Donald Rubinstein - "Acceptance"
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TRACKS

Acceptance
Diminished Chord
(electric)
Diminished Chord
(accoustic)
Four Pianos

Donald Rubinstein’s 4th release for Rhombus Records features Bill Frisell on Guitar. More in the style of Avant Garde Jazz, Donald performs his tunes in his own unique way.

TRACKS

Buy Me a Road
Fallen
Minnesota Morning
Lost Trail Hymn
Birth of Death
Minnesota Lullaby
Diamond
Avenue Too Far
Lost Train Jesus
Lost Train Jesus Hymn
She Was Weird
Conterfeit and Pale
Minnesota Sky
Hollywood Night
Long Adventure

Donald Rubinstein’s 5th release for Rhombus Records is a sound track to a movie about Bob Dylan called “Tangled Up In Bob”. Done in a contemporary folk style, it's sure to be a must have for all Bob Dylan fans.

TRACKS

3625 Central
Blues O'Mighty
Perfectly Frank
Jammin' at the Kirk
Funk in Deep Freeze
Mentor
All Too Soon
Friends Again
Play It Where It Lays
Bertha the Dragoness

The Kerry Strayer Quartet featuring Gary Foster, Play It Where It Lays is Kansas City based baritone saxophonist Kerry Strayer's follow up to  Mentor, his critically acclaimed septet recording, also featuring his mentor and long time friend and colleague Gary Foster.  

While recording Mentor with the septet Kerry and Gary recorded one quintet track, 3625 Central, which Kerry composed as part of a lesson while studying with Gary.  The track wasn't used on Mentor as there were enough septet tracks to fill the disc.  However, Kerry really liked the results and approached Gary about doing an entire CD of similar quintet material.  The next time Gary was in the Kansas City area Play It Where It Lays was recorded.

Appropriately, 3625 Central is the opening track and features the late pianist/composer/arranger Frank Mantooth, who was the pianist for the Mentor sessions.  Frank died unexpectedly between the sessions and is replaced by Kansas City pianist Paul Smith for the remainder of the disc.  Bassist Bob Bowman and drummer Todd Strait round out the rhythm section. Play It Where it Lays includes 4 Kerry Strayer originals, including Perfectly Frank, written in memory of the aforementioned Frank Mantooth, one Gary Foster original (the title track) and five other pieces chosen for their melodic appeal.

TRACKS

Out of Nowhere
Little Sunflower
Only A Hint
Windows
Aqua Ribbons
It Was Only A Dream
Jenny
Crystal Silence
Splendor
Alone Together
Northern Light
Chelsea Bridge

Los Angeles based Pianist/Composer, Rhonda Giannelli presents her debut CD for Rhombus Records “It Was Only A Dream”. Rhonda performs standards “Out Of Nowhere”, “Chelsea Bridge” and “Alone Together”, Jazz tunes “Windows”, “Little Sunflower” and “Crystal Silence” her originals “Splendor” and “Jenny” and originals by Sax man Sam Riney “Only A Hint”, “Aqua Ribbons” “Northern Lights” and the title track “It Was Only A Dream”, all in a Straight Ahead Jazz style all her own.

The Quartet consists of Rhonda on Piano, Sam Riney on Saxes, Bass player John Smith, and Dave Hunt on Drums, with additional percussion by Gary Denton. Rhonda has performed and recorded with many of the finest Jazz groups on the west coast but this is the first time she gets to step up to the plate as leader.

In her words, “ I hope you enjoy 'It Was Only A Dream' as much as we enjoyed recording it for you.”

TRACKS
(MP3 sound samples)

Nature Boy
Into the Smooth
Little Sunflower
Slow Down Jimmy
My Funny Valentine
Lucky So In So
Killer Joe
Whisper Low
One For My Baby
Riviera Paradise
It Was A Very Good Year
Fever
Angel Eyes
Fur Elise

It's like watching an energic/funny Frank Sinatra being backed by the zany Blues Brothers. This is what critics/reviewers are saying about the "live shows" of the debut CD, "Resilience" on Rhombus Records by CATZ IN THE HATZ! These Catz are so seasoned and professionally astute, along with interjecting such uninhibited showmanship to their audiences, one might think that their exceptional talent, entertaining humor, and audience-grabbing antics were designed by producers of a number one show rehearsing for arenas.

Fronted by baritone singer, Steve Johnson, The Catz deliver songs as bold as "It Was a Very Good Year" and then whirling instantly into their original song "Slow Down Jimmy" — where you'd think Louie Prima had suddenly taken over their bodies in spirit. A masterful cut of "Quarter to Three" shows a baritone range that not too many singers can claim today. But that's not all. When The Catz keyboardist, Mike Cross, goes into his own arrangement of Beethoven's "Fur Elise", you can hear and see this exceptional band's range of classical training, singing and expert showmanship.

"Steve Johnson is a natural crooner like his idols Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Nat King Cole and Mel Torme. It's the tone!" - Edward James Olmos, Academy Award nominated actor and director, Golden Globe winner

www.myspace.com/catzinthehatz

TRACKS

Before the Show
Spring Isn't Spring Anymore
Angel Eyes
That Tired Routine Called Love
Encanto d' Amor
Blues for Breakfast
Will You Still Be Mine
The Night We Called It A Day
Where Am I To Go?
Let's Just Pretend
Learn to Love
Violets For Your Furs

Blues for Breakfast is a tribute to West Coast singer-Pianist Matt Dennis, best known for his hits “Angel Eyes” and “The Night They Called It A Day”, among others. Highlights include the noir dark “Blues For Breakfast”, “Show Me The Way To Get Out Of This World”, and “Encanto d' Amor” a new version of “It Wasn’t The Stars That Thrilled Me”, translated by Cuban artist David Oquendo who joins Mary on a passionate duet.

Arrangements are by Pianist John DiMartino, praised by Bobby Sanabria as “The most versed pianist today, in terms of sensitivity in Jazz, Afro-Cuban and Brazilian music”. Other musicians include Sean Smith on Bass, Tony Romano on Guitar, Joel Frahm on Sax, Leo Traversa on Electric Bass, Wilson Chembo Corneil on Percussion and Ron Vincent on Drums.

Mary Foster Conklin is an award-winning Jazz vocalist from New York City with a passion for uncovering lesser known standards. Her style has been described as both recognizably traditional yet unmistakably contemporary. “Scratch her witty tough-girl-from-Jersey patter”, wrote the Washington Post, “and you’ll find a sensitive artist (but not frail) with a wide-ranging boldly colored voice and an open ear for off-beat material.”