Saturday, November 29, 2014

Harry Roy & His Band - S/T

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 37:41
Size: 86.3 MB
Styles: Big band
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[2:54] 1. Bugle Call Rag
[3:13] 2. Casa Loma Stomp
[3:25] 3. The Roy Rag
[2:55] 4. Alexander's Ragtime Band
[3:03] 5. Canadian Capers
[3:01] 6. She Had To Go And Lose It At The Astor
[2:52] 7. Tiger Rag
[3:22] 8. Somebody Stole My Gal
[3:31] 9. Twelfth Street Rag
[3:21] 10. Nobody's Sweetheart
[2:50] 11. Porcupine Rag
[3:08] 12. Temptation Rag

Alf Horton, Arthur Calkin, Basil Kirchin, Bert Wilton, Dave Kaye, Dick Boothroyd, Harry Goss, Harry Roy, Ivor Moreton, Jack Collins, Joe Arbiter, Maurice Sterndale, Norman White, Tommy Porter, Tommy Venn.

Harry Roy is best remembered for having led a popular swing band in England and throughout portions of the British Empire during the 1930s. Roy was born Harry Lipman in London, England, on January 12, 1900, and as a teenager he worked in his father's carton manufactory, studying various musical instruments during his free time. In 1919, when the Original Dixieland Jazz Band wowed the crowds in London, young Harry was dazzled by Larry Shields and took up the clarinet. In 1921, he formed a band with his brother, pianist Syd Lipman. They called their group the Darmswells, but when the O.D.J.B. ended their run at the Hammersmith Palais de Danse the Roy Brothers Original Lyrical Five took their place. This was a variation on yet another of their various titles, the Original Crichton Lyrical Orchestra. The now Anglicized "Roys" waxed a test pressing for Columbia in 1922 and made their first issued recordings for Vocalion in 1927 as the Crichton Lyricals. Over the next few years their music became available to the public on the Guardsman, Coliseum, Aco, Scala, Crown, Beltona, Imperial, and Crystalate record labels. The Lyricals played all of the best halls and clubs in London, visited Paris, then toured Australia, Tasmania, and South Africa in 1928. They cut two sides for the Broadcast label in 1929 and visited Berlin in 1930, providing live entertainment and making a few more phonograph records. Harry was a born showman, comedian, and vocalist who specialized in songs like "I Wonder How I Look When I'm Asleep?"

Harry became the leader of a new enlarged version of the band in 1931, with Syd assuming managerial duties. The Harry Roy Orchestra spent half a year serenading patrons before and betwixt motion picture screenings at RKO's Leicester Square Theatre, opened at the London Pavillion in 1932, and broadcast over BBC radio from the Café Anglais in 1933. Their theme song was now established as the "Bugle Call Rag." Roy's band distinguished itself at the Mayfair Hotel in 1934 and remained there until 1936. In 1935, Harry married "Princess Pearl" Eliza Vyner Brooke, daughter of Charles Vyner Brooke, the last white Rajah of the state of Sarawak in Northwestern Borneo. The Harry Roy Orchestra even appeared in motion pictures: "Everything in Heaven" was released in 1935, starring vocalists Princess Pearl and Mabel Mercer, and "Rhythm Racketeers" followed in 1936.

Harry Roy's Orchestra enjoyed a successful tour of South America in 1938 and toured consistently throughout England and the Middle East during the Second World War, after which Roy attempted to perform in the United States of America but was unable to obtain a work permit. His band resumed playing the Café Anglais in 1949. Soon afterward he dissolved his band and opened a restaurant. His last-known public appearance was with a quartet in 1969. Roy fell ill and passed away in London on February 2, 1971. ~bio by arwulf arwulf

Harry Roy & His Band

Marcos Valle & Stacey Kent - Ao Vivo: Comemorando Os 50 Anos De Marcos Valle

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 68:00
Size: 155.7 MB
Styles: Bossa Nova, Brazilian jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[4:40] 1. The White Puma (Puma Branco)
[5:55] 2. Look Who's Mine (Dia De Vitória)
[4:22] 3. The Face I Love (Seu Encanto)
[3:33] 4. The Answer (A Resposta)
[4:33] 5. Drift Away
[5:14] 6. Summer Samba (Samba De Verão)
[3:23] 7. Gente
[4:21] 8. Passa Por Mim
[4:12] 9. Batucada Surgiu
[4:52] 10. La Petite Valse
[6:27] 11. If You Went Away (Preciso Aprender A Ser Só)
[3:59] 12. Pigmalião 70
[4:37] 13. The Crickets (Os Grilos)
[2:47] 14. She Told Me, She Told Me (Sonho De Lugar)
[4:58] 15. My Nightingale

