Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Nancy LaMott - Nancy Lamott Sings David Zippel

Size: 151,9 MB
Time: 64:29
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals, Cabaret
Art: Front

01. Intro (0:23)
02. You Can Always Count On Me (4:05)
03. Another Mr. Right (4:35)
04. Intro To In Someone Else's Arms (0:59)
05. In Someone Else's Arms (3:41)
06. Outro To In Someone Else's Arms (0:14)
07. Intro To Let Go (1:43)
08. Let Go (3:34)
09. Life's Ambition (I Was Born To Be A Slide Trombone) (3:44)
10. Lost And Found (2:37)
11. I'll Be There For Him (3:37)
12. Camel's Blues (3:09)
13. Loud Is Good (4:17)
14. How Can I Win (3:21)
15. Lullaby (1:34)
16. In Someone Else's Arms (Pop Demo) (2:30)
17. Let Go (3:10)
18. Why Don't We Run Away (3:00)
19. With Every Breath I Take (5:04)
20. (Christmas) Stay With Me (4:56)
21. Just In Time For Christmas (4:05)

This CD, with songs by Nancy's long-time friend, Tony Winner and Academy Award Nominee David Zippel, captures, more than any of Nancy's other CD's, the experience of Nancy live and in the studio in the heyday of her New York Cabaret career. It's like being there!

David Zippel is one of our most treasured lyricists and Nancy LaMott's brilliant interpretations are a match made in heaven. Filled with never- before-heard songs of Nancy's. Hear Nancy live in the heyday of her New York Cabaret Career.

World famous composers such as Marvin Hamlisch and Cy Coleman accompany their own songs for Nancy.

Enjoy Nancy talking about the songs live in cabaret performances. Liner notes by David Zippel tell you the history of each song.

There is no more beautiful musical instrument than the voice of Nancy LaMott. Bob Harrington, New York Post

She brought to everything she sang a clean, clear sense of line, impeccable enunciation and a deep understanding of how a good song could convey a lifetime's experience. Stephen Holden --The New York Times

The best cabaret singer I ever heard ... heartfelt, irresistibly appealing. Terry Teachout --Wall Street Journal

She was the greatest cabaret singer since Sinatra. Jonathan Schwartz --National Public Radio Npr

Nancy Lamott Sings David Zippel

Mel Brown B-3 Organ Group - 16th Anniversary Show Vol. 1 & Vol. 2

Album: 16th Anniversary Show Vol. 1: Ticket To Ride
Size: 113,0 MB
Time: 49:02
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Soul Jazz
Art: Front

01. Ticket To Ride (Live) ( 5:31)
02. Lilly Bean (Live) ( 6:13)
03. Let It Be (Live) ( 5:45)
04. Breezin' (Live) ( 5:47)
05. Moondance (Live) ( 5:05)
06. Shotgun - Billie Jean (Live) ( 4:49)
07. You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' (Live) ( 5:36)
08. Five Dollah Blues (Live) (Feat. Thara Memory) (10:13)

“If this band played in New York City, they’d be a sensation!” These are words from legendary jazz guitarist George Benson, describing Portland’s long running soul-jazz outfit, the Mel Brown B3 Organ Group.

In 1997, the group began their long-running weekly perfor- mance at Jimmy Mak’s, Portland’s premier jazz club. When Jimmy Mak’s moved locations in 2006, the band followed and have now been performing as the house band for more than 16 years.

The band plays fiery soul-jazz, but the fire lies less in the style of music they choose to play, and more in the hearts of the talent who play it. Drummer Mel Brown heard Louis Pain’s scorching Hammond B3, and during a meeting with Jimmy Mak, they hand-picked the rest of the original members: long-time trumpeter and educator, Thara Memory; guitarist Dan Faehlne; and the saxophonist Renato Caranto.

