Saturday, January 14, 2023

Jan Lundgren Trio - Plays Cole Porter Love Songs

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:52
Size: 158,2 MB
Art: Front

(7:27) 1. I Love Paris
(5:15) 2. When Love Comes Around
(5:52) 3. You´re Be So Nice To Come Home To
(5:46) 4. So In Love
(5:36) 5. At Long Last Love
(7:33) 6. What Is This Thing Called Love
(8:06) 7. Everytime We Say Goodbye
(7:23) 8. Love For Sale
(5:48) 9. Easy To Love
(3:23) 10. True Love
(6:38) 11. I Love You

Lundgren, born in Kristianstad in southern Sweden on March 22nd 1966, and raised in Ronneby, Blekinge, had his first piano lessons at age five. He was soon discovered to have an exceptional musical talent. After a long period of classical training, he discovered jazz more or less by chance in the late 1980’s. He was instantly hooked, rapidly absorbed the jazz piano tradition from Oscar Peterson, Erroll Garner to Bud Powell and Bill Evans, and acquired a depth of knowledge of the Great American Songbook like possibly no other European jazz pianist.

While sailing through his studies at the renowned Royal College of Music in Malmö, he also took up a busy schedule as a professional musician that quickly helped to build his reputation in Sweden. Discovered by Swedish bebop legend Arne Domnérus, he frequently played with other Swedish stars like Putte Wickman and Bernt Rosengren.

Lundgren’s debut album “Conclusion” was released in 1994, and propelled his career firmly forward. The following year saw the formation of the Jan Lundgren Trio with long time student associates Mattias Svensson (bass) and Rasmus Kihlberg (drums), who was replaced in the beginning of the year 2000 by the Dane Morten Lund. This steady band recorded seven well-received and commercially very successful albums for the Swedish label “Sittel” in the period up to 2003. The album “Swedish Standards”, released in 1997 even became a bestseller and reached a place in the Swedish pop charts. But the album “Landscapes” (2003) sold comparably and both releases soon became classics due to their linking Swedish folk music and jazz. The band’s intense tour schedule founds a temporary peak in a concert at Carnegie Hall as part of “Swedish Jazz salutes the USA”.

As a sideman, Lundgren has accompanied such greats as Johnny Griffin, Benny Golson, Herb Geller, James Moody, or singer Stacey Kent. He has also shared the stage with ACT-artist Ulf Wakenius a number of times. Jan Lundgren has been awarded a number of prizes since the early 90’s: In 1997 “Swedish Standards” became “best jazz album of the year”. He was nominated for the “Swedish Grammy” in 1995, 1997 and 2008 and the “Swedish Django d’Or Prize” in 1998, 2001 and 2002.

Having visited a long list of European territories and venues, Lundgren has also been on extended tours of Australia and Japan. He has visited the USA about 15 times and recorded some well-received albums for the label “Fresh Sound”. In 2006 Lundgren becomes part of the ACT family: Initially he was featured as a sideman on the Ida Sand album Meet Me Around Midnight (ACT 9716-2). In July 2007 he released his first ACT album Fresu – Galliano – Lundgren: Mare Nostrum (ACT 9466-2), followed by Magnum Mysterium (ACT 9457-2), which will be released in November of 2007.

In 2008 Lundgren could reap the fruits of his labour, and his Mare Nostrum was performed in front of sold out houses on prestigious stages throughout Europe (Salle Gaveau – Paris, Tonhalle – Zurich, Victoria Hall – Geneva, Teatro Dante Aligheri – Ravenna, S. Caecilia – Rome …) as well as at Jazz Baltica, the North Sea Jazz Festival, and the Istanbul Jazz Festival. There are many good reasons why the band has been called “the first European super group”.

In the same year Lundgren was honoured with the Swedish Django d’Or, and began a collaboration with the classical trumpet player H?kan Hardenberger and the Swedish writer Jacques Werup an exiting melange of modern classical and free music, of jazz and compositions of Jan Lundgren.

Lundgren also brought the Jan Lundgren 3io back to life in 2008, albeit with a new drummer, Zoltan Csörsz Jr who proved to be a truly lucky catch for the trio. A new repertoire has resulted in the new ACT album European Standards (ACT 9482-2) which will be released in Mai 2009 together with the re-release of Swedish Standards (ACT 9022-2) from the ACT Jazz Classics series.

Lundgren is part of a remarkable and long tradition of innovative pianists from Sweden like Jan Johansson who passed away early, and in more recent times Bobo Stenson and Esbjörn Svensson. Lundgren has never made life easy for himself, and has always tried to utilize his phenomenal technique to enhance his musicality. His ability to integrate the most disparate musical influences into a fascinating whole is unique in itself. Whether its contemporary classical music, the inexhaustible northern folk tradition or the pulsating groove of jazz, deeply rooted in Afro-American music: Lundgren has a unique way of leading the listener on a voyage of discovery sometimes relaxed, sometimes utterly invigorating through his highly individual soundscapes.
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/jan-lundgren

Personnel: Piano – Jan Lundgren; Bass – Jesper Lundgaard; Drums – Alex Riel

Plays Cole Porter Love Songs

Al Haig - Al Haig Meets Master Bop Saxes

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:27
Size: 164,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:36)  1. Light Gray
(2:48)  2. Stoned
(2:45)  3. Matter and Mind
(2:36)  4. The Toup
(3:05)  5. In a Pinch
(3:07)  6. It's the Talk of the Town
(2:51)  7. Five Star
(2:29)  8. Sugar Hill Bop
(3:28)  9. Twisted
(3:21) 10. Southside
(4:38) 11. Easy Living
(4:07) 12. Sweet Lorraine
(2:34) 13. Pardon My Bop
(3:02) 14. As I Live and I Bop
(2:44) 15. Interlude in Bebop
(2:42) 16. Diaper Pin (Pinhead)
(2:26) 17. Skull Buster
(2:43) 18. Ante Room
(2:47) 19. Poop Deck
(3:20) 20. Pennies from Heaven
(2:49) 21. Indian Summer
(2:57) 22. Long Island Sound
(2:42) 23. Mar-cia
(2:39) 24. Crazy Chords

