Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Hot Club De Norvège - Vertavo

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 41:04
Size: 95.3 MB
Styles: Swing, Gypsy jazz, String Quartet
Year: 1996/2005
Art: Front

[3:56] 1. Strings To Come
[2:05] 2. Spellbound
[2:40] 3. Gandhi's Revenge
[3:40] 4. Karlov
[2:27] 5. Femme Fatale
[4:39] 6. Blue Strings
[2:48] 7. Strictly Taboo
[5:54] 8. Fido
[2:09] 9. The Missing Link
[3:17] 10. Pascal
[4:24] 11. Fata Morgana
[3:01] 12. Oblivion

HOT CLUB DE NORVEGE is one of the original pioneers from the renaissance of the Django Reinhardt music in the 70-ies. Their starting point was the music of Django and the Quintette du Hot Club de France, mixed with gypsy folklore, waltzes and mainstram jazz, but also alternatives, like Frank Zappa, Carl Barks and Salvador Dalí. Today they have developed their own sound, and continue the search for a contemporary expression of the gypsy jazz.

HOT CLUB DE NORVEGE are famous to a large audience for their rare blend of virtuoso music and surrealistic humour, and they are touring world wide. They have performed and recorded with all the stars of the gypsy swing, from Stéphane Grappelli and Stochelo Rosenberg, to Jimmy Rosenberg, Angelo Debarre and Bireli Lagrene. They have also played with several classical ensembles and orchestras, from the Vertavo Quartet and Kristianssand Symphony Orchestra, to classical stars like Nigel Kennedy. Hot Club de Norvège have released more than 30 CDs, and DVDs.

HOT CLUB DE NORVEGE is: Jon Larsen (guitar), Finn Hauge (violin and harmonica), Per Frydenlund (guitar) and Svein Aarbostad (bass)

The Vertavo Quartet is internationally recognised as one of the most masterful string quartets playing today. Since their formation in Norway in 1984, their dynamic and deeply thoughtful performances have captivated audiences. In June 2005, the quartet was honoured with the Grieg-Prize: a prize bestowed on artists of high international standing and whose former recipients include Leif Ove Andsnes, Truls Mørk and the Grieg Trio. Just ten years previously in 1995 they had won First Prize at the 2nd Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition where they were also awarded the Audience prize and the Critics' prize.

Vertavo now play at all the major concert venues in the world. They tour extensively throughout Europe and also in Japan and the US. Their last US tour in 2013 included performances at Stanford Lively Arts, Chamber Music in Napa Valley and Lincoln Center. In the past year, tours and concerts have also taken them to Norway, Spain, Mexico, Sweden, Poland and the UK.

Vertavo String Quartet is: Øyvor Volle - violin; Annabelle Meare - violin; Berit Cardas - viola; Bjørg Lewis - cello.

Vertavo

Jane Morgan - Jane In Spain

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 63:16
Size: 144.9 MB
Styles: Vocal
Year: 1959/2013
Art: Front

[3:14] 1. Granada
[2:23] 2. Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps (Quizás, Quizás, Quizás)
[3:08] 3. The Moon Was Yellow
[2:54] 4. What A Difference A Day Made
[2:28] 5. The Sound Of Music
[2:56] 6. C'est La Vie, C'est L'amour
[2:39] 7. You Belong To My Heart
[1:58] 8. If Only I Could Live My Life Again
[2:47] 9. Perfidia
[2:27] 10. It's Been A Long, Long Time
[2:48] 11. My Foolish Heart
[2:29] 12. Was It Day, Was It Night
[3:16] 13. Baia
[2:57] 14. Climb Every Mountain
[2:11] 15. I'm New At The Game
[2:15] 16. With Open Arms
[2:36] 17. Love Is Like Champagne
[1:57] 18. I'm In Love
[2:24] 19. Happy Anniversary
[2:48] 20. Magic Is The Moonlight
[2:43] 21. Adios
[2:59] 22. Be Mine Tonight
[2:12] 23. I Get Ideas
[2:37] 24. Let Me Love You Tonight

Vocalist Jane Morgan is known best for her lone Top Ten hit, "Fascination," drawn from the 1957 Billy Wilder film Love in the Afternoon. Born in Boston (as Jane Currier) but raised in Florida, Morgan was an early success as a singer in France. She made the transition back to America as a nightclub act, and signed to Kapp in the mid-'50s.Jane Morgan made her chart debut late in 1956, appearing alongside Roger Williams on "Two Different Worlds."

