Saturday, April 26, 2014

Mimi Terris - They Say It's Spring

Size: 97,4 MB
Time: 41:49
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Jazz: Vocals
Art: Front

01. They Say It's Spring (3:48)
02. West End Blues (3:57)
03. En Sadan Natt Som Denna (3:15)
04. It Won't Be You (3:27)
05. Lilac Wine (4:58)
06. I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good (5:09)
07. Rocking Chair (2:50)
08. Lover Come Back To Me (4:14)
09. Star Dust (5:07)
10. Alice (4:59)

After 28-year old Swedish-American songstress Mimi Terris spent a year in New York City, the collaboration with swing jazz pianist Gordon Webster and bass player Cassidy Holden has led to her long awaited debut album.

After growing up in a jazz-dedicated family in her childhood home of Tjörn, Sweden, further music studies led her to explore the full range of her soprano voice through 7 years of classical vocal studies in England and at the Royal Danish Music Conservatoire. During a year long break she left for the American music metropolis, searching to widen her musical range, and soon found herself immersed in early swing and vernacular jazz, performing in several of the venues dedicated to early jazz.

They say it’s spring is an enchanting showcase of Terris’ subtle, warm and expressive voice, in a closely connected trio setting, all recorded during a one day session in February 2012. The live session, including several first takes, took place at the old studio 3 in Radiohuset, the beautiful building that was the home of the The Danish Broadcasting Corporation from 1940-2007.

Featuring both rare and well-known jazz standards, intermingled with Swedish cabaret songs and contemporary works, Terris brings together a wide variety of musical flavors and eras, all held together gently but confidently, by her way of telling the individual stories.

Having studied the classical western repertoire for so many years, language interpretation and word-painting lies first and foremost in my mind when I am singing any song in any genre. Whether it’s jazz or French chansons is very secondary to me when I sing, as all songs ever written simply are stories that need to be told in harmony and rhythm.

This special collection of songs presents Webster, Holden and Terris’ own arrangements, in their own take of the old-fashioned jazz vinyl format, on They say it’s spring, due for release on CD and LP in March 2013.

They Say It's Spring

Bill Doggett - In A Mellow Tone

Size: 89,5 MB
Time: 38:40
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Soul/Blues
Art: Front

01. In A Mellow Tone (7:24)
02. Hey Little Doggy (7:22)
03. Coming Home (4:33)
04. Double Eddie (6:47)
05. Here's That Rainy Day (5:22)
06. Love Is Here To Stay (7:09)

ith his instrumental hit "Honky Tonk" in February 1956, Bill Doggett (born William Ballard Doggett) created one of rock's greatest instrumental tracks. Although it generated scores of offers to perform in rock & roll clubs throughout the United States, Doggett remained tied to the jazz and organ-based R&B that he had performed since the 1930s. Continuing to record for the Cincinnati-based King label until 1960, he went on to record for Warner Brothers, Columbia, ABC-Paramount and Sue. His last session came as a member and producer of an all-star jazz/R&B group, Bluesiana Hurricane in 1995.

Born on the north side of Philadelphia, Doggett struggled with poverty as a youngster. Although he initially dreamed of playing the trumpet, his family was unable to afford lessons. Persuaded by his mother (a church pianist), to try keyboards instead, he quickly mastered the instrument. Hailed as a child prodigy by his 13th birthday, he formed his first band, the Five Majors, at the age of 15.

Performing with the Jimmy Gorman Band, the pit orchestra at the Nixon Grand Theater, while still in high school, Doggett assumed leadership of the group in 1938. The experience was brief, however, as Doggett sold the orchestra to Lucky Millinder, with whom he continued to work off and on for the next four years. He made his recording debut on Millinder's tracks, "Little Old Lady From Baltimore" and "All Aboard" in 1939.

Although he formed a short-lived orchestra with Benny Goodman's arranger, Jimmy Mundy, in late 1939, Doggett continued to work primarily as a sideman. Playing piano and arranging for the Ink Spots from 1942 until 1944, he went on to arrange tunes for Count Basie's band and tour and/or record with Coleman Hawkins, Johnny Otis, Wynonie Harris, Ella Fitzgerald and Lionel Hampton. Replacing Wild Bill Davis in Louis Jordan's band, in 1947, he appeared on the influential tunes, "Saturday Night Fish Fry" and "Blue Light Boogie." He made his debut as an organist during June 1951 recording sessions with Ella Fitzgerald.

