All-Time Hits & Picks

(Click on DVD to buy
or view a sample clip)

In August of 1958, in front of a Harlem brownstone, first-time photographer Art Kane assembled 57 of the greatest jazz stars of all time and snapped a picture that would live forever. Narrated by Quincy Jones, this “irresistable” (Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times), Academy Award-nominated documentary (1995) examines the fascinating lives of the musicians who showed up that day to make history. Through remarkable interviews with nearly 30 jazz greats (including Dissy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins and Art Blakey), home movies shot by Milt and Mona Hinton, and rare, archival performance footage, A Great Day in Harlem tells the story behind a legendary photograph that is still alive and kicking — and jammin’!

RETURN TO TOP

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

This is a hot one alright! Produced in 1986 by Herb Alpert, Gato blends his curiously urgent tenor sax sound with emotional musical scoring to create a tour de force. In addition to an expert group of musicians on drums, percussion, keyboards, bass and guitar, Gato pulls out all the stops and adds trumpets, trombones and a roomful of strings. The overall sound is unmistakably Barbieri.

RETURN TO TOP

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

Walter Beasley is a great saxophone player in the soul/jazz genre. He started out on the trumpet at nine, and switched over to the saxophone after being inspired by Grover Washington, Jr. As a Berklee College professor, he understands the art of the jazz saxophone. This CD is filled with songs written for that special woman in your life. In addition to the soulful solos, he also does some great vocals on “For Her,” “Don’t Say Goodnight” and “Things Change.”

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

“Perfecting the art of excellence for over six decades, with 105 albums selling over 50 million copies, Tony Bennett has come to represent the essence of elegance, tradition and artistic accomplishments. Tony celebrates his 80th birthday recording Duets of his greatest hits with today’s greatest artists: Bono, Michael Bublé, Elvis Costello, Celine Dion, Dixie Chicks, Billy Joel, Elton John, Juanes, Diana Krall, k.d. lang, John Legend, Paul McCartney, Tim McGraw, George Michael, Sting, Barbra Streisand, James Taylor, and Stevie Wonder.” —Amazon.com

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

During the 20th century, American songwriters produced songs that became the standard for vocalists around the world. While many have recorded versions of these songs over the years, Tony Bennett is in that rare class of artist who actually took part in their original interpretation. Tony Bennett Sings The Ultimate American Songbook features fifteen of the best-known songs from this large body of work.

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

Not trusting the drawing power of its co-billed veterans, singer-guitarist George Benson and singer-“vocal percussionist” Al Jarreau, or the eventfulness of their teaming, the producers of Givin’ It Up have hedged their commercial bets with a full array of guest stars. But none of the guest singers lifts the proceedings above a sleek professionalism—not Paul McCartney, who participates in a humdrum, album-ending jam on Sam Cooke’s “Bring It on Home to Me”; not the wonderful Jill Scott, who emulates Billie Holiday on a modest treatment of “God Bless the Child”; and not old pro Patti Austin. Herbie Hancock, Chris Botti, Stanley Clarke, and Marcus Miller also turn up, agreeably but unexcitingly enough, among smooth jazzers including Marion Meadows and Patrice Rushen. The material ranges from two songs to which Jarreau adds lyrics—the 1976 Benson hit “Breezin’” and “’Long Come Tutu,” based on the Miller-written title track of Miles Davis’s “Tutu”—to covers of Seals and Crofts’ “Summer Breeze” and the Daryl Hall-penned Paul Young hit, “Every Time You Go Away.” Benson and Jarreau seem a bit hemmed-in by the crowd of name contributors. Even in smooth mode, they have done livelier work than this. —Lloyd Sach

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

#7 JazzTimes Top 50 CDs 2008

“On this album’s centerpiece, a 25-minute piece in four sections inspired by nightclubs and big bands of the 1950s, the mood ranges from lyrically sentimental to hard swinging in a harmonic area not normally associated with big bands.” —Mike Shanley, JazzTimes

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

Dan Block has been active in a wide variety of musical settings. His career has taken him through all jazz styles as well as classical, pop and ethnic music. Block studied to be a symphonic clarinetist, but after 4 years at Juilliard, found he was ultimately drawn to jazz. His first gig was as a sideman on the final two Mingus albums; “Something like a Bird” and “Me Myself an Eye.”

In festivals and recordings Block has worked alongside Clark Terry, Warren Vache, Roland Hannah, Kenny Barron, Christian McBride, Louis Nash and others. Dan has been a featured performer at the Jazz in July series at the 92nd St. Y. Each year he performs at Jazz at Chautauqua. He has worked as a sideman in small groups lead by Marty Grosz, Joe Cohn and Richard Wyands and recorded with such vocalists as Michael Feinstein, Rosemary Clooney, Anne Hampton Calloway and Linda Ronstadt. His big band credentials include Toshiko Akyoshi, Maria Schneider and David Berger with whom he has made several European Tours. Block has recorded with Atlantic, Verve, Concord and Deutche Grammophon.

