Music on Top

Saturday, October 29, 2011

Enrico Rava: Tribe (2011)

Since his return to ECM with Easy Living in 2003, the grand master of Italian jazz has gone from strength to strength, in a series of truly exceptional recordings including Tati, The Words and The Days, The Third Man, and New York Days. Enrico Rava is currently playing at a peak of lyrical invention, and his newest Italian quintet is amongst his strongest ensembles. Gianluca Petrella, Rising Star Trombonist in the Down Beat Critics Poll of 2005, is retained from The Words and the Days line-up and he has a front-chemistry with Rava which burns in this project. Fast-moving, quick-witted exchanges abound. Enrico has always encouraged younger musicians, and pianist Giovanni Guidi (born 1985) is a real find, a player of creativity and imagination: "When I notice the gifts of a young musician, I immediately involve him in my groups. This is not motivated by altruism," Rava insists. "Giovanni Guidi is like Bollani and Petrella: he astounds me every time." Bassist Gabriele Evangelista (b. 1988), another young player of promise, works splendidly alongside widely-experienced drummer Fabrizio Sferra, whose resume includes work with Chet Baker, Paul Bley and Kenny Wheeler. Material on Tribe includes new and old tunes by Rava and a brace of collective improvisations. The album was recorded at Arte Suono Studio in Udine in October 2010, with Manfred Eicher producing.

Tracklist:

01. Amnesia
02. Garbage Can Blues
03. Choctaw
04. Incognito
05. Cornettology
06. F.Express
07. Tears For Neda
08. Song Tree
09. Paris Baguette
10. Planet Earth
11. Tribe
12. Improvisation

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Friday, October 28, 2011

Steve Weingart & Renee Jones: Dialogue (2011)

In the making of my third album, 'Dialogue', I enjoyed many first time experiences. One was developing some of the music in co-writing with my wife, Renee Jones. It is her first time recording bass and vocals on an entire project with me. Renee's participation in this music brought about another level in our friendship/marriage. We decided that since everything went so well, we would make our partnership the core of this work, and make plans to tour together in support of this album. Also very noteworthy was my experience with drummer, Simon Phillips who, during the initial stages became co-producer. Because we shared a lot of common ground in our musical tastes, it was very easy to work together. I think that companionship is quite evident upon listening to the very high production value Simon brought to this album, -not only in his musical performance, but also in engineering and mixing the album. My good friends, Steve Lukather, Victor Wooten, and Lenny Castro graciously brought their voices to this album as well. It was quite an experience working with these guys as well as my friends and great musicians, Mike Miller-guitar, and Katisse Buckingham-saxes & flute, who appear throughout this album. I'm very proud of this body of music. I am also honored that we all shared such good and positive experiences in the making of this CD. I learned that you cannot underestimate the power of friendship, and I know my fond and happy memories of these sessions will live forever. ~ Steve Weingart

Tracklist:
01. Village [05:29]
02. Restless [04:59]
03. Back Down [05:36]
04. Eethray [05:24]
05. Lighthouse [05:03]
06. Busy Day [05:35]
07. Empty Chair (for Zawinul) [03:04]
08. Spider Web [05:26]
09. Tell Tales [04:55]
10. Do Note Move [05:43]
11. Dialogue [05:21]
Personnel:
Steve Weingart - Piano, Keyboards, Vocals;
Renee Jones - Electric Bass, Vocals;
Simon Phillips - Drums;
Mike Miller - Electric Guitar ; Bouzouki on 'Busy Day';
Katisse Buckingham - Saxes & Flute;
Lenny Castro - Percussion (Tracks 01, 04, 06, 09, 11);
Michael O'Day - Additional percussion on 'Dialogue'.
Special Guests:
Steve Lukather: electric guitar on 'Busy Day', Acoustic guitar on 'Dialogue';
Victor Wooten: electric bass feature and solos on 'Do Note Move'.
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Thursday, October 27, 2011

Savoy Brown: Voodoo Moon (2011)

"I believe the songs on Voodoo Moon are the best I've written since the early 70's. It is modern blues rock but with more song orientation than normally associated with the genre." Kim Simmonds
This is a strong statement from one of the architects of the British Blues movement, a movement that has and will continue to influence the musical landscape. But Simmonds knows of what he speaks.

After 45-years, thousands of concerts and millions of albums sold worldwide, Savoy Brown is one of the beacons of outstanding new, original music steeped in the history of blues and rock 'n' roll.

Voodoo Moon speaks cleary to this history and the future of what great artists can do. Simmonds woodsheds like a journeyman, always reaching for higher ground. He can be found in his own backyard White Cottage studio most every morning when Savoy Brown is not on the road.

Simmonds is constantly writing songs and working on his playing - both electric and acoustic. He has taken to solo performances since 1997 which is one the greatest of artistic challenges. He has also been painting since 2001(???) which gives him another creative challenge. But most of all, Simmonds challenges himself to continually be a living artist.

"My motivation is to reach for that spirit I had as a young boy," says Simmonds. "I think that's always good to hold onto. Constantly practicing, writing and playing live - raw, naked in a sense - brings creativity and perspective, as well as inspiration."

