Babi Mendes - Short Stories

Size: 104,4 MB
Time: 44:45
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2011
Styles: Vocal Jazz, Blues Jazz
Art: Front

01. I Dreamt Of A Song (4:37)
02. O Canto Do Guerreiro - The Warrior's Chant (4:19)
03. Find Your Friends (4:32)
04. These Blues (3:55)
05. The Vase (3:49)
06. Play Me (4:46)
07. The Deepest It Could Be (5:36)
08. Drunk Man (4:03)
09. Grapefruit (3:56)
10. Julia'a Lullaby (5:09)

Babi Mendes is a Brazilian singer-songwriter who performs in a jazz style, taking inspiration from such jazz greats as Ella Fitzgerald and Nat King Cole as well as from the music of her home country.

As the granddaughter of the Brazilian composer Dinah Menezes and the journalist Carlos Menezes, Babi Mendes started studying English at the age of 9 and singing at the age of 14. She studied at local conservatories and since the beginning demonstrated a particular interest in jazz, blues, bossa nova and rythim'n'blues.

American music has always been her greatest influence, but she also admires musicians such as Tom Jobim, Chico Buarque and Milton Nascimento when it comes to Brazilian popular music. Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Betty Carter and Nina Simone are references to Babi's work and well as contemporary singers such as Norah Jones, Diana Krall, Diane Schurr, Jane Monheit and Karrin Allyson.

In her repertoire, since she started her music career in the city of Santos, in her country, Brazil, there are traditional jazz standards from songwriters such as Duke Ellington, Nat King Cole, Benny Goodman, George and Ira Gershwin, Louis Armstrong and Cole Porter. The singer has performed in jazz duos, quartets and bands.

In 2006, took part in a project called Santos de Casa, at SESC Santos, in which she was the guest singer at Maurício Fernandes Quartet's presentation. Besides contributing with several musicians, Babi Mendes is currently working with the quartet, 'The Old News', and with the guitar player Pedro Ramos on her own songs. She also joined 4act Performing Arts and studied musical theater in São Paulo. Babi wrote the songs from 'Short Stories' between 2003 and 2010. Journalist, Portuguese and English teacher, what she loves writing the most is not news or literature: but songs.

'Short Stories' is her debut album.

Short Stories

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The Greg Tivis Trio - I Got It Bad... (Feat. Kelsey Taylor)

Size: 133,4 MB
Time: 57:38
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Vocal Jazz
Art: Front

01. Almost Like Being In Love (3:09)
02. Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me (3:51)
03. I Got It Bad, And That Ain't Good (4:32)
04. Dream A Little Dream Of Me (4:31)
05. Lullaby Of Birdland (4:33)
06. Come Rain Or Come Shine (5:57)
07. Love Me Or Leave Me (4:18)
08. Body And Soul (6:12)
09. Moondance (6:29)
10. Mood Indigo (4:50)
11. Summertime (5:16)
12. Lush Life (3:54)

After working as bassist with Greg Tivis and Kelsey Taylor practically every week for the past few years, it seemed only natural to attempt to capture on CD the magic we had developed playing live. The word “natural” accurately describes the recording process. The confidence and familiarity with each other that grew out of all those live performances is pleasingly demonstrated in the music we played on this project. The tracks just seemed to flow into the recorder.

Kelsey is simply amazing. She doesn’t just sing the words, she sings the song and makes you believe she’s singing to you and you alone.

Nobody likes to swing more than I do, and nobody swings harder than Greg Tivis. Wow. He makes it easy. His playing skills combined with his knowledge and willingness to share said knowledge has caused me to
grow exponentially over these last few years where my playing is
concerned.

In addition to playing bass on this project, this is my second opportunity to produce and record these two fabulous musicians. It is a thrill and an honor. Thank you both. ~Steve Carr

I Got It Bad...

