MaryJo Mundy - Halfway To Heaven

Size: 182,7 MB
Time: 78:25
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2007
Styles: Jazz/Pop/Blues Vocals
Art: Front

01. I'm Miss Mundy (Live) (3:20)
02. It's A Wonderful World (Live) (4:53)
03. Everything Must Change - I Can See Clearly Now (Live) (8:19)
04. Other Eyes (Live) (4:13)
05. Halfway To Heaven (Live) (4:35)
06. I Feel Pretty (Live) (4:29)
07. Old Devil Moon (Live) (6:02)
08. Bein' Green (Live) (Feat. Todd Schroeder) (3:43)
09. When You Are Old And Gray (Live) (2:13)
10. Delichious (Live) (7:42)
11. I'm Gonna Eat (Live) (2:56)
12. Fat Girl (Live) (5:17)
13. Both Sides Now (Live) (4:35)
14. There Is Always One More Time (Live) (7:34)
15. Am I Lucky Or What (Live) (4:30)
16. The Girl Who Used To Be Me (Live) (Bonus Track) (3:58)

MaryJo Mundy was born and raised in Tuscon, AZ. She attended the University of Arizona studying Musical Theatre and the arts. After a stop in Chicago she moved with her husband, comic Jim Bruce, to LA.

Many of you know Maryjo for her open mic "Mundy on Tuesdays" which she produced for many years at the Gardenia.

With her debut CD "Halfway to Heaven" MaryJo Mundy is telling you a story of struggle, and redemption. Despite the title, it’s a decidedly Earth bound redemption, steeped in feelings of inadequacy and ultimately self-acceptance. Listening, you get that it isn't just an artist's idea of struggle. This is no conceptual musing on life, this is life being lived.

One of the composers of the track "There’s Always One More Time", Ken Hirsch, called this his favorite version of the song. First performed by Ray Charles, that's not a light compliment. The track is a stand-out among many gems, including a touching rendition of “Both Sides Now.” Mundy has a voice you must hear.

Halfway To Heaven

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Brian Simpson - Out Of A Dream

Size: 104,2 MB
Time: 42:07
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz: Smooth Jazz, Vocals
Art: Front

01. One Of A Kind (Feat. Grace Kelly) (4:22)
02. Out Of A Dream (Feat. Najee) (3:55)
03. When I Say Your Name (Feat. Dave Koz) (3:49)
04. Sky Watcher (3:59)
05. Just One Wish (Feat. Norman Brown) (4:10)
06. San Lorenzo (Feat. Marc Antoine) (4:44)
07. Let's Get Away (4:06)
08. Rio Sway (Feat. Maysa) (3:49)
09. Her Eyes (4:54)
10. Nightfall (Feat. Maurice Brown) (4:15)

Whether playing keyboards for Contemporary Jazz superstar Dave Koz, or producing and writing hits for other artists or creating hits on his own solo recordings, Brian Simpson is a force in Contemporary Jazz.

2015 promises to be a banner year for Smooth Jazz keyboardist Brian Simpson. A proven hit maker, Brian's previous Shanachie release garnered Top 10 singles, including 2 #1s. And now, "Skywatcher," the first single
from his forthcoming album, Out Of A Dream, is one of the fastest rising songs on the Smooth Jazz Airplay charts and a lock to be Top 5 on the charts at the time of the album's release.

Both as a solo performer and as the featured keyboardist and music director of the Dave Koz Band, Brian performs in front of an incredibly large number of Smooth Jazz fans on a non-stop basis. And as winner of the American Smooth Jazz Keyboardist of the Year Award, frequent guest on nationally syndicated radio shows and music director of The Smooth Jazz Cruise, his visibility is tremendous.

