Maceo Parker - Southern Exposure

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:20
Size: 126.7 MB
Styles: R&B, Soul, Jazz
Year: 1993/2006
Art: Front

[6:43] 1. Blues For Shorty Bill
[6:28] 2. Keep On Marching
[6:28] 3. Mercy, Mercy, Mercy
[5:15] 4. Every Saturday Night
[6:08] 5. The Way You Look Tonight
[6:57] 6. Splashin
[4:53] 7. Walking Home Together
[6:36] 8. Sister Sanctified
[5:47] 9. Fun In The Sun

Maceo Parker, best-known for his R&B recordings with and without James Brown, plays strictly jazz on his Novus CD and he is in peak form. Parker's alto sounds close to Hank Crawford at times but with a phrasing of his own. On this well-rounded and consistently memorable release, Parker sticks mostly to funky blues but is also impressive on a boppish version of "The Way You Look Tonight." He splits his time between fronting an organ combo, leading a reunion with fellow Brown alumni trombonist Fred Wesley and tenor-saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis, and on two songs he is joined by the enthuisastic Rebirth Brass Band. Parker only takes one vocal so the emphasis throughout is on his soulful alto, making this among his most rewarding jazz recordings. ~Scott Yanow

Southern Exposure

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Amos Garrett - Amosbehavin'

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:21
Size: 92.4 MB
Styles: Country/Jazz/Blues guitar
Year: 1982/1993
Art: Front

[3:51] 1. I Can't Quit You
[3:38] 2. Baton Rouge
[4:32] 3. Some Cats Know
[2:18] 4. Stella Ain't Got No Brains
[4:08] 5. New Orleans
[3:29] 6. Little Sister
[4:45] 7. Ha Ha In The Daytime
[4:42] 8. Cardiac Arrest
[4:22] 9. Love Song Of The Nile
[4:33] 10. Imojochu

Detroit native Amos Garrett began working as a professional guitarist north of the border in Toronto. There he played with the Dirty Shames, a folk jug band, before moving on to the country-rock-oriented Great Speckled Bird at the invitation of Ian and Sylvia Tyson. Maria Muldaur's "Midnight at the Oasis" featured his guitar playing, as did Anne Murray's "Snowbird." Other artists who utilized his talent include Stevie Wonder, Emmylou Harris, Jesse Winchester, and Paul Butterfield. His studio work led him to California, and he continued to record with other artists. Later, with the Eh Team backing him, Garrett also put out his own recordings, more than half a dozen, on Stony Plain Records. In 1989, his album The Return of the Formerly Brothers, garnered a Juno Award. The release also featured Gene Taylor (formerly of Downchild, the Blasters, and later the Fabulous Thunderbirds) and Doug Sahm of the Texas Tornados. Garrett and the Eh Team continue to play night spots in Canada; he resided in Alberta. He toured Japan in 1990 with stops in Kyoto, Osaka, and Tokyo. The concerts there found their way onto a live album in 2001. Garrett released Acoustic Album in 2004, which featured his instrument in a meld of swing, country, blues, and American Songbook standards, while he continued to tour. In 2004, he employed a full band and released one of his finest offerings in Get Way Back: A Tribute to Percy Mayfield, which featured unique yet respectful interpretations of 11 of the blues songwriter’s tunes. Garrett toured the album at festivals across three continents. With most of his time spent touring, Garrett didn’t release another album for five years. When he did, it was a concert recording entitled Jazzblues with his trio -- guitarist Keith Smith and string bassist Greg Carroll. The album also featured guest vocal performances from Roberta Donnay and John Hyde. It was followed two years later by Guitar Heroes and another live date that featured him co-billed with axe slingers James Burton, Albert Lee, and David Wilcox. ~ Linda Seida

Amosbehavin'

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Stacey Kent - Hushabye Mountain

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:22
Size: 92.4 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[3:29] 1. Too Darn Hot
[3:24] 2. All I Do Is Dream Of You
[4:40] 3. Say It Isn't So
[2:33] 4. Hushabye Mountain
[4:50] 5. Thou Swell
[4:36] 6. It Might As Well Be Spring
[2:53] 7. My Heart Stood Still
[4:32] 8. Polka Dots And Moonbeams
[3:58] 9. Under A Blanket Of Blue
[5:24] 10. Close Your Eyes

