Gerry Mulligan - Lonesome Boulevard

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:52
Size: 111.9 MB
Styles: Bop, West Coast jazz
Year: 1990/2009
Art: Front

[3:33] 1. Rico Apollo
[5:16] 2. I Heard The Shadows Dancing
[4:16] 3. Lonesome Boulevard
[8:02] 4. Curtains
[4:26] 5. Ring Around A Bright Star
[4:46] 6. Splendor In The Grass
[4:58] 7. Good Neighbor Thelonius
[5:31] 8. Wallflower
[5:28] 9. The Flying Scotsman
[2:30] 10. Etude For Franca

Gerry Mulligan's quartet recorded this studio date about seven years before his death, and it's a beautiful statement of where the refined, seasoned veteran of cool jazz was at in the later years of his life. A young Bill Charlap on the piano (rare unto itself in that Mulligan often excluded a keyboardist) was essentially introduced to the jazz world with this album, and proved to be a perfect foil for the baritone saxophonist's leaner notions. Charlap is also quite substantive, never grabbing the spotlight for himself, but tastefully adding chord progressions and comping to Mulligan's world-class musings. Only David Amram's patient California-styled "Splendor in the Grass" is not penned by Mulligan, with the rest of the set spilt between Brazilian songs, a little bop, and mostly the laid-back easygoing jazz that the leader specialized in. Always the epitome of cool even in his advanced years, Mulligan chills on the serene "Curtains" with some classical overtones, is even more Baroque in style during "Etude for Franca," and merges into a Billy Strayhorn/Duke Ellington indigo mood for the ballad "Wallflower." Heated up in hot samba territory, the quartet steams through a deep-throated "Rico Apollo," and works more in the upper register of the baritone range for "Ring Around a Bright Star." The sleek and clean easy swinger "I Heard the Shadows Dancing" is played close to the vest and the heart in a singsong style, while an only slightly angular stance is taken on "Good Neighbor Thelonious." Mulligan has not forgotten his bop roots, as literally proven on "The Flying Scotsman," using ascending and descending scales before cutting loose on an urgent but basic line. This solid, unspectacular, thoroughly professional mainstream jazz recording is finally available on CD with no extra tracks, but full of the good feelings Gerry Mulligan always had for finely crafted jazz. ~Michael G. Nastos

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Annette Sanders, Bob Florence - You Will Be My Music

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:45
Size: 125.3 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2007
Art: Front

[4:33] 1. You Will Be My Music
[5:15] 2. You Fascinate Me So
[5:02] 3. Never Let Me Go
[4:00] 4. Nobody Else But Me
[8:39] 5. Come Fly With Me The Island
[4:44] 6. You Must Believe In Spring
[3:23] 7. Kissing Bug
[5:47] 8. How Deep Is The Ocean
[5:22] 9. You Are There
[7:55] 10. Goodbye Medley

One day, pianist-arranger Bob Florence heard Annette Sanders' voice on the radio and decided that he wanted to work with her. He tracked her down on the internet and this CD is the result. The collaboration between the Los Angeles pianist and the New York studio singer was recorded with only a small amount of preparation which mostly consisted of picking out songs and keys. Nearly all of the performances are first takes. Emphasizing ballads with just an occasional medium-tempo piece (such as "Kissing Bug"), the performances have Sanders singing the melodies and lyrics very straight although with plenty of feeling, inspired by Florence's accompaniment and concise piano solos. The heartfelt interpretations fall between jazz and cabaret and set a thoughtful and often-melancholy mood. While few chances are taken, this intimate recital succeeds on its own terms. ~Scott Yanow

You Will Be My Music

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Steve Brown, Ulf Bandgren - In To Norway

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:33
Size: 136.3 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[4:04] 1. You Stepped Out Of A Dream
[5:37] 2. Voce Vai Ver (You Will See)
[4:50] 3. Con Alma
[4:11] 4. In To Norway
[4:58] 5. Angel Eyes
[5:29] 6. Have You Met Miss Jones
[5:39] 7. So Danco Samba
[6:02] 8. Five Roses
[4:21] 9. Just Friends
[5:07] 10. Black Eyes
[4:14] 11. Nascimento
[4:54] 12. Spring Ahead

