Donna Vivino - Beautiful Dreamer

Size: 126,4 MB
Time: 54:18
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Broadway
Art: Front

01. When Day Is Done (4:43)
02. Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered (5:45)
03. Over The Rainbow (4:48)
04. When She Loved Me (3:14)
05. Castle On A Cloud (4:06)
06. Rainy Days And Mondays (5:21)
07. How Insensitive (3:52)
08. Never Never Land (3:49)
09. My Romance (4:39)
10. I Wish You Love (3:37)
11. Once You Lose Your Heart (4:45)
12. They Can't Take That Away From Me (2:45)
13. Beautiful Dreamer (2:47)

Donna Vivino’s "Beautiful Dreamer" travels through personal history and musical eras. This recording features 13 songs that have resonated with Donna since childhood and embody her various interpretations of a “dream” – making her solo debut a thematically cohesive song-cycle, one that unfailingly captivates with its bountiful charms.

Donna is accompanied by a world-class jazz quartet led by her father Jerry Vivino – longtime member of Conan O'Brien's house band – and pianist/arranger Mitch Forman. She rises to this occasion and offers astonishing, unique takes on songs by Rodgers and Hart, George and Ira Gershwin, Antônio Carlos Jobim, Randy Newman, and other legendary writers.

Donna began her Broadway career at the tender age of eight as Young Cosette in Les Miserables and went on to grace the Broadway stage in musicals such as Wicked and Hairspray. On television, she’s appeared on HBO, ABC, CBS and in the acclaimed web series Submissions Only.

Beautiful Dreamer

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Kevin 'Griff' Griffin - Merry 'Griff'Mas

Size: 117,3 MB
Time: 50:13
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Holidays, Contemporary Jazz
Art: Front

01. Christmas Intro (0:11)
02. Hark The Herald (4:59)
03. Little Drummer Boy (5:50)
04. Holy Is The Lamb (4:11)
05. White Christmas (5:21)
06. O Come All Ye Faithful (4:58)
07. He Is (4:50)
08. It Came Upon Midnight Clear (4:37)
09. Silent Night (4:35)
10. Why Wait (4:39)
11. Do U Hear What I Hear (5:59)

Kevin Griffin is living "The Dream." The Memphis native delivers his distinctive interpretation of smooth jazz with a stand-alone sound that is sure to captivate the mind, body, and soul of a true music enthusiast. Honored by colleagues and critics alike, and the recipient of respect and admiration of a vast national public, this jazz sensation has become one with his music. A master producer, composer, and keyboardist, Kevin brings a taste of our favorite hymns such as "Come Thy Fount" and "For God So Loved the World" to his inspired works that will unquestionably grasp your soul.

Kevin Griffin is one artist that has unmistakably earned the success that he is now experiencing. Being emulated worldwide, he continues to master the art of creativity and individuality as he proves to be nothing short of amazing. His musical prowess opened the door for him to play the keyboard and organ for the late O'Landa Draper and The Associates and allowed him to advance to the position of Musical Director. Shortly after, Kevin discovered his personal need to explore other musical opportunities and found himself blessed with the opportunity to record and tour the United States , as well as abroad, with such artists as BeBe and CeCe Winans, Ann Nesby, Shirley Ceasar, Dottie Peoples, and Walter Hawkins, just to name few. Having worked with such greats, as well as Mary J. Blige, Jagged Edge, and Maysa, you can be assured that each encounter with his music will be a life changing experience.

Kevin continues his work and keeps his passion alive through Make Music Group where he works as producer, composer, and keyboardist. Make Music Group is comprised of select individuals that write with smooth, heartfelt lyrics, and record vibrant music, and perform music with powerful vocals and pounding grooves that shake up the minds of all listeners.

