Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Al Hirt - Al Hirt Now!

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1968
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:46
Size: 80,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:07)  1. Scarborough Fair / Canticle
(3:20)  2. American Boys
(3:28)  3. Les Bicylettes de Belsize
(2:45)  4. For Once In My Life
(2:49)  5. Wichita Lineman
(2:35)  6. Zorba Theme (Life Is)
(3:20)  7. From Both Sides Now
(2:48)  8. The Straight Life
(3:19)  9. Abraham, Martin And John
(2:25) 10. I Love How You Love Me
(2:45) 11. Promises, Promises

A virtuoso on the trumpet, Al Hirt was often "overqualified" for the Dixieland and pop music that he performed. He studied classical trumpet at the Cincinnati Conservatory (1940-1943) and was influenced by the playing of Harry James. He freelanced in swing bands (including both Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, and Ray McKinley) before returning to New Orleans in the late '40s and becoming involved in the Dixieland movement. He teamed up with clarinetist Pete Fountain on an occasional basis from 1955 on, and became famous by the end of the decade. An outstanding technician with a wide range, along with a propensity for playing far too many notes, Hirt had some instrumental pop hits in the 1960s. He also recorded swing and country music, but mostly stuck to Dixieland in his live performances. He remained a household name throughout his career, although one often feels that he could have done so much more with his talent. Hirt's early Audiofidelity recordings (1958-1960) and collaborations with Fountain are the most rewarding of his long career; he died at his home in New Orleans on April 27, 1999. ~ Scott Yanow https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/al-hirt/28488

Al Hirt Now!

Beverley Staunton - Everything Changes

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:29
Size: 96,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:47)  1. Mr. Sunshine
(3:25)  2. Lay It Down
(3:54)  3. World Goes On
(4:03)  4. Right Where You Left Me
(3:20)  5. All About You
(4:32)  6. Never Even Had The Chance
(3:31)  7. Same Girl
(3:29)  8. Didn't I
(3:54)  9. Everything Changes
(4:12) 10. The Story Of My Life
(3:17) 11. Bye Bye Baby

Beverley Staunton is one of the music industry’s most versatile and sought out vocalists. From radio to television, the big screen to small screen and everything in between, Beverley’s style is truly unique, mesmerizing and real. Whether she’s singing vocals on recordings with: Bette Midler, Michael Buble, Julio Iglesias, Jessica Simpson, Barry Manilow, Jackie Evancho or taking the lead on various children’s CD’s for Disney Records, it’s easy to hear Beverley’s range, power and perfection. Not just limited to the studio, Beverley’s unassuming soulful style has elevated such artists as: Kelly Clarkson, Lionel Ritchie, Nelly Furtado, Martina McBride, Dionne Warwick, and James Taylor.?Originally from Montreal, Canada, Beverley’s magnetic performances started at an early age, where she essentially grew up on stage and television. By the time she was a young adult she had become one of Canada’s top live and session singers.?Television audiences were treated to Beverley’s musical talents on such shows as: The Tonight Show, David Letterman, Good Morning America, Canada AM, Regis & Kelly, Top of the Pops, Extra, Grease:You’re The One That I Want and America’s Got Talent. You can also hear Beverley’s remarkable voice on animated shows like “The Emperor’s New School” (ABC), “Kimpossible” (Disney), Seth Green’s “Robot Chicken” (Cartoon Network), Phineas & Ferb (Disney) and movies such as Norbit (Dreamworks) and Blades of Glory (Dreamworks). Now residing in Los Angeles, Beverley has quickly found her place among the city’s top vocalists. You can tune in to ABC’s Emmy nominated “Dancing With The Stars” where she lends her vocal abilities every single night singing everything from Pop, Jazz and Classical, not only in English, but also in French, Spanish and Portuguese. Beverley’s latest solo effort “Everything Changes” is a Country/Pop album which showcases her beautiful tone and power and is full of well crafted and catchy songs! If you like Carrie Underwood, Rascal Flatts and Martina McBride, you’ll love this record! https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/beverleystaunton

Everything Changes

Illinois Jacquet - The Soul Explosion

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1969
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:41
Size: 85,5 MB
Art: Front

(9:19)  1. The Soul Explosion
(7:35)  2. After Hours
(3:09)  3. St. Louis Blues
(8:54)  4. I'm A Fool To Want You
(3:33)  5. The Eighteenth Hole
(4:09)  6. Still King

The great tenor Illinois Jacquet is joined by a ten-piece group that includes trumpeter Joe Newman and Milt Buckner on piano and organ for this 1969 Prestige studio session which has been reissued on CD by the OJC series.

Jacquet is in prime form, particularly on "The Soul Explosion" (which benefits from a Jimmy Mundy arrangement), a definitive "After Hours" and a previously unissued version of "Still King." This blues-based set is full of soul but often swings quite hard with the focus on Jacquet's exciting tenor throughout.~Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-soul-explosion-mw0000276486

Personnel:  Illinois Jacquet – tenor saxophone;  Russell Jacquet, Joe Newman, Ernie Royal – trumpet;  Matthew Gee – trombone;  Frank Foster – tenor saxophone;  Cecil Payne – baritone saxophone;  Milt Buckner – organ, piano, arranger;  Wally Richardson – guitar;  Al Lucas – bass, electric bass;  Al Foster – drums;  Jimmy Mundy – arranger.

The Soul Explosion

Eddie Fisher - Hot Lunch

Styles: Guitar, Jazz Funk 
Year: 1977
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:44
Size: 86,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:03)  1. Brain-Strain
(2:43)  2. Good Old Days
(4:40)  3. Music Makes Me Feel Good
(4:39)  4. It's That Music
(3:43)  5. Energy
(3:44)  6. Gimme, Lend Me, Loan Me (Let Me Have)
(3:08)  7. Thump and Bump
(4:09)  8. The Sunrise
(3:58)  9. Get Down with the Feeling
(3:54) 10. Cosmic Blues

The late Arkansas born, Memphis raised guitarist Eddie Fisher left a legacy in the jazz, soul, blues, and funk fields touring with such luminaries as Albert King and Solomon Burke before settling in St. Louis where he became a fixture at the legendary Blue Note club. Presented here is an album Eddie recorded for Sylvia Robinson’s Stang label, originally released in 1977. “Hot Lunch” is pure funk with a heavy Sly Stone influence, with Eddie’s guitar and voice at the forefront. Finally available in the digital domain, this vintage analog recording has been newly remastered.~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Lunch-Digitally-Remastered-Eddie-Fisher/dp/B00PLYTLQE

Hot Lunch

Brian Simpson - Something About You

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:44
Size: 107,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:14)  1. Something About You
(3:43)  2. Morning Samba
(4:03)  3. Mojave
(4:46)  4. Chemistry
(5:23)  5. Blue Horizon
(4:17)  6. At First Sight
(5:16)  7. Irresistible
(4:46)  8. Gotta Get To You
(4:26)  9. Speechless
(4:45) 10. The Rainbow

“Over the years I continue to appreciate how music can inspire people through good and bad times, and I never take for granted the opportunity I have to play a small part in someone’s life,” confides chart-topping keyboardist, composer, prolific studio musician and producer Brian Simpson. A master at crafting unforgettable melodies and timeless anthems, Simpson’s soulful approach to the music has made him first call for many musicians across numerous genres. Brian Simpson’s Midas touch has been called upon by everyone from Janet Jackson, Teena Marie and George Duke, to Stanley Clarke, Boney James and Dave Koz. Simpson’s newest masterpiece and eighth recording as a leader, Something About You, is the perfect amalgamation of influences that are close to the pianist’s heart: Jazz, R&B, Funk, Soul. His eloquent touch, sophisticated harmonic sensibility and bluesy overtones bless each of the album’s ten originals. The pianist enlists help from a seasoned group of musicians including programmer and co-producer Steve Oliver and keyboardist Oliver Wendell, who also helped to co-produced the CD.

