Charlie Byrd Trio - Au Courant

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:56
Size: 133,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:03) 1. This Can't Be Love
(3:33) 2. My Romance
(5:38) 3. St Louis Blues
(4:32) 4. On A Clear Day (You Can See Forever)
(3:26) 5. There'll Be Some Changes Made
(5:06) 6. If You Never Came To Me
(4:04) 7. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
(3:06) 8. Avalon
(3:11) 9. Emily (Theme from The Americanization of Emily)
(4:24) 10. There's A Small Hotel
(4:09) 11. Blue Room
(4:18) 12. Have You Met Miss Jones?
(5:12) 13. Willow Weep For Me
(4:12) 14. Days Of Wine And Roses

That old Django Reinhardt buff Charlie Byrd actually gets something resembling the drive of the Hot Club Quintette on this CD at times, but with unusual means. With Charlie on acoustic guitar and brother Joe Byrd on bass, Charlie's longtime drummer Chuck Redd shifts over to the vibraphone, and the three independent voices tumble intricately all around each other in a collection of standards.

While not absolutely impeccable in technique, Byrd continues to get around his instrument in a swinging manner, and Redd proves to be a more than serviceable performer on the vibes. Inevitably (for Byrd), the Brazilian influence surfaces on tracks like "On a Clear Day," Jobim's "If You Never Came to Me," and Rodgers/Hart's "There's a Small Hotel," all of which bring us gently back to 1962. A modest yet pleasing experiment for the Charlie Byrd collector. By Richard S. Ginell
https://www.allmusic.com/album/au-courant-mw0000032148

Au Courant

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Martial Solal - Solo Piano: Unreleased 1966 Los Angeles Sessions Vol.1, Vol.2

Martial Solal - Solo Piano: Unreleased 1966 Los Angeles Session. Vol.1

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2017
Time: 66:37
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 153,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:03) 1. Groovin' High
(5:53) 2. Scrapple From The Apple
(3:46) 3. I Can't Get Started
(8:54) 4. Night In Tunisia
(5:44) 5. Ornithology
(4:31) 6. Yardbird Suite
(4:18) 7. Embraceable You
(4:38) 8. Now's The Time
(6:12) 9. Lover Man
(4:40) 10. Blue Monk
(5:01) 11. Billie's Bounce
(5:30) 12. 'Round Midnight
(3:22) 13. Un Poco Loco

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Martial Solal - Solo Piano: Unreleased 1966 Los Angeles Session. Vol. 2

Year: 2018
Time: 53:10
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 122,6 MB

(3:36) 1. Pennies From Heaven
(2:44) 2. Blues Martial
(3:54) 3. Fig Leaf Raf
(3:45) 4. Exactly Like You
(4:13) 5. Ain't Miss Behavin'
(4:13) 6. Begin The Beguine
(4:02) 7. Ah Non
(3:16) 8. But Not For Me
(7:21) 9. Suite 105
(3:07) 10. Kansas City Stomp
(3:21) 11. La Chaloupee
(5:07) 12. Everything Happens To Me
(4:23) 13. Un Poco Loco

In June 1966, invited by the shrewd American producer and author Ross Russell, Martial Solal traveled to Los Angeles to record these forgotten and unreleased solo piano sessions. Russell, who had launched the legendary label Dial Records back in 1946 to record Charlie Parker, had spent several years away from the jazz scene after shutting Dial down in 1949. When he decided to return to the jazz record business, he organized a series of recordings at Glendale’s Whitney Studio, which had a wonderful Steinway. Unfortunately, Russell’s new project didn’t come to fruition, and so Solal’s recordings never saw the light.

Now we can finally hear them in two CD volumes. They show Martial Solal at his best, his incontestable talent, dazzling virtuosity and invention, but also his good taste and sense of humor in the execution. The originality of his conception, paired with his elegant control and technique, put him on a par with the great American pianists.
https://www.freshsoundrecords.com/martial-solal-albums/6692-solo-piano-unreleased-1966-los-angeles-session-volume-2.html

Personnel: Martial Solal-Piano

Solo Piano: Unreleased 1966 Los Angeles Session. Volume 1, Volume 2

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Barbra Lica - Imposter Syndrome

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 20:54
Size: 48,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:03) 1. Girls Like Me
(3:13) 2. The Ghost Of Me
(3:03) 3. In 40 Years
(2:38) 4. Blue Monday
(3:35) 5. Take Care Of You
(2:50) 6. What Do You Say
(2:28) 7. Sour Women

Barbra Lica is a Juno-nominated artist singer-songwriter based in Toronto. A seasoned act on the North American club and festival circuits, Barbra has performed everywhere from New York City’s legendary Birdland to Toronto’s prestigious Koerner Hall. She has also headlined at festivals across the continent including Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, Vancouver International Jazz Festival and Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival, and opened for the likes of Christian McBride, Pat Metheny, Bob Dorough, and Terence Blanchard.

Barbra’s debut album That’s What I Do (Triplet / Universal Jazz Japan) was released to widespread acclaim in 2012, ranking her in Canada’s Top 5 Jazz singers on the CBC, as well Top 5 up-and-coming Toronto jazz artists on blogTO. Shortly after, her band made their Japanese debut live at the Tokyo International Jazz Festival in 2015 for over a thousand Japanese fans Her first album with Justin Time Records, I’m Still Learning, was released September 2016 and subsequently nominated for a 2017 Juno Award in the category of “Best Vocal Jazz Album”. Her subsequent project, You’re Fine (Justin Time Records) marked the introduction of Folk an Americana elements to her repertoire and has amassed over 4.9 million streams to date on Spotify.

In addition to writing for herself, Barbra has written cuts for such artists as jazz crooner Matt Dusk (Entertainment One/Universal), rising J-Pop singer Harumi (Sony Music Japan), and Taiwanese pop recording artist, Morrison Ma (Universal Music Group/X Entertainment).

