Daryl Sherman - I've Got My Fingers Crossed / Born To Swing

Album: I've Got My Fingers Crossed: A Celebration Of Jimmy McHugh
Size: 106,2 MB
Time: 44:50
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1991
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. I've Got My Fingers Crossed (3:39)
02. Top Of The Town (2:29)
03. I Just Found Out About Love (2:54)
04. Never Trust A Dream (4:03)
05. South American Way (2:02)
06. Hooray For Love (2:12)
07. I'm In The Mood For Love (1:47)
08. I'm Livin' In A Great Big Way (3:05)
09. Exactly Like You (3:09)
10. Where Are You (4:21)
11. Doin' The New Low Down (3:56)
12. Dream, Dream, Dream (3:16)
13. You're The One For Me (2:52)
14. On The Sunny Side Of The Street (4:58)

The fine swing singer Daryl Sherman pays tribute to composer Jimmy McHugh on this CD by performing 14 of his tunes, ranging from big hits to obscurities. Sherman sounds perfectly at home on such songs as "I've My Fingers Crossed," "South American Way" (introduced by Carmen Miranda), "I'm Livin' In a Great Big Way," "Doin' the New Lowdown" and "On the Sunny Side of the Street" among others. She is assisted on various songs by pianist Dave McKenna (otherwise Sherman is on piano), the reeds (clarinet, tenor and alto) of Ken Peplowski, veteran tenorman Eddie Barefield (on one of his final recordings), guitarist John Pizzarelli and bassist Jay Leonhart. The latter two occasionally join in with Sherman on vocal duets. Overall, this is an excellent tribute with plenty of subtle surprises. ~Review by Scott Yanow

I've Got My Fingers Crossed

---

Album: Born To Swing
Size: 140,0 MB
Time: 59:36
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2002
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. Breezin' Along With The Breeze (Feat. Kenny Davern) (3:33)
02. Maybe It's The Moon (4:12)
03. Trav'lin' All Alone (Feat. Kenny Davern) (4:30)
04. I Found A Million Dollar Baby (3:22)
05. I'm Just A Lucky So-And-So (Feat. Kenny Davern) (5:06)
06. The Kind Of Man A Woman Needs (3:49)
07. Pretty Eyed Baby (Feat. Kenny Davern) (3:50)
08. Try To Forget (4:15)
09. Happy As The Day Is Long (2:01)
10. I Double Dare You (Feat. Kenny Davern) (6:21)
11. Bittersweet (3:17)
12. What Kind O' Man Is You (3:28)
13. Bing Crosby Medley (7:41)
14. Born To Swing (Feat. Kenny Davern) (4:05)

One of the finest swing singers of the 1980s and '90s, and a masterful interpreter whose sweet voice sometimes recalls Mildred Bailey, Daryl Sherman displays plenty of versatility on this effort. She not only sings a few standards (including "Breezin' Along With the Breeze," "I Found a Million Dollar Baby," and "I'm Just a Lucky So-And-So") but uncovers some real obscurities, including Walter Donaldson's "Maybe It's the Moon," Mary Lou Williams' "Pretty Eyed Baby," Jerome Kern's "Try to Forget," and Billy Strayhorn's "Bittersweet." The personnel and instrumentation change from track to track with such notable players making strong contributions as cornetist Ed Polcer, trombonist Bob Havens, clarinetist Kenny Davern, pianist John Sheridan, guitarist James Chirillo, bassist Frank Tate, and drummer Joe Ascione. On six songs, Sherman also plays piano, faring quite well on "Happy As the Day Is Long." In addition, there is a "Bing Crosby Medley" that she shares with singer/bassist Jay Leonhart that has the two vocalists providing brief excerpts from a couple dozen songs in a "And Then I Wrote" fashion. The main star throughout is Daryl Sherman's very appealing voice. Particularly on ballads, she shows quite a bit of individuality and, although she expresses a lot of emotions, there is an inner joy to her voice. One never doubts that she loves to perform this music. ~Review by Scott Yanow

Born To Swing

---

Coleman Hawkins - Classics

Size: 148,1 MB
Time: 63:50
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Mainstream Jazz, Saxophone Jazz
Art: Front

