Saturday, March 21, 2015

Arturo Sandoval - Swingin'

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:04
Size: 162.7 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz, Afro-Cuban jazz
Year: 1996
Art: Front

[5:38] 1. Moontrane
[8:15] 2. Swingin'
[7:16] 3. Moment's Notice
[7:42] 4. Streets Of Desire
[6:08] 5. Real Mcbop
[6:26] 6. Weirdfun
[3:50] 7. Dizzy's Atmosphere
[7:31] 8. Reflection
[7:12] 9. Woody
[5:24] 10. It Never Gets Old
[5:40] 11. Mack The Knife

It seems remarkable that Arturo Sandoval never seems to win any jazz polls, for few trumpeters can come close to equaling his technique, jazz chops, and warm sound. On this advanced hard bop date, the music is strictly straight-ahead without any Latin rhythms. Sandoval matches wits quite successfully with clarinetist Eddie Daniels on two songs, tenor great Michael Brecker on three (including a memorable rendition of "Moment's Notice"), and veteran flügelhornist Clark Terry on a joyous "Mack the Knife." In addition, Sandoval pays tribute to Woody Shaw, John Coltrane, and Dizzy Gillespie. Other highlights include the moody "Streets of Desire" (on which Sandoval plays piano), the racehorse tempo of "Real McBop" (which has an impossible but impeccably played melody chorus), and Sandoval's humorous use of the plunger mute on "It Never Gets Old." All in all, this is one of Arturo Sandoval's finest recordings to date. ~Scott Yanow

Swingin'

Various - Loose & Juicy

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:07
Size: 130.8 MB
Styles: Hard bop
Year: 1997/2007
Art: Front

[3:07] 1. Jean Jacques Perrey - E.V.A
[6:08] 2. James Moody - You Follow Me
[5:28] 3. The Pazant Brothers And The Beaufort Express - You've Got To Do Your Best
[4:10] 4. Camille Yarbrough - Take Yo' Praise
[2:49] 5. The Pazant Brothers And The Beaufort Express - A Gritty Nitty
[9:35] 6. Bunky Green - Funk Ain't A Word
[5:02] 7. The Pazant Brothers And The Beaufort Express - Spooky
[6:47] 8. Elvin Jones - Someone's Rocking My Jazzboat
[2:47] 9. The Pazant Brothers And The Beaufort Express - Work Song
[4:44] 10. Sivuca - Ain't No Sunshine
[6:24] 11. Fatboy Slim - E.V.A. (Remix)

Loose and Juicy is a treasure chest of rare grooves for jazz, hip-hop, and funk enthusiasts. Cammille Yarbrough's track "Take Your Praise," was the source of Norman Cook's (Fatboy Slim) hit single "Praise You." Captured here on CD, Yarbrough captivates the listener with her poetic vocals and raw funk. Bunky Green's sizzling sax work on "Funk Ain't a Word" is one of many surprises from the Vanguard vaults that make the album worth buying. Jean Jacques Perry's spaced-out funk anthem "E.V.A." is sampled all over the contemporary rap world, including on Ice-T's "The Lane," House of Pain's "Fed Up (remix)," and Gang Starr's "Just to Get a Rep." In addition, Norman Cook fleshes out "E.V.A."'s drum and bass on an inspired big-beat remix to close the album. ~Ryan Randall Goble

Loose & Juicy

Vocation - Just Friends

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:53
Size: 98.2 MB
Styles: Vocal harmony group, A Capella
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[4:09] 1. Just Friends
[5:33] 2. Cheek To Cheek
[2:06] 3. When I Fall In Love
[2:40] 4. Ett Glas Ol (Round The Back Of The Arches)
[7:10] 5. Folj Mig Bortat Vagen
[5:24] 6. Bye Bye Blackbird
[3:35] 7. Fly Me To The Moon
[1:34] 8. Embraceable You
[4:34] 9. You Don't Know What Love Is
[6:04] 10. She's Leaving Home

The second CD from amazing Swedish vocal group VOCATION is filled with a great variety of ballads and standards as well as carefully chosen arrangers, all bring about the vocal group´s personality. The legendary singer Svante Thuresson´s GUEST APPEARANCE is an extra BONUS! An exciting homogeneous sound, good timing, their roots in jazz and love for group singing, make Vocation a worthy successor to the influential Swedish vocal group Gals and Pals.

