Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Cornell Dupree - Doin' Alright

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:56
Size: 153.2 MB
Styles: Soul-jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[4:51] 1. Doin' Alright
[4:47] 2. I Ain't Got You
[6:02] 3. I Got A Woman
[5:00] 4. Help Me Make It Through The Night
[5:22] 5. Honky Tonk
[6:12] 6. The Bird
[5:01] 7. Erma's Shades
[4:52] 8. Rainy Night In Georgia
[4:07] 9. Squirrel
[6:05] 10. Ham
[6:14] 11. Cl Blues
[4:02] 12. K.C
[4:15] 13. I Got A Woman (With The Cornell Stamp)

Bass – George Porter (tracks: 1), Larry Fulcher (tracks: 3,4,9,11,13), Ronnie James (tracks: 2,5-8,10,12); Drums – Barry "Frosty" Smith; Guitar – Cornell Dupree; Organ – Mike Flanigin; Piano – Nick Connelly; Saxophone – Kaz Kazanoff.

Many words have been used to describe Cornell Dupree's guitar playing over the last 45 plus years, but one label that fits the bill is the ultimate session guitarist. He has over 2500 credits, playing with the likes of King Curtis, Aretha Franklin, Donny Hathaway, Bill Withers, Brooke Benton, Ray Charles, Joe Cocker, the Gadd Gang and of course he was a member of the super session jazz/fusion group Stuff. Known as "Uncle Funky", Cornell, had a slew of well received solo albums over the course of his career, Like "Teasin", "Can't Get Enough", "Childs Play", "Cornell Dupree" "Who It Is" To name a few. Cornell who had been seriously ill over the past few years, passed away in May of 2011, but not before completing the final solo recording of his career, just eight weeks prior to his passing. His final words to his wife Erma was "I'm Doin Alright", hence the title of this cd. As sick as Cornell had been, attached to oxygen, he entered the recording studio, and let his wonderful guitar speak one more time. The result is stunningly well played Jazz/blues, with a touch of funky overtones that has a sound that is vintage Cornell till the end. Highlights include the funky "Doin Alright", a beautiful take on Brooke Benton's "Rainy Night In Georgia', which Cornell played on. He adds spice with a funkified take on "Help Me Make It Through The night". He then uses a jazz shuffle on the tune "I Ain't Got You", complete with sax solo, that will get anyone's feet moving. This is a wonderful farewell recording that should not be missed by anyone who loves Jazz/Rock fusion. He is supported by a tight back-up band in the studio, With B.E Smith "Frosty" on Drums, Mike Flanigin on organ, Nick Connelly keyboards, Ronnie James and Larry Fulcher as well as George Porter on bass. This cd was released as an import under the title "Doin alright", and recently domestically under the title "I'm Alright" Both are exactly the same. It is difficult to find. It has been a pleasure to listen to this man's recordings over the past 40 years both as a session and solo artist. I only hope the RRHOF, will see fit to elect Cornell into its session wing, as one of the great influential guitarists of the modern pop era. RIP "Uncle Funky"! ~Anthony Accordino

Doin' Alright

Mint Julep Jazz Band - Battle Axe

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:20
Size: 129.0 MB
Styles: Swing, Big band
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[2:51] 1. You Can’t Live In Harlem
[3:13] 2. Ducky Wucky
[3:07] 3. Six Jerks In A Jeep
[4:22] 4. Trebuchet
[3:28] 5. Swingtime In Honolulu
[3:31] 6. The Dwindling Light By The Sea
[3:23] 7. Old King Dooji
[3:25] 8. Exactly Like You
[4:01] 9. That's The Blues Old Man
[4:07] 10. Night On Bald Mountain
[2:55] 11. Two Sleepy People
[3:28] 12. When I Get Low, I Get High
[3:40] 13. Everything Is Jumpin'
[4:06] 14. Say It Isn’t So
[4:04] 15. Betcha Nickel
[2:32] 16. Battle Axe

Lucian Cobb: trombone; Laura Windley: vocals, glockenspiel, ukulele; Aaron Hill: alto saxophone, clarinet; Keenan McKenzie: tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, clarinet; Paul Rogers: trumpet; Ben Lassiter: guitar; Jason Foureman: bass; Aaron Tucker: drums. Recorded by Jason Richmond at The Fidelitorium, Kernersville, NC. North Carolina-based little big band plays hot jazz and swing from the 1920's, 1930's, and 1940's and original swing tunes on their second album.