One year later she hit number seven with her theme "Fascination," based on the old French composition "Valse Tzigane." Both "The Day the Rains Came" and "With Open Arms" followed "Fascination" into the Top 40 during the late '50s, but Morgan had disappeared from the charts by the turn of the decade. (Her last hit was also a movie theme, for 1959's Happy Anniversary, directed by David Miller and featuring David Niven.) She continued recording for Kapp until 1962, and resurfaced four years later on Epic for Fresh Flavor, a rock-crossover LP that was only slightly embarrassing (her cover of "Good Lovin'" is a minor moment of kitsch). ~bio by John Bush

This 1959 LP finds her in a Latin way, singing Adios; Perfidia; Baia; Granada; Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps , and more. You also get a host of other tracks from 1957-59: My Foolish Heart; The Sound of Music; I'm in Love , and more, all on CD for the first time!

Jane In Spain   

Karen Souza - Hotel Souza

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 37:50
Size: 86.6 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[3:45] 1. Paris
[2:33] 2. Night Demon
[3:56] 3. My Foolish Heart
[3:22] 4. Delectable You
[2:39] 5. Break My Heart
[3:43] 6. I Heard It Through The Grapevine
[3:55] 7. Wake Up
[4:14] 8. I´ve Got It Bad
[2:33] 9. Full Moon
[3:58] 10. Dindi
[3:08] 11. Lie To Me

There is no doubt that Karen Souza is poised to become recognized as one of the great new voices of jazz today. After the success of her remarkable debut album, Essentials, Karen decided to embark on a songwriting journey that took almost two years and led her far from her home in Buenos Aires to Los Angeles, where she joined with U.S. producer Joel McNeely. Famous for his work with immortal artists such as Tony Bennett, Peggy Lee, Al Green and Jaco Pastorius, McNeely has provided the arrangements with a sound that is both classic and modern a combination that is highly valued in this day and age.
Karen´s voice, intimate and sensuous as always, floats between clouds of strings and winds and creates an atmosphere that can only be described as vintage. One of the few versions found on this artist album is a very special rendition of "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" where Karen had the great fortune of performing with several musicians from Marvin's original band. Recorded at The Factory and on in the Century 21 studios in LA, this is an album that showcases Karen as an multifaceted artist about to embark on an exciting career. Hotel Souza is one of the most anticipated albums of the season.

Hotel Souza

Darren Heinrich Trio - New Vintage Tunes For The Hammond Organ

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 74:13
Size: 169.9 MB
Styles: Organ jazz
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[4:56] 1. Lunar
[7:42] 2. Hicksville
[6:13] 3. Meanderthal
[7:18] 4. Willow
[4:50] 5. The Poledancer
[5:09] 6. I Don't Know
[6:24] 7. Slinky
[6:10] 8. Easy Autumn
[6:35] 9. Hello Goodbye
[5:21] 10. Three Shades Of Green
[5:39] 11. Meanderthal (Old School Version)
[7:50] 12. Willow (New School Version)

New Vintage Tunes for the Hammond Organ (2007) is perhaps a first for Australian Jazz - an album of entirely original material performed by an organ trio. The 10 tracks (and 2 bonus tracks), composed by Darren, run the gamut of the jazz spectrum in style. Swing, Funk, Boogaloo, Ballads and Blues all get a workout here and while Darren's influences may be evident to Hammond fans, the music is undeniably original and fresh. Produced by legendary US organist Tony Monaco during a visit to Australia, the album was recorded over two days by engineer Richard Belkener.

"Jazz organ is alive and well! In fact, since it's resurgence in the early 90s, Jazz Organ and the Soul Jazz movements continue to gain momentum. With the help of organist and producer Tony Monaco, Darren Heinrich makes his second contribution to the jazz organ discography with 'New Vintage Tunes for the Hammond Organ' his recording not only showcases his abilities at the Organ, but also highlights his compositional voice.

Darren uses two first class rhythm sections on this recording. Guitarist Steve Brien and drummer Andrew Dickeson, both faculty at the esteemed Sydney Conservatorium of Music, are "first call" musicians in Sydney. The second configuration of this trio consists of guitarist Simon Relf and drummer Tim Firth. Both Simon and Tim have an extensive performance background and are highly sought after in the Sydney Music Scene." Pat Bianchi, Jazz Organist, New York City 2008

"This album is my first to feature entirely my own compositions. The decision to record with two rhythm sections was simply due to the fact that I could not choose between them. Both line-ups have something special to offer, which I guess boils down to a traditional approach versus a more modern, looser feel. I love both styles and I think that the tunes work both ways. Of course, I ultimately had to pick between them and so here are what I feel are the best takes of each tune, with two alternate takes for the listener to compare and enjoy." ~Darren Heinrich

Darren Heinrich (Hammond B3) with Steve Brien (Guitar) & Andrew Dickeson (Drums) or Simon Relf (Guitar) & Tim Firth (Drums).

New Vintage Tunes For The Hammond Organ

Vanessa Trouble - Too Darn Hot

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:27
Size: 104,3 MB
Art: Front + Back

(4:19)  1. Too Darn Hot
(3:01)  2. As Long As I Live
(4:22)  3. Moonglow
(2:13)  4. Let Yourself Go
(3:34)  5. Blue Until Tomorrow
(4:54)  6. Lover Man
(3:32)  7. I Wish You Love
(2:52)  8. Everything's Movin' Too Fast
(5:28)  9. The Look of Love
(1:42) 10. Puttin' On The Ritz
(4:31) 11. On a Slow Boat to China
(4:52) 12. Old Devil Moon

Vanessa is a vocalist and band leader bringing an energetic, nuanced sensuality to the American jazz and swing songbook and occasionally styling new classics. She’s honed her vocal and performance skills all over the country and abroad, fronting various jazz ensembles. Vanessa currently fronts her New York City based “modern retro” swing band, The Red Hot Swing that boasts an 11 years solid back-up band of Mark McCarron, guitar, Stefan Schatz, drums, Andrew Hall, bass, Michael Hashim, saxophone, and Marty Bound, trumpet. She performs regularly with notable guitarists Nick Demopoulos, James Chirillo and Steve Salerno, bassists Sean Smith, Neal Minor, Jim Whitney and Peter Weiss, pianists Don Stein, Bennett Paster and Michael Kanan, and trumpet virtuoso Charlie Caranicas.  http://www.last.fm/music/Vanessa+Trouble/+wiki

Buddy Bregman And His Orchestra - Swinging Kicks

Styles: Jazz, Swing, Big Band
Year: 1956
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:06
Size: 94,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:22)  1. Wild Party
(1:24)  2. Melody Room
(2:57)  3. Bada Blues
(2:11)  4. Kicks Swing
(1:51)  5. Melody Lane
(1:51)  6. Lost Keys
(1:28)  7. Go Kicks
(2:15)  8. Gage Flips
(2:50)  9. Derek's Blues
(1:36) 10. Mulliganville
(2:16) 11. Terror Ride
(3:46) 12. The Flight
(2:02) 13. Tom's Idea
(1:59) 14. Melodyville
(2:34) 15. Honey Chile
(1:18) 16. End Of Party
(3:18) 17. Kicks Is In Love

Best known as an arranger for singers and for commercial sessions, Buddy Bregman led one full-fledged jazz instrumental date, Swinging Kicks. Because many of the selections are brief (seven are under two minutes) and due to the intriguing titles, this seems a bit like a soundtrack to a film that was never made. However, few of the tracks seem truncated and there are some excellent solos along the way, particularly from Ben Webster, Conte Candoli, Herb Geller, Bud Shank, and Paul Smith. The personnel changes from cut to cut, ranging from a 19-piece big band with screaming trumpet playing from Maynard Ferguson and Conrad Gozzo to various combos, a Ben Webster/André Previn duet on "Kicks Is in Love," and a rapid workout for Paul Smith on "Go Kicks." Bregman uses some of the top West Coast jazz players and various musicians who were on Verve at the time, with Stan Getz making a guest appearance on "Honey Chile." Recommended. ~ Scott Yanow   http://www.allmusic.com/album/swinging-kicks-mw0000602261.

