Bill Mobley - Black Elk's Dream (2013)

Bill Mobley's new album Black Elk's Dream is dedicated to Sioux Indian Black Elk, whose famous book "The End of the Dream" (1932) dealt with the plight of Native Americans. Recorded "live" at the Jazz en Tête international festival, Bill Mobley conducts a luxury Franco-American sextet coupled with a very famous chamber orchestra (21 Strings): the Orchester d'Auvergne. The repertoire gives equal weight to originals and standards. One thing is certain: Billy Pierce is imperial (tenor or soprano), Stéphane Guillaume plays more awesome than ever (on the alto, but also on the flute and the bass clarinet), the young classical violinist Maud Lovett is remarkable, and as always, Bill Mobley plays chiseled solos, on the flugelhorn as on the trumpet. The rhythm is really top notch: Manuel Rocheman on the piano, the Italian-American bassist Phil Palombi and the fantastic Billy Kilson on drums. Donald Brown joins the set on one of his compositions, funkier & baroque than ever (the beautiful violinists were captivated!). In this album, the strings are neither Hollywood dancers nor demi-mondaines on the go. And question of writing for the strings, the original work of Bill Mobley already marks the spirits. ~ www.fnac.com. [Translated from French] 

Space Time Records, BG 1337, 2013
Recorded 24th October, 2012 Live at the Jazz en Tête Festival, Clermont-Ferrand, France 

Musicians:
Bill Mobley - Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Leader
Billy Pierce - Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone
Stéphane Guillaume - Alto Saxophone, Flute, Bass Clarinet
Manuel Rocheman - Piano (#1-6)
Phil Palombi - Bass
Billy Kilson - Drums
Donald Brown - Piano, Keyboards (#7,8)
Maud Lovett - Violin (#4,5)
Orchestre d'Auvergne 

Tracks:
1. Dream Team {Xavier Felgeyrolles} (6:11)
2. Four {Miles Davis} (7:26)
3. The Touch Of Your Lips {Ray Noble} (9:45)
4. Black Elk's Dream, Pt. 1 {Bill Mobley} (6:52)
5. Black Elk's Dream, Pt. 2 {Bill Mobley} (7:49)
6. Alex The Great {Harold Mabern} (11:34)
7. The People Who Live On Hope Street, Pt. 1 {Donald Brown} (9:57)
8. The People Who Live On Hope Street, Pt. 2 {Donald Brown} (5:36) 

Total Time: 65:13 

Four

Bill Mobley - Mean What You Say (1999)

Here, we have Bill’s second album as a leader and the first on Space Time Records. After releasing “Triple Bill” in 1996, Mobley went on to play as sideman for a number of well-known jazz artisans, including Donald Brown, Alan Dawson, Bill Easley, Geoff Keezer and Harold Mabern to name a few. Essentially, by the time he went to formulate this album he was well on his way as a noted trumpeter and composer. On this album he hand-picks a relatively similarly youthful team of players including: pianist Donald Brown, guitarist Jérôme Barde, bassist Essiet Essiet and drummer Billy Kilson. The album is structured around two quintet, three quartet and three duet groupings. The first three tunes are his own, the remaining compositions well-known jazz standards. Overall, the album clearly demonstrates a continued improvement in his delivery and will certainly appeal to any trumpet fan. 

Space Time Records, BG 9911, 1999
Recorded 1st-2nd April, 1999 at Studio Sysmo, Paris, France 

Musicians:
Bill Mobley - Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Arranger
Donald Brown - Piano (#1-4,6-8)
Jérôme Barde - Guitar (#1-2)
Essiet Essiet - Bass (#1-3,5-6,8)
Billy Kilson - Drums (#1-3,6,8) 

Tracks:
1. Twilight {Bill Mobley} (6:36)
2. New Light {Bill Mobley} (8:13)
3. Annie's Fan {Bill Mobley} (7:16)
4. Sophisticated Lady {Duke Ellington} (9:15)
5. Mean What You Say {Thad Jones} (6:15)
6. Love Walked In {George Gershwin} (6:44)
7. Pent Up House {Sonny Rollins} (5:07)
8. Out Of Nowhere {John Greene} (7:47) 

Total Time: 57:13 

Credits:
Producer - Bill Mobley
Executive-Producer - Walter H. Squindo
Recording Engineer - Pierre Bornard
Mastering Engineer - Raphaël Jonin 

Love Walked In

Carla Cook - Simply Natural (2002)

