Sandi Blair - No More Blues

Size: 117,7 MB
Time: 50:39
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. I'm Old Fashioned (3:27)
02. Come Rain Or Come Shine (4:02)
03. Morning (5:11)
04. Don't Explain (6:09)
05. Love Is Everywhere (2:53)
06. Round Midnight (6:44)
07. Take Five (4:14)
08. Willow Weep For Me (5:00)
09. Strange As It Seems (5:18)
10. Chega De Saudade (No More Blues) (3:30)
11. You Won't See Me Anymore (4:06)

This artist was the grand prize winner of the nationwide Hennessy Jazz Search with competitions in Washington, Detroit, Chicago and New York. Nurtured by her uncle, Lee Blair, who played guitar in the 40's with Louis Armstrong big band, Sandi has earned her place in the ranks of America's jazz divas. This is a vocal musician with impeccable timing and an amazing gift for phrasing. So if you're a vocal jazz enthusiast, this is a CD you must have in your collection.

No More Blues

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Ray Bryant - Con Alma + Little Susie

Size: 179,9 MB
Time: 77:06
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 201J
Styles: Jazz: Jazz Blues, Soul Jazz, Piano Jazz
Art: Front

01. Con Alma (6:59)
02. C Jam Blues (4:23)
03. Nuts And Bolts (3:08)
04. Cubano Chant (4:26)
05. 'Round Midnight (3:56)
06. Autumn Leaves (5:25)
07. Milestones (4:13)
08. Django (5:38)
09. Little Susie (4:45)
10. By Myself (3:22)
11. Blues For Norine (4:36)
12. Misty (4:05)
13. Moon-Faced, Starry-Eyed (3:26)
14. Big Buddy (5:35)
15. Willow Weep For Me (5:12)
16. So In Love (5:38)
17. If I Can Just Make It (2:13)

Ray Bryant (1931-2011) was a superb, consummately talented and thoroughly accomplished pianist whose talents were honed by performing in all kinds of places and situations with all kinds of players. Unusual for a pianist who emerged during the bop era, he had a two-handed, orchestral approach to the piano and his career soon reached one of its early peaks with Con Alma, a trio album that confirmed his all-round skills. On it, everything he does is pointed and considered: his solos have a sense of continuity and climax and, unlike many of his contemporaries he can and does use the full resources of the instrument. It is paired with Little Susie, another delightful trio album, solidly in the best tradition of jazz piano at the time, swinging, melodic and filled with joie de vivre. There are undeniable influences in his work, particularly a more earthy Teddy Wilson, and a compendium of many major leaguers up to his contemporaries. But he was also recognisably his own man, with a touch that was more emphatic than the older pianists of his style, yet also more refined than younger exponents. Both albums catch the essence of what made Ray Bryant such an outstanding young jazz pianist.

Con Alma + Little Susie

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Steve Cromity - All My Tomorrows

Size: 102,2 MB
Time: 43:50
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Old Devil Moon (Feat. Kenyetta Beasley) (5:05)
02. When Lights Are Low (Feat. Kenyetta Beasley) (3:29)
03. All My Tomorrows (Feat. Patience Higgins) (5:25)
04. Sugar (Feat. Eric Wyatt & Kenyetta Beasley) (4:12)
05. My Little Boat (Feat. Patience Higgins) (3:30)
06. Where Do You Start (Feat. Patience Higgins) (6:20)
07. Jeaninne (Feat. Kenyetta Beasley & Eric Wyatt) (3:39)
08. How Little We Know (3:04)
09. I Was Telling Her About You (Feat. Patience Higgins) (5:25)
10. Without A Song (Feat. Eric Wyatt & Kenyetta Beasley) (3:35)

Steve patiently waited to create this new CD, doing so when it was time to make a statement about his music and share it. This CD represents the best in vocal jazz and the genre. On it, he has with him several great NYC musicians: Kenyatta Beasley, trumpet; Patience Higgins, flute, tenor sax, and soprano; Eric Wyatt, tenor sax; Marcus Parsiani, piano; Eric Lemon, bass; and Darrell Green, drums.

