A swinging tribute to Frank Sinatra... Titled after the New York City club Frank Sinatra frequented in the '60s - where Monty Alexander held his first steady gig in the Big Apple - Monty Alexander's new Concord CD Echoes of Jilly's is a swinging tribute to Ol' Blue Eyes from the pianist who truly knows the man and his music.
Monty Alexander Steaming Hot
UPC 13431223221
Release # CCD2-2232-2
One of the most distinctive and exhilarating pianists in jazz, Jamaican-born New Yorker, Monty Alexander, plays in a uniquely super-charged style that at once bounces happily on the front edge of the beat while, at the same time, swings deeply and mightily. Whenever Monty is at the helm of a jazz trio, you can bet that the music will be Steaming Hot.
Over the course of her 10-album career with Concord, Allyson has expanded her breadth of repertoire to include Tin Pan Alley, Gershwin, Porter, John Coltrane, blues, new standards, French chansons and Brazilian bossa nova and samba. Allyson has appeared in clubs throughout the U.S. (from the Blue Note in New York to Yoshi's in the San Francisco Bay Area), at international festivals (including Melbourne, Australia) and in concert halls worldwide, including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center.
Kenny Barron has been playing piano out there for two-thirds of his life. This son of Philadelphia began work barely out of high school, partly through his late brother Bill's solicitude. kenny played with homeboy Jimmy Heath and Dizzy Gillespie in his teens, Yusef Lateef and Ron Carter in his thirties, sax-man Bill often. He's also co-founded the Monk-band Sphere and duetted prettily with romantic soul-mate Stan Getz. Nevertheless, opportunities to attack the keyboard all alone are rare.
David Benoit Orchestral Stories
UPC 013431853022
Release # PKD-8530-2
David Benoit is one of the most accomplished pianists, composers and producers in the contemporary jazz arena. But now, with Orchestral Stories, his musical universe has expanded to include this incredible offering of symphonic/orchestral pieces all woven together by the brilliance only this musical genius can do. Features special guests DAVE KOZ and RICK BRAUN, as well as THE CZECH NATIONAL SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA and members of THE ASIA AMERICA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA.
Ray Brown Trio Moore Makes 4
UPC 013431447726
Release # CCD-4477-2
The members of the Ray Brown Trio (the bassist-leader, pianist Gene Harris and drummer Jeff Hamilton) all grew to love the playing of tenor-saxophonist Ralph Moore when the four were traveling as members of Gene Harris' big band. On this Ray Brown CD, the veteran bassist virtually turned over the entire session to Moore. The quartet performs a variety of veteran standards (including some from the bop era such as Charlie Parker's "Quasimodo" and Dizzy Gillespie's "The Champ") plus Wes Montgomery's "SOS" and Brown's "Ralph's Boogie."
Ray Brown Trio Soular Energy
UPC 013431426820
Release # CCD-4268-2
This album is important as an early milestone in pianist Gene Harris' second career. Harris, who had led the popular Three Sounds in the 1960s, had been living in obscurity in Boise, ID, for several years before he was urged by bassist Ray Brown to come to the West Coast for some recording sessions. Harris became a permanent member of Brown's regular trio for quite a few years before launching his own quartet. He had lost none of his technique, soul, or swing in the interim, as he shows throughout this fine release.
Dave Brubeck Moscow Night
UPC 013431435327
Release # CCD-4353-2
What made this Moscow night unique? Perhaps it was the realization that the band was, after thirty years of negotiations, cancellations and frustrations, actually on tour in the Soviet Union. This concert was the last of five in Moscow, each one performed to a packed house of enthusiastic and knowledgeable fans. Whatever the reason, the fact is that this recording is documentation of one of the most remarkable nights in the history of the Dave Brubeck Quartet.
Kenny Burrell Lucky So And So
UPC 013431495123
Release # CCD-4951-2
Combine a consummate sense of swing, an encyclopedic musical vocabulary and always-excellent taste and you have the one-and-only jazz guitar artistry of the legendary KENNY BURRELL. Returning to the expressive quartet format-featuring Onaje Allan Gumbs (piano), Rufus Reid (bass), and Akira Tana (drums)- Burrell's perfectly nuanced and profound playing reveals new, gleaming facets in even the most familiar jazz standards, including a few Duke Ellington favorites.
Spend some quiet, stolen moments with jazz guitar legend Kenny Burrell. A master of subtlety, nuance and swing, Burrell is heard in prime form on two of his Concord Jazz classics-Tin Tin Deo (featuring Reggie Johnson and Carl Burnette) and Moon and Sand (featuring John Heard, Roy McCurdy, and Kenneth Nash). With each repeated listening, new facets of Burrell's expressive artistry are revealed, making each of your stolen moments with these Kenny Burrell gems, treasured moments, indeed.
