John Turk - Home Grown

Size: 112,3 MB
Time: 47:59
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz/Blues/Funk: Hammond Organ
Art: Front

01. Somebody Luvs U (3:53)
02. He Sings To Me (Feat. Cheryl Serame) (4:44)
03. Blues For Pop (7:30)
04. Sophia (4:51)
05. Funk Dat (3:08)
06. Wade In The Water (4:25)
07. What A Friend We Have (2:33)
08. If U Want Me To Stay (6:04)
09. Days Of Wine & Roses (4:18)
10. Big P (6:27)

For those who know John Turk and his love for music, they know he is a man of few words and he chooses them carefully. Just like his communication style, his music is easily recognizable. Rich, soulful and full of history and you can never get enough of his tasty robust sound.

John grew up in a musical household and has deep roots in the church, Although they called him a musical prodigy, he was just a kid with a curiosity and passion about music with the ability to play the piano and the trumpet at the same time. So why? He said he wanted a more percussive sound and there was no one there to accompany him, so he did it himself.

JT continues to push the envelope musically. From his early days in Vallejo playing with schoolmate Sly Stone's band to recording or performing with legends such as Etta James, Jimmy McCracklin, John Lee Hooker, Charlie Musselwhite, PeeWee Ellis, Mark Isham, BB King, and more. John has been inducted into the West Coast Blues Hall of Fame and has been written up in b3 organ publications for his accomplishments. As fate would have it, John found his way to Glide Memorial Church and Reverend Cecil Williams. What started out as a temporary gig, turned into a 30 year musical ministry as the director of music leading the change band and world renowned 80 voice Glide Ensemble. Whether directing the national anthem at a major athletic event or performing for the president, John continues to rock the house with his original compositions as well as unique arrangements of well known tunes guaranteed to make even the most modest of individuals jump up and dance.

Growing up, John had the good fortune to learn the barrel house boogie from his older cousin. In the same fashion, he believes in inspiring young people to explore music using it as a form of self expression, possible path to a career in music. John leads the Gospel Choral program every other year for the ROCK program at Sir Francis Drake High School in Marin County. In addition, he teaches piano to promising artists on a very limited basis and encourages the young people at glide to try music on for size. You just might be the next Stevie Wonder, who knows? His son Miles Turk is certainly giving it his all as his most devout student on drums, piano & trumpet. You'll be hearing from him very soon.

John's latest project" Homegrown" is a very tasty b3 Hammond organ gem (released Sept. 2014). A long awaited b3 organ music project that highlights originals mixed in with well known classics all infused with that signature John Turk b3 organ swing thang. Blues, Funk, R&B, Gospel & Jazz, this project has it all. Just like a great book, it's a page turner and you won't want to miss a beat.

The crew on the CD boasts a 'who's who' list of well known artists such as Carl Lockett (Guitar), Ron E. Beck (Drums), James Levi (Percussion), Greg Crockett (Guitar/Bass) Keith Hatchell (Bass), Tim Landis (Guitar), Lorn Leber (Guitar), Cheryl Serame (Vocals) and Charles McNeil (Tenor Saxophone). All represented by well know groups such as Tower of Power, Jimmy Smith, Chuck Mangione, Herbie Hancock, Natalie Cole, The Greatful Dead, Luther Vandross, Aretha Franklin, Narada Michael Walden and more.. Bring your dancing shoes, the CD does not disappoint.

If you get an opportunity to hear the legendary John Turk live or on CD, just know you are in for a real treat.

