Eliane Elias - The Best Of Eliane Elias On Denon

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 71:55
Size: 164.6 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 1995
Art: Front

[4:37] 1. Choro
[5:33] 2. Cross Current
[6:04] 3. Through The Fire
[7:08] 4. Illusions
[5:51] 5. Moments
[6:54] 6. Beautiful Love
[6:17] 7. One Side Of You
[6:21] 8. Falling In Love With Love
[5:39] 9. Loco Motif
[7:23] 10. When You Wish Upon Star
[3:44] 11. Comin' And Goin'
[6:17] 12. Chan's Song

Because it is a 1995 release, this "Best of" CD should not be confused with something of broader scope. Its 12 songs are culled from a mere two CDs, "Illusions" (1986) and "Cross Currents" (1987), released on the Denon label. There is no material from the six CDs Eliane put out on Blue Note subsequent to "Cross Currents" and before this CD. She has, of course, released a tremendous amount of material since 1995.

Eliane's early best here is basically straight jazz, including bebop and slow, pretty stuff. Big-name credits include Haven Gillespie and Rodgers & Hart. But some of Eliane's other musical inclinations are also present. For example, "Choro," composed by her Brazilian piano teacher Amilton Godoy, is jazzy with a samba feel. Eliane immediately betrays her great dexterity on the piano with fast, hard-driving, and up and down piano work. "Chan's Song," a movie theme from Stevie Wonder and Herbie Hancock, is infused with some samba as well (and Toots Thielemans' harmonica appears here, more Wonderesque). The pop hit "Through the Fire" is richer and jazzier in her hands, but retains its pretty texture. "When You Wish Upon a Star" is what you think it is, but it is overlaid with a jazz interpretation. An oddball inclusion is the loud Brazilian samba song "Comin' and Goin'," written by Eliane's grandmother in 1927. Its entourage of vocalists represents the only singing.

In those early days, Eliane was playing acoustic piano, supported by a rhythm section, with no vocals. Her piano playing is great, with crisp phrasing and forceful soloing. Also, even this early in her career Eliane was demonstrating she had strong songwriting abilities: "Cross Currents," "Illusions," "Loco Motif," and the very pretty "Moments" (in which Toots' ponderous harmonica marks his other appearance) are originals. The first three have a bright beat; they are spirited and interesting, perhaps best encapsulated by "Loco Motif": She indeed does seem to be conjuring up visual images of a locomotive with her chugging piano. Later in her career, Eliane would have more instrumental support and sophisticated production techniques in her orbit as she became an international star. But this CD shows early Eliane stands up well too. ~Jinkyu/amazon

The Best Of Eliane Elias On Denon

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Don McLean - The Best Of Don McLean

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 42:51
Size: 98.1 MB
Styles: Soft rock
Year: 1988/2003
Art: Front

[8:32] 1. American Pie
[3:58] 2. Vincent
[4:15] 3. And I Love You So
[3:40] 4. Crying
[3:40] 5. Castles In The Air
[3:43] 6. Driedel
[3:08] 7. Winterwood
[2:23] 8. Everyday
[4:27] 9. Mountains O'mourne
[4:58] 10. Prime Time

Don McLean wrote a miracle with "American Pie": a mesmerizing study of rock open to multiple interpretations, yet simple and tuneful, erudite but gut-wrenching (even surpassing Dylan's most epic works). Of course, McLean couldn't realistically follow up the megasong, so he didn't even try. Still, "Vincent" stands as another masterpiece, while pre-"Pie" weeper "And I Love You So" remains as lovely a valentine as one could ask for. Documenting the coward's way out of a relationship, the poignant and bittersweet "Castles in the Air" leaves stuffy high society for the open country air (this is the Believers version of this wonder), attaining sublime levels of sentiment. Plus, McLean captures the beautiful torment of Roy Orbison's classic "Crying," which is just the icing on the aforementioned cake. Naturally, the flip side can't touch the front, but you need this collection. An annoying lack of annotation can't take away from some of the finest tracks ever committed to wax. Kids these days could learn a thing or two about angst as an art form from this misery maestro. ~Doug Stone

The Best Of Don McLean

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Johannes Linstead - Sol Luna Tierra

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 44:54
Size: 102.8 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz, New Age
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[3:42] 1. Mountain Mist
[3:42] 2. The Temple At Delphi
[3:53] 3. Don Juan
[3:47] 4. Gypsy Rain
[3:24] 5. Sol Luna Tierra
[4:43] 6. Mi Angel
[3:32] 7. Amazonico
[5:25] 8. Between Tears
[4:27] 9. Agua Negra
[5:07] 10. Rio
[3:08] 11. Djunga