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

Recorded live at “Upstairs @ Red”—December 16th, 2003 in New York City. This album showcases many of Block’s original jazz compositions along with a few standards including Jerome Kern’s “Pick Yourself Up.” Mastered by industry veteran Wayne Warnecke and endorsed by Jimmy Heath himself, this record reminds us of what straight ahead jazz was meant to be. Eight songs include musical appearances by Patrick Poladian on piano, Michael Fleming on bass, Buddy Henry on drums, and of course Block himself on alto sax, clarinet, flute and vocals.

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

Click here to see more Chris Botti CDs.

This native Oregonian studied jazz trumpet, finding himself in New York by 1986, where he studied with the late trumpet master Woody Shaw. Inspired by the calm coolness of Miles Davis, Botti eschewed the bebop style for a lush, atmospheric approach that has won him praise from both jazz aficionados and mainstream pop music fans. His most recent critically acclaimed album, “To Love Again,” pairs his expressive trumpet with such famous singers as Sting, Michael Buble, Gladys Knight and Steven Tyler.

Click here for an article on Chris Botti in JazzTimes.

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

In the mid ’70s, trumpeter Randy Brecker and his saxophonist brother Michael were the Wynton and Branford Marsalis of their jazz fusion day. This live date features the brothers performing with the WDR Big Band in Koln, Germany in 2003. Augmented by conductor/arranger Vince Mendoza, bassist Will Lee, and drummer Peter Erskine, the Breckers revive some of their hits from their classic LPs Back to Back, Don’t Stop the Music, Heavy Metal Be-Bop, Detente, and Strap-Hangin’. Randy’s full-bodied trumpet tones and Michael’s Tranish sheets-of-sound sax appeal reveal their tradition-born technique applied to funk, world, and pop-oriented soundscapes. The peppery title track and the mid-tempo backbeat on “Sponge” reveal their mainstream jazz cred, and the oblique “Wayne Out” is a tribute to Wayne Shorter. The Latin-tinged “Shanghigh” is a shout-out to Randy’s former boss Horace Silver, while the percussive “For Barry” reveals Michael’s type of tenor madness. Contrary to some critics, these fusion cats could swing. —Eugene Holley, Jr.

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

Click here to see more Dave Brubeck CDs.

This was the first jazz instrumental to sell a million copies. Paul Desmond, the alto saxophone player from Brubeck’s quartet, wrote the song, and his fluid attack and airy tone gave the group much of its appeal. Time Out/Take Five also contains a great drum solo by Joe Morello, who threatened Brubeck that he would quit the band if he had to play with Desmond. Fortunately for jazz lovers, Dave said, “Forget it!”

Another signature tune is “Blue Rondo A La Turk.” Brubeck was greatly influenced by the West Coast sound, but his quartet’s contribution is the use of irregular meters, such as the 5/4 time in this composition. Along with Miles’ “Kind of Blue” and Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme,” Brubeck’s “Time Out/Take Five” is a must for any jazz collection. Brubeck is still playing today with a new group, but having Paul Desmond as his saxophone player was pure magic and will probably never be duplicated.

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

Victor Cager’s dad was a master barber and an amatuer saxophonist who played stock arrangements in his barbershop on Sunday afternoons. “I remember him playing Stardust like it was yesterday,” says the singer. Victor’s uncle, Red King—a legendary Dallas pianist—was another early influence. Victor continued the family musical tradition by taking up the tenor saxophone and performed throughout his school and Navy career. The death of the singer’s beloved parents in the mid eighties marked the end of Victor’s career as a saxophonist and the beginning of a dark period that included periods of homelessness. “I lost all hope,” says the singer, but even in this dark time, I had a song in my heart. Singing became the new vehicle for Victor’s talents. The singer took the live recordings of Billy Eckstine as the basis for his singing style. The artist’s repertoire is firmly rooted in jazz, standards, and the blues. Now the sounds of everyday life provide the inspiration for Victor’s singing. “I ride the train and I love the sounds of everyday life; the architecture — the traffic — the people — they all speak to you and provide a vibe — if you listen,” says Cager. “My music is practical music that reflects everyday life and doesn’t require a degree to understand.”

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

In his CD “Urban Still Life,” Lou Caputo attempts to capture the experience of the American urban cultural setting—and does quite well. Caputo, a multi-woodwind instrumentalist, begins the CD with a swinging rendition of "In Walked Bud" (Thelonius Monk) followed by "Road Song" (Wes Montgomery), on which Caputo plays flute. The band, a tight ensemble complete with horns, exudes a joyful expressiveness throughout the album bringing home Caputo’s vision to capture the feel of the city. Reviewer D. Oscar Groomes from O's Place Jazz Newsletter raves: “This combination of standards cuts across most urban centers and is an excellent portrayal of the music within. For the listener, it’s a high.” Other tracks include Mambo Inn (Mario Bauza and Bobby Woodland), Somewhere in the Night (Billy May), Chi Chi (Charlie Parker) and more. Lou Caputo has been performing in the New York City area for many years. He has performed with some of the jazz greats like Richard Williams Duke Jordan, Chris White, Richie Cole, Turk Muro, Howard Johnson, as well as headliners like Lou Rawls, Shirley Basey and Cab Calloway. In Caputo’s words: “Urban still life is my first endeavor under my own name and as stated it is an attempt to create a musical picture of sights and sounds I have seen and heard in my years around New York City.”

