Silky Denims: 03/24/17

Friday, March 24, 2017

George Duke - Liberated Fantasies

Size: 100,5 MB
Time: 39:49
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1976/2008
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Don't Be Shy (2:58)
02. Seeing You (4:28)
03. Back To Where We Never Left (6:26)
04. What The.. (0:32)
05. Tryin' & Cryin' (5:45)
06. I C'n Hear That (5:16)
07. After The Love (2:32)
08. Tzina (2:28)
09. Liberated Fantasies (9:19)

When George Duke recorded Liberated Fantasies in 1976, he had yet to make R&B his primary focus, but he was gradually moving in that direction. Liberated Fantasies is primarily an album of instrumental jazz fusion, although three of the tunes offer R&B or rock vocals. Singer Napoleon Brock provides an enjoyable rock vocal on "Tryin' and Cryin'," and Duke's lead singing on the funky "Don't Be Shy" and the mellow soul number "Seeing You" give listeners a taste of what was to come on albums like 1977's Reach for It, 1978's Don't Let Go and 1979's Follow the Rainbow. Meanwhile, his skills as a fusion keyboardist are illustrated by instrumentals that include the playful "I C'n Hear That," the groovin' "Back to Where We Never Left" and the Brazilian-minded title song. Generally decent and occasionally excellent, Liberated Fantasies falls short of essential but is worth hearing if enjoy hearing Duke tackle a variety of material. ~by Alex Henderson

Liberated Fantasies

Jacqui Naylor & Art Khu - Q&A

Size: 113,9 MB
Time: 49:32
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals
Art: Front

01. I've Never Been In Love Before (3:42)
02. The Way You Look Tonight (4:14)
03. The Nearness Of You (6:01)
04. More Than Words (4:39)
05. This Is How It Starts (2:41)
06. Once Upon A Summertime (2:38)
07. Charade (3:19)
08. I Thought About You (4:14)
09. Secret Love (3:21)
10. Lush Life (4:01)
11. Time After Time (4:21)
12. Moonglow (3:34)
13. Here We Are At Last (2:42)

Q&A is Jacqui Naylor's ninth recording and first duo album with long-time multi-instrumentalist, composer and arranger, Art Khu. The duo is best known for their work with full quartet, combining jazz, soul, rock and original music in new ways. On Q&A they have created an intimate jazz experience with many surprises. "For over a decade, we've been performing and recording with our quartet, yet always include at least one song as a duo. Fans tell us it's one of their favorite moments and we wanted to capture that in this recording," says Naylor. Original songs, This Is How It Starts and Here We Are At Last speak to the duo's long-time collaboration, sitting comfortably next to jazz classics like The Way You Look Tonight, Moonglow and Time After Time. Naylor's uniquely identifiable and capable voice and Khu's ability to weave seamlessly in and out of her phrasing is evident throughout, particularly on their versions of The Nearness Of You and Lush Life. A conservatory trained pianist and composer, Khu's ability to play alternatively piano, guitar, organ and bass make this an unusual duo album. Their gospel-jazz take on the metal classic More Than Words is sure to be a stand-out.

Q&A

Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra - The Music Of John Lewis (With Wynton Marsalis)

Size: 118,7 MB

Time: 51:31

File: MP3 @ 320K/s

Released: 2017

Styles: Jazz

Art: Front

01. 2 Degrees East, 3 Degrees West (7:08)

02. Animal Dance (3:55)

03. Django (4:52)

04. Jon Batiste Introduces The Band (1:03)

05. Delaunay's Dilemma (5:23)

06. La Cantatrice (5:09)

07. Piazza Navona (6:35)

08. Pulcinella (4:08)

09. Spanish Steps (4:52)

10. Wynton Marsalis Discusses John Lewis (1:37)

11. Two Bass Hit (6:46)

Dedicated to preserving America's jazz heritage, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (formerly known as the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra) is a key component of New York City's Jazz at Lincoln Center program, serving as the highly versatile house band for a wide variety of concert events. The 15-piece orchestra maintains a heavy touring schedule, devoting about six months annually to appearances around the U.S. and at prominent international venues. Additionally, the JLCO participates in many Jazz at Lincoln Center educational events (for both advanced and younger students), and records occasionally, both as their own entity and as a backing group for artistic director Wynton Marsalis.

The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra was founded in 1988 and in its early years was often conducted by David Berger. Marsalis was hired as the group's artistic director in 1991, and under his influence the group's historical bent blossomed, paying particular attention to the Duke Ellington oeuvre. Indeed, their annual Ellington concerts have become cultural staples for many New Yorkers, and the group's first recording -- made under Berger's direction -- was 1992's Portraits by Ellington. Still, the JLCO doesn't treat jazz as a museum exhibit; it has commissioned a number of new, in-the-tradition works specifically for the group. Over the course of the '90s, the JLCO augmented their regular concert, touring, and educational activities with international television appearances and special collaborative performances with various symphony orchestras. In the late '90s, the group began to appear more frequently on record as Marsalis began using them for ambitiously expansive projects such as 1997's Jump Start and Jazz, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Blood on the Fields, 1999's Sweet Release & Ghost Story and Big Train. Also in 1999, the JLCO celebrated Duke Ellington's centennial with the concert album, Live in Swing City: Swingin' with the Duke.

