What Are You Listening To?

[topper]

~ :music-listening:

 

[Dennie]

Come Dream With Me -- DVD-A

Jane Monheit

2003 N-Coded Music

Jane Monheit's lush vocals do right by the songs on COME DREAM WITH ME. Influenced by Ella Fitzgerald, she has gained legions of fans with her warm, rich voice and wise-beyond-her-years, expressive style. Ably assisted by saxophonist Michael Brecker and Monk-influenced pianist Kenny Barron, Monheit continues her path to becoming one of the best-known contemporary female jazz vocalists with this collection, which contains standards such as "Over the Rainbow," "I'll be Seeing You," and "Blame It On My Youth. Jane Monheit's lush vocals do right by the songs on COME DREAM WITH ME. Influenced by Ella Fitzgerald, she has gained legions of fans with her warm, rich voice and wise-beyond-her-years, expressive style. Ably assisted by saxophonist Michael Brecker and Monk-influenced pianist Kenny Barron, Monheit continues her path to becoming one of the best-known contemporary female jazz vocalists with this collection, which contains standards such as "Over the Rainbow," "I'll be Seeing You," and "Blame It On My Youth."DVD Features:Region [unknown]Keep CaseAudio:24 Bit/96kHz DVD Audio - English24 Bit/48kHz Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound - EnglishText/Photo Gallerieshoto GalleryLiner Notes

1. Over the Rainbow
2. Hit the Road to Dreamland
3. Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most
4. Waters of March
5. I'm Through With Love
6. I'll Be Seeing You
7. Something to Live For
8. So Many Stars
9. If
10. Blame It on My Youth
11. A Case of You

Personnel: Jane Monheit (vocals); Michael Brecker (saxophone); Tom Harrell (trumpet); Kenny Barron (piano); Richard Bona (electric & fretless basses); Christian McBride (bass); Greg Hutchinson (drums).Recorded at Sear Sound, New York, New York in January & February 2000. Includes liner notes by Joel Dorn

 

[Dennie]

Jazz For A Lazy Day -- CD

Various Artists

1999 32 Jazz Records

Amazon.com

Ahhh, here comes another 32 Jazz compilation, designed to put you in the proper frame of mind. What's that, you ask? Well, how 'bout just being cool? This batch of midtempo cookers, accompanied by the priceless je ne sais quoi liners from 32 Jazz mastermind Joel Dorn, will put you in the right mood. The sensuous tenor sax of Houston Person is featured on Ellington's "Daydream" (along with trombonist Curtis Fuller) and on a marvelous duet rendition of Sonny Rollins's "Blue Seven" with bassist Ron Carter. Cuts by Sonny Stitt, Wallace Roney, Donald Byrd, and other stellar horn players cruise along similarly at a relaxed, classic jazz pace and should add a little zip to your lazy afternoon. Who knows, you might even perk up enough to do a little soft-shoe shuffle. --Wally Shoup

Track Listings
1. Blue Monk - Hank Jones
2. Monk's Dream - Ralph Moore
3. Chelsea Bridge - Ricky Ford
4. Walkin' - Sonny Stitt
5. Alone Together - Wallace Roney
6. Blue Seven - Houston Person/Ron Carter
7. Fly Me To The Moon - Russell Gunn
8. Daydream - Houston Person
9. Alter Ego - Donald Byrd

 

[Dennie]

