Hilary Kole - Haunted Heart

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:15
Size: 115,6 MB
Art: Front

(2:07)  1. It's Love
(2:41)  2. There's a Small Hotel
(3:32)  3. 'Deed I Do
(3:39)  4. I Didn't Know About You
(3:01)  5. Better Than Anything
(6:27)  6. Like a Lover
(4:59)  7. Blackberry Winter
(3:36)  8. The Snake
(5:01)  9. Old Boyfriends
(2:55) 10. How Am I to Know
(5:19) 11. What'll I Do
(2:05) 12. You for Me
(4:47) 13. Haunted Heart

This listener can't recall in years so smashing a solo CD debut as this winner. Hilary Kole's lengthy runs in cabaret and club appearances with song revues "Our Sinatra" and "Singing Astaire," singing some of the best of the American Songbook, have served her well. The mix here is flawless, ranging from such evergreens as Rodgers-Hart's "There's A Small Hotel" to worthy but lesser known gems such as '40s swinger "'Deed I Do" and Bob Haymes' "You For Me." What's most impressive is how Kole inhabits each with a thoroughness and emotional authenticity that belies her young years. Her delivery of "Better Than Anything," (heretofore owned by wonderful Irene Kral), is breezily knowing. Tedd Firth (piano) and Mark McLean (drums) make for swinging easy company throughout the set. With Alec Wilder and Loonis McGlohon's "Blackberry Winter," it's the American art song at its no-frills finest, evoking the straight- to-the-heart sound of the late Nancy LaMott.

The range of what she can do with a lilting, warm soprano is evident as Kole tosses off "You knew damn well I was a snake before you took me in," warbling Oscar Brown, Jr.'s bit of Freudian storytelling, "The Snake." That segues into a dark night take on Tom Waits' toughly nostalgic "Old Boyfriends." Particularly fine on musings from the trenches of love, if Kole's shrewd, swinging take on "How Am I To Know" isn't enough, just wait for her battered but still standing rendition of Irving Berlin's "What'll I Do." Kudos to all, including producer John Pizzarelli. This is a memorable first effort.
~Andrew Velez http://www.allaboutjazz.com/haunted-heart-hilary-kole-justin-time-records-review-by-andrew-velez.php
 

Personnel: Hilary Kole: vocals; Tedd Firth: piano; Paul Gill: bass; Mark McLean: drums; John Pizzarelli: guitar.

Haunted Heart

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Michel Sajrawy - Soul Fingers

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:09
Size: 111,5 MB
Art: Front

( 4:10) 1. Hozam
( 6:19) 2. Chennai
( 9:03) 3. Hijaz
( 4:24) 4. Ajam
( 3:56) 5. Syncretic Beliefs
( 9:46) 6. Kord
(10:27) 7. In Memory of Om Kalthoum

Sajrawy's musical finesse is to reconcile the jazz of western culture with the „Maqamat“ of the Middle East, he has perfectly developed a whole new sound that mends both, all together his music takes you on a beautiful and divine journey.

Maqamat“ these are „oriental“ modes, rooted in ancient traditions, consisting of very special melodic lines based on quarter note steps an exceptional musical vocabulary. Beyond this, each of these „Maqam“ has its very own ethos attributed to it, associating various and very different moods. For example, in the ninth century Safi el-Din gave every hour of the day its own Maqam.

As a rule, oriental guitarists equip their instruments with additional frets in order to be able to create the quarter note steps necessary for “Maqamat”. Unfortunately, this inevitably leads to a lack of precision in the intonation:

The quarter note steps called for here are NOT exact quarter intervals in ascending succession they are a little bit higher accordingly, in descending succession they have to sound a little bit “darker”…and for this the musician alone is responsible.

Michel Sajrawy tackles this difficulty with his own unconventional solution: Having on the one hand tried out the limited suitability of additional frets, he nonetheless rejects the usual use of “fretless guitars”. They do offer complete freedom of intonation, but according to Sajrawy, can only be a compromise for the sound as well as the character. They just don’t do justice to the sound he really wants!

Sajrawy creates the desired quarter note steps by bending the strings. A very unusual, if not unique technique for interpreting “Maqamat”. It spices the original sound with an almost “bluesy” note, and does not require any additional alterations to the instrument. All that can be heard is the virtuoso result of the ingenious interaction of fingers and ear.

Guitarist and composer Michel Sajrawy is from Nazareth - Israel. At the age of nine he started taking guitar lessons. During the years 1990-93 he studied for and received a diploma in electronic engineering. In 1995 he moved to London, England, where he studied and completed a one-year diploma at the Musicians' Institute G.I.T. He began a three-year degree program in music composition at The London College of Music in 1996 under the instruction and assistance of Adam Gorb.. During the years 1999-2000 Michel furthered himself with the assistance of Adam Gorb and Nigel Clark to complete his masters degree in film and TV scoring.

In 2000 he returned to Nazareth and established his own business Dasam Studio (Dasam is a word in Arabic for ''rich food''). As a band leader, he released his debut album Yathrib (Ozella Music 2006) which marked his entrance into the vanguard of crossover artists who see themselves creating an uncompromising jazz sound between traditional and contemporary. In 2009 he released his second album, Writings On The Wall (Ozella Music) which marked a strong turning towards filigree west-eastern acoustic jazz. Among the jazz releases, the album became on the Top List "Best albums of 2009" of Freies Radio Stuttgart in Germany. In 2012 he released Arabop (Ozella Music / Dasam Studio) which was praised and criticized as a high octane, modern Arabic music that isn't like any world jazz or world fusion you've heard up till now.

Michel can easily join the ranks of seminal jazz guitarists. With his band, he played in different parts of the country, toured in Germany and played the Leipzig Jazz Festival (2006), played in Switzerland-Geneva (2007), Jerusalem Festival (2007) where he met and jammed with Nigel Kennedy. He played in the Netherlands (2008), the same year he played in New York (USA). Played the Jordan Festival (2009) and Tel Aviv Jazz Festival (2009). He played the International Oud Festival in Jerusalem (2012). In 2014 he was appointed as a guitar faculty for Spring Semester at Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music (SAM) in India where he shared the stage with Prasanna Ramaswamy, Tom Brislin (Yes/Meatloaf/Robert Plant/Spiraling), Phil Maturano and Steve Zerlin (Dennis Chambers, Carl Filipiak, Jack DeJohnette). In 2014 he performed with Yaron Herman in Paris (France). In 2015 he participated in Munich at the BMW Welt Jazz Award 2015 (Germany) and in 2016 he played at HevHet Festival in Kosice (Slovakia).

He worked with Abboud Abdel'All, Bashir Abdel'All, Ahmed Mukhtar, Samir Jubran, Manfred Leuchter, Mira Awad and Souad Massi. He composed music for several documentary films, arranged the music for theatre, various mini orchestral projects, produced radio jingles for the major brands in the country and he appears regularly as a musician on national TV shows. He collaborated on more than 20 albums worldwide. He is also a free lance guitarist and instructor.

