Junior Mance - Straight Ahead

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 28:20
Size: 64.9 MB
Styles: Soul jazz, Piano jazz
Year: 1965/2012
Art: Front

[2:28] 1. In A Mellow Tone
[1:42] 2. Hannah Strikes Again
[4:51] 3. Li'l Darlin'
[2:44] 4. Diane
[2:36] 5. Happy Time
[2:07] 6. The Late, Late Show
[2:08] 7. Fine Brown Frame
[2:12] 8. Senor Mance
[2:57] 9. Stompin' At The Savoy
[2:17] 10. Trouble In Mind
[2:12] 11. The J. A. M. F

Of the three recordings Junior Mance made for Capitol, two were within a big-band format. Straight Ahead is the second of the two large-group recordings. The band is populated by some of the top studio musicians and bandmembers on the West Coast, including Don Fagerquist and Pete Candoli on trumpet, Milt Bernhart on trombone, and Shelly Manne on drums. Bob Bain fronts the group and wrote the charts. The major difference from the previous recording is that it's all brass here; no reeds are present. Combining Mance's natural blues-inflected piano with a big horn sound is a true aural treat. The result is a musical conversation with each side taking turns playing on or over the melody line. On "Li'l Darlin'," the band plays the familiar slow-drag melody while Mance improvises on top. There's a heated call and response on "Happy Time," with Mance going out swinging against blaring riffs by the brass. A similar swinging conversation takes place on "The Late, Late Show," with the band kicking off the cut with a roaring trumpet call. Usually a large-ensemble format doesn't allow for much diversion from the charts. Here it's clear that the band stayed with the charts, but Mance was allowed a good deal of leeway in his playing. He could respond to the call of the band as he saw fit. The result is a dynamic session combining the best of a disciplined brass assembly with the unfettered play of a top jazz improvisor. Some enterprising label should take the first album Mance made with this group, Get Ready, Set, Jump!, combine it with this one, and release them together on a CD. ~Dave Nathan

Straight Ahead

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Jimmy Witherspoon - Jimmy Witherspoon With The Duke Robillard Band

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:52
Size: 130.2 MB
Styles: Urban blues, Jazz-blues
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[13:59] 1. Glide On
[ 6:30] 2. Going Down Slow
[ 5:54] 3. Big Boss Man
[ 8:11] 4. Ain't Nobody's Business
[ 7:05] 5. I'll Always Be In Love With You
[ 8:22] 6. Stormy Monday Blues
[ 6:49] 7. Times Getting' Tougher Than Tough

The material on this album was recorded in concert shortly before Jimmy Witherspoon's death at age 74, and it appears that this was his last recording. The significance of that fact cuts both ways on this attractive but sometimes frustrating album. On the one hand, fans will welcome it as a last document of Witherspoon's undeniable talent and presence. On the other hand, it's hard to overlook the fact that by this point he was no longer at the peak of his powers. Although he tries gamely to generate the energy of his past work -- and occasionally succeeds, as on the electrifying "I'll Always Be in Love With You" -- for the most part his voice is phlegmy and weak, his intonation approximate at best. Duke Robillard works well with Witherspoon, goosing his band to a level of energy intended to invigorate the aging singer without overpowering him, and delivering sharp and witty solos that keep things lively and interesting. There is also a fine cameo appearance by the British blues singer Long John Baldry, whose presence also seems to give Witherspoon a shot in the arm. Overall, though, this is an album that will appeal primarily to diehard fans of the singer and to Robillard completists. ~Rick Anderson

Jimmy Witherspoon With The Duke Robillard Band

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Smith Dobson With Bobby Hutcherson - Sasha Bossa

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 41:15

Size: 94.4 MB

Styles: Post bop, Piano jazz

Year: 1989/1992

Art: Front

[5:34] 1. It Could Happen To You

[7:00] 2. Love's Mirror Image

[7:15] 3. Old Acquaintance

[7:28] 4. Old Devil Moon

[4:43] 5. Ottawa On

[4:24] 6. Sasha Bossa

[4:48] 7. Day In, Day Out

Smith Dobson was one of the top jazz pianists based in the San Francisco Bay area. He did not record all that often as a leader, but this somewhat obscure release is fairly definitive. Dobson teams up with vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, bassist Jeff Carney, and either Eddie Marshall or Vince Lateano on drums. Altoist Mark Lewis and singer Gail Dobson (Smith's wife) make two appearances apiece. The music is straight-ahead with a bit of Latin ("Sasha Bossa") included for variety. Highlights include "It Could Happen to You," "Old Acquaintance," and "Old Devil Moon." Smith Dobson brought his own personality to the straight-ahead music he played; this is one of his strongest releases. ~Scott Yanow

