Ed Reed - Born To Be Blue

Size: 135,2 MB
Time: 58:01
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2011
Styles: Vocal Jazz
Art: Front

01. Old Country (4:14)
02. Born To Be Blue (4:16)
03. Inside A Silent Tear (5:31)
04. Throw It Away (4:53)
05. All My Tomorrows (3:29)
06. End Of A Love Affair (5:55)
07. She's Funny That Way (3:47)
08. You're Looking At Me (3:26)
09. Some Other Time (5:42)
10. Kiss And Run (4:50)
11. Monk's Dream (3:30)
12. How Am I To Know (4:01)
13. Wee Baby Blues (4:20)

Ed Reed joins fellow West Coasters Art Pepper and Frank Morgan in returning to a critically acclaimed career previously derailed by substance abuse. After 40 years of scuffling, Reed cleaned up, became a chemical dependency treatment professional and began recording in earnest. Reed has released two recordings, Love Stories (Self Produced, 2007) and The Song is You (Blue Shorts Records, 2008), each well-received and now followed up by Born To Be Blue, featuring a youthful and upbeat take on Jon Hendricks' vocalese treatment of Thelonious Monk's "Monk's Dream."

Reed has a unique voice, not overtly powerful but nuanced and experienced. He navigates Hendricks' circuitous phrasing without unnecessary tonal alteration, singing with straight grace and confidence. Pianist Randy Porter and tenor saxophonist Anton Schwartz turn in blazing solos, angular and curious in a hot sort of way. Reed reenters, cooling things off in the coda—the complete professional. This is refined vocal jazz that only a lifetime can produce. ~Review by C. Michael Bailey

Personnel: Ed Reed: vocals; Randy Porter: piano; Robb Fisher: bass; Akira Tana: drums; Anton Schwartz: tenor saxophone.

Born To Be Blue

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Arnett Cobb - The Wild Man From Texas

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 56:31
Size: 129.4 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 1991/2007
Art: Front

[7:08] 1. Smooth Sailing
[8:19] 2. Flying Home No. 2
[6:27] 3. Where Or When
[4:48] 4. Dutch Kitchen Bounce
[3:42] 5. Blowing In Paris No. 2
[6:30] 6. The Nearness Of You
[5:45] 7. Tenor Duet
[4:51] 8. Blues In My Heart
[4:55] 9. I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance
[4:02] 10. September In The Rain

This Black & Blue session, made available domestically on a Classic Jazz LP in the late '70s, has some typically rambunctious playing by tenor saxophonist Arnett Cobb. The tough tenor is featured in a larger group than usual (a nonet also including trumpeter Wallace Davenport, trombonist Buster Cooper, fellow tenor Eddie Chamblee, and organist Milt Buckner), with side one consisting of three romps (including "Smooth Sailing" and "Flying Home") and the second half made up of three ballads (highlighted by "The Nearness of You"). Cobb, who had emerged a couple years earlier after a decade spent sticking close to Texas, was still in prime form, making this hard to find set worth the search. [A ten-track CD reissue is also available on Black & Blue.] ~ Scott Yanow

The Wild Man From Texas

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Trish Hatley - On The Quiet Side

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 52:21
Size: 119.8 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz, Easy Listening
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[4:59] 1. I Get Along Without You Very Well
[4:37] 2. You Must Believe In Spring
[4:36] 3. So Many Stars
[5:04] 4. You Don't Know Me
[3:31] 5. Zanzibar
[5:26] 6. Where Do You Start
[5:05] 7. I'm Not Alone
[7:16] 8. Lush Life
[6:54] 9. Love Dance
[4:47] 10. That's All

It has been said that marriages are made in heaven. I want to announce a wedding made in the state of Washington. When you put vocalist Trish Hatley of Anacortes together with pianist Darin Clendenin of Seattle, you have a marriage of musical talents that is heavenly. When Trish sings, it is as if she were singing to you and you alone. Her style, phrasings and interpretations bring out every possible intimacy and nuance contained in each song. All of this is then complemented by her impeccable intonation. Every note is a pearl.

