Friday, February 28, 2014

Claire Colton - Cry Me A River

Size: 71,3 MB
Time: 30:37
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2012
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Cry Me A River (3:54)
02. Besame Mucho (3:06)
03. Don't Blame Me (3:54)
04. Fly Me To The Moon (2:41)
05. Hey Good Lookin' (2:46)
06. Ain't Misbehavin' (3:53)
07. Sway (3:24)
08. Lady Is A Tramp (3:56)
09. Can't Buy Me Love (2:58)

Claire Colton is a versatile performer who loves music and loves being a vocalist. Whether working with a Big Band, a Dance Band, a Combo or a pianist, Claire gives of her best and her warmth and enthusiasm give her great audience appeal. She has a rich quality to her voice reminiscent of the Greats of yesteryear.

Cry Me A River

Bobby Lyle - The Way I Feel

Size: 135,6 MB
Time: 58:26
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Jazz: Hammond B-3
Art: Front

01. The Cat (4:51)
02. Feelin Wes (6:49)
03. Baby It's Cold Outside (5:53)
04. Diddley Boom Boom (French Quarter Strut) (5:46)
05. B's Bop (5:11)
06. Horizon (6:16)
07. The Way I Feel (5:24)
08. On The Fly (5:15)
09. Hard Workin Man (5:56)
10. Walk On The Wild Side (7:01)

Pianist and composer Bobby Lyle's first encounter with the great Hammond B-3 player Jimmy Smith was in a Minneapolis nightclub called Big Al's, where the then-teenaged Lyle performed as the "local talent" on the downstairs stage. Upstairs, Smith was playing as the headliner and Lyle, after finishing his set as quickly as possible, raced upstairs to hear Smith and perhaps shake his hand.

"Jimmy was a black belt in karate," says Lyle of that first meeting. "So when he shook my hand, he almost broke my little fingers!"

Lyle would go on to teach himself the organ on the job by playing organs he came across in Minneapolis' nightclubs, including the occasional strip club. There are some things you just can't learn in a music conservatory.

The Way I Feel, is Lyle's tribute to Smith—who, shortly after that memorable first handshake, became a personal mentor and friend to the young organist/pianist. This recording, Lyle's first since 2006, may come as a surprise to those who know him only for his beautifully arranged and produced chart-topping albums of jazz, funk, fusion, and so-called smooth jazz, as it is the first album where Lyle plays Hammond B-3 organ on every track.

The CD is also a tribute to the great guitarist Wes Montgomery, who recorded several popular, genre-busting albums with Smith back in the sixties. Houston-based guitarist Brennen Nase steps up and steps into Montgomery's role and his playing is a joy to hear. Montgomery's sound and technique—not to mention right hand thumb—were truly one of a kind. Nase easily navigates what amounts to several decades of guitar history, channeling Montgomery on the standard "Baby It's Cold Outside" and the Lyle-penned tribute, "Feelin' Wes," bringing some inspired funk to Lyle's "Horizon," and stepping on the distortion pedal for "Hard Workin' Man," which includes some vocals from Lyle and the CD's featured drummer, Patrick Williams.

Not content to just recreate a 1965 Verve recording session, Lyle brings the Hammond B-3's legacy into the 21st century for a program that includes New Orleans second line, gospel, and even sixties-era go-go music. The playing on The Way I Feel is tight and inspired and Lyle's organ playing burns throughout.

Smith may arguably be responsible for making the Hammond B-3 a "viable lead jazz instrument," but with The Way I Feel, Lyle and his co-conspirators carry that legacy and kick it into a funky future. ~Review by Chris Becker

Personnel: Bobby Lyle: Hammond B-3 organ, acoustic piano, synthesizer; Brennen Nase: guitar; Patrick Williams: drums; Mark Simmons: drums; Mark Prince: drums; Keith Vivens: bass; Milton Comeaux: percussion.

The Way I Feel

Laura Austin Wiley - They Say It's Wonderful

Size: 95,9 MB
Time: 40:49
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Speak Low (4:12)
02. What A Difference A Day Makes (3:49)
03. I Should Care (4:49)
04. Hey There (4:39)
05. Where Or When (4:45)
06. They Say It's Wonderful (4:20)
07. I Remember You (4:03)
08. Fall, Leaves, Fall (2:37)
09. Lover, Come Back (3:32)
10. Two Sleepy People (3:59)

A compilation of vocal classics from the Great American Songbook performed by a jazz quartet. Laura Austin Wiley has sung and played flute in the San Francisco Bay Area for years. As a vocalist, she started out as a singer/actress doing musical theater, and then gravitated toward jazz. As a flute player, she is a trained classical flutist who eventually started playing jazz after realizing that jazz was the genre she listened to in her free time, instead of classical music. Laura plays and sings with her own quartet as well as with Resonance Jazz Ensemble.

