Alan Jones & François Theberge - Another View

Size: 137,9 MB
Time: 58:36
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2013
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. The Better Question (2:56)
02. Another View (3:54)
03. Movin' On (3:54)
04. Little Candel (2:41)
05. The Fighter (3:36)
06. Muted (6:08)
07. One More Time Around (6:08)
08. Blue (4:16)
09. I Will Be There (5:12)
10. South (4:09)
11. Refuge (5:58)
12. Sweets (6:00)
13. What's It Gonna Be (3:38)

Performers:
Alan Jones - Drums, Voice (7)
Francois Theberge - Tenor & Soprano Saxes, Recorders, Wood Flute, Trombone
Marilyn Keller - Voice
Rebecca Kilgore - Voice (9), Whistle (4)
Dan Tepfer - Piano, Fender Rhodes
Tom Wakeling - Bass
Glen Moore - Bass
Ja'tik Clark - Tuba
Dan Balmer - Guitar
John Gross - Tenor Saxophone
Lars Campbell - Trombone
Tim Bryson - Bass Clarinet
John Moak - Trombone
Jon Ramm-Gramenz - Trombone
Matt Warming - Trombone
Ian Kerr - Percussion
Erin Winemiller - Cello
Mattie Kaiser - Viola (Portland)
Jeremy Genet - Viola
Anne-Sophie Libra - Cello (Paris)

First meeting & playing together in Paris in the early '90s, Portland-based drummer Alan Jones knew he had found a life-long musical partner in the Montreal-born, Paris-based saxophonist, François Theberge. After multiple tours, recordings and musical discussions over the years, their decision to devote an album to all original music - with lyrics - came from one of those discussions. Noting how beautiful and intregal the human voice is to music, they wrote new compositions expressing miniature impressions, souvenirs, and feelings, while blurring the line between improvised and written moments. Rooted in jazz, they stroll seamlessly through other neighborhoods with a wide-range of accompanying master musicians, yet retain an intimate musical space for vocalists Marilyn Keller and Rebecca Kilgore to shine.

Another View

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Bob Barnard & John Sheridan - Thanks A Million

Size: 163,0 MB
Time: 69:32
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2004
Styles: Jazz: Trumpet Jazz, Dixieland
Art: Front

01. You're Lucky To Me (3:47)
02. Thanks (4:39)
03. Jalousie (4:10)
04. Samantha (4:08)
05. The Skeleton In The Closet (5:45)
06. Thanks A Million (3:40)
07. Black Moonlight (5:51)
08. When It's Sleepy Time Down South (4:15)
09. That Old Girl Of Mine (4:23)
10. Was I To Blame (For Falling In Love With You) (3:54)
11. I've Got A Crush On You (4:47)
12. I'm Shooting High (4:15)
13. Arkansas Lullaby (3:20)
14. Please (3:34)
15. The Day You Came Along (4:38)
16. Sidewalk Blues (4:16)

Veteran Australian cornetist Bob Barnard and stride pianist John Sheridan (best known for his 23 years playing with Jim Cullum) team up for this exciting duet set. Most of the songs on their collaboration were associated with Louis Armstrong or Bing Crosby, although there are some exceptions (such as Jelly Roll Morton's "Sidewalk Blues"). Both of the musicians are heard in prime form, inspiring each other and coming up with witty and swinging ideas within the genre of pre-bop jazz. One does not miss other horns when Barnard plays, and Sheridan is a full rhythm section by himself. With such highlights as "You're Lucky to Me," "The Skeleton in the Closet," "I'm Shooting High," and "Please," this CD is easily recommended to fans of small-group swing and hot jazz. ~Review by Scott Yanow

Thanks A Million

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Sonia Johnson - Le Coeur A L'Endroit

