Billy Stritch - Jazz Live

Size: 159,4 MB
Time: 68:15
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2003/2017
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front & Back

01. The Best Is Yet To Come (Live) (2:38)
02. Red Sails In The Sunset - Sails (Velas) (Live) (7:47)
03. Born To Be Blue (Live) (4:21)
04. I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me (Live) (5:35)
05. But Not For Me (Live) (4:05)
06. Mountain Greenery (Live) (3:02)
07. On Green Dolphin Street (Live) (7:55)
08. I Have The Feeling I've Been Here Before (Live) (5:57)
09. Upside Down (Fleur De Lis) (Live) (4:06)
10. Crazy She Calls Me (Live) (5:53)
11. For You, For Me, Forevermore - Who Cares (Live) (3:50)
12. How Can I Lose You (Live) (4:15)
13. There's A Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York (Live) (3:54)
14. I've Got The World On A String - I Got Rhythm (Live) (4:49)

Being a “left coaster,” I was not familiar with the name of Billy Stritch, so this has been a most felicitous introduction. As musical supervisor, pianist and arranger for Liza Minnelli, Stritch is probably better known on the cabaret circuit. But, as attested to by being named “Best Jazz Instrumentalist” by the Manhattan Association of Clubs and by this live outing, recorded at Jazz Standard in New York City, there’s nothing wrong with Stritch’s jazz chops, either as pianist or vocalist. His playing is swinging and lyrical, if occasionally a tad florid, while his voice is mellow and supple with clear articulation, spot-on intonation and smooth, effortless phrasing. In addition, he is very capably backed by two consummate professionals; listen, for example, to the expressive solos on “I Can’t Believe That You’re in Love With Me,” “Green Dolphin Street,” and “Crazy She Calls Me.”

The opener is taken at a brisk clip, faster than usual but cleanly. “Red Sails” is an instrumental, melding smoothly into the beautiful, under-recognized Ivan Lins composition “Sails,” with English lyrics by Gene Lees. Mel Tormé has had an obvious influence on Stritch, and with the former’s “Born to Be Blue,” Stritch pays respectful homage. The Gershwins’ “But Not for Me” is another lush instrumental; the chorus of “Mountain Greenery” is brightly up-tempo, with some scatting and re- harmonizing.

Kaper’s trusty standard “Green Dolphin Street” swings hard while resting Stritch’s pipes. Three tunes in the set bear Carmen McRae’s stamp: “I Can’t Believe...,” “Kellaway and Bergmans’ “I Have the Feeling...,” and the Brasilian “Upside Down” (Djavan’s “Flor de Lis”), with English lyrics by Regina Neves, the emotional high point of the album.

The tempo cools back down with “Crazy She Calls Me,” a lovely, fresh ballad that is sensitively done. With the exception of a new jazz waltz entitled “How Can I Lose You?”* and Arlen and Koehler’s “I’ve Got the World...,” it’s an all-Gershwin finale, coming down the home stritch, er, stretch. When it comes to tuneful, jazzable melodies, how much better can one do than that?

So, if a night out at a club for vocal jazz is your cup of tea, here’s your instant “pekoe in a jewel case.” Just add your favorite liquid refreshment, your favorite honey, sit back, and enjoy! ~J. Robert Bragonier

Jazz Live

---

The Euge Organ Trio - ...Rides Again!

Size: 135,7 MB
Time: 58:23
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz: Soul Jazz, Funky Jazz
Art: Front

01. Done It (5:51)
02. Wood Machine (4:55)
03. Funk It (4:33)
04. Soul Pistol (5:04)
05. Good God (You're More Than Enough) (5:02)
06. The Butcher (6:28)
07. Planet Rock (4:06)
08. Flash Flood (4:33)
09. High Enough (For You) (8:00)
10. Corbett Avenue (5:09)
11. Nunu Shufshuf (4:38)

The Euge Organ Trio is a groove oriented, soul-jazz group hailing out of Portland, Oregon. Consisting of organist Dave Fleschner (Curtis Salgado / The Blues Cabaret), drummer Tom “Euge” Goicoechea (Professor Gall / The Quadraphones) and guitarist Teddy Presberg (pigWar / DoveDriver), the three are sure to keep audiences both moving to the groove and eagerly anticipating whatever might come next out of their free-spirited improvisational approach.

Rooted in thetradition of classic organ trios such as Jimmy Smith and JackMcDuff, the group is also influenced by contemporary groupslike Medeski, Martin and Wood, The City Champs, and Soulive. One can also hear the hip-hop influences of J-Dilla and genre pushing stylings of Robert Glasper in their compositions as well. Playing mostly original music, and influenced by soul-jazz both classic and new, The Euge Organ trio will keep you positively on the edge of your seat in excitement while paradoxically dancing to their immersive sound!

On “...Rides Again!,” their debut album, the three combined each of their own individual song writing talents to form a cohesive and unique style of original compositions. Featuring nearly equal contributions from the members, the songs give a nod to their influences while simultaneously forging a new sonic footprint in the organ trio realm. Give The Euge Organ Trio and “...Rides Again” a listen and you won’t be disappointed!

Rides Again!

