JOHN TROPEA — Tropea (1975) Two Version (1996, Fusion Super 1800 Series) + (2014, RM | Blu-spec CD | FLAC (image+tracks+.cue), lossless

By the time guitarist John Tropea had recorded his solo debut on the tiny Marlin imprint in 1976, he had been a session guitarist for nearly a decade. His understated, decidedly non-show-off playing graced records by everyone from Laura Nyro to Deodato (including Prelude and Deodato 2), from Ashford & Simpson to Bo Diddley, from Billy Cobham to Peter Allen, from Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway to Paul Simon, Van Morrison, Luiz Bonfá, and Ray Bryant. After this he played with everyone from Alice Cooper to Lalo Schifrin and Kurtis Blow and way, way beyond. Tropea's cast of studio players is a who's who of the '70s, '80s, and '90s. The core band on this funky, squeaky clean, keyboard, horn, and guitar driven set are bassist Will Lee, keyboardist Don Grolnick, percussionist Rubens Bassini, and drummers Steve Gadd and Rick Marotta -- one in each channel. Some of the guest appearances are stellar: David Sanborn's trademark emotionally rich saxophone is heard on "Muff," and Bob Mintzer's wonderful flute playing on his "Cisco Disco" (which is truly funk and not disco), and Deodato plays keyboards on the beautiful "Dreams." There is a heavyweight reed section with Mintzer, Sanborn, and Michael Brecker among its members and horns that include Randy Brecker, Sam Burtis, and Dave Taylor, to name a few. Yes, this was the 1970s: there are strings with Gene Orloff among them. The tunes? Hip, funky numbers like "Tambourine," with a restrained but toothy fuzz solo by Tropea, great congas by Bassini, and a well balanced but dynamic horn chart. "7th Heaven" is a smoother workout, with punchy actual and keyboard basslines, with great breakbeat work by both drummers. Despite its mid-tempo jaunt, the thing is deep with enough of an uptown soul chorus to make it a popular stepper with the club crowd. It's tunes like these, as well as Mintzer's and Tropea's "The Jingle," that place records like this more on the CTI side of things than in the hardcore Fuzak realm. These selections are songs, not collections of riffs, vamps, and solos. When solos occur in these tunes, they do so with respect to arrangement and groove. It also sounds more lifelike than a lot of what was coming out of L.A. at the time, because it has a decidedly East Coast sensibility. Tropea's production job is expert and tight, but it's his arrangements and orchestrations that are really impressive. The opportunities for excess here with all these superchopper players are many, but not once does any of this album lapse into mere glossy show and sheen. This is one of the truly great forgotten jazz-funk sets of the '70s.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
 1.  Tambourine - 4:40
Arranged By, Orchestrated By – John Tropea

