CD Review: 3 More Sounds, "Live at the Gardenia Club"

Back in January of 2020 I was having dinner at a small restaurant (Backstreet Bistro) in Palm Desert California and ran into the legendary Jazz Bass player,  Henry "The Skipper" Franklin who was playing in a quartet there.  I knew this night would be filled with wonderful Jazz, and it was.  Henry has played with the "Who's Who" of Jazz and I have been fortunate to hear him play with many of the top Jazz performers in the California desert.   He is a real pro and no matter who he is playing with, he always seems to bring the group to a higher level and that's high praise for a Bass player.  But Henry is not just a Bass player, he is a high-level master Bass player and Producer.  In a conversation during one of the breaks, Henry told me about a new CD that he just finished and wanted to get my opinion.  Well, the CD was by 3 More Sounds titled the "Ghetto Princes,  A Tribute to Gene Harris".  I was knocked out by the music on this CD and published a review on my blog on March 20, 2020.  If you missed this review, you can go to my list of published blogs and read the review.

Last month Henry Franklin sent me a new CD from 3 More Sounds titled "Live at the Gardenia Club" that he co-produced with sensational piano player,  Robert Turner.  The Gardenia Club is a famous Jazz supper club in East Hollywood that, like most Jazz supper clubs is somewhat past its prime.  Robert chose this venue because he liked the Piano at the Gardenia Club.  It is not unusual for a Jazz Piano player to find themselves every night playing on Pianos that are less than optimum so when they find a great piano it calls to them!  I had the pleasure of hearing Robert Turner play in person many times at various club-venues in the Palm Spring California area.  He is everything you would expect and desire from a Jazz piano player.  His personality is sparkling and he never hesitates to talk about Jazz Piano with piano-playing amateurs sharing his approach to Jazz piano.  He was greatly influenced by many of the great Jazz piano pianists of the past including one of my personal favorites, Gene Harris. When he plays I can hear parts of all of the great Piano Players of past years mixed into his own personal style.  This CD is live at the Gardenia Club and when you listen to the cuts I have attached below, you will feel the emotion generating from the audience and the performers.  The third member of this group is Carl Burnett who also has a very impressive resume.  Carl is the perfect third member of this trio because he swings hard with a perfect groove that completes this group. 

3 More Sounds live at the Gardenia Club is a CD that every Jazz lover should have.  It's real Jazz played by three of the very best American Jazz musicians performing today.  It would make a wonderful present for any Jazz lover you know including yourself.    

I have attached two "YouTubes" from this new CD.  The first is the group's  up-tempo version of the standard "On A Clear Day".  This cut will answer all questions about how good these three Jazz performers are!  Robert Turner just keeps surprising us with his spectacular Jazz Piano skills, Henry Franklin performs creative and tasty Bass work that explains why he has played with almost all of the Jazz greats and Carl Burnett gives the group a driving beat that's perfect for his two amazing Jazz performing partners.  I spent a lot of time picking the second cut because every song on this CD is wonderful.  I finally decided to share "Green Dolphin Street".  Enjoy the 3 More Sounds,  this is what real Jazz is all about!

"On A Clear Day"

                                                                    "Green Dolphin Street"

   

CD Review: The Horizons Jazz Orchestra, "The Brite Side"

 

One of the greatest benefits I receive from publishing CD reviews is the opportunity it gives me to experience new music and the musicians that created it.   The new CD from The Horizons Jazz Orchestra, "The Bright Side" is a perfect example of what I am talking about.   This wonderful big band CD was created through the efforts of the Executive Producer Jeannette C. Pina  and the Musical Director and Producer Michael Balogh.  The CD is a tribute to Composer/Arranger Lee Harris.  Lee Harris was a Baritone Sax player and also a brilliant Composer and Arranger who worked in New York City and Atlantic City.  Harris and Trumpeter Dennis Noday were both alumnus of the Stan Kenton and Maynard Ferguson bands and when you listen to the two cuts I have attached, the Kenton/Ferguson influence in both sounds and Arrangements will be very clear.

