NGUYÊN LÊ — 3 Three Trios (1997) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Nguyên Lê is a fusion guitarist who has versatility, leaves space, and does not mind caressing a melody now and then. On 3 Trios, he is heard with three different trios, all of which are impressive and engage in close interplay with the leader. Scott Yanow
"Three trios - and each of them sounds diverse, as if the virtuosity of three guitarists is at play." - ROLLING STONE ACT
Tracklist :
Three Trios    (9:43)
1    Silk    3:24
2    Silver    2:29
3    Sand    3:50
4    Dance Of The Comet    6:02
5    Foow    7:50
6    Kinderhund    3:31
7    Woof    6:56
8    Idoma    5:27
9    La Parfum    5:39
10    Blue Monkey    6:09
11    Straight No Chaser    3:35
Credits :
Nguyên Lê - El. & Electroacoustic Guitars, Guitar-Synth and E-bow
Marc Johnson - Acoustic Bass
Peter Erskine - Drums
Dieter Ilg - Acoustic Bass
Danny Gottlieb - Drums
Renaud Garcia-Fons - Acoustic Bass

LYLE MAYS — Lyle Mays (1986) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Lyle Mays waited a long, long time before straying from the Pat Metheny Group to issue his first solo album, but when he did, the results were at once removed but not totally untethered to the Metheny sound and feeling. On his own, Mays' synthesizer solos and textures are close in sound to what he was doing in the Metheny group, but the turns of phrases in his acoustic piano solos reflect the heavy shadow of Keith Jarrett. "Highland Aire" naturally has a buoyant, wistful Scottish flavor; "Teiko" begins with a wash of synths and then offers a mechanical rhythm that is vaguely Asian in feeling; and "Slink" is the closest the album comes to the floating Metheny groove. Although the 14-minute "Alaskan Suite" forms the centerpiece of the LP's side two, the entire side could be considered a suite as a whole, with a ruminative piano solo "Mirror of the Heart" preceding "Alaskan Suite," and "Close to Home" reprising the twinkling, burbling shafts of synthesizer of "Alaskan Suite"'s opening. Bill Frisell gives Mays a different yet no less musical and enterprising guitar foil; drummer Alex Acuna and Metheny group percussionist Nana Vasconcelos are as flexible a team as Mays could want. Marc Johnson is on bass and Billy Drewes is on alto and soprano sax. A very pleasing, thoroughly musical solo debut. Richard S. Ginell  
Tracklist  
1 Highland Aire  7:02
Bagpipes [Uilleann] – Patrick Sky
2 Teiko 7:21
3 Slink 8:17
4 Mirror Of The Heart 4:58
Alaskan Suite (14:12)
5 Northern Lights
6 Invocation
7 Ascent
8 Close To Home 6:10
Credits
Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Billy Drewes
Composed By, Piano, Synthesizer, Autoharp, Producer – Lyle Mays
Double Bass – Marc Johnson
Drums – Alejandro N, Acuña
Guitar – Bill Frisell
Percussion – Naná Vasconcelos

PAUL BLEY — Plays Carla Bley (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Most of Carla Bley's earliest compositions were first recorded by her then-husband, pianist Paul Bley, during the first half of the 1960s. For this 1991 trio date with bassist Marc Johnson and drummer Jeff Williams, Bley revisits ten of his former wife's songs, most of which date from the early era. While "Ida Lupino" has been explored in more definitive fashion by Bley elsewhere, his versions of such songs as "Vashkar," "Seven," "Turns" and "Ictus" work quite well. The music falls somewhere between advanced bop and the avant-garde, often swinging but with surprising turns and twists and often-unusual chord sequences. An intriguing set. Scott Yanow    Tracklist & Credits :

LEE KONITZ QUARTET - The New York Album (1988) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

