Jack Sheldon - Jack Sheldon & His All Stars

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:03
Size: 80.3 MB
Styles: West Coast jazz
Year: 1976/2001
Art: Front

[3:04] 1. Green Dolphin Street
[4:42] 2. I'm Also A Person
[3:30] 3. I Had The Craziest Dream
[3:43] 4. Arrivederci
[2:56] 5. Brown Cow
[3:21] 6. Anyhow
[3:24] 7. Julie Is Her Name
[3:44] 8. Aplomb
[2:56] 9. Sunset Eyes
[3:38] 10. J.S

Alto Saxophone – Art Pepper, Herb Geller, Lennie Niehaus; Piano – Paul Moer; Baritone Saxophone – Billy Root; Bass – Buddy Clark; Drums – Mel Lewis; French Horn – Vince De Rosa; Piano – Pete Jolly; Tenor Saxophone – Harold Land; Trumpet – Chet Baker, Conte Candoli, Jack Sheldon; Tuba – Red Callender; Valve Trombone – Stu Williamson.

Although the liner notes to this album state that these two sessions were Jack Sheldon's first as a leader, he actually led two full sets for Jazz West during 1954 and 1956, plus three titles for Pacific Jazz in '55. However, this was the initial album to gain wide recognition and helped to introduce the L.A.-based trumpeter's talents to the East Coast. Five selections feature Sheldon with a ten-piece band arranged by Lennie Niehaus and some have spots for valve trombonist Stu Williamson, pianist Pete Jolly and baritonist Billy Root. The later session features the writing of Paul Moer and such fine soloists as trumpeter Chet Baker (in a rare sideman outing for another trumpeter), altoists Art Pepper and Herb Geller, tenorman Harold Land and valve trombonist Williamson. High-quality and consistently swinging West Coast jazz. ~Scott Yanow

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Dick Cary's Tuesday Night Friends - Catching Up

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:26
Size: 158.9 MB
Styles: Swing, Bop, Big band
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[5:06] 1. Catching Up
[3:48] 2. Oofy
[3:35] 3. September Etude
[3:55] 4. The Albatross
[6:14] 5. Late Sunday
[3:18] 6. Gramercy Park
[4:07] 7. Shim-Me-Sha Wobble Shim-Me-Sha-Wabble
[2:31] 8. Black And Blue
[4:31] 9. Between Prone And Supine
[5:34] 10. December Song
[4:52] 11. Rialto
[3:54] 12. Sea Of Cortez
[2:39] 13. B-E-T-T-Y O'-H-A-R-A
[4:44] 14. Recado
[3:45] 15. White April
[6:43] 16. Sgt. Pee Wee

Alto Saxophone – Dick Hamilton; Baritone Saxophone – Betty O'Hara, Fred Cooper, Randy Aldcroft, Tommy Newsome; Bass – Herb Mickman; Clarinet – Abe Most, John Bambridge, Tommy Newsome; Drums – Jerry White; Euphonium – Betty O'Hara; Guitar – Dave Koonse; Leader – Dick Hamilton; Piano – Dick Hamilton; Soprano Saxophone – Tommy Newsome; Tenor Saxophone – John Bambridge, Terry Harrington; Trombone – Betty O'Hara, Ernie Tack; Trumpet – Dick Hamilton, Jack Trott.

Dick Cary’s friends are keeping alive his astonishing output of undated, unclassifiable compositions and arrangements. Cary’s most visible musical roles were as pianist, trumpeter, mellophonist and alto horn operator in bands playing Dixieland. The term Dixieland rankled him but he was stuck with it because of his associations. In the early 1940s Cary was house pianist at Nick’s traditional jazz emporium in Greenwich Village. His highlights as a player came with Louis Armstrong’s original All-Stars and in a productive association with Bobby Hackett in the 1950s. Throughout his career he also worked as an arranger, for Benny Goodman, Jimmy Dorsey, Glen Gray, Hackett and his own bands, among others.