Paul Desmond & The Modern Jazz Quartet -- RemasteredCD

1993 Sony/Red Barron Records

The MJQ made their annual Christmas gig at New York's Town Hall one year, and who should show up after intermission but Paul Desmond, who would hardly bring himself to play with anyone in those days, save a Creed Taylor record date or two. The cool classical modernists and the dry-martini altoist are not unexpectedly a close fit -- after all, Percy Heath and especially Connie Kay had been fixtures on Desmond's solo sessions -- and they do some relaxed swinging turns on some congenial standards, adaptations of P.D. tunes ("La Paloma," "Greensleeves"), one current hit ("Jesus Christ Superstar" in a cute John Lewis arrangement), and the inevitable "Bags' Groove" (here entitled "Bags' New Groove"). Again, Desmond softly intones perhaps his favorite standard in the repertoire (he recorded it countless times), "You Go to My Head," tumbling contrapuntally around Milt Jackson in the tune, while "East of the Sun" has a fine chase sequence between the two down the stretch. Though they had been friends since the 1950s, this was apparently the only time the MJQ and Desmond ever performed in public, making this one-off album (issued well after Desmond's death through Lewis's efforts) a thing to savor for fans of all five musicians. ~ Richard S. Ginell

Track Listing
1. Greensleeves
2. You Go to My Head
3. Blue Dove (La Paloma Azul)
4. Jesus Christ Superstar
5. Here's That Rainy Day
6. East of the Sun (And West of the Moon)
7. Bags' New Groove

Personnel: Paul Desmond (alto saxophone); Milt Jackson (vibraphone); John Lewis (piano); Percy Heath (bass); Connie Kay (drums).Producers: John Lewis, Ken Glancy.Reissue producers: Ken Glancy, Bob Thiele.Recorded live at Town Hall, New York, New York on December 25, 1971. Includes liner notes by Irving Townsend.Digitally remastered by Chris Herles (Sony Studios, New York, New York).

 

[Zing]

To steal an adjective from Paul, this was 'interesting'. For $6.99, it was great!

Samples @ Amazon

 

[Dennie]

Good Dog Happy Man -- CD

Bill Frisell

1999 Nonesuch Records

Bill Frisell is like a chef or an alchemist. He brings together the characteristics and properties of diverse players to make one unique amalgam. With GOOD DOG HAPPY MAN, Frisell seeks the common ground between such musicians as bluegrass bassist Viktor Krauss, erstwhile New York downtown jazzbo keyboardist Wayne Horvitz, blue country steel guitarist Greg Liesz, and journeyman rock drummer Jim Keltner. What these very different players have in common is the inability to fit into easily defined categories or molds. Similarly, Frisell's own musical voice draws from all corners of American tradition.GOOD DOG is an album steeped in locale. It exudes a sense of place. Frisell's compositions range from subtle groove frameworks ("Big Shoe") to fragile ballads ("Rain, Rain"). The lone cover, a traditional "Shenandoah," features guest guitarist Ry Cooder. This album falls beautifully between the earthiness of Frisell's NASHVILLE album and the spontaneous combustion of GONE, JUST LIKE A TRAIN.

Track Listing
1. Rain, Rain
2. Roscoe
3. Big Shoe
4. My Buffalo Girl
5. Shenandoah (for Johnny Smith)
6. Cadillac 1959
7. Pioneers, The
8. Cold Cold Ground
9. That Was Then
10. Monroe
11. Good Dog, Happy Man
12. Poem for Eva

Personnel: Bill Frisell (acoustic & electric guitars, loops, music box); Ry Cooder (electric & Ripley guitars); Greg Leisz (pedal steel, lap steel, National steel & Weissenborn guitars, mandolin, dobro); Wayne Horvitz (piano, organ, samples); Viktor Krauss (bass); Jim Keltner (drums, percussion).Recorded at O'Henry Sound Studios, Burbank, California

 

[PaulyT]

To steal an adjective from Paul, this was 'interesting'. For $6.99, it was great!

Samples @ Amazon

Good word. :handgestures-thumbup: Agreed, and ordered.

 

[Dennie]

Today's work truck music.....

