Mônica Passos - Lemniscate

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:11
Size: 137.8 MB
Styles: Bossa Nova/Folk/Jazz vocals
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[3:23] 1. Àguas De Março
[6:13] 2. Avec Le Temps
[2:22] 3. Rien De Rien
[5:30] 4. Carmen
[4:29] 5. Colchiques Dans Les Prés
[5:19] 6. La Mémoire Et La Mer
[3:27] 7. Valsa Do Amor Perfeito
[4:35] 8. Les Feuilles Mortes
[2:44] 9. A La Claire Fontaine
[2:27] 10. Riders On The Storm
[4:13] 11. Jalousie
[3:15] 12. La Caravane
[2:18] 13. Tico Tico
[2:34] 14. Odéon
[3:17] 15. Lemniscate
[3:58] 16. J.Y.M

Guitar, Programmed By, Arranged By, Directed By – Jean-Philippe Crespin; Guitar, Voice, Arranged By – Mônica Passos; Harp – Margot Varret; Organ [Special Featuring] – Emmanuel Bex (tracks: 5); Percussion – Jorge Bezerra Junior, Thomas Ostrowiecki; Saxophone [Special Featuring] – Archie Shepp (tracks: 2, 8); Surdo – Edmundo Carneiro; Trombone – Stéphane Beaussier; Trumpet – Emma Ruiz; Viola – Jean-Yves Lenoble; Alto Saxophone – Eric Gallois; Backing Vocals, Guitar – Félix Jacquin; Clarinet, Oboe, Baritone Saxophone – Daniel Beaussier; Flute – Bérénice Riollet; Flute [G] – Bernard Wystraete.

The Brazilian-born French singer and guitarist Mônica Passos mixes bossa nova with folk, jazz, and pop to arrive at a sound all her own. On this 2008 disc, Passos presents her own sensual adaptations of material from Leo Ferré ("Avec le Temps"), Duke Ellington (an exotic "La Caravane"), Antonio Carlos Jobim (a brisk "Àguas de Março"), Georges Bizet ("Habanera" from Carmen), Jean-Baptiste Lully ("A la Clair Fontaine"), and even the Doors (a flamenco-tinged "Riders on the Storm"). On several tracks, Passos and her 13-piece band are also joined by organist Emmanuel Bex and John Coltrane alumnus Archie Shepp on saxophone.

Lemniscate

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Hendrik Meurkens - New York Nights

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:42
Size: 125.2 MB
Styles: Brazilian jazz, Harmonica jazz
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[5:49] 1. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
[5:27] 2. It Could Happen To You
[6:06] 3. New York Nights
[2:37] 4. You Stepped Out Of A Dream
[5:45] 5. Slidin'
[6:22] 6. Bittersweet
[6:59] 7. My Foolish Heart
[4:59] 8. The Cottage
[5:45] 9. Second Waltz
[4:49] 10. Scrapple From The Apple

The harmonica is common enough that many can immediately identify with Hendrik Meurkens' unusual agility on the instrument. This straightforward set of ten standards is distinguished for including Eric Alexander on tenor sax on several of the tunes, along with a first rate rhythm section with the venerable Jimmy Cobb on drums. Meurkins mixes the bop-infused selections well, reaching back to Bird's "Scrapple from the Apple," throwing in standards such as "My Foolish Heart" and "You Stepped Out of a Dream," and touching them off with a few very fine originals. Meurkens blows his harmonica as though it were a trumpet or saxophone, and his pure tone and natural swing pleasurably create generally upbeat, often exciting solos. While few surprises are in store, and the harmonica-ist never grandstands, his strong command of the instrument is a thrill to hear, and his modest meat-and-potatoes approach hits the mark. Alexander comes from the same mold as Meurkens, and the saxophonist's finely crafted improvisations add immeasurable to this enjoyable recording. ~Steve Loewy

New York Nights

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Ben Webster - The Warm Moods

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:22
Size: 81.0 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 1960/2013
Art: Front

[2:23] 1. The Sweetheart Of Sigma Chi
[2:58] 2. Stella By Starlight
[3:02] 3. With Every Breath I Take
[2:57] 4. Accent On Youth
[2:49] 5. But Beautiful
[3:07] 6. Time After Time
[3:09] 7. Nancy (With The Laughing Face)
[2:43] 8. I'm Beginning To See The Light
[3:21] 9. It Was So Beautiful
[2:23] 10. The Whiffenpoof Song
[3:07] 11. It's Easy To Remember
[3:16] 12. There's No You

