Although centered around songs from the 1940s, Al Jarreau's Accentuate
the Positive is another stellar modern jazz album that continues the
winning streak he began with his 2000 comeback, Tomorrow Today. Similar
to his previous effort, the R&B-infused All I Got, the album
features classy production from Tommy LiPuma and a natty cast of backing
musicians, including bassist Christian McBride and guitarist Anthony
Wilson, among others. Centered around Jarreau's still limber and
evocative vocals, Accentuate moves from uptempo bluesy numbers like
Eddie Henderson's "Cold Duck" to lush ballads, including "My Foolish
Heart" and reworked standards, most notably "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the
Positive," turned here into a funky and expansive toe-tapper. This is a
solid, poignant, and straight-ahead album that showcases Jarreau's
unique gift in the best light possible and should appeal to longtime
fans and contemporary jazz listeners alike. Matt Collar
Tracklist :
1. Cold Duck 3:46
Bass – Christian McBride
Drums – Mark Simmons
Guitar – Anthony Wilson
Percussion – Luis Conte
Tenor Saxophone – Keith Anderson
Vocals – Al Jarreau
Written-By – Al Jarreau, Eddie Harris
2. The Nearness Of You 3:43
Bass – Christian McBride
Drums – Peter Erskine
Guitar – Anthony Williams
Keyboards, Arranged By – Larry Williams
Vocals – Al Jarreau
Written-By – Hoagy Carmichael, Ned Washington
3. I'm Beginning To See The Light 4:04
Drums – Peter Erskine
Guitar – Anthony Wilson
Organ [Hammond B-3] – Larry Goldings
Vocals – Al Jarreau
Written-By – Don George, Duke Ellington, Harry James, Johnny Hodges
4. My Foolish Heart 5:32
Bass – David Carpenter
Drums – Peter Erskine
Guitar – Anthony Wilson
Keyboards, Arranged By – Larry Williams
Percussion – Luis Conte
Vocals – Al Jarreau
Written-By – Ned Washington, Victor Young
5. Midnight Sun 6:01
Bass – Christian McBride
Drums – Mark Simmons
Guitar – Anthony Williams
Harmonica – Tollak Ollestad
Keyboards, Arranged By – Larry Williams
Vocals – Al Jarreau
Written-By – Johnny Mercer, Lionel Hampton, Sonny Burke
6. Ac-cent-tchu-ate The Positive 4:03
Bass – Christian McBride
Drums – Mark Simmons
Guitar – Anthony Wilson
Keyboards, Arranged By – Larry Williams
Percussion – Luis Conte
Tenor Saxophone – Keith Anderson
Vocals – Al Jarreau
Written-By – Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer
7. Betty Beop's Song 4:16
Bass – David Carpenter
Drums – Peter Erskine
Guitar – Anthony Wilson
Keyboards, Arranged By – Larry Williams
Vocals – Al Jarreau
Written-By – Al Jarreau, Freddie Ravel
8. Waltz For Debby 4:44
Bass – Christian McBride
Drums – Peter Erskine
Guitar – Anthony Wilson
Keyboards, Arranged By – Larry Williams
Vocals – Al Jarreau
Written-By – Bill Evans, Gene Lees
9. Groovin' High 4:11
Bass – Christian McBride
Drums – Peter Erskine
Guitar – Anthony Wilson
Keyboards, Arranged By – Larry Williams
Vocals – Al Jarreau
Written-By – Al Jarreau, Dizzy Gillespie
10. Lotus 5:11
Bass – Christian McBride
Drums – Peter Erskine
Guitar – Anthony Wilson
Keyboards, Arranged By – Larry Williams
Percussion – Luis Conte
Vocals – Al Jarreau
Written-By – Al Jarreau, Don Grolnick
11. Scootcha-Booty 4:26
Bass – David Carpenter
Drums – Peter Erskine
Guitar – Anthony Wilson
Piano – Russell Ferrante
Vocals – Al Jarreau
Written-By – Al Jarreau, Russell Ferrante
13.7.25