Size: 128,2 MB
Time: 55:04
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. Des Diamants Sur La Ville (3:38)
02. Comme Sur Une Toile De Lemieux (5:24)
03. Je Reve (4:04)
04. Mon Coeur Est .. (4:02)
05. Toi, Mon Amour (4:06)
06. Rue Liverpool (4:42)
07. Elle Court (3:31)
08. Le Coeur A L'Endroit (4:14)
09. Si J'Avais (5:50)
10. Nomades (3:42)
11. Combien D'Automnes (3:25)
12. Le Miroir De Zapata (4:33)
13. L'Infini Droit Devant (3:46)

Lauréate d’un prestigieux prix Juno, Sonia Johnson fait partie de l’élite des chanteuses jazz canadiennes. Son parcours éclectique, jalonné de rencontres formatrices et inspirantes, en témoigne éloquemment. Parmi ces expériences marquantes, il faut rappeler les scènes qu’elle a foulées en compagnie de pointures comme Vic Vogel, François Bourassa, Roberto Lopez, Karen Young et autres Dawn Tyler Watson. Au cours de l’été 2014, elle a eu le bonheur de partager l’affiche avec Diane Tell au Festival Pully-Lavaux à l’heure du Québec, en Suisse.

Compositrice, auteure, arrangeure et productrice, Sonia Johnson récolte prix et honneurs grâce à des albums chaleureusement accueillis par le public et l’industrie, dont le tendre et maîtrisé Le Carré de nos amours, un album solide qui a décroché un JUNO dans la catégorie Album jazz vocal de l’année (2012). Une première pour un disque de créations jazz entièrement interprété dans la langue de Nougaro.

Deux ans plus tard, elle a de nouveau été mise en nomination au gala des JUNO pour l’album Triades – interprété avec ses complices chanteurs Annie Poulain et Charles Biddle Jr. Ce projet a également été retenu à l’occasion de l’édition 2013 du gala de l’ADISQ. Sonia avait été l’initiatrice de cet album concept dont elle a assuré la direction artistique en plus d’y interpréter quelques pièces seule, en duo et en trio.

Créatrice inspirée, elle propose aujourd’hui de se remettre Le cœur à l’endroit avec un opus vibrant de sincérité et d’harmonie(s). Un album entièrement original pour lequel elle s’est entourée d’un trio d’enfer formé de la compositrice et arrangeure Marianne Trudel, du bassiste Rémi-Jean Leblanc et du batteur Jim Doxas. À ces trois mousquetaires de la note bleue, se sont greffés des solistes d’envergure comme André Leroux (flûtes), Pierre Côté (guitares), Jonathan Stewart (saxophones) ainsi que le quatuor vocal les Gourmandes.

Très présente à la création, tant à l’écriture des musiques qu’à celle des textes, la pétillante rousse qui adore les échanges artistiques, s’est entourée de nouveau d’une pléiade d’auteurs et de compositeurs prestigieux dont Marianne Trudel, Stanley Péan, Anthony Rozankovic, Charly Bouchara, Claude André, Mario Peluso, Luc Beaugrand, Frédéric Alarie, Nathalie Baroud, Véronique Bellemare Brière et Amandine Paccioni. Le résultat est un collier de perles lumineuses porteuses de thèmes humanistes comme l’unité, l’amour, la beauté, le souvenir, la maternité, et la découverte de soi.

Le Coeur A L'Endroit

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Brian Charette - Good Tipper

Size: 133,8 MB
Time: 57:36
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Hammond B-3
Art: Front

01. Good Tipper (3:24)
02. Time Of The Season (4:31)
03. Spring Is Here (3:53)
04. Cuando Cuando Cuando (4:18)
05. Another Quarter (4:11)
06. Standing Still (4:08)
07. You Only Live Twice (3:55)
08. Wichita Lineman (6:28)
09. Up Up And Away (4:49)
10. One And Nine (7:17)
11. To Live In Your Life (5:24)
12. The Kicker (5:13)

Barely six months after issuing his for album for Posi-Tone Records, B3 maestro Brian Charette returns with Good Tipper, another small-combo excursion expected out October 7, 2014 from Posi-Tone Records. Returning with Yotam Silberstein (guitar) and Mark Ferber (drums) for four tracks, Charette works with another guitar/drums combo of Avi Rothbard and Jordan Young for the remaining eight.