01. Out Of Nowhere (3:41)
02. Body And Soul (3:14)
03. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To (4:15)
04. Mood Indigo (5:54)
05. One Note Samba (Samba De Uma Nota So) (5:58)
06. It Never Entered My Mind (5:47)
07. La Rosita (5:02)
08. O Pato (The Duck) (4:08)
09. Cocktails For Two (2:39)
10. Desafinado (5:45)
11. I Remember You (3:55)
12. Go Li'l Liza (6:22)
13. Intermezzo (3:35)
14. I'll Never Be The Same (3:28)

Coleman Hawkins was the first great saxophonist of Jazz. As a child he was a gifted musician. In 1922, Mamie Smith spotted him in Jesse Stone and his Blues Serenaders in Kansas City theatre and hired him away to play with her Jazz Hounds. Hawkins stayed with Smith until 1923, and appeared on some of her records. After leaving The Jazz Hounds, he played with Wilbur Sweatman and then made his first recordings with Fletcher Henderson. He joined Henderson's Orchestra in 1924 and stayed with him for the next ten years. In addition to his work with Henderson, he recorded with McKinney's Cotton Pickers, and with Red McKenzie's Mound City Blue Blowers in 1929. When he left Henderson in 1934 he moved to Europe, and stayed there until 1939 playing first with Jack Hylton's Orchestra in England and then traveling and recording throughout the continent. In 1937 he appeared on a famous recording date with Benny Carter, Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli. In 1939 as World War II started, Hawkins wisely returned to America. He recorded a version of "Body and Soul" in 1940 that became his most famous record. Hawkins was one of the few Hot Jazz musicians who made the shift to Be Bop in the Forties. He hired Thelonious Monk for his quartet in 1944 and led an early bop recording session the same year which included Dizzy Gillespie. He also hired Miles Davis and Max Roach to play on his bands early in their careers. In 1946 he recorded with J.J. Johnson and Fats Navarro. By the early 1950s, the innovations of Lester Young and Charlie Parker made Hawkins' style seem a bit old fashioned. However Hawkins was able to adapt to the changing currents in Jazz again, when he teamed up with Roy Eldridge. Throughout the rest Fifties and Sixties he appeared on records made by Thelonious Monk, Max Roach, Eric Dolphy and John Coltrane. In the early 1960s Coleman Hawkins recorded with Duke Ellington, and made a record with Sonny Rollins.

Classics

---

Leigh Barker & The New Sheiks - Flow Like Wine

Size: 116,0 MB
Time: 49:57
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz/Blues Vocals
Art: Front

01. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter ( 3:54)
02. It's All Coming Home To You ( 4:44)
03. Neighbourhood Blues ( 4:42)
04. Come On In My Kitchen ( 3:56)
05. Flow Like Wine ( 3:31)
06. Don't Fix My Blues ( 5:48)
07. Are You Lonesome Tonight ( 5:33)
08. Seven Years ( 5:02)
09. The Lonesome Gertrude (12:43)

Leigh Barker and his six-piece group, for the last five years touring under the moniker ‘The New Sheiks’ but now equally well known as the musical half of the innovative dance company the ‘Melbourne Rhythm Project’, continue to build on their reputation as one of the most engaging, entertaining and hard-swinging groups currently performing in the Australian Jazz Scene.

Saturday November 15th will see the launch of Barker’s seventh full length release: a CD and digital album titled ‘Flow Like Wine’. Drawn from several studio sources and live sessions during the band’s 2012 and 2013 touring schedule, the album features guest appearances by triple Bell Award winning saxophonist Julien Wilson, piano genius Steve Grant and to top it all off was mastered in New York by the great Rob ‘Wacko’ Hunter, full time sound engineer for all of Branford Marsalis’ various projects. Combined with the regular members Heather Stewart on violin and vocals, Eamon McNelis trumpet, Matt Boden piano, Don Stewart trombone and Sam Young on the drums, this may just be Barker’s most cohesive release to date.

Flow Like Wine

---

Jeff Sipe Trio - Jeff Sipe Trio

Size: 98,8 MB
Time: 41:20
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Funk, Fusion
Art: Front

01. Trumpets (2:57)
02. Alberta (4:14)
03. Banana Pudding (5:24)
04. April (3:15)
05. Lightning Man (6:00)
06. Renee (3:33)
07. Naima (5:11)
08. Home Town (4:23)
09. I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry (3:37)
10. Happy Evil Happy (2:42)

Two-time Grammy nominee Jeff Sipe brings together the incredible virtuosos Mike Seal on guitar and Taylor Lee on bass to form the Jeff Sipe Trio. An alumni of Berklee College of Music, Sipe has established himself as one of the greatest drummers in the United States. He has toured and/or recorded with highly renowned artists such as Bela Fleck, Phil Lesh, Jimmy Herring Band, Trey Anastasio Band, Derek Trucks, Col. Bruce Hampton & the Aquarium Rescue Unit and many others.

