Abbey Lincoln - Abbey Sings Billie (2-disc set)

Finally, the two halves of Abbey Lincoln's two-day, Billie Holiday tribute recording sessions are complete in one set. Originally issued separately, the November 1987 dates features Ms. Lincoln accompanied by drummer Mark Johnson, bassist Tarik Shah, Harold Vick on tenor, and pianist James Weidman. These are two of the singer's finest recordings and, if not groundbreaking, are certainly soul-stirring and aesthetically definitive. ~Thom Jurek

Recorded at the Universal Jazz Coalition, New York, New York on November 6 & 7, 1987.

Abbey Lincoln (vocals); Harold Vick (tenor saxophone); James Weidman (piano); Tarik Shah (bass); Mark Johnson (drums).

Album: Abbey Sings Billie (Disc 1)
Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 57:06
Size: 130.7 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 1987/2001

[ 3:18] 1. What A Little Moonlight Can Do
[ 2:51] 2. I Only Have Eyes For You
[ 5:09] 3. Gloomy Sunday
[ 4:27] 4. Crazy He Calls Me
[ 6:16] 5. Strange Fruit
[ 5:42] 6. Lover Man
[ 4:41] 7. These Foolish Things
[ 5:20] 8. I'll Be Seeing You
[10:18] 9. Soul Eyes
[ 9:01] 10. Ill Wind

Abbey Sings Billie (Disc 1)

---

Album: Abbey Sings Billie (Disc 2)
Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 40:12
Size: 92.0 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 1987/2001
Art: Front

[7:02] 1. Gimme A Pigfoot
[6:58] 2. No More
[5:22] 3. God Bless The Child
[6:22] 4. Don't Explain
[5:28] 5. For Heaven's Sake
[3:20] 6. Please Don't Talk About Me (When I'm Gone)
[5:36] 7. For All We Know

Abbey Sings Billie (Disc 2)

---

Chad Eby - Broken Shadows

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 63:41
Size: 145.8 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[5:08] 1. Tip Toe
[2:32] 2. Mira
[6:01] 3. Epitaph I Doo-Wee-Inn
[6:44] 4. Orange Was The Color Of Her Dress, Then Blue Silk
[3:18] 5. Little You
[4:03] 6. Epitaph II Line For Lackritz
[7:05] 7. I'm Still Here
[5:02] 8. Sentinel
[4:19] 9. Broken Shadows
[5:22] 10. Sunset And The Mockingbird
[3:55] 11. Epitaph III J-Mac
[5:45] 12. Epitaph IV The Kid From Albany
[4:23] 13. The Single Petal Of A Rose

This trio session, with bassist Steve Haines and drummer Jason Marsalis packs Eby's music aspirations from varying musical inspirations. Opening with Thad Jones' "Tip Top," Eby sports a soprano saxophone sound acquired from John Coltrane circa 1961. That unadorned sound, seemingly simple to the ear, reveals Eby's mastery of the very difficult straight horn. He returns to the soprano on his original "Little You," altering his tone, rejuvenating the sixties sound into a modern chamber feel and then morphing once again on his tribute to Steve Lacy on "Epitaph II: Line For Lackritz" with a more acerbic tone.

The "Epitaph Suite," four commissioned compositions, allows Eby to pay homage to Dewey Redman, Ray Charles, Jackie McLean and Lacy. Each piece displays a little of the honoree, but is more telling of Eby's sound. They can dribble an enticing blues for Charles, slowly defrosting a sexy tenor sound or cleanly snap off notes in praise to McLean without sounding derivative or clichéd.

Saxophonist Branford Marsalis joins Eby's trio on two tracks. The two tenors reprise Marsalis' duel with Joe Lovano on "The Sentinel," from The Dark Keys (Columbia, 1996); the two also interlock horns on the Redman tribute, "Epitaph I: Doo-We-Inn." Like Marsalis, Eby's tenor tone can be boundless, blues-inflected, and wholly satisfying. These two players are indeed simpatico. ~Mark Corroto

Recording information: The Rubber Room, Chapel Hill, NC.

Chad Eby (saxophone, tenor saxophone); Doug Wamble (guitar); Jason Marsalis (drums).

Broken Shadows

---

Karen Robinson - Karen Robinson With: Mike Cowie, Larry Bjornson, David Burton & Holly Arsenault

Size: 100,1 MB
Time: 43:27
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Vocal Jazz
Art: Front

01. Cats And Crows (5:07)
02. Play It Softly (3:43)
03. Raven's Wing (4:53)
04. When I Sing The Blues (5:06)
05. She's A Keeper (2:57)
06. Know When To Fly (3:11)
07. Pen In Hand (4:20)
08. Whispers (4:35)
09. Cold Anger On (4:28)
10. Blues Bird (5:04)

Karen's first CD of original jazz is "Karen Robinson WITH". The launch event sold out within a few days!

