Kresten Osgood - Hammond Rens (2-disc set)

Kresten Osgood? A no-name for you? Don't worry, even most Danes haven't heard about this fantastic local drummer. Even maestro drummer Ed Thigpen, who lives in Copenhagen, has called him a "genius drummer". It's known in the jazz community that Osgood adores the "No. 1 jazz furniture", the Hammond B-3 organ, to use his own words, so why not make a double CD with an organ trio on your own label. And Osgood even goes for gold medal - and calls Dr. Lonnie Smith for organ duty on this great live CD - "Hammond Rens" (English - Hammond Refine), recorded at The Copenhagen Jazz House in 2002. This CD capture some of the most free wheelin' jazz organ trio's I've heard in many years and there seems to be no end to the musical styles that the Doctor can cover with great imagination, technique and power play. The trio is completed with the tenor saxophonist Mikael Blake which is a real surprise given his roots from the more free jazz oriented community and not to forget Anders Provis on some tracks with playing "the fine art of Ghost percussion" (!?!). What can you expect from this CD? According to Smith's opening statement on track 1, you can expect music from the HEART. Funk, blues, free, ballads, boogaloo, swing; you get it all through great combo interpretation on tunes by Lucky Thompson, Curtis Mayfield, Roland Kirk, Slide Hampton and Osgood himself (showing promising compositional skills). This is not background music - turn up the volume and when the laser beam hits "Collins", and you're warned about what to expect for the next 11 tunes being like in the middle of the audience close to Smiths heavy organ bass lines, imaginative block chord comping and soulful melody lines support by Osgoods inventive drumming. Highlights after highlights are served by these gentlemen on this quality live recording, only the cd cover would have deserved better overall design. Altogether 160 minutes of soul, sweat and (no) tears worth every cent. Highly recommended!!

Kresten Osgood (drums); Michael Blake (saxophone); Lonnie Liston Smith (Hammond b-3 organ).

Album: Hammond Rens (Disc 1)
Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 76:57
Size: 176.1 MB
Styles: Organ jazz, Soul-jazz
Year: 2004
Art: Front

[11:37] 1. Collins
[12:14] 2. The World Awakes
[ 7:39] 3. The Makings Of You
[23:52] 4. Three For Dizzy
[20:33] 5. London Pride
[ 0:59] 6. Rahsaan Take A Break From The Choir Of Angels To Jam A Little

Hammond Rens (Discs 1&2 combined) Yara's link
Hammond Rens (Disc 1)

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Album: Hammond Rens (Disc 2)
Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 78:46
Size: 180.3 MB
Styles: Organ jazz, Soul-jazz
Year: 2004
Art: Front

[13:57] 1. I'm Black
[16:18] 2. Chop Suey
[10:14] 3. The Beat-Up Blues
[16:52] 4. Baby Let Me Take You (In My Arms)
[21:22] 5. Like Lonnie

Hammond Rens (Discs 1&2 combined) Yara's link
Hammond Rens (Disc 2)

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Jay Leonhart - Life Out On The Road

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 49:59

Size: 114.4 MB

Styles: Post bop

Year: 1990/2007

Art: Front

[4:09] 1. The Lion

[4:52] 2. God Fearing Boy

[4:47] 3. On The Road

[4:15] 4. Society Music

[3:48] 5. Me And Lenny

[3:23] 6. Rain

[4:03] 7. Bellson, Louis

[3:18] 8. Dodgers

[4:48] 9. Misunderstood

[4:13] 10. Iguanas And Lizards

[4:09] 11. Sympathizin' Fool

[4:08] 12. Change My Occupation

Jay Leonhart found himself sitting next to Leonard Bernstein in first class on TWA as they both flew to Los Angeles. After the shock and awe wore off (Jay's, not Lenny's) the two engaged in a wonderful cross country conversation that covered every possible topic. A few months later Jay wrote "Me and Lenny" which has since become known by jazz fans worldwide. Tony Bennett has even told Jay that "Me and Lenny" is Jay's "San Francisco" and that he should perform it everywhere he goes.

When Jay appeared on David Letterman, Paul Schaeffer wanted to know more of the juicy Lenny details, hoping for an Inquirer scoop. But Jay simply referred him to the song. Such a classy guy.

Jay Leonhart has played the bass violin since he was thirteen years old and played for most of the music icons of the 20th century, and is now working on those of the 21st century. He has been recognized in countless jazz polls and has received numerous recording industry awards. He has performed with a large number of famous pop groups, and jazz singers, from Judy Garland to Mel Torme. Steely Dan to Sting, Maureen McGovern to Michael Feinstein, James Taylor to Carly Simon. And many inbetween.