While jazz wars continue to rage between the neo-classicists and most everyone else, veterans like alto saxophonist Lee Konitz thankfully continue to produce great music. Having already experienced the controversy of coming out of Lennie Tristano's idiosyncratic camp during the late bebop years, Konitz seems content in exploring the endless tributaries of jazz and improvisation. The high quality of his work from the past 40 years, along with his willingness to experiment with a variety of musicians and group configurations, earned him both the prestigious Jazzpar Prize and the continued praise of critics and fans alike. For this lovely and swinging date from 1988, Konitz conjures up a fresh array of solo moods on a mix of self-penned material, contemporary originals, and standards. Backed by a stellar band made up of bassist Marc Johnson, pianist Harold Danko, and drummer Adam Nussbaum, Konitz pleasantly surprises with his mercurial phrases, varied tonal palette, and unique rhythmic sense. Highlights include "Candlelight Shadows," "Limehouse Blues," and "Monkian Round." A very enjoyable collection. Stephen Cook  
Tracklist :
1     Candlelight Shadows 9:34
Harold Danko
2     Everybody's Song But My Own 7:23
Kenny Wheeler
3     Limehouse Blues 5:252
Philip Braham / Douglas Furber
4     Monkian Round 3:24
Lee Konitz
5     September Waltz 7:01
Frank Wunsch
6     Dream Variation 4:35
Lee Konitz
7     Invitation 8:56
Bronislaw Kaper / Paul Francis Webster
Credits :    
Alto Saxophone – Lee Konitz
Bass – Marc Johnson
Cover [Painting] – Tavia Konitz
Drums – Adam Nussbaum
Piano – Harold Danko

LEE KONITZ - Sound of Surprise (1999) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

While Whitney Balliett coined the phrase "sound of surprise" to describe jazz, it also pretty well sums up the entire career of Lee Konitz, whose fluid, dynamic alto has been a constant source of inspiration, distinction, and clarity. This effort teams him with such empathetic instrumental foils as Ted Brown John Abercrombie Marc Johnson and Joey Baron, who are superb rhythmic navigators, plotting interesting paths for Konitz with metered maps of their own drafting. Brown, a quite literate tenor saxophonist much in the style of old Konitz confrere Warne Marsh, has never had much use for the music business, and is rarely heard anymore. But he drops in here, shining on four cuts. The loose, freewheeling "Hi Beck" finds Brown and Konitz in unison, then counterpointed on heads and tails, with Baron tastefully trading eights in between. They play individual lines during the course of the ballad "Soddy & Bowl" but are firmly welded together for "Thingin'," the now-obligatory Konitz adaptation of "All the Things You Are." With Abercrombie, who is much more reserved and less affected, they do a crisp bossa line of "Mr. 88," the swinging bopper "Friendlee," and "Crumbles," a good swinger with upper-register melody. The bluesy "Bits & Pieces" is randomly tossed about, as Johnson drops out and then saunters back in with a solo, as does the roiling Baron. The famous "Subconsciouslee" finds each member playing by himself, then together, then with solos and rhythmic backup. Baron is really head and shoulders above most drummers; his dynamic concept consistently commands attention. Yet another fine recording from Konitz, this adds to an already immense discography that seems to get broader and deeper as it lengthens. Michael G. Nastos  
Tracklist :
1    Hi Beck    6:17
2    Gundunla    3:46
3    Mr. 88    4:39
4    Bits And Pieces    3:00
5    Blues Suite    7:51
6    Friendlee    7:32
7    Soddy And Bowl    5:39
8    Singin'    2:26
9    Wingin' 6:40
Composed By – Joey Baron, John Abercrombie, Lee Konitz, Marc Johnson , Ted Brown
10    Thingin'    7:26
11    Crumbles    5:33
12    Subconsciouslee    8:20
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Vocals, Composed By – Lee Konitz
Bass – Marc Johnson
Drums – Joey Baron
Guitar – John Abercrombie
Tenor Saxophone – Ted Brown

CHARLES LLOYD - Lift Every Voice (2002) 2xCD | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

