David Sills, Michael Kanan - The Sweetest Melody (2012)

"Another believer in the concept that swing is essential, ballads are a thrill, and blues is part of the vocabulary, is Southern California tenor man Sills. This is his seventh CD (in my collection), and I've long been an admirer of his musicianship, choice of material, and past playing mates such as Alan Broadbent, Gary Foster, and others. This time around, David and his classic, gor­geous tone have encountered pianist Michael Kanan in a duo setting." ~ George Fendel, Jazz Society of Oregon. 

Gut String Records, GSR009, 2012 

Musicians:
David Sills - Saxophone
Michael Kanan - Piano 

Tracks:
01. Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams {Harry Barris} (5:01)
02. All The Things You Are {Jerome Kern} (7:33)
03. Gone With The Wind {Allie Wrubel, Herbert Magidson} (6:23)
04. Get Out Of Town {Cole Porter} (6:33)
05. Blues In Ten {David Sills} (5:09)
06. Sweet And Lovely {Gus Arnheim, Harry Tobias, Jules Lemare} (4:45)
07. I Let A Song Go Out of My Heart {Duke Ellington} (6:43)
08. I'll Be Seeing You {Irving Kahal, Sammy Fain} (6:57)
09. How Little We Know {Carolyn Leigh, Philip Springer} (5:21)
10. Stairway To The Stars {Mitchell Parish, Matt Malneck, Frank Signorelli} (5:51)
11. Milestones {Miles Davis} (6:32) 

Total Time: 66:54 

I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart

David Sills - Green (2007)

For his third solo affair on Seattle's Origin Records, So Californian sax player David Sills produces a classic sort of sound in combination with the rest of his sextet, formed for this album. The saxes tend to run on parallel melodic lines, the guitar solos hark slightly to the days of Charlie Christian, and the rhythm section provides a casual, bouncing backdrop for the front lines. Some of Sills' previous work (primarily that with the Acoustic Jazz Quartet) was smooth to the verge of being filed away in the new age section. This one quickly reclaims his prowess in straightforward jazz and keeps him in the right light throughout. Gary Foster on alto sax and Larry Koonse on guitar help hold up the overriding aesthetics of casual beach jazz. This is pure West Coast cool, modernized only as much as necessary to keep it original. As an added bonus, some portion of the proceeds is given to the Sierra Club (the title was meant to evoke/invoke environmentalism and an environmental theme in the music rather than simply paint a picture). ~ by Adam Greenberg, AMG. 

Origin Records, 82480, 2007
Recorded 17th & 18th November, 2006 at No Sound Studios, Pasadena, California 

Musicians:
David Sills - Tenor Saxophone, Flute
Gary Foster - Alto Saxophone
Michael Kanan - Piano
Larry Koonse - Guitar
Putter Smith - Bass, Guitar [Bass]
Tim Pleasant - Drums 

Tracks:
01. Melon Head {David Sills} (7:56)
02. Fontok {David Sills} (6:58)
03. Prelude To A Kiss {Duke Ellington} (8:34)
04. For Us {Putter Smith} (5:33)
05. Moon And Sand {Morty Palitz, Alec Wilder} (5:52)
06. Salsipuedes {David Sills} (6:36)
07. Summer Cloud {David Sills} (5:24)
08. Green {David Sills} (5:46)
09. Sills Sails {Larry Koonse} (6:01)
10. Flat Days {David Sills} (4:51)
11. Survival {David Sills} (8:33)
12. Desert Passes {Putter Smith} (6:37) 

Total Time: 78:41 

Credits:
Engineer - Nolan Shaheed
Mixing & Mastering - Andy Waterman
Art Direction & Design - John Bishop
Photography - Randy Wright
Photography, Liner Notes - David Sills
Liner Notes - Larry Koonse, Putter Smith, Tim Pleasant

David Sills - Blue's The New Green (2013)