Al Haig was one of the primal bop pianists. He endures in perpetuity with the spirits of George Wallington, Joe Albany, Dodo Marmarosa, Bud Powell and Elmo Hope. In the year 2000, Definitive Classics came up with a beautiful album of Haig's collaborations with tenor saxophonists Wardell Gray and Stan Getz, recorded in 1948 and 1949. Gray's genius is at once refreshing, his logic irresistible. Getz, like Gray, was profoundly influenced by Lester Young, and Haig was in many respects the ideal collaborator for their brand of bop-to-cool progressive jazz. That's why this music feels so pleasant and natural up inside of your head. Putting Getz and Gray together with Haig as the backbone of the collection makes all the sense in the world. This is superlatively hip music, perfect for cooking, booking, commuting, computing, operating heavy machinery or slacking off and cutting loose like there's no tomorrow.
~ arwulf arwulf; http://www.allmusic.com/album/al-haig-meets-master-bop-saxes-mw0000609243

Personnel:  Al Haig (piano), Wardell Gray, Stan Getz (saxophone)

Al Haig Meets Master Bop Saxes

João Gilberto - The Best Hits

Styles: Brazilian Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:49
Size: 81,8 MB
Art: Front

(1:50) 1. A Primeira Vez
(1:15) 2. Bim Bom
(1:17) 3. Bolinha De Papel
(2:03) 4. Brigas Nunca Mais
(1:59) 5. Chega De Saudade
(2:00) 6. Corcovado
(1:55) 7. Desafinado
(1:50) 8. Discussão
(1:27) 9. Doralice
(1:55) 10. É Luxo Só
(2:14) 11. Hó-bá-lá-lá
(1:54) 12. Outra Vez
(1:51) 13. Presente De Natal
(2:03) 14. Rosa Morena
(2:19) 15. Samba Da Minha Terra
(1:37) 16. Samba De Uma Nota Só
(1:46) 17. Se É Tarde Me Perdoa
(1:47) 18. Só Em Teus Braços
(1:36) 19. Um Abraço No Bonfá

Born João Gilberto do Prado Pereira de Oliveira on June 10, 1931, in the town of Juázeiro in the northeastern state of Bahia, Brazil. His father was a wealthy merchant who insisted that all of his seven children receive an education. Gilberto defied his father's wishes however, devoting himself to music after receiving a guitar from his godfather at the age of 14.

By the age of 18, Gilberto had moved to Salvador, the capital of Bahia, where he sought to earn a living as a radio performer. While never finding major success as a solo artist on radio, he gained the attention of a member of the vocal group Garotos da Lua (Boys from the Moon), who performed regularly on Radio Tupi in Rio de Janeiro, and he was invited to join the group. Gilberto moved to Rio to replace the group's vocalist, Jonas Silva, whose subdued style displeased the group's artistic director. Ironically, Gilberto would later popularize a whisper-like vocal method highly reminiscent of Silva. Gilberto lasted only one year with Garotos da Lua. After showing up late or altogether missing several performances, the group fired him.

In 1955, Luis Telles, the leader of the traditional singing group Quitandinha Serenaders, with whom Gilberto had performed for a time, convinced Gilberto to move to Porto Alegre. From there, Gilberto moved to Diamantina, where he lived with his older sister, and her husband. There, Gilberto played music constantly, often practicing in the bathroom where the acoustics were best. It was in this environment that Gilberto developed his signature singing style, a quiet sound absent of vibrato that allowed him to most accurately set the tempo of his vocals to the rhythm of his guitar. In finessing his style, a variation on the traditional Brazilian samba, Gilberto incorporated the influences of several musical genres, both from Brazil and America.

Gilberto returned to Rio in 1956, where he renewed his acquaintance with musician and composer Antonio Carlos Jobim. In 1958, Gilberto recorded Jobim's composition "Chega de Saudade." Although Gilberto's intense demands in the studio significantly prolonged the recording session, the song was released on the Odeon label as a single along with "Bim-Bom" on July 10 of that year. While the record was not an immediate hit, it eventually gained widespread popularity and established bossa nova, which in English means "new wave," as an exciting new musical form. Gilberto released three albums in the bossa nova style over the next three years in his home country: “Chega de Saudade,” “O Amor, o Sorriso e a Flor,” (Love, Smile, and the Flower); and “João Gilberto,” all on Odeon. He exhibited the same exacting standards for his live performances as for his studio recordings, refusing to play in clubs where audiences talked while he was on stage.

American jazz guitarist Charlie Byrd discovered the music of Gilberto, Jobim and other bossa nova artists during a goodwill jazz tour of Latin America sponsored by the U.S. State Department. Byrd introduced the musical form to American jazz saxophonist Stan Getz, and the two recorded a top-selling bossa nova album together, “Jazz Samba.” The album spent 70 weeks on the American pop charts and hit number one. Gilberto moved to the United States in 1962, and in 1964, he and Getz recorded “Getz/Gilberto,” which featured the Jobim-penned bossa nova classic, "The Girl from Ipanema," sung by Gilberto's then-wife Astrud Gilberto. Both the album and the song earned Grammy Awards that year. Gilberto remained in the U.S. until 1980, with the exception of a two-year stay in Mexico. During his time in the U.S. and Mexico, he released only a handful of LPs, including the live album “Getz/Gilberto II,” (1966) “Joao Gilberto en México,” (1970) “João Gilberto,” (1973) “The Best of Two Worlds,” (1976) and “Amoroso.” (1977).

Gilberto returned to Brazil, where he came to be known as O Mito (the legend) and released several more albums, including “João Gilberto Prado Pereira de Olieira,” (1980) “Brasil,” with Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil and Maria Bethânia (1981) “Live in Montreux,” (1987) “Joao,” (1991) “Eu Sei Que Vou Te Amar,” (I Know I'm Going to Love You, 1995) and “Joao Voz e Violao.” (2000).

Gilberto continues to perform, but only on occasion. He appeared at the JVC Jazz Festival at New York's Carnegie Hall in 1998 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the first bossa nova single, and embarked on a U.S. tour in 2003.He remains an enigmatic figure, but his introduction, and contribution to Brazilian influenced jazz, cannot be denied. https://www.allaboutjazz.com/musicians/joao-gilberto

The Best Hits

Joan Chamorro - Joan Chamorro Presenta's Big Band Disc 1, Disc 2

Album: Joan Chamorro Presenta's Big Band Disc 1
Styles: Mainstream Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:39
Size: 93,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:32) 1. There´s A Small Hotel
(5:16) 2. Avó
(5:47) 3. Na Baixa Do Sapateiro
(5:52) 4. Tennessee Waltz
(5:19) 5. Deed I Do
(3:44) 6. B-a-b-y
(5:44) 7. Squatty Roo
(4:22) 8. Lidian Thoughts

Album: Joan Chamorro Presenta's Big Band Disc 2
Time: 36:03
Size: 83,4 MB

(3:37) 1. Put Your Head On My Shoulder
(4:09) 2. I Concentrate On You
(4:26) 3. But Not For Me
(6:03) 4. Long Yellow Road
(4:20) 5. Deixa
(4:56) 6. There Is No Greater Love
(5:12) 7. Sense Pressa
(3:16) 8. Chega De Saudade

In 2021, the Barcelona Jazz Festival dedicated the artist portrait to me and I had 5 concerts. For one of them I had the idea of bringing together all the musicians with whom I had recorded a CD from the “presentas” collection. There were 15 musicians and I could almost form a big band: Andrea Motis, Eva Fernández, Magalí Datzira, Rita Payés, Marc Martín, Joan Mar Sauqué, Èlia Bastida, Joan Codina, Alba Armengou, Carla Motis, Joana Casanova, Jan Domènech, Marçal Perramon, Joan Martí and Alba Esteban.

