Dinah Washington - The Definitive Dinah Washington

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 68:09

Size: 156.0 MB

Styles: Jazz Vocals

Year: 2002

Art: Front

[2:52] 1. Evil Gal Blues

[2:52] 2. Embraceable You

[2:35] 3. New Blowtop Blues

[2:29] 4. Love Is Here To Stay

[2:55] 5. Big Long Slidin' Thing

[7:56] 6. A Foggy Day

[3:10] 7. I Don't Hurt Anymore

[2:44] 8. Teach Me Tonight

[5:17] 9. Blue Gardenia

[2:18] 10. My Ideal

[3:56] 11. I'll Close My Eyes

[5:28] 12. All Of Me

[2:26] 13. What A Diff'rence A Day Made

[2:42] 14. Baby (You've Got What It Takes)

[2:42] 15. Unforgettable

[2:25] 16. This Bitter Earth

[3:01] 17. Invitation

[3:28] 18. Drinking Again

[3:31] 19. Me And My Gin

[3:12] 20. For All We Know

This 20-track compilation released as a joint venture by Verve and Blue Note, covers a lot of ground - from 1943 to 1962 but then, so did Dinah Washington. She sang down and dirty blues, lush ballads, romantic standards, sophisticated R&B, swinging jazz, and even country, and this disc gives a taste of each style. Her earliest recordings were rooted in the blues and are represented by 1943's low-down and nasty "Evil Girl Blues," 1951's "New Blowtop Blues," and the filthy and funny "Big Long Slidin' Thing" from 1954. By the mid-'50s Washington had segued into a more sophisticated jazz style. Her version of "Teach Me Tonight" from 1954 featuring Hal Mooney's orchestra is seminal, her recording of "White Gardenia" from 1955 nothing short of heartbreaking. She also did an incredible cover of Hank Snow's country hit "I Don't Hurt Anymore" in 1954. A nice inclusion is a live recording of "All of Me" from the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival that finds Washington commandeering Terry Gibbs' vibraphone and banging out a solo. By time the late '50s rolled around, Washington had begun recording R&B and pop under the guidance of Belford Hendricks. In 1959 he teamed her up with Brook Benton and they had an R&B hit with the sassy "Baby, You've Got What It Takes." Washington had a hit on her own with a silky and very smooth version of "What a Difference a Day Makes" in 1960. She jumped to Roulette in the early '60s and recorded pop songs, three of which are included here. Washington was an unforgettable singer and The Definitive Dinah Washington shows just why that is so. Highly recommended. ~Tim Sendra

The Definitive Dinah Washington   

---

Paul Carrack - The Best Of Paul Carrack

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:15
Size: 156.2 MB
Styles: Pop/Rock/Soul vocals
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[6:14] 1. The Living Years
[3:53] 2. How Long
[4:00] 3. Love Will Keep Us Alive (Feat. Timothy Schmit)
[3:59] 4. Eyes Of Blue
[3:13] 5. Over My Shoulder
[3:59] 6. Tempted
[3:28] 7. Satisfy My Soul
[2:43] 8. Groovin'
[2:47] 9. Walk On By
[3:33] 10. What's Going On
[4:09] 11. I Don't Want Your Love
[2:54] 12. Don't Dream It's Over
[3:27] 13. Moon River
[3:53] 14. Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying
[2:31] 15. When My Little Girl Is Smiling
[2:54] 16. I'm Losing You
[3:20] 17. Stepping Stone
[3:39] 18. One In A Million
[3:30] 19. Come Rain Or Shine

Paul Melvyn Carrack (born 22 April 1951) is an English singer, songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist who has recorded as both a solo artist and as a member of several popular bands. The BBC dubbed Carrack "The Man with the Golden Voice", while Record Collector remarked: "If vocal talent equalled financial success, Paul Carrack would be a bigger name than legends such as Phil Collins or Elton John."

Carrack rose to prominence in the mid-1970s as the frontman and principal songwriter of Ace, and gained further recognition for his work as a solo artist and for his tenures as a member of Roxy Music, Squeeze and Roger Waters' backing band, The Bleeding Heart Band, intermittently handling lead vocals on Squeeze and Waters recordings. From the mid-1980s to the late 1990s, he enjoyed considerable success as the co-frontman (with Paul Young) and a songwriter for Mike + The Mechanics; following Young's death in 2000, Carrack served as the band's sole lead vocalist until his departure in 2004. He maintains an active solo career to the present day.

