Bill Evans Trio - How My Heart Sings (Remastered)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 59:13

Size: 135.6 MB

Styles: Piano jazz

Year: 1964/1989

Art: Front

[4:56] 1. How My Heart Sings

[4:56] 2. I Should Care

[6:56] 3. In Your Own Sweet Way (Take 1)

[4:54] 4. Walking Up

[5:58] 5. Summertime

[6:22] 6. 34 Skidoo

[4:11] 7. Ev'rything I Love

[4:24] 8. Show-Type Tune

[5:52] 9. In Your Own Sweet Way (Take 2, Alternate)

[6:23] 10. 34 Skidoo (Take 9, Alternate)

[4:16] 11. Ev'rything I Love (Take 2, Alternate)

Bass – Chuck Israels; Drums – Paul Motian; Piano, Liner Notes – Bill Evans.

This enjoyable album is from the first recording session by Bill Evans’s “second trio” of 1962, with Chuck Israels taking over as bassist after the death of Scott La Faro. The session produced two albums, the all-ballad ‘Moonbeams’ and this one, which mainly features medium to up-tempo numbers. Nevertheless, as Evans said in his original liner notes, the trio aimed to produce a “singing” approach to all the material it played. So along with the lively, skipping rhythms on such tracks as “Summertime” and “In Your Own Sweet Way” and the more driving swing on the Evans originals, “Walking Up” and “34 Skidoo”, there’s a lot of tuneful improvising throughout. The combination of this “singing” approach with the trio’s rhythmic vitality is especially obvious on the title track, an attractively lyrical jazz waltz, on the affectionate parody, “Show Type Tune” (another Evans original), on “I Should Care” and on one of the less well known Cole Porter tunes, “Everything I Love”. The latter is one of my favourites for the way Evans in his playing of the tune manages to convey the lyrical feeling of a slow ballad at a moderately swinging tempo.

Even at this early stage in his residence with the trio, Chuck Israels was proving a highly compatible partner, creating well-constructed lines both in “duet” with the pianist and in his solos. Paul Motian’s drumming is mainly relaxed and at times almost self-effacing but always blending closely with Evans and Israels. Evans also pointed out in his liner notes how easy it would be to underrate Motian’s contribution until one tried to imagine what the music would be like without it. Despite the obvious differences of mood and tempo between this and the companion album, ‘Moonbeams’, it has similar virtues of subtlety and thoughtful interplay within the trio. ~MikeG

How My Heart Sings  

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Nat King Cole - More Cole Espanol

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 28:39
Size: 65.6 MB
Styles: Vocal
Year: 1962/2007
Art: Front

[1:48] 1. La Feria De Las Flores
[2:05] 2. Tres Palabras
[2:32] 3. Las Chiapanecas
[2:50] 4. Adios Marquita Linda
[1:58] 5. Aqui Se Habla En Amor
[2:29] 6. Vaya Con Dios
[2:54] 7. La Golondrina
[2:59] 8. No Me Platiques
[2:07] 9. A Media Luz
[1:58] 10. Guadalajara
[2:44] 11. Solamente Una Vez
[2:08] 12. Piel Canela

Despite the similarity in titles, More Cole Español (1962) was not the immediate successor to Cole Español (1958), although both are albums on which Nat King Cole sang songs in Spanish. There is also a third album of Cole's Spanish work, A Mis Amigos (1959), and chronologically it comes in between. In 1987, early in the CD era, Capitol Records put material from all three LPs together on two compilations confusingly titled Cole Español & More, Vol. 1 and Cole Español & More, Vol. 2, presenting the tracks in chronological order by splitting the A Mis Amigos tracks, half at the end of the first disc and half at the start of the second. Mail-order firm Collectors' Choice Music, in its 2007 Cole reissue series, takes a different tack, presenting A Mis Amigos separately (with bonus tracks) and combining the first and third Spanish albums on this two-fer. These discographical details are worth pointing out because the differences between the two albums (Cole Español and More Cole Español, that is) are great. Although Cole did not speak Spanish, he learned the song lyrics for Cole Español phonetically. Nine of the 11 selections had backing tracks recorded by conductor Armando Romeu, Jr., in Havana, Cuba, in February 1958, with Cole adding his vocals in Hollywood in June. The other two, "Cachito" and "Noche de Ronda," were cut with Hispanic musicians in Hollywood under the direction of Capitol Records' Dave Cavanaugh. The tunes were a mixed bag of Latin standards including Mexican mariachi music ("Adelita") and even the Italian "Arrivederci Roma" (sung in Spanish), and Cole's vocals were augmented by the Rivero Quartet and other uncredited singers. While that no doubt was intended to shore up his tentative performances, it actually showed him up, as the native Spanish singers offered a painful contrast to his own pedestrian readings of words he did not understand and pronounced with no flair. (On one track, "Tú, Mi Delirio," he abandoned the microphone for the piano to delightful effect.) Cole's singing voice was as smooth and attractive as ever, which must have helped, though, and the album's sales -- it reached the Top 20 in the U.S. and was a big hit internationally -- indicated that Spanish-speaking audiences were flattered that an American singer would try so hard to communicate with them in their own language. Four years later, More Cole Español was recorded in Mexico City with Mexican singers and musicians, but arranged and conducted by Ralph Carmichael. This collection (tracks 12-23) demonstrated that Cole had made significant advances as a singer in Spanish. He still didn't sound like he always knew what he was singing, and he still seemed to be working on his pronunciation, but on More Cole Español he was clearly having a lot more fun. In part, this had to be because the arrangements were more rhythmic and up-tempo, and Cole must have been taking enthusiasm from the Mexican musicians who accompanied him. And he must have been more familiar with material that included crossover hits like "Vaya con Dios." Whatever the reasons, More Cole Español was his most successful effort at making music for fans south of the border. ~William Ruhlmann

More Cole Espanol

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Django Reinhardt - An Introduction To The Guitar Genius

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:27
Size: 143.0 MB
Styles: Continental jazz, Gypsy swing
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[3:16] 1. Minor Swing
[3:04] 2. After You've Gone
[2:45] 3. Miss Annabelle Lee
[2:45] 4. St Louis Blues
[3:03] 5. You Rascal You
[3:21] 6. Liebestraum No 3
[2:32] 7. I'll See You In My Dreams
[2:50] 8. My Serenade
[2:54] 9. Improvisation
[2:17] 10. Mystery Pacific
[2:53] 11. Swinging With Django
[2:38] 12. Rhythm Futur
[2:45] 13. Swing 42
[3:59] 14. Bolero
[3:01] 15. Dinette
[2:34] 16. Belleville
[3:17] 17. Porto Cabello
[2:46] 18. Djangology
[3:04] 19. Nuits De Saint-Germain-Des-Pres
[3:14] 20. Nuages
[3:20] 21. Blues For Ike

Norway’s Hot Club label is dedicated to the hot jazz era from the 1930s through the mid-'50s. This single-disc set of Django Reinhardt's recordings with his killer band the Hot Club of France claims to be the first volume in his best recordings between 1936 and 1953. For starters, that claim is highly debatable. If planning multiple volumes in a series, why not pick the best tracks from one decade at a time and issue them that way? Secondly, since Reinhardt and his bandmates -- who included, of course, Stéphane Grappelli in the beginning -- cut so many fine sides, simply picking the best-known doesn’t necessarily signify the best in terms of quality. Complaints in advertising aside, there is no doubt that what is here is solid from top to bottom, beginning with the signature reading of “Minor Swing” that offers not only a glimpse, but the entire picture of Reinhardt’s genius in one swinging cut. The version of W.C. Handy's “St. Louis Blues” offers great evidence that Reinhardt in particular and this group in general need not be burning down the house tempo-wise in order to showcase their incredible ability to swing. Reinhardt’s solo is mind-bending to be sure, but it’s the group interplay that is most enlightening. The same can be said for “After You’ve Gone,” with Grappelli engaging Reinhardt in a call-and-response set of solos that is utterly delightfully. The later tracks on this set, such as "Nuits de Saint-Germain-des-Près," feature Reinhardt in a big-band setting playing electric guitar, where he employs techniques of dissonance and distortion to get his ideas across inside the larger ensemble and it works beautifully. That said, it is in the smaller-group settings that the listener will no doubt derive the greatest pleasure. The sound quality ranges from good to near excellent, which is impressive considering the source tapes for much of this material. ~Thom Jurek

An Introduction To The Guitar Genius

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Johnny Lytle Trio - Moon Child

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:43
Size: 86.4 MB
Styles: Bop, Vibraphone jazz
Year: 1962/2013
Art: Front

[4:42] 1. Moon Child
[4:16] 2. The House Of Winchester
[6:37] 3. Work Song
[4:30] 4. The Nearness Of You
[4:37] 5. A Taste Of Honey
[4:32] 6. When My Dreamboat Comes Home
[3:59] 7. The Moor Man
[4:27] 8. Moonlight In Vermont

Bass – Steve Cooper; Congas [Conga Drums] – Ray Barretto; Drums – Peppy Hinnant; Organ – Milt Harris; Vibraphone [Vibes] – Johnny Lytle.

In the 1960s, jazz went in a variety of directions. On one hand, you had free jazz and avant-garde explorers who were extremely abstract and uncommercial; on the other hand, you had accessible soul-jazzers and organ combos that tried to attract the young listeners that jazz was losing to rock and R&B. Johnny Lytle was a prime example of the latter; accessibility and commercial appeal were things the vibist considered positive. That isn't to say that his albums were dumbed down --Moon Child is accessible and groove-minded, but it's also a swinging, creative collection of soul-jazz/hard bop. Produced by Orrin Keepnews in 1962, this vinyl LP has a lot going for it. Lytle is expressive and appealing on well known standards that range from Nat Adderley's "Work Song" to Hoagy Carmichael's "The Nearness of You," and he fares just as well on swinging originals that include the title song, "The Moor Man," and "The House of Winchester" (which was written in memory of vibist Lem Winchester). Gratefully, Lytle has a solid team to help him make this album come alive -- one that includes organist Milt Harris, bassist Steve Cooper, and drummer Peppy Hinnant. Conga giant Ray Barretto is added on lyrical performances of "Moonlight and Vermont" and "The Nearness of You," bringing Afro-Cuban touches to those standards. Moon Child was out of print for many years, but, in 2001, Fantasy pleasantly surprised us by reissuing this album and 1963's Got That Feeling! back to back on the same 75-minute CD. And that's a good thing, because Moon Child is a perfect example of how instrumental jazz can have commercial appeal without losing its integrity. ~Alex Henderson

Moon Child

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Aretha Franklin - Chain Of Fools

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 30:49
Size: 70.6 MB
Styles: Soul, R&B
Year: 1993
Art: Front

[2:25] 1. Respect
[2:42] 2. Chain Of Fools
[4:00] 3. I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You)
[3:13] 4. Do Right Woman, Do Right Man
[2:51] 5. The Weight
[2:39] 6. Baby I Love You
[4:09] 7. Ain't No Way
[3:29] 8. My Song
[2:24] 9. You Send Me
[2:52] 10. The Tracks Of My Tears

Aretha Franklin was born in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1942. A gifted singer and pianist, Franklin toured with her father's traveling revival show and later visited New York, where she signed with Columbia Records. Franklin went on to release several popular singles, many of which are now considered classics. In 1987, she became the first female artist to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2008 she won her 18th Grammy Award, making her one of the most honored artists in Grammy history.

Chain Of Fools

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Joe Elliott - Truth Serum

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 79:31
Size: 182.0 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2017
Art: Front

[6:36] 1. A Timely Prayer
[5:58] 2. Smile
[7:06] 3. Rain Dance
[5:34] 4. Double Trouble
[9:14] 5. Kaloogeedah
[5:30] 6. Tears
[5:38] 7. Truth Serum
[3:54] 8. Ferias
[5:48] 9. Nite Owl
[5:53] 10. Distant Early Warning
[5:59] 11. Ain't It Great To Be Crazy
[5:47] 12. Owed To Elaf
[6:19] 13. Twisted Cowboy
[0:09] 14. Laughing Guitars

Truth Serum is a collection of compositions I wrote with no preconceived goal of satisfying or conforming to any particular genre label or template. I just wrote what came to me at the moment. I arranged and performed them with my L.A. band, primarily at the legendary Baked Potato in Los Angeles. I wrote expandable solo sections into each tune so the music could flex depending on the mood and atmosphere on a given night.

I’m tremendously grateful for the great musicians who performed these songs with me. Some invested countless hours of rehearsal into the original shaping of the arrangements. Tim McIntyre, Andre Berry and Steve Weingart were the ‘original’ LA band who performed most of these songs with me many times at the Baked Potato. These guys were invested in the project and helped shape the direction of the songs. ~Joe

Truth Serum

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Benny Goodman & Andre Previn - Happy Session

Styles: Clarinet And Piano Jazz
Year: 1958
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:45
Size: 101,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:03)  1. Happy Session Blues
(4:26)  2. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
(4:51)  3. King and Me
(4:32)  4. Indian Summer
(3:29)  5. What A Diff'rence a Day Made
(2:51)  6. Batunga Train
(7:35)  7. Having A Ball
(3:27)  8. Clarinet a la King
(3:53)  9. Macedonia Lullaby
(3:34) 10. Diga Diga Doo

Recorded after Benny Goodman returned with his 1958 big band from a European tour that included an exuberant stint at the Brussels World Fair, this LP alternates between orchestra performances (the mostly newer compositions include four by a Yugoslavian composer, Bobby Gutesha) and Goodman features with his rhythm section, which co-stars Andre Previn's piano. BG dominates this album and is in excellent form. ~ Scott Yanow http://www.allmusic.com/album/happy-session-mw0000414066

Personnel: Clarinet – Benny Goodman;  Bass – George Duvivier, Leroy Vinnegar, Milt Hinton;  Guitar – Barney Kessel, Turk Van Lake;  Piano – Andre Previn, Russ Freeman;  Saxophone – Babe Clark, Bob Wilber, Herb Geller, James Sands, Pepper Adams;  Trombone – Buster Cooper, Hale Rood, Rex Peer;
Trumpet – Allen Smith, Benny Ventura, Ermet Perry, John Frosk

Happy Session

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Freda Payne - Reaching Out

Styles: Vocal, Soul
Year: 1973
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:05
Size: 94,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:22)  1. Two Wrongs Don't Make A Right
(3:20)  2. Reaching Out
(2:37)  3. For No Reason
(4:14)  4. The Man Of My Dreams
(5:08)  5. Mother Misery's Favorite Child
(3:06)  6. We've Gotta Find A Way Back To Love
(3:07)  7. Mood For Love
(4:43)  8. Rainy Days And Mondays
(6:33)  9. If You Go Away
(3:50) 10. Right Back Where I Started From

Freda Payne was a onetime flagship of Invictus, the label established by Motown mutineers Holland-Dozier-Holland. Though she only made three albums with the former Detroit hit machine, it was through the first two singles both artist and label became instantly known. Parting with Motown proved the right decision for HDH in their search for more creative recognition. Through Payne's "Unhooked Generation" and " "Band of Gold" they nurtured a newfound soul style. Combining the infectious rhythmic base of their earlier efforts with the Supremes and the Four Tops, HDH ventured into a more funk-oriented approach, with a little less emphasis on the familiar orchestration. Payne's debut album may have been a standout. By the time Reaching Out was released, Holland-Dozier-Holland seemed to have focused their attention elsewhere. They only took writing credits for three compositions, leaving the bulk to Smith and co-producer Dunbar and some ill-advised cover versions. A little less attention to the packaging would have been at its place; not even a bikini-clad Payne can make up for a tragic misstep like treating listeners to her version of "If You Go Away." Her voice remains sensual throughout the album; however, it never comes close to the spine tickling capacities of the debut. Also, Reaching Out is heavily in need of more playful album tracks like "The Easiest Way to Fall" or "Love on Borrowed Time" from her debut album. Only in one instance does Payne revitalize the memory of earlier hits: the darkly grooving "Mother Misery's Favourite Child" reflects the way she had with domestic drama. Though it can't be all blamed on Payne; if only HDH and Dunbar had supplied her with some of the quality stuff they took to the Honey Cone. ~ Quint Kik http://www.allmusic.com/album/reaching-out-mw0000766672

Reaching Out

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Stan Kenton - Easy Go

Styles: Piano Jazz, Big Band 
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:17
Size: 142,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:09)  1. Easy Go
(3:15)  2. Love For Sale
(3:19)  3. Viva Prado
(2:56)  4. Something New (Sunset Tower)
(2:39)  5. Theme For Alto
(3:15)  6. Riff Rhapsody
(3:08)  7. Dynaflow
(3:13)  8. What's New
(3:04)  9. Jump For Joe
(2:42) 10. Night Watch
(2:44) 11. Francesca
(2:46) 12. Soliloquy
(2:50) 13. Lazy Daisy
(2:33) 14. Mambo Rhapsody
(3:10) 15. Riff Raff
(2:57) 16. Star Dust
(3:06) 17. Bags And Baggage
(2:54) 18. Bill's Blues
(3:26) 19. Cool Eyes
(3:04) 20. Beehive

Easy Go is a compilation of straight ahead charts recorded by the Kenton band in the years 1950-52 between tours of the Innovations Orchestra. While an artistic triumph, the Innovations Orchestra was not so successful financially, and Kenton had to record a number of albums devoted to just dance and swing tunes to recuperate his losses. Nevertheless, these recordings feature the Kenton band at its most swinging and most relaxed. And all the critics who have said that Kenton never swung need only listen to this CD to hear how wrong they've been over the years. What a collection of sidemen and arrangers. Stan Kenton, Pete Rugolo, Shorty Rogers, Gene Roland, Johnny Richards and Bill Russo all contributed charts. As an example of the range of jazz greats on this album, the trumpet section included Ray Wetzel, Buddy Childers, both Candoli brothers, Shorty Rogers, Al Porcino, and a young kid from Montreal named Maynard Ferguson. Most of the tunes included on Easy Go are long familiar to Kenton fans. Of all the great arrangers whose works appear on this CD, Shorty Roger's original tune "Viva Prado" and his rendition of the standard "What's New" stand out among the crowd. Another chart of special interest is William Russo's "Bill's Blues," one of the most swinging compositions ever penned by the most cerebral of the Kenton stable of composer/arrangers. Easy Go is a must for all Kenton fans and a good starting point for those who are new to the Creative World of Stan Kenton. ~ William Grinnm https://www.allaboutjazz.com/easy-go-stan-kenton-capitol-records-review-by-william-grim.php

Personnel: Stan Kenton, piano, arranger; Ruban McFall, trumpet; Dick Meldonian, sax; Clyde Reasinger,trumpet; George Roberts, trombone; Jimmy Salko, trumpet; Ray Wetzel, trumpet; Ralph Blaze, guitar; Al Porcino, trumpet; Johnny Halliburton, trombone; Dick Kenney, trombone; Paul Weigand, trombone; Don Dennis, trumpet; Bart Caldarell, sax; Jack Millman, trumpet; Mike Pacheco, timbales; Johnny Richards, arranger; Shorty Rogers, arranger, trumpet; Herbie Steward, sax; Milt Bernhart, trombone; Harry Betts, trombone; Bob Fitzpatrick, trombone; Bob Gioga, Sax; John Howell, trumpet; Laurindo Almeida, guitar; Eddie Bert, trombone; Conte Candoli, trumpet; Frank Capp, drums; Buddy Childers, trumpet; Eddie Gomez, maraccas; Herbie Harper, trombone; Bill Holman, Sax; Shelly Manne, drums; Art Pepper, sax; Bud Shank, sax; Don Bagley, bass; Pete Candoli, trumpet; John Graas, French horn; Lennie Niehaus, Sax; Gene Roland, arranger; Pete Rugolo, arranger; Bill Russo, arranger, trombone

Easy Go

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Jimmy Barnes - HEAT

Styles: Vocal, Guitar, Rock
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:14
Size: 154,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:06)  1. Sweat It Out
(3:20)  2. Wheels In Motion
(4:01)  3. Stand Up
(3:42)  4. Burn Baby Burn
(4:35)  5. Something's Got A Hold
(3:18)  6. Love Thing
(4:39)  7. Talking To You
(3:47)  8. Stone Cold
(4:17)  9. Wait For Me
(6:15) 10. Tears We Cry
(3:54) 11. Right By Your Side
(4:13) 12. A Little Bit Of Love
(4:37) 13. I'd Rather Be Blind
(4:57) 14. Not The Loving Kind
(4:17) 15. Knock Me Down
(3:10) 16. Catch Your Shadow

Apparently Mr Barnes, the god from Oz, was trying to rediscover his roots on Heat. What he has done is created a record steeped in fine blues rock traditions. With a voice as earthy as Barnes' it's easy to assume that the material was simple to come by, but all the material is well-crafted and emotive. None more so than Something Got A Hold, a gem of a song that rolls and tumbles around a luscious hook. It's no secret that Barnes is a class live performer. Hear his seminal live LP Barnstorming for proof of that. With Heat he should now get the worldwide recognition he deserves for his studio output. Grade B+  http://the-revenge-of-riff-raff.blogspot.com.br/2012/10/album-review-jimmy-barnes-heat.html

Personnel: Vocals, Guitar – Jimmy Barnes; Backing Vocals – Jeff Neill; Bass – Michael Hegerty;  Drums – Tony Brock;  Guitar – Ian Moss, Jeff Neill, Jimmy Barnes;  Keyboards – Phil Shenale

HEAT

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