I completed the sections with two trumpet players, Elsa Armengou and Gerard Peñaranda, a saxophonist, Koldo Munné (with whom I am currently recording his presentation CD), three trombonists (Claudia Rostey, Max Tato and Perot Rigau, and for the rhythm section I had the one who had been the first drummer of the SAJB: Arnau Julià.

Each of the musicians presented chose a theme. In most cases I asked for special arrangements for the occasion and Joan Monné was in charge of writing them. All the recordings I have made are important and make me feel proud and happy, but the one we made for JAZZING 12 VOL. 2, with practically all the musicians who had been members of the Sant Andreu Jazz Band, and this one you are holding in your hands are really very special to me.

They are the summary of something important, of something wonderful; they are the summary of a precious dream that has no end. The music on this new CD is marvellous and we can hear the maturity they have all reached over the years. None of the protagonists of this work are now in the Sant Andreu Jazz Band, but I feel that each and every one of them will always be part of our history. A story of unwanted success, the result of constant work and of believing that jazz can be and is a music that young people can fall in love with. This big band was my dream and now, once again, it has become a reality. https://jazztojazz.com/en/product/joan-chamorro-presentas-big-band/

Musicians: Andrea Motis · Alba Esteban · Alba Armengou · Joan Mar Sauqué · Elsa Armengou · Gerard Peñaranda · Joan Martí · Joana Casanova · Eva Fernández · Èlia Bastida · Marçal Perramon · Koldo Munné · Rita Payés · Joan Codina · Max Tato · Perot Rigau · Claudia Rostey · Jan Domènech · Marc Martín · Magalí Datzira · Carla Motis · Arnau Julià · Joan Chamorro

Joan Chamorro Presenta's Big Band Disc 1, Disc 2

Friday, January 13, 2023

Agneta Baumann - I Am an Illusion

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1981/2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:11
Size: 97,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:46) 1. I Am An Illusion
(4:09) 2. Unlucky In Love
(4:10) 3. Our Love
(3:40) 4. The Queen Of Hearts
(3:25) 5. You Stopped Loving Me
(3:18) 6. Just The Two Of Us
(3:06) 7. Time Will Tell
(4:14) 8. Once Again
(4:25) 9. Everything Or Nothing
(4:08) 10. Hooray For Love
(3:44) 11. När Du Tar Mig I Din Famn

Born 1944, Kalmar, Sweden. As a child Baumann sang at school in both the choir and jazz band. After leaving school, she sang in hotels and restaurants, developing a reputation as a popular entertainer. Although her early musical interests were mainly centred on pop, she began playing close attention to singers from the jazz world, notably Billie Holiday, Carmen McRae, Anita O’Day and Sarah Vaughan. For a while, Baumann was obliged to work outside music but from the mid-60s gained some success with the Golden Girls, a Copenhagen-based Motown Records -style group. In 1968, she went out as a solo singer and band leader in her own right and by the end of the decade was in demand in Sweden and other countries in Scandinavia and northern Europe. A spell in the late 70s with pianist Knud Jørgensen and bass player Bengt Hanson strengthened her jazz singing credentials.

Following the death of her husband in 1986, Baumann stepped out of the spotlight for some years but returned to the stage in 1995. Now committed to jazz, she quickly established a following in Stockholm and was soon becoming very popular in the same areas she had conquered 30 years earlier as a contemporary pop singer. She made her jazz recording debut in 1996, and the following year received a scholarship from Laila and Charles Gavatin’s Foundation for Jazz Music.

In the late 90s and early 00s, Baumann made appearances at jazz festivals in Copenhagen, Helsinki, Krakow, Moscow and Warsaw, while continuing to strengthen her Stockholm base. Among other instrumentalists with whom she has worked are bass players Hans Backenroth and Palle Danielsson, pianists Gösta Rundqvist and Lasse Bagge, trumpeter Bosse Broberg, tenor saxophonist Anders Lindskog, and drummer Johan Löfcrantz. Baumann’s liquid vocal sound and elegant and sometimes stately delivery are particularly well suited to ballads and her interpretation of lyrics is both fluid and deep. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/agneta-baumann-mn0001400868/biography

I Am an Illusion

Victor Goines - Love Dance

Styles: Clarinet And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:14
Size: 157,3 MB
Art: Front

(7:02) 1. Wonderful, Wonderful
(8:56) 2. Love Dance
(6:51) 3. New Arrival
(5:11) 4. Cootie
(9:48) 5. Sunrise
(6:30) 6. Confirmation
(9:08) 7. Midnight
(7:23) 8. Out The Box
(7:20) 9. Home

On Love Dance, the excellent follow-up to New Adventures (Crisss1274CD) Victor Goines is joined by pianist Peter Martin, bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Greg Hutchinson, each an A-lister of modern swing. Goines focuses more on the clarinet, which he plays with assured virtuosity and creative flair - he developed an international reputation on the instrument during his tenure with the Wynton Marsalis Septet - but also uncorks a series of authoritative tenor improvisations.
https://www.prestomusic.com/jazz/products/8054512--love-dance

Personnel: Greg Hutchinson - Drums; Peter Martin - Piano; Reuben Rogers - Bass; Victor Goines - Clarinet, Saxophone

Love Dance

Charlie Hunter [feat. John Ellis & Derrek Phillips] - Friends Seen and Unseen (Remastered)

Styles: Jazz fusion, Post-Bop
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:52
Size: 130,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:31) 1. One For The Kelpers
(5:40) 2. Freedom Tickler
(6:41) 3. Lulu's Crawl
(6:56) 4. Darkly
(6:22) 5. Soweto's Where It's At
(3:42) 6. Running In Fear From Imaginary Assailants
(6:58) 7. Eleven Bars For Gandhi
(3:56) 8. Bonus Round
(4:42) 9. My Son The Hurricane
(5:20) 10. Moore's Alphabet

The prolific and ever interesting Charlie Hunter continues to change musical colors. For over ten years the unique guitarist has continued to produce releases that prove his talent and popularity. Some have hailed Hunter as the new crossover jazz prince who has attracted younger audiences with recordings such as last years Right Now Move and 2001‘s Songs from the Analog Playground which featured guest singers Kurt Elling, Mos Def, Theryl de Clouet, and pop sensation Norah Jones.

