Leny Andrade - Embraceable You

Size: 121,3 MB
Time: 51:41
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1993
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Brazilian Jazz
Art: Full

01. Misty (6:06)
02. Autumn Leaves (3:43)
03. The Man I Love (5:44)
04. Night And Day (3:30)
05. Embraceable You (4:06)
06. Stella By Starlight (4:06)
07. Body And Soul (5:41)
08. Satin Doll (4:57)
09. Watch What Happens (3:28)
10. Just In Time (2:33)
11. The Shadow Of Your Smile (4:35)
12. 'S Wonderful (3:06)

Born in Rio de Janeiro, the Brazilian singer Leny Andrade has toured the world and won countless accolades. At the age of nine, only three years after beginning to play the piano, Andrade won a scholarship to the Brazilian Conservatory of Music in Rio. At the age of eleven, she was invited to sing in a children's program at Radio Tupi, where she performed weekly for two years. At fifteen, she had her first professional gig as a singer with the orchestra of Maestro Perminio Goncalves.

From then on, Andrade performed almost constantly, both with groups and solo. While she was still underaged, she performed in two of the hippest clubs of the era: Bottles Bar and Bacara Club with the Sergio Mendes Trio. In the late 1950's, Andrade was already a well-established performer, and the Bossa Nova surge of the time launched her recording career and won her international recognition.

Andrade has starred in many musicals, such as Rio, Bossa, and Balanco and Gemini 5 in Rio and in Mexico City, and after Gemini 5''s run ended, she stayed in Mexico for five years, performing in clubs and on television and becoming one of the most popular artists in all of Mexico.

Back in Brazil, Andrade assumed her position as a "musician's singer," based on her incredible ability to improvise and her flair at scat singing. She toured all over Latin America while recording many albums and appearing in musical theater and on television.

Andrade has invited to perform in jazz festivals all over the world; she has been featured in festivals from Sweden to Spain and almost everywhere in between. Jazzman Paquito D'Rivera even composed a song inspired by her, "For Leny," which was included on his album Manhattan Burn.

The New York Times describes her: "like Sarah Vaughan, Andrade has a large, rich voice that becomes a mighty baritone when she dips into her lower register ... she possesses a lusty, free-flowing passion that packs every phrase with an earthy sensuality." Leny Andrade's Chesky Records release, her first American recording, Maiden Voyage (JD113) has been lauded as "an elegant, sophisticated voyage into high-voltage jazz which will leave you breathless."

During the recording session for Maiden Voyage, Andrade leaned forward in her chair and pronounced slowly, "I pay the price of every word I sing." Throughout a career which has spanned almost half a century, that has certainly been true. Now, Chesky Records proudly introduces to the US this intense first lady of Brazilian jazz, Leny Andrade.

Embraceable You

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Lucyan Group - Orient-Jazz

Size: 135,7 MB
Time: 58:19
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Jazz, World, Fusion
Art: Front

01. Shakti (3:51)
02. Morning Gymnastics (4:03)
03. Dominika-San (3:56)
04. Kirtan Raga (5:38)
05. Kalidesh (5:38)
06. Flight Of The Camel (4:17)
07. Tamil Song (6:03)
08. Oriental Swing (5:23)
09. Japanese Song (5:15)
10. Song Of Rocks (7:53)
11. Indian Song (6:16)

"The Lucyan Group" it is the name of a Polish musical group, founded by Polish multi-instrumentalist and composer Lucjan Weso?owski (performing under the artistic pseudonym “Lucyan). The group has been founded in the 2009 and plays mostly the music composed by the leader, inspired by the Oriental and Balkan folk music. In the repertoire there are also Indian , Tibetan and Japanese songs.

The CD "Orient-jazz" has been recorded by thsi band with helping of a few musicians. They are 2 saxophone-players: Luca Donini (Italy) and Sagit Zilberman (Israel), clarinet-player Miroslaw Klepaczka (Poland), violin-player Piotr Przybyl and Julian Wesolowski (nephew of leader) who recorded djembe and synthesizer in 2 songs.

