Chihiro Yamanaka - Lach Doch Mal [Just Laugh] (2006)

Pianist Chihiro Yamanaka’s thrilling series of jazz albums continues with her fifth audio release Lach Doch Mal, released in 2006 on Verve with twelve tracks at just under an hour’s runtime. Like Yamanaka’s previous albums, Lach Doch Mal contains a mix of originals and covers rearranged in her creative style. Fans of her previous four albums know that her amazing piano improvisation and technique are a feature of her albums, and this release is no exception. While her contemporary jazz and bop trio sound is the primary recorded sound, Yamanaka adds some additional layers with some light guitar, extra percussion, and groovy electric keyboards on a few tracks as well. Yamanaka’s piano technique is exciting and powerful as always, racing through the shifting jazz terrain like a high-speed vehicle dangerously hugging the curves along cliffside roads. About half of the songs on the album feature Yamanaka as the main improviser, playing the song melodies and intensely improvising and quoting jazz phrases while Larry Grenadier on bass and Jeff Ballard on drums provide the solid musical framework and addictive rhythms. ~ Extract by Brian McCrory, jazzofjapan.com. 

Verve Records, UCCJ-2052, 2006
Recorded 14th & 15th June, 2006 at Eastside Sound, New York City 

Musicians:
Chihiro Yamanaka - Piano, Arranger
Larry Grenadier - Bass
Jeff Ballard - Drums
John Carlini - Guitar (#1,5), Banjo (#3)

Tracks:
01. Quand Biron Voulut Danser {Traditional} (4:00)
02. Sabot {Chihiro Yamanaka} (3:57)
03. Serenade To A Cuckoo {Roland Kirk} (5:41)
04. RTG {Geri Allen} (3:54)
05. The Dolphin {Luiz Eça} (4:25)
06. Night Loop {Chihiro Yamanaka} (2:51)
07. One Step Up {Chihiro Yamanaka} (4:14)
08. Lach Doch Mal {Chihiro Yamanaka} (0:45)
09. Liebesleid {Fritz Kreisler} (5:35)
10. Mode To John {McCoy Tyner} (4:54)
11. What A Diff'rence A Day Made {Maria Grever, Stanley Adams} (7:06)
12. That's All {Alan Brandt, Bob Haymes} (5:51) 

Total Time: 53:17 

Credits:
Producer - Chihiro Yamanaka
Executive Producer - Hiroto Furuya, Tomohide Ishikawa
Recording & Mixing Engineer - Tim Conklin
Recording & Mixing [Assisted] - Marc Urselli
Mastering Engineer - Greg Calbi
Art Direction - Mikihiro Takeuchi
Photography - Koji Akita, Osamu Yokonami, Sakutaro Imaizumi

LINK

One Step Up [Video]

Darren Barrett - First One Up (1999)

This is the debut recording by trumpeter Darren Barrett who in ’97 won the annual international jazz competition sponsored by the Thelonious Monk Institute. The man clearly has exceptional chops and enthusiasm to match - but he leaves an inescapable impression that what is being said has been recited many times before, often with deeper awareness and broader substance. In other words, purposeful as Barrett and his companions are, there’s nothing notably fresh or absorbing in their repertoire, which consists here of eight original compositions by Barrett ("First One Up" is performed twice) and one each by Steve Allen ("Impossible") and Thelonious himself ("Reflections"). Barrett sounds much like several of his more recent predecessors (Roy Hargrove, Nicholas Payton, Marcus Printup, Terence Blanchard, Wallace Roney and others) with the obligatory nods toward Freddie Hubbard, Donald Byrd, Lee Morgan and other old–line boppers. One of the drawbacks is that Barrett’s compositions, while earnest in their intent, haven’t much meat on their bones and thus serve mainly as routine springboards for improvisation. Another is that pianist Goldberg could use a more delicate touch to great advantage (and is that him or his piano making those strange noises while he solos?). Barrett’s front–line partners, Greene (on eight tracks) and Garrett (on three), are quite capable but stylistically inseparable from many of their contemporaries. Make no mistake, Barrett shows great promise and gives an exceedingly good account of himself throughout, and First One Up may one day be seen in retrospect as the wellspring of an uncommonly productive career. For now, however, we must observe that “promising” is about as suitable a word as discretion will allow. The more acclamatory phrases may come later. ~ Jack Bowers, All About Jazz. 

