Jonathan Butler - Merry Christmas To You

Size: 111,6 MB
Time: 47:41
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Vocal Jazz, Holidays
Art: Front

01. This Christmas (4:13)
02. Sleigh Ride (3:34)
03. Merry Christmas To You (4:33)
04. Happy Holidays (4:38)
05. Little Drummer Boy (4:13)
06. I'll Be Home For Christmas (4:24)
07. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (4:08)
08. Sweet Little Jesus Boy (4:58)
09. The First Noel (5:49)
10. O Holy Night (7:06)

Jonathan Butler is a contemporary icon, a global artist that continues to grow and develop his artistry with each passing year. Merry Christmas To You is a little thank you to friends and fans that is as un-produced and organic in feel as a Christmas release should be. Butler takes what had the makings of a good release and elevates it to a level of greatness few artists can match.

Christmas records have a pretty simply formula. To start the Federal holiday is Christmas so while references to other celebrations are politically correct they tend to water down the original intent of what a Christmas release is all about. Another stumbling block for most artists is the self serving attempt to try and write original music for a Christmas release with most tunes simply crashing and burning faster than a Christmas turkey. Butler contributes two originals, "Merry Christmas To You" and "Happy Holidays." Both tunes are beautifully written and fit nicely with the overall vibe of this traditionally oriented release. The usual suspects including "Sleigh Ride" and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" are included and within this acoustic oriented setting take on a harmonic freshness long missing in the over produced commercial arena of "Holiday Music." Jonathan Butler allows the true spirit of the season to shine through with an exemplary performance that all music fans should enjoy.

A fantastic ensemble, tunes you know and love, and the genuine soul of a gifted artist makes Merry Christmas To You the perfect gift for fans across the globe.

Merry Christmas To You

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Clare Teal - Jing, Jing-A-Ling

Size: 101,8 MB
Time: 44:04
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Vocal Jazz, Holidays
Art: Front

01. Warm December (2:32)
02. The Christmas Song (4:17)
03. Jing-A-Ling, Jing-A-Ling (3:41)
04. Winter Wonderland (3:47)
05. A Little Whisky (2:59)
06. December (3:47)
07. That's What I Want For Christmas (3:58)
08. Skating On Thin Ice (3:47)
09. The Feeling's Right (3:13)
10. Mele Kalikimaka (2:34)
11. The Twelve Days Of Christmas (4:39)
12. What Are You Doing New Year's Eve (4:44)

Our very own Queen of Swing and top jazz singer Clare Teal should need little introduction after over a decade frequenting the National and Jazz charts and filling theatres the length and breadth of the country.

In 'The Divas and Me', Clare celebrates the music of her heroines, the leading lights of the jazz and big band world, paying homage to Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Judy Garland, Doris Day and many of their illustrious contemporaries.

Clare demonstrates the influence these characters have had on her own acclaimed catalogue of work. Known for her knowledge and love of the Great American Songbook and more recently The Great British Songbook, with wit and warmth, Clare tells outrageous anecdotes of their extraordinary lives and points to the future of Diva-dom with a few relevant originals and more modern day covers.

Multi award-winning Clare, who hosts two weekly Radio 2 programmes, formed her own label MUD Records in 2009 releasing three critically acclaimed albums Live At Ebenezer Chapel, Hey Ho (a celebration of the Great British Songbook) and And So It Goes and is now poised to release her long awaited first ever Christmas record Jing, Jing-a-Ling.

Jing, Jing-A-Ling

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The Chuck Mangione Quartet - Bellavia

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 38:13
Size: 87.5 MB
Styles: Crossover jazz
Year: 1975/2012
Art: Front

[4:19] 1. Come Take A Ride With Me
[6:57] 2. Listen To The Wind
[7:32] 3. Carousel
[6:28] 4. Bellavia
[4:58] 5. Dance On The Windup Toy
[7:56] 6. Torreano

This quick follow-up to Chase the Clouds Away was designed as sort of a portrait of the bustling Mangione family home (Bellavia being his mother's maiden name). Certainly there is more energy on tracks like "Listen to the Wind," the big band streaks of "Torreano," and the appropriately revolving riffs of "Carousel" than on the previous record, with Joe LaBarbera, Gerry Niewood, and Chip Jackson forming the core of support for Chuck's more vigorous orchestral writing. Chuck appears on the conductor's podium, flugelhorn, Rhodes electric piano and -- on "Dance of the Windup Toy" (otherwise dominated by an unnecessary LaBarbera drum solo) -- celeste, acquitting himself well in all regards. While you don't get the instant buzz of the best Mercury-period music here, this is still one of Mangione's better A&M releases. ~Richard S. Ginnell

