Lillian Boutté, Thomas L'Etienne - A Fine Romance

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:20
Size: 106.1 MB
Styles: Blues/Jazz/Soul vocals
Year: 1987/2016
Art: Front

[3:44] 1. A Fine Romance
[5:31] 2. Until The Real Thing Comes Along
[4:21] 3. Secret Love
[5:10] 4. Stars Fell On Alabama
[4:28] 5. Blue Skies
[4:50] 6. It's Only A Paper Moon
[4:35] 7. The Gypsy
[3:47] 8. Sugar
[5:29] 9. Fine And Mellow
[4:20] 10. Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean

A versatile singer based in New Orleans, Lillian Boutte is capable of singing both New Orleans Dixieland standards and New Orleans R&B, swing-era tunes, and contemporary originals. She sang as a child (winning a vocal contest when she was 11), performed with her college's gospel choir, and then in 1973, was hired by Allen Toussaint as a backup singer for the many projects recorded in his studio. Boutte appeared as an actress and singer in the musical One Mo' Time during 1979-1984, recorded a gospel album with the Olympia Brass Band in 1980, and in 1982, made her first jazz album. Boutte has spent time alternating between living and performing in Europe and New Orleans, and she has been closely associated with reed player Thomas L'Etienne who usually leads her backup groups. Through the years, Lillian Boutte has recorded for many labels (mostly in Europe) including Herman, Feel the Jazz, High Society, Turning Point, Timeless, Southland, Storyville, GHB, Calligraph (with Humphrey Lyttelton), Blues Beacon, and Dinosaur Entertainment. ~ bio by Scott Yanow

A Fine Romance

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Marvin Gaye - What's Going On

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:57
Size: 93.8 MB
Styles: Soul
Year: 1971/2003
Art: Front

[3:53] 1. What's Going On
[2:43] 2. What's Happening Brother
[3:50] 3. Flyin' High (In The Friendly Sky)
[4:03] 4. Save The Children
[1:41] 5. God Is Love
[3:16] 6. Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)
[7:33] 7. Right On
[3:07] 8. Wholy Holy
[5:33] 9. Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)
[2:50] 10. God Os Love (Single Vers.)
[2:21] 11. Sad Tomorrows (Single Vers.)

By the time 1970 rolled around, Marvin Gaye had grown tired of his singing career. Although he was a major star, having huge hits, he felt disenfranchised from the business. The death of his close friend and singer partner Tammi Terrill had thrown him into serious state of depression and anger. He became serious about football and tried out with the Detroit Lions and he also had a hand at boxing. He, of course, never made the cut with these activities. His brother Frankie had recently come back from Vietnam and the stories that he related Marvin, helped spur him out of his funk and into the recording studio. He turned those feelings of detachment, melancholy and anger into one of the landmark albums in musical history. Gone were the days of Mr. Gaye singing about love and happiness, What's Going On explored the situation and status of the black man in society as well as the problems facing the world as a whole. The title track opens the album and he ponders the question of what is going on in the world today. It was not just about the brothers dying in and mothers crying about the Vietnam War, but about the wars of everyday life in Urban America. The next five songs flow in and out of one another forming a musical suite. In "What's Happening Brother" he questions why the inner city is decaying while "Flyin' High (In The Friendly Sky)" is about Mr. Gaye's drug use. "Save The Children" asks for us to get together and make the world a better places for our kids and he provides a possible solution by looking to higher powers in "God Is Love". "Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology)" is his take on the polluting of the world. "Right On" is a what one might call psychedelic funk and "Wholy Holy" is a sermon from the son of a preacher. The album closes back where it started with "Inner City Blues (Make Me Holler)" where Mr. Gaye rails against the problems of the ghettos. What's Going On was deemed so non-commercial by Motown, that they refused to release it and it sat in the can for almost a year. Mr. Gaye threatened to leave the label and they relented and finally released it in 1971. The album became a huge hit and Marvin Gaye was hailed for his ground-breaking work. The album is more than just music, it is a honest and open look at the ills of society. The album opened up many people's eyes and made them think about alot things they wouldn't have normally paid attention to. Unfortunately, most people didn't pay attention as most of the problems the album addresses are sadly still relevant today. ~P. Magnum

What's Going On

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Various - The Colors Of Latin Jazz: Corcovado