The songs Steve selected for this CD are just some of his favorites, but those you'll hear fit the various rhythms, moods, and concepts he most wanted to convey. Steve particularly loves to swing, so "Old Devil Moon," "When lights are low," "Sugar," "Jeannine," and "Without a song," all swing in various tempos. The ballads "All my tomorrows," the theme of the CD, is served-up with heart-felt feelings, and so is "Where do we start", a poignant, impassioned piece. "My little boat," the Bossa of the CD project, is all about the bliss of romance. The third ballad, "I was telling her about you" is a bit tongue-in-cheek and a touch humorous, but a situation all too real that can actually happen (Just listen to the great Nancy Wilson sing "Guess who I saw today.") Between all of those is "How little we know," definitely one of Steve's favorites as unlike the others, he and the bassist start it out. These tunes will either have you swinging and patting your feet or snuggling up to your love one.

Steve is an active player on the NYC jazz scene, increasingly making his voice heard and presence felt. He's performed at many of New York’s top venues, including Lenox Lounge, Birdland, Smoke, Cleopatra’s Needle, Katano, and Jazz 966. He has performed with many of NYC's leading jazz artist: including, Paul Beaudry, Kenyatta Beasley, Richard Clements, Bruce Cox, Patience Higgins, Rodney Kendrick, Alex Layne, Marcus Persiani, James Weidman, and Eric Wyatt.

Here's what has been said of him:
“… a straight ahead, swinging, talented singer with impeccable diction and an ear for great songs”. - All About Jazz

“…a revered melodic accuracy, and cool and comfortable outlook that will put a smile on your face”. - Cadence Magazine

“…what Steve presents to us is Pure Honesty in his music…’Jazz is a cat being honest with himself’ (and thereby with us). And the hip part is that it works”! - Rob Crocker, WBGO FM-Radio personality

“I listened to “Steppin’ Out” in its entirety and I think your phrasing and your selection of material are in the hippest tradition of the art”. - Oscar Brown, Jr., the late, legendary singer and composers

All My Tomorrows

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Jay Smith Group - Too Many Notes

Size: 138,8 MB
Time: 59:41
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Modern Jazz
Art: Front

01. Groove (5:33)
02. Santana (Feat. Patrick Contreras) (7:05)
03. Quiescent (Feat. Fernando Montoya) (4:58)
04. I Shot The Sheriff (Feat. Patrick Contreras) (7:23)
05. Static (Trio) (7:45)
06. Don't Kill My Vibe (Live) (6:00)
07. Monk This (Trio) [Feat. Patrick Contreras] (5:59)
08. Softly As In A Morning Sunrise (Feat. Patrick Contreras) (5:00)
09. Solitary (5:26)
10. Cara's Song (4:27)

Based in Bakersfield, CA, keyboardist, composer Jay Smith's second album is titled Too Many Notes via comments by his fan base, alluding to his often blazing phraseology on the 88s. Nonetheless, Smith possesses an active mind as the program boasts a cornucopia of bop, jazz fusion, Latin jazz, rock, pulsating cadences and explosive flights of fancy. At times Smith executes flashy runs while toggling between acoustic and electric keys and props up the interest or listenability factor by alternating tempos and bouncing between various mini-motifs within a given theme. Moreover, the crystalline audio soundscape enhances the band's presentation at most all levels of interplay.

Smith's homage to guitar great Carlos Santana is executed on the aptly titled, "Santana." And kudos are in order for electric violinist Patrick Contreras who keenly and perhaps rather eerily mimics Santana's wailing, sustain driven sound with the signature style inflections and screaming upper-register notes. Hence, I needed to recheck the album notes, assuming it was a guitarist, but such is not the case. Moreover, the leader's pumping block chords atop the frothy Latin pulse add momentum, and he finalizes the piece with a speedy cavalcade of chord clusters and single note soloing forays. But the plot changes during the ensemble's spin on Bob Marley's mega pop hit "I Shot The Sherriff," accelerated by the keyboardist's dynamic and sprightly synth lines.

