Oscar Peterson Trio - With Respect To Nat

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 33:05

Size: 75.8 MB

Styles: Piano jazz

Year: 1965/2008

Art: Front

[2:17] 1. When My Sugar Walks Down The Street

[2:28] 2. It's Only A Paper Moon

[2:30] 3. Walkin' My Baby Back Home

[3:30] 4. Sweet Lorraine

[2:36] 5. Unforgettable

[2:34] 6. Little Girl Blue

[2:55] 7. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You

[2:11] 8. Orange Colored Sky

[2:25] 9. Straighten Up And Fly Right

[3:33] 10. Calypso Blues

[2:38] 11. What Can I Say After I Say I'm Sorry

[3:22] 12. Easy Listening Blues

This album is quite unusual. Recorded shortly after Nat King Cole's death, pianist Oscar Peterson takes vocals on all but one of the dozen selections, sounding almost exactly like Cole. Peterson, who rarely ever sang, is very effective on the well-rounded program, whether being backed by a big band (arranged by Manny Albam) on half of the selections or re-creating both the spirit of the Nat King Cole Trio and his own group of the late '50s during a reunion with guitarist Herb Ellis and bassist Ray Brown. ~Scott Yanow

With repect to Nat                              

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Don McLean - Addicted To Black

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 43:30
Size: 99.6 MB
Styles: Rock, Adult contemporary
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[4:22] 1. Addicted to Black
[5:51] 2. Run Diana Run
[2:46] 3. Beside Myself
[3:23] 4. Mary Lost a Ring
[2:41] 5. Lovers Love the Spring
[3:44] 6. Promise To Remember
[4:08] 7. The Three of Us
[3:42] 8. Shadowland
[4:58] 9. I Was Always Young
[3:38] 10. This is America (Eisenhower)
[4:12] 11. In a Museum

Don McLean is one of America's most enduring singer-songwriters and is forever associated with his classic hits 'American Pie' and 'Vincent (Starry Starry Night)'. Since first hitting the charts in 1971, Don has amassed over 40 gold and platinum records world-wide and, in 2004, was inducted into the Songwriters' Hall of Fame.

Addicted To Black is a new album of 11 original songs, excepting a co-write with one W. Shakespeare, and Don says this will be his last. On several tracks McLean adopts his morose side with lyrics about death and remembrance. "I don't know why I have this dark side to me," says McLean of the subject matter. "It's manifested itself in many of the songs that I've written. I'm not an unhappy person, I guess. Maybe I am. I don't know. But I do relate to people who have heartache." Appropriately, he even decorates the disc on the back cover with his first promotional photo, taken in 1964."I put it on there because that's the beginning and the song talks a lot about the end," says McLean. "I'm winding down. I'm doing my shows, and I don't know how many years I'll do that. And then I'll retire."

Don McLean (vocals, acoustic guitar, background vocals); Pat Severs (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, steel guitar, dobro); Mike Severs (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, ukulele, drums, keyboard programming); Hank Singer (fiddle); Mark Prentice (electric bass).

Addicted To Black

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Jimmy Raney - Featuring Bob Brookmeyer

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 34:20
Size: 78.6 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz, Post bop
Year: 1956/2006
Art: Front

[4:05] 1. Isn't It Romantic
[4:28] 2. How Long Has This Been Going On
[4:18] 3. No Male For Me
[4:09] 4. The Flag Is Up
[4:06] 5. Get Off That Roof
[4:02] 6. Jim's Tune
[4:55] 7. Nobody Else But Me
[4:15] 8. Too Late Now

