Ron Carter-Cedar Walton Duo - Heart & Soul

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:07
Size: 91.8 MB
Styles: Post bop
Year: 1989/2015
Art: Front

[3:01] 1. Heart And Soul
[5:32] 2. Django
[4:56] 3. Frankie And Johnnie
[6:35] 4. Little Waltz
[3:13] 5. Telephone
[7:38] 6. My Funny Valentine
[4:11] 7. Back To Bologna
[4:57] 8. A Beautiful Friendship

Bassist Ron Carter and pianist Cedar Walton both became active on the New York jazz scene around 1960. Walton was soon to gain popularity working with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers; meanwhile, Carter would become an important anchor in what is arguably Miles Davis' most influential ensemble. In 1981, Timeless Records documented the great rapport between these two giants of post-bop jazz. Heart & Soul is certainly not a loose "blowing session"; it's clear that the duo's repertoire had carefully developed during a year of gigging together in Manhattan. At the same time, the music never feels overarranged and stiff; there is always room for spontaneity. The piano and bass duo is a challenging setting, and there are relatively few successful recordings in the jazz literature. (Duke Ellington and Jimmy Blanton's historic 1940 session set the tone for years to come.) In the more common trio format, the drummer serves to reinforce the time feel and dynamic variation; Carter and Walton have eliminated the need for a third member by generating enough momentum and contrast through their almost telepathic interaction. It is this interplay which is the key to the recording's success, as Heart & Soul always feels like a true collaboration. Both players are quite capable of either carrying the lead or providing supportive accompaniment and they strike a real balance in their interpretations of four standards and four original tunes including John Lewis' "Django" and the1937 Rodgers & Hart classic, "My Funny Valentine." There's no need for Carter to solo over his minor key "Little Waltz" since his accompaniment is so varied. Walton's bluesy "Back to Bologna" is a medium-tempo swinger with unexpected rhythmic breaks. Recommended listening. ~Lee Bloom

Heart & Soul

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Buddy Greco - Talkin' Verve

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:42
Size: 106.9 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2001
Art: Front

[3:05] 1. It Happened In Monterey
[3:44] 2. Yes Sir, That's My Baby
[3:09] 3. Playing The Field
[2:55] 4. Blame It On My Youth
[2:10] 5. They Can't Take That Away From Me
[3:01] 6. Will You Still Be Mine
[3:12] 7. Here I Am In Love Again
[2:43] 8. Too Close For Comfort
[2:26] 9. All Of You
[2:53] 10. Mimi
[3:18] 11. I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face
[2:24] 12. The Party's Over
[1:54] 13. My Baby Just Cares For Me
[4:05] 14. One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)
[3:06] 15. I'll See You In C-U-B-A
[2:30] 16. It's All Right With Me

Few can match the lifelong extraordinary of Buddy Greco. His peers have called him a singer's singer and a musician's musician. He has been internationally recognized year after year as one of the top Jazz pianists and vocalists of our time. He appears at top nightclubs, concert halls, symphonies and in movies. He has appeared on every major television show in the United States and throughout the world. By order of Queen Elizabeth II, he was one of the only Americans to appear with the Beatles for a command performance for Her Majesty the Queen. He began playing the piano at the age of four. As a child radio personality and gifted pianist he was a performing veteran by the age of 18 when Benny Goodman found him. Buddy accepted Benny Goodman's offer of a job as pianist, singer/arranger, and traveled the world with the Benny Goodman Band for two years. Since then, Buddy has sold millions of records and received gold records for hits such as "Oh Look At Her Ain't She Pretty", "The Lady Is A Tramp", and "Around The World". He enjoys the rare distinction of having made 65 albums, 100 singles ranging in style from Jazz to Country/Western and Pop music. To date, Buddy's particular favorite is the album he made with a London Symphony Orchestra in which he arranged, played piano and conducted. Buddy has been honored by his hometown and he was inducted into the Philadelphia Music Alliance's "Walk of Fame". He has also gained acclaim for his musicianship and talent in the "Encyclopedia of Great Musicians" and the "Encyclopedia of Great Jazz Singers and Musicians".

Fifty years after he worked for Benny Goodman, he toured with the "Salute to The Benny Goodman Band", only this time to star, headline and conduct. The tour took him to 72 cities and 72 unforgettable shows which drew standing ovations to capacity crowds. He brought the house down when he recently appeared at Carnegie Hall in "An Evening with Nat King Cole", a tribute to a dear friend. He has been a Las Vegas favorite, from the first performance in 1950 with Goodman, through the swinging 60's with The Rat Pack, to the present day, he has been performing to capacity crowds. He is currently producing a nationally syndicated live radio show, "VEGAS LIVE TONITE!" The show recreates the glamorous old Vegas, promotes current shows in Vegas and his 13-piece swing band, and plenty of celebrity guests. He is also producing the stage production, "FEVER, A Tribute to Peggy Lee", starring his wife, singer Lezlie Anders.

