Silky Denims: 02/14/15

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Mel Torme - At The Crescendo: Complete Recordings 1954 & 1957

Size: 145,8+140,0 MB
Time: 61:12+58:49
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2011
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

CD 1:
01. From This Moment On (1:41)
02. September Song (2:50)
03. That Old Black Magic (3:14)
04. Get Out Of Town (3:22)
05. My Shining Hour (3:03)
06. Goody Goody (2:27)
07. County Fair (5:12)
08. This Christmas Song (3:04)
09. A Stranger In Town (3:25)
10. I Wish I Were In Love Again (2:08)
11. Moonlight In Vermont (2:26)
12. You're Driving Me Crazy (2:12)
13. Bernie's Tune (3:05)
14. Our Love Is Here To Stay (2:24)
15. Old Devil Moon (3:16)
16. Blue Moon (2:35)
17. Have You Met Miss Jones (2:47)
18. Jeepers Creepers (3:00)
19. Mountain Greenery (2:25)
20. Imagination (3:21)
21. Get Happy (3:02)

CD 2:
01. It's Only A Paper Moon (3:11)
02. What Is This Thing Called Love (4:03)
03. One For My Baby (4:44)
04. Love Is Just A Bug (2:31)
05. A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square (2:52)
06. Autumn Leaves (3:03)
07. Just One Of Those Things (2:29)
08. The Girl Next Door (2:58)
09. Lover Come Back To Me (2:43)
10. Looking At You (2:49)
11. The Tender Trap (3:23)
12. I'm Beginning To See The Light (2:23)
13. It's All Right With Me (4:26)
14. Manhattan (3:14)
15. Taking A Chance (1:59)
16. Home By The Sea (1:52)
17. It's De-Lovely (2:42)
18. Tenderly (2:19)
19. I Wish I Was In Love Again (2:29)
20. Nobody's Heart (2:28)

One of those singers who could sing a grocery list and make it work, Mel Tormé never met a song he couldn't at least make memorable, and in most cases, he did a whole lot more than that. Tormé wasn't a singer who fed off of glitz and flash, and his vocal work was full of such subtle and effortlessly inventive phrasing that it's easy to miss how he never sings a successive verse exactly the same in a song, working the edges of the melody so deftly that it all seems naturally right, even if what he's really doing is working his vocals like a veteran horn player. What this means is that Tormé, who had his successes in the recording studio, certainly, was really at his most transcendent as a vocalist in a live setting, and these two sets, recorded three years apart in 1954 and 1957 at the Crescendo on Sunset Strip with the Al Pellegrini Trio (1954) and the Marty Paich Quintet (1957), are the perfect proof of that. This is Mel Tormé in his element giving classics like the Gershwins' "Our Love Is Here to Stay" an almost perfect reading, feeding the melody the intimacy it cries for, scat singing (a Tormé specialty) his way through "Bernie's Tune" like a jazz trumpet player, and approaching "A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" with just the right touch to bring out its inherent dignity. He does more of the same to two of his own compositions, the brilliant "Stranger in Town" and the so-good-it-seems-like-it's-been-around-forever holiday classic "The Christmas Song." Graceful, warm, and spry, Tormé's singing always fits his material, and he gently bends the melodies, shifts emphasis on the rhythm, and elegantly turns phrases in subtle little ways on song after song during these performances, but it's all done with such seemingly effortless ease that he appears to be singing everything straight and true. He isn't. A close listen to what he's doing reveals continual and delightful surprises, all of them carrying the song where it really wants to go. With 41 tracks on two discs, this is both a great introduction to Tormé's elegant vocal universe and a historic pairing of his two Crescendo nights in a single package, which, amazingly, no one has thought to do before. ~Review by Steve Leggett

At The Crescendo CD 1
At The Crescendo CD 2

Michael Hershman - Undercovers

Size: 119,5 MB
Time: 51:20
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Saxophone Jazz, Smooth Jazz
Art: Front

01. Any Day Now (4:02)
02. Back To You (4:08)
03. And You Care (4:04)
04. Soull Deep (3:41)
05. Jade (4:37)
06. Undercovers (4:58)
07. You Know How It Is (3:47)
08. Love Is New (4:33)
09. Romantic Cruise (4:18)
10. Beside You (4:14)
11. Her Groove (4:32)
12. If For A Moment (4:19)

Funky, hip, soulful, melodic, original jazz. Featuring a wide array of great performances by great musicians including exciting horn & string sections All lead/solo soprano & alto sax by Michael Hershman - all songs composed by him as well...

