Kaylene Peoples - All Jazzed Up!

Size: 142,6 MB
Time: 61:05
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2005
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. One Note Samba (5:09)
02. Do You Remember (3:50)
03. My Favorite Things (5:11)
04. Funny Valentine (5:53)
05. Run Away With Me (4:53)
06. How Insensitive (4:49)
07. Lush Life (5:19)
08. Nearness Of You (3:28)
09. Girl From Ipanema (4:29)
10. Good Morning Heartache (5:00)
11. Once I Loved (4:01)
12. My Only Crime (4:09)
13. Wives & Lovers (4:47)

Jazz vocalist Kaylene Peoples must have been in a nostalgic mood when she made All Jazzed Up! The 13-track CD has a strong lineup of beloved standards, including “My Funny Valentine” and “Lush Life,” creating late-night jazz club vibe. The album also has a healthy dose of bossa nova tunes, with several numbers from the songbook of Antonio Carlos Jobim. Three original songs round out the CD. Peoples has a big five-octave range that floats above the instruments. This airy quality is especially well-suited for the breezy bossa nova numbers that are never too far away. She kicks off the album with Jobim’s “One Note Samba.” She makes the song sound effortless, interjecting a quick scat as well as a nice flute solo. Another example of this is on “Girl from Ipanema.” She manages to make the well-traveled song her own, with the addition of a lengthy and fitting instrumental solo.”One Note Samba” leads into the original “Do You Remember?” The warm ballad sounds like it could have come off of an old Nancy Wilson or Gloria Lynne album.Peoples then demonstrates her interpretive skills with a jazz treatment of “My Favorite Things.” She is accompanied on the CD by guitarist Rich Mouser and the Peoples Republic Trio.Another track worth mentioning is Hoagy Carmichael’s “Nearness of You.” Here, Mouser’s acoustic guitar and Peoples’ vocals work beautifully together on the slow, gentle start. Peoples then kicks it into high gear, upping the tempo before slowing it down again for the ending. She seems to have made an effort to make sure that the songs have a strong beginning and end, a quality that is missing from many productions today.

All Jazzed Up!

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Beegie Adair & Friends - Jazz Romance: 15 Sentimental Love Songs

Size: 134,5 MB
Time: 57:36
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz: Traditional Jazz Combo, Easy Listening
Art: Front

01. At Last (3:55)
02. Moonglow (Feat. The Jeff Steinberg Orchestra) (3:45)
03. Strangers In The Night (Feat. Denis Solee) (3:23)
04. As Time Goes By (4:30)
05. A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square (4:21)
06. Love Walked In (Feat. Jack Jezzro) (3:29)
07. I'm Getting Sentimental Over You (3:28)
08. It Had To Be You (3:37)
09. Young At Heart (Feat. Denis Solee) (4:18)
10. Dance With Me (3:54)
11. A Certain Smile (Feat. The Jeff Steinberg Orchestra) (3:40)
12. Autumn Leaves (3:57)
13. They Say It's Wonderful (Feat. Jack Jezzro) (3:13)
14. Come Rain Or Come Shine (4:43)
15. When I Fall In Love (3:15)

Beegie Adair grew up in Cave City, Kentucky, where she began taking piano lessons at age five. She continued to study piano throughout college, earning a B.S. in Music Education at Western State University in Bowling Green, Kentucky. During and after college, she played in jazz bands, and spent three years teaching music to children before moving to Nashville, where she became a session musician, working at WSM-TV and on The Johnny Cash Show (1969-71). A sought-after studio musician in her early days there, Adair accompanied such legendary performers as Chet Atkins, Dolly Parton, Lucille Ball, Steve Allen, Dinah Shore, Mama Cass Elliott and Peggy Lee.

