Victor Wood - 18 Greatest Hits

Size: 127,6 MB
Time: 54:02
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2009
Styles: Pop Rock
Art: Front

01. Mr. Lonely (2:45)
02. Eternally (2:30)
03. Carmelita (2:31)
04. Malupit Na Pag-Ibig (2:19)
05. Cheryl Moana Marie (2:54)
06. Sweet Caroline (3:13)
07. Release Me (3:13)
08. I'm Sorry My Love (2:57)
09. Ibig Kong Magtapat (2:48)
10. I Went To Your Wedding (3:36)
11. Knock On Wood (2:43)
12. Sincerely (4:00)
13. In Despair (3:13)
14. A Tear Fel (2:29)
15. Iniibig Ko'y Nakatali Na (4:43)
16. Once More Chance (2:55)
17. Twilight Time (2:31)
18. The Great Pretender (2:33)

The album is dominated by remakes of American songs. The songs are mostly slow, and the music is mellow and soothing. In addition, Victor Wood's delivery throughout the album is also warm and soothing. He possesses a fine voice, and has much depth and fluidity. The original versions of these songs are excellent, of course, but Victor Wood stamps his own personality here, and makes the songs enjoyable and worthwhile.

Victor Wood was born on February 1, 1946 in Buhi, Camarines Sur, Philippines to Sgt. Kocky Wood and Rosario "Tiyang Saring" Nobleza. His mother was well known in Buhi and neighboring towns for selling herbal medications and perfumes. He studied and finished secondary school at Jose Abad Santos High. His voice earned him various titles, including Jukebox King and Plaka King. In the 1970s, his career bloomed. He loved the adulation and admiration of his fans and the media.

He and his family migrated to the US in the 70’s, where he co-owned four gasoline stations and was into real estate and landscaping. In addition, he managed the $i.5-million Palm Plaza Restaurant.

He ran for the Senate of the Philippines during the 2007 Philippine general election, under the KBL banner, but lost. ~Wikipedia

18 Greatest Hits

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Shoko Igarashi Organ Trio - Alarm Call

Size: 82,4 MB
Time: 35:24
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz: Hammond Organ, Post Bop
Art: Front

01. Tune One (5:55)
02. Afro Centric (5:36)
03. Alarm Call (6:20)
04. All Of You (5:54)
05. Vanity (3:28)
06. Pons (8:08)

Shoko Igarashi Organ Trio is a jazz trio that is based in NYC. The Shoko Igarashi Organ Trio’s “Alarm Call” proves that modern jazz can be full of life and vigor. Joyful, elegant, and full of bright colors “Alarm Call” simply astounds. -SKOPE Magazine

Shoko Igarashi Organ Trio is a jazz trio that is based in NYC. Shoko Igarashi, Tenor saxophone; Takafumi Suenaga ,Organ; Kazuhiro Odagiri, Drums. Recorded at Riro Muzik in Brooklyn, NY.

Alarm Call

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Rebecca Kilgore - Moonshadow Dance

Size: 128,3 MB
Time: 54:59
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. I Live In A Condo (3:41)
02. One Little Kiss (2:44)
03. The Day I Learned French (4:11)
04. In A World Made Small (3:25)
05. One More Time To Say Goodbye (4:16)
06. Aeolian Shade (3:17)
07. Swing Me Low (3:03)
08. Moonshadow Dance (3:24)
09. Birthday Song, Generic (2:14)
10. Cantando O Amor (3:05)
11. You Make It Look So Easy (3:10)
12. Um Minuto A Mais (3:27)
13. I'm Not Susceptible To Love (3:54)
14. To Have, To Hold, To Love (4:39)
15. Cantando O Amor (Reprise) (3:24)
16. That's It! (2:56)

The new CD features original jazz songs produced through a unique collaboration between Ellen Vanderslice, Mike Horsfall, and Rebecca Kilgore, with each partner contributing melodies, harmonies and lyrics.

