Major Holley - Excuse Me Ludwig

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:36
Size: 136.4 MB
Styles: Bop, Swing
Year: 1977/2007
Art: Front

[4:16] 1. Excuse Me Ludwig
[4:39] 2. Blue Skies
[4:37] 3. Salty Mama Cassoulet
[3:09] 4. Lush Life
[4:23] 5. Lamb Stew For Slam
[5:51] 6. How High The Moon
[3:23] 7. Raincheck
[4:50] 8. Willow Weep For Me
[7:00] 9. Like Someone In Love
[3:54] 10. Excuse Me Ludwig
[6:43] 11. This Is The End Of A Beautiful Friendship
[6:45] 12. Stolen Sweets

Major Holley was best known for using the Slam Stewart trademark of singing along with his bowed bass solos, although he sang in unison while Stewart vocalized an octave above his bass. Otherwise, Major Holley (known as "Mule") was a fine supportive bassist. He originally played violin and tuba, but switched to bass while playing in Navy bands. He played with Dexter Gordon, Charlie Parker, and Ella Fitzgerald in the mid- to late '40s, and in 1950 did a series of duet recordings (never reissued) with Oscar Peterson. After a period working for the BBC in England, he toured with Woody Herman (1958), played with the Al Cohn-Zoot Sims quintet (1959-1960), and worked in the studios, in addition to appearing on some jazz recordings and having a stint with Duke Ellington (1964). Major Holley taught at Berklee (1967-1970), freelanced in New York, and recorded with everyone from Roy Eldridge and the Lee Konitz Nonet, to Quincy Jones; he even met up on two records with Slam Stewart. ~ Scott Yanow

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Earth Jazz Agents - Plan A

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:22
Size: 135.9 MB
Styles: Jazz-funk
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[5:16] 1. Pamela
[5:46] 2. Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head
[7:54] 3. All That Pain
[6:12] 4. Blues For Hiroshi
[6:32] 5. Tom Tom
[6:05] 6. Paradise Lost
[6:57] 7. 74th & Columbus
[7:59] 8. Speak Low
[6:37] 9. King Jaffe Jufer

Vincent Herring, as, ts; Anthony Wonsey, p, keys; Richie Goods, b; Joris Dudli, dm; Special guest Jeremy Pelt, tp, flgh.

We call ourselves a "Real Band", a spirited unit that has been touring intensly for the past 7 years and still doing so. We've been developing an original, contemporary sound that bridges tradition with our times. This band is invigorating, dynamic and energetic. Our fan base is growing and attracts new young listeners and satifies the long- established jazz fan.

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Marshall Keys - Times Aligned

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:44
Size: 139.0 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[6:44] 1. Times Aligned
[6:32] 2. Fifty-5
[5:48] 3. Night Vision
[4:22] 4. La Marsa
[5:22] 5. The Body That Loves You
[7:50] 6. Open Canvas
[6:19] 7. Suspended
[6:02] 8. Usmiou
[8:02] 9. Anywhere You Say
[3:41] 10. Almond Eyes

"Marshall Keys' dulcet tones and earthy compositions conjure the spirits of jazzmen past and future. From mainstream to contemporary, from bebop to hip hop, he plays the saxophone with a sense of grace and emotion that is wholly without cliché." ~Mike Sager, Esquire

His debut CD “Times Aligned” is a beautiful recording featuring performances by bassists Scott Ambush and David Dyson, keyboard magicians Federico Pena and Raymond Angry, drummer Dennis Chambers, guitarist Vinny Valentino, percussionists Gilad and Alfredo Mojica as well as cameos from Tom Schuman, Alex “Pope” Norris and Marshall’s wife Eva Hambach, who is also responsible for the CD design and web site graphic content. The result is a project that looks as good as it sounds.

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Rita Coolidge - Safe In The Arms Of Time

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:09
Size: 117.1 MB
Styles: Pop-rock vocals
Year: 2018
Art: Front

[4:19] 1. Satisfied
[4:12] 2. Doing Fine Without You
[3:45] 3. Walking On Water
[4:26] 4. Spirit World
[4:26] 5. The Things We Carry
[5:23] 6. Naked All Night
[4:27] 7. Van Gogh
[3:37] 8. Rainbow
[4:23] 9. Over You
[4:02] 10. We Are Blood
[4:33] 11. You Can Fall In Love
[3:30] 12. Please Grow Old With Me

In many ways, Safe in the Arms of Time is both a reflection and a continuation of Coolidge’s remarkable history, one that took flight during the heyday of the ‘70s L.A. music scene when she sang backup on Stephen Stills’ “Love the One You’re With” and Eric Clapton’s “After Midnight.” (And astute music fans are well aware of how she contributed the classic – and uncredited – piano coda to Derek & the Dominoes’ “Layla.”) “The idea was making an album that had the same appeal of my early records – to make a roots record about my own roots,” Coolidge says.

