Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Carmen McRae - Book Of Ballads

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 40:37
Size: 93.0 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz, Standards
Year: 1959/ 2013
Art: Front

[3:10] 1. By Myself
[3:51] 2. The Thrill Is Gone
[4:05] 3. How Long Has This Been Going On
[2:51] 4. Do You Know Why
[3:52] 5. My Romance
[2:59] 6. Isn't It Romantic
[3:28] 7. If Love Is Good To Me
[3:46] 8. When I Fall In Love
[3:13] 9. Please Be Kind
[2:40] 10. He Was Too Good To Me
[2:40] 11. Angel Eyes
[3:57] 12. Something I Dreamed Last Night

The Book of Ballads in question is the Great American Songbook, and Carmen McRae breathes new life into some of its most dog-eared pages on this wonderful session that heralded the close of her Kapp Records tenure. McRae tackles material like "When I Fall in Love," "Isn't It Romantic?" and "How Long Has This Been Going On?" with uncommon care and intelligence, summoning rich new meaning from the familiar lyrics. In her hands, the songs pulse with energy and life. Arranger Frank Hunter and a supporting trio led by pianist Don Abney also merit commendation for nuanced, evocative backings that afford McRae the necessary space to do her thing. ~Jason Ankeny

Book Of Ballads

Kurt Elling - 1619 Broadway: The Brill Building Project

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 56:31
Size: 129.4 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[6:15] 1. On Broadway
[6:19] 2. Come Fly With Me
[4:57] 3. You Send Me
[5:40] 4. I Only Have Eyes For You
[2:47] 5. I'm Satisfied
[6:59] 6. A House Is Not A Home
[3:30] 7. Shoppin' For Clothes
[5:57] 8. So Far Away
[3:18] 9. Pleasant Valley Sunday
[5:23] 10. An American Tune
[5:21] 11. Tutti For Cootie

Kurt Elling celebrates a legendary legacy from outside the jazz world. 1619 Broadway – The Brill Building Project honors a locale that the London Telegraph called "the most important generator of popular songs in the Western world." Even for the ceaselessly inventive GRAMMY-winning singer-lyricist, it's a hugely unexpected step, and one guaranteed to further solidify his reputation for bold innovation and superb craftsmanship.

"Having done so many projects about my love for Chicago," Elling says, "I wanted to make something that spoke of my love for New York." The two cities define his career. Elling developed his craft in Chicago, and recorded several of his early albums there – including his debut, Close Your Eyes, which catapulted him onto the national stage and earned the first of his many GRAMMY nominations. (All told, every one of Elling's ten albums has been nominated for at least one jazz GRAMMY – a streak unequalled in GRAMMY history.)

But in fact, Elling and his family have lived in Manhattan since 2008, and 1619 Broadway – The Brill Building Project is his response to that experience.

"I didn't want to cover any of the New York songwriters jazz people usually go to: the Gershwins, Rodgers and Hart, Cole Porter, all of whom I love; I wanted to reach out for something different for jazz. The vast collection of songs coming out of The Brill Building seemed like a gold mine."

The Brill Building Project

Shauna Anderson - Simple

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:54
Size: 103,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:11)  1. Give Me the Simple Life
(3:14)  2. When I Need You
(3:00)  3. Simple
(2:50)  4. Swinging Through the Hard Times
(4:59)  5. Happy Family
(2:37)  6. Darn It, Baby That's Love
(4:46)  7. Harvest Moon
(4:55)  8. Count Your Blessings
(3:52)  9. Fallen
(4:15) 10. Try Your Wings
(3:26) 11. Old Porch Swing
(3:32) 12. Cerasse Tea
(1:12) 13. La La Lu (Lullaby from Lady and the Tramp)

Shauna grew up in Plymouth, Massachusetts, surrounded by music and singing relatives. She got her musical start at a young age in the basement of her Grandpa Murphy's house where she spent hours pounding away on a dusty, out-of-tune, upright piano. When piano playing didn't click with her, she moved on to the acoustic guitar. Frustrated, she quickly gave it up when her brother Ryan excelled at a much quicker pace. Fortunately, singing came much easier. Shauna started singing "professionally" at Sacred Heart High School in Kingston, MA. She was very active in drama and chorus, led by the "Singing Sisters," Sisters Rosalie and Rosemund. Her first big solo in chorus was *Chiquita Banana.* When she came to U. of Vermont, she longed to start a band and play at the clubs downtown. While in the library (pretending to study) she saw a sign on a bulletin board that said, "WANTED: Singer for new Acid Jazz band." She tore down the sign, called the number the next day and by the end of the week had joined the band Belizbeha. That was March of 1994. For the next 6-7 years Belizbeha toured extensively around the country and produced 2 CDs of all original material. Belizbeha shared the stage with the likes of Kool & the Gang, Gil Scott Heron, The Last Poets, De La Soul, The Roots, A Tribe Called Quest, Busta Rhymes, and many others. After the release of their second album, "Void Where Inhibited" the band dissolved, although they still play shows every now and again. Everyone in Belizbeha went on to pursue music in his or her own individual way.