Begun at White Cottage Studio in 2010, finished and mastered earlier this year at SubCat studio near his adopted hometown of Oswego, New York, Voodoo Moon reflects a lifetime of living and loving the blues. His new, local lineup of talent - Joe Whiting (vocals/sax), Pat DeSalvo (bass) and Garnet Grimm (drums) - rehearse faithfully; and it shows. Fans and promoters report this is one of, if not the best live concerts and and new music in the ever-evolving lineup of Savoy Brown. Voodoo Moon has the magic mojo that shines for all to see and hear.

Tracklist:
1. Shockwaves
2. Natural Man
3. Too Much Money
4. She's Got The Heat
5. Look At The Sun
6. 24/7
7. Round And Round
8. Voodoo Moon
9. Meet the Blues Head On
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Michael White: Spirit Dance (1971) / Pneuma (1972)

It seems strange that Michael White (no relation to the New Orleans clarinetist of the same name or the funk-oriented drummer) never became better known. A potentially major violinist in the early days of fusion, he managed to successfully avoid becoming famous. White, who was born in Houston, grew up in Oakland. He gained some attention when he was part of the John Handy Quintet that was the hit of the 1965 Monterey Jazz Festival. White recorded three albums with Handy and then formed his own early fusion group Fourth Way, a band that never achieved more than regional fame. In the early '70s, he had opportunities to record with Pharoah Sanders, McCoy Tyner (appearing on Song For My Lady), and Joe Henderson but, despite his obvious talent and his ability to bridge the gap between avant-garde jazz, spiritual music, and rock, White eventually was totally overshadowed by Jean Luc-Ponty. He has lived in the San Francisco Bay Area up to the present time, emerging from obscurity briefly to join in on an unrecorded mid-'90s reunion with the Handy Quintet and a released duet album with Bill Frisell (Motion Picture). Michael White recorded five albums for Impulse as a leader during 1971-1974, but all are long out-of-print. -- AMG

Review Pneuma 1972

This ground-breaking jazz violinist demands much from his listeners, opening with a difficult Afro-jazz symphony. He finds a groove after that, helped by four female singers who augment the basic quartet. The leader shares the spotlight, too much considering his jazz violin is what makes this album noteworthy. -- AMG

Tracklist:

1. Spirit Dance 3:17
2. The Tenth Pyramid 4:37
3. John Coltrane Was Here 6:04
4. Ballad For Mother Frankie White 7:18
5. Samba 8:57
6. Unlocking The Twelfth House 7:23
7. Praise Innocence 3:16
8. Pneuma, Part One 5:12
9. Pneuma, Part Two 4:53
10. Pneuma, Part Three 4:05
11. Pneuma, Part Four 4:09
12. Pneuma, Part Five 1:38
13. Ebony Plaza 9:11
14. Journey Of The Black Star 2:51
15. The Blessing Song 6:14

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Chris Duarte Group: Blues in the Afterburner (2011)

Chris's recordings have always been rooted firmly in the blues with a rock and roll edge which further established Duarte as one of the rare musical talents of his generation. Blues In The Afterburner continues in the tradition of smokin' blues with doses of heavy psychedelia throughout. Blues In The Afterburner contains a heavy load of Duarte 's legendary blues guitar chops over a diverse set of grooves and lyrical themes.

Tracklist:
01. Another Man (5:10)
02. Make Me Feel So Right (4:34)
03. Bottle Blues (5:03)
04. Milwaukee Blues (4:17)
05. Hold Back The Tears (7:02)
06. Summer's Child (5:18)
07. Searching For You (4:25)
08. Black Clouds Rolling (7:53)
09. Don't Cha' Drive Me Crazy (3:40)
10. Born To Race (6:10)
11. I've Been A Fool (3:57)
12. Prairie Jelly (6:00)
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Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Jan Akkerman: Minor Details (2011)

A new Jan Akkerman album is always a revelation, not least because he is not the most prolific of players in terms of album releases. Minor Details is the follow-up to 2003's 'C.U.' (yes, it is that long ago) and has been produced 'virtually' via the Internet together with his regular band mates and germinated whilst on tour in Brazil last year. The production doesn't suffer at all for this. In terms of Akkerman's hallowed guitar-ing, the Focus days do seem as distant a memory as Thijs van Leer with hair and this 70 minute plus offering continues the jazz fusion vibe of his late 1980s albums and indeed that of its immediate predecessor.

Guitarophiles may debate the man's current 'tone' and technique, even the familiar motifs, but there is no denying he has never lost his way with a melody or an intriguing song title. In places there is a definite Steely Dan thing going on (notably 'Dinner Time') and a Santana-esque 'Searching For Angela'. 'Joy' - with Akkerman deploying wah - features one of two guest appearances from Dutch jazz trumpeter Eric Vloeimans in a Miles Davis-fuelled funk romp. But only on 'Mena Muria' is there anything approaching a Focus vibe (as in 'Focus I' and Focus II'). It's just a pity that, again, Akkerman has failed to interrogate his hard drive and offer up some arguably superior fusion work that he brought to the UK back in 2000. There may be a lack of killer melodies on this album aka 'Cotton Bay' on 'C.U.' (although the broody 'Kharmah Chantalah' comes close) but overall it smacks of a good groove and well suited to warm weather and late nights. In that context there is nothing really of revelation here, just plenty of examples of Akkerman's good taste and his cohorts' fine musicianship. It will mostly appeal to his loyal fanbase. Job done.

