Carol Sloane - Something Cool

Size: 83,9 MB
Time: 36:01
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1979/2003
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Something Cool (4:53)
02. Jackie (3:54)
03. Baby, Don't You Quit Now (4:36)
04. Can't We Be Friends (3:50)
05. You're A Bad Influence On Me (4:03)
06. Cotton Tail (4:19)
07. Some Other Spring (7:06)
08. Tomorrow Mountain (3:16)

When Something Cool was released in 1979 by Candid, Carol Sloane hadn't released a record in America for 15 years. Always underrated, the singer had been just plain invisible, which was really too bad because her clear, cool voice should have been widely available to vocal jazz fans. Fortunately, this record stirred up interest in Sloane and, after a slight dip in the mid-'80s, she has been recording steadily since. This record is an easygoing, swinging record that features Sloane singing with a small and sympathetic combo, with the always great George Mraz on bass. The tunes she sings are a mix of standards like "Can't We Be Friends" and "Cotton Tail," and lesser-known songs like Jimmy Rowles and Johnny Mercer's "Baby, Don't You Quit Now" and Ellington's "Tomorrow Mountain." The highlights of this very enjoyable disc are her slyly phrased version of Cole Porter's obscure "You're a Bad Influence on Me" and the title track, which is best known as done by June Christy. Sloane gives her a run for the money by cutting the tempo and upping the emotional stakes. This is a fine comeback record by a wonderful singer. Fans of vocal jazz should seek it out, especially if they haven't heard of Carol Sloane, as this is a nice introduction to what she can do. ~Review by Tim Sendra

Something Cool

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Swing From Paris - Webster

Size: 127,3 MB
Time: 54:18
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz: Gipsy Jazz
Art: Front

01. The Man I Love (4:03)
02. Lulu Swing (5:34)
03. Si Tu Vois Ma Mere (2:38)
04. Caravan (6:52)
05. Deep Purple (3:34)
06. Webster (1:52)
07. Dream Of You (5:13)
08. Extase (Ecstasy) Tango (2:28)
09. Stompin’ At The Savoy (3:52)
10. When I Was A Boy (4:46)
11. Nuages (5:30)
12. La Partida (4:39)
13. Festival 48 (3:11)

Across 13 tracks ‘Webster’ features our arrangements of music from across Europe and beyond – some jazz ‘standards’, some by Django Reinhardt / Stéphane Grappelli, and tunes by well-loved (and some lesser-known) composers from 1924 to present day.

Personnel:
Fenner Curtis - violin
Andy Bowen - lead guitar
Steve Laming - rhythm guitar / double bass
Andy Wood - guitar

‘Swing from Paris’ is a jazz ensemble, comprising violin, guitars and double bass. With the French Swing of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli expect jazz and swing classics, evoking the sounds of the streets of Paris.

Webster

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Friend 'N Fellow - Live Vol. 2

Size: 128,7 MB
Time: 55:16
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2006
Styles: Jazz/Pop/Soul Vocals
Art: Front

01. Can't Buy Me Love (2:16)
02. Naked In A Jacket (3:29)
03. It Makes No Difference (3:57)
04. House With 6 Rooms (5:42)
05. Grandma's Hands (4:36)
06. September (4:39)
07. Summertime (4:32)
08. Unhurt World (5:56)
09. Taxi (4:44)
10. Home (6:33)
11. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For (5:01)
12. Angel (3:47)

What are the essentials of powerful musical expression? We believe a soulful black female voice and a virtuoso acoustic guitar. Provided they are of the caliber of Friend 'n Fellow. Depth, class and entertainment from an exceptional duo that plays so efficiently that they actually should be called a "band" with their incredible dynamics and emotionality. The names of these two experienced musicians are: Constanze Friend (vocals) studied modern voice in Weimar. As the singer of the R&B Band "Mr Adapoe", Constanze was a guest at many European festivals, e.g. as a support act for Alvin Lee and James Brown. Thomas Fellow (guitars) studied concert guitar for seven years in Weimar. He has won prizes at international competitions and has been on concert tours throughout Europe, the U.S.A. , India and South America. Professor Thomas Fellow is the chairman of the Department of Guitar/World Music at the Conservatory of Music in Dresden, and conducts courses at various other music conservatories and festivals.

Friend 'n Fellow have been performing as a duo since 1991. Concerts in London, Paris, New York, Peking, Vienna, Zurich, Lucerne Festival (Lucerne, Switzerland), Tollwood-Festival Munich, Festival Internacional de la Porta Ferrada (Spain), 1st Blues & Soul Weekend (Zurich, Switzerland), Simmen Lörrach, Jazzrally Dusseldorf with Ray Charles, Al Jarreau, Simply Red, Marianne Faithful, Maceo Parker.

In the music of FRIEND 'N FELLOW the intensity of blues, the sound of soul and the freedom of jazz unite in a very unique way. Deeply impressed and moved, the audience follows the virtuoso way these two exceptional musicians perform together.

