Ernestine Anderson - When The Sun Goes Down

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:41
Size: 97.7 MB
Styles: Jazz/Blues vocals
Year: 1985/1992
Art: Front

[4:49] 1. Goin' To Chicago Blues
[4:45] 2. Someone Else Is Steppin' In
[7:21] 3. In The Evening When The Sun Goes Down
[4:59] 4. I Love Being Here With You
[6:04] 5. Down Home Blues
[6:21] 6. I'm Just A Lucky So And So
[3:18] 7. Alone On My Own
[5:00] 8. Mercy, Mercy, Mercy

On one of her best Concord recordings, Ernestine Anderson (who is joined by tenor man Red Holloway, pianist Gene Harris, bassist Ray Brown, and drummer Gerryck King) is quite soulful and bluesy throughout this strong program. She makes such tunes as "Someone Else Is Steppin' In," "In the Evening (When the Sun Goes Down)," and "I Love Being Here with You" sound as if they were written for her, while "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" is heard in a very rare vocal version. Actually, all eight songs (which also include "Goin' to Chicago Blues" and "Down Home Blues") are well worth hearing. Recommended. ~Scott Yanow

When The Sun Goes Down

---

Various - Capitol Sings Duke Ellington

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 71:57

Size: 164.7 MB

Styles: Easy Listening

Year: 1994

Art: Front

[ 5:04] 1. Duke Ellington - Duke's Place

[ 2:20] 2. Nancy Wilson - Satin Doll

[ 3:49] 3. Sarah Vaughan - Solitude

[ 3:20] 4. Nat King Cole - Mood Indigo

[ 2:53] 5. June Christy - Just A-Sittin' And A-Rockin'

[ 4:46] 6. Annie Ross - I'm Just A Lucky So And So

[ 2:44] 7. Lou Rawls - Just Squeeze Me (But Don't Tease Me)

[ 3:06] 8. Dinah Washington - I Didn't Know About You

[ 3:49] 9. Dinah Shore - I Ain't Got Nothin' But The Blues

[ 3:08] 10. Nat King Cole - Don't Get Around Much Anymore

[ 2:54] 11. Hank Jones - In A Sentimental Mood

[ 3:04] 12. Harry James & His Orchestra - I'm Beginning To See The Light

[ 5:31] 13. Duke Ellington - I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)

[ 2:10] 14. Peggy Lee - Jump For Joy

[ 2:15] 15. Dinah Washington - Do Nothing 'til You Hear From Me

[ 2:43] 16. June Christy - I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart

[ 2:42] 17. Nat King Cole - Caravan

[ 2:29] 18. Nancy Wilson - Sophisticated Lady

[ 2:42] 19. The King Sisters - Take The A Train

[10:17] 20. Duke Ellington - It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)

If you like Duke Ellington's music, you will love this collection. The disc includes some very well known versions of Ellington's big hits. As expected from the title, all the versions are from the Capitol Records' vault. I miss Ella Fitzgerald. A few cuts from her would have made this album perfect. But that's a minor point as the overall collection of artists represented here is outstanding. The artists range from Duke's own orchestra to Sarah Vaughan, Nancy Wilson, Dinah Washington, Peggy Lee, Lou Rawls and the King Sisters. The title track, "Mood Indigo" is performed by Nat King Cole - simply the best.

The songs have been digitally remastered and the sound is as close to perfect as modern technology can make it. The music is as clean and bright on this album as it was when it was originally recorded. Great songs; great artists; excellent sound -- so, turn up the volume and swing the house! Highly recommended! ~Penumbra

Capitol Sings Duke Ellington

---

Sammy Nestico - A Portrait Of Sammy

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:15
Size: 140.2 MB
Styles: Swing
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[4:51] 1. Dark Orchid
[6:17] 2. Freckle Face
[4:29] 3. Veronique
[5:05] 4. Swingin' On The Orient Express
[4:11] 5. Lisette
[3:57] 6. Time Stream
[3:18] 7. Katy
[5:31] 8. A Cool Breeze
[7:12] 9. A Warm Breeze
[5:49] 10. Out Of The Night (Dark Orchid)
[4:36] 11. Satin 'n Glass
[5:53] 12. 88 Basie Street

The Portrait of Sammy shown on the cover of renowned composer/arranger Sammy Nestico's newest album shows a man grinning from ear to ear, clearly enjoying what he does and relishing the fruits of his enduring success. And why not? Sammy has been at the top of his game for nearly half a century, and he shows no signs of slowing down at age 81. Ten of the fifteen selections on Portrait were recorded last year with an orchestra comprised of world-class jazz musicians from southern California bolstered by a 26-piece string section, creating an ambiance reminiscent of the Netherlands Metropole Orchestra.

