Bob James - The Essential Collection 24 Smooth Jazz Classics (2-disc set)

Issued by the U.K. -based Metro Doubles label in 2002, Essential Collection: 24 Smooth Jazz Classics only overlaps 2001's Restoration anthology with eight of the same tracks, and concentrates on material originally released from 1974 to 1984 (apart from 1995's "Ensenada Madness," everything fits into that time frame). A fine chronological overview of James' most productive period, this is a very attractive package that includes informative and insightful liner notes. "Nautilus," "Westchester Lady," "Take Me to the Mardi Gras," "Angela (Theme From Taxi)," "Touchdown," and "Sign of the Times" are among the inclusions. Naturally, this double-disc set can serve any number of purposes: as pleasant, occasionally funky background music, as proof of your extensive knowledge of hip-hop samples, or as cruel torture for your jazz purist peers. ~ Andy Kellman

Bob James (keyboards); Richie Resnicoff (guitar); Harold Kohon, Charles Libove, David Nadien, Gene Orloff, Max Ellen, Paul Gershman, Emanuel Green, Harry Lookofsky, Joe Malin (violin); Seymour Barab, Jesse Levy, Charles McCracken , Alan Shulman, George Ricci, Anthony Sophos (cello); George Marge, Romeo Penque (alto flute, recorder); Jon Faddis, Alan Rubin, Lew Soloff, Marvin Stamm, Victor Paz, Thad Jones (trumpet); Wayne Andre (trombone); Jack Gale, Alan Raph, Paul Faulise (bass trombone); Gary King (bass instrument); Steve Gadd (drums); Ralph MacDonald (percussion); Dave Friedman.

Album: The Essential Collection 24 Smooth Jazz Classics (Disc 1)
Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 73:03
Size: 167.3 MB
Label: Koch
Styles: Piano jazz, Crossover jazz
Year: 2013

[5:49] 1. Night On Bald Mountain
[6:35] 2. Feel Like Making Love
[5:03] 3. Nautilus
[8:22] 4. Farandole (L'arlesienne Suite No. 2)
[5:47] 5. Take Me To The Mardi Gras
[8:00] 6. Women Of Ireland
[7:23] 7. Westchester Lady
[6:40] 8. Where The Wind Blows Free
[6:37] 9. Heads
[6:16] 10. Night Crawler
[6:25] 11. Kari

The Essential Collection 24 Smooth Jazz Classics (Disc 1)

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Album: The Essential Collection 24 Smooth Jazz Classics (Disc 2)
Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 73:16
Size: 167.7 MB
Label: Koch
Styles: Piano jazz, Crossover jazz
Year: 2013

[5:40] 1. Angela
[5:36] 2. Touchdown
[5:31] 3. Blue Lick
[6:39] 4. Shepherd's Song
[7:19] 5. Thoroughbred
[5:40] 6. Reunited
[5:34] 7. Sign Of The Times
[6:57] 8. Spunky
[4:53] 9. Miranda
[5:20] 10. Marco Polo
[4:47] 11. Ruby, Ruby, Ruby
[5:28] 12. Ensenada Madness
[3:46] 13. Brooklyn Heights Boogie

The Essential Collection 24 Smooth Jazz Classics (Disc 2)

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Humphrey Lyttelton & His Band - Between Friends

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 70:38
Size: 161.7 MB
Label: Callograph
Styles: Trumpet jazz
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[3:45] 1. Now That We're Here, Let's Go!
[3:38] 2. Boston Glider
[3:14] 3. Everything But You
[6:12] 4. Cross A Busy Street
[4:57] 5. Blue Mist
[7:26] 6. You're Driving Me Crazy Moten Swing
[2:59] 7. Hand-Me-Down Love
[3:25] 8. You're Lucky To Me
[3:38] 9. I'm Just A Lucky So-And-So
[5:58] 10. Unbooted Character
[3:28] 11. If I Could Be With You One Hour Tonight
[5:00] 12. Rain
[5:08] 13. Sugar
[5:21] 14. Get Ready To Fly
[6:21] 15. Creole Love Call

The grand old man of British jazz, trumpeter and bandleader Humphrey Lyttelton spearheaded the postwar trad jazz revival before renouncing the movement in favor of more contemporary and restless creative vision. A larger-than-life figure, he also excelled as a writer and cartoonist, and for decades was a fixture of radio, serving as the hilariously deadpan host of the long-running I'm Sorry, I Haven't a Clue. Born in Eton on May 23, 1921, Lyttelton was the product of a distinguished and wealthy family -- a lifelong jazz enthusiast, he received his first trumpet at age 15 and formed a band with some Eton College classmates. He also studied military drumming under a former Coldstream Guards drum major and joined the school band as a percussionist. Lyttelton enlisted in the British Army on D-Day and saw combat in Italy -- on leave in London he sat in with local jazz bands, and upon returning to civilian life in 1945 he enrolled at the Camberwell School of Art. In March 1947, he signed on with semi-professional trad jazz combo George Webb's Dixielanders; when Dixielanders clarinetist and professional cartoonist Wally Fawkes was promoted to write and illustrate a full-fledged daily strip for The Daily Mail, Lyttelton was tapped to fill Fawkes' previous position sketching "column-breakers" -- i.e., humorous or decorative drawings inserted into the text. He also reviewed jazz and classical recordings for the newspaper, and later scripted the Fawkes-drawn strip Flook as well.

Between Friends

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Cris Delanno - Grandes Canções: Clássicos Do Cinema

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 46:50
Size: 107.2 MB
Label: Albatrozmusic
Styles: Brazilian jazz vocals, Bossa Nova
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[4:22] 1. Smile
[3:37] 2. Love Letters
[3:55] 3. Summer Of '42
[4:43] 4. As Time Goes By
[2:00] 5. Someday My Prince Will Come
[2:36] 6. Love Is A Many Splendored Thing
[4:51] 7. Laura
[5:24] 8. The Sound Of Music
[3:50] 9. Secret Love
[3:56] 10. The Shadow Of Your Smile
[4:01] 11. Moon River
[3:29] 12. Over The Rainbow

Nascida nos EUA, aos cinco anos de idade já era solista do Coral Infantil do Teatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro, participando de óperas como "La Bohéme" e "Carmen". Estudou balé, flauta, piano e teoria musical na infância. Posteriormente teve aulas de técnica vocal, harmonia, improvisação musical e teatro. Começou a cantar profissionalmente em casas noturnas, tendo feito também algumas gravações de jingles para campanhas publicitárias, além de atuar como back vocal. Sua primeira como solista foi no CD "Ditos e feitos", de Roberto Menescal. Depois fez mais gravações em discos de outros artistas, como no CD "50 anos", de Aldir Blanc. Em 1993, participou do Projeto Aquarius, apresentando-se no espetáculo "Cem anos de Copacabana", ao lado da Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira, sob a regência do maestro Isaac Karabtchevsky. Em 1993 seguiu para os Estados Unidos, sendo convidada para ser cantora solista do African American Unity, sendo a única branca a participar de um coral tipicamente negro de música gospel americana. Retornou ao Brasil em 1995, gravando seu primeiro disco, "Cris em Tom maior", produzido por Roberto Menescal, só com músicas de Tom Jobim. Em 1999, participou dos espetáculos "Diz que fui por aí" e "Nara, uma senhora opinião" (Teatro Ginástico e Teatro de Arena), concebidos e dirigidos por Solange Kafuri. "Nara, uma senhora opinião" foi registrado em CD no mesmo ano. Foi considerada uma três melhores vozes do Prêmio Visa-MPB de 1999, organizado pela Rádio Eldorado, de São Paulo. Publicou, em 1999, o CD-book "Mais que nunca é preciso cantar", sobre técnica vocal para o canto popular. É membro da Sociedade Brasileira de Laringologia e Voz e do National Association of Teachers of Singing, nos EUA e dá aulas de técnica vocal para o canto popular. foi professora do curso de canto popular no XXII Curso Insternacional de Verão da Escola de Música de Brasília e dá aulas na escola de Música da Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Em 2000, lançou o CD "Grandes canções: clássicos do cinema", nos quais interpreta clássicos do cinema norte-americano. Ainda nesse ano, participou do projeto "Novo canto", dividindo o palco com Roberto Menescal. Em 2001, gravou o CD "Filha da pátria", com as canções "It's a long way" (Caetano Veloso), "Ânima" (Zé Renato e Milton Nascimento), "Camisa amarela" (Ary Barroso), "Fantasia" (Chico Buarque) e outras. Em 2002, lançou o CD "Caminhos cruzados - Cris Delanno canta Newton Mendonça", interpretando exclusivamente obras do compositor. Em 2006 lançou pala Deck Discos o CD "Cris Delanno", interpretando músicas de Dorival Caymmi, João Bosco, Baden Powell, João Donato e outros. Em 2012 lançou no Japão o Cd "Nosso Quintal", ao lado de Alex Moreira, seu marido, e um dos membros do grupo Bossacucanova. Embora não seja um membro oficial, Cris Delanno é presença frequente nos shows e discos do grupo.

Grandes Canções: Clássicos Do Cinema

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Hildegunn Gjedrem - The End Of The Beginning

Styles: Jazz Vocals
Label: Sitmom
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:05
Size: 128,1 MB
Art: Front

(6:16)  1. What'll I Do
(6:06)  2. I Love You
(5:13)  3. Someone To Watch Over Me
(4:24)  4. Echo
(3:50)  5. I Can't Believe You
(4:48)  6. What Endures
(4:41)  7. Nocturnal
(4:04)  8. Summertime
(5:28)  9. Change Of Heart
(6:30) 10. Body And Soul
(3:41) 11. The End Of The Begining

Hildegunn Gjedrem was born in Norway. She moved to the United States in 2001 to pursue studies in Vocal Jazz at the renowned University of North Texas.  In 2005 she was awarded “Best Jazz Vocalist” by Downbeat Magazine. Also in 2005, Hildegunn was given the G9alt Scholarship of the Arts by Sparebank 1 of Norway. In the summer of 2006 she was one of 8 singers selected from 28 countries to travel to Switzerland and compete in the Montreux Jazz Festival Vocal Competition, judged by Al Jarreau, and was further selected as one of the finalists there. She has been featured vocalist with the Grammy Award winning One O’Clock Lab Band on several occasions, such as their 2005 tour of Poland and their 2007 concert with living legend bassist Rufus Reid. She has performed at Festivals and Conferences such as IAJE in Toronto, Long Beach and New York. She is active as a freelance singer in the Dallas/Ft.Worth Metroplex, at festivals, as a studio singer as well as with her own music. With her 2007 debut album “The End of the Beginning” Hildegunn has proved herself to be a warm and talented performer with a sound all her own, highly musically influenced by her Scandinavian roots. She has excelled as a writer, arranger and singer. The Hildegunn Gjedrem Group has a truly unique voice for modern jazz.~ http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/hildegunngjedrem

The End Of The Beginning

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Diane Schuur & Maynard Ferguson - Swingin' For Schuur

Styles: Jazz Vocals
Label: Concord Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:54
Size: 130,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:10)  1. Just One of Those Things
(5:20)  2. Besame Mucho
(6:28)  3. Deep Purple
(3:33)  4. Autumn Leaves
(3:53)  5. My Romance
(4:39)  6. Love Letters
(3:35)  7. East of the Sun and West of th
(5:59)  8. Midnight Sun
(4:31)  9. I Fall in Love too Easily
(5:58) 10. Lush Life
(4:59) 11. Just Friends
(3:45) 12. Let's Fall in Love

Well regarded as one of our greatest living jazz singers, Schuur seems to enjoy album titles created out of puns of her name prior to this there was Friends for Schuur but don't let the novelties distract you from this sassy, explosively brassy swing project blending her inventive vocals with Ferguson's blistering trumpet and the ensemble energy of his Big Bop Nouveau Band. Aside from crisp performances by both, the real key to the success here is the unexpected arrangements of standards by various members of Ferguson's band. Two classics generally rendered as intimate ballads  "Autumn Leaves" and "My Romance" are rendered as easy swaying, frisky finger-snapping romps. The interlude after the first verse on "Autumn Leaves" typifies the way Ferguson lets his guys jam before he steps up and challenges them with a powerful wailing flurry of high notes. "My Romance" finds Schuur moving out of her crystal clear midrange safety zone and reaching the high registers, with a few vocal notes matched at the end by the trumpet. Many of the arrangements are like baritone saxman Denis DiBlasio's twist on "East of the Sun and West of the Moon" Schuur gliding over a snappy but subdued jazz trio before Ferguson and company burst in with increasingly muscular horn textures, which then push her to emotional heights. Most of the songs incorporate such mood swings, but "Deep Purple" stays a slow, seductive, and subdued ballad the whole way through. Schuur once again proves she's an amazing vocalist who can sing along with the best of them. Is there another singer who's made duet recordings with both Ferguson and B.B. King?~ Jonathan Widran (http://www.allmusic.com/album/swingin-for-schuur-mw0000013875).

Personnel: Diane Schuur (vocals); Maynard Ferguson (trumpet, flugelhorn); Mike Dubaniewicz (alto saxophone); Jeff Rupert (tenor saxophone); Denis Di Blasio (baritone saxophone); Paul Armstrong, Peter Ferguson, Patrick Hession (trumpet); Reggie Watkins (trombone); Jeff Lashway (piano); Brian Stahurski (bass); Brian Wolfe (drums).

Swingin' For Schuur

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Brandi Disterheft - Second Side

Styles: Jazz
Label: Justin Time
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:59
Size: 89,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:34)  1. Sketches of Belief
(3:47)  2. Combien de Chances
(2:17)  3. Second Dawn
(4:30)  4. Twilight Curtain
(2:59)  5. My Only Friends Are the Pigeons
(4:10)  6. He's Walkin'
(1:03)  7. Dawn
(4:20)  8. Liege
(1:56)  9. A Night in Haiti
(4:31) 10. Let Her Shine
(2:48) 11. This Time the Dream's on Me

The Canadian equivalent of Esperanza Spalding, young bassist/vocalist Brandi Disterheft crosses over into many forms of modern and contemporary jazz on this, her second recording. Blessed with a sweet voice and instrumental chops to burn, she mixes up funk, pop, or fusion styles with a different group on every track, and diversity in mind. Like Spalding, Disterheft uses a playful sense of wonder, retaining her youthful exuberance and even innocence. Hip and upbeat during the instrumental waltz "My Only Friends Are the Pigeons," she could also easily hit the adult contemporary charts with the exciting, vocal based "Twilight Curtain." There's a restless spirit present during most of these tracks, whether in reference to the electric Miles Davis, the jangling guitar on top of hard funk, or regal sounds during "Liege." Cameo appearances from pop/jazz vocalist Holly Cole, or straight-ahead singer Ranee Lee on the Harold Arlen/Johnny Mercer evergreen "This Time the Dream's on Me" with a big band, broadens Disterheft's palette further. Though not definitive or sharply focused, Brandi Disterheft proves to be a formidable talent, ready to break out, essentially scratching the surface of her enormous talent and big ears.~Michael G.Nastos http://www.allmusic.com/album/second-side-mw0002028536

Second Side

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Down To The Bone - Best Of

Styles: Jazz Funk
Label: Narada
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:22
Size: 165,1 MB
Art: Front

(6:46)  1. Staten island groove
(5:20)  2. Cellar funk
(7:49)  3. The zodiac
(5:53)  4. Black choice
(5:12)  5. Gotta get back to you
(7:13)  6. Brooklyn heights
(6:57)  7. Electra glide
(5:56)  8. I'll always hold you close (ft. Brian Auger)
(6:46)  9. Carlito's way
(6:42) 10. Pure funk
(5:44) 11. Long way from Brooklyn

Far from your run-of-the-mill contemporary jazz chart-toppers, the duo of Stuart Wade and Chris Morgans come from a long line of British advocates of jazz including the Brand New Heavies and Us3. Their first album as Down to the Bone, 1997's From Manhattan to Staten, did predictably well around their base in Chobham, Surrey, but also transferred to American smooth jazz charts. Their second album, The Urban Grooves, featured a track recorded with one of Wade and Morgans' original inspirations, organist Reuben Wilson, and topped jazz charts in America after its 1998 release date. Spread the Word: Album III followed in early 2001, with Crazy Vibes and Things coming the next year. After moving to Narada, the group released Cellar Funk and Spread Love Like Wildfire in 2004 and 2005, respectively. The label celebrated the band's ten years in the game by issuing the greatest-hits album The Best of Down to the Bone in early 2007. The group’s tenth album, The Main Ingredients, released in 2011, found Down to the Bone taking their signature funk and groove sound to the Trippin 'N' Rhythm label.~ Bio https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/down-to-the-bone/id417709#fullText .

Celebrating a decade of making music, The Best of Down to the Bone collects 11 of the soul-jazz/fusion band's biggest songs -- at least one from each of their six albums -- into one neatly compiled collection. Released by Narada, who Down to the Bone has been with since 2004's Cellar Funk, this best-of is a superfluous addition to anyone who has most, or many, of the group's records, but for someone who just wants to learn what Down to the Bone is about, this hits the spot.~ Marisa Brown  http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-best-of-down-to-the-bone-mw0000569826 .

Best Of

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