Amanda King - Chanteuse

Size: 108,6 MB
Time: 46:48
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2008
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Slap That Bass (3:24)
02. Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen (4:18)
03. Black Moonlight (6:39)
04. I'm One Of God's Children (3:55)
05. Makin' Whoopee (5:11)
06. Night And Day (2:55)
07. Love For Sale (4:41)
08. Lazy Afternoon (5:40)
09. Got A Lot Of Livin' To Do (3:38)
10. What Is This Thing Called Love/One Note Samba (6:23)

Based on her brilliant January 2008 Empire Plush Room show, Chanteuse features songs of the 1930s and 40s that seem to have been written with Amanda\'s voice in mind. With a smoothness of voice and surety of style, it’s hard to believe Amanda King has only been singing professionally since fall 2007. She comes from a solid theater background, but her historied ties to classical, Broadway and jazz music are in good evidence on this, her first CD. Able to meld all of these genres together with the exceptional genius of her musical trio - Shota Osabe on piano, Jeff Neighbor on bass, Micha Nur Patri on drums - Chanteuse is an album that swings brilliantly from beginning to end.

Working with her trio and producer, this CD came into being over several sessions at the famous Fantasy Studios in Berkeley CA. Her trio played masterfully, especially Shota who performed his magic on Bill Evans’ personal Yamaha C9, an deeply sonorous instrument. Voice, piano, bass and drums all perform as one, so evident as you experience their magic. Listeners have singled out a few of the tunes as being particlarly masterful, especially the classic Cole Porter tune \"Love for Sale\". \"Slap That Bass\" is the Ella tune that starts the CD and it is serious swing from start to finish. \"Lazy Afternoon\" takes the listener to a seductive place of quiet and warmth and wll prove to be a \"must play\" for anyone in love. And \"Black Moonlight\" is simply fabulous. Most of the tunes are unknown to even the best jazz connoisseur of the times, so listening is a special treat for those who love this era\'s music.

Her march toward becoming the hottest new singer on the block in San Francisco began with the 2003 Bay Area Cabaret Competition. She entered the contest on a lark, but her talent took her to the finals losing only by two votes! Encouraged by this good start, she began singing in various showcases throughout San Francisco. She developed a devoted following that quickly grew with her acclaimed one-woman show \"It\'s About Damn Time!\" which ran in the fall of 2007 at the New Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco.

“This singer was a suberb (sic) performer. I expected a louder, brassier voice, and I was pleasantly surprised to be wrong. Her choice of material was delightful, and her delivery was pitch-perfect. I was SO glad I had taken a chance on this unknown (to me) singer.”

Chanteuse

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John Basile - Penny Lane

Size: 112,2 MB
Time: 47:31
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz: Jazz Funk, Latin Jazz
Art: Front

01. Eleanor Rigby (4:56)
02. Fool On The Hill (4:00)
03. Penny Lane (4:45)
04. And I Love Her (4:25)
05. A Day In The Life (4:12)
06. While My Guitar Gently Weeps (4:53)
07. Here There And Everywhere (3:55)
08. I Want To Hold Your Hand (5:42)
09. Can't Buy Me Love (3:11)
10. Norwegian Wood (4:58)
11. In My Life (2:30)

On PENNY LANE The pop standard has been the jumping off point for jazz artists since jazz s birth. The formula is simple, but not easy. You stay true to the melody and you go where it takes you. But the Beatles? Yes, especially the Beatles. In John Basile s Penny Lane, the guitarist is honest to both of his project s masters. The iconic melodies of Lennon and McCartney and Harrison are given homage, not just simply run through as a starting point for some string gymnastics. They are there and they are honest. Yet, at the same time it is Basile s jazz guitar that let the classics breathe new air and come to life in this form. You hear it; actually you experience it, in the subtle and smooth Eleanor Rigby with its rich tones and lines that recall the original but with a fresh feel. In Norwegian Wood, Basile casts aside any doubt that he is first and foremost a jazz man, as he strays from the melody s path to where he lives. Where he goes, we can follow and the trip is rich and filled with the surprises that his art form promises. This is Basile s show from beginning to end. His guitar does what a jazz guitar has always done, but it also does all the things that today s technology allows for the instrument to do. Sure, the guitar playing is artful but so is the use of the instrument as a MIDI interface to create every sound on this project. Listen and try to remember that every note on this project has come through the guitar. You ll be lost in the music before you can ponder the wonders of digital potential and that s exactly how it should be. More interpretation than tribute, Penny Lane gives us a jazz project that does what the original American art form is supposed to do: it takes where we ve been and brings us someplace new all at the same time.
While Groups like Mike Pender's Searchers continue to perform, Genuine 60s Music will never die!

