Benita Hill - I'll See You In My Song / Take Five

Album: I'll See You In My Song
Size: 121,3 MB
Time: 52:12
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2006
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Love Came On Stealthy Fingers (4:04)
02. Go Slow (2:24)
03. Sausalito In The Summertime (3:33)
04. I Knew Him In New York (3:13)
05. I'll See You In My Song (3:58)
06. Born To Be Blue (5:02)
07. You've Ruined It For Me (3:59)
08. I Go To Extremes (2:50)
09. Besame Mucho (5:29)
10. The London I Remember (3:05)
11. Here's That Rainy Day (3:53)
12. I Can Dream Can't I (4:37)
13. That's For Me (2:00)
14. I Don't Have A Care In The World (3:57)

All who hear Benita Hill might be considered privileged, but I, having accompanied her, am doubly lucky. I’ll See You in My Song, though, takes the listener about as close as one can go to the heart of her music without actually playing with her on a gig. Benita’s exquisite phrasing, not to mention her ability to caress every nuance from a lyric, stand her out among even the best singers of our time. What’s most impressive to me is how much expression she achieves by simply singing the melody. Without even a single, show-offish scat, she uses a few well-timed oohs to turn “Go Slow” into a memorable experience. And her graceful negotiation of the difficult leaps in Bob Dorough’s “Love Came on Stealthy Fingers” draw attention not to her technique, strong though it is, but to the song. That in and of itself would win over any listener or even jaded accompanist, but add to it the fact that some of these great songs â€" six, to be exact â€" are in fact co-written by Benita, and her conquest is complete: As a writer, too, she knows how to capture the class and resonance and staying power of the older gems she covers so well. Her performances leave me in love with all these wonderful tunes, and that, to me, is what the great song stylists do. I can¹t wait to start playing them myself or to put this CD on again and hear Benita do them as they deserve to be done.

I'll See You In My Song

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Album: Take Five
Size: 38,6 MB
Time: 16:31
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2001
Styles: Vocals: Jazz/Pop
Label: Benita Hill
Art: Front

01. Raining In Rio (4:46)
02. Wineglow (3:30)
03. You've Got Something I'm Sure Gonna Miss (3:32)
04. Valentine Gift To Myself (2:08)
05. The Bow (2:34)

Take Five

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Michel Benebig - Black Cap

Size: 103,7 MB
Time: 44:35
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2012
Styles: Jazz: Hammond Organ
Art: Front

01. L.R. Blues Ii (4:45)
02. Green Bean (4:24)
03. I Remember Django (4:32)
04. Pour Toi (4:40)
05. Captain Jack (4:43)
06. Black Groove (9:11)
07. Long Fingers (6:48)
08. Black Cap (5:28)

Michel Benebig (leader, B3 organ, composer) with Doug Web (sax) , Frank Potenza (guitar), Paul Kreibich (drums).

This album confirms what those on the Pacific rim have long known and what is just dawning on the wider Jazz world. We have a fully fledged B3 master in our midst and the time for proper acknowledgement is due. ‘Black Cap’ should gain Michel Benebig the wider recognition that he deserves.

Michel has always been an artist with astonishing chops but like all great musicians he also has good judgement. He knows when to lay out, when to comp gently and when to lay down a burning foot-thumping groove. If you listen carefully you will hear how totally in the pocket this man is. He sounds as if he could swing with one hand tied behind his back. This is about timing, an innate sense of swing, a relentlessly propulsive groove but above all taste. This is a sound that many aim for but few can master.

I will also mention his pedal work, which lays down such solid walking-bass lines that you shake your head in disbelief. It made me pick up the album cover to see if I had missed a bass player . This album has come to the attention of organ trio/quartet specialists and their praise for it has been strong. The various comments have invariably drawn attention to the astonishing pedal work.

The numbers on ‘Black Cap’ are all Michel’s compositions and the track list is carefully balanced. This is great groove music and that would be enough, but the album possesses an extra something – a presiding spirit that holds you until the last note. I was already familiar with his ‘Brother Jack’; a tribute to Brother Jack McDuff. On the album this is fast paced and crackling with energy. In perfect contrast is the slow burner on track 6 – titled ‘Black Groove’.

These days Michel spends a lot of time away from his native New Caledonia, gigging up and down the western seaboard of the USA. The other musicians on the album are all from the west coast and the line up is very impressive.

These guys are serious Los Angeles heavyweights and their biographies are simply staggering. Saxophonist Doug Webb has played and recorded with everyone from Horace Silver to Quincy Jones and has worked on several Clint Eastwood films including ‘Mystic River’ and ‘Million Dollar Baby’.

