Silky Denims: 04/26/15

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Jessica Schultz - Quiet Nights

Size: 111,5 MB
Time: 48:06
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2000
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Big Band
Art: Front

01. A Foggy Day (3:05)
02. All My Tomorrows (5:35)
03. Bye Bye Blackbird (4:23)
04. Lover Man (5:38)
05. Tea In The Sahara (4:27)
06. Corcovado (4:31)
07. I Thought About You (4:51)
08. Emily (4:49)
09. In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning (5:14)
10. All Blues (5:27)

The music of vocalist Jessica Schultz combines the swing of yesterday’s big bands with the creative freedom of today’s artists. “I want to use the lyrical tools of singers to reach an advanced audience‚” Jessica says‚ and she has done just that.

Her first CD, "Quiet Nights," is an expressive combination of jazz standards and interesting arrangements to keep audiences on their ears. A graduate of Western Michigan University, Jessica has studied with such artists as Sunny Wilkinson, Fred Hersch, Mark Murphy, Kevyn Lettau, Madeline Eastman, and Kurt Elling.

Jessica’s dedication to her art is well known. Downbeat magazine named her "Outstanding Jazz Soloist" for 2000 in the college category. Jessica has performed throughout the United States. She has been a featured vocalist with the Downbeat award-winning ensemble Gold Company. Locally, she can often be seen performing with her husband, pianist and composer of note Marcus Reynolds.

Quiet Nights

Kilgore - Just Walk

Size: 129,8 MB
Time: 55:05
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz, R&B, Soul
Art: Front

01. Voicemail From Mimi (1:44)
02. Can You Imagine (3:31)
03. Innocent Love (3:54)
04. I Miss R&B (4:16)
05. Fifty Shades Of K (3:40)
06. Evolution (4:21)
07. Atl (Feat. Shamora Crawford) (3:32)
08. 2.16Am (Feat. Lyric Jones) (3:58)
09. Collage (3:33)
10. Morning After Sax (4:02)
11. Who Is She (Feat. Heston Francis) (2:52)
12. Risky Luv (3:48)
13. We The People (4:51)
14. Can You Imagine (Reprise) (3:31)
15. Just Walk (3:25)

RYAN KILGORE, a native of Atlanta, Georgia has been playing the soulful sounds of the saxophone since age 10. Being a fourth generation sax player is just one of the many milestones Ryan has come to accomplish over his musical career.

After playing in the band for four years at Southwest DeKalb High School, Ryan went on to attend Clark Atlanta University and was the first freshman to become drum major, as well as proud member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America Inc..

Ryan's musical inspiration came from his grandfather, Ester Betterson, who was not only in love with music, but also bought Ryan's first horn.

Before joining Sol Factor in 2003, Ryan played on the Fighting Temptations soundtrack with vocalist Faith Evans, on the song titled "Heaven Knows", as well as performed on the Walt Disney movie Country Bears. He then continued to work with legendary producers/writers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis as well as the phenomenal Stevie Wonder.

Ryan is also no stranger to the film industry. He has made cameo appearances in 20th Century Fox's Drumline, Paramount Pictures' Fighting Temptations, and Tyler Perry's Diary of a Mad Black Woman.

The feelings that he can't express verbally, he can express through his smooth sounds of "Saxuality." Ryan is an exceptional saxophone player who strives to instill in all people the importance of music's role in the enrichment of the human spirit.

Just Walk

Ytre Suloens Jass-Ensemble & Tricia Boutte - Some Changes

Size: 146,9 MB
Time: 63:20
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: New Orleans Jazz, Ragtime, Vocals
Art: Front

01. Making Runs (5:04)
02. My Very Good Friend The Milkman (4:11)
03. Of All The Wrongs You've Done To Me (4:05)
04. I'll Be Seeing You (6:54)
05. Willie The Weeper (5:05)
06. There Must Be A Way (6:01)
07. Shake That Thing (6:59)
08. The Man I Love (5:00)
09. Take It Right Back (4:08)
10. Me, Myself And I (4:49)
11. Sweet Louisiana (5:43)
12. There'll Be Some Changes Made (5:17)

One of Norway’s finest jazz groups, the Ytre Suloens Jass-Ensemble has been a mainstay not only in their native land for decades but they’ve also gained significant notoriety on U.S. shores, thanks in part to early appearances in the 1970s at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.

Their sound is steeped in New Orleans’s street parade tradition and this live set from 2010 finds the group at its best, thanks in no small part to the smoldering vocals of New Orleans’ own Tricia Boutte.

The band is outstanding as well, with particular kudos going to the horn players: Jens Arne Molvaer on clarinet and tenor saxophone; Kare Nymark Jr, on trumpet; Jan Inge Melsaeter on trombone and David Gald on tuba.