Penny Lane

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Mike Pender's Searchers - The Essential Sound Of Mike Pender's Searchers

Size: 101,3 MB
Time: 37:26
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Pop/Rock
Art: Front

01. Sweets For My Sweet (Rerecording) (2:23)
02. Needles & Pins (Rerecording) (2:06)
03. When You Walk In The Room (Rerecording) (2:18)
04. Goodbye My Love (Rerecording) (2:55)
05. Sugar & Spice (Rerecording) (2:12)
06. Don't Throw Your Love Away (Rerecording) (2:15)
07. Love Potion Number 9 (Rerecording) (2:00)
08. Broken Hearts (Rerecording) (3:58)
09. Take It Or Leave It (Rerecording) (2:45)
10. Take Me For What I'm Worth (Rerecording) (2:48)
11. Red Ferrari (Rerecording) (3:50)
12. Blue Mondays (Rerecording) (3:17)
13. What Have They Done To The Rain (Rerecording) (2:40)
14. Someday We're Gonna Love Again (Rerecording) (1:56)

His is the rich vocal talent so evident on so many of the Hit recordings that have become 60's classics.
Everybody - even if they only have a passing interest in 60's Music, remembers "Needles & Pins" - one of the greatest ever records to come out of the greatest ever period in Pop Music History!
There were, of course, many other 'Hit' recordings that feature not only Mike's vocals, but also his equally distinctive 12-string 'jangly' guitar sound that became such a feature of The Searchers' recordings.

Remember....
"When You Walk In The Room"
"Sweets For My Sweet"
"Sugar And Spice"
"Don't Throw Your Love Away"
"What Have They Done To The Rain?"
"Goodbye My Love"
"Take Me For What I'm Worth"

All were Top 20 Hits, including no less than three Number Ones. They also had huge recording success in the USA which included the memorable "Love Potion Number 9".
Little wonder then that most observers considered The Searchers to be the most successful and important Group, after the Beatles, in that quite wonderful period of Pop Music.
In 1985 MIKE PENDER left The Searchers to form his own group. His aim was, and still is to this day, to faithfully recreate the sound and feel of those Hit Recordings and at the same time introduce other material that compliments Mike's unique voice and guitar style.

Mike's Group are:
Barrie Cowell - Bass Guitar/Vocals
Keith Roberts - Guitar/Vocals
and Mike Pender Jnr. (Mike's son) on Drums/Vocals

While Groups like Mike Pender's Searchers continue to perform, Genuine 60s Music will never die!

The Essential Sound Of

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Johannes Wallmann & The Sweet Minute Big Band - Always Something

Size: 146,2 MB
Time: 63:07
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz: Modern Big Band
Art: Front

01. Always Something ( 6:50)
02. Theme From (10:23)
03. I Fall In Love Too Easily ( 5:10)
04. My Favorite Things ( 7:07)
05. The Sweet Minute ( 7:34)
06. Sky Dance ( 9:41)
07. The Loyal Opposition ( 8:27)
08. Your Silence Will Not Protect You ( 7:52)

Saxophones: Ben Knox, alto/sop; Eric Koppa, alto sax, fl.; Tony Barba, ten, cl.; Tom Gullion, ten; Les Thimmig, bari, b.cl., cl.
Trumpets: David Cooper; Jamie Breiwick; Eric Jacobson; Russ Johnson; Dan Cross (1&3)
Trombones: Darren Sterud; Jamie Kember; Don Deal; Mike Dugan
Rhythm section: Johannes Wallmann, piano; Nick Moran, bass; Dave Bayles, drums

