Lena Horne & Gabor Szabo - Empathy

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:51
Size: 84.4 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz, Guitar jazz
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[4:06] 1. Watch What Happens
[3:12] 2. Something
[2:58] 3. Everybody's Talkin'
[3:49] 4. The Fool On The Hill
[4:13] 5. Yesterday
[3:36] 6. Rocky Raccoon
[4:46] 7. My Mood Is You
[3:22] 8. Message To Michael
[3:44] 9. Night Wind
[2:59] 10. In My Life

This is the sound track of the original "LENA & GABOR" by A&R Recording Studio produced during Oct-Nov, 1969 by SKYE Recording Co LTD N.Y. The original LPs went out of production in 1970. This album was used during the 1970's to demo hi-end speakers and stereo systems as the quality of it nearly the same as the Direct-to Disc recordings of that time. I recommend this CD as it is the same as my original SKYE LPs. ~Gregory K Lewis

Empathy

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Billy May & His Orchestra - Jimmie Lunceford In Hi-Fi

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:45
Size: 88.7 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz, Easy Listening
Year: 1958/2007
Art: Front

[2:42] 1. Tain't What You Do
[2:36] 2. Ain't She Sweet
[2:58] 3. Charmaine
[2:38] 4. Uptown Blues
[2:39] 5. Cheatin' On Me
[2:56] 6. Coquette
[3:05] 7. Rhythm Is Our Business
[2:39] 8. Well All Right Then
[4:55] 9. Blues In The Night
[2:54] 10. Four Or Five Times
[3:06] 11. I'm Walkin' Thru Heaven
[2:32] 12. For Dancers Only
[2:59] 13. My Blue Heaven

Best remembered as the man who crafted spunky arrangements for Frank Sinatra, Billy May (1916-2004) developed his skills during the late 1930s and early '40s as trumpeter and arranger with the Charlie Barnet, Glenn Miller and Les Brown orchestras. During the 1950s, May churned out a series of spiffy big band records for Capitol where he served as staff arranger. Sorta-May, a very popular album from 1954, features one dozen well-loved melodies by great Tin Pan Alley composers including Jerome Kern, Rodgers & Hart, George Gershwin, Cole Porter and Rudolf Friml. Note that Sorta-May was reissued on GNP Crescendo in 1996, coupled with May's 1955 Sorta Dixie album. May's Jimmie Lunceford tribute, first issued in 1957 as Great Jimmie Lunceford, is a hi-fidelity salute to the Mississippi-born and Memphis-raised African-American bandleader. May lent authenticity to the project by having ex-Lunceford bandmembers Dan Grissom, Willie Smith, Joe Thomas and Trummy Young stand in as vocalists. ~arwulf arwulf

Jimmie Lunceford In Hi-Fi

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Rosa Passos - Canta Antonio Carlos Jobim: 40 Anos De Bossa Nova

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:49
Size: 111.8 MB
Styles: Bossa Nova
Year: 1998/2002
Art: Front

[2:38] 1. Samba De Um Nota Só
[2:25] 2. Corcovado
[2:47] 3. Garota De Ipanema
[2:50] 4. Vivo Sonhando
[5:15] 5. Insensatez
[4:51] 6. Desafinado
[4:35] 7. Chega De Saudade
[4:06] 8. Meditação
[2:59] 9. Só Em Teus Braços
[3:46] 10. Inútil Paisagem
[3:57] 11. Outra Vez
[2:31] 12. Este Seu Olhar
[3:19] 13. Esperança Perdida
[2:44] 14. Brigas Nunca Mais

2002 Tribute Album to Jobim by One of the Few Singers Currently in Brazil Dedicated to a Genuine Evolution of Brazilian Music. Passos' Perfect Pitch Capability is Acknowledged by Many Artists Such as Joao Gilberto, Maria Schneider, Clare Fisher, Paquito D'rivera, Johnny Alf and Nana Caymmi (Who Recorded Two of her Compositions). Her Main Influences were Dorival Caymmi and Joao Gilberto as Well as Jazz Greats Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Etta James, Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, Shirley Horn (Who Has Declared to Be her Fan), Cole Porter, and George Gershwin.

Canta Antonio Carlos Jobim 40 Anos De Bossa Nova                

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Milt Jackson - The Jazz Skyline

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:26
Size: 85.7 MB
Styles: Bop, Vibraphone jazz
Year: 1956/1986/2009
Art: Front

[7:46] 1. Lover
[4:36] 2. Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man
[7:18] 3. The Lady Is A Tramp
[6:38] 4. Angel Face
[7:14] 5. Sometimes I'm Happy
[3:51] 6. What's New

Milt Jackson - vibraphone; Lucky Thomson - tenor-saxophone; Hank Jones - piano; Wendell Marshall - bass; Kenny Clarke - drums.

This session has interest as an example of Milt Jackson's mid-'50s work in a non-Modern Jazz Quartet context. And despite the many critical assertions that the vibist was restrained by pianist John Lewis' direction, his playing here revealed no marked changed. The overall feel of the group (Lucky Thompson, tenor sax; Hank Jones, piano; Wendell Marshall; bass, Kenny Clarke, drums; Jackson, vibes), however, was somewhat more dynamic than that of The MJQ, as Clarke and Jones generally achieved a greater sense of forward momentum than Connie Kay or Lewis. ~Bob Rusch

The Jazz Skyline

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Jerry Lee Lewis - Classic Years

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:34
Size: 111.2 MB
Styles: Rock N Roll, Rockabilly
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[1:53] 1. Great Balls Of Fire
[2:28] 2. High School Confidential
[2:51] 3. Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On
[2:50] 4. It'll Be Me
[2:53] 5. You Win Again
[2:49] 6. Fools Like Me
[2:07] 7. I'll Sail My Ship Alone
[1:46] 8. End Of The Road
[2:37] 9. It Hurt Me So
[2:37] 10. Break Up
[2:03] 11. Livin' Lovin' Wreck
[1:58] 12. Lewis Boogie
[2:44] 13. Crazy Arms
[3:04] 14. I'll Make It All Up To You
[1:57] 15. Jambalaya (On The Bayou)
[2:41] 16. Breathless
[1:50] 17. Lovin' Up A Storm
[2:07] 18. Put Me Down
[2:57] 19. It All Depends (On Who Will Buy The Wine)
[2:11] 20. Down The Line

Is there an early rock & roller who has a crazier reputation than the Killer, Jerry Lee Lewis? His exploits as a piano-thumping, egocentric wild man with an unquenchable thirst for living have become the fodder for numerous biographies, film documentaries, and a full-length Hollywood movie. Certainly few other artists came to the party with more ego and talent than he and lived to tell the tale. And certainly even fewer could successfully channel that energy into their music and prosper doing it as well as Jerry Lee. When he broke on the national scene in 1957 with his classic "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On," he was every parents' worst nightmare perfectly realized: a long, blonde-haired Southerner who played the piano and sang with uncontrolled fury and abandon, while simultaneously reveling in his own sexuality. He was rock & roll's first great wild man and also rock & roll's first great eclectic. Ignoring all manner of musical boundaries is something that has not only allowed his music to have wide variety, but to survive the fads and fashions as well. Whether singing a melancholy country ballad, a lowdown blues, or a blazing rocker, Lewis' wholesale commitment to the moment brings forth performances that are totally grounded in his personality and all singularly of one piece. Like the recordings of Hank Williams, Louis Armstrong, and few others, Jerry Lee's early recorded work is one of the most amazing collections of American music in existence. ~partial bio by Cub Koda

Classic Years

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Ed Polcer All-Stars - Jammin' A La Condon

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:59
Size: 162.5 MB
Styles: Big band, Swing
Year: 1994
Art: Front

[5:54] 1. California, Here I Come
[6:47] 2. Condon Medley At Sundown Big Butter And Egg Man Back In Your Own ..
[4:01] 3. Jubilee
[5:22] 4. Somebody Stole My Gal
[5:47] 5. Home
[7:04] 6. Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives To Me
[4:33] 7. On The Alamo
[4:56] 8. Bye Bye Blues
[3:10] 9. Can't We Be Friends
[8:02] 10. Linger Awhile
[6:47] 11. Wild Bill Medley Blue Again The Vanderbilt Confessin I Can't ..
[8:30] 12. Wolverine Blues

With Tom Saunders, Bob Havens, Bill Allred, Ken Peplowski, Allan Vache, Mark Shane, Marty Grosz, Greg Cohen, Joe Ascione.

During the past several years, Ed Polcer has become one of the most sought after performers on the jazz festival circuit. He has appeared in hundreds of concerts, festivals and jazz parties throughout the United States, Canada and Europe, including numerous return appearances at the Newport/Kool/JVC Festival in New York. Ed's musical versatility and leadership have earned him a reputation as a dynamic bandleader, and he is often called upon to organize festivals, concerts, dances and parties.