During the 2000s, Marsalis continued to work closely with the JLCO, releasing such albums as 2002's orchestral-themed All Rise, 2005's Don't Be Afraid: The Music of Charles Mingus, and 2006's collaboration with Ghanaian drum master Yacub Addy, Congo Square. In 2015, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra showcased their love of the Afro-Cuban tradition with Live in Cuba, a two-disc release featuring the ensemble's first ever performances in Cuba. ~by Steve Huey

The Music Of John Lewis

Sylvia Vrethammar - The Girl From Uddevalla

Size: 106,0 MB
Time: 45:29
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz/Pop Vocals, Brazilian Rhythms
Art: Front

01. So Danço Samba (3:33)
02. That's The Way Of The World (4:28)
03. Moonlight (3:15)
04. The World Is Calling (4:07)
05. Samba For Vinicius (2:50)
06. The Copaflat (3:37)
07. My Açucena (3:59)
08. The Samba In Me (4:03)
09. Outra Vez (3:35)
10. Time To Say Hello (4:13)
11. Eu Sei Que Vou Te Amar (3:26)
12. The Girl From Ipanema (4:17)

Eva Sylvia Vrethammar (born August 22, 1945, Uddevalla, Sweden), is a Swedish traditional pop and jazz singer. She is the daughter of Harald Vrethammar, an education official, and Britta Vrethammar, a musical education teacher, specializing in the piano.

In 1969, she released a Swedish-language cover version of Dusty Springfield's Son of a Preacher Man, entitled En lärling på våran gård. Vrethammar is also fluent in English.

In the 1970s, she occasionally appeared as guest singer with the Bert Kaempfert orchestra, singing in English. After a series of tribute concerts in Germany in 2006 and 2008, where she returned to the bandleader's music with ex-Kaempfert trombonist Jiggs Whigham and other former orchestra members (playing as the HR Big Band), in 2012 she recorded numbers from the tours.

She is perhaps best known for the 1974 song, "Y Viva España". It reached #4 in the UK Singles Chart in September 1974, spending over six months in that listing. She was known in the UK simply as Sylvia Globally her version alone sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc.

She took part in Melodifestivalen 2002, singing "Hon är en annan nu". She participated again in Melodifestivalen 2013 in the hope of representing Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 which was held in Malmö. She sang her song "Trivialitet" in the fourth semifinal, which was also held in Malmö. She came seventh and was therefore eliminated from the contest.

The Girl From Uddevalla

Bill Evans Trio - On A Monday Evening (Live)

Size: 107,5 MB
Time: 46:34
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Sugar Plum (Live) (5:26)
02. Up With The Lark (Live) (6:03)
03. Time Remembered (Live) (5:30)
04. T.T.T. (Twelve Tone Tune) (Live) (5:03)
05. Someday My Prince Will Come (Live) (6:12)
06. Minha (All Mine) (Live) (3:49)
07. All Of You (Live) (9:38)
08. Some Other Time (Live) (4:49)

On A Monday Evening offers jazz fans a rare treat: an unreleased (and never bootlegged!) concert recording of The Bill Evans Trio, featuring Eddie Gomez and Eliot Zigmund. Captured live at Madison, Wisconsin's Union Theater on Monday, November 15, 1976, this recording finds Evans at the top of his game, performing both contemporary compositions from that era, as well as his longstanding signature tunes to a packed house.

On A Monday Evening

Sherri Roberts - Anybody's Spring

Size: 142,1 MB
Time: 60:26
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. It's Anybody's Spring (5:33)
02. Spring, Sprang, Sprung (6:14)
03. They Say It's Spring (5:21)
04. It Might As Well Be Spring (5:43)
05. After All It's Spring (4:26)
06. Joy Spring (4:51)
07. Double Rainbow (4:55)
08. Now At Last (4:51)
09. One Morning In May (4:05)
10. Lady Bird (4:21)
11. While We're Young (5:52)
12. Spring Isn't Everything (4:08)

Like the season it describes, there's something magical about Anybody's Spring, the latest from Bay Area vocalist Sherri Roberts and her fifth leader date. These songs reap the benefits of personal experience, as Sherri has sung them in spring-themed performances for the past two decades. Swinging from the jazz compositions of Clifford Brown and Tadd Dameron to the standard and not-so-standard fare of Rodgers and Hammerstein, Hoagy Carmichael and Blossom Dearie favorite Bob Haymes, the set list is a spring lover's dream come true. It's Anybody's Spring establishes a tone, in which the verdant colors of Sherri's voice--her balance of depth and shine, the comforting embrace of her vibrato--are immediately evident. All this gorgeousness finds ideal cushioning in the support of her bandmates: pianist David Udolf, bassist Harvie S, drummer Akira Tana, and guitarist Sheryl Bailey. The democratic consistency of their rapport is key to this album's free and relaxed atmosphere. What distinguishes Anybody's Spring is its narrative drama and cohesion. Sherri leaves no facet of spring untouched: its loves (They Say It's Spring, While We're Young), lamentations (Now At Last, One Morning In May), and loveliness (Joy Spring, Double Rainbow). Through it all, she emerges as a warm soul, fortifying listeners against the whip of lingering winter winds. Highlights include Spring, Sprang, Sprung, of which Sherri's winged delivery makes it a quintessential embodiment of the album's theme. Whether drawing near to classics like Lady Bird and It Might As Well Be Spring or the more obscure fare of After All It's Spring, a heartfelt effervescence shines through. And in ballads like Spring Isn't Everything, Sherri shows us that true love always starts with yourself. Like a masterfully blended perfume, Anybody's Spring starts with a citrusy opening and moves through floral accords to a muskier base, and it's one you'll want to apply to the pulse points of your musical appreciation all year round.

