Marica Hiraga - Sings With The Duke Ellington Orchestra

Size: 101,5 MB
Time: 43:05
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2012
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. I'm Beginning To See The Light (2:17)
02. Drop Me Off In Harlem (3:03)
03. It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing (2:40)
04. In My Solitude (4:17)
05. Caravan (4:02)
06. In A Mellow Tune (3:13)
07. I Didn't Know About You (4:48)
08. I'm Gonna Go Fishin' (4:11)
09. In A Sentimental Mood (4:05)
10. Just A Settin' And A Rockin' (3:26)
11. Take The A Train (2:50)
12. Dance In Harlem (4:06)

Marica Hiraga is Japan’s leading jazz vocalist with a rich talent both in expression and technique. Her professional career began in 1981 after she was awarded the Asia Music Award in Hong Kong. She has acquired her understanding and feeling of jazz by performing and traveling between Tokyo and New York.

Her first Jazz standard album, My Shining Hour, was released in 2001, and won the Best Singing Techniques award at the 19th Japan Jazz Vocal Award hosted by Jazz World magazine in 2003. Her 2nd album, Faith, released in 2006, was recorded with Eric Alexander and Harold Mabern Trio. Faith was selected as “ Swing Journal Gold Disc” and became her breakthrough album.

She then worked with the legendary jazz combo, the Manhattan Jazz Quintet, lead by David Matthews, on 3rd album, Close to Bacharach, which was highly praised as the new Bacharach standards. The album was again selected as “ Swing Journal Gold Disc” and she received the Best Vocal award at the 41st Jazz Disc Award, hosted by Swing Journal, one of the most prestigious awards for jazz music in Japan.

In May 2008, she released a collection of mature love songs as 4th album, More Romance, and in November, she released 5th album, BATUCADA-Jazz‘ n’ Bossa, on which she worked with many prominent musicians including the genius Gil Goldstein, the leading AOR musician Michael Franks, Marcos Valle, Phil Woods, Kenny Garrett and Randy Brecker, as a celebration album for bossa nova’s 50th anniversary. BATUCADA was again selected as“ Swing Journal Gold Disc” and won her the Best Vocal award at the 42nd Jazz Disc Award.

Sings With The Duke Ellington Orchestra

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Rex Richardson - Pandora's Pocket

Size: 165,4 MB
Time: 71:30
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1997
Styles: Jazz: Trumpet Jazz
Art: Front

01. Pandora's Pocket (8:22)
02. Murray's Mead (6:32)
03. One Finger Snap (6:35)
04. Allegations & Recantations (9:02)
05. While I Wait (6:48)
06. Mobius (7:30)
07. Pasiphae's Spawn (2:03)
08. Monk's Dream (7:54)
09. The Claim Of The Ideal (9:52)
10. Hymn To The Mother Of The World (6:49)

Personnel: Rex Richardson (trumpet, flugelhorn); Kurt Elling (vocals); Michael Pendowski (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Rudresh Mahanthappa (alto saxophone); Paul McKee (trombone); Sam Struyk (piano); Paul Wertico (drums).

Renowned international trumpeter Rex Richardson is a Yamaha Performing Artist and a veteran of the acclaimed chamber group Rhythm & Brass, the Brass Band of Battle Creek, and jazz legend Joe Henderson’s Quintet and Sextet. He teaches trumpet, jazz improvisation and chamber music at Virginia Commonwealth University and hold the title of International Tutor in Trumpet at the Royal Northern College of Music in England. He tours throughout the year as a clinician, recitalist, and soloist with orchestras, wind ensembles, big bands, and brass bands.

Pandora's Pocket

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Randa - Subtle Thrills

Size: 106,9 MB
Time: 46:03
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Softly As In The Morning (3:55)
02. Whatever Lola Wants (3:11)
03. Insensatez (How Insensitive) (3:44)
04. La Belle Dame Sans Regrets (3:13)
05. Get Out Of Town (3:46)
06. Fragile (4:40)
07. Why Don't You Do Right (3:23)
08. So In Love (5:25)
09. All The Things You Are (3:54)
10. Trust In Me (6:40)
11. Blue Moon (4:07)

Following collaboration with the Dizzy Gillespie All Star Big Band, during which Randa sang in trio before joining the Big Band, the idea of this trio recording emerged between her, pianist Cyrus Chestnut, drummer Lewis Nash and Bassist John Lee.

The recording session was engineered by John Lee at his own Alleycat Studio in New Jersey, whilst Dezron Douglas replaced him on double bass. Fellow talented guests Antonio Hart, Freddie Hendrix and Roger Squitero joined to drop wonderful solos on a few tracks.

