James Farrelli - Acoustic Eighties

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:07
Size: 85.0 MB
Styles: Easy Listening
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[3:12] 1. Tarzan Boy
[3:44] 2. Eye In The Sky
[3:20] 3. Power Of Love
[4:10] 4. Africa
[4:02] 5. Take My Breath Away
[3:13] 6. Drive
[4:19] 7. Rebel Yell
[4:06] 8. Glory Of Love
[3:28] 9. It's A Sin
[3:30] 10. Stay The Night

James Farrelli, the artist owner of a gorgeous voice, who became famous taking part of the giant success Vintage Café present his solist album, developing in acoustic versions the greatest hits of 80s compositors such as Billy Idol, Zedd, Baltimora, The Alan Parsons Project, Huey Lewis and The News, Toto, Berlin, The Cars, Peter Cetera and Pet Shop Boys.

Acoustic Eighties

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Billy Taylor - One For Fun

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:48
Size: 84.2 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 1959/2002
Art: Front

[3:45] 1. Summertime
[3:31] 2. One For Fun
[1:52] 3. That's For Sure
[4:23] 4. A Little Southside Soul
[5:06] 5. Blue Moon
[4:25] 6. Makin' Whoopee
[5:30] 7. Poiniana
[3:31] 8. At Long Last Love
[4:41] 9. When Lights Are Low

Bass – Earl May; Drums – Kenny Dennis; Piano – Billy Taylor; Recorded in NYC, June 24, 1959.

Billy Taylor's touch at the piano is supple, stylish, and elegant. It was cultivated in the New York City bop scene of the 1940s, where Taylor played in combos led by Gerry Mulligan, Lee Konitz, Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Pettiford, and others. Taylor's bebop heart and mind are happily at work throughout this 75-minute CD of upbeat, swinging music that brings together two LPs made up of three distinct sessions. Throughout, Taylor's sophisticated ease of execution, his rich musical imagination, and the strong support of his sidemen make this a classy and satisfying compilation. Seven of the tracks for The Billy Taylor Touch were recorded with Taylor's first regular trio in 1951. On these, Taylor, bassist Earl May, and drummer Ed Thigpen are joined by the fine guitarist John Collins, a rhythm specialist who gives the music much of its personality. Collins would make a similar contribution later in the '50s with the Nat "King" Cole trio. There are also four tracks from a 1958 session, again with Taylor joined by May and Thigpen. On One for Fun from 1960, May is back on bass, this time with Kenny Denis on drums. The set has a more contemporary feel than the earlier tracks and features three Taylor originals, including the cool, yet cooking, "A Little Southside Soul." Among the standout tracks, the Rogers and Hart classic "Blue Moon" is transformed by Taylor and company into a vehicle for some of the CD's best solo and group work. ~Jim Todd

One For Fun

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Jan Findlay - Old Devil Moon

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:30
Size: 113.4 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[3:15] 1. Old Devil Moon
[3:15] 2. Lover Man
[2:34] 3. Love Is Here To Stay
[5:47] 4. Black Coffee
[4:11] 5. My Funny Valentine
[3:01] 6. Whisper Not
[4:17] 7. Born To Be Blue
[4:00] 8. Autumn Leaves
[3:58] 9. More Than You Know
[3:16] 10. Night Life
[4:09] 11. Prelude To A Kiss
[2:23] 12. Let's Fall In Love
[5:18] 13. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life

Accompanied by the incomparable Jay D'Amico on the piano, Jan Findlay emerges as a superior and versatile talent in the world of jazz vocalists. Recorded at the famed Sony Music Studios in Manhattan, Jan is backed up by bassist Greg D'Amico and drummer Vinnie Favata. Sitting in on selected songs are the acclaimed Frank Vicari on sax and Danny Hayes on trumpet.

