The Ruby Braff Quartet - Watch What Happens...

Size: 149,0 MB
Time: 64:02
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2003
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Handful Of Keys (4:08)
02. Slumming On Park Avenue (7:08)
03. It's All Right With Me (4:35)
04. Watch What Happens (6:41)
05. Shadowland (4:06)
06. Here's Carl (6:24)
07. We'll Be Together Again (5:45)
08. The Blue Room (7:33)
09. Frankly (3:59)
10. Over The Rainbow (7:29)
11. What A Little Moonlight Will Do (6:09)

Ruby Braff was 75 years old and terrorists had just destroyed the World Trade Center when this session was recorded in New York on September 12, 2001. Those two facts could reasonably have been expected to put the kibosh on the recording project -- but for one thing, age seems to have no effect on Braff, and for another, he and drummer Jake Hanna weren't going to be able to go anywhere anyway. Pianist Dick Hyman was there already and they were able to get guitarist Howard Alden into Manhattan from his apartment in Hoboken to substitute for Bucky Pizzarelli, so they went ahead with what was initially a somber (and bass-less) session. Amazingly, there is nothing heavy or dark about the music recorded here, though it is intense. Braff plays, it almost seems, as if reviewing his life: The New Orleans-y smears and the sly Charlie Parker quotes are reflective if not nostalgic, though there is a distinct lack of sentimentality in the way he gently forces the swing on "Over the Rainbow." Hyman, Alden, and Hanna push him along but keep out of his way, and the result is a brilliant set that showcases one of the living treasures of jazz playing at the peak of his powers in an emotionally complex and logistically challenging moment. Very strongly recommended to all lovers of traditional jazz. ~by Rick Anderson

Watch What Happens...

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Johnny Varro Swing 7 - Ring Dem Bells

Size: 169,6 MB
Time: 72:26
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2008
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Corner Pocket (5:51)
02. Stompy Jones (6:57)
03. Yours Is My Heart Alone (3:37)
04. Sweet Substitute (4:11)
05. Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise (5:36)
06. Ring Dem Bells (4:16)
07. Only A Rose (4:01)
08. Come Sunday (4:06)
09. Suddenly It's Spring (3:41)
10. Shim-Me-Sha-Wabble (5:47)
11. You Stepped Out Of A Dream (5:25)
12. Minute Waltz (3:52)
13. One, Two Button Your Shoe (4:16)
14. Buddy Bolden's Blues (5:45)
15. Sonny Speaks (4:57)

In the ecclesiastics of swing, the Johnny Varro Swing 7 would be in the liberal camp. Pianist Varro, irrespective of his associations with neo-traditionalists, is no atavist trying to recreate the swing of yesteryear via musical Xeroxing; he’s more interested in invoking its spirit. So his charts here, while relying on tried-and-true strategies from the swing era—riffs, breaks, shout choruses, kickers—don’t hue close to earlier sources, even when he explicitly references earlier models. The charts and tempos are indubitably his own, with ballads often revved up and swingers like “Corner Pocket” pushed up a notch.

Varro’s liberality shows in his adventurous repertoire selections as well as his inventive charts. Franz Lehar’s “Yours Is My Heart Alone,” Rudolph Friml’s “Only a Rose” and even Jimmy Van Heusen’s “Suddenly It’s Spring,” are unusual jazz fodder, all turned into crisp, swinging vehicles. “You Stepped Out of a Dream” dares to dream a new, contrafact melody redolent of ’50s cool, while “Shim-Me-Sha-Wabble” is a grand tour of jazz from the two-beat ’20s to the suave ’40s.

Solos rarely exceed a chorus or two, and Varro has the increasingly rare talent of being able to tell a story in a compact space. A prime example: “Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise,” bookended by Ken Peplowski’s dancing clarinet, highlighted by Dan Barrett’s double-barreled (mute, plunger) trombone solo, Randy Sandke’s swing-to-bop trumpet and Scott Robinson’s Pres-idential tenor sax. And for delightful exuberance, hear how Varro, bassist Frank Tate and drummer Joe Ascione drive the incrementally building swing and solos of the title track.