With music that is clearly open to the masses be it jazz or otherwise the guitarist is in a class by himself when it comes to technique. His claim to guitar fame lies in his ability to simultaneously play both bass and guitar parts on his specially designed eight-string guitar, which results in most of us asking, “How in the world is he doing that?”- A technique primarily used by Hammond B-3 players in which Hunter also produces organ-like sounds on his guitar. But his success lies not only in his ability but also in his choice of musicians that have been featured with the guitarist in various groups from duo to quintet formats.

The new recording Friends Seen and Unseen finds the guitarist going back to his roots in a trio setting. His last trio release was the landmark Bing, Bing, Bing released in 1995 which put the guitarist on map. Hunter’s new trio features the dynamic skills of saxophonist John Ellis and drummer Derek Phillips both from Right Now Move. The trio setting is naturally more intimate and allows the musicians to interact with a tight yet free style with music that should appeal to both long time and newer fans.

The new material is a well-rounded mix of styles that prove Hunter is more than just a jam-band guitarist. Hunter’s music has always been and continues to be about the groove. The opening piece “One For The Kelpers” features a funky vibe with Hunter’s bass strings laying down the slow cooked groove while “Freedom Tickler” introduces a freer melody allowing the trio to stretch things out musically with open solos. Never one to take himself too seriously Hunter adds both depth and humor on “Lulu’s Crawl” which could be the theme song for a sleazy Vegas strip tease show, with honking saxophone, guitar effects, and vivid drumming.

The trio members are up for the challenge and bring their own diverse styles to the music. Ellis is not only a fine saxophonist but also adds some nice touches with baritone sax and also strong flute work on “Darkly”. Derek Phillips also shines on “Darkly” with crisp drum work that is the glue to the recording as he provides expert timing and energetic kit work on every selection.

If Hunter is about the essence of the groove, he is also knows something about the blues. His unique take on “Running In Fear From Imaginary Assailants” has a delta blues feel as he incorporates wah-wah-slide effects and other touches as Ellis and Phillips join in on the fun. The very next selection “Eleven Bars For Ghandhi” seems to pay homage to guitar greats such as BB King and Buddy Guy with wailing notes and soulful phrasing.

With loose comparisons to other recordings there are familiar selections such the reggae themed “Soweto's Where It's At” which recalls 1997’s Bob Marley themed Natty Dread and “Moore’s Theme” which brings to mind 1996’s odd but special Ready...Set...Shango!. With a debatable marketing statement that states that this is Hunter’s best recording ever, the new recording clearly stands on its own and proves that the maturing guitarist still has that special something that keeps the music fresh, vibrant, and enjoyable.By Mark F. Turner
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/charlie-hunter-trio-friends-seen-and-unseen-by-mark-f-turner

Personnel: Charlie Hunter - 8-string guitar, John Ellis – Saxophones, Derrek Phillips - Percussion

Friends Seen and Unseen

Fletcher Henderson - Smack is Back!

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:47
Size: 87,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:25) 1. I Want To
(3:19) 2. Gulf Coast Blues
(3:02) 3. My Oriental Rose
(3:18) 4. Midnight Blues
(3:33) 5. Chime Blues
(3:07) 6. Fancies
(2:56) 7. Love Days
(3:12) 8. Beale Street Mama
(2:54) 9. Trot Along
(2:46) 10. Unknown Blues
(3:02) 11. Bamboo Isle
(3:07) 12. Down By The River

Fletcher Henderson was very important to early jazz as leader of the first great jazz big band, as an arranger and composer in the 1930s, and as a masterful talent scout. Between 1923-1939, quite an all-star cast of top young Black jazz musicians passed through his orchestra, including trumpeters Louis Armstrong, Joe Smith, Tommy Ladnier, Rex Stewart, Bobby Stark, Cootie Williams, Red Allen, and Roy Eldridge; trombonists Charlie Green, Benny Morton, Jimmy Harrison, Sandy Williams, J.C. Higginbottham, and Dickie Wells; clarinetist Buster Bailey; tenors Coleman Hawkins (1924-1934), Ben Webster, Lester Young (whose brief stint was not recorded), and Chu Berry; altoists Benny Carter, Russell Procope, and Hilton Jefferson; bassists John Kirby and Israel Crosby; drummers Kaiser Marshall, Walter Johnson, and Sid Catlett; guest pianist Fats Waller; and such arrangers as Don Redman, Benny Carter, Edgar Sampson, and Fletcher's younger brother Horace Henderson. And yet, at the height of the swing era, Henderson's band was little-known.

Fletcher Henderson had a degree in chemistry and mathematics, but when he came to New York in 1920 with hopes of becoming a chemist, the only job he could find (due to the racism of the times) was as a song demonstrator with the Pace-Handy music company. Harry Pace soon founded the Black Swan label, and Henderson, a versatile but fairly basic pianist, became an important contributor behind the scenes, organizing bands and backing blues vocalists. Although he started recording as a leader in 1921, it was not until January 1924 that he put together his first permanent big band.

Using Don Redman's innovative arrangements, he was soon at the top of his field. His early recordings (Henderson made many records during 1923-1924) tend to be both futuristic and awkward, with strong musicianship but staccato phrasing. However, after Louis Armstrong joined up in late 1924 and Don Redman started contributing more swinging arrangements, the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra had no close competitors artistically until the rise of Duke Ellington in 1927. By then, Henderson's band (after a period at the Club Alabam) was playing regularly at The Roseland Ballroom but, due to the bandleader being a very indifferent businessman, the all-star outfit recorded relatively little during its peak (1927 to 1930).

