Michel Petrucciani - Both Worlds (1997) [re-rip]

The diminutive piano dynamo with the dynamic technique has enjoyed a decidedly mixed recording career, never really establishing a good sense of momentum with any one company. That is perhaps until now, where Dreyfus has opened its arms to his various projects, this outing being a program exclusively of his original compositions. His writing is sparkling, witty, largely optimistic and full of heart. All is arranged by the esteemed Bob Brookmeyer, who also graces the session with the somewhat rare offering of his considerable trombone work, rare because his concentration in recent times has been on pen and paper. 

Also assisting Michel are drummer Steve Gadd, who used to be ubiquitous on New York sessions but who seems to have limited such activity in the latter ’90s; the adroit bass guitarist with the acoustic sensibility Anthony Jackson; trumpeter Flavio Boltro and saxophonist Stefano DiBattista, a nice cultural balancing act of three Americans and three Europeans, thus in part comes the title. The theme is further borne out in the Frenchman Petrucciani entrusting his creations to the arranging skills of the American Brookmeyer. The results are a fresh, jazz-proud date that neatly spans the poly-world sensibility. Petrucciani’s compositional influences are equally as disparate, but despite the melding of these wide-ranging elements the date works as a cohesive whole. And the ensemble flavor is indeed manifest. It certainly seems the wisdom of age and experience find Michel no longer content with diving headlong into piano furioso, instead he deals from the standpoint of the essence of jazz-the band sound, something all too rare these days. ~ Willard Jenkins, JazzTimes.

Dreyfus Records, FDM 36590-2, 1997
Recorded 1997At Right Track Recording Studio, New York 

Musicians:
Michel Petrucciani - Piano
Flavio Boltro - Trumpet
Bob Brookmeyer - Trombone, Arranger
Stefano Di Battista - Soprano & Alto Saxophones
Anthony Jackson - Bass
Steve Gadd - Drums 

Tracks:
1. 35 Seconds Of Music And More (5:24)
2. Brazilian Like (4:47)
3. Training (3:58)
4. Colors (6:58)
5. Petite Louise (5:25)
6. Chloe Meets Gershwin (6:14)
7. Chimes (5:11)
8. Guadeloupe (6:12)
9. On Top Of The Roof (5:35) 

All Compositions by Michel Petrucciani 

Total Time: 49:50

Credits:
Producer - Francis Dreyfus, Yves Chamberland
Recording & Mixing Engineer - Roger Roche
Mastering Engineer - Scott Hull [Masterdisk, New York]
Photos - Jean Ber [Back/Front]
Photos - William Laxton [Booklet]
Artwork - Jean-Paul Théodule
Liner Notes - Thierry Pérémarti

LINK

Brazilian Like

Hank Crawford - Hank Crawford's Back (1976)

Hank Crawford turns his back on the cover of this sweet little set from Kudu - but the groove itself is very upfront, strongly in the best mix of funky jazz and club the label had going down into the late 70s! Arrangements are by David Matthews, who keeps things lean and mean, even when the instrumentation is fairly large - and Hank's nicely burning alto is firmly in the lead, blown with a sound that echoes back to older soul jazz modes of the 60s, but which has some smoother touches overall for the 70s. The album's got plenty of keyboards from Richard Tee, plus trombone solos from Fred Wesley, flute from Jeremy Steig, and guitar from Eric Gale - plus backing vocals on some of the cuts. © Dusty Groove, Inc. 

Kudu Records, KU-33 S1, 1976
Recorded at Mediasound in New York 

Personnel:
Hank Crawford - Alto Saxophone
Fred Wesley - Trombone [Solos]
Jeremy Steig - Flute [Solos]
Richard Tee - Electric Piano [Solos]
Eric Gale - Guitar [Solos]
Gary King - Bass (#A1-A3)
Anthony Jackson - Bass (#B1,B2)
Andy Newmark - Drums (#A1-A3)
Steve Gadd - Drums (#B1,B2)
Nicky Marrero - Percussion
Frank Floyd, Ray Simpson, Zachary Sanders - Backing Vocals
David Matthews - Arranger 

Tracks:
A1. Funky Pigeon {David Matthews} (6:07)
A2. I Can't Stop Loving You {Don Gibson} (3:07)
A3. You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine {Kenny Gamble, Leon Huff} (6:47)
B1. Canadian Sunset {Eddie Heywood, Norman Gimbel} (6:11)
B2. Midnight Over Memphis {John Stubblefield} (11:23) 

