WALLACE RONEY — Crunchin' (1993) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Trumpeter Wallace Roney sounds poignant and fabulous throughout the eight tracks on his latest release. His lines on "What's New" and "You Stepped Out Of A Dream" are full and gorgeous, while his soloing on "Woody'n You" and "Time After Time" has warmth, intensity and edge. Alto saxophonist Antonio Hart chimes in with equal facility and spark, while Geri Allen shows that she is just as outstanding as an accompanist on standards and hard bop as in trios or as a leader. Ron Wynn
Tracklist :
1    Woody'n You    4:47
 Dizzy Gillespie
2    What's New    7:49
 Johnny Burke / Bob Haggart
3    Angel Eyes    6:19
 Earl Brent / Matt Dennis
4    Swing Spring    5:37
 Miles Davis
5    Time After Time    5:52
 Sammy Cahn / Jule Styne
6    We See    6:49
 Thelonious Monk
7    You Stepped Out Of A Dream    4:16
 Nacio Herb Brown / Gus Kahn
8    Misterioso    12:47
 Nacio Herb Brown / Gus Kahn
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Antonio Hart (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 6 to 8)
Bass – Ron Carter
Drums – Kenny Washington
Engineer – Rudy Van Gelder
Piano – Geri Allen
Trumpet – Wallace Roney

RAY BROWN TRIO — Some of My Best Friends Are ... Singers (1998) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

What does a bass player do when he's recording an album as a leader? Surely not an hour's worth of bass solos! Ray Brown solved the bass player's dilemma with a series of recordings under the Some of My Best Friends Are... heading. This 1998 release is the third in the series, following the earlier Some of My Best Friends Are...Piano Players and Some of My Best Friends Are...Sax Players, and it's a gem. Featuring a sextet of fine vocalists, ranging from the well-established to the unknown, this CD is a class act from beginning to end. The rising jazz vocal superstar of the late '90s, Diana Krall, is showcased to great effect on "I Thought About You" and "Little Boy." Well-established female vocal veterans Etta Jones, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Marlena Shaw deliver superb performances, soulfully giving master lessons in the art of singing. The lone male singer spotlighted here, Kevin Mahogany, wraps his smooth baritone around the ballad "Skylark," and swings gently on "The Party's Over."

The one unknown in this collection is Oregonian Nancy King. This veteran of the San Francisco and Pacific Northwest scenes shows she has a fine way with a ballad on "But Beautiful," and scats her way across the upbeat Brown original "The Perfect Blues," that closes this set. Both of these songs also feature Antonio Hart's alto saxophone. In addition to Brown's trio mates Geoff Keezer and Gregory Hutchinson, musical support includes guitarist Russell Malone on two tracks and tenor saxman Ralph Moore cooking alongside Bridgewater on "Cherokee." Jim Newsom   Tracklist & Credits :

RABIH ABOU-KHALIL - The Cactus of Knowledge (2001) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Rabih Abou-Khalil's ninth Enja release features one of his most expansive lineups to date -- 12 pieces in all, including oud, brass, woodwinds, cello, and percussion. It's quite a departure from 1999's austere Yara. Here the tempos are bright, the unison lines darting and difficult, the improv heated, the tonal combinations ever-changing. Heavy-hitting jazzers dominate the band roster, including Dave Ballou and Eddie Allen on trumpets, Tom Varner on French horn, Dave Bargeron on euphonium, Antonio Hart on alto sax, and Ellery Eskelin on tenor sax. Gabriele Mirabassi's clarinet gives the music an almost klezmer-like sound at times (a tantalizing instance of Jewish-Arab reconciliation). The gorgeous booklet includes a prose poem by Gamal Ghitany (printed in English, French, and Arabic), as well as a series of campy band portraits and a full transcription of track number five, "Oum Saïd." Looking over the score, one gets some sense of the rhythmic complexity Abou-Khalil is dealing with (try counting in 6+5+5+3/16, for instance). by David R. Adler
Tracklist 1 :
1    The Lewinsky March    5:25
Rabih Abou-Khalil
2    Business As Usual    6:23
Rabih Abou-Khalil
3    Fraises Et Creme Fraiche    9:53
Rabih Abou-Khalil
4    Got To Go Home    8:51
Rabih Abou-Khalil
5    Oum Saïd    10:36
Rabih Abou-Khalil
6    Maltese Chicken Farm    9:36
Rabih Abou-Khalil
7    Ma Muse M'amuse    9:37
Rabih Abou-Khalil
8    Pont Neuf    5:41
 Rabih Abou-Khalil
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Antonio Hart
Calligraphy – Georges Ghantous
Cello – Vincent Courtois
Drums – Jarrod Cagwin
Euphonium – Dave Bargeron
Frame Drum – Nabil Khaiat
French Horn – Tom Varner
Oud, Producer, Arranged By – Rabih Abou-Khalil
Tenor Saxophone – Ellery Eskelin
Trumpet – Dave Ballou, Eddie Allen
Tuba – Michel Godard