This CD is the third in a series of Jazz Guitar Duo recordings that I have made on the Brown Cats Productions label. The first was with Portland, Oregon based John Stowell and is called “Cross Roads” (BC9503). The second was with my Argentinian friend now living in Madrid, Spain, Gullermo Bazzola and is called “Una Pequena Alegria” (BC 9508). Even though the format for all three CDs involves just two guitars, they are never the less quite different, due in many ways to the individuality of each player and the repertoire chosen to record. All the CDs were recorded “live” in the studio and did not include overdubs. We recorded as though we were playing a concert.

I first met Ulf Bandgren in Ithaca, New York, when he accompanied Hilde Brekke on one of her many visits from The University of Gothenburg to do advanced study in nutrition at Cornell University. During that visit and subsequent others, Ulf and I performed together as a duo and with various other sized groups. He invited me to Gothenburg where he teaches jazz guitar, to play concerts, even organizing a big band concert of my music with the students from the University. We also did a little tour of six concerts and traveled “into Norway” for a short visit.

The photo on the cover by Barbara Katz-Brown, was taken at Frognerparken, Oslo, Norway, and the sculptures were all part of the Vigeland installation. Gustav Vigeland lived between 1869 and 1943 and all of the pieces in the park were installed there between 1920 and 1943. It’s a must see when visiting Oslo! ~S. Brown

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The Guess Who - Greatest Hits

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:17
Size: 156.3 MB
Styles: Album rock, Contemporary rock
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[3:44] 1. These Eyes
[2:41] 2. Laughing
[3:26] 3. Undun
[3:46] 4. No Time
[5:06] 5. American Woman
[4:52] 6. No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature
[3:27] 7. Hand Me Down World
[3:52] 8. Share The Land
[4:10] 9. Hang On To Your Life
[2:27] 10. Albert Flasher
[2:43] 11. Rain Dance
[4:04] 12. Sour Suite
[4:52] 13. Heartbroken Bopper
[4:59] 14. Guns Guns Guns
[3:39] 15. Follow Your Daughter Home
[2:39] 16. Star Baby
[4:15] 17. Clap For The Wolfman
[3:25] 18. Dancin' Fool

There have been plenty of Guess Who collections on the market, from the original Best of the Guess Who to the multi-disc Track Record. Of all of these, the best is the 1999 collection Greatest Hits, which contains a generous 18 songs, including all but two of their charting American singles -- not counting 1965's "Shakin' All Over," the missing songs are "Broken" (the B-side to "Albert Flasher") and "Runnin' Back to Saskatoon" (which barely scraped the charts). Although the Guess Who's albums are distinctive (more so than their reputation would lead you to believe), there's little question that they're best heard as a singles band, and this is the best place to hear them that way. After a spin of Greatest Hits, it's clear that the Guess Who made some of the best mainstream rock of their era -- and while they never received much critical respect (apart from iconoclast Lester Bangs, of course), their music holds up better than much of their peers', which means that the Guess Who deserves to have the last laugh. ~Stephen Thomas Erlewine

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Greatest Hits zippy

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Cate Cody - Swing Brother Swing

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:29
Size: 129.3 MB
Styles: Swing, Jazz vocals
Year: 2011
Art: Front

[4:05] 1. You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To
[4:29] 2. No Moon At All
[3:40] 3. Miss Brown To You
[3:34] 4. Blues My Naughtie Sweetie Gives To Me
[3:48] 5. Stars Fell On Alabama
[3:04] 6. Blue Drag
[5:03] 7. What Is This Thing Called Love
[3:44] 8. Dream A Little Dream Of Me
[3:48] 9. Diga Diga Doo
[4:03] 10. Teach Me Tonight
[4:57] 11. Honeysuckle Rose
[3:19] 12. Your Mother's Son-In-Law
[5:22] 13. Blue Moon
[3:27] 14. Swing Brother Swing

