Archie Shepp, Just In Time Quartet - Chooldy Chooldy

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:30
Size: 136.2 MB
Styles: Hard bop, Progressive jazz, Saxophone jazz
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[9:05] 1. The Stars In Your Eyes
[6:33] 2. Deli Blues For Blakey
[5:33] 3. The Gypsy
[5:46] 4. Chooldy Chooldy
[4:16] 5. This Is Always
[9:39] 6. Stompin' At The Savoy
[5:03] 7. Tomorrow Will Be Another Day
[8:22] 8. Une Petite Surprise Pour Mam'selle
[5:10] 9. Tomorrow Will Be Another Day [live]

Archie Shepp will always be known as a fiery, stentorian saxophonist who helped starch the linen in John Coltrane's sheets of sound on Ascension, as well as for his unapologetically radical social politics via such classic albums as Fire Music and Attica Blues and plays like The Communist. But Chooldy Chooldy is a fine example of the less notorious, mellower Shepp (musically, at least) of the past quarter-century.

Shepp sings on more than half of these nine songs, including a florid rendition of “The Gypsy” — a favorite of Louis Armstrong's and a hit for Dinah Shore — that risks mockery for its glissando swoops and hyper-romantic fervor, yet unfolds like a bouquet of hothouse flowers. “This Is Always” (recorded by the Harry James Orchestra) and Shepp's own “Tomorrow Will Be Another Day” (reprised as a live instrumental at the end of the disc) are two other cocktail ballads from this erstwhile fire-breather. And the Shepp-penned title track is a funky blues-jazz shuffle in the vein of early Ray Charles. Those who pine for the skronk, shriek and moan of Sheep's tenor, check out his “The Stars in Your Eyes,” and a wonderfully woolly yet still faithful version of the classic “Stompin'at the Savoy.”

With the possible exception of pianist Massimo Farao, the other members of the Just In Time Quartet are merely adequate. But no matter. Rumors of Shepp's diminishment of saxophone tone and prowess are neatly rebutted, replaced by a clear picture of a 68-year old titan (Shepp's age when Chooldy Chooldy was originally released in 2005) doing exactly as he pleases. ~Britt Robson

Chooldy Chooldy

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Otmar Stüber - Guitar In My Soul

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:45
Size: 93.3 MB
Styles: Pop/Jazz guitar
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[4:04] 1. Echo From My Heart
[4:55] 2. Rainmaker
[4:04] 3. Strings Of Spain
[3:03] 4. Romantica
[3:15] 5. Walking Strings
[4:02] 6. Silverland
[2:33] 7. My Guitar Never Walked Alone
[3:18] 8. Christina
[3:16] 9. Sweet And Heavy
[8:12] 10. Fukushima

Als Otmar mit 12 Jahren seine erste Gitarre bekam, ahnte er noch nicht, dass SIE sein ganzes Leben beeinflussen wird. Schon mit 14 zupft er bei seiner ersten Band - den legendären JET STRINGS - die Sologitarre. Damals waren Stücke von den Shadows, Spotnicks und natürlich der Beat in all seinen Facetten angesagt. Mit 17 Jahren, 1963 wechselte er dann mit dieser Band ins Profilager, und sie machten sich einen glänzenden Namen in ganz Deutschland.

Guitar In My Soul

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Coletivo Samba Noir - Samba Noir

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:26
Size: 94.8 MB
Styles: Samba
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[4:38] 1. Chove La Fora
[3:28] 2. Imitacao
[4:27] 3. Meu Mondo E Hoje
[3:19] 4. Ninguem Me Ama
[4:15] 5. Tao So
[4:17] 6. Aves Dananhas
[4:16] 7. Risque
[3:09] 8. Pra Que Memtir
[4:41] 9. So Deixo Meu Coracao Na Mao De Quem Pode
[4:52] 10. Voita

It was between the two world wars that the cinema noir started to develop. Although a minimalistic film technique was used, the main characteristics of the movies were to be found in its sentiments. Melancholy, sadness, disappointment, pessimism,… And there’s the link with samba! There, too, lyrics often tell sad stories.

The Coletivo Samba Noir used this idea to create an own sound. The Coletivo was formed in Rio de Janeiro in 2014 around singer, actress, dancer, guitarist and composer Katia B, guitarist, arranger Luís Filipe de Lima, star percussionist Marcos Suzano and multi-instrumentalist Guilherme Gê. A perfect quartet to give new air to some of the great old samba classics. Luís Filipe de Lima plays the 7-string acoustic guitar on the CD. He stresses out the beauty of the samba in a nostalgic way. The, as always, flawless and soft voice of Katia Bronstein personifies the melancholy of the samba. Marcos Suzano knows as no one else how to lay down and break down the rhythm of the samba and Guilherme Gê is the one who guides the music into modern times (synth bass, samples, keyboards). It’s an unconventional way to perform the old sambas.

Samba Noir

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Duke Jordan - Flight To Jordan

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:51
Size: 109,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:31)  1. Flight To Jordan
(7:47)  2. Starbright
(4:59)  3. Squawkin'
(8:41)  4. Deacon Joe
(5:11)  5. Split Quick
(6:43)  6. Si Joya
(5:04)  7. Diamond Stud
(3:50)  8. I Should Care

Duke Jordan, who played regularly with the Charlie Parker Quintet in 1947, was long known as a superior bebop pianist whose style was touched by the genius of Bud Powell's innovations. This quintet album, also featuring trumpeter Dizzy Reece and the young tenor Stanley Turrentine, gave Jordan an opportunity to record six of his originals and, although none became as well-known as his "Jordu," the music has plenty of strong melodies and variety. This is one of Duke Jordan's better recordings and is quite enjoyable. [Some reissues include "Diamond Stud" and "I Should Care" as bonus tracks.] ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/flight-to-jordan-mw0000578211

Personnel:  Duke Jordan – piano;  Dizzy Reece – trumpet;  Stanley Turrentine - tenor saxophone;  Reggie Workman – bass;  Art Taylor - drums

Flight To Jordan

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Alexis Cole - Someday My Prince Will Come

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:18
Size: 122,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:14)  1. For Now For Always
(2:41)  2. Home Is Where The Heart Is
(4:00)  3. If I Never Knew You
(3:50)  4. La La Lu
(4:47)  5. Let Me Be Good To You
(5:17)  6. Love Me
(3:03)  7. Once Upon a Dream
(5:35)  8. Remember When
(4:30)  9. So This Is Love
(5:04) 10. Someday My Prince Will Come
(5:37) 11. Second Star To The Right
(4:37) 12. When You Wish Upon a Star

Music from Disney films and cartoons has often drifted into jazz thanks to its rich harmonies and evergreen quality, but it is not every day that a vocalist makes an entire CD with personal renditions of these popular tunes. Such is the case of Alexis Cole's Someday My Prince Will Come, which features a collection of Disney tunes reread into a jazz format. Cole cleverly did not choose songs that might be too obvious, focusing mostly on more obscure numbers such as the opener, the beautiful "For Now For Always" (from The Parent Trap) and "Once Upon A Dream" (from Cinderella). Some tunes lend themselves naturally to a jazz format such as "Let Me Be Good To You," a bluesy tune that is used to showcase pianist Fred Hersch and bassist Steve LaSpina, who both contribute fluent solos, while Cole sings with a '50s Ella Fitzgerald-like style. The Lady And The Tramp's "La La Lu" appears as a soft ballad enhanced by Don Braden's fluid flute solo.

Another highlight is "If I Never Knew You," the most recently composed tune on the disc, which originally appeared on the end credits for Pocahontas. Cole's voice is inspired, and Gregoire Maret contributes a Toots Thielemans like harmonic response to her singing that enhance the tune's beauty. Maret appears again on the title track, arguably the most memorable tune from Snow White & The Seven Dwarfs. His solo is followed by yet another great contribution from Hersch. 

La Spina and drummer Matt Wilson, who provides great backup, responding to the pianist's accents with gusto. Someday My Prince Will Come is a great reminder of the timelessness of these songs and also a testament to Cole's talent. The New York-born vocalist makes each song her own. The only sad note is the fact that the disc was recorded before the soundtrack to The Princess and The Frog had been released. But maybe that could be included in a second volume along with tunes from The Aristocats. ~ Ernest Barteldes  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/someday-my-prince-will-come-alexis-cole-venus-records-review-by-ernest-barteldes.php

Personnel: Alexis Cole: vocal;  Fred Hersch: piano;  Steve LaSpina: bass;  Matt Wilson: drums;  Gregoire Maret: harmonica;  Don Braden: tenor, soprano, flute.

My Prince Will Come

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Bill Elliott Swing Orchestra - Calling All Jitterbugs

Styles: Jazz, Swing, Big Band
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:37
Size: 96,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:50)  1. Streamliner
(3:43)  2. Mildred, Won't You Behave?
(3:01)  3. I'm Beginning To Like It
(3:09)  4. Sportsman's Mambo
(3:38)  5. Twelve Cylinders
(3:32)  6. I Dreamed About You
(3:03)  7. Bill's Bounce
(3:25)  8. The Guy I Met This Evening
(2:58)  9. Whisper Amor
(2:45) 10. On The Atchison, Topeka And The Santa Fe
(3:24) 11. Tonight I'm Goin' Out With You
(1:44) 12. We Tried To Reach For The Moon
(1:41) 13. Oh, Vicky!
(1:38) 14. My Baby Said She'd Marry Me

The Bill Elliott Swing Orchestra, fifteen musicians and four singers strong, plays exciting swing music in the styles of the '30s, '40s, and '50s, with a twist: much of the band's repertoire has been written in the '90s and 2000 by leader Bill Elliott, a composer and arranger whose songs have been prominently featured in many feature films and TV shows, including the recent HBO film Introducing Dorothy Dandridge and the current Disney Channel film Alley Cats Strike. Elliott began his career as a rock'n'roll piano player, touring and recording with such artists as Bonnie Raitt, Stevie Nicks, and many others, before finding his calling as a swingmeister while writing and arranging songs for the 1989 film Dock Tracy. The Swing Orchestra, formed in 1993, was an outgrowth of Elliott's continuing success in writing original, vintage-sounding swing music for film, television, and commercials. He has assembled many of L.A.'s hottest musicians for his mission of recreating the authentic fire and style of big bands at their peak in the late '30s. The band also features Bill’s Luck Stars, a vocal quartet who sing in the close-harmony style of the Pied Pipers and the Modernaires, and glamorous lead singer Cassie Miller in featured solos as well. Playing a dominant role in southern California's current swing revival, Elliott's band is a favorite among the young jitterbug and Lindy Hop dancers whose vibrant new counterculture has been growing rapidly. Elliott's music is in the style of the great swing bands of the late '30s and early '40s - as hard-swinging as they come, with an emphasis on colorful arrangements, sophisticated and light-hearted lyrics, and danceability.

The BESO has repeatedly drawn crowds of over 1100 dancers at the Hollywood Palladium and the Satin Ballroom in Los Angeles. The band has appeared often at Merv Griffin's Coconut Club in Beverly Hills, and has played to large crowds at the Avalon Casino Ballroom on Catalina Island and at ballrooms in San Francisco, Seattle, and Portland, OR. In July '99 the BESO made its first east coast appearances, headlining at Lincoln Center Midsummer Night Swing in Manhattan, the Mann Center for Performing Arts in Philadelphia, and at swing dance events in Boston and Washington, DC. The band is also in demand for private and corporate events, and its resume includes Emmy Award balls, the Jonathan Club Centennial, America's Cup Ball, Junior Philharmonic Ball, and parties for most of the major Hollywood studios. The band's three CDs, Swing Fever, Calling All Jitterbugs!, and Swingin’ The Century, have made the band well-known at swing clubs and dances from Seattle to London, and also receive enthusiastic airplay on jazz and swing radio programs around the world. Elliott's arrangements and his band's recordings were featured both in the HBO film and the RCA soundtrack album for Introducing  Dorothy Dandridge, and on John Lithgow's Sony-Wonder CD Singing in The Bathtub. Elliott's association with Mr. Lithgow also resulted in the recent Carnegie Hall premiere of a fifteen-minute piece for symphony orchestra, The Remarkable Farkle McBride, composed by Elliott as a setting of Lithgow's children's story which was released as a book by Simon & Shuster in the fall of 2000.

Elliott's career as a bandleader complements his activities in film and television. He and the band recently recorded both the orchestral score and the big band music for the Disney Channel film Alley Cats Strike which began airing in March 2000, and he has used his band as the core of a large orchestra when arranging the songs for Disney's sequels to Aladdin, The Return Of Jafar and Aladdin And The King Of Thieves, which make use of his distinctive swing style. Four of Elliott's songs appeared in the Oliver Stone film NIXON, and eight of his songs are in the film Killer starring James Woods. Elliott's swing music also appears in the films Contact, Independence Day, Disney's remake of That Darn Cat, and the animated feature Cats Don’t Dance. Bill and the band appeared as themselves (in 1939!) in the Disney TV movie Tower Of Terror. Bill also used his band in composing music for episodes of the TV shows Ellen and Drew Carey. Besides playing the original music of its leader, the band performs authentic arrangements from the golden years of swing, including music by Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, Cab Calloway, Benny Goodman, Bunny Berigan, Jimmie Lunceford, Chick Webb, and Duke Ellington. Such classics as "King Porter Stomp", "Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe", "Carioca", "Blues In The Night", and many others come to life with a suave polish and authentic style that no other contemporary band can match. The Bill Elliott Swing Orchestra seems to have leaped out of a time machine, and performs with all the excitement, sophistication, and enthusiasm of the best bands of the first swing era.  http://www.swingorchestra.com/band.html

Personnel: Bill Elliot, Frederick Hodges (vocals, piano); Amy Weston, Jeff Gilbert, Frederick Hodges, Cassie Miller, John O'Campo, Michael Lescault, Royce Reynolds (vocals); Don Shelton, Jay Mason (alto saxophone); Roger Neumann, Bill Liston (tenor saxophone); Bob Reitmeier, Chuck Erdahl, Gene Burkert, Ray Herman, John Reilly, Lemoyne Taylor (saxophone); Don Clarke, Wayne Bergeron, Darrel Gardner, Brian Atkinson (trumpet); Andy Martin, Alex Iles, Bill Tole, Bruce Otto, John Grab, Charlie Morillas, Jim Boltinghouse (trombone); John Brand (tuba); Bobby Bruce (violin); Barry Zweig (guitar); Brad Roth (banjo); Dave Stone, Simeon Pillich (bass); Gordon Peeke, Ray Templin (drums).

Calling All Jitterbugs

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Sonny Greenwich & Ed Bickert - Days Gone By

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:44
Size: 179,3 MB
Art: Front

( 8:26)  1. With a Song in My Heart
( 3:58)  2. I Remember You
( 6:42)  3. Lily
(10:00)  4. Nica's Dream
( 8:57)  5. I'll Take Romance
( 7:46)  6. Oleo
( 8:25)  7. I Know Why
(12:26)  8. Gittar Blues

Canadian guitarist Sonny Greenwich has been on the jazz scene for a long time, but he isn't very well known outside of his native land due to the limited opportunities he's had to record for Americans labels. Bouts of ill health and periodical withdrawals from music have also proven to be a handicap. Greenwich had done quite a bit of recording in Canada prior to this 1979 session, including several albums with Don Thompson, the bassist on this occasion. This informal recording made at Thompson's studio features Greenwich predominately playing lead with seasoned guitarist Ed Bickert playing fills (though he also solos very effectively), as well as drummer Terry Clarke. 

Liner note writer John Norris explains that the occasional distortion comes from the lack of having anyone at the control board, but it isn't a major distraction. All of the music is quite enjoyable even if it wasn't necessarily recorded with the intention of releasing it, as it didn't come out until 2000. The set consists of a heavy dose of standards ("With a Song in My Heart," "I Remember You," and "I'll Take Romance") and classic jazz compositions (Horace Silver's "Nica's Dream" and Sonny Rollins' "Oleo"), all of which are inspired. The lush ballad "I Know Why" (by Harry Warren and Mack Gordon) is a song that ought to be a standard, but has been for the most part overlooked. Greenwich also contributed the lyrical ballad "Lily" and the lengthy finale, "Gittar Blues," was likely created on the spot by the two guitarists. This is one of many fine releases put out by Sackville, a Canadian label well worth exploring as a whole. ~ Ken Dryden  http://www.allmusic.com/album/days-gone-by-mw0000100323

Personnel: Sonny Greenwich, Ed Bickert (guitar); Don Thompson (bass); Terry Clarke (drums).

Days Gone By

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