Bass Guitar – Will Lee
Drums [Left Drums] – Rick Marotta
Drums [Right Drums] – Stephen Gadd
Guitar [Guitars] – Tropea
Keyboards – Don Grolnick
Percussion – Rubens Bassini
Written-By – J. Tropea
2. 7th Heaven - 4:13
Bass Guitar – Will Lee
Drums [Left Drums] – Rick Marotta
Drums [Right Drums] – Stephen Gadd
Guitar [Guitars] – John Tropea
Keyboards, Arranged By, Orchestrated By – Don Grolnick
Percussion – Rubens Bassini
Written-By – Don Grolnick
3. The Jingle - 4:39
Arranged By, Orchestrated By – John Tropea
Bass Guitar – Don Payne
Contrabass [Matracca] – C. Conrad
Drums – Alan Schwartzberg
Guitar [Guitars] – John Tropea
Keyboards – Kenny Ascher
Percussion – Nick Remo, Ron Tropea, Rubens Bassini
Written-By – John Tropea
4. Just Blue - 8:17
Alto Saxophone, Soloist – George Young
Arranged By, Orchestrated By – John Tropea
Bass Guitar – Will Lee
Drums [Left Drums] – Rick Marotta
Drums [Right Drums] – Stephen Gadd
Guitar [Guitars] – John Tropea
Keyboards – Don Grolnick
Written-By – John Tropea
5. Muff - 5:59
Arranged By – R. Marotta, W. Lee
Arranged By, Orchestrated By – John Tropea
Bass Guitar – Will Lee
Drums [Left Drums] – Rick Marotta
Drums [Right Drums] – Stephen Gadd
Keyboards – Don Grolnick
Percussion – Rubens Bassini
Saxophone, Soloist – Dave Sanborn
Written-By – Marotta, Lee
Written-By, Guitar [Guitars] – John Tropea
6. Cisco Disco (Bob Mintzer) - 4:35
Arranged By, Orchestrated By – John Tropea
Bass Guitar – Will Lee
Drums [Left Drums] – Rick Marotta
Drums [Right Drums] – Stephen Gadd
Flute [Flutes] – Bob Mintzer
Guitar [Guitars] – John Tropea
Keyboards – Don Grolnick
Percussion – Rubens Bassini
Written-By – Bob Mintzer
7. Tha Bratt (David Spinozza) - 5:07
Arranged By, Orchestrated By – John Tropea
Bass Guitar – Will Lee
Drums [Left Drums] – Rick Marotta
Drums [Right Drums] – Stephen Gadd
Keyboards – Don Grolnick
Lead Guitar – John Tropea
Rhythm Guitar, Arranged By, Orchestrated By – David Spinozza
Written-By – David Spinozza
8. Dreams - 4:46
Bass – Richard Davis
Drums – Rick Marotta
Keyboards, Arranged By, Orchestrated By – Eumir Deodato
Percussion – Rubens Bassini
Trombone, Soloist – Sam Burtis
Written-By, Guitar [Guitars] – John Tropea

DEODATO — Deodato 2 (1973-1988) RM | Bonus Tracks | Serie The Original CTI Recordings Digitally Remastered For Compact Disc | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Deodato's debut for CTI, Prelude, earned him a genuine reputation for funky fusion with its groove-tight cover of "Thus Spake Zarathustra," the theme from Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. The rest of the album isn't quite as memorable, but it fit the bill and got nice reviews for its innovative read of Borodin and Debussy's "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun." On 2, the Brazilian composer and arranger dips into the funked-up fusion tank once again, and comes out with a more consistent disc than its predecessor. Arranged, conducted, and keyboarded by Deodato himself instead of CTI house arrangers Don Sebesky or Bob James, the maestro enlisted a fusion who's who of sidemen including drummer Billy Cobham, bassist Stanley Clarke, and flutist Hubert Laws, as well as rockers like John Tropea on guitar. The larger ensemble that provides brass, woodwind, and string support includes trumpeter Jon Faddis and Jim Buffington. "Super Strut" kicks it off. Deep-grooved lines of accented angular riffing and rim-shot syncopation by Cobham turn this simply notated four-stepper into a burning ball of greasy rock and souled-out jazz. This is followed by a wildly campy but nonetheless wondrous read of "Rhapsody in Blue" done Stevie Wonder-style. Deodato's keyboard work never lets the groove drop; he pulls the rhythm section down around him and hunkers his phrasing to punch up the long, sweeping horns and string lines. Less successful is a read of "Nights in White Satin," with its overwrought strings, and a "Pavane for a Dead Princess" that's a snore. The album officially closes with "Skyscrapers," another jazz-rock rave-up that blasts holes in the sonic sky with its dueling keyboard and guitar lines.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1. Super Strut 9:29
2. Rhapsody In Blue 8:43
3. Nights In White Satin 6:01
4. Pavane For A Dead Princess 4:24
5. Skyscrapers 7:00
6. Latin Flute 4:19
– BONUS TRACKS –
7. Venus 3:28
8. Do It Again 5:30
Credits :
Eumir Deodato - keyboards
Stanley Clarke, John Giulino - Bass
Billy Cobham, Rick Marotta - Drums
Rubens Bassini, Gilmore Degap - Percussion, Congas
John Tropea - Guitar
Hubert Laws, Jerry Gordon, Romeo Penque, George Marge - Flute
Jon Faddis, Burt Collins, Victor Paz, Alan Rubin, Marvin Stamm - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Garnet Brown, Wayne Andre - Trombone
Tony Studd - Bass Trombone
Jim Buffington - French Horn
Joe Temperley - Baritone Sax
String Section - Violins, Violas, Cellos