Anybody's Spring

Billy Childs - Rebirth

Size: 130,1 MB
Time: 56:20
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz
Art: Front

01. Backwards Bop (6:37)
02. Rebirth (7:37)
03. Stay (5:57)
04. Dance Of Shiva (6:49)
05. Tightrope (6:36)
06. The Starry Night (8:09)
07. The Windmills Of Your Mind (7:07)
08. Peace (7:26)

It's been a while since we've heard pianist Billy Childs really dig in. While he certainly hasn't been dormant, reaching tremendous artistic heights in semi-recent times with a pair of highly refined chamber jazz explorations and a much-lauded tribute to Laura Nyro, the Childs of yore—the man that would throw down the gauntlet night after night while in the employ of legends like trumpet titan Freddie Hubbard or trombonist J.J. Johnson—hasn't been heard from in a while. Rebirth brings that part of Childs' past back into view, but it also continues to shine a light on his clarity of expression and his incredible skills in the arranging department. It's punctilious and unpredictably powerful all at once. Believe it or not, you can have both ways. At least, that is, if you're Billy Childs.

While those aforementioned post-millennial winners were well-staffed affairs—the chamber ensemble projects were chock full or orchestral trappings and the Nyro album had a guest list that ran a mile long—Childs pares things down for this one, running lean in the personnel department. For six of the eight tracks, it's just a quartet at play. Of course, referring to the marshaled forces of Childs, saxophonist Steve Wilson, bassist Hans Glawischnig, and drummer Eric Harland as "just a quartet" is akin to referencing the New York Yankees as "just a baseball team." These are heavy hitters that came to play. That fact is made abundantly clear right of the gate on "Backwards Bop," one of three tunes on this program that Childs recorded in his Windham Hill days in the '80s. It's a bold opening stroke, setting the bar incredibly high with precision unison lines, sharp turns, and powerful solo stands. Glawischnig is like a tightly wound spring, Childs works with an authoritative tone that never dulls or blur his incredibly articulate touch, Wilson comes off like a shrewd harmonic navigator, and Harland puts his monumental chops to good use. It's the perfect example of how to hook the ear from the start.

The pair of guest-enhanced tracks—one a unique yet stylistically congruent follow-up to "Backwards Bop" with appearances from trombonist Ido Meshulam, percussionist Rogerio Boccato, and vocalist Claudia Acuna, the other a ballad with vocalist Alicia Olatuja in the spotlight—both immediately follow that slam dunk of an opener. Acuña co-wrote the title track, a piece that benefits greatly from her inimitable wordless vocals. Harland creates a steadily skittering backdrop that gives the song a nervous energy, Wilson's soprano takes to the sky, and Childs scampers around, mixing playfulness and potency in his piano work. "Stay," on the other hand, does just that, giving Olatuja a chance to shine in a mellow musical climate that never really intensifies.

The five remaining numbers are gratifying in so many ways. "Dance Of Shiva," ridiculously intricate in its design, engineering, and realization, features some startlingly fresh statements from Childs and Wilson; "Tightrope" finds all four men moving with lighter steps and listening closely, painting and dancing a varicolored waltz together; "The Starry Night" suggests its title through the dreamiest of piano forewords, skyrockets into the stratosphere with Wilson's soprano acting as the nose cone of the ship, and settles into orbit for solos; and "The Windmills Of Your Mind" glows and burns a deep red, with Childs and company drawing out the most intense flavor notes and emotions buried in the song's structure. Then serenity sets in for the closer—a poetic (piano and saxophone) duo take on Horace Silver's "Peace."

Childs hasn't always put all of his talent cards on the table at once, suppressing one aspect of his artistry in deference to others at times, so it's nice to see that change with Rebirth. He's showing his full hand here—chops, nuance, composing, arranging, and all—and it's a musical royal flush if ever there was one. ~Dan Bilawsky

Personnel: Billy Childs: piano; Steve Wilson: alto saxophone, soprano saxophone; Hans Glawischnig: acoustic bass; Eric Harland: drums.