The sixteen tracks span an eclectic range, from wistfully romantic through lushly introspective to upbeat and playful, with the common factor found in well-crafted songs given stellar performances.

Moonshadow Dance

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Bill Sample Trio - Small

Size: 115,4 MB
Time: 49:43
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. The Big Wag (5:32)
02. Keith's Hips (5:01)
03. Bopping With R And R (3:32)
04. Rene's Waltz (6:27)
05. Broken (5:12)
06. Night Music (5:11)
07. Inhibition (3:14)
08. Triste, Sad But Beautiful (4:31)
09. Boston Blues #2 (4:04)
10. Where Were You (5:44)
11. Small (1:10)

Bill Sample has been a force in the West Coast music scene for many years. A recent highlight of Bill’s career includes playing on the 2008, Grammy-winning Ratatouille soundtrack. During his tenure as Music Director for David Foster, he worked with Brian Adams, Celine Dion, Peter Cetera and Kenny Loggins, to name a few. His recording credits include Leon Bibb, Eric Bibb, Michelle Wright, and Simple Plan. He has also performed with Ray Charles, Mel Torme, and Robben Ford.

In 2003, Bill was inducted into the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame. In 2010, Bill received both a Lifetime Achievement Award and Most Influential Jazz Musician from the Royal Canadian Music Project, and his band Sample Stearns Band (from the 70’s) received the Most Influential Group Award.

In 2013, Bill was awarded the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal.

In 2014, Bill and playwright Bob Sarti were awarded the Ovation Award for Best New Work, for The Raymur Mothers, a musical.

Small

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The Trio - Body And Soul

Size: 143,3 MB
Time: 61:24
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. A Foggy Day In London Town (Live) (4:03)
02. Body And Soul (Live) (4:24)
03. A Time For Love (Live) (4:56)
04. Georgia On My Mind (Live) (3:49)
05. The Nearness Of You (Live) (4:49)
06. Lullaby Of Birdland (Live) (3:39)
07. Manha De Carneval (Live) (4:58)
08. My Foolish Heart (Live) (3:52)
09. When Sunny Gets Blue (Live) (3:43)
10. The Lady Is A Tramp (Live) (2:46)
11. Prelude To A Kiss (Live) (3:57)
12. The Touch Of Your Lips (Live) (3:05)
13. My Funny Valentine (Live) (4:13)
14. When I Fall In Love (Live) (4:07)
15. Triste (Live) (4:54)

William Henderson brings to the classic American standards of Rogers and Hart, Cole Porter, Hoagie Carmichael, and others, the styling of the jazz artist, combining the precision of pitch, the warm and sophisticated voice, and the fluid phrasing which recall a time when "jazz" and "popular music" meant much the same thing. It all sounds true, and finding true music in an age of commercial fluff and computerized responses to popularity polls is like sifting through ashes and finding a diamond: it's too good to be true. Yet, here it is: very, very good — and true.

Henderson is a fine guitarist and often accompanies himself, but, like most honest jazz singers, admits that he prefers singing with good jazz combos, and especially, fine big bands.

Henderson has appeared at clubs in Boston; Washington, DC; Panama City, Florida; and extensively in Naples, Italy. He has performed a number of times on Italian television. He has made 6 albums: Live at the AOC (1994), Dual Cool, with trumpeter Hunter Hustus, and his latest 4, A Slice Of The Moon, Stars Fell on Alabama, The Lady is a Tramp, and I’m In the Mood for Love (available now, on line). Among many performances in Italy, he has appeared in Sanremo, Rome, and Milan with the US Navy 6th Fleet band, and with that band also sang at the 2000 Split, Croatia, Jazz Festival.

So, indeed, there is a common lament that "They don't write songs the way they used to,” and, alas, there is some truth in that. But they do still sing them! At least some people do. William Henderson, for one. ~Jeff Matthews

Franco De Crescenzo is a superb and innovative pianist who has played with many of the great jazz and pop stars of Europe, including Pino Danieli. He has played in most of the important jazz clubs in Italy and continues to inspire his audiences wherever he plays.

