Herbie Hancock - Cantaloupe Island

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:06
Size: 96.4 MB
Styles: Piano jazz, Hard bop
Year: 1994
Art: Front

[5:26] 1. Cantaloupe Island
[7:03] 2. Watermelon Man
[6:54] 3. Driftin'
[8:15] 4. Blind Man, Blind Man
[6:31] 5. And What If I Don't
[7:54] 6. Maiden Voyage

A mini-retrospective of Herbie Hancock's early years as a jazz artist, this six-track CD touches on some of his best-known small-ensemble works from that period. Of his first five albums for Blue Note Records from 1963-1965, Takin' Off, My Point of View, Empyrean Isles, and Maiden Voyage are represented -- his third and perhaps most individually realized LP, Inventions & Dimensions, is not. You get hits "Canteloupe Island," "Watermelon Man," "Maiden Voyage," and three lesser titles, which remove it from "best-of" status. His sixth and seventh full-length Blue Note recordings, The Prisoner and Speak Like a Child, are also omitted. This is a decent, edited, and concise, but far from comprehensive view of Hancock's salad days, which some purport might still be his best. ~Michael G. Nastos

Cantaloupe Island

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Ella Mae Morse - Capitol Collectors Series

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:22
Size: 138.2 MB
Styles: Blues/Jazz/Country vocals
Year: 1992
Art: Front

[3:11] 1. Cow Cow Boogie
[3:00] 2. Mr. Five By Five
[2:55] 3. The Thrill Is Gone
[3:03] 4. Get On Board, Little Chillun
[3:15] 5. Shoo Shoo Baby
[2:34] 6. No Love, No Nothin'
[2:36] 7. Milkman, Keep Those Bottles Quiet
[3:11] 8. Tess' Torch Song (I Had A Man)
[2:53] 9. The Patty Cake Man
[2:50] 10. Captain Kidd
[2:58] 11. Rip Van Winkle
[2:56] 12. Buzz Me
[2:53] 13. The House Of Blue Lights
[2:51] 14. Pig Foot Pete
[2:31] 15. Get Off It And Go
[2:18] 16. Tennessee Saturday Night
[3:04] 17. The Blacksmith Blues
[2:26] 18. Oakie Boogie
[2:51] 19. Forty Cups Of Coffee
[2:39] 20. I Love You, Yes I Do
[3:18] 21. Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive

After being out of print for many years, a well-chosen sampling of Morse's groundbreaking recordings are now available on this splendid compilation. Her ten charting solo singles are here, along with sides recorded with Freddie Slack and some obscure tracks. Morse blazes through every song, particularly "House of Blue Lights," "Milkman, Keep Those Bottles Quiet," "Pig Foot Pete," "The Blacksmith Blues," and her first recording, "Cow Cow Boogie." The album has terrific liners and superlative sound. ~Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Capitol Collectors Series

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Billy Stewart - The Best Of Billy Stewart

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:15
Size: 73.9 MB
Styles: R&B
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[3:01] 1. I Do Love You
[2:35] 2. Fat Boy
[2:20] 3. Reap What You Sow
[3:19] 4. Sitting In The Park
[2:54] 5. Love Me
[2:06] 6. Strange Feeling
[3:00] 7. Secret Love
[3:00] 8. Cross My Heart
[2:53] 9. Every Day I Have The Blues
[2:50] 10. Tell Me The Truth
[4:13] 11. Summertime

Billy Stewart was an utterly singular vocal magician who belongs to a long ago era, when an enormously gifted black man could astonish listeners by writing and recording something so utterly disarming as "Fat Boy" (Bo Diddley, another unreconstructed genius, discovered Billy and obviously had a hand in the song's production). Billy Stewart could dazzle with that voice of his, but his deepest and truest music speaks to the fat boy in each of us, somehow empowering anyone whose heart ached, or who was "different", or felt unworthy of love. What makes "Sitting In the Park" such a heavenly experience is that shimmering waterfall of a bridge, when the long suffering narrator's "Why oh why oh why oh why oh why oh whys?..." mark a revelatory moment of frustrated longing, after which he decides not to sit on that park bench yet again, waiting for his beloved - who may or may not show up. Just as the fat boy needs and finds love, "Park's" narrator eventually realizes he doesn't deserve abuse or indifference, and walks away. "I Do Love You" sweeps the listener into the ecstatic intensity of Billy's boundless love, a vocal reverie that swells with joy, with the Chess session stalwarts - especially Leonard Caston's piano - creating a soundscape of stunning beauty for Billy's exquisite vocal performance, in which he finally seems to dispense with mere words altogether.

Billy Stewart was a man's man, a couragious artist whose fearless vulnerability, honesty, and sense of just how raw and squirmingly alive we all are underlies his gift, for we're elevated by how he applies that astonishing voice to songs and themes that resonate now. Billy Stewart, fat, diabetic, a vocal virtuoso, revelled in ecstasy, and embraced love yet refused to let pain and heartache define him as a victim. Sure, "Summertime" is a knockout, a musical and vocal tour de force, especially in this long version, but one is impressed more by technique than passion. That makes it exciting, and a pleasure to hear - but thankfully an exception; technique rarely trumps content in Stewart's work. The deeper secrets are revealed elsewhere, which leads me to regret that this is such a scrawny volume to represent such a big artist. And if you care about decent sound, this 2000 remaster is the only game in town. But be forwarned, "Millennium" offers 11 songs in 32 minutes, short by even vinyl standards. Why so skimpy? If you want more you have to buy the drab sounding 1990 comp, which has twice as much music. Billy Stewart really deserves a career spanning retrospective, with the sort of warm, detailed, full sound unthinkable during the early digital era (1990). ~J.P. Ryan

