What Are You Listening To?

[Dennie]

Lester Young Trio -- Remastered CD

1946/1994 Verve Records

Lester Young's significance in jazz is not hard to gauge. His playing influenced almost every saxophonist that came after him. On this release, we hear Young teamed up with two other jazz legends, drummer Buddy Rich and Nat "King" Cole on piano. Following 10 tracks by this unique trio, we are treated to four additional tunes as performed by a sextet led by Young.The trio portion of this album is especially lush and intriguing, featuring wonderful renditions of Young's original, "Back to the Land," Gershwin's "The Man I Love," and a duet version of the gorgeous ballad, "Peg O' My Heart" (Rich had gone out to get something to eat). Cole's intimate piano style wonderfully complements Young's light, airy tone and unorthodox phrasing, and Rich, known for a flashy approach, plays quite sensitively here, using brushes on most tunes. Highlights on LESTER YOUNG TRIO include "I Want To Be Happy" and "I've Found a New Baby," the latter of which features the sextet in swinging form.

The Lester Young Trio

LP side A

"I Cover the Waterfront" (Green, Heyman) – 4:05
"Somebody Loves Me" (MacDonald, DeSylva, Gershwin) – 3:54

LP side B

"I've Found a New Baby" (Palmer, Williams) – 4:07
"Back to the Land" (Young) – 4:05

The Lester Young Trio No. 2

LP side A

"I Want to Be Happy" (Caesar, Youmans) – 3:58
"Peg O' My Heart"[5] (Bryan, Fisher) – 4:06

LP side B

"Mean To Me" (Ahlert, Turk) – 4:15
"The Man I Love" (Gershwin, Gershwin) – 3:58

Bonus tracks on Verve 1994 CD re-issue

2 tracks from the original 1946 Young-Cole-Rich trio recording sessions:

"I Cover the Waterfront" (alternate take) – 3:56
"Back to the Land" (edited version) – 3:54

4 tracks from earlier Nat King Cole sessions (without Young or Rich):

"I've Found a New Baby" (Palmer, Williams) – 4:40
"Rosetta" – 5:09
"Sweet Lorraine" (Burwell, Parish) – 4:55
"Blowed and Gone" – 4:41

Personnel:

Lester Young – tenor saxophone
Buddy Rich – drums
Nat King Cole (credited as "Aye Guy" on the original releases) – piano

Personnel on 4 of the CD re-issue bonus tracks

Nat "King" Cole – piano
Harry "Sweets" Edison – trumpet
Dexter Gordon – tenor saxophone
Clifford Owens – drums
Red Callender or Johnny Miller – bass

 

[Babs]

Another break from Christmas music!

 

[Dennie]

Another break from Christmas music!

Love Jewel! :banana-dance:




Dennie :handgestures-thumbup:

 

[Dennie]

It's Christmas --CD

Ledisi

2007 Verve Records Forcast

Christmas Music for the Sophisticated Music Lover, November 21, 2008
By A. Stott (Denver, CO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
This review is from: It's Christmas (Audio CD)

What can one say about this CD? The music is simply beautiful, soulful, and addicted, all in the same breath. I can't stop listening to this CD. If you are looking for a CD to put on for the holidays for the sophisticated crowd that loves real music with heart, this is the one to put on. The entire CD is on point. This CD showcases Ledisi in her finest form from R&B to spiritual to jazz. Don't miss out on this experience.

I'll Go
Children Go Where I Send Thee
Give Love On Christmas Day
Be There for Christmas
This Christmas (Could Be the One)
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?
It's Christmas
What a Wonderful World
Please Come Home for Christmas
Silent Night
Thank You

 

[Dennie]

Joy: A Holiday Collection -- CD

Jewel

1999 Atlantic Records

I've heard the voice of an Angel.....and it is Jewel!, November 22, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Joy - A Holiday Collection (Audio CD)

I wasn't overly familiar with Jewel before buying this disc, but picked it up based on reviews here. I own well over 100 Christmas CDs -- so I'm not easy to impress. However, Jewel's voice is a gift, and she uses it extremely well in this bound-to-become-a-classic collection. It's moving, poignant and, most of all, sincere. It's not overly done, so as to let her voice shine through. The arrangements are lovely.