Out Of A Dream

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Lucas Pino - No Net Nonet

Size: 157,1 MB
Time: 67:34
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz: Smooth Jazz
Art: Front

01. The Fox (5:58)
02. On The Road (4:44)
03. Orange (7:56)
04. Strange Breakfast (6:04)
05. Intro To Bankenstein (1:30)
06. Bankenstein (6:43)
07. Sunday Play (6:32)
08. Where You Need To Be (5:30)
09. Homage A'mitch (8:41)
10. A Morning Walk (6:35)
11. Three Old Men From The Land Of Aran (7:16)

Members: Mat Jodrell - trumpet Alex LoRe - alto sax Andrew Gutauskas - bari sax Nick Finzer - trombone Rafal Sarnecki - guitar Glenn Zaleski - piano Desmond White - bass Colin Stranahan - drums

Multi-instrumentalist, composer and bandleader Lucas Pino has quickly established himself as one of the most sought after voices of his generation. Pino has been called a “...high wire act of musical textures and technique...” - Carmel DeSoto, jazzpolice.com; and “...all huge range, controlled ferocity, fleet notes and articulate expression” - Geoff Chapman, Toronto Star.

Pino composes for and leads the No Net Nonet, his own ensemble featuring a selection of New York City’s best young musicians. The nonet’s debut record is due out late 2014.The No Net Nonet can be seen regularly at Smalls Jazz Club, New York City’s premiere jazz club, where they have held a residency since June 2013.

A featured sideman in many groups, Lucas records and tours with acts Rafal Sarnecki, Gideon van Gelder and Jeremy Siskind among many others. Emusic.com named Siskind’s “Finger-Songwriter” one 2012’s best Albums. “On sax, Lucas Pino is drifting smoke, and on clarinet, a brooding melancholia” - Dave Sumner

No Net Nonet

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Max Wellman - Just In Time

Size: 89,4 MB
Time: 38:17
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Just In Time (2:49)
02. Left Behind (4:55)
03. I Don't Need No Doctor (Feat. Tina Haase Findlay) (2:15)
04. Gentle Rain (4:03)
05. Time After Time (3:52)
06. I Can't Give You Anything But Love (1:46)
07. Feeling Good (3:26)
08. A Sunday Kind Of Love (4:36)
09. Don't Get Around Much Anymore (2:42)
10. My Foolish Heart (Feat. Gary Walters) (3:57)
11. Alright, Okay, You Win (Feat. Tina Haase Findlay) (3:51)

Jazz vocalist Max Wellman is enticing music lovers across the country by evoking his own fusion of the vintage stylings of legends Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald with the modern twists of Harry Connick Jr. and Michael Buble. His latest endeavor, You Must Believe in Spring (December 2013), brings these influences to a new level with a unique collaboration featuring a string quartet led by the talented arrangements of renowned composer Sam Wells. The album showcases a refreshing mix of jazz with the romantic and classical musical traditions of the Great American Songbook.

This young showman from Des Moines doesn’t balk at you calling him an “old soul.” And, he didn’t become the polished performer he is overnight. In fact, it’s the Renaissance Man aspect of Wellman – elbow grease and a thirst for knowledge in spades – that makes him a sound and sight to behold. He’s a vocalist. An arranger. A writer. An entrepreneur. His musicianship is a vehicle for the entire package.

Just In Time

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Paula Atherton - Ear Candy

Size: 107,2 MB
Time: 46:05
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Funk, Smooth Jazz, Vocals
Art: Front

01. Pocket Full Of Funk (4:49)
02. Without You (4:34)
03. Remember When (4:14)
04. Between You & Me (5:07)
05. Bee To A Flower (3:57)
06. Carnivale (5:05)
07. Someone's Gonna Break My Heart (4:02)
08. Breakdown (4:49)
09. Getaway (4:48)
10. Without You - Instrumental (4:34)

Kalimba Music is the recently re-launched label by Earth, Wind & Fire founder member Maurice White and, in making the decision to break into the contemporary jazz market, the first artist on its roster was rising keyboard star Greg Manning. Now it has added that New York based vocalist and powerhouse saxophonist Paula Atherton.