And so it was only fitting that Coolidge and producer Ross Hogarth, along with an all-star lineup of top musicians – guitarist Dave Grissom, bassist Bob Glaub, keyboardist John “J.T.” Thomas, and drummer Brian MacLeod – assembled at L.A.’s Sunset Sound, the famed recording studio where she recorded her first solo albums on A&M Records 30 years ago. “Going back to Sunset Sound was taking a journey into the past – there was a memory down every hallway,” Coolidge says. Along with nostalgia, there was a hopeful eye toward the future, beautifully rendered on “You Can Fall in Love,” which Coolidge wrote with former Tom Petty drummer Stan Lynch and Joe Hutto. The track explores reconnecting with an old flame, and it embodies one of the album’s paramount themes: It’s never too late. “People need to have an awakening that you can fall in love at any age and it will feel right, like you’re 15,” Coolidge says. “I really wanted to have that message come across on the record.”

Coolidge wrote two of the album’s standout cuts – the sparky blues number “Naked All Night” and the smooth-soul gem “Walking on Water” – with Grammy-winning blues star Keb’ Mo’ and singer-songwriter Jill Colucci in Nashville. Trading vocals with Keb’ Mo’ on “Walking on Water” was a thrill for Coolidge, who enthuses, “I literally have every Keb’ Mo’ CD. I’ve been a fan for decades.”

Safe in the Arms of Time also gave Coolidge the chance to reunite with one of her real-life past flames, one who has remained a cherished friend, Graham Nash. Nash and drumming legend Russ Kunkel had offered Coolidge their smoky blues rocker “Doing Fine Without You” two years before she began recording. “I said to them, ‘I don’t know when I’m doing a record. Can I put this on hold?” When she and Hogarth started the project, it would be one of the first songs they picked. The “Delta Lady” (as she was named by her fellow Mad Dogs & Englishmen tour member Leon Russell) has captivated fans during her astonishing 50-year career, selling millions of copies of signature hits such as “We’re All Alone,” “The Way You Do the Things You Do,” “All Time High”, and “(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher.” Her eight-year relationship with former husband Kris Kristofferson yielded three top-selling albums (including the No. 1 hit Full Moon) and multiple Grammy Awards.

Safe in the Arms of Time marks the first new music Coolidge has recorded since the tragic death in 2015 of her beloved sister, Priscilla, a recording artist and member of Walela, the Native American trio she and Coolidge founded with Priscilla’s daughter, Laura Satterfield. The recording of the album also coincided with Coolidge’s relocation from Southern California to a new life in Tallahassee, where in the 1960s, as an art major at Florida State University, she discovered her true calling as a musician – and never looked back.

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Earl Bostic - Masters Of The Last Century: Best Of Earl Bostic

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 89:13
Size: 204.2 MB
Styles: Saxophone jazz, R&B-Jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[2:27] 1. Bostic's Boogie Blues
[2:48] 2. Memories
[3:13] 3. Hurricane Blues
[2:51] 4. Velvet Sunset
[3:08] 5. Shady Side Of The Street
[2:44] 6. Jumpin' Jack
[2:37] 7. Moonglow
[2:49] 8. Night And Day
[2:28] 9. The Very Thought Of You
[6:45] 10. Oh, Lady Be Good
[2:41] 11. Indiana
[2:41] 12. Sleep
[2:46] 13. For All We Know
[3:17] 14. The Man I Love
[2:35] 15. Linger Awhile
[3:01] 16. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
[2:37] 17. Embraceable You
[2:39] 18. Harlem Nocturne
[2:36] 19. Temptation
[3:15] 20. Sleep
[2:46] 21. Cherokee
[2:54] 22. I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
[3:16] 23. All On
[2:35] 24. Serenade To Beauty
[2:18] 25. Harlem Nocturne
[2:45] 26. My Special Dream
[2:51] 27. The Moon Is Low
[2:48] 28. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
[2:43] 29. Earl Blows A Fuse
[4:06] 30. East Of The Sun

Alto saxophonist Earl Bostic was a technical master of his instrument, yet remained somewhat underappreciated by jazz fans due to the string of simple, popular R&B/jump blues hits he recorded during his heyday in the '50s. Born Eugene Earl Bostic in Tulsa, OK, on April 25, 1913, Bostic played around the Midwest during the early '30s, studied at Xavier University, and toured with several bands before moving to New York in 1938. There he played for Don Redman, Edgar Hayes, and Lionel Hampton, making his record debut with the latter in 1939. In the early '40s, he worked as an arranger and session musician, and began leading his own regular large group in 1945. Cutting back to a septet the next year, Bostic began recording regularly, scoring his first big hit with 1948's "Temptation." He soon signed with the King label, the home of most of his biggest jukebox hits, which usually featured a driving, heavy, R&B-ish beat and an alto sound that could be smooth and romantic or aggressive and bluesy.

In 1951, Bostic landed a number one R&B hit with "Flamingo," plus another Top Ten in "Sleep." Subsequent hits included "You Go to My Head" and "Cherokee." Bostic's bands became important training grounds for up-and-coming jazzmen like John Coltrane, Blue Mitchell, Stanley Turrentine, Benny Golson, Jaki Byard, and others. Unfortunately, Bostic suffered a heart attack in the late '50s, which kept him away from music for two years. He returned to performing in 1959, but didn't record quite as extensively; when he did record in the '60s, his sessions were more soul-jazz than the proto-R&B of old. On October 28, 1965, Bostic suffered a fatal heart attack while playing a hotel in Rochester, NY. ~bio by Steve Huey

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John Hicks - Hicks Time

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:24
Size: 136.0 MB
Styles: Bop, Piano jazz
Year: 1998
Art: Front

[ 2:58] 1. Naomi's Love Song
[ 6:14] 2. Peanut Butter
[ 4:26] 3. Hick's Time
[ 7:55] 4. April Eyes
[ 4:10] 5. Redd's Blues
[ 4:52] 6. Reminds Me
[ 5:26] 7. Jest A Little
[ 5:23] 8. Two Heart Beats
[11:27] 9. Steadfast
[ 6:29] 10. After The Morning

Encompassing everything from rhythmic fire to filigree delicacy, and with a sense of dynamics that fully exploits the orchestral quality of the instrument, John Hicks is a consummate piano master. On Hicks Time, a brilliant solo excursion, Hicks exhibits all of his highly respected talents as both player and composer on eight originals and two Oliver Lake pieces.

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Malia - Ripples

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:05
Size: 100.9 MB
Styles: Vocal jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[3:13] 1. Unfastened
[2:31] 2. Maddy
[3:25] 3. Little Darling
[2:38] 4. After The Love
[4:02] 5. Echoes Of Dreams
[4:00] 6. Little Bee
[2:42] 7. Little Sparrow
[4:56] 8. Mary Mary
[3:53] 9. My Love
[4:51] 10. Unfolding
[3:51] 11. Man In Your Eyes
[3:57] 12. I Miss You

A gifted vocalist whose instrument is both strong and sensual, British jazz singer Malia was born into a family of mixed African and English heritage in the small East African country of Malawi, which borders Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia. Malia had limited exposure to music growing up -- her neighborhood could only pull in two radio stations (one in the native language of Chewa, the other in English), and her father's record collection was dominated by the Beatles. That changed when political unrest forced her family to flee Malawi and relocate to London when Malia was 14 years old. Malia took great interest in the rich musical landscape that surrounded her, immersing herself in the dance-oriented new wave sounds dominating the English music scene. The music of Sarah Vaughan and Billie Holiday soon came into her life and transformed her worldview, as she was introduced to influential black artists for the first time.

Malia soon set her sights on a career in music. After finishing school, Malia took work as a waitress while she organized a band to accompany her, singing ballads and jazz standards in bars and clubs around London. She experienced a breakthrough during a visit to New York City; at a New York café she heard a pop-jazz track sung in French by vocalist Liane Foly that had been produced by Berklee School of Music graduate Andre Manoukian. Malia was entranced by the enticing mix of pop and jazz sensibilities, and she contacted Manoukian to solicit his help. The pair admired each other's musical ideas and potential, and they set to work on Malia's debut album, Yellow Daffodils, released in 2002. Though the release featured English lyrics, Malia gained enormous recognition in France and Germany. Her subsequent releases, Echoes of Dreams (2004) and Young Bones (2007), found favor among jazz fans across Europe thanks to Malia's unique smoky vocal timbre and sensitive interpretations.