Carrack sang some of his affiliated bands' best-known hits, including Ace's "How Long?"; Squeeze's "Tempted"; and Mike + The Mechanics' "Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground)", "The Living Years" and "Over My Shoulder". He also performed lead vocals on tracks from the Roger Waters albums Radio K.A.O.S. and The Wall – Live in Berlin, and achieved a major solo hit with "Don't Shed a Tear". Carrack's songs have been recorded by artists such as the Eagles, Diana Ross, Tom Jones, Michael McDonald and Jools Holland, and he has served as a session and/or touring musician for the likes of Elton John, Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, B.B. King, The Pretenders and The Smiths.

The Best Of Paul Carrack

---

Various - Capitol Sings Hollywood

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:43
Size: 134.4 MB
Styles: Vocal, Easy Listening
Year: 1995
Art: Front

[2:57] 1. Betty Hutton - Stuff Like That There
[2:56] 2. Bob Manning - That Old Feeling
[2:41] 3. Bobby Darin - There's A Rainbow 'round My Shoulder
[1:53] 4. Dakota Staton - On Green Dolphin Street
[2:17] 5. Dean Martin - Louise
[3:01] 6. Ethel Ennis - My Foolish Heart
[3:04] 7. Johnny Mercer - If I Had A Talking Picture Of You
[3:13] 8. Julie London - It Could Happen To You
[2:39] 9. June Christy - They Can't Take That Away From Me
[3:29] 10. June Hutton - My Baby Just Cares For Me
[3:12] 11. Keely Smith - When Your Lover Has Gone
[2:48] 12. Lena Horne - Singin' In The Rain
[2:46] 13. Mark Murphy - Put The Blame On Mame
[3:11] 14. Mel Tormé - Again
[4:02] 15. Nancy Wilson - But Beautiful
[2:54] 16. Nat King Cole - Smile
[3:07] 17. Peggy Lee - Stormy Weather
[4:17] 18. Sue Raney - I Remember You
[2:06] 19. Trudy Richards - You Brought A New Kind Of Love To Me
[2:00] 20. Vic Damone - Stella By Starlight

Capitol Records has one of the most distinctive buildings in Los Angeles and if a movie shows the city begin destroyed by aliens or tornadoes it usually involves the destruction of the round building that bears the company's name. Capitol was founded by songwriter Johnny Mercer in 1942, the first major label on the West Coast competing with New York City's Columbia, Decca and RCA-Victor. Starting with artists like Paul Whiteman and Martha Tilton, by the end of the decade the label was recording Bing Crosby, Peggy Lee, Les Brown, Nat King Cole, and Frank Sinatra. While the works of Crosby and Sinatra are exempt from the Capitol Sings series, you will always find familiar singers singing familiar songs, as with the title track sung by Lena Horne, as often as you hear unfamiliar songs sung by forgotten singers, such as Ethel Ennis singing "My Foolish Heart."

"Captiol Sings Hollywood" is Volume 20 in the series and one brings together twenty tracks representing a particular venue (e.g., Broadway) instead of a specific songwriter (e.g., Irving Berlin). Just be aware that if a song originated in a Broadway show that was made into a Hollywood musical then it is exempt from being included in this collection. That would explain why you may well be unfamiliar with most of these twenty songs. "Singin' in the Rain" and "Stormy Weather" are recognizable classics, and the same should be said for Charlie Chaplin's "Smile," sung here by Nat King Cole in one of the best tracks on the album. and June Christy's swing version of "They Can't Take That Away From Me." But after that you may recognize singers like Dean Martin, Bobby Darin, and Mel Torme more than "Louise," "There's a Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder," and "Again." Still you will find a few new little gems on this album, what with Sarah Vaughn's "I Remember You" and Nancy Murphy's saucy "Put the Blame on Mame." That last is from the movie "Gilda" (I mention this because I was drawing blanks on the vast majority of these tracks as to what movies they were culled from and this one immediately jumped to my mind, as did the fact that Anita Ellis sang it for Rita Haywroth).

Despite the unfamiliar songs this is still an enjoyable album, even if it is a lesser one by the standard of the Capitol Sings series. But if you like one of these albums you will certainly enjoy the rest of them. Final Note: On this album Peggy Lee sings Harold Arlen's "Stormy Weather," but on the "Over the Rainbow: Capitol Sings Harold Arlen" the song is sung by Keely Smith. So even when a song by a particular composer or lyricist shows up on more than one album, you will find different cover versions on each album. Again, this simply reflects how deep the Capitol vault is when it comes to these songs. ~Lawrence Bernabo

Capitol Sings Hollywood

---

Junior Mance Trio - Ballads 2006

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:26
Size: 138.3 MB
Styles: Bop, Soul-jazz
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[5:42] 1. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You
[7:02] 2. Single Petal Of A Rose
[6:23] 3. Deep Purple
[7:46] 4. Stella By Starlight
[6:06] 5. When I Fall In Love
[6:47] 6. A Child Is Born
[8:22] 7. Stormy Weather
[5:14] 8. Laura
[7:00] 9. Miss Otis Regrets

