Stuff Smith With The Henri Chaix Trio - Late Woman Blues

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:03
Size: 142.1 MB
Styles: Violin jazz
Year: 2001
Art: Front

[5:31] 1. C Jam Blues
[6:47] 2. Perdido
[6:06] 3. Late Woman Blues [blues In B Flat]
[6:35] 4. How High The Moon
[5:36] 5. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
[8:05] 6. Take The A Train
[4:39] 7. Body And Soul
[7:19] 8. After You've Gone
[6:22] 9. Oh, Lady Be Good
[4:59] 10. Rosetta

Stuff Smith spent the final two years of his life performing in Europe; this previously unreleased Swiss concert from 1965 was finally released some 36 years later. The violinist is accompanied by stride pianist Henri Chaix, young bassist Michel Guillemin, and fellow American expatriate Wallace Bishop (who had resided in Europe since 1950) on drums. Smith is in top form, though the inexperience of the bassist is rather obvious during the awkward introduction to "Perdido"; fortunately, things improve rapidly afterwards. In addition to his swinging fiddle, Smith's hoarse vocals are a riot in his "Late Woman Blues" (also known as "Blues in B Flat"), while he breaks up one of his sidemen with his singing of "On the Sunny Side of the Street." The instrumentals are mostly familiar to Smith's fans, including "Take the 'A' Train" and "How High the Moon," though it is the adventurous and occasionally dissonant take of "Body and Soul," a standard rarely played by the violinist, that takes top honors. The sound is very good for such a vintage recording. Swing fans will consider this long-hidden treasure to be an essential CD. ~Ken Dryden

Late Woman Blues

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The Animals - Retrospective

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:44
Size: 175.7 MB
Styles: Rock, British Invasion, AM Pop
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[4:29] 1. The House Of The Rising Sun
[2:47] 2. I'm Crying
[2:19] 3. Baby Let Me Take You Home
[2:27] 4. Gonna Send You Back To Walker
[3:17] 5. Boom Boom
[2:27] 6. Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
[2:41] 7. Bring It On Home To Me
[3:12] 8. We Gotta Get Out Of This Place
[3:05] 9. It's My Life
[3:15] 10. Don't Bring Me Down
[3:59] 11. See See Rider
[3:47] 12. Inside Looking Out
[3:46] 13. Hey Gyp
[2:39] 14. Help Me Girl
[2:59] 15. When I Was Young
[3:04] 16. A Girl Named Sandoz
[3:20] 17. San Franciscan Nights
[4:18] 18. Monterey
[3:21] 19. Anything
[7:28] 20. Sky Pilot
[3:50] 21. White Houses
[4:02] 22. Spill The Wine

Back in 1964, unless you were living in a cave or covered with fur, you would have heard the hit songs of 'The Animals. Forty years later, you can do it again. 22 tracks including the long unavailable 'We Gotta Get Out Of This Place' (U.S.).

The 22 tracks on Retrospective deftly chronicle the best years of the Animals, who were far and away the grittiest band in the British Invasion of the mid-1960s. Eric Burdon's magnificently raw vocals and the stabbing chords of Alan Price's Vox Continental organ gave their covers of American blues and R&B classic such as Sam Cooke's "Bring it on Home" and John Lee Hooker's "Boom Boom" an authenticity that no other British groups could match. Their rough sound also gave songs like "Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" and "We've Got to Get of This Place" a real sense of rage and menace. By 1967 Burdon was the only remaining original member and he formed a new band that eschewed the blues and R&B of his early years in Newcastle in favor of a psychedelic, San Francisco-influenced sound. Songs like "When I Was Young" showed he had a real gift for the type of personal songwriting that was becoming popular in the late 1960s while the lyrically obscure "San Franciscan Nights" and "Sky Pilot" suggested he spent too much time hanging out with hippies. Even when they stumbled, the Animals were interesting, and when they hit the mark, they were as good as any band from the British Invasion. ~Michael John Simmons

Retrospective

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Bobby Troup - Bobby Swings Tenderly

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:25
Size: 71.9 MB
Styles: Easy Listening, Cool
Year: 1957/2000
Art: Front

[5:43] 1. Tenderly
[2:13] 2. My Ship
[4:51] 3. These Foolish Things
[2:53] 4. Perdido
[2:44] 5. Always
[3:26] 6. Stella By Starlight
[4:15] 7. Makin' Whoopee
[3:00] 8. It Never Entered My Mind
[2:16] 9. I See Your Bass Before Me

This is one of pianist/vocalist/composer Bobby Troup's few (and possibly only) all-instrumental dates. Accompanied by cool-toned horns (valve trombonist Bob Enevoldsen, trumpeter Stu Williamson, tenor saxophonist Ted Nash and baritonist Ronnie Lang) along with bassist Buddy Clark and drummer Mel Lewis, Troup explores eight familiar standards plus his own "I See Your Bass Before Me." The easy-listening music that is heard on this V.S.O.P. LP is fine if not overly stimulating. The emphasis is on ballads and mellow playing. ~Scott Yanow