Tracklist:

1. Free wheeling
2. Beg Sir
3. Dinner time
4. Love train
5. Blind baby
6. Minor details
7. Joy
8. Fernando's minibar
9. Kharmah chantalah
10. Searching for Angela
11. As long as you're near
12. San Frisky
13. The Arrogant Frogs
14. Mena Muria

Personnel:

- Jan Akkerman / guitars
- Coen Molenaar / keyboards
- Wilbrand Meischke / bass
- Marijn van den Berg / drums
- Eric Vloeimans / trumpet on "Joy" and "The Arrogant Frogs"

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Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Steve Lukather: Luke (1997)

"Welcome to the 3rd installment. You will find this record to be a bit of a departure from my other two because I really wanted to do something different. Maybe because my life is just different now and when I began writing and recording for this record I was in a rather introspective, life-evaluating space. Consequently, my approach to the whole reord, musically and sonically, just seemed to take another direction. I was inspired by all the music I grew up listening to and how it has influenced and chronicled different phases of my life and it came out liberally and deliberately on the record. In fact, I think this record is the closest amalgamation of all the different facets of me than anything I have recorded in the past, thus the original title. I experimented with some different instrumentation and recording techniques this time. All the tracks were recorded live except for vocals and a few other oddities. The solos that I do have on the record like Tears of my own shame and Blue bird were kept intact with all their imperfections as to keep the approach REAL and honest. I decided to focus on other aspects of my music this time. You hear sounds like pedal steel guitar, harmonicas, Mellotrons and some different guitar tones and rawer-sounding bass and drum parts. I mixed all this in with some modern recording techniques. I even purposefully distorted the vocals on some occasions... so there is nothing wrong with your system (haha). I think we captured the spirit of where I seem to be coming from at this time. I want to thank ALL of the musicians and Tom for their input and keeping me from myself when it was necessary, for making me keep things I would normally "fix" and maybe "fix" the edge right out of. I also want to thank Elliot Scheiner for coming in and mixing my album and putting some fresh ears on it.

See ya on the road!!" (Luke)
Tracklist:1 The real truth (Lukather, Waybill)
2 Broken machine (Lukather, Soussan)
3 Tears of my own shame (Lukather, Soussan)
4 Love the things you hate (Lukather, Soussan)
5 Hate everything about you (Lukather, R. Crowell)
6 Reservations to live (The way it is) (Lukather, Waybill)
7 Don't hang me on (Lukather, Soussan)
8 Always be there for me (Lukather)
9 Open your heart (Lukather, Goodrum)
10 Bag o'tales (Lukather, Soussan)
11 Blue bird (Stephen Stills)
Personnel:

Steve Lukather, Gregg Bissonette, John Pierce, Jim Cox, Phil Soussan, Maxie Anderson, Alfie Silas Duno, J.D. Maness, Pino Palladino, David Paich.

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3 Cohens: Family (2011)

One Family – One Music.
The remarkable story of 3 Cohens siblings, Yuval, Anat and Avishai, continues with the release of 'Family' on Anzic Records, October 11, 2011. It is obvious that the Cohens would have some sort of telepathy and symbiosis on the bandstand and in the studio, but the level of interplay and musical cooperation that exists between the siblings on 'Family' can only be described as astounding. Their individual virtuosity, creativity and exceptional taste only serve to enhance the music that primarily stems from their mutual respect and love for one another, as family, and as musicians. Recorded in Brooklyn, 'Family' features the three Israeli horn players in league with a swinging New York rhythm section: pianist Aaron Goldberg, double-bassist Matt Penman and drummer Gregory Hutchinson. The sextet is joined by iconic vocalist Jon Hendricks for the vintage "On the Sunny Side of the Street" and "Roll 'em, Pete."

Personnel:
Anat Cohen - Tenor Saxophone & Clarinet
Avishai Cohen - Trumpet
Yuval Cohen - Soprano Saxophone
Aaron Goldberg - Piano
Matt Penman - Bass
Gregory Hutchinson - Drums
**Very Special Guest: Jon Hendricks - Vocals
Tracklist:
1. Shufla de Shufla (6:39)
2. Blues For Dandi's Orange Bull Chasing An Orange Sack (7:41)
3. With The Soul Of The Greatest Of Them All (Dedicated to Charles Mingus) (9:40)
4. The Mooch (7:15)
5. Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans (7:24)
6. Rhapsody In Blake (4:24)
7. On The Sunny Side Of The Street (5:12)
8. Tiger Rag (4:06)
9. Family (5:32)
10. Roll ‘Em Pete (5:02)
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Monday, October 24, 2011

Trilok Gurtu: Bad Habits Die Hard (1995)

Trilok Gurtu's band is fantastic at this point in his career. All the instrumentalists are superb. The album flows very well from piece to piece. The guitarist David Gilmore (not Pink Floyd) is subtle and freely focused with his solos. Trilok astounds as always, but even more so on this record.