With the departure of Redman in 1927, and the end of interim periods when Benny Carter and Horace Henderson wrote the bulk of the arrangements, Fletcher himself developed into a top arranger by the early '30s. However, the Depression took its toll on the band, and the increased competition from other orchestras (along with some bad business decisions and the loss of Coleman Hawkins) resulted in Henderson breaking up the big band in early 1935. Starting in 1934, he began contributing versions of his better arrangements to Benny Goodman's new orchestra (including "King Porter Stomp," "Sometimes I'm Happy," and "Down South Camp Meeting"), and ironically Goodman's recordings were huge hits at a time when Fletcher Henderson's name was not known to the general public. In 1936, he put together a new orchestra and immediately had a hit in "Christopher Columbus," but after three years he had to disband again in 1939.

Henderson worked as a staff arranger for Goodman and even played in B.G.'s Sextet for a few months (although his skills on the piano never did develop much). He struggled through the 1940s, leading occasional bands (including one in the mid-'40s that utilized some arrangements by the young Sun Ra). In 1950, Henderson had a fine sextet with Lucky Thompson, but a stroke ended his career and led to his death in 1952. Virtually all of Fletcher Henderson's recordings as a leader (and many are quite exciting) are currently available on the Classics label and in more piecemeal fashion domestically. By Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/fletcher-henderson-mn0000152490/biography

Smack is Back!

Thursday, January 12, 2023

Maria Mendes, Metropole Orkest & John Beasley - Saudade, Colour of Love

Styles: Vocal
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:48
Size: 137,4 MB
Art: Front

(8:43) 1. Com Que Voz
(6:58) 2. Tudo Isto É Fado
(7:49) 3. Verdes Anos
(5:24) 4. Foi Deus
(5:43) 5. Hermeto's Fado for Maria
(4:30) 6. E Se Nâo for Fado
(6:59) 7. Dança Do Amor
(8:06) 8. Quando Eu Era Pequenina
(5:32) 9. Meu Pobre Capitão

Saudade, Colour of Love isn’t so much a follow-up to Netherlands-based vocalist Maria Mendes’ 2019 album Close to Me, which won the Dutch equivalent of a jazz vocal Grammy Award. Rather, it’s a captivating elaboration featuring much the same material and the same cast of characters.

Like Close to Me, her third album, Saudade is a sumptuous collaboration with pianist John Beasley conducting the Metropole Orkest, a mainstay of the Dutch music scene since the end of World War II. But whereas the former release was a studio project, the new album is a concert recording that offers Mendes and some orchestra members a little more leeway to stretch out on a fado-centric program. Trained as an opera singer, the Portuguese-born Mendes veered off the conservatory path with her discovery of jazz, attaining real authority in the tradition after years of study.

Working with Beasley, who produced and orchestrated the Saudade arrangements they wrote together (part of a most impressive run for Beasley, with Saudade arriving the same year as his spectacular work on Chucho Valdés’ late-career masterwork La Creación), Mendes takes another step into a largely uncharted realm where jazz inflects the ritualistic laments of fado, a blues-like song form that evolved on Lisbon’s hard-scrabble waterfront. By Andrew Gilbert https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/maria-mendes-saudade-colour-of-love-challenge/

Saudade, Colour of Love

Alexis Cole - Zingaro

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:19
Size: 109,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:39) 1. Stompin' At The Savoy
(6:00) 2. God Bless The Child
(2:00) 3. Morning With You
(5:57) 4. Over The Rainbow
(3:31) 5. Sweet Lorraine
(5:01) 6. Body And Soul
(3:50) 7. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You
(6:57) 8. Zingaro
(7:22) 9. I Thought About You
(1:57) 10. Walkin'

On this Toronto-based (but New York-born) vocalist's second release, she takes on several familiar standards with a personal signature, enhanced by a sparse instrumentation: here, she is accompanied solely by guitarist Ron Affif and bassist Jeffry Eckels, who play on all the tracks but the two Cole originals, the upbeat "Walkin' and "Morning With You, both of which feature fine work by Saul Rubin (guitar) and John Roche (bass).

The album's title, which means "gypsy, is taken from a classic tune by Brazilian composers Chico Buarque de Hollanda and Antonio Carlos Jobim, with new English lyrics by Roger Schore, who was on hand at the jam-packed CD release concert at New York's Zinc Bar in July, 2007, where Cole showcased material from the disc with Affif and Eckels. The tune, originally called "Portrait in Black and White (the only one played from a bossa nova point of view), reflects the singer's peripatetic lifestyle in the past few years, she has traveled extensively through South America on a music program with the Berklee College of Music, and has barely kept a permanent mailing address.

One of the disc's highlights is "Stompin' At The Savoy, which Cole cleverly chose to open her set with at the Zinc Bar. The Benny Goodman swing, originally for big band, becomes something much subtler in her hands. On "Baby Ain't I Good To You she takes advantage of the song's simple bluesy structure to suit her own interests. "Over The Rainbow might be a little overplayed, but Cole sings it from the heart, drawing from an earlier experience with the tune while she was working with special education students in North Carolina, as was explained during the concert.

Zingaro is a fine opportunity to discover this singer and 2007 Jazzmobile Vocal Competition winner, who sets herself apart from your average jazz vocalist by taking on various sonic influences without veering too far from jazz. The sparse instrumentation allows the listener to focus on the individual talents of the musicians without distractions. It is a disc that will please purists and more adventurous listeners alike.By Ernest Barteldes https://www.allaboutjazz.com/zingaro-alexis-cole-canopy-jazz-review-by-ernest-barteldes

Personnel: Alexis Cole: vocal; Ron Affif: guitar; Jeffry Eckels: bass; Saul Rubin: guitar; Jon Roche: bass.

Zingaro

Eric Reed - Everybody Gets the Blues

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:35
Size: 137,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:49) 1. Everybody Gets the Blues
(8:23) 2. Cedar Waltzin' ~ Don't You Worry 'bout a Thing
(5:28) 3. Naima
(7:49) 4. Martha's Prize
(6:07) 5. Yesterday ~ Yesterdays
(8:49) 6. Up Jumped Spring
(5:00) 7. Dear Bud
(9:30) 8. New Morning
(4:36) 9. Road Life

The title of Eric Reed’s new album has a double meaning as in, everybody understands the blues, and everybody feels down from time to time. “Your blues may not be my blues, but everybody gets them,” he writes in the liner notes. True enough, but this album is too joyful for that to be the parting message. After having listened to it, you’ll understand intuitively if you don’t already why Eric Reed is one of the most reliably good pianists in the gospel-jazz tradition. Reed grew up in the church his father was a Baptist preacher in Philadelphia and here, accompanied by saxophonist Tim Green, drummer McClenty Hunter, and bassist Mike Gurrola, he filters pop medleys, jazz standards, and original compositions through the gospel prism.