 The trio was joined by bassists Alex Al and Andre Berry, guitarists Darrell Crooks and Yarone Levy, percussionist Ramon Yslas and trumpeter Ron King. Brian Simpson’s eighth recording as a leader find the consummate pianist churning out in the pocket grooves and dancing melodies that he has long been revered for but also pushing his sonic limits to new heights. There are many qualities that make Brian Simpson’s music distinctive but one of the most powerful elements is his ability to compose unbelievably beautiful and striking melodies. This gift has landed him on top of the charts numerous times. “I have figured out that there is no simple way to write a good song,”  he explains “You have to take time crafting every element. I will often write one melody for a song then try to come up with something completely different, then let a day go by before listening again in order to get an objective opinion on which one to use. I often make changes at the last minute, so it’s a process of refinement that isn’t over until it’s over!” Something About You opens with the jubilant and funky title track which shines a spotlight on Simpson’s effervescent and soaring piano lines juxtaposed to the bouncy and bottom heavy bass lines of Alex Al and rhythmic fancy of  Ramon Yslas. The sweet and dreamy “Morning Samba,” the album’s first single and the mystical “Blue Horizon,” both possess an intoxicating EDM vibe. “I wanted this project to sound modern, which I hoped to accomplish through electronic music elements,” says Simpson. “This should catch your ear upon first listen. What I hoped would be unique is combining those elements with the organically funky bass and guitar that has become a distinction of my music.” https://thejazzworld.com/brian-simpson-new-album-release-something-about-you/

Something About You

Monday, July 30, 2018

Slide Hampton - Explosion! The Sound Of Slide Hampton

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 29:51
Size: 71,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:26)  1. Revival
(2:23)  2. Maria
(3:59)  3. Delilah
(2:33)  4. Begin The Beguine
(3:01)  5. Your Cheatin' Heart
(3:33)  6. Spanish Flier
(2:58)  7. Bye Bye Love
(3:29)  8. Love Letters
(5:26)  9. Slide's Blues

The explosion in the title is definitely well-placed as trombonist Slide Hampton makes his group groove with a tremendous amount of power here all horns focused strongly on the rhythms, which themselves are wonderfully soulful! As with some of Hampton's best from the time, there's some really fresh young players on the set some obscure musicians, mixed with future heavyweights Joe Farrell and Ronnie Cuber on reeds plus piano from the great Horace Parlan! The tunes have a tight focus that really shows off Hampton's arranging skills and titles include "Spanish Flyer", "Bye Bye Love", "Slide's Blues", and "Begin The Beguine". (White label promo. Cover has some wear.)  © 1996-2018, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/33449/Slide-Hampton:Explosion-The-Sound-Of-Slide-Hampton

Personnel:  Slide Hampton - trombone, arranger;  Johnny Bello, Chet Ferretti, Jerry Tyree - trumpet;  Benny Jacobs-El - trombone;  Joe Farrell - tenor saxophone;  Jay Cameron, (1, 3, 5, 7, 8) Ronnie Cuber (2, 4, 6 & 9) - baritone saxophone;  Walter Davis, Jr., (1, 3, 5, 7, 8) Horace Parlan (2, 4, 6 & 9) - piano;  Bob Cranshaw - bass;  Vinnie Ruggiero - drums;  Willie Bobo - congas (2, 4, 6 & 9)

Explosion! The Sound Of Slide Hampton

Della Reese - On strings of Blue

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1967
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:10
Size: 90,4 MB
Art: Front

(2:39)  1. On The South Side Of Chicago
(3:29)  2. I Had To Know My Way Around
(3:36)  3. Mean To Me
(5:14)  4. Something Cool
(3:04)  5. I Heard You Cried Last Night
(2:45)  6. Walking By The River
(3:28)  7. I Don't Know Enough About You
(3:01)  8. A House Is Not A Home
(2:41)  9. Do I Worry
(2:37) 10. The Show Must Go On
(2:54) 11. Some Of My Best Friends Are The Blues
(3:35) 12. I'm Coming Home, Los Angeles

Renowned as both a television star and a top-flight interpreter of jazz, blues, R&B, gospel, and straight-ahead pop music, Della Reese's many talents ensured a long, varied, and legendary show biz career. In addition to being nominated for both an Emmy and a Grammy and receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Reese was also an ordained minister in the Universal Foundation for Better Living, an association of churches she helped found in the early '80s.  Born Deloreese Patricia Early on July 6, 1931, the young Reese began singing in the Baptist church choir in her hometown of Detroit at age six. In 1945, having developed quite rapidly, she caught the ear of legendary gospel queen Mahalia Jackson, who invited Reese to join her touring choir; Reese did so for the next five summers. Upon entering Wayne State University to study psychology, Reese formed a women's gospel group, the Meditation Singers, but her college career was cut short by the death of her mother and her father's serious illness. Reese worked odd jobs to help support the rest of her family; she also continued to perform with the Meditation Singers and various other gospel groups. Encouraged by her pastor, Reese began singing in nightclubs in hopes of getting a singing career off the ground; recently married to a factory worker named Vermont Adolphus Bon Taliaferro, her name was too long to fit on marquees, and she eventually arrived at her performing alias by splitting up her first name. After impressing a New York agent, who promptly signed her, Reese moved to New York and joined the Erskine Hawkins Orchestra in 1953. 

A year later, she had a recording contract with Jubilee, for whom she scored hits like "And That Reminds Me," a 1957 million-seller. Switching to RCA Victor, Reese landed her biggest hit in 1959 with "Don't You Know?," a song adapted from Puccini's La Bohème; this cemented her career, leading not only to plentiful appearances on variety shows, but successful nightclub tours of the country and eventually nine years of performances in Las Vegas, as well as recording contracts with a variety of labels over the next few decades. Building on her previous variety show experience, Reese made a small bit of television history in 1969 when she became the first woman to guest-host The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Later that year, she became the first black woman to host her own variety show, the syndicated Della, which ran until 1970. Following its cancellation, Reese returned to her nightclub tours, often putting in guest appearances on television shows like The Mod Squad, Sanford and Son, and Chico and the Man; after three prior failed marriages, Reese also found a lasting relationship with producer Franklin Lett, whom she married in 1978.  On October 3, 1980, while taping a song for The Tonight Show, Reese suffered a brain aneurysm that nearly proved fatal; however, thanks to a successful operation, she was able to make a full recovery. She kept up her singing career and appeared on television shows like Designing Women, L.A. Law, and Picket Fences, as well as the Eddie Murphy films Harlem Nights and The Distinguished Gentleman. Reese also starred in the Redd Foxx sitcom The Royal Family from 1991-1992, and garnered what was undoubtedly her highest level of recognition in the inspirational drama series Touched by an Angel, a quite popular program that ran for nine years, between 1994 and 2003, on the CBS network. After Touched by an Angel finished its run, Reese continued to act intermittently on television through to 2014. She died at her home in Encino, California in November 2017 at the age of 86.~ Steve Huey https://www.allmusic.com/artist/della-reese-mn0000196544/biography

On strings of Blue

Flip Phillips - Claw: Live At The Floating Jazz Festival

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 1986
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:16
Size: 173,1 MB
Art: Front

(14:54)  1. Topsy
(13:48)  2. Loose Walk
(14:19)  3. Sm-o-o-o-th One, A
(10:06)  4. Flying Home
(11:27)  5. Claw, The
( 1:28)  6. Closing Comments
( 9:11)  7. Jazzspeak

Veteran tenor Flip Phillips is heard leading a jam session during what was dubbed the 1986 Floating Jazz Festival since the music took place on the S.S. Norway somewhere in the Caribbean Sea. Phillips and his fellow tenors Buddy Tate, Al Cohn and Scott Hamilton (along with pianst John Bunch, guitarist Chris Flory, bassist Major Holley and drummer Chuck Riggs) clearly had a good time stretching out on the five pieces (which all sport fairly basic chord changes); fluegelhornist Clark Terry dropped by and joins in on three of the pieces. Unfortunately the liner notes do not tell who solos when but veteran collectors should be able to tell the tenors apart. 