AL JARREAU — Accentuate The Positive (2004) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
19.5.25
DIANA KRALL — Turn Up the Quiet (2017) Two Version | SHM-CD | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless
Diana Krall spent the better part of the 2010s exploring byways of American song -- her 2012 set Glad Rag Doll drew heavily on obscure jazz from the 1920s and '30s, its 2015 sequel Wallflower concentrated on pop and rock tunes -- but 2017's Turn Up the Quiet finds the pianist/singer returning to well-known standards from the Great American Songbook. Reuniting with producer Tommy LiPuma for the first time since 2009's bossa nova-inspired Quiet Nights, Krall works with a trio of lineups on Turn Up the Quiet, alternating between a trio, quartet, and quintet. The album isn't divided into triads but rather gently shifts between these bands, a move that's sometimes imperceptible because the focus is firmly on Krall, the pianist. Her voice often operates at a hushed whisper -- a decision that suits this collection of romantic, dreamy material; it also underscores the importance of the record's title -- and that emphasizes her lithe piano along with the solo spotlights from her featured musicians. Krall gives her three bands plenty of space to shine -- fiddler Stuart Duncan, in particular, stuns with his solo on "I'll See You in My Dreams," but there are nice turns from guitarists Russell Malone, Anthony Wilson, and Marc Ribot, along with supple playing by bassists Christian McBride, Tony Garnier, and Anthony Wilson -- but what impresses is how these ensembles are all united in spirit and attitude, all thanks to their leader. Krall has a definite vision for Turn Up the Quiet -- she wants to keep things smoky and subdued, a record for the wee hours -- and the end result is so elegant, it seems effortless. Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Tracklist :
1. Like Someone In Love 3:16
Acoustic Bass – Christian McBride
Composed By – Jimmy Van Heusen And Johnny Burke
Contractor – Shari Sutcliffe
Electric Guitar – Russell Malone
Solo Vocal, Piano – Diana Krall
2. Isn't It Romantic 4:29
Acoustic Bass – John Clayton
Composed By – Rodgers & Hart
Concertmaster – Joel Derouin
Contractor – Shari Sutcliffe
Drums – Jeff Hamilton
Electric Guitar – Anthony Wilson
Solo Vocal, Piano – Diana Krall
Vibraphone – Stefan Harris
3. L-O-V-E 4:21
Acoustic Bass – John Clayton
Composed By – Bert Kaempfert, Milt Gabler
Contractor – Shari Sutcliffe
Drums – Jeff Hamilton
Electric Guitar – Anthony Wilson
Solo Vocal, Piano – Diana Krall
4. Night and Day 4:39
Acoustic Bass – John Clayton
Acoustic Guitar – Anthony Wilson
Composed By – Cole Porter
Concertmaster – Joel Derouin
Contractor – Shari Sutcliffe
Drums – Jeff Hamilton
Solo Vocal, Piano – Diana Krall
5. I'm Confessin' (That I Love You) 3:24
Acoustic Bass – Tony Garnier
Composed By – Al Neiburg, Doc Daugherty, Ellis Reynolds
Contractor – Shari Sutcliffe
Drums – Karriem Riggins
Electric Guitar – Marc Ribot
Fiddle – Stuart Duncan
Solo Vocal, Piano – Diana Krall
6. Moonglow 5:15
Acoustic Bass – Tony Garnier
Composed By – Eddie Delange, Irving Mills, Will Hudson
Contractor – Shari Sutcliffe
Drums – Karriem Riggins
Electric Guitar – Marc Ribot
Fiddle – Stuart Duncan
Solo Vocal, Piano – Diana Krall
7. Blue Skies 4:39
Acoustic Bass – Christian McBride
Composed By – Irving Berlin
