Jay Leonhart (with Ted Rosenthal) - Sensitive To The Touch (2001)

Feeling very much at home in a swing setting, Jay Leonhart takes on Harold Arlen, making Arlen's hits zip to new life on Sensitive to the Touch. From the clarinet, bass, drum opening of "Ding Dong the Wicked Witch Is Dead" to the sax, bass, vocalizing of the last tune, "As Long as I Live," this band swings hard. Leonhart and clarinetist/saxophonist Ken Peplowski have such obvious synchronicity, while pianist Ted Rosenthal and drummer Grady Tate don't hesitate to jump right into the fray. (Sunsh Stein, JazzTimes)

Jay Leonhart - bass, vocals

Ken Peplowski - sax, clarinet

Ted Rosenthal - piano

Grady Tate - drums

11 tr.

Zone E
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Aaron Goldberg Trio - In Toulouse, France (2012)

Festival Jazz sur son 31, 

Toulouse, France

October 26th 2012

Aaron Goldberg, piano

Reuben Rogers, bass

Obed Calvaire, drums 

Wes Anderson, alto saxophone (encore)

11 tr.

102 minutes

FM

Zone E

Alan Pasqua - Twin Bill, Two Piano Music Of Bill Evans (2011)

Alan Pasqua, chairman of Jazz Studies at USC’s Thornton School of Music, was born in New Jersey and began studying piano at the age of seven, playing both classical and jazz. He attended Indiana University and received his bachelor's degree in jazz studies from the New England Conservatory. His teachers at the time were Jaki Byard, Thad Jones, George Russell, David Baker and Gunther Schuller. While performing a concert at Carnegie Hall, Pasqua met the legendary drummer Tony Williams. Pasqua was asked to join The New Tony Williams Lifetime along with guitarist Allan Holdsworth. After recording two “Lifetime” albums for Columbia Records, Pasqua relocated in Los Angeles. This cd features Pasqua recorded on two pianos, playing the music of Bill Evans, and has be released in the Fall of 2011 on the BFM Jazz label. (Amazon)

Alan Pasqua - piano

11 tr. 

Zone E

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Yaron Herman - Jazzahead, Bremen (2008)

jazzahead

kulturzentrum schlachthof

bremen, germany

17.04.2008

Yaron Herman - piano

5 tr.

Zone E

Don Friedman Trio - My Favorite Things (2004)

Don Friedman, who has recorded quite a few dates as a leader, as well as being an in-demand sideman, is joined by two other top-notch veterans, bassist George Mraz and drummer Lewis Nash, for this 2003 studio date. One of the biggest challenges for a jazz musician is to find new approaches to the most frequently played standards, something the trio seems to do effortlessly. A good starting point is the opening track, a stunning rendition of "My Favorite Things." Rather than follow the mantra set by John Coltrane in the early '60s, Friedman doesn't postpone the release of the theme nor does he play it in a modal setting. Instead, his re-voices it with lush chord substitutions, while never losing touch with it. The pianist also includes three originals: the catchy call-and-response blues "Schmooze Blooze," the lightning hard bop line "Half and Half" (a great feature for Nash), and the lovely ballad finale "Summer's End." Highly recommended. (Ken Dryden)

Don Friedman - piano

George Mraz - bass

Lewis Nash - drums

10 tr.

Ziddu

Michel Camilo - Live In Tokyo (2008)

Tokyo Jazz Festival 2008

International Forum Hall A

Tokyo, Japan

Aug. 30, 2008

Michel Camilo (p)

Charles Flores (b)

Dafnis Prieto (ds)

7 tr.

FM
Zone E

Taylor Eigsti - Daylight At Midnight (2010)

In his previous CDs he has covered Björk and The Gels, as well as recording his own "Fallback Plan Suite," in three movements, on Let it Come to You (Concord, 2008).

With Daylight at Midnight, Eigsti goes even further, not only interpreting contemporary artists like Coldplay, Rufus Wainwright, MuteMath and Imogen Heap, but featuring a vocalist for the first time: the transcendentally pure and soulful Becca Stevens,, with whom he wrote two of the songs. He also plays with the instrumentation—adding Fender Rhodes, Rhodes PianoBass, electric piano and Melliotron samples—and mixes the terrific trio tracks (with bassist Harash Rhagavan and drummer Eric Harland) with a duo featuring long-time colleague and friend, the wonderful guitarist Julian Lage.

Taylor Eigsti: piano, rhythm piano, Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer electric piano, Melliotron samples; 

Harish Raghavan: acoustic and electric bass; 

Eric Harland: drums; 

Julian Lage: guitars; 

Becca Stevens: vocals. 

11 tr.

Ziddu

Keith Jarrett Trio - Munich (2013)

Gasteig, Philharmonie

Munich, Germany

9th of July, 2013

Keith Jarrett, piano

Gary Peacock, bass

Jack DeJohnette. drums

11 tr.

