Frank Sinatra - Sinatra And Swingin' Brass

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 30:05
Size: 68.9 MB
Styles: Swing, Jazz vocals
Year: 1962/2014
Art: Front

[1:47] 1. Goody, Goody
[2:40] 2. They Can't Take That Away From Me
[2:12] 3. At Long Last Love
[2:34] 4. I'm Beginning To See The Light
[3:10] 5. Don'cha Go 'way Mad
[3:13] 6. I Get A Kick Out Of You
[2:02] 7. Tangerine
[2:26] 8. Love Is Just Around The Corner
[2:07] 9. Ain't She Sweet
[2:59] 10. Serenade In Blue
[2:17] 11. I Love You
[2:33] 12. Pick Yourself Up

Sinatra and Swingin' Brass, a collection of brash, bold up-tempo numbers, followed the all-ballads effort Sinatra and Strings. Working with Neal Hefti, Sinatra turned in a robust, energetic performance, which was infectious even when his voice was showing signs of wear -- he was suffering from a cold during the sessions. The record captures the spirit of the Rat Pack era nearly as well as Ring-a-Ding Ding!. [This album was later released with three bonus tracks]. ~Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Sinatra And Swingin' Brass

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Clark Terry - The Happy Horns Of Clark Terry

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:11
Size: 78.3 MB
Styles: Bop, Trumpet jazz
Year: 1964/1994
Art: Front

[4:39] 1. Rockin' In Rhythm
[4:08] 2. In A Mist
[3:04] 3. Return To Swahili
[2:56] 4. Ellington Rides Again (Medley)
[4:39] 5. Impulsive
[3:35] 6. Do Nothing 'til You Hear From Me
[4:30] 7. Jazz Conversations
[3:47] 8. High Towers
[2:48] 9. Hammer Head Waltz

Double Bass – Milt Hinton; Drums – Walter Perkins; Piano – Roger Kellaway; Saxophone [Alto], Clarinet – Phil Woods; Saxophone [Tenor] – Ben Webster; Trumpet – Clark Terry. Recorded: March 13, 1964.

This all-star LP has plenty of memorable moments. Flugelhornist Clark Terry teams up with altoist Phil Woods (who doubles on clarinet), tenor great Ben Webster, pianist Roger Kellaway, bassist Milt Hinton, and drummer Walter Perkins for a varied program that includes a rollicking version of "Rockin' in Rhythm," Bix Beiderbecke's "In a Mist," a Duke Ellington medley, and "Return to Swahili," which is mostly a flügelhorn-drums duet. The lively music is quite enjoyable. ~Scott Yanow

The Happy Horns Of Clark Terry

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LeAnn Rimes - S/T

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:25
Size: 88.0 MB
Styles: Country vocals
Year: 1996
Art: Front

[2:52] 1. Crazy
[3:29] 2. Don't Worry
[2:29] 3. Leavin' On Your Mind
[3:52] 4. Faded Love
[3:18] 5. Born To Lose
[3:08] 6. Cryin' Time
[3:14] 7. She's Got You
[2:53] 8. I Fall To Pieces
[2:39] 9. Your Cheatin' Heart
[2:45] 10. Lovesick Blues
[4:33] 11. Me And Bobby McGee
[3:09] 12. Big Deal

This is a collection of LeAnn Rimes's favorite country standards, plus one newly written hit, "Big Deal." Say what you will about this woman-child--yes, she really needs direction (the 11 remakes couldn't be more obvious choices) and a producer besides her dad. But she's slowly growing into her own style, which here falls somewhere between Patsy Cline, Brenda Lee, and Tammy Wynette. Especially Patsy. Her timing on "Crazy" is quirky enough to offset the ham-fisted arrangement, and she's not bad on "I Fall to Pieces," either; her efforts on "She's Got You," "Leavin' on Your Mind," and "Faded Love" (a Bob Wills song Cline cut) fall short. She also chooses "Your Cheatin' Heart" and "Lovesick Blues," two songs identified with Hank Williams that Cline recorded, and sings the latter like she knows what it means. The wanna-rock "Me and Bobby McGee" is a travesty, but at least she gets to act her age, sort of, on "Big Deal." ~John Morthland

LeAnn Rimes

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Si Cranstoun - Smokehouse Sessions

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 26:55
Size: 61.6 MB
Styles: R&B, Swing
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[2:13] 1. Mary Lou
[2:30] 2. True Lovers
[2:38] 3. Rosie Lees
[3:29] 4. Around Midnight
[2:55] 5. Ruby Baby
[3:47] 6. The Throwback
[1:49] 7. Them There Eyes
[2:05] 8. Sea Cruise
[2:38] 9. Little By Little
[2:47] 10. 50's Pin Up

A fantastic dancable Rhythm & Blues album by Si Cranstoun, one of the most requested pf today's artists for Rock & Roll festivals! The Smokehouse Sessions was recorded at the famous Smokehouse Studios

in London and features Si Cranstoun and his eight piece band playing old and new vintage dance floor favourites.
It includes new covers of songs by Frankie Ford, Varetta Dillard, The Drifters, Nappy Brown and Sam Cooke along with some upfront vibey new renditions from Si's ever growing songwriting catalogue.
One to listen out for is the newly written track True Lovers - it's killer vintage style R&B.

Smokehouse Sessions

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Lionel Hampton - Ring Dem Vibes

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:11
Size: 98.9 MB
Styles: Vibraphone jazz
Year: 2001/2007
Art: Front

[ 7:44] 1. Ring Dem Bells
[ 2:13] 2. Seven Come Eleven
[ 4:28] 3. On The Sunny Side Of The Street
[ 7:06] 4. Blue Lou
[10:30] 5. Psychedelic Sally
[ 4:41] 6. Vibraphone Blues
[ 6:26] 7. Hamp's Thing

Alto Saxophone – Michel Attenoux; Double Bass – Michel Gaudry; Drums – Sam Woodyard; Guitar – William Mackel; Organ – Reynold Mullins (tracks: 6); Piano – Raymond Fol, Reynold Mullins (tracks: 3, 4); Tenor Saxophone – Gérard Badini (tracks: 1, 5, 7); Trombone – Claude Gousset (tracks: 1, 5, 7); Vibraphone – Dany Doriz (tracks: 2); Vibraphone, Vocals – Lionel Hampton. Recorded on May 25 (1, 2, 5, 7) and 26 (3, 4, 6) 1976, at the Hoche studio, Paris.

Lionel Hampton's two-day session for Blue Star in 1976 was a very productive date; he only brought along two regulars, guitarist Billy Mackel and pianist/organist Reynold Mullins, but was joined by an assortment of outstanding European players, including pianist Raymond Fol, alto saxophonist Michel Attenoux (who had worked with Hampton before), trombonist Claude Gousset, tenor saxophonist Gerard Badini, bassist Michel Gaudry, and former Ellington drummer Sam Woodyard, who was living and working in Paris. Hampton was only 68 years old at the time of the recording and still had the reputation for wearing out men a third of his age on the bandstand; his enthusiasm is infectious from the opening number, "Ring Dem Bells," as he introduces each soloist in turn in a lively jam. Dany Doriz, the man who had instigated this session, joins Hampton on vibes for a spirited if brief run through "Seven Come Eleven." The leader also revisits old favorites such as his "Vibraphone Blues" (which includes some humorous commentary in addition to his vocal) and standards like "Blue Lou" and "On the Sunny Side of the Street" with the same vigor as when he first recorded them decades earlier. One surprise inclusion is Horace Silver's "Psychedelic Sally," which turns into an extended workout with one hot chorus inspiring yet another. The players mesh very well and each of the soloists is in top form when called upon. Although Lionel Hampton recorded frequently in the second half of the 1970s, this pickup session is among the best of the two dozen or so releases made during this period of his career. ~Ken Dryden

Ring Dem Vibes

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Valery Ponomarev - Beyond The Obvious

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:21
Size: 150,1 MB
Art: Front

( 6:06)  1. You Dig, I Hear You, You Know What I Mean, etc.
( 6:16)  2. Close Your Eyes
( 9:43)  3. Party Time
( 6:53)  4. The Blessing
( 9:09)  5. From Cat To Nat
(15:05)  6. Sale On Love
( 7:11)  7. Chelsea Bridge
( 4:54)  8. Gina's Cooking

Beyond The Obvious is ex-Jazz Messenger Valery Ponomarev's seventh CD as a leader for Reservoir. His Means of Identification, recorded in 1985, was the label's debut release. Beyond The Obvious stands apart from the six prior (all quintet) sessions in terms of its instrumental format. It's out at a time when the Russian-born trumpeter is in the news for a troubling incident. In mid September, Ponomarev reportedly had his arm broken by Charles DeGaulle Airport security after refusing to relinquish his trumpet. He was asked to check his trumpet at the gate, despite the fact that it was already properly tagged as carry-on baggage. Beyond the Obvious features a piano-less quartet, balancing two horns (Ponomarev's trumpet and Don Braden's tenor sax) with the bass and drums of Martin Zenker and Jerome Jennings, respectively. Jennings, who has toured and studied with Ponomarev, is a graduate student at New York's Juilliard School of Music. Suffice to say that he plays with empathy and talent belying his years.  

This is a half-and-half mix of jazz standards and savory originals, one of which ("Love On Sale ) is an extended Ponomarev composition loosely based on Cole Porter's Tin Pan Alley chestnut "Love For Sale. The opening "You Dig, whose odd conversational patter title is actually the melody, was recorded by Ponomarev and the rhythm section while Braden sat in traffic on the way to the studio. It's a clever full-throttle blues.  Even on the standards including "Close Your Eyes and "Chelsea Bridge Ponomarev is the clever rearranger, enabling the quartet to mine interesting new facets, hence the project title. There's an intensity and beauty to their interpretation of Ornette's classic "The Blessing, from the late '50s. "Chelsea Bridge features three primary solo voices trumpet, tenor and bass and is a gem. Check out the subtleties and rhythmic variations that the ensemble adds to Lee Morgan's "Party Time, a classic blues from one of the leader's trumpet heroes. Braden and Ponomarev's horn lines artfully complement each other both in tandem and as foils throughout this session. It's clear that the leader, so thoroughly grounded in bebop, is extending that exciting tradition. ~ Ken Frankling https://www.allaboutjazz.com/beyond-the-obvious-valery-ponomarev-reservoir-music-review-by-ken-franckling.php

Personnel: Valery Ponomarev: trumpet; Don Braden: tenor saxophone; Martin Zenker: bass; Jerome Jennings: drums.

Beyond The Obvious

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Brenna Whitaker - Brenna Whitaker

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:32
Size: 93,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:12)  1. Black And Gold
(3:28)  2. Misty Blue
(2:22)  3. It's A Good Day
(2:54)  4. You Don't Own Me
(3:16)  5. My Heart Cries For You
(3:37)  6. When I'm Gone
(2:36)  7. I Can't Hear A Word You Say
(3:53)  8. It's Not Easy Bein' Green
(3:43)  9. Love Back
(3:08) 10. Anyone Who Had A Heart
(3:27) 11. Sayonara
(3:50) 12. A House Is Not A Home

After landing her first professional theater gig at age 11, moving to New York City on her own to study with Broadway veterans at age 17, and spending her early 20s leading jazz bands back home in Missouri, Whitaker headed to L.A. and started setting up a series of residencies that eventually attracted fans like Stevie Wonder, Quincy Jones, and Michael Bublé and caught the attention of Verve Records chairman and 16-time Grammy Award-winner David Foster. The first new artist Foster has agreed to develop and produce since discovering Bublé, Whitaker is now set to release a debut album for Verve that finds her reviving a vast American jukebox of classic songs and revealing the full force of her stunning, soulful voice. ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Brenna-Whitaker/dp/B014GF44V0

Brenna Whitaker

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Moacir Santos - Saudade

Styles: Latin Jazz
Year: 1974
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:36
Size: 84,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:24)  1. Early Morning Love
(6:08)  2. A Saudade Mata a Gente
(3:36)  3. Off and On
(3:37)  4. The City of LA
(4:07)  5. Suk Cha
(3:36)  6. Kathy
(2:58)  7. Haply-Happy
(3:24)  8. Amphibious
(2:32)  9. This Life
(3:08) 10. What's My Name

Saudade is an album by Brazilian composer Moacir Santos recorded in 1974 and released on the Blue Note label. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudade_(Moacir_Santos_album)

Personnel:  Moacir Santos - alto saxophone, baritone saxophone, conductor, arranger;  Steve Huffsteter - trumpet, flugelhorn;  Benny Powell – trombone;  Morris Repass - bass trombone;  Sidney Muldrow - french horn;  Ray Pizzi - bassoon, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, flute, piccolo;  Jerome Richardson - soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, flute, alto flute;  Mark Levine - piano, electric piano, arranger;  Lee Ritenour - guitar, electric guitar;  John Heard - bass, electric bass;  Harvey Mason – drums;  Mayuto Correa, Carmelo Garcia - conga, percussion;  Donald Alves, Mike Campbell, Jose Marino, Petsye Powell, Carmen Saveiros, Regina Werneck - backing vocals

Saudade

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Joe Williams - Here's to Life

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1994
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 59:31
Size: 110,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:37)  1. Here's To Life
(4:52)  2. What A Wonderful World
(4:17)  3. When I Fall In Love
(4:14)  4. I Found A Million Dollar Baby
(4:54)  5. If I Had You
(4:07)  6. Maybe September
(4:00)  7. Save That Time
(4:49)  8. Young And Foolish
(5:15)  9. I Didn't Know About You
(4:32) 10. Little Sir Echo
(4:58) 11. Someone You've Loved
(4:06) 12. A Time For Love
(3:44) 13. Here's To Life

Joe Williams loves the string arrangements of Robert Farnon and the sappy ballad "Here's to Life" but in truth the charts border on muzak and the slow tempoes on this Telarc CD have little variety. Reminiscent a bit of Nat King Cole's string sessions of the 1950s with Gordon Jenkins, there is little jazz content to this set. Williams is in particularly strong form, interpreting the ballads in dramatic and sensitive fashion, but, despite his charm, this is one of his lesser recordings. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/heres-to-life-mw0000623648

Personnel: Joe Williams (vocals); Louis Stewart (guitar); Hugh Webb (harp); Liz Edwards, Belinda Bunt, Trevor Williams , Michael Berrow, Madeleine Whitelaw, Rachel Cohen, John Ronayne, Raymond Keenlyside, Diana Cummings, Raymond Cohen, Jonathan Strange, Celia Sheen, Homi Kanga, Gillian Cohen, Roy Wilson, Roger Garland (violin); John Underwood , Kenneth Essex, Michael Ponder (viola); Keith Harvey, Denis Vigay, Anthony Pleeth (cello); Dennis Walton, Peter Hughes , Tommy Whittle, Roy Willox (woodwinds); Paul Pritchard, John Rooke, John Pigneguy (French horn); Bill Geldard, Christopher Dean, Don Lusher (trombone); Laurie Holloway (piano, celesta); George Shearing (piano); Jack Parnell (drums).

Here's to Life

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Najee - Poetry In Motion

Styles: Saxophone Jazz, Smooth Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:43
Size: 119,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:40)  1. Stratosphere
(5:31)  2. Is It The Way Back
(4:24)  3. Let's Take It Back
(5:19)  4. Noche Romantica
(6:19)  5. We'll Be Missing You
(4:49)  6. Song For The Ladies
(4:33)  7. Don't Make Me Wait
(6:28)  8. Poetry In Motion
(4:45)  9. Running Away
(3:50) 10. Duolology

One of the best-selling instrumentalists of the late '80s to mid-'90s, Najee has been a consistent favorite in the quiet storm and smooth jazz markets. Often compared to Kenny G, George Howard, and Dave Koz, the New Yorker has been greatly influenced by Grover Washington, Jr.although he hasn't been nearly as adventurous. Heavily produced and quite formulaic, Najee's albums have tended to avoid improvisation and strive for commercial radio airplay above all else. Debuting in 1987 with Najee's Theme, Najee was an immediate hit in the new adult contemporary (NAC) market. Similar pop/urban jazz dates like 1988's Day by Day and 1990's Tokyo Blue did nothing to jeopardize his niche on smooth jazz radio. On-stage, Najee takes some risks and stretches out more.

Morning Tenderness was released in 1998, followed by Love Songs (2000), Embrace (2003), My Point of View (2005), True Spirit (with John Grant, Victor Williams, and Dennis Chambers in 2006), Rising Sun (2007), and Mind Over Matter (2009). In 2012, Najee released his 14th studio album, The Smooth Side of Soul, featuring the track "First Kiss," a collaboration with R&B vocalist Phil Perry. Najee returned in 2013 with The Morning After: A Musical Love Journey, which included the song "Shinjuku," a tribute to the late jazz keyboard legend George Duke. Two years later, he delivered his 16th studio effort, You, Me and Forever, which reached the Top Ten on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz Albums chart. In 2017, he returned with Poetry in Motion. ~ Alex Henderson https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/poetry-in-motion/id1266264056

This release includes guests:  Will Downing, Maysa, Incognito, Eric Roberson and Phil Perry, among others

Poetry In Motion

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