Chie Ayado - Best II / Live! The Best

Album: Best II
Size: 159,2 MB
Time: 68:57
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2011
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. New York State Of Mind (5:59)
02. Sunny (2:51)
03. Feel Like Makin'love (5:47)
04. 04 - どんなときも (5:02)
05. In My Life (4:18)
06. What A Difference A Day Made (4:05)
07. I Can't Stop Loving You (3:45)
08. The End Of The World (3:12)
09. A Whiter Shade Of Pale (6:00)
10. With A Little Help From My Friends (5:35)
11. Imagine (4:27)
12. Take Me Home, Country Roads (5:49)
13. Mr Bojangles (5:29)
14. Let It Be (4:26)
15. Blowin' In The Wind (7:07)

Influenced by her parents' hobbies, Chie has been surrounded by jazz and Hollywood movies from an early age. She first studied classical piano but soon began to swing, and grew up as a kid that always preferred gospel to psalms. When she was 17 years old, she scraped together all money she had saved with part-time jobs, and left for the land of dreams: the US West Coast.

After moving her bases to NYC, Chie was invited by a record store owner to "visit a church and listen to some gospel". She agreed, and became a member of church's choir on the spot. She married a fellow choir member and gave a birth to a baby , but later she got divorced.

In 1991, the mother and the son returned to Japan, she began to sing in a jazz club in Osaka, and thanks to the quickly spreading rumors of her vocal performance she soon made a name for herself in the local jazz scene.

The June 1998 release "For All We Know" marked Chie's debut as a professional jazz musician at the age of 40. Since then Chie has been touring regularly across Japan in fall and winter, and with the help of fans spreading the word via the Internet
managed to establish a reputation as an outstanding female singer. Soon her concerts were sold out as soon as they were announced. Also her third album "Life" made a big hit in 1999, this her 'standard' album has been sold over 250,000 copies.

In March 2001 Chie received the 51st Ministry of Education and Science Cultural Promotional Award. Harboring an aversion against settling for one thing, Chie has been exploring territories outside the realm of jazz. Her repertory extends 20's swing
jazz to the rock, pop standards.

Chie has released 14 albums, 2 compiled "BEST" albums and 5 DVD-Videos. The number of total sale reaches almost 2,000,000 copies.

Best II

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Album: Live! The Best
Size: 166,7 MB
Time: 72:14
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2011
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Label: Plaza Mayor Company, Ltd.
Art: Front

01. Only You (4:55)
02. Tennessee Waltz (4:39)
03. Georgia On My Mind (5:39)
04. Your Song - For All We Know (7:27)
05. You Are So Beautiful (5:37)
06. Stormy Monday (5:46)
07. For Once In My Life (3:25)
08. Oleo (4:21)
09. It Don't Mean A Thing (4:13)
10. Get Into My Life (5:21)
11. New York State Of Mind 2 (4:34)
12. Yozora No Mukou (5:49)
13. What A Wonderful World (6:04)
14. If You Love Me (Really Love Me) (4:19)

Live! The Best

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Ed Laub - Soft Guitar

Size: 130,9 MB
Time: 56:05
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Guitar Jazz, Bossa Nova
Art: Front

01. We Three (My Echo, My Shadow & Me) [Feat. Bucky Pizzarelli] (3:20)
02. Four Brothers (Feat. Bucky Pizzarelli) (2:29)
03. Always (Feat. Bucky Pizzarelli) (4:29)
04. Tangerine (Feat. Bucky Pizzarelli) (3:35)
05. The Grass Will Grow (Feat. Lenny Argese) (4:30)
06. More Than You Know (2:59)
07. Without You (Tres Palabras) [Feat. Bucky Pizzarelli] (2:28)
08. Snowfall (Feat. Bucky Pizzarelli) (3:07)
09. This Happy Madness (Estrada Branca) [Feat. Paul Meyers] (4:15)
10. Street Of Dreams Two Funky People (Feat. Bucky Pizzarelli) (4:57)
11. Where Do You Start (Feat. Gene Bertoncini) (5:12)
12. Early Autumn (Feat. Bucky Pizzarelli) (3:32)
13. Nuages (Feat. Bucky Pizzarelli) (4:55)
14. Body And Soul (Feat. Bucky Pizzarelli) (3:30)
15. Soft Guitar (2:39)

