Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - The Definitive Collection

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:52
Size: 118.8 MB
Styles: Motown Soul, R&B
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[2:48] 1. Shop Around
[2:38] 2. I'll Try Something New
[3:10] 3. You've Really Got A Hold On Me
[3:11] 4. Mickey's Monkey
[3:02] 5. I Like It Like That
[2:46] 6. Ooo Baby Baby
[2:54] 7. Tracks Of My Tears
[3:05] 8. My Girl Has Gone
[2:44] 9. Going To A Go-Go
[2:28] 10. (Come 'round Here) I'm The One You Need
[2:45] 11. More Love
[2:57] 12. The Love I Saw In You Was Just A Mirage
[2:45] 13. I Second That Emotion
[2:16] 14. Yester Love
[2:20] 15. Special Occasion
[4:00] 16. Baby, Baby Don't Cry
[2:56] 17. Doggone Right
[2:59] 18. Tears Of A Clown

Released by Motown/Universal in 2008, The Definitive Collection is an update of 1998's The Ultimate Collection, albeit one with seven fewer cuts and less information in the liner notes (release dates, chart placements, musician credits). There is no indication that the mastering of the material between the two releases is any different. For the casual Smokey Robinson & the Miracles fan, the truncated tracklisting is not a big deal. The songs not on this disc that were included on The Ultimate Collection were not major; in fact, not one of them cracked the Top 30 of the Black Singles chart. All the basic essentials are here, from 1962's "I'll Try Something New" through 1970's "The Tears of a Clown." ~Andy Kellman

The Definitive Collection

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Marian McPartland - Lullaby In Rhythm

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:17
Size: 73.9 MB
Styles: Piano jazz, Mainstream jazz
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[2:55] 1. Lullaby Of Birdland
[2:41] 2. All The Things You Are
[3:23] 3. Once In A While
[3:01] 4. September Song
[3:03] 5. Hallelujuh!
[2:59] 6. Lullaby In Rhythm
[4:04] 7. Manhattan
[3:29] 8. What Is This Thing Called Love
[3:33] 9. Willow Weep For Me
[3:05] 10. The Lady Is A Tramp [previously Unreleased Version]

Marian McPartland, a spirited jazz pianist and self-effacing radio personality whose marriage to cornetist Jimmy McPartland in 1946 enabled her to move to the U.S. and work and record here steadily starting in 1948.

When I interviewed Marian in 2009, I asked her how she first became interested in jazz while growing up in England. "I heard it every day on the radio in the 1930s," she said. "My younger sister was friends with this guy who tried to interest her in jazz. But she wasn’t very interested so he switched from her to me [laughs] because I was fascinated with the music. There was no romance, just someone to play records with. When I started to play jazz on the piano, my parents would simply say, 'Very nice, dear.' So I decided to follow my heart and become a professional musician. Now when audiences applaud, I suppose they're also saying, 'Very nice, dear.' ” ~Marc Myers

Lullaby In Rhythm

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Herbie Nichols - The Complete Blue Note Recordings Of Herbie Nichols (Disc 2 of 3)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 71:09

Size: 162.9 MB

Styles: Bop, Piano jazz

Year: 1997

Art: Front

[5:11] 1. Shuffle Montgomery (Alt Take)

[4:13] 2. It Didn't Happen

[3:43] 3. Crisp Day

[4:09] 4. Shuffle Montgomery

[4:22] 5. The Gig

[4:29] 6. Applejackin' (Alt Take)

[3:57] 7. Hangover Triangle

[4:21] 8. Lady Sings The Blues

[3:59] 9. Chit-Chatting

[5:36] 10. House Party Starting

[4:09] 11. The Gig

[3:39] 12. Furthermore (Alt Take #1)

[3:36] 13. Furthermore

[4:50] 14. 117th Street (Alt Take)

[4:45] 15. 117th Street

[6:02] 16. Sunday Stroll

The Complete Blue Note Recordings Of Herbie Nichols (Disc 2)

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Harold Land - You're My Thrill

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:30
Size: 83.6 MB
Styles: Post bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[4:47] 1. Blue Nellie
[3:35] 2. Take Aim
[7:09] 3. As You Like It
[6:16] 4. Land Of Peace
[8:01] 5. You're My Thrill
[6:38] 6. Reflections

Recorded in 1960, this little-known Blue Note session by tenor saxophonist Harold Land went unreleased until 1980. Land and an obscure supporting cast (trumpeter Martin Banks, pianist Amos Trice, bassist Clarence Jones, and drummer Leon Pettis) perform five hard bop originals and a lyrical "You're My Thrill." The performances, which are now hard to find, should interest Land collectors and fans of the era's modern mainstream jazz, although overall the results are not that memorable.

You're My Thrill

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Gasper Bertoncelj - Caution! Hard Hat Area!

Styles:  Jazz

Year: 2008

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 48:44

Size: 111,9 MB

Art: Front

(8:06)  1. Caution! Hard Hat Area!

(4:35)  2. Medina

(4:55)  3. Delirious

(6:21)  4. Love for Sale

(7:24)  5. Too Slow

(5:36)  6. Ashes

(5:25)  7. What's This?

(6:16)  8. It Happened Again

Jeremy Pelt has become a sought-after sideman and his trumpeting has been tapped for three recording projects here: two auspicious debuts by emerging talents, the other from a veteran West Coast pianist.

Drummer Gasper Bertoncelj is from Slovenia, but his musical allegiances skew more toward hard bop than Eastern Europe. Caution! follows the Blue Note/Prestige approach of bringing together a quintetpared down to quartet or trio on half the tracks to play material (mostly his) in workmanlike, fairly minimal arrangements. The title tune, with a funky shuffle reminiscent of "The Sidewinder," begins with Pelt's Harmon-muted trumpet paired with Vincent Herring's alto sax, the former's solo prancing over the leader's buoyant beats. "Love for Sale," given a Latin flavor and a fast 4/4 in the bridge, is a quartet feature for Pelt's effervescent swing. Pelt echoes Clifford Brown and Lee Morgan on two other hard bop tracks, but it is on bassist Boris Kozlov's ballad "Ashes" that his command of long, lyrical lines shines forth.

Pelt performs admirably on the two tracks featuring him on Relentless, saxophonist Sharel Cassity's debut album. But those two quintet pieces by Cassity in classic hard bop mode are not the norm on the album, one more concerned with the nuances of ensemble presentation. Cassity is an intriguing composer/arranger whose work here includes her multiple-metered "Song of Those Who Seek," winner of the ASCAP Foundation's 2007 Young Jazz Composer Award. Trombonist Michael Dease composed the title tune, a compulsive theme perfectly showcasing Cassity's acerbic, yearning lines and penchant for imbuing notes with a rising density, like yeast in dough. Cassity's galvanizing, slightly serrated tone on both soprano and alto sax is spotlighted and set off by arrangements that employ extra horns or exotic rhythms and ensemble passages. This album reveals deft, nuanced touches.

A definite West Coast cool vibe clings to a lot of pianist Lisa Hilton's Twilight & Blues. There's a wafting quality to the laconic progressions of Joni Mitchell's "Woodstock," a rolling, hypnotic feel to the original "Twilight" and rhapsodic gentleness to the solo "Moon River." Hilton, whose style can be laconic or lyrically incisive, is an impressionist intent on creating and sustaining moods. "Pandemonium," the opening track, is a shuffle bounce (courtesy of drummer Lewis Nash) over a bass ostinato (FLY), the horns (Pelt and tenor sax JD Allen) floating solos separately and together over the beat in what could be called polyphonic noodling. Two versions of "What's Going On," the theme peeking through in piano passages, also feature horns noodling, echoes of the multi-tracking of Marvin Gaye's original recording. Pelt's trumpet is largely a color in Hilton's canvases employed more for his clarion tone than personality. ~ George Kanzler http://www.allaboutjazz.com/jeremy-pelt-threefer-caution-hard-hat-area-relentless-and-twilight-and-blues-by-george-kanzler.php

Personnel: Vincent Herring: alto sax: flute; Jeremy Pelt: trumpet: flugelhorn; Peter Mihelich: piano; Boris Kozlov: bass; Gasper Bertoncelj: drums.

Caution! Hard Hat Area!

