Ariel Bringuez - Raices en Colores (2008)

01.Canto a mi Negra

02.Amame cómo Soy

03.Mr.Taita

04.En Tension

05.Mackandal en el Reino de mi Mundo

06.Raices en Colores

07.Mi Ayer

08.Confrontacion

09.Desahogando el Alma

10.Raices en Colores

11.Bendicion Mama.

Ariel Bringuez (saxo y voz en 2)

Alfredo Rodríguez (piano Fender Rhodes)

Eme Alfonso (voz en 7)

Yelena Lafargue (voz en 2, 6 y 10)

Kumar (voz en 4)

Carlos Alfonso (voz en 1)

William Roblejo (violín en 6 y 7)

Winnie Magaña (viola en 7)

Pedro Cárdenas (violincello en 6 y 7)

Jorge Iván Martínez (tres en 5 y 11)

Yoleidis Valderrama (clarinete en 7)

Ernesto Camilo Vega (clarinete bajo en 8)

Carlos Mejías (saxo alto en 4)

Román Filiú (saxo alto en 7)

Michael Olivera (batería)

Yaroldi Abreu (congas y percusión menor en 11)

Ángel Gastón Joya (bajo)

Keisel Jiménez (timbal en 10)

Orlando Valle "Maraca" (flauta en 5)

Juán José Bringuez (flauta en 11).

Bringuez Ariel was born in the year 1982 in a family with wide musical tradition. Thanks to his grandfather Juan José Ochoa Bringuez directs his studies in music and enrolled in the Vocational School of Art in Villa Clara. Later he joined the ENA and even as a student, goes to From part of one of the most prestigious orchestras in the national setting of popular music and Latin Jazz, I mean the orchestra Orlando Valle Maraca and Otra Visión . Along with this group Ariel shares the stage with international figures among which Winton Marsalis Natalie Cole and also participate in various festivals in the United States and Europe. In 2004 and 2005, Ariel became the first young musician to win two consecutive years in composition and performance awards in the contest JoJazz, who won laurels through its association with Roman Filiú, renowned saxophonist in Irakere along Chucho Valdés. In 2007, Ariel graduated from the ISA and so little age and begins to share the stage with in the island as Chucho Valdes, Bobby Carcasses, Julito Padrón, Tata Guines, Changuito Quintana, Dave Murray and his Latin Big Band, Jorge Luis Chicoy, Andy Farrell, Perico Sambeat and synthesis among others. He has also taken part in projects winners of flutist Orlando Valle "Maraca" and "Descarga Total" and his CD "Tremenda Rumba" Latin Grammy nominee as well as being part of the CD "Revoluxion" by X Alfonso and the CD "The Train Moments "of the Spanish singer Alejandro Sanz.

The CD "Real Colors" is one of those discoveries that are essential to understanding what is happening in music in the island at this time. Ariel brings a nuanced mature work, full of a total commitment to Afro-Cuban roots. His compositions are complex and unpredictable in their structures, give an exquisite contemporary Afro-Cuban rhythms to the bases and shows a great facility at a time for musicians to record insert into simple but much more defendants in the pursuit of that freshness that demand jazz Cuban. This album is also a mosaic of genres reinterpreted which travel through the blues and jazz classics to works where the nujazz hip hop and shake hands. Example we will see in "Mr. Taita" a mature and elegant work which the sax and trumpet (from whom no data on the disk) come together in a masterful performance recordano the masters of bebop. Later we arrive at a site where Kumar rapper breaks silence over Hip Hop giving way to a theme that will bring out the talent at the piano of the young Alfredo Rodriguez immersed in the experiment will give us notes assonants and open spaces to create of those who accompany him. "Real Nice" is present in this drive through "in the United Mackandal My World", an approach to Latin jazz from a personal perspective where Ariel shows her ability to improvise their chipping at times giving way academic ties to the imagination, a topic where the bottom of Angel Gaston also does his thing. "Real Colors" is the theme that gave the prize for composition in the JoJazz, a work that demonstrates the greatness of this young musician to feed on its origin and shaping it through an arrangement with the lyrical orchestrated string instruments. In two issues, the CD includes versions of other authors reinterpreted by him. One is the case with "Love me for me," Nueva Trova song composed by Pablo Milanes and the other is "My Yesterday" a classic made by the teacher feelling Nico Rojas, both tributes well made and full of feeling. This debut is also a legacy of the youth of these times, without letting Ariel out of its young Cuban also reflected by feelings conflicts of their time on issues such as "Confrontation" with a strong flamenco influence. "Venting the Soul" is the entrance to their estate free jazz in its purest essence, the entry of masters like John Coltrane, who comes to give color through the heart of Bringuez. Finally, the well-deserved tribute to its origin in "Mama Blessing", a tale of his trip to the seed, its roots as seen through the eyes of his grandfather, mentor and prime mover who comes to close the disc. The CD "Real Colors" was nominated for best jazz album in the Cubadisco 2009.