"Michael Hershman is a remarkable talent! He can repeatedly achieve whatever musical goals that may lie ahead, again and again, indefinitely. It is hard to imagine anyone in "the industry" with a lick of sense passing on the opportunity to mine the gold lying there in wait." - (Doug Mackey Music Editor - Tacoma Weekly)

"Michael's music is as beautiful and sexy as he is while he performs it." ( Melony Denise Cunningham Executive Producer – KLAY

"Mike is one of the greatest horns players I've heard." – (Ike Turner Ike Turner Revue)

"Michael Hershman is the best saxophone player that I've ever heard and I love his CD." – (Step Stephan Wonn ESPN)

"Michael is a fabulous saxophonist and a great composer. His appeal to the audience is astounding." – (Armen Rominov Tour Manager - Sea of Japan Tour "98")

Undercovers

Clare Teal & Grant Windsor With Special Guest Pee Wee Ellis - In Good Company

Size: 107,9 MB
Time: 46:57
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. I'll Be Your Baby Tonight (4:17)
02. I Get Along Without You Very Well (4:57)
03. Inarticulate Speech Of The Heart (4:24)
04. A Kiss To Build A Dream On (3:37)
05. Lover Man (5:15)
06. Come Together (4:14)
07. The Nearness Of You (5:09)
08. Don't Go To Strangers (5:39)
09. I Got You (I Feel Good) (5:28)
10. My Neighbourhood (3:51)

Following on from the success of 'And So It Goes', Clare and Grant invited saxophone legend Pee Wee Ellis into the studio to make an 'as live' totally organic album. In Good Company was recorded over 2 days and is a collection of songs that have inspired, or influenced Pee Wee, songs that he has enjoyed playing throughout his vast career or that he has indeed written himself, not to mention a couple of random offerings that are there purely because they came up in conversation at the time!

In Good Company

James Edward Cole III - The Jam Session

Size: 101,3 MB
Time: 43:37
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz: Smooth Jazz
Art: Front

01. The Jam Session (4:20)
02. Along For The Ride (4:08)
03. Smooth Move (3:56)
04. Moving To A Newer Level (3:34)
05. Better Than Before (4:55)
06. The Composer (5:27)
07. Not Far To Go (3:08)
08. Close To The Border (3:31)
09. No Two Ways About It (3:04)
10. Off The Ground (3:36)
11. Just Having Fun (3:53)

This is a composition of smooth jazz that has an acoustic guitar and keyboard sounds to it. A nice mellow sound that you will enjoy listening to if just out riding out on trip to get away and relax. I hope you will enjoy it.

The Jam Session

Clare Teal & Her Mini Big Band - At Your Request

Size: 117,3 MB
Time: 49:42
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. I'll Be Your Baby Tonight (4:11)
02. That Old Black Magic (3:16)
03. The Way Young Lovers Do (4:37)
04. Dream A Little Dream of Me (4:21)
05. Mountain Greenery (2:28)
06. Never Go Away (4:00)
07. The Folks Who Live on the Hill (3:45)
08. Hallelujah Part 1 (2:19)
09. Hallelujah Part 2 (5:30)
10. Fascinating Rhythm (3:26)
11. Nice Work If You Can Get It (3:54)
12. Teardrops From My Eyes (4:13)
13. Twenty-Mile Zone (3:36)

Clare Teal is one of the UK’s most celebrated and much loved jazz singers, as well as a prolific recording artist and popular BBC Radio 2 broadcaster. To date she has recorded and released 13 albums to public and critical acclaim. Her stunning voice, encyclopaedic knowledge of jazz, swing and big band music, and her innate warmth and wit have made Clare one of the most sought after singers and broadcasters in the country.

After signing to independent label Candid in 2001 and releasing three acclaimed titles, it was Clare’s first album for Sony Jazz which became her breakthrough record. Released in 2004, ‘Don’t Talk’ topped the Jazz charts and entered the UK Top 20, garnering extraordinary plaudits and several awards. She has gone on to release seven more successful albums, most recently her 2014 release ‘In Good Company’ featuring saxophone legend Pee Wee Ellis.