Frank Potenza on guitar is well-known for his years with pianist Gene Harris. He has played with Dizzy Gillespie, Harry ‘Sweets’ Edison (long a favourite of mine), James Moody and more. He was a protegé of the immortal Joe Pass and no guitarist can carry higher credentials than that.

Lastly there is drummer Paul Kreibich. He has worked with Carmen McCrae, Red Rodney, Kenny Burrell, The Woody Herman band and dozens of luminaries. He was Ray Charles drummer for three years and spent considerable time with the Gene Harris quartet. These are the very musicians to have in your corner if you have something special to say. Michel does.

I would defy any lover of B3 Groove jazz to fault this album. In this world of financial turmoil and endless conflict, this is the eternal balm.

Black Cap

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Keri Johnson - Healing Now

Size: 104,9 MB
Time: 44:42
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Vocals: Jazz/Pop/Soul
Art: Front

01. Healing Now (2:53)
02. Running Back To You (Feat. Mario Mauer) (3:58)
03. New Day (2:54)
04. Sunlight, Moonlight (2:53)
05. Hearts Are Meant To Fly (3:45)
06. Didn't Know (Feat. Telefan) (3:26)
07. One Night (3:20)
08. Brick By Brick (2:34)
09. What Are You Living For (3:21)
10. Make It Better (3:01)
11. Take Me Back (3:47)
12. Bring Forth Into Light (2:43)
13. The Love Of You (3:01)
14. The World Needs Love (Feat. Teodor Ulmanen) (3:01)

Returning to her musical roots- as a singer/songwriter with her very first self-produced indie album, "Greystone" - along with now her 2nd- "Healing Now"- Keri's music inspires and ignites with stirring, soulful original music about life, love & loss. Drawing from a diverse background, innate ear & musical ability, Keri's music is in a genre unique to its own, with an intimate & bared down sound featuring piano, keyboards, tambourine & tribal beats, with her unique voice, intricate harmonies and vocal phrasing as the focal point. Most closely falling into Acoustic Soul/Jazz/Pop genres,- while drawing from her classical/opera background, Keri's voice is at once soulful & strong- then shimmering & ethereal- like an "angel whispering in your ear." "We are the music makers- we are the dreamer of dreams"- Arthur O'Shaughessy.

Healing Now

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Radam Schwartz - Blues Citizens

Size: 84,9 MB
Time: 50:21
File: MP3 @ VBR ~240K/s
Released: 2009
Styles: Jazz: Hammond Organ, Jazz Blues
Art: Front

01. Dem Philadelphia Organ Blues (5:22)
02. Driftin' (4:43)
03. Grieve But Be Brief (5:48)
04. Blues Citizens (5:11)
05. Misty (5:18)
06. Pay Up (5:43)
07. I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance (5:27)
08. Hangin' With Smooth (2:52)
09. Steal Away (6:01)
10. Eighth Wonder (Album Version) (3:53)

One of the cool things about the relationship between jazz and blues is that both genres grew from the same emotional roots. At times, the only clear distinction is a subtle change in how notes are played. Is it jazz that sounds like the blues, or is it blues that sounds like jazz? On Hammond organist Radam Schwartz's Blues Citizens, the answer could be either—or both.

Schwartz has decades of experience, having worked with artists including David "Fathead" Newman, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and Victor Goines. Here, Schwartz is accompanied by tenor saxophonist Bill Saxton, alto saxophonist Bruce Williams, guitarist Eric Johnson and drummer Cecil Brooks III.

"Dem Philadelphia Organ Blues" is textbook feel-good music. With Brooks' stick handling and Johnson's rhythm guitar, the saxophone duet leads while Schwartz uses the organ both for his share of the rhythm and to cover the bass line. Williams punches in a lively alto solo, with Schwartz and Johnson also enjoying features.

The title song struts along, with organ and cymbals in sync while the saxophones deliver a sassy melody. After Williams' solo and a repeat of the melody and chorus, Schwartz shows off, helped largely by Brooks.

The blues are in force on "I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance." The organ introduction sounds like a warm-up for a funeral. Saxton's tenor is brooding in the lead, particularly when it reaches its depth. Schwartz, Johnson and Brooks softly underscore, and Johnson also solos.