J-Curve Records, JCR1006, 1999
Recorded 5th & 6th November, 1998 at Avatar Recording Studio, New York, NY 

Musicians:
Darren Barrett - Trumpet
Kenny Garrett - Alto Saxophone (#1,6,10)
Jimmy Greene - Tenor Sax (#2-4,7-9,11), Soprano Sax (#11)
Aaron Goldberg - Piano
Reuben Rogers - Acoustic Bass
John Lamkin - Drums 

Tracks:
01. First One Up [Take 1] {Darren Barrett} (5:44)
02. Word! Dr. Byrd {Darren Barrett} (5:33)
03. Impossible {Steve Allen} (7:59)
04. 2 To 4 {Darren Barrett} (5:20)
05. Grand Ravine {Darren Barrett} (6:29)
06. Up Down - Inside Out {Darren Barrett} (6:45)
07. Conceta Elfreda {Darren Barrett} (5:11)
08. A New Day Comes {Darren Barrett} (5:41)
09. Reflections {Thelonious Monk} (7:15)
10. First One Up [Take 2] {Darren Barrett} (6:45)
11. Dee's Theme {Darren Barrett} (2:42) 

Total Time: 65:31 

Credits:
Producer - Dr. Donald Byrd
Associate Producer - Darren Barrett
Recording & Mixing Engineer - Joe Ferla
Assistant Engineer - Rory Ramano
Mastering Engineer - Mark Wilder [Sony Music Studios]
Photography - Ann Segal, Fabian Guevara
Graphic Design - Karen Berger

Link

First One Up [Take 1]

Yoshiko Kishino - Bossa Nostalgia (2006)

Last year marked the 10th anniversary of pianist Yoshiko Kishino's album debut, and this is her latest album in 2006. This time, it's bossa nova, which is also popular in live performances. It's a very elegant full-length bossa album, featuring António Carlos Jobim numbers and Yoshiko Kishino's originals. This product is eligible for the Bossa Nova Campaign. ~ cdjapan.co.jp. 

A collection of bossa nova jazz piano with strings. "Água De Beber" and other bossa nova masterpieces, as well as Kishino's original songs, are woven together with her characteristic elegant and clear touch. Not only is it lyrical, but it is also powerful at times, allowing you to fully enjoy the essence of jazz. ~ doorzo.com. [Translated From Japanese] 

GRP Records/Universal Music, UCCJ-2048, 2006
Recorded 8th-9th &12th March, 2006 at Crescente Studio, Tokyo, Japan 

Musicians:
Yoshiko Kishino - Piano
Masayoshi Furukawa - Guitar
Keisuke Torigoe - Bass
Manabu Fujii - Drums
Yoichi Okabe, Saori Sendo - Percussion
+ Shinozaki Strings
Masatsugu Shinozaki - Violin
Yuriko Mori - Violin
Masako Mabuchi - Viola
Akina Karasawa - Cello

Tracks:
01. Natsu-Eno-Tobira [Door To Summer] {Yoshiko Kishino} (4:30)
02. Bossa Libra {Yoshiko Kishino} (4:47)
03. Double Rainbow {António Carlos Jobim} (4:04)
04. Ajisai [Hydrangea] {Yoshiko Kishino} (4:35)
05. Ukiuki [Thrilled] {Yoshiko Kishino} (4:19)
06. Nostalgia {Yoshiko Kishino} (6:11)
07. Bossa De Funk {Yoshiko Kishino} (2:34)
08. Passarin [Bird] {António Carlos Jobim} (3:38)
09. Osanpo [Take A Walk] {Yoshiko Kishino} (2:29)
10. Água De Beber [Delicious Water] {Vinicius De Moraes, António Carlos Jobim} (3:53)
11. One Note Samba {António Carlos Jobim, Jon Hendricks, Newton Mendonça} (2:38)
12. Sue Ann {António Carlos Jobim} (3:23) 

Total Time: 47:09

Link

Nostalgia

Shintaro Quintet - Evolution (1984)

Drawing upon groups like Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and Horace Silver’s quintet, bassist Shintaro Nakamura‘s 1984 album showcases his quintet’s bold, hard-swinging aesthetic. Born in 1956 in Kobe, Japan, Nakamura discovered jazz as a teenager and by the early ’80s had moved to New York to better develop his artistry. It was a cross-cultural exchange mirroring the experience of other Japanese jazz musicians like pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi and trumpeter Terumasa Hino, and one that spoke to how deeply Japan had increasingly embraced American jazz since WWII. Along with regular gigs in the city, he began composing and arranging his own songs. Looking to document some of that music, he put together an ad-hoc group of musicians for a quick recording session. Joining were fellow Japanese expatriate’s trumpeter Shunzo Ohno and drummer Fukushi Tainaka. Also coming on board were pianist Jeff Jenkins and saxophonist Robert Kenmotsu, the latter of whom had played with organist Jack McDuff. In the spirit of many of the classic Blue Note sessions, the group had just one day to run down the charts before entering New York’s Hi-Five Studio for sessions on January 10th and 13th. 

