Nicole Heitger - Blue Spring

Size: 171,8 MB
Time: 73:58
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz/Blues Vocals
Art: Front

01. You Say You Care (2:54)
02. Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most (6:15)
03. My Foolish Heart (4:56)
04. Down Hearted Blues (5:19)
05. The Man I Love (4:36)
06. Precious Lord (3:30)
07. On A Slow Boat To China (3:36)
08. A Cottage For Sale (4:57)
09. Manhá De Carnaval (4:13)
10. Oh Daddy (4:50)
11. Bewitched, Bothered, And Bewildered (7:37)
12. Twisted (4:26)
13. Empty Bed Blues (3:40)
14. Mood Indigo (5:34)
15. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To (3:55)
16. Miss Otis Regrets (3:33)

Nicole Heitger is excited to announce the release of her first solo album “Blue Spring”. Nicole's powerful yet sensitive voice shines on this 16-track album that includes 13 jazz standards and 3 New Orleans Dixieland style traditional songs. The jazz standards are backed by the dynamic rhythm section of Northwest Ohio native Eric Dickey (piano), Ann Arbor bassist Paul Keller, and Ann Arbor drummer Pete Siers. The two New Orleans Dixieland songs are backed by long time Toledo favorites The Cakewalkin' Jass Band.

Ms. Heitger has been a vocalist for over twenty years. She was raised on traditional jazz amid the influence of her father, Raymond, who has been the leader of the Cakewalkin' Jass Band for over 40 years. She began singing with the Cakewalkin' Jass Band when she was sixteen years old, performing at various concerts, jazz festivals, and jazz clubs. Nicole also has performed with the Toledo contemporary swing band Satin and Brass, the Easy Street Jazz Band from Ann Arbor and New Orleans Party Asylum (NOPA). Nicole also had the distinct privilege of honing her jazz standard vocal style with the Murphy's in downtown Toledo.

Blue Spring

---

Bill Evans & Scottish National Jazz Orchestra - Beauty & The Beast

Size: 121,6 MB
Time: 52:16
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2016
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Part 1 (6:15)
02. Part 2 (9:24)
03. Part 3 (9:34)
04. Part 4 (8:12)
05. Part 5 (3:39)
06. Part 6 (5:28)
07. Part 7 (9:41)

The Scottish National Jazz Orchestra, SNJO, under the leadership of saxophonist Tommy Smith, has proven itself to be one of the premier large ensemble outfits out there. They have released a series of uniformly excellent recording, beginning with 2002's Miles Ahead, featuring Ingrid Jensen, a remake of the Miles Davis/Gil Evans gem; an expansive take on Gershwin's Rhapsody In Blue; a big tip of the hat to Duke Ellington with In the Spirit Of Duke, all of these on Spartacus Records; and a celebration of Norwegian bassist Arild Andersen's artistry on Celebration (ECM Records, 2011).

The year 2017 brings from SNJO Beauty And The Beast, a high-energy suite that Tommy Smith wrote for saxophonist Dave Liebman, a man whose musical approach veers into the beastial side of sound, and also embraces an idiosyncratic, off-kilter beauty.

But it's not Liebman here; it's saxophonist Bill Evans, the early 1980s Miles Davis sideman who played on We Want Miles (1981); The Man With The Horn (1982); Star People (1983); and Decoy (1984), all on Columbia Records.

Listening to Evans on his Davis contributions won't prepare you for this experience. Immersed in an the oceanic, impassioned majesty of the SNJO at its most fearsome, the saxophonist rips and roars on tenor, screams and wails on soprano, and also settles into moments of (almost) tender reverie. The ensemble creates a dense sound. Credit the inclusion of Andy McCreel's tuba, and electric bassist Kevin Glasgow's beefy grooves, drummer Alyn Cosker's muscular percussion. On the beauty/beast scale, the beast here is the more dominant. "Part 7" of this seven part suite, with Evans on soprano, leans to the "beauty side," but it's a assertive beauty, featuring an arrangement of comparatively restrained grandeur.