Musicians:
Flute/vocals--Laura Wiley
Guitar--Bernie Bagshaw
Bass--Bruce Barrett
Drums--Glen Iwaoka

They Say It's Wonderful

Daryl Lowery Instant!Groove - Let It Go

Size: 150,3 MB
Time: 64:56
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Smooth Jazz, Soul Jazz
Art: Front

01. S K O Stomp (6:02)
02. Prelude (1:10)
03. Shuffle Down (7:26)
04. Let It Go (7:13)
05. Blue Runner (4:02)
06. The Solace Of My Eyes (5:55)
07. Love Bug (5:41)
08. So Jah (6:43)
09. Jackson Groove (5:44)
10. Popeye (5:47)
11. Tyrannosaurus Jam (2:53)
12. S K Y Drummer (3:04)
13. S K O (Reprise) (3:09)

The the long awaited followup to the "SoulJazz" organ group's highly acclaimed self titled debut features the eclectic Rakalam Bob Moses on drums and the late T Lavitz on Hammond B3.

A Berklee College of Music faculty member since 1987, saxophonist Daryl Lowery was born and raised in the Metropolitan New York area. After coming to Boston to study at New England Conservatory he has recorded and/or performed with such notables as immortals Dizzy Gillespie and Jackie Byard, the eclectic Ran Blake and Boston’s funk legend Ellis Hall. He has been a member of Al Kooper’s band since 1999 and is featured on his latest releases "Black Coffee," and "White Chocolate." His group Instant!Groove released its highly successful first recording in 2004 of which Jazziz magazine wrote “[Daryl Lowery and Instant!Groove] specialize in the funky soul-jazz grooves commonly referred to as “acid-jazz.” …The rhythm section is elastic, mid-tempo patterns aid excellent solos…, resulting in a sound akin to guitarist John Scofield’s “A Go Go” CD, on which he was backed by organ trio Medeski, Martin and Wood.” The band's current release "Let It Go" features Ra-kalam Bob Moses on drums and the late T Lavitz on B3.

Keyboardist T Lavitz is best known for his work with the "rock, jazz, and everything else" instrumental band, the Dixie Dregs, which he joined in 1978. "Bring 'em Back Alive" and the subsequent "Full Circle" studio disc each garnered Grammy nominations (bringing the total to six), and earning T the coveted "Jazz Keyboardist of the Year" award in Keyboard Magazine's readers poll. In addition to being a member of Jazz Is Dead, , an instrumental exploration into the music of the Grateful Dead, Widespread Panic, and the Steve Morse Band, he has recorded with Jeff Berlin, Pat Benetar, Jefferson Starship, and many other artists.

Drummer Rakalam Bob Moses grew up surrounded by musicians such as Charlie Mingus, for whom his father was press agent. He appeared with Rahsaan Roland Kirk in the mid-60s and formed Free Spirits with Larry Coryell, one of the first jazz rock bands. After a short stay with Dave Liebman's Open Sky he joined Gary Burton. In the early 70s he formed Compost with Harold Vick and Jack DeJohnette and toured the UK with the Mike Gibbs Orchestra before returning to the groups of Gary Burton and Pat Metheny. In the 80s he played with the Steve Kuhn/Sheila Jordan Band (1979-82), George Gruntz Big Band and his own quintet. Moses makes personal use of a wide range of influences to create colorful, complex yet swinging music. Bob teaches at New England Conservatory of Music.

Rick Peckham is an internationally known jazz guitarist, composer, writer and clinician. He has performed with George Garzone, Jerry Bergonzi, Mike Gibbs and Tim Berne, and recorded the album Stray Dog as a member of the highly original jazz ensemble Um, led by trombonist Hal Crook and featuring organist John Medeski. Assistant chair of the guitar department, Peckham has been a Berklee faculty member since 1986. He is also a prolific and accomplished writer, and a frequent contributor to DownBeat and other music magazines.

Sought after bassist Bruno Råberg has performed/recorded with numerous internationally known jazz artists including Sam Rivers, Jerry Bergonzi, Billy Hart, Dave Mann, Rachel Z, Bob Moses, Mick Goodrick, Dick Oats, Bruce Barth and Bob Mintzer. After leading his own group for several years Råberg released his CD "Pentimento" in 1992 and "Orbis" in 1998. Originally from Sweden, Bruno currently lives in the Boston area where he teaches at Berklee College of Music.

