The Mike Vax Big Band - Sounds From The Road

Size: 173,4 MB
Time: 74:30
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2009
Styles: Jazz: Big Band
Art: Front

01. Alex's Tune (6:28)
02. Seascape (5:22)
03. La Virgen De La Macarena (6:23)
04. Mr. Natural (5:26)
05. Pennies From Heaven (2:52)
06. I'm Glad There Is You (3:18)
07. On A Slow Boat To China (4:11)
08. Boney (6:07)
09. Baubles, Bangles & Beads (3:19)
10. Autumn In New York (6:26)
11. Variations On A Brazilian Folk Song (7:52)
12. Oblivion (5:07)
13. Malaguena (5:16)
14. All The Things You Are (Bonus Track) (6:17)

The traveling autobus—the road to the road—has frequently been used as a symbolic metaphor in movies, books, commercials and, of course, songs of all kinds. Bus travel seems to have an oddly romantic element. In the halcyon days of the barnstorming big bands, bus and car travel were the only direct ways to get to the gigs. Now that this bit of musical Americana is history, it takes awesome nerve for Mike Vax to briefly resurrect the concept of a bus-touring big band traveling America. And for world-class musicians to sign on to Vax's tour is testimony to the respect he garners from players.

Sounds from the Road has all the excitement (and then some) that one might expect from former Stan Kenton
lead trumpeter Vax and this crew of former Kenton, Maynard Ferguson, Woody Herman and other big band alums. Led by Vax's incredible lead and solo playing, this effort is a tour, alright—a tour de force of superb big band jazz and solo artistry.

Recorded live during the 2008 tour, Sounds from the Road sends up 14 first-class big band selections. As one might expect from a Kentonista, the arrangements are big, brash and full of brass balls. "Alex's Tune" kicks off the CD swinging hard and heavy. Other selections showcase the talents of big band stars such as trumpeters Carl Saunders
(on a beautifully Don Fagerquist-tinged "Autumn in New York") and Steve Huffsteter (who also offers up two terrific arrangements, the Oliver Nelson-esque "Mr. Natural" and trombone showcase, "Boney."). Songbook classics such as "Pennies from Heaven;" Kenton's own wonderfully arranged "I'm Glad There Is You;" the slickly arranged vocal "On a Slow Boat to China;" "All the Things You Are" and "Baubles, Bangles and Beads" are impeccably played with a balance and respect for subtle dynamics and shading. "Malaguena," "Variations on a Brazilian Folk Song" and "La Virgen de la Macarena" add the spicy Latin flair the Stan Kenton band delivered.

The rhythm section here, especially drummer Gary Hobbs, drives the ensemble to the heights of swing. Sadly, this was one of the last recordings by the legendary pianist/composer/arranger Bob Florence
.

Those believing that the epitaph is to be written for big band might reconsider, based on Sounds from the Road. It is testimony not only to the greatness of these wonderful musicians and composer/arrangers, but also the very concept of the jazz big band. Sounds from the Road sounds marvelous. ~Nicholas F. Mondello

Personnel: Kim Richmond: soprano sax, alto sax, flute; Pete Gallio: tenor sax, flute; Alex Murzyn: tenor sax, flute; Keith Kaminski: bari sax, alto sax, flute; Scott Peterson: bari sax; Joel Kaye: bari sax, bass sax, flute; Mike Vax (leader), Dennis Noday, Carl Saunders, Steve Huffsteter, Don Rader, Dan Fava: trumpet and flugelhorn; Roy Wiegand, Dale DeVoe, Scott Whitfield, Curtis Fox: trombone; Kenny Shroyer: bass trombone; Mike Suter: bass trombone, tuba; Bob Florence, Bob Kafka: piano; Chris Symer: bass; Gary Hobbs: drums; Dee Huffsteter: Latin percussion; Scott Whitfield, Ginger Berglund: vocals.

Sounds From The Road

---

Lena Mentschel - In My Little Garden

Size: 96,8 MB
Time: 40:52
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. In My Little Garden (3:46)
02. Back Down (4:03)
03. 28 (3:53)
04. Glow In The Dark (3:43)
05. Tattoo #5 (4:29)
06. We're So Bold (3:34)
07. It Takes Time (4:09)
08. Some Things (3:13)
09. F. Sanity (4:13)
10. Closing Time (3:45)
11. Home (...With You) (1:59)

Line-up:
Lena Mentschel – Gesang
Chris Neuschmid – Gitarre
Michael Lagger – Klavier
Philipp Kopmajer – Drums
Valentin Czihak – Kontrabass

„In My little Garden is Lena Mentschels third and definitely most personal album-release. Eleven auto-biographic compositions give the listener a glimpse into the dreamy little soul-garden of a young woman, caught up in between rock’n'roll, fancy lemon butter cream cakes, total anarchy and freehold property.