Saxophonist David Sills opens his Blue's the New Green with tenor sax titan Sonny Rollins' tune, "No Moe." But Sills doesn't use Rollins' musculature or his burly tone. He rolls more in the mode of sax men Joe Henderson or Stan Getz - or, to take it back further, Coleman Hawkins or Ben Webster, with a smooth, vibrato-less delivery. Sills is steeped in the tradition of those who came before him, without being mired there. As in previous outings, Eastern View (Origin records, 2004) and Green (Origin records, 2007), the saxophonist leads a crack band, with the extra textures of a piano/guitar pairing. Guitarist Larry Koonse has been a mainstay in Sills' recordings. He and pianist Chris Dawson intertwine their clean lines on Sills original, "The Highline," with veteran bassist Darek Oles and drummer Jake Reed laying down the loose groove. The Great American Songbook tune "'Tis Autumn" gives the band the chance to work beautifully in the ballad mode, sounding a bit retro; while Sills' "Justin Dime" cranks things into a modern roll. Sill's plays flute on his "Portofino Night," a tune that sounds cool and Bossa Nova-sish, with Dawson supplying a delicate keyboard touch to Koonse's warm acoustic guitar, before the band pushes again into a modern lean with the stylish "Night Flower," another Sill's penned gem. Sills always blows with a lot of soul, and the title tune is no exception. His solo here has a precise logic, and his tone and serpentine phrases bring saxophonist George Coleman to mind, while "I'm a Fool to Want You," from the American songbook, brings in the wee hours, melancholy beauty of a saxophone blowing pure blue notes over a subtle backing. Blue's the New Green is another beautiful addition to saxophonist David Sill's consistently outstanding discography. ~ by Dan McClenaghan, AAJ. 

Gut String Records, GSR 013, 2013
Recorded 5th & 6th June, 2013 at Big City Recording Studio, Grenada Hills, California 

Musicians:
David Sills - Saxophone, Flute (#5,10)
Chris Dawson - Piano
Larry Koonse - Guitar
Darek Oles - Bass
Jake Reed - Drums 

Tracks:
01. No Moe {Sonny Rollins} (7:50)
02. The Highline {David Sills} (5:57)
03. 'Tis Autumn {Henry Nemo} (6:35)
04. Justin's Dime {David Sills} (4:53)
05. Portofino Night {David Sills} (6:45)
06. Night Flower {David Sills} (5:32)
07. Blue's The New Green {David Sills} (7:33)
08. I'm A Fool To Want You {Joel S. Heron, Jack Wolf} (8:44)
09. Belmont Shores {David Sills} (5:18)
10. Blues In Ten {David Sills} (6:19) 

Total Time: 65:31 

Credits:
Producer - David Sills
Mixing & Mastering - Paul Tavenner
Cover Design - James F. Dean

David Sills - Eastern View (2004)

With a solid organ trio backing him, tenor saxophonist David Sills grabs your attention with his very first solo on Eastern View's opener, the Sills-penned (as are all the songs here) "New Break." The tune opens with an organ-supplied bass groove backed by shimmering cymbals; then the guitar and sax enter, peeling off some tangy mid-tempo lines, until the accompaniment pulls back and Sills steps out front, with a somewhat restrained (nicely so) and articulate, straightforward monologue in front of the always inspired trio. Organist Joe Bagg has a subtle but very on-target touch as he paints his cool-toned pastel washes behind Sills and guitarist Larry Koonse. And that sets the stage for the entire disc: a fine organ trio backing a talented saxophonist on ten engaging mainstream tunes. Sills' tone has been compared to the sounds of Stan Getz and Joe Henderson. I'd lean toward the Henderson side of the comparison, and throw in some Hank Mobley into the mix, too. You can't help sounding bluesy when you've got an inspired organ trio behind you. Eastern View has a definite Blue Note Records circa-'60s vibe to it - a killer organ trio with a creatively clean-blowing saxophonist out front rolling through a bunch of straight-ahead originals. And Sills has an engaging way of going after his solos without flash or B.S., telling his personal stories while adding little Joe Henderson-like surprises along the way, small flurries that catch you a bit off-guard but still fit snuggly into his story lines. A very cool-sounding group doing more than its share to keep mainstream sounds alive and vibrant. ~ by Dan McClenaghan, AAJ. 

