Savant Catalog

Tracks:
One Mint Julip; Miss Nancy; Odessa; Rambler; Spirits In The Field; Lenox Avenue Breakdown; Ah George, We Hardly Knew You; Break Tune #2

It is a difficult tightrope to walk when producing art that is 'of the moment' yet acknowledges its past. Only a certain type of artist can concoct the perfect blend -- modern, yet non-alienating, traditional, yet not anachronistic. Such an artist is Arthur Blythe. Cut from the same cloth as Earl Bostic, Lou Donaldson and Hank Crawford, Blythe was cited by JAZZTIMES Magazine as "the magic figure of reconciliation, the force for consensus, that modern jazz has been looking for in vain since the death of John Coltrane in 1967." For his Savant debut Arthur offers a live gig performed at the famed Amsterdam jazz Mecca, the Bim Huis. Joining him is drummer/producer Cecil Brooks III and the wildly imaginative Bob Stewart on tuba. The unlikely trio produces a wide variety of tone colors and textures and swings out mightily. Featuring tunes by Don Pullen, Bob Stewart and Arthur himself, this exuberant record will attract a great deal of attention from press and radio alike.

The Grand-Old-Man of the guitar, Bucky Pizzarelli joins jazz violinist Richard Carr for something that is all-too-rare on records these days - namely jazz with integrity and, boy, can they swing too! Standards, familiar and obscure (when was the last time you heard Oscar Levant's "We've got the Moon and Sixpence"?), and a sprinkling of original tunes by Richard Carr get the Hot Club of "Paramus" treatment. Shades of Django and Grappelli! -- Tunes include: The Boulevard of Broken Dreams; Willow Weep For Me; Crazy Rhythm; We've Got the Moon and Sixpence; Schön Rosmarin; Bloodcount; Send In the Clowns; Star-Crossed Lovers; Hit The Road to Dreamland and others. Listen here

Tracks:
Mercy Mercy; Honky Tonk; Sugar (by S. Turrentine); Mister Magic; Let the Music Play; When Johnny Comes Marchin' Home and others

The Groove King Charles Earland holds court with Melvin Sparks on guitar and the great Bernard Purdie drums. Add the hot tenor of Carlos Garnett and hear them crank on "Sugar", "Mercy Mercy", "Mr. Magic" etc. This is the groove of music that fueled the acid scene. Newly recorded at Van Gelder Studios.

Tracks: My Foolish Heart; Don't Worry 'Bout Me; If I were a Bell; Everything I Have Is Yours; I'm Falling For You; When Did You Leave Heaven and others. Everett Greene is no pretender to the Billy Eckstine/Arthur Prysock throne - he is the real thing. His sensitive, black-velvet vocalizing is backed by Norman Simmons, piano, Houston Person and others. A record like this one is hard to find these days - no gimmicks, no hype - just musicality and intelligence. What a refreshing change.

Tracks:
My Melancholy Baby; The Very Thought of You; All of Me; It Could Happen To You; You Go To My Head; Sunday; Misty and others

One of the Queens of the "Uptown" scene, Della Griffin & her natural and uncontrived vocal delivery find new meaning in songs that have become standards of the repertory. Backed by Houston Person, David Braham (here displaying his piano chops) and others. These are heartwarming vocal performances that sound new and fresh from Della.

Winard Harper is back - one half of the burning Harper Brothers who set the jazz world on fire a few years ago. This is Winard's working band - a tight-knit group, with a great ensemble sound. Featuring George Cables (and featuring his oft-recorded "Helen's Song"), Eric Revis & others. Compositions by Nat Adderley, Jimmy Heath and a few originals.
-- Tunes include: How Deep Is The Ocean; You Don't Know What Love Is; Skylark; Song For Sore Ears; Shorty Long; The Tap Dancer and others. Listen here

Tracks:
Bop Rascal; Grantacious; Homewood Morning; Latin Larry; Bag of Iku; Duff's Doonk; Orange Chair Ballad; Phys-Ops; Rhythm Rascal; Like Animal; Going on to Detroit

GEORGE BENSON wrote of this recording: "Get ready for some excitement! Three of my favorite musicians have gotten together for some slam-dunk, get-it-right creative music that I know you're going to appreciate!" Bill Heid pays tribute to his heros of the B-3 (Don Patterson, Larry Young and others) with a batch of imaginiative original tunes (and one Wes Montgomery classic) backed by Hall-of-Famer Perry Hughes (formerly with Sonny Stitt, Gene Ammons, et al) and drummer Randy Gelespie (formerly with Jack Mc Duff, Wes Montgomery, Pat Martino and others). This one really cooks! Listen here

