Peggy Lee - Basin Street East Proudly Presents Miss Peggy Lee

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:31
Size: 72.2 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 1961/2011
Art: Front

[1:44] 1. Day Out
[2:59] 2. Moments Like This
[2:54] 3. Fever
[3:06] 4. The Second Time Around
[2:55] 5. Medley (One Kiss My Romance The Vagabond King Waltz)
[2:40] 6. I Got A Man
[0:20] 7. Peggy Lee Bow Music
[2:41] 8. Call Me Darling
[2:43] 9. I Love Being Here With You
[2:51] 10. But Beautiful
[1:51] 11. Them There Eyes
[3:19] 12. A Tribute To Ray Charles Just For A Thrill
[1:22] 13. Peggy Lee Bow Music-Exit

Bass – Max Bennett; Bongos – Chino Pozo; Congas – Chino Pozo; Drums – Stan Levey; Flute – Bob Donovan; Guitar – Dennis Budimir; Harp – Abe Rosen; Piano – Joe Harnell; Trombone – Mickey Gravine, Ray Desio; Trumpet – Danny Stiles, Phil Sunkel, Willie Thomas. Recorded live at Basin Street East in an after-hours performance with an invited audience on February 9 and at a New York studio on March 8, 1961.

This is a lesser Peggy Lee release. Originally it was planned that the singer (at the height of her popularity) would record a live set at Basin Street East in New York. Unfortunately, she caught a cold and her voice was a bit hoarse, so some of the numbers were re-recorded in the studio the following month and spliced quite effectively into the set. However, whether in concert or not, the performances here are rather routine with no chances taken (the dozen sidemen do not get a single solo), and everything sounds pretty well planned in advance. Lee, who is best here on the ballads, never wanders at all from the melodies, and these renditions of her usual repertoire have nothing unique or unusual to offer except perhaps an overly rapid version of "Fever." ~Scott Yanow

Basin Street East Proudly Presents Miss Peggy Lee

---

Bobby Lyle - Rhythm Stories

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 58:55

Size: 134.9 MB

Styles: Piano jazz

Year: 1994

Art: Front

[5:20] 1. Cool Walk

[4:58] 2. Here We Go Again

[5:14] 3. On The Spot

[5:50] 4. B's Mood

[5:14] 5. Junk Street

[5:05] 6. Higher Ground

[5:45] 7. Exotic Love

[5:25] 8. Don't You Know

[5:14] 9. Tonight We Love

[5:25] 10. Anthem

[5:18] 11. Love Suite

Bass – Reggie Hamilton, Marcus Miller; Drums, Programmed By – Sonny Emory; Guitar – Dwight Fills, Carl Burnette, Paul Jackson, Jr.; Keyboards – Bobby Lyle; Percussion – Lenny Castro; Saxophone – Everette Harp; Vocals – Darryl Phinnessy, Dorian Holly, Fred White,Ali Rock, Bobby Lyle, Exhibit, Robin Lyle, Thomas Lyle.

Bobby Lyle's success since the release of 1989's classic Ivory Dreams has been due chiefly to his astonishing ability to combine acoustic piano elegance with relentlessly funky grooves, always on the same album, often on the same cut. That album's juxtaposition of "Lush Life" and "Loco-motion" offers a great case in point. While Lyle draws brightly on tradition, he loves to go wild and urban any time he gets a chance, yet while most of his albums since then have been solid, he has never seemed to measure up to the promise of that auspicious debut. "Pianomagic," a collection of piano solos, in particular missed the mark. No such trouble these days. The subtitle of one of the feistier tracks on Lyle's endlessly electric Rhythm Stories "jazz hip-hop funky bebop, " perfectly summarizes the multi-faceted keyboardist's range and influences. On his most satisfying and eclectic outing to date, he alternates bass-driven soul that won't quit with artsier, romantic musings, fusing synergetic ensemble lightning with quieter reflections. When not limiting himself to his premier weapon, those magical 88s, he enjoys toying with a wide variety of keyboard sounds, most notably the organ effects on two dashing Stevie Wonder covers. "Higher Ground" and "Here We Go Again" offer a flair of familiarity, but are only two of the reasons to buy this genre-transcending collection. A melodic ace, Lyle saves his memorable hooks for slick ballads like "Exotic Love," while leaving ample openings on the jams for each member of his "who's who" ensemble room to expand, grow, whet their chops, etc. Jazz-meets-hip-hop projects usually possess a certain canned, synthetic production sheen about them, so Lyle also merits gold stars for the extraordinarily live sound he achieves blowing with every cat from Kirk Whalum and Gerald Albright to Marcus Miller and Stanley Clarke, among a cast of thousands. OK, why not mention a few more -- Everette Harp, Paul Jackson, Jr., Sonny Emory, and Peter White. ~Jonathan Widran