Some Changes

Louis Cortelezzi - Only Child

Size: 116,2 MB
Time: 49:58
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz: Crossover Jazz
Art: Front

01. Bounce (4:37)
02. Alabama Song (6:41)
03. Labor Of Love (4:46)
04. Only Child (5:40)
05. Summer Song (4:25)
06. Harlem Nocturne (4:56)
07. Throwing It All Away (5:21)
08. Over And Over (4:27)
09. Just To Walk That Little Girl Home (4:52)
10. Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye (4:09)

This 6th Album remarks the 25th Anniversary of Jazz Connection, inspired by the great honkers and screamers of America's postware Jive and Jump Blues scene.

Jives You Crazy! They are crazy… They are insane… and they are absolutely amazing live on stage. With authentic zoot-suits, flamboyance, Cadillac’s, dancers and cheap whisky. Jazz Connection is a true follower of the Jumpin’ Jive style that hit America’s black postwar population. With songs from Louis Prima and Louis Jordan, like ‘’Is you is or is you ain’t my baby’’ and ‘’Just a gigolo’’, they bring a revival of the best and brightest star performers from these exciting years.

Founded 25 years ago in ‘jazzy’ hometown Breda, Jazz Connection is running like a train, swinging and rolling through Europe with their Jazz & Jive show. They have performed at major festivals and clubs in Holland, toured in Belgium, UK, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Bulgarian and Poland as well as in the Middle East and Asia. The band performed at many editions of the Breda Jazz Festival in Holland. In 2008 Jazz Connection was invited to perform at the world famous Ascona Jazz Festival Switzerland together with Andy Cooper (UK) and Frits Landesbergen (Holland).

Together with lots of humor Jazz Connection produces their remarkable sound: transparent, sophisticated, catchy and groovy. Whether it’s a festive jive, tantalizing boogie or heartbreaking blues, you’ll recognize without doubt the sound of this unique sextet.

Jazz Connection:
Jurgen Feskens – Trumpet, Flugelhorn and Vocals
Peter van Steen – Trombone
Rob Henneveld – Alto, Tenor sax and Clarinet
Bart Maassen – Piano
Bart Wouters – Double Bass and Vocals
Ad Hoendervangers – Drums

Only Child

Jazz Connection - Everybody Get Together

Size: 123,3 MB
Time: 52:05
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz: Jive, Boogie-Woogie, Vocals
Art: Front

01. Return Of B.O. Plenty (3:16)
02. Everybody Get Together (3:49)
03. Mailman's Sac (2:59)
04. Be Mine Little Baby, Be Mine (3:20)
05. (Stone's) Duck Fever (3:28)
06. Lay It On The Line (2:54)
07. Good Morning Judge (4:00)
08. Train Kept A-Rollin' (4:14)
09. Sausage Rock (1:43)
10. There Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens (3:21)
11. Cool One - Groove Two (4:05)
12. Walk Right In (2:54)
13. Well Oh Well (3:48)
14. One Monkey Don't Stop No Show (4:26)
15. Bloodshot Eyes (3:41)

Everybody Get Together

Gene Ammons & Sonny Stitt - Boss Tenors/Dig Him!

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 79:56
Size: 183.0 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[8:47] 1. Blues Up & Down
[9:39] 2. Counter Clockwise
[6:31] 3. There Is No Greater Love
[7:13] 4. The One Before This
[6:34] 5. Autumn Leaves
[4:22] 6. Red Sails In The Sunset
[4:18] 7. But Not For Me
[4:39] 8. A Pair Of Red Pants
[4:34] 9. We'll Be Together Again
[3:20] 10. A Mess
[3:56] 11. New Blues Up & Down
[5:13] 12. My Foolish Heart
[2:38] 13. Headin' West (Water Jug)
[4:11] 14. Autumn Leaves
[3:54] 15. Time On My Hands

Twofer: Tracks #1-5, from the 12” Verve LP “Boss Tenors” (V6-8426). Tracks #6-15, from the 12” Argo LP “Dig Him!” (LP-697). Gene Ammons (tenor sax); Sonny Stitt (tenor & alto sax); John Houston (piano); Charles Williams (bass); and George Brown (drums). Recorded at Universal Recording Studio, Chicago, August 22 (#1-5) & 26 (#6-15) 1961. 24-Bit Digitally Remastered.

Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt were co-leaders of their own group in the early ‘50s, but though it took them almost ten years to get back together again, they were as incendiary a pair as ever. Stitt’s legendary quickness of thought and execution were, as always, outstanding, but Ammons’ passion and adroit, canny way of developing his solos made him an ideal partner for these two-tenor jousts – Stitt, by the way, also picks up his alto for a lyrical There’s No Greater Love. John Houston, who had played with Ammons and Stitt in the early ‘50s, is the only familiar name in a solid rhythm section. The timeless groove delivered by this superior combination puts the music beyond analysis. Just enjoy two great pros and their swinging message.

Boss Tenors/Dig Him!

