Pamela Rose - You Could Have It All

Size: 109,3 MB
Time: 47:03
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2001
Styles: Jazz/Blues Vocals
Art: Front & Back

01. The One That Got Away (4:43)
02. You Could Have It All (3:37)
03. Walk On (5:55)
04. See You In Your Dreams (5:59)
05. Wake Up (3:52)
06. You Got Me Good (3:42)
07. This Love Is Gonna Do Me In (5:13)
08. She's Not Dressed Up For You (3:06)
09. Same Ol' Story (4:38)
10. Mama Needs A Little Day (6:14)

Pamela Rose has returned to her blues/R&B side for her third release with a program of red beans and rice, chitlins', and greens -- tunes all of which Rose wrote in collaboration with someone else, mostly Jeff Ervin. The R&B, bluesy surrounding is given credibility by the instrument that is the bulwark of that genre, the Hammond B3 organ, played by Tony Stead. But there's plenty of help from the dripping guitars of Carl Lockett and Danny Caron and the honking tenor and baritone saxophones of Ervin and Johnny Bamont, recalling the likes of Heywood Henry, Leslie Johnakins, and Buddy Lucas, who regularly accompanied the best of the singers of this type of music. Rose has that pleading, catch-in-the-voice style that makes R&B funk work to its best advantage. She uses these devices to advantage on her uncomplicated, earthy tales of romance, unrequited love, and other day-to-day situations which R&B describes best. There is no doubt of the high level of Rose's performance and the way she has taken to the blue-tinged material. She is wise enough to offer a break or two from the doleful material. In fact, one of the best tracks on the CD is a swinging "Wake Up," where she demands that people get off the couch, away from the TV screen, and "Drop the mouse/Leave the house/Come on, get out and make a scene." This track is also noted for some exiting but loose ensemble playing. You Could Have It All offers just the right blend of the melancholy side of the blues with the more upbeat side of that genre performed by outstanding musicians. This is an album you'll want for both the vocalizing and the instrumentalists. ~by Dave Nathan

Personnel: Pamela Rose - Vocal; Tony Stead - B3 Hammond Organ/Backup Vocals; Carl Lockett - Guitar/Backup Vocals; Bryant Mills - Drums/Backup Vocals; Jeff Ervin - Alto & Tenor Sax; Johnny Bamont/Rob Sudduth - Baritone Sax; Marty Werner - Trombone; Jeff Lewis, Marvin McFadden - Trumpet; James Levi - Congas

You Could Have It All

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Chet Baker - At Uncle Po's Carnegie Hall, Hamburg 1979

Size: 110,4+118,3 MB
Time: 48:03+51:32
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz
Label: Jazzline
Art: Front & Back

CD 1:
01. Love For Sale (18:07)
02. You Can't Go Home Again (13:26)
03. There'll Never Be Another You (16:29)

CD 2:
01. Black Eyes (27:51)
02. Broken Wing (23:41)

Chesney Henry "Chet" Baker, Jr. (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) was an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist, and vocalist.

Baker earned much attention and critical praise through the 1950s, particularly for albums featuring his vocals (Chet Baker Sings, It Could Happen to You). Jazz historian Dave Gelly described the promise of Baker's early career as "James Dean, Sinatra, and Bix, rolled into one." His well-publicized drug habit also drove his notoriety and fame; Baker was in and out of jail frequently before enjoying a career resurgence in the late 1970s and '80s.

At Uncle Po's Carnegie Hall, Hamburg 1979 CD 1
At Uncle Po's Carnegie Hall, Hamburg 1979 CD 2

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Vivian Buczek - Ella Lives

Size: 156,1 MB
Time: 67:19
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To (6:02)
02. Yesterdays (5:06)
03. Prelude To A Kiss (8:08)
04. The Man I Love (6:01)
05. It's Alright With Me (5:28)
06. The Very Thought Of You (6:37)
07. Caravan (6:03)
08. Lady Be Good (4:34)
09. Tenderly (7:33)
10. Misty (5:52)
11. Things Ain't What They Used To Be (5:52)

Sweden's Vivian Buczek, fast approaching her 40th birthday, comes across more as a schoolgirl with a crush on her teacher on this, her seventh solo album, which pays tribute to The First Lady Of Song. Ella Fitzgerald—had she not died in 1996—would be 100 this year.

"Ella Fitzgerald has always been my greatest inspiration and the main reason that I have become a jazz singer," Buczek explains in the sleeve note. Her father Bruno, who played trombone, introduced her to Fitzgerald: "I had never heard such honest and joyful singing before. The way she used her voice in so many different ways was astonishing to me."

Along with obligatory dollops of Ella-style scat, Buczek delivers 10 numbers from the Great American Songbook closely associated with her idol. Then, in case anyone should doubt her devotion, she closes with Mercer Ellington's "Things Ain't What They Used To Be," abandoning Ted Persons' lyric at one point to moan ecstatically, "Oh, Lady Ella... sweet Ella."

Mind, nearly everyone involved seems to be affected by the awesome subject matter. Pianist Martin Sjöstedt's arrangements—particularly on Jerome Kern's "Yesterdays"—try just that little bit too hard, hemming in soloists like Peter Asplund (trumpet) and Karl-Martin Almqvist (saxophone), rather than giving them space to breathe new life into these—let's face it—sometimes rather tired, old songs.

Despite being used as a pretext for a ghastly 1992 Meg Ryan movie of the same name, Duke Ellington's "Prelude To A Kiss" from 1938 should surely now be definitively laid to rest as a vocal number. The schlocky, cocktail bar lyrics were only tacked onto Ellington's lovely tune by Irving Mills, his money-grubbing manager, in a bid to garner more royalties. Though Duke wouldn't have complained. The cash helped to keep his band on the road.

Cole Porter's "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To," written in 1943, holds up reasonably well in the present day, though best sung in a room with an open fireplace. It gets a stellar, straight-ahead outing here and is blessed with a fine bass solo by Niklas Fernqvist.

Asplund and Almqvist vie for solo honours on "Lady Be Good" and there's a rollicking, if somewhat incongruous vocal from Buczek. Incongruous? Perhaps not. When it comes to declarations of love, gender seems of increasingly little consequence these days. If Cole Porter were still around, he'd no doubt write a song about it.

Buczek seems to be following Fitzgerald's example in staying, specifically a jazz singer. She displays a good feel for her material and is generally careful not to let style triumph over substance. She is, understandably, big in Sweden. Elsewhere? The jury is still out on that one. ~Chris Mosey

Personnel: Vivian Buczek: vocals; Martin Sjöstedt: piano; Mattias Ståhl: vibraphone; Fredrik Lindborg, Karl-Martin Almqvist: reeds; Peter Asplund: trumpet, flugelhorn; Niklas Fernqvist: bass; Johan Löfkrantz Ramsay: drums.

Ella Lives

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Chris Barber & Acker Bilk - That's It Then

Size: 161,1 MB
Time: 69:44
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1997
Styles: Jazz, Dixieland
Art: Front

01. Just A Closer Walk With Thee (6:26)
02. Stranger On The Shore (4:34)
03. Bugle Boy March (3:57)
04. Wabash Blues (6:54)
05. On The Sunny Side Of The Street (7:52)
06. South (5:31)
07. Lou-Easy-An-I-A (7:14)
08. Panama (9:57)
09. Poor Butterfly (7:49)
10. That's My Home (4:23)
11. High Society (5:01)

Recording dates: Recorded in concert on December 13 and 17 1996.

During the "trad boom" of the early 1960s, the undisputed "kings" were Ball, Barber and Bilk -- the "Three Bs"as they were often known -- Kenny Ball's Jazzmen, Chris Barber's Jazz Band, and Mr. Acker Bilk & His Paramount Jazz Band. Although they rarely if ever played and never recorded together (apart from occasional radio programmes), they were inseparable in the public's mind, partly because of the titles of reissue LPs such as The Best Of Barber & Bilk and The Best Of Ball, Barber & Bilk.

This excellent CD goes some way to filling that gap, with Acker Bilk as the guest of the Chris Barber Band in two concerts from the latter part of 1996. As Chris notes in the CD insert: "This is the record everyone thought they were buying 35 years ago. Millions of recordings by Barber and Bilk were sold in the 1960s and even reached the LP charts, but these recordings never had Mr. Barber and Mr. Bilk playing together. They only included other tapes of the two separate bands. Finally in truth Barber and Bilk are playing together at the same time and the same place. Playing with Acker was just as much fun as anybody could have imagined and we hope that you will enjoy this recording as much as the musicians you are hearing."

That's It Then is also notable because it was the last commercial recording featuring Ian Wheeler as a member of the band's front line (after a total of over thirty years!), and Alan "Sticky" Wickett's last recording as the drummer.

Personnel: Chris Barber (trombone), Pat Halcox (trumpet), Acker Bilk (clarinet), John Crocker (reeds & flute), Ian Wheeler (reeds), John Slaughter (guitar), Paul Sealey (banjo, guitar), Vic Pitt (bass), Alan "Sticky" Wickett" (drums).

That's It Then

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Sari - The Sweetest Sounds

Size: 99,4 MB
Time: 42:41
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. So This Is Love (6:02)
02. If I Were A Bell (3:05)
03. Alice In Wonderland (3:50)
04. It's Delovely (4:45)
05. Tea For Two (1:57)
06. The Sweetest Sounds (4:54)
07. I'll Follow The Sun (4:06)
08. I've Got A Crush On You (4:29)
09. All Or Nothing At All (4:05)
10. How Deep Is Your Love (5:23)

Personnel:
Sawa (Vocal)
Shota Seta (Piano, Melodica, Rhodes)
Yuta Minomino (Bass)
Yamauchi Yoichiro (Drums)
Ayumu Hashimoto (Cello)
Seiichi Nakamura (Tenor sax, Bass clarinet)

"If I Were A Bell" , "Tea For Two" such as picking up the standard, hearing the cute vocals in the unique voice, such as jumping out from the world of anime me skein. Imagine you grew up in a jazzy flowing environment from early childhood , but the feeling of swing in "It's Delovely" and so on is perfect. Also, "If I were a Bell" spits up thrilling at up tempo . Range is wide expressive power is also a rich, of the ballad "I've Got a Crush on You " seen in the deep vocals are Ryo. It is a masterpiece for the next generation J - Jazz vocal world. Father of Seiichi Nakamura 3 are participating in songs, it tastes like snuggling in Shari impressive dwarf deep solo. Arrange is also handled entirely by himself, ideas shine, such as unison scat with the base at "The Sweetest Sounds" and "I'll Follow The Sun" concealing the Beatles' "Day Tripper" . Accompanied Shota Seta (Pf, Melodica / Rhodes (Rhodes)) , small Yuta Mino (B) , Yo Yamauchi Ichiro (ds), Ayumi Hashimoto (cello) is a good play of sense also chose the sound performance of such glowing. Excellent work.

The Sweetest Sounds

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Eddie 'Cleanhead' Vinson - Jamming The Blues

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:47
Size: 81.9 MB
Styles: Jazz-blues
Year: 1974/1994
Art: Front

[4:07] 1. Just A Dream
[2:52] 2. Laura
[4:50] 3. Person To Person
[6:14] 4. Now's The Time
[7:27] 5. Hold It Right There
[4:01] 6. Home Boy
[6:12] 7. C Jam Blues

Alto Saxophone, Vocals – Eddie Cleanhead Vinson; Drums – Peter Vanhook; Electric Bass – Jerome Rimson; Guitar – Joe Jammer; Piano – Pete Wingfield; Tenor Saxophone – Hal Singer. Recorded July 2, 1974.

For this lesser-known outing (reissued on CD), the great altoist and blues singer Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson is heard in fine form at the 1974 Montreux Jazz Festival. With fine support from a four-piece rhythm section that includes pianist Peter Wingfield and some solo space for tenor-saxophonist Hal Singer, Vinson plays a few of his familiar but always welcome numbers ("Just A Dream," "Person To Person" and "Hold It Right There") plus "Laura" and some basic instrumental blues. An excellent outing from a performer who was claimed by both the jazz and blues worlds. ~Scott Yanow

Jamming The Blues  

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The Impressions - The Greatest Hits

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:46
Size: 95.6 MB
Styles: Soul, R&B
Year: 1998
Art: Front

[2:18] 1. Gypsy Woman
[2:46] 2. It's All Right
[2:30] 3. Talking About My Baby
[2:46] 4. I'm So Proud
[2:30] 5. Keep On Pushing
[2:31] 6. You Must Believe Me
[3:24] 7. Amen
[2:37] 8. People Get Ready
[2:15] 9. Woman's Got Soul
[2:18] 10. Meeting Over Yonder
[2:47] 11. I Need You
[2:32] 12. You've Been Cheatin'
[2:35] 13. Can't Satisfy
[2:21] 14. We're A Winner
[3:13] 15. I Loved And I Lost
[2:16] 16. We're Rolling On (Part One)

