What Are You Listening To?

[Botch]

Thanks for the recommendation, Zing; good "boppin" music!

 

[Dennie]

Groove Yard -- 20bit K2 Remastered XRCD

The Montgomery Brothers

1961/1994 Riverside/Fantasy/JVC

This record makes you wonder why there weren't more great hard-bop albums made by guitarist-led quartets -- or, for that matter, why Wes didn't record more with his brothers. The guitarist is joined by brothers Buddy on piano and Monk on string bass, with Bobby Thomas on drums. There are two originals by Buddy and one by Wes ('Doujie') as well as tunes by Milt Jackson, Harold Land and others. These are tunes the brothers were playing as part of a regular gig they had in New York City at the time of the recording in 1961.As a result the arrangements are remarkably tight and the interplay is exhilarating--there's plenty of blowing, but it's hardly a "blowing session" per se. The album is rightly credited as a group effort; even though Wes has plenty of room to stretch out, the emphasis, as the title suggests, is on grooving as an ensemble. The brothers tend to hang in the middle tempos, further contributing to the sense of relaxation that runs throughout the eight tunes here. Highly recommended.

Track listing

"Bock to Bock (Back to Back)" (Buddy Montgomery) – 6:48
"Groove Yard" (Carl Perkins) – 3:05
"If I Should Lose You" (Ralph Rainger, Leo Robin) – 5:52
"Delirium" (Harold Land) – 3:41
"Just For Now" (Buddy Montgomery) – 5:00
"Doujie" (Wes Montgomery) – 4:39
"Heart Strings" (Milt Jackson) – 4:38
"Remember" (Irving Berlin) – 5:36

The song "Groove Yard" is usually titled "Grooveyard".

Personnel includes: Wes Montgomery (arch top electric guitar); Buddy Montgomery (piano); Monk Montgomery (Fender bass); Bobby Thomas (drums).Recorded in January, 1961. Originally released on Riverside (9362).Digitally remastered by JVC using XRCD (extended resolution compact disc).

 

[Dennie]

Sweepin' The Clouds Away (Live Recordings)-- Remastered CD

The Johnny Crawford Dance Orchestra

2011 Crawford Music

Review
A half a century ago, Johnny Crawford was a teenage idol charting Top Ten hits such as Cindy's Birthday and Rumors and playing Chuck Connors son on the popular western ABC television series, The Rifleman, which remains a daily dinnertime staple of Chicago-based MeTV. Crawford also sang on the show (and as an original Mouseketeer before that) and recorded five albums. Still, none of that prepared me for the shock that I had upon first hearing his new album, Sweepin the Clouds Away. A vintage recreation of authentic dance band arrangements from the 1920s and 1930s, Sweepin the Clouds Away is a collection of live tracks by the Los Angeles-based Johnny Crawford Dance Orchestra, an eleven-piece collective formed in 1990 following Crawford's stint as the vocalist of Vince Giordano's Nighthawks Orchestra. With Crawford as leader/vocalist, the Johnny Crawford Dance Orchestra painstakingly seeks to perform music of that elegant bygone era, paying careful attention to the performance practices of the time. A fixture at Hollywood celebrity parties and entertainment industry functions, this is the group's first album. There is no shortage of people doing this kind of music, to be sure, but virtually all attempts I have come across contemporize the music by either featuring instruments and later arrangement trends not known in that era or through using more modern styles of singing and playing that sound out of place. Not here. This sounds so authentic that it is actually disconcerting to not hear static and pops and to be able to hear the individual lines of the music so clearly. Crawford's carefree crooning style at times suggests Rudy Vallee, but upon closer listening, he is actually more reminiscent of a young Bing Crosby in his early jazz days, when he was still a tenor. These are musical renditions, to be sure, but Crawford is able to bring his actor prowess to his ability to communicate inner meanings of lyrics. Particularly memorable is the title track, Sam Coslow's Sweepin the Clouds Away from 1930's Paramount on Parade, heard here in a dance-band arrangement by one of the vintage arrangers of the day, Illinois native, Chicago Musical College graduate and later Hollywood composer/arranger Frank Skinner. Skinner arrangements make up the bulk of the album, which also includes songs by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II, Rodgers and Hart and Duke Ellington, among others. Some of the album is unusually personal, such as Harry Warren's I Found a Million Dollar Baby (in a Five and Ten Cent Store) which was written about Crawford's Chicago grandparents, a song plugger and a Woolworth's pianist. Even the contemporary band photographs and art direction which are pictured alongside fascinating vintage photographs are reminiscent of the era. The overall effect of this extraordinarily optimistic old-time party album is like hearing a collection of vintage 78s brought to life, quite an impressive feat. (Dennis Polkow) --Newcity-Chicago, May 3, 2012

