Albums » Eliane Elias Sings Jobim (1998)

Eliane Elias Sings Jobim (1998)

Album review by G. Sawaged ~amazon.com
Anyone who loves Brazilian music, Jobim, jazz and bossa nova, cannot fail but love this album. Eliane’s voice is beautiful and she sings without straining, her voice is but a breath of air, and is so relaxing. Her piano playing is second to none and the other musicians on this album are just as brilliant… Michael Brecker, Oscar Castro-Neves, Marc Johnson, Paulo Braga and Cafe.

This is an album that has the ability to transport you to a warm Brazilian beach, even in the midst of a cold Canadian winter. Just put it on, close your eyes, and get ready for the sun!

Albums » Jeremy Davenport - Maybe in a Dream (1997)

Jeremy Davenport - Maybe in a Dream (1997)

Quoted album review by Marcela Breton (~jazztimes)
Davenport is a trumpeter and crooner. His voice is soft, understated, and conversational. He's a darn good trumpeter and the trumpet interludes keep things from getting sappy.

He's backed by the solid, swinging musicianship of Glenn Patscha, piano, Peter Washington, bass, and Gregory Hutchinson, drums. On "Let's Leave," Davenport's vocals are barely distinguishable from those of guest, Diana Krall.

Albums » June Christy - Ballads for Night People/The Intimate Miss Christy (1999)

June Christy:
Ballads for Night People/The Intimate Miss Christy (1999)

Album review by Nick Dedina (~allmusic.com)
This is another swell two-for-one album pairing from the British wing of EMI. This one features two of June Christy's classic Capitol recordings, each of which showcases her in small-group jazz settings. The superior Ballads for Night People features Christy backed by a superb cool jazz group led by her husband, Bob Cooper. As befits its title, this session is generally dark in tone but it also really swings.

The Intimate Miss Christy is more warmly romantic and finds the vocalist backed only by guitar, bass, and the occasional flute. This one is geared more toward fireside smooching then Christy's usual nocturnal regret or daylight exuberance. Christy was always a great interpretive vocalist, but she was at her most relaxed and natural in the type of small-group jazz settings that are featured on these two albums.

Albums » Betty Carter - I'm Yours, You're Mine (1996)

Betty Carter - I'm Yours, You're Mine (1996)

Album review by Bill Bennett (~jazztimes.com)
Betty Carter is historically important, one of the singers who took Lady Day's lead and took singing beyond the heights it had reached, who with Carmen created an elegant tradition of song interpretation. She is important for the future, a demanding bandleader who makes herself available to young players who would learn the art of jazz through the Jazz Ahead workshops she runs annually; the lucky among them become members of her band.

Albums » Ron Carter - Jazz, My Romance (1994)

Ron Carter - Jazz, My Romance (1994)

Album review by Scott Yanow ~allmusic.com
As with virtually all of Ron Carter's recordings as a leader, this CD is primarily a showcase for his bass solos. The unusual combination of musicians (a trio with guitarist Herb Ellis and pianist Kenny Barron) really does not live up to its potential. There are some short spots for Ellis and Barron but their roles are mostly in support of the bassist.

Some of the selections (particularly "Sweet Lorraine" and the bassist's original "For Toddlers Only") do have their memorable moments but none of the songs are taken at faster than a medium tempo. Since bass solos (as with most drum showcases) often lose a lot when transferred to record (as opposed to being seen live), this CD is recommended mostly to Ron Carter completists.

Albums» Teri Thornton - Devil May Care (1999)

Teri Thornton - Devil May Care (1999)

Album review by Michael G. Nastos ~allmusic.com
This is the first (of three) long out of print recordings by Teri Thornton, finally available to the general public. It would not be a stretch to say she is perhaps the most talented, distinctive, clean, out-of-sight singer listeners have never heard....until now. Thornton's powerful, almost chilling voice compares favorably to the pristine tones and vibrato of Sarah Vaughan, the blues sassiness of Dinah Washington, and some of the more soulful refrains of Abbey Lincoln. Simply put, you have to hear her once to believe her. Whether on doleful ballads or raucous swingers, Thornton is totally confident and in control ─ of her emotions and yours.

Albums» Lee Morgan - Tom Cat (2010)

Lee Morgan - Tom Cat (2010)

Album review by Scott Yanow ~allmusic.com

It seems strange that the music on this CD was not released initially until 1980. Trumpeter Lee Morgan had had an unexpected hit with "The Sidewinder," so his more challenging recordings were temporarily put aside.

As it turns out, this was one of Morgan's better sets from the 1960s and he had gathered together quite an all-star cast: altoist Jackie McLean, trombonist Curtis Fuller, pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Bob Cranshaw, and drummer Art Blakey. They perform "Rigormortis," McCoy Tyner's "Twilight Mist," and three of the trumpeter's originals, including the title cut. The advanced hard bop music still sounds fresh decades later despite its initial neglect.