Old Devil Moon

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Woody Mann, Charley Krachy - Conversations

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:02
Size: 103.1 MB
Styles: Blues-jazz
Year: 2017
Art: Front

[3:09] 1. It's You Or No One
[3:44] 2. Night Shadows
[3:05] 3. Pound Cake
[6:38] 4. Subconscious-Lee
[4:01] 5. Kary's Trance
[5:47] 6. She's Funny
[4:23] 7. Blues Bounce
[4:38] 8. 317 E. 32nd St
[5:03] 9. You'd Be So Nice To Come To
[4:30] 10. A Night In Tbilisi

Charley: I can't remember where or when I met Woody. Seems like I've always known him. Sometime around the late 90’s Woody had a gig at the Cupping Room, way downtown. He asked me to play one night; it was an ideal kind of gig. We just sat in a corner midway between the bar and the dining room and let the duo happen. Playing with Woody is an adventure! We never know where the music is going to go until the moment it happens. The same tune can be a fiery expression of high energy or a tender expression of deep feeling, but always in the moment and each instrument supporting and challenging the other. I’m honored to be playing with Woody, a truly “World Class” Musician. I dedicate this music to Connie Crothers, my friend, my teacher.

Woody: It's really a thrill to be in a musical conversation with Charley. It's a rare privilege to be play with such a great artist who just let's to music go where it does. Trust guides the conversation and we discover what we have to say in the moment. Wow. Maybe our jazz mentors Lennie Tristano and Connie Crothers gave us a shared sensibility and some common musical roots to jump off from. Lennie used to say "Jazz is not a style, it's a feeling". And in the end it's about communication - with each other - and hopefully with you.

Conversations

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Lee Morgan - The Best Of Lee Morgan

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:46
Size: 166.6 MB
Styles: Bop, Trumpet jazz
Year: 1988
Art: Front

[ 6:25] 1. Ceora
[10:24] 2. The Sidewinder
[ 5:32] 3. Speedball
[ 9:26] 4. A Night In Tunisia
[ 5:36] 5. Since I Fell For You
[10:28] 6. The Rumproller
[ 7:06] 7. I Remember Clifford
[ 8:46] 8. Mr. Kenyatta
[ 8:59] 9. Cornbread

Alto Saxophone – Gigi Gryce (tracks: 7), Jackie McLean (tracks: 9); Baritone Saxophone – Pepper Adams (tracks: 4); Bass – Bob Cranshaw (tracks: 2, 3), Butch Warren (tracks: 8), Doug Watkins (tracks: 5), Larry Ridley (tracks: 1, 9), Paul Chambers (3) (tracks: 4, 7), Victor Sproles (tracks: 6); Drums – "Philly" Joe Jones (tracks: 4), Art Taylor (tracks: 5), Billy Higgins (tracks: 1 to 3, 6, 8, 9), Charlie Persip (tracks: 7); Guitar – Grant Green (tracks: 8); Piano – Barry Harris (2) (tracks: 2), Bobby Timmons (tracks: 4), Harold Mabern Jr. (tracks: 3), Herbie Hancock (tracks: 1, 8, 9), Ronnie Mathews (tracks: 6), Sonny Clark (tracks: 5), Wynton Kelly (tracks: 7); Tenor Saxophone – Benny Golson (tracks: 7), Hank Mobley (tracks: 1, 9), Joe Henderson (tracks: 2, 6), Wayne Shorter (tracks: 3, 8); Trumpet – Lee Morgan.

Curious listeners who encounter Lee Morgan for the first time through this single-disc anthology will come away mightily impressed, even inspired, but they will be hearing only the first part of the story. The album picks up on his teenage whiz kid days circa 1957, then jumps ahead to his renaissance in 1963-1965 as the high priest of hard bop boogaloo. Besides showcasing Morgan's brash, crackling, infinitely expressive trumpet playing, the album does a good job of emphasizing his abundant, still-underrated gifts as a composer -- with "The Sidewinder," of course, but also the strikingly lovely bossa nova "Ceora" and the near standard "Speedball." With its three bonus tracks, "I Remember Clifford," "Cornbread," and especially "Mr. Kenyatta," the CD version adds compelling corroborating evidence of Morgan's originality. The major hang-up, alas, is that the album cuts off the time line at 1965, thus leaving out Morgan's gradual move away from boilerplate hard bop toward modal, progressive explorations that reached an exciting peak on 1970's Live at the Lighthouse. The selections included here will no doubt satisfy those who would want to keep this tremendous talent locked into a single airtight box -- and frankly, it would be difficult to dispute any of the choices on their own terms. But the rest of Morgan's tragically aborted evolution deserves representation on a set like this. ~Richard S. Ginnell

The Best Of Lee Morgan

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Carmen Lundy - Something to Believe In

