CD Review: Cat Conner "Cat House"

Jazz Vocalist Cat Conner has released a new CD that all lovers of Jazz singing need to acquire.  I was not familiar with Cat Conner until I received the new new CD with a request to review it.  The first thing that got my attention was the playlist of songs Cat had picked for this CD.  She includes an in-depth explanation of why each song was chosen which also explains why she sings with such a great understanding of the lyrics.  Each song links to a part of Cat's life experience both from the past to present day.  A lot of serious thinking was done by Cat to develop this playlist and the results will please anyone that loves a singer who understands how to transform words into an emotional experience for the listener. Cat has a wonderful voice and performs perfectly whether a swing song, ballad, blues or Latin groove. She is simply a seasoned and skilled professional Jazz singer!

Being the seasoned Jazz singer that she is, Cat has selected an outstanding cast of supporting musicians:

John Chiodini- Guitar and did most of the arrangements
Gene Cipriano- Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Tenor and Bass Oboe
Tom Ranier- Piano
Chuck Berghofer- Bass
Joe LaBarbera- Drums
Ron Stout- Trumpet
Dick Nash- Trombone
Stephanie O'Keefe- French Horn
Bob Carr- Bassoon, Bass Clarinet, Alto Flute

               Playlist
  1.   "Everything I Love/Everything I Desire"       2.   "Handsome Man"
  3.   "Sans Souci"                                                       4.   "Giant Steps"
  5.   "Throw Me Away"                                             6.   "Remind Me"
  7.   "Baltimore Oriole"                                             8.   "Heart's Desire"
  9.   "Wishing On The Moon"                                   10. "You're Driving Me Crazy"
  11. "Come On Strong"                                              11. " Come On Strong"
  12. "What a Little Moonlight Can Do"                   13. "People Say"

I also want to add that I was delighted to find that Palm Springs resident, Michael Dees, has one of his great songs on this CD, "Throw Me Away".  Michael is a wonderful singer and even better songwriter whose lyrics are always new, clever and deliver an emotional message.

You can hear the songs on this new CD by going to Cap's Website: www.catconner.com.

Ben Webster: Remembering The Jazz Greats: Chapter 12

                                                        Ben Webster and Art Tatum

Ben Webster was one of the most influential American Jazz Tenor Sax players and a member of the most important "Swing Tenors" group that included Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young.  His tone was considered tough and raspy, but I always loved the way he played with warmth on ballads. He really made his mark playing with the Duke Ellington Orchestra starting in 1935 and lasting until 1943. After leaving the Ellington band because of a bitter run-in with Duke, Ben played gigs in New York City for several years.  Then in 1953, he recorded "The King of Tenors" with the great Oscar Peterson which solidified his Jazz status as one of the Great American Jazz giants. In the 1950's Ben formed a quintet with Gerry Mulligan and frequently played in the LA area at a club called "Renaissance".

In 1964, he moved to Europe permanently to join other American Jazz musicians and continued to perform there until his death in 1973.

For your listening enjoyment, I have attached three terrific "Youtube" videos highlighting the great talents of Ben Webster especially on ballads.

                            "When I Fall In Love" from the album "Ben Webster For Lovers"

                                  "Blue Moon" From Album "Ben Webster With Strings"

                                             "My One And Only Love" with Art Tatum

CD Review: Mark Meadows "Something' Good"

Mark Meadows' new album, "Somethin' Good" could also have been titled "Somethin' Cool".  This Cd highlights Jazz at its best! Mark is not only a talented Jazz pianist but has also mastered the art of composing, educating and putting a great band together. Mark is not a casual musician, he is a student and now a teacher of Jazz Piano at the Peabody Conservatory where he recently completed his Graduate Performance Degree in Jazz Piano. Mark started playing the keys when he was only three years old. He has not stopped playing since or studying his trade.  In 2011, Mark earned degrees in Jazz Piano from The Peabody Conservatory and a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from The John Hopkins University.

I was not only impressed by his suburb, creatively-interesting piano playing but also his composing and arranging talents.  Most of the songs on this CD were written by Mark, and he produced a wonderful fresh and new arrangement for all songs including "Come Together" the Lennon-McCartney gem. The arrangement of this song while true to its "root" construction allows it to be re-born into a great new Jazz piece. Mark brings similar great new arrangements to "Rock With You" by Rod Temperton, "Groovin' High" by Dizzy Gillespie and the great Ellington classic, "Lush Life".

The supporting cast that Mark has gathered for this CD is of the highest level of musicianship. As a past Alto Sax player, I was especially impressed by the contribution from Brent Birckhead in particular. Joining Brent and also contributing wonderful sounds was Paul Bollenback, Guitar,  Warren Wolf, Vibes, Christine Dashiell, vocals, Lean Seikaly, vocals, Eric Kennedy, Drums and Eric Wheeler, Bass.

I found a "YouTube" of Mark playing his own composition "Somethin' Good" that I have attached.