By the time Nakamura put this session together, he had already played with such luminaries as Larry Carlton and Woody Shaw and he brought much of that experience to bear on his music. He specifically pays homage to Shaw on "Blind Man," whose title is a reference to the trumpeter's blindness from a degenerative eye disease. Shaw's sparkling tones and vibrant soloing are touchstones throughout, as on the opening "Future on You" which features a fiery solo from Ohno. More modal fireworks follow, as on the buoyant 3/4 track "Don’t Forget Me," which features supple interplay from Kenmotsu and Ohno. Pianist Jenkins is also showcased nicely on the Latin-tinged title track, his crisp block chords recalling the wide intervals of McCoy Tyner. Anchoring all of this is Nakamura, whose vibrant, woody bass grooves recall the style of bassists like Reggie Workman and Paul Chambers. 

Soon after the sessions, Nakamura returned to Japan where he released the album on his friend Hideki Kawamura’s independent Streetnoise Records. Over the years, Evolution would gain a cult-following for the canny way Nakamura’s group conjured the swaggering spirit of the classic ’60s Blue Note sound, further emblemizing the influence of jazz both coming into and flowing out of Japan. ~ AMG. 

Streetnoise Records, NS-1002, 1984
Recorded 10th & 13th January, 1984 at Hi-Five Studio, New York 

Musicians:
Shintaro Nakamura - Bass, Leader
Shunzo Ohno - Trumpet
Bob Kenmotsu - Tenor Saxophone
Jeff Jenkins - Piano
Fukushi Tainaka - Drums

Tracks:
A1. Future On You (6:30)
A2. Don't Forget Me (6:07)
A3. Sweet And Sour Sound (8:17)
B1. A Blind Man (10:58)
B2. Evolution (4:07)
Evolution [Extended Version] (10:54) [CD Bonus] 

All compositions by Shintaro Nakamura 

Total Time: 46:58 

Credits:
Producer, Engineer, Photo - Shintaro Nakamura
Producer, Photo - Hideo Kawamura
Track Down - Akira Shiraishi
Photo [Front] - Yoshio Toyama

LINK

Evolution

Chihiro Yamanaka - Outside By The Swing (2005)

Chihiro Yamanaka’s Outside By The Swing (2005) is her fourth piano trio album and continues her annual series of releases since bursting on the scene with her 2001 debut Living Without Friday. While previous releases were on the Osaka boutique jazz label Atelier Sawano, this release marks her first in a long run with Verve Records. The album contains a baker's dozen of fun jazz tracks, some quite short but mostly in the four-to-six-minute range, plenty enough to showcase Yamanaka's piano filled with percussive fire and melodic creativity. With acrobatic thrills and exciting jazz runs, Yamanaka’s piano is definitely the featured instrument in the trio. Her improvisational runs and fluid technique is on display and easily grab the listener’s attention. Whether playing on up-tempo tracks like "Impulsive" or "2:30 Rag", or slower grooves such as "Angel Eyes" or "Teared Diary", Yamanaka soars in the spotlight on center stage, justifiably garnering the praise her attention to detail and facility receives. Perfectly in line with the direct reference in the album title, pure, simple, straightforward swinging jazz is honored here to a high degree. Along with fleet-fingered lines on Bud Powell's "Cleopatra’s Dream", the second track, "I Will Wait", is a great example of pure swing and scratches that itch perfectly. There is even a behind-the-scenes video for this song with scenes from the recording session. Track six, "Yagibushi - Revised Version" is another highlight, first heard on Yamanaka’s second album When October Goes (2002) and updated here in a refreshing and exciting arrangement. ~ Brian McCrory, jazzofjapan.com. 