Let It Go

Marci Haus - Do It Again

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:33
Size: 127,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:19)  1. I Love Being Here With You
(4:40)  2. East of the Sun
(5:26)  3. Let's Face the Music and Dance
(3:38)  4. Frim Fram Sauce
(3:01)  5. Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me
(4:13)  6. The Look of Love
(2:23)  7. I Can't Give You Anything but Love
(3:33)  8. Straighten Up and Fly Right
(3:21)  9. Deed I Do
(3:47) 10. Baby, Baby All the Time
(3:14) 11. Devil May Care
(4:08) 12. S'wonderful
(3:56) 13. Popsicle Toes
(2:42) 14. Pick Yourself Up
(4:03) 15. Do It Again

"Hearing Marci Haus sing for the first time on radio station WXEL was a pleasant surprise. At that time I thought, 'How refreshing to hear a singer with a new style all her own and not imitating any other singer I am familiar with.' As music director of the Big Band Hall of Fame Museum in West Palm Beach and band leader of the Big Band Hall Of Fame Orchestra, I can fully appreciate her warm style, her casual nuances and most important her passion for the lyrics. Catching her live recently reassured me she's for real." ~ Mr. Ben Grisafi   http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/marcihaus

Barbara Fasano - Written In the Stars

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:40
Size: 153,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:52)  1. It Was Written In the Stars
(3:35)  2. Let's Fall In Love
(2:19)  3. Here's What I'm Here For
(5:32)  4. Blues In the Night / I Wonder What Became of Me
(4:16)  5. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
(3:30)  6. Don't Like Goodbyes
(3:16)  7. As Long As I Live
(3:11)  8. I Had a Love Once
(5:48)  9. This Time the Dream's On Me
(3:42) 10. The Eagle and Me
(5:29) 11. When the Sun Comes Out
(4:34) 12. My Shining Hour
(3:58) 13. Last Night When We Were Young
(6:25) 14. Come Rain or Come Shine
(5:06) 15. One for My Baby

Singer Barbara Fasano is the real deal! In a perfect world, if this was forty years ago, Fasano could have been a world-class pop singer/star on par with Streisand. Does this sound far-fetched? It's not, if you consider that Streisand's eponymous album (in 1963) was comprised of tunes largely from Broadway and the Great American Songbook; and that The Second Barbra Streisand Album, released during that same year, consisted of the same pattern, with five of the eleven tracks by Harold Arlen. Consider what your own reaction was back then to the Streisand versions of "Right as the Rain," "Anyplace I Hang My Hat Is Home," "Down With Love" and "When The Sun Comes Out." Barbara Fasano's third album, Written In The Stars is, coincidentally, a tribute to the music of Harold Arlen, and it is just as important a work as the aforementioned 1963 recordings. I've recently seen Fasano's live performance of some of this same material within the framework of her Two For The Road cabaret concert with husband Eric Comstock. 

While the witty and urbane spoken word portion of that event is not included on this album, the beauty of the Arlen songs and the breathlessness of Fasano's beautiful singing comes fully through. While several of the Arlen songs are well known, like "Come Rain Or Come Shine," "One For My Baby" and "Blues In the Night," most of these fifteen selections range from the obscure to the underappreciated. Fasano is a natural romantic interpreter of the Great American Songbook, and her versions of such ballads as "Here's What I'm Here For," "Last Night When We Were Young," "I Wonder What's Become Of Me" and "Don't Like Goodbyes" are among her best. When she performs a downtempo version of "This Time The Dream's On Me," all of the yearning described within the Johnny Mercer lyrics, which presumedly comes from a 1940s environment, comes pouring out. Barbara Fasano's musical forte is cabaret music, yet the album is fashioned with a jazz sensibility. The ensemble is led by pianist/arranger John DiMartino, and it includes bassist Sean Smith (who was the third musician present at the above mentioned Fasano-Comstock Show), tenor and soprano player Joel Frahm, trumpet/flugelhorn player Tim Ouimette, guitarist John Hart and drummer Tim Horner. Eric Comstock joins Fasano on a light-hearted duet version of "As Long As I Live." 

