Blue Mitchell - Out Of The Blue

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:10
Size: 105.7 MB
Styles: Bop, Trumpet jazz
Year: 1959/1991
Art: Front

[9:06] 1. Blues On My Mind
[5:53] 2. It Could Happen To You
[5:01] 3. Boomerang
[6:10] 4. Sweet-Cakes
[5:39] 5. Missing You
[7:01] 6. When The Saints Go Marching In
[7:18] 7. Studio B

Bass – Paul Chambers (3) (tracks: 2, 5 to 7), Sam Jones (tracks: 1, 3, 4); Drums – Art Blakey; Piano – Cedar Walton (tracks: 7), Wynton Kelly (tracks: 1 to 6); Tenor Saxophone – Benny Golson; Trumpet – Blue Mitchell. Recorded at Reeves Sound Studios, New York; January 5, 1959.

This early recording by Blue Mitchell finds the distinctive trumpeter in excellent form in a quintet also featuring tenor saxophonist Benny Golson (who contributed "Blues on My Mind"), either Wynton Kelly or Cedar Walton on piano, Paul Chambers or Sam Jones on bass and drummer Art Blakey. The consistently swinging repertoire includes a surprisingly effective version of "When the Saints Go Marching In." "Studio B," recorded in the same period but formerly available only in a sampler, has been added to the program. It's an enjoyable date of high-quality hard bop. ~Scott Yanow

Out Of The Blue

---

Mark Lewis - New York Session

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:42
Size: 150.4 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2017
Art: Front

[7:35] 1. Koan
[4:59] 2. Child's Play
[5:47] 3. Dl Blues
[6:06] 4. Boberto's Magical World
[6:57] 5. Connie
[7:20] 6. Sierra Leone
[4:05] 7. Up To It
[5:29] 8. Not As Beautiful As You
[5:47] 9. Summer Is Over
[6:18] 10. The Lydian Express
[5:13] 11. Roll 'em Joe

As well-traveled and widely recorded as alto saxophonist Mark Lewis has been over the past four decades, his new CD "The New York Session" is likely to be the album that helps rectify his current under-the-radar reputation. Recorded last year in Brooklyn with a world-class rhythm section—pianist George Cables, bassist Essiet Essiet, and drummer Victor Lewis—the new disc was released by Lewis’s Audio Daddio label on January 27. It’s the work of an artist clearly reveling in the company of fellow masters making the most of his tasty compositions.

“There’s so much to savor and admire here,” writes critic Ted Gioia, a self-professed Mark Lewis fan who contributed the CD booklet notes. “Lewis’s musicality, his inventiveness, his humor, his ability to immerse himself in the soundscape of the performance with total emotional commitment—these all stand out here in track after track.”

Based in Bremerton, a small city west of Seattle on the Puget Sound where he returned to be close to his family, Lewis maintains a busy schedule that includes teaching private students and college clinics. He continues to expand his daunting book of compositions, which number over 1,700. Though he’s recorded more than 20 albums, only a fraction of his compositions have been documented on record, another reason why "The New York Session" is a particularly important release. The discovery of a master improviser is always thrilling, but finding a player/composer at the peak of his powers is a rare occurrence indeed. Though fully aware of his accomplishments, Lewis sees himself as part of a modern jazz continuum. “I try to approach each composition, each performance, with knowledge and technique from studying the masters who came before and also the innocence of a child,” he says. “I hope it keeps the music authentic and genuine.”

New York Session

---

Helen Reddy - Helen Reddy's Greatest Hits (And More)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:55
Size: 112.0 MB
Styles: Adult Contemporary, Soft rock
Year: 1975/1987
Art: Front

[3:24] 1. I Am Woman
[3:15] 2. I Don't Know How To Love Him
[3:24] 3. Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress)
[3:11] 4. Delta Dawn
[3:09] 5. You And Me Against The World
[3:28] 6. Angie Baby
[2:51] 7. Emotion
[3:02] 8. Keep On Singing
[2:52] 9. Peaceful
[3:29] 10. Ain't No Way To Treat A Lady
[3:26] 11. Somewhere In The Night
[2:46] 12. I Can't Hear You No More
[2:42] 13. You're My World
[4:00] 14. The Happy Girls
[3:49] 15. Make Love To Me