Charette doesn’t slow down for this one, he hops to it right out the gate with his original, the title song, a lively tune with the leader playing bop sax lines on his B3. And on “Standing Still,” another one of his compositions, he takes this waltz and manages to make it groove.

Rothbard does more than play guitar, contributing two tunes (“Another Quarter” and “One And Nine”). “Another Quarter” is a 60s-style boogaloo, where Charette’s stinging tone for his solo is another instance of him doing a something a little unexpected. Joe Sucato guests on “One And Nine,” a Brazilian shuffle, and his tenor sax portrays Stan Getz’s own approach to this style. Rothbard’s guitar is no slouch, either; his clean and supple lines makes a good better (check out Richard Rodgers’ “Spring Is Here” for proof).

The covers, which comprise of more than half of the album, makes Charette’s interpretive skills a major focus on this album, and interestingly, he draws heavily from the mid-to-late 60s pop canon. Yep, “Wichita Lineman” is in here, as is another Jimmy Webb classic, “Up Up and Away.” On the former, the song begins to truly soar when Rothbard takes over in the last two and a half minutes, and Silberstein and Charette harmonize well together on the latter. The Zombies hit “Time Of The Season” was also a good choice because it’s an organ-heavy Rod Argent song. Argent is nearly as key of the development or the organ in rock as Jimmy Smith in jazz, and Charette sets himself apart from most jazz organists by drawing from that important influence in equal measure.

Charette adds pizzazz to the Al Martino Brazilian ditty “Cuando Cuando Cuando,” but Silverstein steals the show with his funky technique and comping that is very perceptive of what Charette is doing on organ. The hard swinging “The Kicker” makes it two albums in a row where Charette tips his hat to the later tenor sax giant Joe Henderson. On this one, the last track, Charette sets the place on fire with his right hand runs, and the proceedings are capped off by Young’s hard driving drum solo.

Good Tipper is a return back to organ jazz basics for Brian Charette, who still can’t help putting a refreshingly different spin on things. Nevertheless, he demonstrates here that he’s got the fundamentals down, as he roots down for yet another satisfying outing. ~S. Victor Aaron

Good Tipper

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Maria Jacobs - Here Comes Winter

Size: 103,6 MB
Time: 44:15
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Holiday
Art: Front

01. Here Comes Winter (3:26)
02. Til' Forever Comes (5:08)
03. Fall In Love Again (2:56)
04. Never Will I Marry (2:20)
05. Time After Time (4:16)
06. Case Of You (5:13)
07. In My Room (4:46)
08. Art Of Saying Goodbye (4:36)
09. From Both Sides Now (4:47)
10. River (4:03)
11. My God Is Here (2:40)

Maria Jacobs has grown quite a bit since her earlier days when she sang jazz in Los Angeles. Born in Cleveland, she spent 11 years performing in L.A. before returning to the Midwest. Maria has since opened up her repertoire to include her own originals, folk songs (including several by Joni Mitchell), and any material that suits her interests and her voice. She has expanded her range, both vocally and in the subject matter and styles that she explores.

Maria’s previous CD, Art Of The Duo, featured her performing duets with four different musicians including guitarist Bob Fraser. Her fifth CD as a lead
er, Here Comes Winter, matches the singer with Fraser on all but one of the 11 selections. Brian Wildman or Bob Curry play bass on five numbers, keyboardist David Strieter is on one song, and Cliff Habian is heard on piano during a duet performance of “Fall In Love Again” in addition to contributing background string patches to four selections. Otherwise the music is all Jacobs and Fraser. The result is one of the singer’s most rewarding showcases to date.