As a live artist, Clare has performed across the length and breadth of the UK and across the globe. Her shows are renowned not only for her stunning vocals and great song choices, but also because she has deservedly developed a reputation as one of our most entertaining and witty performers.

Clare loves working with large and small ensemble groups and performs with orchestras, big bands and most regularly with her trio, in 2013 she formed her own Big band, and a year later created a 16 piece Hollywood Band for a show celebrating the music of Doris Day. She has a particular passion for the Great American Songbook and more recently the Great British Songbook. Her love of the great female singers of our time has led her to develop her show ‘The Divas and Me!’ celebrating the leading lights of the jazz and big band world, including Ella Fitzgerald, Peggy Lee, Judy Garland and Anita O’Day.

Highlights of Clare’s live work include opening twice for Liza Minnelli at Kenwood House and the Royal Festival Hall, singing with the BBC Big Band at Proms in the Park, headlining the Bourbon Street tent at Glastonbury Festival, performing regularly at the world renowned Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, storming the Marlborough Jazz Festival with her Big Band and performing with the 100 piece Halle Orchestra at the Bridgewater Hall.

A career pinnacle for Clare was producing, presenting and performing her own Prom during the 2014 Proms Season at the Royal Albert Hall. ‘Battle of the Bands Duke Ellington v Count Basie’ was filmed before a capacity crowd, broadcast simultaneously on BBC Radio 2 & 3 and was the most viewed prom of 2014 on BBC Four.

Clare is now a loved and respected broadcaster on the BBC radio 2. She presents her own 2 hour live show on BBC Radio 2 featuring the best of swing and big band music.

Clare won British Jazz Singer of the year in both 2005 and 2007, and BBC Jazz Singer of the Year in 2006. She was awarded Arts & Entertainment Personality of the Year in 2004 & 2011 Yorkshire Awards and was awarded a much coveted Gold Badge by BASCA (British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors) in 2011.

Clare’s future plans include touring her tribute to the legendary Doris Day accompanied by her 16 piece Hollywood Band, further shows with The Clare Teal Big Band. In addition she will continue to tour with her Mini Big Band and perform with her beloved trio. She will release her 14th album, ‘At Your Request’ in February 2015.

At Your Request

Larry Coryell - Live In Europe 2004 Vol. 1 & Vol. 2

Album: Live In Europe 2004 Vol. 1
Size: 145,5 MB
Time: 63:05
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz: Guitar Jazz, Jazz Rock
Label: Troubadour Records
Art: Front

01. Immer Geradeaus (13:03)
02. Dragon Gate (12:08)
03. Tricycles ( 7:39)
04. Bumpin' On Sunset ( 7:41)
05. In A Sentimental Mood ( 9:21)
06. Spaces Revisited (13:11)

As one of the pioneers of jazz-rock -- perhaps the pioneer in the ears of some -- Larry Coryell deserves a special place in the history books. He brought what amounted to a nearly alien sensibility to jazz electric guitar playing in the 1960s, a hard-edged, cutting tone, phrasing and note-bending that owed as much to blues, rock and even country as it did to earlier, smoother bop influences. Yet as a true eclectic, armed with a brilliant technique, he is comfortable in almost every style, covering almost every base from the most decibel-heavy, distortion-laden electric work to the most delicate, soothing, intricate lines on acoustic guitar. Unfortunately, a lot of his most crucial electric work from the '60s and '70s is missing on CD, tied up by the erratic reissue schemes of Vanguard, RCA and other labels, and by jazz-rock's myopically low level of status in the CD era (although that mindset is slowly changing).

According to Coryell, his interest in jazz took hold at the age of four, and after his family moved from Galveston to the state of Washington three years later, he began to learn the guitar, studying records by Tal Farlow, Barney Kessel and Johnny Smith. As a teenager, he played in a band led by pianist Mike Mandel, and by 1965, he gave up his journalism studies at the University of Washington in order to try his luck in New York as a musician. Before the year was out, he attracted much attention jamming in Greenwich Village and replaced Gabor Szabo in Chico Hamilton's band. In 1966, he made a startling recorded debut on Hamilton's The Dealer album, where his blues and rock ideas came to the fore, and that year, he also played with a proto-jazz-rock band, the Free Spirits. Coryell's name spread even further in 1967-68 when he played with Gary Burton's combo, and he was one of the most prominent solo voices on Herbie Mann's popular Memphis Underground album (recorded in 1968). He, Mandel and Steve Marcus formed a group called Foreplay in 1969 (no relation to today's Fourplay), and by 1973, this became the core of the jazz-rock band Eleventh House, which after a promising start ran aground with a string of albums of variable quality.