Contractor – Shari Sutcliffe
Electric Guitar – Russell Malone
Solo Vocal, Piano – Diana Krall
8. Sway 6:13
Acoustic Bass – John Clayton
Acoustic Guitar – Anthony Wilson
Composed By – Luis Demetrio, Norman Gimbel, Pablo Rosas Rodriguez
Concertmaster – Joel Derouin
Contractor – Shari Sutcliffe
Drums – Jeff Hamilton
Solo Vocal, Piano – Diana Krall
9. No Moon At All 4:06
Acoustic Bass – John Clayton
Composed By – David Mann, Redd Evans
Contractor – Shari Sutcliffe
Solo Vocal, Piano – Diana Krall
10. Dream 4:05
Acoustic Bass – Christian McBride
Composed By – John H. Mercer
Concertmaster – Joel Derouin
Contractor – Shari Sutcliffe
Electric Guitar – Russell Malone
Solo Vocal, Piano – Diana Krall
11. I'll See You In My Dreams 3:51
Acoustic Bass – Tony Garnier
Acoustic Guitar – Marc Ribot
Composed By – Gus Kahn, Isham Jones
Contractor – Shari Sutcliffe
Drums – Karriem Riggins
Fiddle – Stuart Duncan
Solo Vocal, Piano – Diana Krall
20.1.24
RANDY CRAWFORD & JOE SAMPLE — Feeling Good (2006) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless
After a quarter of a century in the Warner Bros. camp and five years on the recording sidelines, Randy Crawford drew a circle back to the beginning, reuniting with keyboardist Joe Sample. In turn, the old Crusader put together a genuinely distinguished rhythm section, bassist Christian McBride and drummer Steve Gadd, and called upon Tommy LiPuma to produce the disc. That combination ought to guarantee a certain floor of competence from the get-go -- and it's great to report that this disc always rises above it, sometimes considerably above it. By this time, both Crawford and Sample were established veterans -- and the music they make here seems to come so easily from within, with only minimal backing and nothing getting in their way. Gadd puts out a propulsive beat on brushes that pushes the title track along just fine -- and his work on "See Line Woman" and "Last Night at Danceland" generates something resembling the irresistible Crusaders groove, giving Sample something to trip lightly and soulfully through. Every track seems to change style with a smooth movement of the clutch -- the slinky R&B funk of "Lovetown," the gentle Latin beat of "Rio de Janeiro Blue," the pure mainstream piano trio jazz of "But Beautiful," the heavy blues atmosphere of "Tell Me More and More and Then Some," a trip back to the 1960s' Top 40 with "Everybody's Talking" (dig Randy's fervent high note that Harry Nilsson once hit in falsetto). A very gratifying release -- considering how tempting it would have been to crank this out on autopilot. Richard S. Ginell
Tracklist & Credits :
26.10.22
CHARLES LLOYD - Trios : Ocean (2020) FLAC (tracks), lossless
Ocean is the second volume in saxophonist Charles Lloyd's 2022 Trios series, all recorded with different personnel. This one finds Anthony Wilson on guitar and Gerald Clayton on piano. Both men are members of his Kindred Spirits ensemble. The set was livestreamed during the pandemic on September 9, 2020 from the stage of the Lobero Theatre in Santa Barbara, California sans audience. Lloyd has spent his career integrating jazz, blues, and American styles with the music of other global traditions. One of his qualities is that no matter how far afield he travels, his clear, emotive tone keeps the music, no matter how exotic, readily and honestly accessible.