Tracklist:
01. 21 Spices 9:33
02. Bad Boys 8:38
03. Returning Home 12:50
04. Siddhi 11:15
05. Watapa 7:50
06. Bad Habits Die Hard 10:06
07. Carlinhos 13:33
Personnel:
Trilok Gurtu - drums, tabla, voice, clay drums & percussion
Bill Evans - tenor sax, soprano sax
Mark Feldman - violin
David Gilmore: guitar, voice
Andy Elmer - piano, electric piano, synthesizer, voice
Chris Minh Doky - bass, voice
Produced by Trilok Gurtu, Kurt Renker & Walter Quintus
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Lyubomir Denev Jazz Trio And Petko Tomanov (1979)

A brilliant composer, conductor and jazz pianist, Lyubomir Denev is one of the brightest figures in Bulgaria’s music life. He creates different genres of music, giving a lot of concerts and working for theatre and film productions in Bulgaria and abroad. Let’s kick off with a piano piece entitled The Biography of a Flower, in the performance of Lyubomir Denev.

In 2011 Lyubomir Denev turned 60 years. On that occasion the Sofia Music Week International Festival presented his works in a programme called “Lyubomir Denev and Friends”. What you are just about to hear is two pieces for solo voice and big band from the cycle Aphorisms based on the epigrams of popular Bulgarian poet and satirist Radoy Ralin. Coming up first The Past, followed by Hamlet’s Agonies in the rendition of Militsa Gladnishka and the BNR’s Big Band, conductor Lyubomir Denev.

Lyubomir Denev has graduated from the National Academy of Music in the capital, where he studied orchestral conducting under Professor Konstantin Iliev. Lyubomir Denev has conducted all of Bulgaria’s big symphony orchestras. For some 10 years he was conductor at the State Music Theatre. Since 1986 he has been a freelance musician. “I am a true ‘music nomad’- I’m changing genres all the time”, the composer says about himself.

“I feel as a link in a big chain, as part and parcel of a long tradition, Denev adds. As a performer and composer, I keep this tradition alive in a very natural manner. This is my identity. In my earlier works, one could catch elements from the style of great Bulgarian composers, such as Pancho Vladigerov, Lyubomir Pipkov, Konstantin Iliev and Marin Goleminov. An artist discovers his or her personal style slowly. Until he or she gets to that point, an artist’s style is stratified by various influences. I’ve composed pop, jazz and musicals as well as film, theatre, choral, chamber and symphonic music. What’s characteristic of my style is improvisation, which has got its place even in sonatas and choral songs. I often use the mode peculiarities of Bulgarian folklore and its metro rhythmic patterns, maybe because I’ve majored percussions at the class of Prof. Dobri Paliev. Some of my colleagues sense a sort of tolerance in my solo and chamber works. I attribute this to the experience I’ve gained in the musical and theatre genres. My stage works are 11 in total, including opera and ballet”.

Lyubomir Denev has authored the first Bulgarian rock musical called Tomorrow At Ten. His opera Love’s Labour’s Won inaugurated the New Verdi Theatre in Cairo, Egypt. His musical The Law of the Jungle was presented at St Denis University Centre in Paris back in 1993. We offer you now A Song of Bagira the Panther from The Law of the Jungle in the rendition of Olga Mihailova-Dinova.

Lyubomir Denev is known as a jazz pianist in Europe, the USA, Asia and Africa. He plays in different formations, working on many projects for solo piano and creating jazz improvisations. We are going to listen next to a jazz improvisation of Sarabande by George Friedrich Handel.

Next year viewers in Germany will be able to see the premiere of an impressive international project called The Salvation with the participation of Lyubomir Denev.

“In 2009-2010 I was invited to the Villa Concordia International Art House in Bamberg to join an international project. With the support of the Culture Ministry in Bavaria, we came up with a Bulgarian- German project dedicated to the rescue of Bulgarian Jews during World War II. The Salvation was indeed the first project on that topic, which recently has been of interest to modern-day artists. It’s a grand work for orchestra, singers and actors. We’ve called it ‘passion’. Its premiere is going to take place in Berlin in October 2012. At the moment we’re working on a programme for the Plovdiv Jazz Nights Festival. We are going to offer the cycle Aphorisms for a jazz trio”.

The last piece is called A Century-Old Conclusion, another ‘jazz aphorism’ of Lyubomir Denev, in the rendition of Militsa Gladnishka and the BNR’s Big Band.

Tracklist:

A1 Suite - I Movement 6:35
A2 Ritual Dance 6:10
A3 Scherzo 5:55

B1 Ballad About The River 10:07
B2 Pastoral 3:35
B3 Tribe Puti 5:05

Personnel:

Bass Guitar – Danail Draganov
Drums, Vibraphone, Xylophone, Percussion – Boris Dinev
Flute, Piccolo, Saxophone [Tenor] – Petko Tomanov
Piano, Fender Piano, Clavinet, Melotron, Mug Sinthesizer, Percussion – Lyubomir Denev

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Friday, October 21, 2011

Randy Brecker: Toe to Toe (1990)

Randy Brecker is essentially a fine hard bop trumpet soloist, but one versatile enough to fit into nearly any setting, including in the pop world, funk bands, and electronic fusion. He studied classical trumpet and attended Indiana University. Brecker was with Blood, Sweat & Tears in 1967, and spent 1968-1969 playing with Horace Silver's quintet. He also appeared with the big bands of Clark Terry, Duke Pearson, Frank Foster, and the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis orchestra. After playing with the early fusion group Dreams in 1969, he worked with Larry Coryell's Eleventh House and Billy Cobham, in addition to keeping very busy with studio work. He teamed up with Michael Brecker in the popular funk-oriented Brecker Brothers (1974-1979); in the '80s he often collaborated with his wife, pianist/vocalist Eliane Elias; and in the '90s he toured with the reunited Brecker Brothers. But Randy Brecker still sounds best when in a freewheeling bebop combo, and fortunately he occasionally records in that type of spontaneous setting.