Merry 'Griff'Mas

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Natalie Cole - Holly And Ivy

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 46:44
Size: 107.0 MB
Styles: Holiday
Year: 1994
Art: Front

[3:34] 1. Jingle Bells
[3:07] 2. Caroling, Caroling
[4:22] 3. The First Noel
[4:20] 4. No More Blue Christmas'
[6:07] 5. Christmas Medley Jingle Bell Rock Winter..
[3:22] 6. Merry Christmas, Baby
[2:48] 7. Joy To The World
[3:03] 8. The Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot
[3:24] 9. A Song For Christmas
[4:59] 10. Silent Night
[3:37] 11. The Christmas Song
[3:57] 12. The Holly And The Ivy

As she did with Unforgettable, Natalie Cole again follows her in father's footsteps with a Christmas recording. Although this does not have the same 'classic' quality of her dad's The Christmas Album, it is a fine outing. Performing with either a big band or small group, Ms. Cole performs a combination holiday classics along with some lesser known tunes such as "The Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot" and "No More Blue Christmas." ~ Robert Taylor

Recorded at Oceanway Studios and Record Plant, Hollywood, California; O'Henry Studios, Burbank, California; Bill Schnee Studio, North Hollywood, California.

Natalie Cole (vocals, piano); John Chiodini, Paul Jackson, Jr., Phil Upchurch (guitar); Terry Trotter (piano, celesta); Charles Floyd, Alan Broadbent, Cedar Walton (piano); Patrice Rushen (celesta, Fender Rhodes piano); Michael Baird , Jeff Hamilton , Harold Jones (drums); Larry Bunker, Brent Fischer (percussion). Background vocals: Hilary Bonine, Josh Breslow, Rachel Brook, Blake Ewing, Jessica Frank, Megan Joyce, Gary Klarer, Janine Kamwene-Colquhoun, Alma Lira, Majorie Mejia, Arielle Ramos, Niki Rosenfield, Zan Tansey, Alberto Vasquez, Jason Yun, Julie Delgado, Tony Warren, Sandy Simmons, Catte Adams, Dorian Holley, Jacke Ward-Smith, Sally Stevens, Terry Stilnell-Haraton, Mary Mylan, Angie Jaree, Donna Davidson, Don Shelton, Gary Jones, David Joyce, Gene Morford, Bob Joyce, Kevin Dorsey, Katrina Perkins.

Holly And Ivy

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Claire Martin & Kenny Barron - Too Much In Love To Care

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 56:59

Size: 130.5 MB

Styles: Vocal jazz

Year: 2012

Art: Front

[3:03] 1. Too Much In Love To Care

[4:50] 2. Embraceable You

[5:24] 3. Weaver Of Dreams

[5:07] 4. Crazy He Calls Me

[3:46] 5. You Turned The Tables On Me

[5:37] 6. How Long Has This Been Going On

[3:57] 7. Lazy Afternoon

[2:40] 8. Time After Time

[5:53] 9. A Time For Love

[3:24] 10. I Only Have Eyes For You

[5:14] 11. I'm Glad There Is You

[3:22] 12. Wonder Why

[4:35] 13. Too Late Now

What immediately strikes both veterans and newcomers to Ms Martin's ever-expanding oeuvre (and here I'll bet she didn't even know that she had an ‘oeuvre') is that she has more of the sound of what a jazz singer should sound like than virtually anybody else of her approximate generation. She has a unique vocal timbre that screams ‘ jazz' at the top of its lungs even though Ms Martin herself barely even raises her voice. She's often cited Ella Fitzgerald as her first influence, but I continually hear some personally forged hybrid of the young Anita O'Day and the even younger Carmen McRae in her voice. The sound of her voice itself can only be described as pure jazz. The tracks that will most likely first catch your attention here are those pure duos between Ms Martin and Mr Barron, where, if this isn't too redundant, the other instruments are not present. Ms Martin has extensively worked in a voice-piano duo format before, usually with the awesome British pianist Sir Richard Rodney Bennett. (Ms Martin clearly exhibits a penchant for keyboard royalty, between a knight of the British Empire and an American baron.) See if it doesn't strike you that although they are piano masters of comparable, incredibly high levels of skill, their approaches to the voice-piano duet format are very different. When Sir Richard plays for Ms Martin, you are always conscious of how bass and drums are absent, he makes you think about the silences, and those silences even more than any additional notes or any instruments ever could. Conversely, when Sir Barron plays behind Ms Martin, you completely forget that the bass and drums aren't there, it isn't until you listen extra closely that you realise that the Washingtons are outside copping a smoke somewhere. ~Will Friedwald

