jazz names like saxophonists George Coleman, Benny Golson and George Garzone. In a short time, Aldana has found her own place in the difficult New York jazz scene because she has developed a new voice that has commanded the attention of both the public and her peers. An obvious talent, one which made Greg Osby stand up and take notice when he first heard her at Boston's Berklee College of Music, combined with a marked perseverance and meticulous study routine is the formula that has brought her to the front line of jazz. She says that Don Byas, Mark Turner, Joe Lovano and Walter Smith III are the four saxophonists who really made her change how she approaches her career, but she continues to keep a close eye on the primary jazz legends. 

Aldana recorded her second album, Second Cycle (2012), for Osby's Inner Circle Music imprint (as she did her first), and she travelled to Spain to perform it, along with drummer Francisco Mela and bassist Dee Jay Foster. She started this short tour with the closing concert of Valencia's Jimmy Glass International Jazz Festival, clearly happy return after after two years. And despite being absorbed in the promotion of her new CD, this enterprising saxophonist is also working with a new trio featuring Mela and bassist Pablo Menares. This project will be debuted in January, 2013 at the New York Jazz Gallery. ~ Marta Ramon   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/melissa-aldana-living-a-second-cycle-melissa-aldana-by-marta-ramon.php#.U5oGTiioqdk

Second Cycle

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The Manhattan Transfer, Take 6 - The Summit: Live on Soundstage

Styles: Vocal, Swing 
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:45
Size: 165,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:52)  1. Mean Joe (Killer Joe) (Live)
(3:53)  2. Straighten Up and Fly Right (Live)
(2:56)  3. Tuxedo Junction (Live)
(3:18)  4. Candy (Live)
(4:24)  5. It's Good Enough To Keep (Airmail Special) (Live)
(3:59)  6. Just In Time (Live)
(4:30)  7. I've Got Life (Live)
(1:27)  8. Spread Love (Live)
(2:50)  9. Happy (Live)
(3:37) 10. Like Someone In Love (Live)
(0:51) 11. Twilight Zone / Twilight Tone (Live)
(0:58) 12. Gold Mine (Live)
(0:49) 13. Route 66 (Live)
(0:53) 14. Mary (Live)
(1:58) 15. Operator (Live)
(4:08) 16. A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square (Live)
(5:03) 17. Overjoyed (Live)
(3:41) 18. Stand By Me (Live)
(2:00) 19. Trickle Trickle (Live)
(1:30) 20. Boy From New York City (Live)
(6:12) 21. Birdland (Live)
(5:46) 22. What'd I Say (Live)

Riding a wave of nostalgia in the '70s, the Manhattan Transfer resurrected jazz trends from boogie-woogie to bop to vocalese in a slick, slightly commercial setting that balanced the group's close harmonies. Originally formed in 1969, the quartet recorded several albums of jazz standards as well as much material closer to R&B/pop. Still, they were easily the most popular jazz vocal group of their era, and the most talented of any since the heyday of Lambert, Hendricks & Ross during the early '60s. When the group was formed in the late '60s, however, the Manhattan Transfer was a hippie novelty act similar to the Lovin' Spoonful or Spanky & Our Gang. The lone LP that appeared from the original lineup leader Gene Pistilli plus Tim Hauser, Erin Dickins, Marty Nelson, and Pat Rosalia was Jukin', assembled by Capitol. Somewhat of a satire record, it was the last appearance on a Manhattan Transfer album for all of the above except Hauser. After Hauser met vocalists Laurel Masse and Janis Siegel in 1972, the trio re-formed the Manhattan Transfer later that year with the addition of Alan Paul. The group became popular after appearances at a few New York hot spots and recorded their own debut, an eponymous LP recorded with help from the jazz world (including Zoot Sims, Randy Brecker, Jon Faddis, and Mel Davis). Featuring vocalese covers of "Java Jive" and "Tuxedo Junction" as well as a Top 40 hit in the aggressive gospel tune "Operator," the album rejuvenated the field of vocalese (dormant since the mid-'60s) and made the quartet stars in the jazz community across Europe as well as America.

The Manhattan Transfer's next two albums, Coming Out and Pastiche, minimized the jazz content in favor of covers from around the music community, from Nashville to Los Angeles to Motown. A single from Coming Out, the ballad "Chanson d'Amour," hit number one in Britain. Though Masse left in 1979 for a solo career, Cheryl Bentyne proved a capable replacement, and that same year, Extensions introduced their best-known song, "Birdland," the ode to bop written by Weather Report several years earlier. Throughout the '80s, the group balanced retreads from all aspects of American song. The 1981 LP Mecca for Moderns gained the Manhattan Transfer their first American Top Ten hit, with a cover of the Ad Libs' 1965 girl group classic "The Boy from New York City," but also included a version of Charlie Parker's "Confirmation" and a surreal, wordless tribute named "Kafka." (The album also earned the Manhattan Transfer honors as the first artist to receive Grammys in both the pop and jazz categories in the same year.) The production on virtually all these was susceptible to '80s slickness, and though the group harmonies were wonderful, all but the most open of listeners had trouble digesting the sheer variety of material. 

