HERBIE HANCOCK · MICHAEL BRECKER · ROY HARGROVE — Directions in Music : Live at Massey Hall (2002) Two Version | APE + FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

A double-milestone year for jazz, 2001 marked the 75th anniversary of the births of both Miles Davis and John Coltrane. With that in mind, Herbie Hancock went on tour with a quintet modeled after his V.S.O.P. bands of the '70s and '80s and the Tribute to Miles band of the '90s, which in turn were modeled after the 1965-1968 Miles Davis Quintet. The question this disc proposes: Can you go home yet again? Hancock preferred to dodge that one, saying that he was attempting to push the music onward in the Davis/Coltrane spirit of adventure rather than play for nostalgia. But essentially, despite the often unblinkingly hard-nosed soloing and the sometimes radical reworking of the old tunes, the conception of this idiom is that of Miles, and Michael Brecker's often brilliant, searching tenor sax work owes its soul to the example of Trane. Although the quintet's Los Angeles gig on October 11, 2001, was rather disappointing, the Toronto concert recorded here was a big improvement, with two weeks of roadwork evidently having the desired tightening effect. Though Hancock's piano gradually became more abstract and disconnected with its surroundings over the years, here he is in touch with his colleagues. Brecker provides the most fervent individual statement with an unaccompanied rendition of "Naima" that amounts to a virtual encyclopedia of tenor saxophone technique. Roy Hargrove does a serviceable job on trumpet and flügelhorn, trying to fill some heavy shoes, and as accomplished as the rhythm team of John Patitucci (bass) and Brian Blade (drums) is, you miss the irreplaceable combustion of Ron Carter and especially the late Tony Williams (compare the original Davis recording of "The Sorcerer" with this inward, less dynamic, less driving version). The most strikingly reworked cover tune is a slow, drawn-out, mournful take on "Impressions," almost an elegy for Coltrane, and Brecker delivers the eulogy with fire in the belly. There is new material from Hargrove ("The Poet"), Brecker ("D Trane"), and the three headliners ("Misstery"), none of which expands much beyond the parameters of the Davis and Coltrane models. While this quintet does not kick over old boundaries, it does make good, uncompromisingly intelligent music. Richard S. Ginell  
Tracklist :
1 The Sorcerer 8:54
Herbie Hancock
2 The Poet 6:35
Roy Hargrove
3 So What/Impressions 12:51
John Coltrane / Miles Davis
4 Misstery 8:16
Michael Brecker / Herbie Hancock / Roy Hargrove
5 Naima 7:29
John Coltrane
6 Transition 10:26
John Coltrane
7 My Ship 8:40
Ira Gershwin / Kurt Weill
8 D Trane 15:11
Michael Brecker
Credits :
Bass – John Patitucci
Drums – Brian Blade
Piano, Executive Producer – Herbie Hancock
Tenor Saxophone, Producer – Michael Brecker
Trumpet, Flugelhorn (tracks: 2, 7) – Roy Hargrove

BOB JAMES TRIO — Straight Up (1996) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This record is an unexpected treat. Bob James has had a lucrative career writing and playing crossover jazz/pop. Although he had actually started his career with a straight-ahead trio date for Mercury in 1962 and also led a bizarre avant-garde session for ESP in 1965, his career since 1974 has offered very little of interest to consumers who prefer to hear inventive jazz as opposed to pleasant background music. But for this session, James returned to the roots few knew he had. Playing in an acoustic trio with bassist Christian McBride and drummer Brian Blade, James contributes five straightforward originals in addition to the standard "Lost April," and interprets tunes by Pat Metheny/Lyle Mays, Horace Silver ("The Jody Grind"), and Denny Zeitlin. While not hinting at all at his usual pop material, James plays quite well, takes plenty of chances, and sounds influenced a bit by Bill Evans. With McBride and Blade contributing consistently stimulating interplay, Bob James has recorded what is certainly the finest jazz album of his career. Scott Yanow 
Tracklist :
1 Night Crawler 4:43
Bob James 
2 Ambrosia 7:18
Bob James
3 James 4:52
Billy Joel / Lyle Mays / Pat Metheny
4 The Jody Grind 7:07
Horace Silver 
5 Lost April 5:39
Eddie DeLange / Emil Newman / Hubert Spencer 
6 Three Mice Blind 7:18
Bob James 
7 Hockney 6:10
Bob James 
8 Shooting Stars 6:20
Bob James 
9 Quiet Now 6:20
Denny Zeitlin 
Credits :
Bass – Christian McBride
Drums – Brian Blade
Piano – Bob James

DAVID BINNEY — South (2001) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

"A brilliant debut" - (STEREOPLAY) "CD of the Month, February 2001" ACT
Tracklist :
1    Out Beyond Ideas    5:23
2    Moment In Memory    8:58
3    The Global Soul    5:12
4    Leaving The Sea    12:07
5    Von Joshua    5:18
6    Traveler    5:51
7    New York Nature    8:32
8    Southpaw    6:27
9    The Global Soul (Reprise)    1:57
10    Tangles Outcome 3:44
Composed By – Rogers, Potter, Binney, Black, Colley, Caine
11    South    6:54
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Sampler, Composed By, Producer – David Binney
Bass – Scott Colley
Design – Peter Krüll
Drums – Brian Blade, Jim Black (tracks: 5, 10)
Guitar – Adam Rogers
Piano – Uri Caine
Tenor Saxophone – Chris Potter

