PATTI AUSTIN – Sound Advice (2007) Two Version | FLAC (image+.tracks+.cue), lossless

Sound Advice, primarily a covers set, was recorded with Greg Phillinganes and with Shelly Berg and Gregg Field. It’s a mixed bag, beginning with a fiery, gospel-ized version of Des’ree’s “You Gotta Be” and a powerful, original Austin ballad, “By the Grace of God.” The Rolling Stones' “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” removes the original’s frills, including the intro; Austin goes straight into the first verse, backed only by drums, and it plays out like a blues-rocker. Pleasant surprises come with Brenda Russell's “A Little Bit of Love” and the Jacksons' “Give It Up” -- album highlights that are played straight, make complete sense in Austin’s hands, and add a light touch to the selections. Most peculiar is a hushed version of Depeche Mode's “Enjoy the Silence,” which uses circular panning on Austin’s voice to somewhat ominous effect. Andy Kellman      
Tracklist :
1.    You Gotta Be  4:58
Producer – Tena Rix Clark
Written-By – Ashley Ingram, Des'ree Weekes
2.    By The Grace Of God 3:35
Producer – Gregg Field, Patti Austin, Shelley Berg
Written-By – Patti Austin
3.    Round And Round 4:30
Producer – Greg Phillinganes, Patti Austin
Written-By – Greg Phillinganes, Patti Austin
4.    You Can't Always Get What You Want 7:10
Producer – Greg Phillinganes, Patti Austin
Written-By – Keith Richards, Michael Jagger
5.    Let 'Em In 4:41
Producer – Greg Phillinganes, Patti Austin
Written-By – Paul & Linda McCartney
6.    Gotta Serve Somebody 8:11
Producer – Greg Phillinganes, Patti Austin
Written-By – Bob Dylan
7.    Vincent 6:30
Producer – Gregg Field, Patti Austin, Shelley Berg
Written-By – Don McLean
8.    A Little Bit Of Love 4:37
Producer – Greg Phillinganes, Patti Austin
Written-By – Brenda Russell 
9.    Lean On Me 6:42
Producer – Greg Phillinganes, Patti Austin
Written-By – Bill Withers
10.    Give It Up 4:28
Producer – Greg Phillinganes, Patti Austin
Written-By – Michael Jackson, Randy Jackson
11.    My Way 5:15
Producer – Gregg Field, Patti Austin, Shelley Berg
Written-By – Claude Francois, Gilles Thibaut, Jacques Abel Jules Revaud, Paul Anka
12.     Enjoy The Silence 4:45
Producer – Greg Phillinganes, Patti Austin
Written-By – Martin Lee Gore
Credits :
Backing Vocals – Alvin Chea (tracks: 2), Carolyn Perry (tracks: 2), Darlene Perry (tracks: 2), Fred White (tracks: 2 to 6, 8 to 10), Lamont Van Hook (tracks: 2 to 6, 8 to 10), Lorraine Perry (tracks: 2), Lynne Fiddmont (tracks: 3 to 6, 8 to 10), Oren Waters (tracks: 2), Patti Austin (tracks: 3 to 6, 8 to 10), Fire Choir (tracks: 1)
Bass – Brian Bromberg (tracks: 2, 11), Freddie Washington (tracks: 1), Greg Phillinganes (tracks: 12), Ian Martin (tracks: 4 to 6, 8), John Robinson (tracks: 1), Neil Stubenhaus (tracks: 9)
Drums – Gregg Field (tracks: 2, 11), John Robinson (tracks: 9), Ricky Lawson (tracks: 1), Trevor Lawrence Jr. (tracks: 3 to 6, 8, 10)
Guitar – Dean Parks (tracks: 2, 9, 11), James Harrah (tracks: 1), Paul Jackson Jr. (tracks: 4 to 6, 8)
Keyboards – Greg Phillinganes (tracks: 1, 3 to 6, 8, 10, 12), Shelley Berg (tracks: 2, 11), Tim Heintz (tracks: 1,)
Organ – Tim Heintz (tracks: 1,)
Percussion – Luis Conte (tracks: 1), Trevor Lawrence Jr. (tracks: 3, to 6, 8, 10, 12)
Piano – Greg Phillinganes (tracks: 1, 9), Shelley Berg (tracks: 7), Tim Heintz (tracks: 1)