With the album New Horizons, the Caribbean Jazz Project has been reborn, and the new band boasts a sound as clear and inviting as a white sandy beach disappearing into an azure sea. With its markedly different instrumentation, the new version of CJP has little in common with the old one, unless you count brilliant musicianship, a joyous sound and free flowing rhythmic dexterity coupled with probing improvisation.
Benny Carter & Oscar Peterson Benny Carter Meets Oscar Peterson
UPC 025218687027
Release # OJCCD-870-2
A whippersnapper of only 79 when he recorded this album with Oscar Peterson in 1986, Benny Carter continued to astonish the world with his power and creativity. Peterson welcomed Carter's suggestion that they record together after a hiatus of many years. The rhythm section is Peterson's working trio of the mid-1980s, augmented on guitar by Oscar's frequent partner Joe Pass.
Freddy Cole A Circle Of Love
UPC 025218967426
Release # FCD-9674-2
"One of my very favorite singers"; Milt Jackson. "His talent and music are like a fine, rare wine."; Benny Golson. "A very, very important voice with a special elegance and quality."; Joe Williams. "He sounds wonderful."; Betty Carter. "Freddy bears a standard and is an inspiration to those of us who love the music."; Abbey Lincoln. with Cyrus Chestnut, Larry Willis, George Mraz, Tom Hubbard, Steve Berrios, Jerry Byrd, Joe Locke, Danny Moore, Don Braden, Joe Ford, Mel Martin Recorded September 26-27, 1993 and December 1995.
Chick Corea Elektric Band To The Stars
UPC 013431904328
Release # SCD-9043-2
Restless music pacesetter and multi-Grammy Award-winner, Chick Corea now returns with his genre-bending, all-star Elektric Band, featuring Frank Gambale, Eric Marienthal, John Patitucci, Dave Weckl and guest appearances by Steve Wilson, Pernell Saturnino and Gayle Moran Corea. Featuring all-new Corea compositions inspired by his favorite science fiction novel, To The Stars, Chick and company's rocket-fueled performances are unquestionably out of this world.
From note one, this band is swinging and In the Pocket! Amongst the first dozen recordings issued by the then-fledgling Concord Jazz label, these two inspired sextet sessions - co-led by Herb Ellis and Ray Brown - virtually defined the early Concord Jazz sound. Disc One - After You've Gone - captured this amalgamation of all-star jazzmen an unbridled jam, live at the Concord Jazz Festival. Disc Two - Hot Tracks, with Mike Melvoin replacing George Duke in the lineup - documents the hard-swinging stalwarts jamming in an encore session in the recording studio. These two Concord Jazz classics are a must for anyone who likes fun-loving, swinging jazz.
This is one enjoyable Maynard Ferguson jazz date! His ten-piece Big Bop Nouveau band consists of four trumpets, one trombone, two reeds, and a three-piece rhythm section. The repertoire includes a few swinging pieces, the novelty Ferguson vocal "He Can't Swing," Wallace singing on the R&B-ish "I Don't Want to Be a Hoochi Coochie Man No Mo'," the exotic "Sweet Baba Suite" (which reflects Ferguson's interest in Indian music), and "It's the Gospel Truth."
Maynard Ferguson & Big Bop Nouveau Brass Attitude
UPC 013431484820
Release # CCD-4848-2
Ever there was a man with Brass Attitude, it's legendary trumpet phenomenon Maynard Ferguson. And there's no little big band on this planet with more Brass Attitude in each chair than Maynard's tight-knit, swinging ensemble Big Bop Nouveau. Together, on their new album titled (you guessed it) Brass Attitude, Maynard Ferguson & Big Bop Nouveau redefine standards -- and set some new ones -- with breathtaking, attitude-filled performances of challenging new arrangements of jazz standards and exciting new compositions.
Robben Ford Blue Moon
UPC 013431211228
Release # CCD-2112-2
Guitarist and vocalist Robben Ford is back with a compelling, rock- and soul-infused album of his signature blues. One of the most awe-inspiring guitarists of our day, Robben crosses musical genres: from blues to jazz to rock with as much ease as a fit marathon runner crosses the street. And still the power, soul, groove and essence of the blues is always at the unshakable core of his distinctive music. The definitive result is Blue Moon - a colorful, expansive, and uniquely Robben Ford album, in which the master guitarist/vocalist/songwriter draws from his broad palette of musical hues to create the richest, deepest shades of blue.
