Ntf New York

When the New York Dolls released their debut album in 1973, they managed to be named both "Best New Band" and "Worst Band" in Creem Magazine's annual reader's poll, and it usually takes something special to polarize an audience like that. And the Dolls were inarguably special – decades after its release, New York Dolls still sounds thoroughly unique, a gritty, big-city amalgam of Stones-style R&B, hard rock guitars, lyrics that merge pulp storytelling with girl group attitude, and a sloppy but brilliant attack that would inspire punk rock (without the punks ever getting its joyous slop quite right)…

A wonderful gift for jazz fans has arrived from Venus Records! Nobody argues that Bill Charlap is one of the most preeminent jazz pianists of his generation. His encyclopedic knowledge of the American Songbook is second to none, and his beautiful touch, amazing skills and imagination make it a pleasure to listen to him at all times. Ken Peplowski, on the other hand, is without a doubt one of the best clarinet and tenor sax players in the swing tradition. Each of them had recorded a number of albums for Venus Records of Japan separately - Charlap with his great New York Trio (with Jay Leonhart and Bill Stewart) and Peplowski with his own quartet and the Eddie Higgins Quintet. Now, wouldn't it be nice to put them together in a studio and make an album? Yes, it would, and they actually did it…

Red Patent Leather is a live album by the American rock and roll band the New York Dolls, released in 1984. It was recorded in New York a decade earlier, in March 1975, just a month before the group broke up during a Florida tour, and are the last recorded performances of the classic line-up, which includes: Johansen, Thunders, Sylvain, Kane, Jordan and Nolan.

The New York Trio consists of pianist Bill Charlap, bassist Jay Leonhart, and drummer Bill Stewart, though it exists solely as a studio band for the Japanese label Venus, as Charlap's regular trio includes Peter Washington and Kenny Washington. Even though this band only meets occasionally in the studio to record yet another release in their prolific series for the Japanese jazz market, there is plenty of chemistry between the three veterans, while the nine songs from the vast Cole Porter songbook were likely to have been a part of each musician's repertoire long before these 2005 sessions. Charlap's lyrical piano style is quite effective, capturing the nuances of Porter's humor (even though none of his lyrics are heard), while the rhythm section gels nicely with the pianist. Highlights include a jaunty "My Heart Belongs to Daddy," a dreamy "Begin the Beguine," and a snappy "From This Moment On."

The New York Trio, consisting of pianist Bill Charlap, bassist Jay Leonhart, and drummer Bill Stewart, have created quite a stir in Japan, as they have entered the studio regularly to record for the Japanese Venus Jazz label at the start of the 21st century. Their sixth CD for the label, Thou Swell draws from the songbook of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, a composer/lyricist combo who wrote many songs that became standards. As a result, a number of these songs have been frequently recorded by jazz musicians and seem in danger of overexposure. But Charlap is a thoughtful arranger, playing "My Funny Valentine" complete with the usually omitted verse that sets up the song while playing it at a very deliberate tempo, resulting in a stunningly different take…