---

Akiko - Rockin' Jivin' Swingin'

Size: 102,7 MB
Time: 38:30
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz/Blues Vocals
Art: Front

01. Come On-A My House (1:57)
02. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter (2:26)
03. Relax Max (2:42)
04. What A Little Moonlight Can Do (3:11)
05. Fools Fall In Love (2:46)
06. Rum And Coca Cola (3:09)
07. I'm Walkin' (2:35)
08. Exactly Like You (2:30)
09. Blues No.8 (4:04)
10. Sh-Boom (2:27)
11. Mr. Sandman (2:30)
12. I've Got You Under My Skin (3:50)
13. Goody Goody (4:16)

Jazz singer Akiko has a brand new album out now, of rockin', jivin' and swingin' songs (as the title says!) from the 40's and 50's. Featured musicians include Gentle Forest Jazz Band, Blue Moon Quartet, Fats & Fats, and also female chorus groups Chai-Chii Sisters and Gentle Forest Sisters.

Tokyo born Akiko started playing piano at age of 4. She started to listen to rock / punk music, when she was a junior high school student, & then began to take her interest in various kinds of music, including 70s disco music, 60s oldies, 50s rock + country and western. Above all those music, she was especially inspired by old black music like jive, jump blues & doo wop. At age of 18, she happened to listen to Sarah Vaughan & Ella Fitzgerald thus, discovering jazz. Afterward, she started to sing as a professional at Jazz Club in Tokyo, when she was a university student.

Rockin' Jivin' Swingin'

---

Olinka Mitroshina & Georges Guy - Gershwin's Blues

Size: 141,0 MB
Time: 60:09
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz/Blues Vocals
Art: Front

01. Backwater Blues (5:18)
02. Fascination Rhythm (6:06)
03. Goodmorning Blues (3:21)
04. My Man's Gone Now (6:19)
05. Blues Stay Away From Me (2:55)
06. Bessie's Mood (3:16)
07. I Got Rhythm (5:27)
08. Somebody Loves Me (2:59)
09. Green River Song (3:48)
10. I Got Rhythm (Version 2) (5:00)
11. But Not For Me (2:30)
12. Nice Work If You Can Get It (2:51)
13. It Ain't Necessarily So (4:00)
14. Bess, You Is My Woman Now (2:55)
15. Hear Me Talkin' To Ya (3:19)

Une chanteuse et pianiste russe, associée à un guitariste français, réinventent la musique de Gershwin à travers une lecture dépouillée, sans rythmique, avec beaucoup d’émotion, de charme, et de sensibilité.

Une voix singulière avec un grain blues qui sait scatter avec bonheur et utiliser avec élégance des effets de vibrato saisissant qui nous touche droit au cœur. Un jeu de piano sobre et efficace, qui privilégie l’accompagnement de la voix et un guitariste inventif et fin, qui mixe avec beaucoup de tact plusieurs sonorités de guitares afin d’apporter une dimension orchestrale raffinée, idéale pour ce projet. Telle est la formule de ce duo attachant et sensible, qui outre Gershwin, revisite aussi avec bonheur Bessie Smith, Leadbelly, Louis Armstrong, ou les Delmore Brothers. Un cocktail de blues, de jazz, de swing, et d’émotion, porté par le talent de deux interprètes hors-norme.

Gershwin's Blues

---

Stefano Travaglini - Ellipse

Size: 138,5 MB
Time: 60:18
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz: Piano Jazz
Art: Full

01. The Importance Of Fishing ( 6:37)
02. Life ( 5:19)
03. The Flowering Season ( 5:10)
04. Persistence ( 6:31)
05. Monk's Mood Persistence (12:16)
06. Looking Back ( 8:01)
07. Intermezzo ( 4:37)
08. Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise ( 3:52)
09. Goodbye, For Now (Meditation) ( 7:50)

Italy's Stefano Travaglini—primarily a composer and pianist—is wildly diverse as an instrumentalist and composer. He has performed on oboe and bass guitar, studied with Estonian composer Arvo Part and American jazz and classical composer Vince Mendoza. Touring throughout four continents, Travaglini has demonstrated impressive proficiency in both jazz and classical genres though he is equally at home where categorizations aren't easily applied. A case in point is his debut album The Hungarian Songbook (Terre Sommerse, 2013); a collection of Eastern European and Gipsy folksongs arranged for voice and improvised piano.

Ellipse is a solo piano collection, recorded spontaneously, without edits or modifications. It can be classified as free improvisation but—as on the opening "The Importance of Fishing"—abstraction and lyricism coexist nicely. The 1928 song "Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise" by Sigmund Romberg and Oscar Hammerstein II was originally composed as a dance piece, but in most of its many jazz forms, has been greatly modified. Travaglini's interpretation is unique in its mix of staccato notes and nonlinear improvisation. "Monk's Mood" is also covered as the first part of a medley with Travaglini's own "Presences." The pianist treats Thelonius Monk with due respect even while occasionally infusing the ballad rendition with a more aggressive attitude. "Looking Back" and the closing piece, "Good Bye, for Now" are beautifully expressive and more structured.

Travaglini improvises as if having previously immersed his mind in a written version of the same piece. On Ellipse, the spontaneous creations, the melodies and passages, all hang together as if part of a well-planned narrative. Since he quotes the zen-like philosophy of Lee Konitz with "That's my way of preparation—to not be prepared" we can assume that the structures we hear are being developed in real time. Ellipse is a terrific solo piano recording; adventurous, but never over the top, and often quite beautiful. ~Karl Ackermann

Ellipse

---

Libbie Jo Snyder - The Flute & Voice Of Libbie Jo: Wall Of Enchanted Words

Size: 102,4 MB
Time: 43:36
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Do Wrong Shoes (3:03)
02. Norwegian Wood (1:22)
03. Wall Of Enchanted Words (4:42)
04. Inside A Silent Tear (3:50)
05. Fool On The Hill (3:58)
06. Blackbird (2:09)
07. Water (7:13)
08. Survival Of The Hippest (3:25)
09. Henry & Me (3:34)
10. Latin Dancer (5:54)
11. Tomorrow Never Knows (2:42)
12. Everything Easily Now And Always (1:38)

Libbie Jo Snyder is a Jazz Flutist and Vocalist based out of Los Angeles, CA.

Rarely is a performer able to charm audiences of all ages with an elaborate and varied repertoire, and yet exude an ease and poise as if there were nothing to it. Libbie Jo Snyder is a perpetual "breath of fresh air" when she glides on stage with her flute, leaving one feeling both relaxed and exhilarated by her intimate, yet breezy, musical style.

Called a "jazzy twist of class" by writer Bruce Fessier of the Palm Springs Desert Sun, Libbie is a musical master of everything from baroque to blues, which she both sings and plays on flute. Her performances – a combination of jazz, blues, classical and pop – are often joyful, sometimes moody, but always eloquently and generously delivered.

As a musician, songwriter and singer, Libbie has performed with many different noted artists and groups including Paul Horn, Jane Getz, Sean Phillips, Buddy Collette, the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, the Roger Wagner Chorale, the Baroque Jazz Ensemble and the Greg Smith singers. As a dancer and actress, she has performed in several films and over 22 musicals, having worked with such noted directors as Paul Mazursky, Elia Kazan, and Uta Hagen. And she composed the incidental music for the documentary film, "Concert in the Grand Canyon," and for "The Reluctant Muse."

Libbie co-produced with keyboardist Jane Getz a recording, titled "The Flute & Voice of Libbie," featuring diverse songs that make a curiously soothing, yet exciting, blend. Fans have the double pleasure of hearing Libbie both sing and play flute, and three of the compositions are her own. Songs on the track range from the lively and whimsical title song, to the mellow, Latin-flavored, "Only a Dream," to the haunting "Treasure Island," to the dreamy and romantic "You’re My Everything," and Libbie added her own special twist on the standard "Whistle a Happy Tune." It was a finalist in an international jazz competition sponsored by Sony in 2004 and in 2006 she appeared at the "Mt. Beauty Music Festival" in Australia.

Wall Of Enchanted Words

---

Grover Washington, Jr. - Inner City Blues

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1972
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:19
Size: 82,7 MB
Art: Front

(7:12)  1. Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)
(4:40)  2. Georgia On My Mind
(5:09)  3. Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)
(8:34)  4. Ain't No Sunshine-Better Days (Theme From Man And Boy)
(4:36)  5. Until It's Time Fot You To Go
(5:05)  6. I Loves You Porgy

The story behind Grover Washington, Jr.'s first session date as a leader revolves around a sheer coincidence of being in the right place at the right time. The truth is, the date for Creed Taylor's Kudu imprint was supposed to feature Hank Crawford in the soloist's chair. Crawford couldn't make the date and longtime sideman Washington got the nod. His being closely affiliated with organists Charles Earland and Johnny Hammond didn't hurt, and his alto and tenor saxophones' tone was instantly noticeable for both its song-like quality and Washington's unique ability to dig deep into R&B territory for his expression of feeling. Released in 1971, produced by Taylor, and arranged and orchestrated by Bob James, the list of players in this band is equally impressive: James played Fender Rhodes, there's Richard Tee on organ, bassist Ron Carter, drummer Idris Muhammad, then-new guitarist Eric Gale, percussionist Airto Moreira, Thad Jones and Eugene Young on trumpets, trombonist Wayne Andre, and baritone saxophonist Don Ashworth. James also added a violin section and a small vocal chorus on certain tracks.

Inner City Blues kicks off with its title track, a burning version of the Marvin Gaye tune with Washington lending a heft and depth to it that reveals the sophistication of Gaye's original. From Airto's hand drums and Muhammad's hi-hat whispers to the chunky wah-wah guitar vamp and a funky bassline by Carter, it becomes clear that Washington's methods of deep soul articulation on his horn extend into the heart of this mix. James decorated his charts with subtle organ flourishes and his piano, but this is early jazz-funk at best. While Miles Davis was abstracting jazz on the margins, Washington and his cohorts were keeping the music in the street, in the barroom, on the radio, and in the nightclubs and bowling alleys.

The tune was a hit at a time when fusion was becoming widespread; free jazz from both sides of the Atlantic was considering itself the new standard bearer for the music, and the many legends of the '60s Blue Note and Prestige eras were beginning to feel the music get away from them. With this entry, Washington's screaming, edgy solo stayed in the killer grooves with breaks laid down by Muhammad and Moreira, Gale and Carter. Washington was just getting started and it was evident here that this cat was deep. He walked the standards side of the fence on this date as well, bringing them into the jazz-funk era: his readings of "Georgia on My Mind" and "I Loves You Porgy" are sensitive, deeply lyrical, and sophisticated, but come from the soul side of the fence. Carter's warm, bubbly bassline and the brief guitar break introduce the strings in the former tune while at the same time Washington plays the melody on his alto. Muhammad lays down some beautiful and pronounced rhythmic statements without getting in the way, and before long the groove develops, taking the tune right into the club with Gale's solo and some hot comping by James that fades as the strings and Grover return deeper in the cut to take it out. The other cuts are modern standards and pop songs creatively voiced by this soloist and band. They include a stellar, lightly funky version of Gaye's "Mercy, Mercy Me (The Ecology)," and a knock-out take on Bill Withers' "Ain't No Sunshine," rivaled only by the original and Rahsaan Roland Kirk's flute version on Blacknuss. 

On the former tune, it's the popping rhythm groove dressed in some smoking hand percussion and fat chunky Rhodes chords that set up Washington's solo, which just burns and wails with all the pleading and pain in Gaye's voice. The latter cut begins subtly, nocturnally in the blues, with Gale, James, Carter, and Muhammad. Washington enters playing the melody on the alto, and the strings sound draped around him just as the horn section comes in to play counterpoint a beat behind. This is some deep soul. A vocal chorus begins almost subliminally with the "I know, I know, I know, I know" intonation and introduces the popping solos by Gale with the rhythm section in the bridge underscored by the horns. The strings well up with all the drama and emotion emanating from Withers' words, and then just drop behind to allow the saxophonist back in to work it all out with some very sophisticated grooves. The other "modern" standard here is also one that's endured after all these years, the sensitive reading Washington and company put in on Buffy Sainte-Marie's beautiful "Until It's Time for You to Go." Its melancholy sweetness after the eight-and-a-half-minute Withers' jam is breathy, clear, and quiet; James and Washington set it in a light bossa groove. Its shimmering strings and the saxophonists' restraint on the tenor is so elegant and graceful that the tune carries emotion, gentleness, and the bittersweet commitment of its lyric all the way through to its end. This is an amazing debut in so many ways, and it was followed by a run of albums for the label through the end of the '70s when Washington left for Elektra. Inner City Blues remains standing today as a landmark and a turning point in jazz. ..More.. ~ Thom Jurek https://www.allmusic.com/album/inner-city-blues-mw0000192866

Personnel:  Grover Washington Jr. – tenor saxophone, alto saxophone;  Eugene Young, Thad Jones – trumpet, flugelhorn;  Wayne Andre – trombone;  Don Ashworth – bass;  Bob James – electric piano, arranger, conductor;  Richard Tee – organ;  Eric Gale – guitar;  Ron Carter – bass, electric bass;  Idris Muhammad – drums;  Airto Moreira – percussion;  Hilda Harris, Marilyn Jackson, Maretha Stewart, Tasha Thomas – vocals

Inner City Blues

---

Annie Ross - Annie By Candlelight (Feat. Tony Crombie) (Bonus Track Version)

Size: 99,9 MB
Time: 42:40
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 1956/2017
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. Gipsy In My Soul (Feat. The Tony Crombie Quartet) (2:36)
02. I Love Paris (Feat. The Tony Crombie Quartet) (2:14)
03. I Didn't Know About You (Feat. The Tony Crombie Quartet) (3:19)
04. The Lady's In Love With You (Feat. The Tony Crombie Quartet) (2:10)
05. Taint What You Do (Feat. The Tony Crombie Quartet) (2:41)
06. Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying (Feat. The Tony Crombie Quartet) (4:45)
07. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea (Feat. The Tony Crombie Quartet) (2:21)
08. Don't Worry 'bout Me (Feat. The Tony Crombie Quartet) (2:16)
09. I've Told Every Little Star (Feat. The Tony Crombie Quartet) (Bonus Track) (2:23)
10. Manhattan (Feat. The Tony Crombie Quartet) (Bonus Track) (2:06)
11. Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone (Feat. The Tony Crombie Quartet) (Bonus Track) (2:24)
12. Skylark (Feat. The Tony Crombie Quartet) (Bonus Track) (2:55)
13. Stop It (Feat. Tony Crombie And His Orchestra) (Bonus Track) (2:24)
14. All Of Me (Feat. Tony Crombie And His Orchestra) (Bonus Track) (2:08)
15. Perdido (Feat. Tony Crombie And His Orchestra) (Bonus Track) (3:35)
16. Love You Madly (Feat. Tony Crombie And His Orchestra) (Bonus Track) (2:15)

Not just the canary female whose dexterous vocals highlighted recordings by the vocal group Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, Annie Ross recorded more than a dozen albums of solid vocal jazz and appeared in many movies. Though she was the last member to join LH&R, she had been pursuing the same pioneering fusions of vocal music with bop delivery for several years before she joined Dave Lambert and Jon Hendricks.

