Benny Golson Quartet - Free

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:58
Size: 86.9 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1962/2011
Art: Front

[7:00] 1. Sock Cha Cha
[7:16] 2. Mad About The Boy
[5:47] 3. Just By Myself
[4:30] 4. Shades Of Stein
[7:27] 5. My Romance
[5:55] 6. Just In Time

Bass – Ron Carter; Drums – Arthur Taylor; Piano – Tommy Flanagan; Tenor Saxophone – Benny Golson. Recorded December 26, 1962 - Van Gelder Studios, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.

The "Free" in the title of this album is not the Ornette Coleman type of free, but merely Golson's feeling that on this recording he had the "freedom" to do what he wanted without anyone else calling the shots. That is still very much in the mainstream tradition of modern jazz - hard bop style. Golson is especially fond of the lower register of the tenor and has a rolling style not unlike thunderclouds, albeit small sized ones. SOCK CHA CHA is an interesting tune: 43 bars long played with a latin rhythm except for the bridge, which is 16 bars long and played in straight 4/4. JUST IN TIME and JUST BY MYSELF are taken up tempo and they swing very nicely. The real standout on this album to these ears is pianist Tommy Flanagan who plays beautifully with quiet assurance. Ron Carter (b) and Arthur Taylor (d) round out the personnel; Taylor's drumming is ever-present but not the least bit intrusive. One or two tracks are below the others (SHADES OF STEIN is one), but a very good CD nonetheless. ~Bomojazz

Free

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Nils Landgren - The Moon, The Stars And You

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:58
Size: 125.8 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals. Trombone jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[5:07] 1. Moonshadow
[3:25] 2. The Moon, The Stars And You
[3:31] 3. Oh You Crazy Moon
[3:54] 4. Joe's Moonblues
[4:48] 5. Angels Of Fortune
[4:28] 6. Moon River
[3:19] 7. Till There Was You
[4:25] 8. Stars In Your Eyes
[4:33] 9. Please Don't Tell Me How The Story Ends
[4:42] 10. The Moon's A Harsh Mistress
[5:23] 11. Holofotes
[7:18] 12. Lost In The Stars

Nils Landgren / trombone & vocals; Michael Wollny / piano; Lars Danielsson / bass; Rasmus Kihlberg / drums. Special Guests: Joe Sample / piano; João Bosco / guitar & vocals; Richard Galliano / accordion; Steve Gadd / drums; Caecilie Norby / vocals; NDR Bigband & Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra.

An incredible new vocal jazz album by Swedish singer and trombonist Nils Landgren, accompanied by many greats such as Joe Sample, Steve Gadd, Joao Bosco, Richard Galliano, and Cæcilie Norby. Nils Landgren presents his third vocal jazz album after the very successful Sentimental Journey in 2005 and Ballads in 1999. Features well-known guests Joe Sample, Steve Gadd, Joao Bosco, Richard Galliano, and Caecilie Norby. Contains a broad repertoire, from the very intimate Moon River to a full symphony orchestra on Lost in the Stars and everything in between!

Nils Landgren is one of the world s great trombonists and enjoys both sophisticated chamber jazz and straight out party music, seemingly in equal measure. --Jazzitude

The Moon, The Stars And You

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Sherie Rene Scott - Men I've Had

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:41
Size: 122.9 MB
Styles: Vocal
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[4:13] 1. Squeeze Box
[3:40] 2. Let My Love Open The Door
[3:44] 3. Midnight Creeper
[4:51] 4. Honky Cat
[4:38] 5. I Think He's Hiding
[3:18] 6. Bargain
[4:26] 7. Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters
[3:39] 8. Falling In Love
[4:25] 9. Come Down In Time
[5:48] 10. This Life
[4:06] 11. Real Emotional Girl
[4:26] 12. Love Heals
[2:22] 13. He Gives Us All His Love

"When you've had some of the very best, you want to spread it around." So says singer Sherie Rene Scott (star of Elton John and Tim Rice's "Aida," "The Who's Tommy," and "Rent") whose debut album "Sherie Rene... Men I've Had" features songs by Pete Townshend, Elton John and Randy Newman. "Men I've Had" gives Sherie the opportunity to pay tribute, in her own unforgettable way, to the "Men She's Had" (world famous composers she's worked with in her career as a Broadway pop music star).

Part feminist, part femme fatale, (think Ann-Margret with an edge) Sherie sings some of her favorite songs by Pete, Elton and Randy as well as never-before recorded songs by Jonathan Larson ("Rent") and Kander & Ebb ("Chicago," "Cabaret"). Each song brings new light to the familiar tunes. USA TODAY gives the album 3 stars, and raves "Scott is a powerhouse vocal talent!" and Liz Smith boasts "Sherie Rene Scott is bawdy and beautiful, bitchy and touching!"

Men I've Had

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Donovan - Donovan's Greatest Hits

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:09
Size: 114.8 MB
Styles: Folk-rock, Psychedelic pop
Year: 1969/1999
Art: Front

[3:39] 1. Mellow Yellow
[2:42] 2. Colours
[3:18] 3. Hurdy Gurdy Man
[2:53] 4. Catch The Wind
[2:54] 5. Lalaina
[3:10] 6. Epistle To Dippy
[4:31] 7. Sunshine Superman
[2:35] 8. There Is A Mountain
[2:41] 9. Jennifer Juniper
[2:23] 10. Wear Your Love Like Heaven
[4:56] 11. Season Of The Witch
[4:58] 12. Atlantis
[3:11] 13. To Susan On The West Coast Waiting
[3:17] 14. Barabajagal
[2:54] 15. Riki Tiki Tavi

Epic's Greatest Hits may not be a perfect collection -- for instance, it contains re-recordings of his earliest folk songs, "Catch the Wind" and "Colours," not the originals -- but for many casual fans, that may not matter since the remaining nine songs offer an excellent summary of his hit singles. And, as these songs prove, Donovan and producer Mickie Most could craft irresistible folk-rock and psychedelic pop singles. Some of the sounds and sentiments may sound a little dated, but the productions and the songs -- "Sunshine Superman," "Jennifer Juniper," "Wear Your Love Like Heaven," "Season of the Witch," "Mellow Yellow," "Hurdy Gurdy Man," "Epistle to Dippy," "There Is a Mountain," "Lalena" -- have proven to be classics of the era, and this is the best place to get them all on one collection. ~Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Donovan's Greatest Hits

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David Sanborn - Only Everything

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:40
Size: 104.6 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[3:41] 1. The Peeper
[8:00] 2. Only Everything (For Genevieve)
[5:01] 3. Hard Times
[3:05] 4. Let The Good Times Roll
[8:02] 5. Baby Won't You Please Come Home
[6:03] 6. You've Changed
[3:56] 7. Hallelujah I Love Her So
[7:49] 8. Blues In The Night

Alto Saxophone – David Sanborn; Baritone Saxophone – Frank Basile; Drums – Steve Gadd; Organ – Joey DeFrancesco; Tenor Saxophone – Bob Malach; Trombone – Mike Davis; Trumpet – Tony Kadleck.

Only Everything is alto saxophonist David Sanborn's second straight release paying homage to one of his greatest and earliest influences, Ray Charles. While some jazz purists may dismiss Sanborn as a slick TV personality and practitioner of smooth or pop jazz, he's always had firm roots in bluesy, R&B-based jazz, dating to his early days playing with the likes of Albert King and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. And along with his more commercially calculated recordings, he's released some excellent straight-ahead, even experimental albums over the years, notably 1991's out-of-left-field Another Hand (Elektra), which featured Sanborn in the company of Charlie Haden, Marc Ribot and Bill Frisell, among others.

On Only Everything, Sanborn is joined by a tight, small group featuring the hard-grooving organist Joey DeFrancesco and the well-traveled drum dynamo Steve Gadd. The addition of a four-member horn section—Bob Malach (tenor), Frank Basile (baritone), Tony Kadlock (trumpet) and Mike Davis (bass trombone)—on about half the tracks gives the album a 'little big band' vibe that evokes Charles' 1961 Atlantic classic Genius + Soul = Jazz. Like its predecessor, 2008's well-received Here and Gone (Verve), Only Everything highlights the contributions of Charles' star saxophonists Hank Crawford and David "Fathead" Newman, both of whom passed away last year within days of each other. Sanborn pays tribute to his fellow saxmen here with a rousing take on Crawford's "The Peeper" and a moving treatment of Newman's signature tune, "Hard Times." Throughout, Sanborn's earthy, slightly tart alto and DeFrancesco's booming, soulful organ make a compelling pairing, with the often subdued Sanborn playing with unexpected fire and the flashy DeFrancesco showing some welcome restraint.

The album's two vocal guests have mixed results. Young pop-soul star Joss Stone has great chops, but tries too hard on "Let the Good Times Roll" while the always relaxed James Taylor fares better on a cool, low-key reading of "Hallelujah, I Love Her So." ~Joel Roberts

Only Everything    

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Clark Terry, SWR Big Band - Jazz Matinee

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:15
Size: 165.4 MB
Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[8:16] 1. The Zinger
[5:33] 2. Easy Does It
[4:15] 3. Come Sunday
[5:44] 4. A Penny For Your Thoughts
[4:42] 5. Jenny
[4:48] 6. C.T.'s Express
[5:39] 7. Big Bad Blues
[5:54] 8. Dues Blues
[5:53] 9. Tee Pee Time
[4:50] 10. Sheba
[7:41] 11. Cold Tater Stomp
[4:36] 12. Just Squeeze Me (But Please Don't Tease Me)
[4:17] 13. Mumbles Returns

Clark Terry, conductor, trumpet, flugelhorn, vocals; Thomas Vogel, Claus Reichstaller, Karl Farrent, Rudi Reindl, trumpet; Ernst Hutter, Marc Godfroid, Ian Cumming, Georg Maus, trombone; Bernd Rabe, Klaus Graf, alto sax; Peter Weninger, tenor, soprano sax; Andreas Maile, tenor sax; Rainer Heute, baritone sax; Klaus Wagenleiter, piano; Decebal Badila, bass.

The irrepressible Clark Terry was a spry seventy–seven years old when this “Jazz Matinee” was recorded three years ago in Stuttgart, Germany. To hear him — on trumpet, flugelhorn or singing — is to summon forth images of a much younger man, so infectious is his boundless energy and unfailing good humor. About the latter, drummer Louie Bellson once said: “There has to be something wrong with anybody who can’t get along with Clark Terry.” As to his playing, Miles Davis called him “one of the best trumpeters in the world, if not the very best,” an assessment seconded by Dizzy Gillespie, who observed that “[Terry’s] flexibility and versatility make him one of the greatest. He can swing, he knows how to bop, he can do whatever he wants with his horn.” What he wants to do on this colorful session with the world–class SWR Big Band is entertain the rapt audience with a series of typically resourceful solos, which he does with relative ease, and with his engaging vocals on “Just Squeeze Me” and the amusing “Mumbles Returns” (on which one would almost swear he’s speaking an actual “language” that hasn’t yet been codified). Never comfortable on the sidelines, Terry solos on every number and shoulders the entire load on “Squeeze Me,” Ellington’s “Come Sunday” and Dave Slonaker’s “C.T.’s Express.” Elsewhere, he’s aided and abetted by a number of the ensemble’s top–drawer improvisers — saxophonists Rainer Heute, Andy Maile, Peter Weniger, Klaus Graf and Bernd Rabe; trumpeters Claus Reichstaller and Karl Farrent; trombonists Ian Cumming and Marc Godfroid, pianist Klaus Wagenleiter and bassist Decebal Badila. To show the versatility alluded to by Gillespie, Terry places his flugel in one hand, muted trumpet in the other and plays “against” himself on the scampering “Tee Pee Time,” then goes into the trenches to engage in hand–to–horn combat with Graf, Farrent and Reichstaller on Alan Foust’s funky “Cold Tater Stomp.” The SWR Big Band, powered by its superb rhythm section (Wagenleiter, Badila and drummer Jörg Gebhardt), swings audaciously from first note to last on this generously timed (72:06) concert date. With so many of Jazz’s acknowledged giants having left us, we are indeed fortunate that Clark Terry is still here. Now 80, he was diagnosed recently with colon cancer, which is no laughing matter. We are certain that we echo the sentiments of everyone in the Jazz community in wishing one of the great masters of trumpet and humor a swift and complete recovery. ~Jack Bowers

Jazz Matinee

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Hilton Ruiz - Island Eyes

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:33
Size: 125,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:51)  1. Intrepid Fox
(4:35)  2. Island Eyes
(4:46)  3. The Girl's In Love
(5:06)  4. House Of Dreams
(6:02)  5. Gee Baby, Ain't I Good To You
(4:52)  6. Stand By Me
(5:07)  7. Unit Seven
(4:17)  8. Body And Soul
(5:11)  9. Soul Eyes
(2:47) 10. Solar Orbit
(5:54) 11. Naturally

Jazz pianist Hilton Ruiz was a musician of uncommon versatility, shuttling seamlessly between the complex improvisations of the avant-garde and the relentless rhythms of Afro-Cuban music. Born in New York City on May 29, 1952, Ruiz was a child prodigy who performed at Carnegie Recital Hall at age eight. In addition to classical studies, he explored jazz under the tutelage of the legendary Mary Lou Williams, and at 14 made his recorded debut with the Latin soul outfit Ray Jay and the East Siders. His remarkable improvisational gifts nevertheless cemented Ruiz's decision to pursue a career in jazz, and while still in his teens he backed everyone from Freddie Hubbard to Joe Henderson. Ruiz vaulted to global renown in 1973 when he joined the famously eclectic saxophonist/flutist Rahsaan Roland Kirk, proving his mettle as a gifted interpreter of a repertoire spanning from the blues to the avant-garde via cult-classic LPs including The Case of the 3 Sided Dream in Audio Color and The Return of the 5000 Lb. Man. After a four-year tenure with Kirk, Ruiz toured Egypt and India with Clark Terry; upon his return to New York, he was a first-call sideman for acts including Betty Carter, Abbey Lincoln, and Chico Freeman, and also founded his own group, continuing a headlining career that began with the 1975 Steeplechase effort Piano Man. Over the span of acclaimed LPs including 1977's Steppin' Into Beauty, 1988's El Camino (The Road) and 1991's A Moment's Notice, Ruiz honed a Latin jazz fusion approach that resulted in collaborations with Tito Puente and Paquito d'Rivera; he also moonlighted in film, contributing to the soundtracks of Woody Allen's Crimes and Misdemeanors and Sam Mendes' Oscar-winning American Beauty, and with Richard Bradley authored 1987's three-volume Jazz and How to Play It. During a visit to New Orleans, where he was scheduled to work on a Hurricane Katrina benefit project, Ruiz suffered a fall in front of a French Quarter bar and slipped into a coma. He never regained consciousness, dying just a week after his 54th birthday on June 6, 2006. ~ Jason Ankeny http://www.allmusic.com/artist/hilton-ruiz-mn0000957132/biography

Personnel: Hilton Ruiz (piano, Hammond organ, keyboards); John Stubblefield (tenor saxophone); Jon Faddis (trumpet); Dave Valentin (flute); Bernd Schoenhart (guitar); John Benitez (acoustic & electric basses); Ignacio Berroa (drums); Tito Puente (timables, vibraphone); Milton Cardona, Richie Flores (congas, percussion).

Island Eyes

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George Colligan - Runaway

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 69:06
Size: 127,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:02)  1. End of a Dinasty
(7:50)  2. The Righteous
(4:33)  3. When I Go
(5:42)  4. R U Things The All?
(8:36)  5. Be Gentle
(3:46)  6. Skeletons In The Closet
(5:55)  7. Forlorning
(6:31)  8. Ghostland
(5:50)  9. Waltz For All The Things We Meant To Do And Never Did
(5:41) 10. Innocent Youth
(8:35) 11. Runaway

George Colligan is no ordinary musician and offers convincing proof on his Sunnyside Records. On Runaway, this award-winning pianist and composer presents a dynamic program of eleven new and varied lyrical pieces ranging from straight-ahead to free improvisation and a touch of fusion. With a lengthy and impressive discography, this album comes off the heels of the highly acclaimed Blood Pressure (Ultimate, 2006) that featured Colligan with multiple rhythm sections. Here Colligan stick with his trio band mates of bassist Josh Ginsburg and drummer Enoch Jamal Strickland, augmenting the play with the addition of guitarist Tom Guarna and vocalist Kerry Politzer. Colligan is a multi-instrumentalist who actually began playing the drums, switched to piano and trained in classical trumpet. Here he is featured not only on the piano but also indulges on the Fender Rhodes, synthesizers and blows the horn on the light soothing ballad of "Innocent Youth," while Politzer fills in on piano. The trio kicks off the repertoire with the blistering "End Of A Dynasty," followed by "The Righteous," a high-energy piece of fusion featuring Colligan manning the Rhodes and synthesizer and Ginsburg on the electric bass. Politzer provides soft vocals on "When I Go," accompanied by Guarna's guitar lines, while Colligan remains on the Rhodes. One of the exceptional tunes on this disc is the pop-friendly ballad "Be Gentle" where, once again, Colligan performs on both the Rhodes and synthesizer in an absolutely beautiful number worth repeated spins. The pianist tosses in a little free improvisation with "Skeletons In The Closet," somewhat of a departure from the rest of the session, and turns classical with a warm and delicious performance provided on "Waltz For All The Things We Meant To Do And Never Did." The title track offers just a tinge of the Latin flavor but not enough to qualify it as a Latin jazz number, remaining true to a contemporary jazz style. George Colligan is a monster on the boards delivering stunning solos throughout which, combined with his creative new charts, ensure that Runaway will most likely be another runaway success for one of the most talented musicians on the jazz scene today. ~ Edward Blanco https://www.allaboutjazz.com/runaway-george-colligan-sunnyside-records-review-by-edward-blanco.php
 

Personnel: George Colliagan: piano, Fender Rhodes (2, 3, 5, 7), trumpet (10), synthesizers (2, 5, 7); Josh Ginsberg: acoustic bass, electric bass (2); Enoch Jamal Strickland: drums; Tom Guarna: guitars (2-6); Kerry Politzer: voice (3, 7), piano (10).

Runaway

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