Doug Webb - Renovations (2010) + Bonus Tracks

Saxophonist extraordinaire Doug Webb builds on forward momentum and keeps working straight ahead with second release of 2010, "Renovations." This collection of timeless classics features some amazing performances by the heavy cats in the rhythm section (including pianist Larry Goldings and bassist Stanley Clarke) doing the heavy lifting behind the sensational melodicism and harmonic direction of the leader. With "Renovations," Doug Webb continues to proclaim that he is certainly a saxophonist to keep an eye on, and casual listeners and avid jazz fans everywhere will certainly want to check out Doug Webb's "Renovations." ~ dougwebb.bandcamp.com. 

Posi-Tone Records, PR8075, 2010
Recorded 24th April, 2009 at Entourage Studios, North Hollywood, California 

Musicians:
Doug Webb - Saxophones
Joe Bagg - Piano (#1,5,6,9)
Larry Goldings - Piano (#2,4,8,11)
Mahesh Balasooriya - Baby Grand Piano (#3,7,10)
Stanley Clarke - Bass
Gerry Gibbs - Drums 

Tracks:
01. Satin Doll {Billy Strayhorn, Duke Ellington} (7:02)
02. Then I'll Be Tired Of You {Arthur Schwartz, E.Y. Harburg} (6:45)
03. I Can't Get Started {Vernon Duke} (4:03)
04. I've Never Been In Love Before {Frank Loesser} (6:46)
05. You've Changed {Carl Fischer} (8:02)
06. They Can't Take That Away From Me {George Gershwin} (3:59)
07. Bluesette {Toots Thielemans} (7:12)
08. Slow Hot Wind {Henry Mancini} (8:11)
09. Once I Loved {Antônio Carlos Jobim, Vinícius de Moraes} (8:32) *
10. Feliscia {Doug Webb} (7:28) *
11. Moose The Mooche {Charlie Parker} (7:50) * 

* Bonus Tracks 

Total Time: 75:55 

Credits:
Producer - Marc Free
Associate Producer - Nick O’Toole, Barry Shapiro
Recording Engineer - David Horner
Tracking Engineer - Ashburn Miller
Mixing and Mastering - David Horner
Photography - Ray Newton
Package Design - Jamie Brunson 

David Sanborn - Closer (2004)

Saxophonist and composer David Sanborn has always been a maverick. A top-notch technician, he has always imbued his playing with deep emotion -- indeed, that emotional element in his playing has been his signature since he began leading his own bands on record in the 1970s. He has wed modern jazz sophistication to the smooth jazz groove for many years now, and has followed his muse while remaining a commercially viable artist. Closer is another exercise in ambition for Sanborn and his sidemen. They include bassist Christian McBride, guitarist Russell Malone, Larry Goldings on electric piano and organ, vibist Mike Manieri, and drummer Steve Gadd, among others. The material is a fine collection of pop tunes, standards, and surprises from the jazz canon. First, the bad news: Sanborn and vocalist Liz Wright team up for a version of James Taylor's "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" that is as bland as soy milk. That said, Sanborn's read of Abdullah Ibrahim's "Capetown Fringe" carries within it the joy and dignity of Ibrahim's original and proves to the public something Sanborn has been aware of all along -- that the composer's music is truly accessible to the masses. Underscore this for the album's opener, a smoking little groove read of Gil Fuller and Chano Pozo's "Tin Tin Deo." Horace Silver's "Enchantment" and "Señor" are given fine finger-popping treatments, as are the stellar standards "Ballad of the Sad Young Men," "You Must Believe in Spring," and the beautiful "Poinciana." There is a lovely version of Charlie Chaplin's "Smile" here, given chamber orchestra treatment. Sanborn contributes a pair as well, in the silvery ballad "Another Time, Another Place" and the album's closer, the haunting "Sofia," with a fine string and horn treatment by Gil Goldstein. Once more, Sanborn has wed his commercial and creative aspirations into a thoroughly engaging whole. ~ by Thom Jurek, AMG. 

Verve Records, 0602498631973, 2005
Recorded at Hiatus Studios, New York, NY;
Right Track Studios, New York, NY 

Musicians:
David Sanborn - Alto Saxophone, Rhythm Arranger
Alex Sipiagin - Trumpet, Flugelhorn (#1,2,5-7,11)
Mike Davis - Trombone (#1,2,5-7,11)
Bob Sheppard - Flute D'Amour, C Flute (#1,2,5-7,11), Tenor & Soprano Sax (#8)
Sheryl Henze - Alto Flute, Bass Flute (#1,2,5-7,11)
Gil Goldstein - Electric Piano, , Accordion (#8), Rhythm Arranger, Orchestration
Larry Goldings - Electric Piano, Organ
Mike Mainieri - Vibraphone
Russell Malone - Guitar
Christian McBride - Bass
Steve Gadd - Drums
Luis Quintero - Percussion
Lizz Wright - Vocals (#3)
+
Strings [#1,2,4,5,11]
Belinda Whitney, Joyce Hammann - Violin
Ron Lawrence - Viola
Dave Edgar - Cello 

