Ella Fitzgerald - Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Irving Berlin Song Book (2-Disc Set)

It is difficult to know where to begin when approaching an artist as wonderful as Ella Fitzgerald, especially when covering a revered recording like Sings the Irving Berlin Song Book from the late '50s. This set includes two CDs with 32 songs chosen from Berlin's collection of nearly 800 songs. These selections are perfectly suited for Fitzgerald's voice and her romantic sensibility; they are happy, occasionally sad, and full of swinging rhythm. A few of these songs -- "Cheek to Cheek," "Puttin' on the Ritz," and "Blue Skies" -- will be most familiar; others, "Top Hat, White Tie, and Tails," "Russian Lullaby," and "All By Myself" are as memorable but perhaps less known. Choices like "Isn't This a Lovely Day?" feature everything a listener would want in a song: intelligent lyrics, memorable melodies, and a strong emotional center. To say that Fitzgerald is in good voice for these recordings would be an understatement; her presentation here is simply regal. It should be pointed out that these two- and three-minute tunes are tightly arranged, and don't allow the freedom of extended scat singing as on Ella in Berlin. The arrangements are also lovely, featuring the tasteful support of Paul Weston & His Orchestra, which never overpowers Fitzgerald. Such songs as "Cheek to Cheek" and "How Deep Is the Ocean?" -- the standards that once dominated singers' repertoires -- seem absent from today's musical scene. That may be unfortunate, but they continue to live healthy lives in recordings like this one. For fans who have enjoyed other songbook recordings, this reissue is a must-have; for those unfamiliar with Fitzgerald's songbook work, this is an excellent place to start. ~Ronnie D. Lankford Jr.

Album: Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Irving Berlin Song Book (Disc 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:40
Size: 106.8 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 1958/2008

[2:54] 1. Let's Face The Music And Dance
[3:18] 2. You're Laughing At Me
[2:20] 3. Let Yourself Go
[3:43] 4. You Can Have Him
[1:55] 5. Russian Lullaby
[2:14] 6. Putting On The Ritz
[3:49] 7. Get Thee Behind Me Satan
[2:40] 8. Alexander's Ragtime Band
[2:36] 9. Top Hat, White Tie, And Tails
[3:14] 10. How About Me
[3:44] 11. Cheek To Cheek
[2:29] 12. I Used To Be Color Blind
[2:36] 13. Lazy
[3:07] 14. How Deep Is The Ocean (How High Is The Sky)
[2:25] 15. All By Myself
[3:27] 16. Remember

Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Irving Berlin Song Book (Disc 1)

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Album: Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Irving Berlin Song Book (Disc 2)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:19
Size: 108.3 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 1958/2008
Art: Front

[3:19] 1. Supper Time
[2:45] 2. How's Chances
[2:21] 3. Heat Wave
[3:30] 4. Isn't This A Lovely Day
[3:31] 5. You Keep Coming Back Like A Song
[2:15] 6. Reaching For The Moon
[2:20] 7. Slumming On Park Avenue
[2:26] 8. The Song Is Ended
[3:01] 9. I'm Putting All My Eggs In One Basket
[3:13] 10. Now It Can Be Told
[3:05] 11. Always
[2:24] 12. It's A Lovely Day Today
[3:14] 13. Change Partners
[3:04] 14. No Strings (I'm Fancy Free)
[3:00] 15. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
[3:44] 16. Blue Skies

Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Irving Berlin Song Book (Disc 2)

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Nat Adderley & The Big Sax Section - That's Right!

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 37:57

Size: 86.9 MB

Styles: Bop, Soul-jazz

Year: 1960/1993

Art: Front

[3:56] 1. The Old Country

[6:10] 2. Chordnation

[4:15] 3. The Folks Who Live On The Hill

[4:17] 4. Tadd

[4:16] 5. You Leave Me Breathless

[2:28] 6. Night After Night

[3:49] 7. E.S.P

[8:43] 8. That's Right!