Live Vol. 2

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Dr. Bob Finney Jazz Group - The Sax Doctor

Size: 129,6 MB
Time: 55:03
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals, Saxophone Jazz
Art: Front

01. Europa (4:18)
02. Wave (3:14)
03. Route 66 (2:36)
04. Moon Glow (Theme From Picnic ) (3:08)
05. Equinox (5:46)
06. Bye Bye Blues (2:34)
07. You Are Too Beautiful (2:38)
08. Night Train (3:17)
09. It Was A Very Good Year (4:16)
10. Harlem Nocturne (2:15)
11. Bernie's Tune (3:51)
12. Begin The Beguine (3:35)
13. Mack The Knife (2:52)
14. Laura (2:58)
15. So Nice (2:29)
16. I'll Remember April (2:51)
17. Yesterdays (2:17)

During his Cranford, New Jersey high school days, Bob Finney was the tenor saxophonist in a Dixieland jazz group. The group played locally at high school events and variety shows around town. But he wanted more. While still a teenager, he heard that every Tuesday night at Eddie Condon's club in Greenwich Village there were open jam sessions and if you were lucky enough to get in you might play with some big name talent. So, without his parents' permission, he hustled off to New York as many Tuesdays as he could manage. Finally, he got his chance to pay with trombonists Jack Teagarten and Miff Mole, trumpeter Red Allen, and drummer Cozy Cole. Once, clarinetist Peanuts Huckow leaned over to Bob and said, "Hey kid. Try this lick." Coupled with his formal lessons, these treks to Eddie Condon's helped to make Bob's improvisations that much sweeter.

Later in college, Bob worked as a sideman for touring big bands such as Ray Anthony, Ray McKinley, Ralph Marterie, and Woody Herman's "3rd Herd." All of these opportunities helped to hone his skills and finance his education. Bob laid his tenor saxophone down for thirty-five years serving in the United States Navy, pursuing an academic career, and raising six children with his first wife. With his second wife, Scarlett, they began their musical journey together when he purchased a new sax and had his old "licorice stick" refurbished. He believes his past experiences gave him a solid underpinning so that picking up the ax after such a long time was like riding a bike--you just never forget. One of his college students asked him recently what was different about playing now as opposed to "the old days," and Dr. Bob responded, "It takes a little longer for the ideas to transfer from the brain to the fingers, but having lived so long, I now have better ideas!"

The Sax Doctor

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Andrea Braido Jazz Organ Trio - Andrea Braido Jazz Organ Trio

Size: 140,5 MB
Time: 60:45
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz: Guitar Jazz, Hammond Organ
Art: Front

01. Running (4:31)
02. Night Train (5:37)
03. Silver Moon (7:34)
04. Gravity (4:09)
05. Mick Moments (6:58)
06. Gilles Villenueve (4:25)
07. Cat Steps (5:00)
08. Lonnie's Lament (8:18)
09. Fried Pies (6:34)
10. Relax In Manduria (7:34)

Born in Trento and started playing drums at age 4 years, then graduated in solfeggio. Verso theory and the age of 12 began playing guitar and bass always self-absorbing all he could hear the music. After a short trip to Boston and New York, made ??up of many jam sessions with key players in the history of the jazz world, he returned to Italy and started working professionally. He plays all types of guitar, bass guitar, drums and percussion. His guitars are present in many CDs and DVDs by artists such as: Vasco Rossi, Marcus Miller, Mina, Laura Pausini and many others. It has also been on tour with many players in the pop scene and Italian rock. Afterwards he performed in many major jam sessions (and some recorded in the studio and on tour).

As a musician of some orchestras used in programs Rai, has played with many international guests such as Liza Minelli, Lenny Krawitz, Randy Crawford and others. Between tours and other personal commitments (internship sessions) has played in Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Holland, Estonia, the Soviet Union, almost all of South America, England (London). And considered by many to be one of the most talented and versatile guitarists around. After being committed for many years as a session man live and studio began offering its projects since 1988, as in this live activity. In all active in 10 albums and 8 (“Feelings in Time” 2006 / “in Braidus Funk “2007,” Jazz Garden & Friends “in 2008, Latin Braidus (2009),” Andrea Braido Jazz organ trio “(June 2011) and the last” from the Beatles to Jobim’s passing ... (November 2011) with songs rearranged Jobim / Gershwin / Marcos Valle / Bacharat and Beatles made ??Videoradio / Raitrade. In addition, 2 instructional DVDs for distribution with Playgame Carish.a new name “The Guitar of Andrew Braid” and “Andrea Braido, Groove and rhythm guitar in the Arrangement” over the last book of transcriptions of famous solos played by Andrea Braido for the series “Great Italian Musicians” by the Carisch. Some of the most important magazines in the industry have dedicated the cover more than once.