She is currently promoting her first self-produced EP Imposter Syndrome (released October 2022) with generous support from FACTOR, as well as her new chamber orchestra project featuring all-original music arranged for 14 instruments plus voice. https://barbralicamusic.com/media/

Imposter Syndrome

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Lara Louise - Alone Together

Styles: Vocal, Guitar Jazz
Year: 2022
Time: 47:22
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 109,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:35) 1. Alone Together (Feat. Grant Levin)
(3:18) 2. La Complainte De La Butte
(3:33) 3. Jardin D'hiver
(3:03) 4. C'est Si Bon (Feat. Mads Tolling)
(3:18) 5. Golden Earrings (Feat. Grant Levin)
(2:50) 6. You Belong To Me
(2:38) 7. It Had To Be You (Feat. Colm Ó Riain)
(3:55) 8. Besame Mucho
(2:52) 9. Petite Fleur
(2:31) 10. Norwegian Wood
(3:44) 11. One Of Us Cannot Be Wrong
(4:20) 12. Brothers In Arms
(4:23) 13. Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun
(3:14) 14. Gloaming Song

Lara Louise was born and raised in the city of Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Listening to Joni Mitchell and Leonard Cohen, she taught herself how to play guitar. Later, she became influenced by jazz and bossa nova singers such as Madeleine Peyroux, Carla Bruni, Frank Sinatra and Astrud Gilberto, and was particularly drawn to French jazz. All these different influences make for a tasteful variety of classic songs, tied together with her unique style and voice.

After studying philosophy in the Netherlands, Lara moved to the San Francisco Bay Area. Currently, she plays a lot of venues and private events. Either solo or with multi-intrumentalist and producer Gawain Mathews. Together they also record songs on a regular basis, which can be found on all the main streaming platforms or on CD.
https://lara-louise.com/bio

Alone Together

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Cristiana Polegri - Bindi'n Jazz

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:28
Size: 152,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:32) 1. È Vero
(4:26) 2. Basta Una Volta
(4:49) 3. Il Nostro Concerto
(6:13) 4. Marie Claire
(4:08) 5. Meglio Di Così
(6:34) 6. Nuvola Per Due
(4:42) 7. Io E Il Mare
(4:28) 8. Odio
(6:35) 9. Il Mio Mondo
(7:41) 10. Non Mi Dire Chi Sei
(2:31) 11. Rame
(5:04) 12. Arrivederci
(2:54) 13. La Musica È Finita
(1:46) 14. L'indifferenza

Tribute, four years after his death, to one of the most important and at the same time most neglected authors of Italian song Umberto Bindi this Bindin Jazz is at the same time a catwalk for Cristiana Polegri, a young singer and saxophonist who moves between pop music and jazz. All in all a classic album - and moreover Bindi's choice to a certain extent required it the work includes 13 songs by the singer-songwriter, some of which are little known and one even unreleased ("Rame"), plus a tribute from Polegri herself .

Nonetheless, the work is enlivened by the use of as many as ten different arrangers, who have worked together with Polegri, alternating from piece to piece, so as to create a certain diversification in the ways of reinterpreting Bindi's pieces. Polegri is now engaged on the voice, now on the sax (mainly the contralto, but occasionally also tenor and soprano), now she alternates voice and instrument in the same piece. In short, a brilliant versatility. Her voice is perhaps not frankly jazzy, but for this type of operation she is perhaps even more suitable, as especially as it is used - very "60s": delicate, precise, with a simple but effective interpretation.

Among the pieces, perhaps the very classic “Il nostro concerto” stands out, where the traditionally melodic introduction of the voice is followed first by an almost Baroque insert (homage to Bindi's passion for classical music) and then by a short but well-chosen contralto solo, again in the Polegri. Jazzistically successful "Nuvola per due" and "Arrivederci", enriched by the participation of the Corvini-Iodice Roma Ensemble (but here the vocal interpretation of Polegri is perhaps too "modern"); alluring "Io e il mare", due to the "acting" presence of Franco Califano; the conclusion is touching, a tribute within a tribute, left to Bindi himself, alone on the piano. (Translated using Google Translate)
By AAJ Italy Staff https://www.allaboutjazz.com/bindinjazz-pietro-lussu-via-veneto-jazz-review-by-aaji-staff

Personnel Cristiana Polegri (vocals, saxophones), Pietro Lussu (piano), Aldo Bassi (trumpet, flugelhorn), Mario Corvini (trombone), Pietro Ciancaglini (double bass), Lorenzo Tucci (drums), Riccardo Biseo (piano in 2, 3, 11 ), Gerardo Barroccini (double bass in 4, 6), Pierpaolo Bisogno (vibraphone, percussion in 4, 6, 8, 9, 10), Sandro Deidda (saxophones in 12), String orchestra conducted by Marcello Sirignano (in 5) , Stefano Di Battista (soprano sax in 5), Franco Califano (voice in 7), Corvini-Iodice Roma Ensemble (in 12), Umberto Bindi (piano in 14)

Bindi'n Jazz

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The Swingle Singers, The Modern Jazz Quartet - Place Vendome

Styles: Jazz, Bop, Cool
Year: 1966
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:09
Size: 86,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:17)  1. Little David's Fugue
(5:40)  2. Air For G String
(3:32)  3. Vendôme
(6:33)  4. Musikalisches Opfer Bwv 1079: No.8 Ricercar A 6
(5:04)  5. When I Am Laid In Earth (Dido's Lament)
(4:51)  6. Alexander's Fugue
(7:10)  7. Three Windows

For a short time in the mid-'60s, the Modern Jazz Quartet were working primarily in Europe and recording for the French division of Philips, with the results coming out in the United States on the MJQ's regular label, Atlantic. There was only one exception to this rule: Place Vendôme, which comprised the collaboration of the MJQ with the Swingle Singers, and which appeared in the U.S. on Philips' American subsidiary through Mercury Records. For Philips, the collaboration must have seemed like an inevitability; Ward Swingle had sung with the Double Six of Paris, which had backed up Dizzy Gillespie who, of course, had led the big band out of which the MJQ was formed in 1952. The Swingle Singers had been jazzing up the music of Johann Sebastian Bach since at least 1963 with phenomenal success, and while John Lewis wasn't quite as into the Bach bag in 1966 that he would be later, his MJQ compositions had long been taken up in European devices such as fugue and the renaissance Canzona.

