Charles McPherson - The Journey

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:18
Size: 126.6 MB
Styles: Bop, Saxophone jazz
Year: 2015
Art: Front

[ 6:53] 1. The Decathexis from Youth (For Cole)
[ 6:46] 2. Elena
[ 5:48] 3. Spring Is Here
[10:05] 4. Manhattan Nocturne
[ 4:18] 5. Au Privave
[ 6:06] 6. I Should Care
[ 4:22] 7. The Journey
[ 6:17] 8. Tami's Tune
[ 4:40] 9. Bud Like

Charles McPherson: alto saxophone; Keith Oxman: tenor saxophone; Chip Stephens: piano; Ken Walker: bass; Todd Reid: drums.

Alto saxophone legend Charles McPherson has few living peers, but even at the age of 75, he shows no signs of slowing down, a premise well documented with the release of The Journey, his latest recording on the Capri label. Blistering post-bop remains McPherson's signature, but there is also a modernist streak that ripples through his improvising on this disc that can only be heard in terms of things that tingle the spine. On The Journey he hooks up with a crack unit of Colorado-based players including tenor saxophonist Keith Oxman, pianist Chip Stephens, bassist Ken Walker, and drummer Todd Reid in a program that draws upon originals and standard material, with Bird's "Au Privave," rounding out the set.

Stephens' strutting riff-blues "The Decathexis From Youth," opens the disc with McPherson attacking the form with serpentine glee, squirming around the stop-time sections with acerbic velocity, followed by the composer's Pentecostal jabs and swinging block-chords over the thick, woody bass tones of Walker. McPherson jumps on "Spring Is Here," with a squealing Dolphy-esque exuberance, but plies his own "Manhattan Nocturne," with the patient delivery of a master storyteller, compete with swinging, bluesy details, and yielding to Walker for a short, potent solo. He then teams with Stephens for a lush, romance-laden duo reading of "I Should Care," full of grainy, sensual filigree, and the whole band pushes the title track into a higher dimension with Oxman and Stephens each laying down compelling statements before the leader, bringing up the rear, uncoils like a viper dropped on a bed of hot coals.

Much has been written about McPherson's debt to Charlie Parker or his 12 years of duty in the Charles Mingus group, but it is a mistake to assume that he ever stopped developing as a player, indeed, the music on The Journey indicates that this master has much more to say, and it's all worthy of careful attention. ~RobertBush

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Don Shirley - Don Shirley's Best

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s

Time: 62:45

Size: 143.7 MB

Styles: Piano jazz

Year: 2010

Art: Front

[4:44] 1. Water Boy

[2:15] 2. Drown In My Own Tears

[4:07] 3. Margie

[2:16] 4. Stand By Me

[5:13] 5. Willow Weep For Me

[2:13] 6. I Got Rhythm

[7:35] 7. Georgia On My Mind

[4:03] 8. At Last

[3:52] 9. Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe

[5:18] 10. One For My Baby

[4:57] 11. Just For A Thrill

[4:52] 12. Dancing On The Ceiling

[3:33] 13. The Hammer Song

[4:19] 14. Ol' Man River

[3:20] 15. My Funny Valentine

Pianist, composer, and arranger Don Shirley was born in Kingston, Jamaica, on January 29, 1927. He began playing piano at age two and seven years later had developed his skills so rapidly, he was studying theory at the prestigious Leningrad Conservatory of Music. Shirley made his concert debut with the Boston Pops in 1945, while the following year the London Philharmonic Orchestra performed one of his first major compositions. In the ensuing years between 1954 and 1968, Shirley performed as a soloist and as a member of several symphonies, including the Boston Pops, Detroit Symphony, Chicago Symphony, and the National Symphony Orchestra of Washington. Shirley also composed several organ symphonies, a piano concerto, two string quartets, and numerous pieces for piano. His musical language also encompassed tastefully mastered combinations of standards, show tunes, ballads, spirituals, and jazz performed with his own trio. Incredibly, Shirley also found time between performing and recording to obtain a doctorate of Music, Psychology, and Liturgical Arts. Throughout the '50s and '60s, Shirley released numerous albums on the Cadence label. In 1999, Collectables began reissuing several of those albums as two-for-one sets. ~ Al Campbell

Don Shirley's Best 

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Betty Carter - Priceless Jazz

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:43
Size: 116.1 MB
Styles: Jazz vocals
Year: 1999
Art: Front

