Ray Brown, Milt Jackson - Ray Brown, Milt Jackson

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:13
Size: 92.1 MB
Styles: Bop, Big band
Year: 1965/1982
Art: Front

[5:30] 1. Lined With A Groove
[4:33] 2. For Someone I Love
[4:15] 3. Dew And Mud
[6:15] 4. I Just Can't Fool Myself
[4:49] 5. Lazy Theme
[5:12] 6. Now Hear My Meaning
[6:01] 7. In A Crowd
[3:35] 8. Monterey Mist

Bass, Leader – Ray Brown; Drums – Al Heath, Grady Tate; French Horn – Ray Alonge; Piano – Hank Jones; Saxophone – Danny Bank, Jerome Richardson, Jimmy Heath, Phil Woods, Bob Ashton, Romeo Penque; Trombone – Jimmy Cleveland, Tom McIntosh, Tony Studd, Urbie Green; Trumpet – Ernie Royal, Eugene Young; Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Clark Terry; Vibraphone [Vibes], Leader – Milt Jackson.

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Roni Ben-Hur, Santi DeBriano - Our Thing

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:48
Size: 130.0 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 2012
Art: Front

[6:14] 1. Green Chimneys
[3:55] 2. Milonga For Mami
[4:27] 3. Our Thing
[4:30] 4. Fotografia
[5:43] 5. Afroscopic
[5:19] 6. Anna's Dance
[4:40] 7. Isabella
[5:08] 8. Earl's Key
[7:29] 9. Suave
[5:27] 10. Ela É Carioca
[3:50] 11. Let's Face The Music And Dance

Roni Ben-Hur: guitar; Santi Debriano: acoustic bass; Duduka Da Fonseca: drums, percussion.

Together on disc for the first time, this unusual trio fabulously expresses the passionate emotionality, worldly diversity, and musical virtuosity that defines the contemporary jazz of New York City. Guitarist Roni Ben-Hur, bassist Santi DeBriano, and drummer Duduka Da Fonseca converged on the NYC jazz scene in the 1980s, and have been influencing the sound of the jazz metropolis ever since. This New York-based all-star trio features artists, well-known to jazz fans as leaders and sidemen, who have consistently performed at clubs and festivals, received high press accolades, and gained significant collective jazz and world radio spins for their releases

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Spanky Wilson, The Quantic Soul Orchestra - I'm Thankful

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:40
Size: 81.7 MB
Styles: Funk/Soul/Jazz
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[4:01] 1. I'm Thankful (Part 1)
[3:38] 2. A Woman Like Me
[3:14] 3. Blood From A Stone
[3:25] 4. Don't Joke With A Hungry Man (Part 1)
[3:24] 5. Don't Joke With A Hungry Man (Part 2)
[4:13] 6. That's How It Was
[3:01] 7. Message To Tomorrow
[3:44] 8. Waiting For Your Touch
[2:56] 9. You Can't Judge A Book By Its Cover
[4:01] 10. I'm Thankful (Part 2)

Since she burst onto the scene in the late 1960's, Spanky Wilson has performed and recorded with the likes of Marvin Gaye, Sammy Davis Jr., Lalo Schifrin, Jimmy Smith, the Duke Ellington Orchestra, Pretty Purdie, and Willie Bobo. Renowned as a soul, blues, and jazz singer, she's released seven albums under her own name, and tracks like "Sunshine Of Your Love" and "You" have become DJ and collector favorites worldwide. "I'm Thankful" is a stunning collection of 21st century jazz, funk, big band, and soul music. "A dance floor-filling salute to the tough bumpin' sound of the Meters and James Brown's JBs" - Now Magazine. "Filled with burbling bass lines, a stabbing horn section, sweeping strings, and chunky guitars...proof that they haven't yet built machines that can replace human musicians" ~Creem.

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Les McCann, Joja Wendt - Pacifique

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:25
Size: 97.1 MB
Styles: Bop/Soul/Jazz
Year: 1997
Art: Front

[5:05] 1. What's Goin' On
[4:15] 2. Amazing Grace
[2:40] 3. Little Blue Volkswagen
[2:39] 4. Pacifique
[4:12] 5. Bare Blues
[6:38] 6. Prince Of Peace
[2:14] 7. Cold Duck Time
[4:28] 8. What A Wonderful World
[6:48] 9. With These Hands
[3:23] 10. Come Rain Or Come Shine

Les McCann carried on with his music despite suffering a serious stroke in 1995, although he often needed the help of a second keyboardist. While McCann's first recording after his stroke, Listen Up!, was little more than a workmanlike reminder that he was back, his second, Pacifique, is a joy despite, or perhaps because, of its unusual, stripped-down format. The CD consists of a series of duets where Les comps on Fender Rhodes electric piano, exercises his gravelly voice, and finds a helping hand and soulmate in the rollicking acoustic piano of European keyboardist Joja Wendt. Many of the tunes are remakes, often fine ones, of past McCann rousers like "What's Goin' On," "With These Hands," and a rumbling, scatted "Cold Duck Time" (in memoriam, Eddie Harris). Ever a devotee of the sacred and the profane, Les offers deeply felt renditions of "Amazing Grace" and "Prince of Peace" (formerly known as "The Longer You Wait") almost back-to-back with some lascivious blues, while also celebrating life with "What a Wonderful World." Pacifique is probably the best, most truthful record Les has made in at least 20 years, for at last, the real bawdy, devout, soulful, swinging Les McCann is back. ~Richard S. Ginnell