Tracklist:
1.Mr. Skinny [Brecker] 5:36
2.Trading Secrets [Brecker] 5:10
3.It Creeps up on You [Brecker] 4:53
4.The Glider [Brecker] 6:04
5.Toe to Toe [Brecker] 4:54
6.It's up to You [Brecker] 5:50
7.What Is the Answer [Brecker] 4:41
8.Lost 4 Words [Brecker] 6:14
Personnel:
Victor Bailey - Bass (Electric)
Jim Beard - Arranger, Bass, Drum Machine, Drum Programming, Keyboards, Mixing, Producer
Regina Belle - Vocals (Background)
Michael Brecker - Sax (Tenor)
Randy Brecker - Arranger, Electric Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Mixing, Producer, Trumpet, Vocals
Dennis Chambers - Drums, Drums (Snare)
Dag Haeggqvist Executive Producer
Jon Herington Guitar
Bashiri Johnson - Percussion
Darryl Jones - Bass
Mark Ledford - Arranger, Vocals, Vocals (Background)
Bob Mintzer - Clarinet (Bass)
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Patti Austin: End of a Rainbow (1976)

A professional since the age of five, Patti Austin was a protégé of Dinah Washington and Sammy Davis, Jr. A 1969 single for United Artists titled "Family Tree" cracked the R&B Top 50. Austin cut her debut LP, End of a Rainbow, for Creed Taylor's CTI label in 1976, followed by Havana Candy in 1977 and Body Language in 1980. She sang lead vocals for Japanese koto player Yutaka Yokokura on "Love Light" in 1978, did a duet with Michael Jackson on "It's the Falling in Love" for Off the Wall, and sang "The Closer I Get to You" on Tom Browne's album in 1979. Austin dueted with George

Benson on "Moody's Mood for Love" in 1980. She sang backgrounds for sessions by Houston Person, Noel Pointer, Ralph McDonald, Angela Bofill, and Roberta Flack.

Austin did vocals on Quincy Jones' The Dude LP in 1981, and was featured on the hit "Razzamatazz." She inked a solo deal on Jones' Qwest label, and her 1982 LP Every Home Should Have One included the number one pop hit (number nine R&B) "Baby, Come to Me," which got widespread exposure via the ABC soap opera General Hospital. The follow-up single, "How Do You Keep the Music Playing," was the theme for the film Best Friends. Both songs paired Austin with James Ingram. She continued recording for Jones' Qwest label through the '80s, but couldn't recapture her pop or R&B success, despite working with several top producers, including Jam & Lewis in 1985.

Austin switched to GRP in 1990 and recorded Love Is Gonna Getcha, with the singles "Through the Test of Time" and "Good in Love." She subsequently recorded Carry On and Live in 1991 and 1992. Street of Dreams followed in 1999 and On the Way to Love appeared in summer 2001. Her lovely tribute to Ella Fitzgerald, For Ella, appeared in spring 2002. Nearly five years later, Avant Gershwin was issued. After a decade on the jazz side of the fence, Austin returned more to the pop side with 2011’s Sound Advice, produced by Greg Phillinganes. -- AMG

Originally issued in 1976, "End Of A Rainbow" was Patti's solo debut album for CTI Records. Although not a commercial success, this album was one of the first ever to be exclusively devoted to the Quiet Storm "sound" that was just-then blossoming. Patti's soulful, tender and at times wistful and melancholic vocals are nothing short of exquisite. Patti wrote all eight tracks herself and CTI boss Creed Taylor obviously spared no expenses in getting the best session players for this cult classic. Now that it's available on CD "End Of A Rainbow" definitely deserves a reappraisal.

Tracklist:

01. Say You Love Me (6:07)
02. In My Life (4:23)
03. You Don't Have To Say You're Sorry (3:40)
04. More Today Than Yesterday (5:33)
05. Give It Time (3:27)
06. There Is No Time (3:44)
07. What's At The End Of A Rainbow (2:55)
08. This Side Of Heaven (3:06)
09. Sweet Sadie The Savior (6:26)

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Thursday, October 20, 2011

J.J. Johnson - J.J. Johnson Plays Mack The Knife & Other Kurt Weill Songs (1961)

This release contains the complete LP Plays Mack the Knife, appearing here on CD for the first time ever, it presents Johnson fronting a quartet that includes Andre Previn on piano, Red Mitchell on bass and Frank Capp on drums playing songs by the celebrated Kurt Weill. As a bonus, we have added another complete LP by Johnson, Trombone and Voices, which also appears here on CD for the first time ever. Although we are aware that the concept and arrangements on this bonus album might seem outdated, we believe that J. J.'s solos clearly merit it being reissued.

