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Artist: Kenny Dorham Albums: Kenny Dorham Sings And Plays: This Is The Moment! Recorded: 1958 Released: 1994 Label: Riverside Quality: mp3 CBR 320 Size: 88 MB
The release of this recording must have surprised most jazz listeners at the time, for trumpeter Kenny Dorham sings on all ten selections. He had never hinted at any desire to sing previously (although he had sung a blues regularly with Dizzy Gillespie & His Orchestra in the 1940s) and, as it turned out, this was his one and only vocal album; the sales were probably quite a bit less than Chet Baker's records of the period. Dorham had an OK voice, musical if not memorable, but the arrangements for these selections (which utilize his trumpet and Curtis Fuller's trombone, both of which are muted all the time) are inventive and pleasing. The supportive rhythm section is also an asset; pianist Cedar Walton made his recording debut on this album (released on CD via the Original Jazz Classics imprint), which is a historical curiosity.
In lieu of picking up one of the trumpeter's fine Blue Note releases (Una Mas, Whistle Stop), listeners new to the work of Kenny Dorham should definitely consider this somewhat overlooked Riverside date from 1959. The set features plenty of Dorham's varied and sophisticated horn work and four of his top-drawer originals. The theme is spring, and Dorham responds with his soon to be jazz standard "Spring Is Here" and three other fine seasonal tributes: the title track, "Poetic Spring," and "Spring Cannon." This last cut is also a tribute to Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, who guests in fine style here with a bevy of fleet and highly melodic solos. Rounding out the group, baritone saxophonist Cecil Payne, French horn player David Amram, and pianist Cedar Walton add very nicely to the album's breezy yet provocative air. Essential listening for Dorham fans.
Artist: Lorraine Feather Album: Such Sweet Thunder: Music Of The Duke Ellington Orchestra Year: 2004 Label: Sanctuary Quality: mp3 CBR 320 Size: 103 MB AMG rating
It's a shame that Lorraine Feather wasn't able to contribute lyrics to the music of Duke Ellington prior to his death in 1974, as she's a natural storyteller. Ellington composed or co-wrote most of the 11 songs on this CD, though Feather chose lesser-known and especially challenging material to embellish with her gifts. She is also a superb singer who gets the most out of every track, joined by a large cast of talented musicians who sound as if they've played every chart together night after night for years. It's hard to beat her hilarious "Imaginary Guy" (based upon "Dancers in Love"), a terrific ditty about a girl so fed up with the opposite sex that she dreamed up the ideal man in her mind. The obscure bossa nova "The Ricitic," written by Ellington for his small group session with Coleman Hawkins, is transformed to the sidesplitting "Antarctica" (sample lyrics: "I cried all night/That's half a year"), a song that is guaranteed to tickle the funny bone of the sourest curmudgeon. The dark-tinged "Lovely Creatures" (based upon the second movement to "Night Creature") is not without its humorous moments ("You've got looks and bucks and yet these blues/Seem to stick to you like gum to shoes"). She wrote the words to "September Rain" (adapted from Billy Strayhorn's gorgeous ballad "Chelsea Bridge") a number of years earlier and recorded it with her group In Full Swing. This chart, with the rhythm section arranged by pianist Mike Lang and the vocal group by Morgan Ames, is every bit as lush as the original instrumental, showcasing Feather's upper range and Terry Harrington's mellow tenor sax. "The 101" is a hard-charging reworking of "Suburbanite" that tells of a dash down a highway to catch up with her lover. The finale, "Mighty Like the Blues," features words and music by the late Leonard Feather, Lorraine's father. Ellington recorded it in 1938 and again in 1960, though her version, jointly arranged by Russell Ferrante and Bill Elliott, will likely eclipse the maestro's own recordings.