Orient-jazz is a term coined by Lucyan, who, with this term, defines the music composed by him, as being a combination of elements of jazz and Oriental music. Since the early 80's, he has been composing tracks that structurally and rhythmically derive from jazz, but are close to Oriental music in their melodic harmonies. The scales being utilized by Lucyan originate from different traditions, such as Indian, Chinese, Arabic, Japanese, etc. His compositions are generally built in a similar manner to jazz songs; the rhythmical sphere makes reference to Oriental music, especially to that of India. The harmonic spaces are very diversified – at one time, they resemble Oriental tracks where European-style harmony is practically non-existent; at another, such as in the track called “Morning Gymnastics”, they are constructed in a fashion typical of Western culture, tending towards jazz through the use of multisonic chords.
Improvisations are performed using the scale of a given theme, or scales remaining very close to that scale. Phrasing, depending on his musicians' individual preferences, alludes more or less to jazz phrasing.

1986 in Poland was the year of the release of the magnetic cassette “The Orientation to the Orient - part 1”, which includes tracks in this genre only. Apart from Lucyan's compositions, the cassette also includes 2 tracks composed by Bohdan Lizon', both in a similar style. The whole of the Orient-jazz songs were mostly performed by the band called “The Orientation to the Orient”, which had been founded by Lucyan in 1983. Its line-up was made up of jazz musicians, such as saxophonist Wojciech Staroniewicz, violinist Krzysztof Maciejowski or bass guitarist Tomasz Ga;ssowski. For many years, the pillar of the band was flutist Stefan B?aszczyn'ski. Lucyan's Orient-jazz compositions were also performed by his Italian band “The Lucyan Group”, active in the years 1994-1997 and 2002-2004. Currently, these songs constitute the repertoire of his Polish formation that has been in existence since December 2009, and continues the artistic work under the same name as “The Lucyan Group”.
Lately this music is played also by new Lucyan’s groups: “Verso Oriente” (Italy) and “The Orient-Jazz Duo” (Poland).

Orient-Jazz

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Lucy Lummis - Lucy Lummis With The Best In Town

Size: 68,3 MB
Time: 29:12
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Cabaret
Art: Front

01. The Boy Next Door (Feat. Antonio Peral) (3:23)
02. When You're In Love (Feat. Antonio Peral) (3:37)
03. Gotta Move (2:02)
04. On The Street Where You Live (Feat. Antonio Peral) (4:37)
05. What A Difference A Day Makes (Feat. David Pastor) (3:08)
06. Lover Man (Feat. Lluis Vidal) (5:08)
07. I Got Plenty O' Nuttin' (3:07)
08. The Way He Makes Me Feel (Feat. Antonio Peral) (4:06)

Lucy started her training in ballet, jazz, tap and singing at “La Companyia” (Barcelona). She graduated from the “London Studio Centre” with a diploma in musical theatre and was awarded the “Sheila ‘O’Neil award” to the most outstanding allrounder.

Professional credits: “La Bella y La Bestia” (Tour in Spain) as swing and Mrs. Potts cover, “Chicago” as swing, Mama Morton cover and resident director (Madrid & Spain Tour),
“Zorro” (UK Tour & West End) as Anabel and cover Inez, “Los Productores” (Madrid), as Martha Malkovich & Not You, “Mamma Mia” (Madrid) as swing & cover Ali, and assistant choreographer for Barcelona production, “Fama, el musical” (Barcelona) as Mabel Washington, “Porter Paradis” (Barcelona) as Ethel Merman. Also, various performances with big band and jazz quintet formations & solo cabaret performances in various venues throughout Spain.

Lucy Lummis With The Best In Town

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The Mike Vax Big Band - BigBandJazz.net

Size: 172,5 MB
Time: 74:34
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2002
Styles: 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 (2:55)
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)

