Cool Heat [Import]

Editorial Reviews
Album Details
Verve Immortal Jazz Vocal Collectio. Contains the Original Vinyl Tracklisting and Cover Art.

Tracks:

Mack the Knife
Easy Come, Easy Go
Orphan Annie
You're a Clown
Gone With the Wind
Hooray for Hollywood
It Had to Be You
Come Rain or Come Shine
Hershey Bar
Lover Is Blue
My Heart Belongs to Daddy
Way You Look Tonight

Album Details

Japanese Limited Edition Issue of the Album Classic in a Deluxe, Miniaturized LP Sleeve Replica of the Original Vinyl Album Artwork.

Average customer rating:

Tjader in top form
The BEST ever
Nice surprise
Awesome Latin jazz
doesn't work

Heat Wave
Cal Tjader with Carmen McRae
Manufacturer: Concord Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Cuba | Caribbean & Cuba | International | Styles | Music

General | Latin Music | Styles | Music

Latin Pop | Latin Music | Styles | Music

Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

Cool Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Latin Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

Bebop & Post-Bop | Compilations | Jazz | Styles | Music

Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Two for the Road
The Art of Carmen McRae/For Once in My Life
Complete Recordings
Torchy/Blue Moon
The Sound of Silence/Portrait of Carmen

ASIN: B0000006E3
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Heat Wave
All In Love Is Fair
Besame Mucho
Evil Ways
Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me
Love
Upside Down (Flor De Lis)
The Visit
Speak Low
Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing

Customer Reviews:

Tjader in top form.......2006-10-13

This recording is a marriage of jazz and Latin music, where both parts work together, and the playing is fantastic! The whole band works as one unit. Keep in mind that McRae sings here with two trombones, a different type of setup but it works beautifully.
With this recording, Carmen McRae continues the well established tradition (see Billie Holiday, Cassandra Wilson, Christian McBride etc etc etc) of taking pop songs and giving them a new workout. She takes Evil Ways, originally by Tjader's former band member Willie Bobo, and gives it the sultriest rendition I have ever heard, and her versions of Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing, All is Fair and Heat Wave have real personality and warmth. (Possibly the only downside for me is McRae's vocals on Besame Mucho, but I only noticed the problem since I began learning Spanish!)

Cal Tjader, as always, his solos are flawless and plays with great sensitivity on Upside Down and Besame Mucho. Tjader had a wonderful talent as a percussionist, listening to him play is almost like watching a master artist painting. Sadly, this was to be Tjader's last recording before passing away.

The repertoire swings from jazz to Latin, delicate (Upside Down, All is Fair), to powerful (Love, Evil Ways) and everybody handles everything easily, including the merengue interpretation of Love with the drum kit playing a modification of a standard jazz pattern.

The recording quality is smooth and clear, everything you could possibly want is right here. Excellent work on this cd....definitely, a gotta get.

The BEST ever.......2005-09-28

Cal Tjader was the king of latin jazz, and Carmen McRae was one of teh finest jazz singers ever! So naturally the two put together made for a sizzling jazz date. McRae's vocals are velvety riding smoothly on Tjader's hot vibes. The percussion is exellent, this is a great latin jazz vocal album. McRae & Tjader downright sizzle on Evil Ways!!! The whole labum sizzles with sensuality!

Nice surprise.......2004-07-05

This was cd was quite a surprise. I wasn't expecting a lot but wound up liking the Mcrae-Tjader-Sanchez treatment of all the songs.
I especially liked Carmen's funky staccato phrasing on Besame Mucho. Who would have thought that such phrasing would have worked but a confident stylist. I can imagine Carmen saying to herself, "Okay, it's time to take this where others have dared to go."
Such artistry separates the divas from the common balladeers. This is one jazz cd that deserves to be placed on my replay list.