In twelve years in New York City, and five years in Oakland, Califorina, the now Wisconsin-based pianist and composer JOHANNES WALLMANN has established himself as a skilled and creative composer of complex yet highly engaging music. Wallmann has recorded five albums as a leader, including the 2015 quintet album The Town Musicians on the Fresh Sound New Talent label that features trumpeter Russ Johnson, rising guitar star Gilad Hekselman, and Wallmann’s long-time New York collaborators Sean Conly, bass, and Jeff Hirshfield, drums (saxophonist Dayna Stephens also appears on two tracks). Along the way, the German-born, Vancouver Island-raised pianist has also recorded or performed with trumpeters Ingrid Jensen and Ralph Alessi; saxophonists Gary Bartz, Seamus Blake, Dennis Mitcheltree, Pete Yellin and Phil Dwyer; trombonist Josh Roseman; jazz tubaists Howard Johnson and Marcus Rojas; bassists Jeff Andrews and Martin Wind; drummers Danny Gottlieb, Tim Horner, Terry Clarke and Donald Bailey; the Harlem Spiritual Ensemble; and Canto-pop star Faye Wong. A veteran musician and educator, Dr. Wallmann (B.M., Berklee College of Music, M.A. & Ph.D., New York University) has taught at New York University and at the New School for Jazz & Contemporary Music, and served as Director of Jazz Studies at California State University-East Bay from 2007 to 2012. In 2012, Wallmann became the inaugural holder of the John and Carolyn Peterson Chair in Jazz Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
His new album, Always Something, features his big band writing, performed by a cast of top-flight jazz improvisers from Madison and Milwaukee. The compositions on Always Something range from the up-tempo Brecker-esque title track to the Afro-Cuban infused tone poem “Theme From,” to the New Orleans second-line groove of “The Sweet Minute,” to the melancholy ballad “Your Silence Will Not Protect You” (inspired by poet Audre Lorde), to the high-octane contrapuntal soprano and tenor saxophone duet “The Loyal Opposition.” Wallmann pays homage to the modern big band tradition on a new arrangement of his composition “Sky Dance” (recorded with a quartet on his 2001 album Alphabeticity). Rounding out this album of mostly original compositions are Wallmann’s harmonically fresh take on “My Favorite Things” that references as much Coltrane as The Sound of Music, as well as a rich orchestration of Jule Styne’s ballad “I Fall In Love Too Easily.” The compositions on Always Something cover much ground, but the album maintains stylistic unity through the band’s emphasis on groove and Wallmann’s sophisticated harmonic language. Throughout the album, Wallmann displays the assured hand of a veteran composer: there are plenty of pretty, sweet, or melancholy melodies, but Wallmann knows just when to introduce musical grit and adventure to surprise his audience and create a highly engaging jazz experience.
Wallmann composed and arranged the music on Always Something to showcase the unique voices of the musicians in his band. The solos are extended features for the expert improvisers that comprise each instrument section. Everybody gets a turn, and the musicians prove that Wisconsin’s creative music scene is thriving. Milwaukee / New York City trumpeter Russ Johnson is known to international audiences for bridging contemporary and free jazz styles in a wide range of touring and recording ensembles, but fellow trumpeters Jamie Breiwick and Eric Jacobsen (who together with Johnson represent three different generations of the graduates from the same Milwaukee middle and high school) and lead trumpeter Dave Cooper have also received national recognition with their own musical projects, and each brings a very accomplished and highly personal voice to their respective solo features. Saxophonists Tony Barba of the Youngblood Brass Band, fusion-inspired tenor Tom Gullion, and big band veteran multi-instrumentalist Les Thimmig represent three different generations of the saxophone in jazz, yet blend beautiful with their saxophone colleagues to form a rich section sound. Lead trombonist Darren Sterud, another young brass band veteran and a frequent collaborator with a variety of New Orleans-based artists summons the sounds of Frenchman Street on the trombones’ collective improv on “The Sweet Minute,” and bassist-and-drummer tandem Nick Moran and Dave Bayles always keep the compositions’ groove front and center.

Always Something

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Jeff Healey - The Best Of The Stony Plain Years: Vintage Jazz, Swing And Blues

Size: 124,0 MB
Time: 53:10
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Blues
Art: Full

01. Three Little Words (4:23)
02. The Wild Cat (2:33)
03. Star Dust (4:51)
04. The Sheik Of Araby (Feat. Chris Barber) (5:10)
05. Guitar Duet Stomp (3:34)
06. Sing You Sinners (Feat. Chris Barber) (5:02)
07. I Would Do Anything For You (4:26)
08. Pardon My Southern Accent (3:43)
09. Some Of These Days (2:43)
10. My Honey's Lovin' Arms (5:01)
11. Hong Kong Blues (3:09)
12. Sweet Georgia Brown (Feat. Chris Barber) (8:29)

