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Count Basie Orchestra DIRECTED BY GROVER MITCHELL
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"Swing Shift" MMF 1027
The second MAMA Records release from the world-famous Count Basie
Orchestra comes on the heels of their Grammy-winning Count
Plays Duke. Swing Shift is big-band swing music played
with power and precision. Neo-swing bands such as Big Bad Voodoo
Daddy, The Squirrel Nut Zippers and Brian Setzer Orchestra all
have their own version of swing. But for bona fide, blues- based
swing, Swing Shift is beyond compare.
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"Count Plays Duke" MMF 1024
1999 GRAMMY WINNER
(Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance)
The MAMA debut of the 17-time Grammy winner
Count Basie Orchestra is a new recording of 13 Duke Ellington
classics played in the swinging Basie style. On Count Plays
Duke, the number one big band of the '90s performs classics
such as "It Don't Mean A Thing," "Take the 'A'
Train," "Cottontail," "Mood Indigo"
and others. The New York Post hails, "There is no
greater big band working today than the Count Basie Band."
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Bobby Shew
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(ORDER LINK
COMING SOON)
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"Salsa Caliente" MMF 1023
A Latin jazz album from Bobby Shew? You heard right. Salsa
Caliente is the Grammy-nominated trumpeter's third release
from MAMA Records and it's on fire! Shew surrounds himself with
some of the finest players on the Latin jazz scene today, including
Justo Almario (of Mongo Santamaria fame), Michito Sanchez (Alex
Acuna), Arturo Velasco (Poncho Sanchez), and "Papo"
Rodriguez (Tito Puente and Poncho Sanchez). The result is a high-powered
adrenaline session that is positively combustible!
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"Playing With Fire" MMF 1017
Master trumpeter Bobby Shew has turned out yet another remarkable
album in a string of critically-acclaimed releases. In Playing
With Fire, Shew pairs up with the legendary trumpeter Tom Harrell
for a burning, high-adrenaline session. The twosome is bolstered
by the crack rhythm section of bassist John Patitucci, keyboardist
Kei Akagi and drummer Roy McCurdy.
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"Heavyweights" MMF 1013
Heavyweights is the realization of Bobby Shew's long-time dream
of collaborating with the extraordinary trombonist Carl Fontana.
The quintet includes pianist George Cables, bassist Bob Magnusson
and drummer Joe LaBarbera. The album features nine standards
including "Bag's Groove," "The Girl From Ipanema"
and "Night and Day." The St. Louis Post Dispatch hailed
Heavyweights as "a serious contender for album of the year.
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Gerald Wilson
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"Theme For Monterey" MMF 1021
Two 1999 Grammy®
Nominations
(Best Large Jazz Ensemble
Performance)
(Best Instrumental Composition: "Romance")
After a half century, the music of big band
legend Gerald Wilson continues to represent the best that jazz
has to offer. Wilson's latest masterpiece, "Theme for Monterey,"
is an homage to this California coastal town that is home to
the world-renowned Monterey Jazz Festival. Commissioned for the
Festival's 40th anniversary, this grand suite (which clocks in
at nearly 45 minutes) conjures the sites and spirit of Monterey.
Also included are Wilson's rendition of Gershwin's "Summertime"
and Parker/Gillespie's "Anthropology, " which premiered
at the Library of Congress in 1996, in honor of the library's
archiving of Wilson's life's work.
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"Suite Memories: Reflections
on a Jazz Journey"
(Spoken Word) | MMF 1014-CD (2 CDs) | MMF 1014-CS (2 Cassettes)
During five decades as a big band leader,
Gerald Wilson has earned his share of accolades, among them three
Grammy Nominations and the NEA Jazz Master Fellowship, as well
as having his works archived by the Library of Congress. Suite
Memories: Reflections on a Jazz Journey is the spoken-word
biography of this master. Wilson movingly recounts his experiences
working with legendary jazz artists such as Basie, Ellington
and Gillespie. A unique collector's edition double album with
16 pages of photos and biographical notes.
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"State
Street Sweet" MMF 1010
Grammy-nominated State Street Sweet proves to new listeners
what many fans have known for decades-that Gerald Wilson is one
giant of an arranger. Featured soloists include Bobby Shew, Plas
Johnson, Randall Willis and more. Downbeat magazine says "Wilson's
mastery of dynamics and voicings is exhilarating!" |
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Anthony Wilson
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"Adult Themes" MMF 1026
Adult Themes, Anthony Wilson's third release on MAMA Records,
firmly establishes the guitarist as one of the premiere young
composers on the jazz scene today. Produced by the legendary
Bones Howe (who has worked with artists as diverse as Tom Waits,
Ahmad Jamal, Elvis Presley and Michelle Shocked), Adult Themes
is an adventurous, inventive journey that confirms Wilson's stature
as one of the great new talents in jazz.