Bellavia

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Kendra Shank - Wish

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 70:55
Size: 162.4 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 1998
Art: Front

[7:32] 1. Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair
[5:56] 2. Should've Been
[4:27] 3. You And The Night And The Music
[4:08] 4. A Lover's Lie
[7:56] 5. Moves
[4:00] 6. That Lonesome Road
[5:09] 7. You Say You Care
[6:25] 8. Wish
[6:52] 9. Gone
[4:38] 10. L' Amour Est Bien Fort Que Nous
[6:58] 11. Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise
[6:50] 12. Angel Face

Kendra Shank, whose initial CD was for Mapleshade, has grown quite a bit since her maiden effort. The singer's Jazz Focus debut Wish starts out with the most adventurous track, a version of "Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair" that may not be as scary as Patty Waters' classic mid-'60s rendition for ESP, but certainly finds Shank stretching herself with some unusual wordless sounds. Other highlights of her date include Abbey Lincoln's "Should've Been," her own "Wish," a reworking of "Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise" (complete with verse), and two originals by bassist Jeff Johnson. Johnson is in Shank's backup group, which includes Hans Teuber on reeds, pianist Frank Kimbrough, drummer Victor Lewis, and vibraphonist Joe Locke. This continually surprising set, which displays Shank's interest in both adventurous jazz and folk music, is well worth checking out. ~ Scott Yanow

Recording information: Acoustic Recording, Brooklyn, NY (04/20/1998-04/21/1998).

Kendra Shank (vocals); Hans Teuber (flute, saxophone, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Joe Locke (vibraphone); Victor Lewis (drums, snare drum); Frank Kimbrough (piano).

Wish

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Joe Lovano - I'm All For You

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 59:25
Size: 137.2 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2004
Art: Front

[7:51] 1. I'm All For You
[7:52] 2. Don't Blame Me
[4:01] 3. Monk's Mood
[5:17] 4. The Summary (A Suite For Pops)
[5:48] 5. Stella By Starlight
[9:29] 6. I Waited For You
[6:51] 7. Like Someone In Love
[7:31] 8. Early Autumn
[4:41] 9. Countdown

Joe Lovano's big-toned tenor saxophone (think John Coltrane in the '50s, or Sonny Rollins, as reference points) has graced many diverse jazz contexts. From soul-jazz (Lonnie Smith) to straight-ahead big band (Woody Herman, Mel Lewis) to freer, edgier situations (Paul Motian), the adaptable Lovano has excelled in all these while remaining true to himself. In his career as a leader, Lovano rarely repeats himself: he's recorded unique tribute albums to inspirations as diverse as Frank Sinatra, Enrico Caruso, and Tadd Dameron. With I'M ALL FOR YOU--which could be subtitled "Lovano Plays For Lovers"--Lovano takes it easy, after a fashion. While the program is all classic ballads ("Like Someone In Love," "Don't Blame Me") taken at languid, late-night tempos, the level of focus and invention are remarkable as ever. Lovano and his crew--including legends Hank Jones (concise and sublime on piano) and drummer Paul Motian (crisp, subtly swinging, impressionistic)--respect these melodies but also strive to re-invent them, and that they do, with a sense of adventure and more than just a touch of class.

Joe Lovano (tenor saxophone); Hank Jones (piano); George Mraz (double bass); Paul Motian (drums, cymbals).

I'm All For You

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Shaynee Rainbolt - At Home

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:57
Size: 121,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:02)  1. I Only Have Eyes For You
(3:43)  2. The Girls of Summer
(4:39)  3. Never Never Land/Pure Imagination
(3:47)  4. Moonglow
(4:41)  5. I Can't Make You Love Me
(3:44)  6. In These Shoes
(4:39)  7. Mink Schmink
(3:44)  8. The Summer Knows
(4:16)  9. Blizzard of Lies
(4:52) 10. Another Hundred People
(5:04) 11. Stuff Like That There
(5:40) 12. Easy To Remember

With a "little big band accompanying her comfortable program of favorite standards from the Great American Songbook, Shaynee Rainbolt reminds us why vocal expression remains so near and dear. With every tale of adventure, she takes her audience on a trip. Rainbolt's convincing interpretations combine a warm and personal approach with immaculate vocal authority. She likes to complement her lyrical stories with wordless vocal lines that interact with her sidemen as an instrumental voice. Hence, vocalist and accompaniment synchronize on all levels.