The only minus to this CD is a surprisingly boring monologue by Phillips (one of Chiaroscuro's few unsuccessful "Jazzspeaks") at the conclusion of this disc. However his nine minutes of talking is preceded by 64 minutes of hot jamming, making this CD easily recommended to fans of Jazz at the Philharmonic and straightahead jazz.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-claw-live-at-the-floating-jazz-festival-mw0000614349

Personnel:  Flip Phillips, Buddy Tate, Al Korn, Scott Hamilton (ts);  Clark Terry (tp) John Bunch (p) Chris Flory (g);  Major Horley (b) Chuck Riggs (ds)

Claw-Live At The Floating Jazz Festival

Herbie Mann - Surprises

Styles: Flute Jazz
Year: 1976
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:57
Size: 89,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:41)  1. Draw Your Breaks
(6:07)  2. Cajun Moon
(4:46)  3. Creepin
(4:31)  4. Easter Rising
(3:50)  5. Asa Branca
(2:29)  6. The Sound of Windwood
(4:11)  7. Cricket Dance
(5:15)  8. The Butterfly in A Stone Garde
(3:05)  9. Anata

Herbie Mann played a wide variety of music throughout his career. He became quite popular in the 1960s, but in the '70s became so immersed in pop and various types of world music that he seemed lost to jazz. However, Mann never lost his ability to improvise creatively as his later recordings attest. Herbie Mann began on clarinet when he was nine but was soon also playing flute and tenor. After serving in the Army, he was with Mat Mathews' Quintet (1953-1954) and then started working and recording as a leader. During 1954-1958 Mann stuck mostly to playing bop, sometimes collaborating with such players as Phil Woods, Buddy Collette, Sam Most, Bobby Jaspar, and Charlie Rouse. He doubled on cool-toned tenor and was one of the few jazz musicians in the '50s who recorded on bass clarinet; he also recorded a full album in 1957 (for Savoy) of unaccompanied flute. After spending time playing and writing music for television, Mann formed his Afro-Jazz Sextet, in 1959, a group using several percussionists, vibes (either Johnny Rae, Hagood Hardy, or Dave Pike) and the leader's flute. He toured Africa (1960) and Brazil (1961), had a hit with "Comin' Home Baby," and recorded with Bill Evans. The most popular jazz flutist during the era, Mann explored bossa nova (even recording in Brazil in 1962), incorporated music from many cultures (plus current pop tunes) into his repertoire, and had among his sidemen such top young musicians as Willie Bobo, Chick Corea (1965), Attila Zoller, and Roy Ayers; at the 1972 Newport Festival his sextet included David Newman and Sonny Sharrock. By then Mann had been a producer at Embroyo (a subsidiary of Atlantic) for three years and was frequently stretching his music outside of jazz. As the '70s advanced, Mann became much more involved in rock, pop, reggae, and even disco. After leaving Atlantic at the end of the '70s, Mann had his own label for awhile and gradually came back to jazz. He recorded for Chesky, made a record with Dave Valentin, and in the '90s founded the Kokopelli label on which before breaking away in 1996, he was free to pursue his wide range of musical interests. Through the years, he recorded as a leader for Bethlehem, Prestige, Epic, Riverside, Savoy, Mode, New Jazz, Chesky, Kokopelli, and most significantly Atlantic. He passed away on July 1, 2003, following an extended battle with prostate cancer. His last record was 2004's posthumously released Beyond Brooklyn for Telarc. ~ Scott Yanow https://itunes.apple.com/qa/album/surprises/78974994

Surprises

Houston Person & Ron Carter - Remember Love

Styles: Saxophone Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:47
Size: 122,9 MB
Art: Front

(6:57)  1. Love Is Here to Stay
(4:37)  2. My One and Only Love
(6:10)  3. Why Not
(5:01)  4. Day Dream
(6:23)  5. Gentle Rain
(4:28)  6. The Way You Look Tonight
(5:43)  7. You Are My Sunshine
(5:32)  8. Blues for D.P
(4:47)  9. Easy to Remember
(3:03) 10. Without a Song

Tenorist Houston Person and bassist Ron Carters started their 60s careers in very different parts of the jazz spectrum but over the years, they've found a way to work together wonderfully in a mode that's created some especially great duo albums like this! There's few folks who could get so much out of just the mix of bass and tenor saxophone – especially without going into any sort of avant or free jazz modes – and the pairing of Person and Carter hardly makes us miss piano, drums, or any other instrumentation as their sense of rhythm and expression is fully formed throughout. 

As you might guess from the title, most tunes are ballads and titles include "Without A Song", "Easy To Remember", "Love Is Here To Stay", "Day Dream", "Gentle Rain", "The Way You Look Tonight", and "Blues For DP".  © 1996-2018, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/890371/Houston-Person-Ron-Carter:Remember-Love

Personnel:  Houston Person - tenor saxophone;  Ron Carter - bass

Remember Love

Sunday, July 29, 2018

Franco Ambrosetti - Gin and Pentatonic

Styles: Fluegelhorn, Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1985
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:19
Size: 156,8 MB
Art: Front

(10:44)  1. Miss, Your Quelque Chose
( 4:22)  2. More Wings for Wheelers
( 8:10)  3. Yes or No
(13:16)  4. Gin and Pentatonic
( 6:17)  5. Autumn Leaves
(10:54)  6. Ode to a Princess
(14:35)  7. Atisiul

Franco Ambrosetti has had dual careers as a very successful businessman, and as a fine trumpeter and flügelhornist inspired by Freddie Hubbard and Miles Davis. His father Flavio Ambrosetti was an excellent saxophonist. Franco had piano lessons for eight years but is self-taught on trumpet, which he did not take up until he was 17. In 1972, he was one of the founders of the George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band, and through the years he has recorded quite a few worthy hard bop-ish albums for Enja in addition to leading his own groups. ~ Scott Yanow https://itunes.apple.com/nz/album/gin-pentatonic-feat-michael-brecker-kenny-kirkland/1360388464

Personnel:  Franco Ambrostetti, Fluegelhorn, trumpet;  Michael Brecker, tenor sax;  John Clark, french horn;  Kenny Kirkland, piano;  Buster Williams, bass;  Daniel Humair, drums;  Lew Soloff, trumpet;  Michael Mossman, trumpet;  Steve Coleman, alt sax;  Alex Brofsky, french horn;   Howard Johnson, tuba, bariton sax, piano

Gin and Pentatonic

Ithamara Koorax - Autumn In New York

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:09
Size: 163,1 MB
Art: Front

(6:55)  1. I Fall In Love Too Easily
(6:28)  2. Walking Down The Street
(9:01)  3. Autumn In New York
(7:14)  4. You Were Born To Be Mine
(6:24)  5. She Was Too Good To Me
(8:08)  6. How Insensitive
(4:33)  7. Unisphere
(8:17)  8. You Don't Know What Love Is
(6:39)  9. Goodbye
(7:27) 10. You Were Born To Be Mine

Ithamara Koorax has a beautiful voice and a wide range. She often emphasizes long tones on this set, picking the best note for the right moment and holding it. The music alternates between heartfelt slow ballads and a more medium-tempo pace, with Koorax's haunting voice usually in the forefront. The trio is excellent, pianist Jurgen Friedrich has many short solos, and the repertoire is strong. This Japanese release has an alternate version of Jobim's "You Were Born to Be Mine" at the set's conclusion. Highlights include a slow "I Fall in Love Too Easily," the happy "Walking Down the Street," Dave Brubeck's "Unisphere," and a coolly emotional "Goodbye." Ithamara Koorax deserves to be much better known, for she has a sound of her own. ~Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/autumn-in-new-york-mw0001374909

Autumn In New York

Teddy Edwards - Teddy's Ready

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1960
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:08
Size: 92,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:53)  1. Blues in G
(5:51)  2. Scrapple from the Apple
(4:01)  3. What's New?
(4:19)  4. You Name It
(7:24)  5. Take The "A" Train
(7:06)  6. The Sermon
(4:30)  7. Higgins' Hideaway

Tenor saxophonist Teddy Edwards' debut for Contemporary (which has been reissued on CD in the OJC series) gives listeners a strong sampling of the underrated tenor's talents. Edwards, a contemporary of Dexter Gordon and Wardell Gray but sometimes overlooked due to his decision to spend most of his life living in Los Angeles, is showcased on a quartet set with the obscure but talented pianist Joe Castro, bassist Leroy Vinnegar, and drummer Billy Higgins. Performing three standards, three originals (of which "Higgins' Hideaway" is most memorable), and Hampton Hawes' "The Sermon," Edwards has a chance to stretch out and he makes the most of the opportunity, creating some excellent straight-ahead music.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/teddys-ready-mw0000617292

Personnel:  Teddy Edwards - tenor saxophone;  Joe Castro - piano;  Leroy Vinnegar - bass;  Billy Higgins - drums

Teddy's Ready

Les McCann - Comment

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 1969
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:40
Size: 75,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:30)  1. How Many Broken Wings
(5:09)  2. Can't We Be Strnagers Again
(5:01)  3. Unless It's You
(4:11)  4. What I Call Soul
(5:27)  5. Comment
(2:52)  6. Baby, Baby
(6:28)  7. Yours Is My Heart Alone

The godfather of contemporary jazz-soul chills, changing the pace from his electrifying collaborations with Eddie Harris  Swiss Movement and Second Movement  that preceded and followed this mellow set of mostly love songs, which includes four selections from the pens of Helen and Kay Lewis (aka the Lewis Sisters). Two cuts, "Baby, Baby" and "Can't We Be Strangers Again," were originally done by Motown's Miracles and Edwin Starr & Blinky respectively. "How Many Broken Wings" and "What I Call Soul" are the sisters' other contributions, and McCann executes them to perfection. 