RETURN TO TOP

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

In 1945, after hearing that Anita O’Day had left Stan Kenton’s Orchestra, she auditioned and got the role as a vocalist. At first, she bore a heavy resemblance to Anita O’Day, both physically and vocally. She eventually found her unique vocal style, characterized by a warm and smooth voice with a unique enunciation. During the time when she sang in the Orchestra, she changed her name once again to June Christy. Her unique voice produced successful hits such as “Shoo Fly Pie and Apple Pan Dowdy,” the million-selling “Tampico” in 1945, and “How High the Moon”. “Tampico” was Kenton’s biggest-selling record. When the Kenton Band temporarily disbanded in 1948, she sang in nightclubs for a short time, and reunited with the band two years later in 1950.

From 1952, she started to work on her own records, primarily with the arranger and bandleader Pete Rugolo. In 1954, she released her own LP “Something Cool”, recorded with Rugolo and his orchestra, a gathering of notable Los Angeles jazz musicians that included her husband, multi-instrumentalist Bob Cooper. “Something Cool” was rereleased as a 12“ LP in 1955 with additional selections, and then entirely rerecorded in stereo in 1960 with a somewhat different personnel. ”Something Cool“ was also important in launching the vocal cool movement of the 1950s, and it hit the Top 20 Charts, as did her third album ”The Misty Miss Christy“ (1956). She continued to release more records, which influenced future jazz vocalists and set new standards for the music.

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

Rip Crystal's favoriate music has always been the "cool" jazz of the late fifties and early sixties featuring artists like Gerry Mulligan, Stan Getz, Bob Brookmeyer and Clifford Brown. A few months ago, Rip heard John Chiodini play the guitar and John heard Rip sing. They knew at that moment they had to make music together. Their versatile styles blend into one rich sound and explore a wide gamut of genres . . . from swing to bebop to blues to Latin to pop.

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

These 1965 recordings of the Coltrane Quartet, which included McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums, achieved legendary status because of the mastery evident in the tapes and because of the fact that the Quartet would not survive the year. But the available tapes of the two sessions recorded at the Half Note in New York City were inferior, at least until recently when Coltrane’s personal master tapes were authorized for release. A great album for lovers of Coltrane.

RETURN TO TOP

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

After winning the World Famous Apollo Theater’s Amateur Night in 1993, singer Glenda Davenport gave up her 19-year-long career at IBM, and now performs regularly throughout the New York area in duo, trio, quartet, quintet and big band settings. Her wide-ranging vocals, from explosive to sultry, have accompanied the music of such greats as Carmen Leggio, Don Friedman, Bucky Pizzarelli and Joe Cohn. Glenda is the proud executive producer of her debut CD entitled “Sophisticated Lady.” She can also be heard on the CDs of Harvey Kaiser, The Jimmy Hill Quartet, Debbie Moran and Stephen Roane.

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

Quite possibly the most influential (and best selling) jazz recording of all time, this CD is a must-have for anybody even remotely interested in the art form called jazz. The drummer, Jimmy Cobb, said the recording was made in heaven, since he felt its contents were simply not of this world. The personnel on this great recording includes John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Bill Evans, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers and Cobb — a power lineup. If you don’t have this yet, get it!

RETURN TO TOP

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

Click here to see more Les Demerle CDs.

The Dynamic Les DeMerle Orchestras, featuring the inspired drumming of Les DeMerle and the versatile singing of Bonnie Eisele, are based on Amelia Island, Florida, where they can often be found at the award-winning Ritz-Carlton Hotel. In addition to playing at many private parties, corporate events and weddings in the area, they have traveled around the U.S. playing to rave reviews. The orchestras can vary from an intimate 3-piece band to a roaring 17-piece orchestra, and the more personnel in the band the more "dynamic" the sound. Add the ingredients of Eisele’s vocal stylings, and you have the recipe for great musical entertainment.

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

The exotic sounds of The Martin Denny Group inspired James Michener to write a glowing tribute to the group on the liner of their hit Liberty record album “Hypnotique.” Michener had been a constant visitor to the Hawaiian Village in Honolulu where Martin Denny organized the group and originated the wedding of primitive and exotic sounds to American jazz. Michener’s reaction has been the universal reaction wherever the Martin Denny Group has played and is a tribute to the powerful impact Martin Denny has made on the contemporary music scene. His first album “Exotica 1” created much attention and soon hit the best-selling charts. Four more albums followed and in each one Denny has added to his stature as a musician and composer.

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

Love it or hate it, you probably would agree that the principal exponent of the smooth jazz sound is this man right here, Kenny G. Hugely popular, his light soprano saxophone stylings have created a unique sound. On this 2004 album, he teams up with many notables, including: Arturo Sandoval, Chaka Khan, David Sanborn, Gladys Knight, Burt Bacharach, and Barbra Streisand.

RETURN TO TOP

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

Click here to see more Kenny G CDs.