Jeff Sipe Trio

---

Andy Cowan - After The Rain

Size: 100,9 MB
Time: 42:31
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Contemporary Blues, Blues Soul
Art: Front

01. With You In Mind (3:44)
02. What Good Am I (3:28)
03. Janelle (2:51)
04. Hold On To Me (3:58)
05. Make You Feel My Love (4:02)
06. Back When We Were Beautiful (3:11)
07. When You Smile (3:28)
08. Over The Rainbow (3:11)
09. You Don't Know What Love Is (3:37)
10. Memories Of Tomorrow (3:53)
11. Georgia On My Mind (3:37)
12. Falling (3:25)

Seminal Australian soul and blues visionary Andy Cowan returns with a new collection of 12 timeless, and seamless contemporary songs with After The Rain.

Andy’s evocative song writing and timeless vocals have cemented him as one of the country’s foremost singer songwriters, revered for his passion and lyricism.

After The Rain sees Andy give a nod to the nostalgic stylings of soul and blues greats with version of Georgia On My Mind and What Good Am I, whilst paving the way for modern adult contemporary sounds.

After The Rain

---

Jeff Duffield - In The Key Of Christmas

Size: 100,8 MB
Time: 42:56
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Smooth Jazz, Piano Jazz, Holiday
Art: Front

01. It's Christmas In New York (3:20)
02. O Little Town Of Bethlehem (3:37)
03. Pretty Paper (3:26)
04. Christmas Praise (4:26)
05. Grown-Up Christmas List (3:32)
06. Mary, Did You Know (3:15)
07. Blue Christmas (3:39)
08. Count Your Blessings (Instead Of Sheep) (3:16)
09. The Holly & The Ivy (2:38)
10. Tennessee Christmas (4:34)
11. It's A Marshmallow World (2:15)
12. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (4:53)

Jeff Duffield's new Christmas project, "In the Key of Christmas" is available NOW at Duffield Music Store! A blend of smooth jazz, cool country and traditional holiday favorites will be a great addition to your festive music library this year. Keyboardist and arranger, Jeff, also teams with Joel Key (guitars) and Mike McElravy (guitar and steel) for this amazing compilation of seasonal memories.

This is Jeff's third holiday album in over 30 years of music-making. The radio single, "Christmas Praise" written and sung by Sue, is a featured tune on the project.

Jeff is a keyboardist with over forty five years experience in studio and stage performance. As a trained classical pianist, Jeff is known for his unique jazz, country and gospel orchestrations. He studied arranging and production at Berklee School of Music and has performed with artists such as Jimmy Fortune, The Dukes of Hazzard Band, Beatlemania, A Chorus Line, and Gospel artists such as John Starnes, Ann Downing, Gary S. Paxton, Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, Doug Oldham, Three Bridges, Dave Boyer, and John Hagee Ministries. Jeff resides in Nashville, TN.

In The Key Of Christmas

---

Anna Leman - About Dreams

Size: 104,2 MB
Time: 44:55
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Dreamer (5:57)
02. Unreachable Dreams (2:14)
03. Grey (4:44)
04. Sunshiny Day (4:10)
05. Herzverbrannt (3:35)
06. Day By Day (4:07)
07. Once (4:19)
08. Dem Himmel So Nah (2:34)
09. Right From The Start (4:11)
10. Poor Boy (4:23)
11. Sunrise (4:35)

Her strong stage presence, her expressive interpretation and her natural charm make every evening with Anna Leman into a great musical experience.
Anna Leman grew up with music. Her vocal training began early with her father, a renowned opera singer. Finally, she discovered her love for jazz and studied, among others, with Janet Tyler in Munich. For several years now Anna Leman has thrilled an ever-increasing audience on jazz stages and at events at home and abroad.
Whether she performs ballads, blues, swing or her own compositions, the Munich girl, with great sensitivity, together with musical virtuosity, gives every song a distinctive touch.
Smooth, velvety sounds or bluesy and soulful ones. Into each song she instills new life and it becomes her own story.
Anna Leman takes her audience with her on a journey and dives with them into a world of great emotions. She seems to merge with her musicians. Togetherness is written in capital letters. Improvisation is just as important and celebrated in clever arrangements.
The total dedication to her music and the passion with which Anna Leman reaches into the hearts of the listeners, are very special and unique!
In 2007 her first album "Moon Hours", composed and written by her, came out, in 2010 her second one "Traces". She calls her project with only her own compositions "Lemansland“.