In 1975, Coryell pulled the plug, concentrating on acoustic guitar and turning in a prolific series of duo and trio sessions with the likes of Philip Catherine, Emily Remler, John Scofield, Joe Beck, Steve Khan and John McLaughlin. In the mid-'80s, Coryell toured with McLaughlin and Paco DeLucia, and in 1986 participated in a five-way guitar session with his old idol Farlow, Scofield, Larry Carlton and John Abercrombie for the Jazzvisions series. Coryell has also recorded with Stephane Grappelli, Charles Mingus, Sonny Rollins and Kenny Barron, and has taped Brazilian music with Dori Caymmi for CTI, mainstream jazz for Muse, solo guitar for Shanachie and Acoustic Music, and (for Nippon Phonogram in Japan) an album of classical transcriptions of music by Stravinsky and Rimsky-Korsakov. In other words, Coryell will probably remain as eclectic as ever throughout his career, which will no doubt make life difficult for musicologists with a yen for pigeonholing. Coryell's career in the 21st century has been just as active. 2004 saw the release of Tricycles, an excellent trio date with drummer Paul Wertico and bassist Mark Egan. Electric from 2005 found Coryell playing jazz standards and rock anthems with Lenny White on drums and Victor Bailey on electric bass. In 2006, he released the performance album Laid Back & Blues: Live at the Sky Church in Seattle. ~ by Richard S. Ginell

Live In Europe 2004 Vol. 1

Live In Europe 2004 Vol. 2
Size: 161,1 MB
Time: 69:49
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz: Guitar Jazz, Jazz Rock
Label: Troubadour Records
Art: Front

01. Spaces Revisited (12:59)
02. Transparence ( 6:52)
03. Improvisation On A Solea ( 6:21)
04. Descending Grace ( 9:40)
05. She's Leaving Home - Yesterday ( 7:01)
06. Well You Needn't (12:19)
07. Inner Urge ( 8:16)
08. Love Is Here To Stay ( 6:18)

Live In Europe 2004 Vol. 2

Shirley Scott - The Soul Is Willing

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:12
Size: 85.2 MB
Styles: Soul Jazz, Hard bop
Year: 1963/2013
Art: Front

[6:20] 1. The Soul Is Willing
[8:12] 2. Secret Love
[5:55] 3. Yes Indeed
[6:19] 4. Stolen Sweets
[6:14] 5. I Feel All Right
[4:09] 6. Remember

This is a good album that shows the husband and wife team of Shirley Scott and Stanley Turrentine in their usual, excellent form -- a fine example of organ combo soul jazz. Now part of the Prestige two-fer called Soul Shoutin'. ~Michael Erlewine

The Soul Is Willing

The Carl Saunders Exploration - The Lost Bill Holman Charts

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 53:44

Size: 123.0 MB

Styles: Straight ahead jazz, Big band

Year: 2007

Art: Front

[3:27] 1. Three Little Words

[5:51] 2. Ow

[4:01] 3. Mahogany Run

[5:41] 4. Primrose

[5:17] 5. Dearly Beloved

[7:04] 6. The Hook

[4:05] 7. We'll Be Together Again

[4:37] 8. All Too Soon

[4:07] 9. Doctor Deep

[3:43] 10. Hannibal

[5:45] 11. Scratch

The Bill Holman charts unearthed here by the Carl Saunders Exploration weren't so much "lost as overlooked hidden away for some two decades in a closet at the home of geologist/saxophonist Ted Richardson in Houston, Texas. On the other hand, as none of them had ever been recorded, they may accurately be described as "found.

