LEE KONITZ | MICHEL PETRUCCIANI - Toot Sweet (1982-2001) FLAC (tracks), lossless

This 1982 meeting between the veteran alto saxophonist Lee Konitz and the young pianist (19 at the time of the session) Michel Petrucciani is a success on all counts. Konitz's fragile alto is complemented by Petrucciani's lush backing in "I Hear a Rhapsody," while their abstract approach to "'Round Midnight" and "Lover Man" are both very refreshing. Konitz is unaccompanied for his wandering "Ode," while the pianist is featured alone on his complex portrait "To Erlinda," which is dedicated to his first wife. Petrucciani and Konitz wrote the brief closer, the lively blues "Lovelee," during which they initially play apart from one another before joining forces to close with a flourish. This was only Petrucciani's third recording, yet he plays far beyond his years; this recommended CD will be difficult to find due to the demise of the Owl label. Ken Dryden
Tracklist :
1     I Hear a Rhapsody 4:43
Jack Baker / George Fragos / Dick Gasparre
2     To Erlinda 5:03
Michel Petrucciani
3     'Round About Midnight 16:00
Bernie Hanighen / Thelonious Monk / Cootie Williams
4     Lover Man 15:35
Jimmy Davis / Roger "Ram" Ramirez / Jimmy Sherman
5     Ode 4:46
Lee Konitz
6     Lovelee 2:11
Lee Konitz / Michel Petrucciani
Credits :    
Alto Saxophone [Selmer] – Lee Konitz
Piano [Bosendorfer Imperial] – Michel Petrucciani
Notas.
Recorded at Centre Musical Bosendorfer, Paris on May 25, 1982

CHARLES LLOYD QUARTET - A Night in Copenhagen (1983-1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

From 1982-1983, pianist Michel Petrucciani was a member of the Charles Lloyd Quartet. Lloyd, coaxed out of retirement by Petrucciani, sounded virtually unchanged from his earlier days; the passion and enthusiasm were still there. The leader is heard on tenor, flute, and the exotic Chinese oboe on seven of his originals, including two ("Of Course, Of Course" and "Sweet Georgia Bright") that were released for the first time on this CD reissue. Bassist Palle Danielsson and drummer Woody Theus are excellent in support, and the remarkable singer Bobby McFerrin scats quite creatively on "Of Course, Of Course" and "Third Floor Richard." Recommended. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Lotus Land (To Thakur and Trane) 9'07
Charles Lloyd
2     Lady Day 7'34
Charles Lloyd
3     El Encanto 6'36
Charles Lloyd
4     Third Floor Richard 8'12
Charles Lloyd
Vocals – Bobby McFerrin   
5     Night Blooming Jasmine 14'35
Charles Lloyd
6     Of Course, of Course 9'36
Charles Lloyd
Vocals – Bobby McFerrin
7     Sweet Georgia Bright 11'46
Charles Lloyd
Credits :
Bass – Palle Danielsson
Percussion – Son Ship Theus
Piano – Michel Petrucciani
Producer [Original Session] – Charles Lloyd, Dorothy Darr, Gabreal Franklin
Tenor Saxophone, Flute, Oboe [Chinese Oboe] – Charles Lloyd

MICHEL PETRUCCIANI - Michel Petrucciani (1981-2001) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Michel Petrucciani's second recording (following the obscure Flash, put out by the French Bingow label the previous year) finds the pianist at age 18 already a powerful force. Assisted by bassist J.F. Jenny Clark and drummer Aldo Romano, Petrucciani is more heavily influenced here by Bill Evans than he would be later. The trio performs two originals apiece by the pianist and drummer Romano, plus "Days of Wine and Roses" and a romp on "Cherokee." This CD shows that Petrucciani was a brilliant player from the start. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist
1 Hommage À Enelram Atsenig 4:21
Michel Petrucciani
2 Days of Wine and Roses 7:17
Henry Mancini / Johnny Mercer
3 Christmas Dreams 7:14
Aldo Romano
4 Juste un Moment 6:01
Michel Petrucciani
5 Gattito 6:08
Aldo Romano
6 Cherokee 6:34
Ray Noble
Credits
Bass – J.F. Jenny-Clark
Drums – Aldo Romano
Piano – Michel Petrucciani