Origin Records, 82437, 2004
Recorded 3rd-5th January, 2004 

Musicians:
David Sills - Saxophone
Joe Bagg - Organ
Larry Koonse - Guitar
Tim Pleasant - Drums 

Tracks:
01. New Break (7:56)
02. Deep Sleep (5:26)
03. Small Peaks (6:31)
04. Stoned Eyes (6:30)
05. Eastern View (6:28)
06. Keys Found (5:08)
07. Little Key (7:35)
08. Tiger Tracks (7:18)
09. Enomily (5:18)
10. Cuttin' Back (8:38) 

All Compositions by David Sills 

Total Time: 66:54 

Credits:
Recording, Mixing - Scott Fraser
Mastering - Mark Guenther
Layout, Design - John Bishop
Photography - Okhidei Otgonjargal
Color Photo - Jeann Young

New York Trio - Essential Best (2009)

The New York Trio features three gifted musicians, pianist Bill Charlap, bassist Jay Leonhart and drummer Bill Stewart. In 2001, Charlap, Leonhart, and Stewart came together in The Studio, New York City to record a straight-ahead, post-bop style "Blues In The Night" for the Japanese Venus Jazz label. The album was well-received by classic jazz fans. From there similar album collections have been recorded: The Things We Did Last Summer (2002), Love You Madly (2003), Stairway To The Stars (2004), Begin The Beguine (2005), Thou Swell (2006) and Always (2007). For this "Essential Best" the trio have selected the best songs, performances, and recordings from all the albums. 

Venus Records, VHCD-8002; 2009
7th, 8th June, 2001 at The Studio, New York City
3rd, 4th April, 2002 at The Studio, New York City
7th April, 2003 at Avatar Studio, New York City
11th, 12th November, 2004 at Avatar Studio, New York City
23rd & 24th August, 2005 at The Studio, New York City
30th September & 1st October, 2006 at Clinton Recording Studio, New York City
30th & 31st May, 2007at Clinton Recording Studio, New York City 

Musicians:
Bill Charlap - Piano
Jay Leonhart - Bass
Bill Stewart - Drums 

Tracks:
01. I Could Have Danced All Night {Frank Loewe} (6:40)
02. Blue Skies {Irving Berlin} (5:05)
03. As Time Goes By {Herman Hupfield} (5:44)
04. How High The Moon {Morgan Lewis} (7:50)
05. Star Crossed Lovers {Duke Ellington} (4:30)
06. Lover Come Back To Me {Sigmund Romberg} (6:18)
07. Lullaby Of The Leaves {Bernice Petkere} (6:39)
08. My Heart Belongs To Daddy {Cole Porter} (6:16)
09. You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To {Cole Porter} (8:07)
10. I Didn’t Know What Time It Was {Richard Rodgers} (5:23)
11. Cheek To Cheek {Irving Berlin} (5:46)
12. They Say It’s Wonderful {Irving Berlin} (4:02) 

Total Time: 01:12:22 

Credits:
Producer - Tetsuo Hara, Todd Barkan
Engineer - Katherine Miller
Engineer [Assistant] - Eiji Takasugi
Mixing, Mastering - Shuji Kitamura, Tetsuo Hara
Design - Taz

Ted Curson - Ted Curson & Co. (1976) [vinyl]

The distinctive trumpeter Ted Curson is well showcased on this LP, a workout with a particularly strong quartet comprised of pianist Jim McNeely, bassist Cecil McBee and drummer Steve McCall. Curson stretches out on four of his originals (including the 12½-minute "Blue Piccolo") and "All the Things You Are." As usual his solos are both adventurous and (due to his appealing tone and roots in earlier styles of jazz) fairly accessible. Worth searching for. ~ by Scott Yanow, AMG. 