As Charles Lloyd prepared to kick off a gig at New York's Blue Note club the night of Tuesday September 11, 2001, some murderous terrorists had some other plans for that morning a bit further south. The gig thus didn't begin until that Friday, and the wheels in Lloyd's mind kept on rolling through the aftermath, resulting in this double-CD album. Going his own way, he drew from public-domain spirituals, pop/rock songs, protest R&B, folk songs, and Ellingtonia and mixed them with his own compositions and meditations, assembling and reining in top-notch musicians like pianist Geri Allen, guitarist John Abercrombie, bassists Marc Johnson and Larry Grenadier, and drummer Billy Hart. The result is one of the most unusual and deeply spiritual recordings in Lloyd's always-unusual career, one that says more with fewer means. The leadoff track itself is an ear-opener, Lloyd's "Hymn to the Mother," which opens the gates with an Indian flavor, with its arco bass drone on a single chord and sitar-like articulation from Abercrombie. It's a miraculously subtle yet compelling way to grab your attention, like the introduction to a raga, thoughtfully sustained over 15 minutes. Somehow, the rest of the 130-minute album manages to maintain and develop the rapt atmosphere, reaching its central pivot of emotion three tracks into the second disc with the Coltrane quartet-like treatment of "Go Down Moses." As is often the case in a Lloyd performance, the tenor saxophonist is tempted to go to the outside, but usually in a gentle way, his head now in a thoughtful fog. Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" stays largely with the tune except toward the close, matching the haunted, dazed mood of the original. Billy Strayhorn is appropriately represented by "Blood Count"; Lloyd's own "Beyond Darkness" finds him on flute. Even "Amazing Grace," the over-exposed staple of every other folk or gospel revival, sounds fresh, devout, and genuine. Each disc concludes with something meaningful: Lloyd mourns alone and soulfully on "Hafez, Shattered Heart" at disc one's close and one more lengthy meditation, followed by an up-tempo release, "Prayer, the Crossing," ends disc two. Let responses like this from the jazz world be the real legacy of the aftermath of 9/11. Richard S. Ginell  
Tracklist 1 :
1     Hymn To The Mother 15'00
Charles Lloyd
2     You Are So Beautiful 4'05
Bruce Fisher / Billy Preston
3     Amazing Grace 4'42
Public Domain / Charles Lloyd / John Newton / Traditional
4     Red Bank 9'40
Charles Lloyd
5     What's Going On 5'07
Renaldo Benson / Al Cleveland / Marvin Gaye
6     Angel Oak 3'33
Charles Lloyd
7     Te Amaré 6'46
Silvio Rodríguez
8     I'm Afraid 7'38
Duke Ellington / Don George
9     Hafez, Shattered Heart 4'43
Charles Lloyd
Tracklist 2 :
1     Rabo de Nube 7'05
Silvio Rodríguez
2     Blood Count 5'06
Billy Strayhorn
3     Go Down Moses 10'37
Charles Lloyd / Traditional
4     Beyond Darkness 7'51
Charles Lloyd
5     Nocturne 6'12
Charles Lloyd
6     Wayfaring Stranger 8'35
Charles Lloyd / Traditional
7     Deep River 6'25
Charles Lloyd / Traditional
8     Lift Every Voice And Sing 3'08
James Weldon Johnson / John Johnson / Charles Lloyd / Traditional
9     Prayer, The Crossing 14'03
Charles Lloyd
Credits :
Double Bass – Larry Grenadier (pistas: 1-2, 1-8, 2-2, 2-4 to 2-8), Marc Johnson (pistas: 1-1, 1-3 to 1-7, 2-1, 2-3, 2-5, 2-9)
Drums – Billy Hart
Executive-Producer – Manfred Eicher
Guitar – John Abercrombie
Photography By, Design, Producer – Dorothy Darr
Piano – Geri Allen
Tenor Saxophone, Flute, Tárogató [Taragato], Producer – Charles Lloyd

JOHNNY GRIFFIN QUARTET - Unpretentious Delights (1978-1992) FLAC (tracks), lossless

This nearly hour-long set by Johnny Griffin comes from a 1978 concert in Warsaw. The Little Giant is in great form, though the track listing on the rear of CD is bound to confuse first-time listeners. The opening set begins with a four minutes of a chant-like vamp, before segueing directly into a lively arrangement of "A Night in Tunisia," which will definitely surprise anyone expecting "Body and Soul" (which is incorrectly labeled as track one); both pianist Pat Coil and drummer Art Taylor are also featured to good effect. Griffin's explosive take of "All the Things You Are" takes no prisoners, following it with lyrical interpretation of "Body and Soul." Although Griffin's tenor sax is well recorded, both the piano and bass suffer from distortion at times, so that should be taken into account before purchasing this CD. Ken Dryden
Tracklist :
1     Body and Soul 18'30
Frank Eyton / Johnny Green / Edward Heyman / Robert Sour
2     All the Things You Are 20'10
Oscar Hammerstein II / Jerome Kern
3     A Night in Tunisia 19'15
Dizzy Gillespie / Frank Paparelli
Credits :
Bass – Marc  Johnson
Drums – Art Taylor
Piano – Pat Coil
Tenor Saxophone – Johnny Griffin