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Earl Hines - Plays George Gershwin

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:23
Size: 161,5 MB
Art: Front

( 9:03)  1. Rhapsody in Blue
( 4:31)  2. Love Is Here To Stay
( 4:10)  3. They All Laughed
( 7:12)  4. Somebody Loves Me
(10:32)  5. Embraceable You
( 5:59)  6. Let's Call The Whole Thing Off
(11:40)  7. They Can't Take That Away From Me
( 7:55)  8. Love Walked In
( 9:17)  9. Summertime

This excellent two-LP set features the great pianist Earl Hines interpreting ten of George Gershwin's compositions. Highlights of this solo piano session include extensive explorations of "Embraceable You" and "They Can't Take That Away from Me" (both are over ten minutes) and more concise readings of "They All Laughed" and "Love Walked In." Hines recorded so many rewarding records throughout his productive career that what would be considered "best" for some is merely "good" for him. This set is worth picking up, if it can still be found. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/earl-hines-plays-george-gershwin-mw0000235303

Plays George Gershwin

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Danny Grissett - Promise

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:33
Size: 134,3 MB
Art: Front

(7:25)  1. Moment's Notice
(7:04)  2. Autumn Nocturne
(8:26)  3. Promise
(5:58)  4. Where Do We Go From Here?
(6:59)  5. Cambridge Place
(4:04)  6. You Must Believe In Spring
(5:09)  7. On The Edge
(7:28)  8. Everything Happens to Me
(5:57)  9. Eleventh Hour

The jazz piano trio format has its share of plaudits and pitfalls. One the one hand, it has immense possibilities in terms of orchestration and rhythm. But on the other hand, it's all too easy for the music to turn into background wallpaper for the local cocktail lounge. As such, it's a risky decision to make your debut recording in a trio setting, but pianist Danny Grissett need not worry—he deserves nothing but acclaim for this set, one of the best maiden voyages that I have heard in years. Only making his move to New York City in 2003, Grissett has nonetheless become a valuable sidemen to some heavy-hitting leaders, including Nicholas Payton, Tom Harrell and Vincent Herring. On Promise, the pianist gets together with bassist Vicente Archer and drummer Kendrick Scott for a recital of originals and standards that give full expression to his range of abilities while avoiding any inclination to wear his chops on his sleeves. This later point is particularly important at a time when it seems that a slew of current pianists from Eldar to Hiromi seem to be trying too hard to dazzle with technique. Don't get me wrong, Grissett is highly skilled, but he chooses to channel his abilities into the emotional impact of his performances.

Coltrane's "Moment's Notice" is a time-worn test of a musician's mettle that can merely sound perfunctory in many hands, but Grissett opens the disc on a positive note by breaking up the flow of the rhythm so that instead of an insistent pulse, there are periods of tension and release. "Autumn Nocturne" also gets a makeover, taken at a brisker pace than usual but retaining the sentimentality of the lyrics. Grissett's own tunes explore a multiplicity of moods and are exigent without being cloying. Just listen to how natural he makes 13/4 sound in the original "Where Do We Go From Here?" A closing romp through Mulgrew Miller's quicksilver "Eleventh Hour" finds all the pots on in a blistering performance that illustrates the great rapport that Grissett shares with Archer and Scott. All three of these men are at the top of their game, and collectively they've come up with a piano trio set that is as far away from cocktail piano music as it gets. And that's a good thing indeed! ~ C.Andrew Hovan http://www.allaboutjazz.com/promise-danny-grissett-criss-cross-review-by-c-andrew-hovan.php

Personnel: Danny Grissett: piano; Vicente Archer: bass; Kendrick Scott: drums.

Promise

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Lizz Wright - Freedom & Surrender

Styles: Neo-Soul
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:46
Size: 141,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:05)  1. Freedom
(2:57)  2. The Game
(3:26)  3. The New Game
(5:20)  4. Lean In
(5:25)  5. Right Where You Are
(5:32)  6. River Man
(5:27)  7. Somewhere Down The Mystic
(3:34)  8. Real Life Painting
(5:06)  9. To Love Somebody
(4:28) 10. Here And Now
(5:15) 11. You
(3:40) 12. Blessed The Brave
(6:26) 13. Surrender

A few years after the release of her fourth album with Verve, a gospel-themed set of reinterpretations titled Fellowship, Lizz Wright signed to the Concord label with an eye toward concentrating on original material. The vocalist made a connection with veteran multi-instrumentalist and producer Larry Klein and recorded Freedom & Surrender with a stable backing band that included drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, percussionist Pete Korpela, bassist Dan Lutz, guitarist Dean Parks, and keyboardists Pete Kuzma and Billy Childs. For most listeners, the change of label and mostly new set of supporting musicians will seem transparent. Like Wright's previous albums, Freedom & Surrender is graceful and exacting, yet those qualities come across in a fashion that does not seem deliberate remarkable for material that draws from folk, blues, jazz, soul, and gospel and often fuses two or more of those genres.

Longtime collaborator Toshi Reagon contributes only two songs, "Freedom" and "Surrender," but they neatly begin and end the album in spirited and assured form. David Batteau and Jesse Harris separately collaborated with Wright and sometimes Klein on the writing of seven selections. In "The New Game," one of the grittier moments featuring a contribution from Batteau, Wright delivers the lines that most applicable to the state of her career: "I remember the way in/I got my new dancin' shoes/This is a new game, no tears/Ain't no shame shiftin' gears." Two guest appearances fit into place with ease. Gregory Porter is a duet partner on "Right Where You Are," a languid ballad written by Wright and Klein with J.D. Souther. A spectral version of Nick Drake's "River Man" along with an update of Bee Gees' "To Love Somebody," one of only two covers, and a highlight  features a soft-hued flügelhorn solo from Till Brönner. It's doubtful that Wright and her creative partners could have more effectively synthesized her past work with her current outlook. ~ Andy Kellman  http://www.allmusic.com/album/freedom-surrender-mw0002855681

Freedom & Surrender

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Herbie Nichols - The Complete Blue Note Recordings Of Herbie Nichols (Disc 1 of 3)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 68:11

Size: 156.1 MB

Styles: Bop, Piano jazz

Year: 1997

Art: Front

[4:09] 1. The Third World

[4:56] 2. The Third World

[5:09] 3. Step Tempest

[4:24] 4. Dance Line

[4:20] 5. Blue Chopsticks

[4:04] 6. Double Exposure (Alt Take)

[3:22] 7. Double Exposure

[4:39] 8. Cro-Magnon Nights

[4:48] 9. Cro-Magnon Nights (Alt Take)

[5:10] 10. It Didn't Happen (Alt Take)

[4:30] 11. Amoeba's Dance

[5:23] 12. Brass Rings (Alt Take)

[4:00] 13. Brass Rings

[4:30] 14. 2300 Skiddoo (Alt Take)

[4:41] 15. 2300 Skiddoo

A reissue of the 48 Herbie Nichols recordings formerly out on the limited-edition five-LP Mosaic box set, this three-CD package from 1997 has the pianist/composer's greatest work. Nichols was largely neglected during his lifetime; only in the late '90s did the highly original musician start receiving some of the recognition he deserved. Although his originals were often quite orchestral in nature, Nichols only had the opportunity to record in a trio format; the five sessions on this box (30 songs plus 18 alternate takes) feature either Al McKibbon or Teddy Kotick on bass and Art Blakey or Max Roach on drums. The music (all originals except George Gershwin's "Mine") is virtually unclassifiable, and although largely straight-ahead, sounds unlike anything produced by Herbie Nichols' contemporaries. Essential music. ~Scott Yanow

The Complete Blue Note Recordings Of Herbie Nichols (Disc 1)

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John Roney - St-Henri

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:36
Size: 143.3 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[5:37] 1. Charconne
[5:14] 2. Place St-Henri
[8:19] 3. Choices
[3:54] 4. Journey To Reedham
[7:42] 5. Spain
[1:45] 6. Rebop (Bass Intro To Rebop)
[5:48] 7. Rebop
[3:09] 8. Partways=(Drum Segue To Partways)
[6:34] 9. Partways
[6:36] 10. My Shining Hour
[7:54] 11. Squareboy

John Roney: piano; Rémi-Jean Leblanc: electric bass; Damien Schmitt: drums.

The third trio recording of John Roney, this new album is an exploration of new sounds and new dimensions in today's music. There are elements and influences of classical music, drum 'n' bass, groove, swing, electronica, and free music - all combined into what can only be described as 'jazz'. The listener is taken on a journey through the familiar, and through the unknown, into the vast depths of each member's own musical experiences. The arrangements are complex, yet fun, and showcase the subtle virtuosity of each member. However, the result is an exciting album which is much greater than the sum of its parts.