Bobby Swings Tenderly

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Mike Magnelli - Mike Magnelli & Friends

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:48
Size: 146.1 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[2:44] 1. Sweet Georgia Brown
[3:53] 2. The Shadow Of Your Smile
[1:20] 3. Flight Of The Bumble Bee
[6:31] 4. In A Mellow Tone
[2:19] 5. 21 Hungarian Dances
[5:26] 6. Easy Living
[3:39] 7. Lester Leaps In
[4:03] 8. Recuardos De La Alhambra
[2:18] 9. Chicken A La Swing
[3:04] 10. (You Are) Always In My Heart
[1:38] 11. The Turkish March
[4:20] 12. Lover Man (Oh Where Can You Be )
[3:32] 13. Strike Up The Band
[4:05] 14. Czardas
[3:55] 15. Lover
[2:42] 16. Minute Waltz [opus 64 No. 1]
[2:55] 17. Guitar Boogie Blues
[3:05] 18. Nuages
[2:11] 19. Hora Stacatto

After receiving a BME degree from the Boston Conservatory of Music, Mike worked as a guitarist on Broadway for such hit shows as Promises Promises, Fiddler On The Roof, as well as numerous off Broadway productions. Following many years of touring with the national company of "Grease" (with a then unknown John Travolta in the cast,) with vocalists such as Frank Sinatra, Jr. and his Orchestra and others, Mike returned to NY.

He started working as a booking agent for the Willard Alexander Agency, and office then well known for it's representation of famous big-bands. While working as an agent he continued to work as a guitarist and occasional trumpet doubler for NY society dance orchestras such as Lester Lanin, Ray Bloch as well as with various jaz groups.

He started his own agency in 1988 which continues today, booking and managing many well known touring big-bands. Mike also managed the legendary jazz guitarist Joe Pass for many years until his untimely passing. In addition to running the agency he performs at jazz clubs, festivals and clinics. His hobbies include deep sea fishing (watch out for those hooks!) cooking, (specializing in Italian seafood dishes) and draughts (checkers) of which he has been the winner of many tournaments.

Mike Magnelli & Friends

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Caribbean Jazz Project - Paraíso

Styles: Latin Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:09
Size: 163,3 MB
Art: Front

(9:11)  1. One Step Ahead
(7:10)  2. Naima
(7:03)  3. Maluco
(9:34)  4. Caravan
(7:24)  5. El Tacaño
(6:52)  6. Five For Elvin
(5:23)  7. Second Opinion
(6:10)  8. Jamboree
(6:23)  9. Cá-Ni-Mo!
(3:56) 10. Obaricoso / Ritmos, Colores, Y Sentidos

This is possibly the most intricate, intellectual, and compositionally advanced Latin jazz that's been made to date. Certainly the tri-leaders of the group - vibraphonist Dave Samuels, flautist Dave Valentin, and guitarist Steve Khan - are in the top echelon of performers on their respective instruments, and all have played in a unusually broad range of musical settings throughout their performing careers, and they bring all these resources to this release. The three principals contribute well-thought-out, technically advanced jazz solos - lovers of all flavors of jazz will find a lot to marvel at and digest here. They also call in a couple technical whizes for guest spots: trombonist Conrad Herwig on "Caravan" and "Naima" and Ray Vega on flugelhorn on "Naima." 

But there's another factor at work here behind the prodigious talent of the front line. The team of percussionists keep the proceedings solidly in the groove with equally intricate, constantly percolating congas and timbales. In fact, a drum set is used only occasionally. The players are so perfectly coordinated and interconnected, not just with each other, but with the requirements of the melodies or the soloists. There is no repetition, no "push Play and let it go" here at all. The rhythmic complexity is astonishing. And when they step forward for the occasional percussion break, it's breathtaking. The percussion on the finale, a medley of Mongo Santamaria's "Obaricoso and Richie Flores' "Ritmos, Colores, y Sentidos" is simply stunning. They're also recorded very well. If there is a fault to be found with this CD, it might be that it's almost too perfect. It's so intellectual, so polished, so studied and so intricate that it borders on losing the raw energy that so much Latin music has to offer. But overall, this CD is tremendously rewarding. It raises the bar on several levels: the compositions (most by Samuels or Khan) and arrangements, the depth of the solos, the state-of-the-art percussion. This is heavy stuff. It merits multiple listenings in order to focus on different instruments each time around. ~ Dave Hughes https://www.allaboutjazz.com/paraiso-dave-samuels-concord-music-group-review-by-dave-hughes.php

Personnel: Dave Samuels - vibes and marimba; Dave Valentin - flute; Steve Khan - guitar and guiro; Ruben Rodriguez- bass; Richie Flores - congas, shakere; Luisito Quintero - timbal kit, percussion; Dafnis Prieto - timbal kit, drums; Poncho Sanchez - congas; Conrad Herwig - trombone; Ray Vega - flugelhorn.

