Lorena Fontana - A Vision

Size: 118,5 MB
Time: 50:52
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Vocal Jazz, Brazilian Rhythms
Art: Front & Back

01. Gracias A La Vida (4:45)
02. Music Is An Isle (6:10)
03. Two Kites (4:10)
04. A Vision (5:14)
05. The Maestro (6:02)
06. Cinderella (5:09)
07. What I'm Worth (5:58)
08. The Father And His Child (5:13)
09. Estrada Branca (4:40)
10. Flor De Lis (3:26)

A Vision is the fifth album that Lorena Fontana, composer, lyricist and talented singer, recorded in her name. But this, unlike the previous ones , was made in the United States with equally talented musicians such as pianist Mitchel Forman, which we know for the wonderful work with Wayne Shorter, bassist Edwin Livingston , drummer Ralph Humphrey and saxophonist Michael Rosen. With this new work, the singer interprets ten songs with dramatic intensity, five of which are her composition, two by A. C. Jobim, chosen with intelligence in the vast repertoire of the great Brazilian composer and three more by Djavan, Cedar Walton and Violeta Parra, the splendid "Gracias a la vida" that the Chilean singer and songwriter left to posterity in 1966 just before her suicide . "The Maestro" was composed by Walton when the pianist was still part of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, but was recorded in a vocal version only in 1975. Lorena's interpretation has that fire that this song requires, though it saddens me that Cedar was unable to listen to this performance because he left us on August 19. I'm sure , knowing him personally, he would have been thrilled. If Lorena Fontana is an excellent singer, her scat chorus in "The Maestro" and in other songs are perfect, as well as her English is perfect, what makes her peculiar and unsurpassed are her skills as a writer. Her lyrics are magnificent, it would take just these few verses : " Waking to a song of inner calling , sipping from a cup still burning where hopes had been spilled on the floor, here each cloud is wrapped in silver lining and Gods up above in their silk dresses're dining" (A Vision) to say that Lorena Fontana, to whom I wish greater successes, is a musician of the most intelligent and sensitive kind always able to arouse strong emotions. ~Adriano Mazzoletti

A Vision

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Tony Monaco - If You Were God

Size: 146,6 MB
Time: 62:38
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Vocal Jazz, Christian, Jazz Swing
Art: Front

01. Thank God For Jazz Music (3:41)
02. Easy Does It (3:09)
03. Down And Dirty (3:29)
04. I Love You Just The Way You Are (4:11)
05. I Know I'm A Sinner (3:17)
06. In A Moment (4:23)
07. A World Of Peace A World Of Love (3:25)
08. With God On My Side (4:04)
09. The Sacrifices Of God (3:28)
10. Forgive Them, Father! (4:11)
11. It's Nice To Be Nice (3:43)
12. Sheep Among Wolves (3:24)
13. No Problem! (3:04)
14. Would You Consider (4:21)
15. There Are No Time Clocks In Heaven (3:25)
16. If He's Not The Messiah (3:11)
17. If You Were God (4:05)

Tony Monaco is a Broadway song and dance man of Jewish, Irish, Italian decent whose amazing born-again Christian experience makes some of the major motion picture characters he's played pale by comparison. Born and raised on Manhattan's mean streets, Tony would ride the subway to the Paramount Theatre on Broadway to soak up Frank Sinatra and the Tommy Dorsey band. After the show he slipped his shoeshine box out from under his seat and beat it to 42nd street to dance on the corner for nickels and dimes like his hero Gene Kelly.

Dear Listener:
All these songs were written prior to 9/11.

“If You Were God,” “In A Moment,” and “Forgive Them, Father,” all seemed to take on a different meaning afterwards. But our recording session had been arranged in October, and with a heavy heart we assembled to present what had been inspired.

“A World of Peace, A World of Love” was written by our arranger Keith Droste many years ago for Pat Boone, but somehow never got recorded. It cried out for this time.

My son, Chris Monaco had painted the cover photo several years ago for a friend who was struggling with an illness and thankfully has recovered. It, too, seemed to symbolize the tragic time this world has experienced. I’m extremely proud to share his talent, and thankful his mother encouraged his study when he was a child.

My longtime collaborator Bob Corwin has sacrificed countless hours to transcribe the songs I sing to him, writing them down on paper. I’m forever indebted to him.