MICHEL PETRUCCIANI - 100 Hearts (1984) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

If it were not for Michel Petrucciani's good taste, it is likely that his very impressive technique would dominate his solos. As it is, the pianist has been able to use his technique in surprising ways, avoiding the obvious and showing self-restraint while coming up with ingenious ideas in his improvisations. This solo album, his first for an American label, finds Petrucciani exploring pieces by Ornette Coleman, Charlie Haden, and Sonny Rollins, in addition to two of his own songs and a lengthy wandering medley that somehow incorporates "Someday My Prince Will Come," "All the Things You Are," "A Child Is Born," and Bill Evans' "Very Early" into a collage. A very impressive outing. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1 Turn Around 9:20
Ornette Coleman
2 Three Forgotten Magic Words 5:26
Michel Petrucciani
3 Silence 5:57
Charlie Haden
4 St. Thomas 6:41
Sonny Rollins
5 Pot Pouri (Medley): Someday My Prince Will Come/All the Things You Are 14:21
Frank Churchill / Oscar Hammerstein II / Thad Jones / Jerome Kern / Michel Petrucciani
6 100 Hearts 11:59
Michel Petrucciani
Credits:
Michel Petrucciani Composer, Piano

MICHEL PETRUCCIANI - Note 'n Notes (1984-2007) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 Showing the influence of Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett, as well as an expansive understanding of jazz in general, pianist Michel Petrucciani weaves myriad textures, rhythms, and styles at the keyboard, producing work that sounds both complex and seamless. His brevity comes from both incredible technique and an ease with a wide range of musical settings: quintets, quartets, trios, and an assortment of duo settings. Petrucciani further expands the field here with a solo program of two originals and two standards. He kicks things off with the self-penned "The Round Boys Dance," an abstract boogie-woogie number full of mercurial improvisation. Petrucciani maintains the momentum on "Eugenia," evoking the buoyancy of John Lewis' "Afternoon in Paris" while tossing off a wealth of fresh solo ideas. He tones things down with meditations on Duke Ellington's "Prelude to a Kiss" and Rodgers & Hart's "My Funny Valentine," practically transforming both pieces by thoroughly exploring their almost symphonic terrain, especially on the Ellington cut. A great Petrucciani disc and certainly one of the finer solo jazz piano records available. by Stephen Cook  
Tracklist:
1 The Round Boy's Dance 8:05
Michel Petrucciani
2 Prelude to a Kiss 15:20
Duke Ellington / Irving Gordon / Irving Mills
3 Eugenia 9:15
Michel Petrucciani
4 My Funny Valentine 10:48
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
Credits:
Piano [Steinway] – Michel Petrucciani (tracks: 2, 4)
Piano [Steinway], Piano [In Overdub] – Michel Petrucciani (tracks: 1)
Piano [Steinway], Piano [Two Tracks Of Overdubing] – Michel Petrucciani (tracks: 3)

MICHEL PETRUCCIANI - Cold Blues (1985) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Michel Petrucciani's last European recording before hooking up with Blue Note, this set of duets matches the tiny but powerful pianist with bassist Ron McClure. They perform post-bop explorations of four originals (including an ad-lib "Cold Blues"), "Autumn Leaves" and "There Will Never Be Another You." The interplay between the two musicians is impressive, but although McClure plays a prominent role, Petrucciani is clearly the dominant force. Worth searching for. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1 Beautiful But Why? 8:37
Michel Petrucciani
2 Autumn Leaves 5:44
Joseph Kosma / Johnny Mercer / Jacques Prévert
3 Something Like This 6:19
Ron McClure
4 There Will Never Be Another You 6:57
Mack Gordon / Harry Warren
5 I Just Say Hello! 8:47
Michel Petrucciani
6 Cold Blues 6:35
Ron McClure / Michel Petrucciani
Credits:
Bass – Ron McClure
Piano [Steinway] – Michel Petrucciani

