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Srvy
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The Healers
"Live At Knuckleheads"
A Concert For Blue Star Connection
By Peter "Blewzzman" Lauro © June 2013
If you aren't yet aware about Blue Star Connection you really should be. For blues lovers, it's such a good charity to be involved with. The people who run it and the people who are involved in helping it are all lovers of the genre as well. In addition to very generous donations, a lot of the money raised by, and for, the organization is raised from the proceeds of live concerts featuring some of our favorite blues artists. Basically, it's a win - win - win situation when you donate that way. You get to see a great blues show, while making a donation to an amazing charity and writing the event off on your taxes. How cool is that?
Now I'm not going to spend a lot of time telling you about the actual organization because you can find all that out for yourself by going to www.bluestarconnection.org. However, I'm here to tell you about the CD + DVD set that's available from them. The band is appropriately called The Healers and they are: Jimmy Hall on vocals, harmonica and sax; Reese Wynans on piano and B-3 organ; Samantha Fish on guitar and vocals; Danielle Schnebelen on bass and vocals; Kate Moss on guitar; and Kris Schnebelen on drums. The performance was recorded live on 11/11/2012 at Knuckleheads in Kansas City, MO.
I'm going to tell you a little bit about some of my personal favorite highlights from the DVD, which includes two bonus tracks not on the CD.
The show opens with "San-Ho-Zay". It's supposed to be your typical opening instrumental which gives the band a chance to feel each other out and get into just the right groove. However, this crew locked in immediately and turned the number into a three alarm smoker led by Reese pumpin' fuel on the fire from the keyboards.
"Messin' With The Kid" is another one of my favorites. With Jimmy beltin' it out on vocals, Kate, Dannielle and Kris are rockin' it on rhythm. Then Jimmy, Reese and Samantha pass the lead around as they take turns kickin' it on harp, piano and guitar. Oh yeah!
Next at the mic is Samantha, and she gets the place "Rollin' & Tumblin'" with a version of.......yeah, you guessed it. Vocally - by singing her heart out, Musically - by rocking out on guitar, and Visually - by looking absolutely stunning, Samantha - while leaving them roofless - treats the Knuckleheads to one hell of a show.
"As The Years Go Passing By" has always been one of my favorite songs. Probably because it's slow, gut wrenching blues and that's just the way I like it. Although everyone does a heck of a job making this one hell of a rendition of the song, it's pretty much Jimmy who nails it. Vocally he's about as emotional and soulful as a singer can get...and then there are the long, scorching and sultry sax leads...OMG. He's on a high right here and he's bringing me right up with him. Incredible stuff!
It's Danielle's turn to shine and shine she does on a rockin' version of "Love My Baby". Watching her is a treat and I'm not even referring to her good looks. Danielle's enthusiasm, vocal prowess and perpetual smiles just light up a stage. She likes having fun at the show as much as we do and it truly shows. What a vibe! One of this tracks highlights is the way Damielle features the whole group for individual highlights. Kate and Samantha each get in some scorching guitar leads, Jimmy and Reese take turns going nuts and in addition to singing, Danielle and her brother Kris are rhythmically on fire. Another gem.
On the Blues Cruise I saw Danielle and Victor Wainwright do a version of "I'd Rather Go Blind" and it was as spine chilling as the version that Etta James and Dr. John did many years before. Now, here are Danielle Schnebelen and Jimmy Hall doing a twelve minute version of "This Is A Man's World" and the flashbacks are starting. Amazing!
There's so much more and I can go on and on and on. However, I'd just rather you find out for yourself. Songs not mentioned are: "Grits Ain't Groceries", "Got My Mojo Working", "Keep On Smiling", "Going Down" plus "I Still Want To Be Your Man" and "I Put A Spell On You" which are two bonus tracks on the DVD only.
Hopefully I've whet your appetite for more and you can get all you want by going to www.bluestarconnection.org and clicking on the link that says Purchase Healers CD/DVD. It's just $30 + $5 for S&H and in addition to the many hours of pleasure it will give you, you'll have the satisfaction of knowing you helped a worthy cause. And don't forget, it's tax deductible. And please tell my friends at Blue Star that the Blewzzman sent ya.
Peter "Blewzzman" Lauro
Blues Editor @ www.Mary4Music.com
2011 Keeping The Blues Alive Award Recipient
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Bought this CD DVD at knuckleheads the night of Trampled Under Foot cd release party. This is just amazing really getting into it. Mony also gies to a great cause.
