HERBIE HANCOCK · MICHAEL BRECKER · ROY HARGROVE — Directions in Music : Live at Massey Hall (2002) Two Version | APE + FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

A double-milestone year for jazz, 2001 marked the 75th anniversary of the births of both Miles Davis and John Coltrane. With that in mind, Herbie Hancock went on tour with a quintet modeled after his V.S.O.P. bands of the '70s and '80s and the Tribute to Miles band of the '90s, which in turn were modeled after the 1965-1968 Miles Davis Quintet. The question this disc proposes: Can you go home yet again? Hancock preferred to dodge that one, saying that he was attempting to push the music onward in the Davis/Coltrane spirit of adventure rather than play for nostalgia. But essentially, despite the often unblinkingly hard-nosed soloing and the sometimes radical reworking of the old tunes, the conception of this idiom is that of Miles, and Michael Brecker's often brilliant, searching tenor sax work owes its soul to the example of Trane. Although the quintet's Los Angeles gig on October 11, 2001, was rather disappointing, the Toronto concert recorded here was a big improvement, with two weeks of roadwork evidently having the desired tightening effect. Though Hancock's piano gradually became more abstract and disconnected with its surroundings over the years, here he is in touch with his colleagues. Brecker provides the most fervent individual statement with an unaccompanied rendition of "Naima" that amounts to a virtual encyclopedia of tenor saxophone technique. Roy Hargrove does a serviceable job on trumpet and flügelhorn, trying to fill some heavy shoes, and as accomplished as the rhythm team of John Patitucci (bass) and Brian Blade (drums) is, you miss the irreplaceable combustion of Ron Carter and especially the late Tony Williams (compare the original Davis recording of "The Sorcerer" with this inward, less dynamic, less driving version). The most strikingly reworked cover tune is a slow, drawn-out, mournful take on "Impressions," almost an elegy for Coltrane, and Brecker delivers the eulogy with fire in the belly. There is new material from Hargrove ("The Poet"), Brecker ("D Trane"), and the three headliners ("Misstery"), none of which expands much beyond the parameters of the Davis and Coltrane models. While this quintet does not kick over old boundaries, it does make good, uncompromisingly intelligent music. Richard S. Ginell  
Tracklist :
1 The Sorcerer 8:54
Herbie Hancock
2 The Poet 6:35
Roy Hargrove
3 So What/Impressions 12:51
John Coltrane / Miles Davis
4 Misstery 8:16
Michael Brecker / Herbie Hancock / Roy Hargrove
5 Naima 7:29
John Coltrane
6 Transition 10:26
John Coltrane
7 My Ship 8:40
Ira Gershwin / Kurt Weill
8 D Trane 15:11
Michael Brecker
Credits :
Bass – John Patitucci
Drums – Brian Blade
Piano, Executive Producer – Herbie Hancock
Tenor Saxophone, Producer – Michael Brecker
Trumpet, Flugelhorn (tracks: 2, 7) – Roy Hargrove

ROY HARGROVE — The Vibe (1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The last of trumpeter Roy Hargrove's recordings to feature his longtime altoist Antonio Hart also includes pianist Marc Cary, bassist Rodney Whitaker, drummer Gregory Hutchinson and guest spots for the tenors of Branford Marsalis and David "Fathead" Newman, plus trombonist Frank Lacy and organist Jack McDuff. Hargrove (still just 22) was already on his way to being one of the better hard bop-based trumpeters in jazz, as he shows on group originals, James Williams' "Alter Ego," Wayne Shorter's "Pinocchio," "Milestones," and "The Things We Did Last Summer." A fine example of Hargrove's rapidly emerging style. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1    The Vibe    6:29
 Marc Cary
2    Caryisms    6:54
 Roy Hargrove
3    Where Were You?    4:57
 Roy Hargrove
4    Alter Ego    6:30
 James Williams
5    The Thang    4:59
 Roy Hargrove
6    Pinocchio    4:48
 Wayne Shorter
7    Milestones    5:57
 Miles Davis
8    Things We Did Last Summer    5:38
 Sammy Cahn / Jule Styne
9    Blues For Booty Green's    6:26
 Roy Hargrove
10    Runnin' Out Of Time    7:37
 Marc Cary
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Antonio Maurice Hart
Bass – Rodney Thomas Whitaker
Drums – Gregory Hutchinson
Organ [B3] – 'Cap'n' Jack McDuff (tracks: 9)
Piano – Marc Anthony Cary
Tenor Saxophone – Branford Marsalis (tracks: 6, 10), David "Fathead" Newman (tracks: 4)
Trombone – Ku-Umba Frank Lacy (tracks: 6, 8, 10)

