Chris Connor - Try A Little Tenderness

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 44:07
Size: 101.0 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[3:01] 1. Try A Little Tenderness
[2:56] 2. All About Ronnie
[2:30] 3. How Long Has This Been Going On
[4:12] 4. Ridin' High
[2:14] 5. Everything I Love
[2:17] 6. I Hear Music
[2:52] 7. Spring Is Here
[2:24] 8. Stella By Starlight
[1:48] 9. All Dressed Up With A Broken Heart
[2:21] 10. Lullaby Of Birdland
[2:17] 11. Gone With The Wind
[2:26] 12. It's All Right With Me
[3:40] 13. Angel Eyes
[3:09] 14. Suddenly It's Spring
[3:04] 15. In Other Words
[2:48] 16. You Make Me Feel So Young

Along with June Christy, Helen O'Connell, and Julie London, Chris Connor epitomized cool jazz singing in the 1950s. Influenced by Anita O'Day, the torchy, smoky singer wasn't one for aggression. Like Chet Baker on the trumpet or Paul Desmond and Lee Konitz on alto sax, she used subtlety and restraint to their maximum advantage. At the University of Missouri, Connor (who had studied clarinet at an early age) sang with a Stan Kentonish big band led by trombonist Bob Brookmeyer before leaving her native Kansas City for New York in 1947. Quite appropriately, she was featured in the lyrical pianist Claude Thornhill's orchestra in the early '50s. After leaving Thornhill, Connor was hired by Kenton at Christy's recommendation, and her ten-month association with him in 1952-1953 resulted in the hit "All About Ronnie." Connor debuted as a solo artist in 1953, recording three albums for Bethlehem before moving to Atlantic in 1955 and recording 12. Connor reached the height of her popularity in the 1950s, when she delivered her celebrated versions of Billy Strayhorn's "Lush Life" and George Shearing's "Lullaby of Broadway," and recorded such excellent albums as The Rich Sound of Chris Connor and Lullabies of Birdland for Bethlehem and Chris Craft and Ballads of the Sad Cafe for Atlantic. Connor made a poor career move in 1962, the year she left Atlantic and signed with a label her manager was starting, FM Records -- Connor had recorded only two albums for FM when they folded. Connor's recording career was rejuvenated in the 1970s, and she went on to record for Progressive, Stash, and Contemporary in the '70s and '80s. Connor maintained a devoted following in the 1990s and continued to tour internationally. ~bio by Alex Henderson

Try A Little Tenderness

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Pepper Adams - The Complete Regent Sessions

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 59:53
Size: 137.1 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[ 9:32] 1. Watkins Production
[ 8:18] 2. Stop
[ 9:09] 3. Redd's Head
[10:13] 4. Bloos, Bloos, Blues
[ 7:21] 5. Seein' Red
[ 7:33] 6. Like... What Is This
[ 7:45] 7. Skippy

A companion release to Hollywood Quintet Sessions, The Complete Regent Sessions (including tracks from the LPs Art Pepper/Sonny Redd, Jazz Is Busting Out All Over, and The Cool Sound of Pepper Adams), also from 1957, features emerging baritone saxophone star Pepper Adams in a series of lengthy jazz jams, unlike the shorter and compact studio recordings he did with West Coast musicians. These two East Coast dates done during the early winter in Hackensack, NJ, at Rudy Van Gelder's house studio feature Adams' running mates who matriculated from Detroit to New York City with him, including Doug Watkins (who was also on the Hollywood tracks), Elvin Jones on all selections, Hank Jones, and Bernard McKinney. These long-winded originals loaded with extraordinary solos mark yet another progression for Adams -- that of a keen improviser the likes of which jazz had rarely heard on his instrument short of Harry Carney, Serge Chaloff, and peer Gerry Mulligan. The first three tracks team Adams with the tart sweet and sour alto saxophonist Sonny Red, offering an interesting contrast to the warmer, dulcet low-end sounds of the bari. Two calypso or Latin swing tunes kick things off -- "Watkins Production," where you clearly hear the impressive solo chops of the principals, and the obscure Fats Navarro number "Stop," sped up and rushed by an atypically anxious Elvin Jones. "Redd's Head" is bop at its best, a hard-driving swinger with a distinctive melody and choppy lead-in to solos that hint at rhythm & blues. Of the remaining five selections, Adams and McKinney emphasize exclusively underground timbres on the opposite ends of the audio spectrum. Stealthy, sneaky, low-down detective music is extracted on "Bloos, Blooze, Blues," and McKinney's variation of "What Is This Thing Called Love?," retitled "Like...What Is This?," reharmonizes the famous standard in a cunning, circular, and hot adaptation. A Barry Harris composition, "Seein' Red," might be a reference to Sonny Red in its ribald and hard bop construct, but cools to a slow simmer, while "Skippy," from the pen of Adams, seems easy as pie and simple for these masters. Bassist George Duvivier contributes a fabulous bouncy and solid solo on "Skippy," and credit must given to the brilliant pianists -- Wynton Kelly on the cuts with Sonny Red, and Hank Jones with homeboys Adams, McKinney, and Elvin Jones. These definitive dates, as well as the Bethlehem label document Motor City Scene with Donald Byrd and Jazzmen Detroit, the earlier Savoy recording led by Kenny Burrell, all belong in the collection of any fan and admirer of Park Pepper Adams III. ~Michael G. Nastos