Behind the thick walls of the maze which was carefully built around this garden, you can find some humorous short-stories – which of course speak about love in all its daft variations. But also, they speak about issues of a generation, that appears to be a bit lost in the chaotic „anything you want can be yours at anytime“ – century – where self-fullfillment plays such an important role, that people are on the edge of almost forgetting their own names. Love becomes a mystery, a fairytale from long gone ancient times. We fall in love, fall into despair, build mazes around our hearts and in the end we don‘t even manage to find our way back in.

And the first wrinkles show up around the anxoiusly happiness-seeking eyes – yet wisdom hasn‘t arrived yet. But then, quite unexpectedly, you become aware of the fact that everything is just a try. And well worth it, since nobody knows, what all of this is really about anyway. So here we go again, posting buddhist quotes and just move on…

On the record, various musical styles meet and seem to get along quite well – not even slightly worried about the Jazz / Pop – issue. A fantastic band (Michael Lagger (piano), Philipp Kopmajer (drums), Valentin Czihak (bass), Chris Neuschmid (guitars)) and a heart-warming singer create a unique sound, that every now and then tastes a bit like red wine and dark chocolate – one minute, you can feel a blue late summer melancholy – but then one minute later you’re already cruising down the west-coast in a convertible, drinking champagne.

In My Little Garden

---

Rhoda Scott - Alone

Size: 120,8 MB
Time: 51:08
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1997
Styles: Soul Jazz
Art: Front

01. Alone (5:19)
02. Reminiscence (6:18)
03. Soliloquy (Live) (3:23)
04. Bad Mattie (4:47)
05. All Clear (5:37)
06. Oh Lonesome Me (5:03)
07. This Year (4:28)
08. Stardance (4:47)
09. Motor Pool (5:19)
10. Barcarolle (4:04)
11. Epilogue (1:58)

The number of jazz musicians having adopted the organ are rather few in number, compared to other instruments used in jazz:: Fats Waller, Jimmy Smith, Bill Doggett, "Wild" Bill Davis, Lou Bennet, Jimmy McGriff, and naturally Rhoda Scott.
The latter achieves an original synthesis in her productions and in her music and she allows herself with grace and joy to combine themes which are typically jazz, other religious, but also themes from classical music played in jazz.
A minister's daughter, brought up in the classical music tradition, and having attended Manhattan School of Music in New York, surrounded by traditional Afro-American music, how could it be otherwise?
This is wat she demonstrates in her music. Thus it is not surprising to discover, other than her original compositions, wel-known jazz tunes, classical music themes or French airs at the same time as certain Gospels or Negro Spirituals.
All of this comes from the essence of her personality and the unique characteristics of the Hammond organ, so original on the level of jazz music.

Alone

---

Ranee Lee - What's Goin' On

Size: 125,6 MB
Time: 53:59
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. What's Goin' On (7:13)
02. Echos Of The Heart (4:11)
03. Where Do You Start (7:27)
04. I Mean You (3:51)
05. It Will Be What It Will Be (5:13)
06. Lazy Afternoon (6:09)
07. Silent Tears (5:55)
08. White Gardenia (4:22)
09. One Love (4:08)
10. Song For You (5:25)

'What's Going On' is Ranee Lee's 12th recording for the Justin Time label. Along with several original tunes, the Juno Award winning Jazz vocalist tackles a varied repertoire. As well as paying homage to her Jamaican heritage with a solid rendering of Bob Marley's One Love, the album is also at times moody and reflective, her breathtaking version of Leon Russell's A Song For You features the Birds On A Wire String Quartet which adds a whole new dimension to the song, and there's the Bergman/Mandel classic Where Do You Start, or the title track, Marvin Gaye's stunning What's Going On. But it also swings, check out the self-penned It Will Be What It Will Be and Echoes Of The Heart. A truly beautiful recording (and beautifully recorded!).