[1:44] 1. You're Driving Me Crazy (What Did I Do)
[2:47] 2. My Reverie
[2:50] 3. Babe's Blues
[1:30] 4. The Blue Bird Of Happiness
[2:31] 5. You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me
[2:22] 6. Remember
[4:30] 7. Make It Last
[2:04] 8. Mean To Me
[2:07] 9. By The Bend Of The River
[1:56] 10. Jazz (Ain't Nothin' But Soul)
[3:59] 11. But Beautiful
[3:22] 12. Stormy Weather (Keeps Rainin' All The Time)
[3:37] 13. Something Wonderful
[3:01] 14. Don't Weep For The Lady
[2:22] 15. Foul Play
[2:42] 16. At Sundown
[2:23] 17. I Don't Want To Set The World On Fire
[2:02] 18. On The Isle Of May
[2:45] 19. I Can't Help It

GRP's Priceless Jazz is a mid-line collection that concentrates on Betty Carter's fine recordings for Peacock and ABC-Paramount during the late '60s. Although this disc could hardly be called definitive, it nevertheless offers many of her best cuts for the label, making this disc an excellent choice for neophytes and curious listeners -- it is both affordable and entertaining. ~Stephen Thomas Erlewine

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Jermaine Landsberger, Paulo Morello, Christopher Huber (Hammond Eggs) - Back In The Pan

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:52
Size: 146.2 MB
Styles: Hammond B3 Organ jazz
Year: 2013
Art: Front

[5:27] 1. Back In The Pan
[4:39] 2. Let's Vamos
[6:44] 3. For Django
[6:31] 4. Speed
[7:33] 5. Too Late Now
[4:48] 6. Be Three
[7:09] 7. Smooth Colours
[4:34] 8. Kostalogy
[4:40] 9. Hey Charly
[6:42] 10. Funky Huber
[5:01] 11. Spektrolines

"From Germany comes a grooving trio molded in the classic HammondB-3 /Guitar / Drums format. While the band´s previous disc honored the deep, bluesy swinging mode of it´s heritage, this latest outing expands the groove palette, mixing an extra dose of funk with Latin touches, all slyly mixed within a framework of daunting odd meters. Avoiding fusion bookishness, the trio keeps the good grit intact. Organist Jermaine Landsberger wields serious chops and encapsulates his instrument´s history. Christoph Huber´s cracking drumming keeps the energy to the edge and smoothly oils the odd meters while guitarist Paulo Morello is a seamless keyboard complement woh percolates every solo. Star guests include trumpeter Randy Brecker, saxophonist Bob Mintzer and Hungarian tenor notable Tony Lakatos, who all throw heated solos on the skillet. Sizzling ! " ~Downbeat Magazine

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Jimmy Cleveland - Crazy Rhythm (Remastered)

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 30:47
Size: 70.5 MB
Styles: Bop
Year: 1959/2012
Art: Front

[4:28] 1. Our Delight
[7:56] 2. Tricotism
[4:13] 3. Old Reliable
[3:44] 4. We Never Kissed
[3:31] 5. Tom-Kattin
[3:52] 6. Crazy Rhythm
[3:00] 7. Reminiscing

Bass – Milt Hinton; Drums – Osie Johnson; Piano – Hank Jones; Reeds – Benny Golson, Jerome Richardson; Trombone – Jimmy Cleveland; Trumpet – Art Farmer.

Trombonist Jimmy Cleveland was a heavily in-demand session player, yet he led only a handful of record dates of his own, none after 1959. Leading an all-star septet with arrangements by either Benny Golson or Gigi Gryce, Cleveland primarily focuses on compositions by his peers, with the exception of Gryce's bop arrangement of "Crazy Rhythm," which showcases the leader's fluid yet mellow style. The band includes Jerome Richardson, Art Farmer, Benny Golson, Hank Jones, Milt Hinton and Osie Johnson. Golson's charts of two Oscar Pettiford tunes, the obscure blues "Old Reliable" (featuring Richardson on flute) and the well known "Tricrotism" (which surprisingly has no bass solo, instead featuring Richardson's baritone sax and the arranger's tenor sax), are very stimulating. Gryce scored Melba Liston's ballad "We Never Kissed" and his own "Reminiscing" to feature the leader to good effect. Long out of print, this Emarcy LP was long overdue to be reissued on CD. ~Ken Dryden

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Gene Harris - The Gene Harris Trio Plus One

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:06
Size: 110.1 MB
Styles: Soul-jazz, Piano jazz
Year: 1986/2003
Art: Front

[9:32] 1. Gene's Lament
[5:43] 2. Misty
[8:45] 3. Uptown Sop
[8:13] 4. Things Ain't What They Used To Be
[7:27] 5. Yours Is My Heart Alone
[8:25] 6. The Battle Hymn Of The Republic

Bass – Ray Brown; Drums – Mickey Roker; Piano – Gene Harris; Tenor Saxophone – Stanley Turrentine. Recorded live at the Blue Note, New York City November / December 1985.