Jazz Romance

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Sabrina Silver - Freshman

Size: 62,5 MB
Time: 26:51
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Hello Suckers (3:42)
02. The Best Thing For You (2:53)
03. Someone To Light Up My Life (4:00)
04. Taking A Chance On Love (3:12)
05. Ev'rything I've Got (4:39)
06. You And The Night And The Music (2:50)
07. All My Tomorrows (5:32)

My folks owned Gregory's, a pocket-sized jazz club on 63rd St. and 1st Ave. in New York City, from 1972 to 1988. My mother, Alicia Sherman, performed there regularly, as did some of the jazz greats of the era (for a retro experience, see this article from 1984). As such, I grew up steeped in the tradition, and particularly in that of sultry torch singers like my mom (I even get a shout-out in this review).

I began singing professionally while a student at Yale University, producing three studio albums and performing throughout Europe, Asia and North America with singing groups Something Extra and Whim 'n Rhythm.

Since relocating to New York, I have studied with renowned vocalists Marion Cowings and Jay Clayton and recently produced my first jazz EP, Freshman, which pays homage to my heritage, with tunes frequently performed at Gregory's, including the opener, Hello Suckers, composed by Gregory's regular, Hod O'Brien. The tracks represent, at the core, an endeavor in honest respect for lyrics, which I hold most dear as a musical storyteller.

When not performing or sitting in at my favorite NYC haunts, I am a full-time high school Academic Dean in the Achievement First network of charter schools. I am appreciative of the communities into which I've been welcomed in both my careers, so feel free to pick my brain about standards and show tunes, the NYC jazz scene in the eighties or urban education reform anytime.

Freshman

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Luca Velotti Quartet - Moonray

Size: 116,0 MB
Time: 49:56
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz: Mainstream Jazz
Art: Front

01. I'll Be Seeing You (3:43)
02. Anita (3:12)
03. Gee Baby Ain't I Good To You (4:25)
04. Migalhas De Amor (5:30)
05. Shine (3:31)
06. Nobody Knows You When You're Down And Out (5:53)
07. Moonray (5:14)
08. Jitterbug Waltz (6:01)
09. Sydney & Louis (3:32)
10. I'm In The Mood For Love (3:03)
11. So Cool (5:47)

The talent of clarinet/sax player Luca Velotti has been widely recognized in the last thirty years, both as mainstream jazz virtuoso performing on international stages (side by side with names such as Scot Hamilton, Bob Wilber and Kenny Davern among many others) and stable sideman with Italian songwriter Paolo Conte. Velotti, who felt in love with the tradition of jazz during his teens, has always proposed his personal view of the classic language, carefully avoiding any sterile imitation. On this new record, where he alternates between clarinet, tenor sax and soprano sax, he is relying on the guitar colors of Michele Ariodante (who also sings on three tracks) and the rhythmic foundation of Gerardo Bartoccini on bass and Carlo Battist on drums to support his melodic explorations of eight standards and three originals. Withinthe song list we find a wide variety of influences, from the more traditional repertoire (Jitterbug waltz, I’min the mood for love, Shine) to seldom played standards (Moonray by clarinetist Artie Shaw, I’ll be seeing you) and blues songs (Gee baby ain’t I good to you, Nobody knows you when you’re down and out). Beyond that, Velotti’s love for South American musical genres, such as choro and habanera, is represented by Migalhas de amor, (by Brazilian mandolin player Jacob du Bandolim), Anita and So cool, two of the three Velotti’s originals on the record (the third, Sydney and Louis is a slow swing dedicated to two of his heroes).With this cd, Luca Velotti has succeded in crafting a musical journey where the colors and the flavors of jazz, blues, ballads and South American music, blend in a polychrome and unique result.

Moonray

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Anna Kolchina - Street Of Dreams

Size: 106,9 MB
Time: 45:45
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Street Of Dreams (4:04)
02. Just One Of Those Things (2:48)
03. I Remember Clifford (6:01)
04. Imagine My Frustration (3:17)
05. The Good Life (2:58)
06. Easy Living (4:07)
07. Don't Fence Me In (3:30)
08. I Didn't Know About You (4:33)
09. As Long As I Live (3:41)
10. Strollin' (4:42)
11. Can't Help Loving Dat Man (3:37)
12. I Hear Music (2:20)

Anna Kolchina is a Jazz Singer.