After years of working and writing for the studios and for commercial groups, Lorraine Feather has found her niche in jazz as an inventive lyricist. Previous albums featured her very successful and witty words to Fats Waller and Duke Ellington piano pieces. Dooji Wooji, which has four Ellington tunes in the repertoire plus collaborations with Shelly Berg, Bill Elliott, Russell Ferrante, and Eddie Arkin, continues in the same vein even if most of the tunes are much more obscure. This time around, Feather, who is usually backed by five or six horns and a rhythm section, is particularly effective on the more bluesy material such as "A Ramble Through the Park," although she also does a fine job on the opening cooker "Calistoga Bay" and the uptempo "Indiana Lana" ("Jubilee Stomp"). The dozen selections are concise and the total time of the CD is under 42 minutes but what is here is excellent, almost coming to the high level of her classic Fats Waller set, New York City Drag.
Last time around, Feather shaped superb lyrics to fit 12 Waller classics. With Cafe Society, she does the same on a broader scale, refitting tunes from an even dozen composers-Charlie Barnet, Duke Ellington and Johnny Mandel among them-with sassy new lyrics. Her previous album New York City Drag was fun and inventive in a mellow, understated way. Here, Feather is decidedly more boisterous, swinging like an Andrews Sister through Ellington and Harry Carney's "Rockin' in Rhythm" and going wildly native on both the deliciously overblown "Big Fun" and the tropically syncopated "Jungle Rhythm" (featured in Disney's latest animated epic, The Jungle Book 2). She also has a whale of a time breezing through Barnet and Skippy Martin's "The Right Idea," a playfully romantic adventure reminiscent of "Let's Get Lost." Her spirited high jinks are, however, gorgeously offset by such velvety additions as Mandel's "Speed of Light" (sort of a gently heated Afro-Cuban version of "You've Got a Friend") and a sultry "Love Call" (from Ellington's "Creole Love Call") that recalls the sexy insouciance of Lee Wiley. Most remarkable, though, is "The Way We Say Goodbye," a soaring salute to torchiness that underscores the melancholic Sturm und Drang of "Black Coffee" with the philosophic mistiness of Cole Porter's "Every Time We Say Goodbye."
This volume, in the excellent Rarum series, begins with Stanko's first date as a leader for ECM in 1975 on the album Balladyna. There are two selections from the set highlighting what was well-known at the time as his radical "predatory lyricism" method of composition and soloing. These stand in subtle contrast with his solo on "Together," from Edward Vesala's Stau from a year later, where his soloing style was already in transition, and he moved even further afield when he played on Gary Peacock's beautiful album Voice From the Past, from which the selection "Moor" is taken. Stanko's harmonic interplay with saxophonist Jan Garbarek is nothing short of breathtaking. Stanko didn't record for ECM again until the mid-1990s, on his own Matka Joanna, by which time his longer, loping lines and more open method of composition, which left much room for silence, and his reliance on a languid yet rich and beautiful counterpoint, was coming to fruition. The majority of this fine set is taken from Matka Joanna, as well as from the titles Litania: The Music of Krzysztof Komeda, Leosia, and From the Green Hill. This is a welcome addition to the Stanko catalog in that it represents an artist who stands outside not only most jazz classification systems, but also apart from ECM's "classic" sound. Highly recommended.~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
Artist: Lorraine Feather Album: New York City Drag Year: 2001 Label: Rhombus Records Quality: mp3 CBR 320 Size: 91 MB AMG rating
Lorraine Feather (daughter of critic Leonard Feather) has made her mark as a lyricist and singer, with her former group, Full Swing, and also in non-jazz settings. New York City Drag is certainly a major change of pace, for she is featured singing a set of Fats Waller songs. Not heard are the usual Waller standards such as "Honeysuckle Rose" and "Ain't Misbehavin'" because this set is something much different. Feather wrote lyrics to a dozen of Waller's piano pieces, including "Blue Black Bottom," "Numb Fumblin'," "Valentine Stomp," "African Ripples," and other tunes that had never been sung before. She created stories to each of the songs, changing the titles and turning them into fascinating narratives. Fortunately, her appealing voice is strong enough to essay the tricky intervals, and one can always understand what she is singing. Particularly delightful are her words to "The Minor Drag" ("You're Outta Here"), "Gladyse" ("She's Gettin' Some"), "Clothes Line Ballet" ("New York City Drag"), and "Fractious Fingering" ("Jukebox"). Accompanied by either Dick Hyman or Mike Lang on piano, along with occasional quiet rhythm guitar from John Pisano, plus sometimes bass and drums, Lorraine Feather is heard on the most significant album of her career. And on "Cezanne," she is joined by Fats Waller himself via his recording of "Smashing Thirds." Waller would have thoroughly enjoyed this inspired and highly original set.
