Chris Cheek - I Wish I Knew

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:49
Size: 121,4 MB
Art: Front

(7:00)  1. I Wish I Knew
(5:59)  2. At Long Last Love
(6:21)  3. Skylark
(7:53)  4. Stairway to the Stars
(6:12)  5. I'll Be Seeing You
(6:16)  6. Garden Floor
(5:32)  7. Time Remember
(4:49)  8. I Don't Want to Set the World on Fire
(2:44)  9. What'll I Do

It has long been said that one can tell a mature jazz musician from an up-and-coming one in the way they handle ballads. Most younger players have a tendency to play too many notes with excessive energy, often filling in all the spaces during the slower tempos. Chris Cheek, who judging by the photo on his CD cover is in his 20s or early 30s, is a major exception. Teamed up with guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel, bassist Chris Higgins and drummer Jordi Rossy in a pianoless quartet, Cheek mostly performs the standards-oriented program at slow speeds and he is not shy of letting his notes ring. Often sounding a bit like Stan Getz, Cheek draws out plenty of emotion from such songs as "I Wish I Knew," "Skylark" and "Stairway to the Stars." While guitarist Rosenwinkel (who has a cool tone but a modern style) provides most of the fire on the ballads, Cheek comes across on a medium-tempo "I'll Be Seeing You" with some advanced melodic improvising a la Warne Marsh. He shows the most individuality on his original "Garden Floor" and Bill Evans' "Time Remembered," closing off the date with an achingly emotional yet restrained version of "What'll I Do." This easily recommended CD was released in 1997 as part of the Spanish Fresh Sound label's "New Talent" series. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/i-wish-i-knew-mw0000666990

Personnel:  Chris Cheek – sax tenor;  Kurt Rosenwinkel – guitar;  Chris Higgins – bass;  Jordi Rossy - drums

I Wish I Knew

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Pat Bowie - Out Of Sight/ Feelin' Good

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:35
Size: 169,0 MB
Art: Front

(2:01)  1. Get Out Of Town
(5:08)  2. Lilac Wine
(2:31)  3. Don't Cha Go 'Way Mad
(4:05)  4. Will I Find My Love Today?
(3:07)  5. Joey, Joey, Joey
(2:32)  6. Moon And Sand
(2:59)  7. The Music That Makes Me Dance
(3:20)  8. What Is This Thing Called Love?
(4:28)  9. I'm Afraid The Masquerade Is Over
(3:09) 10. The Sounds Of The Night
(2:47) 11. I've Got Your Number
(2:15) 12. Baby, Won't You Please Come Home
(3:47) 13. Since I Fell For You
(3:45) 14. They Can't Take That Away From Me
(3:51) 15. You Don't Know What Love Is
(3:37) 16. Summertime
(3:45) 17. Why Don't You Do Right
(4:08) 18. Wonder Why
(3:48) 19. I Wanna Be Loved
(3:09) 20. Lonesome Road
(4:13) 21. Feeling Good

This Jazz Beat two-fer compiles Pat Bowie's two mid-'60s dates for Prestige, the only albums she ever recorded. While the style and scope of Out of Sight positions the singer as a jazz act, her vocals boast a soulful edge that plainly suggests the influence of rhythm & blues; if anything, the album fails to properly exploit the full extent of Bowie's talents, relying too much on familiar ballads and standards instead of more contemporary and complementary material. That being said, this is still a lovely record, with nuanced small-combo backing from guitarist Kenny Burrell, pianist Ray Bryant, and tenor saxophonist Seldon Powell buoying Bowie's lithe interpretations of songs like Cole Porter's "What Is This Thing Called Love?" and "Get Out of Town." 

Like its predecessor, Feelin' Good saddles Bowie with a collection of predictable standards that compromise the singer's distinctly modern and hip approach. Unlike its predecessor, the session features contributions from altoist Charles McPherson, one of his few dates in support of a vocalist. McPherson's rich solos ripple below the lyrics, caressing the contours of Bowie's voice, while pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Al Hall, and drummer Osie Johnson further underscore the set's moody, spacious approach, updating chestnuts like "Summertime" and "They Can't Take That Away from Me" with style and sophistication. ~ Jason Ankeny http://www.allmusic.com/album/out-of-sight!-feelin-good!-mw0001656097

Personnel: Pat Bowie (vcl),  Seldon Powell (ts, fl),  Charles Mcpherson (as),  Ray Bryant, Tommy Flanagan (p),  Kenny Burrell (g), Milt Hinton or Al Hall (b) and Osie Johnson (d)

Out Of Sight + Feelin' Good

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Spyro Gyra - A Foreign Affair

Styles: Fusion, Smooth Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:53
Size: 150,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:27)  1. Caribe
(4:44)  2. Khuda
(4:26)  3. Sweet Ole Thang
(6:31)  4. Falling Walls
(5:08)  5. Shinjuku
(6:23)  6. Chileno Boys
(5:18)  7. Samba For Two
(4:21)  8. Canção de Ninar
(6:29)  9. Antigua
(4:36) 10. Last Call
(7:24) 11. Dancing On Table Mountain

