Lisa Yves and The Young Beboppers Jazz for Kids - On the Road Luli Music 9700 CODA 308 MAR/APR Pass it on! Musician to musician. Mentor to student. Generation to generation. That's the lifeblood of jazz and that's what Lisa Yves is all about. This versatile vocalist doubles as a pied piper who brings jazz to the children of Southeastern Massachusetts and, via her CDs, to a wider audience. For more about the Young Beboppers check out www.jazzforkids.net. " On the Road" is the third CD in a series that also includes "Vocalese" and "Everybody's Boppin'."   The Young Beboppers, whose ages range from 5 to 16, take us on a swingin' cross-country trip. You'll travel on the "A Train" ( the Eddie Jefferson version) and "Route 66." There are plenty of stops . These include " Basin Street," "Georgia," "Kansas City" and a funky take on "(Do You Know What It Means to Miss) New Orleans." The road theme continues with a combination of Mark Murphy's " November in the Snow" with Kerouac's "On the Road." Emily Snidman enchants with " Never Never Land" as she did last time around with " I Remember Clifford." The set concludes with a moving "God Bless America." These kids are remarkable. The group sings with precision. The soloists project well-deserved confidence whether on their own or trading phrases with lead singer Yves. They are spurred on by a fine jazz quintet which features solos by Brad Hatfield on piano and organ and Mike Monaghan on woodwinds. The package also includes a bonus CD, "Solo on the Road" where Yves leaves the kids at home. The travel motif continues with" Autumn in New York" and a variety of Yves' originals which include "Greetings from California," "San Francisco Blues" and " Boston." She proves to be a creative and interesting songwriter. In addition, the accompanying booklet contains all lyrics and information about historic jazz locations.     An apple for teacher Lisa Yves! She knows that both teaching and learning depend on love of the subject.There's love, joy and quality performance in all of the three CDs by Lisa Yves and The Young Beboppers. Any of them would make an excellent gift for the young or the young-at-heart. Pass it on!

John LaPorta Theme and Variations Fantasy FCD 24776-2 CODA 308 -Mar Apr 03 "Theme and Variations" languished in Fantasy's vaults from the late fifties until now. John LaPorta tells the story of this frustrating delay in his recent autobiography, "Playing It By Ear." This music that survived forty years in storage is as fresh as today. Hardly surprising as the creative LaPorta has always been ahead of his time! Berklee students were fortunate to have this veteran of Woody's First Herd and the Mingus Jazz Workshop as their mentor for 38 years. LaPorta's septet takes the solemn theme through twists and turns that make use of classical forms and the influences of swing, bop and the cool school. Each player, except the drummer, is featured on a variation. There's a canon and a fugue with the latter showcasing LaPorta's intriguing and warm clarinet sound. With alto in hand he also pays homage to Bird. Trumpeter Louis Mucci and Pianist Wally Cirillo contribute impressionistic solos and you can probably figure out what goes on in "Two Brothers." The innovative compositions that make up the last half of the CD were originally released as "Conceptions" in 1956. Here the quartet is emphasized as well as some witty duo vignettes involving Mucci and LaPorta. Highlights include LaPorta's virtuoso turn on "Concertina for Clarinet," a surrealistic "Perdido," and Mucci's performance on the lovely ballad "En Rapport." This finely-crafted music will appeal to your intellect as well as your emotions, providing a new experience every time it is played.