That comes through most clearly on his own “New Morning,” whose lovely solo piano introduction, with lush blues-inflected chord voicings, recalls Oscar Peterson’s “Night Train.” There’s a Coltrane cover (“Naima”), a hat tip to Freddie Hubbard (“Up Jumped Spring”), and snippets of two mainstream pop tunes the Beatles’ “Yesterday,” in a medley with Jerome Kern’s “Yesterdays,” and Stevie Wonder’s “Don’t You Worry ’Bout a Thing,” which appears as a tag at the end of “Cedar Waltzin,’” Reed’s nod to Cedar Walton. An actual Walton composition, “Martha’s Prize,” is recast here as a funk number. Near the end, Reed plays a phrase from the buoyant Roy Hargrove earworm “Strasbourg/St. Denis,” an upbeat line that’s in keeping with this album’s optimistic spirit, its title notwithstanding. ~ Matthew Kassel is a freelance writer whose work has been published by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Slate, and The Columbia Journalism Review, among other publications.
https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/eric-reed-everybody-gets-the-blues-smoke-sessions/

Personnel: Organ – Eric Reed; Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Tim Greene; Bass – Mike Gurrola; Drums – McClenty Hunter Jr.

Everybody Gets the Blues

Tommy Dorsey - Music Maestro Please!

Styles: Swing, Big Band
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 28:53
Size: 66,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:53) 1. Music Maestro Please
(2:33) 2. A Tisket A Tasket
(3:09) 3. Boogie Woogie
(3:17) 4. Symphony In Riffs
(2:26) 5. Sheik Of Araby
(2:37) 6. I'll See You In My Dreams
(2:37) 7. Shine On Harvest Moon
(3:02) 8. Chinatown My Chinatown
(2:52) 9. Sweet Sue Just You
(3:22) 10. Washboard Blues

Though he might have been ranked second at any given moment to Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Glenn Miller, or Harry James, Tommy Dorsey was overall the most popular bandleader of the swing era that lasted from 1935 to 1945. His remarkably melodic trombone playing was the signature sound of his orchestra, but he successfully straddled the hot and sweet styles of swing with a mix of ballads and novelty songs. He provided showcases to vocalists like Frank Sinatra, Dick Haymes, and Jo Stafford, and he employed inventive arrangers such as Sy Oliver and Bill Finegan. He was the biggest-selling artist in the history of RCA Victor Records, one of the major labels, until the arrival of Elvis Presley, who was first given national exposure on the 1950s television show he hosted with his brother Jimmy.

Dorsey was 21 months younger than Jimmy and thus the second son of Thomas Francis Dorsey, Sr., a music teacher and band director, and Theresa Langton Dorsey. Both brothers received musical instruction from their father. Tommy focused on the trombone, though he also played trumpet, especially early in his career. The brothers played in local groups, then formed their own band, Dorsey's Novelty Six, in 1920. By 1922, when they played an engagement at a Baltimore amusement park and made their radio debut, they were calling the group Dorsey's Wild Canaries. During the early and mid-'20s, they played in a series of bands including the Scranton Sirens, the California Ramblers, and orchestras led by Jean Goldkette and Paul Whiteman, sometimes apart, but usually together. Eventually, they settled in New York and worked as session musicians. In 1927, they began recording as the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra for OKeh Records, using pickup bands, and they first reached the charts with "Coquette" in June 1928. In the spring of 1929, they scored a Top Ten hit with "Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love)," which featured Bing Crosby on vocals.

The Dorseys finally organized a full-time band and signed to Decca Records in 1934. Hiring Bing Crosby's younger brother Bob Crosby as their vocalist, they scored a Top Ten hit with "I Believe in Miracles" in the late winter of 1935, quickly followed by "Tiny Little Fingerprints" (vocal by Kay Weber) and "Night Wind" (vocal by Bob Crosby). They then enjoyed successive number one hits with "Lullaby of Broadway" (vocal by Bob Crosby) and "Chasing Shadows" (vocal by Bob Eberly, Bob Crosby's replacement). The Dorsey Brothers Orchestra was poised to become the biggest band in the country in the spring of 1935 and might have been remembered for launching the swing era, but at the end of May the brothers, whose relationship was always volatile, disagreed, and Tommy left the band (which nevertheless scored another Top Ten hit with "Every Little Movement" that summer). Jimmy Dorsey continued to lead the band, which eventually was billed as Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra and went on to considerable success. But while the Dorseys stumbled, Benny Goodman achieved national success and was dubbed "the King of Swing."

Tommy Dorsey took over the remnants of the Joe Haymes band in founding his own orchestra in the fall of 1935. Signing to RCA Victor Records, he scored an immediate success with "On Treasure Island" (vocal by Edythe Wright), which topped the charts in December 1935, one of four Dorsey records to peak in the Top Ten before the end of the year. Dorsey was back at number one in January 1936 with "The Music Goes Round and Round" (vocal by Edythe Wright) and topped the charts again in February with "Alone" (vocal by Cliff Weston). "You" (vocal by Edythe Wright) gave him his third number one in 1936, to which can be added eight other Top Ten hits during the year. Dorsey was even more successful in 1937, a year in which he scored 18 Top Ten hits, among them the chart-toppers "Marie" (vocal by Jack Leonard), "Satan Takes a Holiday" (an instrumental), "The Big Apple," "Once in a While," and "The Dipsy Doodle" (vocal by Edythe Wright). Dorsey earned his own radio series, which ran for nearly three years. His 15 Top Ten hits in 1938 included the number one "Music, Maestro, Please" (vocal by Edythe Wright), and he had another 11 Top Ten hits in 1939, among them "Our Love" (vocal by Jack Leonard), which hit number one.
More....By William Ruhlmann https://www.allmusic.com/artist/tommy-dorsey-mn0000934072/biography

Music Maestro Please!

Ibrahim Maalouf - Capacity to Love

Styles: Mainstream Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:59
Size: 125,0 MB
Art: Front

(1:23) 1. Intro
(5:00) 2. Speechless
(3:27) 3. El Mundo
(2:41) 4. Better On My Own
(2:53) 5. The Pope
(4:39) 6. Quiet Culture (Feat. Pos Of De La Soul)
(3:20) 7. Todo Colores
(3:19) 8. Money
(2:31) 9. Back Home
(3:34) 10. Tout S'illumine
(3:54) 11. Right Time
(3:13) 12. Feeling Good
(4:25) 13. Capacity To Love
(6:10) 14. Our Flag
(3:22) 15. Humble

Ibrahim Maalouf's 15th studio album is a hymn to inclusion, sharing and identity in a world where claiming one's difference has become divisive. A new album under the sign of hope and tolerance sublimated by a guest list as bluffing as unexpected.

