Nobuki Takamen - Live In Japan

Size: 124,6+129,4 MB
Time: 54:09+56:16
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz: Guitar Jazz
Art: Front

CD 1:
01. Freddie's Mood (Live) (9:38)
02. Smile (Live) (9:13)
03. All Waltz (Live) (9:24)
04. Gee, Seventh Avenue (Live) (8:56)
05. Akatonbo (Live) (7:44)
06. Sjecanja Za Pamcenje (9:11)

CD 2:
01. No Easy Days (Live) ( 8:25)
02. Jimi's Swing (Live) ( 5:51)
03. Homeward Bound (Live) (12:20)
04. Strolling In Downtown (Live) (16:22)
05. Wonderful Days (Live) ( 3:08)
06. Blues For Riley (Live) (10:09)

When last heard from, guitarist/composer Nobuki Takamen had released his first solo album, Solo Guitar (2014). He is active on the New York scene, but has returned to his native Japan for an annual tour for many years. For his sixth album he has chosen to document live performances of his trio with bassist Toshiyuki Tanahashi and drummer Naoki Aikawa, long-time musical collaborators for more than a decade.

Takamen is definitely a bebop-oriented player. Although this is an all-original double-CD set—so there are no covers—he makes reference to the tradition in various ways. "All Waltz" is an especially clear example. Dedicated to legendary guitarist Jim Hall, it is an "All The Things You Are" contrafact in waltz time. The composition refers to Hall's repertoire, and the trio's highly interactive interpretation is in line with Hall's nearly telepathic trios, especially the one with bassist bassist Don Thompson and drummer Terry Clarke. "Gee, Seventh Avenue" was inspired by a friend's story about an Art Blakey show at Sweet Basil. It's hard bop all the way, with an appropriate drum solo (and a bass solo as well).

There are also influences from outside of jazz. The opener "Freddie's Mood" is a latin tune with a definite Bo Diddley beat. "Jimi's Swing" uses a Jimi Hendrix chord riff for the intro and breaks, putting Hendrix into a swing context, just as the title promises. Takamen arranged a Japanese nursery song, "Akatonbo" (Red Dragonfly), which features a lovely lyrical arco bass solo. Another cultural influence surfaces in ''Sjecanja za Pamcenje'' (Memories to Remember) inspired by a European tour: it has a folksong quality.

The closer "Blues For Riley" brings the music firmly back to its jazz roots, with a structure reminiscent of "Willow Weep For Me" and a couple of choice Thelonious Monk quotes. A fitting ending to a program full of variety and highly empathetic group interaction. Sometimes there's no substitute for the familiarity that a long playing partnership brings. This is jazz guitar trio music at its finest. ~Mark Sullivan

Personnel: Nobuki Takamen: guitar; Toshiyuki Tanahashi: bass; Naoki Aikawa: drums.

Live In Japan CD 1
Live In Japan CD 2

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Mallory Chipman - Nocturnalize

Size: 141,7 MB
Time: 61:20
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Angular Symphony (4:13)
02. Vermillion Moon (For Toby) (6:22)
03. Sister To Sister (7:03)
04. With Friends (5:35)
05. Ode To The Unsung Diva (4:05)
06. My Funny Valentine (7:40)
07. Awakenings (4:56)
08. Cry For Somewhere (7:25)
09. Starstruck (5:53)
10. Brooklyn At Midnight (5:45)
11. Make Someone Happy (2:17)

Revered for her "rich, expressive voice" and hailed as "an old school jazz chanteuse with new school attitude" (GigCity), Mallory Chipman is taking the Canadian jazz scene by storm with her thoughtful compositions, fearless improvisation, and unforgettable performances. Highlights from her career include performing with artists such as PJ Perry, Lee Konitz, Tommy Banks, and John Stetch; touring abroad to London, Amsterdam, and Dublin; and singing back-up for the legendary rock group HEART. Nocturnalize is Mallory's debut album.