About Dreams

---

Vaya Con Dios - Thank You All! (Live)

Size: 163,8 MB
Time: 70:40
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Pop Rock, Chanson, Blues, Soul
Art: Front

01. One Silver Dollar (3:03)
02. Time Flies (3:51)
03. Johnny (3:41)
04. Quand Elle Rit Aux Eclats (5:36)
05. Heading For A Fall (3:30)
06. Comme On Est Venu.. (4:14)
07. What's A Woman (4:34)
08. Don't Cry For Louie (3:06)
09. Just A Friend Of Mine (3:26)
10. Puerto Rico (4:31)
11. Les Voiliers Sauvages De Nos Vies (3:48)
12. Night Owls (4:38)
13. Don't Break My Heart (4:08)
14. I Don't Wanna Know (4:33)
15. Pauvre Diable (5:07)
16. Look At Us Now (3:54)
17. Nah Neh Nah (4:51)

Personnel:
Dani Klein: vocals
Dirk Schoufs: (acoustic) bass
Willy Willy: guitar
Jean-Michel Gielen: guitar
Philippe Allaert: drums

The story of Vaya Con Dios (a Spanish phrase which means "go with god") started in 1986. The group was formed by Dani Klein, Dirk Schoufs (bass from the rockabilly group The Wild Ones) and Willy Lambregt (guitar player for the Scabs). Their first release, the single "Just a friend of mine" characterizes the group with its love for Spanish-influenced music and acoustic instruments. It becomes an overnight hit (300.000 sold copies in France) and their career is on the way.
Willy Willy decides to spend all his time with the Scabs (Vaya Con Dios wasn't "rock'n'roll" enough) and the first full album is recorded with session musicians. The singles "Puerto Rico" and "Don't cry for Louie" open even more doors for the group
The second album continues the success story (with hits like the melancholic "What's a woman" and the joyous European hit "Nah neh nah"). The influence of Spanish flamenco shifts to "old American jukebox hits although with unmistakable influences from gypsy music and French chanson" (Oor).
In 1991 the pair of Dirk Schoufs and Dani Klein lose interest in each other and Dirk leaves the band. Soon afterwards he dies of a drugs-related infection disease. The Album "Time Flies" which is released a year after, is the saddest thus far, with a lot of soul influences but also trips across the border to music of Latin-America. The album is entirely a Dani Klein product, which makes it clear that the group is in fact a singer, a "femme fatale".
According to the record company, this was also the album which had to lift them to the status of superstar, but that wasn't to be. The black but mediocre single "Heading for a fall" got very heavy "rotation" on MTV but didn't produce a lot of excitement.
The group has built a very considerable following all over the world (but especially in Germany, France and Scandinavia) and the band makes a very successful tour around the world in 1993.
The 1995 album "Roots and Wings" doesn't change the musical direction of the group drastically (mainly r&b, but this time also with some musical accents from India and Arabian music). It is recorded in the Muscle Shoals Studios in Alabama (the legendary studio for artists like Etta James and Aretha Franklin). The horn section from Muscle Shoals accompanies Dani on her European tour in 1996. Her son (19-year old Simon Schoovaerts) plays the keyboards on stage.
After 7,000,000 copies of albums sold, Dani Klein felt trapped by the success, however. In 1996 she had become fed up with the circus the group had become, and retired from showbizz to travel and "live her life". She explained the process a few years later : "In the latest phase it was no pleasure anymore. Vaya con Dios felt like a machine that had to be kept turning. I had to cancel the last concerts because I fell ill, the stress was terrible. I didn't have a bond with the musicians anymore, they just came to do their job for two months. I didn't even know if they even liked the music. We didn't talk about such things. No, that was not my cup of tea anymore. But I guess that is how it goes : you start small and then the thing starts getting bigger and bigger." She explained in an interview with Peter Van Dyck in Weekend-Knack "The pressure had become to high, the expectations for each new album had grown too much."
It wasn't until four years later that Dani Klein emerged on the music scene again, with a new band called Purple Prose.