Trumpeter Mike Vax has come up with an interesting idea, using his latest album to promote the web site bigbandjazz.net, which in turn promotes the Oakland, CA–based non–profit group Friends of Big Band Jazz (FBBJ), whose worthy goal is to help keep big–band Jazz alive for future generations. FBBJ supports and promotes performances by the MVJO, proceeds from which are used to provide opportunities for young musicians to pursue their interest in big–band Jazz through summer camps and other musical programs and events. While buying a copy (or more) of the CD helps FBBJ spread the word about big–band Jazz, an even better reason to do so is that the MVJO is a conspicuously high–powered ensemble molded in the image of the celebrated Stan Kenton Orchestra, and bigbandjazz.net encompasses more than seventy–two minutes of eminently rewarding big–band Jazz. In short, it’s a kick to hear and appreciate music as bright and admirable as this. Section work is crisp and unerring, soloists alert and resourceful. The orchestra comes out swinging on the first of five well–crafted originals, Dave Hanson’s bouncy “Royal Rendezvous” (solos by tenor Scott Peterson and trumpeter Mike Olmos). Vax is the soloist on the sensuous “Love Theme from Hair,” which precedes buoyant new works by Howard Cespedes (“Sunday Variations”) and Bob Washut (“Hoofin’”). Guest Cami Thompson is up next, offering the first of her two amiable vocals, on Cole Porter’s “I Concentrate on You“ (she’s also heard on Michel Legrand’s “The Way He Makes Me Feel”). There are two versions of the electrifying “Virgen de Macarena,” the first with solos by Vax and Peterson (on soprano), the second (which closes the album) featuring Vax alone. The orchestra settles into a genial groove on “That Old Feeling,” “Let’s Face the Music and Dance” and a surprisingly persuasive reading of the theme from “Naked Gun.” Peterson and trombonist Scott Tingle are the soloists on “Feeling,” Olmos, alto Antony Pickard, guitarist Randy Vincent and guest conguero Raul Rekow on “Dance,” Olmos, Vax, pianist Max Perkoff, baritone Doug Rowan and bassist Mario Suraci on “Gun.” Lennie Niehaus’ explosive “Vax Attacks,” with fiery comments by Vax and Peterson, is reminiscent of the great Maynard Ferguson bands of the ’60s, while Frank Foster’s “Blues in Hoss Flat” (solos by pianist Si Perkoff, trumpeter George Spencer, trombonist Mara Fox) is torn straight from the Basie book. Sandwiched between them is Rolf Johnson’s rhythmic “Ice Nine,” whose soloists are Rowan (on bass clarinet) and alto Rory Snyder. Great big–band Jazz for a worthy cause; in the words of Ira Gershwin, who could ask for anything more? ~Jack Bowers

Personnel: Mike Vax, leader, trumpet, flugelhorn; Rory Snyder, alto, soprano sax, flute, piccolo; Antony Pickard, alto sax, flute; Scott Peterson, tenor, soprano sax, flute; Brenda Thompson, tenor sax, flute; Doug Rowan, baritone sax, bass clarinet; Dan Fava, Rolf Johnson, Mike Olmos, George Spencer, trumpet, flugelhorn; Troy Oswald, Mara Fox, Peggy Vax, trombone; Chip Tingle, Steve Trapani, bass trombone; Si Perkoff, piano; Max Perkoff (9), piano, electric keyboard; Randy Vincent, guitar; Mario Suraci, acoustic bass; Dan Parenti (5), electric bass; Kent Bryson, drums. Guest artists

BigBandJazz.net

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Laverne Butler - A Foolish Thing To Do

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 54:24

Size: 124.5 MB

Styles: Vocal jazz

Year: 2013

Art: Front

[4:24] 1. A Foolish Thing To Do

[4:38] 2. End Of A Love Affair

[5:09] 3. Go Away Little Boy

[3:38] 4. One Minute To Zero / When I Fall In Love

[6:06] 5. Dindi

[4:09] 6. West Coast Blues

[5:44] 7. Affinity

[4:34] 8. Jubilee / Just One Of Those Things

[4:30] 9. Do Re Mi / Make Someone Happy

[3:30] 10. Make It Easy On Yourself

[4:01] 11. Never Let Me Go

[3:57] 12. Basin Street Blues

LaVerne Butler's jazz vocals on A Foolish Thing To Do emphasizes her fluid mastery of the jazz form and her genuine joy in the music. The beautiful vocalist sings 12 blues-inflected jazz gems written by some of America's most prolific songwriters on this follow-up to her chart-topping Blues In The City. Accompanied by Terrell Stafford on trumpet, Bruce Barth on piano, Darryl Hall on bass and Victor Lewis on drums, Butler opens with "A Foolish Thing To Do," a love-gone-wrong blues she co-wrote with Bruce Barth. Terrell Stafford's trumpet announces the fateful theme and punctuates Butler's vocals throughout the song before easing into a solo with a bluesy jazz dialect reminiscent of the great Louis Armstrong.LaVerne Butler takes command of the lyrics on "Make It Easy On Yourself" and finds her wringing the tears from it whereas so many other vocalists have delivered it in such a glib matter-of-fact way. In addition to the excellent string accompaniment on three compositions and Bruce Barth's piano stylings throughout this great program, LaVerne Butler's graceful creativity, tone, phrasings and emotion are among the shining elements that make up her very cool tools of vocal expression and natural talent. ~Paula Edelstein