Total Time: 33:35 

Credits:
Producer - Creed Taylor
Engineer - Alan Varner, Alec Head, Joe Jorgensen
Engineer [Assistant] - Doug Epstein, Ramona Janquitto
Mixing & Mastering - Rudy van Gelder
Album Design - Rene Schumacher
Album Photography - Wendy Lombard 

Funky Pigeon

Michel Petrucciani - Playground (1991)

Pianist Michel Petrucciani, who during the early part of his career was heavily influenced by Bill Evans, gradually developed his own sound. By 1991 he was using Adam Holzman on synthesizer with his quintet (which on this date also includes bassist Anthony Jackson, drummer Omar Hakim and percussionist Steve Thornton) to play colors behind his piano. In addition, Petrucciani was backed by funky rhythms and emphasized his own original compositions. Rather than selling out to blatant commercialism, Petrucciani had actually found his own voice within the "contemporary" setting. The music on his CD is of consistently high quality (despite a few too many fadeouts). Highlights include "Miles Davis' Licks" (a blues that utilizes some of Davis' late-period nursery rhyme melodies), the intense "Brazilian Suite #3," a playful jam on "Laws of Physics" and the Keith Jarrett-ish "P'tit Louis." Actually, all 11 of Michel Petrucciani's originals are worth hearing and, despite the brief playing time (39 minutes) of this CD, it is recommended. ~ by Scott Yanow, AMG. 

Blue Note, CDP 7 95480 2, 1991
Recorded [Basic tracks and Overdubs] at Clinton Recording Studios, New York 

Musicians:
Michel Petrucciani - Piano [Steinway], Synthesizer, Arranger
Adam Holzman - Synthesizer, Programming [Synthesizer], Co-Arranger
Anthony Jackson - Bass
Omar Hakim - Drums (#1-4,6-9,11)
Aldo Romano - Drums (#5)
Steve Thornton - Percussion 

Tracks:
01. September Second {Michel Petrucciani} (4:45)
02. Home {Michel Petrucciani} (5:29)
03. P'tit Louis {Michel Petrucciani} (4:35)
04. Miles Davis' Licks {Michel Petrucciani} (4:29)
05. Rachid {Michel Petrucciani} (3:26)
06. Brazilian Suite #3 {Michel Petrucciani} (2:34)
07. Play School {Michel Petrucciani} (3:05)
08. Contradictions {Michel Petrucciani} (3:00)
09. Laws Of Physics {Adam Holzman} (4:47)
10. Piango, Pay The Man {Michel Petrucciani} (1:54)
11. Like That {Michel Petrucciani} (1:41) 

Total Time: 39:45 

Credits:
Producer - Eric Kressmann, Michel Petrucciani
Engineer - Tom Swift
Recording [Assistant] - Joe Martin, Neil Dignon
Mixing [Assistant] - David Merrill
Mastering - Jose Rodriques
Photography [Back] - Carol Friedman
Photography [Cover] - John Fenton
Art Direction - Carol Friedman
Design - Patrick Roques

Earl Klugh - Finger Paintings (1977)

This might be one of Earl's greatest albums whereby the intricacies and yet simple music only Earl can produce. The music in the album ranges from slow heartbreaking "Christina" to finger snapping "Cabo Frio". The arrangements in "summer song" is nice. His renditions of Dance with Me, This Time (another great song from a great jazz artist, Al Jarreau),John Taylor's "Long ago and far away" are timeless classics! ~ C. Tongol, Amazon.com

I've been listening to Earl Klugh for over 30 years and this is one of my favorites. Great for dedicated listening and for just having in the background, very accessible and relaxing. ~ ejr1953, Amazon.com

Blue Note; BN-LA737-H, 1977

Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, UDCD 549, 1991

Recorded, Mixed, and Mastered at Kendun Recorders, Burbank, California

Personnel:

Earl Klugh - Acoustic Guitar

Dave Grusin - Fender Rhodes, Synthesizer, Percussion (#5,6)

Lee Ritenour - Electric Guitar (#1-3,5,9), 12-String Guitar (#9)

Chuck Findley, Dick Hyde, Jack Nimitz, Jerome Richardson, Tom Scott, Lawrence Williams - Horns

Anthony Jackson - Electric Bass (#1-3,5,9)

Louis Johnson - Electric Bass (#4,6,7)

Francisco Centeno - Electric Bass (#8)

Harvey Mason - Drums (#2,3,5,9)

Steve Gadd - Drums (#1,4,6-8)

Ralph MacDonald - Percussion (#1,2,7,9)

Steve Forman - Percussion (#3,4,8)