The group's 1985 tribute to vocal pioneer Jon Hendricks, titled Vocalese, marked a shift in the Manhattan Transfer's focus. Subsequent works managed to keep the concepts down to one per album, and the results were more consistent. Such records as 1987's Brasil, 1994's Tubby the Tuba (a children's record), 1995's Tonin' ('60s R&B), and 1997's Swing (pre-war swing) may not have found the group at their performance peak, but were much more easily understandable for what they were. The group stayed very active and concept-heavy during the 2000s, beginning with a tribute to Louis Armstrong for 2000's The Spirit of St. Louis. They included a pair of Rufus Wainwright songs among the jazz material on 2004's Vibrate, and released An Acapella Christmas the following year. The Symphony Sessions followed in 2006, offering re-recordings of some of their best-known songs with orchestral arrangements. In 2009, the Transfer saluted one of the biggest names in jazz with The Chick Corea Songbook, and featured contributions from Corea, Airto Moreira, Christian McBride, and Ronnie Cuber, among others. During the early 2010s, the group focused more on performing, although both Bentyne and Hauser were forced to find temporary replacements during medical procedures. After spinal surgery in 2013, Hauser returned to the group, but then died suddenly from cardiac arrest in October 2014. Following his death, vocalist Trist Curless of the a cappella group m-pact joined the group full-time. In 2018, the group returned with the eclectic studio album Junction, which they dedicated to Hauser. ~ John Bush https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-summit-live-on-soundstage/1444195701

The Summit: Live on Soundstage

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Jeff Palmer, John Abercrombie, David Liebman, Adam Nussbaum - Abracadabra

Styles: Jazz, Hard Bop
Year: 1990
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:04
Size: 137,9 MB
Art: Front

( 7:59)  1. Hip Slick
( 3:05)  2. Mr. Adam
( 8:05)  3. Tango Dream
( 4:44)  4. Mr. John
( 5:13)  5. Abracadabra
( 6:36)  6. The Unkown Known
( 2:49)  7. Mr. Dave
( 8:44)  8. Girl Swirl
(12:47)  9. On Fire

Sound explorations are emphasized throughout this release with Jeff Palmer's atmospheric organ, the varied tones of John Abercrombie's guitar synthesizer, David Liebman's very passionate soprano and Adam Nussbaum's drums interacting over a variety of patterns. All of the compositions are group originals with five by Palmer and one apiece from the other three musicians. 

Whether it be the funky beat of "Hip Slick," the free jamming of "Mr. Adam," the spacey title cut or the almost New Age feel of "Mr. John," the themes are less important than the setting of moods and the advanced improvising. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/abracadabra-mw0000272005

Personnel: David Liebman (soprano saxophone); Jeff Palmer (organ); John Abercrombie (guitar synthesizer); Adam Nussbaum (drums).

Abracadabra

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Janet Seidel & William Galison - Love Letters

Styles: Jazz Vocals
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:23
Size: 131,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:06)  1. Love Letters
(4:10)  2. Small Fry
(4:10)  3. Lazybones
(4:23)  4. Baltimore Oriole
(3:24)  5. True Love
(5:11)  6. Nature Boy
(4:15)  7. Rockin' Chair
(4:16)  8. Stardust
(4:53)  9. The Nearness Of You
(4:36) 10. In A Sentimental Mood
(4:27) 11. It Ain't Necessarily So
(5:07) 12. Everytime We Say Goodbye
(4:18) 13. Moon River

With her clear, cool voice, Janet Seidel successfully combines the fluencies of such singers as Chris Connor, Blossom Dearie, Peggy Lee, and Doris Day into a style that focuses on delivering the story of the lyrics rather than making her vocal faculties the message. This is the Australian's eighth album for the La Brava label, and reflects her ability to make each new release as fresh and as captivating as the one that preceded it. Each new release has something novel. Here it is William Galison's harmonica, with the haunting, sensuous tone only that instrument can produce. The musical agenda is made up of songs that bring out the best in the combination of voice and harmonica, recalling Toots Thielemans' work with the likes of Peggy Lee, Sarah Vaughan, and Elaine Elias, to name just a few. Songs like "Baltimore Oriole," "In a Sentimental Mood," and "Stardust," classic standards all, fit perfectly within the feeling of soul created by Seidel and Galison. Add a generous helping of Chuck Morgan's guitar and the delicate drumming of Adam Pache, and out comes a different approach to these oft-saddled warhorses. 

