Patti Austin: Intimate (2007)

With a voice that is capable of convincingly interpreting virtually any style of material, Patti Austin is one of the most astoundingly gifted singers of her generation. Here Patti caresses twelve timeless melodies with great sensitivity and emotional depth, taking the listener on a warmly romantic journey.

From her wonderful version of the classic Stylistics hit Stop, Look, Listen to the first recording of the now standard Ivan Lins/Alan & Marilyn Bergman gem The Island, this collection takes the listener through the many passionate feelings of love found, lost, and renewed. Also featuring a superb version of Patti s own In My Life and a swooning take on Cry Me A River from her wonderful collection of standards, The Real Me. With Patti Austin's latest release Avant Gershwin currently heating up the jazz charts, there is renewed interest in her work, and Intimate Patti Austin presents a perfect overview of this remarkable artist s tender side. Featuring James Ingram, Kirk Whalum, David Foster, Bob James, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, and Dave Grusin.

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Intimate (RS) / Intimate (MU)

Michael Brecker: Two Blocks From The Edge (1997)

Although Michael Brecker made his initial reputation as a greatly in-demand studio player able to play quite credibly in commercial settings, his recordings for Impulse! have all been strictly straight-ahead. Displaying his roots in John Coltrane and Ernie Watts, Brecker has developed his own approach to sheets-of-sound playing while not being shy about playing quite lyrically. From the opening medium-tempo blues "Madame Toulouse" and the catchy "Bye George" (which could almost have been written by Horace Silver) to the funky and slyly humorous closer, "Delta City Blues," this is a particularly strong outing. With pianist Joey Calderazzo (often emulating McCoy Tyner to at least a small degree) and an alert and intuitive rhythm section (bassist James Genus, drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts, and percussionist Don Alias), Brecker often creates fiery solos that linger to their optimum length before the mood changes. This is a Japanese release featuring one bonus track - Skylark. Recommended.

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Two Blocks - Part 1 - Part 2 (RS) lossless

Azymuth: Telecommunication (1982)

A mixed bag that has more strengths than weaknesses, Telecommunication demonstrates Azymuth's ability to occasionally get into trouble when resorting to hi-tech gimmickry for its own sake, but also illustrates how rewarding the Brazilian trio can be. With its vocoder-ish hijinks, the funk-influenced "May I Have This Dance" is a dated and corny bit of silliness unworthy of Azymuth. But there's also much to admire on this CD, including the haunting "The House I Lived In," the sensuous "Country Road," and the sentimental "Last Summer in Rio." Though keyboardist/pianist José Roberto Bertrami and bassist/guitarist Alex Malheiros do not always stretch out enough, the results are quite appealing when they do.

Telecommunication (RS) / Telecommunication (MU)

Jimmy Smith: The Best Of - The Blue Note Years (1990)

Jimmy Smith, the reigning B3 player of all time, was instrumental in ushering in the soul-jazz genre. These cuts show off his talents and the talents of his formidable sidemen. Mostly cuts from 56-60, with one from the 80's, they include some of his best solo work and his blazing speed. The Sermon and Back at the Chicken Shack and The Champ all show why Jimmy Smith reigns supreme and proves that his work influenced much of the music of the 60s and 70s. The end of The Champ could be confused as an Emerson, Lake and Palmer cut! If you've never heard Jimmy Smith before, this is the perfect album to get into his music.

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The Best Of (RS) / The Best Of (HF) @ 320K

Danilo Perez: ... till then (2003)

With Till Then, Danilo Perez pays tribute to popular composers he feels have made a difference in the world. Though the Panamanian pianist offers a few original compositions, the work of other composers — well-known, consequential people — is the main focus of this Tommy LiPuma-produced CD. Some of the more myopic people in the jazz world will automatically assume that if Perez is using jazz to salute popular composers, he must be thinking of Tin Pan Alley. But in fact, there are no Tin Pan Alley standards on Till Then — no George Gershwin, no Irving Berlin, no Cole Porter, no Harry Warren. And that's just as well because as dynamic as those legends were, worthwhile popular music didn't end with Tin Pan Alley (contrary to what the Stanley Crouch/Wynton Marsalis crowd would have listeners believe). Perez, thankfully, is smart enough to realize that — and on Till Then, he finds the acoustic post-bop possibilities in melodies by Stevie Wonder ("Overjoyed") and Joni Mitchell ("Fiddle and the Drum") as well as several Latin American legends, who range from salsa innovator Rubén Blades ("Paula C") to Brazilian star Milton Nascimento ("Vera Cruz"). Perez has long had a pan-Latin outlook — in other words, he looks to different parts of the Latin world for musical inspiration — and Till Then reflects that. Anyone who interprets Chico Buarque's "Trocando Em Miúdos" (another great Brazilian melody), Cuban artist Silvio Rodríguez' "Rabo de Nube," and Chilean singer Violeta Parra's "Gracias a la Vida" on the same CD obviously isn't limiting himself to any one particular area of the Latin spectrum. While Till Then is far-reaching and unpredictable, it's also focused and cohesive; clearly, Perez knows exactly what he's doing on this inspired addition to his catalog.

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... till then (RS) / ... till then (HF) @ 320K

Lester Bowie: Funky T. Cool T. (1991)

A beautiful example of the music of a man whose passing went largely unnoticed. Music that is easily accessible to jazz listeners who are put off by the label "avant garde." Music that is spiritual and funky at the same time. A wonderful mixture of standards ("What's New") and the kind of whimsical contributions that Lester Bowie contributed to the Art Ensemble of Chicago. Although this group was called the New York Organ Ensemble, the music is still decidedly brass. Steve Turre's solos on trombone are brilliant. A very young James Carter's involvement is quite understated by his later standards. And Famoudou Don Moye provides a firm background on percussion. Uplifting music that works best when you are feeling blue.

Personnel:

Lester Bowie - trumpet, flugelhorn

Steve Turre - trombone

Amina Claudina Myers - organ

James Carter - tenor sax

Famoudou Don Moye - drums, percussion

Philip Wilson - drums

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Funky T. Cool T. (HF) lossless

Lefteris Christofis: Nous Icons (2005)

A consonant jazz fusion delight with mediterenean scents that gives life to an imaginary musical result from a remarkable band which surprises and carries away its audience. The Greek lyrical guitarist Lefteris Christofis is the kind of an artist who through his music transfers internal images, visions and scenes from the realm of reality and fantasy. In his new cd "Nous Icons" released worldwidely by Blue Note Records he creates well built melodic compositions with unusual rhythmical moods and a diversity of the colours of sound. Modal melodies, calidoscopic harmonies, lyrical vocals are supported by groovy rhythms in order to create the spirit of improvisation that gives space to the musicians for an impressive performing status. ~ allaboutjazz.com

Nous Icons (RS) / Nous Icons (HF) @ 320K [scans]