The quintessential Chicago soul group, the Impressions' place in R&B history would be secure if they'd done nothing but launch the careers of soul legends Jerry Butler and Curtis Mayfield. But far more than that, the Impressions recorded some of the most distinctive vocal-group R&B of the '60s under Mayfield's guidance. Their style was marked by airy, feather-light harmonies and Mayfield's influentially sparse guitar work, plus, at times, understated Latin rhythms. If their sound was sweet and lilting, it remained richly soulful thanks to the group's firm grounding in gospel tradition; they popularized the three-part vocal trade-offs common in gospel but rare in R&B at the time, and recorded their fair share of songs with spiritual themes, both subtle and overt. Furthermore, Mayfield's interest in the civil rights movement led to some of the first socially conscious R&B songs ever recorded, and his messages grew more explicit as the '60s wore on, culminating in the streak of brilliance that was his early-'70s solo work. The Impressions carried on without Mayfield, but only matched their earlier achievements in isolated instances, and finally disbanded in the early '80s. ~Steve Huey

The Greatest Hits

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Camille - The Big Parade

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:08
Size: 114.8 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[5:23] 1. Come Rain Or Come Shine
[3:13] 2. The Big Parade
[7:12] 3. 'round Midnight
[2:46] 4. Lullaby Of Birdland
[3:19] 5. Why Should I Love You
[3:19] 6. Fever
[3:57] 7. Twisted
[4:27] 8. My Funny Valentine
[2:35] 9. There Will Never Be Another You
[5:06] 10. Cry Me A River
[4:35] 11. Shadow Of Your Smile
[4:09] 12. Some Other Time

In a swirl of sights and sounds, a thousand faces pass by; different lives, different pasts, presents and futures. A thousand takes on fantasy and reality converges in one grand, moving celebration...

The Big Parade. It’s a perfect metaphor for the jazz album from vocalist Camille Harrison. Drawing substantial experience in a variety of stylistic settings, Camille focuses on traditional jazz music. The result is a stunning set that includes some of jazz’s most recognizable classics, along with a sampling of Camille’s own compositions. Don’t let The Big Parade pass you by!

The Big Parade

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Ken Peplowski Quartet - Lost In The Stars

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:06
Size: 151.3 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[8:07] 1. If This Isn't Love
[6:34] 2. Why Do I Love You
[4:20] 3. Ataraxi
[6:25] 4. My Ship
[4:29] 5. Ballad For Very Tired And Very Sad Lotus Eaters
[7:14] 6. People Will Say We're In Love
[3:59] 7. Marchons
[4:49] 8. Lament
[7:45] 9. Good Morning Heartache
[5:52] 10. Sleep
[4:23] 11. Lost In The Stars/When You Wish Upon A Star
[2:03] 12. Piece #8 From Benny's Gig

Benny Aronov/Piano; Greg Cohen/Bass; Lewis Nash/Drums; Ken Peplowski/Clarinet, Liner Notes, Primary Artist, Sax (Tenor).

Lost in the Stars sounds like the title of a romantic mood music album, and in fact, parts of this 2001 session are romantic and sentimental. But other parts are up-tempo, exuberant, and hard-swinging. So listeners shouldn't make too much of the album's title; Ken Peplowski, true to form, provides yet another well-rounded swing-to-bop effort that ranges from the lyrical to the exhilarating. Like other Peplowski releases, Lost in the Stars has one foot in small-group swing and the other in early bebop -- an approach that recalls the mid-'40s, when there were a lot of players who were right at that swing/bop border. They were being influenced by the innovations of Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, and Dizzy Gillespie, but they weren't 100 percent bop and hadn't forgotten about swing. On Lost in the Stars, Peplowski oversees a rhythm section that includes pianist Ben Aranov, bassist Greg Cohen, and drummer Lewis Nash -- and these players serve Peplowski well whether he is on tenor sax or clarinet. Although not groundbreaking, this German release has its share of surprises. Aranov and Cohen do some writing -- Lost in the Stars isn't just an album of overdone warhorses -- and Peplowski unearths a few overlooked gems, including "Ballad for Very Tired and Very Sad Lotus Eaters" (a little known Billy Strayhorn piece from the '50s). "My Ship" certainly falls into the warhorse category -- some would argue that as great as the song is, the jazz world needs to give it a rest in the 21st century. But Peplowski's version of "My Ship" is so gorgeous and deliciously lyrical that one can easily cut him some slack, and he is equally expressive on "Good Morning Heartache." Lost in the Stars falls short of essential, but even so, it is a solid and rewarding addition to Peplowski's catalog. ~Alex Henderson

Lost In The Stars

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Stefano Bollani Trio - Falando De Amor

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:58
Size: 102.9 MB
Styles: Brazilian jazz, Piano jazz
Year: 2003
Art: Front

[3:47] 1. Falando De Amor
[5:19] 2. So Tinha De Ser Com Voce
[4:36] 3. Angela
[4:14] 4. Luiza
[4:18] 5. Retrato Em Branco E Preto
[5:11] 6. Agua De Beber
[5:30] 7. Tema Do Amor Por Gabriela
[3:55] 8. Cancao Do Amor Demais
[2:25] 9. Aguas De Marco
[2:49] 10. Pois E
[2:50] 11. Samba De Uma Nota So

A truly international effort, this is a Japanese release of an Italian trio doing Brazilian music: 11 songs of Antonio Carlos Jobim, nicely mixed between the familiar and less-so. Falando de Amor is also a delightful surprise, giving a fresh coat to music that's been widely covered for the past four decades. While the fine pianist Stefano Bollani has obvious respect for Jobim's luscious melodies, he and his gifted bandmates -- bassist Ares Tavolazzi and drummer Walter Paoli -- make them sound newly composed. For example, the beautiful "Luiza," usually done as a slow ballad, becomes a fast-flowing waltz that brings out the twirling nature of the melody. The classic "Agua de Beber" is transformed by putting the bass and drums forward, while an innovative take on "Aguas de Março" ("Waters of March") replaces its usual repetition with intrigue. In these capable hands, "Samba de Uma Nota So" ("One Note Samba") vaults out of cliché into a full-out bop burner, ending with a sly reference to the original. Bollani, who has played with Lee Konitz and Phil Woods, is a master of clean, elegant phrasing. His solo turn on "Retrato em Branco e Preto" is one of the most beautiful versions you will ever hear; he takes another on "Pois E," this time strong and swinging. Meanwhile, Tavolazzi is blessedly on-pitch and unusually melodic, and Paoli is both supportive and imaginative. Each track is a perfect little set piece with no padding or fluff. Warmly recorded, this CD is a must-have for the Jobim collector, and will also satisfy fans of lively, lyrical trio playing. Highly recommended. ~Judith Schlesinger

Falando De Amor

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The Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra - Basie, 1969

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 67:51

Size: 155.3 MB

Styles: Bop, Trumpet jazz

Year: 1969/1995

Art: Front

[10:53] 1. Second Race

[ 4:29] 2. Don't Ever Leave Me

[ 9:23] 3. The Waltz You Swang For Me

[11:09] 4. That's Freedom

[ 4:56] 5. Come Sunday

[11:48] 6. Don't Get Sassy

[ 6:47] 7. Bible Story

[ 8:22] 8. Groove Merchant

Jerome Richardson, Jerry Dodgion, Eddie Daniels, Joe Farrell, Pepper Adams (saxes, woodwinds); Thad Jones; Snooky Young, Jimmy Nottingham, Richard Williams (trumpets); Bob Brookmeyer, Garnett Brown, Tom McIntosh, Cliff Heather (trombones); Roland Hanna (piano), Richard Davis (bass), Mel Lewis (drums). Recorded in 1970 at the Village Vanguard in NYC, and was originally titled "Village Vanguard Live Sessions 3.

This live concert, broadcast over Swiss radio and released for the first time on this 1995 CD, features the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra at its prime. The remarkable all-star group includes two first trumpeters (Snooky Young and Al Porcino) and such soloists as trumpeters Richard Williams, Danny Moore and Thad Jones, trombonist Jimmy Knepper, Jerome Richardson on soprano, Jerry Dodgion on flute and alto, baritonist Pepper Adams, pianist Roland Hanna, bassist Richard Davis and tenor great Joe Henderson whose short stint with the band was long enough to include this European tour. Highlights of the superior set include "Second Race," "The Waltz You Swang For Me," "Don't Get Sassy" and "Groove Merchant." Highly recommended to fans of the band, this Swiss CD can be found with a bit of a search.

Basie, 1969   

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Kenny Wheeler Big Band - The Long Waiting

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:12
Size: 156.1 MB
Styles: Big band
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[ 4:15] 1. Canter N.6
[ 9:48] 2. Four Five Six
[ 7:24] 3. The Long Waiting
[ 5:31] 4. Seven Eight Nine
[11:20] 5. Enowena
[ 7:55] 6. Comba N.3
[14:08] 7. Canter N.1 Old Ballad
[ 7:47] 8. Upwards

Kenny Wheeler: flugelhorn; Peter Churchill: conductor; Diana Torto: vocals; Ray Warleigh: alto saxophone; Duncan Lamont: alto saxophone; Stan Sulzmann: tenor saxophone; Julian Siegel: tenor saxophone; Julian Argüelles: baritone saxophone; Henry Lowther: trumpet; Derek Watkins: trumpet; Tony Fisher: trumpet; Nick Smart: trumpet; Dave Horler: trombone; Mark Nightingale: trombone; Barnaby Dickinson: trombone; Dave Stewart: bass trombone; John Taylor: piano; John Parricelli: guitar; Chris Laurence: bass; Martin France: drums.

While likely not the reason behind its title, The Long Waiting could easily fit for fans of the Canadian expat trumpeter who has lived in England since the 1950s. Since coming to Cam Jazz in 2004 with his duo recording with longtime pianist and fellow Cam Jazzer John Taylor, Where Do We Go From Here?, Kenny Wheeler has ramped up his output, releasing four more albums in the ensuing years. But all of the octogenarian's Cam Jazz recordings have been small ensemble affairs, and though he's collaborated with larger ensembles like Italy's Colours Jazz Orchestra on Nineteen Plus One (Astarte, 2009), it's been far too long since Wheeler released a big band recording solely under his own name—22 years, in fact, when Music for Large & Small Ensembles was released by ECM.

The wait is over. That eight players are back speaks both to their dedication to the music of one of jazz's most important composers of the past six decades, and of Wheeler's faith in their ability to bring his distinctive charts to life. Some—trumpeters Henry Lowther and Derek Watkins—go right back to Wheeler's first leader date, the 1969 Fontana classic Windmill Tilter, though any who follow Wheeler's career will find plenty of familiar faces in this brass-heavy, nineteen-piece big band. Perhaps the most notable newish face is Nineteen Plus One's Diana Torto. Like Wheeler's previous vocalist of choice, Norma Winstone, Torto possesses inestimable chops, but knows when to use them—and when to lay back. Here, her wordless vocals add distinction to the melody of the buoyant waltz-time "Enowena," navigating Wheeler's interval-challenging melody with ease as part of the larger ensemble, and delivering an impressive scat solo that more effectively distances her from Winstone's spare approach for one of The Long Waiting's high points.

Wheeler's writing is immediately recognizable, a kind of gentle melancholy dominating the melodies, even at brighter tempos. Most of The Long Waiting's eight tracks are new, though he does revisit "Coma N.3," a particularly heartbreaking ballad from It Takes Two! (Cam Jazz, 2006), but its larger palette here facilitating a build to more climactic peaks. It Takes Two!'s John Parricelli is not featured on this version, though his warm electric solos on "Enowena" and the fierier "Canter N.1," are just two more reasons why this veteran session guitarist deserves greater recognition. "Canter N.1" and a reprised "Old Ballad" from Kayak (Ah Um, 1992) also feature incendiary and softer solos, respectively, from tenor saxophonist Julian Siegel, whose work with Partisans and his own records including Urban Theme Park (Basho, 2011) have placed him at the vanguard of a younger generation of significant British jazzers.

Wheeler continues to focus solely on flugelhorn these days, but at 82 his technique remains impeccable, his signature leaps into the stratosphere still as accurate—and thrilling—as ever. Based on history and given his age, it's unlikely that another big band recording will be coming from Wheeler in another 22 years (though we can certainly hope). Still, with plenty of other projects yet to come, if The Long Waiting turns out to be the trumpeter's final large ensemble recording, it's as good a big band swan song as anyone could hope for, filled with resonant charts that brim with strong melodies, effervescent solos and a harmonic complexion that could only come from the pen and horn of Kenny Wheeler. ~John Kelman

The Long Waiting

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Barry Manilow - Singing With The Big Bands

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:05
Size: 119.3 MB
Styles: Adult Contemporary
Year: 1994
Art: Front

[2:26] 1. Singin' With The Big Bands
[3:18] 2. Les Brown & His Band Of Renown - Sentimental Journey
[3:01] 3. And The Angels Sing
[3:18] 4. Jimmy Dorsey & His Orchestra - Green Eyes
[3:00] 5. I Should Care
[2:57] 6. Duke Ellington & His Orchestra - Don't Get Around Much Anymore
[4:27] 7. I Can't Get Started
[3:22] 8. The Glenn Miller Orchestra - Chattanooga Choo Choo
[4:48] 9. Moonlight Serenade
[3:24] 10. Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra - On The Sunny Side Of The Street
[3:01] 11. All Or Nothing At All
[3:05] 12. Tommy Dorsey & His Orchestra - I'll Never Smile Again
[3:25] 13. I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
[2:50] 14. The Glenn Miller Orchestra - Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree (With Anyone Else But Me)
[2:29] 15. I'll Be With You In Apple Blossom Time
[3:07] 16. Where Does The Time Go

Like Neil Diamond, Barry Manilow embarked on a transition during the 1990s from being a contemporary pop singer/songwriter to being an interpretive singer on the model of Tony Bennett, who achieved a career resurgence around the same time with a series of thematic albums. Manilow followed 1991's Showstoppers, an album of songs from Broadway shows, with Singin' with the Big Bands, which found him covering swing-era standards, in some cases accompanied by the ghost bands of Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, Duke Ellington, Harry James, and Glenn Miller. Les Brown & His Band of Renown were still active, and he backed Manilow on a rendition of his hit "Sentimental Journey." For the most part, the songs covered were known more for their instrumental power than for the vocals of people like Bob Eberly and Ray Eberle, and Manilow matched them, while soloists re-created the signature sounds of the big band musicians and the arrangements were subtly updated. So, for example, when Manilow sang Benny Goodman's "And the Angels Sing," he equaled Martha Tilton's vocal, and Warren Leuning aped Ziggy Elman's famous trumpet solo. Manilow got in more trouble with songs like "Sentimental Journey," originally sung by Doris Day with a marked sultriness he didn't even try to evoke, and with Frank Sinatra trademarks like "All or Nothing at All" and "I'll Never Smile Again." Born just after World War II, Manilow seemed to respond to the effervescence of the sweet swing sound, but to have no grasp whatsoever of the underlying longing and pain that went with and informed these songs of wartime separation. ~William Ruhlmann

Singing With The Big Bands

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Gregg Karukas - GK

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:52
Size: 127.9 MB
Styles: Smooth jazz, Contemporary jazz
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[4:45] 1. Manhattan
[4:17] 2. Daylight
[5:25] 3. Napa Road
[4:48] 4. Floating In Bahia
[5:26] 5. Wildwood
[4:54] 6. Walkin In Time
[4:22] 7. Soul Kisses
[6:10] 8. Jamba Samba
[5:16] 9. Mesa Moon
[4:53] 10. Coyote Party
[5:30] 11. Believe In Me

While naming an album after your initials might indicate a lack of imagination, it also may be taken as suggesting that the contents are representative of the artist. Pianist Gregg Karukas once called a CD You'll Know It's Me, and GK is another collection that's easy to identify. Although he is a smooth jazz player, Karukas doesn't go in for the most contemporary styles of the genre, preferring, for instance, a live rhythm section (here including bassists Eric Baines, Melvin Davis, and Karukas himself, drummer Oscar Seaton, and percussionist Luis Conte) over programmed rhythm tracks. And his antecedents are clear, his music recalling the mid-‘60s soul-jazz of Ramsey Lewis and Cannonball Adderley. Opening tune "Manhattan," in fact, sounds like a rewrite of the 1966 Bobby Hebb hit "Sunny." And Karukas prefers that his guest soloists, here including Rick Braun (flügelhorn, trumpet), Russ Freeman (guitar), and Jessy J (saxophone), only punctuate the proceedings for the most part; although the guests are heard here and there, Karukas' fingers are never far away from his keyboards for long. Of course, it's his playing that really defines the music, and he rolls along, coming up with endless riffs and ripples without really rocking the boat. This is music that is lighthearted and, to an extent, lightweight, relying on textures and colors more than any flashy playing. Whether it turns Brazilian ("Jamba Samba") or funky ("Napa Road"), it remains subtly swinging. ~William Ruhlmann

GK

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