Van Morrison werkt op zijn nieuwe studioalbum samen met Hammond orgelspeler en trompettist Joey DeFrancesco. Het album bevat gloednieuwe interpretaties van blues/jazz standards zoals "Miss Otis Regrets," "The Things I Used to Do," "Every Day I Have the Blues") en nieuwe versies van nummers uit Vans catalogus ("Have I Told You Lately," "The Way Young Lovers Do," "Magic Time"). Van Morrison is sinds het prille begin van zijn carrière beïnvloed door Jazz. Op zijn geroemde meesterwerk uit 1968 Astral Weeks zijn jazz musici Connie Kay, Jay Berliner en Richard Davis te horen.
"Accompanied by the top-notch rhythm section of organist Joey DeFrancesco and drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts (as well as assorted horn players and a tabla player), Paul Bollenback delivers a program of soul and R&B classics, beginning and ending with Stevie Wonder songs ("Too High" and "Visions") and including such other chestnuts as Otis Redding's "Dock of the Bay" and Ashford & Simpson's "Ain't No Mountain High Enough." The results are consistently pleasing, and sometimes surprising -- "Dock of the Bay" is taken at a startlingly brisk tempo with funky drums stuttering underneath; "My Girl" is played with a broad sense of swing, to nice effect. Bollenback's style isn't terribly distinctive (he spends a lot of time on Montgomery-esque octave runs), but his playing is always excellent. The album's sole disappointment is the goopy solo acoustic arrangement of "Visions" that closes the program." (Allmusic)
Tweede soloalbum van de Spaanse Hammond-organist. "Mauri has great promise to join the masters of the HammondB. His organ flows with soul and beauty. He will carry on the flavor of the organ masters", aldus Dr. Lonnie Smith.
A modern-day icon of the B3, Joey DeFrancesco's new record pays homage to his home-town Philly. Philadelphia is widely regarded the birthplace of organ-based blues and jazz. Both Jimmy Smith and Jimmy McGriff cut their teeth in Philly, so it's also rather fitting that Joey DeFrancesco also grew up in the area, performing on organ and trumpet. "Project Freedom" is in-part dedicated to the so-called 'City of Brotherly Love's' rich organ history, and is also an expression of what the city and it's people mean to him personally: "that's where all my initial inspiration comes from," explains the multi-instrumentalist. Joining DeFrancesco are US musicians Dan Wilson on guitar and drummer Jason Brown, as well as Aussie expat Troy Roberts on tenor. It also happens to be the band's debut for Mack Avenue Records, with the quartet performing originals and a few covers (the spirtual "Lift Every Voice And Sing", Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come", and "So Near, So Far" by Tony Cromble and Benny Green). (bron: ABC Jazz)
"DeFrancesco -- who plays not only his usual Hammond B-3 but other organs, piano, and trumpet on the recording -- sticks largely to material from Jackson's solo career here, with an emphasis on "Thriller" (five of the nine songs), using the original song structures as takeoff points. DeFrancesco's interpretations reference Jackson's originals but depart from them substantially enough that they never feel like copies, and at times he and the band expand far outside of the basic chordal boundaries Jackson set down. More than anything, DeFrancesco appears to be having fun with this set (he even sings a couple). And when he and the band (guitarist Paul Bollenback is on fire) get cooking, as they do more often than not -- some of these tracks ("Billie Jean," "Rock with You," "Beat It") seriously rock -- it's hard not to get caught up in the party atmosphere." (Jeff Tamarkin, Allmusic)
"Recorded off the soundboard during a four-night stand in April of 2006, Hammond B-3 boss DeFrancesco laid it down with saxophonist Coleman sitting in with his trio (which also includes guitarist Jake Langley and drummer Byron Landham). The raw and genuine excitement of these cuts is not diminished a bit by editing. In "Cherokee", Coleman's on fire yet fluid, wrapping the notes around the time signature and being on the dime throughout his solo. DeFrancesco's own solo is one of those rather amazing things that, 50 years after Jimmy Smith, you still can't wrap your head around: that this lightning-quick playing can be done on a Hammond! A long read of Lee Morgan's gorgeous "Ceora" is next, with DeFrancesco filling the pockets during Coleman's fine and empathetic solo, which engages the melody while simultaneously reinventing it. (...) DeFrancesco is his typically dazzling, solidly rhythmic self, but Coleman is the true star of the evening. Essential jazz purchase." (Thom Jurek, Allmusic)
"Steve Gadd is misschien wel de beste drummer die überhaupt te vinden is. De kans dat er een stuk of tien CD's in uw kast staan waar Steve Gadd achter de drums zit is zeer groot. Maar het leukst is het als Gadd met eigen projecten komt aanzetten. Zo kwam hij in de jaren tachtig met de Gadd Gang. De kracht was de loomheid. Muziek waarin nauwelijks iets gebeurde, maar het stond als een huis. Nu heeft hij met Ronnie Cuber uit de oude Gang een nieuwe band om zich heen geformeerd. En wat een lekker bandje is het! Joey DeFrancesco (Hammondorgel) en gitarist Paul Bollenback doen de oude bezetting verbleken. Joey DeFrancesco speelt in "Bye Bye Blackbird" ook nog trompet terwijl hij zichzelf op Hammond (en bas) begeleidt. Ziet kans om alszodanig nog een geestig muzikaal robbertje te vechten met de knorrende bartitonsax van Cuber. Het is feest op deze CD! En dat Steve nog in 2 bonustracks singer/songwriter Edie Brickell de ruimte geeft, had niet gehoeven." (naar Ton Ouwehand, Tubantia/TwenteUitDeKunst)
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