Rhythm Stories    

---

George Colligan - Past-Present-Future

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:05
Size: 144.4 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[9:42] 1. Sophisticated Lady
[7:14] 2. Akatumbo
[6:14] 3. East Of The Sun
[6:36] 4. This Nearly Was Mine
[6:31] 5. Past Present Future
[5:20] 6. Three Views Of A Secret
[7:13] 7. Cinema Paradiso
[4:21] 8. Holiday For Strings
[3:04] 9. Body And Soul
[6:46] 10. Invitation

With a string of recordings for Fresh Sound and Steeplechase, George Colligan established himself as one of the strongest new pianists in jazz. His first Criss Cross outing, Ultimatum (2002), focused exclusively on original material. On the followup, Past-Present-Future, only the title track is original—and a memorable one at that. The slant toward covers is atypical for Colligan (save for 2000's Stomping Ground), but it confirms his ability to make personal statements via standards and not-so-standards. Bassist Vicente Archer and drummer Bill Stewart are new to the Colligan discography but complement one another and know how to stir up trouble. ~David Adler

Past-Present-Future

---

Carl Fontana - The Fifties

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:13
Size: 149.3 MB
Styles: Trombone jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[ 1:06] 1. Intro Blues
[ 3:04] 2. Lester Leaps In
[ 0:17] 3. Where's Charlie Ventura
[ 4:51] 4. Ballad Medley If You Could See Me Now Come Back To Sorrento
[ 3:59] 5. Intermission Riff
[11:44] 6. Daniel's Blues
[ 6:51] 7. Scrapple From The Apple
[ 7:56] 8. Buhaina
[ 9:23] 9. Ballad Medley These Foolish Things You Go To My Head Darn That Dream
[ 3:09] 10. Polka Dots And Moonbeams
[ 2:28] 11. Soon
[ 6:02] 12. Polka Dots And Moonbeams
[ 4:18] 13. Carl

Trombonist Carl Fontana spent the early part of his career playing with a number of different big bands, including groups led by Lionel Hampton, Woody Herman, and Stan Kenton, the latter being the leader with whom he grew his reputation. Tiring of travel, he settled in Las Vegas playing commercial music for several decades (still taking time out for some brief tours with jazz bands), though he started leading jazz gigs and occasionally recording as a leader beginning in the '80s. This compilation comes from several different radio and television broadcasts plus some studio dates. The first set features Fontana leading a quintet with tenorist Vido Musso (a last-minute substitute for an injured Charlie Ventura). Fontana easily outshines Musso with his effortless but brief rapid-fire solo in "Lester Leaps In," while each man takes half of a ballad medley as an individual feature. Several numbers feature Fontana with members of the Kenton band plus pianist Henri Renaud. Fontana's intricate solo in Charlie Parker's "Scrapple from the Apple" is humorous at times, while Horace Silver's soulful "Buhaina" showcases trumpeter Dickie Mills and the trombonist. Fontana is the featured player in two selections with the Jimmy Cook Big Band, playing a powerful solo in "Polka Dots and Moonbeams" buoyed by Bill Holman's richly textured arrangement and adding some pep to an already breezy "Soon." The final two tracks showcase Fontana in concert with Kenton in Berlin playing two Bill Holman charts, including "Polka Dots and Moonbeams" and the arranger's own "Carl.""Polka Dots and Moonbeams" and the arranger's own "Carl." These vintage recordings from 1956 to 1960 are of surprising audio quality, making them essential for fans of the late Carl Fontana, who succumbed to Alzheimer's disease in 2003. ~Ken Dryden

