LEE KONITZ - Parallels (2001) APE (tracks+.cue), lossless

The veteran alto saxman isn't doing gospel music anymore, but the staff at Chesky set Konitz and the other members of his quartet up in the perfect acoustic environment of St. Peter's Church in the Chelsea area of New York City. Sonics aside, this is a solid, though fairly laid-back date which displays the formidable ensemble and solo talents of each member. Drummer Bill Goodwin and acoustic bassist Steve Gilmore provide an increasingly swinging rhythm line for Konitz to dance over on an inventive arrangement of "How Deep Is the Ocean." Guitarist Peter Bernstein adds some subtle Wes Montgomery style harmony lines, but the band plays it close to the vest for most of the tune. Bernstein's crisp improvisational solo section is the highlight. With the exception of that tune, a smoky rendition of "Skylark," and Lenny Tristano's "317 East 32nd Street," the collection offers a glimpse of Konitz's strong composing skills. One of the most remarkable aspects of this date is the joyful give and take interaction between Konitz's alto and guest tenor saxman Mark Turner on the bouncy "317 East 32nd" and the ballad "Eyes," which the two co-wrote. On the latter, Konitz and Turner sometimes engage in a witty repartee, and sometimes they fuse for a cool horn section effect. In his liner notes, Konitz says that the nature of this music is filled with possibilities to be creative. Working with cohorts like this, there's no possibility of anything else. Jonathan Widran  
Tracklist :
1     How Deep Is the Ocean? 8:06
Irving Berlin
2     For Hans 6:14
Lee Konitz
3     Skylark 7:20
Hoagy Carmichael / Johnny Mercer
4     Lt 7:39
Lee Konitz
5     317 East 32nd Street 8:32
Lennie Tristano
6     Palo Alto 8:02
Lee Konitz
7     Eyes 6:19
Lee Konitz / Mark Turner
8     Subconscious Lee 6:16
Lee Konitz
Credits :
Acoustic Bass – Steve Gilmore
Alto Saxophone – Lee Konitz
Drums, Producer – Bill Goodwin
Guitar – Peter Bernstein
Producer – David Chesky
Tenor Saxophone – Mark Turner

LOU DONALDSON - Birdseed (1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Like fellow alto saxophonists Phil Woods, Jackie McLean, Frank Morgan, Ernie Henry, and Sonny Criss, Lou Donaldson started out with a very Charlie Parker-like tone but went on to develop a recognizable sound of his own. Bird's influence never disappeared from Donaldson's playing, although he successfully combined that influence with many ideas of his own. The title Birdseed might lead some to wonder if this 1992 date is a tribute to Parker -- it isn't, and the CD doesn't contain any Parker songs at all. However, that title is Donaldson's way of acknowledging Parker's tremendous contributions. (Producer Orrin Keepnews put it best when he said that there are basically two types of jazz: before and after Charlie Parker). Though the uptempo title song has a very Bird-like melody, it is Donaldson's own ideas that make this album as appealing as it is. From the Johnny Hodges-minded ballad "Dorothy" (written by singer Rudy Nichols) to earthy blues statements on Gene Ammons' "Red Top" and Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson's "Back Door Blues," Birdseed finds Donaldson in fine form at 65. The CD's most surprising track is "Pennies From Heaven," which has usually been heard at a fast or medium speed in recent decades but is returned to a ballad tempo by Donaldson (who is joined by organist David Braham, drummer Fukushi Tainaka, percussionist Ralph Dorsey, and the Grant Green-influenced guitarist Peter Bernstein). Produced by Bob Porter, Birdseed falls short of essential but is inspired and swinging. Alex Henderson  
Tracklist :
1     Cherry 4:33
Don Redman    
2     Walkin' Again 6:56
Lou Donaldson     
3     Pennies from Heaven 6:29
Johnny Burke / Arthur Johnston    
4     Red Top 8:12
Lionel Hampton / Ben Kynard    
5     Blue Bossa 5:45
Kenny Dorham    
6     Back Door Blues 4:59
Lou Donaldson     
7     Dorothy 5:22
Rudy Nichols    
8     Birdseed 6:44
Lou Donaldson          
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Lou Donaldson
Congas – Ralph Dorsey
Drums – Fukushi Tainaka
Guitar – Peter Bernstein
Organ – David Braham

