Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Nina Simone - Broadway, Blues, Ballads

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:42
Size: 84.0 MB
Styles: Standards, Vocal jazz
Year: 1964/2006
Art: Front

[2:43] 1. Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
[3:03] 2. Night Song
[2:15] 3. The Laziest Gal In Town
[2:41] 4. Something Wonderful
[2:50] 5. Don't Take All Night
[4:16] 6. Nobody
[2:55] 7. I Am Blessed
[2:32] 8. Of This I'm Sure
[2:34] 9. See-Line Woman
[2:58] 10. Our Love (Will See Us Through)
[2:01] 11. How Can I
[3:04] 12. The Last Rose Of Summer
[2:43] 13. A Monster

There's a lot more Broadway and a lot more ballads than blues on this, which ranks as one of Simone's weaker mid-'60s albums. Almost half the record features Broadway tunes on the order of Cole Porter and Rodgers & Hammerstein; most of the rest was composed by Bennie Benjamin, author of her first-rate "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood," which the Animals covered for a hit shortly afterwards (and which leads off this record). The other Benjamin tunes are modified uptown soul with string arrangements and backup vocals in the vein of "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood," but aren't in the same league, although "How Can I?" is an engaging cha-cha. Besides "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood," the album is most notable for the great "SeeLine Woman," a percolating call-and-response number that ranks as one of her best tracks. ~Richie Unterberger

Broadway, Blues, Ballads mc
Broadway, Blues, Ballads zippy

Larry Carlton, SWR Big Band - Lights On

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:17
Size: 156.3 MB
Styles: Big band, Guitar jazz
Year: 2017
Art: Front

[5:07] 1. Mellow Out
[5:24] 2. Milestones
[8:03] 3. Kid Charlemagne
[8:04] 4. Fnnn
[6:53] 5. Too Young To Go Steady
[7:31] 6. My Favorite Things
[7:01] 7. Room 335
[6:38] 8. Friday Nights Shuffle
[8:41] 9. The Wells Gone Dry
[4:49] 10. Black Friday

Legendary guitarist Larry Carlton & the SWR Big Band team up for a new production! Combining his roots in blues and jazz with a crossover pop rock sensibility, Carlton's unmistakable sound is marked by his signature warm tone, bright melodies and soulful guitar solos. Four time Grammy winner, Titan of Tone award recipient and legendary guitar great, Larry Carlton is one of the most influential, prolific and original guitarists in the industry. Carlton established himself from his first recording, A Little Help From My Friends. His studio credits include musicians and groups like Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell, Michael Jackson, Sammy Davis Jr., Herb Alpert, Quincy Jones, Bobby Bland, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and literally dozens of others. He went on to perform with the Crusaders and then with the multi platinum jazz super group Fourplay. With 30 albums to his credit and having performed on over 100 albums that have gone Gold or Platinum, Larry Carlton has set a standard for artistry that spans three decades.

For the past 60 years the 17 members of the SWR Big Band have thrilled audiences throughout Europe with a hugely varied repertoire and consistently excellent quality of music. It is indisputable that they are one of the best big bands in the world. Since 2002, they have received four Grammy nominations, which is credited to the outstanding soloists of the band, the extraordinary interplay of the musicians and great arrangements of new and classic songs alike. Their success that is also supported by the collaborations with international jazz and world music greats like Pat Metheny, Roy Hargrove, Roberta Gambarini, Sammy Nestico, and Paula Morelenbaum.