I just received the newest release, Vintage Jazz, Swing and Blues from Jeff Healey and it's great! Healey, a serious vintage record collector (over 30,000 78's of classic 20's and 30's music) was well known as Canada's top rock and blues guitar player and band leader but prior to his untimely death in 2008 opened a club in Toronto and formed Jeff Healey's Jazz Wizards. Fortunately, some of that fine work that Jeff did in his love for the early music is compiled here as a part of The Best of Series. Opening with Kalmar and Ruby's Three Little Words, featuring Healey on vocal and guitar, Jesse Barksdale on rhythm guitar Reide Kaiser on piano, Colin Bray on bass and the exceptional solo work of Tom Pletcher on coronet and Dan Levinson on clarinet. You've never heard Healey play this guitar style. Excellent! Lang and Venuti's intrumental, The Wildcat, screams along with really nice violin work from Drew Jurecka on violin and Healey on guitar. Wow! Carmichael and Parish classic, Star Dust, features Healey's solid vocals with Roberto Rosenman with an excellent guitar solo. Snyder, Smith and Wheeleer composition, The Sheik of Araby, finds Healey not only on lead vocal but playing really fine trumpet along with Ross Woolridge on clarinet, Jurecka on violin, Reide Kaiser on piano, Colin Bray on bass and Gary Scriven on drums and washboard. This track rips! Jones and Collins, Guitar Duet Stomp, shows some of Healey's most sensitive guitar work along the lines of Django and Bireli. Strong! Harling and Coslow track Sing You Sinners really digs into the Dixieland sound. This track has the full lineup with Healey on vocal, trumpet and guitar; Jurecka on violin, Barksdale on guitar; Bray on bass; Christopher Plock on soprano and alto sax; Chris Barber on trombone and Brian Graville on piano. Excellent! Hill and Williams composition, I Would Do Anything For You, features Healey on vocal, guitar and trumpet, Plock on soprano sax, Gary Scriven on drums, Barksdale on acoustic guitar and kaiser on piano. Super! Mercer and Malneck swinger, Pardon My Southern Accent, features Healey on vocal, Scriven on drums, Bray on bass, Kaiser on piano, Danny Douglas on trombone and Ross Woolridge on clarinet. Shelton Brooks' Some Of These Days, features an excellent acoustic "gypsy" guitar solo and trumpet solo from Healey. This track swings! Meyer and Ruby composition, My Honey's Lovin' Arms, shows just how smooth Healey can be on lead vocal on these tracks, with Levinson matching up nicely on clarinet to Pletcher on coronet. Kaiser on piano and Bray on bass fill out the piece with Barksdale on rhythm guitar and Healey throws out a really nicely articulated swing guitar solo. Fine! Carmichael's Hong Kong Blues has a comical feel to it next to much of the release but some of the guitar picking on this track is so fine it had to be included. Wrapping the release is Pinard, Bernie and Casey's classic, Sweet Georgia Brown, and it is a full out jam with Healey singing over the top backed by Barber on trombone, Jurecka on violin, Plock on sax, Barksdale on guitar, Bray on bass, Graville on piano and Scriven on drums. This is an excellent review of Healey's work outside of the blues rock genre and a must have for anyone at all interested in contemporary swing jazz. Excellent! ~bman

The Best Of The Stony Plain Years

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The Harry Allen-Keith Ingham Quintet - Are You Having Any Fun: A Celebration Of Sammy Fain

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:36
Size: 154.8 MB
Styles: Piano jazz, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1991
Art: Front

[2:52] 1. Are You Having Any Fun
[4:13] 2. I Can Dream, Can't I
[3:17] 3. When I Take My Sugar To Tea
[4:24] 4. Tender Is The Night
[3:54] 5. You Brought A New Kind Of Love To Me
[3:35] 6. Here's To Your Illusions
[4:04] 7. A High Hat, A Piccolo And A Cane
[3:40] 8. A Very Precious Love
[4:53] 9. That Old Feeling
[4:37] 10. Something I Dreamed Last Night
[4:35] 11. Alice In Wonderland
[4:25] 12. By A Waterfall
[4:27] 13. I Left My Sugar Standing In The Rain
[2:39] 14. Secret Love
[4:05] 15. I Just Can't Do Enough For You, Baby
[4:27] 16. Hummin' To Myself
[3:19] 17. I'll Be Seeing You

Harry Allen, ts; Keith Ingham, p; John Pizzarelli, Jr., g; Dennis Irwin, bass; Oliver Jackson, d.