Verve Records, UCCJ-2040, 2005
Recorded 13th-15th May, 2005 at Avatar Studios, New York 

Musicians:
Chihiro Yamanaka - Piano, Arranger
Robert Hurst - Bass
Jeff "Tain" Watts - Drums

Tracks:
01. Outside By The Swing {Chihiro Yamanaka} (2:07)
02. I Will Wait {Chihiro Yamanaka} (5:14)
03. Impulsive {Eliane Elias} (4:35)
04. He's Got The Whole World In His Hands {Traditional} (4:06)
05. Teared Diary [Attends Ou Va-T'En] {Serge Gainsbourg} (6:05)
06. Yagibushi [Revised Version] {Traditional} (4:51)
07. Cleopatra's Dream {Bud Powell} (3:55)
08. Matsuribashi {Miyuki Nakajima} /
       Happy-Go-Lucky Local {Billy Strayhorn, Duke Ellington} (6:21)
09. 2:30 Rag {Chihiro Yamanaka} (2:32)
10. Living Without Friday {Chihiro Yamanaka} (6:19)
11. Angel Eyes {Earl K. Brent, Matt Dennis} (6:01)
12. All The Things You Are {Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II} (1:56)
13. Candy {Alex Kramer, Joan Whitney, Mack David} (5:12) 

Total Time: 59:22 

Credits:
Producer - Chihiro Yamanaka
Executive-Producer - Tomohide Ishikawa, Hiroto Furuya
Recording & Mixing Engineer - James Farber
Assistant Engineer - Brian Montgomery, Peter Doris
Mastering Engineer - Greg Calbi [Sterling Sound]
Art Direction - Kitetsu Takamiya
Photography - Toru Koike

LINK

I Will Wait (from the recording session)

Geri Allen - Celebrating Mary Lou Williams

It is that time of year when our thoughts go to those artists lost to us...

"These modern jazz VIPs render a synchronized attack that incites a harmonious mélange of mainstream, progressive, and free-jazz during this homage to legendary pianist, composer and arranger Mary Lou Williams. One of the mainstays and redeeming traits of this live program relates to the musicians' inimitable styles amid their technical faculties and keen interpretative powers. With a consortium of diverse approaches, the trio merges jazz boogie-woogie with swing and gutsy solos on Williams' "New Musical Express."

Alto saxophonist Oliver Lake's yearning lines, free form bursts and knotty unison choruses with pianist Geri Allen keep this train rolling on a fast track, to complement the clamorous breakouts and tender dissections of the primary theme. It's a fifteen-minute exposition, where the band abides by a democratic group-based slant. Allen's fluid soloing, simmering chord clusters and mesmeric harmonics, intimate remembrances of Williams' dazzling technique, yet these crafty musicians inject several nooks and crannies into the mix, their distinct voices elevating the core concept of this project, amid their shrewd plan of attack, to a higher realm." By GLENN ASTARITA
August 19, 2011

---

Chihiro Yamanaka - Live In New York (2011)

Since the heyday of Oscar Peterson, few pianists have either refined the technique or cultivated the desire to play straight-ahead classic jazz with the kind of showboating virtuosity that makes listeners doubt their senses. Chihiro Yamanaka, the prizewinning classically trained pianist from Japan (and a rising star in her adopted New York), is one of the world’s most accomplished heirs to Peterson’s legacy, and some have compared her effortless virtuosity and warmth to that of the late great Mulgrew Miller, too. Like Peterson, Yamanaka favours opening a song at a quiet, lounge-jazz sway and winding it up to a sprint just as listeners are settling back in their chairs. Her originals often sound like old Broadway hits ~ John Fordham, theguardian.com. 

Along those lines the opener "Outside By The Swing" keeps in that vein, long enough for bassist Yasushi Nakamura and drummer John Davis to add their supporting touches to the piece. Invariably listeners are taken on a captivating journey as the performance evolves. To view the concert is to see Yamanaka's pintsized frame cover the whole keyboard; standing at times to deliver perfectly connected treble runs and rapidly pounded chords. Yamanaka’s impulsive twists and turns are clearly on display especially when she joins with guest veteran drummer Bernard "Pretty" Purdie and bassist Ben Williams for the final tune "So Long". Five of nine tunes are her own compositions, drawing in three other jazz classics and a traditional number to complete the set. No piano jazz loving fan should not embrace the opportunity to listen to this virtuoso showcase her craft! 

