Moonlight Sonata: Swingin' Classics
By EastWind
Venus Records has recently been releasing many "jazzified classical music" albums, all performed by first-rate jazz musicians and singers. Now, Cyrus Chestnut has joined the list. An established name in the US, Chestnut grew up with gospel music and studied classical music before he became a full-fledged jazz pianist. He has recorded for Venus in other people's albums, such as Joel Frahm's Caminhos Cruzados and Marilyn Scott's Every Time We Say Goodbye, but this is his first album he recorded for Venus as a leader.
Chestnut decided to record with his current regular trio, with bassist Dezron Douglas and drummer Neal Smith. The approach and spirit here is pure jazz: driving, hard-boiled and dynamic. There is nothing soft or pretty that you might imagine when you hear the concept of "jazzified classical music." More accurate description would be "straight ahead jazz that happens to use classical melodies as improvisational springboards." Recommended!
Produced by Tetsuo Hara and Todd Barkan. Recorded at Avatar Studio in New York on March 30 and 31, 2011. Engineered by Katherine Miller. MIxed and Mastered by Tetsuo Hara.
Album Tracks:
1. Solfeggietto (E. Bach)
2. Swan Lake (Tchaikovsky)
3. Prelude in E Minor (Chopin)
4. Siciliano (J.S. Bach)
5. Moonlight Sonata (Beethoven)
6. Love's Dream (Liszt)
7. Romance from Masquerade (Khachaturian)
8. Kinderszenen (Shumann)
9. Hungarian Dance No. 5 (Brahms)
10. Moonlight Sonata - Reprise (Beethoven)
Simone Graziano Trio
By EastWind
Venus Records has recently been releasing many "jazzified classical music" albums, all performed by first-rate jazz musicians and singers. Now, Cyrus Chestnut has joined the list. An established name in the US, Chestnut grew up with gospel music and studied classical music before he became a full-fledged jazz pianist. He has recorded for Venus in other people's albums, such as Joel Frahm's Caminhos Cruzados and Marilyn Scott's Every Time We Say Goodbye, but this is his first album he recorded for Venus as a leader.
Chestnut decided to record with his current regular trio, with bassist Dezron Douglas and drummer Neal Smith. The approach and spirit here is pure jazz: driving, hard-boiled and dynamic. There is nothing soft or pretty that you might imagine when you hear the concept of "jazzified classical music." More accurate description would be "straight ahead jazz that happens to use classical melodies as improvisational springboards." Recommended!
Produced by Tetsuo Hara and Todd Barkan. Recorded at Avatar Studio in New York on March 30 and 31, 2011. Engineered by Katherine Miller. MIxed and Mastered by Tetsuo Hara.
Album Tracks:
1. Solfeggietto (E. Bach)
2. Swan Lake (Tchaikovsky)
3. Prelude in E Minor (Chopin)
4. Siciliano (J.S. Bach)
5. Moonlight Sonata (Beethoven)
6. Love's Dream (Liszt)
7. Romance from Masquerade (Khachaturian)
8. Kinderszenen (Shumann)
9. Hungarian Dance No. 5 (Brahms)
10. Moonlight Sonata - Reprise (Beethoven)
Simone Graziano Trio
Lightwalls
By Roberto Paviglianiti
By Roberto Paviglianiti
Esce per la etichetta discografica DodiciluneLightwalls, il disco d'esordio del pianista Simone Graziano, a capo di un trio dall'alto spessore tecnico ed espressivo, composto da Ares Tavolozzi al contrabbasso e Stefano Tamborrino alla batteria.
Ci troviamo di fronte ad un album che racchiude due sentite riletture - un'imprendibile "The Man Who Sold the World," nel finale legata con i tratti salienti di "A Night in Tunisia," e "Here's that Rainy Day" di Jimmy Van Heusen - e cinque interessanti passaggi originali. Il pianista toscano mostra una buona determinazione sotto il profilo compositivo, e sviluppa dei temi di grande cantabilità, come quello dell'iniziale "Darkness," ma anche dalle traiettorie imprevedibili ("Seven Steps Dream") e pensose all'occorrenza ("Corsica"). Situazioni movimentate che si alternano a scenari dove si respira un'aria più classicheggiante ("Noir de Lumière"), dovuti a un imprescindibile legame di Graziano con autori del passato come Debussy e Ravel.