Greatest Hits -- CD

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

1993 MCA Records

Amazon.com
He's sold millions of albums, filled arenas, and hobnobbed with George Harrison, Bob Dylan and Roy Orbison, but Tom Petty's driving heartland rock has often been taken for granted by the same critics who hail John Mellencamp as a genius. Greatest Hits is an airtight argument for Petty's own greatness. Starting with "American Girl," the rollicking, Byrds-inspired single from Petty's first album in 1976, this compilation presents a chronological overview of the guitarist-vocalist's career with and without the Heartbreakers, also chronically underrated as one of today's best bands. Every one of the 16 older tracks is a well-crafted gem, full of solid guitar hooks ("Here Comes My Girl"), arresting images ("Don't Come Around Here No More") and simple but poetic lyrics ("The Waiting").

Petty isn't an innovator; he's a talented craftsman with impeccable taste and a strong sense of rock history, internalizing influences ranging from the Beatles' psychedelic masterpiece, Revolver, to the best of '70s punk. (It's interesting to remember that early efforts such as "Refugee" and "Don't Do Me Like That" first won Petty attention as a New Wave artist). With his Dylanesque vocals and chiming 12-string guitars, Petty is more often linked these days with the sounds of the '60s. But recent tunes such as "Learning to Fly" and "Into the Great Wide Open" are as smart, relevant and (dare I say) alternative as anything in MTV's Buzz Bin. --Jim DeRogatis

"American Girl" (Tom Petty) – 3:35
(Originally released on the album Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.)
"Breakdown" (Petty) – 2:44
(Originally released on the album Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.)
"Listen to Her Heart" (Petty) – 3:05
(Originally released on the album You're Gonna Get It!.)
"I Need to Know" (Petty) – 2:26
(Originally released on the album You're Gonna Get It!.)
"Refugee" (Petty, Mike Campbell) – 3:25
(Originally released on the album *** the Torpedoes.)
"Don't Do Me Like That" (Petty) – 2:44
(Originally released on the album *** the Torpedoes.)
"Even the Losers" (Petty) – 4:01
(Originally released on the album *** the Torpedoes.)
"Here Comes My Girl" (Petty, Campbell) – 4:27
(Originally released on the album *** the Torpedoes.)
"The Waiting" (Petty) – 4:01
(Originally released on the album Hard Promises.)
"You Got Lucky" (Petty, Campbell) – 3:38
(Originally released on the album Long After Dark.)
"Don't Come Around Here No More" (Petty, David A. Stewart) – 5:07
(Originally released on the album Southern Accents.)
"I Won't Back Down" (Petty, Jeff Lynne) – 2:59
(Originally released on the album Full Moon Fever.)
"Runnin' Down a Dream" (Petty, Lynne, Campbell) – 4:25
(Originally released on the album Full Moon Fever.)
"Free Fallin'" (Petty, Lynne) – 4:18
(Originally released on the album Full Moon Fever.)
"Learning to Fly" (Petty, Lynne) – 4:05
(Originally released on the album Into the Great Wide Open.)
"Into the Great Wide Open" (Petty, Lynne) – 3:45
(Originally released on the album Into the Great Wide Open.)
"Mary Jane's Last Dance" (Petty) – 4:35
(First release.)
"Something in the Air" (John Keen) – 3:17
(Thunderclap Newman cover.)
(Originally released on the album Hollywood Dream.)

 

[Dennie]

Discovered Again! Plus -- XRCD24

Dave Grusin

1976/2004 Sheffield Lab/LIM Records

David Grusin gets discovered more often than any musician I know. People have the feeling he gets left out, "the least appreciated film score composer,' and so forth. He has been struggling along at the very top of the music business for years.

Lincoln Mayorga, co-founder of Sheffield Records, has wanted to make a direct-to-disc album with Grusin for many years, and Grusin became intrigued with the challenge. Finally the idea and the occasion met. Direct-to-disc recording implies spontaneity. One performs live. The stylus hits the lacquer, cuts a continuous groove starting at Note 1, Side 1. It will not terminate until the last note of Side 1, and then 2. In this sense it is a live performance. Yet, the music must be painstakingly rehearsed so that the engineer can cope with the heroic task of mixing as he records. For it is an engineer’s medium. This puts aching pressure on the musicians trying to stay in touch with their own impulses. What the engineer must program, the musicians must de-program as they go. Somewhere in this minefield an unusual quality of music emerges. It is never child’s play. For this extraordinary task, Grusin hired a special group of musicians. They are also the same guys Grusin hires for most of his work. They’re up to it and they suit him. One, bassist Ron Carter, was an import.