The CD was produced by Mike Cowie, a gifted musician, arranger and producer, and features Karen's vocals, Mike on muted trumpet, Larry Bjornson on upright bass, Dave Burton on drums, Holly Arsenault on piano, Chris Mitchell on flute and alto sax, Danny Martin on trombone, Jeff Reilly on bass clarinet, Doris Mason and Lisa MacDougall doing back-up vocals, and Kevin Breit on guitar.

Producer Mike Cowie said, “I don’t produce albums for other singers any more, but these are terrific songs! I had to do this. Everyone who came to the project agreed. It all comes down to the songs, and these are all great songs. Some are way beyond great. Like late Joni Mitchell. Great melodies, great performances. Is it jazz or folk rock? It’s somewhere in the middle. The album is very alive and musical, more dynamic than most we hear today, and with all the faults and curves. It is real, honest music. Every song is different. We used minimal compression, only what was needed to stay in the game without losing the reality, and I am thrilled. It all starts with the songs ... and Karen’s songs are brilliant. Karen delivers every song exquisitely!”

Karen Robinson With

---

Jessica Riippa - Calm My Nerves

Size: 70,0 MB
Time: 30:27
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Jazzy Blues
Art: Front

01. I Can't Remember (4:18)
02. The Lake (3:11)
03. Just Alone (3:27)
04. I Said Yes (3:54)
05. Dreamer (5:04)
06. Ja Veit (3:51)
07. Calm My Nerves (2:42)
08. Complicated (3:57)

The album "Calm my nerves" is singer/songwriter Jessica Riippas debut album. Being her first album, it is filled with music both old and new, and varying in musical style. Jessica moves from bluesy jazz to songs she originally composed for theatre, but later finding their way into her own musical interpretation, to her own story.

Calm My Nerves

---

The Canadian Brass - Swingtime!

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 58:20
Size: 133.5 MB
Styles: Big band
Year: 1996
Art: Front

[5:03] 1. Artistry In Rhythm
[4:28] 2. Blue Rondo A La Turk
[3:11] 3. (Back Home Again In) Indiana
[2:59] 4. Night And Day
[5:02] 5. 'round About Midnight
[3:19] 6. At The Woodchopper's Ball
[3:43] 7. The Lady Is A Tramp
[2:46] 8. Sugar Blues
[3:32] 9. The Man I Love
[2:46] 10. Whatever Happened To The Dream
[9:10] 11. Concierto De Aranjez
[3:33] 12. I Found Love
[4:02] 13. Ellington Medley
[4:39] 14. One O'clock Jump

This is an odd if mostly intriguing set by the Canadian Brass, which is comprised of two trumpets, trombone, French horn, and tuba. On most of the selections, they are joined by a full band that includes keyboardist Warren Bernhardt, guitarist Gene Bertoncini, up to 11 additional horns (arranged by Don Sebesky), and even occasionally six-strings. The inventive arrangements make such songs as "Blue Rondo a la Turk," "Indiana," "At the Woodchopper's Ball," and "One O'Clock Jump" quite colorful and full of surprises. It is particularly odd that there are three selections that have the Canadian Brass adding their parts to historic recordings: Zoot Sims in 1950 playing "Night and Day," the 1954 Gerry Mulligan Quartet on "The Lady Is a Tramp," and Roy Eldridge The Zoot Sims Quartet, Gerry Mulligan Quartet and Roy Eldridge recordings used on SWINGTIME! date from the 1950s. Canadian Brass created new arrangements by overdubbing parts onto existing recordings of "Night And Day" by Zoot Sims (recorded in 1950), "The Lady Is A Tramp" by Gerry Mulligan (June 3, 1954) and "The Man I Love" by Roy Eldridge (June 9, 1950).

Recording information: Clinton Studio A, New York, NY (04/10/1995-04/26/1995); Soundtrack Studio A, New York, NY (04/10/1995-04/26/1995).

