JEROME RICHARDSON - Going to the Movies (1962-2011) RM / Jazz 999 Best & More / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Movie themes, along with songs from Broadway, have long been fodder for jazz musicians. This United Artists LP features Jerome Richardson leading his working quintet during a live engagement, though the venue is unidentified. The extended workout of Duke Jordan's "No Problem" (from the film Les Liaisons Dangereuses) showcases Richardson's robust baritone sax and Les Spann on flute, with the leader adding a tag at the end on piccolo. Richardson switches to tenor sax and Spann to guitar for a rather brisk arrangement of "Moon River." "Tonight" (from West Side Story) is a bit unusual in that it features both musicians on flute. The potent rhythm section includes pianist Richard Wyands, bassist Henry Grimes, and drummer Grady Tate. Richardson's recordings as a leader after the early '60s were rather sporadic, but this early effort gives a strong indication of his potential. Long out of print, this LP will be difficult to acquire. by Ken Dryden

Tracklist:

1 No Problem 8:45

Composed By – D. Jordan

2 Moon River 4:34

Composed By – Mancini, Mercer

3 Never On Sunday 4:32

Composed By – M. Hadjadakis

4 Tonight 3:46

Composed By – Bernstein, Sondheim

5 Delilah 7:34

Composed By – N. Nicholas

Credits:
Baritone Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Flute – Jerome Richardson
Bass – Henry Grimes
Drums – Grady Tate
Guitar, Flute – Les Spaan
Performer – Jerome Richardson Quintet
Piano – Richard Wyands

BEVERLY KENNEY - Like Yesterday (1960-1999) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

With Like Yesterday, Beverly Kenney updates a series of pop standards with a formula rooted in the archly modern sound of Eisenhower-era jazz. Experienced decades after the fact, the album boasts a timelessness that renders its basic conceits of time and place moot, especially given that the fierce intelligence of Kenney's phrasing and the sultry depth of her vocals contrast so sharply with the Doris Day stereotypes associated with the period in question. Backed by a small but exemplary supporting cast including guitarist Chuck Wayne and reedist Jerome Richardson, Kenney eschews embellishment and excess in favor of lean, taut arrangements that emphasize emotional context, Her readings of familiar songs like "More Than You Know" and "A Sunday Kind of Love" possess a startling intimacy. by Jason Ankeny
Tracklist:

