Monday, March 14, 2016

Susie Arioli - Spring

Size: 108,0 MB
Time: 45:59
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2015
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Loverboy (3:51)
02. Mean To Me (4:19)
03. Dearest Darling (3:50)
04. Can't Say No (3:22)
05. Evenin' (3:37)
06. Those Lonely, Lonely Nights (3:11)
07. I'm The Caring Kind (3:30)
08. Me, Myself And I (4:08)
09. Spring (2:37)
10. Someone Else (4:54)
11. Travelin' Light (3:53)
12. After You're Gone (4:42)

Canadian Jazz singer from Montreal and multiple Juno-Award nominee Susie Arioli, presents another spectacular rhythm-based recording on Spring, a spectacular blues and soul-influenced vocal project combining four fresh originals with a selection of vibrant standards for a very spicy and rousing good time. Under the direction of multi-instrumentalist/arranger and multiple Juno-Award winner Don Thompson, Arioli fronts a nine-piece ensemble that, on various occasions, sounds like a big band machine. With this superb support, the songstress delivers warm ballads, moving blues and soul-infused rhythms along with an array of swinging orchestrations.

The rousing original "Loverboy" opens the date in swinging style as the vocalist leads the music with the able assistance of a five-piece horn section consisting of tenor saxophonist Phil Dwyer, altoist Andy Ballantyne, baritone saxophonist Shirantha Beddage, trombonist Kelsley Grant and featured trumpeter Kevin Turcotte, who provides a hot solo here with nice guitar work in the background by Reg Schwager. The Turk/Ahlert jazz standard "Mean to Me" follows with Arioli voicing the lyrics against the backdrop of drummer Terry Clarke's splashing cymbal accents accompanying Thompson's piano lines and vibraphone solo work marking this tune, one of the best of the disc. Incidentally, Thompson and Clarke have a long history of collaborating together on musical projects.

The soulful and bluesy elements of the album come into play on such tracks as "Dearest Darling," "Can't Say No," "Evenin' "and on Earl King's "Those Lonely, Lonely Nights." The original title track is a beautiful soft number which demonstrates the singer's talents as a writer. The Johnny Mercer/Trummy Young standard "Travelin' Light," allows Arioli an opportunity to showcase her vocal treatment of ballads with her original "Someone Else" displaying the light sounds of Brasil on a gorgeous bossa nova featuring Thompson on a sweet vibe solo.

The singer turns on the charm and gets back into the swing on such lively pieces as "I'm the Caring Kind," "Me, Myself and I" and the sizzling finale "After You're Gone," completing another attention-deserving recording certain to make Susie Arioli's Spring, a jazz vocals album for all seasons that lovers of the style and jazz audiences in general, are bound to enjoy and spin often. ~by Edward Blanco

Personnel: Susie Arioli: vocals; Don Thompson: piano, vibraphone; Terry Clarke: drums; Neil Swainson: bass; Reg Schwager: guitar; Phil Dwyer: tenor saxophone; Kevin Turcotte: trumpet; Andy Ballantyne: alto saxophone; Shirantha Beddage: baritone saxophone; Kelsley Grant: trombone.

Spring

Dave Dwyer & The L.A. Cruisers - LA Groovin'

Size: 100,6 MB
Time: 39:50
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz/Blues
Art: Front

01. La Groovin' (4:41)
02. Fretzel Logic (6:09)
03. Bayridge Blues (4:31)
04. Santa Monica Sunset (4:46)
05. A Storm Is Coming (5:40)
06. Sittin' On The Beach (3:54)
07. Skunk's Skank (4:31)
08. One Final Word (5:33)

LA Groovin’ is a “Concept Album”, born out of my time spent in both Los Angeles and New York during the mid 1990’s.

After my Band 1927 decided to take a 1 Year hiatus, I decided to move to the US to explore other musical avenues and was lucky enough to be able to live and work with my good friend Jeff Baxter (Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan) in Bel Air, and soak up the sights and sounds of the West Coast American music culture that had influenced much of my Career.

This Album is a celebration of my time in America, all the sights and sounds, and the many wonderful people that I met, and the fabulous musicians that I worked with during that 6 month period.

The title track LA Groovin’ was inspired by the excitement a young Aussie guitar player felt at first landing in Los Angeles, and the closing track One Final Word encapsulates my feelings of leaving my musical “Promised Land”. The rest are the stories in between.

I hope you enjoy LA Groovin’ as much as I did living my American Musical Dream. ~Dave Dwyer

LA Groovin'

Candy Dulfer - Crazy

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:16
Size: 129,6 MB
Art: Front

(0:52)  1. Stop All That Noise
(4:07)  2. Crazy
(4:00)  3. Hey Now
(4:21)  4. Flame
(4:03)  5. Good Music
(3:30)  6. Complic8ed Lives
(0:35)  7. Calling Next Door
(4:14)  8. Electric Blue
(4:14)  9. In Or Out
(4:04) 10. I Do
(4:07) 11. Rocket Rocket
(5:38) 12. No End
(0:26) 13. Open Up
(4:50) 14. Please Don't Stop
(6:08) 15. Too Close

Candy pushes the whole musical experience to the edge once again on her new recording, Crazy. The 15-song set includes numerous tracks co-written and produced by multi-instrumentalist Printz Board whose mile-long list of credits includes musical director for the Black Eyed Peas for more than a decade, as well as work with a broad range of artists: Macy Gray, Mariah Carey, Sergio Mendes Gomez, Katy Perry,Burt Bacharach and dozens more. When saxophonist Candy Dulfer steps onto the stage or into the studio, everything is immediately up for grabs and anything can happen. 

