MICHAEL BRECKER GROUP — The Cost Of Living (1989-1994) WV (image+.cue) lossless

Tracklist :
1    Istbynne Reel    9:35
2    Chime This    18:19
3    Choices    11:16
4    The Cost Of Living    16:25
5    Nothing Personal    18:15
Credits
Drums – Adam Nussbaum
Electric Bass [El. Bass] – Jay Anderson
Piano – Joey Calderazzo
Tenor Saxophone, Electronic Wind Instrument [EWI] – Michael Brecker

BRANFORD MARSALIS QUARTET - Eternal (2004) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 Eternal finds saxophonist Branford Marsalis in a contemplative mood performing a mix of original and standard ballads with his usual quartet of pianist Joey Calderazzo, bassist Eric Revis, and drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts. The title track, written for his wife Nicole, is a hushed and cerebral affair, but never feels anything but warm. Similarly, the lead-off track, "The Ruby and the Pearl," contains the faint blush of Ellington-ian exoticism and "Gloomy Sunday" brings to mind the rumbling and atmospheric late-'60s work of longtime Marsalis touchstone John Coltrane. The album, his second solo outing for his Marsalis Music label, is dedicated in memory to a list of people one can only assume were as influential musically on Marsalis as emotionally. Among them are bassist Malachi Favors, drummer Elvin Jones, saxophonist Steve Lacy, and the one and only Ray Charles. Their spirits are palpable here as Marsalis and his band have clearly documented a handful of quietly beautiful and deeply moving performances. by Matt Collar
Tracklist:
1    The Ruby And The Pearl 8:53
Written-By – Livingston & Evans
2    Reika's Loss 7:51
Written-By – Jeff "Tain" Watts
3    Gloomy Sunday 12:43
Lyrics By – Sam Lewis
Written-By – Laszlo Javor, Rezső Seress
4    The Lonely Swan 9:04
Written-By – Joey Calderazzo
5    Dinner For One Please, James 8:00
Written-By – Michael Carr
6    Muldoon 4:13
Written-By – Eric Revis
7    Eternal 17:41
Written-By – Branford Marsalis
8    Body And Soul ( Bonus Track) 5:09
Credits:
Bass – Eric Revis
Drums – Jeff "Tain" Watts
Piano – Joey Calderazzo
Recorded By, Mixed By – Rob "Wacko" Hunter
Saxophone, Producer – Branford Marsalis

BRANFORD MARSALIS QUARTET - Four MFs Playin' Tunes (2012) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

There was no doubt that when Jeff "Tain" Watts left the Branford Marsalis Quartet in 2009, they would take some time to regroup. They recruited then 18-year-old drummer Justin Faulkner, confusing many fans. But Marsalis knew what he was doing. Faulkner makes his BMQ debut on the no-nonsense Four MFs Playin' Tunes. The program features seven originals and two covers, recorded over a couple of days in 2011. There isn't any conceptual bent to what's here; the definition is in the humorous title -- four jazzmen investing themselves fully in a set of diverse compositions, focusing on the details of collective conversation, interplay, harmony, and improvisation. Faulkner has a fine balance of skills: he's physical, he possesses a forcefulness that drives this group, but he can also dance with real finesse. Joey Calderazzo's sprightly "The Mighty Sword," which has a slightly tropical Latin tinge, features excellent dialogue between Marsalis' soprano and the pianist in the high register. Faulkner pushes from the outside with frenetic snare, cymbal, and tom-tom work as bassist Eric Revis swings like mad underneath. Another highlight is the bassist's nearly mystical ballad "Maestra," which moves from speculative to an outright flow of elegance and emotion without ever losing its restraint. The cover of Monk's "Teo" is more about rhythmic dialogue than anything else. There is little harmonic revelation here, but the joy the group displays in playing its changes and the slippery series of extra and syncopated beats Faulkner slides in make it delightful. Marsalis' "Whiplash" is exactly what it claims to be: a driving, knotty hard bop tune with excellent tenor, piano, and drum solos. There's also a longer reprise of Calderazzo's "Endymion" from his and Marsalis' 2011 duet album, Songs of Mirth and Melancholy. With labyrinthine lyric exchanges by the pianist and Marsalis' tenor, the rhythm section -- in a dazzling intricate display of its own -- moves it beyond its classical leanings and into more adventurous terrain. Revis' bass here is so illustrative that Calderazzo could have gone off in any direction from the wide-angled melody. The saxophonist's "Treat It Gentle" is given gorgeous, straight-ahead blues ballad treatment with tasteful, lightly swinging solos; it stretches to over nine minutes. Four MFs Playin' Tunes is a solid return by the BMQ. Rather than offer anything new, they instead focus on re-introducing the band as a creative unit whose capacity for musical excellence is undiminished.  (This comment is posted on allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower our blog O Púbis da Rosa)