A true jazz fan also appreciates the blues, and vice-versa. Blues Citizens is an example of what's in store when the genres meet. (By Woodrow Wilkins)

Personnel: Radam Schwartz: Hammond B-3 organ; Bill Saxton: tenor saxophone; Bruce Williams: alto saxophone; Eric Johnson: guitar; Cecil Brooks III: drums; Kice: vocal

Blues Citizens

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Lu Jasper - Good-Bye Heartache

Size: 41,1 MB
Time: 17:21
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Vocals: Blues/Jazz
Art: Front

01. Good-Bye Heartache (1:52)
02. About A Friend (2:38)
03. Addicted To Your Midnight Kiss (2:00)
04. Hello Mister Wrong (2:27)
05. Shiver And Sizzle (1:47)
06. Good-Bye (2:54)
07. Wasn't Expecting That (1:48)
08. Weakness To Sin (1:52)

Lu Jasper was born and raised in New York City. As a child, Lu loved to write poetry, but also fell in love with singers of the past, such as Ella Fitzgerald, Nat King Cole, Billie Holiday, and Lil Green. This spawned an overall obsession with singing, which, aside from annoying her sister greatly, caused her poems to morph into songs. When she finally found the right band, she was able to record her first album, Good-bye Heartache. This album represents all the trials and tribulations she experienced during that time, primarily with regard to the absolutely terrible NYC dating scene. Really, what's up with the guys here? Are they this bad everywhere? Probably down the line, she will write an album titled, "I could have had love, but my sandwich seemed more intriguing."
This album features Lu's earliest recordings and is heavily influenced by jazz and blues.

Good-Bye Heartache

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Deborah J. Carter - Daytripper: A Beatles Tribute

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:58
Size: 109,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:59)  1. Can't Buy Me Love
(4:31)  2. And I Love Her
(3:31)  3. Ticket To Ride
(5:18)  4. Yesterday
(4:21)  5. Daytripper / Trippin'
(4:52)  6. I Will / Here, There And Everywhere
(4:24)  7. Something
(3:16)  8. Fixing A Hole
(4:08)  9. Oh! Darling
(3:57) 10. Things We Said Today
(4:36) 11. With A Little Help From My Friends

By her interpretation of Lennon-McCartney compositions Deborah demonstrates eminently the distinction between jazz and pop. Her feeling for phrasing, improvisation and variation brings excitement in these songs which she considers part of the soundtrack of her life. With a fascinating penchant for free-spiritedness she creates in personal versions a sparkling cocktail of contrasts. ~ From the liner notes

On this jazz tribute, jazz vocalist Deborah J. Carter and her backing trio (plus a few guest musicians) opted for a mix of the obvious choices (And I Love Her, Yesterday) and a few not much covered ones (I Will, Fixing A Hole), as well as two medleys, the title track plus Trippin’, a vocalese composed by Carter and I Will coupled with Here There And Everywhere. Another striking thing is that she sings the songs from a woman’s perspective with gender changes in the lyrics when necessary. However, the main reason for buying this disc isn’t the track listing but the beautiful bright interpretations of the songs. With a gorgeous voice that is beyond dispute and the way she treats an up-tempo song like Day Tripper or a rocking Oh Darling by moulding them into her own soulful jazz or gospel style (With A Little Help From Her Friends)  it’s simply a delightful treat for fans of cover versions and sheer pleasure for anyone’s ears. And all embedded in exciting improvisations by her band, without losing sight of the original Beatles melodies clearly made with respect and love for the compositions. ~  Review from "BEATLES UNLIMITED" magazine

Simply put, I was spellbound in my first listen to this CD. It's THAT good. It's as though I'd never heard these songs before; having been given a red carpet treatment of modern chord changes and tasteful vocal styling, the result is an experience that a mere $15 could not buy anywhere. This is without doubt among the finest albums I've bought in many years. ~ Dan Goodman 

If you have never experienced Deborah J. Carter's voice and style then you are truly missing something. Her backing band, is as tight a jazz combo as you will find anywhere. The treatment that the group gives these Beatles tunes is innovative and let's the listener hear a perspective of Lennon & McCartney compositions that further proves the timelessness of the songs themselves as they are skillfully kneaded by the band. ~ Dean Brown    http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/deborahjcarter3

Personnel: Deborah J. Carter (vocals); Ed Verhoeff (guitar); Coen Molenaar (piano); Mark Zandveld (bass instrument); Enriqur Firpi (drums).

