Ron Levy's Wild Kingdom - B-3 Blues & Grooves

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:25
Size: 122.3 MB
Styles: Blues/Jazz/Soul, B-3
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[4:22] 1. Levtronic Blues
[5:49] 2. 6 8 Summertime
[5:29] 3. Chillin' Out (Feat. Albert Collins)
[4:50] 4. Gimme A Break
[4:32] 5. Prayin' The Blues Pt 1
[3:44] 6. Meter Made
[3:22] 7. Defrostin' (Feat. Albert Collins & Memphis Horns)
[7:06] 8. Eema's Song
[3:34] 9. Funk Finger
[5:01] 10. Rooseveltin'
[5:33] 11. Prayin' The Blues Pt 2

Ron Levy is one of the finest young masters of the Hammond B-3. Here are 11 soul-satisfying cuts that feature Levy's funky keyboard playing -- many written by Levy himself. Those who look for B-3 jams in the soul-jazz vein that are as funky as can be will not be disappointed. This is a great CD to own. ~Stephen Thomas Erlewine

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Lorez Alexandria - Deep Roots

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 28:28
Size: 65.2 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 1962/2012
Art: Front

[2:45] 1. Nature Boy
[3:19] 2. I Was A Fool
[2:05] 3. No Moon At All
[2:58] 4. Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year
[2:32] 5. Softly As In A Morning Sunrise
[3:34] 6. Detour Ahead
[2:41] 7. It Could Happen To You
[3:23] 8. Trav'lin' Light
[2:18] 9. Almost Like Being In Love
[2:49] 10. I Want To Talk About You

The musicians John Young (p), Israel Crosby (b) and Vernel Fournier (d) as well as from time to time George Eskridge (g) do a work i really like behind Alexandria. The touch of Young is light and cool as well as the playing of the other musicians and somehow fit perfect to the warm singing of Lorez Alexandria. I totaly dig her singing in the lower registers and when she moves from below to higher notes and back like she does on 'Detour Ahead'. Don't hesitate if you can find this record, it's beautiful. ~Leunjean

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Andy Sheppard - S/T

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:53
Size: 93.6 MB
Styles: Folk, Fingerstyle guitar
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[3:18] 1. Dragonfly Helicopter
[4:01] 2. King Mzi
[3:49] 3. Intimate Awkward
[3:48] 4. Beautiful Downtown Chicken
[4:17] 5. Until Next Time
[4:28] 6. Light Sweet Crude
[2:46] 7. Shadow Boxing
[4:09] 8. All Thumbs
[3:40] 9. Ways & Means
[2:14] 10. My Lovely Elizabeth
[4:20] 11. Feuilles-O

Oil and water. It's all about contrasts for Andy Sheppard. He coaxes brave new sounds from a converted '69 Martin steel guitar and a late-model laptop. He smashes folk and world music together with found sounds and stompbox loops. He sings out lyrics of a childhood in tobacco country and stirs them together with world-wandering stories from Africa and Asia. His latest live album (to be released October '08) is a slide guitar manifesto - by turns delicate and reckless, sweet but heavy on the beat. Songs tinged with the gentlemanly humour and global twang of Ry Cooder, and the sparkling desperation of Sufjan Stevens. Oil and water.

Andy Sheppard won the 2006 Colleen Peterson Songwriting Award. He was a finalist in the 2008 Mountain Stage NewSong Competition. He toured in the UK and across Canada in 2008 with three other world-class guitarists as part of International Guitar Night.

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Sam Nestico & The SWR Big Band - Fun Time

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 76:11
Size: 174.4 MB
Styles: Big band
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[6:49] 1. Blues Samuel
[4:11] 2. A New Day
[6:12] 3. A Pair Of Aces
[5:32] 4. Out Of The Night
[5:48] 5. D'ann
[4:50] 6. Fun Time
[4:11] 7. Celebración
[4:41] 8. Struttin' With Some Barbecue
[5:22] 9. Orchids And Butterflies
[3:36] 10. Not Really The Blues
[4:44] 11. The Four Of Us (You 'n Me)
[7:39] 12. Rare Moment
[4:46] 13. Bye Bye Blues
[4:04] 14. A Song For Sarah
[3:39] 15. King Porter Stomp

Sammy Nestico: conductor, arranger; Klaus Graf: alto and soprano saxophones, flute; Joerg Kaufmann: alto saxophone, flute; Steffen Webber: tenor saxophone, flute; Andreas Maile: tenor saxophone, clarinet; Pierre Paquette: baritone saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet; Felice Civitareale: trumpet, flugelhorn; Martijn de Laat: trumpet, flugelhorn; Ralf Hesse: trumpet, flugelhorn; Karl Farrent: trumpet, flugelhorn; Rudolf Reindl: trumpet, flugelhorn; Marc Godfroid: trombone; Ernst Hutter: trombone; Ian Cumming: trombone; Georg Maus: bass trombone; Klaus Wegenleiter: piano; Klaus-Peter Schoepfer: guitar; Decebal Badila: bass: Guido Joeris: drums.

