Tanja Siebert - Small Day Tomorrow: A Tribute To David Frishberg & Bob Dorough

Size: 103,3 MB
Time: 44:22
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2003
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Better Than Anything (4:12)
02. My Attorney Bernie (4:49)
03. Baby You Should Know It (4:22)
04. Small Day Tomorrow (5:47)
05. I've Got Just About Everything (3:45)
06. Peel Me A Grape (4:24)
07. Blizzard Of Lies (4:37)
08. But For Now (4:21)
09. The Message (4:08)
10. I'm Hip (3:53)

Ingenious, ironic and witty music by jazz greats Bob Dorough and Dave Frishberg. Without a doubt nobody sings these songs more charmingly, humourously and pleasurably than Tanja Siebert with her refreshing quartet.

You don´t know Tanja Siebert?
Well, maybe that is because you live on the other end of the earth...Tanja is a singer from Berlin, who just recently released her first record. It is a tribute to two of the great song writers in jazz Bob Dorough and David Frishberg.

You don´t know Bob Dorough or David Frishberg?
Bob Dorough after an almost 50-year career as a pianist, singer and composer was inducted into the jazz hall of fame in his homestate Arkansas. American audiences do not only know him as a unique jazz musician but also as the musical head of the Schoolhouse Rock series.

David Frishberg (singer, pianist and composer as well) has also played with the jazz greats (e.g. Zoot Sims, Gene Krupa) since the sixties. The London Daily Telegraph has called him the "Woody Allen of Song". It´s a special treat to see Bob Dorough and David Frishberg perform together, yet impossible to decide who is more ingenious, ironic and witty.

Without a doubt, nobody sings these songs more charmingly, humorous and pleasurably than Tanja Siebert with her refreshing quartet.

Small Day Tomorrow

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Jan Lundgren - A Retrospective

Size: 153,4 MB
Time: 66:09
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Shorty George (3:30)
02. Swedish Pastry (5:43)
03. If You Could See Me Now (4:59)
04. On Green Dolphin Street (8:14)
05. Restless (5:10)
06. Rockin' Chair (7:26)
07. Barney Goin' Easy (6:02)
08. Doxy (4:58)
09. I've Never Been In Love Before (5:09)
10. You Stepped Out Of A Dream (5:44)
11. Angel Eyes (5:23)
12. Spring Isn't Spring Anymore (3:46)

Personnel:
Jan Lundgren, piano, with
Track #1: Bill Perkins (ts), Dave Carpenter (b), Paul Kreibich (d). Sage & Sound Studio, 1995
Track #2: Dave Carpenter (b), Paul Kreibich (d). Recorded at Sage & Sound Studio, 1996
Track #3-4 & 6: Chuck Berhofer (b), Joe La Barbera (d). Recorded at The Jazz Bakery in Los Angeles (#3), Sage & Sound Studio (#4), 1996; Capitol Studios (#6), 1999
Track #5: Herb Geller (ss).
Recorded at Sage & Sound Studio, 1997
Track #7: Arne Domnérus (cl).
Recorded at Entourage Studios, 2000
Track #8: Andy Martin (tb), Tom Warrington (b), Paul Kreibich (d). Entourage Studios, 2001
Track #9-10: Pete Jolly (p), Chuck Berhofer (b), Joe La Barbera (d). Entourage Studios, 2001
Track #11-12: Tom Warrington (b), Joe La Barbera (d). Recorded at Entourage Studios, 2003

Besides some CDs and LPs produced in Sweden and Japan, our own master pianist Jan Lundgren has recorded sixteen albums – nine of them under his own name – on the superb and very ambitious Spanish Fresh Sound label, today distributed all over the world. All but one were produced in Los Angeles by the legendary Dick Bank. The exception, Stockholm Get-Together from 1994, was produced by Jan himself.

Lundgren retrospective Mr. Bank has now put together an excellent and varied Lundgren compilation. He has chosen twelve selections from ten of his own Fresh Sound productions, recorded between 1995 and 2003, and he presents them chronologically. He lets us listen to Jan entirely on his own, with his American trios and together with jazz celebrities like Bill Perkins, Conte Candoli, Herb Geller, Andy Martin and, last but not least, Arne Domnérus and Pete Jolly.

To mention any particular selections seems unnecessary since all original albums from which Mr. Bank has made his choices have already been reviewed. But the duo version of “Barney Goin´ Easy”, or “I´m Checkin´ Out Go´om Bye” as the Ellington/Strayhorn composition is also named, with Domnérus on clarinet is really something very special. It is drawn from Dompan!, the album that Arne himself considered his very best ever. The playful collaboration with Jolly is also something that will make you shout with joy— if you love high-quality piano jazz.