The keyboardist plays with an underlying intensity on Bill Evans' "Unless It's You," while the title track is good hard bop. Atlantic Records hasn't reissued this LP, so you have to rummage the Goodwills, online sites, and flea markets for a copy.~ Andrew Hamilton https://www.allmusic.com/album/comment-mw000001186

Personnel:  Les McCann - piano, electric piano, vocals;  Jimmy Owens, Joe Wilder, Richard Williams - trumpet (tracks 2, 4 & 6);  Dick Griffin, Benny Powell - trombone (tracks 2, 4 & 6);  Seldon Powell - soprano saxophone, alto flute (track 3);  Richard Landry - baritone saxophone (tracks 2, 4 & 6);  Roberta Flack - vocals, piano (tracks 1 & 2);  Junior Mance, (track 6), Richard Tee (track 4) - piano;  Roland Hanna - harpsichord (track 3);  Margaret Ross - harp (track 3);  Billy Butler - guitar (track 5);  Ron Carter - bass (tracks 1-3, 6 & 7), electric bass (tracks 4 & 5);  Billy Cobham (tracks 1-4, 6 & 7), Donald Dean (track 5) - drums;  William Fischer - arrangement, director (tracks 1-3, 6 & 7);  Selwart Clarke - concertmaster (tracks 1, 3 & 7)

Comment

David Clayton-Thomas - A Blues For The New World

Styles: Vocal And Guitar Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:31
Size: 127,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:49)  1. A Blues For The New World
(5:18)  2. Second Chance
(4:01)  3. Calico Girl
(3:39)  4. Common Ground
(4:43)  5. Itr's All So L.A.
(3:28)  6. Politics
(4:58)  7. Sounds So Sweet
(4:43)  8. Holy Moses
(4:16)  9. Frank And Margie
(3:43) 10. It Ain't Free
(4:25) 11. What If I Told You
(4:15) 12. The Sky's The Limit
(3:08) 13. The Lights On Broadway

David Clayton’s new album A Blues For The New World is an album steeped in superior musicianship, solid material and of course great vocals.? However, in today’s world of the quick fix will it take hold at radio?? Does he need it to DCT authored some superb songs with Blood Sweat & Tears. Mega hits in fact. ?This cd sounds like an album he and his killer band made for the sheer musicality of it all.? Believe me it shows.? With the recent success of Boz Scagg’s Memphis album and unknown veteran soul singer Charles Bradley hitting the charts is David Clayton-Thomas poised for more radio airplay??With songs as good as the gospel “Holy Moses”, the adventurous and most bluesy track, “Sounds So Sweet” and the excellent tracks “Second Chance”, “Politics” and the superb arrangement to “The Sky’s The Limit”, who knows? 

Fans should know this cd is not a 12 bar blues album or even a mainstream hybrid R&B cd in the vein of Bonnie Raitt.?It instead draws on DCT’s extensive blues and gospel background from the sixties heyday with the Shays all the way through Blood Sweat & Tears?What it is and what it does show is that David Clayton-Thomas is still making vital original music.~ John Emms is a veteran music journalist, radio host and songwriter. http://www.davidclaytonthomas.com/david-clayton-thomas-a-blues-for-the-new-world/

A Blues For The New World

Saturday, July 28, 2018

Eric Le Lann - Origines

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:28
Size: 93,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:51)  1. Nann Med Ya
(5:18)  2. Liv
(4:49)  3. Al Laer Mor
(3:07)  4. Ar Vatezhig
(5:28)  5. Chal Ha Dichal
(6:16)  6. Final
(3:59)  7. Mezzo Ganet
(4:05)  8. Chansong.D'Oc
(2:29)  9. Fanch Danno

Éric Le Lann (born 1957 in Brittany) is a French jazz trumpeter. He moved to Paris in 1977 where he had his professional debut and gained notice in 1980. He has worked with Aldo Romano, Henri Salvador, and others. He also did music for films including those of Bertrand Tavernier. In 2005 he and guitarist Jean-Marie Ecay did an album in tribute to Antonio Carlos Jobim. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89ric_Le_Lann

Personnel:  Trumpet – Eric Le Lann;  Backing Vocals – Cyril Callac, Mickaël Le Strat, Stéphanie Pinard, Violaine Le Chamalec;  Bass Guitar – Henri Dorina;  Drums – Stéphane Véra;  Guitar – Patrice Marzin;  Lead Vocals – Manu Lann Huel, Marthe Vassallo;  Piano – Francis Lockwood

Origines

Bonnie Tyler - The Beauty & the Best

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:15
Size: 144,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:37)  1. Where Were You
(3:49)  2. Bitterblue
(3:38)  3. Take A Chance
(3:33)  4. I Climb Every Mountain
(3:38)  5. Against The Wind
(3:48)  6. Angel Heart
(3:49)  7. Fools Lullaby
(2:21)  8. You Are So Beautiful
(3:31)  9. From The Bottom Of My Lonely Heart
(3:59) 10. Call Me
(3:39) 11. Sally Comes Around
(5:23) 12. Sending Me Angels
(4:07) 13. Save Me
(3:47) 14. Bad Dreams
(4:37) 15. Love Is In Love Again
(3:54) 16. Breakout

A collection of Bonnie Tyler's post-Columbia work featuring international hits like "Bitterblue," "Angel Heart," "Against the Wind," and "Sally Comes Around" (in its special radio mix), Beauty & the Best is a good compilation, but missing some of the highlights of her prolific work during the early '90s. Check out the original albums for a better retrospective of this time in Tyler's career.~ Tomas Mureika https://www.allmusic.com/album/beauty-the-best-mw0000545224

The Beauty & the Best

David Garfield & Friends - Music From Riding Bean

Styles: Keyboards, Piano Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:33
Size: 111,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:56)  1. Road Buster
(3:39)  2. Bad Girl
(6:55)  3. Dealin'down
(4:11)  4. Bean Bandit Boogie
(5:28)  5. Brewy's Bag
(3:50)  6. King Of The Road
(4:35)  7. Hit The Highway
(4:58)  8. Get Out Of My Way
(4:58)  9. Kickin' Booty
(4:57) 10. Runnin' The Road

David Garfield's mission statement is "I make music." And "make music" he does, as a world-renowned keyboard artist, producer, and composer. Be it jazz, rock, funk, or world beat - he is the creative force behind the production of many internationally acclaimed recordings. Whether working as a Musical Director for other artists or Performing or Recording with one of his own bands, David (known to some as "Creatchy") is constantly and consistently involved in creating music for the listening enjoyment and pleasure of music lovers everywhere. "Giving Back" is Garfield's most current Creatchy Records release, which once again features world-class musicians and artists. Recorded in both Los Angeles and New York, these 13 hot new tracks reflect a fresh direction for his West Coast Sound. Enjoying regular air-play in the U.S., Japan, Europe, and Australia, the response to "Giving Back" has been overwhelming and its popularity with listeners continues to grow David's international fan base. The extraordinary release Tribute to Jeff, a 80 member all-star memorial to famed Grammy winning drummer Jeff Porcaro, marks David Garfield's solo debut under his own name. The album's fascinating breadth of styles, arrangements and top name band member contributions are a fitting culmination and reflection of Garfield's three decade plus career-span notable for his amazing genre-to-genre diversity, all-star collaborations and success as a lead performer, composer, arranger and musical director for some of popular music's leading artists. Garfield has one of those who's who, what's what resumes that begs the question, what HASN'T he done? Over the span of his career, he's scored and recorded for films ("Annie," "Always" with J.D. Souther), Television ("Fame" and its five accompanying "Kids from Fame" recordings), and commercials (Coca Cola, McDonald's, Seven Up, Mitsubishi). He's produced over 50 albums and appeared on over 100, with such artists as Cher, Boz Scaggs, Larry Carlton, Spinal Tap, The Manhattan Transfer, Keiko Matsui, The Rippingtons, and Smokey Robinson; performed with Earl Klugh, Michael McDonald, Nancy Wilson, Oleta Adams, Brenda Russell, Dianne Reeves, and Michael Bolton and was musical director for George Benson (from 1986-90, 2000-2004); appeared on The Tonight Show, Arsenio Hall, Solid Gold, Jimmy Kimmel, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and Soul Train; and has composed and recorded hundreds of original compositions.