The dueling titles of this fine recording of classic jazz are a good deal more cumbersome than the lyrics of any song co-written with Sammy Fain. That would have to be the only aspect of this 1980 tribute that doesn't live up to its inspiration, a prolific and memorable tunesmith whose induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame took place a bit less than a decade before this was recorded. Having warmed up their chops on similar projects such as a multi-volume homage to pianist, composer, and Duke Ellington collaborator Billy Strayhorn, second-generation swinger Harry Allen, Jr. and British pianist Keith Ingham hold forth on no less than 17 Fain strains. John Pizzarelli is the superb guitarist, harmonizing with Ingham as if turning the key in a series of small treasure chests. Rounding out the rhythm section, drummer Oliver Jackson proves his affinity for both pianists and saxophonists while bassist Dennis Irwin counts his chord changes like tour revenue. The songs are given compact performances, "Something I Dreamed Last Night" suggesting that only a subject related to sleep would inspire this combo to head toward the five-minute mark on a recorded track. Ingham's career began in Hong Kong, where Tin Pan Alley standards such as the deceptively amorous "Secret Love" and the darkly gentle "Tender Is the Night" were no doubt standard fodder in piano lounges. The saxophonist, son of big-band drummer Harry Allen, Sr., plays the melodies of this program as if familiar with the words, all of them, even the ludicrous "A High Hat, a Piccolo and a Cane" -- perhaps following the advice of one of the great instrumentalists, tenor saxophonist Lester Young. ~Eugene Chadbourne

Are You Having Any Fun: A Celebration Of Sammy Fain

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Rebecca Kilgore - Harlem Butterfly: A Remembrance Of Maxine Sullivan

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 72:47

Size: 166.6 MB

Styles: Standards, Vocal jazz

Year: 1995/2001

Art: Front

[3:53] 1. Harlem Butterfly

[3:33] 2. Haw'dja Like To Love Me

[4:50] 3. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter

[3:26] 4. Don't Save Your Love

[3:24] 5. Leapin' Out Of Mischief Now

[4:12] 6. Someday Sweetheart

[3:50] 7. That's What I Hate About Love

[3:28] 8. When A Woman Loves A Man

[3:43] 9. Enjoy Yourself

[4:03] 10. Harlem Butterfly (Take 1)

[4:07] 11. A Hundred Years From Today

[6:05] 12. Get Out And Get Under The Moon

[3:48] 13. The Lady's In Love With You

[3:45] 14. Legalize My Name

[3:58] 15. Massachusetts

[3:39] 16. We Just Couldn't Say Goodbye

[4:00] 17. As Long As I Live

[4:53] 18. Wrap Your Trouble In Dreams

Jazz singer Rebecca Kilgore was an ideal choice for this tribute to the later years of Maxine Sullivan's recording career. Kilgore is a student of the music of her predecessors, and her voice is in many ways similar to Sullivan's. Jazz fans will recall that Sullivan had a two-part career, singing "Loch Lomond" and similar songs with a big band, then dropping out of sight to raise her children and work in health care before re-emerging about 20 years ago to sing an entirely different genre of songs.This CD, issued by George Buck's Audiophile label, features tunes from the latter era, including "Harlem Butterfly," "Keepin' Out of Mischief Now," "A Hundred Years From Today," "We Just Couldn't Say Goodbye," "As Long As I Live" and "Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams." Backed by the wonderful clarinetist Bobby Gordon and his trio of Kilgore-friend Hal Smith on drums and Chris Dawson on piano, Kilgore sings 17 songs (including two versions of "Harlem Butterfly") while providing 72+ minutes of wonderful singing. ~Steve Emerine

Harlem Butterfly: A Remembrance Of Maxine Sullivan

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Herb Geller - To Benny And Johnny With Love From Herb Geller

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:22
Size: 152.0 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[4:53] 1. Key Largo
[5:33] 2. Warm Valley
[5:50] 3. Morning Glory
[4:47] 4. Johnny Come Lately
[4:16] 5. Souvenir
[5:18] 6. Only Trust Your Heart
[4:33] 7. I Did'nt Know About You
[2:33] 8. Dancers In Love
[5:46] 9. Isfahan
[2:00] 10. Twelve By Two For Squatty Roo
[6:12] 11. Lonely Woman
[4:38] 12. When Lights Are Low
[4:56] 13. Ballad For Very Tired And Very Sad Lotus-Eaters
[5:02] 14. Summer Serenade

Herb Geller's tribute cd to Johnny Hodges and Benny Carter. Herb Geller (soprano saxophone, alto saxophone); Herb Geller; Chuck Berghofer (double bass); Hod O'Brien (piano); Paul Kreibich (drums) To Benny and Johnny with Love from Herb Geller songs. Recording information: Entourage Studios, Hollywood, CA (06/16/2001/06/17/2001).

