What Are You Listening To?

[Dennie]

Jazz In The Garden -- CD

The Stanley Clarke Trio with Hiromi & Lenny White

2009 Heads Up Records

The "GENTLE" side of Stanley...., July 8, 2010
By Joseph W. Szilagy "Joe Szilagy" (Mississauga, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
This review is from: Jazz in the Garden (Audio CD)

A truly gorgeous album! Perhaps my favorite jazz album of all time is "Kind of Blue", by Miles Davis, but this comes pretty close, as far as that type of "vibe" goes. The beautiful music here is somewhat reminisent, even without trumpet and sax, which is saying a lot! Lenny's gentle riding on the cymbal reminds me of the soft rain sound of Jimmy Cobb on some of "Kind of Blue", along with Hiromi's less agressive feel and Stanley's acoustic bass. "Sakura Sakura", is simply beautiful!
For those who prefer the "hard stuff", (Stanley's great fusion), I would also highly recommend his new album, simply entitled "The Stanley Clarke Band", released last month, which also features Hiromi, and two other killer players, Ronald Bruner jr. and Ruslan Sirota.

"Paradigm Shift (Election Day 2008)" (Clarke) (7:42)
"Sakura Sakura" (traditional) (5:30)
"Sicilian Blue" (Hiromi) (4:48)
"Take the Coltrane" (Ellington) (3:29)
"3 Wrong Notes" (Clarke) (5:46)
"Someday My Prince Will Come" (Churchill, Morey) (4:52)
"Isotope" (Henderson) (5:27)
"Bass Folk Song No. 5 & 6" (Clarke) (4:01)
"Global Tweak" (Clarke, Hiromi) (3:42)
"Solar" (Davis) (5:12)
"Brain Training" (Hiromi) (4:52)
"Under the Bridge" (Balzary, Kiedis, Smith, Frusciante) (5:30)

 

[PaulyT]

^--- this is one of my very favorites among the newer jazz albums. Really good stuff.

 

[Dennie]

Softly As A Summer Breeze -- Remastered CD

The Incredible Jimmy Smith with Kenny Burrell & Philly Joe Jones

1960/2006 Blue Note Records

It's smooth and powerful with great ballad interpretations, January 23, 2000
By macfawlty "macfawlty" (potomac, MD USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Softly As a Summer Breeze (Audio CD)

I have the LP and will have to get the CD as well since there are 4 more songs on it. Don't shy away from these ballad albums, they are great and really show alot of depth and incredible mastery of the B3. I still have a ways to go to complement my 40 or so Jimmy LP's with the convenience of CD's.

"These Foolish Things" (Harry Link, Holt Marvell, Jack Strachey) - 5:27
"Hackensack" (Thelonious Monk) - 5:58
"It Could Happen to You" (Johnny Burke, Jimmy Van Heusen) - 6:16
"Sometimes I'm Happy" (Irving Caesar, Vincent Youmans) - 8:21
"Someone to Watch Over Me" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) - 6:30
"One for Philly Joe" [aka "Home Cookin'"] (Jimmy Smith) - 4:46
"Willow Weep for Me" (Ann Ronell) - 3:24 Bonus track on CD reissue
"Ain't No Use" (Leroy Kirkland, Sidney Wyche) - 2:40 Bonus track on CD reissue
"Angel Eyes" (Earl Brent, Matt Dennis) - 3:25 Bonus track on CD reissue
"Ain't That Love" (Ray Charles) - 2:45 Bonus track on CD reissue

-----

Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio in Hackensack, New Jersey on February 26, 1958 (tracks 1-6) and October 14, 1958 (tracks 7-10)

 

[Dennie]

^--- this is one of my very favorites among the newer jazz albums. Really good stuff.

Yeah, the veterans sound fresh and alive on this one, I agree. :handgestures-thumbup:

Have you heard E.S.T. ?

LINKY ----> http://www.amazon.com/Somewhere-Els...ic&ie=UTF8&qid=1347235896&sr=1-2&keywords=EST

Also good "newer" jazz! bscene-drinkingcheers:




Dennie

 

[Botch]

Jazz In The Garden -- CD

The Stanley Clarke Trio with Hiromi & Lenny White

Hiromi and Clarke are opening the SLC Jazz Festival this coming Friday! (huge Hiromi fan here)

 

[Dennie]

Jazz In The Garden -- CD

The Stanley Clarke Trio with Hiromi & Lenny White

Hiromi and Clarke are opening the SLC Jazz Festival this coming Friday! (huge Hiromi fan here)

............. :text-+1:

Dennie :eusa-clap:

 

[Botch]

Dennie, if you don't have her DVD concert with Sonicbloom, highly recommended!