This album is dedicated to all those unsung heroes like yourself who with broken hearts pick up the rubble of your lives and like St. Paul “press on towards the goal” of the heavenly prize that awaits you.

In Hymn,
Tony Monaco

If You Were God

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Larry Tamanini - Lookin' Into It

Released: 2011
Size: 88,0 MB
Time: 38:26
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Styles: Jazz Guitar/Organ trio
Art: Front

01. Cold Duck Time [4:13]
02. Blues For Larry [4:25]
03. Softly, As In A Morning Sunris [5:53]
04. The Voice [4:48]
05. Ain't It Funky Now [5:29]
06. Sunny [5:12]
07. Where Is The Love [3:33]
08. Back At The Chicken Shack [4:49]

"This classic organ trio impressed us. Listening to it is like coming home. Excellent, thank's !!"
Larry Tamanini lives in Doylestown, Pennsylvania and is from Bristol, Pennsylvania

Larry About himself on www.myspace.com/larrytamanini :

"... Its always been a task for one to write about oneself, at least for me it has been tough. I suppose its cliche’ to assume that one should " let the music speak for itself" Personally I’ve never been a fan of that saying. Music is special for me, its always been a joy to perform with other like minded spirits. I suppose it was natural to gravitate to jazz ,since interaction is of the utmost importance . I was lucky to have support and encouragement from my mother and father and there kindness was followed up with Pat Martino and Dennis Sandole. Thinking about it now i had no idea just how fortunate i really was.Through there tutelage i was able to finally get the courage to participate in jam sessions in philadelphia, it was at "Ortliebs Jazzhaus". That was my first introduction to interacting with world class players, who much like my parents, Dennis,and Pat were extremely supportive and insightful. It was there where i was able to perform with the likes of Mickey Roker, Trudy Pitts, Joey Defrancesco, and many other fantastic players. The jazz thing was the shit but i was always into other types of music. I’d like to think of myself as a chamealeon as far as being able to adapt to any musicial situation that i’m in, its something that i take a lot of pride in. These situations have opened doors to many collaborations with rock , r&b, hip hop , and funk projects that have introduced me to many great musicians that i wouldnt have met otherwise well the bio will continue , i just hope you like my tunes, thanks Larry "

Customer Reviews in itunes :
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/lookin-into-it/id453118852

*Great Local Talent here in Doylestown Pa ! (by Robert Dreher)
Larry can make anyone dig the smokin sounds of jazz , even a Rocker like me !
All the Best to you Larry , you hit this one out of the park ~ BIG TIME !

*All Class (by il lupo solitaro)
What can I say, this is a classic jazz recording!!! Refreshing, timeless, organic, classy... I am a big fan. Perfect balance of flavors and styles, top-notch musicians, accessible melodies.... All of the right ingredients. Highly recommended for any music lover. Looking forward to the future from this artist!!

*The best thing on today's scene (by QZOTO)
This album is one of the few and true down-home jazz records out on today's scene. The most soulful job done by three indivuduals working together. This album emulates the amazing sound Larry and his organ trio sound live. Everyone who likes Jazz, Blues, Soul, Funk, and just good music, i highly recommend this. Larry is one of the best guitar players on the scene and this album will prove it! A MUST BUY!!

Article about Larry Here:
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=41216#.UN5FTKxUN0w (Take Five with Larry Tamanini)

Line-Up:
Larry Tamanini :Guitar
George Laks :Organ
Byron Landham :Drums

My repost from old blog
Lookin'Into It

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Bill Doggett - The Right Choice

Released: 1991
Size: 113,2 MB
Time: 49:10
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Styles: Jazz oriented R&B
Art: Big Front

01. Fur Piece [4:53]
02. Rough Neck [6:11]
03. Warm Breezes [4:08]
04. Mush Mouth [3:58]
05. Du-Da [4:55]
06. Things Ain't What They Used To Be [5:12]
07. I'm Ready [3:02]
08. The Wright Choice [5:23]
09. Honky Tonk (Parts 1 & 2) [4:52]
10. Just A Blues [6:33]

