Sugarpie & The Candymen - Swing'N'Roll

Size: 108,8 MB
Time: 46:25
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2011
Styles: Jazz, Swing, Vocals
Art: Front

01. Black And White Movie (3:31)
02. Maybe I Hate, Maybe I Love (2:16)
03. Tell Me Boy (2:47)
04. Bonnie And Clyde Blues (4:12)
05. Aveva Una Casetta (2:44)
06. All You Have To Do Is Cry (3:40)
07. Was That Me (3:46)
08. Time Of The Season (2:30)
09. Hot For Teacher (2:24)
10. Lemon Tree (4:07)
11. Paradise City (2:39)
12. Rock'n'roll/Heartbreaker (4:36)
13. Whole Lotta Love (2:39)
14. Can't Get You Out Off My Head (4:27)

The Sugarpie and the Candymen continue to bring their music on the road among Italy, Switzerland and Germany. A repertoire of more than 90 songs between fancy rearrangements and original songs taken from their album “Swing’n'Roll”. Go with them into their car it means making a trip trough the period of American Prohibition in Bonnie & Clyde style.

Swing'N'Roll

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Phil Woods & Vic Juris - Songs One

Size: 137,4 MB
Time: 59:05
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Golden Earrings (5:30)
02. I Heard You Cried Last Night (4:08)
03. Long Ago & Far Away (5:02)
04. I'll Never Be The Same (4:29)
05. Who Cares (5:37)
06. What'll I Do (3:57)
07. Lover Man (5:02)
08. Suppertime (6:45)
09. Why Did I Choose You (5:18)
10. Gone With The Wind (5:30)
11. These Foolish Things (4:52)
12. I'll Never Stop Loving You (2:51)

Phill Woods:
One of the true masters of the bop vocabulary, Phil Woods had his own sound beginning in the mid-'50s and stuck to his musical guns throughout a remarkably productive career. There was never a doubt that he was one of the top alto saxophonists in jazz, and he lost neither his enthusiasm nor his creativity through the years.

Woods' first alto was left to him by an uncle, and he started playing seriously when he was 12. He gigged and studied locally until 1948, when he moved to New York. Woods studied with Lennie Tristano, at the Manhattan School of Music, and at Juilliard, where he majored in clarinet. He worked with Charlie Barnet (1954), Jimmy Raney (1955), George Wallington, the Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra, Buddy Rich (1958-1959), Quincy Jones (1959-1961), and Benny Goodman (for BG's famous 1962 tour of the Soviet Union), but mostly headed his own groups after 1955, including co-leadership of a combo with fellow altoist Gene Quill in the '50s logically known as "Phil & Quill." Woods, who married the late Charlie Parker's former wife Chan in the 1950s (and became the stepfather to singer Kim Parker), was sometimes thought of as "the new Bird" due to his brilliance in bop settings, but he never really sounded like a copy of Parker.

Vic Juris:
His guitar playing first began to attract attention in the early and mid-70s thanks to appearances and recordings with Phil Woods, Dizzy Gillespie, and Miroslav Vitous. Subsequently, he became part of the jazz fusion movement by joining keyboardist Barry Miles' group and also performing in duets with guitarist Larry Coryell. Vics ability to play in acoustic and electric jazz formats without loss of integrity ensured popular acceptance. Juris has also recorded and performed with: David Liebman, Freddie Hubbard, Gary Peacock, John Abercrombie, Bireli Lagrene and Lee Konitz to name a few.

Vic plays with fluent lyricism, choosing to seduce his listeners with subtle phrasing and engaging harmonies. Not surprisingly, therefore, his playing of ballads is particularly attractive, allowing the romantic element to blossom. In addition to his inventive playing, Juris has also composed many songs, some of which he has recorded on the Steeplechase Record Label.

Songs One

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Lene Sahlholdt - The First Noel

Size: 98,9 MB
Time: 38:13
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz/Classical Vocals, Xmas
Art: Front

01. Let It Snow (3:30)
02. Christmas Time Is Here (3:13)
03. Have Yourself A Merry Christmas (3:50)
04. The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year (2:14)
05. The First Noel (4:04)
06. Hark! The Herald Angel Sing (3:22)
07. Mr Santa (1:43)
08. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (2:33)
09. Silent Night (3:23)
10. Its Beginning To Look Like Christmas (2:42)
11. The Christmas Song (4:51)
12. What Are You Doing New Years Eve (2:43)

Danish Soprano singer, Lene Sahlholdt, came for the first time to England in 1998 after having won a 2nd place at the prestigious singing competition “Young Singers” in Denmark.

Lene discovered her passion for singing at a very early age and was discovered by a record company when she was only 9 years old. She ended up recording 6 children’s songs albums with Ole Wiinberg at the “Komo Studio”in Herning(Denmark), which can be heard in schools and the radio all over Denmark still to this day.

After completing all her schooling Lene created a name for herself as a singer in Denmark and have appeared in several musicals (Seven Bride’s for seven brothers, Cinderella & The Nerd, Cabaret and many more.). She is also popular on the recording scene and has sung on albums with bands such as “Mindfield”, “Tørfisk” and many radio jingles. She has even appeared in Danish TV adverts. Despite loving opera, she also has a passion for jazz and toured the country with her local jazz orchestra.

Back in 1998 Lene had just finished a Master class with Mr Ian Adam, which led her to win the singing competion. As this was a major turning point for Lene, she knew she would have to move to London in order to continue her vocal studies. Lene studied with Ian Adam until he very sadly passed away in 2007.

Over the past 14 years, Lene has worked continuously as a professional singer in London and Denmark. Her vocal versatility has provided a wide range of opportunity in her engagements. Working in Radio and radio comedy plays for Dr Sin’s Laughter Zone on oneword radio by Bob Sinfield and adverts for Capital radio by Music works, as a classical singing leading her to sing at the Royal Albert Hall, Croydon Fairfield Halls, the Churchill Theatre (Kentish Opera) and many more. In Denmark Lene often tour the country with her singing such as the classical tour for Danish singers living abroad. She also performs with jazz pianist Chad Lelong. Lene’s current project is recording at the “Auracle Music Studio” recording English nursery songs in Danish.

The First Noel

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Chris Wells - 3 Beat (Feat. Charlie Wood)

Size: 134,5 MB
Time: 57:13
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Meantime (4:23)
02. Keep Asking Questions (4:49)
03. Full Circle (4:22)
04. Verbena (5:03)
05. Whatever It Takes (4:06)
06. Thinking Aloud (5:30)
07. Song For Mase (3:35)
08. On The Limit (2:52)
09. Isabella (3:36)
10. Dynamique (5:18)
11. Priorities & Realities (3:58)
12. Something More Important (4:39)
13. AZT (4:57)

BEAT is the 4th solo album from producer Chris Wells. Recorded at Realworld Studios in April 2015 it features the talents of Memphis blues keyboardist Charlie Wood, a long time collaborator and close friend, who shapes the album through his mastery of acoustic & electric pianos and his signature Hammond B3 organ. 'From the outset with this project I very much wanted to produce a record that had been recorded in 'the old way', by which I mean that everyone would be playing together, in the same room at the same time, with all that that entails in terms of energy and spontaneity. I had also for a long while intended to make a trio album, but rather than it having a single sound throughout, it should comprise of different combinations, so instead of switching personnel I took the route of varying the instrumentation (keyboards & basses) to provide tonal variation between the tracks'. Without any introduction by way of a vamp the album launches directly into 'Meantime', a medium / uptempo swing feature for acoustic piano and the ideal vehicle for pianist Wood to deliver his opening statement, his solo demonstrating his dexterity and lyricism in equal measures. The trio immediately moves into top gear for the next tune, 'Keep Asking Questions' which along with a shift in mood also sees a change in tonality, featuring Wurlitzer piano and electric bass. The track takes the form of a theme and variations over an ostinato bass line and features much interplay between Wood and Wells that stems from many years of playing together. Next up is 'Full Circle' which marks the first appearance of the Hammond organ on the album, perhaps the instrument for which Charlie is most noted, before which the mood becomes somewhat more relaxed with the waltz 'Verbena' putting the spotlight on Wood's lyrical acoustic piano solo. 'Whatever It Takes' introduces the sound of the Rhodes to the ensemble, whilst 'Thinking Aloud' is a swinging shuffle that echoes the laid back sound and style of South African jazz in it's melody and harmony, and one of 2 tracks to feature an acoustic bass solo. 'Song for Mase' was written for jazz drummer Harvey Mason, but rather than being an energetic feature for drums is actually a gentle & melodic waltz, again spotlighting the Rhodes piano. 'On the Limit' once again puts us back in up-tempo territory, with the return of the Hammond and Charlie pulling out all the stops, literally. This high energy track is immediately followed by the very gentle 'Isabella', a graceful jazz waltz. 'Dynamique' is a classic 12 bar blues form, whilst 'Priorities & Realities' has at it's core a chromatic melody & harmonic structure. The album is rounded out by 2 contrasting numbers, both featuring Hammond organ. 'Something More Important' uses a variation on the blues harmonic form, and closing the set is the upbeat 'AZT' which stands out by virtue of of its 'straight 8ths', as opposed to swung, feel. 'This album is both the realisation of an idea that first hatched a while ago', adds Chris, 'as well as being a broad representation of my recent work as a composer in this genre'.

Personnel:
Charlie Wood: acoustic & electric pianos, Hammond organ
Don Richardson: acoustic & electric bass
Chris Wells: drums.

3 Beat

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Maria Emrik - Black Coffee (The Album)

Size: 102,2 MB
Time: 38:56
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Black Coffee (3:13)
02. Bewitched (3:24)
03. Fly Me To The Moon (3:09)
04. Cry Me A River (4:20)
05. You've Changed (3:43)
06. Body And Soul (2:31)
07. Angel Eyes (4:43)
08. I Should Care (3:14)
09. I Can't Give You Anything But Love (3:03)
10. This Masquerade (4:20)
11. Lonely Girl (3:13)

Maria Emrik, born in Denmark.

For as long as I can remember, music has been the most important thing in my life.

Since I was a little girl I adored listening to all kinds of music on my parent's record player.

I listened to everything from Beatles and Elvis to opera and classical music.

But my all time favorites were the wonderful tones from the American jazz songbook, especially when performed by Ella Fitzgerald and Julie London.

At the age of 15 I became the lead singer in a well established jazz band.

These much older, grown men also showed me the beauty of Bossa Nova and convinced me of the fact that I – despite my young age – had a real jazz talent.

In the following years I sung in several musical constellations, and though I have been singing many different genres through the years, my heart has always felt that jazz is ”HOME”.

I really hope you will enjoy these wonderful tunes.

Love, Maria.

Black Coffee

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Helena Flojt - Lat Mig Visa

Size: 107,5 MB
Time: 45:47
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2010
Styles: Folk/Pop
Art: Front

01. Jolene (2:59)
02. Min Grat Tar Slut (4:22)
03. Halleluja (4:47)
04. Kathys Sang (4:11)
05. Desperado (3:13)
06. Garden Och Parveln (4:20)
07. Manen Stror Silver (4:45)
08. En Kungens Man (2:30)
09. Gatorna Pa Soder (2:50)
10. Flyg Vilda Fagel (2:47)
11. Balladen Om Herr Fredrik Akare Och Den Sota Froken Cecilia Lind (3:18)
12. Veronica (2:36)
13. Jag Ger Dig Min Morgon (3:02)

No Info.
A Wizbone request. If you have any english information please share with us. I don't know if she is finnish or swedish.