Killer band!

 

[Dennie]

Dennie, if you don't have her DVD concert with Sonicbloom, highly recommended!

Killer band!

Thanks Botch, I've added it to the list.


Dennie bscene-drinkingcheers:

 

[Dennie]

Kenny Burrell & John Coltrane -- CD

1958/1989 Prestige/Fantasy-OJC Records

Great people, good tunes; you won't get tired of this one..., December 25, 2002
By William E. Adams (Midland, Texas USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Kenny Burrell & John Coltrane (Audio CD)

Kenny Burrell's guitar-playing sounds a lot like Wes Montgomery, who didn't make a splash in the jazz world until two years after this recording date. That means this disc would be worth buying for his leading work alone. But when you add in support three of the seven artists who created the classic "Kind of Blue" record just a year or so later, you of course have a first-rank album on your hands. John Coltrane on tenor sax, Paul Chambers on bass and Jimmy Cobb on drums all were part of the later Miles Davis-led album which is one of the most popular jazz works of all time. The final master-stroke was adding Tommy Flanagan on piano, who always is a welcome member of an ensemble. I suspect many recent and future buyers of this will do so because of Coltrane's prominent contributions, but everyone playing here gets kudos, especially Burrell. This disc runs just under 38 minutes, but it is so cheerful and lovely you will play it twice in a row most the time. If you are a 'Trane fan, or a fan of jazz guitar, you need to own this one.

"Freight Trane" (Tommy Flanagan) — 7:18
"I Never Knew" (Ted Fio Rito, Gus Kahn) — 7:03
"Lyresto" (Kenny Burrell) — 5:35
"Why Was I Born?" (Oscar Hammerstein II, Jerome Kern) — 3:11
"Big Paul" (Tommy Flanagan) — 14:13


Kenny Burrell — guitar
John Coltrane — tenor saxophone
Tommy Flanagan — piano
Paul Chambers — bass
Jimmy Cobb — drums

 

[Dennie]

I sure miss THIS Amy....

May she Rest In Peace!

Frank -- CD

Amy Winehouse

2003 Universal Republic Records

From Amazon.co.uk

With her debut album Frank, Amy Winehouse proves to be one of the most original, honest, and brave singer/songwriters to emerge in recent years. Over the course of the 13 songs, she manages to do everything required of a classic album. This is a stark piece of work, comprising husky, frequently sexually charged vocals, painfully honest lyrics and soft trumpets, laidback beats, and sparse guitar work. It seems that soulful jazz doesn't always have to be bland--it can also be playful, twisted, and arrogant ("Amy Amy Amy"). "F*** Me Pumps" charts a seemingly guilt-free act of infidelity: "What do you expect when you leave me here alone?" she asks coyly, as if by way of justifiable explanation. "You wouldn't want me to be lonely," she adds. You can't help warming to her, despite what she's saying. A unique sense of humour (how rare in music now) and a no-bull attitude make for an interesting, compelling debut. Frank? Yes, but refreshingly so. You wouldn't want her for a girlfriend, but as a life companion she may yet prove indispensable. --Cortman Virtue

1. "Intro"/"Stronger Than Me" Salaam Remi, Winehouse 3:54
2. "You Sent Me Flying"/"Cherry" Felix Howard, Remi, Winehouse 6:50
3. "Know You Now" Delroy Cooper, Donovan Jackson, Earl "Chinna" Smith, Luke Smith, Gordan Williams, Winehouse 3:03
4. "*** Me Pumps" Remi, Winehouse 3:20
5. "I Heard Love Is Blind" Remi, Winehouse 2:10
6. "Moody's Mood for Love"/"Teo Licks" Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh, James Moody/ Teo Avery, Errol Campbell, Gregory "Mr Bassie" Jackson, Earl "Chinna Smith 3:28
7. "(There Is) No Greater Love" Isham Jones, Marty Symes 2:08
8. "In My Bed" Remi, Winehouse 5:17
9. "Take the Box" L. Smith, Winehouse 3:20
10. "October Song" Matt Rowe, Stefan Skarbek, Winehouse 3:24
11. "What Is It About Men" Wilburn Cole, Cooper, Howard, Jackson, Smith, Paul Watson, Williams, Winehouse 3:29
12. "Amy Amy Amy"/"Outro"/"Brother"/"Mr Magic (Through the Smoke)" Rowe, Skarbek, Winehouse; Remi, Winehouse; Winehouse; Ralph McDonald, William Salter, Winehouse