There are four long tunes here, all originals by Lloyd. Opener "The Lonely One" commences with spectral resonance as the tenor emits long breathy notes, Clayton builds sparse minor shapes as Wilson delivers soft, flamenco-esque arpeggios. After two minutes, Lloyd's horn introduces another theme that winds around the guitar as Clayton flows purposefully and distinctly around them with a deeply inquisitive solo. Moods and dynamics shift, shorter accents and solos emerge and retreat, and the band gels around Lloyd's mysterious, Latin-tinged modal assertions. The saxophonist pulls out his mostly neglected alto in "Hagar of the Inuits." He improvises solo for a couple of minutes before a call-and-response exchange with Clayton -- whose knotty chords deliberately draw on Monk -- before Lloyd quotes briefly from John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme" and Wilson slips in spiky blues runs dictating the pianist's shift to a 21st century take on boogie woogie. "Jaramillo Blues (For Virginia Jaramillo and Danny Johnson)" was composed for two artists -- she's a painter,he's a sculptor. Lloyd leads this swinging 12-bar blues with the flute. Wilson's chordal vamps bridge Clayton's rhythmic keyboard. It's bright, with lots of subtle movement and tonal shading underneath. The sequential exchanges and turnarounds between pianist and guitarist are canny. Wilson's massive wall of shapes offers abundant textural support for Clayton's punchy, walking chordal solo. He seamlessly shifts to comping as the guitarist offers an elegantly articulated solo that touches on the jazz guitar's history from Charlie Christian to T-Bone Walker to Jim Hall. Lloyd rejoins for the last few minutes as the conversation becomes sprightly and jovial. Closer "Kuan Yin" is titled for the Chinese goddess of mercy and compassion -- she is known as Tara in Tibetan Buddhism. Clayton introduces it by playing percussively, dampening the lower strings from inside the piano. He follows by establishing a minor-key rhumba rhythm with Wilson before Lloyd tentatively introduces the melody. Before long, he ratchets its intensity as the pianist cascades single-note runs and illustrative chords with colorful, gorgeously toned rhythmic articulation from the guitarist. Behind Lloyd they build to a dynamic group crescendo before whispering to a fade. Ocean offers a document of spontaneously created music-making of a very high order. A snapshot of a moment in time, the energy, creativity, and surprise offered here are a delight.
|> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <|
Tracklist :
1 The Lonely One 12:18
2 Hagar Of The Inuits 8:53
3 Jaramillo Blues (For Virginia Jaramillo And Danny Johnson) 10:03
4 Kuan Yin 10:07
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Alto Flute – Charles Lloyd
Artwork [Cover], Photography By, Design – Dorothy Darr
Guitar – Anthony Wilson
Piano – Gerald Clayton
Written-By [All Songs Written By] – Charles Lloyd
10.7.21
JACINTHA - Autumn Leaves : The Songs of Johnny Mercer (2000) APE (image+.cue), lossless
Nine of the 11 tracks here are ballads. Their uncluttered arrangements spotlight Jacintha's smooth and sensuous voice, while her expressive phrasing draws the most from the classic Johnny Mercer lyrics. Jacintha includes the original lyrics to "Autumn Leaves," done in soft and flawless French; otherwise, her primary innovation is to deliver the tunes straight and sincerely, with minimal improvisation and maximum tenderness. There's no trace of the customary bitterness in "One More for the Road," and her unaccompanied reading of "Moon River" liberates that song from any prior goopy associations. In fact, her version brings out the poignancy of the lyrics so purely that her additional chorus, coming after a rather wandering piano interlude, seems redundant. The band is good but pretty restrained throughout, supplying subtle commentary and close support, then breaks out nicely on the two up-tempo tracks: "And the Angels Sing" and "Something's Got to Give." Jacintha's measured, legato approach isn't very conducive to swinging, but listening to "Skylark"and "Midnight Sun," in particular, is like sipping cool champagne in a fragrant hot tub. Another highlight is the bonus track, "Here's to Life," a signature tune for Shirley Horn, which Jacintha takes at a slightly faster tempo. While it's not a Mercer lyric, its beautiful sentiments and melody fit nicely into this relaxed and intimate set. Whatever this CD may lack in fire, it makes up for in warmth. by Judith Schlesinger
