Rune Gustafsson - Standards

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:37
Size: 97.6 MB
Styles: Guitar & vocal jazz
Year: 1995
Art: Front

[3:39] 1. Black And Blue
[3:01] 2. That Old Feeling
[4:32] 3. I Surrender Dear
[3:11] 4. Don't Be That Way
[3:14] 5. Taking A Chance On Love
[3:28] 6. No Regrets
[3:55] 7. Love Is A Many Splendored Thing
[3:38] 8. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
[2:20] 9. Home
[3:19] 10. I'm In The Mood For Love
[3:39] 11. For All We Know
[4:36] 12. You're A Sweetheart

Heavily inspired by generations of blurry-toned jazz guitar maestros such as Jimmy Raney, Jim Hall, and Tal Farlow, this Swedish artist went on to compose critically acclaimed film soundtracks as well as pick and strum. The Swedish music scene in general is where documentation of Rune Gustafsson is most prevalent, his discography on Sonet, Metronome, and other labels even including a tribute to soul genius Stevie Wonder. The guitarist began performing folk music as a young teen, apparently under considerable prodding from an uncle who was already engaged in the same kind of activity. Gustafsson had evolved to playing jazz on stages in the early '50s, his bandleaders including Bert Dahlander, Putte Wickman, Hacke Bjorksten, and Lars Gullin. When profiled in Leonard Feather's Encyclopedia of Jazz in the '70s, Gustafsson talked about his ambitions in composing and arranging concert music, a promise he certainly made good on in the ensuing years. He also expanded his instrumental arsenal for some of these projects, recording on the banjo and the celeste, among other unusual axes. His film credits include the 1992 Ingmar Bergman release with the English title of Sunday's Children. ~bio by Eugene Chadbourne

Standards

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Mildred Bailey - The Great American Songbook

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 58:29

Size: 133.9 MB

Styles: Vocal jazz

Year: 2012

Art: Front

[3:10] 1. Rockin' Chair

[3:25] 2. Georgia On My Mind

[3:04] 3. Lazy Bones

[2:47] 4. Heat Wave

[2:58] 5. Honeysuckle Rose

[3:13] 6. More Than You Know

[2:53] 7. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm

[3:01] 8. Trust In Me

[3:12] 9. Where Are You

[2:33] 10. Thanks For The Memory

[3:14] 11. Lover, Come Back To Me

[2:33] 12. Please Be Kind

[2:55] 13. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart

[2:46] 14. My Melancholy Baby

[2:46] 15. The Lonesome Road

[2:42] 16. St. Louis Blues

[2:45] 17. Begin The Beguine

[2:36] 18. 'tain't What You Do (It's The Way That You Do It)

[2:47] 19. Prisoner Of Love

[3:01] 20. All Of Me

An early jazz singer with a sweet voice, Mildred Bailey balanced a good deal of popular success with a hot jazz-slanted career that saw her billed as Mrs. Swing (her husband, Red Norvo, was Mr. Swing). Born Mildred Rinker in Washington state in 1907, Bailey began performing at an early age, playing piano and singing in movie theaters during the early '20s. By 1925, she was the headlining act at a club in Hollywood, doing a mixture of pop, early jazz tunes, and vaudeville standards. Influenced by Ethel Waters, Bessie Smith, and Connie Boswell, she developed a soft, swinging delivery that pleased all kinds of nightclub audiences in the area. After sending a demonstration disc in to Paul Whiteman in 1929, she gained a spot with one of the most popular dance orchestras of the day.

The added exposure with Whiteman soon gave Bailey her own radio program. She had already debuted on a recording date with guitarist Eddie Lang in 1929, but in 1932 she gained fame by recording what became her signature song, "Rockin' Chair" -- written especially for her by Hoagie Carmichael -- with a Whiteman small group. While recording for Vocalion during the 1930s, Bailey often utilized her husband, xylophonist/vibraphonist Red Norvo. She also appeared on his recordings of the late '30s, and the arrangements of Eddie Sauter proved a perfect accompaniment to her vocals.