Gary Willis - Llibert Fortuny - Kirk Covington – Slaughterhouse 3 (2007)

01.Slaughterhouse 3

02.Life's Story

03.Let's Go

04.Toxic

04.Booty Duty

05.Another Chance

06.Trapeze/Nobody's Friend

07.Stinky

08.Sleep Deprivation

09.Moof

10.Interactive Show.

Gary Willis: bass

Llibert Fortuny: saxophone

Kirk Covington: drums.

Anyone familiar with electric bassist Gary Willis (co-founder of the powerhouse fusion outfit Tribal Tech ) and drummer Kirk Covington (a longtime member of that same group) will know that any saxophone trio they're involved with will be far removed from convention. Add saxophonist Llibert Fortuny, a rising star on the Spanish jazz scene, and the result is Slaughterhouse 3, an energized, take-no-prisoners album that, with its combination of potent grooves, wild electronics and freewheeling improvisation, will appeal equally to fans of fusion, jam-bands and electronica.

Virtuosity is a given. What separates the men from the boys here is how, on these eleven spontaneous compositions ranging from brief miniatures to lengthy, episodic interactions; unequivocal technical skill is used in search of a group aesthetic rather than individual talent. That said, Fortuny is a real revelation. Strip him of the sometimes copious processing and he'd still remain an inventive player. His significantly altered horn, on tracks like the high velocity "Let's Go, demonstrates a broad vernacular that would be equally comfortable in a post-bop or acoustic free jazz setting.

Like Tribal Tech, the amount of processing taking place here makes it sometimes challenging to know who's doing what. Still, on the relatively pure "Moof, Willis' fretless bass evokes memories of Jaco Pastorius while, with its denser sound, remaining distinctly personal. Covington, on the same track, demonstrates a loose sense of swing and delicate touch that may come as a surprise to those familiar with his higher energy Tribal Tech work—that is, until the last minute when he kicks the energy up with a more powerful delivery.

With a rhythm section as potent as Willis and Covington there's no question that visceral funk will be part of the equation, as heard on the greasy "Stinky and up-tempo "Booty Duty, is well, undeniably booty-shaking. The title track is considerably more intense, with Fortuny's distorted horn approaching the kind of wailing, feedback-driven intensity normally reserved for guitarists.

But while gritty energy and samples—beats and otherwise—are a part of this hour-long excursion into modern improvisation, the trio also demonstrates a more expansive and orchestral side. "Another Chance comes at about the half-way point, and provides an almost ambient respite from the power surrounding it. It's also surprisingly lyrical, with Covington's brushwork and Willis' fretless creating a soft underpinning for Fortuny's sparer melodicism.

Fusion may usually be the purview of guitarists and keyboardists, but Slaughterhouse 3 makes it clear that even the chord-less saxophone trio can, in the right hands, be an equally dynamic alternative. Texturally rich, rhythm-heavy and completely committed, Slaughterhouse 3 is a welcome debut by a trio that, hopefully, will be more than just a one-off affair.by John Kelman.

George Benson - Good King Bad (1975)

Theme from Good King Bad (6:03)

One Rock Don't Make No Boulder (6:50)

Em (4:56)

Cast Your Fate to the Wind (7:00)

Siberian Workout (6:45)

Shell of a Man (5:17)

Hold On! I'm Comin' (5:44).

George Benson (Guitar)(Vocals) Michael Brecker (Sax (Tenor) Ronnie Cuber (Saxophone)(Sax (Baritone) Ronnie Foster (Keyboards) Don Grolnick (Keyboards)(Clavinet) Bobby Lyle (Keyboards) David Sanborn (Sax (Alto) David Friedman (Percussion)(Vibraphone) Phil Upchurch (Guitar) David Nadien (Violin) Sue Evans (Percussion) David Matthews (Arranger)(Conductor) Randy Becker (Trumpet) Cliff Carter (Keyboards) Harold Coletta (Viola) Dennis Davis (Bass)(Drums) Max Ellen (Violin) Joe Farrell (Flute) Steve Gadd (Drums)

Eric Gale (Guitar) RudyVan Gelder (Engineer) Paul Gershman (Violin) Harry Glickman (Violin) Emanuel Green (Violin) Roland Hanna (Keyboards) Theodore Israel (Viola) Gary King (Bass) Harold Kohon (Violin) Charles McCracken (Cello) Andy Newmark (Drums) Romeo Penque (Flute) John Pintavalle (Violin) Max Pollikoff (Violin) Alan Shulman (Cello) Creed Taylor (Producer) David Tofani (Flute) Frank Vicari (Sax (Tenor) Fred Wesley (Trombone) Wilbur Bascomb, Jr. (Bass).

