Betty Shirley - Close Your Eyes

Size: 158,6 MB
Time: 68:02
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2007
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Bursting In With The Dawn (4:07)
02. You Stepped Out Of A Dream (4:29)
03. Fever (4:52)
04. Perdido (5:21)
05. Miss Celies Blues (2:55)
06. That Old Black Magic (5:45)
07. Triste (4:00)
08. Im Glad There Is You (4:11)
09. The Song Is You (3:03)
10. Summertime (7:38)
11. The Man I Love (5:27)
12. Wave (6:24)
13. The Very Thought Of You (5:05)
14. You're My Thrill (4:39)

A native of Mississippi, jazz vocalist Betty Shirley moved to New York as a teen-ager to study music. That’s where she established her career singing in such clubs as Birdland and Greenstreet. In the early 1990s she followed her muse and moved to New Orleans, which is still her home.

Shirley ranges from classic jazz standards to Bossa Nova/Latin. Blessed with all the range and tonal control one might expect from a first-class jazz singer, she can scat, she can hang on to a note, she can coax and she can propel. Shirley improvises with unerring instincts and delivers exactly what a song needs, spinning songs like silk. She is a versatile jazz performer who mesmerizes audiences with her ability to make a song her own. Her range and command of the stage make Shirley’s a voice that should be heard around the world.

Shirley’s appearances have included the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, the Pensacola Jazz Festival, and the Women in Jazz Series. Thanks to the great work of Word of Mouth Studio this CD master was able to survive Hurricane Katrina.

About this her third CD:
"From “Bursting with the Dawn” through “You’re my Thrill”, Betty Shirley documents why she is one of the top female vocalist on the New Orleans scene … Sensitive, sassy, coy and a great interpreter sum up some of the many qualities she manifests on this outing…” declares Michael “MR JAZZ” Gourrier, host of “Bebop &Beyond” WRIR-FM, Richmond, Virginia and Formerly of WWOZ-FM New Orleans.

Personnel:
Betty Shirley - vocals
with:
Richard Moten - bass #1-14
Kirk Branch - piano #3-6, 8, 10-14
Karl Budo - drums #3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12
Wayne Mereau - drums #1, 2, 7, 9
Chuck Chaplan - #1, 2, 7, 9
Percy Williams - percussion #1, 2, 7, 9
Matthew Freaky - guitar # 1, 2, 7, 9
Herman LeBeaux - drums #11, 13, 14

Close Your Eyes

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Karen Oberlin & Sean Harkness - A Wish

Size: 115,1 MB
Time: 49:23
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. I'll String Along With You (2:50)
02. More Than You Know (5:29)
03. A Wish (3:29)
04. Train In The Distance (4:00)
05. Do You Think This Happens Every Day (3:00)
06. The Kind Of Man A Woman Needs (3:30)
07. Love (3:15)
08. Autumn Nocturne (4:54)
09. My Valentine (3:13)
10. Poor You (2:47)
11. No One Knows (3:59)
12. My One And Only Love (4:26)
13. Remind Me (4:24)

A Wish, like a hope or a dream, whether simple or complex, is always personal. Yet the wishes of two artists can be expressed in one creative project like this one by Karen Oberlin and Sean Harkness. Karen had wished for years to make a duo recording with only guitar and vocals, and she found the ideal partner in Sean. When they first played together, spontaneously in an impromptu performance, they both knew they had to make an album together, or that became their great, mutual wish. Kitty Skrobela of Miranda Music, as is her way, made their dream come to life, their hope become reality, their wish come true. The fascinating, eclectic mix of extraordinary songwriters on this album, like Dorothy Fields, Paul McCartney, Fred Hersch and Joni Mitchell, unwittingly collaborated on this project as the song springboard for what these two artists wished to express. Collectively, Karen and Sean have brought to life this multi-faceted, deeply felt wish with a deliciously personal perspective on life and love...as if anything else matters.

A Wish

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Sarah Edmonds - This Time The Dream's On Me

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:54
Size: 89,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:14)  1. This Time the Dream's On Me
(4:46)  2. In a Sentimental Mood
(3:40)  3. East of the Sun
(4:19)  4. Never Let Me Go
(3:15)  5. It's You Or No One
(3:40)  6. Taking a Chance On Love
(4:36)  7. I Do It for Your Love
(3:54)  8. Corcovado
(4:20)  9. Chega De Saudade
(4:06) 10. You Are There

It's been a great pleasure for me to meet and work with Sarah Edmonds. I have a soft spot for good singers who love the music. Sarah's choice of material tells me she's not afraid to test the outer limits of the American Songbook, moving easily from Johnny Mandel to Paul Simon, with a side trip or two to Harold Arlen, and a short stop in Brazil. June Christy's cheeky modulations in Taking a Chance On Love might have daunted someone who didn't understand what was happening, but Sarah took them and ran with them. June would be proud, and so am I. There's a lot going on here. Smart, supple arrangements, with soloists who are enjoying being there, and Sarah, who is a joy to listen to. You should listen too. You'll be pleasantly surprised. ~  Beegie Adair  http://www.amazon.com/This-Time-The-Dreams-On/dp/B0051XJZU2

This Time The Dream's On Me

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Satin Doll - I'm Glad There Is You

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:49
Size: 82,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:22)  1. You Took Advantage of Me
(3:19)  2. They Say It's Spring
(2:51)  3. I'm Glad There Is You
(3:46)  4. Just Squeeze Me
(2:00)  5. Moonlight Saving Time
(4:05)  6. Nevertheless
(2:04)  7. Rock Me To Sleep
(3:12)  8. Easy Street
(2:04)  9. I Wish You Love
(2:10) 10. When I Take My Sugar To Tea
(3:44) 11. All Or Nothing At All
(3:07) 12. Cry Me A River

