Friday, January 12, 2018

Bobby Hackett - The Trumpet Player

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:34
Size: 131.8 MB
Styles: Trumpet jazz
Year: 2017
Art: Front

[3:12] 1. Ain't Misbehavin'
[2:45] 2. That Da-Da Strain
[2:27] 3. Blue And Disillusioned
[2:56] 4. You You And Especially You
[3:14] 5. I Surrender Dear
[2:46] 6. Clarinet Marmalade
[2:54] 7. If Dreams Come True
[3:32] 8. Ja-Da
[3:06] 9. Singin' The Blues
[3:51] 10. All Through The Night
[2:26] 11. Dardanella
[2:54] 12. Sunrise Serenade
[2:40] 13. That's How Dreams Should End
[2:57] 14. Embraceable You
[2:23] 15. That Old Gang Of Mine
[2:58] 16. A Ghost Of A Chance
[2:36] 17. Doin' The New Low-Down
[2:36] 18. At The Jazz Band Ball
[2:31] 19. After I Say I'm Sorry
[2:42] 20. Bugle Call Rag

Hackett was born in Providence, Rhode Island. He made his name as a follower of the legendary cornet player Bix Beiderbecke: Benny Goodman hired him to recreate Bix's famous "I'm Coming Virginia" solo at his (Goodman's) 1938 Carnegie Hall concert. In the late 1930s Hackett played lead trumpet in the Vic Schoen Orchestra which backed the Andrews Sisters. Hackett can be heard on the soundtrack to the 1940 Fred Astaire movie Second Chorus. In 1939 the talent agency MCA asked Hackett to form a big band with its backing. Unfortunately the band failed and Hackett was in substantial debt to MCA after it folded. Hackett joined the bands of Horace Heidt and then Glenn Miller to pay down this debt. To make matters worse, his lip was in bad shape after dental surgery, making it difficult for him to play the trumpet or cornet. Glenn Miller came to Hackett's rescue, offering him a job as a guitarist with the Miller Band. "When I joined the band and I was making good money at last, jazz critics accused me of selling out. Hell I wasn't selling out, I was selling in! It's funny, isn't it, how you go right into the wastebasket with some critics the minute you become successful". Despite his lip problems, Hackett could still play occasional short solos, and he can be heard playing a famous one with the Glenn Miller Orchestra on "A String of Pearls".

A dream come true for Hackett was his inclusion in Louis Armstrong's 1947 Town Hall Jazz Concert. In 1954, Hackett appeared as a regular on the short-lived ABC variety show The Martha Wright Show, also known as The Packard Showroom.

However, what made Hackett something of a household name was his being hired by Jackie Gleason as a cornet soloist for some of Gleason's earliest mood music albums. Starting in 1952, Hackett appeared on Gleason's first Capitol Records album, Music for Lovers Only. The record – as well as all of Gleason's next 10 albums - went gold. Hackett went on to appear on six more Gleason LPs. This association led directly to Hackett signing with Capitol for a series of his own albums.

In 1965, he toured with singer Tony Bennett. In 1966 and 1967 Hackett accompanied Bennett on two European tours. In the early 1970s, Hackett performed separately with Dizzy Gillespie and Teresa Brewer. In 2012, Hackett was selected to be inducted into the Rhode Island Music Hall of Fame.

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Lani Hall - Es Facil Amar

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:08
Size: 87.3 MB
Styles: Latin pop
Year: 1985/2014
Art: Front

[3:49] 1. Es Facil Amar
[3:59] 2. De Repente El Amor (Feat Roberto Carlos)
[4:18] 3. Fantasma
[3:47] 4. Amor Sin Manana
[3:47] 5. Si Me Amaras
[3:14] 6. Un Amor Asi
[4:35] 7. Ramito De Vio;etas
[3:17] 8. Dama Dama
[3:46] 9. Paginas Prohibidas
[3:33] 10. Pequeno Ser

The original voice of Sergio Mendes' Brasil '66, singer Lani Hall was also the wife of trumpeter and A&M Records co-founder Herb Alpert. Upon exiting Brasil '66, she made her solo debut in 1974 with the LP Sundown Lady; a series of releases including 1975's Hello It's Me, 1977's Sweetbird and 1979's Double or Nothing followed, but after appearing on the soundtrack to the 1983 James Bond film Never Say Never Again, Hall largely disappeared from the recording scene, resurfacing only to make the occasional cameo appearance on her husband's recordings. However, the rise of Latin pop during the 1990s inspired Hall to return to the studio, and in 1998 she issued Brasil Nativo. ~ Jason Ankeny

