Malene Mortensen - Malene Live In Paris

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:14
Size: 107,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:54)  1. Take Five
(5:18)  2. Blur
(4:55)  3. Date With a Dream
(5:59)  4. Temptation
(5:03)  5. All I Want
(4:11)  6. Morning Sun
(3:50)  7. Desperado
(6:24)  8. Mystery Man
(4:35)  9. We'll Be Together Again

Malene Winter Mortensen (born May 23, 1982) is a Danish singer. She made her entrance into the Danish music scene in 2001, during the first season of "Stjerne for en aften", the Danish edition of Star for a Night. She made it to the finals, with her rendition of Moloko's "Sing it back". The following year, she entered the Dansk Melodi Grand Prix, the Danish national pre-selection for the Eurovision Song Contest.
Although her song "Vis mig hvem du er" performed strongly in the national final, receiving top marks from all televoting regions, it was a full-scale failure at the Eurovision Song Contest 2002, in its English version, "Tell me who you are". Her song received a mere seven points, placing her last amongst the 24 participating countries. The unforeseen Eurovision outcome was a blow to her previous achievements, but it did not make her give up her musical career. In 2003 she released her debut album called "Paradise". This album, revolving around modern jazz, was supported by three of Denmark's best known jazz musicians: Niels Lan Doky (piano), Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (bass) and Alex Riel (drums).   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malene_Mortensen

Malene Live In Paris

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Tom Kubis Big Band - Slightly Off The Ground

Styles: Big Band
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:53
Size: 138,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:24)  1. Purple Porpoise Parkway
(7:25)  2. Exactly Like This
(4:36)  3. Play It Again, Sam
(4:41)  4. Who Can I Turn To
(3:24)  5. Slightly Off The Ground
(5:26)  6. Which Craft?
(3:40)  7. Ain't It Wonderful
(6:06)  8. Teach Me Tonight
(6:26)  9. Samba Dees Godda Do It
(4:28) 10. When You're Smiling
(4:47) 11. Imagine What A Change Will Do
(4:24) 12. Alexander's Big Time Band

Tom Kubis' first recording as a leader is quite impressive. His arranging chops were already in their prime, his big band uses similar personnel to the one in existence more than a dozen years later, and he makes several standards (along with a few originals) sound fresh and lively. Jack Sheldon helps out on "Play It Again Sam" (during which he quickly sums up the entire plot of Casablanca), "Who Can I Turn To," "Which Craft?," and "Alexander's Big Time Band," while trombonist Bill Watrous takes warm and heated solos on "Slightly Off the Ground" and a relaxed "When You're Smiling." The band swings hard, Kubis sounds fine on tenor and soprano, and the ensemble has a recognizable identity. For Tom Kubis, this was an impressive start to a productive career.~ Scott Yanow 

http://www.allmusic.com/album/slightly-off-the-ground-mw0000273008

Slightly Off The Ground

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Grover Washington Jr. - Then And Now

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1988
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:18
Size: 129,9 MB
Art: Front

(8:26)  1. Blues For D.P.
(5:41)  2. Just Enough
(7:00)  3. French Connections
(7:55)  4. Something Borrowed, Something Blue
(6:09)  5. Lullaby For Shana Bly
(7:22)  6. Stolen Moments
(7:00)  7. In A Sentimental Mood
(6:40)  8. Stella By Starlight

This is one of Grover Washington, Jr.'s occasional strays away from R&B-oriented jazz to play in a more straightahead setting. Switching between soprano, alto and tenor, Grover is accompanied by either Tommy Flanagan or Herbie Hancock on piano during five of the eight selections and he performs such numbers as Ron Carter's "Blues for D.P.," "Stolen Moments" and "Stella by Starlight" with swing and taste. Tenor-saxophonist Igor Butman also helps out on three songs. Worth acquiring. ~ Scott Yanow   http://www.allmusic.com/album/then-and-now-mw0000200750.

Personnel Grover Washington, Jr. - soprano, alto, & tenor saxophones; Gerald Veasley - 5-string electric bass; Darryl Washington – drums; James Sid Simmons – piano; Miguel Fuentes – percussion; Richard Lee Steacker - guitar

Then And Now

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Kenny Werner - Beauty Secrets

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:13
Size: 165,5 MB
Art: Front

( 6:56)  1. With A Song In My Heart
( 4:34)  2. Scufflin'
( 7:47)  3. Beauty Secrets
( 4:09)  4. Jackson Five
( 5:15)  5. A Walk In The Park
( 8:08)  6. Bumper Jumper
( 1:35)  7. Inner Region
( 4:38)  8. Goblins
( 6:09)  9. Little Appetites
( 5:05) 10. Send In The Clowns
( 5:27) 11. You Mame Me Sing
(12:23) 12. Music From The Space

Throughout much of Beauty Secrets, Kenny Werner is at his best. Accompanied by Drew Gress on bass and Billy Hart on drums, the pianist glides and romps through the first four selections, including the tightly constructed "Scufflin’" and the rhythmic brainteaser "Jackson Five." Then, preceding and following the staggeringly complex "Bumper Jumper" (a feature for tenorist Tony Malaby and four other up-and-coming jazzers) are two brief, graceful duets with tenor sax star Joe Lovano. Violinist Mark Feldman next appears for the angular, eerie "Goblins." 

And "Little Appetites," a tune with strong echoes of Herbie Nichols, brings back the trio that started the record. The many sonic shifts and personnel changes up to this point are held together by Werner’s unique compositional style and sterling piano work. But when Werner brings in Betty Buckley for a piano/vocal rendition of "Send In the Clowns," he pushes the envelope a bit too far. Buckley has done beautiful work with Werner elsewhere (check out the duo’s Heart to Heart on KO Records), but here she seems out of place, and the song falls flat. Werner then derails the record entirely with two ill-advised experiments, the syrupy "You Make Me Sing" and the ponderous "Music From the Space." 

Of course, when it comes to making music, there’s much to be said for taking risks. But these flights of fancy mar what would have otherwise been a great album. ~ David Adler   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=5486#.Ux32D4VZhhk

Personnel: Kenny Werner (vocals, piano, synthesizer); Betty Buckley (vocals); Joe Lovano, Tony Malaby (tenor saxophone); Dave Ballou (trumpet); Mark Feldman, Todd Reynolds, Heidi Stubner, Victor Schultz (violin); Mary Wooten (cello); Drew Gress, Johannes Weidenmuller (bass); Billy Hart, Ari Hoenig (drums).

Beauty Secrets

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