A Foolish Thing To Do

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David Sills - Blues's The New Green

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 64:57
Size: 148.7 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz, Straight ahead jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[7:47] 1. No Moe
[5:53] 2. The Highline
[6:31] 3. 'tis Autumn
[4:49] 4. Justin's Dime
[6:42] 5. Portofino Night
[5:28] 6. Night Flower
[7:29] 7. Blue's The New Green
[8:42] 8. I'm A Fool To Want You
[5:14] 9. Belmont Shores
[6:18] 10. Blues In Ten

Saxophonist David Sills opens his Blue's the New Green with tenor sax titan Sonny Rollins' tune, "No Moe." But Sills doesn't use Rollins' musculature or his burly tone. He rolls more in the mode of sax men Joe Henderson or Stan Getz—or, to take it back further, Coleman Hawkins or Ben Webster, with a smooth, vibrato-less delivery.

Sills is steeped in the tradition of those who came before him, without being mired there. As in previous outings, Eastern View (Origin records, 2004) and Green (Origin records, 2007), the saxophonist leads a crack band, with the extra textures of a piano/guitar pairing. Guitarist Larry Koonse has been a mainstay in Sills' recordings. He and pianist Chris Dawson intertwine their clean lines on Sills original, "The Highline," with veteran bassist Darek Oles and drummer Jake Reed laying down the loose groove.

The Great American Songbook tune "'Tis Autumn" gives the band the chance to work beautifully in the ballad mode, sounding a bit retro; while Sills' "Justin Dime" cranks things into a modern roll. Sill's plays flute on his "Portofino Night," a tune that sounds cool and Bossa Nova-sish, with Dawason supplying a delicate keyboard touch to Koonse's warm acoustic guitar, before the band pushes again into a mdoern lean with the stylish "Night Flower," another Sill's penned gem.

Sills always blows with a lot of soul, and the title tune is no exception. His solo here has a precise logic, and his tone and serpentine phrases bring saxophonist George Coleman to mind, while "I'm a Fool to Want You," from the American songbook, brings in the wee hours, melancholy beauty of a saxophone blowing pure blue notes over a subtle backing.

Blue's the New Green is another beautiful addition to saxophonist David Sill's consistently outstanding discography. ~Dan McClenaghan

Blues's The New Green

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Seals & Crofts - Greatest Hits

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 38:37
Size: 88.4 MB
Styles: Soft rock
Year: 1975/2013
Art: Front

[3:38] 1. When I Meet Them
[4:11] 2. Diamond Girl
[4:35] 3. Hummingbird
[3:39] 4. Castles In The Sand
[3:26] 5. East Of Ginger Trees
[4:00] 6. I'll Play For You
[4:08] 7. Ruby Jean And Billie Lee
[3:15] 8. King Of Nothing
[3:24] 9. Summer Breeze
[4:16] 10. We May Never Pass This Way (Again)

Seals and Crofts is a band made up of Jim Seals (born James Seals, October 17, 1941, Sidney, Texas) and Dash Crofts (born Darrell Crofts, August 14, 1940, Cisco, Texas). The soft rock duo was one of the most successful musical acts of the 1970s. They are best-known for their hits "Summer Breeze" and "Diamond Girl". Seals' younger brother, Dan Seals was also well known as one half of another successful soft rock band in the same time period, England Dan & John Ford Coley, as well as for his success as a country artist in the mid-1980s. The duo disbanded in 1980, and both members went on to become public advocates of the Bahá'í Faith. They reunited briefly from 1991–1992 and again in 2004, when they released their final album, Traces.