Helen Reddy's Greatest Hits is a compilation album by Australian-American pop singer Helen Reddy that was released in the fall of 1975 by Capitol Records. On December 5 of that year the Recording Industry Association of America awarded the album with Gold certification for sales of 500,000 copies in the United States, and both Platinum and Double Platinum certifications were issued on February 5, 1992. The album debuted on Billboard's Top LP's & Tapes chart in the issue dated the day following Gold certification, December 6, 1975, and made it to number five during its 51 weeks there. In Canada's RPM magazine it reached number 9, and on the album chart in the UK (where it was renamed The Best of Helen Reddy) it matched its number five US showing. In 1987 an expanded edition that was given the title Helen Reddy's Greatest Hits (And More) was the first release of the original compilation on compact disc.

Helen Reddy's Greatest Hits (And More)

---

Chris Whiteley - Swing, Blues & Big Band

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:41
Size: 86.3 MB
Styles: Swing, Big Band
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[1:38] 1. Chip Shot
[2:42] 2. Another Slice
[3:02] 3. Locomotive
[2:25] 4. Uptown Swing
[2:34] 5. Jump Swing
[2:30] 6. Private Eye
[3:32] 7. Swing Ballad
[2:35] 8. Porch Blues
[2:23] 9. Blues Harps Shuffle
[2:47] 10. D Blues
[3:27] 11. Late Night
[2:58] 12. Low Down Blues
[2:41] 13. Back 9
[2:20] 14. Kickin'

This 'Live off the Floor' CD written by international and award winning recording artist Chris Whiteley, features some of the best live players around on trumpet, trombone, sax, clarinet, piano, guitar,drums & bass. This CD offers a great range of styles and tempos for just about any Swing, Blues & Big Band style needs.

Swing, Blues & Big Band

---

Mark Weinstein - Jazz Brasil

Styles: Flute Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:27
Size: 131,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:16)  1. I Mean You
(6:20)  2. Triste
(6:04)  3. Nefertiti
(7:00)  4. Brazil
(5:44)  5. Ruby My Dear
(6:06)  6. Sambosco
(7:34)  7. Dawn's Early Light
(4:37)  8. Memphis Underground
(4:33)  9. If You Never Come To Me
(4:08) 10. Isotope

Mark Weinstein has quietly established himself as one of the most wildly inventive flutists in modern memory. He is also one of the finest virtuoso players in the entire spectrum of 20th and 21st century music. His only rivals may well be the late Eric Dolphy, the Canadians, Jane Bunnett and Bill McBirnie, and, of course, the great James Galway. Weinstein is radically different from Dolphy, who imparted a speech-like quality to his flute, inspiring the mighty John Coltrane in the bargain and radically expanding the vocabulary of that instrument. Weinstein, on the other hand prefers to stay within the confines of the almost classical language of the instrument, but like the others mentioned, makes soaring leaps and swoops from the stratosphere and into the oceanic depths of music, bringing a renewed elasticity to the alto and bass flutes, as well as the concert flute (although his astounding album, Tales from the Earth (Ota Records, 2009), with pianist Omar Sosa, might suggest that he now resides closer to Dolphy in the extremely creative improvisations).

Weinstein has also been steady in his output in recent years, with four albums in as many years, but more than quantity, the consistency of his form has been quite impressive. Jazz Brasil, however, must surely rank as one of his finest albums to date. It is radically different from his album with Omar Sosa; more like the earlier Jazzheads album, Lua e Sol (2008), which also paid tribute to the Brazilian milieu. Jazz Brasil is not as thematically connected as the former Brazilian album, featuring a greater sense of urgency and seeking to unite two great traditions, by melding the jazz swing of delight with the shuffle of samba. His reading Ary Barroso's classic, "Brazil," is a case in point. Rather than play this chart like wave upon wave of thundering rhythm (as Maria Beth once did, for instance), Weinstein drops the song into a trance-like Bossa Nova groove, with master bassist Nilson Matta chugging along with a steady shuffle and swing. Likewise, his interpretations of Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Triste" and "If You Ever Came to Me" are magnificently linear re-imaginings of Brazilian standards, crafted, no doubt, with Matta in tow. The bassist had a leading hand in this album. His joyous playing also raises the level of excitement exponentially. Matta is positively buoyant on his own compositions, employing great leaps, covering multiple octaves on the bass with unbridled technical virtuosity. His double stops on "Brazil" are breathtaking. Pianist Kenny Barron must surely be an inspired choice for this musical journey. The ingenuity of this decision is borne out on the set's two Thelonious Monk charts, "I Mean You" and "Ruby My Dear." While Weinstein skips and pirouettes his way through the songs, Barron plays perfect foil, recreating the charts in singular fashion. Drummer Marcello Pelliteri not only completes the quartet, but leaves an indelible mark on this unforgettable album. ~ Raul d'Gama Rose https://www.allaboutjazz.com/jazz-brasil-mark-weinstein-jazzheads-review-by-raul-dgama-rose.php
 

