Tony Scott with Mario Rusca Trio - The Old Lion Roars (1996)

Tony Scott on his 75^th birthday joins up with the Mario Rusca Trio and sets about re-interpreting a number of very familiar jazz standards as well as a couple of his own tunes; one on which he scats. His expertise on the clarinet is phenomenal and as the album titles suggests 'The Old Lion Roars'. There is no denying that having Mario Rusca on piano does not bolster Tony's virtuosity. Of course, all this wouldn't be achievable if it wasn't due the merits of Rosario Bonaccorso on bass and the brilliant driving force of Tony Arco on drums. Included in the selection are two tunes penned by Mario and played with such finesse, Enjoy!

Giants Of Jazz, CD 53301, 1996

Recorded 24^th, 25^th, 26^th June, 1996 At Mondial Sound, Milan, Italy

Musicians:

Tony Scott - Clarinet, Vocals

Mario Rusca - Piano

Rosario Bonaccorso - Bass

Tony Arco - Drums

Tracks:

01. Blues For Bird {Tony Scott} (5:34)

02. We'll Be Together Again {Carl T. Fischer, Frankie Laine} (7:56)

03. Scott Scat {Tony Scott} (5:57)

04. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes {Jerome Kern, Otto Harbach} (6:13)

05. 'Round Midnight {Thelonious Monk} (8:25)

06. Mood Indigo {Duke Ellington, Barney Bigard, Irving Mills} (5:33)

07. Take Five And More {Mario Rusca} (4:31)

08. Solitude {Duke Ellington, Eddie De Lang, Irving Mills} (6:02)

09. Feel {Mario Rusca} (5:29)

10. Bye Bye Blackbird {Ray Henderson, Mort Dixon} (6:32)

Credits:

Recording Engineer - Walter Biondi

Photo - Orange (TR)

Cover Art - Cinzia Scott

Total Time: 62:12

Mario Rusca Quintet - Recreations In Jazz (1976)

A great un-earthed session never previously released by the great Italian pianist Mario Rusca. He is joined by the impressive saxophonist Larry Nocella and a very dynamic Italian rhythm section and percussionist. All tunes are penned and arranged by Mari Rusca and even though the pieces are quite short by today’s standards, they still give the group enough room to develop some very creative and entertaining jazz, enjoy!

Easy Tempo, ET 937 CD, 2001

Recorded in 1976 At Barigozzi Studio, Milano, Italy

Musicians:

Mario Rusca - Piano, Fender Piano

Larry Nocella - Soprano & Tenor Saxophones

Paolo Tomelleri - Fender Bass

Paolo Pelegatti - Drums

Mauricio Chappetta - Percussion

Tracks:

01. Smiling Harry (5:27)

02. Recreations (2:24)

03. Dynamic (2:21)

04. Black Safari (2:41)

05. Free Impulse (2:44)

06. First Intuition (1:35)

07. Joyette (3:15)

08. Astral Bird (2:54)

09. Intimate Waltz (2:51)

10. Bizarre (2:45)

11. High Street (2:28)

12. Well Balanced Jump (2:29)

All Compositions & Arrangements by Mario Rusca

Total Time: 35:54

Gene Harris - Astral Signal (1974)

A well sought out jazz-funk title from blue note. Although most of this album is Gene on his piano, this album brings out Gene's talent with the ARP and Minimoog Synthesizers. One listen to his cover of sly stone's "Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey" and you'll become a definite believer! Boy, does this cut blaze a trail of hard driving synth funk! The MiniMoog bass line is all over this one, as Gene fills the top off with some squealy ARP Odyssey/Pro soloist overlays. A killer funk ride classic. Then there's "Losalamitoslatinfunklovesong", a buttery smooth, slow grinding funk love jam that will get your juices flowing on the dance floor! The Moog bass kicks up and down, and side to side, while the high synth notes make love to the listeners ear. Great synth playing all around from gene and good background vocals from the session players, too. Also check out the eerie, spacey prelude at the start of the album, it's a sonic statement! ~ fonkay, RYM.