India Navigation, IN 1054, 1982
Recorded 1st July, 1976 at Vanguard Studios, New York City 

Musicians:
Ted Curson - Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Pocket Trumpet
Jim McNeely - Piano
Cecil McBee - Bass
Steve McCall - Drums 

Tracks:
A1. Song Of The Lonely {Ted Curson} (8:01)
A2. Blue Piccolo {Ted Curson} (12:21)
B1. Open The Door [Dwackdi Mun Fudalick] {Ted Curson} (5:28)
B2. Playhouse March {Ted Curson} (7:06)
B3. All The Things You Are {Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II} (9:32) 

Total Time: 42:28 

Producer Bob Cummins under license from Trio Records.
This recording was previously released as "Blue Piccolo" on Why Not Records (Japan).

Ted Curson Quintet - Cattin' Curson (1973)

Ted Curson traveled extensively throughout 70's making some serious music, especially with this album Cattin' Curson in 1973. He had a most innovative and exploratory life-force; essentially Ted was a exceptional stylist whose mixture of strident energy, straight-ahead balance and explosive blues always left audiences exhilarated. His love of music was a constant and he kept playing right till the end, with the glowing spirit and youthful energy that will remain the true core of his legacy. This session recorded in Paris is a great example of his ability to create some amazing jazz. He is joined by the great George Arvanitas Trio and Chris Woods on alto and flute. This CD adds an additional bonus track, enjoy! 

Marge Records, Marge 01, 1975
EPM Records, EPM 152112, 1993
Recorded 26th October, 1973 Live at the Bilboquet Club, Paris, France 

Musicians:
Ted Curson - Trumpet (#1,3,4,6), Flugelhorn (#2,3,5), Piccolo Trumpet (#1)
Chris Woods - Alto Saxophone (#1-4,6), Flute (#1,3,5)

Georges Arvanitas - Piano
Jacky Samson - Bass
Charles Saudrais - Drums 

Tracks:
1. Typical Ted [Cattin' Curson] {Ted Curson} (9:38)
2. Searchin' The Blues {Ted Curson} (9:12)
3. Medley: Flatted 5th / Marjo / Airi Tune / Tests / False Starts {Ted Curson} (14:36)
4. Flatted Fifth {Ted Curson} (8:27)
5. Marjo {Ted Curson} (6:01)
6. Airi Tune {Ted Curson} (8:32)

Total Time: 56:26 

Credits:
Producer - Gérard Terronès
Recording Editing, Mixing Engineer - Jef Gilson
Cover Design - Jean Buzelin
Liner Notes - Chris Woods 

Note:
All Titles also on: Trident LP 12": TRS 503 [Ted Curson - Typical Ted] 

Typical Ted [Cattin’ Curson]

Ray Charles - Doing HIS Thing, 1969 (24/96 lp rip)

Well I searched pretty far back and it appears that I never posted this here! My personal fave of the Tangerine albums. For some reason the Tangerine ABC recordings of Ray Charles have languished in obscurity due to lack of reissues for the entire digital age. Some of the other early ABC era stuff can be found, but the Tangerine albums have never been re-issued. I think Rhino or Bear Family will do a box someday soon, but until then we will have to be content with my digital transfer and restoration of this LP gem.

Unlike the majority of ABC material that I have heard, this is not over produced and dripping syrup, but is much more a continuation of the Atlantic years. The album is painfully short, but All Killa, No Filla! 

I had to go look for a back cover because I was confused why I had not bothered to keep one - it is because the back cover held no useful information, I'd guess... it may be that by the time I did this, my scanner had crapped out too. I also tried to find the full discograpy for the date, but even though my Fancourt / McGrath discography covers up to 1970, they apparently don't consider Ray "Blues worthy" past 1959. Hank, Fathead and Jimmy Lewis are obvious, but I wish I knew the rest; if anyone finds more complete session-ography, it would be appreciated.