William Ballard Doggett was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.His mother, a church pianist, introduced him to music when he was nine years old. By the time he was fifteen, he had joined a Philadelphia area combo, playing local theaters and clubs while attending high school.Doggett later sold his band to Lucky Millinder, and worked during the 1930s and early 1940s for both Millinder and arranger Jimmy Mundy. In 1942 he was hired as The Ink Spots' pianist and arranger.Toward the end of 1947, he replaced Wild Bill Davis as the pianist for Louis Jordan's Tympany Five. It was in Jordan's group that he first achieved success playing the Hammond organ. In 1950 he is reputed to have written one of Jordan's biggest hits, "Saturday Night Fish Fry", for which Jordan claimed the writing credit.In 1951, Doggett organized his own trio and began recording for King Records. His best known recording is "Honky Tonk", a rhythm and blues hit of 1956 which sold four million copies (reaching No. 1 R&B and No. 2 Pop), and which he co-wrote with Billy Butler. The track topped the US Billboard R&B chart for over two months. He won the Cash Box award for best rhythm and blues performer in 1957, 1958, and 1959. He also arranged for many bandleaders and performers, including Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, and Lionel Hampton.As a jazz player Doggett started in swing music and later played soul jazz. His bands included saxophonists Red Holloway, Clifford Scott, Percy France, David "Bubba" Brooks, Clifford Davis, and Floyd "Candy" Johnson; guitarists Floyd Smith, Billy Butler, Sam Lackey and Pete Mayes; and singers Edwin Starr, Toni Williams and Betty Saint-Clair. His biggest hits, "Honky Tonk" (the Part 2 side of the record) and "Slow Walk" featured saxophonist Clifford Scott.He continued to play and arrange until he died, aged 80, of a heart attack in New York.With his instrumental hit "Honky Tonk" in February 1956, Bill Doggett created one of rock's greatest instrumental tracks. Although it generated scores of offers to perform in rock & roll clubs throughout the United States, Doggett remained tied to the jazz and organ-based R&B that he had performed since the 1930s. Continuing to record for the Cincinnati-based King label until 1960, he went on to record for Warner Brothers, Columbia, ABC-Paramount and Sue. This is the last album Bill Doggett recorded before his death in 1996, for Forevermore Records subsidiary, After Hours Records.

AMG Review :
Considering his popularity and influence, it is surprising how few Bill Doggett albums have been reissued on CD. This late-period effort, which features the organist with several medium-sized groups, is quite jazz-oriented while not wandering far from Doggett's early R&B roots. Among the key sidemen are trumpeter Eddie Preston, Bubba Brooks, and Howard Kimbo on tenors, altoists Bill Easley and Jimmy Cozier, and guitarists Gregory Townson and George Naha. In addition to the inevitable "Honky Tonk," Doggett plays "Things Ain't What They Used to Be," and a variety of basic originals. Fun music.
(~ Scott Yanow)

Line-up/Musicians:
- Eddie Preston / trumpet
- Bernard "Pretty" Purdie / drums
- Greg Townson / guitar
- Tony Williams / vocals
- Dennis Wilson / trombone
- George Naha / guitar
- David Bubba Brooks / tenor sax
- Howard Kimbo / tenor sax
- Jimmy Cozier / alto sax
- Haywood Henry / baritone sax
- Bill Doggett / organ
- Bill Easley / alto sax
- Leonard Gaskin / bass

Produced by: Greg Townson, Bill Doggett, Marty Duda

My repost from old blog
The Right Choice

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Stan Ridgway - Mr. Trouble

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 44:37
Size: 102.2 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[3:41] 1. The Drowning Man
[4:39] 2. All Too Much
[4:42] 3. Across The Border
[4:49] 4. Mr Trouble
[4:17] 5. Gone Deep Underground
[3:40] 6. We Never Close
[4:13] 7. Afghan Forklift (Live)
[4:01] 8. Turn A Blind Eye (Live)
[3:59] 9. Stranded (Live)
[6:31] 10. Camouflage (Live)