The Complete Regent Sessions

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Vinícius De Moraes - Pure Bossa Nova

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 47:16
Size: 108.2 MB
Styles: Bossa Nova, Brazilian jazz vocals
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[4:04] 1. Minha Namorada
[1:48] 2. Chega De Saudade (With Caetano Veloso)
[3:26] 3. Canto De Ossanha (With Elis Regina)
[2:48] 4. Agua De Beber (With Antonio Carlos Jobim)
[3:57] 5. Insensatez (With Sylvia Telles)
[3:19] 6. Sabe Você (With Os Cariocas)
[2:52] 7. Samba Da Volta
[3:31] 8. Samba Em Preludio (With Odette Lara)
[2:36] 9. Samba De Orly (Samba De Fiumicino) (With Toquinho)
[3:10] 10. Pra Que Chorar (With Alcione)
[2:33] 11. Ela É Carioca (With Os Cariocas)
[3:38] 12. Se Todos Fossem Iguais Á Você (With Agostinho Dos Santos)
[6:48] 13. Samba Da Benção
[2:38] 14. Carta Ao Tom 74 (With Toquinto)

Verve Records has been releasing their reasonably-priced Pure Bossa Nova series through the years, but the 50th anniversary of the bossa nova style in 2008 saw the reissue of many of the compilations, as well as some new entries. This excellent collection is based around the lyrical talents of Vinicius De Moraes, one of the main co-writers of the bossa movement, and features recordings of slinky sambas by the best singers of the era. Jazz and pop fans will enjoy the fiery emoting of Elis Regina, the smooth stylings of Toquinho, the uber-cool of Caetano Veloso, and others.

Pure Bossa Nova

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Kevin Mahogany - Big Band

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 51:05
Size: 117.0 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[4:34] 1. Moonlight In Vermont
[4:26] 2. It Don't Mean A Thing
[7:04] 3. Centerpiece
[4:42] 4. In The Evening
[6:53] 5. One For My Baby
[7:14] 6. Three Little Words
[4:36] 7. Dear Ruby
[3:22] 8. There Will Never Be Another You
[4:31] 9. It's Alright With Me
[3:37] 10. Don't Get Around Much Anymore

Kevin Mahogany, the Kansas City cyclone, would sound terrific singing in the shower or standing on his head. The presence of a big band (actually four) on nine of the ten selections on his newest album is merely icing on the cake. No, this isn't actually "the Kevin Mahogany Big Band, but the four bands represented here will do quite nicely, thank you..

Mahogany is blessed with a voice that is instantly seductive—smooth as butter, sweet as honey and deep as a freshly dug well. When he sings "There Will Never Be Another You, the "you to whom the avowal is aimed is quite likely swooning with rapture. There's an occasional nod to the great Joe Williams, as on "In the Evening, but for the most part Mahogany sounds like no one but himself, which is, to borrow Cole Porter's phrase from track nine, "All Right with Me.

The ensemble on the first six numbers is led by Mahogany's good friend, the late composer/pianist Frank Mantooth, who arranged everything save Ellington's "It Don't Mean a Thing (scored by Matt Harris). Track seven features a band led by drummer T.S. Monk (in an arrangement by Don Sickler), track eight the Kansas City Boulevard Big Band, track nine the Big City Swing Jazz Band, on which Mahogany shares the Porter lyric with Veronica Martell. The finale, Ellington's "Don't Get Around Much Anymore, the only non-big band track, is a charming duet with the late pianist James Williams.