The Fifties

---

Branford Marsalis - Requiem

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:38
Size: 160,1 MB
Art: Front

( 6:07)  1. Doctone
( 8:24)  2. Trieste
(10:39)  3. A Thousand Autumns
( 9:40)  4. Lykief
( 6:37)  5. Bullworth
( 9:36)  6. Elysium
( 8:49)  7. Cassandra
( 9:43)  8. 16th St. Baptist Church

For ten years or so, since Crazy People Music back in 1990, Branford Marsalis has steered well clear of the definitive in Jazz. He's played sax with Sting, Tina Turner, and Gangstarr, led Jay Leno's Tonight Show band, toured with Dizzy, made movies with Danny De Vito, recorded Blues-based albums starring B B King and Lightnin' Hopkins, hosted an illuminating and influential National Public Radio Jazz programme in the US, even subbed for David Murray in the World Saxophone Quartet. What he has steadfastly refused to do is go back and revisit the piano-and saxophone led quartet that formedhis first solo outfit afetr leaving brother Wynton's band in the mid-Eighties. And now, after reuniting with pianist Kenneth D Kirkland, whose outstanding work on Marsalis' Royal Garden Blues and Renaissance in the eighties fueled the saxophonist's bid for independence from his family's long shadow, we have a glimpse into a future that might have been. Kirkland's untimely death earlier this year came just weeks after these sessions were recorded (at the very end of 1998), and before the mixing process could sweeten or cloud the ideas and passion that drove his playing. As a result, there's an audible directness and unity of purpose in their co-leadership of the Quartet that leaves me yearning for more and then remembering how lucky we are to have these eight tunes.

These are Kirkland's last recorded dates, and they do him proud. Kenny always played like a fountain - throwing gusts and arcs of music up into the wind, defying gravity or melancholy, always singing a kind of musical "ain't this fun" - and from the very first rhythm statement on Requiem his spirit swaggers across the soundstage. Written by Marsalis to elaborate one of Kirkland's signature sounds, his swinging comping behind singers and soloists from pop to classical, "Doctone" also sets out the Quartet's stall - liquid, effortless technique set free over charts that encompass bop, post-bop, fusion, pop and swing. From this seductive beginning the warm, bear-hug muscular tone Kirkland and Marsalis adopt leaves room for bassist Eric Revis to double-time his way into the limelight without ever sounding forced or frantic, and as the band slide into a post-Jarrett interpretation of Paul Motian's Trieste that's redolent of North African sunsets and late-night navy town rumbles, their undoctored versatility shines through. The call to prayer, the call to arms and the call of love for sale are all in here, and Kirkland's sizzling technique in an extended solo tempts drummer Jeff Watts into one of his kitchen sink bravura workouts, as Branford slips smoothly in alongside.