JOHN ABERCROMBIE - Cat 'n' Mouse (2000) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Aided by an all-star band, John Abercombie makes it clear on CAT 'N' MOUSE exactly why he continues to be regarded as one of jazz's most creative and progressive guitarists. He's possessed not only of fearsome chops, but a finely honed textural sensibility that enables him to move from the slinky lines and feathery tones of the opening cut "A Nice Idea" to the forward-looking experimentalism of "Convolution" and post-bop firestorm of "Stop and Go" without missing a beat. Yoemanlike work is done as well by violinist Mark Feldman, whose purity of tone is matched only by his ceaseless originality and succinct phrasing. On the album's numerous contemplative tunes, it's a pleasure to hear Abercombie and Feldman's lines cris-crossing, creating spontaneous tone poems that bear beauty and invention in equal measure. AllMusic
Tracklist :
1     A Nice Idea 10:55
John Abercrombie
2     Convolution 5:31
John Abercrombie
3     String Thing 3:59
John Abercrombie
4     Soundtrack 8:04
John Abercrombie
5     Third Stream Samba 8:41
John Abercrombie / Joey Baron / Mark Feldman / Marc Johnson
6     On the Loose 5:59
John Abercrombie
7     Stop and Go 6:59
John Abercrombie
8     Show of Hands 9:18
John Abercrombie / Joey Baron / Mark Feldman / Marc Johnson
Credits :
Double Bass – Marc Johnson
Drums – Joey Baron
Guitar – John Abercrombie
Producer – Manfred Eicher
Violin – Mark Feldman

JOHN ABERCROMBIE - Class Trip (2003) APE (image+.cue), lossless

The John Abercrombie Quartet's Cat 'n' Mouse, issued in 2002, showcased a band that was on the verge of something that approached greatness. Abercrombie, violinist Mark Feldman, drummer Joey Baron, and bassist Marc Johnson gelled together inside the framework of the guitarist's increasingly open-ended compositions and became a unit that could articulate the most subtle of sonorities and intricate harmonic architectures. But they also revealed that they were entering the zone where they could actually stretch time and space. On Class Trip, the bandmembers come together fully and build on that concept with such beauty and grace that they sound as if they've been playing together all their lives. The sheer subtle intuition that guides these proceedings is breathtaking, whether they are weaving through one another on "Cat Walk," which is alternately full of shimmering yet knotty harmonics with Abercrombie's chord voicings offering a dimensional extension of Feldman's lines in counterpoint, finding a common singing voice where time signatures seemingly disappear, as on "Risky Business," or messing about with Bartók's "Soldier's Song" and turning its melodic line back on itself in an inverse scalar schemata. This band is concerned only with the articulation and expression of a musicality that lies not in the obviousness of its contributors' considerable musical gifts as jazz improvisers, but in the sheer nuanced elegance of an ensemble whose blurring of traditions under the rubric of improvisation makes the group not only compelling but brilliant. Abercrombie's compositions for this band are the most adventurous and graceful of his long career; as a unit, the quartet is a band without peers that plays a music whose challenge is only eclipsed by its accessibility and singular language.
(This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa')
Tracklist :
1     Dansir 9:32
John Abercrombie
2     Risky Business 7:40
John Abercrombie
3     Descending Grace 8:56
John Abercrombie
4     Illinoise 5:36
John Abercrombie / Joey Baron / Mark Feldman / Marc Johnson
5     Cat Walk 7:56
John Abercrombie
6     Excuse My Shoes 8:29
John Abercrombie
7     Swirls 6:07
John Abercrombie
8     Jack and Betty 3:41
John Abercrombie
9     Class Trip 7:29
John Abercrombie
10     Bartók: Soldier's Song 3:03
Béla Bartók
11     Epilogue 3:04
John Abercrombie / Joey Baron / Mark Feldman / Marc Johnson
Credits :
Double Bass – Marc Johnson
Drums – Joey Baron
Guitar – John Abercrombie
Producer – Manfred Eicher
Violin – Mark Feldman