Sasha Bossa

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Susannah McCorkle - Adeus: The Berlin Concert

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:09
Size: 142.3 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[2:28] 1. Zing! Went the Strings of My Heart
[3:53] 2. Still Crazy After All These Years
[7:56] 3. Adeus America
[4:59] 4. Get Out of Town
[3:42] 5. That Ole Devil Called Love
[5:39] 6. Don't Fence Me In
[0:54] 7. (instrumental)
[5:33] 8. I Thought About You
[4:14] 9. Swing That Music
[5:01] 10. That Old Feeling
[4:09] 11. You Do Something to Me
[5:06] 12. P'rá Machucar Meu Coracao
[3:26] 13. (Instrumental) S'Wonderful
[3:33] 14. Bye Bye Baby
[1:27] 15. (instrumental) outro

Exceptional musical legacy of one of America`s greatest yet misunderstood songbirds: jazz singer Susannah McCorkle (1946 - 2001) and quartet live in Berlin 1996, recorded at the pinnacle of her career in front of an enthusiastic audience. “Susannah McCorkle is in the forefront!” (Tony Bennett, 1986). Some of the finest songs from her repertoire, mastered from lost tapes recently discovered in the archives of music journalist and writer Siegfried Schmidt-Joos, with Kai Rautenberg (p & arr), Walter Gauchel (ts), Dave King (b) and Ned Irving (dr) - her first live release!

Adeus: The Berlin Concert

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Johnny Hartman - And I Thought About You

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:02
Size: 75.7 MB
Styles: Standards, Vocal jazz
Year: 1959/1997
Art: Front

[2:23] 1. Mam'selle
[2:51] 2. To Each His Own
[2:15] 3. Sunday
[2:23] 4. Alone
[2:47] 5. Long Ago (And Far Away)
[3:11] 6. I Should Care
[2:59] 7. Little Girl Blue
[2:51] 8. But Beautiful
[2:05] 9. After You've Gone
[3:20] 10. There's A Lull In My Life
[2:42] 11. How Long Has This Been Going On
[3:10] 12. I Thought About You

Johnny Hartman gained posthumous fame as one of the warmest ballad singers of this century, and his deep baritone voice is well showcased on this 1958 date, which emphasizes slower tempos with a couple of exceptions ("Sunday" and "After You've Gone"). Accompanied by a subtle orchestra arranged by Rudy Traylor (the personnel is unknown), Hartman is in such fine form that it seems sad that this obscure effort was his only studio date of the 1957-62 period. Highlights of the brief (33-minute) set include "To Each His Own," "Little Girl Blue" and "There's a Lull In My Life." ~Scott Yanow

And I Thought About You

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Ray Bryant - Hot Turkey

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:18
Size: 135.8 MB
Styles: Soul Jazz, Piano jazz
Year: 1975/2007
Recorded: October 15, 1975
Art: Front

[5:17] 1. Saint Louis Blues
[4:04] 2. Take The A Train
[4:22] 3. Sophisticated Lady
[5:35] 4. B & H Blues
[5:30] 5. Hot Turkey
[7:58] 6. Li'l Darlin'
[6:26] 7. Satin Doll
[6:07] 8. This Is All I Ask
[7:41] 9. Blues In C
[6:13] 10. Broadway

This fine set is (Ray Bryant's last session before signing with the Pablo label) has three selections (two swing standards plus the pianist's "Hot Turkey") played in a trio with bassist Major Holley and drummer Panama Francis. However the main reason to search for this session is to hear Bryant uplift three familiar standards ("St. Louis Blues," "Take The 'A' Train" and "Sophisticated Lady") and a blues with his soulful and swinging solo piano interpretations. Virtually every Ray Bryant album is well worth picking up for his accessible and flexible style should appeal to fans of most jazz styles. ~Scott Yanow

Hot Turkey

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Kate Michaels - Just Marilyn