Benny Golson Benny Golson's New York Scene
UPC 025218616423
Release # OJCCD-164-2
"Something In B Flat"
Benny Golson rose to prominence in the 1950s, not only as a tenor saxophonist of the warm-toned traditional school, but also as a composer, many of whose works have become jazz standards. After a long and successful career as a composer for television on the West Coast, Golson has returned to New York, where he is once again, an important tenor soloist and co-leader (with Art Farmer) of the Jazztet. These sessions, played by a quintet and a nine-piece band, are among the most representative examples of his early work. Of special interest is one of his own versions of the tune that has since been recorded by countless groups all over the world, "Whisper Not."
Dexter Gordon The Art Of The Ballad
UPC 025218310925
Release # PRCD-11009-2
Featuring Roy Brooks, Kenny Clarke, Stanley Clarke, Bob Cranshaw, Alan Dawson, Tommy Flanagan, Barry Harris, Hampton Hawes, Louis Hayes, Albert"Tootie" Heath, Billy Higgins, Oliver Jackson, Hank Jones, Sam Jones, Thad Jones, Wynton Kelly, Junior Mance, Larry Ridley, Martin Rivera, Cedar Walton, Buster Williams Recorded between 1969 & 1973.
When the subject of Jim Hall's guitar playing comes up, one of the adjectives that you inevitably hear is "lyrical." Ballads have long been one of Hall's strong points, which is why he was a logical choice for Concord Jazz's Ballad Essentials series. Released in 2000, this collection spans 1981-1989 and draws on five Concord dates, three as a leader (Circle in 1981, Jim Hall's Three in 1986, and All Across the City in 1989) and two of which are duets (First Edition with pianist George Shearing in 1981 and Live at Village West with acoustic bassist Ron Carter in 1982).
Jim Hall Storyteller
UPC 013431213123
Release # CCD2-2131-2
One of the most lyrical, harmonically sophisticated and melodically inventive guitarists in jazz, Jim Hall - with guitar in hand - is never caught without a compelling story to tell. Here, the master storyteller is spotlighted in a special 2-CD collection featuring two of his finest Concord Jazz outings - the subtle-yet-deep Circles (featuring Don Thompson, Rufus Reid, and Terry Clarke), and the expansive and timeless All Across The City (featuring Gil Goldstein, Steve LaSpina, and Terry Clarke).
Comparisons inevitably follow when Milt Jackson is heard in a quartet that isn't the Modern Jazz Quartet, but Quadrant is truly something else. Joe Pass is in the pivotal chair, and his driving attack and assertive spirit create a singular group personality beyond the vibes/guitarist/no-piano mix. Compare Pass's original"Concorde" to John Lewis's MJQ standard of the same name for a study in contrast, or hear how instinctively Jackson approaches the"down" medium tempo of"Lady Be Good" in this context. Needless to say, Ray Brown and Mickey Roker prove to be the ideal rhythm section, as Quadrant always pursues the right angle.
This exposition of the passion, swing, and heart that radiate from the soul of Illinois Jacquet brought the tenor saxophone master together with an older musician equally steeped in the blues tradition and three younger men whose rhythm section work seemed custom-made for the two veterans. Jacquet, Tiny Grimes, Wynton Kelly, Buster Williams, and Oliver Jackson demonstrated that when the common language of jazz is shared, generational differences evaporate.
Etta Jones Lonely and Blue
UPC 025218670227
Release # OJCCD-702-2
For the last decade or so of her life, Etta Jones (1928-2001) was able to finally sustain the deserved popularity she attracted briefly with her series of Prestige albums in the early Sixties. Her voice was more youthful then, although she displayed enough seasoning to carry off a program heavily laced with torch songs; and the influence of Billie Holiday was more overt, particularly when she chose such Lady Day gems as "I'm Pulling Through" and "Travelin' Light."
Among Shelly Manne's recordings, the five volumes that came out of three nights in 1959 at San Francisco's Black Hawk occupy a special place in his discography. The drummer recorded copiously during the Fifties with the band he called Shelly Manne & His Men, but this was the first time they had been captured on tape in a club, with commercial release in mind.
Shelly Manne & His Friends At The Black Hawk, Vol. 2
UPC 025218665728
Release # OJCCD-657-2
The five volumes of recordings made by Shelly Manne & His Men at the Black Hawk in San Francisco in 1959 found his quintet in remarkable fettle and inspired by the inclusion of visiting pianist Victor Feldman, Feldman, Manne, and bassist Monty Budwig comprised a dream rhythm section. Tenor saxophonist Richie Kamuca and trumpeter Joe Gordon were at their best, tight together in the ensemble and particularly inventive in their solos. Manne's was one of the groups that gave the lie to the belief that West Coast jazz was effete and bloodless.