Michel has been awarded the Wilfred Joseph Prize (1998-99 England), Best Title in Music (2002 Israel), the A. M. Qattan Foundation's Performing Arts Grant for the year (2007 West Bank) and Diploma from "Master-Jam Fest" in recognition of musical skill and devotion to jazz art (2012 Odessa - Ukraine).https://www.michelsajrawy.com/index.php/biography

Soul Fingers

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Amina Figarova - Joy

Styles: Piano Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:34
Size: 139,2 MB
Art: Front

(6:49) 1. Joy
(4:56) 2. October Phantasy (Feat. Sasha Masakowski)
(4:25) 3. Green Blues
(5:48) 4. Morning Dew
(5:15) 5. Ruby At Play
(8:29) 6. Suddenly Stars Are Falling From The Sky
(5:46) 7. Road Ahead
(6:51) 8. Only Peace Liberates
(4:45) 9. Getting There
(7:25) 10. Muse

Pianist Amina Figarova released an album in 2005 that was about as far away from the theme of "joy" as could be. September Suite (Munich Records) explored the deadly events of September 11, 2001 (she was in New York at the time; she experienced it). It is an album that she called: "An Ode to Mourning striving to articulate the various stages of grief in musical terms."

In 2022 Figarova turns 180 degrees to embrace optimism and a hope for a bright future with Joy. Born in Azerbaijan and now based in New York and New Orleans, Figarova once again displays her genius for arranging for a mid-sized ensemble, a three horn and a rhythm section sextet. On 2019's Road To the Sun (AmFi Records), perhaps her masterpiece, she enhanced her septet writing, on about half the tracks, with a string trio. It was enchanting, a top disc of the year list shoo-in.

On Joy she goes again with a (mostly) septet approach. The front line: the flute in the hands of Bart Platteau, which gives the sound a feeling of refinement; Alex Pope Norris' trumpet and flugelhorn, along with Wayne Escoffery's soprano and tenor saxophones. As always with the pianist, her group sounds bigger than a sextet. Credit Figarova's arranging mastery. Terrific soloing is heard all around, blowing organically out of the polish and shine of the well-crafted charts on the exuberant "Morning Dew," the reflective beauty of "Ruby At Play." Sasha Masakowski's dream-like vocals are featured on "October Phantasy," a recitation of her poem (included on the inside fold of the album cover) seeping softly into the arrangement with a slightly blurred, ghostly delivery.

Joy, with all compositions and arrangements coming from Amina Figarova's pen, is a magically uplifting experience. Figarova hails from Azerbaijan, and she was based in Europe for several years. Now the U.S. has her and her band and her Joy, and the country in trying times benefits from her consistently gorgeous contributions.By Dan McClenaghan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/joy-amina-figarova-amfi-records

Personnel: Amina Figarova: piano; Bart Platteau: flute; Alex Norris: trumpet; Wayne Escoffery: saxophone, tenor; Yasushi Nakamura: bass; Rudy Royston: drums; Brian Richburg Jr: drums; Sasha Masakowski: voice / vocals; Hasan Bakr: percussion.

Joy

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Naama Gheber - If I Knew Then

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 21:01
Size: 48,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:43) 1. If I Knew Then
(3:33) 2. I'm A Fool To Want You
(2:10) 3. Old Mother Hubbard
(2:47) 4. Dream Dancing
(3:27) 5. The Very Thought Of You
(2:55) 6. Dream Of You
(3:23) 7. You're Driving Me Crazy

New York City-based vocalist Naama Gheber released her debut recording, Dearly Beloved (Cellar Music) in 2020, just before the global COVID-19 pandemic. With live entertainment brought to a halt, Gheber found herself with time on her hands and no way to promote her considerable talent in live performance. Israeli by birth, Gheber was an enfant terrible who ascended quickly professionally. After being trained at the Center for Jazz Studies in Tel Aviv, Gheber was accepted into the jazz program at New York City's The New School For Performing Arts, where she soon honed her craft and began performing throughout the city, accumulating valuable experience as well as critical attention. Just starting to reach professional escape velocity, Gheber recorded and released Dearly Beloved, and then the bottom fell out.

The debut recording generated positive attention, but that did not replace the singer promoting her wares in a live setting. Drawing from Cellar Group alumni, Gheber teamed up with pianist Ben Paterson, bassist Neal Miner, and drummer Evan Sherman early in 2022 to record seven compositions thoughtfully chosen to show off Gheber's freshly conservative ballad singing. Her choice of the traditional jazz piano trio allowed a sonic environment where she would not be competing with other melody instruments, a circumstance both fortunate and challenging, where Gheber had no other choice but to stand and deliver. And did she ever.

Gheber made another strategic decision to release five of the seven selections as singles monthly throughout the summer and fall with the full EP to be released in November. Reviews of these individually released songs are cited at the end of this article, leaving two songs: the title cut and "Dreaming of You" for consideration here. "If I Knew Then (What I Know Now)" was composed and published by Dick Jurgens and Eddy Howard in 1939, with their version charting briefly the same year. Bing Crosby went on to record the song on February 9, 1940, with John Scott Trotter and His Orchestra, placing the song into the canon of the Great American Songbook. Gheber displays a knack for arranging the piece, directing the trio, and its tone for the recording. Gheber's arranging proves dramatically sophisticated and Paterson manifests as empathetically aligned with the singer in providing refined and understated support and soloing.

"Dreaming of You" fits snuggly into Gheber's survey of ballad styles. Composed in 1934 by Jimmie Lunceford, the song would become a performance staple for Helen Merrill 20 years later. Here, the ballad is presented as a bass-voice duet between Miner and Gheber, one that sets a standard for swing in a confined space. The singer is in melodic command while Miner steers the harmony. Gheber sings with light shades of Anita O'Day coupled with Billie Holiday seasoned with a tincture of the corner bar from "Lush Life."

There is a place for this kind of jazz singing. It is like Brahms to Beethoven, a keeper of the flame necessary to inform new generations of how the music sounded at the beginning: simple, inventive, and stunning. By C. Michael Bailey
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/if-i-knew-then-naama-gheber-sassys-back-in-town

Personnel: Naama Gheber: voice / vocals; Ben Paterson: piano; Neal Miner: bass, acoustic; Evan Sherman: drums.

If I Knew Then

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Andy Laverne - Between Earth & Mars

Styles: Piano Jazz 
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:30
Size: 157,7 MB
Art: Front

(8:53)  1. Retrospect
(8:23)  2. Gardenia
(5:35)  3. On Green Dolphin Street
(8:15)  4. Tenderly
(6:04)  5. Blue in green
(8:32)  6. Tri-tones
(8:18)  7. Maiden voyage
(8:39)  8. Between Earth & Mars
(5:48)  9. B.E.

Like label mate Harold Danko, pianist Andy LaVerne possesses talent that should be commensurate with a much broader public awareness. One of sax legend Stan Getz’s favorite accompanists, LaVerne has built a sizable catalog for SteepleChase over the past two decades- some 18 strong- with Between Earth & Mars serving as a reunion with vibraphonist Dave Samuels. Also thrown into the mix is bassist Jay Anderson, who completes this rather atypical trio. Far away from his visibility as a past member of the popular group Spyro Gyra, Samuels contributes a singular performance that reminds us that he is indeed one of the finest practitioners of his craft.