Awesome Latin jazz.......2003-12-03

Let me start by saying that if your idea of jazz does not include "outside" influences, then forget it, if you think that there can be a "pure" form of jazz, then go somewhere else. This recording is one of the earlier truly equal marriages of jazz and Latin music, where both parts work together, and the playing is fantastic! The whole band works as one unit, no small feat when there are two (beautifully understated when that is what's required) trombones and one singer.

With this recording, Carmen McRae continues the well established tradition (see Billie Holiday, Cassandra Wilson, Christian McBride etc etc etc) of taking pop songs and giving them a new workout. She takes Evil Ways, originally by Tjader's former band member Willie Bobo, and gives it the sultriest rendition I have ever heard, and her versions of Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing, All is Fair and Heat Wave have real personality and warmth. (Possibly the only downside for me is McRae's vocals on Besame Mucho, but I only noticed the problem since I began learning Spanish!)

Cal Tjader executes one of the best solos of his recorded career on Evil Ways, and plays with great sensitivity on Upside Down and Besame Mucho. This was the last album Tjader made before he died, and when conguero Poncho Sanchez then struck out on his own, he took part of the band with him. Who could blame him? These guys can really play!

The repertoire swings from jazz to Latin, deliacte (Upside Down, All is Fair), to powerful (Love, Evil Ways) and everybody handles everything easily, including the merengue interpretation of Love with the drum kit playing a modification of a standard jazz patterns, as well as all the Latin-izing. And what a wonderful change it is to hear Latin jazz album that is not purely Cuban or Brazilian influenced, but takes ideas and rhythms from a few places. The recording quality is smooth and clear, everthing you could possibly want is right here.

Jazz? No. Latin jazz? You bet, and awesome Latin jazz at that!

doesn't work.......2002-10-14

A botched effort. What Cal Tjader and Poncho Sanchez try to do here just does not go well with the great lady's singing. This is a mess. I bought this album mainly to hear her sing the fine Besame Mucho--and I'm sorry to say her phrasing too often does not work (in that she overdoes it). Too bad, really. I'm still a Carmen fan and will buy other albums by her--but this one is a major disappointment. Maybe they ought to re-do the music side of this CD and have musicians back her who are used to supporting singers. Tjader and Sanchez play as if inexperienced at backing a singer as talented as Carmen Mcrae. Sorry to have to give it one star. I'll be looking for a refund or to exchange it for some other record.

Average customer rating:

ANOTHER STUNNING ADDITION TO THE LEGEND.
ANOTHER STUNNING ADDITION TO THE LEGEND.

Cool Heat
Helen Schneider
Manufacturer: Elysium Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Vocal Jazz | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music

Traditional & Vocal Pop | Pop | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

A Voice and a Piano
Songs of Kurt Weill
Right as Rain
Walk on the Weill Side
Avant Gershwin

ASIN: B00005YNN6
Release Date: 2001-12-18

Tracks:

Love for Sale
Solitude
Don't Get Around Much Anymore
Stormy Weather
Over the Rainbow
Love You Madly
Lush Life
I've Got the World on a String
Come Rain or Come Shine
Some Cats Know
Get Out of Town/Night and Day
Trav'lin' Light
Beginning to See the Light
It's a New World

Customer Reviews:

ANOTHER STUNNING ADDITION TO THE LEGEND........2003-06-05

Describing Ms. Schneider as a legend in not overstating her status in the least. Though Amercian producers, displaying typical ignorance, blocked Ms. Schneider's ascent in the U. S., she has had great success abroad, notably in Germany. The few U. S. releases we've had are indeed to be treasured, as much for their quality as for their rarity.
I first saw Helen on a Showtime special in the very early 1980s and was astonished at her range, power, charisma, and poise with a large variety of material. I can still remember how her "Until Now" rattled the rafters and subsequently recording the entire show (very poorly) on my own audiocassette. Finding a rare copy of her first LP, "So Close", was something of a miracle, as were the "Kick" albums in the mid-80s. Things began to look up with the fabulous Kurt Weill album (her "September Song" surely must be the definitive version) in 1990 and "Right As the Rain" in 1995. But the last two releases, "A Voice and a Piano" and this "Cool Heat" are truly the best representation yet of her phenomenal ability.
"Cool Heat" opens with a dazzling version of "Love For Sale"; Helen's soaring vibrato and natural dramatic feel totally redefine that song's meaning and importance. Other versions of chestnuts like "Over the Rainbow", "Don't Get Around Much..", and "Solitude" are given similarly resurrected performances. At some point, her dynamic range and power are almost too much for many of the lyrics to support and I often find myself playing back certain passages in sheer disbelief at what this miraculous woman is doing.
I don't know how Ms. Schneider feels about being a well-kept secret in her own country; she may be perfectly okay with it. As a long-time fan, I think it's the best criminal indictment yet of the state of the music "business". No wonder artists like Joni Mitchell are fed up with it as well. If you are hesitating about sampling this disc, don't. Your musical life may never be the same.

