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

Tim Warfield - Tim Warfield's Jazzy Christmas (2012)

Veteran saxophonist Tim Warfield delivers one of the finest modern Christmas jazz albums around on Jazzy Christmas. Performing a selection of familiar songs with a heavy contemporary flavor, the music is so straight-ahead in nature that such seasonal tunes like "Let It Snow," "Joy To The World," and "Silent Night," are almost unrecognizable as Christmas music and could easily be part of any playlist throughout the year. The arrangements take advantage of Warfield's star-studded cast, including trumpeter Terell Stafford, pianist Cyrus Chestnut and vibraphonist Stefon Harris. Assuring its uniqueness as a holiday album, Warfield's renditions of some of these Christmas classics are, as he states, "deliberately varied in length...allowing them to develop" - all with a measure of sophisticated improvisation sufficient enough to disguise some of the familiar melodies under a veil of terrific harmonies. The result is a lively, hard-driving showcase of sensational solos presented with boppish flair, begging for repeated spins. The traditional "Santa Clause Is Coming to Town" begins the session in a most untraditional fashion, with Warfields's earthy tenor leading a barrage of terrific solos, as Stafford and Harris join in on the fun. Vocalist Joanna Pascale appears on three tracks, introducing the Sammy Cahn favorite "Let It Snow" before yielding to Harris, who infuses his interpretation with a slight touch of Latin rhythms on this nine-minute burner. Percussionist Daniel Sadownick provides the sounds of the sleigh bells, while pianist Neil Podgurski runs the keys on the leader's soprano version of "Joy To The World." Drummer Clarence Penn's crashing cymbal accents seem all that appropriate on "Little Drummer Boy," another piece in which Warfield provides more torrid time on the soprano. One of the album's standouts is a traditional rendition of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," where Warfield is at his sensational best, wielding his tenor aggressively and assertively. Other bright moments include a special rendition of "Oh Christmas Tree," featuring the great baritone vocalist Jamie Davis, as well as a new arrangement of "Silent Night" and Claude Thornhill's "Snowfall." Though a Christmas project at its core, the album also includes a bonus track in celebration of Hanukkah ("The Dreidal Song”). With Jazzy Christmas, Warfield takes a selection of well-known traditional Christmas songs and morphs them into a session of hard-improvised jazz, distinguishing it from other jazz holiday albums. ~ by Edward Blanco. 

Musicians:
Tim Warfield - Tenor Sax, Soprano Sax
Terell Stafford - Trumpet
Stefon Harris - Vibes
Cyrus Chestnut - Piano
Neil Podgurski - Piano (#1,3,8,10)
Rodney Whitaker - Bass
Clarence Penn - Drums
Daniel Sadownick - Percussion
Joanna Pascale - Vocals (#2,5,7)
Jamie Davis - Vocals (#6) 

Tracks:
01. Santa Clause Is Coming To Town {J. Fred Coots, Haven Gillespie} (8:12)
02. Let It Snow {Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne} (8:59)
03. Joy To The World {Traditional, Lowel Mason, Isaac Watts} (6:50)
04. Little Drummer Boy {Katherine Davis, Henri Onorati, Harry Simeone} (8:44)
05. Caroling Caroling {Alfred S. Burt, Wihila Huston} (4:02)
06. Oh Christmas Tree {Traditional} (5:51)
07. Silent Night {Traditional, Franz Gruber, Joseph Mohr} (7:00)
08. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen {Traditional} (7:12)
09. Snowfall {Claude Thornhill} (8:33)
10. The Dreidel Song {Traditional Hanukkah} (7:37) 

Arrangements by Tim Warfield except, Caroling Caroling, arranged by Joanna Pascale

"It is simply one of the best holiday albums I've heard" ~ Edward Blanco, WDNA Florida.

Terell Stafford - Time To Let Go (1995)

This scintillating set is appropriately titled Time to Let Go and truly reflects the trumpeter's musical state of mind. Firmly established as a contemporary jazz master, Terrell Stafford is now getting the critical acclaim his talent deserves. Unlike many of his peers, he is nothing short of seasoned. He spent five years touring with Bobby Watson's scintillating post-bop quintet, which included pianist Ed Simon, drummer Victor Lewis and saxophonists Steve Wilson and Tim Warfield who join Terell here, together with vibraphonist Steve Nelson.

 

Candid Records, CCD 79702, 1995
Recorded 8th-9th March, 1995 at Power Station Studios, New York

Musicians:
Terell Stafford - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Steve Wilson - Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone (#2,4)
Tim Warfield - Tenor Saxophone (#4,9)
Edward Simon - Piano
Steve Nelson - Vibraphone (#2,6)
Michael Bowie - Bass
Victor Lewis - Drums (Except #5)
Victor See-Yuen - Percussion (#2,8) 

Tracks:
1. Time To Let Go {Terell Stafford} (4:43)
2. Was It Meant To Be? {Stephen Scott} (6:15)
3. Polka Dots And Moonbeams {Johnny Burke, James van Heusen} (5:55)
4. Qui Qui {Terell Stafford} (7:15)
5. On The Trail {Harold Adamson, Ferde Grofé} (8:09)
6. Why? {Terell Stafford} (4:31)
7. Soon {Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers} (6:26)
8. Send In The Clowns {Stephen Sondheim} (5:47)
9. Just A Closer Walk With Thee {Traditional, Arr. Terell Stafford} (3:42) 

Credits:
Producer, Mastering, Arranger - Terell Stafford
Executive Producer - Alan Bates
Engineer, Mixing - Jim Anderson
Assistant Engineer, Mixing Assistant - Scott Austin, Scott Young
Session Photographer - Mitchell Seidel
Mastering - Dave Glasser
Cover Photo - R. Andrew Lepley