The charts were written for Richardson's septet, which was disbanded in the mid-1980s before plans to record them could be carried out. Richardson took them home, where they stayed until he mentioned their existence to trumpeter Saunders, a member of Holman's big band since 1984. Saunders and Richardson soon agreed that the time had come to make them more widely known and set about ensuring that it was done. Looking for musicians who could apprehend Holman's music and make it sparkle, Saunders turned to the Holman band to enlist trombonist Andy Martin, baritone Bob Efford, pianist Christian Jacob and bassist Kevin Axt, added world-class tenor Pete Christlieb, versatile drummer Santo Savino from Las Vegas, and guest soloist Sam Most on flute and baritone.

What they have produced is a generous slice of contemporary small-group jazz that is so fresh, so invigorating, and swings so hard that it all but defies description. And to think we almost never heard these charts! Thank you, Carl; thank you, Ted; thank you, everyone else who took part in this stylish and thoroughly rewarding endeavor. Most of all, thank you, Bill Holman, for reaffirming your status as one of the preeminent composer/arrangers in the jazz idiom.

After neatly renovating the standard "Three Little Words, Holman places his purposeful stamp on Dizzy Gillespie's "Ow, Duke Ellington's "All Too Soon, the standards "Dearly Beloved and "We'll Be Together Again, Saunders' "The Hook (written especially for the occasion) and five of his inspired compositions. Each one is a textbook example of how such arrangements should be realized. As for the musicians, they are beyond reproach. Saunders solos brilliantly—no surprise there—as do Martin, Christlieb, Jacob, Most and Axt. Christlieb wails tenaciously on his feature, "Dearly Beloved, while Martin does the same on "We'll Be Together Again. In every instance, the front-liners are unerringly supported by the group's superlative rhythm section—Jacob, Axt and Savino.

A word of advice to big-band enthusiasts (and everyone else)—if there is one small-group recording to install on your radar screen this year, this is the one. If there were any justice (there isn't), The Lost Bill Holman Charts would earn every award to be had (including a Grammy) without breaking a sweat. ~Jack Bowers

Carl Saunders: trumpet, flugelhorn; Pete Christlieb: tenor sax; Bob Efford: baritone sax; Andy Martin: trombone; Christian Jacob: piano; Kevin Axt: bass; Santo Savino: drums. Guest soloist: Sam Most: flute, baritone sax.

The Lost Bill Holman Charts

Julie London - The Very Best Of Julie London (2-Disc Set)

Julie London did not possess a big voice, but it sure was expressive, husky, intimate, and most of all, sexy. This 50 track, two-disc set is the most extensive Julie London collection available domestically. It spans her entire 30-plus album recording career at Liberty Records, from her biggest hit "Cry Me A River" from 1955's debut Julie Is Her Name to a scintillating take on the Doors' "Light My Fire" from her final effort, 1968's Yummy Yummy Yummy.

Aside from "Cry Me A River" (written by high school classmate Arthur Hamilton) and the also enclosed "Nice Girls Don't Stay For Breakfast (co-penned by hubby Bobby Troup), nearly all of London's recordings were previously popularized by others. But when remade by Julie, these songs sound fresh and distinctly different from the originals. "Wives And Lovers," for instance, becomes a very serious cautionary tale, warning the listener that sexy Julie will steal her man - probably with little effort - if she doesn't shape up and spruce up her appearance. And when, on "My Heart Belongs To Daddy," she seductively invites a guy over to "to dine on my fine finnan haddie," I don't think it is fish that she's actually offering him a nibble of!

For those looking for a more concise Julie London collection or perhaps some additional London recordings, check out Rhino's Time For Love from 1991. It includes 13 wonderful tracks (out of 18) not found on this set. ~Jim Bagley

Album: The Very Best Of Julie London (Disc 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:54
Size: 160.1 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2006

[2:30] 1. Fly Me To The Moon (In Other Words)
[2:53] 2. Cry Me A River
[2:28] 3. Blue Moon
[2:33] 4. Sway
[2:39] 5. My Heart Belongs To Daddy
[3:18] 6. When I Fall In Love
[3:08] 7. Can't Help Lovin' That Man
[3:08] 8. Misty
[2:31] 9. Lover Man
[2:02] 10. Desafinado (Slightly Out Of Tune)
[2:38] 11. Girl Talk
[2:01] 12. Let There Be Love
[2:36] 13. Wives And Lovers
[2:46] 14. In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning
[2:41] 15. Makin' Whoopee
[2:52] 16. The Good Life
[2:58] 17. The More I See You
[3:20] 18. A Taste Of Honey
[2:12] 19. Go Slow
[2:37] 20. You And The Night And The Music
[3:02] 21. Black Coffee
[3:02] 22. Basin Street Blues
[3:48] 23. Blues In The Night
[2:51] 24. 'round Midnight
[3:09] 25. As Time Goes By