The music The Horizons Jazz Orchestra produces is big and bold music that is very understandable even to those who have not heard a lot of the traditional big band sounds.  The musicianship from the members of this band is incredibly outstanding.  Adding to the wonderful sound of this Orchestra are three guest musicians who I am sure some of you will recognize:  Carl Saunders, Jonathan Joseph and Billy Ross.  I have had the pleasure of hearing Trumpeter virtuoso Carl Saunders perform in person many times and he never fails to overachieve my musical expectations.  He is a brilliant musician and is featured on five of the ten tracks.  Jonathan Joseph who performs on four tracks is a Grammy-winning Drummer who is known for his work with Spyro Gyra, Al Jarreau, Yellowjackets and David Sanborn.  He has toured with Jeff Beck during the last seven years.  And Woodwind Specialist and Jazz great Billy Ross has been a member of the Woody Herman Orchestra and then played with a long list of music greats including Natalie Cole, Barry Manilow, the Four Tops and the O'Jays. 

This CD with its outstanding musicianship, exciting arrangements and some rarely heard compositions from Lee Harris while new to most listeners will seem comfortable and familiar to most!  I give special thanks to Jeannette Pina and Michael Balogh for creating this tribute to Lee Harris, an unheralded but talented Arranger and Composer. 

Playlist:    

1. Red Apple Sweet

2. Pure Imagination

3. After You've Gone, Finally

4. The Runner

5. Fourth Dimension

6. The Brite Side

7. The Sound

8. Summertime

9. Maria

10. A Train Bossa

Players:  

Reeds: Scott Klarman, Mike Brignola, Billy Ross, Joe Mileti, Randy Emerick

Trombones: Michael Balogh, Jason Pyle, Tom Lacy, Steven Mayer

Trumpets: Dennis Noday, Ryan Chapman, Jack Wengrosky, Fernando Ferrarone, Chaim Rubinov

Rhythm Section: Gary Mayone, Ranses Colon, Luke Williams, George Mazzeo

Featuring Carl Saunders, Jonathan Joseph and Billy Ross 

I have attached two "YouTubes" for your listening enjoyment.  The first tune is titled "After You've Gone, Finally".  It's a Harris take-off on the familiar standard.  Saunders and Ross take solos along with Gary Mayone on Keys, Scott Klarman on Alto Sax.

                                                            "After You've Gone, Finally"
The second tune is one of my favorite Maynard Ferguson's Big Band standards, "Maria". It's an inspiring solo by Dennis Noday.

                                                                            "Maria"

 

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: Lou Volpe "Before & After"

I am honored to announce that "The Musician Blog" has a returning guest reviewer for today's CD review, Tim Marchio.  Tim loves to play and listen to guitar players and offered to review Lou Volpe's new CD, "Before and After".  Tim is not a professional musician,  just one of the thousands of Americans who love playing Guitar.  Like many of us, Tim has been working from home ever since we got hit with the virus and he decided to keep in contact with his team members by publishing one song eveyday. Well, Tim has now published over 70 YouTubes on his channel Penguino Music and the feedback from his co-workers has been excellent.  I am attaching and posting below a link to one of Tim's YouTube postings so you can see and hear what Tim has been doing, 

By Tim Marchio, Guest Reviewer:

To say Lou Volpe is an accomplished guitarist is not only an understatement, it is an unfair form of comparison to “normal” guitarists.  I guess I should explain that statement.  I play a bit of guitar and understand the difference between typical rock and pop chords and jazz chords.  Jazz chords are more difficult to play; they just are.  They require a different fingering that most players can’t do well – or sometimes not at all.  A guitar chord has many different finger shapes and the jazz versions are for the best players.

Let me back up at this point.  Mr. Volpe has a very broad resume.  His previous recording was a tribute to Frank Sinatra, “Remembering Ol’ Blue Eyes”.  That album was one of standards.  Wait a minute - I thought this was a jazz musician.  That gives you a hint of how Lou can shift between genres and make it look easy.  He has also toured with the likes of Bette Midler, Herbie Mann and Judy Collins.

“Before & After” is not the type of music you will put into your car’s CD player, put the top down and sing to the stars since there are no lyrics to any of the songs.  However, what this album can be is that perfect background music while having dinner with that special someone.  The album is a collection of original tunes as well as two remakes (“Stella by Starlight” and “Summertime”).  In listening through the CD, I was particularly impressed by two things:

·    The songs were all very melodic and even the solos were melodic and fit perfectly into the tune, they never feel forced or out of place.

·    The sheer number of notes that he can coax out of his instrument at one time.  It is like a stream into a river, they come out fast and just float into the melody.  He makes the playing sound easy, like he is going out for an evening walk. 

The first time I listened ,the songs seem to have a similar sound, but as I spent a little more time with the songs they took on a specific feel and mood.  The remakes of the two songs were similar enough to be very recognizable yet different enough to give them his own imprint.  