As if that array of challenges weren't enough to satisfy his creative urges, Garfield has led several popular rock / jazz / funk / world beat fusion bands in Los Angeles since his arrival in the mid-70s. The first of these was Karizma, which he formed with top session players Carlos Vega, Lenny Castro, Mike Landau and Jimmy Johnson. Karizma played sold out club dates in L.A. for years and released six albums to great success in Japan, Australia, and throughout Europe. There have been many incarnations of the band over the years. One version which was David with Vinnie Colaiuta, Neil Stubenhaus, and Michael Landau was recorded live at the Modern Drummer Festival 2000 and is available as a DVD. This is currently the only publicly available footage of the band. Some of the highlights for Karizma over the years have been the release of their first CD in 1983 in Japan, appearance at Sadao Watanabe's Bravas Club in 1986 with Jeff Lorber and the Yellowjackets, use of their first single "Say You Will" for the Nissan Sylvia car campaign, two European tours in 2000 and 30th Anniversary tour of Japan in 2005. Garfield and longtime friend / collaborator, percussionist Lenny Castro, formed Los Lobotomys in 1985 along with Toto members Jeff Porcaro and Steve Lukather, bassist Nathan East, and reedman Brandon Fields. This band has also met with great success in L.A. and abroad. In 1994, Los Lobotomys released its second CD "The Candyman." The project featured Fee Waybill from the Tubes and drummer Simon Phillips (The Who / Jeff Beck) and the band embarked on a sell out tour of Europe and Japan, sharing stages with Peter Gabriel, Aerosmith, and others. As is typical of his musical resume, Garfield has worked on a number of unique projects over the past few years, both at home, in Europe and Japan. The Los Lobotomys tour led to a scoring assignment on the German TV show "Balko", and he has produced various Japanese artists in addition to working with top Italian singing star Eros Ramazzotti. Garfield has also performed at Keyboard Magazine's 20th Anniversary Concert at the NAMM show alongside Bruce Hornsby and Joe Zawinul; played at the Modern Drummer magazine's anniversary concert with Steve Ferrone; sat in with Isaac Hayes and The Blues Brothers at a House of Blues benefit concert; released two instructional videos on how to play rock and roll keyboards and released a book, Pop and Rock Keyboards. He's also written and / or recorded background music for the syndicated TV shows "Sentinel," "Gideon's Crossing," "Good Day L.A.," and the trailer for the Billy Crystal - Robin Williams comedy "Father's Day." In between these gigs, he was always writing, recording, and performing his own music. Garfield also formed a production company, Creatchy Productions. 

With access to the top studio musicians and state of the art technological equipment, they have offered modern production values to both commercial and experimental projects. Creatchy Productions has produced numerous projects for various artists, Television & Films. By continuing to delve into new technologies and to craft world music with Contemporary Jazz and Vocals, Garfield has secured his niche as an international visionary in contemporary music. At first glance, all of these diverse projects may seem to have little in common with his earliest gigs touring and recording with Willie Bobo, Freddie Hubbard and Tom Scott. But in his 40's, the Chicago born, New York and St. Louis bred Garfield can summarize his entire, admittedly all encompassing, career in three simple words: "I make music. That's my mission statement. Things developed slowly over time, till I was playing every different kind of music in unique situations. Always going against the grain, doing music that may not have been the in thing at the time but hanging around until it became popular". "It all goes back to when I was seven years old, first learning the piano," he adds. "There seemed like a great spiritual connection there, and I felt compelled to keep playing. I started my life playing rock, Led Zeppelin, Grand Funk and started meeting more and more jazz musicians in St. Louis which made jazz a logical second love for me. It's been an incredible education." Currently living in the Los Angeles area, David always strives to expand his talents while pursuing a wide range of activities whether it be performing with his own bands, as a guest player with other popular artists, or producing artists / groups such as Oleta Adams, Flora Purim, and Los Lobotomys. In addition, he writes and produces his own music and is looking forward to several new Creatchy Records projects to be released in the coming year. Due to Garfield's diverse musical background and versatility, he has earned the respect of both his peers and critics alike and is one of the most in-demand musicians in the world today. http://www.creatchy.com/DG_pages/DG_bio.html

Personnel:  David Garfield (Keyboards, Piano); Phil Perry, Andrea Robinson (Vocals); Carlos Vega (Drums); Jimmy Johnson (Bass); Michael Landau, Teddy Costellucci (Guitar); Lenny Castro (percussion); Steve Tavaglione (EWI); Larry Klimas (Flute); Brandon Fields, Larry Klimas (Sax); Paulette Brown, Leslie Smith, Kate Markowitz, Phil Perry (Background Vocals).

Music From Riding Bean

Fats Navarro - Memorial

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1947
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:34
Size: 104,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:36)  1. Boppin' A Riff 1&2
(5:44)  2. Fat Boy
(3:00)  3. Be Bob Carroll
(3:12)  4. Gone With The Wind
(2:36)  5. Serenade to a Square
(2:39)  6. Good Kick
(5:53)  7. Everything Cool
(5:39)  8. Webb City 1&2
(2:53)  9. Tadd Walk
(3:03) 10. That Someone Must Be You
(2:31) 11. Seven Up
(2:43) 12. Blues In Be Bop

Along with other bebop sides Navarro did for Capitol and Blue Note, these Savoy cuts are part of the trumpeter's essential recordings. And being mindful of his early demise in 1950, it's amazing to realize that the Memorial album is one of several incredible sessions Navarro was able to produce in just over a two-year period during the late '40s. Teaming up with frequent musical partner Tadd Dameron, Navarro reels off fluid solos on both the outstanding Dameron original "The Tadd Walk" and a second impressive swinger "Be Bop Carroll." The remaining sides from this date feature vocalist Kay Penton, who, while not being terribly exciting, delivers some beguilingly languid lines; the rest of the top-flight group includes altoist Ernie Henry, bassist Curly Russell, and drummer Kenny Clarke. The second Navarro session here includes classics like "Webb City" and "Fat Boy," and features first-tier beboppers like trumpeter Kenny Dorham, altoist Sonny Stitt, pianist Bud Powell, and Clarke again on drums. As a sort of bonus, there are four additional tunes from this same session. Amazingly, though, Navarro is not on board, but the balance is quickly redressed with some high-quality originals and more incredible solo work by Dorham, Stitt, and Powell. A classic bebop session. ~ Stephen Cook https://www.allmusic.com/album/memorial-fats-bud-klook-sonny-kinney-mw0000100221

Memorial

Al Jarreau - We're In This Love Together

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 110:33
Size: 260,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:46)  1. We're In This Love Together
(4:03)  2. Boogie Down
(3:04)  3. Moonlighting
(6:20)  4. Roof Garden
(4:18)  5. Mornin'
(5:37)  6. Your Song
(4:13)  7. Breakin' Away
(3:06)  8. Rainbow In Your Eyes
(4:19)  9. After All
(3:49) 10. Trouble In Paradise
(3:59) 11. Never Givin' Up
(5:23) 12. L Is for Lover
(3:56) 13. Closer to Your Love
(4:57) 14. You Don't See Me
(4:28) 15. Step By Step
(4:39) 16. So Good
(4:31) 17. High Crime
(4:27) 18. Heaven and Earth
(3:31) 19. Take Five (Edit Version)
(4:52) 20. Black and Blues
(4:27) 21. Raging Waters
(5:05) 22. We Got By
(3:51) 23. Says
(5:14) 24. Mas Que Nada (Live 1993)
(4:28) 25. My Old Friend

