GARY WILLIAMS – AT THE MOVIES
At The Movies celebrates five decades of Hollywood classics,
including hits from Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Love Actually, Toy
Story, Saturday Night Fever and Jungle Book. Dipping into jazz, bossa nova, pop
and swing there are four lesser known gems from Elvis Presley movies and
original takes on standards from Joni Mitchell, Fred Astaire and The Bee Gees. Hot
on the heals of last year’s Christmas album Big Band Wonderland, AT THE MOVIES
features some of the UK’s finest musicians: Matt Regan (piano), Joe Pettitt
(bass) and Elliot Henshaw (drums) with original arrangements from Phil Steel,
Paul Campbell and New York’s Caleb Collins. Marking a departure for Gary, who
made his name singing the songs of Frank Sinatra, you'll hear hints of Michael
Franks, Nora Jones and Michael Bublé on this contemporary classic. Gary made
his name as a soloist with big bands and concert orchestras, including the
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, the Melbourne Symphony, the BBC Concert
Orchestra, Ireland’s RTE and the Lahti Sinfonia Finland. He’s performed for The
Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace, the LA Jazz Institute and Ronnie Scott’s.
As a broadcaster he’s presented for BBC Radio 2, Jazz FM and The Wireless.
Playbill called his book ‘Cabaret Secrets’ “an invaluable guide”. He’s recorded
15 albums, including 3 at Abbey Road and a Jazz FM album of the week.
STANLEY COWELL – NO ILLUSIONS
A nicely fresh setting for pianist Stanley Cowell – a record
that moves past his more frequent trio format, to feature the longstanding
genius in a quartet with Bruce Williams on alto and flute! Williams has a
laidback, lyrical tone that seems to bring out a different side in Cowell's
music – especially as the album mostly features the pianist's own compositions
– a way of building up his sound slowly, with a more quiet-burning version of
the spiritual energy of Stanley's youth – yet still with end results that are
equally redemptive, and very beautiful overall. The rest of the group features
Jay Anderson on bass and Billy Drummond on drums – and Cowell also plays a bit
of thumb piano and kyma too. Titles include "Celestial Women",
"No Illusions", "Miss TE & O", "Sunlight
Shifting", "B Minor Folksong", and "Nostalgia For
Homelands". ~ Dusty Groove
ESTRADA ORCHESTRA - JAZZBEATJAATIS
A fantastic full album from this ultra-cool group – a funky
combo from contemporary Estonia – with ties to the Misha Panfilov Sound Combo
that you might know from a sweet selection of recent 45s! Misha's in this group
on bass, and also produced the record – with a raw sound that makes the whole
thing a fantastic criss-crossing of deep funk and some freer jazz energy – all
at a level that makes the whole thing completely fresh, and one of the hippest
underground records we've heard in a while! These guys aren't really spiritual
jazz, but they clearly get that energy – and although they play hard, they're
not straight funk either – as they spin out on longer tracks and really know
how to take solos – serving up excellent sounds on flute, tenor, alto, and a
range of great keyboards – all set to nicely heavy drums, on titles that
include "Nite City", "Envelope", "Garden Of
Pleasures", "Queens", and "Troubled Mind". (Limited
edition of 500!) ~ Dusty Groove
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