On a lighter side, Seidel takes on a girlish tone (which she does very well) with another Hoagy Carmichael gem, "Rockin' Chair." One of the album's many good tracks is "Nature Boy," where Galison creates images of exotic places and landscapes. Galison shows a light but pleasant voice as he joins Seidel on a tender duet of "Every Time We Say Goodbye." Seidel has earned admission into that select cadre of singers who accompany themselves at piano, like Sarah Vaughan, Jeri Southern, Shirley Horn, and Nina Simone. One thing that stays the same is Seidel's affection for strings, which have shown up on earlier albums. But, on this session, she limits their participation to just two tracks. Love Letters is another fine production by Janet Seidel  with lots of help from her friends and is highly recommended. ~Dave Nathan

Personnel: Janet Seidel - Vocals/Piano/Conductor; William Galison -Harmonica/Vocals; Chuck Morgan - Guitar; David Seidel - Bass; Adam Pache - Drums; Michelle Kelly, Kate Morgan, Fiona Ziegler, Leon Ziegler, Phillip Peipman - Strings; Kevin Hunt - Piano; Len Barnard - Drums

Love Letters

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Brandon Allen - The Stanley Turrentine Project

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
File: MP3@128K/s
Time: 62:56
Size: 58,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:47) 1. Can't Buy Me Love
(5:29) 2. You're Gonna Hear from Me
(5:46) 3. Love for Sale
(4:45) 4. Little Green Apples
(6:42) 5. What Could I Do Without You
(6:20) 6. And Satisfy
(8:28) 7. The Island
(4:57) 8. Let It Go
(4:41) 9. The Fool on The Hill
(5:50) 10. Evil
(5:07) 11. Mississippi City Strut

Brandon has established himself as one of the UK’s most in-demand saxophonists and bandleaders. He has performed extensively throughout the UK, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia, both as a leader and sideman. Throughout his career he has worked with top international artists including Eric Clapton, Paloma Faith, Kyle Eastwood, Tony Lakatos, Adam Nussbaum, Gary Husband, Stefano Di Battista, US3, The Blockheads and many others. The Stanley Turrentine Project came about because of a deep admiration and respect for the late, great saxophonist’s musical approach and output. Brandon’s highly acclaimed Gene Ammons Project came into existence for the same reasons. Selections from Ammons’ entire catalogue were reinterpreted, seeking to capture the spirit of the music as well as exploring the stylistic changes that occurred throughout the tenor saxophonist’s 30-year career.

The repertoire of The Stanley Turrentine Project is slightly more specific, drawing from Turrentine’s releases on the Blue Note and CTI labels. In addition, some of Turrentine’s renditions of rock & pop hits of the 60s and 70s have been reimagined by Brandon and the quartet. Brandon explains: “When putting this project together I deliberated over the choice of tunes for some time. Listening to as many albums as I could, discovering some gems along the way, I slowly began to pick out some selections that resonated with me and that would work well with this line-up. I then began to arrange them for the quartet. “Some of the original versions were orchestral in nature and so I tried to capture the essence of that large ensemble feeling. With the other tracks I have taken all the main elements of the song but have made some small alterations, textural changes here and there and opened up certain sections for solos.”

Brandon shares his thoughts on the project, “This is very much a labour of love. My deep respect for Stanley Turrentine’s music has guided me in putting together these arrangements and in my selection of what I believe is my strongest band to date. I believe that we’ve captured some of the ‘spirit’ of the music and I can’t wait to share this album with the world.” For his band, Brandon carefully selected some of London’s finest to join him on the project, including Will Barry (piano & keys), Conor Chaplin (acoustic & electric bases) And Dave Ingamells (drums). https://www.prestomusic.com/jazz/products/9314468--the-stanley-turrentine-project

Personnel: Brandon Allen (Tenor Sax), Will Barry (Piano & Keys), Conor Chaplin (Basses), Dave Ingamells (Drums)

The Stanley Turrentine Project

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Holly Cole Trio - Montreal

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 29:20
Size: 67,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:41) 1. Whatever Lola Wants
(3:18) 2. Little Boy Blue
(5:46) 3. Girl Talk
(5:11) 4. Talk To Me Baby
(5:19) 5. You've Got A Secret
(5:02) 6. Bali Ha'i