Lights On mc
Lights On zippy

Brassens Le Cubain - Brassens Le Cubain Vol. 1

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:17
Size: 167.8 MB
Styles: Cuban rhythms
Year: 2016
Art: Front

[4:15] 1. Brave Margot
[4:30] 2. Le Petit Cheval Blanc
[4:36] 3. Saturne
[4:01] 4. Dans L'eau De La Claire Fontaine
[4:45] 5. Les Amoureux Des Bancs Publics
[4:46] 6. La Chasse Aux ¨papillons
[4:45] 7. Sauf Le Respect Que Je Vous Dois
[4:58] 8. Les Copains D'abort
[4:39] 9. La Princesse Et Le Croque-Note
[6:51] 10. Les Passantes
[4:30] 11. Auprès De Mon Arbre
[3:55] 12. Le Fossoyeur
[2:36] 13. Pauvre Martin
[5:07] 14. Chanson Pour L'auvergnat
[3:13] 15. Le Temps Ne Fait Rien à L'affaire
[5:43] 16. Grand Père

BRASSENS LE CUBAIN, A Collective Of Musicians From The "TEMPO FORTE" Group, Has One Day Asked This Simple Question: "... And If Georges Brassens Was Born In Cuba ...? Imagine An Instant Instead Of Contemplating The Mediterranean From His Dear City Of Sete, Georges Brassens Has Written His Songs Facing The Ocean, Sitting On The Wall Of "Malecon" In Havana ... Under The Caribbean Sun ... If he had rocked his texts to the sounds of the countless rhythms of Cuban music, what would have become "the buddies first," "the princess and the croque-notes", "the passer-bys" ... certainly some boleros, Cha-Cha-Cha, Mambos ... Through Original Arrangements, Always In Respect Of The Text And Wealth Of Cuban Music, BRASSENS THE CUBAN Proposes An Answer To This Enigmatic Question And Invites You To Discover This Alchemy. (Translated from French.)

Brassens Le Cubain Vol. 1 mc
Brassens Le Cubain Vol. 1 zippy

Oliver Nelson - Taking Care Of Business

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:37
Size: 97.6 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 1960/2013
Art: Front

[9:54] 1. Trane Whistle
[6:57] 2. Doxy
[5:30] 3. In Time
[6:16] 4. Lou's Good Dues
[7:32] 5. All The Way
[6:26] 6. Groove

Bass – George Tucker; Drums – Roy Haynes; Organ – Johnny "Hammond" Smith; Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone – Oliver Nelson; Vibraphone – Lem Winchester.

Oliver Nelson would gain his greatest fame later in his short life as an arranger/ composer, but this superior session puts the emphasis on his distinctive tenor and alto playing. In a slightly unusual group (with vibraphonist Lem Winchester, organist Johnny "Hammond" Smith, bassist George Tucker, and drummer Roy Haynes), Nelson improvises a variety of well-constructed but spontaneous solos; his unaccompanied spots on "All the Way" and his hard-charging playing on the medium-tempo blues "Groove" are two of the many highpoints. Nelson remains a vastly underrated saxophonist and all six performances (four of them his originals) are excellent. ~Scott Yanow

Taking Care Of Business mc
Taking Care Of Business zippy

Josefine Cronholm & Ibis - Hotel Paradise

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:47
Size: 102.5 MB
Styles: Contemporary jazz
Year: 2003/2012
Art: Front

[4:10] 1. I Hold My Breath
[5:51] 2. Do You Remember
[5:34] 3. Shadow
[4:36] 4. Aeroplane
[4:16] 5. True Colors
[5:58] 6. Wings
[4:28] 7. Silent Moon
[3:55] 8. Memory Of A Lover
[5:55] 9. Another Day In Paradise

Some singers become famous overnight with a hit song. Others have to fight a long and hard battle for recognition - that may never come. And then there are singers who, without being pushy, work on music that interests them or which they are invited to join, and they are instantly noticed, they are talked about on the grapevine, one musician tells another, and audiences spread the word about the indisputable talent. Long before their record debuts, such singers as Cæcilie Norby and Randi Laubek were known among musicians, and the same goes for singer Josefine Cronholm.

Josefine was born on 13 May 1971 in Domsten, Sweden, and in 1995 she was admitted to the Rhythmic Music Conservatory in Copenhagen. And soon this versatile super talent was in great demand. She has since been heard with Fredrik Lundin, Frans Bak, Django Bates, the Danish Radio Jazz Orchestra, Marilyn Mazur, New Jungle Orchestra, and numerous others. Josefine Cronholm’s voice has a large range, she has brilliant technique and a wonderful audacity in terms of music. She has a rare gift for capturing an audience the very moment she enters the scene, and with her intense, unaffected stage presence she is the quintessence of a “natural” woman.

But for long Josefine Cronholm was a secret - to her fellow-countrymen in Sweden. Actually she was not hiding, she had just chosen to live in Denmark, where she is probably the most sought-after singer at the moment. Through her remarkable recordings with Frans Bak (“Natsange”), with String Swing (“Red Shoes” - the one with the marvellous cover by Arnoldi), and her first recording with her own band, Ibis (“Wild Garden”), her cd sales have been steadily increasing, and she has had lots of outstanding reviews in Denmark and in such countries as Germany and France, where e.g. the leading French jazz magazine Jazzman gave both “Red Shoes” and “Wild Garden” its highest praise, the term “Choc”.

In Denmark String Swing won a Danish Grammy Award, and Josefine herself has been awarded the prestigious Palæ Bar Prize, and now they have also spotted her in Sweden. And to such a degree that she has been given one of the highest distinctions available to a Swedish jazz artist: She was chosen as “Jazz in Sweden Artist” 2003, which inter alia led to a long tour in Sweden and to this cd recording.

Josefine Cronholm and Ibis say thank you with this beautiful and evocative cd, “Hotel Paradise”. Not a jazz recording as such - rather a record with a lot of jazz feeling in Josefine’s poetic and astonishing musical universe. When asked about her music, Josefine says that she “creates simple music; songs that are not built on a lot of complicated chords, but which grow from a core of equal parts of air and tones”. That’s how Josefine Cronholm and Ibis conjure up seductive moods and lovely melodies on “Hotel Paradise” and create room for reflection and a broad spectrum of feelings, contemplation, warmth and humour. A beautiful record.

Hotel Paradise mc
Hotel Paradise zippy

Red Norvo - Jivin' The Jeep

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:06
Size: 144.5 MB
Styles: Swing, Vibraphone jazz
Year: 1994/2009
Art: Front

[3:02] 1. It All Begins And Ends With You
[3:14] 2. A Porter's Love Song To A Chambermaid
[2:52] 3. I Know That You Know
[3:16] 4. Picture Me Without You
[3:06] 5. It Can Happen To You
[2:53] 6. Now That Summer Has Gone
[2:58] 7. It's Love I'm After
[3:05] 8. Peter Piper
[3:18] 9. When Is A Kiss Not A Kiss
[2:59] 10. A Thousand Dreams Of You
[3:05] 11. Smoke Dreams
[2:44] 12. Slumming On Park Avenue
[2:55] 13. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
[3:15] 14. Remember
[2:44] 15. Liza
[2:56] 16. I Would Do Anything For You
[3:05] 17. Jivin' The Jeep
[2:56] 18. Everyone's Wrong But Me
[2:26] 19. Posin'
[3:15] 20. The Morning After
[2:51] 21. Do You Ever Thing Of Me

All of the music on this Hep LP (except for the final two of the 16 performances) has since been reissued in the Hep CD Dance of the Octopus which also includes the xylophonist's earlier recordings. However, this LP is perfectly done, tracing Norvo's career in complete fashion during a seven-month period in 1936. He leads an octet that also includes trumpeter Stew Pletcher, Herbie Haymer on tenor and the mellophone of Eddie Sauter (who provided all of the arrangements). The final two numbers were Norvo's first recordings at the head of a big band. Not every selection is essential (particularly not the two vocals by the voice of Betty Boop, Mae Questal) but in general, these chamber swing performances are quite unique and memorable. ~Scott Yanow

Jivin' The Jeep mc
Jivin' The Jeep zippy

Conrad Herwig - Unseen Universe

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:17
Size: 159,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:34)  1. The Tesseract
(8:30)  2. From Another Dimension
(8:38)  3. Unseen Universe
(9:17)  4. Triangle
(8:12)  5. All Is One
(5:19)  6. Rebirth
(6:18)  7. Circumstantially Evident
(7:39)  8. The Magic Door
(7:46)  9. Three Degrees Of Freedom