Arnold Belnick, Pamela Goldsmith, Endre Granat, Allan Harshman, Karen Jones, Jacob Krachmalnick, Bernard Kundell,

Edgar Lustgarten, David Montagu, Constance Pressman, Dana L. Rees, Sheldon Sanov, Marshall Sosson, Ann M. Stockton, and Gerald Vince - Strings

Alexandra Brown, Lisa Roberts, Stephanie Spruill - Vocals (#4)

Dave Grusin - Arranger, Conductor

Tom Scott - Arranger [Horns] (#4)

Tracks:

1. Dr. Macumba {Earl Klugh} (4:26)

2. Long Ago And Far Away {James Taylor} (5:36)

3. Cabo Frio {Earl Klugh} (3:32)

4. Keep Your Eyes On The Sparrow{Dave Grusin, Morgan Ames} (4:40)

5. Catherine {Earl Klugh} (4:11)

6. Dance With Me {Johanna Hall, John Joseph Hall} (3:26)

7. Jolanta {Earl Klugh} (3:02)

8. Summer Song {Earl Klugh} (4:09)

9. This Time {Earl Klugh} (3:41)

Credits:

Producer - Dave Grusin, Larry Rosen

Executive-Producer - Dr. George Butler

Recording & Mixing Engineer - Larry Rosen

Mastering Engineer - John Golden

Recording [Strings & Horns] - Phil Schier

Photography - Greg Heisler

Design - Bill Burks

Notes:

"Summer Song" recorded at Electric Lady Studios, New York

Strings recorded at Columbia Studios, 30th Street, New York

Carlos Garnett - Let This Melody Ring On (1975) [re-rip>re-post]

This is Carlos Garnett's 3rd album for Muse records. On "Let This Melody Ring On" Garnett puts together and producers his own compositions using a combination of both large groups and leanings towards bigger band ensembles with some added exhilarating strings and backing vocals. As a result the listener is presented with an enjoyable assortment of tunes which have been carefully crafted to deliver a nice spacey soul jazz feel. Garnett in his own right is a notable reed player; "Senior Trane" in particular showcases some very fiery sax playing. He is joined by other notable Free Jazz/Soul-Jazz musicians and there is room for some great soloing, especially for Olu Dara, Hubert Eaves, Reggie Lucas, Anthony Jackson and Howard King. This album is well worth a listen and like most Muse vinyls are pretty hard to find. Grab it and Enjoy!

Muse Records, MR 5079, 1975
Recorded 16th & 18th June, 1973 at Minot Sound Studios Inc., White Plains, New York

Musicians:
Carlos Garnett - Tenor & Baritone Saxophones, Ukulele (#A3), Vocals
Olu Dara - Trumpet
Kiane Zawadi - Trombone
Hubert Eaves - Keyboards
Reggie Lucas - Guitar
Carlos Jordan - Ukulele (#A3)
James Benjamin - Bass (#A1,B1)
Anthony Jackson - Bass (#A2,A3,B2,B3)
Howard King - Drums
Neil Clarke - Percussion
Charles Dalton, Diedre Murray, Howard Hall, Joe Singer, John Blake, Richard Locker - Strings
Prema - Vocals

Tracks:
A1. Good Shepherd (4:20)
A2. Panama Roots (9:24)
A3. Ghetto Jungle (4:34)
B1. Señor Trane (7:39)
B2. Samba Serenade (6:32)
B3. Let This Melody Ring On (6:44)

All Compositions by Carlos Garnett

Credits:
Producer - Carlos Garnett
Executive Producer - Joe Fields
Recording & Mixing Engineer - John Battiloro
Album Design & Photography - Ron Warwell

Carlos Garnett - Journey To Enlightenment (1974) [re-rip>re-post]

Here's the second of the series of Carlos Garnett's Muse output. This time the listener is treated to a beautiful record of spiritual jazz. Recorded a year after “Black Love,” it shows the same blending of world music and themes with soaring, bitingly spiritual solos over Afro-centric and sometimes-funky grooves.