Nocturnalize

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Lisa Hilton - Day & Night

Size: 152 MB
Time: 48:31
File: FLAC
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz: Piano Jazz
Art: Front

01. Caffeinated Coffee (3:31)
02. Day And Night (4:07)
03. Begin The Beguine (4:51)
04. Sunrise (3:26)
05. Stepping Into Paradise (7:05)
06. A Spark In The Night (7:09)
07. Seduction (6:19)
08. Dark Sky Day (2:03)
09. So This Is Love (6:38)
10. Sunset On The Beach (3:17)

“Day & Night echoes my commitment to discover and savor every day moments: to see the beauty in a day from the first glow of sunrise to the dimming sky at sunset, and to acknowledge and share these these rich times with others. When composing and creating this album, the great American composer Cole Porter was one inspiration. Although we are both from small towns, Porter was a true musical genius who, while attending Yale University, wrote three hundred compositions, was the President of the Glee Club, and class valedictorian before heading on to Harvard Law School. I have always appreciated Porter’s lush melodies and gentle Latin rhythms. The cool blues of composer/pianists Horace Silver and “Count” Bill Basie have also found their way into the soul of my music. I believe composers today can be inspired by our rich musical heritage in America, while creating music for our current century.”

Nineteen albums in, after working with the top-drawer jazz masters, like Antonio Sanchez, Christian McBride, Nasheet Waits, Sean Jones, Marcus Gilmore, Steve Wilson, Jeremy Pelt, Lewis Nash, Billy Hart, Larry Grenadier, Rudy Royston, and Bobby Militello, among others, LISA HILTON strips her music down to the essentials and returns to the solo format with DAY & NIGHT to be released on the Ruby Slippers Productions label (#1021) with a street date of December 16th 2016 and heading to radio on January 2nd . Hilton was last heard in a solo piano setting with her acclaimed 2010 release, NUANCE, which All About Jazz said was “a recording that focuses and captures the exquisite subtleties of life”.

For this album, Hilton looked to the great American composer Cole Porter—one of her favorite composers, for inspiration, (the CD title DAY & NIGHT is a nod to Porter’s classic, Night and Day). As Hilton noted, “I have always appreciated Cole Porter’s lush melodies and gentle Latin rhythms – and, interestingly, we’re both from small towns!” (Porter from Peru, Indiana and Hilton in San Luis Obispo, California). Hilton includes a searing and simple take on Porters classic, “Begin the Beguine”, which turns wondrously seductive under her touch. Her original tunes, “Stepping into Paradise”, “A Spark in the Night” and “So This is Love” do convey the some of Porter’s cosmopolitan essence, but also embedded in Hilton’s realization of her nine original compositions is the vibrating energy and bluesy soul of fellow composer/pianists “Count” Bill Basie, and Horace Silver. Hilton has wound an underlying concept through the music of DAY & NIGHT. Mirroring her solo format, the theme Hilton writes of in her liner notes is introspective: “Day & Night echoes my commitment to discover and savor every day moments: to see the beauty in a day from the first glow of sunrise to the dimming sky at sunset, and to acknowledge and share these these rich times others.” DAY & NIGHT begins with the upbeat samba charmer, “Caffeinated Culture” before the title track delivers its sophisticated drama. Hilton’s “Seduction” an earlier composition from her NOCTURNAL album—attests to Hilton’s fluid pianistic style, but with traces of the Basie and Silver influences holding sway. “Sunrise” and “Sunset on the Beach” both feature Hilton as a strong impressionist—one of the unique qualities of her compositions, while “Dark Sky Day” hints of Hilton’s classical training. Hilton has composed her pieces to treat the traditional in new ways, combining multiple rhythmic and genre ideas as if to try and shine a different light to the scene of a shared cup of coffee, a jostle of memories or the simmer of passions held dear to the heart.

Twenty - three time Grammy winning engineer, Al Schmitt lends his masterful talents to these ten tracks that were recorded at the legendary Capitol Studios in Hollywood – a treat for any audiophile. There is a remarkable intimacy and immediacy that brings you right inside the sound – Hilton has worked with Schmitt and Grammy award winning Gavin Lurssen, for over a decade.