Tracklist:
1    The Mighty Sword 7:08
Composed By – Joey Calderazzo
2    Brews 5:12
Composed By – Eric Revis
3    Maestra 5:27
Composed By – Eric Revis
4    Teo 8:28
Composed By – Thelonious Monk
5    Whiplash 7:30
Composed By – Branford Marsalis
6    As Summer Into Autumn Slips 9:52
Composed By – Joey Calderazzo
7    Endymion 9:18
Composed By – Branford Marsalis
8    My Ideal 9:35
Composed By – Leo Robin, Newell Chase, Richard A. Whiting
9    Treat It Gentle 4:16
Composed By – Branford Marsalis
Credits:
Bass – Eric Revis
Drums – Justin Faulkner
Piano – Joey Calderazzo
Producer – Branford Marsalis
Recorded By, Mixed By – Rob "Wacko!" Hunter
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Branford Marsalis

BRANFORD MARSALIS QUARTET - The Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul (2019) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Since the mid-'80s, Branford Marsalis has led various incarnations of his quartet, issuing a bevy of highly inventive and playful albums like Random Abstract, Crazy People Music, and Braggtown, all of which showcase his love of swinging acoustic jazz and dynamic group interplay. 2019's The Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul is no exception and finds the saxophonist balancing an expressive maturity with a continued sense of fun. Following up 2012's Four MFs Playin' Tunes, as well their 2016 Kurt Elling collaboration Upward Spiral, this iteration of the quartet features pianist Joey Calderazzo, bassist Eric Revis, and drummer Justin Faulkner (who replaced Jeff "Tain" Watts in 2009). Together, they play with a deft abandon that often borders on focused chaos. The best example of this here is the Revis-penned "Dance of the Evil Toys," a kinetic snowplow of free group improv that brings to mind Ornette Coleman. Interestingly, most of the other extroverted moments are cover songs. Marsalis dives into Keith Jarrett's "The Windup," accenting the pianist's already exuberant song with a roiling second line-meets-gospel groove that sounds like Dave Brubeck on thick caffeine. Similarly, they tackle Andrew Hill's "Snake Hip Waltz," playing gleefully within the track's off-kilter, 3/4 buoyancy and bluesy, Parisian sophistication. While post-bop dynamism is certainly one of Marsalis' fortes, he's also a deeply emotive and lyrical performer, something that colors much of his work here. "Conversation Among the Ruins" is a deeply elegiac ballad by Calderazzo that's rife with classical intonations and ends in double time swing. Marsalis even pays tribute to his late mother, Dolores Marsalis, who passed away in 2017, dedicating his song "Life Filtering from the Water Flowers" to her. It starts out as a ruminative tone poem as Marsalis' sax emerges from a silent fog, only to be joined by his bandmates in a spiral of joyful purpose. Equally mutative is Revis' "Nilaste," a harmonically nuanced minor noir in which the band investigate the song's dark shadows before exploding into the light. It's that dynamic balance, so organic to Marsalis' group, that illuminates all of The Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul. by Matt Collar 
Tracklist:
1    Dance Of The Evil Toys 8:23
Written-By – Eric Revis
2    Conversation Among The Ruins 8:46
Written-By – Joey Calderazzo
3    Snake Hip Waltz 5:51
Written-By – Andrew Hill
4    Cianna 7:32
Written-By – Joey Calderazzo
5    Nilaste 10:15
Written-By – Eric Revis
6    Life Filtering From The Water Flowers 9:00
Written-By – Branford Marsalis
7    The Windup 12:30
Written-By – Keith Jarrett
Credits:
Bass – Eric Revis
Drums – Justin Faulkner
Piano – Joey Calderazzo
Producer – Branford Marsalis
Saxophone – Branford Marsalis

MICHAEL BRECKER - Now You See It... (Now You Don't) (1990) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