Personnel: Al Hendrickson (guitar); Herb Geller, Bud Shank (alto saxophone); Georgie Auld, Stan Getz , Ben Webster, Bob Cooper (tenor saxophone); Jimmy Giuffre (baritone saxophone); Conrad Gozzo , Conte Candoli, Maynard Ferguson, Pete Candoli, Ray Linn (trumpet); Milt Bernhart, Frank Rosolino, George Roberts , Lloyd Ulyate (trombone); André Previn , Paul Smith (piano); Alvin Stoller, Stan Levey (drums).

Lizz Wright - Salt

Styles: Neo-Soul
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:31
Size: 116,3 MB
Art: Front + Back

(5:07)  1. Open Your Eyes, You Can Fly
(3:25)  2. Salt
(5:51)  3. Afro Blue
(4:26)  4. Soon as I Get Home
(4:06)  5. Walk With Me, Lord
(3:35)  6. Eternity
(3:57)  7. Goodbye
(4:33)  8. Vocalise/End of the Line
(4:15)  9. Fire
(4:06) 10. Blue Rose
(4:23) 11. Lead the Way
(2:42) 12. Silence

Vocalist Lizz Wright delivers jazz that harks back to such luminaries as Nina Simone and Abbey Lincoln on her debut Verve release, Salt. Still in her early twenties, Wright has a warm, dusky voice reminiscent of Cassandra Wilson and similarly to Wilson seems interested in tackling an eclectic mix of jazz standards, traditional folk, and R&B. Early on, a folky afterglow-Latin version of "Afro Blue" takes center stage followed by the gorgeous "Soon as I Get Home," which betters the version from The Wiz. Wright fairs equally well as a songwriter with about half the album filled with her soaring, bluesy ballads. There is a melancholy yet positive '70s vibe that eminates from songs like "Fire," which resonates lyrically as well as melodically much like the personal/sociopolitical writing of another of Wright's obvious inspirations, Terry Callier. Perhaps a little too low-key to register very high on the pop radio scale, but invested with enough sanguine emotionality and chops to make Salt easily recommended to fans of the neo-soul movement. ~ Matt Collar  http://www.allmusic.com/album/salt-mw0000020164

Personnel: Lizz Wright (vocals); Myron Walden (alto saxophone); Derrick Gardner (trumpet); Vincent Gardner (trombone); Kenny Banks (acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes piano); John Cowherd (acoustic piano); Sam Yahel (Hammond B-3 organ); Sarah Adams, Ron Carbone, Crystal Garner, Judy Witmerr (viola); Ellen Westerman (cello); Adam Rogers (acoustic, electric & bottleneck guitars); John Hart (acoustic guitar, guitar); Brian Blade (acoustic guitar); Doug Weiss (acoustic bass); Brian Blade, Terreon Gully, (drums); Jeff Haynes (percussion).

Salt

Johnny Hodges - With The Lawrence Welk Orchestra

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1965
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 28:24
Size: 72,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:13)  1. Someone To Watch Over Me
(2:31)  2. Misty
(2:34)  3. Fantastic, That's You
(2:35)  4. Stardust
(2:33)  5. I Can't Get Started
(2:10)  6. Haunting Melody
(2:08)  7. When My Baby Smiles At Me
(2:13)  8. Blue Velvet
(2:47)  9. Sophisticated Lady
(2:32) 10. Canadian Sunset
(2:17) 11. In A Sentimental Mood
(1:50) 12. I'm Beginning To See The Light

This was one of the oddest matchups and yet ended up being fairly logical. Altoist Johnny Hodges had one of the most beautiful tones ever heard and Lawrence Welk always loved beautiful music. This Dot recording features Hodges on a dozen standards while accompanied by a string section, brass and a rhythm section. The concise and melodic interpretations are indeed pretty and the arrangements (by a dozen different writers) are generally fine. Plus the album cover (which has a picture of the unlikely duo) is classic. ~Scott Yanow   http://www.allmusic.com/album/johnny-hodges-with-lawrence-welks-orchestra-mw0000022765

Personnel: Johnny Hodges (alto saxophone); Lawrence Welk (conductor).