YELLOWJACKETS - Samurai Samba (1985) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

T he hive is alive with the sound of saxophones, but it’s still all about the groove on Samurai Samba. Keyboardist Russell Ferrante chooses soft keyboard textures, the rhythm section of Haslip and Lawson keep things funky, and Russo’s saxophone comments on the action but doesn’t drive it the way he would on Shades. Otherwise, there’s not much that separates this Samba from their other moves: you have the crossover pop song (“Lonely Weekend”), intoxicating grooves (“Homecoming,” “Deat Beat”) and soulful, smooth jazz (“Daddy’s Gonna Miss You,” “Silverlake”). Since I’m naturally distrustful of jazz, I tend to watch a band that will slip a “Sylvania” and “Silverlake” onto the same album with a raised eyebrow. 

My tastes tend to run more traditional, which is to say I favor the sly dissonance of bop and its related offspring. Yellowjackets do that too, on the closing “Samurai Samba” of all places, but making an album with a little something for everyone only makes everyone a little happy. Of course, as I’ve said before, I have a big blind spot when it comes to jazz, and the ‘80s saw a transitional period where jazz, funk and pop music got swirled together into a kind of supermarket samba that initially attracted new listeners to jazz. If you ask me, the new listeners were people in silly turtlenecks with unpronounceable audiophile components (“The D is silent...”) who were convinced that jazz was the audio equivalent of wheat germ, but I don’t know why you would ask me. It is interesting, however, that jazz critics who would pore over every note recorded by Miles Davis or John Coltrane and gush at the achievements of Weather Report and Pat Metheny would seldom devote a fraction of the energy to breaking down the work of Yellowjackets or Tom Scott. But then I tend to lump jazz into one big bucket, and clearly there’s a little jazz elf at work in the bucket rolling some of the jazz grapes to one side and some to another. And that’s how I started with a hive analogy and ended up with a grape-rolling elf in a bucket. web

Tracklist:

1. Homecoming 5:13

Russell Ferrante

2. Deat Beat 5:25

Russell Ferrante / Jimmy Haslip / Ricky Lawson / Marc Russo

3. Daddy's Gonna Miss You 4:33

Russell Ferrante / Jimmy Haslip / Ricky Lawson / Marc Russo

4. Sylvania 4:14

Russell Ferrante / Jimmy Haslip / Ricky Lawson

5. Silverlake 5:45

Russell Ferrante

6. Lonely Weekend 4:20

Bobby Caldwell / Joseph Curiale / Russell Ferrante / Ricky Lawson

7. Los Mambos 4:24

Paulinho Da Costa / Russell Ferrante / Marc Russo

8. Samurai Samba 5:18

Russell Ferrante

Credits:

Vocals – Bobby Caldwell, Carl Caldwell, Marilyn Scott, Paulinho Da Costa

Bass [5-string] – Jimmy Haslip

Drums, Drums [Electric] – Ricky Lawson

Guitar – Carlos Rios, Michael Landau

Keyboards – Russell Ferrante

Percussion – Paulinho Da Costa

Saxophone [Alto] – Marc Russo

YELLOWJACKETS - Lifecycle (2008) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

If the Yellowjackets needed a guest guitarist, who would be the best person for the job? Pat Metheny would be an excellent choice, as would Al di Meola, John McLaughlin, Larry Coryell, or John Scofield. Well, the Yellowjackets did hire a guest guitarist for Lifecycle -- an excellent and well-known guitarist, in fact -- and they feature him extensively on this 2008 release. The guitarist is Mike Stern, who enjoys a strong rapport with the Yellowjackets' 2008 lineup: Russell Ferrante on acoustic piano and electric keyboards, Jimmy Haslip on electric bass, Bob Mintzer on tenor and soprano sax and bass clarinet, and Marcus Baylor on drums and percussion. Stern and the Yellowjackets are a perfectly logical combination -- especially in light of the hell-bent-for-jazz direction the Yellowjackets have favored since 1991's Greenhouse. With Greenhouse (which was Mintzer's first album with the outfit), Ferrante and Haslip made it clear that they wanted the Yellowjackets to be considered a serious, heavy-duty jazz combo instead of a group that pandered to smooth jazz stations. That isn't to say that the Yellowjackets' 1980s output lacks merit -- many of their '80s recordings are quite creative -- but with Greenhouse, Ferrante and Haslip really emphasized their Weather Report/Miles Davis/Return to Forever heritage. And that mindset continues to serve the Yellowjackets well 17 years later on Lifecycle. Jazz purists and bop snobs, of course, would argue that if you use electric instruments and have been influenced by rock or funk in any way, you aren't playing jazz, but the truth is that Stern and the Yellowjackets do bring a serious jazz improviser's mentality to engaging tracks like Haslip's bluesy "Country Living," Mintzer's mysterious "Falken's Maze," and Ferrante's probing, somewhat John Coltrane-ish "Measure of a Man." With its blend of electric and acoustic instruments, Lifecycle is relevant to both fusion and post-bop -- and it is also proof that collaborating with Stern was a very wise move for the Yellowjackets. by Alex Henderson