The veteran tenor Ben Webster had a very warm tone on ballads that contrasted with the aggressive biting sound he used on faster material. For this 1960 set Webster is joined by a string quartet (arranged by Johnny Richards) and a rhythm section for his melodic interpretations of a dozen standards. Even when simply stating the melody, Webster brings out unexpected beauty in the songs. His tone has never been accurately duplicated and is the main reason to pick up this CD reissue. ~Scott Yanow

The Warm Moods

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Richard Smith - First Kiss

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:21
Size: 99.3 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz, Smooth jazz
Year: 1997
Art: Front

[4:17] 1. First Kiss
[4:40] 2. Rhythm Method
[4:28] 3. Midnight Run
[5:51] 4. A Minor Love Affair
[4:52] 5. Never Too Much
[5:04] 6. Impulsive
[4:19] 7. Mission Of Love
[4:43] 8. Like A Dream
[5:03] 9. Put It Where You Want It

Richard Smith, guitars; Tim Redfield, keyboards & programming, Larry Antonino, bass; Special Guests: Richard Elliot, Peter White, Brandon Fields, Michael Lington, Tony Guererro, Greg Vale.Richard Smith’s debut released in 1997 on Heads Up International is an imaginative full-length music CD and multimedia CD-Rom with a video, artist profile, free internet access for 30 days and much more.

This innovative concept advances smooth jazz toward the next millennium with Richard Smith playing nine songs on acoustic and electric guitar. Smith produced a major technical accomplishment and wrote five of the compositions. The CD is a compliment to technology and to his special guests, Richard Elliot, Peter White, Brandon Fields and Tim Redfield. The title track “First Kiss,” reflects his passion and love for his wife as well as his work and provides the listener with an exciting blend of guitar and saxophone melodies. New Media and the Smooth Jazz genre continue to be the perfect coupling of jazz and state-of-the-art-technology on First Kiss. ~Paula Edelstein

First Kiss

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Karen Sharp - So Far So Good

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:08
Size: 145,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:18)  1. Candy
(6:31)  2. I've Never Been In Love Before
(5:41)  3. Doowap
(8:06)  4. Sheltered By the Stars
(4:54)  5. Smile
(6:27)  6. I Want More
(1:57)  7. Mona Lisa
(5:39)  8. So Far So Good
(5:37)  9. Mr Gas Man
(5:26) 10. Small World
(5:39) 11. Flight of the Foo Birds
(1:48) 12. Smile - Reprise

Sharp began only during her composition studies at the Royal Northern College of Music with the saxophone after an intake of Dexter Gordon had heard. They first played in the jazz band of the college and a soul band in Liverpool. In 1999 she moved to London, where she soon with musicians like Scott Hamilton , John Dankworth , Danny Moss , Alan Barnes , Joe Temperley , Mark Nightingale , Annie Whitehead , Ellyn Rucker, Roy Williams , Scott Robinson , Ken Peplowski or Elkie Brooks occurred. In 2004 she took Humphrey Lyttelton in his octet , which she belonged for three years. In the Ginza Festival in Tokyo in 2006, she presented with Tina May and Nikki Iles . Next they played in the bands of Digby Fairweather and Enrico Tomasso . Since 2002 she has released five albums under his own name; also she led a trio, the Barbara Lea and Dick Sudhalter belonged. Between 2002 and 2011 she recorded 16 recordings,  with Humphrey Lyttelton and George Melly. Translate by Google  https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_Sharp 

Karen Sharp's So Far so Good features Karen on tenor sax, Dave Priseman on trumpet, Richard Busiakiewicz on piano, John Day on double bass and Matt Fishwick on drums.

So Far So Good

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Gerald Clayton - Bond: The Paris Sessions

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:12
Size: 161,1 MB
Art: Front

(7:44)  1. If I Were a Bell
(3:44)  2. Bond: The Cast
(5:04)  3. Bootleg Bruise
(6:14)  4. Major Hope
(4:00)  5. Bond: Fresh Squeeze
(3:48)  6. Snake Bite
(6:31)  7. Sun Glimpse
(1:15)  8. Which Persons?
(6:42)  9. 3D
(4:35) 10. Nobody Else But Me
(3:39) 11. All the Things You Are
(3:42) 12. Bond: The Release
(3:30) 13. Shout and Cry
(4:50) 14. Round Come Round
(4:48) 15. Hank

Gerald Clayton has been one of the bright lights of his generation, playing with the Clayton Brothers (co-led by his father and uncle) and accompanying instrumentalists (Roy Hargrove, Don Braden, and Ambrose Akinmusire), jazz vocalists (Roberta Gambarini, Diana Krall, and Melissa Morgan), jazz-pop singers (Michael Bublé and Reneé Olstead), in addition to leading his own band and composing. His second release as a leader is a trio session with bassist Joe Sanders and drummer Justin Brown, plus some solo piano tracks. His interpretations of standards are remarkably fresh, considering how often they have been recorded in a jazz setting. He sets up "If I Were a Bell" with a subtle vamp as he slowly works his way into it, delivering a witty performance well supported by his sidemen. 