Greatest Hits

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Brasil Jazz Quartet - S/T

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 60:54
Size: 139.4 MB
Styles: Latin jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[4:41] 1. Azure
[4:24] 2. Partido Lento
[4:21] 3. Rooms In Blue
[6:19] 4. Postscriptum
[3:58] 5. Dancing Ebi
[3:23] 6. Lydia
[3:53] 7. Manha De Carneval
[3:37] 8. It's Gone In The Air
[4:53] 9. Chat With Chet
[4:44] 10. Indigo
[4:22] 11. Laszlo
[4:22] 12. The Monster And The Flower
[3:52] 13. Ultramarin
[3:58] 14. Triste

Brasil Jazz Quartet

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Mindi Abair - Life Less Ordinary

Styles: Vocal And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:38
Size: 103,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:16)  1. Do You Miss Me?
(4:21)  2. Long Ride Home
(4:11)  3. It Must Be Love
(5:13)  4. The Joint
(5:13)  5. Rain
(4:26)  6. True Blue
(3:43)  7. Slinky
(3:45)  8. Ordinary Love
(4:45)  9. Bloom
(4:39) 10. Far Away

Mindi Abair has been a force in pop and jazz since she moved to Los Angeles. When she signed to GRP she really made her mark as a solo artist. Life Less Ordinary is her fourth recording under her own name since 1999. She has toured tirelessly, played on dozens of sessions, and been a regular on smooth jazz radio and pop stations. Life Less Ordinary is the most diverse things she's issued. There's the taut, sheeny groove jazz she's become famous for on the funky opener "Do You Miss Me," with a vocal chorus and trippy keyboards and programming by producer Michael Hager. "Long Ride Home" is the album's standout track. One can plainly hear the influence of David Sanborn, Tom Scott, and Michael Brecker on her playing. It's a simple vamp that gives way to a slippery chorus. It's more a song than a jazz jam. The piece is tightly composed and arranged, and its groove is undeniable especially in the multi-tracked saxophones. The album's first surprise happens in her cover of Rickie Lee Jones' "It Must Be Love," from her Magazine album. 

Abair's treatment makes it sound like it came off a slick Nashville country version of Ghostyhead! With programmed loops by Hager, very hushed and nocturnal. Abair apes Jones' vocal  including her phrasing -- but she doesn't have the voice and sounds flat. Michael Landau's guitar playing is utterly tasteful and beautiful and Keb Mo's brief dobro solo are the strongest parts of the cut, though Lalah Hathaway's backing vocals are fine as well and steal the show from Abair. "The Joint" is solid; a tough, blues-influenced groove which, with muddier production, could have appeared on a Blue Note soul-jazz record from the late '60s, or one of the Crusaders early sides with Larry Carlton. "Slinky"'s fractured, slow, sexy funk is in-the-pocket and backbone-slipping. 

"Ordinary Love," along with the Jones' tune  both attempts at singles is simply awful. The melody, with its Latin undertones, is nowhere, and the vocal would be forgettable if it weren't so in-your-face bad. "Bloom" should have been the album's closer with its infectious, sing-able lyricism and its euphoric choruses and bridge, but the semi-orchestral "Far Away" (not Carole King's tune) gets that honor, and it's a fine piece of new age jazz if that's what moves you. In all, there are great moments here. Abair has a great funky jazz record in her somewhere, but she, her manager, or her producers need to reign her in. She is aware of her strengths, it seems, but not her weaknesses.~ Thom Jurek  http://www.allmusic.com/album/life-less-ordinary-mw0000348570.

Personnel: Mindi Abair (vocals, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, keyboards); Michael Landau (guitar); Matthew Hager (guitars, keyboards, bass instrument, percussion, drum programming); Keb' Mo' (dobro); Ricky Petersen (piano, organ); Stevo Theard (keyboards, drum programming); Larry Klein, Stan Sargeant (bass instrument); John "J.R." Robinson (drums); Paulinho Da Costa (percussion); Lalah Hathaway (background vocals).

Life Less Ordinary

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Blue Harlem - Hot News!

Styles: Swing
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:06
Size: 123,0 MB
Art: Front

(2:54)  1. I Ain't Getting Any Younger
(4:05)  2. Harry Diamond
(3:40)  3. Fever
(4:06)  4. Soul on Fire
(3:05)  5. Jump Jack Jump
(3:16)  6. I Love to Ride
(4:48)  7. Hot News
(3:23)  8. Meglio Stasera
(4:34)  9. Ain't Nobody's Business If I Do
(4:12) 10. Mr. Pleaser
(3:48) 11. Teach Me Tonight
(3:11) 12. Swing Brother Swing
(4:11) 13. Fess Up
(3:47) 14. Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend

"Blue Harlem have a devastating reputation on the live circuit and a number of high profile admirers. They are one of the best party bands around."~ Nico Mead, TNT Magazine