Though she and Norvo later divorced, Bailey continued to perform and record during the 1940s. She appeared on Benny Goodman's Camel Caravan radio program, and gained her own series again during the mid-'40s. Hampered by health problems during the late '40s, she spent time in the hospital suffering from diabetes and died of a heart attack in 1951. ~bio by John Bush

The Great American Songbook  

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The Hep Chaps - Swingin' On Nothing

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:07
Size: 112.5 MB
Styles: Retro Swing
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[3:39] 1. Swingin' On Nothing
[2:45] 2. Tickle Toe
[4:17] 3. Cherokee
[3:13] 4. S'wonderful
[3:29] 5. The Lady Is A Tramp
[3:23] 6. One For Press
[3:01] 7. Easy To Dance With
[3:35] 8. The D.I.Y. Song
[3:59] 9. Summertime
[3:45] 10. Cape Cod
[3:29] 11. Into It
[3:31] 12. Lady Be Good
[2:55] 13. Spook's Holiday
[4:00] 14. Hit That Jive Jack

In incredible six-piece band formed by David Howarth and John Wallace, delivering punchy Swing Rhythms via original songs with zany lyrics and reworking favorites from the original Swing era. Rock'n'Roll fans will know John Wallace as a member of The Stargazers, and David Howarth from his roles in the stage musicals "Buddy" and "Good Rockin' Tonight". The Hep Chaps line-up also features guitar-ace Zac Zdravkovic, leader of British Rock'n'Roll favorites The Jive Romeros.

A fantastic album with boasts catchy swinging tunes, both new and old performed by the finest musicians the Swing Scene has to offer - and great vocals too!

Swingin' On Nothing

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Viktoria Tolstoy - Blame It On My Youth

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:55
Size: 109.7 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2001
Art: Front

[4:46] 1. We'll Be Together Again
[4:34] 2. Midnight Sun
[6:02] 3. Laura
[3:40] 4. Baby Plays Around
[4:57] 5. The Saga Of Harrison Crabfeathers
[4:04] 6. Blame It On My Youth
[4:12] 7. Destiny
[5:56] 8. Peace
[4:44] 9. Summer Night
[4:56] 10. Angel Eyes

Drums, Timpani, Percussion – Rasmus Kihlberg; Electric Bass, Acoustic Bass – Mattias Svensson; Piano, Organ, Vibraphone, Marimba – Jacob Karlzon; Viola – Christopher Öhman (tracks: 2, 4, 10), Henrik Frendin (tracks: 2, 4, 10); Violin – David Björkman Celhag* (tracks: 2, 4, 10); Vocals – Viktoria Tolstoy.

The great-great-granddaughter of the Russian writer, Leo Tolstoy, singer Viktoria developed a small but dedicated following in Sweden in the early 90s. Her mid-90s recording debut, Smile, Love And Spice, for which she was praised by Swedish jazz musicians such as Arne Domnérus, Svante Thuresson and Putte Wickman, began attracting attention further afield. She gained even more attention and greater commercial success with 1996’s För Älskad, a pop album that hinted strongly at star potential. Signed to Blue Note Records, she released White Russian in 1997, most of the songs on which were written by Tolstoy in collaboration with pianist Esbjörn Svensson. Following on the release of this CD, Tolstoy toured Germany, accompanied by Svensson’s trio. The weight of the Blue Note contract helped her gain entry to the inner circles of jazz and she performed with Ray Brown, singing with him in 2000 in Geneva, Switzerland, McCoy Tyner, and others. Nevertheless, she concentrated for a while on strengthening her base in Sweden. Subsequent albums, especially those following a shift to ACT Records, demonstrate her development as a strong singer and how much she has learned from her association with able jazz musicians. In 1999 she appeared in London at the Swedish Jazz Extravaganza. The release of Shining On You early in 2004 was concurrent with a Rising Stars tour of Germany, Denmark, Austria and Switzerland. In addition to Scandinavian and northern European countries, Tolstoy has also appeared in Italy and Malaysia.

Blame It On My Youth

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Gerald Albright - Sax For Stax

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:01
Size: 116.8 MB
Styles: Crossover jazz, Saxophone jazz
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[5:05] 1. Theme From The Men
[4:05] 2. Knock On Wood
[4:14] 3. Never Can Say Goodbye
[4:53] 4. Memphis Passion
[5:03] 5. Respect Yourself
[5:08] 6. I Stand Accused
[4:20] 7. Cheaper To Keep Her
[4:30] 8. Walkin' Down Beale Street
[4:48] 9. What You See Is What You Get
[4:14] 10. Who's Making Love
[4:36] 11. W.C. Handy Hop

Sax for Stax by Gerald Albright features Will Downing, Ledisi, Kirk Whalum, and Philip Bailey. Gerald Albright has been serving up "Sweet Pain" on his soulful saxophone for an ever-growing audience that spans across R&B, "Quiet Storm," traditional jazz and smooth jazz lines. Albright once again demonstrates his unique soulful sound while paying homage to one of the greatest eras of american music history.

Sax For Stax

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