Frederic Mills, Ronald Romm (trumpet); David Ohanian (French horn); Eugene Watts (trombone); Charles Daellenbach (tuba). Zoot Sims Quartet: Zoot Sims (tenor saxophone); Gerry Wiggins (piano); Pierre Michelot (bass); Kenny Clarke (drums). Gerry Mulligan Quartet: Gerry Mulligan (baritone saxophone); Bob Brookmeyer (valve trombone); Red Mitchell (bass); Frank Isola (drums). Additional personnel: Gene Bertoncini, Joe Taylor (guitar); Belinda Whitney-Barratt, Natalie Cenovia Cummins, Karen Karlsrud, Evan Johnson (violin); Crystal Garner (viola); Maria Kitsopoulos (cello); Lawrence Feldman (flute, piccolo, clarinet, alto saxophone); Chuck Wilson (flute, clarinet, alto saxophone); Dave Tofani (flute, clarinet, tenor saxophone); Roger Rosenberg (flute, bass clarinet, baritone saxophone); Richard Stoltzman (clarinet); Ken Hitchcock (clarinet, bass clarinet, tenor saxophone); Zoot Sims (tenor saxophone); Rick Baptiste, Tony Kadleck, Neal Balm, Roy Eldridge (trumpet); Jeff Lang, Peter Gordon, Bob Carlise (French horn); Keith O'Quinn, Larry Farrell (trombone); Paul Faulise (bass trombone); Dick Hyman (piano); Warren Bernhardt (piano, keyboards); John Miller, Pierre Michelot (bass); Ronnie Zito, Ed Shaughnessy (drums); Gordon Gottlieb, Joe Passaro (percussion).

Swingtime!

---

Carla Helmbrecht & Akio Sasajima - Quiet Intentions

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 57:26
Size: 131.5 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[5:16] 1. Skylark
[3:54] 2. You Don't Know What Love Is
[4:42] 3. Girl Crazy: Embraceable You
[5:54] 4. How Insensitive
[4:30] 5. Bewitched Bothered And Bewildered
[5:14] 6. Angel Eyes
[3:45] 7. Stardust
[5:19] 8. Cry Me A River
[4:12] 9. A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square
[4:57] 10. That's All
[3:46] 11. My One And Only Love
[5:51] 12. Two For The Road

Grammy-nominated vocalist and song-writer, Carla Helmbrecht, began her love affair with music at the age of eight. A native of Wisconsin, Carla was raised in a large music-loving family and had an inherent desire for music. It was her father who introduced her to jazz, and it was not uncommon for the entire family to spend endless evenings making music. By age 13, she was singing professionally and continued her musical studies through high school and college. Her earliest jazz influences included Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Julie London, Count Basie, and Dave Brubeck. Later influences included Shirley Horn, Nancy Wilson, and Miles Davis.

While studying Speech-Language Pathology at Texas Tech University, Carla sang with the TTU Jazz Ensemble I under direction of Alan Shinn. There, she had the opportunity to perform with and open for jazz notables, such as Tuck and Patti, the Yellowjackets, Louie Bellson, and Tony Campizi. In 1993 she was awarded "best vocal performance" by IAGE.

Carla’s experience in Speech-Language Pathologist specializing in the area of voice has given her a unique understanding of the A&P of vocal use. She has frequently worked with professional singers in helping them to rehabilitate their voice, to achieve balance between vocal efficiency and expression, and to have longevity with this beautiful but fragile instrument – the voice.

Carla recently completed a new duo project with guitarist Akio Sasajima. The project, QUIET INTENTIONS, is a guitar + vocal duo.

Quiet Intentions

---

Oliver Nelson - Booze Blues Baby

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 36:20
Size: 83.2 MB
Styles: Hard bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[6:31] 1. Booze Blues Baby
[6:50] 2. What's New
[5:28] 3. Ostinato
[3:41] 4. Don't Stand Up
[6:48] 5. Passion Flower
[7:00] 6. Jams And Jellies

Oliver Nelson was a distinctive soloist on alto, tenor, and even soprano, but his writing eventually overshadowed his playing skills. He became a professional early on in 1947, playing with the Jeter-Pillars Orchestra and with St. Louis big bands headed by George Hudson and Nat Towles. In 1951, he arranged and played second alto for Louis Jordan's big band, and followed with a period in the Navy and four years at a university. After moving to New York, Nelson worked briefly with Erskine Hawkins, Wild Bill Davis, and Louie Bellson (the latter on the West Coast). In addition to playing with Quincy Jones' orchestra (1960-1961), between 1959-1961 Nelson recorded six small-group albums and a big band date; those gave him a lot of recognition and respect in the jazz world. Blues and the Abstract Truth (from 1961) is considered a classic and helped to popularize a song that Nelson had included on a slightly earlier Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis session, "Stolen Moments." He also fearlessly matched wits effectively with the explosive Eric Dolphy on a pair of quintet sessions. But good as his playing was, Nelson was in greater demand as an arranger, writing for big band dates of Jimmy Smith, Wes Montgomery, and Billy Taylor, among others. By 1967, when he moved to Los Angeles, Nelson was working hard in the studios, writing for television and movies. He occasionally appeared with a big band, wrote a few ambitious works, and recorded jazz on an infrequent basis, but Oliver Nelson was largely lost to jazz a few years before his unexpected death at age 43 from a heart attack. ~bio by Scott Yanow