"Cate Cody has a unique way with a song. She sings the melody and lyrics with a beguiling simplicity that makes it sound like they are a secret she wants only you to know and she draws the listener in without resorting to tricks and affectations.." ~Dave Newton

During the Golden Age of Jazz many of the most famous and memorable songs of the 20th Century were written. Composers such as Rodgers and Hart, Cole Porter, the Gershwins and Harold Arlen wrote the songs and many prominent versions were performed and recorded by singers as diverse as Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Peggy Lee, Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, Fats Waller and Nat 'King' Cole. Sophisticated 1930s style vocal jazz for any occasion, large or small featuring Cate Cody - one the UK's finest jazz singers. Cate performs in a variety of line-ups especially to suit your event - Jazz Band, Trio, Quartet or Quintet. Cate's swinging band features some of the UK's top players who have worked with most of the UK's finest singers and musicians including Acker Bilk, Stacey Kent, Bryan Ferry and George Melly. The core Trio is made up of Vocals, Piano and Double Bass - to which either drums or saxophone can be added to create the ideal Jazz Band.

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Monty Alexander, Ernest Ranglin - Untitled

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:12
Size: 112.7 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 1981/2014
Art: Front

[5:48] 1. Just Friends
[5:52] 2. If I Should Lose You
[4:50] 3. Taboo
[3:44] 4. Cruxian Dance
[4:41] 5. Con Alma
[3:48] 6. Fools Rush In
[5:42] 7. Consider
[5:19] 8. Mountain Melody
[4:31] 9. Lullaby Of The Leaves
[4:53] 10. Fly Me To The Moon

Guitar – Ernest Ranglin; Piano – Monty Alexander. Recorded Dec. 17-18, 1980.

A pioneering force behind the rise of Caribbean music, guitar virtuoso Ernest Ranglin was born in Manchester, Jamaica, in 1932. He began playing ukulele as a boy, soon graduating to guitar; while in his teens he began performing live both locally and in the Bahamas, often in tandem with the young Monty Alexander. Ranglin's session work at the famed Studio One helped give birth to the ska phenomenon, which during the late '50s began taking Jamaica by storm. He finally began attracting international notice in 1964 when he traveled to London to perform at Ronnie Scott's jazz club, so impressing its owner that he remained on as the venue's resident guitarist for the next nine months. There he made a number of solo records for the fledgling Island label, and also collaborated with Prince Buster; additionally, Ranglin teamed with Jamaican singer Millie Small to cut the international smash "My Boy Lollipop." He soon returned to session work, arranging classics including the Melodians' majestic "Rivers of Babylon"; with his guitar leads on the Wailers' "It Hurts to Be Alone," he also laid the foundation for the rise of rockers reggae. Though remaining perhaps best known for his jazz prowess, in the '70s Ranglin toured with Jimmy Cliff; in 1973 he was awarded the Order of Distinction from the Jamaican Government for his contributions to music, and continued touring and recording regularly throughout the decades to follow, most notably signing to Chris Blackwell's newly formed Palm Pictures label to issue 1998's In Search of the Lost Riddim. E.B. @ Noon and Modern Answers to Old Problems arrived two years later, Grooving appeared in early 2001, and Alextown and Surfin' followed a year later by Earth Tones and Innovation. Both were collaborations with Jamaican guitarist Earl "Chinna" Smith and American jazz guitarist Charlie Hunter. Ranglin toured sporadically but shied away from recording. The second decade of the 21st century, saw an extensive series of reissues from his early back catalog reissued by several labels including Japan's Dub Store Records. In 2016, at age 84, he embarked on the Ranglin & Friends Farewell Tour accompanied by Courtney Pine, Tony Allen, Cheikh Lo, Ira Coleman, and others. ~ Jason Ankeny

Untitled mc
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Brian Lynch Latin Jazz Sextet - ConClave

