Jimmy Witherspoon • Blues For Easy Livers

 

Review
by Richie Unterberger
Despite the title, this actually leans considerably further to the jazz side of Witherspoon's muse than the blues one, with backing by Pepper Adams on baritone sax, Roger Kellaway on piano, Bill Watrous on trombone, Richard Davis on bass, and Mel Lewis on drums. The songs, too, are much more in the jazz/pop vein than the blues/jazz one, heavy on standards by the likes of Johnny Mercer, the Gershwins, and Ellington. Witherspoon's one of the masters of closing-time bluesy jazz, and he doesn't let anyone down on that account on this relaxed (but not sleepy) session.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/blues-for-easy-livers-mw0000184490

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Reseña
por Richie Unterberger
A pesar del título, en realidad se inclina considerablemente más hacia el lado jazzístico de la musa de Witherspoon que hacia el blues, con el apoyo de Pepper Adams al saxo barítono, Roger Kellaway al piano, Bill Watrous al trombón, Richard Davis al bajo y Mel Lewis a la batería. Las canciones también están mucho más en la onda del jazz/pop que en la del blues/jazz, con abundancia de estándares de la talla de Johnny Mercer, los Gershwin y Ellington. Witherspoon es uno de los maestros del blues jazz de última hora, y no defrauda a nadie en esta relajada (pero no somnolienta) sesión.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/blues-for-easy-livers-mw0000184490

Say No to the Devil: The Life and Musical Genius of Rev. Gary Davis

 

Who was the greatest of all American guitarists? You probably didn’t name Gary Davis, but many of his musical contemporaries considered him without peer. Bob Dylan called Davis “one of the wizards of modern music.” Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead—who took lessons with Davis—claimed his musical ability “transcended any common notion of a bluesman.” And the folklorist Alan Lomax called him “one of the really great geniuses of American instrumental music.” But you won’t find Davis alongside blues legends Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Despite almost universal renown among his contemporaries, Davis lives today not so much in his own work but through covers of his songs by Dylan, Jackson Browne, and many others, as well as in the untold number of students whose lives he influenced.

The first biography of Davis, Say No to the Devil restores “the Rev’s” remarkable story. Drawing on extensive research and interviews with many of Davis’s former students, Ian Zack takes readers through Davis’s difficult beginning as the blind son of sharecroppers in the Jim Crow South to his decision to become an ordained Baptist minister and his move to New York in the early 1940s, where he scraped out a living singing and preaching on street corners and in storefront churches in Harlem. There, he gained entry into a circle of musicians that included, among many others, Lead Belly, Woody Guthrie, and Dave Van Ronk. But in spite of his tremendous musical achievements, Davis never gained broad recognition from an American public that wasn’t sure what to make of his trademark blend of gospel, ragtime, street preaching, and the blues. His personal life was also fraught, troubled by struggles with alcohol, women, and deteriorating health.

Zack chronicles this remarkable figure in American music, helping us to understand how he taught and influenced a generation of musicians. 

 

  Ian Zack (Author)

 

Earl Hines • Here Comes Earl 'Fatha' Hines

 

John Pisano & Billy Bean • Makin' It Again

 

 

Review
by Scott Yanow
Back in 1958, guitarists John Pisano and Billy Bean teamed up for a pair of Decca albums (Take Your Pick and Makin' It) that also included Gene Estes on vibes, bassist Hal Gaylor, drummer Larry Bunker and, on various tracks, strings and woodwinds. During the same period, Pisano taped their rehearsals and the best selections from those informal jams have been released for the first time in this 1998 CD, available from the British String Jazz label. Pisano and Bean are heard in duets, quartets (with an unidentified bassist and drummer) and quintets that add Estes; in addition, an unidentified altoist (Paul Horn?) pops up on a couple melody statements. Bean and Pisano were very complementary and it is often difficult to tell who is soloing at a particular time. Best among the selections are Horace Silver's "Room 608," "Indian Summer," a lengthy "Sweet Georgia Brown" and a duo version of "Cherokee." The recording quality is pretty good and, although occasionally one can hear a musician talking, these private jams do deserve to be released and cherished by bop guitar collectors, particularly since Billy Bean is long retired. Well worth checking out.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/makin-it-again-mw0000242092