Since the early days, Curtis Craft has come on board as percussionist and Dan Balmer replaced Faehnle on guitar. This torching new jazz band took the up-and-coming Pearl district by storm, and they became a sensation!

The double-disc anniversary collection presents Thara Mem- ory as a special guest on these live Jimmy Mak’s performances. On “Ticket to Ride,” Memory gives a hilarious vocal performance, capturing his sass on “Five Dollah Blues,” a song about his trouble with women. Poor Thara, it’s a little over ten full minutes of trouble.

The rest of the album is mostly fiery soul-jazz covers of rock songs from the ‘60s through the ‘80s. They nail Van Morrison’s “Moondance,” (Google the original if you don’t remember, you definitely know it). They also cover Michael Jackson’s “Billy Jean,” and two John Lennon/Paul McCartney songs, “Let it Be,” and a fiery version of “Ticket to Ride,” which opens the record. It’s fun and lighthearted, with tight playing.

The second volume focuses less on rock songs, and, al- though it still burns, it’s a little more like a constant simmer than a raging fire. The track that you’ll probably put on repeat is “Spooky,” a funky tune with Craft adding another layer on his percussion and Caranto’s saxophone up front and center. “Blues for J” is so straight-ahead it sounds like it’s on an out-of-print Prestige vinyl from the 60s.

These two records were both recorded during two Jimmy Mak’s performances at the end of 2013 and the beginning of 2014. Both records burn, but “Ticket to Ride” is more focused on remakes of pop songs. Clearly in these last 16 years, these guys have mastered their crafts and hopefully will continue to be the house band at Jimmy Mak’s for another sixteen.

16th Anniversary Show Vol. 1

Album: 16th Anniversary Show Vol. 2: More Today Than Yesterday
Size: 125,6 MB
Time: 54:37
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2014
Styles: Jazz: Soul Jazz
Art: Front

01. Hip Shaker (Live) (8:27)
02. Spooky (Live) (5:08)
03. House Of The Rising Sun (Live) (7:48)
04. More Today Than Yesterday (Live) (6:59)
05. Dan's Slow Jam (Live) (4:22)
06. Mac Tough (Live) (5:48)
07. Love Won't Let Me Wait (Live) (6:25)
08. Blues For J (Live) (Feat. Thara Memory) (9:35)

16th Anniversary Show Vol. 2

Rebecca Kilgore - Rebecca Kilgore With Hal Smith's Rhythmakers

Size: 101,1 MB
Time: 40:42
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Keep A Song In Your Soul (3:58)
02. Delta Bound (4:02)
03. I'm Crazy 'bout My Baby (4:47)
04. Answer My Heart (2:47)
05. Mister, Will You Serenade (4:22)
06. Let's Have A Jubilee (2:45)
07. Thief In The Night (4:07)
08. How Long Has This Been Going On (5:05)
09. Remarkable Boy (3:04)
10. Kiss Me, Sweet (2:41)
11. He's The Last Word (2:58)

As an interpreter of classic American popular songs from the 1930s and 1940s, vocalist and guitarist Rebecca Kilgore helped revive the hits of yesterday for modern-era jazz audiences. Born in Waltham, MA, in 1949, she relocated to Portland, OR, at the age of 30, beginning her music career fronting an area swing band dubbed the Wholly Cats and recording a 1982 LP titled Doggin' Around. Following the group's 1984 breakup, she formed her own unit, the Rebecca Kilgore Quintet, which quickly emerged as a mainstay of the Northwest jazz scene, and in 1989, she released the cassette-only I Hear Music. Most of Kilgore's subsequent recordings were in conjunction with other performers: In 1990, she teamed with John Miller for Put on a Happy Face, and in 1993 appeared with Portland's Tall Jazz Trio on their Plays Winter Jazz disc. However, Kilgore's most fruitful collaborations were in conjunction with pianist Dave Frishberg; after teaming for 1993's Looking at You, they reunited a year later for I Saw Stars, followed in 1997 by Not a Care in the World and again in 2001 with The Starlit Hour. At the same time, Kilgore also fronted a '60s-style country band, Beck-a-Roo, and in 1994 contributed vocals to the score of the CBS animated special Tales From the Far Side, inspired by the popular Gary Larson comic strip. ~by Jason Ankeny

