MELODY GARDOT — The Absence (2012) Two Version | Decca – 2792657 EU + SHM-CD Decca – UCCU-1351 | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Melody Gardot's 2009 sophomore effort, My One and Only Thrill, sustained the sultry, atmospheric vibe of her critically acclaimed 2006 debut, her 2012 follow-up, The Absence, is a bit of a creative departure for the vocalist. Apparently inspired by her world travels, and specifically by a trip that brought her to the desert around the city of Marrakech, the album moves her away from smoky, small-group jazz and into a bright, if still bedroom-eyed, rhythmically exotic sound. Produced by guitarist/composer Heitor Pereira, the album is a lush, somewhat orchestral album that finds Gardot delving into various Brazilian, Spanish, and African-influenced sounds -- including bits of samba, tango, bossa nova, and calypso -- that evince her global journey. However, rather than simply making a standards album, Gardot continues her all-original approach, offering up new literate and passionately delivered compositions that bring to mind the work of such similarly inclined artists as Antonio Carlos Jobim, Paul Simon, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, and others. Although there are a few name musicians who help add spice to Gardot's musical caravan here, including percussionist Paulinho Da Costa, drummer Peter Erskine, and bassist John Leftwich, primarily it is still Gardot's burnished and yearning vocal style that takes the helm on these tracks. Matt Collar  
Tracklist :
1    Mira 4:16
Written-By – Gardot
2    Amalia 3:03
Written-By – Pereira, Gardot, Roy
3    So Long 3:50
Written-By – Gardot
4    So We Meet Again My Heartache 4:32
Written-By – Gardot
5    Lisboa 5:27
Written-By – Gardot
6    Impossible Love 3:49
Written-By – Gardot
7    If I Tell You I Love You 3:35
Engineer [Recording, Assistant] – Glenn Barratt
Written-By – Gardot
8    Goodbye 3:41
Written-By – Harris, Gardot
9    Se Voce Me Ama 4:56
Written-By – Pereira, Gardot
10    My Heart Won't Have It Any Other Way 2:24
Written-By – Gardot
11    Iemanja 4:00
Written-By – Gardot
12    The Willow (Bonus Track) 7:00
Written-By – Roy
Credits :
Backing Vocals – Alfie Silas Durio, Ali Witherspoon, Bill Cantos, Bill Maxwell, Louis B. Price, Phil Roy, Tata Vega
Bandoneon – Coco Trivisonno
Bass – John Leftwich
Clarinet – Ron Kerber
Conductor – Nick Glennie Smith
Drums – Jim Keltner, Peter Erskine
Flute, Bass Clarinet, Clarinet, Alto Flute – Dan Higgins
Orchestrated By – Ladd McIntosh
Percussion – Paco Arroyo, Paulinho Da Costa, Yolanda Arroyo
Piano, Melodica – Larry Goldings
Piano, Portuguese Guitar – Melody Gardot
Producer, Arranged By, Vocals [Additional], Guitar [All], Piano, Percussion – Heitor Pereira
Saxophone [Slide], Tuba – Doug Webb
Trombone – Andrew Lippman
Trumpet – Harry Kim, Ramon Flores

JIM HALL — Dialogues (1995) Telarc 20, Telarc Jazz Series | Two Version | APE (image+.cue), lossless + FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Guitarist Jim Hall has long been one of the most open-minded of the important stylists to emerge during the 1950s, and his harmonically advanced style remains quite modern while hinting at its foundations in bop. For this Telarc CD, Hall teams up with five major players on two numbers apiece: Guitarists Bill Frisell and Mike Stern, Joe Lovano on tenor, flugelhornist Tom Harrell, and Gil Goldstein on accordion. Bassist Scott Colley and drummer Andy Watson are on the Frisell and Lovano tracks, and part of the Harrell and Stern performances. All of the compositions but "Skylark" are Hall originals and, although they are usually a bit dry, there are some exceptions: "Uncle Ed" and "Frisell Frazzle" are a little nutty. The emphasis throughout is on interplay between the lead voices and advanced improvising. Despite his strong sidemen (Stern and Harrell fare best), Jim Hall ends up as the dominant voice on virtually every selection, making this a set his fans will enjoy. Scott Yanow