Hilton is considered one of the most distinctive composers and pianists in jazz today, her compositions drawing on classical traditions, twentieth century modernists, and the avant-garde as much as they look back to icons of American jazz and blues. Hilton’s blues inflected trans-genre or poly-genre style influences extend beyond jazz legends Thelonious Monk, Count Basie, Horace Silver and Duke Ellington, to include bluesman Muddy Waters and Robert Johnson, minimalists like Steve Reich, current rockers Black Keys or modernists Prokofiev, Stravinsky and Bartok. Originally from a small town on California’s central coast, Hilton studied classical and twentieth century piano formally from the age of eight, where she was inspired by her great uncle, Willem Bloemendall, (1910-1937), a young Dutch piano virtuoso. In college though, due to the lack of creativity in the program, she became a music school drop out, switching majors and receiving a degree in art instead. Ever since becoming a professional musician, this background in the fine arts has well informed Hilton’s composition process. “While Louis Armstrong was performing, Monet was painting water lilies and French composers like Debussy were using harmonic ‘impressionism’. As a composer today, I explore music as art, building the composition with musical elements then ‘painting’ texture and color through various jazz approaches,” Hilton explains. “I might apply Seurat’s pointillism ideas to improvisation, creating new ways of expressing our life today.”

Day & Night

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Joey Locascio - Joey Locascio Meets The Legend (Feat. Joey DeFrancesco)

Size: 166,6 MB
Time: 71:45
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. Joey's A Tramp (7:05)
02. I Who Have Nothing (5:57)
03. Fly Me To The Moon (5:53)
04. Never Gonna Fall In Love Again (6:21)
05. That's Life (5:02)
06. What A Wonderful World (5:59)
07. Mack The Knife (3:13)
08. Georgia (5:28)
09. We Gotta Get Out Of This Place (5:59)
10. A Song For You (6:35)
11. Over The Rainbow (6:31)
12. You Don't Know Me (7:39)

Joe's 'charismatic persona' combined with his silkily smooth 'dynamic vocal personality' will captivate and mesmerizes an audience every time.

His Music is Eclectic and very versatile.
- 1950's through the 1970's.

Joe 'specializes in Tributes' to the following Legendary artists:
Buddy Holly, Elvis, Bobby Darin, Tony Bennett, Sam Cook, Louis Armstrong, Beatles, Ray Charles, Joe Cocker, Jerry Butler, Jim Croche, Willie Nelson, Little Anthony, Beach Boys, Johnny Cash, Johnny Mathis, James Taylor, Hank Williams, Ricky Nelson, Dino (Dean Martain) & Frank Sinatra, Everly Brothers, Jay and the Americans, Bee Gees, Gerry and the PacemakersJimmy Buffett, the Drifters, the Platers, Roger Miller, and many more.

Joey Locascio Meets The Legend

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Joan Chamorro - Joan Chamorro Presenta La Magia De La Veu & Jazz Ensemble

Size: 117,3 MB
Time: 49:53
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Laugh, Clown, Laugh (4:37)
02. Stardust (5:08)
03. Baiao De Quatro Toques (4:19)
04. I Got Rhythm (4:03)
05. Por Toda A Minha Vida (4:02)
06. I Cried For You (3:14)
07. Skylark (4:27)
08. Triste (3:56)
09. I Like To Hear It Sometimes (2:52)
10. My Funny Valentine (3:55)
11. Sister Sadie (5:02)
12. Mood Indigo (4:11)

This time, Joan Chamorro retakes La Màgia de la Veu (The Magic of Voice), adding the voices and instruments of Alba Armengou (sax, trumpet), Alba Esteban (saxs, clarinet), Elia Bastida (violin and tenor sax) and Abril Saurí (trumpet).

With Andrea Motis, Rita Payés, Joan Mar Sauqué, Joan Codina, Joan Martí, Josep Traver, Ignasi Terraza, Esteve Pi, and Chamorro himself, they will play last century’s standards with special arrangements for “small big band” written by Joan Monné.

Joan Chamorro Presenta La Magia De La Veu & Jazz Ensemble

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Wynton Marsalis, Willie Nelson - Two Men With The Blues

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:34
Size: 122.6 MB
Styles: Country, Jazz
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[5:19] 1. Bright Lights Big City
[5:43] 2. Night Life
[3:26] 3. Caldonia
[5:09] 4. Stardust
[4:56] 5. Basin Street Blues
[4:40] 6. Georgia On My Mind
[5:44] 7. Rainy Day Blues
[4:57] 8. My Bucket's Got A Hole In It
[7:28] 9. Ain't Nobody's Business
[6:08] 10. That's All