NILS LANDGREN FUNK UNIT — 5000 Miles (1999) APE (image+.cue), lossless

The album was awarded the German Jazz Award and received an Echo nomination. ACT
Tracklist :
1    Da Fonk 4:48
Trumpet – Roy Hargrove
Vocals – MCP, NL
Vocals [Xtra] – JR, PRJ, RÖ, Siegfried Loch
Written-By – Magnum Coltrane Price
2    5000 Miles 8:12
Trumpet – Tim Hagans
3    Six Beauties On A Rooftop 5:39
Percussion – Åke Sundqvist
Trombone [Solo] – Fred Wesley
4    Sisters Of Arequipa 5:57
Flugelhorn – Roy Hargrove
Grand Piano, Synthesizer [Oberheim Obs] – ES
5    In A Fonky Mood    5:01
6    Stop By 4:31
Lead Vocals – MCP
Organ [Hammond] – RÖ
Vocals – NL
Written-By – Rashan Patterson
7    Roxane 5:31
Mixed By – Jan Ugand
Percussion – Åke Sundqvist
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Till Brönner
Vocals – Viktoria Tolstoy
8    Professor Longhair 5:04
Bass [Accoustic] – Dan Berglund
9    Venus As A Boy 5:00
Flute [Chinese], Percussion [Mallets] – PRJ
Written-By – Björk
10    Nasty 5:22
Trombone – Fred Wesley
Trumpet – Tim Hagans
11    Glen & Steve    5:30
Credits :
Design [Cover] – Petra Horn
The Funk Unit :
Nils Landgren - Trombone & Vocals
Per Ruskträsk Johansson - Saxes & Wooden Flute
Robert Östlund - Guitars & Hammond Organ
Esbjörn Svensson - Fender Rhodes, Grand Piano & Keybords
Magnum Coltrane Price - Fender Bass & Vocals
Janne Robertson – Drums
Guest Unit:
Henrik Janson - Guitar
Johan Norberg - Sitar Guitar
Åke Sundqvist - Percussion
Magnus Öström - Percussion
Dan Berglund - Accoustic Bass
Special guests:
Don Alias - Percussion
Till Brönner - Fluegelhorn
Roy Hargrove - Trumpet and Fluegelhorn
Tim Hagans - Trumpet
Viktoria Tolstoy - Vocals
Fred Wesley (BMF) - T

RAY BROWN TRIO — Some of My Best Friends Are ... The Trumpet Players (2000) FLAC (tracks), lossless

Ray Brown did it again with the fourth installment in his Some of My Best Friends Are... series, spotlighting some of the hottest trumpet players around and producing one of the finest trumpet-fronted small group recordings to come down the jazz pike in a while. Featuring a six-pack of hornmen ranging from octogenarian Clark Terry to youngsters Roy Hargrove and Nicholas Payton, this CD alternately cooks and simmers, with the ballads especially standing out in their spaciousness and beauty. The blend of Brown's bass and Jon Faddis' trumpet on a slowed-down "Bag's Groove" is particularly appealing in its sparseness. The intro and outro duets between Brown's bass and James Morrison's dry trumpet tone on "I Thought About You" are also entrancing in their openness. Terrence Blanchard lays out a smoky lead line over Geoff Keezer's bluesy late-night piano on Benny Goodman's old sign-off theme, "Goodbye," bringing a new poignancy to the tune. On the most noteworthy upbeat number, Payton really smokes on Joe Henderson's composition, "The Kicker," though the track mysteriously fades out too early. Brown himself is fantastic throughout this disc, and he and his trio mates Keezer and drummer Karriem Riggins anchor the proceedings masterfully. Jim Newsom   Tracklist & Credits :