DAVE HOLLAND BIG BAND - What Goes Around (2002) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

As he gained more and more respect and critical recognition in the early years of the 21st century, Dave Holland took a leap and expanded his music outward into a big band format. The word "expanded" is key here, for what Holland has mostly done on What Goes Around is send his quintet format through an expansion process, where there are more pieces in the puzzle, yet the same overall conception of sound remains. All but one of the pieces here are rewrites of earlier, previously recorded selections, dating from 1983 all the way to 2000. All of the charts are composed with a sureness and a grounding in tradition that belies the fact that this is Holland's first big band album. And all maintain the same intelligence in conception, spareness of texture, and crystalline detail, as Holland's small-group recordings for ECM, despite the obvious harmonic elaborations. For example, in "What Goes Around" -- which appeared on Holland's previous album, Not For Nothin' -- the ostinato-driven horizontal structure is basically the same, allowing for some fills by the ensemble, and despite the additional harmonic content, the vertical texture is similar, too. The main difference is that there is more urgency and more tension in the music now, which is most apparent in "The Razor's Edge," "Shadow Dance," and the only new composition, "Upswing." The Dave Holland Big Band includes tenor saxophonist Chris Potter, trombonist Robin Eubanks , vibraphonist Steve Nelson, and drummer Billy Kilson return to form the core of this big band -- as does flute/alto saxophonist Antonio Hart, who toured with Holland's group after these tracks were cut. These and several other players in the big band get plenty of room to solo -- and they do so with taste and occasional fire. This CD marks the addition of another fine big band to the ranks, though it does more for the evolution of Holland's music than for the big band idiom itself. by Richard S. Ginell
Tracklist :
1    Triple Dance 9:50
Soloist – Chris Potter, Gary Smulyan, Robin Eubanks
2    Blues For C.M. 9:01
Soloist – Antonio Hart, Dave Holland, Steve Nelson
3    The Razor's Edge 6:15
Soloist – Duane Eubanks, Josh Roseman, Steve Nelson
4    What Goes Around 17:18
Soloist – Billy Kilson, Chris Potter, Robin Eubanks
5    Upswing 6:51
Soloist – Alex Sipiagin, Gary Smulyan
6    First Snow 11:48
Soloist – Alex Sipiagin, Andre Hayward, Mark Gross
7    Shadow Dance 14:43
Soloist – Billy Kilson, Chris Potter, Dave Holland
Soloist, Flute, Alto Saxophone – Antonio Hart
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Mark Gross
Alto Saxophone, Flute – Antonio Hart
Baritone Saxophone – Gary Smulyan
Double Bass – Dave Holland
Drums – Billy Kilson
Tenor Saxophone – Chris Potter
Trombone – Andre Hayward, Josh Roseman, Robin Eubanks
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Alex Sipiagin, Duane Eubanks, Earl Gardner
Vibraphone – Steve Nelson

