The Dave Brubeck Quartet - Music from West Side Story

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:19
Size: 117,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:17)  1. Maria
(5:10)  2. I Feel Pretty
(4:16)  3. Somewhere
(2:22)  4. A Quiet Girl
(3:49)  5. Tonight
(6:17)  6. What is This Thing Called Love
(5:19)  7. The Most Beautiful Girl in the World
(4:56)  8. Night and Day
(6:49)  9. My Romance

For reasons that aren't clear, this is one of the more often overlooked albums in Dave Brubeck's Columbia Records catalog of the early '60s. It's certainly less well known than Stan Kenton's very different 1961 album of music from West Side Story, and also less unified, as it also reaches out to the score for Wonderful Town and back to 1930s Broadway. And none of that means that it isn't a lot of fun and well worth hearing, with "Maria" done as a swinging, uptempo ballad, while "Tonight" becomes a jumping-off point for all concerned into a jazz excursion across several decades' worth of tunes. By contrast, "What Is This Thing Called Love?" is done in a slow, pensively lyrical, lilting fashion. Paul Desmond's playing shines every bit as much as Brubeck's, and the whole record including the Cole Porter and Rodgers & Hart material swings in some unexpected directions that still delight four-plus decades later. ~ Bruce Eder  http://www.allmusic.com/album/music-from-west-side-story-mw0000187912

Personnel:  Piano – Dave Brubeck;  Alto Saxophone – Paul Desmond;  Bass – Eugene Wright;  Drums – Joe Morello

Music from West Side Story

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Mabel Mercer - Once in a Blue Moon

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1958
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:42
Size: 100,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:44)  1. Once in a Blue Moon
(2:04)  2. In the Spring of the Year
(2:45)  3. Look at 'Im
(4:00)  4. Guess I'll Go Back Home
(3:05)  5. I'm Glad I'm Not Young Anymore
(3:45)  6. My Shining Hour
(4:05)  7. The Twelve Days of Christmas
(3:21)  8. Whenever Winds Blow
(2:45)  9. Isn't He Adorable
(3:56) 10. Isn't It a Pity
(2:50) 11. If You Leave Paris
(2:38) 12. Sunday in New York
(2:49) 13. If Love Were All
(2:48) 14. Sail Away

Respected and honored by her peers, cabaret singer Mabel Mercer was one of the strongest song interpreters in traditional pop, a large influence on singers including Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole, as well as a ready rediscoverer of once-forgotten nuggets like "Fly Me to the Moon." Born in Staffordshire, England, Mercer was the child of American jazz singer Warren Mercer, Sr. (who died before Mabel's birth), and British music hall actress Gertrude Doak. Though she was classically trained in voice, her professional debut came as a dancer, while she was still in her teens. Mercer was back to vocals by the '20s, and during the decade she appeared in clubs throughout Europe as well as the Middle East. 

By the end of the Roaring '20s, she had settled in Paris and gained fame on the city's cabaret scene, populated and made famous by American expatriates, from Cole Porter to Ernest Hemingway. Mercer made her New York debut in 1938 and soon began a club residency that eventually lasted 20 years. Her notable influence on Frank Sinatra, Lena Horne, and Nat King Cole gained her additional fans; after signing to Atlantic in the early '50s, Mercer recorded several LPs during the decade. During the '60s, she recorded two live LPs with Bobby Short. The following decade saw her appearing at Carnegie Hall and on her own British television special. Despite a brief retirement, she returned in the early '80s and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. ~ John Bush  https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/mabel-mercer/id50234517#fullText

Personnel: Mabel Mercer (vocals); George Cory (arranger, conductor, piano).

Once in a Blue Moon

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Jesse Van Ruller - Here And There

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:12
Size: 115,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:54)  1. Best Things in Life Are Free
(6:03)  2. Christina
(4:11)  3. Bye, Bye Baby
(5:12)  4. Subconscious-Lee
(5:40)  5. Prelude To a Kiss
(4:52)  6. Debits And Credits
(5:34)  7. Everything I Love
(3:40)  8. In Walked Bud
(5:25)  9. Ballad of the Sad Young Men
(4:36) 10. Cedar's Blues

It’s no surprise that Jesse Van Ruller makes a strong statement as a mainstream soloist on his first Criss Cross release, Here and There. What is a bit confounding is that fact that it’s taken so long for the Dutch native to find such a perfect forum for his talents. Back in 1995, the guitarist won that year’s Thelonious Monk Jazz Competition (the first European artist to do so) and yet American audiences have yet to really pick up on van Ruller’s talents. In the tradition of Tal Farlow, Herb Ellis, and Jim Hall, this young guitarist keeps the fast company of two different groupings, one in a quartet with David Hazeltine on piano and the other a sparse trio setting with just bass and drums. Standards are the order of the day, although van Ruller offers a few tweaks here and there (no pun intended!) to keep things interesting, his electric hollow body producing a warm and fuzzy sound that is undeniably attractive. 

There’s also a clear Tristano connection that raises its head on a teeming upbeat version of Lee Konitz’s “Subconscious-Lee.” They say that it’s on a ballad that any jazzman worth his salt will stand out from the poseurs. If that’s the case, then van Ruller stakes his claim on “Prelude to a Kiss,” caressing Duke’s melody with authority and confidence. As strong as these quartet performances may be, it’s within the trio format that the guitarist really rises to the occasion, presenting solid chordal work along with solos that stay largely in the realm of single note runs. “In Walked Bud” and “Cedar’s Blues” are both bristling with youthful exuberance, the latter bringing to a brisk close this accomplished effort. No doubt that van Ruller is well on his way to becoming a formidable contender on the New York jazz scene, if he chooses to do so. Mainstream guitar fans will surely enjoy this swinging set while rejoicing at the arrival of a considerable new talent. ~ C.Andrew Hovan  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/here-and-there-jesse-van-ruller-criss-cross-review-by-c-andrew-hovan.php

Personnel: Jesse van Ruller (guitar), David Hazeltine (piano), Nat Reeves (bass), Joe Farnsworth (drums), Frans van Geest (bass on tracks 7-10), Willie Jones III (drums on tracks 7-10)

Here And There

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Lee Lessack - I Know You By Heart

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:56
Size: 112,3 MB
Art: Front

(2:44)  1. Dreamers
(3:26)  2. It Feels Like Home
(4:03)  3. Storybook
(3:21)  4. The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress
(3:47)  5. I Know You By Heart
(4:41)  6. Dreamscape
(4:23)  7. When October Goes
(2:56)  8. Much At All
(2:41)  9. I Can See It
(4:22) 10. I'll Imagine You a Song
(4:30) 11. Endless Night
(4:15) 12. Right As The Rain / Soon It's Gonna Rain
(3:40) 13. Perfect

The play list for record company executive cum cabaret performer Lee Lessack is like a book of short stories which examine the ins and outs of one of our favorite pastimes and most puzzling conundrums, love and its trappings, especially its darker side. The subject is perfect for Lessack's soft, dedicated delivery. He wears his emotions on his sleeve as he recites the words of songs that are selected for the story they tell, not for their familiarity. It's the character, not the popularity of the song, that matters. Many tunes come from the musical stage. But again, not necessarily the most popular or successful musicals. "Storybook," from the The Scarlett Pimpernel, is done as a lilting serenade, almost Chopin-esque, as Lessack's vocalizing rides atop Boswell's waltzing piano. 

Stephen Schwartz, who provided the music for The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Prince of Egypt, is here with his "Dreamscape." Fading love is captured in the songs of another troubadour of note, Barry Manilow (with John Mercer), in "When October Goes." Here the solemn flugelhorn of Dennis Farias helps create the necessary ambience. More solemnity comes from the cello of Stefanie Fife on such tracks as "The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress." Brian Lane Green is featured on "I Can See It" as he joins Lessack for a heartfelt rendition on that tune from Fantasticks. If one were looking for a common denominator to color each of the protagonists in the songs, it would have to be forlorn. While talent oozes from Lessack and his compatriots, there's little glee found in the compositions they play. It may take a couple of hearings to fully appreciate this fine performance. ~ Dave Nathan  http://www.allmusic.com/album/i-know-you-by-heart-mw0000048688

Personnel: Lee Lessack (vocals); Laurence Juber (acoustic guitar); Stefanie Fife (cello); Alex Rannie (harp); Phil Feather (flute, English horn, clarinet, soprano saxophone); Dennis Farias (trumpet, flugelhorn); John Boswell (piano, keyboards); Bob Mair (bass); M.B. Gordy (drums, percussion).

I Know You By Heart

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Lew Jacobs - Color Outside The Lines

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:11
Size: 82,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:37)  1. My Forecast
(3:49)  2. Harmony
(4:06)  3. Eternity
(4:14)  4. Places
(4:48)  5. One More Try
(3:56)  6. Missing Moments
(3:46)  7. Here to Stay
(4:24)  8. My Heart Soars
(2:27)  9. Color Outside of the Lines

Lew’s blend of acoustic folk and jazzy R&B melodies are joined with metaphoric lyrics of love, life and hope that feed the soul. After many years of honing his songwriting skills, Lew collaborated with renowned keyboard extraordinaire and recording artist Mike Blankenship to produce his debut album, Color Outside The Lines.

Lew Jacobs is a Virginia native, growing up in Floyd, a small town perched on the Appalachian trail, well known for its Friday Night Jamboree of bluegrass bands. Lew’s early childhood influences were old-time country music that played on the family TV. Each morning, Lew and his siblings dressed for school while listening to Flatt & Scruggs, Porter Wagner and George Jones. By Lew’s teenage years, his taste had expanded to include the classic folk and R&B tunes of the 1970s and 80s. If you enjoy the smooth and easy listening tunes of The Eagles, James Taylor, Lionel Richie, or Michael McDonald, then Lew Jacobs will appeal to both your musical taste and love of love songs. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/lewjacobs

Color Outside The Lines

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