JOHNNY GRIFFIN - Chicago, New York, Paris (1995) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1     The Jampfs Are Coming 7'50
Johnny Griffin
2     Do It 5'47
Johnny Griffin
3     To Love 4'38
Johnny Griffin
4     Hush-A-Bye 7'26
Traditional
5     You Must Believe in Spring 6'58
Alan Bergman / Marilyn Bergman / Jacques Demy / Michel Legrand
6     Without a Song 8'19
Edward Eliscu / Billy Rose / Vincent Youmans
7     Leave Me Alone Blues 5'57
Johnny Griffin
8     My Romance 8'39
Lorenz Hart / Richard Rodgers
9     Not Yet 7'12
Johnny Griffin
Credits :    
Acoustic Bass – Christian McBride
Drums – Greg Hutchinson, Victor Lewis
Piano – Kenny Barron
Saxophone – Johnny Griffin
Trumpet – Roy Hargrove

JOHNNY GRIFFIN - Live at Ronnie Scott's (2008) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Johnny Griffin spent several decades living and working in Europe prior to his death, though he made occasional trips to the U.S. These live tracks come from two nights at Ronnie Scott's in London in 2008 a little over a month after Griffin's 80th (and what turned out to he his final) birthday, with the Little Giant joined by trumpeter Roy Hargrove and drummer Billy Cobham, plus bassist Reggie Johnson (an expatriate American also living in Europe) and English pianist David Newton, a last-minute substitute for James Pearson, who had worked with Griffin previously leading the house rhythm section but was unable to make one of the evenings booked. Griffin frequently has Hargrove solo first and the trumpeter steps things up a notch above his usual fine playing in the jazz master's presence. An obvious favorite is Griffin's sassy blues "The JAMFs are Coming," in which he leaves no doubt about how he feels about them, working in a hilarious quote from "Turkey in the Straw"; Hargrove's rich flügelhorn and Griffin's heartfelt tenor shine in the saxophonist's touching, bittersweet ballad "When We Were One"; while their chemistry is also extraordinary in Clifford Brown's exuberant bop vehicle "The Blues Walk." James Pearson spells Newton on the rousing take of "Lester Leaps In," with Hargrove and the pianist bracketing the leader's tightly knit solo. Paul Kuhn takes over the piano for a warm vocal rendition of "How Deep Is the Ocean." The rousing finale is an extended workout of Griffin's "Hot Sake," an easily recognizable reworking of "What Is This Thing Called Love." It's sad that Johnny Griffin died only two months after these performances, but one hearing will tell you he played his heart out during his final record date. Ken Dryden  
Tracklist :
1     Lester Leaps In 8'58        
Lester Young    
2     When We Were One 12'52
Johnny Griffin / Mike Hennessey
3     The Blues Walk 6'00
C. Brown
4     Mentor 6'08
Roy Hargrove
5     How Deep Is the Ocean 5'24
Irving Berlin
6     The JAMFs Are Coming 8'57
Johnny Griffin
7     Hot Sake 12'27
Johnny Griffin
Credits :
Drums – Billy Cobham
Piano – David Newton (pistas: 2 to 4, 6, 7), James Pearson (pistas: 1), Paul Kuhn (pistas: 5)
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Roy Hargrove

ROY HAYNES - Birds of a Feather : A Tribute to Charlie Parker (2001) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Roy Haynes' 2000 trio outing with Danilo Perez and John Patitucci had a tribute theme at its core. So too does this all-star quintet outing for Dreyfus. Here the subject at hand is Charlie Parker, with whom Haynes played for several years beginning in the late 1940s. Joining the 75-year-old Haynes for this tribute are bassist Dave Holland, altoist Kenny Garrett, trumpeter Roy Hargrove, and pianist David Kikoski. Having spent over ten years performing and recording with Haynes, Kikoski is especially in tune with the leader's every move. Some tracks are fairly typical Bird fare: "Moose the Mooche," "Yardbird Suite," "Diverse" (aka "Segment"), "April in Paris." Others, however, are off the beaten track: Billy Reid's "The Gypsy," Gerry Mulligan's "Rocker," Cole Porter's "My Heart Belongs to Daddy." In addition to the often fiery playing, there are a number of unexpected arranging twists. Haynes' take on "Ah Leu Cha" is an intriguing hybrid of the Charlie Parker and Miles Davis versions -- played fairly slow and with a straight repeat on the A section (Parker), but using "Scrapple From the Apple" changes rather than rhythm changes for the solos (Davis). Haynes also lengthens the form of "Now's the Time," Parker's anthemic yet simple blues, giving it a vamp-based flavor that recalls Eddie Harris' "Freedom Jazz Dance." The Cole Porter tune, similarly, becomes an occasion for modal stretching. There's also a blistering exchange between Hargrove and Garrett toward the end of "What Is This Thing Called Love" -- the album's big payoff. Despite these and other subtle touches, Birds of a Feather doesn't quite have the creative spark of Haynes' previous album. That was a working band; this comes across as a casual blowing date, albeit an illustrious and sometimes surprising one. by David R. Adler
Tracklist :
1     Diverse 5:20
Charlie Parker
2     Ah Leu Cha 5:14
Charlie Parker   
3     April in Paris 5:14
Vernon Duke / E.Y. "Yip" Harburg
4     Moose the Mooch 5:40
Charlie Parker
5     Now's the Time 6:05
Charlie Parker
6     Rocker 6:02
Gerry Mulligan
7     Barbados 5:03
Charlie Parker
8     Yardbird Suite 4:48
Charlie Parker
9     The Gypsy 6:44
Billy Reid   
10     My Heart Belongs to Daddy 7:02
Cole Porter
11     What Is This Thing Called Love? 7:24
Cole Porter
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Kenny Garrett
Bass – Dave Holland
Drums – Roy Haynes
Piano – Dave Kikoski
Trumpet – Roy Hargrove

