Benny Golson Group - Remembering Clifford

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:40
Size: 150.3 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1997
Art: Front

[7:22] 1. Brown Immortal
[7:31] 2. Five Spot After Dark
[8:22] 3. Dear Old Stockholm
[5:49] 4. Matinee
[6:24] 5. You're The First To Know
[9:02] 6. Lullaby Of Birdland
[7:23] 7. Tito Puente
[5:57] 8. Horizon Ahead
[7:47] 9. Ever More

Benny Golson has produced some of the finest compositions in the hard bop tradition, foremost among them his elegy for Brownie, "I Remember Clifford." Trading on that is surely Golson's right, even after 40 years-perhaps because after 40 years-we know for a fact that the tune is a certifiable classic. His reworking of that classic, "Immortal Brown," leads off this collection, and trumpeter John Swana is a solid choice for such a tribute. Swana's fluid lines stand out in this ensemble, assembled for the session. If they lack the telepathic channels of a working band, they are solid players one and all, and give Golson's charts polished performances. Joining Swana on the front line, Golson matches tenors with Ron Blake; pianist Mike LeDonne, bassist Peter Washington, and drummer Joe Farnsworth comprise the rhythm section. The band is joined by Tito Puente and Carlos "Patato" Valdes on Golson's tribute to the famed timbalero. ~Bill Bennett

Remembering Clifford

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Torun Eriksen - Visits

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:13
Size: 92.1 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[3:47] 1. Beat Angels
[3:45] 2. Wichita Lineman
[4:02] 3. Downtown Train
[4:50] 4. Fix You
[2:55] 5. Sign 'o' The Times
[2:43] 6. You Can Close Your Eyes
[5:21] 7. Feels Like Home
[3:56] 8. Spanish Joint
[4:50] 9. Wish You Were Here
[4:00] 10. American Tune

TORUN ERIKSEN: Voice; DAVID WALLUMRØD: Keyboards, Grand Piano; AUDUN ERLIEN: El bass; OLA HULTGREN: Drums.

Torun’s musical adolescence was spent in various gospel choirs, where she was given the chance to extend her potential as a singer and soloist from early childhood on. With a background in soul and gospel, her first introduction to jazz was as a music student in high school in her hometown Skien. Her encounter with The Real Book and jazz standards introduced a new world. Teacher and pianist Roger Jeffs spotted Torun’s talent, and encouraged her to write English lyrics to one of his melodies. The foundation for a career in song writing had now been laid.

When she in 1998 moved to Oslo and enrolled into the Norwegian Institute for Stage and Studio (NISS), she was already well under way with her composing. She made an impression as a soul and pop singer in various cover bands on several of the city’s stages, but her own material was still unknown to her surroundings. At this point in time she had begun working with bass player Kjetil Dalland, who is still today considered to be one of her closest musical partners, and along with a couple of others they formed a band and recorded a demo with three of Torun’s songs. By a coincidence the demo was overheard by Bugge Wesseltoft, who was very excited about the song Glittercard and offered Torun to release a record on his label Jazzland Recordings. She then gathered the musicians who have since contributed to feature the acoustic image of her music: David Wallumrød (piano), Kjetil Dalland (bass), Torstein Lofthus (percussion) and Frøydis Grorud (flute/saxophone). Along with Bugge Wesseltoft as their producer they made the album Glittercard, which was released internationally in the spring of 2004. In 2006 the sequel Prayers and Observations was released - this too produced by Wesseltoft – and in April of 2010 her third record Passage was released. This record was produced by Anders Engen, and with the addition of guitarist Kjetil Steensnæs, the acoustic image became more string oriented. Torun’s three solo albums, all of them released on Jazzland Recordings, have received good reviews in the press, and opened the door to foreign countries and an international audience. The Germans in particular have embraced her music, and she has toured Germany regularly since her debut.

Torun’s songs have also been arranged for chamber orchestras, big bands and choirs. The collaboration with German Jazzchor Freiburg started in 2007, and they have since toured with their project in Japan, Korea, Germany and France. Together they have also recorded a version of In Person (Glittercard 2003), which is to be found on the choir’s album A Cappella from 2010.

Visits

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Van Morrison (With Georgie Fame & Friends) - How Long Has This Been Going On

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:59
Size: 114.4 MB
Styles: Blue eyed soul, Adult contemporary
Year: 1995
Art: Front

[2:26] 1. I Will Be There
[3:49] 2. The New Symphony Sid
[2:40] 3. Early In The Morning
[3:58] 4. Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)
[4:02] 5. Sack O' Woe
[7:14] 6. Moondance
[4:04] 7. Centerpiece
[3:44] 8. How Long Has This Been Going On
[3:01] 9. Your Mind Is On Vacation
[2:15] 10. All Saint's Day
[3:17] 11. Blues In The Night
[2:18] 12. Don't Worry About A Thing
[3:48] 13. That's Life
[3:16] 14. Heathrow Shuffle

Aretha Franklin and Van Morrison are the best vocal improvisers of their generation, but neither can be accurately described as a jazz singer. When authentic jazz singers such as Jon Hendricks or Betty Carter improvise, they construct new harmonic lines as variations on the melody. When Morrison and Franklin take off on the tag of a song, they employ more of a blues approach: They don't alter the harmonies so much as add new emotional emphasis to old chord progressions. This is true even when they tackle jazz standards, as the Queen of Soul did on her early albums for Columbia and as the Belfast Cowboy does on his new album, How Long Has This Been Going On.

Morrison's album may feature such jazz-vocal classics as King Pleasure's "New Symphony Sid" and traditional jazz solos by two longtime collaborators, saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis and organist Georgie Fame, but Morrison devotes himself in true blues style to squeezing as much feeling — in this case, joy — as possible out of the repeating melodies. This is quite a change for a singer who has spent most of the past 25 years wrestling with "the lion inside of me" and contemplating the shadows of Celtic mysticism. Those angst-filled meditations have led to some brilliant albums, but if last year's underwhelming Days Like This is any indication, that vein may be running dry. Or maybe going back to the Mose Allison and Frank Sinatra songs that Morrison loved as a kid has merely reminded him of more cheerful times. Whatever the reason, he has recorded his brightest, most extroverted music since the early '70s trio of Moondance, His Band and the Street Choir and Tupelo Honey. Even songs about heartbreak, such as Louis Jordan's "Early in the Mornin'" and Cannonball Adderley's "Sack o' Woe" (whose lyrics are all about heartbreak and the blues), receive upbeat treatments, as if Morrison were trying to outdo his own horn section by honking and shouting with pleasure. It's an old blues trick — laughing in the face of trouble — but Morrison does it with such contagious enthusiasm, it sounds fresh again.

How Long Has This Been Going On

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Mel Tormé, Gerry Mulligan, George Shearing - The Classic Concert Live

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:17
Size: 149.4 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz, Piano jazz, Saxophone jazz
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[ 2:53] 1. I've Heard That Song Before / Talk
[ 4:56] 2. I Sent For You Yesterday And Here You Come Today / Talk
[ 4:05] 3. Jeru
[ 5:25] 4. Duke Ellington Medley: Don't Get Around Much Anymore/Just Squeeze Me
[ 6:20] 5. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life
[ 3:59] 6. Walkin' Shoes/ Talk
[ 5:56] 7. 'round Midnight
[ 5:22] 8. Line For Lyons
[ 0:52] 9. Talk
[ 6:03] 10. Wave Agua De Beber / Talk
[11:28] 11. Blues In The Night
[ 3:05] 12. The Song Is Ended (But The Melody Lingers On)
[ 4:47] 13. Lady Be Good

Classic Concert Live finds baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan, pianist George Shearing, and vocalist Mel Tormé performing together with a big band in 1982 at Carnegie Hall. The trio first performed in 1977, but this marks the only recorded document of the group. Generally the tone is light and swinging as befits the cool jazz background of Mulligan and "Velvet Fog" reputation of Tormé. Similarly, Shearing is in fine form with his urbane keyboard style adding dramatic punch throughout the night. Whether performing one of Mulligan's classic compositions such as "Line for Lyons" or a standard like "What Are You Doing for the Rest of Your Life," the trio sounds terrific. ~Matt Collar

The Classic Concert Live

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Sister Swing - Riff Raff & Ruffles

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:55
Size: 139.4 MB
Styles: Swing, Vocals
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[3:10] 1. That's How Rhythm Was Born
[6:17] 2. Too Darn Hot/Heat Wave
[4:51] 3. House Is Haunted
[2:52] 4. Elmer's Tune
[3:33] 5. Well Alright
[4:57] 6. Mood Indigo
[3:06] 7. Lulu's Back In Town
[3:55] 8. Night And Day
[3:57] 9. Mr. 5 X 5
[4:10] 10. 42nd Street
[4:34] 11. Jump Jive And Wail
[4:31] 12. White Lies
[3:18] 13. A Train
[2:59] 14. Shoo Shoo Baby
[4:37] 15. Sentimental Journey

During the 14 years that Sister Swing has been alive and kicking, we have had the privilege of playing with many fine musicians. Each one has brought his or her own distinctive style to the mix. Riff Raff and Ruffles is our attempt to capture the essence and the talent of all these players in the variety of songs we have chosen to record. The Mug Shot Gallery in our CD insert will hopefully convey the sense of family we share with our band. While we three girls are slightly goofy on our own, the band exacerbates the problem and joins right in with us, pushing us up to crazy and out-of-control silliness. And we love it!

The other ingredients that make Sister Swing a party are the fans.each and every one of you adds to our joy with your smiles, your laughter, your encouragement and for that we thank you. So start up the player, put on your dancing shoes and join in the family reunion party!

Riff Raff & Ruffles

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The Bill Elliott Swing Orchestra - Swing Fever

Styles: Jazz, Swing,  Big Band
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:29
Size: 104,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:18)  1. Struttin' With Kate
(2:44)  2. I Wanna Talk About Love
(2:50)  3. Wham-Rebop
(3:35)  4. Young And Foolish
(4:07)  5. White Heat Stomp
(2:33)  6. The Things We Did Last Summer
(2:44)  7. The Best Things Happen When You Dance
(2:52)  8. Swing Fever
(3:09)  9. Azure
(2:43) 10. Dickie's Weather Jive
(3:07) 11. Moonlight Savings Time
(3:28) 12. Bill's Bounce
(2:53) 13. Alaskan Nights
(3:19) 14. Pep, Vim, & Verve

The Bill Elliott Swing Orchestra differs from most swing bands today in that it sounds very much like an orchestra from circa 1940 and yet most of its repertoire consists of originals by its leader-pianist-arranger. In other words, the music and writing are quite creative within the vintage swing style. For its debut recording, the big band performs ten Elliott originals plus four standards. Clarinetist Bob Reitmeier, tenor saxophonist Roger Neumann, and trombonist Andy Martin are among the main "names" in the band, yet many of the lesser-known players also take excellent solos. Amy Weston sings two numbers and the Vocalworks (a fine four-voice ensemble) is a major asset too. Recommended both for retro swing listeners and fans of early swing who are open-minded enough to discover a new big band. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/swing-fever-mw0000248101

Personnel: Bill Elliott (piano); Mike Geiger, Amy Weston (vocals); Paul Viapiano (guitar, piano); Mark Linnet (recorder); Bill Liston, Bob Reitmeier (clarinet, alto saxophone); Roger Neumann (clarinet, tenor saxophone); Jay Mason (bass clarinet, alto saxophone, baritone saxophone); Chuck Erdahl (tenor saxophone); Darrel Gardner, Peter Olstad, Wayne Bergeron (trumpet); Alex Iles, Andy Martin , John Grab (trombone); Gordon Peeke (drums).

Swing Fever

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Deanna Kirk - Where Are You Now?

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:51
Size: 120,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:23)  1. Where Are You Now
(3:27)  2. No Ghosts Allowed
(4:41)  3. Marianna Came To
(3:55)  4. I Want It Now
(3:56)  5. Not The One
(5:10)  6. Carousel
(4:22)  7. When Love Comes Around
(4:24)  8. Take Down The Kasbah
(4:41)  9. Fallen Arms
(3:39) 10. Ballad Of The Small Cafe
(5:46) 11. If Not For Love
(3:23) 12. You're A Mean One Mr. Grinch

If you're a sucker for sultry glances and pouty lips, then you may find yourself repeatedly distracted from the music on this disc by the photos of the singer that grace its packaging. That's partly the fault of the packaging and partly the fault of the music, which is so uniform in tempo and mood that it's difficult to keep your attention focused on it. That's not to say that it isn't lovely -- in fact, there are lots of very lovely songs here, including the lovely "No Ghosts Allowed" (with its string arrangement and, get this, ticking clock) and the lovely "Carousel." Then there's the lovely "When Love Comes Around." "I Want It Now" sacrifices a bit of loveliness on the altar of the rock'n'roll backbeat, but "When Love Comes Around" and "Fallen Arms" buy it back with lots and lots of metronomic acoustic piano and acoustic guitar. Lovely. You say you can't take that much loveliness all at once? Oh, well. The best thing on the album by far is her hilarious, torchy rendition of "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch." ~ Rick Anderson  http://www.allmusic.com/album/where-are-you-now-mw0000030429

Personnel: Deanna Kirk (vocals); Kevin Bents (guitar, keyboard, background vocals); Patrick Daugherty (piano); Mark Egan (bass); Joe Bonadio (drums, percussion); Aaron Comess (drums); Steve Jagoda (percussion); Peter Davis, Elaine Caswell (background vocals).

Where Are You Now?

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Dick Hyman - Scott Joplin: Piano Works (1899-1904)

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1975
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:44
Size: 132,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:29)  1. Maple Leaf Rag
(3:50)  2. Original Rags
(3:24)  3. Swipesy
(3:04)  4. Peacherine Rag
(3:39)  5. The Easy Winners
(4:00)  6. Sunflower Slow Drag
(4:30)  7. The Entertainer
(3:46)  8. Elite Syncopations
(3:43)  9. The Strenuous Life
(4:02) 10. A Breeze from Alabama
(3:52) 11. Palm Leaf Rag
(3:25) 12. Something Doing
(4:34) 13. Weeping Willow
(3:49) 14. The Chrysanthemum
(2:49) 15. The Cascades
(2:42) 16. The Sycamore

A very versatile virtuoso, Dick Hyman once recorded an album on which he played "A Child Is Born" in the styles of 11 different pianists, from Scott Joplin to Cecil Taylor. Hyman can clearly play anything he wants to, and since the '70s, he has mostly concentrated on pre-bop swing and stride styles. Hyman worked with Red Norvo (1949-1950) and Benny Goodman (1950), and then spent much of the 1950s and '60s as a studio musician. He appears on the one known sound film of Charlie Parker (Hot House from 1952); recorded honky tonk under pseudonyms; played organ and early synthesizers in addition to piano; was Arthur Godfrey's music director (1959-1962); collaborated with Leonard Feather on some History of Jazz concerts (doubling on clarinet), and even performed rock and free jazz; but all of this was a prelude to his later work. In the 1970s, Hyman played with the New York Jazz Repertory Company, formed the Perfect Jazz Repertory Quintet (1976), and started writing soundtracks for Woody Allen films. He has recorded frequently during the past several decades (sometimes in duets with Ruby Braff) for Concord, Music Masters, and Reference, among other labels, and ranks at the top of the classic jazz field. In 2013, Hyman teamed up with vocalist Heather Masse for a set of standards on the Red House label called Lock My Heart. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/artist/dick-hyman-mn0000211424/biography

Scott Joplin: Piano Works (1899-1904)

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Don Byas - Walkin'

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1963
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:32
Size: 123,8 MB
Art: Front

( 7:30)  1. There'll Never Be Another You
( 7:41)  2. Don't Blame Me
( 7:16)  3. Billie's Bounce
(10:31)  4. A Night In Tunisia
( 6:21)  5. Walkin'
( 7:19)  6. Moonlight In Vermont
( 6:51)  7. All The Things You Are

The second of two CDs taken from the same appearances at the Montmartre in Copenhagen as A Night in Tunisia, this release showcases the masterful (if underrated) tenor Don Byas in a quartet with pianist Ben Axen, bassist Niels Pedersen and drummer William Schiopffe. Byas was always a powerful player and he digs into such songs as "There'll Never Be Another You," "Billie's Bounce" and "All the Things You Are," coming up with exciting and consistently inventive ideas. All jazz collections should have at least a couple of Don Byas albums. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/walkin-mw0000083503

Personnel: Don Byas (tenor saxophone); Bent Axen (piano); Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen (bass); William Schiopffe (drums).

Walkin'

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