Rosemary Clooney - The Last Concert

Size: 105,6 MB
Time: 44:55
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2002
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Overture Medley: Tenderly/White Christmas/Half As Much/Sisters This Ole House (4:34)
02. Sentimental Journey (4:14)
03. Dialogue (1:23)
04. I'm Confessin' That I Love You (3:45)
05. Just In Time (2:59)
06. Dialogue 2 (0:48)
07. Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe (4:32)
08. You Go To My Head (4:55)
09. Rockin' Chair (4:08)
10. Dialogue 3 (0:55)
11. Ol' Man River (2:07)
12. The Singer (2:30)
13. They Can't Take That Away From Me (3:47)
14. God Bless America/They Can't Take That Away From Me (4:10)

SwinginRosemary Clooney's performance at the Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall in Honolulu, HI, on November 16, 2001, backed by the big band Big Kahuna & the Copa Cat Pack and the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra, turned out to be her final show before her death on June 29, 2002. Not surprisingly, though, there isn't anything about it to suggest finality specifically. But, as an appearance by a veteran performer with a long career to draw upon, it necessarily had a retrospective feel and, occurring only two months after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, it concluded with a reverent tone, Clooney's first recording of "God Bless America." Following an instrumental overture canvassing some of her better known songs (none of which she went on to actually sing in the show), Clooney opened with "Sentimental Journey," the first of her borrowings from other "girl singers," since it is associated with Doris Day from her period with Les Brown's band. The song set the stage for a collection of standards written by the likes of Comden and Green and Jule Styne ("Just in Time"), Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg ("Happiness Is Just a Thing Called Joe"), Hoagy Carmichael ("Rockin' Chair"), Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II ("Ol' Man River"), George and Ira Gershwin ("They Can't Take That Away From Me"), and Irving Berlin ("God Bless America"). Clooney also paid tribute to other singers, including her sister Betty Clooney, Bing Crosby, and Frank Sinatra. The album contains many of Clooney's stage remarks, which are punctuated with self-deprecating humor. (She notes, for example, that the last time she played Hawaii was the day it became a state and now she is back "by popular demand.") On the whole, the show is a typically wonderful Clooney show that just happens to have been her last. ~Review by William Ruhlmann

The Last Concert

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John Morrison - Swingin' Upstairs (Feat. Andrew Firth, Ian Date)

Size: 166,2 MB
Time: 70:55
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1997
Styles: Mainstream Jazz, Swing
Art: Front

01. You Do Something To Me (4:50)
02. Don't Be That Way (5:19)
03. Sly Mongoose (4:16)
04. I Want To Be Happy (5:29)
05. Petit Fleur (3:38)
06. Yacht Club Swing (4:57)
07. Your Smile (4:16)
08. It's Only A Paper Moon (4:49)
09. S'wonderful (4:32)
10. I'll Get By (3:55)
11. Cotton Tail (3:55)
12. These Foolish Things (4:19)
13. Running Wild (3:05)
14. Tea For Two (3:58)
15. Stranger On The Shore (3:23)
16. Avalon (2:10)
17. China Boy (3:54)

Swingin' Upstairs is a back issue from the catalogue of John Morrison. Recorded in 1997, it features clarinet/sax wiz Andrew Firth, guitarist extraordinaire Ian Date, violin impressario Ian Cooper, and of course the leader of Big Band, Swing City, drummer John Morrison.
A great collection of mainstream and old school standards, this album reflects the legendary Benny Goodman in his small group days, with a touch of Charlie Christian and Stephane Grappelli.
The CD comes with a "Caution Hot" label....so be warned!!!!

Swingin' Upstairs

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The Dave Miller Trio With Rebecca DuMaine - Better Than Anything

Size: 121,0 MB
Time: 51:36
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Better Than Anything (3:09)
02. You For Me (3:27)
03. Sometime Ago (4:13)
04. Oh, Look At Me Now (3:18)
05. No More Blues (2:52)
06. What Is There To Say (3:49)
07. I'm Gonna Go Fishin' (3:26)
08. Telephone Song (2:32)
09. I Just Found Out About Love (2:46)
10. It Might As Well Be Spring (3:47)
11. Cheek To Cheek (3:56)
12. It's Love (2:55)
13. Dreamer (4:24)
14. Lucky To Be Me (2:48)
15. That's All (4:04)

Better Than Anything is about past and present, songs and singers, influences and memories, and father-and-daughter chemistry. It's the second album, following Deed I Do, that finds vocalist Rebeccas DuMaine joining forces with her father, pianist Dave Miller.

DuMaine and Miller share more than genetic code, as they both seem to thrive in customized, straightforward settings. They don't really try to do anything out of the ordinary, but they aren't about mundane music making either. DuMaine and Miller basically take these songs down the center lane, have a blast doing it, and remind the world that too much ado has been made about too-clever-by-half arrangements and performances.

All fifteen tracks on this album are tightly organized numbers that fall into the two-and-a-half to four-and-a-half minute range. Miller's solos are concise and well-formed, DuMaine's performances are poised and pleasing, and bassist Mario Suraci and drummer Bill Belasco prove to be solid backers all the way through.

The program includes nods to Frank Sinatra ("Oh, Look At Me Now"), Irene Kral ("Better Than Anything"), Antonio Carlos Jobim ("No More Blues" and "Dreamer") and numerous others, but DuMaine doesn't try to recreate what those artists did with these songs. She just finds inspiration in their work and goes on her way, delivering the songs as she pleases.

Better Than Anything is simply a smartly-tailored collection of songs put together by a foursome that knows of what it speaks. ~Review by Dan Bilawsky

Personnel: Rebecca DuMaine: vocals; Dave Miller: piano; Mario Suraci: bass; Bill Belasco: drums.

Better Than Anything

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John Sheridan's Dream Band - Easy As It Gets

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 63:29
Size: 145.3 MB
Styles: Swing
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[4:10] 1. Devil May Care
[6:10] 2. Easy As It Gets
[3:33] 3. Spring Cleaning
[4:45] 4. Morning Glory
[3:17] 5. You Leave Me Breathless
[3:14] 6. Cherry
[5:02] 7. It's So Peaceful In The Country
[3:20] 8. You Lucky People You
[4:30] 9. The Gypsy
[4:25] 10. Someone Like You
[3:49] 11. When We're Alone
[2:46] 12. You Do Something To Me
[4:02] 13. Me, Myself And I
[4:55] 14. Dedicated To You
[5:26] 15. I'm Sitting On Top Of The World

Pianist John Sheridan delivers another superb album of swing jazz and standards with his Dream Band on Easy as It Gets. Once again featuring the talents of cornetist Randy Reinhart, trombonist Russ Phillips, clarinetist Ron Hockett, tenor saxophonist Scott Robinson, guitarist Bob Leary, bassist Phil Flanigan, drummer Joe Ascione, and, of course, vocalist Rebecca Kilgore, the band is traditional and old-timey without seeming staid. A solid dance-oriented ensemble, Sheridan's Dream Band keeps the tone light and lively with lesser performed songs including "You Leave Me Breathless," "Me, Myself and I (Are All in Love With You)," and "Devil May Care." Fans of old-school jazz should be very pleased with Easy as It Gets. ~ Matt Collar

John Sheridan (vocals, piano); Rebecca Kilgore (vocals); Bob Leary (guitar); Ron Hockett (clarinet); Scott Robinson (tenor saxophone); Randy Reinhart (cornet); Russ Phillips (trombone); Joe Ascione (drums).

Easy As It Gets

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Carl Allen & Rodney Whitaker - Get Ready

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 72:18
Size: 165.5 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[8:02] 1. La Shea's Walk
[9:01] 2. Get Ready
[7:39] 3. Inner City Blues
[5:34] 4. Desperate Desires
[6:14] 5. Alternative Thoughts
[6:54] 6. Summer (The Sweet Goodbye)
[6:09] 7. Preference Of Conviction
[7:33] 8. A Heart Enflamed, A Soul Enchanted
[8:26] 9. We Fall Down
[6:40] 10. Now Silence

Drummer Carl Allen and bassist Rodney Whitaker have a lot in common. They're both from the Midwest— Allen's from Milwaukee, Whitaker's from Detroit. Both grew up in homes filled with the sounds of gospel and R&B, and for the last twenty years or so both have achieved high ranking as two of the most heavy swinging sidemen in jazz. Get Ready, the muscular debut for the rhythm duo on Mack Avenue Records, is a collaborative effort of prolific achievement supported by pianist Cyrus Chestnut, guitarist Rodney Jones, organist Dorsey "Rob Robinson and saxophonist Steve Wilson. The dynamic set features original compositions, inventive interpretations of Motown classics and contemporary gospel repertoire. ~John Barron

Get Ready

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Roy Eldridge - Little Jazz Plays Swing

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 44:34
Size: 102.0 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz, Swing
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[ 3:53] 1. Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams (And Dream Your Troubles Away)
[11:50] 2. Rock And Roll
[ 9:51] 3. Me And You Blues
[10:44] 4. Body And Soul
[ 2:26] 5. Embraceable You
[ 5:49] 6. Saturday Night Fish Fry

Little Jazz had a great influence on Dizzy Gillespie -one of the founders of bebop. Although he played with most the early bebop stars, he did not make the switch to bebop. Feeling out-dated musically, Eldridge moved to France for a year and came back to the United States reinvigorated and committed to playing his own brand of swing jazz. He continued to play as a virtuoso trumpeter in several venues. he made some great recordings with Coleman Hawkins and Benny Carter and also toured with Norman Grantz's Jazz at the Philharmonic on a regular basis and recorded for Norman Grantz. His trumpet playing was stopped by a heart attack in 1980 and Roy Eldridge died on February 26, 1989.

Known as the musical bridge between Louis Armstrong and Dizzy Gillespie, Roy Eldridge was also a hugely important jazz trumpeter in his own right.

Little Jazz Plays Swing

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Morgan James - Live From Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:17
Size: 138,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:58)  1. I Put A Spell On You
(5:54)  2. Little Girl Blue
(6:06)  3. Don't Explain
(3:38)  4. Be My Husband
(4:32)  5. Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
(4:57)  6. My Man's Gone Now
(4:09)  7. Funkier Than A Mosquita's Tweeter
(4:01)  8. My Baby Just Cares For Me
(4:50)  9. Tell Me More And More And Then Some
(6:22) 10. Save Me
(4:11) 11. Trouble In Mind
(5:34) 12. Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out

Morgan James Live from Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola features the up-and-coming Broadway vocalist performing a tribute to legendary jazz singer/pianist Nina Simone. Recorded in July of 2012 at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, which is part of Lincoln Center in New York City, the concert features James backed by a top-notch group of N.Y.C.-based musicians including drummer Clarence Penn, guitarist Doug Wamble, pianist David Cook, saxophonist Don Braden, and others. James is primarily known for her appearances in such Broadway musicals as the revival of Godspell and the original cast of Frank Wildhorn's Wonderland, among others. Here, James turns her crisp yet soulful Juilliard-trained chops toward Simone's sultry jazz and R&B-inflected material. Included are such songs as "I Put a Spell on You," "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood," "My Baby Just Cares for Me," and more. ~ Matt Collar   http://www.allmusic.com/album/morgan-james-live-from-dizzys-club-coca-cola-mw0002443026

Recording information: Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, New York, NY (07/23/2012); Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola (07/23/2012).

Live From Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola

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Kirsti Huke - Deloo

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:02
Size: 112,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:50)  1. Old Country
(4:02)  2. Maria
(4:01)  3. Wish You Were Here
(2:37)  4. Don't Worry 'Bout Me
(5:05)  5. Caravan
(4:49)  6. Everytime We Say Goodbye
(6:08)  7. Not Dark Yet
(5:31)  8. I Will Wait For You
(3:01)  9. My Man's Gone Now
(4:31) 10. Someone To Watch Over Me
(5:22) 11. In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning

Kirsti Huke has become a household name on the Norwegian jazz scene. Her voice has been described as a "honey jar" and a "powerhouse", both apt descriptions of this gifted singer's playful and rooted approach to jazz standards as well as pop and rock songs in a quartet setting. http://www.gubemusic.com/album_9093

Personnel:  STEINAR RAKNES - acoustic bass; ERIK NYLANDER – drums; VIGLEIK STORAAS – piano; KIRSTI HUKE - vocals

Deloo

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Helen Sung - Helenistique

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:00
Size: 129,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:03)  1. H-Town
(4:19)  2. Lover
(6:22)  3. Sweet and Lovely
(7:11)  4. Voyage
(4:56)  5. Willow Weep For Me
(4:40)  6. Where or When
(6:06)  7. Black Narcissus
(5:50)  8. Bye Ya
(3:07)  9. Cottontail
(3:12) 10. Carolina Shout
(4:01) 11. Alphabet Street
(2:08) 12. H*Town [reprise]

The clean, uncluttered sound of the piano trio gets a refreshing workout on Helenistique, Helen Sung's tribute to the jazz standard. For her second recording, Sung works with drummer Lewis Nash and bassist Derrick Hodge. A classically trained pianist, Sung leads her trio well: she solos with authority, intelligence and grit, especially on Rodgers and Hart's "Lover" and above the stuttering rhythms of Thelonious Monk's "Bye Ya," but she knows when to retreat and let Nash and Hodge sparkle. Hodge has played with hip-hop stars like Mos Def and Q-Tip, as well as a host of jazz luminaries, among them Terrence Blanchard, Mulgrew Miller and Clark Terry. His warm bowed solo on Rodgers and Hart's "Where or When" reveals the song's inner melancholy. Nash's hi-hat adds a cushion of subtle rhythm.