Eric Marienthal Got You Covered!
UPC 013431853329
Release # PKD-8533-2
Eric Marienthal, one of contemporary jazz's most popular and innovative performers, is back with a new album entitled Got You Covered. This exciting collection of some of Eric's favorite classic songs-including "New York State of Mind," "Stand By Me," "You've Got a Friend," and "Moody's Mood for Love"-demonstrates the incredible interpretive skills of this great saxman. Featuring Russ Freeman, Russell Ferrante, Peter Erskine, and a special collaboration with famed pianist Chick Corea, Got You Covered uncovers the soulful, passionate sound of Eric Marienthal.
Pat Martino Desperado
UPC 025218639729
Release # OJCCD-397-2
Having apprenticed since the age of 15 with Red Holloway, Jack McDuff, Willis Jackson, Sonny Stitt, and John Handy, guitarist Pat Martino went out on his own in the late 1960s. By early 1970, when this album was made, he was turning the heads of other guitarists and was recognized as a master of the instrument. Although much of his early experience was in relatively simple and direct blues-based music, Martino explored more complex forms as well.
Fred McDowell Long Way From Home
UPC 025218053525
Release # OBCCD-535-2
The only recorded meeting between George Shearing and Carmen McRae took place in 1980 for Concord, and it's a shame there wasn't a follow-up date. Although the pianist's backing of singers on recordings is relatively infrequent, he always provides them with richly textured and inspired accompaniment. McRae is in great voice on this date, bringing out the best in songs with her emotional and dramatic interpretations.
Gerry Mulligan Midas Touch: Live In Berlin
UPC 013431216926
Release # CCD-2169-2
A pioneer of the cool, West Coast style of jazz, Gerry Mulligan's unique ability to play and improvise on the baritone saxophone with dexterity, fluidity, inventiveness and a beautiful, light tone, made him arguably the greatest jazz artist ever to lay hands on the big, difficult-to-master instrument. In this never-before-released recording, the saxophonist with the Midas touch is captured live in Berlin, in what would be the last European tour of his life. It's an inspired concert that finds the indefatigable Mulligan swinging in his own, inimitable way throughout.
Having been fascinated by contemporary Brazilian music during a playing trip to Brazil, after his return Joe Pass organized the session that resulted in Tudo Bem! Fortunately, the great percussionist Paulinho da Costa had moved to the United States and brought with him bassist Octavio Bailly and drummer Claudio Slon. Oscar Castro-Neves, the distinguished guitarist and composer, was also available.
Art Pepper No Limit
UPC 025218641128
Release # OJCCD-411-2
No longer making a comeback, in 1977 Art Pepper had firmly reinstalled himself on the jazz scene. He was playing with all of his old facility and a new depth of expression born out of the pain of his ruinous years and the joy of his personal and artistic rebirth. No Limit found Pepper once again in the company of the rapidly developing young pianist George Cables, who had been so important to the success of The Trip.
Art Pepper One September Afternoon
UPC 025218667821
Release # OJCCD-678-2
For several months prior to this session, Art had been preparing for his dream-come-true strings date, Winter Moon. Then he did it, stunningly and quickly–in two days. On the third day, satisfied and happy, the band returned to the studio, sans strings, and jammed. Stanley Cowell and Cecil McBee, master musicians, had proved their empathy with Art about a year earlier when they'd recorded the critically acclaimed Art Pepper Today.
Art Pepper The Way It Was!
UPC 025218638920
Release # OJCCD-389-2
When The Way It Was! was issued in 1972, Art Pepper's fans were surprised and pleased to discover that 16 years before, he had recorded with the enigmatic, underrated tenor saxophonist Warne Marsh. The four pieces on which they collaborated were among both men's best work of the mid-Fifties. To complete the album Contemporary added previously unissued tracks from Pepper's famous encounters with two great Miles Davis rhythm sections and a 1960 Pepper performance of "Autumn Leaves" that he regarded as one of his best solos.
Oscar Peterson Oscar Peterson Live
UPC 025218094023 Release # PACD-2310-940-2
with Kenny Clarke, Kansas Fields, Jacques Gervais, Dizzy Gillespie, Johnny Griffin, Guy Hayat, Pierre Michelot, Gilbert Rovere, Zoot Sims, Barney Wilen Recorded in Paris between 1957 and 1964.