For Now You See It..., Michael Brecker's third recording as a leader, the tenor great used different personnel on most of the selections but played consistently well. Jim Beard's synthesizers were utilized for atmosphere, to set up a funky groove, or to provide a backdrop for the leader. Some of the music sounds like updated John Coltrane (Joey Calderazzo's McCoy Tyner-influenced piano helps), while other pieces could almost pass for Weather Report, if Wayne Shorter rather than Joe Zawinul had been the lead voice. Most of the originals (either by Brecker, Beard, or producer Don Grolnick) project moods rather than feature strong melodies, but Michael Brecker's often-raging tenor makes the most of each opportunity. by Scott Yanow

MICHAEL BRECKER - Tales from the Hudson (1996) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Michael Brecker, a major influence on today's young saxophonists, shows off his own influences a bit throughout this fine modern straight-ahead set. Brecker sounds surprisingly like Stanley Turrentine on parts of "Midnight Voyage," and otherwise displays his roots in Ernie Watts and John Coltrane. With the exception of Don Grolnick's "Willie T.," the music on the CD is comprised of group originals (five by the leader) and falls into the 1990s mainstream of jazz. While the tenor saxophonist has plenty of blowing space (really letting loose on the exciting closer, "Cabin Fever"), Pat Metheny is mostly pretty restrained (in a Jim Hall bag) except for his wild solo on guitar synth during "Song for Bilbao." Pianist Joey Calderazzo starts out sounding a bit like McCoy Tyner on "Slings and Arrows" before his own musical personality is revealed. When Tyner himself plays on "Song for Bilbao" (one of two guest appearances), one can certainly tell the difference between master and pupil. All of Michael Brecker's recordings as a leader (as opposed to his cameos as a sideman on pop records) are easily recommended and show why he is considered a giant by many listeners. by Scott Yanow  

MICHAEL BRECKER - Two Blocks from the Edge (1997) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Although Michael Brecker made his initial reputation as a greatly in-demand studio player able to play quite credibly in commercial settings, his recordings for Impulse! have all been strictly straight-ahead. Displaying his roots in John Coltrane and Ernie Watts, Brecker has developed his own approach to sheets-of-sound playing while not being shy about playing quite lyrically. From the opening medium-tempo blues "Madame Toulouse" and the catchy "Bye George" (which could almost have been written by Horace Silver) to the funky and slyly humorous closer, "Delta City Blues," this is a particularly strong outing. With pianist Joey Calderazzo (often emulating McCoy Tyner to at least a small degree) and an alert and intuitive rhythm section (bassist James Genus, drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts, and percussionist Don Alias), Brecker often creates fiery solos that linger to their optimum length before the mood changes. Recommended. by Scott Yanow

CHRIS MINH DOKY - Minh (1998) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Tracklist:
1 I Told You So 3:25
2 Every Breath You Take 4:06
3 Welcome 0:11
4 Waiting On You (Jungle Vibe) 2:46
5 Sleepless Dream 5:03
6 Chhaya 0:04
7 Lean On Me 5:37
8 I Just Wanna Stop 4:53
9 A New Day 4:49
10 Ken & Mai 0:08
11 It Once Was 5:36
12 Mardi Chez Lionel 3:41
13 Messages 0:27
14 Home Sweet Home 5:40
15 New York City 0:19
16 Don't Get Funny With My Money 5:02
Credits:
Jim Beard - Keyboards
Michael Bland - Drums
Michael Brecker - Sax (Tenor), Saxophone
Randy Brecker - Composer, Guitar, Trumpet, Vocals
Hiram Bullock - Guitar
Joey Calderazzo - Piano
Joe Caro - Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic)
Chris Minh Doky - Arranger, Bass, Bass (Acoustic), Bass (Electric), Composer, Keyboards,  Producer, Vocals
David Gilmore - Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic)
Larry Goldings - Piano
Lalah Hathaway - Composer, Vocals
Lasse Janson - Piano
Norbert Lucarain - Clay Pot, Percussion, Wood Box
Adam Nussbaum - Drums
Chris Parks - Drums, Guitar, Keyboards, Producer, Programming
Ricky Peterson - Fender Rhodes, Keyboards, Organ (Hammond), Piano
Dianne Reeves - Vocals
Alex Riel - Drums
David Sanborn - Sax (Alto), Saxophone
Vivian Sessoms - Vocals
St. Paul - Drums, Guitar
Mike Stern - Guitar, Guitar (Electric)
Lenny White - Drums
Louis Winsberg - Composer, Guitar, Guitar (Acoustic)