Tracklist:

1 Falken's Maze 6:25

Written-By – B. Mintzer

2 Country Living 6:24

Written-By – J. Haslip

3 Double Nickel 6:42

Written-By – M.Stern

4 Dreams Go 6:49

Written-By – M.Stern

5 Measure Of A Man 7:33

Written-By – R.Ferrante

6 Yahoo 4:52

Written-By – B. Mintzer

7 I Wonder 6:01

Written-By – B. Mintzer

8 3 Circles 7:30

Written-By – B. Mintzer, J. Haslip, M. Baylor, R.Ferrante

9 Claire's Closet 5:05

Written-By – R.Ferrante

10 Lazaro 5:15

Programmed By [Programming], Sequenced By [Sequencing] – Jimmy Haslip

Written-By – B. Mintzer, J. Haslip

Credits:

Marcus Baylor : Drums, Percussion

Russell Ferrante : Keyboards, Percussion, Piano

Jimmy Haslip : Bass (Electric), 

Bob Mintzer : Clarinet, Clarinet (Bass), Sax (Soprano), Sax (Tenor)

Jerry Mitkowski : Piano Technician

Mike Stern : Featured Guitar 

STEVE KHAN - Tightrop (1977) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

What do you get when you have a superb rhythm section, saucy keyboards, a hot and brassy mini-horn section, and one very tasteful jazz- and chops-laden guitarist all come together with some jazz and some fusion in mind? You have the magic of Steve Khan and the Brecker Brothers coming together. With folks like this, and Steve Gadd and Bob James too, you have a formula for success.
Khan's compositions are smooth yet lively enough not to bore. His unique drive, and pristine flourish and tone on his modded Fender Telecaster, and even his deft acoustic work, all come together to make a very satisfying blend of sexy jazz and funked-up, be bop fusion. Yet there is that special touch that only Steve Khan can add that makes his releases a signature sound on each outing. If you listen closely, you will hear Larry Coryell-ian riffs and stylings (as Khan and Coryell used to jam together, and did record together).
Much ado is made about Mike Stern's guitar work in the '80s and '90s, but one listen to Khan and you will immediately hear who his big inspiration was. Next time you pick up an old Stern release you stand a good chance of seeing the words "produced by Steve Khan." by John W. Patterson   
Tracklist:
1 Some Punk Funk 5:20
Piano [Acoustic] – Don Grolnick
Written-By – Steve Khan
2 Darlin' Darlin' Baby (Sweet, Tender, Love) 6:29
Written-By – Gamble & Huff
3 Tightrope (For Folon) 5:44
Written-By – Steve Khan
4 The Big Ones 6:02
Alto Saxophone [Solo], Soloist – Dave Sanborn 
Written-By – Randy Brecker
5 Star Chamber 5:19
Written-By – Steve Khan
6 Soft Summer Breeze 5:00
Written-By – Eddie Heywood, J. Spencer 
7 Where Shadows Meet 3:40
Written-By – Steve Khan
Credits:
Alto Saxophone – Dave Sanborn (tracks: 2, 3, 5)
Arranged By – Bob James (tracks: 2, 6), Steve Khan (tracks: 1, 3 to 5, 7)
Bass – Will Lee
Clavinet – Don Grolnick (tracks: 3 to 5)
Drums – Steve Gadd
Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Bob James (tracks: 1, 4, 5), Don Grolnick (tracks: 2, 3, 6, 7)
Guitar – David Spinozza (tracks: 3, 7), Jeff Mironov (tracks: 2, 4 to 7), Steve Khan (tracks: 1 to 4, 6, 7)
Percussion – Ralph MacDonald
Producer – Bob James
Synthesizer [Oberheim Polyphonic] – Bob James (tracks: 1, 2, 4 to 7)
Tenor Saxophone – Mike Brecker (tracks: 1, 3, 4)
Trumpet – Randy Brecker (tracks: 3, 4)
Twelve-String Guitar [Electric] – Steve Khan (tracks: 1, 5, 7)