Booze Blues Baby

---

Erin Boheme - What A Life

Styles: Jazz Contemporary
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:50
Size: 84,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:21)  1. Everyone But Me
(3:27)  2. I Missed You Today
(3:09)  3. In My Place
(3:34)  4. In My Shoes
(4:09)  5. The Last Time
(4:33)  6. I Do I Do
(3:18)  7. He Isn't You
(3:44)  8. One More Try
(3:54)  9. What A Life
(3:39) 10. I'd Love To Be Your Last

When teenaged Wisconsinite Erin Boheme made her recording debut in 2006, she opted for a too-mature style that suggested Marilyn Monroe by way of Billie Holiday. Now, at age 25, Boheme has settled into a far more age-appropriate groove that seems composed of equal parts Sophie Milman and Taylor Swift. Last time out, Boheme also favored several tunes geared toward an older, more seasoned performer. Here, Boheme’s largely original material (among the 10 tracks there are only two covers, one from David Foster and another from Miranda Lambert) is better suited to her age and demeanor.

The album’s producer is Michael Bublé, marking the crooner’s first venture on the opposite side of the mic. Bublé was, as is widely documented, a protégé of Foster’s. So it’s hardly surprising that he favors Foster-esque arrangements throughout. Every track is, it seems, another opportunity to transform a simple, pretty love song into a slice of steamrolling pop. Bublé also lent Boheme his touring band—pianist Alan Chang, guitarist Dino Meheghin, bassist Craig Polasko and drummer Robb Perkins—an able foursome, surely well versed in the nuts and bolts of Foster-esque overproduction, complete with waves of syrupy strings.

There are some solid tunes buried in the excess, particularly the forthright “In My Shoes,” the gently swinging “He Isn’t You” and the tender, Henry Mancini-inspired title track. Boheme also duets with her producer on Lambert’s “I’d Love to Be Your Last.” Surprisingly, though, given that Bublé’s pulling the strings, he sounds oddly detached throughout.~ Christopher Loudon(http://jazztimes.com/articles/58997-what-a-life-erin-boheme).

Personnel: Erin Boheme (vocals); Dino Meheghin (guitar); Nancy Dinovo, Mary Sokol Brown (violin); Hal Foxton Beckett (viola); Ari Barnes (cello); Alan Chang (piano); Robert Perkins (drums).

What A Life

---

Nancy Kelly - Born To Swing

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:57
Size: 131,1 MB
Scans: Front

(5:01)  1. I've Got the World on a String
(3:44)  2. Like Someone In Love
(5:15)  3. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
(5:37)  4. More Than You Know
(3:14)  5. Falling In Love With Love
(4:38)  6. Let Me Off Uptown
(6:15)  7. Didn't We
(3:18)  8. Come Rain or Come Shine
(5:12)  9. I'll Be Seeing You
(3:54) 10. Watch What Happens
(6:10) 11. New York State of Mind
(4:33) 12. Let's Talk Business

Nancy Kelly is a jazz vocalist who has recorded three albums since 1988 on the Amherst label. Born in Rochester, Kelly lives on Lake Ontario between Syracuse and Rochester in upstate New York. Her new album has the decided advantage of presenting her with a fine quartet: Houston Person (tenor sax), Dino Losito (keyboards), Neal Miner (bass) and Mark Taylor (drums). Their music, and especially the obbligatos and solo work by Person, lift this album up a notch. The presence of Nancy Kelly suggests the sympatico relationship that the tenor saxophonist shared with signer Etta Jones for so long. I'm not saying that Nancy Kelly's recording persona is anything like that of Etta Jones, but this disc hints at enough of a suggestion of the shared musical moments between Person and Kelly.

The songs are all serviceable and Kelly does breathe some life into such familiar jazz vehicles as "I've Got The World On A String," "Come Rain Or Come Shine" and "Like Someone in Love." After providing several soulful moments on the opening, Houston Person steps out "for a cup of coffee" and only reappears on the midway mark of the album. Thank goodness, for the very solid playing of pianist Dino Losito, another regular from New York's Southern Tier, who provides some two-fisted support for Kelly, as well as efforts by Miner and Taylor. When Person returns on "Come Rain Or Come Shine," the listener can settle back into a full comfort mode.

Coincidentally, Nancy Kelly opened for a jazz act in suburban Long Island that I had planned to attend and I did get a bonus opportunity to hear and meet the singer under working conditions. Her backing trio of Sarah Jane Cion (piano), Jerry Bruno (bass) and Joe Cocuzzo (drums) cooked, and Kelly showed her skills at both scatting and singing, taking a lot more freedom with the melodies. In addition, Kelly shared showed great ease with her musicians and exuded a hipness with both the audience and her trio.

Personnel: Nancy Kelly: vocals: Houston Person: tenor saxophone; Dino Losito: piano, Fender Rhodes; Neal Miner: bass; Mark Taylor: drums. (By Michael P. Gladstone) http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=22270#.Unfme-IufKc

Born To Swing

---