I especially like the song "When I Get Low I Get High ", made famous by Ella Fitzgerald. That song is quite difficult to sing "correctly" - but here it sounds right and really nice - better than the Ella Fitzgerald-version! "Internet says", that song was written by Marion Sunshine, first recorded and released by Chick Webb and His Orchestra in 1936. Traditional Jazz! - here as a unique version. This entire album is a lot of fun! ~Werner Rohlfs

Battle Axe

Betsyann Faiella - Can I Be Frank?

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:24
Size: 108.5 MB
Styles: Vocal
Year: 2001
Art: Front

[5:02] 1. All The Way
[3:37] 2. I've Got You Under My Skin
[4:20] 3. What Makes The Sunset
[3:25] 4. I'm Confessin'
[2:53] 5. Here Goes
[3:04] 6. No One Ever Tells You
[3:43] 7. Learnin' The Blues
[3:06] 8. I Get Along Without You Very Well
[3:10] 9. I Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry
[3:30] 10. (Love Is) The Tender Trap
[3:14] 11. Only The Lonely
[4:42] 12. All My Tomorrows
[3:31] 13. That's Life

Tribute albums to Frank Sinatra continue to proliferate. Here the title of Betsyann Faiella's entry is a question that is quite easy to answer. Can she be Frank? No. But can she sing songs that Sinatra sang? Absolutely, and she sings them very well. Faiella avoids the temptation many singers succumb too, over emoting. She takes a direct and relaxed approach to the music. While she includes some material that are automatically associated with Sinatra, refreshingly, there are some that Frank sang but were not exclusively his property and lesser known tunes like "No One Ever Tells You" and "Here Goes." There's a good sampling of Sinatra classics, including a nicely paced "I've Got You Under My skin" and "All the Way" with a Latin beat and a couple of surprises in the way the lyrics are delivered. There's a strong and varied group of musicians in the studio with Faiella. Don Shelton's tenor provides a mellow background on "All My Tomorrows," as well as an even mellower, and very pretty, solo. The one constant is Shelly Markham's piano, which makes important contributions to the success of the session. One of the favored tracks is "Only the Lonely" which Faiella does with just Markham's piano. Markham is also responsible for the fine arrangements which do not mimic those Sinatra used by any means. She has adequate range, good diction, and excellent phrasing. She's equally at home with the ballad and on the faster paced material. Irrespective of the tempo, her voice has a special brightness to it that makes it very appealing. But most of all, she sings in tune and has a very pretty voice, an unbeatable combination. Recommended. ~Dave Nathan

Can I Be Frank?

Eddie Palmieri - Listen Here!

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:08
Size: 142.2 MB
Styles: Latin jazz
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[5:40] 1. In Flight
[7:19] 2. Listen Here
[5:13] 3. Vals Con Bata
[4:25] 4. Tema Para Eydie
[6:20] 5. Tin Tin Deo
[5:58] 6. In Walked Bud
[7:15] 7. La Gitana
[5:51] 8. Nica's Dream
[5:47] 9. Mira Flores
[8:16] 10. Ep Blues

Eddie Palmieri (piano); John Scofield (acoustic guitar, electric guitar); Regina Carter (violin); Donald Harrison (alto saxophone); David Sanchez , Michael Brecker (tenor saxophone); Nicholas Payton, Brian Lynch (trumpet); Conrad Herwig, Doug Beavers (trombone); Christian McBride, John Benitez (bass instrument); Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez (drums); Giovanni Hidalgo (congas). Recording information: Avatar Studios, New York, New York (01/2005).

Is Latin jazz some musicians' excuse for having fun? Eddie Palmieri's really a jazz-influenced Latin pianist, but he has lots of fun running and recording bands of top-line jazzmen. He's no conventionally accomplished contemporary jazz pianist, but all the better because he's unconventional, distinguished mostly by his very competent musical extrovert verve. This outgoing date has only occasional quiet moments, like John Scofield's near-mandolin acoustic guitar in "La Gitana," amid examples of the boss-man's bass- supported and very musical crash, bang, and extended flourish. The guests are a very musical extravagance. Regina Carter delivers robust swing violin with the octet doing the little big band thing on Palmieri's "In Flight," before the horns and bassist go for a beer with Carter and Mike Brecker comes in on R&B tenor for an Eddie Harris tune; Christian McBride replaces the bassist and solos substantially. David Sanchez's tenor comes in with John Scofield's electric guitar for another Palmieri tune, along with the full band. Then the bassist duets with Palmieri on another of the latter's tunes.