Randa had previously worked with Cyrus Chestnut, recording the album Moon Breeze in Montreal in 2011. The duo shared ideas and reached arrangements signed by the talented pianist that enhanced Randa’s subtle, velvety voice. A much thrilling session ensued that offered acoustic "Subtle Thrills," as Randa described it when leaving the studio!

Subtle Thrills

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Frank Catalano & Jimmy Chamberlin - God's Gonna Cut You Down

Size: 100,4 MB
Time: 40:55
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Shakin' (6:11)
02. Karma (5:02)
03. Expressions (8:36)
04. Tuna Town (7:43)
05. God's Gonna Cut You Down (5:56)
06. Big Al's Theme And Soul Dream (7:25)

Personnel:
Frank Catalano - Tenor Sax
Jimmy Chamberlin - Drums
Demos Petropoulos - Hammond B3 Organ
Scott Hesse - Guitar
Eddie Roberts - Guitar (Track 1, 6)
Mike Dillon - Vibes (Track 5, 6)

Frank Catalano has quickly emerged as one of the leading saxophone players in Chicago. In addition to touring with artists ranging from Tony Bennett to Ministry, Catalano has performed and/or recorded with Louis Bellson, Charles Earland, Clark Terry, Johnny "Hammond" Smith, Kenny Loggins, Jimmy McGriff, Randy Brecker, and Arturo Sandoval. Catalano has increasingly drawn attention for his own talents. His debut solo album, Cut It Out, released in February 1988, was included on lists of the year's best mainstream albums compiled by Jazz Times, Los Angeles Weekly, and the Chicago Tribune. His second effort, Pins 'n' Needles, featured accompaniment by trumpet player Randy Brecker, trumpet and reeds player Ira Sullivan, drummer Paul Weilico, pianist Larry Novak, and bassist Eric Hochberg. He continues to perform with his own quartet, featuring guitarist Kirk Hunter, Hammond B-3 organist Vijay Tellis-Nayak, and drummer Don Leali, as well as with John Burnett and His Orchestra and Lenny King's Chicago Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra. Playing tenor saxophone since the age of eight, Catalano sharpened his playing skills as a student at DePaul University and launched his professional music career while still a teenager. After playing with jazz drummer Louis Bellson and avant-garde jazz organist Charles Earland in 1991, he accepted an invitation to join pop vocalist Tony Bennett's group.

God's Gonna Cut You Down

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Gordon Haskell - Harry's Bar / One Day Soon

Album: Harry's Bar
Size: 122,4 MB
Time: 53:28
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2002
Styles: Jazz/Pop/Rock/Folk Vocals
Art: Front

01. How Wonderful You Are (3:54)
02. All The Time In The World (4:57)
03. Voodoo Dance (3:54)
04. Freeway To Her Dreams (2:44)
05. Sunshine In The Night (4:30)
06. Al Capone (5:07)
07. Feelin' Loose (4:46)
08. There Goes My Heart Again (4:26)
09. Roll With It (5:45)
10. Someone I Knew (4:57)
11. A Little Help From You (3:35)
12. All In The Scheme Of Things (4:48)

Harry's Bar was an enormous breakthrough album for Gordon Haskell, thanks to the unexpected U.K. success of the single "How Wonderful You Are." European audiences were so charmed by that catchy little ballad that the virtually unknown industry veteran suddenly hit the British Top Ten, attracted major label attention and joined Ani DiFranco and David Gray among the happy few Internet-era indie heroes to have conquered the pop world with self-released records. It's particularly astounding that after ten years of solo recordings, it was this threadbare folk-jazz record -- made for less than £200! -- that made Haskell an overnight household name in the U.K. Yet it is that very simplicity that makes "How Wonderful You Are" so irresistible. The arrangement consists of an elementary acoustic guitar chord progression played at a slow-dance tempo and backed gently with a little bass and saxophone. The lyrics are simplistic to a fault, and the melody is no more complicated. The song would probably have been thoroughly unremarkable if it weren't for the compellingly authentic cool of Haskell's vocals. Relaxed, self-assured, and smooth as silk, Haskell dresses like Johnny Cash and sings like a perfectly modulated blend of Kenny Rogers, Marvin Gaye, and (somehow) Nina Simone...all without the slightest hint of affectation. Throughout Harry's Bar, Haskell combines organic folk instrumentation with mellow jazz fluidity and a hint of R&B sass. It's bewitching as long as he keeps it simple. Whenever he gets more energetic ("Voodoo Dance") or emotionally expansive ("There Goes My Heart Again"), the spell is broken and the limitations of his often clichéd songwriting become clear. But so long as he keeps it real, Haskell keeps you hooked. ~Review by Evan Cater

Harry's Bar

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Album: One Day Soon
Size: 102,1 MB
Time: 41:26
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2010
Styles: Jazz/Pop/Rock/Folk Vocals
Art: Front

01. The Fools Of Yesterday (3:47)
02. Some Sins (I Should've Known By Now) (4:25)
03. Forevermore (4:19)
04. The Ways Of The World (4:20)
05. One Day Soon (3:37)
06. Wounded Tigers (5:04)
07. Good Man Down (4:32)
08. Sunshine Shoes (4:16)
09. Happy To Be (3:05)
10. The Fear Is Gone (3:56)

Gordon Haskell is usually thought of as a footnote in the history of King Crimson -- the only lead singer in the group's long list of personnel who never played a single live date with the band, though he was with them long enough to cut most of an album (Lizard) and get one performance ("Cadence and Cascade") onto its predecessor. Otherwise, he's been an enigma even to many Crimson fans.