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Eric Lensink - Baby One More Time

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:45
Size: 113.9 MB
Styles: Piano/vocal jazz
Year: 2018
Art: Front

[2:40] 1. Our Love Is Here To Stay
[2:13] 2. There Is No Greater Love
[4:13] 3. I'm In The Mood For Love
[2:34] 4. It Had To Be You
[4:40] 5. These Foolish Things
[3:53] 6. ..Baby One More Time
[4:22] 7. Someone To Watch Over Me
[3:14] 8. The Way You Look Tonight
[4:30] 9. Bewitched, Bothered And Bewildered
[2:56] 10. Let's Fall In Love
[4:20] 11. Angel Eyes
[2:44] 12. Something About You
[4:05] 13. Don't Blame Me
[3:15] 14. Tomorrow

In the nursery of Eric Lensink there was an old piano. His bed stood next to it; the pillow was leaning against the piano. No wonder that the piano sounds he heard on the radio were also suspected somewhere in that instrument; soon every day there was tried to bring the old closet to life. "I remember that my father always played the first bars of Beethoven's Mondschein sonata, with slightly too strong basses, and that's what I wanted, because my parents listened to the radio during the day, always classical music. They were both very fond of Chopin. At parties, however, records of jazz pianists such as Oscar Peterson and Art Tatum were set up, according to my mother, 'nerve music'. I still know whole solos by heart. "

Through fun four-handed play with his father and the lessons of Laska Meseck, Kemal Ultanur, Harry Vooren and Feico de Leeuw, his play develops towards the 'light music': jazz, salon music, nightclub repertoire. Work was found at ballet schools, in restaurants and clubs. However, there was hardly any talk of a career at that time. In addition to the piano work, (bass) guitar was also played and composed in various bands, resulting in a Silver Harp from the Conamus foundation (1995) for his former band Vitalis. Since 2000 he runs a sound studio together with partner Jeroen Tenty, where mainly commissioned and produced.

Through the accompaniment work, vocalists also started to arouse his interest; his taste varies from 'The Velvet Mist' Mel Tormé to the kitsch by Dean Martin. Another such shock of recognition was the vocals of trumpet player Chet Baker. "He sings as he plays, not overly technically, but lyrical, velvety, honest, with almost no vibrato, a tremendous power of expression". He is also touched by more nostalgic sounds: "I can shamelessly dream away in the crackling sounds of Vera Lynn or Al Bowley.Collected by that BBC series 'The Singing Detective', which I saw on TV in the 80s."

It can not stop: Eric starts to sing more and more. The repertoire indeed varies from nostalgia to swing. "It feels like everything is starting to fall into place, sometimes even after 44. Moreover, Harry Connick Jr. almost never comes to the Netherlands, so I take the honors for as long as I can, so I have my own big band!" (Translated from Dutch.)

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Esperanza Spalding - Radio Music Society

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:37
Size: 131.9 MB
Styles: Adult Contemporary R&B, Contemporary jazz
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[6:32] 1. Radio Song
[5:33] 2. Cinnamon Tree
[4:32] 3. Crowned & Kissed
[1:53] 4. Land Of The Free
[5:14] 5. Black Gold (Special Guest Algebra Blessett)
[4:40] 6. I Can't Help It
[3:40] 7. Hold On Me
[5:47] 8. Vague Suspicions
[6:35] 9. Endangered Species
[4:19] 10. Let Her
[4:32] 11. City Of Roses
[4:16] 12. Smile Like That

