Dick Johnson Quartet - Music For Swinging Moderns

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:53
Size: 171.5 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[3:08] 1. The Lady Is A Tramp
[4:06] 2. The Things We Did
[3:07] 3. The Belle Of The Ball
[3:13] 4. Honey Bun
[3:34] 5. Why Was I Born
[3:06] 6. Poinciana
[4:12] 7. Like Someone In Love
[5:38] 8. Stars Fell On Alabama
[3:34] 9. You've Changed
[6:32] 10. Lee-Antics
[2:30] 11. It's So Peaceful In The Country
[3:05] 12. Aw C'mon Hoss
[4:23] 13. Stella By Starlight
[4:38] 14. Me 'n' Dave
[3:51] 15. It's Bad For Me
[5:13] 16. The End Of A Love Affair
[7:24] 17. Foderol
[3:32] 18. The Loop

Dick Johnson (as), Dave McKenna, Bill Havemann (p), Chuck Sagle, Dave Poskonka, Wilbur Ware (b), Philly Joe Jones, Bob McKee (d). Sessions recorded in Chicago, 1956 and in New York, 1957.

Dick Johnson, was the lead alto sax in Buddy Morrow’s orchestra when he made his recording debut as a leader. Buddy featured Johnson most notably in a jazz quartet unit within the band, which helped him develop a considerable personal following during the band’s frequent college concerts. Johnson also appeared at Newport’s Jazz Festival in 1957. As a soloist, he was striking, apt to plunge from Charlie Parker-like cascades of 16th bars notes into a swing-era style, reminiscent of a modern Jimmy Dorsey. Besides Parker, he also revealed nuances of Art Pepper, Lee Konitz, and Paul Desmond, all distilled into a personal style. This CD compiles for the first time on one set his first two quartet albums from 1956 and 1957, when he surged towards the top ranks of jazz altoists.

Music For Swinging Moderns

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Wardell Gray - Way Out Wardell

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:24
Size: 94.8 MB
Styles: Bop, Swing, Saxophone jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[ 6:08] 1. Blue Lou, Pt. 1
[10:26] 2. Sweet Georgia Brown
[ 3:00] 3. Tenderly
[10:22] 4. Just You, Just Me (Just Bop)
[11:25] 5. One O'clock Jump

This album was recorded live in Los Angeles in 1948, and finds the great Wardell Gray amidst some of the finest musicians of the time. In the late 1940s, the West Coast jazz scene introduced the big band jazz concert idea to the public. At this time in his short career, Gray was starting his ascent and would achieve lasting fame in tenor sax history. The recorded sound on the album is tinny, given that it was recorded in a hall, and the echo is distracting. However, the compact disc cleaned much of this up, and the dueling between the two tenors shines right through. Vido Musso, the other fine tenor here, was with Stan Kenton for a time. His punchy style plays off the smoother swing of Gray. There's also some strong, bright soloing by Howard McGhee, Ernie Royal, Barney Kessel, and Red Callender. The rhythm section swings hard throughout the session, and Gray knows how to ride the wave with a vengeance. He had that effortless tone of Lester Young, and was full with the fire of bop at the same time. His improvisation was prodigious, and he could translate a landslide of ideas through his horn. The genius Erroll Garner, then only 35, renders a fine solo version of "Tenderly." The compact disc version adds the bonus cut "Sweet Georgia Brown." This is what ignited jazz at the summit sounded like in concert in the late 1940s. Recommended. ~Mark Romano

Way Out Wardell

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Nat King Cole - The Nat King Cole Story (2-Disc Set)

This double CD finds Cole revisiting his earlier hits with new versions. The 36 selections mostly focus on his pop successes of the 1950s, although there are a few wistful looks back at his trio days. Not as essential as the original renditions of these popular recordings, the remakes nevertheless find Cole in peak form and comprise a highly enjoyable retrospective of his vocal career. ~Scott Yanow

