Art Farmer, Jim Hall - Big Blues

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:40
Size: 79.4 MB
Styles: Bop
Year: 1979/2013
Art: Front


[ 8:45] 1. Whisper Not
[ 7:40] 2. A Child Is Born
[ 7:24] 3. Big Blues
[10:50] 4. Pavane For A Dead Princess

Bass – Mike Moore; Drums – Steve Gadd; Flugelhorn – Art Farmer; Guitar – Jim Hall; Vibraphone – Mike Mainieri. Recorded at Electric Lady Studios, February 1978.

Flügelhornist Art Farmer and guitarist Jim Hall had a regular group for a time in the mid-'60s but (with one exception) didn't play together again until this 1978 LP. It's an unusual effort for CTI in that it is a quintet set without added horns, strings, or keyboards. Farmer and Hall are joined by vibraphonist Mike Mainieri, bassist Michael Moore, and drummer Steve Gadd for two standards, the title cut, and a jazz adaptation of a piece by Ravel. Since Farmer and Hall have long had very complementary styles (both being lyrical, harmonically advanced, and thoughtful in their improvisations), it is little surprise that this set is a complete success. ~Scott Yanow

Big Blues

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João Gilberto - Collection

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:38
Size: 136.5 MB
Styles: Bossa Nova, Brazilian jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[4:12] 1. Desafinado
[2:09] 2. Bim Bom
[4:33] 3. Corcovado
[5:04] 4. Para Machuchar Meu Coração (To Hurt My Heart)
[3:36] 5. So Danço Samba
[2:51] 6. Um Abraço No Bonfá
[2:43] 7. Doralice
[5:49] 8. Only Trust Your Heart
[4:03] 9. Meditation (Meditação)
[2:16] 10. O Pato (The Duck)
[5:37] 11. Ligia
[6:01] 12. Pra Que Discutir Com Madam
[3:08] 13. Samba De Monha Terra
[2:52] 14. Vivo Sonhando (Dreamer)
[4:37] 15. Wave

Bossa nova, that most personal and international of Brazilian musical forms, has been blessed with numerous gifted composers. By far the greatest was Antonio Carlos (Tom) Jobim. Alone or in partnership with poet Vinicius de Moraes, fellow composer Newton Mendonça, and other illustrious collaborators, Jobim created some of the most famous and enduring bossa nova standards, such as “Garota de Ipanema,” “Desafinado,” and “Corcovado.”

Tom Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes, the seminal bossa nova songwriting team, met in 1956, but the songs they turned out at the time were not particularly innovative. For two years, Jobim/de Moraes tunes sounded like traditional samba-canção (samba-song, a slower and more lyrical version of samba). Nobody got particularly excited over them. Then a certain young singer and guitarist came out of nowhere to give these songs a new vocal interpretation and a new beat. The year was 1958, and the new beat was soon known throughout the world as bossa nova. That singer and guitarist was João Gilberto. His seductive vocals caressed the ear as well as the soul, while his guitar set an insouciant swinging rhythm going. The voice pulled in one direction, the beat in another. The combination was mesmerizing and highly addictive, refreshing and modern. It opened a new page in the history of popular music. Yet it all began at the most traditional roots.

Collection

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Bobby Hutcherson - Skyline

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:52
Size: 132.5 MB
Styles: Bop, Vibraphone jazz
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[7:29] 1. Who's Got You
[6:45] 2. I Only Have Eyes For You
[6:28] 3. Delilah
[5:21] 4. Chan's Song
[7:22] 5. Pomponio
[6:14] 6. Can You Read My Mind
[6:09] 7. Tres Palabras
[6:39] 8. The Coaster
[5:19] 9. Candle

Alto Saxophone – Kenny Garrett; Bass – Christian McBride; Drums – Al Foster; Marimba – Bobby Hutcherson; Piano – Geri Allen. Recorded August 3-5, 1998 at Avatar Studios, New York City.

Hard bop vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, 58, came to the jazz world during one of its most fertile eras: in the late fifties and early sixties. His early experience in the clubs and coffeehouses of Pasadena (California) prepared Hutcherson for New York City's fast pace and innovative ways. His recording contract with Blue Note placed the vibraphonist squarely in the middle of jazz's mainstream of the 1960s, and today his current Verve release holds the same connotation. It's an eclectic session of up-tempo jaunts, lush ballads, Latin syncopation, and other small ensemble workouts. Kenny Garrett participates on half the session with a heady, mostly lower register saxophone tone and an improviser's attitude much like that of the leader's. For an in-depth look at what motivates Bobby Hutcherson and how others have influenced his performance, see Fred Jung's recent interview with the vibraphonist.