TOOTS THIELEMANS - The Brasil Project (1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This popular set matches the brilliant harmonica player Toots Thielemans with such top Brazilian performers as Ivan Lins, Djavan, Oscar Castro-Neves, Dori Caymmi, Ricardo Silveira, João Bosco, Gilberto Gil, Milton Nascimento, Caetano Veloso, Luiz Bonfá, Edu Lobo and Eliane Elias, in addition to bassist Brian Bromberg, keyboardist Michael Lang, trumpeter Mark Isham and Dave Grusin. Thielemans is often in a supportive role behind the many soothing Brazilian singers and performers. The atmospheric date surprisingly does not have any Antonio Carlos Jobim songs, instead emphasizing lesser-known tunes (other than Toots' greatest hit "Bluesette"). Easily recommended to fans of Brazilian pop and jazz, this CD was soon followed by a second (and equally rewarding) set featuring many of the same performers. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Comecar de Novo 3:54
Ivan Lins / Vitor Martins
2     Obi 4:22
Djavan
3     Felicia and Bianca 2:59
Oscar Castro-Neves
4     O Cantador 4:09
Dori Caymmi / Nelson Motta
5     Joana Francesca 5:56
Chico Buarque
6     Coisa Feita 4:25
Aldir Blanc / João Bosco / Paulo Emilio
7     Preciso Aprender a So Ser 3:17
Gilberto Gil
8     Fruta Boa 5:41
Fernando Brant / Milton Nascimento
9     Coração Vagabundo 4:27
Caetano Veloso
10     Manha de Carnaval 3:27
Luiz Bonfá / Antônio Maria
11     Casa Forte 3:37
Edú Lobo
12     Moments 2:35
Eliane Elias
13     Bluesette 9:39
Norman Gimbel / Toots Thielemans
Credits :
Bass – Brian Bromberg, Jamil Joanes, Nico Assumpção
Contrabass – Marc Johnson
Drums – Teo Lima
Electric Guitar – Ricardo Silveira
Guitar – Lee Ritenour
Harmonica – Toots Thielemans
Keyboards – Gilson Peranzzetta, Mike Lang
Percussion – Cassio Duarte, Paulinho Da Costa
Performer – Caetano Veloso, Chico Buarque, Djavan, Dori Caymmi, Edu Lobo, Eliane Elias, Gilberto Gil, Ivan Lins, João Bosco, Luis Bonfá, Milton Nascimento
Piano – Dave Grusin
Producer, Performer – Oscar Castro-Neves
Trumpet – Mark Isham