It is obvious that Trish and Darin have been collaborating for a long time, as his arrangements and accompanying are a perfect match to her every musical utterance. His harmonic choices are a joy to those of us who like rich chordal structures, and he never disappoints with his ever varying accompanying textures. With his rhythmic, melodic and harmonic language, he gives his piano all of the dynamic ranges and sounds of a full orchestra.

So this is album is, indeed, a musical marriage made in heaven! ~Steve Sample

On The Quiet Side

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Fernando Huergo - Jazz Argentino: Live At The Regattabar

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 74:11
Size: 169.8 MB
Styles: Latin jazz
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[11:26] 1. Chacarera Para El Diego
[ 7:25] 2. Che
[12:02] 3. Lucero
[ 9:18] 4. Esperanza
[ 8:24] 5. Serrana
[ 8:44] 6. El Tren De Las Nubes
[ 7:05] 7. Elusive Happiness
[ 9:44] 8. Espejos

For his sophomore release, bassist Fernando Huergo enlists Chris Cheek on soprano and tenor saxes, Bruce Barth on piano, Jeff Ballard on drums, and Franco Pinna on percussion. The steady personnel makes for a more focused session, a sign of growth since Huergo's 1998 debut, Living These Times. Huergo seeks to incorporate a full range of Argentinean idioms -- not just the tango sounds associated with urban areas, but also the folkloric, rural styles of the north. Again, he plays mainly electric bass, switching to acoustic for "Adán Buensayres" and "Che" (both of which involve tricky tempo and mood transitions), as well as the somewhat ominous and relatively brief "Chicos De Malvinas." (It's interesting that the acoustic bass tracks are, for the most part, also the tracks on which Cheek plays tenor rather than soprano.) Compositionally, Huergo is at his best on "Truco," a snaky tango line with a dramatic B section, paving the way for fiery piano-soprano sax exchanges and a drum-percussion breakdown. There's a mournful quality to much of the music, although the improvisational skills of these players brighten even the darkest moments. A fine piece of work from one of South America's most significant jazz exports. ~ David R. Adler Fernando Huergo was born in Cordoba, Argentina in 1968. Has recorded over 60 albums, including 3 as a leader and 4 as co-leader. Fernando has toured in North, Central and South America, Europe and Asia. He has given clinics in Argentina, Costa Rica, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, Portugal, England, France, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Turkey, Japan and in many cities in the United States.

Fernando graduated from Berklee College of Music in 1992, where he is a Faculty Member in the Bass Department since 1996, with the position of Assistant Professor. He also teaches at Tufts University since 2001.

Jazz Argentino: Live At The Regattabar

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Dana Lauren (Feat. Arturo Sandoval) - Stairway to the Stars

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:08
Size: 117,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:39)  1. Mean to Me
(5:05)  2. But Beautiful
(3:12)  3. If I Were a Bell
(4:18)  4. Sometimes I'm Happy
(5:55)  5. I've Grown Accustomed to His Face
(3:24)  6. Devil May Care
(3:34)  7. I Thought About You
(4:16)  8. I Could Write a Book
(4:54)  9. You Hit the Spot
(2:56) 10. How High the Moon
(4:41) 11. Corcovado
(4:09) 12. Stairway to the Stars

Being at the right place at the right time is certainly relevant for Dana Lauren. On August 12, 2006, Dana attended the Newport Jazz Festival where Arturo Sandoval was performing. As luck would have it, Dana bumped into Mr. Sandoval as he was headed back to the stage in between performances. During a brief conversation, Mr. Sandoval found out that Dana was a jazz vocalist and getting ready to begin her first year at New England Conservatory as a jazz vocal performance major. He invited Dana to join him on stage at Sculler’s Jazz Club in Boston that following November. Since that time, Dana has had the honor of performing with Arturo at the Arturo Sandoval Jazz Club in Miami, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and Birdland in NYC to mention a few. This CD is the result of that meeting in Newport. Dana will always be thankful to Arturo for giving her this amazing opportunity and considers him not only her mentor but also a very good friend. Meeting Arturo Sandoval on the day of her 18th birthday was a life changing experience.