Haskell's history with Robert Fripp goes back to the days they spent together in the mid-'60s as members of the League of Gentlemen, a band that backed various American R&B stars on tour and cut a couple of singles. Haskell was also a member of a Liverpool band called the Quotations, formed by ex-Big Three bassist Johnny Gustafson (before he joined the Merseybeats), who recorded for English Decca ("Alright Baby" b/w "Love You All Over Again") in 1964. His main group affiliation for most of the mid-'60s was the Fleur de Lys, a somewhat lightweight psychedelic band who recorded at least once under the pseudonym of Shyster. Haskell passed through the lineups of Rupert's People and Cupid's Inspiration, and, as a member of the Fleur de Lys, also played on records by Bill Kimber, John Bromley, Sharon Tandy, and Terry Durham. By the end of the '60s, he was a solo act, trying to establish himself as a singer/songwriter, and released a pair of singles in 1969 and 1970, "Boat Trip" and "Oh-La-Di-Doo-Da-Day," and one LP, Sail In My Boat, all for British CBS.

In 1970, as his former League of Gentlemen bandmate Robert Fripp was struggling to keep his current group, King Crimson, viable in some form and complete a second album, Haskell joined the band as successor to bassist/singer Greg Lake, who was leaving the lineup to join Emerson, Lake & Palmer. After singing on one song for that album, In the Wake of Poseidon, he joined a new Crimson lineup and recorded most of the next album, Lizard. As was often the case with Crimson lineups in those days, however, Haskell didn't last -- he and other members of the core band had left by the time Lizard was completed and released late in 1970, and he never worked live with the band.

Haskell cut a solo album, It Is And It Isn't, during 1973, and worked with such artists as Tim Hardin, Alvin Lee, and Van Morrison. His solo work tends to be in a folk-like, singer/songwriter vein, reminiscent of Gordon Lightfoot with something of a progressive rock edge and more humor, some of it very sardonic. Based in southern England at the end of the '90s, he concertized regularly in the Hampshire and Dorset areas, and he continued his recording career into the '90s with his albums Butterfly in China and Hambledon Hill. In 1993, he also teamed up with Mike Wedgewood (ex-Curved Air and Caravan) to tour Scandinavia. In the late '90s, Voiceprint Records' Blueprint label reissued Haskell's solo albums of the '60s and '70s on compact disc. The massively popular "How Beautiful You Are" hit British airwaves in the winter of 2001, announcing Haskell's comeback to music. Harry's Bar followed the next year, fully bringing him back into the public spotlight after years of inactivity. He later moved to a Greek island and proclaimed himself to be Greek, releasing the 2010 album One Day Soon under his newly adopted moniker of Gordon Haskell Hionides.

One Day Soon

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Richie Hart - Blues In The Alley

Size: 125,0 MB
Time: 53:45
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2004
Styles: Jazz: Mainstream Jazz, Guitar Jazz
Art: Front

01. Well You Needn't (4:03)
02. Blues In The Alley (5:50)
03. Sandu (6:19)
04. The Fox (4:51)
05. Black Pearls (3:47)
06. Georgia On My Mind (5:26)
07. Autumn Leaves (6:39)
08. Fresh Air (7:25)
09. On A High Note (6:21)
10. West Side Story Medley (3:00)

Richie Hart leads a stellar band that captures the classic guitar/organ combo sound accurately with a swinging groove. His original compositions ensure that jazz and blues will find a comfortable seat every time his unit takes the stage.

With his trio, Hart interprets "Sandu" in a classic repose. His guitar brings back the song's original feeling. Swinging lightly and improvising spontaneously, he sends lyrical phrases spinning this way and that. By including a delicious bass solo and trading fours with the drummer, Hart has applied the basic concepts of modern jazz to his arrangement.