Carla Cook - Simply Natural

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:18
Size: 133.5 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2002/2013
Art: Front

[4:52] 1. Simply Natural
[4:52] 2. Tulip Or Turnip
[7:00] 3. Weak For The Man
[6:26] 4. Watermelon Man
[4:35] 5. Strong Man
[5:20] 6. Something 'bout Believing
[5:16] 7. Scarborough Fair
[3:52] 8. Are You With Me
[5:12] 9. Summer (Estaté)
[5:59] 10. Still Gotta Thing For You
[4:48] 11. I Can't Give You Anything But Love

Recorded June 20 & 21, 2002 at Systems Two Studios, NY. Vocals – Carla Cook; Piano – Bruce Barth; Bass [Acoustic & Electric] – Kenny Davis; Percussion – Steve Kroon; Drums – Billy Kilson; Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes] – Cyrus Chestnut.

Simply Natural is the name of Carla Cook's third release on MaxJazz and aptly describes her approach to singing. Her diverse range and vocal style has garnered her several awards and top billing on the concert and festival circuit throughout the world including performances with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra. This collection of songs provides a vehicle for her reinterpretation of such jazz compositions as Duke Ellington's obscure gems "Tulip or Turnip" and "Something 'Bout Believing." Cook contributes two gems of her own, the title track "Simply Natural" -- a beautiful piece that features two highly creative solos from pianist Cyrus Chestnut. He sets a cool fire underneath the meter changes, harmonic rhythm, and phrasings offered by the vocalist. "Still Gotta Thing for You," a mid-tempo blues with Cook's vocals overdubbed as background vocals, and a sonic update from Chestnut on Fender Rhodes, is still relevant today even though she wrote it in 1992. The closing song, "I Can't Give You Anything but Love," swings and brilliantly spotlights the techniques she uses to construct phrases. Overall, with the accompaniment of such great musicians as Bruce Barth on piano, Kenny Davis on electric and acoustic basses, and Billy Kilson on drums, Cook serves her listeners 11 coherent musical statements that tend to satisfy both the intellectual and emotional needs of artistic creation with a refreshing rhythmic variety. ~Paula Edelstein

Simply Natural

The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra - Take One

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:04
Size: 107.7 MB
Styles: Big band
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[3:50] 1. Vine Street Rumble
[2:27] 2. I Just Found Out About Love
[3:34] 3. Take The A Train
[2:11] 4. Michelle
[3:45] 5. We'll Be Together Again
[3:27] 6. Cute
[4:50] 7. Jenny
[2:53] 8. You Make Me Feel So Young
[6:29] 9. Tee Pee Time
[5:13] 10. Corner Pocket
[4:46] 11. Come Sunday
[3:34] 12. One O'clock Jump

Jim Mair: music director, alto sax; Steve Molloy, Bob Harvey, Jay Sollenberger, Stan Kessler: trumpet; Bob Long, Greg Briggs: alto sax, flute; Doug Talley: tenor, soprano sax, flute; David Chael: tenor sax, flute; Kerry Strayer: baritone sax, flute; Jeff Hamer, Paul McKee, Stephanie Cox: trombone; Lee Hill Kavanaugh: bass trombone; Charles Williams: piano; Rod Fleeman: guitar; Theodore Wilson: bass; Lisa Henry: vocals (2,5,8). Special guest: Harold Jones: drums.

The debut recording by the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra marks the pinnacle of a dream come true for cofounders Jim Mair and Gene Hall—a repertory orchestra comprised of top-notch musicians from the Kansas City area, patterned after others around the country with local sponsors, a board of directors and national grants to lend financial support. After honing its chops during three highly successful concerts, the band entered KC's Soundtrek Studio in November '04 to establish a more permanent record of its burgeoning prowess.

Keenly aware of the long and glorious tradition of big band jazz in Kansas City, the KCJO was eager for the challenge, and everything seemed to fall neatly in place. Deciding on a name for the album was easy, as most numbers were neatly wrapped up on Take One. And what better way to open a KC-style session than with Benny Carter's "Vine Street Rumble, building a solidly swinging groove in which everyone is loose and comfortable.

Later on, the band offers a trio of snappy salutes to the legendary Count Basie, a founding father of the Kansas City school of big band jazz—the Count's classic "One O'Clock Jump, Freddie Green's "Corner Pocket and Neal Hefti's "Cute (the last showcasing guest drummer Harold Jones). Duke Ellington is represented by his composition "Come Sunday and Billy Strayhorn's "Take the 'A' Train.

Clark Terry's "Tee Pee Time is a cooker, with solos to match by tenor Doug Talley, trombonist Paul McKee and trumpeter Stan Kessler. Kessler's burnished flugel is featured with pianist Charles Williams on Lennon/McCartney's "Michelle and with baritone Theodore Wilson on Ernie Wilkins' "Jenny. Williams and tenor David Chael are out front on "Rumble, Mair (alto) and Doug Talley (soprano) on "'A' Train, Talley (tenor) and trumpeter Steve Molloy on "Corner Pocket, flutist Bob Long and flugel Bob Harvey on "Sunday, Williams, Talley and flugel Jay Sollengerger on "Jump. The KJO has a splendid vocalist in Lisa Henry, and she acquits herself well on "I Just Found Out About Love, "We'll Be Together Again and "You Make Me Feel So Young, with sturdy support from the orchestra.