Then a lyrical, complex and spacious reworking of A Thousand Autumns, a tune Marsalis originally wrote for Wayne Shorter, carries enough mood changes to soundtrack a short film, as Kirkland's romanticism is alternately spiked by Tain's evocative percussion, or soaked in dark rum by Marsalis. British ears will then be delighted by the astonishing Lykief - a sly Abdullah Ibrahim-style fusion of Township and Modern Jazz that lets the band's voices chase an irresistible melody around three or four distinct rythyms based on the same tempo. It's a little like strolling down a bush path between tropical villages, each playing its own version of a beloved party tune.This is where Marsalis says he most wants his music to stand - a living, growing fusion style that builds empathy with the audience while challenging and reinventing forms at the same time. Take his rocksteady approach on Bullworth. From a distance listen out for the Joe Sample simple infectiousness of the melody, and a lick or tow of high-style technique over a foursquare fusion groove. It's so kicking that it may take a couple of outings to hear the 7/4 tempo that crops up unannounced, or the jigsaw interplay between Tain's itching drums and Kirkland's barroom, gut-bucket piano. Three more originals from Marsalis flesh out a Spring must-buy. Branford has stepped two back to go three forward, and brother Delfeayo's practised, supportive production has pulled together a fitting last statement from Kirkland. There is no early warning of his death on these tracks, just the sound of a hot, creative musician flourishing in a hot, creative environment, captured largely live on analogue 24-track. The liner notes confess that the bass was nearly (but not) DI'ed, and Dolby SR snuck in on the two most spacious ballads. Tiny compromises that add, not diminish, a fine set that will keep supplying pleasure for years to come. An tribute worth hearing, particularly because it captures so cheerfully the energy, versatility and vitality of a much-missed man. ~ Ian Nicolson https://www.allaboutjazz.com/requiem-branford-marsalis-columbia-records-review-by-ian-nicolson.php

Personnel:  Branford Marsalis – Saxophones;  Eric Revis, bass;  Jeff "Tain" Watts, drums;  Kenny Kirkland, piano (all tracks except "Elysium")

Requiem

---

Stacy Sullivan - West On 40

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:22
Size: 102,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:20)  1. A Long, Good Night
(3:18)  2. Dreaming
(3:00)  3. Goodbye Don't Get Any Better Than This
(4:00)  4. I Feel The Earth Move
(3:01)  5. Simple Twist Of Fate
(5:12)  6. I Hate To See You Go
(0:51)  7. Why Walk (Intro)
(3:33)  8. Why Walk When You Can Fly
(3:23)  9. Trying To Do The Right Thing
(3:25) 10. Make It Look Easy
(3:58) 11. Night Life
(4:00) 12. How Little We Know
(2:15) 13. Everyday

"West On 40" is a completely original, dynamic recording by one of the most talented singers in America today, Stacy Sullivan. It brings together some of the greatest musicians of our time, including legendary blues guitarist Robben Ford, the incomparable Geroge Doering, Jimmy Zavola and Gary Ferguson. Stacy Sullivan is an American beauty, as lovely on the inside as she is on the outside. Her emotion-filled voice is a window into her compassionate, passionate soul. Discover Stacy Sullivan before she becomes a household name. She is that good…and her live performances are not to be believed! ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/West-40-Stacy-Sullivan/dp/B0002IQNCY

"...Sullivan has a lovely voice - pure and smoky..." ~ All Music Guide

"...one of the Top Ten Recordings Of 2004...not a single track that does not display her stamp..." ~ Sound Advice

"Stacy Sullivan has an engaging approach to lyrics that make every song compelling..." ~ Backstage

West On 40

---

Sonny Criss - Up, Up And Away

Styles: Saxophone Jazz

Year: 1998

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 37:21

Size: 85,7 MB

Art: Front

(5:32)  1. Up, Up And Away

(5:13)  2. Willow Weep For Me

(6:23)  3. This Is For Benny

(5:55)  4. Sunny

(6:46)  5. Scrapple From The Apple

(7:29)  6. Paris Blues

Altoist Sonny Criss' Prestige recordings of the late 1960s generally included a current pop tune or two along with some stronger jazz pieces. This 1998 CD reissue is of particular interest because the intense altoist is teamed with guitarist Tal Farlow (who had recently come out of retirement before slipping back into obscurity for a few more years), pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Bob Cranshaw and drummer Lenny McBrowne. "Up, Up and Away" (the Fifth Dimension hit) has more challenging chord changes than one would think and, although "Sunny" is lightweight, Criss really digs in and uplifts it. In addition, the leader overflows "Willow Weep for Me" with soul, plays a strong solo on Horace Tapscott's "This Is for Benny" and displays his blues roots on "Paris Blues." However the highpoint is a burning rendition of "Scrapple from the Apple" that finds Criss and Farlow engaged in torrid trade-offs. So overall this CD is more rewarding than it might appear at first glance. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/up-up-and-away-mw0000041279

Personnel: Sonny Criss (alto saxophone); Cedar Walton (piano); Tal Farlow (guitar); Bob Cranshaw (bass); Lenny McBrowne (drums).

