What Are You Listening To?

[Dennie]

Blue Suite -- Composed and Arranged by Bob Belden -- CD

Gary Smulyan and Brass with Bill Charlap - Christian McBride - Kenny Washington

1999 Criss Cross Jazz

Gary Smulyan and Bob Belden continue their fruitful musical relationship on this somewhat unusual outing. Beginning with an introductory arrangement of Oliver Nelson's up-tempo "Interlude," the disc is then given over to a seven-part "Blue Suite" composed and arranged by Belden. Smulyan leads the proceedings on baritone sax, joined by Bill Charlap on piano, Christian McBride on bass, and Kenny Washington on drums, along with four trumpets, three trombones, two French horns, and a tuba. Most of these brass players are Smulyan's fellow members in the historic Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. An extended meditation on the blues in all its variety, the suite features Smulyan's virtuosic, expressive bari playing and fine solos from trumpeters Scott Wendholt and Greg Gisbert, French horn player John Clark, tubist Bob Stewart, and trombonist John Mosca. To hear the blues genesis of some of these compositions -- especially "Blues in My Neighborhood," "Charleston Blue," and "Blues Gentility" -- requires a careful ear. "Blue Speed" and "Blue Stomp," in contrast, are more straightforward blowing vehicles. Throughout, Blue Suite satisfyingly combines exploratory compositions, carefully developed arrangements, and loose-limbed improvisation, all within the inexhaustible framework of the blues. ~ David R. Adler

Track Listing
1. Interlude
2. Blues Culture
3. Blues in My Neighborhood
4. Charleston Blue
5. Blues Attitude
6. Blue Speed
7. Blues Gentility
8. Blue Stomp

-----
Personnel: Gary Smulyan (baritone saxophone); Greg Gisbert, Scott Wendholt, Earl Gardner (trumpet); John Mosca (trombone); Douglas Purviance (bass trombone); Bill Charlap (piano); Kenny Washington, Joe Farnsworth (drums)

 

[Xgm3]

 

[Dennie]

Manhattan Moods -- CD

McCoy Tyner & Bobby Hutcherson

1994 Blue Note Records

Pianist Tyner and vibes player Hutcherson go way back in jazz's be-bop canon, and the gorgeous refrains to be found on MANHATTAN MOODS provide evidence that their brilliance has hardly dimmed in their more than 40-plus years in the limelight. Both Tyner and Hutcherson are in contemplative, romantic mode here, as their choice of material reflects."Dearly Beloved" finds Tyner providing the wisps of melody while Hutcherson's mellifluous vibes color the air around them. Hutcherson's "Isn't This My Sound Around Me?" couches Tyner's velvety keys in subtle hues. However, the epitome of this recording's stately grace resides in the duo's reading of "(I Loves You) Porgy," where Tyner's notes probe tenderly while Hutcherson's exquisitely light touch on his vibes sparkle like iridescent fireflies. One of Blue Note's masterwork releases of the '90s, and a particularly vital part of both musicians' sterling catalogs.

Track Listing
1. Manhattan Moods
2. Blue Monk
3. Dearly Beloved
4. Porgy, (I Loves You)
4. I Loves You, Porgy
5. Isn't This My Sound Around Me?
6. Soul Eyes
7. Travelin' Blues
8. Rosie
9. For Heaven's Sake

 

[Dennie]

RIP Ravi....

Concert For George - Soundtrack -- 2 CD Set

Various Artists

2003 Oops/Warner Strategic Marketing

Recorded at the Royal Albert Hall on 29 November 2002 – the first anniversary of Harrison's death – the performance features a wealth of talents who knew Harrison well. Eric Clapton, one of Harrison's closest friends, is not only a performer but the musical director of the show. Representing Indian music, an important influence on Harrison's sound, is Ravi Shankar and his daughter Anoushka Shankar. Among Harrison's rock and roll cohorts are Jeff Lynne, Gary Brooker, Joe Brown, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Billy Preston and Harrison's two former bandmates, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr.