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

“With the still-formidable Coltrane disciple Pharoah Sanders featured on tenor saxophone and pianist Mulgrew Miller, . . . the repeating modal patterns popularized by Coltrane are put to stirring use. Serving the master’s spirituality in compellingly different ways—Garrett with his slashing attack, Sanders with his powerfully rooted sound—the saxophonists play off each other to sometimes thrilling effect. The album is nothing if not derivative: Its employment of wordless vocals recalls Donald Byrd’s choir-enriched classics and, with the great Bobby Hutcherson featured on vibes, Return to Forever. But the music never flags, even on cuts running to 10 and 12 minutes, boosted by the limber, propulsive drumming of Brian Blade.” —Lloyd Sachs, Amazon.com

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

Today original music tends to fall into two camps popular and academic. There are those that write purely for the purposes of making money and those that write purely for the sake of complexity. Jesse Gelber’s music is the rare exception that combines the sophistication of academic knowledge with the accessibility of American Popular Song. Jesse holds a Master’s in jazz theory from Rutgers University and a Bachelor’s in jazz performance and composition from the New England Conservatory of Music. Jesse has lectured on topics like Bitonality for the Music Theory Society of New York State, he teaches seminars on the history of jazz and blues piano at the National Guitar Workshop, and he teaches courses on music theory at Rutgers University. Despite Jesse’s academic background his music tends to be melodic and memorable. His work has been sung and played by Theodore Bikel, Hal Linden, and The Massachusetts Springfield Symphony. He won a 1997 ASCAP Foundation — Morton Gould Young Composer Award for his Opera, Broad Stripes and Bright Stars, which was showcased January of 2002 at La MaMa theater. He was the musical director for both the 50th Anniversary of Israel Concert in Boston’s Symphony Hall, and A Delhi-Mix performed at Kaye Playhouse at Hunter College. Jesse has written arrangements for several broadcast performances including A Taste of Passover and The Chanukah Special, both of which were shown on PBS Television.

Jesse’s song “Boston in the Rain” is the featured track on Julian Yeo’s new critically acclaimed CD Old New Borrowed Blue. “Boston in the Rain” has been sung and recorded by many artists including Jesse, whose own vocal style has been compared to Jelly Roll Morton and Dave Van Ronk. In addition to his own songs, Jesse likes to sing obscure blues and novelty numbers.

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

This Verve release is really a two-fer: the CD, through the miracle of our modern digital age, includes two complete records, “Cool Velvet,” originally recorded in 1960, and “Voices,” recorded in 1966. Both albums include accompaniment with a string section, which can be hard to pull off, but Getz has the melodic temperament, perhaps uniquely, to do just that. Indeed, some feel that these tunes may represent Getz at his best.

RETURN TO TOP

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

Click here to see more Herbie Hancock CDs.

Hancock, a jazz piano legend, puts together a fantastic selection on his new CD. Possibilities spans the generations, with songs by Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon and Leon Russell. Hot new vocalist John Mayer starts the CD off with “Stitched Up,” to really get the listener moving. If guest lists excite you, then you are bound to love this CD; vocals by Annie Lennox, Paul Simon and Christina Aguilera really stand out.

RETURN TO TOP

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

Click here to see more Coleman Hawkins CDs.

Click here to see more Ben Webster CDs.

Both of these gentlemen would appear on anyone’s short list of the best tenor saxophonists of all time. That they appear together on this famous Verve recording, originally captured in 1957 (which also includes Oscar Peterson on piano), at least partially explains why it is so special. The other reason: it’s beautiful to listen to.

RETURN TO TOP

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

“Andrew Hill is back on Blue Note, and he still sounds only like himself. As a pianist, his note choices are still cryptic, his phrase shapes are still angular and his movements still scurry. As a composer/bandleader, he still creates exotic, darkly luminous aural landscapes that inspire soloists. . . . The quintet rises brilliantly to the challenge of Hill’s musical formats. Tardy is always doing something fascinating on one of his three reed instruments, and Tolliver is a revelation. . . . Hill made this album while battling cancer. The illness has not diminished his creative energy. Time Lines is one of the strongest recordings of his distinguished career.” —Thomas Conrad, JazzTimes

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

“The least grateful among us have been hankering for some new music from Holland’s quintet. Well, here it is, and it holds its own against Prime Directive, the group’s most impressive release. . . . As it is wont to do, the quintet trades in complex structure and odd time signatures while making it all seem accessible and effortless. ’Vicissitudes,’ an intoxicating tune full of surprises, shifts meter so often it’s difficult to keep track of (12/8 and 14/8, by my count). The groupthink mentality manifests itself most obviously on the New Orleans tribute ’Easy Did It,’ for which Holland and Smith create a slithering, swelling rhythm that culminates in a five-way roundtable of near-chaos. Critical Mass will be on everyone’s list of 2006’s best.” —Steve Greenlee, JazzTimes

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

Norman Granz brought together all the great musicians of the 1940s and 1950s, and produced one of the greatest jam sessions of all time called “Jazz at the Philharmonic.” Here’s just a partial list of the legendary players: J.J. Johnson, Illinois Jacquet, Les Paul, Nat King Cole, Lester Young, Charlie Parker, Flip Phillips, Roy Eldridge, Billie Holiday, Coleman Hawkins, Ella Fitzgerald, Neil Hefti, Charles Ventura, Charles Mingus, Gene Krupa, Buck Clayton, Dizzy Gilespie, Barney Kessel, Willie Smith, Buddy Rich.