A really wonderful collaboration – completely unexpected, and a fresh chapter in the career of both artists too! The set was done in celebration of Marcos Valle's 50 years in music – and features Marcos himself on acoustic piano and a bit of vocals, Stacey Kent on lead vocals, and some guest tenor sax from Jim Tomlinson! The setting is lean, mostly small group backing, but full of feeling – thanks partly to Stacey's expressive vocal performance, but also to Valle's still-great sense of timing and tone – which makes the arrangements very different than Kent's usual bag. Stacey really takes the vocal lead on most of the record – and the bossa setting is a great one for her style – and arrangements are by Valle and Jesse Sadoc, who leads the combo on trumpet.

Ao Vivo: Comemorando Os 50 Anos De Marcos Valle  

Art Hodes - I Remember Bessie

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 59:35
Size: 136.4 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[4:17] 1. Baby Won't You Please Come Home
[3:38] 2. Alexander's Ragtime Band
[3:37] 3. You've Got To Give Me Some
[3:28] 4. Yonder Comes The Blues
[3:37] 5. Cake Walkin' Babies From Home
[4:31] 6. Back Water Blues
[3:29] 7. Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out
[3:31] 8. At A Georgia Camp Meeting
[4:08] 9. You've Been A Good Ole Wagon
[4:10] 10. Slow And Easy Man
[3:39] 11. Yellow Dog Blues
[3:34] 12. A Good Man Is Hard To Find
[3:44] 13. St. Louis Blues
[0:19] 14. Mayor Calling
[3:33] 15. After You've Gone
[2:22] 16. Cake Walkin' Babies From Home (Alt)
[3:51] 17. Gee, Baby, Ain't I Good To You

The end of World War II remains the most profound demarcation in jazz history. Jazz changed so radically and abruptly after 1945 that fans of the music split into two bickering camps. Pre-war jazz fans argued that their music had structure, charm and romanticism that post-war jazz lacked. Post-war jazz fans countered that their music was about individualism, advocacy and daring—viewing pre-war jazz as archaic, formulaic and dull.

Pianist Art Hodes [pronounced HOE-deeze] was considered a pre-war pianist and often expressed bewilderment and exasperation with modern forms like bebop. But in retrospect, his approach in the decades following the war seemed to be routinely updated, particularly in his voicings. Yet Hodes' name is all but forgotten today, disregarded by decades of post-war jazz fans deaf to the music of the '20s and '30s. Hodes deserves better.

In September 1976, Hodes recorded at a Santa Monica, Calif., bungalow of a friend. There was a Yamaha grand there along with superb engineering by Cecil Spiller. The theme Hodes chose for the session was songs made famous by singer Bessie Smith. One by one, Hodes applies his deliberate, textured style to songs like You've Got to Give Me Some, Yonder Come the Blues and Cake Walkin' Babies From Home.

Now Art Hodes: I Remember Bessie (Delmark) is out for the first time on CD with previously unreleased tracks. This is a thrilling album for many reasons. First, the sound is fantastic—Hodes is practically in your room. Second, Hodes is a positively glorious soloist—rekindling the joy and excitement of pre-war jazz. But even more important, Hodes performs as if singing through his hands, growing soft and loud in different places and tossing in a mini solo here and there with the most unusual fingering.