CAPACITY TO LOVE is an album that lives up to the ambitions of Ibrahim Maalouf. The famous trumpet player has invited artists such as crooner Gregory Porter, Pos of De La Soul the legendary American rap group, English pop icon JP Cooper, Erick the Architect the charismatic leader of the group Flatbush Zombies or the new Mozart of US rap, winner of "Rhythm + Flow" D Smoke. The album also features French singer and guitarist -M-, Cuban phenomenon Cimafunk, new New Orleans sensation Tank and the Bangas, Quincy Jones' protégé Sheléa Frazier and new talent Alemeda, recently signed to TDE, Kendrick Lamar's historic label. Finally, Ibrahim Maalouf has invited pop culture icons such as Sharon Stone and Charlie Chaplin.

Ibrahim Maalouf is embarking on a new adventure that already promises to be historic. With CAPACITY TO LOVE, he seeks to honor the art of urban music with class and humility, while developing an aspect of his work that nobody would have imagined a few years ago. A true festival in the colors of the artist's dreams.

For the first time, Ibrahim Maalouf decided to produce an album in collaboration with two production geniuses, NuTone and Henry Was. https://www.ibrahimmaalouf.com/en/music/capacity-to-love/

Capacity to Love

Wednesday, January 11, 2023

Chick Corea Band Feat. Sadao Watanabe - Live Under the Sky...80

Styles: Piano And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2021
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:32
Size: 106,7 MB
Art: Front

(12:26) 1. Nice Shot
(11:52) 2. Someday My Prince Will Come
(16:17) 3. 500 Miles High
( 5:56) 4. Piano Solo

The Chick Corea Band featured here is a high energy quartet plus saxophonist Sadao Watanabe. In fact, the concert feels at times like a showcase for the world's preeminent Japanese jazz musician who was very much a local hero. The music is electric jazz with heavy Latin and funk elements rather than high concept fusion.

Bunny Brunel on fretless bass and Tom Brechtlein on drums were Corea regulars at the time and the addition of legendary (even then) percussionist Don Alias makes this 1980 Live Under The Sky performance something special. Performed at the Denen Coliseum, Tokyo, Japan, 27 July 1980 and originally broadcast on NHK radio.By Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Under-Chick-Watanabe-Sadao-Corea

Personnel: Chick Corea(p, key), Sadao Watanabe(sax), Bunny Brunel(b), Tom Brechtlein(ds), Don Alias(perc)

Live Under the Sky...80

Gerald Wilson Big Band - Moment Of Truth

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:32
Size: 93,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:47)  1. Viva Tirado
(4:26)  2. Moment Of Truth
(5:57)  3. Patterns
(2:58)  4. Terri
(2:41)  5. Nancy Jo
(5:40)  6. Milestones
(5:06)  7. Latino
(4:29)  8. Josephina
(3:25)  9. Emerge

Gerald Wilson's Pacific Jazz albums of the 1960s were arguably the most significant of his career. This CD reissues his second record of the period and has among its highlights the original version of "Viva Tirado" (a catchy number made into a surprise pop hit by El Chicano later in the decade) and a driving rendition of "MIlestones"; the other seven songs (six of which are Wilson's originals) are also quite enjoyable. Among the more notable soloists are trumpeter Carmell Jones, both Teddy Edwards and Harold Land on tenor, guitarist Joe Pass, and pianist Jack Wilson. Recommended. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/moment-of-truth-mw0000654233

Personnel: Gerald Wilson - arranger and conductor; John Audino, Jules Chaiken, Freddie Hill, Carmell Jones, Al Porcino  - trumpet; Lou Blackburn, Bob Edmondson, Lester Robertson, Frank Strong - trombone; Bob Knight - bass trombone; Joe Maini - alto saxophone; Bud Shank - alto saxophone, flute; Teddy Edwards, Harold Land - tenor saxophone; Jack Nimitz, Don Raffell - baritone saxophone; Jack Wilson - piano; Joe Pass - guitar; Jimmy Bond - bass; Mel Lewis - drums; Modesto Duran - congas

Moment Of Truth

Althea Rene - Pastel Leather

Styles: Flute Jazz
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 30:04
Size: 69,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:00) 1. Pastel Leather
(3:37) 2. Blue Room
(4:03) 3. Tabula Rasa
(4:25) 4. Show You The Way
(4:42) 5. Seven Years Good Luck
(4:39) 6. Jamoca Almond
(4:35) 7. Gogo Bootz

Althea René is releasing her new project titled “Pastel Leather” in mid-October (her hit single “Pastel Leather” is the title track). The theme of the project is a particular duality of human behavior. Sometimes we are forced to exhibit a soft, polite, and forgiving demeanor while quietly maintaining a hard mentality and physical toughness. The project features a powerful lineup of guest artists like vibe master Warren Wolf, trumpeter Lin Rountree, producer/writer Demetrius “Krayon” Nabors, and jazz fusion icon Jeff Lorber. https://althearene.com/product/844053

Personnel: Flute: Althea René; Keyboard & Programming: Demetrius “Krayon” Nabors; Bass: Robert “Rob Bass” Skinner; Guitar: Gary Johnson; Drums: Nate Winn

Pastel Leather

Anthony Strong - Easy Sailing

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2022
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:38
Size: 121,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:21) 1. Skylark
(4:02) 2. Maria
(3:03) 3. Do It The Hard Way
(3:30) 4. Lucky To Be Me
(3:27) 5. When You Wish Upon A Star
(3:52) 6. Look For The Silver Lining
(2:03) 7. I'm Beginning To See The Light
(3:25) 8. Comes Love
(3:56) 9. Celeste
(4:22) 10. Minute By Minute
(3:36) 11. Don't Dream It's Over
(3:50) 12. Any Old Place
(3:31) 13. Straighten Up & Fly Right
(4:05) 14. Yesterday
(1:28) 15. Nature Boy

Bringing together a lush string orchestra, timeless repertoire and a deep jazz sensibility, British singer-pianist Anthony Strong presents his 5th studio offering 'Easy Sailing' this November. With more than a decade of touring under his belt - from the Los Angeles Hollywood Bowl in the West to Shanghai and Beijing in the East - the record captures the dynamism of his live show, in full technicolour.
Fifteen carefully-crafted songs songs take the listener on a voyage from jazz legends Nat King Cole and Hoagy Carmichael to Musical Theatre great Leonard Bernstein and even The Beatles.
https://www.propermusic.com/gr004cd-easy-sailing.html