Tracklist :
1 And the Angels Sing 3:30
Ziggy Elman / Johnny Mercer
Drums – Joe LaBarbera
2 Skylark 5:17
Hoagy Carmichael / Johnny Mercer
Drums – Larance Marable
Guitar – Anthony Wilson
3 One for My Baby (And One More for the Road) 5:19
Harold Arlen / Johnny Mercer
Drums – Larance Marable
Guitar – Anthony Wilson
4 Midnight Sun 3:55
Sonny Burke / Lionel Hampton / Johnny Mercer
Drums – Joe LaBarbera
5 Autumn Leaves 7:45
Joseph Kosma / Johnny Mercer / Jacques Prévert
Drums – Larance Marable
Trumpet – Will Miller
6 Days of Wine and Roses 5:26
Henry Mancini / Johnny Mercer
Drums – Larance Marable
Guitar – Anthony Wilson
7 I Remember You 5:33
Johnny Mercer / Victor Schertzinger
8 Trav'lin' Light 6:30
Johnny Mercer / Jimmy Mundy / Trummy Young
Drums – Larance Marable
Trumpet – Will Miller
9 Something's Gotta Give 4:04
Johnny Mercer
Drums – Larance Marable
Trumpet – Will Miller
10 Moon River 8:29
Henry Mancini / Johnny Mercer
Drums – Joe LaBarbera
- Bonus Track -
11 Here's to Life 4:48
Artie Butler / Phyllis Molinary
Drums – Larance Marable
Organ [Hammond B-3] – Artie Butler
Credits :
Bass – Darek Oles
Piano – Kei Akagi
Tenor Saxophone – Teddy Edwards
Vocals – Jacintha
JACINTHA - Lush Life (2001) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless
This is Jacintha's third album for Groove Note, and her first with
strings. Very popular in her native Singapore, she's beginning to get a
worldwide reputation, and this release demonstrates why: Her voice is
lovely, with clear diction and expressive, naturalistic phrasing. She
draws the listener into a warm intimacy from the first track, "The
Boulevard of Broken Dreams," a rarely covered and beautiful song with
the perfect "rainy night in Paris" ambience supplied by Frank Marocco on
accordion. Other highlights include a bluesy but refreshingly
non-wailing "Black Coffee," with a fine, understated solo by Bill
Cunliffe on piano; he's also good on the silky bossa "Manha de
Carneval," where Anthony Wilson's melodic plucking contrasts nicely with
the smoothness of the strings. Another unusual but happy choice, "When
We Were Young," showcases the superb flügelhorn of Dmitri Matheny, which
enhances four other tracks as well. Eight of the ten selections are
ballads and, since Jacintha delivers her message straight and serene,
the overall feel is quiet, sultry, and relaxing. After slooow readings
of "The Shadow of Your Smile," "Lush Life," and "September Song," Joe
LaBarbera's brushes and drum accents on "Harlem Nocturne" provide a
welcome texture and pulse. The surprise of the CD is the startlingly
original, soaring introduction to the vastly overplayed "Summertime,"
where Cunliffe's string arrangement evokes both Gershwin and modern
French composers. This is excellent late-night listening; the local male
vote was "mesmerizing." by Judith Schlesinger
Tracklist :
1 The Boulevard of Broken Dreams 4:55
Al Dubin / Harry Warren
2 Black Coffee 6:39
Sonny Burke / Paul Francis Webster
3 Summertime 6:13
George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin / DuBose Heyward
4 Lush Life 6:19
Billy Strayhorn
5 Manha de Carnaval 6:10
Luiz Bonfá / Antônio Maria
6 The Shadow of Your Smile 5:12
Johnny Mandel / Paul Francis Webster
7 When the World Was Young 8:23
Johnny Mercer / Michel Philippe-Gérard / Angele Vannier
8 September Song 5:09
Maxwell Anderson / Kurt Weill
9 Harlem Nocturne 6:20
Earle H. Hagen
10 Smile 2:18
Charlie Chaplin / Geoffrey Parsons / John Turner
Credits :
Bass – Darek Oles
Drums – Joe Labarbera
Accordion – Frankie Marocco (tracks: 1)