A couple of minor points—"Three Little Words isn't the Harry Ruby/Bert Kalmar standard but an original composition by Mahogany and Paul Hofmann, while "Dear Ruby is of course Monk's "Ruby, My Dear (lyric by Sally Swisher). Roy Hargrove delivers a tasteful flugel solo on that showpiece, and there are a number of meaty statements elsewhere, notably by tenors Scott Robinson, Pete Christlieb and Pat LaBarbera; trumpeters Bobby Shew and Danny Barber, pianist Ramsey Lewis, alto Kim Park and trombonist Paul McKee (Mantooth Orchestra), alto Craig Treinen (KC Boulevard Band), alto Jon Gordon and tenor Bob Sheppard (Big City Swing Band).

But it is Mahogany whose persuasive magnetism overshadows the enterprise and makes every aspect rewarding. Talent like his doesn't arrive often, and if it weren't for his love of jazz (I hesitate to say this, as I wouldn't want to give him any ideas), Mahogany could probably make it big as a pop singer. From what I've heard, there aren't many who could hang with him. For now, let's be happy he has chosen jazz, and chosen to sing with big bands, where his rich voice and easygoing manner seem perfectly at home.

Kevin Mahogany: vocals. With the Frank Mantooth Jazz Orchestra (1-6); T.S. Monk (7); the Kansas City Boulevard Big Band (track 8); the Big City Swing Jazz Band (9); James Williams: piano (10).

Big Band

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Malene Mortensen - You Go to My Head

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:33
Size: 128,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:09)  1. Your Love Is Digital
(4:29)  2. My Shining Hour
(5:10)  3. Ambiguous Blues
(5:00) 4. 209 Words to Bridge the Gap Between Perception and Reality
(5:29)  5. Tell Him You Got a Hidden Tattoo
(7:04)  6. The Constant Companion
(5:50)  7. Misty
(5:13)  8. Thinner Than a Shell
(5:30)  9. You Go to My Head
(6:35) 10. No Halo

Malene Mortensen is ready to release her sixth album, “You Go To My Head”, at the age of only 29 years – an impressive activity for the young talent. With considerable studio and live experience, she has decided to take matters into her own hands on the recording sessions for the new album. Without help from any outside producers, guest musicians or such the album has been made as a continuation of the inspiring collaboration with her live band throughout many concerts. Malene’s new album “You Go To My Head” contains a wonderful mixture of jazz standards, which are close to her heart, such as “Misty” by Erroll Garner, “My Shining Hour” by Harold Arlen and the title track “You Go To My Head” by J. Fred Coots. In addition to these, Malene has written seven original compositions in collaboration with Carl Mörner Ringström, who is the guitarist in the band and also Malene’s co-producer on the production. 

“I’m so happy with the dream band I’ve recorded with. The process of practicing leading up to the days in the studio has been the best experience in making an album so far; intense, creative and with lots of involvement from the musicians”. Over the recent years Malene Mortensen and her band have been playing more than 150 concerts in Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Germany, England, France, Poland and not least in Asia. It’s been a passionate and growing cooperation that has been the inspiration for this second self-produced release. You’ll notice how Malene and her band come together in perfect harmony as a result of the close relationship that has developed during touring. Malene’s expression has taken a turn from standard acoustic jazz, known from her first four releases, towards a more electric sound, which you’ll hear on “Agony & Ecstasy”. “You Go To My Head” contains a perfect blend of standards in surprising new arrangements mixed with Malene’s original tracks and it shows a fresh and updated sound of 2012!   http://calibrated.org/portfolio/malene-mortensen-2/

You Go to My Head

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Maggie Herron - Listen

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:50
Size: 82,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:19)  1. I'll Be There for You Baby
(3:40)  2. There Is Love
(2:48)  3. Give It What You Can
(4:23)  4. If I Had You Beside Me
(3:43)  5. Thinking Of You
(3:37)  6. Listen
(4:09)  7. Who Becomes The Stranger?
(3:53)  8. When It's Dark And Light?
(3:18)  9. Why Did You Leave Me?
(2:55) 10. Where Does It Go?