Ring Dem Bells

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Sara Mitra - Losing You

Size: 100,0 MB
Time: 40:34
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz/Folk/Blues Vocals
Art: Front

01. Losing You (2:41)
02. Baltimore Oriole (4:00)
03. In The Pines (3:15)
04. Sixteen Miles (3:16)
05. Help Me Make It Through The Night (2:13)
06. Love Affair (3:57)
07. Bang Bang (2:40)
08. The Secret Sorrow Of A Travelling Man (2:27)
09. Here Lies My Love (2:52)
10. Going Home Alone (4:13)
11. Nothing And No One (3:04)
12. She Moved Through The Fair (5:50)

Sara Mitra is a singer, songwriter and bandleader. Her new music forges an original, alternative sound at the junction of folk, jazz and psychedelic blues. A Time Out ‘Critics Choice’ live act, Mitra’s second album ‘Losing You’ (produced by Ben ‘Nostalgia 77’ Lamdin) will be launched at The Vortex Jazz Club, Dalston on Sunday May 10th 2015. Recorded using vintage analogue tape technology, ‘Losing You’ will be released Monday 11th May 2015 as a limited edition vinyl LP, with digital downloads of the album also available.

First recorded during her second pregnancy, and completed whilst caring for her new baby, Mitra has created a collection of songs steeped in the realities of 21st century working-womanhood. Of Indian and Irish descent, Essex-born now London-based with her husband (jazz drummer Tim Giles), Mitra’s original lyrics are stark yet tender: often exploring subjects considered ‘taboo’ in secular Western society. From the possibility of life-after-death to the navigation of happy-ever-after, these songs of loss versus ‘letting go’ were recorded across a number of dates, fitting around the needs of Mitra’s growing young family. With Ben Lamdin’s (Jamie Cullum, Gregory Porter, Laura Mvula) unique production skills in manipulating vintage analogue equipment, the music was primarily recorded live onto tape, shunning the pervasive ‘auto-tuned’ sound of many contemporary vocal releases.

‘Losing You’ had the exclusive debut of its title track on BBC Radio 2 during a special interview feature with Jamie Cullum. The album’s first single ‘Baltimore Oriole’ received airplay across BBC Radio 2 and BBC 6Music (on Gilles Peterson’s show) and multiple independent radio stations including WahWah45 Records own Wah Wah Radio, who named ‘Baltimore Oriole’ ‘Download of the Month’.

Losing You

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Joe Kaplowitz Trio - Letzeve: A Tasteful Of Jazz

Size: 110,5 MB
Time: 46:55
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Sulla Scogliera (4:06)
02. Seduta (4:33)
03. Una Nuvola E (4:25)
04. Rosetta's Stride (4:10)
05. Che Accerezza (5:27)
06. Il Prato (5:41)
07. Untouchable Flower Of My Desires (4:04)
08. Un’erica Rosa (5:29)
09. Ha Come (2:55)
10. Amica (6:00)

Joe Kaplowitz is a versatile jazz pianist, jazz organist and composer who spent most of his youth growing up in the Washington DC area. He began playing the piano at age 7 and was playing piano and tuba professionally by 15. In his youth Joe was a devoted student of his parent’s record collection and was inspired by the music of Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans, Charles Mingus and many other great Jazz musicians.

In 1995 he completed his degree in music from Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio. Joe remained in the northeastern Ohio region for several years and performed regularly with his own trio and was a first call pianist in the area. In 1996 Joe began to play the Hammond B3 organ and has been working to find new sounds and to use the instrument in new musical settings. One such setting is a duo with New York percussionist Phil Kester in which musical ideas from around the planet are being infused with improvisation. Joe has returned to live in the Washington DC area and has one piano trio recording, ‘Trio Construction’

Letzeve

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Lawrence Cotton - Hoping You'll Happen This Way…

Size: 99,8 MB
Time: 38:44
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. Lady In The Dark My Ship (4:02)
02. Meet Me Where They Play The Blues (3:42)
03. Stardust (4:54)
04. Deed I Do (3:13)
05. In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning (4:37)
06. Moonlight Serenade (4:10)
07. Lean Baby (2:47)
08. You Go To My Head (6:02)
09. God Bless The Child (5:13)

“A vocalist of exceptionable range and colour, an astonishingly varied musical background, this is a much anticipated first recording.’