All three members of the group are virtuosi of their respective instruments, constantly active on the international scene. Fortunately, January of 2011 would find them all living within blocks of each other in the same small neighbourhood of St.Henri - in south-central Montreal. The music on this album is hence a reflection of the time spent living, hanging and making music in this particular quartier, and the sounds that represent its diverse urban mosaic. Funky, fresh, hard-edged, bold, sophisticated, playful, and fun - the music is always grooving, and the band is slamming.

St-Henri

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Kate McGarry - Easy To Love

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:04
Size: 126.1 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[5:19] 1. My Heart Stood Still
[3:33] 2. The Night Has a Thousand Eyes
[6:14] 3. Autumn Nocturne
[5:17] 4. Just You, Just Me
[4:30] 5. Get It Straight
[4:24] 6. Body and Soul
[5:31] 7. The Thrill Is Gone
[3:26] 8. Easy to Love
[3:58] 9. Haunted Heart
[4:41] 10. A Felicidade
[4:48] 11. Dearly Beloved
[3:17] 12. You're Nearer

KATE MC GARRY vocals; PAUL KREIBICH drums; KAREN HAMMACK piano; ERIC VON ESSEN - bass.

Easy to Love is a most appropriate title for the recording debut of vocalist Kate McGarry. Right from the voice-bass intro on “My Heart Stood Still”, you know that this is to be no run-of-the-mill progam. An immediate reaction may be to notice the exceptional diction and enunciation and the distinctive phrasing that McGarry demonstrates. It's not surprising to learn that her greatest influences have been such unique stylists as Jon Hendricks, Betty Carter, and Mark Murphy, as well as the great lady of jazz vocals, Ella Fitzgerald.

Born in Cape Cod, MA, McGarry earned a bachelors degree in Afro-American Music and jazz at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, where she also studied improvisation with the innovative saxophonist Archie Shepp. Singing was in her blood, and she began a professional career as soon as she graduated college, working local venues around Boston.Moving to California in 1988, she appeared at the Monterey Jazz Festival, backed by an AII-Star Band led by Hank Jones and Clark Terry.With a lot of encouragement from singer and vocal coach Sue Raney, McGarry gradually began showing up at some of the top Los Angeles nightspots. She also landed a singing spot in the Wesley Snipes movie “Money Men”, and can be heard on the soundtrack.

Easy To Love

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Grant Green - First Session

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:18
Size: 115.1 MB
Styles: Soul-Jazz, Hard bop, Guitar jazz
Year: 2001/2014
Art: Front

[ 5:16] 1. He's A Real Gone Guy
[11:43] 2. Seepin'
[ 6:33] 3. Just Friends
[ 8:47] 4. Grant's First Stand
[ 6:13] 5. Sonnymoon For Two
[ 5:52] 6. Woody 'n You
[ 5:51] 7. Woody 'n You

First Session is just that: the first material Grant Green recorded as a leader for Blue Note in 1960. While the results were certainly good, the label chose to shelf the recordings. Producer Alfred Lion may have had some misgivings about the results, but it is doubtful that Green's fans or jazz guitar fans will have any such qualms. Pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Philly Joe Jones join him on the first five cuts. They start with the spunky "He's a Real Gone Guy," but really hit their groove with the 11-minute original "Seepin'." Green's guitar is shot through with the blues on this slow burner, while Chambers' bass perfectly captures the late-night mood of this piece. Green seems unsure of his footing at the beginning of Sonny Rollins "Sonnymoon for Two," but quickly regains his balance and swings hard. Kelly's light, bluesy touch offers the perfect match for the artist's guitar; his lovely fills offer the perfect backdrop, while his solos are always distinctive. The last two tracks are multiple versions of "Woody 'N' You" with pianist Sonny Clark, bassist Butch Warren, and drummer Billy Higgins. While these tracks are not technically the first sessions, they do give the listener a chance to hear Green and Clark work together. Whatever hesitation Green may have felt as a first time leader, the warmth and immediacy of his style arrives in full bloom. First Session is a lively portrait of a jazz great, surrounded by the best musicians in the business, getting his feet wet. Don't miss it. ~Ronnie D. Lankford Jr

First Session

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Eddie Higgins - Standards By Request 1 St Day & 2 St Day

A solid bop-based pianist, Eddie Higgins has never become a major name, but he has been well-respected by his fellow musicians for decades. After growing up in New England, he moved to Chicago, where he played in all types of situations before settling in to a long stint as the leader of the house trio at the London House (1957-1969). Higgins moved back to Massachusetts in 1970 and went on to freelance, often accompanying his wife, vocalist Meredith D'Ambrosio, and appearing at jazz parties and festivals. 

Eddie Higgins has led sessions of his own for Replica (1958), Vee-Jay (1960), Atlantic, and Sunnyside; back in 1960, he recorded as a sideman for Vee-Jay with Lee Morgan and Wayne Shorter. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/artist/eddie-higgins-mn0000364205/biography

Album: Eddie Higgins - Standards By Request 1 St Day
Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:18
Size: 140,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:56)  1. It's Magic
(3:43)  2. Easy Living
(3:48)  3. Gone With The Wind
(3:51)  4. I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues
(2:57)  5. Dear Old Stockholm
(4:12)  6. I Thought About You
(3:34)  7. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
(4:50)  8. My Old Flame
(3:53)  9. Once Upon A Summertime
(4:00) 10. Smoke Gets In Yours Eyes
(4:03) 11. Portrait In Black And White
(5:13) 12. In The Wee Small Hours
(3:42) 13. The Man I Love
(4:23) 14. These Foolish Things
(4:05) 15. Stella By Starlight

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Album: Eddie Higgins - Standards By Request 2 St Day
Time: 61:12
Size: 140,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:15)  1. If Dreams Come True
(3:45)  2. Dancing In The Dark
(4:19)  3. I Didn't Know About You
(4:59)  4. How Long Has This Been Going On
(3:39)  5. I Don't Know What Time It Was
(4:30)  6. Don't Explain
(3:43)  7. Ill Wind
(4:11)  8. In A Sentimental Mood
(3:30)  9. Brownsburg Blues
(5:12) 10. Corcovado
(3:44) 11. Street Of Dreams
(3:18) 12. Time On My Hands
(5:29) 13. My One And Only Love
(3:58) 14. The Things We Did Last Summer
(3:35) 15. By Myself

Standards By Request 1 St Day

Standards By Request 2 St Day

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Kathie Lee Gifford - Sentimental

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:27
Size: 77,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:16)  1. When I Fall In Love
(2:53)  2. I Don't Know Why (I Just Do)
(4:01)  3. Over the Rainbow
(3:52)  4. Very Thought Of You
(2:51)  5. There I've Said It Again
(3:46)  6. (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons
(2:41)  7. That Sunday, That Summer
(3:32)  8. It Had To Be You
(3:05)  9. Hey There
(3:25) 10. That's All

After a 20-year career doing game shows and night club acts, the Paris-born Gifford spent 15 years co-hosting Live with Regis & Kathie Lee, one of the most successful daytime talk shows in television history. During her stint on the show, Gifford also appeared on TV specials and wrote books such as Christmas with Kathie Lee and I Can't Believe I Said That!, her autobiography. Gifford left Live with Regis & Kathie Lee in summer 2000, just before the release of her first pop album, Heart of a Woman. Gifford continued to release albums of lullabies, children's songs, and praise and worship music during the 2000s. In 2008, she became one of the co-hosts of The Today Show. 

She returned to vocal pop with My Way Home, which was released early in 2009; Everyone Has a Story, a set of songs composed by Gifford and David Friedman and performed by Broadway singers, followed a few months later. ~ Heather Phares  https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/kathie-lee-gifford/id203797#fullText

Sentimental

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Chico Hamilton, Freddie Gambrell - Chico Hamilton Introduces Freddie Gambrell

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1958
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:12
Size: 173,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:38)  1. Lullaby Of The Leaves
(4:52)  2. Reservation Blues
(4:05)  3. These Foolish Things
(4:07)  4. Ex-Ray's Friends
(3:49)  5. In The Still Of The Night
(4:16)  6. You're the Cream In My Coffee
(4:40)  7. Midnight Sun
(3:08)  8. Five Minutes More
(5:38)  9. Devil's Demise
(2:48) 10. Feudin' and Fightin'
(2:09) 11. Who You?
(3:53) 12. Yesterdays
(3:04) 13. Summer House
(2:18) 14. Anything Goes
(3:56) 15. Indian love call
(2:07) 16. Without A Song
(2:14) 17. Linda
(3:21) 18. Falling In Love With Love
(2:38) 19. When I Fall In Love
(2:24) 20. Opus 116
(3:57) 21. Stomping At The Savoy

Freddie Gambrell could be described as an alternative to Cecil Taylor in terms of extending the legacy of Art Tatum into postmodernism, the majority of his peers choosing to cut and run as if a reader confronted with the first half of this sentence. So much more alluring would be the combination of mysterious and mundane details out of which came his relatively brief time in the spotlight, at least by jazz standards.

