Nicholas Payton - Dear Louis (2001)

Dear Louis is based upon Nicholas Payton's commissioned tribute to jazz icon Louis Armstrong and was recorded primarily during the year 2000. The CD features 13 songs primarily popularized by Louis Armstrong with Payton performing some priceless trumpet solos in the stellar company of his 14-piece band. He is joined by special guest vocalists Dr. John and Dianne Reeves. Nicholas Payton premiered his original title track, "Dear Louis," as a quartet feature at Lincoln Center as part the commission that spurred the recording. On this record, the trumpeter's big band expands the musical concept with such mastery that it is hard to fathom it scaled for quartet. Dear Louis opens with "Potato Head Blues," which features a re-harmonized melody and a rearrangement of Armstrong's original break. Payton's use of a conga solo by Kenyatta Simon adds a colorful dimension to "Hello Dolly," while "I'll Be Glad When You're Dead, You Rascal You" gives listeners another side of Payton the vocalist. Dianne Reeves turns in a great performance on "Blues in the Night," one of Payton's favorite Armstrong records, whose original vocals were performed by Ella Fitzgerald. Reeves also sings a dynamic rendition of "Sunny Side of the Street." The set closes with "West End Blues," with Payton capturing Armstrong's classic introduction before launching into a straight-ahead blues shuffle. As a whole, the artist captures the fiery trajectories of Armstrong's classic solos with a command not heard since the master himself performed many of them. Each and every song on the CD truly belongs to Payton and company, and the listener in no way is ever offered a simple rehash of Armstrong's style. Their playing is solid, deserves admiration, and listeners can be forever grateful to Payton for capturing the true essence of the Armstrong jazz legacy through his own personal sound. Nicholas Payton plays trumpet, flugelhorn, Fender Rhodes electric piano in addition to vocals and writing all of the arrangements. Dear Louis is by far the best CD recorded by the artist to date and offers a remarkable perspective for appreciating how far the young genius has come since making his Verve debut, From This Moment. ~ by Paula Edelstein, AMG. 

Verve Records, 549 419-2, 2001
Recorded 9th-11th September and 2nd October, 2000 at Avatar Studios, New York 

Musicians:
Nicholas Payton - Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Rhodes, Vocals
Paul Stephens, Ray Vega - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Vincent Gardner - Trombone
Bob Stewart - Tuba
Bill Easley - Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Flute
Scott Robinson - Bass Clarinet, Baritone Sax, Contrabass Sax, Flute
Tim Warfield - Tenor Sax, Soprano Sax, Flute
Peter Bernstein - Guitar
Melvin Rhyne - Organ
Anthony Wonsey - Piano
Walter Payton - Bass
Reuben Rogers - Bass (#5)
Adonis Rose - Drums
Kenyatta Simon - Percussion
Dianne Reeves - Vocals (#6,8)
Dr. John - Vocals (#8,10)

Tracks:
01. Potato Head Blues {Louis Armstrong} (5:59)
02. Hello, Dolly {Jerry Herman} (8:30)
03. I'll Be Glad When You're Dead, You Rascal You {Sam Theard} (4:35)
04. Tight Like This {Langston Curl} (7:06)
05. Interlude [St. James Infirmary {Traditional}] (0:42)
06. On The Sunny Side Of The Street {Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh} (4:04)
07. Dear Louis {Nicholas Payton} (6:03)
08. Blues In The Night {Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer} (3:49)
09. The Peanut Vendor {L. Gilbert, Moisés Simóns, Marion Sunshine} (5:25)
10. Mack The Knife {Marc Blitzstein, Bertolt Brecht, Kurt Weill} (2:53)
11. Tiger Rag {Da Costa, Edwards, LaRocca, Ragas, Sbarbaro, Shields} (6:06)
12. I'll Never Be The Same {Gus Kahn, Matty Malneck, Frank Signorelli} (4:59)
13. West End Blues {King Oliver, Clarence Williams} (7:58) 