Because Hart performs without pick, his sound remains velvety smooth. Wes Montgomery and George Benson serve as his greatest influences. Hart, an Associate Professor of Jazz Guitar at Berklee College of Music in Boston, caresses a ballad melody such as "Georgia on My Mind" or Lalo Schifrin's "Theme From The Fox" with its natural essence. His seamless phrasing makes each melodic fragment shine. ~By Jim Santella

Gerry Niewood adds a colorful tenor presence on "Autumn Leaves" and John Coltrane's "Black Pearls." Hart seems to enjoy the interplay as guitar and saxophone weave their melodies spontaneously. Niewood and Hart share an adventurous nature but remain focused on their mutual respect for tone quality.

Hart's medley of songs from West Side Story , performed a cappella, includes "Somewhere" and "Tonight" in a lovely soliloquy that easily captures the heartfelt passion those songs convey. If you've never been in love before, this is the place to start. Recommended, Richie Hart's Blues In The Alley has a place for all lovers of jazz and blues.

Personnel: Richie Hart- guitar; Rick Petrone- bass; Joe Corsello- drums, percussion; Pete Levin- keyboards; Gerry Niewood- tenor saxophone on "Black Pearls" and "Autumn Leaves."

Blues In The Alley

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Jutta Hipp & Zoot Sims - Jutta Hipp With Zoot Sims

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:51
Size: 123.3 MB
Styles: Hard bop, Piano jazz, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1956/1996/2008
Art: Front

[8:38] 1. Just Blues
[6:06] 2. Violets For Your Furs
[6:38] 3. Down Home
[6:12] 4. Almost Like Being In Love
[7:25] 5. Wee-Dot
[6:48] 6. Too Close For Comfort
[6:09] 7. These Foolish Things
[5:51] 8. 's Wonderful

Bass – Ahmed Abdul-Malik; Drums – Ed Thigpen; Piano – Jutta Hipp; Tenor Saxophone – Zoot Sims; Trumpet – Jerry Lloyd. Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, NJ; July 28, 1956.

Jutta Hipp, a talented German pianist, came to the United States in the mid-'50s and quickly gained some attention. However, she was soon criticized for sounding too close to Horace Silver and, after recording this final Blue Note album, she gradually dropped out of music. Reissued in 1996 on CD with two extra selections, Hipp's boppish music on the set is very enjoyable and swinging. Oddly enough, she does not sound at all like Silver on the date, making one wonder why she soon left the jazz world. Teamed up with great tenor Zoot Sims (who dominates the music), somewhat hesitant trumpeter Jerry Lloyd (who briefly came out of retirement), bassist Ahmed Abdul-Malik, and drummer Ed Thigpen, Hipp sounds excellent on a couple of basic originals and such standards as "Violets for Your Furs," "Almost Like Being in Love," and J.J. Johnson's "Wee Dot." This formerly rare set is well worth picking up by straight-ahead jazz collectors. ~Scott Yanow

Jutta Hipp With Zoot Sims

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Sonny Stitt, Bud Powell, J.J. Johnson - S/T

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 50:37

Size: 115.9 MB

Styles: Bop, West Coast jazz

Year: 1950/1982/1990

Art: Front

[2:56] 1. All God's Chillun Got Rhythm

[2:19] 2. Sonny Side

[2:33] 3. Bud's Blues

[3:44] 4. Sunset

[2:40] 5. Fine And Dandy (Take 1)

[2:39] 6. Fine And Dandy (Take 2)

[3:26] 7. Strike Up The Band

[3:10] 8. I Want To Be Happy

[2:32] 9. Taking A Chance On Love

[3:03] 10. Afternoon In Paris (Take 1)

[3:01] 11. Afternoon In Paris (Take 2)

[3:03] 12. Elora (Take 1)

[3:08] 13. Elora (Take 2)

[2:41] 14. Teapot (Take 1)

[3:02] 15. Teapot (Take 2)

[3:44] 16. Blue Mode (Take 1)

[2:49] 17. Blue Mode (Take 2)

Recording Date ; October 17, 1949 - January 26, 1950, Remastered. Bass – Curly Russell, Nelson Boyd; Drums – Max Roach; Piano – Bud Powell, John Lewis; Tenor Saxophone – Sonny Stitt; Trombone – J.J. Johnson.

Three classic Sonny Stitt sessions from 1949-50 are heard here in full. Stitt, who had been out of action due to his "personal problems," not only made a full-fledged comeback on these dates but debuted on (and stuck exclusively to) tenor rather than playing alto, where he was being assailed as a Charlie Parker imitator. He is featured on eight titles from a pair of quartet dates with pianist Bud Powell (who himself is in top form), bassist Curly Russell, and drummer Max Roach. In addition, Stitt is a sideman on a quintet outing headed by trombonist J.J. Johnson and also including pianist John Lewis, bassist Nelson Boyd, and Roach. Together the latter band performs three of Johnson's originals plus the original version of Lewis' "Afternoon in Paris"; all four titles are heard in two versions apiece. Highly recommended for all serious bop collections. ~Scott Yanow