For his last couple of decades Cary, who died in 1994, held sessions once a week at his house which were populated by Los Angeles studio musicians eager to play his intriguing, unconventional charts. This album has some of those friends playing 16 of his pieces. The music is full of rich textures, unexpected rhythmic displacements, written lines that sound improvised, pungent 20th century classical harmonies, exuberance, wryness, subtlety and nothing that sounds like Dixieland. Most of the pieces are Cary’s, but when he tackled a standard like “Black and Blue” he transformed it. Cary’s arrangements inspire fine solos from the ensemblists, especially clarinetist Abe Most, tenor saxophonist Tommy Newsom and the late trombonist Betty O’Hara. Newsom, a focused and consistently interesting soloist, radiates the spirit of Al Cohn and Zoot Sims. Dick Hamilton, who leads the group, is impressive on piano, trumpet and the alto horn he inherited from Cary. ~Doug Ramsey

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Isabelle Georges - Une Etoile Et Moi ...à Judy Garland

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:06
Size: 84.9 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[3:18] 1. I Don't Care
[2:38] 2. Make Someone Happy
[3:02] 3. The Trolley Song
[3:56] 4. Gotta Have Me Go With You
[2:28] 5. By Myself
[5:27] 6. You Made Me Love You Medley
[3:06] 7. Embraceable You
[2:20] 8. How About You
[4:54] 9. Over The Rainbow
[2:12] 10. By Myself, Pt. 2
[3:40] 11. La Voix De Mes Rêves

"Those who loved Isabelle Georges’ tribute show to Judy Garland will appreciate hearing all the songs on this CD. For those who missed it, it’s an ideal opportunity to discover Judy Garland’s universe and Isabelle Georges’ talent. Now muffled and sensual, now jazzy and rhythmical, all these songs are to be enjoyed with great pleasure. If on stage there is only the piano, on the CD nine musicians accompany Isabelle Georges. The musical direction is impeccable, and Mathieu Gonet’s arrangements are brilliant!" ~Thierry Quinson

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Jimmy Bruno - Like That

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:50
Size: 139.3 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 1996
Art: Front

[4:40] 1. E.V
[5:05] 2. Raezer's Edge
[5:43] 3. Waltz For Nancy
[6:13] 4. There Is No Greater Love
[4:26] 5. The Iguana's Uncle
[5:24] 6. Pat's House
[6:17] 7. Night Dreamer
[6:26] 8. The Way You Look Tonight
[4:49] 9. Like That
[3:28] 10. Stars Fell On Alabama
[8:15] 11. Unit Seven

Acoustic Bass, Electric Bass – Craig Thomas; Drums – Steve Holloway; Guitar – Jimmy Bruno; Organ – Joey DeFrancesco; Trumpet – Joey DeFrancesco. Recorded August 30, 1995 - August 31, 1995.

An aptly titled album if there ever was one, "Like That" is a tour de force in hard bop jazz, featuring the talents of guitarist Jimmy Bruno, who can burn and still balance his chops with very tasteful licks, and tone things down when it's the right time to do it. Joining him on this 1996 album is organist Joey Defrancesco, as hot on the B-3 as anybody who ever played one. Plus, he excels at trumpet and plays it on a couple of cuts. The year of this release is important to me, because just a scant two years prior Defrancesco partnered with the late legendary Danny Gatton on the last studio album Danny would make before tragically committing suicide in October of 1994. "Relentless" was and is a modern jazz masterpiece, an absolute must have for any jazz and jazz guitar fan reading this review.

So while Joey is the guest on this album, he is given equal time, and the whole ensemble just cooks. There can never be a replacement for Danny Gatton, but Jimmy Bruno is a superb player who stays pretty close to his jazz roots, whereas Gatton was famous or infamous if you're a guitarist who knows when your musical ass has been thoroughly kicked, for being a living encyclopedia of American music, and played whatever style he felt like better than anybody else. But this isn't a Gatton review. Bruno has made his mark and that is one of superb dexterity, beautiful tone, and most importantly, a very strong melodic sense that makes his solos integral to the music, not just icing on a cake that is no good without it. Asking Defrancesco to team up with him is a great idea. I want to point out that amazon.com has for some weird reason itemized a couple of tracks that say "featuring Joey Defrancesco", which is wrong, as Joey plays on the entire album.

