Tom Lellis – The Flow

Tom Lellis -whose work with guitarist Toninho Horta (on the CD, Tonight) was lauded as “exquisite” by the New York Times, and whose CD, Skylark, with the Metropole Orchestra was “most  requested” at WBGO, NY/NJ- has recently released The Flow. An eclectic thirteen track set, The Flow, on Lellis’ own Beamtide label, features a mix of original compositions, lyrical interpretations of instrumental works by artists such as McCoy Tyner, Orlando Valle and Horta  and Lellis’ vocal renderings of songs by El DeBarge, Carroll Coates, the New Orleans-based pianist and vocalist, Willie Tee, Chick Corea and Oregon’s  Ralph Towner. The Flow once again pairs Lellis with his frequent collaborator Horta, whose 2008 recording with Lellis,Tonight (Adventure Music), also resulted in this effusive quote, excerpted from a review of the album in Jazz Times magazine. “Indeed, if lustrous pearls on black couture are the height of understated elegance, then Lellis and Horta are, in combination, the Audrey Hepburn of Latin-fused jazz.” The two musicians have worked together for some 20 years, on four of Lellis’ albums.  On The Flow, their co-credited “Waiting the Day” is the lyric version of Horta’s “Waiting for Angela.” “I’ve always thought it beautiful, a profound yet simple melody over sophisticated moving harmony,” says Lellis of the song. “I wrote of love delayed or unrequited, and tried to match the title emotionally.” Also joining Lellis on this musical adventure are Orlando “Maraca” Valle on flute, Gary Fisher on piano and keyboard, Ed Howard on bass, Jonathan Blake on drums, Kip Reed on electric bass, Ed Uribe and Tommy Campbell on drums and percussion, Café DaSilva and Rogerio Boccato on percussion, William Galison on harmonica and Melba Joyce and Donna Cumberbatch on vocals.  Lellis own multi-faceted musical ability on keyboards, piano, guitar and percussion are also on ample display throughThe Flow. Perhaps the “bonus” track on The Flow is...

Sinatra/Jobim: The Complete Reprise Recordings

Frank Sinatra released dozens of albums for the Reprise label beginning in 1961. Every once in awhile he would share equal billing with the likes of Bing Crosby, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and the co-subject of this review, one A.C. Jobim. Antonio Carlos Jobim was a popular Brazilian songwriter, composer, arranger, vocalist, guitarist, and piano player. Immensely respected in his home country, he gained commercial acceptance in The United States for his albums with Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto. Their first 1964 project together won four Grammy Awards and helped to introduce the Bossa Nova to American music fans. Sinatra and Jobim went into the studio together during 1967. Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim,, with Jobim providing backing on guitar, piano, and vocals, was released during March and would be a commercial success reaching number 19 on The American pop charts. Nearly two years later, during February 1969, they returned to the studio and recorded ten more tracks for a follow-up album. Sinatra-Jobim was quickly released and then just as quickly withdrawn per Sinatra’s instructions. Only a few odd copies managed to escape destruction. 1971’sSinatra & Company would include a number of these withdrawn tracks, but the rest disappeared into the Reprise vaults and would not see the light of day until they were issued on a box set several decades later. The Concord Music Group has now released Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim: The Complete Reprise Recordings, which gathers all of their recorded songs into one place. The performances obviously have a Latin flavor both in terms of sound and song selection, but Sinatra’s interpretive style pushes them into the pop style of music. Jobim co-wrote seven of the songs for their first release and co-wrote all ten for the second. “The Girl From Ipanema,” “Once I Loved,” “Meditation,” “The Song Of Sabia,” “One Note Samba,” and...