1 Undecided 2:11

Bass – Bill Pemberton

Drums – Ed Shaughnessy

Guitar – Chuck Wayne

Piano – Stan Free

Tenor Saxophone – Al Klink

Trombone – Eddie Bert

2 Sentimental Journey 2:05

Bass – Bill Pemberton

Drums – Ed Shaughnessy

Guitar – Chuck Wayne

Percussion – Johnny Rae

Piano – Stan Free

Vibraphone – Johnny Rae

3 I Had The Craziest Dream 2:21

Bass – Bill Pemberton

Drums – Ed Shaughnessy

Guitar – Chuck Wayne

Piano – Stan Free

Tenor Saxophone – Al Klink

Trombone – Eddie Bert

4 And The Angels Sing 1:44

Bass – Bill Pemberton

Drums – Ed Shaughnessy

Guitar – Chuck Wayne

Piano – Stan Free

Trumpet – Stan Free

Woodwind – Jerome Richardson

5 More Than You Know 2:39

Bass – Bill Pemberton

Drums – Ed Shaughnessy

Guitar – Chuck Wayne

Piano – Stan Free

Woodwind – Jerome Richardson

6 The Dipsy Doodle 1:44

Bass – Bill Pemberton

Drums – Ed Shaughnessy

Guitar – Chuck Wayne

Piano – Stan Free

Woodwind – Jerome Richardson

7 What A Difference A Day Made 2:17

Bass – Bill Pemberton

Drums – Ed Shaughnessy

Guitar – Chuck Wayne

Percussion – Johnny Rae

Piano – Stan Free

Vibraphone – Johnny Rae

8 Somebody Else Is Taking My Place 2:01

Bass – Bill Pemberton

Drums – Ed Shaughnessy

Guitar – Chuck Wayne

Piano – Stan Free

Tenor Saxophone – Al Klink

Trombone – Eddie Bert

9 A Sunday Kind Of Love 2:30

Bass – Bill Pemberton

Drums – Ed Shaughnessy

Guitar – Chuck Wayne

Piano – Stan Free

Tenor Saxophone – Al Klink

Trombone – Eddie Bert

10 Any Old Time 1:34

Bass – Bill Pemberton

Drums – Ed Shaughnessy

Guitar – Chuck Wayne

Piano – Stan Free

Woodwind – Jerome Richardson

11 Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe 2:18

Bass – Bill Pemberton

Drums – Ed Shaughnessy

Guitar – Chuck Wayne

Percussion – Johnny Rae

Piano – Stan Free

Vibraphone – Johnny Rae

12 Tampico 2:00

Bass – Bill Pemberton

Drums – Ed Shaughnessy

Guitar – Chuck Wayne

Percussion – Johnny Rae

Piano – Stan Free

Vibraphone – Johnny Rae

TERI THORNTON - I'll Be Easy To FInd (1999) WV (image+.cue), lossless

After a nearly 40-year hiatus, Teri Thornton is back to swing and sing her way into your heart. In comparison to her old Riverside recordings, it seems she's lost nothing vocally, her angelic clarity and soulful vibrato are intact, and her enthusiasm is still spiking depth charts. She's backed by her own piano on four cuts, and the able Ray Chew on the others, save Norman Simmons for the sole live-in-concert finale (she and Simmons are credited) with bassist Lonnie Plaxico, alto sax and flute master Jerome Richardson, trombonist Dave Bargeron, multi-instrumentalist Howard Johnson, and drummer J.T. Lewis. At her best on ballads, blues, and upbeat swingers, Thornton proves she really can do it all. Her rippling Ella-cum-Sarah chords are unfettered on a rousing live "Salty Mama" with Grady Tate (drums) and Michael Bowie (bass). The funky blues is all right with Thornton on "Feels Good." A showstopper, "Knee Deep in the Blues," and the faded in and out bossa "Wishing Well" are from her pen. The most unusual arrangement by producer Suzi Reynolds of "Nature Boy" has no discernible time signature. It's kinetic but seems to float, Plaxico punctuating but never seeming to ever hit one. Richardson's great flute work and Bargeron and Johnson's background horns play inquisitive mind games, quite a challenging listen. She sings the ballads "Somewhere in the Night," "Where Are You Running?," and the title cut immaculately -- not kitten soft but forcefully pronounced. She's boppin' on "It Ain't Necessarily So" and adapts "The Lord's Prayer" in a modal vein, Chew's piano chordally searching for deliverance, and she really shines instrumentally on "I'll Be Seeing You" in a fashion that rivals Shirley Horn. There is a definitive song, "I Believe in You," with a great lyric that seems to sum up the influence of a certain someone who has helped Thornton through her battles with cancer and the constant yin-yang of raising a family for these past four decades. Teri Thornton is emphatically back with this complete view of an artist, finally giving us a taste of what we've suspected lo these many years. by Michael G. Nastos 
Tracklist

1      Somewhere in the Night  3:48 

May, Raskin 

2 I Believe in You 2:48 

Loesser 

3 It Ain't Necessarily So  3:17 

Gershwin, Gershwin 

4 The Lord's Prayer  5:00 

Thornton 

5 Knee Deep in the Blues  7:11 

Thornton 

6 I'll Be Easy to Find 4:35 

Howard 

7 Nature Boy 4:51 

Ahbez 

8 Wishing Well  5:14 

Thornton 

9 Where Are You Running?  2:50 

Harris 

10 Feels Good  3:19 

Thornton 

11 I'll Be Seeing You  5:35 

Fain, Kahal 

12 Salty Mama  3:34

Thornton 

Credits 

Bass – Lonnie Plaxico (tracks: 1-11), Michael Bowie (tracks: 12) 

Cornet, Tuba, Contrabass Clarinet, Baritone Saxophone – Howard Johnson (tracks: 1, 3, 5, 7-9) 

Drum – Grady Tate (tracks: 12), J.T. Lewis (tracks: 1-11) 

Flute, Bass Flute, Alto Saxophone – Jerome Richardson (tracks: 1, 4, 7-9) 

Piano – Norman Simmons (tracks: 12), Ray Chew (tracks: 1-6, 8, 9), Teri Thornton (tracks: 7, 10, 11) 

Trombone – Dave Bargeron (tracks: 1, 7-9) 