Over 35 years into one of contemporary jazz fusion's most extraordinary evolving musical journeys, Spyro Gyra entered the 2010s where they began -- on their own indie label, Amherst Records, on which they released their self-titled debut in 1978. Driven by the melodic, jazzy, and increasingly global-minded vision of saxophonist and founder Jay Beckenstein, Spyro Gyra have undergone various personnel changes throughout the years while becoming serial world travelers. The concept of A Foreign Affair began with Beckenstein asking his crew -- Tom Schuman, Julio Fernandez, Scott Ambush, and Bonny B. -- to come up with impressions of these adventures. The results are dynamic, exotic, high-spirited, loaded with invention and improvisation, and even slightly spiritual in spots (the moody African-flavored "Khuda," featuring the dreamy, soaring vocals of young Indian singer Arijit Singh). 

The ports of call on the group's stylistic itinerary develop distinctive personalities as they evolve. They start with a relaxed and silky, sax-driven reggae sway on Beckenstein's "Caribe," then start dancing with Schuman's synth pans in fiery sync with the saxman's punchy lines on Bonny B.'s festive "Sweet Ole Thang." The bubbling, super-percussive "Falling Walls" by Fernandez is harder to place geographically but is reflective of the trademark adventurous Spyro Gyra sound of the 2000s. Schuman's mystical "Shinjuku" touches on the whimsical side of Spyro Gyra's numerous trips to Japan, where they have long enjoyed great popularity. There's also a graceful, lighthearted touch of Rio ("Samba for Two"), a balmy bossa romance ("Canção de Ninar"), and a return to the Caribbean via "Antigua." Ambush's expansive closer, "Dancing on Table Mountain," allows the bandmembers to stretch and show the depth of their jazzy possibilities. Between all the frequent flyer miles, two of the most interesting tracks are the beautiful, poignant vocal tracks by Keb' Mo' (the melancholy "Last Call") and Fernandez (the easy-rolling Latin-tinged cultural message song "Chileno Boys"). Over 30 recordings in, Spyro Gyra still had something fresh to say while fearlessly entering their fifth decade of recording. ~ Jonathan Widran http://www.allmusic.com/album/a-foreign-affair-mw0002180878

Personnel: Julio Fernandez (guitar); Jay Beckenstein (saxophone); Tom Schuman (keyboards); Bonny B. (drums, percussion); Pedrito Martínez (congas).

A Foreign Affair

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The Pete Jolly Trio - Yours Truly

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:38
Size: 141,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:48)  1. Speak Low
(5:17)  2. While My Lady Sleeps
(6:41)  3. You Stepped Out Of A Dream
(6:37)  4. Like Someone In Love
(4:34)  5. On Green Dolphin Street
(7:02)  6. Dear Old Stockholm
(5:06)  7. Darn That Dream
(2:49)  8. Little Bird
(5:49)  9. A Gal In Calico
(5:37) 10. Old Folks
(3:58) 11. You And The Night And The Music
(1:16) 12. Stardust

Pete Jolly and his longtime sidemen (Chuck Berghofer has been his regular bassist since the late '50s while drummer Nick Martinis joined up in 1964) perform 11 standards plus his old hit "Little Bird" on this fine outing. The virtuosic pianist dominates the ensembles but the contributions of Berghofer and Martinis (who have to think fast to keep up with him) should not be overlooked. Jolly's total command of the piano and infectious enthusiasm, which can result in some explosive outbursts, do not overshadow his good taste and the self-restraint that he shows on the ballads. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/yours-truly-mw0000108591

Personnel: Pete Jolly (piano); Nick Martinis (drums); Chuck Berghofer (bass).

Yours Truly

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Vikki Carr - Set Me Free

Styles: Voca, Latin
Year: 1990
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:42
Size: 91,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:04)  1. Now It's Over
(3:16)  2. Someone to Take Your Place
(4:18)  3. I Was the One Who Loved You
(5:03)  4. Vamos de frente
(3:30)  5. Otra vez enamorada
(4:16)  6. Best of Both Worlds
(3:05)  7. Let Me Know
(3:55)  8. It's Time to Set Me Free
(3:53)  9. Cuando nos separemos
(4:17) 10. Que nada

After singing in various school functions, local groups, and Pepe Callahan's Mexican-Irish band, Carr began her professional musical career in earnest in the early '60s. Her solo debut was in Reno, supported by the Chuck Leonard Quartet, which led to a record contract with Liberty. While not gathering much attention in the U.S., her first single ("He's a Rebel") was a hit in Australia and led to numerous television appearances, and a spell as a regular on The Ray Anthony Show. In the late '60s, Carr scored three Top 40 hits, including the number three "It Must Be Him." Her American sales dwindled in the beginning of the '70s. With the release of her 1980 album, Vikki Carr y el Amor, Carr gained enormous success in the Latin music world. In 1991, Carr won a Best Latin Pop Album Grammy for her Cosas del Amor. Reta Manda y Provoca followed in 1998, and the next year saw the release of Memories Memorias. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine https://itunes.apple.com/ph/artist/vikki-carr/id7044137#fullText

Set Me Free

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