Home Grown

---

Louis Stewart, Jim Doherty - Tunes

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 61:17

Size: 140.3 MB

Styles: Contemporary jazz

Year: 2009/2013

Art: Front

[4:57] 1. It Could Happen To You

[6:08] 2. You Go To My Head

[4:44] 3. Broadway

[7:00] 4. I Remember You

[6:04] 5. Comme Ci, Comme Ca

[4:56] 6. This Can't Be Love

[5:43] 7. Button Up Your Overcoat

[6:29] 8. I Surrender Dear

[5:29] 9. I Wished On The Moon

[5:21] 10. What Is There To Say

[4:23] 11. My Heart Stood Still

It seemed like a good idea at the time. It was a good idea at the time. Ireland's best known jazz musicians, guitarist Louis Stewart and pianist Jim Doherty have played together since the days of the famous Irish show bands in the early 1960s and have recorded together on numerous projects, but the idea to record a duo album of the jazz standards they cherish has taken fifty years to move from seed to fruition. The simply titled Tunes also represents the debut release of Daire Winston's Beechpark Records label and was recorded mostly in single takes at Beechpark Studios, Dublin.

The twelve titles are lifted lovingly from The Great American Songbook and are played at a jaunty mid-tempo for the most part, save for "I Surrender Dear" and a gorgeous and tender interpretation of "Comme Ci Comme Ca," a tune recorded by both Frank Sinatra and Ahmad Jamal. Stylistically, there's little variation throughout the album, which is maybe understandable given the limitations of the format, but such is the natural empathy between the two and so joyful the playing that the somewhat repetitive tempos and style hardly seem to matter.

The arrangements are simple enough but subtle shifts in dynamics keep things interesting; Stewart and Doherty alternate solo intros and outros, weave in and out of unison lines and pass melodies back and forth in short bursts, besides the lengthier alternate solos that pepper each composition. On "You Go to My Head," "I Remember You" and a rhythmically dancing "I Wished on The Moon" Stewart switches to acoustic guitar. Whether plugged or unplugged, Stewart shows the sort of form that induced Downbeat to label him as "one of the instrument's world class players."

Everyone will have their favorite Stewart solo here—and there are more than a few corkers to choose from—but for emotive delivery it would be hard to beat the guitarist's solo on the Harry Barris/Gordon Clifford tune "I Surrender Dear." Doherty has been Ireland's in-house pianist for visiting musicians such as saxophonist Gerry Mulligan and singer/pianist Ray Charles for decades and brings all the years of experience to bear with his intuitive comping throughout the CD. The pianist solos beautifully as well, notably on "Button up Your Overcoat" and "What Is There to Say?." On the latter, Stewart and Doherty conjure a delightful ending to their waltzing interplay.

Tunes is a relaxed, highly enjoyable session that captures two of Ireland's great jazz musicians in fine form. Hats off to Winston for backing the recording in the first place and for delivering an appropriately historic debut for the new label. Stewart and Doherty should perhaps have made their first duo recording years ago, but then again these classy performances are the results of some fine tuning about half a century's worth, no less. ~Ian Patterson

Louis Stewart: electric and acoustic guitar; Jim Doherty: piano.

Tunes

---

Junior Walker & The All-Stars - The Definitive Collection

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:17
Size: 128.9 MB
Styles: Pop-soul, R&B
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[3:17] 1. Shotgun
[2:43] 2. Shake And Fingerpop
[2:58] 3. How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)
[2:39] 4. Cleo's Mood
[2:30] 5. Cleo's Back
[2:43] 6. (I'm A) Road Runner
[2:55] 7. Pucker Up Buttercup
[2:21] 8. Do The Boomerang
[2:58] 9. Come See About Me
[2:55] 10. Hip City, Pt. 2
[2:56] 11. Home Cookin'
[2:25] 12. What Does It Take (To Win Your Love)
[3:34] 13. These Eyes
[3:32] 14. Gotta Hold On To This Feeling
[3:28] 15. Do You See My Love (For You Growing)
[3:59] 16. Take Me Girl, I'm Readyeo Promo Version]
[4:07] 17. Way Back Home
[4:08] 18. Walk In The Night