What's Goin' On

---

The Joe Gilman Trio - View So Tender: Wonder Revisited Volume 1

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 61:05
Size: 139.8 MB
Styles: Piano jazz, Contemporary jazz
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[8:15] 1. I Wish
[6:15] 2. Don't You Worry 'bout A Thing
[7:32] 3. Smile Please
[6:49] 4. That Girl
[6:33] 5. Sir Duke
[7:04] 6. Taboo
[5:21] 7. Send One Your Love
[6:39] 8. Love Light In Flight
[6:31] 9. Go Home

Joe Gilman's recording of the music of Stevie Wonder is not a tribute, but a reassembling of the music into vehicles for improvisation. His approach is fresh and his ideas delve into the possibilities of the art form we respectfully call jazz. Wonder's music contains beautiful melodies, adaptable harmonies, flexible forms and longevity. This is volume one of two releases of the recordings made of Stevie's music by this great trio.

View So Tender: Wonder Revisited Volume 1

---

Hetty Kate - Dim All The Lights

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 40:02
Size: 91.7 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[5:26] 1. The Thrill Is Gone
[6:13] 2. In The Still Of The Night
[4:24] 3. Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered
[3:42] 4. Answer Me, My Love
[3:32] 5. Why Don't You Do Right
[4:58] 6. Cry Me A River
[5:22] 7. Something Cool
[2:54] 8. Wives And Lovers
[3:27] 9. I Get Along Without You Very Well

An intimate recording showcasing the 1950s songs of Peggy Lee, June Christy and Julie London, Dim All The Lights is Hetty Kate’s debut album.

Favourites from the Great American Songbook, including Cry Me A River and I Get Along Without You Very Well, are brought to life by Hetty’s seductive vocals and a select band of Melbourne’s finest jazz musicians. Produced by Mal Stanley, this classic collection is a tribute to the great singers of the past, from one of the most exciting young singers of today.

Hetty Kate vocals; Sam Keevers piano; Ben Robertson bass; James Sherlock guitar; Danny Farrugia drums

Dim All The Lights

---

Chico Hamilton Quintet - Featuring Buddy Collette

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 43:37

Size: 99.9 MB

Styles: West Coast jazz

Year: 1955/2011

Art: Front

[2:14] 1. I Want To Be Happy

[5:20] 2. Spectacular

[5:07] 3. Free Form

[6:17] 4. Walking Carson Blues

[5:20] 5. Buddie Boo

[2:51] 6. A Nice Day

[4:15] 7. My Funny Valentine

[6:29] 8. Blue Sands

[3:31] 9. The Sage

[2:07] 10. The Morning After

The first thing the Chico Hamilton Quintet had going for it was unusual instrumentation. The quintet built its sound around the cello, and featured guitar, bass, either flute or clarinet (with the occasional sax), and Hamilton on drums, forgoing the sticks for brushes or mallets. The second thing was a style that wasn't quite jazz, exactly, but not as composed as classical (and definitely not as boring as third stream.) Many called it chamber jazz, an apt title for a group that applied counterpoint and melody to a lightly swinging beat. And the compositions from the group were abstract, modern works unlike what anyone else quite had in mind.

For a while, apart from a long-gone Mosaic set, the Quintet's music was pretty difficult to find. However, lately several import labels have put out compilations of their albums in various arrangements. Unfortunately it's still difficult to pick up the entire body of work from this masterful group without duplicating any sessions; some have these, some have those.

The Chico Hamilton Quintet Featuring Buddy Collette and The Chico Hamilton Quintet in Hi-Fi feature the original group with Carson Smith on bass, Fred Katz on cello, Jim Hall on guitar (in his first ever jazz group) and Collette on flute, clarinet, and sax.

This album has some of the best music the West Coast had to offer in the 1950s. The first half of the first album features lively originals that make use of the lightweight sound of the quintet; "A Nice Day" pretty much says it all in the title, a lively reworking of the "Miss Jones" changes. "The Morning After" is an energetic and insanely catchy little melody. In what would soon be a trademark approach to standards, "My Funny Valentine" is given a drastic reworking with Katz holding down the melody; "Blue Sands" channels the Middle East through mallets and flutes. The second half is a live set from Stroller's that focuses on more standard fare. But from early on Hamilton had assembled a group of sympathetic musicians who were willing to rewrite what a jazz group could be. ~David Rickert