Kenny Garrett and Bobby Hutcherson make a fine pair of conversationalists. Their imaginations run wild and there's a little fire in everything they accomplish; yet both are lyrical and offer seamless phrases. Their alternating improvised solo work on "I Only Have Eyes for You" is quite similar in approach. Both leave a little space here and there, leaving traces of the familiar melody for the listener to recognize, while moving freely around the chords. Hutcherson's "Pomponio," a Latin jazz dazzler, lets marimba and alto sax stretch out over the rhythm section's powerful son montuno. Geri Allen tosses out fluid phrases that ripple over the percussive keyboard; her interludes, particularly on "Delilah," "Candle," and "Chan's Song," make a welcome addition. John Towner Williams' "Love Theme from Superman" is included to emphasize lush lullaby harmonies from both pianist and vibraphonist. Christian McBride drives the unit with an overt pulse that is particularly effective through his rhythmic Latin solo on "Tres Palabras." Al Foster's consistent performance is highlighted on "Pomponio," as he drops bombs and flirts with the various metallic textures of his drum set. Hutcherson has the track record to back up this stellar performance, so another great session comes as no surprise. Recommended. ~Jim Santella

Skyline 

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Warren Vaché, Allan Vaché - Mrs. Vaché's Boys

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:49
Size: 175.9 MB
Styles: Swing
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[5:21] 1. Just Friends
[7:40] 2. Tangerine
[5:44] 3. London By Night
[7:18] 4. I'll Remember April
[6:57] 5. All Blues
[8:02] 6. Just Squeeze Me (But Don't Tease Me)
[5:11] 7. The Eel's Nephew
[6:07] 8. Falando De Orlando
[7:56] 9. Cotton Tail
[3:38] 10. Danny Boy
[5:53] 11. If Dreams Come True
[6:56] 12. What Am I Here For

Bass – Phil Flanigan; Clarinet – Allan Vaché; Cornet, Flugelhorn – Warren Vaché; Drums – Ed Metz Jr.; Guitar – Howard Alden; Piano – Eddie Higgins. Recorded 19-20 Feb, 1998 in Orlando, FL.

Profuse thanks are given to mom Madeline, who worked at Decca Records when she met Warren Sr., then insisted her boys practice daily. The result is this recording, played by two of the best baby boomers in the swing jazz business. Warren Jr.'s cornet musings have never been livelier or more clearly executed, while Allan Vaché, truly an underrated clarinetist, shines with the best of the current crop. Guitarist Howard Alden, the great pianist Eddie Higgins, bassist Phil Flanigan, and drummer Ed Metz, Jr. round out the excellent backup band. Some of the 12 tunes have the full sextet. Warren plays flügelhorn with Higgins only for the pristine "London by Night," and it's just Higgins, Flanigan, and Metz for the Benny Goodman evergreen "If Dreams Come True," Higgins quoting "You're Getting to Be a Habit with Me." Dig Warren, Alden, and Flanigan, and Alden especially plucky solo during Bud Freeman's "The Eel's Nephew," while Allan and Alden go it by themselves on the serene "Londonderry Air" aka "Danny Boy." There are three Duke Ellington tunes; "Just Squeeze Me" with Warren's fresh-squeezed wah-wah cornet, Higgins quoting "Music, Music, Music," a bass guitar workout introducing the well-swung "Cottontail," Higgins quoting "We're in the Money," and the joyful guitar-clarinet-cornet unison melody of "What Am I Here For?" There's a fresh take on Miles Davis' "All Blues," changing up the harmonics of the waltz, Higgins shimmering piano, and Warren's muted, Miles-evoked sound accenting. A bossa version of "Tangerine" is quite different, Alden's fat chords and cat-quick lines form the centerpiece. For evidence of Allan's clarinet mastery check out his upbeat take on "I'll Remember April," Higgins quoting "Jeannine," while the out-and-out swinger "Just Friends" is staggering in its counterpointed trading of lines between brothers, quite deserving of a huge wow! It's unlikely you'll hear a hotter band than this one for this type of authentic, traditional jazz. Never stuffy, always on top of every fresh bar, with no looking back to past glories despite the older repertoire, the Vache brothers conjure something extra special within their musical partnership. Highly recommended. ~Michael G. Nastos

Mrs. Vaché's Boys

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Barbara Cook - Sings From The Heart

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:40
Size: 93.1 MB
Styles: Vocal
Year: 1959/2004
Art: Front

[2:46] 1. You Have Cast Your Shadow On The Sea
[2:52] 2. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
[4:02] 3. My Funny Valentine
[1:39] 4. Nobody's Heart Belongs To Me
[4:38] 5. Ship Without A Sail
[3:58] 6. Dancing On The Ceiling
[3:17] 7. Little Girl Blue
[2:48] 8. It Never Entered My Mind
[2:55] 9. There's A Small Hotel
[3:29] 10. Glad To Be Unhappy
[4:02] 11. He Was Too Good To Me
[4:10] 12. Where Or When

After years of favorable notices in Broadway musicals that flopped -- Flahooley (1951), Plain and Fancy (1955), Candide (1956) -- sweet-voiced soprano Barbara Cook finally got lucky with 1957's smash hit from The Music Man. The resulting notoriety brought her the opportunity to sign with tiny Urania Records, which released her debut album, Songs of Perfect Propriety, and this follow-up. Sings From the Heart contained a pun in its title, since Cook was singing the lyrics of Lorenz Hart, set to the melodies of Richard Rodgers, songs taken from the team's shows of the 1920s, '30s, and '40s. The singer made excellent choices, including standards like "My Funny Valentine" and "Glad to Be Unhappy," along with lesser-known selections such as "You Have Cast Your Shadow on the Sea" and "Ship Without a Sail." Her warm, delicate voice was well-suited to these romantic ballads, though she did not yet sing with the degree of feeling she would possess in later years. (The great exception was "He Was Too Good to Me," sung with all the plaintive emotion the lyric demanded). Orchestrator/conductor Arthur Harris gave her supportive, unobtrusive musical settings that kept the spotlight on that wonderful voice. Cook made a point of singing the introductory verses to the songs (usually dropped by pop singers), which lent them greater context and meaning. The album gave fans previously forced to listen to isolated examples of Cook's talent on cast albums the opportunity to have a full collection of her work, and it demonstrated that her belated stage success was well deserved. ~William Ruhlmann

Sings From The Heart

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Ryan Whitehead - S/T

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:30
Size: 72.1 MB
Styles: Smooth jazz
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[4:55] 1. On The Clock
[6:01] 2. Ba-Dee-Dum
[1:55] 3. Incandescent
[5:06] 4. Dreamin' (Feat. Joe Gransden)
[4:26] 5. Sam's Jig (Feat. David Ellington)
[4:39] 6. Transmigration
[4:25] 7. On The Clock (Alt. Take)

The CD, self-titled, "Ryan Whitehead", is New Jazz. Among the players are some of Atlanta's finest including David Ellington, Marlon Patton and Mark Strowbridge. The first track sums up what Ryan has been doing with his life since his departure from school. "I didn't choose the music as much as it chose me. Atlanta is a groove-oriented town with a steep history in R&B and soul. My passion for jazz and fusion mixes with this like a smooth cocktail."

Ryan Whitehead

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Jerry Jeff Walker - Jerry Jeff Jazz

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:41
Size: 97.7 MB
Styles: Country jazz vocals
Year: 2003
Art: Front

[2:47] 1. How Long Has This Been Going On
[2:35] 2. It's Always You
[2:26] 3. That Old Feeling
[2:25] 4. I Fall In Love Too Easily
[3:55] 5. My Funny Valentine
[1:47] 6. Takin' A Chance On Love
[4:14] 7. Everything Happens To Me
[2:56] 8. In The Wee Small Hours
[3:50] 9. Cottage For Sale
[2:54] 10. But Not For Me
[2:43] 11. There Will Never Be Another You
[3:39] 12. Time After Time
[3:45] 13. I Get Along Without You Very Well
[2:40] 14. Look For The Silver Lining

As wild as his career has been, at this stage -- after almost a decade of playing it so safe that his music has sounded like an empty golf course -- Jerry Jeff Walker has guts. No, that's not a cheap shot. Willie and Waylon may have gotten most of the credit, but Walker was the man who really brought country music, particularly Texas country music, to the rock generation. His 1970s records were nothing less than revelatory and had the ability to bring a lot of disparate people together. In the 1980s, he lost his way and made a caricature of himself; in the 1990s, at least in the early to middle part, he put out a series of records that showed the old magic in places. Here, Walker does the unthinkable, the most radical thing he's ever done, and comes up with an album that sounds more like a Jerry Jeff album than anything since 1980. For Jerry Jeff Jazz, the man and his small band -- Mitch Watkins and Tommy Nash on guitars, Steve Meador on drums, bassist Spencer Starnes, and Walker on vocals only -- took two days to record 14 classic American jazz standards and pop songs. How classic? Gershwin's "How Long Has This Been Going On?" and "But Not for Me," Sammy Cahn's "I Fall in Love Too Easily" and "Time After Time," Rodgers & Hart's "My Funny Valentine," the Adair/Dennis gem "Everything Happens to Me," and Hilliard/Mann's "In the Wee Small Hours," among others. Chet Baker, Sinatra, Tony Bennett, even Dino Martin are heavy influences here. Vocally, Walker doesn't measure up, but as a stylist he's singular. In other words, like all of the aforementioned singers, Walker makes these songs his own, even when he's flat occasionally and his voice quavers in the upper registers -- because Walker's now almost a bass rather than baritone vocalist after a lifetime in honky tonks -- or he rolls through the phrasing. Walker manages to imbue these fine tunes with a sense of romance, good-time sensibility, and only a modicum of sentiment. He sings them naturally and simply has a fine time, which makes the entire album an absolute pleasure to listen to. The band swings, floats, and punches through the mix wherever necessary and helps him out when the vocal is particularly tough. While purists will no doubt savage such a labor of love and delight, everybody else -- those who've loved Walker's work off and on over the decades and those who love to hear a unique stylist sing a good song -- will find Jerry Jeff Jazz to be its own swing of delight. ~Thom Jurek

Jerry Jeff Jazz

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