Andrea Braido Jazz Organ Trio

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Stanislaw Soyka & Roger Berg Big Band - Swing Revisited

Size: 105,4 MB
Time: 45:07
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz: Vocals, Swing, Big Band
Art: Front

01. Let The Good Times Roll (3:10)
02. Caravan (3:46)
03. Don't Get Around Much Anymore (2:51)
04. Fly Me To The Moon (2:31)
05. Come Sunday (2:54)
06. Hallelujah, I Love Her So (2:47)
07. I'm Just A Lucky So And So (3:28)
08. It Had To Be You (2:17)
09. Love You Madly (4:30)
10. My Funny Valentine (3:04)
11. Night And Day (4:18)
12. Satin Doll (2:39)
13. Take The 'A' Train (3:15)
14. When I Fall In Love (3:31)

American swing played with bravado by leading Polish jazzman Stanislaw Soyka and the Roger Berg Big Band. In their rendition, recorded at sessions in Malmö and Warsaw, the artists refreshed jazz standards by Duke Ellington and Ray Charles among others.

Swing Revisited is an album by Stanislaw Soyka, a noted Polish jazz singer, and the Roger Berg Big Band, a Swedish-Danish constellation. Their collaboration stemmed from a spontaneous jam session at the band's first Warsaw concert. ”I was just overwhelmed by how sensitively they were playing” Soyka recalls. “I couldn't help it and joined in for three pieces. It was fabulous”.

The album, an unparalleled amalgam of different energies, is a foray into the golden era of swing. Recorded in studios in Sweden and Poland, it is not just another forced updating of classical American songs of the 40s. Swing Revisited was recorded along the best „orthodox” lines and with true respect for the swing traditions in order to evoke the old-time masters, because – as the artists emphasize—“you cannot improve on Duke Ellington's music, you just need to live it your way”.

As Soyka says, “This music has been out of radio stations, dance clubs and concert halls for over 40 years. The big band culture evolved. Orchestras sprang up: Thad Jones/Mel Lewis, Gil Evans, Carla Bley and others, which enriched the music so much... at the same time overshadowing the artists from the first half of the century, but… when I played these recordings for some young people who had never heard this kind of music before, their faces were radiant and somewhat amazed. It seems that this kind of music still gives the listener a good vibe”.

Swing Revisited

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Pepper Adams - Pepper Adams Plays The Compositions Of Charlie Mingus

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:05
Size: 96.3 MB
Styles: Hard bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1991/2011
Art: Front

[4:25] 1. Fables Of Faubus
[3:41] 2. Black Light
[2:39] 3. Song With Orange
[5:02] 4. Carolyn
[4:05] 5. Better Git In Your Soul
[5:47] 6. Incarnation
[2:56] 7. Portrait
[7:55] 8. Haitian Fight Song
[5:31] 9. Strollin' Honies

Recording Date: September 9, 1963 & September 12, 1963. Piano – Hank Jones; Tenor Saxophone – Zoot Sims; Trombone – Bennie Powell; Trumpet – Thad Jones; Alto Saxophone – Charles McPherson; Baritone Saxophone – Pepper Adams; Bass – Bob Cranshaw, Paul Chambers; Drums – Danny Richman.

Pepper Adams' Plays Charlie Mingus is a watershed album in Adams' long career. For starters, Mingus himself had a hand in the selection of material for the dates, along with Adams and vibist Teddy Charles. Next, the two dates here, September 9 and 12, 1963, were recorded with two different bands. Most of the material was taped on the earlier date with an octet comprised of Adams, Mingus' own drummer, Danny Richmond, bassist Paul Chambers, and Thad Jones on trumpet and his brother Hank on piano. The latter date added Charles McPherson on alto, Zoot Sims on tenor, Bennie Powell on trombone, and had Bob Cranshaw replacing Chambers on bass. Adams' read of "Fables of Faubus," by the quintet with its loping, rather than careening, pace, was arranged by Thad Jones approved by the composer. Historically, it is also the first recording of the work without vocals. "Incarnation," also by the quintet, was arranged by Adams. Hank Jones leads the band in the piece's difficult rhythmic and harmonic structures, and he edges Adams and Thad Jones on in the front line; Pepper's solo and fills are among the most moving and knotty of his career. Of the octet session, "Haitian Fight Song" is as furious as the composer's, as Cranshaw's bass drives the band inexhaustibly into the spirit of righteous indignation and rage at its heart. On "Better Git It in Your Soul," Sims and Powell's solos are full of gut-bucket funk and stride the R&B line with aplomb and plenty of grease. This is one of those must-own recordings for fans of Adams; but it is also for those who revere Mingus' work, because, as radical as some of these interpretations are, they were not only sanctioned by, but delighted in by the composer. ~Thom Jurek

Pepper Adams Plays The Compositions Of Charlie Mingus

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Ron Levy's Wild Kingdom - Finding My Way

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:53
Size: 134.8 MB
Styles: Jam bands, Soul-jazz
Year: 2003
Art: Front