Beauty and the Beast was recorded live, with all the strengths that mode offers—the vim and vigor, the freshness and vitality—and none of the potential weakness. And Bill Evans is on top of his game, inspired, no doubt, by this top notch orchestra blowing in its "take no prisoners" fashion. ~by Dan McClenaghan

Personnel: Bill Evans: tenor and soprano saxophone; Martin Kershaw: alto sax; Paul Towndrow: alto sax; Tommy Smith: tenor sax; Konrad Wiszniewski: tenor sax; Bill Fleming: baritone sax; Ryan Quigley: trumpet; Ewan Mains: trumpet; Lorne Cowieson: trumpet; Tom MacNiven: trumpet; Chris Greive: trombone; Kevin Garrity: trombone; Michael Owers: trombone; Lorna McDonald: trombone; Andy McCreel: tuba; Steve Hamilton: piano; Kevin Glasgow: electric bass; Alyn Cosker: drums.

Beauty & The Beast

---

Nicolas King - On Another Note (Feat. Mike Renzi)

Size: 103,5 MB
Time: 44:29
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Skylark (3:50)
02. Will She Like Me (2:00)
03. Change Partners - Let's Face The Music And Dance (4:29)
04. The Way She Makes Me Feel (3:57)
05. It Amazes Me (3:34)
06. Love Is Here To Stay (3:53)
07. I Got Lost In Her Arms (3:37)
08. On Second Thought - Here's That Rainy Day (4:47)
09. Where Can I Go Without You (3:42)
10. You Must Believe In Spring (5:33)
11. A Time For Love (5:03)

"My friend, and an enormous talent as an actor... Look out, showbiz. Here comes Nicolas King!" - Liza Minnelli

Nicolas King has been performing professionally since he was 4 years old — in Broadway productions of' Beauty & The Beast', 'A Thousand Clowns' with Tom Selleck, and Carol Burnett's 'Hollywood Arms' directed by Hal Prince — before the age of 12. He has also appeared in many national TV commercials and talk shows such as "The View,” "The Today Show,” and twice on "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno. He also traveled the world with his mentor Liza Minnelli as her opening act from 2002-2012. He has performed alongside artists as Liza Minnelli, Jennifer Holliday, Debby Boone, Tony Danza, Jack Jones, to name a few. He is the winner of the 2012 Bistro Award, 2015 AMG Heritage Award, 2010 Julie Wilson Award and 1996 Talent America Award. This is King's third album.

Mike Renzi has won 7 Emmy Awards for his musical work on programs as 'Sesame Street', 'All My Children', and 'Guiding Light'. He has served as musical director for Frank Sinatra, Mel Torme, Tony Bennett, Lena Horne and Peggy Lee. He has worked with many icons in the industry as Lady Gaga, Sammy Davis Jr., Sylvia Syms, Liza Minnelli, Diana Krall, Bette Midler, Blossom Dearie, Maureen McGovern, among many others.

On Another Note

---

Neal & Leandra - Old Love

Size: 100,3 MB
Time: 33:59
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1992
Styles: Folk
Art: Front

01. A Gambler's Life (3:40)
02. Standing In The Quicksand (2:46)
03. It'll Still Be You (3:22)
04. Self-Made Man (2:21)
05. Old Love (4:21)
06. Another Dead End Romance (2:21)
07. Hopelessly Square (3:29)
08. The Way We've Killed Our Love (4:26)
09. This Garden Will Grow (3:27)
10. Sweet Memories (3:42)

Folk duo Neal & Leandra -- singer/songwriters Neal Hagberg and Leandra Peak -- formed after the two met while attending Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota in 1981. Hagberg, from Montevideo, MN, was a premed biology major (he later switched disciplines and got a masters degree in theology); Peak was pursuing a masters degree in Spanish, but having grown up in a musical family in Louisville, KY, with a father who was a professional singer, she was appearing in a campus production of the musical Godspell when Hagberg went backstage to meet her and invited her to perform with him. Both had been inspired to sing folk music through a connection to Bill Staines, Hagberg by hearing a Staines recording, Peak by hearing Kate Wolf over the PA while attending a Staines concert.

Hagberg and Peak turned professional after finishing their studies, founding their own label, Uncle Gus Music, in 1987 and self-releasing their debut album, Rocky Road, in 1988. The following year, they married. Two more self-released efforts, Summer Evening (1990) and Old Love (1992), appeared before they signed to the Minnesota-based independent folk label Red House Records for their fourth album, Hearts & Hammers, issued in January 1994. This began to spread their renown beyond their Upper Midwest base. Red House reissued Old Love in 1995, and in March 1996 came the duo's fifth album, Accidental Dreams. Stranger to My Kin, issued in October 1998, marked the end of their association with Red House. Returning to their own label, they released the holiday collection Listen to the Angels (1999); Bridge Rail (2002), a concept album about a long-term committed relationship; and A Dreamer's Holiday: A Tribute to Perry Como (2003).