On Here Comes Winter, Maria Jacobs performs three songs on which she wrote both the lyrics and the music, two others that she co-composed with Cliff Habian, three Joni Michell songs, Brian Wilson’s “In My Room,” and two jazz standards. While the emphasis is on slower tempos with close interplay between the singer and the guitarist, there is a lot of variety to the performances and they always hold on to one’s attention. Whether making high notes sound effortless, displaying quiet passion, or cutting loose like the best Broadway singer (one could imagine her “Fall In Love Again” being in a show), she is quite impressive. But in addition, Maria Jacobs often sings with quiet and restrained passion, sounding quite fetching on some of the more haunting pieces.

Among the highpoints of this excellent set are the melancholy and thoughtful original ballad “Here Comes Winter,” the modern torch song “Till Forever Comes,” and a wonderful version of the Joni Mitchell classic “From Both Sides Now.” On “Never Will I Marry,” Maria hints at Nancy Wilson a bit and expertly scats a Cannonball Adderley solo.

Here Comes Winter, a milestone in the career of Maria Jacobs, is easily recommended. ~Scott Yanow

Le Here Comes Winter

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Donald Brown - French Kiss

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 61:32

Size: 140.9 MB

Styles: Hard bop, Piano jazz

Year: 2010

Art: Front

[7:25] 1. Utopia

[6:47] 2. The Mcghaw's Place

[7:34] 3. Keep' Takin' Me Higher

[6:51] 4. Pomponio

[6:00] 5. All My Yesterday's

[6:19] 6. Mr Day Dream

[8:08] 7. French Kiss

[3:51] 8. A Poem For Martin

[3:56] 9. Smile

[4:37] 10. 49th Street

Donald Brown's series of recordings for the French label during the 1990s shows a continuous growth from his earlier dates for Muse. He puts his own stamp on McCoy Tyner's thunderous "Utopia" and compelling ballad "All My Yesterdays." Brown's dazzling introduction to Charlie Chaplin's "Smile" gives it an entirely new face, while he sizzles on Bill Mobley's "49th Street" in a sparkling duet with guitarist Jerome Barde. Brown's compositions were recorded by a number of other artists during the 1990s for a good reason: they stood out from the mass of new works that appeared during that time. The pianist's originals on this CD include the catchy but not overly sentimental "The McGhaw's Place"; "French Kiss," which features lively percussion by Billy Kilson and an infectious vamp that continues to inspire the musicians; and, finally, "A Poem for Martin," a somewhat dark Latin-flavored piece featuring percussionist Anga Diaz. This is yet another excellent CD by Donald Brown. ~Ken Dryden

French Kiss

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Beverly Kenney - Born To Be Blue

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 36:11
Size: 82.9 MB
Styles: EasyListening
Year: 1959/2013
Art: Front

[3:33] 1. Born To Be Blue
[2:21] 2. It's A Blue World
[3:06] 3. Somewhere Along The Way
[2:19] 4. Again
[3:11] 5. For All We Know
[2:45] 6. It Only Happens When I Dance With You
[2:35] 7. Go Away, My Love!
[2:34] 8. Isn't It A Pity
[2:56] 9. Beyond The Next Hill
[2:28] 10. Where Can I Go Without You
[3:00] 11. Vanity
[2:53] 12. I Walk A Little Faster
[2:24] 13. You Couldn't Be Cuter

Born to Be Blue captures Beverly Kenney at her most intimate and compelling. Created in collaboration with arrangers Hal Mooney and Charles Albertine, the music channels the emotional depth of the blues with startling clarity, employing Kenney's deep, commanding vocals to vividly poignant effect. Mooney and Albertine forgo excess and sentimentality in favor of stark simplicity, architecting taut modern jazz contexts that shift the spotlight squarely on Kenney's vocals. Her readings of familiar songs like "For All We Know" are forged from both resiliency and vulnerability, articulating an emotional depth matched by few singers of her era. ~Jason Ankeny

Born To Be Blue

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Jimmy Rushing - Vanguard Visionaries

Bitrate: 320K/s

Time: 51:38

Size: 118.2 MB

Styles: Jazz blues, Vocal jazz

Year: 2007

Art: Front

[5:42] 1. Dinah

[5:21] 2. Pennies From Heaven

[6:00] 3. Oh Love

[3:34] 4. Goin' To Chicago

[3:36] 5. Sent For You Yesterday

[3:38] 6. Boogie Woogie

[5:15] 7. Good Morning Blues

[7:28] 8. Evenin'