Ed joined Benny Goodman's Sextet for an American tour in 1973. An expert showman, Ed has led numerous concerts with varied themes, including his extensive U.S. tours for Columbia Artists. In 1992, '93 and '94." A Night At Eddie Condon's", transported the audience back to the famous nightclub and gave a musical retrospective of American jazz over the last 100 years.

Jammin' A La Condon

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Charles McPherson - First Flight Out

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:56
Size: 158,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:08)  1. Lynns Grins
(5:51)  2. Lizabeth
(6:59)  3. Blues for Chuck
(7:46)  4. Nostalgia in Times Square
(5:27)  5. Well You Needn't
(6:19)  6. 7th Dimension
(7:20)  7. Goodbye Pork Pie Hat
(6:04)  8. Deep Night
(5:08)  9. Portrait
(4:18) 10. Karen
(5:40) 11. My Funny Valentine
(3:51) 12. First Flight Out

A Charlie Parker disciple who brings his own lyricism to the bebop language, Charles McPherson has been a reliable figure in modern mainstream jazz for more than 35 years. He played in the Detroit jazz scene of the mid-'50s, moved to New York in 1959, and within a year was working with Charles Mingus. McPherson and his friend Lonnie Hillyer succeeded Eric Dolphy and Ted Curson as regular members of Mingus' band in 1961 and he worked with the bassist off and on up until 1972. Although he and Hillyer had a short-lived quintet in 1966, McPherson was not a full-time leader until 1972. 

In 1978, he moved to San Diego, which has been his home ever since and sometimes he uses his son, Chuck McPherson, on drums. Charles McPherson, who helped out on the film Bird by playing some of the parts not taken from Charlie Parker records, has led dates through the years for Prestige (1964-1969), Mainstream, Xanadu, Discovery, and Arabesque. ~ Scott Yanow  http://www.allmusic.com/artist/charles-mcpherson-mn0000206020/biography

Personnel: Charles McPherson (alto saxophone), Tom Harrell (trumpet, flugelhorn), Michael Weiss (piano), Peter Washington (bass), Victor Lewis (drums)

First Flight Out

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Will Bernard - Out & About

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:31
Size: 111,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:36)  1. Happy Belated
(1:48)  2. Not Too Fancy
(4:18)  3. Next Guest
(6:44)  4. Habenera
(4:17)  5. Redwood (Business Casual)
(5:37)  6. Homeward Bound
(3:12)  7. Homebody
(5:13)  8. Suggested Reading
(4:26)  9. Full Sweep
(3:16) 10. Pan Seared
(3:59) 11. Out & About

Will Bernard has received his due for sideman work in a variety of settings, but you rarely hear anybody talk about stylistic range when it comes to his own leader dates. This is the album that could and should change that. Over the course of eleven originals, Bernard continually frames himself in different ways, constantly redefining his outlook and mining fresh musical veins with some help from four A-list musicians organist Brian Charette, saxophonist John Ellis, bassist Ben Allison, and drummer Allison Miller. It's a winning formula, making Out & About an out-and-out success. The album opens with "Happy Belated," a funky number with a twist or two that falls right into Bernard's comfort zone. Allison's fulsome bass and Miller's solid drumming lock everything in place, Bernard and Ellis sync up when an angular interlude appears, and metric adjustments are made without altering the natural feel of the piece. It's a number that could've set Bernard up perfectly for a funk-themed record, but he doesn't oblige. Instead, he turns sharply at every opportunity. "Not Too Fancy" a brief and intimate guitar-and-bass duo that's quaint, serene, and comforting follows, completely changing the direction implied with "Happy Belated." 

Then there's "Next Guest," a piece that flies and gives Ellis, Bernard, Allison, and Miller a chance to really dialogue with one another; "Habenera," a shape-shifting avant-tango that benefits from Charette's out-of-the-box organ work; "Redwood (Business Casual)," a number energized by Miller's propulsive ride cymbal and powerful soloing; and "Homeward Bound," a straight-eighth selection that plays up the partnership between rhythmic recurrence and mood evolution. With each of the five numbers that remain, Bernard and his buddies continue to defy expectations. "Homebody" carries some heartland inflections and gives Ellis and Bernard a chance to continually cross paths and dance, "Suggested Reading" sets Bernard's slinky guitar against Allison's stout yet slippery bass lines and Miller's happening grooves, and "Full Sweep" delivers wonderfully off-balanced hits and harmonic shifts. Then things wind down with a gravity-reduced exploration called "Pan Seared" and the swaying title track. After all of that it's tempting to see this as an identity crisis record. The truth, however, is something much simpler: This is Will Bernard, in all of his multifaceted glory. ~ Dan Bilaswsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/out-and-about-will-bernard-posi-tone-records-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Will Bernard: guitar; John Ellis: saxophone; Brian Charette: organ; Ben Allison: bass; Allison Miller: drums.