Life Out On The Road

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Davina & The Vagabonds - Black Cloud

Size: 100,4 MB
Time: 43:51
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2011
Styles: New Orleans Jazz/Blues Jazz, Ragtime
Label: Roustabout Records
Art: Front

01. Vagabond Stomp (Intro) (1:39)
02. Black Cloud (2:22)
03. Disappears (2:56)
04. Start Running (2:43)
05. Sugar Moon (4:02)
06. Pushpin (3:40)
07. Lipstick And Chrome (3:41)
08. River (4:56)
09. Pocket (3:20)
10. Let's Bring It Back (4:23)
11. Bee Sting (2:21)
12. Crosseyed (3:25)
13. Carry Him With You (3:20)
14. Vagabond Stomp (Outro) (0:56)

Davina & the Vagabonds play a blend of horn-driven retro blues and jazz – the kind of music that was blasting out of New Orleans in the 20’s & 30’s. Yet, the band has a couple of things that set them apart from their fellow revivalists. For one, they’ve got an utterly amazing vocalist in leader Davina Sowers, who’s able to rasp like Billie Holiday, soar like Dinah Washington, bellow like Sarah Vaughan and get goofy like Ethel Merman, yet manage to still sound completely unique. She’s one of those rare singers that make you smile when you hear her.

But, the truly singular element that this band possesses that should eventually rocket them to notoriety is the songs. Most roots artists, especially those who take a very traditional approach like this (piano, bass, drums, trombone, & trumpet), tend to stick to classic songs by other people. Yet, every track on Black Cloud was composed by Sowers. Because the horns are likely the first thing you notice, it may take awhile for her lyrics to set in, yet she’s capable of tremendous imagery. Take for instance the ukulele-led “Bee Sting,” with the lines “I’m sick of makin’ / the same old bread / the kind you eat / and you’re still not fed.” Many of the tracks, like “Black Cloud” and “Pushpin,” have the sis-boom-bah of classic Vaudeville, while others, like “Disappears” and “Pocket” are surprisingly melodic and poppy. In fact, if you stripped away the arrangements of those two songs, you might end up with something akin to say Ben Folds.

The Vagabonds band are a tight bunch, with the brash horns and upright bass (which is particularly good on the aforementioned “Bee Sting”). The production isn’t flashy, but that’s exactly what it needs. There is no attempt to turn this into something other than what it is – roots music played with reckless abandon. The album also works because it’s full of so many emotions, from the ass-kickin’ attitude of “Start Runnin’” to the pleading of “Lipstick and Chrome,” to the teary “River.” Another highlight is “Carry Him With You,” a gospel-inspired piece that makes an excellent closer. While their style of music certainly can’t be called mainstream, Davina & the Vagabonds, with their great songs and performances, have the makings of something bigger. – Tony Peters

Black Cloud

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Faith Amour - Bright Eyes

Size: 116,8 MB
Time: 50:47
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Vocal Jazz
Art: Front

01. Accentuate The Positive (2:05)
02. Habanera (4:43)
03. Mr. Ego (3:37)
04. Take It (3:31)
05. Ou Es-Tu (4:17)
06. A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square (4:45)
07. Nao Importa (4:26)
08. Buru Buru (5:09)
09. Sweet Georgia Brown (5:18)
10. Bright Eyes (5:46)
11. Un Canadien Errant (7:06)

Nominated for 4 New Mexico Music Awards, and Winner of award for Best Vocal Performance, Santa Fe, New Mexico – based Canadian vocalist Faith Amour is often called "the voice of an angel". Here’s a dynamic musician that blends her love of straight-ahead jazz with the vibrant rhythms of her South-American/Caribbean heritage and uplifting heartsongs from around the world. Drawing inspiration from her early classical training, she is highly in demand as a jazz singer, choral composer and conductor, having worked alongside industry innovators across North America. This is the debut album of a public school music teacher turned jazz chanteuse - featuring John Rangel on piano, Mark Clark on drums and Justin Bransford on bass.

Bright Eyes

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Gerry Beaudoin Trio (Feat Harry Allen) - The Return

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 56:17
Size: 128.9 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[4:16] 1. The Return
[7:33] 2. Jackie's Serenade
[5:01] 3. So Long Ebony
[7:02] 4. God Bless The Child
[5:44] 5. Wave
[5:02] 6. I Often Thought You'd Never Leave Me
[5:30] 7. Hamilton Honeymoon
[4:45] 8. Mother's Day Waltz
[5:06] 9. RSG
[6:14] 10. Joanne Hears The Blues

An exquisite collection of songs and performances in the tradition of the hey day of classic jazz recordings from labels such as Bluenote and Impulse. Jackie's Serenade and I Often Thought You'd Never Leave Me will become "new standards."