This album is simply remarkable. Each of the 5 pieces of music are unique and range from deep and spacy spiritual jazz (10 minute plus title track) to Latin jazz-fusion (Chana) to jazz-funk ferocity (Let Us Go To Higher Heights). Carlos is a sax master who definitely deserves much more recognition than he's received over the years. This album also features some supreme piano playing from Hubert Eaves and some straight up bad ass guitar work from Reggie Lucas.  ~ http://rateyourmusic.com

Muse Records, MR 5057, 1974
Recorded 20th September, 1974 at Minot Sound Studios, White Plains, New York

Track Listing:
A1. Journey To Enlightenment (10:58)
A2. Love Flower (7:21)
B1. Chana (6:20)
B2. Caribbean Sun (6:22)
B3. Let Us Go [To Higher Heights] (6:14)

Personnel:
Carlos Garnett - Reeds, Ukulele, Vocals (#A1,B2,B3)
Reggie Lucas - Guitar
Hubert Eaves - Keyboards
Anthony Jackson - Bass
Howard King - Drums
Charles Pulliam - Congas
Neil Clarke - Percussion
Ayodele Jenkins - Vocals (#A1,A2,B3)

Credits:
Producer - Carlos Garnett
Co-Producer -  Joe Fields
Recording & Mixing - John Battiloro

David Newman - Mr. Fathead (1976) [vinyl>flac]

A pretty sweet set from reedman David Newman - a record that has him working with larger instrumental backdrops, in a mode that's almost like the sound going on with Stanley Turrentine over at CTI! William S. Fischer handled all the arrangements - so although things are tight, there's still a cool creative undercurrent too - way more than just standard orchestrations behind Newman's sweet solo lines on alto, tenor, and soprano sax. A few cuts have backing vocals - used in ways you might hear on a Hank Crawford album - and titles include "Shiki", "Promise Me Your Love", "Ebo Man", "Groovin To The Music", "I Love Music", and "Mashooganah". © Dusty Groove, Inc.

David "Fathead" Newman plays alto sax, tenor sax & flute backed by Ron Carter, Anthony Jackson, Dom Um Romão, Jimmy Johnson, Pat Rebillot, Andy Newmark, Jerry Friedman, David Carey, Bill Salter, Ralph MacDonald, Keith Loving, Jimmie Young, Dave Valentin (playing percussion!) et al, plus brass section (featuring Burt Collins, Joe Shepley, Jim Bossy & Richard Peck), strings (feat. Selwart Clarke on viola) and backing vocals (including Patti Austin). My personal favorite tracks: "You Got Style" (a lush arrangement of the Ralph MacDonald/Bill Salter tune previously recorded by Phil Upchurch & Tennyson Stephens on Kudu), "Groovin' To The Music," "Ebo Man," "Promise Me Your Love" and "I Love Music". ~ Arnaldo Desouteiro.

Warner Bros. Records, BS 2917, 1976

Recorded At Regent Sound Studios, New York City

Personnel:

David Newman - Alto, Soprano & Tenor Saxophones, Flute

Jim Bossy, Burt Collins, Joseph Shepley - Trumpet

Buddy Morrow - Trombone

Jonathan Dorn - Tuba

Billy Slapin - Clarinet, Piccolo Flute

Richard Landry - Tenor Saxophone

Arthur Jenkins - Keyboards

Bill Fischer - Electric Piano, Synthesizer

Arthur Jenkins - Piano

Jose Cruz - Electric Piano

Pat Rebillot - Clavinet

Luis Cruz, Jerry Friedman, Keith Loving - Guitar

Bill Salter - Bass

Anthony Jackson - Bass Guitar

Ron Carter - Bass

Jimmy Johnson - Drums

Jimmie Young - Drums

Andy Newmark - Drums

John Rodrieguez, Ralph MacDonald - Percussion

David Valentin - Percussion

Dom Um Romão - Percussion

and others [See Info file]

Tracks:

A1. Dance With Me {John & Johanna Hall} (3:55)

A2. Groovin' To The Music {G. P. Coverdale, D. Cameron, D. McGriff} (5:51)

A3. You Got Style {Ralph MacDonald, William Salter} (4:32)

A4. Ebo Man {David Newman, Arthur Jenkins} (5:29)

B1. Shiki {Bill Fischer} (3:59)

B2. Promise Me Your Love {Ralph MacDonald, William Salter} (4:30)

B3. I Love Music {Leon Huff, Kenny Gamble} (6:12)

B4. Mashooganah {David Newman} (5:08)

Credits:

Producer - Joel Dorn, Jonathan Dorn

Arranger - William S. Fischer (#A1-A3,B1,B3,B4)

Engineer [Recording & Mixing] - Robert Liftin

Engineer [Mastering] - Vince McGarry

Art Direction - Ed Thrasher

Design - Brian Hagiwara, Rod Dyer Inc.

Photography [Front Cover] - H. E. Edgerton

Photography [Liner] - David Gahr

Liner Notes - Vernon Gibbs

Notes:

Mixed and Mastered At Regent Sound Studios, New York City