Talkin' Verve

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Stephen Stills - Manassas

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:57
Size: 164.7 MB
Styles: Soft rock, Contemporary pop/rock
Year: 1972/2005
Art: Front

[3:26] 1. Song Of Love
[3:32] 2. Rock & Roll Crazies Cuban Bluegrass
[4:23] 3. Jet Set (Sigh)
[3:19] 4. Anyway
[3:00] 5. Both Of Us (Bound To Lose)
[2:05] 6. Fallen Eagle
[3:01] 7. Jesus Gave Love Away For Free
[2:52] 8. Colorado
[4:00] 9. So Begins The Task
[2:46] 10. Hide It So Deep
[2:27] 11. Don't Look At My Shadow
[2:30] 12. It Doesn't Matter
[2:45] 13. Johnny's Garden
[1:53] 14. Bound To Fall
[2:52] 15. How Far
[4:15] 16. Move Around
[2:49] 17. The Love Gangster
[4:45] 18. What To Do
[2:58] 19. Right Now
[8:05] 20. Treasure
[4:04] 21. Blues Man

A sprawling masterpiece, akin to the Beatles' White Album, the Stones' Exile on Main St., or Wilco's Being There in its makeup, if not its sound. Rock, folk, blues, country, Latin, and bluegrass have all been styles touched on in Stephen Stills' career, and the skilled, energetic musicians he had gathered in Manassas played them all on this album. What could have been a disorganized mess in other hands, though, here all gelled together and formed a cohesive musical statement. The songs are thematically grouped: part one (side one on the original vinyl release) is titled "The Raven," and is a composite of rock and Latin sounds that the group would often perform in full live. "The Wilderness" mainly centers on country and bluegrass (Chris Hillman's and Al Perkins' talents coming to the forefront), with the track "So Begins the Task" later covered by Stills' old flame Judy Collins. Part three, "Consider" is largely folk and folk-rock. "Johnny's Garden," reportedly for the caretaker at Stills' English manor house and not for John Lennon as is often thought, is a particular highlight. Two other notables from the "Consider" section are "It Doesn't Matter" (later redone with different lyrics by the song's uncredited co-writer Rick Roberts on the first Firefall album) and "Move Around," which features some of the first synthesizer used in a rock context. The closing section, titled "Rock & Roll Is Here to Stay," is a rock and blues set with one of the landmarks of Manassas' short life, the epic "The Treasure." A sort of Zen-like meditation on love and "oneness," enlivened by the band's most inspired recorded playing it evolves into a bluesy groove washed in Stills' fierce electric slide playing. The delineation lines of the four themed song groupings aren't cut in stone, though, and one of the strengths of the album is that there is a lot of overlap in styles throughout. The CD reissue's remastered sound is excellent, though missed is the foldout poster and handwritten lyrics from the original vinyl release. Unfortunately, the album has been somewhat overlooked over the years, even though Stills considers it some of the best work he has done. Bill Wyman (who guested on "The Love Gangster") has said he would have quit the Rolling Stones to join Manassas. ~Rob Caldwell

Manassas

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Donnie O'Brien - Donnie O'Brien Meets Manhattan Swing: In A Basie Mood

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:51
Size: 123.3 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[5:50] 1. One O'clock Jump
[4:34] 2. Blue And Sentimental
[5:46] 3. I Never Knew
[8:08] 4. Robbins Nest
[5:58] 5. Lester Leaps In
[7:24] 6. Body And Soul
[6:47] 7. Moten Swing
[5:09] 8. Jive At Five
[4:11] 9. Bye Bye Blues

Drummer Donnie O'Brien could have played it safe. He could've easily picked lesser-known Basie standards and done the whole project by the numbers. Instead, he gathered tenor Carmen Leggio, guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, pianist John Bunch, and bassist Jay Leonhart, and attempted to capture the spirit of the innovative bandleader on a handful of his most familiar pieces. Meets Manhattan Swing in a Basie Mood may be a rather cumbersome title, but the music is never awkward. The set fearlessly begins with "One O'Clock Jump" before delivering a handful of fresh interpretations of classic material like "Lester Leaps In" and "Body and Soul." Leggio offers a solid link to traditional saxophonists like Lester Young and Illinois Jacquet. Both Bunch and Pizzarelli have also made fine albums for Arbors, and they turn in exceptional work here. Bunch hints at Basie's spare style without imitating it, while Pizzarelli delivers a potent combination of chords and single note leads. There's also a guest appearance by his son, John Pizzarelli, on "Lester Leaps In." Keeping everyone swinging along are Leonhart, and of course, leader O'Brien. The choice of material, spacious arrangements, and inspired takes shows that all of these players would've fit right into Basie's lineup between 1936-45. A fun album lovingly performed. ~Ronnie D. Lankford Jr.

