Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 42:10

Size: 96.6 MB

Styles: Holiday

Year: 2009

Art: Front

[0:15] 1. Nat's Christmas Wishes

[3:10] 2. The Christmas Song

[1:07] 3. Deck The Halls

[2:17] 4. O Come All Ye Faithful

[1:25] 5. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

[3:00] 6. O Tannenbaum

[2:18] 7. O Little Town Of Bethlehem

[1:26] 8. I Saw Three Ships

[2:57] 9. O Holy Night

[1:49] 10. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

[3:26] 11. A Cradle In Bethlehem

[1:58] 12. Away In A Manger

[1:23] 13. Joy To The World

[1:56] 14. The First Noel

[2:01] 15. Caroling, Caroling

[2:07] 16. Silent Night

[1:33] 17. Buon Natale

[2:30] 18. All I Want For Christmas (Is My Two Front Teeth)

[1:42] 19. The Happiest Christmas Tree

[3:41] 20. The Christmas Song (With Natalie Cole)

First issued in the early 1960s, this collection of musical Christmas cheer is packed full of the smoothly sung, sentimental favorites associated as much with Nat "King" Cole himself as with the season. The singer's performance of "The Christmas Song" is an unforgettable classic reprised here twice, once in an updated version that includes a contemporary vocal from his daughter, Natalie, and also in Cole's original 1946 recording. Other traditional religious favorites like "I Saw Three Ships" and "Away in a Manger" are also featured, in a setting that, with its well-arranged orchestral accompaniment, manages to sound both sophisticated and folksy.

Digitally remastered by Bob Norberg (Capitol Mastering). Additional Tracks Reissue producer: Brad Benedict. Personnel includes: Nat "King" Cole (vocals, piano); Natalie Cole (vocals); Ralph Carmichael (conductor).

The Christmas Song

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Julie Lyon Quintet - Julie

Size: 120,8 MB
Time: 51:26
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Vocal Jazz
Art: Front

01. Love For Sale (5:24)
02. Bye Bye Blackbird (4:06)
03. Dindi (4:15)
04. Comes Love (5:21)
05. Every Time We Say Goodbye (4:35)
06. Too Damn Hot (4:44)
07. All Or Nothing At All (6:53)
08. Born To Be Blue (8:19)
09. Strollin' (4:09)
10. Temptation (3:36)

Julie Lyon is an extraordinary singer. “Julie” is a wonderful album. Initially fronting the premier jazz quartet in Orlando, Florida, Ms. Lyon and her drummer/husband/partner Tom Cabrera pulled up stakes, settled in the New York metropolitan area and assembled a quintet of remarkable musicians for their Unseen Rain Records release.

And Julie is an extraordinary jazz singer. Classically trained and reared on pop, rock and blues, the draw of the vocal jazz greats, Sarah Vaughan, Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald and others, opened the door to a world in which Ms. Lyon is now at the top of her game. On “Julie”, whether it’s the robust swing of Dr. Lonnie Smith’s “Too Damn Hot” (lyrics by Julie Lyon), the deeply felt “Every Time We Say Goodbye” or the Parisian cafe as speakeasy atmosphere of Tom Wait’s “Temptation”, Julie’s voice is glorious and the band is in full flight.

Tom Cabrera’s Unseen Rain recordings include the trios Lion Hearted and Sumari and his duo with the quintet’s guitarist Jack DeSalvo have released several albums, among them are Tales of Coming Home and Libra Moon. In addition to being an incomparable jazz drummer, Cabrera is an adept world percussionist, often adding to the proceedings instruments from all over the planet, particularly the middle-east.

About Jack DeSalvo, Cadence Magazine says, “Using both acoustic and electric instruments, DeSalvo demonstrates technique, intelligence and imagination with a broad streak of lyricism and passion in what amounts to one of the better guitar voices to be heard in improvised music these days.” He also plays mandola on “Temptation”, a stringed instrument like the mandolin, though pitched a bit lower.

