GORDON GOODWIN´S BIG PHAT BAND — That's How We Roll (2011) 24-44.1Hz | FLAC (tracks), lossless

Upon seeing the title That's How We Roll, people who don't know anything about the history of pianist/tenor saxophonist Gordon Goodwin and his Big Phat Band might assume that this is a hip-hop recording. "That's how we roll" is a popular expression in hip-hop circles (at least as of 2011), but like a lot of the bebop and hipster slang of the '40s and '50s, hip-hop slang often reaches people who aren't necessarily part of hip-hop's core audience, and that includes a jazz instrumentalist like Goodwin, who is jazz-oriented on this 67-minute CD but doesn't conduct himself like a jazz purist from start to finish. Goodwin has his traditional big-band influences (Count Basie, Buddy Rich), but it's obvious that he also has a taste for soul and funk; in fact, some of the horn arrangements on That's How We Roll successfully find the link between Basie's funkiness and the funkiness of '70s funk/soul bands such as Parliament/Funkadelic, Tower of Power and Earth, Wind & Fire. That's How We Roll has its share of tracks that could easily be described as big-band soul-jazz, including "Rippin' n Runnin'," "Howdiz Songo?," and the title tune. But "Race to the Bridge" and "Gaining on You" have boppish melodies, and Goodwin's hard-swinging arrangement of George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" (which is the only song on this 2011 release he didn't compose) is quite Basie-minded. Meanwhile, the least jazz-friendly track is "Never Enough," which features Take 6 and is the only vocal offering on a predominantly instrumental CD; "Never Enough" is the only time the album ventures into outright funk (as opposed to jazz-funk or soul-jazz). That's How We Roll is not an album that was recorded with jazz purists in mind, and at the same time, there is way too much improvisation for the smooth jazz crowd. But this is an enjoyable outing if one is seriously into big-band jazz and also has a strong appreciation of soul and funk. Alex Henderson
Tracklist :
1    That's How We Roll 7:06
Featuring, Alto Saxophone – Eric Marienthal
Written-By – Gordon Goodwin
2    Howdix Sango? 7:10
Featuring, Guitar – Andrew Synowiec
Featuring, Trumpet – Wayne Bergeron
Written-By – Gordon Goodwin
3    Rippin' N Runnin' 6:59
Featuring, Alto Saxophone – Dave Koz, Eric Marienthal, Gerald Albright
Written-By – Gordon Goodwin
4    Hunting Wabbits 3 (Get Off My Lawn) 7:55
Featuring, Tenor Saxophone – Gordon Goodwin
Written-By – Gordon Goodwin
5    Everlasting 5:40
Written-By, Featuring, Tenor Saxophone – Gordon Goodwin
6    Gaining On You 5:33
Featuring, Piano – Gordon Goodwin
Featuring, Tenor Saxophone – Brian Scanlon
Written-By – Gordon Goodwin
7    Never Enough 5:45
Featuring, Electric Bass – Marcus Miller
Featuring, Organ [B-3] – Gordon Goodwin
Featuring, Vocals – Take 6
Written-By – Gordon Goodwin, Lisa Goodwin
8    It's Not Polite To Point 7:54
Featuring, Trombone – Andy Martin, Charlie Morillas, Craig Ware, Francisco Torres
Written-By – Gordon Goodwin
9    Race To The Bridge 6:11
Featuring, Alto Saxophone – Eric Marienthal
Featuring, Tenor Saxophone – Brian Scanlon
Written-By – Gordon Goodwin
Encore    
10    Rhapsody In Blue 7:26
Featuring, Clarinet – Sal Lozano
Featuring, Tenor Saxophone – Jeff Driskill
Featuring, Trombone – Andy Martin
Featuring, Trumpet – Wayne Bergeron
Written-By – George Gershwin
Credits :
Acoustic Bass, Electric Bass – Rick Shaw
Alto Saxophone – Kevin Garren (tracks: 5 to 7)
Alto Saxophone, Flute, Flute [Alto], Piccolo Flute – Sal Lozano
Baritone Saxophone, Bass Clarinet – Jay Mason
Drums – Bernie Dresel
Guitar – Andrew Synowiec
Percussion – Brad Dutz
Piano, Tenor Saxophone – Gordon Goodwin
Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Flute – Eric Marienthal (tracks: 1 to 4, 8 to 10)
Tenor Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet – Brian Scanlon, Jeff Driskill
Trombone – Andy Martin, Charlie Morillas, Craig Gosnell (tracks: 1 to 7, 9), Craig Ware (tracks: 8, 10), Francisco Torres
Trumpet – Bob Summers, Dan Fornero (tracks: 1 to 4, 8 to 10), Dan Savant, Wayne Bergeron, Willie Murillo (tracks: 5 to 7)