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Listen Here! -- CD
The Gene Harris Quartet
1989 Concord Records
Although often associated with the blues, only one of the ten selections on this quartet set by pianist Gene Harris (who is joined by guitarist Ron Eschete, bassist Ray Brown, and drummer Jeff Hamilton) is technically a blues. On this excellent all-around showcase for the soulful pianist, Harris sounds in prime form exploring such tunes as "This Masquerade," "Don't Be That Way," Eddie Harris' "Listen Here," and "The Song Is Ended." Listen Here! gives listeners a pretty definitive look at Gene Harris' accessible and swinging style. ~ Scott Yanow
Track Listing
1. This Masquerade
2. Don't Be That Way
3. I've Got a Feeling I'm Falling
4. Listen Here
5. This Can't Be Love
6. To You
7. Blues for Jezebel
8. Sweet and Lovely
9. Lullabye
10. The Song Is Ended
Gene Harris Quartet: Gene Harris (piano); Ron Eschete (guitar); Ray Brown (bass); Jeff Hamilton (drums).Recorded at The Plant Recording Studios, Sausalito, California in March 1989.
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Mercy, Mercy, Mercy! - Live at "The Club" -- CD
The Cannonball Adderley Quintet
1995 Capitol Jazz
In Los Angeles during the fall of 1966, Cannonball Adderley and his crack quintet laid down one of the most joyous, defining statements in the history of hard bop. MERCY, MERCY, MERCY, recorded live before a select and very vocal audience at Capitol Tower's capacious Studio A, presages the funkybutt rhythm changes and hollering gospel testimonies that distinguish contemporary jazz and new jack fusion, but with a greasy vitality and cerebral harmonic elegance often lacking in today's imitations.The Cannonball Adderley Quintet of 1966 was a juggernaut of swing. Whether romping through complex bebop variations ("Hippodelphia"), dipping into sanctified waters with a hot-wired boogaloo arrangement ("Sticks"), or combining the two moods in an exhilirating game of vamp and release ("Fun"), their years of bandstand experience added up to the kind of deep feeling that sequencers will never sample. On Cannonball's closing "Sack O' Woe," drummer Roy McCurdy, bassist Victor Gaskin and that unlikeliest of funkateers, the Austrian pianist Josef Zawinul (some four years before Weather Report), essay what seem like a compendium of the most celebratory church beats since the Civil War, as the altoist and his cornet-wielding brother testify fervently about better times coming.But on an album full of toe-tapping, high-flying, good time music, it is Zawinul's classic title tune that pays the freight. "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" was an unlikely top 10 hit, and inspired scores of jazz wannabes. Zawinul's use of the Wurlitzer electric piano gives "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" much of its smoky, down-home, after-hours ambience. Yet, it's the telepathic interplay and supple dynamics of the rhythm section, and the ardent vocal amens of the Adderley brothers that give this tune such a classic glow.
Track Listing
1. Fun
2. Games
3. Mercy, Mercy Mercy
4. Sticks
5. Hippodelphia
6. Sack O' Woe
Cannonball Adderley Quintet: Cannonball Adderley (alto saxophone); Nat Adderley (cornet); Joe Zawinul (acoustic & electric pianos); Victor Gaskin (bass); Roy McCurdy (drums).Producer: Davis Axelrod.Reissue producer: Michael Cuscuna.Recorded live at Capitol Studios, Los Angeles, California on October 20, 1966.
Dennie
Well-Known Member
I Remember Duke, Hoagy & Strayhorn -- CD
Ahmad Jamal
1995 Telarc Jazz
Ahmad Jamal, in paying tribute to Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, and Hoagy Carmichael, performs nearly every selection on this CD at a very slow tempo. Or at least his sidemen do, since the pianist often plays double-time lines, witty quotes from other songs, and occasional violent outbursts. In general, the music is quite thoughtful and subtle, with plenty of surprising ideas and unusual turns. Carmichael gets stiffed a bit (just two songs counting the "Stardust"-inspired "I Remember Hoagy") and a couple of numbers are departures from the theme (including "My Flower," "Never Let Me Go," and "Goodbye"), but most of the melodies come from the Ellington/Strayhorn songbook. Throughout, Ahmad Jamal (with the assistance of bassist Ephriam Wolfolk and drummer Arti Dixson) shows that he can sound relaxed, alert, and swinging at the slowest of paces, making this a set deserving (and perhaps needing) several listens to appreciate fully. ~ Scott Yanow
Track Listing
1. My Flower
2. I Got It Bad
3. In A Sentimental Mood
4. Ruby
5. Don't You Know You Know I Care
6. Prelude To A Kiss
7. Do Nothing Til You Hear From Me
8. Chelsea Bridge
9. I Remember Hoagy
10. Skylark
11. Never Let Me Go
12. Goodbye
Personnel: Ahmad Jamal (piano); Ephriam Wolfolk (bass); Arti Dixon (drums).