This album represents a collection of songs that I have played over the years with my long time partner and friend, Bucky Pizzarelli. As my mentor for 4 decades he has been a major influence on my style and approach to music.

My first lesson was not as much about playing the guitar as it was understanding his philosophy about playing and performing. He said "your most important responsibility as a musician is to make the the other people you are playing with sound as good as possible...its not about you!" Over the years my role as Bucky's accompanist has always been to enhance every note he plays and it has earned me the respect of other musicians that I work with.

I have always loved to sing and on this CD i have gotten the opportunity to demonstrate some of the tunes that I do so often in my live performances. I am hoping this is a jumping off point to record a purely guitar/vocal cd just by myself.

The addition of Gene Bertoncini and Paul Meyers on two of the tracks was an extra added bonus I hadn't planned on, but so glad that it worked out that way!

Bucky, Gene and Paul are all friends first and it meant so much to me that they were excited to help with my first CD. ~Ed Laub

Soft Guitar

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Dual Drive - The Memphis Project

Size: 107,5 MB
Time: 45:53
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Smooth Jazz, Soul, Funk, Blues
Art: Front

01. Take Me To The River (4:15)
02. Respect Yourself (4:28)
03. (Sitting On) The Dock Of The Bay (4:39)
04. Who Will The Next Fool Be (Feat. Wendy Moten) (4:30)
05. Suspicious Minds (5:29)
06. Rock Steady (4:39)
07. Never Can Say Goodbye (4:12)
08. Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City (4:06)
09. I Thank You (5:07)
10. Green Onions (4:24)

Icehouse Records will release the debut album by Dual Drive, “The Memphis Project.” The album celebrates the music of Memphis with an updated Contemporary Jazz twist… bridging the gap between yesterday and today.

Dual Drive is Garry Goin and Patrick Register, two of Memphis’ best known musicians with special guests Wendy Moten and James Alexander (Bar-Kays). Most tracks were recorded at the studios that made the song famous. For example…“Take Me To The River” (Al Green) was recorded at Royal Recording Studio (HI Records), “Who Will The Next Fool Be” (Charlie Rich) was recorded at Sam C. Phillips Studio (Sun Records) and “Green Onions” (Booker T & The MGs) was recorded at the Stax Museum Studio.

“The Memphis Project” is Hot Contemporary Jazz with that special Memphis Touch!!

“Rock N’ Roll was born here, Blues calls it Home and many people discovered their Soul in Memphis. Memphis has a musical “feel” that no other city in the world has. The combination of country, blues, jazz, and rock & roll allowed its music to cross cultures, generations and nationalities to form its own unique “sound”. Icehouse Records and the Phillips family are proud to be part of this wonderful musical heritage.” — Johnny Phillips

The Memphis Project

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Louis Hayes & The Cannonball Legacy Band - Dreamin' Of Cannonball

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 68:59
Size: 157.9 MB
Styles: Hard bop
Year: 2001
Art: Front

[7:06] 1. What Is This Thing Called Love
[5:49] 2. The Chant
[5:16] 3. Dat Dere
[7:29] 4. I Can't Get Started
[5:46] 5. Work Song
[6:14] 6. Naturally
[8:33] 7. Fiddler On The Roof
[7:46] 8. The Jive Samba
[7:15] 9. Scotch And Water
[7:41] 10. Del Sasser