Lightwalls è un disco che sa emozionare ed è suonato in maniera pressoché ineccepibile, nel quale si possono apprezzare le doti pianistiche di Graziano - si presti attenzione alla perfetta indipendenza delle mani -, alcuni soli di rara efficacia di Tavolozzi e l'ottimo lavoro svolto sui piatti da Tamborrino. Esordio maiuscolo e giovane leader da tenere d'occhio.
Visita il sito di Simone Graziano Trio.
Valutazione: 4 stelle
Elenco dei brani:
1. Darkeness; 2. Seven Steps Dreams; 3. Noir de Lumière; 4. The Man Who Sold the World; 5. Corsica; 6. Here's That Rainy Day; 7. Colour's Tale.
Musicisti:
Simone Graziano: pianoforte; Ares Tavolazzi: contrabbasso; Stefano Tamborrino: batteria.
Ci troviamo di fronte ad un album che racchiude due sentite riletture - un'imprendibile "The Man Who Sold the World," nel finale legata con i tratti salienti di "A Night in Tunisia," e "Here's that Rainy Day" di Jimmy Van Heusen - e cinque interessanti passaggi originali. Il pianista toscano mostra una buona determinazione sotto il profilo compositivo, e sviluppa dei temi di grande cantabilità, come quello dell'iniziale "Darkness," ma anche dalle traiettorie imprevedibili ("Seven Steps Dream") e pensose all'occorrenza ("Corsica"). Situazioni movimentate che si alternano a scenari dove si respira un'aria più classicheggiante ("Noir de Lumière"), dovuti a un imprescindibile legame di Graziano con autori del passato come Debussy e Ravel.
Lightwalls è un disco che sa emozionare ed è suonato in maniera pressoché ineccepibile, nel quale si possono apprezzare le doti pianistiche di Graziano - si presti attenzione alla perfetta indipendenza delle mani -, alcuni soli di rara efficacia di Tavolozzi e l'ottimo lavoro svolto sui piatti da Tamborrino. Esordio maiuscolo e giovane leader da tenere d'occhio.
Visita il sito di Simone Graziano Trio.
Valutazione: 4 stelle
Elenco dei brani:
1. Darkeness; 2. Seven Steps Dreams; 3. Noir de Lumière; 4. The Man Who Sold the World; 5. Corsica; 6. Here's That Rainy Day; 7. Colour's Tale.
Musicisti:
Simone Graziano: pianoforte; Ares Tavolazzi: contrabbasso; Stefano Tamborrino: batteria.
Bruce Barth
Three Things Of Beauty
By Lloyd Sachs at Jazztimes
Pianist Bruce Barth and vibraphonist Steve Nelson, who have teamed up in various situations over the years, may never have clicked more winningly than they do onThree Things of Beauty , a quartet date that is Barth’s first non-duo or non-trio album in more than a decade. Ranging from Tyner-esque intensity to Basie-like cool, he is at his most expansive, while Nelson plays with a depth of expression he lacked earlier in his career, and bassist Ben Street and drummer Dana Hall provide sumptuous support. The album is so engaging, it deserves a title upgrade: How about Ten Things of Beauty?
Barth’s title cut reveals his detail-oriented approach as a composer. The song begins as a wistful, gently flowering ballad, but gains speed and power, keyed by Hall’s springy, propulsive strokes and fueled by some of Nelson’s hardest-edged lyrical playing. “The Rushing Hour,” another original, radiates bright expectation through serial changes in time, tempo and tone, building on and shadowed by subtle Afro-Cuban accents.
Three Things of Beauty is full of surprises, including a nifty spin on Monk’s “Bemsha Blues” via Barth’s “Be Blued.” The band moves from Modern Jazz Quartet-like ease to bluesy swagger on John Coltrane’s “Big Nick,” and luxuriates in deeper-pocketed tradition on Barth’s “Wise Charlie’s Blues,” dedicated to a departed friend. The album is bracketed by standards: a dashing uptempo reading of “My Man’s Gone Now” and flowing rendering of “The Song Is You.” The latter’s graceful reharmonization shows off the light touch that is one of Barth’s calling cards.