"Simply Natural." The song's title describes what Carla Cook is all about and what makes her such a thrilling vocalist. She's genuine. Both her scat singing and her lyric interpretations result in a relaxed atmosphere where everyone can sit back and enjoy being a part of it. Accompanists Bruce Barth and Cyrus Chestnut are in fine form. The program's song selection offers a wide variety that allows Cook's natural beauty to shine through. She's crossed generations by combining classics such as "Tulip or Turnip" and "I Can't Give You Anything But Love" with "Scarborough Fair," "Watermelon Man" and Oscar Brown Jr.'s "Strong Man." The combination of scat singing with soulful lyric interpretations makes Cook's natural delivery take control. I find this album atop my ten-best list for the year. Must a jazz singer scat? I think so. It's like asking, "Should a jazz singer use E-flat, E, F, F-sharp and G?" Carla Cook sings accurately, with a natural swing, and creatively. What places her session above most others, is the natural manner she brings to the performance. This is straight-ahead jazz that everyone can turn to when they need to hear a friendly smile. ~ by Jim Santella, AAJ. 

MAXJAZZ, MXJ 115, 2002
Recorded 20th & 21st June, 2002 at Systems Two Studios, Brooklyn, New York 

Musicians:
Carla Cook - Vocals
Cyrus Chestnut - Piano (#1,3,6,7,9,11), Fender Rhodes (#2,4,9,10)
Bruce Barth - Piano (#2,5,8)
Kenny Davis - Acoustic Bass (#1-3,5-9,11), Electric Bass (#4,10)
Billy Kilson - Drums
Steve Kroon - Percussion (#1,4,7) 

Tracks:
01. Simply Natural {Carla Cook} (4:53)
02. Tulip Or Turnip {Duke Ellington, Don George} (4:55)
03. Weak For The Man {Jeanne Burns} (7:02)
04. Watermelon Man {Herbie Hancock, Gloria Lynne} (6:27)
05. Strong Man {Oscar Brown Jr.} (4:37)
06. Something 'Bout Believing {Duke Ellington} (5:25)
07. Scarborough Fair {Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel} (5:20)
08. Are You With Me {Herb Levin, Des Robinson} (3:55)
09. Summer [Estaté] {Bruno Brighetti, Bruno Martino, Joel E. Siegel} (5:15)
10. Still Gotta Thing For You {Carla Cook} (6:00)
11. I Can't Give You Anything But Love {Dorothy fields, Jimmy McHugh} (4:57) 

Total Time: 58:50 

Credits
Producer - Bruce Barth, Carla Cook
Recording & Mastering Engineer - Katsuhiko Naito
Engineer [Assistant] - Max Ross
Design & Art Direction - Pressley Jacobs
Photography - Jimmy & Dena Katz
Liner Notes - Mary Ellen Sullivan

Terence Blanchard - Simply Stated (1992)

Terence Blanchard is in top form throughout this highly enjoyable outing. The trumpeter is most memorable on "Dear Old Stockholm" (a song from the 1950's that he helped revive), an emotional "When It's Sleepy Time Down South" and a medley of his "Glass J," the theme from "Mo' Better Blues" and Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman." Blanchard, who also plays "Detour Ahead" and four of his originals, is joined by tenor-saxophonist Sam Newsome, pianist Bruce Barth, bassist Rodney Whitaker, either Troy Davis or Billy Kilson on drums and (on "Dear Old Stockholm") the up-and-coming altoist Antonio Hart. The music is tied to the hard bop tradition yet is quite fresh and open to more modern influences. ~ by Scott Yanow, AMG. 

Columbia Records, CK 48903, 1992
Recorded 1992 at BMG Studios, New York, New York 

Personnel:
Terence Blanchard - Trumpet, Piano [Solo] (#5)
Antonio Hart - Alto Saxophone (#4)
Sam Newsome - Tenor Saxophone
Bruce Barth - Piano
Rodney Whitaker - Bass
Billy Kilson - Drums (#7)
Troy Davis - Drums, Cymbals 

Tracks:
1. Lil' Fawdy {Terence Blanchard} (5:23)
2. Central Focus {Terence Blanchard} (4:38)
3. Simply Stated {Terence Blanchard} (8:24)
4. Dear Old Stockholm {Traditional} (10:03)
5. Little Miss Olivia Ray {Terence Blanchard} (2:32)
6. Glass J {Terence Blanchard} / Mo' Better Blues {Bill Lee}
/ Lonely Woman {Ornette Coleman} (11:25)
7. Detour Ahead {Lou Carter, Herb Ellis, John Freigo} (11:41)
8. When It's Sleepy Time Down South {Clarence Muse, Otis & Leon René} (8:34) 

Total Time: 62:44

Credits:
Producer - Terence Blanchard
Executive Producer - Dr. George Butler
Recording, Mixing & Mastering - James P. Nichols
Studio Technician - Marian Conaty, Major Little
Art Direction, Design - Joel Zimmerman
Photography - Jim Galante