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Oscar Peterson - An Oscar Peterson Christmas

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 52:20
Size: 119.8 MB
Styles: Holiday
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[3:24] 1. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
[4:45] 2. What Child Is This
[3:38] 3. Let It Snow
[3:47] 4. White Christmas
[3:18] 5. Jingle Bells
[2:47] 6. I'll Be Home For Christmas
[3:28] 7. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
[3:15] 8. O Little Town Of Bethlehem
[6:51] 9. Christmas Waltz
[3:55] 10. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
[3:11] 11. Silent Night
[4:06] 12. Winter Wonderland
[3:32] 13. Away In A Manger
[2:16] 14. O Christmas Tree

Oscar Peterson takes it easy during his relaxed set. He had not completely recovered from his stroke but he was still an impressive pianist. Peterson, who is assisted by guitarist Lorne Lofsky, bassist David Young, and drummer Jerry Fuller, is joined by a 20-piece string section arranged and conducted by Rick Wilkins. The 14 holiday tunes (which include "God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman," "White Christmas," "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas") are given tasteful and lightly swinging treatments and there are guest appearances by vibraphonist Dave Samuels and flugelhornist Jack Schantz. But no real surprises or chancestaking occurs and the music is mostly just pleasant. ~Scott Yanow

An Oscar Peterson Christmas

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Warren Vache & Bill Charlap - 2gether

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 51:59
Size: 119.0 MB
Styles: Bop, Cornet jazz, Piano jazz
Year: 2001
Art: Front

[4:50] 1. If I Should Lose You
[3:47] 2. You And The Night And The Music
[5:46] 3. Darn That Dream
[3:31] 4. What'll I Do
[4:11] 5. Easy Living
[4:49] 6. Nip-Hoc Waltz (Homage To Chopin)
[3:12] 7. Etude #2
[4:27] 8. Soon
[4:49] 9. Dancing On The Ceiling
[7:44] 10. Prelude To A Kiss
[4:48] 11. St. Louis Blues

This studio session featuring the duo of cornetist/fluegelhornist Warren Vache and pianist Bill Charlap deserves to rank alongside nearly any similar date recorded during the last two decades of the 20th century. Vache has been overlooked by far too many critics (which even Wynton Marsalis acknowledged in print); while Charlap has had a little easier time with the exposure he has received as a member of the Phil Woods Quintet and recording as a leader for Blue Note. Vache's lyricism come through, whether utilizing a mute, as on the foot patting "If I Should Lose You" or a swinging "You and the Night and the Music," or with the open horn, especially in the warm rendition of "Easy Living." Charlap not only proves himself an incredible accompanist, but that he has a sense of humor, too, especially with his lush introduction to Duke Ellington's "Prelude to a Kiss," which briefly detours into Thelonious Monk's "'Round Midnight." Although the emphasis is primarily on standards, "Nip-Hoc Waltz" (an homage to Chopin) and "Etude" (which features Vache unaccompanied) are two fine examples of Charlap's considerable abilities as a composer. Sadly, the liner notes stick to separate biographies of each musician and don't explain what prompted them to work together. This very entertaining date will stand up very well to repeated listening. ~Ken Dryden

                        
2gether                

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Daryl Sherman - A Hundred Million Miracles

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 61:26

Size: 140.7 MB

Styles: Jazz vocals

Year: 2006

Art: Front

[3:49] 1. Getting To Know You

[3:01] 2. How Was I To Know

[4:55] 3. You're Nearer

[2:56] 4. Ten Minutes Ago

[4:18] 5. Ev'rything I've Got

[5:50] 6. You Are Too Beautiful

[3:48] 7. A Hundred Million Miracles

[3:16] 8. Do I Hear A Waltz

[6:56] 9. Little Girl Blue

[5:09] 10. Sixteen Going On Seventeen

[7:34] 11. Bewitched, Bothered, And Bewildered

[2:40] 12. Do It The Hard Way

[3:53] 13. What's The Use Of Wond'rin'