Blinded as a teenager, Gambrell mastered enough instruments to humiliate even a multi-instrumentalist from Chicago's Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians. He learned violin at 11, later recorded on viola, was "introduced" to the public in the early '50s by maestro Chico Hamilton as a pianist in the "blind genius" category, and also played guitar, bass, and brass instruments from top to bottom. One of the strangest things about Gambrell which at the very least gives him something in common with Garth Brooks and the suicidal phase of Phil Ochs  was his reinvention of himself as Federico Cervantes, modern jazz trumpet player.

The discography of Gambrell, such as it is, cannot really be examined without a study of as many as four albums released under the name of the Federico Cervantes Sextet. Reports about these recordings are enthusiastic, mentioning combinations of Latin jazz and country & western and trumpet solos full of the type of daring common to a musician operating under an alias. His approach as Cervantes nonetheless came out of his self-taught background as Gambrell, at one point paying his way by playing keyboards in clubs much more off the beaten track than the San Francisco Jazz Workshop. The latter venue finally provided Gambrell an opportunity to present his keyboard style to a wider, more discerning audience. He was associated with a rhythm section featuring Hamilton and Ben Tucker, a bassist from Nashville.

This artist's stylistic choices under whatever name are bound by their connection to the Bay area, the sweet smell of old vinyl in glossy covers on the World Pacific label perhaps as exciting as the music itself, in parts crystallizing the pianist's Tatum update while jazzing up the score from The Mikado. Critics were of a divided opinion and an alternative viewpoint was available directly from the horse's mouth at The Sticky Wicket, a venue in Santa Cruz where Gambrell began doing a singer/songwriter gig, backing himself on guitar and also opening for himself as a jazz lecturer.

Virtuosity is obviously a great attraction for Gambrell. As Cervantes, he went for the trumpet style of players such as Maynard Ferguson, complete with high-note acrobatics. His emphasis on Tatum, like a violinist choosing Paganini, meant that his keyboard performances were insistently brilliant technically although this did not always distract club patrons from watching the seeing-eye dog sitting at Gambrell's feet. https://itunes.apple.com/gb/artist/freddie-gambrell/id527797820#fullText

Featuring: Freddie Gambrell (p), Ben Tucker (b), Chico Hamilton (d)

Chico Hamilton Introduces Freddie Gambrell

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Eddie 'Cleanhead' Vinson - Cleanhead's Back In Town

Size: 102,1 MB

Time: 39:46

File: MP3 @ 320K/s

Released: 1996

Styles: Jazz Blues Vocals

Art: Front

01. Cleanhead's Back In Town (2:58)

02. That's The Way To Treat Your Woman (2:31)

03. Trouble In Mind (2:25)

04. Kidney Stew (2:27)

05. Sweet Lovin' Baby (2:54)

06. Caldonia (2:51)

07. Porgy And Bess - It Ain't Necessarily So (2:49)

08. Cherry Red (2:40)

09. Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby (2:49)

10. I Just Keep The Tears From Tumblin' Down (3:10)

11. Your Baby Ain't Sweet Like Mine (2:24)

12. Hold It Right There (2:27)

13. Trouble In Mind (2:26)

14. Kidney Stew (2:25)

15. Hold It Right There (2:24)

One of only two albums that altoist/singer Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson led during 1956-1966, this infectious set finds him performing some of his best known tunes. With assistance by a medium-size group that plays in a Count Basie groove (including such Basie-ites as trumpeter Joe Newman, trombonist Henry Coker, either Frank Foster or Paul Quinichette on tenor, and pianist Nat Pierce), Cleanhead makes such songs as "Kidney Stew," "Caldonia," "Cherry Red," "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby," and "Hold It Right There" sound full of joy. This CD reissue adds three alternate takes that were originally recorded in stereo. A good sampling of the great Cleanhead. ~by Scott Yanow

Cleanhead's Back In Town

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Sant Andreu Jazz Band - Jazzing 4: Vol. 1 & Vol. 2

Album: Jazzing 4: Vol. 1
Size: 108,8 MB
Time: 46:35
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Big Band, Vocals
Art: Front

01. Exactly Like You (3:37)
02. Minor Swing (5:01)
03. Georgia On My Mind (3:57)
04. Jeep's Blues (4:15)
05. Ain't What You Do (3:17)
06. Mood Indigo (3:39)
07. Groovin High (5:59)
08. Sometimes I'm Happy (4:32)
09. Pretti Trix (2:31)
10. My Baby Just Cares For Me (4:06)
11. China Boy (5:34)

Sant Andreu Jazz Band is a youth jazz band from Barcelona, featuring 7- to 20-year-old children and teenagers. The bandleader is Joan Chamorro.

The band was founded in 2006 at Escola Municipal de Música de Sant Andreu. The band has performed at numerous concerts and festivals in Catalonia and neighbouring countries. They released their first live CD/DVD Jazzing: Live at Casa Fuster in 2009, featuring alongside established jazz musicians, the precocious 14-year-old, Andrea Motis, among other young talents.

2010 was a breakthrough year for the band, with appearances on more than 20 festivals including Valls, Terrassa, Girona, Barcelona, Platja d'Aro, and legendary venues like el Jamboree, Palau de la Música Catalana, JazzSi, Hotel Casa Fuster, featuring international performers like Dick Oatts, Ken Peplowski, Bobby Gordon, Perico Sambeat, Ignasi Terraza, Matthew Simon, and Esteve Pi. The band also released their second recording Jazzing vol.2.

In 2012 the film director Ramón Tort made the documentary A film about kids and music based on the band's work and efforts. The film was awarded best feature film at the Lights. Camera. Help. festival in Austin, Texas, in 2013.

Personnel:
Alba Esteban, Joan Martí, Eduard Ferrer, Helena Pañart, Iscle Datzira, Jaume Ferrer, Carles Vázquez, Eva Fernández, Marçal Perramon (saxes), Alba Armengou Elsa Armengou, Victor Carrascosa, Andea Motis, Joan Mar Sauqué, Pablo Ferández, Martí Ibáñez (trumpets), Max Tato, Paula Berzal, Joan Codina, Arnau Sánchez, Eva Garín (trombones), Max Salgado (trompa), Elia Bastida (violin), Marc Martín, Marc Ferrer, Jan Domenech (piano), Carla Motis (guitar, banjo, ukulele), Magalí Datzira (bass, vocals), Arnau Julià, Joan Aleix Mata, Ivan Cervantes, Abril Suarí (drums).

Vocals: Andrea Motis (#1,10), Eva Fernandez (#3), Edu Jorba (#5)

Guests artists: Dick Oatts (alto sax on #1,4,6,7), Scott Robinson (baritone sax on #5, bass sax on #9,11), Scott Hamilton (tenor sax on #2,3,8,10,11), Ignasi Terraza (piano on #1,7,8,10), Josep Traver (guitar on #1,2,7,9,10, banjo on #11), Curro Gálvez (bass on #1,7), Esteve Pi (drums on #1,7), Víctor Correa (trombone on #1,4,6), Ricard Gili (vocals on #5), Joan Chamorro (baritone sax on #4,7, bass on #8,10).

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Album: Jazzing 4: Vol. 2
Size: 112,9 MB
Time: 48:23
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Big Band, Vocals
Art: Front

01. Vip's Boogie (4:06)
02. Willow Weep For Me (4:15)
03. A-Tisket A-Tascket (4:44)
04. Easy Living (4:30)
05. So What (8:38)
06. Nature Boy (4:12)
07. Koko (3:15)
08. On The Sunny Side Of The Street (3:21)
09. Have You Meets Mis Jones (3:24)
10. When You're Smiling (3:51)
11. Royal Garden Blues (4:02)

Personnel:
Alba Esteban, Joan Martí, Eduard Ferrer, Helena Pañart, Iscle Datzira, Jaume Ferrer, Carles Vázquez, Eva Fernández, Marçal Perramon (saxes), Alba Armengou Elsa Armengou, Victor Carrascosa, Andea Motis, Joan Mar Sauqué, Pablo Ferández, Martí Ibáñez (trumpets), Max Tato, Paula Berzal, Joan Codina, Arnau Sánchez, Eva Garín (trombones), Max Salgado (trompa), Elia Bastida (violin), Marc Martín, Marc Ferrer, Jan Domenech (piano), Carla Motis (guitar, banjo, ukulele), Magalí Datzira (bass, vocals), Arnau Julià, Joan Aleix Mata, Ivan Cervantes, Abril Suarí (drums).