The event was simply billed as “Willie Nelson Sings the Blues,” but the historic two-night stand on January 12 and 13, 2007 at Jazz at Lincoln Center was far more than that. Call it a summit meeting between two American icons, Willie Nelson & Wynton Marsalis, two of the most significant figures in modern-day country and jazz, who discovered common ground in their love for jazz standards and the blues. Their performance stirred the sounds of New Orleans, Nashville, Austin and New York City into a brilliantly programmed mix that was equal parts down-home and cosmopolitan, with plenty of swing and just a touch of melancholy. To say that these shows were a hot ticket would be an understatement. Luckily, the tapes were rolling and the results of this unique collaboration now constitute the Blue Note album Two Men With The Blues for everyone who couldn’t cram into The Allen Room. 

Two Men With The Blues               

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The Don Friedman Trio - I'd Like To Tell You

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:38
Size: 125.1 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[8:49] 1. Delayed Gratification
[4:33] 2. I'd Like To Tell You
[7:49] 3. Song For Abdullah
[4:47] 4. It Could Happen To You
[8:21] 5. Summer's End
[5:59] 6. You Go To My Head
[6:34] 7. Donsong
[7:42] 8. All Or Nothing At All

An excellent if underrated pianist, Don Friedman started off playing on the West Coast in 1956 with Dexter Gordon, Shorty Rogers, Buddy Collette, Buddy DeFranco (1956-1957), Chet Baker, and even the then-unknown altoist Ornette Coleman. After moving to New York in 1958, Friedman played in many settings, including with his own trio, Pepper Adams, Booker Little (recording with him in 1961), the Jimmy Giuffre Three (1964), a quartet with Attila Zoller, Chuck Wayne's trio (1966-1967), and, by the end of the decade, Clark Terry's big band. He continued working in New York as both a jazz educator and a pianist with wide musical interests, and was featured on Concord's Maybeck Recital Hall series (1993). Friedman also recorded for Riverside, Prestige, Progressive, Owl, Empathy, and several Japanese labels, and continued doing sessions in New York throughout the '90s and 2000s. Friedman died on June 30, 2016. He was 81 years old. ~bio by Scott Yanow

I'd Like To Tell You 

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Alexis Cole with One For All - You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:10
Size: 128.6 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[4:17] 1. Golden Earrings
[5:31] 2. I Will Wait For You
[5:31] 3. Moon River
[6:06] 4. Delilah
[5:18] 5. Cry Me A River
[5:38] 6. Alone Together
[5:20] 7. A Beautiful Friendship
[3:47] 8. All The Things You Are
[4:44] 9. So In Love
[5:15] 10. You've Changed
[4:36] 11. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To

Bass – John Webber; Drums – Joe Farnsworth; Piano – David Hazeltine; Tenor Saxophone – Eric Alexander; Trombone – Steve Davis; Trumpet – Jim Rotondi; Vocals – Alexis Cole. Recorded at Avatar Studios in New York on April 28 & 29, 2010.

Alexis Cole, born into a musical family in Queens, New York, began her professional career after obtaining a master's degree from the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College. She has performed with Slide Hampton, Rufus Reid and Harry Pickens among others, and so far released four CDs on independent labels. Following her superb debut from the Japanese Venus Records (Someday My Prince Will Come, available on HQCD and vinyl LP), her eagerly awaited second album is something of a coup - she recorded the entire album with the all-star hard bop group One For All! As far as I know, the supergroup that includes Eric Alexander and David Hazeltine has never accompanied a singer for an entire album!

The familar standards are tastefully and intelligently arranged, and Cole's attractive voice and the ability to swing are in full display. Her voice is rich and strong. She has impeccable technique and control, and a confident jazz style that hints an influence from Carmen McRae. And, as expected, the ensemble and solo work of the band is simply phenomenal! A rare album that satisfies fans of vocal jazz and fans of serious hardbop, instrumental jazz!