Tracklist :
1     Frisell Frazzle  4:47
Written-By – Jim Hall
2     Simple Things      6:26
Written-By – Jim Hall
3     Calypso Joe      5:17
Written-By – Jim Hall
4     Bon Ami      6:37
Written-By – Jim Hall
5     Dream Steps      4:45
Written-By – Jim Hall
6     Snowbound      6:19
Written-By – Jim Hall
7     Stern Stuff      5:12
Written-By – Jim Hall
8     Dialogue      4:34
Written-By – Jim Hall
9     Uncle Ed      5:03
Written-By – Jim Hall
10     Skylark          5:35
Written-By – Hoagy Carmichael
Credits :
Guitar – Jim Hall, Bill Frisell (tracks: 1, 2), Mike Stern (tracks: 7, 9)
Accordion – Gil Goldstein (tracks: 6, 8)
Bass – Scott Colley (tracks: 1 to 4, 7, 10)
Drums – Andy Watson (tracks: 1 to 5, 7, 9, 10)
Flugelhorn – Tom Harrell (tracks: 5, 10)    
Tenor Saxophone – Joe Lovano (tracks: 3, 4)

BILL FRISELL — Beautiful Dreamers (2010) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Beautiful Dreamers is Bill Frisell's debut for Savoy Jazz. He left longstanding label Nonesuch in 2009, claiming he needed to release more than one record per year in order to to document his various bands, film score commitments, and commissions. This set features the guitarist in the company of violist Eyvind Kang and drummer Rudy Royston on a program of ten originals and six covers. While this trio is well known for using various effects in concert to expand its sonic palette, and jamming on various tunes for long periods of time, here the musicians are virtually a mirror image of that incarnation, playing with restraint, brevity, and melodic sensitivity. Frisell's originals range between speculative, atmospherically mysterious numbers such as "Love Sick" and more rhythmically pronounced exercises that engage in contrapuntal play between the guitarist and Kang, as on "Winslow Homer," which also flirts with bluegrass while Royston lays down breaks inside hip-hop drums. "Better Than a Machine" is dedicated to the late Vic Chesnutt, and employs two of his themes in a perky, rockist tribute with some nice dissonance from Kang and power chords from Frisell. But they also underscore the covers, which are typical of Frisell; they reflect his wide interest in American music and his sense of humor. There's a parlor-room reading of Stephen Foster's "Beautiful Dreamer," an elegant version of "Goin' Out of My Head" that features killer pizzicato playing from Kang (and refers more to the original hit version by Little Anthony & the Imperials than the version by Sergio Mendes), the forlorn, wary blues of Blind Willie Johnson's "It's Nobody's Fault But Mine" stretched to the breaking point, and a swinging read of "Benny's Bugle." The blues also appears on "Worried Woman," with a direct quote from John Lennon's "I Found Out" and great rhythmic and harmonic interplay between all members of the trio. There's a sparkling cover of A.P. Carter's "Keep on the Sunny Side" that underscores Frisell's well-documented love of Americana and country music. At an hour in length, this can seem like an overly long exercise at times -- "Tea for Two" feels like an eternity and some of Frisell's originals are a tad amorphous, like cues left off film scores -- but these are minor complaints. Ultimately, Beautiful Dreamers is a wonderfully balanced trio exercise.