This sexy, high-energy vibe seemingly out-of-control, yet always carefully calculated is a direct result of her consistently hot and sweet confection of jazz, funk, R&B, soul, pop, techno and more. It's a no-holds-barred recipe that has served her and her worldwide fan base well since her earliest recordings at the start of the 1990s. ~ Editorial Reviews  http://www.amazon.com/Crazy-Candy-Dulfer/dp/B006GVNIDI

Personnel: Candy Dulfer (vocals, alto saxophone).

Crazy

Carmen Bradford - With Respect

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:15
Size: 122,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:52)  1. Even Steven
(4:08)  2. You'll Have To Swing It (Mr. Paganini)
(4:58)  3. Look Who's Mine
(5:10)  4. High Wire
(4:47)  5. Finally
(3:52)  6. Maybe Now
(4:12)  7. Little Esther
(4:43)  8. Ain't No Use
(4:43)  9. Was I In Love Alone
(5:53) 10. He comes to Me for Comfort
(5:53) 11. Nature Boy

Carmen Bradford is a belter, a singer not afraid to show off her emotions or to occasionally go over the top. She toured with Count Basie's Orchestra for nine years but somehow never achieved much fame, only recording on a very irregular basis as a singer despite her strong musicality and powerful pipes. This set is a fine all-around showcase, featuring her with a variety of small groups including ensembles with either Cedar Walton or Donald Brown on piano. Among the other prominent players are vibraphonist Steve Nelson, guitarist Dori Caymmi, saxophonist Charles Owens, and (on a closing duet version of "Nature Boy") guitarist Michael O'Neill. Although it probably was not the best idea to perform "You'll Have to Swing It (Mr. Paganini)" (since Ella owns it), Bradford sounds particularly strong on the more recent and obscure material, including Chick Corea's "High Wire," Cedar Walton's "Even Steven," and Red Mitchell's "Finally." Since she has not recorded all that often since this period, With Respect is still Carmen Bradford's definitive recording. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/with-respect-mw0000174309

Personnel:  Vocals – Carmen Bradford;  Bass – James Leary, Robert Hurst;  Drums – Ralph Penland;  Flute, Saxophone – Charles Owens;  Guitar – Dori Caymmi , Michael O'Neill, Wali Ali;  Percussion – Bill Summers;  Piano – Cedar Walton, Donald Brown;  Vibraphone – Steve Nelson

With Respect

Tal Farlow - Autumn In New York

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1954
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:44
Size: 82,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:12)  1. I Like To Recognize The Tune
(3:29)  2. Strike Up The Band
(5:06)  3. Autumn In New York
(4:25)  4. And She Remembers Me
(3:25)  5. Little Girl Blue
(4:59)  6. Have You Met Miss Jones
(5:13)  7. Tal's Blues
(4:50)  8. Cherokee

A generally relaxed date (only "Cherokee" is uptempo), Tal Farlow's pretty tone and tasteful improvising style are the main reasons to search for this disc. Pianist Gerry Wiggins, bassist Ray Brown, and drummer Chico Hamilton offer quiet and swinging support of the great guitarist, who performs two originals ("And She Remembers Me" and "Tal's Blues"), plus six superior standards. All of Farlow's Verve releases of the '50s are recommended. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/album/autumn-in-new-york-mw0000347284

Personnel:  Tal Farlow – guitar;  Gerry Wiggins – piano;  Ray Brown – bass;  Chico Hamilton – drums

Autumn In New York

Kenny Barron - Book Of Intuition

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:10
Size: 138,4 MB
Art: Front

(7:54)  1. Magic Dance
(5:30)  2. Bud Like
(6:02)  3. Cook's Bay
(6:34)  4. In the Slow Lane
(6:55)  5. Shuffle Boil
(4:09)  6. Light Blue
(5:09)  7. Lunacy
(5:59)  8. Dreams
(4:43)  9. Prayer
(7:11) 10. Nightfall

Kenny Barron, the 72-year-old Philadelphia-born virtuoso, is the kind of jazz pianist whose resources are familiar and much-covered by mainstream swing players, but whose joyfully extravagant execution is a rarity today. That quality transforms this trio set from being a canter through a smooth-jazzy assortment of soft ballads, Latin smoochers and glossy swing. Barron has absorbed an encyclopaedia of jazz methods from a life on the road with legends such as Ella Fitzgerald and Stan Getz, and it pours out in these tracks. Magic Dance, with its glistening chords and Latin-jazz tick, sounds smooth at first but unleashes an impulsive torrent. Ballads such as In the Slow Lane display his impeccably light touch and Thelonious Monk’s Shuffle Boil isn’t Monkishly lateral but swings furiously. The jangling Lunacy is a collective bustle prodded by bassist Kiyoshi Kitagawa and drummer Johnathan Blake, while Nightfall is delicate drift through slow chords. There might be too many notes for some on this record, but it’s almost all affectingly musical just the same.  http://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/mar/03/kenny-barron-trio-book-of-intuition-review-joyful-extravagance-of-execution

If you have been vaguely wondering what happened to wholehearted, outgoing jazz piano in the grand manner, just listen to this album’s opening track, Magic Dance. It has everything – attractive melody, unbuttoned swing, virtuosity and enough rhythmic sleight-of-hand to keep you wide awake. Among the dozen or so most admired pianists in jazz today, Kenny Barron strikes me as the one who wears his mastery most comfortably. From a languid piece such as Dreams, to Thelonious Monk’s fiendishly tricky Shuffle-Boil, there’s a gentle firmness to his playing. In some mysterious way he makes the piano sound bigger too. Bassist Kiyoshi Kitagawa and drummer Johnathan Blake follow every move with seamless subtlety. http://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/mar/06/kenny-barron-trio-book-of-intuition-review

Personnel:  Kenny Barron – Piano;  Kiyoshi Kitagawa – Bass;  Johnathan Blake – Drums.

Book Of Intuition