Chris McNulty - The Song That Sings You Here

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 67:08
Size: 153.7 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[5:51] 1. How Little We Know
[6:42] 2. How Are Things In Glocca Morra
[8:22] 3. Jitterbug Waltz
[6:59] 4. Lonely Woman
[8:48] 5. On The Street Where You Live
[4:47] 6. Last Night When We Were Young
[7:30] 7. The Lamp Is Low
[6:04] 8. One Less Bell To Answer
[3:36] 9. Letter To Marta
[8:26] 10. Long Road Home - The Song That Songs You Here

Great art often results from conflict, pain or loss. Australian-born singer Chris McNulty notes that The Song That Sings You Here, in spite of being conceived and recorded before she suffered the death of her son Sam, could have just as easily been conceived and recorded after, summing these circumstances into a type of preemptive creative process filled with both grief and gratitude. The temporal results are a highly refined offering filled with robust standards, finely delivered by the singer's precision quintet under her arrangement direction and that of guitarist Paul Bollenback.

McNulty neatly arranges The Song That Sings You Here, presenting the eight standards first, before concluding the disc with her originals. In attendance are two triptychs contrasting the old with the new. The first pits a suitably bluesy take on Fats Waller's "Jitterbug Waltz" and a swing with momentum view of Lerner and Lowe's "On The Street Where You Live" on either side of pianist Horace Silver's languid "Lonely Woman." These songs are dealt with at length, all greater than six minutes. McNulty's pliant voice navigates the disparate terrain of each song, the direction illuminated with Bollenback's informed playing.

The second threesome includes "Last Night When We Were Young," The Lamp is Low" and "One Less Bell to Answer." The subdued mood of these songs is amplified by McNulty's spot-on delivery, the latter Hal David/Burt Bacharach piece delivered with palpable heartbreak.

The disc closes with McNulty's originals. "Letter to Marta" was composed by McNulty in her teen years and only recently titled, a brief impression of where one belongs and when one realizes it, performed by McNulty and pianist Andrei Kondokov alone. "Long Road Home— The Song That Sings You Here" receives full band support. Breezy and light, the song is naturally sophisticated, with McNulty's most assertive vocals on the disc—eschewing the balladic approach used for the majority of The Song That Sings You Here for a harder emotional approach, and galvanizing the entire offering. ~C. Michael Bailey

Recording information: Eastside Studios, Manhattan.

Chris McNulty (vocals); Anita Wardell (vocals); Paul Bollenback (guitar); Igor Butman (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Graham Wood (piano, Fender Rhodes piano); Andrei Kondokov (piano); Marcus Gilmore (drums).

The Song That Sings You Here

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Eight To The Bar - The Romper Room

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 42:04

Size: 96.3 MB

Styles: Swing, R&B

Year: 2010

Art: Front

[3:28] 1. Ding Dang Deal

[3:11] 2. Party In Providence

[3:25] 3. The Hullabalues

[1:59] 4. One Day We're Kings

[4:14] 5. The Romper Room

[4:13] 6. September Blue

[3:50] 7. I Love Ribs

[3:27] 8. Dirty Dog

[3:34] 9. Good For You (Good For Me)

[3:21] 10. Claire Voyant

[4:05] 11. Feels Like Dying

[3:10] 12. Candy Man

Drawing its musical influences from American roots music - swing, boogie woogie, rhythm & blues, soul, Motown, - Eight to the Bar is known for its outstanding instrumentalists and sophisticated musical and vocal arrangements, highlighted by female vocals. With the support of independently-produced albums and videos, Eight to the Bar has cultivated a large, enthusiastic following that has put them in clubs from Disneyland to Disney World as well as Europe and the Carribean. Their rigorous performing schedule (approximately 200 dates per year), has included opening spots for Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Manhattan Transfer, Robert Cray, Neil Young, Roy Orbison, and Ray Charles.

Listening to Eight to the Bar is a lot like driving along a time-warped highway precisely halfway between Count Basie's Kansas City and the Supremes' Detroit, where the car radio picks up everything from "Take the A Train" to "I heard it Through the Grapevine." Their material, like their outlandish wardrobes and onstage choreo, is a colorful mixture of forties jive, fifties melodrama and sixties Motown. ~ Tom Smith

The Romper Room

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Roger Davidson & David Finck - Umbrellas & Sunshine: The Music Of Michel Legrand

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 51:57
Size: 118.9 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[5:21] 1. Les Parapluies De Cherbourg
[4:08] 2. La Valse Des Lilas
[3:52] 3. Les Enfants Qui Pleurent
[5:17] 4. The Summer Knows
[4:13] 5. Watch What Happens
[4:07] 6. His Eyes, Her Eyes
[4:18] 7. The Easy Way Medley
[3:41] 8. The First Time
[3:27] 9. You Must Believe In Spring
[2:37] 10. Look
[5:15] 11. Je Vivrai Sans Toi
[3:36] 12. How Do You Keep The Music Playing
[1:59] 13. Les Parapluies De Cherbourg [piano Solo]

In popular culture, Michel Legrand (who turned 79 on February 24, 2011) is best known for his accomplishments as a composer. But people who really know their jazz also respect the Paris native for his work as an acoustic pianist, and on Umbrellas & Sunshine: The Music of Michel Legrand, fellow acoustic pianist Roger Davidson pays tribute to both Legrand the composer and Legrand the pianist. Forming an intimate duo with upright bassist David Finck, Davidson salutes Legrand's pianistic style, but does so on his own terms. In other words, Davidson acknowledges elements of Legrand's playing, but isn't actually trying to emulate him; the lyrical Davidson still sounds like himself. And he tackles an intriguing variety of Legrand pieces on this 2009 recording. Many of the songs are well-known standards, including "You Must Believe in Spring," "Watch What Happens," "The Summer Knows," and "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?" (which is part of a medley that also includes "The Easy Way"). But Davidson makes his share of less obvious choices as well. Among them: "His Eyes, Her Eyes" (from the 1968 film The Thomas Crown Affair), "The First Time" (which was heard in Falling in Love Again, a romantic comedy from 1980), and the obscure "Look." Many people who are big admirers of Legrand are unfamiliar with "Look," and the very fact that Davidson included that rarity shows that he wasn't afraid to do his homework. So even though Umbrellas & Sunshine has its share of well-known standards, Davidson obviously didn't want this 52-minute CD to have an all-standards-all-the-time approach. Davidson is hardly the first jazz musician to pay homage to Legrand, and he certainly won't be the last. But his sense of adventure makes Umbrellas & Sunshine one of the more memorable Legrand tributes of the 2000s. ~Alex Henderson

Umbrellas & Sunshine The Music Of Michel Legrand

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The Red Rock Hot Club - Gyptology

Styles: Hot Club Jazz, Gypsy Swing
Label: Independent
Released: 2005
File: mp3 @320K/s
Size: 164,5 MB
Time: 70:23
Art: front

1. All Of Me - 4:03
2. Ten Years Gone - 3:35
3. I'll See You In My Dreams - 3:28
4. Viper's Dream - 5:01
5. Dimonic Blues - 3:53
6. Manoirs Des Mes Reves - 7:49
7. You Rascal You - 3:32
8. Gyptology - 6:47
9. Bellville - 2:52
10. Blue Drag - 6:13
11. Bossa Dorado - 4:25
12. Blackwind - 3:44
13. Seul Ce Soir - 11:12
14. Well You Needn'T - 3:42

Personnel:
Rich Daigle -Guitar
Originally from the great state of Maine, Rich graduated from the University of Maine with a Bachelors Degree in Jazz and Contemporary Music. Rich has made Utah his home for the last 10 years, where he teaches and plays music full time, and has received numerous local awards in the field.
Rich has Toured and played with members of Blood Sweat and Tears and the Grammy Nominated group Rare Silk.
Doug Wright - Bass
Doug is a Native Utahn and this guy can Swing a bass line like a hammer. Doug's bass skills have made him one of the most popular faces in the Salt lake music scene. You can hear him with local bands like Six Sided Box, True Grit, Atomic Deluxe, Ice Burn, and many more. Doug also teaches, so if you'd like to learn how to swing on the bass he's the man.
Dr. Charlie Ayers - Rhythm Guitar
Often referred to as "Dr. Rhythm", Charlie is originally from Iowa. Thankfully, he still found time to play his guitar while studying to become an MD. Charlie is band's Gypsy Style Musicologist, and is probably the area's foremost authority on the subject. Gypsy style Rhythm guitar is considered an art form, there is no other musical style that allows a guitar to replace a set of drums. There's no list of bands for Charlie, he's too busy doing things like Healing the sick, Curing Disease, and Saving lives. (oddly enough, those all sound like band names)
Page Mcginnis - Guitar
Page is also from Utah, and is one of the areas finest pickers. He's a jack-of-all-trades on the guitar. He brings a cool mix of Bluegrass and blues to the band, and is just as comfortable in the style of jazz. Very few players can reach that kind of level. You can find Page playing around the Salt lake scene with groups like, Sweet Loretta, Purdy Mouth, Jenk, and many more.
Stuart Maxfield - Violin
Stuart is a Utah native and little is known about this violin wonderkid other that he can pickup most instruments and just play. He's currently studying at BYU, and we certainly hope that won't affect his jazz chops! just kidding.

Notes: The Red Rock Hot Club is recognized as one of the top American Gypsy Jazz Ensembles. Founded in 1999, and led by the swinging guitar styling’s of Rich D’aigle, the group specializes in Gypsy Jazz; a European take of an American Art form. With the added help of Pat and Scott Terry, on guitar and bass, the core of the hot club delivers the sound of Paris (ala 1937), spot on, all the while making it fun and informative.
Guitar genius, Django Reinhardt, along with violinist, Stephane Grappelli, formed the original Hot Club of France in 1937. By intertwining their European roots with American Swing rhythms, based on the masterful phrasings of Louis Armstrong, they subsequently created an entirely new, and yet refined, Jazz genre. The Genre has many names, Gypsy Swing, Jazz Manouche and Hot Swing; but, no matter what you call it, this music ranges from Sweet and Lowdown ballads to hard-swinging, heart-pumping tempos, whose antique harmony create an atmosphere that hooks any listener.
The 2009 Red Rock Hot Club release, “Gypsy Daydream” is receiving rave reviews from the world’s most distinguished Jazz critics. Django Biographer, and foremost Gypsy Jazz authority, Michael Dregni, says, “This album of Gypsy Jazz is the real deal… and lifts them above the ordinary” (Vintage Guitar Magazine June 09’). Frank Forte, (Just Jazz Guitar Magazine), calls the music, “Relaxed and tasteful with gigantic technique!” Veteran Jazz reviewer, Scott Yanow, has said, “Django would have enjoyed this CD, and would certainly sit in with the Red Rock Hot Club!”(L.A. Jazz Scene Magazine April 09’)

Gyptology

Gina Leishman - Bed Time

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:07
Size: 115,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:12)  1. Why So Blue
(2:25)  2. Lonely House
(2:45)  3. Take O Take
(3:58)  4. Come Away Death
(3:49)  5. O Mistress Mine
(5:49)  6. The Soothsayer
(4:54)  7. Ask Me
(4:53)  8. Bed Time
(5:31)  9. Nothing To Say
(4:40) 10. Big Blue Bathtub
(2:47) 11. Hey Ho
(5:17) 12. Glass Dreams

Bed Time Gina Leishman, vocals, piano, ukelele, glasseswith Greg Cohen and Trevor Dunn, bassKenny Wollesen and Roberto Rodriguez, drums and percussionMarc Ribot, guitarDoug Wieselman, guitar and clarinetsAnthony Coleman, pianoSteven Bernstein and Peck Allmond, trumpetJenny Scheinman, violinRob Burger, accordionJD Foster, producer Recorded at Brooklyn Recording - Andy Taub, engineerMastered by Jon Marshall Smith.  The Album. Known for many years as a composer and multi-instrumentalist with numerous recordings to her credit, this recording of Gina Leishman's is one from the heart. Bed Time is the first collection of her favourite original songs, sung by the singer/songwriter herself - Vol. 1 of the Leishman Songbook. 

Her "extraordinary gift for crafting elegant ballads, haunting melodies, and lyrics from the late night" are nowhere more evident than in this beautifully strange collection. Sharing the CD are her unique settings of Shakespeare songs, drawn from her work as an acclaimed theatrical composer on both coasts. The richness of these songs reflect her own innate understanding of the language plus a musical sensibilty born in Europe and bred in downtown New York. Originally created for others to sing and play, Gina is joined by a band of internationally renowned musicians for these new arrangements. The words of the immortal Bard have never sounded quite like this... Listen to this extraodinary combination of ballads from the wee hours, and Shakespeare as he is rarely heard.

Composer, multi-instrumentalist and singer Gina Leishman was born in England, studied music at the Vienna Conservatory and Edinburgh University, and made her home in the U.S., first on the west coast, then in New York. She has written for theater, opera, dance, film, TV and concert stage, garnering numerous awards Ms. Leishman is co-leader of the septet KAMIKAZE GROUND CREW, which has been performing and recording together for 20 years, on both coasts of the US and in Europe. Their recordings can be found on both Koch Jazz and New World Records (and at CDBaby!) Members of the ensemble are Gina Leishman (co-leader, alto and bari sax, bass clarinet, keys, vocals), Doug Wieselman (co-leader, clarinets, sax), Peter Apfelbaum (tenor sax), Steven Bernstein (trumpet, slide trumpet), Art Baron (trombone), Marcus Rojas (tuba), and Kenny Wollesen (drums).

She also co-leads the MR. WAU-WA band, a quintet dedicated to the songs of Bertolt Brecht, for which she is the chief arranger and lead singer. She performs with infrequent regularity as a solo artist and with various other diverse downtown projects, as well as sitting in as occasional guest vocalist/arranger with Steven Bernstein's Millenial Territory Orchestra.

Considering herself more of a "musician who sings", rather than a "singer" per se, music has always been for her primarily about story telling, even when purely instrumental, something that has been fed by her many years of working in the theatre. She also considers songwriting "cheaper than therapy, and a lot more fun". While her instrumental compositions have been influenced by everything from Palestrina to pointillism, her vocal work harkens back to the American balladeers of the '30s through '50s, with a heavy dose of dark European angst.

"One of New York's most versatile composers" - Time Out "...Leishman stole the show" - New York Times"an inspired composer" - S.F. Chronicle  

http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=7209715&style=music&fulldesc=T

Bed Time

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Jackie Ryan - Doozy Disc 1 And Disc 2

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:41 (Disc 1)
Size: 114,3 MB (Disc 1)
Time: 54:42 (Disc 2)
Size: 125,7 MB (Disc 2)
Art: Front

Disc 1

(4:08)  1. Doozy
(5:25)  2. You ll See
(6:33)  3. Caminhos Cruzados
(4:49)  4. Do Something
(5:08)  5. With the Wind and the Rain In Your Hair
(5:14)  6. Speak Low
(4:26)  7. I Must Have That Man
(5:12)  8. Dat Dere
(3:45)  9. Beautiful Moons Ago
(4:56) 10. My How the Time Goes By

Disc 2

(4:52)  1. Opportunity Please Knock
(8:34)  2. I Haven t Got Anything Better to Do
(5:25)  3. Brigas Nunca Mais/A Felicidade
(7:50)  4. Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most
(4:26)  5. Solamente una Vez
(3:06)  6. Summer Serenade
(4:22)  7. Get Rid of Monday
(6:01)  8. Midnight Sun
(3:25)  9. Tell Me More and More and Then Some
(6:37) 10. Some Other Time

This two-CD set is vocalist Jackie Ryan's third recording and it's definitely a keeper. On the heels of her 2007 success, You And The Night And The Music (Open Art Productions), which landed on the charts, also appears destined for success. With her clear, rich voice, Ryan undoubtedly has one of jazz's great vocal instruments no low-note warble or reedy high notes for her and with a 3-1/2 octave range, she handles each song with aplomb. In addition, she has a sure sense of phrasing and an unerring accuracy for getting to the heart of a song. To say she always swings is an under-statement.

Based in the San Francisco Bay area, Ryan has played around the world London, Japan, Amsterdam and made a memorable 2006 appearance in New York at the Lincoln Center. Along the way, she has been backed by some of the best, including Clark Terry, Toots Thielemans, Barry Harris, Terry Gibbs, Buddy DeFranco and Red Holloway.  Her accompaniment here is led by peerless pianist Cyrus Chestnut , and includes a superb front line of tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander, trumpeter Jeremy Pelt and the great Brazilian guitarist, Romero Lubambo.

Ryan includes a collection of pop tunes, Latin American songs and under- appreciated jazz compositions. Everything stands out on about the CD, making it difficult to choose highlights, but here are a few: On the opening title track, her original vocalese interpretation brings to mind the great Annie Ross, with tasty solos delivered by Pelt, Alexander, and Chestnut. Ryan's ability to tell a story and the flexibility of her voice is displayed in "Do Something," as she ranges up and down the scales and in and out of the melody. Also, Chestnut's expertise as an accompanist is reaffirmed in his embellishments. Another favorite, "Speak Low" executed with a samba beat is a vivid example of how Ryan builds dramatic intensity.

Lubambo's guitar magic is conjured particularly well in Jobim's "Caminhos Cruzados." His infectious bossa nova rhythm frames Ryan's sensual rendering. Later, their duo on Augustin Lara's classic "Solamente Una Vez" is blissfully beautiful.  Leonard Bernstein's "Some Other Time" finishes off the set, featuring just Ryan and Chestnut. Someone once said that "less is better." That maxim is proven with the stark beauty of this piece. ~ Larry Taylor   

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=34561#.UruO7rTJI0g

Personnel: Jackie Ryan: vocals; Eric Alexander: saxophone; Jeremy Pelt: trumpet, flugelhorn; Cyrus Chestnut: piano; Romero Lubambo: guitar; Ray Drummond: bass; Dezron Douglas: bass; Carl Allen: drums; Neal Smith: drums.

Doozy Disc 1
Doozy Disc 2

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Bob Kindred & Paul Meyers - Your Place Or Mine

Styles: Jazz, Easy Listening
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:25
Size: 112,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:28)  1. These Foolish Things
(3:27)  2. I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good
(2:49)  3. My Funny Valentine
(3:26)  4. The Touch of Your Lips
(4:04)  5. Tenderly
(3:53)  6. Makin' Whoopie
(3:56)  7. Hey, Look Where I Am
(4:16)  8. Everything I Have Is Yours
(3:40)  9. My Foolish Heart
(3:16) 10. Perdu
(5:09) 11. Teach Me Tonight
(2:37) 12. Two Dances of Love (Flirtation Embrace)
(3:19) 13. Love Is Just Around the Corner

That romantic moment can happen at anytime. Be ready! ‘Your Place Or Mine’ will set the mood. This is the CD to have in your collection for those moments.

“Bob Kindred invests every note with passion,” “The ‘Gentle Giant’ of the tenor saxophone,” “Just plain sexy!”… combined with the intimate beauty of Paul Meyers’ acoustic guitar, ‘Your Place Or Mine’ sets the scene for an unforgettable evening of romance. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/bobkindredandpaulmeyers

Your Place Or Mine

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Alma Micic - Tonight

Size: 91,2 MB
Time: 38:57
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Vocals, Crossover Jazz
Art: Front

01. Dark Cloud (4:16)
02. Love Is Stronger Than Pride (4:42)
03. Woke Up This Morning (4:37)
04. Roxanne (4:23)
05. Tonight (4:56)
06. What Can I Do For You (4:37)
07. Sweet Child Of Mine (4:23)
08. Kot' Pokida Sa Grla Djerdane (4:00)
09. Dawn (3:00)

New York based, Belgrade born jazz vocalist and songwriter Alma Micic has released her highly anticipated third album “Tonight” is a collaboration with celebrated guitarist and producer Doug Wamble. Here is what Alma says on her new record:

“I really took my time with this material. We recorded over time at Doug’s house, talking about what the songs meant to me and how I wanted that projected. All the original songs featured were written within one year, are all part of the same “story,” and go hand in hand with the pop covers that we arranged. There is soul and blues and longing in all of them, and the Serbian traditional tune is transported to Memphis, Tennessee via Doug’s guitar playing.”

Alma Micic has been featured in magazines such as Downbeat, JazzTimes, Jazzwise, All About Jazz as well as Boston Phoenix, Boston Globe, Riverdale Press and the New York Times.

Alma’s singing has been described as “confident, soulful, vulnerable, rhythmically savvy, with the most sensual vibrato you’re likely to hear” (All About Jazz).She has received numerous awards such as the Cleo Laine Award for Outstanding Musicianship and BRIO Award from the NY Arts Council.

*** Happy New Year ***

Tonight

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Steven Yelich - I Get My Way

Size: 80,2 MB
Time: 34:30
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Vocal Jazz, Piano Jazz
Art: Front

01. I Get My Way (1:56)
02. Times Square To Try (2:54)
03. No Easy Money (3:21)
04. Got It! (2:50)
05. It Goes Without Saying (4:23)
06. Five More Minutes (4:03)
07. Winter Rain (3:24)
08. Dreams Withheld (3:41)
09. In A Hurry (2:22)
10. Love Of Comfort (5:32)

This album fuses the best of the pop and jazz worlds. Thoughtful lyrics mesh with strong melodies to make each track convey the kind of heart that music has not had in decades. Watch for Beatles references and swinging jazz solos!

No one listens to twenty-eight minute jazz solos. But turn on the radio, and the alternative is even worse: mindless repetitions with no musical variety. I want listeners to enjoy solos, and I want songs to have a carefully crafted musical architecture. I used the same compositional techniques that made my favorite artists great. I can even point to influences from the Beatles, Beethoven, Bill Evans, Billy Childs, and Billy Joel (and those are just the B's!). However, this music stands on its own, as all its influences were filtered through my personal creative lens.
Listen to modern music, and you might hear a heavy beat paired (perhaps randomly) with a bass track, and some lyrics about partying and living it up, as though that is the point of existence.
Listen to my music, and you might hear more about the human experience. You'll hear elements of your own life in the lyrics and in the heart-felt melodies. Listen to my music, and you'll hear, well, I Get My Way.

I Get My Way

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The Bill Elliott Swing Orchestra - Swingin' The Century

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 45:10
Size: 103.4 MB
Styles: Swing, Jump blues
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[3:00] 1. Swingin' The Century
[2:59] 2. The Shim Sham Song
[3:17] 3. 69 Camp Hollywood Special
[3:07] 4. When We Dance
[2:36] 5. I'm Fallin' In Love Again
[3:14] 6. Hep Hop
[3:26] 7. Blues In The Night
[2:37] 8. Somebody Loves Me
[2:33] 9. Let's Get Married
[3:19] 10. Oh, Lady Be Good
[3:19] 11. Boogie Woogie Rhumba
[2:43] 12. Maze Of Death
[2:14] 13. At The Coconut
[3:48] 14. Come Rain Or Come Shine
[2:50] 15. Jeep Jockey Jump

Long time favorites in the L.A. swing scene, the Bill Elliott Swing Orchestra deftly recreates the sound of big bands from the 1930's and 1940's. On their third album Swingin' The Century, Bill, his vocal group The Lucky Stars, and the 15 piece orchestra lay to rest any rumours that the swing scene is dying. The instrumental title track, "Swingin' the Century," starts off the album and re-introduces the use of a clarinet, which was noticeably absent on the last album Calling All Jitterbugs!.

Much Of Elliott's music on this album is geared towards dancers, "The Shim Sham Song" having been written specifically for the Shim Sham, a sort of swing line-dance, at the urging of Rusty Frank, an L.A. dance instructor who specializes in Shim Sham. Bill also pays tribute to the dancers in "Camp Hollywood Special." Camp Hollywood is a popular L.A. dance camp/workshop that teaches the Dean Collins 'smooth style' Lindy Hop, which is often referred to as 'Hollywood Lindy' because of its prevalence in films of the 1930's like Hellzapoppin' and The Groovie Movie. And while I never thought I would hear an ode to Merv Griffin, that's just what "At the Coconut Is." It was written as a sort of thank you to Griffin, who is the owner of the Beverly Hills Hotel and opened up The Coconut Club last year and turned it into a haven for big bands to play to a dance floor where "Swing kids mix with the Hollywood elite."

Ten of the fifteen songs on the album are original compositions like the hilarious "Let's Get Married" and "Maze Of Death," which sounds like the theme to a forgotten noir thriller from the 40's. With the vocal stylings of Cassie Miller and the Lucky Stars, Bill also takes on classics like Arlen & Mercer's "Come Rain Or Come Shine" and Gershwin's "Oh Lady Be Good" to spectacular results. Maybe khakis don't swing anymore, but Bill certainly does. ~Courtney Knopf

Recorded at Capitol Studios, Hollywood, California between December 1998 and May 1999.

Michael Lescault, Cassie Miller (vocals); Barry Zwieg (guitar); Don Shelton , Bob Reitmeier (clarinet); John Reilly, Gene Burkert, Ray Herrmann (reeds); Jay Mason (alto saxophone); Roger Neumann, Jeff Driskill (tenor saxophone); Chuck Erdahl (baritone saxophone); Darrel Gardner, Donald Clarke, Gary Halopoff, Jeff Bunnell, Wayne Bergeron, John Grab (trumpet); Charlie Morillas, Andy Martin, Bruce Otto (trombone); Brad Dutz (bongos).

Swingin' The Century

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Sammy Price & Doc Cheatham - Play George Gershwin

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 66:37
Size: 152.5 MB
Styles: Boogie woogie, Piano blues
Year: 2003
Art: Front

[1:45] 1. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
[3:19] 2. Can't Help 'lovin That Man
[1:07] 3. Keeping Out Of Mischief Now
[1:42] 4. Rosetta
[3:04] 5. Someone To Watch Over Me
[2:20] 6. Baby Won't You Please Come Home
[3:07] 7. Blues On My Heart
[3:15] 8. Saint Louis Blues
[4:16] 9. Tata's Blues
[2:17] 10. Tea For Two
[2:16] 11. Cinema's Boogie
[2:24] 12. Willow Weep For Me
[2:49] 13. Pinetop's Boogie Booogie
[2:39] 14. Valetta
[2:33] 15. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
[0:42] 16. Adieu
[3:18] 17. Lady Be Good
[3:18] 18. The Man I Love
[3:13] 19. I Got Rythm
[2:55] 20. Summertime
[2:47] 21. Somebody Loves Me
[4:47] 22. Embraceable You
[3:23] 23. S'wonderful
[3:10] 24. Rhapsodie In Blue

This compilation in Verve's Jazz in Paris reissue series contains two separate sessions led by Sammy Price. The first, from 1956, features 14 piano solos by Price, exploring standards, classic jazz compositions, and some originals as well, so the title of this reissue is a bit misleading. The influence of Fats Waller, Earl Hines, and Teddy Wilson is evident in several of the selections, though Price is clearly his own man. The miniature performances of "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "Rosetta" are joyous, while the loping midtempo arrangement of "Willow Weep for Me" is both elegant and entertaining. His compositions are hardly throwaway filler material, especially the fascinating "Tata's Blues." Two years later, Price was touring Europe while leading a band, but brought only one member into the studio, trumpeter Doc Cheatham. The eight-song set from this session focuses exclusively on George Gershwin's songbook, though Cheatham sits out three numbers. Although "Oh, Lady Be Good" and "Summertime" are laudable, it is their inspired condensed arrangement of "Rhapsody in Blue" (which is barely over three minutes) that proves to be the highlight of their duo session. Since Price and Cheatham were active professionally for six and seven decades respectively, this disc catches each of them roughly in the middle of their careers. While Cheatham was probably more widely known at the end of his long life, the music by both men within this CD is well worth acquiring. ~Ken Dryden

Play George Gershwin

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Fay Victor - In My Own Room

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:09
Size: 131,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:25)  1. In My Own Room - 39 All Blues
(2:50)  2. I Remember You
(8:57)  3. Ask Me Now
(7:03)  4. Wave
(4:33)  5. This Masquerade
(4:00)  6. Sister Sadie
(3:00)  7. All of You
(5:25)  8. Skylark
(2:57)  9. Upside Down (Fleur de Lis)
(7:19) 10. Old Devil Moon
(5:35) 11. Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye

Fay Victor’s name is new to this reviewer. On this new CD from Timeless records we get a glimpse of Victor’s ability to perform some pretty crafty vocalese on such standards as Miles Davis’ “All Blues”, Monk’s “Ask Me Now”, Jobim’s “Wave” and others. 11 tracks in total, all of which are uniquely personal renditions of tried and true classics. At times Ms. Victor rekindles thoughts of the late Betty Carter. Fay Victor possesses a wide vocal range and often changes pitch on a moment’s notice, emphasizing the lyrics as if she wrote them. 

Good non-intrusive support from a band that appears to be comprised of Dutch/European musicians especially since this CD was recorded in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. On “All Blues”, Ms. Victor articulates passionate, steamy vocals while staying within the boundaries of this jazz classic. Victor jazzes it up a notch more on Cole Porter’s “Everytime We Say Goodbye”. Throughout “In My Own Room”, Victor displays a good tonal range and overall possesses an infectious, appeasing voice that is quite appealing. Victor’s diction and phrasing draws some parallels to Betty Carter but not quite as prominent or exceedingly noticeable. 

This is a good effort that serves up a nice hodgepodge of standards and classics. Fay Victor, while at times low key and sublime doesn’t re-invent the wheel but identifies herself as a worthy addition to a legacy of fine jazz vocalists that are worth hearing. ~ Glenn Astarita   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=3249#.Ur7t97TJI0g

In My Own Room

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Ida Sand - The Gospel Truth

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:29
Size: 114,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:33)  1. Eyes On The Prize
(3:45)  2. Ain't No Sunshine
(4:12)  3. He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brothe
(4:32)  4. A Change Is Gonna Come
(3:37)  5. Have A Talk With God
(4:50)  6. I Wanna Know What Love Is
(3:15)  7. Until The End
(4:14)  8. I Wish I Would Know How
(4:21)  9. Have A Little Faith In Me
(3:49) 10. It Is To Know
(4:00) 11. Like A Prayer
(4:16) 12. God Only Knows

Whilst Ida Sand's second ACT album True Love was to some extent a family affair - an homage to her husband Ola Gustafsson and new born daughter - her third ACT CD "The Gospel Truth", signals a return to her roots and a unique combination of European and American soul. Released two years after True Love, The Gospel Truth presents the Swedish singer following on musically from her 2007 ACT debut, Meet Me Around Midnight", which captivated listeners with a sound which was "distinctively earthy, soaked with the blood of the blues, saturated by gospel, weathered by jazz and infected by soul" (Jazzthing).

Ida Sand's career began with the church choir. Her father was a well known Swedish opera singer and her mother is still a church organist. As such, Ida learnt to play not only the cello and piano but also sang in several choirs from the age of eight. It was not only Scandinavian choir music that influenced her but also America's gospel choirs. With the world hit "Oh Happy Day" by the Edwin Hawkins Singers, a gospel craze swept across Sweden in the early seventies which in turn led to gospel queen Mahalia Jackson becoming one of Ida's very earliest influences alongside the Swedish gospel pianist Per-Erik Hallin. Captivated by this music, Ida soon discovered the world of soul and fell in love with its masters, such as Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin.

"I grew up with a clear idea of religion," says Ida Sand. "This has changed a bit now that I'm an adult but I still carry the belief with me, deep in my heart." Her latest album, The Gospel Truth, is the musical expression of this sentiment and many of the songs on it have been with the singer for a long time. "For example, I have never sung Nina Simone's I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free before but it is one of the songs of my childhood." However, the album doesn't only feature the soul heroes of her childhood like Sam Cooke, Donnie Hathaway and Stevie Wonder (with a brilliant version of Have a Talk With God). Genuine surprises are also included, such as Madonna's Like A Prayer, John Hiatt's Have A Little Faith and I Wanna Know What Love Is by the band Foreigner, which were part of her teenage years and twenties. "It was a challenge to transfer also these songs from my wilder teenage years to the soul cosmos," explains Sand. "And, of course, I didn't want it to be solely a gospel album which would have been too one-sided."

Vitality, suspense and considerable musical scope are provided not only by Sand's earthy and variable piano playing but also by select guest stars - in particular Nils Landgren who produced the album together with Siggi Loch, and who plays not only the trombone but also the trumpet. As Landgren has also been a member of the famous US band Jazz Crusaders for some time, he was also able to get Joe Sample to join in with his grooving, murmuring playing of the Fender Rhodes, and the great drummer Steve Gadd on A Change Is Gonna Come. Sand's husband, Ola Gustafsson, is also featured on the lap steel guitar as is her friend of many years, woodwind player Magnus Lindgren.

A very special track is the magnificent vocal duet with blind singer and guitarist Raul Midón, who is extremely prominent back home in the USA. "During the Christmas tour with Nils, I saw a video of one of his performances and was completely spellbound. Nils knew him and so I ventured to ask Raul if he would like to accompany me on Bobby Scott's "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother". I didn't expect anything which was why I was even happier when it worked out," says Sand.

The choir, without which the The Gospel Truth could hardly have been realised, remained as the last building block. "A normal gospel choir seemed too flat," says Sand. "Then Siggi Loch had the idea to simply ask our Swedish colleagues." This was how the ACT Jubilee Singers were born, with Jeanette Köhn, Sharon Dyall, Rigmor Gustafsson and Jessica Pilnäs. This unparalleled combination of voices can be heard on four tracks and goes far beyond the usual description of a just 'backing singers'. Yet despite all the famous music names supporting on this new recording, none of them ever force themselves into the limelight. On The Gospel Truth it is Ida Sand who remains solely and justifiably at the fore - possibly the best European soul voice in recent years.  https://www.actmusic.com/en/Artists/Ida-Sand/The-Gospel-Truth/The-Gospel-Truth-CD/Produktinformation

The Gospel Truth

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Jeanie Lambe - Live in Hamburg

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 79:24
Size: 181,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:14)  1. Any place I hang my hat is home
(3:08)  2. Can't we be friends
(4:10)  3. Little girl blue
(5:33)  4. I'm glad there is you
(3:22)  5. Stormy weather
(3:51)  6. Blue prelude
(4:42)  7. I can't give you anything but love
(5:15)  8. Bye bye blackbird
(5:33)  9. Stompin' at the Savoy
(3:13) 10. Teach me tonight
(3:33) 11. All of you
(3:26) 12. My funny Valentine
(2:38) 13. You came a long way from St. Louis
(5:57) 14. Candy
(2:25) 15. Gee baby, ain't I good to you
(3:16) 16. 'Deed I do
(6:56) 17. St. Louis blues
(4:23) 18. Nobody knows you when you're down and out
(3:42) 19. Aunt Hagar's blues

Jeanie Lambe's robust and husky voice takes a bit of getting used to. She does have a strong feel for the 19 standards she sings on this CD (which is taken from three different periods), but Lambe will not be everyone's cup of tea. More accessible is her husband Danny Moss' consistently inventive tenor solos. Lambe is accompanied by either Brian Dee, Brian Lemon or Johnny Varro on piano, Len Skeat or Isla Eckinger on bass and Oliver Jackson or Butch Miles on drums. 

Among the stronger selections are "Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home," "Stompin' at the Savoy" (a tribute to Ella Fitzgerald), "Deed I Do" and "St. Louis Blues." ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/three-great-concerts-live-in-hamburg-1993-1995-mw0000049219

Live in Hamburg

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Fred Astaire & Oscar Peterson - Complete Norman Granz Sessions (Disc 1) And (Disc 2)

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time:  79:22 (Disc 1)
Size: 183,0 MB (Disc 1)
Time:  76:27 (Disc 2)
Size: 175,6 MB (Disc 2)
Art: Front

Disc 1
 

(4:29)  1. Isn't this a lovely day
(2:52)  2. Puttin' on the Ritz
(4:17)  3. I used to be color blind
(3:31)  4. The Continental
(4:38)  5. Let's call the whole thing off
(3:16)  6. Change partners
(2:59)  7. 'S Wonderful
(3:28)  8. Lovely to look at
(2:57)  9. They all laughed
(5:41) 10. Cheek to cheek
(2:24) 11. Steppin' out with my baby
(2:59) 12. The way you look tonight
(2:59) 13. I've got my eye on you
(4:47) 14. Dancing in the dark
(4:49) 15. The Carioca
(2:09) 16. Nice work if I can get it
(2:29) 17. New sun in the sky
(3:03) 18. I won't dance
(2:46) 19. Fast dances
(4:02) 20. Top hat white tie and talls
(2:57) 21. No strings
(2:45) 22. I concentrate on you
(2:54) 23. I'm putting all my eggs in one basket

Disc 2

( 3:46)  1. A Fine Romance
( 5:24)  2. Night and Day
( 2:44)  3. Fascinating Rhythm
( 2:40)  4. I Love Louisa
( 2:57)  5. Slow Dances [Instrumental]
( 2:03)  6. Medium Dance [Instrumental]
( 4:24)  7. They Can't Take That Away from Me
( 3:24)  8. You're Easy to Dance With
( 2:23)  9. A Needle in a Haystack
( 3:21) 10. So Near and Yet So Far Away
( 4:02) 11. A Foggy Day
( 5:03) 12. Oh, Lady Be Good
( 4:01) 13. I'm Building Up to an Awful Letdown
( 3:39) 14. Not My Girl
( 6:35) 15. Jam Session for a Dancer [Instrumental]
(12:03) 16. The Astaire Blues [Instrumental]
( 7:52) 17. The Second Astaire Blues [Instrumental]

Perhaps more organically grounded than his earlier Hollywood recordings, Fred Astaire's December 1952 collaborations with pianist Oscar Peterson have an intimate honesty about them that some might find comforting. Of course, most of this material, written by Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Arthur Schwartz, Jerome Kern, Vincent Youmans, Johnny Mercer, and the Gershwin brothers, is tied directly to Astaire's motion-picture career. 

Included are two ad-lib tap dance inventions and three original compositions devised especially for this project by Peterson. Producer Norman Granz fortified the sessions with the Jazz at the Philharmonic All-Stars, placing trumpeter Charlie Shavers and tenor saxophonist Flip Phillips in front and surrounding the pianist with guitarist Barney Kessel, bassist Ray Brown, and drummer Alvin Stoller. You can't beat 40 tracks featuring Fred and Oscar together.  ~ arwulf arwulf    http://www.allmusic.com/album/complete-norman-granz-sessions-mw0000745219

Complete Norman Granz Sessions(Disc1)

Complete Norman Granz Sessions(Disc2)

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Lisa Biales - Singing In My Soul

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 31:05
Size: 71.2 MB
Styles: Blues vocals
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[2:17] 1. A Little Bird Told Me
[2:44] 2. Strange Things Happening Every Day
[2:46] 3. Let The Mermaids Flirt With Me
[3:20] 4. You Got To Know How
[3:46] 5. Magic Garden
[3:20] 6. Careless Love
[4:28] 7. I Only Have Eyes For You
[2:51] 8. Waiting For The Train To Come In
[2:36] 9. Write Me In Care Of The Blues
[2:52] 10. Singing In My Soul

It is simple: for a really good time slap on a Lisa Biales CD! The Ohio blues chanteuse’s second album is pure fun end to end. She offers 10 songs, mostly vintage gems. Mississippi John Hurt’s “Let The Mermaids Flirt With Me” is a sweet one and Lisa clearly relishes singing it. There are two Sister Rosetta Tharpe songs in “Strange Things Are Happening Every Day” and the closer “Singing In My Soul.” Sippie Wallace’s “Woman Be Wise” is a perfect fit for the sassy Ms. Biales. W.C. Handy’s “Careless Love” dating to the earliest days of the blues received a delicious take here. The Tin Pan Alley standard “I Only Have Eyes for You” lets Lisa amp down for a smoky, sexy take. “Waiting for the Train to Come In” is an aching, swaying piece. “Write Me in Care of the Blues” has a 50s rock & roll feel and feels right doing that. Lisa’s own “Magic Garden” is a funny, sexy ode to growing things.

Sturdy, inventive support comes from the Parisian trio of upright bassist Thibaut Chopen, guitarist Anthony Stelmaszac and drummer Simon “Shuffle” Boyer able abetted by pianist/producer Ricky Nye. Doug Hamilton’s violin notably brightens 2. There’s sweet playing all the way through with just enough swing to make it all flow.

Face it, there’s no deep thinking here. What Singing in My Soul is about is the fun of the doing. Lisa Biales sings from the heart and clearly deeply loves what she does. And she does it quite well indeed. Singing will brighten your day any time you play it. ~ Michael Tearson

Singing In My Soul

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Statesmen Of Jazz - S/T

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 60:07
Size: 137.6 MB
Styles: Early jazz, Swing
Year: 1994/2004
Art: Front

[12:46] 1. Moten Swing
[ 2:31] 2. No Bridge
[ 5:20] 3. It Could Happen To You
[ 5:28] 4. East Of The Sun (And West Of The Moon)
[ 5:49] 5. Coquette
[ 4:24] 6. Open Wider Please
[ 5:26] 7. Blue Waters
[ 4:29] 8. Just Squeeze Me (Don't Tease Me)
[ 7:19] 9. Tangerine
[ 6:31] 10. C Jam Blues

This is a rather historic recording, for it finds altoist Benny Waters, the oldest active jazz musician at a month shy of 93, in surprisingly fiery form; his feature on "Blue Waters" is easily the high point. The other members of the Statesmen of Jazz (a group sponsored by the American Federation of Jazz Societies) are all senior citizens too: violinist Claude Williams (86), flugelhornist Clark Terry (74), trumpeter Joe Wilder (72), trombonist Al Grey (69), tenor saxoponist Buddy Tate (79), pianist Jane Jarvis (79), bassist Milt Hinton (84), and drummer Panama Francis (76). Although Tate was a little past his prime and Wilder a bit erratic due to dental surgery, this is a particularly infectious date of well-played swing. Waters, Williams, and Terry take solo honors. Recommended. ~Scott Yanow

Statesmen Of Jazz

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Janet Klein & Her Parlor Boys - Oh!

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 56:43
Size: 129.9 MB
Styles: Americana, Early jazz, Early pop
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[2:44] 1. Oh!
[3:06] 2. Concentratin' On You
[3:25] 3. When The World Is At Rest
[2:58] 4. That's Love!
[3:07] 5. Baltimore
[2:51] 6. Ida, I Do
[2:16] 7. Who-Oo You-Oo! That's Who!
[2:08] 8. Mon Ami Perdu
[3:25] 9. Don't Worry 'bout Me
[3:03] 10. Undecided Now
[3:03] 11. Sweet Man
[2:39] 12. Hello Bluebird
[4:07] 13. Little Coquette
[3:40] 14. I'm Busy And You Cant Come In
[2:26] 15. Lonesome & Sorry
[1:54] 16. Butterflies In The Rain
[2:55] 17. If You Hadn't Gone Away
[3:26] 18. Rebecca Came Back From Mecca
[3:22] 19. When

Throwback flapper Janet Klein is the very definition of an “old soul.” She grew up in 1970s San Bernardino, yet fell in love with the bits of the IE she never knew the historical images she’d seen of early turn-of-the-century postcards with orange groves and the old Carnegie Library with the onion dome. The way things were got into her blood, and today she’s the most refreshing anachronism to ever materialize from the ether of the Prohibition. Klein is a channel to a definitive time in American music when Eton crops were the rage and batting-eyes meant you had a live one on your hands.

Thing is, LA-based Janet Klein and Her Parlor Boys are more than some nostalgic shtick. She doesn’t merely perform songs from “lost America”obscure numbers circa 1900s-1930s such as barrelhouse jazz, foxtrots, chansonettes, ragtime ditties and vaudeville from the Great Depression she actually lives them, and transports her audiences along the way. Klein considers herself an “archeologist” for digging up buried treasures by the likes of Wilton Crawley and A.P. Randolf and Robert Cloud, the songs of the Victrola that her and the Parlor Boys featuring an all-star line-up playing banjos, uprights, trombones, trumpets, violins, piano, etc add all that authentic dang to feel the wild spirit of that bygone era. The “naughty” music of the day is Klein’s strong suit, and the ukulele chanteuse belts in an Olive Oyl-meets-Billie Holiday voice while coyly bobbling in step to the strump. ~Chuck Mindenhall

Janet Klein – Vocal & Ukulele; Benny Brydern * Violin and Stroh Violin; Corey Gemme * Cornet & trombone; Marquis Howell * Stand-Up Bass; Brad Kay * Piano; Tom Marion * Guitar; John Reynolds * National Steel Guitar, Plectrum Banjo, whistling and vocal; Dan Weinstein * Trombone, Cornet & Violin; Ian Whitcomb * Accordion, Ukulele, Piano and Vocal; Randy Woltz * Piano, Xylophone, Percussion and Vibraphone. Musician Guest Artists: Chloe Feoranzo * Alto, Tenor & C-Melody Sax, Clarinet; Daniel Glass * Vintage Drums and Percussion; Dan Levinson * C-Melody Sax and Clarinet; Robert Loveless * Marxophone, Uklin and Mandolin.

Oh! 

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Various - Dressed In Black: A Tribute To Johnny Cash

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 50:49

Size: 116.3 MB

Styles: Country, Country-pop

Year: 2002

Art: Front

[2:56] 1. Hank Williams III - Wreck Of The Old '97

[2:38] 2. Robbie Fulks - Cry Cry Cry

[3:09] 3. Rodney Crowell - Ballad Of A Teenage Queen

[3:06] 4. Raul Malo - I Guess Things Happen That Way

[2:16] 5. Chuck Mead - There You Go

[2:27] 6. The Reverend Horton Heat - Get Rhythm

[2:26] 7. Bruce Robison - Pack Up Your Sorrows

[3:46] 8. Billy Burnette - Ring Of Fire

[2:15] 9. Redd Volkaert - Luther Played The Boogie

[2:35] 10. Rosie Flores - Big River

[3:07] 11. James Intveld - Folsom Prison Blues

[2:49] 12. Earl Poole Ball - I Still Miss Someone

[2:41] 13. Damon Bramblett - I'm Gonna Sit On The Porch And Pick On My Old Guitar

[2:51] 14. Dale Watson - I Walk The Line

[3:35] 15. Kenny Vaughan - Train Of Love

[2:07] 16. Eddie Angel - Straight A's In Love

[2:49] 17. Chuck Mead - Jackson

[3:07] 18. Chris Knight - Flesh And Blood

Few artists deserve tribute more than Johnny Cash, and none pose a greater challenge to those who would offer their homage. The problem is that his sound has been pounded so deep into America's soul that it's almost impossible to play his music without lapsing into imitation -- and those who try to avoid that trap can sound a little misguided. Examples of both approaches abound throughout Dressed in Black, though even the bravest performers generally sing to a tack bass rhythm accompanied by those menacing low guitar licks that Cash patented long ago. Some do a pretty good job of evoking Cash, especially James Intveld, whose rendition of "Folsom Prison Blues" comes darn close to the original, and Chuck Mead on "There You Go." Damon Bramblett also has Cash's phrasing down; the fact that his voice is pitched about an octave higher, along with his Maybelle Carter style on guitar, makes "I'm Gonna Sit on the Porch and Pick On My Old Guitar" a special treat. Then there's Billy Burnette, whose playing comes closest to the essence of Cash but whose vocals completely miss the squint-eyed macho quality that "Ring of Fire" requires. Rarest of all are those artists who have found their own voice yet use this format to acknowledge their forebears; none does this more persuasively than Dale Watson, who turns "I Walk the Line" into something both powerful and original -- the ultimate tribute that anyone can pay to the real icons in this business. ~Robert L. Doerschuk

Dressed In Black: A Tribute To Johnny Cash

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Antoinette Montague - Behind The Smile

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:57
Size: 119,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:13)  1. Behind The Smile
(4:56)  2. I Hadn't Anyone Till You
(3:34)  3. Give Your Mama One Smile
(4:46)  4. Ever Since the One I Love's Been Gone
(4:32)  5. What's Going On
(3:12)  6. The Song Is You
(4:55)  7. I'd Rather Have a Memory Than a Dream
(2:56)  8. Lost in Meditation
(4:28)  9. Get Ready
(4:21) 10. Summer Song
(3:08) 11. Somewhere in the Night
(4:01) 12. Meet Me at No Special Place
(2:50) 13. 23rd Psalm

With every smile is a story. Singer Antoinette Montague explores this concept with Behind the Smile, a collection of 13 songs that represent things that have influenced the smiles in her life. A native of Newark, New Jersey, Montague has performed at a variety of venues, including Jazz at Lincoln Center's Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, Jazzmobile's Summer Breeze concert series and the Zebra Room in Harlem's Lenox Lounge. Accompanying her on this effort are woodwind player Bill Easley, pianist Mulgrew Miller, bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington - Vocals.

"Behind the Smile," written by Montague with musical notation by Bertha Hope, is a sassy, blues-flavored selection. Easley solos on saxophone, complemented by Miller who follows with a solo of his own and the Washingtons. "I love your style; you stole my heart," Montague sings, with a flare reminiscent of Ella Fitzgerald but with her own vocal imprint.  Easley plays clarinet on "Give Your Mama a Smile," where the rhythm section is cool and relaxed behind Montague's charming lead. Montague and the band deliver a jazz lounge rendition of Marvin Gaye's hit, "What's Going On." During the middle break, Easley covers the vocal chant on saxophone while Montague sings lyrics that aren't in the original recording. The band's ad-lib during the fade adds to the uniqueness of this arrangement.

Several of the songs chosen for Behind the Smile are from genres other than jazz, including blues and pop. However, the arrangements by Montague and Miller serve as an example of how well music can be adapted to a jazz context. ~ Woodrow Wilkins  

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=35146#.Ur18rbTJI0g

Personnel: Antoinette Montague: vocals; Bill Easley: saxophone, flute, clarinet; Mulgrew Miller: piano; Peter Washington: bass; Kenny Washington: drums.

Behind The Smile

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Donny Blair With Judy Blair - The Other Place

Styles: Hammond Organ
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:27
Size: 113,8 MB
Art: Front

(7:42)  1. Off The Top
(5:37)  2. So What
(7:04)  3. High Cotton
(7:12)  4. The Other Place
(5:00)  5. Tamara
(5:47)  6. Footprints
(5:08)  7. Groove's Groove
(5:54)  8. A Child Is Born

JUDY BLAIR was born in East Texas and has been singing and playing the piano, synthesizer and the Hammond B3 organ professionally for more than 40 years. JUDY has performed solo and with groups all over the UNITED STATES in NEW YORK, DALLAS, SAN FRANCISCO, LOS ANGELES, PEBBLE BEACH, CARMEL, RENO, SANTA FE, and many other cities including a three year stint in NEW ORLEANS playing with the best. She also performed during a two year period in the CARIBBEAN and has appeared on JAPANESE television in a travel series about CALIFORNIA.

She has played numerous jazz and blues concerts, festivals and clubs in FRANCE as well as in other parts of EUROPE. 1997 - She recorded and produced an album in FRANCE, “LES COULEURS DU NOIR ET BLANC” on which she plays solo piano and sings ballads and American Standards. It includes original compositions by JUDY. 1999. She recorded a second CD in DALLAS, TEXAS called “THE OTHER PLACE” in collaboration with her brother DONNY BLAIR on guitar, BRUCE TATE on electric bass and DINO VERA on drums. On it, she plays piano and Hammond B3 organ and it includes original pieces by both JUDY and DONNY BLAIR. 2000 - She recorded a third one “CLOSE ENCOUNTER” in NEW YORK, playing the Hammond B3 organ with HOUSTON PERSON (tenor-sax), ALVIN QUEEN (drums), REGGIE JOHNSON (bass) and DONNY BLAIR (guitar). Like the others, this CD included original material.   Her fourth CD “SUNSHINE” was recorded in DALLAS, TEXAS. She sings, plays piano and Hammond B3 along with her brother DONNY BLAIR (guitar), ABDU SALIM (tenor sax), CHRISTIAN (Ton Ton) SALUT (drums) and guest artist LUCKY PETERSON (vocals, piano and Hammond B3). All the songs on this album were written by JUDY and one was co-written with LUCKY PETERSON.

Judy has participated in numerous international JAZZ & BLUES venues, to include: MARCIAC, AIGUILLON, and MONTAUBAN , MIREPOIX, and CAHORS in France.    Her concerts include:  SOS New Orleans 2005, SOS Haïti 2010,  LE TOUQUET, and VILLENEUVE SUR LOT Jazz and Blues Festival, RIOM International Piano Festival, MONSÉGUR 24 hours swing in Monségur, 2004 quartet, and ENGHIEN-LES-BAINS (Mayday Music for Louisiana).  In 2010 Judy performed a concert with Procol Harum founder Gary Brooker at ABBAYE NOUVELLE.   IN SPAIN, she has performed the AUTUMN JAZZ FESTIVAL in CASTILLA along with ALVIN QUEEN, drums, REGGIE JOHNSON, bass. In 2006 Judy performed in TUNISIA at the TABARKA, Jazz Festival, In SICILY in 2007 at SYRACUSE and CATANIA, and in ENGLAND the WOKING concert for the new year 2009-2010, as a guest of GARY BROOKER and ERIC CLAPTON .

Donny Blair picked up his first guitar at the age of 10 in 1965 on the heels of his sister, jazz musician Judy Blair. Though his first exposure to guitar was listening to The Ventures, Donny’s roots are firmly planted in the great tradition of Texas blues and swing. In his teens, Donny continued developing his jazz chops listening to endless Blue Note recordings of the great organ trio guitar masters Kenny Burrell, George Benson, Gene Edwards, and Grant Green. An accomplished horn player in high school and college bands, Donny quit school to go on the road with his sister’s band at the age of 19 playing both trumpet and rhythm guitar on the club circuit from Texas to California, where he played a variety of pop and jazz. The early 1980s found Donny in the military playing lead guitar in a rock ‘n roll band in the Far East for several years. After his discharge from the military, Donny took leave of the guitar for a number of years to pursue a career in electrical engineering. 

In 1998 he picked the guitar up once again, producing and recording a CD with sister Judy titled “The Other Place”. This project was quickly followed by a successful concert at Montauban, France in 1999. In 2000, Donny joined his sister once again along with jazz giants Houston Person, Alvin Queen, and Reggie Johnson in New York for the CD “Close Encounter”, which garnered critical acclaim in Europe. In 2005, Donny appeared on “Sunshine” with his sister, a CD recorded in his town of Dallas, Texas. One will find with Donny’s playing a distinctively smooth blues/jazz style with strong hints of Grant Green and Wes Montgomery, always underpinned by the distinctive sound that is Texas blues guitar. http://www.judyblair.com/?section=bio

The Other Place

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Ingrid Lucia & The Flying Neutrinos - Don't Stop

Styles: Swing Revival
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:31
Size: 106,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:12)  1. A Place In The Sun
(3:21)  2. New Orleans
(2:45)  3. Mind Your Own Business
(2:26)  4. If I Could Be With You (One Hour Tonight)
(2:47)  5. There'll Be Some Changes
(2:56)  6. Hometown Blues
(4:07)  7. Big Long Slidin' Thing
(3:19)  8. Margie
(4:53)  9. Getting Some Fun Out Of Life
(5:13) 10. Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans?
(3:12) 11. Down Home
(4:39) 12. Why Don't You Go Down To New Orleans?
(3:36) 13. It's A Long Lonely Highway

New Orleans blues singer Ingrid Lucia took four hours to record the bakers dozen of tunes on Don't Stop, the independent release with her band The Flying Neutrinos. Lucia and The Flying Neutrinos have been touring, writing and recording together for at least two decades (the group started as a family band) and such alacrity in the studio isn't unusual for this experienced and close-knit bunch. What puzzles is that Lucia and The Flying Neutrinos haven't received more mainstream attention.

The focal point of the band's sound is Lucia's distinctive voice itself, with its trembling vibrato and growling charges into the melody. Lucia's delivery does beg comparisons to the earthy phrasings of Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday, but Lucia is no imitator and The Flying Neutrinos are no Dixieland tribute band. Lucia and the band do draw from their Storyville roots, but their music is fresh and hip and unassumingly so.

To introduce the new CD in New York Lucia and select members of the band played two gigs here in December, 2007 the Rodeo Bar, their usual stomping ground, on Dec. 2nd and Arlene's Grocery on Dec. 3rd, this last a showcase of Lucia's originals, with "Playing By The Rules," a dulcet mid-tempo in three from her album Almost Blue (Independent, 2004) and the provocative Latin number "Let Me In from Fortune (Independent, 2003) being the rare departures from her usual blues-dominated set lists. Lucia's live performances demonstrate an exhaustive repertoire of all types of blues, from tongue-in-cheek burners to introspective ballads, some bawdy, some touching. Always, however, Lucia projects an optimism contrary to the genre; to this point she closed the set at Arlene's Grocery with the first tune from the new CD, "A Place In The Sun," an upbeat romp featuring Burt Cotton (guitar), Jesse Boyd (bass) and Gerald French (drums).

Don't Stop pays homage to Lucia's hometown and each tune celebrates the diverse musical traditions born in that city. On the Hank Williams' song "Mind Your Own Business, we hear the early stirrings of rock 'n' roll; Steve Earle's "Hometown Blues evokes the cowboy music of the western plains; and on the lone ballad of the disc, "Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans," we find a wistful reminder of the Louis Armstrong-Billie Holiday duet. Even if you've never been there, Lucia's music makes you want to pack your bags and go. ~ Suzanne Lorge  

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=27906#.UrxGkbTJI0h

Personnel: Ingrid Lucia: vocals; Duke Heitger: trumpet, vocals (4); Craig Klein: trombone, vocals (8); John Fohl: guitar; Bert Cotton: guitar; Gerald French: drums, vocals (12); Jesse Boyd: bass.

Don't Stop

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Eldar Djangirov Trio - Breakthrough

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:04
Size: 167,9 MB
Art: Front

( 7:59)  1. Point of View Redux
( 5:49)  2. Somebody Loves Me
(10:00)  3. Breakthrough
( 5:48)  4. What'll I Do
( 4:02)  5. Morning Bell
( 6:50)  6. In Pursuit
( 3:19)  7. No Moon At All
( 7:53)  8. Hope
( 7:43)  9. Tokyo Pulse
( 8:46) 10. Blink
( 4:52) 11. Good Morning Heartache

"Point Of View Redux" the eight-minute-long opener on pianist Eldar Djangirov's Breakthrough doesn't exactly say it all, but it says a hell of a lot. A firmly delivered flourish flies through the air in the opening seconds, a rollicking riff sets things in motion as titan-like technique powers the warp-speed explorations that follow, things take a bluesy turn for a spell, and Djangirov generates enough energy to power an entire city block along the way. This aptly-titled number serves as a musical manifesto-of-sorts, as Djangirov wears his likes on his sleeve and in his hands; this album is, indeed, a breakthrough, but not a completely unexpected one.

As a very young pianist getting a lot of press, Djangirov was subject to the usual raves and criticism that accompany the arrival of a child prodigy. Many a writer found nice things to say about the technique that this promising pianist possessed, and a few people found fault in the fact that his technique was the dominant aspect of his artistry; twelve year olds, apparently, tend to be easy targets for those perched behind a desk. Now, at the ripe old age of twenty six, Djangirov has delivered something that may just get the majority of those betting against him early on to rethink things.

Breakthrough is a portrait of the artist as a young man, but this young man already knows who he is, what he wants to say, and how he plans on saying it. Djangirov can be direct and transparent in his musical delivery ("No Moon At All") or purposefully duplicitous ("Breakthrough"). He takes some classics at face value and twists others a bit to suit his viewpoint ("Somebody Loves Me"), but all of his decisions are ultimately made for the good of the performance(s).

This is a trio outing, and a fine one at that, but it doesn't always feel like a three man show. Djangirov's music can be incredibly busy and complex or simple and elegant. He uses breakaway piano episodes as opportunities to explore the solo piano realm within a trio context and he has no problem asking his trio mates to shift from background to foreground, depending on what the music calls for; they comply beautifully. Saxophonist Chris Potter and vibraphonist Joe Locke drop in on one number apiece, further adding to the feeling that this isn't a run-of-the-mill trio date. Potter works his magic on the knotty title track and Locke joins in on the heart-pounding "Blink."

Djangirov's passive-aggressive pianistic tendencies make Breakthrough into a tale of two personality traits. One minute he might be ruminating on a classic theme in contemplative fashion and the next minute he might be tearing through one of his tricky originals like a post-modern Chick Corea on uppers. This who-knows-which-Djangirov-you'll-get approach is at the heart of the brilliant Breakthrough. ~ Dan Bilawsky   

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=44993#.UrrgN7TJI0g

Personnel: Eldar Djangirov: piano; Armando Gola: bass; Ludwig Alfonso: drums; Chris Potter: tenor saxophone (3); Joe Locke: vibraphone (10).

