John La Barbera Big Band - Fantazm

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 54:12
Size: 124.1 MB
Styles: Big band
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[5:52] 1. Moontrane
[8:38] 2. Pythodd Fellows
[4:59] 3. Over F
[6:18] 4. My Love And I
[7:57] 5. Zin Zak
[8:39] 6. Yours Or Mine Or Blues
[7:26] 7. Fantazm
[4:20] 8. Kyrie

A superior arranger, John La Barbera utilized some of the top Los Angeles-based musicians on this big-band date (including his brother, drummer Joe La Barbera), importing his other musical brother, tenor and soprano saxophonist Pat La Barbera from Canada. Along the way one hears one of Woody Shaw's best compositions ("Moontrane"), an organ piece for Bill Cunliffe ("Pythodd Fellows"), the love theme from the film Apache ("My Love And I"), an obscure Duke Ellington number ("Fantaqzm"), the pop tune "Kyrie," Pat La Barbera's "Yours or Mine or Blues," and three originals by the leader. In addition to Pat and Joe La Barbera, key soloists include trumpeters Clay Jenkins and Wayne Bergeron, guitarist Larry Koonse, Bob Sheppard on soprano, altoist Kim Richmond, Bob Carr on bass clarinet, trombonist Andy Martin, and Bill Cunliffe on piano and organ. The writing gives each selection forward momentum and the results are never predictable. Highly recommended. ~ Scott Yanow

Larry Koonse (guitar); Kim Richmond (flute, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone); Tom Peterson (clarinet, tenor saxophone); Bob Carr (bass clarinet); Bob Shepard, Pat La Barbera (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Wayne Bergeron (trumpet, flugelhorn); Clay Jenkins, Bob O'Donnell, Jr., Dennis Farias (trumpet); Charlie Morillas, Andy Martin, Alexander Iles, Ken Kugler, Bob McChesney (trombone); Bill Cunliffe (piano, organ, keyboards); Joe La Barbera (drums); Scott Breadman (percussion).

Fantazm

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Marcela Monreal - S' Wonderful

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 42:01
Size: 96.2 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz, Easy Listening
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[4:19] 1. Just One Of Those Things
[3:28] 2. Chovendo
[2:17] 3. S' Wonderful
[5:07] 4. Spain
[6:02] 5. Ask Me Now
[2:25] 6. So Danco Samba
[3:13] 7. Them There Eyes
[3:23] 8. Viva Sonhando
[3:44] 9. Fine And Mellow
[2:51] 10. Sentimental Journey
[5:06] 11. I Call Your Name

Marcela Monreal Nace en la ciudad de La Plata. Cursa el profesorado de Lengua y Literatura Inglesa en la Universidad de La Plata. Realiza estudios de piano, percusión y canto en el Conservatorio "Gilardo Gilardi En su actividad artística realizó una tarea intensa, actuando como solista de diversas agrupaciones corales, bajo la dirección del maestro Oriente Monreal, desempeñándose, a su vez como asistente de dirección.
Integra el grupo vocal "Octeto Siglo XX", bajo la dirección del Prof. Eric Oña. En 1987 integra el grupo "Multiplus", trabajando en Bs. As., como vocalista hasta el año 1989. Ese año participa como cantante solista en varios shows de jazz, organizados en la Sala 420, de la ciudad de La Plata, junto a Tato Finocchi, Pablo Ledesma, Hugo Marino, Martín Cairo, Quique Roca y otros.

En 1990 participa junto al grupo vocal femenino "Bubbles", de la comedia musical Burbujas en Radio, de Ricardo Ibarlín, que permaneció en cartel durante dicho año y subió a escena en el Teatro Empire de Bs. As., con buena crítica de los medios. En 1992 y hasta 1994 integra el grupo "Saxología", con Enrique Mayer, Pablo Ledesma, Luis Castillo, y otros, actuando en La Plata, y Bs. As. y diversas localidades de la Pcia. de Bs. As. Además participa de Jazz en Abril (festival que se realiza anualmente en Mar del Plata) y Jazz en Tandil, en el año 1992. En el año1994 se une al cuarteto de Jazz La Plata que lidera Mingo Martino junto con el cual realiza una serie de recitales: La Plata Jazz Festival. En los años 1995 y 1996 junto al Cuarteto participa de la grabación del CD Totum y el flautisto Pablo Raninqueo, que reúne a diversos músicos platenses. Desde 1997 integra Aquarela, grupo liderado por Tato Finocchi, junto a Horacio Amoretti y Julio Campos, interpretando música brasilera y jazz. En el año 1998 participa como vocalista en actuaciones junto a Pablo Ledesma y Pepe Angelillo. Ese mismo año graba su primer CD como solista de Jazz. En 1999 presenta su CD en la Biblioteca Nacional. En octubre participa junto al Cuarteto de Jazz La Plata en el Cabrales Jazz Festival en la ciudad de Mar del Plata. ~bymsrl.com

