Tuesday, January 3, 2017

Barney Kessel - Live At The Jazz Mill 1954

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:03
Size: 100.8 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[5:34] 1. Strike Up The Band
[6:40] 2. How About You
[4:44] 3. Get Happy
[3:51] 4. Stardust
[5:36] 5. Seven Come Eleven
[7:44] 6. Rose Room
[3:50] 7. Somebody Loves Me
[6:00] 8. Embraceable You

Bass – Gene Stoffell; Drums – Art Kile; Guitar – Barney Kessel; Piano – Pete Jolly.

Unearthed tape from a jazz icon. Thanks to a 21-year-old with a tape machine, we can all experience the majesty of guitar legend Barney Kessel at his 1954 best! Even if you don't know Barney Kessel, you know Barney Kessel -- as a first-string member of the group of LA session musicians nicknamed "The Wrecking Crew," Kessel's guitar is heard on just about every LA-based hit you'd care to name from the 60s, including songs by the Monkees and The Beach Boys' legendary Smile LP. And that's Kessel's playing on the famous "fight music" from the Star Trek TV series. He was regarded as the very best of the session guitarists by just about everyone around, and guitarists everywhere site him as an influence.

But before he played rock and roll, Kessel was a jazz pioneer -- as one of the leading lights of the hard-bop movement, his jazz guitar was legendary, and he was ranked the No. 1 guitarist in Down Beat and Playboy for numerous years. He played with Sonny Rollins and Oscar Peterson (and Chico Marx -- yes, that Chico Marx!) as well as leading his own super-tight group. On albums such as The Poll Winners, Kessel defined the bop style with a jazz "power trio," creating a body of work that made him a legend.

Live At The Jazz Mill is a unique artifact -- recorded on a tape recorder by young jazz fan Jack Miller, this live recording catches Barney Kessel in the middle of his run at the Jazz Mill with a great four-piece band. The collection, gleaned from a couple of nights' best recordings, features Kessel's spirited take on such Songbook classics as "Get Happy" and "Stardust," not to mention the Gershwin great "Embraceable You." It’s pressed on red vinyl, and on compact disc and wrapped in a sleeve which captures the unique vibe of jazz graphics of the 1950s. Get with Barney Kessel, and get with a true pioneer of the jazz form!

Live At The Jazz Mill 1954

The Temptations - Playlist + Plus (3-Disc Set)

A decent collection for the casual fan that wants the hits covering all of the Temptations' stellar career, with just enough depth to make it more worthwhile than the typical Temptations collection.

A few tracks are conspicuous by their absence however, such as "You've Got To Earn It", "Why Did She Have to Leave Me (Why Did She Have to Go?)", "Happy People", "Glasshouse" & several others. The worst offense is the inclusion of the single version of "Hey Girl (I Like Your Style)", which removes over a minute of the song as released on the album, including the gorgeous sax work that glides all through the song & gives it much of it's appeal. "Emperors Of Soul" is still the best anthology of the Temptations that exists, but if you don't want to or can't spend the money for it, this will suffice in a pinch. ~Mark Moore

Album: Playlist + Plus (Disc 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:59
Size: 87.0 MB
Styles: Motown Soul, AM Pop
Year: 2008

[2:39] 1. The Way You Do The Things You Do
[2:54] 2. I'll Be In Trouble
[2:49] 3. The Girl's Alright With Me
[2:17] 4. Girl (Why You Wanna Make Me Blue)
[2:42] 5. My Girl
[2:55] 6. It's Growing
[2:50] 7. Since I Lost My Baby
[3:00] 8. My Baby
[2:48] 9. Don't Look Back
[2:37] 10. Get Ready
[2:30] 11. Ain't Too Proud To Beg
[2:21] 12. Beauty Is Only Skin Deep
[2:26] 13. (I Know) I'm Losing You
[3:05] 14. All I Need

Playlist + Plus (Disc 1)