 

Olivia Trummer - Poesiealbum (2011)

On her 2010 album 'Nobody Knows' Olivia Trummer started singing, but mainly in English. On 'Poesiealbum' now she relies on her own mother tongue: German. In addition to her keyboard music and expression, it is a poetic work as the album title indicates, that is full of colour, backed by equally talented bunch of musicians, all compositions are hers featuring her own vocals and lyrics. 

The versatile Olivia expands on her nine recorded albums her broad stylistic spectrum with vocal, better yet, they conceive musical landscapes, that are filled with her voice and thoughts, with serene contemplative life to philosophical reflections. After she had been on the previous Nobody Knows (2010), inspired by her studies at the Manhattan School of Music in New York, first sung on any of their albums, but mainly with English, she now familiar to all Poetry Album their native language. True to the motto that irony is the poetry of humor, their delicate world considerations add about love, nature and all the little things that make life worth living and one Poesiealbum fertilize in the subtle ramifications of their sprawling compositions. ~ www.highresaudio.com. 

Neuklang Records, NCD4061, 2011
Recorded April, 2011 at the Bauer Studios, Ludwigsburg, Germany 

Musicians:
Olivia Trummer - Piano, Fender Rhodes, Vocals
Johannes Lauer - Trombone
Martin Gjakonovski - Bass
Bodek Janke - Drums, Percussion 

Tracks:
1. Meer Ohne Wasser (6:14)
2. Requiem (1:45)
3. Es Ist Windig Heut' (7:43)
4. 500 Millionen (6:33)
5. Für Ein Lächeln (5:03)
6. Stehaufmännchen (6:42)
7. Ohne Winter (6:19)
8. Verrückt (9:37)
9. Die Liebe (7:32) 

All Compositions & Lyrics by Olivia Trummer 

Total Time: 57:28 

Credits:
Producer - Eva Bauer-Oppelland, Olivia Trummer
Producer, Recording, Mixing & Mastering - Philipp Heck
Photography, Artwork, Layout - Mascha Zhuk 

“This very poetic and joyful disc highlights Olivia's voice as well as her piano playing which is nourished by classical culture." ~ Thierry Giard, CultureJazz. 

Ohne Winter

Elton Dean - Unlimited Saxophone Company (1989)

Brit saxer Elton Dean (yes, he of Soft Machine) lines up a monumental cast of reedmen and has at it with a championship rhythm section to boot. Dean's alto and saxello are augmented by the tenor and baritone saxes of Paul Dunmall, Simon Pickard's tenor, and Trevor Watts' alto. They are supported by no less than drummer Tony Levin and bassist Paul Rogers. Here's the rub: This disc was recorded at the band's very first gig at the 1989 Covent Garden Jazz Saxophone Festival. This is a set of Dean tunes written especially for a quartet of sax players who all have ample room to solo. The music borders on the outer limits without really going there. Tracks like "Seven for Lee" (Konitz), "Unda," and "Fall in Free" all feature fairly elaborate melody lines with distinct and knotty harmonies composed by Dean -- they border on post-bop but are too creative to be boxed that way. Each horn player gets a solo that can skirt the variations on the theme or go way outside if he wishes, like Dunmall does on "Unda." In essence, the rhythm section keeps things moving, undoing whatever damage might be incurred by an errantly inspired saxman, shifting tempos and intervals just enough to rein in even the most rambunctious player. On "One Three Nine," which ends the set, one becomes aware of how close Dean walks to the academic edge of jazz composition; the cat's got math in his head all the time, but it's soulful math, full of charge, feeling, and spirit that is enhanced and necessitated even by the inclusion of these players in the ensemble. I wouldn't look for Dean's compositions to be covered too often, but that's all right -- in the steady hands of this band, they are pretty much inimitable anyway. ~ by Thom Jurek, AMG. 