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:40
Size: 143.5 MB
Styles: Bossa Nova, Latin jazz
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[6:46] 1. Karrin Allyson - Corcovado (Quiet Nights)
[6:41] 2. Manfredo Fest - Tristeza De Nos Dois (Sad For Both Of Us)
[5:16] 3. Marcos Silva - So Far Away
[3:35] 4. Tania Maria - Triste
[3:31] 5. Charlie Byrd - How Insensitive
[5:07] 6. Manfredo Fest - Ela E Carioca (She's A Child Of Rio)
[4:28] 7. Susannah McCorkle - Caminhos Cruzados
[5:00] 8. Hendrik Meurkens - A Summer In San Francisco
[4:26] 9. Karrin Allyson - Coração Vagabundo
[5:28] 10. Trio Da Paz - Vera Cruz
[5:04] 11. Tania Maria - Comecar De Novo (To Begin Again)
[7:14] 12. Charlie Byrd - Corcovado

Not many artists have immersed themselves in quite the cultural combination that Concord Special Products has assembled for the Colors of Latin Jazz series. This six-CD series captures the sweet, hot, happy, and rhythmic joys of Latin jazz. Colors of Latin Jazz: Corcovado! is the perfect culmination for the initial offerings of this splendid and exciting series. The perfect nightcap is the sweet voice of Karrin Allyson originally heard on Daydream and here on "Corcovado." She's as soft as the tear of a raindrop. Her serene essence is heard again in Portuguese singing Caetano Veloso's "Coracao Vagabundo," a soft bossa nova originally issued on From Paris to Rio. Romero Lubambo, Nilson Matta, and Duduka Da Fonseca join Trio Da Paz on the five-minute reprise of "Vera Cruz" featured from Brasil From the Inside. By the time you hear "Summer in San Francisco" by Hendrik Muerkens or Manfredo Fest and Susannah McCorkle emanating their resonant beauty on a pair of Antonio Carlos Jobim classics, you will have enjoyed the fluid, relentless pull of great bossa novas that have evolved into modern day Latin jazz classics for the 21st century aficionados and keepers of the Latin jazz flame. Tania Maria's sweet edge on "Triste" and "Comegar de Novo" prove why you have to blame it on the bossa nova, since she leaves you with such a pleasant feeling that expands with each listen. The great Charlie Byrd strums a beautiful "How Insensitive" originally issued on his The Bossa Nova Years. The clarinet solo of Ken Peplowski is a glowing example of the beauty and adaptability of the instrument in a Latin jazz ensemble. Charlie Byrd also closes the set with a reprise of "Corcovado," playing with the quiet, cool restraint that he is known for. Colors of Latin Jazz: Corcovado! is not only beautiful for the sheer range of the bossa novas it includes, but it is the spring amidst the rocks and a tree with its first leaves bearing The Colors of Latin Jazz. A generous gift from some of the finest artists performing Latin jazz. ~Paula Edelstein

The Colors Of Latin Jazz: Corcovado

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Mark Soskin - Overjoyed

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:52
Size: 132,9 MB
Art: Front

(7:28)  1. Awakening
(5:09)  2. Postcards
(5:43)  3. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
(5:23)  4. Song for Lea
(4:39)  5. Rhythm-A-Ning
(6:04)  6. Overjoyed
(7:11)  7. Con Alma
(3:52)  8. Home Movie
(7:15)  9. It Never Entered My Mind
(5:05) 10. Old Devil Moon

A longtime sideman, most notably with Sonny Rollins, Mark Soskin has only had rare opportunities to lead his own sessions. He began taking piano lessons when he was seven. Although he later considered Cedar Walton to be his most important influence, Soskin actually spent his teenage years playing often with R&B bands. He studied classical music at Colorado State University in 1971 but transferred to the Berklee School of Music the following year. In 1975, he moved to San Francisco where he worked with Azteca, Joe Henderson, Bill Summers, Pete Escovedo, and Billy Cobham, touring with the CBS All-Stars, a group that also included Cobham, Tom Scott, Steve Khan, and Alphonso Johnson. During 1978-'90 and occasionally afterwards, Soskin was a member of Sonny Rollins' band, recording many sets with the great tenor. Since then he has remained active in the San Francisco Bay area. Soskin has recorded several dates as a leader, including Rhythm Vision for Prestige (1979), and Solo Piano for Vartan Jazz (1996). ~ Scott  Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/artist/mark-soskin-mn0000844918/biography

Personnel:  Mark Soskin-piano, electric piano;  Lincoln Goines-acoustic and electric basses;  John Riley-drums;  Chuck Loeb-guitar

