What Are You Listening To?

[Dennie]

A Dynamic New Sound : Guitar/Organ/Drums -- SACD

The Wes Montgomery Trio

1959/2004 Riverside Records

Not Typical, December 27, 2000
By B. Benedetto (Ipswich, Ma USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Dynamic New Sound (Audio CD)

This is not your typical sounding jazz record, so don't be too surprised or turned off when you initially hear it. I've discovered that the music on this one tends to grow on you over time. Of course, this version of "Around Midnight" is one the best ever, but there a lot of other gems here. The other bonus about this record is the clear, crisp sound quality. You feel like you're right next to his amp. If you like jazz guitar this is must have.

"'Round Midnight" (Thelonious Monk, Cootie Williams) – 4:58
"Yesterdays" (Otto Harbach, Jerome Kern) – 3:20
"The End of a Love Affair" (Redding) – 3:18
"Whisper Not" (Benny Golson) – 4:40
"Ecaroh" (Horace Silver) – 3:00
"Satin Doll" [Alternate take] (Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer, Billy Strayhorn) – 4:08
"Satin Doll" (Ellington, Mercer, Strayhorn) – 3:58
"Missile Blues" [Alternate take] (Wes Montgomery) – 4:37
"Missile Blues" (Montgomery) – 6:04
"Too Late Now" (Burton Lane, Alan Jay Lerner) – 4:55
"Jingles" (Montgomery) – 5:31

Tracks 6 & 8 do not appear on the original album.

 

[Dennie]

All This Time -- CD

Sting

2001 A&M Records

Jazzier than typical Sting, but very beautiful, November 27, 2001
By Manny Hernandez "@askmanny" (Bay Area, CA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)
This review is from: ...all this time (Audio CD)

Sting comes back with this live recording made on September 11 (he respectfully dedicates it to the victims of the tragedy). This time around he revisits tunes from all his periods (The Police, early and late solo material) but with a very jazzy feel to most of the songs.

What can be said about this album, that has not been said about Sting at some point? It's brilliant: he grabs his songs and virtually reinvents them, to the point where they sound almost like different songs. This is the case with almost all songs in this recording which, like all previous Sting works, is impeccably recorded and produced.

Particularly enjoyable I found his beautiful rendition of the Police classics "Don't stand so close to me" and "Roxanne" as well as the tracks included from his least popular album, 'Mercury Falling' and the mix of "A Thousand Years" and "PerfectLove... Gone Wrong," much in the same style of his earlier live double-album. Interesting results his Traffic-like version of his very own "If you love somebody set them free"... Grrrrooovy!!!! New tracks anyone? Yes! "Dienda" in the style of his interpretation of the Zappa song, "The Idiot *** song" which some lucky people were able to hear back during some sessions he played in Chicago several years ago.

Overall, one of those jewels that oughta become part of your musical collection.

All songs written by Sting, except where noted.

"Fragile" - 4:35
"A Thousand Years" (Kipper, Sting) - 3:02
"Perfect Love...Gone Wrong" - 4:11
"All This Time" - 5:20
"The Hounds of Winter" - 4:29
"Mad About You" (not included on the US edition)
"Don't Stand So Close to Me" - 2:15
"When We Dance" - 4:52
"Dienda" (Kenny Kirkland, Sting) - 3:12
"Roxanne" - 3:36
"If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" - 4:57
"Brand New Day" - 4:46
"Fields of Gold" - 3:50
"Moon over Bourbon Street" - 2:55
"If I Ever Lose My Faith in You" - 4:31
"Every Breath You Take" - 5:04

 

[Dennie]

N.Y.C. -- CD

Steps Ahead

1989 Intuition/Capital Records

In 1989, Steps Ahead consisted of Mike Mainieri on MIDI vibraharp, synclavier and acoustic piano, the young saxophonist Bendik doubling on keyboards, guitarist Steve Kahn, Tony Levin on electric bass and Chapman stick, and drummer Steve Smith. The powerful band did not have a great deal of subtlety by this era, but it helped to keep the much-maligned genre of fusion alive, mixing the sound of rock with jazz improvising. The 11 selections on this obscure effort were all written or co-composed by Mainieri and Bendik and make up in intensity for their lack of dynamics. Rock listeners will most enjoy this decent, if not too substantial release. ~ Scott Yanow