 

[Botch]

This is Dennie's fault, I had to pop in Hiromi/SonicBloom's DVD, I had forgotten how damn good they were. Here's a sample:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuvSBYuMyi0[/youtube]

 

[PaulyT]

^--- this is one of my very favorites among the newer jazz albums. Really good stuff.

Yeah, the veterans sound fresh and alive on this one, I agree. :handgestures-thumbup:

Have you heard E.S.T. ?

LINKY ----> http://www.amazon.com/Somewhere-Els...ic&ie=UTF8&qid=1347235896&sr=1-2&keywords=EST

Also good "newer" jazz! bscene-drinkingcheers:




Dennie

Thanks, sounds interesting - ordered!

 

[PaulyT]

Didn't realize when I ordered this based on previous discussion, that it's Chris Thile's new band - I'm a big fan of his with Nickel Creek, and he guests on a number of Sarah Jarosz's tracks. Great stuff. Already ordered the other two Punch Brothers albums...

 

[Deleted member 133]

Jazz In The Garden -- CD

The Stanley Clarke Trio with Hiromi & Lenny White

2009 Heads Up Records

The "GENTLE" side of Stanley...., July 8, 2010
By Joseph W. Szilagy "Joe Szilagy" (Mississauga, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
This review is from: Jazz in the Garden (Audio CD)

A truly gorgeous album! Perhaps my favorite jazz album of all time is "Kind of Blue", by Miles Davis, but this comes pretty close, as far as that type of "vibe" goes. The beautiful music here is somewhat reminisent, even without trumpet and sax, which is saying a lot! Lenny's gentle riding on the cymbal reminds me of the soft rain sound of Jimmy Cobb on some of "Kind of Blue", along with Hiromi's less agressive feel and Stanley's acoustic bass. "Sakura Sakura", is simply beautiful!
For those who prefer the "hard stuff", (Stanley's great fusion), I would also highly recommend his new album, simply entitled "The Stanley Clarke Band", released last month, which also features Hiromi, and two other killer players, Ronald Bruner jr. and Ruslan Sirota.

"Paradigm Shift (Election Day 2008)" (Clarke) (7:42)
"Sakura Sakura" (traditional) (5:30)
"Sicilian Blue" (Hiromi) (4:48)
"Take the Coltrane" (Ellington) (3:29)
"3 Wrong Notes" (Clarke) (5:46)
"Someday My Prince Will Come" (Churchill, Morey) (4:52)
"Isotope" (Henderson) (5:27)
"Bass Folk Song No. 5 & 6" (Clarke) (4:01)
"Global Tweak" (Clarke, Hiromi) (3:42)
"Solar" (Davis) (5:12)
"Brain Training" (Hiromi) (4:52)
"Under the Bridge" (Balzary, Kiedis, Smith, Frusciante) (5:30)

Just put a hold on this one through the library, as well as on seven other CDs of her's / that she appears on, and one concert DVD "Live at Blue Note, New York." They should be delivered to my local branch in a day or two. Thanks for the tip.

 

[Dennie]

Play -- CD

Bobby McFerrin & Chick Corea

1990 Blue Note Records

THE Standard by which others will be judged!, October 13, 2000
By Dale M. DeSteffen (Manitowoc, WI USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Play (Audio CD)

This is a MUST for jazz enthusiasts. Like anything exceptional, most people won't like it, so don't bother playing this CD for friends unless they share your tastes in music. Excellence in any endeavor has a narrow audience, but for those who appreciate greatness, its appeal cuts deep. This recording cuts to the bone!! McFerrin is precise,inventive, and able to vocalize like an instrumentalist with an immense tonal range and expressiveness. He has no peers. And Chic Corea plays jazz piano with instrument mastery usually reserved for world-class classical pianists, but it's REALLY jazz, not Yoyo Ma (a master of the cello, world class) trying to play jazz, displaying amazing musicianship, but showing he just doesn't understand what jazz really is. By contrast, both Corea & McFerrin are masters of technique but are jazz masters as well.