Track Listing
1. To Be In Love
2. You Were Meant For Me
3. Louise
4. Don't Ever Leave Me
5. The Mooch
6. Sweepin' the Clouds Away
7. I Found a Million Dollar Baby (In a Five & Ten Cent Store)
8. When Your Lover Has Gone
9. Isn't It Romantic
10. Look What I've Got
11. The Day You Came Along
12. She Reminds Me of You
13. Truckin'
14. There's a Lull In My Life

 

[topper]

*

[The varied artists who contributed to this album give the old CCR songs an enjoyable, fresh sound]

 

[Dennie]

Come On Home -- CD

Boz Scaggs

1997 Virgin U.S. Records

Bobby Bland, Jimmy Reed, T-Bone Walker . . . Boz Scaggs!, November 4, 2001
By stranger2himself (Down Here) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Come on Home (Audio CD)

I grew up on Ray Charles, James Brown, soul, blues, country & gospel. I've been listening to and collecting music for 40 years, and have approx. 3,000 recordings. Simply put, this is one of the best, most soulful, powerful, bodaciously BAD records I've ever heard! There is not a weak cut here. Boz sounds like he's been holding this in for 30 years! The production & playing are flawless, but not too slick. The "live-in-the-studio" sound is preserved. There are no "highlights", every cut is astounding. With that in mind, "Love Letters" brings tears to my eyes, and, like the previous reviewer, I fall to my knees when Boz testifies "I've Got Your Love". His vocal chords should be enshrined; his heart and soul could provide electrical power to most of North America. If you like ANY kind of blues or R&B, you will surely dig this!

"It All Went Down the Drain"
"Ask Me 'Bout Nothin' (But the Blues)"
"Don't Cry No More"
"Found Love"
"Come On Home"
"Picture of a Broken Heart"
"Love Letters"
"I've Got Your Love"
"Early in the Morning"
"Your Good Thing (Is About to End)"
"T-Bone Shuffle"
"Sick and Tired"
"After Hours"
"Goodnight Louise"

 

[Dennie]

After Hours -- CD

Gary Moore

1992 Virgin Records U.S.

For Your Listening Pleasure, November 4, 2008
By brunetteshock "Just Me" (Quincy, MA) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: After Hours (Audio CD)

Gary Moore is one of those unsung guitar heroes, of which we have far too many of in this world. His guitar playing is impeccable; all one has to do is listen to his great "I've Still Got The Blues (For You)" to understand and appreciate the fluidity and soaring guitar licks. He is truly a master at his craft, but a guitarist nonetheless that hasn't had much airplay, for whatever reason.

If you love good guitar work, ala Clapton, Vaughn, you will also love the work of Gary Moore.

1. Cold Day in Hell
2. Don't You Lie to Me
3. Story of the Blues
4. Since I Met You Baby
5. Separate Ways
6. Only Fool in Town
7. Key to Love
8. Jumpin' at Shadows
9. Blues Is Alright, The
10. Hurt Inside, The
11. Nothing's the Same

 

[Dennie]

Get Lucky -- CD

Mark Knopfler

2009 Reprise Records

This is the sixth solo studio album from the legendary musician and follows 2007's highly successful Kill To Get Crimson, which Rolling Stone heralded as 'a gem' and USA Today described as, '...yet another unpretentious showcase for his unmistakable gifts as a musician, tunesmith and storyteller.'
Recorded at Knopfler's award-winning British Grove Studios in West London, Get Lucky was co-produced with longtime collaborators, engineer Chuck Ainlay and keyboardist Guy Fletcher and featured Richard Bennett, Danny Cummings, John McCusker, Matt Rollings and Glenn Worf. The 11-track album explores a lifetime of musical roots exemplified by the title track. 'The first itinerant person I ever met would sing in soul bands in winter, then work part-time in fairgrounds or 'go pick fruit down south' when the weather turned warm,' explains Knopfler. 'I was about 15 years old, stuck in school and envious. 'Get Lucky' came from him and other traveling characters I went on to meet in places I'd find myself working short-term, like farms, warehouses, building sites, before I got lucky with my songs.'