[7:54] 1. I Try & I Try
[7:20] 2. Best Cookies
[8:12] 3. Steady Like Freddy
[5:51] 4. The Wes Side
[6:13] 5. Exfiled
[6:41] 6. Cuch Cuch
[7:00] 7. Some Sorta Blue
[5:26] 8. Finding My Way
[4:11] 9. Spangled Star Boogaloo

On Finding My Way, organ and piano boss Ron Levy tries to mix up the groove gumbo by incorporating more loops and programmed beats, but also by bringing back the great Melvin Sparks on guitar, and adding the flute and saxophone talents of jazzed-out funkmaster Karl Denson to the mix. Largely, it works. While Levy doesn't seem to be interested in sung beats for any reason other than to hang solos on, he nonetheless gets enough mileage from them and keeping the riffs in the pocket to keep them sailing all the way through. There is plenty of jazz virtuosity, as evidenced by the title cut, "Steady Like Freddy," "I Try & I Try," and "The West Side"; there is plenty of good-time funky stuff, as well, such as "Some Sorta Blue," and "Cuch Cuch." This band knows when to spark it up, and when to lay back, and Levy proved a long time ago that he was a solid bandleader who got fine performances from his sidemen. Recommended. ~Thom Jurek

Finding My Way

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Wave Mechanics Union - Further To Fly

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:06
Size: 151.3 MB
Styles: Jazz-rock-prog
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[6:13] 1. Further To Fly
[5:56] 2. Selfless, Cold And Composed
[2:58] 3. Caramel
[4:33] 4. Wondrous Stories
[4:11] 5. Heartbeat
[5:06] 6. It Will Be A Good Day
[4:33] 7. The Ability To Swing
[5:02] 8. Think Of Me With Kindness
[4:12] 9. Swordfishtrombone
[4:41] 10. Third Stone From The Sun
[5:06] 11. Slow Like Honey
[4:48] 12. Your Latest Trick
[3:22] 13. Dirty Work
[5:18] 14. The Show Must Go On

Lydia McAdams: vocals; Jon Anderson: vocals (4, 6); Eddie Rich: flute, alto flute; Kara Moran: flute, alto flute; Theena Lewis-Strope: flute, alto flute; Neil Broeker: flute, alto flute; Shawn Goodman: clarinet, bass clarinet; Henry Koperski: bassoon, accordion; Sylvain Carton: saxophone, guitar; Josh Weirich: saxophone; Dave Helms: saxophone; Eddie Rich: saxophone; Dorothy McDonald: saxophone; Robert Olivera: saxophone; Alex Noppe: trumpet, flugelhorn; Jeff Anderson: trumpet, flugelhorn; Ryan Fraley: trombone; Tom Thomas: tuba; Justin Kessler: piano; Art DeQuasie: piano (14); Robert Stright: vibraphone; Chris Capitano: guitar; Lyman Medeiros: bass; Ralph Johnson: bass (1), drums, percussion; Tim Moore: drums, percussion (6); Steve Goodman: violin; Alice Demby: viola; Marjorie Hanna: cello.

Rock music has been mined to the nth degree by jazz prospectors. Trumpeter Miles Davis was doing Michael Jackson and Cyndi Lauper: Memphis Blues Tour a quarter century back; pianist Brad Mehldau has made Radiohead his own; jazz legend Herbie Hancock spoke of new standards by Peter Gabriel and Nirvana; and organ guru Dr. Lonnie Smith has delivered a whole platter of pleasing Beck songs. All of this might lead to the assumption that every rock vein has been stripped clean, but with Further to Fly, Wave Mechanics Union mines one or two that still contain precious ore.

This 30-piece unit, put together by a group of arrangers who wanted to write for themselves for a change, was born in 2004 under a progressive rock-turned-jazz banner. As time went by, the group continued to work in this arena, but evolved and expanded its repertoire to include music from other rock genres and sub-genres. Wave Mechanics Union's debut, Second Season (HXmusic, 2008), still spoke of progressive interests, with King Crimson, Yes, and Rush songs making the cut, but also included some classic rock fan favorites like The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again" and The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby." Further To Fly goes even further afield.

For its sophomore album, Wave Mechanics Union decided to keep some favorites like King Crimson and Yes in the mix, but puts a greater emphasis on '80s and '90s entries of all stripes and colors. The album touches on jazz friendly songwriters like Ben Folds, Paul Simon and Tom Waits, as well as art-rocking strangers to jazz like Queen ("The Show Must Go On"). The group even brings Suzanne Vega and Fiona Apple into the picture.

Drummer Ralph Johnson, trombonist Ryan Fraley, pianist Justin Kessler and singer Lydia McAdams refashion all of this music and they do an impeccable job on their respective contributions. "The Show Must Go On" is a transitioning wonder, with piano, accordion, strings and a flat-out rock sound at work at various times. Vibes, bass and voice mingle with winning results on Waits' "Swordfishtrombone," Vega's "Caramel" benefits from some sly low brass backgrounds and a walking bass line, and "Selfless, Cold, And Composed" comes to life as a vibrant jazz waltz.