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:19
Size: 161,4 MB
Art: Front

( 6:58)  1. Tom Harrell
( 6:28)  2. La Sitiera
( 9:47)  3. J.B's Dilemma
( 8:07)  4. Across The Bridge
( 8:36)  5. Liberated Brother
(13:00)  6. La Mulata Rumbera
( 7:23)  7. Awe Shocks
( 9:56)  8. Invitation

The spirit of the clave flows freely through the blood of Brian Lynch. For many years the veteran trumpeter has formed an extensive body of work flourishing in both straight-ahead and Latin jazz styles via associations with Phil Woods, Horace Silver, the Buena Vista Social Club, Eddie Palmieri, and many others. He also has worked with younger artists like drummer Dafnis Prieto, pianist Luis Perdomo, and saxophonist Miguel Zenon, who are also writing new chapters in pan Afro-Latin music.ConClave is Lynch's latest document of music, continuing in the vein of 2004's Que Viva Coltrane, a collaborative effort with trombonist Conrad Herwig. With the inventive horn arrangments and the rhythmic pulse of drums and percussion, this mix of new music is vibrant, danceable, and satisfying, due in much part to Lynch's leadership and a very hot band.The music is set ablaze from the start on "Tom Harrell with a bright sax/trumpet combo girded against a bopping tempo. But even when the tempo slows on the lovely "La Sietiera, the heat is still felt. This passion is maintained collectively and individually by the contributions of each musician. On "La Mulata Rumbera, which clocks in at thirteen minutes, all instruments move as one yet each expresses its own voice with detailed solos winding through labyrinth patterns. Lynch is to be commended for producing a recording which exemplifies good jazz, whether it's Latin or any other style. ~ Mark F.Turner https://www.allaboutjazz.com/conclave-brian-lynch-criss-cross-review-by-mark-f-turner.php

Personnel: Brian Lynch: trumpet; Ralph Bowen: tenor saxophone; Luis Perdomo: piano; Boris Kozlov: bass; Ruben Rodriguez: bass; Ernesto Simpson: drums; Roberto Quintero: percussion.

ConClave

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Margeaux Lampley - Rain

Styles: Vocal 
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:25
Size: 111,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:40)  1. Wastin' my time
(3:22)  2. Is it a crime?
(5:10)  3. La chanson des vieux amants
(4:41)  4. Blues
(3:09)  5. Don't let me down
(4:34)  6. Be like the wind
(3:41)  7. Devil may care
(3:45)  8. Shades of blue
(4:21)  9. Waiting in silence
(3:43) 10. My romance
(3:49) 11. Where we belong
(4:24) 12. Rainy day

Born in New York, Margeaux Lampley grew up in California, raised on gospel, jazz and soul music. After receiving a law degree from Columbia University in New York, she left the US and an international career in law to live the artist’s life in Paris, studying music with an emphasis on jazz at the CIM music school and the Studio des Variétés. Very quickly, she was invited to collaborate as a singer- songwriter for various French groups including the Marathonians (“Come on girl, come on boy”, signed by Warner and used for a worldwide Peugeot publicity campaign), Marc Collin (Nouvelle Vague, Les Pétroleuses producer) and Funkaroma before forming the the group Sodex and releasing two popular club singles. Her song “Move Me”, was featured on compilations in France and throughout various parts of the world, as well as on the soundtrack of the film “De battre mon coeur s’est arrêté”. Margeaux Lampley gravitated towards Jazz naturally. With her warm, intimate style, Margeaux is a regular on the Paris jazz scene, Sunset-Sunside Jazz Club, Petit Journal Montparnasse, and European festivals such as Enghien-les-bains Jazz Festival and is making a name for herself throughout France and Europe. She is accompanied by talented musicians such as pianists Olivier Hutman and Manuel Rocheman, double bass players Blaise Chevallier and Michel Rosciglione, drummers Thierry Chauvet and Olivier Robin, saxophonist David Sauzay and guitarist Olivier Louvel. In 2008, she proposed a first jazz album Love for Sale, which revisits the great jazz standards. For her new album Rain, Margeaux delivers 9 original compositions and 3 covers, oscillating between jazz, pop, soul and latin music. Pianist Olivier Hutman takes charge of the musical direction, the arrangements and the production of the album. With this second opus, Margeaux Lampley invites us on a cultural voyage. https://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/margeauxlampley

Rain

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Azar Lawrence - Shadow Dancing

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1985
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:04
Size: 88,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:58)  1. Magic in the night
(5:47)  2. Shadow dancing
(2:54)  3. Inside stuff
(7:58)  4. One more time
(3:49)  5. Your love is keeping me alive
(5:17)  6. Keep it hot
(5:19)  7. Singapore nights
(3:02)  8. Interlude

Azar Lawrence led a very musical childhood and began playing drums at the age of five and moved onto violin and piano under the direction of his mother Ima Lawrence. Ima, a gifted musician and teacher from whom Azar received his acute flair for all things music has shaped many successful musicians. Azar began playing with the USC JR Orchestra at the age of five. He played violin until the age of 8. He performed vocals accompanied by his mother during elementary school where she taught sixth grade and music.  At age eleven he began hearing a different musical voice.He was an accomplished pianist, violinist and vocalist in his own right at the time. He thought it was time to learn viola. But something happened. Lonnie a long time friend of Mr. Lawrence, and of the family, who often brought his flute when he visited, came by for a swim, and brought his alto sax. Azar was not poolside but he had to see who was playing that cool sound. His father his biggest supporter and fan who had bought all of Azar’s instruments purchased him an alto sax, and Azar began taking instruction from Mr. Schumaker once a week. In high school Azar played with the Dorsey High Jazz Band, and played a jazz workshop with Herbert Baker, “one of the greatest pianist that ever lived and I feel blessed to have been in his presence.”Azar played everyday with Herbert Baker until a tragic car accident took his teacher and mentor’s life, Azar’s senior year in high school. “That event made me reach deeper and I knew I had to carry on what I had learned.”

Drummer, Reggie Golson, introduced Azar to “the music”, and that’s when he began to get into the creation. Nightly he went to Reggie’s house. Reggie had a room full of records, and he would play them all, over time. Coltrane, Miles, Monk, Shorter. “Reggie prepared me. “After high school at the age of 19, Azar played with Candy Finch, Larry Gales, and Woody Shaw at a regular gig at a club on 54th St. in Los Angeles.Soon he would perform with Ike & Tina Turner, Watts 103rd St. band, and War. He then joined Elvin Jones for two years and after leaving Elvin, he joined McCoy Tyner’s group for five years and then back to Elvin for a year, and in the meantime recorded with Roberta Flack.“Miles Davis used to come and hear me when I played with McCoy Tyner in New York, as well as when I was with Elvin.” Miles approached Azar about joining his group, and he wasn’t ready to commit cause he wasn’t “feeling it.” Azar’s first performance with Miles was in DC and then they performed in New York at Carnegie Hall where Dark Magus was recorded. Azar Lawrence’s history has been impressive since the age of five, throughout his musical sojourn he’s played sax alongside names like Woody Shaw, Horace Tapscott, Ron Carter, McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, Henry Butler and Buddy Collette. Azar has been a force since he graduated from high school, releasing three albums of his own before the age of twenty-five, Bridge Into the New Age, People Moving People, and Summer Solstice. During the eighties he wrote and performed for Earth Wind & Fire, on one of their highly acclaimed releases Powerlight. He collaborated with Earth Wind & Fire’s leader Maurice White.