Esperanza Spalding's fourth album, Radio Music Society (a companion piece to Chamber Music Society in name only) is one of enormous ambition -- polished production, sophisticated, busy charts, and classy songwriting -- that consciously juxtaposes neo-soul and adult-oriented jazz-tinged pop. It employs a stellar cast, largely of jazz musicians, to pull it off. She produced the set, with help from Q-Tip on a couple of numbers, and wrote all but two songs here: a cover of "I Can't Help It" (a Michael Jackson cover written by Stevie Wonder) and Wayne Shorter's "Endangered Species." There are truckloads of players, including three different all-star drummers in Terri Lyne Carrington, Jack DeJohnette, and Billy Hart, saxophonist Joe Lovano, and guitarists Jef Lee Johnson and Lionel Loueke on "Black Gold" (which also contains his vocals and an appearance by the Savannah Children's Choir). Though Ms. Spalding takes most lead vocals, there are also duet appearances from Lalah Hathaway and Algebra Blessett. Backing vocalists include Gretchen Parlato (who also anchors a chorus on several tunes) and Leni Stern. The American Music Program horn section appears on three cuts. The highlights here include "Crowned & Kissed" (a Q-Tip co-production) with its rubbery bassline, contrapuntal horns, Leo Genovese's artful pianism, and Carrington's impeccable sense of swing that bridges funk, neo-soul, jazz, and hip-hop. "Radio Song" contains layered interpolated rhythms (again courtesy of Carrington), sparkling Rhodes piano, syncopated horns and backing chorus, Spalding's alto croon, and a taut, popping bassline. Lovano's saxophone adds a truly elegant and graceful dimension to "I Can't Help It." The charts on Shorter's tune (with lyrics by Spalding) illuminate what may have been the composer's intent all along -- and nod at Pastorius-era Weather Report simultaneously. DeJohnette's funky subtlety drives the knotty fingerpop of "Let Her," and Hart's trademark, shimmering cymbal work on "Hold on Me" complements Spalding's sultry vocal in retro bluesy pop -- it's one of only a couple of places on the record where she plays acoustic bass. While Radio Music Society may play better to younger pop audiences than more die-hard jazzheads, this program is so diverse and well executed -- despite a little overreaching -- it's anybody's guess. ~Thom Jurek

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Charlie Byrd Trio - Isn't It Romantic

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:31
Size: 106.5 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 1984/1992
Art: Front

[3:30] 1. Isn't It Romantic
[3:02] 2. I Could Write A Book
[4:29] 3. Cheek To Cheek
[3:23] 4. The Very Thought Of You
[2:49] 5. Thou Swell
[4:05] 6. I Guess I'll Have To Change My Plan
[4:01] 7. He Loves And She Loves
[3:45] 8. Last Night When We Were Young
[3:03] 9. One Morning In May
[3:51] 10. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
[3:02] 11. There's A Small Hotel
[3:48] 12. Someone To Watch Over Me
[3:38] 13. I Thought About You

Bass – Joe Byrd; Drums – Chuck Redd; Guitar – Charlie Byrd.

On this enjoyable set, Charlie Byrd's trio performs five classics by Rodgers & Hart and numbers by Ray Noble, Irving Berlin, Hoagy Carmichael, George Gershwin, and Jimmy Van Heusen. All of the songs are quite familiar, but Byrd (along with his brother Joe on bass and drummer Chuck Riggs) makes such potential warhorses as "Cheek to Cheek," "Thou Swell," and "I Thought About You" sound fresh and alive. Byrd's solo guitar interpretation of "Someone to Watch Over Me" is a highlight. ~Scott Yanow

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Spanish Harlem Orchestra - Across 110th Street

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:06
Size: 146.8 MB
Styles: Salsa, Latin pop
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[4:35] 1. Un Gran Dia En El Barrio
[4:49] 2. Cuando Te Vea
[5:04] 3. Tun Tún Suena El Tambor
[4:06] 4. Dime Si Llegué A Tiempo
[5:52] 5. Escucha El Ritmo
[4:12] 6. Bailadores
[4:50] 7. Te Cantaré
[4:32] 8. Como Lo Canto Yo
[5:12] 9. Maestro De Rumbero
[5:21] 10. La Hija De Lola
[6:02] 11. Perla Morena
[3:57] 12. Espérame En El Cieto
[5:29] 13. Tu Te Lo Pierdes

Spanish Harlem Orchestra has only been performing together since the year 2000, but this baker's dozen of musicians and vocalists swings as if it's been around for decades. That cohesiveness is at full-throttle on Across 110th St, SHO's second release and the follow-up to 2002's Grammy nominated Un Gran Dia en el Barrio. The group mixes classic salsa covers ("Cuando Te Vea, Esperame en el Cielo") with original compositions, and it makes for an unbroken flow of precise musicianship and sweltering instrumental interludes. The legendary Ruben Blades tackles singing duties on four tracks, which gives Across 110th St much of its commercial heft. Equally commendable, though, are the vocal stylings of regular SHO members Ray De La Paz, Marco Bermudez and Willie Torres. Everyone gets a chance to shine on Across 110th St--a very good thing for fans of great salsa music. ~Joey Guerra

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Bob Seeley, Lluis Coloma - International Boogie Woogie Explosion