Rebecca Kilgore With Hal Smith's Rhythmakers

Georgie Fame - Bend A Little: Demos, Rarities & Outtakes

Size: 140,6 MB
Time: 60:52
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz, Pop, Rock, R&B
Art: Front

01. Money (That’s What I Want) (IBC Session) (2:04)
02. Let The Sunshine In (Demo) (IBC Session) (2:36)
03. Lonely Avenue (Demo) (IBC Session) (2:37)
04. You’re Driving Me Crazy (Demo) (IBC Session) (2:17)
05. Kidney Stew (Demo) (IBC Session) (2:03)
06. Moanin' (4:37)
07. Gimme That Wine (Alternative Version) (2:40)
08. Bend A Little (Instrumental) (2:21)
09. Saturday Night Fish Fry (4:41)
10. Lil' Darlin (Alternate Version) (4:13)
11. You’re Driving Me Crazy (2:06)
12. Soul Stomp (2:59)
13. This Is Always - This Isn't Sometimes (3:04)
14. Jelly Jelly Blues (4:49)
15. Black Head Chinaman (2:55)
16. Incense (3:28)
17. Tan Tan's Tune (4:06)
18. Red Number Nine (1:49)
19. Humpty Dumpty (German Language Version) (2:37)
20. Yeh Yeh (German Version) (2:42)

Georgie Fame (born Clive Powell, 26 June 1943) is an English rhythm and blues and jazz singer, and keyboard player. The musician, who had a string of 1960s hits, is still a popular performer, often working with contemporaries such as Van Morrison and Bill Wyman.

Fame is the only British pop star to have achieved three number one hits with his only Top 10 chart entries: "Yeh, Yeh" in 1964, "Get Away" in 1966 and "The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde" in 1967

Bend A Little

Renee Rosnes - Written In The Rocks

Size: 131,0 MB
Time: 56:51
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz: Piano Jazz
Art: Front

01. The KT Boundary (4:50)
02. Galapagos (7:12)
03. So Simple A Beginning (6:14)
04. Lucy From Afar (6:35)
05. Written In The Rocks (5:12)
06. Deep In The Blue (Tiktaalik) (7:33)
07. Cambrian Explosion (5:24)
08. From Here To A Star (8:04)
09. Goodbye Mumbai (5:43)

Why don’t we hear about jazz pianist and composer Renee Rosnes more? She’s just as good, if not better, than most of her male counterparts. Her February 5, 2016 album,Written In The Rocks, on Smoke Sessions Records puts her up there as one of the most in-flux, fluid, fantastic artists around.

Everything on this new record seems to rush at you, in a hurry, with some urgency, but rounded out with a fleshy magic. Her quartet is scheduled to debut Written In The Rocks at a CD release celebration February 5-7 of next year in three sets at New York City’s Smoke Jazz & Supper Club.

This is no ordinary release, built on the whims and aspirations of a jazz artist in flux. The Canadian expat found inspiration in nature, building seven of the nine compositions to “The Galapagos Suite.”

Nature has always played a major role in Rosnes’ life growing up in beautiful British Columbia. “The infinite blue-green hues of coastal British Columbia are in my blood,” she explained in a recent DL Media press release. “My family's home sat at the bottom of a street that opened up into a deep ravine, and a half-hour's drive from there, the city lights were dim enough to offer an astonishing view of the night sky. Salty air, the smell of seaweed, the relentless pounding of waves, and the agreeable aroma of cedar — all of these provide me with spiritual nourishment and inspiration. To compose music about our planet's evolution was a stimulating concept and one brimming with possibilities.”