Back in the Spring of 2019, Holly Cole, in recognition and celebration of the 40th anniversary of Le Festival International de Jazz de Montreal decided to reform the original Holly Cole Trio, including David Pitch on Bass and Aaron Davis on Piano to perform live in the very intimate cabaret “Lion D’Or, during the Festival de Jazz, July 2-5. It’s been over 25 years since the band performed live as the Holly Cole Trio and these very special performances would bring back many memories of superlative Trio performances in Montreal at the old Club Soda, Spectrum and Place Des Arts. The revival performance was recorded and arranged into a new album entitled Montreal. The Holly Cole Trio recorded together under that name starting in 1986 and from 1990 -1996 made the international best-selling recordings and toured the world with Blue Christmas, Girl Talk, Blame It On My Youth and Don’t Smoke in Bed. Blame It On My Youth was responsible for the international hit recording and video of “I Can See Clearly Now”. Since that time Cole has gone on to record numerous successful solo recordings, including 2018’s HOLLY, all with Aaron Davis on piano and often with David Piltch on Bass however they never toured or played live as a unit again until the 2019 Montreal dates.

The relationship with the Festival is so special that in 2013, the Festival made Cole the 15th winner of their highly prestigious Ella Fitzgerald Award. The award is annually conferred upon “A jazz singer whose talents have had a major impact and influence on the international scene”. Holly is one of only two Canadians to ever receive this prestigious award. Other winners include Sade, Aretha Franklin, Harry Connick, Jr. and Etta James. The first track and lyric video is a version of a show tune from Damned Yankees, titled “Whatever Lola Wants”. The musical opened on Broadway in 1955 and is a song only Holly and the guys could find and so successfully contemporize! Holly states, “the moment I heard “Whatever Lola Wants” I knew it was perfect for us. Sexy, provocative, enigmatic and completely open to interpretation.” https://themontrealeronline.com/2021/03/holly-cole-new-live-album-new-concert-april-2-2021/

Montreal (Live)

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Bill O'Connell - Love For Sale

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1987
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:36
Size: 130,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:19)  1. Ping Pong
(6:25)  2. Have You Met Miss Jones?
(6:41)  3. Love Dance
(4:29)  4. Well You Needn't
(6:59)  5. Slow Motion
(4:31)  6. Casaba
(4:59)  7. Love For Sale
(5:52)  8. Old Folks
(5:07)  9. Sweet Love
(6:11) 10. Like Someone In Love

A veteran jazz pianist from New York City, Bill O'Connell is gifted soloist and bandleader known for his long-running Latin jazz big band. Born in New York City on August 22, 1953, O'Connell grew up in suburban Port Washington, Long Island. After high school, he studied classical piano at Oberlin College in Ohio but has lived in the New York area most of his life. O'Connell has not played Latin jazz exclusively and worked as a sideman with such luminaries as tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins and the late trumpeter Chet Baker. However, he does have his share of Latin credentials; along the way, he has played with New York trumpeter Jerry Gonzalez's Fort Apache Band and crossed paths with flutist Dave Valentin, Argentinean tenor saxophonist Gato Barbieri, and the late Cuban percussion master Mongo Santamaria. As a pianist, O'Connell is known for a lyrical approach that owes something to Keith Jarrett, Bill Evans, and Chick Corea as well as Herbie Hancock. But it should be stressed that O'Connell is not the sort of jazzman who only sees himself as a soloist; in fact, his albums have underscored his talents as an arranger, bandleader, and composer. O'Connell can as Duke Ellington often put it use his band as his instrument. Much of his bandleading/arranging inspiration comes from Latin greats like Mongo Santamaria, Tito Puente, Machito, Ray Barretto, and Eddie Palmieri (all of whom are identified with Afro-Cuban jazz as well as salsa). As a leader, O'Connell debuted in 1978 with an LP titled Searching for the small Inner City label He then joined longtime associate flutist Dave Valentin's band, touring and recording for several years before returning to his solo work with 1993's Lost Voices on Creed Taylor's CTI Records (with Taylor himself serving as producer). 

Several of O'Connell's big-band albums also appeared in the mid-'90s with Jazz Alive and Unfinished Business. O'Connell also continued working with Valentin, and played on albums by Charles Fambrough, Jon Lucien, and others. In the 2000's, O'Connell signed with the independent Random Chance Records (a small, New York-based label with a fondness for jazz and blues). Black Sand, O'Connell's first album for Random Chance, came out in 2001; that disc was followed by Latin Jazz Fantasy in 2004. Four years later, he returned with the trio album Triple Play, featuring Valentin and percussionist Richie Flores. Rhapsody in Blue followed in 2010. 