Thank You All!

---

Buddy Defranco & Martin Taylor - Buddy Defranco Meets Martin Taylor

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 46:36
Size: 106.7 MB
Styles: Straight ahead jazz
Year: 1984/2009
Art: Front

[4:42] 1. Whispering Groovin' High
[6:32] 2. I Got A Right To Sing The Blues
[6:54] 3. Manhattan Tea Party
[6:40] 4. Goodbye
[4:40] 5. Just Friends
[6:52] 6. Angels Camp
[3:10] 7. Dark Island
[3:03] 8. Prelude To A Kiss
[3:59] 9. I Got Rhythm

Hep reissues their killer 1984 session with clarinetist Buddy DeFranco meeting up with jazz guitar virtuoso Martin Taylor that also includes Alex Sharp playing piano, Ronnie Bae on bass, and Clark Tracey in the drummer’s chair. DeFranco who was 60 at the time and is in killer form on this set of jazz standards that include “Groovin’ High,” “Prelude to a Kiss,” “I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues,” and others. Taylor is a perfect foil for the gorgeously round and warm tone of DeFranco with his contrapuntal gypsy jazz licks and rhythms. This set was reissued on CD in 2009. ~Thom Jurek

Buddy Defranco Meets Martin Taylor

---

Gal Costa - Live At The Blue Note

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 61:08
Size: 140.0 MB
Styles: Bossa Nova, Brazilian jazz
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[4:47] 1. Fotografia
[4:58] 2. Desafinado
[4:45] 3. Chega De Saudade
[2:53] 4. Camisa Amarela
[3:45] 5. Pra Manchucar Meu Caracao
[3:45] 6. Ave Maria No Moro
[3:04] 7. Nada Alem
[3:28] 8. I Fall In Love Too Easily
[4:11] 9. Corcovado
[2:14] 10. Triste
[3:51] 11. Wave
[4:33] 12. Coisa Mais Linda As Time Goes By
[2:03] 13. Samba Do Aviao
[4:13] 14. A Felicidade
[3:26] 15. Aquarela Do Brasil
[4:24] 16. Sabado Em Copacabana Copacabana Riberio
[0:40] 17. Garota De Ipanema

Brazilian music legend and superstar (the Brazilians never, ever forget their heroes, they keep buying their records and attending their concerts until they drop) Gal Costa played to a very small jazz club crowd at the Blue Note in New York City in May of 2006. This recording on the DRG label is the complete recording of that performance. Costa was accompanied by a jazz quartet that included bass, drums, guitar, and reed and woodwind instruments. She performed a complete bossa nova repertoire, whose roots and popularity were a full musical generation before her own coming of age during the tumultuous and wildly creative tropicalia movement of the late 1960s and early '70s that threatened the nation's government.

Most of what's here are the classics, written by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes, Dorival Caymmi, Ary Barroso, and Herivelto Martins: "Corcovado," "Desafinado," "Garota de Ipanema," "Triste," "Wave," and more. And are they ever elegant. The band's playing is slippery and fluid behind her, weaving hypnotically, imparting rhythms and textures through the middle of that glorious voice, a shade lower than it used to be but with all that breezy elegance. There are a couple of surprises, however; Costa's readings of the standards "I Fall in Love Too Easily," and a beautiful medley of "Coisa Mais Linda E" and "As Time Goes By" are a bit inconsistent, but the only real problem with this set is that it seems to flit by in an instant, though its 17 cuts add up to over an hour. This is an utterly enchanting and beautiful recording. All bossa fans should have it. ~Thom Jurek

Live At The Blue Note

---

The Clare Fischer Voices - ...And Sometimes Instruments

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 70:57
Size: 162.4 MB
Styles: Vocal harmonies
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[3:48] 1. Tom Cat
[4:16] 2. Mood Indigo
[2:56] 3. America The Beautiful
[3:09] 4. Una Mañana
[1:55] 5. I Should Care
[3:36] 6. Chopin Etude Opus 10, Number 6
[6:07] 7. Bachi
[4:13] 8. If
[3:27] 9. You're My Thrill (Feat. Don Shelton)
[4:28] 10. Last Night When We Were Young
[3:57] 11. Waiting For Jack's Plane
[2:43] 12. The Boy Next Door
[4:23] 13. Happy Time
[2:38] 14. When Your Lover Has Gone
[2:19] 15. I'm Fine (Feat. Gary Foster)
[2:28] 16. So What Do I Care
[2:25] 17. Memories Of Gold
[2:47] 18. Manhã
[5:02] 19. Love At Home
[4:10] 20. Pan Pipe Dance