The R&B elements get stronger, the sound and mix are more attuned to the dancefloor, yet this brings out the best in George Benson's funky side. Thanks in part to the more rigid beat, Benson pares down his style to its rhythmic essentials, refusing to spray notes all over the place at random, and as a result, the record cooks and dances. His treatment of Vince Guaraldi's "Cast Your Fate to the Wind," hugely complemented by Joe Farrell's wistfully prancing flute, is a mini-masterpiece in the use of space, of hitting exactly the right stabbing note right in the pocket. Again, Creed Taylor turns to a James Brown alumnus, David Matthews, for arrangements, and he discreetly and wisely stays out of Bad George's way. Buy this one for "Cast Your Fate," but there is plenty more to savor here (the CD also includes "Hold On, I'm Comin'" as a bonus). ~ Richard S. Ginell, Rovi.

Galapagos Duck - Right On Cue (1978)

01.Marabi

02.All In Love Is Fair

03.What's Going On

04.Blues For Spike

05.Pink Panther

06.Basement Blues

07.Misty

08.Right On Cue

09.My Mama Told Me So.

Drums, Percussion [Small] - Len Barnard , Tom Hare

Electric Piano, Piano, Synthesizer [Hohner], Clarinet - Ray Alldridge

Flute, Saxophone [Alto, Tenor], Trumpet, Congas, Timbales, Vocals - Tom Hare

Trombone, Harmonica - Greg Foster

Violin [Bass], Bass [Electric] - Chris Qua

Washboard - Len Barnard.

Recorded and mixed at United Sound, Sydney, September 14, 18, 24, 28 and October 14, 1978.

Kevin Eubanks - Face To Face (1986)

A1. Face To Face 5:25

Acoustic Guitar - Kevin Eubanks
Bass [Electric] - Marcus Miller
Keyboards [Yamaha Dx 7] - Dave Grusin
Percussion - Paulinho Braga , Ralph McDonald
Written-By - Kevin Eubanks.

A2. That's What Friends Are For 5:05

Bass [Electric] - Marcus Miller
Drums - Buddy Wiliams
Electric Guitar - Kevin Eubanks
Keyboards [Yamaha Dx 7] - Dave Grusin
Percussion - Crusher Bennett , Ralph McDonald
Written-By - Burt Bacharach.

A3. Essence 5:22

Acoustic Guitar - Kevin Eubanks
Bass [Electric, Fretless] - Marcus Miller
Percussion - Crusher Bennett , Ralph McDonald
Written-By - Kevin Eubanks.

A4. A Silent Waltz 4:54

Acoustic Guitar - Kevin Eubanks
Double Bass - Ron Carter
Written-By - Kevin Eubanks.

B1. Moments Aren't Moments 4:45

Acoustic Guitar - Kevin Eubanks
Bass [Electric] - Marcus Miller
Drums - Buddy Wiliams
Keyboards [Yamaha Dx 7] - Dave Grusin
Percussion - Paulinho Braga , Ralph McDonald
Written-By - Stevie Wonder.

B2. Wave 5:30

Acoustic Guitar - Kevin Eubanks
Double Bass - Ron Carter
Percussion - Dave Grusin , Paulinho Braga
Written-By - Carlos Jobim*.

B3. Relaxin' At Camarillo 3:17

Double Bass - Ron Carter
Electric Guitar - Kevin Eubanks
Written-By - Charles Parker.

B4. Ebony Sunrise 3:49

Double Bass - Ron Carter
Electric Guitar - Kevin Eubanks
Written-By - Kevin Eubanks.

B5. Trick Bag 3:08

Double Bass - Ron Carter
Electric Guitar - Kevin Eubanks
Written-By - Wes Montgomery.

Recorded at Atlantic Studios, NYC, and The Review Room, NYC

Strings recorded at Clinton Recording, NYC

Additional recording at Rosebud Recording, NYC.

(Repost Request) Los Casal - Fusion Celta (2005)

(Repost Request) Guillermo Hill & Andy Lafone - Pancada (2006)

01-Llevo el acordeón
02-Gladston
03-Son como mil
04-Magic Groovers
05-Chances are
06-Little Plum
07-Samba de Ugo
08-La tregua
09-El profeta.

 

(Repost Request) Leonardo Amuedo and Sticks & Strings - URU (1993)

Eric Gale - Ginseng Woman (1977)

01.Ginseng Woman

02.Red Ground

03.Sara Smile

04.De Rabbit

05.She Is My Lady

06.East End, West End.