A year later, he delivered the follow-up to Triple Play, Triple Play Plus Three, which showcased a rotating lineup of guests including Valentin, clarinetist Paquito D'Rivera, vibraphonist Dave Samuels, and others. O'Connell then joined his Latin Jazz All-Stars for a series of albums including 2013's Zocalo, 2014's Imagine, and 2016's Heart Beat. In 2017, he delivered the intimate solo concert album, Monk's Cha Cha: Solo Piano Live. ~ Alex Henderson https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bill-oconnell-mn0000085005/biography

Personnel:  Bill O'Connell (Piano, Synthesizer); Joey Baron, Robert Amean (Drums); Lincoln Goines (Bass); Giovanni Hidalgo (Percussion); Dave Valentin (Flute); Alex Foster (Soprano Sax).

Love For Sale

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Salena Jones - Salena Sings Jobim With The Jobim's

Styles: Vocal, Brazilian Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:03
Size: 117,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:26)  1. I Was Just One More For You
(3:11)  2. Agua de Beber
(3:10)  3. Useless Landscape
(3:37)  4. Quiet Night Of Quiet Stars
(3:04)  5. Somewhere In The Hills
(5:16)  6. Dindi
(3:31)  7. Desafinado
(4:53)  8. How Insensitive
(3:21)  9. Girl / Boy From Ipanema
(3:22) 10. Once I Loved
(3:11) 11. Meditation
(2:52) 12. One Note Samba
(4:35) 13. Bonita
(3:28) 14. Song Of The Jet

Born in Newport News, VA, in 1944, Salena Jones (real name: Joan Elizabeth Shaw) would over the course of a 60-plus-year career become one of the leading vocalists of swing music, performing in a number of countries in Europe and Asia and recording a number of albums. Jones got her first break at the famed Apollo Theater in New York, winning a talent contest that resulted in a record deal. She spent the early part of her career touring and performing with such leading lights as Louis Armstrong, Cab Calloway, and Duke Ellington. Her first forays overseas, to Spain and the U.K., were in the mid-'60s and were to begin a life spent mostly outside the rather fickle confines of the United States. In 1978, she made her first appearance in Japan and performed there on an annual basis. By the first decade of the 21st century, she had performed on most continents, recorded more than 40 albums, and sang at the 2006 Shanghai International Jazz Festival. ~ Chris True https://www.allmusic.com/artist/salena-jones-mn0000290681                

Personnel:  Salena Jones (vocal);  Antonio Carlos Jobim (piano);  Paulo Jobim (guitar);  Daniel Cannetti Jobim (piano);  Sebastiao Netto (bass);  Ricardo Costa (drums);  Paulo Antonio Braga (percussion);  Raul de Souza (trombone);  Paulo Roberto de Oliveira (flugel);  Danilo Caymmi and Paulo Jobim (flute);  Marcio Mallard and Diana Lacerda (cellos)

Salena Sings Jobim With The Jobim's

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Fred Hersch - Passion Flower

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:42
Size: 143,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:54)  1. Lotus Blossom
(5:21)  2. Day Dream
(7:14)  3. U.M.M.G. (Upper Manhattan Medi
(5:28)  4. Pretty Girl (The Star-Crossed
(5:02)  5. Rain Check
(7:55)  6. Something to Live For
(5:43)  7. Lament for an Orchid (Absinthe
(5:11)  8. Elf (Isfahan)
(5:10)  9. Ballad for Very Tired and Very
(3:16) 10. Tonk
(5:56) 11. Passion Flower
(3:28) 12. Lush Life

A few years ago, I went down to the Village Vanguard to check out pianist Fred Hersch. Sitting next to me in the crowded club was one of today's most popular jazz singers - also a pianist. After the first set, said jazz celeb commented that Hersch was in a different league and that she really needed to take some lessons from him. What strikes us all in Hersch's playing is his perfect blend of technique, style, and sensitivity. His version of Billy Strayhorn's "Daydream," from Hersch's 1996 Strayhorn-tribute album, Passion Flower, illustrates just how good a trio and string orchestra (arranged and orchestrated by Hersch and conducted by Eric Stern) can sound. A lot of players (and arrangers) could use lessons from Hersch. ~ Jazziz https://www.amazon.com/Passion-Flower-Fred-Hersch/dp/B000005J3W

Personnel: Fred Hersch (piano); Eric Stern (conductor); Andy Bey (vocals); Laura Seaton, Joyce Hamman, Sandra Park (violin); Lois Martin, Ruth Siegler, Alejandro Mohave (viola); Erik Friedlander, Richard Locker, Jesse Levy (cello); Nurit Tilles (piano); Drew Gress (bass); Tom Rainey (drums).

