Call Me Irresponsible-Michael Buble
It's no coincidence that Michael Bublé's new album starts with just his voice and some fingersnaps on "The Best Is Yet to Come," a song made famous by Frank Sinatra. The Canadian smoothie looks longingly towards early-'60s Vegas, an impression quickly reinforced when a boisterous horn section makes its grand entrance, about 20 seconds into the track. That Bublé means business is confirmed by the second cut, a fast-paced take on Henry Mancini's "It Had Better Be Tonight," and of course by the CD's very title, another song identified with Sinatra as his cockiest. There are just a few sidesteps from the retro formula that's served Bublé so well so far: a languid duet with Brazilian star Ivan Lins on the bossa "Wonderful Tonight," a gospel choir on "That's Life." Interestingly, Bublé co-wrote the best of those sidesteps, "Everything," a Norah Jones-esque number that alluringly harks back to sunny '70s pop. It's also the only song on the album produced by Bob Rock (best known for his work with Metallica), sending out a strong signal that Bublé should reach out to unlikely collaborators more often. --Elisabeth Vincentelli
Melding the contemporary and the classic in ways only he can, Michael Buble has created his most complete studio effort yet. Ranging from "I've Got The World On a String" to "Me and Mrs. Jones," in addition to two new songs co-written by Michael, Call Me Irresponsible makes this album irresistible.
Got The SONGS
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Call Me Irresponsible-Michael Buble
The Very Best of the Manhattan Transfer
The Very Best of the Manhattan Transfer
This is an excellent collection of many of the high points of the Manhattan Transfer's first decade, demonstrating both their reach and their grasp as they draw material from swing, modern jazz, and doo-wop into their own distinctive style. There's a tongue-in-cheek cool that connects the swing of Erskine Hawkins's "Tuxedo Junction" to the elemental girl-group harmonies of "Boy from New York City" and the TV themes like "Route 66" and the variations on the "Twilight Zone." More traditional jazz skills, though, are apparent in their renditions of some Jon Hendricks vocal classics. Composer Jimmy Giuffre plays saxophone on their version of his "Four Brothers," a key theme for bandleader Woody Herman, while there are also stellar renditions of Weather Report's "Birdland" and the standard "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square." It's an entertaining collection by a group that's never let itself be confined by the expected. --Adam Rains
Got The SONGS
1. Boy From New York City
2. Trickle Trickle
3. Gloria
4. Operator
5. Tuxedo Junction
6. Four Brothers
7. Ray's Rockhouse
8. Soul Food To Go (Sina)
9. Spice Of Life
10. Baby Come Back To Me (The Morse Code Of Love)
11. Candy Listen Listen
12. A Nightingale Sang In Berkely Square
13. Birdland
14. Java Jive
15. Route 66
16. Twilight Zone, Twilight Tone
They have been around for more than three decades now. This group has earned a reputation as one of the most hard working and versatile acts in show business. The Manhattan Transfer made a decision years ago not to concentrate on any one particular style of music. It was surely the right choice because Manhattan Transfer continues to perform to this day their unique blend of bebop, fusion jazz, pop and doowop to enthusiastic audiences all over the world.
"The Very Best of the Manhattan Transfer" certainly does live up to its moniker. Rhino has done a splendid job in assembling 16 of the groups very finest recordings. It is simply amazing to me that a group of such abundant talent only managed to place a total of 7 singles on the Billboard Hot 100. Each and every one of those tunes appear here including as you would expect "Operator", "Trickle Trickle", "Baby Come Back To Me (The Morse Code of Love)" and the groups biggest single release "Boy From New York City" from 1981. At that point it looked as though Manhattan Transfer just might be a fixture on the pop charts for many years to come. But Manhattan Transfer never really fancied itself a Top 40 act. Rather the group appealed to a wide variety of audiences and as such found a great deal of success on the album charts in the ensuing years. Many great tunes from those albums appear on this disc including phenominal renditions of standards like "Candy", "Tuxedo Junction", "Route 66" and "Java Jive". I also loved the groups cover of the doo wop classic "Gloria". I found each and every track on this CD to be an absolute delight. The remastering job is amazing and the 8 page booklet was also very nicely done.
The Manhattan Transfer was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998. They have also won 10 Grammys. This CD should be considered "essential" for serious collectors of American popular music. Very highly recommended.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Charlie Parker
Charlie Parker grew up listening to music.