Out & About

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Billy Eckstine - The Modern Sound Of Mr. B

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1964
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:56
Size: 81,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:28)  1. Mister Kicks
(3:40)  2. People
(3:12)  3. Satin Doll
(3:24)  4. A Beautiful Friendship
(2:29)  5. Wives and Lovers
(2:24)  6. What Are You Afraid Of
(1:55)  7. Sweet Georgia Brown
(2:46)  8. A Garden In The Rain
(4:05)  9. Wouldn't It Be Loverly
(3:00) 10. Poor Fool
(2:45) 11. Our Once Happy Love
(2:43) 12. Wanted

Billy Eckstine's smooth baritone and distinctive vibrato broke down barriers throughout the 1940s, first as leader of the original bop big band, then as the first romantic black male in popular music. An influence looming large in the cultural development of soul and R&B singers from Sam Cooke to Prince, Eckstine was able to play it straight on his pop hits "Prisoner of Love," "My Foolish Heart" and "I Apologize." Born in Pittsburgh but raised in Washington, D.C., Eckstine began singing at the age of seven and entered many amateur talent shows. He had also planned on a football career, though after breaking his collar bone, he made music his focus. After working his way west to Chicago during the late '30s, Eckstine was hired by Earl Hines to join his Grand Terrace Orchestra in 1939. Though white bands of the era featured males singing straight-ahead romantic ballads, black bands were forced to stick to novelty or blues vocal numbers until the advent of Eckstine and Herb Jeffries (from Duke Ellington's Orchestra). Though several of Eckstine's first hits with Hines were novelties like "Jelly, Jelly" and "The Jitney Man," he also recorded several straight-ahead songs, including the hit "Stormy Monday." By 1943, he gained a trio of stellar bandmates Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, and Sarah Vaughan. After forming his own big band that year, he hired all three and gradually recruited still more modernist figures and future stars: Wardell Gray, Dexter Gordon, Miles Davis, Kenny Dorham, Fats Navarro, and Art Blakey, as well as arrangers Tadd Dameron and Gil Fuller. The Billy Eckstine Orchestra was the first bop big-band group, and its leader reflected bop innovations by stretching his vocal harmonics into his normal ballads. Despite the group's modernist slant, Eckstine hit the charts often during the mid-'40s, with Top Ten entries including "A Cottage for Sale" and "Prisoner of Love." On the group's frequent European and American tours, Eckstine also played trumpet, valve trombone, and guitar.

Though he was forced to give up the band in 1947 (Gillespie formed his own bop big band that same year), Eckstine made the transition to string-filled balladry with ease. He recorded more than a dozen hits during the late '40s, including "My Foolish Heart" and "I Apologize." He was also quite popular in Britain, hitting the Top Ten there twice during the '50s "No One But You" and "Gigi" as well as several duet entries with Sarah Vaughan. Eckstine returned to his jazz roots occasionally as well, recording with Vaughan, Count Basie, and Quincy Jones for separate LPs, and the 1960 live LP No Cover, No Minimum featured him taking a few trumpet solos as well. He recorded several albums for Mercury and Roulette during the early '60s (his son Ed was the president of Mercury), and he appeared on Motown for a few standards albums during the mid-'60s. After recording very sparingly during the '70s, Eckstine made his last recording (Billy Eckstine Sings with Benny Carter) in 1986. He died of a heart attack in 1993. ~ John Bush http://www.allmusic.com/artist/billy-eckstine-mn0000082584/biography

Thank You, Scoredaddy!