With Rosnes on this natural journey are her bandmates: Steve Wilson (sax, flute), Steve Nelson (vibes), Peter Washington (bass), and Bill Stewart (drums). “All of us have personal and musical relationships that have been growing for decades,” Rosnes continued. “As a band, we've developed a focused sound with a wide and nuanced palette of colors and rhythms. We play off of each other.”

Her bandmates play no small role on her album. That’s Nelson’s vibes all over the place on “Lucy From Afar,” touching on the intriguing discovery of humankind’s ancestor amongst the ruins of civilization. In the opening, “The KT Boundary,” her entire band joins in, notably drummer Stewart with Wilson on flute and soprano sax. Together, they posit the possibilities of new life from the end of the dinosaurs in a kind of mass, avant-garde hysteria that never quite takes leave of its senses.

On the title track, Nelson’s vibes gently make way for Rosnes, as she displays the kind of tranquil feminine touch missing in a lot of the slam, bang macho posturing found amongst the Millennial boys’ club nowadays. Yet, there’s the still life of a Bill Evans, a man who knew how to tap into his softer side for a melodic drowning, the fervor of the dying’s last wish. She contemplates the wonder, the history, the secrets beneath those age-old rocks, gently tapping at the grains of arctic sands, every note a forestry, a surging series of waves.

Outside “The Galapagos Suite,” Renee Rosnes and her band find common ground in the solid, straight-ahead jazz contemplation, “From Here To A Star,” and the hopefully nostalgic “Goodbye Mumbai.” ~Carol Banks Weber

Written In The Rocks

The James Zeller Trio - Serenades The Moon

Size: 101,3 MB
Time: 38:05
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Isn't It Romantic (4:00)
02. Delovely (2:46)
03. More (3:27)
04. Skylark (3:58)
05. You Stepped Out Of A Dream (3:23)
06. Blue Moon (2:58)
07. Old Devil Moon (4:14)
08. When Lights Are Low (4:29)
09. The Way You Look Tonight (3:18)
10. I Only Have Eyes For You (3:06)
11. Lookin' At The World Through Rose Colored Glasses (2:20)

The James Zeller Trio , based in New York City, is a Jazz Trio composed of vocalist/trombonist James Zeller, Guitarist Pat Brennan and Bassist Lorenzo Sandi. An extremely musically versitale and entertaining group, they perform a perfect mix of classic love songs, early Jazz , broadway show tunes and standards of all kinds from the 1920's- 50's.

James and Pat, although both formally educated in music, began working together as buskers in Central Park and today find themselves performing regularly at the finest establishments in New York. The demands of busking forced them to develop a style and repertoire of music that would entice passers-by to stop and linger. They have never lost their uncanny ability to entertain a crowd and that experience has taught them to cherish their connection to audiences.

James and Lorenzo, a formally educated classical musician, began playing together in a most unusual manner, Sidewalk Serenading. With wheels strapped to Lorenzo's beautiful Bass and James carrying that eye catching brass Trombone, they would stroll from place to place serenading and delighting people all over Manhattan.

Serenades The Moon

The Swing Commanders - Steelin' Back

Size: 113,1 MB
Time: 48:43
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz: Western Swing, Vocals
Art: Front

01. Bye Bye Paris (4:02)
02. Take It Away, Leon (3:01)
03. Hootenanny (3:12)
04. The Way You Look Tonight (5:58)
05. Blue Suede Shoes (3:16)
06. Sugar Moon (3:42)
07. Basin Street Blues (4:17)
08. Whoa Babe (2:43)
09. Papa Loves Mambo (3:06)
10. Way Down Yonder In New Orleans (2:53)
11. Is You Is (Or Is You Ain't My Baby) (4:50)
12. The Real Thing (4:21)
13. Rockin' On Sunday Night (3:15)

Personnel: Peter Riley, Daisy Thurkettle, Dan Smith, Siena Lloyd, Stuart Smith

The Swing Commanders are a young and vibrant quintet, performing 40's swing and western swing at its very best. Instrumentation features Fiddle, Mandolin, Sax, Clarinet, Steel Guitar, Accordian, Piano, Guitar, Upright Bass, Cowbell, Drums and multiple vocals. With endless talent, continous swapping of instruments and an energetic approach the show recieves standing ovations almost everywhere they perform!

Steelin' Back

Jazz Five - Jump, Jive An' Wail

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:28
Size: 90.4 MB
Styles: Swing
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[3:53] 1. Jump, Jive An' Wail
[3:49] 2. I Wanna Be Like You
[4:37] 3. Just A Gigolo I Ain't Got Nobody
[4:22] 4. Halleluja I Love Her So
[6:19] 5. Bourbon Street Parade
[4:04] 6. The Sheik Of Araby
[3:14] 7. Threehanded Woman
[4:27] 8. When You're Smiling
[4:38] 9. Goodnight, Irene

Jonas Starcke (vocals, bass instrument); Johan Byling Lang (soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, baritone saxophone); Jappe Zacho (tenor saxophone); Esben Hilig (piano); Stefan Andersen (drums, percussion).

Jazz Five takes the audience to modern day New Orleans and delivers a unique show with funky second line grooves, blues, shuffle and jazz`n`roll. Jazz Five was formed in 1996 and since have played over 1000 concerts from British Columbia, to Bornholm and all the way to South Korea in 2013. Whether we are talking festivals, jazz clubs or other arrangements, Jazz Five always projects overwhelming charisma. The band is a non-stop swinging sweat dripping party machine that invites the listener to Mardi Gras in New Orleans and delivers a world class show. With two saxes in the front, an energetic rhythm section, intoxicating blues piano and a singing drummer Jazz Five mixes a live music cocktail that will make your head spin. The audience is pulled out of their seats by the pure seduction of the deep southern funky rhythm set on the scene.

Jump, Jive An' Wail

Dolores Gray - Warm Brandy

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:28
Size: 97.2 MB
Styles: Vocal, Torch Songs
Year: 1957/2007
Art: Front

[2:21] 1. Shangri-La
[3:00] 2. Penthouse Serenade (When We're Alone)
[2:28] 3. You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me
[2:51] 4. Kiss Me
[2:49] 5. How Long Has This Been Going On
[2:11] 6. Close Your Eyes
[3:25] 7. You Go To My Head
[2:45] 8. Do-Do-Do
[2:59] 9. Speak Low
[3:04] 10. Don't Blame Me
[2:39] 11. Isn't It Romantic
[2:42] 12. You're My Thrill
[2:16] 13. My Mama Likes You
[2:10] 14. I'm Innocent
[2:18] 15. Fool's Errand
[2:23] 16. There'll Be Some Changes Made

Tall, blonde drink-of-water Dolores Gray starred in films and musicals throughout the '40s and '50s and made a respectable armful of minor charting songs for Columbia, Decca, RCA Victor and Capitol during her career. A dedicated B-lister, Gray never crossed over to the big time, but did find an audience for her theatrical and sultry interpretations of standards and late-night missives. The Capitol reissue of her aptly titled 1957 album Warm Brandy serves up the smoldering, come-hither vibe in high style -- with deluxe packaging, a ten-page booklet of information and photos, and four bonus tracks. The original selections presented all have the fireside couch in mind (with an eye on the bedroom) and, for sheer cocktail romanticism, this set has few peers. Gray's voice might not have been on par with the likes of contemporaries such as Ethel Merman, Mary Martin or June Christy, but her stunning looks and acting talent sure gave her an advantage in the boudoir department. ~J. Scott McClintock

Warm Brandy

Jack Millman Quartet & Quintet - Four More

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:39
Size: 95.4 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[3:40] 1. Woody 'n You
[4:21] 2. Darn That Dream
[4:36] 3. Stitt's It
[1:45] 4. Four More
[2:29] 5. Khan
[2:51] 6. We'll Be Together Again
[2:57] 7. Asphyxiated Swing
[2:30] 8. Yardbird Suite
[2:10] 9. Stella By Starlight
[2:19] 10. Now Hear This
[2:50] 11. Easy To Love
[2:45] 12. Where Can I Go Without You
[2:07] 13. With The Wind And The Rain In Your Hair
[2:07] 14. (Back Home Again In) Indiana
[2:06] 15. Bags' Groove

Jack Millman (tp), Lin Halliday (ts), Don Friedman (p), Clarence Jones (b), Ray Teidel (d), Don Paterson (b). Recorded in Hollywood, 1956.

I'll wager that the name Jack Millman is new to you. If so, don't feel bad. Most jazz fans aren't aware of Millman either. Which is somewhat puzzling given how tasty and on the scene he was in Los Angeles from the late '40s through the mid-'60s. In addition to playing briefly in several major bands on the West Coast, Millman also was a solid arranger and composer who was close friends with all of the top studio musicians at the time. ~Marc Myers

Four More

Happy Traum - Just For The Love Of It

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:55
Size: 132.6 MB
Styles: Folk-blues
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[4:44] 1. Careless Love Blues
[5:04] 2. Deep Blue Sea
[3:00] 3. Church Street Blues
[3:30] 4. High Muddy Water
[6:45] 5. In The Evening When The Sun Goes Down
[3:06] 6. Things Are Coming My Way
[6:16] 7. The Water Is Wide
[2:37] 8. Jay Gould's Daughter
[2:43] 9. Sailing Down My Golden River
[2:59] 10. I Ain't Got No Home
[4:11] 11. Spanish Is The Loving Tongue
[4:20] 12. Crash On The Levee
[4:30] 13. Tennessee Waltz
[4:03] 14. In The Pines

At 77, Happy Traum is a folk revivalist straight out of Inside Llewyn Davis – a Bronx believer who, alongside his late brother Artie and many others, eventually landed in the music-minded hamlet of Woodstock, New York. Traum never left, and his latest set is a handsome, modestly-virtuosic celebration of folk tradition and a community that still cultivates it.

Traum has an easy, conversational singing voice that hasn’t changed much, and a delicately fluid acoustic guitar style testifying to decades as a student and teacher. The song selection on Just For The Love Of It is canonical, thematically long on loss and death, as you might expect from a septuagenarian who outlived his younger brother/collaborator. But he has a village of comrades on hand. John Sebastian adds harmonica to “I Ain’t Got No Home,” the Woody Guthrie signature, which Traum embellishes beautifully. In the liner notes, Traum labels “The Water Is Wide” as “one of the most beautiful songs in the English language” (it’s one of the oldest, too); he argues his case for it with Larry Campbell’s pedal steel – like sunbeams through clouds – and Teresa Williams’ vocal harmonies.

History feels lived, not fixed, here. “In The Pines” looks back to Leadbelly’s definitive reading but finds the ghost of Cobain’s on the way. “Spanish Is A Loving Tongue” echoes versions by Emmylou Harris and Dylan. Speaking of, “Crash On The Levee (Down In The Flood)” was one of the four duets that Traum cut with Dylan in 1971 for the latter’s Greatest Hits Vol II. It gets a reprise here: Happy takes the supple solo he couldn’t on Dylan’s version, with son Adam Traum taking one too, for good measure. This take’s a bit more uptempo and a bit less vindictive than Bob’s, which maybe ain’t surprising from a dude named Happy. Still, it’s the sad songs here that really connect: See “Deep Blue Sea,” a song about death delightfully buoyed by gospel harmonies and David Amram’s kwela-style pennywhistle. If we all gotta go, and we do, this seems like the right way to look at it. ~Will Hermes

Just For The Love Of It