“Before & After” is a very good music CD from a very good musician who has taken the step to record his own songs.  The songs range from outright jazz “Up the Road” to a Latin tinged groove in “Perseguidor De Suernos (Dream Chaser)”.  I viewed a concert of his on YouTube, which was very entertaining and helped put some of the previous statements in this review into perspective.  Lou Volpe was already a very accomplished guitarist and has now added songwriting to his extensive resume as a musician.  I look forward to his next recording whatever genre that may be.   

Playlist: 

1.      Up the Road                (Lou Volpe)

2.     Three Rivers                 (Lou Volpe)

3.     Coming My Way           (Lou Volpe)

4.     Full Tilt                          (Lou Volpe)

5.     Stella By Starlight         (Shapiro & Bernstein & Co OBO Catherine Hinen Music SONY/ATV                           Harmony Victor Young)

6.     Summertime                 (WC Music Corp OBO Ira Gershwin Music & Ira Gershwin)                                  

7.     Travel Light                   (Lou Volpe)

8.     Precious Jewel              (Lou Volpe)

9.     A to Z                             (Lou Volpe)

10.  Solar Dance                    (Lou Volpe)

11.  Perseguidor De Suernos (Dream Chaser)            (Lou Volpe)

12.  Double Summer             (Lou Volpe)13.  Before and After           (Lou Volpe)

Players:

Lou Volpe- Guitars & Arrangements, Composing

Stanley Banks, Pete Falbo, Motoki Mihhara-Bass

Buddy Williams- Drums

Gary Fritz, Jon Romagnoll, Richie Morales-Percussion

I have attached two YouTubes below: The title track from Lou Volpe's CD, an original composition, "Before and After" and an up-tempo version of "Stella by Starlight.

    

"Before and After"

                                                               "Stella by Starlight"

Tim Marchio playing "Forever Young" from his Penguino Music Channel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vibaJzv3Vw&pbjreload=101

T

P

 

CD Review: Rose Kingsley "A Diva's Tribute to Johnny Mercer"

Former New York Opera singer Rose Kingsley has spent the last 10 years of her singing career experimenting with the "Great American Songbook" and in particular the legendary songs of Johnny Mercer.  In fact, Rose has been channeling the spirit of Johnny Mercer on many different levels.  Joining her on this musical journey is Mr. Mercer's grandson,  executor of his estate  and master pianist Bob Corwin.  The Kingsley/Corwin partnership has been going strong for over 7 years including many successful live performances of their show, "Through The Years with Johnny Mercer" in States from California to New York.  Kingsley has developed into a unique and dramatic Jazz singer with a strong voice laced with her emotional approach to Mercer's lyrics.  At the same time, Bob Corwin has provided soft piano support with his playing and sensitive arrangements.  The final piece of magic for this Mercer  CD spotlight was that it was recorded in the legendary Studio A at Capital Records, the music studio Mercer founded in 1942.

Johnny Mercer's songs are world famous and have been sung by countless Jazz singers over the years but this CD represents a unique approach to his wonderful lyrics.  Rose Kingsley has her own voice and copies no one.  Her performance is at times is a mix vibe combining Opera drama with Jazz vocals.  The result brings something different and new to Mercer's famous songs.  Rose Kingsley is as much a master story teller as a Cabaret Jazz vocalist.  

Kingsley and Corwin have selected 12 of the very best Mercer songs for this CD.  These songs also highlight Mercer's partnership with some of the greatest composers of the 20th Century.  When  you are talking about selecting only 12 of best songs from the Mercer book,  it's no easy job.  I don't think any one would object to these 12 songs on this CD.

Contributors:

Rose Kingsley- Vocals

Bob Corwin- Piano, Arrangements,  Musical Director,  Producer

Executive Producer- Norman Miller

Recording Engineer- Chandler Harrod

Mix/Mastered- Jim Watson

Playlist:

1. Too Marvelous For Words

2. Skylark

3. Come Rain Come Shinethe 4. Autumn Leaves

5. Charade

6. Old Black Magic

7. Moon River

8. I Remember You

9. Laura

10. One For My Baby

11. Blues in the Night

12. Dream

 I have attached a live performance of  "Autumn Leaves" by Rose Kingsley at New York's world famous Birdland for your enjoyment.