A 222-page booklet comes along with the 10-CD set and describes all the players with great ’50s photos.

One of the greatest jazz sessions of all times, Perdido with Illinois Jacquet and Flip Phillips runs for over 18 minutes and you’ll hever hear this straight-ahead a jam session again in your lifetime. Great saxophone players, the best drummers of the time, and Ella and Billie Holiday round out a cast of legends. This is a must have CD set for any jazz fan. If you’ve wondered what it must have been like to have all these greats on one stage together, your wish has come true. It’s live and history. “Five stars. Wish you were there!” I was. —Ray McMahon, Producer, McMahonJazzMedicine.com

(Click on image to buy
or view sample)

The eagerly anticipated release of the fourth series of Jazz Icons^® DVDs has arrived. Reelin’ In The Years^® Productions and Naxos of America, Inc. have released the next seven titles in the illustrious DVD series featuring performances by Coleman Hawkins, Jimmy Smith, Woody Herman, Art Farmer, Erroll Garner, Anita OÍDay, and Art Blakey.

Filmed in Europe between 1962 and 1970, this fourth set of Jazz Icons^® DVDs features concerts by seven of the most influential jazz artists of the 20th century captured in their prime and accompanied by some of the most legendary sidemen of the day. Previously forgotten or lost in the vaults of TV studios throughout Europe (in some cases for nearly 45 years!), they are now being made available for the first time.

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

”Although the music of Norah Jones continues to blend pop, soul, folk, and country with a seasoning of jazz, her third album for Blue Note is the first where she’s written (or collaborated on) all the material. Beneath the smooth surface lie darker strains on the album-opening ’Wish I Could’ (about a boyfriend lost to war), intimations of mortality in “The Sun Doesn’t Like You’. . . . Throughout, Jones’s vocal intimacy and melodic warmth remain as disarmingly understated as ever. The soulful ’Thinking of You,’ the countryish ’Wake Me Up,’ and the syncopated ’Be My Somebody’ reflect the captivating style of her previous work. . . . Jones’s voice is irresistible.” —Don McLeese, Amazon.com

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

Rumors of the demise of jazz are greatly exaggerated. As proof we submit America’s Youngest Jazz Band, whose musicians are aged just 6 to 12 years. Despite their being a little green when it comes to life experiences, they have great jazz credentials — they’ve played New Orleans’ Preservation Hall and the Montreux Jazz Festival, for example — and a sophisticated swinging technique. Sonny LaRosa, a big band veteran who wields a great trumpet, founded this extraordinary band in 1979 and continues as its chief mentor and arranger.

For more information on America's Youngest Jazz Band, visit Sonny's website at www.sonnylarosa.com.

"We all want to encourage children to get involved with music, so 50% of the price of this CD goes directly to support the efforts of these kids’ band."   —Ray McMahon

RETURN TO TOP

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

A born-and-raised New Yorker, Jan Leder decided to pursue her love for improvisation after twelve years of studying classical music. She studied for three years with the late pianist Lennie Tristano and then continued her jazz studies with pianist Connie Crothers for over ten years. A self-styled course of study in jazz history at SUNY Purchase led to her compilation of the first comprehensive history of women in jazz entitled Women in Jazz: A Discography of Instrumentalists 1913-1968 (Greenwood Press 1985). Ms. Leder has enjoyed teaching jazz improvisation, although teaching has not figured prominently in her career.

In 1999 Jan recorded Nonchalant (A-Records 2000), a collection of mostly original melodies. The title tune was aired on CBS’ Guiding Light in December 1999. In February 1997 Monad Records released her first CD, Passage To Freedom, which was recorded live at the Five Spot in New York City in the early 1990s.

Ms. Leder leads her own jazz ensembles in the New York City area, appearing at nightclubs, festivals, cultural functions and other public and private engagements. Her repertoire includes standard bebop, swing, blues and bossa novas as well as her own unique jazz compositions and those of her musical colleagues, including drummer/big band leader Art Lillard, with whom Jan has collaborated on numerous compositions, mostly writing lyrics to his catchy songs. Since 1987 Jan has been a member of Mr. Lillard’s 15-piece jazz band, Art Lillard’s Heavenly Band, which includes a flute section. Two of their songs, Incognito and Conclusion Jump, appear on Art’s CD Reasons to Be Thankful (Summit Records 2006), which was also met with excellent reviews.

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

#1 JazzTimes Top 50 CDs 2008

“The tenor saxophonist and flutist Charles Lloyd’s most recent ECM recording, the live album Rabo de Nube, is one of the best in his crowded discography, thanks in no small part to a band comprising phenomenal players who are decades Lloyd’s juniors. Drummer Eric Harland, bassist Reuben Rogers and, perhaps most important, the pianist Jason Moran may technically qualify as sidemen here, but they function as anything but.