Personnel: Mark Weinstein: concert flute, alto flute, bass flute; Kenny Barron: piano; Nilson Matta: bass; Marcello Pelliteri: drums, percussion.

Jazz Brasil

---

Simone Kopmajer - Didn't You Say

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:05
Size: 143,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:07)  1. Didnt You Say
(3:50)  2. Baubles, Bangles And Beads
(3:49)  3. Ghost In This House
(4:29)  4. Ive Never Been In Love Before
(6:19)  5. Bewitched, Bothered, Bewildered
(4:30)  6. Come Fly With Me
(4:06)  7. S Wonderful
(4:25)  8. Forgetting To Breathe
(4:41)  9. Pathway Out Of The Darkness
(5:12) 10. Everything Must Change
(5:00) 11. Kiss
(3:35) 12. How Sweet It Is
(4:35) 13. Tennessee Waltz
(3:20) 14. Dont Explain

A cool-toned Austrian jazz vocalist, Simone Kopmajer sings in flawless English. She had classical piano lessons starting at the age of eight and at 12 began playing saxophone. She performed in a youth big band and sang regularly in her father's band as a teenager. At 17 she studied with Sheila Jordan, who encouraged her. Kopmajer also studied with Mark Murphy, Jay Clayton, and Michele Hendricks. Since earning a Masters from the University of Music and Dramatic Arts in Graz, Austria, Kopmajer has toured the Netherlands twice with the Euro Big Band, appeared at European jazz festivals, and recorded three CDs: Moonlight Serenade (for the Japanese Venus label), her best-known set Romance (for Zoho), and her privately released Taking a Chance on Love. Each CD emphasizes her own fresh versions of standards. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/artist/simone-kopmajer-mn0001897290/biography

Personnel:  Bass [Upright, Electric] – Richie Goods;  Drums – Tim Horner;  Guitar – James Chirillo (tracks: 1, 3, 6, 8, 9, 11);  Piano, Producer – John Di Martino;  Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Tim Ouimette (tracks: 4, 5, 7);  Vocals, Producer – Simone Kopmaje

Didn't You Say

---

Steve Khan - Backlog

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:21
Size: 162,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:46)  1. Criss Cross (Entrecruzado)
(5:40)  2. Concepticus in C
(8:07)  3. Latin Genetics (Genética Latina)
(7:12)  4. Our Town (Nuestro Pueblo)
(5:57)  5. Head Start (Ventaja)
(6:42)  6. Rojo
(8:27)  7. Invisible
(6:03)  8. Emily
,(7:56)  9. Go Home (Vete a Casa)
(8:28) 10. Catta

In what could best be described as an enduring exploration, Steve Khan has undertaken the role of expanding and redefining the role of the guitar in the hybrid genre of Latin Jazz. Backlog continues with the concept established as far back as 2005 on The Green Field (Tone Center), in the transformation of straight-ahead jazz compositions into unique Khan improvisations drawing deeply from the Afro-Cuban tradition. The percussion duo of Marc Quiñones and Bobby Allende have been an essential part of his sound since 2007, and bassist Ruben Rodriguez complements the ensemble with a solid tumbao foundation. Drummer Mark Walker rounds out the rhythm section, a dynamic propulsion machine which allows Khan to perform his magic. The defining clave opens Thelonious Monk's "Criss Cross," Rodriguez's baby bass establishing the band's melodic direction, Khan weaving his phrases around the percussive layers. "Concepticus In C," by Greg Osby, is reworked in a classic cha-cha-cha mode and demonstrates Khan's affinity for Caribbean dance music. As is customary in Khan's recordings, Ornette Coleman is a major influence and contributor, and his "Latin Genetics" is given a Puerto Rican plena treatment, featuring Randy Brecker on trumpet, playing with a genuine street carnival approach.

