Joe M

I don't have time for a detailed review of this one right now, but I think it's a very nice record, and a nice contrast from the dense textures of the PMG recordings. Pat covers both Keith Jarrett's My Song, and Jessie Harris' (Norah Jones) Don't Know Why, which he really gives a memorable reading of, with some nice reharmonizations.

It's an interesting record, certainly not what a hard bop fan would expect from one of the young lions (though they all seem to be branching out these days, wait till Nicholas Payton's new one hits the streets this August!). That said, I think it's very well done, in fact, it's exceptionally well done, especially from a production standpoint. Like I said, it's not a hard bop record, I'm not sure if I'd call it a jazz record, though parts certainly are jazz. It's a little jazz, a little funk, a lot of neo-soul / r&b, with a hint of hip hop. Roy's playing obviously takes a backseat on some of the tracks to the vocals, etc, but on others, he's on fire. Still, this isn't the kind of record you want to buy if you want to hear a blowing session. I think Roy described it in Downbeat as a party record, and I think that's a good description of it. Roy certainly sounds like he's having fun, which one some of his other records doesn't always happen. When I first heard it, on an advance sampler, I didn't like what I heard, but the finished product is really well done, better than I had expected in fact. It's selling well too. In the first week, it sold 5,600 copies, which is exceptionally good.

Matt Wilson has some very interesting things to say about Wynton's participation on this album in the recent issue of CMJ. Bascially he says he's become a Wynton fan, especially after his playing on the record. He also has high praise for his work as an educator. I'll give you the exact quotes tomorrow. Matt also mentions he's working on a project with Dewey Redman, Joshua Redman, and Charlie Haden!!!

NY YANKEES STAR BERNIE WILLIAMS SIGNS WITH GRP FOR DEBUT RECORDING NY YANKEES STAR BERNIE WILLIAMS SIGNS WITH GRP FOR DEBUT RECORDING 5/29/2003 NEW YORK – GRP Records will release the debut recording of NY Yankees star Bernie Williams, widely ranked among baseball’s best, entitled The Journey Within on July 15. The first single “Just Because” (which features pianist David Benoit) will impact radio on June 9. Williams, who is a highly accomplished guitarist and composer, penned an impressive 7 out of 11 tracks on his debut, which was produced by Loren Harriet (NBC Celebrity Christmas CD, Big League Rocks). GRAMMY® Award-winning artists Bela Fleck and Ruben Blades make guest appearances, along with Gilberto Santa Rosa, and top session players Leland Sklar (Phil Collins, James Taylor), Kenny Aronoff (Melissa Etheridge, John Mellencamp), David Sancious (Eric Clapton, Sting) and Luis Conte (Santana, Celine Dion) among others. Williams, who is a native of Puerto Rico, has composed a refreshing blend of highly melodic, contemporary and Latin-flavored jazz selections with an undeniably soulful delivery. The CD also includes covers: Billy Joel’s “And So It Goes,” a gorgeous rendition of the Kansas classic “Dust In The Wind,” Academy Award-winning songwriter John Denicola and Patti Maloney’s “The Way,” and “Samba Novo” by Baden Powell, who was instrumental in creating the Bossa Nova. A special limited-edition pressing of The Journey Within will feature original cover art of Williams as depicted by legendary artist LeRoy Neiman. “The Bernie Williams signing is not about a future Hall of Fame baseball player. It is about a talented and dedicated musician whose newly-recorded album deserves the best in the way of marketing and distribution. We are very proud to have Bernie on the GRP/Verve roster,” says Ron Goldstein, President and CEO of The Verve Music Group. The Verve Music Group is a division of the Universal Music Group, a unit of Vivendi Universal, a global media and communications company. Based in New York, The Verve Music Group houses the Verve, GRP, Impulse!, and Blue Thumb record labels. Williams, who studied music on scholarship beginning at age 13 at the Escuela Libre de Musica in Puerto Rico, had initially planned on a career in music before segueing to Major League Baseball. He has won four World Series Championships with the New York Yankees; a Gold Glove; a Batting Title, and is a lifetime 300 hitter. Williams will kick off The Journey Within with a live concert event at Chicago’s House of Blues on July 13, which will coincide with Major League Baseball’s All-Star Week. For more information please visit www.grprecords.com

This (his new cd Trumpet Evolution) has to be the worst concept album of all time. This is what kids in high school try to do! Note for note recreations are not cool for veteran jazz "artists". Why not listen to the originals???

About Judi Silvano, check out her new cd with the late Mal Waldron on Soul Note, Riding A Zephyr, very nice. I think it was also Mal's last recording. Just piano and voice, though I think Joe Lovano is on one cut. There's two vocalists out right now who are among my favorites that I haven't seen mentioned, they're both radically different from each other, but I like them both - Luciana Souza and Stacey Kent. Luciana's new cd North and South is great, a nice mix of originals, standards and brazillian songs. The band is great, with Fred Hersch, Bruce Barth, Ed Simon, Scott Coley and Clarence Penn. She gives the material very original and distinctive treatments, yet shows a lot of respect for the material. Stacey Kent is a totally different sort of singer, but I've become a huge fan of her work. She has a great voice, but more importantly, knows how to use it, and how to deliver lyrics like some more "popular" jazz singers can't. There's also this refreshing lack of irony in her music, and a great sincerity that comes through that I also don't always find in other current singers (you could also say the same thing about sincerity in regards to Luciana Souza too). Her band is also perfectly suited to her, and her rapport with her husband (saxophonist Jim Tomlinson) is great. Some may say she falls more on the cabaret side of the spectrum, but I don't see it that way, I don't care much for those singers, and I hear something different in her approach. Check out her new cd "In Love Again" on Candid, it's a Richard Rogers songbook album. She may not be doing anything innovative, but within the tradition, she's a nice and welcome addition.

Congrats on setting up a great board, Organissimo. This is already by far the best jazz BBS out there, maybe ever. There's a lot more going on here than say at JazzCorner or the few other places left since Blue Note dropped their board. And as far as the lack of discussion about newer music - that's up to us!

Well, it perhaps shouldn't be that big of a surprise. Wynton was on Ted's 1999 album Rhyme and Reason, which also featured Kimbrough and Alison (as well as some of Wynton's best playing in a long time, I might add). I don't think Wynton's playing on this one is enough to win over the Wynton haters, (nothing would) but if you're on the fence and liked his Black Codes era things, and his occasional guest spots, like on Citizen Tain, this is certainly one to put on your list.