Maggie is the 9th of 12 children. Her parents, Martha and Ed Herron raised their children in Muskegon, Mi. where they owned and operated a grocery store. All of the kids worked shifts at the store stocking shelves, cleaning and running the cash register. Home was filled with siblings practicing on musical instruments, listening to Sinatra, pop and rock of the 50's and 60's while Maggie immersed herself in classical music. Her mother and oldest sister Mary mentored her in study that started with private lessons when she was 6 years old. By the age of 10 she was the church organist and vocalist. As a teenager she won first place honors to perform Beethoven's 2nd piano concerto with the Muskegon symphony orchestra and soon after won a scholarship to the summer music program at Interlochen. Maggie was in the top five finalists there for the piano concerto competition. Throughout High shcool she acted in school dramas and musicals and performed semi annual recitals from a classical piano and voice repertoire. 

She performed in Seattle from 72‘-76‘ at the Camlin hotel, The Sorrento Hotel, University Towers and other local venues. She was a soloist during that time playing the piano and singing a wide repertoire of music. While there, she met and became the featured guest in concerts by George Winston and Scot Cossu of the Windham Hill label. In 1976 she moved to the Big Island from Seattle and was offered a steady performing engagement. Over the next decade she won the Hawaii Homegrown contest for best song and performance out of 300 entries. She opened concerts for Dave Brubeck, Richie Havens, Taj Mahal, Olomana, and The Jazz Crusaders, and produced 2 albums of her music and countless demos while performing locally several nights a week. As a keyboardist and vocalist with both Cecelio and Kapono in club and concert venues she worked with 4 and 5 piece groups as lead singer for 3 years in Honolulu at Shelby’s and Nick’s Fishmarket. 

Maggie left for California in 1987 where she was active as a song writer and recording artist for 3 years, opening concerts for Phoebe Snow and Michael Franks, she was also the president of the Santa Barbara Song Writer’s Guild for 2 years. She performed in Santa Barbara, Ventura and Westlake, as well as a long engagement in L.A. at the Hyatt on Sunset Blvd. with special engagements at At My Place and was hired by MGM to write and perform songs for the film, Spellbinder. Being a lover of nature and quiet surroundings she returned home to Hawaii in 1990, chosing to live on Lanai where she was the principle musician for 12 years at Manele Bay Hotel. For 3 years she hosted a jazz show as "Radio Maggie" for a local Hawaii station which featured jazz of all eras with commentary from Maggie. Maggie now lives in Honolulu and performs in the Lewers Lounge every Tues.-Sat. nights. ~ Bio   http://www.maggieherron.com/new/index.html

Listen

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Geraldo Beckett - The Messenger

Styles: Flute Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:45
Size: 130,3 MB
Art: Front

(1:14)  1. The Messenger
(5:20)  2. Anticlimax
(5:16)  3. Little Brown House
(7:30)  4. Idle Moments
(5:57)  5. Lupe's Ride
(4:54)  6. Bittersweet
(5:23)  7. Sunset Place
(5:07)  8. Mr Softee
(5:15)  9. Tempus Fugit
(4:42) 10. Sularin's Dogma
(5:08) 11. Searching The Unknown
(0:52) 12. The Messenger (Reprise)

Flautist Gerald, born in Beaumont, Texas, started playing alto saxophone at the age of 11. As a freshman at the University of North Texas in Denton, Texas he switched to playing the flute. During his years as an undergraduate at UNT he played with various local bands. Mindful of how unpredictable making a living as a musician could be, he studied business and received his BBA in Administrative Management. It wasn't until moving to San Francisco in 1985 that he began immersing himself in the jazz scene. He started listening to various flutists, from Eric Dolphy, Frank Wess, Herbie Mann, Hubert Laws, to Dave Valentin, Paul Horn, and others. He spent 8 years studying flute at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music under Yada Weber, giving recitals of works by Mozart, Telemann, Gluck, and Ernest Bloch. 