ANOTHER STUNNING ADDITION TO THE LEGEND........2003-06-05

Average customer rating:

Cool Heat
Flashpoint
Manufacturer: Flashpoint
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Cool Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Jazz Fusion | Jazz | Styles | Music

Latin Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music
ASIN: B00005U57I
Release Date: 2001-11-16

Tracks:

Summer Rain
On the Mark
Song for Jennifer
Burnt Toast
Card Sound
Dreams
Street Beat
Rafaela

Album Description

Known for their Cool Jazz, FLASHPOINT has been captivating audiences in South Florida for over ten years. Finally their debut CD is here. From the beautiful acoustic guitar work (George), in "Summer Rain", to the incredible Percussion (Ignacio), in "Rafaela", this CD can be appreciated by audiences from Light Jazz, Jazz Fusion, Funk, to Brazilian Jazz. Both the cover and name of the CD, "Cool Heat" are meant to convey the fact that two dedicated firefighters (Paul and George) created the group, and of the Cool Jazz performed by FLASHPOINT. The virtuistic flute tracks (Paul) are mellow at times, then burst to heights of energy and expression. From the solid bass tracks played by Carlos, to Max's excellent keyboard tracks, such as the incredible solo on "On the Mark", to one of the most innovative drummers in the business (Jaime), FLASHPOINT has proven to be one of the top groups in South Florida.

Average customer rating:

Latin flavor with no loss of swing
Tjader at his eclectic best!!!

Solar Heat
Cal Tjader
Manufacturer: Dcc Compact Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Cuba | Caribbean & Cuba | International | Styles | Music

General | Latin Music | Styles | Music

Latin Pop | Latin Music | Styles | Music

Bebop General | Bebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

Cool Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

Latin Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

Modern Postbebop | Jazz | Styles | Music

Bebop & Post-Bop | Compilations | Jazz | Styles | Music

Brazilian & Latin Jazz | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music

International Jazz | Jazz | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Plugs In
Huracan
Jazz at the Blackhawk
Los Ritmos Calientes

ASIN: B0000001BO
Release Date: 1995-01-15

Tracks:

Ode To Billy Joe
Never My Love
Felicidade
Mambo Sangria
Here
Fried Bananas
Amazon
La Bamba
Eye Of The Devil
Solar Heat

Customer Reviews:

Latin flavor with no loss of swing.......2001-07-12

I bought this album when vinyl was 'it'. The quality of the record was terrible and I was crushed because of the outstanding musical talent and awesome vibes of one of my all-time favorite vibraharpists - and the poor quality of the record.

Now that CD's are it, I would love to get my hands on this great assortment of Cal's fine playing and some truly brilliant tunes. But alas, today - it appears only a used CD is available. Hopefully, someone will press a few more for Cal's fans and this - one of his best works - not far from Several Shades epicwise, will return. The line starts here!

Ken

Tjader at his eclectic best!!!.......1999-05-15

I am a 44 year old female, and I heard this album back when I was in my teens, and Callen Radcliffe Tjader has spoken to my soul ever since. We lost a great one when he became an ancestor. Thank you Cal, for leaving behind a legacy that can still speak to my soul.