[5:09] 9. See See Rider

[5:51] 10. Don't Cry Baby

This ten-cut sampler of blues and jazz great Jimmy Rushing compiles cuts from his three mid-'50s LPs for Vanguard -- Listen to the Blues, Jimmy Rushing Sings The Blues, and Oh Love. Most of tunes have been compiled on larger anthologies such as the Essential Jimmy Rushing and Every Day. There are fine performances on this set, such as his readings of "See See Rider," Count Basie's "Boogie Woogie," "Evenin'," and "Goin' to Chicago." From the jazz side of his oeuvre is the Johnny Burke-Arthur Johnston standard "Pennies from Heaven," "Sent for You Yesterday," and "Dinah." While these are among his best sides as a solo performer, hearing his work with the Count Basie big band is the real place to encounter Rushing in his prime, but it's hard to beat this for the price. ~Thom Jurek

Vanguard Visionaries 

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Melvin Rhyne - Tomorrow Yesterday Today

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 60:54
Size: 139.4 MB
Styles: Hard Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 2004
Art: Front

[4:27] 1. Lover, Come Back To Me
[7:30] 2. Buffalo
[7:02] 3. Jingles I
[6:20] 4. Darn That Dream
[4:48] 5. Niambi
[6:03] 6. Five Flat Minor
[7:15] 7. Enchantment
[7:20] 8. Tangerine
[4:11] 9. Easy Living
[5:54] 10. Jingles II

The 68-year-old Melvin Rhyne, a key member of Wes Montgomery's original Riverside trio from 1959 to 1964, still sounds on top of his game as evidenced on Tomorrow, Yesterday, Today (Criss Cross). Joined by guitarist and frequent collaborator Peter Bernstein and ubiquitous session drummer Kenny Washington, Rhyne swings forcefully on snappy renditions of "Lover Come Back to Me" and "Tangerine" as well as on two separate versions of Wes Montgomery's "Jingles" (which Rhyne recorded with the guitarist in 1959). They are joined by tenor saxophonist Tad Shull on Kenny Dorham's rollicking shuffle "Buffalo" and on straightforward ballad readings of "Darn That Dream" and "Easy Living." ~Bill Milkowski

Tomorrow Yesterday Today

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Lionel Hampton Feat. Sylvia Bennett - There Will Never Be Another You

Styles: Vocal And Vibraphone Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:46
Size: 109,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:01)  1. Just One of Those Things
(2:44)  2. There Will Never Be Another You
(6:01)  3. Cookin' In The Kitchen (a.k.a. Jumpin' At The Mudhole)
(3:14)  4. Sweet Man of Mine
(3:12)  5. Beulah's Boogie
(2:29)  6. Bill Bailey
(3:35)  7. It Might As Well Be Spring
(4:00)  8. Together
(5:05)  9. Red Top
(3:17) 10. Please Love Me
(3:36) 11. Someday
(3:34) 12. You Make My Heart Sing
(3:53) 13. You Make My Heart Sing (Remix)

Legendary vibraphonist Lionel Hampton auditioned Italian-born vocalist Sylvia Bennett in the early '80s, hired her on the spot to sing with his band, and subsequently recorded two albums with her. The first, Sentimental Journey, received a Grammy Award nomination, but the second, recorded in 1989 when Hamp was a frisky eighty years old, sat neglected for reasons unknown ever since and is only now being heard for the first time. And it's high time, too. To state the case as clearly as possible, the album is a sheer delight. Hamp plays marvelously in front of a large ensemble comprised of south Florida's finest sidemen, and Bennett weighs in with charming vocals on seven tracks, including two contrasting versions of "You Make My Heart Sing (the second marred by electronic gimmickry and pointless commentary by Lionel). 