Anyone who knows jazz knows Ron Carter. The sound he can get from an acoustic bass (full sized, not three-quarter) is like nobody else’s sound. It is particularly satisfying to hear the depth with which that sound is caught within the direct-to-disc recording medium.

The guitar player is Lee Ritenour, who is too young to play as well as he does, but Grusin lets him get away with it. Indeed, it would be hard to stop him. It is difficult to pin down the reasons for rapport between musicians at their work. Grusin and Ritenour generate a similar momentum; they’re both fast, disreputable, and great little dancers.

Drummer Harvey Mason is a staple of your basic Dave Grusin rhythm section. His agility is seemingly effortless. I’ve seen him sight-read complicated time signatures while I was still trying to hear them in my head. He also has a silly streak that’s hard to resist. Most important in this case, he keeps the time where Grusin likes to hear it, while painting on colors of his own. And if this were not enough, he often brings a shopping bag full of homemade popcorn to the dates.

Larry Bunker is the formidable vibraharpist and percussionist on the album. You should be so lucky as to be in any kind of trouble on a record session and have Larry Bunker there, imperturbably drinking his black coffee, waiting, ready to bail you out. Rarely have I known a more contained musician, nor a more various and capable one. Bunker is what the word veteran is for.

Instead of improving the software technology like other formats do, JVC has chosen to do some serious homework on the hardware side. Developed from its well-known K2 20-bit proprietary digital processor, engineers at JVC Mastering Center spared no effort in refining and extending the K2 system into a K2 24-bit configuration. The most remarkable breakthrough is the application of a unique timing system called "Rubidium RF Distribution" technology. Instead of using crystal as the medium for laser clocking, they implemented a timing system based on rubidium, a rare material that is used for space applications. This device is 10,000 times more accurate than conventional crystal clocks. (Detailed information of this system will be found elsewhere in the liner notes.) In a nutshell, XRCD24 produces the finest analog sound: warm, musical and dynamic, but in a normal 16-bit PCM digital format, meaning the disc is playable by any CD player without any additional equipment or different player!

Selections:
1. A Child is Born
2. Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow
3. Sun Song
4. Captain Bacardi
Three Cowboy Songs:
5. Git Along Little Dogies
6. The Colorado Trail
7. Cripple Creek Breakdown
8. Adeus A Papai
Previously unreleased alternative performances:
9. Keep Your Eyes On The Sparrow (theme from Barreta)
10. Sun Song
11. Git Along Little Dogies
12. The Colorado Trail

Musicians: Dave Grusin, vocals & piano; Ron Carter, bass; Lee Ritenour, guitar; Harvey Mason, drums; Larry Bunker, percussion.

 

[Dennie]

Out Among The Stars -- CD

Johnny Cash

2014 Columbia Legacy

An absolute must for fans of "The Man In Black." March 25, 2014
By D. C. Stolk
Format:Audio CD
"Out Among The Stars" is a previously unreleased album by country icon Johnny Cash, who died in 2003 at the age of 71. John Carter Cash found his father's lost recordings, that were recorded in the early `80s and originally produced by Billy Sherrill, while combing through the family archives. With none of the twelve songs heard anywhere before (as performed by Johnny Cash), and the sound and production technology brought to modern standards, this album is an absolute must for fans of the legendary "Man In Black."