The studio recording is bright and clear, although the brass is a tad too distant at times (at least on my headphones), while the less-than-lavish 47:41 playing time is at least acceptable for a first effort. In fact, an admirable enterprise all round for the rosy-cheeked KCJO, and, one would hope, a harbinger of more memorable adventures yet to come. ~Jack Bowers

Take One

Jeff Lynne - Long Wave

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 26:57
Size: 61.7 MB
Styles: Standards, Pop-Rock
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[2:38] 1. She
[2:19] 2. If I Loved You
[2:30] 3. So Sad
[2:51] 4. Mercy, Mercy
[2:08] 5. Running Scared
[2:17] 6. Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered
[2:29] 7. Smile
[2:31] 8. At Last
[2:29] 9. Love Is A Many Splendored Thing
[1:48] 10. Let It Rock
[2:52] 11. Beyond The Sea

A mere 22 years after his last solo album, 1990’s Armchair Theatre, the man described by The Washington Times as “the fourth greatest record producer in history” returns with two. One, Mr. Blue Sky, features ELO classics. The other is this collection: a love-letter to the songs Jeff Lynne heard on his dad’s radio, songs which inspired him while growing up in Birmingham. Having famously worked with Dylan, Harrison, Orbison and Ringo, the pop polymath now plays everything himself, a one-man band moving across a dewy sound-bed of nostalgia.

A subjective labour of love akin to Bowie’s Pin-Ups or Ferry’s These Foolish Things, which also carries elements of stripped-down self-exposure (like Johnny Cash’s American Recordings or Tom Jones’ Spirit in the Room), it’s infused with warm melancholy. If it never crackles with startling candour, you sense that’s because he wants to pay simple homage to the tunes that formed him, rather than whip out his youthful diaries.

Many selections are "pre-rock" 1950s standards, with a few fairly well-known but not over-familiar 60s nuggets also summoned. Perhaps surprisingly, Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered, and Love Is a Many Splendored Thing work wonderfully well. Lynne has never been an ostentatious singer but knows how to arrange to perfection, even in this understated mode. The echoing shadows of Richard Hawley’s music come to mind. We could all probably live without another version of Charlie Chaplin’s cheesy Smile, but he does make it chug along effectively. Don’t expect ELO-style baroque-and-rococo flourishes: for the most part Long Wave ticks with paced, poignant precision. There’s further subdued romance in the readings of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s If I Loved You and the evergreen She, once crooned by Charles Aznavour. A louche, atypically throwaway take on Bobby Darin’s Beyond the Sea is a damp squib, and a couple of trad blues-rockers only remind the listener of ELO’s Roll Over Beethoven. But Lynne’s elegiac streak emerges again on Etta James’ At Last and The Big O’s Running Scared. Lynne doesn’t try to break any moulds here, but respectfully doffs a cap at those that shaped him. ~Chris Roberts

Long Wave

Ebbe Jularbo - C-Jam Blues

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:07
Size: 101.0 MB
Styles: Traditional folk, Standards
Year: 1988/2013
Art: Front

[2:55] 1. The Best Things In Life Are Free
[2:50] 2. Lazy River
[2:43] 3. Dinah
[3:11] 4. Always In My Heart
[2:29] 5. The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise
[2:18] 6. September In The Rain
[2:47] 7. Linger Awhile
[3:03] 8. Once In A While
[3:27] 9. Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone
[3:49] 10. Trubbel
[2:40] 11. Avalon
[2:51] 12. Bye Bye Blackbird
[3:10] 13. Whispering
[2:45] 14. Marie
[3:02] 15. C-Jam Blues

Oskar Eberhardt "Ebbe" Jularbo, född 11 januari 1915 i Katarina församling, Stockholm, död 8 januari 1991 i Enskede, Stockholm, var en svensk dragspelare, son till dragspelaren Calle Jularbo. Han gifte sig 7 juni 1944 med Katja Iris Vendela Dorotea Solveig, född 27 december 1914 i Avesta.

Jularbo och hans far omnämns i Povel Ramels Birth of the gammeldans från revyn På avigan (1966): "Först kommer Calle Jularbo med Eberhardt i hand..."