LaVerne strives in this type of configuration as his style is strongly rooted in a deep sense of lyricism and an advanced harmonic knowledge. Anderson does enough to keep things buoyantly afloat to the point that a drummer just isn’t missed. The piano and vibes combination is a real winner- of course Gary Burton and Chick Corea taught us that long ago- and LaVerne and Samuels have developed attractive arrangements that make the most of a smart mix of contemporary standards and originals. “Blue In Green” is especially arresting in this new form, taken a bit faster than the original (check out another fine duo performance of this one by Burton and Ralph Towner). The title cut, a LaVerne tune, is also a highpoint, sporting an intense solo from Samuels. It may have taken almost a decade for LaVerne and Samuels to create a follow-up to Fountainhead but it was well worth the wait. ~ C.Andrew Hovan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/between-earth-and-mars-andy-laverne-steeplechase-records-review-by-c-andrew-hovan.php

Personnel: Andy LaVerne- piano, Dave Samuels- vibes, Jay Anderson- bass

Between Earth & Mars

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Kenny Dorham - The Best Of Kenny Dorham - The Blue Note Years

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1964
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:46
Size: 135,3 MB
Art: Front

( 4:26)  1. Minors Holiday
( 4:16)  2. Lotus Flower
( 6:00)  3. Mexico City
( 5:38)  4. Philly Twist
( 7:57)  5. Blue Bossa
( 7:11)  6. Short Story
(15:16)  7. Una Mas (One More Time)
( 7:58)  8. The Fox

Often lost in the shadows of A-team players like Dizzy Gillespie and Clifford Brown, trumpeter Kenny Dorham quietly made a name for himself throughout both the bebop and hard bop years from the mid-'40s to the mid-'60s. His tart tone and mercurial phrasing ideally framed here, The Best of Kenny Dorham offers newcomers a perfect way to get familiar with one of modern jazz's top composers and players. Starting with 1955's classic Afro-Cuban LP, the eight cuts include such essential Dorham originals as "Minor's Holiday," "Blue Bossa," and "Una Mas." And helping out along the way are tenor saxophonists Joe Henderson and Hank Mobley, guitarist Kenny Burrell, pianist Horace Silver, and drummer Philly Joe Jones. A fine snapshot of Dorham in his eclectic prime. ~ Stephen Cook https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-best-of-kenny-dorham-blue-note-years-mw0000082543

Personnel: Trumpet – Kenny Dorham; Kenny Burrell - Guitar; Paul Chambers - Bass; Richard Davis - Bass; Kenny Drew - Piano; Cecil Payne - Saxophone; Philly Joe Jones - Drums.

The Best Of Kenny Dorham - The Blue Note Years

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Yelena Eckemoff - Adventures of the Wildflower

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 122:01
Size: 281,3 MB
Art: Front

(6:16) 1. In the Ground
(6:21) 2. Germination
(9:06) 3. Weeding the Garden
(4:25) 4. Dos Chasing a Mouse
(7:05) 5. Rain
(6:58) 6. Hoome by the Fence
(6:09) 7. Chickens
(8:51) 8. Drought
(5:20) 9. Thundershower
(7:43) 10. Winter Slamber
(6:10) 11. Waking up in the Spring
(7:52) 12. Buds and Flowers
(7:47) 13. Butterflies
(5:09) 14. Hummingbirds
(4:48) 15. Children Playing with Seed Pods
(8:51) 16. Dying
(5:49) 17. Another Winter
(7:13) 18. Baby Columbines

The seeds of pianist-composer Yelena Eckemoff's Adventures Of The Wildflower were planted in 2013, when she traveled to Hollola, Finland, to record Blooming Tall Phlox (L&H Productions, 2017) with a group of young Finnish musicians. Several Eckemoff albums came about after that recording, but the experience with her Finnish friends must have exerted a sort of gravitational pull, and in 2019 she made a return trip to the country to team with vibraphonist Panu Savolainen, bassist Antti Lotjonen and drummer Olavi Louhivuori who had all participated in Blooming Tall Phlox and newcomers to her world, multi-instrumentalist Jarmo Saari (guitars, theremin, glass harp) and saxophonist Jukka Perko, who took trumpeter Verneri Pohjola's 'horn" spot in the ensemble.

Eckemoff does concept albums: Lions (2015), Colors (2017), Desert (2018), all on L&H Productions. It is more of the same with The Adventures Of The Wildflower, a deep exploration of the journey of a Columbine flower from babyhood to maturity, as she (note the anthropomorphization) observes the natural world surrounding her. A fanciful idea, perhaps, but not without artistic forerunners the concept of the potential for plant sentience has been artistically explored on Stevie Wonder's soundtrack album Journey Through "The Secret Life Of Plants" (Tamla, 1979), and with science fiction novelist Gregory Bendford's speculative Marsmat, an algae-like growth on the planet Mars that could communicate, planet-wide, with its fellow "Mats." This in his novels Martian Race (1999) and The Sunborn (2005).

The two disc set begins distinctively, with the eerie wavering of a theremin rising above the ensemble sound. To those hanging out at the shore and grooving to the Beach Boys in 1966 or for anyone else in that timeframe with access to a radio the theremin was instrumental (hah!) in the success of the Beach Boys' song "Good Vibrations," the group's third number one hit single. Its eerie, space-age warble sounds like cosmic rays, or a death beam from an attacking UFO, 1950s sci-fi B movie style. Something of a gimmick then, but not so for Eckemoff, or from Jarmo Saari, who incorporates that sound to the mix with a deft hand. And, in part, this new sound, used texturally and sparingly inside Eckemoff's well-shaped arrangements, is a part of what sets Adventures Of The Wildflower above the pianist's earlier work, as does Saari's guitar and glass harp, Panu Savolainen's luminous vibraphone, Jukka Perko's understated but always tasty soprano and tenor sax contributions, combined with the subtle ensemble acumen of drummer Olavi Louhivuori and bassist Antti Lotjonen. Add to this Eckemoff's growth and freedom as a composer/arranger.

The eighteen Eckemoff compositions here are some of her most abstract and sometimes asymmetrical (but beautiful) offerings consider the Columbine flower that boasts a delicate and lovely symmetry; the wild plant from which it blossoms that does not. Taken as a whole, the two disc, two hour set creates intricately placid, mysterious and modernistically spiritual feeling a chamber jazz from a mid-twenty first century church.

It is sometimes playful, and could, at times, fit into the "exotica" category of sounds an exotica influenced, Henry David Thoreau-like, by the everyday goings on in the confines of the church of Yelena Eckemoff's backyard, in tunes entitled "Germination," "Dog Chasing A Squirrel," "Chickens," (yes, her chickens get some glory here, says Eckemoff, with a twinkling eye and a merry laugh), "Butterflies" and "Children Playing With Seed Pods." Things that could be considered mundane, if the artist in Eckemoff hadn't revealed though her complex and unconventionally beautiful music, her sounds full of joy and wonder, that they are not. Eckemoff includes in the album packaging her poems and her paintings, following the Columbine plant's life journey an effort worthy of a children's (or an adult's) book.By Dan McClenaghan
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/adventures-of-the-wildflower-yelena-eckemoff-l-and-h-production

Personnel: Yelena Eckemoff: piano; Jukka Perko: saxophone; Jarmo Saari: guitar, electric; Panu Savolainen: vibraphone; Antti Lotjonen: bass; Olavi Louhivuori: drums.