Most of the cuts are note for note arrangements of earlier jazz classics: Spain (Miles Davis);Blues Connotation( Ornette Coleman). " Even From Me" is a collaborative composition by Corea And McFerrin based on a 4 note vocal bass riff repeated over & over, creating a foundation upon which each weave their unique jazz creations. The entire selection of pieces sound improvisational, but are tightly arranged.

Perhaps the best reason this is a "must have" recording is that the music is FUN. It makes you feel wonderful. It's not depressing bluesy (that can be good stuff too). It's not the frenetic dissonant cacophony of Thelonius Monk. It's just the best piano/vocal stuff I've heard. And it's fun-- they just play.

Just buy it. Don't worry, you'll be happy.

"Spain" – 10:12
"Even From Me" – 6:34
"Autumn Leaves" – 11:41
"Blues Connotation" – 7:13
"'Round Midnight" – 7:59
"Blue Bossa" – 6:14

 

[Dennie]

Mingus -- CD

Joni Mitchell

1990 Elektra Records

My favorite Joni album....exquisite, July 20, 2004
By Paul J. Escamilla "sentient being" (NYC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME) (VINE VOICE)
This review is from: Mingus (Audio CD)

I haven't had my morning cup of coffee yet...so I 'll keep it short. This is my favorite Joni album, and it's probably because she was channelling the genius and magic of Charles Mingus when she made it. She surrounded herself with brilliant musicians (especially the phenomenal Jaco Pastorius) and let the spirit of Mingus flow through the sessions.



All lyrics by Joni Mitchell; music by Mitchell, except where indicated

"Happy Birthday 1975" (Rap) – 0:57
"God Must Be a Boogie Man" – 4:35
"Funeral" (Rap) – 1:07
"A Chair in the Sky" (Charles Mingus) – 6:42
"The Wolf That Lives in Lindsey" – 6:35
"I's a Muggin'" (Rap) – 0:07
"Sweet Sucker Dance" – 8:04 (Mingus)
"Coin in the Pocket" (Rap) – 0:11
"The Dry Cleaner from Des Moines" (Mingus) – 3:21
"Lucky" (Rap) – 0:04
"Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" (Mingus) – 5:37

 

[Dennie]

Classics Volume 8 -- CD

Joan Baez

1990 A&M Records

Album notesThis 1987 best-of compiles the work from A&M efforts that marked a stylistic change from her Vanguard years, yet a pretty consistent level of success. Relying on the work of other artists seemed to be more hit and miss during the A&M era. In Baez's interpretations of songs like Bob Dylan's "Simple Twist of Fate" and "Forever Young" and John Lennon's "Imagine," her pitch-perfect tone might strike some as unemotional, but her singing is engrossing nonetheless. Not surprisingly, Baez sounds the best here with the tracks that deviate from weighty issues. "Gracias a la Vida" (sung in Spanish) and the haunting "Di Da" (with Joni Mitchell) have her giving off more charm and emotion than usual. "Children and All That Jazz," from her best-selling 1975 album Diamonds & Rust, has a gorgeous, heavily produced '70s L.A. pop/rock style that suited her voice. Unlike many greatest-hit sets, Classics, Vol. 8 also offers strong live performances, including "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down" and the CD closing "Amazing Grace." Classics, Vol. 8 has the strength of a regular release effort and more than captures the time frame and the artist it's spotlighting. ~ Jason Elias

Track listing

1. Diamonds and Rust
2. Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
3. Simple Twist of Fate
4. Imagine
5. In the Quiet Morning
6. Best of Friends
7. Forever Young
8. Prison Trilogy
9. Jesse
10. Children and All That Jazz
11. Please Come to Boston
12. Never Dreamed You'd Leave in Summer
13. Gracias a la Vida
14. Sweeter For Me
15. Love Song to a Stranger
16. Amazing Grace

 

[Dennie]

