New York Trio - Stairway To The Stars 2006

New York Trio - Stairway To The Stars 2006

Jazz

The New York Trio has produced a series of enjoyable session for Venus since the beginning of the 21st century. Consisting of pianist Bill Charlap, bassist Jay Leonhart and drummer Bill Stewart,concentrating on accessible treatments of selections from the Great American Songbook. The opening track, "Lover, Come Back to Me," is a swinging affair, with lots of amusing quotes inserted into the mix. "Stairway to the Stars" is suitably a dreamy interpretation, full of romance and gorgeous voicings by Charlap. The bittersweet ballad "I'll Be Seeing You" (forever associated with World War II films where the soldier leaves his love) is a solo feature for Charlap, played with tenderness. "Body and Soul" is one of the most recorded songs in jazz history, but the trio's rendition is worthwhile, even if little new ground is broken. This well-played collection of timeless ballads is perfect for unwinding at the end of the day.
By Ken Dryden.
**
Bill Charlap- Piano
Jay Leonhart- Bass
Bill Stewart- Drums
**
01. Lover Come Back To Me (S. Romberg)
02. Stairway To The Stars (M. Malneck, F. Signorelli)
03. Lullaby Of The Leaves (B. Petkere)
04. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (J. Kern)
05. I'll Be Seeing You (S. Fain)
06. Can't Help Loving Dat Man (J. Kern)
07. Body And Soul (J. Green)
08. The Man I Love (G. Gershwin)
09. A Sleeping Bee (H. Arlen)
10. Stella By Starlight (V. Young)
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New York Trio - Thou Swell 2006

New York Trio - Thou Swell 2006

Jazz

The New York Trio, consisting of pianist Bill Charlap, bassist Jay Leonhart, and drummer Bill Stewart, have created quite a stir in Japan, as they have entered the studio regularly to record for the Japanese Venus Jazz label at the start of the 21st century. Their sixth CD for the label, Thou Swell draws from the songbook of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart, a composer/lyricist combo who wrote many songs that became standards. As a result, a number of these songs have been frequently recorded by jazz musicians and seem in danger of overexposure. But Charlap is a thoughtful arranger, playing "My Funny Valentine" complete with the usually omitted verse that sets up the song while playing it at a very deliberate tempo, resulting in a stunningly different take. The pendulum-like introduction added to the breezy "I Didn't Know What Time It Was" is fun, as is the lush setting of the infrequently performed "That's for Me." Some pieces can't help but cover familiar ground, but that doesn't detract from these enjoyable performances.
By Ken Dryden, All Music Guide.
**
Bill Charlap- Piano
Jay Leonhart- Bass
Bill Stewart- Drums
**
01. Thou Swell (4:09)
02. My Funny Valentine (7:13)
03. I Didn't Know What Time It Was (5:18)
04. Where Or When (7:45)
05. My Heart Stood Still (5:49
06. That's For Me (4:12)
07. Have You Met Miss Jones? (3:56)
08. There's A Small Hotel (4:41)
09. With A Song In My Heart (6:48)
10. Wait Till You See Her (5:07)
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New York Trio - Blues In The Night 2003

New York Trio - Blues In The Night 2003

Jazz

In the dawn of the 21st century, pianist Bill Charlap took the jazz world by storm with a series of rewarding albums for labels both in the U.S. and abroad. On Blues in the Night, he leads his New York Trio in a recording made for the Japanese label Venus, with veteran bassist Jay Leonhart and fellow young gun Bill Stewart joining him. Right away Charlap signals that he can take an old chestnut into a new direction. His stretched-out, blues-drenched "Blues in the Night" makes effective use of space and showcases his sidemen as well. Leonhart's buoyant bassline brings to mind the late Milt Hinton in the brisk rendition of "I Could Have Danced All Night." Charlap's intense workout of "Blue Skies" is a virtual jazz history lesson, showing the influence of a number of legendary pianists, while achieving a sound distinctly his own. His loping, jaunty approach to "My Funny Valentine" is another winner; equally playful is the snappy waltz treatment of "Tenderly," accented by Stewart's brushwork. One of the most promising pianists of his generation, this Charlap CD is highly recommended.
**
Bill Charlap- Piano
Jay Leonhart- Bass
Bill Stewart- Drums
**
01. Blues In The Night   8.20
02. I Could Have Danced All Night   6.34
03. Blue Skies   4.53
04. You Better Go Now    7.22
05. My Funny Valentine    6.12
06. Tenderly    5.10
07. Embraceable You    7.13
08. Don't Explain    5.53 
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New York Trio - Love You Madly 2003

New York Trio - Love You Madly 2003
Label: Venus
Recorded at "Avatar Studio" in New York on April 7 , 2003
Japanese Version Featuring 24Bit Hyper Magnum Sound Mastering Technology.

Jazz
 
Bill Charlap is just a remarkable jazz pianist. His encyclopedic knowledge of the American Songbook takes you to depths and heights you didn't know existed in these familiar favorites. This is one of five so far from the Japanese Venus label with remarkable 24 bit Hyper Magnum Sound. The sensitivity and touch of this music is transcendent. It is a wonderful tribute to the musical genius of Duke Ellington and this will surely give you hours of repeated listening pleasure. Have fun with this one as you enjoy musicians at the top of their form recorded with perfection. On top of it all it's obvious that this trio is able to produce more than the sum of their individual parts as they urge one another on. They really enjoy themselves, too, and have nothing to prove but to just bring their sheer delight in this music to the zenith.
By Edward Weeks Sager.
**
Bill Charlap-  Piano
Jay Leonhart-  Bass
Bill Stewart-  Drums
**
01. Star Crossed Lovers   4.30
02. Jump For Joy    4.46
03. In A Sentimental Mood    5.57
04. Love You Madly    8.21
05. Sophisticated Lady    4.58
06. I'm Just A Lucky So-And-So    6.48
07. Prelude To A Kiss    6.16
08. It Don't Mean A Thing    3.55
09. C Jam Blues    4.36
10. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart    7.16
11. Warm Valley    5.39
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New York Trio - Blues in the Night 2001

New York Trio-Blues in the Night 2001
Label: Venus

Jazz

In the dawn of the 21st century, pianist Bill Charlap took the jazz world by storm with a series of rewarding albums for labels both in the U.S. and abroad. On Blues in the Night, he leads his New York Trio in a recording made for the Japanese label Venus, with veteran bassist Jay Leonhart and fellow young gun Bill Stewart joining him. Right away Charlap signals that he can take an old chestnut into a new direction. His stretched-out, blues-drenched "Blues in the Night" makes effective use of space and showcases his sidemen as well. Leonhart's buoyant bassline brings to mind the late Milt Hinton in the brisk rendition of "I Could Have Danced All Night." Charlap's intense workout of "Blue Skies" is a virtual jazz history lesson, showing the influence of a number of legendary pianists, while achieving a sound distinctly his own. His loping, jaunty approach to "My Funny Valentine" is another winner; equally playful is the snappy waltz treatment of "Tenderly," accented by Stewart's brushwork. One of the most promising pianists of his generation,
this Charlap CD is highly recommended.
AMG.
**
Bill Charlap- Piano
Jay Leonhart- Bass
Bill Stewart  Drums
**
01. Blues In The Night 8.20
02. I Could Have Danced All Night 6.34
03. Blue Skies 4.53
04. You Better Go Now 7.22
05. My Funny Valentine 6.12
06. Tenderly 5.10
07. Embraceable You 7.13
08. Don't Explain 5.53
**
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