Toronto-based LAWRENCE COTTON is a classically trained singer and actor who received his performer’s union cards at a young age. Growing up in a family of musicians and music educators, he first heard jazz resounding from the big hi-fi in the family living room: his father’s extensive collection of jazz LPs was on constant rotation. The music of Glenn Miller, Jack Teagarden and many others made a deep and lasting impression, and Lawrence has now turned his attention to jazz standards to share his love of them with the world. Sounding more like the jazz crooners of a bygone age he combines his warm, vintage tone with the storytelling abilities of the award-winning actor and director that he is. This CD features a broad range of tunes in new and inventive arrangements

Hoping You'll Happen This Way…

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Kenny Burrell - I Found My Love Outside

Size: 297,4 MB
Time: 128:29
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Rhythmorama ( 6:23)
02. 36-23-36 (Live) ( 3:45)
03. Delilah ( 6:00)
04. Blues For Skeeter ( 8:02)
05. Takeela ( 4:18)
06. Fugue 'n' Blues ( 6:44)
07. Get Happy ( 3:57)
08. Lady Be Good (Live) ( 9:59)
09. Hallelujah (Live) (11:38)
10. Don't Cry Baby ( 8:15)
11. Birk's Works - Live ( 9:44)
12. Lover Man ( 8:19)
13. All Of You ( 6:16)
14. Perception ( 6:05)
15. But Not For Me ( 3:44)
16. Drum Boogie ( 9:13)
17. This Time The Dream's On Me ( 4:55)
18. Strictly Confidential ( 6:25)
19. Weaver Of Dreams ( 4:39)

One of the leading exponents of straight-ahead jazz guitar, Kenny Burrell is a highly influential artist whose understated and melodic style, grounded in bebop and blues, made him in an in-demand sideman from the mid-'50s onward and a standard by which many jazz guitarists gauge themselves to this day. Born in Detroit in 1931, Burrell grew up in a musical family in which his mother played piano and sang in the Second Baptist Church choir and his father favored the banjo and ukulele. Burrell began playing guitar at age 12 and quickly fell under the influence of such artists as Charlie Christian, Django Reinhardt, Oscar Moore, T-Bone Walker, and Muddy Waters. Surrounded by the vibrant jazz and blues scene of Detroit, Burrell began to play gigs around town and counted among his friends and bandmates pianist Tommy Flanagan, saxophonists Pepper Adams and Yusef Lateef, drummer Elvin Jones, and others.

In 1951, Burrell made his recording debut on a combo session that featured trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie as well as saxophonist John Coltrane, vibraphonist Milt Jackson, and bassist Percy Heath. Although his talent ranked among the best of the professional jazz players at the time, Burrell continued to study privately with renowned classical guitarist Joe Fava and enrolled in the music program at Wayne State University. Upon graduating in 1955 with a B.A. in music composition and theory, Burrell was hired for a six-month stint touring with pianist Oscar Peterson's trio. Then, in 1956, Burrell and Flanagan moved to New York City and immediately became two of the most sought-after sidemen in town, performing on gigs with such luminaries as singers Tony Bennett and Lena Horne, playing in Broadway pit orchestras, as well as recording with an array of legendary musicians including Coltrane, trumpeter Kenny Dorham, organist Jimmy Smith, vocalist Billie Holiday, and many others. Burrell made his recorded debut as a leader on the 1956 Blue Note session Introducing Kenny Burrell -- technically his second session for the label, but the first to see release. From the late '50s onward, Burrell continued to record by himself and with others, and has appeared on countless albums over the years including such notable albums as 1957's The Cats featuring Coltrane, 1963's Midnight Blue featuring saxophonist Stanley Turrentine, 1965's Guitar Forms with arrangements by Gil Evans, and 1968's Blues -- The Common Ground.