This is the stirring debut of one of the worldbeat-meets-new age world's top young acoustic guitarists. Johannes Linstead's gift of blending cool rhythms with spicy, lightning-fast flamenco improvisations is further explored on later albums, but his journey begins here on the fiery "Mountain Mist." While his guitar -- which blends the best of traditional and contemporary South American melodies and Latin rhythms -- is always the focus, he also enjoys sharing the spotlight on occasion. On that same track, he's content to move from lead melody to a rhythm role behind the dancing flute of Anja Arvo. Then he's working his magic over the rumbling percussion of Gino Mirizio. Mood and ambience are also an important part of Linstead's world, and he follows the frenetic pace of the opener and breezy "The Temple at Delphi" with the swaying romance of "Don Juan" and "Gypsy Rain."." Mi Angel" is perhaps the best example of the deep emotions Linstead can tap into when he's deep in the mode of dreaming and contemplation. ~ Jonathan Widran

Recording information: Earthscape Studios, Oakville.

Johannes Linstead (acoutsic & electric guitars, keyboards, bass); Steve Manning (guitar); Anja Arvo (flute, Indian wood flute); David Story (keyboards); Monty Graham, Joe Orlando (bass); Gino Mirizio (drums, percussion). Personnel: Johannes Linstead (vocals, guitar, keyboards); Anja Arvo (flute, wooden flute);

Sol Luna Tierra

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Sherry Alves (Featuring Christopher Woitach & Keller Coker) - You Can Have Him

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:13
Size: 80,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:29)  1. That Old Feeling
(4:02)  2. I Can Dream Can't I
(3:57)  3. I Fall In Love Too Easily
(7:32)  4. You Can Have Him
(2:20)  5. Look For The Silver Lining/On The Sunny Side Of The Street
(6:03)  6. Cry Me A River
(4:02)  7. The Song Is You
(3:45)  8. Little Girl Blue

Sherry Alves is a vocalist from Salem, Oregon. She specializes in American popular styles including jazz, pop, rock, and soul. Sherry has performed with artists such as Allen Toussaint, Lizz Wright, Dave Frishberg, Lynn Anderson & Sonny Turner. Having received her Masters in Music from Western Oregon University, she is now part of the music faculty there where she teaches vocal studies. Sherry performs regularly throughout the north and southwest.~Bio http://www.cdbaby.com/artist/SherryAlves

You Can Have Him

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Brandi Disterheft - Debut

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:48
Size: 107,2 MB
Art: Front

(6:20)  1. Pennywort
(6:43)  2. Dandy Dangle
(4:21)  3. Duke's Dead
(3:44)  4. Auto-Beauties
(5:16)  5. Typhoon The 27Th Hour
(3:53)  6. Only...
(7:01)  7. Sixty Dollar Train
(5:34)  8. Dah Knee Low
(3:52)  9. Little Space I Need To Fill (Aka Detroit)

While the rest of the world was talking about Esperanza Spaulding another bassist has been busy making a quiet noise, in a voice all her own. Brandi Disterheft's mature bass playing both pizzicato and arco and her ability to write original material and arrange with a natural ear for the tones and textures of strings, brass and woodwinds speak volumes of lessons learned from at least spiritually the legendary Charles Mingus.

The incredibly gifted Disterheft has all at once crossed the threshold of first albums and pushed the horizon much further than any musician of her vintage. Debut (Superfran Records, 2007) is a truly remarkable achievement. The album has nine original compositions that are not just original, but appear to have come from a voice so distinctive that one can safely say, "You've never heard anything like this before." Unless you were the late Oscar Peterson, in which case you might say, "She has the same lope or rhythmic pulse as my bassist, Ray Brown. She is what we call serious." And that, Dr. Peterson, would be putting it all too mildly.

Rarely has a musician been so fearless on his or her first record as leader. Disterheft has pulled out the stops. She has composed music in various challenging and complex meters, written arrangements using tonal colorations to match, and pushed her musicians into interpreting her work on the cutting edge of their own abilities. She has also—and this is rare too—been bold enough to write words to some songs and have them sung by the smoky-voiced young musician, Sophia Perlman. From the evidence of lyrics for "Auto-Beauties" and "If Only," Brandi Disterheft is a lyric poet as well and Perlman is perfect for the moody saudade of the songs, created in no small measure by the texture of the interplay of horns and piano.