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:01
Size: 80,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:20)  1. A Fine Romance
(2:56)  2. A Little Girl From Little Rock
(3:24)  3. Bye Bye Baby
(3:03)  4. Every Baby Needs A Da-Da Daddy
(3:02)  5. You'd Be Surprised
(2:38)  6. My Heart Belongs To Daddy
(2:44)  7. She Acts Like A Woman Should
(3:23)  8. Do It Again
(3:30)  9. Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend
(2:06) 10. I Wanna Be Loved By You
(2:26) 11. I'm Gonna File My Claim
(3:24) 12. After You Get What You Want You Don't Want It

Sexy trumpets with great singing and a new take on an American Classic sound which is sensual, classy and fun; great for dinner and business parties. Featuring hits from the rat-pack era like Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend and My Heart Belongs to Daddy.

The band and vocal arrangements of "Just Marilyn" will knock your socks off. These songs are in the new retro-contemporary style featuring music from the 40's and 50's. "Just Marilyn" is wonderful and upbeat. It is dedicated to all lovers of big band and all those who love and admire the inimitable Marilyn Monroe and enjoy remembering her era.

American singer Kate Michaels emerged internationally as an engaging and captivating artist, performing established favourites with cotemporary flair that has been described as classy, humorous, and elegant. Just Marilyn is also a principle component along with other projects produced by Kate's production company, New Arts Paradigm, gmbh of concerts and touring shows in Europe, the UK, and North America.

"Putting together the music from one of last century's most cherished eras is the most fun I had all year. It was wonderful to research this amazing music and I'm very thankful that this project was presented to me by such fabulous musicians. It's great that Big Band continues to be loved and appreciated in the new retro-contemporary style."  http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/katemichaels

Just Marilyn

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Marco Confalonieri Trio - Jazz Class

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:23
Size: 145,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:50)  1. Corcovado
(4:22)  2. How Insensitive
(3:39)  3. Triste
(2:59)  4. Days of Wine and Roses
(3:44)  5. Green Dolphin Street
(4:12)  6. A Foggy Day - Take Two
(4:26)  7. How Insensitive - Violin Version
(4:53)  8. My Foolish Heart
(3:51)  9. St. Thomas
(2:57) 10. How High is the Moon
(4:30) 11. My One and Only Love
(3:44) 12. All the Things
(4:58) 13. Wave
(6:00) 14. Over the Rainbow
(4:11) 15. Yesterdays

If anyone knows any information about this excellent pianist, Please put in comments. Thank you!

Jazz Class

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Billy Eckstine - Mr B & The Band: The Savoy Sessions

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:39
Size: 178,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:45)  1. Lonesome Lover Blues
(3:06)  2. Long, Long Journey
(2:32)  3. I Only Have Eyes for You
(2:44)  4. You're My Everything
(2:53)  5. The Jitney Man
(2:58)  6. Blue
(2:55)  7. Second Balcony Jump
(2:54)  8. Tell Me, Pretty Baby
(2:20)  9. Love Is the Thing
(2:50) 10. Without a Song
(2:50) 11. Cool Breeze
(2:46) 12. A Cottage for Sale
(2:53) 13. Don't Take Your Love from Me
(3:01) 14. Oop Bop Sh'bam
(2:58) 15. Oop Bop Sh'bam - Alternate Version
(2:51) 16. In the Still of the Night
(3:16) 17. Jelly, Jelly
(2:48) 18. My Silent Love
(3:18) 19. Time On My Hands
(2:35) 20. All the Things You Are
(2:48) 21. I Love the Rhythm In a Riff
(3:02) 22. Last Night
(2:52) 23. Prisoner of Love
(2:50) 24. It Ain't Like That
(2:53) 25. I'm In the Mood for Love
(2:59) 26. You Call It Madness (But I Call It Love)
(2:48) 27. All I Sing Blues

Unlike other big-band singers who regarded the other musicians in the orchestra as little more than backup to their generally sugarcoated stylings, Billy Eckstine was a man with wide-ranging tastes and a musicality he brought to everything he lent his honeyed baritone voice to. When it was time for him to start his own band to capitalize on his growing fame, he didn't settle for hiring some hacks to read charts framed around his vocals. Instead, he put together what is now, in hindsight, the first big band to feature almost exclusively young, emerging bop players. Both "Bird" and "Diz" did time in the band and, at one time or another, Eckstine featured Sonny Stitt, Dexter Gordon, Wardell Gray, Lucky Thompson, Fats Navarro, Miles Davis, and Kenny Dorham on his bandstand. The band was far, far ahead of its time, appealing more to musicians than white America, but making extraordinary music nonetheless. 