Adventures of the Wildflower

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Carol Welsman - Fourteen

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:00
Size: 112,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:08) 1. Pick Yourself Up
(4:41) 2. I Concentrate On You
(3:23) 3. The Night Has 1000 Eyes
(3:04) 4. Sometimes I'm Happy
(3:20) 5. Que Reste-t-il De Nos Amours?
(6:05) 6. If You Could See Me Now
(3:48) 7. Somos Novios
(3:17) 8. Plus Je T'embrasse
(3:36) 9. Be My Valentine
(3:31) 10. Come Fly With Me
(5:59) 11. Black Coffee
(5:02) 12. C'est Le Printemps

Currently closing in on 30 years as one of jazz’s most stylistically and culturally diverse jazz singers, vocal interpreters and pianists, six time Juno Award nominee Carol Welsman has occasionally tied the songs on her collection neatly together with a specific overall theme as she did on two of her best in the last decade sharing her passion for travel and cultures on Journey (2012) and her splendid immersion into Latin Jazz on Dance With Me (2020).

Yet even when she’s more eclectic and freewheeling in her choices of material as she shares on her latest coolly cosmopolitan, multi-lingual (English, French, Spanish) latest collection Fourteen Welsman is always offering an intimate opening to the music that has literally jazzed her life. As her first post-pandemic recording, she seems determined to help soothe the complex wave of emotions that rock our worlds every day, with an eye and ear towards lifting our exhausted spirits starting with the playfully swinging, exuberantly optimistic romp through Nat King Cole’s “Pick Yourself Up.”

She's also keen on reminding us that life can still be joyful and romantic with three charming tunes sung beautifully in French, including the lush, dreamy closer, the Rodgers & Hammerstein waltz “C’est le printemps” (which the singer memorably recorded in English as “It Might As Well Be Spring” on her 2015 album Alone Together. Her Spanish on the balmy bossa twist on the Mexican originated “Somos Novios” – more familiar to us as “It’s Impossible” – is equally delightful and sweetly infectious. One of the most unique stories connected to the choice of material on Fourteen is her sassy and hipster samba-fied invitation to escape on “Come Fly With Me,” which gets extra buoyancy from her percussive piano, breezy, inventive scatting and lively interaction with her Quebec based band, including guitarist Pierre Côté and bassist Rémi-Jean LeBlanc.

It’s hard to believe she originally recorded it for her self-titled 2007 album but it didn’t make the final cut; fortunately Sammy Cahn’s son Steve felt it was the best version of the song since Sinatra and Welsman felt now was the appropriate moment. Coming after these anxious few years, its sparkling uplift indeed hits the heartstrings just right.

She likewise lifts our spirits throughout with more of her remarkable scatting, from the sweet breezes she creates in duet with Côté on “I Concentrate on You” and the peppy improvisational vocal whimsy a few minutes into the lighthearted “The Night Has 1000 Eyes” to the sly duality with LeBlanc’s plucky bass on “Sometimes I’m Happy.” Balancing the overall upbeat energy of Fourteen are two more melancholy tunes that showcase her trademark emotional expressiveness as a balladeer, “If You Could See Me Now” and the Peggy Lee originated “Black Coffee.”

Also a gifted songwriter, she graces us with a lone original (“Be My Valentine”) which connects to the dominant forward thinking vibe of the album. The Canadian born, L.A.based Welsman is a true treasure who, over a quarter century into her career, never fails to draw us into her splendor and surprise filled autobiography.Jonathan Widran https://www.jwvibe.com/single-post/carol-welsman-fourteen

Fourteen

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Vincent Gardner - The Good Book: Chapter One

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:28
Size: 144,3 MB
Art: Front

( 6:42) 1. Love Handles
(11:00) 2. The African Queen
( 8:43) 3. Shiny Stockings
( 5:56) 4. Mo' Joe
( 6:10) 5. The House That Love Built
( 7:50) 6. Sean's Jones Comes Down
( 8:14) 7. Que Pasa?
( 7:48) 8. C.P.W.

Although his major claim to fame up to this point has been time spent with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, trombonist Vincent Garner is a very likely candidate for the category of talent seeking of wider recognition. As a follow-up to his debut set Elbow Room (Steeplechase, 2006), this effort not only sheds light on his skills as a trombonist but also reminds us of the musical legacies of Frank Foster and Horace Silver. The Good Book: Chapter One brings back the quintet heard on Gardner's first disc (with Marc Cary replacing Aaron Goldberg on piano) while mining the catalogs of Foster and Silver and giving a coat of fresh paint to these attractive pieces.

Of the Foster tunes, it's "Shiny Stockings that gets the most sagacious reworking, use of space and syncopation, helping to alter a well-known line. Of more recent vintage, "Sean's Jones Comes Down is Foster's play on words as homage to the young trumpeter. Its form includes a few bars of ¾ thrown in to keep all on their toes, with Walter Blanding's soprano work proving to be a revelation in terms of his tone and ideas. As for Gardner's voice, he goes for a blend somewhere between swing stylists such as Vic Dickenson, Lawrence Brown and the bop sensibilities of J.J. Johnson. At times, his tone is slightly reminiscent of the warm timbre of a French horn.

The Silver numbers tap the less obvious and the disc is all the better for it. "African Queen is one of the highlights from Silver's Cape Verdean Blues (Blue Note, 1965) and Gardner and company stretch out for their own extended cruise abetted by the highly musical drumming of Quincy Davis. Joe Henderson's "Mo'Joe is another gem from the previously mentioned Cape Verdean set. As for the iconic "Que Pasa? from Song for My Father (Blue Note, 1964), the blend of soprano sax and trombone gives this reading a unique flavor, a quality that pretty much permeates the entire disc. This, of course, elevates the recital beyond your typical tribute album and bodes well for Gardner's further development as an individualist with something important to say. By C. Andrew Hovan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-good-book-chapter-one-vincent-gardner-steeplechase-records-review-by-c-andrew-hovan

Vincent Gardner: trombone; Walter Blanding: tenor and soprano sax; Marc Cary: piano; Greg Williams: bass; Quincy Davis: drums.

The Good Book: Chapter One

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Benito Gonzalez - Sing to the World

Styles: Contemporary Jazz
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 79:07
Size: 182,4 MB
Art: Front

( 4:56) 1. Sounds of Freedom
( 9:01) 2. Views of the Blues
( 6:34) 3. Father
( 9:19) 4. Offering
(10:32) 5. Visionary
( 5:48) 6. Smile
( 9:17) 7. Sing to the World
( 8:22) 8. 412
( 7:35) 9. Flatbush Avenue
( 7:39) 10. Colors

Unbridled rhythmic fury fueled by a rich harmonic underbelly is the essence of Sing To The World. Pianist Benito Gonzalez has once again assembled a vibrant cast that flourishes on ten original creations. Inventive and energetic, the ensemble gels in the moment and establishes interplay with rich and intelligent conversation. The depth and articulation comes as no surprise, with reference to his previous works as a leader and the seven years Gonzalez spent as a member of Kenny Garrett's band.

Powerhouse bassist Christian McBride aligned with alternately Jeff Tain Watts and Sasha Mashin to anchor and veraciously drive a rhythm section which was both the core and the springboard for Gonzalez, as well as trumpeter Nicholas Payton. Together they built a foundation of Afro-Latin sounds that echoed the ancestral spirits and authentic African dance beats. Playing modern jazz vibes over and within these torrid and variant beats created a fresh and sophisticated fusion sound of its own.

While most of the new material was written by Gonzalez, there are two notable exceptions. The great trumpeter Roy Hargrove and Gonzalez often used to play together and developed a close relationship, both musically and personally. Hargrove wrote the tune "Father" which characterized that bond. They played it often together, always refining it. But the heartfelt melody was never recorded. Until now. "412" is a Watts composition. Watts connected with Gonzalez years ago when he appreciated the young pianist's spirit and respect for the notes. He sat down at the piano one day and showed or taught Gonzalez the melody. Like "Father" it was played a lot but never recorded. The tunes bring a sentimentality which blends well and creates a well sequenced directional change of pace from the mostly fiery tone of Gonzalez's fifth record as a leader.

While Gonzalez is relentlessly engaging throughout, his assault on his keys in no way interferes with his improvisational interface with his bandmates. These cats are very much paying attention to each other and responding in kind. A grand master of the bass, McBride leads and steadies a precise yet ultimately daring rhythm section which Gonzalez gloriously rides like a big kahuna at Big Sur. The robust energy and fine tuned skill sets of the members of the ensemble collectively elevated everyone to the top of their instrumental and conversational game. There is much to be said, much to be heard, and an abundance of joy along the way.By Jim Worsley
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/sing-to-the-world-benito-gonzalez-rainy-days-records

Personnel: Benito Gonzalez: piano; Nicholas Payton: trumpet; Josh Evans: trumpet; Christian McBride: bass; Essiet Essiet: bass; Sasha Mashin: drums; Jeff Tain Watts: drums; Makar Kashitsyn: saxophone.

Sing to the World

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John Abercrombie, Dave Creamer - Creatrix

Styles: Guitar Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:10
Size: 170,2 MB
Art: Front

(10:27) 1. Your Eyes
( 9:38) 2. Creatrix
( 9:15) 3. Burrito Supreme
(10:29) 4. Sunny Muslin
( 8:05) 5. Blue Clouds Roll
(16:35) 6. Is Wayne Shorter Than Me
( 9:39) 7. Timeless

John Abercrombie's tying together of jazz's many threads made him one of the most influential acoustic and electric guitarists of the 1970s and early '80s; his recordings for ECM helped define that label's progressive chamber jazz reputation. Abercrombie's style drew upon all manner of contemporary improvised music; his style was essentially jazz-based, but also displayed a more than passing familiarity with forms that ranged from folk and rock to Eastern and Western art musics.

Abercrombie attended Boston's Berklee College of Music from 1962 to 1966. While at Berklee, the guitarist toured with bluesman Johnny Hammond. After relocating to New York in 1969, Abercrombie spent time in groups led by drummers Chico Hamilton and Billy Cobham. It was with the latter's Spectrum group that Abercrombie first received widespread attention. Abercrombie's first album as leader was Timeless, a trio album with drummer Jack DeJohnette and keyboardist Jan Hammer. That was followed by Gateway, another trio with DeJohnette, and bassist Dave Holland replacing Hammer.

Abercrombie continued to be active as the 21st century opened, releasing Cat 'n' Mouse in 2002, Class Trip in 2004, A Nice Idea (with pianist Andy LaVerne) in 2005, Structures (recorded with a single microphone) in 2006, and Third Quartet in 2007. Wait Till You See Her appeared in 2009. In 2011, the guitarist issued Speak to Me, a duet recording with pianist Marc Copland on the German Pirouet label. He followed it with the quartet recording Within a Song for ECM. His band on the date included drummer Joey Baron, saxophonist Joe Lovano, and bassist Drew Gress. Another quartet session appeared on the label in October of 2013.

Entitled 39 Steps, its lineup contained only one change, as Copland replaced Lovano. Uncharacteristically, he released Inspired, a collaborative setting with fellow guitarists Rale Micic, Peter Bernstein, and Lage Lund, for Artistshare in 2016, before returning to ECM with his regular quartet for Up and Coming early the following year; it would be his final recording. After years of health problems, including a stroke suffered in early 2017, Abercrombie succumbed to heart failure at home on August 22. He was 72. By Chris Kelsey https://www.allmusic.com/artist/john-abercrombie-mn0000214546/biography

Creatrix

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Jim Rotondi - Excursions

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:31
Size: 142,7 MB
Art: Front

( 6:12) 1. Shortcake
( 7:19) 2. Little B's Poem
( 7:19) 3. Excursions
( 7:53) 4. What Is There To Say
( 7:25) 5. Angel Eyes
( 7:09) 6. Little Karin
( 7:57) 7. Jim's Waltz
(10:14) 8. Fried Pies

One of the next major talents yet to be discovered by the jazz public at large, trumpeter Jim Rotondi is a dynamo full of the kind of bristling trumpet fire that distinguished such predecessors as Freddie Hubbard and Woody Shaw. Over the course of his first two Criss Cross dates, Introducing Jim Rotondi and Jim’s Bop Rotondi proved that he was a capable mainstream player with great promise in terms of developing his own voice. Now with Excursions he goes to the head of the class with what has to be his finest work to date.

Leading what is essentially the cooperative One For All with drummer Kenny Washington spelling standby Joe Farnsworth at the drums, Rotondi works his way through a few standards and an original from his own pen, in addition to one apiece from Steve Davis and Eric Alexander. The title track is a solid standout, first heard on a Jackie McLean date featuring composer Davis. During the closing vamp, Rotondi quotes from “Pensativa,” further establishing the association with Hubbard. “What Is There To Say” is a mature ballad performance illuminating Rotondi’s burnished tone.

Hazeltine gets to strut his stuff with another one of his totally ingenious revamps. This time around he turns the usually delicate “Angel Eyes” into an active up-tempo romp that makes the most out of his voicings for the three-horn front line. Of course, Alexander is no slouch himself when it comes to the composition department. The sprightly “Jim’s Waltz” is of his invention and it has that beaming quality that marks his most blissful tunes, a repeated four-note vamp cunningly used to separate choruses Consistently stimulating, Excursions is yet another in a long line of significant Criss Cross sides and further testimony that the label indeed has something special in the guise of one Jim Rotondi.
By C.Andrew Hovan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/excursions-jim-rotondi-criss-cross-review-by-c-andrew-hovan#

Personnel: Jim Rotondi: Trumpet.

Excursions

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Bob Thompson - Say What You Want

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1988
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:25
Size: 91,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:30)  1. Say What You Want
(5:05)  2. My Heart Is Dancing
(4:20)  3. Uptown Serenade
(6:17)  4. Someone
(4:25)  5. On The Horizon
(6:24)  6. Is This Love
(7:22)  7. New River Blue

Since 1991 Bob Thompson has been pianist, and regularly featured artist on West Virginia’s NPR syndicated radio show, Mountain Stage. For the past twenty-three years he has also been co-producer and host of Joy to the World, a Holiday jazz show, broadcast on public radio stations nationwide, and heard internationally on the Voice of America. In October 2015, Bob Thompson was inducted into the West Virginia Music Hall of Fame. Bob makes his home in Charleston, West Virginia, and has enjoyed a long and active career as a performer, composer, arranger, and educator. For decades he has played at festivals and venues around the country, and has also taken his music to Europe, Africa, and South America. Bob Thompson’s resume includes guest appearances on Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz, on National Public Radio, and BET on Jazz with Ramsey Lewis. His recordings on Intima Records, and Ichiban International, received high recognition on the jazz charts, with several reaching the top-ten. His recent recordings, Bob Thompson “Live” on Mountain Stage, and Smile, with the Bob Thompson Unit, are on his own label, Colortones.com. Bob’s current group, The Bob Thompson Band, has a new recording, “Look Beyond The Rain”. It was released January 8th 2016 on Blue Canoe Records. In addition to Bob the band features saxophonist Doug Payne, guitarist Ryan Kennedy, John Inghram on bass, and Tim Courts on drums. “This is my musical family, we all live in Charleston and have been playing together for a long time. We are trying to play music that makes people feel good. We want to spread a little love during these troubled times. Making this record was a lot of fun. It was also great to reunite with my friend, and producer during my years with Ichiban, Buzz Amato.”

After hearing Thompson live or on any of his numerous recordings you might be surprised to learn how hard Thompson tried to avoid the keyboard as a kid. Although there was always a piano in his home in Jamaica, N.Y., Bob had little interest in learning how to play it. “When I was in junior high school, I had a piano teacher who came to my house to give me lessons. He thought I had some talent. So one summer, he told my mom he’d teach me for free, Thompson recalls. “I said I wasn’t interested. I didn’t want to spend the summer taking piano lessons.” Instead, Thompson picked up the trumpet, playing in various school bands. And when he arrived on the campus of West Virginia State College, he wanted to join the student jazz band. Only one problem, they already had a fine trumpet player. “He was great, and the trumpet spot was closed.  So I started playing piano, just so I could be in the band and learn about the music from him,” Thompson says. It was a switch that stuck. And Thompson left the trumpet behind to hone his keyboard skills. While a student at West Virginia State College, Thompson formed the Modern Jazz Interpreters, a piano trio who appeared at the Notre Dame Jazz Festival in 1964. Shortly thereafter, Thompson received a valuable lesson from another performer, Chicago saxophonist Bunky Green, who joined the band on a State Department tour to Algiers. “He’s the person that really inspired me to spend my life playing music,” Thompson says. “He used to tell me, ‘When you sit down to your instrument, play as though it might be the last time.” ‘So don’t fool around, don’t jive. Go ahead and say what you’ve got to say’.”

That’s advice which Thompson has followed throughout his professional career, which began with the Jazz Interpreters, and then later on his own in the 1970s. Through the 80s, Thompson released a series of widely acclaimed solo albums, recording first for his own Rainbow Records and then on Capitol’s Intima jazz label. “Violinist John Blake encouraged me to record my own compositions. He was a big inspiration.” Blake produced the recordings “7 In 7 Out” and “Brother’s Keeper” with guests like bassist Gerald Veasley, guitarist Kevin Eubanks, and drummer Omar Hakim. Hakim also produced Thompson’s 1986 album “Say What You Want.” The albums are tasteful, thoughtful, contemporary jazz. These recordings garnered strong airplay on radio stations nationwide. Meanwhile, Thompson moved to Atlanta-based Ichiban International Records to release the albums Love Dance (1992), The Magic In Your Heart (1993), Ev’ry Time I Feel The Spirit (1996) and Lady First. Ev’ry Time I Feel The Spirit, which is a collection of spirituals performed in Thompson’s unique contemporary jazz style, was re-released in 2003 on DM Records. Bob Thompson has had a long relationship with Mountain Stage, an eclectic, Charleston-based weekly music broadcast on National Public Radio that’s featured everyone from R.E.M. to K.D. Lang, The Neville Brothers, and Joshua Redman. Having been a frequent guest on the show since its inception in 1983, Bob was always a big Mountain Stage fan. In 1991 he was invited to become a regularly featured performer on the show, and pianist in the house band. “I’ve just fallen in love with Mountain Stage,” says Thompson, “It’s also gotten my music out to a more diverse audience.” In between concerts and festival gigs, Thompson can still be found playing clubs in Charleston something he says keeps him close to his musical roots. “When I’m on a big stage, I just treat it like I’m in a bar somewhere,” he says. “The kind of connection with the audience I like happens a lot when we’re playing in a small club, and that carries over when we get into a larger venue.” Music education is also very important to Thompson. He continues teaching a few private students and doing occasional workshops at colleges and public schools. “I love teaching because it gives me an opportunity to pass along the help that so many have given me along the way. I am always thankful for this opportunity to do something in life that I truly love.”http://colortones.com/about-bob-thompson/

Say What You Want

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Lisa Hilton - Paradise Cove

Styles: Piano Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:15
Size: 113,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:13) 1. Birks’ Works
(3:54) 2. Fast Time Blues
(4:58) 3. Blues Vagabond
(6:29) 4. Another Simple Sunday With You
(5:55) 5. Cha Cha Cha A´ La Carte
(3:56) 6. Mercurial Moments
(3:45) 7. Night Cap & A Little Chaos
(4:26) 8. Storybook Sequel
(3:14) 9. Mediterranean Dreams
(3:25) 10. What The World Needs Now Is Love
(4:56) 11. Paradise Cove

At a time in our collective consciousness when it appears nothing is functioning as it once did, or is as reliable as it once was, or gives us purpose and solace as we once knew, along comes the soft sustaining magic of Lisa Hilton's gorgeous new recording, Paradise Cove, and for all of its enchanting forty-five minutes all is right with the world again.

Hilton may not have the wild chops of many of her peers or the instigative approach to the parade of shadows that hound us, but her music offers release into something greater, something less arch and/or demanding. Hilton's sincere compositions are candles in the dark, the sunrise of a better day. They are a true romance of the earth, the sky, and the resolute spirit.

Nothing on Paradise Cove (Hilton's twenty-sixth recording) is rushed or meant to lull you into a false expectancy. With the addition of simpatico trumpeter Igmar Thomas, Hilton introduces a new emotional voice, in turn adding even more depth and resiliency to her tightly-constructed (though the tightness is never felt) musings. Her long-running rapport with bassist Luques Curtis pulses at the heart of Paradise Cove, whose two well chosen covers, the Pink Panther noir-ish blues of Dizzy Gillespie's eternal "Birk's Works" and Burt Bacharach and Hal David's wistful and wishful 1965 pop gem, "What the World Needs Now is Love," serve to amplify and complement Hilton's own endearing work.

It is also enduring work, as the lucid and uncomplicated motifs of "Another Simple Sunday With You" and the majestic uplift of "Storybook Sequel" (a tune that should become a chestnut) instantly reveal. Reminiscent of many reflective moments intuited by such influences as Dave Brubeck, Brad Mehldau, and Bill Evans, these two tracks alone make the album a sure fire favorite. The bright, whispery restraint exhibited on both tracks by drummer Obed Calvaire and Thomas clear, yearning lines are standout performances.

An unabashed fan of the cha cha and other Latin infused rhythms, Hilton and her L.I.L.O. quartet, (Lisa, Igmar, Luques, Obed) sidestep and swing on "Mercurial Moments" and "Cha Cha Cha À La Carte." They cut loose on the many tempo-ed, retro-vibey "Fast Time Blues" and juke joint leaning "Blues Vagabond." Closing on the lush, hopeful cadences of its namesake track, Paradise Cove proves itself a team effort all around. For Hilton, who either willfully or unjustly flies under the broader jazz radar, it is another quietly brave achievement. By Mike Jurkovic
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/paradise-cove-lisa-hilton-ruby-slippers-productions

Personnel: Lisa Hilton: piano; Luques Curtis: bass, acoustic; Igmar Thomas: trumpet; Obed Calvaire: drums.

Paradise Cove

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Emma Pask - Dream Of Life

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:23
Size: 134,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:23) 1. Smack Dab In The Middle
(4:26) 2. If I Were A Bell
(6:46) 3. Here There And Everywhere
(5:23) 4. The Eagle And Me
(3:38) 5. They Say It's Wonderful
(3:01) 6. Caí Dentro
(5:25) 7. Dream Of Life
(4:08) 8. I Just Found Out About Love
(4:40) 9. Rumour Has It
(4:52) 10. If You Never Come To Me
(4:14) 11. Heading In The Right Direction
(5:20) 12. Don't Touch Me

Award winning vocalist Emma Pask has firmly established herself as one of Australia’s favourite voices in Jazz.

Emma will present her new album ‘Dream of Life’ in concert with a collection of beautifully arranged Jazz Standards, a Beatles classic, an Adele pop hit, and some high energy Brazilian magic.

Emma’s effortless and honest stage presence combined with her powerful vocal ability, leaves audiences spellbound and inspired whenever she takes to the stage. Emma has toured extensively throughout Australia and has had some exciting performances abroad. “Having the opportunity to play live so often, there comes a unique rapport, a connection and energy that builds within a band,” Emma says.

“The repertoire has a chance to settle in, and find a place where it all feels so good. That’s the time I like to head into the studio”. Sonically this recording is live, raw, real, and up close, sounding and feeling as though you are right there in the room. While Emma’s voice and style are unique, and individually her own, her performances are reminiscent of the classic era of jazz, when swing was top of the charts.

Her talent was first spotted by internationally renowned Jazz great James Morrison, when she was just 16 years old. She joined his band as the lead vocalist at 16, and went on the spent a solid 20 years touring the world with Morrison. Emma is a ‘Mo’ award winner for Jazz Vocalist of the year, and has received two ARIA award nominations for. Best Jazz Album of the Year in 2014 and 2016.

Emma will be accompanied by Kevin Hunt on piano, Phil Stack on bass and Tim Firth on drums.https://emmapask.com/event/dream-of-life-new-album/

Personnel: Vocals – Emma Pask; Drums – Emma Pask, Tim Firth; Piano – Kevin Hunt; Piano, Drums – Phil Stack

Dream Of Life

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Roland Hanna & George Mraz - Romanesque

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1982
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:49
Size: 99,4 MB
Art: Front

(8:23) 1. Humoreske
(5:44) 2. Serenade
(6:10) 3. Reverie
(4:31) 4. Chant Sans Paroles, Op. 2, No. 3
(6:24) 5. Swan Lake
(8:39) 6. Yours Is My Heart Alone
(2:54) 7. Clair De Lune

Originally made for the Japanese Trio label and released domestically by Black Hawk, this was at least the sixth duet album that pianist Roland Hanna made with bassist George Mraz. Hanna takes seven classical melodies (including "Humoresque," "Reverie," "Swan Lake" and "Yours Is My Heart Alone") and transforms them into swinging and lyrical jazz, respecting the melodies but also coming up with fresh variations. Fine music.By Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/romanesque-mw0000188145

Personnel: Piano – Roland Hanna; Bass – George Mraz

Romanesque

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Iris Ornig - No Restrictions

Styles: Contemporary Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:12
Size: 147,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:18) 1. Autumn Kiss
(6:56) 2. We Shall Meet Beyond the River
(6:37) 3. Venus as a Boy
(4:33) 4. No Restrictions
(6:21) 5. If Anything Goes Wrong
(5:55) 6. The Way You Make Me Feel
(7:27) 7. Gate 29
(5:46) 8. Spark of Light
(7:09) 9. No Restrictions Version II
(8:06) 10. Uptight

Intrepid bassist Iris Ornig's second release follows the thematic structure of her remarkable debut, New Ground (Self Produced, 2009), but is more polished and coherent, hence more engaging. This is a hard goal to achieve, as the first was a thoroughly enjoyable and stimulating album.

If New Ground was a collection of short stories sharing a common thesis then No Restrictions is a novel, exploring a similar leitmotif and expanding on it. The emphasis is more on original compositions, and even the two arranged covers do not come from the jazz canon but are of pop music origin.

On Björk's "Venus as a Boy," Ornig's melodic bass and Marcus Gilmore's percussive drums build a framework with vague rock sensibilities. On this, the inimitable Helen Sung channels a subtler inner Don Pullen with modal and circular piano lines. Kurt Rosenwinkel's psychedelic yet earthy guitar, continuing Sung's train of thought, weaves an absorbing tone poem.

The other arrangement is Michael Jackson's "The Way You Make Me Feel," that gets a soulful groove with blue tinges and features trumpeter Mike Rodriguez's funky, Kenny Dorham-influenced sound. Ornig's own solo demonstrates her supreme lyricism and ingenuity as an improviser and an instrumentalist. Her complex embellishments not only bring the tune solidly into the jazz realm; they also demonstrate the full potential of an instrument that, even after a century of evolution, too often gets relegated to the role of a timekeeper.

The intricate and multilayered "Gate 29" is a gorgeous composition that features Rodriguez's burnished trumpet with the right amount of vibrato blowing a melancholic song. Like a modern day troubadour Rosenwinkel's romantic yet blistering tones maintains the wistful ambience. Sung's flowing but edgy pianism colors the piece with darker hues. Ornig's tight and deep vamps and Gilmore's keen and assertive polyphonics integrate the individual voices of the band members into a satisfying whole.

Not one to hog the spotlight Ornig relies on the intimate esprit du corps that permeates her quintet's ensemble work. The group creates a bittersweet ambience on the impressionistic ballad "We Shall Meet Beyond The River." Rodriguez's crepuscular and elegiac horn mixes well with Rosenwinkel's bluesy strings like a rain puddle shimmering in the setting sun. Ornig' resonant vibrations and Gilmore's sensitive brushes and sticks create a rhythmic structure that supports this elaborate interaction. Sung's keys sprinkle clusters of earthy notes like a gentle rain shower.

A consummate musician, Ornig demonstrates a combination of sophistication, maturity and originality with No Restrictions that is rarely present so early in someone's career. This unique elegance and worldliness will, hopefully, remain the trademark of her art for years to come.By Hrayr Attarian
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/no-restrictions-iris-ornig-self-produced-review-by-hrayr-attarian

Personnel: Iris Ornig: bass; Kurt Rosenwinkel: guitar; Michael Rodriguez: trumpet; Helen Sung: piano; Marcus Gilmore: drums.

No Restrictions

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Charles Lloyd - Trios: Ocean

Styles: Saxophone And Flute Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:23
Size: 95,2 MB
Art: Front

(12:19) 1. The Lonely One (Live)
( 8:53) 2. Hagar of the Inuits (Live)
(10:03) 3. Jaramillo Blues(Live)
(10:08) 4. Kuan Yin (Live)

Ocean is the second volume in saxophonist Charles Lloyd's 2022 Trios series, all recorded with different personnel. This one finds Anthony Wilson on guitar and Gerald Clayton on piano. Both men are members of his Kindred Spirits ensemble. The set was livestreamed during the pandemic on September 9, 2020 from the stage of the Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara, California sans audience. Lloyd has spent his career integrating jazz, blues, and American styles with the music of other global traditions. One of his qualities is that no matter how far afield he travels, his clear, emotive tone keeps the music, no matter how exotic, readily and honestly accessible.