77:34

Thanks (ziddu)

Alessandro Lanzoni Trio - On The Snow (2007)

It's a distinct tradition that has transformed the initial influence of Bill Evans into a special national lineage, and the 15 year-old Alessandro Lanzoni is its latest incarnation. At this stage in his development, he's no Pieranunzi—nor is anybody else—but he's a compelling player in a thoughtful vein, already more than promising. There's real feeling and invention in his playing rather than the rote learning that might be feared. For more: http://www.alessandrolanzoni.com. 

Alessandro Lanzoni - piano

Ares Tavolazzi - bass

Walter Paoli-drums

8 tr.

Ziddu

Ahmad Jamal Quartet - Rose Theater, New York (2008)

Rose Theater, NYC

Jazz at Lincoln Center

2008-09-21

Ahmad Jamal - piano

James Cammack - bass

James Johnson - drums

Manolo Badrena - percussions (tracks 8, 10)

Guest: Wynton Marsalis - trumpet (track 12)

13 tr.

Broadcast

Thanks (ziddu)

Fred Hersch - Evanessence (1990)

Initially released in Japan in 1990, Evanessence didn't come out in the U.S. until the Philadelphia-based Evidence Music reissued it in 1998. This excellent CD finds Hersch (who evolved into one of the finest acoustic pianists of the 1990s) paying tribute to the person he has been compared to more than anyone: Bill Evans. To be sure, Evans has had a major impact on Hersch's crystalline, elegant pianism. But Hersch (whose other main influences include Ahmad Jamal and Keith Jarrett) is far from a slavish imitator of Evans, and the fact that he's very much his own person comes through on both Evans' compositions (including "Turn Out the Stars," "We Will Meet Again" and "Remembering the Rain") and sensitive interpretations of "Alice in Wonderland" and "You Must Believe in Spring." Though Hersch's admiration for Evans (especially his 1970s work) is hard to miss, he comes across as someone who's adamant about being himself. (Alex Henderson)

Fred Hersch - piano

Toots Thielemans - harmonica

Gary Burton - vibraphone

Michael Formanek, Marc Johnson - bass

Jeff Hirshfield - drums

11 tr.

Recorded at The Studio, New York on August 16-17, 1990.

Zone E

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Baptiste Trotignon Trio - Jazzdor Jazzfestival (2009)

Jazzdor Strasbourg-Berlin

Französisches Jazzfestival

Babylon

berlin, germany

12. june 2009

Baptiste Trotignon - piano

Thomas Bramerie - bass

Franck Agulhon - drums

5 tr.

Zone E

Alboran Trio - Meltemi (2006)

When ACT get it right, they really get it right. With the Alboran Trio's debut album, Meltemi, the label has struck European piano trio gold again—and with something very different from EST. Dark Scandinavian nights are out; bright Mediterranean days are in. The album, which was collectively produced by the trio, is infused throughout with warm sunlight and the smell of orange groves, mint tea and kif. The Alboran Trio takes its name from the narrow stretch of water which connects Europe and Africa around the Straits of Gibraltar, long a conduit of cultural exchange. Pianist and composer Paolo Paliaga, who formed the group with fellow Italians Dino Contenti (bass) and Gigi Biolcati (drums) in '03, consciously set out to draw on musical traditions from all around the Mediterranean. (Chris May)

Paolo Paliaga - piano

Dino Contenti - bass

Gigi Biolcati - drums

10 tr.

Ziddu

Aaron Parks Trio - Cully Jazz Fest (2010)

28th Cully Jazz Festival

Cully, Switzerland

April 9, 2010

Aaron Parks - piano

Matt Brewer - bass

Tommy Crane - drums

6 tr.

58:43

Radio broadcast

Zone E

The Amazing Bud Powell - Time Waits (1959)

Bud Powell's Time Waits also known as The Amazing Bud Powell, Vol. 4, comes from a classic piano trio date from May, 1958 and is considered one of the absolute best from Powell’s late period. Bouts of mental disease resulted in highs and lows in his final discography, but the majority of his titles cut for Blue Note in the late 1950s stand out. Showing he still possessed what listeners and critics called ‘the bounce’, this album in particular reinforces Powell as a first-rate composer, with the debut of seven originals including the magnificent “John’s Abbey” and the title tune. Bassist Sam Jones and drummer Philly Joe Jones know how to stay out of his way and their contributions are nothing short of perfection. All three truly nail it on the remainder; “Sub City”, Dry Soul”, “Marmalade”, “Monopoly” and the Afro-Latin groove of “Buster Rides Again”. 

Bud Powell, piano

Sam Jones, bass

"Philly" Joe Jones, drums

   

8 tr.

Thanks (ziddu)