Charlie Parker (1920-1955) spent his childhood in Kansas City, Missouri, one of the hottest jazz spots in the country. Seeking jobs as a song and dance man, his father moved the family there to find work. Unable to find a job, Charlie's dad left to go work on the railroad. He had to travel long distances and was gone a lot of the time. In the end, he left the family altogether and Charlie's mom had to provide for the two of them. Some times, she worked two or three jobs to give Charlie everything he needed and wanted. When his mom worked at night, Charlie would go out and listen to jazz around town.
He learned to play the sax but it wasn't easy.
Charlie started playing an alto saxophone when he was twelve years old. He taught himself by listening to jazz musicians. He was able to play music and joined his first band when he was 14. Because he never had lessons or formal training, he often struggled playing music. Eventually, with proper training and practice Charlie mastered the basics. He memorized the records made by the tenor saxophonist Lester Young, until he could play them all from memory. Charlie claimed that he practiced up to 14 hours a day until he could play anything he wanted.
Charlie was different from other high school students.
Unlike other high school kids, Charlie spent his days practicing his sax and preparing for his performances with swing bands. At night, he would often visit Kansas City's jazz clubs to see famous performers. He was passionate about music as a young man.
Charlie wanted to play new sounds and rhythms.
Charlie moved to New York City after a short stay in Chicago. He found work playing in swing bands but started experimenting with his own style of playing. Late at night, he would gather with other musicians who to wanted to play fast-paced, fiery music. This jazz style would later become known as bebop.
Bebop was challenging and energetic.
At first many of the older jazz artists and fans disliked bebop. The unpredictable beats and lengthy improvisations departed from the smoother rhythms of swing music. For swing fans, jazz was music for dancing. Unlike swing, bebop was powerful music for listening. Its melodies and harmonies were more complex than the great majority of the music that preceded it.
Charlie was a brilliant musician.
Charlie was the genius behind bebop. The exciting pace and expressive solos of bebop won over the musical community. Other jazz musicians desired to play like Charlie. Luckily, he made many great recordings, and even played with a large group of violins, violas and cellos. To this day, much of jazz's language comes from what Charlie Parker played. Unfortunately, Charlie started using drugs and alcohol as a teenager in Kansas City and became addicted as an adult. His long time use of alcohol and heroin took over his life. Sadly, Charlie died when he was just 34 years old, a time when many artists are in their peak years.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
I Wayan Balawan..The Magic Finger from Bali
If
Born in
In 1993 he went to
He is versatile guitarist that play many styles of music, and a great solo performer. He has developed the ability to play a special and difficult form of tapping which involves chord and bass work with the left hand and tapped melody with the right hand, which resembles piano playing.
In his second solo album, now under label Sony-BMG Music
Magic Fingers is also ruly a showcase of Balinese guitarist Iwayan Balawan ability in arranging , composing and his unique blend of musical styles which collaborating between great guitar playing mix with the traditional instruments of Bali.
Balawan is now considered as one of famous favourite jazz guitarist in
Thursday, November 1, 2007
The sexy one..Michael Buble
Born 9 September 1975, Michael Steven Bublé is a critically acclaimed Grammy-nominated, multiple Juno Award-winning Canadian crooner, big band singer and actor. While achieving modest chart success in the United States, his 2003 self-titled album has reached the top ten in Canada, the UK and Australia. In 2004, a live album and video called Come Fly with Me was listed on the Billboard music video charts and reached
One of his singles hits, is Sway an old swing jazz that can be perfomed by him perfectly…
Read Full ArticleTuesday, October 30, 2007
"The Captain Finger"
Yes.. we talk about The Captain Finger Lee Rinenour...
Lee Ritenour has long been the perfect studio musician, one who can melt into the background without making any impact. While he possesses impressive technique, Ritenour has mostly played instrumental pop throughout his career, sometimes with a Brazilian flavor. His few jazz efforts have found him essentially imitating Wes Montgomery, but despite that he has been consistently popular since the mid-'70s. After touring with Sergio Mendes' Brasil '77 in 1973, Ritenour became a very busy studio guitarist in
Over the course of Rit's milestone thirty recordings, (including 1997's Alive in L.A., the first time he chronicled his live performances), he has earned several gold albums, numerous #1 spots in guitar polls and the prestigious "Alumnus of the Year" award from USC. Since the 70s, Rit has been a huge presence in a cross-section of radio genres. In 1981, he scored the pop 15 hit "Is It You," featuring vocalist Eric Tagg, which has also become a smooth jazz radio classic. Most recently, "Get Up Stand Up," the first single from the A Twist of Marley recording, was the #1 Radio & Records NAC airplay single of 2001.