This superb album (reissued on CD) solidified pianist Gene Harris' return to the jazz major leagues. Teamed up with bassist Ray Brown, drummer Mickey Roker, and tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine, Harris stretches out on such songs as Ray Brown's blues "Gene's Lament," "Things Ain't What They Used to Be," "Yours Is My Heart Alone," and "Battle Hymn of the Republic." Harris and Turrentine work together so well on this soulful blues/bop date that one wishes they had teamed up much more often. ~Scott Yanow

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Lorraine Lawson - Quiet Nights: Timeless Ballads

Size: 116,4 MB
Time: 49:59
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2001
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front & Back

01. When I Fall In Love (5:57)
02. It Had To Be You (3:48)
03. Waiting In Vain (4:50)
04. My Romance (5:57)
05. Corcovado (4:46)
06. Autumn Leaves (4:57)
07. This Masquerade (6:20)
08. My Funny Valentine (5:25)
09. Beautiful Love (4:30)
10. Still Crazy After All These Years (3:25)

Lorraine Lawson's debut album was recorded in 2000. Her hit single, "If I Could," received video play and major-market CHR and AC airplay from coast to coast. And Canada took notice. The National Post ran a front-page entertainment story hailing Lawson as one of Canada's hottest emerging stars: "Lorraine is making her big break into the pop mainstream." In addition to print media, Lorraine appeared on national television programs noteably Canada AM, TSN's Off the Record, CTV's, Open Mike with Mike Bullard and as a vocal coach for Popstars "The One".

In 2001, Lorraine was approached by Somerset Entertainment to record a CD of jazz and pop standards for the Avalon label entitled Quiet Nights. "I studied Jazz Performance in college and was thrilled with the opportunity to sing some of my favourite songs." The resulting intimate and sultry CD is still in print in over 20 countries. The promotional tour took Lorraine as far as Tokyo.

Inspired by her time in Japan, Lorraine stepped away from the recording industry to expand her performing career and take stock of her personal life: “Meeting people from other countries and experiencing other cultures, has always provided me with a sense of perspective, insight and growth. Combining my love for travel with my love for music has been a gift." Lorraine has performed in Asia, Europe and the Caribbean. Highlights have included representing Canada in a cultural festival held in Beijing, New Years Eve at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong and entertaining the Canadian Armed Forces in Labrador and the far north.

Lorraine's songs have been featured on several television shows, including Cardcaptors, Queer as Folk and Popstars. She has performed her original material at SAC's Blue Bird North and other high-profile songwriting showcases.

Quiet Nights

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Joey DeFrancesco - Reboppin'

Size: 175,8 MB
Time: 75:22
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Jazz, Hammmond Organ
Art: Front

01. Sister Sadie (6:08)
02. Reboppin' (3:36)
03. Romancin' The Moon (5:38)
04. Big Bad Jim (4:49)
05. Someday My Prince Will Come (3:31)
06. New Blues (6:34)
07. Esp (5:01)
08. Evidence (4:56)
09. Family Jam (4:25)
10. Naima (3:51)
11. Bye Bye Blackbird (5:19)
12. Wookie's Revenge (6:34)
13. Just Friends (8:00)
14. That's All (6:53)

Organist Joey DeFrancesco had an opportunity on his fourth Columbia project to mostly perform with his own group, a trio consisting of guitarist Paul Bollenback and drummer Byron Landham. Among the guests on a few selections are trumpeter Jim Henry, tenor saxophonist Tony Malaby and, on "Family Jam," guitarist Johnny DeFrancesco (Joey's brother) and organist John DeFrancesco (their father). Special treats are Joey DeFrancesco's effective trumpet solos on four of the 14 selections; highlights overall include "Sister Sadie," "Big Bad Jim," "Evidence" and "Bye Bye Blackbird." ~by Scott Yanow

Reboppin'

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Deanne Matley - Because I Loved

Size: 101,3 MB
Time: 43:14
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Jazz Vocals
Art: Front

01. The Moon Is Made Of Gold (4:23)
02. Sugar (3:47)
03. The After Thought (3:59)
04. Catching Up To Do (4:36)
05. Not My Only One (3:06)
06. Open Arms (3:24)
07. My Favourite Distraction (3:23)
08. So Long You Fool (2:49)
09. Pieces (3:23)
10. Forget Me (3:41)
11. Necessary Evil (3:08)
12. The Wine We Drink (3:30)