New studio album, featuring musicians Pietra Wexstun, Rick King, Bruce Zelesnik, Ralph Carney and more. Trouble is here. Who needs trouble?. You do. The new album. Stan Ridgway is an artist defined in the eyes of many by his quirks -- the rubbery twang of his voice, the dark and angular tone of his melodies, and the herky-jerky attack of his best-known performances. Listen past the eccentricities of Ridgway's surfaces and you'll know he's one of the most gifted songwriters of his generation, and Mr. Trouble suggests that he's trying to make it just a bit easier for folks to dig into the core of his work. Trouble opens with six new studio tracks that find Ridgway in noticeably different voice these days; his instrument is deeper and craggier, sounding dry and worn on "We Never Close," and his phrasing is by his standards subdued, with less yelp and more plainspoken resonance. The melodies are also a few shades less sharp this time out, with vintage jazz and R&B as obvious reference points on tunes like "The Drowning Man," "All Too Much," and the title cut. The arrangements present Ridgway's melodies in a more organic and straightforward fashion than one might expect, though "Mr. Trouble" and "Gone Deep Underground" give the players plenty of room to stretch out and explore the outer reaches of the music. (It helps that Ridgway's band is in excellent form here, especially keyboardist Pietra Wexstun, percussionist Bruce Zelesnik, and guitarist Rick King.) And Ridgway's songs are typically splendid while subtly reflecting the malaise of post-millennial America, particularly on "The Drowning Man," "Across the Border," and "Gone Deep Underground." If Mr. Trouble has a flaw, it's that there isn't enough of it; the six new recordings are accompanied by four songs from a 2010 performance by Ridgway on the public radio series Mountain Stage, and while he's in great form on the live cuts, none of them quite top their original studio recordings, and in this context they sound more like padding than anything else. Trouble feels like an ambitious and well-executed 26-minute EP from Stan Ridgway, with four bonus tracks tacked onto stretch the playing time to 45 minutes; this may be an effort to offer better value for money, but the two halves on this album would probably each fare better on their own. ~ Mark Deming

Stan Ridgway (vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, harmonica, keyboards, electronics); Pietra Wexstun (vocals, melodica, piano, Farfisa, keyboards, electronics); Rick King (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, slide guitar, electric bass); Tommy Arizona (pedal steel guitar); Lazlo Vickers (violin); Enrico Deiro (accordion); Ralph Carney (woodwinds, saxophone); Bruce Zelesnik (vibraphone, drums, percussion, electronics); Bill Blatt (acoustic bass).

Recording information: Impala Studios, Venice, CA (02/2012-03/2012); The Mountain Stage, WV (02/2012-03/2012); Impala Studios, Venice, CA (11/2010); The Mountain Stage, WV (11/2010).

Mr. Trouble

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Kaz Simmons - Different Smile

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 44:06
Size: 101.0 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz-folk vocals
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[4:11] 1. Mantra
[5:47] 2. Estrada Do Sol
[3:33] 3. If You Knew
[5:54] 4. Big Smile
[4:58] 5. Here Lies Love
[4:11] 6. By The Round Pond
[4:59] 7. S.A.D Song
[3:16] 8. O Circo Mistico
[5:18] 9. How Can I Be Sure
[1:54] 10. Hi Lili Hi Lo

Kaz is an increasingly acclaimed, young UK singer, songwriter & guitarist. Her second album Different Smile, is a new departure of originals and arrangements with Spanish and Brazilian classical guitar styles as well as influences from the likes of Rufus and Martha Wainwright, The Divine Comedy, and her background in jazz. Kaz's original compositions showcase her conversational, often humorous lyrics coupled with an unaffected delivery and accomplished guitar playing, complimented by the sensitive and uncluttered support of a fine young British band : SAM CROCKATT - tenor sax, IVO NEAME - piano & Fender Rhodes, SIMON THORPE- bass and DAVE SMITH - drums. Ife Tolentino also makes a guest appearance on percussion.

Different Smile also features the Brazilian gems "Estrada do Sol" and "O Circo Mistico"; a musical setting to British poet Wendy Cope's "By The Round Pond"; an unusual take on the classic "How Can I Be Sure?" as well as the rarely heard "If You Knew" by Nina Simone, which was originally inspired by a Jeff Buckley recording.

"Simmons brings a graceful charm and insinuating ease that makes the album simply melt in the ear" ~ Chris Parker

Different Smile

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Xavier Cugat & His Orchestra - The Original Latin Dance King

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 73:14
Size: 170.5 MB
Styles: Latin rhythms
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[2:47] 1. Babalú
[2:39] 2. Jamay
[2:47] 3. Anana Boroco Tinde
[2:42] 4. The Brand New Cha Cha
[3:10] 5. Cuca
[2:59] 6. Bim Bam Bum
[3:01] 7. A Bailar Merengue
[2:23] 8. Coco Seco
[3:17] 9. Suavecito
[3:19] 10. Miami Beach Rhumba
[2:42] 11. Yo Quiero Un Mambo
[2:32] 12. Son Los Dandis
[3:16] 13. Mambo Jambo
[2:46] 14. Ritmo Tropical
[2:53] 15. (The Chi Chi) Cha Cha Cha
[2:52] 16. Yo Ta Namora
[2:19] 17. The Anything Can Happen Mambo
[3:15] 18. Mambo Gordo
[3:22] 19. Bésame Mucho
[3:07] 20. Tumbao
[2:13] 21. Bread, Love, And Cha Cha Cha
[2:28] 22. La Mucura
[2:51] 23. Cuban Mambo
[2:42] 24. Mondoguero
[2:27] 25. Mondongo
[2:11] 26. Who Me?

Recorded between 1941 & 1955. Includes liner notes by Joe Conzo. Xavier Cugat had a recording career that stretched over many more years than are covered on this collection. But this single-disc, 26-song anthology of sides from the 1940s and 1950s has to be considered the best collection of his work. This was Cugat's prime, and the tracks boast better fidelity than those he made prior to 1940, if one considers his prime to have started earlier. Hearing these lively and exceptionally well-performed, pioneering blends of Latin, jazz, and pop music, one is surprised that Cugat has not gotten more serious critical respect along the lines of Machito and Tito Puente. The 1940-1957 span ensures a good deal of variety in the orchestral players and the numerous featured vocalists, with Miguelito Valdés handling those more often than anyone on various early-'40s songs, but several others (including one female singer, Abbe Lane) taking turns as well. "Babalu," presented here in a 1941 recording with Valdés on lead vocals, might be the most famous tune, but in truth this is virtually nonstop energy and fun mambo, cha cha, rumbo, and such, played with consummate timing and humor. This only occasional crosses over into novelty territory, with highlights including "Yo Ta Namoa," where Valdés unleashes some amazing stuttering phrasing; the cover of Pérez Prado's "Mambo Jambo"; and a gorgeous, cinematic version of "Besame Mucho." ~ Richie Unterberger

Recording information: 11/26/1940-03/27/1957. All tracks have been digitally remastered.

Xavier Cugat (leader); Migueleito Valdes, Abbe Lane, Tito Rodiguez, Vitin Aviles, Pepito Arvelo, Juan Manuel (vocals).

The Original Latin Dance King

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Trijntje Oosterhuis - Trijntje Oosterhuis

Released: 2003
Size: 141,2 MB
Time: 61:22
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Styles: Female Pop Vocals
Art: Big Front

01. Free [4:18]
02. Whatever You Want [4:07]
03. What About Us [3:23]
04. In This Together [4:04]
05. It's You I Need [3:17]
06. All That And More [3:27]
07. Lie To Me [4:21]
08. To See Your Face Again [4:33]
09. Don't Say That You Love Me [4:04]
10. All Around The World [4:00]
11. Little Something [3:45]
12. Blind [4:22]
13. Better [3:36]
14. This Goodbye [9:59]

Jazz-pop vocalist Trijntje Oosterhuis (aka Traincha) was born in Amsterdam on February 5, 1973. Daughter of a theologian (Huub Oosterhuis) and a musician (Jozefien Melief, flutist for the Amsterdam Promenada Orchestra), Trijntje was brought up in a culturally rich, supportive household. In 1990,at age 17, she formed a group with her brother Tjeerd called Total Touch. Together the siblings performed consistently, even entering the Grote Prijs van Nederland, an important amateur music competition. Trijntje developed a good reputation regionally, which led to collaborations with increasingly influential artists. Her partnership with the well-established saxophonist Candy Dulfer began with a two-year international tour following their first joint effort, "Big Girl", in 1995. The following year Trijntje's work with Total Touch reached new heights with the release of their self-titled debut. Two years later the group's follow-up, "This Way", hit number one on Dutch charts, ultimately going quadruple platinum. Total Touch split as the siblings began to develop different career paths, beginning with Trijntje's solo debut, "For Once in My Life", which went gold in 1999. Her self-titled follow-up, released in 2003, established Oosterhuis as her nation's premier jazz diva. Signed to Blue Note in 2004, Oosterhuis continued to distance herself from the pop world with "Strange Fruit", drawing repertoire from the likes of George Gershwin and Billie Holiday. The 2005 release "See You as I Do" and 2006's Burt Bacharach collaboration "The Look of Love" have continued to distinguish Oosterhuis as one of the finest European vocal jazz talents of her generation.(~~Evan C. Gutierrez)