Rebirth

Adrianna Marie & Her Roomful Of All-Stars - Kingdom Of Swing

Size: 177,1 MB
Time: 76:11
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jump Blues, Blues Jazz
Art: Front

01. Kingdom Of Swing (4:26)
02. Better Beware (4:02)
03. Sidecar Mama (4:13)
04. Mood Indigo (8:54)
05. 3 Am Blues (6:53)
06. Gimmie A Roomful (4:36)
07. Memphis Boogie (4:45)
08. Drive Me Daddy (6:02)
09. Baby I Got You (4:21)
10. Jump With You Baby (4:23)
11. The Blues Are Brewin' (7:58)
12. One Sweet Letter (4:38)
13. T-Bone Boogie (3:41)
14. Blues After Hours (7:13)

Sophisticated, sultry, playful, and she knows how to put the jazz in blues and the blues in jazz. Adrianna Marie was made to sing this music and in her sophomore release, KINGDOM OF SWING, she is back with her dream team band. Produced by Duke Robillard, this cast is undoubtedly a roomful of blues, featuring Al Copley, L.A. Jones, Duke Robillard, Doug “Mr. Low” James, Rich Lataille,Mark Earley, Doug Woolverton, Carl Q, Junior Watson, Brian Fahey, Kedar Roy and Bob Corritore. It’s a romping, swinging and crafty album of originals and a few re-imagined covers that features Adrianna Marie singing every bit as sultry, sassy and smart as the vintage songstresses she adores so much.

The songs arrive in a variety of grooves, with subjects ranging from romance and fun (naturally) to reflections on the music itself. This album is “big” as in big band; complete with lush layered instrumentation and genre perfect chords and head arrangements, sublime solos and driving riffs. Prepare youself to be transported to a time of fast cars, strong drinks, posh night clubs and well dressed men and woman either in love or playing at it. ~by Tom Hyslop

Kingdom Of Swing

The Red Garland Trio - Manteca (Remastered)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:20
Size: 108.4 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 1958/1990
Art: Front

[ 8:07] 1. Manteca
[ 6:43] 2. 's Wonderful
[ 5:50] 3. Lady Be Good
[ 7:08] 4. Exactly Like You
[12:11] 5. Mort's Report
[ 7:18] 6. Portrait Of Jenny

Bass – Paul Chambers; Congas – Ray Barretto; Drums – Arthur Taylor; Piano – Red Garland. Recorded in Hackensack, NJ; April 1958.

This is a solid LP that differs from most sets by pianist Red Garland in that, in addition to bassist Paul Chambers and drummer Art Taylor, he employs Ray Barretto on conga. The Latin flavor does not affect the music much (other than on the title cut), but Barretto does light a fire under the other musicians. A nice, swinging session. ~Scott Yanow

Manteca

Ketty Lester - The Soul Of Me

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:34
Size: 72.3 MB
Styles: Pop/Soul/R&B
Year: 1964/2014
Art: Front

[2:14] 1. Looking For A Boy
[2:37] 2. Time After Time
[2:39] 3. Hello Lover, Goodbye Tears
[3:06] 4. Lonely People Do Foolish Things
[2:51] 5. I Want To Be Happy
[2:28] 6. It's The Talk Of The Town
[2:29] 7. When Day Is Done
[3:03] 8. Look For Me (I'll Be Around)
[2:23] 9. We've Come A Long Way
[2:36] 10. Sweet Torture
[2:36] 11. Gotta Be This Or That
[2:25] 12. You Can Have Him

Singer Ketty Lester has a career that spans music, TV, film, and stage. Her cover of Dick Haynes' 1945 hit "Love Letters" went to number five pop and number two R&B on Billboard's charts in the spring of 1962. The tune was originally the title theme from the 1945 Jennifer Jones movie. Ketty Lester was born Revoyda Frierson on August 16, 1934, in Hope, AR. She was one of 15 children born into a farmer's family. After winning a scholarship in 1955, she moved to California and attended San Francisco City College, majoring in nursing. Lester sang in church and the school choir, and performed in summer stock theater. She also appeared as a contestant on the classic '50s game show You Bet Your Life. Meeting country singer/comedienne Dorothy Shay at the Purple Onion club (where she was performing), Lester was introduced to producers Ed Cobb and Lincoln Mayorga. Herb Newman's Era Records released the resulting single, "I'm a Fool for You" b/w "Love Letters." DJs and listeners preferred the sparse, steamy B-side, making it a Top Five pop hit. The follow-up single, a cover of George Gershwin's "But Not for Me" from the musical Girl Crazy, peaked at number 41 pop during summer 1962. Ketty Lester was issued that same year. It featured two singles, "You Can't Lie to a Liar" and a cover of Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land." Another Era single was "Fallin Angel" b/w "Lullaby for Lovers." She also recorded the upbeat "West Coast" b/w the ballad "I'll Be Looking Back" for Capitol, "I Said Goodbye to My Love" b/w "Queen for a Day" for Everest, and "Measure of a Man" b/w "Cracker Box Livin'," "Show Me" b/w "Since I Fell for You," and the LP Same for the Pete label. Lester recorded for RCA (Soul of Me, Where Is Love, the singles "Better World," "Roses Grow With Thorns," "You Go Your Way," "Some Things Are Better Unsaid," "The Luck of Ginger Coff") and for Tower (When a Woman Loves a Man, "Love Me Just a Little Bit"). She also recorded a Christian album, I Saw Him, for Mega Records. Originally offered the lead role in Julia, starring Diahann Carroll, Lester appeared in the films Just for Fun, Up Tight, Uptown Saturday Night, The Terminal Man, Street Knight, House Party 3, and Blacula, and the TV movies Louis Armstrong: Chicago Style and Percy and Thunder. She also guest-starred on TV series like Sanford and Son, Laugh-In, Quantum Leap, Hill Street Blues, Love American Style, The FBI, Harry 0 (the 1975 episode with Maureen McCormick), That Girl, Marcus Welby, and Lou Grant. She became a regular on Little House on the Prairie (as Hester Sue Terhune) and the soap operas Days of Our Lives (as Helen Grant) and Rituals. The singer won an Off-Broadway Theater Award for her performance in a revival of A Cabin in the Sky. Lester also had a recurring role as Vivica A. Fox's grandmother on the 1998 sitcom Getting Personal. ~ Ed Hogan