Three proves a charm on the Satin Doll Trio's "I'm Glad There Is You," a CD inspired by the coziest recordings made by Sarah Vaughan, Peggy Lee, Julie London and Ella Fitzgerald. This Washington-based jazz ensemble likes to keep things simple: just voice, guitar and bass, along with a thoroughly seductive blend of classic pop and jazz tunes. The vocals are unruffled, the arrangements are uncluttered, and the songs are uncommonly good.  Singer Patrice Ferris doesn't have the distinctive voice that her role models possessed in their prime  who does?  but she always places her considerable talent at the service of the song, making the words count and moods linger. In fact, it's hard to imagine any lyricist frowning on her interpretations, since there's not even a hint of self-infatuation or gratuitous embellishment here. Instead, Ferris lets these romantic refrains and delightful melodies take hold. As a result, her often dreamy, always engaging recitals are hard to resist, whether the lyric is playful ("Just Squeeze Me"), ruminative ("They Say It's Spring") or unapologetically bitter ("Cry Me a River"). Of course, it helps that Ferris is accompanied by two like-minded musicians  guitarist Ken Kilpatrick and bassist Fred Ferris. Together, they weave a series of subdued and seamless arrangements that never fail to flatter the singer and the song. ~ Mike Joyce   http://www.satindolltrio.com/reviews.htm

I'm Glad There Is You

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Butch Miles - Straight On Till Morning

Styles: Straight-ahead/Mainstream
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:29
Size: 134,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:43)  1. Hangover Blues
(4:55)  2. Another Drum Thing
(4:22)  3. Frank's Blues
(3:51)  4. Cute
(7:17)  5. Dreamsville
(6:44)  6. When I Wish You Upon A Star
(8:13)  7. A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing
(3:19)  8. Quick Fix
(5:50)  9. After Hours
(5:57) 10. Outside Inn
(4:13) 11. I'm Leavin'

Another gem for those who like their swing served straight up. Recorded in Texas at Willie Nelson's studio (!), this is a propulsive, happy session where the group doesn't catch its breath till past halfway with "A Flower is a Lovesome Thing," the only ballad in the bunch. (Even "When You Wish Upon a Star" is taken up-tempo.) Butch Miles, a fine, slamming drummer in the Rich tradition, has a pedigree that includes two long stints with Basie, time with Tormé and Brubeck, and work with nearly everyone else. Here he enlists bassist Lynn Seaton, another Basie alum who, aside from his reliably excellent playing and imaginative solos, contributes some amusing Slam Stuart-esque vocalizing on "Frank's Blues," one of the CD's highlights. It was written by trumpeter Bob Ojeda during a lunch break in the studio, and in fact most of the compositions are his; while they're all pleasant, and "After Hours" is a tuneful rumba, in general they're more canvases for the band to stretch out on than melodic groundbreakers. But considering how well this group stretches out, that isn't a bad thing at all. Other notable moments include the classical guitar intro to Henry Mancini's "Dreamsville" and Kenny Drew Jr's strong, fluid playing throughout, especially on "A Flower is a Lovesome Thing," which is especially lyrical. Reportedly a one-take track, this lovely tune is marred slightly - but not fatally - by the salience of the brushes, but otherwise the mix is well-balanced. Frank Wess's contributions on sax and flute (six tracks in all) are also splendid. All told, it's a buoyant, well-executed excursion, and great fun to take. ~ Dr.Judith Schlesinger  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=12666#.Uu5ZiLSgsis

Personnel: Butch Miles (drums), Bob Ojeda (trumpet), Bill Porter (trombone), Doug Lawrence (tenor sax), Kenny Drew Jr. (piano), Lynn Seaton (bass), with Frank Wess (tenor sax, flute) and Alex Saudargas (classical guitar)

Straight On Till Morning

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Helen Merrill - With Clifford Brown & Gil Evans

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1987
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:34
Size: 144,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:13)  1. Don't Explain
(4:22)  2. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
(5:01)  3. What's New
(3:56)  4. Falling In Love With Love
(6:01)  5. Yesterdays
(5:15)  6. Born To Be Blue
(3:16)  7. 'S Wonderful
(3:04)  8. He Was Good To Me
(3:36)  9. I've Never Seen
(4:10) 10. I'm A Fool To Want You
(3:17) 11. Troubled Waters
(3:25) 12. By Myself
(2:36) 13. People Will Say We're In Love
(3:28) 14. You're Lucky To Me
(2:52) 15. Dream Of You

Though she eventually came to be known as a "singer's singer," Helen Merrill's 1954 debut is an unmitigated success of mainstream jazz. Besides introducing the uniquely talented young singer, the date also featured small-group arrangements by Quincy Jones and marks the introduction of another future star, trumpeter Clifford Brown. Formidable as his playing is, Brown never overshadows Merrill. She is fully up to the challenge on all fronts and enthusiastically tackles uptempo numbers such as "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To" and "Falling in Love with Love" with aplomb. A winning stylistic combination of cool jazz and hard bop, Merrill particularly excels on Mel Tormé's "Born to Be Blue," making the sophisticated tune her own as she revels in Tormé's down-and-out lyric. ~ Richard Mortifoglio  http://www.allmusic.com/album/release/helen-merrill-with-clifford-brown-gil-evans-mr0001164321

With Clifford Brown & Gil Evans

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