"There Is No Greater Love" features Joey on trumpet that is as good as anything Miles Davis ever did. One or two songs are so furiously paced you'd think your player may spontaneously combust. Wes Montgomery fans, and I'm a huge fan, will be interested to see there is a version here of the standard "Unit 7" to close the album. Bruno and Defrancesco turn in a great performance, and Bruno makes sure to throw a few Montgomery trademark octave sweeps. While I will always consider the version of "Unit 7" on Montgomery's legendary live album "Live At The Half Note" untouchable, the song is certainly not treated poorly here. "Like That" is a great album, and after purchasing this and the Bruno/Joe Beck album "Polarity", I'll be checking out more of his CD's. ~Scott Hedegard

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Monaco Swing Ensemble, Diknu Schneeberger - Marais

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:47
Size: 134.6 MB
Styles: Swing, Gypsy jazz
Year: 2017
Art: Front

[6:22] 1. Mocca Swing
[2:48] 2. Place De Brouckère
[6:22] 3. Miserlou
[3:43] 4. Mittelalter
[4:03] 5. Swing Gitan
[5:39] 6. Cry Me A River
[2:52] 7. Monaco Franze
[4:54] 8. Swing 39
[3:54] 9. Nuit De St. Germain De Prés
[3:27] 10. Lulu Swing
[6:44] 11. Bei Dir War Es Immer So Schön
[7:54] 12. Miserlou

In January 2016 we recorded our debut album "Marais". As the main soloist we were able to win our longtime friend, Diknu Schneeberger, who continues to accompany us on as many concerts as possible. You can hear standards from the Gypsy Jazz Canon (Swing Gitan, Swing 39, It was always so beautiful with you), traditional folk songs (Miserlou) and an original composition by Diknu Schneeberger (Middle Ages). Even Mulo Francel from Quadro Nuevo can be heard on a piece that he has specially arranged for us (Mocca Swing) and for which we made a video. Thanks to Tom Peschel and Erdem Enging for the recording and Sebastian Vogel for the cover artwork.

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The John Bunch Quintet - John's Other Bunch

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:35
Size: 152.5 MB
Styles: Piano jazz
Year: 2002
Art: Front

[5:18] 1. (I Would Do) Anything For You (Take 2)
[6:10] 2. I'll Take New York
[3:41] 3. Lotus Blossom
[5:10] 4. The Man I Love
[4:23] 5. Seventh Avenue Scene (Take 2)
[5:08] 6. My Baby Just Cares For Me
[4:34] 7. Ellington '66 (Take 4)
[4:27] 8. This Can't Be Love
[3:16] 9. Sunday Night
[5:14] 10. (I Would Do) Anything For You (Take 1)
[2:56] 11. Why Shouldn't I (Take 1)
[4:10] 12. Ellington '66 (Take 1)
[4:34] 13. Seventh Avenue Scene (Take 1)
[2:59] 14. Why Shouldn't I (Take 2)
[4:30] 15. Ellington '66 (Take 2)

Bass – Michael Moore; Piano, Leader, Arranged By – John Bunch; Tenor Saxophone – Scott Hamilton; Trumpet – Warren Vaché.

This disc is most notable in that veteran swing pianist John Bunch welcomes two up-and-coming players to his quintet: tenor saxophonist Scott Hamilton and trumpeter Warren Vache. Both Hamilton and Vache had recently been discovered and they are full of fire, inspiring the trio of Bunch, bassist Michael Moore, and drummer Connie Kay. Another plus is the repertoire which matches standards (including heated versions of "I Would Do Anything for You" and "This Can't Be Love") with obscurities (Bunch's "I'll Take New York," "Seventh Avenue Scene," and "Ellington '66"). Hamilton and Vache would soon be recording regularly for Concord, so it is a treat hearing them at the beginning of their productive careers, interacting with the Teddy Wilson-inspired piano of John Bunch. ~Scott Yanow

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Azar Lawrence - Summer Solstice

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1975
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:31
Size: 93,6 MB
Art: Front

(7:52)  1. From The Point Of Love
(6:39)  2. Novo Ano
(6:52)  3. From The Point Of Light
(9:24)  4. Summer Solstice
(9:42)  5. Highway