The Very Best Of Julie London (Disc 1)

Album: The Very Best Of Julie London (Disc 2)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:21
Size: 154.2 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[2:18] 1. Can't Get Used To Losing You
[1:38] 2. September In The Rain
[2:10] 3. Mad About The Boy
[2:49] 4. Love Letters
[2:45] 5. I Left My Heart In San Francisco
[1:57] 6. Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend
[2:16] 7. Goody Goody
[2:50] 8. The Days Of Wine And Roses
[2:11] 9. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
[3:16] 10. Light My Fire
[3:12] 11. Here's That Rainy Day
[2:23] 12. Body And Soul
[3:13] 13. God Bless The Child
[3:05] 14. They Can't Take That Away From Me
[2:17] 15. Our Day Will Come
[3:02] 16. I've Got You Under My Skin (Born To Dance)
[2:44] 17. The End Of The World
[4:05] 18. One For My Baby
[2:35] 19. Love For Sale
[2:23] 20. Sentimental Journey
[2:09] 21. I've Got A Crush On You
[2:45] 22. Call Me Irresponsible
[2:14] 23. You Made Me Love You
[2:28] 24. Nice Girls Don't Stay For Breakfast
[4:22] 25. Every Time We Say Goodbye

The Very Best Of Julie London (Disc 2)

Diane Hubka - I Like It Here: Live In Tokyo

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:34
Size: 142,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:41) 1. I Like It Here
(3:46) 2. Agua De Beber
(5:32) 3. Angel Eyes
(6:13) 4. Faces
(4:45) 5. Get Out Of Town
(4:10) 6. It's Always 4 AM
(5:31) 7. Some Of My Best Friends Are The Blues
(7:11) 8. You Go To My Head
(4:53) 9. Dindi
(3:31) 10. Moonlight In Vermont
(6:26) 11. All My Tomorrows
(5:51) 12. One Note Samba

Cool-toned vocalist Diane Hubka first caught the attention of jazz journalists with her 1999 debut CD Haven't We Met?(Challenge-A) and she has continued to prove herself as an inventive, gifted interpreter of a wide range of material on her subsequent releases. Since leaving New York City for Southern California in 2004, she has played and recorded with a variety of top West Coast musicians. Hubka faced two challenges for I Like It Here/Live in Tokyo. After being invited to tour Japan by the Sinatra Society of Japan, which asked her to perform songs associated with the legendary singer (which make up most, though not all, of this set), it was arranged to record her in concert, with Japanese musicians (pianist Kiyoshi Morita, bassist Masahiko Taniguchi and drummer Nobuhiko Yamashita) who were new to her and spoke very little English.

But the language of jazz is universal and everything fell into place during this concert at JZ Brat in Shibuya. Hubka handles the standards associated with Sinatra very well, as she has likely had most of them in her repertoire for some time. Her subtle take on the bittersweet "Angel Eyes" and slowly savored rendition of "You Go to My Head" (with a beautifully understated solo by Morita) are among the highlights of that portion of the set. Hubka adds her guitar on several sections, including a breezy "Agua de Beber" and the easygoing "Dindi" (both masterpieces by Antonio Carlos Jobim), while scatting up a storm in Ron Anthony's joyful "Faces" and excusing the rhythm section to accompany herself in Anthony's melancholy "It's Always 4 AM." ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allaboutjazz.com/i-like-it-here-live-in-tokyo-diane-hubka-ssj-records-review-by-ken-dryden.php

Personnel: Diane Hubka: vocals, guitar (2, 4, 6, 10); Kiyoshi Morita: piano; Masahiko Taniguchi: bass; Nobuhiko Yamashita: drums.

