Illinois Jacquet - Flying Home: The Best Of The Verve Years

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 79:04
Size: 181.0 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1994
Art: Front

[3:01] 1. Speedliner
[2:32] 2. Pastel
[2:44] 3. Groovin'
[2:51] 4. Cotton Tail
[2:57] 5. Boot 'em Up
[3:03] 6. Bluesitis
[3:06] 7. Lean Baby
[2:41] 8. Port Of Rico
[2:53] 9. Where Are You
[3:19] 10. Heads
[3:29] 11. It's The Talk Of The Town
[8:24] 12. The Kid And The Brute
[4:13] 13. Sophia
[6:49] 14. Honeysuckle Rose
[3:41] 15. Star Dust
[6:13] 16. Las Vegas Blues
[5:03] 17. Achtung
[5:56] 18. Have You Met Miss Jones
[2:51] 19. No Sweat
[3:09] 20. Flying Home

Illinois Jacquet's reputation as a premier improvising swing-to-bop tenor saxophonist is firmly cemented via these 20 selections, actually the best of the Clef label recordings in the '50s produced by Norman Granz. This is a well-chosen collection, with groups ranging from small ensembles and spirited organ combos (check out the very hip "Port of Rico") to a select few big bands. Many tracks such as "Speedliner," "Heads," "The Kid and the Brute," and "Achtung" were perfect jam vehicles, and are great inclusions here, but Jacquet was not only known in that format. His extraordinary ballad work, rivaled only by Lester Young and Ben Webster, is well represented on a smattering of standards as well as "Pastel," "Bluesitis," and "Where Are You?" On top of that, you get all-time hits "Honeysuckle Rose" and "Cotton Tail," and his signature solo during "Flying Home." The urgent, forward-thinking, or tender sound of Illinois Jacquet is well documented on this fine compilation, which is easily recommended for both Jacquet mavens and newcomers to this mighty musician. ~Michael G. Nastos

Flying Home: The Best Of The Verve Years

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Chris Connor - A Portrait Of Chris

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:37
Size: 79.3 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 1961/2006
Art: Front

[2:47] 1. Follow Me
[2:42] 2. Alone Together
[2:51] 3. All Too Soon
[2:44] 4. Love
[3:22] 5. Where Flamingos Fly
[3:00] 6. Here's That Rainy Day
[2:24] 7. Day In, Day Out
[2:45] 8. If I Should Lose You
[2:20] 9. I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues
[2:48] 10. Harlequin
[4:20] 11. I'm Glad There Is You
[2:31] 12. Sweet William

Contemporary singers like Diana Krall have the sleek cocktail-diva act down pat: one part slinky dress; one part slow, sexy songs; and one part deep, smoky voice. Krall, though, learned from a number of women, like Chris Connor, who wrote the book on torch singing back in the '50s. Recorded in 1961, A Portrait of Chris finds the singer accompanied by a lively band and strings as she interprets a dozen standards. Conner's calling card is her lovely, deep voice. It reaches down and delivers ballads like "Here's That Rainy Day" and "All Too Soon" in rich, full colors. Like Julie London, Conner's cool and calm approach always gives the impression that it's three a.m. and only a handful of people remain in the bar. She infuses "Sweet William" and "If I Should Lose You" with sad longing, leaving one to imagine her the loneliest person on the planet. She turns up the heat on "Day in, Day Out" and "I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues," and delivers a spunky version of "Harlequin." James Ritz' liner notes serve as a good introduction to Connor and also place her in historical prospective. With the release of A Portrait of Chris, jazz fans can supplement their collections with the lovely singing of an original from the golden age of jazz divas. ~Ronnie D Lankford Jr.

A Portrait Of Chris   

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Joey DeFrancesco - Falling In Love Again

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:37
Size: 134.2 MB
Styles: Soul jazz, B-3 Organ jazz
Year: 2003
Art: Front

[7:55] 1. All Or Nothing At All
[5:07] 2. But Not For Me
[4:01] 3. Falling In Love Again
[7:05] 4. Love For Sale
[6:02] 5. Dearly Beloved
[3:15] 6. Can't We Begin Again
[6:11] 7. My Romance
[4:03] 8. Street Of Dreams
[4:31] 9. Secret Love
[4:50] 10. Pennies From Heaven
[5:32] 11. Everytime We Say Goodbye

Is this still young but nearly legendary hipster, who almost singlehandedly rekindled jazz's interest in the Hammond B-3 organ, going to the dogs? The folks at Concord Records hope so, sending out a doggie biscuit with their press materials as DeFrancesco gives one of his favorite East Coast jazz singers, Joe Doggs, a prominent spotlight. Doggs' soulful vocals (praised in the liner notes by Quincy Jones and very reminiscent of the passionate Jimmy Scott experience) and fresh, expansive arrangements are at the cool, swinging heart of the collection's 11 cherished standards. Between vocal passages, the organ great also continues his long tradition of working with top trad jazz names like Pat Martino, tenorman Red Holloway, drummer Jeff Hamilton (complementing DeFrancesco's core trio member Byron Landham), and Kevin Eubanks. "All or Nothing at All" rolls along at eight minutes, with DeFrancesco's B-3 simmering coolly under Doggs' sweet seductive vocals before swinging harder during the playful instrumental break punctuated by Martino's crisp guitar solo. The same basic principles embrace the easy, strutting take on the Gershwins' "But Not for Me," with DeFrancesco's lively soloing giving way to a fiery tenor spotlight by Holloway. Other standards given the royal treatment are "Love for Sale," "Dearly Beloved," and "My Romance." Next time when you hear the term "Dogg style," you may think beyond Snoop Dogg and the more vulgar connotations. ~Jonathan Widran

Falling In Love Again

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Machito Orchestra - Afro-Cuban Jazz Suite

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 17:13
Size: 39.4 MB
Styles: Latin jazz
Year: 1951/2005
Art: Front

[2:54] 1. Cancion
[3:14] 2. Mambo
[2:39] 3. Mambo2
[2:11] 4. 6/8
[3:40] 5. Jazz
[2:33] 6. Rhumba Abierta

The Afro-Cuban Jazz Suite is largely remembered as a Norman Granz commission. The reason for this is that the legendary Charlie Parker participated in the first Suite, completed and recorded in December, 1950. Moreover, even many of the musical arts cognoscenti will recall this first Suite as music performed by Machito. Most listeners forget that it was Chico O’Farrill who wrote, arranged and conducted the piece first for Machito and his Afro-Cuban Orchestra. ~Raul de Gama

Afro-Cuban Jazz Suite

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Patrick Cornelius - Infinite Blue

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:46
Size: 107.1 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[5:04] 1. Regent Street
[5:51] 2. Infinite Blue
[0:53] 3. Into To Waiting
[7:09] 4. Waiting
[4:14] 5. Puzzler
[5:47] 6. Unfinished Business
[6:14] 7. In The Quiet Moments
[4:42] 8. My Green Tara
[6:49] 9. Projection

Patrick Cornelius: alto saxophone; Frank Kimbrough: piano; Michael Janisch: bass; Jeff Ballard: drums; Nick Vayenas: trombone (1, 4-6, 9);Michael Rodriguez: trumpet (2, 4, 5); John Chin: piano (9).

Veteran New York saxophonist and composer Patrick Cornelius delivers his fourth album as leader with Infinite Blue, a gem of a recording that sparkles with an A-list of players interpreting eight new originals and one cover tune in one audacious session of music. Not really an unusual feat for this three-time winner of the ASCAP Young Composer Award (2005-2007), the music on this album features a variety of hard bop elements as well as intricate tender ballads providing a fair share of moments to experience often.

The saxophonist wastes no time in defining this album as primarily his through measured solo performances beginning on the opening "Regent Street" and guiding the music with the help of Chick Corea/Brad Mehldau drummer Jeff Ballard whose pounding drums and crashing cymbal accents paint the music. Trumpeter Michael Rodriguez and renowned pianist Frank Kimbrough, just two of New York's finest musicians performing in the Cornelius sextet, take pronounced roles on the title track marking this piece infinitely solid. The reflective balladic "Waiting" is introduced by the only non-New York-based musician of the group, London-based bassist Michael Janisch who turns it over to pianist Kimbrough whose light chords turns the number into a beautiful haunting piece of music. In stark contrast, "Puzzler" unleashes a hard up beat rhythm that brings an expanded horn section with both the leader and Rodriguez sharing the space with trombonist Nick Vayenas for a quick rumble. One of the standout tunes on the recording, "Unfinished Business," has Vayenas playing middle to upper register trombone to Cornelius's crafty alto voice.

The Soft spot of the album goes to the gorgeous slow ballad "In The Quiet Moments," where the saxophonist performs a slow burn to Kimbrough's accompanying light keys and Ballard's warm brush stokes for a highlight of the album. Unlike many recordings, Cornelius caps this fantastic effort with the surging hard bop "My Green Tara" showcasing some of his best chops of the session and closes the recording with pianist John Chin's "Projection" featuring Chin in his only appearance on a sweet melody that captures one last dynamic solo from the saxophonist and the very essence of Infinite Blue, an album that has all the elements of great music: elegant compositions, world-class players and a gifted point man leading the way. ~Edward Blanco

Infinite Blue

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Dennis Chambers - Outbreak

Styles: Jazz Fusion, Funk 
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:21
Size: 132,1 MB
Art: Front