You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To

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Gregg Karukas - Soul Secrets

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:43
Size: 161.9 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[5:13] 1. Do Watcha Love
[4:17] 2. Soul Secrets
[5:03] 3. Gk's Funky Joint
[3:50] 4. Elegant Nights
[4:44] 5. Only You
[4:53] 6. Rio Drive
[5:09] 7. Snack Shack
[5:10] 8. Cafe Agogo
[6:23] 9. Secret Smile
[5:25] 10. Above The Clouds
[5:16] 11. Walking On Air
[5:07] 12. Told You Twice
[4:58] 13. Time Alone (For Ty Malone)
[5:08] 14. Randy Heads Uptown

"Along with the privilege of being a musical artist and composer comes the realization that music is a mysterious and powerful force that can reach deep into our Souls and bring happiness. We all have unspoken Secrets there, and every song I write is my attempt to make that connection. The whole process, the journey, the wonderful feedback I get from listeners is what keeps me coming back to the piano. Revealing SOUL SECRETS".

2013 Grammy winner Gregg Karukas is back with a new collection of all-original songs featuring his signature piano touch, pristine production, and melodies that are both soulful and sophisticated. Organic, funky, and melodic is how Gregg describes his latest, long awaited 12th solo project, "Soul Secrets", due in early Fall 2014. Gregg's elegant grand piano and deep grooves are everywhere, and this time around he digs into his roots and also features the classic Fender Rhodes, Wurlie, Minimoog and Hammond B3 keyboards he grew up with quite a bit. With guest appearances along the way by friends Rick Braun, Euge Groove, Ricardo Silveira, Eric Valentine, Nate Phillips, Michael O'Neill, James Harrah, Adam Hawley, violinist Charlie Bisharat, Luis Conte, Shelby Flint, Ron Boustead and 21 year old rising sax star Vincent Ingala.

Karukas has been so consistently acclaimed for his melodic keyboard magic for so long that it might be superfluous to call “Soul Secrets” his best album ever – but there’s no doubt it’s one of contemporary jazz’s best albums of 2014.

Soul Secrets

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The Kingston Trio - Collectors Series

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:43
Size: 125.3 MB
Styles: Folk-pop
Year: 1990
Art: Front

[2:17] 1. Scarlet Ribbons (For Her Hair)
[3:05] 2. Tom Dooley
[2:07] 3. Raspberries, Strawberries
[2:48] 4. The Tijuana Jail
[3:14] 5. M.T.A.
[3:26] 6. A Worried Man
[2:17] 7. Coo Coo-U
[2:25] 8. El Matador
[2:36] 9. Bad Man's Blunder
[2:19] 10. Everglades
[3:02] 11. Where Have All The Flowers Gone
[2:34] 12. Scotch And Soda
[2:50] 13. Jane, Jane, Jane
[2:57] 14. One More Town
[2:49] 15. Greenback Dollar
[3:13] 16. Reverend Mr. Black
[2:47] 17. Desert Pete
[2:04] 18. Ally Ally Oxen Free
[2:53] 19. The Patriot Game
[2:52] 20. Seasons In The Sun

The first serious compilation of the Kingston Trio's work is broader than any of the various "best of" albums that ever showed up on LP, although it also lacks some important tracks that were on those 12" discs ("Take Her Out of Pity" is especially missed). The Dave Guard era is especially well represented and at the time of this disc's release, the sound was better than anything heard from the group up to that time. However, the emphasis on singles -- albeit all hits -- limits the range of the music represented, and also creates an impression of the group that is somewhat skewed from most fans' memories. After 1960, the Kingston Trio was one of the relatively few pop acts of the period (Frank Sinatra was another, curiously also on Capitol) who sold albums more easily than singles, and this became more true as the John Stewart years progressed. As a result, Kingston Trio fans (and one assumes that those are the people who would buy this collection) often took in the group's songs 12 at a time rather than one or two at a time. It's for that reason that the four-CD set The Capitol Years can be recommended more highly to those who really want to understand the group's appeal and music, or just to remember the stuff they heard back when. This disc is a good introduction to one side of the Kingston Trio's work, but it shouldn't be the last compilation that one buys on the group. ~Bruce Eder

Collectors Series

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Houston Person - A Little Houston On The Side

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:17
Size: 160.9 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[8:07] 1. Walking The Dog
[7:06] 2. Late Night Lullaby
[5:20] 3. My Romance
[3:51] 4. Laughing At Life
[7:54] 5. Equinox: For John Coltrane
[6:54] 6. Broadway
[7:31] 7. I Remember Clifford
[6:08] 8. Don't Misunderstand
[7:05] 9. Blue Seven
[4:33] 10. Sweet Slumber
[5:43] 11. When Sonny Gets Blue