By Lloyd Sachs at Jazztimes
Pianist Bruce Barth and vibraphonist Steve Nelson, who have teamed up in various situations over the years, may never have clicked more winningly than they do onThree Things of Beauty , a quartet date that is Barth’s first non-duo or non-trio album in more than a decade. Ranging from Tyner-esque intensity to Basie-like cool, he is at his most expansive, while Nelson plays with a depth of expression he lacked earlier in his career, and bassist Ben Street and drummer Dana Hall provide sumptuous support. The album is so engaging, it deserves a title upgrade: How about Ten Things of Beauty?
Barth’s title cut reveals his detail-oriented approach as a composer. The song begins as a wistful, gently flowering ballad, but gains speed and power, keyed by Hall’s springy, propulsive strokes and fueled by some of Nelson’s hardest-edged lyrical playing. “The Rushing Hour,” another original, radiates bright expectation through serial changes in time, tempo and tone, building on and shadowed by subtle Afro-Cuban accents.
Three Things of Beauty is full of surprises, including a nifty spin on Monk’s “Bemsha Blues” via Barth’s “Be Blued.” The band moves from Modern Jazz Quartet-like ease to bluesy swagger on John Coltrane’s “Big Nick,” and luxuriates in deeper-pocketed tradition on Barth’s “Wise Charlie’s Blues,” dedicated to a departed friend. The album is bracketed by standards: a dashing uptempo reading of “My Man’s Gone Now” and flowing rendering of “The Song Is You.” The latter’s graceful reharmonization shows off the light touch that is one of Barth’s calling cards.
Fotografia
By Roberto Paviglianiti
Prende il nome da un brano di Jobim l'album firmato dalla vocalist Carmen Spatafora, quel "Fotografia" che chiude una scaletta di dieci tracce - arrangiate con estrema cura stilistica da Giovanni Mazzarino - cantate e interpretate con classe autentica e suonate con altrettanta generosità espressiva da una band di ottimo livello.
Il lavoro, nel quale si alternano standard e brani originali, è caratterizzato da atmosfere dense, a tratti quasi immobili nel loro incedere millimetro dopo millimetro, frase dopo frase ("Never Let Me Go"), senza mai dare né la sensazione di semplice posa né tanto meno di fretta risolutiva ("Have You Met Miss Jones"). La leader sfoggia un timbro caldo, avvolgente, molto profondo, capace di vibrare anche verso le tonalità più basse ("On Green Dolphin Street"). Al suo fianco si muovono in scioltezza le altre "voci" di questo progetto, altrettanto snelle e decisive nel contesto generale, come quelle prodotte dal sax di Giuseppe Asero e soprattutto dalla tromba di Dino Rubino, apprezzabile in diverse situazioni.
Nelle note di copertina si legge l'aforisma di Nietzsche secondo il quale "senza musica la vita sarebbe un errore," affermazione forte, condivisibile o meno, ma che ben identifica l'intensità e la passione che questi musicisti hanno saputo riversare in Fotografia.
Visita il sito di Carmen Spatafora.
Valutazione: 3 stelle
Elenco dei brani:
1. Have You Met Miss Jones; 2. Evening Blues; 3. Pannonica; 4. Never Let Me Go; 5. Ray of Light; 6. Misty; 7. Your Picture in My Heart; 8. On Green Dolphin Street; 9. A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square; 10. Fotografia.
Musicisti:
Carmen Spatafora: voce; Dino Rubino: tromba, flicorno; Giuseppe Asero: sax alto; Giovanni Mazzarino: pianoforte; Riccardo Fioravanti: contrabbasso; Stefano Bagnoli: batteria.
Joey DeFrancesco
By Roberto Paviglianiti
Prende il nome da un brano di Jobim l'album firmato dalla vocalist Carmen Spatafora, quel "Fotografia" che chiude una scaletta di dieci tracce - arrangiate con estrema cura stilistica da Giovanni Mazzarino - cantate e interpretate con classe autentica e suonate con altrettanta generosità espressiva da una band di ottimo livello.
