Janis Mann & Kenny Werner

Five years ago, L.A.-based vocalist Janis Mann paid exquisite tribute to timekeepers, alternating among a quartet of preeminent drummers on A Perfect Time. Now, two albums later, two of the four—Roy McCurdy and Joe LaBarbera—return for the equally sublime Celestial Anomaly. This time, though, co-billing is ascribed to pianist Kenny Werner. Bassist Hamilton Price, as impressive as his better-known bandmates, completes the rhythm section. Astronomically speaking, the title refers to an apsis, the farthest point between two bodies in elliptical orbit, which seems an odd insinuation. If the two bodies are Mann and Werner, then their union couldn’t be closer—a masterful fusion of musical minds. And though Werner’s playing is expectedly brilliant, the entire ensemble, whether anchored by McCurdy or LaBarbera, is tight and interdependent. Mann is often likened to Sarah Vaughan, and certainly shares Sassy’s dark, rich texture and her versatility. But Mann adds an enticing air of mystery, a dusky hint of veiled possibilities. She is not only one of the most skilled vocalists around, but one of the most alluring as well. Her excellent taste in standards here extends from a smoky “So in Love” and an intriguingly propulsive “Early Autumn” to an entrancing “Wild Is the Wind” and spellbinding “Throw It Away.” More contemporary material is as shrewdly interpreted, including gorgeous readings of Elton John’s “Come Down in Time” and Sting’s “Fragile.” (By Christopher Loudon for “Jazz...

Nick Ziobro “A Lot Of Livin’ To Do”

Nick Ziobro, the 17 year-old pop/jazz vocal sensation, will release his debut album A Lot of Livin’ to Do on Tuesday, May 20. The new disc, produced by Michael Feinstein – the two-time Emmy and five-time Grammy Award-nominated vocalist, pianist and musicologist – and available through Titanium Entertainment, will be available in stores and digital outlets such as iTunes and Amazon.com. The album’s debut single “This Guy’s In Love with You” is now available on iTunes. The dynamic new collection of classic standards from the Great American Songbook and beyond features Nick’s sensitive interpretations and invigorating arrangements by Tedd Firth. Nick, who has been hailed as “a budding young talent” by LA Weekly and praised for his “dreamy phrasing and perfect pitch” by Rex Reed in the New York Observer, will perform a special CD release concert at Birdland Jazz Club (315 West 44th Street in Manhattan) on Thursday, May 22 at 6:00 PM. “It’s a joy to present the formidable talent of Nick Ziobro,” says Michael Feinstein. “He has charisma, freshness and charm, plus skill, taste and musical intelligence. In addition, Nick possesses an amazing maturity beyond his young years. I’m impressed with the way he has taken these timeless songs and made them his own, and that is no small feat! When he toured with me last summer, the audiences were clearly as taken with him as I was. Nick is a stellar vocalist and superb artist. It’s evident that we’re going to hear much more from him in the coming years.” A Lot of Livin’ to Do features an impressive lineup of jazz veterans including Musical Director Tedd Firth on piano, Bucky Pizzarelli on guitar, Jay Leonhart on bass, Ray Marchica on drums, Brian Pareschi on trumpet and flugelhorn, and Marc Phaneuf on saxophone and clarinet. The album has liner notes by Michael Feinstein and color...

Maucha Adnet & Helio Alves

Anyone interested in Brazilian music has something to look forward to in the new release of Milagre, the first duo album of long term collaborators, vocalist Maucha Adnet and pianist Helio Alves. These are two musicians who seem to know each other well. They have a feel for one another and it shows in their performances. Adnet, who worked with the great Antonio Carlos Jobim and Banda Nova from 1984 to his death in 1994, has also sung with the likes to Oscar Castro-Neves, Slide Hampton, Herbie Mann, and Randy Brecker as well as husband Duduka Da Fonseca. Alves has played with Joe Henderson, Paquito D’Rivera, Gato Barbieri and Rosa Passos, among others. Milagre, which means miracle in Portuguese, features 14 classic songs from some of the best of Brazilian composers from Jobim to Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, and Moacir Santos among others. They are performed with a stylish sincerity that communicates their emotional depth even to those of us who don’t understand a word of Portuguese. Todd Barkan’s liner notes are also a big help. The album opens with “O Cantador” by Nelson Motta and Dori Caymmi, whom Adnet had met when he played guitar with Jobim in 1984. It opens with Alves’ haunting piano followed by the singer’s mesmerizing vocal. It is an elegant prelude to what is to come. Gil’s “Eu Vim da Bahia” follows with an upbeat change of pace and then the first of the album’s songs in English, Jobim’s “Waters of March.” While Adnet may not feel as comfortable with English as with her native language, she manages the lyric quite well. The album ends with the other English song, “April Child,” Moacir Santos’ music with lyrics by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans. Adnet plays some percussion (triangle, etc.) on this and a couple of other tracks. Other  Jobim tunes on the album...