The Soul Of Me

Jean-Pierre Bertrand, Frank Muschalle - Piano Brotherhood

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:55
Size: 109.7 MB
Styles: Piano jazz, Boogie woogie
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[3:20] 1. Lucky Shuffle
[2:10] 2. Rhythm Boogie
[3:33] 3. Blues O'clock
[3:31] 4. Midnight Boogie
[3:07] 5. If You're Not Mine
[3:41] 6. Boogie Woogie Blues
[3:04] 7. Sixth Avenue Express
[3:02] 8. Piano Brotherhood
[2:38] 9. Why Did You That To Me
[3:21] 10. A Fred's Smile For The Boogie Man
[2:48] 11. Funny & Uprising
[2:55] 12. Blues With A Feeling
[3:09] 13. Swanee River Boogie
[4:03] 14. Searing Blues
[3:26] 15. Ammons Warlock Boogie

Jean-Pierre Bertrand and Frank Muschalle form one of the most outstanding duets of Jazz & Boogie pianos in Europe. Similar to the famous pianists Albert Ammons and Pete Johnson who performed together in the USA in the 1940s, they concoct on stage two pianos, the recipe for a direct, moving and warm jazz. Frank Muschalle, born in Germany in 1969, practiced classical piano for 11 years. He made himself known quickly thanks to the recording of several exceptional CDs in piano solo or trio. He made piano boogie woogie a specialty he mastered perfectly, introducing in his game the necessary nuances and melodious colors of personal compositions or themes of the greatest pianists like Albert Ammons, Pete Johnson or Meade Lux Lewis. Jean-Pierre Bertrand was born in 1955 in Saint-Germain-en-Laye where he studied classical piano at the Conservatoire during 6 years old. He discovers the Boogie Woogie at the age of 14 to listen to a record of Memphis Slim. After having held a restaurant-club of Jazz in Paris during 7 years, he decided in 1990 to become a professional pianist and organizer of show. Head of file of European pianists, he has a very great sense of the improvisation, makes to swing his piano With an ardor and a passion communicative. Inspired by the greatest: Sammy Price, Fats Domino, Ray Charles, Albert Ammons, he colors his set of elegant personal touches by mixing the boogie with neighboring styles like Gospel or Ragtime. Jean-Pierre Bertrand and Frank Muschalle arrange on two pianos the classic themes of the Boogie Woogie and the Blues, complementing each other in a rare and perfectly harmonious way. They also revisit some of the great themes of jazz and thus offer their audience a repertoire of great diversity.

Piano Brotherhood

Enoch Light And The Light Brigade - Pertinent Percussion Cha-Chas

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 29:52
Size: 68.4 MB
Styles: Latin jazz, Easy Listening
Year: 1960/2010
Art: Front

[2:49] 1. Enjoy Yourself Cha Cha
[2:25] 2. I Could Have Danced All Night Cha Cha
[2:55] 3. Moon Over Miami Cha Cha
[2:23] 4. C'est Magnifique Cha Cha
[2:16] 5. Ja Da Cha Cha
[2:08] 6. Night And Day Cha Cha
[2:37] 7. Green Eyes Cha Cha
[3:05] 8. Volare Cha Cha
[2:31] 9. Let's Fall In Love Cha Cha
[2:10] 10. Travel Now Pay Next Year Pleasure Cruise Cha Cha
[1:57] 11. The Night Is Young Cha Cha
[2:31] 12. Charleston Cha Cha

Accordion – Charles Magnante, Dominic Cortese; Bass – Bob Haggart; Bongos – Willie Rodriguez; Guitar – Tony Mottola; Percussion – Artie Marotti; Piano – Moe Wechsler; Saxophone – Bernie Kaufman, Ezelle Watson, Milt Yaner, Pee Wee Erwin, Russ Banzer, Stanley Webb; Trombone – Bobby Byrne.