Gunilla Hedin Soprano; Helena Insulander Mezzo; Josefin Nygren Alto; Rolf Pilotti Tenor; Jonas Åman Baritone; Johan Lundgren Bass.

Just Friends

Teddy Wilson - The Noble Art Of Teddy Wilson

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:32
Size: 170.6 MB
Styles: Piano jazz, Swing
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[3:57] 1. Shiny Stockings
[3:41] 2. Undecided
[2:22] 3. Like Someone In Love
[2:37] 4. Imagination
[2:22] 5. I Hadn't Anyone Till You
[2:25] 6. Fools Rush In
[2:44] 7. If I Had You
[2:51] 8. I've Got A Feeling I'm Falling
[2:38] 9. You're Blasé
[3:29] 10. When You're Smiling
[2:42] 11. Easy Living
[2:51] 12. Prelude To A Kiss
[2:24] 13. My Silent Love
[3:11] 14. You Brought A New Kind Of Love To Me
[2:21] 15. Paradise
[3:06] 16. My Heart Stood Still
[2:24] 17. Serenata
[5:18] 18. Indiana
[2:30] 19. April In Paris
[4:14] 20. Deed I Do
[2:30] 21. Autumn In New York
[2:52] 22. Ain't Misbehavin'
[2:57] 23. Seranade In Blue
[5:54] 24. It's All Right With Me

This CD is comprised of all of the music from the former LP The Teddy Wilson Trio in Europe 1968, half of the selections from Masters of Jazz, Vol. 11 (the other half is an unrelated session from 1980), and six previously unreleased numbers. All of the music was recorded during an eight-day period in Copenhagen, featuring the great swing pianist Wilson with bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen and either William Schiopffe or Bjarne Rostvold on drums. Wilson's style is relaxed and basically unchanged from 1935, so the results are predictably excellent, swinging and absent of any surprises. Wilson's concise interpretations always pay respect to the melody and his variations are tasteful almost to an extreme. One can usually guess what is going to happen before it does. Still, Wilson was the master of this style and his playing is as pleasing as ever. ~Scott Yanow

The Noble Art Of Teddy Wilson

Lee Ritenour - Wes Bound

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:36
Size: 113.6 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz, Crossover jazz
Year: 1993/1999/2012
Art: Front

[5:50] 1. Wes Bound
[4:44] 2. Boss City
[6:03] 3. 4 On 6
[4:25] 4. A Little Bumpin'
[5:07] 5. Waiting In Vain
[4:32] 6. Goin' On To Detroit
[5:27] 7. A New Day
[4:12] 8. Ocean Ave
[4:43] 9. Road Song
[4:29] 10. West Coast Blues

Lee Ritenour, a superior studio guitarist, has recorded very few jazz albums throughout his career, preferring to play melodic pop and light funk. On the rare occasions when he has had an urge to perform jazz, Ritenour has been more than happy to show off the influence of Wes Montgomery; therefore, this tribute is a logical move, even if the results are not all that exciting. Ritenour mostly plays pieces from the later (and more commercial) half of Montgomery's career, along with four of his own originals that are sort of in the tradition. He also hedges his bet a little by throwing in a Bob Marley reggae tune. For jazz listeners who wish to sample some Lee Ritenour, this is one of his better recordings, but why purchase Wes Bound when there are so many more significant Wes Montgomery albums currently in print? ~Scott Yanow

Wes Bound

Nancy LaMott - What's Good About Goodbye?