Eliane Elias – I Thought About You

Its release timed to coincide with the 25th anniversary of Chet Baker’s death, Eliane Elias’ I Thought About You is the most satisfying of the many Baker tributes that have surfaced of late, because the Brazilian pianist and vocalist so keenly appreciates a key shared attribute. Like the perennially misunderstood Baker, wrongfully pegged as a tragedian, Elias is first and foremost a sensualist. The difference, gorgeously explored across these 14 tracks, is that Baker’s magnetism was derived from a potent blend of mystery and vulnerability while Elias, true to her heritage, trades in a more forthright brand of sexiness. Case in point: Apart from “My Funny Valentine” (which Elias opts to skip), “Let’s Get Lost” remains Baker’s most identifiable signature. Where Baker’s rendition suggests a furtive, wee-hours escape along befogged back roads, Elias navigates a wide-open emprise into romantic discovery. Of course Baker, even at his most troubled, had the good sense to surround himself with superior players, as does Elias. Bassist and husband Marc Johnson is her most constant companion, providing exquisite support on 13 tracks. Guitarists Steve Cardenas and Oscar Castro-Neves, drummers Victor Lewis and Rafael Barata and percussionist Marivaldo dos Santos are variously present throughout, incorporating equally masterful touches, and Elias’ ex-husband, Randy Brecker, adds trumpet to two tracks, powerfully evoking Baker on “That Old Feeling.” Interestingly, it is the most populous track, “There Will Never Be Another You,” a glorious summit featuring all but Barata, and the sparest, the closing “I Get Along Without You Very Well,” that are the album’s standouts. (Christopher Loudon “Jazz...

Dorian Devins – The Procrastinator

Devins possesses a well-behaved and muscular alto voice that complements her disciplined singing style, one guided by melody in the midrange, not unlike Miles Davis trumpet vision of the ’50s and ’60s. Standards first: “Let’s Get Lost” is a naked wink at Chet Baker, sung minimalistically, sans vibrato. “I Guess I’ll Hang My Tears Out to Dry” could have easily acknowledged Dexter Gordon, with saxophonist Peter Brainin turning in a densely melodious solo. “Better Than Anything” swings as hard as any waltz can. Devin’s singing is crisp and exact and very hip. “Speak Low” is given a breezy Latin vibe where Devins deftly surfs among its waves. The vocalese: Devin’s supplies moody lyrics to Shorter’s abstract “Momentum,” based on “Deluge,” from Juju (Blue Note, 1964), drummer Steve Johns capturing Tony Williams‘ post-bop groove. But it is the title cut, Morgan’s “The Procrastinator,” where Devins absolutely kills. Bassist Karl Kaminski introduces the piece with staccato arco strokes made Baroque by Devins’ arrangement and singing. She navigates her (and Morgan’s) crazy counterpoint through verses that avoid the anachronistic tendency to pepper the lyrics with jazz allusions. She chooses a literal interpretation of the title, spinning a tale of putting things off. The song is broken by a swinging interior of solos, with Richie Vitale offering a full-bore trumpet solo. Devins’ other adaptations, Dorham’s “La Mesha,” from saxophonist Joe Henderson‘s Page One (Blue Note, 1963), and Morgan’s “Lament for Stacy,” Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers‘ S’Make It (Verve, 1963), and “Soft Touch,” also from The Procrastinator (Blue Note, 1967) are all ballads, a format not generally used for vocalese lyric writing. Devins shows herself not only capable, but quite facile in writing for instrumental ballads. Brainin’s flute gives the piece a light and airy feel, one that compares well to the previous song on the disc, the Jobim/Lees ballad, “Dreamer.” Lou...

Jackie Ryan – Listen Here

Now, with the flawless Listen Here, Ryan again surpasses herself. As always, her tone, phrasing and interpretive smarts are impeccable and her range sublime, but there is a fresh earthiness evident across these 14 tracks, an even richer naturalness. Never one to underplay her dexterity, Ryan covers considerable musical ground, traveling from the brass-lined fervor of her opening “Comin’ Home Baby” and testifying strut of “Accentuate the Positive” to the warm breeziness of “Anytime, Any Day, Anywhere” and the hushed beauty of the Dave Frishberg title track. Along the way, she delivers an enchanted reading of Abbey Lincoln’s “Throw It Away,” revisits the Mexican half of her heritage with the heartrending “La Puerta,” and rivals the majesty of Nina Simone on a towering “I Loves You, Porgy.” John Clayton who, in addition to playing bass (alongside son Gerald on piano and organ), served as producer...