Judi Silvano & Mal Waldron / Riding a Zephyr CODA 309 - May June 03

This duo CD is an inspired combination of creative talents. Pianist Mal Waldron, who passed away in December 2002, was Lady Day's last accompanist and for over four decades collaborated with artists as varied as Big Maybelle, Gene Ammons and Steve Lacy. His melodic compositions and Silvano's lyrics are the foundation of this album. Judi Silvano is a composer, lyricist, vocalist and, as she describes herself," a melodic instrument." This quality is demonstrated on her recent CD "Songs I Wrote or Wish I Did" and husband Joe Lovano's albums, "Universal Language" and "Rush Hour,"where she is an integral part of the overall sound, Silvano combines a well-trained and clear voice with the essence of jazz - a sense of adventure. The word "zephyr" suggests gentleness and the overall mood is calm and gentle. But there are nuances created by Waldron's understated piano and Silvano's voice, both with and without words. Those two musicians are so in tune. "A Time for Duke" and "Mal Waldron" ring out with joy. Waldron's groovy "Cattin'" swings with overdubbed vocalese while his "Soul Eyes" is melancholy. "Eyes on You (One by One)" is dark, mysterious, rhythmic and builds in intensity right from the piano intro. For a portrait of loneliness painted with simple brush strokes, turn to Silvano's lyrics to Waldron's "Empty Street." Singers loved Mal Waldron's support which he likened to "water underneath." It is fitting that in this recording Judi Silvano gave a voice to his instrumental music. In her words "He's got a special place within the world of jazz. He's here with us today."

Spirit of the Horn / Slide Hampton and the World of Trombones MCGJ1011 CODA 309 - May June 03

Pittsburgh is the birthplace of Art Blakey, Ray Brown, Kenny Clarke, Roy Eldridge, Ahmad Jamal, Mary Lou Williams and many other jazz greats.It was there that Ellington first met Strayhorn. Today in the Renaissance City the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild (MCG), an urban arts and learning center, keeps the tradition alive. Since 1987 MCG Jazz has bought master musicians to the school for several days of performances and clinics. Proceeds of the resulting CDs go to support the program. Such a visit was paid by Slide Hampton and "The World of Trombones" in May 2002. The "World" in this case was made up of twelve bones (four of them bass), an increase from the nine included in his stellar LP of 1979. Bill Watrous, with that recognizable tone and agility, is their special guest. The arrangements, mainly by Hampton, combine the majestic colors of the trombone choir with the shifting rhythms of jazz. As for solos, Watrous steams through "Cherokee" and reveals his ballad side on "A Flower is a Lovesome Thing" while Hampton is moving on J.J. Johnson's 'Lament." The latter is part of a five track "Tribute Suite"which pays homage, not only to J.J., but to Louis, Bird, Prez, Trane and Herbie Hancock. Stevie Wonder's "All in Love is Fair" makes one wonder why jazz players don't give his work more attention. And yes, all the cats get a chance to join in on "Lester Leaps In" and "Blues for Eric." The spirit of the trombone, that ungainly yet warm instrument, is indeed present.

Jim Snidero Strings Milestone MCD-9326-2 CODA CODA 312 Nov-Dec 2003

In "Strings" Jim Snidero demonstrates eloquence and creativity on alto and flute, appearing with a ten-piece string ensemble and a stellar rhythm section. But it's much more than that. Snidero has broken the mold of the "with strings" album. The genre got off to a start in 1949 with Hefti, Bird and "Repetition." Then, "Bird With Strings." and a stream of "with strings" albums by jazz players over the years. They became pretty, predictable and popular. Familiar ballads. Embellishment rather than improvisation. Strings as support. A combination of make-out music and Jazz 101. The simple title, "Strings," suggests this CD's direction. " Snidero's arrangements use interaction to liberate the string section. These include three ballads, "Talk of the Town," "Theme for Ernie" and his own "Forever Gone." The remaining charts, Snidero originals, present wide rhythmic variations. "Slipping Away" is a spirited jazz waltz with a sparkling solo by pianist Rosnes. "Ventura" is playful and Latin, including a violin/cello duet. Snidero,'s writing is at its very best in the three-part "River Suite", honoring the Hudson. You can sense the time of day from the calm first movement, "Dawn," where the rhythm section sits out and strings are emphasized. "On the Bank,"with Snidero on flute, suggests the awakening of a river town. "Torrent" depicts flood stage with pizzicato strings, percussion and a hard-driving cello solo. Snidero's interest in arranging was first whetted in 2000 and this ground-breaking release marks his first venture with strings. As for the future, in Snidero's words. ".... I've just scratched the surface....now, with so many string players who understand jazz, the sky's the limit."