While not as revered as Motown legends Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, or Marvin Gaye, vocalist/saxophonist Junior Walker recorded some of the label's grittiest R&B songs, while also delivering heartrending tracks like "What Does It Take to Win Your Love." The Definitive Collection delivers 18 essential tracks by Walker & His All-Stars, spanning six years on the Motown/Soul label. Though the songs aren't in chronological order, all of the hits from that era are represented, from the first chart entry, "Shotgun" in 1965, through the last "Do You See My Love (For You Growing)" in 1970. Also included are a few singles of equal quality that didn't get as much radio play upon initial release: "Home Cookin'," "Cleo's Mood," and "Way Back Home." While there are other, more exhaustive compilations, such as the 25-track set Ultimate Collection, this is the best concise overview of Junior Walker & the All-Stars' career, containing the most hits on a single disc. ~Al Campbell

The Definitive Collection

---

Marilyn Scott - Take Me With You

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 45:02

Size: 103.1 MB

Styles: Soul-jazz vocals

Year: 1996/2001

Art: Front

[5:14] 1. Let Me Be The One

[4:35] 2. I'm Calling You

[4:35] 3. Close Enough

[4:04] 4. Take Me With You

[4:29] 5. Bird Of Beauty

[3:14] 6. The Summer Knows

[4:18] 7. Modern Man

[5:39] 8. I'm In Love Once Again

[4:12] 9. That's The Way It Should Be

[4:36] 10. Just To See You Again

After a number of years paying her dues as a backup singer and recording for a number of indie labels with mixed success, Marilyn Scott finally brings her crisp, romantic vocal stylings to Warner Bros. on Take Me With You, a stylish potpourri of pop, soul, jazz and Brazilian influences tailor made to fit the definition of the finest in Adult Contemporary music. While Scott's powerful yet subtle and smoky voice ties all the loose threads together, the collection's strengths lie in its frolicsome diversity. Scott changes moods depending on the producer du jour. George Duke elicits cool, straightforward pop, while longtime cohorts Russell Ferrante and Jimmy Haslip forge her range from standard to hip-hop influenced jazz. Ironically, the most exciting track, a percolating Brazilian treatment of Stevie Wonder's "Bird of Beauty," is also the least commercial from a corporate marketing standpoint. Without the radio typical sheen, producer Dori Caymmi allows Scott to romp through a loping playground where even elegant Kevyn Lettau-like Portuguese is within the realm. Perhaps the reason it's taken Scott so long to break through on a higher level is the type of stunning diversity typified here. It's been worth the wait. ~Jonathan Widran

Take Me With You

---

Ralph Bowen - Standard Deviation

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:50
Size: 118.7 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[5:32] 1. Isn't It Romantic
[5:22] 2. No Moon At All
[5:14] 3. Yesterdays
[7:28] 4. You Don't Know What Love Is
[7:08] 5. You Stepped Out Of A Dream
[7:30] 6. Spring Is Here
[8:14] 7. Dream Dancing
[5:19] 8. By Myself

Tenor saxophonist Ralph Bowen (Out Of The Blue, Horace Silver, Michel Camillo) is a highly regarded New York-based artiste and an idea man who can stand with the best of them. With his fifth solo venture for Posi- Tone Records Bowen tackles standards, and as the title intimates, he often deviates from the norm.

Jerome Kern's "Yesterdays" receives a Latin uplift, sparked by venerable pianist Bill O'Connell's topsy-turvy opening statements and bristling unison choruses with the rhythm section. From this point onward, they spring into a buoyant romp as Bowen stokes the coals via a ferocious series of choruses. He adds enough bite to impart a distinct edge, yet interweaves his melodic flair into ultra-fluid lines and improvises within the lower to medium registers. But he doesn't waste any notes and injects a few emphatic honks and squeaks into the upper-registers to raise the pitch with a stirring climatic assault while also infusing brevity into O' Connell's flavorful arrangement. Ultimately, Bowen and his first-class ensemble ruffle a few feathers and take matters into their own hands by not tendering literal readings of these rather shopworn works. (Zealously recommended...) ~Glenn Astarita

Ralph Bowen: tenor saxophone; Bill O’Connell: piano; Kenny Davis: bass; Donald Edwards: drums.

Standard Deviation

---

Bobby Darin - It's You Or No One

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:00
Size: 75.5 MB
Styles: Pop-rock, Vocal
Year: 1963/2004
Art: Front

[3:20] 1. It's You Or No One
[2:36] 2. I Hadn't Anyone Till You
[2:06] 3. Not Mine
[2:21] 4. I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me
[1:57] 5. I've Never Been In Love Before
[2:12] 6. All Or Nothing At All
[3:55] 7. Only One Little Item
[2:47] 8. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
[2:54] 9. How About Me
[2:44] 10. I'll Be Around
[2:40] 11. All I Do Is Cry
[3:24] 12. I Guess I'm Good For Nothing But The Blues

It's You or No One is a strange album in Bobby Darin's catalog. For some reason, the record was recorded in 1960 but held for three years before its June 1963 release. It is another concept record for Darin, with one side filled with upbeat songs arranged by Torrie Zito and the other with more moody tunes done by Bobby Scott. The "up" side contains tracks written by Johnny Mercer and Frank Loesser, while the "down" side has tunes by Duke Ellington, Irving Berlin, and Libby Holden. Like Love Swings, It's You or No One is upbeat first and melancholy "the morning after." This record was actually recorded before Love Swings but released after it, making it a follow-up to its own follow-up. Either way, the two make a great pair of conceptual love albums. Six songs from It's You or No One are unavailable on CD, and most of the ones that are can only be found on the hard-to-find Readers Digest CD box bet. Thus, It's You or No One is a must own for collectors. Standout tracks include "I Can't Believe That You're in Love With Me," "Don't Get Around Much Anymore," and "I've Never Been in Love Before" (which will excite fans of "More"). Familiar territory for Darin, but filled with moving, solid interpretations. ~JT Griffifth

It's You Or No One

---

Archie Shepp - Black Ballads

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 65:23

Size: 149.7 MB

Styles: Saxophone jazz

Year: 1992

Art: Front

[7:09] 1. Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans

[5:18] 2. I Know About The Life

[4:56] 3. Georgia On My Mind

[4:39] 4. Embraceable You

[5:16] 5. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

[5:23] 6. How Deep Is The Ocean

[8:31] 7. Lush Life

[5:06] 8. Deja Vu

[7:54] 9. Angel Eyes

[5:53] 10. All Too Soon

[5:13] 11. Ain't Misbehavin'

Bass – Wayne Dockery; Drums – Steve McRaven; Piano – Horace Parlan; Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone – Archie Shepp. Recorded at Studio 44, Monster, Holland, 13 January 1992.

Tenor saxophonist Archie Shepp, who was one of the enfant terribles of the free jazz generation in the 1960s, once said, seemingly uncharacteristically, "You can hear every minute of every hour of every day of every year a player puts into practicing his horn when he plays a ballad." He was being prophetic, of course, as this date from 1992 suggests. Teamed with pianist Horace Parlan -- with whom he recorded the magnificent duet of spirituals Goin' Home -- bassist Wayne Dockery, and drummer Steve McCraven, Shepp leads the quartet through an astonishing series of ballads that are as revelatory for their understatement as they are for their musical aplomb. Shepp takes the Ben Webster approach on these 11 sides and comes off as a singer of songs (he is not singing) rather than as a saxophone player. His readings of "Angel Eyes," "All Too Soon," and "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," and his souled-out cover of "Georgia on My Mind," are stunning for the restraint and nuance they contain. Parlan's comping slips toward fills of uncommon texture and dimensionality in the bridges of these tunes, and on Shepp's own "I Know About the Life," he reinvents the tune itself. The high point of this glorious record is Shepp's own "Déjà Vu," as it comes out of an uncommonly long "Lush Life," where the lyric of both compositions becomes a kind of recitation on the blues in stretched time. Issued on the Timeless label, this is a must-have for all Shepp fans, but more importantly, it is for all followers of the development in harmonic thinking about the ballad form in jazz. ~Thom Jurek