Tracks:
01. Tin Tin Deo {Gil Fuller, Chano Pozo} (6:19)
02. Señor Blues {Horace Silver} (5:09)
03. Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight {James Taylor} (6:08)
04. Smile {Charlie Chaplin, Geoffrey Parsons, John Turner} (3:52)
05. Enchantment {Horace Silver} (4:28)
06. Ballad Of The Sad Young Men {Fran Landesman, Tommy Wolf} (4:01)
07. Another Time, Another Place {David Sanborn} (6:05)
08. Capetown Fringe {Abdullah Ibrahim} (3:25)
09. Poinciana {Buddy Bernier, Nat Simon} (6:03)
10. You Must Believe In Spring {Bergman, Demy, Legrand} (3:50)
11. Sofia {David Sanborn} (3:45) 

Total Time: 53:11 

Credits:
Producer - Stewart Levine
Audio Engineer, Engineer, Mixing - Joe Ferla
Engineer - Jonathan Duckett
Assistant Engineer - Bryan Pugh, Jason Spears, Jason Finkel
Digital Editing, Pro-Tools - Dean Sharenow
Mastering - Bernie Grundman
Coordinator - Heather Buchanan, Stephanie Pappas
Design - Isabelle Wong
Art Direction - Hollis King
Photography - Henry Leutwyler 

Enchantment

Larry Goldings, Peter Bernstein, Bill Stewart - Ramshackle Serenade (2014)

Few artistic partnerships are as delightfully durable as the trio of organist Larry Goldings, guitarist Peter Bernstein, and drummer Bill Stewart. These men have often recorded under the moniker of the "Larry Goldings Trio" over the past two-plus decades, but this has never been a band to favor one player over another. Goldings' name may still come first on this album spine, but it's all for one and one for all with these guys. Ramshackle Serenade finds this group covering a lot of ground. The album opens with Goldings’ "Roach" - a slow blues in five—which proves to be one of the standout performances. Goldings and Bernstein both cook while Stewart masterfully slices up the time in endlessly inventive ways. The trio then visits Brazilian territory with Jobim's "Luiza," throws one down the middle with Bernstein's aptly-titled "Simple As That," and works in a rhythmically floating environment on "Ramshackle Serenade." The title track is all about rubato rumination, as Goldings and Bernstein paint melodies while Stewart lightly colors in the background. Goldings' "Mr. Meagles," sitting at the midpoint of the album, is a great example of the way this trio manages to create music that speaks relatively softly and carries a mean groove; it's low flame music that can still cause third degree burns. The second half of the album contains a "Sweet And Lovely" that grows hotter over time, a pair of originals - Stewart's hip-and-intoxicating "Blue Sway" and Bernstein's lively "Useless Metaphor" - and an album-closing look at Horace Silver's oft-covered "Peace." After all these years, this trio still manages to make magic whenever it hits the studio. It doesn't get much better than this. ~ Dan Bilawsky, AllAboutJazz. 

Pirouet Records, PIT3077, 2014
Recorded 17th December, 2013 At Kyberg Studio, Oberhaching, Germany 

Musicians:
Larry Goldings - Organ [Hammond]
Peter Bernstein - Guitar
Bill Stewart - Drums 

Tracks:
1. Roach {Larry Goldings} (5:46)
2. Luiza {Antônio Carlos Jobim} (8:41)
3. Simple As That {Peter Bernstein} (7:03)
4. Ramshackle Serenade {Larry Goldings} (4:31)
5. Mr. Meagles {Larry Goldings} (8:18)
6. Sweet And Lovely {Gus Arnheim, Harry Tobias, Neil Moret} (7:43)
7. Blue Sway {Bill Stewart} (8:18)
8. Useless Metaphor {Peter Bernstein} (6:13)
9. Peace {Horace Silver} (5:51) 

Total Time: 62:28 

Credits:
Producer - Larry Goldings, Peter Bernstein, Bill Stewart
Producer [Pirouet], Recording, Mixing - Jason Seizer
Mastering - Christoph Stickel
Cover Design, Photography - Konstantin Kern

Matt Wilson, Larry Goldings, Dennis Irwin, Terell Stafford - Arts and Crafts (2001)