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Reseña
por Scott Yanow
En 1958, los guitarristas John Pisano y Billy Bean se unieron para un par de álbumes de Decca (Take Your Pick y Makin' It) que también incluían a Gene Estes al vibráfono, el bajista Hal Gaylor, el batería Larry Bunker y, en varias pistas, cuerdas y vientos de madera. Durante el mismo periodo, Pisano grabó sus ensayos y las mejores selecciones de esas improvisaciones informales se han publicado por primera vez en este CD de 1998, disponible en el sello British String Jazz. Pisano y Bean se escuchan en dúos, cuartetos (con un bajista y un batería no identificados) y quintetos que añaden a Estes; además, un contralto no identificado (¿Paul Horn?) aparece en un par de declaraciones melódicas. Bean y Pisano se complementan a la perfección, y a menudo es difícil saber quién interpreta el solo en cada momento. Las mejores selecciones son "Room 608" de Horace Silver, "Indian Summer", una larga "Sweet Georgia Brown" y una versión a dúo de "Cherokee". La calidad de la grabación es bastante buena y, aunque de vez en cuando se oye hablar a algún músico, estas jams privadas merecen ser editadas y apreciadas por los coleccionistas de guitarras bop, sobre todo desde que Billy Bean está retirado desde hace tiempo. Merece la pena echarle un vistazo.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/makin-it-again-mw0000242092

Esbjörn Svensson Trio • Strange Place for Snow

 

Esbjörn Svensson (1964 – 2008) Swedish Musician, Composer and Founder of e.s.t Esbjörn Svensson Trio.

Esbjörn Svensson is one of the most well known and successful Swedish musicians of all time. His music and the way he played the piano can be described as energetic, experimental and innovative. It has its roots in jazz music but with influences from both classical music and pop/rock.

Esbjörn was born in Skultuna 1964. His mother played classical music on the piano and his father listened to all the great jazz musicians on the radio and gramophone and Esbjörn himself listened to Radio Luxembourg to hear the latest pop and rock.

After playing in different constellations of swedish jazz groups Esbjörn wanted to explore his own music and started e.s.t Esbjörn Svensson Trio together with his childhood friend Magnus Öström, drums and Dan Berglund, base.

1993 e.s.t released their first album “When Everyone has Gone”, but it was with the album “From Gagarin’s Point of View ” in 1999 that they made their international breakthrough.

Touring almost 100 days a year created a great audience both in Europe and the rest of the world. To play live, meet the audience, and create music moments was the impulsion to be on tour and with their non boundary music they found their way to many non-jazz listeners around the world.

e.s.t recorded eleven studio albums and three live albums before Esbjörn died in an accident in June 2008. At this time e.s.t was one of Europe’s most successful Jazz trios with a career spanning over 15 years and the first ever European band to be featured on the front cover of US jazz bible Downbeat.
https://esbjornsvensson.se/esbjorn-svensson/

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Esbjörn Svensson (1964 - 2008) Músico sueco, compositor y fundador del trío e.s.t Esbjörn Svensson.

Esbjörn Svensson es uno de los músicos suecos más conocidos y exitosos de todos los tiempos. Su música y su forma de tocar el piano pueden describirse como enérgicas, experimentales e innovadoras. Tiene sus raíces en la música jazz, pero con influencias tanto de la música clásica como del pop/rock.

Esbjörn nació en Skultuna en 1964. Su madre tocaba música clásica al piano y su padre escuchaba a todos los grandes músicos de jazz en la radio y el gramófono, y el propio Esbjörn escuchaba Radio Luxemburgo para oír lo último en pop y rock.

Después de tocar en diferentes constelaciones de grupos de jazz suecos, Esbjörn quiso explorar su propia música y fundó e.s.t Esbjörn Svensson Trio junto con su amigo de la infancia Magnus Öström, batería, y Dan Berglund, base.

En 1993, e.s.t publicó su primer álbum, "When Everyone has Gone", pero fue con el álbum "From Gagarin's Point of View ", en 1999, cuando dieron el salto internacional.

Las giras de casi 100 días al año crearon un gran público tanto en Europa como en el resto del mundo. Tocar en directo, encontrarse con el público y crear momentos musicales fue el impulso que les impulsó a salir de gira y, con su música sin fronteras, se abrieron camino entre muchos oyentes no aficionados al jazz de todo el mundo.

e.s.t grabó once álbumes de estudio y tres en directo antes de que Esbjörn falleciera en un accidente en junio de 2008. En aquel momento, e.s.t era uno de los tríos de jazz de más éxito de Europa, con una carrera de más de 15 años, y el primer grupo europeo en aparecer en la portada de la biblia del jazz estadounidense Downbeat.
https://esbjornsvensson.se/esbjorn-svensson/

esbjornsvensson.se ...