"Border Reiver" – 4:35
"Hard Shoulder" – 4:33
"You Can't Beat the House" – 3:25
"Before Gas and TV" – 5:50
"Monteleone" – 3:39
"Cleaning My Gun" – 4:43
"The Car Was the One" – 3:55
"Remembrance Day" – 5:05
"Get Lucky" – 4:33
"So Far from the Clyde" – 5:58
"Piper to the End" – 5:47

 

[Dennie]

The Spirit of 176 -- SACD

George Shearing and Hank Jones

1989/2003 Concord Records

George Shearing and Hank Jones have always been very well-rounded pianists fully capable of playing unaccompanied solos. Their unique matchup as a two-piano duo on this Concord release works surprisingly well for the two pianists manage to stay out of each other's way and the ensembles are not overcrowded. The pianists tackle colorful material including "Angel Eyes," and Thelonious Monk's "I Mean You," an original apiece, Mary Lou Williams's "Lonely Moments," "Star Eyes" and "Confirmation," and the results are swinging and tasteful. This somewhat obscure Concord CD is worth investigating. ~ Scott Yanow

1. Oh, Look at Me Now
2. Angel Eyes
3. I Mean You
4. You Don't Know What Love Is
5. To Hank Jones
6. Minor Contention
7. Ask Me Now
8. Triste
9. Take a Good Look
10. Sweet Lorraine
11. Young No More
12. Lonely Moments
13. Star Eyes
14. Confirmation



Personnel: George Shearing (piano); Hank Jones (piano).Recorded at A&R Studios, New York, New York in March 1988.

 

[Dennie]

This was the first session for The MJQ done specifically for 12-inch record and was also Connie Kay's first recording with the group after replacing Kenny Clarke. "I'll Remember April" was done at a separate session (discographies don't tell us this) because John Lewis, the perfectionist, was dissatisfied with the first version.

Concorde -- Remastered 20bit K2 XRCD2

The Modern Jazz Quartet

1955/1997 Prestige/JVC Records

Cool Counterpoint April 27, 2004
By A Customer
Format:Audio CD

This underrated album is an Apollonian masterpiece. It balances the cool, formalist approach to jazz (that one expects from MJQ) with a genuine swinging impulse. The recording features two originals (by Jackson and Lewis) framing a set of superb and superbly played standards. "I'll Remember April," transformed into a hard-swinging scherzo, is a real stand-out (although Erroll Garner's version from a few months later remains definitive in my book). The concluding title track is Lewis's tour-de-force, a complex jazz fugue that lends the session a strong feeling of culmination. Throughout, the album delivers subtle counterpoint ("Softly" begins by quoting from Bach's Musical Offering) and thoughtful structure; it really rewards carefully attention. If you like your jazz on the cool, cerebral side, or if you are coming to jazz from the world of classical music, this album should be mandatory listening. But the music isn't austere: in addition to being substantive, it's a lot of fun.

1. Ralph's New Blues
2. All Of You
3. I'll Remember April
4. Gershwin Medley: Soon/For You, For Me, Forevermore/ ove Walked In/Our Love Is Here To Stay
5. Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise
6. Concorde

The Modern Jazz Quartet: John Lewis (piano); Milt Jackson (vibraphone); Percy Heath (bass); Connie Kay (drums).Recorded in New York, New York on July 2, 1955. Originally released on Prestige (7109). Includes liner notes by Ira Gitler.Digitally remastered using 20-bit K2 Super Coding System technology.

 

[Dennie]

Blues & Things -- 24/96 DVD-A

Earl Hines & Jimmy Rushing

1967/1998 Classic Records

A very hip 1967 encounter by Mr. 5 X 5 and another member of Jazz royalty, the Earl of Hines. Pianist Hines puts all eighty-eight keys to good use supporting the rotund blues-shouter Rushing, with Budd Johnson in attendance on tenor and soprano saxes, Bill Pemberton on bass, and Oliver Jackson at the drum kit. These sessions, originally released on the MJR label, possess great sound due to legendary engineer Rudy Van Gelder. Guaranteed to put a smile on your face and start your foot to tappin'.