Though Jimmy Raney recorded under his own name as early as 1953, this 1956 set is regarded as his arrival as a leader. Raney is as fine an arranger as he is a guitarist. These eight tracks with Bob Brookmeyer on trombone (another fine arranger in a soloist's role) shine with the ease and fluidity of the best of the cool sessions recorded at the dawn of hard bop. One of the finest examples of the interplay between Raney and Brookmeyer occurs at the beginning of the album's second track, "How Long Has This Been Going On?," where the pair engage in a brief contrapuntal dialogue before Brookmeyer solos on the melody and Raney gently fills the space behind him by whispering his chords and fills through the trombonist's phrasing, before taking his own solo and slipping an inverted harmonic pattern on the tune's lyric line. The pair re-engage about halfway through before Dick Katz solos on piano with a bluesy series of runs in the upper register. Raney's own tunes, such as "The Flag Is Up," are strident and swinging without losing the breezy cool feel . Raney's solo is a mix of bop phrasing and heated arpeggios that glide effortlessly into Katz's comping. Brookmeyer's "Get Off That Roof" is another swinging mini-opus that offers a new view of the trombonist as soloist. Hank Jones plays piano here and is stellar at creating a solid backdrop for both front-line players. This is as fine a set from the end of the cool jazz period as one is likely to hear. ~Thom Jurek

Recording information: New York, NY (07/23/1956-08/01/1956).

Jimmy Raney (guitar); Jimmy Raney; Teddy Kotick (bass guitar); Bob Brookmeyer (valve trombone); Dick Katz, Hank Jones (piano); Osie Johnson (drums).

Featuring Bob Brookmeyer

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Clare Teal & Grant Windsor - And So It Goes

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 47:25
Size: 108.6 MB
Styles: Easy Listening
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[3:18] 1. Dream A Little Dream Of Me
[3:20] 2. Skylark
[3:36] 3. Another Language
[3:24] 4. I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)
[3:57] 5. Stardust
[3:33] 6. In The Still Of The Night
[3:35] 7. Black Coffee
[4:29] 8. The Space I Leave For You
[5:26] 9. I'm A Fool To Want You
[4:03] 10. The Way You Look Tonight
[3:58] 11. Someone To Watch Over Me
[4:39] 12. And So It Goes

The latest Album by Clare Teal - 'And So It Goes' is yet another stunning product from the next Big Thing in UK Jazz! She has absolutely perfect intonation and the combination of her voice and the brilliant piano playing of Grant Windsor is a truly wonderful listening experience.

Clare is a consummate professional with a huge sense of humour and a soft heart. It comes across in this album of classic American songs. She just owns the tracks and does total justice to the writers and composers of the songs she sings. ~Rupert Kirkham/amazon

And So It Goes

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Joan Crowe - Bird on the Wire

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:20
Size: 106,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:22)  1. Fever/Caught a Touch of Your Love
(2:20)  2. Never- Never Land
(5:13)  3. Every Night I Sleep with an Angel
(3:21)  4. Boom Boom
(4:06)  5. The Way You Look Tonight
(3:00)  6. Petite Southern Woman
(6:14)  7. I Cover the Waterfront
(3:34)  8. I'm Only Sleeping
(2:14)  9. Everything
(4:06) 10. Me and Mrs. Jones
(4:35) 11. Twisted
(2:32) 12. Bird on the Wire
(1:36) 13. Ich bin von Kopf bis Fuss

Joan Crowe won the prestigious 2002 MAC Award, which is the cabaret industry's version of the Grammy or Academy Award. Crowe is a dynamic, witty, and unpredictable entertainer, and her debut album demonstrates these traits. Bird On The Wire has all the signs of a well-planned and executed cabaret album, rather than a jazz vocal session. The thirteen tracks display a fine sense of balance between reasonably fresh standards and songs from contemporary singer/songwriters, in addition to other surprises. Pianist/arranger Tedd Firth and bassist Jay Leonhart are among the supporting musicians.

The relative importance of improvisation on a jazz vocal album is usually an indication of its success. In the course of Bird On The Wire, Joan Crowe takes liberties with several songs, which I feel represents dramatic interpretation, not improvisation. She reinvents the rather famous, almost lethargic Leonard Cohen title tune as a gospel-type number with up-tempo horn riffs. As the song progresses, the pace picks up even more.
 