Lamar Alsop - Viola

Wayne Andre - Trombone

Patti Austin - Vocals

Michael Brecker - Saxophone

Randy Brecker - Trumpet

Vivian Cherry - Vocals

Harry Cykman - Violin

Eddie Daniels - Saxophone

Bill Eaton - Vocals

Max Ellen - Violin

Jon Faddis - Trumpet

Frank Floyd - Vocals

Steve Gadd - Drums

Eric Gale - Guitar

Paul Gershman - Violin

Harry Glickman - Violin

Lani Groves - Vocals

Diana Halprin - Violin

Anthony Jackson - Bass

Bob James - Keyboards, Producer

Gary King - Bass

Harold Kohon - Violin

Ralph MacDonald - Percussion

Charles McCracken - Cello

Marvin Morgenstern - Violin

David Nadien - Violin

Max Pollikoff - Violin

Alan Rubin - Trumpet

Zachary Sanders - Vocals

Alan Shulman - Cello

Ray Simpson - Vocals

Andrew Smith - Drums

Lew Soloff - Trumpet

David Taylor - Trombone

Richard Tee - Keyboards, Piano

Emanuel Vardi - Viola

Grover Washington, Jr. - Saxophone

George Young - Saxophone.

Good fusion, light jazz, and instrumental pop/R&B session from a talented guitarist who's made his living by carefully editing his solos and plugging into funk dates. Gale doesn't cut loose, but shows enough to hold interest, while the arrangements and production are geared for Urban and Adult Contemporary outlets and audiences.by Ron Wynn.

Kenny Burrell - God Bless The Child (1971)

01.Be Yourself

02.Love Is The Answer

03.Do What You Gotta Do

04.A Child Is Born

05.God Bless The Child

Bonus Tracks:

06.Ballad Of The Sad Young Men

07.Lost In The Stars

08.A Child Is Born [Alternate Take].

Seymour Barab - Cello

Ray Barretto - Percussion

Kenny Burrell - Guitar

Ron Carter - Bass

Billy Cobham - Drums

Freddie Hubbard - Trumpet

Hubert Laws - Flute, Piano, Piano (Electric)

Hugh Lawson - Piano

Charles McCracken - Cello

Airto Moreira - Drums, Percussion

George Ricci - Cello

Lucien Schmit - Cello

Don Sebesky - Arranger

Alan Shulman - Cello

Creed Taylor - Producer

Rudy Van Gelder - Engineer

Richard Wyands - Piano, Piano (Electric).

Kenny Burrell's guitaristry is well-documented in his years with Oscar Peterson and on his first dates as a leader on the Blue Note label, but God Bless the Child, his only date for CTI in 1971, is an under-heard masterpiece in his catalog. Burrell's band for the set includes bassist Ron Carter, percussionist Ray Barretto, Richard Wyands on piano, flutist Hubert Laws, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, and drummer Billy Cobham. CTI's house arranger, Don Sebesky, assembled and conducted the strings in a manner that stands strangely and beautifully apart from his other work on the label. Sebesky understood Burrell's understated approach to playing guitar. Burrell didn't belong with the fusioneers, but he could groove better than any of them. Sebesky built a moody, atmospheric soundscape behind him, one that was as impressionistic as it was illuminating of a player who could dig in and chop it up -- as he does on his own composition "Love Is the Answer" and "Do What You Gotta Do" -- and stroke it smooth and mellow as on the title track, the truly sublime "Be Yourself," and Thad Jones' "A Child Is Born." The Legacy CD remaster also includes the only three outtakes from the session, an alternate of the Jones tune, and two brief but gorgeous solos on "Ballad of the Sad Young Men" and on Kurt Weill's "Lost in the Stars." This is Burrell at his level best as a player to be sure, but also as a composer and as a bandleader. Magnificent.by Thom Jurek.

Adam Rudolph's Moving Pictures - Dream Garden (2008)

01.Oshogbo

02.The Violet Hour

03.Twilight Lake

04.Scintilla

05.Happiness Road

06.Cousin of the Moon

07.Mood

08.A Vision of Pure Delight

09.Mystery

10.Spectral

11.Helix

12.Dream Garden

13.The Sphinx

14.Walking the Curve.

Adam Rudolph: percussion

Brahim Fribgane: oud, tarija

Graham Haynes: cornet, flugelhorn

Hamid Drake: drum set, frame drum

Kenny Wessel: guitars

Ned Rothenberg: shakuhachi, bass clarinet, bass flute, alto sax

Shanir Blumenkrantz: acoustic bass, sintir

Steve Gorn: bansuri, clarinet, Pakistani oboe.

They used to say that everyone who bought the first Velvet Underground record must have started a band. In time, we may come to realize that every jazz musician who moved into the area of World Music first caught the bug from Don Cherry's Mu, Brown Rice, or any of the other number of globally-minded records Cherry issued after he moved away from the post-bop free jazz of the Ornette Coleman and Albert Ayler quartets.

