ARKADIA JAZZ ALL-STARS: Magic Moments

Enjoy Arkadia Jazz All-Stars’ newest release, Magic Moments.

In this special album, Arkadia Jazz All-Stars: Magic Moments, Producer and Founder Bob Karcy has selected a few of the most memorable performances by the Arkadia Records recording artists who form this group.

Four of Arkadia’s most successful artists, all named NEA Jazz Masters perform on this album. Pianists Billy Taylor and Joanne Brackeen, and saxophonists Benny Golson and Dave Liebman present some truly Magic Moments.

Billy Taylor creates a unique version of John Coltrane’s ballad, Naima.

Joanne Brackeen and featured guest Ravi Coltrane perform one of Joanne’s most important compositions, Popsicle Illusion.

Dave Liebman and Pat Metheny shine in Heaven’s Gift, a Liebman original.

A lush string orchestra underpins Shirley Horn’s heartbreaking vocals and Benny Golson’s golden saxophone in Benny’s heartbreaking ballad, Sad To Say. Then Benny and Mulgrew Miller swing with joy in Duke Ellington’s Don’t Get Around Much any more.

Four highly acclaimed artists share their magic with the listener. Alto saxophonist T.K. Blue,

Brazilian Vocalist Tetel Di Babuya, Harold Land with Stings and pianist Eric Reed round out this stellar album.

Song Selection:

 

1. Naima	BILLY TAYLOR: Billy Taylor: Piano; Chip Jackson: Bass; Steve Johns: Drums
2. Sad To Say	BENNY GOLSON: Benny Golson: Sax; Shirley Horn: Vocals
3. Heaven’s Gift	DAVID LIEBMAN: David Liebman: Soprano Sax; Pat Metheny: Electric Guitar, Billy Hart: Drums, Cecil McBee: Bass
4. Dance of the Nile	T.K. BLUE: T.K. Blue: Alto Sax; Stefon Harris: Vibraphone; James Weidman: Piano; Jeff “Tain” Watts: Drums; Lonnie Plaxico: Bass; Steve Kroon: Percussion
5. Você (long version)	TETEL DI BABUYA: Tetel Di Babuya: Vocals; Daniel Grajew: Rhodes; Nilton Leonarde: Bass; Emilio Martins: Drums; Richard Fermino: Tenor Sax, Trumpet, Trombone
6. Nature Boy	HAROLD LAND: Harold Land: with string orchestra; Ray Ellis: Arranger; Billy Higgins: Drums; Bill Henderson: Piano; James Leary: Bass; Alan Pasqua: Synths
7. Isfahan	ERIC REED: Eric Reed: Piano; Terrell Stafford: Trumpet; Carl Allen: Drums; Steve Nelson: Vibraphone; Rodney Whitaker: Bass
8. A Night In Tunisia	T.K. BLUE: T.K. Blue: Alto Sax; Randy Weston: Piano;
9. Popsicle Illusion (Live)	JOANNE BRACKEEN: Joanne Brackeen: Piano; Ravi Coltrane: Sax; Ira Coleman: Bass; Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez: Drums
10. Don’t Get Around Much Anymore	JORIS TEEPE: Benny Golson: Tenor Sax; Mulgrew Miller: Piano; Buster Williams: Bass; Carl Allen: Drums

 

Produced by: Bob Karcy,
Total Time: 51 minutes

About The Arkadia Jazz All-Stars:

The Arkadia Jazz All-Stars is a group established in 1996 as the brainchild of Bob Karcy, Producer, musician, Founder and CEO of Arkadia Records. Karcy’s original goal was to harness the creative brilliance of the Artists who recorded on its Arkadia Records labels, along with select guest musicians representing some of Jazz’s biggest stars, to create an unparalleled series of newly recorded, thematically unified studio albums. So far, ten albums have been recorded and three more are in production.

These Arkadia Jazz All-Stars releases have been honored with three Grammy Award Nominations.

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Thematic Albums:

The next series of albums were conceived as thematically-driven group collections of outstanding singles, representing the best-of-our-best.

The first two albums, “Arkadia Jazz All-Stars: The Stars of Jazz #1” (Grammy Nominated for “Body and Soul” by Branford Marsalis) and “Arkadia Jazz All-Stars: The Stars of Jazz #2” (Grammy Nominated for “My Favorite Things” by David Liebman), present the most highly recognized artists, including Joanne Brackeen, Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Benny Golson, Lee Konitz, Branford Marsalis, Billy Taylor, Randy Weston, Gary Bartz, and Nat Adderley.

The “Arkadia Jazz All-Stars: The New Young Lions of Jazz” showcases the next generation of rising stars on the Jazz horizon, including James Carter, Don Braden, Chris Potter, Javon Jackson, Ravi Coltrane, Eric Reed, Stefon Harris, Nicholas Payton, Steve Turre, and Kurt Elling.

The “Arkadia Jazz All-Stars: Out and Out Jazz” captures inventive performances on the cutting edge of modern and free jazz, both fully composed and improvised. This album showcases John Abercrombie, Paul Bley, Joanne Brackeen, John Clark, Andrew Hill, David Liebman, Pat Metheny, Nicholas Payton, Gary Peacock, Sam Rivers, and Reggie Workman.

Everyone has known love, and that emotion is beautifully expressed in “Arkadia Jazz All-Stars: It’s About Love”, a new album of heartfelt romantic ballads, performed by Benny Golson, Nigel Clark, Joanne Brackeen, T.K. Blue, Mary Pearson, Billy Taylor, Kenny Drew, Jr., Eric Reed. It includes the stunning Grammy Nominated “My Funny Valentine” by Randy Brecker.

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Arkadia Records continues to create new releases from the Arkadia Jazz All-Stars. Albums currently in production are tributes to Thelonious Monk (“Thank You, Thelonious!”) and Miles Davis (“Thank You, Miles!”), as well a suite of lively standards and compelling original songs for the holiday season.

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Bob Karcy’s ultimate aim is that the Arkadia Jazz All-Stars will emerge as an artistically successful recording group in its own right. In addition to creating new, exciting and stellar music, the All-Stars will showcase the Artists on Arkadia Records, creating greater awareness and recognition of their talent, and helping them reach a new generation of listeners far beyond their core fans.