By her own admission, Disterheft set out to make her record a show of respect to those musicians who inspired her and provided the impetus for her own music. But this is far from being a tribute album. It is a brave and successful attempt to give back to jazz in several settings trio, quartet, quintet, and more. The album is beautifully paced, right from the trio opening on "Pennywort." You immediately get a sense that nothing will ever be the same. The idiom of the music here is quirky, and like the best jazz, surprising especially in the climactic bridge that leads into a piano break fed by a subtle rattling of and swoosh of the cymbals a calming wind to settle the song after it has taken flight. Disterheft's bass plays a harmolodic role throughout.

"Dandy Dangle" brings horns in counterpoint with guitar and piano. Pianist David Virelles shines here, building his solo from the ground-up, atonal at first, then with sweeping runs into a Thelonious Monk-like architectural soundscape, before drummer Sly Juhas deconstructs the rhythm, turning it inside out, then returns it to its bop melody. This track is followed by the most ambitious one of the disc. "Duke's Dead" is a complex, towering vehicle for its bassist and composer. The dirge-like arco opening, then the dialogue between Disterheft and Juhas and the sly entry of the horns recalls the best Mingus-Richmond tradition, even working the changes from a classic, "Moanin,'" from Mingus' Blues & Roots ( Atlantic, 1959).

"Typhoon The 27th Hour" has a fine free chart that features a charged harmonic interplay between the searching, scorching tenor of Chris Gale and Disterheft, running riot over the bass, while Juhas keeps things going with his chord-like rumbling on toms and tympanis. "Sixty Dollar Train," another straight-ahead song with a surprising Latin break, is a fine vehicle for guitarist Nathan Hiltz to shine on, with his gazelle-like romp through the melody as the horns rumble in contrapuntal harmony. Alexander Brown takes a well-paced solo on flugelhorn. "Dah Knee Low" is a fine chart featuring subtle changes to harmony and rhythm, an oblique reference to the music of pianist Danilo Perez, who also happens to be one of Disterheft's teachers. The pianism of Adrian Ferrugia here is outstanding, as is the bluesy, dry tenor of Gale. Disterheft makes the bass sing as she solos. Debut is the kind of first album that most musicians can only dream of to launch their careers. Praise is also due to fellow West Coaster, Michael Kaeshammer, a fine musician in his own right, for the production.~ Raul D’Gama Rose  

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=29866#.UkOdAxBsidk

Personnel: Chris Gale: tenor saxophone (2, 3, 5, 7, 8), baritone saxophone (4); Alexander Brown: trumpet (2, 3), flugelhorn (4, 7); Nathan Hiltz: guitar (2, 7); David Virelles: piano (2, 4, 6, 7); Adrian Ferrugia: piano (1, 8, 9); Brandi Disterheft: bass; Sly Juhas: drums.

Debut

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Jon Hendricks - Salud! João Gilberto

Styles: Bossa Nova
Year: 1963
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 29:48
Size: 68,3 MB
Art: Front

(1:57)  1. The Duck
(2:08)  2. Quiet Nights
(3:08)  3. You and I
(2:35)  4. Love and Peace
(1:18)  5. Little Paper Ball
(2:28)  6. Longing for Bahia
(1:56)  7. Little Train of Iron
(2:07)  8. No More Blues
(2:12)  9. Rosa Morena
(3:06) 10. The Most Beautiful Thing
(2:31) 11. Samba of My Land
(1:57) 12. Once Again
(2:19) 13. Jive Samba

Jon Hendricks idolizes João Gilberto  he has spoken fondly of their first meeting where they scatted to each other before ever speaking a word  and he wasted little time putting together a tribute album at the height of the first bossa nova wave. It ought to come as no surprise that he would display total sympathy with the bossa nova manner here, singing softly and smoothly  and Hendricks' English wordplay is quite faithful to the original tunes and meanings of the Portuguese lyrics, in contrast to his usual whimsical work with jazz improvisations. Hendricks is particularly winning, and irresistibly swinging on the rare occasions ("Voce E Eu," "Samba Da Minha Terra") when he scats to the Brazilian rhythm; he should have done more of that here. But then, his versions of Gilberto's repertoire are carefully based on Gilberto's early EMI/Odeon recordings (now available on The Legendary João Gilberto); even Antonio Carlos Jobim's string and wind charts for the originals are preserved by adapter Johnny Mandel. Alas, the only Hendricks lyric that has become a universal standard is Jobim's "Chega de Saudade" ("No More Blues"). As Hendricks' only album-length encounter with bossa nova, Salud! João Gilberto Originator of the Bossa Nova is essential. ~ Richard S. Ginell  

http://www.allmusic.com/album/salud!-joao-gilberto-originator-of-the-bossa-nova-mw0000225044

Salud! João Gilberto

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