C-Jam Blues

Jeanne Newhall - Paris Nights

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:20
Size: 106.1 MB
Styles: Piano/vocal jazz, New Age
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[3:49] 1. I Will Wait For You- Les Parapluies De Cherbourg
[6:46] 2. Claire De Lune
[2:51] 3. Stardust- Etoile D'amour
[4:32] 4. Let It Be Me (Je T'appartiens)
[3:24] 5. First Gymnopedie
[5:09] 6. The Days Of The Waltz- La Valse A Mille Temps
[3:05] 7. Elegie
[4:27] 8. Pieces Of Dreams
[2:54] 9. Frere Jacques
[5:29] 10. I Wish You Love
[3:48] 11. I Will Say Goodbye- Je Vivrai Sans Toi

If you cannot afford to go to France but you want the feel, delight in Newhall's Paris Nights. Vocals in French are rich and lovely and the cd is relaxing. This is one to keep! ~Cindy Gee

Jeanne Newhall is a well-respected composer and sophisticated vocalist and her vast musical roots have impacted jazz and new age since the early '90s. But before her successful recording career, Newhall's musical dreams were firmly shaped during her early childhood when she began tickling the ivories at age six. The early teenage years of mastering the piano while growing up on a farm in her native Phoenix led Newhall to learn six Mozart concertos by age 15. Opportunities to attend some of the nation's most prestigious music schools such as Julliard and Eastman didn't strike her fancy, however. Newhall studied with Abbey Simon at Indiana University before earning a degree from Arizona State. By the late '80s she was serious about a recording and performing career.

Paris Nights

Oscar Peterson - Debut: The Clef/Mercury Duo Recordings 1949-1951 (3-Disc Set)

Recording Date: September 18, 1949 - February 26, 1952. Oscar Peterson: piano; Ray Brown: bass; Major Holley: bass.

Piano giant Oscar Peterson's professional career spanned approximately 60 years and produced a prolific amount of recordings, though most of what he waxed during his first two decades was for labels launched by jazz impresario Norman Granz. But Peterson's early duo recordings have been neglected during the CD era until this comprehensive, three-CD set of his duets with Ray Brown or Major Holley made between 1949 and 1951.

While the story of how Granz discovered the phenomenal young pianist has been told in various ways, the producer sought to gain greater exposure for him by featuring Peterson on stage in the United States. Being a Canadian, Peterson was unable to perform legally in the US due to work restrictions on foreign visitors, but Granz solved that problem by providing the pianist a ticket to his 1949 Jazz at the Philharmonic concert at Carnegie then announcing him as a surprise guest, pairing him with the virtuoso bassist Ray Brown, as a planned trio with Buddy Rich failed to materialize after the drummer was drained following his earlier set. Peterson stole the show with his three featured numbers with Brown, who was not only a magnificent timekeeper but also a significant foil for the newcomer. Disc One consists of their complete 1949 set and a return performance the following year, with Peterson's driving "Carnegie Blues" and a previously unissued "Tea For Two" being highlights. Given the age of the source material, the sound is surprisingly good.

Seven duo sessions would take place over the next year-and-a-half, five with Brown and two with Holley; Disc Two includes sessions with each. The first formal meeting with Brown produced a hit record of "Tenderly," which combined just the right mix of swing, technique and elegance. Peterson's lively "Debut," flashy "Oscar's Blues" (both with Brown) and blazing bop vehicle "Nameless" (the latter with Holley) never became widely known but revealed his promise as a composer. The pianist's first encounter with Holley included 13 other tracks; like Brown, Holley was not relegated exclusively to a supporting role but provoked Peterson with his inventive lines, particularly showing off his abilities in the still-popular Latin favorite "Tico Tico." Although "I'll Remember April" is often performed by boppers at a blazing tempo, Peterson and Holley opt for a slow, dreamy setting that works very well. Holley's potent bass line powers Peterson's energetic rendition of Johnny Hodges' neglected gem "Squatty Roo," though there is some noticeable deterioration in the source material for this track.

The third disc, except for two selections, is all Brown. "Caravan" would become a staple in Peterson's repertoire and this early effort is full of flash while swinging like mad, with Brown matching the pianist's virtuosity throughout the performance. Peterson's choppy "Salute to Garner" mimics the style of the popular pianist without sounding overly imitative while his dramatic setting of "Dark Eyes" may seem a bit excessive during the introduction but quickly settles into a swinging manner. Bob Haggart's "What's New" was still a relatively recent work and had not yet become a standard; the duo's treatment blends improvisation with its elegant theme in a satisfying way. "How High the Moon" was already a feature in the repertoires of most jazz musicians by 1950, yet Peterson restrains himself from the furious tempo that many players preferred in order to show off. "The Nearness of You" and the waltz setting of "Laura" shimmer with beauty. Peterson's bluesy "Slow Down" lists Barney Kessel and Alvin Stoller present, though neither man is audible on this track. Holley takes Brown's place for the frenetic "Lover" and the previously unissued "There's a Small Hotel."

Peterson continued to work regularly with Brown in a trio setting until the mid '60s and they reunited over the decades (though they only returned to the duo format on two '70s recordings, one to back Ella Fitzgerald) until the bassist's death in 2002. Aside from the abrasive cardboard CD holders, this boxed set is first class: terrific liner notes by David Ritz, many vintage photographs, a complete discography plus reproductions of the original album jackets and notes. Consider Debut an essential Oscar Peterson collection. ~Ken Dryden

Album: Debut: The Clef/Mercury Duo Recordings 1949-1951 (Disc 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:10
Size: 75.9 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2009

[0:49] 1. Announcement By Norman Granz
[7:19] 2. I Only Have Eyes For You
[3:45] 3. Fine And Dandy
[8:23] 4. Carnegie Blues
[5:11] 5. Gal
[4:12] 6. Padovani
[3:28] 7. Tea For Two

Debut: The Clef/Mercury Duo Recordings 1949-1951 (Disc 1)

Album: Debut: The Clef/Mercury Duo Recordings 1949-1951 (Disc 21)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:07
Size: 172.0 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2009

[2:48] 1. Debut
[2:52] 2. They Didn't Believe Me
[2:47] 3. Lover Come Back To Me
[3:23] 4. Where Or When
[3:31] 5. Three O'clock In The Morning
[3:31] 6. All The Things You Are
[3:41] 7. Tenderly
[3:10] 8. Oscar's Blues
[3:05] 9. Little White Lies
[3:09] 10. In The Middle Of A Kiss
[2:52] 11. Nameless
[3:17] 12. Two Sleepy People
[2:56] 13. Jumpin' With Symphony Sid
[3:12] 14. Robbins Nest
[2:58] 15. Tico Tico
[2:27] 16. Get Happy
[3:04] 17. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
[3:08] 18. Deep Purple
[2:23] 19. Exactly Like You
[3:30] 20. I'll Remember April
[3:15] 21. Easy To Love
[3:01] 22. Takin' A Chance On Love
[3:21] 23. Squatty Roo
[3:35] 24. After All

Debut: The Clef/Mercury Duo Recordings 1949-1951 (Disc 2)

Album: Debut: The Clef/Mercury Duo Recordings 1949-1951 (Disc 3)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:52
Size: 137.1 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[2:48] 1. Caravan
[3:01] 2. Summer Nocturne
[2:48] 3. Salute To Garner
[3:03] 4. I Get A Kick Out Of You
[3:17] 5. What's New
[3:48] 6. Dark Eyes
[3:29] 7. What Is It
[2:58] 8. The Way You Look Tonight
[3:39] 9. Minor Blues
[3:44] 10. Slow Down
[2:57] 11. How High The Moon
[3:12] 12. The Nearness Of You
[3:38] 13. There's A Small Hotel
[2:59] 14. Lover
[2:53] 15. Gypsy In My Soul
[2:19] 16. On The Alamo
[2:37] 17. Lullaby Of The Leaves
[3:28] 18. Laura
[3:04] 19. September In The Rain

Debut: The Clef/Mercury Duo Recordings 1949-1951 (Disc 3)

Alice Groves - Soft Illusions

Styles: Vocal, World Fusion
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:36
Size: 95,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:43) 1. A Taste of Honey
(2:55) 2. Today's Lover
(3:36) 3. A Day in the Life of a Fool
(5:10) 4. The Phoenician
(3:29) 5. Canada
(4:05) 6. If I Could Reach Your Heart
(4:34) 7. Don't Cry For Me Argentina
(5:02) 8. Besame Mucho
(9:00) 9. Apostrophe

From a little girl of six years old chosen to represent her school singing the ballad "I Had a Little Secret" at the county stage competition in rural Ontario, to the searing crossover-soprano vocalist singing on stages in Cannes, France, or back home on Mainstage, Parliament Hill on Canada Day or in the National Arts Centre of Canada, Alice has travelled a passionate if challenging road as a singer-poet-songwriter - now adding musical co-arranging and producing into the mix. As an artist passionate about every aspect of her art and craft, and unendingly devoted to "singing ALL the great songs that have ever been written," as well as her own originals, Alice is like a whirling dervish from recording session to live performance and from one genre to another pulling it all together in her delivery which has thousands of fans making comments such as: "Wow! I listened to your music on your profile and.....Wow!" (Robert Rubio, Myspace); and "What a voice!" (Mrchiefmv, Youtube). Because it's about the voice She puts it out there every time both heart and soul. Her song choices are very up-close and personal to her and the listener can hear that. She's reaching out around the planet. And for that reason, her sound carries depth and mystery which speak to the human heart, and not to one particular type of person or nationality. After all, she says "Music is the sonic glue that holds humanity together."

