Monday, May 2, 2016

New York Trio & Ken Peplowski - Stardust

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:23
Size: 149.7 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[ 9:46] 1. In The Middle Of A Kiss
[ 8:15] 2. Body And Soul
[ 8:18] 3. Serenade To Sweden
[ 7:20] 4. No Regrets
[ 4:57] 5. My Funny Valentine
[10:11] 6. So In Love
[ 6:32] 7. Stardust
[ 7:49] 8. Summertime
[ 2:10] 9. Stardust Reprise

Ken Peplowski (tenor sax, clarinet) Bill Charlap (piano) Jay Leonhart (bass) Bill Stewart (drums). Avatar Studios, NYC, June 19 & 20, 2008.

A wonderful gift for jazz fans has arrived from Venus Records! Nobody argues that Bill Charlap is one of the most preeminent jazz pianists of his generation. His encyclopedic knowledge of the American Songbook is second to none, and his beautiful touch, amazing skills and imagination make it a pleasure to listen to him at all times. Ken Peplowski, on the other hand, is without a doubt one of the best clarinet and tenor sax players in the swing tradition.

Each of them had recorded a number of albums for Venus Records of Japan separately -- Charlap with his great New York Trio (with Jay Leonhart and Bill Stewart) and Peplowski with his own quartet and the Eddie Higgins Quintet. Now, wouldn't it be nice to put them together in a studio and make an album? Yes, it would, and they actually did it!

They are a match made in heaven, and you can hear from the first note of the first song that they are inspired. Peplowski's supple, rich, and lyrical clarinet and tenor sax playing is simply beautiful, and Charlap's quietly intense solos are awe-inspiring. Leonhart and Stewart are also given ample room to stretch out and impress, as many of the tunes go over seven minutes. I cannot help but marvel at these masters' skillful and soulful music making.

Stardust

Neri Per Caso - Le Ragazze

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 29:52
Size: 68.4 MB
Styles: A Capella, Vocal harmony group
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[3:26] 1. Le Ragazze
[2:50] 2. Viva La Mamma
[2:23] 3. Je So' Pazzo
[3:08] 4. Non M'annoio
[3:19] 5. Sentimento Pentimento
[3:08] 6. Quando
[2:36] 7. Donne
[2:49] 8. 'a Malatia 'e L'america
[3:04] 9. Con Le Mani
[3:04] 10. Via Con Me

Neri per Caso ("Blacks by chance") are an Italian a cappella musical group. The group formed in Salerno in 1991 and consisted of six elements, two couple of brothers (Diego and Ciro Caravano, Mimì and Gonzalo Caravano) who are also cousins to each other, and two childhood best friend (Mario Crescenzo and Massimo De Divitiis). In 1995 they won the newcomers section at the Sanremo Music Festival with the song "Le ragazze". Their debut album became platinum after just one week and eventually sold over 700,000 copies. In 1996 they came back to the Sanremo Festival, this time entering the main competition with the song "Ti senti sola", and ranked fifth.

Le Ragazze

Frank Morgan - You Must Believe In Spring

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:39
Size: 143,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:43)  1. But Beautiful
(5:10)  2. You've Changed
(4:04)  3. With Malice Towards None
(6:45)  4. Something Borrowed, Something Blue
(6:28)  5. I Should Care
(4:45)  6. Embraceable You
(4:50)  7. While The Gettin's Good Blues
(2:57)  8. My Heart Stood Still
(4:33)  9. Enigma
(3:32) 10. I Cover The Waterfront
(6:37) 11. You Must Believe In Spring
(6:10) 12. Come Sunday

A '92 release by marvelous alto saxophonist Frank Morgan, whose life story and triumph over heroin addiction and imprisonment was one of the '80s' great success tales. 

Morgan's biting, yet sensitive and rich alto has rightly been traced to Charlie Parker, but Morgan long ago rid his style of any imitative excesses. He was excellently supported on this program of duets by an amazing lineup of rotating pianists: Kenny Barron, Tommy Flanagan, Barry Harris, Roland Hanna, and Hank Jones.~Ron Wynn  http://www.allmusic.com/album/you-must-believe-in-spring-mw0000614929

Personnel: Frank Morgan (alto saxophone), Kenny Barron, Tommy Flanagan, Roland Hanna, Barry Harris, Hank Jones (piano).