[3:16] 14. This Can't Be Love

Listening to and enjoying the vocals of Daryl Sherman seems almost natural. She's talented, for sure, but it's the joy and sensitivity she instills in each song that impresses one. It doesn't hurt that Sherman has chosen to interpret the songs of Richard Rodgers on A Hundred Million Miracles, nor that she's enlisted the help of guitarists James Chirillo and Joe Cohn and bassist Boots Maleson. Her piano work and a number of guest appearances fill out the arrangements on an hour's worth of music from the classic American songbook. Sherman's rendition of "You Are Too Beautiful" is wonderfully underlined by Ruby Braff's cornet work, while her upbeat version of "Do I Hear a Waltz?" is accented by Chirillo's bouncy lead. She's joined on vocals by Bob Dorough for fun versions of "Everything I've Got Belongs to You" and "Sixteen Going on Seventeen." Even with high-profile support, though, Sherman's vocals remain the centerpiece of A Hundred Million Miracles. There's a lovely, seven-minute-plus "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered," and the album closes with a cheerful "This Can't Be Love." As one might note from these two songs, even though the lyrics of Rodgers form the connecting thread, his writing partners -- like Lorenz Hart -- also deserve mention. A Hundred Million Miracles is beautifully realized and Sherman's singing is an absolute joy. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr.

Live Recording Recorded at Nola Studios, New York, New York on October 4-8, 2002.

Daryl Sherman (vocals, piano); Bob Dorough (vocals, piano); James Chirillo, Joe Cohn, Bucky Pizzarelli (guitar); Houston Person (tenor saxophone); Ruby Braff (cornet); Jim Gwin (drums).

A Hundred Million Miracles      

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Lee Russo - Trading Off

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 48:25
Size: 110.8 MB
Styles: Hard bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[5:16] 1. Blues For Judith
[2:45] 2. Diatonic
[5:54] 3. Goldfinch
[5:46] 4. Kin
[8:05] 5. O's Waltz
[5:33] 6. Nat And Em
[4:57] 7. Ivory Romance
[5:32] 8. You're It
[4:32] 9. Trading Off

No keyboards. No guitars. No other horns except for a guest artist in the middle of the disc. In short, no other “lead” instruments to fall back on. For most players, this would be like juggling torches while walking the high wire. Lee Russo wanted it this way for Trading Off, his first CD. Maybe he's an insane risk-taker. Or maybe he's got the goods.

The disc should look Old School, because Russo's got an Old School tone, both in his playing and writing styles. In the liner notes, Lee says his influences are too numerous to mention. The opening track, “Blues For Judith”, reveals two influences right off, as Russo hits you with a West Coast mood and a mellow tenor sax that took me back to the first time I heard Paul Desmond. I will love Dave Brubeck until I die, but it was Desmond's singular sax work - mellow like Getz, but with an underlying edge as sharp as a knife - that elevated the Brubeck Quartet above everything else on the scene. Russo's playing has Desmond's edge while his writing has West Coast's sense of subtlety.

Don't worry about your cholesterol, because Russo's not re-frying anything. He's learned his lessons well, but all these pictures come straight from Lee's easel. “Diatonic” is a frantic abstract painted one slash and splash at a time, while “You're It” is a happy, playful travelogue that lets Russo take off on soprano sax. It was a good choice for Russo to do a couple of numbers on soprano; given the small size of his group, some kind of tonal variation was needed to break up the overall attack. Trading Off wouldn't be boring if Lee only played tenor, but why take the chance?

Trading Off

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Klára Hajdu Quartet - Come With Me

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:04
Size: 147,5 MB
Art: Front

(9:25)  1. Overjoyed
(8:42)  2. Come With Me (Sicily)
(6:57)  3. Smoky Lights
(8:02)  4. Volt Nékem Szeretom
(7:11)  5. Jonathan Livingston
(5:09)  6. The Good Life
(7:35)  7. In Vain
(4:34)  8. Open Your Eyes
(6:25)  9. Lullaby

Klara was born on 3rd of June, 1982. She started her musical studies in a music preschool, after that came a music primary school and a music school. She sang in a choir and she learned to play the piano. Her parents, being fond of music, made her meet jazz music at a very young age. When she was 15 years old, she started to study jazz singing in Szeged at the HAMMIDO music school. Her teacher was Adrienn Szabó. At this time she started to sing on stage. After High-School in 2001 she won the first prize in the solo voice category of the SONY MUSIC & BRAVO Talent Competition.