DAVE HOLLAND BIG BAND - Overtime (2005) APE (image+.cue), lossless

This exceptional date by Dave Holland Big Band was recorded in 2002 in New York, yet remained unreleased until 2005. As is to be expected, Holland assembled a fine cast of seasoned and young players, some of whom are veterans of Holland's quintets and quartets. These are four saxophones -- two alto, tenor and baritone -- three trumpets and trombones, and vibes as well as bass and drums. They include Chris Potter and Robin and Duane Eubanks, Antonio Hart, Steve Nelson, Josh Roseman, Billy Kilson, Taylor Haskins, Gary Smulyan, Jonathan Arons and Alex Sipiagin. The music centers around the opening four-part "Monterey Suite," a tour de force commissioned by the Monterey Jazz Festival and originally performed there in 2001. Holland's writing for the trombone section is dynamite. Roseman, Arons, and Robin Eubanks offer up solid bottom rung lines and tight timing as anchors for the rest of the brass though they often charge out front. Potter once more displays his talents as not only a fine soloist but as an excellent ensemble player, carrying the chair with authority and verve. The beautiful "Ario" hosts some really knotty and swelling harmonic interludes and the closer, "Last Minute Man," is electrifying, transcending the confines of the studio. This is an essential Holland date, it is exciting, colorful and wildly innovative. Let's hope he composes and records more in this idiom soon.
(This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa')
Tracklist :
1     Bring It On 11:58
Dave Holland
2     Free for All 17:37
Dave Holland
3     A Time Remembered 11:45
Dave Holland
4     Happy Jammy 9:36
Dave Holland
5     Ario 11:08
Dave Holland
6     Mental Images 9:22
Robin Eubanks
7     Last Minute Man 7:13
Dave Holland
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Mark Gross
Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Flute – Antonio Hart
Arranged By, Double Bass – Dave Holland
Artwork [Cover Art] – Niklaus Troxler
Baritone Saxophone – Gary Smulyan
Double Bass, Producer – Dave Holland
Drums – Billy Kilson
Tenor Saxophone – Chris Potter
Trombone – Jonathan Arons, Josh Roseman, Robin Eubanks
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Alex "Sasha" Sipiagin, Duane Eubanks, Taylor Haskins
Vibraphone, Marimba – Steve Nelson 

DAVE HOLLAND SEXTET - Pass It On (2008) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Dave Holland's quintets and big bands have set a new high standard for modern mainstream and progressive jazz since the late '90s. While not a new assertion, and considering his entire body of work, Holland has time and time again proven his compositional theorems as valid, accessible, ever interesting, and especially memorable. Using a sextet, upright bassist Holland sets the bar even higher, adding the always tasteful pianist Mulgrew Miller and a four-horn front line that is relentless. This group continues to define jazz perfectly in the 21st century. Evidence is offered in the jaunty opening "The Sum of All Parts," a 5/4 African percussion-based piece led out by the always interesting Robin Eubanks, with folded-in alto and trumpet, witty counterpoint, and the always engaging, joyous sound that Holland has perfected in the past decade. Adding a light samba feel during the upbeat "Fast Track" with the horns in perfect unison, the ensemble shifts up to hard bop, the hip piano of Miller adding to the enjoyability quotient. A 10/8 choppy and bouncy "Modern Times" also uses Brazilian inferences and a clarion call, and has Antonio Hart switching to soprano. On the soulful side, the title track recalls visions of Horace Silver courtesy of Miller -- a groovy, fun boogaloo that has "radio hit" written all over it, while "Lazy Snake" takes the soul element deep underground -- there's one on every Holland CD -- and contrasts it with a suggestion of stark surrealism. Then there's the near 14-minute, free-based, diffuse "Rivers Run" (dedicated to Sam Rivers) accented by the bowed bass of Holland, building in intensity as the horns step up the sonic density in darker hues. Of course, this band can easily drive music hard, as on the post-bopper "Equality," which turns sullen and funky, then swings angularly. "Double Vision" sports a Native American spirit feel in a feature for Hart's stylistic alto, and the serene, lucid ballad "Processional" in 5/4 time is further support to the notion that intellectual music need not be devoid of warm blue notes infused into its fabric. The addition of the wonderful trumpeter Alex Sipiagin, the ever-maturing trombone playing of Eubanks (who wrote "The Sum of All Parts" and "Rivers Run"), and the nearly perfect percussive propulsion of the extraordinary drummer Eric Harland make this band practically unstoppable, and unprecedented in seizing mantles for its sheer talent level. Another triumph among many solid efforts the clearly brilliant and effusive Holland has strung together, this should certainly be a popular item among listeners and critics, and is a strong contender for best jazz CD of 2008. by Michael G. Nastos  
Tracklist :
1     The Sum of All Parts 8:11
Robin Eubanks
2     Fast Track 6:30
Dave Holland
3     Lazy Snake 10:07
Dave Holland
4     Double Vision 8:07
Dave Holland
5     Equality 9:09
Dave Holland
6     Modern Times 5:58
Dave Holland
7     Rivers Run 13:45
Dave Holland
8     Processional 4:33
Dave Holland
9     Pass It On 7:56
Dave Holland
Credits :
Drums – Eric Harland
Piano – Mulgrew Miller
Double Bass – Dave Holland
Saxophone [Alto] – Antonio Hart
Trombone – Robin Eubanks
Trumpet – Alex "Sasha" Sipiagin

