ROY HAYNES - Birds of a Feather : A Tribute to Charlie Parker (2001) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Roy Haynes' 2000 trio outing with Danilo Perez and John Patitucci had a tribute theme at its core. So too does this all-star quintet outing for Dreyfus. Here the subject at hand is Charlie Parker, with whom Haynes played for several years beginning in the late 1940s. Joining the 75-year-old Haynes for this tribute are bassist Dave Holland, altoist Kenny Garrett, trumpeter Roy Hargrove, and pianist David Kikoski. Having spent over ten years performing and recording with Haynes, Kikoski is especially in tune with the leader's every move. Some tracks are fairly typical Bird fare: "Moose the Mooche," "Yardbird Suite," "Diverse" (aka "Segment"), "April in Paris." Others, however, are off the beaten track: Billy Reid's "The Gypsy," Gerry Mulligan's "Rocker," Cole Porter's "My Heart Belongs to Daddy." In addition to the often fiery playing, there are a number of unexpected arranging twists. Haynes' take on "Ah Leu Cha" is an intriguing hybrid of the Charlie Parker and Miles Davis versions -- played fairly slow and with a straight repeat on the A section (Parker), but using "Scrapple From the Apple" changes rather than rhythm changes for the solos (Davis). Haynes also lengthens the form of "Now's the Time," Parker's anthemic yet simple blues, giving it a vamp-based flavor that recalls Eddie Harris' "Freedom Jazz Dance." The Cole Porter tune, similarly, becomes an occasion for modal stretching. There's also a blistering exchange between Hargrove and Garrett toward the end of "What Is This Thing Called Love" -- the album's big payoff. Despite these and other subtle touches, Birds of a Feather doesn't quite have the creative spark of Haynes' previous album. That was a working band; this comes across as a casual blowing date, albeit an illustrious and sometimes surprising one. by David R. Adler
Tracklist :
1     Diverse 5:20
Charlie Parker
2     Ah Leu Cha 5:14
Charlie Parker   
3     April in Paris 5:14
Vernon Duke / E.Y. "Yip" Harburg
4     Moose the Mooch 5:40
Charlie Parker
5     Now's the Time 6:05
Charlie Parker
6     Rocker 6:02
Gerry Mulligan
7     Barbados 5:03
Charlie Parker
8     Yardbird Suite 4:48
Charlie Parker
9     The Gypsy 6:44
Billy Reid   
10     My Heart Belongs to Daddy 7:02
Cole Porter
11     What Is This Thing Called Love? 7:24
Cole Porter
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Kenny Garrett
Bass – Dave Holland
Drums – Roy Haynes
Piano – Dave Kikoski
Trumpet – Roy Hargrove

CÆCILIE NORBY — My Corner of the Sky (1996) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Danish singer Caecilie Norby's first recording to be released in the United States is quite a mixed bag. At times, Norby comes across as Nancy Wilson, going over the top in places and not showing much subtlety; on Irving Berlin's classic "Suppertime," she does not seem to know what she is singing about, sounding quite upbeat about a lynching. Some other selections are pop-ish (including odd revivals of "The Look of Love" and "Spinning Wheel"), but there are places (such as on "Just One of Those Things" and Wayne Shorter's "African Fairytale") where Norby shows potential as a jazz singer. She is assisted by a strong cast of Americans and Scandinavians (including pianists Dave Kikoski and Joey Calderazzo, keyboardist Lars Jansson, drummer Terri Lyne Carrington, trumpeter Randy Brecker, and, on "Spinning Wheel," tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker), but Caecilie Norby's more significant work probably lies in the future. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :   
1     The Look of Love        3:00
Burt Bacharach / Hal David
2     The Right to Love    2:58
Gene Lees / Lalo Schifrin
3     Set Them Free    4:27
Sting
4     Supper Time    3:46
Irving Berlin
5     African Fairytale    5:44
Cæcilie Norby / Wayne Shorter
6     Life on Mars?    3:40
David Bowie
7     Spinning Wheel    5:06
David Clayton-Thomas
8     What Do You See in Her    3:09
Hal David
9     Just One of Those Things    3:54
Cole Porter
10     Snow    5:22
Cæcilie Norby
11     Song for You    3:52
Leon Russell
12     Calling You    5:24
Bob Telson
Credits :
Backing Vocals – Louise Norby (tracks: 7)
Bass – Lars Danielsson (tracks: 1, 2, 5 to 12), Lennart Ginman (tracks: 3, 4)
Drums – Alex Riel (tracks: 3, 4), Jeff Boudreaux (tracks: 8), Terri Lyne Carrington (tracks: 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 9 to 12)
Flugelhorn – Randy Brecker (tracks: 6)
Flute – Scott Robinson (tracks: 1)
Organ [Hammond] – David Kikoski (tracks: 7), Lars Jansson (tracks: 3)
Percussion – Jacob Andersen (tracks: 3), Terri Lyne Carrington (tracks: 7)
Piano – David Kikoski (tracks: 1, 2, 5, 10, 11), Joey Calderazzo (tracks: 7, 9, 12), Lars Jansson (tracks: 3, 4, 8)
Tenor Saxophone – Michael Brecker (tracks: 10)
Vocals – Cæcilie Norby