I highly recommend this disc.

"Joy to the World" (Mason, Watts) – 3:05
"O Holy Night" (Adam, Dwight) – 3:44
"Silent Night" (Gruber, Mohr) – 3:07
"Winter Wonderland" (Bernard, Smith) – 3:39
"O Little Town of Bethlehem" (Brooks, Redner) – 3:11
"Ave Maria" (Bach, Gounod) – 3:44
"Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" (Mendelssohn, Wesley) – 3:21
"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (Marks) – 1:53
"Face of Love" (Kilcher) – 3:27
"Medley: Go Tell It on the Mountain/Life Uncommon/From a Distance" (Gold, Kilcher) – 6:31
"I Wonder as I Wander" (Niles) – 1:58
"Gloria" (Kilcher) – 2:38
"Hands" [Christmas version] (Kilcher, Leonard) – 4:13

 

[Dennie]

Move -- CD

Earl Klugh

1994 Warner Bros. Records

If there's any mystery about how to sustain an instrumental career over nearly two decades, just ask Earl Klugh for the solution. Judging from the well-traveled acoustic guitarist's body of work, it seems to lie in staying true to a certain sweet sound but continually changing the rhythmic and production trappings. After a few ambitious jaunts into the orchestral realm, Klugh on Move shakes up the formula with a mixed bag of logical twists: exotic percussion, African chant vocals, odd vocal effects, swinging rock-blues, and urban-flavored grooves. The result is an inspired new freshness. While sticking to his slick, melodic string style, Klugh infuses more aggressive energy into the pot. A few times, he even lets a harmonica and sax take the lead voice. Klugh's warm flavors have never gone out of style, but it's nice to get a visit from an old friend bearing new and unique gifts. ~ Jonathan Widran

Track Listing
1. Across the Sand
2. Move
3. Far from Home
4. Tiptoe'in
5. Nightwalk
6. Face in the Wind
7. Big Turtle River
8. Highway Song
9. Winter Rain
10. Doin' It
11. Pt. 2 Across the Sand

Personnel: Earl Klugh (piano, organ, keyboards, guitar, mandolin); Raymond Manzerolle (saxophone, MIDI wind controller); David Spradley (piano); Albert Duncan, Greg Phillinganes, Thom Hall (keyboards); Perry Hughes, Randy Jacobs, Chuck Silva (guitar); Jimmy Ali, Ralphe Armstrong (bass); Gene Dunlap (drums, percussion); Lawrence Fratangelo, Lorenzo "Spoons" Brown (percussion); Kayla Parker, Parkes Stewart, Mary Thomas, Key Bullard, Kimme Horne, Eddie Bullard, D'Wayne Whitehead, Kymberli Wright (background vocals).Commissioned: Fred Hammond, Mitchell Jones, Karl Reid, Marvin Sapp.Recorded at Studio A, Dearborn Heights, Michigan.

 

[Botch]

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

Nothing like a blast of Chase to powerflush the saccharine xmas music remnants decaying your brain matter, not to mention burn off a few extra calories! :music-rockout: :music-rockout: :music-rockout:

 

[Dennie]

Hotel California -- CD

Super Guitar Duo

1990 JVC/Philips Records

Guitarists Hiroki Miyano and Earl Klugh play acoustic duets using popular standards in jazz fusion mode. No other sidemen are used. Pleasant, easy listening. ~ Michael Erlewine

Track Listing
1. Mrs. Robinson
2. Honesty
3. Blues for Earl Klugh
4. Hotel California
5. Poinciana
6. Arthur's Theme

Personnel: Earl Klugh (guitar); Hiroki Miyano (guitar).Recording information: Media Sound Studios, New York, NY (03/24/1983).Illustrator: Tsunemasa Takahashi.