Up, Up And Away

---

Steve Davis - Eloquence

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:19
Size: 162,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:56)  1. Yardbird Suite
(7:43)  2. How Deep Is The Ocean
(4:36)  3. Minor Contention
(5:59)  4. T.H.E. Blues
(5:53)  5. It Could Happen To You
(6:15)  6. My Ship
(6:42)  7. Have You Met Miss Jones
(6:54)  8. Django
(6:02)  9. Road Song
(5:39) 10. Peedlum
(4:45) 11. Lament
(4:47) 12. When The Saints Go Marching In

Eloquence, Davis' latest album, finds him in the company of jazz' reigning piano patriarch Hank Jones and the two mesh like velvet and suede. The plush, breathy yet burnished tone of the trombone is particularly eloquent on Kurt Weill's "My Ship," the CD's slowest ballad and one of three tracks with the quartet of Davis, Jones, bassist Nat Reeves and drummer Joe Farnsworth (of One for All). The three other quartet tracks supplant Reeves with producer John Lee's electric bass, including a rocking romp through Wes Montgomery's "Road Song." Roy Hargrove and Steve Nelson add brass and vibes respectively to three tracks, including an original blues with noticeable surprises in all solos, especially Jones,' and mellow interplay between Davis and Hargrove (on flugelhorn) on "It Could Happen to You." Nelson sticks around for two more tracks, including a memorable "Django," both stately and soulful from all (Jones digs really deep), but rendered truly unforgettable with strokes from Farnsworth's impeccable brushes. Fittingly, the album ends with two salutes to JJ Johnson, the father of modern mainstream jazz trombone. ~ George Kanzler https://www.allaboutjazz.com/steve-davis-eloquence-and-jam-session-vol-28-by-george-kanzler.php

Personnel: Steve Davis: trombone; Hank Jones: piano; Nat Reeves: bass; Joe Farnsworth: drums; Roy Hargrove: trumpet or flugelhorn (3 tracks); Steve Nelson: vibes (5 tracks); John Lee: electric bass (3 tracks).

Eloquence

---

Hal McKusick - Cross Section - Saxes

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1958
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:04
Size: 99,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:23)  1. Whisper Not
(4:08)  2. You're My Thrill
(3:53)  3. It Never Entered My Mind
(6:33)  4. Stratusphunk
(3:33)  5. Last Day Of Fall
(6:14)  6. Now's the Time
(3:48)  7. Yesterdays
(4:47)  8. End of a Love Affair
(2:28)  9. Sing Song
(4:13) 10. Rue

Hal McKusick's final recording as a leader mixes three separate sessions with contributions by four great arrangers. The cast of musicians varies from one date to the next, although McKusick and pianist Bill Evans are present on every track, while Art Farmer, Milt Hinton, and Barry Galbraith also make strong impressions. This music has held up extremely well over the decades, especially George Russell's forward-thinking treatment of "You're My Thrill" and his sauntering, somewhat atonal, blues "Stratusphunk." Also valuable are the charts by Jimmy Giuffre, George Handy, and Ernie Wilkins. The blend of the saxophones in Handy's upbeat "The Last Day of Fall" almost sound like an accordion. Most of this music was reissued on the CD Now's the Time (1957-1958), although two brilliant arrangements by Jimmy Giuffre ("Yesterdays" and his own "Sing Song") were, unfortunately, omitted from that compilation, making it worth the effort to search for this elusive Decca LP. ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/cross-section-saxes-mw0000471925

Cross Section - Saxes

---