Passion Flower

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Cecile McLorin Salvant - For One to Love

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:57
Size: 124,2 MB
Art: Front

( 5:16)  1. Fog
( 4:34)  2. Growlin' Dan
( 2:19)  3. Stepsisters' Lament
( 2:44)  4. Look at Me
( 2:50)  5. Wives and Lovers
( 4:27)  6. Left Over
( 3:51)  7. The Trolley Song
( 2:00)  8. Monday
( 4:17)  9. What's the Matter Now?
( 6:14) 10. Le Mal de Vivre
(10:33) 11. Something's Coming
( 3:46) 12. Underling

A brilliantly realized follow-up to her Grammy-nominated 2013 effort, WomanChild, vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant's third album, 2015's For One to Love, is at its core a small-group jazz album featuring a thoughtfully curated set of standards and originals. However, with Salvant at the mike, backed here with nuanced skill by pianist Aaron Diehl, bassist Paul Sikivie, and drummer Lawrence Leathers, it's also a series of virtuoso performances, each one seemingly more engaging and emotionally resonant than the last. Conceptually centered around notions of romantic love from conflicted, melancholic expressions to more bawdy, sensual ones the album finds Salvant further demonstrating the poetic compositional skills and feminist themes that helped make WomanChild so much more than just a solid album from an accomplished jazz vocalist. However, Salvant's feminism here, while finely articulated, isn't explicit. It lies more subtly in the context of her choices. Her exuberant reading of the swing-era "Growlin' Dan," a song by Blanche Calloway, Cab's lesser-known older sister and mentor, seems to symbolize Salvant's distinctly female point of view.

The same might be said of her sardonically faithful rendition of Burt Bacharach's infamously misogynistic "Wives and Lovers" or her playful take on the Oscar Hammerstein II and Richard Rodgers standard "Stepsisters' Lament," in which she coyly asks "Oh, why would a fella want a girl like her?/A girl who's so unusual/Why can't a fella ever once prefer a usual girl like me?" Of course, not to split hairs, but there isn't really anything usual about Salvant. A true sculptor of song, she is the kind of singer who exerts perfect control over everything she sings, molding each musical moment at will. Perhaps it's not surprising, then, to find out that she also painted the image on the cover of For One to Love, a woman's face, Picasso askew, crying from happiness or heartbreak. It's this kind of emotional dichotomy that Salvant, with her malleable talent, is so adept at expressing. She's able to push her voice to the edge of control, but that breaking point is most likely a product of her own virtuosic illusion since she never crosses it. 

As on the poignant "Left Over," in which she sings about an unrequited love, her voice soars into a wobbly falsetto one second, and pulls back into a throaty coo the next, whispering that "his hands on mine are all I know of love, of love." This is a theatrical move, an actor's stage approach to singing in character, only it's Salvant's own composition and it breaks your heart. Salvant's originals are all lyrical, sad, and personal, revealing achingly raw emotions. On tunes like "Underling," we're left to ponder whether the song is about her ruinous devotion to a lover or her painful dedication to her creative muse. Regardless, the results are heartbreaking and beautiful. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/for-one-to-love/id1006896734

Personnel: Cécile McLorin Salvant (vocals); Aaron Diehl (piano); Paul Sikivie (double bass); Lawrence Leathers (drums).

For One to Love

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George Shearing, Barry Tuckwell - Play The Music Of Cole Porter

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1986
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:36
Size: 100,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:58) 1. I Concentrate On You
(2:54) 2. Everything I Love
(4:43) 3. I've Got You Under My Skin (Album Version)
(2:19) 4. Easy To Love
(2:45) 5. In The Still Of The Night
(4:00) 6. Every Time We Say Goodbye
(2:41) 7. But In The Morning, No
(5:32) 8. So In Love
(4:27) 9. After You
(3:55) 10. All Through The Night
(5:16) 11. Do I Love You?

Released as part of Concord's Concerto subsidiary, this unusual release matches together pianist George Shearing with the classical French horn player Barry Tuckwell for a set of 11 Cole Porter songs. Five selections use a full string section, two are performed with a quartet, and four others are duets by Shearing and Tuckwell. In general, Tuckwell does not improvise, but Shearing's arrangements give a jazz feel to all of the performances and make the music accessible (if not really essential) to both classical and jazz listeners.~Scott Yanowhttps://www.allmusic.com/album/play-the-music-of-cole-porter-mw0000188648

Personnel: George Shearing – piano, liner notes, arranger; Barry Tuckwell – french horn, liner notes; Guildhall String Ensemble; Harry Lookofsky, Frederick Buldrini, Lewis Eley, Maura Giannini, Carmel Malin, Joseph Malin, Louann Montesi – violin; Seymour Barab, Avron Coleman, Frederick Zlotkin – cello; John Clayton, Don Thompson – double bass; Grady Tate – drums, percussion