 

[putty34]

 

[topper]

"This two-CD, 25-song set, recorded in Louisville on two nights in the spring of 2002, finds bluegrass's most celebrated crossover band at the top of its game. Krauss's warm, feathery vocals, capable of conveying complex emotions in a single note, appear more full-bodied than in studio recordings, yet lose none of their sensual appeal or dramatic tension. She's perfect, for example, as the melancholy temptress on "Let Me Touch You for Awhile," coming across as both savior and seductress, while Jerry Douglas's Dobro echoes the searing strains of passion and pain. With banjoist-guitarist Ron Block, bassist Barry Bales, and guest drummer Larry Atamanuik anchoring the rhythm, the ensemble deftly blends bluegrass with jazz, rock, and folk, combining lightning speed (though rushing through "Forget About It") with sophisticated chops, tangible emotion, and thrilling vocal blends. The crowd, more spellbound with every note, doesn't even breathe on "Ghost in This House" and nearly tears the place down on Dan Tyminski's voice-of-George Clooney showcase, "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow." But who could blame them? It's only one highlight on an album of uncommon artistry, a moving testament to how good live music can be in the hands of world-class players." ~ Alanna Nash

Dennie fixed me up with these a long time ago . . . just haven't had them off the shelf in awhile. (out of sight, out of mind.)
Been in a bluegrass state of mind lately . . . .

Thanks again, Dennie. bscene-drinkingcheers: ~ ~ Good stuff!

 

[Babs]

Joy: A Holiday Collection -- CD

Jewel

1999 Atlantic Records

I've heard the voice of an Angel.....and it is Jewel!, November 22, 1999
By A Customer

I highly recommend this disc.

Going into my Amazon wish list! I have always been a Jewel fan! Thank you Dennie! :eusa-clap:

 

[Dennie]

Happy Saturday everyone.... :banana-dance:

Summer Wind: Live at The LOA -- SACD

The Ray Brown Trio

1990/2003 Concord Jazz

Ray Brown has many great contributions to jazz as a leader and a sideman, but one additional way in which he helped jazz was his encouraging Gene Harris to give up his early retirement and go back out on the road. The pianist was a part of Brown's groups for several years before he formed a working quartet and became a leader for good once again. This 1988 concert at a since-defunct Santa Monica night club (co-owned by Brown) finds the two, along with drummer Jeff Hamilton, at the top of their game. A phone ringing in the background distracts momentarily from Brown's opening solo in his composition "The Real Blues," during which Harris repeats a bluesy tremolo, which may be an inside joke about the early distraction. Harris take a blues-drenched approach to "Mona Lisa" before giving way to the leader's solo, while his lyrical approach to "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" is shimmering. Hamilton's soft brushes are prominent in "Little Darlin'," but his explosive playing provides a powerful pulse to the very unusual strutting take of "It Don't Mean a Thing." This extremely satisfying CD is warmly recommended. ~ Ken Dryden

Track Listing
1. Summer Wind
2. The Real Blues
3. Li'l Darlin'
4. It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
5. Mona Lisa
6. Buhaina Buhaina
7. Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man
8. Bluesology

Ray Brown Trio: Ray Brown (acoustic bass); Gene Harris (piano); Jeff Hamilton (drums).Recorded live at The Loa, Santa Monica, California in July 1988. Includes liner notes by Chip Deffaa and Leonard Feather.

 

[Dennie]

Kessel Plays Standards -- CD

Barney Kessel

1954/1987 Contemporary/ OJC Records

the late, great Barney Kessel, July 28, 2006
By Christoph K. Bennett (United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)
This review is from: Kessel Plays Standards (Audio CD)

This is really more on his body of work than this release alone. Get anything you can get your hands on by Barney. Everything he did was great and it was never about what he could do but about the music. I've been reading some webpages about him recently to find out more about him. First off, he may well have been the most recorded guitarist of all time. Like the guitar on the Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds?" It's Barney. Elvis' "Return to Sender?" Barney, too. He did work with the Beatles. In fact, "counted among his fans such superstars as the late Beatles John Lennon and George Harrison.

"Barney Kessel is incredible. He's just amazing . . . . Nobody can play guitar like that," Lennon said following a recording session in the 1970s.

Harrison was even more enthused, telling an interviewer in the 1960s: "Barney Kessel is definitely the best guitar player in this world, or any other world."

I'd always heard that he was very friendly to up-and-comers and everybody, really. What I didn't know is that he was a devoted Christian, acc. to his wife. That's really nice to know. There are very few great guitarists left. You have Herb Ellis, Bucky Pizzarelli from the days when there really was jazz. Barney was among the best. Seriously, get anything by him. My particular favorites are this one, "Easy Like," and "Solo." But they're all great. His albums are not your typical guitar as frontman shredding away but real group efforts. Very enjoyable. For Barney, it was always about the music first.