When her family moved from a rural Ontario farm to the very multi-cultural capital of Canada, Ottawa (she was nine), Alice's 'world' journey began - a journey into many cultures and languages - all rich with prismatic colour and charm and possibilities. Ever proud of her Celtic Anglo-Irish parents and heritage, she nevertheless absorbed the French language quickly, made friends with anyone and everyone the more cultural variety the better - and sang in school and church, radio and television choirs throughout elementary and secondary school. Singing in clubs during her university years "helped to pay my way"..... and then the music went into a sort of necessary hiatus during a family posting (she had married her university mate) to the Middle East (Beirut Lebanon). But the years in Beirut were to fuel her thirst for music and provide new and larger direction to her already eclectic multi-cultural sound and repertoire. Her love for the Moorish Arabic-Spanish sound, instrumentation, and feel, she realized, was not far-removed from her native Celtic sound. After all, while music/sound is endemic to its native origins, people, especially the Celts, have migrated across the face of Europe and the Middle East so endlessly that their music is not mutually exclusive. "Every culture's music is charming and I want to sing like the wind, touching down here and there and everywhere, carrying music with me, with my voice at the core, but with sounds that everyone will recognize - and this is what 'World' music is all about. It's my way of talking to people, no matter where they're from. Sure I'm an Irish-English Canadian, but I speak "Music"!"

This fascination with world cultures starting in Ottawa, and mushrooming in the Middle East, found a further avenue when, back in Canada after the 'wild' years in Beirut, Alice joined forces with a Brazilian-Peruvian quartet which performed and recorded songs of the inimitable Carlos Jobim, Jorge Ben, Luiz Bonfa, et al. So that now a picture was emerging of this artist as someone who could weave the sounds she fell in love with into HER OWN pure voice and Celtic sensibility. Leaving the quartet at the end of a decade of regular performances everywhere from small cafes to concert halls, Alice decided to re-examine her musical DNA; and the result is the album "Soft Illusions". "These are songs that I love and feel crazily-passionately about! The kind of songs that make me fly, that take me to another place and time!" - and it must be working for the listener too, because her fans love it and are buying it up on the Internet. As one of her Youtube fans recently commented: "Love your voice. It really transports the listener to a different place and time, and that's a rare gift."

While "Soft Illusions" is clearly a 'World' genre album in its far-reaching themes and stylings, listeners can hear the jazz and folk edges flowing through. As Chicago's Thadeus Project has commented about her: "...Classy voice, Alice! I'll bet you could bring down the house with Roberta Flack's 'The First Time Ever I saw Your Face...' " The extra 'surprise' in "Soft Illusions" is soul-searing lyrics like "The Phoenician" - delivered by Alice as a 'spoken word' lyric with her flowing soprano vocal scatting in the background intermittently with the music. Or her original "Today's Lover" about the fleeting, insubstantial nature of modern relationships which, although hauntingly sad, do not rob the singer of hope. The despair of lost love leaves her asking questions and yearning... No matter what song you listen to on "Soft Illusions", you can count on the fact that it will be about LOVE - whether gloriously ecstatic and/or gloriously painful - always the highest form of meaning in life; and you can count on hearing a uniquly blissful soprano voice according to the thousands of testimonials pouring in from around the world such as that of Italian photographer Marco Girolami - "Your voice is gorgeous!" (Myspace); and, finally, last but not least, you can count on feeling 'touched' by her soul... And that, is her "Little Secret". http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/MaryAlice1

Soft Illusions

Eddie Higgins Trio - You Are Too Beautiful

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:51
Size: 137,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:51) 1. A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square
(5:58) 2. All The Things You Are
(5:03) 3. Lover Man
(6:36) 4. Like Someone In Love
(4:10) 5. Historia De Una Amor
(4:43) 6. Anything Goes
(4:44) 7. In A Sentimental Mood
(4:33) 8. In The Still Of The Night
(4:54) 9. Georgia On My Mind
(4:15) 10. Blue Bossa
(4:55) 11. You Are Too Beautiful
(5:08) 12. I'll Be Seeing You

A solid bop-based pianist, Eddie Higgins has never become a major name, but he has been well-respected by his fellow musicians for decades. After growing up in New England, he moved to Chicago, where he played in all types of situations before settling in to a long stint as the leader of the house trio at the London House (1957-1969). Higgins moved back to Massachusetts in 1970 and went on to freelance, often accompanying his wife, vocalist Meredith D'Ambrosio, and appearing at jazz parties and festivals. Eddie Higgins has led sessions of his own for Replica (1958), Vee-Jay (1960), Atlantic, and Sunnyside; back in 1960, he recorded as a sideman for Vee-Jay with Lee Morgan and Wayne Shorter. ~ Bio https://itunes.apple.com/pt/artist/the-eddie-higgins-trio/id543547892?l=en#fullText

You Are Too Beautiful

Jessy J - Tequila Moon

Styles: Vocal And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:00
Size: 105,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:36) 1. Tequila Moon
(3:44) 2. Spanish Nights
(4:33) 3. Sin Ti/Without You
(5:04) 4. Mas Que Nada
(4:07) 5. Fiesta Velada
(3:36) 6. Poetry Man
(4:03) 7. Turquoise Street
(3:03) 8. PB 'N' J
(3:39) 9. Bésame Mucho
(3:49) 10. Running Away
(5:42) 11. Song for You