( 5:21)  1. Roll Call
( 7:03)  2. Otay
( 5:19)  3. Groovus Interruptus
( 6:08)  4. Paris On Mine
( 6:09)  5. In Time
( 4:32)  6. Plan B
(10:59)  7. Outbreak
( 5:46)  8. Baltimore, DC
( 6:00)  9. Talkin Loud And Sayin Nothin

Drummer Dennis Chambers is a first-call session ace who is comfortable within a variety of settings and/or genres. He has also evolved into one of the most admired drummers on the globe due to his high-powered polyrhythmic funk beats and supercharged sense of swing. In short, he's a dynamo! With his second solo release, he enlists his former boss, guitarist John Scofield, amid jazz superstars such as brothers Michael (sax) and Randy (trumpet) Brecker among others. Here, Chambers drives it all home via his now infamous attack, consisting of complexly woven tom fills and snappy, funk-drenched rhythms. Much of the credit should be directed towards arranger/producer/keyboardist Jim Beard, who once again demonstrates his prowess for achieving the desired effects. On the piece titled "Otay," fusion bassist extraordinaire Gary Willis leads the way via his impossibly fast lines in concert with Scofield's sinewy plucking and Chambers' sweeping funk pulses. 

Some of these works are marked by the Brecker Brothers' chirpy unison choruses and the ensemble's morphing of gospel, fusion, and jazz-based grooves. Through it all, Chambers' presence is undeniably felt, while this outing also benefits from strong material and the soloists' zestful endeavors. ~ Glenn Astarita https://www.allmusic.com/album/outbreak-mw0000594272
 

Personnel: (Collective): Dennis Chambers, drums; Michael Brecker, tenor sax; Bob Malach, tenor and bass saxophones; Aaron Heick, alto sax; Randy Brecker, Jim Hynes, trumpet; Michael Davis, trombone; Jon Herington, John Scofield, Nick Moroch, guitars; Dean Brown, guitars, bass; Jim Beard, clavinet, Hammond B3, Rhodes, synth, Wurlitzer piano; Will Lee, Gary Willis, Matt Garrison, Rodney "Skeet" Curtis, bass; Arto Tuncboyaciyan, percussion; Danny Sadownick, congas.     

Outbreak

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Lisa Ono - Look To The Rainbow

Styles: Vocal Jazz

Year: 2009

File: MP3@320K/s

Time: 49:52

Size: 114,4 MB

Art: Front

(3:04)  1. I'm Beginning To See The Light

(2:50)  2. Honeysuckle Rose

(4:05)  3. Moonglow

(3:52)  4. My Funny Valentine

(4:00)  5. Goody Goody

(3:26)  6. Don’t Know Why

(5:03)  7. Stormy Weather/Here s That Rainy Day

(3:23)  8. It’s Only A Paper Moon

(2:56)  9. Moonlight Serenade

(3:37) 10. You’d Be So Nice To Come Home To

(3:48) 11. The Shadow Of Your Smile

(3:43) 12. On A Clear Day

(5:59) 13. Look To The Rainbow

Lisa Ono is one of the best Japanese interpreters of contemporary bossa nova. A singer, violonista (acoustic guitar player), and songwriter, she has had her albums released internationally. To date, she has recorded 12 albums (Catupiry, 1989; Nanã, 1990; Menina, 1991; Serenata Carioca, 1992; Namorada, 1993; Esperança, 1994; Minha Saudade, 1995; Rio Bossa, 1996; Essência, 1997; Bossa Carioca, 1998; Dream, 1999; and Pretty World, 2000) with special appearances by top artists like Tom Jobim, Sivuca, Paulo Moura, Danilo Caymmi, and Toots Thielemans. Having lived in Brazil until she was ten, she took advantage of her father's connections he was a nightclub owner in the city of São Paulo and was Baden Powell's manager. Moving back to Japan, he opened the Saci Pererê nightclub, where Lisa Ono began to perform the Brazilian repertory, especially samba and bossa nova. She also founded the label Nanã, which promotes Brazilian music in Japan. ~ Alvaro Neder https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/look-to-the-rainbow-jazz-standards-from-l-a/id305719944

Look To The Rainbow

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Art Pepper - Presents “West Coast Sessions!”: Volume 1 (Disc 1 And Disc 2)

Album: Presents “West Coast Sessions!” Volume 1: Sonny Stitt Disc 1

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:43
Size: 156,3 MB
Art: Front

(6:40)  1. Scrapple From The Apple
(6:30)  2. Wee
(8:40)  3. Bernie's Tune
(8:44)  4. How High The Moon
(5:56)  5. Walkin'
(6:07)  6. Groovin' High
(7:23)  7. Bernie's Tune (Take 1)
(6:42)  8. Bernie's Tune (Take 2)
(4:45)  9. Wee (Take 1)
(6:11) 10. Groovin' High (Alternate Take)

In 1977, saxophonist Art Pepper was approached by Japanese label Atlas about possibly doing some recording. Pepper, then under contract to the Fantasy/Galaxy label, was obliged to find a work-around and decided to appear as a sideman on the recordings, bringing on various "headliners" to release the albums under. For the fourth and fifth Atlas albums, Pepper brought in saxophonist Sonny Stitt, with whom he had performed but never recorded. Omnivore's 2017 reissue of those sessions, Art Pepper Presents West Coast Sessions, Vol. 1: Sonny Stitt, brings this period of Pepper's career into sharp focus with liner notes from producer and Pepper's then wife and manager Laurie Pepper. Here, we get both albums, originally released in 1980 as Groovin' High: Sonny Stitt & His West Coast Friends and Atlas Blues: Blow! & Ballade!. We also get a handful of previously unissued alternate takes. The first sessions (Groovin' High) feature Stitt and Pepper backed by pianist Lou Levy, bassist Chuck DeMonico, and drummer Carl Burnette. Together, they fly through a set of brightly delivered, well-worn bop standards including a piercingly assured take on "Walkin," with their dual altos slicing through the opening melody. However, while there is some fine playing by all involved, the Groovin' High cuts sound somewhat routine in comparison to what is to come. The real discovery here are the Atlas Blues dates that found Pepper conscripting legendary West Coast pianist Russ Freeman along with bassist John Heard and drummer Burnette. A longtime associate, Freeman had recorded several times before with Pepper in the '50s, appearing on such albums as Surf Ride, Mucho Calor, and Modern Art. By the '70s, Pepper's open-minded ear for post-John Coltrane harmonics, not to mention years of hard living, meant that he wasn't particularly inclined to try and re-create his tender '50s style. His playing on these dates is typical of his latter-period, with vigorous in-the-moment solos that seem to flow directly out of his psyche, like a cubist bop haiku one minute and a mangled blues aside the next. However, with Freeman at his side, Pepper sounds warmly engaged and their chemistry evokes wild hope of those early West Coast years. Ultimately, on both sets, it's the juxtaposition between Stitt's seamless bop flow and Pepper's thoughtful, bluesy reticence that remains magical. ~ Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/album/art-pepper-presents-west-coast-sessions-vol-1-sonny-stitt-mw0003009536  

Personnel: Tenor Saxophone – Art Pepper, Sonny Stitt; Drums – Carl Burnett; Piano – Lou Levy, Russ Freeman

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Album: Presents “West Coast Sessions!” Volume 1 Sonny Stitt Disc 2

Time: 42:31
Size: 98,1 MB

( 9:35)  1. Atlas Blues
(11:27)  2. Lester Leaps In
( 4:59)  3. Autumn In New York
( 5:35)  4. My Funny Valentine
( 4:55)  5. Lover Man
( 5:57)  6. Imagination

Presents “West Coast Sessions!” Volume 1 Sonny Stitt Disc 2

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Monty Alexander, Ray Brown & Herb Ellis - Triple Treat II

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1987
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:35
Size: 122,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:17)  1. Lined With A Groove
(8:09)  2. Straighten Up And Fly Right
(6:51)  3. It Might As Well Be Spring
(3:40)  4. Seven Come Eleven
(6:10)  5. Fred
(5:59)  6. Smile
(6:28)  7. I'll Remember April
(5:12)  8. PolkaDots And Moonbeams
(5:43)  9. Lester Leaps In

Five years after the original Triple Treat, pianist Monty Alexander has a reunion with guitarist Herb Ellis and bassist Ray Brown in a program that is in the tradition of both Oscar Peterson and Nat King Cole. A special bonus is violinist John Frigo who sits in on four of the eight songs. Highpoints include Ray Brown's "Lined with a Groove," "Straighten up and Fly Right," "Seven Come Eleven" and "Lester Leaps In." ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/triple-treat-vol-2-mw0000199080

Personnel: Monty Alexander (piano), Ray Brown (bass), Herb Ellis (guitar), John Frigo (violin)               

Triple Treat II

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Tommy Flanagan - Thelonica

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1982
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:29
Size: 111,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:26)  1. North Of The Sunset
(5:31)  2. Light Blue
(5:08)  3. Off Minor
(7:03)  4. Pannonica
(4:14)  5. Ask Me Now
(4:14)  6. Thelonious
(7:35)  7. Reflections
(5:06)  8. Ugly Beauty
(5:11)  9. Thelonica

Recorded just ten months after Thelonious Monk's death, pianist Tommy Flanagan's tribute features eight of Monk's compositions plus Flanagan's own "Thelonica." Assisted by bassist George Mraz and drummer Art Taylor, Flanagan does not sound at all like Monk but he recaptures his spirit and hints strongly now and then at his style on this fine (and often introspective) outing. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/thelonica-mw0000188156

Personnel: Tommy Flanagan (piano); George Mraz (bass instrument); Art Taylor (drums).                 

Thelonica

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