All songs written by George Harrison, except where noted.
Disc one

"Sarve Shaam" (Ravi Shankar) – 3:18
"Your Eyes (Sitar Solo)" (Ravi Shankar), performed by Anoushka Shankar – 8:23
"The Inner Light", performed by Jeff Lynne, Dhani Harrison and Anoushka Shankar – 3:02
Originally the B-side to The Beatles' "Lady Madonna" in 1968
"Arpan" (Ravi Shankar), conducted by Anoushka Shankar – 23:02

Disc two

"I Want to Tell You", performed by Jeff Lynne – 2:53
Originally heard on The Beatles' 1966 album Revolver
"If I Needed Someone", performed by Eric Clapton – 2:29
Originally heard on The Beatles' 1965 album Rubber Soul
"Old Brown Shoe", performed by Gary Brooker – 3:48
Originally the B-side to The Beatles' "The Ballad of John and Yoko" in 1969
"Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)", performed by Jeff Lynne – 3:29
Originally heard on Harrison's 1973 album Living in the Material World
"Beware of Darkness", performed by Eric Clapton – 4:01
Originally heard on Harrison's 1970 album All Things Must Pass
"Here Comes the Sun", performed by Joe Brown – 3:09
Originally heard on The Beatles' 1969 album Abbey Road
"That's the Way It Goes", performed by Joe Brown – 3:40
Originally heard on Harrison's 1982 album Gone Troppo
"Taxman", performed by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – 3:11
Originally heard on The Beatles' 1966 album Revolver
"I Need You", performed by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – 3:00
Originally heard on The Beatles' 1965 album Help!
"Handle With Care" (Harrison, Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison), performed by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers with Jeff Lynne and Dhani Harrison – 3:27
Originally heard on Traveling Wilburys' 1988 album Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1
"Isn't It a Pity", performed by Billy Preston – 6:58
Originally heard on Harrison's 1970 album All Things Must Pass
"Photograph" (Harrison, Richard Starkey), performed by Ringo Starr – 3:57
Originally heard on Ringo Starr's 1973 album Ringo
"Honey Don't" (Carl Perkins), performed by Ringo Starr – 3:04
Originally heard on The Beatles' 1964 album Beatles for Sale
"For You Blue", performed by Paul McCartney – 3:05
Originally heard on The Beatles' 1970 album Let It Be
"Something", performed by Paul McCartney and Eric Clapton – 4:26
Originally heard on The Beatles' 1969 album Abbey Road
"All Things Must Pass", performed by Paul McCartney – 3:33
Originally heard on Harrison's 1970 album All Things Must Pass
"While My Guitar Gently Weeps", performed by Paul McCartney and Eric Clapton – 5:57
Originally heard on The Beatles' 1968 double album The Beatles
"My Sweet Lord", performed by Billy Preston – 5:03
Originally heard on Harrison's 1970 album All Things Must Pass
"Wah-Wah", performed by Eric Clapton and Band – 6:06
Originally heard on Harrison's 1970 album All Things Must Pass
"I'll See You in My Dreams" (Isham Jones, Gus Kahn), performed by Joe Brown – 4:02

 

[Xgm3]

 

[Xgm3]

 

[Xgm3]

 

[heeman]

Jane's Addiction

:text-bravo: :happy-smileygiantred: :music-rockout:

Kazaam, thanks for reminding me of this one!!

:music-rockout: :music-rockout: :music-rockout:

 

[Dennie]

Today's 37 degree work truck music...

Park Avenue South - Live at Starbucks Series -- CD

Dave Brubeck Quartet

2002 Telarc Records

Jazz has always been one of those simple yet sophisticated pleasures in life. So has coffee. Maybe that’s why the two go together so well.

Following up on the Ray Brown Trio’s highly acclaimed Live at Starbucks in 2001, Telarc serves up another steaming and satisfying cup in the Live at Starbucks series with the Dave Brubeck Quartet’s Park Avenue South. As the title suggests, the album was recorded in an intimate evening session in front of an exclusive audience in a Starbucks coffeehouse on Park Avenue in Manhattan in July 2002. Despite the highly unconventional setting, the album is “a mix of the familiar and the new” from one of the most influential jazz pianists of the last half century and his talented crew.

“Throughout my years with Telarc I have recorded in many different situations,” says Brubeck in the liner notes. “Live in a night club, in a cathedral, in concert halls, and of course, in several different studios. The experience of recording on Park Avenue in Manhattan at a Starbucks coffeehouse was something unique and a challenge for musicians and sound engineers alike.”

All acoustic, atmospheric and engineering issues aside, the final product is on a par with Brubeck’s other fine Telarc recordings of the past decade. The opening track, “Sunny Side of the Street” is tailor-made for bleary-eyed commuters seeking that first cup of high-octane java when the doors open at 6 am. Other well known standards include “Love for Sale,” “Love Is Just Around the Corner” and “Slow Boat To China.”