Too Much in Love To Care  

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Isla Eckinger - Hot Mallets

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 35:42
Size: 81.7 MB
Styles: Vibraphone jazz
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[4:37] 1. Detroit Blues (For Chuck And Bill)
[3:03] 2. Get Happy
[4:21] 3. Old Folks
[5:30] 4. Stardust
[4:30] 5. Quotation
[3:51] 6. Such Sweet Thunder
[3:49] 7. Stuffy
[5:57] 8. Jitterburg Waltz

Eckinger spielte bereits als Kind Cello und wechselte als Jugendlicher auf die Posaune. Nach dem Studium der Posaune auf dem Konservatorium in Basel brachte er sich selbst das Kontrabass-Spielen bei. Als Berufsmusiker spielte er erstmals bei Oscar und Miriam Klein. In den 1960ern begleitete er außerdem auf der Durchreise befindliche Stars wie Ben Webster, Don Byas oder Johnny Griffin.

Nach seinem Umzug nach München arbeitete er mit Mal Waldron, Joe Haider und Philly Joe Jones. Von 1970 bis 1976 war er als Lehrer an der Swiss Jazz School tätig und spielte einerseits mit Haider, Peter Giger und Heinz Bigler in der Gruppe Four for Jazz, andererseits in verschiedenen Projekten mit Slide Hampton, George Gruntz, Horace Parlan, Benny Bailey und Dexter Gordon. Mit Mal Waldron, Steve Lacy und Manfred Schoof tourte er 1975 in Japan und mit Chet Baker 1976 in Italien. Am Ende der 1970er gehörte er zum Wolfgang Engstfeld-Quartett. Anschließend arbeitete er mit Klaus Weiss, Fritz Pauer und auch mit Dizzy Gillespie.

Mitte der 1980er zog Eckinger, der als zuverlässiger Begleiter geschätzt wird, nach Los Angeles und arbeitete u. a. mit Chuck Manning (L.A. Calling, 1991). Aktuell spielt er mit Roman Schwaller und Jimmy Cobb, aber auch mit Charly Antolini, mit Andy Scherrer und mit Paul Haag.

Hot Mallets

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Deborah J. Carter - Blue Notes & Red Shoes

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:50
Size: 135,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:22)  1. Moanin'
(4:07)  2. Dizzy And Parker - Groovin' High
(4:00)  3. That Note Costs A Dollar
(8:02)  4. Round Midnight Prelude / 'Round Midnight
(4:00)  5. Meet Me, Midnight
(4:52)  6. Too Darn Blue
(3:24)  7. It Isn't So Good, It Couldn't Be Better
(4:48)  8. The In-And-Outs
(4:57)  9. Big Blue / Senor Blues
(5:00) 10. I'm Walking
(7:37) 11. One For My Baby / This One's On Me
(3:37) 12. Can't Stop It - Say It

One of the most significant American-born jazz singers based in Europe (having lived 15 years in Spain and nearly that many in the Netherlands), Deborah Carter is a delight to hear. Not only does she have a very appealing voice and a thorough understanding of jazz, but her enthusiasm is infectious. A regular at jazz festivals, an important educator, and a frequent guest with big bands, she is most often heard with her regular trio which is featured (along with guests) throughout Blue Notes and Red Shoes.

