Oscar Peterson - An Evening With Oscar Peterson

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:50
Size: 88.9 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 1952/2005/2013
Art: Front

[2:48] 1. Caravan
[3:01] 2. Summer Nocturne
[2:48] 3. Salute To Garner
[3:03] 4. I Get A Kick Out Of You
[3:17] 5. What's New
[3:48] 6. Dark Eyes
[3:29] 7. What Is It
[2:58] 8. The Way You Look Tonight
[3:39] 9. Minor Blues
[3:44] 10. Slow Down
[2:57] 11. How High The Moon
[3:12] 12. The Nearness Of You

Oscar Peterson was one of the most prolific recording artists for several labels founded by Norman Granz, yet many of his early dates for Verve (and its predecessors Clef and Norgran) have been unjustly out of print for decades. This very hard-to-find LP contains duo sessions by the pianist with Ray Brown, primarily from an extended studio date in August 1950. What is particularly surprising is that three of the nine songs from this session are originals, including the entertaining piece mimicking the choppy style of a fellow pianist, "Salute to Garner," an easygoing swinger called "What is It?" and the somewhat angular "Minor Blues." A fourth original, "Slow Down," is a slow blues recorded during the making of a quartet session in 1952, though Barney Kessel and Alvin Stoller sat out this selection. Half of the album is dedicated to standards, though "Dark Eyes" has long since faded from typical jazz repertoire. But the duo's interpretations of "What's New," "How High the Moon," and "The Nearness of You" have stood the test of time very well over the five-plus decades since they were initially recorded. This rare record is likely to be found exclusively on auction lists. ~Ken Dryden

An Evening With Oscar Peterson

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João Gilberto - Amoroso

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:14
Size: 101.3 MB
Styles: Brazilian jazz, Bossa Nova
Year: 1977/1993/2007
Art: Front

[4:04] 1. 's Wonderful
[6:26] 2. Estaté
[3:38] 3. Tin Tin Por Tin Tin
[8:45] 4. Besame Mucho
[4:40] 5. Wave
[6:12] 6. Caminhos Cruzados
[4:10] 7. Triste
[6:16] 8. Zingaro

Two of the influential João Gilberto's LPs (Amoroso and Brasil) are combined on this single CD. The former session is pretty definitive with Gilberto interpreting four of Antonio Carlos Jobim's compositions (including "Wave" and "Triste") and four other songs (highlighted by "Besame Mucho," "Estate," and an odd 31-bar rendition of "'S Wonderful"). The strings (arranged by Claus Ogerman) are unnecessary but Gilberto proves to be in prime form. The later album also has its moments of interest (including a Brazilian version of "All of Me") and finds Gilberto backed by Johnny Mandel arrangements and assisted by singers Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, and Maria Bethania. Overall there is not much variety throughout this gently swinging program but these are a pair of Gilberto's better post-1970 recordings. ~Scott Yanow

Amoroso

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Bill Medley - Damn Near Righteous

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:05
Size: 126.1 MB
Styles: Blue eyed soul, R&B
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[3:44] 1. Sit Down & Hurt
[4:12] 2. Trick Bag
[3:58] 3. Something Blue
[3:33] 4. Lonely Avenue
[3:38] 5. In My Room
[3:48] 6. Hurt City
[4:50] 7. Just Like A Woman
[4:48] 8. I'll Find Someone Who Will
[3:27] 9. Beautiful
[3:54] 10. Two Lives
[3:48] 11. Rock My Baby
[3:45] 12. California Goodbye
[0:17] 13. Two Lives (Introduction)
[3:54] 14. Two Lives
[3:20] 15. Blue Denim Blues

Damn Near Righteous - is Bill Medley's first record since the untimely passing of Bobby Hatfield (Medley's partner in the Righteous Brothers). This album honors their legacy and showcases the singular artistry of Bill Medley in his own right....Damn Near Righteous features a soulful reimagining of the Beach Boys hit "In My Room" performed with Beach Boy frontman Brian Wilson and Phil Everly of the Everly Brothers.

Damn Near Righteous

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Bob Wilber - Bob Wilber Is Here!

Styles: Clarinet And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:50
Size: 145,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:34)  1. Vampin' Miss Georgia
(4:41)  2. Only the Lonely
(2:43)  3. Lou's Blues
(4:52)  4. Dreamy
(4:27)  5. World Is Waiting for the Sunrise
(3:35)  6. Bob Wilber Is Here!
(4:03)  7. Yes, We Have No Bananas
(3:22)  8. Bean
(3:30)  9. Love In Bloom
(4:54) 10. Flower Is A Lovesome Thing
(4:57) 11. Land of the Midnight Sun
(5:21) 12. Across The Pond
(3:59) 13. Johnny Was There
(2:48) 14. Jewel of the Cotswolds
(3:57) 15. Bye Bye Blues

Bob Wilber was ahead of his time when he chose the soprano sax as his primary instrument back in the 1940s, absorbing everything he could from Sidney Bechet before the master saxophonist departed to live and work in Europe. Fast forward to 2010 and Wilber is sharing his knowledge of the instrument with young players Antti Sarpila and Nik Payton, though all three men double on clarinet during the record date as well. 

Starting with Wilber's "Vampin' Miss Georgia" (a thinly disguised "Sweet Georgia Brown"), it's clear that the three players are having a lot of fun in a rare opportunity to all play soprano together. But the two younger men also have a great sound on tenor, as heard in "Bean" (Wilber's swinging tribute to Coleman Hawkins), which also features Jeff Barnhart's lively striding piano. The three reedmen switch to clarinet for a brisk treatment of "The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise," which also features brief solos by Barnhart, bassist Nicki Parrott, and the veteran guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli. This is a thoroughly enjoyable outing that is easily recommended. ~ Ken Dryden  http://www.allmusic.com/album/bob-wilber-is-here!-mw0002040666

Personnel: Bob Wilber (clarinet, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone); Bucky Pizzarelli (guitar); Anne Barnhart (flute); Nik Payton (clarinet, soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Antti Sarpila (clarinet, soprano saxophone); Jeff Barnhart (piano); Ed Metz, Jr. (drums); Nicki Parrott (bass).

Bob Wilber Is Here!

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Stevie Holland - Love, Linda: The Life Of Mrs. Cole Porter

Styles: Vocal Jazz, Soundtrack
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:28
Size: 109,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:10)  1. So In Love/What Is This Thing Called Love
(2:08)  2. Prelude: Linda Meets Cole (Dialogue)
(2:25)  3. Ours
(3:58)  4. I Love Paris
(2:14)  5. Miss Otis Regrets
(3:09)  6. The Scampi
(4:22)  7. In The Still Of The Night
(2:28)  8. Medley: Let's Do It/You've Got That Thing/Let's Misbehave/You Do Something To Me
(3:41)  9. Let's Be Buddies
(3:04) 10. Ridin' High
(2:38) 11. Love For Sale
(4:01) 12. My Heart Belongs To Daddy
(2:46) 13. Night And Day/There's A Hollywood That's Good
(2:52) 14. Wunderbar
(2:23) 15. When A Woman's In Love

“Just because a love between two people is difficult to define, that doesn’t mean it didn’t exist.” So begins Stevie Holland’s clever homage to Cole Porter as refracted through the prism of his wife, Linda. In the stage version of Love, Linda, Holland is provided plenty of time to weave the story of the Porters’ unorthodox yet richly fulfilling 34-year relationship around nearly two-dozen Porter tunes, familiar and obscure. On disc, space limitations leave little room for connective narrative tissue. Still, Holland’s keen perspective shines brightly through.

The songs, appropriately delivered with cultured pearl elegance, serve triple purpose. Some, like “Ours,” “Ridin’ High” and “The Scampi,” elucidate the Porters’ globetrotting, high-society whirl; others hint at the peculiarities of the Porter union. “What Is This Thing Called Love?,” with its reflection on love’s seemingly unsolvable mysteries, is tailored to their unconventional pairing. “Let’s Be Buddies” reinforces how their compatibility was stronger as friends than as lovers. “Let’s Misbehave” slyly nods to Cole’s straying predilections, as do “Love for Sale” and “My Heart Belongs to Daddy.” But most profound are the soul-deep love songs, beginning with the “strange, dear, but true, dear” passion of “So in Love” and ending with the little-known but ideally summative “When a Woman’s in Love,” which reinforce the grandly fulfilling uniqueness of a marriage that broke all the rules yet was held firmly together by shared wit, camaraderie, admiration and respect. ~ Christopher Loudon  http://jazztimes.com/articles/26059-love-linda-the-life-of-mrs-cole-porter-stevie-holland

Love, Linda: The Life Of Mrs. Cole Porter

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Sue & Ralph Sharon - Mr. & Mrs. Jazz

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 1956
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:20
Size: 106,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:12)  1. It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
(5:36)  2. A Nightingale Can Sing The Blues
(3:05)  3. A Fine Romance
(2:11)  4. Hugette Waltz
(4:23)  5. I Could Have Told You
(3:14)  6. A Trout No Doubt
(5:59)  7. Mynah Lament
(2:58)  8. With The Wind And The Rain In Your Hair
(5:08)  9. Just You, Just Me
(4:46) 10. Nothing At All
(4:44) 11. That Goldblatt Magic

Ralph Sharon made his professional debut with Ted Heath in 1946, then moved on to Frank Weir's orchestra before leading his own sextet. He moved to the U.S. in 1953, where he initially worked as an accompanist to Chris Connor. In 1957, he became musical director and pianist for Tony Bennett. He acquired American citizenship in 1958. 

In 1965, he and Bennett split up, but they got back together in 1979 and played together in the following years. Sharon also led various groups and made many recordings as a leader. He died in March 2015 at his home in Boulder, Colorado at the age of 91. ~ William Ruhlmann  http://www.allmusic.com/artist/ralph-sharon-mn0000863940/biography

Personnel:  Sue Sharon - vocals (tr. 2,4,6,8,10);  J.R. Monterose - tenor saxophone;  Eddie Costa – vibraphone; Ralph Sharon – piano, vocals; Joe Puma – guitar; Milt Hinton – bass; Jo Jones - drums

Mr. & Mrs. Jazz

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Ernie Henry Quartet - Seven Standards And A Blues

Styles: Saxophone Jazz

Year: 1957

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 39:38

Size: 90,7 MB

Art: Front

(4:39)  1. I Get A Kick Out Of You

(2:46)  2. My Ideal

(6:33)  3. I've Got The World On A String

(5:01)  4. Sweet Lorraine

(6:00)  5. Soon

(2:41)  6. Lover Man

(6:39)  7. Specific Gravity

(5:15)  8. Like Someone In Love

Recorded just three months before his unexpected death, this set by altoist Ernie Henry is his definitive album as a leader. Reissued on CD with a second take of "Like Someone In Love" added to the program, Henry, pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist Wilbur Ware and drummer Philly Joe Jones do indeed play seven standards (including "I Get a Kick Out of You," "Soon" and "I've Got the World on a String"), plus a Henry blues ("Specific Gravity"). Superior modern mainstream music, but there should have been much more from the potentially significant Ernie Henry. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/seven-standards-and-a-blues-mw0000096491

Personnel: Ernie Henry (alto saxophone), Wynton Kelly (piano), Wilbur Ware (bass), Philly Joe Jones (drums).

Seven Standards And A Blues

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