Inglewood Richard Smith Wpcr

Paul Smith is well-known to jazz fans for his sterling accompaniment on a number of Ella Fitzgerald's best albums, particularly Ella in Berlin. But the veteran pianist has recorded quite a bit on his own, though few of his LPs (like this Warner Bros. album from the 1960s) have been reissued on CD. Joining him on this trio date are bassist Wilfred Middlebrooks (who worked alongside Smith with Ella) and drummer Frank Capp. The music swings throughout this live session taped at the Hunting Horn, mixing numerous standards (including a romp through "Laura"), overlooked gems (such as a furious but intricate rendition of Rodgers & Hart's "Mountain Greenery" that reveals Smith's love of classical music), and imaginative treatments of current pop tunes such as "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" and "Fly Me to the Moon"…

This Japanese collection features mostly early Cliff Richard hits, beginning with his first, "Move It," which was released in 1958, through his so-called comeback years in the late 1970s, including his only U.S. hit, 1976's "Devil Woman."

This Japanese collection features mostly early Cliff Richard hits, beginning with his first, "Move It," which was released in 1958, through his so-called comeback years in the late 1970s, including his only U.S. hit, 1976's "Devil Woman."

This album - "Brazilian Detour"- is the most direct route to what's new in the world of big popular piano. Paul takes the new, worldly, popular idiom of the bossa nova, translates it from its more common instrumental voice-the guitar-into a strong piano sound, and then travels a double road to the final statement. He takes a handful of familiar bossa nova tunes and gives them his Yankee jazz accent, then takes an equal number of non-Brazilian standards and originals and reverses his field. The result is a fresh and ear-grabbing blend of the two musics, proof again that Paul is a swinging something else.