World-renowned Vocalist Kenny Washington hasreleases a new CD, "What's The Hurry". It's hard to believe that this is Kenny Washington's first studio album, hence the title "What's The Hurry". This CD is a joy for anyone who loves vocalists who still sing standards out of the "Great American Songbook" with classic Jazz phrasing, sensitivity, warm tones and class. Here is what Wynton Marsalis has to say about Kenny Washington's singing " I love this man! He's a consummate professional, with impeccable intonation. He's a real improviser who brings depth to everything he does." I could not agree more. Kenny Washington is a gift to all lovers of classic standards. Kenny makes singing seem simple and easy but don't get fooled by his relaxed style. He makes lyrics that may have been asleep for a while come back to life with full emotional understanding. Once you listen to "What's The Hurry" I guarantee you can not just listen to it once...It will call you back again and again.
Kenny has gathered some of the best talented musicians in the country, led by the young genius Jazz pianist Josh Nelson. Josh in addition to providing perfect piano support for Washington and all the wonderful tunes on this CD, wrote all of the sparkling arrangements. Take a good look at the list of players attached below and I am sure you will agree that it contains the best of the best Jazz musicians playing today.
I honestly had a most difficult time selecting two tunes from this CD because every song was at the top of my list. I settled on these two but I would have attached the complete CD. My first pick is the Rodgers and Hart classic "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered". My second pick is the Jobin/Moraes "Chega De Saudade" with Lyric by Jon Hendricks.
Do yourself a musical favor and buy this album, it will keep giving you joy for years! Better yet, buy a few to give as Christmas presents.
Ralph Lalama, Nicole Pasternak Lalama and Dave Lalama
The talented Lalama Brothers, Ralph and Dave, have another terrific Jazz CD out, "The CrepusculeVariations" that features another talented family member, Nicole Pasternak Lalama. The Lalama brothers know how to make a wonderful Jazz CD. They have the formula down pat, first bring together a few of the finest musicians around, add some of the most wonderful songs ever written and then record with close family and love. The results are always terrific! It's hard for me to find anything negative about this beautiful CD because in addition to the marvelous Sax and Piano by Ralph and Dave Lalama and the pure and sweet voice of family member Nicole Pasternak Lalama, most of the songs in the CD playlist are on my "Top 20 Songs of All Times". This is a must-have for any traditional Jazz fan.
Three-time Grammy winner Ralph Lalama plays his Tenor Sax with such emotional feeling that the lyrics seems to jump out even without words. His tone is perfect for these great standards. Multi-talented Dave Lalama is currently Professor of Music at Hofstra University and is a founding faculty member of the Manhattan School of Music Jazz Program. In addition to performing, Dave has published big band Jazz arrangements and is currently composing, orchestrating and recording a 70-minute score for a Jazz-oriented "Dance Musical" entitled "The Bench" that is scheduled to preview in New York in the summer of 2015.
Joining the family recording session for the first time is Nicole Pasternak Lalama and she musically fits perfectly next to her two brothers. Nicole has a pure, strong voice and also understands the importance of being able to project the emotional message of the lyrics to the listener. When you listen to this CD, you get the feeling that there are more people performing on it because the sound seems so full. The Lalama brothers deserve much credit for combining the musical pieces together in such an entertaining fashion. This is a great CD performed by three super talented musicians!
PLAYLIST 1. "Just In Time" 2. "Time After Time" 3. "The Days of Wine and Roses" 4. "Moon River" 5. "All of Me" 6. "The Shadow of Your Smile" 7. "I Love You For Sentimental Reasons" 8. "A House Is Not A Home' 9. "I'm Confessin' That I Love You" 10. "Embraceable You" 11. "Don't Know Why I Love You Like I Do" 12. "There Will Never Be Another You" 13. "Here's That Rainy Day"
I found a "YouTube" video of Ralph and Dave Lalama playing with Peter Washington on Bass, Kenny Washington on Drums and Joe Lovano on Tenor Sax. When you hear the quality of their Jazz playing, check out some of their other CDs, they are sure to please even the toughest Jazz fan.
When I took a look at the cover of this new, soon-to-be-released CD, "To Each" I was not sure I wanted to review it. The art work on the cover is hip and modern and yet left me with no clue as to what kind of music was inside. But my curiosity got the best of me and I decided to give it a listen. I am so glad I did. All of the songs were written by Ari Shagal who turns out to be a sensational song writer. The words and medodies are fresh, new and exciting. Ari Shagal is without doubt one of the brightest songwriters writing today. Her melodies are strong and her lyrics are current, hip and intelligent. This CD could easily become the score for a New York play. Each song is easy to listen to and each song tells its own short story.
The group of musicians that created this CD are an exceptionally talented especially group. Each of the lead singers, Ferima Faye, Matthew Lomeo, Ari Shagal and the great Jazz volcalist KennyWashington could easily star on their own CDs. The large cast of supporting musicians are also wonderful in every way resulting in a perfectly balanced joining of instruments with voice. I would have liked to see a picture of Ari Shagal and the other major singers. I believe it will become one of the best CD's of 2013. As to a description of the kind of music on the CD, I would have to say that it is a mix of Jazz, Pop and Soul combined with wonderful story-telling lyrics. This is the first CD from AriShagal and "The Summarily Dismissed" and it's a blockbuster! Ari Shagal does everything on this CD, sing, compose, arrange and play piano and organ, synthesizer and keyboard. She is a major league talent! I am so glad I decided to listen to this CD!
There was a large and super talented supporting cast chosen by Ari on this CD:
Singers: Ferima Faye Matthew Lomeo Kenny Washington
Guitar: Joe Davi
Drums: Eric Halvorson
Bass: Pat O'Leary
Vibraphone: Francesco Picarazzi
Hand Percession: Joanne J-Bird Phillips
Bongos & Congas: Nydia Mata
Trumpet: Joe Ancowitz
Trumbone: Danny Kirkhum Vera Von Banchet
Alto & Tenor Sax: Jessica Lurie
Tenor and Baritone Sax: Tina Richerson
Percussion: Rex Benincasa
Backing Vocals: Liza Lee Dominic Infererra A.J. Sidebottom Suraj Kumar
Viola: Dina Maccabee
Baritone Sax: Martin Peters
Congratulations to Ari Shagal and the wonderfully talented performers on "To Each"for creating what will surely be one of the best CD's of 2013!
