Antonio Zambujo - Lisboa 22:38: Ao Vivo No Coliseu

Size: 173,8 MB
Time: 74:03
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Fado, Fado Bossa Nova, Folk, World
Art: Front

01. A Casa Fechada (Fado Triplicado) (4:13)
02. Algo Estranho Acontece (3:47)
03. Fortuna (4:16)
04. Queria Conhecer-te Um Dia (3:24)
05. Flagrante (3:58)
06. Lambreta (2:53)
07. Guia (3:16)
08. Apelo (Fado Perseguiçao) (3:30)
09. Fado Desconcertado (1:58)
10. A Tua Frieza Gela (4:19)
11. Fado Da Vida Bela (3:35)
12. Noite Estrelada (3:25)
13. O Zorro (4:33)
14. Milagrario Pessoal (3:51)
15. Barroco Tropical (4:34)
16. Nao Me Dou Longe De Ti (Marcha Do Correeiro) (5:11)
17. Readers Digest (4:48)
18. Em Quatro Luas (3:45)
19. Despedida (Marcha Do Marceneiro) (4:37)

“His tone is always intimate as he sings about solitude and lost love. The microphone is his ally. It picks up every nuance of his small yet utterly expressive voice: a high, clear, precise yet melting tenor that suggests both Mr. Marceneiro and, from across the Atlantic, the Brazilian songwriter Caetano Veloso.” – The New York Times

Portuguese fado sensation Antonio Zambujo grew up immersed in the classic rhythm of Portugal. As a teen he moved to Lisbon and joined the prestigious Clube de Fado in the Alfama district, the music’s heartland. Fado is infused with the indescribable Portuguese word “saudade”, a sense of longing and nostalgia, and fills the taverns and concert halls with a melancholy sense of beauty. Akin to blues and flamenco, fado has become synonymous with Portugal, and usually features the lovely Portuguese guitar and a reverence for the power of the human voice.

Zambujo has stepped into big shoes as fado’s new heartthrob. He gained fame playing the part of Francisco Cruz, first husband of fado diva Amalia Rodrigues, in the smash hit Amália. Since his debut CD in 2002, he has toured internationally, and been awarded countless honors.

Lisboa 22.38: Ao Vivo No Coliseu

---

Brian McKnight - I'll Be Home For Christmas

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 43:03
Size: 98.6 MB
Styles: Holiday, R&B
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[4:35] 1. The Christmas Song
[3:40] 2. Silver Bells
[2:43] 3. Let It Snow (With Brian McKnight Jr & Nikolas McKnight)
[4:06] 4. Christmas You And Me (With Vince Gill)
[3:14] 5. I'll Be Home For Christmas
[3:26] 6. Silent Night (With Noel Schajris)
[2:17] 7. It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
[2:43] 8. Adeste Fideles
[4:38] 9. Who Would Have Thought
[3:35] 10. Angels We Have Heard On High
[3:38] 11. Christmas Medley What Child Is This Away In A Manger The First Noel
[4:23] 12. Bless This House (With Take 6)

Fans of R&B vocalist Brian McKnight probably already own BETHLEHEM, McKnight's 1998 Christmas release. But one good holiday album deserves another, and McKnight's smooth, alluring voice sounds better than ever on 2008's I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS. The tunes are a bit more secular than BETHLEHEM, including "The Christmas Song," "Silver Bells," and "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year," while carols "Silent Night" and "Angels We Have Heard on High" balance the contemporary with the traditional, with guests Vince Gill, Josh Groban, and Take 6 stopping by to add color.

I'll Be Home For Christmas

Mo' Albums...
◊ James Taylor - James Taylor At Christmas
◊ Martina McBride - White Christmas

---

Bryan Beninghove - Organ Trio

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 56:13
Size: 128.7 MB
Styles: Organ jazz
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[ 4:44] 1. Tape Side Up
[ 4:12] 2. Hey Zeus
[ 7:35] 3. Adam's Apple
[ 4:29] 4. Hear Me Now
[ 7:28] 5. I've Never Been In Love Before
[ 3:39] 6. Same Spade
[ 8:04] 7. Out Of Nowhere
[ 5:02] 8. Everything Happens To Me
[10:57] 9. My Secret Love

Bryan Beninghove is a tireless bandleader whose innovative projects span numerous genres. Originally hailing from Westminster, MD, a rural suburb of Baltimore, Bryan brings a blue collar earthiness to the world of jazz. Before becoming a full time professional musician, he worked for different steel shops, carpenters, & he bartended. Drawing from these diverse experiences, Bryan has always played with an urgent grittiness, a sense of humor, & a strong foundation in the blues.