In the 90s, he was a founding member of Fourplay, the most successful band in contemporary jazz, with keyboardist Bob James, bassist Nathan East and drummer Harvey Mason. The first Fourplay album in 1991 spent an unprecedented 33 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's contemporary jazz chart, while their Grammy-nominated follow-up, Between the Sheets, captured the top slot on the Billboard, R&R, Gavin and NAC charts on its way to a gold sales certification. In addition to producing his own recordings, Ritenour has produced projects for such artists as Eric Marienthal, Phil Perry and Vesta, which were released on his i.e. music label, along with A Twist of Jobim. Additional production credits include Patti Austin, Will Downing and most recently, A Twist of Marley.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Incognito
Incognito is a British band, widely regarded as one of the key members of the English acid jazz movement. Their debut album, Jazz Funk, was released in 1981, with eleven more albumsBees + Things + Flowers, was released in 2006. following, the last of which,
Throughout the band's history, it has been led and driven by composer, record producer, guitarist and singer, Jean-Paul 'Bluey' Maunick. Other notable band members have included the singers Tony Momrelle, Jocelyn Brown, Carleen Anderson, Imaani, Maysa Leak and Kelli Sae.
The band has had intermittent success in the UK Singles Chart, with their breakthrough hit a cover version of the Ronnie Laws' tune, "Always There", featuring Jocelyn Brown. They have also been a favourite of various re-mixers, including Masters At Work, David Morales, Roger Sanchez and Jazzanova, and have released three albums consisting almost entirely of remixes.
Monday, October 15, 2007
THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER
It's been nearly 35 years since Tim Hauser paid his bills by working both as a marketing executive and a New York cabbie with dreams of creating a vocal group. One night in 1972, Hauser's taxi fare was an aspiring singer named Laurel Massé, who was familiar with JUKIN', an album Hauser had made with an earlier Manhattan Transfer combo. A few weeks later Hauser met Janis Siegel at a party. Although Siegel was then performing with another folk group, Hauser convinced her and Massé to be part of his nascent group.
At the same time, Alan Paul was stirring hearts on Broadway, appearing in the original production of "Grease". When he met with Hauser, Siegel and Massé, the groundwork was laid for The Manhattan Transfer, which was official "born" on October 1, 1972.
In its formative years, the group developed a strong cult following while playing such New York clubs as Trude Heller's, Reno Sweeney, and Max's Kansas City. In 1975 they cut their Atlantic debut album, THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER and landed their own highly experimental television show on CBS. They were particularly successful in Europe, where their next two albums, COMING OUT and PASTICHE, brought them a string of top 10 hits. A live album, THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER LIVE, soon followed.
Massé left the group in 1978 after a serious auto accident in December of that year. (She eventually went on to a successful solo career.) Auditions were held to replace her, and a young singer/actress from Mt. Vernon, Washington responded to the call. The group was completely knocked out by her dazzling performance, and Cheryl Bentyne was immediately invited to join the group.
Their next album, EXTENSIONS, earned them their first domestic pop hit: "Twilight Zone/Twilight Tone," penned by Alan Paul and Jay Graydon. The album also featured "Birdland," the piece that has since become The Manhattan Transfer's signature tune. Jon Hendricks wrote the lyrics to Joe Zawinul's stirring jazz fusion instrumental, and Siegel arranged the vocals. The most played jazz record of 1980, "Birdland" brought The Transfer their first Grammy award (Best Jazz Fusion Performance, Vocal or Instrumental), and the award for Best Arrangement For Voices, which Janis took home.
In 1981, The Manhattan Transfer made music history by becoming the first group to win Grammy Awards in both pop and jazz categories in the same year. "Boy From New York City," which broke into the top 10 on the pop charts, garnered them the award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, and "Until I Met You (Corner Pocket)" earned them a Grammy for Best Jazz Performance, Duo or Group. Both of these appeared on the combo's fifth outing, MECCA FOR MODERNS.
THE BEST OF THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER was released for the holiday season in 1981 and contained the best of their hits from their early Atlantic Records years, 1975-1981. Naturally, the album went Gold.