Although Swingle and Lewis agreed to collaborate backstage after an MJQ concert in Paris in 1964, it wasn't until 1966 that the two groups found themselves in Paris at the same time. The resultant album, Place Vendôme, was a huge international success commercially, with the track "Aria (Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068)"though then popularly called "Air on a G String"charting strongly in Europe and the album easily earning its keep in the U.S., though it did not chart there. Not everyone was pleased; jazz critics savaged the album, the consensus being that a pop vocal group like the Swingle Singers had no business making an album with an exalted jazz group like the MJQ.
~ Uncle Dave Lewis https://www.allmusic.com/album/place-vend%C3%B4me-mw0000521943


The Swingle Singers: Jeanette Baucomont – soprano; Christiane Legrand – soprano; Alice Herald – alto; Claudine Meunier – alto; Ward Swingle – tenor, arranger; Claude Germain – tenor; Jean Cussac – bass; José Germain – bass

The Modern Jazz Quartet: John Lewis – piano; Milt Jackson – vibraphone; Percy Heath – double bass; Connie Kay – drums

Place Vendome

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Elia Bastida - Tribute to Stéphane Grappelli

Styles: Vocal, Violin
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:44
Size: 129,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:35) 1. Clair de Lune
(4:54) 2. I Can´t Get Started
(3:21) 3. Double Concerto
(4:40) 4. Troublant Bolero
(3:13) 5. Anniversary Song
(4:10) 6. Flamingo
(3:24) 7. Makin' Whoopee
(3:03) 8. Dance for Stéphane
(2:09) 9. Nature Boy
(5:17) 10. Django
(3:46) 11. Izaura
(4:44) 12. My One and Only Love
(4:03) 13. Grappelia
(5:18) 14. Django (Bonus)

As a great reference for violin and jazz, the name of Stéphane Grappelli has accompanied Èlia Bastida since her beginnings in the world of jazz. She defines him as a lyrical, passionate, virtuosic, technical, detailed and romantic musician.

Until now, she has made punctual tributes to him with recordings of some songs like “Stardust-Shine”, “It Had to be You”, “How About You”, among others. In this album “Tribute to Stéphane Grappelli” she wanted to give her particular point of view, looking for how, from his musical personality, to approach Grappelli’s music and take it to her field.

On this album you can listen to a journey through the various facets of Stéphane Grappelli: from the important tandem he formed with Django Reinhardt with the songs “Clair de Lune”, “Anniversary Song” and “Troublant Bolero”, continuing with some of the standards that he recorded as “Makin’ Whoopee”, “I Can’t Get Started”, “Flamingo”, “Nature Boy”, “My One and Only Love” and “Django”, and recalling with the song “Izaura” his incursions in the new bag with the album “La Grande Réunion” that he recorded with Baden Powell in 1986.

We also can find on the disc a version of Bach’s Double Concerto recalling Grappelli’s recording with Eddie South and Django Reinhardt and two songs that Èlia Bastida has composed for the occasion, thinking of bringing the essence of the violinist to other styles such as Brazilian music and funk with “Dance for Stéphane” and “Grappelia”. https://jazztojazz.com/en/product/tribute-to-stephane-grappelli/

Personnel: Èlia Bastida violin & vocals, Josep Traver guitar, Joan Chamorro double bass, Arnau Julià drums.

Tribute to Stéphane Grappelli

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Steve Gadd - Center Stage

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:28
Size: 143,9 MB
Art: Front

(7:17) 1. Signed Sealed Delivered
(8:04) 2. Watching The River Flow
(5:15) 3. I Can't Turn You Loose
(6:14) 4. Che Ore So
(5:42) 5. Them Changes
(6:06) 6. Way Back Home
(3:50) 7. Lucky 13
(8:41) 8. Honky Tonk / I Can't Stop Loving You
(5:05) 9. My Little Brother
(6:10) 10. Things Ain't What They Used To Be

Mixed emotions must underline this review. Center Stage, featuring bassist Eddie Gomez, drummer Steve Gadd and baritone saxophonist Ronnie Cuber with Germany's superb WDR Big Band conducted by Michael Abene, was recorded in Cologne in January and February 2022. Sadly, Ronnie Cuber passed away in October, shortly after the album was released.

If this was Cuber's last hurrah, it thunders loudly above the rooftops, as his solos (on each of the album's nine numbers) and melodic passages are models of astuteness and control, lending the session inflexible vigor and depth. In other words, a wonderful way to take one's final recorded bow. As for Gomez and Gadd, the funky groove which prevails most of the way is their meat and potatoes, assuring that the rhythm (with help from guitarist Bruno Müller, pianist Simon Oslender and organist Bobby Sparks II) is in the very best of hands.

The session opens on a soulful note with Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" and stays there for earthy readings of genial yet unassuming themes by Bob Dylan, Otis Redding, Buddy Miles, Wilton Felder, Bill Doggett and a pair by Gadd ("Lucky 13" and "My Little Brother"). Pino Daniele's "Che Ore So" is an outlier, nestling in an even-tempered Latin groove behind warm solos from Gomez, Cuber and trombonist Ludwig Nuss. Nuss is one of four soloists from the WDR ranks; the others are alto saxophonist Karolina Strassmayer who trades volleys with Cuber on Dylan's "Watching the River Flow," tenor Paul Heller (Miles' "Them Changes") and trombonist Andy Hunter (Doggett's "Honky Tonk/I Can't Stop Loving You").

Besides "Che Ore So," Gomez solos on "Watching the River" and "Lucky 13," Gadd on "Signed, Sealed," Felder's "Way Back Home" and "My Little Brother," Muller on "Watching the River," Redding's "I Can't Turn You Loose" and "Them Changes," Oslender on "Signed, Sealed," "Them Changes" and "Honky Tonk." There are two organ solos by Sparks, on "I Can't Turn You Loose" and "Honky Tonk." As for the WDR, it is in the pocket all the way, blowing as if soul and funk were its natural habitat and generally keeping the enterprise swinging. For big-band enthusiasts, a rather obvious positive choice. By Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/center-stage-steve-gadd-eddie-gomez-ronnie-cuber-wdr-big-band-leopard

Personnel: Michael Abene: piano; Steve Gadd: drums; Eddie Gomez: bass; Ronnie Cuber: saxophone, baritone; WDR Big Band: band/orchestra; Bobby Sparks II: organ, Hammond B3; Bruno Müller: guitar; Simon Oslender: keyboards.

Center Stage

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Sherry Dyanne - Sing Me a Song (Bonus Tracks)

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:46
Size: 117,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:49) 1. Foolish
(4:04) 2. Lift My Blues
(3:24) 3. Come On A My House
(3:10) 4. Just Cause You're Pretty
(3:10) 5. Make It Better
(3:11) 6. Billies Blues
(3:00) 7. Little Boat
(2:45) 8. My Dreams Are Getting Better All The Time
(3:28) 9. Lost Mind
(5:32) 10. Wait Till You See Him
(4:46) 11. What A Difference A Day Made
(3:28) 12. A Little Love Goes A Long Way
(3:42) 13. Sing Me A Song
(3:10) 14. Love You As Good As Me

Jazz singer Sherry Dyanne is known for her powerful performance. She performs with her own band across the world in clubs and festival stages, received a Edison Award nomination for her debut album ‘Sing me a Song’ and sold over 38.000 albums of her latest christmas album ‘Let it Glow’ in the USA.