With his group Moving Pictures, percussionist Adam Rudolph (a Cherry alum) brings together several internationally-aware musicians to extend the tradition pioneered by Cherry. You would think Rudolph were a cornet or flautist himself, considering the generous space his compositions offer to Graham Haynes and Ned Rothenberg. From track to track, the horns ride on top of the steady, dipping rhythms of Brahim Frigbane's oud ("Walking the Curve ) or the assaultive polyrhythms originating from Hamid Drake's trap set ("Oshogbo ). Guitarist Kenny Wessel takes his place next to Haynes and Rothenberg, chopping along with the forward-driving momentum of Shanir Blumenkranz' bass ("Cousin of the Moon ) or supplying a repeated lick to support a Haynes solo ("A Vision of Pure Delight ).

The music on Dream Garden does not, however, entirely derive from the music of Don Cherry, whose work had an ethereal quality while, at the same time, generating the feeling that the instruments in play were strange and exotic and hands-on. By now, the instrumentation Rudolph employs isn't that unfamiliar and the recording process tends to smooth out the rough edges. But Rudolph listens to his own muse; she speaks with several different accents in a variety of languages and Rudolph doesn't need a translator.By JEFF STOCKTON.

Aaron Parks - Invisible Cinema (2008)

01.Travelers

02.Peaceful Warrior

03.Nemesis

04.Riddle me This

05.Into the Labyrinth

06.Karma

07.Roadside Attraction

08.Harvesting Dance

09.Praise

10.Afterglow.

Aaron Parks: piano, mellotron (3), glockenspiel (3), keyboards (3, 5, 6, 8)

Mike Moreno: guitar (2-4, 6-9)

Matt Penman: bass (1-4, 6-9)

Eric Harland: drums (1-4, 6-9).

If ever there were a supporting case for the importance of mentoring in jazz, it would be Aaron Parks. The pianist began playing with trumpeter Terence Blanchard in 2003 at the age of 18 and, over the course of three albums culminating in last year's deeply moving A Tale of God's Will (Blue Note, 2007), has grown into a mature player whose early promise is already being realized. With inimitable technique and open ears, he seems to have bypassed the youthful peril where technique is the end rather than the means. On his debut as a leader, Parks proves himself a player and composer of great depth, with a truly cinematic vision that embraces the challenge of complexity as much as it does the demand of creating simple, evocative melodies.

Parks has recruited a stellar group of rising stars for Invisible Cinema. Guitarist Mike Moreno's Between the Lines (World Culture Music, 2007) was a masterful debut, demonstrating similar maturity beyond his age and an embracive approach blending tradition with progressive elements. The increasingly in-demand bassist Matt Penman marries pulse and melody, matching Parks' ability to shift from knotty rhythms to near-folkloric innocence. Drummer Eric Harland's broad reach has found him equally comfortable with the spiritually invested free play of saxophonist Charles Lloyd's Rabo de Nube (ECM, 2008) and the more explosive energy of guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel's The Remedy (ArtistShare, 2008). Together, they're a flexible quartet that blends the language of jazz with more contemporary and, at times, powerful indie rock concerns.

The opening "Travelers" marries ethereality with fervency in equal doses, Parks' solo a marvel of layered spontaneity that leans towards classicism in addition to jazz orthodoxy. A trio track where Harland and Penman push the insistent groove with nuance rather than overt power, it sets a high bar for the rest of the disc.

Moreno joins for the episodic "Peaceful Warrior," where lyricism and Pat Metheny-esque expansiveness still allow plenty of freedom. Parks and Moreno trade lengthy choruses over its 9/8 middle section, Penman and Harland pushing and pulling the two soloists as they weave in and around the changes.

If Radiohead were more sophisticated they might record a track like "Nemesis." Harland's backbeat and Parks' repetitive piano figure drive Moreno's sharp, overdriven melody, another solo section where guitar and piano again alternate, hypnotically building the energy. Piano is Parks' main axe, but here he layers mellotron, glockenspiel and additional keyboards to create an image-rich soundscape. The group revisits "Harvesting Dance," from Blanchard's Flow (Blue Note, 2005), but Parks' smaller line-up breathes more, its Spanish ambience building into a fiery solo from Moreno that's a highlight of the disc.

For an artist not yet 25, Invisible Cinema is refreshingly fully formed—amongst the year's best releases, it represents one possible future of jazz. With plenty to appeal to long-term, open-minded jazz fans, Parks' incorporation of familiar reference points also makes it a good bet to attract younger listeners.by John Kelman.

