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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Terri Lyne Carington: The Mosaic Project (2011)

Anyone who caught American drummer Terri Lyne Carrington's performance at the recent Barbican show featuring Dianne Reeves, Angelique Kidjo and Lizz Wright will want to check out this star-packed session. Like the Barbican gig, its focus is women's jazz-making. Here, however, there is a much bigger cast, including Reeves, pianist Geri Allen, Cassandra Wilson, Esperanza Spalding, Gretchen Parlato, Nona Hendryx, saxist Tineke Postma and more. It has a unifying historical and social agenda – but it's a discreet one, and the music is certainly the priority. Hendryx's anthemic Transformation opens the show, with the composer's soulful declarations warmly shaded by Ingrid Jensen's flugelhorn. Parlato's diametrically different and resonantly intimate accounts of I Got Lost in His Arms and the Beatles' Michelle follow. Reeves's rich, gospelly sound rises up over an old Angela Davis speech on the legacy of slavery; Wilson's earthy low tones ease through Allen's Unconditional Love; Jensen and Postma whirl through the postbop swinger Insomniac; and the bonus track Sisters on the Rise makes a slightly tokenistic nod towards hip-hop. This is, by definition, song-rooted and quite pop-angled jazz, but full of eager spontaneity.

Tracklist:
1. Transformation
2. I Got Lost In His Arms
3. Michelle
4. Magic And Music
5. Echo
6. Simply Beautiful
7. Unconditional Love
8. Wistful
9. Crayola
10. Soul Talk
11. Mosaic Triad
12. Insomniac
13. Show Me A Sign
14. Sisters On The Rise (A Transformation)
The Mosaic Project
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Terri Lyne Carrington: Real Life Story (1989)

Terri Lyne Carrington's debut recording as a leader, Real Life Story, featured many of jazz's finest artists including Wayne Shorter, John Scofield, Dianne Reeves, and Gerg Osby.  The young prodigal drummer who joined the New York City scene in the mid 1980's  became known rapidly as both an impressive performer and a respectable songwriter.

On Real Life Story Carrington not only contributes vocals to her originals but beautiful intigrates a host of players into her unique blend of soulful funk, classic swing, and modern percussion with the lp of the impeccable Don Alias and Keith Jones throughout. ~ Verve Music Group

Tracklist:
01. Message True
02. More Than Woman
03. Blackbird
04. Shh
05. Obstacle Illusion
06. Human Revolution
07. Real Life Story
08. Skeptic Alert
09. Pleasant Dreams
10. Hobo's Flat
Personnel:Terri Lyne Carrington - Drums
Don Alias - Percussion (1-4, 6-7, 9, 10)
Hiram Bullock - Guitar (1-2, 7, 9)
Keith Jones - Bass (1-4, 6-7, 9, 10)
Patrice Rushen - Piano (1-7, 9, 10)
Real Life Story
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