GORDON GOODWIN´S BIG PHAT BAND — Life In The Bubble (2014) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band's 2014 effort, Life in the Bubble, showcases the ensemble's lively, crisply swinging jazz sound. Included here is a mix of standards and originals including such songs as the hard-driving "Why We Can't Have Nice Things," the lively Latin-tinged "Garaje Gato," their freewheeling take on the classic "On Green Dolphin Street," and others. Matt Collar
Tracklist :
1    Life In The Bubble 6:47
Written-By – Gordon Goodwin
Featuring, Tenor Saxophone – Brian Scanlon
2    Why We Can't Have Nice Things 6:20
Written-By – Gordon Goodwin
Featuring, Alto Saxophone – Kevin Garren
Featuring, Trombone – Andy Martin
3    Synolicks 8:16
Written-By – Gordon Goodwin
Featuring, Guitar – Andrew Synowiec
4    Years Of Therapy 8:22
Written-By – Gordon Goodwin
Featuring, Trumpet – Wayne Bergeron
5    The Passage 6:47
Written-By – Gordon Goodwin
Featuring, Alto Saxophone – Eric Marienthal
6    Garaje Gato 6:51
Written-By – Gordon Goodwin
Featuring, Drums – Bernie Dresel
Featuring, Percussion, Vocals – Joey Deleon
Featuring, Tenor Saxophone – Gordon Goodwin
Featuring, Trombone – Francisco Torres
7    Does This Chart Make Me Look Phat? 8:21
Written-By – Gordon Goodwin
Featuring, Tenor Saxophone – Jeff Driskill
Featuring, Trumpet – Willie Murillo
8    Get Smart 4:28
Featuring, Alto Saxophone – Eric Marienthal
Written-By – Irving Szathmary
9    On Green Dolphin Street 3:37
Featuring, Piano – Gordon Goodwin
Featuring, Trumpet – Bob Summers
Written-By – Bronislaw Kaper, Ned Washington
10    Party Rockers 3:57
Featuring, Vocals, Written-By – Judith Hill
Credits :
Acoustic Bass, Electric Bass – Rick Shaw
Alto Saxophone – Kevin Garren (tracks: 2)
Alto Saxophone, Flute, Piccolo Flute – Sal Lozano
Baritone Saxophone, Bass Clarinet – Jay Mason
Drums – Bernie Dresel
Guitar – Andrew Synowiec
Percussion – Joey De Leon, Jr. (tracks: Joey Deleon)
Piano, Tenor Saxophone – Gordon Goodwin
Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone – Eric Marienthal
Tenor Saxophone – Jeff Driskill (tracks: 1, 2, 5, 7 to 9), Kevin Garren (tracks: 3, 4, 6)
Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet – Brian Scanlon
Trombone – Andy Martin, Charlie Morillas, Craig Gosnell, Francisco Torres
Trumpet – Bob Summers (tracks: 9), Dan Fornero, Dan Savant, Wayne Bergeron, Willie Murillo