Black Ballads     

---

José James - While You Were Sleeping

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:46
Size: 117,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:12)  1. Angel
(4:12)  2. U R The 1
(6:17)  3. While You Were Sleeping
(5:50)  4. Anywhere U Go
(4:01)  5. Bodhisattva
(5:12)  6. 4 Noble Truths
(4:21)  7. Dragon (Feat. Becca Stevens)
(0:56)  8. Salaam
(3:14)  9. Without U
(3:29) 10. Every Little Thing
(4:01) 11. XX
(4:53) 12. Simply Beautiful (Feat. Takuya Kuroda)

José James is one of the most fascinating singers to appear in popular music over the last decade. On five previous recordings he's tackled jazz standards, hip-hop, neo-soul, funk, and even Moroccan gnawa. He claims that While You Were Sleeping is a synthesis of everything he loves about music citing Nirvana, Frank Ocean, Radiohead, and Junip in his list. He shifts directions yet again here, this time bringing his take on rock and pop into his musical arsenal. New guitarist Brad Allen Williams adds immeasurably to this ambition, joining a veteran band that includes keyboardist Kris Bowers, bassist/vocalist Solomon Dorsey, and drummer Richard Spaven.

"Angel" is just one tune where Williams openly references the Jimi Hendrix of Band of Gypsys and Cry of Love. On "Angel," the band weaves fluid, silvery, wah-wah guitar distortion, jazzy Rhodes piano, dropped funky bass, and rolling, shuffling snares and breaks under his dark, sensual baritone. The title track (which briefly quotes from Neil Young's "Heart of Gold") weds folky psych pop to cosmic soul with a killer lead guitar break. The quiet drama in James' voice exudes elegance and earthiness. "Anywhere U Go" employs an aggressive bassline, shimmering Rhodes, and skittering, propulsive breaks against a guitar vamp that makes use of Nirvana's clipped melodic aesthetic. 

The spiritually resonant "4 Noble Truths" is introduced by strummed acoustic guitar in a minor key and a cracking snare. They are fleshed out provocatively by an expressionistic string quartet and a spiraling B-3. Becca Stevens makes one of her duet appearances on her haunting original "Dragon." Its Eastern-tinged slow groove is adorned by spacious guitar effects and elliptical keyboards atop a hushed rhythm section. Soul informs everything here. Check the stretched Madlib meets Flying Lotus beats in the sexy, tender "U R the 1." The minor-key melody in "XX" is one of James' better belly-to-belly love jams. His steamy croon is elevated by his lyrics, which are as poetically cognizant as they are carnally aware. The contrasting elements of pointillist rock guitars and warm indie electronica bump against the interlocking rhythm section. Al Green's "Simply Beautiful," features guest trumpeter and labelmate Takuya Kuroda delivering a fine solo. It's no ordinary cover. 

James recombines jazz, soul, and blues in a compelling arrangement that frames his trademark phrasing with tender yet sultry delivery. It underscores how provocative While You Were Sleeping is. With James' voice and nearly iconic harmonic sensibility as a guide, these genres flow into, rub against, and ultimately redefine one another. His creative reach, at least at this juncture appears to be boundless. ~ Thom Jurek  http://www.allmusic.com/album/while-you-were-sleeping-mw0002639674

Personnel: Jose James: vocals; Kris Bowers: organ; Solomon Dorsey: bass; Takuya Kuroda: trumpet; Brad Allen Williams: guitar; Richard Spaven: drums.