Old Love

---

Duke Ellington - An Intimate Piano Session

Size: 168,9 MB

Time: 72:17

File: MP3 @ 320K/s

Released: 2017

Styles: Jazz

Art: Front

01. The Anticipation (3:11)

02. Le Sucrier Velours, Pt. 1 (4:52)

03. Lotus Blossom, Pt. 1 (3:43)

04. A Blue Mural From Two Perspectives, Pt. 1 (1:10)

05. I'm Afraid (Of Loving You Too Much) (3:01)

06. I Didn't Know About You (3:57)

07. Loco Madi (0:49)

08. Lotus Blossom, Pt. 2 (2:08)

09. New World A-Comin' (9:20)

10. Le Sucrier Velours, Pt. 2 (2:39)

11. Melancholia (4:30)

12. Single Petal Of A Rose (2:44)

13. The Blues Ain't (4:42)

14. Come Sunday (4:52)

15. My Mother, My Father And Love (4:45)

16. A Blue Mural From Two Perspectives, Pt. 2 (1:52)

17. Black Swan (1:35)

18. The Lake (4:07)

19. Satin Doll (2:27)

20. Just Squeeze Me (5:46)

Previously unreleased music from the fingertips of Duke Ellington: An intimate 1972 session with the Duke on solo piano plus three bonus tracks from 1969.

The scene is 311 West 57 Street, New York, Mediasounds Studio A, Friday August 25th,1972. Duke Ellington was having an engagement with a smaller group at The Rainbow Grill, as he had had several times before, finishing the gig on the following night. But on the 25th, he chose also to go to the recording studio, just himself at the piano together with his two band singers Anita Moore and Tony Watkins, to record some pieces which were not played so often.

The recordings remained in his ”stockpile” until now, this being the first commercial issue of these beautiful pieces. The late Sjef Hoefsmit wrote about the session when he heard it back in 1994: ”It is difficult to understand why these magnificent recordings never have been issued”. Well, here they are at last – for all to enjoy!

Among the gems you'll find tracks such as two takes of the Billy Strayhorn composition “Lotus Blossom”, the Duke’s own “Le Sucrier Velours” and his emotional “My Mother, My Father and Love”. The latter was often performed with the Duke himself as a vocalist, reciting his own lyrics. No doubt the words meant a great deal to him, both personally and as part of his positive stories about the black communities in the USA.

The new CD contains three additional bonus tracks. On November 7th, 1969, Duke Ellington and his orchestra played two concerts in Rotterdam, in the famous De Doelen concert hall. The second concert of the evening was prolonged, as the public wouldn’t let Ellington go. So while the rest of the bandmembers left the stage, a quartet with Duke, Wild Bill Davis, bassist Victor Gaskin and drummer Rufus Jones stayed, and played four more numbers, much to the delight of the sold-out house.

An Intimate Piano Session   

---

Jenna Mammina & Rolf Sturm - Begin To Dance

Size: 155,8 MB
Time: 66:35
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz/Folk/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. Hooked On A Feeling - Black Hole Sun (7:07)
02. It's Only Love (3:02)
03. Begin To Dance (5:25)
04. Dancing On The Ceiling (3:11)
05. I Want You To Want Me (5:15)
06. We Hesitate (5:28)
07. Takin' It To The Streets (4:13)
08. All My Tomorrows (5:28)
09. A Place That I Call Home (3:54)
10. L-O-V-E (2:43)
11. Hello It's Me (4:24)
12. Strollin' (2:56)
13. Bluer Than Blue (3:27)
14. Crazy Fingers (5:59)
15. Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth) (3:54)

Neither Jenna Mammina nor Rolf Sturm, together or solo, are strangers to these pages. Mammina released Under the Influence (MGR) in 2000 and Strum offered us his superb Young (Water Street Music) in 2016. The two of them showed up with Spark (Water Street Music) in 2015. Sturm is a nylon-string guitar specialist perfectly suited to provide foil to the coquettish and intelligent vocals of Mammina. Their Spark was well received and featured old and new music presented in new and often genre-jolting ways.

On Begin to Dance, the pair pick up where they left off with Spark, this time peppering jazz standards like "It's Only Love" and "All My Tomorrows" with BJ Thomas' "Hooked on a Feeling" mashed up with Soundgarden's "Black Hole Sun." Sturm's guitar playing brings whatever is necessary to the songs to support Mammina's every whim. He is equally capable of providing the bare-bones chording for the Doobie Brothers' "Takin' it to the Streets" and the pleasant filigree he offers in Cheap Trick's "I Want You To Want Me." But it is the jazz tunes where the two excel. The pair hits their collective stride on "L-O-V-E" with Sturm turning in an exceptional hot-club solo. Mammina and Sturm make a great duo who program their performances with great thought and a true sense of humor. ~by Michael C. Bailey (All About Jazz)

Personnel: Jenna Mammina: vocals; Rolf Sturm: guitar.

Begin To Dance

---

Ron Levy's Wild Kingdom - Funky Fiesta!

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:04
Size: 149.0 MB
Styles: B-3 Organ Funk/Jazz/Blues
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[6:46] 1. Bunga Bunga Akimbo
[5:25] 2. Rebbe Of Rhythm
[6:19] 3. Back In The Back
[5:30] 4. Badd Mannish Boyz
[5:34] 5. Street Beats
[5:42] 6. Saxy Girl
[6:13] 7. Hittin' It Hard & Sweet
[6:10] 8. Phunky Memories
[5:53] 9. Sunny Sunday
[6:19] 10. Funky Fiesta
[5:09] 11. Someday

Ron Levy's Wild Kingdom grooveliciously combines, works, plays in, stretches out, distorts, harmonizes and reflects the familiar and exotic, the smooth and toxic, the dynamic ups and the downs, the known and unknown boundaries of Blues and Jazz, Latin and Gospel, Hip-Hop and free style feelings into a unique musical gumbo, exciting young hip club and college audiences as well as the older veteran Blues and Jazz aficionados everywhere across the globe.

Levy, a steady 40+ year veteran of every cool scene to be seen, whether it be with Albert King, B.B. King, Roomful of Blues, Luther 'Guitar Jr' Johnson or Karl Denson and as organist, pianist, composer, arranger, sideman or soloist, producer and A&R man of over 200 recording projects of traditional and contemporary Blues, R&B, Jazz, Gospel, and real deal, hardcore music from New Orleans, Memphis, NYC, West Coast, Texas and beyond, has garnered many awards and nine Grammy nominations. His original compositions and recordings have been used on every television network and over a dozen films.

He has culminated and organized his musical/magical know-how and formed an elite group of top musicians, Ron Levy's Wild Kingdom. He's currently performing on side projects with the up-and-coming Blues guitarist and singer Barrett Anderson [along with Per Hanson], 2013 winners for 'Best Blues Band' at the Boston Music Awards, SPANK! [with Fuzz and Eric Kalb of Deep Banana Blackout] and Philip Pemberton, the current lead singer with Roomful of Blues. Levy and Pemberton were just inducted into the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame. [Ron is in New Hampshire's HOF too!] Levy is currently teaching Hammond organ and music theory in the Boston area and around the world via Skype as well.

Funky Fiesta!

---

Cassandra Wilson - Sings Standards

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:53
Size: 134.8 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[ 5:42] 1. Polka Dots And Moonbeams
[ 3:31] 2. I Wished On The Moon
[ 5:54] 3. 'round Midnight
[ 4:35] 4. Angel
[ 5:13] 5. I've Grown Accustomed To His Face
[ 6:28] 6. Chelsea Bridge
[ 3:02] 7. I'm Old Fashioned
[ 6:34] 8. Baubles, Bangles And Beads
[ 3:04] 9. Blue Skies
[ 4:06] 10. Blue In Green
[10:39] 11. Body And Soul

Cassandra Wilson is ostensibly a jazz singer, but more often than not crosses the creative line between folk, pop, and jazz. This collection of previously released tracks features Wilson on various jazz standards giving one a nice view of Wilson as simply a jazz vocalist. While this is in no way a "must have" for fans of the much lauded singer, it is a nice place for jazz aficionados to begin listening to this singular artist. ~Matt Collar

Sings Standards

---

Johnny Griffin - Johnny Griffin & The Great Danes

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:10
Size: 158.3 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2003
Art: Front

[12:02] 1. Just Friends
[13:30] 2. All The Things You Are
[15:59] 3. When We Were One
[12:44] 4. Blues Up And Down
[ 5:27] 5. Body And Soul
[ 9:26] 6. Rhythm-A-Ning

Johnny Griffin- tenor saxophone; Jesper Thilo- tenor saxophone; Thomas Clausen- piano; Mads Vinding- bass; Alex Reil- drums. Recorded: July 17, 1996.