MICHEL PETRUCCIANI ft. JIM HALL AND WAYNE SHORTER - Power of Three (1987) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

This is an all-star summit that works quite well. Pianist Michel Petrucciani, a major jazz musician who had already led 11 record dates by this time (despite still being only 23), teams up with guitarist Jim Hall at the 1986 Montreux Jazz Festival for two lyrical duets: the altered blues "Careful," in which they comp exquisitely behind each other's solos, and "In a Sentimental Mood." Petrucciani and Hall are joined by Wayne Shorter on soprano and tenor for "Limbo," "Morning Blues," and the calypso "Bimini," and these songs feature some of Shorter's finest jazz playing of the era.

Tracklist:

1. Limbo (Wayne Shorter) - 7:57

2. Careful (Jim Hall) - 6:49

3. Morning Blues (Michel Petrucciani) - 8:15

4. Waltz New (Jim Hall) - 5:30

5. Beautiful Love (King, Young, Alstyne, Gillespie) - 7:19

6. In A Sentimental Mood (Duke Ellington) - 12:18

7. Bimini (Jim Hall) - 10:05

Personnel

Michel Petrucciani - piano

Jim Hall - guitar

Saxophone – Wayne Shorter

Note

Tracks 4 and 5 do not appear on the LP configuration.

THE MICHEL PETRUCCIANI TRIO - Pianism (1985) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

After five years during which he emerged from France to become an important figure in the international jazz world, pianist Michel Petrucciani (still a few days shy of his 23rd birthday) debuted on Blue Note with this superior trio outing. Assisted by bassist Palle Danielsson and drummer Eliot Zigmund, Petrucciani sometimes shows off the influence of Bill Evans both in the nearly equal roles played by the instruments and in his chord voicings. However, the pianist's own personality does shine through often on the set, which features explorations of four of Petrucciani's tunes, "Night and Day," and "Here's That Rainy Day." Superior post-bop music played by the already brilliant pianist. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1 The Prayer 11:05
Written-By – Michel Petrucciani
2 Our Tune 6:51
Written-By – Michel Petrucciani
3 Face's Face 4:37
Written-By – Michel Petrucciani 
4 Night and Day 9:20
Cole Porter
5 Here's That Rainy Day 8:17
Johnny Burke / James Van Heusen
6 Regina 9:20
Written-By – Michel Petrucciani
Credits
Bass – Palle Danielsson
Drums – Eliot Zigmund
Piano – Michel Petrucciani