JACQUES LOUSSIER TRIO — Baroque Favorites (2001) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Jacques Loussier has spent most of his career blending jazz and classical styles into a lightly swinging and highly melodic hybrid. He is most well-known for tackling Bach, but here he covers a range of Baroque composers. Loussier, bassist Benoit Dunoyer De Segonzac, and drummer Andre Arpino play pieces by Handel, Pachabel, Scarlatti, Marcello, Albinoni, and Marias. Loussier has a very light touch and the trio is laid-back, never distracting from the melodies. You can hear the influence of Dave Brubeck in Loussier's playing (especially on Marais' "La Sonnerie de Sainte-Geneviève du Mont"), and much like Brubeck's best work, there is a strong sense of warmth and intelligence on Baroque Favorites. The only complaint one might have is that the brevity of some of the songs breaks up the flow of the record. Nevertheless, Baroque Favorites is a very nice album. Tim Sendra
Tracklist :
Suite for keyboard (Suite de piece), Vol.2, No.4 in D minor, HWV 437 2:16
1 Theme and Variation No. 1
George Frederick Handel
2 Variation No. 2 1:36
George Frederick Handel
3 Variation No. 3 1:33
George Frederick Handel
4 Variation No. 4 0:42
George Frederick Handel
5 La Sonnerie de Sainte Geneviève du Mont à Paris, for violin, viola da gamba & continuo in D minor 5:37
Marin Marais
6 Sonata for keyboard in B minor, K. 87 (L. 33) 4:55
Domenico Scarlatti
7 Sonata for keyboard in F sharp minor, K. 67 (L. 32) 1:30
Domenico Scarlatti
8 Largo in F major, instrumental arrangement ("Ombra mai fu" from the opera Serse) 3:21
George Frederick Handel
9 Canon in D major, instrumental arrangement 3:39
Johann Pachelbel
Concerto for oboe, strings & continuo in D minor, SF. 935 (often transposed to C minor)
10 Andante e spiccato 2:32
Alessandro Marcello
11 Adagio 2:23
Alessandro Marcello
12 Presto 3:09
Alessandro Marcello
13 Adagio 4:33
Tomaso Albinoni
Work(s)
14 [Unspecified] Concerto in F major for organ 4:08
George Frederick Handel
15 [Unspecified] Concerto in F major for organ 5:15
George Frederick Handel
16 [Unspecified] Concerto in F major for organ 2:39
George Frederick Handel
17 [Unspecified] Concerto in F major for organ 4:25
George Frederick Handel
18 [Unspecified] Concerto in F major for organ 3:48
George Frederick Handel
Credits :
Piano, Arranged By – Jacques Loussier
Bass – Benoit Dunoyer De Segonzac
Cover [Image: "Angel with inscription INRI from the Cross" (1669)] – Bernini
Drums – Andre Arpino

HIROMI'S SONICBLOOM — Time Control (2008) SACD, Hybrid | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Hiromi Uehara's version of jazz is unique without being willfully strange -- clearly deeply rooted in the straight-ahead jazz verities, she nevertheless writes with a distinctly postmodern sensibility, gleefully juxtaposing wildly disparate musical elements and infusing everything with a joyful energy. In fact, joyful energy is probably the most significant hallmark of her music; on her latest album, even her attempt at a ballad eventually winds up in swinging uptempo territory, and just about everything else either rushes headlong or rocks out strongly in midtempo. This is actually something of a concept album centered on the idea of time, the control of time, and the effects of time on humans. It opens with the frantic but lovely "Time Difference," on which guest guitarist David "Fuze" Fiuczynski is given ample room to rock out, and then lapses into the slower, funkier, but no less energetic "Time Out" (an Uehara original, not the Dave Brubeck standard). "Time Travel" starts out strong but runs out of gas about halfway through its eight and a half minute length, but "Real Clock vs. Body Clock = Jet Lag" is a real hoot -- a surf-rock theme that alternates with a barrelhouse barroom piano theme and then becomes an exercise in advanced guitar and synthesizer tonal insanity. One of the most interesting things about this album is the way that Fiuczynski's tonal experimentation draws out a similar adventurousness in Uehara, to the extent that it's sometimes hard to tell which of them is playing a solo. Several tracks on this album are several minutes too long, but overall it's a real treat. You'll be tired at the end, but it will be a good tired. Rick Anderson  
Tracklist :
1 Time Difference 6:19
2 Time Out 6:40
3 Time Travel 8:37
4 Deep Into The Night 9:02
5 Real Clock vs. Body Clock = Jet Lag 5:53
6 Time And Space 7:56
7 Time Control, Or Controlled By Time 8:29
8 Time Flies 8:01
9 Time's Up 0:47
10 Note From The Past (Bonus Track)
Credits
Bass – Tony Grey
Drums – Martin Valihora
Guitar – David Fiuczynski
Keyboards, Piano – Hiromi Uehara

OSCAR PETERSON | RAY BROWN | BENNY CARTER | CLARK TERRY — The More I See You (1995) Serie Telarc 20 | APE (image+.cue), lossless