Nothing Serious -- CD

Roy Hargrove

2006 Verve Records

Amazon.com

Despite the title, this disc--simultaneously released with Distractions, a CD by his neo-soul group, RH Factor--is trumpeter Roy Hargrove's first acoustic jazz recording since 2000 release, Moment to Moment. The leader's full-bodied, bravura tones are as bright and bold as ever, edging more into the stylistic atmosphere once occupied by the former trumpet god, Freddie Hubbard. Hargrove is backed by a quintet featuring ex-Jazz Messenger, pianist Ronnie Matthews, bassist Dwayne Burno, drummer Willie Jones IIII, and alto saxophonist/flutist Justin Robinson. They pull no punches on these no-nonsense tunes, like the Latin-tinged title track, and the John Coltrane/Ornette Coleman-coded "Camaraderie." Special guest Slide Hampton makes his elegant trombone presence felt on his soaring tune, "A Day in Vienna," on the waltzy "Salima's Dance," and the standard, "Invitation." So much for the myth that jazz musicians like Hargrove can't play funk and swing at the same time. --Eugene Holley, Jr.

Track Listing

1. Nothing Serious
2. Day in Vienna, A
3. Trust
4. Camaraderie
5. Devil Eyes
6. Gift, The
7. Salima's Dance
8. Invitation

 

[No-L]

This is Dennie's fault, I had to pop in Hiromi/SonicBloom's DVD, I had forgotten how damn good they were. Here's a sample:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuvSBYuMyi0[/youtube]

WOW!!!!!!

 

[Dennie]

My Time: A Boz Scaggs Anthology (1969 - 1997) -- 2 CD Set

Boz Scaggs

1997 Columbia Legacy

Bargain collection of classy soul and R&B July 31, 2001
By Hindburn
Format:Audio CD

Boz Scaggs may be remembered most for the disco / R&B styled hits 'Lowdown', 'What can I say' and 'Lido shuffle' in 1977, but there was far more to the man, as this excellent and comprehensive collection amply demonstrates. Boz was certainly not jumping on a disco bandwagon, as he had already spent a number of years honing his skills as an R&B/soul singer and band leader, resulting in several creditable albums leading up to his well deserved commercial breakthrough with the 'Silk Degrees' album from which came the above mentioned hits.

All his albums are adequately represented in this collection, although 'Silk Degrees' is particularly emphasised, with over half of the album included. This is justified, given the quality of the material, including the often-covered ballad 'We're all alone' and the jazzy, laid-back 'Harbor lights'. The follow-up albums, which like 'Silk Degrees' feature the superb rhythm section of Toto, are less well represented, but some of their best tracks are included, although there are a couple of surprising omissions - such as the ballad 'You can have me anytime', with its memorable guitar solo by Carlos Santana, and the Motown-styled 'Hollywood'.

There are also a number of interesting tracks from the last two decades, when Boz has kept a relatively low profile but has still made occasional albums, all to his usual high standard. This is an excellent album, without a dud track on it, and I would not wish to pick out favorites as the standard throughout is so high. With crystal clear remastered sound, a total of 33 songs giving a total length over 2.5 hours, an attractively designed booklet with an essay and full details of all tracks and musicians, this is an excellent overview of Boz's career. It should also persuade many listeners to obtain some of his other albums, some of which are now also available in remastered form.

Boz was and is a master of this genre, and most of today's young male singers with soulful pretensions should listen to this to find how it should really be done.

Track listing

Disc One

"Runnin' Blue" – 3:58
"We Were Always Sweethearts" – 3:29
"Near You" – 4:59
"Painted Bells" – 4:02
"Dinah Flo" – 3:04
"Might Have to Cry" – 4:06
"You Make It So Hard (To Say No)" – 3:34
"I Got Your Number" – 3:48
"Slow Dancer" – 3:14
"Hercules" – 4:04
"What Can I Say" – 3:00
"It's Over" – 2:50
"Harbor Lights" – 5:57
"Lowdown" – 5:16
"Lido Shuffle" – 3:43
"We're All Alone" – 4:12
"Loan Me a Dime" – 13:04

Disc Two

"Hard Times" – 4:30
"1993" – 4:05
"Jojo" – 5:52
"Isn't It Time" – 4:54
"Simone" – 5:08
"Breakdown Dead Ahead" – 4:35
"Miss Sun" – 5:32
"Look What You've Done to Me" – 5:18
"Heart of Mine" – 4:14
"What's Number One?" – 3:59
"Drowning in the Sea of Love" – 5:02
"Sierra" – 5:21
"Some Change" – 6:11
"Just Go" – 3:01
"Goodnight Louise" – 4:02