Marcela Monreal - Voz; Tato Finocchi - Arreglos, piano; Daniel Homer - Guitarras; Jorge Oss, Marcos Archetti - Bajo; Néstor Gómez - guitarra Eléctrica; Ana Archetti - voz, coros; Mariano Meneghini - Trompeta; Lucas Homer - Bajo; Facundo Guevara - Percusión; Rodrigo Barrientos, Martín López Camelo - saxo; Pablo Giménez, Rafael Felli - Contrabajo; Lito Escobar - Trombón; Martín López Camelo - Saxos alto y tenor; Víctor Carrión Saxo - soprano; Bill Hart - Trompeta, voz.

S' Wonderful

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Brian Ogilvie - For You

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 71:59
Size: 164.8 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[5:57] 1. Robbins Nest
[3:35] 2. For You
[4:53] 3. Nature Boy
[4:02] 4. Tricotism
[3:58] 5. Long Live The King
[6:20] 6. All Too Soon
[5:39] 7. And The Angels Swing
[4:58] 8. S'posin'
[4:55] 9. Ducky Wucky
[3:56] 10. Twisted
[4:20] 11. Evening Shadows
[5:08] 12. Tain't What You Do (It's The Way That Cha Do It)
[5:40] 13. Together
[4:07] 14. Kansas City Stride
[4:22] 15. Like It Is

Born in British Columbia, weaned on the jazz scene in Toronto, and currently living in New Orleans, ex-Jim Cullum sideman Brian Ogilvie plays tasteful, even-keeled traditional swing-to-bop tenor sax, clarinet, and a little alto. Cullum bandmate John Sheridan is here on piano; unsung bass hero Phil Flanigan and drummer Jeff Hamilton back him up; and trombonist/cornetist Dan Barrett shows up on six of these 15 selections. Of the larger group efforts, the spirited "And the Angels Swing," the lightly melodic "S'posin'," and the bass-led "Ducky Wucky" use clarinet and muted trombone on second-line accents and traded solos. The perky "'Taint What You Do (It's the Way 'Cha Do It)" and the clean, bright "Kansas City Stride" bring clearly into focus the tenor/trombone tandem's compatibility. Propelled by Barrett's cornet and Ogilvie's Benny Goodman-ish clarinet, "Long Live the King" is as good as swing gets. Ogilvie's tenor is also quite capable of bopping, as displayed on the title track and the hard-swinging classics "Robbins Nest" and "Twisted." Whether working in lighter stride shadings for Sheridan's original "Evening Shadows" or in unison with Flanigan during Oscar Pettiford's "Tricrotism," Ogilvie shows great flexibility. His dulcet, low-register clarinet lilts on "Nature Boy" and swings in Dixieland style for the uptempo "Together." The drum-free ballad "All Too Soon" and the classic Erroll Garner repast "Like It Is" are two more standouts. Ogilvie is a very competent player who's growing and developing in tuneful and traditional ways. His sound should appeal to most early-period mavens, and while no Coleman Hawkins or Ben Webster, he most assuredly is making the attempt to at least bask in their imposing shadows. His visage stands up well. ~ Michael G. Nastos

Recording information: Audio Images. Bradenton, Florida (01/10/1999-01/11/1999).

Brian Ogilvie (clarinet, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Gary Baldassari (recorder); Dan Barrett (cornet, trombone); John Sheridan (piano); Jeff Hamilton (drums).

For You

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Anita Wardell - Noted

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:09
Size: 137,7 MB
Art: Front

(7:47)  1. Moanin'
(7:03)  2. Watermelon Man
(7:46)  3. Autumn Leaves
(4:16)  4. Night And Day
(5:24)  5. Lonely Woman
(4:44)  6. Doodlin'
(6:03)  7. The Sidewinder
(6:51)  8. Blues On The Corner
(4:39)  9. Wonderful, Wonderful
(5:33) 10. And What If I Don't

The best straight-ahead jazz singer on the scene today is Anita Wardell, the winner of the prestigious BBC Jazz Award last month, and Noted is one of the most impressive displays of vocal jazz and vocalese in many years. Backed up by her usual working trio of pianist Robin Aspland, bassist Jeremy Brown and drummer Steve Brown (along with guest saxophonist Alex Garnett), Wardell delivers knockout performances of well-known jazz classics and less familiar works that she has updated using her own unique swinging style.

The album starts off with a rousing rendition of Jon Hendricks' vocalese to the jazz classic "Moanin'. Aside from her scatting and improvisational abilities, Wardell possess an almost flawless vocal technique. Indeed, one would be hard pressed to find clearer enunciation and pitch from a Bartoli or Netrebko.