Instrumental soloists come and go, but McAdams' vocals are the focal point on the majority of the material. She does a commendable job selling the songs in their new yet familiar packages. Former Yes vocalist Jon Anderson drops in to help out on two of that famed band's tunes, but his role is minimal in the album's grand scheme. The arrangers are the real stars here, as they use their large cast of players to create a well-polished end product. ~Dan Bilawsky

Further To Fly

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Kathy Tugman & The David Walters Quartet - Robin On The Frost

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:04
Size: 155.8 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[4:42] 1. Silver Liner To Rio
[3:53] 2. I Love Being Here With You
[4:59] 3. The Thought Just Hit Me
[5:18] 4. Not This Time
[3:54] 5. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life
[8:42] 6. I Feel The Earth Move
[6:46] 7. My Foolish Heart
[7:54] 8. Things We Said Today
[4:03] 9. Robin On The Frost
[4:51] 10. Who Are You
[3:01] 11. There Will Never Be Another You
[6:42] 12. Redemption Blues
[3:11] 13. Days

Kathy Tugman's first album in seven years is at last out and the wait was certainly worth it. "Robin on the Frost" is a collection of seven covers and six originals and is meant to be representative of a set played by this working band. Kathy and the David Walters Quartet have been playing regularly since the release of their last album, "Almost Off the Dial" in 2004. That togetherness allows the band to tackle this set of tunes, which range in style from jazz standards to blues to familiar and not-so-familiar pop tunes, giving all of the music that somethiing that makes it jazz. Check out the cooking remakes of Carole King's "I Feel the Earth Move" and the Beatles' "Things We Said Today." Then there is the heart-breaking beauty of great ballads like "My Foolish Heart" and "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?" The band swings hard through "I Love Being Here With You" and then waltzes and swings "There Will Never Be Another You."

Clicking nicely with those wonderful songs are six originals that themselves touch on swing, Latin, blues, the ballad and straight-ahead pop. Thematically, the album traces what Paul Simon once called "the arc of a love affair," moving from the excitement of love found, to the salad days of a relationship, to the dawning realization that the affair may be ending, to regret and woe at lost love, to a final acceptance of the end, and even gratitude for what was had and is now lost. This last comes through in touching revival of a Ray Davies tune from the Sixties - "Days."

Kathy and the band play six sets over two nights each month at a jazz club and have done so for five years. As was said earlier, this is a working band and this new album is a work of love and art, but always with the feel of jazz. After all, our motto, often repeated, is "Jazz is the best, but live jazz is better." This record - recorded in a studio, but mostly live in the studio - is a fine sampling of just how true that motto is.

Robin On The Frost

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Jimmy McGriff - Featuring Hank Crawford

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:35
Size: 143.3 MB
Styles: Hard bop, Jazz-funk
Year: 1978/1990
Art: Front

[6:29] 1. Dust Pan
[6:49] 2. Playland
[6:06] 3. Tapoica
[5:22] 4. Midnight Boogie
[6:34] 5. Walkin Willie
[9:19] 6. Courage
[7:23] 7. Loot To Boot
[4:54] 8. How Long
[2:44] 9. Let's Stay Together
[3:09] 10. The Bird
[3:40] 11. Ain't It Funky Now

Alto man Hank Crawford and organist Jimmy McGriff are made for each other. Mixing the right brew of blues, swing and funk, they compliment one another's soulful sound in distinctive style.

Featuring Hank Crawford

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Chris Cortez - Mum Is The Word

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:08
Size: 103.3 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz, Contemporary jazz
Year: 2004
Art: Front

[3:17] 1. My Way Is Better
[3:21] 2. Everyday I Have The Blues
[5:12] 3. Georgia On My Mind
[2:59] 4. Bad Attitude
[2:52] 5. Sweet Georgia Brown
[5:43] 6. Honeysuckle Rose
[4:06] 7. Manha De Carnaval
[3:04] 8. Mum Is The Word
[5:10] 9. Trouble With Larry
[2:35] 10. Rhythm Method Blues
[3:43] 11. Lazy River
[3:00] 12. Avalon

Chris Cortez (acoustic guitar), Sam Bruton (piano), Larry Panella (tenor sax, alto sax, flute), Humphrey Davis Jr. (tenor sax, vocals), John Brinson (organ), John Reid (fluegel horn), Billy Bargetzi (trombone), Edwin Livingston (bass), James Singleton (bass), John Wooton (percussion), Jeff Mills (drums).

More often than not, when a musician tries to explore many different elements on a single disc – jazz, blues, vocals, instrumentals, varying personnel, etc. – the result is an album that is uneven and lacking any real cohesiveness. However, on “Mum Is The Word,” guitarist Chris Cortez attempts to do exactly that and succeeds, in spades, on every level.

