While most of his earlier albums are in the smooth jazz genre, Kim decided to change his lead instrument from piano to trumpet and to concentrate on jazz, what was his original intention and musical education. Places I've Been is settled in contemporary jazz, while At The Moment was the final step to jazz. When Katie Smiles (2008) is Kim's return to contemporary jazz and to the piano. Pensyl’s piano and keyboards are supported by the bass (Andy Woodson), drums (Reggie Jackson), electric and acoustic guitars (Kevin Turner) and percussion (Jim Ed Cobbs). The title song When Katie Smiles showcases Kim Pensyl in full swing. The accentuated piano melody is answered by Kevin's guitar.
Europe's hottest big band of the 60s swings hard and tight with its trademark two-drummer-sound and exciting solos by European and American jazz legends. "All Smiles" is a first rate powerhouse session.
Europe's hottest big band of the 60s swings hard and tight with its trademark two-drummer-sound and exciting solos by European and American jazz legends. "All Smiles" is a first rate powerhouse session.
Taking influence from 1960's Thai funk - their name literally translates to "Engine Fly" in Thai - Khruangbin’s debut album ‘The Universe Smiles Upon You’ is steeped in the bass heavy, psychedelic sound of their inspiration, Tarantino soundtracks and surf-rock cool. The Texan trio is formed of Laura Lee on bass, Mark Speer on guitar, and Donald “DJ” Johnson on drums.
Europe's hottest big band of the 60s swings hard and tight with its trademark two-drummer-sound and exciting solos by European and American jazz legends. "All Smiles" is a first rate powerhouse session.
The clarity afforded by history proves Miles Davis' second great quintet vying for the unofficial honor of being the finest small jazz combo to ever record to tape. Originally released in 1966, Miles Smiles is largely responsible for the feat, as it commences a series of five groundbreaking albums – chronologically rounded out by Sorcerer, Nefertiti, Miles in the Sky, and Filles de Kilimanjaro – guided not by chordal patterns but open responses to melodies. Music would never again be the same. Neither will experiencing Miles Smiles once you hear this definitive-sounding hybrid SACD reissue.
The Clarke-Boland Big Band's acclaimed sequel to their "All Smiles" album features a second batch of immortal jazz standards presented in the distinctive, tight and swinging fashion of Europe's most outstanding big band of the 60s.
Its greatest triumph is that it masks this adventurousness within music that is warm and accessible – it just never acts that way. No matter how accessible this is, what's so utterly brilliant about it is that the group never brings it forth to the audience. They're playing for each other, pushing and prodding each other in an effort to discover new territory. As such, this crackles with vitality, sounding fresh decades after its release. And, like its predecessor, ESP, this freshness informs the writing as well, as the originals are memorable, yet open-ended and nervy, setting (and creating) standards for modern bop that were emulated well into the new century. Arguably, this quintet was never better than they are here, when all their strengths are in full bloom.
Hanna Paulsberg's tenor saxophone voice is increasingly in demand for a wide variety of projects, from the Trondheim Jazz Orchestra to collaborations with Ellen Andrea Wang, Jon Balke, Andreas Ulvo, Erland Dahlen and veteran Knut Rissnaes. Yet her standing as a composer and leader of one of Norway's most outstanding young quartets has been firmly established with releases such as Waltz for Lili (Ora Fonogram, 2012) and Song for Josia (Ora Fonogram, 2014). Eastern Smiles, her third release, and first on Odin Records, continues the course established on her previous two releases, with six original compositions highlighting the dual melodic and rhythmic pulses that drive her music.
With their second album, Miles Smiles, the second Miles Davis Quintet really began to hit their stride, delving deeper into the more adventurous, exploratory side of their signature sound. This is clear as soon as "Orbits" comes crashing out the gate, but it's not just the fast, manic material that has an edge - slower, quieter numbers are mercurial, not just in how they shift melodies and chords, but how the voicing and phrasing never settles into a comfortable groove. This is music that demands attention, never taking predictable paths or easy choices. Its greatest triumph is that it masks this adventurousness within music that is warm and accessible - it just never acts that way. No matter how accessible this is, what's so utterly brilliant about it is that the group never brings it forth to the audience…