Currently lives in St. Petersburg and collaborates with the best Russian and European musicians.
She can be heard in different combination and at various concert venues in the city.
For example, three days a week Anna sings as part of a jazz trio at the "Grand Hotel Europe".
Anna Kolchina is a recording artist of "Venus Records", Japan.

Street Of Dreams

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The Potholes Brass Band - Rob Espino Presents The Potholes Brass Band

Size: 162,8 MB
Time: 69:52
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: New Orleans Jazz, Vocals
Art: Front

01. Bugle Boy March (7:29)
02. Go To New Orleans (4:35)
03. Just A Closer Walk With Thee (7:39)
04. Tipitipitin (5:12)
05. Hindustan (4:36)
06. Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans (6:45)
07. Happy Birthday (2:37)
08. When The Saints Go Marching In (4:53)
09. New Orleans (3:19)
10. Panama Rag (5:58)
11. Bye And Bye (6:43)
12. What A Wonderful World (5:34)
13. Do That 2nd Line (4:26)

The Potholes Brass Band was established in 1996 by Eric Howell, a member of the US Marine Corps Band, New Orleans. The New Orleans Potholes Brass Band has been directed and managed by Rob Espino since 2001. Rob has taken the reigns and has not let off, taking the Potholes Brass Band all over Europe and almost every major Jazz Festival in the World.

The Potholes Brass Band

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Stan Getz - Best Of Two Worlds

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:49
Size: 98.0 MB
Styles: Bossa Nova, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1976/1999/2013
Art: Front

[3:31] 1. Double Rainbow
[4:40] 2. Aguas De Marco
[5:20] 3. Ligia
[5:02] 4. Falsa Balana
[4:01] 5. Retrato Em Branco E Preto
[4:36] 6. Izaura
[3:54] 7. Eu Vim Da Bahia
[3:23] 8. Joao Marcello
[5:14] 9. E Preciso Perdoar
[3:03] 10. Just One Of Those Things

This 1976 album by the late saxophonist Stan Getz is a reunion of sorts with Joao Gilberto, the great Brazilian guitarist and singer, and the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim (or Tom Jobim), along with the stylish and nonintrusive arrangements of Oscar Carlos Neves. The trio changed the world in the early 1960s with its Getz/Gilberto albums. With Neves, they almost did it again, but with all of the crap falling down around them in the musical climate of the mid-'70s -- fusion, disco, overblown rock, and the serious decline of jazz -- this disc was criminally overlooked at the time. Joining these four men in their realization of modern bossa and samba are drummers Billy Hart and Grady Tate, percussionists Airto, Ray Armando, and Ruben Bassini, bassist Steve Swallow, pianist Albert Dailey, and Heliosoa Buarque de Hollanda singing the English vocals as a fill-in for Astrud Gilberto -- who was not invited to join this session and would have declined if she were. The most beautiful thing about this recording is that Jobim -- whose song forms had reached such a degree of sophistication that he was untouchable -- chose to write all of his lyrics in English (songwriter Gene Lees also wrote many in English). This is something that did not come naturally or effortlessly to Jobim, but sounds as if it did. Jobim's poetry on tracks such as "Waters of March," accompanied by Getz's lushly romantic saxophones and Gilberto's crooning nylon-string guitar, are so sensuous they radiate heat and humidity. Elsewhere, on the Lees/Jobim co-write "Double Rainbow," Gilberto's singing carries the soft bossa into the middle of American jazz phraseology and builds a bridge so airy and flexible it can never be undone. There is also a barn-burning samba in "Falsa Bahiana," which slips and shimmies along the 6/8 line and sweeps itself up in couplets in the solos. In all, this is as fine a bossa album as Getz ever recorded, standing among his finest works, and without a doubt equals his earlier collaborations with Jobim and Gilberto. ~Thom Jurek