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:58
Size: 153.3 MB
Styles: Piano blues, Boogie woogie
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[3:24] 1. Sixth Avenue Express
[4:51] 2. Suitcase Blues
[4:04] 3. Bumble Boogie
[5:46] 4. Yancey Special
[3:58] 5. Boogie Woogie Dream
[5:54] 6. Taboo
[4:03] 7. Strange Cargo
[2:44] 8. The Honeydripper
[3:56] 9. Cuttin' The Boogie
[4:46] 10. Lux's Boogie #2
[4:06] 11. Black And Blue
[3:43] 12. The Fives
[4:01] 13. Oh Lady Be Good
[3:02] 14. Honky Tonk Train Blues
[5:04] 15. Chicago Flyer
[3:29] 16. Yesterdays

Bob Seely a.k.a. 'The Spider' Seeley (piano right channel), Lluís Coloma a.k.a. 'Machine Gun Fingers' Coloma (piano left channel). Recorded live at Café Central, Madrid, Spain, 26-28 August, 2011.

"Boogie woogie has sometimes been described as limited and repetitive. Not so this set though! It had me hooked right from reading the sleeve notes, a wonderful, detailed interview with Detroit pianist Bob Seeley, who met Meade Lux Lewis (one of the original Boogie Woogie Trio) back in the 40s, and who left his mark on the young man as the four Lewis tracks here testify. The younger Spanish blues and boogie ace Lluís Coloma has come to my attention many times over the last few years and I can confirm that he is one excellent musician so put Coloma and Seeley together for a four-handed boogie fest and the expected fireworks sure do happen on this live set recorded in Madrid in 2011. The basses roll like thunder, but these guys can also slow it down and think outside the box (try Taboo).

Bob Seeley describes boogie-woogie as nothing but happy blues and thats just how I felt after listening to this. If youve ever been unsure about boogie, buy this CD. Recommended? You bet!" ~Norman Darwen

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Ethel Ennis - Lullabies For Losers+Change Of Scenery+Have You Forgotten (3 LPs on 2 CDs + Bonus Tracks)

Ethel Ennis (vcl), with Hank Jones (p), Eddie Briggs (g), Abie Baker (b), Kenny Clarke (d). Ray Ellis, Neal Hefti & Sid Feller Orchestras & Arrangements.

Ethel Ennis was blessed with a remarkable voice and an innate jazz feel that she poured into everything she sang. Relatively unknown when she made these late Fifties recordings, her acclaimed debut album, Sings Lullabies For Losers, spread her fame beyond the small East Coast club circuit and her hometown following in Baltimore, where she was born in 1932. Made with a heavyweight jazz quartet that included pianist Hank Jones and drummer Kenny Clarke, it signaled the emergence of a major singing talent.

She moved to Capitol, with which she made her next two albums, Change of the Scenery and Have You Forgotten. For these the label wheeled out the big guns Neal Hefti arranged and conducted the orchestra for a well-judged programme of swingers and torch songs on the first, while on the second Have You Forgotten? she sings in front of three different backgrounds a large string section, a full brass section and a rhythm section plus vibes and guitar, conducted and arranged by Sid Feller. Throughout, Ethel Ennis handles the diverse settings with remarkable aplomb, with a sure touch for the nuances of feeling and phrasing and singing with a maturity beyond her years.

Album: Lullabies For Losers+change Of Scenery+have You Forgotten (Disc 1)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:46
Size: 107.1 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[3:23] 1. Love For Sale
[4:34] 2. Dreamer Dreamer
[2:58] 3. Blue Prelude
[2:55] 4. Off Shore
[4:00] 5. Caually
[3:06] 6. Hey Jacques
[3:03] 7. Lullaby For Losers
[3:02] 8. Say It Aiin't So, Joe
[3:12] 9. You Better Go Now
[3:26] 10. Blue Willow
[4:19] 11. Bon Voyage
[2:52] 12. I've Got You Under My Skin
[3:17] 13. Got It In My Blood (Bonus Track)
[2:33] 14. A Pair Of Fools (Bonus Track)

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Album: Lullabies For Losers+change Of Scenery+have You Forgotten (Disc 2)
Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:04
Size: 160.4 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[3:03] 1. My Foolish Heart
[4:54] 2. Happiness Is Just A Thing Called Joe
[2:44] 3. Taking A Chance On Love
[4:02] 4. I Remember-The Corn Fields Of Home
[2:32] 5. I Still Get A Thrill
[2:27] 6. The Song Is Ended
[5:10] 7. I Cried For You
[3:40] 8. A Change Of The Scenery
[2:40] 9. Ev'rytime We Say Goodbye
[3:24] 10. Thrill Me
[2:49] 11. Then I'll Be Tired Of You
[2:53] 12. Have You Forgotten
[3:33] 13. How About Me
[2:43] 14. My Apple Pie Guy
[2:51] 15. There's No Fool Like An Old Fool
[3:09] 16. Serenade In Blue
[2:22] 17. A Little Bit Square But Nice
[3:26] 18. It Was So Beautiful
[2:22] 19. Three On A Match
[3:37] 20. The Things I Love
[2:18] 21. For All We Know
[3:13] 22. All I Am To You

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Guthrie Trapp - Pick Peace

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:16
Size: 110.5 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz-country-blues
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[3:16] 1. Saint Tommy B
[4:19] 2. Pick Peace
[4:44] 3. Huevos Al Gusto
[4:02] 4. Cows On The Buffalo
[4:57] 5. Monkey Bars
[5:22] 6. Patricia
[4:47] 7. Mudslide
[6:29] 8. Mambo Cheeks
[5:24] 9. Zim Zam Zoom
[4:52] 10. Brews Blues

Guthrie Trapp is one of Nashville’s preeminent guitar talents. He’s currently finishing work on a follow-up to his successful solo album, Pick Peace, a 2012 showcase for Trapp’s stellar talent that long supported the careers of superstar artists and his own bands. Pick Peace served as a perfect template for Trapp’s brilliant mix of musical influences, exploring country, blues, Latin, reggae, jazz, rock and experimental music. The innovative guitarist worked with long-time collaborators on Pick Peace, including bassist Michael Rhodes, percussionist Dann Sherrill, drummers Pete Abbott and Doug Belote, and Reese Wynans, former keyboard player for Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble, on B-3 organ, most of whom perform regularly with Trapp in live performances throughout Nashville with the Guthrie Trapp Trio, TAR (Trapp, Abbott & Rhodes) and the Nashville supergroup 18 South.

As a member of dobro legend Jerry Douglas’ band for five years, Trapp played on two of recordings of the “Muhammad Ali Of Dobro”, including “Jerry Christmas” and the Grammy-nominated album Glide, and toured extensively throughout North America and the UK, taking the stage at New York City’s Blue Note, Radio City Music Hall, Celtic Connections and the Montreal Jazz Festival. Trapp is a versatile musician who crosses many genres with ease, taste and authenticity. Prior to joining Douglas’ crew, he spent several years with revered country artist Patty Loveless, appearing on two studio albums with her including the Grammy-winning Mountain Soul 2. Onstage or in the studio, Trapp has supported the world’s most talented and best-selling artists including Garth Brooks, John Oates, Trisha Yearwood, Vince Gill, Travis Tritt, Dolly Parton, Tim O’Brien, Delbert McClinton, Randy Travis, George Jones, Alison Krauss, Sam Bush, Tony Rice, Earl Scruggs, Lyle Lovett, Rosanne Cash, “Cowboy” Jack Clement and many others.

Trapp was surrounded by music during his youth on the Florida/Alabama coast. His family exposed him to numerous genres. By age seven, Trapp had taken up harmonica, by age 10, he had graduated to guitar, later adding mandolin to his musical resume. Joining his first band at age 13, he was a regular performer at the clubs, festivals and events throughout the Gulf Coast region. At ages 15 and 16, Trapp won consecutive statewide guitar and mandolin competitions in Alabama. At age 18, Trapp travelled to Nashville to record on Gove Scrivenor’s album, Shine On, which also featured John Prine, Nanci Griffith, Lari White and Ray Flacke. Also a young adult, he teamed up with Nick Branch to form the popular band Filthy Rich, touring throughout the US and France.

Trapp eventually settled in Nashville in 2001, paying early dues with the heralded Don Kelley Band at the famed honky-tonk Robert’s Western World. He made his way to Music Row, where one of his first master sessions was playing mandolin alongside industry staples Willie Weeks, Ian Wallace and Tim Hinkley. He’s never looked back, expanding his resume to include participation as one of the most in-demand performers on the popular Artist Works instructional website, serving as music consultant got the “Nashville” television show, record-producing (singer Rylie Bourne’s debut album) and hosting weekly both a talk-show on Acme Radio and a live-music evening at Acme Feed & Seed, one of Nashville’s hottest venues.

“Guthrie Trapp is the Man For All Seasons on the guitar.” ~Delbert McClinton

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