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Restoration - The Best of Bob James -- 2 CD Set
Bob James
2001 Warner Bros. Records
Amazon.com
Pianist-composer Bob James has been a mainstay on the contemporary jazz scene from the early '70s to today. His bell-like electric piano sound made him a radio favorite and a Grammy Award winner. This two-CD set contains James's greatest hits. There are the hip-hop sampled, snappy CTI label smashes like "Nautilus" and "Westchester Lady," as well as the plaintive "Touchdown" and the popular "Angela (The Theme from Taxi)" from his Columbia Records days. But there's also "Hockney" and the classical work, "Farandole," which showcase his beautiful acoustic jazz piano sound and his overlooked arranging skills. This compendium includes a multitude of sideman and collaborators, including Hubert Laws, Jon Faddis, Earl Klugh, Ron Carter, and David Sanborn. "Brighton by the Sea" with Grover Washington Jr. (originally appearing on James's H album), is rhythmically revamped with a zesty 21st-century drum & bass remix, showing that the music of Bob James is melodic, moving, and modern. --Eugene Holley Jr.
Track Listing
DISC 1:
1. Feel Like Making Love
2. Nautilus
3. Farandole (L'Arlesienne Suite No. 2)
4. Westchester Lady
5. Storm King
6. Tappan Zee
7. Night Crawler
8. Angela
9. Touchdown
10. Kari
11. Snowbird Fantasy
12. Shamboozie
13. remix) Brighton by the Sea - (Remix '01
DISC 2:
1. Maputo
2. Ashanti
3. Restoration
4. Bare Bones
5. Movin' On
6. Lotus Leaves
7. Restless
8. Storm Warning
9. Kickin' Back
10. Hockney
11. The River Returns
12. Mind Games
13. Raise the Roof
14. Joy Ride
15. Dancing on the Water
Personnel: Bob James (piano, Fender Rhodes piano, electric piano, Clavinet, organ, keyboards, Arp Odyssey & Oberheim synthesizers); Grover Washington Jr. (soprano & tenor saxophones); David Sanborn (alto saxophone); Eddie Daniels (tenor saxophone, flute); Boney James (tenor saxophone); Kirk Whalum (saxophone); Hubert Laws, Alexander Zonjic (flute); Dave Friedman (vibraphone); Richard Tee (keyboards); Earl Klugh, Bruce Dunlap (acoustic guitar); Hugh McCracken, Chuck Loeb, Lee Ritenour, Eric Gale, Paul Jackson, Jr., Hiram Bullock, Steve Khan (guitar); Marcus Miller, Will James, Gary King, Nathan East (bass); Steve Gadd, Harvey Mason, Idris Muhammad, Andy Newmark (drums); Ralph MacDonald, Leonard "Doc" Gibbs (percussion).Producers include: Bob James, Creed Taylor, Ray Bardani, Michael Colina, Tommy LiPuma.Compilation producer: Matt Pierson.Personnel: Bob James (electric piano, Clavinet, organ, keyboards); Hilary James (vocals, background vocals); Dean Brown , Eric Gale , Hiram Bullock, Lee Ritenour , Paul Jackson, Jr. , Steve Khan, Richie Resnicoff (guitar); Nick Moroch (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Chuck Loeb (electric guitar); Gloria Agostini (harp); Barry Finclair, Frederick Buldrini, Marvin Morgenstern, Harry Glickman, Lewis Eley, Regis Landiorio, Louis Gabowitz, John Pintavalle, Joseph Malin, Harold Kohon, Charles Libove, David Nadien, Matthew Raimondi, Richard Sortomme, Gene Orloff, Harry Cykman, Max Ellen, Paul Gershman, Emanuel Green, Harry Lookofsky (violin); Sue Pray, Theodore Israel, Lamar Alsop, The Manny Vardi Strings, Jean R. Dane, Al Brown (viola); Eddie Daniels, Harvey Estrin (flute, clarinet, tenor saxophone); Hubert Laws, Alexander Zonjic (flute); George Marge (alto flute, recorder, soprano recorder, oboe, English horn, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Romeo Penque (alto flute, recorder); Gerry Niewood (alto flute, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Howard Johnson (contrabass clarinet, baritone saxophone); Sidney Weinberg (oboe, English horn); Whit Sidener (woodwinds); Kirk Whalum (saxophone); David Sanborn, Jay Beckenstein (alto saxophone); Andy Snitzer (tenor saxophone); Roger Rosenberg (baritone saxophone); Lew Soloff, Marvin Stamm, Randy Brecker, Victor Paz, John Frosk (trumpet, flugelhorn); Jon Faddis, Mike Lawrence , Danny Cahn, Ron Tooley (trumpet); Albert Richmond, James Buffington, Peter Gordon (French horn); Eddie Bert, Jim Pugh , Tom Mitchell , Wayne Andre, Barry Rogers, Tony Studd, Paul Faulise (trombone); Dave Bargeron (bass trombone); Michael Colina (keyboards, drum programming); Richard Tee (keyboards); David Friedman (vibraphone); John "J.R." Robinson , Harvey Mason, Sr. , Idris Muhammad, Andrew Smith , Andy Newmark, Steve Gadd , Billy Kilson, Brian Blade, Buddy Williams (drums); Leonard "Doc" Gibbs, Ralph MacDonald, Arthur Jenkins (percussion); Max Risenhoover (bass programming); Tawatha Agee (background vocals).
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Black Orpheus -- Remastered CD
Ray Brown Trio
1994 Evidence Records
Whether accompanying or leading a band, bassist Ray Brown was long among jazz's greatest players. These cuts, mostly from 1989 escept for two numbers done in 1991, feature Brown backing soulful pianist Gene Harris and steady drummer Jeff Hamilton on a program combining Afro-Latin material with standards from Johnny Mercer, Fats Waller and others, as well as an excellent rendition of Percy Mayfield's blues/R&B standard "Please Send Me Someone to Love." The songs are long enough to display each musician's skills, but not so lengthy that they become repetitious. It's a well-played, delightful example of the kind of high-powered material that was Ray Brown's stock-in-trade. ~ Ron Wynn
Album Tracks
1. The Days Of Wine And Roses
2. I Thought About You
3. Black Orpheus (Manha de Carnaval)
4. How Insensitive
5. My Foolish Heart
6. Please Send Me Someone To Love
7. Ain't Misbehavin'
8. When You Wish Upon A Star
9. Things Ain't What They Used To Be
Ray Brown Trio: Ray Brown (bass); Gene Harris (piano); Jeff Hamilton (drums).Recorded live at Good Day Club, Tokyo, Japan on May 23, 1989 and February 7, 1991. Includes liner notes by Zan Stewart.Digitally remastered by Ed Vanlandegham.
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Spontaneous Combustion -- Remastered 24-bit CD
The Explosive Cannonball Adderley
2006 Savoy/SLG Records
This valuable set features altoist Cannonball Adderley's first recordings, cut just days after the unknown had greatly impressed musicians when he sat in with Oscar Pettiford's group at the Cafe Bohemia. He is quite impressive throughout, holding his own in an all-star octet led by drummer Kenny Clarke with trumpeter Donald Byrd, brother Nat Adderley on cornet, Jerome Richardson on reeds, and pianist Horace Silver. The second half of the set is the first of many quintet dates he led with Nat. This near-classic music is highlighted by "Bohemia After Dark," Nat's feature on "We'll Be Together Again," "A Little Taste," and the title cut. Spontaneous Combustion was reissued by the Savoy label in 2006 with 24-bit digital remastering and new cover art. ~ Scott Yanow & Al Campbell
Track Listing
1. Bohemia After Dark
2. Willow Weep for Me
3. With Apologies to Oscar
4. A Little Taste
5. Chasm
6. Spontaneious Combustion
7. Caribbean Cutie
8. Still Talkin' to Ya
Personnel: Cannonball Adderley (alto saxophone); Jerome Richardson (flute, tenor saxophone); Donald Byrd (trumpet); Nat Adderley (cornet); Horace Silver (piano); Paul Chambers (bass instrument); Kenny Clarke (drums).