LOU DONALDSON - Sassy Soul Strut (1973) lp | 24bits-192hz | FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Sassy Soul Strut pairs Lou Donaldson with arranger George Butler to create a smooth, unabashedly commercial session some distance removed from the saxophonist's classic soul-jazz efforts. Emphasizing electric instruments and radio-friendly rhythms, the album nevertheless plays to Donaldson's strengths, focusing more on mood and texture and less on funk. Opening with a gutbucket rendition of Quincy Jones immortal "The Streetbeater" (far better known as the theme to television's Sanford and Son), Sassy Soul Strut quickly settles comfortably into a light, accessible mode too lively to dismiss as smooth jazz but too mellow to pass as anything else. Butler's arrangements haven't dated particularly well, but the record's too innocuous and good-natured to qualify as an outright failure. It's simply forgettable, nothing more and nothing less. Jason Ankeny
Tracklist :
1     Sanford And Son Theme 7:02
Quincy Jones    
2     Pillow Talk 3:51
Sylvia Robinson    
3     Sassy Soul Strut 4:37
Lou Donaldson    
4     Good Morning Heartache 2:33
Ervin Drake / Dan Fisher / Irene Higginbotham
5     City, Country, City 9:08
Lou Donaldson    
6     This Is Happiness 5:20
Tadd Dameron    
7     Inner Space 6:52
Lou Donaldson
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Lou Donaldson
Electric Guitar – David Spinozza, John Tropea
Electric Piano – Horace Ott
Electric Piano, Piano, Organ – Paul Griffin
Producer, Arranged By, Conductor – Horace Ott

ART FARMER WITH JOE HENDERSON - Yama (1979-2017) RM | CTI 50th Anniversary | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Flugelhornist Art Farmer's fourth and final LP for CTI also features tenor-saxophonist Joe Henderson. The material (which includes originals by Clare Fischer, Joe Zawinul, Don Grolnick and Mike Mainieri) is not the most memorable and the funky rhythm section (which is greatly expanded) does not really blend all that well with the styles of Farmer and Henderson so this set is not as exciting as one might hope. A decent but largely forgettable effort. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Dulzura 4'10
Joe Henderson
2    Stop (Think Again) 6'48
Composed By – Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb
3     Young and Fine 6'44
Joe Zawinul
4     Lotus Blossom 8'23
Don Grolnick
5     Blue Montreux 6'58
Mike Mainieri
Credits :
Arranged By, Producer [Associate], Synthesizer, Vibraphone – Mike Mainieri
Bass – Eddie Gomez
Drums – Steve Gadd
Electric Bass – Will Lee
Flugelhorn – Art Farmer
Guitar – David Spinozza, John Tropea
Keyboards – Don Grolnick, Fred Hersch, Warren Bernhardt
Mastered By – Rudy Van Gelder
Percussion – Sammy Figueroa
Producer – Creed Taylor
Synthesizer [Programming] – Suzanne Ciani
Tenor Saxophone – Joe Henderson

LALO SCHIFRIN - Black Widow (1976-2001) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Although he is best-known for film scores like Bullitt and Enter The Dragon, prolific composer Lalo Schifrin has always maintained a side career as a jazz musician. He racked up a massive success in this field in 1976 with Black Widow, a slick instrumental excursion that combined the musical dexterity of jazz with the dance-friendly rhythms of disco. This album found Schifrin turning his skills as an arranger and keyboardist to a set of material that matched up some unlikely but effective covers with a few originals. Highlights among the covers include "Quiet Village," which transforms the exotica classic into a slow-burning funk vamp dressed with plenty of spacey synthesizer, and "Moonglow & Theme From Picnic," which reworks these classic film themes by giving them keyboard-driven arrangements that are gently nudged along by an insistent beat. Black Widow also spawned a dancefloor hit with Schifrin's imaginative reworking of "Jaws," which transformed John Williams' spooky monster-movie theme into an ominous, percolating slice of nocturnal funk built on wah-wah guitar and Schifrin's elegantly jazzy keyboard excursions. In terms of the original tunes, the standout is the title track, a keyboard showcase that weaves surging strings around a funky bass groove that is fleshed out with all manner of synth and electric piano shadings. The strong disco edge to the proceedings may turn off jazz purists, but Schifrin's imaginative and stylish arrangements keep the music from succumbing to disco-beat boredom, and his expert backup band (including session stalwarts like Andy Newmark and John Tropea) attacks the material with energy and style to burn. The end result is one of the peak albums in Lalo Schifrin's lengthy catalogue and a necessity for anyone interested in his jazz work. by Donald A. Guarisco   
Tracklist:
1 Black Widow 4:15
Written-By – Lalo Schifrin
2 Flamingo 4:28
Written-By – Ed Anderson, Ted Grouya
3 Quiet Village 3:59
Written-By – Les Baxter
4 Moonglow / Theme From Picnic 5:36
Written-By – DeLange, Mills, Hudson
5 Jaws 5:47
Written-By – J. Williams
6 Baia 4:03
Written-By – A. Barroso, R. Gilbert
7 Turning Point 3:28
Written-By – Lalo Schifrin
8 Dragonfly 5:15
Written-By – Lalo Schifrin