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:07
Size: 85,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:01)  1. Too Late Now
(2:22)  2. If I Loved You
(5:11)  3. What's Good About Goodbye?/The Promise
(3:23)  4. Alone Together
(4:19)  5. Something You Never Had Before
(3:10)  6. What a Funny Boy He Is
(3:45)  7. Downtown
(3:04)  8. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
(3:43)  9. Your Love
(3:33) 10. We Live on Borrowed Time

The music of the late pop vocalist Nancy Lamott is recalled in this posthumously-compiled collection of studio recordings, demos and unreleased songs. Included are "Too Late Now," "The Promise," "Another Mr. Right," "Your Love," "We Live on Borrowed Time" and the title cut. ~ Jason Ankeny  http://www.allmusic.com/album/whats-good-about-goodbye-mw0000090236

Personnel: Nancy LaMott (vocals); Stephen Erdody (cello); Lawrence Feldman (tenor saxophone); David Friedman, Christopher Marlowe (piano); Jay Leonhart (double bass).

The Dutch Jazz Orchestra - Something To Live For: The Music Of Billy Strayhorn

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:54
Size: 117,3 MB
Art: Front

(1:41)  1. Fantastic Rhythm
(3:14)  2. A Penthouse on Shady Avenue
(3:42)  3. Let Nature Take its Course
(5:08)  4. Something to Live For
(2:05)  5. Everything Is Copasetic!
(5:00)  6. Day Dream
(3:35)  7. Hip
(4:18)  8. Blue House
(1:13)  9. Sprite Music
(2:16) 10. The Flowers Die of Love
(1:36) 11. Love, Love
(3:56) 12. Hipper-Bug
(5:20) 13. Pretty Girl
(4:24) 14. Chelsea Bridge
(3:20) 15. On the Wrong Side of the Rail Road Tracks

The fourth in the Dutch Jazz Orchestra’s series of albums devoted to songs composed and/or arranged by Billy Strayhorn focuses primarily on music written by Strayhorn for the theatre, beginning with the few surviving pieces from the concise show Fantastic Rhythm, produced around 1935, shortly after Strayhorn was graduated from high school. Also included are four songs written in 1953 for a surrealist play by Federico García Lorca, The Love of Don Perlimplim for Belisa in Their Garden, three of which  “Sprite Music,” “Love, Love,” “The Flowers Die of Love” were previously unrecorded. The fourth, “Wounded Love,” was introduced by the DJO on the first album in this series, Portrait of a Silk Thread. Strayhorn wrote “Everything Is Copasetic!” [sic] in 1962 for one of the annual shows presented by the Copasetics, a group of professional tap-dancers that he supervised, and “Wrong Side of the Railroad Tracks” for another show, Beggar’s Holiday. The other pieces, all of which were written for the Duke Ellington Orchestra, include the well-known “Chelsea Bridge” and “Pretty Girl,” presented in their unabridged form, the restful “Day Dream,” and world premieres of “Hipper-Bug,” “Blue House,” “Hip” and the 1942 arrangement of “Something to Live For,” featuring tenor saxophonist Toon Roos.

As on the other albums in the series, the DJO is letter-perfect, transcribing Strayhorn’s music with remarkable empathy and awareness. Soloists are excellent, with pianist Rob van Bavel showcased on “Fantastic Rhythm” and “Sprite Music” (both unaccompanied), clarinetist John Ruocco on “Everything Is Copasetic!,” trumpeter Mike Booth on “Hip,” alto saxophonist Albert Beltman on “Pretty Girl.” Roos is heard again with trombonist Martijn Sohier on “Blue House,” flugel Ack van Rooyen on “Hipper-Bug,” trombonist Hansjörg Fink and baritone Nils van Haften on “Chelsea Bridge.” There are half a dozen vocals by marvelous Marjorie Barnes, the best singer I’ve heard with any band in recent memory, and she’s outstanding on every one of them. Fans of good music in general and jazz in particular are indebted to musicologist and Strayhorn scholar Walter van de Leur for painstakingly canvassing the composer’s voluminous library to uncover so many wonderful treasures and to the Dutch Jazz Orchestra and conductor Jerry van Rooyen for making them available in such handsomely recorded new versions. ~ Jack Bowers  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/something-to-live-for-the-music-of-billy-strayhorn-challenge-records-review-by-jack-bowers.php