Total Time: 68:14 

Credits:
Producer, Arranger - Nicholas Payton
Executive Producer - Richard Seidel
Engineer, Mastering, Mixing - James P. Nichols
Release Coordinator - John Newcott
Music Copyist - Victor Goines
Design - Greenberg Kingsley
Art Direction - Hollis King 

Dear Louis

Saori Yano - Best (2007) [CD + DVD]

Here we have a wonderful compilation drawn from Saori's albums pre-dating 2007. The CD is made up of thirteen choice tracks, and included is I &I, not released on her studio albums, but from an advertising promotion that brought her further fame. Incorporated in the fantastic package is a DVD that showcases video frontage of that commercial, as well as four other promotional videos. These clips give the Saori fan an insight as to the formidable company she was associated with throughout those classic early years. Looking back, she hung out with an assemblage of great jazz musicians during her recording tenure in New York City. The reader can easily see from personnel listed that she gave and was given great respect when performing. In this regard, it is important to note that she is not just a player, but also a fine composer and to this extent within this selection are five of her own tunes. Listeners can only marvel this brilliant jazz musician on the job at such an early age, enjoy! 

Savoy Records, COZY 263 + COZY 264, 2007 

Yano Saori (2003)
#5,10
02 (2004)
#2,4,11,13
Sakura Stamp (2005)
#1,3,12
Groovin' High (2006)
#6,8,9
DVD "ASIENCE" TV-CF
#7 

Musicians:
Saori Yano - Alto Saxophone
Nicholas Payton - Trumpet (#1,3,12)
Randy Brecker - Trumpet (#6,8,9)
Slide Hampton - Trombone (#6,8,9)
Eric Alexander - Tenor Saxophone (#1,3,4,12)
Jimmy Heath - Tenor Saxophone (#6,8,9)
James Moody - Tenor Saxophone, Flute (#6,8,9)
Gary Smulyan - Baritone Saxophone (#6,8,9)
Masaaki Imaizumi - Piano (#5,6,8,9,10)
Harold Mabern - Piano (#2,4,11,13)
Mike LeDonne - Organ (#1,3,12)
Peter Bernstein - Guitar (#1-3,11-13)
Shin Kamimura - Bass (#5,10)
Nat Reeves - Bass (#2,4,11,13)
Ray Drummond - Bass (#6,8,9)
Masahiko Osaka - Drums (#5,10)
Joe Farnsworth - Drums (#1-4,11-13)
Adam Nussbaum - Drums (#6,8,9)

Tracks:
01. Donna Lee {Charlie Parker} (1:55)
02. Sand And Skirt {Saori Yano} (6:56)
03. Crazy He Calls Me {Bob Russell, Carl Sigmon} (7:56)
04. RIZLLA {Saori Yano} (5:32)
05. In A Sentimental Mood {Duke Ellington} (6:51)
06. Manteca {Dizzy Gillespie} (6:55)
07. I & I {Saori Yano} (3:58)
08. Greenism {Saori Yano} (4:44)
09. My Ideal {Newell Chase, Richard A. Whiting} (6:10)
10. How To Make A Pearl {Saori Yano} (4:14)
11. Lover Man {Roger Ram Ramirez, Jimmy Davis} (6:13)
12. Tico Tico {Zequinha Abreu} (5:31)
13. Open Mind {Takashi Matsunaga} (4:37) 

Total Time: 71:38 

DVD:
1. I & I {Saori Yano} (Movie)
2. Greenism {Saori Yano} (PV)
3. I Got Rhythm {George Gershwin} (PV)
4. RIZILLA {Saori Yano} (Movie)
5. How To Make A Pearl {Saori Yano} (PV) 

Crazy He Calls Me

Saori Yano - Little Tiny (2007)