ROY HAYNES - Roy-alty (2011) FLAC (tracks), lossless

Roy Haynes celebrated his 86th birthday on March 13, 2011. Had the veteran drummer retired from music 30 or 40 years earlier, he still would have gone down in history as someone with a long list of accomplishments. But thankfully, Haynes continued to perform well into his eighties. Recorded in early 2011 (when Haynes was still 85), Roy-Alty is a solid hard bop/post-bop outing that boasts well-known guests like Chick Corea (who is heard on acoustic piano) and trumpeter Roy Hargrove. Corea is featured on two selections: the dusky "All the Bars Are Open" and Thelonious Monk's "Off Minor," while Hargrove is heard on six of the ten tracks (including the insistent "Passion Dance," the standard "These Foolish Things," the Afro-Cuban favorite "Tin Tin Deo," and Miles Davis' "Milestones"). It should be noted that the "Milestones" that Haynes performs on Roy-Alty is the bop standard that Davis played with Charlie "Bird" Parker in 1947, not the modal standard he unveiled in 1958, and playing something with a Bird connection is quite appropriate, given that Haynes was a member of his quintet from 1949-1952 (when the drummer was in his twenties). Most of the songs on Roy-Alty find Haynes employing a group that he bills as the Fountain of Youth (alto saxophonist Jaleel Shaw, pianist Martin Bejerano, and bassist David Wong), and while the personnel can vary from track to track on this 66-minute CD, the constant is Haynes' skillful drumming. After all these years, Haynes hasn't lost his touch as either a drummer or a group leader, and his skills in both of those areas is evident on Roy-Alty, which falls shorts of essential but is nonetheless a pleasing addition to his catalog. by Alex Henderson  
Tracklist :
1     Grand Street 5:57
Sonny Rollins
2     They Call the Wind Mariah 3:41
Alan Jay Lerner / Frederick Loewe
3     Off Minor 8:42
Thelonious Monk
4     These Foolish Things 8:23
Eric Maschwitz / Jack Strachey
5     Milestones 5:28
Miles Davis
6     Tin Tin Deo 8:43
Walter Gilbert Fuller / Luciano "Chano" Pozo
7     All the Bars Are Open 7:44
Chick Corea / Roy Haynes
8     Pinky 3:51
Alfred Newman
9     Equipoise 6:48
Stanley Cowell
10     Passion Dance 7:00
McCoy Tyner
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Jaleel Shaw
Bass – David Wong
Claves – Roy Hargrove (faixas: 6)
Congas – Craig Haynes (faixas: 10)
Congas, Percussion – Roberto Quintero (faixas: 6)
Drums – Roy Haynes
Percussion – Martin Bejerano (faixas: 6)
Piano – Chick Corea (faixas: 3, 7), Martin Bejerano, Robert Rodriguez (faixas: 10)
Shaker – Jaleel Shaw (faixas: 6)
Tenor Saxophone – Marcus Strickland (faixas: 10)
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Roy Hargrove
Vocals – Roy Haynes (faixas: 6)

TERESA BREWER & FRIENDS - Memories of Louis (1992) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