Play The Music Of Cole Porter

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Jonathan Fritzen - Diamonds

Styles: Smooth Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:53
Size: 103,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:17) 1. Feelin' the Groove
(4:22) 2. This Way, That Way
(3:57) 3. Dance With Me
(4:49) 4. Fly Away
(4:18) 5. Undercover
(4:51) 6. You'll Be Mine
(4:36) 7. Stockholm Nights
(4:24) 8. Vibrations
(5:18) 9. Melting
(3:56) 10. Diamonds

Lucky Sweden! They have ABBA, Roxette and Jonathan Fritzén. Hailing from Stockholm he started his solo career with the debut album Love Birds (2008), followed by his sophomore album VIP (2009). Now it's time for the third punch, Diamonds (2010). Like on his previous album Jonathan is joined by an International mixture of American and Swedish artists: Laila Adéle (vocals), Alex Al, Mel Brown and Erik Metall (bass), Koh (aka Mr. Saxman), Darren Rahn and Jessy J (sax), Sara Övinge (violin), Andreas Ekstedt (percussion), Alex Crown (guitar). Jonathan Fritzén performs piano, keyboards and programming.

The starting track Feelin' The Groove features the lovely Laila Adéle. To give you a compass, Jonathan's music is comparable with artists like Alex Bugnon, Nate Harasim or the early Rick Kelly (Soul Ballet). His piano touch is of a graceful ease and elegance. This Way, That Way brings a welcome-back with upcoming smooth jazz star, producer and saxophonist Darren Rahn. Darren appeared in the recent time with artists like Jay Soto, Anthony James Baker, Nate Harasim, Tim Bowman, Michael Manson, dee Brown and a lot more.

Dance With Me is Jonathan's invitation to a dreamy dance and swing. Do I recognize the bass of Sugar Hill's Gang (Rapper's Delight)? Jonathan's approach is fresh and swinging. We can describe Fly Away with the sub-title, when two beauties met. Awesome Jessy J adds her sweet sax to Fritzén haunting melody. Both create an atmosphere of timeless magnificence. With Mel Brown onboard Undercover picks up speed into the funky sea.

The slow-tempo You'll Be Mine presents a anew the gorgeous vocals of Laila Adéle. On this love ballade Fritzén underlines his piano mastery offering a complete scale of crafty tones. The genius combination of Hip Hop rhythm with sizzling key strokes on Stockholm Nights has its own attraction. On his tour through Thailand Jonathan Fritzén performed with Mr. Saxman Koh, who is very popular in Thailand and further Asian countries like Japan. Koh has already five solo albums to his credit. Vibrations is Jonathan's Thank You and a fine song to become acquainted with this outstanding artist.

It's time to present you the excellent guitarist Alex Crown. Superb sustain, tone and sound volume of both instruments (piano and guitar) is the characteristic of Melting. Final tune of this marvelous album is the title song Diamonds. Alex Al's excellent bass lends this song a special dynamic. A must for all radio-djs of the smooth jazz genre. Jonathan Fritzén's album Diamonds absolutely justifies this expression. With this level of talent you still can't help but appreciate the greatness of the performing artists. Quite possibly Fritzén's best to date. http://www.smooth-jazz.de/firstview/Fritzen/Diamonds.htm

Personnel: Laila Adéle (vocals), Alex Al, Mel Brown and Erik Metall (bass), Koh (aka Mr. Saxman), Darren Rahn and Jessy J (sax), Sara Övinge (violin), Andreas Ekstedt (percussion), Alex Crown (guitar). Jonathan Fritzén performs piano, keyboards and programming.

Diamonds

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Herbie Hancock - Gershwin's World

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:39
Size: 155,2 MB
Art: Front

( 0:56)  1. Overture (Fascinating Rhythm)
( 4:48)  2. It Ain't Necessarily So
( 5:58)  3. The Man I Love
( 4:00)  4. Here Come De Honey Man
( 5:51)  5. St. Louis Blues
(11:05)  6. Lullaby
( 3:31)  7. Blueberry Rhyme
( 1:26)  8. It Ain't Necessarily So (Interlude)
( 4:45)  9. Cotton Tail
( 4:43) 10. Summertime
( 1:56) 11. My Man's Gone Now
( 4:44) 12. Prelude in C# Minor
( 9:13) 13. Concerto for Piano and Orchestra in G, 2nd Mvt
( 4:38) 14. Embraceable You

Gershwin's World is a tour de force for Herbie Hancock, transcending genre and label, and ranking among the finest recordings of his lengthy career. Released to coincide with the 100th anniversary of George Gershwin's birth, this disc features jazzman Hancock with a classy collection of special guests. The most surprising of Hancock's guest stars is Joni Mitchell, who delivers a gorgeously sensual vocal on "The Man I Love," then provides an airy, worldly take on "Summertime." On these two tracks, she shows she has come a long way from her folksinger beginnings to become a first-class jazz singer in her own right. Stevie Wonder's unmistakable harmonica complements Mitchell's singing on "Summertime" and shares lead instrument space with his own voice on the W.C. Handy classic "St. Louis Blues." Jazzman extraordinaire Wayne Shorter smokes a solo spot on Duke Ellington's "Cotton Tail" and carves out some space for his soprano saxophone in the midst of "Summertime." 

