Suddenly Silence

Multi-talented Marcus Miller's debut Suddenly was issued in the spring of 1983 on Patrick Rains' PRA Records label through Warner Bros. Miller shared production chores with Ray Bardani and Michael Colina, whom he'd worked with before on sides for David Sanborn. It's a tasty showcase for the bassist/songwriter/vocalist/producer who went from New York session stardom to mega-stardom with his frequent collaborator Luther Vandross. Vandross does vocals on "Lovin' You," "Just for You," and the squishy "Be My Love."

Suddenly is the most surprising and unpredictable Caribou album to date. Though it retains the trademark Caribou warmth and technicolor, this album is littered with swerves and left turns. Songs drop out and morph into something else entirely just as they’re hitting their stride, samples chopped up beyond all recognition burst out of nowhere. Suddenly refers to the moments of dramatic and unexpected change that occur at points in any life and within any family—universal themes that catch you off guard and change your life in a heartbeat.

Leo Wright - Suddenly The Blues (1962) {2012 Japan Jazz Best Collection 1000 Series WPCR-27182}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 201 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 82 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (png) -> 28 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1962, 2012 Atlantic / WEA Japan / Rhino | WPCR-27182
Jazz / Post Bop / Saxophone

Features 24bit digital remastering. Comes with a description. Recorded in New York, New York on April 23, 1962. Originally released on Atlantic (1393). Includes liner notes by Gary Kramer. Digitally remastered by Gene Paul (DB Plus, New York, New York). More driving than "Blues Shout," it was recorded with Kenny Burrell (g).

This CD reissue of one of tenor-saxophonist Zoot Sims's final recordings adds a version of "Emaline" to the original program. Pianist Jimmy Rowles often co-stars on the date (with bassist George Mraz and drummer Akira Tana offering solid support). The lyrical repertoire emphasizes ballads and pretty melodies with the highpoints including such offbeat material as Woody Guthrie's "So Long," Sims's "Brahms…I Think," "In the Middle of a Kiss" and the more familiar "Never Let Me Go" and "Suddenly It's Spring." The melodic performances are quite warm, romantic and enjoyable, fine examples of subtle creativity.

Talk about playing from strength: Chip, Dave, Alan and Rick (and its slightly later U.S. counterpart, Suddenly You Love Me) was the second full LP of 1967 by the re-organized Tremeloes, and it doesn't have a weak moment on it. To the band, it must've seemed like nothing less than a miracle twice over, coming as it did the same year that they roared to the top of the U.K. charts (as well as scaling the American Top 20). For the rest of us, however, it was more like a triple miracle, musically speaking. Anyone who missed the optimism, lyricism, and soul stylings of albums like the Beatles' Rubber Soul (and the more accessible parts of Revolver), need look no further than the 13 songs on this long-player to recapture those vibrations…

Suddenly The Blues reveals that Leo Wright possessed equal doses of talent on both alto sax and flute, both of which assumed a fluid and assertive tone that commands the attention of the listener. In fact, he worked in a soulful sensibility and decectively complex technique not unlike Lou Donaldson’s, most notably on 'Sassy Lady'. His flute work on 'The Wiggler' is reminiscent of the “coolness” and quirkiness of Quincy Jones’ theme 'Soul Bossa Nova', most recently re-discovered on the soundtrack of Austin Powers 'The Spy Who Shagged Me'. This LP is interesting as well because it captures Ron Carter’s work just after he left Bobby Timmons’ group and before he joined Miles Davis’ most famous quintet, for which he’ll forever be known…