Beginning in 1971, Burrell started leading various college seminars including the first regular course to be held in the United States on the music of composer, pianist, and bandleader Duke Ellington. He continued performing, recording, and teaching throughout the '80s and '90s, releasing several albums including 1989's Guiding Spirit, 1991's Sunup to Sundown, 1994's Collaboration with pianist LaMont Johnson, 1995's Primal Blue, and 1998's church music-inspired Love Is the Answer. In 2001, Burrell released the relaxed quartet date A Lucky So and So on Concord and followed it up in 2003 with Blue Muse. He celebrated turning 75 years old in 2006 by recording a live date, released a year later as 75th Birthday Bash Live! In 2010, Burrell released the live album, Be Yourself: Live at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, recorded at Lincoln Center's smaller club-like venue, followed two years later by Special Requests (And Other Favorites): Live at Catalina's. Besides continuing to perform, Burrell is the founder and director of the Jazz Studies Program at UCLA as well as President Emeritus of the Jazz Heritage Foundation. ~by Matt Collar

I Found My Love Outside

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David 'Fathead' Newman - The Best Of David Newman

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 36:52

Size: 84.4 MB

Styles: Saxophone jazz, Soul-jazz

Year: 2005

Art: Front

[4:39] 1. Hard Times

[7:20] 2. Holy Land

[6:35] 3. Scufflin'

[5:53] 4. The Thirteenth Floor

[6:17] 5. The Clincher

[6:06] 6. I Wish You Love

Newman recorded many albums for Atlantic records, as well as Warner Brothers and Prestige. During this time in NYC, David gigged with Lee Morgan, Kenny Drew Sr., Billy Higgins, Kenny Dorham and so many other of the great jazz musicians hanging out on the New York scene. He gigged around the East Coast with his own quartet and soon began touring Europe and Japan as a leader.

As a studio musician he was very busy working on lots of recording projects with the likes of Herbie Mann, Aretha Franklin, Hank Crawford, Aaron Neville, to name a few. After meeting at a studio session, David joined forces with Herbie Mann during "The Family of Mann" era. Cal Tjader (later Roy Ayres) were part of this outstanding group.

The Best Of David Newman

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The Rosenberg Trio - Roots

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:05
Size: 100.9 MB
Styles: Gypsy jazz, Swing
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[3:54] 1. Songe D'automne
[1:43] 2. Valse À Rosenberg
[5:46] 3. Manoir De Mes Rêves
[3:24] 4. Duke & Dukie
[3:29] 5. Last Minute Swing
[3:49] 6. Stockholm
[2:51] 7. My Blue Heaven
[4:11] 8. Danse Norvégienne
[4:39] 9. Dinette
[3:03] 10. Lentement Mademoiselle
[4:39] 11. Clouds
[2:32] 12. Mélodie Au Crépuscule

The Rosenberg Trio are two guitarists and one bassist — the cousins Stochelo Rosenberg (*1968; soloist), Nous’che Rosenberg (*1965; rhythm guitar) and Nonnie Rosenberg (*1956; double bass). Their inspiration is Django Reinhardt, the legendary gypsy guitarist of the 1930s. The Rosenberg Trio’s genre has been characterized as “swinging, infectious gypsy guitar jazz.”