Album: The Nat King Cole Story (Disc 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:51
Size: 125.6 MB
Styles: Vocal
Year: 1991

[2:35] 1. Straighten Up And Fly Right
[3:20] 2. Sweet Lorraine
[2:56] 3. It's Only A Paper Moon
[2:54] 4. Route 66
[3:02] 5. (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons
[3:09] 6. The Christmas Song
[2:52] 7. Nature Boy
[3:44] 8. Lush Life
[3:22] 9. Calypso Blues
[3:25] 10. Mona Lisa
[2:34] 11. Orange Colored Sky
[3:23] 12. Too Young
[3:25] 13. Unforgettable
[3:00] 14. Somewhere Along The Way
[2:41] 15. Walkin' My Baby Back Home
[2:44] 16. Pretend
[3:03] 17. Blue Gardenia
[2:33] 18. I Am In Love

The Nat King Cole Story (Disc 1)

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Album: The Nat King Cole Story (Disc 2)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:30
Size: 111.0 MB
Styles: Vocal
Year: 1991
Art: Front

[2:54] 1. Answer Me, My Love
[2:52] 2. Smile
[2:48] 3. Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup
[2:40] 4. The Sand And The Sea
[2:56] 5. If I May
[2:40] 6. A Blossom Fell
[2:24] 7. To The Ends Of The Earth
[2:48] 8. Night Lights
[2:40] 9. Ballerina
[3:12] 10. Stardust
[2:28] 11. Send For Me
[2:24] 12. St. Louis Blues
[2:24] 13. Looking Back
[3:06] 14. Non Dimenticar
[3:09] 15. Paradise
[1:54] 16. Oh Mary, Don't You Weep
[2:13] 17. Ay, Cosita Linda
[2:47] 18. Wild Is Love

The Nat King Cole Story (Disc 2)

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Dave Mason - Long Lost Friends: The Best Of Dave Mason

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:58
Size: 164.7 MB
Styles: AOR Rock
Year: 1995
Art: Front

[3:14] 1. Baby... Please
[4:31] 2. Misty Morning Stranger
[3:02] 3. It's Like You Never Left
[3:21] 4. Show Me Some Affection
[3:01] 5. Every Woman
[2:55] 6. Bring It On Home To Me
[4:07] 7. You Can't Take It When You Go
[3:41] 8. Split Coconut
[3:05] 9. You Can Lose It
[4:27] 10. Long Lost Friend
[2:59] 11. We Just Disagree
[4:06] 12. So High (Rock Me Baby And Roll Me Away)
[3:16] 13. Let It Go, Let It Flow
[3:50] 14. Will You Sill Love Me Tomorrow
[3:01] 15. Don't It Make You Wonder
[3:36] 16. Save Me
[6:21] 17. Feelin' Alright
[4:20] 18. Only You Know And I Know
[4:56] 19. All Along The Watchtower

"The Best of Dave Mason at Columbia" would be a more accurate title, as this doesn't include work from his early-'70s LPs for Blue Thumb. The 19 tracks spotlight selections from seven albums that he recorded for Columbia. Including the hits "We Just Disagree," "Let It Go, Let It Flow," and "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow," it charts his move from easygoing early-'70s FM rock to a more mainstream AOR pop sound. ~Richie Unterberger

Long Lost Friends: The Best Of Dave Mason

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George Masso & Dan Barrett - Let's Be Buddies

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:23
Size: 163.4 MB
Styles: Dixieland, Trombone jazz
Year: 1993/2006
Art: Front

[5:48] 1. Get Out And Get Under The Moon
[6:18] 2. Am I Blue
[6:27] 3. My Melancholy Baby
[5:19] 4. Indian Summer
[6:12] 5. George's And Dan's Most Excellent Blues
[5:41] 6. Whispering Grass (Don't Tell The Trees)
[5:35] 7. Miss Annabelle Lee
[6:39] 8. Creole Love Call
[5:50] 9. When Lights Are Low
[3:49] 10. Constantly
[4:04] 11. How About Me
[3:46] 12. Linger In My Arms A Little Longer, Baby
[5:49] 13. Let's Be Buddies

George Masso (trombone, piano); Dan Barrett (vocals, cornet, trombone); Frank Vignola (guitar); Benny Aronov (piano); Joe Ascione (drums). Recording information: Skyline Studios, New York, NY (07/14/1993/07/15/1993).

George Masso: Born in Cranston, RI in 1926, jazz trombonist and pianist George Masso has excelled in just about every area of the music business: performer, composer, recording artist, arranger and educator. In 1945-46, he served as first trombonist and arranger for the 314th Army Special Services band in Europe, then spent a year on the road with Jimmy Dorsey. He later taught music in the Cranston public schools for eleven years and another eight at UConn. He returned to the road in the mid 1970s, touring internationally and/or recording with a host of musical giants including Benny Goodman, Bobby Hackett, The World’s Greatest Jazz Band of Yank Lawson & Bob Haggart, Woody Herman and George Shearing. Along the way, he has recorded more than a dozen albums as a leader and co-leader which are considered classics around the world and is also a classical composer and arranger of note with many published works and orchestral performances.

Dan Barrett: A major player in the small-group swing movement of the 1980s and '90s, Dan Barrett's trombone is equally at home in Dixieland and swing settings. He started on trombone in high school and played in California with the South Frisco Jazz Band and the Golden Eagle Jazz Band, two fine trad groups. At the urging of Howard Alden, Barrett moved to New York in 1983 where he worked with the Widespread Depression Orchestra, played at Eddie Condon's club, and in 1985 was with Benny Goodman's Orchestra. Barrett came to fame through his series of recordings (both as a leader and as a sideman) with Concord; among his many projects were co-leading a quintet with Howard Alden that was reminiscent of John Kirby's band of the 1940s, despite having very different instrumentation. Dan Barrett, who also played with Buck Clayton's big band, switched to the Arbors label in the 1990s where he became musical director and recorded frequently.

Let's Be Buddies 

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Cleo Laine - Jazz

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 1991
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:26
Size: 141,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:40)  1. Just A Sittin' And A Rockin'
(5:55)  2. My One And Only Love
(4:00)  3. Walking Shoes
(6:41)  4. I Told You So
(4:05)  5. It Don't Mean A Thing
(4:28)  6. Won't You Tell Me Why
(4:33)  7. Bluesette
(6:42)  8. Midnight Sun
(3:46)  9. Lady Be Good
(4:18) 10. St. Louis Blues
(5:09) 11. A Child Is Born
(5:03) 12. You Can Always Count On Me

Cleo Laine has always had a beautiful voice with a very wide range and she sounds her best in jazz settings. Laine isn't that much of a jazz singer herself since she does not improvise (her scatting passages tend to be played in unison with her husband, John Dankworth) but she swings. Jazz is one of her best sets of the '90s, teaming her with five reeds (including Dankworth), guitarist Larry Koonse and one of two rhythm sections. Gerry Mulligan guests on "Walking Shoes" and "Midnight Sun," Clark Terry is exuberant on "Just A-Sittin' and A-Rockin'" and a medium-tempo version of "A Child Is Born," Toots Thielemans is a strong asset on three songs, Jane Ira Bloom co-stars on "I Told You So" and Mark Whitfield is on the two Terry numbers. Throughout, Cleo Laine is heard in prime form, not offering surprises as much as confirmation of her love for jazz. Recommended. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/jazz-mw0000264515

Personnel: Cleo Laine (vocals); Larry Koonse, Mark Whitfield (guitar); Toots Thielemans (harmonica); Ray Loeckle, Jerry Niewood, Gerry Niewood, Roger Rosenberg, John Dankworth (reeds); Jane Ira Bloom (soprano saxophone); Gerry Mulligan (baritone saxophone); Clark Terry (trumpet, flugelhorn); John Campbell, John Campbell , Mike Renzi (piano); Jim Zimmerman, Terry Clarke (drums).

Jazz

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Larry Coryell & Emily Remler - Together

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1985
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:15
Size: 103,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:55)  1. Arubian Nights
(5:50)  2. Joy Spring
(6:32)  3. Ill Wind
(5:49)  4. How My Heart Sings
(7:03)  5. Six Beats, Six Strings
(5:34)  6. Gerri's Blues
(8:30)  7. How Insensitive

This interesting and one-time matchup features Larry Coryell and Emily Remler on a set of guitar duets. It is easy to tell the two players apart, yet their styles were quite complementary. Highlights of the date (which has four standards, Pat Martino's "Gerri's Blues," and two Coryell originals) include "Joy Spring," "How My Heart Sings" and "How Insensitive." ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/together-mw0000649460

Personnel: Larry Coryell (guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Emily Remler (guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar)

Together

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Junko Onishi - Live at the Village Vanguard And II

Album:  Live at the Village Vanguard
Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:35
Size: 127,6 MB
Art: Front

( 8:27)  1. So Long Eric
( 9:16)  2. Blue Skies
( 6:32)  3. Concorde
(10:45)  4. How Long Has This Been Going On
( 6:31)  5. Darn That Dream
(14:02)  6. Congeniality

This is a memorable set. When pianist Junko Onishi performs songs from the likes of Charles Mingus ("So Long Eric"), John Lewis ("Concorde"), and Ornette Coleman ("Congeniality"), she interprets each of the tunes as much as possible within the intent and style of its composer. "So Long Eric," although performed by her trio, gives one the impression at times that several horns are soloing together; in addition, polyrhythms are utilized part of the time, Ornette's "Congeniality" has a strong pulse but fairly free improvising, while "Concorde" sounds both distinguished and full of blues feeling, like John Lewis himself. Onishi's exploration of "Blue Skies" uplifts the warhorse through the use of colorful vamps and an altered melody, she takes the slow ballad "Darn That Dream" as a medium-tempo stomp, and her original, "How Long Has This Been Goin' On," is brooding but not downbeat and swings hard without losing its serious nature. There is not a weak selection in the bunch and the interplay between Onishi, bassist Reginald Veal, and drummer Herlin Riley is quite impressive. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-the-village-vanguard-mw0000175639

Personnel: Junko Onishi (piano); Reginald Veal (bass); Herlin Riley (drums).

Live at the Village Vanguard

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Album: Live at the Village Vanguard II 
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:26
Size: 129,3 MB

( 9:19)  1. House of Blue Lights
(10:27)  2. Never Let Me Go
(10:24)  3. Brilliant Corners
(20:29)  4. Ringo Oiwake
( 5:45)  5. Tea for Two

This is a follow up release of additional material from the May 1994 concerts at the Village Vanguard by the 20-something piano sensation, the first volume having been released in 1995 to wide attention. Onishi is a master of the post-bop piano, playing with speed and command. She is also characterized by a heavy-handed, propulsive approach. The album is a traditional piano trio setting. For these concerts, she appeared with new rhythm section mates, bassist Reginald Veal and drummer Herlin Riley, but they must have got their act together during the week at the club, for their playing is tight and assured. Being a live album, it includes only five pieces, all lengthy treatments, of jazz compositions "House of Blue Lights" and "Brilliant Corners," two standards, and a Japanese tune, "Ringo Oiwake." On the repertory pieces, Onishi plays stirringly but adds nothing new, while the Japanese song runs over 20 minutes long, including extended bass and drum solos. The length of these trio tracks might be great, depending on your point of view. ~ Sid Gribetz  http://jazztimes.com/articles/9576-live-at-the-village-vanguard-2-junko-onishi-trio

Personnel: Junko Onishi (piano); Herlin Riley (drums).

Live at the Village Vanguard II

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