Anita Wardell - Kinda Blue

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:48
Size: 95.7 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[3:19] 1. I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues
[3:56] 2. Loose Bloose
[3:29] 3. Little Girl Blue
[5:25] 4. Learnin' The Blues
[3:12] 5. The Wrong Blues
[6:52] 6. The Meaning Of The Blues
[3:37] 7. Limehouse Blues
[4:12] 8. Teenie's Blues
[4:16] 9. Parker's Mood
[3:25] 10. Born To Be Blue

This is a straightahead jazz singer's album of blues-related songs, so what can a contemporary singer do to step out of the crowd of generic rivals, or rise above the great performances of the past? Anita Wardell, the UK-resident Australia-raised singer, has been one of the most engaging live performers on standard material over a decade, and last year's Noted album rightly won acclaim. The yearning, lost-love quality that inevitably clings to some of this material gives the album something of a languorous, dinner-jazzy quality and Wardell reserves her compelling combination of Norma Winston's stillness and purity and her own forceful swing and bop-scat agility for the later stages.There's a fine account of The Meaning of the Blues, some quirkily Monkish instrument-like improve and a little Hammond organ earthiness, with excellent pianist Robin Aspland typically sharp-eared. But hardnosed jazzers might want a bit more grit and edge. ~JF, The Guardian

Kinda Blue

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Plas Johnson - Hot, Blue & Saxy

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:09
Size: 151.4 MB
Styles: Soul-jazz, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1992
Art: Front

[4:34] 1. This Can't Be Love
[5:49] 2. Hittin' The Jug
[3:58] 3. Nobody Does It Better
[6:15] 4. Ease On Down The Road
[6:34] 5. Since I Fell For You
[6:23] 6. What A Difference A Day Makes
[4:45] 7. Save Your Love For Me
[7:09] 8. Canadian Sunset
[3:43] 9. I'm Just A Lucky So And So
[6:26] 10. Star Eyes
[4:43] 11. I've Got It Bad And That Ain't Good
[5:43] 12. Never Make Your Move Too Soon

Jazz aficionados know him by name, but almost anyone exposed to music is familiar with his playing. His is the purring sax solo on Henry Mancini's famous "Pink Panther" movie theme song. Plas is the featured soloist heard on countless albums including those of such artists as Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Nat King Cole, Barbra Streisand, Quincy Jones, Ray Charles, Ella Fitzgerald, Linda Ronstadt and Sarah Vaughan.

Plas was born in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, about 60 miles north of New Orleans. As teens, Plas and brother Ray formed a band, the Johnson Brothers Combo, that played in and around New Orleans for a number of years. Plas left New Orleans in 1951 to go on the road with the Charles Brown Blues Band. The road, a stint in the Army and a permanent move to California followed. Plas attended the Westlake School of Music for over a year; then his studies were derailed by an overloaded schedule of record dates. He was brought to the attention of Johnny Otis, who immediately added him to his blues aggregation. Johnny then introduced Plas to Dave Cavanaugh, who held an influential A&R position at Capitol Records, where he soon became a regular session sideman and soloist during Capitol's halcyon years.

Plas has been one of the most well known and sought-after musicians around the California studio scene. He joined "The Merv Griffin Show" band in 1970, where he remained for the next fifteen years, joining an all-star lineup, which also included such prominent instrumentalists as Ray Brown, Herb Ellis, Jake Hanna, Benny Powell, Jack Sheldon, Kai Winding and others. Plas' recent recordings include his own albums, "Christmas in Hollywood", "Evening Delight", and "hot, blue & saxy", and a Milestone recording with Red Holloway, "Keep That Groove Going!" You may also find him around town occasionally with his own group, at jazz festivals all over the world, and in the recording studios. Plas Johnson combines some of the best elements of jazz and blues and is admired and emulated by sax players worldwide.

Hot, Blue & Saxy

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Chris Daniels & The Kings - 10

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:57
Size: 107.5 MB
Styles: Jazz-blues
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[3:31] 1. Howlin' At The Moon
[4:29] 2. Killing Floor
[4:40] 3. White Hot Lightning
[5:00] 4. Soul Mine
[4:42] 5. Bluz Cruz
[4:40] 6. Who's Makin Love
[5:29] 7. Come On Sit Down In My Kitchen
[4:07] 8. Gimme What Ya Got
[4:24] 9. It's All Good
[5:52] 10. Crossfire

Chris Daniels, rhythm guitar, vocals; Colin “Bones” Jones, lead guitar; Randy Amen, drums, vocals; Kevin “Bro” Lege, bass, vocals; Darryl “Doody” Abrahamson, trumpet, vocals; Jim Waddell, alto, tenor sax, flute, vocals.

Chris Daniels & the Kings have toured over two continents and have been asked to appear in such diverse places as South America, Curacao, Japan, and all over Europe. Chris has appeared with the B.B. King, Uncle Cracker, Blues Traveler, The Neville Brothers, Delbert McClinton, Sister Hazel, Sheryl Crow, Robert Cray, Taj Mahal, Al Kooper, Bonnie Raitt, Ziggy Marley, The Fixx, to name only a few. They are headliners on international festivals, like Ribs & Blues Festival with their buddies THE B-MASTERS, at Marktrock, Berchem Blues, and the Lokeren festivals in Belgium, and the Kings have toured as the back up band for Sonny Landreth, David Bromberg, Al Kooper, Bo Diddly, Francine Reed and Dutch guitarist Jan Rijbroek inplaces like Paris and Amsterdam, and for Bonnie Raitt, members of Little Feat, and Was Not Was at the Roxey in LA to name only a few they have worked with in the States. Die hard fans from Italy to Holland rocked with this remarkable artist who has appeared on HDnet all High definition TV, VH-1, TNN, Much Music/Canada, NIppon TV/Japan, Crooked River Grove, KUSA, and on Onhe Filter, AVRO, KAVRO, Paris MTV, and Brussles 1, in Europe, and on Swing TV in Buenos Ares, Argentina.

10

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The Band - Moondog Matinee

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:56
Size: 139.5 MB
Styles: Roots rock
Year: 1973/2001/2015
Art: Front

[3:22] 1. Ain't Got No Home
[3:19] 2. Holy Cow
[2:54] 3. Share Your Love
[5:38] 4. Mystery Train
[2:45] 5. Third Man Theme
[2:59] 6. Promised Land
[3:09] 7. The Great Pretender
[3:24] 8. I'm Ready
[3:46] 9. Saved
[4:16] 10. A Change Is Gonna Come
[3:13] 11. Didn't It Rain
[3:26] 12. Crying Heart Blues
[3:28] 13. Shakin'
[5:00] 14. What Am I Living For
[5:02] 15. Going Back To Memphis
[5:07] 16. Endless Highway

The Band essentially went back to being the Hawks of the late '50s and early '60s on this album of cover tunes. They demonstrated considerable expertise on their versions of rock & roll and R&B standards like Clarence "Frogman" Henry's "Ain't Got No Home," Chuck Berry's "The Promised Land," and Fats Domino's "I'm Ready," but of course that didn't do much to satisfy the audience they had established with their original material and that, two years after the disappointing Cahoots, was waiting for something in the same league with their first three albums. ~William Ruhlmann

Moondog Matinee

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Tony Bennett, Bill Charlap - The Silver Lining: The Songs Of Jerome Kern

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:17
Size: 106.0 MB
Styles: Vocal
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[4:36] 1. All The Things You Are
[2:54] 2. Pick Yourself Up
[3:22] 3. The Last Time I Saw Paris
[3:11] 4. I Won't Dance
[3:22] 5. Long Ago And Far Away
[3:27] 6. Dearly Beloved
[3:54] 7. The Song Is You
[4:48] 8. They Didn't Believe Me
[2:44] 9. I'm Old Fashioned
[2:52] 10. The Way You Look Tonight
[3:28] 11. Yesterdays
[2:17] 12. Make Believe
[2:39] 13. Nobody Else But Me
[2:35] 14. Look For The Silver Lining

There’s a track on Tony Bennett’s new album, “The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern,” that suggests a return to form: “I Won’t Dance,” which recently served as a his-and-hers set piece in his marquee collaboration with Lady Gaga. This new version of the tune, arranged as a springlike waltz, features Mr. Bennett alone on vocals, with a sparkling piano trio. He sounds crisp but at ease, maybe a touch relieved — like someone given the chance, at last, to trade klieg lights for candle-glow. The reality is probably less cut-and-dry for Mr. Bennett, who has stood squarely at the intersection of jazz and popular song since the advent of the long-playing record. At 89, he retains the boyish spark in his tenor, and a remarkable degree of the plangency. So while “The Silver Lining” pulls him back to modest scale after big productions — including two No. 1 albums, “Cheek to Cheek” (with Lady Gaga) and “Duets II” (with her and others) — it doesn’t carry a feeling of meek retrenchment.

It does convey a trademark commitment to the American songbook; a proud constancy, undaunted by notions of obsolescence; and a spirit of conversation, with the album’s premise and personnel, and with Mr. Bennett’s own career continuum. The album is jointly credited to the jazz pianist Bill Charlap, and its voice-and-piano intimacy recalls “The Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Album” of 40 years ago. Jerome Kern turns out to be the ideal touchstone for Mr. Bennett: He was a suave melodist who married classical form with jazz inflection, and many of his tunes have long been standards. “The Way You Look Tonight” and “All the Things You Are” are each rendered here as a duet, with Mr. Charlap in exquisite form. ~Nate Chinen

The Silver Lining: The Songs Of Jerome Kern

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Sathima Bea Benjamin - Musical Echoes

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:35
Size: 136,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:50)  1. All Too Soon
(7:25)  2. Caravan
(5:26)  3. Falling in Love with Love
(4:01)  4. I'll Follow My Secret Heart
(8:09)  5. They Say Its Wonderful
(8:05)  6. Musical Echoes
(5:40)  7. Someone to Watch over Me
(7:52)  8. Something to Live For
(6:03)  9. Star Eyes

Musical Echoes marks Sathima Bea Benjamin's return to recording after Cape Town Love (1999). This album was recorded in her hometown, Cape Town, and reflects a certain sense of return for the vocalist. My own association with her music goes back to 1979 and her second album, Sathima Sings Ellington, the first release on her own Ekapa label. Over the years, I've continued to be impressed with her unique voice and consistency. Upon hearing this 2006 update, I have to conclude that, from a historical perspective, Benjamin has the qualities that place a distinctive jazz vocalist in their own category, just like Sarah Vaughan, Abbey Lincoln and others.

Benjamin met the innovative pianist Dollar Brand (later known as Abdullah Ibrahim) in the late '50s, but the two fled South Africa in 1962 due to the political climate of the day. They moved to Europe, where they stayed for much of the 1960s, which gives the release of this album a sense of bittersweet homecoming. She is joined by pianist Stephen Scott (currently with Sonny Rollins), bassist Basil Moses and drummer Lulu Gontsana, the latter both well-regarded South African musicians.

The music presented is, as always, consistent with her standards, and a tribute to the songbooks of Duke Ellington, Rodgers & Hart, Gershwin and Berlin. Benjamin lends a South African pulse to "Falling In Love With Love," offers a beautifully rendered ballad version of "Someone To Watch Over Me," and delivers a most interesting hypnotic take on "Caravan." Her peerless versions of "They Say Its Wonderful" and "Something To Live For" are also highlights. Finally, on the title tune, an original composition, the vocalist reflects on music and its healing powers. ~ Michael P. Gladstone http://www.allaboutjazz.com/musical-echoes-sathima-bea-benjamin-ekapa-review-by-michael-p-gladstone.php

Personnel: Sathima Bea Benjamin: vocals; Stephen Scott: piano; Basil Moses: bass; Lulu Gontsana: drums.

Musical Echoes

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Canadian Brass - Swing That Music: A Tribute to Louis Armstrong

Styles: Big Band
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:51
Size: 122,0 MB
Art: Front

(2:42)  1. Swing That Music
(2:25)  2. Carolina Shout
(2:23)  3. Promenade
(2:18)  4. Bebop Bach
(2:25)  5. Cool Bach
(1:56)  6. Dixie Bach
(3:18)  7. Struttin' With Some Barbecue
(3:26)  8. Sweet Georgia Brown
(4:47)  9. St. Louis Blues
(3:56) 10. Black and Blue
(3:05) 11. Way Down Yonder In New Orleans
(4:02) 12. Black Bottom Stomp
(3:17) 13. Strike Up The Band
(4:08) 14. Sleepless Night
(0:52) 15. Three-Quarter Blues
(3:19) 16. Ain't Misbehavin'
(4:25) 17. Blueberry Hill

First emerging in 1970, the Canadian Brass went on to establish brass music and instruments as a newly vital force in classical performance. A quintet (longtime members included trumpeters Frederic Mills and Ronald Romm, French horn player David Ohanian, trombonist Eugene Watts, and tuba player Charles Daellenbach), the Canadian Brass' virtuosic, classically trained style is widely credited for infusing a neglected group of instruments hampered by a rather limited repertoire with new vitality and relevance; performing everything from Mozart and Bach to Gerswhin and jazz, the group paved the way for an entirely new measure of acceptance for brass ensembles. The first Western chamber ensemble ever to tour the People's Republic of China, they also headlined venues including New York's Carnegie Hall, Orchestra Hall in Chicago, the Academy of Music in Philadelphia, the Ambassador Auditorium in Los Angeles, and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.; in addition to their many live performances, the quintet also issued myriad recordings. ~ Jason Ankeny  https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/canadian-brass/id243599#fullText

Personnel: Joe Burgstaller, Brandon Ridenour, Ryan Anthony (trumpet); Shachar Israel, Eugene Watts (trombone); Charles Daellenbach (tuba); Jeff Nelsen (horns)

Swing That Music: A Tribute to Louis Armstrong

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Diane Marino - A Sleepin' Bee

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 79:56
Size: 183,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:51)  1. This Can't Be Love
(6:33)  2. Incompatibilidade De Genios
(5:25)  3. Sister Sadie
(6:24)  4. You Don't Know What Love Is
(5:03)  5. A Sleepin' Bee
(7:22)  6. Chovendo Na Roseira
(6:00)  7. My Little Suede Shoes
(6:27)  8. Don't Misunderstand
(7:36)  9. All Blues
(5:32) 10. The Old Country
(3:35) 11. O Morro Nao Tem Vez
(8:25) 12. Angel Eyes
(8:36) 13. Killer Joe

Singer/pianist Diane Marino was born in Manhattan, NYC. She received her early piano training of classical studies and improvisation from the age of 10. Diane was accepted on NYC'S 'Famed' High School for the Performing Arts as a classical piano major. She later attended the Mannes College of Music in Manhattan where she studied piano with world-renowned concert pianist Murray Perahia. While working towards her Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance, Diane began singing with small groups in the NYC tri-state area, After graduating from Mannes, she was singing professionally 6 nights a week. It was only natural and a matter of time before she would combine her singing and piano playing skills. Diane performed solo gigs for several years in the NYC area before teaming up with bassist Frank Marino. The duo formed the nine member Brazilian group, 'Som Brasileiro' (Sounds of Brazil) in 1993 and have performed at numerous jazz festivals, venues and concerts in the Southeast sharing the bill with artists such as Tania Maria, Pete Escovedo, Joe Henderson and Dr. John, to name a few.

Diane's debut jazz quartet CD 'A Sleepin' Bee' was released in 2003 and has received national acclaim, extensive radio airplay and rave reviews. In August of 2003 Diane's CD reached # 25 in the National JazzWeek Charts and held for four weeks. WRTI radio in Philadelphia had Diane's version of "Don't Misunderstand" at #15 in their top 100 songs for 2003.This CD offers a wide array of vocal and instrumental traditional jazz standards, Latin jazz, and Brazilian jazz (sung in Portuguese).

This CD offers everything the Jazz aficionado could wish for and then some! The Diane Marino Quartet is truly unique. Pianist / vocalist Diane Marino offers a broad brush of vocal and instrumental Jazz on her nationally acclaimed CD, "A Sleepin'Bee". Diane Marino takes the listener on a musical journey with her interpretations of the Jazz evergreens on this CD. From a playful burner like the opening "This Can't Be Love"; to Jobim's lilting "Double Rainbow" sung in Brazilian Portuguese; to Diane's dark and haunting vocal on "Don't Misunderstand"; to the refreshing Latin instrumental arrangements of "All Blues" and "Killer Joe". The tunes on this CD have been chosen with care and they are performed with both professionalism and artistic adroitness. This is Jazz in its purest form presented in a remarkable tableau of artistic grouping. It's one to take home! http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/dianemarino

A Sleepin' Bee

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Buddy Greco - Jazz Grooves

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1988
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:13
Size: 133,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:09)  1. Buddy's Bounce
(3:29)  2. Scrapple From the Apple
(5:16)  3. Little Beth
(4:06)  4. Autumn Leaves
(2:56)  5. Só Danço Samba
(5:01)  6. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
(6:05)  7. I Can't Get Started
(4:16)  8. Fine And Dandy
(5:57)  9. El Greco
(3:35) 10. Stompin' At The Savoy
(5:05) 11. Samba de Orfeu
(6:13) 12. Misty

Known by his colleagues as a "singer's singer" and a "musician's musician," Buddy Greco has sold more than one million records. He is well-known for releasing songs from every genre, from jazz to country to pop music. He has performed on stage, on film and on television. Born Armando Greco in Philadelphia, Buddy Greco began singing and playing the piano at the age of four. He used his talents performing on the radio. By the age of 16 Buddy Greco had more than a decade of musical experience behind him. He was playing in the nightclub Philadelphia's Club 13 when he was spotted by Benny Goodman. Bandleader Benny Goodman was impressed by Buddy Greco's talents and hired him as a pianist, a singer and an arranger. At the age of 16 Buddy Greco was traveling the world with one of the most popular big bands of the '30s, the Benny Goodman Band. He stayed with the band for four years. At the ripe age of 20 Buddy Greco decided to pursue a solo professional music career. He began singing and performing in nightclubs and concerts. Some of his hit recordings include the popular favorites "Oh Look at Her, Ain't She Pretty," "The Lady Is A Tramp" and "Around the World."

During his musical career he has made more than 65 albums including an album of he and the London Symphony Orchestra, in which he conducted and played. In the '60s Buddy Greco's music career had been very successful. He appeared with the popular '60s rock group the Beatles in a performance for Queen Elizabeth the second. It was also in the '60s when Buddy Greco seriously began a career in film and television. In 1967 he was a regular performer on the TV series Away We Go. This nationwide television program gave Buddy Greco enormous exposure as a talented singer and pianist. He followed this series with a part in the 1969 film, The Girl Who Knew Too Much. His talents have taken him to great heights recording more than 100 hit singles. During the '70s and '80s, Buddy Greco concentrated on recording and performing. His hits included jazz, country and pop music. Audiences are astounded at the many styles of Buddy Greco. Even after more than four decades of performing, Buddy Greco still remains one of the most widely-known singers of his time. In the early 90s he toured with "The Salute to the Benny Goodman Band." 

The ensemble performed 72 shows, each garnering a standing ovation. He performed for two years at The Desert Inn Hotel in Las Vegas and in 1996 ended two world tours at Café Royale in London. With all his musical credits, Buddy Greco is an inductee of the Philadelphia Music Alliance's Walk of Fame and has entries in both the Encyclopedia of Great Musicians and the Encyclopedia of Great Jazz Singers and Musicians. Buddy Greco's musical abilities live on in his more than 60 albums and more than 100 hit singles. He writes and records scores for film and television. ~ Kim Summers  https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/buddy-greco/id408616#fullText 

Personnel: Buddy Greco (piano); Rick Riccio (flute); Joe Lano (guitar); Kenny Seiffert, Bob Sachs (bass); Gregg Field (drums).

Jazz Grooves

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