 The singing of Teresa Brewer was always producer Bob Thiele's blind spot. Although equipped with a voice quite suitable for pop and country music, Brewer always sounded overly cute and out of place when performing jazz, despite her husband's successful attempts to team her with the who's who of jazz. This CD is quite remarkable, for there are few singers who sound less like Louis Armstrong than Brewer, yet here she is singing a dozen of Satch's standards. What's more, she is joined by a different trumpeter on each track: Clark Terry, Nicholas Payton, Ruby Braff, Freddie Hubbard, Wynton Marsalis, Roy Hargrove, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Lew Soloff, Terence Blanchard, Yank Lawson, Red Rodney and Dizzy Gillespie. (Where was Miles Davis?) Fortunately, each of the brassmen gets a worthwhile amount of solo space, only two songs are under 4½ minutes, and Brewer generally takes just two choruses. None of the boppish renditions sound at all close to New Orleans jazz, nor do any of the trumpeters show off much of a Louis Armstrong influence. A strange but very intriguing record. by Scott Yanow
Tracklist  :
1 I Can't Give You Anything But Love 5:51
Dorothy Fields / Jimmy McHugh
2   What a Wonderful World 7:01
George Douglas / Bob Thiele / George David Weiss
3   Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams (And Dream Your Troubles Away) 5:38
Harry Barris / Ted Koehler / Billy Moll
4  Basin Street Blues 5:40
Spencer Williams
5  I'm Confessin' (That I Love You) 7:21
Doc Daugherty / Al J. Neiburg / Ellis Reynolds
6  Ain't Misbehavin' 4:14
Harry Brooks / Andy Razaf / Fats Waller
7  Hello, Dolly! 5:44
Jerry Herman
8  I've Got the World on a String 6:17
Harold Arlen / Ted Koehler
 9 St. Louis Blues 4:43
W.C. Handy
10   When It's Sleepy Time Down South 6:26
Clarence Muse / Otis Rene / Leon René
11     Stardust 3:52
Hoagy Carmichael / Mitchell Parish
12  Blueberry Hill 4:43
Al Lewis / Vincent Rose / Larry Stock

 Credits :
Trumpet – Freddie Hubbard, Roy Hargrove, Terence Blanchard, Wynton Marsalis
Vocals - Teresa Brewer

JIMMY SMITH - Damn! (1995) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Damn! marked Jimmy Smith's return to the Verve label after an absence of 20-plus years (he originally recorded for the label from 1963 to 1972), and paired with a group of young and sympathetic jazz players that includes Roy Hargrove and Nicholas Payton on trumpet and Ron Blake and Mark Tuner on sax, he sounds invigorated here, striding across the Hammond B-3 keys with definite energy. The whole album, start to finish, works a wonderful groove, but versions here of James Brown's "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag," Herbie Hancock's "Watermelon Man," and Charlie Parker's "Scrapple from the Apple" are particularly strong. Smith was arguably at his best in stripped-down trios, and his work for Blue Note between 1956 and 1960 will always be the quality reference point for his extensive canon, but Damn! is right up there with his best work, full of a joyous energy, and it sparked a resurgence of sorts for Smith. by Steve Leggett
Tracklist :
 1     Papa's Got a Brand New Bag 730
James Brown
2     Sister Sadie 6:57
Horace Silver
3     Woody 'N' You 6:50
Dizzy Gillespie
4     The One Before This 6:53
Gene Ammons
5     Watermelon Man 8:43
Herbie Hancock
6     This Here 7:30
Bobby Timmons
7     Scrapple from the Apple 5:25
Charlie Parker
8     Hi-Fly 6:35
Randy Weston
9     A la Mode 6:25
Curtis Fuller
Credits :
Bass – Christian McBride
Drums – Art Taylor (faixas: 2 to 4, 6 to 9)
Guitar – Mark Whitfield
Organ – Jimmy Smith
Tenor Saxophone – Mark Turner (faixas: 4, 6, 7), Ron Blake (faixas: 4, 5, 9), Tim Warfield (faixas: 2, 4, 5, 9)
Trumpet – Nicholas Payton (faixas: 1, 3, 5, 7, 8), Roy Hargrove (faixas: 1, 3, 5 to 7) 

MIKE STERN - Who Let the Cats Out? (2006) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