Blue Note, BN-LA313-G, 1974

Blue Note/EMI, TOCJ-50511, 2012

Recorded 13^th August, 1974 At The Village Recorder, Los Angeles, California

Personnel:

Gene Harris - Keyboards, Vocals (#B2), Arranger (#7)

Keg Johnson - Trombone, Background Vocals

George Bohanon - Trombone

Oscar Brashear - Trumpet

Sidney Muldrow - French Horn

Ernie Watts - Reeds

Jerry Peters - Keyboards, Background Vocals

John Rowin - Guitar

David T. Walker - Guitar

Chuck Rainey - Electric Bass

Harvey Mason - Drums, Arranger (#11)

Jim Shifflett - Unknown Instrument

Vocalists:

Annesther

Julia (Tillman) Waters

Luther Waters

Lynn Mack

Maxine (Johnson) Waters

Oren Waters

Trisha Chamberlain

Tracks:

01. Prelude {Gene Harris} (1:41)

02. Summer [The First Time] {Bobby Goldsboro} (3:21)

03. Rebato Summer {Jerry Peters} (0:35)

04. I Remember Summer {Jerry Peters} (2:03)

05. Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey {Sylvester Stewart} (3:44)

06. Losalamitoslatinfunklovesong {Jerry Peters} (3:10)

07. My Roots {Arr. Gene Harris, J.K. Abernathy} (4:20)

08. Green River {John Fogerty} (3:05)

09. Beginnings {Robert Lamm} (5:54)

10. Feeling You, Feeling Me Too! {Alex Brown, Monk Higgins} (1:59)

11. Higga-Boom {Arr. Harvey Mason, Jerry Peters, Harvey Mason} (6:00)

12. Love Talkin' {Jerry Peters} (4:49)

Credits:

Producer, Recording, Mixing, Mastering Engineer - Jim Shifflett

Producer - Jerry Peters, Keg Johnson

Executive-Producer - George Butler

Recording Engineer - Gilmar Fortis

Mastering Engineer - Bill Lazerus

Production Assistance - Harvey Mason, John Rowin, Charlotte Politte

Art Direction, Cover Illustration - Bob Cato

Photography - Kenny Dorr

This album is a magical balance between psychedelic laid back california inspired acid jazz sounds scapes and the greasy soul of a mid-century (last century) juke joint. A pastiche of professional music with heart and creativity. No other album on blue note or by Harris sounds like this. A fine artistic statement by Harris who seemed to be at his peak in the mid-70s. ~ freqazoidiac, RYM.

Total Time: 40:41

Kevin Hays Trio - North (2016)

The New Day Trio is Kevin Hays on acoustic piano, Rob Jost on bass and Greg Joseph on drums. North is their follow-up to last year’s New Day, but Hays lays off the vocals this time around and keeps guest artists at bay. It’s thus the first purely instrumental expression of this still-new lineup, and the project on which they find their footing.

Hays has been making records using various configurations for over two decades, but the trio format works especially well for him. He displays an intrepid spirit and a strong sense of harmonic and rhythmic initiative that is sometimes dulled when he brings others into the mix. Here, on a 10-track set-seven originals and three covers-he sticks to the basics, intent on avoiding repetition of mood, even if that means drastic juxtapositions. An opening take of Bird’s “Scrapple From the Apple” is attacked from a place where velocity and ferocity rule; “Elegia,” which follows, is tamer but no less edgy. Track three, “Violetta,” is sprightly yet august, while “Schumann’s Chamisso” draws on Hays’ love for the classics. There are times when one might question whether the same three musicians could have cut all of these tunes-which they did in a single day, incidentally-were it not for the telepathic rapport they so obviously share.

The album’s title is Hays’ nod of respect both to Harlem (which is, after all, in northern Manhattan) and his prior residence in upstate New York. It starts off feeling like the latter, serene and open; then an undercurrent of groove arrives that suggests the former. That Hays, Jost and Joseph instinctually understand the correlations and how to get from one to the other so seamlessly is why their union is such a welcome one. ~ By Jeff Tamarkin, JazzTimes.