Crowe also presents a very dramatic rendition of the Philly soul classic "Me And Mrs. Jones" that is almost unrecognizable to anyone who may be fond of the original Billy Paul version. The Annie Ross lyrics to "Twisted" are half-spoken, and the catchy Wardell Gray melody line is barely discernable. The show tune and jazz classic "Never-Never Land," usually performed as a ballad or jazz waltz, is presented with a bouncy up-tempo treatment, which renders the intended lullaby-ish lyrics meaningless.

One gets the impression that all of the above issues play out in a positive way on the floor of a supper club or theatre stage. Unfortunately, the listener is left with only the audio portion of this scenario and must be able to disregard any feelings about previous versions of a particular song. We're not talking about Betty Carter reinventing "Surrey With The Fringe On Top" here. Rather, it would be that tune with either a tempo or melody change, or both.

Joan Crowe does in fact present many positive aspects on this album. The ballads "The Way You Look Tonight" and "I Cover The Waterfront" are given a first-class treatment and Tom Anderson's "Every Night I Sleep With An Angel" exemplifies a cabaret standard that is waiting for discovery by the general public. "I'm Only Sleeping" is an obscure Beatles tune set to a reggae feel, and "Boom Boom" shows Crowe's sense of humor. The album ends with her rendition of "Falling In Love Again" in German ("Ich Bin Von Kopf Bis Fuss"), in what must be a Marlene Dietrich tribute. ~ Michael P.Gladstone  

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=18894#.UlnUqxDFpEM

Personnel: Joan Crowe: vocals; Tedd Firth: piano; Jay Leonhart or Scott Neuman: bass; Justin Flynn: horns, clarinet; Mike Petit: Hammond organ; George Walker Petit: guitars, percussion, background vocals.

Bird on the Wire

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Harry Allen - Eu Não Quero Dançar - I Won't Dance

Styles: Latin, World
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:50
Size: 134,7 MB
Art: Front + Back

(5:23)  1. O Pato
(3:56)  2. Corcovado
(7:02)  3. Desafinado
(4:00)  4. Once I Loved
(4:01)  5. Time Is Standing Still
(6:07)  6. Meditation
(5:42)  7. No More Blues
(4:07)  8. Air
(5:22)  9. I Won't Dance
(3:09) 10. If You Never Come To Me (Inutil Paisagem)
(5:26) 11. Doralice
(4:30) 12. Retrato Em Branco Preto

There's a true universal appeal to Brazilian music. Somehow the exuberant lilting quality it possesses has an uplifting effect on music lovers everywhere. Maybe that's why there was an avalanche of bossa nova projects to appear in the '60s. Not to mention that Jobim has continued to sell records and have his classics performed by countless number of performers. Now, add to that list tenor saxophonist Harry Allen. One of many musicians to benefit from the rediscovery of "swing", Allen is immensely popular in Japan, where his cool Getz-influenced sound has become a viable commodity. By taking on the hip sound of the bossa nova, Allen is sure to captivate his fans abroad, while most likely gaining new ones here in the States.

Originally recorded for BMG Japan at the end of 1997, Eu Nao Quero Dancar (I Won't Dance) features 12 bossa performances, such as the familiar "O Pato", "Corcovado", and "Meditation". In addition, there's a few jazz standards, like the title track, that are given the Brazilian treatment and even a classical work by Bach puts on a new face via this tropical affair. Really inspired choices were made when choosing personnel, with Americans Larry Goldings on piano and Dennis Irwin on bass. Plus, guitarist and vocalist Dori Caymmi and Brazilian drum legend Duduka Da Fonseca are part of the line up too.

