Gil Mellé Quartet - Gil's Guests

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:01
Size: 121.4 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 1990
Art: Front

[6:20] 1. Soudan
[6:09] 2. Tomorrow
[4:57] 3. Block Island
[5:52] 4. Sixpence
[8:10] 5. Still Life
[3:45] 6. Ghengis
[6:36] 7. Funk For Star People
[6:46] 8. Golden Age
[4:21] 9. Herbie

Baritone saxiphonist Gil Melle didn't make very many recordings before abandoning the music business to concentrate on other artistic pursuits. This recording for the Prestige label shows him to be an intriguing composer. The performances emphasize tightly arranged ensemble playing, with fine individual playing by the quartet and the "Guests" who include trumpeters Donald Byrd, Art Farmer, and Kenny Dorham. According to Gil's web-site, the credit for Phil Woods is incorrect; rather, the saxophonist on the last three tracks is tenor Zoot Sims. Also according to the web site, Teddy Charles played vibes but doesn't show up in the credits.

Melle recorded some quartet tracks for Blue Note which have been re-released as a 3-disc set. He recorded this and several other sessions for Prestige, and then retired from jazz. This disc is not an essential classic, but IS an intersting and enjoyable set of well written and arranged songs that stands up to repeat listening. ~Someguy

Gil's Guests

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Paul Revere & The Raiders - Greatest Hits

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:59
Size: 89.3 MB
Styles: AM pop, Garage band rock
Year: 1997
Art: Front

[2:43] 1. Louie, Louie
[2:38] 2. Louie, Go Home
[2:13] 3. Steppin' Out
[2:24] 4. Just Like Me
[2:01] 5. Melody For An Unknown Girl
[2:25] 6. Kicks
[2:54] 7. Hungry
[3:06] 8. Great Airplane Strike
[3:02] 9. Good Thing
[2:48] 10. Ups And Downs
[3:11] 11. Legend Of Paul Revere
[1:27] 12. Action
[2:45] 13. (I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone
[2:51] 14. Him Or Me (What's It Gonna Be )
[2:25] 15. Peace Of Mind

Throughout the early to the mid-'60s, the nucleus of Paul Revere & The Raiders consisted of the Northwest rockers Paul Revere, Mark Lindsay, Drake Levin, Mike Smith and Phil Volk. As the band moved to the Los Angeles area, they soon connected with the legendary producer Terry Melcher and went on to record a stellar number of garage band rock classics in a very short time.

With their first successful singles like "Louie, Louie," "Just Like Me" and "Steppin’ Out," all hitting the airwaves at the same time, Dick Clark recognized their talent and soon had the band host the classic daytime rock and roll show Where The Action Is, which made them more successful concert performers and album selling artists.

Over the next few years, a huge number of hit singles, top charting albums, concert tours and international television appearances transformed Paul Revere & The Raiders into a very influential band along the lines of contemporaries like The Byrds and The Rolling Stones. To this day folks like David Bowie, Joan Jett, Sammy Hagar, The Sex Pistols, The Flamin’ Groovies and The Monkees have all gone on to record Paul Revere & The Raiders songs. Columbia Records knew the importance of this entity then and soon honored their favorite sons with their own best of album aptly titled Paul Revere & The Raiders Greatest Hits.

Greatest Hits

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Carol Welsman - Hold Me

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:17
Size: 140.3 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[5:18] 1. Night And Day
[4:42] 2. Fragile
[4:08] 3. Love Junkyard
[4:12] 4. Hold Me
[5:09] 5. Brazasia
[5:21] 6. Talking Is Good
[5:14] 7. Bird Of Paradise
[5:10] 8. I Believe
[5:41] 9. Little Caesar
[5:56] 10. Why
[4:57] 11. Les Moulins Do Mon Coeur
[5:22] 12. And So It Goes

Spurred on no doubt by the growing popularity of the “smooth” jazz radio format, singer/pianist Carol Welsman’s latest CD is a decidedly middle-of-the-road affair. Though she’s often billed as a “jazz” singer, Hold Me contains a whole lot of “pop” and precious little jazz. Welsman floats through this 12-track collection without ever breaking a sweat, rarely displaying the vocal/piano chops she’s famous for. Hold Me is a decent easy-listening album but, as Clara Peller used to say – “Where’s the beef?” Classic tunes like "Night and Day" mixed with modern-day compositions by pop stars like Sting and Billy Joel make for less than challenging fare. This is the sort of album that fans of Diana Krall, Canada’s other fetching singer/pianist, hope she never makes. ~John Sharpe

Hold Me

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Johnny Lytle - The Sound Of Velvet Soul

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:23
Size: 71.9 MB
Styles: Vibraphone jazz, Soul jazz
Year: 1968/2011
Art: Front

[2:45] 1. Suddenly You
[2:38] 2. The Thing To Do
[1:58] 3. Live For Life
[2:24] 4. We're Bluesin'
[4:02] 5. Under The Rising Sun
[4:09] 6. Street Scene
[3:48] 7. L.A. Soul
[4:08] 8. Somewhere
[2:28] 9. Up, Up, And Away
[2:58] 10. On A Clear Day

Sol Schlinger (baritone saxophone) Joe Farrell, Seldon Powell, Jerome Richardson, Frank Wess (saxophone) Johnny Lytle (vibraphone) Richard Davis (bass) Mel Lewis (drums) Johnny Pacheco (percussion).

