AvaxHome Music Community Requests for Music

“

Of Greek and African origin, singer Elisabeth Kontomanou has worked with musicians on both the European and American scenes: Leon Parker,Ari Hoenig,Jean-Michel Pilc, Michel Legrand, Mike Stern, Jon Hicks (RIP) and Alain Jean-Marie to name but a few. She first gained recognition at French ‘Concours de La Défense’ and was nominated for a Django d’Or Award in 1999. As well as performing across several continents, Elisabeth has also played at such world-renowned New York jazz venues as the Blue Note, Village Vanguard, Sweet Basil and the Knitting Factory. Not limited to purely musical endeavours, she has branched out to both musical cinema ("Masque de Lune" by Michel Legrand) and musical comedy ("Rag Time" in 2003).

”

Four CDs, six albums (seven if you split out Solus / The Inner Source) that represent the kind of artistic freedom to explore that was rare, even at a time when major labels were supporting fusion and progressive rock. That Duke was able to record this prolifically over such a relatively short period of time-the first session was in April, 1971, the final one January, 1976-while he remained busy as a sideman with Cannonball Adderley and Frank Zappa and as an increasingly in-demand session player, gave him the opportunity to evolve at the kind of pace that's difficult to match today...

Chet Baker’s final Pacific Jazz session from December, 1957 features his trumpet and voice on 13 lovely ballads with spare accompaniment from just guitar and bass. -- A ballad collection that emphasizes Chet Baker's troubled-romantic vocal style. Baker's delicate tenor, having won the hearts of thousands of teenage fans, was considered somewhat of a novelty to most critics. For another, his guitar-and-bass accompaniment is incredibly sparse, and while that doesn't hurt his trumpeting at all, being so prominent in the mix occasionally betrays his vocal limitations. Baker's fans, though, need not worry about such petty analysis, for the wistful, tormented tone of this record is the very sound that helped create the legend, and in places he is firmly in his element, especially on "There's a Lull in My Life" and a sublime instrumental version of "Little Girl Blue," which features some of his finest soloing. While it isn't the place to start, Embraceable You is a fascinating example of why Chet Baker's tragic spirit remains as attractive today as it was in his lifetime. - AMG