Azar is known to bring jazz to popular music he can be heard on the late Frank Zappa’s music to Busta Rhymes.There has been much speculation that Azar disappeared off the jazz scene, quite the contrary, although he wasn’t in the limelight, his credits are numerous one being the highly acclaimed, Grammy award winning album, Marvin Gaye’s, Hear My Dear. “After my biggest supporter passed, it was as if I passed with him.” Azar’s biggest fan and supporter was Azel Lawrence, his father. He would travel to gigs, he went to see Azar in Detroit when he was playing with McCoy and also to the Houston Astrodome. He needed to feel it like the first time when Lonnie played poolside at the house where he grew up. In the eighties and nineties, Azar began searching for a sound of his own, and began to write songs even more seriously than when preparing for his first three projects while recording for Fantasy records. He began working with Chuck Jackson who is known in part for his role as producer for all of Natalie Coles hit recordings. They co wrote twenty songs all of which were placed on projects such as Stanley Turentine’s, Coming Home. He formed a band, called Chameleon which recorded for Electra Records. Patrice Banks, Chocolate, of Grande Central Station was a member of that team.

Currently, Azar is in residence at The World Stage, also known as the house of Billy Higgins who he recorded and performed many times with the great until his death. He is a member of The World Stage Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, which was under the direction of the great Horace Tapscott until his death in the late nineties. Being successful at such a young age has can have draw backs. His musical career was meteoric to say the least. Azar had performed on six continents before the age of 21. “You could say my life was fast and furious I had forgotten what I was taught, by my great teachers, my mother being the first, and she’s still teaching me in her 90’s.” “Music is your voice, keep it pure and share your gift not for the fame or fortune, but for the creator, as it was given to you by him at no cost. 

If you should make a living from your gift then that’s just gravy.” “If hadn’t run out of it, (manna) I would have died.” Playing for his mind, body and soul, and for self. https://musicians.allaboutjazz.com/azarlawrence 

Shadow Dancing

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Al Casey - A Man For All Sessions

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:43
Size: 176,6 MB
Art: Front

(1:25)  1. Ramrod
(2:42)  2. Caravan
(1:54)  3. If I Told You (Wouldn't Know It All By...)
(2:29)  4. Juice
(1:54)  5. Guitar Man
(1:54)  6. Willa Mae
(2:00)  7. Tuff
(2:16)  8. No Title (#1)
(3:32)  9. Blues (#1)
(2:02) 10. Give'n Up
(2:24) 11. (Got The) Teen-Age Blues
(2:27) 12. Forty Miles Of Bad Road
(1:39) 13. The Stinger
(3:28) 14. Tenderly
(3:46) 15. Laura
(3:26) 16. Green Dolphin Street
(2:14) 17. Cookin'
(2:24) 18. Jivin' Around
(2:09) 19. Doin' It
(2:07) 20. Surfin' Hootenanny (Stereo)
(2:02) 21. Guitars, Guitars, Guitars (Stereo)
(2:22) 22. Nola
(2:41) 23. Waltz Mignon
(2:15) 24. Cat Daddy
(2:43) 25. The Fool
(2:15) 26. It's Nothing To Me
(1:37) 27. Doggonit
(2:15) 28. Snake Eyed Mama
(2:24) 29. Endless Sleep
(2:02) 30. Long Johns Flgpole Rock
(1:57) 31. The Big Tragedy
(2:43) 32. Swinging Sheperd Blues

After a career that spans almost fifty years, Bear Family compiles Al Casey's best known tracks under his own name, as well as the cream of his studio work in this jam-packed 32 track compilation. It features his famous guitar riffs on classic rock 'n roll staples like The Fool, Endless Sleep, plus his beach favorite, Surfin' Hootenanny. 

In addition, you'll hear Al's original versions of Ramrod & his unreleased demo of Forty Miles Of Bad Road, made famous by Duane Eddy. Package also contains a 28-page booklet. 

~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Man-All-Sessions-Al-Casey/dp/B00005BGY8  

Personnel: Corky Casey (vocals, guitar, bass guitar); Don Cole, Jody Reynolds, Sanford Clark (vocals, guitar); Jimmy Spellman, Lee Hazlewood, Loy Clingman (vocals); Richard Edward Wilson (guitar, piano); Connie Conway (guitar, drums); Donnie Owens, Duane Eddy, Eddie Cochran (guitar); Jim Horn (flute); Ronnie Luplow (saxophone, baritone saxophone); Brad Bauder (saxophone); Larry Knechtel (piano); Buddy Wheeler (bass guitar); Todd Chuba, Ray Martinez , James M Man for All Sessions songs. "Jimmy" Troxel, Dolph Dial Payer, Jimmy Troxell (drums).