Pianist, arranger and composer Clare Fischer, who died at age 83 this past January, often described himself as the best-kept secret in jazz. In a career spanning six decades, he worked with myriad masters, among them Bud Shank, Joe Pass, Cal Tjader, Prince, Michael Jackson, Branford Marsalis and João Gilberto. He arranged for the Hi-Lo’s, the Singers Unlimited and Sergio Mendes and recorded 51 albums as a solo performer and bandleader.

...And Sometimes Instruments is a rather unusual olio, lovingly pasted together by Fischer’s son Brent, who also plays electric bass, vibes, marimba, shakers and rainstick. (Overachievement obviously didn’t skip a generation.) All 20 tracks are built around vocal arrangements, with four principal voices soprano Mary Hylan, alto Angie Jaree and tenors Gary Jones and David Joyce plus baritone/bass Bob Joyce on 17 tracks and several more scattered throughout.

Some of the arrangements date back decades; a couple tracks were lifted from tapes recorded in the ’90s; and the rest of the material existed in various stages of development. There are half a dozen standards, all strongly reminiscent of the Hi-Lo’s/Singers Unlimited, several Fischer compositions (including his dazzling “Morning,” presented in both Spanish and Portuguese), a bit of Chopin, some musical tomfoolery (one track, complete with meow choruses, pays tribute to a housecat), and even an august “America the Beautiful.” It’s a lot to take in, rather like an overly bountiful smorgasbord, but it serves as golden testament to the breadth of Fischer’s artistry. ~Christopher Loudon

...And Sometimes Instruments 

---

The Clayton Brothers - Back In The Swing Of Things

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 60:24
Size: 138.3 MB
Styles: Bop
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[4:51] 1. Gina's Groove
[5:18] 2. Blow Your Horn
[0:36] 3. One Five Ten
[6:16] 4. Firestorm
[5:58] 5. Ultra Sensitive
[7:06] 6. Professor T
[1:18] 7. Bass Statement #1
[5:18] 8. Back In The Swing Of Things
[3:18] 9. Round Midnight
[7:18] 10. Next Time
[1:00] 11. I Don't Need No Band
[6:13] 12. Critical Mass
[0:29] 13. Bass Statement #2
[5:18] 14. Quick Delivery

Beginning with the irresistible, headlong groove of the first track, Back in the Swing of Things is yet another jubliant, world-class outing from the Clayton Brothers Quintet. The joyride begins with the irresistible groove of the first track and takes the listener through a bright landscape of originals, including two short, witty solo comments by each brother and one intriguing composition by John's son Gerald, whose own star has been rising rapidly. Whatever the tempo or mood, with this consummate collection of musicians, each track gleams and sparkles; you know that Bill Cunliffe and Jeff Hamilton will deliver precisely the right colors to pique the imagination and keep the pulse racing.

It's always difficult to pick favorites out of a Clayton Brothers bouquet, given their well-deserved reputation for consistent excellence, but especially vaulting moments include the languid beauty of "Ultra Sensitive" and "Next Time"; the bounce of the title track, with its delicious interlude of sax and trumpet hide-and-seek; the incredibly soulful, crystalline playing of Terell Stafford; and John's deep and velvety solo version of "Round Midnight."

It's easy to enjoy this open-hearted musical celebration; what's difficult is understanding the title—"Back in the Swing of Things"—since the Clayton Brothers have never stopped swinging. And long may they wave! ~Judy Schlesinger

John Clayton: bass; Jeff Clayton: alto saxophone, flute; Terell Stafford: trumpet; Bill Cunliffe: piano; Gerald Clayton: piano (1,14); Anthony Wilson: guitar (5); Jeff Hamilton: drums.