Also in 5.1. There's a set on Amazon of the first three DF solo albums on 5.1 DVD-A, for (iirc) $83, totally worth it to me (even if I already had Morph, which impressed a couple people at Chuck's GTG).
I held off on pre-ordering "Underwater Condos", hoping it would come out on any Surround format, but it didn't; I have the stereo copy. :|
Dennie
Well-Known Member
Botch said:
Also in 5.1. There's a set on Amazon of the first three DF solo albums on 5.1 DVD-A, for (iirc) $83, totally worth it to me (even if I already had Morph, which impressed a couple people at Chuck's GTG).
I held off on pre-ordering "Underwater Condos", hoping it would come out on any Surround format, but it didn't; I have the stereo copy. :|
Thanks Botch! I almost always listen in 2 Channel. (Two La Scala's) But, I'll add it to the "list"!
Dennie
Dennie
Well-Known Member
The Poll Winners -- Remastered 20-Bit CD
Barney Kessel with Shelly Manne and Ray Brown
1957/2000 Contemporary/Fantasy Records
Amazon.com
The Poll Winners trio was based on guitarist Barney Kessel, bassist Ray Brown, and drummer Shelly Manne, who each managed to place first on his instrument in the 1956 Down Beat, Metronome, and Playboy readers' polls, a remarkable feat given the range from hardcore jazz fans to casual generalists who read the magazines. Kessel and Brown had worked together as two-thirds of the Oscar Peterson trio, and they had all played together on numerous recording sessions, but the open sound of the guitar-led trio was a special opportunity for Brown and Manne to share the foreground. Kessel was an outstanding soloist, capable of almost trumpetlike phrases delivered with rhythmic bite and flexibility--unusual in guitarists of the era. His clear, boppish lines intertwine neatly with Brown's loping pulse and Manne's lightly swinging drums, while Brown's solos are almost as dexterous as the guitarist's. It's low-key, melodic music, equally suited for casual and close listening. --Stuart Broomer
Track Listing
1. Jordu
2. Satin Doll
3. It Could Happen to You
4. Minor Mood
5. Nagasaki
6. On Green Dolphin Street
7. Don't Worry 'Bout Me
8. You Go to My Head
9. Mean to Me
Personnel: Barney Kessel (guitar); Ray Brown (bass); Shelley Manne (drums).Recorded at Contemporary Studios, Los Angeles, California on March 18-19, 1957. Includes original liner notes by Nat Hentoff.Digitally remastered using 20-bit K2 Super Coding System technology.
My copy looks like this...
Dennie
Well-Known Member
With Billie In Mind -- Remasterd CD
Teddy Wilson - Solo Piano
1972/1995 Chiaroscuro Records
Teddy Wilson's association with Billie Holiday is legendary; his Brunswick recordings were among the finest small ensemble performances of the 1930s, and from these sessions, the tunes he recorded with Holiday were among the best. This 1972 release features Wilson in a solo piano setting, performing many of the tunes he had originally made popular backing the great singer.Teddy Wilson's piano style harks back to the early days of jazz, and the great stride piano tradition of Fats Waller, Earl Hines, and others. Wilson's touch, however, is more refined and dynamically varied than his contemporaries'. His music is delicate, light-fingered, and precise. Most of all, it really swings. Highlights here include the carefree "Sugar," and the uptempo sizzler "What a Moon, What a Night, What a Girl."
Track Listing
1. What a Little Moonlight Can Do
2. This Year's Kisses
3. When You're Smiling
4. Easy to Love
5. Sugar
6. Body and Soul
7. If You Were Mine
8. Them There Eyes
9. I'll Never Be the Same
10. I Wished on the Moon - (previously unreleased)
11. Why Was I Born
12. I Cried for You - (previously unreleased)
13. If Dreams Come True - (previously unreleased)
14. Fooling Myself - (previously unreleased)
15. Mean to Me - (previously unreleased)
16. Nice Work If You Can Get It - (previously unreleased)
17. I'll Get By (As Long as I Have You) - (previously unreleased)
18. Easy Living
19. Miss Brown to You
20. What a Moon, What a Night, What a Girl
Solo performer: Teddy Wilson (piano).Recorded in New York, New York in May 1972. Includes liner notes by Teddy Wilson, John Hammond and Hank O'Neal.Digital remastered by John Bates (New York Digital Recording).