-> This comment is posted on Allmusic by Thom Jurek, follower of our blog 'O Púbis da Rosa' <-
Tracklist :
1.    Love Sick  1:03
 Bill Frisell
2.    Winslow Homer 3:32
 Bill Frisell
3.    Beautiful Dreamer (for Karle Seydel)  3:02
Stephen Foster
4.    A Worthy Endeavor (for Cajori) 5:24
 Bill Frisell
5.    It's Nobody's Fault But My Own 4:34
 Blind Willie Johnson
6.    Baby Cry 6:21
 Bill Frisell
7.    Benny's Bugle 3:31
 Benny Goodman
8.    Tea For Two   4:28
 Vincent Youmans
9.    No Time To Cry 1:36
 Bill Frisell
10.    Better Than A Machine (for Vic Chestnut) 2:49
 Bill Frisell
11.    Goin' Out Of My Head 2:46
 Bobby Weinstein, Teddy Randazzo
12.    Worried Woman  4:44
 Bill Frisell
13.    Keep On The Sunny Side 2:26
 A.P. Carter
14.    Sweetie 4;28
 Bill Frisell
15.    All We Can Do 6:16
 Bill Frisell
16.    Who Was That Girl? 6:14
 Bill Frisell
Credits :
Bill Frisell - Guitar
Eyvind Kang - Viola
Rudy Royston - Drums

STEVE REICH — The ECM Recordings (2016) Old & New Masters Edition Series | 3CD SET | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Early in his career, Steve Reich released three groundbreaking albums on ECM Records that established his relationship with this forward-looking label and solidified his reputation as a major American composer. With the recording of Music for 18 Musicians in 1978, Reich received widespread praise from both listeners and critics, and its success led to the subsequent release in 1981 of Octet; Music for a Large Ensemble; Violin Phase, which expanded Reich's catalog of pattern-based instrumental works, and Tehillim in 1982, which revealed his interest in his Jewish heritage and his new emphasis on vocal music. This limited-edition package presents these essential albums on three CDs with the original album art reproduced on cardboard sleeves. This is a must-have set that will bring back fond memories for owners of the original vinyl records. Considering the drawback of having to change sides in the middle of Music for 18 Musicians, many old-timers know that having that cherished performance on CD is a dream come true. Of course, these works have entered the repertoire of many contemporary music ensembles, and several outstanding recordings have been made since these albums first appeared. But this is an important piece of history that collectors and fans of minimalism should snap up immediately. Blair Sanderson
Tracklist 1 :
Music For 18 Musicians
1.    Pulse – Sections I–X – Pulse (56:31)
Cello – Ken Ishii
Clarinet, Bass Clarinet – Richard Cohen, Virgil Blackwell
Marimba, Maracas – Gary Schall
Marimba, Xylophone – Bob Becker, Glen Velez, Russ Hartenberger
Marimba, Xylophone, Piano – David Van Tieghem
Metallophone, Piano – James Preiss
Performer [Performed By] – Steve Reich And Musicians
Piano – Nurit Tilles, Steve Chambers
Piano, Maracas – Larry Karush
Piano, Marimba – Steve Reich
Violin – Shem Guibbory
Voice – Elizabeth Arnold, Pamela Fraley, Rebecca Armstrong
Voice, Piano – Jay Clayton
Tracklist 2 :
Octet • Music For A Large Ensemble • Violin Phase
1. Music For A Large Ensemble (15:28)
Bass [Basses] – Judith Sugarman, Lewis Paer
Cello [Cellos] – Chris Finckel, Michael Finckel
Clarinet [Clarinets] – Richard Cohen, Virgil Blackwell
Flute – Mort Silver
Marimba [Marimbas] – Gary Schall, Glen Velez, Richard Schwarz, Russ Hartenberger