- Bonus Tracks - 

9 Frenesi 3:53

10 Tabu 4:33

11 Baia (Alt. Take) 7:44

12 Con Alma 6:30

Credits:
Alto Saxophone – Joe Farrell
Arranged By, Conductor – Lalo Schifrin
Backing Vocals – Patti Austin
Baritone Saxophone – Pepper Adams
Bass – Anthony Jackson
Bass Trombone – Dave Taylor
Congas – Carlos Martin (tracks: 2 to 8)
Drums – Andy Newmark
Flute – George Marge, Jerry Dodgion, Joe Farrell
Flute [Solo] – Hubert Laws (tracks: 5)
Guitar – Eric Gale (tracks: 3), John Tropea
Guitar [Solo] – Jerry Friedman (tracks: 3)
Keyboards – Clark Spangler, Lalo Schifrin
Percussion – Carter Collins, Don Alias, Sue Evans
 Trombone – Barry Rogers, Billy Campbell, Wayne Andre
Trumpet – Jon Faddis
Violin – Charles Libove, David Nadien, Emanuel Green, Harold Kohon, Harry Lookofsky, Matthew Raimondi, Max Ellen, Paul Gershman

CLAUS OGERMAN / MICHAEL BRECKER - Cityscape (1982) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

German-born composer and arranger Claus Ogerman, born in 1930, must rank as one of the most versatile musicians of the twentieth century. When he was at his peak in the 1970s, writing everything from ballet scores to arrangements for Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos Jobim, diva Barbra Streisand, and jazz/R&B saxophonist George Benson, there was hardly a radio station on the dial where his music wasn't heard during the course of a typical day -- and he's still quite active. The key to his success has been his ability to stay in the background behind the musician he's working with and yet create something distinctive. This 1982 collaboration with the late jazz saxophonist Michael Brecker is one of his most successful works, not least because the overlap between the extended harmonies of jazz and the chromaticism of the late German Romantic polyphony in which Ogerman was trained is large enough to allow Brecker to operate comfortably -- his improvisations seem to grow naturally out of the background, and the intersections between jazz band and orchestral strings come more easily here than on almost any other crossover between jazz and classical music. The mood is nocturnal and reflective. Brecker at this point had not yet made an album as a bandleader; he was primarily known to those who closely followed jazz and R&B session musicians. The album was originally billed as a release by Claus Ogerman with Michael Brecker. Yet notice how skillfully Ogerman eases the fearsomely talented young saxophonist into the spotlight. The highlight of the album is a three-part suite called In the Presence and Absence of Each Other, and in its middle movement, track 5, the saxophone is silent until about a minute before the end -- yet everything in the piece leads up to this magical explosion of lyricism. The packaging describes this album as a "virtual concerto for saxophone and orchestra with jazz rhythm section," but it's a little more complicated than that -- actually, it's a concerto for jazz band, with saxophone leader, and orchestra. That creates several layers, and it is precisely in handling these layers where jazz/classical crossovers tend to fail -- and where Ogerman succeeds. A very sweet experience for listeners from either side of the divide. by James Manheim