Vocals: Alba Armengou (#3,10), Alba Esteban (#3), Andrea Motis (#5), Magalí Datzira (#6), Paula Berzal (#8), Eduard Ferrer (#9)

Guests artists: Dick Oatts (alto sax on #2,6, soprano sax on #5), Scott Robinson (tenor sax on #3,4,7, trumpet on #3, baritone sax on #9, bass sax on #11), Scott Hamilton (tenor sax on #1,8,10), Ignasi Terraza (piano on #2,10), Josep Traver (guitar on #2,5,6,10, banjo on #11), Curro Gálvez (bass on #2,5,6), Esteve Pi (drums on #2,6), Víctor Correa (trombone on #2, tuba on #5), Ricard Gili (trumpet on #11).

Jazzing 4 Vol.1,Vol.2 2014  

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Diana Krall - Wallflower: The Complete Sessions

Size: 174,3 MB
Time: 74:18
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. California Dreamin' (3:17)
02. Desperado (3:32)
03. Superstar (4:17)
04. Alone Again (Naturally) (Feat. Michael Buble) (3:50)
05. Wallflower (Feat. Blake Mills) (3:05)
06. If I Take You Home Tonight (3:53)
07. I Can't Tell You Why (3:40)
08. Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word (4:11)
09. Operator (That's Not The Way It Feels) (3:41)
10. I'm Not In Love (3:52)
11. Feels Like Home (Feat. Bryan Adams) (4:21)
12. Don't Dream It's Over (3:36)
13. In My Life (3:53)
14. Yeh Yeh (Feat. Georgie Fame) (3:08)
15. Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word (Live From Paris 2014) (3:44)
16. Wallflower (Live From Paris 2014) (3:09)
17. A Case Of You (4:53)
18. If You Could Read My Mind (Feat. Sarah Mclachlan) (3:43)
19. Everybody's Talkin' (Feat. Vince Gill) (3:34)
20. Heart Of Gold (2:49)

Verve Records is set to release an expanded deluxe edition of Diana Krall's latest album, Wallflower, on September 25th. The extended version will debut prior to the start of Krall's European tour.

Wallflower, which has sold over 600,000 units in its first four months of release, features the noteworthy pairing of Krall with famed producer and Verve Chairman, David Foster. Breaking new ground on this complete edition, the Grammy® winning artist interprets some of the greatest pop song classics from the late 60's to present day. Each track reflects back on the musical inspirations from her early years.

The deluxe edition will introduce four additional tracks from the Wallflower sessions, including the first studio recording of Diana celebrating Joni Mitchell with her own rendition of "A Case of You." In addition, Krall covers her fellow Canadian, Neil Young, on his legendary song, "Heart of Gold." Other notable collaborations include duets with singer-songwriter, Sarah McLachlan on Gordon Lightfoot's "If You Could Read My Mind," as well as Nashville icon Vince Gill, on the Fred Neil classic "Everybody's Talkin'."

Foster expressed his enthusiasm for the deluxe edition, "I'm so excited that the world is going to finally hear these recordings from the Wallflower sessions. Sarah McLachlan and Vince Gill put their own special magic on two classic songs. Diana's piano playing and vocal interpretation combined with Vince Mendoza's orchestral arrangement on 'A Case of You' is truly spectacular."

Wallflower

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Clare Fischer - Out Of The Blue

Size: 164,8 MB
Time: 70:55
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz: Piano Jazz
Art: Front

01. Love's Walk (Feat. Brent Fischer & Peter Erskine) (5:48)
02. Tema Do Boneco De Palha (Feat. Mike Shapiro & Brent Fischer) (4:22)
03. When You Wish Upon A Star/Someday My Prince Will Come (7:56)
04. Starbright (Feat. Brent Fischer & Peter Erskine) (4:20)
05. Two For The Road (3:42)
06. Cascade Of The Seven Waterfalls (Feat. Brent Fischer & Mike Shapiro) (6:25)
07. Out Of The Blue (Feat. John Proulx, Peter Erskine, Brent Fischer & Denise Donatelli) (4:30)
08. Millbrae Walk (Feat. Brent Fischer & Mike Shapiro) (2:54)
09. Amor Em Paz (3:16)
10. Squatty Roo (Feat. Brent Fischer) (5:21)
11. Nuages (Feat. Peter Erskine & Brent Fischer) (5:48)
12. Novelho (4:09)
13. 49 (Larry Ford) [Feat. Brent Fischer & Peter Erskine] (4:20)
14. Carnaval/A Felicidade/Samba De Orfeu (Feat. Mike Shapiro & Brent Fischer) (7:58)

Dr. Clare Fischer – Keyboards, composer, arranger
Brent Fischer – Producer, arranger, all Percussion instruments, bass
Peter Erskine – drums on love’s Walk, starbright, out of the blue, nuages and 49
Mike Shapiro – drums on tema do boneco de Palha, cascade of the seven Waterfalls, Millbrae Walk, and carnaval / a Felicidade / samba de orpheu medley
Denise Donatelli – Vocals on out of the blue
John Proulx – Vocals on out of the blue recorded, edited and mixed by Matthew Brownlie and Brent Fischer

Album notes:
It’s an amazing experience when, unexpectedly, a wish suddenly comes true. if it happens repeatedly, then that’s just plain good luck. and so it began years ago when i started archiving the written music library of my father, dr. Clare Fischer. i had hoped to find buried treasure in the stacks—material previously not seen or heard by others—that could be added to his public output. it has been one great find after another and it’s still happening!

Getting most of the music he wanted to perform himself recorded, as opposed to leaving some for others to play, took right up until the end of his life. as with his final concerts, when he was recording, there was an absolute joy of spontaneity. throughout his life, he felt that emotional content was always strongest during the first or second take so we always recorded that way, even if it meant minuscule imperfections were kept for the greater good of a heartfelt performance. i continue that practice today.

During the process of recording his original material, i almost lost sight of another important aspect of my dad’s brilliance: his ability to re-develop the compositions of others into unmistakably personal statements that had the qualities of a new work while still retaining the character of the piece as it was known. i’m proud to present here a compendium of previously unreleased original material, different settings for some originals plus arrangements of great american, latin and european standards.

The latest surprise came while in the middle of a busy schedule wrapping up this and a few other albums; Pluto and it’s largest moon charon came into view—out of the blue. i had to stop and look, filled with childhood memories of peeking through my dad’s telescope at celestial bodies, always yearning for more detail. We shared our fascination with astronomy for decades, constantly delighting at new images sent from telescopes or spacecraft. We hope you’ll explore these new recordings with that same sense of joy.

The title for Love’s Walk came about from the morning walks my dad took with his wife donna. they were so happy together. i think it shows in this trio rendition of what had previously been a solo piano piece on his album Introspectivo.

Tema do Boneco de Palha (theme of the Straw Doll) is a vibrant Brazilian piece made famous in 1963 by guitarist Rosinha de Valença. We didn’t know that when we recorded it, only that the song had long been in my dad’s memory, probably from hearing it while in south america in the 1960’s. special thanks to Franklin de Flauta and Andrea Ernest in rio for identifying this masterpiece.

My dad’s love for spontaneously conjoining multiple works is evident next in his solo piano medley of When you Wish upon a Star and Someday My Prince Will Come. note how the layers of development relate the two songs together in a unified theme.

The song Starbright goes way back beyond its first appearance as a duo recording on the album of the same name. Written when my dad was a young man, he felt it was too adventurous and left it on the shelves for years until a gifted student asked to hear some of his early works. i was a teenager at the time and when we heard him play that song, we convinced him to record it. it is here in quartet form as we have played it live.

Those who know our recent orchestral album Music for Strings, Percussion and the Rest will recognize this solo piano version of two for the road as being based on dad’s symphonic version. it starts out almost literally as a piano reduction of the orchestra score but then develops beyond that as it modulates.