This budget disc from the 32 Jazz label is aptly titled A Little Houston on the Side. It highlights the jazz-soul of tenor saxophonist Houston Person: a leader, sideman, and producer. The material on this compilation comes from Person's stint with the now-defunct Muse label, and was recorded in the '70s, '80s, and early '90s. A Little Houston on the Side emphasizes the stripped-down raucous blues of Hammond B-3 heroes Joey DeFrancesco, Sonny Phillips, and Groove Holmes, although a highlight has to be Jack McDuff's "Walking the Dog," featuring the battling tenors of Person and Ron Bridgewater. The tenor-organ combo bases are beautifully covered here. Also represented are the soulful vocals of Etta Jones, pianist Charles Brown, and a duet with bassist Ron Carter. Person's haunting, breathy tone is used to great effect on the ballads "My Romance" and "I Remember Clifford," but this reissue also reminds us he can blow in a hard bop tenor style influenced by greats like John Coltrane and Dexter Gordon. Person's versions of "Equinox" and "Broadway" are classic examples of the hard bop influence on his playing. Recommended. ~Al Campbell

A Little Houston On The Side

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Kenny Burrell - Tender Gender

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1966
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:59
Size: 166,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:42)  1. Mother-In-Law
(4:40)  2. Hot Bossa
(2:44)  3. People
(5:00)  4. Isabella
(3:13)  5. Girl Talk
(4:45)  6. Suzy
(4:58)  7. The Tender Gender
(3:42)  8. La Petite Mambo
(3:20)  9. If Someone Had Told Me
(3:55) 10. I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)

Digitally remastered edition of this 1966 album from the Jazz legend. On this album, Kenny's guitar is embellished beautifully by Richard Wyands, piano; Martin Rivera, bass; and Oliver Jackson, drums. It is an album that is indicative of all that is good about Mr. Burrell. The word 'versatile' is over-used in describing musicians and entertainers but Kenny's playing is both distinctive and varied. He has a beautiful lyrics sense-dig the unaccompanied "People", but he also has an aggressive style of playing that makes his sound easily recognizable. The outstanding characteristics of his playing-his best-known trait-is an honest and soulful blues feeling…a feeling so fresh and distinctive that the Kenny Burrell sound could almost be patented. ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Tender-Gender-Kenny-Quartet-Burrell/dp/B008VTXTGE

Personnel:  Bass – Martin Rivera;  Drums – Oliver Jackson;  Guitar – Kenny Burrell;  Piano – Richard Wyands

Tender Gender

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Monty Alexander - Sunday Night

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1985
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:33
Size: 145,3 MB
Art: Front

( 9:54)  1. Old Devil Moon
( 6:57)  2. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
( 5:07)  3. More Or Wes
( 9:17)  4. Who Cares
(14:50)  5. Renewal
(10:31)  6. Joyspring
( 5:57)  7. African Bee

A nice little set from Monty Alexander – a Sunday Night session recorded with the same group, on the same weekend as his Saturday Night album! Monty Alexander's always great in a trio, but we really love the pianist when he's trying to add a little something extra to the mix as he does here in a quartet performance that features some nice added percussion from Robert Thomas! The tracks have that warm glow and open flow that Alexander first started bringing to his music in the 70s with sensitive rhythm work here from Reggie Johnson on bass and Ed Thigpen on drums – but the added percussion really helps things swing at a slightly higher level, giving a gentle kick to some cuts, while Monty's still able to open up with some warmly lyrical lines over the top. Titles include "Old Devil Moon", "Who Cares", "Renewal", "African Bee", "Joyspring", and "More Or Wes". © 1996-2017, Dusty Groove, Inc.https://www.dustygroove.com/item/793603?s=Monty+Alexander&incl_oos=1&incl_cs=1&kwfilter=Monty+Alexander&sort_order=artist

Personnel: Monty Alexander – piano;  Reggie Johnson – bass;  Ed Thigpen – drums;  Robert Thomas Jr. – hand drums

Sunday Night

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Harold Danko - Next Age

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1993
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 69:09
Size: 110,9 MB
Art: Front

(13:43)  1. Waiting Time
( 7:31)  2. For Bud
( 8:35)  3. Ice Mirror
( 8:26)  4. Gregarious Solitude
( 9:46)  5. Silk Lady
( 4:00)  6. Next Age
( 5:06)  7. Rhythm's Child
( 2:55)  8. Luz Caverna
( 9:03)  9. Subindo