Artist: Julia Hulsmann Trio Album: The End Of A Summer Released: 2008 Label: ECM Quality: mp3 CBR 320 Size: 113 MB
Avoiding blatant virtuosity, The End Of A Summer engages, instead, on a deeper, more subconscious level. Profoundly beautiful and possessing a telepathic interaction that can only come from years playing together, this may not be the Julia Hulsmann Trio's debut, but it will be a first encounter for many, and a fine one it is.
Buddy Emmons wasn't the first musician to be featured playing a pedal steel guitar in a jazz setting, but it is unlikely that anyone else recorded an entire date playing one prior to this 1963 session. Although both he and the instrument are indelibly associated with country music, Emmons makes it work for several reasons. He's surrounded by some top players, including Bobby Scott, Jerome Richardson, Art Davis, and Charlie Persip; he also interacts with the band rather than overdoing the special effects available to him, especially the horn-like sounds obtained from his use of the slide. Emmons also chose an intriguing mix of material. Obvious highlights are the loping treatment of "Where or When," featuring Richardson's delicious soprano sax trading off with the leader, and Emmons' hot playing of "(Back Home Again In) Indiana." Equally rewarding are the jazz classics: Ray Brown's soulful "Gravy Waltz," an intricate romp through Sonny Rollins' "Oleo," and Horace Silver's toe-tapping "The Preacher." This was pretty much a one-time affair for Emmons, who returned to country music, though he did record some additional jazz with guitarist Lenny Breau during the 1970s. Although the instrument never really caught on in jazz, this highly recommended album, which was finally reissued on CD in 2003, is well worth checking out. ~ Ken Dryden, All Music Guide
Artist: Scott H. Biram Album: Something's Wrong / Lost Forever Released: 2009 Label: Bloodshot Quality: mp3 CBR 320 Size: 88 MB
...Something's Wrong/Lost Forever is dominated by stories of lost souls just trying to get by, a theme that's always timely but feels even more weighty right now. Biram sounds a bit less manic on these sessions than in his earlier work, but the grit and raw, plain-spoken emotional edge of his music hasn't changed much even if he's spending a bit more time with keyboards and acoustic instruments than a blown-out electric guitar on tunes like "Sinkin' Down," "Draggin' Down The Line" and the excellent " "Still Drunk, Still Crazy, Still Blue." But don't get the notion that Biram has forsaken his wild side -- "The Wishing Well" and "Hard Time" still crank it up loud and dirty, and he teams up with the Black Diamond Heavies on "I Feel So Good" to chase those bad vibes away. Scott H. Biram isn't trying to deliver a State Of The Union Address on Something's Wrong/Lost Forever, but he's sure made a record that resonates with the times; sometimes it's dark, sometimes it's edgy, but there's always soul, passion and life in it, and it comes straight from the heart of a man who sings and plays like his life depends on it each time he steps up to the microphone. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide
Artist: Scott H. Biram Album: The Dirty Old One Man Band Lable: Bloodshot Released: 2005 Quality: mp3, CBR 320 Size: 97 MB
Taking the White Stripes' stripped-down duo approach one step backwards, Austin's Scott H. Biram is, as the title of this album indicates, a one-man show. Sure, there are plenty of solo blues and country players, but none who sound quite as plugged-in and driven as he does. His fourth album, and first for insurgent country label Bloodshot, comes after a near fatal car accident all but had him meeting his deceased blues heroes. He survived, and the near-death experience sure hasn't lessened the grinding, stomping, naked blues and country that Biram has been perfecting on his previous releases. If anything, it is now more relentless. The titles of those older albums -- Low-Fi Mojo