MÁRCIO MONTARROYOS & STONE ALIANCE - Márcio Montarroyos & Stone Alliance (1977) Mp3

Márcio Montarroyos is an excellent Brazilian musician with an extensive resumé as a session man for Brazilian and international top musicians. Some of his later releases fell in a somewhat abusive commercial line, but this one preserves his musicality and adventurousness. A Brazilian fusion jazz album, originally recorded in 1977, it benefits from the international excellence of such musicians as Steve Grossman, Gene Perla, Don Alias, and the Brazilians Hermeto Pascoal, David Sion, and Dom Bira, among others. Mixing the American standard "A Child Is Born" (Thad Jones) with those musicians' originals, the album keeps a cohesive quality and creative improvisations provided by the amazing range of expression of each of its individual components. by Alvaro Neder

Tracklist:

1 Hey Bicho, Vamos Nessa 4:48

Congas [Uncredited], Cowbell [Uncredited] – Don Bira

Written-By – Steve Grossman

2 Rua Da Boa Hora 4:48

Percussion [Uncredited] – David Sion  

Written-By – Marcio Montarroyos

3 A Child Is Born 4:34

Written-By – Thad Jones

4 On The Foot Peg 5:51

Written-By – Marcio Montarroyos

5 Menina Ilza 6:39

Written-By, Piano [Uncredited], Flute [Uncredited] – Hermeto Pascoal

6 Risa 5:23

Written-By – Don Alias

7 Libra Rising 3:22

Written-By – Steve Grossman

8 The Greeting 4:10

Written-By – Don Alias, Erasto Vasconcelos

Credits:

Bass, Electric Piano, Synthesizer [Strings, Moog], Keyboards, Piano – Gene Perla

Congas, Drums, Guitar, Voice, Percussion – Don Alias

Percussion, Surdo, Voice, Cowbell [Bell], Cowbell – Erasto De Holanda Vasconcelos

Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Piano – Steve Grossman

Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Piano, Percussion, Synthesizer [Moog], Voice, Mellophone – Marcio Montarroyos

MÁRCIO MONTARROYOS - Magic Moment (1982) Mp3

Tracklist:

1 - Patamar (Márcio Montarroyos)  

2 - Magic moment (Márcio Montarroyos)  

3 - Sabor da tarde (Márcio Montarroyos)  

4 - In what direction are you headed? (H.Mabern)  

5 - Pedra bonita (Márcio Montarroyos)  

6 - Makenna beach (Márcio Montarroyos)

Arranged by Marcio Montarroyos

Credits:

Marcio Montarroyos - flugelhorn (1,2,3,4,5), keyboards (1), trumpet (4), electric trumpet (6)

Lincoln Olivetti - piano (1,2,3,4), oberheim (3), keyboards (5,6)

Victor Biglione - guitar (1,2,3,4,5)

Jamil Joanes - bass (1,2,3,4,5,6)

Ivan Conti - drums (1,2,4,5,6)

Ariovaldo Contesini - percussion (1,2,4,5)

Ricardo Silveira - guitar (2,3,4,5)

Picole - drums (3)

Marcos Resende - keyboards (6)

Jorge Robison - guitar (6)

Chacal - congas (6)