The bassists and drummers who enrich the album—in particular the radar pair of Chuck Berghofer and Joe La Barbera—are also well worth praising. And so is Jim Mooney, who is responsible for most of the excellent sound quality. He is a member of the same league as his east coast counterpart Rudy Van Gelder. Lots of roses, also, go to the man with the great ideas, a perpetual preserver of high quality and good taste, Mr. Dick Bank. He is like a manager in the highest Spanish soccer division who knows not only the exact capacity of every player but also how to bring it forth. But the most praise goes, of course, to Jan Lundgren, who today is on the same level as his great Swedish forerunners and sources of inspiration, Jan Johansson and Bengt Hallberg. ~Jan Olsson

A Retrospective

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Renee Yoxon & Chad Linsley - Impossible: Live At Musideum

Size: 119,7 MB
Time: 51:07
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Age Of Not Believing (Live) (3:54)
02. Being Green (Live) (4:26)
03. Rip Van Winkle (Live) (4:13)
04. In My Own Little Corner (Live) (6:24)
05. Dear Bix (Live) (4:55)
06. Little Prince (Live) (5:03)
07. Mimosa And Me (Live) (4:03)
08. Wonder (Live) (5:21)
09. Never Never Land (Live) (3:43)
10. Impossible (Live) (4:27)
11. Far Away Places - My Ship (Live) (4:33)

On August 2015, Renée Yoxon & Chad Linsley released their first collaborative work, Impossible: Live at Musideum. Touching on magic, dreaming, and the urge to run away, Impossible features music from and inspired by film adaptations of children’s stories. Yoxon & Linsley’s interpretations are imaginative, intimate, vulnerable, and remind the listener of childhood – at once carefree, questioning, and melancholy.

This release marks Yoxon’s third full-length album and first live album. Never straying far from her roots in traditional jazz, Yoxon’s latest collection of songs will resonate with fans of her other works, collections of standards and standard-esque originals. She says, “In searching for the roots of the standards I know and love I found myself becoming attracted to jazz interpretation of stories from my childhood. Playing these songs with Chad has been a wonderful and unique experience because of how deeply he listens and how much he cares about this music.”

Linsley brings his years of professional experience and strong love of vocal music to the project. “One of my favourite formats is the piano-vocal duo” says Linsley, “a musically intimate setting where Renée and I can interact with the song more directly. One of my favourite things about improvising at the piano is the creation of textures and space for words. The songs revolving around the theme of childhood inspire deep feeling and memories of my earliest encounters with music, a place where anything was possible.”

Impossible: Live At Musideum

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Bucky Pizzarelli - Renaissance: A Journey From Classical To Jazz

Size: 137,4 MB
Time: 58:44
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz, Classical
Art: Front

01. Tedesco Concerto Allegretto (7:19)
02. Tedesco Concerto Andantio Alla Romanza (6:43)
03. Tedesco Concerto Ritmico E Cavalleresco (7:22)
04. Send In The Clowns (3:27)
05. Have You Met Miss Jones (3:27)
06. Laura (2:56)
07. The Bad And The Beautiful (1:48)
08. Medley: Street Of Dreams/Two Funky People (4:24)
09. Stardust (4:06)
10. Satin Doll (4:29)
11. Medley: I'm Through With Love/I'll Never Be The Same (3:19)
12. Robbins Nest (3:54)
13. Medley It's Easy To Remember - This Nearly Was Mine (3:03)
14. Goodbye (2:21)

A Classical concerto performed by the Orchestra and also American Songbook Standards performed by Bucky Pizzarelli and Ed Laub (guitar duets)

Here’s another gem from Bucky Pizzarelli and Arbors Records. It opens with a classical ensemble by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedeso: Tedesco Concerto No. 1 in D, opus 99. This work is about twenty-two minutes long and Bucky is accompanied by a ten-piece ensemble with players whose careers encompass both classical and jazz.

Remainder of the recordings on this CD are from the Great American Songbook. Most, if not all, the songs will be familiar to the average jazzfan. They include: Send in the Clowns, Laura, Stardust, Satin Doll, I’m Through with Love and I’ll Never Be the Same. The recording concludes with that great Gordon Jenkins tune, Goodbye, which was for many years Benny Goodman’s closing theme.

The jazz section of this recording features guitarist Ed Laub accompanying Bucky. Ed is a regular performer and former student of Bucky’s. They both play seven-string guitars. I called Bucky to get some background on this recording. He told me how the classical group was assembled for the recording and gave me some background on his long association with both Ed Laub and Ed Berger.