When my dad first heard Azymuth play Cascade of the Seven Waterfalls he was enchanted by it. We have played it many times over the years and i’m glad the last time was in a recording studio.

About 10 years ago i found an untitled manuscript and asked dad to play the tune. We both liked it so much, he gave it the title out of the Blue. this is another adventurous piece and I thank Denise Donatelli and John Proulx for bringing to life my vision to have it sung because the double melody lends itself so well to a vocal duo.

Dad used to take walks in the Millbrae area north of San Francisco whenever he’d visit or work with Cal Tjader. the song Millbrae Walk first appeared on the album Tjaderama made shortly after Cal’s death and in five part harmony on the Clare Fischer clarinet choir album A Family Affair. the version here is a more percussive setting in two part harmony as originally conceived. this, Starbright and out of the blue are some of my favorite Clare Fischer tunes.

Reflect on the genius of Clare Fischer at the piano as you listen to his rendition of Amor em Paz. he could always make even the slowest tempo full of interesting interaction and intense emotion.

Although we have a great version of Squatty Roo on the Clare Fischer clarinet choir album On a Turquoise Cloud, the one here is completely improvised by father and son playing together. i used to stand behind dad on stage watching his hands, listening and after decades of playing together, it meant that I could usually guess the general direction he was going next and be “inside his mind” to keep up with him no matter what he did.

Another standard he used to love playing extremely slowly for maximum emotional content was Nuages. at this tempo, every note of the melody becomes an opportunity for exploration and development.

Yet another unexpected bonus when assembling the tracks for this album was finding an unmarked and unreleased recording from what sounds like the early 1960's. dad would later develop this song into Novelho by adding a bridge and then asking me to arrange it for the clarinet choir. if you know that song, you’ll get a chance to hear the seed idea here, a great line in and of itself, with some classic free form improvisation.

There are many who have been honored by Clare Fischer writing a song for them when their lives ended too soon. this goes way back to Piece for scotty (Scott laFaro) on the first ever clare Fischer album and more recently, great jazz writer Francis Paudras. 49 was titled for the age at which my father’s good friend, musician Larry Ford, died.

Finally, we close with another spontaneous medley, this time of great Brazilian standards Carnaval, A Felicidade and Samba de Orpheu. Clare Fischer was one of the first musicians to bring Brazilian music to America more than 50 years ago so it’s fitting that he have the last word on it here.

I want to personally thank all of the superlative artists for lending their unique talents to this album and you, the listener, for deciding to own a physical work of art from clare Fischer instead of settling for the low resolution digital version without proper credits. I’m eagerly looking forward to showing you more new Fischer material when it appears out of the blue! —Brent Fischer

Out Of The Blue

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Rebecca Hardiman - Easy Living

Size: 128,7 MB
Time: 55:04
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Thou Swell (4:18)
02. Give Me The Simple Life (2:30)
03. Easy Living (4:07)
04. You Go To My Head (4:30)
05. Boplicity (4:05)
06. Mountain Greenery (2:14)
07. Stella By Starlight (5:07)
08. Blue Gardenia (5:01)
09. Anything Goes (3:51)
10. I Wished On The Moon (4:35)
11. Harold's House Of Jazz (3:25)
12. Put On A Happy Face (3:12)
13. You Don't Know What Love Is (4:44)
14. They All Laughed (3:19)

Vocal jazz the way it used to be...Pure straight ahead swing reminiscent of Ella Fitzgerald, June Christy and Anita O'Day. That's what you get with Rebecca Hardiman.

Rebecca started her career in 1987 with the Boston-based vocal jazz group The Ritz and performed throughout the United States, and at the Montreal Jazz Festival in Canada. While with The Ritz, she recorded a CD for Denon Columbia entitled The Ritz. That recording has recently been re-released as part of the "Giants in Vocal Jazz" available at Amazon.

In 1992, she started the Portland based vocal jazz group "Euphoria" which performed for 10 years in the Pacific Northwest - and was the opening group for Mel Torme' when he appeared at The Eugene Hult Center in 1993.

Now on her own as a solo artist, she has gained much respect and accolades from notable Portland jazz artists. She performs regularly with top musicians including Ron Steen, Dave Captein, Dan Presley, Brant Allard, Kurt Deutscher and Ray Hardiman.

Rebecca recorded a CD of original gospel Big-Band songs in 2009, and more recently - a CD of favorite jazz standards in 2013 - and her latest release "Easy Living" out August 2015.

Easy Living

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Earl Hines - Paris Session

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 37:56

Size: 86.9 MB

Styles: Piano jazz

Year: 2010

Art: Front

[4:18] 1. I Surrender Dear

[5:09] 2. I Cover The Waterfront

[2:18] 3. Second Balcony Jump

[4:21] 4. A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody

[2:40] 5. Tourisme

[5:25] 6. Blue Because Of You

[2:18] 7. Somebody Loves Me

[2:51] 8. Sixty-Five Faubourg

[5:26] 9. On The Sunny Side Of The Street

[3:04] 10. Sweet Sue

Earl Hines, a mainstay of 20th century jazz piano, is here presented in a rare solo recording from 1965, sounding not at all dated nearly half a century later. This session gathers seven evergreens together plus three Hines originals, including his by-now-standard "Second Balcony Jump."

"I don't think I think when I play," Hines says, "I have a photographic memory for chords, and when I'm playing, the right chords appear in my mind like photographs long before I get to them... I always challenge myself. I get out in deep water and I always try to get back. But I sometimes get hung up. The audience never knows, but that's when I smile the most, when I show the most ivory... If I'm working a pretty melody, I'll just slip in to a waltz time or cut the tempo in half. My mind is going a mile a minute, and it goes even better when I have a good piano and the audience doesn't distract me. I'm like a race horse."

Paris Session

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Sarah Vaughan - Soft And Sassy

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:13
Size: 96.7 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz, Standards
Year: 1993
Art: Front

[2:00] 1. Sometimes I'm Happy
[1:26] 2. I Cried For You
[3:21] 3. Out Of This World
[2:35] 4. Serenata
[2:18] 5. You're Blasé
[2:58] 6. Over The Rainbow
[3:07] 7. Say It Isn't So
[2:14] 8. Stormy Weather
[2:09] 9. All Of Me
[3:34] 10. How Long Has This Been Going On
[2:21] 11. Day In, Day Out
[2:27] 12. Tenderly
[1:32] 13. What Is This Thing Called Love
[2:44] 14. Summertime
[3:41] 15. Poor Butterfly
[3:38] 16. I'll Be Seeing You

1961 performances from "the Divine One" for the Navy Swings public service program, so rare they're not even listed on her discographies! Includes All of Me; Tenderly; What Is This Thing Called Love?; I'll Be Seeing You, and more.

Soft And Sassy

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Kenny Burrell - I'm Just A Lucky So-And-So

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:46
Size: 173.5 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[6:40] 1. Tres Palabras
[4:40] 2. Weaver Of Dreams
[9:52] 3. Midnight Special
[4:14] 4. Guilty
[4:51] 5. Out Of This World
[7:58] 6. Back At The Chicken Shack
[3:10] 7. Why Was I Born
[6:01] 8. Delilah
[4:37] 9. I Thought About You
[4:42] 10. Montono Blues
[1:49] 11. No More
[5:29] 12. Little Girl Blue
[4:46] 13. Close Your Eyes
[6:50] 14. It's Getting Dark

As one of the premier jazz guitarists—and in the estimation of many, as the premier jazz guitarist by virtue of technique, output and memorable recordings—Kenny Burrell has created work heard, analyzed, transcribed, taught and enjoyed by legions of educators and aspiring guitarists. Epitomizing exquisite taste on his instrument-whether in an easy swing, balladic sensitivity or a bop feel—Burrell has assumed the challenge of performing in so many forms with such sophistication that he understates the difficulty of his work. Kenny Burrell listeners' appetites never will be sated because his playing is of such a quality that new facets can be discovered with every listening.

I'm Just A Lucky So-And-So

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Aurore Quartet - Resumé

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:17
Size: 151.7 MB
Styles: Gypsy jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[5:01] 1. Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen
[4:16] 2. Babik
[4:03] 3. Gone With What Draft
[2:15] 4. Il Y A Du Soleil Dans La Boutique
[3:14] 5. Q10
[3:27] 6. La Tireuse
[4:20] 7. Czardas
[4:13] 8. Macha
[3:46] 9. Johnny Tu N'es Pas Un Ange
[4:50] 10. Sto Kuna
[3:45] 11. Malijo
[7:21] 12. Quand Je Monte Chez Toi
[6:12] 13. Le Rififi
[3:08] 14. Calusul
[2:40] 15. La Danse Du Sabre
[3:38] 16. C'est Mon Dernier Bal

Aurore Voilqué – violon et chant – Siegfried Mandacé – guitare – Thomas Orhesser – guitare – Basile Mouton – contrebasse – Jérôme Etcheberry – trompette – Stéphane Chandelier – batterie – Sanseverino – guitare et voix.