Louis Hayes & the Cannonball Legacy Band pay tribute to the drummer's late employer by exploring a number of songs that he recorded while working with Cannonball Adderley. The veteran is in great form, joined by alto saxophonist Vincent Herring, trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, pianist Rick Germanson, and bassist Vicente Archer. The music doesn't focus on any one edition of Adderley's band, but delves into music the alto saxophonist recorded during the early '60s. Hayes' crop of Young Lions opens with an explosive take of "What Is This Thing Called Love?," delves with gusto into Bobby Timmons' soul-jazz hit "Dat Dere" and Nat Adderley's spiritual-flavored "Work Song," and delivers a playful performance of "Fiddler on the Roof," the latter tune showcasing the leader's effective solo. No effort is made to mimic Adderley's style or the sidemen who played alongside him, though it is clear that all the musicians are enjoying themselves throughout these sessions. ~Ken Dryden

Dreamin Of Cannonball

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Bill Cunliffe - Bill In Brazil

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 64:13
Size: 147.0 MB
Styles: Hard bop, Piano jazz
Year: 1995
Art: Front

[7:15] 1. Saudosissimo Samba Feliz
[4:23] 2. Cast Your Fate To The Wind
[6:03] 3. Leblon
[5:20] 4. She Moves On
[7:30] 5. Gentle Rain
[5:42] 6. Surfboard
[5:36] 7. Belinda
[4:48] 8. Long Time Coming
[5:37] 9. Cancao
[6:47] 10. First Encounter
[5:08] 11. Canto De Ossanha

In the liner notes to his latest release, the aptly titled Bill in Brazil, Bill Cunliffe relates the amusing story of his numerous logistical misadventures in South America. Setting out for Rio so as to lend a cultural authenticity to his Brazilian jazz venture, the pianist found out he needed a visa as well as a passport and had to divert to Buenos Aires for a weekend while waiting to straighten things out at the Brazilian embassy. Then a local terrorist attack closed the airport and he spent another night just wandering the city and hanging around jazz clubs. Finally, after surviving a psycho cab driver and a wild World Cup parade, Cunliffe defied exhaustion and set to work with some of Brazil's top musicians, creating an album of extraordinary beauty ("Long Time Coming"), demonic jazz energy ("Belinda"), and friendly tributes (Jobim's "Surfboard"). Recorded in both Rio and Los Angeles, the disc features Ricardo Silveira, Oscar Castro-Neves, drummer Elio Cafaro, pianist Marcos Ariel, and Alex Acuña. The experience also inspired Cunliffe to write four of his own tunes, in addition to Brazilian staples and pop treasures like "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" and Paul Simon's hooky "She Moves On." ~Jonathan Widran

Bill In Brazil

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Mario Romano Quartet - Valentina

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 53:39
Size: 122.8 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[6:35] 1. Night In Tunisia
[7:14] 2. Norwegian Wood
[7:12] 3. Autumn Leaves
[7:12] 4. Nardis
[3:14] 5. Those Damn I Love Yous
[6:05] 6. On Green Dolphin Street
[6:06] 7. Windows
[4:26] 8. Via Romano
[5:31] 9. Someday My Prince Will Come

Canadian pianist Mario Romano has an interesting history in jazz. An up-and-coming performer in the 1970s, he took a hiatus from the jazz scene when his Toronto construction business became a big success. Now in 2010, he returns to the scene with the release of Valentina. Playing with gusto and creativity, he seems not to have missed a beat over the years; still, at the keyboard, Romano owes a lot to seventies contemporaries including McCoy Tyner and Chick Corea.

Appearing with him here are three prominent Toronto musicians. American expat tenor saxophonist Pat La Barbera, hails from a prominent family of jazz players, including trumpeter John LaBarbera and drummer Joe LaBarbera. Drummer Mark Kelso—also an expat, but from Ireland—is an energetic presence in the manner of Art Blakey or Jeff "Tain" Watts. Bassist Roberto Occhipinti is a well-known Canadian sideman, co-founder of NOJO—the Neufeld-Occhipinti Jazz Orchestra—and works regularly with Cuban musicians, bringing a Latin flair to this group.