Debuting his own organ-led combo at New York nightclub, the Baby Grand, in June 1952, Doggett recorded more than a dozen singles before striking gold with "Honky Tonk" four years later.

A longtime resident of Long Island, New York, Doggett died on November 13, 1996, three days after suffering a heart attack. ~Biography by Craig Harris

In A Mellow Tone

Gabrielle Ducomble - J'ai Deux Amours

Size: 123,1 MB
Time: 53:07
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2011
Styles: Jazz: Vocals
Art: Front

01. Haven't We Met (4:54)
02. J'ai Deux Amours (4:55)
03. Libertango (6:26)
04. Spring Is Here (6:02)
05. My Little Boat (4:34)
06. La Chanson Des Vieux Amants (5:35)
07. It Might As Well Be Spring (4:43)
08. Manha De Carnaval (4:09)
09. La Javanaise (4:37)
10. Never Will I Marry (3:22)
11. That's All (3:44)

Gabrielle Ducomble: J'ai Deux Amours Belgian singer Gabrielle Ducomble began her recording career in 2003, after reaching the finale of French television's Pop Idol. After hearing Dee Dee Bridgewater Ducomble started to move towards jazz, relocated to London and graduated from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. So, while J'ai Deux Amours is not her first recording, it is her jazz debut.

Ducomble's voice is lightly expressive, with a slight vulnerability that adds emotional depth to the more romantic or melancholy songs. Her sound and her choice of composers give her a resemblance to Stacey Kent and to Dutch singer and actress Mathilde Santing. All three are comfortable with the Great American Songbook but are also willing to explore elsewhere—Ducomble covers the songs of French writer Serge Gainsbourg ("La Javanaise") and fellow-Belgian Jacques Brel ("La Chanson Des Vieux Amants") with great sympathy here.

Any vocalist who decides to perform Astor Piazzolla's "Libertango" invites comparison with Grace Jones' darkly erotic version of the song. Ducomble and guitarist Nicolas Meier's arrangement focuses on the drama and mystery of the song to create an original interpretation that complements Jones' own. Meier's guitar playing is exceptional, combining precision and drive to conjure up an air of tension that Chris Garrick takes further with his own powerful, almost threatening violin solo. Garrick's playing is also a highlight of "Mahna de Carnaval," but this time he picks up on the song's melancholy romance to create a beautiful solo filled with longing and regret. He creates a similar mood on "La Chanson des Vieux Amants," weaving in and out of Ducomble's emotive vocal. ~Bruce Lindsay

On the opening verse of "Spring is Here" Ducomble sounds rather nervous and hesitant, and the lyric loses impact as a result. It's oddly uncharacteristic and, given the strength of her vocals on most of the songs—especially "Libertango " and "That's All"—such a lack of confidence is also unexpected. On her own arrangement of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "It Might As Well Be Spring"—from the same '09 session that produced "Spring Is Here"—Ducomble's joyously bright vocal is given terrifically upbeat musical support by the band, with pianist Alex Hutton and trumpeter Andy Davies both contributing solos that perfectly complement the singer's optimism.

J'ai Deux Amours is a welcome debut from a new European jazz vocalist. Ducomble's voice has charm, and her willingness to go beyond the standard vocal repertoire is to be applauded.

Personnel: Gabrielle Ducomble: vocals; Alex Hutton: piano; Nicolas Meier: guitar; Nick Racal: double-bass; Saleem Raman: drums; Chris Garrick: violin; John Bailey: piano (1, 10, 11); Eric Ford: drums (2, 4, 7); Andy Davies: trumpet, flugelhorn (2, 4, 7); Nathan Mansfield: trumpet, flugelhorn (1, 5, 10).