“This experienced outfit bring an intelligence and sophistication to the art of combining jazz and rhythm and blues that was prevalent on America’s West coast of the 40s and early 50s.” ~ Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club

"Blue Harlem are guaranteed to get your adrenaline flowing with their brand of high energy big band swing and R&B that would have been equally at home at the Apollo or the Savoy in the 40's as it is today."~ Tony Watson, Blues and Rhythm magazine

 “Arch stylists and the launch pad for Imelda May, Blue Harlem are a serious band of top flight players and also one hell of a good time.”~ Tony Morley, Properganda Magazine, Blues Review

"Solid swing and great arrangements - they kept the dance floor packed and we will definitely want them back."~ Simon Selmon, London Swing Dance Society  http://www.blueharlem.co.uk/#!the-band/cjg9

Hot News!

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Sylvia Bennett - Best Love Songs

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:22
Size: 94,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:30)  1. Look of Love
(2:48)  2. Ain't Misbehavin'
(2:43)  3. Fly Me to the Moon
(2:46)  4. They Can't Take That Away From Me
(3:03)  5. Embraceable You
(3:38)  6. The Very Thought of You
(3:44)  7. Shadow of Your Smile
(4:53)  8. My Funny Valentine
(4:36)  9. Night and Day
(4:06) 10. Someone To Watch Over Me
(2:48) 11. You Make Me Feel So Young
(2:43) 12. What a Difference a Day Makes

Sylvia Bennett’s latest release, Best Love Songs, is a compilation of her most requested and downloaded songs. It also happens to be a collection of her favorite songs too. As she states, “This CD is dedicated to everyone who has Love in their hearts.” Best Love Songs includes classics from the American songbook like “Embraceable You,” “Someone to Watch Over Me” and “They Can’t Take That Away From Me” among many others.  http://www.sylviabennett.com/music_love_songs.html

”Man, the lady can sing! Her magic gets to the ears and the hearts of the audience.” ~ Lionel Hampton

Cole Porter once asked, “What Is This Thing Called Love,” and it’s a question that many of our greatest artists have grappled with ever since” creating some of America’s most enduring and timeless music in the process. Now, it’s Sylvia Bennett’s turn. On her new album, Songs From The Heart featuring the Three Tenors - Boots Randolph, Ed Calle and Kirk Whalum, the smooth jazz and pop vocalist sings of the vicissitudes of love with a warmth, clarity and spirit that is enveloping and tender, showcasing the depth of her skill, talent and experience. The Italian born and American raised Bennett is a singer’s singer, having sung on TV, in community theater, club dates, conventions and even the inaugurations of presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush. Walking in the footsteps of her idols such as Barbra Streisand, Ella Fitzgerald, Barry Manilow and Bette Midler, Sylvia has opened for artists as diverse as Bob Hope, Phyllis Diller, Jackie Mason, Dizzy Gillespie, Barry Gibb and David Brenner. Her big break came in the 1980’s, when legendary vibraphonist (and National Arts Award Winner) Lionel Hampton took Sylvia under his wing and made her the first female singer to record with him in thirty years. She recounts, “Lionel validated me as a performer and inspired me to be the best singer I can be. He made me realize that the audience was the most important thing and that all I needed to do was to sing from the heart and be honest.” 

Sylvia worked with Hampton for ten years, touring and recording two albums together. The first, Sentimental Journey, was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1987. The second project, There Will Never Be Another You, was a CD/DVD tribute to “Hamp” from Sylvia, and she furthered the honor to her mentor with the show, “The Lady and the Legend,” premiering in Miami in 2007. Songs From The Heart featuring the Three Tenors emerged in the wake of Sylvia’s tribute to Hampton, when her producer, two-time Grammy nominee and two-time ASCAP Award winner, Hal Batt, suggested that she record timeless love songs and standards, backed by a small band to convey the desired intimacy. Sylvia was enamored of the idea immediately. “I’m a hopeless romantic,” she says unhesitatingly, “I think that love is what life is all about” wanting it, having it, losing it and having it again.” The songs, classics from the great American songbook, were chosen for how they related to the experience of love, making it a concept album, akin in spirit to Frank Sinatra’s great concept albums of the mid-1950’s. The album really took off when Sylvia was joined on the recording by tenor saxophone legends, Boots Randolph, Ed Calle and Kirk Whalum. The tenors enhance the album’s smoky and organic vibe, complementing Sylvia’s silky smooth voice. “It was a thrill to have those incredible players on the album,” enthuses Sylvia. “The only song they played on together was “Since I Fell For You,” and it was pure magic.” Producer Batt declares, “We captured a moment in time that won’t happen again between three of the greatest tenor sax players in the world.” Sylvia’s exquisite taste shines in the selection and performance of the material. 