The only vocalist in history to net Grammy Awards in three different categories (jazz, pop, and R&B, respectively), Al Jarreau was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on March 12, 1940. The son of a vicar, he earned his first performing experience singing in the church choir. After receiving his master's degree in psychology, Jarreau pursued a career as a social worker, but eventually he decided to relocate to Los Angeles and try his hand in show business, playing small clubs throughout the West Coast. He recorded an LP in the mid-'60s, but largely remained an unknown, not reentering the studio for another decade. Upon signing to Reprise, Jarreau resurfaced in 1975 with We Got By, earning acclaim for his sophisticated brand of vocalese and winning positive comparison to the likes of Billy Eckstine and Johnny Mathis. After 1976's Glow, Jarreau issued the following year's Look to the Rainbow, a two-disc live set that reached the Top 50 on the U.S. album charts. With 1981's Breakin' Away, he entered the Top Ten, scoring a pair of hits with "We're in This Love Together" and the title track. After recording 1986's L Is for Lover with producer Nile Rodgers, Jarreau scored a hit with the theme to the popular television program Moonlighting, but his mainstream pop success was on the wane, and subsequent efforts like 1992's Heaven and Earth and 1994's Tenderness found greater success with adult contemporary audiences. A string of budget compilations and original albums hit the shelves at the end of the decade, but into the turn of the century his original output slowed down. That was until he signed with the Verve/GRP label in 1998 and reunited with producer Tommy LiPuma. LiPuma had produced Jarreau's ostensible 1975 debut, We Got By, and the pairing seemed to reinvigorate Jarreau, who went on to release three stellar albums under LiPuma's guidance, including 2000's Tomorrow Today, 2002's All I Got, and 2004's Accentuate the Positive. Givin' It Up, recorded with George Benson and released in 2006, was nominated for three Grammy Awards each one for a different song. Jarreau returned with his first ever full-length holiday-themed album, Christmas, in 2008. Four years later he offered a live recording, Al Jarreau and the Metropole Orkest: Live, performing alongside the Dutch ensemble. A frequent live performer into his seventies, Jarreau was hospitalized in 2010 and forced to cancel concert dates, but he resumed touring after leaving the hospital, and indicated that reports about possible health problems had been exaggerated. In February 2017 an announcement was posted on Jarreau's website stating that the singer had been hospitalized for exhaustion in Los Angeles; that he was canceling upcoming scheduled tour dates; and, in fact, that he would be retiring entirely from touring in the future. He died in the morning of February 12 at age 76, mere hours before the 59th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was to begin. ~ Jason Ankeny https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/were-in-this-love-together/1373144935

We're In This Love Together

Friday, July 27, 2018

Sonny Rollins - What's New

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1962
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:53
Size: 114,6 MB
Art: Front

(12:06)  1. If ever I would leave you
( 6:09)  2. Don't Stop The Carnival
(10:54)  3. Jungoso
( 4:43)  4. Bluesongo
( 9:13)  5. Tha Night Has a Thousand Eyes
( 6:46)  6. Brownskin Girl

Tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins returned from a self-imposed two-year sabbatical in 1962 with a fury, recording prolifically and exploring various directions from outside to inside. The five cuts on this LP were originally recorded in New York, with Rollins mixing standards and originals and providing his take on what was then an exploding trend, the bossa nova. Rollins' characteristically huge tone, relentless harmonic and rhythmic inventiveness, and fierce solos were consistently impressive. Not only did he state the melody clearly and superbly, but his ideas and pacing were remarkable; no solo rambled and his phrases were lean, thick and furious. While this wasn't in the class of Rollins' late-'50s epics, it was a well-done date.~ Ron Wynn https://www.allmusic.com/album/whats-new-mw0000099423

Personnel:  Sonny Rollins – tenor saxophone;  Jim Hall – guitar;  Bob Cranshaw – bass;  Ben Riley – drums;  Denis Charles, Frank Charles, Willie Rodriguez – percussion;  Candido – percussion.

What's New

Bettye LaVette - Thankful N' Thoughtful

Styles: Vocal, Soul
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:23
Size: 115,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:44)  1. Everything Is Broken
(3:34)  2. I'm Not The One
(3:55)  3. Dirty Old Town
(4:21)  4. The More I Search (The More I Die)
(3:18)  5. I'm Tired
(5:47)  6. Crazy
(3:38)  7. Yesterday Is Here
(4:21)  8. Thankful N' Thoughtful
(3:15)  9. Fair Enough
(4:05) 10. Time Will Do The Talking
(3:20) 11. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
(7:00) 12. Dirty Old Town (Slow Version)

Bettye LaVette gets classified as an R&B singer, which she is, of course, but her newest album, the Craig Street-produced Thankful N' Thoughtful, finds her taking her blues, gospel, and soul-influenced singing style into deep, swampy, and edgy American roots territory, and she makes it all work with a sting and bite to her phrasing that ranks her as one of the best living soul singers. She gives Neil Young's "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere" a little jump of joy, moving the song away from being plaintive and lonely to something closer to anxious homesickness. Tom Waits' "Yesterday Is Here," complete with brass and reeds, loses some of its clang and becomes a poignant blues. The most stunning track here is LaVette's reinvention of the old folk song "Dirty Old Town," best known in the version by the Pogues. She fills it with disgust and ominous menace  there's also a slower version of "Dirty Old Town" that lets a measure of sadness creep back in at the close of the album. Thankful N' Thoughtful is a solid outing from an outstanding singer who knows how to growl, croon, grumble, praise, and jump for joy with her vocal phrasing whatever makes the song live and breathe. She is still a marvel. ~ Steve Leggett https://www.allmusic.com/album/thankful-n-thoughtful-mw0002410225

Thankful N' Thoughtful

David 'Fathead' Newman - I Remember Brother Ray

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:44
Size: 116,4 MB
Art: Front

(5:44)  1. Hit the Road Jack
(7:20)  2. Georgia on My Mind
(5:05)  3. When Your Lover Has Gone
(6:16)  4. Drown in My Tears
(5:27)  5. Deed I Do
(5:32)  6. It Had to Be You
(9:44)  7. Ruby
(5:32)  8. Them That Got (I Ain't Got Nothing Yet)

When Ray Charles passed away last June, his influence was so far reaching that there was little doubt all manner of tributes would soon follow. While there are bound to be attempts to capitalize on his death, nothing could be further from the truth in this case. Saxophonist David "Fathead" Newman got his first big break with Charles in the early '50s, playing in his band from '54 through '64 and making numerous guest appearances in the years to come. And so "Fathead" a nickname Charles never liked, preferring to call him "Brains" entered the studio of another legend engineer Rudy van Gelder just two months after Charles' death to record I Remember Brother Ray, a tribute to the jazzier side of a man who always regarded himself as a jazz singer anyway.  Some music is meant to stretch boundaries, and some is meant purely as a salve for the soul. Newman has never been considered a particularly adventurous tenor player, yet his warm tone, occasionally terse phrasing, and always heartfelt delivery has placed him in high demand by artists as diverse as B.B. King, Herbie Mann, Jane Monheit, and Gregg Allman. In fact, one look at his discography and it becomes evident that his career has been marked more by appearances as a guest than as a leader. Still, with over twenty recordings to his name, I Remember Brother Ray stands as an understated highlight, a record that doesn't so much jump out at you as it does gently sidle up beside you and caress you with its warmth and affability. Like saxophonist Houston Person, who coproduces the disc with Newman and delivered his own heartfelt tribute to longtime collaborator Etta Jones last year with To Etta With Love, I Remember Brother Ray evokes the ambience of a smoky bar in the early hours of the morning. 

