Harold Mabern - Mabern Plays Coltrane (December 2021 Smoke Sessions Records)

MABERN PLAYS COLTRANE, a vibrant live recording of Harold Mabern performing the music of John Coltrane with an all-star sextet including Eric Alexander, Vincent Herring, Steve Davis, John Webber, and Joe Farnsworth.

Mabern held a special reverence for John Coltrane. “He was very influential in my life and my playing, too,” Mabern once said. “After being around him and seeing what a great human being he was – man, I wish the whole world could have known John Coltrane.”

MABERN PLAYS COLTRANE is culled from the final three-nights of a three-week residency at Smoke’s annual year ending John Coltrane Festival that started in 2017 ended with these performances that Mabern and the band played in January 2018. The resulting recordings also produced two earlier albums: THE IRON MAN, which shined a spotlight on Mabern the performer and interpreter and offered a glimpse into a typical evening’s performance and MABERN PLAYS MABERN, which commemorated Mabern’s gifts as a composer and followed his untimely death at age 83 on September 17, 2019. Mabern Plays Coltrane is the album that was originally planned for those live recording sessions. Mabern had always played a key role in the festival since its inaugural edition in 2011. From the initial weeklong fest through its later three- and four-week incarnations, Mabern was the headliner for much of the annual run, an indication of both his appreciation for Coltrane as a forbear and mentor as well as his own vital role at Smoke.

“Playing John Coltrane's music with Harold was like tapping into the source,” says Farnsworth. “He was like the vortex, and it all flowed through him. It was intense. Having Harold on the stage, given how much he loved John Coltrane, it elevated the spirit of the music tenfold.” 

1. Dahomey Dance 07:13

2. Blue Train 10:42

3. Impressions 09:41

4. Dear Lord 05:36

5. My Favorite Things 11:47

6. Naima 09:09

7. Straight Street 10:51

Harold Mabern - piano

Vincent Herring - alto saxophone

Eric Alexander - tenor saxophone

Steve Davis - trombone

John Webber - bass

Joe Farnsworth - drums

Recorded Live January 5, 6 & 7, 2018 at SMOKE, NYC

Produced by Paul Stache & Damon Smith

Recorded by Paul Stache with Owen Mulholland & Jeff Citron

Mixed & Mastered by Chris Allen

Photography by Jimmy & Dena Katz

Design by Damon Smith & Paul Stache

All compositions by John Coltrane

except “My Favorite Things” by Richard Rodgers & Oscar Hammerstein II

“Dear Lord” was previously included on The Iron Man: Live at Smoke

Eric Alexander appears courtesy of HighNote Records

Executive Producers: Paul Stache & Molly Johnson

PRE ORDER

Mike LeDonne's The Groover Quartet + Big Band - It's All Your Fault (2021 HighNote Records)

Mike LeDonne belongs to an elite group of musicians — those who have mastered the piano AND the organ while creating original voices for each. However, here on It's All Your Fault, LeDonne sits down at the organ, puts his foot on the pedals and lays down some of the hippest organ licks you're likely to hear. Two groups are featured on this recording. Mike LeDonne's Groover Quartet has had the rare opportunity to play and record together for twenty years and counting. They had no difficulty integrating their sound into this all-star big band put together by Mike and his preferred arranger and conductor, Dennis Mackrel. Recorded in the famed Van Gelder Studio and actually using the original Hammond C-3 organ that Jimmy Smith et al. used for their recordings, the music within this recording is adventurous. It's a continuation of the groove that was established years ago by organists interacting with big bands and it reveals to us the Blues, the Rhythm & Blues and the Jazz that Mike heard coming up through the jazz ranks.

1. It's All Your Fault (M. LeDonne) 6:35

2. Matador (G. Green) 6:46

3. Rock With You (R. Temperton / D. Myers) 6:11

4. Still (L. Richie) 6:55

5. Party Time (L. Morgan) 5:34

6. Bags and Brown (M. LeDonne) 5:17

7. Biggest Part of Me (D. Pack) 6:20

8. Blues for Jed (M. LeDonne) 7:53

Mike LeDonne’s Big Band (Tracks: 1, 2, 3, 5 & 6):

Organ: Mike LeDonne (org)

Steve Wilson, Jim Snidero (as)

Eric Alexander, Scott Robinson (ts)

Jason Marshall (bs)

Jon Faddis, Frank Greene, Joe Magnarelli, Joshua Bruneau (tp)

Mark Patterson, Steve Davis, Dion Tucker, Doug Purviance (tb)

John Webber (b)

Peter Bernstein (g)

Joe Farnsworth (ds)

Mike LeDonne’s Groover Quartet (Tracks: 4, 7 & 8):

Mike LeDonne (org)

Eric Alexander (ts)

Peter Bernstein (g)

Joe Farnsworth (ds)

Pre-order

Fabio Miano - Fabio Miano New York Quintet (BLAU RECORDS 2017)

Fabio Miano New York Quintet es el resultado final de una provechosa gira llevada a cabo en abril de 2008 por distintas ciudades españolas, pero como casi todos los buenos discos tiene raíces más sólidas.