Altogether, there are 11 musicians that make appearances on this album, with songs that run the gamut from sambas to blues to bebop and yet it consistently has a warm, uniformly ‘small group’ feel about it. The first thing I have to say about Chris Cortez is that he is a phenomenal guitar player – whether he’s playing straight-ahead jazz, Latin or gut bucket blues, he does it at an extremely high level and at the same time in a manner that makes it sound totally relaxed and natural. He has a fantastic feel and sense of rhythm, with a gorgeous tone. Many times, when a player switches styles on an album like this, it is very apparent which style they are most comfortable with, but Cortez seems equally at home in all settings.

I often cringe at the thought of a great jazz instrumentalist actually singing on an album. So many recordings (and concerts) have, to my ears, been marred by someone thinking that just because they are a great sax or guitar player that they must surely be a great vocalist as well. Many of them are sadly mistaken. But Cortez again proves to be the exception to the rule! He is as naturally gifted a singer as he is as a guitarist, with a beautiful voice that is especially suited for the blues (as he proves here with his rendition of “Everyday I Have The Blues”.) As if all these talents weren’t enough, Cortez proves to also be a masterful songwriter and arranger, as well as a great producer and engineer. This album features five of his originals (along with seven standards) and was completely produced and engineered by Cortez. It’s amazing that one person can wear so many hats and wear them all so well. ~from the artist's site

Mum Is The Word

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Nina Simone - The Amazing Nina Simone

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:01
Size: 89.3 MB
Styles: Standards, Vocal jazz
Year: 1959/2007
Art: Front

[3:19] 1. Blue Prelude
[7:45] 2. Children Go Where I Send You
[2:59] 3. Tomorrow (We Will Meet Once More)
[2:08] 4. Stompin' At The Savoy
[3:53] 5. It Might As Well Be Spring
[2:10] 6. You've Been Gone Too Long
[2:29] 7. That's Him Over There
[2:41] 8. Chilly Winds Don't Blow
[2:28] 9. Theme From Middle Of The Night
[2:31] 10. Can't Get Out Of This Mood
[3:11] 11. Willow Weep For Me
[3:22] 12. Solitaire

There is a remarkable amount of variety on this disc, Nina Simone's second recording. Her repertoire ranges from a swinging "Stompin' at the Savoy" and an emotional "It Might as Well Be Spring" to an English folk ballad ("Tomorrow"), spirituals, an R&B song ("You've Been Gone Too Long") and the theme song from the movie Middle of the Night. Somehow Simone brings credibility to each of these very different songs. She does not play much piano (just cameos on two songs) and is backed by a subtle orchestra arranged by Bob Mersey that is effective accompanying her vocals. This session finds Nina Simone's voice in top form and with a few exceptions is generally jazz-oriented. ~Scott Yanow

The Amazing Nina Simone

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Sam 'The Man' Taylor - Jazz For Commuters / Salute To The Saxes

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:37
Size: 152.5 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz, swing
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[4:19] 1. All Too Soon
[3:03] 2. Westchester Waltz
[4:10] 3. Lester Leaps In
[2:34] 4. Ride, Sammy, Ride
[3:51] 5. Body And Soul
[8:29] 6. Long Island Railroad Blues
[5:01] 7. Bucks County Bounce
[2:48] 8. Do-A-Lu
[2:32] 9. Taylor Made
[3:40] 10. Rockland County Round Trip
[2:29] 11. Cloudburst
[2:46] 12. The Big Beat
[6:30] 13. Air Mail Special
[2:27] 14. Rood Runner
[2:29] 15. Sam's Blues
[3:11] 16. Westport Wail
[2:38] 17. Look Out
[3:31] 18. Flyin' Home

All sessions recorded in New York. The album tracks were recorded on October 15 & 22, 1958. The Bonus tracks (tracks 11-18) came from different sessions cut between March, 1955 and June, 1956. Charlie Shavers, Thad Jones (tp), Frank Rehak, Jimmy Cleveland (tb), Sam “The Man” Taylor, Georgie Auld (ts), Budd Johnson (ts, bars), Haywood Henry (bs), Hank Jones (p), Barry Galbraith, Billy Bauer (g), Milt Hinton (b), Panama Francis (d).

Sam “The Man” Taylor is a saxophonist as adept at swinging jazz as he is at the blues and R&B for which he is most famous. With his unending drive and energy, he stood out in the bands he was in, including those of Cootie Williams, Cab Calloway and others. During the 50s he spent much of his time playing R&B sessions, but he also performed and recorded often with his own combo and, ten years later, he achieved wide recognition in Japan thanks to his ballads. This CD, however, resents an exultant Taylor, deeply rooted in the most genuine jazz, during a swinging 1958 session with great jazzmen like Charlie Shavers, Georgie Auld, Budd Johnson and Hank Jones. As a bonus, there is an example of his more “rocking” side, fronting a group that exudes Taylor’s typically soulful essence.