RALPH TOWNER - Lost And Found (1996) APE (image+.cue), lossless

This 1995 date shows guitarist and composer Ralph Towner in estimable form. For a guy who's released literally dozens of records under his own name and with his band Oregon and played on dozens more, he still seems to have plenty to say with only two guitars in his arsenal (well, there was the period where he used a Prophet Five synthesizer with Oregon, but we won't go into that here). Using familiar (Marc Johnson and Jon Christensen) and new (Denny Goodhew) faces, Towner goes searching for that elusive muse he has been pursuing for over 30 years: the root of what makes complex harmonic and melodic improvisation possible. His relentlessness is in fine shape here. Using the horns and Johnson's large dynamic range for texture and shading, he, with Christensen in tow, can go ferreting through intervallic forests of prismatic chromaticism and changeling modal systems to place notions of "song" firmly within the context of spontaneous composition. Nowhere is this more evident than on the striking "Élan Vital." Towner opens the track and Goodhew follows him playing soprano. There are three melodic exchanges, each more far-reaching than the last, before Towner goes off with Christensen trading fours and slipping through chorded wreaths and trills of augmented sevenths and ninths. There is a space at midpoint where Johnson, for the sake of adding color to the melodic abstraction, begins by playing chords and then others based on those, singly, then doubly, until the bass sings! There are 15 tunes on Lost and Found, most of them Towner's compositions, but two by Johnson -- "Col Legno" and "Sco Cone" -- deserve special note. On the first, his bowing of this wrinkled, out of time immemorial melody, and his restraint to keep the timbres in the piece from mixing too much, are stunning. On the second, a solo work, his subtle lyricism is in dramatic contrast to his funkiness and staccato playing. It was gracious of Towner to include them. This is a guitar player's recording, but it is obvious that Towner writes for ensembles equally well, and he has clearly written the vast majority of this recording for this particular ensemble. It's seamless from start to finish; it moves and is far less ponderous than some of his earlier outings; it's a winner for sure.
(This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa')
Tracklist:
1     Harbinger 2:34
Ralph Towner
2     Trill Ride 3:11
Marc Johnson / Ralph Towner
3     Élan Vital 6:20
Ralph Towner
4     Summer's End 5:15
Ralph Towner
5     Col Legno 3:16
Marc Johnson
6     Soft Landing 2:17
Denney Goodhew / Marc Johnson / Ralph Towner
7     Flying Cows 4:57
Denney Goodhew
8     Mon Enfant 4:06
Anonymous Composer
9     A Breath Away 5:17
Ralph Towner
10     Scrimshaw 1:26
Ralph Towner
11     Midnight Blue... Red Shift 3:27
Denney Goodhew
12     Moonless 4:39
Marc Johnson / Ralph Towner
13     Sco Cone 3:44
Marc Johnson
14     Tattler 3:08
Ralph Towner
15     Taxi's Waiting 4:34
Ralph Towner
Credits:
Classical Guitar, Twelve-String Guitar [12-String Guitar] – Ralph Towner
Design [Cover Design] – Barbara Wojirsch
Double Bass – Marc Johnson
Drums – Jon Christensen
Producer – Manfred Eicher
Sopranino Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone, Bass Clarinet – Denney Goodhew 

JOHN LEWIS - Evolution II (2001-2014) RM / Jazz Best Collection 1000 / FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

On May 3, 2000, John Lewis turned 80 -- and almost half a century after the formation of the Modern Jazz Quartet, he could still inspire a variety of reactions. Over the years, Lewis' detractors have insisted that his piano playing is too polite and overly mannered; his admirers, however, have exalted him as the epitome of class and sophistication. To be sure, Lewis' pianism is quite sophisticated, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't swing or that he isn't soulful. Recorded in 2000 and released in early 2001, Evolution II isn't going to convert anyone who isn't already an admirer of the pianist's cool jazz/third stream approach. Anyone who has claimed that Lewis' playing is too polite won't have a change of heart after hearing this CD, but for Lewis' admirers, the rewards are great. Evolution II is the second installment of his Evolution trilogy; while the first Evolution was an unaccompanied solo piano recording, Evolution II finds him leading quartets that include Howard Alden or Howard Collins on guitar, George Mraz or Marc Johnson on upright bass, and Lewis Nash on drums. Except for the standards "Come Rain or Come Shine" and "What Is This Thing Called Love?," all of the songs are Lewis originals (including new compositions as well as familiar pieces like "Django" and "Trieste"). True to form, Lewis is elegant and swinging at the same time -- contrary to what his detractors have claimed, Lewis swings, but he does so on his own terms. For Lewis, there is no reason why jazz cannot be classical-influenced yet maintain the feelings of the blues. Although Evolution II falls short of essential, it is an enjoyable addition to the veteran pianist's catalog and demonstrates that his chops have held up well over the years. by Alex Henderson
Tracklist:
1    The Festivals 4:14   
John Lewis
2    One of Parker's Moods 3:54   
John Lewis
3    December, Remember 6:59
John Lewis
4    That! Afternoon in Paris 6:07    
John Lewis
5    Cain and Abel 6:52
John Lewis
6    Come Rain or Come Shine 5:03
Harold Arlen / Johnny Mercer
7    Trieste 4:17
John Lewis
8    Django 5:24
John Lewis
9    Sammy 4:09
John Lewis / Cole Porter
10    What Is This Thing Called Love? 5:52
Cole Porter
John Lewis feat: Cole Porter
CreditS :
Howard Alden - Guitar
Howard Collins - Guitar
Marc Johnson - Bass, Bass (Acoustic)
John Lewis - Composer, Piano, Producer
George Mraz - Bass, Bass (Acoustic),
Lewis Nash - Drums
Cole Porter - Composer, Performer