Bryan has performed with such jazz luminaries as Eddie Henderson, Rufus Reid, Ron Affif, & Jamey Haddad as well as young guns like Mark Guiliana, Sam Barsh, Duane Eubanks, and Rick Parker. Bryan has also performed with the hard rock group Clutch, the indie band Lake Trout, & beatbox extraordinaire Taylor McFerrin.

Currently, Mr. Beninghove has been leading many different projects. The Organ Trio! consists of Kyle Koehler (Lou Donaldson, Bootsy Collins) on Hammond B3 and Don Williams (Jimmy Smith, Jimmy McGriff, Arthur Prysock) on drums. The repertoire is reminiscent of the 60s Newark sound, lots of grits and gravy! Bryan Beninghove & the Hangmen is the latest project, a quintet featuring Rick Parker on trombone, Eyal Maoz on guitar, Kellen Harrison on bass, and Shawn Baltazor on drums. "David Lynch meets Nightmare Before Christmas". Another long time project, Big in Jersey is an electric sextet in the seventies Miles realm. Beninghove also leads Soul Connection, an eight piece funk/dance band that specializes in corporate functions.

Music education has always been a priority in Bryan's life. Since receiving a bachelor's degree in music from William Paterson University, he has spent countless hours teaching privately, running ensembles for all ages, putting on clinics, and running a jazz camp for kids each summer.

Organ Trio

---

Claire Martin & Richard Rodney Bennett - When Lights Are Low

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 51:28

Size: 117.8 MB

Styles: Easy Listening

Year: 2005

Art: Front

[2:36] 1. My One And Only

[1:59] 2. I Was A Little Too Lonely

[3:15] 3. My Mood Is You

[3:04] 4. World Weary

[2:52] 5. When Lights Are Low

[3:14] 6. Fools Fall In Love

[3:36] 7. I Got A Right To Sing The Blues

[3:25] 8. Baby Plays Around

[4:50] 9. The Very Thought Of You

[2:49] 10. What I Was Warned About

[2:57] 11. Baby, Don't You Quit Now

[3:41] 12. No Love, No Nothing

[3:13] 13. Not Exactly Paris

[2:47] 14. Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home

[3:20] 15. I Keep Going Back To Joe's

[3:43] 16. We'll Be Together Again

A perfectly mixed rusty nail requires three parts scotch to one part Drambuie. It's a potent recipe that accurately describes the first full-length pairing of old pals Claire Martin and Sir Richard Rodney Bennett.

Drambuie is a honey-smooth concoction that masks a powerful kick, and that's Martin. For my money she's not only the finest female British jazz singer of her generation but possibly of all time. Martin handles vocal duty on six of the disc's 16 tracks. The mellow, well-aged scotch is the multitalented Bennett. Though best known for his film-composition work, the dexterous 74-year-old is equally skilled as an arranger and pianist, as demonstrated throughout this masterful olio of familiar standards and lesser-known treasures. It is, though, Bennett the underappreciated singer who here impresses most.

Flying solo on seven tracks, Bennett lends his distinctively bipolar style (simultaneously suggesting the gut-bucket splendor of Dr. John and the black-tie elegance of Fred Astaire) to tunes that delightfully extend from Noel Coward's soigne "World Weary" to Elvis Costello's forlorn "Baby Plays Around." The cherry in this heady cocktail is the trio of tracks on which Martin and Bennett join forces, particularly a sublime interweaving of "The Very Thought of You" and "I Thought About You." Drink up. ~Christopher Loudon

Recording information: Systems Two Studio, Brooklyn, NY.

Claire Martin (vocals); Richard Rodney Bennett (vocals, piano).

When Lights Are Low

---

The Earl May Quartet - Swinging The Blues

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 61:40
Size: 141.2 MB
Styles: Swing, Bebop
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[6:20] 1. Swinging The Blues
[3:53] 2. Blame It On My Youth
[4:38] 3. My Foolish Heart
[4:31] 4. Tea For Two
[5:03] 5. Blue Iridescence
[6:35] 6. Make Someone Happy
[6:20] 7. Under African Skies
[4:31] 8. Sioux Suite
[5:11] 9. My Old Flame
[3:10] 10. Confirmation
[2:46] 11. Wishes Are Starting To Don't Come True
[4:43] 12. It's So Divine
[3:53] 13. Lester Leaps In

Over the course of the last half-century, Earl May has been one of the busiest bass players in the New York Area. He spent just about the entire decade of the 1950s with the long-running Billy Taylor Trio. Dr. Taylor arranged for a reunion recording of the original trio (with Percy Brice on drums), which was recorded for Prestige in 2003 as Billy Taylor Trio with Earl May/Percy Brice.

On this latest effort, May shows his ability to provide the pulse of this quartet as well as manage some nimble solos. Recording for Arbors, one of the key labels specializing in post-war swing music, the Earl May Quartet fits right in and then some. Altoist David Glasser takes most of the melody statements, providing the right touch. On the jump tunes, like the Count Basie piece "Swinging The Blues," Glasser sounds very much like Paul Desmond in his prime. On the first ballad, "Blame It On My Youth," Glasser's notes curl inward on the beautiful Oscar Levant/Edward Heyman melody. Dave Glasser also contributes a fine ballad, "Blue Iridescense," and his solo on that composition explores the blues content of the piece.

Earl May's reputation is that of a workhorse who has to be coaxed to take a solo. I am pleased to see that he does get the opportunity on this album, taking a walking bass solo on the title tune, beginning the melody line of "My Foolish Heart" before turning it over to Glasser, and putting in another good one on the Comden & Green/Jule Styne piece "Make Someone Happy." Larry Ham proves a most serviceable pianist, whether providing a romantic cushion for the ballads or fine comping on the up-tempo "Make Someone Happy." After having seen drummer Eddie Locke a number of times, I'd forgotten just how good he can be with brushes. You can hear that throughout the album and especially on Dave Glasser's "It's So Divine." Locke even contributes an original tune, "Wishes Are Starting To Don't Come True." In addition to the standards and originals, the quartet tackles some bebop staples like "Lester Leaps In" and "Confirmation" rather smartly. ~Michael P. Gladstone

Recording information: Nola Studios, New York, NY (02/21/2005/02/22/2005).

David Glasser (saxophone, alto saxophone); Earl May (double bass); Barry Harris , Larry Ham (piano); Eddie Locke (drums).

Swinging The Blues

---

The Pied Pipers - Capitol Collectors Series

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 56:30
Size: 129.4 MB
Styles: Vocal harmonies, Early pop
Year: 1992
Art: Front

[2:41] 1. Pistol Packin' Mama
[2:28] 2. Deacon Jones
[2:45] 3. Mairzy Doats
[2:58] 4. The Trolley Song
[3:05] 5. Dream
[3:00] 6. There's A Fella Waitin' In Poughkeepsie
[2:58] 7. Lily Belle
[3:13] 8. We'll Be Together Again
[2:46] 9. Personality
[2:31] 10. Aren't You Glad You're You
[2:38] 11. In The Middle Of May
[2:44] 12. In The Moon Mist
[2:54] 13. Open The Door, Richard
[3:03] 14. Mam'selle
[3:12] 15. The Freedom Train
[2:37] 16. I'm Always Chasing Rainbows
[2:49] 17. Penny
[2:53] 18. Katrina
[2:20] 19. Ok'l Baby Dok'l
[2:46] 20. My Happiness

THE PIED PIPERS CAPITOAL COLLECTION SERIES includes a 15-page booklet with liner notes by Joseph F. Laredo, track annotations by Bob Furmanek and photos. Digitally remastered by Bob Norberg (April 1991, Capitol Recording Studios). A terrific 20-track overview of this early vocal group featuring all of their best-known songs, including "The Trolley Song," "Dream, " "Open the Door, Richard, " "Mam'selle, " and "My Happiness." The remastering is top-notch, and the liner notes contain many anecdotes and a great deal of information. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

The Pied Pipers are accompanied by Paul Weston and His Orchestra.

Capitol Collectors Series

---

Christy Baron - Retrospective

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:47
Size: 141,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:39)  1. She's Not There
(3:22)  2. Stand Behind Me
(5:43)  3. Body And Soul
(2:54)  4. Happy Together
(5:05)  5. 'Round Midnight
(5:40)  6. Mercy Street
(2:25)  7. Ain't No Sunshine
(3:49)  8. Night And Day
(3:47)  9. Not While I'm Around
(3:13) 10. Got To Get You Into My Life
(4:06) 11. The Shadow Of Your Smile
(3:52) 12. That Old Devil Moon
(3:13) 13. Ain't No Half Steppin'
(3:52) 14. Overjoyed
(6:58) 15. Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Retrospective is a best-of CD that draws its material from singer Christy Baron's three previous Chesky sets: I Thought About You, Steppin', and Take This Journey. Unfortunately the packaging of this CD does not bother including a list of the personnel; however the selections are well chosen and they feature Baron at her best. In addition to modernized versions of a few standards, she turns a variety of pop and rock tunes into jazz, ranging from the Beatles' "Got to Get You Into My Life" to songs by Carole King, Peter Gabriel, and Stevie Wonder. The backup groups are excellent, Baron has an attractive voice, and there are enough subtle surprises throughout this sampler to make one desire to hear her three previous CDs in full. 