Overjoyed

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Shannon Butcher - How Sweet It Is

Styles:  Vocal
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:36
Size: 90,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:15)  1. Fire and Rain
(3:37)  2. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow
(3:24)  3. No Moon At All
(2:48)  4. Fly Like an Eagle
(4:17)  5. How Sweet It Is (to Be Loved By You)
(3:13)  6. How Comes the Rain Again
(3:26)  7. Here Comes the Sun
(3:27)  8. I Think It's Going to Rain Today
(4:29)  9. Message in a Bottle
(3:20) 10. Take On Me
(2:15) 11. Mother Nature's Son

Shannon Butcher (vocalist) is a Toronto based vocalist, composer, and bandleader. Born in Mississauga, Ontario, Butcher began singing at the age of six. Influenced by her record collection, Butcher began studying jazz at Cawthra Park Arts High School, inspired in part by a school visit by Diana Krall. Butcher pursued classical music studies at the University of Toronto. She also took vocal lessons with Jo-Anne Bentley, Elaine Overholt and Micah Barnes, as well as piano lessons from Frank Falco. In the late 1990s, she formed Swing Rosie, an Andrews Sisters-styled trio formed with Kira Callahan and Chantelle Wilson. Butcher has released a number of recordings under her own name. Her debut album, Words We Both Could Say, was released in 2008. It features an eclectic selection of cover tunes from a variety of composers including Henry Mancini, Tears for Fears, and Jimmy Webb. Her 2010 album, Little Hearts, included tunes by Burt Bacharach, Bryan Adams, Irving Berlin, as well as a number of original compositions. In 2011, Shannon released a duo recording with bassist Ross MacIntyre entitled How Sweet It Is. This recording includes songs composed by James Taylor, Steve Miller, Sting, Annie Lennox, and the Beatles.Butcher’s released Butcher Sings Baker in October 2013. It features Shannon singing songs from the Chet Baker songbook with a quintet featuring Rebecca Hennessey, trumpet; Mark Kieswetter, piano; Ross MacInture, bass; and Maxwell Roach, drums. http://www.canadianjazzarchive.org/en/musicians/shannon-butcher.html

How Sweet It Is

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Harold Danko - Prestigious: A Tribute to Eric Dolphy

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 69:33
Size: 111,5 MB
Art: Front

( 7:08)  1. Les
( 4:01)  2. 17 West
( 9:15)  3. Gw
( 9:35)  4. 245
( 5:20)  5. Far Cry/Out There
( 8:41)  6. Serene
( 7:32)  7. Miss Ann
( 7:37)  8. The Prophet
(10:19)  9. Number Eight (Potsa Lotsa)

This ambitious quintet session led by pianist and arranger Harold Danko covers ten compositions by the late Eric Dolphy, whose works have only been recorded on a sporadic basis since his death in 1964 and rarely, if ever, make up an entire release (Jerome Harris' Hidden in Plain View came close). The rhythm section includes bassist Michael Formanek and drummer Jeff Hirshfield, with tenor saxophonist Rich Perry and trumpeter Dave Ballou. Perry has the greatest challenge on the date, as he has to come across as effectively as the composer while utilizing only one instrument versus Dolphy's alto sax, flute, and formidable bass clarinet. Fortunately, the object of the CD is to explore new paths through these pieces rather than attempt re-creations of the original recordings by Dolphy (which would be rather pointless since all of Dolphy's Prestige sessions are readily available). The opener, "Les," captures the excitement of Dolphy's version, with the leader darting in and out on piano as Perry and Ballou interweave contrasting lines. Since "17 West" was from a pianoless date, Danko chooses to strum the piano strings throughout the piece, creating an interesting effect behind Ballou's muted horn and Perry's dancing tenor. "G.W." stays much closer to the original, but the group handles its tricky unorthodox line with nary a misfire. "Serene," one of Dolphy's prettiest ballads (which is actually a disguised blues), becomes more spacious and subtle with Danko's change of its meter. "Miss Ann" is almost unrecognizable during its introduction, as the theme is considerably fragmented before Perry and Ballou begin playing snippets of it and quickly bring it into shape. Danko's excellent liner notes add to the value of this worthy tribute to Eric Dolphy, the composer. ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/prestigious-a-tribute-to-eric-dolphy-mw0001892240

Personnel: Harold Danko (piano); Rich Perry (tenor saxophone); Dave Ballou (trumpet); Jeff Hirshfield (drums).