Even with strings attached, Nestico seldom forgets to swing, nor did he do so in winning four Grammy Awards for the incomparable Count Basie Orchestra while serving as the Count's chief arranger some three decades ago. On the other hand, the strings do little to enhance the environment, and (my opinion, judge for yourself) Sammy's purpose would have been better served without them (and with a tad less reverb as well). For proof, listen to "Freckle Face, "Time Stream, or "Kiji Takes a Ride! (no strings), "A Warm Breeze (recorded in '04 with Germany's superb SWR Big Band), "Satin 'n' Glass (transcribed in 1985 with Rob McConnell's Boss Brass minus Rob), or the album's "bonus track, the groovy "88 Basie Street, gleaned from the '78 album Dark Orchid to showcase the late Pete Jolly on piano. The personnel on that track, by the way, is mind-blowing—Warren Luening, Conte Candoli, and Snooky Young in the trumpet section; Bob Cooper, Bud Shank, and Jack Nimitz among the reeds; Bill Watrous on trombone; and Jolly, Chuck Berghofer and Louie Bellson in the rhythm section.

There's a second version of "Dark Orchid (which opens the album), this one recorded in 2000 under its alternate name, "Out of the Night, and featuring solos by flutist Hubert Laws, guitarist Paul Jackson Jr., drummer Vinnie Colaiuta and pianist Randy Kerber. There are no strings (or vocalists), and I found this earlier version the more agreeable because of it. That session also produced the lovely "Lisette, on which soprano Dan Higgins glistens. "Freckle Face, which spotlights trumpeter Luening, is from the Basie book, as are "Warm Breeze, "Time Stream, "Satin 'n' Glass and "Basie Street. Dick Nash's elegant trombone is front and center on the tender "Katy, written for Basie's wife, who had recently passed away. Guido Basso's warm flugelhorn garnishes "Satin 'n' Glass while Tom Scott is showcased on EWI on "Dark Orchid and "Orient Express, tenor sax (with guitarist Dean Parks) on "A Cool Breeze. Tenor Pete Christlieb complements Luening on "Tangerine, pianist Tom Ranier on "Veronique, Luening and bassist Trey Henry on the bustling "Time Stream.

Given his many successes over so many years, Sammy Nestico has every reason to smile. And if his colorful Portrait isn't entirely blemish-free, he need make no apology. He has earned the right to paint it his way. Much of what is presented here is splendid. My aversion to strings, which Sammy evidently deems necessary, may not be shared by other listeners—and as they are conspicuous on only five tracks, that's hardly enough to dampen one's pleasure. In sum, a handsome Portrait that any jazz lover should be pleased to hang in his or her music library. ~Jack Bowers

A Portrait Of Sammy

---

Joe Traina - Tea For Two

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:16
Size: 112.8 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[2:43] 1. Blue Skies
[4:54] 2. Imagination
[2:14] 3. Tea For Two
[3:30] 4. Besame Mucho
[6:18] 5. Stardust
[3:53] 6. It's Alright With Me
[4:30] 7. I Get A Kick Out Of You
[4:27] 8. Cry Me A River
[3:45] 9. Too Marvelous For Words
[4:48] 10. This Could Be The Start Of Something Big
[4:42] 11. These Foolish Things
[3:28] 12. Jumpin' With Symphony Sid

For his third CD, Traina uses his quintet to great effect and Grammy-Award nominated arranger Pete McGuinness gives it its swingin' drive. The title track, "Blue Skies", "Too Marvelous For Words" and "These Foolish Things" are all classics and represent the best of small group jazz. ~Hepcat 5

Tea For Two

---

Holly Cole - Romantically Helpless

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:41
Size: 97.7 MB
Styles: Standards, Vocal jazz
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[4:40] 1. One Trick Pony
[3:29] 2. Romantically Helpless
[4:33] 3. I'll Be Here
[2:09] 4. Ghosts
[3:52] 5. Come Fly With Me
[2:51] 6. Dedicated To The One I Love
[3:25] 7. That Old Black Magic
[4:02] 8. If I Start To Cry
[2:58] 9. Loving You
[3:54] 10. Make It Go Away
[3:13] 11. Don't Fence Me In
[3:29] 12. Same Girl

Holly Cole: vocals; Aaron Davis: piano, organ, Fender Rhodes, synthesizer; David Piltch: acoustic bass; Mark Ferguson: piano, trombone; Mark Kelso: drums, 2nd line groover, background vocals; Luc Boivin: percussion, 2nd line groover; Steve Ferrera: 2nd line groover; George Koller: acoustic bass, electric bass; David Gray: acoustic and electric guitars; Kevin Breit: acoustic and electric guitars, dobro; Gerry Leonard: electric guitar; Kim Ratcliffe: guitars; Tory Cassis: background vocals.