LOU DONALDSON - Caracas (1993) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Lou Donaldson didn't break any new ground in the 1990s; instead, the veteran alto saxophonist excelled by sticking with the type of soul-jazz/hard bop that brought him a lot of commercial success (by jazz standards) in the 1960s. Caracas was recorded in 1993, but it sounds like it could have been recorded 30 years earlier. Regardless, this CD is excellent. Caracas was produced by Bob Porter, who has produced numerous soul-jazz and organ combo dates -- if any producer knows soul-jazz, it's Porter. And not surprisingly, he helps brings out the best in Donaldson, who is joined by organist Dr. Lonnie Smith, drummer Kenny Washington, and the Grant Green-influenced guitarist Peter Bernstein. Donaldson, who was 66 when this CD was recorded, is in fine form on groove-oriented blues (Jimmy Forrest's "Night Train") and romantic ballads (Neal Hefti's "Lil' Darlin'"), as well as one fast bop number: Charlie Parker's "Ornithology." Although the more accessible, groove-oriented stuff is what brought Donaldson the most commercial success, his albums usually contain at least one example of high-speed, Parker-minded bebop and, on Caracas, he acknowledges his Bird roots with "Ornithology." Donaldson will be the first to tell you that he is an instrumentalist first and foremost; however, he does provide the occasional vocal. The enjoyably humorous "Just a Dream (On My Mind)" finds him putting a 1990s spin on lyrics that Chicago blues great Big Bill Broonzy wrote back in the 1930s. Is Caracas essential? Not quite, but it's still a highly rewarding album that will please die-hard soul-jazz enthusiasts. Alex Henderson  
Tracklist :
1     Hot Dog 5:16
Denny Dedmon / Lou Donaldson / Buck Owens    
2     Just a Dream 6:19     
Bill Broonzy    
3     Ornithology 7:07
Benny Harris / Charlie Parker    
4     I Don't Know Why (I Just Do) 4:58
Fred E. Ahlert / Roy Turk    
5     Night Train 9:49
Jimmy Forrest / Lewis Simpkins / Oscar Washington
6     I Be Blue 5:55     
Lonnie Smith
7     Caracas 7:32     
Lou Donaldson    
8     Lil' Darlin' 7:16
Neal Hefti
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Lou Donaldson
Congas – Ralph Dorsey (pistas: 1, 7)
Drums – Kenny Washington
Guitar – Peter Bernstein
Organ – Dr. Lonnie Smith 

Dr. LONNIE SMITH - Too Damn Hot (2004) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Hammond B-3 boss Dr. Lonnie Smith ends up on yet another new label with Too Damn Hot!, the follow-up to his thoroughly enjoyable -- if curious -- Boogaloo to Beck outing from 2003. This studio set places the organist in the company of two fine guitarists -- Peter Bernstein (lead) and Rodney Jones (rhythm), and alternating drummers Greg Hutchinson and Fukushi Tainaka. The two-guitar format is lovely in that it presents a wide array of colors and harmonic textures to the proceedings. The material is a compendium of new soul-jazz originals like the title track, which is a sultry slow burner with killer chorded solos by Smith, and "The Whip," a slippery funky hard bopper that recalls Johnny Patton's sessions with Grant Green. There are two covers present here as well, a fine version of Horace Silver's ballad "Silver Serenade" and a whimsical read of "Someday My Prince Will Come." The album's final cut, "Evil Turn," cooks like mad in stunning bop fashion. This is a keeper and Smith's best record of the decade so far.
(This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa')
Tracklist :
1    Norleans    4:51
Dr. Lonnie Smith
2    Too Damn Hot    5:22
Dr. Lonnie Smith
3    Back Track    7:09
Dr. Lonnie Smith
4    The Whip    5:39
Dr. Lonnie Smith
5    Silver Serenade 5:58
Composed By – Horace Silver
6    Track 9    5:30
Dr. Lonnie Smith
7    One Cylinder    7:10
Dr. Lonnie Smith
8    Someday My Prince Will Come 7:32
Composed By – Churchill, Morey
9    Your Mama's Got A Complex    5:06
Dr. Lonnie Smith
10    Evil Turn    6:04
Dr. Lonnie Smith
Credits :
Drums – Fukushi Tainaka (faixas: 2, 4, 5, 8, 10), Gregy Hutchinson (faixas: 1, 3, 6, 7, 9)
Guitar – Peter Bernstein, Rodney Jones
Organ – Dr. Lonnie Smith
Producer, Recorded By – Matt Balitsaris

Dr. LONNIE SMITH - Jungle Soul (2006) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