Ce titre Résumé a été choisi tout naturellement car cet album est l’essence des musiques et des sons d’Aurore Quartet. Avec ses reprises et ses compositions originales, Résumé aborde le jazz et fait danser la phrase musicale de telle façon que son swing est baigné d’une sensualité dynamique et d’un feeling authentique pour cette fin d’été. Grâce à cette recherche de progression constante, le swing de Résumé laisse une empreinte d’énergie, de joie, de vitalité et de légèreté. Ces compositions jubilatoires réveillent le jazz, sans en trahir l’esprit et donne envie de les entendre aussi en live.

Resumé

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Charlie Shavers - The Complete Charlie Shavers With Maxine Sullivan

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:10
Size: 89,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:17)  1. Dark Eyes
(3:32)  2. Dawn on the Desert
(6:10)  3. Moten Swing
(8:09)  4. Story of the Jazz Trumpet
(4:48)  5. Rose Room
(3:44)  6. Flow Gently Sweet Rythm
(2:31)  7. Molly Malone
(2:40)  8. If I Had a Ribbon Bow
(3:16)  9. Windy

Charlie Shavers was one of the great trumpeters to emerge during the swing era, a virtuoso with an open-minded and extroverted style along with a strong sense of humor. He originally played piano and banjo before switching to trumpet, and he developed very quickly. In 1935, he was with Tiny Bradshaw's band and two years later he joined Lucky Millinder's big band. Soon afterward he became a key member of John Kirby's Sextet where he showed his versatility by mostly playing crisp solos while muted. Shavers was in demand for recording sessions and participated on notable dates with New Orleans jazz pioneers Johnny Dodds, Jimmy Noone, and Sidney Bechet. He also had many opportunities to write arrangements for Kirby and had a major hit with his composition "Undecided." After leaving Kirby in 1944, Charlie Shavers worked for a year with Raymond Scott's CBS staff orchestra, and then was an important part of Tommy Dorsey's Orchestra from 1945 until past TD's death in 1956. 

Although well-featured, this association kept Shavers out of the spotlight of jazz, but fortunately he did have occasional vacations in which he recorded with the Metronome All-Stars and toured with Jazz at the Philharmonic; at the latter's concerts in 1953, Shaver's trumpet battles with Roy Eldridge were quite exciting. After Dorsey's death, Shavers often led his own quartet although he came back to the ghost band from time to time. During the 1960s, his range and technique gradually faded, and Charlie Shavers died from throat cancer in 1971 at the age of 53. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/artist/charlie-shavers-mn0000179732/biography

Personnel: Charlie Shavers (trumpet); Maxine Sullivan (vocals); Hank D'Amico, Buster Bailey (clarinet); Russell Procope (alto saxophone); Benny Morton (trombone); Ken Kersey, Billy Kyle (piano); Panama Francis, Specs Powell (drums).

The Complete Charlie Shavers With Maxine Sullivan

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Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Joe Williams - One O'Clock Jump

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:06
Size: 108,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:02)  1. Too Close for Comfort
(3:35)  2. Smack Dab in the Middle
(3:27)  3. Amazing Love
(3:33)  4. Only Forever
(3:00)  5. Don't Worry 'Bout Me
(3:03)  6. Stop, Pretty Baby
(4:27)  7. One O'Clock Jump
(1:55)  8. Jamboree
(2:37)  9. I Don't Like You No More
(8:30) 10. From Coast To Coast
(3:00) 11. Too Close for Comfort ( Alternative Take)
(2:20) 12. One O'Clock Jump  (EP version)
(4:33) 13. One O'Clock Jump (Alternative Take)

This recording could be considered a near-sibling to April In Paris, since several of its tracks date from sessions out of the same month. Others overlap with material cut for The Greatest! Count Basie Plays . . . Joe Williams Sings Standards, and it isn't as compelling a record, either as a Joe Williams vehicle or a Basie showcase, as either of those, though it does have its moments, most notably the original finale, Arranger Ernie Wilkins' "From Coast to Coast," an 8½-minute blow-out; the Ella Fitzgerald-Joe Williams duet on "Too Close For Comfort," and the title track, rearranged by Wilkins but close to the classic rendering, which features lively solos by Frank Wess, Benny Powell, Frank Foster, and (especially)Joe Newman and Henry Coker. 

Williams is the dominant presence on the album, singing on seven of the original 10 tracks, and his presence is a bit of a drag on some of the proceedings, especially "Only Forever." His work with Basie from this era is better represented on Count Basie Swings, Joe Williams Sings, although he and the band acquit themselves very well here on "Stop, Pretty Baby, Stop," where all hands are firing on all cylinders at once for a change. The bonus tracks include a heavier, punchier outtake of "One O'Clock Jump" featuring the same soloists, plus a Williams-solo version of "Too Close For Comfort." The CD is a good package, with superb sound, though some historical notes would've been nice to put the sessions in perspective. A handy mid-priced reissue. ~ Bruce Eder  http://www.allmusic.com/album/one-oclock-jump-mw0000245828

Personnel: Count Basie (piano); Ella Fitzgerald (vocals); Joe Williams (vocals); Freddie Green (guitar); Frank Wess (flute, tenor saxophone); Marshall Royal (clarinet, alto saxophone); Bill Graham (alto saxophone); Frank Foster (tenor saxophone); Charlie Fowlkes (baritone saxophone); Reunald Jones, Joe Newman , Thad Jones, Wendell Culley (trumpet); Henry Coker, Benny Powell, Bill Hughes (trombone); Sonny Payne (drums).

One O'Clock Jump

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Charlie Ventura - Charlie Ventura Plays Hi Fi Jazz

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:09
Size: 78,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:37)  1. Runnin' Wild
(2:25)  2. Honeysuckle Rose
(3:16)  3. When The Saints Go Marching In
(2:51)  4. It's Only A Paper Moon
(3:03)  5. Sweet Sue, Just You
(2:10)  6. Dark Eyes
(2:28)  7. Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home
(3:28)  8. Stardust
(2:31)  9. Sweet Lorraine
(2:42) 10. Harvest Moon
(3:23) 11. Exactly Like You
(3:09) 12. I've Got You Under My Skin

By 1956 tenor-saxophonist Charlie Ventura no longer had a regular band and was drifting into semi-retirement. In fact, other than an album for King the following year and a set for Famous Door in 1977, this Lp was his final recording. Teamed with the then-unknown pianist Dave McKenna, guitarist Billy Bean, bassist Richard Davis (at the beginning of his career) and drummer Mousey Alexander, Ventura switches between tenor, alto, baritone and bass saxophones. The repertoire is filled with swing and dixieland standards including such unlikely songs as "When The Saints Go Marching In," "Bill Bailey" and "Sweet Sue" (in addition to a remake of Ventura's old hit with Gene Krupa "Dark Eyes") but the interpretations are full of spirit and swing. Although it may not look too promising, this budget Lp (which is long out of print but may be found at a cheap price) is actually well worth picking up. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/charlie-ventura-plays-hi-fi-jazz-mw0000931007

Personnel:  Bass – Richard Davis;  Drums – Mousey Alexander;  Guitar – Bill Bean;  Piano – Dave McKenna;  Saxophone – Charlie Ventura

Charlie Ventura Plays Hi Fi Jazz

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Canadian Brass - Take the A Train: The Best of Duke Ellington

Styles: Big Band

Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:23
Size: 136,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:24)  1. It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
(4:38)  2. Echoes Of Harlem
(3:34)  3. Sophisticated Lady
(3:22)  4. The Cottontail Caper
(2:09)  5. Pitter Panther Patter
(3:17)  6. Come Sunday
(1:48)  7. I've Got To Be A Rug Cutter
(2:50)  8. Solitude
(4:04)  9. Blood Count
(4:40) 10. Life Is Lonely
(2:20) 11. Come What May Places
(3:39) 12. A Week in Paris
(2:46) 13. Portrait of Cootie
(3:02) 14. Portrait of Johnny
(3:56) 15. New World a-Comin'
(5:47) 16. Harlem/Sunday Morning
(3:00) 17. Take the "a" Train

If you know anything about the Canadian Brass you know that the group is capable of just about anything musically. What the group has done here is expertly interpret the music of the most legendary composer of American jazz, the great Duke Ellington, for the brass quintet medium with nary a note sounding out of place. Ellington classics like "It Don't Mean a Thing," "Sophisticated Ladies," and "Cottontail" are richly arranged by arranger Luther Henderson and ring gallantly with the bell tones of refined brass. The sound of the group is so complete that the listener never misses the familiar big-band setting in which Ellington's tunes are traditionally performed. Also included are three variations on Billy Strayhorn's signature "Lush Life," the centerpiece of the set. Finally, the disc would not be complete without the resounding swing of "Take the 'A' Train," performed here with all the pageantry that this music so richly deserves. Ellington enthusiasts and music fans in general will find this disc to be as enjoyable time and again, just like the Duke himself. http://www.allmusic.com/album/take-the-a-train-the-best-of-duke-ellington-mw0000666578

Canadian Brass: Jens Lindmann (trumpet, piccolo trumpet); Ronald Romm (trumpet, flugelhorn); Gene Watts (trombone); Chris Cooper (French horn); Chuck Daellenbach (tuba).