Franco Coppola is a extraordinary all around wood-wind musician. On this album he plays flute as it fits best with the Trio. Franco has played in many jazz clubs in Italy and Europe and has been teaching music for many years.

Body And Soul

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Father Al & The Jazz Congregation - Here's To Life

Size: 100,8 MB
Time: 39:23
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. Love Being Here With You (1:36)
02. Vivo Sonhando/Dreamer (3:33)
03. At Last (4:42)
04. Day By Day (3:33)
05. Love Me Like A Man (3:49)
06. Make You Feel My Love (3:55)
07. More (3:04)
08. Over The Rainbow (3:03)
09. Summer Samba/So Nice (3:59)
10. The Nearness Of You (4:56)
11. Here's To Life (3:09)

A unique blend of past and current Jazz Standards performed by four excellent musicians, featuring the vocals of Ms. Cheryl Morrell.

Personnel:
Al Ferrante: Drums
Cheryl Morrell: Vocalist
Armand De Genova: Piano
Arthur "Yogi" Schmidt: Bass

Here's To Life

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Donald Byrd - Up With Donald Byrd

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:28
Size: 94.9 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz, Hard bop
Year: 1964/2004
Art: Front

[2:50] 1. Blind Man, Blind Man
[4:19] 2. Boom Boom
[5:03] 3. House Of The Rising Sun
[3:56] 4. See See Rider
[6:45] 5. Cantaloupe Island
[7:54] 6. Bossa
[5:12] 7. Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child
[2:38] 8. You've Been Talkin' 'bout Me Baby
[2:47] 9. My Babe

Drums – Grady Tate; Guitar – Kenny Burrell; Piano – Herbie Hancock; Trumpet – Donald Byrd; Stanley Turrentine, Jimmy Heath - Saxophone.

Trumpeter Donald Byrd took a brief vacation from Blue Note to record this one album for Verve. The music is mostly pretty forgettable despite such top sidemen as tenors Stanley Turrentine and Jimmy Heath, pianist Herbie Hancock, and guitarist Kenny Burrell. Byrd mostly sticks to current pop tunes, and most of the songs utilize a rather average vocal group listed as "The Donald Byrd Singers." The arrangements by Claus Ogerman, Byrd, and Hancock are unimaginative and these renditions of "House of the Rising Sun," "My Babe," and a few of Hancock's originals are quite forgettable. A lesser effort. ~Scott Yanow

Up With Donald Byrd

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Jane Fielding - Embers Glow & Trio

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:48
Size: 143.8 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 1956/2012
Art: Front

[3:52] 1. Embers Glow
[2:29] 2. Our Waltz
[3:12] 3. Key Largo
[3:08] 4. Along With Me
[2:44] 5. In Love Vain
[3:40] 6. Round About Midnight
[2:31] 7. The Irretrievable Loss Of Personal Belonging
[2:51] 8. Make The Man Love Me
[2:49] 9. Right Boy For Me
[3:20] 10. All Dressed Up Tonight And No Place To Go
[3:31] 11. How Long Has This Been Going On
[1:53] 12. Long Ago And Far Away
[3:46] 13. A Summer Day
[2:39] 14. One Song
[2:05] 15. This Heart Of Mine
[3:00] 16. How Deep Is The Ocean
[2:46] 17. I'll Remember April
[3:38] 18. Stars Didn't Fall
[2:06] 19. I Wish I Knew
[2:10] 20. Something To Remember You By
[1:51] 21. If I Were The Only Girl In The World And You Were The Only Boy
[2:37] 22. Something I Dreamed Last Night

Jane Fielding (vcl), Joe Maini (as), Ted Efantis (ts), Kenny Drew (p), Leroy Vinnegar, Paul Chambers (b), Lawrence Marable (d) / Lou Levy (p), Red Mitchell (b). Capitol Recording Studios, Hollywood, August 29, 1955.

Tracks #1-10, from the album "Embers Glow" (Jazz:West JWLP-5). Tracks #11-20, from the album "Jazz Trio For Voice, Piano and String Bass" (Jazz:West JWLP-3). Tracks #21 & 22, form the album "Sessions, Live - Oscar Peterson-Gerald Wiggins" (Calliope CAL3001).

Jane Fielding was only 21 when she made these recordings in 1956. Her voice, low and warm, with a fine phrasing, revealed a natural affinity for jazz, something confirmed by the calibre of the stellar West Coast jazzmen she could call on for these rare examples of her fine talent. They are the only two albums she recorded for Jazz:West, a small, label based in Hollywood. On the first she’s backed by a quality quintet led and arranged by pianist Kenny Drew, with two outstanding saxophonists, altoist Joe Maini and tenor Ted Efantis, and a rhythm section including Leroy Vinnegar—sharing bass duties with Paul Chambers—and drummer Lawrence Marable. Drew’s beguiling charts blend beautifully with Jane’s singing.

The second album, made six months earlier, embraces a more intimate mood, and her musical empathy with Lou Levy and Red Mitchell is confirmed by the jazz-trio effect they achieve. Included as a bonus are two songs she performed on the Stars of Jazz TV show in 1957. She sings so well on these sessions—and with such an innate feel for jazz—that it makes the fact she enjoyed such a brief career on the mid-fifties West Coast scene all the more extraordinary. And disappointing.

Embers Glow & Trio

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Frank Vignola - Off Broadway

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 93:19
Size: 213.6 MB
Styles: Post bop, Guitar jazz
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[ 5:24] 1. Funny How
[ 4:20] 2. Stars Fell On Alabama
[ 5:24] 3. Off Broadway
[ 5:28] 4. Limone's Blues
[ 5:18] 5. The Return
[ 5:12] 6. Stardust
[ 4:51] 7. Sing That
[ 4:22] 8. Cookin' At The Continental
[ 4:50] 9. Never, Never
[ 5:15] 10. Annie
[ 4:03] 11. In The Hills
[ 6:09] 12. Frankly Speaking
[ 3:58] 13. Stars Fell On Alabama
[ 9:57] 14. It's All Right With Me
[ 4:22] 15. What's Up
[14:19] 16. Blues #5 (Blues For Kurtchen)

This album might be subtitled "Frank Vignola Plays the Music of Joe Ascione," as six of the tunes were penned by the talented drummer. Others in the group who collect royalties by having their compositions performed on this album are Randy Sandke and John Goldsby, as well as Vignola. There are also some standards on the 15-tune play list. This is the guitarist's first effort for the very active German company, Nagel-Heyer, coming over from Concord Jazz where he recorded several albums as a leader, including a flirtation with smooth jazz. Vignola is known for his close study of the styles of Django Reinhardt and Joe Pass. Judging from his playing, he has also absorbed the techniques of other guitar masters, especially Mundell Lowe. Over his relatively short career (he was just 35 when this CD was cut), he has taken a turn at a variety of musical styles, working with ragtime pianist Max Morath and performing in jazz clubs and on recordings and live gigs with everyone from rockers Leon Redbone and Ringo Starr to jazzers Les Paul and Milt Hinton. He is also a noted jazz instructor, having authored his own set of instructional materials. With his well-honed technique and feel for the music, the presence of distinguished jazz performers, and an arresting play list, this initial effort for Nagel-Heyer portends a solid association, which should go long into the future. Whoever decided to include veteran Frank Wess on some tracks deserves a good deal of credit for the success of this album. The Count Basie veteran tenor man has laid-back but commanding solos on such cuts as "It's All Right With Me" and Horace Silver's "Cookin' at the Continental," where he and another jazz veteran, Sir Roland Hanna, assume control of the track, making it an album highlight. The second version of "It's All Right With Me" is a regular ten-minute session as Vignola and Wess, together and individually, add their artistic imprimatur to this chestnut, with Ascione's revved-up drums not letting anyone off the hook. This album is a generous 79-plus minutes of solid jazz and is recommended. ~Dave Nathan