Tracks:
The Mahayana (Great Vehicle) -- Interlude; Transformation; Delusion; Emergence; Paramita (To Arrive at the Other Side) -- Interlude; Libertarian; Changing Lines; Emancipation; Red Light District; Sokoni (From the Sea) -- Interlude; Equilibrium; 2 Bass -- Interlude; Inner Voice; Kalomo (The Unexpected) Interlude; Matrix; Oji (The Gift Bearer) Interlude

One of the most satisfying aspects of collecting jazz recordings is to watch and monitor a musician's artistic evolution. Starting out as one of the most exciting, cutting-edge bass players in jazz, Lonnie Plaxico has morphed into a profound musical thinker as is evidenced on this recording, his first for the Savant label. Respected in the industry Lonnie has collaborated with Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey, Steve Coleman, Jack DeJohnette and others. His multidirectional talent has attracted the likes of Grammy-Winning Cassandra Wilson, who has entrusted Lonnie with the responsibility of being her music director. For this challenging debut recording, Lonnie has surrounded himself with the elite of the New York jazz scene: saxophonist Don Braden, pianist Eric Lewis (winner of the prestigious 1999 Thelonious Monk Piano Competition), trumpeter Ralph Alessi, Blue Note keyboardist Jason Moran and others. This is eloquent, non-compromising music played with virtuosity and take-no-prisoners enthusiasm. The gauntlet has been thrown...accept the challenge.

Tracks:
Conversation Piece; So What; Love Song; Hound Dog; Afrika! Afrika!; Theme for The Eulipions; A Night in Tunisia; This Little Light of Mine; Fizzwater Rag; Song for My Father; Rush Hour; Akua's Blues

The string quartet has always been thought of as a classical music medium. While there are other laudable quartets who have made the crossover into more popular music, few, if any, actually improvise in the true jazz idiom. The QUARTETTE INDIGO is the exception - their improvisations are not written out and their choice of repertoire ranges from jazz standards ("A Night in Tunisia," “So What”), to ragtime (Eubie Blake's "Fizz Water') and even the Presley favorite, "Hound Dog." These selections benefit fr om the myriad colors produceable by the string quartet and do they know how to swing! Listen here

Tracks:
Sweet Sucker; Let's Stay Together; Can't Help Lovin' that Man; What's Going On?; When a Man Loves a Woman; Blue Spring; Song for a Rainbowd; Shenandoah

The audience for the “groove” sound of the 70’s continues to grow among the young and not so young. Easy to understand... it’s a listening good time. Featuring the virtual originators of the sound Houston Person, tenor, Bernard Purdie, drums, Joey DeFrancesco, organ, and others.

Tracks:
What a Difference a Day Makes; Here's to Life; What I Did for Love; Big Fat Daddy; One Eyed Man; Didn't We; Million Dollar Secret; This Bitter Earth;

Irene Reid is a gutsy singer of down-home, soulful jazz and blues. She has toured all over the world for years to wide acclaim, in New York City, Irene's also a leading attraction playing in all the "uptown" clubs. You may catch Irene in these clubs acco mpanied by none other than the "Mighty Burner" himself, the master of the B-3, CHARLES EARLAND. Charles serves in two capacities on this record, laying down the changes in his inimitable fashion and also producing the session. Also on hand is ERIC ALEXAN DER on tenor and trumpeter JAMES ROTUNDI. Savant Records now lets the world in on a "Million Dollar Secret" - Irene Reid.

Tricia Tahara is a jazz vocalist with an exciting sound and vision. Before she was out of college, her extraordinary talent caught the attention of Wallace Roney. Tricia's voice impressed Wallace enough that he remembered the pure, clear voice years later when they met again. Wallace quickly put together a tight-knit group and the result was this red-hot session produced by Lenny White and Wallace himself. When he heard Tricia's voice, Lenny insisted on playing drums on this gig along with Geri Allen, Antoine Roney and Ralphe Armstrong. Discover for yourself what Wallace and Lenny already know - Tricia Tahara sounds like no one else. Listen here

Tracks:
Astor's Place; Evil Dance; Nothing Will Take It Away; and more

Heavily influenced by the great Astor Piazzolla, Fernando blends the master's provocative tango innovations into his work with unique and exotic results. This ambitious work with special guest Danilo Perez is inventive, exciting, challenging to both the players and listeners.

Tracks:
I Can't Get Started; Out of Nowhere; Jackie's Tune; and more

Bruce is the successor of the Kenny Garretts, the Antonio Harts, the Joshua Redmans of the last few years. Bruce pulls from Cannonball to Parker, a virtuoso and never loses his ability to swing. The group is made up of young giants that includes the 25 year old Russell Gunn, backed by a superb rhythm section of Dolphin and Brooks III.