The quartet regularly works together and it sounds like it. With a solid, cohesive sound, the selections are mostly Romano arrangements of jazz classics, but also includes two originals; one, Romano's "Those Damn I Love Yous," features guest vocalist Kristy Cardinal, who sings with a pure, pleasant voice.

The band plays in a hard-driving, straight-ahead fashion, reminiscent of hard-boppers such as Horace Silver and Blakey's The Jazz Messengers, with Kelso's pyrotechnics driving the up-tempo numbers. LaBarbera is also a commanding presence, in the authoritative manner of Lew Tabackin. ~Larry Taylor

Valentina

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Lori Carsillo - Sugar & Smoke

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:05
Size: 129,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:56)  1. Cinnamon & Clove
(4:31)  2. Grass Is Greener
(5:36)  3. Moon & Sand
(5:44)  4. The Thrill Is Gone
(4:43)  5. In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning
(3:42)  6. Nice Girls Don't Stay for Breakfast
(5:43)  7. Live for Life
(3:49)  8. Comin Home Baby
(5:24)  9. Old Devil Moon
(5:14) 10. The Look of Love
(3:22) 11. In the Still of the Night
(3:16) 12. Comin Home Baby (Reprise)

San Francisco Bay Area songbird Lori Carsillo provides us with her third solo vocal album Sugar and Smoke, presenting modern versions of familiar jazz standards from the '60s, featuring a host of first-rate musicians from the Bay Area's vibrant jazz scene. Carsillo offers a light soft-toned session of vocal jazz enhanced by her sultry hushed-styled vocal approach that draws the listener in and keeps one engaged. No real swinging pieces or loud outbursts here, this material is delivered with a measure of warmth backed up by excellent instrumentals including sharp solos that make this musical endeavor, a complete jazz package.  The Bergman composition "Cinnamon & Clove," made famous by Sergio Mendes and his bossa arrangement, kicks off the music in style featuring Riley Bandy's superb saxophone solo and Dave Baker's backup vocals spicing up the music. Pianist Adam Shulman accompanies the singer on the Maxwell/Smith standard "Grass Is Greener" as the light bossa nova-styled "Moon and Sand" highlights Carsillo's hushed vocal approach as well as offering Shulman more instrumental solo space in a delightful interpretation of the standard.  One of the highlights of the recording, is this version of Bobby Troup's humorous "Nice Girls Don't Stay for Breakfast" enhanced by splendid instrumental support from guitarist Jay Stapleton and Bandy's saxophone voice. 

Just as good but on the romantic side of the music, Carsillo' sultry delivery is perfect for the love song, "Live for Life" with soft vibes provided by Smith Dobson capping off the classic. Staying in romantic mode, the vocalist sensuous approach of the Burt Bacharach staple, "The Look of Love," is more proof that this singer can tenderize a tune with the best of them. There's practically no swing on this album except her interpretation of "Comin' Home Baby," one of the more upbeat perky tunes of the set. The familiar "Old Devil Moon" gets an all-new treatment from the singer as does the Cole Porter classic "In the Still of the Night" with a little help from cymbal accents from drummer James Gallagher, crisp key work from Shulman and Dobson's stellar vibraphone. The program ends on another rendition of Tucker's "Comin' Home Baby" except this time, Carsillo is joined by vocalist Baker who answers each of the leader's vocal statements with a lyrical salvo of his own. Lori Carsillo's sampling of delicious light vocal jazz, provides a musical dish of far more sweets than fiery smoking material. Nevertheless, Carsillo's unique soft vocal style and approach, serves to shine new light on a selection of time-honored jazz standards revived once again, this time, with a little Sugar and Smoke. ~ Edward Blanco  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/sugar-and-smoke-lori-carsillo-self-produced-review-by-edward-blanco.php#.U7zMxbF8eM0
 

Personnel: Lori Carsillo: vocals; Adam Shulman: piano; Mike Bordelon: bass; James Gallagher: drums; Smith Dobson: vibes (7, 10, 11); Riley Bandy: saxophone (1, 6, 8-10, 12); Jay Stapleton: guitar; Dave Baker: vocals (1, 12).