After Oscar Peterson suffered a severe stroke in the spring of 1993, it was feared that he would never again play on a professional level, but two years of intense therapy resulted in the masterful pianist returning to what sounds, on this Telarc CD, like near-prime form. For the all-star date, The More I See You, Peterson tears into seven standards and two blues and outswings all potential competitors. Altoist Benny Carter at 87 sounds like he is 47 (if Carter had retired back in 1940 he would still be a legend), and flugelhornist Clark Terry (here 74) proves to be not only (along with the remarkable 90-year-old Doc Cheatham) the finest trumpeter over 70 but one of the top brassmen of any age. The cool-toned guitarist Lorne Lofsky and drummer Lewis Nash are also strong assets while bassist Ray Brown (a year younger than Peterson at a mere 68) displays his typical limitless energy on appealing tunes such as "In a Mellow Tone," "When My Dream Boat Comes Home," and a medium/up-tempo version of "For All We Know." The musicians all play up to their usual high level, making this a joyous comeback album for the great Oscar Peterson. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     In a Mellow Tone 4'53
Duke Ellington / Milt Gabler
2     Gee Baby, Ain't I Good to You 4'45
Andy Razaf / Don Redman
3     On the Trail 7'03
Harold Adamson / Ferde Grofé
4     When My Dreamboat Comes Home 8'17
Dave Franklin / David Franklin / Cliff Friend
5     Ron's Blues 8'05
Oscar Peterson
6     For All We Know 8'39
J. Fred Coots / Sam M. Lewis
7     Blues for Lisa 9'15
Oscar Peterson
8     Squatty Roo 5'39
Johnny Hodges
9     The More I See You 6'02
Mack Gordon / Harry Warren
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Benny Carter
Bass – Ray Brown
Drums – Lewis Nash
Piano – Oscar Peterson
Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Clark Terry

THE RAY BROWN TRIO — Soular Energy (1985) Two Version | Concord Jazz – CCD-4268 + 2013, SACD · Hybrid | APE (image+.cue), lossless + FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This album is important as an early milestone in pianist Gene Harris' second career. Harris, who had led the popular Three Sounds in the 1960s, had been living in obscurity in Boise, ID, for several years before he was urged by bassist Ray Brown to come to the West Coast for some recording sessions. Harris became a permanent member of Brown's regular trio for quite a few years before launching his own quartet. He had lost none of his technique, soul, or swing in the interim, as he shows throughout this fine release. Seven of the eight numbers (highlighted by "Exactly Like You," "Teach Me Tonight," and "Sweet Georgia Brown") feature Brown, Harris, and drummer Gerryck King playing soulful bop, while "Mistreated But Undefeated Blues" adds guitarist Emily Remler and the tenor of Red Holloway. An excellent effort. Scott Yanow   Tracklist & Credits :

RAY BROWN TRIO — The Red Hot Ray Brown Trio (1987) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Bassist Ray Brown's 1985 trio (featuring pianist Gene Harris and drummer Mickey Roker) is heard in fine form throughout this swinging set. In addition to five standards and Brown's own blues "Captain Bill," there are a couple of unlikely but successful selections: Tyree Glenn's "How Could You Do a Thing Like This to Me" and "Love Me Tender." Although there is actually only one blues among the eight numbers, Gene Harris infuses all of the selections with the feeling of the blues and consistently steals the show. Scott Yanow   Tracklist & Credits :

THE RAY BROWN TRIO ft. GENE HARRIS & JEFF HAMILTON — Bam Bam Bam (1989) APE (image+.cue), lossless

The Ray Brown Trio is caught on this CD live at a Tokyo concert and sounds obviously inspired by the enthusiastic crowd. The group (which also stars pianist Gene Harris and drummer Jeff Hamilton) stretches out on four standards, "Put Your Little Right Out," Victor Feldman's "Rio" and two Brown originals: "F.S.R. (For Sonny Rollins)" and the title cut. This release is a perfect introduction to the many fine Ray Brown-Gene Harris Concord recordings; it consistently swings with soul. Scott Yanow   Tracklist & Credits :

THE RAY BROWN TRIO — Summer Wind : Live at the Loa (2003) SACD · Hybrid | APE (image+.cue), lossless

Ray Brown has many great contributions to jazz as a leader and a sideman, but one additional way in which he helped jazz was his encouraging Gene Harris to give up his early retirement and go back out on the road. The pianist was a part of Brown's groups for several years before he formed a working quartet and became a leader for good once again. This 1988 concert at a since-defunct Santa Monica night club (co-owned by Brown) finds the two, along with drummer Jeff Hamilton, at the top of their game. A phone ringing in the background distracts momentarily from Brown's opening solo in his composition "The Real Blues," during which Harris repeats a bluesy tremolo, which may be an inside joke about the early distraction. Harris take a blues-drenched approach to "Mona Lisa" before giving way to the leader's solo, while his lyrical approach to "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man" is shimmering. Hamilton's soft brushes are prominent in "Little Darlin'," but his explosive playing provides a powerful pulse to the very unusual strutting take of "It Don't Mean a Thing." This extremely satisfying CD is warmly recommended. Ken Dryden   Tracklist & Credits :

