CD Review: VR Smith, "Once I Loved"

 

The Jazz world lost a very special Jazz singer recently, Verna Rose "VR" Smith who died 2 days after this CD was completed.   VR  Smith had been performing and recording with her husband Bassist Putter Smith and his highly regarded Jazz quartet for many years in LA Jazz clubs.  VR Smith was the prototype of what a Jazz singer should be.  She made singing seem easy and comfortable.  VR sings from the soul with her own interpretation of rhythm mixed with class and her own style.  She always considered her voice to be a part of the band, carefully taking her turn in songs and always blending rather than staring.  Her husband the great Bass player, Putter Smith provides the exact amount of support behind VR.  Putter is a Southern California legend and has worked with an endless list of Jazz musicians including Thelonious Monk, Art Blakey, Duke Ellington, Billy Eckstine, Art Pepper and the Manhattan Transfer just to name a few.  His approach to Jazz tunes is sensitive and caring and it's a perfect match for VR's voice and interpretation of lyrics.  VR offers, "The words have to mean something to me. Having acted I learned that you have different choices on how you say a thing.  I try to let the tune be the focus and let the words fall into that."

Putter Smith's  band consists of a fine group of Jazz musicians that know how to produce great music.  Chuck Manning does an outstanding job on Tenor, Michael Kanan on piano is as good as it gets, and Tim Pleasant provides the perfect support on Drums.  What can you say about Putter Smith's Bass playing,  it's a master class in how to play Bass for Jazz ballads.

My thanks go out to another great Multi-talented Bass player, Henry Franklin who produced this CD and turned me onto VR Smith!  The CD was released on Henry's own label, Skipper Productions. 

I have picked a couple of YouTube videos for you to listen to.  The first is a wonderful balled composed by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Ray Gilbert ,"Once I Loved".  This tune has been recorded by many outstanding vocalists but VR's version is uncomplicated but overflowing with life emotion that she puts into the lyric.  Chuck Manning's opening chorus sets the stage perfectly for VR.   The second song is a golden oldie composed by Albert Hague and Arnold Horwitt, "Young and Foolish".   VR makes this song's wonderful lyric so real and understandable that it feels like an intimate conversation between her and the listener! 

Playlist: 

1. Once I Loved

2. East of the Sun

3. Why Did I Choose You

4. Who Cares

5. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

6. You're My Everything

7. Soul Eyes

8. Speak Low

9. Young and Foolish

10 Goodbye

Players:

VR Smith- Vocals

Putter Smith- Bass

Michael Kanan- Piano

Chuck Manning- Tenor Sax

Tim Pleasant- Drums

                                                                        "Once I Loved"

  "Young and Foolish"

 

CD Review: David Sills, "Natural Lines"

Los Angeles-based reed player David Sills has recorded and performed for many CDs, 17 to be clear, and has recently released his newest CD "Natural Lines".  This CD features some of the best Jazz musicians on the West Coast including the double Guitars of Larry Koonse and Mike Scott.  Sills has been studying Saxophone since he was 10 years old, and still considers himself a student of the greats!  He performs regularly and teaches privately.  "Natural Lines" is his 17th CD as a leader and it features seven of his original compositions as well as tunes by Bill Evans, Miles Davis, Jimmy Davis, Alan Broadbent and two of Sills' accompanists, Guitarists Larry Koonse and Mike Scott.  He has been wanting to do a CD with two Guitars for quite a well.  Sills explains,  "In recent years, most of my performances have taken place in venues in which no piano was available, so to fill the role of the missing piano, I began adding a second guitar.  This instrumentation seemed to open up many musical possibilities and allowed for an interesting mix of sonic colors.  Thus, the idea for this recording featuring a "Double Guitar Quintet" was born".  After listening to this CD, I totally agree with David Sills thinking!

The CD opens with a great tune called "Minor Monk" that was written by Mike Scott.  I am sure that you can guess who was the inspiration for this tune and it's a beauty!  I have attached a "YouTube" of this tune so you can enjoy the great sounds.  I have also attached a second "YouTube" of the 4th cut on this CD, a song written by Alan Broadbent called "Quiet Is The Star".  I am sure you will enjoy both tunes.

The other players on this CD are old friends of mine that I first heard when they were playing in the Palm Springs California area, Drummer Tim Pleasant and Bass player Blake White.  Both are fabulous Jazz musicians who are in great demand all over the Southern California area.  So basically what David Sills has put together in this CD are some great original tunes, some lesser played great tunes and some of the finest musicians on the West Coast.  The result is a superb CD with beautiful music played by very experienced and skilled musicians.  This formula results in a wonderful Jazz music product!