Back In The Swing Of Things

---

Dave Pell Octet - Shuffle Off To Buffalo

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:03
Size: 85,6 MB
Art:

(2:42)  1. How Are Things In Glocca Morra
(2:40)  2. Shuffle Off To Buffalo
(4:04)  3. New Orleans
(2:23)  4. Flying Down To Rio
(3:06)  5. On A Slow Boat To China
(3:47)  6. Memphis In June
(3:20)  7. Paris In The Spring
(3:12)  8. London In July
(2:41)  9. Isle Of Capri
(2:44) 10. The White Cliffs Of Dover
(3:36) 11. Sunday In Savannah
(2:42) 12. Deep In The Heart Of Texas

Dave Pell started out touring with the Tony Pastor, Bob Astor, and Bobby Sherwood bands as a teenager, before moving to California in the mid-'40s. He found work with Bob Crosby on the latter's Ford radio show in 1946, then played with the Les Brown band from 1947 to 1955. Drawing from the ranks of the Brown band, he began leading his own groups in 1953, usually in an octet format, augmented by guests like Pepper Adams, Benny Carter, Mel Lewis, Red Mitchell, Marty Paich, and Art Pepper. He also played as a sideman on records by Shorty Rogers, Pete Rugolo, Benny Goodman, and Gene Krupa in the 1950s, while recording under his own name for Atlantic, Kapp, Coral, Capitol, and RCA Victor. His primary focus of activity in the 1950s and '60s was in the record business, working as a producer for the budget Tops label in the '50s, and Liberty (where he supervised a few hit pop/rock records for Gary Lewis & the Playboys) and briefly Uni in the '60s. He formed a group in the late '70s called Prez Conference, a variation on the theme of Supersax, as a tribute to Lester Young, recording two albums for GNP/Crescendo. In the '80s and '90s, Pell revived his octet for recordings on the Fresh Sound (1984) and Headfirst (1988) labels, and sporadic live dates in the Los Angeles area, including an appearance at the Jazz West Coast festival in 1994.  ~ Richard S. Ginell  http://www.allmusic.com/artist/dave-pell-mn0000690700/biography

Shuffle Off To Buffalo

---

Billy Taylor Trio - Introduces Ira Sullivan

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:42
Size: 97,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:39)  1. So In Love
(4:17)  2. Imagination
(9:00)  3. Strolling
(5:42)  4. They Can't Take That Away From Me
(7:52)  5. Leslie's Gauge
(6:21)  6. In A Mellow Tone
(5:48)  7. You Don't Know What Love Is

A great early session from Chicago trumpeter Ira Sullivan – a very strong player who came out strongly in the late 50s as one of the big jazz hopefuls from the Windy City. This set has Ira backed by the Billy Taylor Trio – presented by Billy on ABC, where the Taylor trio was recording at the time. Tracks have a nice open-ended feel, and a lot more drive than Billy's own work at the time, and the best numbers feel like they were recorded for a Prestige blowing session. Titles include "Strolling", "Leslie's Gauge", "You Don't Know What Love Is", and "So In Love".  http://www.dustygroove.com/item/49156

Introduces Ira Sullivan

---

Marina Xavier - I Thought About You

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:34
Size: 114,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:31)  1. Te Extrano
(4:27)  2. You Make Me Feel So Young
(2:47)  3. All Too Soon
(4:25)  4. You Turn the Tables On Me
(3:36)  5. I Fall in Love Too Easily
(3:37)  6. Small Talk
(3:09)  7. La javanaise
(4:04)  8. Sweetness
(3:03)  9. Just in Time
(3:37) 10. I Thought About You
(3:31) 11. You've Changed
(5:50) 12. My Ship
(3:50) 13. They Can't Take That Away from Me

This time collaborating with Olivier Hutman Marina delivers the tunes taking you on a voyage from the Armando Manzanero's haunting Mexican bolero 'Te Extrano' to Sierge Gainsbourg's La Javanaise. Marina penned Small Talk influenced by Yma Sumac. The swinging tunes performed with a glittering line up of musicians will place this album in the exciting league of International Jazz.  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/mxavier2

I Thought About You

---

Eiji Taniguchi - Moonlight Becomes You

Styles:  Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:40
Size: 146,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:40)  1. Moonlight Becomes You
(5:58)  2. Nancy
(4:54)  3. It's All Right With Me
(4:18)  4. Too Close for Comfort
(4:36)  5. I Couldn't Sleep a Wink Last Night
(7:19)  6. Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams
(2:43)  7. The Things We Did Last Summer
(5:52)  8. Deep Night
(3:40)  9. These Foolish Things
(4:25) 10. I've Got the World on a String
(6:16) 11. It's a Blue World
(7:48) 12. Once I Loved
(1:06) 13. Moonlight Becomes You (reprise)

Moonlight Becomes You

---