Saturday, March 19, 2016

Eric Legnini - Rhythm Sphere

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:59
Size: 126,3 MB
Art: Front

(7:48)  1. Prima Vista
(7:46)  2. Duke Ellington Sound of Love
(3:07)  3. The Sorcerer
(5:17)  4. For Jan
(2:10)  5. Rhythm Sphere
(6:12)  6. You Don't Know What Love Is
(8:00)  7. Mr The Hipster
(8:18)  8. Inner Urge
(6:17)  9. Le Jardin des Sables

The brainchild of Belgium's most accomplished pianist, jazz outfit the Eric Legnini Trio achieved success across Europe with their acoustic take on various Great American Songbook standards. Born in Huy in 1970, Eric Legnini began playing the piano at age six and, after becoming a teacher of jazz piano at the Royal Conservatory of Brussels in the '90s, teamed up with saxophonist Jacques Pelzer to record the debut album Never Let Me Go. Legnini spent the next two decades balancing his own recording career with performing with the likes of Toots Thielemans, Flavio Boltro, and Stefano di Battista before teaming up with bassist Thomas Bramerie and drummer Franck Agulhon in 2012 to record the covers album Ballads under the guise of the Eric Legnini Trio. ~ Jon O’Brien  http://www.allmusic.com/artist/eric-legnini-trio-mn0002890716

Personnel:  Eric Legnini (Piano);  Philippe Aerts (Double Bass);  Joe Lovano (Saxophone);  Félix Simtaine (Drums).

Rhythm Sphere

Ethel Ennis - This Is Ethel Ennis

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 1963
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 57:14
Size: 101,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:01)  1. He Loves Me
(2:51)  2. An Occasional Man
(3:17)  3. Dear Friend
(2:39)  4. Nobody Told Me
(2:33)  5. As You Desire Me
(2:58)  6. Joey, Joey, Joey
(2:46)  7. The Moon Was Yellow (And the Night Was Young)
(2:21)  8. Who Will Buy?
(2:45)  9. Night Club
(3:04) 10. Love, Don't Turn Away
(2:40) 11. Starry-Eyed and Breathless
(2:02) 12. When Did I Fall in Love
(2:28) 13. The Boy from Ipanema
(2:15) 14. When Will the Hurt Be Over
(2:31) 15. Now I Have Everything
(2:06) 16. Matchmaker, Matchmaker
(2:08) 17. San Juan
(2:41) 18. For a Little While
(2:00) 19. I've Got That Feeling
(2:44) 20. About Love
(2:37) 21. We Could Learn Together
(2:38) 22. Look at Me

Baltimore jazz institution Ethel Ennis was born November 28, 1932. Beginning her vocal career while a pianist in a high school jazz group, she quickly went on to sing with everyone from Louis Armstrong to Duke Ellington to Count Basie. Ennis' debut LP, Lullabies for Losers, appeared on Jubilee in 1955, with the follow-up, Change of Scenery, issued two years later on Capitol; around the same time, she toured Europe with Benny Goodman, but finding the grind of the road too intense, she returned home to Baltimore, and  much to the detriment of her rising fame rarely played outside of the Charm City area in the decades to come. After 1958's Have You Forgotten?, Ennis did not resurface until six years later, landing at RCA for This Is Ethel Ennis; three more LPs Once Again, Eyes for You and My Kind of Waltztime quickly followed by another eight-year studio hiatus which finally ended with the 1973 release of the BASF album 10 Sides of Ethel Ennis. That same year, she also sang the National Anthem at the re-inauguration proceedings of President Richard Nixon. Ennis next turned up on vinyl in 1980 with Live at Maryland Inn; a self-titled follow-up was 14 years in the making, with If Women Ruled the World appearing in 1998. ~ Jason Ankeny  http://www.allmusic.com/artist/ethel-ennis-mn0000206512/biography

Repressing. 2007 reissue of this album from the Baltimore native, originally released on RCA in 1958. In her heyday, the critics hailed as "the most accomplished singer performing today." That stature was earned by her magnificent voice, her brilliant compositions, her joyful performances and her collaboration with the finest musicians. Ethel Ennis first won national recognition for her recording 'Lullaby for Losers' in 1955. In 1958, Benny Goodman chose her as the female vocalist for the all-star band that he took to Europe for the Brussel's World Fair. This Is Ethel Ennis is highly indicative of the taste, originality and selectivity that went into her choice of songs. Poker. ~ Editorial Reviews http://www.amazon.com/This-Is-Ethel-Ennis/dp/B000X20ZBY

This Is Ethel Ennis

The Drummonds Feat. Renee Rosnes - When You Wish Upon A Star

Styles: Jazz, Post-Bop
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:03
Size: 135,5 MB
Art: Front

(7:09)  1. Nature Boy
(6:07)  2. Autumn In New York
(5:32)  3. Over The Rainbow
(7:00)  4. Alone Together
(5:40)  5. When You Wish Upon A Star
(3:48)  6. Danny Boy
(5:52)  7. Lullaby Of Birdland
(5:13)  8. The Sound Of Silence
(6:34)  9. Polka Dots And Moonbeams
(6:04) 10. Like Someone In Love