From “My Funny Valentine,” (”It sums up everything about love to me”) to “They Can’t Take That Away From Me,” (”Nothing and no one can take away the time you have with someone”) to “How Long Has This Been Going On,” (”I first sang that song in junior high” but now I really know what that song is about”), Sylvia utilizes her phenomenal ability to get inside these classic songs and have them reveal emotional dimensions previously unfamiliar. Sylvia is eager to perform these songs in her natural environment” in front of a live audience. “I’ll be doing romance themed nights, performing the album as well as the material I did with Lionel Hampton,” she says. It’s clear that she’s immensely proud of Songs From The Heart featuring the Three Tenors and that she knows she touched on something. Sylvia concludes, “We live in such a technological world today that I think we forget about touching people. I think we all need a hug, we need to be embraced” we’re living in a troubled world. There’s nothing better than romance and being with someone who can shelter you from those storms.”  http://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/sylviabennett

Best Love Songs

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John Cocuzzi - Groove Merchant

Styles: Vibraphone Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:02
Size: 165,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:58)  1. Groove Merchant
(4:56)  2. Crazy Rhythm
(8:05)  3. Dream Dancing
(5:10)  4. The Glory Of Love
(4:45)  5. How Am I To Know
(7:14)  6. Tenderly
(5:14)  7. Minor Drag
(3:43)  8. Mellow Guitar
(4:08)  9. Did I Remember
(3:52) 10. Last Night On The Back Porch (I Loved Her Most Of All)
(3:56) 11. Je Ne Sais Pa
(7:16) 12. What'll I Do
(2:40) 13. Lover

John Cocuzzi has long been a favorite at jazz parties for his swinging vibes, in addition to occasionally taking a turn at the piano and singing as well; he's been a featured artist since the inception of the Atlanta Jazz Party. But in a career that dates back to the 1990s, he has been recorded only sporadically, and this 2012 CD is his first CD to be issued on a widely distributed jazz label. For these sessions, Cocuzzi sticks to vibes with a few vocals, surrounded by a number of musicians who've played with him at jazz parties and/or on record dates: pianist John Sheridan, guitarist James Chirillo, bassist Frank Tate, drummer Joe Ascione, and clarinetist Antti Sarpila (who doubles on soprano sax). 

What's apparent right away is that the vibraphonist planned ahead by selecting a mix of familiar and forgotten songs, while finding a way to give them a fresh sound. Though Cocuzzi is a strong soloist, he isn't one to hog the spotlight, satisfied with taking a couple of choruses before sharing space with his mates. Cole Porter's "Dream Dancing" is recast as an easygoing samba, showcasing Sarpilla's playful clarinet, while the subtle swing of the vintage "Mellow Guitar" puts the spotlight on Chirillo, Cocuzzi, Sarpilla (on soprano), and Sheridan in turn. Cocuzzi's warm vocal in "Last Night on the Back Porch (I Loved Her Most of All)" is sincere rather than salacious, even though the song was considered suggestive when it was written in 1920s; it was considered wholesome enough to be recorded by Mitch Miller for his Singalong with Mitch series. 

"Je Ne Sais Pa" is a delicious swinger penned by Lionel Hampton and Hank Jones that sounds like it was written at the heyday of the Swing Era; Sarpilla's alternately gritty and lightly swinging clarinet and Cocuzzi's rapid-fire vibes keep it lively. Fats Waller's "Minor Drag" is full of pep as well, focusing on Sheridan's stride chops, Sarpilla's fiery soprano, and the leader's economical but potent vibes. Groove Merchant reinforces what jazz party fans have known for years: John Cocuzzi swings effortlessly every time, inspiring those sharing the stage or studio with him. ~ Ken Dryden   http://www.allmusic.com/album/groove-merchant-mw0002265260.

Personnel: John Cocuzzi (vocals, vibraphone); James Chirillo (guitar); Antti Sarpila (clarinet, soprano saxophone); John Sheridan (piano); Joe Ascione (drums, djembe, shaker).

Groove Merchant

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