JEFF LORBER FUSION — The Drop (2023) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

After spending 25 years recording solo and working as a first-call record producer, Jeff Lorber resurrected his Jeff Lorber Fusion to issue Now Is the Time in 2010. It marked the beginning of a real return to chart success for Lorber: The band issued eight more albums, and seven of them landed inside the Top Ten on both the jazz and contemporary jazz charts. The Drop is his 30th album and a strident, star-studded exercise in sophisticated, swinging, progressive jazz-funk. The JLF consists of the leader along with drummer Gary Novak and either longtime associate Jimmy Haslip (who co-produced with Lorber) or Cornelius Mims holding down the bass chair. Lorber's crew is also filled with guests including guitarists Paul Jackson, Jr. and Marc Lettieri (Snarky Puppy), and saxophonists Randal Clark and David Mann.

The title-track single opens the set on a deep funk groover with syncopated groove horns courtesy of Mann and Clark, breaking snares and hi-hats, and a wonky, rumbling bassline from Mims. Lorber's acoustic and Rhodes pianos weave through the swaggering backbeat in a manner that recalls the glory days of CTI (Mann was part of the label's studio stable). "Altered State" is a midtempo, cinematic groover played by the trio with Haslip on six-string bass adding lyric components to the already pronounced melody supplied by Lorber's tasty piano vamps. "New Mexico" returns to hard-grooving urban jazz-funk. Tight piano vamps and imaginative single lines frame a finger-popping riff by the rhythm section. As the choruses emerge, they are given heft by the horns and Lettieri's lead guitar, and the tune becomes an anthem by its close. "Hang Tight" is a lithe, nocturnal, almost quiet storm instrumental for the chill-out room. It contains excellent rhythm guitar work from Lorber (who also plays keys), buoying Lettieri's slow-developing, elegant solo. The lithe, sophisticated "Liberty" has a riff constructed entirely from electronics as Lorber's Minimoog meets Rhodes and acoustic piano. He's framed by Mims' fluid bassline and Haslip (who adds another harmonic component on his six-string bass). "Keep On Moving" weds polished urban funk and Pat Metheny's sense of harmonic euphoria to a sultry, steamy, finger-popping dance groove. "Mindshare" is a showcase for Lorber's Rhodes soloing atop punchy yet elegant jazz-funk. "Reception" and "Tail Lights" address the contemporary jazz vocabulary, adding color with hip charts as well as gorgeous alternate soloing from Lettieri and Jackson. Lorber's keyboards on the former meld Minimoog, piano, and Rhodes, effortlessly stacking and juxtaposing lyric and rhythmic statements. On the latter, his acoustic solo crosses blues, hard bop, and funk in a sweeping encounter with horns, drums, and guitars. The Drop presents the Lorber group at a creative peak, reveling in funky goodness and elevated grooves in a sophisticated presentation of 21st century jazz-funk. 
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <- 
Tracklist :
1.    The Drop    3:53
2.    Altered State    3:55
3.    New Mexico    4:06
4.    On The Bus    3:34
5.    Hang Tight    3:51
6.    Liberty    4:22
7.    Keep Moving    3:32
8.    Mindshare    3:51
9.    Reception    4:05
10.    Tail Lights    3:24
Credits :
6-String Bass [Melody] – Jimmy Haslip (tracks: 2, 6 to 8)
Alto Saxophone [Aksi] – Randal Clark (tracks: 1, 3, 7, 8, 10)
Bass – Cornelius Mims (tracks: 1, 3, 4, 6, 8 to 10), Jimmy Haslip (tracks: 2)
Drums – Gary Novak
Flute [Melody] – David Mann (tracks: 9)
Horns, Arranged By [Horns], Performer [Performance] – David Mann (tracks: 1, 3, 7 to 10)
 Keyboards, Piano, Electric Piano [Rhodes] – Jeff Lorber
 Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar – Mark Lettieri (tracks: 3 to 9)
Rhythm Guitar – Jeff Lorber (tracks: 1, 4, 5, 7 to 10), Paul Jackson Jr. (tracks: 1)
Soprano Saxophone – Randal Clark (tracks: 6)
Synth Bass – Jeff Lorber (tracks: 5)
Synthesizer [Minimoog] – Jeff Lorber (tracks: 3, 6, 8, 9)
Written-By – Jeff Lorber