Easy Sailing

Tuesday, January 10, 2023

Kitt Lough - Orange Colored View

Styles: Jazz Vocals
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:04
Size: 94,0 MB
Art: Front

(2:30)  1. Honeysuckle Rose
(6:09)  2. Lover Man
(2:15)  3. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
(5:17)  4. Love Me Or Leave Me
(3:45)  5. Sentimental Journey
(3:54)  6. Boulevard Of Broken Dreams
(4:00)  7. No Moon At All
(6:03)  8. Cry Me A River
(2:27)  9. Orange Colored Sky
(4:40) 10. The Very Thought of You

Alternately emotive, sultry and swinging vocals on jazz standards with great arrangements. Makes the old sound fresh and new! There was a time when vocalists infused every carefully chosen lyric with meaning, every precious syllable with emotion, and every note with golden tone. It was the era of the true 'chanteuse'. That era is alive and well, living in the person of Kitt Lough, an inspiring new voice on the jazz scene. Melding sultry, velvety vocals with a beguiling appearance, Kitt creates a romantic experience that transports the listener to an age when glamour, rhythm and romance ruled the day. By turns playful & coquettish or plaintive & mournful, she sparkles in the spotlight with her visual and vocal artistry wherever she sings. She imbues every lyric with an emotional range that makes evident the wealth of her life's experience. Her debut CD "Orange Colored View" is enjoying rave reviews and generous airplay on jazz stations acrss the southeast. Stunningly produced and arranged by Dan Serafini, it showcases her vocal versatility and places her squarely among today's best jazz vocalists. (http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=7456417&style=music&fulldesc=T).

Willis Jackson - Soul Night Live!

Size: 166,2 MB
Time: 71:23
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1964/2002
Styles: Jazz: Soul Jazz
Art: Full

01. The Man I Love (5:45)
02. Perdido (7:58)
03. Thunderbird (5:17)
04. Polka Dots And Moonbeams (5:59)
05. All Soul (4:59)
06. Flamingo (5:47)
07. I Can't Stop Loving You (6:33)
08. One Mint Julep (4:00)
09. Up A Lazy River (3:06)
10. Jumpin' With Symphony Sid (4:19)
11. Tangerine (2:44)
12. Ebb Tide (4:13)
13. Blue Gator (6:21)
14. Secret Love (4:14)

The term "soul" was tossed around quite a bit in the '60s and '70s. It usually had an African-American connotation -- as in soul brother, soul sister, soul food, soul music (a specific style of R&B), or James Brown, the Godfather of Soul. But the term isn't always used in reference to black culture; soulful means expressive, and in that sense, country greats Ernest Tubb and Patsy Cline were seriously soulful. However you define the word soul, Willis "Gator" Jackson was the epitome of it. The tenor titan played with a tremendous amount of feeling, and in the '60s, Prestige wasn't shy about using the word soul in connection with his work. Recorded at a New York club called the Allegro on March 21, 1964, Soul Night Live! isn't soul music in the James Brown/Rufus Thomas/Sam & Dave/Marvin Gaye sense; however, Jackson's quintet (which also includes trumpeter Frank Robinson, guitarist Pat Martino, organist Carl Wilson, and drummer Joe Hadrick) offers instrumental soul-jazz/hard bop that has just as much humanity and blues feeling. Jackson doesn't play any vocal-oriented R&B -- which is what the term "soul music" usually referred to in the '60s and '70s -- but he does bring a wealth of emotion to the table on tunes that range from the standard "Flamingo" to the funky boogaloo "Thunderbird." Jackson throws listeners a major curve ball on George & Ira Gershwin's "The Man I Love," which starts out at its usual ballad tempo before suddenly turning into a 100-mile-an-hour bop workout. "The Man I Love" has been recorded hundreds of times over the years, but rarely at a fast tempo. Soul Night Live! is an accurate title for this LP, which does, in fact, focus on a night of soulfulness. [The 2002 CD reissue on Fantasy adds the entirety of the album Tell It..., also recorded on March 21, 1964 at The Allegro in New York.] ~by Alex Henderson

Soul Night Live! 

Julius Watkins Sextet - Volumes 1 & 2

Styles: Jazz, Bop
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:18
Size: 97,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:21) 1. Linda Delia
(5:09) 2. Perpetuation
(4:28) 3. I Have Known
(4:53) 4. Leete
(4:45) 5. Garden Delights
(3:35) 6. Julie Ann
(4:18) 7. Sparkling Burgundy
(5:00) 8. B And B
(4:45) 9. Jor-du

Before the rise of bebop, the French horn was never heard as an improvising instrument in jazz. John Graas, who worked with Stan Kenton and Shorty Rogers, was the first jazz French horn player to lead his own record date, in 1953. However, Julius Watkins soon surpassed him as a major soloist and would be the top jazz French horn player to emerge until the 1990s. He appeared as a soloist on a Thelonious Monk date in 1953 next to Sonny Rollins, and in 1954-1955 recorded music for a pair of very rare Blue Note 10" LPs. All of the latter performances are on this CD reissue.

The 42 minutes of music find Watkins heading sextets with either Frank Foster or Hank Mobley on tenor, guitarist Perry Lopez, George Butcher or Duke Jordan on piano, bassist Oscar Pettiford, and Kenny Clarke or Art Blakey on drums. The French horn/tenor front line is an attractive sound (substitute Watkins for a trombonist, and one has the Jazz Crusaders); when Watkins formed Les Jazz Modes (which lasted for five years) a few years later, he would use Charlie Rouse as his tenor.

The French horn might be a difficult instrument, but Watkins played it with the warmth of a trombone and nearly the fluidity of a trumpet. All nine straight-ahead selections on his CD are group originals, with Duke Jordan's future standard "Jordu" being heard in one of its earliest versions. Overall, the music fits into the modern mainstream of the period. This early effort by Julius Watkins is easily recommended.By Scott Yanow
https://www.allmusic.com/album/julius-watkins-sextet-vols-1-2-mw0000601261

Personnel: French Horn – Julius Watkins; Bass – Oscar Pettiford; Drums – Art Blakey (tracks: 5 to 9), Kenny Clarke (tracks: 1 to 4); ; Guitar – Perry Lopez; Piano – Duke Jordan (tracks: 5 to 9), George Butcher (tracks: 1 to 4); Tenor Saxophone – Frank Foster (tracks: 1 to 4), Hank Mobley (tracks: 5 to 9)

Sextet Volumes 1 & 2