“Lloyd has had divine luck with pianists throughout his career, from his ’60s group featuring a young Keith JarrettÑthe folkies’ and rockers’ favorite jazz comboÑthrough groups graced with Michel Petrucciani, Bobo Stenson, Geri Allen and Brad Mehldau. Taking a slight detour from a leader career that may have gotten a bit too conceptually precious on 2006’s Artist in Residence, Moran proves an ideal foil: He matches the saxophonist’s skittering billows of notes with his own cackling lines on “Prometheus,” reiterates the leader’s melody with gentility on “Booker’s Garden,” crawls through thickets of world-groove on “Ramanujan,” and, on pieces like the stately, sacred-seeking “Migration of Spirit,” keeps Lloyd’s new-age temptations in check and aligns the band more with Impulse!-era courage.” —Evan Haga, JazzTimes

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

“Jazz is a backdrop for popular American music,” Austin-based jazz trumpeter Jeff Lofton said in a recent interview with The Monitor. “Some think it’s too complicated, sophisticated, or hear one artist playing avant-garde jazz and say, ‘I don’t like it.’ But it’s a myriad of cultures and diversity and connected to other music.”

Lofton garnered attention in Austin’s music scene by kicking off his Sunday Night Jazz series at the historic Victory Grill with the Jeff Lofton Quintet in “An Evening of the Music of Miles Davis” show featuring all Miles’ tunes from the 1950’s. The well-received show was soon scheduled at the Elephant Room, Austin’s famed jazz club.

Lofton debuted his first jazz CD, Jazz Therapy, in 2005, with the Jeff Lofton Quartet. The self-produced CD mixes old style be-bop with modern forms of jazz in the tradition of Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and John Coltrane. In addition to Lofton on trumpet, the CD also includes Roland Haynes on piano, Reggie Sullivan on bass and Kenneth Salters on drums.

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

#2 JazzTimes Top 50 CDs 2008

“On his tribute albums, Lovano has shown a tendency to avoid sentimentality and take a rigorous approach to his musical heroes. It’s good to see he’s no less sparing of his own compositions.” —William Ruhlmann, JazzTimes

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

Taking a complete break from his humorously arranged Animal series of releases, Frank Macchia has put out a recording featuring the juxtaposition of tenor saxophone and orchestra. Not simply a sax and strings release, Emotions is a sumptuous collection of carefully arranged music with Macchia’s tenor saxophone gliding in and out of the well-conceived passages. This is undoubtedly the best mixture of orchestra and horn since Stan Getz’ sojourn with Eddie Sauter on Focus over four decades ago. Each of Macchia’s movements in “Emotions – Suite for Saxophone and Strings” accurately conveys the title of each feeling. The agitated strings on “Anger” are sliced through by Macchia’s biting tenor. “Joy” and “Hope” are sublime and serene, with gentle, yearning nuances supplied by The Prague Orchestra. “Prayer for Earth,” with Macchia’s bass flute floating throughout the piece, is haunting and reverent. Traditional songs like “The Lonesome Road” and “Black Is The Color Of My True Love’s Hair” are given breathtakingly gorgeous readings, and the leader’s sax is a perfect complement – never intrusive nor inhibited. It is a long time since music has been quite so daring, yet so beguiling. Emotions is a surprise release for anyone looking for some fresh air. —George Harris, All About Jazz, December 6, 2006

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

The event was simply billed as “Willie Nelson Sings the Blues,” but the historic two-night stand on January 12 and 13, 2007 at Jazz at Lincoln Center was far more than that. Call it a summit meeting between two American icons, Willie Nelson & Wynton Marsalis, two of the most significant figures in modern-day country and jazz, who discovered common ground in their love for jazz standards and the blues. Their performance stirred the sounds of New Orleans, Nashville, Austin and New York City into a brilliantly programmed mix that was equal parts down-home and cosmopolitan, with plenty of swing and just a touch of melancholy. To say that these shows were a hot ticket would be an understatement. Luckily, the tapes were rolling and the results of this unique collaboration now constitute the Blue Note album Two Men With The Blues for everyone who couldn’t cram into The Allen Room. Featuring great playing from one of the hottest bands around these classic tracks are given new life by the extraordinary dual talents of Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis. At a time when most people are thinking of retirement, Willie has never been busier. His profile has been high in recent weeks with his various career retrospective releases and sold out tour and this album can rightly stake it’s place alongside anything else he has done. Wynton rarely sounds so relaxed and both of these musical giants are clearly having the time of their lives together on these new interpretations of some of the greatest songs of the 20th century.

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

#3 JazzTimes Top 50 CDs 2008

“He cemented himself into history on Miles’ Bitches Brew, blowing bass clarinet swaths that seemed to foreshadow an apocalypse. But, as this session with a Polish rhythm section attests, he’s a leader whose aesthetic of choice is crystalline, inward-looking chamber jazz.” —Evan Haga, JazzTimes

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

#4 JazzTimes Top 50 CDs 2008

“With previously un-recorded originals over standards and a rhythm section boasting youthful, unabashed virtuosity, Metheny inches his latest threesome toward the spectacle of his Group—not without reminding us that the very popular guitarist can make a player’s record whenever he likes.” —Evan Haga, JazzTimes

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

The year was 1957, and both Monk and Coltrane were at the height of their legendary powers. This recording of their brief collaboration was accidentally uncovered in, of all places, the Library of Congress. This “momentous musical find,” as “The New York Times” called it, was that paper’s 2005 “Jazz CD of the Year.” Other personnel include Ahmed Abdul-Malik on bass and Shadow Wilson on drums.