He also studied with classical flutist Esther Landau. He enjoys featuring the flute on songs that have not been over played and takes every opportunity to showcase the many facets of the instrument and it's uniqueness to the jazz genre. He has conducted Jazz Flute Mastersclasses in San Francisco, Marseille, and Paris. Gerald has played in several venues in San Francisco either as a leader or as a sideman, such as, Rassales Jazz Club, Sheba's Lounge, Anna's Jazz Island, San Francisco State University, The Fillmore Jazz Festival, The Showroom, The Elbo Room, OZ lounge, 57th Street Gallery, and Yoshi's Lounge. In New York at Temple M and The Bass Line.  In France Eaubonne Jazz festival (Eaubonne), Gebelin Musique Store (Marseille), Caminito (Paris), and Swan Bar (Paris). ~ Bio   http://www.geraldbeckett.com/bio.html

Personnel: Gerald Beckett (flute, alto flute, bass flute, piccolo); Gary Zellerbach (guitar, acoustic guitar); Ruben Salcido (alto saxophone); Steve Heckman (tenor saxophone); Steve McQuarry (piano); Greg Germann (drums); Bill Keaney (percussion).

The Messenger

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Jazz Soul Seven - Impressions of Curtis Mayfield

Styles: Soul Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:57
Size: 171,1 MB
Art: Front

(6:22)  1. Freddie's Dead
(5:40)  2. It's All Right
(7:52)  3. Move On Up
(4:32)  4. We're A Winner
(8:25)  5. Superfly
(6:13)  6. Beautiful Brother Of Mine
(6:47)  7. Check Out Your Mind
(7:01)  8. I'm So Proud
(6:47)  9. Keep On Pushing
(4:29) 10. People Get Ready
(5:15) 11. Gypsy Woman
(4:29) 12. Amen

Paying homage to one of the most influential and important artists in the past century, the Jazz Soul Seven collective tips its hat to Curtis Mayfield on Impressions of Curtis Mayfield, an instrumental re-imagining of twelve of the R&B, funk and soul singer's most popular compositions. A voice of African-American pride, Mayfield was a socially-conscious artist who led The Impressions, delivering political musical statement during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Author of many funk and soul compositions during that decade and the one that followeed, Mayfield may be best associated with the soundtrack to the groundbreaking Superfly (1972), its main theme reprised here behind energizing performances from drummer Terri Lyne Carrington, trumpeter Wallace Roney and guitarist Phil Upchurch.

The group borrows two more songs from the hit Superfly (Rhino, 1972) album, opening the tribute with a hard-charging version of "Freddie's Dead," featuring versatile saxophonist Ernie Watts blowing strong and funky. With a terrific bass line introduction from Bob Hurst, "Check Out Your Mind" is the other Superfly track, highlighting pianist extraordinaire Russell Ferrante and the prowess of recently deceased percussionist master Henry Gibson Jr. Reprising his role on the original recording, Henry's mid-song conga break on "Move On Up" is one of the features of this version, along with solos from Roney, Upchurch and Watts. The classic "It's All Right" is always a joy to hear, but this jazzed-up rendition is particularly sweet, offering Wes Montgomery ike riffs from Upchurch setting the rhythm, while the group's horns set the chart a blaze on the rambunctious "People Get Ready," a piece often reprises by R&B and gospel artists. From his sophomore solo album Roots (Rhino, 1971), recorded when he was 29 years old, "Beautiful Brother of Mine" is one of those social pieces penned by Mayfield specifically for the African-American community. In the same keeping, "I'm So Proud" is a gently reflective number, led by Watts and Roney with inspirational performances. The group's soulful flair comes out splendidly on "Keep On Pushing," but is truly expressive on the defining "Gypsy Woman," the song that put Mayfield on the map when he performed it with The Impressions more than fifty years ago.

The Jazz Soul Seven does it real justice on this album as it turns out to be one of the best moments of this disc. Speaking of soul, the album ends with The Impressions' 1964 chart topper "Amen," propelled by Roney's muted horn expressions capping off one soulful tribute to a giant of the R&B and soul genres. Mayfield was a songwriter whose music carried a social message above all else. It is indeed appropriate that the all-stars who comprise the Jazz Soul Seven express his message of freedom and justice so eloquently on Impressions of Curtis Mayfield, using the once revolutionary and liberating musical medium of jazz to document this well-deserved tribute. ~ Edward Blanco   http://www.allaboutjazz.com/impressions-of-curtis-mayfield-jazz-soul-seven-bfm-review-by-edward-blanco.php#.U4dfJSioqdk

Personnel: Terri Lyne Carrington: drums; Russ Ferrante: piano; Master Henry Gibson: percussion; Bob Hurst: bass; Wallace Roney: trumpet; Phil Upchurch: guitar; Ernie Watts: saxophone.

Impressions of Curtis Mayfield

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