Track Listings
1. Exactly Like You
2. Louisiana
3. Am I Blue
4. Summertime
5. Changin' The Blues
6. Save It Pretty Mama
7. Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone
8. One Night In Trinidad
9. St Louis Blues

Earl Hines - Piano, Jimmy Rushing - Vocal, Budd Johnson - Tenor & Soprano Sax, Bill Pemberton - Bass, Oliver Jackson - Drums

 

[Dennie]

My One and Only Thrill -- CD

Melody Gardot

2009 Verve Records

Amazing though it is, the story of how Melody Gardot overcame the effects of a near-fatal accident to become one of the vocal sensations of 2008 is not the most extraordinary thing about the 23-year-old Philadelphia singer-songwriter. It is simply that here is a voice in a million; one that touches the soul.

Melody's debut album `Worrisome Heart' introduced, in The Sunday Times' words: "a remarkable talent by any measure", with songs of quiet, wistful poetry in arrangements that "ooze after-hours sophistication". Yet the follow-up, for release in April 2009, marks a substantial leap forward. `My One And Only Thrill' is an intensely creative milestone, transcending genre distinctions of jazz and blues to offer a haunting personal musical statement that will appeal to all music-lovers. As with her acclaimed live shows she captures and holds her audience in the palm of her hand.

These eleven songs, covering a wide range of emotions, are all her own except for an irresistible, Brazilian take on Somewhere Over The Rainbow. It would take a heart of stone to remain unmoved by the poignant title track My One And Only Thrill. And when the album is finished (as Irving Berlin wrote truly) the song is over, but the Melody lingers on . . .

1. "Baby I'm a Fool" 3:30
2. "If the Stars Were Mine" 2:48
3. "Who Will Comfort Me" 4:56
4. "Your Heart Is As Black As Night" 2:42
5. "Lover Undercover" 4:24
6. "Our Love Is Easy" (Gardot, Jesse Harris) 5:28
7. "Les Etoiles" 3:18
8. "The Rain" (Gardot, Harris) 3:21
9. "My One and Only Thrill" 6:10
10. "Deep Within the Corners of My Mind" 3:19
11. "Over the Rainbow" (Harold Arlen, Yip Harburg) 4:33
12. "If the Stars Were Mine" (Orchestral Version) 3:13

 

[Dennie]

Ballad Essentials -- CD

Gene Harris

2003 Concord Records

This compilation draws 11 tracks from nine Gene Harris albums recorded for Concord Records between 1989 and 1995, and what's striking is how consistent those tracks are. Working at slow tempos, Harris plus his accompanists -- ranging from piano-guitar-bass-drums quartets to a duet with tenor saxophonist Scott Hamilton ("At Last"); a trio with organist Jack McDuff and bass player Luther Hughes ("You Don't Know What Love Is"); and, finally, a solo piano piece ("Angel Eyes") -- maintain a bluesy, soulful approach that values expressive, yet precise playing. Harris usually takes the lead, though he makes a wonderful backup musician to Hamilton on the first half of "At Last" before executing a flourish and taking over for some attractive soloing even there. Like many other jazz musicians, Harris really came into his own in his maturity at Concord, and this is a good selection that demonstrates the strength of his overall catalog with the label. ~ William Ruhlmann

Track Listing
1. Sweet and Lovely
2. Nobody Knows You When You're Down and Out
3. Until the Real Thing Comes Along
4. This Masquerade
5. At Last
6. Everything Happens to Me
7. Black and Blue
8. When You Wish Upon a Star
9. You Don't Know What Love Is
10. That's All
11. Angel Eyes

This is part of Concord Jazz's Ballad Essentials series.Personnel: Gene Harris (piano); Ron Eschete (guitar); Scott Hamilton (tenor saxophone); Jeff Hamilton, Jack McDuff (Hammond B-3 organ) , Paul Humphrey & the Cool Aid Chemists , Harold Jones (drums).Liner Note Author: Scott Yanow.Recording information: Capitol studios, Los Angeles, CA (03/??/1989-03/11/1995); Coast Recorders, San Francisco, CA (03/??/1989-03/11/1995); Manchester's Craftsmen's Guild, Pittsburgh, PA (03/??/1989-03/11/1995); Master Track, Hayward, CA (03/??/1989-03/11/1995); Maybeck Recital Hall, Berkley, CA (03/??/1989-03/11/1995); Spirit Wind Studios, Hayward, CA (03/??/1989-03/11/1995); The Plant Recording Studios, Sausalito, CA (03/??/1989-03/11/1995).