Until 2005 she studied at the jazz department of the Dr. Lauschmann Gyula Collage of Jazz Music in Székesfehérvár. Her teachers were Kriszta Pocsai, Barnabás Pély and Noémi Kiss. Then she sang with many great musicians and bands. In 2003 she was among the best 16 singers of the Hungarian TV2 Megasztár 1. competition, the Hungarian version of Pop Idol.  Since 2004 she has been the singer of the famous Hungarian jazz band, Elemer Balazs Group. She sings with the great jazz singer, Gabor Winand. They have given many successfull concerts at numerous festivals in Hungary, Austria, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Serbia, Transylvania, Italy, Norway, Scotland and England. Their first collective album, titled Refracting Sounds won the Fonogram Award and thus became the “Hungarian Jazz Album Of The Year” in 2005. 

In 2007 they released their album, entitled “Early Music”, in which baroque music is mixed with jazz. In the winter of 2009 they released their latest album, entitled “Memories”, wich was nominee the Fonogram Award “Hungarian Jazz Album Of The Year” in 2010. Klara contributed with background vocals to many singers’ albums and concerts (Tisza Bea, Mujahid Zoltán, Rácz Gergo, Dobrády Ákos, Zentai Márk, Iván, Völgyi Zsuzsi, Bon-Bon…). Klara contributed with background vocals to many singers’ albums.  Her own quartet was founded with pianist József Balázs, bassist Márton Soós and drummer Balázs Cseh in the spring of 2008. She graduated from the vocal jazz faculty of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music Budapest in June 2009. Her teachers were Tamás Berki, Ágnes Lakatos and Irma Holczer. ~Bio  http://www.hajduklara.hu/bioen

Come With Me

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Christine Tobin - House of Women

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:38
Size: 129,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:59)  1. House of Women
(4:34)  2. Story of Isaac
(7:14)  3. The Invisible Thread
(4:56)  4. Acts of Obscenity
(7:12)  5. Echoes
(4:46)  6. Seneca
(4:12)  7. Lovin' Kind
(3:27)  8. Love-Lies-Bleeding
(3:38)  9. Ooh! Salamander
(7:06) 10. Morro Velho
(4:32) 11. Hey Joe

Born Dublin, Eire. After singing in Dublin, Tobin went to London where she studied at the Guildhall School of Music, taking the jazz course. Tobin is now a regular on the UK jazz scene, working with musicians such as Jean Toussaint, Billy Childs, Kenny Wheeler, and Django Bates, and has established regular slots at Ronnie Scott’s and the South Bank’s Purcell Room. She also tours Europe regularly, appearing at festivals in Austria, Germany, Bulgaria, Spain and Hungary. Her repertoire is wide-ranging, rooted in jazz but drawing on Irish folk, world, and Latin influences. Tobin’s recorded output for the Babel label has focused on her own melodically-complex compositions, although the highlight remains her languorous and husky vocals. Deep Song concentrated on interpretations of jazz standards such as ‘Little Girl Blue’, ‘I Can’t Get Started’, and ‘How Deep Is The Ocean’. 