J'ai Deux Amours

Ana Velinova - The Thief

Size: 89,6 MB
Time: 38:34
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Vocals
Art: Front

01. Could You See Could I Say (4:41)
02. I'm Movin' On (4:21)
03. How Can I Sleep (3:33)
04. O Bebado E A Equilibrista (3:42)
05. Mystic In My Soul (3:52)
06. I Want You (3:19)
07. Baby Bye Bye (3:14)
08. Cool (3:17)
09. Nani Mi Damiancho (Bulgarian Folk Song) (4:57)
10. The Thief (3:33)

Ana Velinova has won the love of jazz fans from around the globe. Originally from Sofia Bulgaria, Ana has lived in many major US and Canadian cities such as New York, Boston, Los Angeles and Vancouver, Canada. "The Thief " is Ana Velinova's first album of predominantly original jazz compositions featuring world renowned musicians Neil Swaison (George Shearing) on bass, Willard Dyson (Cassandra Wilson, Regina Belle, Michael Franks) on drums and percussion and Misha Piatiigorksy on keys. The album was recorded and produced by Grammy Award winning producer Joby Baker at Joby Baker Studios in Canada. In the words of her band members: "Ana's "The Thief" is steal! Ana is definitely one of the most exciting vocalists and songwriters in the contemporary jazz music scene. She tells a story with energy, character, sophistication, elegance
and musical wonder.” Ana holds a Master's Degree in Jazz & Contemporary-Classical Voice Performance from the Longy School of Music in Boston, undergraduate studies in Vocal Jazz from the Musician’s Institute in Los Angeles and a diploma in classical guitar from the National Music School in Bulgaria.

The Thief

Marilyn Scott - Every Time We Say Goodbye

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:13
Size: 112,0 MB
Art: Front + Back

(5:56)  1. Every Time We Say Goodbye
(4:05)  2. I Got Lost In His Arms
(5:35)  3. Lonely Town
(4:29)  4. Detour Ahead
(4:27)  5. Do You Know The Way To San Jose?
(5:10)  6. Autumn In New York
(4:26)  7. I Love Paris
(5:04)  8. Cry Me A River
(3:20)  9. Caravan
(4:36) 10. Somewhere

Marilyn Scott has straddled several music styles over her career though she is better known as a pop or smooth jazz singer. Unfortunately, that background rarely serves a musician well who attempts a straight-ahead CD with seasoned mainstream players interpreting standards. Scott's alto voice is at best average and a bit nasal, while the use of frequent reverb is evidently to cover up for her shortcomings. Her grating inflections in each song reveal her primary music interests. Particularly annoying are Scott's draggy setting of Cole Porter's "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye" (which is misspelled on the cover) and the lightweight "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?" (a Burt Bacharach tune that was a hit for Dionne Warwick), which is recast in a bland bossa nova arrangement with a rather uninspired vocal. It is a shame that veterans like pianist Cyrus Chestnut, guitarist Paul Bollenback, and tenor saxophonist/clarinetist Ken Peplowski aren't featured more in these rather brief arrangements, aside from a sizzling "Caravan." The producers would have been better off writing a check to Scott and sending her packing after a few takes, while retaining the instrumentalists for their own record date. ~ Ken Dryden   
http://www.allmusic.com/album/every-time-we-say-goodbye-mw0001198488

Personnel: Bass – Gerald Cannon ; Drums – Willie Jones III ; Guitar – Paul Bollenback ; Piano – Cyrus Chestnut; Saxophone [Tenor]; Clarinet – Ken Peplowski ; Vocals – Marilyn Scott

Scott Hamilton - Jazz Signatures

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:44
Size: 132,5 MB
Art: Front + Back

(5:05)  1. Raincheck
(7:04)  2. In Your Own Sweet Way
(7:36)  3. Jitterbug Waltz
(5:31)  4. If You Could See Me Now
(4:01)  5. Move
(5:43)  6. Byas a Drink
(6:05)  7. You Left Me All Alone
(5:46)  8. When Lights Are Low
(4:50)  9. Angel Face
(5:58) 10. John's Bunch