Album: Playlist + Plus (Disc 2)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:29
Size: 111.0 MB
Styles: Motown Soul, AM Pop
Year: 2008

[2:56] 1. You're My Everything
[2:36] 2. (Loneliness Made Me Realize) It's You That I Need
[2:46] 3. I Wish It Would Rain
[3:31] 4. I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You)
[3:28] 5. Cloud Nine
[3:06] 6. I'm Gonna Make You Love Me
[4:45] 7. Runaway Child, Running Wild
[4:44] 8. Don't Let The Joneses Get You Down
[2:51] 9. I Can't Get Next To You
[3:51] 10. Psychedelic Shack
[4:02] 11. Ball Of Confusion (That's What The World Is Today)
[3:45] 12. Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)
[2:51] 13. Superstar (Remember How You Got Where You Are)
[3:09] 14. Take A Look Around

Playlist + Plus (Disc 2)

Album: Playlist + Plus (Disc 3)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:36
Size: 125.0 MB
Styles: Motown Soul, AM Pop
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[6:56] 1. Papa Was A Rollin' Stone
[4:20] 2. Masterpiece
[3:27] 3. Hey Girl (I Like Your Style)
[2:37] 4. Let Your Hair Down
[3:52] 5. Heavenly
[4:01] 6. Shakey Ground
[4:07] 7. Power
[4:21] 8. Standing On The Top
[4:14] 9. Treat Her Like A Lady
[4:33] 10. Lady Soul
[4:45] 11. Stay
[7:19] 12. This Is My Promise

Playlist + Plus (Disc 3)

Dick Cary & His Tuesday Night Friends - Playing Dick Cary Originals

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:40
Size: 141.2 MB
Styles: Swing, Dixieland
Year: 1996/2006
Art: Front

[3:51] 1. Ding
[2:22] 2. Henry
[3:27] 3. Kreik
[5:39] 4. Bud
[4:00] 5. Fugue
[4:11] 6. Black Shadow
[3:19] 7. Fritz
[3:37] 8. Another January
[6:25] 9. Vallen's Waltz
[5:06] 10. 8th Avenue Rag
[6:20] 11. Thursday Blues
[6:25] 12. Pong
[3:38] 13. Tuxford
[3:13] 14. M And M

Given multi-instrumentalist and composer/arranger Dick Cary's long career as a sideman with Louis Armstrong, Bobby Hackett, Bud Freeman, and Eddie Condon, it is interesting to learn of his more recent activities as a rehearsal band leader. Beginning in the mid-1970s and continuing through 1994, the year of his death, Cary wrote some 1500 original compositions and arranged them specifically for a select group of Los Angeles' busiest jazz studio musicians, who would in turn gather at his home every Tuesday to run through the latest scores. Each one a new reading and blowing experience, the arrangements would be checked for accuracy of notation, rehearsed to a state of perfection, and then put aside to make room for the next batch. There was seemingly no limit to Cary's productivity.

In addition to writing all of the 14 swinging originals for the several 1993 recording dates that comprise this release, Cary also plays electric piano and section trumpet, leaving the solo spots to trumpeters Betty O'Hara, Bob Summers, and Dick Forrest, trombonist Dick Hamilton, clarinetist Abe Most, and saxmen Fred Cooper, Tommy Newsom, and Terry Harrington. Besides Cary, the always kicking rhythm section includes guitarist Dave Koonse, bassist Herb Mickman, and drummers Jerry McKenzie and the late Gene Estes. For the most part, Cary's charts leave generous space for improvisation, while the through-composed sections sometimes recall the harmonic and rhythmic signatures of Beiderbecke, Ellington, and Basie. Although not an experimentalist in terms of structure, meter, or harmony, Cary did have an excellent ear for voicing and a flawless grasp of swinging time notation. ~Jack Sohmer

Playing Dick Cary Originals

Shirley Horn - Wild Is The Wind

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:42
Size: 84.0 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 1960/2016
Art: Front