One can easily hear why Hampton thought so much of Bennett; her diction is crystal-clear, she sings squarely on-key, respects (and sells) a lyric, and even though she's essentially a pop singer, she knows how to swing when necessary. Oh, and she has a really nice voice. The album alternates between vocals and instrumentals, with Hamp taking almost all the solos on the latter, which include "Just One of Those Things, "Cookin' in the Kitchen, "Beulah's Boogie, "It Might as Well Be Spring, "Red Top and "Someday. Bennett is warm and enchanting, especially on "Another You, a Brazilian-flavored "Bill Bailey and "Together. Good as the album is, however, there's even more to savor a thirty-minute companion DVD that explains more fully how the albums came about and shows Hamp and Bennett in action, so to speak (even though a large part of the footage has obviously been re-created, Bennett is lip-synching the lyrics some in Hamp's kitchen! and several clips of Lionel leading his band were clearly borrowed from other sources and are unrelated to these sessions). 

There are, however, brief but engaging scenes (and stills) of Hamp's band in concert with Bennett as vocalist (including a date at President Ronald Reagan's inauguration in '86). And we learn, for example, that Hamp came to Miami after the tracks for this album had been recorded, adding his vibe (and piano) solos and backgrounds seamlessly to the mix. Works perfectly too; one couldn't tell from listening that he wasn't there when the band was in the studio. Due credit here to the great work by producer/writer/arranger Hal Batt, who's scarcely mentioned on the album but is prominent on the DVD. Hampton and Bennett were a perfect fit, their second album together is remarkable, and it's a shame they didn't record together more often. But at least we have this one better late than never and it's a consistently impressive eye-opener. ~ Jack Bowers  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/there-will-never-be-another-you-lionel-hampton-out-of-sight-music-review-by-jack-bowers.php#.VC81yRawTP8
 

Personnel: Lionel Hampton: leader, vibraphone, synthesizer; Mike Lewis: conductor; Sylvia Bennett: vocals; Jim Hacker, Brett Murphy, Tony Luschen, John Georgini: trumpet; Neil Bonsanti, Billy Ross, Chip McNeill, Jeff King, Whit Sidner: reeds; Phil Gray, Tom Garling, Dana Teboe, Greg Cox: trombone; Hal Batt: keyboards, guitar, bass; Bobby Pancoast: keyboards; Dave Hardman (1-10,13), Gotz Kujack (11,12): drums; Sammy Figueroa: percussion.

There Will Never Be Another You

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Richie Kaye's Music and Mirth - The Last Whoop Dee Doo!

Styles: Jazz, Swing
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:41
Size: 140,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:26)  1. The Days of Wine and Roses
(1:57)  2. Over the Rainbow
(2:58)  3. Put on a Happy Face
(1:41)  4. Beboperoni Here Comes Tony!
(2:34)  5. Black Orpheus
(2:59)  6. Sittin' on Top of the World
(1:53)  7. I've Got a Crush on You
(1:48)  8. Zip Zappity (To the Tune of My Blue Heaven)
(1:45)  9. Lady Be Good
(1:59) 10. Jeepers Creepers
(2:18) 11. I'm Through With Love
(2:01) 12. Honeysuckle Rose
(1:53) 13. Take Five
(2:41) 14. Clarinet Medley (Sweet Sue / Frenesi)
(1:54) 15. Way Down Yonder in New Orleans
(2:44) 16. My Old Flame (Live @ The Syracuse Jazz Festival)
(1:54) 17. Clarinet Ragatony
(3:10) 18. I Can't Get Started
(3:27) 19. La Mer
(4:05) 20. Green Dolphin Street
(3:10) 21. Out of Nowhere
(3:32) 22. (In a Shanty in Old) Shantytown
(1:43) 23. Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams
(2:12) 24. Harlem Nocturne
(1:43) 25. I Love Lucy