Track Listing
1. Well in That Case
2. Lust for Life
3. Senegal Calling
4. Go or Give Red Neon
5. Charanga
6. Get It
7. N.Y.C.
8. Stick Jam
9. Absolutely Maybe
10. Festival
11. Paradiso

 

[Botch]

^^^ I didn't realize Tony Levin played with Steps Ahead on that disk; I'll have to dig it out tonight. Thanks! :music-rockout:

 

[Dennie]

You are welcome Botch! bscene-drinkingcheers:

Home Cookin' -- Remastered CD

Jimmy Smith

1960/2004 Blue Note Records

Soul Food, Chicken Grease, and Hammond B-3 soul, April 20, 2000
By Sean K Hur (New Brunswick, NJ) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Home Cookin (Audio CD)

Wow, now here's a good work for you hammond b-3 fans. The small 3 personal group that basically epitomizes the Jimmy Smith sound in his blue-note years are here. With the added tenor saxophone work of Percy France, you got a great combination of soul food for you ears! Like the title of the album, there is a great deal of blues entwined inside every track. Highlights on the album were immediately the really driving "I Got a Woman," a great Ray Charles standard that Kenny Burrell, another fine jazz guitarist really shines. There are points when it seems that this is more a blues-jazz group, there isn't much in terms of be-bop flashiness, which may turn off some arrogant jazz types. It seems that Jimmy Smith's greatest work isn't in the spitty organ leads he pumps, its the subtle organ bass lines that sound incredible. THERE IS NO BASS PLAYER IN HIS GROUP! Every track reveals a good blues sensibility that the hammond b-3 organ seems to lend itself too. Jimmy Smith's album here helps to bridge a great gap between the intellectual and heady jazz of the era with the low-down chicken house organ sounds... Incredible, and this album is one of his best!

All compositions by Jimmy Smith except as indicated

"See See Rider" (Ma Rainey) - 6:35
"Sugar Hill" (Kenny Burrell) - 5:19
"I Got a Woman" (Ray Charles, Renald Richard) - 3:55
"Messin' Around" - 5:55
"Gracie" - 5:54
"Come on Baby" (Burrell) - 6:50
"Motorin' Along" (Jimmy McGriff) - 5:09

Bonus tracks on CD reissue:

"Since I Fell for You" (Buddy Johnson) - 4:19
"Apostrophe" (Percy France) - 6:35
"Groanin'" (Jack McDuff) - 8:10
"Motorin' Along" [alternate take] (McGriff) - 5:02
"Since I Fell for You" [alternate take] (Johnson) - 6:27

Recorded on July 15, 1958 (tracks 7, 8, 11, 12), May 24, 1959 (tracks 3, 10) and June 16, 1959 (tracks 1, 2, 4-6 & 9).



Jimmy Smith – organ
Percy France - tenor saxophone (tracks 1, 4-6 & 9)
Kenny Burrell – guitar
Donald Bailey – drums

 

[Dennie]

Velvet Soul -- Remastered CD

Carmen McRae

1973/2001 LRC Records

McRae was doing mix of standards, ballads, a little blues, and some originals, and was also experimenting with some soul jazz. These are not as well done as her material on some other labels, but are interesting for showing the mood of a label in the transitional '70s. ~ Ron Wynn

Track Listing
1. Nice Work If You Can Get It
2. It Takes a Whole of Human Feeling
3. I Fall in Love Too Easily
4. Hey John
5. Where Are the Woods
6. Straighten up and Fly Right
7. Inside a Silent Tear
8. Imagination
9. The Right to Love
10. All the Things You Are
11. You're Mine You
12. You and I
13. How Could I Settle For Less
14. The Good Life
15. Sunshine of My Life
16. Exactly Like You
17. There Will Come a Time
18. Masquerade
19. Livin'

Personnel: Carmen McRae (vocals); Zoot Sims (tenor saxophone); Larry Bunker (vibraphone, percussion); Dick Shreve, Tom Garvin (piano), Joe Pass, Bucky Pizzarelli (guitar); Ray Brown, Paul West (bass); Frank Severino, Jimmy Madison (drums).Recorded in Los Angeles and New York between 1972 and 1973. Originally released on LRC

 

[Dennie]

Today's work truck music...