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"Goat Hill Junket" MMF 1022
On his second album, Anthony Wilson takes another giant step
toward carving a niche for himself among the masters of jazz.
Recorded in New York city, Wilson's nine-piece band and featured
guest Bennie Wallace jam on Wilson originals as well as his inimitable
arrangements of four jazz standards: "Here's That Rainy
Day," "It Has Happened To Me," "Flossie Lou"
and "Stairway to the Stars." Downbeat magazine
hails: "This is classic jazz not a retro statement,
but swing-propelled music that stands on its own elegant and
relaxed beauty."
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"Anthony
Wilson" MMF 1018
Anthony Wilson is a gifted guitarist, composer and arranger and
winner of the BMI/Thelonious Monk Composers Competition. He also
happens to be the son of big band legend Gerald Wilson. On this
debut album (nominated for a Grammy for Best Large-Ensemble Jazz
Album), the younger Wilson proves he is a fresh and original
voice on the jazz scene, as he leads his nine-piece band through
a collection of imaginative originals and innovative arrangements
on jazz standards. Bill Holman calls the CD "inventive and
daring" and Ben Sidran hails it as "an instant classic!" |
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B Sharp Jazz Quartet
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"Tha Go 'Round" MMF 1020
Tha Go 'Round, the fourth release from B Sharp Jazz Quartet
in as many years, is a cohesive and captivating musical statement.
Those familiar with the band will recognize many of its trademarks
- drummer Herb Graham Jr.'s explosive rhythms, bassist Osama
Afifi's driving lines, pianist Rodney Lee's inertial figures,
sax player Randall Willis's bobbing and weaving phrases. But
underneath it all is a moodiness and density to the soundscapes
that at times suggests the spacious obliqueness of Miles Davis'
"Nefertiti" era quintet.
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"Searching for the One" MMF 1015
Searching for the One showcases the eclectic musical interests
of the group's members. From the big city bustle of "The
Call" to the exotic modalism of "Double Standard"
and the abstract melodies of "12 Tone Blue" and "After,"
the album is fueled by a insistent experimentalism. Among the
ten original compositions is the two-part piece "Spirit
of Jazz Today" which features powerful spoken word performances
by poet Kamau Daáood. Playboy magazine calls Searching
for the One "a breakthrough album."
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"Mirage" MMF
1012
This follow-up to B Sharp's critically-acclaimed debut reveals
a group whose musical vision is expanding yet whose approach
retains the raw energy that won it a cadre of loyal fans. A guest
appearance by ascendant jazz vocalist Carmen Bradford is just
one of many highlights.
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"B Sharp Jazz Quartet" MMF 1008
B Sharp Jazz Quartet burst on the scene with this 1994 self-titled
album. Firmly rooted in the tradition of Art Blakey and Miles
Davis, their debut took the music further by incorporating elements
of funk and free jazz, defining an approach that Jazziz called
"one of the most distinctive group sounds on the jazz scene
today."
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The Bob Florence Limited
Edition
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"Another Side" MMF 1029
What does multi-talented jazz composer, arranger and big band
leader Bob Florence do as an encore to his Grammy-winning tour
de force Serendipity 18? Something completely different:
a solo piano album. This CD showcases yet another side of Bob
Florence: the classically trained, supremely sensitive pianist
that we've seen only glimpses of until now. Highlighting his
sophisticated sense of harmony and impeccable musicality, this
offering casts Bob in a whole new light that is sure to delight
his loyal fans and win new converts to the fold.
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"Serendipity 18" MMF 1025
2000 Grammy® WINNER!
(Best Large Jazz Ensemble
Performance)
Florence's eleventh album as leader, may be his most adventurous
work to date. Each of these seven offerings is a journey unto
itself, filled with varied moods and striking dynamic shifts.
From the opening saxophone salve of the title track to the closing
strains of "3-Emotions," Serendipity 18 is a work of
uncommon scope which stands as a testimony to Florence's mastery
as an orchestrator. Jazz News hails the Limited Edition
formits "astonishing firepower and precision, which are
perhaps unmatched by any other contemporary ensemble."
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"Earth" MMF
1016
This multi-talented musician and band leader has received an
incredible fourteen Grammy nominations and two Emmy awards and
lent his formidable skills to such greats as Count Basie, Stan
Kenton, Sarah Vaughan, Ray Charles and Louis Bellson. This is
Florence's tenth album as leader of the Limited Edition, and
his powerhouse band has never sounded stronger.