With guitarist Gene Bertoncini, she offers a convincing interpretation of "Moonglow. Michel Legrand's "The Summer Knows pairs the two artists in a sensitive duet that employs the emotional impact of acoustic classical guitar along with her storytelling charm. Dave Frishberg's "Blizzard of Lies comes complete with all the humor that the composer intended. "Mink Schmink also includes a special brand of humor, sent home by Rainbolt with hugs and kisses. Piano, bass, drums and a stellar trumpet voice give the singer a big assist.

Latin jazz comes to the fore on "In These Shoes, which she sings in both English and Spanish. The band fulfills its promise of adventure with this arrangement, and Rainbolt comes up with a winner. She's At Home with vocal jazz from many different perspectives. Deeply felt blues, comfortable swing, searing ballads, and a fun-loving playfulness give Rainbolt's newest album a fresh outlook that works wonders for the soul. ~ Jim Santella   

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=21549#.Un4xseJc_vs

Personnel: Shaynee Rainbolt: vocal; Lee Musiker: piano, keyboard; Tom Hubbard: bass; Ray Marchica: drums; Marshal Rosenberg: percussion; Gene Bertoncini: guitar; Bud Burridge: trumpet; Cliff Lyons: soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone; Dan Willis: flute; Judy Barnett: backup vocals.

At Home

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Tia Fuller - Angelic Warrior

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:46
Size: 148,3 MB
Art: Front

(6:27)  1. Royston Rumble
(6:35)  2. Ralphie's Groove
(5:55)  3. Angelic Warrior
(5:43)  4. Lil Les
(7:00)  5. Body and Soul
(5:01)  6. Descend to Barbados
(1:01)  7. Ode to be (interlude)
(5:48)  8. So in Love w/ All of You
(7:15)  9. Tailor Made
(2:31) 10. Core of Me
(5:59) 11. Simpli-city
(3:47) 12. Cherokee
(1:37) 13. Ode to be (outro)

The title of saxophonist Tia Fuller's third album for the Mack Avenue imprint is a bit of an oxymoron, yet it fits her sound so well. Fuller's saxophone work exhibits a bright tone, but her soloing is often full of dark thoughts and her oft-agreeable and positive musical persona belies the fact that she has razor sharp chops that can dig into the auditory canal in powerful and pleasurable ways. Fuller is constantly at work, but her own music has often been put on the back burner so she can lend her soulful sound to artists like pop star Beyoncé or bassist/vocalist extraordinaire Esperanza Spalding. Thankfully, she took the time to focus on her own music again, fully investing herself in original works on Angelic Warrior. Fuller penned ten of the thirteen tracks for this outing, and each one was built with a solid sense of purpose and passion. The driving "Royston Rumble," which highlights the chemistry between her sister/pianist Shamie Royston and brother-in-law/drummer Rudy Royston starts things off with a bang. Shamie takes a McCoy Tyner-derived, percussive approach to the piano here and Rudy stirs up a storm with his cyclonic drumming. This is the first of five tracks to feature John Patitucci's guitar-like piccolo bass work and his playing is nothing short of remarkable. 

His dexterous skills on this axe make him a fully capable front line partner for Fuller, and he sounds like a new man as he leaves the bottom end of the sound spectrum behind. Light Latin underpinnings ("Ralphie's Groove"), slamming, contemporary soul jazz fusion ("Tailor Made"), a bout of slightly mournful elegance ("Core Of Me"), and swing ("Simpli-City") all surface at one time or another as Fuller fully embraces the concept of stylistic variety. She can exhibit poetic grace, as demonstrated on the two "Ode To Be" vignettes, but she can also get down and dirty, as shown during a saxophone-drums-bass three way on a Cole Porter mash-up entitled "So In Love With All Of You." While this standard(s) rewrite proves to be one of the strongest performances on the album, the other two classics included on the playlist don't work quite as well. The rumbling undercarriage of "Cherokee" proves to be too distracting and "Body and Soul," which features vocalist Dianne Reeves, is a little out of place. This harmonically tweaked, neo-soul take on this oft-performed number feels a bit stiff and uncomfortable compared to the other material on this date; it might have worked better as a bonus track. On the whole, Fuller finds sure-footing and artistic success as she molds all of the elements in the modern jazz melting pot to her liking. She is fierce, friendly, cutting, kind and calculating all at once; Tia Fuller is the angelic warrior of which she speaks.~ Dan Bilawsky   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=42994#.UWcegjdfaSo

Personnel: Tia Fuller: alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute; Shamie Royston: piano, Fender Rhodes; Mimi Jones: acoustic bass; Rudy Royston: drums; Shirazette Tinnin: percussion (2, 6, 9); Terri Lynne Carrington: drums (3, 8, 12); John Patitucci: electric and piccolo bass (1, 2, 4, 6, 9), acoustic bass (8); Dianne Reeves: vocals (5).

Angelic Warrior

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