Donnie O'Brien Meets Manhattan Swing: In A Basie Mood

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Blue Mitchell - The Thing To Do

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 39:58

Size: 91.5 MB

Styles: Trumpet jazz

Year: 2004

Art: Front

[ 7:44] 1. Fungii Mama

[ 5:14] 2. Mona's Mood

[ 7:03] 3. The Thing To Do

[10:22] 4. Step Lightly

[ 9:33] 5. Chick's Tune

Blue Mitchell, Junior Cook, Chick Corea, Gene Taylor, Aloysius Foster.

Trumpeter Blue Mitchell had a sound in every way as individual as his label-mates Freddie Hubbard and Lee Morgan, and like them, tragically, he could misuse studio time recording uninspired bop and funk. The Thing To Do makes you wish Mitchell had been this focused and well accompanied more of the time.

Blessed with a lyrically brassy tone imbued with a shade of vulnerability perfect for ballads, Mitchell absolutely reveals a confidence and zest in this finely programmed set. A young Chick Corea does for Mitchell what Herbie Hancock did for Miles: create challenging rhythmic and harmonic gambits that inspired the trumpeter to soar. The album's hit was "Fungii Mama," a bit of sly calypso in the vein Sonny Rollins has transmuted so deftly, but the most memorable selection might be the hard driving "Step Lightly," a Joe Henderson tune saxman Junior Cook handles with great elan. The rhythm team of bassist Gene Taylor and Al Foster (mysteriously identified on the CD cover as "Aloysius Foster") is supple and thoughtful.

This album serves as a reminder of the deep musical communion Mitchell and Cook could create outside of their tenure in the Horace Silver group, and the fact that Mitchell's glowing legacy is worthy of serious reconsideration, in spite of his uneven back catalog. ~Norman Weinstein

The Thing To Do

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Bob Mintzer Big Band - For The Moment

Styles: Saxophone Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:29
Size: 125,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:42)  1. Aha
(5:16)  2. Um Filme
(6:32)  3. Irrequieto
(6:27)  4. For All We Know
(5:58)  5. Berimbau
(6:12)  6. For The Moment
(6:11)  7. Recife
(6:30)  8. Corcovado
(4:36)  9. Ouro Preto

Musicians can consider themselves lucky if they find success in one particular area, but there are a select few that seem to flourish in every music-related environment that they encounter. Bob Mintzer is part of this elite list; his versatility is his greatest virtue but, while he's a world class saxophonist and educator, his legacy will likely be connected to his work as a composer and arranger in the world of big bands. He learned from the best, sitting in the saxophone section of bands led by Thad Jones and Mel Lewis, Gil Evans, and several other notable figures, and he's been putting his hard-earned knowledge to good use in this area ever since he assembled his first big band to play at the Brecker Brothers' Seventh Avenue South club, in the early '80s. For his fourth large ensemble outing on the MCG jazz label, Mintzer looks south to Brazil, highlighting another of his great passions. His extensive experience working with, and learning from, big name Brazilians over the years, including Eumir Deodato, Milton Nascimento, Romero Lubambo and Milton Nascimento, gives his work a mark of authenticity that eludes those who merely dabble in this area by adding a bossa nova or two to their repertoire.

Mintzer mixes originals with his arrangements of music from guest guitarist/vocalist Chico Pinheiro, as well as classics from the likes of Antonio Carlos Jobim ("Corcovado") and Baden Powell ("Berimbau"), on this nine-song stroll through Brazil. The performances are highly polished affairs that feature crisp ensemble work, strong solo personalities and buoyant rhythmic backdrops. Pinheiro is featured in several places, delivering vocals and killer, clean-toned guitar soloing on his own "Un Filme" and providing soothing singing on "Corcovado," but he's hardly the only standout on this disc. Mintzer turned to longtime friend and big band drumming guru Peter Erskine to anchor the band from behind the kit, and he doesn't disappoint. He brings his trademark sense of groove and touch to every piece on the program, from the bouncy baião-based tune that opens the album ("Aha") to a mellow bossa nova take on a '30s classic ("For All We Know"). Mintzer's Yellowjackets band mate, pianist Russell Ferrante, is another key ingredient in the soloist mix, as is underappreciated trumpeter Scott Wendholt, but the ensemble is really the star of the show. Mintzer is like a musical flavor chemist, making tasty musical admixtures that go down easy, yet have a complex aftertaste. For The Moment furthers what many already know: Mintzer is a monster musician with writing chops that match or surpass his stellar saxophone skills.~Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/for-the-moment-bob-mintzer-mcg-jazz-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php
 