"Static" is a keys, drums and bass trio piece, nestled in a straight-four contempo jazz vibe. Smith's fluid synth passages and 8-string bassist Jay Jay Hicks' zesty solo, including jazzy chordal maneuvers generate additional sources of interest. Yet on another trio piece "Monk This," Smith and associates dish out a springy jazz opus, often operating in the red zone with changeable grooves, sizzling breakouts and a few doses of free-bop. Otherwise, James Russell alters the flow with peppery soul-jazz sax phrasings on "Solitary," shadowed with a tender melody, and followed by Smith's lovely and resonating piano etude on the final track, "Cara's Song." Indeed, diversity and a democratic group-centric mode of attack is a prominent staple of Smith's craft amid a throng of polytonal dialogues and upbeat thematic frameworks.

Personnel: Patrick Contreras: electric and acoustic violin (2,3,8,9); Jay Smith: keyboards, organ, left hand bass, synth; Cesaro Garasa; James Russell: alto and tenor saxophones (3,10); Jonathan Weinmann (5): drums; Fernando Montoya: electric bass (1,3,10); Jay Jay Hicks: 7 & 8 string bass (2,5,8) Marlon Mackey: vocals (6); Gary Rink: electric bass (6).

Too Many Notes

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Brenda Padula - My Foolish Heart

Size: 137,5 MB
Time: 58:47
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. All Of You (3:29)
02. But Beautiful (5:33)
03. Come Rain Or Come Shine (3:22)
04. I Thought About You (3:41)
05. I'll Be Seeing You (5:07)
06. Speak Low (3:57)
07. My Foolish Heart (5:48)
08. 'Round Midnight (5:39)
09. Stormy Monday Blues (3:15)
10. The Very Thought Of You (5:37)
11. I Only Have Eyes For You (3:04)
12. They Can't Take That Away From Me (2:42)
13. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To (2:35)
14. You'll Never Know (4:52)

This is Brenda Padula's debut CD but it is immediately apparent she is blessed with a voice that is both youthful and mature.She believes in the words she sings and pays full attention to lyric phrasing and rhythm. Brenda and the band perform standard songs from The Great American Songbook. Each song is well known to both Jazz listeners and listeners of vocalists, and she has chosen some great ones- pianist and arranger Mike Renzi

Brenda approaches the phrasing of a lyric with a strong jazz sensibility that is reminiscent of a horn player without losing the meaning of the lyrics. Her excellent vocal technique and the ability to approach her songs with dynamics make the listener want to hear more- jazz vocalist Jim Porcella

My Foolish Heart

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Eddie Henderson - Collective Portrait

Size: 158,4 MB
Time: 68:20
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz: Bebop
Art: Front

01. Sunburst (8:20)
02. Dreams (9:53)
03. Morning Song (7:44)
04. You Know I Care (5:49)
05. Beyond Forever (4:45)
06. First Light (8:43)
07. Together (5:43)
08. Ginger Bread Boy (5:05)
09. Spring (5:27)
10. Zoltan (6:46)