Sugar & Smoke

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Joni Janak & Centerpiece Jazz - Get Outta Here!

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:53
Size: 140,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:21)  1. Get Outta Here!
(3:28)  2. Route 66
(4:33)  3. In a Mellow Tone
(4:32)  4. Feel Like Makin' Love
(2:30)  5. Dream
(5:36)  6. Sentimental Journey
(4:10)  7. Moondance
(4:27)  8. Once I Loved
(4:59)  9. They Can't Take That Away from Me
(3:17) 10. You Are So Beautiful
(3:27) 11. I'm Walkin'
(3:04) 12. Day by Day
(3:19) 13. We're in This Love Together
(3:03) 14. Bye Bye Blackbird
(4:17) 15. You're in Derry
(1:42) 16. Centerpiece

Born and raised in Amarillo, Texas, vocalist Joni Janak moved to Denver in 1969 where she continues to reside. She has worked and/or recorded with such notables as Carl Fontana, Ralph Sharon, Stefan Karlsson, Marvin Stamm, Ed Soph, Tom Warrington, Ross Tompkins, Carson Smith, Bill Watrous, Andy Simpkins, Jake Hanna, Bob Cooper, and Conte and Pete Candoli. Her Colorado colleagues include Ellyn Rucker, Ron Moewes, Ed Stephen, Dean Ross, Dale Bruning, Rich Chiaraluce, Eric Gunnison, the Gordon Dooley Orchestra, The Hot Tomatoes, and the Dean Bushnell Orchestra.

Her first European tour occurred in Derry, Northern Ireland in 2001, followed by a highly acclaimed appearance during the Derry Jazz Festival in 2002. Her JLE recordings, Let's Live Again, The Wind, and Get Outta Here! can be heard and purchased at www.jazzlinkenterprises.com. They, too, have met with high praise in Jazz Journal (England), Jazzscene of Oregon, International Trombone magazine, The Denver Post, and Jazz Review (Canada), among others. Queens, New York is the hometown of guitarist/arranger/composer stalwart Ed Stephen. Primarily a self-taught musician, he counts Johnny Smith, Howard Alden, George Van Eps, Bill Evans, and Phil Woods, among his influences. "In fact, an on-going goal of mine is to develop a technique like Johnny Smith, while coming up with ideas like Bill Evans!" quipped the gregarious and gracious Ed. After moving to Colorado in 1975, Ed taught Jazz Guitar at the University of Colorado at Denver. He continues to teach the guitar privately; he also teaches reading and English as a second language for the Range View Library District in Adams County. His Colorado playing credentials include the type of diversity strongly associated with such a skilled musician as he is. He has worked with the Denver Symphony Orchestra, as well as the Pops Concerts. Those concerts featured the likes of Michel Legrand, Carol Lawrence, Oscar Peterson, and Ferrante & Teicher.

He has played in the Walt Smith's Roaring Fork Jazz Party, which featured Harry Allen; the Sacramento Jazz Festival, and the West Coast Jazz Festival, where he worked with the Summit Ridge Jazz Band with Bob Craven as leader. Some of his other playing cohorts include the Gordon Dooley Orchestra, Joni Janak, Dean Ross, Ron Moewes, Vern Baumer, Bob Craven, and Carl Fontana. His first recording on JLE's label is Get Outta Here!