Vocals – Teri Thornton 

PEGGY LEE - MIRRORS (1975-2001) RM / FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 
Intelligent, evocative, understated, and mature are words that come to mind when describing this 1975 recording. The album is the reflection of a middle-aged woman pondering her present life while romanticizing the past, knowing full well that, in the words of the last song, "We're longing for a simpler time that never was." Written and produced by Leiber & Stoller, and sung in the soft, breathy style of Peggy Lee, the listener is taken through a journey of songs that often evoke a sense of melancholy, even when the lyrical content seems upbeat, such as on "I've Got Them Feelin' Too Good Today Blues." Thoughtful and understated arrangements by Johnny Mandel do a superb job of supporting but never overpowering the lyrics or the vocal style of Lee. Several songs musically evoke what is implied in the title. "Professor Hauptmann's Performing Dogs," for instance, brings to mind sounds reminiscent of the circus. In less skilled hands, musically representing what is lyrically conveyed might not work, but in the talented hands of Leiber, Stoller, and Mandel, it works wonderfully. This is an album where it is apparent the singer, songwriters, and arranger all worked together to make an album worthy of the talents of everyone involved -- they certainly succeeded in that goal. by Michael Ofjord 
Tracklist:
1     Is That All There Is? 4:21
Jerry Leiber / Mike Stoller
2     Ready to Begin Again (Manya's Song) 3:26
Arranged By, Conductor – Perry Botkin, Jr.
Jerry Leiber / Mike Stoller
3     Some Cats Know 4:18
Arranged By, Conductor – Meco Monardo
Engineer [Recording] – Carmine Rubino, Pete Romano
Jerry Leiber / Mike Stoller
4     I've Got Them Feelin' Too Good Today Blues 2:20
Jerry Leiber / Mike Stoller
5     A Little White Ship 3:10
Jerry Leiber / Mike Stoller
6     Tango 5:21
Jerry Leiber / Mike Stoller
7     Professor Hauptmann's Performing Dogs 5:40
Jerry Leiber / Mike Stoller
8     The Case of M.J.2:54
Jerry Leiber / Mike Stoller
9     I Remember 2:51
Jerry Leiber / Mike Stoller
10     Say It 3:58
Jerry Leiber / Frank Loesser / Jimmy McHugh / Mike Stoller
11     Longings for a Simpler Time 3:54
Jerry Leiber / Mike Stoller
Credits:
Accordion – Stephen Paietta
Arranged By, Conductor – Johnny Mandel
Bass – Joe Mondragon, Ray Brown
Cello – Anne Goodman, Dennis Karmazyn, Edgar Lustgarten, Jackie Lustgarten, Jesse Levy
Cello, Bass – Fred Seykora
Drums, Percussion – Alvin Stoller, Emil Radocchia, Gene Estes, Jack Ranelli, Joseph Porcaro, John Guerin, Ken Park, Kenneth Watson, Larry Bunker, Mark Stevens, Victor Feldman
Guitar [Banjo] – Dennis Budimir, John Pisano, Tommy Tedesco
Harp – Corky Hale
Horns – Alan Robinson, Marilyn Robinson, Vincent DeRosa
Keyboards – Artie Kane, Clare Fischer, Don Grusin, Michael Lang, Mike Melvoin, Varda Ullman
Trombone – Charles Loper, Chauncy Welsch, Richard Nash, Kenneth Shroyer, Mike Vlatkovich, Phillip Tule
Trumpet – Buddy Childers, Charles Findley, Joe Burnett, Malcolm McNab, Paul Hubinon, Anthony Terran
Tuba – John Johnson, Bill Masonheimer
Viola – Allan Harshman, Barbara Thomason, David Schwartz, Julien Barber, Virginia Majewski
Violin – Arnold Belnick, Assa Drori, Betty Lamagna, Blanche Belnick, Carl Lamagna, Elliot Rosoff, Erno Neufeld, Gerald Vinci, Guy Lumia, Harry Bluestone, Irving Geller, John Pintavalle, Marcy Dicterow, Mari Tsumura, Norman Carr, Paul Shure, Richard Sortomme, Shari Zippert, Sheldon Sanov, Tony Posk, Wilbert Nuttycombe, William Kurasch
Woodwind – Abe Most, Bill Perkins, Bud Shank, Gene Cipriano, George Young, Georgia Alwan, Harry Klee, Jack Nimitz, Jerome Richardson, John Neufeld, Norman Benno, Ronald Langinger, Tom Scott