There is no exact date when the Rosenberg Trio began playing under that name. Two of the Rosenbergs, Nous’che and Nonnie, are sons of Sani Rosenberg, a musician in the Dutch Gypsy community. Nous’che started playing with his cousin and buddy, Stochelo Rosenberg, when Stochelo was about 10 years old. In 1980 Stochelo and his trio were awarded the prize for best musician at a child’s musical contest on dutch television, and since then the trio has been constantly on the rise, on a course that has now taken them worldwide to play on the most reputed stages, including a show at New York’s Carnegie Hall for legendary violonist Stephane Grapelli’s 85th birthday celebration. The Rosenberg trio’s discographic debut, “Seresta” was the start of a series of albums. The Trio’s latest album, released in may 2007, is simply named “Roots” and pays a large tribute to Django’s tunes and also features some of Stochelo’s compositions and other.

Roots

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The Four Freshmen - The EP Collection

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:44
Size: 152.8 MB
Styles: Vocal harmonies
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[1:56] 1. Day By Day
[2:15] 2. Charmaine
[2:23] 3. Graduation Day
[3:31] 4. Angel Eyes
[3:02] 5. Mam'selle
[3:03] 6. Speak Low
[2:16] 7. You Stepped Out Of A Dream
[3:09] 8. I Remember You
[2:37] 9. Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye
[2:07] 10. Easy Street
[1:57] 11. Give Me The Simple Life
[2:37] 12. I May Be Wrong
[2:12] 13. Lullaby In Rhythm
[2:48] 14. Frenesi
[3:02] 15. If I Should Lose You
[3:23] 16. It Could Happen To You
[2:40] 17. Out Of Nowhere
[2:13] 18. The October
[3:12] 19. The More I See You
[3:05] 20. Invitation
[2:49] 21. If I Knew Then
[2:35] 22. Teach Me Tonight
[2:07] 23. Opus One
[2:39] 24. Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring
[2:53] 25. It's A Blue World

The light vocal harmonies of the Four Freshmen are the focus of this See for Miles EP Collection, pulled from various extended-play 45s released in the U.K. Among the highlights are "Day by Day," "Angel Eyes," "You Stepped Out of a Dream," "Lullaby in Rhythm," "It Could Happen to You," and their first hit from 1952 "It's a Blue World." Fans of the Beach Boys should note the inclusion of "Graduation Day" and "Their Hearts Were Full of Spring." This collection is far from perfect, but it does contain the original Capitol recordings and several first-rate songs. ~Al Campbell

The EP Collection

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Junior Mance - Jubilation

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:15
Size: 170.0 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[3:28] 1. Jubilation
[3:32] 2. Junior's Tune
[4:12] 3. Playhouse
[4:26] 4. I Didn't Care
[3:51] 5. Miss Jackie's Delight
[4:00] 6. The Uptown
[4:35] 7. Oo Bla Dee
[4:12] 8. Summertime
[5:10] 9. 9 20 Special
[6:01] 10. Ruby My Dear
[5:13] 11. Swingmatism
[5:41] 12. Birk's Works
[3:16] 13. Stella By Starlight
[4:19] 14. Whisper Not
[7:51] 15. Blues For Beverlee
[4:20] 16. Main Stem

Jazz pianist Junior Mance made his first recording at age 19 in 1947 with Gene Ammons. Two years later he recorded with Lester Young and the following year with Sonny Stitt and Gene Ammons. In '53 Mance was the house pianist at Chicago's Beehive where he accompanied many greats including Charlie Parker and Coleman Hawkins. Mance made his first album as leader in `59 for Verve and hasn't stopped since. He now has over 50 albums as leader, the latest on his own JunGlo label from 2012 when he was 83 years young. Jubilation is from a 1994 solo piano concert in Toronto.

Jubilations

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Nicole Zuraitis - Spread the Word

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:08
Size: 105,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:18)  1. Cheek to Cheek
(3:40)  2. Spread the Word
(5:15)  3. Embraceable You
(2:16)  4. Deed I Do
(4:41)  5. There Is No Greater Love
(3:39)  6. L-O-V-E
(4:33)  7. Don't Go To Strangers
(5:01)  8. Crazy He Calls Me
(5:18)  9. Tea for Two
(5:22) 10. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?