Rickie Lee Jones -- CD

Rickie Lee Jones

1979/1990 Warner Bros. Records

Amazon.com

The breezy melodies and jazz stylings of Rickie Lee Jones's debut album are usually found in the works of more mature pop artists. It's only the exuberance of Jones's often cackling voice that reminds you that a 23-year-old is at the controls. And Jones's "little girl lost" perspective, while hanging out in mid-1970s Los Angeles with neo-Beat songwriters-barroom troubadours Tom Waits and Chuck E. Weiss, makes for colorful storytelling. In fact, her tale about Weiss, "Chuck E.'s in Love," hit the Top 10. But there's a lot more elegant stuff here: "Last Chance Texaco" is a soaring ballad about automobiles and broken hearts, and the Sinatra-esque "After Hours" features a lonely Jones singing to a lamppost. --Bill Crandall

Songs written by Rickie Lee Jones, except where noted.

"Chuck E.'s In Love" 3:28
"On Saturday Afternoons In 1963" – 2:31
"Night Train" – 3:14
"Young Blood" – 4:04
"Easy Money" – 3:16
"The Last Chance Texaco" – 4:05
"Danny's All-Star Joint" – 4:01
"Coolsville" – 3:49
"Weasel And The White Boys Cool" (Rickie Lee Jones, Alfred Johnson) – 6:00
"Company" (Rickie Lee Jones, Alfred Johnson) – 4:40
"After Hours (Twelve Bars Past Midnight)" – 2:13

 

[Dennie]

Sweet Soul -- CD

Peter Erskine

1992 Novus Records

Six of the 11 selections on this CD (most of which were written by drummer Peter Erskine, Vince Mendoza, or Kenny Werner) feature Joe Lovano on tenor (and in one instance soprano) in a quartet with pianist Werner, bassist Marc Johnson, and Erskine; Lovano (who would soon hit it big) already sounds quite mature and creative. Three of the other numbers have slightly larger groups (with guitarist John Scofield, tenor saxophonist Bob Mintzer, and trumpeter Randy Brecker appearing on some of the cuts), Dave Brubeck's "In Your Own Sweet Way" is taken by the Werner-Johnson-Erskine trio, and the brief "But Is It Art?" is a drum solo. Throughout the date, the solos uplift the material and make this CD a worthy purchase for listeners who enjoy challenging but sometimes accessible post-bop music. ~ Scott Yanow

Track Listing
1. Touch Her Soft Lips and Part
2. Press Enter
3. Sweet Soul
4. To Be or Not to Be
5. Ambivalence
6. Angels and Devils
7. Speak Low
8. Sco-Lastic
9. Distant Blossom
10. But Is It Art?
11. In Your Own Sweet Way

Personnel: Peter Erskine (drums); Joe Lovano (soprano & tenor saxophones); Bob Mintzer (tenor saxophone); Randy Brecker (trumpet); Kenny Werner (piano, organ, synthesizer); John Scofield (guitar); Marc Johnson (bass).Recorded at Skyline Studios, New York, New York on March 4 & 5, 1991. Includes liner notes by Peter Erskine.

 

[Dennie]

"On this recording, Ray is in the center, John is towards the left and Christian is heard on the Right."