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"With All the Bells & Whistles"
MMF 1011
The penultimate release from the Limited Edition includes five
Florence originals as well as Bob's unique renderings of such
standards as "Laura," "Poinciana" and "In
a Mellow Tone." Scott Yanow dubs this "Bob Florence's
definitive recording."
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"Funupsmanship"
MMF 1006
Recorded at The Moonlight Tango Cafe in Los Angeles, this album
captures the Limited Edition live as it roars through seven Florence
originals plus Bob's arrangements of Miles Davis' "All Blues"
and Wayne Shorter's "Lester Left Town." |
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Stan Kenton 50th Anniversary Celebation
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"Back to Balboa, volume 6" MMF 1028
A brand-new release of over 70 minutes of Kenton music! These
never-before-heard tracks were recorded live at the Back to Balboa
Festival, arguably the greatest Stan Kenton tribute ever produced.
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"Best of 'Back to Balboa'" MMF 1004
The "Best of" disc features the finest selections from
the five-disc set, including performances from the all-star reunion
orchestra and several bands each led by a different Kenton alumnus,
including Maynard Ferguson, Bob Florence, Bill Holman, Buddy
Childers, Shorty Rogers, Bud Shank, Bob Cooper and many others.
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"Back to Balboa" MMF 1003 (Five CD set)
This five-disc set showcases an all-star reunion orchestra of
original band members as well as various groups led by different
Kenton protégés. There's even a compilation of
panel discussions, with Kenton band members sharing colorful
stories and recollections. The package, which contains a handsome
52-page booklet, is a must for every Kenton fan.
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Kamau Daáood
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"Leimert Park" MMF 1019
This debut album combines straight-ahead jazz, world music, blues
and hip hop with Kamau's compelling poems of redemption, dignity
and salvation. The result is an impressive recording that blurs
the distinction between art and entertainment, and affirms Kamau
Daáood's role as an urban prophet and "word musician."
Featured performers include Billy Higgins, Horace Tapscott, James
Newton, Carmen Bradford, Dr. Art Davis and B Sharp Jazz Quartet.
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Bob Curnow's L.A. Big Band
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"Music of Pat Metheny & Lyle Mays"
MMF 1009
An amazingly successful translation of the inimitable compositions
of the Pat Metheny Group into the idiom of big band jazz. Bob
Curnow was the producer and arranger of Stan Kenton's acclaimed
crossover success, Stan Kenton Plays Chicago. The disc
features such notables as Bobby Shew, Buddy Childers and Bob
Sheppard, and a rhythm section spearheaded by Steve Houghton,
Tom Warrington and Bill Cunliffe. A treasure for Metheny fans
and big band lovers alike.
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Terry Trotter
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"It's About Time" MMF 1007
This impressive debut release from pianist Terry Trotter features
bassist Tom Warrington, drummer Joe LaBarbera and a cameo by
Terry's longtime friend Larry Carlton. The disc includes renditions
of "Tea For Two," "I Can't Get Started" and
"Memories Of You." The legendary Claire Fischer arranges
and conducts strings on three selections.
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Jim Morris Brass Plus
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"Montage" MMF
1005
The music of bass trombonist Jim Morris is a constant discovery
-always electrifying, rich and expansive but never easy to categorize.
This debut release from his eclectic nonet, Brass Plus (two trumpets,
french horn, bass and tenor trombones plus rhythm section) runs
the gamut from classical to jazz. It features innovative arrangements
of compositions by such greats as Freddie Hubbard, Oliver Nelson,
Bill Evans and even Claude Debussy.
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The Andy Simpkins Quintet
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"Comin' At Ya" MMF 1002
A member of the acclaimed "Three Sounds" and nine-year
veteran with Sarah Vaughan, Simpkins is showcased here with his
quintet-saxophonist Pete Christlieb, valve-trombone phenom Mike
Fahn, pianist Frank Collett and drummer Ralph Penland. The disc
includes such favorites as "Scotch and Water," "Mood
Indigo" and "Half Nelson," as well as nine other
jazz classics.
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Dave Mackay Trio
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"Windows" MMF
1001
JazzTimes praises this talented pianist for his "fluid
runs and harmonic sensitivity." Nowhere is this more evident
than on this artful CD. Bassist Andy Simpkins and drummer Ralph
Penland provide synergistic support on compositions ranging from
Cole Porter's "Every Time We Say Goodbye" to Chick
Corea's "Windows."
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