More than two decades into his solo career, Mike Stern, on his 13th album as a leader, continues to prove why he's earned so many "Best Jazz Guitarist" honors through the years. Stern's skills are undeniable, and new ideas never fail to materialize when he's at work. But what makes Stern stand out from the pack of virtuosic guitar technicians is that he always insists on letting his, and his support team's, abilities serve the music, not vice versa. On Who Let the Cats Out?, Stern and his well-chosen crew spill out lick upon impressive lick, but they never get so carried away with themselves that they lose sight of the tune's purpose and structure. Grandiosity is never a factor here, although there are dozens of occasions to applaud these musicians' chops. Richard Bona, the Cameroonian bassist, has worked with Stern before, but here he is given an expanded role, appearing on four tracks and contributing his falsetto-style, scat-like vocals to three of them: On "All You Need," one of the prettiest tracks on the record, Bona provides an uplifting sensuality. He also shines on "We're with You," a ballad featuring Stern on acoustic guitar. Devoid of pyrotechnics, this song of support to those hurting utilizes synth-derived orchestration and a mournful, quiet tone to bring home its emotionalism. Drummer Dave Weckl -- who alternates throughout with the excellent Kim Thompson -- is another major pacesetter here: On "Texas," the often-overdriven Weckl restrains himself, his no-frills drums and Me'Shell NdegéOcello's creative bass chasing Stern's skronky slide while Gregoire Maret's harmonica provides the necessary borderland flavor. The title track, a quasi-swing/bop showpiece, finds Stern -- peeling out some of his most blazing, how'd-he-do-that? riffs -- and trumpet great Roy Hargrove trying to outdo each other and calling it a draw. Stern's soloing throughout the record is, in fact, ceaselessly imaginative: Whether within a total funk exercise like "Roll with It," which borrows Victor Wooten from the Flecktones for bass duties and spotlights sexy sax from Bob Malach, or the moody ballad "KT," on which Stern's guitar escalates in intensity alongside Jim Beard's soulful organ, Stern finds his place within the song's architecture, then rises several levels above what's required of him to present something unexpected and rewardingly original. Only on "Blue Runway," the eight-and-a-half-minute closer, with Anthony Jackson taking over the bass, do the players allow themselves to approach tediousness. Overextending themselves as they shift into hyperdrive, they turn the piece into a jam for its own sake. An anomaly, it doesn't by any means detract from the album's overall quality, though it does allow it to end on a disappointingly self-absorbed note. by Jeff Tamarkin
Tracklist:
1    Tumble Home    8:14
2    KT    7:57
3    Good Questions    4:17
4    Language    7:03
5    We're With You    5:48
6    Leni Goes Shopping    4:38
7    Roll With It    5:02
8    Texas    7:04
9    Who Let The Cats Out?    7:44
10    All You Need    6:57
11    Blue Runaway    8:37
Credits:
Bass – Anthony Jackson, Chris Minh Doky, Meshell Ndegeocello, Victor Wooten
Drums – Dave Weckl, Kim Thompson
Guitar – Mike Stern
Harmonica – Gregoire Maret
Keyboards, Producer – Jim Beard
Saxophone – Bob Franceschini, Bob Malach
Trumpet – Roy Hargrove
Vocals, Bass – Richard Bona 