Indeed Atherton has been on the radar of Smooth Jazz Therapy since 2009 and the release of the album ‘Groove With Me’ which at the time was described as “a sensational collection that features eleven of her original compositions plus one well chosen cover.” It provided the perfect blend of instrumental and vocal cuts and paved the way for ‘Enjoy The Ride’ that followed in 2013. Now, heavily influenced by classic funk and Philly soul, she is back with the excellent ‘Ear Candy’. With a combination of vocals, flute and sax, and very much in keeping with her previous projects, it finds her in outstanding form while featured guest performances from Nick Colionne, Cindy Bradley, and Gail Jhonson are simply the icing on a very tasty cake.

Ear Candy

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Tim Harding's Cotton Club Orchestra - Nice Work If You Can Get It

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:48
Size: 125.5 MB
Styles: Big band
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[2:48] 1. Jig Walk
[3:42] 2. Jazz Me Blues
[2:31] 3. Nice Work If You Can Get It
[3:16] 4. After You've Gone
[2:38] 5. Brazil
[3:43] 6. My Walking Stick
[3:23] 7. My Heart Stood Still
[2:53] 8. All The Things You Are
[4:01] 9. I Would Do Anything For You
[2:46] 10. Improvisation No. 2
[4:02] 11. Royal Garden Blues
[4:44] 12. Memories Of You
[2:47] 13. Georgia Swing
[5:26] 14. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You
[2:53] 15. Tickle Toe
[3:06] 16. 9 20 Special

The Australian Cotton Club Orchestra was formed in early 1986 by Tim Harding in association with Adrian Daff. Tim and Adrian have a large collection of big band charts, most of which were originally published in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. They have also written their own charts in a similar style. Some of the arrangements in the Cotton Club Orchestra's repertoire are the same or very similar to those played during this period by Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Don Redman, Count Basie, Fletcher Henderson, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw and Woody Herman.

To bring to life these musically demanding arrangements, Tim and Adrian selected a careful blend of strong sight-readers and jazz soloists. After a few months of painstaking rehearsals, the first public performance of the Cotton Club Orchestra was to standing ovations at the Malvern Town Hall on 23 May 1986. After full-house appearances before enthusiastic audiences at the Victorian, Geelong and Peninsula Jazz Clubs, long-term residencies at the Emerald Hotel in South Melbourne and the Bridge Hotel in Richmond soon followed.

In the 1990s, the Cotton Club Orchestra appeared mainly at private, corporate and charity functions at the Victorian Arts Centre and Melbourne's top international hotels such as the Regent, the Hyatt, the Hilton and the Windsor. The Cotton Club Orchestra has also shared billings with leading celebrities such as Rhonda Burchmore, Barry Humphries, Peter Allen, Geraldine Turner, Daryl Somers, Dame Kiri te Kanawa and various other stars of the Victorian State Opera.

Nice Work If You Can Get It

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Marvin Gaye - Live At The Copa

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:27
Size: 149.8 MB
Styles: Soul, Urban, Vocal jazz
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[3:19] 1. I Concentrate On You
[1:58] 2. Just In Time
[4:48] 3. How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)
[5:57] 4. Motown Medley I
[5:08] 5. Laia Ladaia (Reza)
[3:36] 6. Georgia Rose
[2:22] 7. The Song Is You
[3:42] 8. Ain't That Peculiar
[2:32] 9. Every Once In A While
[3:14] 10. The Shadow Of Your Smile
[4:17] 11. Night Song
[5:40] 12. Pride And Joy
[2:04] 13. This Could Be The Start Of Something Big
[3:27] 14. Strangers In The Night
[1:23] 15. Introduction Of Orchestra
[3:18] 16. Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)
[8:33] 17. Motown Medley II