Conrad Herwig's dazzling trombone chops and intelligent compositions make Unseen Universe, his third Criss Cross release, a stirring success. His sextet can maneuver around tight corners and yet attack with the force of a band twice its size. With Alex Sipiagin on trumpet, Seamus Blake on tenor and soprano sax, David Kikoski on piano, James Genus on bass, and Jeff "Tain" Watts on drums, Herwig can be sure of the group's ability to bring lushly orchestrated charts to life and improvise with sterling clarity and brilliance. Conceptually, with the title track and also with pieces called "The Tesseract," "From Another Dimension," "Triangle," and "The Magic Door," Herwig seems preoccupied with geometry and some of its metaphysical implications. Even as he draws heavily on the '60s Blue Note sound as established by figures like Joe Henderson and Herbie Hancock, Herwig stretches the limits of modern mainstream jazz with this all-original set. ~ David R.Adler https://www.allmusic.com/album/unseen-universe-mw0000105512

Conrad Herwig Sextet: Conrad Herwig (trombone); Seamus Blake (tenor saxophone); Alexander Sipiagin (trumpet); David Kikoski (piano); James Genus (bass); Jeff "Tain" Watts (drums).

Unseen Universe

Chris McNulty - Dance Delicioso

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:25
Size: 158,6 MB
Art: Front

(6:57)  1. Primitive
(5:53)  2. Next Day
(4:51)  3. He Moved Through The Fair
(6:06)  4. All Of You
(8:44)  5. Meaning Of the Blues
(5:47)  6. Dance Delicioso
(3:27)  7. Last Farewell
(5:58)  8. Roamin'
(6:47)  9. Star Eyes
(7:35) 10. Only The Silence
(3:15) 11. Last Farewell - Reprise

On her fifth CD release, Dance Delicioso, Australian-born vocalist Chris McNulty sings a couple of classics, Cole Porter's "All of You" and the tried and true "Star Eyes", givng each tune a distinctive turn. The familiar melodies are surrounded here by McNulty's well-crafted original tunes, Annie Lennox's "Primitive," Bobby Troup's "Meaning of the Blues," and the haunting traditional Irish song "He Moved Through the Fair." You often hear the words "sultry" and "sensuous" used to describe the voices of lady singers, but McNulty doesn't strike me that way. Hers is a richly feminine sound, with a dash of sauce on "All of You," a jaunty, melody-stretching romp that has an innovative feel to it. McNulty sounds sad in a recovery mode from love lost, perhaps on Bobby Troup's "Meaning of the Blues," a take on the tune that contains a bunch of exquisite moments, like Sonny Barbato's sweet accordion work, with a gorgeous little solo in front of the whisper of Paul Bollenback's accoustic guitar. On "Star Eyes," McNulty goes with a more horn-like delivery, reminiscent of Ella Fitzgerald as she pushes melody around inside a bouncy arrangement. The set, produced by McNulty and guitarist Paul Bollenback, has a high polish. Those exquisite moments I mentioned in "Meaning of the Blues" applies to every song here, with some surprises. The traditonal Irish tune "He Moved Through the Fair" is done with a dark yet airy style that features Erik Friedlander's deep-toned cello sound. The McNulty-penned title tune tells a handful of life-affirming stories, with some lush background harmonies, and listen to her voice as it rises from womanly to girlish as she when she tells a young girl's tale. A beautiful, original, polished effort. ~ Dan McClenaghan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/dance-delicioso-chris-mcnulty-elefant-dreams-records-review-by-dan-mcclenaghan.php

Personnel: Chris McNulty: voice; Paul Bolenback: guitars; Gary Bartz: alto saxophone; Mulgrew Miller, John DiMartino: piano; Sonny Barbato: accordion; Erik Friedlander: cello; Ugommo Okegwo: bass; Billy hart-drums; Cafe da Silva: percussion; Joel Frahm: saxophones; Dave DiPietro: soprano saxophone; Gary Thomas: tenor saxophone.