In 2001 Sherry performed in the Dutch TV talent show The Soundmixshow and became runner up in the finals.

Sherry shared the stage with George Duke, Michael Franti, Candy Dulfer, Trijntje Oosterhuis and Michiel Borstlap. Sherry performed at the prominent jazzfestivals like North Sea Jazz and The Hague Jazz and also performed several times on Holland’s prime time TV shows such as: De Wereld Draait Door, Koffietijd and Max with her own band, Candy Dulfer and Sven Hammond Soul.

In 2011 she released her debut album ‘Sing me a Song’ with guestplayer Candy Dulfer which became a big succes. The album received nominations by Dutch radio and got 4 star reviews by Holland’s leading press such as Jazzisme, Grazia and Nu.nl. Since the release of ‘Sing me a Song’ Sherry has appeared in various national newspaper and magazine’s such as Parool, NRC Handelsblad, NRC Next, Marie Claire, Viva and Veronica magazine. After and before the Album release Sherry played festivals and venues across Europe, The USA, South America, Turkey and Israel.

In 2015 and 2016 Sherry and award winning jazz piano player Michiel Borstlap toured with a theatershow about the life of Billie Holiday.

2016 has been an exciting year for Sherry. She started a close collaboration with leading retail brand Crate and Barrel, releasing the exclusive Christmas album Let it Glow produced by Sherry herself. She also played special in-store shows at their stores across the USA. Thanks to the album Let it Glow Sherry and Crate and Barrel donated 4,6 million meals to the chartiy Feed America.
https://www.sherrydyanne.com/epk-1

Sing Me a Song (Bonus Tracks)

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Mulgrew Miller, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen - The Duo

Styles: Piano Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:59
Size: 119,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:54) 1. C Jam Blues
(4:47) 2. Sophisticated Lady
(3:19) 3. Pitter Patter Panther
(5:30) 4. I Got It Bad
(4:19) 5. What Am I Here For
(4:47) 6. Mood Indigo
(3:20) 7. Blues In The PM´s
(4:52) 8. Come Sunday
(5:08) 9. Just Squeeze Me
(4:55) 10. Solitude
(3:51) 11. Caravan
(3:11) 12. O.D. Blues

In 1999, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen and Mulgrew Miller came together in a unique and unlikely pairing to pay tribute to Duke Ellington on the 100th anniversary of his birth. The result was a passionate and long-lived musical partnership between two masters of their respective instruments, but the original recordings were never released. For the first time ever, more than 20 years after its recording, this lost treasure is finally made available to the public. The duo was initially brought together by Bang & Olufsen and set out to celebrate Ellington and his partnership with bassist Jimmy Blanton. With the help of Per Arnoldi, who is also credited with the album’s artwork, NHØP was approached to take part and tapped Mulgrew Miller to tackle a series of Ellington’s classic themes and a couple of their own. He saw the opportunity to work with Mulgrew Miller, a pianist whom he admired and had not yet had the opportunity to work with, and this decision paid off greatly for both of them. A great musical and personal partnership was born, and the duo’s captivating chemistry is obvious from the first notes. The collaboration was a unique meeting of two of the greatest jazz-minds of their time paying tribute to another legendary partnership. Thankfully, these recordings are finally available and they make up an important addition to the already extensive and impressive legacies of both NHØP and Mulgrew Miller as well as a beautiful tribute to Ellington and Blanton. https://storyvillerecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-duo-duke-ellington-100

Personnel: Mulgrew Miller - Piano; Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen - Bass

The Duo

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Dan Barrett's International Swing Party Band - Tour (Live!, Vol.1, Vol.2)

Dan Barrett's International Swing Party Band - Tour (Live!, Vol. 1)
Styles: Vocal, Trombone Jazz
Year: 2012
Time: 68:39
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 157,9 MB
Art: Front

(7:13) 1. Back Home Again In Indiana (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles)
(6:07) 2. On The Sunny Side Of The Street (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles)
(9:31) 3. Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives To Me (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles, Nicki Parrott & Dan Barrett)
(5:22) 4. Keepin' Out Of Mischief Now (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles)
(8:45) 5. Tea For Two (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles)
(4:37) 6. Let's Do It (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles)
(5:27) 7. Montevideo (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles)
(7:25) 8. The King (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles)
(8:01) 9. Bochum Electricity Blues (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles)
(6:07) 10. Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles)

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Dan Barrett's International Swing Party Band - Tour (Live!, Vol. 2)

Time: 65:35
Size: 151,1 MB

(3:22) 1. Neal's Deal (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles)
(3:21) 2. Georgia Jubilee (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles)
(5:51) 3. Waste No Tears (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles)
(3:08) 4. Whoa Babe (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles)
(4:37) 5. Is You Is, Or Is You Ain't (Ma' Baby) (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles)
(4:22) 6. Cavernism (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles)
(5:08) 7. Absolutely, Positively (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles & Bernard Flegar)
(5:14) 8. With 'Em (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles & Bernard Flegar)
(6:29) 9. One O'clock Jump (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles)
(4:45) 10. Montevideo (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles)
(6:06) 11. If I Had You (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles)
(6:57) 12. Sweet Sue (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles)
(6:09) 13. Hindustan (Live) (Feat. Butch Miles)

I wasn’t there. I wish I had been. But the good news is that two compact discs from this band’s German tour have been issued on the Echoes of Swing label (EOSP 4058 / 4059, available separately) and they come in the ear like honey. Hot honey, if you must know: a really delicious sensation.

The gracious swingsters on these discs are Duke Heitger, trumpet / vocal; Dan Barrett, trombone, head arrangements, vocal; Dan Block, clarinet, alto, tenor; Engelbert Wroebel, clarinet, soprano, tenor; Chris Hopkins, piano; Eddie Erickson, guitar, banjo, vocal; Nicki Parrott, string bass, vocal; Butch Miles, drums; Bernard Flegar, drums (on two tracks). The material comes from March 2010, and each CD has expansive notes by Dan Barrett. This tour was the idea of the very knowing and generous jazz fan / collector / scholar / promoter Manfred Selchow, who has written two splendid books on his heroes Edmond Hall and Vic Dickenson (PROFOUNDLY BLUE and DING DING! respectively) so you know he has good taste in musicians and bands.