Generally regarded as an iconic nightclub in the history of New York City, the Copa represented that and more to Motown owner Berry Gordy. For Gordy, the Copa was one of many benchmarks indicating that his little experiment called Motown was successful, and having his artists there was the ultimate symbol of how far he had come. The Supremes already had their shot at the Copa, and a live album was issued shortly thereafter. Next up was Gordy's rebellious but chart topping prodigy, Marvin Gaye. In many respects this was the ideal performance for Gaye, as many of the singers he grew to idolize shared the stage there at one point or another, with names like Sinatra and Cole. This was also Gaye's shot at branching out beyond the starched suit of formulaic (but highly successful and groundbreaking) songs that Gordy and Motown urged him to sing. In many instances, Gaye felt the material beneath him, and patiently waited for the day when he could croon his way to the top (a batch of unreleased recordings in this style would resurface in 1997's excellent Vulnerable compilation). The performances came and went, and everything was in place to release the results. However, this never came to pass (according to the outstanding liner notes, it was largely attributed to the tumultuous relationship between Gaye and Gordy; they had an ongoing feud that continued in one variation or another until the end of Gaye's life) and the project was ultimately shelved. Fast forward to 2005, and the folks at Motown Select had the good sense to remaster and release these recordings in a limited pressing. Marvin Gaye at the Copa is a survey of Gaye's finest performances during that two-night stint and the results are nothing short of striking. A balance of standards, ballads and Motown favorites in medley form comprise the 17 tracks on the disc, and with every performance Gaye's velvet-smooth delivery is more than evident; it's addicting. His longing to be out from under the contrived entertainment and choreography -- the juggernaut of the Motown formula -- bleeds through on tracks such as "The Shadow of Your Smile," "Strangers in the Night," and "The Song Is You." And if anything, the release of these tracks not only serve as a kind of vindication -- Gaye could not only capably sing in this fashion, he could do it better than Gordy would ever allow him credit for. It's somewhat liberating to have this collection readily available, but also somewhat sad that his career and his dreams never fully came to fruition. Of all Gaye's previously issued live works, this ranks with the best of them. For fans of Gaye's early years, this is musical manna from heaven. ~Rob Theakston

Live At The Copa

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Sue Raney - Happiness Is A Warm Sue Raney

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:09
Size: 80.5 MB
Styles: Vocal
Year: 1964/2007
Art: Front

[3:24] 1. Be Warm
[2:22] 2. Beautiful Friendship
[2:55] 3. Sunday In Savannah
[2:34] 4. The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise
[2:19] 5. Lorna's Here
[3:55] 6. I'm Painting The Town Red
[2:12] 7. Wait Till The Sun Shines Willie
[2:58] 8. Better Luck Next Time
[2:42] 9. As Long As I Live
[4:00] 10. Statue Of Snow
[3:40] 11. My Future Just Passed
[2:03] 12. I'm In Love With The Honorable Mr. So And So

Move past its silly title and Sue Raney's Philips label debut is an absolute delight. An effervescent, briskly paced set that wisely eschews the turgid standards often heaped upon singers of Raney's ilk, it captures her at her most purely engaging. Ralph Carmichael's finger-popping arrangements are an essential component of the music's considerable charm, he keeps the tempos brisk and the melodies sharp, perfectly complementing Raney's saucy vocals (which have never sounded better). And yes, the title is awful but it is appropriate -- Happiness Is a Warm Sue Raney captures an irrepressible joie de vivre that's undeniably infectious. ~Jason Ankeny

Happiness Is A Warm Sue Raney

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5 For Freddie - Bucky's Tribute To Freddie Green

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 67:51

Size: 155.3 MB

Styles: Contemporary jazz, Swing

Year: 2006

Art: Front

[5:58] 1. Groovin' High

[5:58] 2. Bustin' Suds

[9:10] 3. For Lena And Lennie

[4:02] 4. Up In The Blues

[4:08] 5. Down For Double

[4:25] 6. High Tide

[4:02] 7. Dreamsville

[5:55] 8. Shiny Stockings

[4:41] 9. Centerpiece

[4:28] 10. Corner Pocket

[4:08] 11. All Of Me

[6:30] 12. Sophisticated Swing

[4:20] 13. Lester Leaps In

(Bucky Pizzarelli, electric guitar; Warren Vache, cornet; John Bunch, piano, Jay Leonhart, bass; Mickey Roker, drums)

Thank goodness for Arbors! Their label should be lauded for keeping alive the rhythm and spirit of 1930’s to 1950’s Swing music. They do not buck the trend to release truly “commercial” releases, but stand virtually alone in recognizing older honored genres in jazz music, largely ignored by other labels. Their roster is made up of long established jazz veterans and their tribute albums are cause for celebration.

Such is the case for the super group put together by guitarist, Bucky Pizzarelli, to honor Freddie Green, the rhythm guitarist for the Count Basie band. Green held down the sole guitar chair in the brass heavy Basie band for nearly fifty years! Basie’s rhythm section in the 1930s and 1940s was dubbed “The All American Rhythm Section” for good reason as it featured Basie on piano, Green on guitar, Walter Page on bas, and the incomparable Jo Jones on drums.

This CD features softly swinging versions of Basie classics such as Shiny Stockings, Corner Pocket, and Lester Leaps In, as well as songs written by Green that Basie featured like Bustin’ Suds, Up in the Blues, Down for Double, and High Tide.

Prominently featured is the muted trumpet of Warren Vache, taking up the role of Sweets Edison in the Basie band. Pizzarelli, of course, gets the Freddie Green rhythm lines and quietly swings them with his typical understated class, such as Green gave to Basie. Groovin’ High kicks off the proceedings and Vache is featured prominently and Bucky does this Gillespie/Parker classic proud. Bustin’ Suds is more of the same with quiet Basie-like understated comping by pianist Bunch. For Lena and Lennie, composed by Quincy Jones, was a tribute to Lena Horne and her husband, Lennie Hayton and was recorded by Basie in 1958. Pizzarelli brings the melody to life after a mellow introduction by pianist Bunch. Green’s only LP as a leader – Mr. Rhythm, recorded in 1955 – provides the composition Up in the Blues. Jay Leonhart has an extended solo here, ably supported by Roker, Pizzarelli, and Bunch before Vache’s muted trumpet picks up the pace. Down for Double, which featured the great Buck Clayton in the early 40’s, is here brought to life by Vache and Leonhart. High Tide, co-penned by Basie and Green right after World War II, is another standout and done at a faster pace than most of the laid back but classy tracks on the CD.

Centerpiece, never recorded by Green, was included as it was a favorite of Sweets Edison. No Basie based tribute could be considered with Frank Foster’s Shiny Stockings, and Pizzarelli brings this jazz staple to swinging life with John Bunch’s spare Basie lines- just right as always- recreating the Basie feel. Corner Pocket from Basie’s best selling April in Paris, is a treasure as several band members make this a version that will bring a happy smile to us Basiephiles. Lastly, Lester Young’s Lester Leaps In, one of the longest lasting charts in the Basie book, brings the CD to a satisfying end, with Leonhart and Roker reprising Walter Page and Jo Jones. It has always been a personal favorite.

This CD is a must-have for those that honor the memory of Freddie Green, an invaluable but often unsung hero of the Basie band. Enough ink has been written on Basie’s reedmen and horn section, that a tribute to the rock solid Freddie Green was long overdue! ~Jeff Krow

Bucky's Tribute To Freddie Green

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Art Farmer - Modern Art

Styles: Hard Bop, Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1958
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:28
Size: 96,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:41)  1. Mox Nix
(5:44)  2. Fair Weather
(3:59)  3. Darn That Dream
(4:55)  4. The Touch Of Your Lips
(4:16)  5. Jubilation
(5:57)  6. Like Someone In Love
(7:01)  7. I Love You
(3:53)  8. Cold Breeze

Modern Art is the prelude recording for Art Farmer prior to his partnership in the Jazztet with Benny Golson, and also foreshadows the classy, tasteful inventiveness that group brought to the modern jazz world two years after this 1958 session. Pianist Bill Evans is in on this one just before his pivotal work with Miles Davis on the classic album Kind of Blue, and was the table setter for McCoy Tyner's membership in the Jazztet. Brother Addison Farmer on bass and the great drummer Dave Bailey round out this sterling quintet that specializes in playing music with a subtle approach, but never tame or conservatively lazy. Included on this date is the great Junior Mance tune "Jubilation," perfectly understated in a light blue gospel soul-jazz and tuneful melody with both horns wonderfully matched up in balanced unison, side by side. 