Dana has loved music for as long as she can remember. Her parents knew she had a passion and love of music when she was playing songs by ear on her keyboard at 6 years old. Shortly after that, she began taking classical piano lessons. While she was always singing, it didn’t dawn on anyone that her “gift” was her voice. While Dana’s mother loved to listen to jazz, Dana did not discover her passion for jazz until she arrived at high school and was chosen as the piano player for her high school jazz ensemble. Through her high school years, Dana was a member of the jazz band, jazz choir and women’s choir. She also directed an a cappella jazz quartet. Dana added jazz piano instruction as well as voice lessons to her schedule knowing that she would be majoring in jazz performance in college. Dana was thrilled to receive the Outstanding Vocal Soloist Award at the 2006 Berklee College of Music High School Jazz Festival and the Judge’s Choice Award for her piano and choir performance. Dana is completing her sophomore year at New England Conservatory as a jazz vocal performance major. She is excited to be transferring to Berklee College of Music on scholarship for the fall 2008 semester where she will continue her jazz vocal training and get back to seriously working on her jazz piano chops. Dana continues to perform with her own band in venues along the East Coast.  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/danalauren

Stairway to the Stars

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Gladys Knight - Another Journey

Styles: R&B
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:27
Size: 88,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:15)  1. Old School
(3:34)  2. I Who Have Nothing
(3:59)  3. The Dream
(4:19)  4. All in Due Time
(3:33)  5. Settle
(4:15)  6. I L-O-V-E Y-O-U
(5:45)  7. I Hope You Dance
(4:36)  8. I Who Have Nothing (club Remix)
(4:08)  9. Searching for the Real Thing

The great ones endure, and Gladys Knight has long been one of the greatest. Very few singers over the last fifty years have matched her unassailable artistry. This eight-time Grammy winner has enjoyed #1 hits in pop, R&B and Adult Contemporary, and has triumphed in film, television and live performance.

In June 2013, Knight released her much anticipated 8th solo album, Another Journey, featuring the hit “I Who Have Nothing.” The album also features the up-tempo track “Settle,” produced by Randy Jackson, with whom she previously collaborated with on her Grammy-winning album At Last.

Georgia-born Knight began performing gospel music at age four. Three years later, she won the grand prize on Ted Mack’s Amateur Hour, and the following year, she, along with her brother Bubba, her sister Brenda and her cousins William and Elenor Guest, formed The Pips.  In 1959, Brenda and Elenor left the group, replaced by cousin Edward Patten and friend Langston George.  The group was renamed Gladys Knight & The Pips, and following George’s departure in 1962, the classic line-up was in place.

The group debuted their first album in 1960 when Knight was just 16.  They went on to achieve iconic status, having recorded some of the most memorable songs of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.  Top 20 hits like “Every Beat of My Heart,” “Letter Full of Tears,” “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” and “If I Were Your Woman,” set the stage for an amazing run in the mid-1970s, with Top 10 gold-certified singles like “Neither One of Us (Wants to be the First to Say Goodbye),”  “I’ve Got to Use My Imagination,”  “Best Thing to Ever Happen to Me” and the #1 smash “Midnight Train to Georgia” established Gladys Knight and The Pips as the premiere pop/R&B vocal ensemble in the world.  Knight enjoyed another #1 hit in 1985 when she teamed with Stevie Wonder, Elton John and Dionne Warwick on “That’s What Friends Are For.”  Recently, Knight reunited with her collaborators for the first time in 25 years for the anniversary of their historic “That’s What Friends Are For” performance benefiting AIDS research.

All told, Knight has recorded more than 39 albums over the years, including five solo albums during the past decade:  Good Woman (1991); Just for You (1994); Many Different Roads (1999); At Last (2001) and Another Journey (2013).