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  

MIKE CATALANO - A Manhattan Affair (2007) APE (image+.cue), lossless

A follow-up of sorts to his 1989 debut A Rio Affair, A Manhattan Affair features pianist/composer Mike Catalano performing his crisp and breezy smooth jazz that touches on melodic rock, lightly funky R&B and bossa nova. Joining Catalano here are not only his superb rhythm section of bassist Will Lee and drummer Peter Erskine, but also a bevy of name artists and longtime Catalano associates including guitarist Chuck Loeb, trumpeter Randy Brecker, keyboardist Bob James, bassist Nico Assumpção and others. Fans of organic '70s fusion and contemporary pop should find much to enjoy here as Catalano delivers a sparkling afterglow version of "Beauty and the Beast," turns the Beatles' "Fool on the Hill" into a perfect soft rock noir ballad and showcases vocalist Ivan Lins' deeply emotive vocals on the atmospheric Brazilian classic "Dindi." Similarly engaging are such catchy Catalano originals as the cinematic and danceable "Take Me Back to Rio," the smoky ballad "Lelena," the driving Weather Report-esque "Moonlight in Baja" and the moodily funky lead-off single "Smooth as Silk." These are refreshing, often lushly arranged and endlessly melodic cuts that make the most of Catalano's tasteful keyboard chops. by Matt Collar  

GERALD ALBRIGHT - Sax for Stax (2008) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

ERIC GALE - Forecast (1973) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Eric Gale's 1973 Forecast album on the Kudu label is one of his most varied texturally. Produced by Kudu label boss Creed Taylor, the rhythm tracks were arranged by Gale, and the horns and strings by Bob James. Taylor surrounded Gale with the cream-of-the-crop of the current session players: jazz's most soulful drummer, Idris Muhammad, was in the house for most of the album, and Rick Marotta filled out the rest. Saxophonists included Joe Farrell, Pepper Adams, and Jerry Dodgion (an underrated ace who made his name with Curtis Amy on his Pacific jazz sides in the early '60s), and trumpeters included Randy Brecker and Jon Faddis. Hubert Laws and George Marge sat in the flute chairs, and James played piano and synths. Gale, for his part, was blended into a meticulously arranged and gorgeously orchestrated set of mixed tempo originals, and a pair of carefully chosen covers: "Killing Me Softly," by Charles Fox and Norman Gimbel, and Antonio Carlos Jobim's and Aloysio de Oliviera's deeply moving "Dindi." Gale's single string lines bite harder than some of the Brazilian counterparts, but because his blues inflection is so pronounced against the lush strings, keyboards, and horns, it works wonderfully. Gale's own grooved out "Cleopatra," and the otherworldly funk and blues feel of "White Moth," are just off-kilter enough to add a labyrinthine dimension to the album. Gale was a tear when he was on Kudu, and this album is the first example of his particular brand of street tough yet bedroom romantic soul-jazz for the label. by Thom Jurek 
Tracklist:
1 Killing Me Softly with His Song 3:37
Charles Fox / Norman Gimbel
2 Cleopatra 4:50
Eric Gale
3 Dindi 7:21
Antônio Carlos Jobim / Aloysio de Oliveira
4 White Moth 5:57
Eric Gale
5 Tonsue Corte 4:18
Eric Gale
6 Forecast 7:48
Eric Gale
Credits:
Arranged By [Rhythm Section], Guitar – Eric Gale
Arranged By [Stings & Horns], Piano, Organ, Percussion [Bass Marimba], Synthesizer – Bob James
Baritone Saxophone – Pepper Adams
Cello – George Ricci, Seymour Barab
Congas, Percussion – Ralph MacDonald
Congas, Tambourine – Arthur Jenkins
Drums – Idris Muhammad, Rick Marotta
Electric Bass – Gordon Edwards
Electric Bass – Bill Salter
Flute, Piccolo Flute – Hubert Laws
Tenor Saxophone – Joe Farrell
Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone – Jerry Dodgion
Tenor Saxophone, Flute – George Marge
Trombone – Alan Ralph, Garnett Brown, Tony Studd
Trumpet – John Frosk, Jon Faddis, Marvin Stamm, Randy Brecker, Victor Paz