DAVE HOLLAND OCTET - Pathways (2010) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

With five A-list horn players -- Chris Potter on tenor and soprano saxophones, Antonio Hart on alto sax and flute, Gary Smulyan on baritone sax, Alex Sipiagin on trumpet and flügelhorn, and Robin Eubanks on trombone -- on board, and anchoring supplied by Dave Holland's bass, Nate Smith's drums, and Steve Nelson's marimba and vibes, there's a lot of swing residing within these grooves. There is also empathy to spare. Pathways, recorded live at New York's Birdland and the first release by the Holland Octet, is tightly woven, devoid of bloat, and constantly in motion. Holland, in his multi-decade career, has worked within every conceivable format, and he smartly positions the octet precisely where it should be by definition, midway between the standard small-group configuration and the all-bases-covered grandness of a big band. The arrangements often seem larger than life while simultaneously feeling succinct, and every solo -- not the least of which are Holland's own masterful excursions -- is carefully considered and masterfully executed. The album's seven tracks are all written by bandmembers -- five by Holland, one each by Sipiagin and Potter -- and two of Holland's, "Shadow Dance" and "How's Never?" (both of which he's recorded before), are the longest of the show, allowing for multiple shifts in mood, tempo, and color. Holland uses those pieces, in particular, as launching pads for dynamic solo exhibits and inspired duets, but in the end it's not the dexterity of the individuals that impresses most, but rather the groupthink of the ensemble. by Jeff Tamarkin  
Tracklist :
1     Pathways 10:46
Dave Holland
2     How's Never? 13:03
Dave Holland
3     Sea of Marmara 9:03
Chris Potter
4     Ebb and Flow 10:48
Dave Holland
5     Blue Jean 7:28
Dave Holland
6     Wind Dance 9:10
Alex Sipiagin
7     Shadow Dance 15:06
Dave Holland
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Flute – Antonio Hart
Baritone Saxophone – Gary Smulyan
Double Bass – Dave Holland
Drums – Nate Smith
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Chris Potter
Trombone – Robin Eubanks
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Alex Sipiagin
Vibraphone, Marimba – Steve Nelson

ROY HARGROVE & ANTONIO HART - The Tokyo Sessions [1992] FLAC

 Trumpeter Roy Hargrove and alto saxophonist Antonio Hart, two of the finest contemporary hard boppers, made a potent team on this CD featuring sessions recorded in Tokyo during 1991. Hargrove's fierce trumpet solos and Hart's bluesy, equally energetic and accomplished answering alto statements fueled nine excellent reworkings of standards and jazz repertory. The quintet performed such established material as Oscar Pettiford's "Bohemia After Dark," and Thelonious Monk's "Straight No Chaser," and Kenny Dorham's "Lotus Blossom," as well as Cole Porter's "Easy To Love," with confidence and in a smooth yet expressive style. It would still be nice to hear Hart and Hargrove doing their own material rather than simply putting their spin on shopworn, though wonderful, anthems. by Ron Wynn
Tracklist  
1 Bohemia After Dark 5:04
Written-By – Oscar Pettiford
2 Love Your Spell Is Everywhere 6:20
Written-By – Edmund Goulding, Elsie Janis
3 Work Song 6:45
Written-By – Nat Adderly, Oscar Brown Jr.
4 I Remember Clifford 7:00
Written-By – Benny Golson, Jon Hendricks
5 Straight No Chaser 4:46
Written-By – Thelonious Monk
6 But Not For Me 6:05
Written-By – Ira Gershwin - George Gershwin
7 Alone Together 7:33
Written-By – Howard Dietz - Arthur Schwartz
8 Lotus Blossom 5:29
Written-By – Kenny Dorham
9 Easy To Love 6:35
Written-By – Cole Porter
Credits
Alto Saxophone – Antonio Hart
Arranged By – Antonio Hart, Roy Hargrove
 Bass – Tomoyuki Shima
 Drums – Masahiko Osaka
 Piano – Yutaka Shiina
 Trumpet – Roy Hargrove

ROY HARGROVE & ANTONIO HART
The Tokyo Sessions 

NOVUS 1992 / FLAC / scan

O Púbis da Rosa