                                                      Mark Meadows "Somethin' Good"

                                  PLAY LIST
1. "Come Together"                     2. "Just Imagine"
3. "Rock With You"                     4. "Somethin Good"
5. "Once Upon A Purple Night"  6. "Less Catchy"
7. "Way Up Here"                        8. "For You"
9. "Groovin' High"                       10. "Get Lost"
11. "Lush Life"

CD Review: Isabel Stover "Her Own Sweet World"

"Jazz is my go-to music, my comfort food" says Isabel Stover. "As vocal artists there is a need to bear our souls to the world, but at the same time make our music accessible to people. Which is why all these other musical influences that I bring to the table must inform what I do, from my choice in songs to how I sing a particular lyric". These words explain perfectly how Isabel Stover created her beautiful new CD, "Her Own Sweet World". Combining her rich and clear voice and marvelous arrangements of tasteful Jazz standards, Isabel has accomplished her singing goals as listed above.  Isabel is a seasoned vocalist who has become one of the best Jazz singers on the music scene today. Isabel's pop influences include Bonnie Raitt, Norah Jones and Lyle Lovett, not a bad group to emulate!  Her rich voice has been compared to Jazz artists, Jane Monheit and Diana Krall. If you love listening to seasoned brilliant Jazz singing, this is the CD for you! Isabel has been performing in the Boston area and worth the effort to go to hear her sing.

Supporting Isabel on this CD are: Jonathan Alford, Piano, Fred Randolph, Bass, Dave Tidball, Saxophone and Dave Bell, Guitar.

               Playlist

1. "Feelin' Good"

2. "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise"

3. "Never Let Me Go"

4. "Nature Boy"

5  "Lovin' In My Baby's Eyes"

6. "Four For Kids"
7. "The Song Is You"
8. "Human Nature"

"Unsigned Only Music" Competition

                                                       Dreaming of Summer
I was recently introduced to an interesting new music site called: "Unsigned Only Music". I know that a lot of the followers of "The Music Man Blog" are composers and would have an interest in this site which supports talented songwriters.

Unsigned Only is a unique music competition designed for solo artists, bands, and singers all over the world who are not signed to a major label record company or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries or imprints. The goal of Unsigned Only is to find an outstanding, talented performer: a band, singer, or solo artist...a newcomer or veteran...raw or polished - the “gem” that needs to be discovered. Unsigned Only is looking for the total package.

Conceived and produced by the team who bring you the prestigious International Songwriting Competition (ISC), Unsigned Only is a fresh and novel approach to other music competitions. Yes, it offers great prizes, recognition, exposure, and the chance to be heard by a group of judges consisting of high-profile recording artists and industry professionals. But, Unsigned Only also takes it a step further and puts the Grand Prize winner in direct, personal contact with the influential record label executives who are the ultimate decision-makers. For the first time ever, a music competition offers the Grand Prize winner the unprecedented opportunity to be mentored by a group of record company presidents, A&R reps, and more. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to directly network with the top echelon of record company professionals and get guidance, advice, feedback, and networking opportunities.

Judges include:  John Oates (Hall & Oates); Neon Trees; Black Francis (The Pixies); Mike Posner; David Crowder; Delbert McClinton; Craig Morgan; Robert Smith (The Cure); Rosanne Cash; 3 Doors Down; Darryl McDaniels (Run DMC); Of Monsters and Men; Aaron Shust; G. Love; Jason Gray; Alt-J; Dustin Lynch; Rapsody; The Mountain Goats; Anthony DeCurtis (Contributing Editor, Rolling Stone); Josh Jackson (Co-Founder and Editor-In-Chief, Paste Magazine); Chris Richards (Pop Music Critic, The Washington Post); Michael Hann (Music Editor, The Guardian); Lucy Jones (Deputy Editor, NME); and more to be announced...

Mentors include: Monte Lipman (Chairman and CEO, Republic Records); Jeff Castelaz (President, Elektra Records); Seymour Stein (Chairman, SIRE Records and VP of Warner Bros Records); Pete Ganbarg (Executive VP/Head of A&R, Atlantic Records); Mike Elizondo (Sr. VP of A&R, Warner Bros. Records); Tony Kiewel (VP of A&R Sub Pop Records, Hardly Art, Sub Pop Publishing); Allison B. Jones (VP of A&R, Big Machine Label Group); Josh Bailey (Sr. VP of A&R, Word Label Group); Kim Stephens (President, Forward Entertainment and A&R/Capitol Music Group); Lenny Santiago (VP of A&R, Roc Nation); Dino Paredes (Sr. VP of A&R/GM, American Recordings); Evan Peters (Director of A&R, Virgin Records); Anthony Musiala (Managing Director, Minty Fresh); and more to be announced.

The winners of this songwriting competition have just been announced and you can get to the list of winners and actually hear some of their songs at:(http://www.unsignedonly.com/winners.

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CD Review: Julie Kelly "Happy To Be"

My first listening introduction to Julie Kelly was by way of her new CD "Happy To Be".  After listening to just the first few songs, it became clear why Julie is one of the most respected Jazz singers on the West Coast.  If anyone ever asks you to define Jazz singing, save your time and theirs by simply telling them to listen to Julie Kelly and her CD "Happy To Be". Julie's pure warm voice has a sensibility to melody and lyric that's very rare.  Her selection of songs on this CD reinforces her perfect taste in the best in melody and her wonderful lyric writing abilities.  She wrote the lyrics for two songs on the CD, "The Blues According to Orpheus" and "For Joni".   "For Joni" began as a poem she wrote for Joni Mitchell.  Tierney Sutton the marvelous Jazz singer in her own right calls this tune nothing less than a "gorgeous anthem" to all who love Joni Mitchell.