For the better part of four decades, Northern Europe has been something of a second home to Johnny Griffin. Following the lead of his peers, the saxophonist immigrated to Paris in the early '60s and later moved to the Netherlands in the early '70s. The life of the expatriate jazz musician has been his preferred lot ever since. For these reasons and for the simple love of the music, this pairing with a Danish quartet makes perfect sense. Griff is one of the elder veterans of that one time jazz staple, the cutting contest, and has the scars to prove it. His quoted comments in the disc’s notes surprisingly reveal his distaste for the once-popular custom. Sharing the frontline with Thilo, these combative memories are relegated to the past and the pair seeks instead to achieve a relationship akin to the one Griff shared with his longtime friend and band mate Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis. Any sparring is done with good humor and in support the momentum of the pieces, all of which are longstanding tried and true blowing vehicles. Griff may rank as the resident living legend, but Thilo largely holds his own.

“Just Friends” kicks things off in fine roughshod fettle with both tenors galloping at full speed before Thilo takes the lead and devours a long string of choruses. Around him Clausen comps brightly while Vinding speed walks on fat amplified strings and Riel’s sticks work his skins into a frothy lather. Griffin sidles up on heels the heels of his partner, annexing his share of improvised stanzas at a slightly less boisterous stride and quoting freely from other melodies along the way. Clausen’s ivories take the third solo spot and stretch out with rhapsodic flourishes. Soon after Riel’s drums engage in a series of agile breaks with the phrase-trading horns and the inevitable end arrives. “All the Things You Are,” a long-time favorite of Griff’s, bounces along on Vinding’s corpulent bass line. Thilo is again first out of the gate and a lithesome statement from Caulsen separates his loquacious sortie from Griff’s more measured and smoothly melodic jaunt through the changes. Rounding the tune out with another row of volleys with Riel the horns again engage in spirited chases.

The band checks their rambunctious urges at the stage side for the slow romance of Griff’s own “When We Were Young.” Mid-piece, a breathtaking unaccompanied section unfolds from the composer’s horn in warmly radiating waves, creating a lingering mood that is easily the high mark of the entire disc. Together the shift in tempo and mood show a welcome versatility and set a beguiling stage for the fireworks of the follow-up. As one of the signature vessels for tandem tenor tirades, the old Ammons/Stitt warhorse “Blues Up and Down” seems a must for this multi-national duo. Both men rise to the occasion and do the original duo proud, locking horns in a playful test of wits, lured on to ever increasing improvisatory heights by their ever-attentive rhythm mates. The last few years have marked a gradual ebb in Griff’s recording frequency, making this mid-Nineties slice of his oeuvre all the sweeter. During this summer date proof of the venerable saxophonist’s artistry was alive in the air for all hear. ~Derek Taylor

Johnny Griffin & The Great Danes

---

Donna Greene & The Roadhouse Daddies - A Girl's Gotta Have A Little Pleasure

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:51
Size: 109.6 MB
Styles: Blues-Jazz vocals
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[3:47] 1. Baby Get Lost
[4:51] 2. Blues On A Holiday
[3:22] 3. Comes Love
[4:05] 4. Same Old Blues
[3:18] 5. A Girl's Gotta Have A Little Pleasure
[3:05] 6. Double Crossing Blues
[4:42] 7. Love Make A Fool Of Me
[4:11] 8. Shoe Boy
[5:10] 9. Lover Man
[3:45] 10. You Can Have My Husband
[2:43] 11. Mess Around
[4:47] 12. Autumn Leaves

“Donna Greene’s blues are dry martini blues. She sings with a lotta swagger, a dash of sauce and a cool retro vibe. She’d have been right at home on stage at the Sands of the Rat Pack days or Ciro’s on Sunset Boulevard circa 1948. But, it's 60 years later and Donna’s attitude and energy is totally 21st century. She gives ya masterful singing that’s sensual, emotive, and fun. Donna Greene brings just the right feeling to a tune, whether it’s straight ahead blues like “You Can Have My Husband” or a Billie Holiday-era standard like “Comes Love.” “A Girl’s Gotta Have A Little Pleasure” is a winner! It’s a superbly-produced treasure highlighting Donna’s pristine singing with the style and punch of The Roadhouse Daddies!” ~Nick Gerard

A Girl's Gotta Have A Little Pleasure

---

Frankie Avalon - The EP Collection

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:49
Size: 153.0 MB
Styles: Pop/Rock, Teen Idols
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[2:19] 1. Pretty Eyed Baby
[2:09] 2. Too Young To Love
[2:02] 3. Shy Guy
[2:45] 4. Fever
[1:52] 5. Swinging On A Rainbow
[2:25] 6. Sandy
[2:10] 7. Secret Love
[2:28] 8. Step In The Right Direction
[2:14] 9. What's The Reason (I'm Not Pleasing You)
[2:10] 10. Dede Dinah
[2:58] 11. Did You Ever See A Dream Walking
[1:38] 12. Talk, Talk, Talk
[2:01] 13. Ginger Bread
[2:51] 14. I'll Wait For You
[2:19] 15. Venus
[2:39] 16. Bobby Sox To Stockings
[2:25] 17. Just Ask Your Heart
[2:17] 18. Two Fools
[2:35] 19. Why
[2:27] 20. Don't Throw Away Those Teardrops
[2:27] 21. Togetherness
[2:44] 22. Don't Let Love Pass Me By
[2:18] 23. A Perfect Love
[2:29] 24. All Of Everything
[3:02] 25. You Are Mine
[2:15] 26. Young And In Love
[1:52] 27. Tornerai
[2:44] 28. Capuccina

Another excellent entry in See for Miles' EP series, here's 28 of Avalon's sides for the Chancellor label pulled from various extended-play 45 albums issued in England, Sweden, and France. It's an interesting compendium of hits, B-sides, and album filler ranging from early rockers like "Dede Dinah" and "Gingerbread" to schmaltzy teen fare like "Why" and "Bobby Sox to Stockings." Although not a greatest hits package, it's pretty much all the Frankie Avalon you'll ever need for your collection. ~Cub Koda

The EP Collection

---

Toni Harper - Night Mood

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:47
Size: 82,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:41)  1. In The Still Of The Night
(2:53)  2. Paradise
(3:38)  3. 'Round Midnight
(3:10)  4. The Meaning Of The Blues
(3:00)  5. Saturday Night (Is The Loneliest Night In The Week)
(3:06)  6. Night After Night
(2:49)  7. Just Go
(2:43)  8. A Sleepin' Bee
(3:21)  9. My Ship
(2:11) 10. You And The Night And The Music
(2:57) 11. Petals on the Pond
(3:14) 12. Where Flamingos Fly

Toni Harper's final Rca session pairs the singer with arranger Marty Paich to create the richly atmospheric after-hours album that she was born to make. By alternating between pop standards and jazz originals, Night Mood underscores the complete breadth of Harper's talents. Even better than her sophisticated and poignant interpretations of chestnuts like "Round Midnight" and "My Ship" is a swinging rendition of "Saturday Night Is the Loneliest Night of the Week" that deserves serious consideration as the song's definitive treatment. Paich's soulful arrangements further enhance the dusky beauty of Harper's vocals, even making room for some lovely alto saxophone solos courtesy of the great Art Pepper. ~ Jason Ankeny http://www.allmusic.com/album/night-mood-mw0000477334

Personnel:  Toni Harper (vcl), Marty Paich (dir, arr), Jack Sheldon, Conte Candoli, Stu Williamson (tp), Vince De Rosa (frh), Frank Rosolino (tb), Bob Enevoldsen (v-tb), Art Pepper, Bud Shank, Bill Perkins, Jack Montrose, Jack Nimitz (saxes), Eddie Beal, Jimmy Rowles (p), Joe mondragon (b), Mel Lewis (d)

Night Mood

---

Jim McNeely Quintet - Rain's Dance

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1976
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:00
Size: 123,7 MB
Art: Front

( 6:12)  1. Wishful Thinking
(10:38)  2. Little Green Men
( 4:28)  3. Tipe Tizwe
(10:46)  4. Rain's Dance
( 9:29)  5. For The Crazy One
(12:25)  6. Rain's Dance