Take the A Train: The Best of Duke Ellington

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Anita Wardell - Kinda Blue

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:48
Size: 95.7 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[3:19] 1. I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues
[3:56] 2. Loose Bloose
[3:29] 3. Little Girl Blue
[5:25] 4. Learnin' The Blues
[3:12] 5. The Wrong Blues
[6:52] 6. The Meaning Of The Blues
[3:37] 7. Limehouse Blues
[4:12] 8. Teenie's Blues
[4:16] 9. Parker's Mood
[3:25] 10. Born To Be Blue

This is a straightahead jazz singer's album of blues-related songs, so what can a contemporary singer do to step out of the crowd of generic rivals, or rise above the great performances of the past? Anita Wardell, the UK-resident Australia-raised singer, has been one of the most engaging live performers on standard material over a decade, and last year's Noted album rightly won acclaim. The yearning, lost-love quality that inevitably clings to some of this material gives the album something of a languorous, dinner-jazzy quality and Wardell reserves her compelling combination of Norma Winston's stillness and purity and her own forceful swing and bop-scat agility for the later stages.There's a fine account of The Meaning of the Blues, some quirkily Monkish instrument-like improve and a little Hammond organ earthiness, with excellent pianist Robin Aspland typically sharp-eared. But hardnosed jazzers might want a bit more grit and edge. ~JF, The Guardian

Kinda Blue

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Plas Johnson - Hot, Blue & Saxy

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:09
Size: 151.4 MB
Styles: Soul-jazz, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1992
Art: Front

[4:34] 1. This Can't Be Love
[5:49] 2. Hittin' The Jug
[3:58] 3. Nobody Does It Better
[6:15] 4. Ease On Down The Road
[6:34] 5. Since I Fell For You
[6:23] 6. What A Difference A Day Makes
[4:45] 7. Save Your Love For Me
[7:09] 8. Canadian Sunset
[3:43] 9. I'm Just A Lucky So And So
[6:26] 10. Star Eyes
[4:43] 11. I've Got It Bad And That Ain't Good
[5:43] 12. Never Make Your Move Too Soon

Jazz aficionados know him by name, but almost anyone exposed to music is familiar with his playing. His is the purring sax solo on Henry Mancini's famous "Pink Panther" movie theme song. Plas is the featured soloist heard on countless albums including those of such artists as Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Nat King Cole, Barbra Streisand, Quincy Jones, Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald, Linda Ronstadt and Sarah Vaughan.

Plas was born in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, about 60 miles north of New Orleans. As teens, Plas and brother Ray formed a band, the Johnson Brothers Combo, that played in and around New Orleans for a number of years. Plas left New Orleans in 1951 to go on the road with the Charles Brown Blues Band. The road, a stint in the Army and a permanent move to California followed. Plas attended the Westlake School of Music for over a year; then his studies were derailed by an overloaded schedule of record dates. He was brought to the attention of Johnny Otis, who immediately added him to his blues aggregation. Johnny then introduced Plas to Dave Cavanaugh, who held an influential A&R position at Capitol Records, where he soon became a regular session sideman and soloist during Capitol's halcyon years.

Plas has been one of the most well known and sought-after musicians around the California studio scene. He joined "The Merv Griffin Show" band in 1970, where he remained for the next fifteen years, joining an all-star lineup, which also included such prominent instrumentalists as Ray Brown, Herb Ellis, Jake Hanna, Benny Powell, Jack Sheldon, Kai Winding and others. Plas' recent recordings include his own albums, "Christmas in Hollywood", "Evening Delight", and "hot, blue & saxy", and a Milestone recording with Red Holloway, "Keep That Groove Going!" You may also find him around town occasionally with his own group, at jazz festivals all over the world, and in the recording studios. Plas Johnson combines some of the best elements of jazz and blues and is admired and emulated by sax players worldwide.

Hot, Blue & Saxy

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Chris Daniels & The Kings - 10

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:57
Size: 107.5 MB
Styles: Jazz-blues
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[3:31] 1. Howlin' At The Moon
[4:29] 2. Killing Floor
[4:40] 3. White Hot Lightning
[5:00] 4. Soul Mine
[4:42] 5. Bluz Cruz
[4:40] 6. Who's Makin Love
[5:29] 7. Come On Sit Down In My Kitchen
[4:07] 8. Gimme What Ya Got
[4:24] 9. It's All Good
[5:52] 10. Crossfire

Chris Daniels, rhythm guitar, vocals; Colin “Bones” Jones, lead guitar; Randy Amen, drums, vocals; Kevin “Bro” Lege, bass, vocals; Darryl “Doody” Abrahamson, trumpet, vocals; Jim Waddell, alto, tenor sax, flute, vocals.

Chris Daniels & the Kings have toured over two continents and have been asked to appear in such diverse places as South America, Curacao, Japan, and all over Europe. Chris has appeared with the B.B. King, Uncle Cracker, Blues Traveler, The Neville Brothers, Delbert McClinton, Sister Hazel, Sheryl Crow, Robert Cray, Taj Mahal, Al Kooper, Bonnie Raitt, Ziggy Marley, The Fixx, to name only a few. They are headliners on international festivals, like Ribs & Blues Festival with their buddies THE B-MASTERS, at Marktrock, Berchem Blues, and the Lokeren festivals in Belgium, and the Kings have toured as the back up band for Sonny Landreth, David Bromberg, Al Kooper, Bo Diddly, Francine Reed and Dutch guitarist Jan Rijbroek inplaces like Paris and Amsterdam, and for Bonnie Raitt, members of Little Feat, and Was Not Was at the Roxey in LA to name only a few they have worked with in the States. Die hard fans from Italy to Holland rocked with this remarkable artist who has appeared on HDnet all High definition TV, VH-1, TNN, Much Music/Canada, NIppon TV/Japan, Crooked River Grove, KUSA, and on Onhe Filter, AVRO, KAVRO, Paris MTV, and Brussles 1, in Europe, and on Swing TV in Buenos Ares, Argentina.

10

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The Band - Moondog Matinee

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:56
Size: 139.5 MB
Styles: Roots rock
Year: 1973/2001/2015
Art: Front

[3:22] 1. Ain't Got No Home
[3:19] 2. Holy Cow
[2:54] 3. Share Your Love
[5:38] 4. Mystery Train
[2:45] 5. Third Man Theme
[2:59] 6. Promised Land
[3:09] 7. The Great Pretender
[3:24] 8. I'm Ready
[3:46] 9. Saved
[4:16] 10. A Change Is Gonna Come
[3:13] 11. Didn't It Rain
[3:26] 12. Crying Heart Blues
[3:28] 13. Shakin'
[5:00] 14. What Am I Living For
[5:02] 15. Going Back To Memphis
[5:07] 16. Endless Highway

The Band essentially went back to being the Hawks of the late '50s and early '60s on this album of cover tunes. They demonstrated considerable expertise on their versions of rock & roll and R&B standards like Clarence "Frogman" Henry's "Ain't Got No Home," Chuck Berry's "The Promised Land," and Fats Domino's "I'm Ready," but of course that didn't do much to satisfy the audience they had established with their original material and that, two years after the disappointing Cahoots, was waiting for something in the same league with their first three albums. ~William Ruhlmann

Moondog Matinee

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