 

[Dennie]

The Great Summit - Complete Sessions - Deluxe 2CD (24/96) Edition

Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington

1961/2000 Roulette/Capitol (EU Import)

One of the most historic jazz records ever recorded, THE COMPLETE SESSIONS brings together, for the first and only time, the two most influential figures in jazz. Living up to the expectations placed upon such a meeting would, of course, be impossible, but this album is wonderful by any standard. The format is an interesting one in that basically Duke Ellington assumed Billy Kyle's piano chair in the 1961 version of Armstrong's All Stars band. Rather than performing Armstrong's usual repertoire, however, the two giants chose to record a selection of Ellington's best compositions.The resulting album allowed Duke to play some of his most sensitive, relaxed jazz piano on record and gave Satchmo a chance to stretch out on some unfamiliar material, which he does with his usual flair and inventiveness. High points include Armstrong's boisterous solos, amazing improvised scatting and extra lyrics on a high-energy version of "Cottontail" and Ellington's lean, supple lines on "Duke's Place." The seemingly infallible trombonist Trummy Young contributes swinging, bluesy solos throughout and clarinetist Barney Bigard plays with an air of sophistication that well suits the Ellington vibe.

Track Listing
DISC 1: THE MASTER TAKES:
(Together for the first time)
1. Duke's Place - (previously unreleased)
2. I'm Just a Lucky So and So - (previously unreleased)
3. Cotton Tail - (previously unreleased)
4. Mood Indigo - (previously unreleased)
5. Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me - (previously unreleased)
6. The - (previously unreleased) Beautiful American
7. Black and Tan Fantasy - (previously unreleased)
8. Drop Me off in Harlem - (previously unreleased)
9. The - (previously unreleased) Mooche
10. In a Mellow Tone - (previously unreleased)
(The Great Reunion of..)
11. It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing) - (previously unreleased)
12. Solitude - (previously unreleased)
13. Don't Get Around Much Anymore - (previously unreleased)
14. I'm Beginning to See the Light - (previously unreleased)
15. Just Squeeze Me (But Don't Tease Me) - (previously unreleased)
16. I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good) - (previously unreleased)
17. Azalea - (previously unreleased)

DISC 2: THE MAKING OF THE GREAT SUMMIT:
1. In a Mellow Tone: Warm Up / Complete Take (Take 1) - (Warm-up/Take One-Complete Take#)
2. I'm Beginning to See the Light: False Start (Take 1) / Two False Starts (Take 4) / Complete Take (Take 5) / Conversation/False Start (Take 6) / Long False Start (Take 7) - (Take 1-False Start/Take 4-2 False Sta)
3. Working Out Arrang) Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me: Rehearsal/Working Out Arrangement (Take 1) / Discussion/Complete Take (Take 2) / False Start (Take 3) - (Take 1-Rehearsal
4. Don't Get Around Much Anymore: Breakdown (Take 2) / Breakdown (Take 3) / Discussion/False Start (Take 4) / Complete Take (Take 5) / Discussion/Rehearsal Of Ending - (Take 2-Breakdown/Take 3-Breakdown/Take)
5. Take 5/Luckey Roberts Intro/Complete Take) Duke's Place - (previously unreleased
6. Take 2-Complete Take) Drop Me off in Harlem - (previously unreleased
7. I'm Just a Lucky So and So: Conversation / False Start (Take 1) / Complete Take/Discussion (Take 2) - (Conversation/Take 1-False Start/Take 2-Com)
8. False Start/Take 9-False Start) Azalea: Discussion/False Start (Take 8) / False Start (Take 9) / Complete In Two Sections (Take 10) - (#Take 8-Discussion
9. Take 3-False Start/Conversation Leading to Take) Black and Tan Fantasy: False Start (Take 3) / Conversation Leading To Take Four / False Start (Take 5) / Complete Take (Take 6) - (previously unreleased
10. Band Discussion on Cottontail - (previously unreleased)

THE GREAT REUNION was recorded April 3, 1961. Includes liner notes by Stanley Dance.THE GREAT SUMMIT: THE MASTER TAKES was originally released as THE COMPLETE LOUIS ARMSTRONG & DUKE ELLINGTON SESSIONS.Personnel: Louis Armstrong (vocals, trumpet); Duke Ellington (piano); Trummy Young (trombone); Barney Bigard (clarinet); Mort Herbert (bass); Danny Barcelona (drums).Producer: Bob Thiele.Reissue producer: Michael Cuscuna.Recorded at RCA Studios, New York, New York on April 3 & 4, 1961. Includes liner notes by Dan Morgenstern.Digitally remastered by Ron McMaster using 24-bit technology.Disc 1 is the previously released THE COMPLETE LOUIS ARMSTRONG & DUKE ELLINGTON SESSIONS. Disc 2 is a bonus CD of conversations, false starts and outtakes from the same sessions.