Personnel:
Deanne Matley – Vocals
Renee Lee – Guest Vocals
Paul Shrivel – Piano & Keyboards
Adrian Vedady – Bass
Jim Doxas – Drums
Steve Raegele – Guitar
Kiko – Percussion
Al McLean – Saxophone
Andy King – Trumpet
Jean-Nicolas Trottier – Trombone
Kate Bevan-Baker – Violin
Kate Maloney – Violin
Jennifer Thiessen – Viola
Thomas Beard – Cello

Deanne Matley’s voice and passion for jazz have taken her from her Alberta home to New York, France, Mongolia, and back. She sings standards, her own songs, and an impressive variety of covers with combos large and small, including Calgary’s Prime Time Big Band. Her previous four albums, with songs ranging from jazz standards to pop covers and Christmas favourites, have garnered her Top 10 radio play across Canada and fans around the world. She divides her time between Calgary and Montréal, and is excited that Because I Loved will be launching in both cities.

Canadian jazz vocalist Deanne Matley’s fifth album, Because I Loved, is a tour-de-force, taking the listener on an emotional journey from despair to quiet contentment, with stops at red-hot passion and the excitement of new love along the way. Deanne recruited some of Montréal’s premier jazz talent for the project, including drummer Jim Doxas (who also produced the album), pianist Paul Shrofel, bassist Adrian Vedady, and guest vocalist Ranee Lee. Because I Loved features four new tunes of Deanne’s to round out a song list that includes saxophone legend Stanley Turrentine’s “Sugar,” the haunting “Forget Me” (written for the great Shirley Horn), and remarkable covers of songs by Journey (“Open Arms”) and Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors (“The Wine We Drink”). Throughout, Deanne shines as a first-rate vocal stylist, deeply rooted in the jazz tradition but unafraid of pushing the envelope. Her seen-it-all authority permeates every cut. “This is an album about love, melancholy, and starting again … about relationships,” says Deanne. “It’s the album I’ve always dreamed of making,” Official release performances are in April in Montréal and May in Calgary, with an extensive Canadian and international tour to follow.

Because I Loved

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Leah Zeger - Plans Change

Size: 116,9 MB
Time: 50:04
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Jazz Folk, Crossover Jazz
Art: Front

01. Plans Change (3:29)
02. It's No Use (4:05)
03. Maybe It's You (5:47)
04. Tough Love (5:01)
05. Go For A Walk (Feat. David Grisman) (4:08)
06. 'Cause We've Ended As Lovers (6:00)
07. Enough For Me (4:07)
08. The Wombat (Feat. Steve Vai) (5:47)
09. Do It Yourself (4:00)
10. These Thoughts (7:35)

"Leah Zeger performs brilliantly in a variety of idioms." ~ Scott Yanow, Jazz Critic

Leah Zeger's musical success story has been anything but conventional. Her eclectic range and professional experience has literally included every musical style imaginable.

Born and raised in Houston, Texas, violinist and vocalist Leah Zeger comes from a family of professional symphony musicians. Having played the violin since the age of six, she has won numerous awards and soloed with orchestras in and around Texas. At 15 she made her solo debut playing the first movement of the Wiieniawski Violin Concerto with the Clear Lake Symphony Orchestra. That same year, she began studying voice with leading American mezzo-soprano, Katherine Ciesinski. Zeger attended the High School for Performing and Visual Arts. Before graduating, she performed the Bach Double at Carnegie Hall. She won a scholarship to attend the University of Texas at Austin where she majored in both opera andviolin. At 19 years old, while still in college, Zeger won a tenured position in the first violin section of the Austin Symphony Orchestra, becoming the youngest member on staff.

While in the Austin Symphony, Zeger played with soloists including Pinchas Zukerman, Leila Josefowitz, Yo Yo Ma, Elvis Costello, and bands such as Pink Martini, The 4 Tops, the Big Bad Voodoo Daddies, and Charlie Daniels, with whom she was selected to duel on the tune Devil Went Down to Georgia. She has appeared on the television show, Austin City Limits with both Pearl Jam and Willie Nelson. In 2009, her folk band "The Hudsons" won Best Folk Band in the Austin Chronicle Awards.

From 2006-07, she performed as the lead singer/violinist/dancer with the international world-touring fiddle concert sensation Barrage across Europe, Asia, and North and South America. In 2007, she appeared as a soloist at the Eric Clapton Crossroads Blues Festival in Chicago alongside prominent artists such as Alison Krauss, John Mayer and Sheryl Crow.

In 2010, her first year in LA, she performed as a member of Vitamin String Quartet and won positions as associate concertmaster of San Bernardino Symphony and first violinist in the Redlands Symphony while recording the music for a season of Warner Brother's tv show, Off the Map.

During that year, