Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Gerry Mulligan - Jazz Masters 36

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:55
Size: 157.8 MB
Styles: West Coast jazz, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1994
Art: Front

[ 4:37] 1. You Took Advantage Of Me
[ 3:47] 2. Manoir De Mes Reves Django's Castle
[ 6:08] 3. Lady Chatterley's Mother
[ 5:28] 4. Barbara's Theme
[10:54] 5. Blueport
[ 5:59] 6. Weep
[ 9:42] 7. All About Rosie
[ 4:43] 8. Chuggin'
[ 4:32] 9. Summer's Over
[ 3:07] 10. Israel
[ 4:12] 11. Ballad
[ 5:40] 12. Big City Blues

Gerry Mulligan's Concert Jazz Band was one of the great bands of the early 1960s--of all time, really. Mulligan, whose big band (and small big band) experience went back to Gene Krupa and the Miles Davis Birth of the Cool recordings, expanded and enlarged on the sound of his quartet, sextet, and tentets in the Concert Jazz Band. This album contains a dozen cuts from the four albums the band made for Verve between 1960 and late 1962. (There are several other excellent CDs currently available, from the band's European tour in late 1960 and from an appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival earlier that year.)

Highlights of this collection include Al Cohn's wonderful sax section writing on "Lady Chatterley's Mother," the interplay between Mulligan and Clark Terry on the definitive "Blueport," and George Russell's arrangement of "All About Rosie." In addition to Mulligan (who plays piano on "Chuggin'"--he's a wonderful piano player--and clarinet on "Big City Blues") and Terry, soloists include Bob Brookmeyer (valve trombone and piano), Don Ferrara on trumpet, and Jim Reider on tenor. Mel Lewis is the drummer who makes it all happen, on all but the final recording date. That one, released as "Gerry Mulligan 1963" (although recorded in December 1962), presents a band with a somewhat different, perhaps more arranged, sound, but it includes Jim Hall on guitar. If you can find a copy of the now-discontinued Verve Compact Jazz CD of the Concert Jazz Band, you'll have a pretty complete representation of the band's official recordings. The older collection includes three cuts that are sadly missing from this one: Zoot Sims' great solos on "Come Rain or Come Shine" and "Apple Core," and Mulligan's delightful piano outing on "Let My People Be." This is a great band. Savor what's available. ~Amazon

Jazz Masters 36

Catherine Russell - Bring It Back

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:21
Size: 108.4 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[3:51] 1. Bring It Back
[2:28] 2. I'm Shooting High
[4:05] 3. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart
[3:07] 4. You Got To Swing And Sway
[4:38] 5. Aged And Mellow
[2:37] 6. The Darktown Strutter's Ball
[3:52] 7. Lucille
[2:36] 8. You've Got Me Under Your Thumb
[5:20] 9. After The Lights Go Down Low
[3:04] 10. I'm Sticking With You Baby
[3:28] 11. Strange As It Seems
[3:10] 12. Public Melody Number One
[4:59] 13. I Cover The Waterfront

Catherine Russell is a native New Yorker, born into musical royalty. Her father, the late Luis Russell, was born in Panama, emigrated to New Orleans and then New York City, becoming a legendary pianist/bandleader/arranger/composer, and Louis Armstrong’s long-time collaborator and musical director. Her mother, Carline Ray, was a pioneering bassist/guitarist/vocalist and holder of advanced degrees from Juilliard and Manhattan School of Music, who performed with International Sweethearts of Rhythm, Mary Lou Williams, and Ruth Brown. Not surprisingly considering her pedigree, Catherine Russell is a one of a kind musician and vocalist. A graduate of American Academy of Dramatic Arts, Catherine has toured the world, performing and recording with David Bowie, Steely Dan, Cyndi Lauper, Jackson Browne, Michael Feinstein, Levon Helm, Paul Simon, Rosanne Cash, Carrie Smith, and many others.

Catherine's 5th album, Bring It Back hit the streets in February 2014 on the Jazz Village label, and received a rave Five Star review in Downbeat Magazine. With her new album, Catherine Russell digs deeper into a rich vein of musical treasures. Mining collaborations between her legendary father, Luis Russell, and the great Louis Armstrong, Catherine brings along the same team from her two previous chart-topping albums. Gems from the Jazz Age and Swing Era performed with new arrangements for 10 piece orchestra, blend seamlessly with reinventions sourced from Blues icons Esther Phillips, Al Hibbler, Wynonie Harris, and Little Willie John.