Manzanola, Colorado is the hometown of the intrepid bassist Dean Ross. Except for a stint in the US Army Band, he has lived and worked in Colorado throughout his career. Musicians he has worked with include Ralph Sharon, Ross Tompkins, Billy Eckstine, Dave Grusin, Marlena Shaw, Helen 0' Connell, Steve Allen, Pete and Conte Candoli, Jon Hendricks, Big Tiny Little, Ron Moewes, Ed Stephen, Joni Janak, Ellyn Rucker, Dale Bruning, Spike Robinson, Rich Chiaraluce, and The Hot Tomatoes. He has also worked with Chicago's James Dapogny's Band at the University of Northern Colorado as well as The Sounds of New Orleans. His first recording on the JLE label is Get Outta Here! with Centerpiece Jazz. A native of Denver, Colorado, drummer Ron Moewes (pronounced Mavis) received his Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Later, he earned his Master's Degree in Creative Arts from Lesley College in Cambridge, Massachusetts. 

With his degrees in hand, he began a 31-year career teaching music (orchestra, jazz band) in the Jefferson County school system. While he taught during the day, he gigged at night and on the weekends, making himself an indispensable drumming staple in Colorado. Ron has worked with such notables as Ralph Sharon, Carl Fontana, Clark Terry, Marian McPartland, Herb Ellis, James Moody, Zoot Sims, Pete Christlieb, Sonny Stitt, Jon Hendricks, Al Grey, Buddy DeFranco, Doc Severinsen, and Peter Appleyard. In Colorado, he has worked with Joni Janak, Ed Stephen, Dean Ross, Ellyn Rucker, Rich Chiaraluce, Dale Bruning, The Gordon Dooley Orchestra, Ken Walker, Mark Simon, Eric Gunnison, Jeff Jenkins, Les James, Spike Robinson, and Bud Poindexter, among others. An outstanding composer and lyricist, some of his originals can be heard on his JLE recordings Ron Moewes & Friends: All This You Gave to Me and Get Outta Here! http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/centerpiecejazz

Get Outta Here!

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Pat Labarbera - Deep In A Dream

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:44
Size: 162,4 MB
Art: Front

(6:33)  1. Deep In A Dream
(3:52)  2. Something To Live For
(6:49)  3. There's A Lull In My Life
(5:37)  4. It Shouldn't Happen To A Dream
(4:54)  5. Maybe You'll Be There
(4:12)  6. Here's To My Lady
(9:11)  7. Moon And Sand
(5:57)  8. What Good Would The Moon Be
(5:36)  9. Why Try To Change Me Now?
(5:38) 10. Some Other Spring
(7:18) 11. I Heard You Cried Last Night
(5:00) 12. As Long As I Am Dreaming

Last September tenor/soprano saxophonist Pat LaBarbera appeared at the Forest City Jazz Festival with the same rhythm section featured on this CD. At the time, he alluded to the fact that he had always wanted to record an all-ballads album. Thanks to Bill King and Greg Sutherland of RadioLand Jazz, Pat's dream has become a reality. Deep In A Dream is a 12-track collection of lovely, slow burners that is perfect for late-night listening. While some of the tunes are well-known standards (Something To Live For and There's A Lull In My Life), a number of Pat's hand-picked favourites are more obscure. Indeed, Pat states in the liner notes that master balladeer Frank Sinatra's early recordings, Maybe You'll Be There, Why Try To Change Me Now and Deep In A Dream, were the source for these song choices. Although Pat has always been known for his up-tempo, Coltrane-influenced screamers, Deep In A Dream shows that Stan Getz and Lester Young have also inspired him. Brother Joe LaBarbera's brush work is light and feathery, Neil Swainson pulls deep, rich tones from his bass and pianist Don Thompson's occasional solo spots are suitably restrained. Break out the candles and wine and enjoy! ~ John Sharpe  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/deep-in-a-dream-pat-la-barbera-radioland-review-by-john-sharpe.php#.U7skGrF8eM0.

Personnel: Pat La Barbera (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Don Thompson Quartet (piano); Joe La Barbera (drums).

Deep In A Dream

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