Frank Sinatra - Nice 'n' Easy

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:57
Size: 116.7 MB
Styles: Vocal, Standards
Year: 1960/2008
Art: Front

[2:43] 1. Nice 'n' Easy
[3:31] 2. That Old Feeling
[3:13] 3. How Deep Is The Ocean
[2:14] 4. I've Got A Crush On You
[4:25] 5. You Go To My Head
[3:22] 6. Fools Rush In
[3:15] 7. Nevertheless (I'm In Love With You)
[3:56] 8. She's Funny That Way
[3:19] 9. Try A Little Tenderness
[3:21] 10. Embraceable You
[2:45] 11. Mam'selle
[2:54] 12. Dream
[2:40] 13. The Nearness Of You
[2:54] 14. Someone To Watch Over Me
[3:04] 15. Day In-Day Out (Alternate Version)
[3:12] 16. My One And Only Love

Breaking slightly from his pattern of a swing album following the release of ballads set, Frank Sinatra followed No One Cares with Nice 'N' Easy, a breezy collection of mid-tempo numbers arranged by Nelson Riddle. Not only is it the lightest set that he recorded for Capitol, it is the one with the loosest theme. Sinatra selected a collection of songs he had sang early in his career, having Riddle rearrange the tunes with warm, cheery textures. Unlike his previous ballads albums, Nice 'N' Easy doesn't have a touch of brooding sorrow -- it rolls along steadily, charming everyone in its path. ~Stephen Thomas Erlewine

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Tom Scott - The Very Best Of Tom Scott

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:32
Size: 122.5 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[4:26] 1. Upbeat 90's
[4:23] 2. Only A Heartbeat Away
[5:40] 3. Reed My Lips
[5:04] 4. Anytime, Anyplace
[4:55] 5. Mazin'
[5:37] 6. Lost In Love
[5:09] 7. In Your Eyes
[4:33] 8. Chester & Bruce
[4:45] 9. Only You
[5:03] 10. Amaretto
[3:52] 11. Born Again

The Very Best of Tom Scott covers his recording career for the GRP label between 1987 and 1996 only, and is therefore misleading. The 11 cuts selected reveal different aspects of Scott's playing, but all but one, the bebop tune "Born Again," this set's last tune from the album of the same name, feature Scott in the various smooth jazz and jazz-funk settings. Scott's sound has been synonymous with the genre for three decades -- long before the genre had a name, in fact. Scott's session work alone would fill a box set, so it's difficult to narrow the man down to this one 11-track sampler. The collection's best tracks are the aforementioned (because it displays a completely different sound of the saxophonist's expertise), the title cut from 1994's Reed My Lips (with the late Grover Washington, Jr. on soprano), "Only You" (from 1996's Bluestreak, with Robben Ford, Joe Sample, Steve Gadd, and Ralph MacDonald), and the ballad "In Your Eyes" (also from Bluestreak). This is one of those sets for folks for whom smooth jazz is the only kind of jazz and who are looking for an introduction to his work. ~Thom Jurek

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Bettina Corradini - Debandade

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:29
Size: 143.1 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2009
Art: Front

[6:11] 1. Cold Winds
[5:45] 2. Change (Débandade)
[3:29] 3. Talk To Me
[4:54] 4. My Tribe
[7:26] 5. Andros Bar
[8:31] 6. Sin Hombre
[4:49] 7. Dehors Il Pleut
[4:48] 8. Some Say
[5:10] 9. You Are The Sunshine Of My Life
[6:21] 10. No End To Love
[4:59] 11. Soul Voyage

Bettina Corradini (voce); Aisha Ruggieri (piano); Ernie Watts (sax tenore); Paolo Boninsegna (contrabbasso; basso elettrico); Giorgio Zanier (batteria); Renzo De Rossi (sax tenore); Gianluca Carollo (tromba); Vincenzo “Titti” Castrini (fisarmonica).

25 years in Paris and then the decision to return to Italy (the father of Bettina was of Italian descent). So, the time to encourage yourself by the force of jazz, funk, rock and R & B and sooner or later the opportunity had to show up.

With Debandade (in fact sbando in French), debut album, Corradini shows us a strict coherence instead. The ideas are clear. Paolo Boninsegna's bass props ("Change" and "My Tribe" produce an engaging groove), Aisha Ruggieri's pianist and essentials (with echoes of the best Herbie Hancock), the tenor (terrible and magniloquent) saxophone of Ernie Watts ( "Andros Bar"), Vincenzo "Titti" Castrini (from romantic landscapes on the Seine "Dehors il pleut") are the happy and comforting narration of a debut album that has the same warm welcome as a field of sunflowers. ~AAJ Staff (Translated from Italian.)