LYLE MAYS - Street Dreams (1988) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Lyle Mays' second solo album ventures even further afield than his acclaimed first record, into areas not associated with Mays nor his employer Pat Metheny. This time, the personnel list is far more varied, with several guest luminaries from the world of jazz-rock, as well as a big band and full chamber orchestra on some selections. Again, the main thrust of the album is bound up in a lengthy suite with new age atmospheric elements, juxtaposing fleet Brazilian grooves with a chamber orchestra, voluble Mays piano solos, and electronic interpolations by Mays and Frisell reminiscent of early classical electronic music. The solo "Chorinho" is a running classical exercise on electric keyboards, almost a contemporary Bachianas Brasileiras (to borrow Villa-Lobos' term) and a considerable feat of invention. The biggest surprise of all may well be "Possible Straight," a brief, straight-ahead piece of big band hard bop, and "Before You Can Go" seems to be the token emulation of the Metheny groove. There's a lot of inventive, mostly easygoing music here, though if one must choose, the level is not as consistently high as on Mays' first album. by Richard S. Ginell  

JOHN ABERCROMBIE / MARC JOHNSON / PETER ERSKINE (1989) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

MAURIZIO GIAMMARCO QUARTET - Hornithology (2006) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

THE JOHN SCOFIELD QUARTET - Meant to Be (1990) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Meant to Be features guitarist John Scofield's 1990 pianoless quartet on 11 of his compositions. During the best selections (such as "Big Fan" and "Mr. Coleman to You") one can hear the influence of not just the original Ornette Coleman Quartet but the Keith Jarrett/Dewey Redman Quintet. Joe Lovano's increasingly original tenor sound (mixing together John Coltrane, Dewey Redman, and even Eddie Harris on this set) works well with Scofield and the tight but loose rhythm section (bassist Marc Johnson and drummer Bill Stewart). "Eisenhower" (a slightly tongue-in-cheek, boppish romp) and "Some Nerve" (which uses New Orleans parade rhythms) are also memorable performances. The colorful and enjoyable set is modern mainstream music of the 1990s, stretching ahead while holding on to the roots of hard bop, funk, and fusion.  by Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1 Big Fan 6:03
2 Keep Me In Mind 6:00
3 Go Blow 8:19
4 Chariots 6:02
5 The Guinness Spot 6:35
6 Mr. Coleman To You 6:02
7 Eisenhower 5:20
8 Meant To Be 7:07
9 Some Nerve 5:10
10 Lost In Space 6:30
11 French Flics 5:28
Credits :
Bass – Marc Johnson
Drums – Bill Stewart
Guitar, Composed By – John Scofield
Tenor Saxophone, Alto Clarinet – Joe Lovano

LYLE MAYS - Lyle Mays (1986) Lp [24-96] FLAC (tracks)

Lyle Mays waited a long, long time before straying from the Pat Metheny Group to issue his first solo album, but when he did, the results were at once removed but not totally untethered to the Metheny sound and feeling. On his own, Mays' synthesizer solos and textures are close in sound to what he was doing in the Metheny group, but the turns of phrases in his acoustic piano solos reflect the heavy shadow of Keith Jarrett. "Highland Aire" naturally has a buoyant, wistful Scottish flavor; "Teiko" begins with a wash of synths and then offers a mechanical rhythm that is vaguely Asian in feeling; and "Slink" is the closest the album comes to the floating Metheny groove. Although the 14-minute "Alaskan Suite" forms the centerpiece of the LP's side two, the entire side could be considered a suite as a whole, with a ruminative piano solo "Mirror of the Heart" preceding "Alaskan Suite," and "Close to Home" reprising the twinkling, burbling shafts of synthesizer of "Alaskan Suite"'s opening. Bill Frisell gives Mays a different yet no less musical and enterprising guitar foil; drummer Alex Acuna and Metheny group percussionist Nana Vasconcelos are as flexible a team as Mays could want. Marc Johnson is on bass and Billy Drewes is on alto and soprano sax. A very pleasing, thoroughly musical solo debut.    by Richard S. Ginell  
Tracklist  
A1 Highland Aire  7:02
Bagpipes [Uilleann] – Patrick Sky
A2 Teiko 7:21
A3 Slink 8:17
B1 Mirror Of The Heart 4:58
Alaskan Suite (14:12)
B2a Northern Lights
B2b Invocation
B2c Ascent
B3 Close To Home 6:10
Credits
Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Billy Drewes
Composed By, Piano, Synthesizer, Autoharp, Producer – Lyle Mays
Double Bass – Marc Johnson
Drums – Alejandro N, Acuña
Guitar – Bill Frisell
Percussion – Nana Vasconcelos