When not on the road with Belizbeha, Shauna worked part-time at the Sai-Gon Cafe in Burlington, and it was there that she hooked up with Joe Capps and Chris Peterman. She had known Joe from Belizbeha; they had recorded some songs out at Joe's studio. Shauna knew Chris through Belizbeha as well; he played saxophone on their first album and played many gigs with them. When Joe and Chris were playing at the restaurant, Shauna would sometimes get up and sing a song or two with them. Since it was so fun they decided to pursue playing some "real" gigs together. Thus, in 1997, the Shauna Antoniuc Trio was born, and they went on to play numerous gigs at jazz bars, restaurants, weddings, corporate functions, and colleges throughout Vermont and New Hampshire. They released one CD called "The Dream's On Me" in 2002 and recorded another in 2003. The second CD, after sitting on a shelf for 5 years, was released in 2008. It's called "In the Moonlight." Their third CD together, "Simple" is being released in 2011 under a new name, Shauna Anderson. Rick Norcross was a regular customer at the Sai-Gon Cafe as well, and when the singer left his western swing outfit, Rick and the Ramblers, he asked Shauna to audition for the job. She was hired for the summer 1999 tour and worked with them for 5 more summers, playing every weekend throughout Vermont. Chris Peterman also joined Rick's crew in 2001, playing with him for another year. Shauna still sits in on gigs in Vermont for both the jazz trio and the Ramblers. 2003 was a busy year for Shauna. 

In February, she and husband Brandy Anderson were married at the breathtaking Marie Reine-du-Monde Cathedral in Montreal. Mother's day was truly special that year as they found out they were pregnant. In July, they left Vermont behind and moved to Sacramento, CA to be near Brandy's family. The fall brought new jobs, and on December 29th little Jula Elizabeth arrived just in time for the tax break. They crammed marriage and moving, career changes and diaper changes all into one fantastic year. When Shauna arrived in CA she knew she wanted to continue singing. She joined the musician's union and asked who she should contact for jazz. Bill Rase was the leader of one of the oldest big bands in the area, so she stopped by his recording studio and gave him a CD. Soon she was playing gigs with Bill all over the Sacramento area.  At one of Bill's gigs, Shauna met Brad Hammett, an outstanding trombone player. He asked her is she would like to join a band they were putting together. Brad has an awesome studio in Auburn, so Shauna went out there to meet Mickey Bennett, a swinging bass player, and Charlie Robinson, a fantastic jazz guitarist. They recorded a bunch of standards and started playing out at weddings, restaurants, and functions.

Shauna also joined a couple of cover bands; in 2004 she hooked up with Frenchy and The Feather River Outlaws. They covered mostly country and rock tunes and played heavily in the Marysville area. Shauna still keeps in touch with the Outlaws and plays with them sometimes. In the summer of 2006, Shauna joined another cover band, Stealin' Time. They play occasional gigs as well. Shauna took a hiatus from singing as she and Brandy had two more little girls, one right after the other; in May of 2006 Mary-Margaret Christine arrived, and right on her coat tails was Evamarie Dorothy, born a year and 2 days later. Baby #4 -- another girl -- arrived on January 1st, 2009. Cecilia Juanita is named after the patron saint of musicians, St. Cecilia! Recently, Shauna returned to Vermont to record an album of some of her favorite pop and jazz songs with Joe and Chris and other musicians she used to work with. This album, Simple, is made up of songs that remind her of the simple blessings in our lives. In times that are rough - indeed, in ALL times - it is good to remember what really matters. Shauna hopes to make the world just a little more beautiful with these songs!  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/shaunaanderson

Shannon Butcher & Rebecca Hennessy - Butcher Sings Baker

Styles: Vocal Jazz, Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 25:50
Size: 59,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:50)  1. Do It the Hard Way
(3:10)  2. I'll Remember April
(3:35)  3. Time After Time
(3:20)  4. Almost Blue
(3:29)  5. Happy Little Sunbeam
(3:46)  6. My Heart Stood Still
(5:39)  7. Everything Happens to Me