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Pat Kelley - Overtones For 2 Guitars

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:46
Size: 139.1 MB
Styles: Guitar jazz
Year: 2014
Art: Front

[7:05] 1. Stompin' At The Savoy (Feat. Bruce Forman)
[5:20] 2. Full House (Feat. Anthony Wilson)
[5:03] 3. Impulsive Blues (Feat. John Stowell)
[7:33] 4. Body And Soul (Feat. John Pisano)
[5:51] 5. If I Were A Bell (Feat. John Storie)
[7:22] 6. Corcovado (Feat. Frank Potenza)
[7:28] 7. Nobody Else But Me (Feat. Peter Bernstein)
[5:35] 8. How Deep Is The Ocean (Feat. Howard Alden)
[6:02] 9. Emily (Feat. Larry Koonse)
[3:21] 10. Minor Inconvenience

In his wide-ranging career, Pat Kelley has appeared on more than 2,000 sessions as a studio guitarist, he has often performed with his friend George Benson, and he has been on many smooth and pop sets. However one should never underrate his talents as a jazz soloist.

On Overtones 4 Two Guitars, Kelley performs one duet apiece with guitarists Bruce Forman, Anthony Wilson, John Stowell, John Pisano, John Storie, Frank Potenza, Peter Bernstein, Howard Alden and Larry Koonse. The music is comprised of straight ahead renditions of standards (plus an original blues) including such numbers as “Stompin’ At The Savoy,” “Body And Soul,” “Nobody Else But Me” and “How Deep Is The Ocean.” Even with all of the different guitarists involved, there is a strong unity and consistency to the set with each performance swinging, featuring some friendly competition and lots of good vibes and interplay.

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Chris Parker - Moving Forward Now

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:37
Size: 170.8 MB
Styles: Bop, Contemporary jazz
Year: 2017
Art: Front

[7:32] 1. Battle Hymn Of The Republic
[7:16] 2. Adagio Sostenuto
[4:53] 3. Moving Forward Now
[5:47] 4. Beatrice
[7:20] 5. Trippin-A-Let
[5:35] 6. Don't Think Twice It's All Right
[8:11] 7. Positive Energy
[6:29] 8. Autumn Leaves
[8:26] 9. It's No Secret
[2:22] 10. Discovery
[4:03] 11. The Process
[3:33] 12. Arrival
[3:05] 13. Enjoy The Process

“Battle Hymn of the Republic” might not seem like an obvious choice for the opening track on a jazz musician’s first album as a leader, but for drummer Chris Parker, a percussive call-to-arms translated into a swinging groove is highly appropriate. Parker’s indomitable spirit, his omnivorous capacity to play numerous instruments and to operate in a wide variety of jazz contexts, is represented here by his eclectic choice of repertoire and a turn on tenor sax for his lovely, Coltranesque ballad “Positive Energy” (a fitting title from this exuberant young artist). He also shows off his arranging chops on tunes ranging from Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” (featuring singer Rachel Caswell) and Sam Rivers’ jazz standard “Beatrice” to the aforementioned “Battle Hymn” and Rachmaninoff’s “Adagio Sostenuto.” In addition, there’s an ambitious four-part suite, “Then and Now,” the punchy funk of the title track, and the hip, laid back, infectiously-catchy “It’s No Secret,” that give evidence of a compelling compositional gift. This debut outing is no one-man band, however; Parker has enlisted some of the best jazz musicians in the Midwest, including bassist Jeremy Allen, saxophonists Jamey Aebersold (showcased on “It’s No Secret”) and Rob Dixon (who powers the evolutionary surge of “Then And Now Suite”), pianist Luke Gillespie, clarinetist Frank Glover, trumpeter Pat Harbison, and guitarist Dave Stryker (check out his tour de force solo on “Trippin-A-Let")—testament to the respect that he’s already earned from his older colleagues. Moving Forward Now leaves me excited to hear where Chris Parker will be going next; wherever it is, he’s well on his way. ~David Brent Johnson

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