A Man For All Sessions

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Down To The Bone - Future Boogie

Styles: Big Band
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:58
Size: 155,9 MB
Art: Front

(7:42)  1. Future Boogie
(7:52)  2. Should've Been You
(6:57)  3. Spiderlegs
(7:36)  4. Good To Me
(6:30)  5. Get On It
(5:52)  6. The Brighter Side
(5:40)  7. Gotcha!
(5:46)  8. In The Pocket
(5:01)  9. Smash And Grab
(7:58) 10. We've Always Got The Music

The problem with Down to the Bone's Future Boogie is this: what the band is doing in the present, they've done better in the past. Two years ago, Down to the Bone (DTTB) celebrated their first decade of bringing the funk with a terrific studio album, Supercharged (Narada/2007), and a well-assembled compilation, The Best of Down to the Bone (Narada/2007). The two releases provided an excellent introduction to where this British band had been and a road map to where they might be going. Future Boogie is the sound of this funk/jazz ensemble idling in place. There's a non descript feel to the album's cover art and song titles, but lackluster packaging isn't the real dilemma. What is, is how the album comes off as the less interesting little cousin to Supercharged. Two of the guest artists from that album vocalist Hilary Mwelwa of Hil Street Sou l, and vibraphonist Roy Ayers return, but the material provided by Stuart Wade and Ian Cambell isn't as strong this time around. DTTB was previously a band with a strong rhythm section augmented by a horn section, which gave it the latitude to perform songs where the horns were prominent, alternating with others featuring no horns at all. This time every track is dominated by blaring brass, and the horn arrangements by Wade and Tim Smart shift the emphasis away from the rhythm section. This imbalance of power within the band leaves DTTB sounding, for stretches, like Tower of Power having an off night.

There's no such thing as a DTTB album without something worthwhile to recommend, and when they're given space to shine, bassist Julian Crampton, guitarist Tony Remy and drummer Phil Nelson rise to the occasion, particularly on the title track, "Should've Been You," featuring Mwelwa's sassy singing, and "The Brighter Side," where keyboardist Neil Angilley's piano solo briefly breaks through before the horn section loudly barges in bleating, squealing and honking. It isn't until the final track, "We've Always Got the Music," that the horns back off somewhat and give Angilley, Remy, Crampton and Nelson some room to groove. By then it's too late; nothing more than an enticing teaser of what DTTB can do when both sides of the band play well together. It's hard to put a finger on why Future Boogie doesn't impress in the way Supercharged did. It could be there's too much similarity in many of the tracks. Perhaps it's the lack of particularly compelling material. Whatever the case, what's new here isn't all that interesting and what's interesting isn't all that new. Whatever category you want to put DTTB in soul and funk, R&B, acid jazz, or something entirely separate it does what it does very well. Unfortunately, this pleasant, but routing effort isn't the bold step forward the band might have planned. ~ Jeff Winbush https://www.allaboutjazz.com/future-boogie-down-to-the-bone-shanachie-records-review-by-jeff-winbush.php

Personnel: Neil Angilley: piano, Rhodes, Hammond organ, clavinet, keyboards; Tony Remy: guitar; Julian Crampton: bass; Phil Nelson: drums; Richard Sadler: percussion; James Knight: alto saxophone; Tim Smart: trombone; Pablo Mendelssohn: trumpet (1, 3-6, 8-10); Andy Gray: trumpet (2, 7), additional trumpet (8); Hilary Mwelwa (Hil St. Soul): vocals (2, 6); Roy Ayers: vibes, vocals (4); Neil Burditt: synth (8).

Future Boogie

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