Lat Mig Visa

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Joe Turner (With Pee Wee Crayton & Sonny Stitt) - Everyday I Have The Blues

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:19
Size: 99.2 MB
Styles: Jazz-blues, R&B
Year: 1975/1991
Art: Front

[ 4:33] 1. Stormy Monday
[ 7:39] 2. Piney Brown (K.C.)
[ 9:09] 3. Martin Luther King Southside
[ 5:31] 4. Everyday I Have The Blues
[ 4:53] 5. Shake, Rattle And Roll
[11:31] 6. Lucille

This CD reissues one of Big Joe Turner's better Pablo releases. In 1975 Turner's voice was still strong and he had a compatible four-piece group that featured veteran guitarist Pee Wee Crayton. With guest Sonny Stitt contributing typically boppish solos on tenor and alto, Turner sings mostly familiar material (including "Stormy Monday," "Piney Brown" and "Shake, Rattle and Roll") plus his recent "Martin Luther King Southside." Recommended. ~Scott Yanow

Everyday I Have The Blues

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Eva Marchal - Quartier Latin

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:29
Size: 101.8 MB
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[4:16] 1. Que Reste-T-Il De Nos Amours
[3:20] 2. La Javanaise
[4:30] 3. La Mer
[4:52] 4. La Valse Des Lilas
[3:42] 5. My Funny Valentine
[3:21] 6. Le Jazz Et La Java
[3:31] 7. Syracuse
[7:07] 8. Why Should I Care
[7:07] 9. Sous Le Ciel De Paris
[2:37] 10. La Vie En Rose

Quartier Latin

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Roy Eldridge - Echoes Of Paris

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:52
Size: 107.3 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[3:18] 1. Ain't No Files On Me
[3:31] 2. The Man I Love
[3:00] 3. King David
[3:35] 4. Goliath Bounce
[4:50] 5. Undecided
[2:59] 6. It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
[3:07] 7. Someone To Watch Over Me
[3:14] 8. Nuts
[3:08] 9. Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams (And Dream Your Troubles Away)
[2:54] 10. Easter Parade
[3:09] 11. Wild Driver
[3:24] 12. Undecided
[3:32] 13. If I Had You
[3:05] 14. Wild Driver

One of the most exciting trumpeters to emerge during the swing era, Roy Eldridge's combative approach, chance-taking style and strong musicianship were an inspiration (and an influence) to the next musical generation, most notably Dizzy Gillespie. Although he sometimes pushed himself farther than he could go, Eldridge never played a dull solo.

Roy Eldridge started out playing trumpet and drums in carnival and circus bands. With the Nighthawk Syncopators he received a bit of attention by playing a note-for-note re-creation of Coleman Hawkins' tenor solo on "The Stampede." Inspired by the dynamic playing of Jabbo Smith (Eldridge would not discover Louis Armstrong for a few years), Eldridge played with some territory bands including Zack Whyte and Speed Webb and in New York (where he arrive in 1931) he worked with Elmer Snowden (who nicknamed him "Little Jazz"), McKinney's Cotton Pickers, and most importantly Teddy Hill (1935). Eldridge's recorded solos with Hill, backing Billie Holiday and with Fletcher Henderson (including his 1936 hit "Christopher Columbus") gained a great deal of attention. In 1937 he appeared with his octet (which included brother Joe on alto) at the Three Deuces Club in Chicago and recorded some outstanding selections as a leader including "Heckler's Hop" and "Wabash Stomp." By 1939 Eldridge had a larger group playing at the Arcadia Ballroom in New York. With the decline of Bunny Berigan and the increasing predictability of Louis Armstrong, Eldridge was arguably the top trumpeter in jazz during this era.

During 1941-1942 Eldridge sparked Gene Krupa's Orchestra, recording classic versions of "Rockin' Chair" and "After You've Gone" and interacting with Anita O'Day on "Let Me Off Uptown." The difficulties of traveling with a White band during a racist period hurt him, as did some of the incidents that occurred during his stay with Artie Shaw (1944-1945) but the music during both stints was quite memorable. Eldridge can be seen in several "soundies" (short promotional film devoted to single songs) of this era by the Krupa band, often in association with O'Day, including "Let Me Off Uptown" and "Thanks for the Boogie Ride." He is also very prominent in the band's appearance in Howard Hawks' Ball of Fire, in an extended performance of "Drum Boogie" mimed by Barbara Stanwyck, taking a long trumpet solo -- the clip was filmed soon after Eldridge joined the band in late April of 1941, and "Drum Boogie" was a song that Eldridge co-wrote with Krupa.

