Count Basie, Tony Bennett - Basie Swings, Bennett Sings

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 30:51
Size: 70.6 MB
Styles: Big band, Vocal jazz
Year: 1959/2009
Art: Front

[2:52] 1. Life Is A Song (Let's Sing It Together)
[1:32] 2. With Plenty Of Money And You
[2:07] 3. Jeepers Creepers
[2:48] 4. Are You Havin' Any Fun
[2:22] 5. Anything Goes
[1:34] 6. Strike Up The Band (Strike Up The Band)
[2:05] 7. Chicago
[3:02] 8. I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face
[3:30] 9. Poor Little Rich Girl
[3:34] 10. Growing Pains
[1:45] 11. I Guess I'll Have To Change My Plans
[3:35] 12. After Supper

The Roulette half of the two Bennett/Basie sessions is a band singer's paradise, with the Basie band caught at a robust and swinging peak and Bennett never sounding happier or looser in front of a microphone. The Count himself, alas, appears on piano only on two numbers ("Life Is a Song" and "Jeepers Creepers"), while Bennett's perennial pianist Ralph Sharon takes over on the remaining ten tracks and does all the charts. Yet Sharon writes idiomatically for the Count's style, whether on frantic rave-ups like "With Plenty of Money and You" and "Strike Up the Band" or relaxed swingers like "Chicago." Though not a jazz singer per se, the flavor of jazz is everywhere in Bennett's voice, which in those days soared like a trumpet. The 1990 CD included an atmospheric unissued Neal Hefti ballad "After Supper," but even this bonus track does little to extend the skimpy playing time (about 31 minutes) of what is still a great, desirable snapshot from American showbiz of the late 1950s. ~Richard S. Ginnell

Basie Swings, Bennett Sings

---

Kerry Ellis - K E

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:05
Size: 89.5 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[3:57] 1. Let It Go
[3:33] 2. I Could Have Danced All Night
[4:03] 3. Take That Look Off Your Face
[2:56] 4. As Long As He Needs Me
[3:07] 5. Who Will Buy
[4:53] 6. On The Street Where You Live
[3:23] 7. I Dreamed A Dream
[2:57] 8. The Way We Were
[2:57] 9. Gimme Love
[2:40] 10. Alfie
[4:33] 11. (I've Had) The Time Of My Life

Kerry Ellis has fast become recognized as the First Lady of West End musicals from her starring roles in London and on Broadway, she has also achieved chart-topping success as a recording artist signed to Universal Decca with her debut album Anthems.

Kerry originated the role of Meat, in Queen's We Will Rock You and was the first British Elphaba in the West End smash, Wicked, for which Kerry won the 2008 Whatsonstage.com Award for 'Best Takeover in a Role'. She then immediately transferred to Broadway and played Elphaba at the Gershwin Theater for 6 months, where she won the Broadway.com Audience Award for Favourite Female Breakthrough Performance, before returning to London for 6 months in 2009. Her many other leading role credits include Nancy in Oliver! at the London Palladium, Eliza Doolittle My Fair Lady, Ellen in Miss Saigon and Fantine in Les Miserables.

Kerry's first major CD release was the amazing Wicked in Rock, which is still flying high in the Dress Circle's bestseller list. Wicked in Rock was collaboration with long time friend and Queen guitarist, Brian May. This led to her being signed to Universal as a solo recording artist and her debut album Anthems was released in 2010 on Decca Records. The success of the album, which reached No.15 in the UK album chart, and No.10 in the UK pop club charts (for Defying Gravity), led to a major tour Anthems: The Concert throughout 2011, which kicked off at the Royal Albert Hall. She has performed internationally promoting the album, including performances at the Royal Variety Performance, at the Laurence Olivier Awards, duetting with Barry Manilow on BBC Television and Radio, at G.A.Y., on Loose Women, Alan Titchmarsh Show, BBC Breakfast, at the Henley Festival alongside John Barrowman, the Queen's Jubilee Concert at Buckingham Palace and most recently a run of An Audience With Kerry Ellis at the Shaw Theatre.

K E

---

Bert Joris, Brussels Jazz Orchestra - Smooth Shake

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:32
Size: 154.6 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[7:26] 1. O.U.T
[8:24] 2. Smooth Shake
[6:27] 3. Only For The Honest
[7:44] 4. Brussel-Parijs
[6:57] 5. Spaces
[8:23] 6. How Could We Forget
[8:49] 7. Mr. Dado
[8:12] 8. Nasty Boy
[5:06] 9. Smooth Shake (Radio Edit)

The new CD by Bert Joris with Brussels Jazz Orchestra is called Smooth Shake. This is the fourth large-scale production with Bert in which he shines as a soloist, composer and arranger, following Signs and Signatures (2010), Dangerous Liaison (2006) and the double CD The Music of Bert Joris in 2002. Bert Joris says: "A warm sound – that’s what I had in mind for this album. A sound that envelops you, fills you with energy, like a meaningful friendship. The result is a serene record which invites you to move nonetheless, to dance. Not too exuberantly, but smoothly."

Jazz trumpeter Bert Joris (°1957) has built a solid reputation as improvisor, composer, arranger and teacher. His work is performed by musicians allover the world. Joris received several awards and prizes for his work and his most recent solo album ‘Only for the honest’ was widely acclaimed by the press. Bert Joris has published three albums with the Brussels Jazz Orchestra so far. Over the years, Joris and the BJO toured together from Sweden to the USA.

Smooth Shake

---

Chet Atkins - Chet Picks On The Grammys

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:01
Size: 98.5 MB
Styles: Country
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[2:43] 1. Tears
[2:37] 2. Nut Sundae
[2:14] 3. Snowbird
[3:19] 4. I'll See You In My Dreams
[2:17] 5. The Entertainer
[3:16] 6. Caravan
[4:08] 7. Ready For The Times To Get Better
[4:09] 8. Cosmic Square Dance
[3:16] 9. So Soft, Your Goodbye
[4:02] 10. Poor Boy Blues
[4:24] 11. Sneakin' Around
[3:13] 12. Young Thing
[3:18] 13. Jam Man

So many gallons of ink have been spilled singing the praises of Chet Atkins that it's difficult for reviewers to find new ways to describe the quality that made his guitar style so special. There had been other good pickers before Atkins. Merle Travis used a similar style earlier, called "Travis picking," but was also known as the singer of classics like "Smoke, Smoke, Smoke That Cigarette." Joe Maphis, a contemporary of Atkins, worshiped at the alter of speedy licks, trading individual style for "fire on the strings." Atkins' style, both urban and refined, was always identifiable. This was true whether he was playing holiday songs or the Beatles. Chet Picks on the Grammys collects 13 instrumentals that won Grammys between 1967 and 1996. Even over such a long period with disparate changes in production, Atkins' combination of chords and thumb technique remained distinct. There are a number of choice items here and many will be familiar as hits by other artists. "Snowbird" harks back to 1971 and "Ready for the Times to Get Better" to 1981. As though to prove he wasn't just a country boy with a guitar, Atkins also tackles "The Entertainer" and offers a fascinating rendering of Duke Ellington's "Caravan." Chet Picks on the Grammys offers a good overview of Atkins' instrumental work and a fine excuse for reviewers to spill a few more gallons of ink singing the praises of Mister Guitar. ~Ronnie D. Lankford Jr.

Chet Picks On The Grammys

---

Sammy Nestico, SWR Big Band - No Time Like The Present

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:54
Size: 176.1 MB
Styles: Swing, Big band
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[5:41] 1. Ya Gotta Try ... Harder
[6:00] 2. Freckle Face
[4:31] 3. Tangerine
[5:54] 4. No Time Like The Present
[5:30] 5. Charlie The Whale
[4:31] 6. Satin 'n' Glass
[9:41] 7. The Blues Machine
[5:20] 8. Night Flight
[6:33] 9. Crosswinds
[7:11] 10. A Warm Breeze
[7:19] 11. Smack Dab In The Middle
[5:03] 12. After You've Gone
[3:34] 13. Strike Up The Band

Acoustic Bass, Electric Bass – Decebal Badila; Alto Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute – Klaus Graf; Alto Saxophone, Piccolo Flute, Flute, Flute [Alto] – Axel Kühn; Baritone Saxophone – Pierre Paquette; Drums – Holger Neil; French Horn – Gregor Fas, Heinrich Lohr, Raymond Warnier; Guitar – Klaus-Peter Schöpfer; Percussion – Jörg Gebhardt; Piano, Electric Piano [Fender- Rhodes] – Klaus Wagenleiter; Tenor Saxophone, Flute, Flute [Alto] – Andreas Maile, Jörg Kaufmann; Trombone – Ernst Hutter, Georg Maus, Ian Cummings, Marc Godfroid; Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Claus Reichstaller, Felice Civitareale, Karl Farrent, Rudolf Reindl; Vibraphone – Matthias Haus. Recording Dates: Track 1 to 15 on Nocv. 09 - 11,2005 at SWR Sendesaal, Villa Berg, Stuttgart; Track 16 on May 05,2005 at KKL,Hegelsaal, Stuttgart.