Clayton, while not totally eschewing the famous introduction to "All the Things You Are" added by Dizzy Gillespie, does rework it into a more subtle harmonic device before delving directly into the song, with a tense, understated approach that simmers but never reaches the boiling point. His solo take of "Nobody Else But Me" is full of intricately interwoven lines while still swinging like mad. Where Clayton really stands apart from young musicians of his generation is as a composer. He shows a surprising maturity for his age, as his pieces display a wealth of stylistic influences yet retain memorable themes that hold one's interest as well. Highlights including his dramatic three-part suite, his Impressionist "Sun Glimpse," and the touching lyrical ballad "Hank." ~ Ken Dryden  http://www.allmusic.com/album/bond-the-paris-sessions-mw0002109351

Personnel: Gerald Clayton (piano); Justin Brown (drums).

Bond:The Paris Sessions

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Marty Elkins - Walkin' By The River

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:08
Size: 140,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:50)  1. If I Could Be With You
(3:23)  2. Runnin' Wild
(5:24)  3. Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby
(3:08)  4. Garbage Can Blues
(3:31)  5. When My Sugar Walks Down the Street
(5:20)  6. Don't Let The Sun Catch You Cryin'
(3:17)  7. There'll Be Some Changes Made
(5:38)  8. Down To Steamboat Tennessee
(5:52)  9. Comes Love
(4:40) 10. Ill Wind
(5:05) 11. I'll Never Be The Same
(4:55) 12. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea
(5:58) 13. Walkin' By The River

Marty Elkins was born in Jersey City, New Jersey.  As a child she listened mostly to the soul stations in New York, and the late night R&B shows like Jocko’s Rocket Ship.  She left there for college in Boston, and while in college was given a copy of Ella Fitzgerald and Ellis Larkins.  She was also exposed to Charlie Parker, Al Cohn and Zoot Sims, and Louis Jordan, but the life changing day was when she found a copy of Billie Holiday’s “Lady in Satin” in a local Woolworth bin in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Literally holing up in her room with this recording, and a Bessie Smith record she acquired, she became devoted to jazz and began listening to it exclusively.  She had the good fortune to meet musicians in that area who played jazz such as Herb Pomeroy, Ray Santisi, Jimmy Mosher, and Dave McKenna among others. Dave McKenna had a steady gig at the Copley Plaza, and he encouraged her to sing with him there.  She landed a gig singing with a vocal trio in Bo Winiker’s band, floating around the Boston harbor singing Andrew Sisters songs. http://www.martyelkins.com/bio/

Walkin' By The River

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Gordon Lee - One Two Three

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:37
Size: 141,4 MB
Art: Front

(6:11)  1. Afternoon Shadows
(5:38)  2. Moon Shower
(5:07)  3. Strawberry Fields Forever
(6:11)  4. Too Much News
(5:36)  5. Shame, Shame
(6:27)  6. Melancholy May
(5:11)  7. Autumn Leaves
(4:52)  8. Spring In The Park
(5:54)  9. In A Sentimental Mood
(5:20) 10. Keep A Low Profile
(5:06) 11. Pepper Song

Like many jazz musicians, pianist Gordon Lee has made a living playing all sorts of musical styles as an accompanist, while occasionally getting to record a jazz date of his own. One of the first Portland-based artists to record for the fledgling label Diatic, Lee's engaging originals are the primary focus, mostly trio settings with bassist Andre St. James and bassist Carlton Jackson, highlighted by his haunting "Afternoon Shadows" and the ominous "Melancholy May." His two solo features include a dramatic original ("Shame, Shame" and a dreamy interpretation of Duke Ellington's "In a Sentimental Mood" that takes on a pastoral air. Tenor saxophonist Renato Caranto (who has also recorded as a leader for Diatic) is added on three duo selections, though the standard "Autumn Leaves" and Lee's gospel-flavored "Pepper Song" prove far more compelling than the Beatles' tired "Strawberry Fields Forever," which doesn't translate so easily into jazz. ~ Ken Dryden  http://www.allmusic.com/album/one-two-three-mw0001523897

One Two Three

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