Sonny Stitt, Bud Powell, J.J. Johnson

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Michael Dease - Dease Bones

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:43
Size: 145.9 MB
Styles: Trombone jazz
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[4:38] 1. Personal Trainer
[5:03] 2. Lullaby For Rita
[5:15] 3. Wee Dot
[2:31] 4. Lament
[6:43] 5. New Blues
[4:08] 6. Sentimental Young Fool
[6:26] 7. Believe
[4:39] 8. Agrodolce
[6:05] 9. Let's Do This
[5:39] 10. It's All Right With Me
[3:27] 11. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
[9:04] 12. Slide's Blues

Michael Dease: trombone; James Burton: trombone; Robert Edwards: trombone; Marshall Gilkes: trombone; Nicholas Hagen: trombone; Ryan Keberle: trombone; Marques Young; Kris Bowers: piano; Nial Djuuliarso: piano; Matt Heredia: bass; Ryland Kelly: bass; Ben Meigners: bass; Marion Felder: drums; Mark Whitfield: drums. Special Guests: Joseph Alessi: trombone; Tom Barber: flugelhorn; Vincent Gardner: trombone; David Gibson: trombone; Wycliff Gordon: trombone; Brandon Lee: trumpet.

Trombones galore are what you'll find in Dease Bones. Young musician/educator Michael Dease ardently crafted and assembled some friends and fellow 'bone players for this recording of camaraderie, immaculate sounds and swinging tempos forged in the vein of greats such as Slide Hampton and J.J. Johnson. But Dease's new framework is built upon not only the instrument's history but also its present resurgence as noted in recent efforts by seminal players: Rick Parker's New York Gravity (Fresh Sound New Talent, 2004), Alan Ferber's Scenes From An Exit Row (Fresh Sound New Talent, 2005) and Josh Roseman's New Constellations: Live in Vienna (Accurate Records, 2007). The illustrious odd-shaped instrument is audibly in good hands.

The one thing that's differentiates Dease Bones from its peers is the classic mainstream sound. Having gigged from pop (Paul Simon, Alicia Keys) to bop (Wynton Marsalis, The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra), Dease could easily choose a path other than straight-ahead. Yet although the influence is absent of electronics and/or a contemporary leaning; this recording is evidence that the vitality of the music is what really counts. From the very first notes of "Personal Traner, with its mellifluous chorus of seven 'bones, additional instruments and hot rhythm section; the music rings true. The timbre of the trombones can span from sweet purrs to ferocious growls and these players exploit every facet on J.J. Johnson's smooth "Wee Dot, slower tunes such as "Lullaby for Rita, and a version of "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas that's memorable in or out of the holiday season.

The music radiates on all fronts—solos, arranging, and special guest performances from veterans (Wycliffe Gordon) and newcomers (Marshall Gilkes) on the Slide Hampton tune "Slides Blues with everyone adding their spice. Who says this music is outdated and is best left in the past? The truth be told, the essence of swing is always in style and Dease Bones confirms that fact. ~Mark F. Turner

Dease Bones

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Ithamara Koorax & Juarez Moreira - Bim Bom: The Complete Joao Gilberto Songbook

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 40:54

Size: 93.6 MB

Styles: Brazilian jazz, Bossa Nova

Year: 2009

Art: Front

[2:16] 1. Bim Bom

[4:57] 2. Hô-Bá-Lá-Lá

[4:07] 3. Forgotten Places

[2:26] 4. Minha Saudade

[3:04] 5. Você Esteve Com Meu Bem

[4:29] 6. Valsa (Bebel)

[2:52] 7. An Embrace To Bonfá

[2:22] 8. Glass Beads

[2:18] 9. João Marcelo

[5:08] 10. Undiu

[3:03] 11. Acapulco

[3:46] 12. Hô-Bá-Lá-Lá

Though guitarist and vocalist João Gilberto is acknowledged as the father of bossa nova, the song—“Chega de Saudade”—with which he ignited what would become a global bossa craze was created not by Gilberto, but by Antonio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius de Morares. On the flip side of Gilberto’s 1958 recording of “Chega de Saudade” was his own “Bim Bom” (inspired by a passing gaggle of washerwomen).

So it can be considered near-equally seminal—and it is with “Bim Bom” that vocalist Ithamara Koorax and guitarist Juarez Moreira open this first-ever complete collection of Gilberto’s compositions. They number a mere 11, written across two decades between the early ’50s and early ’70s. Yet together they capture a vital slice of Brazilian jazz history, defining a visionary genius who, as producer (and longtime intimate of the reclusive Gilberto) Arnaldo DeSouteiro notes, “inspired a complete revolution in Brazilian music, in terms of rhythm, melody and harmony.” Paying absolute respect to Gilberto, DeSouteiro was meticulous with regard to tempos and keys as he guided Koorax and Moreira through these 12 tracks (the 12th an English-language version of “Hô-Bá-Lá-Lá” crafted for Sylvia Telles in 1960).