Superbass 2 (Live)-- CD

Ray Brown - John Clayton - Christian McBride

2001 Telarc DSD

In the liner notes to the initial CD Super Bass (recorded for Capri), Ray Brown assured that the next Super Bass release would be twice as good. He lives up to the promise, as he and John Clayton are joined by the young bass sensation Christian McBride this time. Although Brown is the senior statesman of the trio and hatched the conception of Super Bass, all three men equally share the solos, as well as the arranging and choosing of songs. Brown's contributions include a trio of imaginatively arranged, time-tested standards from Gershwin's Porgy and Bess as well as the group's lively signature theme and the campy "Taco With a Pork Chop" (which adds percussionists George Gludas and Larry Fuller). McBride's chart of "Get Happy" is a delightful swinger, while his pulsating rendition of the Temptations' "Papa Was a Rolling Stone" is a definite crowd pleaser that inspires the audience to sing along. Clayton's very effective treatment of "Mysterioso" has the trio alternating between plucked and arco bass; his funky "Three by Four" also proves very infectious upon its first hearing. Brown's comments in the midst of many of these performances gives the listener the feeling he or she is witnessing a private jam session between three old friends. ~ Ken Dryden

Track Listing
1. Superbass Theme
2. Get Happy
3. Misterioso
4. Papa Was a Rolling Stone
5. Summertime
6. Porgy I Loves You
7. It Ain't Necessarily So
8. Birk's Works
9. My Funny Valentine
10. Three by Four
11. Taco With a Pork Chop
12. Superbass Theme

Personnel: Ray Brown, John Clayton, Christian McBride (bass); George Fludus, Larry Fuller (percussion).Recorded live at the Blue Note, New York, New York on December 15-17, 2000.Includes liner notes by Dr. Herb Wong.

 

[Botch]

Rickie Lee Jones -- CD

Last Chance Texaco is one magical piece of music! :handgestures-thumbup: :handgestures-thumbup: :handgestures-thumbup:

Dennie, do you have her sophomore album, Pirates? It's in my Top-10 of all Time, KILLER album! :music-listening:

 

[Zing]

...her sophomore album, Pirates? It's in my Top-10 of all Time, KILLER album!

In addition to the music being 'killer', the SACD MoFi release makes it even more killer.

Speaking of which...

Pauly? *ahem*

 

[Dennie]

Rickie Lee Jones -- CD

Last Chance Texaco is one magical piece of music! :handgestures-thumbup: :handgestures-thumbup: :handgestures-thumbup:

Dennie, do you have her sophomore album, Pirates? It's in my Top-10 of all Time, KILLER album! :music-listening:

Yes I do, on Vinyl..... :music-rockout:

Although, that OMR looks good! :bow-blue:



Dennie :music-listening:

 

[Botch]

In addition to the music being 'killer', the SACD MoFi release makes it even more killer.

That's the only SACD I've ever purchased knowing it was still just in stereo. And no regrets.
The clarity is so good you can hear, at high volume, the light hiss of the 32-ips Ampex tape flying past the heads... :music-listening: It also sounds like there were some mixing changes from the album...

 

[Dennie]

Today's work truck music....

The End Of The Innocence -- CD

Don Henley

1989 Geffen Records

Released in 1989 (see 1989 in music), The End of the Innocence is the third album by Don Henley. It is his best selling album, selling over 6 million copies in the United States, peaking at #8. In 2003, the album was ranked number 389 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

1. "The End of the Innocence" (Henley, Bruce Hornsby) – 5:16
2. "How Bad Do You Want It?" (Henley, Danny Kortchmar, Stan Lynch) – 3:47
3. "I Will Not Go Quietly" featuring Axl Rose (Henley, Kortchmar) – 5:43
4. "The Last Worthless Evening" (John Corey, Henley, Lynch) – 6:03
5. "New York Minute" (Henley, Kortchmar, Jai Winding) – 6:37
6. "Shangri-La" (Henley, Steve Jordan, Kortchmar) – 4:55
7. "Little Tin God" (Henley, Kortchmar, J.D. Souther) – 4:42
8. "Gimme What You Got" (Corey, Henley, Lynch) – 6:10
9. "If Dirt Were Dollars" (Henley, Kortchmar, Souther) – 4:34
10. "The Heart of the Matter" (Mike Campbell, Henley, Souther) – 5:24