In addition to the standards, Brubeck also serves up a few original compositions, including the poignant “Elegy,” a piece written for and dedicated to the memory of Randi Hultin, a Norwegian jazz critic and a longtime friend of Brubeck who died of cancer before she could actually hear the quartet perform it. On the lighter side is “Crescent City Stomp,” an ode to New Orleans with an infectious mix of melody, harmony and backbeat that reflects the rich musical and cultural tapestry of the Big Easy.

Also from the Brubeck pen come the easygoing “Don’t Forget Me,” inspired by a conversation with a longtime friend and associate, and the lighthearted “I Love Vienna,” written on a train ride from Switzerland to Austria. A compelling rendition of “Take Five,” the quartet’s signature piece, carries just as much of a syncopated jolt as the original recording of more than forty years ago, and reminds us why Brubeck is still one of the most innovative jazz pianists of his generation.

Comfortable and stimulating at the same time, the Dave Brubeck Quartet’s Park Avenue South is a place worth checking out. Jazz never tasted so good.

1. On the Sunny Side of the Street 7:45
2. Love For Sale (Live) 8:37
3. Elegy 4:54
4. Don't Forget Me 11:01
5. Love Is Just Around the Corner 8:18
6. On a Slow Boat to China 4:47
7. I Love Vienna 6:42
8. Crescent City Stomp 6:15
9. Take Five 6:54
10. Show Me the Way to Go Home 6:17

 

[topper]

1998 release / various artists

1. Ponderosa Stomp - Lazy Lester
2. Moody Blues - Slim Harpo
3. I'm Him - Lightnin' Slim/Schoolboy Cleve
4. Santa Fe - Baby Boy Warren/Sonny Boy Williamson
5. Love Shock - Little Sonny
6. Thing's Aint Right - Jerry McCain
7. If I Had My Life To Live Over - Vincent Monroe
8. Lonesome La La - Silas Hogan/Sylvester Buckley
9. You Better Change - Ole Sonny Boy
10. If You Think You've Lost Me - Lazy Lester
11. Wintertime Blues - Lightin' Slim/Lazy Lester
12. Trying To Please - Jerry McCain
13. Storm IN Texas - Whispering Smith
14. Frankie & Johnny - Jimmy Anderson
15. Snoopin' Around - Slim Harpo
16. I Told My Little Woman - Lazy Lester
17. Dont Say A Word - Lonesome Sundown/Lazy Lester
18. Gring Me My Machine Gun - Baby Boy Warren/Sonny Boy Williamson
19. I'll Love You Baby - Little Sonny
20. Hound Dog Twist - Whispering Smith

 

[Dennie]

Louis Armstrong Plays W.C. Handy -- Remastered CD

Louis Armstrong

1954/2008 Columbia Records

This wonderful and historically monumental recording pairs the master of jazz trumpet and jazz singing with "the father of the blues." In the early years of the 20th century, composer W.C. Handy authored many blues numbers, some of which have gone on not only to become enduring standards in the genre, but also to influence a vast repertoire of popular music.Armstrong, who achieved some of his earliest successes with treatments of Handy favorites, is in superior form on this recording. Perhaps due to Handy's presence at the sessions (the booklet is full of wonderful photos of the two), Satch seems even more focused and full of enthusiasm than usual. With excellent support from a band that includes Trummy Young (trombone), Barney Bigard (clarinet), and Velma Middleton (vocals), Armstrong and Co. interpret such Handy favorites as "The Memphis Blues," "Beale Street Blues," and the immortal "St. Louis Blues." The CD appends five previously unreleased tracks and an interview with Handy, making this set immeasurably worthwhile, in terms of both historic importance and entertainment value.

Side 1

"St. Louis Blues" (Handy) - 8:50
"Yellow Dog Blues" (Handy) - 4:16
"Loveless Love" (Handy) - 4:28
"Aunt Hagar's Blues" (Brymn, Handy) - 4:57
"Long Gone (From Bowling Green)" (Handy, Smith) - 5:08

Side 2

"Memphis Blues" (Handy, Norton) - 2:59
"Beale Street Blues" (Handy) - 4:56
"Ole Miss Blues" (Handy) - 3:25
"Chantez Les Bas (Sing 'Em Low)" (Handy) - 4:48
"Hesitating Blues" (Handy) - 5:20
"Atlanta Blues (Make Me a Pallet on the Floor)" (Elman, Handy) - 4:33

1996/2008 CD bonus tracks

"George Avakian's Interview with W. C. Handy - 2:44
"Loveless Love" (Handy) - 5:55
"Hesitating Blues" (Handy) - 5:38
"Alligator Story" - 0:47
"Long Gone (From Bowling Green)" (Handy, Smith) - 7:53