Paraíso

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Charles McPherson - Bebop Revisited

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 1964
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:10
Size: 107,2 MB
Art: Front

(7:45)  1. Hot House
(5:25)  2. Nostalgia
(6:58)  3. Variations On A Blues By Bird
(6:07)  4. Wail
(7:41)  5. Embraceable You
(5:53)  6. Si Si
(6:18)  7. If I Loved You (Bonus)

Bebop is the thing on this excellent outing as altoist Charles McPherson and pianist Barry Harris do their interpretations of Charlie Parker and Bud Powell. With trumpeter Carmell Jones, bassist Nelson Boyd and drummer Al "Tootie" Heath completing the quintet, the band romps through such bop classics as "Hot House," "Nostalgia," "Wail" and "Si Si" along with an original blues and "Embraceable You." A previously unissued "If I Love You" is added to the CD reissue. McPherson and Jones make for a potent frontline on these spirited performances, easily recommended to fans of straightahead jazz. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/be-bop-revisited-mw0000276269

Personnel:  Charles McPherson - alto saxophone;  Carmell Jones – trumpet;  Barry Harris – piano;  Nelson Boyd – bass;  Albert Heath - drums

Bebop Revisited

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Chris Cheek - A Girl Named Joe

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:01
Size: 153,8 MB
Art: Front

(7:28)  1. Slide
(6:16)  2. September
(5:57)  3. Arctic Barbeque
(5:42)  4. Lowered
(7:37)  5. Late Green
(4:46)  6. Plant Dance
(6:28)  7. A Girl Named Joe
(7:15)  8. Then
(5:52)  9. Siege
(9:35) 10. Water Mile

Chris Cheek takes a bold step forward with this all-original date. With two tenors (Cheek and Mark Turner) and two drummers (Jordi Rossy and Dan Rieser), the instrumentation is somewhat unusual. Guitarist Ben Monder and bassist Marc Johnson complete the lineup. Johnson is an excellent choice, given the rock leanings of "Arctic Barbecue" and "Plant Dance," the dark folk elements of "Lowered," and even the country traces of the title track. 

With his own groups, Johnson has flirted with precisely this sort of eclecticism. Cheek's compositions, like Johnson's, are tuneful and surprising, full of moves you wouldn't expect from a jazz player. Perhaps it's his middle-American upbringing coming to the surface. On the jazzier side are Cheek's waltzes "September" and "Siege" and his closing 6/4 chart "Water Mile," which features probing solos from the two tenors. Monder's playing on every number is strong, as usual, not least on his own "Late Green," the album's most radical track and the only one not written by Cheek. ~ David R.Adler http://www.allmusic.com/album/a-girl-named-joe-mw0000046604

Personnel:  Chris Cheek, Mark Turner (tenor sax),  Ben Monder (guitar),  Marc Johnson (bass),  Jorge Rossy, Dan Rieser (drums).

A Girl Named Joe

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Keiko Matsui - A Drop of Water

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1987
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:19
Size: 102,4 MB
Art: Front

(6:19)  1. Ancient Wind
(4:49)  2. Light Above the Trees
(5:39)  3. Harbor Wind
(4:20)  4. Mediterranean Sand
(5:27)  5. A Drop of Water
(5:11)  6. From My Window
(3:07)  7. Only Way Home
(4:34)  8. Fairy
(4:50)  9. Paper Spirit

This auspicious introduction to the many aspects of the composer's skills finds her surrounded by a slew of L.A.'s top players, some of whom had yet to begin their own solo careers at this point: Grant Geissman, Brandon Fields, Robben Ford, Nathan East, Vinnie Colaiuta, and Jimmy Johnson. Matsui balances a mystic Eastern edge with a lighthearted new agey pop appeal. "Ancient Wind" and the Geissman co-composition "Mediterranean Sand" are the best cuts, building from pastoral ideas into an explosive ensemble hook. Matsui also showed her penchant for soulful vocal pieces, using Abu Khalil and Marva King to varying effectiveness. The emotional vocal title cut was inspired by Challenger astronaut Ron McNair. ~ Jonathan Widran http://www.allmusic.com/album/a-drop-of-water-mw0000192185

Personnel: Keiko Matsui (shakuhachi, piano, synthesizer); Carl Anderson (vocals, background vocals); Marva King, Maxi Anderson, Nathan East, Marlena Jeter, Molly Pasutti (vocals); Grant Geissman, Grant Geisman, Robben Ford (guitar); Suzie Kattayama, Suzie Katayama (cello); Kazu Matsui (shakuhachi); Brandon Fields (saxophone); Walt Fowler (flugelhorn); David Garfield (piano, synthesizer); Derek Nakamoto (synthesizer); Gregg Bissonette, Bernie Dresel, Vinnie Colaiuta (drums); Luis Conte, Michael Fisher (percussion).

A Drop of Water

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