Piano [Pianos] – Edmund Niemann, Larry Karush, Nurit Tilles, Steve Reich
Soprano Saxophone [Soprano Saxophones] – Ed Joffe, Vincent Gnojek
Trumpet [Trumpets] – Douglas Hedwig, James Dooley, James Hamlin, Marshall Farr
Vibraphone – James Preiss
Viola [Violas] – Claire Bergman, Ruth Siegler
Violin [Violins] – Robert Chausow, Shem Guibbory
Voice [Voices] – Elizabeth Arnold, Jay Clayton
Xylophone [Xylophones] – Bob Becker, David Van Tieghem
2. Violin Phase (15:09)
Violin – Shem Guibbory
3. Octet (17:29)
Cello – Chris Finckel
Clarinet [Clarinets], Bass Clarinet [Bass Clarinets], Flute [Flutes], Piccolo Flute [Piccolos] – Mort Silver, Virgil Blackwell
Piano [Pianos] – Edmund Niemann, Nurit Tilles
Viola – Ruth Siegler
Violin [Violins] – Robert Chausow, Shem Guibbory
Tracklist 3 :
Tehillim
1. Tehillim Parts I & II 17:25
Alto Vocals [Alto] – Jay Clayton
Bass – Lewis Paer
Cello – Chris Finckel
Clarinet, Flute – Virgil Blackwell
Clarinet, Piccolo Flute [Piccolo] – Mort Silver
Conductor – George Manahan
English Horn – Ellen Bardekoff
Oboe – Vivian Burdick
Electric Organ [Electric Organs] – Edmund Niemann, Nurit Tilles
Soprano Vocals [High Sopano] – Pamela Wood*
Soprano Vocals [Lyric Sopano] – Rebecca Armstrong
Soprano Vocals [Lyric Sopano], Soloist [Solo At Beginning And End Of First Part] – Cheryl Bensman
Tambourine [Tuned Tambourines (Without Jingles)], Handclaps [Clapping], Maracas, Marimba, Vibraphone, Crotales – Bob Becker, Garry Kvistad, Gary Schall, Glen Velez, Russ Hartenberger, Steve Reich
Viola – Ruth Siegler
Violin – Robert Chausow, Shem Guibbory
2. Tehillim Parts III & IV
Alto Vocals [Alto] – Jay Clayton
Bass – Lewis Paer
Cello – Chris Finckel
Clarinet, Flute – Virgil Blackwell
Clarinet, Piccolo Flute [Piccolo] – Mort Silver
Conductor – George Manahan
English Horn – Ellen Bardekoff
Oboe – Vivian Burdick
Electric Organ [Electric Organs] – Edmund Niemann, Nurit Tilles
Soprano Vocals [High Sopano] – Pamela Wood*
Soprano Vocals [Lyric Sopano] – Rebecca Armstrong
Tambourine [Tuned Tambourines (Without Jingles)], Handclaps [Clapping], Maracas, Marimba, Vibraphone, Crotales – Bob Becker, Garry Kvistad, Gary Schall, Glen Velez, Russ Hartenberger, Steve Reich
Viola – Ruth Siegler
Violin – Robert Chausow, Shem Guibbory

ASIA MINOR — Crossing The Line (1979-1993) APE (image+.cue), lossless

A very decent prog-rock release from the very aptly named group from Turkey; influences such as JethroTull and Emerson, Lake & Palmer are fairly obvious but this band sprinkles in some oriental influences from their local backgrounds to make this not as derivative and a lot more their own than you may think. A very enjoyable listen for prog fans only improved upon by their next album. Recommended. Frederick Baptist
Tracklist :
 1. Preface (4:25)
2. Mahzun Gozler (8:20)
3. Mystic Dance (1:43)
4. Misfortune (4:40)
5. Landscape (4:01)
6. Vision (5:44)
7. Without Stir (1:54)
8. Hayal Dolu Gunler Icin (4:46)
9. Postface (2:11)
Credits :
Arranged By [Arrangements By], Producer [Produced By] – Asia Minor
Composed By [All Compositions By], Cover [Cover Design By], Design [Cover Design By] – Tekeli, Bakirel
Drums, Percussion – Lionel Beltrami
Flute, Guitar [Guitars], Bass – Eril Tekeli
Guest, Keyboards – Nick Vicente
Lead Vocals [Lead Vocal], Guitar [Guitars], Bass – Setrak Bakirel