Volume One begins with a string of “old favorites” played with snap and crackle not to ignore pop: INDIANA and SUNNY SIDE OF THE STREET, followed by BLUES MY NAUGHTY SWEETIE GIVES TO ME, with echoes of Louis and Eddie Condon and the Hampton Victors, then Eddie convinces he us he is behaving well on KEEPIN’ OUT OF MISCHIEF NOW. The reed players and rhythm make us forget that TEA FOR TWO is ninety years old, and Nicki purrs her way through LET’S DO IT (with some nifty new lyrics as well). A rhythm section feature, MONTEVIDEO, is both startling and supple, evoking a late Ellington trio and then everyone evokes a compact powerful version of the Forties Basie band with THE KING. But wait! There’s more. A nice long blues, BOCHUM ELECTRICTY BLUES, and a sweet Duke vocal / trumpet performance of DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO MISS NEW ORLEANS? (which he does).

Volume Two opens with the bright NEAL’S DEAL (a Neal Hefti line for the 1951 Count Basie Sextet), then moves back nearly thirty years for GEORGIA JUBILEE, a memory of a pre-King-of-Swing record date led by Benny, with Coleman Hawkins on the tenor, and the Sidney Bechet WASTE NO TEARS featuring Block and Wroebel. Dan Barrett sings and swings mightily on the Lionel Hampton classic WHOA BABE, and then Nicki asks the troubling question in swing, IS YOU IS OR IS YOU AIN’T MY BABY. (We is, Nicki. We can’t help it nohow.)

An extraordinary, jumping version of Earl Hines’ CAVERNISM follows, then Eddie woos the crowd, which he does so well, with ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY, a sweet love song written by the unheralded member of the Great American Songbook fraternity, Jabbo Smith. WITH ‘EM, Dan Barrett’s clever, hot, boppish take on I GOT RHYTHM, keeps the imagined dancers hopping, leading into a sleekly intense ONE O’CLOCK JUMP. Another delightful version of MONTEVIDEO follows remarkable improvisations on the theme and a tender IF I HAD YOU, before the disc romps home with SWEET SUE and HINDUSTAN.

If you know the players and singers here, you won’t have to be convinced of the quality of the music on these discs. But these performances are sharply executed when the music calls for it (this band isn’t ashamed of rehearsing) and loose, fervent, courageous when it’s time for jamming. These are live performances, so you can hear the good humor and delight in the various rooms and the sound is fine, too.

My only problem is that I file my CDs alphabetically according to the leader or the musician / singer I gravitate towards. I can’t be fair to anyone by putting these CDs under B for Barrett or H for Hopkins. It seems I have to buy multiple copies to satisfy my ethical self. You might not be burdened by such demands, but you will be delighted by every note on both discs.
https://jazzlives.wordpress.com/2012/07/15/chris-hopkins-presents-dan-barretts-international-swing-party-2010-featuring-butch-miles/

Personnel: Dan Barrett, trombone, head arrangements, vocal; Dan Block, clarinet, alto, tenor; Engelbert Wroebel, clarinet, soprano, tenor; Chris Hopkins, piano; Eddie Erickson, guitar, banjo, vocal; Nicki Parrott, string bass, vocal; Butch Miles, drums; Bernard Flegar, drums (on two tracks); Duke Heitger, trumpet /vocal

Tour 2010 (Live!,Vol.1,Vol.2)

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Alan Barnes - A Jazz Christmas Carol

Styles: Jazz, Holiday
Year: 2015
Time: 50:13
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 116,2 MB
Art: Front

(1:15) 1. The Start Of It
(6:08) 2. Bah Humbug!
(5:02) 3. Marley's Ghost
(4:31) 4. The Ghost Of Christmas Past (Portrait Of Belle)
(6:16) 5. The Ghost Of Christmas Present
(5:25) 6. Tint Tim
(2:48) 7. The Ghost Of Christmas Yet To Come
(5:10) 8. The End Of It
(4:01) 9. God Bless Us Everyone!
(4:11) 10. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
(5:21) 11. The Christmas Song

Like the Dickens classic itself, Alan Barnes’s “Christmas Carol” has something for everyone.

A family night out that is also a treat for the jazz connoisseur; it will delight anyone who loves music or literature – or just Christmas! This new suite of pieces, touring for the first time this year, takes the audience through the characters and scenes of ‘A Christmas Carol”. Readings from the original Dickens tell the story, and after each scene eight virtuoso musicians bring the characters and scenes to life, switching audiences from hilarity to pathos with a skill that would have done credit to Dickens himself!

A gruff baritone sax plays Scrooge, his lost love Belle is a lyrical alto, his clerk Bob Cratchit a cheery clarinet and Marley’s Ghost walks in the person of a swinging trombone. Just as Scrooge’s ghosts take him on a tour of his life, so the movements of this suite seemed each to have a benevolent presiding ghost, celebrating the spirit of jazz greats past and present. The music and readings inspire the full range of Dickens’s imagination and emotion: from terror and remorse through to love and then irresistible joy: "God Bless Us Every One!"

“Barnes is a true Dickensian. He is a serious reader of the novels. It is a clear blunder of providence that he was born too late to appear in their pages!” Hot News. https://www.alanbarnesjazz.com/a-jazz-christmas-carol

Personnel: Alan Barnes - saxophone, clarinet and bass clarinet; Bruce Adams - trumpet and flugelhorn; Mark Nightingale - trombone; Robert Fowler - saxophones and clarinet; Karen Sharp - saxophones and clarinet;

A Jazz Christmas Carol

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Scott Hamilton Quartet - Dean Street Nights

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2014
Time: 62:41
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 143,9 MB
Art: Front

( 7:41) 1. I Just Found Out About Love
( 8:52) 2. Sweet And Lovely
(13:12) 3. Jitterbug Waltz
( 5:20) 4. If I Had You
( 9:40) 5. Zoot's Blues
( 6:23) 6. Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most
(11:29) 7. Cherokee

Tenor sax player Scott Hamilton performed his first gigs in the UK in 1978, following a much-heralded breakthrough in the States alongside Roy Eldridge and Benny Goodman. He was described as the saviour of mainstream jazz, a young fogey and a Ben Webster sound-alike. It soon became apparent that, while each of these statements had an element of truth, Hamilton was intent on forging his own way through the international jazz scene with an individual voice grounded in quality, consistency and swing.