We can thank Enoch Light for not ruining every Latin standard. These old non-Latin warhorses can stand the Command treatment; in fact, the album makes a fine test of one's ability to withstand "rinky-dink" music. If you like Latin music, you'll hate yourself for listening to this, and if you love Command albums, you're already too far gone to care. Features many of the same people from the original I Want to Be Happy Cha Chas LP (Grand Award, 1958) plus several of the Command All-Stars. ~Tony Wilds

Pertinent Percussion Cha-Chas

Cécile Verny Quartet - Amoureuse

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:15
Size: 119.6 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2008
Art: Front

[3:27] 1. Amoureuse
[5:47] 2. Amber Tears
[4:57] 3. Kanakassi
[4:44] 4. You Will Know When You Get There
[5:19] 5. Il Pleure Dans Mor Coeur
[4:04] 6. Ta Question
[6:07] 7. I Would..
[4:11] 8. K´la
[5:46] 9. J´aime L´idée
[2:57] 10. The Fly
[4:50] 11. Serendipity

Bass – Bernd Heitzler; Drums, Percussion – Torsten Krill; Piano, Keyboards – Andreas Erchinger; Vocals – Cécile Verny. Recorded June 27th - July 1st 2007 at "Klangküche", Stuttgart, Germany.

After 25 years of worldwide success, the Cécile Verny Quartet is topping of their career with a magnificent reflection. The four musicians presented their audience with a thrilling silver anniversary celebration on the stage of Jazzhaus Freiburg on a hot Whit Monday. Two brilliant birthday concerts are now available as a recording on CD and DVD.

The path of the Cécile Verny Quartet (CVQ) has been an eventful one, during the past quarter century of their existence. When the young singer from the Ivory Coast moved from France to Freiburg in the late 80’s, she discovered Jazz almost by chance. Yet even then, she dared to lead the way in bridging the gap between French and English texts. First in a duet and then in a trio she explored the standards of Modern Jazz and Blues, all while creating her own material. In 1989 they became a quartet with the addition of the bassist Bernd Heitzler, a like-minded new member, and from then on were known under the catchy abbreviation of CVQ.

Amoureuse

Ralph Sharon Trio - Ralph Sharon Trio (Remastered)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 39:33

Size: 90.6 MB

Styles: Piano jazz

Year: 2014

Art: Front

[5:58] 1. They Can't Take That Away From Me

[2:51] 2. Steeplechase

[4:17] 3. Angel Eyes Sunshine Of Your Love

[2:24] 4. Ziegfeld Girl

[3:12] 5. Bluz For Suz

[3:55] 6. Don't Be That Way

[3:13] 7. Give Me The Simple Life

[6:28] 8. I Didn't Know What Time It Was

[2:52] 9. I'm Glad There Is You

[4:20] 10. I'm Beginning To See The Light

Bass – Jay Cave; Drums – Christy Febbo; Piano – Ralph Sharon.

A great jazz pianist in his own right, recording a series of his own albums, Sharon was best known as one of the greatest pianists who backed up singers, including Bennett, Robert Goulet, Chris Connor and many others.

Retiring to Boulder, Colorado from on-the-road work with Bennett when he reached 80, Ralph Sharon continued to perform in the Denver metropolitan area until shortly before his death. He and the Ralph Sharon Trio performed at various jazz venues, including Dazzle Restaurant & Lounge in Denver, Colorado. He died March 31, 2015

Ralph Sharon Trio

Hanna Paulsberg Concept - Eastern Smiles

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:35
Size: 91,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:59) 1. Eastern Smiles
(5:26) 2. Hemulen Pa Byn
(7:39) 3. Ayumi
(8:32) 4. A Hundred Years
(6:07) 5. Hotel Papa Charlie
(5:48) 6. Catalan Boy

Hanna Paulsberg's tenor saxophone voice is increasingly in demand for a wide variety of projects, from the Trondheim Jazz Orchestra to collaborations with Ellen Andrea Wang, Jon Balke, Andreas Ulvo, Erland Dahlen and veteran Knut Rissnaes. Yet her standing as a composer and leader of one of Norway's most outstanding young quartets has been firmly established with releases such as Waltz for Lili (Ora Fonogram, 2012) and Song for Josia (Ora Fonogram, 2014). Eastern Smiles, her third release, and first on Odin Records, continues the course established on her previous two releases, with six original compositions highlighting the dual melodic and rhythmic pulses that drive her music. The explorative title track is built upon Paulsberg's mellifluous lines and Hans Hulbaekmo's continually scurrying rhythms over spare bass figures, though pianist Oscar Gronberg's angular, off-kilter improvisation steers the music momentarily into unexpected terrain. Paulsberg returns to impose her strong musical personality with a fine solo. A two-note piano mantra announces "Hermulen pa byn," a curiously schizoid track that flits back and forth between sunnily infectious groove and pockets of searching abstraction. Even at the music's most angular, Hulbaekmo's polyrhythmic bustle seems to act as compass and engine room at the same time.