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Frank Lozano Group - Colour Fields

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:03
Size: 132.9 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[ 5:47] 1. Cast
[11:21] 2. Village
[ 2:01] 3. Rothko (Colour Fields)
[ 7:40] 4. Buciumeana
[ 5:33] 5. New Man
[ 2:22] 6. Kandinsky
[ 7:22] 7. Now Won
[ 5:48] 8. L.R.P
[ 3:46] 9. Fleurette Africaine
[ 6:17] 10. Center Of Gravity

Frank Lozano: tenor and soprano saxophones, bass clarinet; Kim Ratcliffe: guitar, mandolin; Jim Lewis: trumpet, flugelhorn; John Geggie: bass; Jean Martin: drums.

The diversity of the Canadian jazz scene, as with many countries, is rarely fully appreciated. The Montreal scene, in particular, is as far-reaching as it gets—everything from the mainstream to the experimental can be found in the clubs and on labels like Effendi and Justin Time. Ottawa-born, Toronto and Boston- schooled, and Montreal-based saxophonist Frank Lozano has been active in that most cosmopolitan of Quebec cities for some time, and can be heard on a number of Effendi recordings by Thom Gossage's Other Voices, Effendi Jazzlab and label president/bassist Alain Bédard's Auguste Quintet. Colour Fields is Lozano's long overdue debut as a leader and, with a quintet cherry-picked from the Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto scenes, it's been well worth the wait. ~John Kelman

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Joe Henderson - Warm Valley

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:49
Size: 150.7 MB
Styles: Straight ahead jazz
Year: 1998/2008
Art: Front

[ 6:23] 1. Who Knows
[ 8:49] 2. Warm Valley
[ 6:40] 3. Zsa Zsa
[12:02] 4. Santorini
[ 9:35] 5. G Flat Ballad
[ 7:56] 6. Escapade
[ 7:35] 7. Sarabande
[ 6:45] 8. Perdido

Bass, Producer – Tommy Cecil; Cello – Susan Kelly (4) (tracks: 7); Drums – Tony Martucci; Piano, Producer, Design [Booklet], Coordinator – Louis Scherr; Saxophone – Joe Henderson (tracks: 2-6). Recorded April 11 & 12, 1991 in Washington, DC.

Although tenor great Joe Henderson is heard on five of the eight selections, this CD is worth picking up if only for the tightness of the fine trio (a co-op consisting of pianist Louis Scherr, bassist Tommy Cecil and drummer Tony Martucci) and the fine mixture of melodic originals ("G Flat Ballad" is particularly memorable) with three standards; guest cellist Susan Kelly is the lead voice on "Sarabande." Henderson's powerful presence gives listeners an additional reason to search for this straightahead set. ~Scott Yanow

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Ari Ambrose - Whatever Happens

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:37
Size: 164,6 MB
Art: Front

(8:16)  1. No More
(9:41)  2. More Than You Know
(7:59)  3. Whatever Happens
(6:48)  4. I'm Glad There Is You
(6:36)  5. Luna
(6:40)  6. Emily
(7:31)  7. Unknown Side
(8:51)  8. Don't Blame Me
(9:11)  9. Like Someone In Love

The word retro is almost too new-school when dealing with the stylistic expressions of tenor saxophonist Ari Ambrose. His efforts on Whatever Happens reveal a throwback to the sounds of the tenor players of the ’30s and pre-bop era of the ’40s, when Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Ben Webster, Chu Berry and Don Byas ruled the roost, mostly in the big bands of the time. Although largely bypassing references to bop, hard-bop, etc., Ambrose, on his eighth leader date for SteepleChase, has found a way to adapt his playing so it fits neatly with the more modern direction of his rhythm section: pianist George Colligan, bassist Ugonna Okegwo and drummer Billy Drummond. Opening with the Lucky Thompson tune “No More,” the tenorist offers a sensitive reading that holds some of the earmarks of the Thompson sound. The rest of the way through older standards, Johnny Mandel’s “Emily” and three Ambrose originals, the leader plays with a quality that will remind listeners of Bean, Ben and Lester. The smooth, relaxed feel of his tenor work, while perhaps old-school, shows plenty of technical skill and creative flair. He spices up his solos with occasional flurries of notes that aren’t exactly within his stylistic zone but somehow seem to fit nicely. Colligan doesn’t play with his usual adventurous edge but keeps everything together within the rhythm team. With so many of the young tenor voices continuing to follow John Coltrane or Sonny Rollins or turning toward free-form abstraction, it’s refreshing to find Ambrose employing the tradition, taking it back and bringing it forward. If nothing else, he, Mark Turner, Ned Goold, Chris Byars and even Scott Hamilton are offering something different in what often seems to be a world of clones. https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/ari-ambrose-whatever-happens/

Personnel:  Ari Ambrose, tenor sax; George Colligan, piano; Ugonna Okegwo, bass; Billy Drummond, drums.