In 1982, they accepted another Grammy, for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Duo or Group, for their rendition of the classic ode-to-the-road, "Route 66." The song appeared on the soundtrack to the Burt Reynolds film Sharky's Machine, and surfaced three years later on their BOP DOO-WOPP album. In 1983, prior to "BOP's" release, they repeated their 1982 Grammy win in the same category for the "Why Not!" cut from BODIES AND SOULS.
However, it was the 1985 release of VOCALESE, produced by Tim Hauser, that became known as the group's tour de force effort. Vocalese is the style of music that sets lyrics to previously recorded jazz instrumental pieces. Jon Hendricks, the recognized master of this art, composed all the lyrics for the album. "VOCALESE" included some highly complex material that ably tested the quartet's capabilities -- a challange which they met magnificently. The album became a critically acclaimed artistic triumph.
"VOCALESE" received 12 Grammy nominations -- at the time making it second only to Michael Jackson's "THRILLER" as the most nominated single album ever. The Transfer's opus won in two categories: Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Duo or Group, and Best Arrangement for Voices for Cheryl Bentyne and Bobby McFerrin for "Another Night In Tunisia".
"VOCALESE" also saw the group venturing out into the world of music video. The group made five videos to the album, which were available commercially and also shown on Cinemax. Also, when The Manhattan Transfer toured Japan for the Vocalese tour, a recording was made of the shows and the group's second live album, LIVE, was released in 1987. An accompanying video of the live show was available commercially as well.
Then came BRASIL, their 1987 recording, a ground-breaking re-contextualization of Brazilian music that pre-dated efforts by American artists such as David Byrne and Paul Simon. The group worked with some of today's most gifted songwriters, including Ivan Lins, Milton Nascimento, Djavan and Atlantic recording artist Gilberto Gil. The pieces were re-arranged, and then re-fitted with English lyrics which made them strikingly relevant, distinctly American, and "Transfer-esque" -- while still preserving their Brazilian flavor.
"BRASIL" became one of the group's greatest achievements to date, and one which they remain particularly proud of. It also became their first entire album to win the Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.
In 1991, The Manhattan Transfer moved to Columbia Records for a two-album stint. The first, THE OFFBEAT OF AVENUES, was produced by Tim Hauser and marked the first time the majority of songs where either written or co-written by Transfer members. They walked away with a Best Contemporary Jazz Performance Grammy for "Sassy," a piece boasting lyrics by Janis Siegel and Cheryl Bentyne and music by Siegel and Bill Bodine.
In 1992, Rhino Records released a 2-CD set of the group's work over their 20 year career. THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER ANTHOLOGY: DOWN IN BIRDLAND is an excellent compilation of the group's work up to that time.
In the winter of 1992, the gift that millions of Manhattan Transfer fans had eagerly awaited for finally arrived -- THE CHRISTMAS ALBUM. Destined to be a holiday classic, this album was co-produced by Tim Hauser and Johnny Mandel, who also did all the orchestrations. The group's soulful harmonies on such traditional favorites as "The Christmas Song" (with Tony Bennett) and "Silent Night," as well as the sweetly touching Lennon & McCartney classic "Goodnight," resound with sonic purity.
In 1994, Rhino Records released THE VERY BEST OF THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER. Why another "Best Of"? Well, the "ANTHOLOGY" package was a bit expensive for some, and the first "BEST OF" album came out 13 years earlier and thus missed many hits such as "Ray's Rockhouse," "Soul Food To Go," "Spice Of Life," and "Route 66." Plus, the newer CD format allowed for a much longer album than Atlantic Records' 1981 collection.
Also in 1994 the group released an album that was an enticing departure from anything they had done previously. THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER MEETS TUBBY THE TUBA, the group's first children's recording, was hailed by USA Today as a "charming rendition" of the 1945 Paul Tripp/George Kleinsinger classic. Accompanied by the Naples Philharmonic, the group humanized instruments (such as Peepo the Piccolo and Captain Bugle) to deliver the story's important message: "Be yourself, you can't be anybody else." Commented the Los Angeles Times of the project, "One of the world's great jazz quartets turns a children's classic into a rediscovered treasure."
Their 1995 studio album, TONIN', marked the triumphant return of The Manhattan Transfer -- contemporary music's premiere vocal ensemble -- to the Atlantic Records' fold. "TONIN'" finds Cheryl Bentyne, Tim Hauser, Alan Paul and Janis Siegel embarking on a project as ambitious as any of their past work, while retaining a distinct sense of fun. "Tonin' is a term associated with the vocal groups of the '50s and early '60s," notes Paul. "It conjures up images of a few guys standing in a tiled bathroom or on a street corner, just belting it out in harmony -- they're tonin'. This album consists of songs we grew up on, music that really sparked us as teenagers."