Boston jazz artist Gerry Beaudoin has distinguished himself in many ways the past several decades. He has been a mainstay in jazz clubs of Boston and New York City. Beaudoin is also well respected as a teacher, which is one of the most admirable parts of his career. He is making sure that a new generation of jazz guitarists understands the roots of where we are today. Explaining and demonstrating the form and complexity of playing through advanced chord changes is a true gift, and one that needs to be shared freely.

The Return comes after a slight break from performance over the past few years due to unforeseen health complications. The liner notes to this CD discuss how much Beaudoin missed performing for a while, and also a new found appreciation of getting back to it recently.

The group on this recording includes Jesse Williams (bass), Les Harris Jr. (drums) and Harry Allen (tenor saxophone). This is the rhythm section that Beaudoin returned to action with, and Allen adds a wonderful touch as an additional voice. Most of the tunes on The Return are originals penned during his six month convalescence. The title track is a medium Latin tune with a catchy melody and chord structure. Allen and Beaudoin double the melody and complement each other perfectly. “Jackie’s Serenade” gives Allen the perfect vehicle for his breathy expressive tone. It is also nice to hear excellent brush work by Harris and a sustained, rich bass line by Williams.

The Return

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Bill Henderson - Live At The Vic: Beautiful Memory

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 51:07
Size: 117.0 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[3:00] 1. All The Things You Are
[4:06] 2. Never Make Your Move
[5:48] 3. You Are My Sunshine
[4:01] 4. Royal Garden Blues
[7:04] 5. Sleepin Bee
[2:26] 6. The Moon Was Yellow
[4:13] 7. Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word
[3:48] 8. The Song Is You
[8:17] 9. Old Black Magic
[4:09] 10. Never Kiss And Run
[4:10] 11. Living Without You
[0:00] 12. Tulip Or Turnip

How can a guy who has been heralded as the definitive hard-bop vocalist, whose wide-ranging résumé includes stellar work alongside the likes of Art Blakey, Horace Silver, Count Basie, Oscar Peterson and Charlie Haden (that’s Henderson alternating tracks with Shirley Horn on Haden’s The Art of the Song from 1999), who fully deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as such contemporaries as Ernie Andrews, Oscar Brown Jr. and Johnny Hartman, remain so incredibly underappreciated?

So far off the radar is Bill Henderson that even ardent jazz-vocal fans are often surprised to discover he’s still around. Well, around and active he is—remarkably, at age 82, sounding every bit as robust as he did throughout his vibrant stint from 1958-61 as the sole jazz artist on the Vee-Jay label, and on his bestselling eponymous ’63 Verve album with Peterson’s trio—as demonstrated throughout this live date, captured at the Vic in Santa Monica in March 2007.

Fans of Henderson’s early-career sessions will recognize that the aptly titled Beautiful Memory represents a stroll down memory lane. Yet while the songs may be largely the same (augmented by such eclectic additions as B.B. King’s “Never Make Your Move” and Elton John’s “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word”), the arrangements are fresh and innovative and Henderson’s reinterpretations are estimably inventive. There may be frost in his beard, but there remains a blazing fire in his belly and an irresistibly energetic hipsterism that rivals fellow octogenarian Jon Hendricks. ~Christoher Loudon/Jazz Times

Live At The Vic: Beautiful Memory

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Gabriele Tranchina - A Song Of Love's Color

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:31
Size: 124,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:06)  1. Chante Comme Si Tu Devais Mourir Demain
(4:57)  2. A Song Of Love's Color
(3:57)  3. Samba De Uma Nota Só
(5:56)  4. Today
(5:23)  5. Sing A Song Of Children
(4:23)  6. Inútil Paisagem
(5:00)  7. Asato Maa (Sat Chit Ananda)
(5:04)  8. Duérmete Niño Bonito
(4:28)  9. Voz
(3:54) 10. Solamente Pasión
(6:17) 11. Siehst Du Mich

Gabriele Tranchina proves herself to be a versatile vocalist on her second CD. Accompanied by a first-rate band including her husband, Joe Vincent Tranchina, on piano, bassist Santi Debriano, and drummer Bobby Sanabria, the expressive alto sings in six different languages, while moving fluidly through many styles. The opener, "Chante Comme Si Tu Devais Mourir Demain," is a driving samba with French lyrics. She tackles Antonio Carlos Jobim's "One Note Samba" with equal skill in a breezy setting, along with an emotional interpretation of the late composer's "Inútil Paisagem." The pianist contributed several originals, including the haunting ballad "Siehst du Mich," featuring his spouse singing a German poem set to music; "Voz," a delightful scat vehicle for her in an Afro-Cuban setting; and the warm "Sing a Song of Children." Few vocalists have the capability to cover so much territory in the space of a single CD, so Gabriele Tranchina is clearly a talent deserving of wider recognition.  ~ Ken Dryden   http://www.allmusic.com/album/a-song-of-loves-color-mw0001967132   