Personnel: J.J. Johnson (trombone), Andre Previn (piano), Red Mitchell (bass), Frank Capp (drums).

Tracklist:
01. Bilbao Song [From Happy End]
02. Barbara Song [From The Threepenny Opera]
03. Overture [From The Threepenny Opera]
04. Seerauber Jenny [From The Threepenny Opera]
05. Mack The Knife [AKA "Moritat"] [From The Threepenny Opera]
06. Surabaya-Johnny [From Happy End]
07. Wie Man Sich Bettet [From Rise And Fall Of The City Of Mahagonny]
08. Unzulanglichkeit [From The Threepenny Opera]
09. Portrait Of Jenny
10. Only The Lonely
11. Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child
12. In A Sentimental Mood
13. Get Out Of Town
14. I'm Glad There Is You
15. You're My Girl
16. To The Ends Of The Earth
17. What Is There To Say
18. Lazy Bones
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Salvatore Casaluce: Grigio Verde (2011)

The new project of young italian guitarist Salvatore Casaluce with his interpretations on various movie themes.

Tracklist:
1. Il nero futuro di orfeo (5:36)
2. Policarpo (4:19)
3. Il buono il brutto il cattivo - estasi dell'oro (5:14)
4. Sospetto ensemble (4:25)
5. Grigio verde part one (2:40)
6. Grigio verde part two (3:25)
7. Suite piovani - fellini (9:54)
8. Ottobre 2010 (3:18)
9. Taxi driver (6:12)
10. X years rome (5:13)
11. Amarcord (2:18)
12. Metti una sera a cena (4:35)
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Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Vince Agwada: Basic Blue (2011)

Chicago guitarist, composer and producer Vince Agwada has worked the Chicago music scene for over 25 years. This heavily blues and rock oriented musician has worked with artists like Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Magic Slim, Otis Rush, Syl Johnson and Sammy Lawhorn, to list but a few. Of his many awards the most standout one was when, in 1996, Agwada was listed as one of the top 40 Blues artists under 40 by Living Blues Magazine. Basic Blue is his second release as a leader.

Agwada has a heavily rock driven feel to his blues. Seriously punched and driven by drummer Clyde Davis whose vicious two fisted style plays well with Agwada's thick chordal ala-Jimmy Hendrix guitar textures, Agawada approaches his music with a pedal to the metal take no prisoners attitude. Orlando Wright's bass is totally locked into the ensemble so perfectly it's almost impossible to pull the sound of his instrument from the guitar textures. It's as if he and Agwada are one instrument.

Most of the tunes are of the power thrash-blues style, at which Agwada excels. Both "Chi-Town State Of Mind" and "Blindsided," the lead in tracks on the CD, are of this style and open the disc perfectly. There is, however, some diversity. "President," for example, has a nice half-beat style that is accentuated by the addition of Roosevelt Purifoy's keyboard work. The instrumental "Head Too Tight" adds Michael Jackson's spiced up saxophone into the almost pop-oriented backbeat, and "Shake It Up" has a three horn wind section that further helps to eliminate any monotony that might ensue. The down tempo "Black Rain" is so swampy you may have to play the track a number of times before you want to leave; it's that inviting.

Agwada obviously knows what he's doing and plays his hand extremely well on this disc. For seriously diehard blues fans this disc will thrill.

Personnel: Vince Agwada (guitar, vocals), Roosevelt Purifoy (keyboards), Bill "The Buddha" Dickens (bass), Vic Jackson (bass), Andre Howard (bass), Orlando Wright (bass), Clyde Davis (drums), Steve Gillis (drums), Brady Williams (drums), James Knowles (crums), Michael Jackson (saxophone), Hank Ford (saxophone), Bill McFarland (trombone), Kenny Anderson (trumpet), Joshua Scott (organ), Billy Blaylock (percussion), Larry McCray (guitar), Sugar Blue (harmonica), Russ Green (harmonica)

Tracklist:

01. Chi-Town State Of Mind [0:05:00.04]
02. Blindsided [0:04:39.37]
03. President [0:03:25.17]
04. Big City Blues [0:07:13.08]
05. Head Too Tight [0:05:53.80]
06. Black Rain [0:08:53.76]
07. Shake It Up [0:07:25.86]
08. Basic Blue [0:04:05.26]
09. Sirius Biz [0:05:22.05]
10. Right On Time [0:04:39.50]
11. Train [0:03:32.90]
12. She Never Said... [0:05:30.34]

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320K

Friday, October 14, 2011

Vince Agwada: Eyes of the City (2008)

"Eyes of the City” is the long awaited, self-produced debut release from veteran Chicago-based guitarist/singer/composer/producer Vince Agwada that finds the journeyman guitarist tearing loose on an exciting 13-song collection of Blues, Rock, Jazz and R&B based numbers that will blow your socks off.