JOHN ABERCROMBIE - Current Events (1985) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Excellent trio date featuring Abercrombie playing with bassist Marc Johnson and drummer Peter Erskine. The three take chances, converge, collide, alternate time in the spotlight, and make emphatic, unpredictable music while never staying locked into one groove or style. by Ron Wynn
Tracklist
1 Clint 6:06
Composed By – John Abercrombie, Marc Johnson, Peter Erskine
2 Alice In Wonderland 8:38
Composed By – Bob Hillard, Sammy Fain
3 Ralph's Piano Waltz 6:11
Composed By – John Abercrombie
4 Lisa 2:23
Composed By – John Abercrombie
5 Hippityville 8:20
Composed By – John Abercrombie
6 Killing Time 7:52
Composed By – John Abercrombie
7 Still 8:56
Composed By – John Abercrombie
Credits
Bass – Marc Johnson
Drums – Peter Erskine
Guitar, Guitar Synthesizer – John Abercrombie
Producer – Manfred Eicher

JOHN ABERCROMBIE - November (1993) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This 1993 recording of John Abercrombie's trio with a guest appearance by British saxophone giant and composer John Surman is, without question, a trademark ECM session. There's the spacious, pristine, icy production by label boss Manfred Eicher from his studio in Oslo. Next, all the players are ECM staples with the exception of Erskine, who plays everything from pop jazz to classical music. But there are many things that distinguish it as well. For one, Surman is playing here with a fire not heard since the early '70s. Whether he is blowing a baritone or soprano saxophone or his bass clarinet, he's cutting loose. There are long, looping lines that quote everyone from John Carter to Jim Pepper to Eric Dolphy and Ben Webster. His willingness to seek out the heart of dissonance inspires his bandmates, particularly on "The Cat's Back." From a nuanced, eerie wail to a Native American folk melody to smoky phraseology taken from "Chelsea Bridge," Surman pulls out all the stops and then puts them back in to make the tune whisper. Abercrombie doesn't exactly take a back seat on this date, but he does showcase his expansive knowledge of Tal Farlow's harmonic palette by playing extended chords either inside the melody or as a dissonant counterpoint to Surman. Other standouts include the title track with its strange, even alien, crosstalk between Johnson's bowed bass and Abercormbie's short, knotted leads. On Surman's ballad "Ogeda," too, Abercrombie investigates the manner in which the jazz tradition celebrates dissonant harmonies while using a kind of lyrical improvisation to keep the tune gently swinging. It's a solid session from beginning to end, but one still wishes Eicher would take his hands off the sound controls a bit, allowing some of the rawness that each of these players shows in live settings to enter the studio.

Tracks :

1. The Cat's Back - 6:24

2. J.S. - 6:14

3. Right Brain Patrol (Johnson) - 9:00

4. Prelude - 3:27

5. November (Abercrombie, Erskine, Johnson) - 8:26

6. Rise and Fall (Erskine) - 5:22

7. John's Waltz - 5:40

8. Ogeda (Surman) - 4:40

9. Tuesday Afternoon (Erskine, Johnson) - 2:55

10. To Be - 5:24

11. Come Rain or Come Shine 

(Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer) - 6:04

12. Big Music - 5:41

All compositions by John Abercrombie except as indicated.

Credits :

John Abercrombie — guitar

John Surman — baritone saxophone, soprano saxophone, bass clarinet

Marc Johnson — bass

Peter Erskine — drums.