Famous for his arrangements for the Count Basie orchestra, Sammy Nestico -- a cousin of tenor saxophonist Sal Nistico -- has always had a productive, if lesser-known, solo career. Self-taught on the trombone, at age 17 Nestico was skilled enough to be a studio musician in Pittsburgh. He served in the military, gained a music degree at Duquesne University in 1950 and was staff arranger for the U.S. Air Force Band for many years. Nestico was also a busy freelance arranger: he worked with the U.S. Marine Band starting in 1963 and led the orchestra that performed at functions at the White House. Nestico started contributing arrangements to Basie in 1967 and during the next 15 years would occasionally write for an entire Basie album (including Have a Nice Day, ) Prime Time, Warm Breeze and the big band tracks on 88 Basie Street). Nestico has also written extensively for films and television, has been a significant jazz educator and recorded one album as a leader: Dark Orchid (a 1982 Palo Alto release). ~bio by Scott Yanow

No Time Like The Present

---

Earl Hines - Earl Hines Plays Duke Ellington (2-Disc Set)

During a four-year period, pianist Earl Hines recorded enough of Duke Ellington's compositions to fill up four LPs. This double CD contains 20 of his better performances including both Ellington's better-known standards and a few obscurities (most notably lengthy versions of "The Shepherd" and "Black Butterfly"). The music is satisfying, although one wishes that New World had reissued all of the music from this extensive project on three CDs. ~Scott Yanow

Album: Earl Hines Plays Duke Ellington (Disc 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:33
Size: 140.9 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 1988
Art: Front

[5:17] 1. Love You Madly
[4:16] 2. Sophisticated Lady
[4:16] 3. I'm Beginning To See The Light
[3:54] 4. Black And Tan Fantasy
[7:28] 5. Warm Valley
[3:46] 6. Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me
[4:33] 7. C Jam Blues
[5:59] 8. Caravan
[4:38] 9. Everything But You
[7:00] 10. Mood Indigo
[5:10] 11. Just Squeeze Me
[5:10] 12. Come Sunday

Earl Hines Plays Duke Ellington (Disc 1)

---

Album: Earl Hines Plays Duke Ellington (Disc 2)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:25
Size: 136.0 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 1988
Art: Front

[ 7:10] 1. The Creole Love Call
[ 6:38] 2. I Ain't Got Nothin' But The Blues
[10:48] 3. The Shepherd
[ 6:59] 4. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
[10:43] 5. Black Butterfly
[ 6:22] 6. Take Love Easy
[ 5:49] 7. Heaven
[ 4:53] 8. The Jeep Is Jumping

Earl Hines Plays Duke Ellington (Disc 2)

---

Nancy LaMott - The Best Of Nancy LaMott Vols 1 & 2

Though she was popular on the cabaret club circuit (especially NYC) for several years, NLM had a relatively short recording career — sadly truncated by her death late in 1995.

That said, Nancy’s short recording career was a prolific one — yielding five excellent LPs. Five releases may not sound like that big a deal, but they came in those very tough years when the American Songbook was digging out from the dearth of the 80’s — ahead of the likes of Diana Krall. Producing more than an album per year, in that tenuous time, is remarkable — especially when you look at the one release every three or so years we get from artists these days.

The quality of Nancy’s live recordings, her very devoted fan base and the passionate support of David Friedman — who produced each of Nancy’s LPs — lead to several posthumous album releases. Together with those late LP additions and the two 2011 “Best of…” releases Nancy has an impressive body of work … definitely worth exploring if you haven’t done so yet.

Album: The Best Of Nancy LaMott: American Popular Standards Vol 1
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:50
Size: 98.1 MB
Styles: Standards
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[3:05] 1. Moon River
[2:51] 2. The Best Is Yet To Come
[5:28] 3. Come Rain Or Come Shine
[6:06] 4. Autumn Leaves When October Goes
[3:01] 5. Don't Get Around Much Anymore
[3:53] 6. P.S. I Love You
[2:57] 7. You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me
[4:11] 8. Blue Skies
[4:04] 9. I Got The Sun In The Morning
[3:08] 10. The Shadow Of Your Smile
[4:00] 11. Not Exactly Paris