Junior Mance is well-known for his soulful bluesy style, but he is also expert at playing bop standards. He started playing professionally when he was ten. Mance worked with Gene Ammons in Chicago during 1947-1949, played with Lester Young (1950), and was with the Ammons-Sonny Stitt group until he was drafted. He was the house pianist at Chicago's Bee Hive (1953-1954), worked as Dinah Washington's accompanist (1954-1955), was in the first Cannonball Adderley Quintet (1956-1957), and then spent two years touring with Dizzy Gillespie (1958-1960). After a few months with the Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis/Johnny Griffin group, Mance formed his own trio and has mostly been a leader ever since. He has led sessions for Verve, Jazzland, Riverside, Capitol, Atlantic, Milestone, Polydor, Inner City, JSP, Nilva, Sackville, and Bee Hive, among other labels. ~bio by Scott Yanow

Ballads 

---

Pat Martino - Giants Of Jazz: Pat Martino

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:54
Size: 118.8 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2004
Art: Front

[5:39] 1. Road Song
[4:31] 2. The Visit
[5:02] 3. We'll Be Together Again
[5:51] 4. Alone Together
[6:11] 5. How Insensitive
[4:34] 6. Impressions
[2:50] 7. Nefertiti
[8:20] 8. Footprints
[6:08] 9. Willow
[2:43] 10. Send In The Clowns

Giants of Jazz: Pat Martino is a nice budget collection of the guitarist's landmark work from the '60s and '70s. Included are such standout tracks as the ballad "We'll Be Together Again," John Coltrane's "Impressions," and the expansive "Willow." While collectors will most likely want the full-length albums, this is a solid introduction to Martino's unique oeuvre. ~Matt Collar

Giants Of Jazz: Pat Martino

---

Steve Davis Quintet - Live at Smalls

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:34
Size: 152,5 MB
Art: Front

(14:27)  1. Surrey with a Fringe on Top
(15:53)  2. Spirit Waltz
(21:38)  3. Nature Boy / To Wisdom the Prize
(14:34)  4. Daydream / Outro

Steve Davis has been a member of Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers as well as a member of The Jackie McLean group. In this live date, he is joined by master pianist Larry Willis, who does not disappoint. Also in the band are Michael DiRubbo, Gerald Cannon and Willie Jones III. ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Steve-Davis-Quintet-Smalls-featuring/dp/B003NKU9LY

Personnel:  Steve Davis – Trombone;  Mike DiRubbo – Alto;  Larry Willis – Piano;  Gerald Cannon – Bass;  Willie Jones III - Drums

Live at Smalls

---

Kathy Kosins - Mood Swings

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:04
Size: 115,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:07)  1. I Was There
(5:20)  2. Paradise
(6:02)  3. Foxey Lady
(5:35)  4. Just By Looking in Your Eyes
(3:36)  5. No Ordinary Joe
(5:53)  6. Maybe September
(3:11)  7. Livin' in Style
(3:30)  8. Between Your Heart and Mine
(5:30)  9. Love Me Like a Song
(3:47) 10. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You
(3:28) 11. Melancholy Serenade

Her self-produced album showcases the Detroit native's songwriting: 7 of the 11 songs are hers. They're refreshing songs. "No Ordinary Joe" is based on the chord changes to "Pennies From Heaven." Kathy Kosins has studied the jazz repertoire, and consumed several years in creating this album. Her thin, light vocal quality, however, deters her from convincing. A veteran of pop music and R&B experiences, she's forced into a direction that holds her tightly in its grasp. Even the light, bossa nova mood on her "Love Me Like a Song" turns into an R&B experience. Other aspects of her project turn out uneven. Howard Levy isn't convincing in a smooth jazz role, while Michael King turns over a Jimi Hendrix "Foxey Lady" quite well. Remember the beautiful theme from Jackie Gleason's CBS television shows? "Melancholy Serenade" was a big, broad and beautiful showcase tune. Kosins uses it to close out the session, and the mood is lost. One high point comes through "Between Your Heart and Mine," with its Lambert, Hendricks and Ross sentiment. An upbeat original, the song swings with lyrics and scat in an uplifting scene. Kosins swings merrily, but not with the soulful expression needed for these mood swings. ~ Jim Santella