Herb Geller was born in Los Angeles on 2 November 1928. His first professional job was at an L.A. club called Mike Riley's Mad House in 1945. Thereafter he became part of veteran jazz fiddler Joe Venuti's band before finding himself in New York with the Claude Thornhill Band at a time when there was still an active jazz performing and recording scene. Here he met and married jazz pianist Lorraine Walsh. Then it was back west to be part of the expanding "west coast jazz" school in and around Los Angeles composed of Shorty Rogers, Art Pepper, Chet Baker, and Shelley Manne. Geller also played in an early edition of Maynard Ferguson's Orchestra. He and his wife Lorraine co-led a successful quartet until her tragic early death in 1958. This was a personal watershed and he left for a period of revaluation in Brazil before finally setting sail for Europe.

In 1962 he worked for the Berlin Radio Orchestra before securing a permanent post with the NDR Orchestra in Hamburg where he remained for over twenty five years. Financially this was good but the confines of a radio orchestra do not always allow freedom of expression. He had meantime remarried and settled in Hamburg. In 1990 he made his first jazz combo album since leaving the United States. He retired from the NDR Orchestra in 1993 and was free to undertake tours back in the U.S., Europe and the UK.

In recent times he has recorded with some younger musicians in his adopted city Hamburg (I'll Be Back CD 2074) and also in the U.S. he has recorded for VSOP, Fresh Sound, and "The Al Cohn Songbook" (HEP CD 2066). During a short tour of the U.K. in 1998 he encountered the fabulous Scots pianist Brian Kellock and the following year in London recorded an album with Kellock entitled "The Hollywood Portraits" (HEP CD 2078). This was a suite of original music celebrating some of Hollywood's legends such as Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, Lana Turner, Ingrid Bergman and Greta Garbo.

As always Herb's playing combines the essence of Benny Carter's singing alto style plus the exciting departures originated by Charlie Parker. Herb is truly the last in the great tradition of jazz alto players who can also compose and whose knowledge of the structure of standards is second to none.

To Benny And Johnny With Love From Herb Geller

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John Denver - John Denver Sings

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:14
Size: 73.8 MB
Styles: Folk, Country
Year: 1966/2012
Art: Front

[2:34] 1. Here, There & Everywhere
[2:18] 2. Ann
[3:11] 3. Babe, I Hate To Go
[1:45] 4. When I Was A Cowboy
[2:14] 5. Yesterday
[2:36] 6. Blues My Naughty Baby Taught Me
[3:04] 7. What's That I Hear Now
[3:10] 8. And I Love Her
[1:47] 9. When Will I Be Loved
[3:31] 10. Darcy Farrow
[2:13] 11. Minor Swing
[1:49] 12. In My Life
[1:56] 13. Farewell Party

JD was 21 years old when he recorded 'John Denver Sings.' He had joined The Mitchell Trio a year earlier, after being chosen to join the group from 250 potential candidates. Technically, this was his first solo album. Dedicated to Milt Okun, John had 250 copies of this album produced in 1966. He gave it to friends and family as a personal Christmas gift. After hearing one of the tunes, 'Babe. I Hate to Go,' Peter, Paul and Mary later recorded the song for their only #1 single. By then, the title had been changed to 'Leaving on a Jet Plane,' The rest, as they say, is history!

John Denver Sings

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Shirley Horn - You're My Thrill

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:21
Size: 123,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:47)  1. You're My Thrill
(2:37)  2. The Best Is Yet To Come
(5:06)  3. Solitary Moon
(2:59)  4. Sharing The Night With The Blues
(4:48)  5. I Got Lost In His Arms
(3:38)  6. The Rules Of The Road
(4:39)  7. My Heart Stood Still
(1:59)  8. You'd Better Love Me
(5:14)  9. The Very Thought Of You
(2:46) 10. Why Don't You Do Right
(7:44) 11. All Night Long

With the swanky midnight mood of their previous collaboration Here's to Life in mind, Shirley Horn and arranger Johnny Mandel go at it again a move that is sure to send her legions of latter-day fans into blissful orbit. This time, though, the six sophisticated string-laden ballads are interspersed with five relatively short, swinging numbers with just Horn, her trio, and various instrumental guests. As a result, you get a better balanced album, not weighted too much in one direction or another. Mandel's orchestrations are paragons of subtlety, sometimes creeping almost imperceptibly like a slow moving fog upon Horn's trio. Like his singer, Mandel respects the value of silence and space; they're a well matched pair, their different ideas of timing dovetail together neatly. Though some of us would have wanted Horn and her jazzmen to stretch out more on the small group tracks, they do serve effectively as breathers, or intermezzos, in between the languorous collaborations with Mandel. 

In lieu of the participation of Wynton Marsalis (who contributed to Here's to Life), Carl Saunders offers some soulful trumpet obbligato work on "Solitary Moon." Guitarist Russell Malone and bassist Brian Bromberg also appear on the small group tracks Malone even does a soft focused rockabilly thing on "Why Don't You Do Right?" while bassist Charles Ables and drummer Steve Williams stoke the rhythm in Horn's trio. Another worthy stylish outing for Horn. ~ Richard S.Ginell  http://www.allmusic.com/album/youre-my-thrill-mw0000000163

Personnel: Shirley Horn (vocals, piano); Russell Malone, Dorival Caymmi (guitar); Carl Saunders (trumpet); Alan Broadbent (piano); Steve Williams (drums, percussion); Steven Schaeffer (drums).

You're My Thrill

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Coleman Hawkins - Dream Catcher

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:53
Size: 178,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:36)  1. While We're Young
(4:52)  2. An Embrace to Bonfá
(4:03)  3. Mighty Like a Rose
(4:10)  4. The Duck
(6:11)  5. For You, for Me, for Evermore
(5:59)  6. One Note Samba
(5:12)  7. Then I'll Be Tired of You
(3:59)  8. I Remember You
(6:10)  9. Poor Butterfly
(5:27) 10. Samba Para Bean
(5:30) 11. Trouble Is a Man
(5:49) 12. Desafinado
(2:32) 13. Stumpy Bossa Nova
(6:40) 14. I'll Get By
(2:53) 15. I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover
(4:43) 16. At Dawning

Coleman Hawkins was the first important tenor saxophonist and he remains one of the greatest of all time. A consistently modern improviser whose knowledge of chords and harmonies was encyclopedic, Hawkins had a 40-year prime (1925-1965) during which he could hold his own with any competitor. Coleman Hawkins started piano lessons when he was five, switched to cello at age seven, and two years later began on tenor. At a time when the saxophone was considered a novelty instrument, used in vaudeville and as a poor substitute for the trombone in marching bands, Hawkins sought to develop his own sound. A professional when he was 12, Hawkins was playing in a Kansas City theater pit band in 1921, when Mamie Smith hired him to play with her Jazz Hounds. Hawkins was with the blues singer until June 1923, making many records in a background role and he was occasionally heard on instrumentals. After leaving Smith, he freelanced around New York, played briefly with Wilbur Sweatman, and in August 1923 made his first recordings with Fletcher Henderson. When Henderson formed a permanent orchestra in January 1924, Hawkins was his star tenor.

Although (due largely to lack of competition) Coleman Hawkins was the top tenor in jazz in 1924, his staccato runs and use of slap-tonguing sound quite dated today. However, after Louis Armstrong joined Henderson later in the year, Hawkins learned from the cornetist's relaxed legato style and advanced quickly. By 1925, Hawkins was truly a major soloist, and the following year his solo on "Stampede" became influential. Hawk (who doubled in early years on clarinet and bass sax) would be with Fletcher Henderson's Orchestra up to 1934, and during this time he was the obvious pacesetter among tenors; Bud Freeman was about the only tenor who did not sound like a close relative of the hard-toned Hawkins. In addition to his solos with Henderson, Hawkins backed some blues singers, recorded with McKinney's Cotton Pickers, and, with Red McKenzie in 1929, he cut his first classic ballad statement on "One Hour."