This single-disc collection brings together a delightful batch of tunes that band recorded for the tiny National label between 1945 and the following year. With Art Blakey, Tommy Potter, and Leo Parker also in the lineup, this is no nostalgic "remember the big bands" anthology by any stretch of the imagination, and Eckstine's vocals on "A Cottage for Sale," "Prisoner of Love," and "I'm in the Mood for Love" are every bit as fine as the band's two takes of Gillespie's "Oo Bop Sh'Bam." Originally a 32-track, two-disc vinyl album set, the compact disc configuration lops off the last five tunes from that original collection due to time restrictions. ~ Cub Koda  http://www.allmusic.com/album/mister-b-and-the-band-the-savoy-sessions-mw0000197210

Mr B & The Band: The Savoy Sessions

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Paul Kuhn Trio - Play It Again Paul

Styles: Vocal and Piano Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:04
Size: 175,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:45)  1. More
(6:18)  2. Prelude To A Kiss
(5:03)  3. They Can't Take That Away From Me
(5:11)  4. The Nearness Of You
(0:51)  5. Toots Thieleman's Solo Improvisations On 'The Nearness Of You'
(6:37)  6. Just Friends
(5:44)  7. Polka Dots and Moonbeams
(4:18)  8. You Make Me Feel So Young
(4:36)  9. Sugar Daddy
(6:09) 10. 'Deed I Do
(4:26) 11. Falling In Love With Love
(5:06) 12. A Child Is Born
(3:42) 13. Anthropology
(5:12) 14. A Foggy Day In London Town
(4:17) 15. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
(5:42) 16. Tenderly

The "character" of the German jazz, it may not be easy. With its "old" companions Greetje field and Toots Thielemans, the trio Paul Kuhn shows Willy Ketzer on drums and Paul G. Ulrich on bass that the musical fire is far from extinguished in him. The result is a studio recording with (almost) live conditions with the audience. This makes sense: not only because the previous two albums created in the (non-public) studio and in a club. It makes even more sense if it is like at Paul Kuhn is a pianist and singer, who as an icon of German (upscale) radio / television entertainment, entertainer par excellence with the "for-musicians-only" attitude nothing but can also start anything. He not only loves the contact that he needs him. Not without ulterior motives he has chosen "his" friends for this album: Greetje field has a warm, soulful voice (and personality), is one of Europe's best jazz singers and one of the few that have worked in the USA and none other than Ray Brown Herb Ellis, Stan Getz and Phil Woods can count on her musical friends. 

And with Toots Thielemans, the uncrowned king of jazz harmonica, Paul Kuhn connects one of the longest relationships within his rich relations musician's life. It's not just her game that affection can be given to them, it is also, and just as their natural and charming way: Here the just slyly giggelnde Toots, whose eyes betray the next moment a touch of sentiment; there Pauls never acting calculated understatement, his warm-hearted wit, who need not exclude a sadness melancholy look. Experienced and wily of show business men, free from the pressure of having to hide the manchild. 

But this feeling other still carry on, those long-term relationships Kuhns, the almost daily (respectively: evening, not to say nightly) are exposed to a "stress test". Paul G. Ulrich, for five years at the side of his namesake, with full sound and perfect intonation (and so connected one of the few jazz players who know how to convince in painted solos), and Willy Ketzer, the past two decades (! ) in the service of the conductor, an absolute guarantee of the essence of this music, Swinging, almost at home in all styles and formats, someone who also knows exactly why, what specific requirements brings the trio genre with it. The sound engineer Winnie Leyh it took the opportunity to capture with his special "instrument" that mood and cast a wonderful warm sound on tape, which can participate in the special atmosphere of the handset. ~ Translate by google  https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/jazz/detail/-/art/Paul-Kuhn-geb-1928-Play-It-Again-Paul/hnum/3038314

Personnel:  Bass – Paul G. Ulrich;  Drums – Willy Ketzer;  Harmonica – Toots Thielemans;  Piano, Vocals – Paul Kuhn;  Vocals – Greetje Kauffeld

Play It Again Paul

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