When Lonnie Smith cut Boogaloo to Beck in 2003 he made a comeback, though he was never gone in the first place. That record's deeply grooving, funky soul-jazz cut to the chase in a way many jazz organ records hadn't by taking the Blue Note aesthetic of turning the pop tunes of the day -- even those as esoteric as Beck Hansen's -- and turning them into vehicles for jazz improvisation. On Jungle Soul, the great organist and his quartet -- Peter Bernstein on guitar, drummer and percussionist Allison Miller, and rhythm guitarist/producer Matt Balitsaris -- tackle some jazz standards -- "Bemsha Swing," "Willow Weep for Me," and Eddie Harris' bona fide soul-jazz classic "Freedom Jazz Dancer" -- and place them against Marvin Gaye's "Trouble Man," and a handful of Smith originals and come up with a stunner. As the band digs deep into funky twists and turns on the Gaye number, they come out all sleek and smoky on "Simone," carrying the cut in a minor groove. The title cut is a Smith tune that swaggers from East to West with an African folk melody held inside a shimmering soul context. The layered percussion in the band's read of Harris' classic keeps the edges and angles of the original, while lending a finger-popping, booty-shaking strut to its backbeat. The interplay between Bernstein and Smith is taut, and full of playful asides. The strange modal guitar part Bernstein plays on "Bemsha Swing" is in stark contrast to Smith's for the note head, but it gives the entire track a late-night quality that's a bit more contemplative and moody than Monk's signature version. But it works beautifully. In sum, Jungle Soul is among the finer post-1970 records that Smith has cut, and this band is one of those intuitive, tight, and instinctive quartet's that understands their leader's every move.
(This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa')
Tracklist :
1     Trouble Man 5:06
Marvin Gaye
2     Simone 6:45
3     Jungle Soul 6:23
4     Willow Weep for Me 7:44
5     Freedom Jazz Dance 6:09
Eddie Harris
6     Blue Moment 8:39
7     Witch Doctor 9:55
Lonny Gasperini
8     Bemsha Swing 6:22
9     Zimbabwe 6:11
10     Jungle Wisdom 4:32
Credits :
Drums – Allison Miller
Guitar – Matt Balitsaris (faixas: 9,10), Peter Bernstein
Organ – Dr. Lonnie Smith