Sunnyside Communications, SSC 1464, 2016

Recorded 29^th January, 2016 At Acoustic Recording, Brooklyn, New York

Musicians:

Kevin Hays - Piano

Rob Jost - Bass, Ukulele

Greg Joseph - Drums

Tracks:

01. Scrapple From The Apple {Charlie Parker} (3:56)

02. Elegia {Kevin Hays} (7:49)

03. Violetta {Kevin Hays} (6:50)

04. Schumann's Chamisso {Kevin Hays} (7:32)

05. Sweet Caroline {Kevin Hays} (5:47)

06. Where Did You Sleep {Leadbelly} (6:24)

07. All Things Are {Kevin Hays} (5:38)

08. North {Kevin Hays} (5:50)

09. I'll Remember April {Don Raye, Gene De Paul} (7:46)

10. Morning {Kevin Hays} (4:44)

Credits:

Producer, Photography - Kevin Hays

Engineer - Michael Brorby

Mixing, Mastering - Katsuhiho Naito

Graphic Design - Christopher Drukker

Total Time: 62:16

Michel Petrucciani - Promenade With Duke (1993)

In an interview, Michel Petrucciani said "...my biggest inspiration is Duke Ellington, because in my very early age he gave [me] the inspiration to play the piano." For Promenade with Duke Petrucciani not only honors music Ellington composed, but music with which he was associated. There are some Billy Strayhorn pieces and other songs where Ellington's compositional contributions are arguably marginal. That the album offers an adventure in harmony is predicted by the first cut, "Caravan." Stretching over seven minutes in length, it explores, in-depth, virtually every nuance of this 1936 hit which Ellington wrote with trombonist Juan Tizol. Bold approaches to harmonies notwithstanding, Petrucciani does not desert his basic let-it-all-hang-out romanticism which he celebrates on "Lush Life." He emphasizes feelings of sentimentality in his rendition of "In a Sentimental Mood." His interpretation is brooding and introspective, but every now and then some bright chords hold out the hope that the somber climate may be passing. Petrucciani is a master at clarifying the mood he is trying to create with his piano. Not all the music on the album is familiar Ellington, as shown in the presence of two rarely performed pieces, "Hidden Joy" and "One Night in the Hotel." It is on the well-known "Take the 'A' Train," however, that Petrucciani expresses best the joy he experiences with Ellington's music and the influence it has had on him. His is a rousing, twisting rendition of the Duke's signature tune. Promenade with Duke is one of the more innovative and stimulating sets of solo piano performances of Ellington's music on disc. ~ by Dave Nathan, AMG.

Blue Note, CDP 0777 7 80590 28, 1993

Recorded at Power Station, New York

Michel Petrucciani - Piano [Steinway]

Tracks:

1. Caravan {Duke Ellington, Irving Mills, Juan Tizol} (7:51)

2. Lush Life {Billy Strayhorn} (3:48)

3. Take The "A" Train {Billy Strayhorn} (3:01)

4. African Flower {Duke Ellington} (4:40)

5. In A Sentimental Mood {Duke Ellington, Irving Mills, Manny Kurtz} (6:01)

6. Hidden Joy {Michel Petrucciani} (8:03)

7. One Night In The Hotel {Michel Petrucciani} (5:39)

8. Satin Doll {Billy Strayhorn, Duke Ellington, Johnny Mercer} (7:11)

9. C-Jam Blues {Duke Ellington} (1:52)

Credits:

Producer - Gilles Avinzac

Producer, Mixing - Michel Petrucciani

Executive Producer - Eric Kressmann

Sound & Mixing Engineer - Roger Roche

Assistant Sound Engineer - Chris Albert

Mastering Engineer - Jose Rodriguez [Sterling Sound, NYC]

Art Direction - Cynthia Cochrane, Felix Cromey

Design - Patrick Roques

Total Time: 48:06

Must Have CD for Any Jazz Piano Enthusiast

=================================

I am a jazz pianist myself and think that this is some of the most superb piano playing I have ever heard. It is highly recommended - showing incredible imagination, musical sophistication, technique and most importantly beautiful emotion. A must have addition to any collection. ~ Edward N. Page, Amazon.com.

Rodney Whitaker - Winter Moon (2002)

Winter Moon (Sirocco), bassist Rodney Whitaker's fifth album as a leader, focuses on his current quartet, eschewing guest artists and highlighting either his compositions or those from his band: pianist Eric Reed, saxophonist Ron Blake and drummer Carl Allen. It is an excellently engineered, well-played date, bolstered by three fine lengthy pieces (and several shorter ones that are no less intriguing). Heading the list is "Fall," a tune taken at such a slow tempo it could be a lament except for Blake’s boisterous, bawdy solo, which transforms it into an enticing exercise. Whitaker's walking bass and Allen's carefully paced drumming are balanced by Reed's precise piano solo. The number charms, beckons and delights before reaching a fitting conclusion. The same is true for "Coming Ship," which includes another strong solo from Blake and wonderful accompaniment by Whitaker and Allen.