Ogun Records, OGCD002, 1990
Recorded at the Covent Garden Jazz Saxophone Festival 1989 

Musicians:
Elton Dean - Alto Saxophone, Saxello
Trevor Watts - Alto Saxophone
Paul Dunmall - Tenor & Baritone Saxophones
Simon Pickard - Tenor Saxophone
Paul Rogers - Double Bass
Tony Levin - Drums 

Tracks:
1. Unda (12:38)
2. Rising (10:03)
3. Seven For Lee (13:47)
4. Small Strides (8:27)
5. Fall In Free (11:17)
6. One Three Nine (8:16)

All Compositions by Elton Dean 

Total Time: 64:33 

Credits:
Producer, Photography, Liner Notes - Elton Dean
Recording Engineer - Dave Bernez
Artwork/Design - John Gardiner 

"This performance was the band's very first gig. That's not meant as an excuse, quite the opposite. The chemistry and the co-operation of these blokes is terrific and made the musical organisation very simple. Since this concert the group has grown and blossomed in an unlimited manner." ~ Elton Dean.

Olivia Trummer Trio feat. Matthias Schriefl - Westwind (2008)

"Westwind is even more than the sequel of Olivia Trummer's debut-success Nach Norden. Her music is more mature and virtuosic, without losing any of its graphic quality or its catchiness." Olivia Trummer (1985 in Stuttgart) is a German pianist, vocalist and composer. She is known for her unusual musical versatility, performing a repertoire out of original compositions and songs, classical piano music, improvisation and jazz. Olivia Trummer has been awarded with many prizes as a classical pianist as well as a jazz pianist. As a bandleader, she has released three CDs and one LP with original compositions and songs throughout. Her second Album 'Westwind' has been awarded with the German Record Critics' Award (Quarterly Critics' Choice 3/2008). Her discography as a bandleader includes 'Nach Norden' (2006), 'Westwind' (2008) and 'Nobody knows' (2010) and will be extended with another album in October 2011: 'Poesiealbum'. ~ Extract from roxydischouse.com. 

Neuklang Records, NCD4021, 2008
Recorded 27th-29th December, 2007 at Bauer Studios Ludwigsburg, Germany 

Musicians:
Olivia Trummer - Piano, Arranger
Joel Locher - Double Bass
Bodek Janke - Drums, Percussion
Guest:
Matthias Schriefl - Trumpet, Flugelhorn (#2-4,7) 

Tracks:
1. Es Geht Los (6:27)
2. Westwind (7:40)
3. ICE (7:02)
4. Sternklar War Die Nacht (7:21)
5. Mozärtlichkeit (9:00)
6. Dein Brief (6:50)
7. Windgetragen (6:25)
8. Tagtraum (8:012) 

All Compositions by Olivia Trummer 

Total Time: 59:01 

Credits:
Producer - Eva Bauer-Oppelland, Philipp Heck
Recording, Mixing & Mastering - Philipp Heck 

"Westwind" Live

Cécile McLorin Salvant & Aaron Diehl Trio - Live At Vienna Koncerhaus, Austria (2017)

Excellent concert with a great variety of tunes, Cécile McLorin Salvant as always is in top form and the Aaron Diehl Trio seriously exalts the whole performance, Enjoy! 

BBC Radio 3 "Jazz Now", 2019
Recorded 29th October, 2017 at Vienna Koncerhaus, Austria 

Musicians:
Cécile McLorin Salvant - Vocals
+
Aaron Diehl - Piano
Paul Sikivie - Bass
Kyle Poole - Drums 

Tracks:
1. I'm All Smiles {Michael Leonard, Herbert Martin} (4:11)
2. Devil May Care {Bob Dorough} (8:59)
3. Everything I've Got Belongs To You {Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers} (5:47)
4. Mad About The Boy {Noël Coward} (7:22)
5. Glitter And Be Gay {Leonard Bernstein, Richard Wilbur} (6:58)
6. Deja Vu {Archie Shepp} (6:00)
7. The Best Thing For You {Irving Berlin} (5:00)
8. The Trolley Song {Hugh Martin, Ralph Blane} (4:29)
9. Let's Face The Music And Dance {Irving Berlin} (4:14) 

Total Time: 53:00 

Note:
Live Stream rip > WAV > Separate Tracks > Removed Excess Applause > FLAC