Down in the dumps? Need a pick-me-up? You've got a smile-maker in your hands! 25 tracks of classic American jazz for your entertainment and delight. No heavy lifting needed with this album. It's all melody, all the time. Lyrical and fulfilling, with the occasional comic air that will make you say, I'm glad I listened! Go ahead, put this album on your player! You'll hear two (and sometimes three) happy-go-lucky music-makers who play acoustic instruments without modern gimmicks. Guitar and saxophone aren't often recorded together so simply and plainly not since the swing era just these two make a really full sound. Almost like an entire (gulp) orchestra! "We know that people are aching to hear familiar, upbeat American song," says Richie Kaye. "We know because they tell us so, wherever we play, even in the subway," where the duo performs with the Music Under New York program. "The biggest tips are given whenever we play something upbeat and positive, something that reminds people that life is pretty darn great."  Whether that tune is "The Days of Wine and Roses," the opening number of this album, done in a spirited Latin style, or "Put on a Happy Face," from the 1957 musical, Bye Bye Birdie, with its jaunty, peppy hook and abundant good feeling listeners relax their tense shoulders and smile, oh, so broadly. Hey, I'm happy! 

And the musicality of this duo (and sometime trio) is spectacular, as you can hear in the virtuosic saxophone playing of Tony LaVorgna on "I Can't Get Started," amply complemented by Richie Kaye's nuanced rhythmic support on archtop guitar. Sam Kuslan adds a delightful touch of youthful and spirited piano excellence in "On Green Dolphin Street," moving it forward with a pulse which will make you want to get up and dance. Once in a while, the duo ventures into the bittersweet of life with moving renditions of "Black Orpheus," from the Brasilian movie of the same name, one of the few recordings on which clarinet plays the melody, and "Over the Rainbow," from the 1939 film everybody loves, "The Wizard of Oz." Tony's haunting tone echoes a humanity that is entirely captivating. The duo love to play what used to be called "novelty numbers" in variety performance a genre that has all but disappeared. Going down south for an old time revue number, "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans," you might imagine yourself in a club in the French Quarter. And how many jazz musicians have ever recorded "I Love Lucy?" Richie does a mighty fine Ricky! Listeners will love the variety: ballads, swing, stage numbers, novelty, Latin, comedy. This album has something for everyone. If you listen to it, you'll be smiling. And then you'll listen again and again!  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/richiekaye3

RICHIE KAYE (guitar, voice) was seen on vaudeville stages in a past life. He finds inspiration in the comic stage performers of the first half of the 20th century as much as he does in the jazz guitar players of the latter half. Richie has performed in clubs, on theatrical stages, in audiobooks and on TV in the US and Asia, including Tokyo TV, East China TV, the Syracuse Jazz Festival, the International Festival of Arts & Ideas and other venues.

TONY LAVORGNA (saxophone, clarinet) was on the road by age 19 with the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra and more recently the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra as featured soloist. His own CD, The Atlanta All-Star Quartet Plays Bill Evans won the National Association of Recording Arts and Sciences award for best jazz recording. Tony recently recorded with Benny Goodman band bass player, Bill Crow.

SAM KUSLAN (piano, tracks 12 & 20) lives in New Orleans, where he plays piano and sings. He was 17 at the time of this recording. Sam has performed at the New Orleans Jazz Festival, New York City’s Steinway Hall. the New Orleans Mint and clubs in the French Quarter.

The Last Whoop Dee Doo!

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Adam Rogers - Time And The Infinite

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:11
Size: 133,5 MB
Art: Front

( 5:32)  1. Night And Day
( 5:39)  2. Elegy
( 3:18)  3. Time and The Infinite
( 7:05)  4. Young And Foolish
( 6:40)  5. Cheryl
( 5:20)  6. Esteban
( 8:51)  7. Without A Song
( 5:19)  8. Ides Of March
(10:22)  9. I Loves You, Porgy