By 1934, Coleman Hawkins had tired of the struggling Fletcher Henderson Orchestra and he moved to Europe, spending five years (1934-1939) overseas. He played at first with Jack Hylton's Orchestra in England, and then freelanced throughout the continent. His most famous recording from this period was a 1937 date with Benny Carter, Alix Combille, Andre Ekyan, Django Reinhardt, and Stephane Grappelli that resulted in classic renditions of "Crazy Rhythm" and "Honeysuckle Rose." With World War II coming close, Hawkins returned to the U.S. in 1939. Although Lester Young had emerged with a totally new style on tenor, Hawkins showed that he was still a dominant force by winning a few heated jam sessions. His recording of "Body and Soul" that year became his most famous record. In 1940, he led a big band that failed to catch on, so Hawkins broke it up and became a fixture on 52nd Street. Some of his finest recordings were cut during the first half of the 1940s, including a stunning quartet version of "The Man I Love." Although he was already a 20-year veteran, Hawkins encouraged the younger bop-oriented musicians and did not need to adjust his harmonically advanced style in order to play with them. He used Thelonious Monk in his 1944 quartet; led the first official bop record session (which included Dizzy Gillespie and Don Byas); had Oscar Pettiford, Miles Davis, and Max Roach as sidemen early in their careers; toured in California with a sextet featuring Howard McGhee; and in 1946, utilized J.J. Johnson and Fats Navarro on record dates. Hawkins toured with Jazz at the Philharmonic several times during 1946-1950, visited Europe on a few occasions, and in 1948 recorded the first unaccompanied saxophone solo, "Picasso."

By the early '50s, the Lester Young-influenced Four Brothers sound had become a much greater influence on young tenors than Hawkins' style, and he was considered by some to be out of fashion. However, Hawkins kept on working and occasionally recording, and by the mid-'50s was experiencing a renaissance. The up-and-coming Sonny Rollins considered Hawkins his main influence, Hawk started teaming up regularly with Roy Eldridge in an exciting quintet (their appearance at the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival was notable), and he proved to still be in his prime. Coleman Hawkins appeared in a wide variety of settings, from Red Allen's heated Dixieland band at the Metropole and leading a bop date featuring Idrees Sulieman and J.J. Johnson, to guest appearances on records that included Thelonious Monk, John Coltrane, and (in the early '60s) Max Roach and Eric Dolphy. During the first half of the 1960s, Coleman Hawkins had an opportunity to record with Duke Ellington, collaborated on one somewhat eccentric session with Sonny Rollins, and even did a bossa nova album. By 1965, Hawkins was even showing the influence of John Coltrane in his explorative flights and seemed ageless.

Unfortunately, 1965 was Coleman Hawkins' last good year. Whether it was senility or frustration, Hawkins began to lose interest in life. He practically quit eating, increased his drinking, and quickly wasted away. Other than a surprisingly effective appearance with Jazz at the Philharmonic in early 1969, very little of Hawkins' work during his final three and a half years (a period during which he largely stopped recording) is up to the level one would expect from the great master. However, there are dozens of superb Coleman Hawkins recordings currently available and, as Eddie Jefferson said in his vocalese version of "Body and Soul," "he was the king of the saxophone." Bio ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/artist/coleman-hawkins-mn0000776363/biography

Dream Catcher

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Lalo Schifrin & Bob Brookmeyer - Samba Para Dos

Styles: Trombone and Piano Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:16
Size: 72,0 MB
Art: Front

(10:05)  1. Samba Para Dos
( 3:03)  2. What Kind Of Fool Am I
( 3:35)  3. I Get A Kick Out Of You
( 3:21)  4. Just Obe Of Those Things
( 3:31)  5. Time After Time
( 2:31)  6. Its Allright With Me
( 2:01)  7. My Funny Valentine
( 3:07)  8. But Not For Me

This long unavailable record pairs valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer with pianist Lalo Schifrin in a light but swinging Latin-flavored studio session. Although there is a formidable supporting cast, which includes Phil Woods, Al Cohn, Zoot Sims, and Jimmy Raney, the solos are primarily by the co-leaders and Leo Wright, heard on several flute solos. Following Schifrin's extended but lively "Samba Para Dos," the remainder of the date focuses on very familiar standards. Raney's solos are a highlight of "I Get a Kick Out of You" and "My Funny Valentine." The full reed section fleshes out a potent interpretation of "Just One of Those Things," which features an impressive and often humorous solo by Brookmeyer. Although this may not be considered an essential LP by the average jazz fan, it is well worth acquiring. ~ Ken Dryden  http://www.allmusic.com/album/samba-para-dos-mw0000471354

Personnel:  Lalo Schifrin - piano, arranger; Bob Brookmeyer - valve trombone; Frank Rehak – trombone; Leo Wright - alto saxophone, flute; Phil Woods, Jerome Richardson - alto saxophone; Zoot Sims, Al Cohn - tenor saxophone; Romeo Penque - bass clarinet; Danny Bank - baritone saxophone; Jimmy Raney – guitar; Ben Tucker – bass; Dave Bailey – drums; Jose Paulo – percussion; Carmelita Koehler - cello

Samba Para Dos

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