Azar Lawrence (born November 3, 1952) is an American jazz saxophonist, known for his contributions as sideman to McCoy Tyner, Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard, and Woody Shaw. Lawrence was the tenor saxophonist Tyner used following John Coltrane's death.Lawrence released Summer Solstice on Prestige Records in 1975, produced by Orrin Keepnews. It featured Raul de Souza, Gerald Hayes, Amaury Tristão, Dom Salvador, Ron Carter, Guilherme Franco on the songs "Novo Ano" and "Highway" which were composed by Amaury Tristão, and Lawrence, Souza, Albert Dailey, Carter and Billy Hart on all other selections.Bridge Into The New Age featured Jean Carn, Woody Shaw, Ray Straughter, Woody Murray, Clint Houston, Billy Hart, Guillerme Franco, Julian Priester, Hadley Caliman, Black Arthur, Joe Bonner, John Heard, Leon "Ndugu" Chancler, Mtume and Kenneth Nash. People Moving featured Patrice Rushen, Jerry Peters, Michael Stanton, John Rowin, Lee Ritenour, Paul Jackson, Jr., Harvey Mason, Ernest Straughter. Musician and screenwriter Herbert Baker taught music and mentored Lawrence, who recalled Baker as "one of the greatest pianists who ever lived." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azar_Lawrence

Personnel:  Azar Lawrence - saxophone;  Raul de Souza - trombone;  Albert Dailey - piano;  Ron Carter - bass;  Billy Hart drums.

Summer Solstice

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Sherry Williams - A Taste Of Sherry

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:07
Size: 167,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:08)  1. A Foggy Day
(7:18)  2. Summertime
(6:27)  3. Round Midnight
(5:57)  4. All of You
(3:20)  5. Do Nothin' Til You Hear From Me
(5:13)  6. When He Makes Music
(5:19)  7. 'Tis Better to Have Loved and Lost
(6:39)  8. You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To
(7:19)  9. Weren't You the One
(4:52) 10. Without You
(6:01) 11. Lush Life
(7:38) 12. Let's Fall in Love
(2:50) 13. There Will Never Be Another You

You're about to hear a lady in the tradition of the best we've ever had...Lady Day, Sarah and Ella. Sherry Williams is the incomparable present-day combination of those ladies. But Sherry offers so much of herself! In a perfect mix of standard items like "Let's Fall In Love", "Foggy Day" and "Summertime", Sherry introduces "'Tis Better to Have Loved and Lost", and Weren't You the One?" 

And yet, the important things are her sensitive interpretations and her soulful delivery of all the music and all the words! And...She's backed by the superb, tasteful arranger-pianist, John Rodby, bassist Harvey Newmark, and drummers Harold Mason and Mark Stevens. They are one with Ms. Williams and what a treat that is! Sherry makes familiar pieces her own. "Round Midnight" and "Lush Life" stripped of the extraneous, performed with only Al Viola's guitar, and the above mentioned standards...They all belong to Sherry Williams. And that's what makes this very touching collection so memorable. Give her your listening space, and the lady will fill it with her magic. ~ Jack Segal https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/sherryw

A Taste Of Sherry

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Gianni Basso - Gianni Basso and His Sax & Rhythm Sextet

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:27
Size: 118,2 MB
Art: Front

(7:44)  1. Chet's Chum
(7:21)  2. Crazy Rhythm
(5:10)  3. Warm Melody
(6:08)  4. Holiday in Davos
(5:55)  5. The Next Day
(5:16)  6. Winnie's Component
(8:46)  7. Bells Blues
(5:03)  8. Bob's Buddy

Gianni Basso was one of the lights who began shining on the European jazz scene following the end of World War II. He began as a clarinetist and first played professionally in Germany and Belgium in the late '40s with the Raoul Falsan Big Band. By the beginning of the next decade, he was established as a commercial "GB" or "general business" player in Milan, but one with a steady presence at jazz events, including some of the early Italian attempts at post-fascist festivals. From about 1954, a collaboration with trumpeter and composer Oscar Valdambrini began that resembled the relationship between Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, minus the former man's household-name status. Basso studied music in the busy northern city of Turin, where Valdambrini was a homeboy. It was more than just two Italian lads growing up with a fascination for American jazz this was a case of a tenor saxophone and trumpet finding each other. This led to all manner of musical possibilities, most notably the easy-to-maneuver-and-feed small combo (not that feeding anyone in Italy is a problem, ever).The partners' group was without a doubt the most popular jazz band in Italy in the '50s, accompanying many touring stars such as Billie Holiday, Lionel Hampton, Gerry Mulligan, Slide Hampton, and Chet Baker. The engaging style of tenor saxophonist Stan Getz was the primary goal Basso set for himself in terms of having a main man on the saxophone. His many subsequent recordings provide documentation of how he discovered Sonny Rollins and developed his own style from these sources to the point where the Verve label signed him and a top-notch singer such as Sarah Vaughan wanted a Basso baste as sauce on her 1984 serving entitled Mystery of Man. In the late '70s he founded the band Saxes Machine and subsequently fronted the Gianni Basso Big Band. In his senior years he settled into the comfort of the Rome studio scene, still playing in clubs and enjoying his growing historical stature on the European jazz scene. Even free jazz fans like him now. ~ Eugene Chadbourne https://www.allmusic.com/artist/gianni-basso-mn0000948077  