Collective Portrait is much more than just the title of Eddie Henderson‘s new album for Smoke Sessions Records. For Henderson, it’s the heart and soul of the remarkable trumpet/flugelhorn master’s entire approach to musical expression. Taking a cue from Miles Davis statement that “a collective portrait is better than a self-portrait,” Henderson has assembled a stellar cast of musicians to create music forged with the classic qualities of synergy and empathy essential for jazz at its highest level. Re-uniting with pianist George Cables and alto saxophonist Gary Bartz — musical collaborators for nearly 40 years — along with the perfectly simpatico bass and drums tandem of Doug Weiss and Carl Allen, Collective Portrait embodies the creative spirit and adventurousness that is always the primary goal of all of Henderson’s musical endeavors. “I’ve known all of these guys for a long time but when we got together as a quintet for the first time in front of a live audience at Smoke to prepare for this date, I knew we had something,” explains Henderson. “It had that special chemistry.”
The 10-composition collection that Henderson has chosen for Collective Portrait is considerably more than a selection of fine songs. Each piece has a special meaning to him, including three pieces directly connected to trumpet masters who were personally influential to Henderson’s development. Freddie Hubbard’s “First Light”, Woody Shaw’s “Zoltan” and Jimmy Heath’s “Ginger Bread Boy”, immortalized by Miles Davis, are all powerfully delivered with virtuosity that never gets in the way of the vibrant lyricism, relentless rhythmic drive and palpable excitement. Two Cables’ pieces — the fractured funk rhythm-driven “Morning Song” and the punchy syncopated driver “Beyond Forever” — both originally recorded by the two men on an earlier Henderson album in 1977, are marvelously re-imagined for this recording. Two Henderson originals (both featuring Cables on electric piano) are included, the surging but wistful Spanish-influenced “Sunburst” and the highly atmospheric, aptly titled “Dreams.”
And what would a Henderson album be without the exquisite balladry for which he is an acknowledged master. Duke Pearson’s captivating “You Know I Care” is given a tender and serene rendition; Leszek Kulakowski’s “Spring” takes a more sprightly, but no less sensitive approach; and “Together,” by Henderson’s wife Natsuko, celebrates their 20 years together in a most lovely manner.
Often compared to Miles Davis for his deep lyricism and modal mastery, Henderson has contributed mightily to the music of many of the modern giants, including Herbie Hancock (including three years with Hancock’s Mwandishi group), McCoy Tyner, Pharoah Sanders, among many others; including that foremost University of Jazz — Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. He also attended some more widely recognized universities in pursuit of his medical degree, and in addition to his busy musical career, Henderson also practiced psychiatry for more than 10 years. Although he is widely recognized by musicians and knowledgeable fans as one of the finest musicians of the past 40 years, he has not yet achieved the popular recognition he deserves. Collective Portrait should help bring about a cure to that.

Personnel:
Eddie Henderson - trumpet
George Cables - piano
Gary Bartz - saxophone
Doug Weiss - bass
Carl Allen - drums

Collective Portrait

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Emma Pask - Emma

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:46
Size: 130,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:16)  1. Love (L.O.V.E.)
(4:20)  2. No More Blues
(5:26)  3. A Little Bit Of What You Fancy
(5:39)  4. How Insensitive
(4:12)  5. Mr. Better
(4:21)  6. Polka Dots And Moonbeams
(4:41)  7. Tea For Two
(4:42)  8. Whenever
(6:13)  9. If I Should Lose You
(4:13) 10. My Romance
(3:55) 11. That Old Feeling
(4:43) 12. Danny Boy

The greatest gift to Australian Jazz Vocals in the last decade is how James Morrison, Australia’s most awarded jazzman, describes Emma Pask. Her talent was spotted by James Morrison during one of his regular visits to high schools when she was just 16. She first sang with his band that night and has been touring with Morrison around Australia and overseas, ever since. While Emma’s voice and style are unique, and individually her own, her performances are reminiscent of the classic era of jazz, when swing was top of the charts. By request, in 2006, Emma performed the Bridal Waltz for Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban’s wedding, also performing through the evening with a swinging set of big band numbers with the Sydney All Star Big Band. Earlier that same year, Emma was awarded the Mo Award for “Jazz Vocalist of the year”. 

