Friday, September 19, 2014

Old Jazz Cd's - Part Seven By Mr. Bob

Guido Manusardi Quintet
Lost In Space




Lost In Space. the renowned pianist leads here a quintet in which shines the richly colored voice of Rachel Gould.
Personnel:
Rachel Gould(vo), Giulio Visibelli(ts,fl, ss), Sandro Gibellini(g), Guido Manusardi(p), Lucio Terzano(b), Mauro Beggio(ds)
Recorded at MurecStudio, Milan, Italy, August 9&10, 2002
Tracks:
1. Leave Them Laughing
2. But Now I'm Not in Love Anymore
3. Long Forgotten Arms
4. The Face of the One That I Love
5. Lost in Space
6. Heart of Fire
7. Pierre
8. Miriam
9. The Garden in Your Mind
10. Had Enough
11. The Day You Wished Me Goodbye


Monica Zetterlund & Bill Evans
Waltz For Debby



By Thom Jurek
An oddity in Bill Evans' catalog, this 1964 date places the Swedish jazz vocalist Monica Zetterlund alongside the Evans Trio (with Chuck Israels on bass and Larry Bunker on drums). Still, the match is seemingly perfect. Evans' lyricism is well suited to a breezy, sophisticated songstress like Zetterlund. There is an iciness on this recording, but it is difficult to decipher if it is in the performance or in the engineering where she seems to be way out in front of the band, when she was really in the middle of all the musicians in the studio. This is a minor complaint, however, as the tune selection and decorum of these sessions are quite lovely. From the opener "Come Rain or Come Shine" through the Swedish ballad "A Beautiful Rose" and the achingly gorgeous delivery of "Once Upon a Summertime," it's as if Zetterlund were destined to sing with Evans for a career instead of an album. For his part, Evans is very relaxed, allowing the lyrics to feed his musing on the simple, yet elegant harmonics. The Swedish version of "Waltz for Debbie" is a true delight because Zetterlund's voice becomes another instrument, soloing over the top of Evans' stunning selection of comping chords. In all this is an odd but special item, one that is necessary -- for at least one listen -- by any serious fan of the pianist and composer.


Tierney Sutton
Blue In Green



By Ken Dryden
There have been a number of tributes to Bill Evans since the pianist's death in 1980, including a few by singers. But this CD by Tierney Sutton (only her third as a leader) is not only wide-ranging in its scope, as it draws songs from throughout his career, but the often innovative arrangements bring a freshness to the music. Sutton doesn't resort to loud theatrics but swings hard when necessary while focusing on the melody, and also gives her supporting trio (pianist Christian Jacob, bassist Trey Henry, and drummer Ray Brinker) space to play. Evans' songs include a haunting "Blue in Green" (a modal gem credited to Miles Davis but claimed by the pianist as his work) with a touching lyric by Meredith d'Ambrosio, the mournful "Turn Out the Stars," a magical deliberate take of "Very Early," and an enticing medley of two of Evans' ballads written in honor of two young ladies, "Waltz for Debby" (for his niece) and "Tiffany" (for drummer Joe LaBarbera's infant daughter, who later composed the lyrics to this song as a teenager; Joe takes over the drums on this one song). The brisk "Autumn Leaves" is given a dramatic facelift with some fine scatting by Sutton and a wonderful reworking of the chord structure, and the calypso-flavored introduction to "Someday My Prince Will Come" is a high point, too. Ken Wild takes over on bass for the enchanting piano-less arrangement of "Sometime Ago," playing an ostinato pattern and supplying a soft backing scat vocal on this catchy chart. This outstanding release by Tierney Sutton should be considered an essential acquisition by fans of jazz singers and music associated with or written by Bill Evans.


Judy Niemack
Long As You're Living



By Great Judy
Of all her CD's this one is by far the craziest and most complex. To Welcome the Day is my favorite track with a difficult but catchy melody. Each song is packed with meaning while still giving time for great solos.
Personnel:
Phil Klum Assistant Engineer; A.T. Michael MacDonald Engineer, Editing
Judy Niemack Arranger, Vocals, Producer; Scott Colley Bass; Billy Hart Drums
Fred Hersch Piano, Arranger, Producer; Joe Lovano Sax (Tenor)
Tracks:
1. Long As You're Living
2. Walz For Debby
3. The Maestro
4. Good Bye Pork Pie Hat/I Remember Clifford
5. Caribbean Fire Dance
6. The Island
7. Monk's Dream
8. You've Taken Things Too Far
9. To Welcome The Day
10. Out Of This World
11. I Should Have Told You Goodbye
12. Infant Eyes

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