What are you listening to right now?

[tmazz]

Bernie Williams: Moving Forward

Reform CD

Yes, this is that Bernie Williams. The retired Yankees superstar  really comes up big with his second CD. This one is a nice foray into Latin salsa type jazz.

I would have liked this one even if Bernie had played for the Red Sox... well, maybe. 

[tmazz]

Gladys Knight: Before Me

Verve CD

From Amazon:

"With Before Me, the legendary Gladys Knight delivers a heartfelt and very personal tribute to the great vocalists who were her early role-models Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Lena Horne, Dinah Washington, Sarah Vaughan, Mahalia Jackson with incandescent performances of twelve great songs they made popular."

Details and samples:

http://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B000F0UZTQ?keywords=gladys%20knight%20before%20me&qid=1455667613&ref_=sr_1_1&s=music&sr=1-1

[tmazz]

Chris Botti: When I Fall in Love

Columbia CD

Very nice trumpet based jazz.

Rich you should check this one out. I think it is right up yor alley. 

[tmazz]

Jacintha is Her Name

Groove Note CD

[tmazz]

Kenny Burrell: The Blue Note Years

Blue Note CD

Pressed in Japan by Toshiba-EMI.

[tmazz]

Jackie McLean: 4, 5, and 6

Prestige CD

Pressed in Japan by JVC. Mastered using 20 bit K2 Super Coding. (An don't ask me what that is, because the write up about it is all in Japanese.  )

[pumpkinman]

Frijid Pink ~ Earth Omen ~ white label promo LP

[rpf]

Cypress String Quartet - Beethoven: Late Quartets

Superb sound, probably the best I've heard in the Quartets (recorded in 24/96 at Skywalker Sound). First impressions are that the playing is on the same level and may surpass my favorites, the Quartetto Italiano and the Tokyo Quartet.

[tmazz]

David Benoit: Waiting for Spring

  GRP CD

I don't' know, it just seemed appropriate for today.

[tmazz]

Sounds of Wood and Steel

Windham Hill CD

Very nice collection of acoustic guitar instrumentals by various Windham Hill artists.

[rpf]

Dmitry Sitkovetsky, NES Chamber Orchestra  - Bach: Goldberg Variations

[tmazz]

Craig Chaquico: Acoustic Highway

Higher Octane Music CD

Craig spent 16 years as a songwriter and lead guitarist for Jefferson Starship before embarking on a solo career that took him in a very different musical direction.  This his debut album is kind of a mix of Windham Hill and the San Fransisco sound. Sounds strange, but it works. I like it.

[tmazz]

Craig Chaquico: Acoustic Planet

Higher Octane Music CD

Solo album #2. Just as good as the first one. 

[tmazz]

Branford Marsalis Trio: The Dark Keys

Columbia CD

Sorry, not my cup of tea. Very avant garde  and improvisational. Personally I like jazz that has more of a discernible melody line. Not only do I not get any kind of tune that I can follow, but for a large part of the time is sounds like the three members of the trio are not even playing the same song. Musically, it kind of reminds me of that Attention Screen concert that a bunch of us went to a few years back.

While it just annoys me, there are people who are into that kind of jazz and if you are, this is a well recorded disc, so you might want to check it out.

[tmazz]

Dave Brubeck: Once When I Was Very Young

Music Masters CD

Now this jazz is much more to my liking. Not a watershed album like Time Out, but nice relaxing Brubeck music none the less.