Never getting much past a medium tempo "Hit the Road Jack" is about as lively as things get, and even then, it's more a finger-snapping number than a foot-moving one Newman has assembled a quintet as comfortable with the tender balladry of "Georgia on My Mind" as it is the soul-drenched blues of "Drown in My Tears." Charles believed that the ability to play jazz permits the ability to cross over into other genres, and the playing on I Remember Brother Ray clearly supports his conviction. One sometimes forgets that vibraphonist Steve Nelson, heard most often these days in the more modernistic Dave Holland Quintet and Big Band, comes from a mainstream background, but his playing on the relaxed swing of "Ruby" and "It Had to Be You" proves that even the most forward-thinking of players have to have roots. While there will undoubtedly be many tributes in the near future, few discs will equal I Remember Brother Ray for its grace, honesty, and pure connection to the true essence of Charles' legacy.~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/i-remember-brother-ray-david-fathead-newman-highnote-records-review-by-john-kelman.php

Personnel:  Tenor Saxophone – David "Fathead" Newman;  Bass – John Menegon;  Drums – Winard Harper;  Piano – John Hicks;  Vibraphone – Steve Nelson

I Remember Brother Ray

Jack DeJohnette - Made in Chicago

Styles: Avant-Garde Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:38
Size: 179,4 MB
Art: Front

(16:56)  1. Chant
(14:53)  2. Jack 5
(12:13)  3. This
(13:37)  4. Museum of Time
(10:19)  5. Leave Don't Go Away
( 3:29)  6. Announcement
( 6:09)  7. Ten Minutes

At one point on Made In Chicago, drummer and occasional pianist Jack DeJohnette announces, "We'd like to do something spontaneous for you." By then, spontaneity is a foregone conclusion. With a discography that includes almost two-hundred recordings, DeJohnette is best known among more casual listeners as one third of pianist Keith Jarrett's long-time trio. Significant though the role has been, it hardly represents the scope of his career or his musical proclivities. In 1965, along a group of local Chicago musicians and composers, DeJohnette helped found the still active Association for the Advancement of Creative Music. At the forefront of the original AACM were pianist Muhal Richard Abrams saxophonist Roscoe Mitchell and saxophonist and flautist Henry Threadgill. Together with the aforementioned, the quintet on Made In Chicago is filled by the versatile Chicago bassist Larry Gray whose work spans from the Chicago Symphony to saxophonist Branford Marsalis.  With this reunion of South Side friends and colleagues, DeJohnette has documented his purpose of re-connecting with his musical roots. Those roots are connected in the experimental and free jazz scene in Chicago of the 1960's, a time when free jazz was still widely vilified, even within the jazz community. However, there is nothing nostalgic in this live recording from the 2013 Chicago Jazz Festival. Of the seven tracks on Made In Chicago, one, "Announcement" is just that; a verbal set up to the closing number. The remaining six tracks clock in at well over ten minutes each, with the ironic exception of "Ten Minutes."  

The set opens with the Mitchell penned "Chant" which moves from Abrams simple, dignified lines to forceful and enthralling group improvisations where melody minimized and the ensuing session builds to a feverish pitch. DeJohnette uses a hand-held mic to pick up the overtones of the cymbals on "Jack Five," an Abrams composition. The slower tempo piece has a warped floating feeling, anchored just slightly by Abrams and Threadgill's alto but once again, the piece takes off. DeJohnette's extended solo with its polyrhythmic intonations and variety of tones is exceptionally musical. Threadgill takes up the bass flute on Mitchell's neo-classically influenced "Think." Mitchell's bass recorder, Gray's cello and DeJohnette's disembodied thunder give the composition and ethereal feel. Abrams rolling blues and open harmonies dominate the early stage of DeJohnette's "Museum of Time," the most lyrical of the pieces on Made In Chicago. As on all the pieces in this collection, it eventually heads into abstract territory. There isn't a venue that regularly gathers a more prestigious collection of progressive artists than does the Chicago Jazz Festival. DeJohnette, was given free rein to assemble a band and create a program and with the fiftieth anniversary of the AACM at hand he could not have paid a more fitting tribute to an organization that fosters imaginative thinking. More to the point of the music, to hear these veterans express the love of their work in a powerful, forward looking set that's not likely to be repeated. ~ Karl Ackermann https://www.allaboutjazz.com/made-in-chicago-jack-dejohnette-ecm-records-review-by-karl-ackermann.php

Personnel:  Jack DeJohnette: batteria;  Henry Threadgill: sax alto, flauto basso;   Roscoe Mitchell: sax soprano, sax alto, flauto a becco;  Muhal Richard Abrams: pianoforte;   Larry Gray: contrabbasso, violoncello.

Made in Chicago

Thursday, July 26, 2018

Eric Le Lann - New York

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1989
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:43
Size: 133,1 MB
Art: Front

(7:33)  1. Sandra
(7:25)  2. 14 Rue Hegesippe Moreau
(4:45)  3. Tgv
(5:49)  4. Sans Lendemain
(6:06)  5. Viva
(5:11)  6. Taormina
(8:49)  7. Stomelen in Blue
(5:26)  8. Blue in Green
(6:35)  9. Viva (Alternate)

Éric Le Lann (born 1957 in Brittany) is a French jazz trumpeter. He moved to Paris in 1977 where he had his professional debut and gained notice in 1980. He has worked with Aldo Romano, Henri Salvador, and others. He also did music for films including those of Bertrand Tavernier. In 2005 he and guitarist Jean-Marie Ecay did an album in tribute to Antonio Carlos Jobim. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89ric_Le_Lann

Personnel:  Eric Le Lann (trumpet), Mino Cinelu (percussions), Eddie Gomez (bass), Paco Sery (drums), Mike Stern (guitar)

New York

Teddy Edwards - Sunset Eyes

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1959
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:46
Size: 107,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:46)  1. Tempo de Blues
(7:12)  2. Vintage '57
(3:32)  3. I Hear a Rhapsody
(3:06)  4. Up in Teddy's New Flat
(5:27)  5. Sunset Eyes
(6:11)  6. Teddy's Tune
(6:32)  7. Takin' Off
(2:16)  8. The New Symphony Sid
(5:11)  9. My Kinda Blues
(2:28) 10. Takin' Off (first version)

Teddy Edwards, who took part in classic tenor battles with Dexter Gordon and Wardell Gray in Los Angeles during the mid- to late '40s, remained a major tenorman for more than half a century. However, his decision to live in L.A. resulted in him being greatly underrated through the years. Fortunately, the superior hard bop tenor (who showed that there was more than just cool jazz being played on the West Coast in the 1950s) recorded on a fairly frequent basis throughout his career. This set features music from 1959-1960 with Edwards joined by either Amos Trice, Joe Castro or Ronnie Ball on piano, Leroy Vinnegar or Ben Tucker on bass, and Billy Higgins or Al Levitt on drums. Edwards, an underrated composer, performs six of his originals (including his most famous composition, "Sunset Eyes," and two versions of "Takin' Off"), Vinnegar's "Vintage '57," and a pair of standards. Although there are short solos for Castro and Vinnegar, the focus throughout is on the leader's distinctive and likable tenor. Since the great Teddy Edwards never recorded an uninspiring record, this date is easily recommended to fans of straight-ahead jazz. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/sunset-eyes-mw0000599920

Personnel:  Teddy Edwards - tenor saxophone;  Ronnie Ball, Joe Castro , Amos Trice - piano;  Leroy Vinnegar, Ben Tucker  - bass;  Billy Higgins, Al Levitt - drums

Sunset Eyes

Bob Mintzer Big Band - Gently

Styles: Saxophone And Flute Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:26
Size: 135,2 MB
Art: Front

( 6:39)  1. Gently
( 7:20)  2. Timeless
( 5:26)  3. Original People
(11:48)  4. Body And Soul
( 8:10)  5. Who's Walkin' Who?
( 6:37)  6. Don't Ever Leave Me
( 7:01)  7. Bright Lights
( 4:22)  8. Saxophone Quartet #2