It's hard to imagine Jessy J as one who wanted to play straight-ahead jazz. Yet that was the type of demo she submitted to producer/guitarist Paul Brown, whose style and influence in recorded music is about as far from straight-ahead jazz as one can get. To no surprise, the relationship that developed between Brown and the saxophonist/vocalist has Jessy J fitting comfortably within the smooth jazz format, although her debut, Tequila Moon, has a Latin theme. Born of Mexican parents in Portland, Oregon, and reared in Hemet, California, Jessy J has deep roots in Latin music. She was a huge fan of Cannonball Adderley and John Coltrane a further contradiction of her format-friendly debut but also loved pop. In addition to Brown, her professional career has had her in recording sessions or on stage with such artists as Michael Bublé, The Temptations and Michael Bolton. She's also forged bonds with saxophonists Mindi Abair and Kirk Whalum. Tequila Moon features Jessy J with a variable mix of session players, with the greater contributions coming from Brown, percussionist Richie Gajate Garcia, keyboardist Ricky Peterson (who also does string synths) and bassist Roberto Vally. Brown also co-wrote five of the seven original songs. The others were penned by drum programmer Donald Hayes and keyboardist Kiki Ebsen.

The title song sets the mood for the entire package. Its laid-back groove is pleasant, aided by Jessy J's smooth tenor sax lead, underscored by Brown's guitar and Gregg Karukas on keys and string synths. "Sin Ti/Without You" presents an easy-going samba feel, accented by Peterson on keys, Vally's bass line and drummer Oscar Seaton's rim shots. Toward the end, Jessy J shows her chops on tenor. Jorge Bem's "Mas Que Nada" has been covered many times over. With Jessy J setting aside her sax in order to sing lead, this cover is nicely done but lacks the energy of previous versions, particular one done by Al Jarreau. Still, Jessy's charming voice makes this worth listening to, with drummer Sergio Gonzales helping it with some adept cymbal work. One of the better showcases for Jessy J's talent as a songwriter and musician is "Fiesta Velada," which she co-wrote with Brown.

One major plus is that this straightforward Latin piece lacks the cookie-cutter, smooth jazz production which overpowers most of the songs in this set. Vally, Peterson, Seaton and Garcia complement the leader while Jessy J and her tenor have a party. Tequila Moon is a nice overall debut for Jessy J. The selections all clock in at less than six minutes, with the majority between three and four. That certainly increases the probability of airplay on smooth jazz, adult contemporary, or even easy listening stations. Unfortunately, the commercialization of this recording dilutes the beauty of Jessy J's performance. ~ Woodrow Wilkins http://www.allaboutjazz.com/tequila-moon-jessy-j-peak-records-review-by-woodrow-wilkins.php

Personnel: Jessy J: tenor sax (1-4, 5, 7, 8, 11), vocals (4, 9), flute (5), soprano sax (6, 10); Sergio Gonzales: drums (1, 4); Gregg Karukas: keys (1, 4) string synths (1, 4); Paul Brown: guitar (1-3, 8-11); Richie Gajate Garcia: percussion (1-5, 9); Donald Hayes: bass (2), keys (2), drum programming (2); Ricky Peterson: string synths (2, 3, 5, 9, 10), piano (2, 5, 10), keys (3); Roberto Vally: bass (3-11); Oscar Seaton: drums (3, 5); Kiki Ebsen: keys (6-8), string synths (6-8), piano (11); Dave Beyer: drums (6-8, 11), percussion (6-8); Chad Wright: drums (10); Nino Sanchez: percussion (10).

Tequila Moon

Eddie Jefferson - Body And Soul

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:21
Size: 81,3 MB
Art: Front

(1:07) 1. Introduction By Ed Williams
(2:44) 2. See If You Can Git To That
(4:26) 3. Body And Soul
(2:56) 4. Mercy, mercy, mercy
(4:24) 5. So What
(2:18) 6. There I Go, There I Go Again
(2:47) 7. Psychedelic Sally
(4:29) 8. Now's the Time
(3:28) 9. Filthy McNasty
(6:37) 10. Oh Gee

Eddie Jefferson had not been on record in quite a few years when he recorded this excellent set (reissued on CD) for Prestige. A few of the songs ("Mercy, Mercy, Mercy," "Psychedelic Sally" and "See If You Can Git to That") were attempts to update the singer's style in the mod idiom of the late '60s but the most memorable selections are "So What" (on which Jefferson recreates Miles Davis's famous solo), "Body and Soul", "Now's the Time," "Oh Gee" and "Filthy McNasty"; the latter has very effective lyrics by writer Ira Gitler. Tenorman James Moody, trumpeter Dave Burns and pianist Barry Harris are in the supporting cast of this excellent set. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/body-and-soul-mw0000202949

Personnel: Eddie Jefferson (vocals); James Moody (flute, tenor saxophone); Dave Burns (trumpet); Barry Harris (piano); Billy Gene English (drums).

Body And Soul