Big band jazz has evolved into its own avant-garde art form, where the arrangements have become progressively more complex and cerebral. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but it does make for a different type of big band listening experience. Modern big band jazz, in some quarters, has veered off into a non-swinging, Stan Kenton direction and, while it remains interesting, it is not as enjoyable as a sweet Count Basie blues romp.

Speaking of Basie, the fabled bandleader retained many of the more celebrated arrangers and composers for his big band. Neal Hefti, Billy Byers, Frank Foster and Benny Carter are just a few of the musicians to arranged for Basie. Sammy Nestico enjoyed an extended relationship with the band from 1967 to 1984, where his arrangements showed up on Basie Big Band (Pablo, 1975), Fun Time (Pablo, 1975), Prime Time (Pablo, 1977) and Montreux '77 (Pablo, 1977). He also claims many recordings in his own right, several with the SRW Big Band: No Time Like the Present (Hanssler, 2005), Basie Cally Sammy (Hanssler, 2005) and Fun Time (Hanssler, 2009).

Nestico is back with the SWR (Südwestdeutschen Rundfunks) Big Band on this live Outing, Fun Time and More Live, recorded before an engaged audience at the Jazz Lights Oberkochen, Carl-Zeiss-Saal, March 19, 2010. Nestico guides this fine ensemble through 14 of his better-known arrangements, in a traditional big band recital that's more Basie than Glenn Miller or Benny Goodman. Nestico favors big brass and big sounds, conjuring forth such from this crack orchestra. ~C. Michael Bailey

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Lionel Hampton - Centennial Celebration

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:09
Size: 137.7 MB
Styles: Vibraphone jazz
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[ 5:06] 1. Perdido
[ 7:04] 2. Makin' Whoopee
[ 5:26] 3. Body And Soul
[ 7:13] 4. Somebody Loves Me
[ 8:01] 5. Deep Purple
[ 3:41] 6. Hamp's Boogie Woogie
[13:01] 7. Ring Dem Bells
[10:35] 8. Flyin' Home

This compilation features material drawn from the holdings of Pablo and Telarc, which were consolidated after Concord purchased both Fantasy and Telarc. The anthology includes five tracks from Lionel Hampton's work with pianist Art Tatum in 1955. While Tatum intimidated some players in jam sessions, the vibraphonist was not one to take on the challenge of the pianist's flurry of notes, while Buddy Rich's drumming is also up to their fireworks, especially in the playful "Makin' Whoopee." Things are a bit more relaxed for the ballads adding Harry "Sweets" Edison, Barney Kessel, and Red Callender, though Tatum never lets up. The last three songs come from Hampton's work as a leader for Telarc, all recorded at the Blue Note in 1991, when the vibraphonist was in his early eighties. Yet he had lost none of his firepower, thriving in front of an audience and backed by a superb rhythm section consisting of Hank Jones, Milt Hinton, and Grady Tate. Trombonist Al Grey is showcased in an abbreviated "Hamp's Boogie Woogie," while the leader is fueled by the riffs of Clark Terry, James Moody, Buddy Tate, and Grey in the rousing extended workout of his signature tune, "Flying Home." This collection will prompt younger fans less familiar with Lionel Hampton to seek out the complete CDs from which these performances were drawn. ~Ken Dryden

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Grant Green - Ballads

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:48
Size: 109.4 MB
Styles: Bop/Funk, Jazz Guitar
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[5:51] 1. My One And Only Love
[7:25] 2. God Bless The Child
[9:05] 3. My Funny Valentine
[7:11] 4. Little Girl Blue
[4:51] 5. Born To Be Blue
[6:21] 6. Nancy (With The Laughing Face)
[7:01] 7. 'round About Midnight

Ballads captures Grant Green in a mellow mood, offering something like a portrait of an artist as a young guitarist. All seven selections are from 1960 and 1961, mostly, as the liner notes state, because Green performed ballads less often as time went on (especially as a leader). It's instructive and gratifying, then, to have pieces like "My One and Only Love" and "Nancy (With the Laughing Face)" in one place. The personnel varies quite a bit since each cut originates from a different album, though pianist Sonny Clark plays on four cuts, including the lovely "Little Girl Blue." Flutist Yusef Lateef, organist Jack McDuff, and drummer Al Harewood join in for a delicate, impressionistic rendering of "My Funny Valentine," while bassist Ben Tucker and drummer Dave Bailey add minimalist support to a moody version of "'Round Midnight." On each tune, four of which exceed seven minutes, Green takes his time developing his ideas. He can dazzle, but he'd rather hold a note or allow a phrase to linger in the air for a moment. He'd rather wring a few more blue notes out of "God Bless the Child" than impress the listener with his speed and agility. For those unfamiliar with Green's softer side, Ballads offers a fine introduction. For those in the know, Ballads conveniently collects these pieces in the same place, creating an exquisite late-night disc. ~Ronnie D. Lankford Jr.