THE ROY HARDGROVE QUINTET - Earfood (2008) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The now mature jazz trumpeter/composer/bandleader Roy Hargrove, who has been utterly masterful since the beginning of his career, has been involved with various all-star bands, neo-fusion outfits, and made a very good living playing modern instrumental music. Now he is reaching a new and elevated level of pure jazz artistry with Earfood. A studio recording of his live touring repertoire with his working quintet, Hargrove presents several ballads, favorites from jazz veterans, and well rendered originals, all in the spirit of the famed trumpeters who preceded him. Alto saxophonist Justin Robinson and pianist Gerald Clayton are not only rising stars and standout soloists, but also players perfectly compatible to play this contemporary and mainstream modern jazz. Add young bassist Danton Bolder and the excellent drummer Montez Coleman, and you have a band that can bring Hargrove's music fully to life. It is said that everyone learns from their mistakes, but if that is true, Hargrove has gone far beyond the pale, and is flawless here, in terms of both concept and execution. The CD comes out of the box with four home runs -- an ultra hip contemporary version of the Cedar Walton tune "I Am Not So Sure," a sweet 7/8 beat for "Brown" with outstanding piano from Clayton, "Strasbourg/St. Denis" sporting an infectiously happy aura, clever staccato unison and chatty counterpoint from the horns, and the sleek, breezy and soulful "Starmaker" which sounds like it could have come from the book of the late pianist James Williams. There's also a remake of the great Weldon Irvine original blues-funk-soul classic "Mr. Clean" that is well done but not overcooked, an excellent version showcasing varying subtleties and dynamics during the Larry Willis composition "To Wisdom the Prize," and the good swinger "The Stinger," soaked in harmonic colors and good vibes. The four salt-and-pepper ballads all show Hargrove's expert ability to play slow and soulfully, still unfortunately becoming a lost art, with "Joy Is Sorrow Unmasked" and "Rouge" particularly poignant. The CD concludes with an in-concert gospel-soul version of Sam Cooke's "Bring It on Home to Me," as good a coda to this set as could be. There are no missteps on this program, no filler tunes, the trumpeter simply playing as precisely -- if not better -- than he ever has, and a band who fully understands how to make his music come alive. This comes with the highest of recommendations, a zenith watermark for Hargrove, and has to be a candidate for Best Jazz CD of 2008.  by Michael G. Nastos  
Tracklist:
1 I'm Not So Sure 5:51
Cedar Walton
2 Brown 4:32
Roy Hargrove
3 Strasbourg/St. Denis 4:40
Roy Hargrove
4 Starmaker 7:56  
Lou Marini
5 Joy Is Sorry Unmasked 4:48
Roy Hargrove
6 The Stinger 4:59
Roy Hargrove
7 Rouge 2:48
Roy Hargrove
8 Mr. Clean 5:53
Weldon Irvine
9 Style 6:36 
Roy Hargrove
10 Divine 5:12
Roy Hargrove
11 To Wisdom The Prize 5:45
Roy Hargrove
12 Speak Low 5:19
Ogden Nash / Kurt Weill
13 Bring It On Home To Me 3:00
Sam Cooke
 Credits
    Alto Saxophone, Flute – Justin Robinson
    Bass – Danton Boller
    Drums – Montez Coleman
    Piano – Gerald Clayton
    Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Roy Hargrove
    Written-By – Roy Hargrove (tracks: 2, 3, 5 to 7, 9, 10)

 

ABBEY LINCOLN - A Turtle´s Dream (1995) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Miss Abbey was on some other stuff when she crafted this CD. She is the voice of experience and wisdom. There is nothing superficial about "A Turtle's Dream". She wrote most of the songs, and though they would be impressive sung by anyone, she invests each lyric with staggering pathos and clarity. Standouts are "Being Me", "Throw It Away" and the devastating title song. I love "Avec Le Temps" and I can't speak French so I have no idea what she's singing but it sounds so wonderful. Apparently, this song is a much-recorded French-language standard and I've been advised by one of my snotty French friends that Abbey's French diction is very coarse, but even he loves her version of the song. Also, she does a particularly noteworthy version of "Nature Boy". A pleasant pop standard in the hands of the great Nat "King" Cole, this song has since invited a number of loopy, idiosyncratic interpretations, but again Abbey sticks to the lyric and comes up with a real winner. In creating the mood, Lincoln is aided enormously by stellar musicians, most notably Rodney Kendrick, Charlie Haden, Pat Metheny, Roy Hargrove, and Julien Lourau.

Tracklist:

1. Throw It Away (Lincoln) 5:41

2.  A Turtle's Dream (Cugny, Lincoln) 6:28

3. Down Here Below (Lincoln) 8:48

4. Nature Boy (Ahbez) 5:04

5. Avec le Temps (Ferre) 5:38

6. Should've Been (Lincoln) 7:57

7. My Love Is You (Lincoln) 5:43

8. Storywise (Lincoln) 4:21

9. Hey, Lordy Mama (Lincoln, Simone) 7:13

10. Not to Worry (Lincoln) 5:46

11. Being Me (Lincoln) 6:17

Credits

Abbey Lincoln (vocals)

Julien Lourau (soprano & tenor saxophones)

Roy Hargrove (trumpet)

Pierre Blanchard, Vincent Pagliarin, Sandra Billingslea (violin)

Frederic Fymard (viola)

Anne-Gaelle Bisquay, Marc Gilet, John Robinson (cello)

Rodney Kendrick, Kenny Barron (piano)

Pat Metheny (acoustic & electric guitars)

Lucky Peterson (guitar, background vocals)

Christian McBride, Charlie Haden, Michael Bowie (bass)

Victor Lewis (drums)