Born Annabelle Lynch in Surrey, England, she moved to Los Angeles at the age of three, with the musical comedienne Ella Logan (either her mother or her aunt, according to differing accounts). By the age of five, she had begun acting and landed roles in the Our Gang series. She later studied acting in New York, then moved back to England where she began singing in nightclubs. Her recording debut came in Paris, with a quartet including James Moody. By 1952, Ross was back in New York and recording with most of the Modern Jazz Quartet for her first album, Singin' and Swingin'. Later that year, she recorded an album with vocalese pioneer King Pleasure. Though she featured on only four tracks of King Pleasure Sings/Annie Ross Sings, her reprise of tenor Wardell Gray's solo on the song "Twisted" became a vocalese landmark.

During 1953, Annie Ross toured throughout Europe with one of Lionel Hampton's best bands (including Clifford Brown, Art Farmer, Quincy Jones, and Gigi Gryce). She stayed there for several years and recorded albums for HMV and Pye before returning to America in 1957 when a New York nightclub engagement beckoned. While there, she did a vocal session with Dave Lambert and Jon Hendricks, who were working on an album of Basie solos transposed for vocals. Realizing they shared much in common, Ross was invited to join the group, naturally christened Lambert, Hendricks & Ross.

An immediate success with their first album, 1957's Sing a Song of Basie, the trio revolutionized vocal music with a set of light-speed scats that treated words as mere tools in the construction of exciting feats of vocal musicianship. Relentless touring and rumors of a falling out with Hendricks finally led to Ross' exit from the band in 1962. (Though LH&R soon became LH&B with the addition of Yolande Bavan, it was quite clear that Ross' role had been an important one, and the group disbanded less than two years later.)

Even while involved with the group, Annie Ross had continued her solo career with few interruptions. In late 1957, she recorded Sings a Song with Mulligan for the World Pacific label, with West Coast stars Gerry Mulligan and Chet Baker in support on a set of bright standards that highlighted her interpretive skills as well as a few flights of vocal fancy. Two additional LPs followed for World Pacific, A Gasser! (with Zoot Sims) and a straight rendition of the Broadway hit Gypsy. After LH&R split, she moved back to England and resumed her stage and film career, recording only three more albums during the '60s. A few years back in Los Angeles gained her parts in high-profile movies during the '80s and '90s, including Superman III, Pump Up the Volume, and Robert Altman's Short Cuts. For the latter film, she recorded several numbers for the soundtrack, and re-emerged with a new recording for 1995, Music Is Forever. ~by John Bush

Annie By Candlelight

---

Lisa Hilton - Escapism

Size: 98,9 MB
Time: 38:57
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz: Piano Jazz
Art: Front

01. Hot Summer Samba (3:04)
02. Meltdown (3:22)
03. Another Everyday Adventure (3:28)
04. Too Hot (4:31)
05. On A Clear Day (4:01)
06. Mojave Moon (5:14)
07. Zero Gravity (4:22)
08. Escape Velocity Blues (2:54)
09. 29 Palms (4:40)
10. Utopia Cornucopia (3:16)

For Lisa Hilton's 20th release as a leader, she wanted to promote peace, tranquility and positive energy so that her listeners would be energized and uplifted. With Escapism, she succeeds via nine original compositions and the Lerner & Lane standard title On A Clear Daywhile accompanied by saxophonist JD Allen, trumpeter Terell Stafford, bassist Gregg August and drummer Rudy Royston. Lisa's breadth of creativity and range of ideas are astounding as she reveals the virtuosity of her pianism, musicality and artful sound. Among the more memorable compositions are Hot Summer Samba and Meltdown both of which feature fast paced melodic ideas that stretch and loosen any preconceived notions of what lays beneath the surface of these sizzlers. JD Allen's saxophonics and Terell Stafford's flugelhorn magic underline Lisa's signature chops on Zero Gravity while her version of the Lerner & Lane classic On A Clear Day is calming and inspiring as she celebrates the artistry of these composers through her versatile reading. Grounded in the jazz tradition, pianist Lisa Hilton has a lot to say. So listen. And then listen again. --Sounds of Timeless Jazz

Escapism blows open your mind and ears....this is a hot, happening date that charts a new course for pianist Hilton. Tasty jamming throughout. Well done. --Midwest Record

A piano that seduces & captivates; a true passion in motion from the exquisite pianist Lisa Hilton. --Actual Jazz/Uruguay.

Escapism

---

Liz McComb - Merry Christmas

Size: 100,0 MB
Time: 43:08
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz/Gospel Vocals, Xmas
Label: MRI
Art: Front

01. When Was Jesus Born (1:53)
02. The Christmas Song (3:49)
03. We Wish You A Merry Christmas (1:09)
04. Joy To The World (2:08)
05. Oh, Holy Night (4:59)
06. Do You Hear What I Hear (3:00)
07. Walk In The Light (4:18)
08. Feliz Navidad (3:16)
09. Oh, What A Pretty Little Baby (4:56)
10. Children, Go Where I Send Thee (3:06)
11. Little Drummer Boy (2:39)
12. Silent Night (3:55)
13. Il Est N Le Divin Enfant (3:55)

On Merry Christmas, the first holiday album by the legendary vocalist-pianist, Liz McComb, we visit Madame McComb's Cleveland, Ohio living room for an intimate seasonal sing-along.