Daytripper

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Bruce Barth - Live at Smalls

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:02
Size: 152,9 MB
Art: Front + Back

(5:01)  1. Oh Yes I Will
(7:24)  2. Sunday
(4:56)  3. Yama
(8:02)  4. Almost Blues
(8:40)  5. Peaceful Place
(7:43)  6. Afternoon in Lleida
(8:58)  7. Wilsonian Alto
(5:56)  8. Good Morning Heartache
(9:20)  9. Looking Up

Jazz pianist and composer Bruce Barth has been sharing his music with listeners the world over for more than two decades. Deeply rooted in the jazz tradition, his music reflects both the depth and breadth of his life and musical experiences. In addition to traveling widely and performing his own music, he has also performed with revered jazz masters, and collaborated with leading musicians of his own generation. The Star-Ledger writes, No one sounds quite like Barth. His solos are characterized by robust swing, his ability to tell a story, and by his rich, beguiling sound. ~ Editorial Reviews   http://www.amazon.com/Live-Smalls-Bruce-Barth-Trio/dp/B004NWHW5C.

Personnel :  Bruce Barth – Piano;  Vicente Archer – Bass;  Rudy Royston – Drums

Live at Smalls

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John Coltrane - Sun Ship : The Complete Session CD1 And CD2

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:33 (CD 1)
Size: 139,5 MB (CD 1)
Time: 46:48 (CD 2)
Size: 107,8 MB (CD 2)
Art: Front

CD 1

( 6:33)  1. Dearly Beloved - Take 1 & 2, Fales Start and Alternate Version
( 1:25)  2. Dearly Beloved - Take 3, Breakdown
( 6:13)  3. Dearly Beloved - Take 4, Complete Version
(13:36)  4. Attaining - Take 1, Alternate Version
( 1:02)  5. Attaining - Take 2, Breakdown
(10:27)  6. Attaining - Take 3, Complete Version
( 4:42)  7. Attaining - Take 4, Insert 1
( 0:58)  8. Sun Ship - Take 1, Breakdown
( 6:29)  9. Sun Ship - Take 2, Complete Alternate Version
( 2:30) 10. Sun Ship - Take 3, Insert 1
( 6:33) 11. Sun Ship - Take 4, Complete Version

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CD 2

( 0:43)  1. Studio Conversation
(11:34)  2. Ascent - Take 1, Complete Version
( 4:49)  3. Ascent - Take 2, Incomplete Version
( 3:52)  4. Ascent - Take 3, False Starts and Incomplete Version
( 1:40)  5. Ascent - Take 4-6, Inserts / False Starts
( 4:03)  6. Ascent - Take 7, Complete Insert 4
( 4:02)  7. Ascent - Take 8, Complete Insert 5
( 7:46)  8. Amen - Take 1, Alternate Version
( 8:16)  9. Amen - Take 2, Released Version

Recorded on August 26, 1965 (and not released until after his death), Sun Ship was the final recording by John Coltrane's quartet with drummer Elvin Jones, pianist McCoy Tyner, and bassist Jimmy Garrison. Pharoah Sanders would join the group the following month, and Tyner and Jones would depart in January of 1966 to be replaced by Alice Coltrane and Rashied Ali. It is also one of the saxophonist's most intense taped performances. After nearly four years together, this band had achieved a vital collective identity. When Coltrane moved toward metrically free styles of rhythm and melody (with tunes often based on one chord or a short series of notes as themes), the quartet's rhythmic pulse and collective interplay evolved accordingly. The original album featured edited and sometimes overdubbed performances of its four compositions. 

Sun Ship: The Complete Session delivers both complete versions of the album's performances, but also multiple takes of "Dearly Beloved," "Attaining," and the title track. There are inserts where edits and overdubs were clearly made, with studio dialogue, arrangement breakdowns, false starts, etc. Disc two contains eight different takes of "Ascent" (including the previously released version) as well as alternate and released takes of "Amen," and studio conversation. Author David Wild's detailed liner essay eloquently details the process in the album's creation and problems encountered, adding a keen insight into Bob Theile's and Coltrane's production methods and aesthetics. A set like this is obviously intended for the saxophonist's devotees, critics, and jazz historians, but even a casual listen offers a fascinating look at how different these sessions were from the final product. ~ Thom Jurek   http://www.allmusic.com/album/sun-ship-the-complete-session-mw0002485896

Personnel: John Coltrane (tenor saxophone); McCoy Tyner (piano); Elvin Jones (drums).