The inimitable multi-instrumentalist Matt Lavelle plays both trumpet and alto clarinet on “Julie” with a bluesy, lyrical bent that echoes the jazz trumpeters of decades past while retaining his very modern edge. Allaboutjazz.com say this about Matt, “...Lavelle travels the line between life and death. His playing is absolutely fearless, and his ability to express himself unparalleled..."

At home in a variety of genres, the rich tone of Bobby Brennan’s double-bass anchors the quintet with solid swing and joie de vivre. Bobby is in demand from sea to shining sea, particularly NYC, Long Island, NY, Nashville, TN and Orlando, FL.

Julie

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Juliana Aquino - 2xBossa

Size: 109,7 MB
Time: 46:59
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Bossa Nova
Art: Front

01. Todas As Manhas (E Se Domani) (4:02)
02. 'Till There Was You (3:33)
03. Beyond The Sea (La Mer) (4:23)
04. Nao Tem Jeito (4:57)
05. Star (Estrela) (4:09)
06. Bem Que Se Quis (E Po Che Fa) (5:27)
07. Lately (4:12)
08. Aqueles Olhos Verdes (4:29)
09. Every Time We Say Goodbye (4:07)
10. E Se Domani (Bonus) (4:01)
11. Quando Te Vi ('Till There Was You) (Bonus) (3:33)

The singer Juliana Aquino released the brazilian version of her second album, entitled 2xBossa. 2xBossa will firmly establish Juliana as one of Brazil’s Bossa Nova’s divas. The sophisticated sound and production, signed by Tuta Aquino, is all acoustic and has a stellar list of musicians.

2xBossa

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Ron Levy's Wild Kingdom - Greaze Is What's Good

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 63:29
Size: 145.3 MB
Styles: Organ blues-jazz
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[5:01] 1. Can I Change My Mind
[6:19] 2. Greaze Is What's Good
[5:13] 3. One People
[5:29] 4. Mr. Mr. Blasta From The Past'da
[5:23] 5. What D'freak
[6:21] 6. Big Fine Lil' Lass
[5:21] 7. What's Going On
[6:41] 8. Long Time Ago
[6:06] 9. In Between / The King
[6:49] 10. J-J-Jazz It Up
[4:39] 11. Gangsta's To Blame

On Greaze Is What's Good, Ron Levy is joined by trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, guitarists Melvin Sparks and David T. Walker, drummer Idris Muhammad, and trombonist Steve Turre, plus Memphis blues guitarist Preston Shannon, for a solid set of grooving, bluesy soul-jazz. ~ Steve Huey

Ron Levy (Fender Rhodes piano); Michelle Wilson, Ray Greene (vocals); Darby Hicks, Jr. (guitar, Fender Rhodes piano); David T. Walker, Melvin Sparks, Preston Shannon (guitar); Steve Turre (conch shell, trombone); Crispin Cioe (soprano saxophone, alto saxophone); Jim Spake (tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone); Gordon "Sax" Beadle (tenor saxophone); Freddie Hubbard, Scott Thompson (trumpet); William F. Zimmerman (piano); Greg Morrow (drums, percussion); Idris Muhammad, James Gadson (drums); Ralph Dorsey (congas); Carol Steele (percussion).

Recording information: Crosstown Recorders, Memphis, TN; Sunnyside Studio, South Central Los Angeles; The Magic Shop, New York, NY; Van Gelder Studio, Englewood, NJ.

Greaze Is What's Good

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Juliet Kelly - Delicious Chemistry

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 50:03
Size: 114.6 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[4:00] 1. Secret
[5:51] 2. Delicious Chemistry
[2:39] 3. I Wish You Love
[3:29] 4. Unicorn Dream
[4:55] 5. Alone Again
[5:00] 6. Behind Her Smile
[4:35] 7. Parallel Universe
[4:41] 8. Searching For Clues
[4:26] 9. Letting You Go
[4:56] 10. Guardian Angel
[5:26] 11. Black Rose

After the very well received release of her first album, APHRODITE'S CHILD, in 2003 Juliet Kelly now embarks on a new project; DELICIOUS CHEMISTRY, a charming album of original songs: DELICIOUS CHEMISTRY (Chantiko) is a collection of original songs that further showcase Juliet's talent for writing laid-back, accessible jazz. As well as featuring her regular band of Carl Orr, Tom Barlow and Mercury Award nominee Seb Rochford; DELICIOUS CHEMISTRY involves some of the many great names Juliet has worked with recently, including BBC Jazz Award winner trumpeter Byron Wallen, Cuban violinist Omar Puente (Kirsty McColl), pianist Kate Williams and one of the early acid jazz pioneers Roger Beaujolais on vibes.

A highlight for Juliet in 2005 was performing with award winning saxophonist and BBC radio presenter Courtney Pine at the Barbican for the BBC's Jazz Britannia season. They connected through their work and as a result Courtney features on the album in BLACK ROSE and Juliet appears on vocals on Courtney's acclaimed new album "Resistance" released in late 2005.It was this wonderful and varied mix of musicians that led to Juliet naming the album: "I chose the title Delicious Chemistry because the musicians - although all from jazz - come from a real mix of styles" DELICIOUS CHEMISTRY saw Juliet write an entire album of original songs because as much as she loves the classic standards she wants to share her own fresh perspective on the beauty, freedom and expression of jazz-influenced music - music that can appeal to a younger audience as well as to more mainstream jazz fans. Tracks like UNICORN DREAM and BEHIND HER SMILE demonstrate perfectly how Juliet really lives up to her aim of making an album of very accessible original songs. As with all the tracks they have a really fresh, clean, new sound, but are still unmistakably written and performed in the tradition of jazz. It is an album that can't help but make the listener feel relaxed and content with the world, while the beautifully rich, velvety vocals of Juliet similarly can't help but inspire and uplift the audience.

Juliet, sometimes described as a cross between Sade, Norah Jones and Cassandra Wilson, has in this sassy album developed a distinct style that needs no classification and will soon see her name spoken in its own right along side the great jazz divas.

"I've been extremely fortunate to work with such exceptionally talented musicians. We really enjoyed playing the songs and recording the album - I hope you enjoy the results!"

Delicious Chemistry

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Kai Brant Feat. Martin Motnik - The Way You Look Tonight

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:55
Size: 82,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:34)  1. Whatever Lola Wants
(2:40)  2. Summertime
(4:36)  3. The Way You Look Tonight
(3:21)  4. Manhã De Carnaval
(3:48)  5. Why Don't You Do Right
(2:35)  6. My Funny Valentine
(3:51)  7. Feeling Good
(3:35)  8. Besamé Mucho
(4:39)  9. Autumn Leaves
(4:10) 10. 'S Wonderful

In this new compilation of standards from stage and screen, Kai Brant tackles some of the biggest, most classic songs ever written. If you recognise the line-up, you might find yourself feeling a bit old, but Brant's voice and stylings make you feel young again - like it's the first time you're hearing these saucy old-time ditties. Brand new, all over again! Add to it the brassy tones of Martin Motnik's fretless bass, and you have a collection of tunes well worth an all-night listen. And maybe into the next day, too.

Brant sings the standards true; the melodies are as they should be. That soothes me with a real sense of comfort. When I hear a classic being sung anew, I want to be able to sing along with familiar confidence. Brant delivers all the necessary attitude and experience, and I go right back to the olden days, smiling that the lady has done right by these timeless tunes. Yet, there are those moments when she strays just enough from the path to add some real kink to the story-telling. When she throws in a change, and I continue to sing the original melody, she and I come together in vocal harmony, and it draws me even further into the experience. I become part of her performance. It's as if she chooses new and different tones for the sole purpose of inviting me in.

You and me, Kai Brant. You and me. Let's shake it out a bit with "The Way You Look Tonight." Attitude rubs off, don't you know?

Featured bassist, Martin Motnik's choice of a fretless electric instead of a stand-up brings an entirely new feel to the music. He's got his mwah on big time, but since Motnik plays the stand-up as well, the mwah is guided by the hip-swaying authenticity of the big bass, and it works. Oh yeah, it works. Such a noticeable presence to complement Brant's voice. I swear to you all, on the last track, George Gershwin's 's Wonderful, Motnik's bass actually seems to pronounce the lyrics during his solo in the middle. The fretless just sings sweetly to us. Listen to it and tell me you can't hear it singing 's Wonderful.

Add to the atmosphere some fine, delicate piano and jazzy snare brushes, and you have a special evening before the fire, slow dancing with the one you love. Close your eyes and you're there!  http://www.thunderrow.com/content.php?1504-An-Evening-With-Kai-Brant

The Way You Look Tonight

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Sarah Gillespie - Glory Days

Styles: Folk
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:44
Size: 93,3 MB
Art: Front + Back

(4:50)  1. Postcards To Outer Space
(5:14)  2. Glory Days
(3:37)  3. Sugar Sugar
(4:51)  4. Oh Mary
(3:51)  5. Signal Failure
(5:10)  6. The Bees And The Seas
(4:53)  7. The Soldier Song
(3:27)  8. Babies And All That Shit
(4:46)  9. St. James Infirmary

British singer-songwriter Sarah Gillespie s first two albums won her critical acclaim for mixing folk, blues and jazz with vivid lyrical imagery. Her latest album Glory Days cements her reputation, not only as a starkly original songwriter, but also as a formidable musician. Featuring eight original songs and one cover, the solo guitar tracks (Postcards to Outer Space, Oh Mary) mark her as a fiercely good guitarist and a Joni Mitchell for the new age. There is a sharp intelligence and wit at play, as she bestows her musical heritage (she is half American) of Delta blues, Cole Porter-esque wordplay and folk narrative onto visions of the modern world where church bells can be downloaded, wars watched on 24-hour news cycles and where relationships rely on the receptiveness of smart phones (Signal Failure). ...equally assured writing about the personal or the political. The Times Despite her trademark smattering of socio-politics Glory Days is Gillespie s most personal album to date. Songs alluding to grief reveal songwriter intent on transforming the pain of loss into a triumphant celebration of life. Similarly, the love songs on the album evolve from heartache my, my, your love was like/digesting dynamite to the witty quips of comical pastiche Babies and All That Shit you want some hooker in the back ground and I don t mean John Lee.

Backed by a formidable band including 2010 Mercury Prize nominee Kit Downes on piano, Sarah Gillespie s Glory Days was produced by Gilad Atzmon. His production beautifully augments the backdrop of Gillespie s melodies with dreamlike Wurlitzer piano, subtle clarinets and moody accordions. All this provides Gillespie with the space to weave her poetic tales, which she delivers with an edgy tour de force that marks her out as an exceptional performer. Despite the smattering of socio politics, Glory Days is Gillespie s most personal album to date. Songs alluding to grief (Postcards to Outer Space) the night devours us and the wind sings its oblivious blues and the beatific title track that journeys through biopic snap shot images of reminisced moments, reveal a songwriter transforming the pain of loss into a triumphant celebration of life. Similarly the love songs swing from heart ache my, my your love was like digesting dynamite to the witty quips of Babies And All That Shit you want some hooker in the back ground and I don t mean John Lee. With a voice described as powerful, seductive & vulnerable, Gillespie delivers her stories with a tour de force worthy of any theatrical stage. 

A more raw and acoustic album that its predecessors, Atzmon s innovative production places Gillespie s deft finger picking guitar at the forefront of a formidable trio featuring Mucury nominated Kit Downes on piano, Enzo Zirilli on drums and Ben Bastin on double bass.  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Glory-Days-Sarah-Gillespie/dp/B00C9CILMQ

Glory Days

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Eric Alexander - It's All In The Game

Styles: Straight-ahead/Mainstream
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:33
Size: 122,9 MB
Art: Front + Back

(7:05)  1. Where Or When
(6:52)  2. Typhoon 11
(6:30)  3. Where is the Love
(5:52)  4. It's All in the Game
(8:27)  5. Open and Shut
(7:54)  6. Ruby My Dear
(5:20)  7. Little Lucas
(5:30)  8. Bye Bye Baby

"I'm trying to have the whole horn sing clearly and relatively evenly," Eric Alexander says in a quote in the booklet notes which accompany It's All In The Game. There's ample evidence here of how successful he's been with that aim, but he neglects to mention that allying it with an exceptional level of invention within the idiom of the post bop mainstream makes for the kind of listening that is as much as anything else whatever jazz means in these fraught early years of the 21st Century.  A veteran at 37, Alexander is at the stage in his musical journey where he has become something more than the sum total of his influences. 