Check out Agwada’s muscular fretwork on such scorching tracks as “Blooze” and “I’m Coming Home” and you’ll soon discover why this great player is the guitarist of choice for some of the best known names in the blues. Other highlights include “Ellie” with its strong contemporary jazz feel, and the magnificent “Come on In” that features some of Agwada’s vicious slide work. Harmonica virtuoso Sugar Blue guests on the majestic “Rain,” while “It’s a Shame,” “Car Wash Blues,” and “Hard to Cry” find Agwada putting his personal stamp on some of the most engaging contemporary blues to be released this year. “Eyes of the City” is a terrific new album that marks the coming of age of a truly unique artist.

Vince Agwada has been a fixture on the Chicago Blues scene for over 25 years. He has toured the United States, Canada and Europe with many of Chicago's premiere acts including Bernie Mac, Buddy Guy, Koko Taylor, Zora Young, Jimmy Johnson, Son Seals, Junior Wells, Valerie Wellington, The Dells, Sugar Blue, Larry McCray, and Magic Slim as well as his own outfits, One Eyed Jax, and the Vince Agwada Band. In 1996 he was voted one of the top 40 Blues artists under 40 in the country by Living Blues Magazine (issue 120).

Tracklist:
01. It's a Shame [0:05:23.41]
02. Blooze [0:05:18.00]
03. Does it Really Matter [0:04:28.97]
04. Car Wash Blues [0:06:16.10]
05. I'm Coming Home [0:06:31.89]
06. Rain [0:07:59.14]
07. Confidence Man [0:04:58.30]
08. Tubed Out [0:04:02.96]
09. Hard to Cry [0:07:32.90]
10. Come on In [0:05:58.00]
11. Ellie [0:07:35.06]
12. Bottle [0:04:12.16]
13. Eyes of the City [0:06:43.36]
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Lenny White: Renderers of Spirit (1996)

Drummer Lenny White doesn't explore much new territory on Renderers Of Spirit, which contains nothing that will make you forget that he played drums on the legendary Bitches Brew sessions for Miles Davis, or that, along with Stanley Clarke, Chick Corea and Al DiMeola, he helped define 1970s jazz-fusion as Return to Forever.

But even though the compositions here survey what amounts to the by-now familiar R&B meets jazz domain, White and company make the journey enough of a comfortably swinging stroll to make it worth the trip. White's sound and plump backbeat on drums in "Ho-Cake" sound straight outta hip-hop (that is, before they dissolve in a limpid pool of what's now called "smooth jazz"), and bassist Victor Bailey bounces off the walls in his own title, "Pick Pocket."

Renderers includes contributions from fellow Miles alumni Foley and Bennie Maupin, Stanley Clarke, George Duke, and Michael Brecker (In fact, "Countdown 2000" would not sound out of place on Davis' album Tutu). It closes with a challenging jazz-funk mind-meld of Jackie McLean's "Dr. Jackyle" wih Sly Stone's "Africa Talks To You," and also includes covers (with vocals) of Burt Bacharach's "Walk On By" (which nominally works) and of Christopher Cross' "Sailing" (which absolutely does not).

Tracklist:

01 - Whew! What A Dream
02 - Ho-Cake
03 - Walk On By
04 - Pick Pocket
05 - Savant
06 - Sailing
07 - The Abyss
08 - SwingTime
09 - Beggin'
10 - Countdown: 2000
11 - Dr. Jackle/Africa Talks To You

Personnel:

Geri Allen - Piano
Victor Bailey - Bass, Arranger
Don Blackman - Organ, Synthesizer, Keyboards, Fender Rhodes
Michael Brecker - Saxophone
Randy Brecker - Trumpet
Jerry Brooks - Bass
Dean Brown - Guitar
Stanley Clarke - Tenor, Bass Solo
Jon Dryden - Synthesizer, Arranger
George Duke - Moog Synthesizer
Vince Evans - Synthesizer, Piano, Arranger, Keyboards, Fender Rhodes
Foley - Lead Bass
Javon Jackson - Sax (Tenor)
Dechown Jenkens - Guitar
Mark Johnson - Guitar, Vocals
Darryl Jones - Bass
Mark Ledford - Guitar, Trumpet, Arranger, Vocals
Kim Lesley - Vocals (bckgr)
Pete Levin - Synthesizer, Arranger, Keyboards, Programming, Orchestration
Bennie Maupin - Clarinet (Bass), Sax (Soprano), Sax (Tenor)
Jean McClain - Vocals (bckgr)
Audrey Northington - Vocals
Nicki Richards - Arranger, Vocals
Patrice Rushen - Synthesizer, Piano, Keyboards
Michael "Patches" Stewart - Trumpet
Danny Walsh - Saxophone
Lenny White - Organ, Arranger, Cymbals, Drums, Keyboards, Programming, Producer
Bernard Wright - Synthesizer, Piano, Keyboards, Moog Synthesizer
Pookie Zari - Synthesizer

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320K

Hotfile

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Gary Willis: Actual Fiction (2007)

One might be forgiven for thinking that bassist extraordinaire Gary Willis has the titles of the first two songs on Actual Fiction the wrong way round. "Cartoon Fetish is a slightly frantic drum 'n' bass rave with a Prodigy-like bullishness that would be ideal to rock a party and rattle your neighbors' windows. The wonderfully titled "Smells Like a Party is an irresistible piece of head-bobbing funk of the type Prince cooks up, and would make a great soundtrack for a cartoon.