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:58
Size: 108,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:16)  1. In Love Again
(5:52)  2. Something to Believe In
(5:23)  3. Windmills of Your Mind
(2:53)  4. Happiness Is
(4:07)  5. Wild Child
(7:31)  6. I Loves You Porgy
(5:35)  7. Vu Ja De
(2:32)  8. A Gift of Love
(5:17)  9. It Might as Well Be Spring
(3:28) 10. Moody's Mood for Love

Something to Believe In could and should be the breakout album for veteran opera-trained vocalist Carmen Lundy. This is not to imply that Ms. Lundy doesn’t already possess a large group of devoted admirers, but this disc will go a long way to solidify her position as one of the finest jazz singers performing today; whether singing her own compositions, or bringing new interpretation and meaning to a standard tune, Lundy is hard not to believe in. Coincidentally all the songs here are about love. The title track, written by Lundy and Rich Meitin, is a sensual duet between her and Anthony Wonsey on piano. It’s a relaxed, slow-paced song whose melody sticks to you for a long time after the song ends. Wonsey knows when to take center stage and when to accentuate Lundy’s impeccable phrasing. On Lundy’s interpretation of the Michael Legrand classic "Windmills of Your Mind," a personal favorite, the vocalist is joined by Wonsey, drummer Victor Lewis, bassist Curtis Lundy, percussionist Mayra Casales, and violinist Regina Carter but unfortunately on just two others. Contributing gypsy-like floating phrases that sound like an elusive wind rushing round and round and round, Carter kicks a fast-paced rendition of "Windmills of Your Mind" up several levels.  Saxophonist Mark Shim blows tenor and soprano on four songs: the classic Gershwin tune "I Loves You Porgy"; an up-tempo Lundy original, "Vu Ja De"; "Wild Child"; and the opener, "In Love Again," another Ms. Lundy composition. Something to Believe In is immediately likeable, a quality that only expands through repeated listenings. ~ Rich Friedman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/something-to-believe-in-carmen-lundy-review-by-rich-friedman.php
 

Personnel: Carmen Lundy: Vocals, Percussion; Curtis Lundy: Bass Myra Casales: Percussion, Background Vocals; Anthony Wonsey: Piano, Fender Rhodes; Regina Carter: Violin; Victor Lewis: Drums; Mark Shim: Soprano and Tenor Saxophones.

Something to Believe In

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Kenny Drew - The Falling Leaves

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:47
Size: 153,3 MB
Art: Front

(11:18)  1. The Falling Leaves
( 8:47)  2. Stella By Starlight
(13:20)  3. All Blues
(12:17)  4. Django
(11:38)  5. In Your Own Sweet Way
( 9:23)  6. Blues

Kenny Drew's trio was clearly cooking on all burners during this concert in Zagreb. With bassist George Mraz and drummer Lewis Nash, the fine post-bop pianist stretches out in his exploration of five standards, including the misidentified title track, which is actually "Autumn Leaves." His workout of "All Blues" may be on of the longest in history by a trio, but there's never a dull moment. He kicks into high gear adding contrasting lines to Dave Brubeck's "In Your Own Sweet Way." Highly recommended. ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/falling-leaves-mw0000914763

Personnel:  Kenny Drew – piano;  Lewis Nash – drums;  George Mraz - bass

The Falling Leaves

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Steve Bailey - So Low...Solo

Styles: Jazz Contemporary
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:17
Size: 120,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:53)  1. Waltz For Leeann
(3:19)  2. Rhum Bar
(4:24)  3. Last Train Home
(3:57)  4. Scrapple From The Apple
(3:37)  5. Calm Before The Storm
(3:51)  6. Sea Major
(4:43)  7. Blink
(4:03)  8. Sir Paul
(5:38)  9. Bombz Over Baghdad
(3:34) 10. Ella's Boogie
(4:14) 11. Majestic March
(4:58) 12. Mom's Melody

According to Bass Player Magazine, "Steve Bailey is to the 6 string fretless bass what Christopher Columbus was to America". You may have heard Steve with Dizzy Gillespie... or the Rippingtons.... or Larry Carlton.....or Kitaro... or Willie Nelson... or Jethro Tull...or.......... well, the list goes on.  Through the 80's and 90's Steve could be heard on a variety of recordings, from movie soundtracks to TV commercials. He toured and recorded with a variety of Artists, playing Jazz, Rock, Country, New Age,... whatever!  All of these divergent elements can be heard in his unique solo style. Teaming up with Victor Wooten (probably the most influential bassist of the decade) in 1993, they formed Bass Extremes, a cutting edge Bass-Duo that has released critically acclaimed cd's and dvd's for the last 14 years. So Low.... Solo, will offer the listener a new perspective on bass playing. Completely without "stacked tracks" or overdubs, Steve teams with legendary hand drummer Robert Thomas Jr. (of Weather Report fame) and creates a duo that can sound like an orchestra. Steve's innovative artificial harmonic techniques, chordal voicings, and multi-timbre polyphonic pyrotechnics combine to make a very listenable, soothing, musical experience. 