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Gloria Lynne - Day In Day Out

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 30:33
Size: 70.0 MB
Styles: R&B, Vocal jazz
Year: 1960/2011
Art: Front

[2:06] 1. I'm Just A Lucky So And So
[2:51] 2. I'm Always Chasing Rainbows
[2:24] 3. They Can't Take That Away From Me
[2:06] 4. Smile It Off
[2:22] 5. The Song Is You
[2:32] 6. My Little Brown Book
[2:50] 7. Cheek To Cheek
[2:35] 8. How Long Has This Been Going On
[3:07] 9. Day In, Day Out
[2:24] 10. They Say It's Wonderful
[2:42] 11. And This Is My Beloved
[2:29] 12. What A Man

Gloria Lynne recorded many albums for Everest in her early days, slipped away into obscurity, and then in the 1990s made a comeback. An excellent singer whose style falls between bop, 1950s middle-of-the-road pop, and early soul, Lynne was always capable of putting on a colorful show. Her mother was a gospel singer and Lynne started out singing in church. She had five years of concert training and in 1951 won the legendary amateur competition at the Apollo Theater. Lynne sang with some vocal groups, became a solo artist, and in 1958 was discovered by Raymond Scott, who at the time was a top A&R man at Everest. During her busy period with Everest (at least ten records were cut between 1958-1963), Lynne had hits in "I Wish You Love" (a song she virtually made a standard) and "I'm Glad There Is You." She recorded with both orchestras and jazz combos, becoming quite popular for a period. However, with the rise of rock and the change in the public's musical tastes, Lynne was forgotten for a time. Only a commercial record in 1975 for ABC broke the silence. But starting in the early '80s, Lynne started working regularly again, regained some of her earlier fame, and in the early '90s recorded a couple of CDs for Muse; her initial Everest date also reappeared as an Evidence CD. Gloria Lynne has remained active into the 21st century, and issued one of her strongest albums in decades, From My Heart to Yours, on the Highnote label in 2007. ~ Scott Yanow

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Frank Sinatra, Tommy Dorsey - Frank Sinatra With Tommy Dorsey: Greatest Hits

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 45:08

Size: 103.3 MB

Styles: Vocal, Big band

Year: 2013

Art: Front

[3:01] 1. Night And Day

[3:11] 2. I'm Getting Sentimental

[3:14] 3. Once In A While

[3:18] 4. East Of The Sun And West Of The Moon

[3:43] 5. The Things I Love

[3:00] 6. Hear My Song Violetta

[2:57] 7. Whispering

[2:15] 8. Marie

[2:10] 9. I Hear A Rapsody

[2:53] 10. How About You

[3:10] 11. Stardust

[2:54] 12. I Think Of You

[3:07] 13. I'll Never Smile Again

[3:00] 14. Our Love Affair

[3:10] 15. Fools Rush In

In 1939, Frank Sinatra scored his very first success, "All Or Nothing At All," with trumpeter Harry James' Orchestra. The following year the young singer began an extraordinary two year apprenticeship with the much classier Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, a regimen which taught him everything he needed to know about musical taste and judgement if not popular adulation. Make no mistake, however; from the beginning, through sheer dint of will, Sinatra managed to make his time with the master trombonist and bandleader a collaboration of musical equals.

Milestone recordings like "Stardust," "I'll Be Seeing You," "I'll Never Smile Again," "Everything Happens To Me" et al are both big band classics and the beginning of a new age of romantic popular singing. No male singer had ever gone as far as Sinatra did in exploring the tender feelings expressed in these songs, in identifying so completely with a given song's meaning. It was a revolution in popular sensibility that we are still living through several decades later. ~AMG

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Tommy Flanagan - Beyond The Blue Bird

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:46
Size: 152.8 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 1991/1999
Art: Front

[5:40] 1. Bluebird
[8:58] 2. Yesterdays
[7:11] 3. 50-21
[7:11] 4. Blues In My Heart
[6:09] 5. Barbados
[4:44] 6. Beyond The Bluebird
[7:48] 7. Nascimento
[5:28] 8. The Con Man
[6:43] 9. Something Borrowed Something Blue
[6:50] 10. Bluebird After Dark

Bass – George Mraz; Drums – Lewis Nash; Guitar – Kenny Burrell; Piano – Tommy Flanagan. Recorded April 29 and 30, 1990, at Studio 44, Monster, Holland.

Veteran pianist Tommy Flanagan, in a quartet with guitarist Kenny Burrell, bassist George Mraz and drummer Lewis Nash, performs blues, ballads and some obscurities during one of his most rewarding recordings. Flanagan has never recorded an indifferent album, but this set seems more inspired than most, making it a perfect introduction to this tasteful, swinging and creative (within the bop mainstream) pianist. ~Scott Yanow

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