 

[Dennie]

A 20-bit Taste of DMP -- SBM CD

Various DMP Artists

1993 Digital Music Products

One of My All Time Favorites August 5, 2012
By Acolin
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase

As a reviewer for EnjoyTheMusic and with Facebook pages on Audio Tube Amp, Big Ole Horns and Tweaking Audiophile front-end, one of my all time favorite CDs is the amazing 20 Bit Taste of DMP sampler from Digital Music Products (DMP). (Go to [...]). A jazzy CD, it is one I carry with me to test other systems. It is clear - it is clean. There is more silence in the quiet passages than almost all of my other CDs. I love every other song on this slim disc and play it regularly. It has deep and fast kick drums, high and sweet chimes, smooth female vocals and resounding pianos. All other systems always sound their very best when playing the DMP CDs.

The second song on this sample disc, "FYI", is a perky little tune from Chuck Leob's Mediterranean CD (DMP CD-494). FYI opens with the drums and bass in a snappy joyful melody. The horns pick up the tune, while the piano and guitar punctuate the chorus with sharp attack notes. Although there are no vocals on this little ditty, it does give a good range of dynamic frequencies and instruments.

Mid-way through the song, the drum snaps add to the guitar instrumental. As the song moves into its final movements, the drum snaps come more frequently, and a set of chimes shimmers as if blown by a cold wind. In the closing sequence, all the instruments weave the melodic tune, the drums start a rhythmic pounding, and as they begin to fade away, the horns add into the crescendo. It is a nice, foot tapping fusion jazz tune.

For example, you should know that I love the Digital Music Product (DMP) CDs. They are among my all time favorites. Stereophile magazine (Nov. 99) emoted verbosely over the DMP does DSD SACD, gushing that is "replete with enjoyable sonic doodads of every kind: delicately struck cymbals over whacking good made-ya-blink drumwork, a mellifluous, yet taut and precise guitar, and a rich'n'redolent acoustic bass."

For my part, the DMP disc is clear - it is clean. There is more silence in the quiet passages than almost all of my other CDs. The highs are ice cold. The lows are deep and rich. The recording is un-crowded, so highs and lows are vivid contrasts to each other.

Track Listing
1. Stone Ground - Warren Bernhardt
2. FYI - Chuck Loeb
3. Freedomland - Bob Mintzer Big Band
4. Fools Gold - The Vivino Brothers
5. The - Jay Anderson Third Rail
6. Rain - David Charles/David Friedman
7. One Music - Bob Mintzer
8. Old World New World - Dan Brubeck/The Dolphins
9. I Love You - Dick Oatts/Garry Dial
10. Fatty's BBQ - Bob Smith

Performers include: Warren Bernhardt, Bob Mintzer, Chuck Loeb, The Dolphins, Bob's Diner, Garry Dial & Dick Oats, Jay Anderson, David Charles & David Friedman, The Vivino Brothers Band.This CD incorporates 20-bit Super Bit Mapping recording, mixing and mastering technology.Personnel: Lisa Lombardo, Catherine Russell (vocals).

 

[Rope]

Rope

 

[Dennie]

Peggy Lee Sings with Benny Goodman -- Mono CD

Recording date c. 1941-1943

1976/1992 Sony Music Special Products

This budget CD is a slice of Peggy Lee's early years. While Lee would become one of the grand dames of song, she was quite the newcomer at this stage of her career. Her voice may not yet have attained the sophistication it would in later years, but she still had something special and unique.In some ways, Lee sounds very much like other band singers of the time. This has as much to do with the bands as with the singers. It is remarkable that such a wet-behind-the-ears singer as Lee had the chops to stand up to as furious a behemoth as Benny Goodman's orchestra. Yet on songs such as "Not a Care in the World" and "I Threw a Kiss in the Ocean," Lee is clearly a highlight of the recordings. She sparkles as much as any of the great musicians, her voice flying right alongside the swinging congregation, fresh and satiny.