Hamilton’s latest release, recorded at the Pizza Express Jazz Club, celebrates the 35th anniversary of his début appearance at the venue. The quartet has been touring in the UK and elsewhere since the turn of the millennium. Some of the relationships go back much further: John Pearce (whom I first saw with Hamilton beside Dick Morrissey in 1989) is a hugely experienced and enterprising pianist; bass legend Dave Green has worked with Hamilton on and off for at least 20 years, and the talented, brio-fuelled Steve Brown replaced the much-loved drummer Allan Ganley in 2000.

The opener, I Just Found out about Love, is relatively benign and gives little indication of what comes later. Sweet and Lovely arranged as a slowish samba includes a magnificent piano solo followed by a quietly arresting creation by the leader. You think you know what you’re going to get from Hamilton, but his work is full of surprises and rarely derivative. He prefers to improvise on the music at hand rather than throw in quotations at random and it’s easy to overlook the power that he generates.

Zoot’s Blues is a bright, jaunty tribute to one of Hamilton’s early influences, John Haley “Zoot” Sims. Its swagger is ideal for him and Pearce, whose skilful runs and beautiful chording maintain the momentum. Most revered for his ballad interpretations, Hamilton displays a fluffy and expressive vibrato on If I Had You and Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most. They both contain well-executed work and beautiful flourishes, although they are arguably the least impressive selections in a varied and classy concert. Follow the link to read full review:

https://londonjazznews.com/2014/02/22/cd-review-scott-hamilton-quartet-dean-street-nights/

Personnel: Scott Hamilton - tenor sax; John Pearce - piano; Dave Green - bass; Steve Brown - drums

Dean Street Nights

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Banu Gibson/John Sheridan/David Boeddinghaus - Livin' In A Great Big Way

Styles: Vocal, Bop
Year: 1991
Time: 42:12
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 98,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:32) 1. I'm Living In A Great Big Way
(2:15) 2. They All Laughed
(3:01) 3. Fancy Meeting You
(2:55) 4. It's Been So Long
(2:44) 5. About A Quarter To Nine
(2:58) 6. I've Got A Crush On You
(2:12) 7. Lazy
(2:34) 8. Take Another Guess
(2:15) 9. You Can't Pull The Wool Over My Eyes
(2:45) 10. Rock-a-bye Your Baby With A Dixie Melody
(2:47) 11. I've Got A Feelin' You're Foolin'
(2:24) 12. You're Getting To Ba A Habit With Me
(1:54) 13. Out For No Good
(2:59) 14. After You, Who?
(2:46) 15. I'll See You In My Dreams
(3:05) 16. Goodnight My Love

This is an unusual Banu Gibson CD in that, instead of using her regular New Orleans Hot Jazz Orchestra, the talented singer is accompanied by just one of two pianists, John Sheridan or David Boeddinghaus. Gibson's repertoire on this set includes both classics from the pre-bop era and obscurities, and the highlights (among many) are "They All Laughed," "It's Been So Long," "About a Quarter to Nine," "I've Got a Feelin' You're Foolin'" and "I'll See You in My Dreams."

Arguably the top classic jazz singer to be active in the 1990s, Banu Gibson's attractive voice and versatile swinging style are very much in evidence throughout this excellent outing. By Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/livin-in-a-great-big-way-mw0000654405

Livin' In A Great Big Way

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Itziar Yagüe - Delicious

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2020
Time: 20:17
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Size: 46,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:50) 1. Delicious (Feat. Enric Peidro)
(3:34) 2. Daddy's Gone For Good
(4:00) 3. We Make A Good Team
(3:06) 4. What If It Were You
(4:35) 5. Not A Doll
(2:10) 6. Red River

Itziar Yagüe has been the lead singer for different blues, soul, funk, jazz Madrid bands for the past 10 years. She has played the Vitoria Jazz Festival in 2018, the 25th Anniversary of the Thyssen Museum in Madrid and opened the 2020 Ciudad de Talavera Gospel & Blues Festival. She boasts a powerful, versatile voice alongside an equally impressive stage presence.https://www.jazziz.com/new-releases/delicious/

Singer-songwriter Itziar Yagüe’s debut EP, DELICIOUS. Containing six original songs in some of the classic African-American traditional genres, DELICIOUS is as fresh as a debut EP should be while displaying the maturity of an experienced artist.

Personnel:

Raúl Platz: double bass, artistic direction and arrangements.

Giulio Pietropaolo: piano, Rhodes, arrangements, and vocal arrangements in What if it were you

Luis Carpizo: tenor sax, We make a good team, Not a doll

Víctor Barceló: harmonica and backing vocals in What if it were you

Elvira Sodalita: drums

Enric Peidro: alto and tenor sax in Delicious

Emilio Arsuaga: voice, We make a good team

Mónica Benito: vocal arrangement and backing vocals in What if it were you

Marianne Ax: vocal coach

DELICIOUS was recorded live on the 22nd and 23rd February 2020 at Estudio Brazil in Madrid.

Delicious

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Alan Barnes - The Sherlock Holmes Suite Disc 1, Disc 2

Album: The Sherlock Holmes Suite Disc 1
Styles: Saxophone And Clarinet
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:28
Size: 151,8 MB
Art: Front

( 0:43) 1. 221b Play On
( 2:28) 2. Narration, Pt. 1
( 5:58) 3. The Game Is Afoot
( 2:40) 4. Narration, Pt. 2
( 7:14) 5. Watson
( 1:04) 6. Narration, Pt. 3
(11:29) 7. The Tiger Of San Pedro
( 2:22) 8. Narration, Pt. 4
(10:28) 9. The Napoleon Of Crime
( 0:48) 10. Narration, Pt. 5
( 7:24) 11. The Dancing Men
( 1:42) 12. Narration, Pt. 6
( 2:46) 13. Grimpen Mire
( 8:16) 14. The Hound Of The Baskervilles

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Album: The Sherlock Holmes Suite Disc 2
Time: 56:00
Size: 130,1 MB

(0:55) 1. Narration, Pt. 7
(4:21) 2. The Baker Street Irregulars
(3:26) 3. Narration, Pt. 8
(4:41) 4. Quite A Three Pipe Problem
(1:10) 5. Narration, Pt. 9
(5:46) 6. The 7% Solution
(2:15) 7. Narration, Pt. 10
(7:30) 8. Lestrade Of The Yard
(2:41) 9. Narration, Pt. 11
(8:23) 10. Watson's Women
(0:44) 11. Narration, Pt. 12
(7:07) 12. The Sussex Vampire
(1:38) 13. Narration, Pt. 13
(5:19) 14. 221b (Full Version)

Now this is something really different. It turns out that Alan Barnes has been a raving fan of Conan Doyle's writing, and more specifically, his greatest creation, Sherlock Holmes, since the age of eleven. This double album consists of 95 minutes of original music interspersed with narration relative to the plot and well put over by actor Alan Mitchell. Not only did Alan Barnes compose the music, he wrote the script, and jolly good it is as well.

This is all great fun, but more importantly, the music is outstanding, and the playing by this starry cast of musicians, is superb. Barnes chose his men very carefully, including some of his colleagues from groups in the past, and they all come up trumps, including their very talented leader.

The writing for the octet is clever as it leaves plenty of scope for each of them to show their improvisational skills, and they more than justify their selection. In his own liner notes, Alan states that he tried to write in a way that would bring out the unique qualities and strengths of his fellow musicians, and acknowledges that if that method was good enough for Duke, who is he to quarrel.

There are so many good things in these CDs; it is difficult to know what to pick out. Both Stan Sulzmann and Robert Fowler have their share of good moments, and Bruce Adams brings power and invention to the ensemble and to his solos. Mark Nightingale is just terrific in his spots, and especially in Grimpen Mire and The Hound of the Baskervilles. The rhythm section do a fine job throughout, with splashes of inspiration all over the place from David Newton, who swings hard in The Tiger of San Pedro, and then shows his reflective wistful side in The Napoleon of Crime. It doesn't matter a hoot whether you are familiar with the stories or not. The narration gives you the general idea, and the music is excellent. Alan Barnes has delivered an outstanding opus in this CD, great fun, fine production; I'd give it ten out of ten. Strongly recommended. http://www.woodvillerecords.com/Sherlock%20Holmes%20Suite.htm

Personnel: Alan Barnes - saxophones, clarinet; Bruce Adams - trumpet; Mark Nightingale - trombone; Robert Fowler - saxophones & clarinet; Karen Sharp - saxophones & clarinet; David Newton - piano; Simon Thorpe - bass; Clark Tracey - drums

The Sherlock Holmes Suite Disc 1, Disc 2

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Alice Spencer - Sing It Way Down Low

Styles: Vocal, Swing
Year: 2022
File: MP3@128K/s
Time: 48:44
Size: 49,3 MB
Art: Front

(2:03) 1. When My Sugar Walks Down The Street
(4:21) 2. I Just Couldn't Take It, Baby
(3:05) 3. Believe It, Beloved
(5:08) 4. I Hate To Leave You Now
(2:48) 5. Blue River
(3:37) 6. Baby, Oh Where Can You Be?
(3:59) 7. Sunday
(4:18) 8. How Can I (With You In My Heart)?
(2:22) 9. Sing It Way Down Low
(3:36) 10. The Object Of My Affection
(2:39) 11. I'm Having My Fun
(3:58) 12. Say It Simple
(4:17) 13. Draggin' My Heart Around
(2:28) 14. I Would Do Anything For You

I remember very clearly the first time I heard Alice Spencer (on disc: I haven’t had the pleasure of encountering her in person). My reaction was loud pleased astonishment, and the expurgated version would read: “Who in the sacred name of Jack Kapp is she?” “Jazz singers” proliferate these days, but some seem to have given more thought to their hair stylist or their cover photograph than to the music. Alice’s love for this music and this period bubbles up on every track.

For me the great singer-virtues are a deep understanding of the emotional content of the lyrics without jokes on one hand or melodrama on the other. An unforced swing, a willingness to improvise without undermining melody or lyrics, plain-spoken diction, and, perhaps most importantly, the ability to convey joy. We gravitate to music that doesn’t hurt our feelings, or our ears. Alice understands that as well as embodying it.

This disc reminds me, perhaps at an unusual angle, of the miracles Basie and friends created, imbuing the saddest song (hear DRAGGIN’ MY HEART AROUND) with a wink at the listener (“Isn’t it fun to swing along so gloomily?”) or reminding us that there is a touch of melancholy in any elation.

I’d direct you first to I HATE TO LEAVE YOU NOW, one of the gorgeous Thirties songs (linked to Fats and Louis, one of the ideal combinations of Western civilization) that are the gems in the constellation of this disc. What I hear, and I hope you do also, is a rare combination of emotional intelligence Alice knows how to feel, how to tell a story in song and light-heartedness.

Her art is both delicate and sincere. She doesn’t have to take off her shoe and hit us over the head, but we know the tale of hope, longing, and ardor the song, and she, convey. And the subtly memorable variations on the theme between her first and second choruses are a Jazz Studies program in themselves. No, better.

It’s also clear that although this might not be Alice’s conventional repertoire (the wonderful program is inspired by the deep listening of Hal Smith, scholar and swing percussionist) that she is being herself on every performance. Yes, I hear echoes of young Ella and of Helen Humes and Connee, but Alice has not spent her evenings mimicking them. What Louis called TONATION and PHRASING are all hers, and they touch our hearts in each phrase.

Hear her “I need you!” in BABY, WHERE CAN YOU BE? The way she handles the verse to SUNDAY, rising to pure pleasure at the end. Wow is what I say. The wistful tenderness of THE OBJECT OF MY AFFECTION and HOW CAN I? The “It’s my birthday today!” delight of I’M HAVING MY FUN. To paraphrase Whitney Balliett, Alice is a great actress who doesn’t need a script.

The same mastery comes through in the instrumentalists who join Alice on her musical journeys. No one needs multiple choruses to tell their tale. Perhaps you’ll hear echoes of the great Holiday-Wilson sessions, of Bing, Jack, Louis: I could call the names of the Heroic Ancestors who have informed the music of honored individualists Marc, Kris, James, and Hal, but I’ll leave that to you what Barbara Lea called “Sounding Like.” A lifetime research project with a lifetime of rewards.

If these notes go on too long, I might get in the way of your absorbing the delights captured here, not once but many times. In an extended California sojourn, I learned about “sound healing,” how the right vibrations could put a psychically lopsided being into happy balance. I think that Doctor Spencer and her practitioners have just the remedy for what ails us, and I hope the prescription is renewable for many more sessions.
https://jazzlives.wordpress.com/2022/10/09/alice-spencer-sings-and-we-are-glad-with-hal-smith-kris-tokarski-james-singleton-marc-caparone/#comments

Sing It Way Down Low

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Andrea Motis - Loopholes

Styles: Vocal And Trumpet Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:59
Size: 90,4 MB
Art: Front

(0:35) 1. Overture
(2:19) 2. El Pescador
(2:49) 3. Deixa't Anar
(3:36) 4. I Had to Write a Song for You
(3:51) 5. Babies
(5:12) 6. Loopholes
(3:38) 7. Jungla
(5:43) 8. Espera
(2:24) 9. Heat
(3:14) 10. Calima
(1:54) 11. Light After Dark
(3:40) 12. Adeu

Andrea Motis is back with her latest solo project, Loopholes. Motis is a central part of the Spanish jazz scene, and on this new album, she embarks on a search for a completely new, unconventional style with her own compositions and those of her comrade-in-arms Christoph Mallinger. The compositions borrow from electric jazz, funk, and neo-soul. The twelve tracks feature Motis singing in Catalan, her mother tongue, as well as in Spanish, Portuguese, English, and German, and comments on her vocal expression alternately trained on both instruments with trumpet or saxophone.
https://www.jazzmessengers.com/en/91408/andrea-motis/loop-holes

Personnel: Andrea Motis (vocals, trumpet); Christoph Mallinger (guitar, mandoline, violin); Magalí Datzira (bass); Adrià González (keyboard); Juan Berbín (drums)

Loopholes

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Lee Morgan - Sonic Boom

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:18
Size: 171,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:47)  1. Sneaky Pete
(7:11)  2. The Mercenary
(6:18)  3. Sonic Boom
(5:27)  4. Fathead
(7:16)  5. I'll Never Be The Same
(5:28)  6. Mumbo Jumbo
(4:50)  7. Free Flow
(5:42)  8. Stormy Weather
(6:09)  9. Mr. Johnson
(5:47) 10. The Stroker
(5:33) 11. Uncle Rough
(3:07) 12. Claw-Til-Da
(5:38) 13. Untitled Boogaloo

A quick inspection of the Lee Morgan discography unearths an obscure album sandwiched between 1966's The Rajah and 1967's The Procrastinator. The album, Sonic Boom, was recorded in 1967 yet remained silent in the Blue Note vaults for twelve years, resurfacing only twice, as an LP in 1979 and eleven years later as a CD. Both times, exposure to the public was brief, making Sonic Boom nearly irrelevant in the trumpeter's overall anthology. Yet the music here is nothing short of vintage Morgan, as evidenced on the latest reissue, a limited edition 24-bit remastered set. Serving his usual heady brew of jazz, blues and funk, the emphasis here is strictly hard-boppin' fun. Accompanying the leader are a stimulating crew that includes Cedar Walton on piano, David "Fathead" Newman on tenor, Ron Carter on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. Tracks like "Sneaky Pete," "The Mercenary," and "Fathead" provide plenty of straight ahead muscle from the whole band, with Newman's gruff tenor work, in particular, pairing remarkably well with Morgan's horn. The true highlights, though, are in the searing title track and in the exceptionally sweet and sincere interpretation of the ballad "I'll Never Be The Same." While Morgan may best be celebrated for his charged, upbeat solos, his delicate touch on ballads merits equal praise, and, indeed, confirms that Morgan was something else.This latest reissue of Sonic Boom includes an additional seven tracks taken from a 1969 session, originally released on 1978's double LP version of The Procrastinator. 

Employing an entirely different set of musicians, the cast includes Julian Priester on trombone, George Coleman on tenor sax, Harold Mabern on piano, Walter Booker on bass, and Mickey Roker on drums. Though thematically similar, the bonus tracks are more progressive and funkier than the album's first half, with exceptional compositions by Coleman on "Free Flow," Priester on "The Stroker," and Mabern on the jive dance of "Uncle Rough." In comparing the two halves of the album, it is interesting to hear the changes upon the hard-bop idiom over the late 1960s. By 1969, funk and its inherent bass and drumbeats are more prevalent than before. Integrated into jazz, as heard here, the results are joyous. In the final analysis, Sonic Boom is an underrated gem. As such, fans of the trumpeter and of hard bop are advised to check out the album while it's still here. By Germein Linares https://www.allaboutjazz.com/sonic-boom-lee-morgan-blue-note-records-review-by-germein-linares.php

Personnel: Lee Morgan- trumpet; David "Fathead" Newman, George Coleman- tenor sax; Cedar Walton, Harold Mabern- piano; Ron Carter, Walter Booker- bass; Billy Higgins, Mickey Rokerdrums; Julian Priester- trombone

Sonic Boom

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Julia Hülsmann Quartet - The Next Door

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:34
Size: 137,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:55) 1. Empty Hands
(6:12) 2. Made Of Wood
(4:07) 3. Polychrome
(8:05) 4. Wasp At The Window
(1:46) 5. Jetzt Noch Nicht
(3:59) 6. Lightcap
(3:59) 7. Sometimes It Snows In April
(4:32) 8. Open Up
(4:16) 9. Jetzt Noch Nicht (Var.)
(5:43) 10. Post Post Post
(6:22) 11. Fluid
(4:33) 12. Valdemossa

I have friends who no longer follow the releases of ECM, believing the Munich label’s best years were in the past, when such innovative recordings as John Abercrombie’s Timeless, Keith Jarrett’s The Köln Concert, Terje Rypdal’s To Be Continued, Pat Metheny’s Bright Size Life, and the catalog of Paul Motian achieved sonic bliss and improvisational brilliance. But to my ears, ECM has never stopped recording great jazz musicians. Though its roster may be more insular, it remains fiercely independent and resourceful.

Pianist Julia Hülsmann’s second ECM release makes the case, brightly. The compositions that she shares with the rest of her road-hardened quartet Uli Kempendorff (tenor saxophone), Marc Muellbauer (double bass), and Heinrich Köbberling (drums) are given buoyancy and expression in small shifts of varying pressure that create demonstrable actions and emotions. The quartet creates a dense, liquid sound that bathes the listener in a sense of comfort, and intense adventure.

The Next Door’s 12 entries include quietly raging “Wasp at the Window” (driven by Kempendorff’s rich squalls and Köbberling’s shifting cymbal patter), the curious elevations of “Jetzt Noch Nicht,” the playfully cubist yet swinging “Lightcap,” and “Sometimes It Snows in April,” fueled by Hülsmann’s stately piano, guiding a bittersweet melody performed by Kempendorff.

While some assert that ECM’s current releases can sound glacial and abstract, The Next Door is anything but. It’s a rich, swinging, at times modal journey, with all the intricacy, texture, and warmth of a symphony orchestra gathered round a campfire.
By Ken Micallef https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/julia-hulsmann-quartet-the-next-door-ecm/

The Next Door

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