Personnel: Jerry van Rooyen, leader; Ack van Rooyen, trumpet, flugelhorn; Jan Oosthof, Ruud Breuls, Peter van Soest, Erik Veldkamp, Mike Booth, trumpet; Martijn Sohier, Ilja Reijngoud, Hansj

Kenny Burrell - Jazz For A Lazy Day

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:47
Size: 176,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:46)  1. D.B.Blues
(5:47)  2. Blues for Skeeter
(4:38)  3. Phinupi
(5:43)  4. Autumn in New York
(4:58)  5. Delilah
(4:38)  6. K.B.Blues
(3:46)  7. But Not for Me
(5:20)  8. Fugue 'N Blues
(3:10)  9. Why Was I Born?
(5:49) 10. Now See How You Are
(5:20) 11. Boo - Lu
(4:40) 12. Weaver of Dreams
(4:38) 13. Cheetah
(7:17) 14. Freight Trane
(5:09) 15. My Heart Stood Still

One of the leading exponents of straight-ahead jazz guitar, Kenny Burrell is a highly influential artist whose understated and melodic style, grounded in bebop and blues, made him in an in-demand sideman from the mid-'50s onward and a standard by which many jazz guitarists gauge themselves to this day. Born in Detroit in 1931, Burrell grew up in a musical family in which his mother played piano and sang in the Second Baptist Church choir and his father favored the banjo and ukulele. Burrell began playing guitar at age 12 and quickly fell under the influence of such artists as Charlie Christian, Django Reinhardt, Oscar Moore, T-Bone Walker, and Muddy Waters. Surrounded by the vibrant jazz and blues scene of Detroit, Burrell began to play gigs around town and counted among his friends and bandmates pianist Tommy Flanagan, saxophonists Pepper Adams and Yusef Lateef, drummer Elvin Jones, and others.

In 1951, Burrell made his recording debut on a combo session that featured trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie as well as saxophonist John Coltrane, vibraphonist Milt Jackson, and bassist Percy Heath. Although his talent ranked among the best of the professional jazz players at the time, Burrell continued to study privately with renowned classical guitarist Joe Fava and enrolled in the music program at Wayne State University. Upon graduating in 1955 with a B.A. in music composition and theory, Burrell was hired for a six-month stint touring with pianist Oscar Peterson's trio. Then, in 1956, Burrell and Flanagan moved to New York City and immediately became two of the most sought-after sidemen in town, performing on gigs with such luminaries as singers Tony Bennett and Lena Horne, playing in Broadway pit orchestras, as well as recording with an array of legendary musicians including Coltrane, trumpeter Kenny Dorham, organist Jimmy Smith, vocalist Billie Holiday, and many others. Burrell made his recorded debut as a leader on the 1956 Blue Note session Introducing Kenny Burrell technically his second session for the label, but the first to see release. From the late '50s onward, Burrell continued to record by himself and with others, and has appeared on countless albums over the years including such notable albums as 1957's The Cats featuring Coltrane, 1963's Midnight Blue featuring saxophonist Stanley Turrentine, 1965's Guitar Forms with arrangements by Gil Evans, and 1968's Blues The Common Ground.

Beginning in 1971, Burrell started leading various college seminars including the first regular course to be held in the United States on the music of composer, pianist, and bandleader Duke Ellington. He continued performing, recording, and teaching throughout the '80s and '90s, releasing several albums including 1989's Guiding Spirit, 1991's Sunup to Sundown, 1994's Collaboration with pianist LaMont Johnson, 1995's Primal Blue, and 1998's church music-inspired Love Is the Answer. In 2001, Burrell released the relaxed quartet date A Lucky So and So on Concord and followed it up in 2003 with Blue Muse. He celebrated turning 75 years old in 2006 by recording a live date, released a year later as 75th Birthday Bash Live! In 2010, Burrell released the live album, Be Yourself: Live at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, recorded at Lincoln Center's smaller club-like venue, followed two years later by Special Requests (And Other Favorites): Live at Catalina's. Besides continuing to perform, Burrell is the founder and director of the Jazz Studies Program at UCLA as well as President Emeritus of the Jazz Heritage Foundation. ~ Matt Collar & Al Campbell, Rovi  https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/kenny-burrell/id119995#fullText