The versatile drummer impressed with Moskus at 12 Points 2015 and Nena and the Butterfly Fish at Nutshell 2015, and plays with Atomic, amongst other bands. The hard-working rhythmic provocateur illuminates any context of which is part, and HPC's Eastern Smiles is no exception. Bassist Trygve Waldemar Fiske plots a far sparer course and this contrast between rhythmic industry and restraint is one of the key elements of HPC's sound. Fiske's warm, earthy tone is foregrounded on his unaccompanied intro to "A Hundred Years," his probing pulse going on to underpin gutsy, extended solos from Paulsberg and Gronberg, with Hulbaekmo all the while whipping up a devilish storm. Paulsberg is also an original balladeer; her lyrical ruminations that bookend "Hotel Papa Charlie," rather than define the tune, instead serve to frame sympathetic improvisations from Fiske and Gronberg of lingering beauty. The infectious calypso of "Catalan Boy" provides a joyous finale, its dancing rhythms and breezy melody proving utterly seductive. Hulbaekmo delivers a lively solo—only slightly more accentuated than his usual effervescent approach before Paulsberg restates the concluding head. Stylistically, Eastern Smiles falls into suit with HPC's previous recordings and a strong hand is certainly building, as witnessed in HPC's compelling performance at Vossa Jazz 2016. Paulsberg's musical evolution, for now, is all about polishing a diamond, but with this splendid quartet you suspect she still has more than a few aces up her sleeve. ~ Ian Patterson https://www.allaboutjazz.com/eastern-smiles-hanna-paulsberg-odin-records-review-by-ian-patterson.php

Personnel: Hanna Paulsberg: tenor saxophone; Hans Hulbaekemo: drums; Oscar Gronberg: piano; Trygve Waldemar Fiske: bass.

Eastern Smiles

Ketty Lester - Love Letters

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 30:42
Size: 72,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:40) 1. Love Letters
(2:28) 2. Once Upon a Time
(3:09) 3. P.S. I Love You
(1:57) 4. I'll Never Stop Loving You
(2:10) 5. Gloomy Sunday
(3:41) 6. Fallen Angel
(2:13) 7. Where Or When
(3:31) 8. I'm a Fool to Want You
(2:21) 9. Moscow Nights
(2:20) 10. Porgy, I's Your Woman Now
(2:43) 11. When I Fall In Love
(1:24) 12. Goin' Home

Ketty Lester was issued that same year. It featured two singles, "You Can't Lie to a Liar" and a cover of Woody Guthrie's "This Land Is Your Land." Another Era single was "Fallin Angel" b/w "Lullaby for Lovers." She also recorded the upbeat "West Coast" b/w the ballad "I'll Be Looking Back" for Capitol, "I Said Goodbye to My Love" b/w "Queen for a Day" for Everest, and "Measure of a Man" b/w "Cracker Box Livin'," "Show Me" b/w "Since I Fell for You," and the LP Same for the Pete label. Lester recorded for RCA (Soul of Me, Where Is Love, the singles "Better World," "Roses Grow With Thorns," "You Go Your Way," "Some Things Are Better Unsaid," "The Luck of Ginger Coff") and for Tower (When a Woman Loves a Man, "Love Me Just a Little Bit"). She also recorded a Christian album, I Saw Him, for Mega Records. Originally offered the lead role in Julia, starring Diahann Carroll, Lester appeared in the films Just for Fun, Up Tight, Uptown Saturday Night, The Terminal Man, Street Knight, House Party 3, and Blacula, and the TV movies Louis Armstrong: Chicago Style and Percy and Thunder. She also guest-starred on TV series like Sanford and Son, Laugh-In, Quantum Leap, Hill Street Blues, Love American Style, The FBI, Harry 0 (the 1975 episode with Maureen McCormick), That Girl, Marcus Welby, and Lou Grant. She became a regular on Little House on the Prairie (as Hester Sue Terhune) and the soap operas Days of Our Lives (as Helen Grant) and Rituals. The singer won an Off-Broadway Theater Award for her performance in a revival of A Cabin in the Sky. Lester also had a recurring role as Vivica A. Fox's grandmother on the 1998 sitcom Getting Personal. ~ Ed Hogan https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/ketty-lester/id216179#fullText

Personnel: Vocals – Ketty Lester; Bass – Dick Brandt; Cello – David Filerman, Howard D. Colf, Naoum Benditzky; Clarinet – John Neufeld; Drums – Milt Holland; Guitar – Ray Pohlman; Piano, Organ, Arranged By – Lincoln Mayorga; Violin – Ambrose Russo, Benny Gill, Bob Levine (4), Howard Colf, John Santulis, Lou Klass

Love Letters

Keith Copeland Trio - The Irish Connection

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:17
Size: 159,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:58) 1. Celeste
(6:21) 2. Jard Sur Six
(9:26) 3. Syeeda's Song Flute
(7:11) 4. Once I Loved
(5:06) 5. All of You
(5:00) 6. Night Has a Thousand Eyes
(6:31) 7. Line of Most Resistance
(6:39) 8. Funky Chicken
(8:42) 9. Falling In Love With Love
(8:19) 10. Blue Bolivar Blues

This is not a soundtrack to a movie about a bunch of yobs waiting in a Dublin squat for their man to show up with a pint of plain, as the title might lead one to believe. Drummer Copeland, guitarist Tommy Halferty and bassist Ronan Guilfoyle are all authentic Gaels but their music is jazz with jazz rock overtones. Copeland and Guilfoyle do an admirable job of filling up the sound with cluttering things and Halferty is an interesting player that fans of guitarists like Scofield or Catherine should be aware of. The pieces are well chosen but 70 minutes of one primary soloist is a lot. ~ Duck Baker https://jazztimes.com/reviews/briefs/keith-copeland-trio-the-irish-connection/