Whatever Happens

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Sally Oldfield - Natasha

Styles: Vocal 
Year: 1990
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:14
Size: 100,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:51)  1. Break Through The Rock
(4:50)  2. Natasha
(4:35)  3. Keep The Fire Burning
(2:20)  4. Clear Light
(5:44)  5. My Drumbeat Heart
(4:03)  6. Song Of The Mountain
(5:01)  7. You Break Like A Wave
(4:12)  8. Maya
(4:31)  9. In The Presence Of The Spring
(4:03) 10. Guiding Star

Sally Patricia Oldfield (born 10th March 1947) is a singer-songwriter, sister of composers Mike and Terry Oldfield. Born in Dublin, Ireland, Oldfield was raised in the Roman Catholic faith of her mother, Maureen. Spending her childhood in Reading, Berkshire, Oldfield studied ballet from the age of four and won numerous competitions in all styles of dance, including ballet, tap and modern. At the age of eleven, she won a scholarship to the Royal Academy of Dancing, then located in Holland Park, London, and two years later was starred to move on to the Royal Ballet School at White Lodge. However, she gave up ballet two years later, and achieved three A-Levels at Grade A. She studied classical piano to Grade 7. All her school years were spent at St Joseph's Convent School, Reading, where she became friends with Marianne Faithfull. Oldfield went on to read English Literature and Philosophy at Bristol University. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sally_Oldfield

Natasha

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Stephen Riley - Once Upon A Dream

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:57
Size: 158,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:54)  1. Israel
(6:52)  2. I'm an Old Cowhand
(7:45)  3. In My Solitude
(8:13)  4. Swinging Till the Girls Come Home
(5:00)  5. Lover Come Back to Me
(6:07)  6. The Very Thought of You
(8:20)  7. Tea for Two
(6:03)  8. All of You
(7:13)  9. Meditation
(3:56) 10. Once Upon a Dream
(3:31) 11. Tune Up

Stephen Riley's third CD as a leader for Steeplechase, like his earlier sessions for the label, is a pianoless affair, but the tenor saxophonist's sole musical partner is fellow Duke University jazz professor John Brown on bass. Although duos of tenor sax and bass are hardly a novelty, they aren't that common; Riley and Brown make the addition of other musicians unnecessary. The repertoire they chose for the recording included standards and a sprinkling of jazz compositions, almost all of which were written prior to 1960. Johnny Carisi's "Israel" has long been a favorite of jazz musicians and the duo's intricate interpretation proves that the lack of piano is no problem. Like Sonny Rollins, they find possibilities within Johnny Mercer's "I'm an Old Cowhand," though the only percussion is provided by Brown's playful taps on the body of his bass; Riley's humor comes through as he uses the full range of his horn and adds a few flutters without overdoing them. Riley's lush rendition of Duke Ellington's "In My Solitude" has the lyricism of Ben Webster, while Brown's arco bass provides a sublime background. Brown walks up a storm in Oscar Pettiford's "Swinging Till the Girls Come Home." Even old chestnuts like "Tea for Two" keep one's interest, due to the inventive approach of Riley and Brown. "Once Upon a Dream" was adapted from Tchaikovsky's ballet The Sleeping Beauty, and the duo's setting of this charming jazz waltz is full of lyricism. Both Stephen Riley and John Brown merit wider attention in the jazz press with this outstanding CD. ~ Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/once-upon-a-dream-mw0000585362

Personnel: Stephen Riley (tenor saxophone).

Once Upon A Dream

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Andrei Kondakov & Paul Bollenback - Alone and Together

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:43
Size: 128,5 MB
Art: Front

(7:00)  1. Song for Michel (Kondakov)
(3:57)  2. Together (Bollenback)
(7:02)  3. And I Love Her (Lennon - McCartney)
(4:55)  4. Alone Together (Dietz - Schwartz)
(5:16)  5. Skylark (Carmichael - Mercer)
(6:08)  6. If I Should Lose You
(8:17)  7. Cat's Eye (Bollenback)
(4:33)  8. Alone (Kondakov)
(8:30)  9. I Thought About You (Mercer - Van Hensen)

Award-winning jazz guitarist Paul Bollenback developed a taste for the exotic over the course of a three-year period when his family lived in India. He was 11 years old when the family traveled to New Delhi, and years later the sounds and experiences of that early journey found their way into his first album from Challenge Records, Original Visions. His next release, Double Gemini, continued to stir up a buzz among critics, and it drew honors as CD of the Month from both WBGO, a Newark jazz station, and 20th Century Jazz Magazine. Bollenback remained with Challenge for his next project, Soul Grooves.The guitarist first got his hands on an instrument with nylon strings when he was seven years old. The guitar was a gift from his dad, who adored music as much as the younger Bollenback and also played the trumpet. At the age of 14, the budding guitarist headed home to the states with his family, where he discovered the delights of rock & roll. Around this time he started to play the electric guitar, another gift from his dad. When he discovered Miles Davis, it was a major turning point in his musical development.

