duaneiac

Does Alan Broadbent still live in the US, or has he returned to New Zealand these days? And what did big name Canadians like Oscar Peterson and Maynard Ferguson (or Diana Krall nowadays) do? Did they hold joint Canadian & US citizenship?

Helen Merrill lived in Japan for several years. Jimmy Hamilton moved to the Virgin Islands. Do they count? Not all expatriates head to Europe.

Don't you forget about me when Johnny comes marching home again in the cool, cool, cool of the evening with plenty of money and you.

For sentimental reasons, sweet Caroline, remember walking in the sand (alone again, naturally) on Moonlight Bay that Sunday, that summer.

Please, in the name of all that is good and righteous, please, please, please let there be a secret stash of new songs recorded by Bill Withers over the past 30+ years. This version of "Let Me In Your Life" is just stunning. Is there any one around today who writes and sings with such soulful sincerity and honesty?

Wow! This is a terrific album! Trombone – Buddy Morrow, Garnett Brown, Paul Falise, Sonny Russo, Wayne Andre.... Saxophone – Arnie Lawrence, Danny Banks, Eddie Daniels, Frank Wess, George Young , Phil Bodner.... Trumpet – Bernie Glow, Bob McCoy, Markie Markowitz, Marvin Stamm, Mel Davis.... Bass – Richard Davis.... Drums – Grady Tate.... Guitar, Co-producer – Tony Mottola... Did'ja ever that experience where your feet are tapping and your fingers are snapping and you suddenly think, "Wait a second . . . I hate this song, but man I dig this arrangement!" That happened to me on the opening track here, a swinging Dick Hyman arrangement of "Sing", that cloying Joe Raposo ditty recorded by just about everybody in the 1970's. This is the first time I've ever actually enjoyed hearing it. The Jobim tune, "Ana Luiza" was arranged by Claus Ogerman and, while gorgeous, really didn't leave much of a lasting impression. It's a lovely display for trombones, certainly. Sorry, I'm not really in the market for another version of "Summertime", thanks anyway; maybe some other time. You remember how once a season Carol Burnett used to have a feature spot for the Ernie Flatt Dancers? Well Johnny Carisi's arrangement of "St. Louis Blues" sounds like just the sort of music they would have used for such a segment. That is not meant as a put down, by any means. There is a very upbeat version of that old pop dirge, "Alone Again (Naturally)" (arranged by Wayne Andre if I can read the very tiny print on the album cover image over at discogs correctly) that works really well. Some one should set new and better (how could they possibly be worse?) lyrics to this happy version and make it a "new" hit today! This album more than deserves a !

Earlier: Currently:

I don't know what the critics' consensus was regarding this album, but I still absolutely love this. Some strong songs and lots of gorgeous Brian Wilson arrangements. His songs here range from the sing-along affable goofiness of "Good Kind of Love" to songs as deeply personal to Mr. Wilson as "Midnight's Another Day" (which is about as gorgeous a musical depiction of depression -- at least, as I have experienced it throughout my lifetime -- as I've ever heard): Then there is the beauty and serenity of the closing track: Wow! This would surely be on my list of favorite rock albums of the 21st century!

An interesting compilation which collects tracks beginning with his days with the George Shearing Quintet (1953) all the way up to a 1991 collaboration with the Shirley Horn Trio. It is valuable in that it gathers tracks from a number of different labels that were then owned by "Verve Records, a division of Polygram Classics and Jazz, a division of Polygram Records" and it has some tracks from albums which often were not easy to find in the USA.

This is a nifty little jazz/western swing ensemble lead by guitarist Bruce Forman. The CDBaby description says it best: " Imagine Bob Wills, Bird and Diz, Django, Wes, Spike Jones, Patsy Cline and Peggy Lee locked in a closet for the weekend!" I guess the common view is that Dave Brubeck was a piano pounder more than a piano player. I just loved his piano style and wish he had done more solo piano recordings throughout his career. I went to several DBQ concerts during the last 15 years or so of his life and there was only one time when he played a solo number. It was in Santa Cruz, CA and after Mr. Brubeck reminisced a bit about his boyhood days when he would accompany his father to show cattle at the Santa Cruz fairgrounds not far away, he announced he was going to play a number that was unrehearsed by the band, but he wanted the guys to join in when they felt like it. He then started playing "Memories of You". Bassist Michael Moore played along for a few bars, but then he joined Bobby Militello and Randy Jones in just listening to and savoring this poignant performance along with the rest of us. It was a lump in the throat moment for me.

Good grief! How could I forget this one? A beautiful career summation!

(2005) (2007) These are two of the finest albums in Mr. Murphy's long career. (2017 release, recorded in 1980) A great "live" performance with Mr. Murphy being, well, just as the title suggests. (2005) (2015 release, recorded in 1991) Two excellent "live" albums by the incomparable Ms. Jordan. (2014) I have 5 of Ms. Russell's CDs and any one of them could be on this list. They are all equally fine in their own ways, but they are not "all the same record", if you know what I mean.

Crappy pic, so here's an unrelated pic which came up as a search result. I assume that is Pat Martino (who does not appear on this CD) with Mr. Jackson.

Disc 4 & 5. Very much a mixed bag. I enjoyed Disc 4 ,which contains her Latin album and her Mancini songbook album. Disc 5, however, is another matter. It is made up of albums consisting of covers of pop tunes of the day. It's painful to hear the glorious instrument that was Ms. Vaughan's voice used on such material as "I Know A Place", "Everybody Loves Somebody" and "One, Two, Three" (yes, the very same Tommy James & the Shondells hit). Even "Waltz For Debbie", one of my favorite tunes, gets turned into dreck here.

This was the first recording which came to my mind. I'm sure I will think of others later.

Such a joyous, beautiful masterpiece!

Dang! Eleven years worth of music on one disc!!! Pee Wee must not have had a lot of opportunities to record as a leader in those days? Now playing: I still LOVE this album!

Harold Mabern, Mulgrew Miller, James Williams and Geoff Keezer. Each pianist is featured on two tracks apiece and then all four combine on the final track. They are accompanied by Bob Cranshaw and Billy Higgins.

Happy 65th to Mr.MacManus!!!

-- For both the disc and your "on location" reporting!

Disc 2 of 2.

Disc 1 ("The Hits") of 4.

Man, oh man is right! This track is both awesome and chilling!