Reed can be dashing or sedate, play soulful blues or a surging bop line, but he's at his best on such numbers as "Spring Birth," "Winter Moon" and "John Lewis," a great testament to a venerable jazz figure. His composition "Beauty and the Beast" wraps the album with a joyful, exuberant number that also features a bright, decisive solo from Blake and more outstanding assistance from Whitaker and Allen. Winter Moon is one of the better mainstream albums that's come my way in a while. ~ Ron Wynn, JazzTimes, 1^st January, 2005.

Sirocco Jazz Ltd., SJL 1026, 2004

Recorded September, 2002 At Systems Two Recording Studios, Brooklyn, New York

Musicians:

Rodney Whitaker - Acoustic Bass

Ron Blake - Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone

Eric Reed - Piano

Carl Allen - Drums

Tracks:

1. For Garrison {Rodney Whitaker} (3:55)

2. Fall {Rodney Whitaker} (8:22)

3. Sacrifice {Carl Allen} (6:01)

4. Coming Ship {Rodney Whitaker} (8:22)

5. Spring Birth {Rodney Whitaker} (4:22)

6. Avocado {Ron Blake} (6:46)

7. John Lewis {Rodney Whitaker} (8:42)

8. Winter Moon {Rodney Whitaker} (7:09)

9. Beauty And The Beast {Eric Reed} (6:13)

Credits:

Producer - Rodney Whitaker

Executive Producer, Producer - John Priestley

Engineer, Mastering - Michael Marciano

Total Time: 59:52

George Colligan's Mad Science - Realization (2005)

George Colligan seems to have all the ingredients for a funky good time on his Mad Science trio’s new disc Realization: his trusty Hammond B3 organ, augmented by various synths and samples; guitarist Tom Guarna and drummer Rodney Holmes, both veterans of combining funk and jazz; nine Colligan originals written for the trio; and a band name that indicates that he’s up to something wacky. The problem lies in those nine originals-most of them don’t have melodies memorable enough to make a listener want to follow them as they are transformed through the standard head-solos-head format.

The title “Human Need” overstates the case for a wanly wistful theme, “Snidely Whiplash” begins with a promising snarl but spools on too long in a way no Dudley Do-Right cartoon ever would and the predictable lurches of “Reminder” make its melody more nagging than evocative. Mad Science fares better the funkier it gets, with the sticky groove of “Goblet of Rock” providing some traction and the headlong rush of “Oblivion” making its melodic material work by not paying much attention to it. ~ Andrew Lindemann Malone, JazzTimes.

Sirocco Jazz Ltd., SJL 1030, 2005

Recorded September, 2004 At Astoria Soundworks, New York, NY

Musicians:

George Colligan - Electric Organ [Hammond B-3], Synthesizer

Tom Guarna - Guitar

Rodney Holmes - Drums

Tracks:

01. Grounded {George Colligan} (6:36)

02. Snidely Whiplash {George Colligan} (6:36)

03. Realization {George Colligan} (5:47)

04. Oblivion {George Colligan} (5:39)

05. Blue Box {Tom Guarna} (0:48)

06. Human Need {George Colligan} (7:07)

07. Utopian Struggle {George Colligan} (7:09)

08. Muse {George Colligan} (2:13)

09. Reminder {George Colligan} (4:51)

10. Goblet Of Rock {George Colligan} (7:11)

11. Stockholm Street Breakdown {Rodney Holmes} (1:51)

Credits:

Producer - George Colligan

Assistant Producer - Tom Guarna, Rodney Holmes

Executive Producer - John Priestley

Recording Engineer - Tim Moes

Mixing & Mastering Engineer - Kamilo Kratc

Studio Supervisor - Sal Amato

Photography [Band] - Jerry Ciotola

Cover Artwork [Grey Fox] - Liza Phoenix

Total Time: 55:48