Pianist Jim McNeely, who includes stints with Ted Curson, Stan Getz, Thad Jones and Mel Lewis, and Phil Woods on his lengthy resume, has been gradually recognized by the jazz public as a terrific composer, but these 1976 sessions, which mark one of his earliest dates as a leader, show him to be a very advanced writer at an early stage of his career. The hypnotic opener, "Wishful Thinking," features Larry Schneider on soprano sax in a modal setting. McNeely switches to electric piano for his playful "Little Green Men." On the catchy "Tipe Tizwe," based on a traditional African folk song, the leader plays both piano and African thumb piano (which is rarely heard in jazz), and is joined only by percussionist Sam Jacobs. "Rain's Dance" is a driving post-bop composition that marks the typical ebb and flow in the intensity of a summer storm; it's heard in two separate takes, featuring fine solos by McNeely, bassist Mike Richmond, and Larry Schenider on tenor sax. This adventurous date by Jim McNeely is well worth acquiring. ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/rains-dance-mw0000580108

Personnel:  Bass – Mike Richmond;  Drums – Bob Merigliano;  Piano, Electric Piano, Composed By – Jim McNeely;  Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Larry Schneider

Rain's Dance

---

Teodross Avery - My Generation

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:12
Size: 160,8 MB
Art: Front

(7:43)  1. Addis Ababa
(8:28)  2. Mode For My Father
(6:24)  3. Theme For Malcolm
(7:19)  4. Lover Man
(4:55)  5. To The East
(4:50)  6. Mr. Wonsey
(6:26)  7. Salome
(4:50)  8. Sphere
(5:19)  9. My Generation
(7:40) 10. Anytime, Anyplace
(5:14) 11. It's About That Time

Young saxophonist Teodross Avery's recording covers a lot of ground, from explorative improvisations that sound as if they really belong on Impulse to selections that use a funky (and even a light hip-hop) rhythm and a straightforward ("Mr. Wonsey") boppish blues. Avery has strong technique and his sound, particularly on tenor (where he hints at Stanley Turrentine, and to a lesser extent, Sonny Stitt), is gradually becoming personal. He is joined by bassist Rodney Whitaker and drummer Greg Hutchinson on every selection along with either John Scofield, Mark Whitfield, or Peter Bernstein on guitar or pianist Charles Craig. Of the supporting crew, only Scofield (who creates some very unusual and distorted sounds on his guitar during "Theme for Malcolm") makes much of an impression and Avery seems to be most comfortable with the pianist (who is on four of the 11 selections). "Lover Man" sounds surprisingly passionless (showing that Avery is not yet mature enough to uplift veteran ballads) and there is an annoying (and meaningless) 35-second rap on the title cut that lowers the quality of the record. The overall results are generally enjoyable, if not all that memorable or unique. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/my-generation-mw0000180566

Personnel: Teodross Avery (tenor saxophone); Black Thoughts Of The Roots (vocals); Charles Craig (piano); Peter Bernstein, Mark Whitfield, John Scofield (guitar); Rodney Whitaker, Greg Hutchinson (bass); Andrew Daniels (percussion).

My Generation

---

Kidd Jordan, Hamid Drake, William Parker - Palm of Soul

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:49
Size: 125,7 MB
Art: Front

( 0:58)  1. Peppermint Falls
( 8:24)  2. Forever
(14:58)  3. Kidd Jordan, Hamid Drake, William Parker
(10:21)  4. Unity Call
( 2:22)  5. So Often
( 5:42)  6. Resolution
(12:01)  7. Last of the Chicken Wings

Hurricane Katrina left tenor saxophonist Kidd Jordan homeless less than a month before this recording session. Undeterred, the New Orleans native kept a prearranged studio date with bassist William Parker and drummer Hamid Drake. Regularly joined by tenor saxophonist Fred Anderson for powerhouse quartet gigs, Jordan, Parker and Drake had never recorded before as a trio. Improvising collectively with no preset material, they settled into a meditative mood underscored by restless energy. It would seem plausible that such turbulent melancholy is at least partially attributable to an emotional reaction in the aftermath of such disaster. While there is no denying the possibility of such an influence, Palm of Soul is steeped in musical traditions that existed long before. Eschewing the vigorous free-bop at which they excel (tantalizingly hinted at on the brisk one-minute opener, "Peppermint Falls"), they elect to explore a panorama of multi-ethnic, rubato rhythms tempered by an undercurrent of simmering introspection. Though it's not without its frenetic moments, this session is primarily focused on mutual conversation, nuanced interplay, exotic texture and rich, resplendent tonality.