One of the essential talents that all Jazz singers need to develop is the ability to pick the best  musicians who will lift the singer to higher levels.  The musicians Julie has selected to support her on this CD are spectacular!  Bill Cunliffe has worked with Julie on other projects and is a widely respected pianist and Grammy Award-winning arranger, Anthony Wilson the outstanding guitarist who works with only the best musicians including Diana Krall, Tom Warrington known as one of the best Bass players in the country, world-class Drummer Joe LaBarbera who worked with Bill Evans for years and a Horn section comprised of A-list players including Bob Sheppard, Clay Jenkins, Ron Stout and Bob McChesney.  Also, there is an additional contribution made by the following fine musicians:  Walter Rodriguez, Percussion, Kim Richmand, Saxophone and on Vibes the "superb" Nick Mancini.

Julie Kelly has given the Jazz world a wonderful gift of great music that validates that Jazz singing still has a special place in today's music scene!

I have attached a "You-Tube" video of Julie singing "You're The Dangerous Type" from her CD "Happy To Be".

CD Review: Ginger Berglund & Scott Whitfield sing "Solitary Moon", The Johnny Mandel Songbook

"Solitary Moon" is a major league tribute to one of the best composers of Jazz, Pop and Film Music, Johnny Mandel. He has long been recognized within the music industry as one of its creative giants yet, it has always been my belief that Johnny Mandel has never received the deserved level of credit from the music public. But make no mistake about it, the multitalented Mandel is equal to the best songwriters and musicians of the past 100 years.

This CD starts with a tribute to Johnny Mandel, but that is not where the magic ends. Ginger Berglund and Scott Whitfield could have recorded this CD with just the two of them, and I know this CD would have been terrific. However, Ginger and Scott chose to bring along some of the most respected musicians performing on the Jazz scene today. The result is a musical product that is close to perfection music and a musical treat for the ears.

Ginger Berglund has a sterling resume of work as a vocalist including recording with Steve Allen and the great pianist Paul Smith. She has sung with Kenny Rankin and the great Brazilian Jazz vocalist Flora Purim and her husband, the premiere fusion Jazz Percussionist Airto Moreira. Ginger still performs with the Stan Kenton Alumni Band, The Modernaires, The Tracy Wells Big Band and the Jumpin' Joz Band.

Scott Whitfield is a world class Trombonist, Arranger and Singer. He is internationally recognized for his work with many contemporary big bands, including the Toshiko Akiyoshi Jazz Orchestra, The Clare Fischer Bib Band, The Bill Holman Band, The Phil Norman Tentet and his own Scott Whitfield Jazz Orchestra. Whitfield also plays trombone for the Johnny Mandel Orchestra.

Ginger and Scott chose 15 tracks for this CD and Whitfield did all the arrangement from big band to small group, from vocal duets to a cappella five-part harmony.  Singing together they treat us with beautiful Mandel melodies and perfect harmonies that you will seldom hear today. They are perfect singing together! Both Berglund and Whitfield are also members of the Modernaires, the legendary vocal group that performed in the 1940's for The Glenn Miller Band. Whitman is also a member of the LAVA (Los Angeles Vocal Alliance), a new vocal group of brass players who sing in four-part harmony. They make their recording debut on Whitfield's version of the Mandel classic, "Emily".

I can't end this review without listing the superb list of musicians that contributed to this wonderful CD. I am sure that you will know many of them from their past work. Thank you Ginger and Scott for sharing your wonderful musical talents with us!

Ginger Berglund: Voice                     Scott Whitfield: Voice, Trombone, All arrangements
Corey Allen: Piano                            Jennifer Laitham: Bass
Kendall Kay: Drums                         Roger Neumann: Tenor Sax, Bari Sax, Bass Clarinet
Rusty Higgins: Alto Sax, Flute, Alto Clarinet       Billy Kerr: Alto Sax
Pete Christieb: Tenor Sax, Clarinet   Nancy Newman: Bari Sax
Jamie Hovorke: Trumpet                   Carl Saunders: Trumpet
Ira Nepus: Trumbone                         Linda Small: Trombone
Rich Nullock: Bass Trombone           John Dickson: Horn
Stephanie O'Keefe: Horn

SPECIAL GUESTS:

Ken Peplowski: Clarinet                    Don Shelton: Clarinet
Jack Peterson: Guitar                         Airto Moreira: Percussion

The Modernaires: Julie Dickson, Ginger Berglund, Jimmy Stephens, Joe Croyle, Scott Whitfield 

Lava: Jonathan Dane, Larry Williams, Scott Whitfield, Rich Bullock


I have attached a "YouTube" video of Ginger and Scott singing the first cut from "Solitary Moon"                                                      "Cinnamon & Clove".