Twenty-three year old vocalist Nicole Zuraitis, a native of Litchfield, CT, is a recent graduate from New York University (2007). Nicole began attending the Litchfield Jazz Camp when she was only 12 years old and is about to debut on the mainstage of the Litchfield Jazz Festival on August 2nd. While she studied mainly classical voice at NYU, Nicole took advantage of everything New York City had to offer by attending all kinds of live performances which strongly influenced her unique ear and sensibility for jazz. Nicole has performed from NYC to Italy and in 2006 she won 1st place in the National Association of Teachers of Singing University Competition in New York City. 

Currently she is a singer/songwriter, pianist (you can hear her play piano and sing on the track \"What are you doing the rest of your life?\"), and member of the Yale University Choir. She also has been asked to commit to a tour of the United States with world famous tenor, Michael Kleitman. Nicole has been fortunate to perform for and learn from Dena Derose, Don Braden, Mario Pavone, Karrin Allyson, Bill Henderson and many others. A self proclaimed perfectionist, Nicole\'s voice is as pure and melodious as they come. The Nicole Zuraitis Quartet is Nicole Zuraitis on vocals, Zaccai Curtis on piano, Luques Curtis on bass and Winard Harper on drums. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/nicolezuraitis

Spread the Word

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Steve Davis - Say When

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:59
Size: 156,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:01)  1. Pinnacles
(5:01)  2. What Is This Thing Called Love?
(6:03)  3. Shortcake
(5:51)  4. Mr. Johnson
(8:28)  5. Lament
(6:38)  6. Say When
(6:45)  7. Kenya
(5:39)  8. Shutterbug
(6:43)  9. Village Blues
(5:48) 10. There Will Never Be Another You
(5:56) 11. When the Saints Go Marching In

Trombonist Steve Davis will release Say When, his new Smoke Sessions album, on June 9. On the album, Davis pays tribute to the great J.J. Johnson, "the Charlie Parker of the trombone," in Davis' own words. Say When features trumpeter Eddie Henderson, tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander, and the rhythm section of pianist Harold Mabern, bassist Nat Reeves and drummer Joe Farnsworth. by Jazz Times  http://jazztimes.com/sections/AlbumPreviews/articles/162406-exclusive-album-premiere-steve-davis-say-when

Inspired by the bebop of the 1950s, Steve Davis has crafted a distinctive sound on the slide trombone. In addition to leading his own group and serving as co-leader of One for All, Davis continues to perform with Chick Corea's sextet Origin. "I'm drawn to music which allows for creativity of expression," Davis said during a 2001 interview, "music which challenges the listener (as well as the musicians playing it) to think, to imagine, to feel." A native of Binghamton, NY, Davis grew up surrounded by music. His father had a huge collection of jazz, blues, and rock records while his mother was an avid fan of the radio. Together with his younger brother, he developed a knack for harmonizing. Davis' musical abilities were inherited from his maternal grandmother, a self-taught stride piano player who performed in local restaurants. 

Although he taught himself to pick out basslines on the piano by the age of six, he studied trumpet, baritone saxophone, and tuba in school. Switching to the trombone in order to play with the high-school stage/dance band, he discovered his natural musical voice. Davis sharpened his technique while attending a summer jazz workshop at SUNY Binghamton in which the Bob Brookmeyer Sextet featuring Joe Lovano served as the resident band. He later spent three years with the Binghamton Youth Symphony. He continued his studies at the University of Hartford's Hartt College of Music, where he was mentored by alto saxophonist and music teacher Jackie McLean. Davis' first career break came when McLean recommended him to influential jazz drummer Art Blakey. After sitting in with Blakey's band during several gigs, he replaced Frank Lacy in 1989. He remained with the band until Blakey's death in 1990. Teaching since 1985, Davis joined the jazz faculty at the Hartt College of Music in 1991. ~ Bio  https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/steve-davis/id462910#fullText

Personnel: Steve Davis – trombone; Eddie Henderson – trumpet; Eric Alexander – tenor sax; Harold Mabern – piano; Nat Reeves – bass; Joe Farnsworth – drums.

Say When

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