BALLADS AND OTHER CAUTIONARY TALES

Ballad playing may be the most difficult jazz style to master and the one that requires the most maturity and life experience. Even the most talented younger players are often stymied when confronted with the challenges of preserving a melody while stamping it with their own imprimatur. Warren Vach is one of jazz’s finest balladeers...... Although he has always been one of the most consistently inspired jazz performers, in recent years his playing seems to reflect an even deeper emotional commitment which, combined with his omnipresent technique, has led him to new artistic heights as is evident on this superb set. - From the album notes by Ed Berger.

PERSONNEL:

WARREN VACHE, cornet
TARDO HAMMER, piano (tracks 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 9)
RICHARDS WYANDS, piano (tracks 4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12)
NEAL MINER, bass
LERO WILLIAMS, drums
JOHN ALFRED, trombone (track 2)
HOUSTON PERSON, tenor sax (tracks 4, 7, 11)

Recorded in New York,  October 6 & 7, 2010.

Tracks:

01. Ballad for Very Tired and Very Sad Lotus Eaters
02. Solitude
03. I See Your Face Before Me
04. Fools Rush In
05. I Have Dreamed
06. Autumn Serenade
07. Everything Happens To Me
08. I´ll Only Miss Her When I Think of Her
09. I´ll Never Be The Same
10. Stairway To The Stars
11. I Remember You
12. Don´t You Know I Care