Personnel: Bob Mintzer: tenor saxophone, flute; Chico Pinheiro: vocals, guitar; Lawrence Feldman: alto saxohpone, flute; Mike Tomaro: alto saxophone, flute; Bob Malach: tenor saxophone, clarinet; Frank Basile: baritone saxophone, clarinet; Steve Hawk: trumpet; Tony Kadleck: trumpet; James Moore: trumpet; Scott Wendholt: trumpet; Jay Ashby: trombone; Michael Davis: trombone; Keith O'Quinn: trombone; Max Seigel: bass trombone; Russell Ferrante: piano, keyboards; Marty Ashby: guitar; Lincoln Goines: bass; Peter Erskine: Drums; Alex Acuna: percussion.

For The Moment

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Malene Mortensen - Paradise

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 62:33
Size: 100,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:31)  1. Spacey
(4:22)  2. Paradise
(4:31)  3. World In My Hand
(5:24)  4. Evensong
(4:49)  5. My Prince In A Fairytale
(5:32)  6. Somewhere Up In Heaven
(4:38)  7. Sunday Afternoon
(3:29)  8. Just Another Day
(4:23)  9. Lifetime Relationship
(4:28) 10. Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word
(4:24) 11. Torn In Two
(5:19) 12. Keep On Going
(4:37) 13. World In My Hand (Part II)

Malene is the daughter of two musicians, drummer and music teacher Karen Mortensen and trumpet player and composer Jens Winther. Malene grew up as an only child with her mother in Copenhagen, Denmark, at first in Christiania, later at Christianshavn. Yet in 1991 they moved to Elsinore, Karen Mortensen being headhunted to the post as chief music teacher at IPC, International People's College. Karen Mortensen passed away 1993 after two years struggle against cancer. As a tough consequence of this, 11-year-old Malene moved back to the City of Copenhagen. Custody of Malene was given to Karen's friend from student's days at the Royal Danish Academy of Music, Birthe Skou, teacher of music theory and ear training. From years 11 to 16, Malene - the little girl with the big voice - sang out her grief in The Children's Choir of the Royal Danish Academy of Music. Through the years she was given many solo assignments. At the tender age of 12 Malene was the vocalist in the kid's rock band, Rocking Rabbits, under the leadership of blues singer Chaeg. At the same time she took piano lessons at Hanne Mulvad's. Malene had never played classical music before; Hanne Mulvad had never teached children. But the experiment was a success. During those 6 months Malene learned to play about 30 little piano pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach, Erik Satie and Béla Bartók. When she was in 8th and 9th grades at her grammar school, Malene and two female schoolmates formed a gospel trio and regularly performed for private gatherings. Malene entered Sankt Annæ Gymnasium (SAG) - the Copenhagen high school for youngsters with musical talent - in 1998. She tackled the MGK curriculum, the standard three-year course of study combined with a three-year musical program, and graduated in just four years with a dual diploma.

In the spring of 1999 she won second prize in Berlinske Tidende newspaper's music competition. Later that year she gave a solo performance of the gospel song "Ever Smiling Liberty" with the SAG choir and following the event she was booked to sing the song at several spots in Denmark. Malene also appeared numerous times on Copenhagen stages as a soloist with the SAG Big Band. She sang with various jazz and pop groups in the first two years of high school. And occasionally she made a guest appearance in her father's band, Jens Winther Quintet. In 2002, as a virtually unknown highschool student, Malene sang her way into Danish hearts when she won the Danish Eurovision song contest with Tell Me Who You Are. By that time, however, she had already drawn a lot of attention on the Danish Broadcasting Corp's song contest "Stjerne for en aften," (akin to the British "Pop Idol") when she was first runner-up with Sing It Back. The springtime 2002 was a busy time for Malene. She was continuously exposed in the Danish media. She participated in The Eurovision Song Contest in Tallinn, her MGK and high-school exams had to be passed, and there were concerts and a CD project. Despite the hectic schedule Malene capped off her high-school career in June 2002 by earning a 'lucky' 13 - the rarely-awarded superlative of the school grading system - in her major area of study, singing. In September 2002 jazz pianist and producer Niels Lan Doky heard Malene sing at their common old school, SAG, and immediately approached her. Things developed in a musical collaboration: in the fall 2002 Malene, Niels, Anna Lia Bright and Michael Sunding wrote together and individually 9 catchy pop songs and also developed Karen Mortensen's "Aftenkanon", now "Evensong". In December Malene was signed by Universal Music, and she spent 2 weeks in Paris pre-recording her first album, Paradise, at Doky's Studio. The album was realised September 1st, 2003.

