What jazz music are you listening to?

[ehoove]

Heartfelt
Fourplay
Great offering!
Bluebird 09026-63916-2
Regards,
Jim

[bart]

Freddy Cole with the Bill Charlap Trio - Music Maestro Please
via Qobuz




Another lesser known album.
Freddy's voice was not the freshest anymore at 76, but his intonation and timing were still very agreeable, as is this entire disc.

Jazz singer Freddy Cole has accompanied himself on piano for decades, but here he turns that task over to the quite able Bill Charlap on a program of well-worn standards and a handful of lesser-known tunes. Cole's sweet, soulful, robust voice has held him in good stead over the years, and continues to retain that refined, aged yet timeless texture. Charlap plays pretty piano in primarily balladic mode, while the famed Washington rhythm team (bassist Peter and drummer Kenny) is as reliable as any. Quite a few of the compositions are plucked from the '30s, like "If I Love Again," "Once in a While," and "You Leave Me Breathless." There are two midtempo numbers, including a scatted intro on "There Are Such Things," and two voice/piano duets, the downhearted blues "Why Did I Choose You?," and the equally blues-trodden medley "Don't Take Your Love from Me/I Never Had a Chance." Another obscure song, "You Could Hear a Pin Drop," evokes a mood apropos of its title, written by Bobby Cole (no relation). The finale -- the old Johnny Mercer novelty "How Do You Say auf Wiedersehn?" -- could be Heidi Klum's Project Runway closing theme song. There are no real sparks flying here, just palpable empathy among the supportive backup participants, evidence of a low, slow, steady blue flame that burns forever in everybody's heart, kept quite alive and well by troubadour Cole.This CD was nominated for a Grammy award in 2007 for Best Jazz Vocal Album.

© Michael G. Nastos /TiVo

[ehoove]

Energy
Fourplay
Another Great offering!
Heads Up HUSA 9146
Regards,
Jim

[bart]

Originally Posted by bart

Jarrett, Garbarek, Danielsson, Christensen - Sleeper



This 2-CD set has some smooth pieces, but also some edgy stuff!

Listening on the tube system.

[bart]

Originally Posted by bart

Listening to:

Jay Jay Johnson - The Eminent, Volume One



With the best jazzmen: Clifford Brown (tp), Jimmy Heath (ts, bs), John Lewis (p), Percy Heath (b), Kenny Clarke (d).
Excellent album.
Recorded in '53 and decent sound.

This is a very enjoyable album.

[bart]

Originally Posted by bart

Jay Jay Johnson - The Eminent - Volume Two



Fantastic album from this great trombone player.
Recorded in '55, with the very best musicians of that time.

Number 2!

[bart]

Originally Posted by bart

Dave Brubeck Quartet - Park Avenue South



A live album from 2002, with very good sound.
Very accessible versions of some classics.
DSD recording, but I don't think there has been an SACD release.

Revisiting this album.
Brubeck was still in great shape!

Some quotes from reviews:

Ken Dryden reviewed the album for Allmusic and wrote that "The musicians seem very stimulated by the odd surroundings, producing an enticing mix of standards, new Brubeck compositions, and the inevitable "Take Five"...Brubeck wrote the mournful "Elegy" for Norwegian journalist Randi Hultin, who died of cancer before she was able to hear it. The combination of Militello's haunting flute, Michael Moore's matchless arco bass, Randy Jones' soft use of mallets, and the leader's understated piano is powerful enough to hush any audience".

Reviewing the album for the Jazz Times, Doug Ramsey wrote that "We don't know whether Brubeck used his frequent tactic of stimulating his colleagues by launching into standards they don't expect, but freshness and spontaneity of surprise nonetheless saturate...Freshness is Brubeck's stock in trade as he progresses through his ninth decade".

[bart]

Originally Posted by AudioNut

Listening to. . . Ray Brown, Monty Alexander, Russell Malone

A Telarc Hybrid SACD

This jazz recording, featuring jazz bassist-great Ray Brown was recorded on March 5-7. 2002. Ray Brown died on July 2nd of the same year, making this, if not his last, certainly one of his last recordings.

And a really good one it is. Very highly reviewed, becoming very rare. On SA_CD Net, it shows that this recording is still avaliable at Amazon/Canada for a reasonable price. SA-CD.net - Ray Brown, Monty Alexander, Russell Malone



CLICK ME ⬆

Good sound (surround) for this relaxing jazz album.

[ehoove]

X
Fourplay
Another good one!
Bluebird Records 82876 86399-2
Regards,
Jim

[ehoove]

Angel Eyes
Ballads and Slow Jams
Jimmy Smith
Excellent on all counts!
Verve Records 314 527 632-2
Regards,
Jim