Dr. LONNIE SMITH - Rise Up! (2009) Mp3

Who says you have to slow down as you get older? The honorable B-3 master, Dr. Lonnie Smith, has been on a renaissance tear since the beginning of the 21st century. Rise Up! is the fifth new recording since 2000, and there have been a number of reissues of his older work to boot. Given that some artists issue a record a year, this may not seem like such a terrific feat -- but appearances are deceiving. Smith recorded only 13 albums between 1966 and 1996, so five in nine years is actually prolific. It's not only the quantity, however, it's the consistency of the quality of the records Smith has been releasing that is outstanding, and Rise Up! is no exception.
Ever since 2000's Turbanator and 2003's Boogaloo to Beck: A Tribute, Smith has packed his records with covers and originals that accent the "soul" in the deep, wide tradition of soul-jazz. Sure, he's funky, he's got chops, grooves, and tricks, and he's surrounded himself with compelling musicians from Jimmy Ponder to David "Fathead" Newman to great effect. Since 2003 he's been working with guitarist and producer Matt Balitsaris and the results have been, and remain, electrifying. This set, with guitarist Peter Bernstein, saxophonist Donald Harrison, and drummer Herlin Riley -- with extra help on a couple of cuts from Balitsaris and percussionist James Shipp -- is one of his most realized, funky, and resonant dates yet. The set jumps off with Smith's original "Matterapat,"showcasing the smoking Latin percussion of Shipp and taut, off-kilter breaks from Riley, the front line is all knotty soul and blues. The theme is greasy and in the pocket; Harrison's solo moves effortlessly from post-bop to soul. The cover of the Beatles' "Come Together" that follows is even nastier, with Smith's below-the-basement vocal growl on the first verse all but indecipherable except as a snarling rap. It's another instrument in this band's arsenal. This is a slow bump and funky grind with a big payoff. "Pilgrimage" begins as a ballad but quickly asserts itself as a cooker thanks to Riley playing counterpoint breaks to Smith's B-3. Other covers that appear -- and are reinvented in Smith's musical vocabulary -- are the Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams," which commences, seemingly, as an astral afterthought but finds a deep percussive bottom end and a spooky articulation of the melody that is all rhythm based. One can guarantee that the version of "People Make the World Go 'Round" found here is unlike any other that exists. It's the longest cut on the set and builds itself right from a lithe, breezy funk groove with a poppin' set of rimshot breakbeats from Riley. Harrison is the perfect foil for Smith because of his lyric sensibility; it is the perfect counter to the percussive groove quotient of Smith. The solos here are wonderfully complex and sophisticated and the use of harmonic extension in the ensemble's reading is pure magic. The set ends on an atmospheric blues tip with Smith's "Voodoo Doll," where Harrison's alto plays it straight out of the noir-ish dark and into the shadows where traces of light emerge. Smith's comping and eventually structural form for the tune transforms it into a swirling, shimmering heat with Bernstein's guitar erecting a pulsing bridge for Riley. It's a killer way to end a record. For B-3 fans, Rise Up! is nothing but solid in terms of tunes, arrangements, and heat.
Who says you have to slow down as you get older? The honorable B-3 master, Dr. Lonnie Smith, has been on a renaissance tear since the beginning of the 21st century. Rise Up! is the fifth new recording since 2000, and there have been a number of reissues of his older work to boot. Given that some artists issue a record a year, this may not seem like such a terrific feat -- but appearances are deceiving. Smith recorded only 13 albums between 1966 and 1996, so five in nine years is actually prolific. It's not only the quantity, however, it's the consistency of the quality of the records Smith has been releasing that is outstanding, and Rise Up! is no exception.
Ever since 2000's Turbanator and 2003's Boogaloo to Beck: A Tribute, Smith has packed his records with covers and originals that accent the "soul" in the deep, wide tradition of soul-jazz. Sure, he's funky, he's got chops, grooves, and tricks, and he's surrounded himself with compelling musicians from Jimmy Ponder to David "Fathead" Newman to great effect. Since 2003 he's been working with guitarist and producer Matt Balitsaris and the results have been, and remain, electrifying. This set, with guitarist Peter Bernstein, saxophonist Donald Harrison, and drummer Herlin Riley -- with extra help on a couple of cuts from Balitsaris and percussionist James Shipp -- is one of his most realized, funky, and resonant dates yet. The set jumps off with Smith's original "Matterapat,"showcasing the smoking Latin percussion of Shipp and taut, off-kilter breaks from Riley, the front line is all knotty soul and blues. The theme is greasy and in the pocket; Harrison's solo moves effortlessly from post-bop to soul. The cover of the Beatles' "Come Together" that follows is even nastier, with Smith's below-the-basement vocal growl on the first verse all but indecipherable except as a snarling rap. It's another instrument in this band's arsenal. This is a slow bump and funky grind with a big payoff. "Pilgrimage" begins as a ballad but quickly asserts itself as a cooker thanks to Riley playing counterpoint breaks to Smith's B-3. Other covers that appear -- and are reinvented in Smith's musical vocabulary -- are the Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams," which commences, seemingly, as an astral afterthought but finds a deep percussive bottom end and a spooky articulation of the melody that is all rhythm based. One can guarantee that the version of "People Make the World Go 'Round" found here is unlike any other that exists. It's the longest cut on the set and builds itself right from a lithe, breezy funk groove with a poppin' set of rimshot breakbeats from Riley. Harrison is the perfect foil for Smith because of his lyric sensibility; it is the perfect counter to the percussive groove quotient of Smith. The solos here are wonderfully complex and sophisticated and the use of harmonic extension in the ensemble's reading is pure magic. The set ends on an atmospheric blues tip with Smith's "Voodoo Doll," where Harrison's alto plays it straight out of the noir-ish dark and into the shadows where traces of light emerge. Smith's comping and eventually structural form for the tune transforms it into a swirling, shimmering heat with Bernstein's guitar erecting a pulsing bridge for Riley. It's a killer way to end a record. For B-3 fans, Rise Up! is nothing but solid in terms of tunes, arrangements, and heat.
(This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa')
Tracklist :
1     A Matterapat 6:46
Dr. Lonnie Smith
2     Come Together 5:07
John Lennon / Paul McCartney
3     Pilgrimage 6:49
Dr. Lonnie Smith
4     Dapper Dan 7:21
Dr. Lonnie Smith
5     And the World Weeps 7:39
Dr. Lonnie Smith
6     People Make the World Go Round 10:42
Thom Bell / Linda Epstein
7     Tyrone 6:15
Young
8     Sweet Dreams 6:47
Annie Lennox / Dave Stewart
9     Voodoo Dolls 4:42
Dr. Lonnie Smith
Credits :
Drums – Allison Miller
Guitar – Matt Balitsaris (faixas: 9,10), Peter Bernstein
Organ – Dr. Lonnie Smith