JOHN ABERCROMBIE · DON THOMPSON — Witchcraft (1986-1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

For followers who bemoan guitarist John Abercrombie's tendency to record rather adventurous albums with an often electronically treated tone, Witchcraft will be a delight. On this duo recording with bassist Don Thompson (who also plays piano on three tracks), the guitarists' sound is untreated, and the repertoire is standards. The two play well together, and there are some lovely moments on the record. The title track finds Abercrombie using the differing tonal qualities of his guitar's open strings to give the melody a unique interpretation. The sole original on the record, "Fall Colours" (credited to both writers, although the Canadian spelling may reveal the true author), is based on the standard "Autumn Leaves." Abercrombie sounds fine here, if at times pretty rather than substantial. He prefers to play in long single-note lines, rather than taking the more chordal approach many guitarists attempt in such a stripped-down setting. Thompson is a highly interactive bass player with enviable technique, allowing him to play melodic, fluid solos throughout. There seem to be several sound problems on Witchcraft; the recording level is very low, and a rattling sound often accompanies the musicians' louder notes, which grows to be quite distracting on repeated listenings. Dan Cross  
Tracklist :
1     Ev'rything I Love 5:59
Cole Porter
2     Somethime Ago 5:33
Sergio Mihanovich
3     Witchcraft 6:04
Cy Coleman / Carolyn Leigh
4     My Foolish Heart 8:50
Ned Washington / Victor Young
5     Fall Colours 6:11
John Abercrombie / Don Thompson
6     I'm Getting Sentimental over You 5:56
George Bassman / Ned Washington
7     Peace 5:41
Horace Silver
8     You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To 7:00
Cole Porter
9     You Don't Know What Love Is 8:43
Gene DePaul / Don Raye
Credits :
Double Bass, Piano, Engineer, Producer – Don Thompson
Guitar, Producer – John Abercrombie

PAUL DESMOND QUARTET — Like Someone in Love (1975-1992) RM | Two Version | FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

In 1992, Telarc unveiled a series of performances from the vault on a short-lived label punningly entitled "Telarchive," beginning with this long-delayed encore to the original releases from Paul Desmond's "Canadian" quartet. Recorded live in Toronto's Bourbon Street Jazz Club several months before the live dates released on Horizon and Artists House, it finds Desmond growing comfortable with his new Toronto friends but not quite settled into their laid-back ways quite yet. There are passages in this session where Desmond sounds a bit uncharacteristically scattered and unfocused, where guitarist Ed Bickert becomes the more fluid and stable solo partner, and bassist (and engineer) Don Thompson takes a lengthy solo on every track. Desmond seems to produce his best work in the material that he seems most familiar with. The title track is the one that catches fire most brightly (with a wry assist from "We're in the Money") and "Things Ain't What They Used to Be" finds him working in some clever asides from, yes, Ravel's "Daphnis et Chloe." The wistful European melancholy of Django Reinhardt's "Nuages" suits him perfectly and Jobim's "Meditation" makes its first appearance on a Desmond recording. The boxy, confined live sound doesn't suit the late saxophonist -- nor, obviously, the perfectionist standards at Telarc -- but every precious unreleased note from Desmond is definitely worth sampling at whatever sonic level. Richard S. Ginell
Tracklist :
1. Just Squeeze Me 8:45
 Duke Ellington / Lee Gaines / Fats Waller / Clarence Williams
2. Tangerine 9:46
 Johnny Mercer / Victor Schertzinger
3. Meditation 10:59
 Norman Gimbel / Antônio Carlos Jobim / Newton Mendonça
4. Nuages 10:37
 Jacques Larue / Django Reinhardt
5. Like Someone in Love 9:50
 Johnny Burke / James Van Heusen
6. Things Ain't What They Used to Be 11:11
 Mercer Ellington / Ted Persons
Credits :
Paul Desmond - Alto Saxophone
Ed Bickert - Guitar
Don Thompson - Double Bass
Jerry Fuller - Drums

THE EMILY REMLER QUARTET - Take Two (1982) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Emily Remler's second recording as a leader finds the 24-year-old guitarist still very much playing in the Wes Montgomery vein, although showing her own musical personality here and there. She is joined by pianist James Williams, bassist Don Thompson, and drummer Terry Clarke on a challenging set of material filled with obscurities. Certainly such numbers as Cannonball Adderley's "Cannonball," Dexter Gordon's "For Regulars Only," McCoy Tyner's "Search for Peace," and Monty Alexander's "Eleuthra" are rarely performed. Better known are "In Your Own Sweet Way" and "Afro Blue"; Remler also contributes two originals. Throughout the date the guitarist displays a great deal of potential, much of which would sadly go unrealized due to her early death. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :    
1     Cannonball 4:48
Cannonball Adderley
2     In Your Own Sweet Way 4:52
Dave Brubeck
3     For Regulars Only 6:43
Dexter Gordon
4     Search for Peace 5:17
McCoy Tyner
5     Pocket Wes 6:45
Emily Remler
6     Waltz for My Grandfather 6:35
Emily Remler
7     Afro Blue 2:24
Mongo Santamaria
8     Eleuthra 6:20
Monty Alexander
Credits :
Bass – Don Thompson
Drums – Terry Clarke
Guitar – Emily Remler
Piano – James Williams

JIM HALL - Jim Hall Live! (1975-2003) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This fine club date features guitarist Jim Hall in Toronto with two of the top Canadian jazzmen, bassist Don Thompson and drummer Terry Clarke. The interplay between the three players is sometimes wondrous, and although the five selections are all familiar standards (such as "'Round Midnight," "Scrapple from the Apple," and "The Way You Look Tonight"), Hall makes the music sound fresh and full of subtleties. by Scott Yanow 

Tracklist:

1 Angel Eyes 11:10

Earl Brent / Matt Dennis

2 'Round Midnight 8:02

Bernie Hanighen / Thelonious Monk / Cootie Williams

3 Scrapple from the Apple 7:37

Charlie Parker

4 The Way You Look Tonight 6:14

Dorothy Fields / Jerome Kern

5 I Hear a Rhapsody 8:40
Jack Baker / George Fragos / Dick Gasparre
Credits:
Bass – Don Thompson
Drums – Terry Clarke
Guitar – Jim Hall

 

ED BICKERT — Ed Bickert (1976-2013) Mini LP | SHM-CD | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

42 at the time, guitarist Ed Bickert (who had been a top Canadian studio musicians since the late '50s) finally had an opportunity to lead his own record date in 1975; fortunately, there would be many more. The cool-toned guitarist sounds fine on six sophisticated standards (including "Come Rain or Come Shine," "When Sunny Gets Blue" and "It Might as Well Be Spring") with two other versatile Canadian players, bassist Don Thompson and drummer Terry Clarke. Subtle and lightly swinging music. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1 Come Rain Or Come Shine 9:46
Written-By – Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer
2 Where Are You 4:38
Written-By – Harold Adamson, Jimmy McHugh3 When Sonny Gets Blue 5:59
Written-By – Jack Segal, Marvin Fisher
4 It Might As Well Be Spring 5:50
Written-By – Oscar Hammerstein II, Richard Rodgers
5 Nancy With The Laughing Face 4:43
Written-By – Jimmy Van Heusen, Phil Silvers
6 Manha De Carnaval  9:48
Written-By – George Weiss, Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore, Luiz Bonfá
Credits :
Bass – Don Thompson
Drums – Terry Clarke
Guitar – Ed Bickert