The Modern Sound Of Mr. B

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Billy Preston - Ultimate Collection

Styles: Vocal, Soul
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:24
Size: 170,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:28)  1. Will It Go Round In Circles
(4:09)  2. Outa-Space
(2:45)  3. Slaughter
(3:24)  4. I Wrote A Simple Song
(4:10)  5. That's The Way God Planned It [Live]
(2:36)  6. Struttin'
(5:47)  7. Fancy Lady
(3:19)  8. You're So Unique
(3:28)  9. Space Race
(3:10) 10. Get Back
(2:30) 11. Blackbird
(3:16) 12. Wide Stride
(2:37) 13. Nothing From Nothing
(3:48) 14. I'm Really Gonna Miss You
(4:51) 15. You Are So Beautiful
(3:40) 16. With You I'm Born Again
(4:51) 17. Since I Held You Close
(3:50) 18. Go For It
(3:54) 19. One More Time For Love
(3:41) 20. I'm Never Gonna Say Goodbye

Hip-O's Ultimate Collection may not have the original hit recording of "That's the Way God Planned It," due to licensing restrictions (it was recorded for the Beatles ill-fated label, Apple), but that's about the only thing missing from this near-definitive single-disc set. Over the course of 20 tracks, the collection chronicles every one of Preston's hits, from the funky "Outa-Space," "Slaughter," and "Will It Go Round in Circles" to the smooth, quiet storm soul of his duets with Syreeta ("With You I'm Born Again," "Go for It," "One More Time for Love"). Since it's quite a transition between the two extremes, fans of either side of the spectrum may not enjoy everything here, but it's nevertheless a nearly flawless collection, providing an accurate portrait of Preston's career. It is true that the lesser-known hits aren't as compelling as the smash singles, but this is still an entertaining collection, regardless. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine http://www.allmusic.com/album/ultimate-collection-mw0000058458

Personnel: Billy Preston (vocals, keyboards).

Ultimate Collection

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Cyndi Lauper - Detour

Styles: Vocal, Country
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:25
Size: 93,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:15)  1. Funnel Of Love
(2:55)  2. Detour (feat. Emmylou Harris)
(3:19)  3. Misty Blue
(2:16)  4. Walkin' After Midnight
(3:10)  5. Heartaches By The Number
(3:12)  6. The End Of The World
(2:58)  7. Night Life (feat. Willie Nelson)
(3:24)  8. Begging To You
(3:42)  9. You're The Reason Our Kids Are Ugly (feat. Vince Gill)
(3:00) 10. I Fall To Pieces
(3:13) 11. I Want To Be A Cowboy's Sweetheart (feat. Jewel)
(3:54) 12. Hard Candy Christmas (feat. Alison Krauss)

A spiritual sequel of sorts to Memphis Blues, Detour finds Cyndi Lauper swapping out blues for country & western. The "western" part of the equation is crucial to Detour, a record equally enamored of cowboy camp as it is of Music City craft and corn. Such a wide purview is testament to Lauper's taste-savvy show biz sensibilities, but by balancing ballads with riotous romps, she winds up with a bit of a mess on her hands. On their own, the slow-burning-torch set pieces of "End of the World" and "I Fall to Pieces" have their charms  they offer ample evidence of Lauper's nuance and control, elements that are often underrated but when paired with the ferocious, mincing wink of "You're the Reason Our Kids Are Ugly," "Cowboy Sweetheart," and "Detour," the spell is broken. Matters aren't helped much by the presence of Dolly Parton's "Hard Candy Christmas" a fine, faithful rendition that closes off the record on a sweet note  and the crisp, digital modern sheen of the opener "Funnel of Love," elements that pull Detour even further down a winding backroad. 

Such sudden shifts in tone might work better on-stage than they do on record, and with its cavalcade of guest stars, Detour often does play a bit like a stage revue, for better or worse. After all, much of Lauper's charm lies in her innate theatricality, and when she's paired with someone who shares her humor Emmylou Harris on "Detour" and, especially, Vince Gill on "You're the Reason Our Kids Are Ugly" there's a crackling vitality that nevertheless winds up diluting the diva showstoppers, something that could possibly be finessed on-stage but seems like a sharp turn on record. Nevertheless, on a track-by-track level, Detour has a few stumbles the biggest is "Night Life," and that's due to the gravelly growl of Willie Nelson, not Lauper and if it's taken as a collection of performances and not a coherent record, it's fun. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine http://www.allmusic.com/album/detour-mw0002913797

Personnel: Cyndi Lauper (vocal);  Kenny Greenberg, Vince Gill, Tom Bukovac (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Willie Nelson, Bryan Sutton (acoustic guitar); Dan Dugmore (steel guitar); Aubrey Haynie (mandolin, fiddle); Jeff Taylor (accordion); Steve Nathan (piano, Hammond b-3 organ, Wurlitzer organ, synthesizer); Tony Brown (piano); Greg Morrow, Chad Cromwell (drums); Neal Coomer, Elaine Caswell, Perry Coleman, Kim Keyes (background vocals).

Detour

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