There are four long tunes here, all originals by Lloyd. Opener "The Lonely One" commences with spectral resonance as the tenor emits long breathy notes, Clayton builds sparse minor shapes as Wilson delivers soft, flamenco-esque arpeggios. After two minutes, Lloyd's horn introduces another theme that winds around the guitar as Clayton flows purposefully and distinctly around them with a deeply inquisitive solo. Moods and dynamics shift, shorter accents and solos emerge and retreat, and the band gels around Lloyd's mysterious, Latin-tinged modal assertions.

The saxophonist pulls out his mostly neglected alto in "Hagar of the Inuits." He improvises solo for a couple of minutes before a call-and-response exchange with Clayton whose knotty chords deliberately draw on Monk before Lloyd quotes briefly from John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme" and Wilson slips in spiky blues runs dictating the pianist's shift to a 21st century take on boogie woogie. "Jaramillo Blues (For Virginia Jaramillo and Danny Johnson)" was composed for two artists she's a painter,he's a sculptor. Lloyd leads this swinging 12-bar blues with the flute. Wilson's chordal vamps bridge Clayton's rhythmic keyboard. It's bright, with lots of subtle movement and tonal shading underneath. The sequential exchanges and turnarounds between pianist and guitarist are canny. Wilson's massive wall of shapes offers abundant textural support for Clayton's punchy, walking chordal solo. He seamlessly shifts to comping as the guitarist offers an elegantly articulated solo that touches on the jazz guitar's history from Charlie Christian to T-Bone Walker to Jim Hall.

Lloyd rejoins for the last few minutes as the conversation becomes sprightly and jovial. Closer "Kuan Yin" is titled for the Chinese goddess of mercy and compassion she is known as Tara in Tibetan Buddhism. Clayton introduces it by playing percussively, dampening the lower strings from inside the piano. He follows by establishing a minor-key rhumba rhythm with Wilson before Lloyd tentatively introduces the melody. Before long, he ratchets its intensity as the pianist cascades single-note runs and illustrative chords with colorful, gorgeously toned rhythmic articulation from the guitarist. Behind Lloyd they build to a dynamic group crescendo before whispering to a fade. Ocean offers a document of spontaneously created music-making of a very high order. A snapshot of a moment in time, the energy, creativity, and surprise offered here are a delight. By Thom Jurek https://www.allmusic.com/album/trios-ocean-mw0003770629

Personnel: Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Alto Flute – Charles Lloyd; Guitar – Anthony Wilson; Piano – Gerald Clayton

Trios: Ocean

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Molly Ryan - Sweepin’ the Blues Away

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:01
Size: 106,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:30) 1. Get Yourself a New Broom (And Sweep the Blues Away)
(5:37) 2. The Folks Who Live on the Hill
(4:31) 3. I'm Putting All My Eggs in One Basket
(3:57) 4. You and I
(4:33) 5. A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square
(3:34) 6. I'll Sit Right on the Moon (And Keep My Eyes on You)
(3:09) 7. I Wonder Who's Kissing Him Now
(4:16) 8. You Turned the Tables on Me
(4:15) 9. A Cottage for Sale
(3:16) 10. Let a Smile Be Your Umbrella (On a Rainy Day)
(4:19) 11. If You Want the Rainbow (You Must Have the Rain)

New York City jazz vocalist Molly Ryan knows how to swing with the best of ‘em. Hailed as a “critic’s favorite” by author and Wall Street Journal music writer, Will Friedwald, Ryan announces the release of her fifth solo album, Sweepin’ the Blues Away, on Turtle Bay Records, which features 11 jazz classic songs from the swingin’ ‘30s.

Since arriving in 2003 from Roseville, CA, Ryan has established quite a career on the NYC jazz scene. She has performed at prestigious Manhattan venues such as the Café Carlyle, The Rainbow Room, Joe’s Pub, Symphony Space, Birdland Jazz Club, Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola, Iridium Jazz Club, The Player's Club, the Waldorf Astoria, The Cutting Room, and The Town Hall. She has performed alongside such prominent jazz artists as Randy Reinhart, Jon-Erik Kellso, Bria Skonberg, Dan Barrett, Mark Shane and Rossano Sportiello, as well as with the preeminent 1920s-style orchestra, Vince Giordano’s Nighthawks.

Ryan has appeared at numerous jazz festivals and jazz parties throughout the U.S. and abroad, including the Atlanta Jazz Party, the Central Illinois Jazz Festival, the North Carolina Jazz Festival, the New York Hot Jazz Festival, the Old Jazz Meeting “Zlota Tarka” in Ilawa, Poland and Winter Jazzfest in New York City, among others. In addition, Molly Ryan’s voice can be heard on the Grammy Award-winning HBO television series Boardwalk Empire (Season One). She also has made appearances on the AMAZON PRIME TV series, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel(Season Three) and in Take Me Back to Manhattan, the Emmy-nominated musical revue celebrating New York and the great American songbook.

WSJ music critic Will Friedwald says, “Molly swings the melody as well as the words without affectation of any kind. She brings a straight-ahead innocence and total believability to the music…She sounds worldly wise beyond her years, wonderfully gentle and lyrical.” Whether you're feeling blue or not, the new jazz swing album by Molly Ryan Sweepin’ the Blues Away, guarantees to lift your spirits! Available now on CD or vinyl at TurtleBayRecords.com. By EMPKT PR https://www.allaboutjazz.com/news/nyc-jazz-vocalist-molly-ryan-releases-new-album-on-turtle-bay-records/

Personnel: Molly Ryan (Vocal); Dan Levinson (tenor sax/clarinet), Rossano Sportiello (piano), Rob Adkins (bass), Kevin Dorn (drums)

Sweepin’ the Blues Away

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David Caldwell-Mason - Nascent

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:37
Size: 126,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:59) 1. God Only Knows
(5:39) 2. I Should Care
(4:13) 3. Dancing Song
(6:47) 4. Sweet Lou
(5:29) 5. Love Song From The Rhodopes
(4:34) 6. Nor Egrets
(7:36) 7. Nascent
(4:36) 8. Three Reasons
(5:27) 9. One Of These Things First
(5:12) 10. Breathe

"The word nascent conjures the feeling of arriving, or beginning, but also hints at future potential. That feeling of push and pull gets at the fundamental nature of improvisation - the present is always becoming the past, just as the future arrives, becoming briefly, the present.

Original music written by Caldwell-Mason, jazz standards, Bulgarian folk music, as well as haunting renditions of Nick Drake and Brian Wilson songs, are woven into a cohesive musical tapestry, emphasizing the importance of simplicity, motivic development, and expressiveness. David's longtime trio is joined by guest saxophonist Jeremy Powell on two songs."

Personnel: David Caldwell-Mason, piano; Pablo Menares, bass;Felix Lecaros, drums; Jeremy Powell, tenor sax (tracks 4 and 10 only)

Nascent

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