It's no secret that the prolific composer Sammy Cahn was Khan's father, and "Our Town," is a personal tribute, complete with lush orchestration courtesy of Rob Mounsey, who does a commendable job on the keyboards. Vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson was another musician who delved into the Afro-Cuban rhythms, and Khan covers him on two tunes, "Head Start," with Mike Mainieri on vibes, and "Rojo," where Khan switches to a steel-string acoustic for a more relaxed montuno voicing. Coleman is revisited again on "Invisible," bringing Bob Mintzer in on tenor sax to lay out an esoteric blues, against the exotic backdrop. Khan melodically depicts a floating sensation in "Emily," with the understated rhythm serving as a buoyant cloud for his musings. The ancestral Oriza rhythms are utilized on "Go Home," plucked from Stevie Wonder's 1985 release In Square Circle. The song is driven by Quiñones' deft work with the intricate double bell pattern, and Khan goes into soul/funk territory with high energy and volume. The Brazilian tinge, courtesy of vocalist Tatiana Parra, appears on the remake of "Catta," by Andrew Hill. This song closes the set with the unmistakable sense of romance which is so dominant in Latin music, though sometimes forgotten by the dominant rhythmic undulation. With Backlog, Khan rounds out the mesmerizing trilogy encompassing Parting Shot (2011) and Subtext (2014), which were recorded under the pressure of a mysterious medical affliction. Khan's music continues to evolve and his quest to take the guitar into an uncharted trajectory has bestowed him with a singular style. No one plays or sounds like Steve Khan, his clever interpretations of jazz compositions shaken up with Afro-Caribbean rhythms are always on the cusp. He is an inquisitive jazz musician, mastering the evasive art of reinvention and improvisation on his own terms, in his own time. ~ James Nadal https://www.allaboutjazz.com/backlog-steve-khan-esc-records-review-by-james-nadal.php
 

Personnel: Steve Khan: guitar; Rubén Rodriguez: baby bass, electric bass; Mark Walker: drums; Marx Quiñones: timbales, bongo, percussion; Bobby Allende: conga, bongo; Randy Brecker: trumpet (3); Bob Mintzer: tenor sax (7); Mike Mainieri: vibes (5); Rob Mounsey: keyboards (2, 6, 7, 9) orchestrations; Tatiana Parra: voice (10).

Backlog

---

Manhattan Jazz Quintet - Manhattan Jazz Quintet

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 1984
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:07
Size: 92,2 MB
Art: Front

(8:59)  1. Summertime
(3:11)  2. Rosario
(8:26)  3. Milestones
(9:22)  4. My Favorite Things
(5:43)  5. Airegin
(4:25)  6. Summer Waltz

The Manhattan Jazz Quintet are an unusual group in that they very rarely perform as a unit in the United States (much less Manhattan) but have been a major hit in Japan, both for their recordings and occasional tours. Originally comprised of leader/pianist David Matthews, trumpeter Lew Soloff, tenor saxophonist George Young, bassist Eddie Gomez, and drummer Steve Gadd, the band (which emphasizes straight-ahead hard bop swinging) first came together in 1983 at the suggestion of the King label and the top Japanese jazz magazine Swing Journal. To everyone's surprise, its first recording (simply called Manhattan Jazz Quintet) became such a big seller that it was awarded Swing Journal's annual 1984 Gold Disk Award as the number one album in Japan. Several years later the group broke up when Gomez and Gadd needed more time to pursue their individual projects and all of the quintet members later became quite successful in their own careers but this edition of the MJQ recorded reunions in 1990 (which found John Scofield guesting on a few selections) and in 1993. Victor Lewis replaced Gadd that year, and subsequently Young was replaced by Andy Snitzer and Gomez by Charnett Moffett. The Manhattan Jazz Quintet recorded primarily for King in Japan (those dates were mostly made available in the U.S. by Projazz) during the 1980s, although they cut some later recordings among the comparative very few that actually took place in Manhattan!  for the Sweet Basil label. During the new millennium the Manhattan Jazz Quintet have recorded regularly for Video Arts. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/artist/manhattan-jazz-quintet-mn0000674690/biography

Personnel:  Lew Soloff (trumpet) George Young (tenor sax) David Matthews (piano) Charnett Moffett (bass) Steve Gadd (drums)

Manhattan Jazz Quintet

---