Prestigious: A Tribute to Eric Dolphy

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Joe Venuti & Earl Hines - Hot Sonatas

Styles: Violin And Piano Jazz
Year: 1975
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:50
Size: 157,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:16)  1. Hot Sonatas
(5:38)  2. She's Funny That Way
(4:19)  3. The One I Love Belongs To Somebody Else
(3:07)  4. Rosetta
(7:34)  5. Blues In Thirds
(4:58)  6. C Jam Blues
(4:02)  7. Easy To Love
(2:12)  8. Fascinating Rhythm
(3:13)  9. East Of The Sun
(3:18) 10. Love For Sale
(6:01) 11. You Can Depend On Me
(4:21) 12. Easy To Love
(2:40) 13. Fascinating Rhythm
(2:54) 14. East Of The Sun
(3:23) 15. Love For Sale
(4:45) 16. C Jam Blues

This is an unusual and frequently exciting album of duets between the two great veterans Joe Venuti and Earl Hines; despite both being active for over a half-century, they had never played together before. The interplay between the violinist and the pianist is consistently unpredictable and they communicate quite well on these swing standards (three of which were composed by Hines long ago). This unique encounter deserves to be reissued on CD. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/hot-sonatas-mw0000048447

Personnel: Joe Venuti (violin); Earl Hines (piano).

Hot Sonatas

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Boney James - The Beat

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:08
Size: 96,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:56)  1. Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing
(4:07)  2. Sunset Boulevard
(3:37)  3. Missing You
(4:03)  4. Batcuada (The Beat)
(3:48)  5. Maker Of Love
(4:28)  6. Mari's Song
(4:00)  7. Powerhouse
(4:03)  8. The Midas (This Is Why)
(4:04)  9. Acalento (Lullaby)
(4:57) 10. You Can Count On Me

In the crowded field of 50,000 smooth jazz saxophones, only a handful are blessed with a distinctive sound of their own and if Boney James isn't first in his class he should be high on the list. James can play with both raw power and gentle, soulful restraint. There's more restraint than power on The Beat, the 14th album by the New York-born saxophonist, but James has always opted for underplaying a bit than roof-raising soloing. James' background in soul music playing keyboards and sax for Morris Day, the Isley Brothers, and Bobby Caldwell has weighed heavily in his fondness for R'n'B and hip-hop, but The Beat drops a few hints of his love of Latin rhythms as well best evidenced in a laconic version of Stevie Wonder's "Don't You Worry About A Thing" and on the boppish "Batucada (The Beat)" where James works out with his frequent collaborator, trumpeter Rick Braun. Though they won't remind anyone of Miles Davis and John Coltrane, the James and Braun pairings tend to bring out the most purely "jazz" moments in each other.

It wouldn't be a Boney James record without a few guest vocalists dropping by and The Beat is no exception with three; "Missing You" featuring guitarist Jarius Mozee and Abi Mancha's nicely understated whisper, "Maker of Love" gives Raheem DeVaughn an opportunity to give praise to an attractive lady's attributes, and Natalie "The Floacist" Stewart gives the gents equal time on "The Midas (This Is Why)."  If you aren't already a member of Team Boney, The Beat may not be the release to get you to sign up. For the faithful who helped propel the album to the top of the charts James remains a formidable force in contemporary jazz, standing at the top and giving his competition an even steeper hill to climb. ~ Jeff Winbush https://www.allaboutjazz.com/the-beat-boney-james-concord-music-group-review-by-jeff-winbush.php
 

Personnel: Boney James: soprano, tenor and alto saxophone, flute, keyboards; Brandon Coleman: keyboards (1, 2); Vinnie Colaiuta: drums (1, 9, 10); Lenny Castro: percussion (1-4, 6-10); Rob Bacon: guitar (2, 4, 7, 10); Dewayne “Smitty” Smith: bass (2, 10); Omari Williams: drums (2, 4, 7); Jarius Mozee: guitar, keyboards, programming (3); Abi Mancha: vocals (3); Tim Carmon: keyboards, keyboard bass (4, 6, 8); Alex Al: bass (4, 6, 7, 9); Rick Braun: trumpet (4); Raheem DeVaughn: vocals (5); Phil Davis: keyboards, programming (5); Mark Stephens: keyboards (7, 9); Natalie “The Floacist” Stewart: vocals (8)

The Beat

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