In 1995, Knight earned her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and the next year, Gladys Knight & The Pips were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  Knight published an autobiography, Between Each Line of Pain and Glory in 1997, and the next year, she and The Pips were presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame.

Adding to her already impressive collection (7), Knight won another Grammy for her duet with the late Ray Charles on his posthumous album Genius Loves Company (2005). The duo won for Best Gospel Performance for their duet “Heaven Help Us All.”  http://www.hardrocklivehollywoodfl.com/blog/2013/10/gladysknightathrl112213/

Another Journey

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Brandy Clark - 12 Stories

Styles: Country
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:21
Size: 97,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:22)  1. Pray To Jesus
(3:37)  2. Crazy Women
(3:34)  3. What'll Keep Me Out Of Heaven
(3:31)  4. Get High
(3:36)  5. Hold My Hand
(3:16)  6. Stripes
(3:38)  7. In Some Corner
(3:29)  8. Take A Little Pill
(3:56)  9. Hungover
(3:22) 10. Illegitimate Children
(3:23) 11. The Day She Got Divorced
(3:31) 12. Just Like Him

Brandy releases her high anticipated, critically acclaimed debut record  "12 Stories" Oct 22. Rolling Stone describes it as "airtight craftsmanship, sly wit and precise detailing." Leading up to the release Brandy has been featured in Redbook, Billboard, Entertainment Weekly and New York Magazine. Kacey Musgraves is taking "Follow Your Arrow" to country radio. The single, which was written by Brandy, Kacey and Shane will also be performed on the 2013 CMA Awards! A big congrats go out to Brandy for her 2013 CMA Nomination! "Mama's Broken Heart" has been nominated for CMA Song of the Year.  The song, recorded by Miranda Lambert and co-written with Shane McAnally and Kacey Musgraves is also up for Single of the Year and Video of the Year. Brandy's debut album 12 Stories is available for presale at I Tunes and Amazon.com. The full length record, produced by Dave Brainard hits the shelves October 22 but if you are an early bird you can download the album for only $8.99 here!  Brandy is excited about having two songs on two different projects being released this week. Keith Urban's new album, Fuse  includes "Come Back to Me," written by Brandy, Shane McAnally and Trevor Rosen and Sheryl Crow's debut country record,  Easy features Brandy's song "Homecoming Queen," which was cowritten with Shane and Luke Laird.  http://brandyclarkmusic.com/

12 Stories

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Bucky Pizzarelli, John Bunch And Jay Leonhart - Manhattan Swing: A Visit With The Duke

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:31
Size: 166,0 MB
Art: Front + Back

(8:15)  1. Do Nothin' till You Hear from Me
(5:27)  2. I'm Beginning to See the Light
(5:54)  3. Isfahan (From the Far East Suite)
(7:01)  4. Satin Doll
(6:22)  5. All Too Soon
(6:55)  6. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
(6:23)  7. Passion Flower
(7:26)  8. In A Mellow Tone
(6:53)  9. Black Butterfly
(6:32) 10. Take The
(5:18) 11. C Jam Blues

The guitar/piano/bass trio of Bucky Pizzarelli, John Bunch, and Jay Leonhart, who have also recorded together under the group name of New York Swing, have a grand time with this collection of favorites from the Duke Ellington songbook. The interplay between them as well as their solos are never less than first rate, especially on an unusually brisk take of "I'm Beginning to See the Light," a foot-tapping "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" that has the flavor of western swing, and a bluesy "All Too Soon." But the trio really come into their own on the slow ballads, with a romantic "Passion Flower" and a shimmering "Isfahan." Jay Leonhart's liner notes are entertaining anecdotes, even if the time frame given for his one opportunity to sit in with Ellington is off by at least 15 years. ~ Ken Dryden  http://www.allmusic.com/album/manhattan-swing-a-visit-with-the-duke-mw0000004237

Manhattan Swing: A Visit With The Duke

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