Playlist:

1. Minor Monk

2. Sync Or Swim

3. Sonny's Side

4. Quite The Star

5. Lover Man

6. Foggy Daze

7. Mellow Stone

8. Nardis

9. Jones' Tones

10. All The Little Things

11. Outside Corner

12. Interplay

Players: 

David Sills: Tenor Sax and Alto Flute

Larry Koonse: Guitar

Mike Scott: Guitar

Blake White: Bass

Tim Pleasant: Drums

Minor Monk

                                                                        Quite Is The Star

CD Review: The Coachella Valley Trio, "Mid Century Modern"

Guitarist Doug MacDonald has just released a new CD, "Mid Century Modern" with his trio, "The Coachella Valley Trio". "Mid Century Modern" is a phrase visitors to the Palm Springs California area frequently hear.  It brings to mind American Modernism and its distinctive architecture that had its roots in not only Palm Springs but in the entire Coachella Valley area.   The life style in this area of California has its own vibe and it's cool and chilled.  Live Jazz music is alive and well in the Coachella Valley and Guitarist, Composer and Arranger, Doug MacDonald is in the forefront of the musical action.  Doug is one of the finest guitar technicians performing today and is highly sought out by Jazz venues from coast to coast.  When Doug is not traveling for out of state gigs, he is performing at many different Jazz sites including AJ's on the Green in Cathedral City every Wednesday.  In addition, Doug hosts a local Jazz radio show on a small but excellent non-profit 24-hour Jazz station in Palm Desert, CA,  KAJI Radio.   Doug's Trio, "The Coachella Valley Trio"  has been performing in the Coachella Valley Jazz clubs for several years and has developed a large following of fans.  The trio consists of Doug MacDonald on Guitar, Larry Holloway on Bass and Tim Pleasant on Drums.  Doug invited special guest, Big Black who plays the Djembe to join the group on several cuts.

Larry Holloway is one of the most respected Bass players in the West and in addition to all his playing gigs he finds time to manage the renowned "Coachella Valley Symphony".  Tim Pleasant, the Drummer for the group and Doug have known each other for years preforming together in the Valley and also in the New York area.  As a result of the talent level of these three musicians and the length of time they have played together, the sounds from the trio at times seem to be merged into one voice.  I had the pleasure of hearing Big Black play with this group recently at AJ's and he adds a special element of excitement to this wonderful trio.

There are 11 wonderful songs on this CD,  8 beautiful standards and 3 original songs written by Doug,  So you get to hear some great standards and also experience Doug's excellent composing at the same time.

Players:
Doug MacDonald, Guitar
Larry Holloway, Bass
Tim Pleasant, Drums
Special Guest, Big Black, Djembe

Playlist:

1. "My Shining Hour"
2. "Lance or Lot"
3. "Cat City Samba"
4. "Tran Jam"
5. "What's New"
6. "Give Me The Simple Life
7. "Stranger in Paradise"
8. "I Hadn't Anyone Till You"
9. "Woody'N You"
10. "Bossa Nueva"
11. "The Way You Look Tonight"

I have attached two "YouTube" videos for you to listen to.  The first is a tune written by Doug, "Cat City Samba".  The second "YouTube" is the Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen gem, "My Shinning Hour".
                                                                "Cat City Samba"
     
                                                                            

"My Shining Hour"

                                           

Doug MacDonald and Friends Bring Out the Musicians at AJ's on the Green

My first visit to AJ's this year was great fun.  Doug MacDonald led a super Jazz Trio consisting of Doug on Guitar, Larry Holloway on Bass and Tim Pleasant on Drums.  Doug plays with lot of groups but this is the first time I saw him in action as the leader of the group.  Turns out he is a natural, controlling all aspects of the performance while still allowing his supporting players to shine also!

Doug started at 7:00 PM and the first hour was just straight-ahead Jazz and it was great!  During the second hour or more, Doug called up any musicians in the audience who wanted to sit in for a couple of tunes.  There must have been over 15 musicians in the audience who came up to play or sing and it was great fun.  Classically trained pianist, Rich Bono was first to come up and play piano for some terrific vocalists.  Rich is without a doubt the most sought-after pianist in the Desert by Vocalists.  He knows how to provide just the right support for all types of music and voices and singers never miss a chance to sing with him.  The parade of musicians continued well into the evening and Doug refused to stop until every musician who wanted to perform; had a chance.  If you want to hear some of the best vocalists in the Valley, AJ's is the place to be on Wednesday evenings.  AJ's has been totally renovated and the food continues to be excellent.

My thanks to Doug MacDonald, Larry Holloway and Tim Pleasant for some of the best Jazz sounds I have heard.  I also want to thank all the performers for providing a great night of music.

I could not find a video of Doug's Group on "YouTube" but I did find a video of Doug playing "Picnic" with a trio consisting of Doug on Guitar,  Yoshi Waki on Bass and Pete Zimmer on Drums.  Doug is one of the finest Guitar players performing today!

Rose Mallett Performs To a Sold Out Crowd at Woody's in Palm Springs

Rose Mallett

The last time I heard Rose Mallett sing was two years ago at the Encena Country Club in Palm Springs.  I thought she had a beautiful voice and her phrasing was very polished.  Now, hearing her sing at Woody's on Friday night, she has evolved into someone far more than just a great singer.  Rose Mallett is now a wonderful entertainer.  From the moment she stepped on to the stage, she had total control of the audience.  She immediately connected to the audience with conversation and stories that gave us all of in the room the feeling we were old friends.  Rose has her only style of singing and it was interesting to see how she approached some of our favorite standards and maked them hers.  Rose is now almost always fully booked during the week at many different venues, but you can usually catch up to her at Woody's in Palm Springs.

Tonight, Rose picked some of the Valley's best musicians to support her singing.  Jimmy Dykes on Keyboard, Desert favorite, Bill Siatta on upright Bass and Tim Pleasant on Drums.  I strongly recommend that you visit Woody's on Friday nights to hear Rose sing, it is worth the trip.

Jimmie Dykes 

Bill Saitta

Tim Pleasant

I have posted a picture of one of the great service-persons at Woody's, Delia because she does such a wonderful job and makes the Woody's Jazz experience even better!

                                                                                                  Delia

I found a "Youtube" video from a couple of years ago of Rose singing "It's Impossible" that I know you will enjoy hearing.

Mikole Kaar's Jazz Show at AJ's on the Green Is Lots of Fun!

Dan Papaila, Mikole Kaar, Gilbert Hansen and Tim Pleasant

Mikole Kaar

Dan Papaila

Gilbert Hansen & Tim Pleasant

John Farrow, Co-Owner

James Lowell, Our Waiter

Sandy, Our Hostess

I imagine that a great deal of my readers don't know about a neat new place to hear live Jazz on Tuesday nights. The place is "AJ's on the Green"located inside the Date Palm Country Club located at 36200 Date Palm Drive in Cathedral City. I was invited to listen to this group by the great guitar player Dan Papuila who was performing with the Mikole Kaar Jazz group.  AJ's is a perfect spot to hear live Jazz, small and intimate.

Mikole Kaar the leader of the group has been performing all over the Vally in the last few years and has developed a large following.  Mikole is totally dedicated to performing Jazz, and my guess is even if he didn't have a gig, he would be where he could play as a sit-in guest. It's really good to see someone who is so totally dedicated to his trade. Mikole plays his Tenor Sax in his own style and sound which is unlike any other sax player in the Desert.

Mikole asked some sensational players to join his Jazz group.  Tonight, the always entertaining Dan Papuila was on Guitar. Dan is not only an outstanding Guitar player, he also is a renowned teacher.  Dan has his own site that provides Guitar lessons and also provides a service where Guitar students can send in a tape of their performances and Dan will do a critique for them. I learned that Dan trades off every other week with our friend Brian Nova. Gilbert Hansen was on electric Bass Guitar and played in total unison with Tim Pleasant's excellent Drumming. These two pros make a great rhythm team! This group plays real "cool" Jazz that will please even the most purist of Jazz lovers.

The unexpected surprise tonight was in the quality of food and service at AJ's. Art Herrera, co-owner and chef prepares excellent dinners. We had the risotto with scallops and the short ribs. Both were as good as we have ever had! The service provided by our waiter, James and the Hostess Sandy was also excellent. 

Put AJ's on your "Future Visit" list for Tuesday nights! 

Brian Nova Opens a New Jazz Venue at Cunard's Sandbar in LaQuinta

Brian Nova

Brian Nova, Tim Pleasant and Jim DeJulio

Tim Pleasant

Jim DeJulio

Brian Nova & Bill Baker

There is more joy for Jazz fans this season as another Jazz venue has opened on Sunday nights at Cunard's Sandbar in LaQuinta. Everyone's favorite guitar player Brian Nova will be performing at the Cunard's Sandbar every Sunday night from 5:00pm to 9:00pm. Everytime I hear Brian, I hear something different. Nothing about Brian is done on auto pilot.  In fact, what makes Brian such a good Jazz player is that he is always so thoughtful about his improvisations, no two solos ever the same. Brian's skills with his guitar put him in high demand not only in the Desert but all over the world. We are very fortunate to be able to hear him in small venues where he has the opportunity to push his musical envelope.

Tonight Brian was joined by the legendary Bassist Jim DeJulio and the wonderful Drummer Tim Pleasant.  Jim is always a joy to listen to as he can play his Bass as a solo instrument if needed or as a solid supporter of any band. Tim Pleasant is also somewhat new here in the Desert but due to his outstanding playing skills, he is appearing very frequently.

On hand for Brian's opening night was singer and keyboard player Bill Baker. Bill performs at The Sandbar Tuesdays through Saturday from 6:00PM.

This trio will be playing at the The Sandbar every Sunday night from 5:00pm to 9:00pm.  Brian also is a regular with his trio at Woody's in Palm Springs every Wednesday. Don't miss the change to hear him play, he is worth the effort!