THE RAY BROWN TRIO WITH RALPH MOORE — Moore Makes 4 (1991) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

The members of the Ray Brown Trio (the bassist-leader, pianist Gene Harris and drummer Jeff Hamilton) all grew to love the playing of tenor-saxophonist Ralph Moore when the four were traveling as members of Gene Harris' big band. On this Ray Brown CD, the veteran bassist virtually turned over the entire session to Moore. The quartet performs a variety of veteran standards (including some from the bop era such as Charlie Parker's "Quasimodo" and Dizzy Gillespie's "The Champ") plus Wes Montgomery's "SOS" and Brown's "Ralph's Boogie." Ralph Moore rises to the occasion and shows that, even though his sound is inspired by John Coltrane, he was fully capable of playing tunes from the swing and bop era; Moore sounds delighted to have the Ray Brown Trio as his backup group. This is a fine collaboration that works quite well. Scott Yanow   Tracklist & Credits :

THE RAY BROWN TRIO — 3 Three Dimensional (1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 Excellent trio date with Brown's formidable bass interaction with drummer Jeff Hamilton and pianist Gene Harris. Harris plays with his usual bluesy punch and delicate touch, while Hamilton fits like a glove with Brown. This is heady, solidly professional material. Ron Wynn   Tracklist & Credits :

RAY BROWN | JOHN CLAYTON — SuperBass (1992) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 Bassist Ray Brown shows off the potential of his instrument on this colorful set. Using fellow bassist John Clayton, Brown had their basses overdubbed several times on some of the selections (there are ten basses on "Happy Days Are Here Again") and the arrangements (all but one are by Clayton) are quite colorful. Also on this memorable if somewhat obscure set are rhythm guitarist Freddie Green, Jeff Clayton on alto and drummer Jeff Hamilton. Highlights include "One Armed Bandit," "Killer Joe," "5 O'Clock Whistle," "Happy Days" and "Righteous Boogie Bass."  Scott Yanow   Tracklist & Credits :

RAY BROWN TRIO — Live at Scullers (1997) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Staying young by working with the young, Ray Brown and cohorts Benny Green (piano) and Gregory Hutchinson (drums) laid down a set of jazz and pop standards at a club in a Boston Double Tree Hotel. Though Brown is the leader and anchor of the date, quite obviously the pianist is going to dominate the act -- and Green definitely puts on a show, wiping everyone out with the pyrotechnics of "You're My Everything," engaging in a gentle stride opening to "But Not for Me," and coming logically to a bombastic climax. Hutchinson is capable, swinging, and occasionally volatile, and Brown mostly steps back and gives these guys a firm underpinning, with a sly solo now and then ("Bye, Bye Blackbird.") There are few surprises or deviations from the mainstream here, but a good time will be had by anyone who gives this a spin. Richard S. Ginell   Tracklist & Credits :

RAY BROWN TRIO — Don't Get Sassy (1994) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Bassist Ray Brown, pianist Benny Green, and drummer Jeff Hamilton make for a perfect team on their Telarc CD. The tight yet swinging arrangements are full of subtle surprises and serve as a perfect format for the players, particularly Green. Highlights include Thad Jones' "Don't Get Sassy," Oscar Peterson's "Kelly's Blues," "Tanga," "Brown's New Blues," and a three-song Duke Ellington medley. Recommended. Scott Yanow   Tracklist & Credits :

RAY BROWN WITH JOHN CLAYTON & CHRISTIAN McBRIAN — SuperBass : Recorded Live At Sculler's (1997) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

This live Boston summit meeting between Ray Brown, Christian McBride and John Clayton was the logical outcome of several joint appearances, as well as an extension of a one-off bass troika track that McBride included on his first solo album. The idea of a bass trio on records probably would have been unthinkable in the primitive days of recording when Brown was coming up, but Telarc's fabulously deep yet clear engineering makes it seem like a natural thing to do. Whether pizzicato or bowed, whether taking the melodic solo or plunking down the 4/4 bottom line, all three perform with amazing panache, taste, humor, lack of ego, and the sheer joy of talking to and against each other beneath the musical staff. But if one has to pick out a single star, the choice has to be McBride, whose unshakeable time, solid tone and amazing ability to play his cumbersome bull fiddle like a horn stands out in astonishing fashion on the right speaker. On two tracks, the fleet-fingered Benny Green and drummer Gregory Hutchinson join Brown to form a conventional trio that serves as an effective change of pace. It's a fun set without a doubt, but these guys are also clearly making coherent music, and that is what will hold our interest over the long haul. Richard S. Ginell   Tracklist & Credits :