Best Of Two Worlds

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Roberto Rico & His Fabulous Band - Barbershop & Close Harmony Favorites

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:31
Size: 95.1 MB
Styles: Vocal harmonies
Year: 1998
Art: Front

[2:40] 1. When You're Smiling
[2:12] 2. Puttin' On The Ritz
[2:08] 3. Johnny Is The Boy For Me
[2:43] 4. I'se Muggin'
[2:41] 5. Fascinating Rhythm
[3:46] 6. Smoke That Cigarette
[2:57] 7. Night And Day
[2:34] 8. Mr. Sandman
[2:44] 9. I Only Have Eyes For You
[2:13] 10. Somebody Loves Me
[3:49] 11. You Always Hurt The One You Love
[3:55] 12. On The Beach In Waikiki
[2:22] 13. My Funny Valentine
[4:41] 14. So In Love

Barbershop & Close Harmony Favorites

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Gypsy Swing Revue - Puttin' On The Ritz

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:47
Size: 107.1 MB
Styles: Gypsy jazz
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[4:02] 1. Coquette
[4:34] 2. There Will Never Be Another You
[4:26] 3. Troublant Bolero
[3:22] 4. Jojo Swing
[4:15] 5. Viper's Dream
[4:43] 6. Zapala
[4:29] 7. Farewell
[4:28] 8. Swing Gitan
[4:31] 9. Number One
[3:54] 10. Puttin On The Ritz
[4:00] 11. Unfortunate Rendezvous

The music of Gypsy Swing Revue is the swinging jazz of the 30’s and 40’s - Gypsy Jazz. This unique musical style was brought to life by Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grappelli during their domination of the Paris jazz scene in the 1930's. With instrumentation similar to Django's Quintet of the Hot Club of France (two acoustic gypsy guitars, violin, and upright bass), tight arrangements and impeccable performance, Gypsy Swing Revue recreates the elegant and energizing mood of war-era European Jazz.

This album was recorded 'live' in the studio, without any overdubs or edits. Notable tracks include two original compositions (Elliot Reed’s Zapala, and Farewell, by Art Gibson), one of the very few bolero-style tunes composed by Django Reinhardt (Troublant Bolero), the title track, a timeless standard by Irving Berlin (Puttin' On The Ritz), modern songs from the Gypsy Jazz repertoire (Jojo Swing, Number One), as well as a rare Russian swing song, contemporary with Django's early career, and never before recorded in United States (Unfortunate Rendezvous).

Puttin' On The Ritz

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Warren Vaché, Allan Vaché - Remember

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:48
Size: 175.8 MB
Styles: Straight ahead jazz
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[5:21] 1. Just Friends
[7:39] 2. Tangerine
[5:44] 3. London By Night
[7:18] 4. I'll Remember April
[6:57] 5. All Blues
[8:02] 6. Just Squeeze Me (But Don't Tease Me)
[5:10] 7. The Eel's Nephew
[6:07] 8. Falando De Orlando
[7:56] 9. Cotton Tail
[3:38] 10. Danny Boy
[5:53] 11. If Dreams Come True
[6:56] 12. What Am I Here For

The Vaché brothers, cornetist Warren and clarinetist Allan, grew up in New Jersey in a hotbed of revivalist trad jazz. Their father, Warren Vaché Sr., was a bassist and writer-editor (a bio of Pee Wee Erwin, the early Chicago-style trumpeter, and editor of Jersey Jazz, a newsletter) and one of the Jersey neo-traditionalists who helped kick-off revivals with the annual Pee Wee Russell Memorial Stomp. But while the brothers were steeped in trad jazz—an experience that has given them a deep appreciation of melodic improvisation—and Allan spent long periods working in trad bands in San Antonio and Orlando, this 1998 date is no trad jazz showcase. Reflecting the eclectic interests of the two brothers, especially Warren, it's a swinging mainstream outing with both timeless and modern touches. Joining the Vachés are the extremely versatile cohorts like Howard Alden (guitar), Eddie Higgins (piano), Phil Flanigan (bass) and Ed Metz Jr. (drums).