Sun Ship : The Complete Session (CD1)

Sun Ship : The Complete Session (CD2)

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Leo Parker - Complete Jazz Series 1947-1950

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1947
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:42
Size: 162,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:15)  1. El Sino
(2:55)  2. Ineta
(2:58)  3. Wild Leo
(3:06)  4. Leapin Leo
(2:45)  5. Wee Dot
(2:53)  6. Solitude
(2:53)  7. Lion Roars
(2:46)  8. Mad Lad Boogie
(3:03)  9. On The House
(2:29) 10. Dunky
(2:40) 11. Senor Leo
(2:49) 12. Chase N The Lion
(2:26) 13. Leos Bells
(2:27) 14. Sweet Talkin Leo
(2:32) 15. Swinging For Love
(2:28) 16. The New Look
(3:18) 17. Mona Lisa
(3:08) 18. Whos Mad
(3:04) 19. Darn That Dream
(2:39) 20. I Cross My Fingers
(2:51) 21. Mad Lad Returns
(2:50) 22. Woody
(2:41) 23. Rolling With Parker
(2:13) 24. Leo Leaps In
(3:21) 25. Solitude

There's something about the purling, snarling and booting of a baritone sax that can create pleasant disturbances in the listener's spine and rib cage. Leo Parker came up during the simultaneous explosions of bebop and rhythm & blues. Everything he touched turned into a groove. Recording for Savoy in Detroit during the autumn of 1947, Leo was flanked by Howard McGhee and Gene Ammons, who at this point seems to have been operating under the influence of Lester Young. Leo does his own share of Prez-like one-note vamping, bringing to mind some of Lester's Aladdin recordings made during this same time period. Leo's Savoys originally appeared on 78 rpm platters, then on 10" long-playing records. Anyone who has ever heard one of these relics played on period equipment can testify to the sensation of hearing an old-fashioned phonograph wrestling with the extra fidelity contained in the voice of that king-sized sax. 

The next session happened in New York two months later. J.J. Johnson was on hand to supervise a smart recording of his own soon-to-be-famous "Wee Dot." Dexter Gordon is in fine form and it's nice to hear Joe Newman blowing so much gutsy bebop through his trumpet. Everything smoothes out for a gorgeous rendition of Duke Ellington's "Solitude," a lush feature for the baritone. The rhythm section of Curly Russell, Hank Jones and Shadow Wilson makes this particular session even more solid than usual. Leading his "Quintette" in Detroit on March 23rd, 1948, Leo races into "Dinky" with a run straight out of Herschel Evans' "Doggin' Around." Sir Charles Thompson tosses off some of his most fragmented playing, splattering the walls with abrupt block chords and tiny whirlpools of truncated riffs. "Señor Leo" cruises at a very cool, almost subterranean Latin tempo, a mood that brings to mind Bud Powell's hypnotic opus "Comin' Up." You get to hear the voices of Parker and Thompson at the beginning of "Chase 'n' the Lion," a fine bit of updated boogie-woogie. 

Apparently, Sir Charles was also known at that time as "Chase." A second session recorded on the same day adds Charlie Rouse to an already steaming band. Leo gnaws his way through four tunes of his own devising. Nothing brilliant here, just good hot jamming. The people at Prestige Records were smart enough to line up a date with the Leo Parker Quartet in July of 1950, resulting in what has got to be the hippest version of "Mona Lisa" ever put on record. The quartet hatched two other handsome ballads and a pair of kickers. "Who's Mad" is a sort of sequel to the famous "Mad Lad," made when Leo was recording for the Apollo label under Sir Charles' leadership. That makes "Mad Lad Returns" a sequel to the sequel. Unable or unwilling to shake this particular thematic, Leo called his next recording band "the Mad Lads." Two out of four sides were issued on the little Gotham label. Meet the all-but-forgotten Henri Durant, a bop tenor who made all the right moves and promptly split the scene. Good thing he at least made it on to this blowing session. Finally, get a load of Leo's creatively reconstituted "Solitude," rejected by Gotham but included by Classics at the tail-end of this mother lode of vintage recordings by the amazing Leo Parker. ~ Arwulf Arwulf   http://www.allmusic.com/album/1947-1950-mw0000658641

Personnel: Leo Parker (alto saxophone, baritone saxophone); Dexter Gordon (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Gene Ammons, Charlie Rouse (tenor saxophone); Howard McGhee, Joe Newman , James Robertson (trumpet); J.J. Johnson (trombone); Hank Jones , James Craig, Kenny Drew, Al Haig, Sir Charles Thompson (piano); Eddie Bourne, Charles "Hungry" Williams , Max Roach, Shadow Wilson (drums).

Recorded in Detroit, Michigan and New York, New York between 1947 & 1950

Complete Jazz Series 1947-1950

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