Such a tone belongs to Kidd Jordan. At seventy, his resume boasts innumerable collaborations, from Ray Charles to Cecil Taylor. He conveys years of experience in even the most unadorned of phrases. Supported by a superlative rhythm section, Jordan is able to explore every facet of his horn. Accompanied by shimmering percussion and resounding gongs on "Forever" and "Last of the Chicken Wings," he extracts lissome, forlorn melodies from his breathy, multiphonic tenor. Alternately, he elicits hoarse, cacophonous testimonials on "Living Peace" while Parker bows dissonant harmonics and Drake sporadically accents the ascending drama. Parker and Drake's harmonically rife rhythmic accompaniment is anything but conventional. Parker plays African hunter's guitar (guimbri), gongs and resonating bowls more often than the bass. Drake alternates between traditional trap set, frame drum and tablas. These exotic instruments lend a very strong Asian, African and Indian feel to the majority of the set, invoking none other than Don Cherry, Drake and Parker's former employer. "Unity Call" is especially emblematic of Cherry's pan-global aesthetic. Drake's wordless chanting and loping frame drum rhythm combine with Parker's pulsing guimbri ostinato, driving Jordan into a wailing, raspy frenzy reminiscent of Cherry's work with Frank Lowe in the 1970s. Flirting with tradition, "Living Peace" borrows conventional devices, employing walking bass and a casual ride rhythm that modulates, Mingus-like, from bluesy gait to bop sprint. Building to grandeur worthy of late-period Coltrane, the piece culminates in a burning arco/altissimo finale that is as strident as "Forever" is melancholy and ethereal. With steely determination and emotional resolve in the face of great tragedy, Jordan, Parker and Drake have created a timeless album of understated, dark beauty. Palm of Soul is spiritually revelatory free jazz, hauntingly beautiful and emotionally resonant. ~ Troy Collins https://www.allaboutjazz.com/palm-of-soul-kidd-jordan-aum-fidelity-review-by-troy-collins.php

Personnel: Kidd Jordan: tenor saxophone; William Parker: bass, guimbri, gongs, bowls, talking drum; Hamid Drake: drums, tablas, frame drum, voice.

Palm of Soul

---

Alain Caron - Multiple Faces

Styles: Jazz Funk, Soul  
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:47
Size: 118,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:53)  1. Right After 4
(6:22)  2. Sfing
(6:24)  3. The Lost Foot
(7:28)  4. Jazz Pool
(5:50)  5. Slick Shift
(5:47)  6. Canuba
(6:49)  7. Hurry Up and Wait
(6:11)  8. Then and After

Since the release in 2010 of his Felix award winning album Sep7entrion, Alain Caron has been quite busy touring the world. For this new album Multiple Faces, his eighth solo album to date, the bassist, composer calls on the same core musicians that shined on Sep7entrion. The quartet is also joined by a brilliant five piece brass section on two cuts: Hurry Up & Wait & Sfing. Pierre Côté (guitars), John Roney (Keyboard) and Damien Schmitt (drums and percussions) who all took part in the Sep7entrion recordings travelled extensively with Alain, bringing with them a wide range of influences and colors which ultimately helped shape Multiple Faces. Recorded and filmed live in studio, Multiple Faces holds true to its name. Following in the footsteps of the preceding album, Multiple Faces is a step ahead in Alain’s musical evolution, largely inspired by his countless years of developing his artform, his visits around the world and his clear and an unrelenting desire to always look forward in jazz; you can hear these textures and cultures well fused in his vision of today’s modern Jazz. The compositions are sharp and passionate as are the breathtaking musical performances, arrangements and sound! The album regroups eight new titles that tacitly blend jazz, rock, funk even Classical with a world outview!  With his mastery of an exceedingly rare instrument the six-string bass Alain Caron has earned international status as an exceptional artist, and is the worthy recipient of the 2013 prestigious Oscar-Peterson Award. Named best electric bassist 8 years in a row by Jazz Report, winner of 11 Félix Awards and awarded an honorary doctorate by UQAR, the former member of legendary jazz fusion group UZEB has released over 20 albums and returns with his latest, Multiple Faces. Prepare for the peerless prowess of a poet of the bass guitar (FDJM). https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/alaincaron11

Personnel:  Alto Saxophone – Jean-Pierre Zanella );  Baritone Saxophone – Alexandre Côté;  Bass – Alain Caron;  Drums – Damien Schmitt;  Guitar – Pierre Côté;  Piano, Keyboards – John Roney;  Tenor Saxophone – David Bellemare;  Trumpet – Jocelyn Couture, Ron Di Lauro

Multiple Faces

---