DAVE GRUSIN / DON GRUSIN - Sticks and Stones (1988) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This set works very well. Dave Grusin and his younger brother Don Grusin use a variety of keyboards to create a series of colorful duets. Other than Dori Caymmi's "Southern Wind," all of the fairly spontaneous yet well-planned performances are originals by one or both of the brothers. Even listeners who are not that much into electronics will find much of interest on this melodic and funky, yet often unpredictable set.  by Scott Yanow
Tracklist:
1 Birds With Long Legs 5:03
Dave Grusin
2 Pico Pica 4:57
Don Grusin
3 Sailing at Night 4:19
Don Grusin
4 River Song 5:10
Dave Grusin / Don Grusin
5 Sticks and Stones 6:08
Dave Grusin / Don Grusin
6 Glissade 5:18
Dave Grusin
7 Good Ol' Boys 7:28
Don Grusin / Waylon Jennings
8 This Little Pig's Got the Blues 5:28
Don Grusin
9 Dog Heaven 04:49
Don Grusin
10 Southern Wind 4:15
Dori Caymmi
11 North-Tribal Step Dance 4:48
Dave Grusin
Credits:
Synthesizer [Yamaha DXIIFD, DX7, TX816, TX7, Roland D-550, MKS20 and Super Jupiter, Sequential Circuits Prophet V.S.], Drum Machine [Yamaha RX5, Studio 440], Electronic Drums [Roger Linn - Linndrum], Piano [Steinway and Yamaha], Sampler [Emax Emulator], Computer [Atari 1040 ST], Software Instrument [Hybrid Arts Smpte Track] – Dave Grusin, Don Grusin

DAVE GRUSIN / DON GRUSIN - Sticks and Stones

 (1988) GRP / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless 

O Púbis da Rosa

CLAIRE MARTIN - Take my Heart (1999) Linn

A major departure from Claire Martin's previous efforts, Take My Heart marked the first time she recorded an album that had very little to do with jazz. The British singer had never been a jazz snob; she always had a healthy appreciation of rock, pop and R&B. But jazz was her foundation -- if she interpreted a Tom Waits or Stevie Wonder song, she did so from a jazz perspective. Take My Heart, however, is essentially a pop album with R&B, folk, rock and jazz references -- the only thing on the CD that can honestly be called jazz is a torchy interpretation of the Cahn/Van Heusen classic "Only the Lonely." A gently introspective tone defines this album, and her remakes of Elvis Costello's "Baby Plays Around," the Beatles' "Help" (which she changes from uptempo pop-rock to relaxed pop-folk) and Paul Simon's "Jonah" sound quite personal. Martin co-wrote a few of the songs, including the Joni Mitchell-ish "Pleading Guilty" and "Inner City Girl," a pop/R&B gem that encourages a poor woman to be strong and persevere despite the challenges she faces. Thankfully, Martin the pop singer proved to be every bit as compelling as Martin the jazz singer.  by Alex Henderson  
Tracklist
1 River Man 4:34
Nick Drake
2 Take My Heart 3:40
Gordon Mills
3 Only the Lonely 2:57
Sammy Cahn / James Van Heusen
4 Queen Bee 5:25
Rupert Holmes
5 Brilliant Trees 5:26
David Sylvian
6 Jonah 3:44
Paul Simon
7 Help! 4:29
John Lennon / Paul McCartney
8 Inner City Girl 4:36
G. Williams
9 Pleading Guilty 4:20
Claire Martin
10 I Scare Myself 4:37
Dan Hicks
11 Baby Plays Around 3:06
Elvis Costello
Credits
Acoustic Guitar – Noel Gallagher (tracks: 7)
Arranged By – Paul Stacey
Autoharp – Mark Smith (tracks: 1)
Backing Vocals – Paul Stacey (tracks: 7, 8)
Backing Vocals [Spanish Banter] – Luis Jardim (tracks: 2)
Bass – Arnie Somogyi (tracks: 3)
Bass Guitar – Paul Stacey (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 7 to 10)
Bassoon – Jason Rebello (tracks: 3, 5)
Cello – Ben Davis (tracks: 5, 7, 11), Sarah Barker (tracks: 1, 2, 4 to 6), Stanley Adler (tracks: 4, 6)
Clarinet – Mornington Lockett (tracks: 3, 5, 6)
Double Bass – Arnie Somogyi (tracks: 5, 6)
Double Bass [Arco] – Sam Burgess (tracks: 6, 11)
Drums – Clark Tracey (tracks: 3), Jeremy Stacey (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 6 to 10)
Dulcimer [Appalachian] – Mark Smith (tracks: 5)
Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Gareth Williams (tracks: 8)
Guitar – Paul Stacey (tracks: 1, 2, 4 to 6, 8 to 11)
Guitar [Ebow] – Paul Stacey (tracks: 5, 6, 9, 11)
Harmonica – Robin Miller (tracks: 1)
Keyboards – Jason Rebello (tracks: 4), Paul Stacey (tracks: 1, 2, 5)
Lead Vocals – Claire Martin (tracks: 1 to 11)
Percussion – Luis Jardim (tracks: 2, 4, 6 to 8, 10)
Percussion [Clay Pot] – Sri Iain Ballamy (tracks: 2)
Piano – Gareth Williams (tracks: 3)
Saxophone – Mornington Lockett (tracks: 8)
Stylophone – Mark Smith (tracks: 7)
Trombone – Nichol Thomson (tracks: 1 to 4, 6)
Trumpet – Alistair 'Titch' Walker (tracks: 1 to 4, 6), Duncan Mackay (tracks: 1 to 4, 6)
Vibraphone – Anthony Kerr (tracks: 3, 5, 6)
Viola – Charlotte Glasson (tracks: 1, 3 to 6), John Murphy (tracks: 1, 3 to 6)
Violin – Anna Giddey (tracks: 1 to 3, 5, 6), Darragh Morgan (tracks: 1 to 3, 5, 6)

