Jeff Steinberg Jazz Ensemble - Cafe Cubano

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:50
Size: 100.4 MB
Styles: Latin jazz
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[3:25] 1. Perdido
[3:29] 2. De-Lovely
[3:24] 3. Perfidia
[3:37] 4. Fascinating Rhythm
[3:51] 5. Make Someone Happy
[4:05] 6. Besame Mucho
[4:02] 7. All Or Nothing At All
[3:17] 8. Speak Low
[3:19] 9. Tangerine
[4:31] 10. This Masquerade
[3:29] 11. If I Were A Bell
[3:16] 12. I Wish You Love

After more than thirty-five years as a composer, arranger/orchestrator, pianist, producer and music educator, Jeff Steinberg's work continues to span the professional spectrum which includes spectacular Jazz, Big Band, and Orchestral recordings as well as original scores for advertising, television, and film.

Upon graduating from the Berklee School in 1969, he joined The Glenn Miller Orchestra under the direction of Buddy DeFranco and toured the United States, Canada, Great Britain and Japan. Since then, he has worked with such luminaries as Maynard Ferguson, Count Basie, Stan Kenton, Perry Como, and Michel Legrand, and produced and arranged music for the advertising campaigns of General Motors, McDonald’s, ALCOA, The Monsanto Company, TimeLife and others. He has arranged, conducted, and performed with and for The London Symphony, Scottish National Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, the orchestras of Nashville, Detroit and Tampa, as well as Randy Newman, Anne Murray, Art Garfunkel, Roberta Flack, Michael Feinstein, Olivia Newton-John, and Paul Anka.

Steinberg currently serves as a frequent POPS Conductor for The Nashville Symphony and other orchestras with whom his productions of “Jazz At The Symphony” featuring the talents of Jeff Coffin, Denis Solee, Mark Douthit (The Other Three Tenors), Beegie Adair, Lori Mechem, Rod McGaha, Jay Patten, George Tidwell, Annie Sellick, Sandra Dudley and others have drawn critical acclaim and sell-out crowds.

Cafe Cubano

---

Georgia Gibbs - The Best Of Georgia Gibbs: The Mercury Years

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:06
Size: 149.1 MB
Styles: Vocal pop
Year: 1996
Art: Front

[2:26] 1. Kiss Of Fire
[2:27] 2. Tom's Tune
[2:58] 3. While You Danced, Danced, Danced
[2:50] 4. Cry
[2:25] 5. So Madly In Love
[2:37] 6. My Favorite Song
[2:08] 7. Seven Lonely Days
[2:29] 8. For Me, For Me
[2:42] 9. The Bridge Of Sighs
[2:59] 10. Home Lovin' Man
[2:31] 11. I Love Paris
[2:47] 12. Autumn Leaves
[2:21] 13. Somebody Bad Stole De Wedding Bell
[2:04] 14. My Sin
[2:58] 15. How Did He Look
[1:54] 16. Wait For Me Darling
[4:13] 17. It's The Talk Of The Town
[2:30] 18. Tweedle Dee
[2:17] 19. Dance With Me Henry (Wallflower)
[2:29] 20. Sweet And Gentle
[2:29] 21. I Want You To Be My Baby
[2:47] 22. Goodbye To Rome
[2:15] 23. Kiss Me Another
[2:45] 24. Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe
[2:35] 25. Happiness Street

The Best of the Mercury Years contains 25 tracks from Georgia Gibb's tenure at Mercury Records. Over the course of the compilation, all of the vocalist's charting singles -- including the number one hits "Kiss of Fire" and "Dance With Me Henry" -- are included, as well as terrific lesser-known numbers which help make this album the definitive retrospective of Gibb's career. ~Thom Owens

The Best Of Georgia Gibbs: The Mercury Years

---

Larry Goldings, Harry Allen - When Larry Met Harry

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:34
Size: 120.4 MB
Styles: Piano Jazz, Saxophone jazz
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[3:12] 1. Morning Has Broken
[4:49] 2. Slo-Boat
[3:02] 3. The Look Of Love
[4:10] 4. Lucky Am I
[3:53] 5. Benny's Dream
[6:44] 6. Sous Le Ciel De Paris
[5:40] 7. Salad Days
[4:09] 8. Miles Above
[4:13] 9. Bud's In Bloom
[5:11] 10. I Can See Forever
[4:26] 11. Valse D'antan
[3:00] 12. Hester Street, 1896

Larry Goldings: piano, bells, vibes, organ; Harry Allen: tenor saxophone; Doug Weiss: bass (3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11); Neil Miner: bass (2, 4, 7, 9); Andy Watson: drums.

