Powell, Ben / New Street
Album: New Street   Collection:Jazz
Artist:Powell, Ben   Added:Jul 2012
Label:Self-Release  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2012-10-21 Pull Date: 2012-12-23 Charts: Jazz
Week Ending: Dec 16 Dec 2 Nov 25 Nov 18 Nov 11 Nov 4 Oct 28
Airplays: 2 1 4 1 1 3 1

Recent Airplay
1. Sep 08, 2016: Melange
La Vie En Rose
4. Feb 20, 2015: Rebop
What Is This Thing Called Love
2. Feb 17, 2016: 2-17-2016
La Vie En Rose
5. Feb 06, 2015: Rebop
Monk 4 Strings
3. Jan 29, 2016: Rebop
Monk 4 Strings
6. Dec 28, 2012: No Cover, No Minimum
Monk 4 Strings

Album Review
Be Sharp
Reviewed 2012-10-13
English-born, Berklee school trained violinist Ben Powell leads two ensembles: a quartet (playing mostly Powell’s compositions) and a trio with Gary Burton on vibraphone (playing tunes written by or associated with the late great Stephane Grappelli). The connection here is that Burton and Grappelli made a famous record decades ago called Paris Encounter.

All instrumental, save for track 7. No FCC issues.

The Ben Powell Quartet (with piano, bass and drums; plus guest guitarist on track 5)
1 Slow, romantic ballad. Starts & ends with Classical touches. Pretty but low energy. (7:54)
2 * Fast. Showy cadenzas on violin. Hard driving rhythm section. (6:53)
3 ** Fast. Interesting violin & piano dialog. Stong piano. Bass gets a solo too. (5:46)
5 * Very fast. Cole Porter tune. Fun, gypsy jazz in style, featuring guitar & violin. (4:21)
6 * Slow. Early 20th Century classical piece. Shimmering violin, with light piano. (3:22)
7 Duet for violin & voice. Alto Linda Calise rather over-enunciates the French. (5:07)
8 * Fast, exuberant, lots of swing. Somewhere between gypsy jazz & hoedown. (4:57)

The “Stephane Grappelli Tribute Trio” (with Gary Burton, vibes, & Julian Lage, guitar)
4 Slow. By Grappelli for Gary Burton. Dreamy duet between violin & vibes. (6:00)
9 Slow. Quiet, dreamy serenade. Sort of a yawner. (5:57)
10 ** Very fast. Joyful and fun. Good ensemble playing, plus brilliant solos. (5:03)



Track Listing
1. Judith   6. Sea Shell
2. New Street   7. La Vie En Rose
3. Monk 4 Strings   8. Swingin' For Stephane
4. Gary   9. La Chanson Des Rues
5. What Is This Thing Called Love   10. Piccadilly Stomp