Manifested in his sound are the very qualities referred to above, and in Harold Mabern he has arguably the perfect pianistic foil; the fact that Mabern is almost double Alexander's age is perhaps the strongest evidence there could be for the lasting appeal of this particular jazz idiom. Alexander is also becoming something of a composer to watch. His "Take 11" finds him putting over a solo that evokes the spirit of Wayne Shorter at the same time as it retains his own burgeoning musical personality. It's relatively easy to pull off this trick when the material is as rarely heard as effective jazz as Donny Hathaway and Roberta Flack's "Where Is The Love?", which the quartet treats with worthy reverence at the same time it stays some distance on the right side of sumptuous. What it all comes down to is the fact that there should be a place in any open-minded listener's experience for music of this calibre. This reviewer will find a place on the shelves that's no great alphabetical distance from Fred Anderson, or Derek Bailey either, for that matter. ~ Nic Jones  

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=21448#.Up50_-Jc_vs

Personnel: Eric Alexander: tenor saxophone; Harold Mabern: piano; Nat Reeves: bass; Joe Farnsworth: drums.

It's All In The Game

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Lynne Arriale Trio - The Eyes Have It

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:39
Size: 136,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:01)  1. My Funny Valentine
(6:22)  2. Witchcraft
(5:56)  3. My Man's Gone Now
(4:43)  4. Heartsong
(1:32)  5. Yesterdays
(7:32)  6. Elegy
(5:26)  7. Alone Together
(5:04)  8. The Eyes Have It
(9:27)  9. Blues For T.J.
(7:33) 10. My One And Only Love

As a composer and interpreter of modern jazz, pianist Arriale is blossoming more and more with every passing day. She's open to stretching melodies, interacting with her very talented trio, and tackling new challenges. For this, her fifth CD, all trio sides, she, bassist Scott Colley, and drummer Steve Davis present three Irish influenced Arriale originals, ballads, and standards that further explore the hushed tones, airy refrains, and delicately constructed music that is her hallmark. On the romantic side, Arriale melts walls and hearts with her after-midnight takes on "But Beautiful" and "Touch Her Sweet Lips And Part." When she's in this molasses-slow mode, her playing is distinctly like no other. Patient as a lonely, wanting lover for "The Forgotten Ones," Davis wields mallets on drums, as though walking through a rain forest, while Arriale fastidiously searches for clues to the scavenger hunt. 

The folk melody/children's song "Hush-A-Bye" has the pianist paraphrasing perhaps the simplest melody written with aplomb and stoic grace. The Celtic-influenced songs contrast beautifully; "Turning" a 3/4 to 4/4 jig-to-bop exchange, "Dance" is just that, with Davis doing the steps with his chattering sticks, and the showstopper "The Highlands" is a popping, extroverted, sensational number that shows Arriale does have a more hectic side. "It Ain't Necessarily So" might be a bit of an anomaly to the rest of the selections, a swinging, light groove version replete with dynamic accents and variations that make the old tried-and-true Gershwin melody sing and cry out. The other well-known composition, "Beautiful Love," has a free intro which merges into a midtempo head, the pianist and drummer trading eights effortlessly in the middle. Arriale is a most gifted pianist, probably the closest thing we have in the '90s to Bill Evans in terms of subtlety and depth. Hard to judge this against her other trio CDs, they're all very good, and any will be a welcome addition to your collection. ~Michael G.Nastos  

http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-eyes-have-it-mw0000118266

The Eyes Have It

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