and Preachin' and Hollerin' -- perfectly describe his unhinged, slightly demonic approach. Take the Legendary Shack Shakers and then add Dexter Romweber singing through his harp mike, and you're on the way to jumping on Biram's turbulent train. This disc mixes a few traditional tunes with originals, but there is nothing conventional about the punked-up style. Mostly electric, Biram unplugs briefly for "Wreck My Car" (not a reference to his own unfortunate events), a folksy but appropriately dark love tale that fits fine with the rest of the album. Even the spiritual tunes such as "I See the Light/What's His Name?" have a tenacious, almost antagonistic quality that makes the religious references secondary to their in-your-face intensity. Imagine ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons starting out in a garage and you have an indication of Biram's gruff, often cartoonish references to whiskey, truck driving, and "Blood, Sweat and Murder." He reprises the riff from "Tequila" in "Whiskey" but never bothers to give a writing credit, and follows it with a typically deranged version of "Muleskinner Blues" complete with fancy guitar picking and yodels that sound like they are emerging from the depths of hell. Two tracks feature the Weary Boys on unadorned accompaniment, adding mandolin and fiddle, but no percussion, to the mayhem. The closing three tracks are recorded on-stage, but that just adds audience participation to what seems like a live in the studio disc. Not for the meek, Biram's hardcore blues and country go down like cheap moonshine from a backwoods still.~ Hal Horowitz, All Music Guide
It's hard to believe that after recording as a leader for 40 years, Dresden: In Concert is Jan Garbarek's first-ever live album. He has recorded sparely in 21st century thus far, but he has toured regularly. For those who think that Garbarek abandoned jazz some time ago, this will be a shock. Dresden is an engaged, kinetic, double-disc, two-hour performance of his quartet playing in the modern jazz idiom and using all of its tenets -- from complex harmonics and rhythmic invention to extended lyric improvisation -- to create a tour de force that honors all the music he holds dear.>>>
Tomasz Stanko’s smouldering Slavic soul music and grainy-toned trumpet finds a new context on Dark Eyes. Like his hero Miles Davis, the Polish jazz master also has an impressive record as talent scout and mentor, and his latest ensemble pools young players from Finland and Denmark – his ‘Nordic’ quintet – for what is an exciting and notable new album. It’s launched with a UK tour, including a concert at the London Jazz Festival. Tomasz has had strong connections to Finland in particular since the early 1970s when he was part of Edward Vesala’s creative circle.
Now he welcomes two prodigiously gifted Finns into his group, pianist Alexi Tuomarila and drummer Olavi Louhivuori, both expressive and imaginative players. On Dark Eyes, Jakob Bro, the young guitarist heard on ECM on Paul Motian’s Garden of Eden is cast most often in the role of subtle colourist, while fellow Dane Anders Christensen, on electric bass throughout, provides the band’s throbbing pulse.
The programme features new Stanko compositions, including “The Dark Eyes of Martha Hirsch”, inspired by an Oskar Kokoschka canvas, plus a new version of “Last Song” from Tomasz ECM debut “Balladyna”, as well as “Dirge for Europe” and “Etiuda baletowa nr. 3” - from the pen of Krzysztof Komeda. When Tomasz Stanko won the European Jazz Prize in 2002, the jury declared him: “A world-class player, a stylist, a charismatic performer and original composer – a true master and leader of European jazz… (with) a unique sound and personal music that is instantly recognizable and unmistakably his own...” His association with ECM goes back to 1975 but his three albums with his young Polish trio, Soul of Things, Suspended Night & Lontano hit a new level of international popularity.