A Song Of Love's Color

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Mary Stallings - Manhattan Moods

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:40
Size: 148,0 MB
Art: Front + Back

(4:19)  1. This Can't Be Love
(5:20)  2. Sweet and Lovely
(6:11)  3. I Have a Feeling
(5:39)  4. How High the Moon
(4:41)  5. Lullaby of the Leaves
(5:06)  6. I Wish I Knew
(4:51)  7. The Surrey With the Fringe on Top
(6:37)  8. You Go to My Head
(6:06)  9. He Was Too Good to Me
(6:02) 10. Willow Weep for Me
(5:21) 11. I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You
(4:23) 12. I Love You Madly

A product of the San Francisco Bay Area jazz scene, Mary Stallings recorded in New York for the first time when she entered a Manhattan studio for her third Concord release, Manhattan Moods. Contrary to what some provincial, myopic jazz critics implied, Stallings didn't have to record in the Big Apple to prove her legitimacy -- she would have been a great singer even if she'd never set foot outside of northern California. But Stallings' visit to New York was a good thing, for her talented East Coast support includes pianist Monty Alexander and producer Allen Farnham (who is a fine pianist himself, though he doesn't play on this CD). Farnham was known for his work with Mel Tormé and Susannah McCorkle, and when it came to working with singers in the 1990s, you couldn't ask for a more insightful producer. Farnham's input was obviously a major asset for Stallings, who really pours her heart into such chestnuts as "You Go to My Head," "I Wish I Knew," and "Lullaby of the Leaves." Perhaps the album's most surprising track is "How High the Moon," which was done at maximum speed by countless beboppers, but becomes a haunting ballad in Stallings' hands. With Stallings having put her singing career on the back burner for so many years, it was great to see her building an impressive catalog at Concord. ~  Alex Henderson  http://www.allmusic.com/album/manhattan-moods-mw0000020308

Manhattan Moods

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J.J.Johnson - Tangence

Styles: Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:08
Size: 134,3 MB
Art: Front + Back

(2:53)  1. People Time
(5:58)  2. The Meaning Of The Blues
(2:27)  3. For Dancers Only
(5:53)  4. Dinner For One, Please, James
(6:31)  5. Two's Company
(5:28)  6. Lament
(4:23)  7. Opus De Focus
(4:31)  8. The Very Thought Of You
(4:50)  9. Amazing Grace
(4:43) 10. Malagueña
(5:21) 11. The End Of A Love Affair
(4:04) 12. Malaga Moon

Trombonist J.J. Johnson is joined by a string orchestra arranged by Robert Farnon for most of the performances on this CD. Farnon's sweeping scores can sometimes come closer to movie music and muzak than jazz but the high quality of the songs and a few surprising departures make this CD recommended. Wynton Marsalis has three guest appearances (including a spirited unaccompanied duet with Johnson on the old Jimmy Lunceford hit "For Dancers Only"), Johnson takes his blues "Opus De Focus" as a duet with bassist Chris Laurence and the trombonist is in particularly fine form on such numbers as "The Meaning of the Blues," "Dinner for One, Please, James," "The Very Thought of You" and his own "Lament."~Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/tangence-mw0000126212

Personnel includes: J.J. Johnson (trombone); Robert Farnon (arranger); Wynton Marsalis (trumpet); Chris Laurence (bass). Producers: John Snyder, Jean-Philippe Allard. Personnel: J.J. Johnson (trombone); Louis Stewart (guitar); Hugh Webb (harp); Colin Sheen (violin, trombone); Derek Collier, David Randall, Joan Edwards, Geoffrey Grey, Maurice Brett, Rachel Cohen, Homi Kanga, Gillian Cohen, Levine Andrade (violin); Johnny Graham, George Turnland, Michael Ponder (viola); Norman Jones, Caroline Dale, Anthony Pleeth (cello); Dennis Walton, Peter Hughes, Ray Swinfield, Tommy Whittle, Roy Willox (woodwinds); Nigel Carter, Derek Healey, Kenny Baker , Wynton Marsalis, Simon Gardner (trumpet); John Pignegny, Nick Busch, Richard Watkins (French horn); Bill Geldard, Gordon Campbell, Don Lusher (trombone); Laurie Holloway (piano, keyboards); Terry Jenkins (drums); Eric Allen (percussion).                

Tangence

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