Considered one of the top vibes players in the world, Johnny Lytle was known for his great hand speed and showmanship. He was also a songwriter and wrote many of his own hits, including "The Loop," "The Man," "Lela," "Selim," and the jazz classic "The Village Caller." Lytle recorded more than 30 albums for various jazz labels including Tuba, Jazzland, Solid State, and Muse. Throughout his career he performed and recorded with jazz greats the likes of Louis Armstrong, Lionel Hampton, Miles Davis, Nancy Wilson, Bobby Timmons, and Roy Ayers. The devoted father of three also featured his son, Marcel Lytle, on several of his recordings as a vocalist and drummer. Lytle was such an admirer of the music of the late great Miles Davis that he wrote "Selim" (Miles spelled backwards) in honor of Davis, which features Davis' former pianist Wynton Kelly. Lytle never recorded with any of the major record labels, and that could be why he never gained the status of a jazz icon like some of his peers. Lytle felt that he would lose control of his music and creative development; Lytle liked to play what came natural to him, and being with a major label might not have afforded him that opportunity.

Johnny Lytle grew up in a family of music, the son of a trumpeter father and an organist mother. He began playing the drums and piano at an early age. Before studying music in earnest, Lytle lent his hands to boxing, and was a successful Golden Gloves champion. During the late '50s, Lytle landed jobs as a drummer for Ray Charles and others, and he also continued to box. But by 1960, the energetic Lytle had laid down his gloves and, inspired by the great Lionel Hampton, picked up the mallets, turning his full attention toward the vibraphone. He started a jazz band and began recording for the famed jazz label Riverside Records under the direction of Grammy-winning producer Orrin Keepnews.

Lytle found success early in his career with chart-topping albums like A Groove, The Loop, and Moon Child. From his swinging uptempo tracks to his soul-satisfying ballads, Lytle knew how to keep a groove. And with a nickname like "Fast Hands," he could always keep the attention of an audience. In addition to his musicianship, his gregarious personality made him a popular attraction on the jazz circuit. Even though Lytle did not experience the same success he was privileged to during the '60s, he did continue to record and build a respectable catalog of music with recordings in the '70s,'80s, and '90s. Lytle remained a popular concert attraction in the U.S. and Europe; his last performance was with the Springfield (Ohio) Symphony Orchestra in his hometown in November 1995. At the time of his death in the following month, Lytle was scheduled to begin recording a new CD on the Muse label. ~bio by Craig Lytle

The Sound Of Velvet Soul

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Buddy DeFranco And His Septette - Live Date!

Styles: Clarinet Jazz
Year: 1957
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:09
Size: 85,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:06)  1. Oh, Lady Be Good
(6:09)  2. Satin Doll
(3:02)  3. My Funny Valentine
(4:46)  4. Blues for Space Travellers
(7:03)  5. Tin Reed Blues
(5:24)  6. Crazy Rhythm
(6:36)  7. Ballad Medley: I'm Glad There Is You/There's No You

A very hip session that has Buddy working with some of the fresher modern players on the scene at the time all in a groove that echoes with some of the sharpest notes we've heard from his clarinet in the 50s! The ensemble has a really dreamy feel with flute from Herbie Mann, vibes from Victor Feldman, tenor from Bob Hardaway, guitar from Barney Kessel, and piano and organ from Pete Jolly all backed by rhythm from the legendary Scott LaFaro on bass and Stan Levey on drums. Tracks include "Satin Doll", "Oh Lady Be Good", "Crazy Rhythm", "Blues For Space Travelers", and "My Funny Valentine". (Verve Inc stereo pressing, with deep groove – nice and clean! Top cover seam is split, but taped and back has some light staining. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/676782

Personnel:  Bass – Scott LaFaro;  Clarinet – Buddy DeFranco;  Drums – Frank DeVito;  Flute, Tenor Saxophone, Bass Clarinet – Herbie Mann;  Guitar – Barney Kessel; Piano, Accordion – Pete Jolly;  Vibraphone – Victor Feldman

Live Date

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Bryan Ferry - Dylanesque

Styles: Contemporary Pop/Rock
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:16
Size: 97,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:49)  1. Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues
(5:16)  2. Simple Twist of Fate
(3:22)  3. Make You Feel My Love
(3:37)  4. The Times They Are A-Changin'
(2:27)  5. All I Really Wanna Do
(6:13)  6. Knockin' On Heaven's Door
(3:42)  7. Positively 4th Street
(2:41)  8. If Not For You
(2:11)  9. Baby Let Me Follow You Down
(5:10) 10. Gates of Eden
(3:43) 11. All Along the Watchtower

The greatest indeed, only irony of Bryan Ferry's 2007 album-long tribute to the Bard is that Dylanesque never sounds "Dylanesque." There are no solo acoustic guitars, no swirling organs, no thin, wild mercury music, nothing that suggests any of the sounds typically associated with Bob Dylan. No, Dylanesque sounds Ferry-esque: careful, precise, elegant, so casually sophisticated it sometimes borders on the drowsy. There are no new wrinkles, then, apart from a small but crucial one unlike his other records, this was recorded quickly, over the course of a week with his touring band in tow. 

This does give Dylanesque a comparatively loose, off-the-cuff feel, which is a bit of a welcome relief after several decades of cautious, deliberate conceptual albums, and gives the album its understated charm. Since Ferry never radically reinvents the songs apart from the sleek, sly propulsion of "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" and a spare, haunting piano-and-strings version of "Positively Fourth Street" this is an album where all the pleasures lay in the subtleties, whether it's how Ferry phrases his delivery, how his road band feels supple yet muscular, how Eno electronically enhances a few tracks or how Robin Trower tears into "All Along the Watchtower."

These are the details to savor upon repeated listens, but upon that first spin it's immediately apparent that the Ferry who made Dylanesque is an assured, relaxed vocalist who isn't sweating the specifics, he's simply singing songs with a band that offers sympathetic support. They may not push him, the way that Roxy did in its prime, nor does this have the meticulous ambition of his original work, but again, that's the charm of this album: Ferry has never felt quite so comfortable as he does here, and if that may not be exactly what all listeners are looking for when they listen to his work, this is the quality that will make Dylanesque a small understated gem for certain segments of his die-hard fans. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine http://www.allmusic.com/album/dylanesque-mw0000777034

Personnel: Bryan Ferry (harmonica, Farfisa); Chris Spedding, Oliver Thompson (guitar, guitars); David E. Williams (guitar); David Williams (guitars); Guy Pratt, Zev Katz (bass guitar); Isaac Ferry (electronics); Me'sha Bryan, Adrianne McDonald, Michelle John (background vocals); Mick Green, Leo Abrahams (guitar); Robin Trower (acoustic guitar); Lucy Wilkins, Gavyn Wright, Jackie Shave (violin); Jon Thorne (viola); Anthony Pleeth (cello); Colin Good (piano); Paul Carrack (organ); Andy Newmark, Bobby Irwin (drums); Frank Ricotti (percussion); Brian Eno (electronics); Tara McDonald, Joy Malcolm, Sarah Brown, Sharon White, Anna McDonald (background vocals).

Dylanesque

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Brian Charette, Rudy Royston, Will Bernard - Alphabet City

Styles: Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:27
Size: 119,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:27)  1. East Village
(3:14)  2. They Left Fred Out
(4:41)  3. West Village
(4:43)  4. Not a Purist
(3:06)  5. Sharpie Moustache
(3:56)  6. Disco Nap
(4:38)  7. Hungarian Major
(3:45)  8. Avenue A
(5:25)  9. Detours
(5:12) 10. Split Black
(4:42) 11. White Lies
(4:33) 12. The Vague Reply

Organist Brian Charette brings his A-game to Alphabet City. But who would expect anything else from this consummate artist? After delivering a covers-heavy program with two different trio lineups on Good Tipper (Posi-Tone, 2014), Charette returns here with an all-originals outing that finds him in the company of guitarist Will Bernard and drummer Rudy Royston.

Alphabet City, in some respects, is an ode to Charette's New York city home, haunts and habits. But that minimizes the scope and influences connected to this project. In truth, this album, like nearly everything else in Charette's discography, is about Charette's entire world, not a single section of a city. His early musical passions, vast experience(s), and general love of music be it bop-based, bright, burbling, bizarre, or built with Eastern European influences are all wrapped together in his work.

While these three musicians work well as a single unit, each has his own respective gifts to share. Charette's diversified approach to music-making manages to keep things fresh; Royston plays with a marriage of technique and taste, alternately delivering direct blows, worming his way into the heart of a groove, and playing around the edges of a piece; and Bernard straddles musical worlds, simultaneously pulling from jazz, soul, and funk bags. It's an odd combination in some respects, but it works.

There's modal music in odd time signatures ("Split Black"), ambling and carefree performances ("West Village"), and mysterious, Hungarian-influenced music to be heard here ("Hungarian Major"). Charette and company might be knee deep in bebop on one track ("East Village"), but the next number might go someplace completely different, as the trio explores some serious funk that questions the absence of a Fred Wesley figure in a James Brown biopic ("They Left Fred Out"). There are also intentionally edgy, alien, and fusion-based pursuits ("Not A Purist"), energetically swinging blues excursions ("The Vague Reply"), and gospel-tinged peace offerings to admire ("White Lies"). Given Charette's track record and the skills of the players involved, it should come as no surprise that Alphabet City is as good as it is. ~ Dan Bilaswsky  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/alphabet-city-brian-charette-posi-tone-records-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Brian Charette: organ; Will Bernard: guitar; Rudy Royston: drums.

Alphabet City

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