Back come all the horns for the Gil Fuller/Chano Pozo Dizzy Gillespie big band piece "Tin Tin Deo," Sanchez soloing, then Palmieri and the sparky Giovanni Hidalgo. Monk's "In Walked Bud" is next, en famille, with no guests, featuring a solo from everybody bar the bassist and Doug Beavers, who gets credit throughout for "additional arrangement and orchestration" wherever the band is bigger. The two trombones are the pivot of the larger group music. Monk's rhythms lose some subtlety in louder performance, but they Latinise well, and there's always ample swing. Even Scofield's quieter bout in the trio interlude "La Gitana" doesn't calm things, Palmieri makes certain. Carter and trumpeter Nicholas Payton are the guest soloists on Horace Silver's "Nica's Dream," third in a dream trilogy. "Mira Flores" is yet another good Palmieri number, with Christian McBride guesting brilliantly on bass, compensating for Mike Brecker's lapse into a current pop tenor saxophone sound. "EP Blues" is a final Palmieri composition for the time being, carrying things to a close, Benitez back with a vengeance and Payton acting as guest soloist. Why is Ivan Renta, sometime saxophonist in the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, thanked for "additional alto saxophone"? Are his performances all unlisted? Did the excellent Donald Harrison need help, or a did a tape of him need patching? Conrad Herwig storms in solo, followed by Brian Lynch, Donald Harrison better than ever and Payton building to the climax, which is of course Palmieri's. Hidalgo takes things out. His business is what it's all about, considering the drummer on this date is no less than Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez. ~Robert R. Caldero

Listen Here!

Jef Neve Trio - Nobody Is Illegal

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:19
Size: 122.1 MB
Styles: R&B, Piano jazz
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[2:14] 1. Airplane
[8:57] 2. Nothing But A Casablanca Turtle Slide-Show Dinner
[6:23] 3. Abschied
[3:40] 4. Astra
[6:25] 5. Nobody Is Illegal
[1:04] 6. Unprepared
[9:32] 7. Second Love
[2:07] 8. Goldfish
[6:46] 9. Together At Last
[4:13] 10. Until Now
[1:51] 11. Delayed

Double Bass – Piet Verbist; Drums – Teun Verbruggen; Horns – Hans Verhulst (tracks: 2, 3, 7), Simon Haspeslag (tracks: 2, 3, 7); Piano, Producer – Jef Neve; Saxophone [Tenor] – Nicolas Kummert (tracks: 4, 6, 8); Trombone [Bass] – Pieter Kindt (tracks: 2, 3, 7); Trombone [Tenor] – Frederik Heirman (tracks: 2, 3, 7); Tuba – Berlinde Deman (tracks: 2, 3, 7). Tracks 1 to 4, 6 to 9, 11: Recorded at 'La Chapelle', Waimes, on April 17-19, 2006. Tracks 5, 10: Recorded at Bijloke, Ghent, on July 18th, 2006.

Pianist/composer Jef Neve (1977) has become a prominent figure in his homeland Belgium and his reputation is rapidly spreading to the rest of the world. He studied at the Lemmensinstituut in Leuven and graduated in 2000 as Master of Music in Jazz and classical piano, both with great distinction. In 2001 he specialized in Chamber Music and was rewarded the diploma 'cum laude'. He followed master classes with Brad Mehldau, Martial Solal, Lew Tabackin, Billy Hart, Bill Carothers, Kenny Werner, Bruce Barth and others.

Nobody Is Illegal

Ketty Lester - Where Is Love?

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1965
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:19
Size: 79,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:33)  1. Where Is Love?
(2:57)  2. My Romance
(2:42)  3. That's All
(2:41)  4. Wouldn't It Be Loverly
(3:19)  5. Love Locked Out
(2:39)  6. Deep Purple
(3:20)  7. Lover Man
(2:27)  8. Skylark
(3:11)  9. The Sweetest Sounds
(3:15) 10. My Foolish Heart
(2:40) 11. I Got Lost In His Arms
(2:31) 12. I Feel Pretty

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 http://www.allmusic.com/artist/ketty-lester-mn0000079654

Where Is Love?

Tete Montoliu Trio - Hot House Disc 1 And Disc 2

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1974
File: MP3@224K/s
Time: 57:25 + 48:11
Size: 93,2 MB + 78,2 MB
Art: Front

( 7:37)  1. Sweet Georgia Fame
( 7:35)  2. A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square
( 8:54)  3. Blues for Perla
(10:22)  4. Falling in Love With Love
( 8:08)  5. Old Folks
( 4:52)  6. Au Privave
( 9:52)  7. Body and Soul

( 6:26)  1. Giant Steps
( 7:11)  2. Theme for Ernie
(12:19)  3. Body and Soul [#]
( 6:55)  4. Solar
( 8:22)  5. I Remember Clifford
( 6:56)  6. Hot Housse

Tete Montoliu (1933-1997) was an outstanding veteran pianist from Spain. Born blind, he learned to read music in Braille when he was seven and developed impressive technique on piano. He recorded with Lionel Hampton in 1956, had his first session as a leader in 1958, and played with the touring Roland Kirk in 1963. Through the years, he also worked with such visiting Americans as Kenny Dorham, Dexter Gordon, Ben Webster, Lucky Thompson, and even Anthony Braxton. Some of Tete Montoliu's most important recordings were done for the Danish SteepleChase label, but he also cut one date for Contemporary (1979) and recorded for Enja and Soul Note.

Personnel:  Tete Montoliu  (piano);  Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen (bass);  Albert Tootie Heath (drums)

Hot House Disc 1 And Disc 2

David S. Ware / Apogee - Birth Of A Being Disc 1 And Disc 2

Album: Birth Of A Being Disc 1

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:15 + 52:44
Size: 122,4 MB + 121,3 MB 
Art: Front

(10:54)  1. Prayer
(16:33)  2. Thematic Womb
(13:47)  3. A Primary Piece #1
(12:00)  4. A Primary Piece #2


Album: Birth Of A Being Disc 2

(12:07)  1. Prayer
(14:06)  2. Cry
(17:04)  3. Stop Time
( 2:29)  4. Ashimba
( 6:55)  5. Solo

Birth of a Being presents the debut of the trio called Apogee -David S. Ware , Cooper-Moore , Marc Edwards -originariamente printed on vinyl by Swiss label hat Hut in 1979 and remained out of print for more than thirty years, more than a second of material CD coming from the same session and never published until now. If the debut album by the saxophonist leaders of Plainfield, New Jersey, lays the foundation of the celebrated quartet that recorded for Columbia and DIW in the nineties, the unpublished material heard in the second CD, while lacking the compactness and the impact force of the previous, however, contains more than a source of interest.  The beginning of everything is "Prayer," a mission statement that will accompany Ware throughout his career until his premature death in October of 2012. That is a tremendous spiritual inspiration which is expressed through grueling rides on tenor who moans, screams , screaming, whispering, communicates all the possible range of feelings, passions, joys and sorrows with repetitive notes and crazy spirals. Edwards on drums provide a rhythmic hellish, stifling, does not grant reprieve while Cooper-Moore becomes the alienating element, dissonant clusters and transform his piano in contrast fluid for the reaction of the trio.  Music that stuns, that leaves you breathless and without appeal, the tradition as an irreplaceable sap, expressive frenzy as the only escape route. 

The sublimation of this aesthetic will be completed, it was said, in the albums of the nineties especially in Godspelized , one of the vertices of a musician and as few others endeavored to gather and expand the legacy of John Coltrane. The second CD, as well as an alternate take of "Prayer" still interesting, shows the more reflective side of Ware. "Cry" and "Stop Time" -over thirty minutes overall -privilegiano interplay, the trio balances into its components, loses some vehemence and visionary but enhances the dense web of connections that are established between musicians in full harmony and wrapped in a sort of enigmatic suppleness. "Ashimba" sees Cooper-Moore grappling with a xylophone of its construction (a practice that more and more will refine over the years, that of the construction of original instruments) for two minutes of pure ancestral magic. While "only" it is the lone breath of Ware, the final prayer of a nodal registration for the developments of the David S. Ware career. Precious. Translate by Google ~ Vicenzo Roggero https://www.allaboutjazz.com/apogee-birth-of-a-being-david-s-ware-aum-fidelity-review-by-vincenzo-roggero.php
 
Personnel: David S. Ware: tenor sax;  Cooper-Moore: piano;  Marc Edwards: drums.

Birth Of A Being Disc 1
Birth Of A Being Disc 2