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Julian Lage - Modern Lore

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:32
Size: 97.4 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2018
Art: Front

[3:56] 1. The Ramble
[3:51] 2. Atlantic Limited
[5:26] 3. General Thunder
[4:09] 4. Roger The Dodger
[3:59] 5. Wordsmith
[3:54] 6. Splendor Riot
[3:30] 7. Revelry
[3:00] 8. Look Book
[4:09] 9. Whatever You Say, Henry
[2:16] 10. Earth Science
[4:17] 11. Pantheon

Julian Lage: guitars; Scott Colley: bass; Kenny Wollesen: drums, vibraphone; Tyler Chester: keyboards; Jesse Harris: maracas, casio, acoustic guitar.

As a young guitar prodigy, Julian Lage often went to gigs at the Bay Area jazz club Yoshi's. There he would sit up front, put his head on stage and watch admiringly. Backing his early heroes at Yoshi's were two musicians who now form a trio with Lage. Double bassist Scott Colley and drummer Kenny Wollesen performed on Lage's 2016 album Arclight (Mack Avenue Records) to wide acclaim. The threesome reunites here for Modern Lore, with Lage's friend and collaborator Jesse Harris involved again. Nowadays it's others who lean close to the stage and gaze enrapt at Lage. Collusions with the likes of Chris Eldridge and Nels Cline have seen him mixing bluegrass, pop and jazz, with a hint of classical, even avant-garde. But whereas Arclight found Lage delving into early twentieth century tunes, Modern Lore seeks out the very foundations of rock music and digs deep. The acoustic guitar having been his early tool of choice, Lage indulges a love of the Telecaster here, like he did on Arclight. The sound has an unfussy clarity, as if Lage is playing your living room with his Fender and a home-made amp. The work of Chicago-based Bill MacKay often comes to mind when Lage finds a similar purity of melody. The two also share a style of lucid strumming, where each crotchet or quaver really counts for something.

So to the album's title, Modern Lore. This more than hints at the present-day mixing with a sense of learning. Opening cut "The Ramble" bears this out, when a strutting bass intro and rattling rhythm sticks give way to Lage in B.B. King mode. Catchy bluesy chords lead to a pinging solo, with notes so sparkling they might be freshly dew-dropped. You also get a hint of fuzzed-up Jimmy Page and John Abercrombie's pure picking. Retro this is not, refined it certainly is. Julian Lage is the ultimate jazz curator, with history in his fingertips. He conjures bygone eras, shakes off their dust, then hands you them anew. Each cut brings something new to the party. "Roger The Dodger" mixes funky chords and refined solos, "Wordsmith" rumbles into true rock 'n' roll and "Revelry" is like the air of a folk ballad. More revelations come on "Earth Science" when Lage seems to drill his fretboard into your very core with metallic rigour.

Tagging this collection as some kind of 'jazz-rock' outing would be simplistic and gruff. For sure it moves Lage into new arenas, but when did he ever remain static? Modern Lore is a perfect paean to the electric guitar and all its sensual traditions. ~Gareth Thompson

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Nino And April - Sing The Great Songs

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 30:37
Size: 70.1 MB
Styles: Easy Listening
Year: 1964/2011
Art: Front

[2:26] 1. Tea For Two
[2:09] 2. I'm Confessin' That I Love You
[2:34] 3. Honeysuckle Rose
[2:57] 4. Stardust
[2:32] 5. All The Things You Are
[2:59] 6. St. Louis Blues
[2:24] 7. Whispering
[2:26] 8. Begin The Beguine
[2:08] 9. My Blue Heaven
[2:09] 10. Who
[3:18] 11. I Surrender Dear
[2:31] 12. I Can't Give You Anything But Love

Nino Tempo & April Stevens (Antonino and Carol LoTempio) are a brother and sister singing act from Niagara Falls, New York. Formed in the early 1960s when Nino Tempo and April Stevens signed as a duo with Atco Records, they had a string of Billboard hits and earned a Grammy Award as "best rock & roll record of the year" for the single "Deep Purple". "Deep Purple" is notable for April Stevens' speaking the lyrics in a low, sweet voice during the second half of the song while her brother sings. When the duo first recorded the song as a demo, Tempo forgot the words, and Stevens spoke the lyrics to remind him. The producers thought Stevens' spoken interlude was "cute" and should be included on the finished product, but according to Stevens, her brother was not as easily convinced: "He didn't want anyone talking while he was singing!"

Producer Ahmet Ertegün had originally intended "Deep Purple" to be the B-side of a song called "I've Been Carrying A Torch For You So Long That It Burned A Great Big Hole In My Heart": he was dubious of Tempo's belief that it would be a hit, calling it "the most embarrassing thing" the duo had ever recorded. When radio stations preferred "Deep Purple," Ertegun relented, and so "I've Been Carrying A Torch ..." held the distinction of being the longest title of a flipside of a Billboard number one record, until Prince's "When Doves Cry" in 1984 had "17 Days ..." on its flipside.

Despite being considered "rock and roll," "Deep Purple" also reached number one on Billboard's Adult Contemporary singles chart. The record was followed by a series of singles of more oldies in a similar style: "Whispering", "Stardust", "Tea for Two".

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