Emma has been a regular guest on national TV shows like Hey, Hey Its Saturday, the Midday Show, Good Morning Australia, the Today show, and has also sung to VIP audiences including the late Diana, Princess of Wales, Princess Mary of Denmark, and the Prime Minister of Australia. You’ll often hear Emma’s voice on numerous Television Commercials, movie soundtracks and voice over work. She has performed to audiences of up to 80,000 people, Sung in London at The Queen Elizabeth Hall with the BBC Concert Orchestra, In China with The Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, In Auckland with the NZ Philharmonic, With Barbara Morrison, Don Burrows, Ed Wilson, Conductor Sean O’Boyle, With the WA Symphony Orchestra, Recorded with the BBC Big Band in London, Performed at the Phillips International Jazz Festival in Kuala Lumpur, At the Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne, In Cape Town S.A with the Darius Brubeck Trio, Toured her band ‘The Emma Pask Qunitet” through Laos and Singapore Performed in Rome Italy, And has preformed at the Sydney Opera House, guesting alongside James Morrison with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

Christmas time 2011, Emma had her debut appearance on Channel 9’s Carols by Candlelight. 2012 began with performances in Uruguay, South America, for which Emma received Rave Reviews, and continued on to Switzerland where she performed at the Ascona Jazz Festival. Following the enormous success of her first 2 albums, “Emma” and “This Madness called Love”, Emma has released her third solo album, “Some other Spring”. Despite her achievements and the international recognition of her talent, Emma retains her natural, refreshing and unpretentious, positive approach to life. James Morrison says “Whilst it’s fashionable to be a jazz singer these days, she’s the real thing!” Bio ~ http://www.emmapask.com/about/

Emma

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Seamus Blake - Bellwether

Styles: Post-Bop, Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:01
Size: 140,8 MB
Art: Front + Back

( 8:42)  1. Dance Me Home
( 7:43)  2. A Beleza Que Vem
( 8:11)  3. Subterfuge
( 7:15)  4. The Song That Lives Inside
( 8:36)  5. Bellwether
(10:12)  6. Minor Celebrity
(10:19)  7. String Quartet in G Minor, Opus 10

Some albums are named for a time, a place, an experience, or even a person. Others have a concept. Saxophonist Seamus Blake takes on concept with Bellwether, a term for leader or trendsetter. Born in England and raised in Vancouver, Canada, Blake has gained recognition by Down Beat and JazzTimes magazines, and finished first in the 2002 Thelonious Monk Jazz Competition. His associations include Mark Turner, Kurt Rosenwinkel, FLY and Victor Lewis.

For Bellwether, Blake is accompanied by guitarist Lage Lund, pianist David Kikoski, bassist Matt Clohesy and drummer Bill Stewart.  "A Beleza Que Vem," one of five Blake compositions, is an easygoing piece that features the leader on soprano saxophone, playing the melody in duet with Lund. Bass and drums are subtle, rim shots and strategically placed splash cymbals subtly accenting Kikoski's solo. Blake stretches out plenty on his solo, the music building in intensity, at one pointy, as if to signal the end, but he plays on. "Subterfuge," another original, features Blake on tenor. 

Guitar and sax blend on the lead of a song in 4/4 time but which, because of some creative note placement, often sounds like another time signature. Lund's solo subtly references Pat Metheny, while Stewart gives the entire kit a workout during his solo. Some of Bellwether's selections are symphonic in mood, but whether symphonic or hard charging, the music is always cohesive and expressive. Each musician shines as an individual, but there's never a moment when the group concept is lost. 

~ Woodrow Wilkins http://www.allaboutjazz.com/bellwether-seamus-blake-criss-cross-review-by-woodrow-wilkins.php
 

Personnel: Seamus Blake: tenor and soprano saxophones;  Lage Lund: guitar;  David Kikoski: piano;  Matt Clohesy: bass;  Bill Stewart: drums.