I Like It Here / Live In Tokyo

Bobbi Humphrey - Fancy Dancer

Styles: Crossover Jazz, Flute Jazz
Year: 1975
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:56
Size: 91,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:45) 1. Uno Esta
(5:41) 2. The Trip
(6:16) 3. You Make Me Feel So Good
(5:46) 4. Fancy Dancer
(4:52) 5. Mestizo Eyes
(4:24) 6. Sweeter Than Suger
(6:09) 7. Please Set Me At Ease

The third and final collaboration between flutist Bobbi Humphrey and Larry Mizell also marked the end of Humphrey's five-album run with Blue Note Records. Humphrey began recording with Larry and his brother Fonce (who provides arrangements and plays clavinet and trumpet here) in the aftermath of Donald Byrd's Black Byrd, the collaborative jazz-funk effort that resulted in a massively successful (and influential) commercial breakthrough for the trumpeter and the label. While not as well known as her Blacks and Blues album, her stellar debut with the pair from 1973, Fancy Dancer is every bit its aesthetic equal. The Mizells lined up a serious crew of studio aces for the date, including trumpeter Oscar Brashear; trombonist Julian Priester; Tyree and Roger Glenn on saxophone and piano, respectively; pianists Skip Scarborough and Jerry Peters (who were part of an army of them on this date); drummer Harvey Mason; bassist Chuck Rainey; and even the great Dorothy Ashby on harp.

Recorded at their Sound Factory studio in Los Angeles, Fancy Dancer is a seamless collection of seven tracks that cruise the distance across soulful fusions of funk, Latin grooves, electric jazz, and gauzy vocal choruses that offer a hint as to what the underground dancefloor scenes of Los Angeles and New York were offering in at the predawn of the disco era. Humphrey's flute playing feels effortless as she hovers around and plays through the layers of spacy keyboards, shimmering rhythmic pulses, and seductive textures provided by lilting voices, hand percussion, and breaks. The set comes popping out of the gate with the glorious "Uno Esta," featuring bank upon bank of warm bubbling keyboards, roiling basslines, and hand drums courtesy of Mayuto Correa's congas. Craig McMullen and John Rowin contribute some bright chunky guitars, and Larry lays a fine horn chart in the cut as Humphrey begins the first of three solo breaks. When the chorus comes in, the rhythm shifts; the vibe get funkier but never loses the sheen and polish in the mix.

Following this is the stunning Chuck Davis number "The Trip." Commencing with a cut-time funk break, wah-wah guitars, and three different synth harmonic lines all painting a nocturnal spaced-out groove, Humphrey begins to play fills around and through them. A Rhodes enters and the drums become more pronounced in the mix, just as a guitar begins to play contrapuntal fills under her flute. This is one of the greatest tracks in her catalog because it is simultaneously dreamy and sensual and offers enough head-nodding funk to seduce an army. The title track feels more laid-back at first with its gentle chorus. But some flipped-out psychedelic soul finds its way through in waves of Latin percussion that build a shelf under Roger Glenn's vibes break, which in turn sets up Humphrey's burning flute solo prefiguring a salsa piano line and furious hand drumming in syncopated grooves.

"Mestizo Eyes" is a steamy, lusty babymaker with simmering, ratcheted intensity as Rainey's fat-bottom electric Fender bassline belies the chunky wah-wah guitars and synth strings and Dorothy Ashby's harp floats through the center. A chorus of male voices softly chants the title and Humphrey goes to town, rhythmically undulating her solo through the entire mix. There isn't anything approaching a middling moment here -- this is all killer, no filler. Jazz critics may have had their troubles with this set, but no one cared; Humphrey and The Mizells were creating a new kind of largely instrumental funk that was inclusive of everything they could weave in from world music to soul-jazz to club music to pop and the public responded. [In 2008, Fancy Dancer was released domestically on compact disc as part of the Michael Cuscuna-produced Blue Note Rare Grooves series.] ~ Thom Jurek http://www.allmusic.com/album/fancy-dancer-mw0000548028

Personnel: Bobbi Humphrey - flute & vocal; Oscar Brashear – trumpet; Julian Priester – trombone; Fonce Mizell - trumpet, clavinet, solina, vocal; Tyree Glenn Jr. - tenor saxophone; Larry Mizell - synthesizer, electric piano, piano, solina, vocal; Skip Scarborough - synthesizer, electric piano, clavinet; Chuck Davis - piano, electric piano; Roger Glenn - vibraphone & marimba; Dorothy Ashby - harp; Craig McMullen – guitar; John Rowin – guitar; Chuck Rainey - electric bass; Harvey Mason – drums; Mayuto Correa – conga; Jesse Acuna, Rosario Davila – vocal; Katherine Lyra,Augie Rey, Sonia Tavares - backing vocals; James Carter - whistler