RETURN TO TOP

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

Born to a musically gifted family in Indianapolis in 1923, Wes did not pick up the guitar seriously until his early twenties, at which time his innate ability recognized itself. He became one of the greatest jazz guitarists of them all, with an incredibly fast thumb-picking ability that is now legendary, and yet he never learned to read musical notation and developed his own fingering system.

RETURN TO TOP

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

“American Classic” is Willie Nelson’s return to the Great American Songbook, a crossover standards album by the man who invented the genre with his landmark, best-selling 1978 album “Stardust,” which has been certified five-times Platinum by the RIAA. Produced by Tommy LiPuma and featuring guest duet partners Norah Jones on the classic tale of seduction “Baby It's Cold Outside” and Diana Krall on “If I Had You.”

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

Click here to see more Oscar Peterson CDs.

Some of Oscar Peterson’s best work was with Verve Records from 1950 to 1965. This CD is an outstanding compilation of nine of his classics from that period. He starts out with a salute to Errol Garner, flies through “Love You Madly,” stops your heart with “Young and Foolish,” and then takes you over the top with the greatest rendition of “Tenderly” ever performed on jazz piano. Has a friend ever asked you, “What’s so exciting about jazz?” If so, have them listen to this brilliant interpretation of “Tenderly.”

Improvisation just doesn’t get any better than this—if you listen to only one song on this CD, go right to number 9. Then work your way backwards, because you will definitely want to. Here is a full 3 minutes on our site to listen to the greatest jazz pianist of his time.

“Peterson has one of the most profound senses of time in the history of music.”
—From the liner notes by Doug Ramsey

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

Connecticut-based Pasternak’s voice has been compared to those of Peggy Lee and Billie Holiday, and her favorite repertoire can be found by cracking open the Great American Songbook. Her preference is to spice up her delivery with Brazilian and Latin rhythms, and is at her best in the swing, bebop, ballad, Brazilian, and Big Band traditions. Accompanied by her partner, tenorist Ralph Lalama, Pasternak can often be found singing both the great standards as well as her own songs in and around Connecticut and the Westchester, NY area.

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

Click here to see more Judy Roberts CDs.

Judy Roberts is an intelligent, accomplished Chicago-area pianist whose technique has been called “slyly understated.” That subtlety proves hugely interesting on her recent work with her quartet, which includes Greg Fishman, who happens to be her husband, playing tenor sax. In addition to her accomplished pianism Roberts is also a hugely appealing vocalist.

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

“Now in his mid-70s, Sonny Rollins plays with undiminished passion on this, his first new studio recordings in five years. . . . Playing selections that date back to his youth (such as No‘l Coward’s ’Someday I’ll Find You,’ on which he rolls out melodic lines as if from a beautiful and endless spool) as well as his own originals, the set flows with the compelling vigor of a giant who carries himself with the utmost humility. A powerful soloist, Rollins has seen the years bring even more depth to his musical explorations.” —David Greenberger, Amazon.com

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

Click here to see more Daryl Sherman CDs

A sparkling mainstay of Manhattan nightlife, Daryl Sherman continues to sing and play for savvy New Yorkers, international visitors and dignitaries at the Waldorf Astoria’s famed Cole Porter Steinway. From her arrival in the mid-70s, with trio stints at Sinatra hang-outs like Jilly’s, Jimmy Weston’s or Eddie Condon’s, there’s hardly a jazz joint, supper club or hotel Daryl has missed. She’s most recently lauded for appearances at the Algonquin’s Oak Room, Iridium Jazz Club and Feinstein’s At The Regency. Appearances with Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra also have included vocal workshops for their annual Essentially Ellington program. Over the past year she joined forces with Vince Giordano and The Nighthawks for a special show Park Avenue Whirl which had a month’s run at 59E59 Theater and later Feinstein’s. European tours include annual engagements at London’s Pizza On The Park, concerts in Wales, Leeds, Scotland, the Cork Jazz Festival in Ireland and Malaga, Spain. Her stunning return appearance in Berlin was hailed by Jazz Radio 101.9 “a magical night.” Equally at home in the worlds of jazz and cabaret, Sherman’s many recordings have received high critical praise and airplay internationally.

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

If you ever tried to find the Stan Getz classic, “Moonlight in Vermont,” and were stumped, that’s because you were looking in the wrong place. It was actually recorded for a Johnny Smith album, in which these and other tunes highlight the jazz guitarist’s virtuosity and feature the great Stan Getz on tenor.