The album's strongest feature is the musicians' shared sense of celebration. Not only does the trio's sound project great affection for this music, but the performers demonstrate a ready affinity for each other's contributions. The band churns through Kenny Barron's "Voyage," one of the most harmonically rich numbers on the album. The sound is suffused with a sense of exploration, and each player digs deep during solos. Sung's left hand drives the music as surely as Nash's crisp precision on the snare or Hodge's percolating bass. Joe Henderson's "Black Narcissus" offers some of the album's brightest moments, from Sung's quietly astonishing piano playing to Hodge's searching bass and Nash's kaleidoscopic yet restrained drumming. Sung's chords are lush, her arpeggios and trills feathery. Her ability to corral the tune after her bandmates' brief excursions reveals her poise and flexibility. The album includes one of Sung's own compositions, the funk-infused "H*Town," and Prince's "Alphabet Street." They aren't exactly standards, but they show off the trio's versatility. 

Her solo tribute to James P. Johnson on his "Carolina Shout" bounces with fervor and wholesomeness. Duke Ellington's "Cottontail," Ann Ronell's "Willow Weep For Me," and Arnheim, Tobias and Daniels' "Sweet and Lovely" round out the album. Sung arranged every piece. Sung graduated from the inaugural class at the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance at the New England Conservatory of Music in 1997. Since then, she has played with Terry, Wynton Marsalis and the late Jackie McLean, among others, and toured with Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter. She is a musician of serious promise.     ~ John Fidler   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/helenistique-helen-sung-fresh-sound-new-talent-review-by-john-fidler.php#.U35ZWyioqdk

Personnel: Helen Sung: piano; Derrick Hodge: bass; Lewis Nash: drums.

Helenistique

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Terrence Brewer - Groovin' Wes

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 52:20
Size: 96,1 MB
Art: Front

(7:00)  1. Speak Low
(8:04)  2. Bumpin' on Sunset
(6:23)  3. In Your Own Sweet Way
(5:58)  4. Road Song
(6:33)  5. Bumpin'
(6:58)  6. Here's That Rainy Day
(6:27)  7. Yesterdays
(4:54)  8. Dearly Beloved

A Musical Expression of Admiration for Wes Montgomery

'Lots of guitarists can imitate Wes Montgomery, I wanted to pay tribute to him with my own voice'...Terrence Brewer

Following QuintEssential, his third album for the Strong Brew Music label, San Francisco based jazz guitarist Terrence Brewer pays homage to the man who set the standard for modern jazz guitar Wes Montgomery.

After receiving both regional and national acclaim for his all original albums, The Calling: Volume One and Volume Two (2006) and QuintEssential (2008 - 12 weeks on the JazzWeek album charts peaking at #17), Brewer is set to light up the jazz scene once again with Groovin' Wes, music written and popularized by one of jazz guitar s greatest heroes, Wes Montgomery.

On Groovin' Wes, Brewer is joined by a familiar cast: B3 organist Wil Blades (John Lee Hooker, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Idris Muhammed, Stanton Moore, winner of Downbeat magazines Rising Star poll) and drummer Micah McClain (Red Rodney, David Baker and James Moody). Both Blades and McClain are veterans when it comes to working with Brewer; Blades is featured on The Calling: Volume Two and McClain has held the drum chair on two of Brewer s previous albums, The Calling Volume One and QuintEssential. Recorded by chief engineer Stephen Hart (McCoy Tyner, Oscar Peterson, Joe Pass, Branford Marsalis, Flora and Airto) at the world famous Fantasy Studios in Berkeley California, Groovin Wes will, take you on a journey; rejuvenating the classic Guitar, Organ, Drums trio sound like never before. From burnin up-tempo swing to funky Soul-Jazz backbeats, Groovin Wes is a masterpiece.

A naturally gifted player with a beautiful, warm tone and a melodic penchant, his playing is eminently pleasing... Bill Milkowski, Jazz Times.

Brewer is the recipient of the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, Artist of the Year Award and the winner of San Francisco Weekly s, Best Jazz Artist Award.

Dan King of the San Francisco Chronicle proclaimed, Brewer is, the reason the Bay area jazz scene looks promising. ~ Editorial Reviews  (Amazon.com)

Groovin' Wes

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