Ray Charles - 1950

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:38
Size: 72.4 MB
Styles: R&B
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[2:47] 1. I Will Not Let You Go
[3:04] 2. Baby Let Me Hold Your Hands
[2:31] 3. If I Give You My Love
[3:03] 4. This Love Of Mine
[2:18] 5. Hey Now
[2:31] 6. Rockin Chair Blues
[2:17] 7. I Wonder Who´s Kissing Her Now
[2:44] 8. I'm Glad For Your Sake
[2:11] 9. Goin Down Slow
[2:42] 10. St Pete Blues
[2:18] 11. They´re Crazy About Me
[3:07] 12. Blues Is My Middle Name

These early recordings by Ray Charles have often been righteously criticized as being too deeply influenced by Nat King Cole. That notion is correct, but one can also hear the roots of his arrangement style in these sides, and they also include his very first chart hits, most notably "Baby, Let Me Hold Your Hand". These are development years for Charles, and he was moving further afield from the smooth jazzy style that Cole had pioneered. The deep R&B influence was here, but it had not yet been fused to gospel. This is mildly interesting stuff for most listeners, but Charles devotees would find revelation in it nonetheless.

1950

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Bebo Valdés, Chucho Valdés - Juntos Para Siempre

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:31
Size: 118.0 MB
Styles: Afro-Cuban jazz, Piano jazz
Year: 2009/2014
Art: Front

[5:03] 1. Preludio Para Vevo
[4:50] 2. Descarga Valdes
[4:41] 3. Tres Palabras
[4:11] 4. Rareza Del Siglo
[5:05] 5. Tea For Two
[3:27] 6. Son De La Loma
[8:37] 7. A Chucho
[5:26] 8. Sabor A Mi
[3:09] 9. Perdido
[3:41] 10. Lagrimas Negras
[3:17] 11. La Conga Del Dentista

In this album,cuban piano virtuosos and exceptionally talented composers Bebo and Chucho Valdes, father and son, got together somewhere in Spain to record this joint effort and example of their musical greatness. Also included in this great album are songs each one composed in honor of the other. Many good things can be said about this joint effort, but in my opinion, let it suffice to say that each are a credit to Cuban music and its history, aside from being authorities in the world of "Afro-Cuban Jazz". I highly recommend this album by both the great Bebo and his son "Chucho" Valdes, two immortals of our cuban and latin american music. ~L. Dequesada

Juntos Para Siempre

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Larry Goldings - Whatever It Takes

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:36
Size: 147.9 MB
Styles: Post bop, B3 Organ jazz
Year: 1995
Art: Front

[5:49] 1. Big Brother
[6:03] 2. If You Want Me To Stay
[6:13] 3. Willow Weep For Me
[7:42] 4. Boogie On Reggae Woman
[5:46] 5. That's Enough
[6:08] 6. Wrappin' It Up
[6:40] 7. Slo-Boat
[7:06] 8. Up For Air
[5:12] 9. Prayer
[7:52] 10. Yipes!

Larry Goldings is one of the most promising of the younger organists. Although he was originally known as a pianist, Goldings has been mostly concentrating on organ, including a high-profile stint as a member of John Scofield's quartet. For his Warner Bros. debut, Whatever It Takes, Goldings is teamed with guitarist Peter Bernstein and drummer Bill Stewart for ten numbers, five of which include some notable guests. Two songs match together the soulful altos of Maceo Parker and David Sanborn, young tenor giant Joshua Redman is on three other numbers (including "Yipes," which also includes Parker), and there are two appearances by trombonist Fred Wesley. The music features a lot of appealing grooves that look back to the classic Hammond organ era of the 1960s while remaining contemporary. ~Scott Yanow

Whatever It Takes

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Francesca Sortino - With My Heart In A Song

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:35
Size: 138.7 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 1997
Art: Front

[4:22] 1. Straight Street
[5:26] 2. But Not For Me
[4:53] 3. You Don't Know What Love Is
[4:01] 4. Noon
[4:05] 5. With My Heart In A Song
[4:59] 6. What Is This Thing Called Love
[5:39] 7. Widow's Walk
[4:11] 8. S' Wonderful
[4:24] 9. The Masquerade Is Over
[5:08] 10. For All We Know
[3:45] 11. Time After Time
[6:09] 12. Echoes
[3:29] 13. Who Can I Turn To

Francesca Sortino An outstanding talent, recognized by eminent critics and musicians in the jazz world. 2002 Young Peoples Oscar Award from European Institute for Sports, Culture and Performing Arts.

She is almost totally self-taught and has worked alongside numerous italian and american musicians, such as Eliot Zigmund, Jim McNeely, Enrico Pieranunzi, Sandro Gibellini, Robert Bonisolo, Maurizio Giammarco, Pierre Michelot, Maurice Vander, Irio De Paula, Rodrigo Botter Maio, Harvie Swartz, Rick Margitza, Eddie Henderson, Romano Mussolini, Gianni Basso, Emanuele Cisi, Dario Rosciglione, Giorgio Rosciglione, Massimo Manzi, Renato Sellani, Marcello di Leonardo, Tony Pancella, Alessandro Minetto, Alessandro Maiorino, Eddy Palermo, Dino Piana, Andrea Pozza, Riccardo Fioravanti, Amedeo Ariano, Nicola Angelucci, Paolo Recchia, Pierpaolo Bisogno, Franco Piana, Stefano Lestini, Francesco Berzatti, Mauro Beggio, Gianni Basso, Andy Gravich, Stefano Bagnoli, Claudio Filippini, Lello Panico, Riccardo Zegna, Rosario Giuliani, Stefano Di Battista, Paolo Fresu, Stefano Sabatini, Fabrizio Sferra, Valery Ponomarev, Charlie Antolini, Renato Chicco, Pietro Ciancaglini, Lorenzo Tucci, Pietro Lussu, Paolo Birro, , Sandro Deidda, Dario Deidda, Fabrizio Bosso, Roberto Rossi, Pietro Tonolo, Luca Bulgarelli, Francesco Lento, Pasquale Bardaro etc. She has taken part in many Festivals and concert series.

With My Heart In A Song

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Cojazz - All Those Melodies

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:56
Size: 141.8 MB
Styles: Traditional, Dixieland
Year: 2000
Art: Front

[8:32] 1. That's All
[8:53] 2. What A Difference A Day Made
[7:44] 3. Don't You Know I Care
[6:48] 4. Serenata
[8:24] 5. I'll Walk Alone
[6:36] 6. This Is Always
[7:49] 7. That Old Feeling
[7:06] 8. Again

The European jazz trio Cojazz is joined by guest tenor saxophonist Gianni Basso for this live engagement at Chorus Jazz Club in Lausanne, Switzerland. Pianist Andy Scherrer knew what he was getting from his Italian addition for this set, a seasoned veteran who not only has played with Maynard Ferguson, the Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band, Thad Jones and many more, but also has led his own groups. Basso's style is sprinkled with the influence of numerous earlier greats on his instrument, though his big tone also incorporates a sly humor as he intermingles imaginative quotes into his improvisations. A robust soloist in up-tempo settings, Basso's lyricism in his interpretation of Duke Ellington's lush, unjustly overlooked ballad "Don't You Know I Care" is simply magical. While Scherrer's playing, along with that of bassist Isla Eckinger and drummer Peter Schmidlin, merits strong praise, they allow their guest the lion's share of the spotlight, rewarding the audience with an evening of memorable interpretations of standards and forgotten chestnuts. ~Ken Dryden

All Those Melodies

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Jaki Byard - July In Paris

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:59
Size: 146.5 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 1998
Art: Front

[ 7:36] 1. After The Sun Disappears Xalithen Rose
[ 2:48] 2. C'est Si Bon
[ 7:02] 3. Lonely Woman, So What
[ 2:47] 4. Nostradamus
[10:24] 5. The High And The Mighty
[ 6:36] 6. July In Paris
[ 6:51] 7. Mimi
[19:51] 8. Round Midnight, Well You Needn't, Stages, My Mother's Eyes

This live CD from a new French jazz label appeared right around the time of Jaki Byard's sudden death on Feburary 11, 1999, so it may be the final documentation of the late pianist's work. Byard is clearly in great spirits, except for having to shout down a noisy member of the audience during one number.

With bassist Ralph Hamperian and drummer Richard Allen in the first half, Byard's creative medleys blend contrasting works such as Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman" with Miles Davis' "So What"; his introspective originals such as "Nostradamus" and the opening medley of "After the Sun Disappears"; and "Xalithen Rose" and his playful rendition of "C'est Si bon" make for a rather diverse first set. Former pupil Ricky Ford joins them on tenor sax with a tasty original blues "Mimi" and sits in for most of a lengthy medley that wraps the CD. This isn't Byard's best CD, but it is a worthy last date by a man who made many memorable recordings. ~Ken Dryden

July In Paris

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