CD Review: Terell Stafford "BrotherLee Love"

It's time to leave the "Great American Songbook" for a while and get back to the "Great American Jazz Songbook".  I just finished listening to some straight-away Jazz from Trumpeter Terrell Stafford.  His new CD "BrotherLee Love" is a tribute to the soulful musical legacy of Philadelphia's Lee Morgan.  Stafford is not a Philadelphia native but for the past two decades he has helped past the torch to the next generation through his work as Director of Jazz and Chair of instrumental studies at Temple University's Boyer College of Music and Dance.   According to Stafford, "This project is about how I was embraced by this city and about a Trumpet player who has always been a huge inspiration to me".  Stafford offers this for Lee Morgan, "The Trumpet was merely a vehicle to express who he was.  There was rasp, there was grit, there was personality, there was sass, exactly who he was as a person was inside of his sound and that's what I loved about it".

There are nine cuts on the album, seven were written by Lee Morgan, one "Favor" was written by Terell and the last song is a beautiful interpretation of Alex Kramer's ballet "Candy".  Terrell features his rock-star quintet of Saxophonist Tim Warfield,  Pianist Bruce Barth,  Bassist Peter Washington, and Drummer Dana Hall.  Every one of these guys is a great musical Jazz star.  To put a top on this beautiful piece of Jazz art, Terrell selected the great John Clayton produce the CD.  When you deal with the top musicians, they only surround themselves with the best and this outstanding CD proves why that is the only way to go!

This is a Jazz Trumpet performance at it highest level.

              PLAYLIST

1. "Hocus Pocus"                                       2. "Mr Kenyatta"
3. "Petty Larceny"                                      4. "Candy"
5. "Yes I Can, No You Can't"                     6. "Favor" 
7. "Stop Start"                                            8. "Carolyn"
9. "Speedball" 

I have attached a "YouTube" of Terell Stafford playing a Lee Morgan composition "Petty Larceny" with support from Tim Warfield-Tenor Sax, Bruce Barth-Piano, Peter Washington-Bass and Dana Hall-Drums.

CD Review: Tim Warfield's "Jazzy Christmas"

I know Christmas is over, and you are probably sick of hearing the same Christmas music all month long, but I have just listened to the best Christmas Jazz album that I have heard in a long, long time.  The CD is from Tim Warfield and titled "Jazzy Christmas" and it is simply great jazz.  It is so good that I bet after hearing it for the first time, you will be tempted to play it again many times throughout the coming New Year.  The CD was released on December 2, 2013 but due to a mail problem, I did not get a chance to listen to it until the day before Christmas.

This is my first experience with Tim Warfield who plays Tenor and Soprano Saxophones but even after only one play of this CD, I wanted to check out other CDs that he made. Just love his sound and his creative approach to these traditional Christmas songs. Tim's improvisation is fresh and exciting and fits perfectly with the many varied rhythmic tempos he uses. Tim also did all the fine arrangements for all of the songs except two. Here is a list of the songs on the CD:

1. Santa Clause is Coming to Town                    6. Oh Christmas Tree
2. Let it Snow                                                      7. Silent Night
3. Joy to the World                                              8. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
4. Little Drummer Boy                                        9. Snowfall
5. Caroling Caroling                                          10. The Dreidel Song

Featured on this CD is Terell Stafford on Trumpet, Stefon Harris on Vibraphone, Cyrus Chestnut on Piano, Rodney Whitaker on Bass, Clarence Penn on Drums, Daniel Sadownick on Percussion. Neil Podgurski is on piano for tracks 1,3,8, and 10. Joanna Pascale provided lovely vocals on tracks 2,5, and 7 and Jamie Davie provided vocals on track 6.  A remarkably talented group of supporting musicians!

This CD would make a great New Year's gift for any jazz lover!

Tim Warfield resume is quite interesting.  He has won many awards and his 2010 CD "A Sentimental Journey" on the Criss Cross Jazz label was selected as a "Critic's Choice" in the New York Times, by Ben Ratliff. He is currently serving as a board member as well as committee chairman for the Central Pennsylvania Friends of Jazz. Tim also serves as "artist-in-residence" at Messiah College in Grantham, Pa and recently joined the adjunct faculty at Temple University Music Department, in Philadelphia, Pa.

Congratulations Tim on this fine Christmas Jazz CD. I don't know if there is a Grammy category for Christmas Jazz CDs, but if there is, Tim Warfield's CD should get a nomination.