Verve Records, UCBJ 1006, 2011
Recorded 30th June, 2011 Live at "Iridium" Jazz Club, 1650 Broadway, New York 

Musicians:
Chihiro Yamanaka - Piano
Yasushi Nakamura - Bass (#1-3,6-8)
John Davis - Drums (#1-3,6-8)
Ben Williams - Bass (#4,5,9)
Bernard "Pretty" Purdie - Drums (#4,5,9)

Tracks:
0. Intro (0:42)
1. Outside By The Swing {Chihiro Yamanaka} (4:17)
2. Living Without Friday {Chihiro Yamanaka} (12:19)
3. Take Five {Paul Desmond} (9:19)
4. Antonio's Joke {Chihiro Yamanaka} (7:50)
5. When You Wish Upon A Star {Ned Washington, Leigh Harline} (7:46)
6. Sing, Sing, Sing {Louis Prima} (9:16)
7. 2'30'' Rag {Chihiro Yamanaka} (2:55)
8. Yagibushi {Traditional} (7:45)
9. So Long {Chihiro Yamanaka} (12:53) 

Total Time: 75:02 

Credits:
Producer, Director - Chihiro Yamanaka
Executive Producer - Kimitaka Kato, Hiroko Kawachi, Yoshihisa Saito
Director - Tomokazu Tazawa, Keiichi Yamamoto
Sound Mastering - Kenji Yoshino
Cover Photo - Tokio Kuniyoshi 

N.B.
Audio files ripped from DVD to WAV, edited, optimised and excess applause trimmed.
Finally converted to FLAC, tested OK and tagged, album art organised for post, enjoy!

LINK

2'30'' Rag

Sean Jones - Gemini (2005)

Trumpeter Sean Jones certainly covers a great deal of musical ground on Gemini. The music ranges from the hard boppish "In Her Honor," a hint of 1960s lyrical Freddie Hubbard on "Rain of Patience," and the medium-tempo "Blues for Matt B." to some more electronic, funky, and even fusionish selections. The music on Gemini keeps one guessing throughout and Jones plays well in every setting. The other soloists, which at various times include Tim Fuller on alto and flute, the tenors of Ron Blake and Walter Smith III, trombonist Andre Hayward, and pianist Mulgrew Miller among others, are utilized to their best advantage, but it is the warm sound and versatility of Jones that makes Gemini a consistent success. ~ by Scott Yanow, AMG. 

Superb: Sean Jones' tone, intonation and musicality are stellar. On this CD, the material is interesting and appealing, the other musicians are outstanding and Jones is great. The bop and funkier tracks blend well. The uses of synth keyboard on a few tracks is tasteful and adds to rather than detracting from the overall sound and musical quality. This is a CD I have found myself listening to every day, and I am sure I will be enjoying this for years. IMO, one of the best jazz CDs in recent years. ~ Kindle Customer, Amazon.com. 

Mack Avenue Records, MAC1023, 2005
Recorded at Avatar Studios, New York, NY 

Musicians:
Sean Jones - Trumpet
Tia Fuller - Alto Sax, Flute
Walter Smith III - Tenor Saxophone (#4,6)
Ron Blake - Tenor Saxophone (#9-10)
Mulgrew Miller - Piano (#1-6)
Orrin Evans - Keyboards (#7-13)
Kenny Davis - Acoustic & Electric Bass, Bass Guitar
E.J. Strickland - Drums (#1-6)
Corey Rawls - Drums (#7-12)
Andre Heyward - Trombone (#10)

Tracks:
01. Gemini [Phase 1] {Sean Jones} (1:37)
02. In Her Honor {Sean Jones} (5:40)
03. Rain Of Patience {Tia Fuller} (5:54)
04. Blues For Matt B {Sean Jones} (5:41)
05. BJ's Tune [Life In The Hand, Divine] {Sean Jones} (10:15)
06. Mission Statement {Quamon Fowler} (7:35)
07. Gemini [Phase 2] {Orrin Evans} (1:53)
08. Into The Sun {Sean Jones} (5:37)
09. Chillin' At Da Grill {Sean Jones} (5:33)
10. T.V. Land {Sean Jones} (7:27)
11. Momma's Groove {Corey Rawls} (4:53)
12. Gemini {Kenny Davis} (4:34)
13. Gemini [Phase 3] {Traditional} (1:32) 

Total Time: 68:17 

Credits:
Producer - Al Pryor
Executive Producer, Liner Notes - Gretchen Carhartt
Recording & Mixing Engineer - Jim Anderson
Recording Engineer [Assistant] - Anthony Ruotolo
Mixing Engineer [Assistant] - Kaori Kinoshita
Mastering Engineer - Greg Calbi
Mastering Engineer [Assistant] - Steve Fallone
Art Direction, Design, Photography - Raj Naik

LINK

Rain Of Patience