Standards receive their due from Wardell and company, in particular "Night and Day and "Autumn Leaves. The arrangement of the latter is especially nice when it goes into double time. The unrelenting swing of the former displays Wardell's scatting in its fullest virtuosity and also features a particularly nice piano solo by Robin Asplund.

Horace Silver's well-known "Doodlin' was a logical choice for this album, and it is performed here with great aplomb. But a real treat is the soulful rendition of Silver's less well-known "Lonely Woman. Herbie Hancock receives similar treatment with a pairing of his oft-performed "Watermelon Man and his lesser-known "And What If I Don't. As far as I am aware, this is the first recording of a vocal version of the latter tune.

Another piece that Wardell has rescued from relative obscurity is Ben Raleigh and Sherman Edwards' "Wonderful, Wonderful, which was a minor hit for Johnny Mathis in 1957 and for the Supremes in the early '60s. Wardell's up-tempo version completely transforms this tune and would make a great candidate for a big band accompaniment.

As always, Wardell surrounds herself with first-class musicians. Long-time collaborators Robin Asplund, Steve Brown and Jeremy Brown make up an almost perfect rhythm section for a singer. They are all superb soloists in their own rights, and their understated accompaniment is a paradigm of taste and musicality. Saxophonist Alex Garnett combines the intensity of an Art Pepper with a lighter tone a la Grover Washington, Jr. Noted is an important album and a testament to Anita Wardell's rising status as a jazz artist of the first caliber. With a BBC Jazz Award under her belt, a Jazz Grammy should not be too far behind. ~ William Grim  

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=22983#.UmgSnBAufMo

Personnel: Anita Wardell: vocals; Robin Asplund: piano; Jeremy Brown: bass; Steve Brown: bass; Alex Garnett: saxophones.

Noted

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Elvira Nikolaisen - Lighthouse

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:52
Size: 96,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:56)  1. Change
(3:45)  2. Close To The Water
(5:00)  3. Rendezvous
(2:31)  4. Lighthouse
(4:11)  5. In Your Car
(4:20)  6. Time
(4:47)  7. When Love Is New
(4:29)  8. Nothing To Lose
(4:34)  9. Still Paying
(4:16) 10. Cry The Good Tears

Elvira Nikolaisen (born 16 July 1980 in Moi) is a Norwegian singer-songwriter . She released her debut single Love I Can't Defend in December 2005, it reached the number 3 spot on the Norwegian singles list. She followed up the hit with her first album, Quiet Exit, and a second single, Egypt Song, in March 2006. The album peaked at #2 in the Norwegian chart.
She is from a musical family, her father is a church organist and her brother Emil is the vocalist and guitarist for Serena Maneesh, and her sister Hilma is the bassist for the same band. Her brother Ivar is lead singer of the Norwegian punk band Silver.  In 1998, Nikolaisen with her brother Emil fronted the independent band Royal. The band released one album titled My Dear on Soulscape Records and distributed through Tooth and Nail Records. While she's from a very religious family, Nikolaisen rejected her Christian beliefs at the age of eighteen. Some of her lyrics reflect the impact of this change on her life.

Nikolaisen released her second album, Indian Summer in April 2008. However, she failed to repeat the success of the debut album, Quiet Exit. On the latest album I Concentrate on You (2013) Nikolaisen in collaboration with the Jaga Jazzist trumpeter Mathias Eick, moves into American popular music, fulfilling her old deram to go into the great American songbook. Other contributors on this album are Ola Kvernberg (violin, viola & bass-violin), Andreas Ulvo (piano, cembalo, celesta) and Gard Nilssen (drums).  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvira_Nikolaisen

Lighthouse

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Tom McDermott & Evan Christopher - Almost Native

Styles: Jazz, New Orleans
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:20
Size: 124,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:18)  1. Tango Ambiguo
(4:53)  2. Heavy Henry
(5:09)  3. Waltz for All Souls
(4:06)  4. Le Menage Rouge
(7:14)  5. Spooky Blues
(1:58)  6. The Don't Mess with my Two Step
(4:11)  7. Chorando Em Paris
(5:16)  8. Tande Sak Fe Loraj Gwonde
(3:57)  9. Musette in A Minor
(4:35) 10. March of the Pony Girls
(7:38) 11. Irresistivel

Avant-garde art has been described as seeking innovation through experimentation, preferring novelty to formula and defying existing convention. The term "avant-garde traditionalism" could be a way to describe the music of New Orleans pianist Tom McDermott. Although it is rooted in the traditions of his adopted city, he pushes boundaries with his quirky compositions and interest in eclectic styles, such as Brazilian choro, McDermott, active there since 1984, is not as well known outside of New Orleans as he deserves to be. Over the years he has made a series of duets with the clarinetist Evan Christopher, the doyen of the New Orleans Contemporary /traditional new wave. Almost Native is their third collaboration.