 

[Kazaam]

Ash's A-Z

This isn't exactly an album in the traditional sense. The band spent a couple of years releasing a frequent stream of songs that were released only via download. This compilation is 62 tracks long. That's a lot of music to digest. Mostly new stuff, but some oddball covers, acoustic versions, and live performances, too. Anyway... the song "Instinct" is pretty good. So I usually start there. And then I've listened to the songs following that one quite a bit so far. I've already gotten into these songs way more than I did Ash's previous effort, "Twilight of the Innocents", which I've just never given much of a chance, admittedly.

Wish the band hadn't split with 2nd guitarist Charlotte Hatherley. Her background vocals were nice. But at least it was an amicable, if still strange split.

 

[Bob R]

Now this..................

Ahh, another Joan fan. I love her.

I think that this is the only release I do not have. I'll check tonight and if so - Amazon here I come.

:banana-dance: :banana-rock: :banana-dance:

 

[Zing]

The clarity is so good you can hear, at high volume, the light hiss of the 32-ips Ampex tape flying past the heads...

Your system must be better than mine because I cannot hear any tape hiss.

 

[heeman]

Now this..................

Ahh, another Joan fan. I love her.

I think that this is the only release I do not have. I'll check tonight and if so - Amazon here I come.

:banana-dance: :banana-rock: :banana-dance:

This CD is all covers, however she does a fantastic job!

Let us know what you think!

 

[Dennie]

The Look Of Love -- CD

Diana Krall

2001 Verve Records

Amazon.com

The Look of Love doesn't tamper with Diana Krall's ongoing success, continuing the emphasis on romantic ballads and embracing them with lush string arrangements. At the core, of course, is Krall's voice. She's developing into one of the great torch singers, with an approach that's both direct and subtly nuanced, true to the song and yet deeply personal. There's a combination of restraint and drama here, as Krall ranges from the confident to the wistful, from loss to playful insinuation, as each song requires. "Cry Me a River" is bittersweet triumph, while "Love Letters" and "Maybe You'll Be There" maintain the most tenuous emotional hold, at once fragile and resilient. "Besame Mucho" and "Dancing in the Dark" are sultry romances wafted on light Latin beats. The songs develop their intimacy in the setting of Krall's quartet, which usually includes bassist Christian McBride and drummer Peter Erskine and several fine guitarists, most frequently Russell Malone. They're a superb complement to her voice and piano, and the close communication carries through the depth and sheen added by Claus Ogerman's rich orchestrations. --Stuart Broomer

"'S Wonderful" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) – 4:29
"Love Letters" (Edward Heyman, Victor Young) – 4:56
"I Remember You" (Johnny Mercer, Victor Schertzinger) – 3:56
"Cry Me a River" (Arthur Hamilton) – 5:03
"Besame Mucho" (Sunny Skylar, Consuelo Velazquez) – 6:40
"The Night We Called It a Day" (Tom Adair, Matt Dennis) – 5:42
"Dancing in the Dark" (Howard Dietz, Arthur Schwartz) – 5:48
"I Get Along Without You Very Well (Except Sometimes)" (Hoagy Carmichael, Jane Brown Thompson) – 3:44
"The Look of Love" (Burt Bacharach, Hal David) – 4:41
"Maybe You'll Be There" (Rube Bloom, Sammy Gallop) – 5:31


Diana Krall - piano, vocals
Dori Caymmi - guitar
Romero Lubambo
Russell Malone
John Pisano
Luis Conte - percussion
Paulinho Da Costa - percussion
Peter Erskine - drums
Jeff Hamilton - bass, drums
Christian McBride - double bass
London Symphony Orchestra
Claus Ogerman - conductor, arranger

 

[Botch]

The clarity is so good you can hear, at high volume, the light hiss of the 32-ips Ampex tape flying past the heads...

Your system must be better than mine because I cannot hear any tape hiss.

Yup.

:teasing-tease: