Ellen Johnson - These Days

Size: 112,4 MB
Time: 48:11
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2006
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. These Days (5:31)
02. No Moon At All (2:25)
03. The Crossing (4:03)
04. Inspiration (4:48)
05. I Feel The Same (5:18)
06. Noddin' Ya Head Blues (3:47)
07. Esperanç Perdida (I Was Just One More For You) (4:12)
08. Who Knows Where The Time Goes (2:41)
09. If I Should Lose You (4:37)
10. You Don't Know What Love Is (5:50)
11. Nostalgia In Times Square (2:50)
12. Little Messenger (For Sheila Jordan) (Bonus Track) (2:05)

Chicago-raised vocalist and educator Ellen Johnson emerges with a disc that explores her vast range and improvisational technique without attempting to sound pretentious, an all-too-common trait among jazz vocalists. This is evident throughout These Days, but most specifically on bassist Darek Oleszkiewicz' bossa nova-tinged "Inspiration, a wordless tune which features Brazilian percussionist Ana Gazzola on shakers and guitarist Larry Koonse; Johnson sings the melody with incredible softness, going even softer during the guitarist's accomplished solo for a unique backdrop.

Another moment worth mentioning is her treatment of the Jackson Browne title track. While the original has more of an acoustic folk approach, Johnson uses the melody to showcase her vocal chops, Koonse again shining with clever riffs and a subtle solo. Maybe the only weak track is "I Feel The Same, Johnson's trumpet-like vocal failing to impress though kudos to Oleszkiewicz' accompaniment, the heart and soul of an otherwise lackluster tune.

This does not outshine other great points, such as Antonio Carlos Jobim/Billy Blanco's "Esperança Perdida, sung both in Portuguese and English (lyrics provided by Ray Gilbert) or Johnson's playful original lyrics to Charles Mingus' "Noddin' Ya Head Blues done as a vocal/bass duet. Also appealing is the original "Little Messenger, a spoken-word poem (featured as a bonus track) dedicated to Sheila Jordan, who provides clever vocal improvisation in the background.

These Days is a highly enjoyable disc that needs several spins in order to be properly grasped. Maybe because of Johnson's academic background (she teaches at the University of San Diego), the disc might come off as a bit hard to feel at first, but if you just allow yourself to enjoy it, the pleasure of the listening experience will be that much greater. ~Ernest Bartelds

Personnel: Ellen Johnson: vocals; Derek Oles: bass; Larry Koonse: guitar; Roy McCurdy: drums; Ana Gazzola: percussion; Sheila Jordan: guest vocals.

These Days

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Melvin Smith - Time Will Tell

Size: 155,3 MB
Time: 66:54
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Hard Bop
Art: Front

01. Time Will Tell ( 5:45)
02. Hippodelphia ( 4:18)
03. Polka Dots And Moonbeams ( 8:53)
04. Mom And Pop ( 5:04)
05. Holy Land ( 4:40)
06. Manasseh ( 4:16)
07. I Want Jesus To Walk With Me ( 6:14)
08. Dontchange ( 7:44)
09. 1750 Washington St ( 3:24)
10. Trylenera Pt. IV ( 5:31)
11. Faith In Action (10:59)

Melvin Smith is back! Time Will Tell is Smith's first recording as a leader in four years. Time Will Tell is a hard swinging effort by the New York based saxophonist. The title track is a groove laced Art Blakey and Jazz Messenger staple written by Bobby Watson. Melvin breathes life into Joe Zawinul's Hippodelphia which was originally performed by Cannonball Adderley's quintet. Smith doesn't stop with solid arrangements , he also brings some great originals to the effort. Mom and Pop, Manasseh, 1750 Washington St, and Trylenera Part IV show Smith's creativity as a composer. Melvin Smith creates an organic exchange with pianist Anthony Wonsey on the two duo tracks Polka Dots and Moonbeams and Cedar Walton's Holy Land. Smith has included interesting reads on the hymn, I Want Jesus To Walk With Me and Musiq Soulchild's Dontchange. This effort is concludes with a stirring version of Bobby Watson's Faith In Action. All in all Time Will Tell is one not to miss.

Time Will Tell

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Manuel Rocheman & Nadine Bellombre - Paris-Maurice

Size: 125,1 MB
Time: 53:43
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. Ene Zoli Reve (5:19)
02. Just Love (4:08)
03. La Mer La (5:08)
04. Can't Hide Love (4:46)
05. Mo Le Ou (6:08)
06. Come Together (5:44)
07. Nadine (4:46)
08. Ki To Le (4:45)
09. Nature Boy (3:42)
10. The Island (5:03)
11. Send In The Clowns (4:06)

"The meeting of the Indian Ocean and jazz "
Released in the fall of my new album " Paris -Maurice " Berlioz Production / Rue Stendhal recorded by Richard Hein : Nadine Bellombre vocal , bass Kersley Palmyra , Maurice "Momo" Manancourt & Christophe Bertin drums + special guests : Marie- Luce Faron vocal, guitar Patrick Desvaux , Olivier Ker Ourio harmonica, sax alto Samuel Laval
A crossover project, including compositions Nadine Bellombre Mauritian identity fingerprints to the compositions of Manuel Rocheman through the great pop and jazz standards revisited: the famous " come together " by the Beatles and "can not hide love" Earth Wind & Fire , and a very big jazz standard " boy nature."

Paris-Maurice

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Elkano Browning Cream - Uh Eh

Size: 152,8 MB
Time: 65:18
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Hammond Organ, Latin/African/Funky Jazz
Art: Front & Back

01. Theme From Zoot (4:02)
02. One Day King (4:52)
03. Owiwi (7:37)
04. Rich Man Poor Soul (6:18)
05. Celebration Ska (4:26)
06. Tout Est Bon (3:56)
07. Blue Snake (5:12)
08. Aurresku (4:15)
09. Euroafricans (6:38)
10. Uranium Talks (4:23)
11. Up Again Song (5:41)
12. Sweet Charles (Bonus Track) (3:56)
13. 46Th Street (Bonus Track) (3:56)

During the first five days of May 2013, Franck Mantegari, Dave Wilkinson and Mikel Azpiroz locked up in a studio by the sea at La Concha Bay, San Sebastian, to record the fourth album of Elkano Browning Cream, “UH EH” . This is a craft record, filled with colors, where the three musicians exhibit their broad musical palette, delving, without any stylistic complexes, into luminous, powerfully rhythmic melodies. Starting off from the traditional jazz band format (Hammond organ, guitar and drums), they stretch it beyond with magnetic compositions that travel through music evoking African, oriental or nocturnal European landscapes, with a balanced mix of tradition and current trends. Its thirteen songs will withdraw the listener from his/her daily problems over the album’s 65 minutes. Faithful to his philosophy of playing an active role during the entire album-making process (composition, recording, mixing, editing), Mikel Azpiroz was in charge of the record’s production and edition with record company Mamusik, while Ediciones Resistencia was responsible for distribution in stores.

Uh Eh

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Simin Tander - Where Water Travels Home

Size: 131,6 MB
Time: 56:14
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Yau Tar De Grewan (5:23)
02. Above The Ground (5:12)
03. Behind The Curtain (3:43)
04. Where Would I Fly To If I Could (7:50)
05. Little Song (2:42)
06. Far (3:16)
07. De Kor Arman (4:55)
08. Larsha Nengrahar Ta (4:13)
09. Dark Woods (4:11)
10. Our Silent Storm (4:27)
11. Water (1:26)
12. La Chanson Des Vieux Amants (3:42)
13. Traveling On (5:09)

A typical jazz format perhaps, but the delivery on Simon Tander's second CD is anything but typical. As on her memorable debut Wagma (Neuklang Records, 2011), Tander sings in various languages—English, French—and in her improvised language. Here, however, Tander explores her roots by singing in pashto—her Afghan father's language—with mesmerizing results. On Wagma, Tander already sounded conceptually and musically fairly rounded, but Where Water Travels Home comes across as a more mature and personal work, one that reaffirms Tander's credentials as an original contemporary singer.

Tander casts her seductive spell on the opening number, "Yau Tar De Grewan" (A Thread from The Collar), a gorgeous arrangement of one of three Afghan poems sung in pashto. Pianist Jeroen van Vliet, bassist Cord Heineking and drummer Etienne Nillesen provide perfectly weighted support to Tander's emotive delivery on this ode to the birth of love:

"I turned into dew and slept on the morning flower
Tired and weary, I slept in the lap of your sight
Today you took me to the skies with one smile"

Kabul street sounds provide sympathetic background to "De Kor Arman" ("The Desire for Home"), a slow-burning pashto blues tale. Guest musician Alex Simu's softly voiced clarinet brings a yearning quality to this ambiguous love story. On the upbeat "Larsha Nengrahar Ta" ("Go to Nengrahar and Bring me a Black Dress") Tander's voice dances, driven by guest tablaist Niti Ranjan Biswas and Nillesen's rhythmic urgency. The three pashto-sung songs—poetic in origin and in delivery—mark a bold departure for Tander but the emotive depths that she harnesses so convincingly make these among the CD's standout tracks.

Three tracks feature Tander's invented language: on "Behind the Curtain," thumb-piano delicacy contrasts with Tander's powerful chanson-like delivery; on "Little Song" a damped-piano motif and gently pulsing bass waltz with Tander, whose soft plosives and cooing seduce like a lullaby; the quartet-composed "Far" revolves around Tander's konnakol-inspired improvisations as the quartet's smoking intensity threatens to burst into flames. With the exception of "Behind the Curtain" where Van Vliet stretches out, conventional solos are rationed and instead a subtle elasticity in the music's individual and collective contours reigns throughout.

Several tracks feature lyrics by Tander's sister Mina Tander; on "Above The Ground," however, it's Tander's soaring wordless cry during the song's surging finale that hits the gut; "Dark Woods" is a brooding, sensual song of seduction; Van Vliet's hypnotic piano mantra forms the spine of "Traveling On," a melodically and emotively alluring ballad. Elsewhere, "Where Would I Fly to If I Could" shifts episodically between powerful orchestral passages, Tander's simple narrative and her more dramatic improvisations. "Our Silent Storm" is an achingly beautiful ballad that could have come from Leonard Cohen's bluesiest pen, while "La Chanson des Vieux Amants" sees Tander tackles Jacques Briel's bitter-sweet love song with requisite intimacy.

Tander's beguiling voice holds center stage on these haunting songs of love's vicissitudes, but her wonderfully empathetic trio is no less vital a part of the equation. A palpable group chemistry pervades these thirteen tracks, whose considerable charms grow through repeated listens. Poetic, lyrical and uplifting, Where Water Travels Home is a strong contender for vocal album of the year.

Personnel: Simin Tander: voice; Jereon Van Vliet: piano, electronics; Cord Heineking: double bass; Alex Simu: clarinet (7); Niti Ranian Biswas: tabla (8).

Where Water Travels Home

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Wendell Holmes Jr. - Lewis Ave

Size: 137,0 MB
Time: 58:38
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Fusion
Art: Front

01. Planet Earth (Feat. Gergo Borlai) (4:02)
02. Mighty Philly (Feat. Scott Jones) (5:55)
03. Infinite Possibilities (Feat. Francisco Fattoruso) (6:37)
04. Digifunk (Feat. Russell Gunn & Federico Malaman) (4:02)
05. Lewis Ave (Feat. Ede Wright) (6:07)
06. Split Ii (Feat. Hadrien Feruad) (5:36)
07. I'm Dizzy (Feat. Marcus Anderson & Federico Malaman) (5:03)
08. Drummerboy (Feat. Marcus Anderson & Anthony Crawford) (5:29)
09. Wide Awake (Feat. Marcus Anderson, Kyle Bolden & Dywane Mononeon Thomas Jr.) (4:36)
10. Spagetti Junction (Feat. Ede Wright, Jermaine Morgan & Eric Catron) (6:21)
11. Video Arcade (Feat. Gerry Smoot) (4:46)

If you are a music lover of jazz and great musicianship then this record is for you. Influences include Dave Welck, Chick Corea, George Dude, Dennis Chambers, Tony Williams, Yellowjackets, Gary Novack, Vinnie Colaiuta, Stanley Clarke and many many more.

Wendell Holmes Jr, a native of Philadelphia, Mississippi, began playing the drums at two years old; watching his peers play every Sunday morning fascinated him so much that after each service, he would jump on a drum-set and mimic what he heard, first hand. At home, he played on everything from pots and pans, to his mother's living room furniture. It soon became evident that this was a gift from God and should be taken seriously. "Playing at church was the greatest start I could ever have because I constantly played and it served as a platform to develop a sound."

Wendell matured at his craft by becoming an innovative drummer with versatility in playing various genres of music such as Jazz, Fusion, R&B, Funk, Blues, Country, Rock, and Reggae. He soon branched into music directing, collaborating with many musicians (a position rarely filled by drummers).

In 2005, Holmes moved to Atlanta, Georgia; where God continues to do great things in his life allowing him to be a vessel of blessings to others.

Wendell's artistic uniqueness lies in his distinctive sound, authenticity and creativity. A sensitive, colorful and innovative drummer, he mixes different textures and tones on the drums and cymbals to produce breathtaking colors and images. A versatile musician, he approaches each genre in its authentic context, yet complements it through incorporating various styles in an ingenious manner to create an interesting and innovative sound. His distinctive sound combined with his approach to music complements his expressive creativity.

Lewis Ave

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Joe Liggins - Joe Liggins & The Honeydrippers

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 71:18

Size: 163.2 MB

Styles: R&B, Jump blues, West Coast blues

Year: 1989/2006

Art: Front

[2:59] 1. Pink Champagne

[2:43] 2. Ramblin' Blues

[3:01] 3. Rag Mop

[4:47] 4. Rhythm In The Barnyard

[2:49] 5. Going Back To New Orleans

[3:13] 6. I've Got A Right To Cry

[3:08] 7. The Honeydripper

[2:44] 8. I Just Can't Help Myself

[2:41] 9. Don't Miss That Train

[2:52] 10. Frankie Lee

[2:27] 11. Brand New Deal In Mobile

[2:49] 12. Little Joe's Boogie

[2:23] 13. One Sweet Letter

[2:32] 14. Whiskey, Gin & Wine

[3:04] 15. Louisiana Woman

[2:48] 16. Trying To Lose The Blues

[2:48] 17. Shuffle Boogie Blues

[3:00] 18. Rain, Rain, Rain

[2:14] 19. The Flying Dutchman

[3:06] 20. Tanya

[2:47] 21. Blues For Tanya

[2:43] 22. Freight Train Blues

[2:42] 23. Whiskey, Women & Loaded Dice

[2:28] 24. The Big Dipper

[2:17] 25. Do You Love Me Pretty Baby

Pianist Joe Liggins presented a fairly sophisticated brand of swinging jump blues to jitterbuggers during the early '50s, when his irresistible "Pink Champagne" scaled the R&B charts. Twenty-five of his very best 1950-1954 Specialty sides grace this collection, including a tasty remake of "The Honeydripper;" "Rhythm in the Barnyard," and the syncopated "Going Back to New Orleans" (recently revived by Dr. John). ~Bill Dahl

Recording Date: January 20, 1950 - March 12, 1954

Joe Liggins & The Honeydrippers         

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Luciana Souza - The New Bossa Nova

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:44
Size: 127.6 MB
Styles: Vocal, Bossa Nova
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[5:01] 1. Down To You
[4:33] 2. Never Die Young
[5:34] 3. Here It Is
[5:14] 4. When We Dance
[4:37] 5. Satellite
[4:57] 6. Were You Blind That Day
[5:25] 7. Love Is For Strangers
[4:33] 8. You And The Girl
[3:16] 9. Living Without You
[3:59] 10. I Can Let Go Now
[3:49] 11. God Only Knows
[4:40] 12. Waters Of March

When pianist Herbie Hancock released The New Standard (Verve, 1996)—an album of radically reworked pop tunes by artists ranging from Peter Gabriel to Prince—it wasn't exactly revolutionary, but it was the first time a major jazz artist had devoted an entire album to contemporary popular song. Singer Luciana Souza may not be as significant an artist—yet—as Hancock, but The New Bossa Nova explores a similar concept. By adapting material, ranging from Joni Mitchell and James Taylor to Leonard Cohen and Randy Newman, to the Brazilian bossa nova form, Souza has created a deeply heartfelt disc that deserves to raise her profile exponentially.

With the stellar group of players she's recruited—many of whom she's intersected with multiple times over the past few years, including saxophonist Chris Potter, pianist Edward Simon, bassist Scott Colley and drummer Antonio Sanchez—one might expect some high energy and extended improvisation, but The New Bossa Nova is, instead, an album of understatement, concision and simplicity. While no strangers to the aesthetic of serving the song, principle soloists Simon and Potter work within producer Larry Klein's defined, but never confining, arrangements. Sometimes saying something in eight bars is more challenging than having all the time in the world, and both Potter and Simon deliver memorable, lyrical solos throughout.

While the bossa form is inherently easy on the ears, Souza has chosen material that covers a broad emotional range, a subtext of the album being the complexity and multifaceted nature of love. Souza's voice is warm and soft, with a controlled but rich vibrato that's not unlike that of iconic singer/songwriter Joni Mitchell, whose "Down to You, from the classic Court and Spark (Asylum, 1974), opens the disc. The vibe may be soft, but Souza's delivery gets to the core of Mitchell's despondent lyrics. Her mellifluous voice is a considerable contrast to Leonard Cohen's near-spoken delivery, but she's no less at the heart of his starkly dark "Here It Is.

The New Bossa Nova is not, however, all about darkness and despair. A duet with guest James Taylor on his poignant "Never Die Young" reveals just how lush Souza's voice is contrasted with Taylor's sharp tenor, while she reworks Antonio Carlos Jobim's classic "Waters of March" into an uplifting set closer.

Like Swiss singer Susanne Abbuehl, Souza's range and emotional resonance are made all the more powerful for her avoidance of overstatement. With words as potent as these, nuance trumps excess, and while the bossa rhythm is the essence of The New Bossa Nova, there's plenty of diversity to keep things interesting, even as Souza and the group explore shades of a color rather than a broader spectrum. With the emphasis on The New, it's an accessible album that's got the potential to make Souza a popular name like Krall and Jones, but remains no less substantial for it. ~John Kelman

Luciana Souza: vocals; James Taylor: vocals (2); Chris Potter: tenor saxophone; Romero Lubambo: guitar, cavaquinho; Edward Simon: piano, estey; Scott Colley: bass; Antonio Sanchez: drums, percussion; Matt Moran: vibraphone (1, 6-8).

The New Bossa Nova

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Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Deja Vu

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:57
Size: 82.3 MB
Styles: Rock
Year: 1970/1995/2005
Art: Front

[4:24] 1. Carry On
[2:52] 2. Teach Your Children
[4:27] 3. Almost Cut My Hair
[3:35] 4. Helpless
[3:52] 5. Woodstock
[4:10] 6. Deja Vu
[2:59] 7. Our House
[2:05] 8. 4 + 20
[5:09] 9. Country Girl A. Whiskey Boot Hill. B. Down, Down, Down. C. Country Girl [i Think You're Pretty]
[2:20] 10. Everybody I Love You

One of the most hotly awaited second albums in history -- right up there with those by the Beatles and the Band -- Déjà Vu lived up to its expectations and rose to number one on the charts. Those achievements are all the more astonishing given the fact that the group barely held together through the estimated 800 hours it took to record Déjà Vu and scarcely functioned as a group for most of that time. Déjà Vu worked as an album, a product of four potent musical talents who were all ascending to the top of their game coupled with some very skilled production, engineering, and editing. There were also some obvious virtues in evidence -- the addition of Neil Young to the Crosby, Stills & Nash lineup added to the level of virtuosity, with Young and Stephen Stills rising to new levels of complexity and volume on their guitars. Young's presence also ratcheted up the range of available voices one notch and added a uniquely idiosyncratic songwriter to the fold, though most of Young's contributions in this area were confined to the second side of the LP. Most of the music, apart from the quartet's version of Joni Mitchell's "Woodstock," was done as individual sessions by each of the members when they turned up (which was seldom together), contributing whatever was needed that could be agreed upon. "Carry On" worked as the album's opener when Stills "sacrificed" another copyright, "Questions," which comprised the second half of the track and made it more substantial. "Woodstock" and "Carry On" represented the group as a whole, while the rest of the record was a showcase for the individual members. David Crosby's "Almost Cut My Hair" was a piece of high-energy hippie-era paranoia not too far removed in subject from the Byrds' "Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man," only angrier in mood and texture (especially amid the pumping organ and slashing guitars); the title track, also by Crosby, took 100 hours to work out and was a better-received successor to such experimental works as "Mind Gardens," out of his earlier career with the Byrds, showing his occasional abandonment of a rock beat, or any fixed rhythm at all, in favor of washing over the listener with tones and moods. "Teach Your Children," the major hit off the album, was a reflection of the hippie-era idealism that still filled Graham Nash's life, while "Our House" was his stylistic paean to the late-era Beatles and "4+20" was a gorgeous Stephen Stills blues excursion that was a precursor to the material he would explore on the solo album that followed. And then there were Neil Young's pieces, the exquisitely harmonized "Helpless" (which took many hours to get to the slow version finally used) and the roaring country-ish rockers that ended side two, which underwent a lot of tinkering by Young -- even his seeming throwaway finale, "Everybody I Love You," was a bone thrown to longtime fans as perhaps the greatest Buffalo Springfield song that they didn't record. All of this variety made Déjà Vu a rich musical banquet for the most serious and personal listeners, while mass audiences reveled in the glorious harmonies and the thundering electric guitars, which were presented in even more dramatic and expansive fashion on the tour that followed. ~Bruce Eder

Deja Vu

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Ingram Washington - What A Difference A Day Makes

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:57
Size: 116.7 MB
Styles: Easy Listening
Year: 2004
Art: Front

[3:07] 1. What A Difference A Day Makes
[3:06] 2. But Not For Me
[4:35] 3. Come Rain Or Come Shine
[3:06] 4. My Funny Valentine
[3:20] 5. Smile
[2:40] 6. Hey There
[4:07] 7. I Thought About You
[4:16] 8. Unforgettable
[3:57] 9. Autumn Leaves
[3:02] 10. Laughing At Life
[4:00] 11. Always On My Mind
[3:19] 12. Somebody Loves Me
[3:29] 13. Our Love Is Here To Stay
[4:48] 14. What A Wonderful World

Easy listening jazz standards with original arrangements by Cajan Witmer & Ingram Washington. The songs speak for themselves. What more can be said about these long lived evergreens?

What A Difference A Day Makes

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Al Cohn & Al Porcino - Al Cohn Meets Al Porcino

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:21
Size: 165.7 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1987/2003
Art: Front

[3:54] 1. Tiny's Blues
[3:34] 2. I Cover The Waterfront
[4:55] 3. No Thanks
[7:06] 4. Body And Soul
[3:18] 5. Dancing In The Dark
[4:06] 6. Lover Come Back To Me
[3:20] 7. Music To Dance To
[3:13] 8. The Goof And I
[4:14] 9. My Heart Belongs To Daddy
[3:58] 10. Autumn In New York
[5:57] 11. Mambo Di Paulo
[4:34] 12. All The Things You Are
[4:25] 13. The Fuzz
[3:43] 14. Get Me To The Church On Time
[7:40] 15. Sophisticated Lady
[4:17] 16. Jumpin' With Symphony Sid

This was one of Al Cohn's last recordings, a live session with trumpeter Al Porcino's European big band. Cohn's Lester Young-influenced tone had darkened quite a bit through the years and his tough tone was now closer to Illinois Jacquet than to Young. However he still swung in a boppish style and is the main soloist throughout this excellent outing, playing eight of his arrangements plus older charts from Gerry Mulligan and Bill Holman among others. Surprisingly Al Porcino does not take a single solo, being content to play in the ensembles and listen to his old friend perform in prime form. ~Scott Yanow

Al Cohn Meets Al Porcino

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Nina Simone - Let It All Out

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:26
Size: 83.4 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz, Torch songs
Year: 1966/2004
Art: Front

[2:25] 1. Mood Indigo
[3:01] 2. The Other Woman
[4:04] 3. Love Me Or Leave Me
[4:18] 4. Don't Explain
[2:31] 5. Little Girl Blue
[2:48] 6. Chauffeur
[2:05] 7. For Myself
[4:54] 8. The Ballad Of Hollis Brown
[2:57] 9. This Year's Kisses
[2:50] 10. Images
[4:29] 11. Nearer Blessed Lord

Let It All Out is one of Nina Simone's more adult pop-oriented mid-'60s albums, with renditions of tunes by Duke Ellington ("Mood Indigo"), Billie Holiday ("Don't Explain"), Irving Berlin ("This Year's Kisses"), and Rodgers & Hart ("Little Girl Blue"). As ever, Simone ranges wide in her selection: Bob Dylan's "The Ballad of Hollis Brown," a swaggering adaptation of "Chauffeur Blues" (credited to her husband of the time, Andy Stroud), the gospel hymn "Nearer Blessed Lord," and Van McCoy's "For Myself." "Images" is an a cappella adaptation of a poem about the beauty of blackness by Waring Cuney. All of Simone's Philips albums are solid, and this is no exception, while it isn't the best of them. This LP has been combined with the 1965 album Pastel Blues on a single-disc CD reissue. ~Richie Unterberger

Let It All Out

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Wynton Kelly - Someday My Prince Will Come