As the thirteen-track collection opens, we picture McComb sitting at an old, upright piano while belting out requests from the family and friends who have gathered around her. There's the scent of candied yams and hot rolls emanating from the kitchen. The party kicks off with a bouncy, Maple Leaf Rag-flavored piano arrangement of "When Was Jesus Born," a song associated with Odetta, complete with tambourine, handclaps and McComb s ferocious call and response vocals while also accompanying herself on the tight background vocals.

Yuletide standards such as "Do You Hear What I Hear" and "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" receive peppy work-outs while McComb stretches out and gives a Sunday morning Baptist church reading to "Silent Night," "Walk in the Light" and "Oh, What A Pretty Little Baby."

Over a lightly-classical, acoustic piano arrangement, McComb delivers "O Holy Night" with a breathy, intimate understanding. "I had to sing that song every year for my mother," she remembers. "She loved that song so much that it wouldn't be Christmas without it."

The acoustic guitar strumming of Jean Wellers provides the backdrop for a handful of songs. It starts with a tender cover of "The Christmas Song" which was written by the Velvet Fog, Mel Torme; but popularized most famously by Nat King Cole. "I'm a music lover," McComb adds. "People think I only know about traditional gospel music but I'm very well versed in all kinds of music and I grew up listening to Jazz. I loved Mel Torme and his music."

Another chanson featuring guitar is the joyous, Appalachian-Pentecostal mashup of "Joy to the World" which yodels a festive rhythm that would make the meanest grinch smile. There s also the hearty cover of Jose Feliciano s 1970 gem,"Feliz Navidad" which concludes with some fervent and raspy well wishes from McComb.

As usual, McComb is an excellent bandleader and has assembled a closely-knit ensemble that features Jean Wellers on guitar and contrabass, Larry Crockett and Kenny Elliot sharing drumming duties, Philippe Makaia providing percussion and Cyril Duflot Verez playing on more than half of the songs. Harold Johnson tickles and taunts the keys on "We Wish You A Merry Christmas" and "Oh, What A Pretty Little Baby." He handles piano and organ on the smoky gospel-blues of "Walk in the Light." McComb only plays on two cuts, the first and the last, including the rousing, "When Was Jesus Born?"

"Little Drummer Boy" is given a stark, tribal beat that enhances the eerie uniqueness of the song. "Children, Go Where I Send Thee" kicks off with a rockabilly swagger before evolving into a rousing Holiness church rocker. The set closes with a caressing touch on "Il Est Né, Le Divin Enfant," which is delivered in a tender arrangement. "It spoke to my heart," McComb says of the 1862 French Christmas carol.

"I ve been wanting to do a Christmas album forever," McComb says of the project that was all recorded in a month's time at various Paris recording studios in June 2017 with her as the producer and her longtime manager, Gerard Vacher, supervising the enterprise. "I like doing stuff nobody else does. When so-called producers leave me alone, I can create unique things," McComb laughs. "I listen to the Spirit and let Him [God] guide me. When I try to compromise, things go wrong." Nothing went wrong on these sessions and there was no compromise. This is Liz McComb at her very best. Merry Christmas!

Review:
Better known in Europe than in the States, Liz McComb sings the carols and spirituals on her album, Merry Christmas, with a conviction rooted in her experience growing up in an African-American church. Her supple, limber voice conveys not only religious devotion but also the more secular warmth of the season, equally persuasive on "When Was Jesus Born?" and "The Christmas Song." No stranger to jazz and blues, McComb is a skilled pianist, and her accompanists furnish guitar, drums, percussion, organ and additional piano." - Frank John Hadley --Down Beat Magazine

Merry Christmas 

---

Rob Tardik - Synergy

Size: 116,2 MB
Time: 49:48
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2017
Styles: Jazz: Smooth Jazz
Art: Front

01. Synergy (3:56)
02. Once In A Lifetime (4:04)
03. Hope (4:10)
04. Two Much Fun (4:10)
05. Crying With You (4:31)
06. Let's Get Together (4:13)
07. M&M's (4:48)
08. Synchronicity (4:20)
09. Perserverance (4:01)
10. SRT (4:37)
11. The Guitardik's Stomp (3:09)
12. Motion (3:46)

With his last five albums all finding a place on the Billboard charts, Canadian guitarist Rob Tardik is no stranger to success. Now he is back with solo project number six, the highly anticipated ‘Synergy’ that promises to serve up Rob’s usual brand of smooth, funky, poignant, edgy and infectious contemporary instrumental grooves with the addition of two vocal pop tracks.

The debut single and title cut finds Rob in the fine company of rising smooth jazz star Vincent Ingala who, in a new role, takes on the duties of producer. Rob's melodic playing combined with tasteful sax licks from Carson Freeman and Ingala’s innate feel for what makes a top notch contemporary jazz track should all ensure that this feisty number receives the acclaim it deserves.

Synergy

---

Jacinta - Laurent Filipe Presents a Tribute to Bessie Smith

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:01
Size: 119,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:32)  1. Downhearted Blues
(4:07)  2. Pinchbacks - Take 'em Away
(3:22)  3. Keeps On A-Rainin
(6:44)  4. Sing Sing Prison Blues
(3:19)  5. Jailhouse Blues
(5:49)  6. Baby Wont't You Please Come Home
(4:34)  7. Weepin Willow Blues
(4:01)  8. I Ain´t Got Nobody
(3:01)  9. Cake Walkin' Babies
(6:07) 10. Mama's Got The blues
(4:11) 11. Empty Red Blues
(3:08) 12. He's Gone Blues

Jacinta Brondgeest was born in Oregon, but at six weeks her family relocated to Sydney, Australia. After years of being in bands, in 1997 Jacinta decided to take the solo artist route (with a solo name), writing and performing her own dance music around Australia. Eventually, she started her own record label, Chunky Music, as well, releasing her first album, Sandalwood: Under the Influence, in 2000. The single "Wonderland" had enough play on Australian radio that it landed Jacinta a writing gig for the Australian/Canadian children's television show The Saddle Club. After moving to Austin, TX, to try her luck in the States, in 2005 Jacinta issued her second album, Smokescreen, whose first single, "Sunshine," had its own album of remixes that came out the same year. Destination followed in 2006. ~ Marisa Brown https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/laurent-filipe-presents-a-tribute-to-bessie-smith/id697106071

Laurent Filipe Presents a Tribute to Bessie Smith

---

Steve Turre - Rainbow People

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:13
Size: 149,8 MB
Art: Front

(8:40)  1. Rainbow People
(6:00)  2. Forward Vision
(9:05)  3. Brother Ray
(5:51)  4. Groove Blues
(8:47)  5. Midnight In Madrid
(4:12)  6. Cleopatra's Needle
(8:15)  7. Search For Peace
(5:29)  8. Segment
(8:49)  9. Para El Comandante

If the rainbow of the title denoted musical diversity then it would be most fitting in the case of trombonist Steve Turre, as his musical bag is hewn from many colors. Turre is equally at home playing Latin rhythms, blues or straight-ahead jazz hardly surprising when you consider his apprenticeship with saxophonist/flautist Rahsaan Roland Kirk and singer Ray Charles, his collaborations with timbalist/bandleader Tito Puente and pianist Hilton Ruiz, and his long associations with trumpeters Woody Shaw and Dizzy Gillespie, and pianist McCoy Tyner. All these influences are felt on Rainbow People, a classy and deceptively leisurely session which finds Turre in sparkling form. Part of the success of Rainbow People surely lies as much in the familiarity of the musicians with one another as in the strength of Turre's arrangements. Turre has played with all these musicians in various settings over many years, with the exception of trumpeter Sean Jones, whom Turre hired on the spot after seeing him perform at a New York jam session. Jones is used sparingly, playing on three of the nine tracks, combining harmonically with Turre to great effect. His sound shifts between warm and honey-toned on "Para El Commandante, and more biting on "Midnight in Madrid." Similarly, saxophonist Kenny Garrett appears on just four tracks, but his playing is strong and he builds his solos with patience and imagination. On Charlie Parker's "Segment," Garrett stretches out a little more, as might be expected.

The soulful blues of "Brother Ray" is probably one of the best tributes to Ray Charles since the singer's passing in 2004, evoking the voice and spirit of the man. Turre takes two intimate solos, the first on open trombone and the second muted the latter coming after a tasteful bass intervention from Peter Washington, and capturing the plaintive cry that Charles exhibited in his blues. Miller provides beautifully sympathetic accompaniment which reveals the gospel/blues side of his playing. The rhythm section of Washington and drummer Ignacio Berroa swings the music throughout Rainbow People. They drive the goodtime blues vibe of "Groove Blues," which has the feel of a more languid version of "Sweet Home Chicago," with Garrett, Miller and Turre each taking enjoyable solos. Miller, for his part, is also in fine form, playing to the needs of the music beautifully. He injects the spirit of McCoy Tyner into the music, and the influence of Coltrane's great pianist on Turre is reinforced further by the inclusion of Tyner's lovely "Search for Peace." Turre's Latin roots shine on "Midnight in Madrid," with its brassy Iberian bravura and just a hint of Turre's Mexican heritage, and on the impressive session-closer dedicated to Latin great Mario Rivera, "Para El Comandante," on which Turre's conch is given a delightful run for the only time on the album, over a tasty salsa rhythm. The blues is at the heart of Rainbow People and the songs are like a heartfelt, mellow incantationgospel praise to guiding lights. Classy, sophisticated, and soulful.
~ Ian Patterson https://www.allaboutjazz.com/rainbow-people-steve-turre-highnote-records-review-by-ian-patterson.php

Personnel: Steve Turre: trombone, shells (9); Kenny Garrett:alto saxophone (1,4,8,9); Sean Jones: trumpet, flugelhorn (2,5,9); Mulgerw Miller: piano, keyboards; Peter Washington: bass; Ignacio Berroa: drums; Pedro Martinez: percussion (9).

Rainbow People

---

Jaco Pastorius - Live In New York City Volume Three

Styles: Post Bop, Fusion
Year: 1991
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 71:00
Size: 130,5 MB
Art: Front

( 3:06)  1. Bass & Percussion Intro.
( 5:28)  2. Continuum
( 4:30)  3. N.Y.C. Groove #2
(15:22)  4. Teen Town
( 6:54)  5. Alfie
( 4:57)  6. Why I Sing The Blues
( 8:28)  7. Promise Land
(18:27)  8. If You Could See Me Now
( 3:44)  9. Niema

There wasn't much difference between Volume Three and its predecessors in this series of live dates by bassist Jaco Pastorius' Punk Jazz crew. They did identical material, some fusion, some jazz-rock, and some mainstream, and mixed originals with reworked material. Everything was also as well played this time out as before. ~ Ron Wynn https://www.allmusic.com/album/live-in-new-york-city-vol-3-promise-land-mw0000104618

Personnel:  Bass [Electric] – Jaco Pastorius;  Drums – Kenwood Dennard;  Guitar [Electric] – Hiram Bullock;  Piano [Acoustic] – Michael Gerber;  Saxophone – Alex Foster, Butch Thomas;  Trumpet, Congas – Jerry Gonzalez

Live In New York City Volume Three

---

Van Morrison - Versatile

Styles: Vocal, R&B
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:40
Size: 157,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:17)  1. Broken Record
(3:33)  2. Foggy Day
(3:38)  3. Let's Get Lost
(3:45)  4. Bye Bye Blackbird
(4:01)  5. Skye Boat Song
(4:07)  6. Take It Easy Baby
(4:52)  7. Makin' Whoopee
(4:10)  8. I Get A Kick Out Of You
(3:37)  9. I Forgot That Love Existed
(4:33) 10. Unchained Melody
(4:40) 11. Start All Over Again
(5:29) 12. Only A Dream
(6:04) 13. Affirmation
(3:10) 14. The Party's Over
(6:02) 15. I Left My Heart In San Francisco
(3:35) 16. They Can't Take That Away From Me

Versatile is Van Morrison's 38th album, and follows the release of the excellent R&B and blues covers collection Roll with the Punches by less than three months. Like its predecessor, it's primarily a covers set, but its focus is on jazz and pop standards from the Great American Songbook with six originals added for good measure. Historically, these experiments haven't worked for rock artists: Rod Stewart delivered five overblown, badly sung collections from the canon, and Bob Dylan delivered five discs of highly idiosyncratic interpretations of the stuff. Even Boz Scaggs tried them with very mixed results. Morrison fares better than his peers due to experience standards have peppered his set lists for decades. Versatile is not a pillar in his catalog, but it's not a cynical cash-in, either.  Morrison surrounds himself with a septet that includes saxophones, trombone, keys, guitar, bass, and drums. Most of these tracks were recorded in hotel lounges in Ireland's County Down, adding to the slippery jazz feel. The canonical material proves a real interpretive challenge. Curiously, he opens the record with a throwaway new original entitled "Broken Record," that shows off his band's fingerpopping swing quotient but little else. He quickly recovers with a fine reading of the Gershwin's "A Foggy Day," showcasing his fluid phrasing and empathic lyric interpretation. His Chet Baker worship is well known, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that he takes on "Let's Get Lost." His take is jaunty, offering tinges of Jimmy Rushing-inspired R&B while retaining its identity as a jazz tune. 

While his muted scat groove on Cole Porter's "Bye Bye Blackbird" is overly strident, he gives a polished, nuanced performance to the composer's "I Get a Kick Out of You." "Makin' Whoopee" contains a nice bluesy chart (Dave Keary's electric guitar playing recalls Grant Green's), but Morrison's vocal is uncomfortably stilted. Among his own tunes are two new ones the punchy, Jimmy Witherspoon-esque "Take It Easy Baby" and the contemplative, nearly spiritual, modal, instrumental "Affirmation" with Sir James Galway guesting on flute as well as beautifully rendered rearrangements of catalog material "I Forgot That Love Existed," "Start All Over Again," and "Only a Dream." There is also a deeply satisfying arrangement of the traditional "Skye Boat Song" that melds Celtic soul with Celtic swing as Morrison's smoky alto sax leads the rest of the horn section's lithe groove. While he could have left off the too-often covered "Unchained Melody" and "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" as they add nothing to the originals, readings of "The Party's Over" and the Gershwin closer "They Can't Take That Away from Me" are impeccable examples of Morrison's mercurial phrasing and limpid modern arrangements that make swing their top priority. Versatile has its flaws and will likely appeal most to longtime fans, but Morrison fully invests himself in each tune, singing them as if he wrote them. This is head and shoulders above similar efforts by his peers and a solid addition to his shelf. ~ Thom Jurek https://www.allmusic.com/album/versatile-mw0003123437

Versatile

---