You Must Believe In Spring

Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Abraça Jobim

Styles: Vocal Jazz, Brazilian Jazz
Year: 1981
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 79:01
Size: 181,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:56)  1. Somewhere In The Hills
(3:50)  2. The Girl From Ipanema
(6:37)  3. Dindi
(3:41)  4. Off Key
(2:44)  5. Water To Drink
(4:55)  6. Dreamer
(5:40)  7. Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars
(2:50)  8. Bonita
(3:51)  9. One Note Samba
(4:07) 10. Triste
(3:00) 11. How Insensitive
(5:14) 12. He's A Carioca
(5:17) 13. This Love That I've Found
(2:19) 14. A Felicidade
(5:22) 15. Wave
(3:40) 16. Song Of The Jet
(3:49) 17. Photograph
(7:59) 18. Useless Landscape

For years, "The Girl fom Ipanema" was a staple in Ella Fitzgerald's songbook, so it's something of a wonder that it was not until 1981 that Ella Abraça Jobim, Fitzgerald's double-album immersion in Antonio Carlos Jobim's back catalog, appeared. Ella's first single-composer release since 1964's tribute to Jerome Kern, Ella Abraça Jobim is, more than anything, final proof of the unassuming Brazilian's place in jazz history alongside the great composers. Sadly Jobim's mellow bossa nova, drenched in the Brazilian concept of saudade, or agreeable melancholy, doesn't necessarily gel with Fitzgerald's swing-based and energetic vocal style. Fitzgerald and her small group take songs like "Agua de Beber (Water to Drink)" at just slightly too speedy a tempo, rushing a bit where they should be gamboling. Fitzgerald is in very good voice compared to some other recordings from her later years, though, sadly, she's clearly not at her peak. Norman Granz's production is typically excellent, however, and the arrangements are refreshingly free of the typical late-'70s/early-'80s post-fusion clichés. Neither Fitzgerald nor Jobim's finest, then, but not without merit.~Stewart Mason http://www.allmusic.com/album/ella-abra%C3%A7a-jobim-sings-the-antonio-carlos-jobim-songbook-mw0000195476

Personnel:  Ella Fitzgerald – Vocals;  Clark Terry – Trumpet;  Zoot Sims - Tenor Saxophone;  Toots Thielemans – Harmonica;  Henry Trotter – Keyboard;  Mike Lang – Keyboards;  Clarence McDonald – Keyboards;  Joe Pass - Electric guitar (soloist);  Oscar Castro-Neves - Acoustic guitar (soloist);  Paul Jackson, Jr. - Rhythm guitar;  Mitch Holder - Rhythm guitar;  Ronald Bautiste - Rhythm guitar;  Abraham Laboriel - Double Bass;  Alex Acuña – Drums;  Paulinho da Costa - Percussion

Ella Abraça Jobim

Bill Barron - The Tenor Stylings of Bill Barron

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1961
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:46
Size: 98,2 MB
Art: Front

(9:36)  1. Blast Off
(7:32)  2. Ode to an Earth Girl
(7:08)  3. Fox Hunt
(6:23)  4. Oriental Impressions
(5:47)  5. Black Lash
(6:18)  6. Nebulae

An excellent and flexible trumpeter, Ted Curson will always be best known for his work with Charles Mingus' 1960 quartet (which also included Eric Dolphy and Dannie Richmond). He studied at Granoff Musical Conservatory; moved to New York in 1956; played in New York with Mal Waldron, Red Garland, and Philly Joe Jones; and recorded with Cecil Taylor (1961). After the 1959-1960 Mingus association (which resulted in some classic recordings), Curson co-led a quintet with Bill Barron (1960-1965), played with Max Roach, and led his own groups. He spent time from the late '60s on in Europe (particularly Denmark) but had a lower profile than one would expect after returning to the U.S. in 1976. He led sessions for Old Town (1961), Prestige, Fontana, Atlantic, Arista, Inner City, Interplay, Chiaroscuro, and several European labels. 

Curson died of a heart attack on November 4, 2012. He was 77 years old.~Scott Yanow https://itunes.apple.com/gb/artist/ted-curson/id2751266#fullText

Personnel: Bill Barron (tenor saxophone), Ted Curson (trumpet), Kenny Barron (piano), Jimmy Garrison (acoustic bass), Frankie Dunlop (drums)

The Tenor Stylings of Bill Bar