Artist: Dinah Washington Album: For Lovers Label: Verve Released: 2006 Quality: mp3 CBR 320 Size: 100 MB
Although a little slim at 45 minutes, Verve's compilation of 11 romantic titles recorded by Dinah Washington includes some of her finest material. Concentrating on the mid- to late '50s, Dinah Washington for Lovers surveys the years when she finally bloomed as a popular purveyor of adult vocal jazz. Surprisingly, it doesn't include the most popular ballad of her career, "What a Diff'rence a Day Made," but Washington had a certain way with standards that never fails to delight; no other vocal interpreter can make listeners contemplate lyrics anew even after they've heard it enough times to memorize. While most of the selections here feature the rosy strings and orchestra that Washington preferred late in her career, a pair of mellow ballads ("Darn That Dream" and "Crazy He Calls Me") come from a very different type of recording, her 1954 jam session landmark, Dinah Jams.~ John Bush, All Music Guide
Jay McShann was 83 at the time of this CD, but the pianist-singer sounds very much in prime form and had certainly not lost his enthusiasm. He teams up with some of the better Kansas City musicians active in the late '90s (tenor saxophonist Ahmad Alaadeen, guitarist Sonny Kenner, bassist Gerald Spaits, and drummer Todd Strait) on a variety of blues, originals, and swinging tunes, some of which are taken as instrumentals. Even if "What a Wonderful World" did not need to be played yet again, there are plenty of high points throughout this joyous set from McShann & friends.~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
Artist: Rhoda Scott Album: Live At The Club Saint-Germain Released: 1974 Quality: mp3 CBR 320 Size: 149 MB
Rhoda Scott is a living legend of organ jazz, whom Arthur Rubinstein called, "a great, very great virtuoso." She is a member of that very small group of jazz players who have truly mastered the pedal bass, earning the nickname, "The Barefoot Lady."
The daughter of a minister, she began playing organ in church and working with gospel choirs, which eventually led to performing with a small jazz band. She studied classical piano, but continued to concentrate on the organ, earning a Masters' degree in music theory from the Manhattan School of Music. Jazz, gospel, and classical music all come together in her approach to music...Alan Bryson,allaboutjazz
"Here's another must for sax instrumental buffs, with rare wax by Texas tenor Clifford Scott and balladeer Lynn Hope. You and a few million others heard Scott on Bill Doggett's classic "Honky Tonk"; here he is joined by organist Hank Marr, Charles Brown on piano, and other session cookers for five solid shufflin' sides. Lynn Hope is a different character -- a Muslim who admired the record-selling style of Earl Bostic, and in turn influenced a generation of ska hornsmen. In contrast to his lush romantic sound on "Stardust," "Tenderly," "Ghost of a Chance," etc., there's the bar-walkin' "Shockin'," jazzy "Juicy," swaggering "Little Landslide," and exotic "Sands of the Sahara." There are 20 tooters total and little duplication with Hope's Saxophonograph material."
~ Myles Boisen, Roots & Rhythm Newsletter, All Music Guide
Artist: Wes Montgomery Album: The Incredible Jazz Guitar Of Wes Montgomery (ultra rare American club performance) Label: Definitive Records Year: 1965, release: 2009 Quality: mp3 CBR 320 Size: 137 MB
"This outstanding release features the extremely rare recording of Wes Montgomery, live at the Half Note in New York, and in Hamburg. One of the greatest improvisers in jazz, Wes stretches out on these two spectacular live recordings.
In the New York concert, Wes joins forces with the brilliant pianist Harold Mabern, whose post-bop concept and swinging feel are a perfect complement to his own ingenious playing, while in the Hamburg concert, Montgomery teams up with French piano phenomenon Martial Solal." (C)