The irony of this CD title is hard to miss. Holly Cole’s confident, smoky alto might convey dark humor or cautious optimism, painful regret or self-aware neurosis, but definitely not helplessness. Ms. Cole combines the modern, post-feminist attitude of the Lilith Fair crowd with the sophistication of a pre-rock interpretative singer. Holly Cole has always been difficult to categorize. Jazz purists have never been taken with Ms. Cole’s eagerness to embrace contemporary music forms or her tendency to subvert material from the standard repertoire. Unlike Cassandra Wilson, who transposes rock and pop material into her own unique form of acoustic jazz, Ms. Cole frequently crosses the line that separates jazz and pop. In that respect, Ms. Cole’s artistic sensibility is surprisingly close to that of Peggy Lee’s. Although their styles and voices are very different, Ms. Cole shares Ms. Lee’s affinity for creating deeply personal interpretations out of a wide range of pop material. And like Ms. Lee, Ms. Cole uses jazz as simply one of many interpretive devices rather than as the raison d’ệtre for every performance.

Romantically Helpless, the Canadian singer’s sixth full-length studio album, brings together the different facets of Ms. Cole’s music. Two thirds of the recording mark a return to her early, more jazz-oriented roots. Ms. Cole’s highly idiosyncratic interpretations, often set to a stark, minimalist accompaniment, tend to bring out the dark undercurrents of a lyric. She gives envy an edge in a slinky version of Paul Simon’s “One Trick Pony” and transforms “Dedicated to the One I Love” into a stalker’s love song. Ms. Cole extracts bitterness and hurt from Randy Newman’s “Ghosts” and “The Same Girl” rather than the detached sarcasm usually associated with that composer’s songs. In contrast, her respectful, straightforward reading of Stephen Sondheim’s “Loving You” seems oddly stilted and unexpressive. The three decidedly more upbeat standards offer a welcome respite from the album’s melancholy tone. The brassy swing arrangement of “That Old Black Magic” does not suit Ms. Cole. She is simply not that kind of jazz singer. She is far more appealing on “Come Fly With Me” where she relaxes the tempo giving this usually hard driving song a feeling of affectionate romanticism. Ms. Cole also has a grand time on a version of “Don’t Fence Me In” that isn’t really any more tongue-in-cheek than Bing Crosby’s original recording of the song. The remainder of the album features radio-friendly pop arrangements of songs by both of Ms. Cole’s long time collaborators, Aaron Davis and David Piltch. As far as pop music goes, most of these tracks are fine with “Make It Go Away” the standout. ~Mathew Bahl

Romantically Helpless

---

The Ruby Braff Trio - Bravura Eloquence

Styles: Cornet Jazz
Year: 1988
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:39
Size: 137,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:30)  1. Ol' Man River
(3:07)  2. Smile / Who'll Buy My Violets
(3:22)  3. Lonely Moments
(3:41)  4. Here's Carl
(3:50)  5. God Bless The Child
(3:44)  6. It's Bad For Me
(4:51)  7. I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face
(3:07)  8. Make Sense
(3:22)  9. I'm Shooting High
(4:37) 10. Orange
(3:08) 11. Persian Rug
(3:58) 12. Trav'lin' Light
(4:10) 13. Royal Garden Blues
(9:07) 14. Judy  Medley: San Francisco / Over The Rainbow / If I Only Had A Brain

From the same sessions that resulted in Me, Myself and I, the great cornetist Ruby Braff, who has always had a distinctive sound of his own, once again teams up with guitarist Howard Alden and bassist Jack Lesberg in a trio. Alden's versatility serves him well on a program that includes "Ol' Man River," and medleys of tunes associated with Charlie Chaplin and Judy Garland, "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face," and "Royal Garden Blues." Braff is heard at the top of his game throughout this enjoyable outing. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/bravura-eloquence-mw0000308503

Personnel:  Ruby Braff – cornet;  Howard Alden – guitar;  Jack Lesberg – bass

Bravura Eloquence

---

Rachel Lauren - Away From The Crowd

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:32
Size: 106,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:18)  1. You Stepped Out of a Dream
(4:36)  2. My Funny Valentine
(4:12)  3. Whisper Not
(4:17)  4. In My Solitude
(6:20)  5. Meditation
(4:39)  6. The Shadow of Your Smile
(3:56)  7. Cry Me A River
(5:01)  8. 'Round Midnight
(5:11)  9. Caravan
(3:57) 10. I Wish You Love