--------

Louis Armstrong – trumpet, vocals
Barney Bigard – clarinet
Barrett Deems – drums
W. C. Handy – performer
Billy Kyle – piano
Velma Middleton – vocals
Arvell Shaw – bass
Trummy Young – trombone

 

[Dennie]

Playground -- CD

Russell Malone

2004 MaxJazz String Series

Amazon.com

The Max Jazz label couldn't have picked a better artist to debut their String Series than guitarist Russell Malone. Malone's résumé already boasts high-profile gigs with Ray Brown, Branford Marsalis, and Diana Krall, plus recordings as a leader with Columbia and Verve. On this recording, his playing--with shades of George Benson, Grant Green, and Wes Montgomery--is clear and even-toned on old standards like Billy Strayhorn's evergreen ballad, "Something to Live For." But he can also change up the groove, as evidenced by his Latin take on the Carpenters' "We've Only Just Begun." On unaccompanied readings of Carole King's "You've Got a Friend" and the Jerome Kern/Dorothy Fields number "Remind Me," his solo sound evokes Joe Pass's intimate timbres. The CD also spotlights Malone's growing compositional chops, as evidenced by the live CD-ROM bonus track, "Mugshot," the hyper-bop diity "Sugar Buzz" (with vibraphonist Joe Locke), and the Coltrane-styled "Mandela," which features Gary Bartz on alto saxophone. --Eugene Holley, Jr.

Track Listing

1. You Should Know Better
2. Blues For Mulgrew
3. Something to Live For
4. Sugar Buzz
5. Playground
6. Remind Me
7. We've Only Just Begun
8. Invisible Colors
9. Mandela
10. You've Got a Friend

 

[Dennie]

Today's work truck music....

Collection -- CD

Tracy Chapman

2001 Elektra Records (Import)

A good album, August 22, 2003
By Christoph Walter "Felix Krull" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
This review is from: Collection (Audio CD)

All the important hits from Tracy's first 5 albums are featured on "Collection". I sometimes wonder where people like Tracy have gone...people who talk about things that are uncomfortable. She does that for example in her fantastic songs "Fast Car" and "Subcity" (my favourite song on the album), not to forget the superb "Talking 'Bout a Revolution".
Moreover, her great lovesongs "Baby Can I Hold You" and "The Promise" are among the most romantic ever written.
She taught us that all that we have is our soul...Tracy Chapman has plenty of it.

"Fast Car" - [Tracy Chapman 1988] 4:58
"Subcity" - [Crossroads 1989] 5:12
"Baby Can I Hold You" - [Tracy Chapman 1988] 3:14
"The Promise" - [New Beginning 1995] 5:28
"I'm Ready" - [New Beginning 1995] 4:56
"Crossroads" - [Crossroads 1989] 4:13
"Bang Bang Bang" - [Matters Of The Heart 1992] 4:22
"Telling Stories" - [Telling Stories 2000] 3:58
"Smoke and Ashes" - [New Beginning 1995] 6:39
"Speak the Word" - [Telling Stories 2000] 4:13
"Wedding Song" - [Telling Stories 2000] 4:36
"Open Arms" - [Matters Of The Heart 1992] 4:34
"Give Me One Reason" - [New Beginning 1995] 4:29
"Talkin' 'bout a Revolution" - [Tracy Chapman 1988] 2:40
"She's Got Her Ticket" - [Tracy Chapman 1988] 3:56
"All That You Have Is Your Soul" - [Crossroads 1989] 5:15

 

[Xgm3]

 

[Botch]

On a 5.1 DVD-A, on my new Oppo, which does not cut off the beginnings of tracks, see my other thread.

Ah. :music-listening:

 

[Botch]

Xgm3, I love your signature quote! :handgestures-thumbup:

 

[Kazaam]

Kazaam, thanks for reminding me of this one!!

:music-rockout: :music-rockout: :music-rockout:

It's kind of funny when I realize that I think I like Janes Addiciton now more today than I did years ago.

 

[Kazaam]

Playing some Alabama this morning.

As far as pop/country goes, I like this 1980s stuff far more than the pop/country of of the 2000/10s.

 

[Xgm3]

Thank you Botch!

 

[heeman]

Track Listings
1. Pin Cushion
2. Breakaway
3. World Of Swirl
4. Fuzzbox Voodoo
5. Girl In A T-Shirt
6. Antenna Head
7. PCH
8. Cherry Red
9. Cover Your Rig
10. Lizard Life
11. Deal Goin' Down