Emily Remler

This is the first of two CDs issued by Concord Jazz compiling some of the best tracks from Emily Remler's sessions for that label. Cut short at a far too early age by a heart condition while touring in Australia, Remler had all the talent necessary to carve herself a niche in the jazz world as a premier jazz guitar interpreter and performer. Retrospective, Vol. 1 is probably the superior of the two volumes, as it includes, among other gems, an enticing unaccompanied rendition of "Afro Blue." Remler had the ability to be expressively warm with a romantic ballad, as on "In a Sentimental Mood," but she excelled on tunes that allowed her to bring out her hard bop credentials, especially in the company of similarly tough-minded rhythm sections. She displays those credentials on several tracks, such as "Hot House" and "Daahoud," where she is joined by the inestimable Hank Jones on piano and Marvin "Smitty" Smith on drums. "Del Sasser" is the sole representative from that intriguing album she made with trumpet player John D'earth.

This interesting; and one-time matchup features Larry Coryell and Emily Remler on a set of guitar duets. It is easy to tell the two players apart, yet their styles were quite complementary. Highlights of the date (which has four standards, Pat Martino's "Gerri's Blues," and two Coryell originals) include "Joy Spring," "How My Heart Sings" and "How Insensitive."

Richie Cole & Hank Crawford Quintet - Bossa International (1987) {Milestone MCD-9180-2 rel 1990}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 350 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 138 Mb
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© 1987, 1990 Milestone / Fantasy | MCD-9180-2
Jazz / Bebob / Saxophone

Richie Cole meets up with fellow altoist Hank Crawford on a spirited concert set. With guitarist Emily Remler, bassist Marshall Hawkins and drummer Victor Jones, Cole and Crawford romp on such numbers as "Confirmation," "Fantasy Blues," "Samba De Orpheus" and "Cherokee." This jam session date has its exciting moments and is easily recommended to bebop fans.

David Benoit took a break from the type of smooth jazz fluff he usually records and delivered a respectable, straight-ahead CD with Waiting for Spring. Bill Evans is obviously a great influence on Benoit, whose vulnerability makes his love of the late piano legend obvious on originals as well as lyrical interpretations of standards like "My Romance" and "Secret Love." Benoit has a fine soloist in the late guitarist Emily Remler, who is consistently warm, melodic, and inviting. Though the album isn't breathtaking, it's satisfying and heartfelt.

As one of the pioneers of jazz-rock – perhaps the pioneer in the ears of some – Larry Coryell deserves a special place in the history books. He brought what amounted to a nearly alien sensibility to jazz electric guitar playing in the 1960s, a hard-edged, cutting tone, and phrasing and note-bending that owed as much to blues, rock, and even country as it did to earlier, smoother bop influences.

Noted for the beauty of her voice and ability to freshen up the most tired lyric, Susannah McCorkle left behind an impressive and large body of work at the time of her death in 2001. Ballad Essentials concentrates onMcCorkle's softer side, collecting a dozen pieces recorded for Concord between 1983 and 2000. A remarkable cadre including Ken Peplowski, Emily Remler, and Bucky Pizzarelli join her on a variety of standards by Cole Porter, Rodgers & Hart, and the Gershwin brothers.