Trijntje Oosterhuis

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Sara Gazarek - Yours

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:05
Size: 117,0 MB
Art: Front + Back

(3:13)  1. My Shining Hour
(4:02)  2. Yours
(5:12)  3. Amazing
(3:41)  4. Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye
(3:58)  5. Cheek To Cheek
(4:27)  6. You Got By
(5:55)  7. Blackbird / Bye Bye Blackbird
(5:07)  8. The Circle Game
(6:53)  9. All Or Nothing At All
(4:59) 10. Too Young To Go Steady
(3:34) 11. You Are My Sunshine

When an older jazz singer warns a younger jazz singer that vocal jazz is an extremely crowded, brutally competitive field, it isn't just rhetoric vocal jazz (like just about any other area of music) has a lot more applicants than openings or opportunities. Therefore, aspiring young jazz singers need to do everything possible to stand out and make a personal statement  and on the more memorable parts of her debut album, Yours, Sara Gazarek stands out. While the West Coast singer (who was in her early twenties when bassist John Clayton produced this album in April 2005) still has some growing and developing to do, she definitely has potential. Gazarek's approach is best described as vocal jazz by way of a singer/songwriter aesthetic; one hears influences like Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, and Abbey Lincoln in her vocals, but a healthy appreciation of Carole King and Joni Mitchell asserts itself as well. In fact, one of the best things on the album is an interpretation of Mitchell's "The Circle Game." Unfortunately, the warhorse factor is much too strong on this 51 minute disc; do listeners really need to hear a singer who was born after the '70s embracing "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye," "My Shining Hour," "Cheek to Cheek," and other Tin Pan Alley warhorses that have been totally beaten to death over the years? 

There is so much jazz history attached to those songs that younger, newer jazz singers are better off avoiding them and turning their interpretive powers to gems that haven't been beaten to death  "The Circle Game," for example. But an excess of warhorses doesn't erase the fact that Gazarek has an appealing vocal style; although subtle and understated, she projects a lot of warmth and gets her emotional points across. All things considered, Yours is a noteworthy, if inconsistent, debut and Gazarek is certainly worth keeping an eye on. ~ Alex Henderson   http://www.allmusic.com/album/yours-mw0000659871

Yours

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René Marie - I Wanna Be Evil: With Love to Eartha Kitt

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:09
Size: 138,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:04)  1. I'd Rather Be Burned as a Witch
(5:48)  2. C'est si bon
(5:33)  3. Oh, John
(7:58)  4. Let's Do It
(6:14)  5. Peel Me a Grape
(7:12)  6. My Heart Belongs to Daddy
(4:42)  7. I Wanna Be Evil
(4:52)  8. Come On-A My House
(6:08)  9. Santa Baby
(7:31) 10. Weekend

A brilliantly entertaining tribute to the musical spirit of the divine Eartha Kitt as performed by René Marie, whose unique style incorporates elements of jazz, soul, blues and gospel. Her reputation as the most provocatively risk-taking of today's jazz divas makes her the perfect performer to deliver the first full-album tribute to Miss Kitt.  'I Wanna Be Evil' features both well-known and obscure gems of the Kitt repertoire including "C'est Si Bon", "Come On to My House", "Santa Baby" and more. "The voice is as stunning as always, her phrasing immaculate, her ability to pack emotional wallops equalled by very few." ~ JazzTimes   

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wanna-Evil-With-Love-Eartha/dp/B00E5QJ9V6

Personnel: Rene Marie (vocals), Wycliffe Gordon (trombone), Adrian Cunningham (tenor saxophone, clarinet, flute), Etienne Charles (trumpet), Kevin Bales (piano), Elias Bailey (bass), Quentin Baxter (drums)