Koorax, arguably Brazil’s finest contemporary jazz vocalist, and Moreira, a guitarist who can fairly be recognized as the João Gilberto of his generation, respond in kind. A better trio to pay such beautiful and integral homage to Gilberto could not likely be assembled. Bim Bom is not only an album of gloriously elegant reverence but also a recording of essential importance. ~Christopher Loudon

Bim Bom

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The Al Cohn Quintet - Featuring Bob Brookmeyer

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:44
Size: 91.0 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1956/2005
Art: Front

[3:21] 1. The Lady Is A Tramp
[3:35] 2. Good Spirits
[4:19] 3. A Blues Serenade
[2:53] 4. Lazy Man Stomp
[2:46] 5. Ill Wind (You're Blowin' Me No Good)
[3:34] 6. Chloe
[3:41] 7. S-H-I-N-E
[2:34] 8. Back To Back
[3:47] 9. So Far So Good
[3:52] 10. Winter
[2:40] 11. I Should Care
[2:37] 12. Bunny Hunch

Recording Date: December 3-5, 1956. Bass – Teddy Kotick; Drums – Nick Stabulas; Piano – Mose Allison; Tenor Saxophone – Al Cohn; Trombone – Bob Brookmeyer.

Al Cohn and Bob Brookmeyer appeared on a number of record dates together, each appearing as a sideman with the other, in addition to joint appearances on a number of Manny Albam-led sessions, among others. But this disc, initially issued by Coral on LP in 1957, was one of the hardest to acquire until its 2005 reissue as a limited-edition CD. With the assistance of pianist Mose Allison, bassist Teddy Kotick, and drummer Nick Stabulas in the rhythm section, Cohn and Brookmeyer inspire one another throughout the sessions. Brookmeyer contributed the upbeat "Good Spirits" and breezy "Lazy Man Stomp." Cohn's strong originals include the cool ballad "Winter" and the swinging "Back to Back." They also update a number of standards from earlier decades, including Brookmeyer's exotic setting of "Ill Wind" (a terrific feature for Cohn) and Cohn's surprisingly uptempo setting of the usually hackneyed "Chloe." Since this CD reissue will no longer be available after March 2008, cool jazz fans are advised not to miss this edition. ~Ken Dryden

Featuring Bob Brookmeyer

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Jon Gordon & Bill Charlap - Contrasts

Styles: Piano And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:13
Size: 122,4 MB
Art: Front

(8:37)  1. Stardust
(6:53)  2. Young At Heart
(3:11)  3. Bye Ya
(5:26)  4. For Sue
(5:30)  5. These Foolish Things
(3:01)  6. Contrasts
(5:54)  7. I Fall In Love Too Easily
(6:41)  8. Compensation
(6:24)  9. Over The Rainbow
(1:32) 10. Epilogue

A precocious, well- studied pianist, trading eights with two alto giants. The common denominator in both of these recent releases would at first glance appear to be pianist Bill Charlap. However, the relationship goes much deeper. Alto saxophonist Jon Gordon was a school chum of Charlap's at New York City's High School for the Performing. Phil Woods's was Gordon's principle teacher and produced Contrasts for Double-Time records. The disc was recorded in Phil Wood's home. Phil Woods's mentions Voyage in the liner notes for Contrasts and recorded voyage aboard the Queen Elizabeth II with Bill Charlap's working trio. Bill Charlap has been a member of Phil Woods's Quintet since 1995. Thus this is music that runs deep. Bill Charlap is fresh off of his success with an earlier duet outing with Warren Vaché, 2gether. 

On that recording, Charlap proved an encyclopedic knowledge with the American Songbook both in terms of content and performance. He, while being considerable younger than the veteran Vaché, played with a keenly intelligent empathy, never sounding out of place. Here Charlap's empathy surpasses that which he showed Vaché. Having known Gordon for so long paid off. Contrasts is a fine duet recital of standards and originals. Jon Gordon has a very interesting dry tone compared to that of his mentor Woods. Gordon sounds like an amalgam of Frank Morgan and Johnny Hodges with an edge of Art Pepper. Not exactly a "wounded bird" as Morgan's tone was once described. Gordon's tone is parchment fine, maybe a 'wounded bird" with an IQ of 160. Gordon and Charlap approach their material much in the same way, very respectfully and with heightened sensitivity. 