For his fourth Palmetto CD, Matt Wilson sends his regular quartet on a brief vacation and recruits Terell Stafford on trumpet, Larry Goldings on piano (not organ), and Dennis Irwin on bass. Previous efforts with the Matt Wilson Quartet and with Dewey Redman have gained Wilson a left-of-center reputation, but on Arts and Crafts the drummer confounds expectations altogether. He begins with Rahsaan Roland Kirk's "Stompin' Grounds," a no-frills ride through "Stompin' at the Savoy" changes. Two tracks later, the band runs down Bud Powell's "Webb City," packing an enormous punch without exceeding four minutes. But just when it seems this might be a bebop record, the band puts a boogaloo spin on Ornette Coleman's "Old Gospel" and throws yet more curves on Wilson's three adventurous originals. "Lester," written in honor of the late Lester Bowie, develops into a slow shuffle blues; "Final Answer," a diatonic free bop theme, features Goldings challenging the ears with some bracingly "outside" playing; and the title track, a slow groove, again finds Goldings reaching in subtle but marked contrast to the superb bop playing he does elsewhere on the disc. (Indeed, Goldings' presence is one of the album's biggest draws, not least because his outings on acoustic piano are so rare.) Back in straight-ahead mode, the group offers George Gershwin's "Love Walked In," Hal Hopper's "There's No You," and Nelson Cavaquinho's bossa classic "Beija-Flor." The disc wraps up with a soothing, simple arrangement of the folk melody "All Through the Night." On balance, this could be considered Wilson's most straight-ahead record yet, but it's clearly not Wilson's intention to fit neatly into any category. If anything, with Arts and Crafts he seems to insist, quite eloquently, that musicians need not declare allegiance to any of jazz's warring camps. ~ David R. Adler, AMG. 

Palmetto Records, PM 2069, 2001
Recorded 2nd October, 2000 At Maggie's Farm, Buck's County, Pennsylvania 

Musicians:
Matt Wilson - Drums
Terell Stafford - Trumpet
Larry Goldings - Piano
Dennis Irwin - Bass 

Tracks:
01. Stompin' Grounds {Rahsaan Roland Kirk} (5:37)
02. Lester {Matt Wilson} (5:21)
03. Webb City {Bud Powell} (3:43)
04. Beija-Flor {Nelson Cavaquinho} (5:40)
05. Final Answer {Matt Wilson} (4:43)
06. There's No You {Hal Hopper} (3:16)
07. Arts and Crafts {Matt Wilson} (5:35)
08. Old Gospel {Ornette Coleman} (5:12)
09. Love Walked In {George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin} (6:55)
10. All Through The Night {Traditional} (5:04) 

Total Time: 51:06 

Credits:
Producer, Engineer - Matt Balitsaris
Design - Jason Grotrian
Photography - Jimmy Katz

Larry Goldings - Quartet (2006)

Pianist Larry Goldings delivers modern jazz as true art, folding in classical music with traditional jazz themes and interpreting them sincerely. With trumpeter John Sneider, his quartet expresses soulful melodies and surrounds them with beautiful textures. Everything falls into place naturally, and the pianist ensures that not one ounce is wasted on glamour or glitz. With "Hesitation Blues", he's captured the original spirit that W.C. Handy handed down to us with the birth of the blues. With "Valsinha", he's fused a traditional European theme into the jazz that we feel intuitively. With Bjork's "Cocoon", he's found a path for slow ballad expression that remains timeless. Goldings explores eclectic paths on this quartet adventure. He navigates slowly, allowing for reflective introspection and couching drama in quiet surroundings. This peaceful celebration of jazz's rich heritage builds to great dramatic highs without becoming overbearing. The pianist and his musical partners keep a low ceiling on the intensity level while still driving. Even the nods to Jaki Byard and Thelonious Monk remain subtle enough to maintain a peaceful composure for the album's personality. The pianist and his cohesive quartet explore spontaneously and eschew concerns about meter and format. The quartet is traditional in concept but original in practice. The closing number, a duet between trumpet and piano, best displays the spirit of the album. Goldings and Sneider pour heartfelt emotion in song and arrange for it to flow naturally. A seamless concert of passion in jazz, Quartet comes highly recommended and will undoubtedly remain one of the best recordings of 2006. ~ by Jim Santella, AAJ. 

Palmetto Records, PM2115, 2006
Recorded 14^th-16^th February, 2005 At Maggie's Farm, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 

Musicians:
Larry Goldings - Piano, Wurlitzer, Organ, Harmonium, Accordion, Glock
John Sneider - Trumpet, Cornet
Ben Allison - Bass
Matt Wilson - Drums, Percussion
Madeleine Peyroux - Vocals (#5) 

Tracks:
01. Singsong {Larry Goldings} (4:09)
02. Au Bord De L'Eau {Gabriel Fauré} (5:58)
03. Valsinha {Chico Buarque, Vinicius De Moraes} (5:22)
04. The Wedding {Abdullah Ibrahim} (5:56)
05. Hesitation Blues {W.C. Handy} (4:06)
06. Jackie-ing {Thelonious Monk} (3:50)
07. Dario And Bario {Larry Goldings} (3:01)
08. A Dream About Jackie Byard {Goldings, Sneider, Allison, Wilson} (3:16)
09. Cocoon {Björk} (7:11)
10. Hidalgo {Goldings, Sneider, Allison, Wilson} (3:15)
11. Denouement {Goldings, Sneider, Allison, Wilson} (2:31)
12. We Shall Overcome {Traditional-Gospel} (3:35) 

Total Time: 52:10 

Credits:
Producer - Larry Goldings, Matt Balitsaris
Mixing & Editing - Chad Fischer
Mastering - A.T. Michael MacDonald
Design [Cover] - Ben Allison
Photography - Norman Seeff