"With my trio, I always feel like I can fall back on a soft quilt, one that will always catch me," says Deborah. "The music that we do I call 'Metropolitan Jazz.' It is music from a 21st century city where one can go to a Latin club on a Saturday night, cross the street to an r&b/jazz club, and then go a block over and experience some other kind of music."

Blue Notes and Red Shoes is a bluish set filled with bebop, ballads, original vocalese, jazz standards, and the debut of a few superior songs. Ms. Carter is teamed with pianist Coen Molenaar and drummer Enrique Firpi (both of whom have been in her group for ten years), her husband bassist Mark Zandveld (who has been in her trio for 15 years) and such guests as guitarists Leonardo Ameudo (who often works in Brazil with Ivan Lins) and Jan Akkerman, tenor-saxophonist Simon Rigter, and trumpeter Loet van der Lee.

The set begins with Bobby Timmons' "Moanin'," which has both straightahead and funky sections and includes some fine scatting by the singer. "My first experience with jazz was dancing to it as a little girl," remembers Deborah. "'Moanin'' is the type of music that I heard when my mother would get together with her friends." The bop classic "Groovin' High" benefits from her vocalese lyrics (paying tribute to Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker), concise solos, and catchy Latin rhythms.

Deborah was inspired to purchase a couple of CDs by singer-organist Charlie Wood after seeing him perform, resulting in her discovering his swinging strut "That Note Costs A Dollar." There have been a countless number of versions of Thelonious Monk's "'Round Midnight" through the years, but Deborah Carter's is different because she wrote a new verse, used a fresh arrangement, and added her own phrasing to the lyrics. "Most of the songs in my repertoire are at least slightly autobiographical. This is my most honest version of ''Round Midnight' for I have lived this story several times over."

A jubilant "Meet Me, Midnight" precedes the debut of the soulful "Too Darn Blue." Deborah discovered the latter song while perusing My Space, immediately writing to the composer Dave Gill. Perhaps My Space will become the Tin Pan Alley of the 21st century, a new way to discover tomorrow's standards.

Fran Landesman's "It Isn't So Good, It Couldn't Get Better" has not been recorded much since Irene Kral's version over 30 years ago but it fits today's economic crisis. "The In-And Outs," written by Deborah along with her husband and her pianist, discusses a philosophical way of dealing with life. The performers sound quite at ease not only essaying the tricky chord changes but improvising in 5/4 time. Deborah starts Horace Silver's "Senor Blues" with her own vocalese introduction called "Big Blue" which perfectly sets up the tune. "I'm Walking," long a part of her repertoire, really grooves at the slightly slower-than-usual tempo. Johnny Mercer's "One For My Baby" and Roy Meriwether's "This One's On Me" work together logically as a medley since they deal with similar circumstances. Closing off the colorful and memorable program is Mike Kennedy's "Can't Stop It," another song that Deborah discovered while surfing the Internet. The rhythmic piece, originally called "Sing It," has her lyrics and hot scatting to Kennedy's music.

Deborah Carter has accomplished a great deal during her career thus far, and she is very much in her prime these days. Blue Notes and Red Shoes serves as a perfect introduction to her joyful artistry. 

~ Scott Yanow, Author of ten jazz books including Trumpet Kings, Bebop, Jazz On Film and Jazz On Record 1917-76  

http://www.deborahjcarter.com/reviews.htm

Blue Notes & Red Shoes

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Deborah Cox - Deborah Cox

Styles: R&B
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:35
Size: 132,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:29)  1. Sentimental
(4:23)  2. Who Do U Love
(5:17)  3. I'm Your Natural Woman
(4:51)  4. The Sound of My Tears
(4:47)  5. Call Me
(4:15)  6. My Radio
(4:10)  7. Never Gonna Break My Heart Again
(4:56)  8. It Could've Been You
(5:28)  9. My First Night with You
(5:50) 10. Just Be Good to Me
(4:46) 11. Who Do U Love (Morales Mix)
(4:18) 12. Where Do We Go from Here

