Jeff Golub With Brian Auger - Train Keeps A Rolling

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 47:33
Size: 108.9 MB
Label: EOne Music
Styles: Pop-Jazz, Guitar jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[3:17] 1. The Cat
[4:19] 2. Isola Natale
[3:39] 3. Train Keeps A Rolling
[5:11] 4. I Love The Life I Live
[4:42] 5. Pusherman
[3:52] 6. How Long
[3:31] 7. J&B
[4:41] 8. Happiness Is Just Around The Bend
[4:01] 9. Shepherds Bush Market
[4:32] 10. Whenever You're Ready
[5:43] 11. Walking On The Moon

That guitarist Jeff Golub was able to record Train Keeps a Rolling at all is something of a miracle. In 2011, the optic nerves in the guitarist's eyes mysteriously and inexplicably collapsed, leaving him blind and in need of a guard dog. In September of 2012, while trying to catch the subway in New York, Golub fell onto the tracks as a train was approaching. He was clipped and dragged for a distance, but amazingly, other than cuts and bruises, he was unhurt. This makes the occasion of his 12th studio offering a special one. To mark it, his longtime co-producer Bud Harner suggested that he collaborate with one of his personal heroes, British keyboard giant Brian Auger. They enlisted drummer Steve Ferrone from Auger's Oblivion Express and bassist Derek Frank, who had also worked with the keyboardist. Various tracks are augmented by guests, including a four-piece horn section, percussionist Luis Conte, and vocalists Christopher Cross, Ambrosia's David Pack, and Alex Ligertwood (former Oblivion Express and Santana frontman). The program opens with a bright, funky reading of Lalo Schifrin's "The Cat" that accents the intuitive interplay between the B-3 and Golub's guitar playing. There are three Auger compositions too, including a new reading of the slinky jazz-rock nugget "Happiness Is Just Around the Bend" with Ligertwood reprising his Oblivion Express vocal role. More outstanding are the punchy, horn-drenched funk of "Shepherds Bush Market," which Auger wrote specifically for the date, and the previously unissued "Isola Natale," with its jazzy Latin groove. Pop rears its head in a sophisticated read of Paul Carrack's "How Long," beautifully sung by Cross, and ramped up soul-jazz appears in an instrumental take on Curtis Mayfield's iconic "Pusherman," with a terrific horn chart and a monster B-3 solo. Golub shines throughout, but particularly on the ironically dubbed title track, which commences as a frenetic tropical salsa before giving way to steamy, Latin-fused jazz-rock. The only weak spots here are in the workmanlike version of the Police's "Walking on the Moon" and the Mose Allison-influenced read of Willie Dixon's "I Love the Life I Live"; both could have been left off without consequence. By and large, however, Train Keeps a Rolling is proof positive that you can't keep a great musician down; it is inspired, kinetic, and chock-full of fine playing and arranging. ~ Thom Jurek

Recording information: Lafx, North Hollywood, CA; Pack's Place, Mission Viejo, CA; The Maid's Room, New York, NY; The Red Room. Austin, TX. Editor: Mark Casselman.

Jeff Golub (guitar); Brian Auger (Fender Rhodes piano, Hammond b-3 organ); Dave Woodford (flute, baritone saxophone); Mindi Abair (alto saxophone); Steve Madaio (trumpet); Nick Lane (trombone); Steve Ferrone (drums); Luis Conte (percussion).

Train Keeps A Rolling

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Blossom Dearie - My Gentleman Friend

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 30:35
Size: 70.0 MB
Label: Verve
Styles: Vocal jazz, Easy Listening
Year: 1959/2003
Art: Front

[3:39] 1. Little Jazz Bird
[3:46] 2. Gentleman Friend
[3:06] 3. It's Too Good To Talk About Now
[3:06] 4. Chez Moi
[3:29] 5. You Fascinate Me So
[2:33] 6. You've Got Something I Want
[2:07] 7. Boum
[0:00] 8. L' Étang
[2:48] 9. Hello Love
[5:57] 10. Someone To Watch Over Me

Another in the superior series of LPs Blossom Dearie recorded for Verve in the late '50s, MY GENTLEMAN FRIEND finds the cabaret-jazz maven joined by guitarist Kenny Burrell and her husband at the time, Belgian saxophonist-flutist Bobby Jaspar, who accompanies Blossom on just a few French-language tunes--"Chez Moi," the swinging "Boum," and a lovely impressionist ballad called "L'Etang," all of which she manages with aplomb.

Dearie always chose her repertoire carefully so there are almost no typical standards here. Still she excels on Cy Coleman's "You Fascinate Me So," with its deft, witty lyrics by the great Carolyn Leigh. Closing the set is her plaintive version of the Gershwin's "Someone To Watch Over Me." The singer's self-accompanying piano work is excellent throughout.

Recorded at Nola Studios, New York, New York on May 21 & 22, 1959. Originally released on Verve (2125).

Blossom Dearie (vocals, piano); Bobby Jaspar (flute); Kenny Burrell (guitar); Ray Brown (bass); Ed Thigpen (drums).

My Gentleman Friend

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Tom Scott - Reed My Lips

Album: Reed My Lips
Styles: Crossover jazz, Fusion
Released: 1993
Label: GRP
Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 40:50
Size: 93.5 MB
Art: Front Cover

1. Upbeat 90's [4:26]
2. Sarah, Sarah [5:22]
3. Reed My Lips [5:42]
4. Jungle Wave [5:22]
5. Hollywood Walk [4:44]
6. Every Day And Every Minute [4:40]
7. Walk A Mile [4:08]
8. G.B.U. [4:16]
9. Saxappella [2:11]

While most musicians wind up pigeonholed into very strict stylistic trappings throughout their career, Tom Scott has f ound challenges and success playing all formats of jazz on his solo projects and as leader of the GRP All Star Big Band (in the early 90s). It was fun following his muse in the middle of the decade, as he ventured back to his straightahead roots on 1992's Born Again, then was back to the funk on this rousing jam session.

Working with old and new friends like Grover Washington, Jr., Paul Jackson, Jr., Dave Witham, David Paich, Luis Conte, Eric Gale and Robben Ford, Scollection explodes from the get-go on the perfectly titled "Upbeat 90's," a spirited bundle of energy which combines Scott's funky tenor bravura with a modern hip-hop groove and Gale's bouncy electric guitar. The saxman plays a passionate accompaniment and interlude behind the smooth vocals of singer/guitarist Jerry Lopez on a seductive cover of Jonathan Butler's sweet "Sarah Sarah," then gives the title track--a soaring duet between Scott and Washington's duelling tenor and soprano saxes--a brassy blues and bouncy hip-hop attitude. "Every Day and Every Minute" is possibly the most unique track Scott has ever done. It's a hypnotic moodswing of spacey animation featuring mantra like breathy vocals, Witham's vibes like melody and the saxman achieving mystery with the sounds of the bass flute. ~Jonathan Widran

Reed My Lips

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Paul McCartney - Ram (Special Edition) [double album]

At the beginning of his solo career, McCartney took the term rather literally, recording virtually alone, playing and singing nearly all the parts himself. Nowhere is that approach more effective than on RAM, arguably his finest solo recording. Admittedly, he had a little help from guitarist Hugh McCracken and a couple of others here and there, but for the most part, this is Paul's show. Instead of succumbing to self-indulgence, though, he used this forum to focus his artistic energies, thus turning out some of the best songs of his post-Beatles career. The opening "Too Many People" is an appealingly melodic rocker that combines the two sides of McCartney--melodious popster and unabashed rocker--to unprecedented effect. He gets bluesy on "3 Legs," homespun-acoustic on "Heart of the Country," and appealingly jocular on the radio hit "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey," whose whimsy recalls his best light-hearted Beatles efforts. What he maintains throughout all this is his vision, never getting sidetracked into loopy experimentalism or sentimental mush. RAM is McCartney at the peak of his considerable powers, spontaneous-sounding but still expertly crafted.

Album: Ram (Special Edition) [Disc 1]
Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 43:05
Size: 98.7 MB
Label: Hear Music
Styles: Rock
Year: 1971/2012

[4:09] 1. Too Many People
[2:47] 2. Three Legs
[2:29] 3. Ram On
[2:13] 4. Dear Boy
[4:55] 5. Uncle Albert Admiral Halsey
[3:52] 6. Smile Away
[2:22] 7. Heart of the Country
[5:24] 8. Monkberry Moon Delight
[3:21] 9. Eat at Home
[6:05] 10. Long Haired Lady
[0:55] 11. Ram On 2
[4:28] 12. Back Seat of My Car

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Album: Ram (Special Edition) (disc 2)
Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 32:56
Size: 75.4 MB
Label: Hear Music
Styles: Rock
Year: 1971/2012
Art: Front

[3:41] 1. Another Day
[4:33] 2. Oh Woman, Oh Why
[2:07] 3. Little Woman Love
[4:07] 4. A Love for You [John Kelly Mix]
[3:48] 5. Hey Diddle [Dixon Van Winkle Mix]
[2:34] 6. Great Cock and Seagull Race [Dixon Van Winkle Mix]
[8:43] 7. Rode All Night
[3:19] 8. Sunshine Sometime [Earliest Mix]

this 2-disc set in one link.
Ram (Special Edition) [discs 1 & 2]

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Anny Finnestad - Celebrating The Standards Of Jazz

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 28:50
Size: 66.0 MB
Label: (Self-released)
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[3:11] 1. Lullaby of Birdland
[4:44] 2. These Foolish Things
[2:50] 3. From This Moment On
[3:37] 4. You Go to My Head
[2:52] 5. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
[2:58] 6. Why Don't You Do Right?
[3:41] 7. Lovely Day
[4:54] 8. I'd Rather Have Jesus

Anny Finnestad was born in the picturesque Pacific Northwest town of Bellingham, WA. where her love of singing was cultivated as a member of the gospel choir in her local Baptist church.

The Finnestad family relocated to San Diego, CA where Ms. Finnestad later continued her formal musical studies at San Diego State and Azusa Pacific University (APU). While still a freshman at APU she was selected as a member of the University Choir and recorded several albums for Disney. She later moved east to Boston, MA where she was exposed to jazz and blues with Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Nina Simone and Etta James being her biggest vocal influences. Upon returning to the West Coast, she became a local fixture of the San Diego Jazz scene and performed with many artists including drummer Charles "Chuck" McPherson Jr. and Trumpeter and composer Gilbert Castellanos.

In 1998, Ms. Finnestad moved to New York to continue her studies with world renowned pianist Norman Simmons and vocal instructors Amy London and Susan Slavin. While in New York she met and began working with drummer and producer George Coleman Jr. (son of Tenor sax great and Miles Davis Alumni, George Coleman Sr.). In 2003-2004 Anny's vocals fronted George's trio in engagements scheduled throughout the east coast. Their dedication and hard work has resulted in a jointly produced debut album entitled "Anny Finnestad, celebrating the standards of jazz".

Celebrating The Standards Of Jazz

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Kenny Burrell With Coleman Hawkins - Bluesy Burrell

Styles: Bop

Released: 1962/1997

Label: Original Jazz Classics

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 39:04

Size: 89.4 MB

Art: Front

1. Tres Palabras [6:43]

2. No More [1:50]

3. Guilty [4:16]

4. Montono Blues [4:43]

5. I Thought About You [4:38]

6. Out Of This World [4:53]

7. It's Getting Dark [6:51]

8. I Never Knew [5:20]

This session is valuable for the majestic playing of tenor great Coleman Hawkins, who performs on half of the eight tracks. While originally released on the Prestige subsidiary Moodsville -- a label that specialized in recordings with an intimate, reflective atmosphere -- the Moodsville sound doesn't sit comfortably on Hawkins. His playing is brilliantly relaxed, but it's not mood music. Leader Kenny Burrell's playing is much more in line with the Moodsville groove. The guitarist is not amplified as much as he is on his Prestige dates from this time. In fact, he performs on a nylon-string instrument almost as much as he does on his hollow-body electric. Unlike Hawkins, Burrell's subdued contribution is made to measure for this date. Listeners expecting to hear Burrell the hard bopper won't. The key moments come during the interaction between the guitarist and tenor player, especially during their exchanges on Burrell's "Montono Blues." The rhythm section, Hawkins' working band from this period (pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Major Holley, and drummer Eddie Locke), provide impeccable, sublime support. The CD is rounded out with an up-tempo performance of the standard "I Never Knew," from a date led by pianist Gildo Mahones. This is where Burrell gets a chance to cook in his classic hard bop style, along with the fine alto player Leo Wright. ~Jim Todd

Bluesy Burrell  

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Pee Wee Russell With Buck Clayton - Swingin' With Pee Wee

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 38:50
Size: 88.9 MB
Label: Hallmark
Styles: Clarinet jazz, Mainstream jazz
Year: 1961/1999
Art: Front

[5:00] 1. (What Can I Say) After I Say I'm Sorry
[5:37] 2. Midnight Blue
[4:40] 3. The Very Thought Of You
[5:02] 4. Lulu's Back In Town
[5:37] 5. Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams (And Dream Your Troubles Away)
[6:06] 6. I Would Do Most Anything For You
[6:44] 7. Englewood

During the last dozen years of his life before passing away in 1969, clarinetist Pee Wee Russell recorded and performed in a variety of surprisingly modern settings. It was not that Russell was not modern himself, for his eccentric style had long been quite distinctive, but he had previously been content to mostly play in freewheeling Dixieland bands. His encounters with valve trombonist Marshall Brown (who provided him with an advanced repertoire and arrangements) and a 1963 Newport Jazz Festival appearance with Thelonious Monk found Russell stretching himself. The two albums that are reissued in full on this 1999 CD are not quite as adventurous, being essentially small-group swing, which was still a bit ahead of Eddie Condon's bands. Russell and trumpeter Buck Clayton make for a perfectly compatible team on the 1960 date, a relaxed and swinging quintet session with pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Wendell Marshall, and drummer Osie Johnson. The other set has basic arrangements from pianist Nat Pierce, quiet support from bassist Tommy Potter and drummer Karl Kiffe, and Russell is joined by three of his favorite horn players (trumpeter Ruby Braff, trombonist Vic Dickenson, and tenor saxophonist Bud Freeman). A gem. ~ Scott Yanow

Recording information: Nj (03/29/1960).

Pee Wee Russell; Bud Freeman (tenor saxophone); Buck Clayton, Ruby Braff (trumpet); Vic Dickenson (trombone); Tommy Flanagan, Nat Pierce (piano); Wendell Marshall, Tommy Porter (bass); Osie Johnson, Karl Kiffe (drums).

Swingin' With Pee Wee

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Sue Raney - All By Myself

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 35:36
Size: 82.9 MB
Label: Blue Note
Styles: Standards, Torch songs
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[2:10] 1. Some Of These Days
[3:55] 2. Trouble Is A Man
[2:25] 3. Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying
[3:06] 4. I'm Gonna Laugh You Right Out Of My Life
[4:09] 5. Here's That Rainy Day
[2:43] 6. What Is This Thing Called Love?
[2:54] 7. All By Myself
[2:44] 8. No Place To Go
[2:34] 9. Just A-Sittin' And A-Rockin'
[3:27] 10. How About Me
[2:21] 11. Maybe You'll Be There
[3:03] 12. Burnt Sugar

In 1963, Capitol Records producer Lee Gillette was looking for a way to amp up the singing career of young crooner Sue Raney. Impossibly young when she entered the music business, Raney nevertheless had the talent, looks, and delivery of a star -- she just needed to shake that "little girl" aspect and tap into a more "adult" vein. Gillette tried to secure Stan Kenton as her backing arranger (for the album that would become All by Myself), but when that fell through, Capitol house arranger Ralph Carmichael was brought on board, and he channeled that stabbing, boisterous Kenton vibe to a T. In fact, the arrangements proved so volatile that Raney wondered how she was going to compete. Well, she mostly succeeded. Some tracks (like the explosive opener, "Some of These Days") find Raney struggling to overcome the blasting brass, which all but bury her vocal line. She was not as forceful as Anita O'Day, nor did she have the shrewd phrasing talents of, say, June Christy, but Raney did have a sweet, sweet voice -- maybe not powerful enough to blast through the more bombastic numbers, but on slow burners (like the über-sensual "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying" or the appropriately melancholy "Here's That Rainy Day") her breathy delivery is stunning. The album's title track is without a doubt the most successful venture here. By peeling away the flash and getting down to an intimate purr, "All By Myself"'s comely arrangement allows Raney to whisper in your ear, which is ultimately the best way she comes across on record. ~J. Scott McClintock

All By Myself

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Mose Allison - Jazz Profile

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 55:31
Size: 129.4 MB
Label: Blue Note
Styles: Jazz blues, Hard Bop, Vocal jazz
Year: 1997
Art: Front

[4:50] 1. Ever Since The World Ended
[4:23] 2. Top Forty
[3:10] 3. Putting Up With Me
[3:14] 4. I Looked In The Mirror
[4:27] 5. Getting There
[3:28] 6. What's Your Movie
[3:15] 7. Ever Since I Stole The Blues
[4:12] 8. Was
[4:12] 9. The Getting Paid Waltz
[3:40] 10. My Backyard
[4:18] 11. Certified Senior Citizen
[3:20] 12. This Ain't Me
[4:50] 13. You Can't Push People Around
[4:07] 14. The Earth Wants You

This single CD has highlights from Mose Allison's three Blue Note albums of 1987-1993 (Ever Since the World Ended, My Backyard, and The Earth Wants You). Although it would be preferable to acquire the complete records instead (and Allison's greatest material was actually recorded in earlier years), there are plenty of gems on this set, including "Ever Since the World Ended," "I Looked in the Mirror," "Ever Since I Stole the Blues," and "Certified Senior Citizen." Joined by a variety of all-star players (including Bennie Wallace on tenor, altoist Arthur Blythe, and guitarist John Scofield), Allison's singing, witty delivery, piano playing, and insightful (yet humorous) lyrics easily steal the show. ~Scott Yanow

Jazz Profile

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Anita Bryant - Kisses Sweeter Than Wine

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 36:42
Size: 84.0 MB
Label: Columbia
Styles: Traditional pop
Year: 1961/2011
Art: Front

[2:51] 1. True Love
[2:49] 2. My Heart Cries For You
[3:32] 3. Unchained Melody
[3:06] 4. Have I Told You Lately That I Love You
[3:05] 5. In The Chapel In The Moonlight
[3:02] 6. I Can Dream Can't I
[2:48] 7. Kisses Sweeter Than Wine
[3:55] 8. Vaya Con Dios
[2:48] 9. Please Help Me I'm Falling
[2:41] 10. Love Me Tender
[2:45] 11. The Twelfth Of Never
[3:14] 12. May You Always

A popular singer of the '60s, Anita Bryant has been known as a beauty queen, a singer, a Florida citrus spokeswoman, and later an advocate against homosexuality. Her hits, which made both the British and American charts, include "'Till There Was You," "Paper Roses" and "In My Little Corner of the World."

Born in Oklahoma, Bryant's musical career began at a very early age. She first performed on stage at the age of six, and three years later she won her first talent show. It was after this victory that she won a spot on Arthur Godfrey's talent show on television. From there her musical career blossomed, and the singer -- known as Oklahoma's "Red Feather Girl" -- made her recording debut in 1956 with the single "Sinful to Flirt."

In 1958, she was crowned Miss Oklahoma and moved on to the Miss America pageant, where she came in third thanks to her musical talents. "'Till There Was You" from The Music Man was Anita Bryant's first chart-topping hit in 1959. She released three albums on the Carlton label (Anita Bryant, In Your Home Tonight and In My Little Corner of the World), and hit number one again in 1960 with Bert Kaempfert's "Wonderland of Night." (Marie Osmond later recorded another of Bryant's songs, "In My Little Corner of the World," for her own hit.)

In 1962, Anita Bryant switched to Columbia and recorded a series of inspirational titles as well as standard pop albums. During the '70s, she recorded several albums for the religious label Wood, though the transition never lacked the boisterous singing style that had already been associated with her.

In the '80s and '90s, Anita Bryant's interests again changed. Although she still enjoyed singing and performing, she became an advocate against homosexuality and began working as a motivational speaker. She continued to sing in numerous performances throughout the season at The Anita Bryant Theater in Branson, MO, and later at her own theater in Pigeon Fork, TN. ~bio by Kim Summers

Kisses Sweeter Than Wine

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Steve Turre - Rhythm Within

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 68:47
Size: 157.4 MB
Label: Polygram
Styles: Hard bop, Latin jazz
Year: 1995
Art: Front

[12:58] 1. Funky "T"
[ 8:56] 2. Morning
[ 5:38] 3. Since I Fell For You
[ 8:18] 4. Rhythm Within
[ 3:22] 5. Twilight Dreams
[ 9:05] 6. All Blues
[ 3:00] 7. Montuno Caracol
[ 8:28] 8. Body And Soul
[ 8:59] 9. African Shuffle

Trombonist Steve Turre obviously put a lot of work into this CD for each of the nine selections has its own purpose and the personnel changes on every cut. Turre doubles on the conch shells and on a few numbers utilizes a "shell choir"; in addition there are often three percussionists, other notable trombonists (including Britt Woodman, Frank Lacy and Robin Eubanks) and such guest soloists as trumpeter Jon Faddis, tenor-saxophonist Pharoah Sanders and pianist Herbie Hancock. With highlights including "Funky-T," Yusef Lateef's "Morning," "Since I Fell for You" (a Woodman feature) and "All Blues," this is a particularly memorable and well-conceived set, one of Turre's best. ~Scott Yanow

Rhythm Within

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Lisa Loeb - Cake And Pie

Styles: Adult Contemporary
Label: Interscope
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:40
Size: 97,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:58)  1. The Way It Really Is
(3:29)  2. Bring Me Up
(3:01)  3. Underdog
(4:01)  4. Everyday
(3:22)  5. Someone You Should Know
(3:00)  6. Drops Me Down
(3:00)  7. We Could Still Belong Together
(2:47)  8. Kick Start
(3:50)  9. You Don't Know Me
(4:42) 10. Payback
(3:09) 11. Too Fast Driving
(4:14) 12. She's Falling Apart

There was a gap of about five years between Loeb's second and third albums, which is enough time for some sort of significant growth or stylistic alternation to have taken place. There's not much of such things on Cake & Pie, however. Loeb remains an above-average major-label singer/songwriter, given to pensive self-reflection that doesn't quite cross the line into self-absorption. The emphasis is on intense examination of the motives that drive, maintain, and sometimes erode relationships, passionate without boiling into a rage. 

Perhaps she should get a little more uncoiled once in a while, though, as the hardest-rocking numbers here, like "Payback" and "Too Fast Driving," deviate enough from her established brainy-yet-emotional persona to command a little more attention than usual. On the more expected acoustic-colored numbers, "She's Falling Apart" is, again, a standout in that it strips down the production to enough basics that the arrangement has an unguarded edginess on par with the wary uncertainty of the lyrics. Otherwise the melodies and playing tend too much toward average modern rock, albeit with more heart and intellect than most. As a singer, she remains pleasant and confident, but not so unique or fiery that she burns into the synapses as well as the best storytelling songwriters do.~Richie Unterberger(http://www.allmusic.com/album/cake-and-pie-mw0000214445).

Personnel includes: Lisa Loeb (vocals, acoustic & elctric guitar, harmonica); Anne Previn (whistling, background vocals); Dweezil Zappa (acoustic & electric guitars); Randy Scruggs, Rusty Anderson (guitar); Michael Sherwood (piano); Jim Cox (keyboards); Leland Sklar (bass); Ronny Crawford (drums, percussion); Matt Chamberlain (drums); Steve Forman (percussion).

Recording information: Bitch Stevenson Sound; Capitol Studios, Hollywood, CA; Chateau Marouatte; Conway Studios; Extasy Studios; Royaltone; The Village, Los Angeles, CA.

Cake And Pie

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Linnzi Zaorski & Delta Royale - Hotsy-Totsy

Styles: Gypsy Jazz
Label: Self Released
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:59
Size: 121,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:50)  1. Better Off Dead
(4:43)  2. Undecided
(5:36)  3. Hernando's Hideaway
(3:20)  4. It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
(4:38)  5. Sugar
(3:17)  6. All Of Me
(6:12)  7. Caravan
(4:37)  8. If You Were Mine
(2:35)  9. When I Get Low I Get High
(3:56) 10. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
(3:36) 11. Nice Work If You Can Get It
(2:36) 12. If I Could Be With You One Hour Tonight
(3:57) 13. Evenin'

Somewhere in New Orleans ninth ward is an exceptional torch singer that appears to be a cross between Cyndi Lauper and Betty Boop. Her name is Linnzi Zaorski, and in the broad field of New Orleans Jazz artists she is an extreme breath of fresh air. Her voice maybe somewhat high pitched and she might be playing it all up as camp, but Linnzi Zaorski is a unique musical commodity and her CD, 'Hotsy Totsy'is a sheer delight to listen to. Ms. Zaorski is the kind of artist that you find standing in front of a 1940s style microphone, in a long flowing black gown, gardenia in her hair, and lighted so gently as to only see two pair of fire red lips belt out the tunes of Duke Ellington, George and Ira Gershwin, and Johnny Mercer to a smoke filled cabaret. She and her 'Hotsy Totsy'CD are a throwback to an era that many might have forgot.(http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=7334048&style=music&fulldesc=T).

Personnel : Linnzi Zaorski - vocals; Seva Venet - guitar; Charlie Fardella - trumpet; Robert Snow - bass; Matt Rhody - violin; Chaz Leary - washboard

 Hotsy-Totsy

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Julia Fordham - Under the Rainbow

Styles: Jazz Pop
Label: Right Track Distribution
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:00
Size: 116,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:35)  1. Skipping Under the Rainbow
(4:33)  2. Porcelain
(4:26)  3. Happy Ever After
(3:47)  4. Where Does the Time Go?
(3:23)  5. Lock and Key
(3:54)  6. More Than I Can Bear
(3:43)  7. Manhattan Skyline
(4:52)  8. Girlfriend
(3:52)  9. Towerblock
(4:49) 10. I Thought It Was You
(3:08) 11. Concrete Love
(2:42) 12. Behind Closed Doors
(3:11) 13. Invisible War

Having sold millions of records around the world, critically acclaimed singer songwriter Julia Fordham returns with a brand new album Under The Rainbow. Recorded with long time collaborator, producer and pianist Grant Mitchell, Julia revisits hits and fan favourites with stripped down arrangements for piano and voice. Featuring the brand new song Skipping Under The Rainbow, the album will be released to coincide with Julia's first UK tour in twenty years. After living in Los Angeles for many years, Julia is thrilled to be coming home to sing her songs again around the country.~(http://www.amazon.co.uk/UNDER-THE-RAINBOW-Julia-Fordham/dp/B00DCQ2D90).

Under the Rainbow

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Jay Leonhart/Gary Burton/Joe Beck/Terry Clarke - Four Duke

Styles: Jazz

Year: 1995

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 64:42

Size: 148,1 MB

Art: Front

(4:18)  1. In a Mellow Tone

(5:45)  2. Rockin' in Rhythm

(5:48)  3. C. Jam Blues

(5:23)  4. Love You Madly

(4:54)  5. Azure

(5:45)  6. Cottontail

(5:14)  7. Creole Love Song

(4:55)  8. Take the 'A' Train

(5:21)  9. Squeeze Me

(6:29) 10. Caravan

(5:40) 11. Ishfahan

(5:04) 12. Satin Doll

This swinging session focuses on a dozen standards from the vast Duke Ellington songbook. Bassist Jay Leonhart sings along with his bass a la Slam Stewart to open "In a Mellotone" and "C Jam Blues." A loping "Azure" features Joe Beck's brash guitar contrasting with Gary Burton's bluesy vibes. Burton and Leonhart's smoking duo version of "Take the 'A' Train" and a soft pretty take of "Isfahan" (omitting Beck) are the top tracks of the date. A pleasant, if not essential CD.~Ken Dryden(http://www.allmusic.com/album/music-of-duke-ellington-mw0000411014).



Personnel: Jay Leonhart (bass); Joe Beck (guitar); Gary Burton (vibraphone); Terry Clarke (drums).

Four Duke

Lindsey Webster - Lindsey Webster

Styles: Jazz Vocals
Label: Maxophone Records
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:05
Size: 122,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:12)  1. Be Cool
(5:25)  2. Free
(3:56)  3. I Do
(3:04)  4. Static
(3:52)  5. Soul Records
(3:31)  6. Denied
(4:23)  7. Press Rewind
(3:42)  8. In the Right Place
(4:49)  9. Don't Go
(3:12) 10. Choices
(7:08) 11. Soul Salvation
(4:44) 12. In the Moment

"Wow"~ Sting

"Absolutely Incredible"~ Michael Bolton
"Lindsey has got a world-class singing ability and really knows how to win the audience's heart"~ Jay Collins (Levon Helm, Dukes Of September, Jay Collins Band)

At just twenty-five years, Lindsey Webster has completed her debut CD, shared the stage with Grammy-award winning musicians and artists and has sung on a grammy nominated CD (with the Jimmy Sturr Orchestra). Now, Lindsey is gradually laying the bricks for a path of success all her own. Lindsey Webster's new CD, self-titled "Lindsey Webster", is a wide-range collection of original material, with most of the songs written by Webster and Keith Slattery. Other song contributions were made by Scott Sharrard, Jay Collins, Joey Eppard, and Joanna Teters/Ben Carr. "This is a very eclectic collection of music. It ranges from jazz to rocking songs with blistering guitar solos to slow ballads" says Lindsey about the brand-new release. "There were moments of pure ecstatic joy and all out tears", Webster explained about the making of the record. "We tracked the first song on the CD at Applehead Studios in Woodstock, NY and the rest at Clubhouse Studios in Rhinebeck, NY. That all happened in about 4-5 days.

But after that, we only had our home and closet to finish over-dubs and vocals. So a wonderful and amazing year later, after sending mixes between Las Vegas (The Studio at the Palms) and Woodstock, NY, we finally have our finished product. My debut CD!" Lindsey has traveled across the country, playing in famed venues such as Carnegie Hall, Musikfest, Summerfest, The Elephant Room/Austin, Falcon Live, The Bearsville Theater, The Brooklyn Bowl and many more. With a powerful four octave vocal range, Lindsey's sound is a blend of Soul, Jazz, and R&B, with soulful blues influences. Scott  Sharard, the lead guitarist of the Gregg Allman Band, claims that "Miss Webster's got soul to burn" and that "Lindsey's got the kind of pipes that will peel the paint of a Cadillac and will make a blind man leave home".

(http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=8974646&style=music&fulldesc=T).

Lindsey Webster

Akiko Tsuruga - NYC Serenade

Styles: Jazz
Label: Self Released
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:20
Size: 145,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:53)  1. Sister Sadie
(5:10)  2. Arthur's Theme (Best that you can do)
(6:00)  3. When You Wish Upon A Star
(6:38)  4. The Way You Look Tonight
(6:39)  5. Driftin'
(4:38)  6. Portrait of Jennie
(5:46)  7. Easy Walker
(5:52)  8. 24 Mill Street
(6:00)  9. Ricado Bossa Nova (The Gift)
(5:02) 10. Bluesette
(4:39) 11. Gator's Time

Through the expression of her personal song, one is deeply impressed by how sincere she is about her music.~Nobunari Takai

New York-based jazz organist Akiko Tsuruga's new quartet recording features the great Jimmy Cobb together with her familiar guitarist Eric Johnson and rising star Wayne Escoffery on tenor saxophone. Tsuruga selected all of her favorite tunes from her repertoire, and the recording starts off with a Horace Silver number, while tracks number seven and eleven are both original compositions. Tsuruga and Johnson are both presently members of Lou Donaldson Quartet, and Tsuruga writes regularly in her blog of all the fun she has playing together with the group. She is making the most of the great opportunities she has playing with these living legends, and you couldn't ask for any greater experience as an organist. As Japanese jazz fans, it is a delight to see her doing so well. By now, her talent and ability are self-evident.

This recording is a reflection of Tsuruga's success. Known for his playing with the Miles Davis quintet, the Wynton Kelly trio, and many others, legendary drummer Jimmy Cobb's marvelous ride cymbal beat is a priceless treasure. Johnson's guitar and Escoffery's tenor are impressive throughout, and Tsuruga's organ playing feels incredibly natural. Her playing is not a forced rehashing of older styles, nor is it a copy of other well-known players. Through the expression of her personal song, one is deeply impressed by how sincere she is about her music. Her music is clear and tasteful, as well as elegant. Hearing her play from her favorite repertoire, one can feel the hot, swinging excitement that she generates.

~(http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=8201810&style=music&fulldesc=T).

NYC Serenade

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Aaron Neville - Nature Boy: The Standards Album

Styles: Jazz Vocals, R&B
Label: Verve
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:18
Size: 112,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:42)  1. Summertime
(4:11)  2. Blame It On My Youth
(4:30)  3. The Very Thought Of You
(3:37)  4. The Shadow Of Your Smile
(4:33)  5. Cry Me A River
(2:42)  6. Nature Boy
(4:19)  7. Who Will Buy?
(4:57)  8. Come Rain Or Come Shine
(4:13)  9. Our Love Is Here To Stay
(4:50) 10. In The Still Of The Night
(5:08) 11. Since I Fell For You
(2:29) 12. Danny Boy

Aaron Neville's voice exists in that rarefied air occupied by only the most lyrical musicians, including Paul Desmond's alto saxophone and Miles Davis' muted trumpet. Sweet and throaty, reedy and always crying, it's capable of bewitching anyone within hailing distance including, in some cases, the singer himself. Nature Boy: The Standards Album, his first record for Verve, is naturally a jazz/vocal date; Neville tackled a dozen songs from the popular songbook, with accompaniment from a backing trio comprised of pianist (and arranger/conductor) Rob Mounsey, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Grady Tate (plus one or two appearances each from Roy Hargrove on trumpet, Ry Cooder on guitar, and Ray Anderson on trombone). Though he has never recorded an album of pre-rock standards before, over the four decades of his career Neville has gained a deep familiarity with songs of this weight "Summertime," "Our Love Is Here to Stay," "In the Still of the Night," and "Cry Me a River." 

Understanding their power, he treats them with the utmost respect, a measure of feeling and devotion that causes him to always meet expectations but, unfortunately, never exceed them. Any Aaron Neville fan will know exactly what to expect from his version of "Summertime" or "Nature Boy" or even "Danny Boy," and Neville never displays the focused interaction between song and singer that's necessary to pull off a standard with decades of baggage attached. On several tracks, he does approach deserving the lofty term of jazz singer; he and Linda Ronstadt use their shared affection to anchor "The Very Thought of You," and the burly singer goes along for a splendid ride when the band adds a delicious hint of suspense into "The Shadow of Your Smile" (Neville's voice usually sounds better on darker material, lending a chill as when the sun passes behind a cloud). The American songbook should belong to him, an exceptional vocalist with such a deeply rooted performing persona, but it will do so only when he recognizes that the singer should never humble himself before the song.~John Bush(http://www.allmusic.com/album/nature-boy-the-standards-album-mw0000717783).

Personnel: Aaron Neville (vocals); Rob Mounsey (vocals, guitar, piano, organ, keyboards, drums, percussion); Linda Ronstadt (vocals); Ry Cooder (guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Anthony Wilson (guitar, classical guitar); Emily Mitchell (harp); Donna Tecco, Masako Yanagita, Yana Goichman, Marti Sweet, Catherine Livolsi, Maura Gianini, Anahid Ajemian, Elena Barere, Cenovia Cummins , Richard Sortomme, Carol Webb, Ann Leathers, Jan Mullen, Yuri Vodovoz (violin); Julien Barber, Kenneth Burward-Hoy, Crystal Garner, Juliet Haffner, Jill Jaffe, Vince Lionti (viola); Diane Barere, Jeanne LeBlanc, Richard Locker (cello); Lawrence Feldman (alto flute, bass flute, tenor saxophone); David Tofani (alto flute, tenor saxophone); Dennis Anderson (alto flute); Gil Goldstein (accordion); Ronnie Cuber (bass clarinet, baritone saxophone); Michael Brecker, Charles Neville (tenor saxophone); Roy Hargrove (trumpet, flugelhorn); Randy Brecker (flugelhorn); Dave Bargeron, Ray Anderson, Birch Johnson Verve(trombone); Grady Tate (drums); Bashiri Johnson (congas, percussion).

Recording information: 333 Recording, NY (01/05/2003-01/17/2003); Avatar Studios, New York, NY (01/05/2003-01/17/2003); Jim Brady Studios, Tuscon, AZ (01/05/2003-01/17/2003); Sound City Studio, Van Nuys, CA (01/05/2003-01/17/2003).

Nature Boy: The Standards Album

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