Track Listing
1. My Old Flame
2. That's the Way It Goes
3. All I Need Is You
4. Not a Care in the World
5. Full Moon (Noche de Luna)
6. How Long Has This Been Going On?
7. Marie That Did It
8. Elmer's Tune
9. I Threw a Kiss in the Ocean
10. We'll Meet Again

 

[Dennie]

Collaboration -- Remastered CD

The Modern Jazz Quartet with Laurindo Almeida

1964/2008 Atlantic Records

One of the finest recordings ever made. September 18, 2001
By Ron Kransler
Format:Audio CD

My vinyl copy of this recording has endured over thirty-six+ years of playing and can finally be retired. After having waited for this album to be re-released on CD, the event has happened. It was and remains one of the finest albums in recorded music. MJQ and Laurindo Almeida are at their masterful best -- it is pure magic and always has been -- their version of Rodrigo's "Concierto De Aranjuez" is worth the price alone, it should be required listening. Each piece on this recording seems to have been so carefully selected that they build on one another -- the result is an awesome experience, something that makes your life better.

All compositions by John Lewis except as indicated

"Silver" - 3:40
"Trieste" - 5:22
"Valeria" - 5:47
"Fugue in A Minor" (Johann Sebastian Bach) - 3:46
"One Note Samba" (Antonio Carlos Jobim, Newton Mendonça) - 5:06
"Foi A Saudade" (Djalma Ferreira) - 2:34
"Concierto de Aranjuez" (Joaquín Rodrigo) - 11:45



Laurindo Almeida - guitar
Milt Jackson - vibraphone
John Lewis - piano
Percy Heath - bass
Connie Kay - drums

 

[Dennie]

Stardust - The Music of Hoagy Carmichael -- SACD

Bill Charlap

2002/2003 Blue Note Records

Amazon.com

With his elegant lyric sensibility and use of classic harmonics, which might best be characterized as equal parts Hank Jones and Bill Evans, pianist Bill Charlap manages to suggest something at once timeless and modern in his approach to jazz piano. And while references to past and present masters of the keyboard abound in this recital of Hoagy Carmichael compositions (as in his tasty appropriation of Evans's tolling intro to "Some Other Time" on a poignant reading of "The Nearness of You," or his interpolation of Red Garland's "Billy Boy" as a prelude to "I Walk with Music"), Charlap manages to evoke the dreamy, unhurried character redolent of so much of Carmichael's music, while maintaining his own probing, crystalline presence. Thus, while a briskly swinging jaunt through "Jubilee" finds him navigating an equestrian set of changes in a round-robin romp with his exceptionally empathetic rhythm mates (bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington), his sultry flirting with tenorist Frank Wess on "Blue Orchids" and his lofty harmonic byplay with guitarist Jim Hall reveal a musician wise beyond his years--restrained and relaxed and confident enough not to hide behind a fusillade of empty notes. Such maturity is part of what makes his storytelling accompaniments behind master vocalists Tony Bennett and Shirley Horn--and a breathtakingly slow, humid trio treatment of "Georgia"--so richly rewarding. --Chip Stern

1. Jubilee
2. I Get Along Without You Very Well
3. Rockin' Chair
4. I Walk With Music
5. Two Sleepy People
6. Nearness Of You
7. One Morning In May
8. Blue Orchids
9. Georgia On My Mind
10. Stardust
11. Skylark

 

[Dennie]

Our Gang -- SACD

The Anthony Wilson Trio

2001 Groove Note Records

Anthony's Trio is Top Notch, June 2, 2001
By Ryan Meagher (San Jose, CA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Our Gang (Audio CD)

I have heard many compare LA's hippest trio to the famous Larry Goldings organ trio Back East. Though they do share some qualities, I think Anthony Wilson's trio stands by itself. Originality, creativity, swing-feel, repertoire, and "outness," are all things that set Wilson's trio apart from Goldings'. This is not to say Goldings' trio does not do these things. Lord knows they do it as good, if not better than anyone, but the guys in Anthony's trio do the same things with their own spin. I also think Joe Bagg and Mark Ferber communicate to each other on their instruments as good as anyone in the business. This Groove Note release is a great example of some of the things this trio can do. As with most musicians, the experience is really felt when it is live! The same holds true for this amazing group, but their great sound is captured on this wonderful album. I thoroughly enjoyed it from front to back. I totally recommend buying it.

Our Gang
Chitlins Con Carne
Britta's Blues
Time Flies
Road Trip
Luck be A Lady
I Want You (She's So Heavy)
Prelude To A Kiss

 

[Botch]

Dennie, is the Charlap disk in 5.1?