Like Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey, Deborah Cox straddles the line between soul and pop, appealing to adult contemporary and R&B fans in equal measures. She is a confident and stylish singer, but her self-titled debut is helped by considerably by the powerhouse producers work behind the scenes. Featuring tracks produced by Babyface, Dallas Austin, and Daryl Simmons among others, the record is filled with immaculately crafted dance-pop and ballads. Not all of the songs are up to the production standards, however. Like many singers in her genre, Deborah Cox is only as good as her material, and the songs on their debut are uneven. She shines on the hit "Sentimental" and several other cuts, including "Never Gonna Break My Heart Again" and the poppy "Who Do U Love," but nearly half of the record consists of undistinguished material. Nevertheless, the best songs on the album suggests that Cox has the potential to develop into a star. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine  http://www.allmusic.com/album/deborah-cox-mw0000174947

Deborah Cox

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Miranda Lambert - Revolution

Styles: Country
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:06
Size: 117,6 MB
Art: Front + Back

(4:48)  1. White Liar
(3:09)  2. Only Prettier
(4:01)  3. Dead Flowers
(2:24)  4. Me & Your Cigarettes
(2:17)  5. Maintain The Pain
(2:48)  6. Airstream Song
(3:50)  7. Makin' Plans
(3:55)  8. Time To Get A Gun
(3:23)  9. Somewhere Trouble Don't Go
(3:56) 10. The House That Built Me
(2:50) 11. Love Song
(2:58) 12. Heart Like Mine
(3:28) 13. Sin For A Sin
(3:27) 14. That's The Way The World Goes 'Round
(3:46) 15. Virginia Bluebell

While Miranda Lambert's first two albums spun tales of kerosene fires, bar fights, and firearmed vengeance, REVOLUTION finds the Texan taking some degree of comfort in her relationship with Blake Shelton, whose influence helps govern the album's mellow moments. Lambert has never played by anyone's rules, be they dictated by Nashville or society in general, but she has carved out her own set of principles over the course of a four-year career. Accordingly, REVOLUTION offers a strong, cohesive take on what has quickly become the "Lambert sound:" a blend of lilting ballads and loud, fire-breathing anthems, many of which owe as much to rock & roll as country. She's more comfortable with the slower songs this time around, and "Dead Flowers" is perhaps her strongest vocal performance to date. Even so, the harder numbers continue to pack the strongest punch. Audio Mixer: Mike Wrucke.

Liner Note Author: Judy Forde-Blair. Rolling Stone (p.74) - 4 stars out of 5  "With her third record, Miranda Lambert remains country's most refreshing act....'Airstream Song' is a string-band dropout fantasy..."

Spin (p.80) - "[With] guitar noise and booming drums out of garage and grunge, alternating with patches of soft-focus atmosphere..."

Entertainment Weekly (p.59) - "REVOLUTION is a portrait of an artist in full possession of her powers, and the best mainstream-country album so far this year."

Entertainment Weekly (p.102) - Included in Entertainment Weekly's 'The Best Albums of 2009'  "Mature lyrics, well-considered covers, and rich neo-traditional arrangements that result in songs rather than singles..."

Billboard (p.36) - "Among the highlights on the new set are Lambert's rocking twist on John Prine's `That's the Way the World Goes `Round' and the retro-sounding `Me and Your Cigarettes.'"
Paste (magazine) (p.50) - "This time, we get 'Dead Flowers' and 'Me And Your Cigarettes,' both of which drop Lambert's guard." 

http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=7989582&style=music&fulldesc=T

Revolution

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Arnett Cobb Quintets - More Party Time

Styles: Jazz
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:44
Size: 84,1 MB
Art: Front