The Harold Danko Quartet of 1993 (which features tenor saxophonist Rich Perry, bassist Scott Colley, drummer Jeff Hirshfield, and the pianist/leader) performs nine of Danko's originals on this stimulating set. Some of the tunes are based (although sometimes in an abstract fashion) on standards, while others are more original. The music swings most of the time, Perry's dry tone works well with Danko's modern mainstream piano, and the group is tight yet sounds quite spontaneous. This CD is worth several listens. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/next-age-mw0000436009

Personnel:  Harold Danko (piano); Scott Colley (bass);  Jeff Hirshfield (drums);  Rich Perry (tenor sax)

Next Age

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Charlie Christian - The Wholly Cats

Styles:  Guitar Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:09
Size: 115,6 MB
Art: Front

(2:44)  1. Seven Come Eleven
(2:28)  2. Soft Winds
(2:45)  3. AC-DC Current
(3:00)  4. Till Tom Special
(3:22)  5. Gone with 'What' Wind
(3:17)  6. Six Appeal
(2:34)  7. Gilly
(5:03)  8. Waiting for Benny
(1:42)  9. Blues in B
(3:03) 10. Wholly Cats
(3:16) 11. A Smo-o-o-oth One
(2:47) 12. Poor Butterfly
(2:39) 13. Gone with What Draft
(4:30) 14. Air Mail Special
(4:04) 15. Breakfast Feud
(2:46) 16. Solo Flight

It can be said without exaggeration that virtually every jazz guitarist that emerged during 1940-65 sounded like a relative of Charlie Christian. The first important electric guitarist, Christian played his instrument with the fluidity, confidence, and swing of a saxophonist. Although technically a swing stylist, his musical vocabulary was studied and emulated by the bop players, and when one listens to players ranging from Tiny Grimes, Barney Kessel, and Herb Ellis, to Wes Montgomery and George Benson, the dominant influence of Christian is obvious. Charlie Christian's time in the spotlight was terribly brief. He played piano locally in Oklahoma, and began to utilize an amplified guitar in 1937, after becoming a student of Eddie Durham, a jazz guitarist who invented the amplified guitar. John Hammond, the masterful talent scout and producer, heard about Christian (possibly from Mary Lou Williams), was impressed by what he saw, and arranged for the guitarist to travel to Los Angeles in August 1939 and try out with Benny Goodman. Although the clarinetist was initially put off by Christian's primitive wardrobe, as soon as they started jamming on "Rose Room," Christian's talents were obvious. For the next two years, he would be well-featured with Benny Goodman's Sextet; there were two solos (including the showcase "Solo Flight") with the full orchestra; and the guitarist had the opportunity to jam at Minton's Playhouse with such up-and-coming players as Thelonious Monk, Kenny Clarke, and Dizzy Gillespie. All of the guitarist's recordings (including guest spots and radio broadcasts) are currently available on CD. Tragically, he contracted tuberculosis in 1941, and died at the age of 25 on March 2, 1942. It would be 25 years before jazz guitarists finally moved beyond Charlie Christian. ~ Scott Yanow https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/charlie-christian/id520915#fullText

The Wholly Cats

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Sarah McKenzie - Paris In The Rain

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:35
Size: 121,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:06)  1. Tea For Two
(3:47)  2. Paris In The Rain
(4:15)  3. One Jealous Moon
(3:51)  4. Little Girl Blue
(4:44)  5. I'm Old Fashioned
(3:15)  6. When In Rome
(3:55)  7. Triste
(4:35)  8. Embraceable You
(4:17)  9. In The Name Of Love
(3:59) 10. Don't Be A Fool
(3:27) 11. Onwards And Upwards
(4:21) 12. Day In Day Out
(3:56) 13. Road Chops