Dance Delicioso

Houston Person - Rain or Shine

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:43
Size: 130,2 MB
Art: Front

(6:25)  1. Come Rain or Come Shine
(7:07)  2. 132nd and Madison
(7:02)  3. Everything Must Change
(6:20)  4. Learnin' the Blues
(5:31)  5. I Wonder Where Our Love Has Gone
(7:16)  6. Soupbone
(5:12)  7. Never Let Me Go
(5:45)  8. Our Day Will Come
(6:01)  9. Danny Boy

Tenor saxophonist Houston Person, now in his eightieth decade, has made no concessions to Father Time, choosing instead to use his many years in the jazz trenches to forge a style all his own, bathed in blues and soul but never turning a deaf ear to the allure of a seductive and tasteful melody. Each of these components is clear as the midday sun on Rain or Shine, a well designed studio session on which Person shares the front line with the like-minded cornetist Warren Vache. There can be no doubting a leader's self-confidence when he not only opens his own gig with an even-tempered ballad ("Come Rain or Come Shine") but entrusts the tune's lone solo to his fellow horn man. That is exactly what Person does, unlimbering his keen improvisational chops on the next track, "132nd and Madison," and pretty much taking the reins from there on. That's not meant to imply that Vache doesn't have his moments he fashions engaging solos whenever called upon, as do guitarist Rodney Jones and pianist Lafayette Harris who with bassist Matthew Parrish and drummer Vincent Ector comprise the ensemble's deft and responsive rhythm section.

Besides the songs already mentioned, the bill of fare embodies a mixture of soul, funk, R&B and ballads, with the blues never more than a glance away, before closing with an eloquent reading of the Irish folk classic, "Danny Boy" (by Person and Harris). Jones wrote the funky "Soupbone," which precedes the ballad "Never Let Me Go" and "Our Day Will Come" (set to a bossa beat) and follows "Everything Must Change," "I Wonder Where Our Love Has Gone" and the Frank Sinatra favorite, "Learnin' the Blues" (which swings as hard and as freely as Ol' Blue Eyes' original to amplify snappy solos by Person, Vache, Jones, Harris and Parrish). Rain or Shine was recorded in June 2017, one month before the passing of producer Joe Fields who founded the Muse and Xanadu labels, among others, before co-founding HighNote and Savant Records with his son Barney in 1996. If this was the last recording that Fields produced, he did indeed end his lengthy career on a decisive HighNote. ~ Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/rain-or-shine-houston-person-highnote-records-review-by-jack-bowers.php

Personnel: Houston Person: tenor saxophone; Warren Vache: cornet (1, 2, 4, 6, 8); Lafayette Harris: piano; Rodney Jones: guitar (1-6, 8, 9); Matthew Parrish: bass; Vincent Ector: drums.

Rain or Shine

Dave Liebman & Phil Markowitz - Manhattan Dialogues

Styles: Saxophone And Piano Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:15
Size: 170,3 MB
Art: Front

( 7:02)  1. Teacher of Our Child
( 1:53)  2. 7 Intro
( 6:02)  3. 7
( 7:36)  4. Philippe Under the Green Bridge
( 6:58)  5. Sno' Peas
( 8:50)  6. Jung
( 4:34)  7. Off By One
(10:25)  8. Mahoning
( 8:56)  9. The Night Has 1000 Eyes
( 6:55) 10. 'Round Midnight

Most musicians are fortunate enough to find one musical partner where such shared simpatico exists that they can evolve in perfect tandem exploring a variety of contexts with the kind of comfort level that ensures complete trust and an unfettered imagination that makes no pursuit beyond reach. To find more than one is rare indeed. Saxophonist Dave Liebman and pianist Richie Beirach's 20-year-plus relationship, well-documented on last year's Mosaic Select 12 box of archival live recordings, saw them approach everything from the early fusion-meets-world music of Lookout Farm to the open-ended freedom of Quest and more intimate duets. But when the two parted companies in the early '90s, it became Liebman's good fortune to cement a host of vital new partnerships, including guitarist Vic Juris, percussionist Jamey Haddad, bassist Tony Marino and pianist/keyboardist Phil Markowitz. Liebman's post-Beirach quintet became the core of projects ranging from detailed exploration of the music of John Coltrane inarguably Liebman's biggest influence to its own diverse range of original composition.

