Charles McPherson Quartet with Steve Kuhn - But Beautiful

Charles McPherson delves into a number of standards in this collection of timeless ballads, well accompanied by pianist Steve Kuhn, bassist David Williams, and drummer Leroy Williams.

The alto saxophonist's tone has a bit of a bluesy edge throughout the sessions, as if he is reminiscing about a past love. His heartfelt rendition of "My Ideal" stands out, as do his two interpretations of songs by Nicholas Brodszky, "Be My Love" and "Love Letters." McPherson picks up the tempo with "I Didn't Know What Time It Was," though his tone doesn't shift to a lighter mood. The relaxed mood makes this release perfect for late-night listening.

McPherson himself denounced the cover as 'tasteless' after the records release - and no doubt it is one of Venus's most rique. I can't think of many other jazz albums with a women's snatch on full view. Please post in comments if you know of another!

Enjoy, link in comments.

Simone - Romance

No one will accuse Simone Kopmajer of being one of jazz's forceful, aggressive belters. Her singing is subdued, restrained, subtle and understated - an approach that serves the Austrian vocalist well here. She's joined by pianist John Di Martino (who handles the arrangements), acoustic bassist George Mraz, drummer Tim Horner and tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander.

Improvisers who favor the sort of delicate vulnerability that characterizes the cool-toned Kopmajer have, in the past, been accused of not swinging, but Kopmajer does swing. She doesn't swing in the robust, hard-edged way that belters like Dianne Reeves, Ernestine Anderson and Kitty Margolis swing, but she swings nonetheless - and emotionally, she gets her points across whether she is turning her attention to soul man Bill Withers' "Whatever Happens" or well-known Tin Pan Alley standards like "Where or When," "Exactly Like You" and "The Way You Look Tonight." Like Shirley Horn, Chet Baker, Carol Sloane and Helen Merrill - four of the singers she inspires stylistic comparisons to - Kopmajer demonstrates that a whisper can be as effective as a shout when it comes to jazz improvisation.

Link in comments, enjoy.

New York Trio - Love You Madly

The vast Duke Ellington songbook is always ripe for exploration, and the New York Trio, featuring pianist Bill Charlap, bassist Jay Leonhart, and drummer Bill Stewart, is up to the task. The gorgeous ballad "The Star Crossed Lovers" is in good hands, as Charlap gently examines the facets of this gem, accompanied by Leonhart's spacious basslines and Stewart's whispering brushes.

The brisk run through "Love You Madly" is transformed into an extended workout instead of the brief versions typically played by its composer. Charlap's bluesy gospel introduction to "I'm Just a Lucky So-and-So" will turn a few heads. Even though there's nothing new about tackling "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" at a racehorse tempo, this trio's intricate workout is a bit more abstract than most recordings. Charlap's jaunty treatment of "I Let a Song Go Out of My Heart" suggests its composer's stride piano roots. Charlap is a favourite of the Venus pianists and his disc never drift over into the 'tame' category. Enjoy!

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Steve Kuhn - Quiereme Mucho

Veteran pianist Steve Kuhn and his trio (with bassist David Finck and drummer Al Foster) dig into six Spanish and Mexican melodies with Quiereme Mucho, turning them into straight-ahead jazz.

Latin rhythms are largely absent from a set that includes "Andalucia" ("The Breeze and I"), an up-tempo "Besame Mucho" and "Time Was" ("Duerme"). The music in general is boppish and full of wit, with Kuhn often quoting other unexpected songs along the way. Finck and Foster have their brief spots but this is largely Steve Kuhn's show. The music may have been largely de-Latinized but the result is one of Kuhn's most swinging recordings.

Link in comments, enjoy.

Eddie Higgins with Scott Hamilton - My Funny Valentine

Another classy Venus outing for this perfectly matched pair. Higgins is sort of the perfect partner for Scott - completely in the pocket, a safe pair of hands.

By now you'll know what to expect - there are no surprises, just standards played with a classy touch. The opening 'You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To' swings nicely and 'I'm a Fool To Want You' is done as a gentle bossa. The title track opens with a nice piano intro that has an almost classical symmetry, when the melody enters you can hear the air blow through Hamilton's tenor. All nice stuff. Enjoy.

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Phil Woods (with strings) - The Thrill Is Gone

With his regular group (Bill Charlap, Steve Gilmore, and Bill Goodwin) minus trumpeter Brian Lynch, Woods adds strings conducted by his old friend Eric Doney on this collection of ballads.

"And When We're Young" is the alto saxophonist's tribute to the late Senator Robert F. Kennedy, who was assassinated around the time it was written. The leader's lush alto gives way to a brisk Latin-flavored passage featuring powerful solos by violinist Andy Stein and Charlap on piano, while Woods humorously detours into "Nature Boy" upon his return. The strings introduce a lively arrangement of "It Never Entered My Mind," and another favorite of the alto saxophonist, "If I Should Lose You."

Unlike many jazz recordings with strings, they complement rather than overwhelm the musicians. But it is almost impossible for a Phil Woods-led date to turn out less than pretty damn good. Enjoy!

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Fred Hersch - Everybody's Song But My Own

Fred's Venus debut. He is widely recognized for his ability to steadfastly create a unique body of original works while reinventing the standard jazz repertoire - investing time- tested classics with keen insight, fresh ideas and extraordinary technique. Hersch is now considered to be the most prolific and widely- praised solo jazz pianist of his generation. He used to be Brad Mehldau's teacher and heaing Fred at time you can sort of tell where Brad might have been influenced in terms of harmonic colour.

But here he's playing in a trio alongside John Herbert and Eric McPherson, all American songbook stuff. 'The Wind' aside you won't find the delicate meanderings on this solo records but all trademark the humour and lightness is there (listen to the head of Shall We Dance). The title track is a great peice of piano trio playing and the version of In The Wee Small Hours is simply lovely (taken solo).

Recording wise I think this has been slightly over-compressed, atlhough once you're 'in' listening to it you soon get used to it. Enjoy - link in comments.

Ken Peplowski - When You Wish Upon A Star

Another gorgeous album by Ken P here. The actual physical disc is a double album containing both tenor and clarinet versions of each tune. Here I've just got the tenor versions.

By now you'll know the form - superbly accompanied by Ted Rosenthal, this disc is one sublime sounding standard after another. My favourites are 'In The Wee Small Hours' (not taken too slow) and the final 'Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year' which is just a duet between Ken and Ted. Enjoy!

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Bob Kindred - Nights of Boleros and Blues

Bob Kindred is a great tenor sax player who is consistently underrated and underexposed. Aside from some CDs released by the Mapleshade label, it is not easy to find his leader albums on the market. For this second release from Venus, Kindred and co. decided to do a collection of Latin music, mostly boleros.

The brawny and sexy sound of Kindred's tenor is a perfect match for this mysterious and romantic music. The music transports the listener to a steamy bar in a subtropical country in Latin America. One can almost feel the hot and humid air and it's perfect late night listening, whatever you're up to. Enjoy.

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Renato Sellani Trio - My Foolish Heart

Sellani is an active musician with a classical trio and recording duets with Enrico Rava but this trio album has him sounding so comfortable with Massimo Moriconi (bass) and Massimo Manzi (drums).

Sellani has a lyrical style, ranging from a tradition of the great pianists of the past and while this records doesn't contain much that will surprise fans and close listeners of piano players there is a quality here that has earned him the title of "poet of improvisation" by one critic. See what you think, it's certainly a nice disc although not quite up there with David Hazeltine's efforts on the label. Enjoy.

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