(8:57)  1. Lover, Come Back to Me
(3:41)  2. Blue Lou
(5:52)  3. Swanee River
(5:22)  4. Down by the Riverside
(7:36)  5. Blue Me
(5:13)  6. Sometimes I'm Happy

During 1959-1960, the tough-toned but sentimental tenor saxophonist Arnett Cobb recorded six albums for Prestige; his next recording as a leader would not be until 1971. On this particular CD reissue, Cobb performs quintet selections with pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Sam Jones, drummer Art Taylor, and Danny Barrajanos on conga; on "Down by the Riverside" (from February 17) pianist Bobby Timmons and Buck Clarke on congas join Jones, Taylor, and Cobb. The saxman's treatments of "Blue Me" and five veteran songs ("Lover Come Back to Me," "Blue Lou," "Swanee River," "Down by the Riverside," and "Sometimes I'm Happy") are melodic, soulful, and swinging. An excellent if brief (at 36 minutes) effort. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/more-party-time-mw0000040244

More Party Time

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Sherri Roberts - Lovely Days (With Bliss Rodriguez)

Size: 142,6 MB
Time: 61:19
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. It's A Lovely Day Today - Isn't It A Lovely Day (5:50)
02. What'll I Do (4:35)
03. Nice And Easy (4:33)
04. Soon It's Gonna Rain (6:30)
05. Heart And Soul (3:53)
06. We Kiss In A Shadow - I Have Dreamed (5:55)
07. Our Love Rolls On (5:23)
08. I'm All Smiles (4:51)
09. Come Dance With Me (5:27)
10. Like A Lover (5:36)
11. Moon River (4:37)
12. Hit The Road To Dreamland (4:05)

Every recording by San Francisco vocalist Sherri Roberts features an intuitive mind-meld with a master instrumentalist and a smartly curated array of neglected songs. Lovely Days, her fourth recording as a leader, highlights both aspects of her artistry. Showcasing brilliant Bay Area pianist Bliss Rodriguez, it's an intimate celebration of the American Songbook's infrequently turned backpages.

Lovely Days

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Randy Lyght - A Return To Romance

Size: 79,3 MB
Time: 33:43
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. The Best Is Yet To Come (2:32)
02. It Had To Be You (2:32)
03. I've Got You Under My Skin (3:45)
04. Witchcraft (2:50)
05. Nature Boy (4:16)
06. All In Fun (3:44)
07. Steppin' Out With My Baby (2:23)
08. The Best Man (2:43)
09. La Vie En Rose (3:24)
10. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life (5:29)

Randy brings new life to a selection of best-loved romantic jazz music by Gershwin, Hammerstein, Porter, Kern and more. These legendary composers are no longer around but the music they wrote lives on. They would be pleased to know that some of their best known songs are being performed with care and style by the impressive rich and warm voice of Randy Lyght.

A native of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Randy Lyght has been a fixture in the Canadian music industry for decades.

During his career, Randy lead his own bands such as Mixed Breed and Black Lightning alongside other great bands featuring Rick Lazar and Paul Shaffer, and completed a multi-country tour with The World Renowned Platters in the mid-1970s. His talent and innate musicality was enriched under the direction of legendary performers such as Jackie Richardson, Tony Gaines, and Jason Mack.

Throughout the 1980's, Randy performed in numerous prestigious live venues under the representation of Paul Mascioli, owner of Prestige Entertainment Agency in Victoria, British Columbia. He also recorded a single cover of "Feel Like Making Love," produced by Hermann Fruhm at Mushroom Studios, and received radio airplay across the country.

Randy has also worked with producer Brian Griffiths at Little Mountain Sound, recording radio jingles for clients such as The Louisville Times, as well as a commissioned tribute song for the University of British Columbia.

Now based in Kitchener, Ontario, Randy continues to pursue his passion for music. Having recorded and released two albums throughout 2011 and 2012 ("Just In Time and "Happy Holiday", under the musical direction of award winning producer J. Richard Hutt).

A Return To Romance

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