What I find particularly miraculous is how he offers something completely different in each bar. It's almost impossible to conceive how one person could be playing. In Hodes' hands, you hear the blues, Bessie's bossy voice and the early architecture of R&B piano, with its snap and stride. Hodes would probably insist that what you're hearing is just pre-war jazz—over easy. ~Marc Myers

I Remember Bessie

Tom Graf - Smokin'

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 34:51
Size: 79.8 MB
Styles: Crossover jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[4:45] 1. Smokin'
[3:35] 2. Samba 60
[4:20] 3. Gela
[5:05] 4. Changes
[4:23] 5. Set Your Soul Free
[4:17] 6. On The Way
[3:56] 7. I'm In Love
[4:26] 8. Voyage

Tom Graf's melodies and underlying harmonic structure are a focus of this CD. The talented musicians making the music come alive are familiar faces on recordings across the spectrum of jazz, latin, and rhythm and blues. David K. Mathews (currently with Santana) arranged the compositions with help from, and overall production by, Ray Obiedo. This is the way smooth jazz used to sound when played by the likes of Freddy Hubbard, Milt Jackson, and Wes Montgomery. Just sit down and get ready to take a journey through latin, samba, straight-ahead, tango, and blues moods.

Ray Obiedo, David K. Mathews, Amikaeyla, Mike Olmos, Marc Russo, Michael Spiro, Harvey Wainaple, Norbert Stachel. Released 07 November 2014

Smokin'

Melora Hardin - All The Way To Mars

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:59
Size: 145,0 MB
Art: Front

(2:45)  1. Raise The Roof
(4:28)  2. You (Once Tomorrow Now Yesterday)
(4:06)  3. All Messed Up
(2:09)  4. Everybody Says Don't
(4:44)  5. Close To You
(3:15)  6. A Boy And His Cat
(3:06)  7. I Never Meant To Hurt You
(3:09)  8. Fading Away
(2:03)  9. He's So Married
(4:29) 10. Makin' Love
(2:56) 11. Ride Your Rocket
(4:15) 12. Girl Talk
(3:58) 13. Teenager
(3:21) 14. Everything Must Change
(3:59) 15. I Dreamed A Dream
(6:55) 16. Roxie
(3:13) 17. Come Home With Me For Christmas

"Hardin displays a distinct dexterity with comedic material too rarely represented on recordings of singer/actors and cabaret artists of her ilk." ~ Pat Cerasaro, BroadwayWorld.com, January 2010

"Hardin has proved with this album that she is equally at home on the screen, the stage and the recording studio." ~ Pat Cerasaro, BroadwayWorld.com, January 2010

"Melora Hardin's new album  All The Way To Mars traverses the galaxy in a madcap manner most immediately reminiscent of a `60s cocktail hour album and for that frivolous and fun factor alone it deserves high praise..." ~ Pat Cerasaro, BroadwayWorld.com, January 2010

In February of 2010, Melora Hardin will add another jewel to her crown of achievements: Recording Artist. Having been a successful Hollywood actress since a very young age, music has always been a passion that she simply did not have the time to pursue. She landed Director Richard Jay-Alexander (who has worked with stars like Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler, Ricky Martin, Bernadette Peters, and Johnny Mathis) to build an act with her. It debuted in Los Angeles with stellar reviews, deeming it "a hit". She then continued acting, filming box office hits "17 Again" and "Hannah Montana: The Movie", all the while continuing to star in "The Office". 

Additionally, Hardin just made her directorial debut with the feature film entitled, "You," currently available on DVD and online at Amazon.Then along came an opportunity on Broadway and a stunning debut as `Roxie Hart' in the smash long-running hit, Chicago. Writing and performing songs since the age of 8, she has sung in many productions including the Disney feature "The Rocketeer" where she was honored to work with the legendary arranger Billy May. She also played the chanteuse ghost in the Disney TV movie "Tower of Terror" and a crazy cabaret singer in the short-lived series "Man & Machine" where she was produced by Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo fame. Hardin has previously self-released two albums of her original songs called "The Meloradrama" and "Purr" both of which have a large cult following.

While in production working in New Orleans this year on a new film called, "Knucklehead," due out April of 2010, in which she stars, she simultaneously recorded a live album titled, "All the Way to Mars" making this Hardin's first nationally distributed album. December 1st of this year Melora will also release a beautiful, original Christmas single titled, "Come Home with Me for Christmas" which people can download exclusively on iTun! es. With all that she's been doing it's a wonder how she still found the time to go in and record a full studio album. "All The Way To Mars" features songs from Broadway, standards, Pop, and a few that she wrote herself. People who have heard advances of the upcoming album are amazed by the versatility and range that Hardin exhibits. The album will be released on the LML Music Label February 9, 2010 and will be available in stores nationwide and online at Amazon & iTunes. Hardin currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband actor/writer, Gildart Jackson, and their two young daughters. ~ Editorial Reviews http://www.amazon.com/All-The-Way-To-Mars/dp/B002WHT168

Francesco Cafiso Quartet - Seven Steps To Heaven

Styles: Jazz, Neo-Bop
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:32
Size: 132,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:49)  1. Seven Steps To Heaven
(7:16)  2. Green Chimneys
(7:07)  3. Yesterdays
(9:44)  4. On The Trail
(8:08)  5. My Funny Valentine
(6:51)  6. Milestones
(5:33)  7. Crazeology
(6:00)  8. Skylark

Francesco Cafiso surprised the jazz world with his blazing chops in his early teens during a stunning duo concert with veteran pianist Franco D'Andrea. Several years afterward, he is working on developing a distinctive style of his own, which is a challenge for any young musician. These 2006 sessions mix well-known jazz compositions of the 1940s and 1950s with timeless standards, with the alto saxophonist backed by a solid rhythm section consisting of pianist Andrea Pozza, bassist Aldo Zunino, and drummer Nicola Angelucci. He shows off a bit in a wild treatment of Thelonious Monk's "Green Chimneys" that starts in a funky manner, shifts to an aggressive hard bop mood, and also has an unaccompanied solo section. Cafiso's spry take of "Yesterdays" proves convincing, while the exotic rhythm setting of "My Funny Valentine" takes this chestnut into somewhat new territory. There are times where Cafiso reveals his youth by forcing in odd quotes that prove to be more of a distraction than help to his improvisations. But this CD indicates that Francesco Cafiso is serious about a career in jazz and not merely a young flash in the pan who will flame out after a brief foray into the limelight. ~ Ken Dryden  http://www.allmusic.com/album/seven-steps-to-heaven-mw0000772797

Personnel: Andrea Pozza (piano); Nicola Angelucci (drums).

Maxine Sullivan With Scott Hamilton - Swingin' Sweet

Styles: Vocal And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1988
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:04
Size: 115,4 MB
Art: Front

(7:01)  1. Sweet Georgia Brown
(2:11)  2. As Long As I live
(3:15)  3. I Got A Right To Sing the Blues
(4:03)  4. Something To Remember You By
(2:58)  5. Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams (And Dream Your Troubles Away)
(3:43)  6. Georgia On My Mind
(3:12)  7. You Were Ment For Me
(3:48)  8. A Hundred Years From Today
(3:14)  9. Just One Of Those Things
(3:22) 10. I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby
(3:19) 11. I Hadn't Anyone Till You
(3:59) 12. Cheatin' On Me
(2:26) 13. You're Driving Me Crazy
(3:25) 14. Loch Lomond

Maxine Sullivan's final concert (although she would record part of her Jule Styne tribute studio album for Atlantic a few months later) is an excellent retrospective of her career. Joined by tenor saxophonist Scott Hamilton's quintet (with pianist John Bunch and guitarist Chris Flory), Sullivan performs for the final time some of her favorite numbers, including nostalgic and near-classic renditions of "As Long as I Live," "I Got a Right to Sing the Blues," "A Hundred Years From Today" and "You're Driving Me Crazy." Ironically, the final song that Maxine Sullivan sang was also the same tune that she had used to start her recording career back in 1937, "Loch Lomond." Recommended. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/swingin-sweet-mw0000197117

Personnel: Maxine Sullivan (vocals), Scott Hamilton (tenor sax), John Bunch (piano), Chris Flory (guitar), Phil Flanigan (bass), Chuck Riggs (drums).

Swingin' Sweet

Andre Charlier & Benoit Sourisse - Heritage

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:12
Size: 134,4 MB
Art: Front

(1:16)  1. Shabada Roots
(6:02)  2. At the Juke Joint
(3:36)  3. Worksong
(5:17)  4. L'Improbable Afrobeat
(4:01)  5. Ragtime Ragoût
(7:01)  6. Le Langage des Sages
(1:19)  7. Last Griot
(5:32)  8. Trio
(4:58)  9. Edge of Dream
(6:30) 10. Gravé Dans La Cire
(1:15) 11. Trompe-Oreilles
(4:27) 12. Sleepwalkers
(6:52) 13. Heritage

André Charlier - Born in Verviers (Belgium) on June 13th, 1962. André began the battery in 1978. He has study in Musician Institute of Los Angeles in 1985-1986. In 1988-1989, he began a series of tours with the singer Maurane (Belgian singer). At the end of this year of 1989 he was Prize-winner of the competition of the Defense. In 1991, he sees itself awarded the Price of the best soloist to the international competition of French-speaking jazz. André Charlier turns since 1993 on the stages of the whole world beside Didier Lockwood (quintet, quartet and trio), accompanies the harmonica player Jean-Jacques Milteau within various training courses (quartet, quintet, seven), drummer of the group of rhythm' blues Captain Mercier, Pierre-Jean Gaucher (Zappa project), Marc-Michel Le Bévillon seven, Romane Quartet. He notably played beside John Scofield, Michel Petrucciani, Scott Henderson, Michel Portal, Toots Thielemans, Mike Stern on the occasion of exceptional concerts. For some years, he develops his own music within the duet " CHARLIER-SOURISSE ". With which he recorded four CD with in guest Jerry Bergonzi (saxophone), Kenny Garrett (saxophone), Kurt Rosenwinkel (guitar) and Alex Sipiagin (Trumpet). André Charlier is co-director and responsible for the department battery (drum kit) in the CMDL (center of the music Didier Lockwood). Sponsored by batteries TAMA and cymbals PAISTE.

Benoît Sourisse - Born in 1964, this French pianist / organist has already revealed his improviser's talents as soloist, but also beside inescapable personality of the jazz. In 1994, Didier Lockwood suggests him participating in his various projects: in the piano, quintet and quartet (" Round About Silence ", on 1998) as well as in the organ Hammond (D. Lockwood Trio and " New Quartet " on 2003). Didier also confides him the musical direction of his albums: "Storyboard" recorded in 1996 in New York (Steve Gadd, James Genius, J.Di Francesco) - " Newspaper of a User of the Space 2 " (in 1999, Opera of D. Lockwood and Charlotte Nessi on a notebook of G.Perec). Sanctimonious realize orchestrations. "Tribute to Stéphane Grappelli" (in 2000 with Bireli Lagrène and N.H.O.P). These numerous tours give him the occasion to share the stage with Michel Petrucciani, Martial Solal, John Scofield, Michel Portal, Mike Stern, Toots Thielemans... And this mostly with his "alter ego"; André Charlier (to the battery) with whom he works for more than fifteen years. They dedicate both a big energy to their duet " Charlier / Sourisse ". Their album " Gemini " (where Sanctimonious mix the tones of the organ Hammond to those of the piano) taken out in April, 2001 presents, besides talented guests of the new French generation such as Stéphane Guillaume (soprano sax) and Olivier Ker Ourio (harmonica), one of the most appreciated of the saxophonists current tenors, Jerry Bergonzi. Big passionate person of Blues, co-founder in 1989 of the group " CAPTAIN haberdasher "; with which he gave more than 900 concerts, Sanctimonious also work today on Jean - Jacques Milteau's highly-rated within his various training courses (of the duet in seven). Fascinated by pedagogy, Benoît Sourisse teaches the improvisation to the Superior National Music academy of Lyon since 1988, as well as through of numerous "Masterclass" in all France. ~ Bio  http://charliersourisse.free.fr/biographies_en.html

With their third opus "Heritage", Andre Charlier and Benoit Sourisse invite us to travel through the paths of their musical roots, nursed by the organic and original elements of jazz: African rhythms (poetry of sounds and percussions) and European harmony light blend by the virgin soil of Louisiana. The album presents an encounter with American guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel (accompanist with Brad Mehldau, Mark Turner etc) whose unusual lyricism and phrasing pull him up to the rank of the biggest musicians today. Two high standing French musicians are also present: Stephane Guillaume (saxophone, clarinet) and Pierre Perchaud (guitar, banjo).  http://charliersourisse.free.fr/discographie_en.html