Woody Shaw - United

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:15
Size: 92.2 MB
Styles: Post bop, Trumpet jazz
Year: 1981/2011
Art: Front

[5:17] 1. United
[5:26] 2. The Greene Street Caper
[9:37] 3. What Is This Thing Called Love
[7:01] 4. Pressing The Issue
[5:36] 5. Katrina Ballerina
[7:16] 6. Blues For Wood

Of Woody Shaw's five Columbia albums, United is the one that sounds most like a blowing session. The trumpeter and his regular band of the period (with trombonist Steve Turre, pianist Mulgrew Miller, bassist Stafford James, and drummer Tony Reedus) welcome guest altoist Gary Bartz to two of the six selections. In addition to selections by Shaw, Miller, and Wayne Shorter, "What Is This Thing Called Love?" and "The Greene Street Caper" (the latter an "original" closely based on "On Green Dolphin Street") are performed on this fairly straight-ahead and accessible yet adventurous date. Worth searching for. ~Scott Yanow

United

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The Lennon Sisters - Yesterday And Today

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:34
Size: 106.6 MB
Styles: Vocal pop
Year: 1994
Art: Front

[2:25] 1. Sentimental Journey
[2:50] 2. Anniversary Song
[2:21] 3. You Made Me Love You
[2:46] 4. Scarlet Ribbons
[2:51] 5. Vaya Con Dios (May God Be With You)
[2:18] 6. When I Fall In Love
[2:19] 7. There! I've Said It Again
[2:48] 8. Greensleeves
[2:33] 9. Now Is The Hour
[2:38] 10. Melody Of Love
[2:18] 11. This Is My Song
[2:26] 12. Fascination
[2:04] 13. Theme From A Summer Place
[2:37] 14. You Are So Beautiful
[2:19] 15. Can't Help Falling In Love
[2:59] 16. Scarborough Fair
[2:13] 17. Autumn Leaves
[3:41] 18. You'll Never Walk Alone

The sparkling vocal quartet which graced Lawrence Welk's weekly television music show from 1955 to 1967, the Lennon Sisters (Dianne, Janet, Peggy and Kathy) grew up in Venice, California, and earned a contract with Coral Records, thanks in large part to Welk. Their first hit, "Tonight You Belong to Me," reached number 15 in the 1956 charts, followed by the moderate success of "Sad Movies (Make Me Cry)" almost five years later. After leaving Welk, the Lennon Sisters performed infrequently. ~bio by John Bush

Yesterday And Today

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Freddie Hubbard - Almost Here

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:18
Size: 179.3 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz, Hard bop
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[ 4:26] 1. Happy Times
[ 9:20] 2. Mohawk
[ 6:25] 3. Alone And I
[ 3:35] 4. Little Karin
[ 6:32] 5. Watermelon Man
[ 7:24] 6. Shutterbug
[ 5:30] 7. Three Bags Full
[10:02] 8. Summertime
[ 6:07] 9. I Want More
[ 5:10] 10. In Walked Horace
[ 9:17] 11. Dolphin Dance
[ 4:25] 12. Swing It

n the pantheon of jazz trumpeters, Freddie Hubbard stands as one of the boldest and most inventive artists of the bop, hard-bop and post-bop eras. Although influenced by titans like Miles Davis and Clifford Brown, Hubbard ultimately forged his own unique sound – a careful balance of bravado and subtlety that fueled more than fifty solo recordings and countless collaborations with some of the most prominent jazz artists of his era. Shortly after his death at the end of 2008, Down Beat called him “the most powerful and prolific trumpeter in jazz.” Embedded in his massive body of recorded work is a legacy that will continue to influence trumpeters and other jazz artists for generations to come.

He achieved his greatest popular success in the 1970s with a series of crossover albums on Atlantic and CTI Records. His early ‘70s jazz albums for CTI – Red Clay (1970), Straight Life (1970) and First Light (1971) – were particularly well received (First Light won a Grammy for Best Instrumental Jazz Performance). Later in the decade, he returned to the acoustic, hard-bop idiom with the V.S.O.P. quintet, which teamed him with members of the 1960s Miles Davis Quintet: Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Tony Williams and Ron Carter. Hubbard also stepped briefly into the pop arena when he played a solo on “Zanzibar,” a track from Billy Joel’s Grammy-winning 1978 album, 52nd Street.

As the ‘80s got under way, Hubbard was once again leading his own group, playing at concerts and festivals in the U.S. and Europe. He frequently collaborated with Joe Henderson, playing a repertory of hard-bop and modal-jazz pieces. Other associations throughout the decade included Monterey Jazz Festival dates with Bobby Hutcherson; studio projects with Woody Shaw and Benny Golson; and a live recording in Holland (Feel the Wind) with Blakey in 1988.

Almost Here

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Don Lanphere & Pete Christlieb - Get Happy

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:06
Size: 152,0 MB
Art: Front

(7:47)  1. Indian Blues
(8:52)  2. Remember Why
(3:56)  3. Assurance
(6:13)  4. An Interrupted Walk
(5:21)  5. Old Folks
(6:18)  6. Dance Suite
(7:25)  7. After Letting Go
(5:45)  8. Free Indeed
(5:50)  9. Peace
(8:32) 10. Get Happy

Don Lanphere, a veteran tenor great from the bop era, and Pete Christlieb, the hard-driving tenor from Los Angeles, make for a very complementary and mutually inspiring team. Lanphere, who recorded with Fats Navarro and had an up-and-down career, returned to full-time activity in the early 1980s, and has been heard in prime form ever since; not only is he heard here on tenor, but also on soprano and a bit of alto. Christlieb, who was formerly underrecorded, made up for it with a series of rewarding appearances in the '90s. He played alto for the first time on records during the intriguing stop-start piece "An Interrupted Walk." The two masterful saxophonists are joined by Lanphere's regular rhythm section (pianist Marc Seales, bassist Doug Miller, and John Bishop). 

In addition, cornetist Jonathan Pugh sits in on his "Free Indeed," and there is a wordless vocal trio on "Assurance"; the laughter of one of Lanphere's students is expertly utilized on the closing "Get Happy." Plus, there is a bit of overdubbing by saxophonist Dewey Marler during ensembles for which it was felt that four horns would be more exciting than two. Although all but "Old Folks," Horace Silver's "Peace," and the title cut are originals by the musicians, the music is very much in the straight-ahead bebop tradition, often utilizing common chord changes or cooking blues. Christlieb is showcased on "Old Folks," and Lanphere has "Peace" as his feature. Otherwise, this joyous CD is most notable for the interplay and the sparks that fly between the co-leaders, who obviously have great respect for each other. Well worth searching for. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/get-happy-mw0000211703

Personnel: Don Lanphere (soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Roger Treece, Sandy Anderson (vocals); Pete Christlieb (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Marc Seales (piano); John Bishop (drums).

Get Happy

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Lorez Alexandria - My One And Only Love

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1986
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:56
Size: 98,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:05)  1. Nature Boy
(6:03)  2. It Might As Well Be Spring
(2:50)  3. Almost Like Being In Love
(4:47)  4. But Beautiful
(4:47)  5. All Or Nothing At All
(3:53)  6. Ain't Misbehavin'
(4:56)  7. My One And Only Love
(4:58)  8. Dancing On The Ceiling
(2:37)  9. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter
(4:55) 10. I'm Through With Love

A solid singer who is superior at interpreting lyrics, gives a soulful feeling to each song, and improvises with subtlety, Lorez Alexandria was a popular attraction for several decades. She sang gospel music with her family at churches starting in the mid-'40s and worked in Chicago nightclubs in the 1950s. With the release of several albums for King during 1957-1959, Alexandria became popular beyond her hometown, and by the early '60s she was living and working in Los Angeles. In addition to the King label, her earlier recording sessions were for Argo and Impulse, while her later albums were for Discovery and Muse. Despite a long period off records (only a few private recordings during the 1965-1976 period), Alexandria survived through the many changes in musical styles and could be heard in excellent form up until she retired in the mid-'90s. Not long after retiring, Alexandria suffered a stroke, and her health declined until her death in May 2001. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/artist/lorez-alexandria-mn0000282731/biography

My One And Only Love

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The Al Di Meola Project - Kiss My Axe

Styles: Guitar Jazz

Year: 1991

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 66:24

Size: 153,7 MB

Art: Front

(5:22)  1. South Bound Traveler

(5:49)  2. The Embrace

(5:04)  3. Kiss My Axe

(7:40)  4. Morocco

(2:35)  5. Gigi's Playtime Rhyme (Interlude #1)

(8:20)  6. One Night Last June

(7:53)  7. Phantom

(2:32)  8. Erotic Interlude (Interlude #2)

(5:42)  9. Global safari

(2:00) 10. Interlude #3

(6:45) 11. Purple Orchids

(1:18) 12. The Prophet (Interlude #4)

(5:19) 13. Oriana (September 24, 1988)

Despite the aggression its title implies, Kiss My Axe is the work of a softer, more reflective Al di Meola, who had become greatly influenced by Pat Metheny's subtle lyricism, but still had a very recognizable and distinctive sound. Di Meola's new approach was perfectly summarized when, in 1991, he told Jazz Times he wanted to be "enchanted" by the music instead of dazzling listeners with his considerable chops. Di Meola still has fine technique, but avoids overwhelming us with it, and shows more restraint than before. One thing that remains is the guitarist's strong interest in world music this imaginative session liberally incorporates Latin influences (Brazilian, Spanish, Peruvian and Afro-Cuban) as well as Middle Eastern and African elements. In that Jazz Times interview, Di Meola explained that this CD's title resulted in part from his frustration over the fact that many labels and commercial radio stations were choosing bloodless "elevator muzak" over more adventurous fusion. Consistently rewarding, Axe makes it clear that Di Meola did the right thing by refusing to compromise. ~ Alex Henderson  http://www.allmusic.com/album/kiss-my-axe-mw0000270627

Personnel:  Al Di Meola – electric and acoustic guitars, keyboards, percussion;  Barry Miles – piano and keyboards;  Anthony Jackson – electric six string contrabass guitar;  Rachel Z – synthesizers;  Gumbi Ortiz – congas, bata, percussion;  Omar Hakim – drums (tracks 3 & 9);  Richie Morales – drums (tracks 2, 4, 6, 7 & 11);  Tony Scherr – electric and acoustic basses;  Arto Tunçboyaciyan – bongos, percussion, voice.

Kiss My Axe

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