Jazz For Commuters/Salute To The Saxes

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Sophia Shorai With Tommy Barbarella - Long As You're Living

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:54
Size: 117,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:29)  1. Long As You're Living
(5:25)  2. Black Coffee
(3:44)  3. Brother, Can You Spare A Dime
(4:53)  4. You Don't Know What Love Is
(3:19)  5. Old Devil Moon
(4:17)  6. Everybody Knows
(3:50)  7. In The Wee Small Hours
(4:53)  8. Hellhound On My Trail
(3:40)  9. I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry
(4:14) 10. Big Brother
(4:21) 11. Peace
(4:45) 12. Waters Of March

What is most exciting about the new crop of singers coming onto the scene is the abundant joy present in much of their work. They're happy to be singing; they're happy to do what their idols and mentors do; they're happy to be sharing their gift. One listen to singer Sophia Shorai's Long as You're Living and the prominence of her enthusiasm is hard to ignore. Featuring twelve jazz and contemporary music covers, and accompanied by pianist Tommy Barbarella, Shorai's project represents the best of what music is all about: good music made by artists who clearly believe in their product.

Long as You're Living is a great display of "do what you love and everything will fall into place." Shorai's voice is sweet and light, while Barbarella best known for his work with Prince and the New Power Generation brings an energy that makes Shorai soar. Shorai is clearly eager to put her own spin on the lyrics, a goal that Barbarella helps the singer accomplish, as long as he's allowed to shine in the process; the two sounding good together, which benefits the music. With themes of love, politics, and social responsibility spread throughout the recording, the standout tracks include the title track, along with "Black Coffee," "You Don't Know What Love Is," "Everybody Knows," "In the Wee Small Hours," and "Big Brother." 

A testament to the good music coming out of Minneapolis, it won't be long before Shorai extends beyond her local setting and becomes a regular fixture all over the air waves. 

~ Bridget A.Arnwine  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/long-as-youre-living-self-produced-review-by-bridget-a-arnwine.php

Personnel: Sophia Shorai: vocals; Tommy Barbarella: piano.

Long As You're Living

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Dave Pell Octet - Young & Healthy

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:52
Size: 83,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:20)  1. Look Who's Dancing
(3:07)  2. East of the Sun
(2:53)  3. You
(3:21)  4. Young and Healthy
(2:34)  5. The Continental
(2:41)  6. Dance for Daddy
(3:02)  7. When I Take My Sugar to Tea
(2:46)  8. If I Had You
(2:55)  9. Cheek to Cheek
(3:10) 10. Let's Face the Music and Dance
(2:57) 11. Prom to Prom
(2:59) 12. Walkin' My Baby Back Home

Dave Pell's behind-the-scenes career may be more familiar to space age pop fans than his own accomplishments as a performer. As head of artists and repertory (A&R) for Liberty Records and United Artists in the 1960s, Pell produced many of the best-known albums by Martin Denny, Si Zentner, the Ventures, Trombones Unlimited, and others. But Pell started as a working musician in the heyday of the big bands. He joined Tony Pastor's band in 1944, spent two years working with Bob Crosby's Bobcats, then moved to Los Angeles and joined Les Brown's new "Band of Renown" group in 1947. As a tenor sax player, Pell became one of the stars of the Brown band, and he remained with them until 1955. He then formed his own group, the Dave Pell Octet, along with trumpeter Don Fagerquist, and adopted a lighter style, very much in the spirit of the West Coast jazz movement. Pell hired some of the best arranging talents available, including Marty Paich, Shorty Rogers, Jerry Fielding, and Bill Holman, and the group's albums sold well. Some critics panned the group as "middlebrow jazz" and Pell himself once referred to it as "mortgage-paying jazz," but its tight ensemble recordings have become highly collectable.

Pell also recorded a series of albums with a larger band, performing in the style of the most famous names from the big band era, for a small budget label he owned called PRI. Several years later, he cashed in on the percussion album craze by hiring drummer Frankie Capp to overdub percussion parts on these recordings and released them as Percussion in a Tribute to ... on Kimberley Records, another label he started. Like many West Coast jazz musicians, Pell moved to the security of studio work as the interest and market for live jazz waned. He joined the staff of Liberty Records and soon became a major contributor. He worked hard on both the technical and musical sides, improving Liberty's studio processes and working to develop its roster of artists. He often collaborated with producer Snuff Garrett and arranger Bob Florence, cultivating both pop and rock artists. He was the first to record singer Vicki Carr, fresh out of stint as a girl singer in Ray Anthony's road show, and produced her first 11 albums, including It Must Be Him, which sold over a million copies. Pell released three albums under his own name on Liberty. The first two, in 1963, featured Florence's arrangements for small combo and jazz chorus. The last, released in 1969, is now a great favorite of soft pop/easy tempo fans, with terrific versions of Piero Umiliani's dippy classic, "Mah-Na, Mah-Na," the Electric Indians' "Kemo Sabe," and the title tune from the nude musical, "Oh, Calcutta."