Albums» Russell Malone - Heartstrings (2001)

Russell Malone - Heartstrings (2001)

Album review by Richard S. Ginell ~allmusic.com
The example of Wes Montgomery is so ingrained into the jazz-guitar culture that sooner or later, everyone wants a crack at playing with a string section. Not everyone gets that opportunity, but when you're signed to a major label with an aficionado of plush settings like Tommy LiPuma in charge, your chances of making a string album are going to be pretty good. Thus the Russell Malone string album, a relaxed, easygoing, midnight-hour set of ten tracks polished to a fare-thee-well by a coterie of pros who seem bent upon adding another album by a surrogate Montgomery to the

                                                         Verve catalog.

Albums» Barney Kessel: Modern Jazz Performances from Bizet's Carmen (1986)

Barney Kessel: Modern Jazz Perf. from Bizet's Carmen (1986)

Album review by Scott Yanow (~allmusic.com)
This is an unusual set that has been reissued on CD. During an era when many Broadway and movie scores were recorded in jazz settings (thanks in part to the success of Shelly Manne's best-selling My Fair Lady album), guitarist Barney Kessel chose to interpret nine melodies from Bizet's opera Carmen.

The guitarist is heard in three different settings: joined by five woodwinds and a rhythm section; with five jazz horns (including altoist Herb Geller and trumpeter Ray Linn) and a trio; and with vibraphonist Victor Feldman in a quintet. Kessel also wrote the arrangements, which pay tribute to the melodies while not being shy of swinging the themes. An interesting if not essential project.

Albums» Ernestine Anderson - Never Make Your Move Too Soon (1992)

Ernestine Anderson - Never Make Your Move Too Soon (1992)

Album review by Scott Yanow ~allmusic.com
The title cut of this near-classic album became a sort of theme song for Ernestine Anderson, but it is not the only high point. The singer sounds in top form on such fine material as "As Long As I Live," a touching "Old Folks," "My Shining Hour," and "Poor Butterfly."

With fine assistance from pianist Monty Alexander, bassist Ray Brown, and drummer Frank Gant, Ernestine Anderson is heard throughout in prime form, sounding quite enthusiastic and powerful. Highly recommended.

Albums» Frank Rosolino - Free for All (1991)

Frank Rosolino – Free for All (1991)

Album review by David Rickert ~all·about·jazz
First the bad news: Frank Rosolino took the life of his two children and then shot himself in 1978 after a lifelong battle with depression. The good news: in 1959 he recorded Free For All a wonderfully spirited set that belies the psychological problems that plagued the trombonist throughout his life.

Rosolino spent the first part of career honing his chops in the Stan Kenton Band, like many of the West Coast musicians of the time. He developed an agility and melodic sense equal to that of any trumpet player. After a stint with the Lighthouse All-Stars, Rosolino was given the opportunity to record this quintet session with fellow West Coasters, which features the usual mix of originals and standards.

Albums: "Etta Jones - Don't Go to Strangers (2006)"

Etta Jones - Don't Go to Strangers (2006)

Album review by Steve Leggett ~allmusic.com
Don't Go to Strangers was Etta Jones' first album for the independent jazz label Prestige when it was released in 1960 (having been recorded in a single session on June 21 of that year), and although Jones had been releasing records since 1944, including a dozen sides for RCA in 1946 and an album for King Records in 1957, she was treated as an overnight sensation when the title tune from the album went gold, hitting the Top 40 on the pop charts and reaching number five on the R&B charts.

Albums» Blue Mitchell - Blue's Moods (2003)

Blue Mitchell - Blue's Moods (2003)

Album review by Scott Yanow ~allmusic.com
One of trumpeter Blue Mitchell's seven Riverside recordings (all of which have been reissued as CDs in the Original Jazz Classics series), only this set (along with three numbers on Blue Soul) feature Mitchell as the only horn. Joined by pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Sam Jones, and drummer Roy Brooks, the trumpeter is typically distinctive, swinging and inventive within the hard bop genre. He performs four standards, Ronnell Bright's "Sweet Pumpkin," and the obscure "Avars," and a pair of originals in fine fashion.

Albums» Joey DeFrancesco's Goodfellas (1999)

Joey DeFrancesco,
Joey DeFrancesco's Goodfellas (1999)

Album review by Brian Bartolini ~allmusic.com
Try to imagine the best Italian-American wedding you've every been to -- the people, the food, the style, the love -- then set it to some great jazz music, Joey DeFrancesco's Goodfellas. Add this killer band to your next wedding party and be prepared to have the time of your life. Plain and simple, this album is 55 minutes of unabated fun.

Joey DeFrancesco (Hammond B-3 organ), Frank Vignola (guitar), and Joe Ascione (drums), three outstanding musicians who grew up in typical Italian-American families, play some of the music on which they were raised. Highlights abound on this brilliant concept piece: the kicked-up, jazzy "Volare," the groovy, tasty "Fly Me to the Moon," the energetic, rollicking "Malafemmena," and the beautiful slow dance "Young at Heart." Even Monk's "Evidence," taken at a blistering pace, is right at home in this setting.