[2:09] 1. Just In Time
[2:55] 2. Come Rain Or Come Shine
[3:23] 3. If I Should Lose You
[3:44] 4. Wild Is The Wind
[2:34] 5. Day By Day
[3:34] 6. Blue City
[3:40] 7. God Bless The Child
[2:19] 8. Mountain Greenery
[3:03] 9. I Thought About You
[3:22] 10. Softly As In A Morning Sunshine
[3:21] 11. He Never Mentioned Love
[2:32] 12. Like Someone In Love

Shirley Horn (p, v), Joe Benjamin, Lewis Packer (b), Herbie Lovelle, Harry T. 'Stump' Saunders (d).

About the song: Wild Is The Wind was the title song from the 1957 film of the same name starring Anthony Quinn, Anna Magnini and Anthony Franciosa. It was written by composer Dimitri Tomkin and lyricist Ned Washington. Washington wrote the words for Jazz Vocal classics such as Stella By Starlight, I’m Getting Sentimental Over You, The Nearness Of You and On Green Dolphin Street. All of these were recorded by Ella Fitzgerald (amongst others) the latter with Louis Armstrong. Washington also wrote the words for Gene Pitney’s hit, Town Without Pity from the film of the same name. He was nominated more than ten times for an Academy Award, he won twice, once for the classic When You Wish Upon A Star from Pinocchio and the other for High Noon’s Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darlin’ – lyrics you know but didn’t know were his.

The song was originally sung by Johnny Mathis for the film but it has been recorded many times. Nina Simone recorded it in 1959 on Live At Town Hall, Shirley Horn recorded a Julie London like version in 1960. ~Marty Willson-Piper

Wild Is The Wind

The Claude Williamson Trio - Autumn In New York

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:46
Size: 130.0 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 1995/2007
Art: Front

[8:17] 1. Linear Motion
[7:22] 2. Autumn In New York
[4:19] 3. Samba Lhasa
[5:49] 4. Manhattan
[4:15] 5. News From Blueport
[3:39] 6. I Want To Be Happy
[5:59] 7. Moonlight In Vermont
[4:43] 8. Crow's Other Nest
[4:39] 9. How About You
[7:39] 10. Over The Rainbow

Bass – Bill Crow; Drums – David Jones; Piano – Claude Williamson. Recorded April 22 & 23, 1995.

Claude Williamson and his trio of Bill Crow and David Jones join together to bring an album full of favorite standards as well as a few originals to their jazz-loving fans.

Autumn In New York

Alan Paul - Shu Bop

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 30:07
Size: 69.0 MB
Styles: R&B, Doo-wop
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[2:55] 1. So Much In Love
[2:05] 2. Lonely Way
[2:52] 3. All Of A Sudden (My Heart Sings)
[3:19] 4. To Be Loved
[4:17] 5. Shu Bop
[2:22] 6. Can I Come Over Tonight
[2:44] 7. Only You
[3:55] 8. A Cottage For Sale
[5:34] 9. I'm A Fool To Want You

Wishing you all a very happy, healthy and abundant year! I am very excited to share with you the exclusive release of my solo album, Shu Bop! Shu Bop pays tribute to classic doo-wop and popular music from the 1950’s and early 60’s. It also features two songs that were arranged and conducted by the legendary Ray Ellis who worked on the critically acclaimed Billy Holiday LP, A Lady In Satin. Many thanks for your continued support. Enjoy! ~Alan

Shu Bop

David Hazeltine Trio - Burt Bacharach Songbook: Alfie

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:52
Size: 132.5 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[4:34] 1. In Between The Heartaches
[5:12] 2. Raindrops Falling On My Head
[5:21] 3. The Look Of Love
[4:04] 4. Walk On By
[6:34] 5. A House Is Not A Home
[7:47] 6. This Guy's In Love With You
[6:22] 7. What The World Needs Now Is Love
[5:45] 8. Alfie
[6:06] 9. I Say A Little Prayer
[6:04] 10. Close To You

David Hazeltine (piano); David Williams (bass); Joe Farnsworth (drums).