Catherine Russell is that rarest of entities – a genuine jazz and blues singer – who can sing virtually anything. Her voice is full blown feminity incarnate; a dusky, stalwart and soulful instrument that radiates interpretive power yet remains touchingly vulnerable. She launches fearlessly into each tune, getting inside the melody and capturing every emotion. Her repertoire features a selection of gems from the 1920's through the Present; vital interpretations, bursting with soul and humor. With an off-the beaten-path song selection, sparkling acoustic swing, and a stunning vocal approach, Catherine Russell joins the ranks of the greatest interpreters and performers of American Popular Song.

Bring It Back

Marshall Royal - Gordon Jenkins Presents Marshall Royal

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:41
Size: 95.4 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 1960/2007
Art: Front

[2:13] 1. Caravan
[3:18] 2. Ain't Misbehavin'
[3:26] 3. Birth Of The Blues
[4:52] 4. Take The A Train
[3:23] 5. When I Grow Too Old To Dream
[4:27] 6. Intermezzo
[3:24] 7. Blue Prelude
[2:43] 8. Battle Royal
[3:28] 9. Goodbye
[2:46] 10. Pagan Love Song
[3:30] 11. Black Coffee
[4:05] 12. Blues For Beverly

Altoist Marshall Royal led relatively few sessions in his career, just three full albums of his own, with the second one not released until 1978. For this project from 1960, Royal, who was still with Count Basie's big band, is backed by a string section, an occasional choral group (which sometimes gets in the way), and a rhythm section (partly from Basie's orchestra) on arrangements by Gordon Jenkins. Jenkins was best known for his lush charts for commercial settings, and the music on this CD reissue is not that much of a stretch for him. He essentially frames Royal's alto as if it was a voice. Royal, who sounds a lot like Johnny Hodges, plays well on the concise performances although much of the time he sticks near the melody. There are a few medium-tempo numbers included but this is mostly a ballad set. The overall results are nice if not particularly challenging. ~Scott Yanow

Gordon Jenkins Presents Marshall Royal

Sanford Hinderlie - Solo Flight

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:07
Size: 128.5 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 1995
Art: Front

[4:54] 1. Isle Of Paradise
[7:48] 2. Willow Weep For Me
[6:08] 3. Your Song
[5:13] 4. Phase Dance
[4:16] 5. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
[5:02] 6. Greensleeves
[6:05] 7. In Flight
[6:05] 8. Summer Haze
[5:02] 9. Killer Joe
[5:30] 10. Amazing Grace

Hinderlie appears regularly in New Orleans and has performed at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. He is known as a performer of MIDI/synthesizer music, and composed music for television, radio and films. Hinderlie has performed in the former Soviet Union, Japan, the Middle East and Europe. This recording represents his first solo venture on acoustic piano.

Solo Flight

Mark Winkler - Jazz Life

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:29
Size: 84,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:44)  1. Jazz Life
(3:50)  2. In a Minor Key
(2:13)  3. Be-Bop
(4:03)  4. Coolcats
(4:09)  5. Keely
(4:58)  6. Hip To Your Tricks
(3:47)  7. Struttin'
(4:14)  8. Scattin' in the Moonlight
(4:26)  9. Play To Win

Known for his smooth, relaxed, laid-back sense of swing, Mark Winkler is a flexible vocalist/songwriter whose influences (direct or indirect) include Dave Frishberg, Mose Allison, Kenny Rankin, and Michael Franks (among others). The Los Angeles resident is comfortable in either jazz or pop settings; he has done his share of traditional pop and crossover jazz/smooth jazz work, but he can also handle straight-ahead jazz and bop. Whether a Winkler recording has a jazz improviser's perspective or more of a pop/crossover perspective has depended on different factors, including the label and the producer. Some of Winkler's work has leaned toward the Mose Allison/Dave Frishberg side of things; other times, his approach has been closer to Michael Franks or Kenny Rankin. And either way, Winkler generally maintains his smoothness; he has never been known as a forceful, overly aggressive, or in-your-face type of singer.