Breakthrough

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Blue Harlem - Talk To Me

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 54:44
Size: 125.3 MB
Styles: Swing, Big band
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[3:15] 1. 5-10-15 Hours
[3:44] 2. Hallelujah! I Love Him So
[5:53] 3. My Daddy Rocks Me
[2:17] 4. He May Be Yours
[2:49] 5. `til My Baby Comes Back To Me
[6:03] 6. Talk To Me Baby; Long Gone Blues
[3:41] 7. Bear Wallow
[3:33] 8. Nobody But Me
[2:59] 9. Now Baby Or Never
[3:49] 10. That's How I Feel About You
[2:03] 11. Ev'ry Time I Hear That Mellow Saxophone
[3:58] 12. I Just Want To Make Love To You
[4:35] 13. Drown In My Own Tears
[2:35] 14. I Cant Stop Now
[3:24] 15. Gone Walkin`

Blue Harlem have been widely regarded as one of the top swing/jump-blues bands on the London scene for over 15 years. They have become regular favourites at venues such as the world famous Ronnie Scott's, The100 Club, The Hippodrome, Hideaway, Jitterbugs and many, many more. They enjoy an international reputation - 2007 found them launching the 4th International Film Festival of Dubai and in 2008, they were personally invited by Baz Luhrmann to perform for the launch of his 1940's blockbuster movie ‘Australia’. They have been invited on three separate occasions to perform at Highgrove House charity balls for the Prince’s Trust. They have an enviable reputation as a party band, having played for society soirees all over the UK - including Buckingham Palace, Annabel’s, The Sands Venue and Burgh Island. They also regularly perform abroad, appearing at jazz festivals in Spain, Norway, Belgium and Germany.

Blue Harlem launched the career of rising star Imelda May, and are now proud to feature as their vocalist the sensational Sophie Shaw. Blue Harlem is led by Al Nicholls on Tenor Sax and features Paul Eldridge on Piano, Sandy Burnett on Double Bass, Sam Brown on Drums, Gethin Liddington on trumpet and Horace Cardew on Baritone Sax.

Talk To Me

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Diego Urcola Quartet - Appreciation

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 53:59
Size: 123.6 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[5:29] 1. The Natural (To Freddie Hubbard)
[5:42] 2. El Brujo (To Hermeto Pascoal)
[4:58] 3. Milonga Para Paquito (To Paquito D'rivera)
[4:56] 4. Super Mario Forever (To Mario Rivera)
[7:17] 5. Guachos (To Guillermo Klein & Los Gauchos)
[7:35] 6. Deep (To Astor Piazzolla & Miles Davis)
[4:55] 7. Senhor Wayne (To Wayne Shorter)
[4:31] 8. Woody 'n Diz (To Woody Shaw & Dizzy Gillespie)
[8:32] 9. Camila (To John Coltrane)

Trumpeter Diego Urcola's is a voice that has remained somewhat hidden—certainly tucked away—for two decades in Paquito D'Rivera's quintet. And then there is the subdued role he has played in Guillermo Klein's fabulous larger ensemble, Los Guachos. However, the graceful candor of his voice is irrepressible, and it was only a matter of time before he would be heard for what he really is and plays. Urcola is distinct and a singular artist in the manner of his more famous countryman, Gato Barbieri, playing with sensuous swagger and digging deep into his own soul for even the slightest note. This mortal risk-taking is something for which Barbieri is well-known, and with his own immaculate sense of grace, absolutely bereft of inhibition Urcola begs favorable comparisons with the much older tenor saxophonist.

The trumpet resides in a cluttered world and not even its softer relative, the flugelhorn, can serve to set horn men who favor this burnished brass instrument apart from the pack that always seems to advance like the frontline of an ancient army. Still, someone like Charles Mingus was able to pick Thad Jones, and more significantly, the mysterious, Clarence Shaw from out of the clutter. Jones, he called "Bartok with valves," and Shaw's language and phrasing left him breathless. Then there is Wallace Roney, and Arturo Sandoval. To these, the name of Diego Urcola must be added; to understand why, it pays to peruse Urcola's Appreciation. ~Raul D'Gama Rose

Appreciation

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Gloria Loring - By Request

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:05
Size: 109,5 MB
Art: Front

( 2:43)  1. I Get A Kick Out Of You
( 3:43)  2. Tonight I Celebrate My Love For You
( 2:42)  3. Here, There And Everywhere
( 6:01)  4. It Never Entered My Mind
( 4:43)  5. Cody's Song (I Will Sing For You)
(10:49)  6. It's All In The Game/I Remember You
( 2:48)  7. As Time Goes By
( 5:10)  8. Quiet Please, There's A Lady On Stage
( 4:27)  9. How Do I Live Without You/Con Te Partiro
( 3:55) 10. Wind Beneath My Wings

This latest release is another in a series of excellent vocal albums by Gloria Loring, who has been a mainstay of the popular song scene for more than 20 years. The play bill is made up of tunes identified by fans as favorites in an e-mail poll. As one would expect, the result is a mix of standards, show tunes, and adult pop by the cream of songsmiths, from collaborations by Richard Rodgers/Lorenz Hart to those of John Lennon/Paul McCartney. Despite the many years in the performing trenches, Loring's voice has lost not one iota of its clear-as-a-bell diction, perfect pitch, and her sensitivity to the lyrics. 

But if there is one quality that sets Loring's voice apart, it is the sincerity she attaches to each song. It simply oozes on such offerings as "It Never Entered My Mind," where she and pianist Larry Steelman turn this favorite standard into a love poem. Even though "Quiet Please, There's a Lady Stage" has been in Loring's play book virtually her entire career, its delivery is anything but routine, as the exquisite poignancy coupled with a "the show must go on" determination is still there. The album's premier track is the medley of tunes that run a gamut of feelings. "It's All in the Game" is filled with chin-up determination, while sweet regret is the theme of "Once Upon a Time," all backed by tasteful instrumentation helping to create the right mood. If this request album is any measure, Loring's fans enjoy songs which move and inspire. There's absolutely no fluff here. The outcome firmly confirms Loring's ability to successfully pull together material from different genres and generations into a thoroughly enjoyable concert of song. Strongly recommended. ~ Dave Nathan     http://www.allmusic.com/album/by-request-mw0000014749         

By Request

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Chanda Rule - Surrender

Styles: Soul
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:18
Size: 104,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:54)  1. Let Freedom Reign
(4:01)  2. All Life Is One
(4:03)  3. Tomorrow
(3:04)  4. Slow Down
(4:13)  5. Beauty
(4:15)  6. Home
(5:04)  7. Here's to Life
(5:10)  8. Surrender
(4:54)  9. Amazing Grace
(5:35) 10. Outro/I Knew It Was Love

Soul stirring. Powerful. Sacred. Goose-bump inducing! These are just some of the words used to describe vocalist and interfaith minister Chanda Rule. With feet rooted in the gospel traditions of the South, a heart filled with soul, and a voice touched with jazz, Chanda has been weaving stories through song, humming melodies, and bending words since her childhood. Mesmerizing audiences around the world with her “liquid clear” song “bound to fill your spirit to its rim with musical serenity” and her uncanny ability to lead audiences of all backgrounds in harmonious song, Chanda loves to proclaim that music is a healing balm for the human spirit and uses music to honor the downright sacred wholeness of every being. Chanda's songs have been noted for their colorful poetics that embrace personal and spiritual depth and her unforgettably powerful approach. She infuses her melodies with her love of soulful blues, sacred teachings, and jazz blossoming unforgettable performances that touch the hearts of listeners all over the world. 

Chanda began her career in musical theater, appearing in a variety of productions, from Shakespeare in the Park in New Jersey, to Hair, The Musical in Europe. She has since opened for Regina Belle & The Whispers, Angela Bofill, India.Arie, and Amel Larrieux;  performs internationally at festivals and concert halls such as BAMCafé, Brucknerhaus, Tchaikovsky Hall, and Dizzy's Coca Cola; leads congregational music at Saint Peters Church, Unity, and Centers for Spiritual Living across the country; and has written music for and performed in concert to increase social, spiritual, and cultural awareness at The Apollo, Symphony Space, Harlem Stage, Lincoln Center, and The New York Open Center. Her genre-defying voice has graced a variety of musical projects: from her Langston Hughes inspired concert "I Too Speak of a River" and "Feelin' Good: A Tribute to Nina Simone", to performing with jazz trumpeter Franz Hackl's Outreach Orchestra, Denis Matsuev's Crescendo Festival, and New Music concerts with film composer Gene Pritsker. 

After touring Western Europe singing and leading workshops on the African roots of Gospel music with the Golden Gospel Singers and attending One Spirit Interfaith Seminary in New York, Chanda was inspired to harness her passion for religious harmony into "RiseUpNation" a series of workshops, concerts, singing flash mobs, and pop-up choirs that use congregational music as an agent for interfaith dialogue and unity.  Chanda was recently awarded one of seven Hough Scholarships from Union Theological Seminary at Columbia University to study Interfaith Dialogue through the Arts. Her music has been broadcast throughout the US, Eastern and Western Europe via radio, internet, and television. http://www.chandarule.com/about/

Surrender

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