David Hazeltine is a prolific pianist who releases at least one leader album a year, in addition to his work as a sideman and a member of well-known groups such as One For All. It is astonishing that his numerous CDs are never dull or boring. There is no doubt that he is at the most creative and productive stage of his career. In the past, Hazeltine has released several "songbook" CDs from Venus Records, paying tribute to pianists and composers such as Bill Evans, Bud Powell and Horace Silver. This CD is a Burt Bacharach songbook. As usual, Hazeltine shows off his impressive arranging skills and reimagines such Bacharach classics as "The Look of Love," "Walk on by," "This Guy is in Love," "Alfie" and "Close to You."

Hazeltine's crisp and assured piano performance is creatively supported by his bandmates and fellow One For All members, David Williams and Joe Farnsworth. Recorded at The Studio in New York in March 2006. Engineered by Katherine Miller. Mixed and Mastered by Venus 24-bit Hyper Magnum Sound.

Alfie

Denny Earnest - Songbook

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:25
Size: 131.4 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[3:14] 1. There's Always Love
[3:34] 2. Out Of The Blue
[3:52] 3. Let's Give It A Whirl
[3:16] 4. Black Eyed Susan
[2:58] 5. Day At A Time
[4:14] 6. It's Not True
[3:47] 7. Paradise Lost
[4:30] 8. Velvet Afternoon
[3:29] 9. Zen Garden
[3:21] 10. Yin Yang
[4:16] 11. Leg Up On You
[5:46] 12. Sonoran Holiday
[3:53] 13. I'm Lost In You
[2:38] 14. Upright Piano Jazz
[4:30] 15. Mickey The Fin

"I currently live near the college town of Bozeman MT, and a few years ago I met Alan Fauque Jazz saxophonist, Mike Gillan percussionist and pianist Bob Britten. I started using them in my sessions, we recorded a whole bunch of jazz tunes that are with various Publishers out there. That's when I got the "Earnest Songbook" idea. I dedicated a whole year to just writing Jazz tunes with vocals, I tried to see how far i could take it. The first of these I wrote was "Velvet Afternoon" I said to myself "This feels a little different and I tried to stay in the feel" The CD has a "Cocktail" feel 'Warning you are entering the "Frank" Zone', dress good and don't screw up, keep your composure. My favorite tune on the songbook is "Let's Give It a Whirl" where I stumbled upon using different vocal styles conjuring up "Dino", Satchmo, and "Frank" of course set in Vegas, "roll the dice and watch em curl", that was my writing approach, roll the dice and see what happens. Rather than "writing, I think I'm a guy who likes to put together changes that are fun to play against and sing. Also I included a "Tom Waits" style song, me and Alan came up with this odd tune I call it "Guy Noir Music" after Garrison Keilors radio character, I thought what the hell Diana Krall did "Temptation" so I'll include "Mickey the Fin" its in the same vain, "Who's that in the alley, looking so cool"......

Composing Jazz is usually done on piano, so I had to think piano in my head and try to play it accordingly. I usually don't like "guitar" jazz as it makes me think of the Weather Channel or being on hold on the phone. That being said, I still do love Wes, Joe Pass and all that, but I was trying to be the Composer - Vocalist - Arranger, so I let Alan and Bob Britten do most of the solo work." There's 3 instrumentals on the CD too, Alan gets to strut his stuff on the drifting "Zen Garden" showing off his Alto Chops, along with Denny's old Bassist from Cleveland Bill Watson, "Upright Piano Jazz" features Bob Britten on the upright Piano again with Bill on Bass, and the cool "Black Eyed Susan" a smoky textured tune with all the above and Denny on the Upright Bass., Denny and his band can be found playing in clubs and getting people on the a crowded dance floor with, a combination of Roots Jazz, Swing, Blues.

Songbook