Renaissance

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Carmen Souza & Theo Pascal - Epistola

Size: 105,5 MB
Time: 45:04
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Vocals, World Fusion
Art: Front

01. Cape Verdean Blues (4:58)
02. Afro Monk (4:02)
03. Kutequatekessa Quamundos (4:00)
04. WPFL (5:15)
05. Twenty Choices (3:28)
06. Thursday (3:47)
07. Oui Ou Non (5:08)
08. Mira Me Miguel (3:03)
09. CV Railways (4:50)
10. Stratheden Road (3:12)
11. Moonlight Serenade (3:14)

„Epistola“ is the Greek and Latin word for „letter“. And as every letter does the album “Epistola” transport a message. Carmen Souza’s and Theo Pascal’s message to their fans is: everyone shall receive their message whoever is open to their music and lyrics. The album has a fancy cover showing the artists on a stamped letter. It was recorded at different places in the world - in Portugal, Great Britain and New York.

The fact that Theo Pascal is the producer and composer of 50 % of Carmen Souza’s music, led them to their decision to change the duo’s name from Carmen Souza to „Carmen Souza & Theo Pascal“.

Carmen Souza’s biggest challenge with this album was to present herself to the public as an instrumentalist. She is de facto increasingly noticed as a guitarist. So was she hired to play at the opening of the “Zevener Gitarrenwoche 2014”, a German guitar festival. But still she is noticed as a singer to most of her audience.

Carmen Souza says that music should be understood as continuous process. This process consists of the willingness to take risks and to move beyond his or her own comfort zone. That is the only way to develop. On the album “Epistola“ Carmen Souza shows her abilities at the piano.

Besides eight own songs the album contains two cover songs „Moonlight Serenade“ by Glenn Miller and the „Cape Verdean Blues“ by Horace Silver. The duo chose “Moonlight Serenade”, because the song evokes beautiful childhood associations of big band sounds from old movies, ball rooms and dance. They decided to create a reduced and intimate song version – only vocals, guitar, bass and percussion.

The Carmen Souza project has covered Horace Silver songs in the past. This time they decided on the “Cape Verdean Blues“, because they love the spirit of the song. Carmen Souza therefore wrote lyrics about the Cape Verdean liquor “Grogue”. She also proved her creativity in lyrics writing in the song “Oui ou non”. The song is about a country where an election takes place in a special ceremony. All the participants dress up and are happy. But in the end the people must realize that happiness and beauty is just a fading illusion.

There is also an interesting background behind the song “WPFL”. The title is put together from the initials of four different songs by Theo Pascal who wrote similar arrangements for them. He compares the song with a collage. It reflects the beauty, greatness and purity of nature.

Carmen Souza has Cape Verdean roots and also won several prices on the islands, but she anyhow doesn’t really feel like a part of the Cape Verdean music scene. She rather feels like an outsider, since she was neither born there nor did she ever live on the Cape Verdean islands. Although she doesn’t deny Cape Verdean influences in her music she says that she was mostly coined by Jazz and traditional Portuguese music.

“Epistola“ will be released on August 14th 2015 on Galileo MC. The tour with new musicians on board has already started and Carmen Souza and Theo Pascal elate new and old audience. Featured musicians are the British drummer Shane Forbes, the pianist Matt King from New York, the saxophonist und clarinetist Craig Yaremko and the drummer Zoe Pascal.

Carmen Souza: piano & vocals
Theo Pascal: double bass, e-bass
Shane Forbes: drums
Matt King: organ
Craig Yaremko: saxophones & clarinets
Zoe Pascal: drums (Track: 1, 8)
Producers: Theo Pascal & Carmen Souza
Executive production: Patricia Pascal
Arrangements & music: Theo Pascal
Lyrics: Carmen Souza

Epistola

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Duck Baker - The Art Of Fingerstyle Jazz Guitar

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:49
Size: 127.8 MB
Styles: Jazz-Folk
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[2:38] 1. Stompin' At The Savoy
[3:25] 2. Tintiyana
[3:44] 3. Southern Cross
[2:12] 4. Take The A Train
[3:31] 5. Summertime
[3:55] 6. Everything That Rises Must Converge
[2:05] 7. White With Foam
[2:46] 8. Yas Yas
[3:09] 9. Sweet And Lovely
[4:33] 10. Your Lady
[3:53] 11. Medley Wishes Plain As The Winter
[2:06] 12. Good Intentions
[2:17] 13. Always
[2:40] 14. Turnaround
[2:31] 15. Immaculate Conception Rag
[1:34] 16. Black Monk
[3:12] 17. In A Sentimental Mood
[1:44] 18. The Stroll
[3:43] 19. The Clown

Fingerstyle guitar is usually associated with new age or folk music, or at least with a style that lazy critics have decided to call folk music despite the fact that it isn't really a tradition anywhere in the world. Leaving aside the fact that there needs to be a better name for original guitar music drawing on a variety of sources, what fingerstyle guitar definitely isn't associated with is jazz. The ringing tones achieved with a pick are more typical of most jazz guitarists, though there are some innovators who cross the boundaries. One of the more consistently interesting is Duck Baker, an acoustic guitarist who creates multiple melodies and unusual effects while playing both jazz standards and original tunes that can only be called jazz. Although it may seem unlikely that Baker alone can do justice to pieces that were written for a full band, his versions of tunes like "Take the 'A' Train" and "Stompin' at the Savoy" are surprisingly effective. While the ringing tones may be absent, the warmth and polyrhythms that come from adroit fingerpicking give this recording a warmth and character that is far from the sound-alike herd of flashy fusion guitar players. Simply put, Duck Baker fans who have heard him playing Celtic and gospel music need to know what the man does with jazz, and jazz fans who don't know Duck Baker need to get themselves an education about fingerstyle guitar. Those who aren't familiar with either jazz or Duck Baker can remedy two problems by buying one CD. To put it more succinctly, if you don't have this CD, you probably need it. [Note: As a free bonus, along with the music you get a very well-written set of liner notes by Baker himself, which puts the tunes into historical and musical context. Music critics will breathe a sigh of relief that Baker likes playing guitar, since he's an excellent writer and would give stiff competition to many of the hacks out there.] ~Richard Foss

The Art Of Fingerstyle Jazz Guitar

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Diane Hubka - Goes To The Movies

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:15
Size: 137.9 MB
Styles: Post bop, Jazz vocals
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[3:00] 1. All God's Chillun Got Rhythm
[5:06] 2. Double Rainbow
[5:39] 3. The Look Of Love
[5:00] 4. Lovers In New York
[5:25] 5. He's A Tramp
[4:43] 6. The Bad And The Beautiful
[4:51] 7. I'm Old Fashioned
[5:22] 8. The Long Goodbye
[4:19] 9. Close Enough For Love
[4:39] 10. You Only Live Twice
[4:09] 11. Wild Is The Wind
[3:20] 12. Manhã De Carnaval
[4:35] 13. Invitation

Since moving to the West Coast from New York City, jazz vocalist Diane Hubka has worked with a different group of musicians than on earlier CDs. Her first recording since the cross-country move finds her in top form, backed by an outstanding group including pianist/arranger Christian Jacob (who works with both Tierney Sutton and Flora Purim and was with his late father-in-law Maynard Ferguson for a time), trumpeter and flugelhornist Carl Saunders (a leader in his own right and member of various all-star Los Angeles big bands), guitarist Larry Koonse, bassist Chris Colangelo and drummer Joe LaBarbera (the late Bill Evans' last drummer). Hubka's subtle vocal style works in her favor, as the cool-toned singer doesn't use a lot of theatrics to get lyrics across, while she occasionally enjoys scatting in unison with her musicians in an engaging way. One of the her strengths has been choosing lesser known or out of favor songs; her theme for this outing consists of works debuted in movies, many of which will surprise the listener. Her modern bop treatment of the decades-old "All God's Chillun Got Rhythm," the gently seductive interpretation of "The Look of Love" (with lush backing by Jacob), the playful bossa nova setting of "He's a Tramp" and the hip rendition of "Close Enough for Love" (featuring Koonse and Colangelo) showcase how wide-ranging a musician Hubka is. Perhaps the greatest surprise is "You Only Live Twice," from the James Bond film series; her understated delivery with minimal backing from her rhythm section reveals a great song that was hidden in its movie debut due to an overblown arrangement. Finally, Hubka accompanies herself on acoustic guitar in a masterful performance of "Manhã de Carnaval" (sung in Portuguese). Diane Hubka adds to her impressive résumé as one of the top jazz vocalists of her generation with this all-around excellent disc. ~Ken Dryden

Goes To The Movies

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Plas Johnson - Bop Me Daddy

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 21:17
Size: 48.7 MB
Styles: R&B, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1955/1985
Art: Front

[2:17] 1. Makin' Whoopee
[3:00] 2. Last Call
[2:31] 3. Dungaree Hop
[2:55] 4. Drum Magic
[2:14] 5. Blue Jean Shuffle
[2:43] 6. Plasma
[2:21] 7. Hot Spot
[3:13] 8. Red Jacket

This LP (originally on the Tampa label) is subtitled "Rock 'N Roll Instrumentals," but is actually an R&B-flavored jazz album. Plas Johnson, whose tenor would be featured anonymously on many hit rock & roll and pop records, is joined by pianist Ray Johnson, bassist Duke Harris and drummer Sharky Hall for a variety of fairly basic melodies. Johnson plays quite melodically and with soul on such numbers as "Makin' Whoopee," "Blue Jean Shuffle" and "Last Call." The music on this LP is pleasing, if not all that essential. ~Scott Yanow

This instrumental R&B recording from 1955 features all of the hits by tenor saxophonist Plas Johnson that made the charts.

