Justin Time Records vocalist Halie Loren's holiday album Many Times, Many Ways: A Holiday Collection is being re-launched this holiday season four years after its initial release in 2008. Loren's sultry vocals on Many Times, Many Ways are matched by the warm and balanced stylings ofMatt Treder on piano. In duo, Loren and Treder create an intimate portrait of the season with nine old and new classics such as "The Christmas Song" and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," interwoven with sassy arrangements of "Santa Baby" and "Winter Wonderland." Many Times, Many Ways also features two original instrumental compositions by Treder, "From the Mouths of Babes," and "Sugar Cookies." "Music is such a huge part of my holiday experience--it is one of the most nostalgic elements of that time of year," says Loren. "Continuing that tradition is a joy for me to be a part of. Recording the album arrangements with the simplicity of piano and voice in duet was reminiscent of sitting around the living room piano on Christmas Eve, singing songs we've known and loved our whole lives." Evocative and joyous, Many Times, Many Ways achieves, as one reviewer noted, "a jazz-infused cycle of popular and rare holiday numbers that are rendered with a torchy romanticism that just begs for hot toddies and cedar logs roaring in the fireplace."
A sweet early date as a leader from Elvin Jones – one that has him working strongly away from a John Coltrane setting, with some hip arrangements by Melba Liston! Elvin brings in some excellent accompaniment from two other Joneses as well – Thad on cornet and Hank on piano – both of whom show their modernist tendencies more strongly here than in other work from the time – and the group also features great work from Charles Davis on baritone, Hunt Peters on trombone, and Frank Wess on flute and tenor sax! Most of the tracks on the album – such as "Azan", "Elvin Elpus", and "All Deliberate Speed" – are tightly snapping Melba Liston arrangements with a good mix of bop and modernist ideas, but one track – "And Then Again" – is a very nice improvised piece by the group. ~ Dusty Groove
A record of incredible beauty from the great Leo Wright – and one that we'd never part with at all! Wright's one of those excellent players from the 60s who never really gets his due – largely because he was always hiding behind larger groups, and because he left the US in the decade for an extended stint in Europe. Still he cut some fantastic early work with both Dizzy Gillespie and Lalo Schifrin – and this album captures him right during the peak of that early period! The record features light lively backing from a quartet that includes Kenny Burrell on guitar, Ron Carter on bass, and Rudy Collins on drums – and some tracks have a beautifully groovy sound that's slightly bossa, slightly soul jazz. One of the best of these is Wright's great cover of "A Felicidade", but the record contains many other great moments, like "The Wiggler", "Tali", "Sassy Lady", and "Dionysis". ~ Dusty Groove
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