CHRIS POTTER — Gratitude (2001) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Saxophonist Chris Potter honors the legacy of some of jazz's greats on Gratitude, his debut for Verve. The award-winning virtuoso and composer is compelling on his tributes to John Coltrane, Eddie Harris, Wayne Shorter, Charlie Parker, and several other legendary saxophonists. Gratitude contains nine original compositions written by Potter, who plays tenor saxophone on the majority of the songs, switches to soprano saxophone on "Eurydice," his tribute to Wayne Shorter, and plays the alto saxophone and Chinese wood flute on "Star Eyes," the tribute to Charlie Parker. Chris Potter is outstanding on bass clarinet on his composition "The Visitor" for Lester Young and captures the ambience that reflects the many styles of these accomplished players, including sliding from one note to a higher or lower note with intermediate pitches on "The Source," his tribute to the glissandi (sheets of sound) of John Coltrane, and capturing the dense, soulful sound of Joe Henderson on "Shadow." Gratitude also includes a song titled "What's New," for the current generation which completes the set. Potter, leading his great quartet of contemporaries -- keyboardist Kevin Hayes, bassist Scott Colley, and drummer Brian Blade -- makes a significant contribution to jazz history with this project and offers musical statements and voices that are truly varied in scope and deep in their essence. Paula Edelstein   
Tracklist :
1 The Source (for John Coltrane) 6:36
2 Shadow (for Joe Henderson) 5:47
3 Sun King (for Sonny Rollins) 7:00
4 High Noon (for Eddie Harris) 8:19
5 Eurydice (for Wayne Shorter) 6:00
6 The Mind's Eye Intro 0:44
7 The Mind's Eye (for Michael Brecker And Joe Lovano) 7:14
8 Gratitude (for All The Past Masters) 3:05
9 The Visitor (for Lester Young) 7:39
10 Body And Soul (for Coleman Hawkins) 5:29
Written-By – Edward Heyman, Frank Eyton, Johnny Green, Robert Sour
11 Star Eyes (for Charlie Parker) 5:23
Written-By – Don Raye, Gene DePaul
12 Vox Humana (for Ornette Coleman) 5:24
13 What's New (for The Current Generation) 2:22
Written-By – Bob Haggart, Johnny Burke
Credits :
Alto Flute – Chris Potter (tracks: 4, 7)
Alto Saxophone – Chris Potter (tracks: 11)
Bass – Scott Colley (tracks: 1 to 12)
Bass Clarinet – Chris Potter (tracks: 4, 7, 10)
Composed By – Chris Potter (tracks: 1 to 9, 12)
Drums – Brian Blade (tracks: 1 to 12)
Electric Piano – Kevin Hays (tracks: 2, 4, 6, 7)
Flute [Chinese Wood] – Chris Potter (tracks: 12)
Piano – Kevin Hays (tracks: 1, 3, 5 to 9, 12)
Soprano Saxophone – Chris Potter (tracks: 5, 12)
Tenor Saxophone – Chris Potter (tracks: 1 to 4, 6 to 9, 13) 

PÉREZ | PATITUCCI | BLADE — Children Of The Light (2015) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1     Children of the Light 6'54
Danilo Pérez
2     Sunburn and Mosquito (Dedicated to Carolina) 4'34
Danilo Pérez
3     Moonlight on Congo Square 5'01
John Patitucci
4     Lumen 4'26
Danilo Pérez
5     Within Everything 3'21
Brian Blade
6     Milky Way 3'40
John Patitucci
7     Light Echo/Dolores 9'49
Danilo Pérez / Wayne Shorter
8     Ballad for a Noble Man (In memory of Doug Sommer) 4'32
John Patitucci
9     Looking for Light 5'33
Danilo Pérez
10     Luz del Alma 2'38
Danilo Pérez
11     African Wave 5'25
Danilo Pérez
Credits :
Acoustic Bass, Electric Bass – John Patitucci
Cello – Sachi Patitucci (pistas: 8)
Drums – Brian Blade
Grand Piano, Keyboards, Drum – Danilo Perez

JOHN PATITUCCI TRIO — Remembrance (2009) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Bassist John Patitucci's tenure with the Concord label has found him working in a variety of contexts, from Latin jazz to string quartets with saxophones, but this, his sixth album for the label and his first release as a leader since 2006's Grammy-nominated Line by Line, is possibly his most stripped-down release to date: a straight trio session with saxophonist Joe Lovano and drummer Brian Blade. Blade has been working with Patitucci for several albums now, but Lovano is a relative newcomer to the bassist's discography, having only previously appeared on a few tracks from 2001's Communion. This disc, like others in his catalog, finds Patitucci alternating between acoustic and electric bass, and while both approaches are equally worthwhile (the guy's a serious talent), the switching back and forth between funk and swing makes for a slightly disjointed listen. A better idea might have been to divide everything up, putting "Monk/Trane," "Sonny Side," "Scenes from an Opera," "Blues for Freddie," "Safari," "Joe Hen," and "Play Ball" up front and leaving "Messiaen's Gumbo," "Meditations," "Mali," and the short but beautiful title track as a four-song coda. But in any case, there are no bad tracks here -- Lovano's soloing is as deft and muscular as always, and Blade's drumming is powerful without sacrificing subtlety -- so a little style-hopping can be forgiven. Phil Freeman 

Tracklist :
 1     Monk/Trance    7:14
John Patitucci
2     Messaien's Gumbo    5:28
John Patitucci
3     Sonny Side    7:27
John Patitucci
4     Meditations    5:04
John Patitucci
5     Mali    7:16
John Patitucci
6     Scenes from an Opera    5:23
John Patitucci
7     Blues for Freddie    5:24
John Patitucci
8     Safari    6:08
John Patitucci
9     Joe Hen    7:44
John Patitucci
10     Play Ball    6:47
John Patitucci
11     Remembrance    1:54
John Patitucci
Credits :
    Bass – John Patitucci
    Drums – Brian Blade
    Saxophone – Joe Lovano
with
    Cello – Sachi Patitucci
    Percussion – Rogerio Boccato