ANN HAMPTON CALLAWAY — Easy Living (1999-2005) APE (tracks+.cue), lossless

This is Ann Hampton Callaway's seventh recording, Easy Living, is one of her very best. It's a program of well-known standards and fairly stock arrangements, but in the middle is her pristine, well-defined, flexible voice. She retains a lower-end range in her style that suggests only one singer: Sarah Vaughan. She's joined by several different rhythm sections and soloists, including pianists Benny Green (six cuts), Bill Charlap (five), and Kenny Barron (two); bassists Peter Washington or Neal Miner; drummers Clarence "Tootsie" Bean and Lewis Nash; percussionist Jim Saporito; saxophonists Andy Farber, Nelson Rangell, and Gerry Niewood; and on three selections, trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. A collection of love songs sung convincingly and with no frills, Callaway shows great depth in ballad singing. Hard evidence is presented in her takes of "Skylark" and "The Very Thought of You," with Charlap's glistening piano tones ringing bells for the singer and Farber's tenor sax replies. "'Round Midnight" is the penultimate interp with Barron's wistful piano and Marsalis' spare trumpet offering advice on ol' midnight. Callaway can swing well when she chooses; "Easy to Love" brings home her lower dulcet tones, while Farber's tenor cops a Stan Getz-Joe Henderson type plea bargain. Green's intro to "Nice Work If You Can Get It" has a "Giant Steps" quote before the singer digs into this lyric. She scats a little during the middle of the program, on the melody line, and the coda, of "Bluesette," and more in the improvised bridge during "It Had to Be You." Bossa nova is always a sidebar for singers, and Callaway uses this Brazilian rhythm on an interesting arrangement of "You Don't Know What Love Is" spiked with high drama, Saporito's Latin percussion, Barron's deft piano, and Niewood's flavorful tenor. The lone composition of the vocalist "Come Take My Hand" is also bossa, with Rangell's flute chirping on this definitive love anthem. Marsalis is also bolder on the stark ballad title track and a nice version of "In a Sentimental Mood," while it's the singer getting brash and daring in a lower tone than normal for perhaps the highlight "All of You," Green's piano matching the depths of Callaway's yearnings. It's not hyperbole to understand this is the perfect singer with a perfect voice that sounds so effortless, mature, and flowing. Though the others six recordings are just fine, this one really hits the spot, especially instrumentally. Callaway proves up to the challenge with every measure, phrase, and inflection. Michael G. Nastos   
Tracklist :
1        Easy To Love    3:48
 Cole Porter
2        'Round Midnight    5:56
 Bernie Hanighen / Thelonious Monk / Cootie Williams
3        Come Take My Hand    3:32
 Ann Hampton Callaway
4        Easy Living    5:44
 Ralph Rainger / Leo Robin
5        All Of You    3:22
 Cole Porter
6        Blusette    3:41
 Norman Gimbel / Toots Thielemans
7        It Had To Be You    3:27
 Isham Jones / Gus Kahn
8        In A Sentimental Mood    5:22
 Duke Ellington / Manny Kurtz / Irving Mills
9        You Don't Know What Love    4:00
 Gene DePaul / Don Raye
10        Come Rain Or Come Shine    4:11
 Hoagy Carmichael / Johnny Mercer
11        Skylark    5:47
 Hoagy Carmichael / Johnny Mercer
12        Nice Work If You Can Get It    2:32
 George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin
13        The Very Thought Of You    5:48
 Ray Noble / Roy Noble
 Line-up / Musicians
Alto Saxophone, Flute – Nelson Rangel
Bass – Neal Miner, Peter Washington
Drums – Clarence "Tootsie" Bean, Lewis Nash
Percussion – Jim Saporito
Piano – Benny Green, Bill Charlap, Kenny Barron
Tenor Saxophone – Andy Farber, Gerry Niewood
Trumpet – Wynton Marsalis
Vocals – Ann Hampton Callaway