This results in dramatically performed music that is never melodramatic. Charlap is a ballad performer on par with Fred Hersch and Hersch's muse, Bill Evans. This philosophy dovetails perfectly with Gordon's approach. Made up of mostly standards, Contrasts, offers jazz from the confines of the duet that is never claustrophobic or smothered. Both men allow one another plenty of space to look for the right notes. "Stardust" is taken as a lengthy dissertation on nostalgia. "Young at Heart is innocence in carnate. "Over the Rainbow" may be the perfect ballad for these balladeers. "For Sue" was written by West Coaster Jack Montrose for Jon Gordon's mother. It is performed like an unbroken sigh. This is a alto-piano duet disc on par with Art Pepper's Goin' Home and Frank Morgan's Double Image. ~ C.Michael Bailey  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/contrasts-with-jon-gordon-voyage-with-phil-woods-bill-charlap-double-time-jazz-review-by-c-michael-bailey.php

Personnel:  Jon Gordon: Alto Saxophone; Bill Charlap: Piano.

Contrasts

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Sophia Shorai - Wave (Re-Release)

Styles: Brazilian Jazz, Bossa Nova
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:19
Size: 86,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:06)  1. I Remember You
(3:49)  2. No More Blues
(2:06)  3. O Pato
(3:26)  4. Dindi
(4:15)  5. Desafinado
(2:47)  6. Little Boat
(3:13)  7. Wave
(3:23)  8. Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars
(2:57)  9. Summer Samba
(3:57) 10. Black Orpheus
(4:14) 11. Meditation

A singer with equal parts heart, charm and individuality, Shorai has been a mainstay on the Minneapolis jazz scene for the past 10+ years.  With five self-released albums under her belt, she mixes old classics, modern revivals and her own pop gems with ease and soul.  Shorai has collaborated with many of the Midwest’s finest and most celebrated musicians and has garnered international vocal recognition through commercials, television shows and films.

“Sophia has everything a singer could want: soul, versatility and comfort in a number of musical settings and styles, a marvelous set of ears, unique style, and a visceral love of music and performance. Whether she’s belting or crooning, she breaks hearts.”~ Adam Levy, guitarist, singer/songwriter for The Honeydogs

“There’s a charming girlish innocence and coquettish soulfulness to this young singer’s rendering of jazz standards.”~ Jon Bream, Star Tribune

“One simply enjoys the expressive, emotional, yielding, welcoming, accepting, and enduring quality which Sophia delivers vocally to nudge our musical sensibilities in a strong and viable manner.” ~ George W. Carroll, NiteLifeExchange.com

“Sophia Shorai has one of the sweetest voices…Not many others could hit her perfectly girlish, almost childish tone…” ~ Annie D’Souza, MetroMix Mpls

“There’s a halo around her voice. She’s one of the most naturally gifted singers I’ve ever heard.” ~ Daniel Eikmeier, Artist & Media Relations, Dakota Jazz Club  http://sophiashoraimusic.com/

Wave

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Bobby Hackett - Halfway To Everywhere

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:36
Size: 175,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:41)  1. I Found A New Baby
(2:19)  2. But Not For Me
(3:30)  3. Wild Man Blues
(2:27)  4. Oh Baby
(2:29)  5. Sweet Georgia Brown
(2:35)  6. When A Woman Loves A Man
(2:37)  7. Butter And Egg Bossa Nova (I Want A Big Butter And Egg Man)
(3:26)  8. Embraceable You
(2:25)  9. Everybody Loves My Baby
(2:47) 10. The Good Life
(2:22) 11. Exactly Like You
(2:42) 12. Moma's Gone, Goodbye
(3:54) 13. Sentimental Blues
(2:39) 14. S' Wonderful
(3:40) 15. When The Saints Go Marching In
(2:35) 16. Rags To Riches
(2:20) 17. Someday You'll Be Sorry
(2:30) 18. 'Deed I Do
(3:36) 19. I'll Never Be The Same
(2:55) 20. Oh Baby
(2:58) 21. The Shadow Of Your Smile
(2:30) 22. Struttin' With Some Barbecue
(3:43) 23. Swing That Music
(2:53) 24. New Orleans
(3:20) 25. I Guess I'll Have to Change My Plan
(3:29) 26. Way Down Yonder in New Orleans

Bobby Hackett's mellow tone and melodic style offered a contrast to the brasher Dixieland-oriented trumpeters. Emphasizing his middle-register and lyricism, Hackett was a flexible soloist who actually sounded little like his main inspiration, Louis Armstrong. When Hackett first came up he was briefly known as "the new Bix" because of the similarity in his approach to that of Bix Beiderbecke, but very soon he developed his own distinctive sound. Originally a guitarist (which he doubled on until the mid-'40s), Hackett performed in local bands, and by 1936 was leading his own group. He moved to New York in 1937, played with Joe Marsala, appeared at Benny Goodman's 1938 Carnegie Hall concert (recreating Beiderbecke's solo on "I'm Coming Virginia"), recorded with Eddie Condon, and by 1939 had a short-lived big band. 