Cello [Celli] – Peggy Baldwin, Rudi Stein
Flugelhorn – Dmitri Matheny (tracks: 1, 7, 8)
Guitar – Anthony Wilson (tracks: 1, 6, 7, 9)
Harp – Amy Shulman
Piano, Arranged By [String Arrangements] – Bill Cunliffe
Viola – Marium Mayer, Reneta Koven, Virginia Frazier
Violin – Eddie Stein, Gina Kronstadt, John Wittenberg, Norm Hughes, Susan Chatman
Violin, Concertmaster – Peter Kent
Vocals – Jacintha
JACINTHA - Jacintha Goes to Hollywood (2007) SACD / APE (image+.cue), lossless
Let's face it: most people who are not seasoned jazz listeners aren't
going to comprehend someone as challenging as the late Betty Carter. The
best way to get people who are "jazzophobic" to start listening to
vocal jazz is to expose them to artists who are quite accessible but
still have taste and integrity -- people like Jacintha, whose Jacintha
Goes to Hollywood is a perfect example of a jazz vocal disc that is very
easy to absorb even if one isn't a seasoned jazz listener. This 2007
recording finds the Singapore native turning her attention to songs that
were heard in well-known films, and her torchy, understated approach
serves her well on material ranging from the Mamas & the Papas'
"California Dreaming" (a '60s smash that was heard in the 1995 film
Chung King Express) to the Doris Day-associated "Que Será Será" (which
was used in Alfred Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much in 1956) to
Michel Legrand's "The Summer Knows" (from the 1971 film The Summer of
'42). Technically, the title Jacintha Goes to Hollywood is inaccurate,
because not all of these songs are identified with Hollywood films;
Chung King Express, for example, is a Chinese film, and one of the best
things on this album is an English-language performance of the gorgeous
theme from the 1966 French film A Man and a Woman (or, as it is known in
France, Un Homme et une Femme). Perhaps a better title for this
47-minute CD would have been Jacintha Goes to the Movies. But in the
grand scheme of things, that is only a minor point. What matters the
most is that Jacintha has delivered a musical tribute to movies that is
as memorable as it is rewarding. by Alex Henderson
Tracklist :
1 On Days Like These 5:31
2 Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head 4:58
3 Alfie 4:43
4 Windmills Of Your Mind 6:13
5 California Dreaming 5:40
6 A Man And A Woman 5:18
7 Easy Living 4:17
8 Que Será Será 5:09
9 The Summer Knows 5:23
Credits :
Bass – Darek Oles
Drums – Joe LaBarbera
Guitar – Anthony Wilson
Keyboards [Hammond B-3] – Larry Goldings
Percussion – Aaron Serfaty
Piano – Iskandar Ismail
Saxophone – Ricky Woodard
Trumpet – Ron Stout
Vibraphone – John Campbell
Vocals – Jacintha
Whistling – Howlett Smith
21.3.20
31.5.19
EDEN ATWOOD - Waves : The Bossa Nova Sessions (2002) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless
Tracklist
1 He's a Carioca 6:59
Antônio Carlos Jobim
2 O Pato 5:04
Jon Hendricks / Jayme Silva / Neuza Teixeira
3 Meditation 5:42
Norman Gimbel / Antônio Carlos Jobim / Newton Mendonça
4 The Girl from Ipanema 6:40
Norman Gimbel / Antônio Carlos Jobim / Vinícius de Moraes
5 Once Upon a Summertime 6:06
Eddie Barclay / Michel Legrand / Eddy Marnay / Johnny Mercer
6 Don't You Know I Care (Or Don't You Care to Know) 3:50
Mack David / Duke Ellington
7 Waves (Caminos Cruzados) 6:19
Eden Atwood / Antônio Carlos Jobim
8 The Fool on the Hill 4:10
John Lennon / Paul McCartney
9 How Deep Is the Ocean? 5:29
Irving Berlin
10 Brazil 6:08
Ary Barroso / Bob Russell
11 It's a Quiet Thing 4:31
Fred Ebb / John Kander
Credits
Bass – Darek Oles
Drums – Joe LaBarbera
Guitar – Anthony Wilson
Percussion – Scott Breadman
Piano, Arranged By – Bill Cunliffe
Tenor Saxophone, Flute – Pete Christlieb
Vocals – Eden Atwood

29.11.17
DIANA KRALL - Live In Paris [2002]
+ last month
ELISABETH KONTOMANOU — Siren Song -Live at Arsenal (2009) Two Version | FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless
In a project that is much more than merely subtle or understated, the talented vocalist Elisabeth Kontomanou teams with the Orchestre Nation...