CLAIRE MARTIN - Take my Heart

(1999) Linn Records ‎/ CBR320k / scans 

O Púbis da Rosa

ROBIN McKELLE - Mess Around (2010) APE (tracks), lossless

Robin McKelle's previous recordings featured a big band, with her vocal stylings leaning on the pop side of jazz. While effective to a degree, she sounds similar in this setting, where this band is stripped down, a small horn section remains and electric keyboards still give the music a retro feel. Her tune choices are all over the map, copping soul and pop tunes with a funky underpinning, rarely swinging although occasionally shuffling, and featuring McKelle's coarse, gritty, at times supple, sophisticated voice. Her accompanying musicians are cream-of-the-crop up-and-comers, including keyboardist Xavier Davis, bassist Tim Lefevbre, saxophonists Mark Gross and Alex Harding, as well as two appearances by veteran Houston Person. Inspired by Ray Charles, the title track takes on a boogaloo facade with Wurlitzer organ, but a similar beat is thrust into Leonard Cohen's "Everybody Knows." Better suited for ballads as "Cry Me a River," McKelle does have that blue-eyed soul thing going on, but it's the amalgam of the Beatles meeting James Brown through "The Girl from Ipanema" during her version of "Eleanor Rigby" that shows where McKelle is really coming from. A credible effort if not somewhat been there/done that by others, it's to Robin McKelle's plus side that she is seeking new vibes out of something created in her old soul.  by Michael G. Nastos 
Tracklist:
1     Mess Around    4:33   
Robin McKelle
2     I Can't See Nobody    3:52   
Barry Gibb / Robin Gibb
3     Never Make a Move Too Soon    4:21    
N. Hooper
4     Everybody Knows    5:05   
Leonard Cohen
5     Angel    6:07     
Robin McKelle
6     Until the Day I Die    4:58 
Robin McKelle
7     Cry Me a River    4:38
Arthur Hamilton
8     Lonely Avenue    3:24 
Doc Pomus
9     Eleanor Rigby    3:21    
John Lennon / Paul McCartney
10     I Just Want to Make Love to You    4:24    
Willie Dixon / Gordon Gano
11     Since I Looked in Your Eyes    3:35    
Robin McKelle
Credits
    Alto Saxophone – Travis Sullivan
    Arranged By – Alain Mallet, Fred Wesley
    Baritone Saxophone – Alex Harding
    Bass – Tim Lefebvre
    Drums – Mark McLean
    Flugelhorn – Scott Harrell
    Guitar – Marvin Sewell
    Keyboards – Alain Mallet, Xavier Davis
    Organ – Adam Klipple
    Tenor Saxophone – Houston Person, Mark Gross, Michael Tucker
    Trombone – Jeff Galindo, Nelson Foltz
    Trumpet – Ravi Best, Scott Harrell
    Vocals – Robin McKelle

  

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