Off Broadway

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The Diamond Five - Montmartre Blues

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:27
Size: 94.9 MB
Styles: Hard bop, Funk
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[2:58] 1. The Beauty Of The Ball
[4:32] 2. Fair Weather
[3:58] 3. Alexander's Ragtime Band
[5:01] 4. Montmartre Blues
[4:10] 5. Parlez Moi De Velours
[2:56] 6. Bobby Tale
[5:16] 7. Jubilation
[2:42] 8. Royal Dream
[3:23] 9. Oleo
[6:26] 10. Sister Sadie [live]

Bass – Jacques Schols; Drums – John Engels Jr.; Piano – Cees Slinger; Tenor Saxophone – Harry Verbeke; Trumpet, Trombone – Cees Smal.

10 previously unreleased tracks by the godfathers of the Dutch Jazz scene, recorded between 1960 and 1963, compiled for Sonorama by the Jazzdiggers from Holland. Featuring great but unknown tunes by the legendary quintet around pianist Cees Slinger, pulled from promotional vinyl EPs, radio programmes, unreleased schellack records or flexi discs. Lost chapter of European jazz history, restaurated from original records and tapes, including lost compositions by Cees Smal as well as nice versions of classics like Sonny Rollins'"Oleo", Horace Silver's "Sister Sadie" or Oscar Pettiford's "Montmartre Blues".

Montmartre Blues

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Paul Anka - 15 Songs: Songs I Wish I'd Written

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:15
Size: 96.7 MB
Styles: Pop-rock
Year: 1963/1977
Art: Front

[2:54] 1. Ramblin' Rose
[2:43] 2. I Can't Stop Loving You
[2:53] 3. The End Of The World
[2:22] 4. He'll Have To Go
[2:04] 5. All I Have To Do Is Dream
[2:21] 6. Can't Get Used To Losing You
[2:11] 7. Oh, Lonesome Me
[3:23] 8. Save The Last Dance For Me
[2:30] 9. Blue On Blue
[2:42] 10. Moon River
[3:16] 11. It's Not For Me To Say
[2:10] 12. Memories Are Made Of This
[3:47] 13. You Always Hurt The One You Love
[3:24] 14. Cry
[3:28] 15. Who's Sorry Now

15 Songs: Songs I Wish I'd Written

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Grant Stewart - Shadow of Your Smile

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:56
Size: 116,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:55)  1. This Could Be the Start of Something Big
(5:34)  2. The Fabio Complex
(7:28)  3. Shadow of Your Smile
(6:22)  4. Kawa Power
(7:57)  5. You and the Night and the Music
(4:21)  6. Danny Boy
(5:44)  7. I Won't Dance
(6:31)  8. Autumn Leaves

Grant Stewart was born in Toronto, Canada, on June 4, 1971, and moved to New York City at the age of nineteen studying with masters such as Donald Byrd and Barry Harris. He has performed internationally with Jimmy Cobb, Harold Mabern, Louis Hayes, Curtis Fuller, Renee Fleming, Clark Terry, Bob Mover, Etta Jones, Bill Charlap, Lewis Nash, Peter Washington, Brad Mehldau, Russell Malone, Larry Goldings, Peter Bernstein, Harry Connick, Mickey Roker, Jimmy Lovelace, Cecil Payne, Dick Hymen, Herb Geller and was a member of the last Al Grey Sextet. In New York, Stewart can be found playing at such clubs as Smalls, Lincoln Center, Birdland, Smoke, The Kitano, The Jazz Standard and many more. Stewart has performed all over North America and Europe as well as in Japan, Brazil, and Taiwan. He was also one of the first jazz artists to be invited to play at the historical Hermitage Museum in St.Petersburg, Russia. In addition Grant was a featured artist at the Guggenheim Museums’Jazz series with his trio including drum legend Jimmy Cobb.

Stewart has released sixteen recordings as a leader, the highlights of which are his most recent release Grant Stewart Trio on Cellar Live Records and his award winning Live At Smalls (2012), released on Smalls Live Records, In the Still of the Night (2007), Young at Heart (2008), Grant Stewart Plays the Music of Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn (2009) and Around The Corner (2010). He also has co-led two sessions with fellow tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander on the Criss Cross label and has appeared on many other recordings as a sideman.

From 2008 until 2015, Stewart has been voted a “rising star on the tenor” in the Downbeat Critic’s Poll and was the subject of a feature in the July/August 2009 issue of JazzTimes magazine. Downbeat magazine has also featured Grant in its the December 2008 issue in a piece written by noted jazz writer Ted Panken. On the international front Stewart was named one of the top 3 tenor saxophonists and as number 7 jazz artist of the year by the noted jazz magazine Swing Journal in its 2009 poll. http://grantstewartjazz.com/about/

Shadow of Your Smile

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Joey Calderazzo - Going Home

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:13
Size: 147,5 MB
Art: Front

( 7:14)  1. Manifold
( 7:17)  2. I Never Knew
( 4:25)  3. Why Me
( 6:45)  4. Stars Fell On Alabama
(10:07)  5. Legend
( 6:09)  6. One Way
( 7:22)  7. My Foolish Heart
( 8:22)  8. Mike's Song
( 5:29)  9. Going Home

Joey Calderazzo has carved out a sneaky-good career for himself. Probably best known for replacing Kenny Kirkland in the piano chair of the Branford Marsalis Quartet, he has released nine discs as a leader over the past 24 years. Although they routinely garner plaudits, he’s not the type of highly conceptual stylist who registers in the polls. His art is mostly formulated by the breadth and precision of his craft.

Going Home piques the intellect and challenges that breadth and precision with open-ended tunes that encourage improvisation. (Seven out of the nine cuts are Calderazzo originals.) He operates in a classic piano-trio format with bassist Orlando le Fleming and drummer Adam Cruz, and it’s a pleasure to hear their tentative forays on foundational riffs and barebones themes gradually quicken into more detailed textures and confident interactions. The slow-boiling intensity that eventually enlivens “Manifold” and “Legend” is a particular highlight.

Calderazzo has absorbed the contemporary masters of his instrument in a manner that informs rather than sacrifices his own identity. You hear the prowling gallop of McCoy Tyner, the playful hopscotch of Chick Corea and the ascending vamps of Herbie Hancock all churning within the mix of his improvisations. The Crescent City jazz-funk of “One Way” (previously heard on Calderazzo’s 2011 album of duets with Branford Marsalis, Songs of Mirth and Melancholy) feels like a delightful hybrid of Hancock and Dr. John. The better of the disc’s two standards, “Stars Fell on Alabama,” is a perfectly rendered soul-blues tearjerker that variously recalls Ray Charles and Hank Jones.

Calderazzo invokes all these linkages without any sense of pastiche or indebtedness, creating a personal style that yields enhanced professionalism and reduced notoriety. There are no guest stars except for Marsalis blowing plush tenor on the elegantly subdued “I Never Knew.” The rich trio interplay that characterizes most of the record is overshadowed by Calderazzo’s muscular virtuosity on the final two numbers, “Mike’s Song” (a tribute to his early employer Michael Brecker) and the emotionally evocative title track, performed solo, that closes the collection. It’s a polished coda for a sneaky-good record. ~ Britt Robson  http://jazztimes.com/articles/158683-going-home-joey-calderazzo

Personnel: Joey Calderazzo (piano); Adam Cruz (drums); Branford Marsalis (tenor saxophone); Orlando Le Fleming (bass).

Going Home

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Diana Krall - Glad Rag Doll

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:32
Size: 157,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:07)  1. We Just Couldn't Say Goodbye
(4:29)  2. There Ain't No Sweet Man That's Worth The Salt Of My Tears
(3:43)  3. Just Like A Butterfly That's Caught In The Rain
(3:47)  4. You Know - I Know Ev'rything's Made For Love
(4:34)  5. Glad Rag Doll
(4:36)  6. I'm A Little Mixed Up
(4:22)  7. Prairie Lullaby
(5:09)  8. Here Lies Love
(2:50)  9. I Used To Love You But It's All Over Now
(5:44) 10. Let It Rain
(6:57) 11. Lonely Avenue
(3:51) 12. Wide River To Cross
(4:51) 13. When The Curtain Comes Down
(2:29) 14. As Long As I Love
(2:55) 15. Glad Rag Doll [Alternate Version]
(2:55) 16. Garden In The Rain
(2:06) 17. There Ain't No Sweet Man That's Worth The Salt Of My Tears [Alternate Version]

For only the second time in her career, jazz pianist and vocalist Diana Krall deviates from her tried, true m.o. of covering easily identifiable jazz standards. On Glad Rag Doll she teams with producer T-Bone Burnett and his stable of studio aces. Here the two-time Grammy winner covers mostly vaudeville and jazz tunes written in the 1920s and '30s, some relatively obscure. Most of the music here is from her father's collection of 78-rpm records. Krall picked 35 tunes from that music library and gave sheet music to Burnett. He didn't reveal his final selections until they got into the studio. Given their origins, these songs remove the sheen of detached cool that is one of Krall's vocal trademarks. 

Check the speakeasy feel on opener "We Just Couldn't Say Goodbye," with Marc Ribot's airy chords, Jay Bellerose's loose shuffle, and Dennis Crouch's strolling upright bass. Krall's vocal actually seems to express delight in this loose and informal proceeding though her piano playing is, as usual, tight, top-notch. The shimmering sentimental nocturnal balladry there gives way to swing in "Just Like a Butterfly That's Caught in the Rain," which stands out because of the interplay between Ribot's ukulele, a pair of basses, and Bellerose's brushes. Krall's vocal hovers; she lets the melody guide her right through the middle. On the title cut, her only accompanist is Ribot on an acoustic guitar. Being the best-known tune in the bunch, it's easy to compare this reading with many others, but Krall's breathy vocal fully inhabits the lyric and melody and makes them her own. A few tracks stand apart from the album's theme. 

There's the modern take on Betty James' rockabilly single "I'm a Little Mixed Up," which allows Burnett to indulge himself a little and showcases a rarity: Krall playing rock & roll piano. The atmospheric reading of Doc Pomus' "Lonely Avenue" is somewhat radical, but is among the finest moments here. Burnett gets his obligatory reverb on here, but the weave of his and Ribot's guitars (and the latter's banjo) and the mandola by Howard Coward (Elvis Costello in one of several guest appearances) is arresting. The arrangement also contains an odd yet compelling reference to Miles Davis' "Right Off (Theme from Jack Johnson)"; Krall's piano solo is rife with elliptical, meandering lines and chord voicings. But vocally she gets inside the tune's blues and pulls them out with real authority. Glad Rag Doll is not the sound of Krall reinventing herself so much as it's the comfortable scratching of an old, persistent itch. The warmth, sophistication, humor, and immediacy present on this set make it a welcome addition to her catalog. ~ Thom Jurek  http://www.allmusic.com/album/glad-rag-doll-mw0002406053

Glad Rag Doll

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Charles Lloyd & The Marvels - I Long To See You

Styles: Flute And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:35
Size: 155,1 MB
Art: Front

( 8:02)  1. Masters Of War
( 6:02)  2. Of Course, Of Course
( 6:00)  3. La Llorona
( 6:21)  4. Shenandoah
( 7:29)  5. Sombrero Sam
( 5:00)  6. All My Trials
( 4:48)  7. Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream
( 1:22)  8. Abide With Me
( 6:02)  9. You Are So Beautiful
(16:24) 10. Barche Lamsel

Saxophonist Charles Lloyd has been working with guitarists periodically since the 1950s: Calvin Newborn, Gabor Szabo, John Abercrombie, and others have played in his bands. On I Long to See You, he (with his stellar rhythm section bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Eric Harland) renews that relationship with two gifted players: Bill Frisell and Greg Leisz (the latter on lap and pedal steel). This program yields folk and spiritual songs, re-recordings of Lloyd's own tunes, a pop nugget, and a new original. In what feels like the input from the label, there are two guest vocal appearances to boot: Willie Nelson beautifully delivers Ed McCurdy's antiwar classic "Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream," and Norah Jones offers a slow, dreamy reading of "You Are So Beautiful." I Long to See You feels more like a collaboration between Lloyd and Frisell than a leader date, which is sometimes problematic: these men can be overly deferential to one another. The album starts promisingly with a brooding read of Bob Dylan's "Masters of War" that threatens to explode at any moment. Frisell and Leisz (who have worked together a lot) take it through deep winding blues, building tension before Lloyd enters and carries it toward the outside before returning to blues, while Harland's circular drumming becomes somberly hypnotic. Lloyd plays flute on "Of Course, of Course" (originally recorded for an album of the same name for Columbia in 1964). 

Like its predecessor, it's tough, swinging post-bop with colorful slide guitar work and rim-shot syncopations. "La Llorona," from Lloyd's ECM years, is a standout: it captures his open, mournful, Spanish-tinged wail, fleshed out by elegant, timbral guitars, a sad bassline, and Harland's magical timekeeping. "Shenandoah" (which Frisell has recorded before), "All My Trials," and "Abide with Me" are all melodically attractive, but they lack the undercurrent of passion Lloyd has imbued traditional material with in the past. He and Frisell appear so seduced by their melodies, they treat them as fragile objects, not songs whose meanings need to be further explored. Frisell's speculative solo intro on "Sombrero Sam" is overly long; Lloyd's rhythmic sweeping flute doesn't enter until five minutes in, and slips out too quickly. The lone new tune, "Barche Lamsel," more than compensates. Over 16 minutes in length, it's easily the most exploratory thing here. It commences slowly but starts cooking five minutes in. Lloyd and the rhythm section are at their modal improvisational best, moving through folk, funk, blues, Eastern modes, and post-bop. Frisell and Leisz lend fine solos as well as layered textural and atmospheric support. The tune is a journey that ends in a question mark. I Long to See You is well worth investigating even if, at times, it is overly tentative. ~ Thom Jurek  http://www.allmusic.com/album/i-long-to-see-you-mw0002902467

Personnel: Charles Lloyd (alto flute, tenor saxophone); Bill Frisell (guitar); Greg Leisz (steel guitar); Eric Harland (drums).

I Long To See You

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Sonny Fortune - Waves of Dreams

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1976
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:13
Size: 92,2 MB
Art: Front

( 6:17)  1. Seeing Beyond the Obvious
( 7:22)  2. A Space in Time
( 6:39)  3. In Waves of Dreams
( 9:39)  4. Revelation
(10:15)  5. Thoughts

Considering his talent, this was a rather weak and overly commercial effort by the great altoist Sonny Fortune. On several of the numbers, Fortune is joined by some dated electronics; his playing on flute and soprano (during two of the five songs) is not on the same level as his alto, and the songs (four of which are his originals) are forgettable. 

The tricky time signatures and some of the solos are worthwhile (in the supporting cast are trumpeter Charles Sullivan and keyboardist Michael Cochrane), but the set overall is not the least bit memorable. Sonny Fortune eventually showed that he was capable of much better. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/waves-of-dreams-mw0000912637

Personnel:  Sonny Fortune - alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute, tambourine, synthesizer, shaker, percussion;  Charles Sullivan - trumpet, flugelhorn;  Michael Cochrane - piano, electric piano; Clifford Coulter – synthesizer;  Buster Williams – bass;  Chip Lyle – drums;  Angel Allende - congas, percussion

Waves of Dreams

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