Bop Me Daddy

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Lisa Lauren - It Is What It Is

Styles:  Vocal
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:29
Size: 104,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:32)  1. The Word
(3:48)  2. Passing Fantasy
(4:20)  3. Life Is Good
(4:12)  4. I've Just Seen A Face
(4:02)  5. I'm Looking Through You
(3:39)  6. Pull Of The Moon
(4:28)  7. Dreamer In Disguise
(5:21)  8. Here Comes The Rain Again
(4:43)  9. Where Or When
(4:27) 10. Eleanor Rigby
(1:53) 11. Daddy's Lullaby

Lisa Lauren returns with her newest album, "it is what it is", blending together deep-in-the-groove rhythms and soulful melodies, once again demonstrating her unique voice in the industry. Featuring the legendary David Sanborn for his third appearance, along with an ensemble of Chicago all-stars Fareed Haque, Steve Rodby and Neal Alger, you will find this disc to be one of the most compelling musical experience available today. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/lisalauren3

"What separates Lisa Lauren from the scores of pop songbirds who populate the airwaves these days are the skillful arrangements and clever instrumentation she deploys on "it is what is is" . . . ~ Jeff Johnson, Chicago Sun-Times

"On her marvelously eclectic release, "it is what it is", singer/songwriter Lisa Lauren brings a fresh hybrid of roots rock, jazz, and pop sensibilities to a mix of wistfully romantic originals and trippy arrangements of several other appealing covers." ~ Jonathan Widran, Jazziz/All Music Guide

"As folk-jazz vocalists go, she's as impressive as Norah Jones (whom she sounds like a sandier version of). As a songwriter she's even better than the venerable Jones." ~ Christopher Loudon, Jazz Times

“A jazz pop crossover which will appeal strongly to fans of Joni Mitchell and Rickie Lee Jones and which may prove to be Lauren’s breakthrough album”. ~ Peter Quinn, Jazzwise (UK)

Personnel: Lisa Lauren (vocals, piano); Fareed Haque (guitar, acoustic guitar); Greg Koch (guitar, electric guitar, dobro); Neal Alger (guitar, electric guitar); Brian Wilkie (acoustic guitar); Inger Carle, Susan Voelz (violin); Alison Chesley (cello); Jim Gailloreto (soprano saxophone); John Pazdan (drum programming); David Sanborn (alto saxophone).

It Is What It Is

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Dion - New Masters

Styles: Rock
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:38
Size: 153,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:58)  1. Behind Susan's Eyes
(4:45)  2. Ruby Baby
(3:55)  3. Lovers Who Wander
(2:50)  4. Blue Suede Shoes
(2:47)  5. A Teenager In Love
(3:06)  6. I Wonder Why
(3:29)  7. Stand By Me
(4:06)  8. Where Or When
(3:30)  9. Love Came To Me
(3:38) 10. Runaway
(4:50) 11. Drip Drop
(3:04) 12. Rockin' Pneumonia And Boogie-Woogie Flu/I Wanna Get Close To You
(3:26) 13. Donna The Prima Donna
(2:50) 14. Blue Monday
(4:26) 15. Runaround Sue
(4:02) 16. The Wanderer
(2:57) 17. Abraham, Martin And John
(3:50) 18. Come Heal This Land

Bridging the era between late-'50s rock and the British Invasion, Dion DiMucci (born July 18, 1939) was one of the top white rock singers of his time, blending the best elements of doo wop, teen idol, and R&B styles. Some revisionists have tried to cast him as a sort of early blue-eyed soul figure, although he was probably more aligned with pop/rock, at first as the lead singer of the Belmonts, and then as a solo star. Drug problems slowed him down in the mid-'60s, yet he made some surprisingly interesting progressions into blues-rock and folk-rock as the decade wore on, culminating in a successful comeback in the late '60s, although he was unable to sustain its commercial and artistic momentum for long.

When Dion began recording in the late '50s, it was as the lead singer of a group of friends who sang on Bronx street corners. Billing themselves as Dion & the Belmonts (Dion had released a previous single with the Timberlanes), their first few records were prime Italian-American doo wop; "I Wonder Why" was their biggest hit in this style. His biggest single with the Belmonts was "A Teenager in Love," which pointed the way for the slightly self-pitying, pained odes to adolescence and early adulthood that would characterize much of his solo work.

Dion went solo in 1960 (the Belmonts did some more doo wop recordings on their own), moving from doo wop to more R&B/pop-oriented tunes with great success. He handled himself with a suave, cocky ease on hits like "The Wanderer," "Runaround Sue," "Lovers Who Wander," "Ruby Baby," and "Donna the Prima Donna," which cast him as either the jilted, misunderstood youngster or the macho lover, capable of handling anything that came his way (on "The Wanderer" especially). In 1963, Dion moved from Laurie to the larger Columbia label, an association that started promisingly with a couple of big hits right off the bat, "Ruby Baby" and "Donna the Prima Donna." By the mid-'60s, his heroin habit (which he'd developed as a teenager) was getting the best of him, and he did little recording and performing for about five years. When he did make it into the studio, he was moving in some surprisingly bluesy directions; although much of it was overlooked or unissued at the time, it can be heard on the Bronx Blues reissue CD.

In 1968, he kicked heroin and re-emerged as a gentle folk-rocker with a number four hit single, "Abraham, Martin and John." Dion would focus upon mature, contemporary material on his late-'60s and early-'70s albums, which were released to positive critical feedback, if only moderate sales. The folk phase didn't last long; in 1972 he reunited with the Belmonts and in the mid-'70s cut a disappointing record with Phil Spector as producer. He recorded and performed fairly often in the years that followed (sometimes singing Christian music), to indifferent commercial results. But his critical rep has risen steadily since the early '60s, with many noted contemporary musicians showering him with praise and citing his influence, such as Dave Edmunds (who produced one of his periodic comeback albums) and Lou Reed (who guested on that record). 

Dion continued to be active as the 21st century opened, releasing Déjà Nu in 2000, Under the Influence in 2005, and Bronx in Blue in 2006. His first major-label album since 1989's Yo Frankie, entitled Son of Skip James, was released by Verve in 2007, while 2008's Heroes: Giants of Early Guitar Rock saw him tackling 15 songs from the classic rock & roll era. Influenced by a conversation with rock critic Dave Marsh about his long and still relevant career, and a dare from his wife Susan to prove it, Dion cut Tank Full of Blues, producing and playing the guitars on the recording himself and writing or co-writing all but one track on the set. Issued on Blue Horizon, it is the final recording in the trilogy that began with Bronx in Blue. Bio ~ Richie Unterberger  http://www.allmusic.com/artist/dion-mn0000265456/biography

Personnel: Dion DiMucci (vocals); Bobby "Crow" Richardson (guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Jamie "King" Colton (tenor saxophone, piano, organ); Rick Krive (piano, organ); Robert Guertin (synthesizer); Carlo Mastrangelo, Louis Colletti, Joe Neary, Walter Hochhauser, Jimmy Gallagher (background vocals).

New Masters

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Richard 'Groove' Holmes - Soul Message

Styles: Soul Jazz
Year: 1965
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:18
Size: 78,8 MB
Art: Front

(7:03)  1. Groove's Groove
(5:38)  2. Daahoud
(6:00)  3. Misty
(6:04)  4. Song For My Father
(6:03)  5. The Things We Did Last Summer
(3:27)  6. Soul Message

The Hammond B-3 organ, even more than the Fender Rhodes electric piano, simply refuses to surrender to the proponents of digital synthesis, be they manufacturers of keyboards or aging keyboardists looking for less strenuous gigs. The instrument continues to exert a universal appeal, offering a soul-stirring Sunday-morning message at a time and place that suits Saturday-night sinners. All the more reason this RVG edition of Soul Message, a popular recording by one of the instrument's more effective evangelists, is likely to be warmly received among converts and backsliders alike. In retrospect, the sensation Jimmy Smith created with his up-tempo, head-spinning recording of Dizzy Gillespie's "The Champ" [The Champ (Blue Note, 1956)] was probably disproportionate to the accomplishment of the performance itself. Primarily, the "incredible" one (as he was thereafter billed) made it acceptable to bring the churchy behemoth into sinful dens and, as a bonus for playing challenging bebop, was allowed to retain preaching privileges as well.

Richard "Groove Holmes deftly toes the line between serious jazz and soul/pop worlds on this 1965 recording, which seems targeted at a mainstream audience not in the mood for either teaching or preaching. The familiar songs are given a slight face-lift (Holmes' up-tempo treatment of Erroll Garner's "Misty" became a hit single), while a less familiar tune like Clifford Brown's "Dahoud" settles into such an easy, emphatic groove that even a first-time listener could mistake it for a comfortable old slipper. It was a sweet strategy for Holmes at the time, though the session barely challenges the talented organist to show his wares. This remaster is likely to appeal above all to those who remember the original recording or to listeners in search of the soundscape that only a Hammond B3 plus Leslie speakers can create. The highlight is the opening blues, "Groove's Groove," an infectious two-beat toe-tapper that heats up into a walking 4/4 swinger, after which the session kind of simmers down.On the opener Holmes demonstrates the many uses of a plain F7 chord, staying with those four notes for the better part of several choruses. It's a simple device holding one note for an entire chorus, then adding the fifth, next the seventh, finally using the Leslie to disrupt the still surface with a wave pattern before returning the unwieldy vessel to the becalming decadence of swamp water.

The trick is to sense (and avoid) the tipping point at which repetition becomes boredom and sustained tension becomes irritation. Holmes plays not only his instrument but the average listener to perfection with ample assistance from the soiled, slightly distorted sound of Gene Edwards' gritty guitar, not to mention the organist's own potent, virile bass lines, which are given a big sonic boost on this latest remaster. Jimmie Smith (the drummer) completes the trio with remarkably restrained, tasteful and supportive accompaniment. In short, Soul Message doesn't offer the kind of preaching that saves souls, but for listeners unmoved by smooth jazz, it provides a soul-soothing alternative.~ Samuel Chell http://www.allaboutjazz.com/soul-message-richard-groove-holmes-prestige-records-review-by-samuel-chell.php

Personnel: Richard "Groove" Holmes: organ; Gene Edwards: guitar; Jimmie Smith: drums.

Soul Message

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Tipitina - Taking Care Of Business

Styles: Vocal, Traditional / Dixieland
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:52
Size: 162,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:04)  1. Hey Pocky Way
(6:12)  2. Brickyard Blues
(5:34)  3. Louisiana 1927
(6:14)  4. Fess Medley: Mardi Gras In New Orleans
(4:57)  5. You Know I'm No Good / Tipitina
(7:25)  6. You Are A Blessing
(3:22)  7. Rockin' Pneumonia and The Boogie Woogie Flu
(5:03)  8. Taking Care Of Business
(4:57)  9. Sweet Lover
(7:02) 10. Such A Night
(4:02) 11. Feels Like Home
(4:04) 12. You, Me & The Keys
(4:20) 13. Mama Don't Allow / When The Saint Go Marching in Medley
(3:30) 14. Sweet Louisiana

Tipitina were certainly ‘Taking Care of Business’ when they put together their second album released in 2012. If you’ve listened to their fabulous first album ‘I Wish I was in New Orleans’ and expected them to be similar think again. Here Tipitina bring you a collection of songs that gives a firmer understanding of who they are and their influences from the Jazz and Blues scenes. Recorded before a live audience in 2011, Justin Randall opens up with an accelerando intro. Tap dancing his fingers across the keys like Fred Astaire on a spotlit stage, Justin whisks into the opening track ‘Hey Pocky Way’ with Debbie Jones on vocals complimenting him like Ginger Rogers. In fact the pair, backed by Andy Jones Electric Guitar and Nick Millward on Drums, are “a force to be reckoned with” as they play their way through hits like ‘Brickyard Blues’ and the brilliant ‘Fess Medley’ by their musical hero Professor Longhair (Tipitina of course being the name of one of the Professors songs back in 1953).  

Debbie’s background as a Gospel Choir singer is evident in the tracks ‘Louisiana 1927' and the bands own compositions ‘You, Me & The Keys’, ‘Taking Care of Business’ and ‘You Are A Blessing’ which sees Debbie accompanied by four of her harmonious Choir friends. Now being a big Amy Winehouse fan, I’m not easily pleased by renditions of her songs but the dynamic band won me over completely with ‘You Know I’m No Good/Tico Tico’. Justin commences with the opening keys of the Winehouse classic before launching into a scherzando James Booker-style ‘Tico Tico’. The juxtaposition is magical and becomes even more so when Debbie brings in her sultry vocals. The album closes with ‘Sweet Louisiana’ a piano solo by English composer Albert Ketelbey. It’s fitting that they should choose this song by a British artist like themselves, showing that you don’t need to be from the deep south to be rooted in the blues. http://musicvein.co.uk/2013/04/22/album-review-taking-care-of-business-by-tipitina/

Personnel: Justin Randle (piano) and Debbie Jones (vocals)

Taking Care Of Business

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Ted Heath - Orquestas De Oro Vol 16

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:47
Size: 115,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:03)  1. Cerezo Rosa
(2:11)  2. Brasil
(2:37)  3. Tico Tico
(1:50)  4. Sweet Georgia Brown
(3:25)  5. And the Angels Sing
(2:57)  6. My Funny Valentine
(1:33)  7. Lover
(2:26)  8. Deep Purple
(2:46)  9. Sentimental Journey
(3:38) 10. Besame Mucho
(2:37) 11. Quizás, Quizás, Quizás
(2:44) 12. Acércate Más
(2:13) 13. Frenesí
(2:10) 14. Ramona
(2:26) 15. Poinciana
(2:26) 16. Georgia on My Mind
(2:10) 17. Flying Home
(2:07) 18. After You've Gone
(1:57) 19. Late Night Final
(2:23) 20. Short Stop

Ted Heath was one of the most famous big-band leaders in Great Britain of the 1950s. His bands played modernized swing music that was always danceable but occasionally had worthwhile solos played in the tradition. Heath started out playing tenor horn before he switched to trombone when he was 14. He spent a period playing as a street musician and then was discovered by Jack Hylton, who hired him for his band. Heath had long stints as a sideman with a variety of top dance bands, including ensembles led by Bert Firman (1924-1925), Hylton again (1925-1927), Ambrose (1928-1936), Sydney Lipton (1936-1939), and Geraldo (1939-1944). 

Heath began leading his own big band in 1944 and, through regular appearances on the radio, tours, and concerts, he soon became a household name in England. The innovations of bebop were largely ignored in favor of playing swing-oriented charts, although some of Heath's soloists (particularly Ronnie Scott, Danny Moss, Don Rendell, and Kenny Baker) became notable as jazz players. Heath, whose band was always of high musicianship and used "Listen to the Music" as its theme song, also became well known in the United States, visiting the U.S. several times starting in 1956. His orchestra recorded quite frequently starting in 1944 (mostly for Decca and London), including ten albums in 1959 alone. Even after Ted Heath's death in 1969, the big band continued performing and recording with a live concert cut as late as 1977. ~ Scott Yanow  https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/ted-heath/id15808662#fullText

Orquestas De Oro Vol 16

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Rodney Stepp & BSB - Steppin' Out

Styles: Jazz, Smooth Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:24
Size: 149,5 MB
Art: Front

(5:30)  1. Steppin'
(5:25)  2. N' Da Mornin'
(5:55)  3. Maybe If
(4:23)  4. Crusin'
(3:50)  5. Island Paradise (single)
(4:49)  6. Walk in the Dark
(0:54)  7. Interlude - Love Hurts
(4:50)  8. Jkb Fusionoshi
(5:47)  9. Just Chillin'
(4:44) 10. Monday Morning Blue
(5:36) 11. Deliverin' 4 U
(4:09) 12. Night Breeze Lover
(1:22) 13. Interlude - Good 2 Go
(7:04) 14. Come Home Oh Faithful Servant

Our policy with regard to artists who produce music locally is that their efforts need to be competitive with major-label productions in order for us to air their music. With Rodney Stepp & BSB that certainly is true. His music is in a regular rotation on WTPI and has been for the past two years. As of today, two cuts from the "Steppin' Out" CD have received over 200 spins. I believe you will find Rodney's music very much worth your consideration. ~ 107.9 WTPI Radio Indianapolis, Indiana-Gary Havens

Buy this! Keep it when you're crusin' at night, bathed in the soft glow of the dashboard lights. Veteran local keyboardist/songwriter/producer Rodney Stepp covers a variety of moods on BSB's mostly instrumental debut. Check out the cool, rhythmic "Walk in the Dark", the bright, melodic "Steppin'" and the contemplative "Monday Morning Blues". Then there's the scratchy, funk-rockin' "Deliverin' 4-U", the creepin' "N' Da Morning" and the inspirational "Come Home, Oh Faithful Servant", the album's one vocal track, dedicated to Stepp's late parents - Danny and Lugenia Stepp. Stepp and his band - Joe Logan, Daren Owens, Steve Cooper, Bruce and Koknosh Lismon could hang with Alex Bugnon or about any other piano-fronted smooth jazz act out there. Indianapolis should support this album to help Rodney Stepp & BSB build a foundation for national exposure. ~ The Indianapolis Star newspaper 08/17/1997

I have had the pleasure of working with Rodney Stepp on his latest CD. Normally, when I am asked by a local artist, I usually have reservations. This CD by Rodney Stepp is on the same level as many of the nationally known artists. As Program Director of formerly "WGGR" now "WBKS", the CD "Steppin' Out" was in regular rotation. "Steppin' Out" was receiving more requests than some of the national artists we were playing. Rodney Stepp & BSB has performed at numerous high profiled events for my station and is one of the feature acts for this years Emmis Communications New Years Eve event. Rodney Stepp & BSB also was the headlining act for a near sellout show with the late jazz great George Howard. Rodney Stepp & BSB's "Steppin' Out", if picked up by the right distributor, will do great business. I highly recommend it. ~ Geno Shelton, WTLC-FM 105.7, Special Events Director, 06/08/1999 more... ~ Editorial Reviews http://www.amazon.com/STEPPIN-OUT-RODNEY-STEPP/dp/B00004R2HD

Steppin' Out

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