While You Were Sleeping

---

John Pisano & Billy Bean - Makin' It & Take Your Pick

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1958
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:59
Size: 209,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:51)  1. Ill Wind
(3:41)  2. Cirrus
(3:53)  3. Indian Summer
(3:42)  4. Little Old Lady
(4:12)  5. When I Fall In Love
(2:18)  6. Our Waltz
(3:44)  7. Flute Cocktail
(3:57)  8. The Song Is You
(3:31)  9. I See Your Face Before Me
(4:21) 10. Crazy Head
(4:02) 11. Take Your Pick
(3:04) 12. Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye
(2:18) 13. Pixie
(4:10) 14. Pastorale
(2:52) 15. Fat Feet
(3:55) 16. Dingle Bird
(2:28) 17. Billy’s Beanery
(4:43) 18. Pottsville, U.S.A
(4:07) 19. Half Breed
(4:01) 20. Memento
(3:13) 21. Motivation
(2:44) 22. Linger Awhile

Duetting beautifully in a variety of settings, West Coast based guitarists John Pisano and Billy Bean display their versatility on Makin It and Take Your Pick , two late-1950s albums they made for Decca s Mood Jazz in Hi-Fi series. Both albums were marked by some excellent supporting groups and a well-balanced, expertly played set of tunes with a predominantly jazz feeling. Standards like Ill Wind are coloured by the pastel shades of arranger Fred Katz; others, such as Linger Awhile and Little Old Lady, by the brassily forthright hand of arranger Calvin Jackson. But they also include simple blowing things like Pixie and Billy s Beanery, featuring the flowing vibes of Gene Estes, or The Song Is You, in which Pisano and Bean mesh with inventive fluency over the bass support of Hal Gaylor. 

Bill Potts, the talented Washington, D.C. arranger / composer, contributes three tunes, including the remarkable Pottsville U.S.A.. The sole departure from the jazz approach is Pastorale, by Fred Katz, a study in neo-modern, moody impressionism, where the musical values stressed are collective rather than individual. ~ Editorial Reviews  http://www.amazon.com/Johnny-Pisano-Billy-Bean-Makin/dp/B009V7C47U

Featuring: John Pisano & Billy Bean (g), Paul Moer, William Green, Chuck Gentry (fl, saxes), Abe Most (cl), Calvin Jackson, Fred Katz (p), Gene Estes (vib), Hal Gaylor, Red Callender (b), Chico Hamilton, Larry Bunker (d)

Makin' It & Take Your Pick

---

Various Artists - Oh Boy (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Styles: Soundtrack
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:49
Size: 87,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:34)  1. Oh Boy
(2:07)  2. Eye Candy
(1:02)  3. The Birth Of The Elephant
(1:35)  4. Taxi Driver
(3:48)  5. Teenage Dreams
(0:36)  6. Kanga and Rue
(1:52)  7. Don't Run Away
(2:51)  8. Waggling
(2:25)  9. Look At The Mess I've Made
(1:52) 10. Clickin'
(1:09) 11. Kanga and Rue (Reprise)
(2:54) 12. Woody Sugarloaf
(2:26) 13. Strangers
(1:11) 14. Look At The Mess I've Made (Reprise)
(2:55) 15. Gwisdek
(2:40) 16. Mo(u)rning
(2:43) 17. Fischer's Song

"You know the feeling that you people seem strange around you? And the longer you think about it, the more you will, it is not the people, but you're the problem yourself? " Niko is in his late twenties and has said goodbye to his studies some time ago. Since then, he lives from day to day, sleepless drifts through the streets of his city, and wonders about the people around him. Niko is a flaneur and listeners, which people tell their stories. With quiet curiosity he observed them in coping with daily life. Up to this turbulent day: His girlfriend drawing a line, his father turns him the money supply to a psychologist and certified him "emotional imbalance". 

A strange beauty named Julika confronted him with the wounds of the shared past, his new neighbor showered him with liquor and meatballs his heart out and around the city, there seems to be no "normal" coffee more. If Niko after that day really leave his "comfort zone" and change his life? He gets at the end maybe Julika? And even the long-awaited cup of coffee? Oh Boy is the ironic portrait of a young man and the city in which he lives Berlin. In haunting black-and-white aesthetic Oh Boy oscillates between melancholy and humor, and displays the search of the protagonist for his place in the world where everything is actually possible. ~ Translate by google  https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/poprock/detail/-/art/Cherilyn-OST-The-Major-Minors-Macneil-Oh-Boy/hnum/2520346

Oh Boy (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

---