The award winning ex-pat American who splits her time between London and Colorado has become the definitive voice for a genre. By placing the art of her singing in perfect balance with the genius of the writers whose songs she performs, Stacey has placed herself at the forefront of a small group of singers who have caught the attention of mainstream media and to whom listeners are flocking in their millions. Miss Kent has an innate understanding of how to capture the essence of a song. Her interpretation is delicate and crisp, lacking any superfluous parts. With every note Stacey elegantly bequeaths both purpose and direction, as exmplified in her soothingly intimate singing on Hushabye Mountain.

Hushabye Mountain

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Terry Gibbs, Buddy DeFranco - Play Steve Allen

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:51
Size: 127.9 MB
Styles: Bop, Mainstream jazz
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[3:07] 1. I Used To Think That I Was Crazy
[3:44] 2. Sleepy Old Moon
[5:05] 3. Until I Left Chicago (I Never Had The Blues)
[4:07] 4. Mister Moon
[4:35] 5. Lazy Days
[4:33] 6. Playing The Field
[4:54] 7. Alabama Baby
[6:11] 8. One Little Thing
[3:43] 9. South Dakota
[4:22] 10. Easy For You
[3:27] 11. Clarinet Lick
[3:25] 12. Nights In Madrid
[4:31] 13. In The Mornin' When The Sun Comes Up

Swing-to-boppers Gibbs (vibes) and DeFranco (clarinet) love playing unison melodies, and the sonorities of those two instruments coming together provides the springboard for this swinging music. It's all based on the witty compositions of Steve Allen, songs the general public have rarely heard. The combination fits all of the participants to a T.

This is mainstream jazz at its current best, but unless you're a hard core fan (or Steve Allen himself, ) you'd be hard pressed to say you know this material intimately. There are some familiar sounds, "Until I Left Chicago (I Never Had The Blues)" is similar to Louis Jordan's "Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby," while "Alabama Baby" strikes a pose akin to "Comin' Home Baby." Up numbers "I Used To Think That I Was Crazy," "Mr. Moon," "Playing The Field" and "In The Morning When The Sun Comes Up" are nods to Benny Goodman and Charlie Parker for their classic head melodies. Ballads and blues are sprinkled in, the ethereal "Night In Madrid" is quite different from the rest of the program, and one wonders how Allen got the inspiration for the hard boppin' "Seven Come Eleven" variation "South Dakota."

All in all this is a delightful CD, a great idea laced with extraordinary playing from these masters. Gibbs and DeFranco have never beeen in better form, and having worked together for many years shows. No slight to Tom Ranier, who is an excellent jazz player when called upon, check out his extended piuonao intro on "One Little Thing." It just seems that using old Steverino at the 88's would have put the perfect cherry on top of this rich chocolate sundae, displaying his marvelous playing as well as his writing, of which this CD only scratches the surface. ~Michael G. Nastos

Play Steve Allen

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Judy Argo - True Love Ways

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:27
Size: 117.8 MB
Styles: Easy Listening, Standards
Year: 1994
Art: Front

[2:51] 1. Everything I've Got Belongs To You
[5:53] 2. My Foolish Heart
[3:53] 3. All The Things You Are
[5:29] 4. How Deep Is The Ocean
[2:44] 5. I'll Be There
[3:00] 6. Never My Love
[3:04] 7. Never Let Me Know
[5:22] 8. Goody Goody
[4:04] 9. Everything I Love
[3:50] 10. How About Me
[1:50] 11. Love Is Here To Stay
[3:19] 12. Unless It's You
[2:48] 13. Then I'll Be Tired Of You
[3:12] 14. True Love Ways

Backed by an all-star ensemble, Judy Argo delivers a solid program of upbeat and ballad standards promised by the album's title. Even the violins and cellos are among the first-call string players in New York. First class all the way. Taking full advantage of this outstanding talent, Argo shows her chops to the fullest. "All the Things You Are" is an intimate musical conversation between her and the Marvin Stamm trumpet. Toots Thielemans provides a lovely intro and coda for "My Foolish Heart." The late Gerry Mulligan's baritone bounces along on an up-tempo version of the Rodgers & Hart "Everything I've Got Belongs to You" from their Broadway musical Jupiter. Houston Person's blues-drenched tenor waxes melodically on "How Deep Is the Ocean." Strings provide a silky background for "I'll Be There." Grady Tate vocalizes with Judy on a blues-styled "Goody-Goody," with Stamm, Ray Brown, and Houston Person making significant contributions. "Ev'rything I Love" is done with a Latin beat with Joe Beck's guitar leading the way; Mike Renzi and Thielemans also stretch out on this cut. Mike Renzi's piano, one of the more undervalued except among other musicians, provides both dynamic and subtle accompaniment on all cuts. He is also the musical director for the session and did most of the arranging. The remainder of the program is as equally interesting and entertaining. Argo's voice and delivery hints of Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and Doris Day. Quite a combination. Nothing works better than a good singer backed by solid musicians. ~Dave Nathan

True Lovce Ways

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Three More Sounds - The Happiness Of Pursuit

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:54
Size: 112.0 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[5:59] 1. Searchin
[5:29] 2. Autumn Serenade
[5:59] 3. Boomph
[7:13] 4. It Don't Mean A Thing
[8:11] 5. When Your Lover Has Gone
[3:28] 6. Too Much Jelly Roll
[6:18] 7. Little Miss Laurie
[6:12] 8. Blue Daniel

Bill Heid (piano) Henry Franklin (bass) Carl Burnett (drums).

Jazz bassist Henry Franklin was born in 1940, the son of West Coast jazz trumpeter Sammy Franklin. Henry Franklin began his own career while he was still in high school, playing with his contemporary, Roy Ayers, in the latter's Latin jazz quintet. This experience put Franklin on the path to his work with Latin jazz bandleader and percussionist Willie Bobo. His work with Bobo in New York also led to Franklin's playing with Archie Shepp. Franklin later played with Hugh Masekela, appearing on the latter's number one single, "Grazing in the Grass." In the decades since, Franklin -- often referred to as "the Skipper" -- has played and recorded with Gene Harris & the Three Sounds, Freddie Hubbard, Bobbi Humphrey, Hampton Hawes, et al., as well as releasing a brace of albums by his own band right into the 21st century. ~Bruce Eder

Bill Heid (born August 11, 1948) is an American soul jazz and hard bop jazz pianist and organist, born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, probably better known for his work with musicians such as Koko Taylor, Henry Johnson and Fenton Robinson, amongst others.

Carl Burnett is an American jazz musician, funk-guitarist, songwriter, and producer. Though a guitarist, he is credited as the drummer and co-writer of the hit song "The Night Begins To Shine" by B.E.R. (Telepictures). The group's name, 'B.E.R.' is derived from the last names of its members (Carl Burnett, Frank "Franklin" Enea, William J. Regan).

The Happiness Of Pursuit

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Horace Parlan - Us Three

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:47
Size: 94,2 MB
Art: Front

(4:33)  1. Us Three
(4:50)  2. I Want To Be Loved
(6:26)  3. Come Rain Or Come Shine
(5:52)  4. Wadin'
(7:09)  5. The Lady Is A Tramp
(7:06)  6. Walkin'
(4:48)  7. Return Engagement

On this recording made in 1960 during his tenure with Lou Donaldson, pianist Horace Parlan is situated nicely alongside bassist George Tucker and drummer Al Harewood. The trio had its own gig on Sundays at Minton's in Harlem, and had established a repertoire and reputation for being able to lay down both hard bop and soul-jazz stylings with equal verve. (And yeah, that jazz/hip-hop group from the 1990s was named after this disc.) The proceedings here are straight-ahead with some cool soul-jazz touches. Parlan's "Wadin'" moves the off-minor key of "Wade in the Water" and funkifies the rhythm, paraphrasing and improvising as the rhythm section struts it out. On the title track, there is a gorgeous lilt in his playing that corresponds to a behind-the-beat walk by Tucker that makes Harewood slip and shimmy constantly on the cymbals with his brushes. There and on "I Want to Be Loved" as well as "Return Engagement" (another Parlan original), something else starts to creep into his playing: the spacy, spare feel of Ahmad Jamal, who Parlan cited as a contemporary influence. The economy of touch, which stands in stark contrast to the hard bop he played with Donaldson and the energetic music he played with Mingus, is in some ways more complex harmonically, and more emotionally satisfying. This is a fine effort from an underappreciated trio. ~ Thom Jurek http://www.allmusic.com/album/us-three-mw0000024465

Personnel: Horace Parlan (piano); George Tucker (bass); Al Harewood (drums).

Us Three

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Ellen Lebowitz - Smokin' Aloud

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:38
Size: 116,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:57)  1. Hello It's Me
(4:47)  2. Consider Me Gone
(6:00)  3. Waltz For Debby
(3:59)  4. The Look Of Love
(4:36)  5. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
(5:50)  6. The Fool On The Hill
(4:11)  7. I Saw The Light
(4:31)  8. But Beautiful
(4:24)  9. Nine
(3:00) 10. It's Alright With Me
(5:17) 11. I'm Glad There Is You

A rich and powerfully emotional voice sings gorgeous jazz standards and pop classics from Sting and Todd Rundgren to Bill Evans and Cole Porter, backed by the talents of 12 amazing musicians. 

Words From Producer, Erik Unsworth: It is an unfortunate fact that people who create their livelihoods as professional musicians rarely get to work on the music that matters to them. Due to the inherent difficulties of financial survival in this day and age, most of us get caught up in the hustle and fail to keep in mind the reasons why we entered into this life in the first place. For me, this CD represents an escape from the norm. It is the result of a summer dedicated to making a unique recording, and doing it for the pure enjoyment of the process of capturing musical creativity and interaction. From the early decision-making stages, through the arranging and recording of the great tunes that were picked and all the way to the last mix-down sessions, the motivation was always the same. To make a CD that would matter to us. My summer of 2003 will always be fondly remembered, because we took the time to do it the way that it should be done.  The vast majority of the music heard here was created and recorded in the basement of Ellen and Tom's residence, using a MacIntosh G4 computer and ProTools software. Thanks to the unique layout of the house and the musical instruments found within, piano, bass and drums were able to be recorded simultaneously, while being isolated in separate rooms. Horn parts and other overdubs were also recorded using this set-up. Primary vocal parts were recorded on analog tape and the whole thing mixed at Target Recording Studio in Elkton, MD. https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/ellen2

Smokin' Aloud

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Bill O'Connell's Chicago Skyliners Big Band - That Toddlin' Town

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:21
Size: 154,0 MB
Art: Front

(0:19)  1. The Apocalypse
(4:20)  2. Tanga
(6:27)  3. Tad Boppin'
(5:23)  4. Where Is Love
(3:40)  5. Vertigo
(4:38)  6. Cabeza de Carne
(4:59)  7. Madelyn's Song
(3:04)  8. Chicago
(4:00)  9. How Do You Keep The Music Playing?
(2:35) 10. Fly Me To The Moon
(3:45) 11. Celebracion
(5:07) 12. Rachael
(5:11) 13. Dexterity
(5:38) 14. Play It Again, Sammy
(3:52) 15. Walk In The Park
(2:20) 16. Dimensions In Blue

DownBeat magazine includes in its annual polls a category called TDWR (“talent deserving wider recognition”). Big bands are excluded, of course but if they weren’t, a wonderful candidate for the honor would be drummer Bill O’Connell’s Chicago Skyliners Big Band which is nearing the end of its first decade in near–obscurity but deserves much better. The band’s fifth recording (and second on Blue Birdland) encompasses more than 65 minutes of solid, straight–ahead big–band swinging that finds the Skyliners in a buoyant frame of mind from Dizzy Gillespie’s lissome “Tanga” (introduced by O’Connell’s 20–second drum passage, “The Apocalypse”) through the closing numbers, “Walk in the Park” and “Dimensions in Blue,” by one of O’Connell’s favorite composer/arrangers, Sammy Nestico. Among the many other highlights: Mike Tomaro’s bluesy “Tad Boppin’” (with splendid solos by trumpeter Jim Peterson, baritone Chip Gdalman and pianist Ron Mills); Kirk Garrison’s marvelous trumpet work on Lionel Bart’s “Where Is Love“ (so moving it brought tears to my eyes); the fiery ensemble passages that enfold Bill Horn’s dancing alto on Doug Beach’s “Vertigo”; two striking originals by Matt Harris, “Cabeza de Carne” (Meat Head) and “Madelyn’s Song” (which features another fine pianist, Bobby Schiff); Nestico’s Latin burner, “Celebracion” (with Tito Carrillo on trumpet and one of my favorite lead altos, Bob Frankich, soloing on tenor); Peterson’s shimmering trumpet on Nestico’s lovely ballad, “Rachael”; the swinging sax solis and stratospheric trumpet exchanges on Bird’s “Dexterity”; and Rick Hirsch’s Basie–like salute to Nestico, “Play It Again, Sammy” (with tasteful solos by Shiff and trumpeter Terry Connell). There are three vocals, by Byron Woods (“Chicago”), Sherrilynn Riley (“Fly Me to the Moon”) and Woods and Riley together (“How Do You Keep the Music Playing?”). Whether your knowledge of big bands is rudimentary, respectable or encyclopedic, the Chicago Skyliners will expand your awareness while giving your ears ample nourishment. ~ Jack Bowers  http://chicagoskylinersbigband.com/ubrev.html

Personnel: Bob Frankich, Bill Horn, Ken Partyka, Mike Bazan, Brian Sjoertinga, Kent Lawson, Chip Gdalman, Rick Hirsch, reeds; Russ Phillips, Dave Gross, Mark Corey, Edwin Williams, Dave Gross, trombones; Gross, bass trombone; Brad Payne, Kirk Garrison, Terry Connell, Tito Carrillo, Jim Peterson, Jared Brame, trumpets; Bobby Schiff, Ron Mills, piano; Dave Ivaz, guitar; Steve Hashimoto, John Elmquist, bass; Dave Rush, percussion; Rush, Bill O’Connell, drums; Sherrilynn Riley, Byron Woods, vocals.

That Toddlin' Town

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Lonnie Smith - Flavors

Styles: Post bop, Soul jazz
Year: 1976
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:34
Size: 80,7 MB
Art: Front

( 6:54)  1. Apex
(10:25)  2. Flavors
( 9:21)  3. High On You
( 7:52)  4. Good Morning

Organist Lonnie Smith has often been confused with keyboardist/pianist Lonnie Liston Smith  and, in fact, more than a few retailers have wrongly assumed that they're one and the same. In the mid-'60s, the Hammond hero earned recognition for his membership in George Benson's classic quartet before going on to play with Lou Donaldson (contributing some memorable solos to the alto saxman's hit 1967 album Alligator Bogaloo) and recording enjoyable dates of his own for Blue Note. For all their accessibility and commercial appeal, funk-influenced Smith sessions like 1968's Think and 1970's Drives showed that he could be quite imaginative. Smith, who later became Dr. Lonnie Smith (for "no particular reason," the same reason he gives for why he always wears a traditional Sikh turban), remained an inspired representative of soul-jazz, releasing his own albums like 1993's Afro Blue and continuing his long association with Donaldson. The 21st century saw him step up the pace, releasing several albums, including a tribute to Beck, 2003's Boogaloo to Beck; an album of reworked and modernized jazz standards, 2006's Jungle Soul; and 2009's Rise Up! Smith and his trio members  Jonathan Kreisberg, guitar; Jamire Williams, drums continued a relentless and tireless touring and recording schedule; he issued Spiral on 2010 on Palmetto with Matt Balitsaris producing. The live album Healer followed in 2012. In 2016, Smith delivered Evolution, his first album for Blue Note since 1970's Drives. Produced by Don Was, it featured guest appearances from saxophonist Joe Lovano, pianist Robert Glasper, and others. ~ Alex Henderson http://www.allmusic.com/artist/dr-lonnie-smith-mn0000273105/biography

Flavors

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