Hackett played briefly with Horace Heidt, and during 1941-1942 was with Glenn Miller's Orchestra, taking a famous solo on "String of Pearls." Next up was a stint with the Casa Loma Orchestra, and then he became a studio musician while still appearing with jazz groups. Hackett was a major asset at Louis Armstrong's 1947 Town Hall Concert, in the 1950s he was a star on Jackie Gleason's commercial but jazz-flavored mood music albums, and he recorded several times with Eddie Condon and Jack Teagarden. During 1956-1957, Hackett led an unusual group that sought to modernize Dixieland (using Dick Cary's arrangements and an unusual instrumentation), but that band did not catch on. Hackett recorded some commercial dates during 1959-1960 (including one set of Hawaiian songs and another in which he was backed by pipe organ), he worked with Benny Goodman (1962-1963); backed Tony Bennett in the mid-'60s; co-led a well-recorded quintet with Vic Dickenson (1968-1970); and made sessions with Jim Cullum, the World's Greatest Jazz Band, and even Dizzy Gillespie and Mary Lou Williams, remaining active up until his death. Among the many labels Bobby Hackett recorded for as a leader were Okeh (reissued by Epic), Commodore, Columbia, Epic, Capitol, Sesac, Verve, Project 3, Chiaroscuro, Flying Dutchman, and Honey Dew. ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi  http://www.shazam.com/discover/artist/9601/album/65461040

Halfway To Everywhere

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Henry Mancini & His Orchestra - Uniquely Mancini

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:03
Size: 92,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:50)  1. Green Onions
(3:37)  2. Stairway to the Stars
(3:01)  3. Night Train
(3:53)  4. Lullaby Of Birdland
(3:24)  5. Chelsea Bridge
(3:52)  6. C Jam Blues
(2:32)  7. Banzai Pipeline
(3:39)  8. Rhapsody in Blue
(3:16)  9. Cherrs!
(3:30) 10. Lonsome
(2:43) 11. Hot Canary
(3:41) 12. Moonlight Serenade

Henry Mancini was not the first composer to introduce jazz elements into film and television scoring, but he was the first to become wildly successful with the public, particularly with the slinky, playful theme for the Pink Panther movies and the brassy, big band sound of the TV series Peter Gunn. Mancini was equally adept at broader, lyrical pop styles, especially in the song "Moon River," the achingly beautiful theme for the film Breakfast at Tiffany's. He won 20 Grammy awards out of 73 nominations and became a familiar public figure as a gentle, avuncular presence on his own syndicated musical TV series and as a frequent guest conductor of orchestral pops concerts.

Young Enrico Nicola Mancini played piccolo and flute with his father in a local Sons of Italy band. In his early teens, he determined to become a film composer and was sent to Pittsburgh to study piano and arranging. Mancini entered Juilliard to study piano in 1942, but within a year was drafted; Glenn Miller arranged for him to play with a service band until he was assigned to combat duty in Europe. Discharged in 1946, Mancini joined the Glenn Miller Orchestra as pianist and arranger. The following year, he followed his wife-to-be to Los Angeles, where he wrote music for bands and radio shows, while bolstering his composition skills through studies with Ernst Krenek and Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco. Mancini landed a job with Universal Pictures in 1952; over the next six years, he worked on 100 films, most of them forgettable low-budget affairs. He made his reputation in 1954, though, with his score for The Glenn Miller Story, which garnered his first Academy Award nomination.

Universal laid Mancini off in 1958, but the composer quickly developed an association with producer Blake Edwards, scoring his TV show Peter Gunn, the theme from which won him a recording contract with RCA. Mancini began issuing extremely popular and award-winning LPs of arrangements of pop and jazz hits, ultimately working on crossover albums with such classical artists as James Galway and Luciano Pavarotti.

Meanwhile, Mancini and Edwards would collaborate on 26 movies between 1960 and 1993. Three of Mancini's most enduring hits came from 1961: "Moon River" from Breakfast at Tiffany's, the similarly lush theme from Days of Wine and Roses, and the playful "Baby Elephant Walk" from Hatari! Despite averaging three film scores a year through the 1980s, Mancini would always be best-remembered for these earliest efforts, along with the theme from 1964's The Pink Panther and perhaps his score for the 1983 TV miniseries The Thorn Birds. He was a more versatile composer than his mainstream fans may think; for example, he adopted an avant-garde style for the 1985 science fiction movie Lifeforce. Mancini's final work was on a stage adaptation of Edwards' Julie Andrews vehicle Victor/Victoria, which originated as a 1982 film and opened on Broadway in 1995, shortly after the composer's death, running more than 700 performances. Bio ~ James Reel  http://www.allmusic.com/artist/henry-mancini-mn0000678009/biography

Uniquely Mancini

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