Bellwether

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Jeremy Pelt - Men Of Honor

Styles: Straight-ahead/Mainstream, Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:57
Size: 105,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:46)  1. Backroad
(4:51)  2. Milo Hayward
(5:40)  3. Brooklyn Bound
(6:56)  4. Danny Mack
(7:15)  5. From A Life Of The Same Name
(5:04)  6. Illusion
(5:19)  7. Us/Them
(4:02)  8. Without You

The title of firebrand trumpeter Jeremy Pelt's Men of Honor refers to the members of his quintet who, like their leader here, are among the foremost 30-something neo-bop players in jazz today. The album is a follow-up to Pelt's acclaimed November (MaxJazz, 2008), which marked this all-acoustic quintet's debut, and came on the heels of a couple of releases that explored a sort of early-1970s electric Miles Davis vibe. Heralded for years as one of the "rising stars" in jazz, Pelt has earned accolades for his staggering virtuosity, which has elicited comparisons to trumpet icons like Clifford Brown, Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard, as well as for his studious, cerebral approach to the music. While he's clearly the man in charge here, Men of Honor is very much a band-focused release, with all five members of the group contributing compositions (Pelt penned four of the tunes) and all five voices heard distinctively and insistently throughout. 

Pelt's group is that rarest of all things in jazz, a working band, and the familiarity and instant communication that come from extensive time spent playing together is evident. JD Allen is a perfect frontline partner for Pelt, his rich tenor sax sound offering a mellow counterpoint to the trumpeter's crisp, vivid tone. And the rhythm section of pianist Danny Grissett, bassist Dwayne Burno and powerhouse drummer Gerald Cleaver is as dynamic as any working in jazz at the moment. Among the standout tracks are Burno's strutting opener, "Backroad," Pelt's energetic ode to his new son, "Milo Hayward," and Grissett's romantic closer, "Without You." Most of the tunes here fall nominally under the rubric of post-bop, but some, like Pelt's "Danny Mack," edge further outside, with Grissett pounding out dissonant chords while Pelt and Allen solo furiously. At 33, Pelt is just starting to come into his own. Men of Honor is his most mature, satisfying release to date and a great way to start 2010 in jazz. ~ Joel Roberts  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/men-of-honor-jeremy-pelt-highnote-records-review-by-joel-roberts.php

Personnel: Jeremy Pelt: trumpet; J.D. Allen: tenor saxophone; Danny Grissett: piano; Dwayne Burno: bass; Gerald Cleaver: drums.

Men Of Honor

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Leo Parker - Rollin' With Leo

Styles: Hard Bop, Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1961
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:52
Size: 100,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:54)  1. The Lion's Roar
(6:17)  2. Bad Girl
(6:25)  3. Rollin'  With Leo
(4:56)  4. Music Hall Beat
(4:31)  5. Jumpin'  Leo
(6:30)  6. Talkin' The Blues
(5:41)  7. Stuffy
(4:35)  8. Mad Lad Returns

Drugs and addictions defined most of Leo Parker's adult life, finally claiming it entirely in February of 1962 when he was only 36 years old. Only months earlier in 1961, in two sessions held on October 12 and October 20, Parker had played his heart out in what would have been his second album for Blue Note Records that year, and it had appeared that the baritone saxophonist was well on his way to a much deserved career comeback. The sessions, however, weren't released until almost 20 years later. Rollin' with Leo, presented here in remastered form, is a wonderful portrait of this unsung but brilliant player, whose huge, sad, but almost impossibly strong tone always felt like it carried the world on its shoulders. 

The centerpiece of Rollin' with Leo is the fascinating "Talkin' the Blues," which unfolds, nearly themeless, like a late-night conversation, ebbing and flowing exactly the way a conversation does, with Parker's baritone swinging back to gather notes, but always moving and stretching forward, expanding the conversation until it seems like everything that could be said HAS been said. Parker's death was tragic because he had so much more to say, and that makes this fine set all that more of a treasure. ~ Steve Leggett  http://www.allmusic.com/album/rollin-with-leo-mw0000653973

Personnel: Baritone Saxophone – Leo Parker;  Bass – Al Lucas (tracks: A1, A2, B1 to B4), Stan Conover (tracks: A3, A4);  Drums – Purnell Rice (tracks: A3, A4), Wilbert Hogan (tracks: A1, A2, B1 to B4) Piano – Johnny Acea;  Tenor Saxophone – Bill Swindell;  Trumpet – Dave Burns

Rollin' With Leo

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