The shading and solo opportunities from Di Martino, Frahm, Ouimette and Hart serve to make this a far more jazz-related album. Each musical genre has examples of albums that demand repeated listening and appreciation. In terms of the Great American Songbook, this is one of them! ~ Michael P.Gladstone  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=23179#.Uw9Jw4VZhhk
 
Personnel: Barbara Fasano: vocals; John Di Martino: piano and arrangements; Sean Smith: bass; Tim Horner: drums; Kahlil Kwame Bell: percussion; John Hart: guitars; Joel Frahm: tenor and soprano sax; Tim Ouimette: trumpet and flugelhorn; Eric Comstock: vocal (7).

Bill Evans - Eloquence

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1975
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:53
Size: 95,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:33)  1. Gone With The Wind
(5:45)  2. Saudade Do Brasil
(6:09)  3. In A Sentimental Mood
(3:42)  4. But Beautiful
(4:58)  5. All Of You
(3:41)  6. Since We Met
(5:09)  7. Medley: But Not For Me/Isn't It Romantic/The Opener
(5:52)  8. Medley: When In Rome/It Amazes Me

This interesting album was originally released posthumously in 1982. Pianist Bill Evans is featured on four duets with his longtime bassist Eddie Gomez in 1974-75, exploring a quartet of superior standards. The second half of the program (which dates from 1973 and 1975) is not on the same level. Evans is heard playing two songs he was not all that familiar with late at night at a club, and he performs two other songs and a wandering medley while rehearsing in a recording studio. Being a musical perfectionist, it is a bit doubtful if he would have wanted this music to be released although longtime Bill Evans collectors will find the explorations to be intriguing. ~ Scott Yanow   http://www.allmusic.com/album/eloquence-mw0000201738

Personnel: Bill Evans (piano, electric piano); Eddie Gomez (acoustic bass).

Eloquence

Thelonious Monk - The Unique

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1956
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:24
Size: 88,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:13)  1. Liza (All the Clouds'll Roll Away)
(4:17)  2. Memories of You
(5:34)  3. Honeysuckle Rose
(6:31)  4. Darn That Dream
(5:55)  5. Tea for Two
(4:56)  6. You Are Too Beautiful
(7:57)  7. Just You, Just Me

The seven-song Unique Thelonious Monk (1956) platter was the pianist's second during his remarkable five-year tenure on Riverside. His debut for the label was the aptly titled Plays Duke Ellington (1955) and once again, on this disc, Monk's song selection did not feature any original compositions. Rather, the well-chosen standards included exemplify and help further establish the pianist and bandleader within the context of familiar melodies at the head of a trio consisting of Oscar Pettiford (bass) and Art Blakey (drums). Regarding the personnel, while Pettiford had also accompanied Monk on the Ellington sides, Blakey replaces Kenny Clarke. 

The pairing of Monk and Blakey cannot be overstated. Immediately, evidence of their uncanny instrumental interaction is the rhythmic focal point of "Liza, All the Clouds'll Roll Away" as the two play musical cat-and-mouse. They cajole and wheedle atop Pettiford's undulating undercurrent as it sonically corals their skilled syncopation and otherwise inspired mile-a-minute interjections. This is starkly contrast to the haunting, lyrical piano solo on "Memories of You." Monk infuses the piece with such profound ingenuity and integrity that his re-evaluation and innovative arrangement are singularly and undeniably his own. Fats Waller's "Honeysuckle Rose" reels with a frolicking and ever-so-slightly inebriated gate. It is likewise highlighted by Monk's dreamlike single-note runs up and down the keyboard and the stride piano-style chord progressions that preserves a fluidity within the tune. The advanced score maintains a guise of almost goofy abandon within Monk's highly logical and well-sculpted musical structure. 

The juxtaposition of "Darn That Dream" is another study in the vacillating moods of The Unique Thelonious Monk. The sophisticated performance is understated, yet remains loose and limber and perfectly in keeping with the album's leitmotif of exploring Monk's skills as an arranger and musician. As if he were testing his audience, the manic and atonal opening to "Tea for Two" briefly featuring Pettiford on bowed upright bass rollicks with a youthful visage, rather than being a simple reworking of this well-established classic. This LP concludes with one of Monk's most memorable pieces on the fun and freewheeling "Just You, Just Me." The trio struts and glides as Monk's intricate fingering simultaneously displays his physical dexterity as well as his ability to play so deftly in the moment. Both attributes would resurface ten-fold once Monk began to animate his own compositions on the genre-defining Brilliant Corners (1956). ~ Lindsay Planer   http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-unique-thelonious-monk-mw0000192246

Personnel: Thelonious Monk (piano); Oscar Pettiford (bass); Art Blakey (drums).