~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/retrospective-mw0000209251

Retrospective

---

Nicky Schrire - Space and Time

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:18
Size: 111,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:36)  1. You’re Nobody Till Somebody Loves You
(4:27)  2. I Wish You Love
(3:01)  3. A Song for a Simple Time
(4:39)  4. Someone to Watch Over Me
(3:57)  5. Teardrop
(2:54)  6. Bless the Telephone
(3:40)  7. And So I Sing
(5:18)  8. Seliyana
(2:35)  9. When You Go
(5:01) 10. Say It Isn’t So
(5:00) 11. Here Comes the Sun
(3:04) 12. Space & Time

New York City-based jazz vocalist Nicky Schrire has two albums to her credit. Freedom Flight (Circavision Productions, 2012) was well received by AAJ colleague Dan Bilawsky, who explained her fresh and well-scrubbed appeal thusly: "The London-born, South African-raised, New York-based vocalist bursts onto the scene with this dazzling debut, but she didn't simply materialize out of thin air. This worldly woman has been honing her skills at the Manhattan School of Music and studying with the crème de la crème of the jazz vocal world, including Peter Eldridge, Theo Bleckmann, Gretchen Parlato, Kate McGarry and Norma Winstone; it's clear that she's taken their lessons to heart."

The beauty of Schrire's exposure to this august group of singers is that their influence is expressed in her originality and not by any audible characteristics in her singing or composing. That is what artistic influence is all about: evolution, not replication. Schrire's sophomore effort, Space and Time, brims with this same originality, distilled into a piano/vocal recital format with three different pianists.

The atomization of all musical genres since the 1950s renders classifications like "jazz," "adult contemporary" and simply "popular" fairly meaningless. But the music must go somewhere, and Schrire deconstructs George Gershwin's "Someone To Watch Over Me" (while, at the same time, completely recasting George Harrison's "Here Comes The Sun"), so she's called jazz. Much of this recording is like a classical art-song recital, maybe one a really hip Schubert would have assembled. 

Schrire's voice is punctilious. Think of Ivory soap: clean and unscented by anything artificial...genuine. The same can be said of her composing. She is not looking to show off with technical fireworks; she is showing off with the unseen and unheard: grace, class and a certain élan. Organically speaking, her instrument is that special gift that is readily recognized as finely tuned and superior, without knowing why. Schrire favors older material for her standards performance. "You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You" and Berlin's "Say It Isn't So," not to mention again Gershwin's "Watch," echo from the jazz age and before. Then Schrire sings George Harrison and something as fine as her title piece and anyone trying to pigeonhole this vocalist has lost the critical battle before it has started.  Schrire's support pianists Fabian Almazan, Gerald Clayton and Gil Goldstein each rise to the occasion, following the direction of Schrire, who keeps everything basic and uncluttered. This is music for the soundtrack of life: joy, peace and hope.C.Michael Bailey  

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=45255#.UpZDL-Jc_vs

Personnel: Nicky Schrire: vocals; Fabian Almazan: piano (3, 5, 7, 10); Gerald Clayton: piano (2, 6, 9, 11); Gil Goldstein: piano (1, 4, 8, 12).

Space and Time

---

Kenny Drew, Jr - Maybeck Recital Hall Series, Vol. 39

Styles: Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:38
Size: 143,5 MB
Art: Front

( 6:25)  1. Stella By Starlight
( 6:00)  2. Peace
( 5:58)  3. After You
( 6:00)  4. Ugly Beauty
( 3:54)  5. Well You Needn't
( 7:26)  6. Coral Sea
( 5:51)  7. Images
( 6:24)  8. Straight, No Chaser
( 4:36)  9. Waitin' For My Dearie
(10:01) 10. Autumn Leaves

A little older than the Young Lions generation yet just as technically gifted and respectful of his elders and the bearer of a semi-famous jazz name at that  Kenny Drew, Jr. tries strenuously to dazzle the Maybeck Hall audience in Vol. 39 of the long-running series. Yet after a short while, all of the rippling chromatic scales, arpeggios, impressionistic streaks, and showy technical displays become rather wearisome. Thelonious Monk's angular stabbing manner, but not his laconic economy, hovers over this pianist most obviously in "Ugly Beauty," "Well, You Needn't" and "Straight, No Chaser" (the latter has a refreshing outburst of boogie-woogie) but also in "Stella By Starlight." The track that comes closest to touching the emotions is his lovely rendition of his father's "Images," recorded three days after the first anniversary of Drew, Sr.'s death. Recommended only for those committed to the Maybeck series. ~ Richard S.Ginell   

http://www.allmusic.com/album/maybeck-recital-hall-series-vol-39-mw0000644552

At Maybeck

---