Personnel: Kathy Kosins- vocal; Rick Roe, Ellen Rowe, Paul Libman- piano; Gary Nester- synths; Paul Keller, Eric Hochberg- bass; Gerald Cleaver, Danny Cox, Pete Siers- drums; Ruben Alvarez, Dennis Sheridan- percussion; Dave Onderdonk, Michael King- guitar; Larry Nozaro, Keith Kaminsky- alto saxophone; Andrew Bishop, Jim Gailloreto, Shawn "Thunder" Wallace- tenor saxophone; David Luther- baritone saxophone; Rob Parton, Jeff Stout, Paul Finkbeiner- trumpet; Tim Coffman, Chris Smith- trombone; Howard Levy- harmonica on "Paradise;" Jim Gwinn- cymbals on "Melancholy Serenade;" Michael Whalen- vibraphone, strings on "Melancholy Serenade;" Rob Ripho- vibraphone on "Maybe September;" Sunny Wilkinson- added vocal on "Just By Looking In Your Eyes."

Mood Swings

---

Richard Elliot - After Dark

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:35
Size: 148,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:37)  1. Street Beat
(3:07)  2. Song For Her
(4:59)  3. As I Sleep
(4:23)  4. After Dark
(5:13)  5. El Anio
(4:05)  6. Tonight
(5:28)  7. On The Run
(4:22)  8. If Tomorrow Never Comes
(4:34)  9. Hold Me Tight
(5:15) 10. Bridge Over Troubled Water
(5:03) 11. The Boys From The Bay
(4:39) 12. Candlelight
(3:55) 13. So Special
(4:49) 14. Slow It Down

Some might dub Richard Elliot the James Brown of contemporary jazz for the way his tenacious tenor exploded around some of the freshest R&B tinged hooks in the genre. After more than a handful of albums, the moniker still applies, though it is slightly maddening that he seems to best maintain his popularity by refusing to stretch beyond the simple energy that originally garnered it. After Dark is trademark Elliot a rich and urgent flow over essentially generic melodies and typical pop-jazz production. A pop cover here ("Bridge Over Troubled Water"), a vocal there. But where's the spark? He certainly teases us, slamming some horns, hip-hop and improv on the best cut, "The Boys From The Bay," and shifting gears towards the breezes of Latin America on "El Anio." A later house mix number ("So Special") perfectly captures the trend towards fusing traditions with boom box excitement. But between these gems is a sea of so-so material that, while certainly easy to listen to, once again fails to capture the fire of Elliot's explosive live shows. Then again, the feeling might be that it's worked well for seven albums, why mess with crowd pleasing success? ~ Jonathan Widran http://www.allmusic.com/album/after-dark-mw0000626518

Personnel: Richard Elliot (tenor saxophone); Richard Smith (guitar); Ron Reinhardt (keyboards); Dave Reinhardt (drums, percussion); Luis Conte (percussion).

After Dark

---

Aki Takase & David Murray - Cherry - Sakura

Styles: Piano And Saxophone Jazz 

Year: 2017

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 50:48

Size: 117,0 MB

Art: Front

(9:20)  1. Cherry - Sakura

(5:44)  2. A Very Long Letter

(5:41)  3. Let's Cool One

(5:55)  4. To A.P. Kern

(6:27)  5. Stressology

(6:18)  6. Nobuko

(4:52)  7. Blues for David

(6:28)  8. A Long March to Freedom

While remaining steeped in the musical traditions of her native Japan, pianist and composer Aki Takase emerged as one of the most versatile figures in contemporary jazz, her work running the gamut from conventional structures and harmonies to complete abstraction. Born in Osaka on January 26, 1948, and raised in Tokyo, she received her first piano lessons at the age of three, going on to study at Tohogakuen Music University. Influenced by the work of Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane, and Charles Mingus, Takase soon turned to improvisation, and in 1971 was regularly performing professionally; by the age of 25, she was already leading her own groups. In 1978, she first traveled to the U.S., and later recorded with Dave Liebman; in 1981, she also journeyed to Europe, where she and her trio played the Berlin Jazz Festival. By 1982, Takase was regularly in the studio, leading such dates as A.B.C. and Perdido. In New York, she recorded with artists including Sheila Jordan, Cecil McBee, and Bob Moses, and also delivered a much-acclaimed performance at the East-West Festival in Nuremburg. From 1988 to 1994, Takase regularly played in a duo with Maria Joao and maintained her busy festival schedule; during the mid-'90s, she also toured with Coltrane alumni Rashied Ali and Reggie Workman, founded a septet comprised of other Japanese musicians, composed for a string quartet, and continued to work as a solo performer (at times playing the koto, a traditional Chinese 17-string zither). ~ Jason Ankeny https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/aki-takase/id27157926#fullText

Personnel:  Piano – Aki Takase;  Tenor Saxophone, Bass Clarinet – David Murray

Cherry - Sakura

---