Il lavoro, nel quale si alternano standard e brani originali, è caratterizzato da atmosfere dense, a tratti quasi immobili nel loro incedere millimetro dopo millimetro, frase dopo frase ("Never Let Me Go"), senza mai dare né la sensazione di semplice posa né tanto meno di fretta risolutiva ("Have You Met Miss Jones"). La leader sfoggia un timbro caldo, avvolgente, molto profondo, capace di vibrare anche verso le tonalità più basse ("On Green Dolphin Street"). Al suo fianco si muovono in scioltezza le altre "voci" di questo progetto, altrettanto snelle e decisive nel contesto generale, come quelle prodotte dal sax di Giuseppe Asero e soprattutto dalla tromba di Dino Rubino, apprezzabile in diverse situazioni.
Nelle note di copertina si legge l'aforisma di Nietzsche secondo il quale "senza musica la vita sarebbe un errore," affermazione forte, condivisibile o meno, ma che ben identifica l'intensità e la passione che questi musicisti hanno saputo riversare in Fotografia.
Visita il sito di Carmen Spatafora.
Valutazione: 3 stelle
Elenco dei brani:
1. Have You Met Miss Jones; 2. Evening Blues; 3. Pannonica; 4. Never Let Me Go; 5. Ray of Light; 6. Misty; 7. Your Picture in My Heart; 8. On Green Dolphin Street; 9. A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square; 10. Fotografia.
Musicisti:
Carmen Spatafora: voce; Dino Rubino: tromba, flicorno; Giuseppe Asero: sax alto; Giovanni Mazzarino: pianoforte; Riccardo Fioravanti: contrabbasso; Stefano Bagnoli: batteria.
Joey DeFrancesco
40
By Jack Bowers
With 40, Joey DeFrancesco—the world's foremost contemporary jazz organist—heralds his fortieth birthday by presiding over a trio session that is typically dexterous and engaging from start to finish. As good as it is, however, a DVD would be even more persuasive, as DeFrancesco's consummate mastery of his chosen instrument should really be seen as well as heard to be thoroughly appreciated. His right hand is so virtuosic that he seldom has need for the left, using it sparingly to append an obligatory chord every now and then. Seeing and hearing DeFrancesco perform is a remarkable experience, one not to be missed.
On the other hand, simply hearing DeFrancesco in his element, leading a polished and enterprising trio, is quite a pleasurable experience in and of itself. On this studio date, recorded in June 2011, two months after he turned forty, DeFrancesco is as brilliant as ever, and is steadfastly supported at every twist and turn by drummer Ramon Banda and guitarist Rick Zunigar. Zunigar also adds a second solo voice, his laidback guitar in marked contrast to DeFrancesco's ebullient keyboards (the plural is necessary because the leader plays the classic Hammond B-3 on some numbers, the innovative digitally-designed Numa—especially created for him by Studiologic—on others; Pete Fallico's liner notes don't disclose which).
As for the music, DeFrancesco wrote six of the nine selections, the first three for his children ("Donny's Tune," "Ashley Blue") and wife, "Gloria." The others are Ray Charles' high-stepping "I Got a Woman" (DeFrancesco's earnest tribute to Jimmy McGriff) and the seldom-heard originals "One Hundred Ways" and "Caruso" (which should be heard more often). While there is ostensibly only one blues ("Bluz 'n' 3"), the truth is that almost every note DeFrancesco plays is submersed in the blues tradition, so there's an element of that genre even in straight-ahead burners like "Donny's Tune" and "Life Is Good" or ballads such as "Gloria" and "Caruso." DeFrancesco, who has been known to sing from time to time, does so once, on the heartfelt homage to Mrs. D, whose plainspoken lyric he apparently wrote.
When it comes to traditional organ trios, there aren't many—if any— that can reach this level, let alone sustain it from prelude to coda. Recommended? Without pause.
Track Listing: Donny's Tune; Ashley Blue; Gloria; 100 Ways; I Got a Woman; V&G; Life Is Good; Bluz 'n' 3; Caruso.
Personnel: Joey DeFrancesco: Hammond B-3 organ, Numa organ, vocal (3); Ramon Banda: drums, percussion; Rick Zunigar: guitar.
Jessica Wiliams
Songs Of Earth
By Dan McClenaghan
Jessica Williams, with her last four CDs on Origin Records, is like a butterfly coming out of its cocoon. Earlier in her career, Williams—who once held the piano chair in drummer Philly Joe Jones band—wrapped her artistry in the Great American Song on Some Ballads Some Blues (Red and Blue, 1999), along with stellar tributes to departed star pianists Art Tatum and Thelonious Monk.