Shannon Butcher (Vocals) with Rebecca Hennessy (Trumpet) perform the Chet Baker Songbook; saluting one of the Jazz world’s most popular male vocalists and horn players. In their first collaboration together, these two celebrated ladies of the Toronto jazz scene will perform a broad range of material spanning the breadth of Chet Baker’s career, with a focus on his vocal repertoire.  Selections will include works from his later period such as Elvis Costello’s “Almost Blue” along with the classic standards “I Fall In Love Too Easily”, “My Funny Valentine”, “It Could Happen To You”, “Let’s Get Lost” and more!Accompanied by an outstanding Piano, Bass and Drum trio (Mark Kieswetter, Ross MacIntyre and Maxwell Roach), this duo who are known for exploring the “new” come together to explore the inspiration of a jazz icon. Shannon Butcher is a well-loved vocalist in the Canadian jazz scene who achieves steady jazz radio play across the country. She has built her career by creating her own jazz songbook, filled with a unique repertoire of self-composed material and distinctive jazz interpretations of recent pop music. Canadian jazz radio has heartily embraced Shannon’s repertoire as presented on her two solo albums, 2008’s “Words We Both Could say” and 2010’s “Little Hearts”, (albums that contain a combined total of only three traditional jazz interpretations out of a total of 21 tracks), as well as on 2011’s duo album with Ross MacIntyre; “How Sweet It Is” (where only one of eleven tracks is considered a Jazz “Standard”.) Her albums have consistently reached the Top-Ten national jazz airplay charts, and her live performances in her home town of Toronto, as well as at Canadian Jazz festivals and regional theatres (such as The Rose Theatre in Brampton, Mississauga’s Living Arts Centre and the Richmond Hill Centre for the Arts) never fail to charm a crowd.

Rebecca Hennessy (Trumpet) is a sought-after player in the Canadian jazz scene, as well as the indie music scene (where she works with artists such as Ron Sexsmith, Owen Pallett, Broken Social Scene, Feist and Sara Slean).  She is most well known for her work as member of the chamber-jazz quartet “Hobson’s Choice” – who have released two full length CDs and one EP since 2008.  As with her other jazz projects, Rebecca’s focus with Hobson’s Choice has been on original compositions and improvised music. As Shakura S’Aida wrote recently about Rebecca, “she is one seriously talented player, who plays with a sensitivity that never leaves strength behind.”  
http://hughsroom.com/2013/01/butcher-sings-baker/

Butcher Sings Baker

Ingrid Lucia - St. Valentine's Day Massacre

Styles: New Orleans Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:59
Size: 146,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:49)  1. We'll Meet Again
(5:25)  2. That's My Desire
(4:58)  3. That Old Feeling
(5:28)  4. I Cover The Waterfront
(3:51)  5. These Foolish Things
(3:43)  6. La Vie En Rose (Latin Band)
(3:47)  7. Green Eyes
(5:56)  8. You Go To My Head
(4:20)  9. What Is This Thing Called Love?
(5:11) 10. You Made Me Love You
(5:24) 11. Body And Soul
(2:52) 12. La Vie En Rose (Ballad , Duo)
(2:52) 13. Melancholy Baby
(4:16) 14. That Old Black Magic

The sassy sultry style of Ingrid Lucia will ignite your heart as you listen to her classic seductive melodies on her latest CD, St. Valentine’s Day Massacre.   This beautiful songstress brings a catalog of classic love songs back to life with a spin of local jazz flavor in favorites like “You Made Me Love You” and “That Old Black Magic.”  Lucia also pays homage to the great Louis Armstrong with her unforgettable versions of “La Vie En Rose” which includes a ballad and a sweet up tempo contemporary jazz version.  Throughout the CD, Victor Atkin's piano work is purely New Orleans and compliments Lucia’s sultry vocals.  This CD captures the mystical essence of Lucia’s live performances, but at the same time makes the listener long to see her perform in person.   The songs are put together beautifully with great precision and balance when it comes to the jazz solos either by bass or saxophone, in contrast to Lucia’s sweet enchanting voice.  Lucia has the sound of a beautiful gypsy style cabaret singer who’s bound for stardom. This CD is bound to be a romantic classic, perfect for special evenings together with that special someone or just reminiscing over the classic era of music Lucia sings from. ~ Sheri McKee  http://www.whereyat.com/neworleans/article-921-july-cd-reviews.html

The Smith Glamann Quintet - Poinciana

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:54
Size: 73,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:05)  1. Poinciana
(2:06)  2. Liza
(3:34)  3. Laura
(2:33)  4. Harp Capers
(2:53)  5. Lotus Land
(1:52)  6. Now Get Out
(3:07)  7. The Boy Next Door
(2:21)  8. Stompin' At The Savoy
(2:11)  9. September Song
(2:47) 10. Ragtime Mambo
(3:19) 11. That's All
(2:00) 12. Pulling Strings

Betty Glamann Voorhees (May 21, 1923 – September 3, 1990) was an American jazz harpist. She was born in Wellington, Kansas. Glamann learned to play harp at the age of ten. She attended a conservatory and was the harpist for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra for three years. She played with Spike Jones in 1948, founded the Smith-Glamann Quintet in 1955, played with Duke Ellington and Marian McPartland around 1955 and then with Oscar Pettiford during 1957-58. With Kenny Dorham's band she recorded the album Jazz Contrasts in 1957. In 1958 she was involved in a Michel Legrand recording session with John Coltrane and Miles Davis; she played with Eddie Costa in 1958 and with the Modern Jazz Quartet in 1960. She recorded one album under her own name, Swinging on a Harp.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Glamann