I Wanna Be Evil: With Love to Eartha Kitt

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Sylvie Lewis - Translations

Styles: Folk
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:01
Size: 84,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:07)  1. Starsong…what became of us
(2:27)  2. Happy Like That
(2:26)  3. If It Don't Come Easy
(2:40)  4. Say in Touch
(3:03)  5. Just You
(4:18)  6. Of course, Isabelle
(3:14)  7. Cheap Ain't Free
(3:12)  8. Something to Dream to
(3:27)  9. Old Queens, Monet and Me
(3:43) 10. Death by Beauty
(4:19) 11. Your Voice Carries

It makes sense that Sylvie Lewis' music projects continental qualities. Born and raised in Great Britain, she has lived in America, Switzerland, Spain and currently resides in Italy. Listening to her music, it's easy to imagine her singing in a stylish café society nightclub on either side of the Atlantic. There's also a timelessness to her cabaret-style jazz that makes it sound like it could have existed anytime between the '30s to the present. She starts off her sophomore outing with the snappily paced "Starsong...What Became of Us," one of several tunes that examines a love affair that didn't end well. Lewis then slows down the pace with the melancholic "Happy Like That." On this Roches-recalling tune, she namedrops Jobim and Johnny Cash while telling off an unsatisfying boyfriend ("You flirt like a married man/The way you do it only the married can."). Her songs are populated with a number of winning bon mots. In "Say in Touch," she describes a man's relationship with his mistress by saying that "He reads her like scriptures/Reads her like Braille." Later, in the Bacharach-ish portrait of a carefree gal pal "Cheap Ain't Free," she slips in the wonderfully colorful line: "We treat a broken heart, parking ticket style/Once you've got one, you can't get another for a little while." 

Collaborating again with Los Angeles-based chamber pop-ster Richard Swift, Lewis nicely creates a lush musical setting for her tunes without making it overly fussy. A tango beat enlivens "Old Queens, Monet and Me," while keyboards and synthesizers combine with a percussive beat to underscore the uneasy tension on "Your Voice Carries." Two other tunes that are definitely worth noting show up back to back midway through the disc: "Just You" and "Of Course, Isabelle." The former is a gorgeous, optimistic love ode, something of a rarity for this disc. On the latter, Lewis assumes the voice of both a philandering man and his mistress, Isabelle. This sophisticated look at an affair gone stale wouldn't feel out of place on a Broadway stage. "Sophisticated," in fact, is a good word to use to describe Lewis. Her music and lyrics hold a charming sophistication, but she also instills them with a liveliness that circumvents the tunes from turning stodgy and old-fashioned. Translations builds impressively upon her striking debut Tangos and Tantrums. ~ Michael Berick  http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=7425565&style=music&fulldesc=T

Translations

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David Hazeltine - Impromptu

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:46
Size: 120,8 MB
Art: Front + Back

(7:39)  1. Clair de Lune
(5:15)  2. Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring
(6:16)  3. Impromptu No. 4
(6:49)  4. Moonlight Sonata
(5:06)  5. Waltz of the Flowers
(8:12)  6. Prelude
(6:11)  7. Reverie
(7:16)  8. Fur Elise

On 'Impromptu' the David Hazeltine Trio successfully take well-known classical works and reinvent them through jazz. Joined by George Mraz on bass and Jason Brown on drums, Hazeltine is able to reformat these classics into high energy, sweet swinging, syncopated adaptations of their originals. The group tackles works by the composers Bach, Chopin, Debussy, Tchaikovsky, and Beethoven; restructuring their works but all the while keeping them recognisable to the originals. David Hazeltine is a major pianist on the New York and Japanese jazz scenes. He became the house pianist at Milwaukee's Jazz Gallery while still in his teens, performing with such greats as Charles McPherson, Eddie Harris, Sonny Stitt, Pepper Adams and Chet Baker. Since moving to New York City in 1992, he has performed with Freddie Hubbard, James Moody, Louis Hayes, Marlena Shaw and Eric Alexander amongst many others. 

http://www.propermusic.com/product-details/David-Hazeltine-Trio-Impromptu-157176

Personnel: David Hazeltine (piano), George Mraz (bass), Jason Brown (drums)

Impromptu

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