Saori started playing alto saxophone in a brass band at the age of nine. She was enthralled by the music and playing of Charlie Parker and got quite obsessed with jazz. At the age of 14, she was captivated by Billie Holiday's autobiography and so started her live activities by negotiating to appear at a jazz club. In September 2003, she made her sensational debut at the age of 16 and as the second Japanese artist to be signed to the prestigious Savoy jazz label. In the spring of 2007, she appeared in a commercial as a new Asian beauty of Kao "Asience". She recorded the original song "I & I" used in the commercial, and with her first best album at the age of 20 won the 22nd Japan Gold Disc Award and Jazz Album of the Year. Overall, she got a lot of attention beyond the boundaries of jazz. From that time on she earnestly worked on "Bebop", the origin of modern jazz, and at the same time performed live not only in Japan but also in New York. By enlarge, she made the world aware of the coming of a new generation of jazz. In this regard, this album is a testament of her talent/s as a bright new emerging star in the jazz world today! 

Savoy Records, COCB-53685, 2007
Recorded 26th & 27th September, 2007 at Clinton Recording Studio, New York 

Musicians:
Saori Yano - Alto Saxophone
Doctor Lonnie Smith - Organ [Hammond] (#1-9)
Yuta Kaneko - Organ [Hammond] (#10)
Peter Bernstein - Guitar (#1-9)
Yoshihiko Hosono - Guitar (#10)
Lewis Nash - Drums (#1-9)
Nobuyuki Komatsu - Drums (#10)
Hibari Misora - Vocals (#10) 

Tracks:
01. My Baby Shot Me Down {Saori Yano} (8:18)
02. Split Kick {Horace Silver} (6:43)
03. Close To You {Burt Bacharach} (7:27)
04. She Rote {Charlie Parker} (5:30)
05. Velvet Easter {Yumi Arai} (6:36)
06. Boplicity {Cleo Henry} (8:35)
07. Pardon Lucy {Saori Yano} (7:46)
08. KC Blues {Charlie Parker} (8:42)
09. Danny Boy {Irish Folk Song} (5:31)
10. Take The "A" Train {Billy Strayhorn} (3:49) * 

Total Time: 69:03

* Special Tribute Track 

Boplicity

Alvin Queen feat. Jesse Davis & Terell Stafford - Mighty Long Way (2009)

Alvin Queen's longtime European expatriate status has apparently ended, as this recording for the veteran drummer was done in New York City with younger musicians who admire his veteran presence and solid mainstream jazz credentials. Several cuts hearken back to modified Jimmy Smith style organ combos, while others have a feel stemming from Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, and some get down and dirty with the original funk of those like Horace Silver. Queen himself is a solid drummer who does not employ bashing or histrionics à la Elvin Jones, Tony Williams, or Jeff Watts, while his musicality is second to none, and rivals peers like Joe Chambers. Organist Mike LeDonne shines brightly as the glue on this session, with guitarist Peter Bernstein right by his side, while trumpeter Terell Stafford and alto saxophonist Jesse Davis prove a fine tandem that front the music in a faithful, straight-ahead, no-nonsense fashion. For those who are veteran listeners of jazz, you'll recognize a faithful version of Silver's "Cape Verdean Blues" with its wonderfully rich harmonies and churning rhythm, or Wayne Shorter's "United" with a similar Latin beat tacked onto a New Orleans feeling, not so much embellished as it is slightly shaded with LeDonne's organ. "I Got a Woman" is a typical, tried and true boogaloo groove that would make its author Ray Charles smile. Two obscure Oscar Peterson tunes are included, with "Sushi" a fast, insistent bop, and "Backyard Blues" a galloping romp/shuffle served under the tangy horns. Joe Pace, hardly known as a writer of jazz, contributed the title track in its happy, more contemporary modern organ combo format, while "Let Us Go into the House" certainly lives up to its singsongy, blues/gospel funk title. Davis brings to the repertoire the slow, cool, and basic "Blues on Q," as well as "Alba," a hip Blakey-type modern jazz swinger with Queen's drum fill-ins as pauses for thought and Bernstein's tasty guitar work. The obligatory Queen solo, "The Drum Thing," concludes the CD on a rumbling, tasteful note with help from Randy Weston's longtime conga player Neil Clarke. Were this to be a real working band (all of the participants are leaders in their own right,) jazz listeners would be shouting to the rafters for more of this excellent unit perhaps touring in support of this music. For now, this should do just fine as a quite memorable effort. ~ by Michael G. Nastos, AMG. 

Enja Records, ENJ-9522 2, 2009
Recorded 25th & 26th March, 2008 at Muzic Complex Studio, Dobbs Ferry, New York 

Musicians:
Alvin Queen - Drums
Terell Stafford - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Jesse Davis - Alto Saxophone
Mike LeDonne - Organ [Hammond B-3]
Peter Bernstein - Guitar
Elias Bailey - Bass (#4,7)
Neil Clark - Congas, Percussion 

Tracks:
1. Mighty Long Way {Joe Pace} (5:23)
2. Sushi {Oscar Peterson} (7:48)
3. Cape Verdean Blues {Horace Silver} (6:25)
4. Blues On Q {Jesse Davis} (7:46)
5. I Got A Woman {Ray Charles} (7:41)
6. Backyard Blues {Oscar Peterson} (5:16)
7. Alba {Jesse Davis} (4:51)
8. Let Us Go Into The House {Joe Pace} (7:13)
9. Drum Thing {Alvin Queen} (8:46) 

Total Time: 61:09 

Credits:
Producer - Matthias Winckelmann
Audio Engineer - Vito Luizzi
Design - Franziska Erdle, David Winckelmann
Assistant Engineer - Alec Head
Cover Photo - Mark Wohlrab

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

Saori Yano - 02 (2004)

Good Recording to Feel More Room
Saori Yano, here demonstrates the appeal of lightness and a neat performance, that cannot be said in the first album, but in this 02, I felt more room in this performance (there was no room in the first), but it creates more fun. When I look at the live performance, it seems to me that I'm always working hard, rather than enjoying the performance (although the sound is quite stretchy), but the CD recording is on the contrary, it feels like a relaxed performance. On this album, the talent of music making blossoms, and "sand and skirt" is a masterpiece. In the live, the ad lib is even clearer, and it has become an indispensable classic song. Of course, Parker and Baker's repertoire is also a unique and refreshing performance that is perfect for everyday jazz-fun. If you want a hot performance, please listen to the live. ~ Amazon Customer. [Translated from Japanese] 

Savoy Records, COCB-53231, 2004
Recorded 2nd & 3rd April, 2004 at Avatar Studio, New York 

Musicians:
Saori Yano - Alto Saxophone
Eric Alexander - Tenor Saxophone (#4,8)
Harold Mabern - Piano
Peter Bernstein - Guitar (#1,2,11)
Nat Reeves - Bass
Joe Farnsworth - Drums 

Tracks:
01. Laird Baird {Charlie Parker} (4:32)
02. Sand And Skirt {Saori Yano} (6:52)
03. Lover Man {Jimmy Davis, Ram Ramirez, Jimmy Sherman} (6:10)
04. RIZLLA {Saori Yano} (5:30)
05. The Days Of Wine And Roses {Henry Mancini, Johnny Mercer} (5:18)
06. Work Song {Nat Adderley, Oscar Brown Jr.} (4:42)
07. Zion {Saori Yano} (6:33)
08. Scrapple From The Apple {Charlie Parker} (5:12)
09. Everything Happens To Me {Matt Dennis, Tom Adair} (8:06)
10. Billie's Holiday {Saori Yano} (5:05)
Bonus Track
11. Open Mind {Takashi Matsunaga} (4:35) 

Total Time: 62:35 

Credits:
Producer - Hiroyuki Okano
Production Supervisor - Ken Komoguchi
Manager & Co-Producer - Haruki Naoi
Recording & Mixing Engineer - Dan Gellert
Assistant Engineer - Aya Takemura, Masumi Iwata
Mastering Engineer - Hiroyuki Hosaka
Illustration - Saori Yano
Art Direction - Ikkun Hagi
Design - Takanori Hirayama
Photography - Naoki Ishizaka
Liner Notes - Yozo Iwanami 

Sand And Skirt