Continuing in his quarter-century tenure with Concord Records, Scott Hamilton is still finding fresh concepts for presenting his pre-bop tenor sax sound that went against the grain of the fusion groups when he first started recording. Taking his cue from masters like Ben Webster or Don Byas, rather than Wayne Shorter, Hamilton continued their pioneering tradition of the tenor sax as a voice-like instrument with universal emotional appeal. Hamilton pays tribute to those originators, who merged melodic urgency with emotional content, as well as to others who had the same effect in extending the vocabulary of jazz within boundaries accepted by the general public. His concept on Jazz Signatures is a simple one: recognizing through his own style the jazz artists who left their own mark on the genre, unobtrusively and yet indelibly. His choices are sometimes telling. Don Byas in particular is an insightful choice, Byas’ work inspiring other tenor players, even as he faded from public recognition after his move to Europe. Playing “Byas A Drink” with a light Latin-tinged approach, Hamilton stresses the richness of tone combined with the appeal of the improvisational lines. In addition, Hamilton goes against convention by recognizing Illinois Jacquet with a slower, evocative "You Left Me All Alone,” instead of the “signature” number, “Flying Home.” Pianists are included in Hamilton’s signatures as well, particularly Fats Waller, whose “Jitterbug Waltz” breezes along more aggressively and perhaps less unctuously than one would expect from the saxophonist.

 Dave Brubeck’s “In Your Own Sweet Way” proceeds with a light swing, Hamilton’s long tones stretching the phrasing from one chorus into the next as he lightly bends notes and adds swelling dynamics to a single note, similar to Stan Getz’s approach. And Billy Strayhorn is counted among the pianists. Hamilton animates “Raincheck” with an effortless and mature interpretation that has no need at all for gimmickry. Hank Jones’ “Angel Face” is more delicate, Hamilton’s full sound stressing the logic of its harmonic development, the meandering theme eventually weaving into a satisfying conclusion. But then the last track honors a pianist important to Hamilton’s career, John Bunch, who accompanies him throughout the album. The person who introduced Hamilton to Benny Goodman in the 1970’s, and who thus helped launch Hamilton’s career, Bunch has stayed in touch with the saxophonist through the years. Their relationship continues, as shown on Jazz Signatures, which they recorded last year in Wimbleton, England after a gig at London’s Pizza Express (where, by the way, Mose Allsoin recorded The Mose Chronicles, Vol. One. “John’s Bunch,” however, ends the project on a high note, its shuffle rhythm propelling the quartet into its controlled frenzy and then dramatically closing the CD with rolling chords, trills, growls and a blue note. ~ AAJ STAFF   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=7756#.U1LSXldSvro

Personnel: Scott Hamilton, tenor sax; John Bunch, piano; Dave Green, bass; Steve Brown, drums

Bruce Barth - Daybreak

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 61:46
Size: 113,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:32)  1. Triste
(6:21)  2. Tuesday's blues
(8:28)  3. Vamanos
(5:04)  4. Moon shadows
(4:47)  5. Daybreak
(6:51)  6. Brasilia
(6:36)  7. Then three
(6:24)  8. Somehow it's true
(5:25)  9. In the still of the night
(5:13) 10. So tender

Pianist Bruce Barth starts throwing curves right out of the gate on Daybreak, transforming Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “Triste,” rhythmically and harmonically, into a buoyantly percussive, odd-meter delight. It’s one of several performances that immediately invite repeat listens, the better to appreciate the pianist’s wit and invention or to enjoy the inspired company he’s keeping this time around: trumpeter/flugelhornist Terell Stafford, vibraphonist Steve Nelson, bassist Vicente Archer and drummer Montez Coleman. While the lineup shifts from time to time, the distinctive instrumentation pays off consistently. Stafford is in terrific shape-shifting form now a hard-bop virtuoso, now a lyrical balladeer, now a master of soulfully expressive slurs that reveal deep roots and stylistic affinities. Likewise, Nelson proves adept as colorist, collaborator and foil, so much so that one wishes the two were teamed more often in this seemingly intuitive setting. 

Then again, not the least of the album’s charms is Barth and Nelson performing as a duo on the luminous ballad “Somehow It’s True,” one of seven tunes here composed by the pianist. Not long afterward, Barth and Stafford sound similarly well matched and autonomous on Keith Jarrett’s “So Tender.” Archer and Coleman play significant roles when the ensemble performances demand atmospheric touches, as they often do, but they’re also responsible for vibrantly propelling Barth’s “Tuesday’s Blues” and other highlights. Barth has now recorded 13 albums as a leader, and like many of its predecessors, Daybreak can’t help but enhance his reputation as player, composer, arranger and bandleader. ~ Mike Joyce   
http://jazztimes.com/articles/126686-daybreak-bruce-barth

Personnel: Bruce Barth (piano); Terell Stafford (trumpet, flugelhorn); Steve Nelson (vibraphone); Montez Coleman (drums).