Around the beginning of her teaming with Origin Records—in conjunction with the creation of her own Red and Blue Records label—Williams, always a top level musician with huge technique, began to blossom. With her Origin Records discs—Song for a New Century (2008), The Art of the Piano (2009), and, especially, Touch (2010)—Williams veered in a new and very personal direction, feeling her way through the music and finding a new voice of freedom and stunning beauty.
Now there is Songs of Earth, another push forward.
The music here is mostly spontaneously composed by Williams alone at the piano, recorded live during several sessions at Seattle, Washington's Triple Door and put together by Williams to create an expansive aural novel full of majesty and mystery, tenderness and awe. Williams is nearly unrivaled in her ability to marry a classical level of technical proficiency to her joyous sense spontaneity and endless sense of wonder.
"Deayru" opens the book, a lush solo piano symphony shifting from a strong percussive depth to an ephemeral fragility, setting the stage for all that follows. "Poem" is one of three tunes here not composed in complete spontaneity, along with "Little Angel" and saxophonist John Coltrane's "To Be." But, as Williams explains in the disc's liner notes: ..."the amount of notes actually written is far outnumbered by the amount improvised spontaneously," which sounds like it could serve for a partial definition of jazz in general.
Williams' influences are many. Her latest is the late Spanish guitarist Carlos Montoya. In her 2009 interview with All About Jazz, Williams said of Montoya's playing of traditional Spanish tunes: "He improvised like crazy...with an abandon in his playing. He did anything he wanted to." That abandon—under the influence of enormous skill and audacity—is what Williams' music is now all about. On "Montoya," she extracts almost guitar-like sounds from the piano and glides into a gorgeous and poetic Spanish-hued prayer.
Coltrane was also an author of musical prayers. Williams closes with "Trane's" "To Be." Proving herself one of the saxophone legend's finest interpreters with Freedom Trane (Origin Records, 2011), this searching, ten minute-plus ode to existence mirrors Coltrane's approach, with Williams taking her search for truth and beauty—here and on the entire set—up above the earthbound steeple tops.
Track Listing:
Jessica Williams, with her last four CDs on Origin Records, is like a butterfly coming out of its cocoon. Earlier in her career, Williams—who once held the piano chair in drummer Philly Joe Jones band—wrapped her artistry in the Great American Song on Some Ballads Some Blues (Red and Blue, 1999), along with stellar tributes to departed star pianists Art Tatum and Thelonious Monk.
Around the beginning of her teaming with Origin Records—in conjunction with the creation of her own Red and Blue Records label—Williams, always a top level musician with huge technique, began to blossom. With her Origin Records discs—Song for a New Century (2008), The Art of the Piano (2009), and, especially, Touch (2010)—Williams veered in a new and very personal direction, feeling her way through the music and finding a new voice of freedom and stunning beauty.
Now there is Songs of Earth, another push forward.
The music here is mostly spontaneously composed by Williams alone at the piano, recorded live during several sessions at Seattle, Washington's Triple Door and put together by Williams to create an expansive aural novel full of majesty and mystery, tenderness and awe. Williams is nearly unrivaled in her ability to marry a classical level of technical proficiency to her joyous sense spontaneity and endless sense of wonder.
"Deayru" opens the book, a lush solo piano symphony shifting from a strong percussive depth to an ephemeral fragility, setting the stage for all that follows. "Poem" is one of three tunes here not composed in complete spontaneity, along with "Little Angel" and saxophonist John Coltrane's "To Be." But, as Williams explains in the disc's liner notes: ..."the amount of notes actually written is far outnumbered by the amount improvised spontaneously," which sounds like it could serve for a partial definition of jazz in general.
Williams' influences are many. Her latest is the late Spanish guitarist Carlos Montoya. In her 2009 interview with All About Jazz, Williams said of Montoya's playing of traditional Spanish tunes: "He improvised like crazy...with an abandon in his playing. He did anything he wanted to." That abandon—under the influence of enormous skill and audacity—is what Williams' music is now all about. On "Montoya," she extracts almost guitar-like sounds from the piano and glides into a gorgeous and poetic Spanish-hued prayer.