"Just Friends," a tune associated with bebop and modernists, is given a muscular workout, centered on the two brothers trading increasingly shorter leads and then engaging in a spirited tangle of simultaneous soloing, Alden joining them in an update of New Orleans polyphony. Later, another modern classic, Miles Davis' "All Blues," is given an idiomatic, modal rendition with Harmon-muted cornet. Warren's affection for small group chamber jazz is realized on a lovely duet for piano and flugelhorn on "London by Night" and a romp through Bud Freeman's "The Eel's Nephew" for cornet, guitar and bass. Allan's alternately bright and woody tone and clear articulation make his feature with the rhythm section, a fast "I'll Remember April," memorably swinging.

But the album's most significant tracks are three pieces of circa 1940 Ellingtonia: "Just Squeeze Me" is jaunty and insinuating, with wah-wah muted cornet and spunky clarinet; "Cottontail," beginning niftily with Ben Webster's orchestrated solo by guitar and bass, is a buoyant romp and "What Am I Here For?," invigorated by stop-time breaks and dropouts like clarinet solo with just bass or introductory melody chorus from just rhythm section is refreshingly appealing, timeless Ellington. ~George Kanzler

Remember

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Fay Claassen & The Milennium Jazz Orchestra - Specially Arranged for Fay

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:43
Size: 134,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:19)  1. Very Early
(4:57)  2. Just One of Those Things
(7:11)  3. Nature Boy
(4:22)  4. But Not for Me
(7:34)  5. Love For Sale
(8:30)  6. When We Were One
(7:02)  7. Speak Low
(7:22)  8. Giant Steps
(5:22)  9. A House Is Not A Home

Not only was Frank Sinatra an incomparable singer, he was a smart one too, employing only the finest arrangers (Nelson Riddle, Billy May, Gordon Jenkins, Axel Stordahl) and musicians to bring out the best in every note he sang. On her third album for Jazz Impuls, Fay Claassen takes a cue from Ol’ Blue Eyes, using as her back-up crew the world-class Millennium Jazz Orchestra and commissioning superlative charts by conductor / music director Joan Reinders. Claassen has a handsome mid-range voice, and it’s clear that she has worked hard on her delivery, her pacing and her diction (the program consists of five standards plus tunes by Bill Evans, Johnny Griffin, John Coltrane and Burt Bacharach / Hal David, all sung and often scatted in letter-perfect English).

Claassen has to stay on her toes to avoid being upstaged by the MJO and those sparkling arrangements by Reinders, and it’s to her credit that she is able to hold her own and remain squarely in the spotlight. Claassen is comfortable at any tempo, equally charming on ballads (“Very Early,” “Nature Boy,” “A House Is Not a Home,” “When We Were One”), flag-wavers (“Just One of Those Things,” “Love for Sale,” “Giant Steps”) or anything in between (“But Not for Me,” “Speak Low”). Reinders’ charts combine the buoyancy and brilliance of Riddle or May while leaving ample room for solos, with Jan Wessels’ flugel especially impressive on “Love for Sale” and “Giant Steps.” Others who help brighten the scenery include pianist Hans Kwakkermaat and bassist Bart Tarenskeen (“Very Early”), tenor Gerlo Hesselink and drummer Niek van Wiggen (“One of Those Things”), Kwakkermaat again (“When We Were Young”), trombonist Jeroen Rol (“Speak Low”) and baritone Job Helmers (“Giant Steps”). 