The album-opener "Out Among The Stars" starts out with the signature Johnny Cash train-track rhythm and his deep baritone singing about crime and retribution, and instantly became my favorite on this album. Other highlights are the ballad "She Used To Love Me A Lot," the bluegrass duet with June Carter Cash "Don't You Think It's Come Our Time" and "I Came To Believe," a track with some gospel influences. Other personal favorites are the catchy "I'm Moving On" which is a duet with Waylon Jennings, the darkly humorous "I Drove Her Out Of My Mind" and the even more fun "If I Told You Who It Was."

So, some 30 years after these sessions were originally recorded, we get to - posthumously - enjoy a great record and the fact that this was shelved - and forgotten - is surprising as these songs show that Cash was in the prime of his voice and thus the album "Out Among The Stars" is a great final legacy of "The Man In Black."

1. Out Among The Stars
2. Baby Ride Easy
3. She Used To Love Me A Lot
4. After All
5. I'm Movin' On
6. If I Told You Who It Was
7. Call Your Mother
8. I Drove Her Out Of My Mind
9. Tennessee
10. Rock And Roll Shoes
11. Don't You Think It's Come Our Time
12. I Came To Believe
13. She Used To Love Me A Lot (JC/EC Version)

 

[Dennie]

Breaking Silence -- Remastered 24K Gold CD

Janis Ian

1992 Morgan Creek/Analogue Productions

Breaking Silence finds Janis Ian's voice in its purest, most vital form ever! The tracks were recorded as live as possible without sounding retro. The 1992 all-analogue recording, praised as much for the artist's too infrequently heard talents as for its recorded dynamics, is now available on an equally meticulous transfer to gold-plated CD.

Both the Gold CD and audiophile LP versions reflect what the two top bibles of high-end audio decree as an impeccable production that has come to be regarded as a high-fidelity reference. Matched with Ian's very personal songs, delivered in a voice that draws you in close in confidence, Breaking Silence is one of the very few recordings of recent years that by reproducing a pure analogue sound, has attained true audiophile status.

This Gold CD has been remastered using the 20+16 Ultra Matrix Processing. This mastering technique that enables more information to be extracted from the analog tapes to be encoded and transferred to the CD master. Essentially it is a means of folding down 20 bits of digital information into the 16 bit CD medium using Sheffield's own 20 bit analog to digital converter and an Apogee UV22 processor. This combination creates the truest and most accurate CD master from the original analog recording, and is the finest analog-to-digital transfer process currently available.

Track Listing
1. All Roads to the River
2. Ride Me Like a Wave
3. Tattoo
4. Guess You Had to Be There
5. What About the Love?
6. His Hands
7. Walking on Sacred Ground
8. This Train Still Runs
9. Through the Years
10. This House
11. Some People's Lives - (live)
12. Breaking Silence

Personnel: Janis Ian (vocals, acoustic guitar, piano), Dan Huff (electric guitar), Jim Hoke (harmonica), Chad Watson (bass, slide bass), Jim Brock (drums, percussion).Recorded at Nightingale Studio, Schnee Studio, Omni Studio and Quad Studio, Nashville, Tennessee.All songs written or co-written by Janis Ian.

 

[Dennie]

"Crazy and Mixed Up" -- XRCD2

Sarah Vaughan

1997 Pablo/JVC Records

50 stars! An incredibly swinging gorgeous performance December 15, 2000
By Gary S. Stager
Format:Audio CD

Every track on this CD is spectacular. This Vaughan-produced recording may be the greatest vocal jazz album ever. The wordless Autumn Leaves, In Love and Vain , That's All and I Didn't Know What Time it Was swing so hard they hurt. However, the ballads on this date will heal all wounds.

The Island is perhaps the most erotic ballad ever sung and it joins Love Dance as a newly emerging jazz standard.

Andy Simpkins, Sir Roland Hanna, Joe Pass and Grady Tate are a terrific rhythm section who keep up valiantly with the Divine One.

You will cherish this CD for a lifetime!

1. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
2. That's All
3. Autumn Leaves
4. Love Dance
5. The Island
6. Seasons
7. In Love in Vain
8. You Are Too Beautiful

 

[Dennie]

Today's work truck music....

The Royal Scam -- CD

Steely Dan

1976/1999 ABC/MCA Records

Steely Dan for Guitar Lovers,
May 20, 1999
By A Customer
This review is from: Royal Scam (Audio CD)

Die hard rock fans who cringe at the sound of horn sections and piano solos often dismiss Steely Dan with comments such as, "but they're JAZZ," as though uttering a dirty word. I think The Royal Scam would be a good place to begin for those who may be willing to give Fagen and Becker another chance. Try the following: program Kid Charlemagne, Don't Take Me Alive, The Fez, and Green Earrings on your CD player, put on your headphones, pump up the volume, and by the end of the last track you'll be in air guitar heaven! Then start playing the entire CD from beginning to end several times in a row (it is designed as a concept album), listen to the lyrics carefully (it can be like poetry, obscure but worth the effort of interpretation), and I'll bet (like so many of my at-first resistant friends), you'll become a convert, ready to try more of their recordings (perhaps Countdown to Ecstacy would be a good next choice). Steely Dan's music is NOT jazz (although they have fused its elements into their sound seamlessly), but like the best jazz (not the "smooth" psuedo-fusion variety), it may at first seem too complex or disjointed to an ear accustomed to and expecting the easy pleasures of formulaic top 40 hits. But once the Dan's music has insinuated itself deep into your system (mind, heart, and soul), the intoxicating pleasures that it ultimately does give up will never grow tired, dated or stale. Steely Dan is timeless. Trust me!

Side one

"Kid Charlemagne" – 4:38
Guitar solo by Larry Carlton
"The Caves of Altamira" – 3:33[8]
Alto saxophone solo by John Klemmer
"Don't Take Me Alive" – 4:16
Guitar solo by Larry Carlton
"Sign in Stranger" – 4:23
Piano Solo by Paul Griffin
Guitar Solo by Elliott Randall
"The Fez" (Becker, Fagen, Paul Griffin) – 4:01
Guitar solo by Walter Becker

Side two

"Green Earrings" – 4:05
Guitar solos by Denny Dias (1st) and Elliott Randall (2nd)
"Haitian Divorce" – 5:51
Talk box guitar solo by Dean Parks, altered by Walter Becker
"Everything You Did" – 3:55
Guitar solo by Larry Carlton
"The Royal Scam" – 6:30
Guitar solo by Larry Carlton

 

[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]

People Time -- 2 CD Set

Stan Getz & Kenny Barron

1992 Verve/Gitanes Jazz

Amazon.com essential recording

This album, a series of duets laying the wondrously inquisitive piano of Kenny Barron next to the breathy, half-lit tenor of Stan Getz, was both the last public appearance and the final recording in the life of Getz. Recorded with astonishing clarity live at Copenhagen's Montmartre Café, People Time serves as a passionate coda to the life of this great saxophonist. Many of the tunes seem chosen for their emotional content, as if Getz were aware this might be his swan song. Speculation aside, this is a remarkably gorgeous, exquisitely paced recording. Throughout, Getz and Barron exhibit both a deep understanding of the material as well as sympathetic, truly harmonious playing. Never rushed, never brash, People Time lingers over melodies, fleshing them out and extracting every ounce of feeling. A must-have for fans of both artists. --S. Duda

Track Listing
DISC 1:
1. East of the Sun (West of the Moon)
2. Night and Day
3. I'm O. K.
4. Like Someone in Love
5. Stablemates
6. I Remember Clifford
7. Gone With the Wind

DISC 2:
1. First Song
2. No Greater Love, (There Is)
3. Surrey With the Fringe on Top, The
4. People Time
5. Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise
6. Hush-a-Bye
7. Soul Eyes

 

[Dennie]