A number of the young lions of jazz are featured on various cuts, and Herbie's old pal Chick Corea joins the leader for a piano duet of James P. Johnson's "Blueberry Rhyme." Gershwin's wonderful, extended "Lullaby" finds Hancock teamed with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, as does an attractive arrangement of a "Concerto for Piano and Orchestra" by Maurice Ravel, whose jazz influence can be heard on the piece. In addition, one of the most beautiful tracks on the album places star soprano Kathleen Battle's voice at the forefront of Gershwin's own "Prelude in C# Minor." Yet with all the fine performances by his guests, Gershwin's World remains Hancock's show, and he plays magnificently throughout. From beautiful to funky, percussive to melodic, improvisational to tightly arranged, Hancock and cohorts take a wondrous journey through the music and world of Gershwin. ~ Jim Newsom  http://www.allmusic.com/album/gershwins-world-mw0000038316

Personnel: Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea: Piano; Madou Dembelle: Djembe; Massamba Diop: Talking Drum; Cryo Baptista, Bireyma Guiye, Cheik Mbaye: Percussion; Eddie Henderson: Trumpet; Kenny Garrett: Alto Saxophone; James Carter: Tenor and Soprano Saxophones, Wayne Shorter: Tenor Saxophone; Bakithi Kumalo: Bass and Guitar; Ira Coleman: Bass; Terri-Lynn Carrington: Drums, Marlon Graves: Guitar, Robert Sadin: Percussion Programming; Stevie Wonder: Harmonica and Vocals; Charles Curtis: Cello, The Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Kathleen Battle: Vocals, Joni Mitchell: Vocals.

Gershwin's World

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ZZ Quartet - Midnight in Europe

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:57
Size: 160,4 MB
Art: Front

( 5:31) 1. Pippo
( 8:06) 2. Twilight Time Again
( 5:02) 3. Voglio Una Donna
(14:00) 4. Frida Is Vanished
( 7:40) 5. Baracoa
( 4:22) 6. Morgagni Est
(10:29) 7. River Spirit
( 9:47) 8. Café Finale
( 4:56) 9. The Easy Whistler

Their 1st Live Album, Collector's Edition artist signed & limited to 999 copies! ''Limited Audiophile Signature Edition'' 180 Gram Virgin Vinyl This third outing by the ZZ Quartet, co-led by guitarist Ratko Zjaca and accordionist Simone Zanchini, finds the intrepid improvisers and virtuosos on their respective instruments stretching and exploring in separate live settings last year.

Recorded in pre-pandemic times at the Milestone Jazz Club in Piacenza and at the Cantina Bentivoglio during the 2019 Bologna Jazz Festival, ''Midnight in Europe'' finds Zjaca and Zanchini taking liberties with some of their own tunes they had previously recorded on two previous studio recordings 2010's ''The Way We Talk'' and 2013's ''Beyond the Lines.'' The two also played together on Zanchini's 2015 album ''Don't Try This Anywhere'', the accordionist's tribute to the late tenor sax great Michael Brecker.

Accompanied by bassist Martin Gjakonovski, a native of Macedonia now living in Bergisch Gladbach near Cologne, and Zjaca's longtime collaborator, American drummer Adam Nussbaum, whose wealth of credits include touring and recording with saxophonist Brecker, guitarists John Scofield and John Abercrombie, and legendary bandleader Gil Evans. Zjaca and Zanchini present an eclectic set of music that organically blends aspects of jazz, classical, folkloric, world music and rock, with just a touch of humor along the way from the fertile imaginations of these stellar improvisors.

''We call this musical theater,'' said Zjaca of the ZZ Quartet's eclectic approach. ''We want to be open for any ideas, any sound. We like rock music, we like jazz, avantgarde music, swing, everything. We don't want to be in a cage just playing one particular groove or style or sound. You can hear that there are a lot of different directions that we are going in. We're not afraid to play a simple swing tune and then we will go to the really open territories. That's what we like to do. We like going out of our comfort zones.''~Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Europe-ZZ-Quartet/dp/B094LC6KRS

Midnight in Europe

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