RICHARD COLE - The Forgotten (2001) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This is tenor saxophonist Richard Cole's second album for the Origin label. Compared with the first outing, The Forgotten sports additional standards plus visits by outstanding artists such as Randy Brecker, Adam Nussbaum, and Joey Calderazzo. Cole is from the school of modern, progressive jazz. On such cuts as "Free Time," one hears the influence of Sonny Rollins with his hard bop and unique thematic improvisations, as well as the hard-driving free jazz idioms employed by the likes of Archie Shepp and Pharoah Sanders. "Somnambulist" finds Cole's sax less piercing, with a fuller and richer sound with help from the sumptuous-toned guitar of David Peterson. Matters lighten up on a swinging "Without a Song," with Randy Brecker's melodic trumpet kicking off before trading choruses with Cole. Brecker then launches into a high-speed improvisation on the melody with the rhythm of Randy Porter, Chuck Bergeron, and Gary Hobbs setting the cadence. This is a high-quality track. Ranking right up there with it is "The Midnight Sun," again with Brecker and Cole sharing solo honors and engaging in ear-catching ad libs on the melody. On this cut, Brecker's sparkling horn playing makes every note ring. Joey Calderazzo's quickly paced piano sets the pace on "The Best Thing for You." Both he and Cole use the melody and the chord structure as the points of departure for their enterprising improvisational flings. Adam Nussbaum's drum break shows why he is a drummer in demand, especially by those who are in the free, avant-garde corner of jazz. On this, his second outing, Cole shows he is still in the vanguard of hard-blowing, progressive tenors, with a softer side that emerges from time to time. Recommended. by Dave Nathan  

JOEY CALDERAZZO - Amanecer (2007) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Joey Calderazzo's Amanecer is mostly a solo piano recording. Calderazzo strides effectively on "Midnight Voyage," puts plenty of emotion into Michael Brecker's "Sea Glass," and comes up with intriguing ideas throughout his "Toonay." Claudia Acuña and guitarist Romero Lubambo guest on three selections apiece, both having a duet apiece with Calderazzo and making the group a trio on "Amanecer" and "Lara." Calderazzo, who is in consistently creative form throughout this superior effort, interacts well with Acuña on her mostly wordless vocals, romps on "I've Never Been in Love Before" and plays a thoughtful rendition of Bill Evans' "Waltz for Debby." Every selection on this well-conceived project has its purpose and is memorable in its own way. Highly recommended. by Scott Yanow

BRANFORD MARSALIS - Contemporary Jazz [2000] COLUMBIA / FLAC

 This album was much anticipated, for it would be Branford Marsalis's first since the death of his longtime pianist Kenny Kirkland. Happily, it is a knockout. While no one can entirely recreate the famed chemistry that existed between Kirkland and Marsalis, pianist Joey Calderazzo does a marvelous job handling the extraordinary complexity, energy, and beauty of Marsalis's music. Bassist Eric Revis and drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts, both of whom played on 1999's Requiem (which wound up being the last recording of Kirkland's life), carry on here in the spirit of their departed friend, fleshing out Marsalis's increasingly challenging ensemble concepts and -- most importantly -- swinging like men possessed."In the Crease" and "Tain Mutiny," with their unpredictable twists and turns, are indicative of the gravitas of Marsalis's work ever since he left his post at The Tonight Show. But the album's high point is a lengthy take of "Elysium," a tune that appeared on Requiem as a trio piece, an aesthetic choice necessitated by the sudden death of Kirkland who never had a chance to play on the track. Here the full quartet weighs in, deftly executing a dizzying series of tempo shifts and subtle cues, all seamlessly worked into a fabric of extended, burning improvisation. Finally, "Sleepy Hollow," a slow blues tucked away at the end of the program as a hidden track, sounds as though the band just let the tape roll as they warmed down from the session. It's a delightfully unrehearsed moment, perhaps a closing homage to Kirkland, drawn from deep down in the tradition. by David R. Adler  
Tracklist
1 In The Crease 6:46
2 Requiem 10:24
3 Elysium 15:58
4 Cheek To Cheek 8:46
5 Tain Mutiny 8:21
6 Ayanna 6:01
7 Countronious Rex 8:54
Credits
Bass – Eric Revis
Drums – Jeff "Tain" Watts
Piano – Joey Calderazzo
Saxophone – Branford Marsalis
Written-By – B. Marsalis (tracks: 1, 2, 3, 5), E. Revis (tracks: 6), I. Berlin (tracks: 4), J. Watts (tracks: 7)

 BRANFORD MARSALIS - Contemporary Jazz 

Columbia 2000 / FLAC / scan

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