Victor Wooten says it best on the cd cover...  "So Low...........Solo, the new CD from Steve Bailey, is finally here. The sound he produces from his six string fretless bass is so beautiful and unique that I have been asking him (pressuring him to be exact) to record this music for years. Your ear will tell you that there is no way he could have produced all of this music with one bass and no overdubs (I know that he did,) but the smile of your soul will tell you that it doesn't matter." https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/baileysteve

Personnel:  Steve Bailey- bass;  Robert Thomas Jr., Arlin Strader – drums.

So Low...Solo

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Alain Caron - Conversations

Styles: Jazz Funk, Soul 
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:05
Size: 172,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:35)  1. No Pick
(6:15)  2. Ivoire
(7:05)  3. Questions
(4:26)  4. Blue Screen
(6:02)  5. Val C
(7:01)  6. X Tensions
(8:55)  7. Solitude
(7:30)  8. Strings of Spring
(3:47)  9. Confirmation
(6:56) 10. Scrapper
(4:24) 11. Baby Step
(7:02) 12. Setembro (Brazilian Wedding Song)

Canadian bassist Alain Caron is best-known as the former member of collaborative 1980s fusion group UZEB and his own projects as a leader since that time, including the house beats-meets-ambient electronica-meets-contemporary fusion of 5 (BHM, 2005) and the concert DVD Alain Caron Live: Cabaret de Montréal (Norac, 2006). Still, digging into his past it becomes clear that Caron's reach has always been broader. As capable with acoustic bass as he is the fretless electric variety, Caron spent considerable time in his early years working in mainstream contexts, making Conversations a completely logical addition to his discography.  The intimacy and conversational nature of the acoustic duet is the foundation for Caron's disc, which teams him with other Canadian artists with whom he's intersected over the years including pianists Lorraine Desmarais, François Bourassa and Oliver Jones, as well as vibraphonist and one-time UZEB member Jean St-Jacques. Caron also welcomes Venezuelan-born pianist Otmaro Ruiz, with whom he collaborated on another fusioner's all-acoustic tangent, guitarist Frank Gambale's Natural High (Wombat, 2006). The dozen tracks all but two composed by Caron range from the elegant swing of Charlie Parker's "Confirmation, with St-Jacques proving he's as widely versed and bebop-capable as Caron, to "Scrapper, a more fiery original from Caron that, paired with Canadian icon Oliver Jones, is the perfect follow-up to Parker's often-covered classic. 

Elsewhere, Caron's predilection for the lyrical is heard on the melancholic "Ivoire, where his acoustic bass guitar fronts the theme before handing it off to Ruiz. There's no lack of virtuosity from everyone involved but here, as on the Latin-esque "Questions, featuring Bourassa, it's about the music and the essence of melody. Still, there's complexity to be found on songs like the 5/4 theme of "Blue Screen, another feature for Bourassa that's ultimately an up-tempo blues, and the idiosyncratic intro to "X Tensions that ultimately turns into a gentler dialogue between Caron and Desmarais. Despite the undeniably strong playing throughout, just as important here are Caron's writing, which manages to feel both familiar and fresh at the same time, and the deep level of interaction and simpatico he shares with every one of his guests. There are no highlights to be found because to identify any would be to diminish everything else. Conversations is a consistently captivating listen from start to finish, and an album that deserves to place all the artists involved on the radar of listeners outside of Canada, but especially Caron who, while enjoying some international acclaim (especially in Europe), clearly deserves to be a better-known name south of the border—and not just to fans of high energy fusion. ~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/conversations-alain-caron-norac-records-review-by-john-kelman.php

Personnel: Alain Caron: bass;  Lorraine Desmarais, François Bourassa, Oliver Jones, Otmaro Ruiz: piano;  Jean St-Jacques: Vibraphone

Conversations

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