The Best Of Nancy LaMott: American Popular Standards Vol 1

---

Album: The Best Of Nancy LaMott: Great American Songbook Vol 2
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:55
Size: 105.1 MB
Styles: Standards
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[4:38] 1. You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby
[4:08] 2. Talk To Me Baby
[3:54] 3. Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive
[3:07] 4. On The Atchison, Topeka And The Santa Fe
[3:47] 5. That Old Black Magic
[2:47] 6. Look Of Love/Speak Low
[5:37] 7. Hit The Road To Dreamland
[6:16] 8. Days Of Wine And Roses/Whistling Away The Dark
[3:43] 9. Ordinary Miracles
[4:08] 10. I Have Dreamed
[3:46] 11. Two For The Road

The Best Of Nancy LaMott: Great American Songbook Vol 2

---

Warren Hill - La Dolce Vita

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:07
Size: 119.3 MB
Styles: Smooth jazz
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[4:14] 1. Mojo
[5:24] 2. La Dolce Vita
[4:13] 3. Sunshine
[5:14] 4. Daydreamer
[4:21] 5. Gimme Some
[5:06] 6. The Jive Samba
[4:32] 7. Skinny Dippin'
[5:12] 8. We'll Survive
[5:23] 9. Warm Rain
[4:22] 10. Hill Be Jammin'
[4:02] 11. Light My Fire

Pop superstar Natasha Bedingfield wasn't the only artist bringing a "Pocketful of Sunshine" to the musical landscape in 2008. Thanks to veteran contemporary jazz saxman Warren Hill's equal penchant for colorful vocals, his vibrant and romantic singalong "Sunshine" is an early highlight on his compelling, melodically and groovingly irresistible Koch Records debut, La Dolce Vita. Hill is so optimistic that even when the clouds come, they pour out a graceful soprano ballad full of balmy acoustic guitar harmony and "Warm Rain." Like a lot of artists in his genre who have been around since NAC became "smooth jazz," Hill's a survivor, heading to smaller labels when the majors jumped ship and always finding a comfortable home to funk around in. Song for song, this collection is as high-spirited, sensual, and colorful as any he's ever done, starting with the cool struttin' "Mojo" on down through the seductive horn-doubling extravaganzas "Daydreamer" and "Gimme Some," and digging down and dirtier on the old-school jam "Skinny Dippin'." Nearly 20 years into his career, Hill was still enjoying a little balmy exotica among his in-the-pocket can't-miss radio-ready tracks; here, he shuffles down to Rio on the moody, cosmopolitan, and vibes-kissed "The Jive Samba" and mixes Jamaican "industrialism" with sensual Latin dance grooves and horn snazziness on the appropriately titled "Hill Be Jammin'." The erstwhile rock & roller also keeps his longstanding history of doing classic rock tunes alive with a smoothed-out, dreamily hypnotic twist on "Light My Fire." As the title implies, Hill plays with a lot of sugar, as in instantly catchy ear candy. But there's enough blister and edge to make this a rich artistic triumph as well. Along for the ride are some of smooth jazz's always dependable "usual suspects," including Nathan East, Paul Jackson, Jr., and labelmates Jeff Golub and Philippe Saisse. ~Jonathan Widran

La Dolce Vita

---

Eddie Higgins - Romantic Higgins

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:45
Size: 155.1 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[5:22] 1. You Don't Know What Love Is
[5:34] 2. My Funny Valentine
[4:16] 3. Over The Rainbow
[5:01] 4. Danny Boy
[4:05] 5. Again
[4:51] 6. It's Magic
[3:48] 7. Once Upon A Summertime
[4:44] 8. My Old Flame
[3:37] 9. Easy Living
[3:55] 10. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
[3:10] 11. If Dreams Come True
[5:06] 12. Corcovado
[3:53] 13. The Things We Did Last Summer
[4:52] 14. How Long Has This Been Going
[5:23] 15. My One And Only Love

A solid bop-based pianist, Eddie Higgins has never become a major name, but he has been well-respected by his fellow musicians for decades. After growing up in New England, he moved to Chicago, where he played in all types of situations before settling in to a long stint as the leader of the house trio at the London House (1957-1969). Higgins moved back to Massachusetts in 1970 and went on to freelance, often accompanying his wife, vocalist Meredith D'Ambrosio, and appearing at jazz parties and festivals. Eddie Higgins has led sessions of his own for Replica (1958), Vee-Jay (1960), Atlantic, and Sunnyside; back in 1960, he recorded as a sideman for Vee-Jay with Lee Morgan and Wayne Shorter. bio by Scott Yanow

Romantic Higgins

---