Bob Mintzer, who is known to favor fiery Latin rhythms and big-band charts with an abundance of punch and power, has a softer side too, one that is laid bare on this understated but no less invigorating new release, his fourteenth (or fifteenth? I've lost count) on the dmp label. 'I think I've... reached a point,' Mintzer writes, 'where I can appreciate the subtlety factor in music and in life, where I would just as soon be gently caressed rather than smacked with a large stick.' With that in mind, Mintzer says, he designed his latest album as 'a gentle approach to big-band instrumentation, using clarinets and flutes in place of saxophones; muted brass; the addition of French horns on two numbers, and writing for the band in a range and style [that] projects a soothing, warm sound.' The climate is especially sultry on Mintzer's ballad feature, Johnny Green's 'Body and Soul,' which he calls 'every tenor's measuring stick' (except for Pavarotti, Domingo and Carreras, of course), while the reed section (deftly backed by drummer Peter Erskine's improvised counterpoint) is front and center on the gossamer 'Saxophone Quartet #2' (middle movement), written for Miles Osland's talented undergrads at the University of Kentucky. Less heated tempos, however, don't necessarily denote an absence of warmth; Mintzer's concept, gentle as it is, can still stir one's blood, thanks to his seductive charts, shapely solos by such old hands as trumpeter Scott Wendholt and Michael Phillip Mossman, alto saxophonists Pete Yellin and Charles Pillow, soprano Lawrence Feldman, tenor Bob Malach, baritone Roger Rosenberg, trombonists Larry Farrell and Keith O'Quinn, pianist Phil Markowitz and bassist Jay Anderson, and unremitting support from the ever-reliable Erskine. 'Timeless' unveils a bossa-style Brazilian fa'ade, while 'Who's Walkin' Who' (inspired by Mintzer's labrador retrievers, Davis and Yosemity) is a softly ambling blues and 'Bright Lights,' written in '92 for his small group, the Yellowjackets, a funky shuffle that opens calmly and builds to a less-than-muted climax. "This one was hard to play soft,' Mintzer writes, 'but I think we got it.' They did. 'Gently,' inspired by Gil Evans, is an unassuming 4 / 4 swinger (with more perceptive work by Erskine) that uses woodwinds and cup-muted brass to state its theme, Thad Jones' 'Don't Ever Leave Me' a winsome ballad that Mintzer says he's always wanted to record. Gently is a conspicuous change of pace for the usually upbeat Mintzer, but one that underlines his structural resourcefulness and never fails to please. Easily recommended. ~ Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/gently-bob-mintzer-dmp-records-review-by-jack-bowers.php

Personnel: Bob Mintzer, tenor sax, flute, leader; Lawrence Feldman, Charles Pillow, alto sax, flute; Pete Yellin, alto sax; Bob Malach, tenor sax, flute; Roger Rosenberg, baritone sax, clarinet; Bob Millikan, Frank Greene, Michael Phillip Mossman, Scott Wendholt, Jim Seeley, trumpet, flugelhorn; Keith O'Quinn, Michael Davis, Larry Farrell, trombone; David Taylor, bass trombone; John Clark, Fred Griffin, French horn; Phil Markowitz, piano; Jay Anderson, bass; Peter Erskine, drums.

Gently

Jane McDonald - Cruising With Jane McDonald

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:55
Size: 116,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:38)  1. Club Tropicana
(4:16)  2. Caledonia
(4:24)  3. Vienna
(3:41)  4. Let It Go
(3:56)  5. The Winner Takes It All
(3:44)  6. Cuba
(2:32)  7. Mambo Italiano
(3:59)  8. Lost In France
(3:45)  9. It's Oh So Quiet
(5:37) 10. (Something Inside) So Strong
(2:42) 11. California Dreamin'
(4:27) 12. Proud Mary
(3:07) 13. Step Back In Time

One of the U.K.'s first successful reality TV recording artists, cabaret singer Jane McDonald became an overnight sensation after appearing in BBC docu-soap The Cruise. Born in Wakefield in 1963, McDonald started her singing career performing at various workingmen's clubs across the North of England, employing her father as her roadie. After working as an entertainer on several cruise ships, she retired from the business for nine months until a call from her agent persuaded her to take up one final job, a residency on The Galaxy. Coincidentally, the BBC was filming a fly-on-the-wall documentary about the day-to-day running of the cruise liner and asked McDonald if she would like to appear. Thanks to her down to earth nature and Northern sense of humor, she became the show's biggest star, and following its huge ratings success, she was signed to Focus Records. In 1998, her self-titled debut album reached number one in the U.K. charts, where it stayed for three weeks; she performed a sold-out show at the London Palladium, and her televised marriage to Henrik Brixen attracted 14 million viewers. In 2000, she returned with second album Inspiration (number six) and became a TV presenter for the BBC, fronting both The National Lottery and Star for a Night, a talent show which helped launch Joss Stone. A year later, her third album, Love at the Movies, reached number 24 and she appeared in the West End production of Romeo and Juliet: The Musical. In 2005, she released her fourth album, You Belong to Me (number 21) and became a regular panelist on ITV chat show Loose Women. In 2008, following an appearance on a program revisiting the stars of The Cruise, her fifth studio album, Jane, saw her return to the Top Ten for the first time in eight years and she embarked on a sold-out theater tour across the U.K. In 2014, she released the album Singer of Your Song, and the same year embarked on a tour in support of the album. Two years later the singer launched the Making Memories tour, and the popularity of the performance extended the show's run into 2017. That same year, McDonald released her seventh album. Hold the Covers Back featured original material, and a guest spot from Spandau Ballet's Tony Hadley. ~ Jon O'Brien https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/cruising-with-jane-mcdonald/1387824485

Thank You Dave! 

Cruising With Jane McDonald

Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Maynard Ferguson - Live From London

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:47
Size: 136,3 MB
Art: Front

(14:36)  1. A Night In Tunisia
( 8:39)  2. In A Mellow Tone
( 8:08)  3. St. Thomas
( 3:53)  4. Fox Hunt
( 7:22)  5. Rhythm Method
( 8:18)  6. My One And Only Love
( 7:48)  7. Glenn's Den

Utilizing a 13-piece band that includes ten horns, Maynard Ferguson performs bebop with his Big Bop Nouveau on this CD. All of the music is fairly basic, using common chord changes and charts that leave plenty of room for solos. Ferguson shows at age 65 that he still has most of his outstanding range and, assisted by a trumpet section full of screamers, the performances are boisterous and sometimes a bit bombastic. Chip McNeill takes a passionate soprano solo on "A Night in Tunisia," Matt Wallace has a couple of rewarding spots on tenor and trumpeter Walter White fares well on "Fox Hunt," but it is the leader who gives this music its main personality.~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/live-from-london-mw0000110888

Personnel:  Maynard Ferguson - trumpet, flugelhorn;  Chris Brown - drums;  Matt Wallace - alto saxophone, tenor saxophone;  Christian Jacob - piano, keyboards;  Roger Ingram - trumpet;  Brian Thompson - trumpet;  Chip McNeill - soprano & tenor saxophones;  Dave Pietro - alto saxophone
Ed Sargent - percussion.

Live From London

Brother Jack McDuff - A Change Is Gonna Come

Styles: Soul Jazz
Year: 1966
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:23
Size: 86,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:19)  1. Down In The Valley
(3:07)  2. A Change Is Gonna Come
(3:34)  3. Hotcha
(2:35)  4. What'd I Say
(4:42)  5. No Tears
(2:36)  6. Gonna Hang Me Up A Sign
(5:52)  7. Minha Saudade
(4:20)  8. Same Old, Same Old
(7:15)  9. Can't Find The Keyhole Blues

This album is an elegant mix of soul and sambas, interspersed with a pair of distinctly blues-focused pieces. Jack McDuff's Hammond B-3 organ surges and trills and rocks, at times seeming to talk as the lead instrument on renditions of works as different as Ray Charles' "What'd I Say" and Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come." His calls and responses with the five-man brass section on several of the tracks here comprise another highlight, but even the slow numbers, such as "No Tears," offer virtuoso playing by McDuff. The tempo and texture shifts throughout keep this record continually interesting to the listener, and the range of influences, from jazz to gospel with side trips into the blues (culminating with a seven-minute epic in the latter genre), gives a lot of great playing for everybody.~ Bruce Eder https://www.allmusic.com/album/a-change-is-gonna-come-mw0000378740

Personnel:  Jack McDuff - organ;  Johnny Grimes, Harold Johnson - trumpet;  Richard Harris - trombone;  Danny Turner - alto saxophone;  Arthur Clarke, George Coleman - tenor saxophone;  Buddy Lucas - baritone saxophone James Oliver - guitar;  Cornell Dupree - guitar, congas;  Jimmy Tyrell - bass;  Joe Dukes, Bernard Purdie - drums;  Warren Smith - percussion

A Change Is Gonna Come