Fancy Dancer

Ben Webster - Ben Webster & Associates

Styles: Saxophne Jazz
Year: 1959/2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:39
Size: 102,9 MB
Art: Front

(20:18) 1. In A Mellow Tone
( 4:39) 2. De Dar
( 6:02) 3. Young Bean
( 4:35) 4. Budd Johnson
( 9:02) 5. Time After Time

Ben Webster and Associates is a 1959 session that took full advantage of the long-playing LP format. Highlighted by the 20-minute version of Ellington's "In a Mellow Tone" in which tenor titans Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins, and Budd Johnson plus trumpeter Roy Eldridge stretch out, not so much in a cutting contest as a laid-back jam session amongst friends. This summit meeting turned out to be a tribute to another tenor master of the same generation, Lester Young, who had died less than four weeks before this session.

The chosen rhythm section of Jimmy Jones on piano, Les Spann on guitar, Ray Brown on bass, and Jo Jones on drums equally matches the performance of the featured horns. Also tackled for this session were three Webster originals: "De-Dar," "Young Bean," and "Budd Johnson" and the standard "Time After Time." Unfortunately no bonus tracks are included (if they even exist) but the excellent sound restoration more than makes up for it. https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/ben-webster-and-associates/id264390

Personnel: Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins, Budd Johnson (tenor saxophone); Roy Eldridge (trumpet); Jimmy Jones (piano); Les Spann (guitar); Ray Brown (bass); Jo Jones (drums).

Ben Webster & Associates

Avishai Cohen Trio - From Darkness

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:38
Size: 95,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:05) 1. Beyond
(3:47) 2. Abie
(5:53) 3. Halelyah
(5:13) 4. C#-
(7:40) 5. Ballad for an Unborn
(3:04) 6. From Darkness
(2:59) 7. Lost Tribe
(2:54) 8. Almah Sleeping
(1:11) 9. Signature
(3:22) 10. Amethyst
(3:26) 11. Smile

Bassist Avishai Cohen is both prolific and eclectic. His latest album, a trio recording his regular band, pianist Nitai Hershkovits and young drummer Daniel Dor, is jazz infused with rock, classical and Latin influences. Though led by a bassist, it is very much a piano trio. All the tunes are written by Cohen, bar the rendition of Charlie Chaplin's Smile which closes the CD, it is Hershkovits' piano which is to the fore.

The opener Beyond features Dor, starting gently enough with Cohen and Hershkovits vamping behind him. One of the shorter pieces, they move swiftly on to the Latin-tinged Abie, in which Dor keeps several different rhythms going whilst Hershkovits plays the theme, the chords getting heavier and darker. The mixture of jazz, Latin and classical tones has an almost klezmer feel at times, but the rhythmic complexities hint at greater depth (and no dancing). Calling a tune Ballad for an Unborn can't help but recall another piano trio - est, who recorded their Ballad for the Unborn on 2003's Seven Days of Falling. Cohen is in very different territory: his piano trio is more wistful and lyrical. This Ballad is a vehicle for Cohen's bass, with a long solo over some very gentle, subtle brush work from Dor and some quiet, understated piano from Hershkovits. The title track, From Darkness, also features Cohen, on what sounds like an electric bass. Dor's drumming is more into Rick territory, with thunderous fills on tom toms as Cohen executes some very fast fretwork in the upper register.

The lovely, almost lullaby-like Almah Sleeping has Cohen bowing his bass over Hershkovits gentle, repetitive piano and Dor's soft-again brushed drums. There are lots of standout moments on the record, but this tune I think is my favorite. At just over forty minutes for eleven tracks, it isn't a long CD, and one that of us who grew up in a vinyl world may appreciate. Several of the tunes are quite short, too, ending before the band have really been able to stretch out; it would interesting to hear whether the trio extend these pieces in a live setting. I'd certainly have been happy for some of the tracks to be longer, to see where they'd have got to. ~ Patrick Hadfield http://www.londonjazznews.com/2015/02/cd-review-avishai-cohen-trio-from.html

From Darkness