1. Speak Low
2. Love Is Here to Stay
3. On a Slow Boat to China
4. How Long Has This Been Going On?
5. My Old Flame
6. Jeepers Creepers
7. Barney's Blues
8. Prelude to a Kiss
9. A Foggy Day
10. You Stepped Out of a Dream
11. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
12. 64 Bars on Wilshire

 

[Dennie]

"This two-CD, 25-song set, recorded in Louisville on two nights in the spring of 2002, finds bluegrass's most celebrated crossover band at the top of its game. Krauss's warm, feathery vocals, capable of conveying complex emotions in a single note, appear more full-bodied than in studio recordings, yet lose none of their sensual appeal or dramatic tension. She's perfect, for example, as the melancholy temptress on "Let Me Touch You for Awhile," coming across as both savior and seductress, while Jerry Douglas's Dobro echoes the searing strains of passion and pain. With banjoist-guitarist Ron Block, bassist Barry Bales, and guest drummer Larry Atamanuik anchoring the rhythm, the ensemble deftly blends bluegrass with jazz, rock, and folk, combining lightning speed (though rushing through "Forget About It") with sophisticated chops, tangible emotion, and thrilling vocal blends. The crowd, more spellbound with every note, doesn't even breathe on "Ghost in This House" and nearly tears the place down on Dan Tyminski's voice-of-George Clooney showcase, "I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow." But who could blame them? It's only one highlight on an album of uncommon artistry, a moving testament to how good live music can be in the hands of world-class players." ~ Alanna Nash

Dennie fixed me up with these a long time ago . . . just haven't had them off the shelf in awhile. (out of sight, out of mind.)
Been in a bluegrass state of mind lately . . . .

Thanks again, Dennie. bscene-drinkingcheers: ~ ~ Good stuff!

You are welcome, my friend. I'm glad you are enjoying it.

The DVD is fantastic also! :handgestures-thumbup:




Dennie :music-listening:

 

[Kazaam]

TRAVIS - "where you stand"

It came out earlier this year. Always good to hear new tunes from Healy and company, but I think I enjoyed Franny's solo album better. But I've gotta give this more listens, to be fair.

 

[Dennie]

"Topsy" - This One's For Basie -- Remastered CD

The Modern Jazz Quartet

1985/1987 Pablo/Fantasy Records

Despite the title of this CD, the music on this 1985 studio set from The Modern Jazz Quartet is not a program of Count Basie tunes (with the exception of "Topsy") although Basie apparently liked the John Lewis composition "D and E." The other unrelated music is highlighted by an unaccompanied feature for vibraphonist Milt Jackson ("Nature Boy"), "Reunion Blues" and three more complex pieces from pianist John Lewis. Overall this CD gives listeners a fine example of the music of The MJQ during the 1980s. ~ Scott Yanow

Track Listing
1. Reunion Blues
2. Nature Boy
3. Topsy II
4. D and E
5. Valeria
6. Milano
7. Le Cannet

Personnel: John Lewis (piano), Milt Jackson (vibraphone), Percy Heath (bass), Connie Kay (drums).Recorded June 1985 at RCA Recording Studios, New York. Includes liner notes by John Lewis.Tributee: Count Basie.

 

[Srvy]

Was going through my old collection of Vinyl today and came across this Id totally forgotten about from 1980. These songs were about Jesse and the James Gang all written by a British man. This has some really good songs on it especiallly Levon Helm and Emmy Lou Harris. Sadly my copy is toast and I had to remember by checking youtube. Below Are my favorites.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHZHDjyOmKE[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JROEl41Bado[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtvzVn-4uWQ[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrdYClujFH0[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oso0_RKTtOE[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysj0TZ6sB1s[/youtube]

Man I wore that Album out wish it was on CD Id pick it up. And Damn I miss Levon Helm.

 

[Botch]

 

[Botch]

 

[Yesfan70]

all in glorious lossless high resolution audio.............................. :angry-banghead: