Duke Ellington And Johnny Hodges - Side By Side

Styles: Piano Jazz

Year: 2014

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 46:13

Size: 107,6 MB

Art: Front

(6:41)  1. Stompy Jones

(4:38)  2. Squeeze Me

(5:39)  3. Big Shoe

(4:54)  4. Going Up

(5:55)  5. Just A Memory

(6:50)  6. Let's Fall In Love

(2:35)  7. Ruint

(3:01)  8. Bend One

(5:57)  9. You Need To Rock

Topping off a wealth of full-band recordings, the various stars of Ellington's great outfit recorded many combo sides under their own names. And while not on the same sophisticated level of classic Ellingtonia, the late-'30s material cut by Johnny Hodges, Cootie Williams, and Rex Stewart is packed with tasty solo work and some of the finest examples of early small-group swing. These later examples from 1958-1959 feature Hodges backed by both Ellington and Billy Strayhorn on piano and such non-Duke luminaries as Ben Webster, Roy Eldridge, Harry "Sweets" Edison, and Jo Jones. Like its companion album, Back to Back, Side by Side has a loose, jam session feel, with all the soloists stretching out. Hodges is in top form throughout, while Edison and Webster man their spots just fine. Highlights include the sveltely swinging "Going Up" and Hodges' bluesy closer, "You Need to Rock." A must for fans of vintage combo swing. ~ Stephen Cook  http://www.allmusic.com/album/side-by-side-mw0000191768

Personnel:  Duke Ellington – p;  Johnny Hodges – as;  Harry "Sweets" Edison - tp (1, 2, 4);  Lawrence Brown - tb (3, 5, 7-9);  Ben Webster - ts (3, 5-9);  Billy Strayhorn - p (3, 5-9);  Les Spann - g (1, 2), fl (4);  Al Hall - b (1, 2, 4);  Wendell Marshall - b (3, 5-9);  Jo Jones - d

Side By Side

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Earl Hines - Just Friends

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1977
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:35
Size: 146,3 MB
Art: Front

( 8:41)  1. Just Friends
( 4:08)  2. I Cover The Waterfront
( 8:26)  3. The One I Love Belongs To Somebody Else
( 8:14)  4. East Of The Sun
(10:29)  5. Can't We Talk It Over
( 4:42)  6. Indian Summer
( 5:29)  7. You Made Me Love You
( 7:39)  8. If I Had You
( 5:43)  9. Velvet Moon

This "Jazz Hour" gives us nine extended solo piano performances of standards by Earl "Fatha" Hines near the end of his career and life, recorded somewhere in New York City in 1977. There is no documentation as to the origin or story behind these sessions, which sound to be in a studio, but there is a peculiar scratching noise heard frequently in the background during the entire program. Perhaps it is the sleeves or cuffs of Hines' shirt rubbing against either the piano, another facade, or a poorly placed microphone. More likely it could simply be an old, less well preserved, or warped spool of a reel-to-reel tape. 

Although the sound of his playing itself is clear and distinct, the background sonics, especially while listening on headphones, are to say the least, annoying. 

~ Michael G.Nastos  http://www.allmusic.com/album/just-friends-mw0000665630

Just Friends

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Vivian Buczek - Straight from My Heart

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:47
Size: 127,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:38)  1. Too close for comfort
(6:25)  2. Meditação
(4:11)  3. Feel like making love
(4:31)  4. Filthy McNasty
(4:59)  5. So Many Stars
(5:28)  6. Fly away
(4:40)  7. You're driving me crazy
(6:06)  8. We'll be together again
(3:10)  9. The jodi grind
(4:15) 10. Blues for Laila / Lullaby blues
(3:29) 11. Sakta vi ga
(4:49) 12. Szeptem

Claes Crona is one of our foremost jazz icons in Sweden, his personality and his musical abilities are extremely nuanced, full of energy and truth. Full of heart, playfulness and enthusiasm. Together with guitarist Elias Källvik, drummer Zoltan Csörsz and bass player Mattias Hjorth, we have tried to create an atmosphere that exudes swing, happiness and energy in jazzmusic. As the icing on the cake, the Danish tenor saxophonist Jesper Thilo. This is an eclectic collection of tracks with one thing in common, they all come straight from my heart. http://www.vivianbuczek.com/straight_from_my_heart.html

Straight from My Heart

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Johnny Hodges - The Eleventh Hour/Sandy's Gone

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1963
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 30:18 + 26:15
Size: 69,8 MB + 60,5 MB
Art: Front

Album:  The Eleventh Hour

(2:25)  1. Something to Live For
(2:59)  2. In a Sentimental Mood
(2:40)  3. I Didn't Know About You
(3:35)  4. Guitar Amour
(2:06)  5. You Blew Out the Flame (In My Heart)
(2:17)  6. Theme from 'The Eleventh Hour'
(1:59)  7. Love Song from 'Mutiny on the Bounty'
(2:39)  8. Solitude
(2:00)  9. Satin Doll
(2:48) 10. Don't Blame Me
(2:43) 11. Prelude to a Kiss
(2:01) 12. Warm Valley

Album: Sandy's Gone

(2:10)  1. Sandy's Gone
(2:15)  2. Monkey Shack
(2:14)  3. Wonderful, Wonderful
(2:10)  4. Scarlett O'Hara
(2:13)  5. Candy's Theme
(1:53)  6. Follow Me
(2:17)  7. Blue Velvet
(2:21)  8. So Much in Love
(1:55)  9. Again
(2:20) 10. Deep Purple
(2:20) 11. Since
(2:02) 12. 'The Caretakers' Theme

Two Verve albums from Johnny Hodges both relatively obscure, and both pretty darn great! The Eleventh Hour is an overlooked gem from Johnny Hodges  a 60s session that hearkens back to the "with strings" Verve mode of the 50s but one that also updates the approach strongly, thanks to some well crafted arrangements by Oliver Nelson! Nelson's work in the jazz backings for soloist mode during the 60s was some of the best of the big band genre  and although his work here is much more in the mellow tone mode than his backings for players like Jimmy Smith and Lou Donaldson, Hodges is still getting top shelf treatment, some really wonderful washes of sound and color that show that his tone is still very much alive! A nice preface to the pair's classic set for Flying Dutchman and with tracks that include "Something to Live For", "Don't Blame Me", "Warm Valley", "The Eleventh Hour", "Guitar Amour", and "You Blew Out The Flame In My Heart". 

Sandy's Gone is a set that has the sweet alto sax of Johnny Hodges working with great arrangements from Claus Ogerman a mode that's a bit more groovy and 60s than some of Johnny's previous work in a setting that offers up a nice change for his sound! Claus is in fine form here swinging with the same style as his own instrumental records for RCA in the 60s echoes of his German roots, especially in the use of bass at the bottom which gives even some of the gentler tunes a nice kick we're not used to hearing in Johnny Hodges material. Johnny's got a sound that's soulful, yet sweet too almost pop, but still very strongly rooted in jazz on titles that include "Again", "Sandy's Gone", "Monkey Shack", "Scarlett O'Hara", "Candy's Theme", and "Follow Me". https://www.dustygroove.com/item/626604

The Eleventh Hour/Sandy's Gone

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