~ Bio  http://www.allmusic.com/artist/christine-tobin-mn0000905178

House of Women

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John Hicks, Cecil McBee, Elvin Jones - Power Trio

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:24
Size: 112,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:36)  1. Cousin Mary
(8:09)  2. After the Rain
(6:49)  3. D Bass-IC Blues
(9:39)  4. Duke's Place
(8:38)  5. Chelsea Bridge
(7:29)  6. After the Morning

This summit recording by pianist John Hicks, drummer Elvin Jones, and bassist Cecil McBee might not always hit the heights, but it still impresses with a fine repertoire and quality playing. John Coltrane's "Cousin Mary" kicks things off with Hicks and Jones matching the vigorous interplay the drummer and pianist McCoy Tyner plied so well in Coltrane's classic quartet, while a faithful reading of the tenor giant's airy ballad "After the Rain" is also included. Unlike these impressive covers, the two Duke Ellington numbers in the set bring mixed results:

While "Duke's Place" (aka "C-Jam Blues") is given a spry and inspired reading, spotlighting Hicks' amazing Tyner and Art Tatum-inspired chops, "Chelsea Bridge" becomes a missed opportunity thanks to the group's listless interpretation. Hicks' lovely, easy-swinging "After the Morning" redresses the balance, closing the set with fine contributions from all three players. In spite of a few musical missteps and the somewhat tinny sound of Hicks' piano, this fine trio recording still comes highly recommended.
~ Stephen Cook   http://www.allmusic.com/album/power-trio-mw0000674404

Power Trio

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Von Freeman - The Great Divide

Styles: Saxophone Jazz

Year: 2003

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 51:24

Size: 118,2 MB

Art: Front

(0:12)  1. Von: You Ready?

(8:23)  2. Be My Love

(3:25)  3. Never Fear Jazz Is Hear

(9:26)  4. This Is Always

(6:29)  5. Chant Time (Featuring Jelly Roll)

(0:15)  6. Von: "Everybody Mellow?"

(7:45)  7. Blue Pres

(4:04)  8. Disorder At The Border

(3:52)  9. Hard Hittin'

(7:27) 10. Violets For Your Furs

It is a little bit crazy to consider octogenarian tenor saxophonist Von Freeman paying tribute to anyone considering that he has outlived the vast majority of his peers. Still, Mr. Freeman chooses to step out and tip his hat to three horns that changed everything  Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, and Charlie Parker. Freeman reasons that this present disc is entitled The Great Divide to illustrate the disparate aspects of these three men joined together by jazz. Coleman Hawkins was all about muscular eloquence, virile, masculine expression. Lester Young was the equivalent of an operatic lyric tenor, who very easily could be called the godfather (if not the father) of "Cool" Jazz. Charlie Parker? Well, after Charlie Parker, nothing was ever the same. 

The disc begins with a bit of banter before Freeman, in his irreplaceable style, spins out eight minutes of the infrequently covered "Be My Love." Here, Freeman displays what makes his sound unique among the "giants" he proposes to honor. His tenor sound is deep, reedy and full of breath with a barely detectable vibrato. This tosses the saxophonist smack dab in the middle between Bean and Lady Day's President. It is here and on the solo saxophone closer, "Violets for Your Furs," that Von Freeman shows who he is a tenor saxophonist of Beethovenian proportions, having seen all and played all, from Frankie Trumbauer and Greg Osby. The centers of the recording are the blues pieces "Blue Pres" and "Disorder at the Border." Mr. Freeman takes on the ghosts of Pres and Bean directly, without ever losing himself in either artist's style. "Blue Pres" sounds like the best after hours blues anyone could hope for and has probably been in Freeman's book from the beginning.

Freeman's own "Never Fear, Jazz is Here" and "This is Always" look forward and backward from Charlie Parker. The one ghost that is not mentioned is that of John Coltrane, who emanates from Freeman's sax bell on "Chant Time" like " pious incense from a censer old." This recording is all that any mainstream jazz fan could hope for. Von Freeman is that quiet elder statesman whose fame fortunately manifest while it is not too late for the great saxophonist to enjoy it. A disc for the year-end list, for sure. ~ C.Michael Bailey  

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=13975#.UqSiHOJc_vs

Personnel: Von Freeman: Tenor Saxophone; Jimmy Cobb: Drums; Richard Wyands: Piano; John Webber: Bass.

The Great Divine

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