Alex Skolnick - Last Day In Paradise (2007)

01.Mercury Retrograde 4:32

02.Last Day In Paradise 4:51

03.Tom Sawyer 6:34

04.Shades of Grey 6:23

05.Practica Lo Que Predicas (Practice What You Preach) 5:16

06.The Lizar 7. Channel 4 4:2

08.Revelation (Mother Earth) 7:19

09.Out There Somewhere 4:48

10.Western Sabbath Stomp 5:23.

Alex Skolnick (guitar)

Nathan Peck (double bass)

Matt Zebroski (drum).

On March 15, 2007, Alex Skolnick Trio will unleash "Last Day In Paradise" on Magnatude Records. It consists of seven original compositions along with three arrangements of hard rock 'standards,' (a concept upon which the trio has built a strong reputation as an instrumental group that appeals to straight ahead jazz fans and rock fans alike). Feeling the inspiration of European jazz and other influences, the group has now gone beyond the limitations of the traditional guitar trio format on many of the songs, incorporating electronic loops ('Last Day In Paradise'), vocal melodies ('Mercury Retrograde') and slide guitar ('Western Sabbath Stomp'). There are also special effects, bowed bass tracks and other studio embellishments, resulting in their most original and cutting edge album to date. The new album also includes a Latin version of the Testament song "Practice What You Preach" (which Alex originally co-wrote) and a live electronica inspired version of Rush classic 'Tom Sawyer.'

The Alex Skolnick Trio was born in 2001. A heavy metal guitar hero with the San Francisco based group Testament, Alex had decided to leave the Bay Area, move to New York, soak up the jazz scene and go back to school to earn his music degree from New School University. It was here that he met a young drum prodigy named Matt 'Zebar' Zebroski who, as it turned out, had been a Testament fan as a youth in Pittsburgh. The two began rehearsing regularly, practicing standards and reviewing homework assignments. Within a few months, they hit upon a magic formula: songs of their youth, reharmonized and revamped to incorporate high level modern improvisation. A short time later, the trio had versions of Kiss, Aerosmith, Ozzy Osbourne, the Who and more, as well as original compositions and were covering a wide range of musical styles: swing, funk, Latin and moments of John McLaughlin/Jimi Hendrix/Miles Davis inspired intensity.

Francisco Mela - Melao (2006)

01.John Ramsay

02.Sorpresa

03.Arere

04.Pasuayo

05.Galaxy

06.Chela

07.Obayoko (intro)

08.Obayoko

09.Law Years

10.Parallel World.

Francisco Mela: drums, vocals, percussion

Joe Lovano: tenor saxophone

George Garzone: tenor saxophone

Anat Cohen: tenor saxophone, clarinet

Lionel Loueke: guiktar

Nir Felder: electric guitar & effects

Leo Genovese: piano, Fender Rhodes, keyboard

Peter Slavov: bass.

Recorded in Brooklyn, NY. 2005.

Cuban drummers relocating to the US over the years have made a remarkable contribution to jazz on these shores, and Francisco Mela is the newest talent to add to that list. Melao is a striking tour de force for the young drummer/composer, who transplanted himself from Havana to Boston a decade ago. Mela has wisely surrounded himself with some of Boston's brightest young talents, not to mention a generous and gorgeous cameo by Joe Lovano on several tunes.

The curious listener would be well advised to skip ahead to track five, "Galaxy," perhaps the most daring of the uniformly excellent nine original pieces composed by Mela. A blazing interchange between saxophonists Lovano and George Garzone is the main attraction that brings the composition into cohesion, but repeated listenings reveal just how sophisticated and engaging Mela's rhythmic patterns are as he urgently pushes the horns to stretch to the max. He's an rousingly busy drummer, tracing his style back to Roy Haynes, though I also hear Tony Williams in terms of a airy and deft quickness in responding to the saxophones. It would require only a slight play of imagination to hear this tune as a selection on a "Tribute to Miles" disc, with Garzone lovingly evoking Wayne Shorter, and Mela dancing over every square inch of his drum kit with the teenager's enthusiasm that Williams never seemed to lose with age.

The rest of the album? A fascinating mix of colors pop up. A few measures of Afro-Cuban chanting, some darkly atmospheric electronic storms contributed by the very edgy and versatile electric guitarist Nir Felder. A cover of Ornette Coleman's "Law Years" does justice to Ornette's endearing agitations.

In some ways, to create a just comparison, I think Mela is just as striking a new talent as drummer/composer Dafnis Prieto, and both artists successfully pursue a freedom to weave their Cuban musical backgrounds into global tapestries that can be called "free Latin music." And in Mela's case, accent the word "free." "Free" in the context of this passionately realized project means "disciplined imagination."

(Repost Request) Carlos Averhoff - Jazz'Ta Bueno (2005)

(Repost Request)

The Cannonball Adderley Quintet - The Black Messiah (1972)

A1.Introduction 0:50

A2.The Black Messiah 16:12

A3.Monologue 2:20

A4.Little Benny Hen 4:15

B1.Zanek 5:07

B2.Dr. Honouris Causa 14:48

C1.The Chocolate Nuissance 8:22

C2.Untitled 6:21

C3.The Steam Drill 8:42

D1.Eye Of The Cosmos 4:51

D2.Episode From The Music Came 2:39

D3.Heritage 4:43

D4.Circumference 3:18

D5.Pretty Paul 2:48

D6.The Scene 2:16.

Bass - Walter Booker

Clarinet - Alvin Battiste* (tracks: D2-D6)

Congas - Buck Clark* (tracks: C1, D4, D6)

Cornet - Nat Adderley

Drums - Roy McCurdy

Engineer - Gene Hicks

Guitar - Mike Deasy (tracks: A3, B1, C1, D1-D6)

Percussion - Airto*

Piano, Electric Piano - George Duke

Producer - Cannonball Adderley , David Axelrod

Saxophone - Cannonball Adderley , Ernie Watts (tracks: A3, B1, C2, D1-D6).

Recorded live at "The Troubadour", Hollywood.

David Garfield & Friends - The 3rd Annual Carlos Vega Memorial Birthday Concert (2000)

David Garfield & Friends:

featuring Vinnie Colaiuta, Jimmy Johnson, Steve Lukather, Michael Landau, Bill Champlin, Jason Scheff, Alex Ligertwood, Moon Calhoun, Lenny Castro, Greg Mathieson and many more special guests...More Info.

David Sanborn - David Sanborn (1976)

1.Indio.5:35

2.Smile.5:24

3.Mamacita.4:45

4.Herbs.4:29

5.Concrete Boogie.6:32

6.I Do It for Your Love.2:47

7.Sophisticated Squaw.4:47

8.7th Ave.5:34.

Jumma Santos - Percussion,Conga

Victor Lewis - Drums,Vocals

Herb Bushler - Bass (Electric),Guitar(Bass)

Rosalinda DeLeon - Synthesizer,Keyboards,Piano(Electric)

Lani Groves - Vocals

Patti Austin - Vocals

Paul Simon - Vocals

Phoebe Snow - Vocals

Hiram Bullock - Guitar,Vocals

David Sanborn - Flute,Sax (Alto),Sax (Soprano).

This album is one of David Sanborn's better early recordings. Although the record is perhaps best known for the altoist's version of Paul Simon's "I Do It For Your Love," Sanborn's playing on some of the other cuts (most notably "Mamacita" and "7th Avenue") finds him really stretching within the R&B/crossover genre. Only "Smile" (which has some mundane vocalizing) is a minus, and it is more than compensated for by Sanborn's passionate improvising elsewhere. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide.

 

Joe Farrell Quartet - Super Session (1970)

01.Follow Your Heart (6:50)

02.Collage For Polly (2:30)

03.Circle In The Square (7:05)

04.Molten Glass (5:00)

05.Alter Ego (1:20)

06.Song Of The Wind (5:50)

07.Motion (5:10).

Joe Farrell: saxes

John McLaughlin: guitar

Chick Corea: piano

Dave Holland: bass

Jack DeJohnette: drums.

John Swana And Friends (1991)

1.Before You

2.Darn That Dream

3.Out of My Dreams

4.You Don't Know What Love Is

5.Straight No Chaser

6.I Didn't Know What Time Is Was

7.The Pendulum at Falcon's Lair.

John Swana (trumpet, flugelhorn)

Bill Pierce (tenor saxophone)

Tom Harrell (trumpet, flugelhorn)

Mulgrew Miller (piano)

Billy Drummond (drums)

Ira Coleman (bass).

Sear Sound Studios, New York, NY (12/15/1991).

John Swana is one of the most exciting trumpeters to arrive for a decade," declares Mark Gardner,co-author of Blackwell's Guide to Recorded Jazz.

Born in Norristown, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia, Swana took up Trumpet at the age of11.

He was drawn to jazz at the age of 17 after hearing Dizzy Gillespie, and the interest developed into a passion while he was in college. There he began transcribing the solos of Freddie Hubbard, Clifford Brown, Miles Davis, and Tom Harrell.

Swana has performed in the Philadelphia and New York areas with well known jazz names such as Don Patterson, Shirley Scott, Mickey Roker, Cecil Payne, Johnny Coles, Ralph Peterson, Charles Fambrough, Bobby Watson, Trudy Pitts, Bootsie Barns, Craig Handy, Chris Potter, Stephen Scott,Tim Warfield, Eric Alexander, Sam Newsome,Vincent Herring, Uri Caine, Peter Leitch Ralph Bowen,and Robin Eubanks. He has also been heard with Freddie Hubbard, Phil Woods, Ronnie Cuber, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Clark Terry, Frank Foster, John Faddis, Slide Hampton, J.J. Johnson, Bob Minzer,and Charlie Persip as a member of the Joe Sudler Swing Machine, a 16-piece big band based in Philadelphia.