Coltrane was also an author of musical prayers. Williams closes with "Trane's" "To Be." Proving herself one of the saxophone legend's finest interpreters with Freedom Trane (Origin Records, 2011), this searching, ten minute-plus ode to existence mirrors Coltrane's approach, with Williams taking her search for truth and beauty—here and on the entire set—up above the earthbound steeple tops.
Track Listing:
Deayru; Poem; Montoya; Joe and Jane; Little Angel; The Enchanted Loom; To Be.
Personnel: Jessica Williams: piano.
Personnel: Jessica Williams: piano.
JESSICA WILLIAMS's HEALTH PROBLEM !
Lumbar L5/L4/S1 cage-fusion Recovery fund - please donate - Sep 10 2012
Please donate to my spine surgery recovery fund using Paypal or my PO Box - and see my icky MRI pictures too - it was either this or give up my career and live out my short life in a cave. The neat thing about PayPal is that you can use any of your credit cards and circumvent them to the degree that they don't share or even store your iformation unless you want to open an account. That's why I chose them - that's MY business model too.
My surgery date was July 25th, 2012. DONE. NOW, I hate asking for money - I won't be able to play for awhile, and I wanna have something special to bring back to you. I have some lots of music I need to give you. If I had made a living at this, I wouldn't be asking for money now.
Anyway, it's like being hit by a big truck. It went well, I think. I was asleep or dead or something.
The really sad part was that I had to sell my piano (below). But I'm the pianist, slightly more important.
And you, friends, are responding with unbelievable generosity. I want to thank you, but the only way to do that is to make more music, and it'll be a Philadelphia Minute before I can do that... but ASAP! 6 pedicle screws, 3 titanium cages with cadaver or donor bone, titanium plates, and 2 bendable carbon rods. I'm 2 inches taller than before. And 20 pounds lighter. My hair turned orange and white (weird...)
I realize, I have insurance, and if I didn't, I'd die. Everybody dies. This is natural and makes a lot of sense, considering some of the morons that are running this circus. But I wanna stay just a while longer, please. I am so lucky and thankful that I live where I live. These donations are for the 6 months to a year that I'll be unable to play. I'll be doing physical therapy and taking less and less pain medications and learning to walk again. And learning to use the pedals (on the piano) again.
I showed the DICOM MRI to a friend and he said - "those are some scary blueprints you got there, girl." He's a back veteran too. That observation scared me worse than my surgeon's diagnosis. So if you have a moment and some extra money that would better go to me than either political party, here's the page with the icky MRI photos and the PO Box and the PayPal button to push.
And a picture of the handsome - and incredibly gifted - neurosurgeon
, Dr Richard Rooney. Abi Gezunt! Health is everything! - JW, Aug 12, 2012
SONGS OF EARTH
My newest International Release is called Songs of Earth. The cover work is by John Bishop, the CEO/drummer/art department/idea-man behind Origin Records. The photo is by Jimmy Katz of NYC fame, THE go-to man for photographs of musical artists. And I wrote the liner notes. THIS IS THE ONE I LOVE THE MOST. Until the next one. Hear it and buy it here. Remember, new buyers get one free CD with any first purchase, and my signature too, if they want it. First review (Audiophile) gives it five stars. get it (and more) here.
Stay happy, or at least go for it! -JW, May 14, 2012
The one that got away
Below, my last piano (bought in Nov, 2011). An early Baldwin, unnumbered, estimated to have been built in 1897. It's just shy of 6.5 feet long. Unfortunately, I had to sell it. See here for reasons.
, Dr Richard Rooney. Abi Gezunt! Health is everything! - JW, Aug 12, 2012SONGS OF EARTH
My newest International Release is called Songs of Earth. The cover work is by John Bishop, the CEO/drummer/art department/idea-man behind Origin Records
. The photo is by Jimmy Katz of NYC fame, THE go-to man for photographs of musical artists. And I wrote the liner notes. THIS IS THE ONE I LOVE THE MOST. Until the next one. Hear it and buy it here. Remember, new buyers get one free CD with any first purchase, and my signature too, if they want it. First review (Audiophile) gives it five stars. get it (and more) here.Stay happy, or at least go for it! -JW, May 14, 2012
The one that got away
Below, my last piano (bought in Nov, 2011). An early Baldwin, unnumbered, estimated to have been built in 1897. It's just shy of 6.5 feet long. Unfortunately, I had to sell it. See here for reasons.
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