After enchanting jazz fans with her 2015 Impulse! Records debut, We Could Be Lovers, Sarah McKenzie returns with the sensational follow-up, Paris in the Rain. Like before, the 28-year-old, Melbourne, Australia-born singer, pianist, composer and arranger teams with the acclaimed Brian Bacchus who has produced classics for such stars as Norah Jones, Lizz Wright, and Gregory Porter to deliver a gripping program of jazz classics and originals all of which present McKenzie’s incredible musicality in glamorous glory. McKenzie moved to Paris last year after graduating from Boston’s Berklee College of Music. The album’s snazzy title track is her love letter to the City of Light. The fanciful lyrics find her alternating effortlessly between French and English as she rejoices in the city’s opulent offerings. “I’m really in love with Paris. It’s a really amazing city. It’s so beautiful with so much to offer in terms of culture, food and style. I wanted to write a song that captures all of Paris’ beauty, magic and spirit.” Overall, the album’s theme centers on McKenzie’s journey from Australia to America and her trips throughout Europe as a performing artist. She exemplifies the loose theme with the telling choices of songs such as Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh’s “When in Rome,” (her visit to Italy) Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “Triste” (for her time in Portugal),” Vincent Youmans and Irving Caesar’s “Tea for Two” (for London).” The travelogue theme rings the loudest on album’s closer, “Road Chops,” an ebullient original that evokes the brisling giddiness of exploring the globe; the instrumental also showcases McKenzie command at the piano.

McKenzie praises Paris in the Rain as a more “stylish” album. “It shows greater depth of my arrangements,” she says before explaining that she’s fashioning her own vision within the jazz tradition. For this album, that meant exploring more textures with which she does gorgeously by expanding the sonic palette. The album boasts a superlative lineup that includes vibraphonist Warren Wolf (who played on We Could Be Lovers), guitarist Mark Whitfield, bassist Reuben Rogers, drummer Gregory Hutchinson, trumpeter Dominick Farinacci, flutist Jamie Baum, alto saxophonist Scott Robinson, tenor saxophonist Ralph Moore, and guitarist Romero Lubambo. Sophisticated originals steeped in the Great American Songbook tradition energize much of Paris in the Rain. In addition to the title track and “Road Chops,” she penned three other superb originals. The bluesy “One Jealous Moon” demonstrates her meticulous word play as she sublimely uses the numbers: 1,2,3,4 throughout in the song’s poetic lyrics; the song also features a stellar tenor saxophone solo from Moore. McKenzie’s haunting ballad “Don’t Be a Fool” conveys a melancholic allure as she slowly sings of treacherous romance and seduction; Warren Wolf’s striking vibraphone chords in unison with the piano accentuate the composition’s suspense. Later in the song, he delivers a rueful solo.

With “Onward and Upward,” McKenzie pays tribute to Nat King Cole with a spry original teeming with optimistic lyrics about embarking on new adventures; she also tickles a spiffy blues-laden piano solo while Baum and Farinacci too yield effervescent asides. As an arranger, McKenzie cites George Shearing as one her most significant lodestars. She’s particularly fond of his usage of piano block chords against guitars. “I want things to sound quirky and a little rough but still very charming and elegant,” she says. McKenzie employs the same ambitions of being a distinguishable stylist in her piano playing too. “Being an incredibly virtuosic pianist is cool if that that’s what you do. But I really identify with coming up with a style and really trying the make the songs speak with my own unique sound.” Sarah McKenzie hails from Melbourne, Australia; she earned a bachelor’s degree in jazz at Perth’s West Australian Academy of Performing Arts. With two critically acclaimed discs underneath her belt Don’t Tempt Me and Close Your Eyes (2012 Best Jazz Album ARIA Winner)– she began attracting the attention of many international jazz stars visiting Melbourne. With her eyes set on attending the Berklee College of Music in Boston, she participated in one of the college’s off-site jazz camps at the Umbria Jazz Festival in 2012, where she won both a full scholarship at the prestigious music school and an opportunity to perform at the festival. She graduated from Berklee in May 2015 with a degree in jazz performance. Sarah McKenzie has performed at jazz´s iconic places, the festivals in Monterey, Juan-les-Pins, Marciac and Perugia, Dizzy´s and Minton´s in New York, as well as the top clubs in Paris, London, Vienna, Munich and Sydney. Together with the Boston Pops Orchestra she premiered one of her compositions at Boston´s Symphony Hall. Last but not least, the Australian version of “We Could Be Lovers” won the Bell Award for Best Australian Vocal Album. Impulse! Label has released “We Could Be Lovers” worldwide in Spring 2015. http://www.sarahmckenzie.info/#story

Paris In The Rain

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