Bollenback's education includes music studies at the University of Miami. He continued his studies with eight more years of private instruction under the tutelage of Asher Zlotnik in Baltimore. In 1993, the year that he embarked on a European tour, he received a National Endowment for the Arts grant, in conjunction with the Virginia Commission on the Arts, for "New Music for Three Jazz Guitars." The Washington Area Music Awards dubbed him Musician of the Year in 1997, the same year that he joined the music faculty at American University. SESAC honored two of his original pieces, "Romancin' the Moon" and "Wookies' Revenge," both of which were included on the album Reboppin' by Joey DeFrancesco, who returned the favor by appearing on Bollenback's Soul Grooves. he Litchfield Jazz Festival Summer Music School installed Bollenback as artist-in-residence. He also is a featured artist on the bill of the Summer Guitar & Bass Workshop offered by Duquesne University. The guitarist has performed on numerous television programs, among them Entertainment Tonight, The Tonight Show, The Today Show, Joan Rivers, and Good Morning America. He has shared the stage with a long list of musical artists, including Charlie Byrd, Arturo Sandoval, Herb Ellis, Stanley Turrentine, Spyro Gyra's Scott Ambush, and Della Reese. ~ Linda Seida https://www.allmusic.com/artist/paul-bollenback-mn0000746344/biography  

Alone and Together

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Thomas Quasthoff - A Portrait

Styles: Vocal

Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:20
Size: 192,2 MB
Art: Front

( 4:04)  1. Erlkönig (Schubert)
( 4:47)  2. Der Zwerg, op. 22,1 (Schubert)
( 5:33)  3. Prometheus (Schubert)
( 5:03)  4. Der Lindenbaum (Schubert)
( 3:40)  5. Mondnacht (Schumann)
( 1:25)  6. Im wunderschönen Monat Mai (Schumann)
( 4:05)  7. Belsazar, op. 57 (Schumann)
( 4:30)  8. Eilt, ihr angefochtnen Seelen (J. S. Bach)
( 4:10)  9. Mein teurer Heiland, laß dich fragen (J. S. Bach)
( 5:11) 10. Hai gia vinta la causa - Vedro mentre io sospiro (Mozart)
( 5:46) 11. Madamina, il catalogo e questo (Mozart)
( 2:00) 12. Deh! vieni alla finestra, o mio tesoro (Mozart)
( 2:52) 13. Der Vogelfänger bin ich ja (Mozart)
( 4:13) 14. Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen (Mozart)
( 2:42) 15. pa-pa-pa-pa (Mozart)
( 4:41) 16. In diesen heil'gen Hallen (Mozart)
(12:31) 17. Des besten Königs Wink und Wille (Beethoven)

Quasthoff’s reputation has increased with each new disc‚ so it is a good idea of RCA’s to issue this composite picture of his achievements to date. We are here reminded that the eminent bass­baritone has just about every virtue called for in practically all the repertory included here. His voice is faultless in tonal production and technical assurance: he always sings with thought for the text; word and note become as one. These assets are controlled by a sharp‚ intelligent mind and an emotional impulse that makes every reading a sustenance for ear and mind. The Schubert group four dramatic songs‚ one reflective are delivered with a marked emphasis on firm tone‚ a refined legato and acute use of text. His Schumann is hardly less successful The two airs from Bach’s St John Passion have the breadth of line and sonorous voice that make them near­ideal. In Mozart‚ his imposing account of Count Almaviva’s outburst contrasts nicely with his suave Giovanni‚ but his Leporello is rather too well­behaved. The traversal of Sarastro’s second aria is the very epitome of wise authority and most beautiful to hear. He plays Papageno pretty straight‚ and then in the only new item here he’s joined by Caballé‚ of all singers‚ for the duet with Papagena‚ a real collector’s piece‚ the then 65­year­old diva just about keeping up with her partner. Finally comes the closing scene of Fidelio with Quasthoff‚ as I wrote when the set came out‚ as noble and warm a Don Fernando as one could wish. Sir Colin Davis is at his best in this extract from what overall is an uneven set. Elsewhere in the present compilation the piano playing and conducting are all worthy of this artist’s profoundly satisfying work.

A Portrait

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