The Best Of Billy Stewart

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Laura Silverstein - Something Blue: Fingerstyle Guitar & More

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:46
Size: 81.9 MB
Styles: Folk-jazz guitar
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[3:27] 1. Moondance
[3:08] 2. Something Blue
[2:35] 3. Old Cape Cod
[3:21] 4. Sweet Georgia Brown
[2:01] 5. Don't Mind If I Do
[1:55] 6. Second Street Jump
[2:31] 7. Charade
[3:38] 8. Flatworld
[2:08] 9. Scarborough Faire
[3:23] 10. Midnight In Moscow
[3:34] 11. Wayfaring Stranger
[3:58] 12. All Is Well... A Lullaby

Funky, Poignant, Upbeat, Romantic, Playful, and Tender….. describe Laura Silverstein’s instrumentals played with passion on her 1930 Gibson L0 guitar. “Something Blue – Fingerstyle Guitar and More” is an eclectic compilation of instrumentals spanning centuries and genres, and featuring fingerstyle guitar, joined on some tracks by violin, mandolin, and/or bass. Playing styles ranging from folk to blues, ragtime, Hawaiian slack-key, contemporary, and swing, Laura Silverstein’s guitar playing celebrates the power, passion, and versatility of fingerstyle guitar. Laura’s performances take listeners on a journey through love, joy, humor, and life--all expressed through the wonderful and expressive voice of the guitar.

Laura’s guitar playing reflects the influences of John Fahey, John Knowles, Judy Fjell, Kay Eskenazi, Harmony Grisman, Eddie Pennington, Kent Hillman, Eric Schoenberg, Pat Donohue, Doc Watson, and Marcel Dadi. Laura loves to share her passion for fingerstyle with others, teaching guitar at the Pacific Northwest Women’s Music Celebration, WildJamminWomen, and Women Making Music. She’s a regular participant at Puget Sound Guitar Workshop, where she learns from and networks with other guitarists from around the country every summer.

Something Blue: Fingerstyle Guitar & More

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Rachel Z - Trust The Universe

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:39
Size: 141,2 MB
Art: Front

(7:29)  1. Nardis
(5:16)  2. I Won't Cry 4 Us
(5:01)  3. Monk's Other Women
(7:01)  4. Inamorata
(4:21)  5. Under The Suit
(6:12)  6. Forgive Me
(3:42)  7. Save My Soul
(3:56)  8. Go!
(4:59)  9. One Night
(4:29) 10. Trust The Universe
(4:56) 11. When The Cats Away
(4:11) 12. Iyakutanda

Keyboardist Rachel Z divides her debut CD into mainstream and contemporary sections, but in reality she plays basically the same in both sessions, emphasizing her acoustic work in a style most influenced by Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, and occasionally Bill Evans. The music is usually soulful enough for the jazz lite listener and contains just enough chance-taking for more serious jazz collectors. Nothing too unexpected occurs, but this enjoyable set has some fine solos from the leader and the contrasting saxophones of David Sanchez and David Mann.~Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/trust-the-universe-mw0000094905

Personnel: Rachel Z (piano, keyboards); David Mann (soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); David Sanchez (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Charnett Moffett (acoustic bass); Victor Bailey (electric bass); Al Foster, Lenny White (drums); Gumbi Ortiz (percussion).

Trust The Universe

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Richie Cole - Bossa Nova Eyes

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1985
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:25
Size: 136,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:31)  1. Dear Hearts And Gentle People
(3:57)  2. I Remember Sonny Stitt
(4:44)  3. Makin' Whoopee
(5:28)  4. 2 Degrees East, 3 Degrees West
(2:37)  5. Bossa Nova Eyes
(5:26)  6. Serenata
(3:13)  7. Seems Like Old Times
(3:14)  8. Anna Maria
(3:11)  9. Dc-10

Altoist Richie Cole's first album in three years is typically hard-swinging but adds little to his legacy. Best are "I Remember Sonny Stitt," "Makin' Whoopee" and "Serenata" although "Seems like Old Times" was not too necessary. Cole plays a bit of his rarely-heard baritone, pianist Dick Hindman has some good solos and singer Janis Siegel guests on the title track but few surprises occur.~Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/bossa-nova-eyes-mw0000957645

Personnel:  Richie Cole - Alto & Bariton Saxes;  Dick Hindman - piano;  Paul Warburton - bass; Colin Bailey - drums;  Babatunde – Percussion;  Janis Siegel - vocal.

Bossa Nova Eyes

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Larry Young - Testifying

Styles: Hard Bop, Soul Jazz
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:52
Size: 107,6 MB
Art: Front

(9:54)  1. Testifying
(5:18)  2. When I Grow Too Old To Dream
(7:37)  3. Exercise For Chihuahuas
(5:07)  4. Falling In Love With Love
(6:23)  5. Some Thorny Blues
(7:07)  6. Wee Dot
(5:23)  7. Flamingo

Organist Larry Young was 19 when he made this, his debut recording. Although he would become innovative later on, Young at this early stage was still influenced by Jimmy Smith, even if he had a lighter tone; the fact that he used Smith's former guitarist, Thornel Schwartz, and a drummer whose name was coincidentally Jimmie Smith kept the connection strong. R&B-ish tenor Joe Holiday helps out on two songs, and the music (standards, blues and ballads) always swings. Easily recommended to fans of the jazz organ.~Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/testifying-mw0000276468

Personnel: Larry Young (organ); Joe Holiday (tenor saxophone); Thornel Schwartz (guitar); Jimmie Smith (drums).

Testifying

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