Personnel: Keith Copeland (drums); Ronan Guilfoyle (bass); Tommy Halferty (guitar)

Irish Connection

Teodross Avery Quartet - In Other Words

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:16
Size: 167,0 MB
Art: Front

(5:20) 1. High Hopes
(6:23) 2. Our True Friends
(5:20) 3. One To Love
(5:23) 4. An Ancient Civilization
(8:10) 5. Edda (Shorter)
(4:39) 6. The Possibilities Are Endless
(7:32) 7. What's New (Haggart)
(6:02) 8. Urban Survival
(6:31) 9. Positive Role Models
(6:55) 10. In Other Words
(4:10) 11. Our Struggle
(5:46) 12. Watching The Sunrise

Teodross Avery, a few days shy of turning 21 at the time of his GRP release, sounds quite mature on his debut as a leader. His tenor tone is attractive, his style is very influenced by Joe Henderson and John Coltrane and he is surprisingly relaxed on the ballads. Avery contributed nine of the 11 selections (all but "What's New" and Wayne Shorter's "Edda"). Three of the songs find trumpeter Roy Hargrove making the group a quintet. The music is very much in the hard bop vein and nothing too innovative or unexpected occurs, but this is an impressive initial effort from Teodross Avery who will hopefully have a long and productive career. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/in-other-words-mw0000119649

Personnel: Teodross Avery (tenor & soprano saxophone); Charles Craig (piano); Reuben Rogers (bass); Mark Simmons (drums).

In Other Words

Anita O'Day - Jazz Round Midnight

Styles: Jazz, Vocal
Year: 1997
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 55:27
Size: 92,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:40) 1. Angel Eyes
(4:03) 2. A nightingale sang in Berkeley Square
(3:38) 3. We'll be together again
(3:49) 4. I cover the waterfront
(2:56) 5. If the moon turns green
(3:10) 6. Early autumn
(3:06) 7. I'm not lonely
(3:02) 8. A lover is blue
(3:22) 9. Tenderly
(2:29) 10. I'm not supposed to be blue blues
(4:15) 11. You came a long way from St'Louis
(3:36) 12. Trac'lin light
(3:57) 13. Man with a horn
(3:55) 14. I can't get started
(2:57) 15. You don't know what love is
(3:24) 16. Crazy, he calls me

In keeping with the Jazz 'Round Midnight theme, this Anita O'Day sampler errs on the mellow side of things with 16 after-hours gems from the lady of bop vocal rhythm. For fans more interested in sampling all of O'Day's talents, though, there's such well-balanced Verve collection as Jazz Masters and Compact Jazz to check out. But, if your optimal inroad to jazz vocals is a smooth one, this disc with ballad highlights like "Man With a Horn," "I'm Not Lonely," and "Early Autumn" will make for ideal listening. And while O'Day is not the first word in jazz ballads (think June Christy or Ella Fitzgerald), her beguiling delivery along with the disc's wealth of top-notch charts and amazing cast of sidemen makes up for any lack of rarefied mood moments. Packed with gems from the singer's '50s and early-'60s prime, Jazz 'Round Midnight: Anita O'Day will make the familiarizing process as easy as sipping a glass of French red. ~ Stephen Cook http://www.allmusic.com/album/jazz-round-midnight-anita-oday-mw0000024656

Personnel: Anita O'Day (vocals); Herb Ellis, Howard Roberts , Al Hendrickson, Al Viola, Tal Farlow, Barney Kessel, Barry Galbraith (guitar); Corky Hale (harp); Lou Raderman, Dan Lube (violin); Virginia Majewski (viola); Walter Levinsky (clarinet, alto saxophone); Bud Shank (woodwinds, alto saxophone); Jimmy Giuffre (woodwinds, baritone saxophone); Alex Harding (woodwinds); Joe Maini (alto saxophone, tenor saxophone); Herb Geller, Lennie Niehaus, Phil Woods (alto saxophone); Georgie Auld, Jerome Richardson, Richie Kamuca, Zoot Sims, Bill Perkins, Bob Cooper (tenor saxophone); Chuck Gentry, Jack DuLong (baritone saxophone); Stu Williamson (trumpet, trombone); Conrad Gozzo , Conte Candoli, Phil Gilbert, Bill Catalano, John Anderson , Herb Pomeroy, Jack Sheldon, Jules Chaiken, Al Porcino, Pete Candoli, Ray Linn, Ray Triscari, Sam Noto, Lee Katzman (trumpet); Milt Bernhart, Richard Taylor "Dick" Nash , Lou McCreary, Frank Rosolino, George Roberts , Kent Larsen, Willie Dennis , Kenny Shroyer, Bob Enevoldsen, Archie LeCoque, Jim Amlotte, Lloyd Ulyate (trombone); Paul Smith (piano, celesta); Bud Lavin, Robert Corwin , Hank Jones , Jimmy Rowles, Lonnie Hewitt, Marty Paich, Oscar Peterson, Russ Freeman (piano); Larry Bunker (vibraphone, drums); Bob Brookmeyer, Cal Tjader (vibraphone); Johnny Rae, Mel Lewis, Alvin Stoller, John Poole (drums).

Jazz Round Midnight