While Adam Rogers is no stranger to the standards songbook, the guitarist's three releases as a leader have focused almost entirely on his challenging yet accessible compositions. They've also utilized the same personnel. Art of the Invisible (Criss Cross, 2001) introduced a guitar/piano/bass/drums quartet that would, with the addition of saxophone, flesh out to a consistent quintet for Allegory (Criss Cross, 2002) and Apparitions (Criss Cross, 2005). Time and the Infinite pares things back to a trio, and while there are still four Rogers compositions, the majority of the disc is focused on workouts of standards from Cole Porter, Charlie Parker, George Gershwin and others. But anyone who knows Rogers knows that even the most well-worn tune is going to be approached with invention. While Rogers never loses site of the core of tunes like "Night and Day" and "I Loves You Porgy," his re-harmonization and addition of metric complexities keep them modern and relevant. Bassist Scott Colley is back, but for this date Rogers has recruited drummer Bill Stewart one of the most melodic and flexible drummers on the contemporary scene. 

It's a winning combination that allows for the fiery burn of "Night and Day," where Rogers adds an additional 3/4 bar to lend some tension, and a knotty ending vamp that provides Stewart with a challenging foundation for his solo. The requisite swing of Charlie Parker's "Cheryl" is placed slightly off-kilter by making it a thirteen-bar blues, while the bossa approach of the Vincent Youmans classic "Without a Song" is more straightforward, relying instead on Rogers' focused sense of solo construction to create an ongoing sense of tension and release. The greater responsibility of being the only chordal instrument is no problem for Rogers. His solos adhere to the changes either through the inherent implication of melodic development or through interjection of chordal movement while building detailed and often remarkably deft linear phrases. For the most part Rogers relies on a warm hollow body electric tone, though he adds some textural diversity with a nylon string acoustic guitar on the standard "Young and Foolish" and his own Latin-tinged "Esteban" and title track. 

Rogers' own compositions, while distinguished by more adventuresome constructs, remain in context through the modernization he applies to the standards surrounding them. The title track is a through-composed piece that begins in Ralph Towner territory, but ultimately opens into a more abstract middle section with Colley's beautiful arco delivering the spare but lengthy melody. "Ides of March" is even more intricate, all the more remarkable for the trio's uncanny and natural ability to navigate through it. Rogers' previous Criss Cross releases have demonstrated significant growth. The change in context of Time and the Infinite, with its mix of original composition and fresh takes on familiar tunes, presents a new side to Rogers, but one that's totally consistent with his existing body of work. ~ John Kelman  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/time-and-the-infinite-adam-rogers-criss-cross-review-by-john-kelman.php#.VDK2JhawTP8

Personnel: Adam Rogers: guitar; Scott Colley: bass; Bill Stewart: drums.

Time And The Infinite

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Al DeLory - Hot Gandinga

Styles: Latin, Cuban, Salsa
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:17
Size: 90,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:48)  1. Salsa Canon
(3:24)  2. Chanchullo
(5:58)  3. Hot Gandinga
(3:28)  4. Amor
(4:00)  5. Cachita
(4:00)  6. Zum Zum Babae
(3:56)  7. Salsa Mode
(4:41)  8. Guantanamera
(4:58)  9. La Pegadita

Al Delory needs no introduction to those who listen to the radio. Al DeLory was keyboard player in Phil Spector's famous and now legendary "Wrecking Crew" helping to create the "Wall of Sound" on hundreds of hit records for artists and groups in the 60's. Al DeLory... asked by executives at Capitol Records to produce Glen Campbell's third album, which then continued a music legacy of producing, arranging, and conducting dozens of recording sessions for major artists including Anne Murray, Wayne Newton, and The Lettermen.  

Al DeLory earned two Grammys, six Grammy nominations, and a multitude of gold and platinum records. Al DeLory again returns to his roots, presenting his second CD of sensuous Latin songs passionately selected and recorded with the signature style that only Al DeLory delivers. Hot Gandinga's spicy, saucy, salsa dance recipes immediately bring out authentic flavors set to entice. Hot Gandinga has yet another surprise, Al DeLory's daughter Donna, who sings on two selections, bringing together for the first time the professional music talents of both. ”Hot Gandinga" and Al DeLory's first Salsa CD "Floreado"... both Latin music essentials. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/aldelory2

Hot Gandinga

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