Albums» Stanley Turrentine: Blue Note Stanley Turrentine Qt./Sxt. Sessions (#212) [5CD Boxset]

(~mosaic records)
Blue Note Stanley Turrentine Quintet/Sextet Sessions (#212)

Strong, Bluesy and Soulful.
"The six Blue Note dates collected on our new Mosaic set are in a class by themselves; they are pure hard bop in the selection and treatment of the material and in instrumentation with Stanley Turrentine sharing the front line with a trumpet player or trombonist equal to him in talent. We're delighted to offer these excellent but overlooked hard bop sessions."

"The six albums collected herein, finds Turrentine working in settings that epitomize Blue Note's norm of two or three horns in the front line, straight-ahead grooves, and a focus on original material and the complementary voices of the featured musicians." - Bob Blumenthal, liner notes

Albums: Wes Montgomery - Boss Guitar (1989)

Wes Montgomery - Boss Guitar (1989)

Album review by Alex Henderson ~allmusic.com
Before he moved away from straight-ahead jazz and starting playing what is now known as smooth jazz, Wes Montgomery was one of bop's finest guitarists. Montgomery's bop period ended much too soon, but thankfully, he recorded his share of rewarding bop albums when he was still bop-oriented -- and one of them is Boss Guitar, which Orrin Keepnews produced in 1963. This trio recording (which employs Mel Rhyne on organ and Jimmy Cobb on drums) has been reissued on CD more than once; 2010 reissue offers new liner notes by Neil Tesser along with Joe Goldberg's original liner notes from the ‘60s.

Albums: Clark Terry - Live at the Village Gate (1991)

Clark Terry - Live at the Village Gate (1991)

Album review by Scott Yanow ~allmusic.com
Flugelhornist Clark Terry, three weeks shy of his 70th birthday at the time of this live performance, sounds very much at the peak of his powers throughout Live at the Village Gate.

Teamed up with old friend Jimmy Heath, who doubles on tenor and soprano, pianist Don Friedman, bassist Marcus McLauren and drummer Kenny Washington (altoist Paquito D'Rivera guests on "Silly Samba"), Terry performs eight little-known originals. The tunes are all fairly basic, but they inspire these talented musicians to some of their best playing. The hard-swinging music, which includes a trumpet-drums duet on "Brushes & Brass" and some singing from the audience on "Hey Mr. Mumbles," is quite enjoyable, and among the most accessible type of jazz.

Albums » Sonny Clark Trio - The 45 Sessions (1996)

Sonny Clark Trio - The 45 Sessions (1996)

Album review ~cduniverse.com
This recording is the result of two sessions from late 1958 (the other was released in Japan as Blues in the Night). The 45 Sessions CD also includes three alternate takes from the 1957 Sonny Clark Trio date (BN 1579) with Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones. The remaining tunes feature Sonny with drummer Wes Landers and bassist Jymie Merritt (who went on to join Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers). In contrast to the hard-driving bebop approach of the 1957 session, this material is very relaxed.

Intended for release as 45 singles, the tunes are generally short interpretations of popular standards. Clark's left hand comping is informed more by Ahmad Jamal than Bud Powell. Landers primarily uses brushes and has a less aggressive approach than Philly Joe. The result is some of Sonny's most accessible piano trio work, with beautiful chord voicings and harmonizations and a very coherent group sound. Note that this material is also included in Blue Note's 1998 domestic Sonny Clark release entitled Standards.

Albums: Tina Brooks - The Waiting Game (2002)

Tina Brooks - The Waiting Game (2002)

Album review by Steve Huey ~allmusic
Like two of his other three albums, Tina Brooks' final session as a leader (in March 1961) was sequenced and prepared for release, but remained on the shelves until well after the tenor's tragically early death. That's why the title of The Waiting Game is not only apt, but sadly poignant. Despite Blue Note's reservations at the time, Brooks' output for the label was uniformly strong, demonstrating his skills as a smooth, graceful soloist and a composer of considerable dexterity within the hard bop idiom.

Albums: Sarah Vaughan - Verve Jazz Masters.42: The Jazz Sides (1995)

Sarah Vaughan - Verve Jazz Masters.42:
"The Jazz Sides" (1995)

Album review ~cduniverse.com
Modern jazz, with its emphasis on the cool, can often warp a song beyond recognition. As the performer experiments and tinkers with tunes, this sometimes means a substitution of technical brilliance for simplicity. Sarah Vaughan, however, can be wildly innovative and still score a direct hit in the ears and hearts of her audience. For instance, Vaughan's version of "I Feel Pretty" captures all the charm of the WEST SIDE STORY composition, at the same time imbuing it with a singular energy that enhances the song, altering it just enough to thrill the listener. She often changes aspects of a song, improving the piece's dynamics with her sense of tempo and range, such as on "Prelude to a Kiss." She's the proverbial singer who could make the phone book sound good.