MICHEL PETRUCCIANI - Marvellous (1994) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Having untethered himself from the United States and Blue Note Records, Petrucciani returned to France and promptly zapped out one of his finest, most unusual recordings. By this time, Petrucciani had found his own stylistic groove, his technique sharpened to an enviable degree, his melodic bent fresh and inextinguishable. To these assets, Petrucciani added two ex-Miles Davis sidekicks of some note, bassist Dave Holland and drummer Tony Williams, who provide a furious polyrhythmic kick for the pianist to groove on. And there is something else put together just for the session: the Graffiti String Quartet, a quartet of Frenchman who have mastered the elusive craft of swinging on the strings. Everything works: Petrucciani exploits his melodic gift and comes up with an attractive set of eight compositions (there is also one by Philippe Petrucciani and "Besame Mucho" is thrown in as a parting shot), Williams shuffles the rhythms up in his explosive manner, the string quartet fills the spaces without overloading the textures or interfering with the Williams/Holland machine. Furthermore, the impact of America is still very much present in tunes like "Manhattan," which is astonishing in its hard-swinging single lines, and "Charlie Brown," an apparent reference to the Peanuts scores with a definite Vince Guaraldi quality in the rhythm and left hand. The only melancholy thing about this splendid session is the realization that Petrucciani and Williams are no longer around, cruelly taken before the decade was out when they were still relatively young men. by Richard S. Ginell  
Tracklist:
1 Manhattan 4:51
Michel Petrucciani
2 Charlie Brown 2:47
Michel Petrucciani
3 Even Mice Dance 4:39
Michel Petrucciani
4 Why 5:52
Philippe Petrucciani
5 Hidden Joy 6:21
Duke Ellington
6 Shooting Stars 5:30
Michel Petrucciani
7 You Are My Waltz 4:13
Michel Petrucciani
8 Dumb Breaks 2:42
Michel Petrucciani
9 92's Last 5:19
Michel Petrucciani
10 Besame Mucho 3:14
Sunny Skylar / Consuelo Velázquez
Credits:
Arranged By – Aldo Frank (tracks: 2, 7), Michel Petrucciani (tracks: 1, 2 to 6, 8 to 10)
Bass – Dave Holland
Cello – Vincent Courtois
Drums – Tony Williams
Ensemble – Graffiti String Quartet
Piano, Producer – Michel Petrucciani
Songwriter – Consuelo Velasquez (tracks: 10), Michel Petrucciani (tracks: 1 to 3, 5 to 9), Philippe Petrucciani (tracks: 4)
Viola – Pierre Lemarchand
Violin – Nicolas Krassik, Vincent Pagliarin

EDDY LOUISS / MICHEL PETRUCCIANI - Conférence de Presse (1994) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Organist Eddy Louiss and pianist Michel Petrucciani perform a set of boppish duets on this intriguing and successful effort. Louiss and Petrucciani (who brought in "I Wrote You a Song" and "Simply Bop") contributed two songs apiece and co-wrote "Jean-Philippe Herbien." In addition, they perform "All the Things You Are," "So What," and "These Foolish Things." The blend between Louiss' organ and Petrucciani's piano is quite attractive, and they work together quite well, leaving enough space for their individual personalities to emerge yet forming a highly appealing ensemble sound. Recommended. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1 Les Grelots 6:42
Eddy Louiss
2 Jean-Philippe Harbien  10:15
Eddy Louiss / Michel Petrucciani
3 All the Things You Are 6:40
Oscar Hammerstein II / Jerome Kern
4 I Wrote You a Song 8:10
Michel Petrucciani
5 So What 9:55
Miles Davis
6 These Foolish Things 9:55
Harry Link / Holt Marvell / Jack Strachey
7 Amesha 6:30
Eddy Louiss
8 Simply Bop 4:30
Michel Petrucciani
Credits:
Organ [Hammond] – Eddy Louiss
Piano – Michel Petrucciani

EDDY LOUISS / MICHEL PETRUCCIANI - Conférence de Presse, Vol. 2 (1995) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist:
1 Autumn Leaves 9:51
Joseph Kosma / Jacques Prévert
2 Hub Art 5:56
Michel Petrucciani
3 Caravan 8:00
Duke Ellington
4 Naissance 6:41
Eddy Louiss
5 Rachid 7:35
Michel Petrucciani
6 Caraibes 9:03
Eddy Louiss
7 Au P'tit Jour 6:58
Eddy Louiss
8 Summertime 8:03
George Gershwin
Credits:
Organ [Hammond] – Eddy Louiss
Piano – Michel Petrucciani