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 75:49

Size: 173.6 MB

Styles: Hard bop, Piano jazz

Year: 1961/1993

Art: Front

[3:02] 1. Someday My Prince Will Come

[4:18] 2. Gone With The Wind

[4:25] 3. Autumn Leaves-Take 2

[3:33] 4. Come Rain Or Come Shine

[7:13] 5. Weird Lullaby

[5:12] 6. Sassy

[8:00] 7. Wrinkles

[5:13] 8. On Stage

[4:57] 9. Char's Blues-Take 1

[2:34] 10. Love, I've Found You

[3:40] 11. Surrey With The Fringe On Top-Take 3

[6:34] 12. Joe's Avenue-Take 4

[3:00] 13. Someday My Prince Will Come-Take 5

[8:22] 14. Autumn Leaves-Take 1

[5:37] 15. Char's Blues-Take 2

Pianist Wynton Kelly is heard on this CD reissue (the ten songs from the original LP plus five "new" alternate takes) with either bassist Sam Jones and drummer Jimmy Cobb or bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Philly Joe Jones. His light touch and perfect taste are very much present along with a steady stream of purposeful single-note lines that are full of surprising twists. Trumpeter Lee Morgan and tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter drop by for one song (the blues "Wrinkles"), but otherwise this recommended set (a definitive Wynton Kelly release) showcases magical trio performances. ~Scott Yanow

Recording Date: September 20-21, 1961

Someday My Prince Will Come

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Judy Niemack - Blue Nights

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:37
Size: 168,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:09)  1. I Ain't Got Nothin' But The Blues
(5:47)  2. Night In Tunisia
(5:17)  3. Afro Blue
(9:25)  4. All Blues
(5:15)  5. Bluesette
(5:28)  6. Blue
(5:12)  7. Interplay
(6:43)  8. Moanin'
(7:25)  9. Blue In Green
(5:27) 10. A Crazy Song To Sing
(6:23) 11. Lullaby Of The Leaves
(7:02) 12. In A Sentimental Mood

Judy Niemack has released so many outstanding CDs that it seems unfathomable that this 2007 release for Blujazz is her first U.S. recording since Heart's Desire and only her third U.S. album overall. But she makes up for lost time with a typically adventurous outing, backed by guitarist Jeanfrançois Prins (her husband), pianist Jim McNeely, bassist Dennis Irwin, and drummer Victor Lewis, with guest appearances by saxophonist Gary Bartz and trumpeter/flügelhornist Don Sickler on selected tracks. Niemack's sassy take of Duke Ellington's "I Ain't Got Nothin' But the Blues" and her scatting in unison with Prins' guitar in a romp through "Bluesette" open the disc with a bang, but she cools things down with her intricate interpretation of Bill Evans' "Interplay," for which she supplied delightful lyrics. 

"A Crazy Song to Sing" has more of a vocalese quality, describing the appeal of performing Thelonious Monk's "Mysterioso," punctuated by Bartz's smoldering alto sax solo. "In a Sentimental Mood" is set up by an intriguing blend of guitar, flügelhorn, and alto sax, with Niemack delivering a captivating performance. Judy Niemack has been one of the most underrated jazz vocalists of her generation, and this brilliant effort should awaken critics who have unjustly overlooked her consistently excellent work. ~ Ken Dryden  http://www.allmusic.com/album/blue-nights-mw0000574510

Personnel: Judy Niemack (vocals); Jean françois Prins (guitar); Don Sickler (trumpet, flugelhorn); Jim McNeely (piano); Dennis Irwin (bass instrument); Gary Bartz (soprano saxophone, alto saxophone); Victor Lewis (drums).

Blue Nights

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Oscar Peterson - Plays the Harold Arlen Song Book

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:21
Size: 175,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:20)  1. As Long As I Live
(5:05)  2. I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues
(4:25)  3. Come Rain Or Come Shine
(3:14)  4. Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive
(3:08)  5. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea
(3:46)  6. I've Got The World On A String
(3:24)  7. It's Only A Paper Moon
(3:00)  8. That Old Black Magic
(3:32)  9. Let's Fall In Love
(3:33) 10. Stormy Weather
(3:49) 11. Blues In The Night
(3:32) 12. Over the Rainbow
(2:10) 13. Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe
(2:40) 14. Stormy Weather
(2:15) 15. Over The Rainbow
(2:36) 16. The Man That Got Away
(2:30) 17. Ill Wind
(2:14) 18. Let's Fall In Love
(2:22) 19. As Long As I Live
(2:34) 20. Come Rain Or Come Shine
(1:59) 21. Ac-cent-tchu-ate The Positive
(2:39) 22. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea
(2:25) 23. I've Got The World On A String
(2:58) 24. That Old Black Magic