Farmer's lone compositional contribution, "Mox Nix" deserves similar iconic accolades, as it is an equally memorable, hopped-up shuffle with the uncharacteristically rumbling piano of Evans in soul-jazz to swing trim. Another notable track is Wade Legge's "Cold Breeze," which is hardly refrigerated, but instead a breezy hard bop vehicle, snappy, even-keeled, but not bubbling. The trumpeter after all is the official leader and arranger, taking the stage front and center for the ballad "Darn That Dream" and the midtempo take of "The Touch of Your Lips," with Golson in late, seconding the motions. For this time period, you clearly hear a refined and maturing Farmer, qualities he would hold for the remainder of his substantial career. He plops in the mute for Cole Porter's "I Love You," waxing poetic and effortlessly like a figure skater gliding through a simple routine, and Evans even gets to jam out a bit. Benny Golson's personal voice on tenor is also coming of age, as you hear during his feature "Like Someone in Love," but he's also starting to emerge as a writer with the moderately swinging "Fair Weather," displaying harmonic interplay that hints at things to come.

The historical aspects of this recording in retrospect cannot be trivialized, but more importantly, some darn good straight-ahead jazz is played here by experts in their field. Modern Art was originally on the United Artists label and moved to Blue Note upon its CD release, and the Farmer-Golson combine proved to be a important pairing beyond their initial partnership, with the seeds of that forest flower heard and enjoyed here. 

~ Michael G.Nastos  http://www.allmusic.com/album/modern-art-mw0000197770

Personnel: Art Farmer (trumpet); Benny Golson (tenor saxophone); Bill Evans (piano); Addison Farmer (bass); Dave Bailey (drums).

Modern Art

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Dave Bass - NYC Sessions

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:49
Size: 139,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:00)  1. The Sixties
(3:46)  2. Silence
(4:41)  3. Just A Fool
(4:51)  4. Lost Mambo
(5:01)  5. Endless Waltz
(7:15)  6. La Comparsa - Mi Montuno
(7:07)  7. Lost Valentine
(5:29)  8. My Foolish Heart
(5:29)  9. Baltic Bolero
(4:54) 10. Since I Found You
(6:12) 11. Dark Eyes

The backstory is every bit as compelling as the music as Dave Bass and an all star cast swing for the fences and swing they do! While the cast of musical co-conspirators boasts a diverse back, there is an amazing synergy of textured sound and flavored swing not often found in similar groups. Bass is a pianist taking a second chance at jazz. Early on Bass was playing with such luminaries as Bobby McFerrin but a wrist injury derailed his career. Finishing his degree, Bass went on to become Deputy Attorney General of California. While most of us would be satisfied the musical flame continued to burn and twenty years later (2010) Bass began performing. 

The band includes saxophone legend Phil Woods, the lovely and oh so talented Karrin Allyson makes a couple of vocal cameos while the remainder of this formidable 4tet is rounded off with Harvie S on acoustic bass and Ignacio Berroa on drums. The tunes are varied, eclectic yet with a smoldering soul all their own. The intimate interpretation of "My Foolish Heart" works well against the more European influenced "Dark Eyes" which is drawn from the Russian / Jewish background that is Dave Bass.  An impressive and vibrant offering of styles including a plethora of Latin influences has NYC Sessions as one of those stealth releases that will work well in any library! ~ Brent Black  http://www.criticaljazz.com/2015/02/dave-bass-nyc-sessions-whaling-city.html

Personnel: Dave Bass: piano; Harvie S: bass; Ignacio Berroa: drums; Phil Woods: alto saxophone (1, 2, 7, 8, 10, 11); Karrin Allyson: vocals (3, 5); Conrad Herwig: trombone (1, 4, 7, 10); Chris Washburne: trombone (2, 5, 9); Enrique Fernandez: flute (2, 4, 9); Carlos Caro: congas and percussion (2, 4, 5, 7, 9); Paulette McWilliams: vocals (8, 11).

NYC Sessions

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