Saturday, November 7, 2015

Sant Andreu Jazz Band - Jazzing 3

Size: 179,8 MB
Time: 76:51
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2012
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Easy Money (7:06)
02. Half Nelson (6:16)
03. Boogie's Blues (4:02)
04. Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone (4:27)
05. Love Me Or Leave Me (4:37)
06. All Too Soon (3:47)
07. Love Is Here To Stay (4:14)
08. Undecided (5:33)
09. Sweet Lorraine (1:52)
10. Sing Me A Swing Song (2:32)
11. Basin Street Blues (5:10)
12. My One And Love (4:29)
13. So What (6:24)
14. I've Found A New Baby (6:45)
15. Pouttin' (4:54)
16. Perdido (4:38)

Featuring Joan Chamorro, Andrea Motis, Eva Fernandez, Paula Berzal, Jesse Davis, Terell Stafford, Wycliffe Gordon, Ricard Gili, Josep Traver, Esteve Pi, Curro Gálvez.

Sant Andreu Jazz Band is a youth jazz band from Barcelona, featuring 7- to 20-year-old children and teenagers. The bandleader is Joan Chamorro.

The band was founded in 2006 at Escola Municipal de Música de Sant Andreu. The band has performed at numerous concerts and festivals in Catalonia and neighbouring countries. They released their first live CD/DVD Jazzing: Live at Casa Fuster in 2009, featuring alongside established jazz musicians, the precocious 14-year-old, Andrea Motis, among other young talents.

2010 was a breakthrough year for the band, with appearances on more than 20 festivals including Valls, Terrassa, Girona, Barcelona, Platja d'Aro, and legendary venues like el Jamboree, Palau de la Música Catalana, JazzSi, Hotel Casa Fuster, featuring international performers like Dick Oatts, Ken Peplowski, Bobby Gordon, Perico Sambeat, Ignasi Terraza, Matthew Simon, and Esteve Pi. The band also released their second recording Jazzing vol.2.

In 2012 the film director Ramón Tort made the documentary A film about kids and music based on the band's work and efforts. The film was awarded best feature film at the Lights. Camera. Help. festival in Austin, Texas, in 2013.

Sant Andreu Jazz Band - Jazzing 3  

Nina Bradlin - Stardust

Size: 100,7 MB
Time: 39:40
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Let's Do It, Let's Fall In Love (3:24)
02. Dance Me To The End Of Love (5:52)
03. Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye (5:44)
04. Lettre A P (3:42)
05. Blue Skies (3:55)
06. Fur Mich Solls Rote Rosen Regnen (3:06)
07. Speak Low (3:22)
08. Stardust (3:18)
09. Tenderly (3:19)
10. What'll I Do (3:54)

STARDUST is an hommage to Nina Bradlin's father William Bradlin (1932-2007). It is a romantic album, pared down to the barest minimum and it features classic standards by Cole Porter and Irving Berlin, chansons and "Dance Me to the End of Love" by Leonard Cohen. Recorded using the vintage equipment at Basel's renowned Idee und Klang Studio, the sound is reduced to only Nina's voice and one brilliant instrumentalist: Philipp Gloor (CH) on guitar, and Christian Gutfleisch (D) and Tiffany Butt (CA) on piano.

“Her voice is a surprise - silvery and clear, yet dramatic...from Billie Holiday to Ella Fitzgerald, from Dinah Washington to Dee Dee Bridgewater: All of these jazz divas have sung the standard and yet she manages to make the song sound fresh and new...with a great voice and understatement, she achieves an intensity that thrills the audience.“
Kulturmagazin Zeitnah Sog der Reinheit

Stardust

Jacob Roved Quintet - Remembering Billy Strayhorn (Feat. John Ruocco & Thomas Fryland)

Size: 141,0 MB
Time: 60:33
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Take The A Train (8:38)
02. Passion Flower (8:04)
03. Johnny Come Lately (3:48)
04. Chelsea Bridge (5:18)
05. Lotus Blossom (6:21)
06. Isfahan (6:07)
07. Upper Manhattan Medical Group (4:49)
08. A Flower Is A Lovesome Thing (6:50)
09. Something To Live For (5:43)
10. Day Dream (4:51)

Being the son of a skilled church organist and composer, I've been fortunate to have good music around me since I was born. I’ve played drums since the age of 8, and decided that I would educate myself and pursue a career in music when I finished upper secondary school as a music major at the age of 19. I’ve since studied at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague and the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, and now work in a variety of projects, almost exclusively in jazz.

My current band, the Jacob Roved Quintet, is releasing its first album ‘Remembering Billy Strayhorn’ in August 2015.

Remembering Billy Strayhorn

The Ellas - Merry & Bright

Size: 112,3 MB
Time: 47:41
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Vocals, Swing
Art: Front

01. Chrisamas (2:19)
02. Naughty List (3:23)
03. Christmas In New York (3:31)
04. Bakin' Cookies (2:38)
05. I Want It All This Year (2:46)
06. Merry & Bright (3:30)
07. Heart Is Home For Christmas (3:21)
08. Decemburr (3:31)
09. Gonna Catch Santa (3:07)
10. Christmas Morning (2:23)
11. Dashing In The Snow (2:45)
12. What Blue Christmas Means (3:21)
13. Calling For Snow (2:13)
14. Kiss Another Year Goodbye (3:18)
15. Candy Cane Lane (2:28)
16. Season Of Love (2:59)

When The Ellas say they're delivering new Christmas music, they mean new Christmas music. This trio of hit songwriters - Jennifer Denmark, Melissa Fuller and Emily James are set to release their debut album, Merry & Bright, on Scat Pack Records. The 15-song collection of completely original songs celebrates the holidays with a fresh, big band sound that harkens back to the Andrews Sisters, Ella Fitzgerald and Rosemary Clooney.

"Our biggest goal for this album was to write Christmas songs that people can relate to," said founding Ellas member Jennifer Denmark. "Nobody actually roasts chestnuts on an open fire anymore. They always say to write what you know. So we tried to hit home with our favorite holiday traditions: sending greeting cards, baking Christmas cookies, kids waiting up to try to catch a peek at Santa. Merry & Bright is modern Christmas set to timeless melodies that make you feel like you've heard these songs your whole life."

The majority of the cuts on Merry & Bright were produced by Grammy Award-winning producer/engineer Chad Carlson (Taylor Swift, Jewel, Chase Rice, Hunger Games soundtrack) with "Bakin' Cookies" and bonus tracks produced by Grammy Award-nominee Dave Brainard (Brandy Clark, Jamey Johnson, Jarrod Niemann, Ray Scott.)

The catalyst for the trio, which was originally named the North Pole Patrol, came after Jennifer began writing original Christmas songs. Her love of the holidays and the desire to write and record additional songs led her to form the trio. Hit Christian group Point of Grace recorded Denmark's "Candy Cane Lane" based on North Pole Patrol's tight, three-part harmonies and won a Dove Award for "Christmas Album of the Year" in 2010. A recent name change to The Ellas was decided upon both to pay homage to one of their favorite singers, Ella Fitzgerald, and to open the door to record and release non-holiday music in the future.

Merry & Bright  

Pascalito Nostalgia Trio - Citizen Chanteur: Live In New York

Size: 159,2 MB
Time: 68:38
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz/Bossa Nova/Tango/Pop, Vocals
Art: Front

01. Bossa Nova City (Feat. Luiz Simas) (5:38)
02. Tango De Non Retour (4:59)
03. Nature Boy (4:25)
04. Le Cinema (4:34)
05. Medley: Gloomy Sunday/Manha De Carnaval/Chanson D' Orphee (5:36)
06. Le Blues De La Fleuriste (Feat. Luiz Simas) (4:50)
07. La Pluie Sur Ta Peau (5:43)
08. Les Mots (3:01)
09. Histoire D'un Amour (4:00)
10. Here Comes The Rain Again (5:35)
11. Syracuse (4:55)
12. Citizen Chanteur (5:38)
13. Paroles, Paroles (Feat. Luiz Simas) (4:35)
14. Selfless Clown (5:04)

Mediterranean by heart. Parisian by birth. New Yorker by choice. Latin by soul.

The timeless and transatlantic musical journey from the previous live EP continues with the lengthier and more interactive Citizen Chanteur Live in NYC. The disc captures an intimate evening show premiered at the Metropolitan Room and features the band as a trio. Backed by two vibrant Brazilian accompanists and performing for a warm cosmopolitan audience, Pascalito celebrates a musical melting pot inspired by his Mediterranean-European heritage, North American jazz and Latin influences. A wide ranging set list includes both old and new original material mixed with refreshing tributes. Evocating themes of wanderlust and reinvention, autobiographical compositions like “Bossa Nova City” and the show title song “Citizen Chanteur” perhaps best illustrate Pascalito-coined concept of Neostalgia. Reinterpreting the works of singular artists as various as Billie Holiday, Michel Legrand, Claude Nougaro, Henri Salvador, Luiz Bonfa, Annie Lennox and the late Egyptian-born international songbird Dalida, the world chanteur appears as a hybrid of showman and “multicultural music anthropologist” (Jazz Times).

Citizen Chanteur

Marcus Goldhaber With Jon Davis Trio - Take Me Anywhere

Styles: Vocal And Piano
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:11
Size: 170,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:13)  1. No Moon At All
(4:26)  2. I Get Along Without You Very Well
(4:29)  3. Take Me
(4:30)  4. With Plenty of Money and You
(4:16)  5. In the Oeuvre of the In-between
(3:55)  6. A Walk
(2:53)  7. You're Beautiful, You Know That
(4:08)  8. I Fall Apart
(5:11)  9. Top Hat, White Tie & Tails
(3:28) 10. A Felony Called Love
(5:10) 11. I Fall In Love Too Easily
(4:30) 12. She Knows
(4:03) 13. A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening
(4:51) 14. I've Never Been In Love Before
(6:12) 15. My Ship
(3:37) 16. Look for the Silver Lining
(4:10) 17. When I Take My Sugar to Tea

Marcus Goldhaber's new CD comes on like a plate full of comfort food. This collection of 17 songs (almost half of which are original and the rest familiar standards) is done straightforwardly with the Jon Davis Trio (Davis on piano, Martin Wind on bass and Marcello Pellitteri on drums with drummer Lieven Venken on one track). Goldhaber's soft, warm voice and lyric-driven laid back style tells each story effortlessly. He also takes a couple of tired chestnuts ("With Plenty Of Money And You" and "When I Take My Sugar To Tea") and gives them a fresh new approach with changes of tempo and new rhythm patterns. And just to let you know where his heart is, Goldhaber does two numbers "I Fall In Love Too Easily" (done as a waltz) and "A Lovely Way To Spend An Evening" strongly associated with Sinatra.

Since Goldhaber works mostly with the Jon Davis Trio, they all read each other well. The piano work is just enough to allow the vocal to take the spotlight, but also shines with solos on most of the tracks. Wind's wonderfully lyrical arco bass is captured on the original "A Walk" and the aforementioned "When I Take My Sugar To Tea". Also worth mentioning is Pellittieri's intricate tempo changes on "I've Never Been In Love Before" and Venken's performance on "Look For The Silver Lining". A surprise visit by Hendrik Meurkens' harmonica adds seasoning to the original "Take Me". This CD bears witness to the fact that Goldhaber is a hopeless romantic, that old-fashioned breed of singer called a crooner. In a climate which pushes reality and actuality, it's nice to find something that bespeaks of light, both moon and candle. ~ Marcia Hillman  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/take-me-anywhere-marcus-goldhaber-fallen-apple-records-review-by-marcia-hillman.php

Personnel: Marcus Goldhaber: vocals; Jon Davis: piano; Martin Wind: bass; Marcello Pellitterri: drums and percussion (4, 6); Lieven Venken: drums (16); Hendrik Meurkens: harmonica (3).

Take Me Anywhere

Nina Simone - High Priestess Of Soul

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 1967
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:51
Size: 88,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:09)  1. Don't You Pay Them No Mind
(2:18)  2. I'm Gonna Leave You
(2:06)  3. Brown Eyed Handsome Man
(3:26)  4. Keeper Of The Flame
(2:48)  5. The Gal From Joe's
(2:49)  6. Take Me To The Water
(2:52)  7. I'm Going Back Home
(2:21)  8. I Hold No Grudge
(3:39)  9. Come Ye
(3:10) 10. He Ain't Comin' Home No More
(3:07) 11. Work Song
(4:01) 12. I Love My Baby

Perhaps a bit more conscious of contemporary soul trends than her previous Philips albums, this is still very characteristic of her mid-'60s work in its eclectic mix of jazz, pop, soul, and some blues and gospel. Hal Mooney directs some large band arrangements for the material on this LP without submerging Simone's essential strengths. The more serious and introspective material is more memorable than the good-natured pop selections here. 

The highlights are her energetic vocal rendition of the Oscar Brown/Nat Adderley composition "Work Song" and her spiritual composition "Come Ye," on which Simone's inspirational vocals are backed by nothing other than minimal percussion. ~ Richie Unterberger  http://www.allmusic.com/album/high-priestess-of-soul-mw0000691461

High Priestess Of Soul

Mark Murphy - Some Time Ago

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2000
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 54:00
Size: 86,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:16)  1. There's No More Blue Time
(8:49)  2. Peacocks
(5:21)  3. Bohemia After Dark
(5:11)  4. With Every Breath I Take
(6:14)  5. You're My Alter Ego
(6:29)  6. Life's Mosaic
(5:22)  7. Some Time Ago
(5:38)  8. That Old Black Magic
(5:35)  9. Why Was I Born/I'm A Fool To Want You

A preface to this review is order. I’m something of a curmudgeonly customer when it comes to jazz vocals. I can readily dig on classic (and admittedly popular) singers such as Holiday, Fitzgerald, Vaughn, Simone and so on. But when it comes to male vocalists, not only are the numbers comparatively smaller, but the pool of contenders seems to my ears spread far thinner. A few notables, such as Bill Henderson and Johnny Hartman, come to mind but even these illustrious crooners had their share of off days. The human voice may be the most complex of all musical instruments, but it’s been saddled with the greatest number of clichés, particularly when it comes to jazz singing.

With his latest recording (according to the liners his 32nd!) Murphy hasn’t made a complete believer out of me, but he makes a convincing argument nonetheless. There’s a smoky after hours ambiance to both his delivery and that of his backing combo that dispenses with triviality early on and concentrates simply on playing from the collective heart. Racy, bop-inflected numbers like Oscar Pettiford’s “Bohemia After Dark” are interspersed with darker, more ruminative offerings such as the velvety reading of “With Every Breath You Take. There’s even a rollicking rendition of the old Jazz Messengers classic “Mosaic” that ignites along a trail of melodic gunpowder sown by Ballou’s ballistic brass.

Across all of the tunes Murphy receives sensitive and supple accompaniment from his sidemen. Mezquida sometimes sounds reticent to blow in tandem with Murphy’s lyrics opting more frequently for background shading between the leader’s choruses. Musiker, who handles the musical arrangements, fronts the rhythm section with a firm, but flexible hands. LaSpina and Smith alternate bass chores, but both players match well with Harper’s sensitive brushes and mallets.

Though he favors a brand of scat singing that wobbles and falters a bit into indulgent repetition, Murphy can’t be faulted for an absence of sincerity. He wears his emotions on his proverbial sleeves, doling them out in honest increments to all that will take the time to listen. The naked emotiveness comes to a melancholy head on the closing medley, where Murphy laments a solitary existence spent in the absence of love. Murphy is a seasoned veteran and as such he’s long since surpassed the need to prove himself. The security of both of his position and his artistry is conveyed handsomely through this recording and make it recommendable even to those (such as myself) who might be a tough sell. ~ Derek Taylor  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/some-time-ago-mark-murphy-review-by-derek-taylor.php

Players: Mark Murphy- vocals; Dave Ballou- trumpet; Allan Mezquida- alto saxophone; Lee Musiker- piano/arranger; Steve LaSpina- bass; Sean Smith- bass; Winard Harper- drums.

Some Time Ago

Scott DuBois - Landscape Scripture

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:22
Size: 141,9 MB
Art: Front

( 8:00)  1. Spring Haystacks
(10:33)  2. Prairie Suite
( 4:59)  3. Goodbye
( 3:29)  4. Summer Haystacks
(13:06)  5. Lake Shore Suite
( 5:30)  6. Autumn Haystacks
( 9:28)  7. Passing Spirit
( 6:15)  8. Winter Haystacks

Guitarist, Scott DuBois has taken a masterly turn with Landscape Scripture, an extended piece that carries aural impressions of one of Claude Monet's famous series of paintings, "Haystacks." The renowned French master had conceived of his pastoral exhibit in a series of 25 canvases that looked at the iconic sculptures of hay at different times of day, and at different times of the year. DuBois has created his suite around aspects of the paintings depicted by the four seasons and turned out a romantic impression of these paintings. It may not have been easy to think of the guitarist as a seasoned impressionist until this record. But here, DuBois will surprise many.

Using aural dynamics to depict the visual aspect of light falling on inner ear, DuBois creates gorgeous meditations in both earthy tones and heavenly hues. The drama of his work intensifies with his use of woodwinds bass and drums, a somewhat interesting challenge, considering that his setting for the music is peaceful and altogether static, albeit suggestive of visually gentle to vigorous movement. As it would in the annual turn of events, the record begins with a contemplative look at "Spring Haystacks." DuBois' guitar bubbles over with spritely flurries of notes and harmonic overtones, as he seduces the bass into a hypnotic whirring duet. Meanwhile, the swirl of reedman Gebhard Ullmann's bass clarinet notes emerges in diaphanous sheets of sound playing counterpoint to the guitar as drummer Kresten Osgood uses overlapping splashes of cymbals and fibrillating drum skins to complete the joyous setting.

The pace and setting is altogether warmer and suggestive of more riotous colors and tones in "Summer Haystacks," and the melody here, too, is reminiscent of folk songs almost de rigueur in the season of gaiety and sunshine. The descending structure of "Autumn Haystacks" mimics the shedding of leaves, brisk winds and an earth of bronze and gold glinting in a the cooler light of the sun. "Winter Haystacks" is composed of hushed notes from a deeply meditative bass clarinet, set against a shriller guitar, while the drums and bass echo the imminent arrival of bleak snowdrifts.

This powerful suite is interspersed with mini-suites connecting the four seasons. "Prairie Suite" and "Lakeshore Suite" contain powerful imagery of the sweeping vistas of the American Midwest, while "Goodbye" and "Passing Spirit" are shorter works noteworthy for their thematic connection to DuBois' overall meditation on the Monet works. All four interconnecting pieces are markedly beautiful for their compositional elegance and myriad moods. It is also rare for four different musicians to come together in such complete empathy with a work of singular complexity. This intensity of the playing on each musician's part contributes to the memorableness of the composition and, therefore, the entire record. ~ Raul D’Gama Rose  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/landscape-scripture-scott-dubois-sunnyside-records-review-by-raul-dgama-rose.php

Personnel: Scott DuBois: guitar; Gebhard Ullmann: tenor saxophone, bass clarinet; Thomas Morgan: bass; Kresten Osgood: drums.

Landscape Scripture

Mark Elf - Live At Smalls

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:47
Size: 158,0 MB
Art: Front

( 8:58)  1. Quick Silver
( 9:04)  2. 109 West
( 4:12)  3. 52nd St. Theme
( 5:37)  4. It Was Written In the Stars
(10:51)  5. Stella By Starlight
( 9:59)  6. Too Close for Comfort
( 6:58)  7. The Theme
(13:04)  8. 109 West

After putting out a series of studio-recorded CDs during the 1990s that received a lot of airplay on jazz radio stations, Mark Elf finally released his first live CD. The guitarist is in excellent form throughout, joined by bassist Neal Miner and drummer Joe Strasser. Elf's driving take of Horace Silver's "Quicksilver," a rapid-fire "52nd Street Theme," and his lyrical arrangement of "Stella By Starlight" are among the highlights of the featured standards. Elf only plays one original, but includes two separate takes of "109 West," a strutting blues that's quite effective in either rendition. Recommended. ~ Ken Dryden  http://www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-smalls-mw0000618317

Personnel: Mark Elf (guitar); Neal Miner (bass); Joe Strausser (drums).

Live At Smalls