Markowitz may have left the quintet in the late '90s, but he continues to be pianist of choice for Liebman, heard most recently on last year's Saxophone Summit featuring Joe Lovano and Michael Brecker, and now on Manhattan Dialogues, a series of duets recorded at the Manhattan School of Music, where both teach on a regular basis. With a personal and deeply-shared musical language, this set of eight originals and two radically-reharmonized standards is arguably the most vivid document of Liebman and Markowitz's remarkable chemistry to date.For the most part pensive and darkly-hued, the common ground that Liebman and Markowitz share may be on the cerebral side, but Liebman's ever-present expressionist tendencies give even the most heady chromaticism of his own "Teacher of Our Child," "Philippe Under the Green Bridge" and "Jung" a visceral edge. And while neither Liebman's or Markowitz's material swings in any kind of traditional way, leaning more towards a kind of abstract rhythmic pulse, there is an inherently insistent groove on Markowitz's more up-tempo "Off By One" and "Sno' Peas" the latter a tune that was first recorded by Bill Evans and harmonica legend Toots Thielemans, although in a far more conventional context than this significantly outré reading.

Throughout, Liebman and Markowitz are so in each others' pockets as to consistently blur the line between form and freedom. In fact, by the time the duo reaches the standards "The Night Has 1000 Eyes" and "'Round Midnight" at the end of the program, the overall complexion has been so well-established as to largely obfuscate the more recognizable characteristics of these well-known tunes. And yet, while many of the set's compositions are born from intellectual premises with challenging foundations, the 70-minute program remains completely compelling. More provocative than evocative, Manhattan Dialogues demonstrates the power and subtlety of improvisation in the hands of two artists who combine common musical goals with an uncommon ability to find the most direct if not necessarily the easiest paths to get to them. ~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/manhattan-dialogues-dave-liebman-zoho-music-review-by-john-kelman.php?width=1536

Personnel: Dave Liebman, soprano and tenor saxophone; Phil Markowitz, piano

Manhattan Dialogues

Joscho Stephan Trio Meets Matthias Strucken - Gypsy Vibes

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:22
Size: 108,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:01)  1. It Don't Mean A Thing
(4:11)  2. Things Are Getting Better
(3:44)  3. Linea Blanca
(5:30)  4. Seul Ce Soir
(4:01)  5. Four Brothers
(3:31)  6. Swingende Liebeserklärung
(5:25)  7. Night And Day
(3:10)  8. Brazen Waltz
(3:39)  9. Bags Groove
(4:26) 10. September Song
(3:21) 11. Three Little Words
(2:18) 12. Django

The Collaboration between Joscho Stephan (guitar) and Matthias Strucken (vibes) is influenced by the Master of "Gypsy Swing", Django Reinhardt, and the legendary Member of the Modern Jazz Quartett, the Vibraphone Icon Milt Jackson. Is it possible to combine their styles? The answer is John Lewis Composition “Django”, a Hommage to Django by the Modern Jazz Quartet in the late 50s. “Gypsy Vibes” contains Reinhardt´s and Jackson´s favourites, but also original material by Joscho and Matthias. http://www.joschoshop.com/Joscho-Stephan-Matthias-Strucken-Gypsy-Vibes-2016/en

Personnel:  Joscho Stephan - solo guitar;  Matthias Strucken - vibes;  Günter Stephan - rhythm guitar;  Volker Kamp - double bass

Gypsy Vibes