The earliest of these recordings from the mid-1930s capture Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli shortly after they formed the Quintet of the Hot Club of France. When Reinhardt performances like "Dinah" and "Oh Lady, Be Good" were released, musicians and laymen alike were astounded by this virtuoso French gypsy's mastery of jazz, an idiom he had absorbed by listening to records. Soon, Reinhardt was radiating influence as his recordings made their way around the world and reached the ears of musicians in the land whose music had inspired him.
The Rippingtons Featuring Russ Freeman Life In The Tropics
UPC 013431850021
Release # PKD-8500-2
The Rippingtons featuring Russ Freeman, one of the supergroups of contemporary jazz, deliver one of their most innovative and creatively diverse projects, Life In The Tropics. A perennial best seller, The Rippingtons' Life In The Tropics is guaranteed to heat up the airwaves as it features an all-star lineup including: Bob James, Dave Koz, Peter White, Paul Taylor, Eric Marienthal, guest vocals by Howard Hewett and new Latin sensation, Daisy Lourdes Villa.
The Rippingtons, featuring Russ Feeman, are insuring their bets with the release of one of their most innovative and creatively diverse projects, Wild Card. Long considered one of the supergroups of contemporary jazz, The Rippingtons-in the tradition of their wildly popular Life In the Tropics CD-combine their signature sound with a Latin and R&B flair. Also spotlighting some incredible guest artists-Albita, Willie Chirino, Chante Moore and Grammy Award winner Ozomatli-The Rippingtons have clearly played a winning hand with Wild Card.
The latest release from one of the world's most relentlessly exciting Latin jazz bandleaders; finds Poncho Sanchez turning Afro-Cuban Fantasy into a full-blown, full-color, vibrant sonic reality, as he seamlessly merges jazz harmonies, melodies and improvisation with his always irresistably danceable Afro-Cuban rhythms. It's become a welcome tradition for Poncho to feature a special guest artist on his recordings.
Poncho Sanchez Soul Sauce: Memories Of Cal Tjader
UPC 013431466222
Release # CCD-4662-2
On Soul Sauce, Poncho Sanchez pays tribute to his late boss and hero vibraphonist Cal Tjader. Ruben Estrada of the Estrada Brothers (who sounds remarkably close to Tjader on vibes) was added to Sanchez' octet for the special project. Among the highlights are "Soul Sauce," "Morning," and "Poinciana Cha Cha." Solos are taken by trumpeter Stan Martin, trombonist Alex Henderson, and Scott Martin on reeds, but Estrada often takes honors.
George Shearing Duets
UPC 013431212126
Release # CCD-2121-2
The same qualities that have made George Shearing one of the most distinctive solo pianists in jazz have also made him the ideal duet partner. Quite simply, George Shearing's piano artistry embodies the ultimate combination of impeccable taste, originality, inventiveness, versatility, elegance and swing. During the decade of the '80s, Shearing recorded numerous acclaimed sets on the Concord Jazz label, including several now-classic duet collaborations.
George Shearing & The Montgomery Brothers George Shearing & The Montgomery Brothers
UPC 025218604024
Release # OJCCD-040-2
The same qualities that have made George Shearing one of the most distinctive solo pianists in jazz have also made him the ideal duet partner. Quite simply, George Shearing's piano artistry embodies the ultimate combination of impeccable taste, originality, inventiveness, versatility, elegance and swing. During the decade of the '80s, Shearing recorded numerous acclaimed sets on the Concord Jazz label, including several now-classic duet collaborations.
This recording was no casual venture for Toots Thielemans. He surrounded himself with musicians with whom he had been working regularly and in who he had complete confidence. Fred Hersch, who had been close to Toots musically for six years, took on multiple roles as pianist, producer and arranger. Fred had been with Toots on all his American gigs for five years and they had played together in Europe and in Brazil. For Toots, the key to their affinity was the music of the late Bill Evans.
Reaching all the way back to the beginnings of Concord Picante in 1979, Fiesta Picante traces nearly the entire history of the label in what amounts to a greatest-hits collection with a non-stop groove. The album succeeds as a summary of Picante and as an irresistible danceathon. Disc one is mostly devoted to tracks with a cha-cha or guajira beat, while disc two is dominated by the more rambunctious mambo style.
A drummer's drummer, a musician's musician, and a bandleader's bandleader - all aptly describe the talents of Dave Weckl, and never more so than with the release of his new Stretch CD, Synergy. From the James Brown-inspired funk of "Wet Skin" to the salsa/funk of the title track; from the African 12/8 rhythms of "High Life" to the big easy New Orleans feel of "Swamp Thing," Synergy is chock full of the awe-inspiring, polyrhythmic, funky grooves for which Weckl is revered.