Miano, Stewart y Rotondi son amigos y colaboradores desde hace muchos años. El pianista ha sido su acompañante preferido en las numerosas visitas a España de ambos; además con Stewart ya grabó “Buen rollo” (Fresh Sound, 1999), en cuarteto. Aunque Miano no había tocado nunca con ellos, Webber y Farnsworth fueron una elección natural, por su afinidad musical y su excelencia artística.

Al oyente le queda la sensación de haber asistido durante cincuenta minutos al encuentro de unos viejos amigos que conocen el secreto del jazz y disfrutan compartiéndolo.

1. Blues for Rojo 8:47

2. Head and Shoulders 4:52

3. Shades of Jackie Mac 5:41

4. Farewell Pulcinella 6:27

5. Reverence 6:06

6. Sweet and Lovely 6:43

7. End of a Love Affair 7:10

8. The Touch of Your Lips 5:04

9. Skippy 0:48

Fabio Miano piano

Jim Rotondi trompeta y fliscorno

Grant Stewart saxo tenor

John Webber bajo

Joe Farnsworth percusión

Fukumi - Moon in Paris (2017)

Moon in Paris, recorded in New York – as Japanese singer Fukumi works with some of that city's top jazz talents – including Eric Alexander on tenor sax, Behn Gillece on vibes, David Hazeltine on piano, John Webber on bass, and Joe Farnsworth on drums!

The instrumental core of the album is wonderful – very much in the Alexander/Hazletine camp – and Fukumi's a hell of a singer, too – one who can put forth the lyrics at one point, then scat wordlessly with a very melodic approach – a style that sounds especially nice next to the piano and vibes! Production is wonderful – lean, clean, and just the right mode to capture the interplay between the singer and the band – and all arrangements are by Hazeltine, who also plays a bit of Fender Rhodes. Titles include Fukumi's original "Moon In Paris" – plus nice takes on "The Windmills Of Your Mind", "What Are You Doing For The Rest Of Your Life", "Devil May Care", "Once Upon A Summertime", "Sunny", "I Will Wait For You", "Yesterday When I Was Young", and "This Girl's In Love With You". (HQ – Hi Quality CD pressing!)  ~ Dusty Groove

01. Devil May Care

02. Once Upon A Summertime

03. The Windmills Of Your Mind

04. Moon In Paris

05. I Will Wait For You

06. Sunny

07. Yesterday When I Was Young

08. This Girl's In Love With You

09. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?

10. This Masquerade

11. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?

Federico Bonifazi - You'll See (feat. Eric Alexander, John Webber & Jimmy Cobb) 2016 SteepleChase Productions ApS

SteepleChase Productions ApS

SCCD 33125 Federico Bonifazi “You’ll See” feat. Eric Alexander, John Webber & Jimmy Cobb

Pianist/composer Federico Bonifazi is considered one of the most outstanding talents of younger generation of Italy. After studying music in Paris and Turin Bonifazi embarked on professional career as a jazz musician in Europe. His trip to NYC in 2014 enabled him to establish a network of friends in New York jazz scene.

Bonifazi returned to NYC the following year with host of compositions of his own to record this SteepleChase Lookout debut album with New York’s leading artists including Eric Alexander and the legendary drummer Jimmy Cobbs.

FEDERICO BONIFAZI piano

ERIC ALEXANDER tenor saxophone

JOHN WEBBER bass

JIMMY COBB drums

Recorded March 17, 2015

1 STEPS HOUSE 4:31

2 VEDRAI VEDRAI 6:11

3 IL BALLO DI COCCINELLA 4:57

4 SADNESS FOR YOU 4:46

5 WHAT IS LOVE 6:33

6 SUSPENDED IN THE AIR 6:32

7 THE CHICKEN 6:06

8 ESCAPE 6:02

Total Playing Time 45:39

Vedrai Vedrai composed by Luigi Tenco

All other compositions by Federico Bonifazi

EAN/UPC 716043312528

Federico Bonifazi Website

BUY THIS ALBUM