Singing classic jazz standards fueled by raw emotion and an innovative style, Rachel Lauren is an artist who will not only delight your ear, but also revive your spirit. Rachel’s ability to appeal to fans in her own age range in addition to long time jazz listeners sets her apart from other young artists. With the self-release of her first album Away From the Crowd in 2007, and second album If Ever in 2013, Rachel has succeeded in stepping away from the anonymity of the larger music scene and into a spotlight of her very own. The recipient of the prestigious Lamont Dozier Scholar award at USC, Rachel has toured the world performing. She has been seen on the David Letterman show and featured at Grammys, major USC events and David Fosters Starry Night. Rachel has also shared the stage with greats such as Randy Newman, Mike Garson, Tierney Sutton, Peter Erskine , Big Bad Voo Doo Daddy, Chris Botti and Dave Koz. Most recently, Rachel Lauren teamed up with composer Brian Carmody for the title track of the hit documentary SOMM. "There's No Black or White" made the short list for a Best Song Oscar nomination.  As a vocal stylist, Rachel pays homage to the music that created jazz, flavoring it with original emotional expression. “Its not about how many notes or beats you have,” says Rachel, “If you can make people feel something, feeling what you are feeling, that’s what jazz is about.” Rachel infuses this mantra into jazz standards, reviving vintage tunes with an emotional interpretation of her own. In her album, Rachel not only respects the great heritage of jazz music, but participates in it as well. http://www.rachellauren.com/Rachel_Lauren/

Away From The Crowd

---

Sonny Rollins - Saxophone Colossus

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1956
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:46
Size: 91,4 MB
Art: Front

( 6:49)  1. St Thomas
( 6:33)  2. You Don't Know What Love Is
( 5:14)  3. Strode Rode
( 9:58)  4. Moritat
(11:10)  5. Blue Seven

Sonny Rollins recorded many memorable sessions during 1954-1958, but Saxophone Colossus is arguably his finest all-around set. Joined by pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Doug Watkins, and drummer Max Roach, Rollins debuts and performs the definitive version of "St. Thomas," tears into the chord changes of "Mack the Knife" (here called "Moritat"), introduces "Strode Rode," is lyrical on "You Don't Know What Love Is," and constructs a solo on "Blue Seven" that practically defines his style. Essential music that, as with all of Rollins' Prestige recordings, has also been reissued as part of a huge "complete" box set; listeners with a tight budget are advised to pick up this single disc and be amazed. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/saxophone-colossus-mw0000188597

Personnel: Sonny Rollins (tenor saxophone); Tommy Flanagan (piano); Doug Watkins (bass); Max Roach (drums).

Saxophone Colossus

---

Bob Wilber & Dick Hyman - A Perfect Match

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:53
Size: 151,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:21)  1. In A Mellotone
(5:47)  2. Wings N' Things
(6:41)  3. Taffy
(5:47)  4. It's Only A Paper Moon
(4:45)  5. Mona Lisa
(4:41)  6. L.B. Blues
(4:17)  7. Eternally - Terry's Theme From Limelight
(4:32)  8. Limbo Jazz
(5:20)  9. Wisteria
(5:53) 10. He Loves And She Loves
(7:13) 11. It Don't Mean A Thing
(5:29) 12. Cote d'Azur

In the 1960s altoist Johnny Hodges and organist Wild Bill Davis recorded eight albums together, several of which included trombonist Lawrence Brown. This 1997 set sounds very similar to that band and would probably confuse listeners in a blindfold test. Bob Wilber, normally a soprano saxophonist and clarinetist, always did sound a bit like Hodges on alto, but the biggest surprise is Dick Hyman. On piano, Hyman has displayed the ability to do close impressions of nearly every jazz stylist. He sticks to organ throughout this date and sounds exactly like Davis both in tone and ideas. With trombonist Britt Woodman (who played alongside Lawrence Brown for a time in Duke Ellington's band), guitarist James Chirillo, bassist Phil Flanigan, and drummer Joe Ascione, Wilber and Hyman perform songs either written by Hodges or closely associated with the group. Some are numbers that have rarely been performed since the Hodges/Davis band, including "Wings N' Things," "Taffy," and the catchy "L.B. Blues." Even the more familiar tunes (such as "In a Mellotone," "It's Only a Paper Moon," and "It Don't Mean a Thing") are played in the style of the group. Two offbeat selections, Charlie Chaplin's "Eternally" and Wilber's tribute to Hodges ("Cote d'Azur"), also fit into the idiom. Although purposely derivative, the music is so well played (and fairly obscure) that both Hodges and Davis fans will want this unusual tribute. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/a-perfect-match-a-tribute-to-hodges-wild-bill-davis-mw0000039687

Personnel: Bob Wilber (alto saxophone); James Chirillo (guitar); Britt Woodman (trombone); Dick Hyman (organ); Joe Ascione (drums).

A Perfect Match

---