The pairing of McDermott and Christopher is an interesting one. Christopher, one of the most expressive musicians in jazz today, is the primary exponent today of the New Orleans clarinet tradition of Sidney Bechet and Barney Bigard where emotional expression was emphasized. In contrast, McDermott takes a utilitarian approach to the piano in the tradition of Jelly Roll Morton where simplicity of interpretation provides a good contrast to Christopher's dynamism. You never feel they're trying to compete with each other; there's always a sense of collaboration much like a dance team in which both have the chance to individually shine.

Almost Native, consists of nine selections written by McDermott and two by Christopher. Subtitled Music From New Orleans and Beyond, Almost Native also explores tangential styles including tango, musette and beguine. It is a mélange of emotional moods and scenes. This range includes the mystery of a dark New Orleans Tango Quarter street in "Tango Ambiguo," the nostalgic musette "Le Ménage Rouge," the appropriately named Monkish "Spooky Blues" to the playful rhumba rhythm of "Heavy Henry." The dancing Brazilian Choro is represented by "Choro Em Paris" and the bonus track originally on the CD New Orleans Duets (Rabadash Records 2009), "Irresitivel." Christopher plays particularly tenderly on his own contribution, the gospel waltz "A Waltz for All Souls" and passionately on his beguine "Tande Sak Fe Loraj Gwonde." McDermott solos on the ho downish "The Dont-Mess-With-My Two-Step" and "Musette in A Minor." His most exciting moment is when he breaks into full stride in "March of the Pony Girls" while Christopher plays obbligato behind him. At the end is a sweet surprise where his solo piano selection Musette in A Minor is reprised on the Accordion.

The piano/horn jazz duet does not come quickly to mind as being part of the New Orleans jazz tradition but this format was first recorded by Jelly Roll Morton and Joseph "King" Oliver in 1924. Almost Native is an emotionally satisfying addition to this tradition. ~ Louis Heckheimer  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=40725#.Umq-2RAueZc

Personnel: Tom McDermott: piano; Evan Christopher: clarinet.

Almost Native

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Ben Webster - In Norway

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:28
Size: 171,5 MB
Art: Front

(9:06)  1. In a Mellotone
(7:41)  2. How Long Has This Been Going On
(7:01)  3. Sunday
(7:18)  4. Star Dust
(8:53)  5. Perdido
(6:55)  6. Satin Doll
(7:02)  7. I Got Rhythm
(5:23)  8. Danny Boy
(7:11)  9. The "C" Jam Blues
(5:06) 10. Cotton Tail
(2:47) 11. My Romance

Ben Webster refused to fly. When he visited Norway from Denmark, his adopted homeland, he went by boat and when he got there would blame his somewhat uncertain gait on his "sea legs," rather than the large amounts of alcohol he had consumed in the vessel's bar. Sometimes his "sea legs" were so bad, initial concerts had to be rescheduled.

However, by 1970, when this date was recorded, Webster was 61 and slowing down just a little. Either that or the long, dry ride north to Trondheim had a sobering effect. You never know, he might even have felt a certain obligation to his hosts, who treated him to conducted tours of Trondheim's Nidaros Cathedral and the wondrous Museum of Music and Musical Instruments in nearby Ringve.

One way or another, no sea legs. Instead, 11 immaculately performed standards, five of them from the repertoire of Duke Ellington, who gave Webster his first break. There's a laidback version of "Cotton Tail," his feature number with Ellington that's so blissful it makes those stories of the break-up, in which Webster is said to have cut up one of his leader's suits, doubtful.

Still, not for nothing was he nicknamed "Brute." Back in the days when he did fly, Webster was en route to a gig in LA with the Ellington band when the pilot woke him to warn of turbulence. If there was one thing Webster hated, it was having his sleep interrupted. He drew back his fist and floored the fellow. Fortunately the pilot recovered in time to make a safe descent.

On the sleeve Ellington is wrongly credited with writing "How Long Has This Been Going On?" It was, of course, penned by George and Ira Gershwin.

Webster is at his relaxed and confident best, occasionally shouting joyous encouragement at pianist Tore Sandnaes, who was woefully under- recorded by whoever taped the concert. Worse still, on the closing number, Rodgers and Hart's "My Romance," after Webster has stated the theme, Sandnaes suffers the ignominy of being faded out.

A shockingly abrupt ending. Otherwise, though, there are no surprises. With just four years left to live, Webster did what was expected of him and with seemingly effortless grace. Of course, it wasn't effortless at all. Brute was a giant, up there with Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young. That took a lifetime of hard work. He made it sound easy, that's all. ~ Chris Mosey 

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=45244#.Ump2pBAueZc

Personnel: Ben Webster: tenor saxophone; Tore Sandnaes: piano; Bjørn Alterhaug: bass; Kjell Johansen: drums.

In Norway

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