There is always a place in the world for beautifully played jazz, where the saxophonist doesn't sound like he's trying to inflict pain on his horn, and the pianist just hits all the right notes. Tenor player Harry Allen and his keyboard partner, Larry Goldings, are the musicians, and the album is When Larry Met Harry.

Of the twelve tracks on the record, eight were penned by Goldings, which is noteworthy because they would sound right at home with a 1950s Ben Webster combo playing standards. They are mostly slow to mid-tempo tunes with an emphasis on melody and tasteful presentation. Mercifully, the affair never dips into a syrupy morass, even on "Benny's Dream," which features a string section in the background—a potential kitschy trap. The device, which is only deployed on this track, adds just enough effect to compliment the tune without overwhelming it.

"Bud's In Bloom," the most up-tempo song of the set, shows off some solid bebop chops in the tradition of Charlie Parker's best compositions, but without any frenetic eruptions to upset the overall tone of the record. This band can cook, but it does so in good taste. One of the few covers on the date, Burt Bacharach's "The Look of Love," brings the syncopated bounce of the rhythm section—drummer Andy Watson and bassist Doug Weiss—forward into the mix, as the leaders lay back on a song that's as much about the notes that aren't played as the ones that are.

Despite its generally laconic pace, this is a tautly performed album. The musicians are clearly in sync with each other, and there are virtually no musical loose ends in evidence. Allen is a buttery, warm player with an elegant tone, and a gentle but insistent presentation. Goldings sticks mostly to the piano, but overlays some very subtle keyboard accents throughout. The production values are very strong, with a natural presentation and big wide soundstage. The piano, in particular, sounds very full and lifelike, captured with all of its harmonic textures intact. ~Greg Simmons

When Larry Met Harry

---

Junior Cook - The Place To Be

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:32
Size: 138.6 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 1989
Art: Front

[ 5:02] 1. Cedar's Blues
[11:36] 2. I Should Have Known
[ 5:34] 3. Are You Real
[ 4:30] 4. She Rote
[ 9:01] 5. Gnid
[ 7:49] 6. This Is The Place To Be
[ 8:52] 7. Over The Rainbow
[ 8:04] 8. Cup Bearer

This 1988 recording is the first of three excellent recordings under Junior Cook's leadership on the Steeplechase label. This Europeon label seems to record older, lesser known jazz musicians that U.S. labels won't touch. The description "lesser known" applies to Junior as well as any description. Although he has had a long and distinguished musical career, he was eclipsed by such tenor giants as Coltrane and Rollins. He has played with Horace Silver, Cedar Walton, Blue Mitchell, and led his own groups. He died at age 58 in 1992. In the last few years of his life, he was a featured soloist in the McCoy Tyner Big Band.(If you haven't heard this band, get their recordings.)

He is a fine, swinging hard bop tenor player. If anything, he reminds me of Hank Mobley and George Coleman, who are also lesser known greats. Not bad company. The quartet features Mickey Tucker on piano and a fabulous drummer, Leroy Williams. Mickey Tucker may not be a star, but he plays brilliantly. Wayne Dockery ably holds the bass chair. This quartet swings with a joyful abandon. Although the tune selection includes lesser known originals and standards, they are delightful tunes, which this group grabs a hold of takes to the skies. ~A Jazz Lover Since 1960/Amazon

The Place To Be

---

Antonio Carlos Jobim, Elis Regina - Elis & Tom

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:57
Size: 86.9 MB
Styles: Bossa Nova, Latin jazz
Year: 1974/2009
Art: Front

[3:32] 1. Águas De Março
[1:42] 2. Pois E
[3:51] 3. Só Tinha De Ser Com Você
[2:16] 4. Modinha
[2:42] 5. Triste
[3:56] 6. Corcovado
[1:43] 7. O Que Tinha De Ser
[3:03] 8. Retrato Em Branco E Preto
[1:38] 9. Brigas Nunca Mais
[2:03] 10. Por Toda A Minha Vida
[2:45] 11. Fotografia
[2:20] 12. Soneto Da Separação
[3:11] 13. Chovendo Na Roseira
[3:08] 14. Inútil Paisagem

This beautiful -- and now legendary -- recording date between iconic Brazilian vocalist Elis Regina and composer, conductor, and arranger Tom Jobim is widely regarded as one of the greatest Brazilian pop recordings. It is nearly ubiquitous among Brazilians as a household item. Regina's voice is among the most loved in the history of Brazilian music. Her range and acuity, her unique phrasing, and her rainbow of emotional colors are literally unmatched, and no matter the tune or arrangement, she employs most of them on these 14 cuts. Another compelling aspect of this recording is the young band Jobim employs here and allows pretty free rein throughout. He plays piano on eight of these tracks, and guitar on two others, but the fluid, heightened instincts of these players -- guitarist Oscar Castro-Neves, Luizão Maia on bass, drummer Paulinho Braga, and pianist César Mariano -- reveal them to be at the top of their game for this rather informal date that does include a few numbers with a full orchestra. That said, most of these songs were completed as first takes with very little overdubbing. The ballads are stunning -- check"Modinha," written and arranged by Jobim. The chart, even with an orchestral backing, is amazingly terse because the composer knew Regina worked best within minimal settings. Only two minutes and 16 seconds in length, it nonetheless captures the Portuguese notion of "saudade" perfectly. Of course, most of these tunes are bossa novas. The opening "Águas de Março" features a deceptively simple cat-and-mouse vocal call and response, kicking the disc off on a light, cheerful note; it's a delightful and very sophisticated number, but it feels effortless. "Triste" is one of Jobim's finest tunes, and there is scarcely a better version of it than this one. Even with electric guitars (complete with a semi-funky solo in the middle eight) on top of the nylon strings, the gauzy yet pronounced rhythms and the languid melody delivered by Regina are gorgeous. "Corcovado" is done with an orchestra, full of lilting flutes and a deep string backdrop. It is mournful and sensual. Jobim plays guitar and piano here, and adds a hushed backing vocal to Regina's refrains. It's an unusual reading, but a stellar one. "Brigas, Nuncas Mais" is a wonderfully accented -- if brief -- bossa nova with all the percussion just above the threshold of hearing. It's all guitars, bass, and Regina in the first verse before the Rhodes piano and counterpoint enter near the end. She does more to express the true elegant sensuality of the bossa nova in a minute and 13 seconds than some singers have in a lifetime. Jobim's classic jazz ballad "Inútil Paisagem" is very difficult to deliver well, because it requires incredible restraint and emotion. Accompanied only by Jobim's piano -- and his all-but-whispered backing vocal -- this is truly one of Regina's greatest performances of the 1970s. It closes the album on a stunning high note, leaving nothing to be desired by the listener. ~Thom Jurek

Elis & Tom

---

Herbie Mann - Caminho De Casa

Styles: Flute Jazz
Year: 1990
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:45
Size: 123,4 MB
Art: Front

(6:34)  1. Caminho De Casa (Pathway Home)
(3:35)  2. Gabriela's Song
(7:48)  3. Aparecida
(4:55)  4. Your Body (Seu Corpo)
(4:23)  5. Pão E Poesia (Bread And Poetry)
(5:41)  6. Yesterday's Kisses
(8:48)  7. Anima (Soul)
(5:59)  8. Choro Das Aguas (Cry Of The Waters)
(5:59)  9. Doa A Quem Doer (No Matter Who It Hurts)

Flutist Herbie Mann and his group of the time (Jasil Brazz) perform contemporary Brazilian music on this CD, including three numbers by Ivan Lins. Some of the treatments are strictly easy listening or close to bossa nova, while others would fit into the "contemporary jazz" category. On a whole, this is a pleasing set, both as background music and for close listenings one of Mann's better ones from the past 20 years. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/caminho-de-casa-mw0000317671

Personnel: Herbie Mann (flute, alto flute); Eduardo Simon, Mark Soskin (piano); Romero Lumbambo (guitar); Paul Socolow (bass); Ricky Sebastian (drums); Cafe (percussion)

Caminho De Casa

---

Jaimee Paul - At Last

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:08
Size: 131,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:05)  1. At Last
(5:29)  2. Cry Me A River
(4:39)  3. Fever
(4:43)  4. Crazy
(3:16)  5. What A Difference A Day Makes
(5:02)  6. Summertime
(5:11)  7. Lover Man
(3:50)  8. Sentimental Journey
(5:04)  9. Stormy Weather
(4:07) 10. Whatever Lola Wants
(3:27) 11. Love, You Didn't Do Right By Me
(4:12) 12. You Belong To Me
(2:56) 13. Over The Rainbow

It is said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but there are fine lines between imitation, derivation, and attribution. Nashville based singer Jaimee Paul is fond of classic jazz-pop singers, string arrangements, and ballads, as heard on this recording. Her voice is distinctive, borrowing from the phrasings of her idols, and at times Aretha Franklin. The thick arrangements by Jeff Steinberg overwhelm Paul's voice on many occasions, which in fact matches the over-enunciated phrasings the vocalist favors. There are songs which feature a smaller ensemble featuring pianist Beegie Adair and guitarist Jack Jezzro that work better musically and allow Paul's natural voice to shine through. All of the tunes here have been done a million times before, and not much is really added to previous versions, and there's a lack of real creative spark that might make any of these renditions more distinctive and unique. "At Last" is an unfortunate choice, given the timing of the controversy between Etta James and Beyoncé about its authenticity. 

Little Jimmy Scott rendered this a classic, a fact most people forget, but here Paul's restrained voice à la Sister 'Re and the soppy strings leave it lying flat. "Summertime" also suffers from saccharine overarrangement, while "Sentimental Journey" is better, but exposes Paul's propensity to force overemphasized phrases. Happily, she's more relaxed and open-ended with the understated skyline strings during "Lover Man," the simpler "Love, You Didn't Do Right by Me," and "You Belong to Me" where her limited range is well suited. A bossa nova take of "What a Difference a Day Makes" (incorrect title) with Adair's quartet is a more interesting arrangement, Paul sounds more like herself as Jezzro's strident rhythm chords pace "Fever," and the finale "Over the Rainbow" with just Adair showcases the spare, subtle sounds Paul will hopefully explore on a future recording. Steinberg boasts a talented orchestra that could have been more effective with trimming, and showcases some fine cameo solos from trumpeter Leif Shires (Paul's husband) tenor saxophonist Dennis Solee, and especially Jezzro. This recording lacks risk-taking and expansiveness, elements that will hopefully factor into Jaimee Paul's future work, which needs a bigger and broader repertoire if she wants to be considered as, like her influences, a jazz vocal artist. ~ Michael G.Nastos https://www.allmusic.com/album/at-last-mw0000807765

At Last

---

Beegie Adair - Dancing In The Dark: A Tribute To Fred Astaire

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:10
Size: 104,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:46)  1. Cheek To Cheek
(3:20)  2. The Way You LooK Tonight
(3:32)  3. Dancing In The Dark
(3:22)  4. Puttin' On The Ritz
(4:46)  5. Change Partners
(3:51)  6. They Can't Take That Away From Me
(4:02)  7. By Myself
(3:59)  8. Nice Work If You Can Get It
(3:01)  9. Pick Yourself Up
(3:51) 10. Let's Face The Music And Dance
(3:23) 11. They All Laughed
(4:11) 12. Isn't it A Lovely Day

Ms. Beegie Adair is one of those musicians many people have heard without realizing it. As a regular Nashville session hand, she has played with no less than Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton. Adair also has had a parallel career as a jazz pianist in the genially lyrical mold of Errol Garner and George Shearing. Dancing In The Dark is a tribute to the music sung by and associated with Fred Astaire. (While not a jazz singer per se, Astaire himself recorded with jazz musicians such as Oscar Peterson on occasion.) Accompanied only by bass and drums, Adair imbues these classic, old-school romantic songs with good-natured swing, keeping that aspect of Astaire's flair intact. ~ Mark Keresma https://www.allmusic.com/album/dancing-in-the-dark-a-tribute-to-fred-astaire-mw0000794474

Personnel: Beegie Adair (piano); Roger Spencer (bass instrument); Chris Brown (drum).

Dancing In The Dark: A Tribute To Fred Astaire

---

Lew Tabackin & His Tokyo Friends - In A Sentimental Mood

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:41
Size: 150,3 MB
Art: Front

( 6:21)  1. But Not For Me
( 6:02)  2. Laura
( 6:01)  3. When Your Lover Has Gone
( 6:19)  4. All This and Heaven Too
( 4:45)  5. Will You Still Be Mine?
( 6:42)  6. Speak Low
( 6:53)  7. Sophisticated Lady
( 6:36)  8. Stablemates
(10:01)  9. In A Sentimental Mood
( 4:57) 10. Frolic Sam

Lew Tabackin is one of the few jazz musicians who has been able to develop completely different musical personalities on two instruments. As a tenor saxophonist, he is a hard-driving, tough-toned player reminiscent of Sonny Rollins, Don Byas, and sometimes, tone-wise, Ben Webster. But as a flutist, he sounds like a highly expressive master of Asian classical music. Whether heard as the main soloist with his wife Toshiko Akiyoshi's jazz orchestra or jamming with a small group, Tabackin has been a masterful player for the past several decades.

Tabackin studied at the Philadelphia Conservatory from 1958-1962 as a flute major. After serving in the Army and moving to New York in 1965, he worked with Maynard Ferguson, the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra, Joe Henderson, Elvin Jones, and the Tonight Show Band, among others. From 1968-1969, he was a main soloist with the Danish Radio Orchestra. After marrying Toshiko Akiyoshi, he toured Japan with her (1970-1971). When they moved to Los Angeles in 1972, they formed her orchestra, which, thanks to Akiyoshi's arrangements and Tabackin's solo talents, became one of the top jazz big bands. In 1982, they relocated to New York, where the orchestra has continued on a part-time basis. Lew Tabackin has since played in many different small groups, remaining a brilliant improviser. He has recorded as a leader on an occasional basis through the years, most notably for Inner City (1974-1977), Ascent (1979), and Concord (starting in 1989). ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/lew-tabackin-mn0000215652/biography

Personnel: Lew Tabackin - tenor sax;  Tsuyoshi Yamamoto – piano;  Yoshio "Chin" Suzuki – bass;  Jimmie Smith - drums

In A Sentimental Mood

---

Lafayette Gilchrist - 3

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:11
Size: 124,3 MB
Art: Front

( 9:24)  1. Visitors
( 5:32)  2. In Depth
( 7:15)  3. Spheres of Existance
( 8:40)  4. The Last Train
( 7:20)  5. Volcano Red
( 5:41)  6. The Enquizator's request
(10:16)  7. Inside Outside

3 is Gilchrist's third album and his first trio release. He composed, arranged and throws every throbbing note down in the company of his Baltimore homeboys "Blue" Jenkins on bass and Nate Reynolds on drums. "The sound I was hearing in my head is coming from when I first heard Money Jungle," Gilchrist explains. "It's a trio record with Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus, and Max Roach. To me, it sounds like an orchestra being played by a trio. I was inspired to make something that sounded big and grandiose just like that."  Mission accomplished: Gilchrist and crew, especially drummer Reynolds, who once pounded beats for soul legend "Wicked" Wilson Pickett, rock this music hard. Jenkins and Reynolds often play so strong and fast in counterpoint to Gilchrist's forceful attack that their rhythms become runaway locomotives and it's often a marvel that the pianist can keep pace. Amazingly, Gilchrist does, and resurrects process structuralist ghosts like Art Tatum and Cecil Taylor (in "Volcano Red") and even Thelonious Monk ("The Equizinator's Request"). Gilchrist cryptically yet insightfully annotates each song title, so his description of "In Depth" can be read as "The pride of James Brown and the depth of inquiry of Andrew Hill," and of "Volcano Red" as "It's the way I like my band to play, like a pot boiling over." Gilchrist's rhythm section adds so much power and counterpoint to his playing that 3 often sounds like no other piano trio record. In the spry "Inside Outside," Gilchrist seems barely tethered to the rhythm section, and he gnaws on the introductory flurries of "Visitors" like a starving dog until the rhythm pumps up in volume and tempo, whipping his hands faster and faster. "The Equizinator's Request" majestically rocks and just keeps rolling, careening and plummeting as if trapped in rapids, full of an exciting sense of the unexpected, and of rollicking and funky fun. ~ Chris M.Slawecki https://www.allaboutjazz.com/3-lafayette-gilchrist-hyena-records-review-by-chris-m-slawecki.php

Personnel: Lafayette Gilchrist: piano; Anthony "Blue" Jenkins: bass; Nate Reynolds: drums.

3

---