Not much further elaboration is really needed, as this is music for the heart and maybe a dance step or too. Allen, as previously stated, surely has done his homework in terms of knowing the resonance and melodic ingenuity of Stan Getz. Like his inspiration, Allen has the ability to approach a line with great logic and facility. And like the best of them, he makes it sound so much easier than it really is. For the final icing on the cake, Caymmi and Maucha Adnet add their sensuous Portuguese vocals on a few numbers. So turn down the lights, pour a glass of wine and get ready to bask in the warmth of Allen and company's "universal" sound.~ C.Andrew Hovan  

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=4303#.Ul3YuBDFrkc

Personnel: Harry Allen- tenor saxophone, Larry Goldings- piano, Dori Caymmi- acoustic guitar & vocals, Joe Cohn- electric guitar, Dennis Irwin- bass, Duduka Da Fonseca- drums & percussion, Maucha Adnet- vocals

Eu Não Quero Dançar - I Won't Dance

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George Kahn - Cover Up!

Styles: Straight-ahead/Mainstream
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:30
Size: 143,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:37)  1. Sunshine of Your Love
(5:20)  2. Wes' Coast
(3:47)  3. Mr. K. V.
(4:49)  4. Use Me
(5:25)  5. Eleanor Rigby
(6:41)  6. Mitchell's Blues
(6:50)  7. Cover Up!
(6:26)  8. Yesterday/Yesterdays
(6:03)  9. Comfortably Numb
(3:53) 10. Waiting on the World to Change
(7:34) 11. My Favorite Things

In the liner notes to Cover Up!, George Kahn discusses his goal of drawing upon the heritage of west coast jazz. For most people, this brings to mind Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker, or the Lighthouse All Stars.

For Kahn, though, it means a particular way of portraying the popular songs of his youth tunes that fall outside the normal purview of jazz. On this disc, he provides graceful renditions of Eric Clapton, Pink Floyd, The Beatles, John Mayer, and Bill Withers. Hence, as jazz updates of rock covers, Cover Up! is a coherent project.

In spite of the title's other potential meaning, everything on Kahn's album is perfectly overt. This is perhaps its greatest link to west coast jazz, which moved away from the intellectualism of New York bebop Dizzy Gillespie is largely responsible for the field of jazz education, and Charlie Parker absorbed Stravinsky in addition to the blues.

Whether it's Bill Withers' "Use Me," which he plays according to the original recording, or the jazz standard "Yesterdays," which he spins unexpectedly out of the melody of the John Lennon's "Yesterday," Kahn presents music not as a set of cerebral enigmas, but as something fun for both the listener and the player. In this sense, he touches on the visceral pleasure that is usually connected to rock more than jazz.

The playing, very much in the jazz idiom, is strong throughout. Kahn surrounds himself with other highly competent Los Angeles musicians. The most stand-out name on the set is Alex Acuna, formerly the percussionist for Weather Report. The finest playing, though, comes from bassist Brian Bromberg, who acquits himself as nicely on the bass-heavy 70s sound of "Use Me" as he does in an eloquent high-register solo on "Sunshine of Your Love."

In improvisation, Kahn's tendency is towards modal playing, which doesn't wholly fit with the traditions of west coast jazz. On "Sunshine of Your Love," "Wes' Coast," and a John Coltrane-style "My Favorite Things," he draws heavily from the language of Miles Davis circa Kind of Blue (Columbia, 1959). "Wes' Coast," which Kahn explains as Wes Montgomery meets Miles Davis, draws equal parts from Davis' compositions "Milestones" and "So What." Although an excess of modal jazz can turn to an easy conceit, playing at length over such scales suits Kahn's voice: it is here that he sounds most urbane.

The strength of Cover Up! lies in its careful balance of originals, standards, and pop covers. With little alteration to the original recording, John Mayer's "Waiting On The World to Change" becomes a tasteful gospel appeal in the pianist's hands. But just as inspiring is the latin-beat "Mitchell's Blues," a wonderful, lively composition by Kahn, with great horn-work from Justo Almario and John Fumo. Throughout the album, Kahn uses breadth and accessibility to keep the listener thoroughly entertained. ~ Jay Deshpande  

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=31995#.UlmSaxDFpEM

Personnel: George Kahn: piano; Alex Acu

Cover Up!

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