Although Malene has recorded with some of the greatest Danish jazz artists as Niels Lan Doky, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen and Alex Riel, neither the marketing nor the sales were remarkable. Subsequently, Universal Music did not wish to exercise the options in the contract and Malene was set free January 2004. Immediately after this Malene and Kasper Villaume Trio contributed to the Danish jazz-gala success at Midem, in Cannes. Peter Littauer, general manager of record company Sundance, heard Malene sing at this event, and in the light of this experience he signed the both of them in August 2004. Outside Sundance, but with their approval, Malene went to Kiminova Studio to record with Lund Quartet and RLQ Raasted an album containing fine modern original jazz-compositions by flutist Jens Erik Raasted and pianist Christian Lund plus the romantic Aarestrup i marts. The recording of Malene's second solo album, Date With a Dream, took place in January and February 2005. There was already plenty of musical material: songs from Malene's fruitful collaboration with Anna Lia Bright and Michael Sunding in 2002-04 and last, but not least, the new songs written by Malene and her new co-writer and friend from the conservatory, pianist Magnus Hjorth. The final outcome ended up with 50-50 of standard and original compositions, inclusive a ballade by Avishai Cohen with lyrics by Malene and another friend from the conservatory, Marianne Sogaard Andersen.

The album was released April 2005, distributed to 20 countries and with 30,000 sold albums Malene is reaching her international breakthrough. Malene, her third solo album was released November 16, 2006. Malene wrote some personal songs as well as adding some cover songs like John Mayer irresistible City Love, Branford Marsalis jazz classic Another Day and the famous Desperado by Eagles. It features musicians as Chris Potter, Mike Stern, Adam Rogers, Kasper Villaume, Jacob Christoffersen and Rasmus Khielberg. In November 2007, Malene's Christmas album …To All Of You is released. It contains some of the good old classic Christmas songs like Last Christmas, Warm December, Silent Night, Santa Claus Is Coming To Town and many others. Agony & Ecstasy, her fifth solo album, is released in September 2009. All the songs are written by Malene herself, and some songs are co written with the musicians in her band. The genre of the music is a fusion between pop, rock and jazz. The musicians on the album are Calle Mörner on guitar, Petter Eldh on bass, Magnus Hjorth on piano and Snorre Kirk on drums, young extremely talented boys from Sweden and Norway.~ http://www.albumtube.io/malene_mortensen/Paradise/bbe3a5f2-0be2-4fe7-a8bd-16c2365e944b/

Personnel:  Malene Mortensen – vocal;  Niels Lan Doky – piano;  Alex Riel – drums;   Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen – bass

Paradise

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Red Rodney & Ira Sullivan - Night and Day

Styles: Saxophone And Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1981
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:54
Size: 78,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:06)  1. Night And Day
(6:22)  2. You Leave Me Breathless
(6:12)  3. Babies
(5:28)  4. Muck And Meyer
(5:26)  5. Frito Mistos
(6:16)  6. Dial-A-Brew

The Red Rodney-Ira Sullivan Quintet was one of the finest groups of the early 1980s. Rodney had an opportunity to play fresh material; Sullivan gained more exposure than he ever had in his career; and pianist Garry Dial was given high-profile and challenging writing assignments; bassist Barry Smith and drummer Steve Bagby completed the band in mid-1981. On this Muse LP (their fourth of six recordings), the musicians perform fresh versions of two standards ("Night and Day" and "You Leave Me Breathless"), plus four challenging originals. 

Sullivan plays trumpet on three of the six pieces, alto on two, and soprano on one. The exciting "Dial-A-Brew" is a highlight of this recommended (but sadly out of print) set.~Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/night-and-day-mw0000874551

Personnel:  Alto Saxophone – Ira Sullivan;  Drums – Steve Bagby;  Flugelhorn – Red Rodney;  Piano – Garry Dial;  Soprano Saxophone – Ira Sullivan;  Trumpet – Ira Sullivan, Red Rodney

Night and Day

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