Eldridge had a short-lived big band of his own, toured with Jazz at the Philharmonic, and then had a bit of an identity crisis when he realized that his playing was not as modern as the beboppers. A successful stay in France during 1950-1951 restored his confidence when he realized that being original was more important than being up-to-date. Eldridge recorded steadily for Norman Granz in the '50s, was one of the stars of JATP (where he battled Charlie Shavers and Dizzy Gillespie), and by 1956, was often teamed with Coleman Hawkins in a quintet; their 1957 appearance at Newport was quite memorable. The '60s were tougher as recording opportunities and work became rarer. Eldridge had brief and unhappy stints with Count Basie's Orchestra and Ella Fitzgerald (feeling unnecessary in both contexts) but was leading his own group by the end of the decade. He spent much of the '70s playing regularly at Ryan's and recording for Pablo and, although his range had shrunk a bit, Eldridge's competitive spirit was still very much intact. Only a serious stroke in 1980 was able to halt his horn. Roy Eldridge recorded throughout his career for virtually every label. ~bio by Scott Yanow

Echoes Of Paris

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Aurore Quartet - Manouche Jazz Swing

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:38
Size: 109.1 MB
Styles: Gypsy swing
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[4:08] 1. Pent Up House
[2:57] 2. Swing 42
[3:16] 3. Stompin' At Decca
[5:24] 4. Czardas
[4:51] 5. Nuages
[3:17] 6. Double Concerto
[3:17] 7. Sweet Sue
[5:15] 8. Beautiful Love
[2:47] 9. Sweet Georgia Brown
[4:18] 10. Sosnica
[3:36] 11. Swing 39
[4:27] 12. Swing Gitan

Formed in September 2004, The Aurore Quartet is fronted by the glamorous, talented Aurore Voilque on violin and vocals and completed by the dynamic trio of Siegfried 'Ziggy' Mandace and Darko Andelkovic on guitars, and Pierre Frasque on double bass. Mixing their diverse musical backgrounds, this joyful band brims with lyricism and humour, touching the heart and soul of their audience and taking them on a musical trip to 30s and 40s swing and Gypsy folk repertoires. With their own very personal interpretations and memorable compositions, The Aurore Quartet enthrals and lifts the spirits! Joining them as guest musicians on this live recording are Gypsy Jazz virtuoso Ritary Gaguenetti and rising vocal star Phillipa Leigh, helping to create an eclectic and exhilarating musical feast!

Manouche Jazz Swing

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Chembo Corniel & Andrea Brachfeld - Beyond Standards

Styles: Latin Jazz, Flute Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:23
Size: 136,4 MB
Art: Front

(6:48)  1. Flor de Zampona
(7:43)  2. Transition
(7:04)  3. Naima
(4:56)  4. Conception
(7:17)  5. Chelsea Bridge
(4:50)  6. E. S. P.
(6:37)  7. African Flower
(5:30)  8. Freedom Jazz Dance
(4:08)  9. My Little Suede Shoes
(1:32) 10. Interlude
(2:52) 11. Oddudua

Latin Jazz-This music would be better described as Jazz Latin since we really focused on the jazz standards. Then we added many Afro-Cuban as well as Puerto Rican rhythms to each song. This is a great introduction to this style of music.

Andrea Brachfeld has released many cds touching on a wealth of traditional flute styles in the Latin tradition. She is well known in many New York circles for her wealth of experience and cultural knowledge and awareness. She has touched on many projects involving progressive approaches to ensemble playing and Beyond Standards serves as one such accomplishment.

Teamed up with master percussionist Wilson "Chembo" Corniel, this duo of excitement will leave lasting impressions in your mind and ear. Joined with Andrea and Chembo are a line up of NY's most sought after personel such as Hilton Ruiz and Steve Turre just to name a few. The rhythm section sustains it\'s energy with the most worthy drummer for the late Ray Barretto , Vince Cherico. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/abrachfeld

Personnel: Andrea Brachfeld, Wilson "Chembo" Corniel, Jr. (flute, piccolo, zambona, piano); Steve Turre (trombone); Hilton Ruiz (piano).

Beyond Standards

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Don Lanphere And New Stories - Home At Last

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:10
Size: 150,3 MB
Art: Front

(6:27)  1. The Night Has A Thousand Eyes
(8:12)  2. Alone Together
(6:50)  3. My Ideal
(8:20)  4. Invitation
(5:37)  5. Violets For Your Furs
(6:52)  6. Home At Last
(6:44)  7. Solar
(6:10)  8. Estate
(5:02)  9. End Of A Love Affair
(4:51) 10. Goodbye

Veteran tenor saxophonist Don Lanphere is a modern Lazarus, a bebop-blowing master brought back to life by Jesus. The 73-year-old Yakima-bred musician was a teenaged fixture on the New York scene during 52nd Street heyday. He made his recording session debut with Max Roach and Fats Navarro in New York in 1948 and hung out with Charlie Parker at bebop’s birth. By the time Lanphere was 22, he had a heroin habit, an arrest record, and had lost his girlfriend, Chan Richardson, to Parker. Ten years later, after another drug bust (marijuana), Lanphere quit the music business…for 23 years.

In 1982, buoyed by his born-again Christian faith at 60, Lanphere revived his career and has produced a succession of glorious swing-to-bop recordings topped by the recently released, Home At Last. Liner notes credit inspiration from “Bird, Prez, Zoot and the two Sonnys,” but Lanphere’s warm, plaintive synthesis of stylistic advancements by Parker, Young, Sims, Rollins and Stitt is a very personal sound, a masterful, individual voice. On Home At Last, Lanphere’s assured, succinct improvisations are framed expertly by New Stories’ supple rhythmic support. Pianist Marc Seales is a particularly adept accompanyist and, like his rhythm team of bassist Doug Miller and drummer John Bishop, a sensitive listener who knows how to leave lots of breathing room for the leader.

Romantic ballad readings of “Alone Together,” “Violets For Your Furs,” and “Goodbye” ground the group’s more muscular workouts with a tenderness that is heartbreakingly beautiful. The confidence and virility of Lanphere’s playing is in evidence from the opening “The Night Has A Thousand Eyes.” Seales stands out on that cut too. Several of the band’s arrangements are playful adaptations of the ballad form, particularly Lanphere’s clever remaking of “My Ideal” and Hank Mobley’s “ Home At Last.” Another treat is Lanphere’s elegiac soprano sax reading of “Estate” followed by the saxophonist’s most endearing homage to Lester Young, a gorgeous version of “The End of A Love Affair.” He caps a superb studio effort with a soulful, wise version of Gordon Jenkins’ “Goodbye.” Don Lanphere is an absolute master, and this is a masterpiece. 

~ Joseph Blake  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/home-at-last-don-lanphere-review-by-joseph-blake.php

Personnel: Don Lanphere - Saxophone, Doug Miller - Bass, Marc Seales - Piano

Home At Last

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Toni Solà - Natural Sounds

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:16
Size: 127,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:38)  1. Amy
(5:18)  2. Mangoes
(4:05)  3. Safari Blues
(7:31)  4. Un Instant de Màgia
(4:09)  5. Funk to Grover
(4:52)  6. Nictalops
(3:09)  7. All the Gin Is Gone
(5:15)  8. Come Sunday
(4:16)  9. Ger-Ru
(7:05) 10. Bright Moments
(5:53) 11. Song for Stanley Turrentine

The style he cultivates is a compendium of illustrious influences (Illinois Jacquett, Gene Ammons, Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon, Arnet Cobb, Buddy Tate, David Sanborn, King Curtis, Stanley Turrentine...) yet with an overrending feeling of swing and strength of expression; two essential elements in Toni Solà's extroverted playing. His language is both direct and vigorous and keeps the public in constant climax of complicity with his discourse. Few tenor players today can presume to be as independent and sollicited as Solà. http://www.freshsoundrecords.com/natural_sounds-cd-3714.html

Featuring: Toni Solà (ts,ss #8), Xavier Monge (p), Ignasi González (b), Pau Bombardó (d)

Natural Sounds

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Leny Andrade & Roni Ben-Hur - Alegria De Viver

Styles: Bossa Nova, MPB
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:50
Size: 110,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:11)  1. Samba Iluminado
(2:55)  2. Balanço Zona Sul
(5:49)  3. Dindi
(4:54)  4. Refém Da Solidão
(3:10)  5. Estrada Branca
(2:34)  6. Alegria De Viver
(2:58)  7. Cantador
(3:07)  8. É Preciso Perdoar
(3:22)  9. Carinhoso
(2:53) 10. Passa Por Mim
(2:17) 11. Rugas
(3:15) 12. Ana Luisa
(2:30) 13. Una Manana
(3:51) 14. O Que É Amar

It’s hard to argue with Tony Bennett when he describes Leny Andrade as the “Ella Fitzgerald of Brasil”. Anyone who has heard Ms. Andrade live or on record will agree. Her sublime artistry is born of integrity and intensity. She indulges in a harmonically rich turn of phrase, clothed in beautifully balanced and largely polyphonic textures that still feel like gossamer and when she turns up the heat as rich and sensuous as raw silk. Described as having a dynamic voice capable of stunning leaps from an upper register, to dramatic plunges into gravity-defying depths, Leny Andrade is no ordinary mezzo-soprano. Her singing comes on a generous scale with a wide range and bags of personality easily enough to encompass every aspect of the Brasilian cultural ethos.

Ms. Andrade is accompanied by an equally dynamic instrumental personality: Roni Ben-Hur. The guitarist is an inspired choice for this date. Mr. Ben-Hur concentrates on the sonorities of his instrument treating the colours it makes as independent of Leny Andrade’s uncommonly lush notes, doing justice to it (his guitar) in his warm old-school playing as he manages to pull multiple melodious lines which he weaves deftly into his seemingly diaphanous harmonic canvas. His mannerisms are cultured. They spark reflective utterances as a framing stimulus towards the rhapsodic melismas that dance their way out from the vocalastics of Ms. Andrade. It is hard to imagine another pairing for this repertoire or any other for that matter.

One of the challenges that even Brasilian artists face when attempting a programme is steering clear of the tried and tested and often all-too-familiar, even tried Brasilian standards. This record, Alegria de Viver pulls music out of surprising, under-represented catalogues. Of course, you cannot avoid the music of Baden Powell, Vinicius De Moraes, Pixinguinha, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Dori Caymmi, certainly not if you are intent on making a good record. Then turning it into something great is a matter of good taste and inhabiting the songs from the inside out. Few vocalists from Brasil can do this with as much facility as Leny Andrade.

Leny Andrade does great things with the lyric and the music throughout the repertoire. If anything is to be singled out for special mention – an unfair task in this instance I may as well recommend “Carinhoso” and “O Que é Amar” the latter is a rarely performed piece by one of Brasil’s most gifted sons Johnny Alf. It does bear mention that the album is breathtaking from end to end, though. Together, Leny Andrade and Roni Ben-Hur lay it all out for us in one superbly rich and eloquent verse after the other, representing art at its most sublime. The profound romanticism of Brasilian storylines is magically matched by the high drama of the delivers of lyrics. Both artists allow the music to evolve with a wonderful feeling of spaciousness in which the intense musical textures of these pieces are beautifully revealed. http://latinjazznet.com/2015/10/04/reviews/cds/album-of-the-week/leny-andrade-roni-ben-hur-alegria-de-viver/

Personnel: Leny Andrade: vocals; Roni Ben-Hur: guitar.

Alegria De Viver

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