STÉPHANE GRAPPELLI / MICHEL PETRUCCIANI - Flamingo (1996-2008) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This CD features a logical combination of two talented Frenchmen, violinist Stéphane Grappelli and pianist Michel Petrucciani, who had never recorded together before. With the assistance of bassist George Mraz and drummer Roy Haynes, the co-leaders romp on a variety of standards. Petrucciani was 32 at the time of this June 1995 set, a mere child compared to the 87-year-old Grappelli. Despite his age, Grappelli's violin playing sounds as youthful and enthusiastic as it had been in the 1930s; the 60 years of practice had not hurt. While Petrucciani's music is usually in the Bill Evans post-bop vein, he was happy to visit Grappelli's turf on this occasion, mostly playing veteran standards. On such songs as "Sweet Georgia Brown," "How About You" (here mistitled "I Love New York in June"), "I Remember April," and "There Will Never Be Another You," Stephane Grappelli is both joyful and masterful. Highly recommended. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1 These Foolish Things 4:32
Written-By – Eric Maschvitz, Jack Strachey
2 Little Peace In C For U 3:04
Written-By – Michel Petrucciani
3 Flamingo 4:09
Written-By – Edmund Anderson, Theodor Grouya
4 Sweet Georgia Brown 4:05
Written-By – Ben Bernie, Kenneth Casey, Maceo Pinkard
5 I Can't Get Started 5:09
Written-By – Ira Gershwin, Vernon Duke
6 I Got Rhythm 5:51
Written-By – Ira & George Gershwin
7 I Love New York In June 3:46
Written-By – Burton Lane, Ralph Freed
8 Misty 6:57
Written-By – Erroll Garner, Johnny Burke
9 I Remember April 5:17
Written-By – Don Raye, Gene De Paul, Patricia Johnston
10 Lover Man 6:17
Written-By – James Davis, James Sherman, Roger Ramirez
11 There Will Never Be Another You 3:58
Written-By – Harry Warren, Mack Gordon
12 Valse Du Passé 2:00
Written-By – Stéphane Grappelli
- Bonus Tracks -
13 Pennies from Heaven 3:40
Arthur Johnston / Johnny Burke
14  Blues 7:52
(D.R) D.R
15 Night and Day 3:59
Cole Porter
Créditos
Bass – George Mraz
Drums – Roy Haynes
Piano – Michel Petrucciani
Violin – Stéphane Grappelli

RACHELLE FERRELL - First Instrument (1990) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Rachelle Ferrell made her name performing R&B, but this strictly acoustic jazz CD is her earliest recording. Her voice is quite soulful, making her later shift to R&B less of a surprise in hindsight, but Ferrell seems quite unsure of how to use her wide range, and her improvisations are often quite eccentric. Her lack of warmth and subtlety (along with a tendency to scream and screech in unexpected spots without a buildup) makes it difficult to listen to several of the numbers on this standards-oriented set. Trumpeter Terence Blanchard and Wayne Shorter on tenor make worthwhile cameo appearances, but Rachelle Ferrell at that point in her career did not really sound ready for prime time, despite her potential. by Scott Yanow

Tracklist:

1-You Send Me. 

Sam Cooke / Clarence Paul / Ed Townsend

2-You Don't Know What Love Is. 

Gene DePaul / Don Raye

3-Bye Bye Blackbird. 

Mort Dixon / Ray Henderson

4 Prayer Dance

Morris Bailey / Eddie Green

5-Inchworm.  

Frank Loesser

6-With Every Breath I Take.  

Cy Coleman

7-What Is This Thing Called Love?.  

Cole Porter

8-My Funny Valentine.  

Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers

9-Don't Waste Your Time.  

Rachelle Ferrell

10-Extensions.  

Rachelle Ferrell

11-Autumn Leaves.  

Joseph Kosma / Johnny Mercer / Jacques Prévert

Credits:

Rachelle Ferrell, Piano, Vocals

Lenny White, Drums, Producer 

Terrence Blanchard, Trumpet 

Tyrone Brown, Bass, Stick Bass

Stanley Clarke, Bass

Kenny Davis, Bass

Alex Foster, Sax (Soprano) 

Doug Goldstein, Synthesizer, Drums

Gil Goldstein, Synthesizer, Piano

Eddie Green, Piano

Pete Levin, Synthesizer

Doug Nally, Drums

Michel Petrucciani, Piano 

Wayne Shorter, Sax (Tenor)