Warm Your Heart -- 20-Bit K2 XRCD

Aaron Neville

1991/2000 Universal/JVC Japan

Compatible with all CD players. Originally released in 1991 and produced by Linda Ronstadt and George Massengill, Aaron Neville's Warm Your Heart is a collection of lush, rich songs that includes both originals and classic reinterpretations. Neville's voice is in absolute top form on the singles "Everybody Plays the Fool," "Somewhere, Somebody" and "Close Your Eyes." Rita Coolidge and Linda Rondstadt both appear as guest vocalists on a number of tracks while other contributing artists include slide guitarist Ry Cooder, saxophonist Plas Johnson, Bob Seger, Dr. John, Bob Glaub and Dean Parks.

This recording has been mastered by the K2 HD format of 24-bit 100kHz, which creates an unbelievable sound!


1. Louisiana 1927
2. Everybody Plays the Fool
3. It Feels Like Rain
4. Somewhere Somebody
5. Don't Go Please Stay
6. With You In Mind
7. That's the Way She Loves
8. Angola Bound
9. Close Your Eyes
10. La Vie Dansante
11. Warm Your Heart
12. I Bid You Goodnight
13. Ave Maria
14. House On a Hill

 

[Dennie]

Happy Saturday everyone.....

Time Out -- Remastered CD

The Dave Brubeck Quartet

1959/1997 Columbia Legacy Records

Amazon.com essential recording

Boasting the first jazz instrumental to sell a million copies, the Paul Desmond-penned "Take Five," Time Out captures the celebrated jazz quartet at the height of both its popularity and its powers. Recorded in 1959, the album combines superb performances by pianist Brubeck, alto saxophonist Desmond, drummer Joe Morrello and bassist Gene Wright. Along with "Take Five," the album features another one of the group's signature compositions, "Blue Rondo a la Turk." Though influenced by the West Coast-cool school, Brubeck's greatest interest and contribution to jazz was the use of irregular meters in composition, which he did with great flair. Much of the band's appeal is due to Desmond, whose airy tone and fluid attack often carried the band's already strong performances to another level. Together, he and Brubeck proved one of the most potent pairings of the era. --Fred Goodman

Side one
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Blue Rondo à la Turk" Dave Brubeck 6:44
2. "Strange Meadow Lark" Dave Brubeck 7:22
3. "Take Five" Paul Desmond 5:24
Side two
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Three to Get Ready" Dave Brubeck 5:24
2. "Kathy's Waltz" Dave Brubeck 4:48
3. "Everybody's Jumpin'" Dave Brubeck 4:48
4. "Pick Up Sticks" Dave Brubeck 4:16

Dave Brubeck — piano
Paul Desmond — alto saxophone
Eugene Wright — bass
Joe Morello — drums

 

[Dennie]

Time Further Out - Miro Reflections -- Remastered CD

The Dave Brubeck Quartet

1961/1996 Columbia Legacy

TIME OUT is Dave Brubeck's most popular album and one of the most famous small-group jazz recordings of all time. The 1959 LP features the odd-metered hit "Take Five" (penned by saxophonist Paul Desmond), which became a calling card for the pianist. As a 1961 follow-up to TIME OUT, Brubeck and his band decided to work from that album's momentum and record a musical sequel. The result was an ambitious nine-part blues suite called TIME FURTHER OUT: MIRO REFLECTIONS. (The latter part of the title is a tribute to the renowned painter Joan Miro, whose work is featured on the cover.) Not surprisingly, TIME FURTHER OUT continues where TIME OUT left off. For example, Brubeck's "Far More Blue" and "Far More Drums," are both reminiscent of "Take Five." The latter even includes a long drum solo by percussionist extraordinaire Joe Morello. "Unsquare Dance" continues the trend toward odd meters, and serves as a kind of lopsided hoedown, replete with handclaps and a funky bass groove. Much of the remaining album is in waltz time, including the ballads "Bluette," "Blue Shadows in the Street," and "It's a Raggy Waltz" (which is reprised as a live bonus track on the 1996 reissue).