This re-release combines all the tracks from two earlier albums recorded in 1954 & 1959 with two versions of the trio. Oscar and Ray Brown are on both, but the later trio has Ed Thigpen on drums instead of Ray Ellis on guitar. Both sessions demonstrate Oscar Peterson’s complete mastery of the works of Harold Arlen. Although I feel certain it was not intended, the trio took over where Nat Cole left off. Nat was himself a great jazz pianist and he often performed in Jazz at the Philharmonic in its earlier forms. Oscar of course made that chair his own, when he took over from Nat and stayed to the end. Nat Cole didn’t do so bad either as No1 Male vocalist worldwide! It may be of interest for readers to know that on the very few vocal recordings Oscar has made, he sounds just like Nat ‘King’ Cole. For my money, Oscar is without any doubt the greatest pianist that jazz has produced. There are people like Art Tatum, who had perhaps a better sense of harmonics and many players have maybe pushed the frontiers harder, but there has never been anyone to swing at the drop of a hat on every session, the way Oscar has always done. 

Genius is an overused word these days, but Oscar truly merits it. The 1954 tracks, 1 to 12 have a certain amount of surface noise, as they have been re-mastered from the original disc, but it doesn’t detract in any way from the enjoyment, fortunately the masters were available for the later recordings. The sound is obviously different between the two trios and despite my being a big fan of Herb Ellis, I prefer the trio with Ed Thigpen on the drums. Oscar is such a monster piano player that he does not need anyone to ‘comp’ whilst he is soloing, he does that as well. It seems a little curious to me that the tracks on the second part of the album are so short, on most we get the melody, one improvised chorus and then out. Many of the tunes are played in both halves of the record and as you would expect with a jazz performance, if you visit the same tune five years later, it has developed and changed. This of course is the essence of the jazz performance as opposed to other musical forms and it is what makes jazz such interesting music. 

An earlier reference to Nat Cole reminded me that ‘It’s Only a Paper Moon’ was a tune he regularly featured with his trio. Oscar’s technique and ideas are well illustrated in this track, it is a simple tune, but he makes it into something special and Herb Ellis also has a fine if short solo. Most of all it swings all the way through. This re-release will be very welcome by all the Peterson fans and let us hope that anyone not familiar with his past work will take the opportunity to catch up. ~ Don Mather  http://www.musicweb-international.com/jazz/2001/Nov01/Peterson_Arlen.htm

Personnel : Oscar Peterson (piano); Herb Ellis (guitar); Ray Brown (bass); Ed Thigpen (drums).

Plays the Harold Arlen Song Book

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Mark Douthit - Groove

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:48
Size: 123,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:04)  1. What a Shame
(5:19)  2. You And I
(4:08)  3. You Can't Hide Love
(5:34)  4. What You Won't Do For Love
(5:31)  5. Sunset Beach
(6:59)  6. Linda
(5:17)  7. Use Me
(6:08)  8. Voice Of The Heart
(4:35)  9. I Just Want To Stop
(5:10) 10. What Was

Douthit turns in a textbook easy listening performance on his Hillsboro Jazz debut. He has the distorted upper-register growl; the urgent intonation; the full-bored, slightly quivery Kenny G-like timbre on alto; the blues/gospel licks; and, quite likely, the squint-eyed grimace on high notes that are apparently required for this genre, along with the velvety electric piano backup, gently insistent drums, and other similar essentials. His arrangements nod toward a Steely Dan influence, and not just on the cover of "What a Shame About Me," with the kind of milky brass unison lines and sharp horn jabs that have long been a hallmark of Donald Fagen's charts. 

Douthit writes with a concise technique and an ear for a hook; the last four bars of the chorus on his "Voice of the Heart," for instance, tweak the chord movement in order to nudge the tune along to the next verse a nice, though not exactly riveting, twist. The final track, a rendering of Stevie Wonder's "You and I," provides the most refreshing moment on the record, precisely because this piano/sax duo gives Douthit a chance to interact with one other musician rather than just fit into a fairly static rhythm bed. This proves both that Douthit has what it takes, and that it's possible to stretch out while still keeping your jazz "lite." ~ Robert L.Doerschuk  http://www.allmusic.com/album/groove-mw0000214502

Personnel : Mark Douthit (saxophone); Chris Rodriguez (vocals); Tom Hemby (guitar); Mike Haynes, Jeff Bailey (trumpet); Chris McDonald (trombone); Pat Coil (keyboards); Craig Nelson (bass); John Hammond (drums).

Groove

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