RETURN TO TOP

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

This versatile vocalist graduated from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, and instantly demonstrated her chops by being a semi-finalist in the Thelonious Monk Jazz Vocal Competition in 1998. Her debut solo CD, “Introducing Tierney Sutton” (1999), received rave reviews and was nominated for a 1999 Indie Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album. In March 2004, accompanied by the Tierney Sutton Band, she released “Dancing in the Dark,” which debuted in the Billboard Jazz top ten and remained on the charts for over 15 weeks. A year later Tierney and her band performed at New York City’s Birdland, which became her first live recording, “I’m With the Band.”

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

Sarah “Sassy” Vaughan and her trio are here showcased with the Count Basie Band in this 1981 recording that brings back the days when a singer appeared with a full orchestra as backup. Although by the time of this recording the Count Basie Band no longer had the benefit of Basie on the keyboard, alumnae are in attendance, and the tunes are impressive. This is a great example of The Divine One’s musical artistry after nearly 4 decades of artistry.

RETURN TO TOP

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

The Weather Channel released its first CD this fall: “The Weather Channel Presents: The Best of Smooth Jazz.”

Think of the 12 tunes as a soundtrack to the elements. Some are hot and sultry, others cool and crisp. Some are sunny, some blue.

The songs are among the channel’s most requested selections and play during the forecast fixture “Local on the 8s” that airs six times an hour. It’s the cue that draws you to the TV set when you want to find out if you should take along that jacket when you leave home.

While the disc features jazz artists such as Chick Corea, Jeff Lorber, Dave Koz and Najee, not all the music played on “Local on the 8s” is jazz. Sometimes it’s light rock or holiday tunes. But most all of it’s instrumental.

“We tested some vocals, but the consumers didn’t like it,” says Shari Pace, vice president of licensing for the cable channel. “When I travel to a different city and have the Weather Channel on, the music is comforting to me. I like the calmness of it. When there are vocals with it, it changes.”

Released in October on Nashville-based Midas Records, the CD is available online and at Barnes & Noble and other retail stores. It’s currently No. 2 on Billboard magazine’s contemporary jazz chart.

The Weather Channel has been around for 25 years and has had music from the beginning, when employees would dip into their own record collections. It was obvious from the start that viewers liked it.

“When we’d play ”Peanuts’ (Vince Guaraldi’s “Linus and Lucy’ theme) they went bananas,” Pace recalled. “The phones started ringing.”

These days the Weather Channel has an employee they call the “Music Man” — Steve Hurst — whose job is to find the right tunes. During the day, his selections tend to be light and upbeat. In the evening they’re slower and more sultry. Late at night they’re even more mellow.

“It was fun to add songs that viewers wouldn’t usually expect to hear,” said Hurst, who chose the cuts for the jazz CD based on viewer response. “Phish fans were coming out of the woodwork the first time we played one of their songs.”

He started making copies of each month’s playlist available to people who wrote in wanting to know the name of a song or artist they’d heard. Musicians also began sending him tapes, many of which he’d use. He receives about 80 unsolicited music previews a month.

Three tracks on the new record — Mark Krumowski’s “Wait a Minute,” Ryan Farish’s “Holding Hands” and Jeanne Ricks’ “Simple Pleasure” — were done exclusively for the Weather Channel, while the others were previously released.

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

A veteran of the groups of Nicholas Payton and Adonis Rose, saxophonist Tim Warfield breaks significantly from the format of the four previous Criss Cross sides. One For Shirley pays homage to the legendary organist Shirley Scott, with whom Warfield played on numerous occasions back in the early 90s. Covering a good deal of ground, Warfield is heard on both tenor and soprano saxophones as he plays it cool on “Yours is My Heart Alone”, updates swing numbers like “Stompin’ at the Savoy,” and settles in the groove for “The Beat Goes On.”

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

Originally issued as an LP entitled “The Consummate Artistry of Ben Webster” in 1954, and then reissued as “King of the Tenors” in 1957, the big-toned Webster proved himself to be the “king of the ballads” in this remarkable album, a true classic. Listen in as this masterful Kansas City native demonstrates like no one else possibly could the subtlety and the power of the tenor saxophone.

RETURN TO TOP

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

Click here to see more Ben Webster CDs.

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

Click here to see more Frank Wess CDs.

Frank Wess was born in 1922 in Kansas City, Missouri, and attended Howard University Music Conservatory in 1937-38. He served in the U.S. Army Band 1941-45 all over Africa. After WWII, he toured with Bill Eckstine and returned to college in 1949, receiving a bachelor's degree in music (flute major). From 1949-64, toured all over the world with the Count Basie Orchestra. Since 1964, he has freelanced in New York City, doing Broadway shows, concerts, clinics, clubs, composing, arranging and teaching. He was one of the first major jazz flutists and a Lester Young-influenced tenor man.

In 2005, Frank Wess played alongside Harry Allen at the 2nd McMahon Jazz Medicine Concert.

RETURN TO TOP

(Click on CD to buy
or listen to samples)

Click here to see more Cassandra Wilson CDs.

#8 JazzTimes Top 50 CDs 2008

“Billed as Cassandra Wilson’s “return to jazz,” Loverly stands as one of Wilson’s coziest recordings, which is not to say it isn’t daringÑquite the opposite, in fact: It’s full of surprises.” —Jeff Tamarkin, JazzTimes