Alto Saxophone – Julian "Cannonball" Adderley; Baritone Saxophone – Tate Houston; Bass – Sam Jones; Cornet – Nat Adderley; Drums – Jimmy Cobb; Flute – Yusef Lateef; Guitar – Jim Hall; Oboe – Yusef Lateef; Piano – Wynton Kelly; Tenor Saxophone – Charlie Rouse, Jimmy Heath, Yusef Lateef. Recorded Aug. 9 and Sept., 1960.

One of cornetist Nat Adderley's best early albums, That's Right has eight selections (seven of which were arranged by Jimmy Heath) that feature Nat with five saxophonists (altoist Cannonball Adderley, baritonist Tate Houston, and the tenors of Yusef Lateef, Jimmy Heath, and Charlie Rouse), and a rhythm section led by pianist Wynton Kelly. Despite Cannonball's presence, this is very much Nat's date (the altoist has just one solo), although there is some ample solo space for the three tenors. Highlights include Nat's memorable original "The Old Country," a touching version of "The Folks Who Live on the Hill," and "You Leave Me Breathless." Recommended. ~Scott Yanow

That's Right! 

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Jaz Sawyer - Jaz Sawyer Presents After Hours Vol 1

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:23
Size: 129.1 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[7:34] 1. Cyclic Episode
[4:27] 2. Groovin' With Grewen
[6:14] 3. Namibia
[5:21] 4. Closer So In Love With You
[4:58] 5. Broadway
[1:41] 6. Lucky Guy
[4:20] 7. Mary Lou
[7:43] 8. What Is This Thing Called Love
[5:29] 9. Sweet Dulcinea Blue
[8:32] 10. The Oracle

Jaz Sawyer (with one “Z”) began playing drums at age of 2 in the Haight Ashbury district of San Francisco, California. His musical studies has taken him through the music programs at the Ruth Asawa School of the Arts, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Stanford Jazz Workshop and The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music.

Jaz possesses an eclectic and refined personal style of drumming that stems from his deep roots in his Classical, Jazz, West-African and Afro-Caribbean musical training. Jaz has worked with many notable artists, including Wynton Marsalis, Abbey Lincoln, George Benson, Bobby Hutcherson, Jacky Terrasson and Dee Dee Bridgewater in some of the world’s premier concert venues, including The Blue Note, The Village Vanguard, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center and the Sydney Opera House.

Jaz Sawyer Presents After Hours Vol 1

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Ray Charles - The Ray Charles Story Vols 3 & 4

Album: The Ray Charles Story Vol 3
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:42
Size: 88.6 MB
Styles: R&B
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[3:21] 1. Sinner's Prayer
[3:17] 2. Funny But I Still Love You
[2:47] 3. Feelin' Sad
[2:53] 4. Hard Times (No One Knows Better Than I) (R&b)
[2:34] 5. What Would I Do Without You
[2:27] 6. I Want To Know
[2:38] 7. Leave My Woman Alone
[2:14] 8. It's Alright
[2:25] 9. Get On The Right Track
[2:43] 10. That's Enough
[2:52] 11. I Want A Little Girl
[2:28] 12. You Be My Baby
[2:50] 13. I Had A Dream
[3:07] 14. Tell The Truth

The Ray Charles Story Vol 3

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Album: The Ray Charles Story Vol 4
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:53
Size: 93.6 MB
Styles: R&B
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[2:20] 1. Blackjack
[2:55] 2. Alexander's Ragtime Band
[2:58] 3. I Believe To My Soul
[2:17] 4. A Bit Of Soul
[2:49] 5. Greenbacks
[3:40] 6. Undecided
[2:47] 7. When Your Lover Has Gone
[2:41] 8. It Had To Be You
[2:45] 9. Early In The Morning
[2:50] 10. Heartbreaker
[2:53] 11. Music, Music, Music
[2:43] 12. Tell Me How Do You Feel
[3:52] 13. In A Little Spanish Town
[3:18] 14. You Won't Let Me Go

The Ray Charles Story Vol 4

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Art Farmer - The Meaning Of Art

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 50:11

Size: 114.9 MB

Styles: Bop, Trumpet jazz

Year: 1995

Art: Front

[ 5:17] 1. On The Plane

[ 7:04] 2. Just The Way You Look Tonight

[ 5:18] 3. Lift Your Spirit High

[ 6:30] 4. One Day Forever

[10:35] 5. Free Verse

[ 7:48] 6. Home

[ 7:36] 7. Johnny One Note

Webster's Dictionary would define the meaning of Art Farmer as "a cool, swinging, mainstream, jazz trumpeter and bandleader," but that only partially describes what Farmer does on this CD. His approach is a democratic one -- solos to his bandmates, doled out liberally, are concise. Melodic intent is utmost in his mind, and swinging is a prerequisite, not a duty. Trombonist Slide Hampton is an equal partner during the entire set, whether as an ensemble player, soloist, composer, or arranger, and pianist Geoff Keezer kicks everything up a notch, especially when he is featured. Saxophonist Ron Blake, bassist Kenny Davis, and drummer Carl Allen give great support without flash. The two most up-tempo numbers are the frantic "Johnny One Note," (Keezer is livid with passion in modal and latin frames), and the Hampton-penned bopper "Lift Your Spirit High," which typifies this set, ostensibly, as a jam session. Head follows a succession of solos consistently throughout the seven selections. A slight similarity to "Daahoud" informs the melody of Hampton's "On the Plane," with everybody soloing. A relaxed and reserved swing typical of Farmer identifies "Just the Way You Look Tonight," while a loping melody leads to solos ad hoc in extensia for the ten-and-a-half-minute Keezer composition, "Free Verse," which finds Blake switching from his usually lurid, sweet tenor, to a more edgy soprano saxophone. There's a certain urgency to Benny Golson's ballad "One Day Forever," and this is where Farmer shines -- his round, distinct trumpet sounds clear as a bell, against Keezer's piano, nodding in approval. The most singing melody has Farmer and Hampton in melodic unison for Fritz Pauer's "Home," an easy, bluesy, swinger. This is jazz that is relatively cliché and quote-free; not groundbreaking, but a consistent, professional effort. The release is a testimony to Farmer's endurance as one of the truly great jazz musicians of the late 1900s. Recommended. ~Michael G. Nastos

The Meaning Of Art 

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France D'Amour - Bubble Bath And Champagne Vol 2

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:42
Size: 77.2 MB
Styles: Pop-rock, Jazz vocals
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[3:04] 1. Fortune Cookie
[2:58] 2. I Want You Always
[3:29] 3. Constellations
[2:20] 4. Let's Celebrate
[4:14] 5. And I'll Be Singing
[2:43] 6. Le Rideau
[3:15] 7. Looking Up
[3:07] 8. Un Sou Noir
[2:23] 9. 1, 2, 3 Et Voilà
[3:31] 10. Cross The River
[2:32] 11. The First Time

France D'Amour is once again showing off her jazzy side with her new album, Bubble Bath & Champagne, Vol. 2. The singer-songwriter is best known for her pop-rock releases.

Born France Rochon in March of 1966 in Quebec, France D'Amour was a singer/songwriter who released her first album, Animal, in 1992. 1998 found D'Amour taking up the role of Esmerelda in the musical Notre-Dame de Paris. Her string of hit records continued through to 2007, when she released her top forty album Les Autres.

Bubble Bath And Champagne Vol 2

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Ryan Kisor - Minor Mutiny

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:48
Size: 147,2 MB
Art: Front

(8:22)  1. One for Miles
(7:45)  2. Ebony
(7:27)  3. Minor Mutiny
(8:38)  4. Little Nick
(4:56)  5. Exotic Isles
(7:54)  6. The Invisible
(5:10)  7. A New Day
(6:04)  8. Somwhere in the Dark
(7:30)  9. For Erin

Minor Mutiny album for sale by Ryan Kisor was released Mar 03, 1992 on the Columbia label. Minor Mutiny is most significant for documenting the recording debut of Ryan Kisor (the winner of the Thelonious Monk Institute's 1990 trumpet contest), tenor saxophonist Ravi Coltrane (son of John) and drummer Jeff Siegel. Minor Mutiny buy CD music Kisor's first date finds the teenager playing moody originals, including six of his originals and two by the date's producer Jack DeJohnette. Minor Mutiny songs The compositions are often not all that interesting, giving a certain melancholy sameness to many of the performances. Minor Mutiny album for sale Kisor's lyrical sound and surprising but logical twists in his solos recall Tom Harrell but he was already on his way to developing his own conception. Minor Mutiny CD music Coltrane at that point seemed to be mainly influenced by Branford Marsalis with a touch of Michael Brecker. Overall the musicians (which also include keyboardist Michael Cain, bassist Lonnie Plaxico and on two songs drummer Jack DeJohnette) prove to be stronger than the material on this decent and somewhat historic effort. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/minor-mutiny-mw0000275925

Personnel: Ryan Kisor (trumpet, flugelhorn); Ravi Coltrane (tenor & soprano saxophones); Michael Cain (piano); Lonnie Plaxico (bass); Jeff Siegal, Jack DeJohnette (drums).

Minor Mutiny

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Jimmy Scott - All the Way

Styles: Vocal, Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:10
Size: 109,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:59)  1. All the Way
(5:08)  2. Embraceable You
(5:15)  3. Angel Eyes
(4:53)  4. At Last
(5:31)  5. Someone to Watch over Me
(5:14)  6. Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye
(4:38)  7. I'll Be Around
(5:23)  8. My Foolish Heart
(6:06)  9. I'm Getting Sentimental over You

The recording history of Little Jimmy Scott is peppered with long hiatuses from the studio. He was absent for a period of seven years from 1962 to 1969 and then for more than 15 years from 1975 to 1990. Bordering on singing in the range of a counter tenor, Scott brings a distinctive, immediately recognizable sound and sensitivity to material he sings. It is hard to find any other vocalist, other than Billie Holiday, who matches Scott's depth of emotion that he applies to the classic standards he favors. All the Way was recorded more than 40 years after Scott made his first album for Roost. Over those years, even with his long absences, he has been able to command the services of top of the line musicians. He is one of those rare vocalists that jazz musicians like to be on the stage or in the studio with. And this album is no exception, featuring an all-star lineup that includes Kenny Barron, Ron Carter, and Grady Tate on rhythm. David "Fathead" Newman's soulful sax on such cuts as "All the Way" compliments Scott's delivery perfectly. Like Scott, Newman leaves abundant room between the measures to allow the song to breathe, the listeners to gain the full flavor of what he has played and to anticipate what's to follow in a second or two. On such tunes as "Angel Eyes" and "At Last," Scott's delivery goes beyond mere poignancy, and moves close to reverence, such respect he has for the classics he has put in the song list. This is good stuff. Strings magically appear on some tracks. But they are done tastefully and don't get in the way. Jimmy McDonough's knowledgeable highlights of Scott's career are a welcome added attraction. ~ Dave Nathan http://www.allmusic.com/album/all-the-way-mw0000079980

Personnel: Jimmy Scott (vocals); Johnny Mandel (arranger); David "Fathead" Newman (saxophone); Kenny Barron (piano); John Pisano (guitar); Ron Carter (bass); Grady Tate (drums).

All the Way

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Al Haig - Al Haig Trio and Sextets

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:35
Size: 119,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:59)  1. Just One Of Those Things
(3:07)  2. Yardbird Suite
(2:44)  3. Taboo
(4:51)  4. Mighty Like A Rose
(3:37)  5. S'wonderful
(1:52)  6. Just You, Just Me
(2:48)  7. The Moon Was Yellow
(5:21)  8. 'round Midnight
(2:34)  9. Sugar Hill
(2:54) 10. Five Star
(3:09) 11. It's The Talk Of The Town
(3:08) 12. In A Pinch
(2:26) 13. Skull Buster
(2:46) 14. Ante Room
(2:52) 15. Poop Deck
(3:20) 16. Pennies From Heaven

Bop pianist Al Haig was unfortunately overlooked, with few opportunities to record for a long stretch in the middle of his career. Fortunately, this Original Jazz Classics compilation highlights several sessions recorded between 1949 and 1954 for Period. The first eight tracks feature bassist Bill Crow and drummer Lee Abrams, where Haig's light touch is especially of interest. A number of these pieces were recorded by Art Tatum, but Haig puts his own stamp on them, inserting a humorous bit of "Sing, Sing, Sing!" into an easygoing "Taboo" (to contrast with Tatum's showstopping virtuoso arrangement) and offering a rambunctious bop treatment of "Just You, Just Me" as a quicky. Four tracks feature Haig in a group with tenor saxophonist Wardell Gray and guitarist Jimmy Raney, with vocalist Terry Swope scatting in unison on two of them. Best is Haig's potent original "In a Pinch." Stan Getz is present (along with Raney) on the last four selections, including a breezy take of Haig's "Skull Buster" (a transparent reworking of "[Back Home Again In] Indiana") and the pianist's lighthearted "Poop Deck." Released as a limited-edition reissue in 2000, bop fans are advised not to tarry if interested in this excellent compilation of Al Haig's early recorded efforts. ~ Ken Dryden http://www.allmusic.com/album/trio-and-sextets-mw0000609148

Personnel: Al Haig (piano); Terry Swope (vocals); Wardell Gray, Stan Getz (tenor saxophone); Jimmy Raney (guitar); Tommy Potter, Bill Crow, Gene Ramey (bass); Lee Abrams, Charlie Perry (drums); Carlos Vidal (congas).

Al Haig Trio and Sextets

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Lyn Collins - Female Preacher

Styles: Vocal, Soul, Funk 
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:37
Size: 91,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:04)  1. We Want To Parrty, Parrty, Parrty
(3:30)  2. Mama Feelgodd
(5:43)  3. Take Me Just As I Am
(4:03)  4. Mr. Big Stuff
(3:24)  5. Think (About It)
(3:20)  6. Me And My Baby Got A Good Thing Going
(3:26)  7. Things Got To Get Better
(5:32)  8. You Can't Love Me If You Don't Respect Me
(4:05)  9. Give It Up Or Turn It Loose
(3:26) 10. Rock Me Again & Again & Again & Again & Again & Again (6 Times) [feat. James Brown]

Nicknamed the "Female Preacher," Lyn Collins was discovered in the early '70s along with her relatives Bootsy and Catfish Collins by James Brown, who was making the transition to the hardest funk phase of his career. Lyn Collins was born June 12, 1948, in Abilene, TX, where she grew up; she began singing in her teens, waxing a tune called "Unlucky in Love" at age 14, and married a man who served both as her manager and as the local promoter for the James Brown Revue. Collins sent Brown a demo tape and he responded by essentially putting her on standby in 1970, when Marva Whitney left the Revue. Former vocalist Vicki Anderson elected to rejoin, however, so Brown instead invited Collins to come to Georgia for a recording session in early 1971, which produced the single "Wheel of Life." By the end of that year, Anderson was ready to leave again, and Collins officially joined the James Brown Revue. In 1972, Brown's People Records label released Collins' self-penned single "Think (About It)"; produced by Brown, it became her first and biggest hit, made her the most commercially successful female singer in Brown's camp, and was later sampled for the main vocal hook in the party rap classic "It Takes Two" by Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock. Collins' first full-length album, also titled Think (About It), was released later in the year. Collins continued to record singles for Brown through 1973, also fulfilling her heavy touring commitments as a member of the Revue. Collins' second album, Check It Out if You Don't Know Me by Now, was released in 1975. She eventually became a backup session vocalist, also appearing on the soundtracks of the film Dr. Detroit and the TV series Fame. Around the late '80s/early '90s, Collins attempted a comeback as a dance-club diva, recording the house single "Shout" for Belgium's ARS label, and a self-penned track called "Break Your Heart" for an Italian label. In 1993, Collins' profile was given a boost by female dancehall reggae singer Patra, who invited Collins to perform on her hit remake of "Think (About It)"; partly due to the resulting interest, her two official albums were reissued in England and Holland. In addition, Collins' work has appeared on Polydor compilations like James Brown's Funky People and James Brown's Original Funky Divas, as well as the bootleg singles comp Female Preacher; she continued to tour and perform, most notably at the European Jazz/Funk Festival (in both 1998 and 1999) and the Montreux Jazz Festival. Shortly after returning from a European tour in February of 2005, Lyn Collins passed away on March 13 at the age of 56. ~ Steve Huey http://www.allmusic.com/artist/lyn-collins-mn0000803242/biography

Female Preacher

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