Born and raised in the L.A. area, Winkler launched his recorded career in the mid-'80s. After recording some albums for the independent, L.A.-based Chase Music Group (including Color of Love, Ebony Rain, and Hottest Night of the Year), the Southern Californian freelanced for various indie labels in the '90s (including Countdown and Chartmaker). Winkler didn't build a huge catalog in the '80s or '90s; when the early 2000s arrived, his catalog added up to about six albums. But he has kept busy doing a variety of other things, which have ranged from writing songs for other vocalists to theatrical projects. Winkler whose songs have been recorded by Liza Minnelli, Randy Crawford, Dianne Reeves, and others wrote the off-Broadway musical Naked Boys Singing! (which debuted in New York in 1999 and went on to play in a few others cities as well). In 2003, the Rhombus label released Mark Winkler Sings Bobby Troup, which found him paying tribute to the songwriter who gave us gems like "Route 66," "You're Looking at Me," and "Baby, Baby All the Time." ~ Bio https://itunes.apple.com/gb/artist/mark-winkler/id48811931#fullText

Jazz Life

Kevin Mahogany - Portrait Of Kevin Mahogany

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:55
Size: 132,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:38)  1. I'm Walkin'
(4:11)  2. Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight
(6:01)  3. Yesterday I Had The Blues
(4:21)  4. Teach Me Tonight
(4:50)  5. I Can't Make You Love Me
(5:57)  6. Nature Boy
(4:51)  7. Goodbye Pork Pie Hat
(6:06)  8. Love You More Than You'll Ever Know
(4:49)  9. Wild Honey
(5:19) 10. (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay
(4:46) 11. Laura

On his 4th album for Warner Bros., Kevin Mahogany pulls all the genre stops and pays tribute to those by whom he clearly has been influenced. There's that funky R & B with Fats Domino's "I'm Walkin" with a raucous sax and Larry Golding's organ making the whole thing go. As much as any track, "I Love You More Than You Ever Know" reveals a Mahogany debt to Joe Williams where he and Golding's organ (again) merge to bring a shouter's explication to this blues tune. For those who swoon rapturously with smooth jazz, you'll love "Wild Honey". Nat King Cole's great hit "Nature Boy"gets a jazz treatment, but on this one Mahogany sounds as if he's not convinced he's doing this tune justice. 

Maybe Nat King Cole's seminal version is running through his head. One of the classic rock anthems of our time, Otis Redding's "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay", has the deep Southern Soul sound to it that Redding attached to this popular song. As he continues his perusal of the popular music genre, Mahogany is joined by a slew of outstanding instrumentalists. Unfortunately, the copy of the CD I have for review doesn't link the artist with the track they play on. Since "Laura" is from the soundtrack of the movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil Michael Brecker's solo is recognizable. Golding is alone on organ. It's likely that on the smooth jazz cuts Kirk Whalum has the sax lead. Also Joe Lovano's tenor is quite recognizable on a languid "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat". In an era where good male singers are at a premium, Mahogany is a star in rather a limited galaxy. ~ Dave Nathan http://www.allaboutjazz.com/a-portrait-of-kevin-mahogany-kevin-mahogany-warner-bros-review-by-dave-nathan.php

Personnel: Kevin Mahogany - Vocals;  Larry Goldings - Organ;  Peter Bernstein,  Larry Carlton - Guitar;  Kirk Whalum,  Joe Lovano, Michael Brecker - Saxophone;  Gregory Hutchinson- Drums; J ames Weidman,  Brad Mehldau , Bob James - Piano;  Rodney Whitaker,  Larry Grenadier - Bass

Portrait Of Kevin Mahogany

Labek - Love At Last

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:08
Size: 145,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:19)  1. You Don't Know What Love Is
(5:36)  2. Somewhere Between
(3:01)  3. What A Difference A Day Makes
(3:13)  4. September Song
(4:29)  5. It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This
(2:54)  6. What's New
(4:54)  7. You Won't Be Coming Back
(3:26)  8. Autumn In NY
(3:59)  9. For John
(4:07) 10. Cry Me A River
(4:13) 11. The Jazz In You
(2:40) 12. Last Night When We Were Young
(4:11) 13. The Man That Got Away
(2:40) 14. Your Caress
(4:51) 15. You Make Up For It All
(3:27) 16. Love At Last

Labek has been singing and performing since the age of nine. After winning a full scholarship to Cornell University, where she received an MFA, she moved to NYC. There, she pursued a performance career, starring in a number of repertory plays, working on parts in TV and on Broadway. Throughout her career she spent many hours developing her craft, preparing, and finally bringing all her experience and wisdom to recording her vocal artistry. She moved to Boston where she presently is part of the faculty at Berklee College of Music. The combination of life experiences; spiritual and musical development has produced an artist with fearless integrity, an original, with a powerful voice who must be heard. The choice of material is always meaningfully dealt with in terms of her individuality and passion for storytelling. She features world-class musicians who compliment her arrangements and she chooses new works with songwriters whose songs are so well crafted that some are inseparable from the selection of standards. ~ Bio http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/labek