After Liberty was ingested by United Artists, Pell became creative director for Motown Records, where he hired the Commodores and helped the label through its challenging transition from Detroit to Los Angeles, and from the "Motown sound" to 70s soul and disco. He worked with Garrett again in the 1980s, heading Garrett's Viva label, which had some of the hotter country artists of the period in Shelly West and David Frizzell, and running a music publishing conglomerate that encompassed over 30 different companies. He joined up with another West Coast jazz vet, Lennie Niehaus, and handled the soundtrack recordings for a number of Clint Eastwood and Burt Reynolds films, including "Sudden Impact" and "Sharkey's Machine" (which included the last known recording by former Liberty cover girl Julie London). He also founded Headfirst, a pioneering digital recording label. Bio ~ http://www.davepell.com/about.html

Young & Healthy

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Bobby Broom - Plays For Monk

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:48
Size: 130,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:15)  1. Ask Me Now
(4:18)  2. Evidence
(5:41)  3. Ruby, My Dear
(5:53)  4. In Walked Bud
(5:55)  5. Lulu's Back in Town
(6:09)  6. Reflections
(7:08)  7. Work
(4:57)  8. Rhythm-A-Ning
(6:28)  9. Bemsha Swing
(5:01) 10. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

Chicago-based guitarist Bobby Broom pays tribute to jazz icon Thelonious Monk on Plays For Monk, a fresh take on eight of the late pianist's compositions, along with a couple of standards associated with Monk's repertoire. Joining Broom for his third release on Seattle's Origin Records are his long time trio mates, bassist Dennis Carroll and drummer Kobie Watkins. Broom does a tremendous job navigating Monk's music in a bare-bones guitar trio setting. His horn-like approach to soloing, relying heavily on single-note runs, gives the trio a stripped-down sound, recalling the piano-less trio recordings of saxophonist Sonny Rollins, whom Broom has been performing with for years. The open space allows for a rich dialogue, especially between Broom and Watkins. Watkins' intense swing on the up-tempo "Evidence" pushes the guitarist to inspired creativity. Broom incorporates lush chord-melody arrangements on Monk's classic ballads "Ask Me Now" and "Ruby, My Dear" and the jam session staple "Rhythm-a-ning."

Harry Warren's "Lulu's Back in Town" and Monk's "Bemsha Swing" swing with the kind of soulful vibe Broom is known for with his popular Chicago group the Deep Blue Organ Trio. "Bemsha Swing" features a rollicking bass solo by Carroll and a spirited back-and-forth between Broom and Watkins. The disc closes with a solo guitar rendition of Jerome Kern's "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," a standard that Monk recorded as a solo piece. Broom's rendition is poignant and honest much like the rest of the disc. Plays for Monk is a stunning addition to Broom's recorded output and speaks to the potential of the guitar trio in modern-day jazz. ~ John Barron  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/plays-for-monk-bobby-broom-origin-records-review-by-john-barron.php

Personnel: Bobby Broom: guitar; Dennis Carroll: bass; Kobie Watkins: drums.

Plays For Monk

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Bobby Caldwell - Bobby Caldwell Croons Big Band Hits & Standards

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:51
Size: 158,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:54)  1. (Love Is) the Tender Trap
(3:25)  2. Beyond the Sea
(1:59)  3. I've Got the World On a String
(2:24)  4. Girl I Dream About
(2:21)  5. All Of Me
(2:56)  6. Day In Day Out
(3:35)  7. Old Devil Moon
(3:42)  8. I Get A Kick Out Of You
(3:55)  9. Only the Lonely
(3:25) 10. April Moon
(3:16) 11. Best Is Yet To Come
(4:04) 12. Stuck on You
(4:41) 13. Come Rain Or Come Shine
(3:30) 14. Tomorrow
(5:00) 15. Luck Be A Lady
(3:25) 16. (I've Got You) Under My Skin
(2:50) 17. Oh (You've Got It Made)
(3:29) 18. Young at Heart
(3:38) 19. Smile
(4:12) 20. Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry

Contemporary jazz singer/guitarist Bobby Caldwell was born August 15, 1951, in Manhattan, NY; his parents, Bob and Carolyn, were the hosts of the television variety show Suppertime and exposed the child to a wide variety of musical influences. Caldwell began studying piano and guitar at age 12; he initially pursued a career in rock & roll but was equally adept at playing jazz and R&B and at 17 took his band on the road to play the Las Vegas circuit. From there the group moved on to Los Angeles, but despite recording an album titled Kathmandu, Caldwell enjoyed little success and eventually returned to his parents home in Miami. 

There he began work on his 1978 breakthrough album What You Won't Do for Love, scoring a hit single with the title cut. Efforts including a 1979 self-titled LP, The Cat in the Hat, and Carry On followed, and although Caldwell enjoyed a strong following at home, he became a superstar in Japan. He shifted creative gears with 1996's Blue Condition, a collection of big band-era standards; the similarly themed Come Rain or Come Shine followed three years later. ~ Bio  https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/bobby-caldwell/id1009920#fullText

Bobby Caldwell Croons Big Band Hits & Standards

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