Diane Schuur: The Gathering (2011)

It would, after 19 previous albums and two Grammy awards, be presumptuous to suggest that Diane Schuur has finally found her niche. Still, there’s no denying that this 10-track collection of classic country tunes, each wrapped in an understated jazz arrangement, represents Schuur at her absolute best. The Gathering finds the 57-year-old singer at her most subdued, eschewing the pyrotechnics that have defined much of her earlier work in favor of a softer, stripped-down style that, emphasizing her voice’s natural beauty, is ideally suited to the material. The power and range are still there: Look no further than the sustained note that closes “Why Can’t He Be You” to appreciate that Schuur has lost none of her vocal might. But she clearly appreciates that too much flashy grandstanding would compromise the fragility of such ache-fueled gems as “Am I That Easy to Forget,” “Nobody Wins,” “Healing Hands of Time” and “Til I Can Make It on My Own.”

Notable guests enhance various tracks, including Vince Gill, Alison Krauss, ace guitarists Mark Knopfler and Larry Carlton and saxophonist Kirk Whalum. But, like Schuur, all are disinterested in personal showmanship, concerned only with the integral allure of these bruised pieces. “Today I Started Loving You Again,” arguably the standout among a stellar assortment of covers, provides an ideal case in point, with Carlton’s searing intro and Gill’s temperate vocal accompaniment essential to the track’s stunning holism.

Tracklist:

01. Why Can't He Be You 4:55
02. Healing Hands Of Time 5:30
03. Beneath Still Waters 4:34
04. Til I Can Make It On My Own 3:13
05. Don't Touch Me 3:54
06. Today I started Loving You Again 4:54
07. Til I Get It Right 3:10
08. Am I That Easy To Forget 3:34
09. When Two Worlds Collide 3:14
10. Nobody Wins 3:18

Personnel:

Diane Schuur - vocals, piano
Eddie Bayers - drums
Michael Rhodes - bass
Steve Gibson - guitar
Mike Rojas - Wurlitzer piano
Eric Darken - vibes
Carmella Ramsey - background vocals

Guests:

Kirk Whalum - tenor sax on track
Mark Knopfler - guitar
Steve Buckingham - guitar
Alison Krauss - background vocals
Larry Carlton - guitarVince Gill - background vocals

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Dan Siegel: ST (1982)

Smooth jazz keyboardist Dan Siegel has been helping to shape the genre since his recording debut in 1980. Born in Seattle and raised in Eugene, OR, Siegel started taking piano lessons at age eight and was fronting a rock band at 12. After attending the Berklee College of Music in Boston, he received a degree in composition from the University of Oregon and began recording his own works. Soon thereafter, well-known independent jazz label Inner City Records signed the young keyboardist, releasing 1980's Nite Ride, which featured guitarist Lee Ritenour. Siegel's second album for Inner City, 1981's The Hot Spot, was more successful and spent ten weeks in the Top Ten of Billboard's jazz chart. In 1983, he moved to Los Angeles to pursue film and television work, as well as a more active recording career.

Spending half of the decade composing TV and film scores as well as releasing several albums of varying interest, he signed with Epic in 1986 and began moving away from the ailing jazz fusion scene and into the adult contemporary jazz sound that he had been toying with all along. Highlights of this era include 1994's worldbeat-influenced Hemispheres and the urban-flavored Clairvoyance, released in 1998. Siegel spent the 1990s recording for a variety of labels, working with some of the bigger names in smooth jazz (Boney James, Larry Carlton, John Patitucci), and leading the hard bop combo Birds of a Feather. In 2000, Legacy Recordings released a greatest hits compilation called Along the Way: The Best of Dan Siegel.
Tracklist:

1. GREAT EXPECTATIONS
2. ENCHANTED FOREST
3. UPTOWN
4. SOARING
5. THE LONE RANGER
6. TOUCH AND GO
7. DESERTED BEACH
8. PASSING TIME
9. THE CONQUEROR
Personnel:
Paul Jackson Jr., Larry Carlton, Marlon McCLain: Guitar
Tom Scott, Jeff Homan: Saxophone
Tom Brown: Trumpet
Mark Hatch: Fluegel Horn
Rob Thomas, Abraham Laboriel: Bass
Moyes Lucas Jr., John Robinson: Drums
Lenny Castro: Percussion
Dan Siegel: Keyboards
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Larry Carlton: Christmas At My House (1989)

You probably think, "Aargh, another Christmas album!" Surprisingly, this is a great one. Larry Carlton is at his best on "Little Drummer Boy" and "The Christmas Song". Every time I play this at Christmas, everyone wants to know "who is that, anyway?" There are 2 nice surprises on the album - a great pop tune called "Ringing the Bells of Christmas" sung by Michele Pillar and "The Christmas Song" (vocal) also by Pillar. Her voice is gorgeous - rich, deep, clear highs. Reminiscent of Karen Carpenter, but much more sultry and mature. Carlton has all the usual suspects on the album as well, including Kirk Whalum, Terry Trotter, Abe Laboriel. A real family album. A real nice one, too! Merry Christmas!

Tracklist
01. The Christmas Song (Instrumental Version)
02. Winter Wonderland
03. Silent Night / It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
04. White Christmas
05. The Holly And The Ivy
06. Ringing The Bells Of Christmas
07. What Child Is This?
08. The Little Drummer Boy
09. Joy To The World
10. My Favorite Things / We Three Kings Of Orient Are
11. The Christmas Song (Album Version)

Personnel

Larry Carlton		Primary Artist, Bass, Guitar, Vocals
Christopher Cross		Background Vocals
Karen Blake		Background Vocals
Michele Pillar		Vocals
Robbie Buchanan		Keyboards
John Ferraro		Drums
Clare Fischer		Keyboards
Michael Fisher		Percussion
Abraham Laboriel Sr.		Bass
David Pack		Background Vocals
Jeff Porcaro		Drums
Terry Trotter		Keyboards
Kirk Whalum		Saxophone

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