John Swana can be heard on recordings with: Benny Golson, Grover Washington Jr., Charles Fambrough, Craig Handy, Tito Puente, Bill O'Connell, Lenny White, Ricky Sabastian, Marlon Simon, Ed Simon, Dave Valentin, Cafe', Art Webb,Adam Holtzman, Ralph Bowen, Ron Blake, Peter Bernstein, Carl Allen, Mulgrew Miller, Benny Green, Kenny Barron,Tim Warfield, Lewis Nash, Clarence Penn, Kevin Hays, Chris McBride, Uri Caine, Peter Leitch, Marvin "Smitty" Smith, Ralph Peterson, Bobby Zankel, and Tom Harrell.

Javon Jackson & Billy Pierce Quintet - Burnin'(1991)

1.So The Story Goes (Javon Jackson)

2.Mr. Glenn-Roy (Billy Pierce)

3.Dolo (Dexter Gordon)

4.Cocktails For Two (A. Johnston)

5.Homestretch (Joe Henderson)

6.Ugly Beauty (Thelonious Monk)

7.Not Yet (Javon Jackson).

Javon Jackson (Ts)

Billy Pierce (Ts)

Kirk Lightsey (P)

Christian McBride (B)

Louis Hayes (D).

Recorded December 20, 1991 in New York City, NY, USA.

Gato Barbieri - El Gato (1975)

01.El Gato 12:45
02.El Parana 8:57
03.Merceditas 9:04
04.Vidala Triste 5:30
05.Ninos 7:14.

Gato Barbieri - tenor sax

Oliver Nelson - alto sax Phil Bodner - alto flute, flute

Romeo Penque - flute

Danny Bank - bass clarinet

John Abercrombie - electric guitar

David Spinozza, Hank Jones, Lonnie Liston Smith - piano

Ron Carter, Stanley Clarke - bass

Roy Haynes, Bernard "Pretty" Purdie - drums

Moulay Ali Hafid - dumbek

Airto Moreira - percussion

Mtume - conga.

Don Burrows - The Tasman Connection (1976)

01.The Tasman Connection (4:52) - Don Burrows

02.Blues Crossover (5:06) - George Golla

03.Don't Contact Us (5:41) - Don Burrows

04.Remember When (4:50) - George Golla

05.Judo (5:36) - Julian Lee

06.Get Into It (2:30) - Julian Lee

07.Long White Cloud (6:11) - Julian Lee

08.In A Mellow Tone (8:34) - Duke Ellington

09.I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free (2:58) - Billy Taylor

10.Twilight Zone (5:58) - Frank Gibson Jr.

Don Burrows - clarinet, electric clarinet, flute, alto flute, B-flat school flute, percussion

George Golla - seven string electric guitar

Julian Lee - electric piano, electric organ, flugel horn, trumpet

Andy Brown - bass, electric bass

Frank Gibson Jr. - drums, percussion.

Gato Barbieri - The Legend Of Gato Barbieri (1973)

1.Antonios Das Mortes 9:25

2.Brasil 9:36

3.El Pampero 13:44

4.Tupac Amaru 4:13.

Gato Barbieri - tenor sax

Roswell Rudd - trombone

Lonnie Liston Smith - piano

Joe Beck - electric guitar

Charlie Haden, Chuck Rainey, Ron Carter - bass, electric bass

Beaver Harris, Bernard "Pretty" Purdie - drums

Richard Landrum - percussion

Gene Golden, Sonny Morgan - conga.

A collection of cuts from The Third World, Fenix and El Pampero.

Joey Calderazzo - Joey Calderazzo (2000)

The Oracle 8:51

Toonay 7:39

Haiku 5:55

Detonation 6:23

Time Remembered 6:38

Catania 8:15

Slings and Arrows 5:13

The Charmer 6:57

Joey Calderazzo - Piano

John Patitucci - Bass

Jeff "Tain" Watts - Drums.

A powerful trio outing, Joey Calderazzo's self-titled Columbia debut is comprised almost entirely of fine original compositions, in addition to Bill Evans' haunting "Time Remembered" and Michael Brecker's hard-swinging "Slings and Arrows." Bassist John Patitucci and drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts provide an unwavering and hip rhythmic foundation for the blazing pianist. Calderazzo's tunes range from the richly contrasting waltz feels of "The Oracle," "Haiku," and "Catania" to the all-out uptempo fury of "Detonation." Combining melodic ingenuity, harmonic adventurism, and sheer aggressiveness of attack, Calderazzo's playing on this record stands as a yardstick against which all other post-bop pianists can be measured.by David R. Adler.