Hank Jones - Solo 1976 A Tribute To Duke Ellington

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:47
Size: 103,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:30)  1. Just Squeeze Me
(2:32)  2. In A Sentimental Mood
(3:37)  3. Satin Doll
(3:58)  4. Prelude To A Kiss
(3:39)  5. What Am I Here For?
(3:39)  6. Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me
(2:36)  7. Sophisticated Lady
(3:14)  8. Oh Look At Me Now
(3:29)  9. Alone Together
(2:54) 10. Don't Blame Me
(2:29) 11. Gone with The Wind
(2:35) 12. My Heart Stood Still
(2:52) 13. If I Had You
(3:38) 14. The Very Thought Of You

The oldest of the Jones brothers, Hank Jones has been a supreme accompanist and underrated soloist. He's among the most accomplished sight readers in jazz, and his flexibility and sensitive style have kept him extremely busy cutting sessions and working in various groups and styles ranging from swing to bebop. He's worked with vocalists, played in big bands and done many solo, trio, and combo dates.

Born in 1918 in Vicksburg, Mississippi, Jones moved with his family to the Detroit area while still a child, and studied piano early, listening carefully to Art Tatum, Teddy Wilson, Earl Hines, and Fats Waller. He began playing in the midwest at age 13, and worked in territory bands. Jones met Lucky Thompson in one of these groups, and Thompson invited him to New York in 1944 to work with Hot Lips Page at the Onyx Club. Jones worked for a while with John Kirby, Howard McGhee, Coleman Hawkins, Andy Kirk, and Billy Eckstine, then began touring in 1947. He worked with Jazz at the Philharmonic, then accompanied Ella Fitzgerald from 1948 to 1953. Jones also cut many sessions for Norman Granz's labels in the late '40s and early '50s, many with Charlie Parker. He worked and recorded in the '50s with Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, Lester Young, Milt Jackson, and Cannonball Adderley before joining CBS' staff in 1959. He worked on such programs as The Ed Sullivan Show and stayed with CBS until they disbanded the staff in 1976. He recorded several sessions with Savoy in the mid- and late '50s, playing with Donald Byrd, Herbie Mann, Wendell Marshall, and Kenny Clarke, among others. He also recorded solo and quartet dates for Epic. His quartet with Osie Johnson, Barry Galbraith, and Milt Hinton became one of New York's busiest during the early '60s, sometimes doing three dates a day. 

They cut albums for Capitol and ABC in 1958, though Galbraith missed the ABC sessions. Jones continued recording at Capitol, Argo, and Impulse in the early '60s, at times working with his brother Elvin. He made a host of recordings in the '70s. There were solo dates for Trio and Galaxy, and trio sessions for Interface and Concord, among others in the '70s. There were duo dates with Flanagan for Verve and Galaxy in the late '70s. Jones served as pianist and conductor for the Broadway musical Ain't Misbehavin in the late '70s. He also played in the Great Jazz Trio, originally with Ron Carter and Tony Williams. (Buster Williams replaced Carter on the trio's first recording date.) Jones continued with the trio into the '80s, though Eddie Gomez and Al Foster later became his mates, and Jimmy Cobb replaced Foster in 1982. The trio also backed Art Farmer, Benny Golson, and Nancy Wilson. Jones was the resident pianist at the Cafe Ziegfeld in the early '80s, and toured Japan with George Duvivier and Sonny Stitt. He kept his recording blitz going into the digital era. In 1989, he was named a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master. In 2004, he was awarded as an ASCAP Jazz Living Legend; five years later, he received a National Medal of Arts; and in 2009, Jones earned a Lifetime Achievement award at the Grammys. One year later, he died in the Bronx while in hospice, just a few weeks after returning from performance dates in Japan. Bio ~ https://itunes.apple.com/jp/artist/hank-jones/id121180?l=en