It is refreshing to hear three of the most forward thinking musicians in the jazz mainstream tackle material from the Great American Songbook in a decidedly conventional manner. Bassist Ray Drummond, drummer Billy Drummond (no relation), and pianist Renee Rosnes, all first call New York area players and leaders in their own right, play tunes like “Autumn In New York,” “Danny Boy,” and “Like Someone In Love,” without deconstructing melodies or demolishing song-forms. The music adheres to a straight-ahead piano trio format, with Rosnes taking the lead voice and the bass and drums in supportive roles.  The opening cut, “Nature Boy,” is a good example of the trio’s overall sound. After Rosnes’ brief introduction, the bass and drums enter and establish a medium tempo while the piano states a partially reharmonized version of the melody. Rosnes fashions a solo that is full of daring bop lines yet firmly grounded by the accompaniment. “Alone Together” begins with Ray Drummond playing the head over Rosnes’ chords, features a solo consisting of dancing phrases by the pianist, and an exchange of eights and fours between the bass and drums. The highlight of the set is a stunning version of Arlen and Harburg’s “Over The Rainbow.” Amidst the Drummonds’ sensitive support, Rosnes’ understated treatment captures the tune’s exquisite melancholy without becoming dramatic or sentimental. ~ David A.Orthmann  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/when-you-wish-upon-a-star-the-drummonds-32-records-review-by-david-a-orthmann.php

Personnel: Renee Rosnes (piano); Billy Drummond (bass instrument); Ray Drummond (drums).

When You Wish Upon A Star

Candy Dulfer - Candy Store

Styles: Jazz Funk, Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:11
Size: 126,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:11)  1. Candy
(3:45)  2. L.A. Citylights
(3:54)  3. Music=Love
(3:03)  4. La Cabana
(4:02)  5. 11:58
(4:28)  6. Summertime
(4:24)  7. Soulsax
(4:51)  8. Smokin' Gun
(4:27)  9. Back To Juan
(4:43) 10. If I Ruled The World
(4:32) 11. Everytime
(3:55) 12. My Philosophy
(3:51) 13. Bum Bum

Candy Dulfer was just twenty years old when she scored her first international hit, "Lily Was Here, a duet with Eurhythmics guitarist Dave Stewart. At that time, she was already an experienced saxophonist, having started at the age of six, heavily influenced by her father, jazz saxophonist Hans Dulfer. Though "Lily Was Here performed well on the pop charts, Dulfer has been more of a soul/funk artist, evidenced by Candy Store. Dutch-born Dulfer led her first band, Funky Stuff, at the age of fourteen. Her career has included performances with Stewart, Prince, Pink Floyd, Maceo Parker, Aretha Franklin, Beyonce and David Sanborn, among others. Candy Store features all-original songs, penned by Dulfer and her sidemen, Thomas Bank, Chance Howard and Ulco Bed. "Candy is a funky tribute to the band leader. Howard, who wrote the track, raps while Bed delivers a soulful rhythm guitar. Dulfer plays alto sax in a style similar to that of Sanborn. The music is even of the soul-jazz style that was Sanborn's signature for many years.

Bassist Howard opens "Music = Love with a Bootsy Collins-like vocal intro. Howard and Dulfer perform vocals on this song, which includes the horns of Jan van Duikeren and Louk Boudesteijn. John Blackwell joins the ensemble on drums, one of only three tracks with an acoustic drum kit the album's one glaring weakness. Heavy reliance on programming is usually the death knell for any kind of jazz album, but excellent songwriting and strong performances by Dulfer and others easily overcome the artificial sounds of the programs. A good example of this is "La Cabana, a Latin piece that begs for drums, cymbals, congas and perhaps timbales. Yet the horns, Bank's keys and Howard's bass still manage to make this a delightful tune. Dulfer shows off her singing chops on "Summertime, a playful dance track. She also adds tenor and baritone to her sax play. The background horns are fabulous. Howard's bass helps set the tone for "Smokin' Gun, a reggae-like song. Bank's programming sounds more like the real thing on this track than any other, including crisp cymbal slides. Candy Store is not for hardcore jazz fans who want their music straight, with no outside influences. However, Dulfer is a diverse musician whose music includes elements of pop, soul and funk. If you approach this album without any preconceptions of what jazz ought to be, you may find plenty to enjoy here. ~ Woodrow Wilkins  http://www.allaboutjazz.com/candy-store-candy-dulfer-heads-up-international-review-by-woodrow-wilkins.php
 
Personnel: Candy Dulfer: alto sax, baritone sax (2, 6), tenor sax (2, 6, 10), background vocals, Rhodes (5), lead vocals (6), horn arrangement (8); Thomas Bank: keyboards, programming, Rhodes (10); Chance Howard: bass, lead synth (1), lead vocals (1, 3), rap (1), synth bass (6), background vocals, intro chat (3, 7); Ulco Bed: guitar, bass (7, 11); Kasper van Kooten: drums (2); Jan van Duikeren: trumpet (2, 7-10), horn arrangements; Louk Boudesteijn: trombone (2-4, 6-8, 10); Trijntje Oosterhuis: backing vocals; John Blackwell: drum fills (7), drums (3, 11).

Candy Store