Featuring Buddy Collette 

---

Gino Vannelli - The Millennium Collection

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 48:20
Size: 110.7 MB
Styles: Pop-Rock, Adult Contemporary
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[3:24] 1. Fly Into This Night
[3:37] 2. I Just Wanna Stop
[4:21] 3. Living Inside Myself
[4:43] 4. Appaloosa
[3:48] 5. The River Must Flow
[2:50] 6. Crazy Life
[4:18] 7. One Night With You
[4:13] 8. Wheels Of Life
[4:30] 9. Love Of My Life
[3:06] 10. Mama Coco
[3:17] 11. People Gotta Move
[6:08] 12. Powerful People

20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Gino Vanelli collects a dozen of his soft rock and pop hits from the late '70s and early '80s, including "People Gotta Move," "I Just Wanna Stop," "Living Inside Myself," and "Powerful People." The compilation does a good job of presenting the different sides to Vanelli's sound, from the slick, slightly jazzy sound of his biggest hits to soft, romantic ballads like "Wheels of Life" to the somewhat awkward funk edge on tracks such as "Appaloosa" and "Mama Coco." Overall, this collection provides a more complete look at Vanelli's output from this era than The Best of Gino Vanelli, though it's not quite as comprehensive as The Ultimate Collection, which also includes some fun singles from a few years later, like "Black Cars." Still, if it's just the soft rock hits that you're after, 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Gino Vanelli gets the job done. ~Heather Phares

The Millennium Collection

---

Ike Quebec - Heavy Soul

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:50
Size: 113,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:38)  1. Acquitted
(5:50)  2. Just One More Chance
(4:29)  3. Que's Dilemma
(5:28)  4. Brother Can You Spare a Dime
(6:31)  5. The Man I Love
(6:51)  6. Heavy Soul
(5:22)  7. I Want a Little Girl
(2:44)  8. Nature Boy
(5:54)  9. Blues for Ike

Thick-toned tenor Ike Quebec is in excellent form on this CD reissue of a 1961 Blue Note date. His ballad statements are quite warm, and he swings nicely on a variety of medium-tempo material. Unfortunately, organist Freddie Roach has a rather dated sound, which weakens this session a bit; bassist Milt Hinton and drummer Al Harewood are typically fine in support. Originals alternate with standards, with "Just One More Chance," "The Man I Love," and "Nature Boy" (the latter an emotional tenor-bass duet) being among the highlights. ~ Scott Yanow   http://www.allmusic.com/album/heavy-soul-mw0000126670

Heavy Soul

---

Brian Charette - Learning To Count

Styles: Jazz, Post-Bop
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:38
Size: 157,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:04)  1. Air On A Sunny String
(7:19)  2. Hungarian Bolero
(7:40)  3. Juju
(6:29)  4. Lawrence Of Detroit
(8:56)  5. Milestones
(4:44)  6. Partita Boy
(6:29)  7. Flippin' The Bird
(8:16)  8. Two Slightly Different Indian Scales
(5:26)  9. Good Tipper
(4:39) 10. Empty Pages
(3:30) 11. Learning To Count

Hammond organist Brian Charette has a light touch compared to many of the jazz giants who played the instrument, yet one of the benefits is that he has developed a sound that is distinctively his own. For this studio session, Charette is joined by rising alto saxophonist Mike DiRubbo and drummer Jochen Ruckert, focusing mostly on his originals. The peppy "Air on a Sunny String" is a pulsing opener, displaying the leader's light touch in his breezy solo. "Hungarian Bolero" has an ominous, brooding air, with Ruckert's sensitive percussion providing the perfect backdrop. "Flippin' the Bird" is an easygoing bop vehicle, while "Learning to Count" is a blistering workout for the trio with DiRubbo's vigorous solo powered by Charette and Ruckert. The organist's buoyant midtempo setting of Wayne Shorter's "Juju" and his breezy, lighthearted take of John Lewis' "Milestones" bring new life to these venerable jazz favorites. The only lackluster track is Charette's interpretation of rocker Steve Winwood's "Empty Pages," a dated, repetitious number that resists the best efforts of the leader and DiRubbo to inject some life into it. ~ Ken Dryden   http://www.allmusic.com/album/learning-to-count-mw0002122525

Personnel: Brian Charette (Hammond b-3 organ); Mike DiRubbo (alto saxophone); Jochen Ruckert (drums).

Learning To Count

---