Whatever the titles, the music on Actual Fiction certainly transports the listener to some interesting places. "PodCast starts life as a gently trippy number which Willis turns on its head with a prodigious solo, ably supported by David Gomez on drums. Willis employs spacey effects quite liberally throughout the album, though when the music is reduced to drums and bass and stripped of these layers the bass really rips.
Willis' bass playing is pretty staggering throughout Actual Fiction, no more so than on the beautiful slow number "Say Never, where the bass lines are as smooth and rich as hot chocolate and as ethereal as a walk in the clouds. Willis takes the solo up to racing speed but without disturbing the chill-out ambience of a track which has the feel of Joni Mitchell's title tune from Hejira (Asylum, 1976).
The great bassist Jaco Pastorius graced Mitchell's album and his spirit is infused in no small measure through much of the music on Actual Fiction. Willis' playing on "Eye Candy recalls vividly Pastorius on Weather Report's Black Market (Columbia/Legacy, 1976), and his style in general owes much to the hugely influential Pennsylvania-born bassist. It is also fair to say that Willis' playing on this album hails from the same planet as Pastorius: not of this world.
Impressive, too, is the way Willis subtly shifts the mood of a song by altering the weight and pace of the rhythm as on "Take Me to Your Leader, where the intensity rises and falls in large, slow-building waves. The contribution of drummers David Gomez and Kirk Covington is considerable, and it is easy to forget that there is ever only one other musician accompanying Willis.
There is much to enjoy on Actual Fiction: strong compositions which sound radically different from each other, smoking funk riffs, a lot of energy and quite marvelous bass playing. Following the excellent Slaughterhouse 3 (Abstract Logix, 2007) it appears that Willis is in a rich vein of form. Here, Gary Willis has crafted an adventurous album and a very fine one at that. - All About Jazz

Tracklist:

1. Cartoon Fetish
2. Smells Like a Party
3. PodCast
4. Say Never
5. Eye Candy
6. Take Me to Your Leader
7. Mean Streak
8. If Only It Could Talk
9. Tio Loco
10. Based on a True Story.

Personnel:

Gary Willis: electric bass, sound effects, "everything else"
David Gomez: drums (3, 7)
Kirk Covington: drums (1, 2, 5, 9, 10)

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320K

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Tony MacAlpine: ST (2011)

T-Mac is back with his first official solo album since 2001’s Chromaticity. It’s his 13th solo disc in a career spanning 25 years. This self-produced new release is the heaviest thing he’s ever done, and it’s full of jaw-dropping shred, soothing classical flourishes, skull-bludgeoning rhythms, and epic 8-string guitar action.

With a 10-year hiatus behind him—and having worked off and on with Ring of Fire, CAB, Steve Vai, Planet X, and Devil’s Slingshot—MacAlpine now returns to center stage. As a classical pianist who multitasks in jazzfusion, funk, and metal, he brings a unique and harmonically rich point of view to his compositions. Planet X bandmate and drummer extraordinaire Virgil Donati guest stars on three tracks and their chemistry is super strong. The technical, melodic, and rhythmic concoctions these guys create together make for an intense listening experience.

Drummer Marco Minnemann plays on “Fire Mountain,” “Dream Mechanism,” “Pyrokinesis,” and “The Dedication.” He brings to this record the kind of super chops and musicality that made him a finalist for the Dream Theater drummer auditions. MacAlpine handles the rest of the drum programming, and gets some of the best guitar tones of his career using his 7- and 8-string Ibanez guitars through a Hughes & Kettner TriAmp. What he lacks in sonic earthiness, he makes up for with a smooth clarity that highlights the nuances in his playing.

MacAlpine moves seamlessly from high-intensity, alternate-picked passages to rubbery legato lines, angular harmonies, and brutal riffs. This is offset by the peaceful serenity of compositions like “Flowers For Monday,” a lovely Di Meola-esque duet for acoustic guitar and piano. “The Dedication” quotes 19th-century German composer Robert Schumann, and once again demonstrates MacAlpine’s knack for blending Romantic-era classical music with his own artistic vision.

On first listen, it’s a very hard and in-yourface record, but with repeated listens, one can’t help but notice the harmonic sophistication, passion, and the high level of intricate compositional prowess. Tony MacAlpine is one of the best instrumental records of the year, and it ranks right up there with his 1994 disc, Maximum Security.

Tracklist:

1."Serpens Cauda" 4:22
2."Oludeniz" 5:15
3."Fire Mountain" 4:23
4."Dream Mechanism" 4:18
5."Ten Seconds to Mercury" 4:35
6."Flowers for Monday" 3:04
7."Angel of Twilight" 5:02
8."Pyrokinesis" 3:56
9."Blue Maserati" 4:41
10."Summer Palace" 4:35
11."Salar de Uyuni" 5:39
12."The Dedication" (Robert Schumann) 4:22

Personnel:

Tony MacAlpine – electric guitar, seven-string guitar, eight-string guitar, keyboard, drum programming, bass guitar (except track 2), production
Virgil Donati – drums (tracks 1, 5, 10)
Marco Minnemann – drums (tracks 3, 4, 8, 12)
Philip Bynoe – bass guitar (track 2)

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