The list of guest performance sitting in on the "TONIN'" sessions would spark any music fan, as it includes: Phil Collins, Bette Midler, Ben E. King, Ruth Brown, Felix Cavaliere of the Rascals, Frankie Valli, Smokey Robinson, Laura Nyro, Chaka Khan, B.B. King and James Taylor.
The Manhattan Transfer's third live album is called MAN-TORA! LIVE IN TOKYO. "On the 1983 Bodies And Souls tour, the singers peformed 22 dates in 11 major Japanese cities, including Tokyo, Osaka, Yokohama, Sapporo, and Hiroshima... The set contained here (released on Rhino Records in April 1996) was recorded by FM Tokyo radio on November 22 and 23 at Tokyo's Nakano Sun Plaza theater and later broadcast stateside on the Westwood One Startrack radio program. The MT's enthusiasm in their performance is inescapable, and the set list as diverse as their repertoire." --from the liner notes by Curt Gathje.
The Manhattan Transfer's next studio album was released in 1997. SWING has its emphasis in 1930s era swing music. The thirteen tracks contain some of the most classic songs of the Twentieth Century. "Sing Moten's Swing," "A-Tisket, A-Tasket," and "Java Jive" were recorded with Asleep At The Wheel. "Sing A Study In Brown," "Topsy," and "Clouds" were recorded with The Rosenberg Trio. "Clouds" (adapted from "Nuages") also features Stephane Grappelli. Ricky Scaggs is featured on "Skyliner" and "It's Good Enough To Keep (Air Mail Special)". Mark O'Connor is featured on "I Know Why (And So Do You)," "It's Good Enough To Keep," and "Choo Choo Ch' Boogie." About half of the tracks feature lyrics by Jon Hendricks. SWING was produced by Tim Hauser. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard Jazz Chart and stayed in the top spot for nine weeks, and on the chart for over a year.
In October 2000, The Manhattan Transfer's released, THE SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS. This album is a spirited interpretation of the music of one of the greatest musical figures of the 20th century, Louis Armstrong. Produced by Craig Street, THE SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS captures the vocal group at its best, with strong individual and group performances wrapped around evocative arrangements that are both a nostalgic pastiche from the 1920s to the 1950s, and a completely modern take on Louis. This is a loving homage to a unique voice in musical history.
In 2003, COULDN'T BE HOTTER became The Manhattan Transfer's first album on the Telarc label, and their fourth live album. 1930s and '40s swing music with a jazz twist is what The Manhattan Transfer do best, and COULDN'T BE HOTTER features some of their best hits. The sixteen songs chosen for this special live recording convey the depth of the group's talent and variety of their music. Classic favorites such as "Sing Moten's Swing," "Clouds" and "A-Tisket, A-Tasket," recorded while on tour in Japan, capture the essence of The Manhattan Transfer, and their enthusiasm is evident in these performances. From boogie-woogie to bop to vocalese, COULDN'T BE HOTTER spotlights The Manhattan Transfer's dynamic, big band harmonies in a live setting.
VIBRATE is The Manhattan Transfer's second album on the Telarc label. Since the early 1970s, The Manhattan Transfer have been pushing and redefining the boundaries of vocal music in the context of jazz, pop and numerous other styles. Along the way, the collective efforts of vocalists Cheryl Bentyne, Tim Hauser, Alan Paul and Janis Siegel have earned The Transfer a healthy collection of Grammy Awards and a loyal fan base that spans the entire globe. The latest chapter in the quartet's exploratory trajectory is VIBRATE, released on September 28, 2004. Throughout the album's eleven tracks, The Transfer explore both the traditional and progressive sides of jazz, plus various shades of Latin, world and pop music... and showcase their unparalleled vocal tradition. Three decades into their illustrious career, The Manhattan Transfer sound better than ever!
What's next for The Manhattan Transfer? Even though they have been together for more than 30 years, they aren't slowing down! They are often asked to appear at many special functions such as The Essence Awards, the Goodwill Games, the Society of Singers Ella Awards honoring Tony Bennett, and a special Christmas performance for the Pope. They continue to tour, delighting audiences worldwide with their music. The singers also have many other solo and collaborative interests, but their focus invariably comes back to making beautiful music together.