Gianni Basso and His Sax & Rhythm Sextet

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Ivo Perelman - Soul

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:16
Size: 129,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:47)  1. Metaphysical
(8:03)  2. Crossing
(7:03)  3. Eyound
(4:59)  4. Fragments
(4:34)  5. Belvedere
(5:03)  6. Landscape
(8:06)  7. Soul
(5:51)  8. Joy
(6:46)  9. The Unknown

One might approach this album as though it were an extension of the Perelman/Shipp duo recording, Corpo, made one week earlier.  It would not be appropriate to think that there is an historical jazz relationship at play here between Body (Corpo) and Soul there is no audible reference in the music to this possibility and it would hardly be appropriate to musicians who do not use ‘written’ notes.  What is true is that the addition to the duo of Bisio and Dickey rounds out their music with the addition of shades and tints and grain. There are distinctly different moods and swings through the music, but these are not intentionally drawn.  They are discovered or brought into being as the music develops, rather than being ‘borrowed’ from a composer’s sheet music and this produces a tranquil air in which these four musicians are heard to be entirely contented with each other and within themselves, even when in perpetual commotion. ‘Joy’ (Track 8) is particularly redolent of this, the saxophone being steered by the bass through the drummer’s ricochets and towards the doggedness of the piano, relentlessly pursuing the horn’s accompaniment.  In full improvisational mode, the quartet settles into poised extemporisation in which bass and drum effortlessly balance the comings and goings of the piano and saxophone. The improv is luxurious and it seems as though any individual in the band can take the place of another, such are their articulations.  They ‘read’ each other non-stop. http://www.jazzviews.net/ivo-perelman---soul.html

Personnel:  Ivo Perelman, tenor saxophone; Matthew Shipp, piano; Michael Bisio, bass; Whit Dickey, drums.

Soul

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Nicholas Payton - Gumbo Nouveau

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:00
Size: 134,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:58)  1. Whoopin' Blues
(6:24)  2. When The Saints Go Marching In
(4:10)  3. Wild Man Blues
(6:31)  4. After You've Gone
(6:53)  5. Way Down Yonder In New Orleans
(4:01)  6. Down In Honky Tonk Town
(5:32)  7. I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues
(6:02)  8. Li'l Liza Jane
(3:34)  9. Weather Bird
(7:51) 10. St. James Infirmary

Only 22 at the time of this CD, Nicholas Payton had already quickly developed into a major trumpeter. Possessing a fat tone that is sometimes reminiscent of Freddie Hubbard, by the mid-'90s Payton had become New Orleans' latest significant contribution to jazz. On his second Verve release, Payton interprets and modernizes ten songs associated with his hometown and/or Louis Armstrong. Fortunately, Payton generally retains the flavor and joy of the original versions, even while he transforms much of the music into hard bop. To cite a few examples, "Whoopin' Blues" has parade rhythms, send-offs worthy of Lionel Hampton, and boppish solos, "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans" is taken as a slow and lightly swinging ballad, and "I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues" is turned into a jazz waltz. "Li'l Liza Jane" becomes a largely unrecognizable hard bop romp and this version of "When the Saints Go Marching In" is a bit melancholy, but "Wild Man Blues" is a real tour de force for the trumpeter and the duet between Payton and pianist Anthony Wonsey on "Weather Bird" has the leader liberally quoting from Louis Armstrong's classic version. Throughout the date, Payton is the lead voice, pianist Wonsey is the main supporting player, and there are occasional solos from altoist Jesse Davis and tenor saxophonist Tim Warfield. New Orleans jazz purists may not care for all of the updating, but the overall results are fresh and quite likable. Recommended. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/gumbo-nouveau-mw0000183253

Personnel: Nicholas Payton (trumpet); Jesse Davis (alto saxophone); Tim Warfield (tenor saxophone); Anthony Wonsey (piano); Reuben Rogers (bass); Adonis Rose (drums).                 

Gumbo Nouveau

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