Love At Last

Milt Jackson - Explosive! Meets The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra

Styles: Vibraphone Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:15
Size: 149,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:54)  1. Bags' Groove
(7:41)  2. Since I Fell For You
(5:25)  3. Evidence
(3:28)  4. Back Home Again In Indiana
(5:23)  5. Deed I Do
(5:20)  6. The Nearness Of You
(5:36)  7. Major Deagan (Blues For Dan)
(5:48)  8. Emily
(6:53)  9. Along Came Betty
(6:00) 10. Revibal Meeting
(6:43) 11. Recovery

In a recording career that's spanned more than half a century, the masterful vibraphonist Milt Jackson has seldom been less than flawless. For Explosive!, his fifth disc on Quincy Jones's well-distributed Qwest label, Jackson is suitably teamed with the well-populated Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra. It too, is no exception; offering a sterling collection of Jackson's pleasing blend of blues and ballads. Jackson has only recorded with big bands on a surprisingly infrequent basis (his Verve recordings with Ray Brown, two dates from the early 1960s on Riverside and some work in the late 70s with Count Basie's band come to mind). But he has plenty of connections to this music. Helmsman arranger/bassist John Clayton studied with Jackson's soul mate and frequent musical sparring partner, Ray Brown. Clayton has also served a rewarding apprenticeship in Basie's band and his tasteful, swinging arrangements recall the brassy soulfulness Quincy Jones offered to many a Basie session (and plenty others like Ray Charles too).

So Milt's at home here still swinging like he did back in the Forties (consider how he enlivens Monk's "Evidence" here and recall the vibraphonist was heard on the original all those years ago). If there's any gripe - and it's a true quibble - it's that Jackson seems like a guest on his own session. He swings in between the more dominating orchestra (with exceptional offerings from reedman Jeff Clayton, trumpeter Snooky Young and trombonist George Bohanon) and even sits out of "Deed I Do" and "The Nearness of You" altogether. But, as expected, he's above reproach and completely in charge of "Major Deegan," the inevitable "Bag's Groove," and the newer originals, "Revibal Meeting" and "Recovery." Explosive! could have been recorded in the late Fifties, at a time when jazz orchestras like this flourished. Today, it's positively out of the ordinary to hear a big star front a (real) big band. But it shows how ageless and timeless the concept is when it's done right as it is here. ~ Douglas Payne 
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/explosive-milt-jackson-warner-bros-review-by-douglas-payne.php

Players:Milt Jackson: vibes; John Clayton, Jr.: arco bass; Jeff Hamilton: drums; Jeff Clayton: alto sax, flute, clarinet; Byron Stripling, Eugene "Snooky" Young, Oscar Brasher, Clay Jenkins, Bobby Rodriguez: trumpet; Ira Nepus, George Bohanon, Isaac Smith: trombone; Maurice Spears: bass trombone; Keith Fiddmont: alto sax, flute, clarinet; Ricky Woodward, Charles Owens: tenor sax, clarinet; Lee Callet: baritone sax, bass clarinet; Bill Cunliffe: piano; Christoph Luty: bass; Jim Hershman: guitar.

Explosive! Milt Jackson Meets The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra

Emily McEwan - In The Wee Small Hours

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:42
Size: 89,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:46)  1. In The Wee Small Hours
(4:43)  2. Never Let Me Go
(4:43)  3. End of A Love Affair
(6:03)  4. Turn Out The Stars
(6:33)  5. Double Rainbow
(5:14)  6. Three Coins In The Fountain
(2:56)  7. Time After Time
(4:41)  8. Ae Fond Kiss

Her debut album of original compositions, Emily McEwan Highland Fling, was released in 2006 and the album was produced by Grammy-winning producer Paul Svenre. The music is a mix of jazz, Scottish folk and pop and has been compared to that of Joni Mitchell, Rickie Lee Jones and Burt Bacharach. Her second solo album, In This Place, released in 2010 on the label Inside Music, also produced by Pål Svenre. Emily McEwan also sings Scottish folk music and jazz, and has done concerts with, among others, Gunnar Bergsten, Nisse Sandstrom and Mathias Algotsson. She even has its own jazz trio and has performed at jazz clubs around Sweden, but also in a number of jazz festivals internationally as Stockholm Jazz Festival, the Edinburgh Jazz Festival and the Dubai Jazz Festival. Translate by google ~ Bio https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emily_McEwan

In The Wee Small Hours