But the album was Specially Arranged for Fay, and Ms Claassen returns the compliment by showing on every selection that she’s a talented young singer who is definitely on an upward curve. Reinders’ charts fit her like a glove, and vice versa. Add the MJO and the upshot is one of the better big-band-with-vocalist (or vocalist-with-big-band) albums of the year. ~ Jack Bowers  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/specially-arranged-for-fay-fay-claassen-jazz-impuls-review-by-jack-bowers.php

Personnel: Joan Reinders, conductor, arranger; Fay Claassen, vocals; Willy van Diepen, alto, soprano sax, flute; Gerard Grobben, alto, soprano sax, clarinet; Gerlo Hesselink, tenor, soprano sax, flute, clarinet; Martin van der Horst, tenor, soprano sax, clarinet; Job Helmers, baritone sax, bass clarinet; Rini Swinkels, Jan Wessels, Bert Fransen, Erik Hilferink, Herman Nijkamp, trumpet, flugelhorn; Jeroen Rol, Henri Gerrits, Gert Nijenbanning, trombone; Eric Westerink, bass trombone; Hans Kwakkernaat, piano; Bart Tarenskeen, bass; Niek van Wiggen, drums.

Specially Arranged for Fay

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Kyle Eastwood - Time Pieces

Styles: Jazz, Bebop
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:43
Size: 173,9 MB
Art: Front

( 7:08)  1. Caipirinha
( 4:30)  2. Blowin' the Blues Away
( 7:22)  3. Dolphin Dance
( 5:02)  4. Prosecco Smile
( 8:30)  5. Vista
( 6:51)  6. Peace of Silver
( 6:16)  7. Incantation
( 3:41)  8. Letters From Iwo Jima
( 4:35)  9. Nostalgique
( 5:13) 10. Bullet Train
( 5:18) 11. Corner of 3rd and 6th Avenue (Bonus Track)
(11:12) 12. Pfrancing (No Blues) (Bonus Track)

Double bassist, composer and producer Kyle Eastwood unveils a timeless treasure with his seventh album as leader on the sensational Time Pieces, capturing the mood and aura of the 50s and 60s jazz scene blending two standards from the era with rich new compositions incorporating the sensitivities and flavor of that time period. It has been seventeen years since his debut album and along the way, Eastwood also enjoys working on film music where he has composed and arranged scores for his famous father Clint Eastwood's Oscar nominated films "Mystic River," "Million Dollar Baby," and "Letters from Iwo Jima," which is reprised here with a scaled down version arranged for piano and bass. On this album, Eastwood who performs here on the electric, acoustic and fretless bass returns to his jazz roots and influences as he includes music from some of his favorite jazz musicians notably, Horace Silver and Herbie Hancock and admits that much of the originals on this recording, are infused with elements of such influences. The bassist ventures into the modern jazz territory on a ten-piece repertoire where, with the exception of the light melancholy original "Vista,' the brief duet with pianist Andrew McCormack on "Letters from Iwo Jima," and the humbling "Nostalgique," he leads a working quintet of young English musicians in documenting a vibrant session of powerful swinging sounds.

The clock starts ticking on the imaginative and funky original "Caipirinha" featuring the leader on the electric bass, the trumpet voice of Quentin Collins and sharp solos from saxophonist Brandon Allen as the band opens in impressive style. The Silver standard "Blowin' the Blues Away" is s burner of a tune capturing more hard-driving grooves from both the trumpeter and saxophonist but this time, also brings pianist McCormack and Eastwood to the fore with a terrific solo moments supported by strong stick work by drummer Ernesto Simpson. Eastwood introduces the mid-tempo Hancock tune "Dolphin Dance" arranged with a light texture to it also features horn man Collins on a graceful flugelhorn dance that marks the piece which is followed by the perky grooves of the Eastwood/McCormack original "Prosecco Smile." Dedicated to the late Horace Silver who passed away during the recording of the project "Peace of Silver" is another powerful number featuring pronounced solos from Collins on the horn, while the sensual "Incantation," as the press sheet states "finds a direct heart line to the lyricism of Wayne Shorter." Closing out the set as it began, Eastwood and band perform another high-octane number with the energetic and electrifying "Bullet Train" featuring torrid solos from Allen on the soprano, Collins on the trumpet, a piano foray from McCormack, splashing cymbal accents by Simpson and firm steady lines by the leader on the acoustic bass all making for one dramatic clock-stopping exit. There's no question about this one, Kyle Eastwood's outstanding Time Pieces succeeds in delivering a measure of swing, swagger and grace in a musical package that's perfect for any time. ~ Edward Blanco  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/time-pieces-kyle-eastwood-harmonia-mundi-jazz-village-music-review-by-edward-blanco.php

Personnel: Kyle Eastwood: electric bass, acoustic bass, fretless electric bass; Brandon Allen: tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone; Quentin Collins; Andrew McCormack: piano; Ernesto Simpson: drums.

Time Pieces

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Elaine Lucia - A Sonny Day

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:50
Size: 96,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:48)  1. I Like the Sunrise
(4:18)  2. Lugar Bonito
(4:44)  3. Sea Journey
(3:18)  4. Sunny
(2:07)  5. Fun Life
(3:34)  6. I Only Have Eyes For You
(4:14)  7. In The Land Of Make Believe
(3:47)  8. When The World Is At Rest
(3:10)  9. I Call You Sonny
(2:48) 10. You Are There
(4:57) 11. Final Remembrance

“A Sonny Day” is a “day in the life of” concept, beginning with Duke Ellington’s prayerful “I Like The Sunrise,” and ending with the hymn-like homage “Final Remembrance.” After the sunrise song, the ‘day’ progresses with songs that serve as metaphors for life’s journey. As the sun rises higher in the sky, the songs gain in intensity and climax at high noon with a samba treatment on “I Only Have Eyes For You.” The day goes on, the sun begins to set, and the songs get quieter as we remember and dream of those we love, and those we’ve lost. “In The Land Of Make Believe” and the lovely song “When The World Is At Rest” are like lullabies, ushering in night time, where the bittersweet song “You Are There” reminds us that our loved ones are never truly gone; they live in our hearts and within the small moments of every day life that evoke cherished memories. The last song, “Final Remembrance,” was originally an instrumental song by vibraphonist Gerry Grosz. I heard the! song on the day of my father’s funeral, and the simple, beautiful melody haunted me for days. I wrote the lyrics shortly after, and it says all that was in my heart on that day. ~ Editorial Reviews  http://www.amazon.com/A-Sonny-Day-elaine-lucia/dp/B000H9I1MI

A Sonny Day

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Count Basie - Compact Jazz - Basie Plays The Blues

Styles: Swing, Big Band
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:11
Size: 145,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:46)  1. Li'l Ol Groovemaker...Basie
(2:47)  2. Two For The Blues
(3:02)  3. Eee Dee
(3:41)  4. The Long Night
(2:23)  5. Blee Blop Blues (Live In Gothenburg / 1956)
(3:11)  6. Sent For You Yesterday And Here You Come Today
(3:42)  7. Slow But Sure
(3:05)  8. Magic
(6:34)  9. Blues Inside Out
(3:20) 10. Cherry Point
(2:44) 11. Stompin' & Jumpin'
(4:00) 12. Paradise Squat
(3:23) 13. Goin' To Chicago Blues
(3:16) 14. Jump For Johnny
(5:53) 15. Rails
(3:05) 16. Blues For The Count And Oscar
(3:00) 17. Sure Thing
(3:12) 18. Midgets

Bill Basie studied music with his mother as a child and played piano in early childhood. He picked up the basics of early ragtime from some of the great Harlem pianists and studied organ informally with Fats Waller. He made his professional debut as an accompanist for vaudeville acts and replaced Waller in an act called Katie Crippen and her Kids. He also worked with June Clark and Sonny Greer who was later to become Duke Ellington’s drummer. It was while traveling with the Gonzel White vaudeville show that Basie became stranded in Kansas City when the outfit suddenly broke up. He played at a silent movie house for a while and then became a member of the Walter Page Blue Devils in 1928 and ’29. Included in the ranks of the Blue Devils was a blues shouter who was later to play a key role as early male vocalist with Basie’s own big band, Jimmy Rushing. It was in fact the rotund Rushing who happened to hear Basie playing in Kansas City and invited him to attend a Blue Devil's performance. Basie soon joined the band after sitting in with them that night. After Page's Blue Devils broke up Count Basie and some of the other band members integrated into the Bennie Moten band. He remained with Moten until his death in 1935. After Moten’s death the band continued under the leadership of Bennie’s brother Buster, but Basie started a group of his own and soon found a steady gig at the Reno Club in Kansas City employing some of the best personnel from the Moten band himself.

The band gradually built up in quantity and quality of personnel and was broadcast live regularly from the club by a small Kansas City radio station. It was during one of these broadcasts that the group was heard by John Hammond, a wealthy jazz aficionado, who had himself worked as an announcer, disc jockey and producer of a live jazz show on radio. Hammond decided that the band must go to New York. Through his efforts and support (at times even financially) the band enlarged its membership further and went to New York in 1936. Hammond installed Willard Alexander as the band’s manager and in January of 1937 the Count Basie band made its first recording with the Decca record label. By the following year the Basie big band had become internationally famous, anchored by the leader’s simple and sparse piano style and the rhythm section of Freddie Greene guitar, Walter Page bass, and Jo Jones drums. The great soloists of this band included Jimmy Rushing as vocalist, Lester Young and Herschel Evans tenor saxes, Earl Warren on alto, Buck Clayton and Harry “Sweets” Edison on trumpets, and Benny Morton and Dickie Wells on trombones, among others. Also contributing to the bands success were the arrangements by Eddie Durham and others in the band and the “head” arrangements spontaneously developed by the group. Despite the occasional losses of key soloists, throughout the 1940’s Basie maintained a big band that possessed an infectious rhythmic beat, an enthusiastic team spirit, and a long list of inspired and talented jazz soloists. Among the long line of budding stars to pass through the Basie aggregation's ranks during these years were tenor men, Lester Young, Herschel Evans, Don Byas, Buddy Tate, Lucky Thompson, Illinois Jacquet, and Paul Gonsalves. On trumpets the list includes Buck Clayton, Harry “Sweets” Edison, Joe Newman, and Emmett Berry. In the trombone section Dickie Wells, Benny Morton, Vic Dickenson, and J.J. Johnson all had stints with Basie in the 40’s.

Except for a period in 1950 and ’51, when economic conditions forced him to tour with a septet, Basie maintained a highly swinging big band that, at one time or another, included Clark Terry, Wardell Gray, Al Grey, Frank Wess, Frank Foster, Thad Jones, Sonny Payne, Joe Wilder, Benny Powell, and Henry Coker. In 1954 Joe Williams became the band's full time male vocalist. By 1955 he had infused the Basie band with new life and further commercial success beginning with Every Day I Have The Blues. Also during this period arrangers Neal Hefti and Ernie Wilkins contributed many fine swinging arrangements to the band's book. These great men of music coupled with Basie’s undying allegiance to the beat and the 12 bar blues allowed the band to consistently turn out records of extremely high caliber well into even the 1970’s. Count Basie's health began deteriorating in 1976 when he suffered a heart attack that put him out of commission for several months. Following another stay in the hospital in 1981 he began appearing on stage driving an electric wheel chair. Count Basie died of cancer at 79. Along with a number of Grammy awards the Count and his big bands won the following Jazz polls: Esquire’s Silver Award in 1945; Down Beat reader’s poll in 1955, ’57-’59; Metronome Poll ’58-’60; Down Beat Critics Poll ’54-’57; Playboy All Stars’ All Stars ’59. As pianist Basie won the Metronome Poll in ’42-’43. In 1958 Count Basie was elected to the Down Beat Hall Of Fame. http://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/countbasie

Compact Jazz - Basie Plays The Blues

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