Track Listing
1. It's a Raggy Waltz
2. Bluette
3. Charles Matthew Hallelujah
4. Far More Blue
5. Far More Drums
6. Maori Blues
7. Unsquare Dance
8. Bru's Boogie Woogie
9. Blue Shadows in the Street
10. Slow and Easy (A.K.A. Lawless Mike) - (bonus track)
11. It's a Raggy Waltz - (bonus track)

Dave Brubeck Quartet: Dave Brubeck (piano); Paul Desmond (alto saxophone); Eugene Wright (bass); Joe Morello (drums).Producer: Teo Macero.Reissue producer: Russell Gloyd.Recorded in New York, New York between May 3 and June 8, 1961. The bonus live track was recorded at Carnegie Hall, New York, New York in 1963.

 

[Dennie]

Symphonica -- CD

George Michael

2014 Island Def Jam Records

Editorial Reviews
2014 release, the sixth album from the global Pop superstar. Symphonica was recorded during the tour of the same name of 2011 and `12 and was co-produced by George himself, alongside the late, legendary Phil Ramone. Features new versions of old classics as well as new classics! Since he entered our lives in 1982 with the ground-breaking slice of exuberance that was `Wham! Rap (Enjoy What You Do)', George Michael has become an international artist of the highest order. He has sold well over 100 million albums in a world where Germany's population is 80 million and the United Kingdom's is 63 million. He's topped charts from Austria to Australia. He's sold-out stadiums from Tokyo to Tampa. He re-defined popular music with his debut solo album, 1987's Faith and has subsequently crafted a substantial, enormously popular body of work.

Track Listing
1. Through
2. My Baby Just Cares For Me
3. A Different Corner
4. Praying For Time
5. Let Her Down Easy
6. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
7. Feeling Good
8. John and Elvis Are Dead
9. One More Try
10. Cowboys and Angels
11. Idol
12. Brother Can You Spare a Dime
13. Wild is the Wind
14. You've Changed

 

[Dennie]

From the Mono Box set...

Jazz Track -- Remastered Mono CD

Miles Davis

1959/2013 Columbia/Legacy

Album Notes
The 1958 Jazz Track LP compilation is made up of two unrelated studio sessions. The first side is devoted to ten songs composed by Miles Davis for the soundtrack to the French film L'Ascenseuer Pour l'Echafaud, with pianist Ren‚ Urtreger, tenor saxophonist Barney Wilen, bassist Pierre Michelot, and drummer Kenny Clarke joining the trumpeter. Unfortunately, the music isn't particularly memorable, in spite of the best efforts of the musicians. The slower numbers seem rather sterile; while even the fast pace of "Sur l'Autoroute," featuring the leader's muted horn, leaves little in the way of a lasting impression.The second side represents only a portion of the May 26, 1958, studio session with Bill Evans, John Coltrane, and Cannonball Adderley that has since been reissued in full on CD. The softly stated treatment of "On Green Dolphin Street," with Davis' muted trumpet, Evans' impeccable accompaniment, and Jimmy Cobb's tasteful brushwork is masterful, though Adderley and Coltrane quickly shatter that mood following their respective entrances. The waltz-time treatment of "Fran Dance" (Davis' recasting of "Put Your Little Foot Right Out") is fine, though the clear highlight of the record is the gorgeous arrangement of "Stella by Starlight," which Adderley sits out. ~ Ken Dryden

Jazz Track (Columbia CL 1268, 1959)

Générique
L’assassinat de Carala
Sur l’autoroute
Julien dans l’ascenseur
Florence sur les Champs-Elysées
Dîner au motel
Evasion de Julien
Visite du vigile
Au bar du Petit-Bac
Chez le photographe du motel
On Green Dolphin Street
Fran-Dance
Stella By Starlight