CD Review: 3D Jazz Trio "I Love To See You Smile"

The 3D Jazz Trio is made up of three wonderful musically-talented women, Jackie Warren, Amy Shook and Sherrie Maricle who are also close friends.  The music they make is not hard to love or understand.  It's just great swing American Jazz!  In my opinion, it's what a Jazz trio is all about.  These three musicians play as one strong unit fitting together perfectly to produce beautiful swinging music.   The anchor of the group is pianist Jackie Warren but Bassist Amy Shook and Drummer Sherrie Maricle are towers of musical strength in their own right. 

This trio of musicians has received many awards for their musical skills and work.  Jackie Warren won the Cleveland Jazz Award and is an Educator at Tri-C College.  Amy Shook is a critically acclaimed Jazz Bassist, Clinician, and Composer.  Sherrie Maricle won the Kennedy Center Mary Lou Williams Lifetime Achievement Award along with the Ovation Award for Best Music Direction.  She was also twice named the New York University Music Department Teacher of the year.  And I am awarding them the Best Swing Jazz Trio Award for 2020!

I have listed below the great playlist they have selected for "I Love To See You Smile".  A wonderful mix of outstanding standards that this trio brings new life to.

Playlist: 

1. I Love to See You Smile

2. Besame Mucho

3. Moonglow

4. B ack at the Chicken Shack

5. Angel Eyes

6. Recado Bossa Nova

7. When You and I Were Young

8. L.O.V.E.

Players:

Jackie Warren- Piano

Amy Shook- Bass

Sherrie Maricle- Drums

I have attached a "YouTube" video of the 3D Jazz Trio playing the Randy Newman composition I am sure many of you will remember, "I Love To See You Smile".

   

"I Love To See You Smile"

CD Review: Samoa Wilson With the Jim Kweskin Band, "I Just Want To Be Horizontal"

                                                                 

I can safely say that for most of us, the last several months of dealing with Covid 19 has been stressful to say the least.  We all need a break from all the stressful news and I have just the CD to help you leave today's world and travel back to yesteryear, at least for an hour or so.  All you have to do is find a comfortable chair and listen to  "I Want To Be Horizontal".   Then Just sit back and feel yourself being transported back to a music world that is friendly, cosy and comfortable.

The new CD from Samoa Wilson with the Jim Kweskin Band is the latest in a decade-long collaboration between Jim Kweskin and Samoa Wilson.   The 17 songs on this CD include some well known standards that have been given fresh new arrangements and some other non-standards that  perhaps should have made it into the standard class.  I found this CD very relaxing and familiar from the first tune to the last one.  Part of the musical magic that Samoa Wilson and the Jim Kweskin Band have created is that even though Samoa Wilson is the vocal star and sings these songs so beautifully,  she shares the spotlight with Jim and all the members of the Band seamlessly.  It's a case of many voices blending together into one wonderful musical group voice.

I don't know how to categorize the music this band performs because it's kinda Jazz, touches Folk and Blues reminds me of the sounds I hear when I am in New Orleans.  What I do know is it's the type of music that is uplifting and soothing for the soul!   How great that music like this is still being published.  My bet is that most of the Music Man listening audience will love the music on this CD.  I would love to get some feedback from you after you listen to " I Want To Be Horizontal".

I have attached two "YouTube" tunes from this special CD.  The first is the title track, "I Want To Be Horizontal" and the second is a special arrangement of the standard "Our Love Is Here To Stay".

     

                                                     "I Just Want To Be Horizontal"

                                                           "Our Love Is Here to Stay"
Playlist:
1. After You've Gone
2. I Just Want To Be Horizontal
3. Trust in Me
4. I Cried For You
5. The Candy Man
6. Inch Worm
7. That's Life I Guess
8. Until The Real Thing Comes Along
9. Me, Myself &I
10. Our Love Is Here To Stay
11. Kitchen Man
12. At Ebb Tide
13. Lover Come Back To Me
14. Easy To Love
15. Ain't Got Rhythm
16. I Wished On The Moon
17. Someone Turned The Moon Upside Down :

Players:
Samoa Wilson- Vocals
Kim Kweskin- Vocals, Fingerpicking, & Rhythm Guitar, Arrangements
Titus Vollmer- Lead & Rhythm Guitar, Hawaiian Slide Guitar, Ukulele, Arrangements
Mike Davis- Trumpet & Cornet
Paloma Ohm- Alto Sax
Dennis Lictman-Clarinet,Fiddle, Mandolin & Alto Sax
Sonny Barbato- Piano & Accordion
Matthew Berlin- Bass
Jeff Brown- Drums
Sean Read & Maddie Read Clarke- Backup harmony on "At Ebb Tide"