Between the years 1946 and 1952, pianist Teddy Wilson made few recordings as a leader, spending most of his time and energy teaching music at Juilliard, working as an all-purpose utility pianist at radio station WNEW, and gigging occasionally with Benny Goodman. On October 6, 1952, Wilson cut eight tracks for the Metronome label in Stockholm, Sweden with excellent support from bassist Yngve Akerberg and a feisty drummer by the name of Jack Noren. In keeping with personal artistic patterns established over his first 20 years of professional musicianship, Wilson concentrated upon jazz standards, breathing new life into each melody…
With only two studio albums to their credit, the need for a Wilson Phillips best-of is in itself questionable, but for casual fans unwilling to spring for the trio's entire catalog, this is certainly the disc to own – all their hits are here, including "Hold On," "The Dream Is Still Alive," "You're in Love" and "Give It Up."
With Wilson's longtime friend Pat Sansone of Wilco producing, Wilson and the band recorded in Studio A at the Sound Emporium, the late country maverick Cowboy Jack Clement's studio. The musicians included Nashville’s premier session players including bass player Dennis Crouch, Russ Pahl on pedal steel, multi-instrumentalist Jim Hoke, and world renowned Fiddle master Mark O’Connor. Working with this Nashville band gave Wilson the same kind of feeling he had as a kid, strumming along with those bluegrass bands.
The latest release from Heart’s lead singer Ann Wilson under the banner of The Ann Wilson Thing, Focus #2, might strike many new listeners as unsettlingly abrupt. Instead, however, it represents a sharpening of focus all great artists experience from time to time…
Genius, icon, and trailblazer Brian Wilson revolutionized music as head of the Beach Boys. Now, he retraces his steps and reimagines the most iconic songs from his back catalog into their purest form, with him alone at the piano. Featuring "God Only Knows," "Wouldn't It Be Nice," "California Girls," "Good Vibrations," and many more on solo piano.
Nancy Wilson's not the first name in bluesy jazz (check out Dinah Washington and Joe Williams for that), but she usually can enliven the form with her sophisticated and sultry style. That's made clear on her rendition of "Stormy Monday Blues," where she eschews blues clichés in favor of a husky airiness, at once referencing a lowdown mood and infusing it with a sense of buoyancy. This split is nicely essayed on Capitol's Blues and Jazz Sessions, as half the tracks ooze with Wilson's cocktail blues tone and the other find the jazz-pop chanteuse in a summery and swinging mood. Ranging from the big band blues of "I've Got Your Number" to the lilting bossa nova "Wave," Wilson handles all the varying dynamics and musical settings with aplomb. Featuring cuts from her '60s prime with the likes of Cannonball Adderley, Oliver Nelson, George Shearing, Gerald Wilson, and a host of top sidemen, this best-of disc offers a fine, off-the-beaten-path overview of Wilson's Capitol heyday.
In his Soundstage special, Brian Wilson performs hits from his illustrious award-winning career as a Beach Boy, as well as selections from his new album No Pier Pressure. Joined by friends old and new, this two-disc CD/DVD combo pack features Brian's Soundstage special plus bonus songs and more!
The first-ever collection to celebrate the contribution and career of cherished Motown star Mary Wilson. The Motown Anthology features 38 songs. Featured songwriters include Berry Gordy, Smokey Robinson, Holland-Dozier-Holland, Deke Richards, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, Thom Bell and Linda Creed.