RAY BROWN | JOHN CLAYTON | CHRISTIAN McBRIAN — SuperBass 2 (2001) SACD · Hybrid | Serie Telarc Surround | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist & Credits :

RAY BROWN — Some of My Best Friends Are ... The Piano Players (1995) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

On his Telarc disc, Ray Brown teams up with five different piano players but, rather than this being a tribute to the veteran bassist (who has solo space on every selection), the CD ends up being a celebration of the great Oscar Peterson because Benny Green, Dado Moroni, and Geoff Keezer have, to various degrees, based their styles on Peterson's, but the indivual standout is actually Ahmad Jamal, who had never previously recorded with Brown. Together with Lewis Nash they perform two blues and "Love Walked In," all renditions that make a liberal use of space and pay close attention to dynamics. Benny Green, who plays his "Ray of Light" along with two standards, had performed regularly with Brown in recent years and his selections offer few surprises. Dodo Moroni is fine on "My Romance" and inserts a bit of Erroll Garner on "Giant Steps," while Geoff Keezer (who had also never played with Brown) swings well on "Close Your Eyes." The CD concludes with a reunion between Oscar Peterson (who had recently recovered from a stroke) and Brown on "St. Tropez" and the upbeat "How Come You Do Me like You Do?" The results overall are pleasing and swinging (serving as a sampler of the pianists' styles), but not all that innovative. Scott Yanow   Tracklist & Credits :

RAY BROWN TRIO — Some of My Best Friends Are ... The Sax Players (1996) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

As a follow-up to bassist Ray Brown's previous record in which he collaborated with several of his favorite pianists, Some of My Best Friends Are...The Sax Players features six major saxophonists (tenors Joe Lovano, Ralph Moore, Joshua Redman and Stanley Turrentine plus altoists Benny Carter and Jesse Davis) on two songs apiece with his regular trio. Although more than 60 years separate the ageless Carter from Redman, each of the saxes originally developed their own voice in the straight-ahead jazz tradition. Highlights of the colorful set include Benny Carter's playful rendition of "Love Walked In," Moore's cooking solo on "Crazeology" (a Benny Harris bop classic which the record mistakenly lists as written by Bud Freeman), Davis ripping through "Moose the Mooche" and Turrentine's romp on the blues "Port of Rico." Pianist Benny Green and drummer Gregory Hutchinson provide suitable accompaniment (Green's solos are consistently excellent) and all dozen of the songs are successful and swinging. As an extra bonus, on the latter part of the CD each of the saxophonists has a brief chat (between 26 seconds and a minute apiece) with Brown about their early influences. There is so much good feeling and obvious mutual respect shown that one wishes these talks were at least twice as long; the Benny Carter segment is most memorable. This well-conceived project is easily recommended. Scott Yanow   Tracklist & Credits :

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 :

RAY BROWN TRIO — Some of My Best Friends Are ... Guitarists (2002) APE (image+.cue), lossless

The fifth in Ray Brown's series of recordings pairing his working trio with several different musicians from the same family of instruments (although one volume was exclusively singers) features a half-dozen guitarists, ranging from fellow Oscar Peterson alumni Herb Ellis (who worked with Brown in the pianist's most famous trio) and Ulf Wakenius to veteran Kenny Burrell, as well as seasoned players like John Pizzarelli and Bruce Forman and the rising star Russell Malone. Each song sounds as if the group could be a working quartet, due to the great interaction between the trio and each guest. Pizzarelli shines in a bluesy, strutting take of Duke Ellington's "Just Squeeze Me" (erroneously labeled as Fats Waller's "Squeeze Me") which has a nice series of exchanges between the guitarist and the leader. Ellis brings back memories of the Oscar Peterson Trio with a heated performance of "I Want to Be Happy" during which pianist Geoff Keezer is up to the task of carrying on where Ellis left off. Wakenius is the guest on a particularly moody take of "My Funny Valentine." Burrell, Forman, and Malone also fare nicely on each of their pair of tracks, so it's very easy to recommend this very enjoyable disc. Ken Dryden   Tracklist & Credits :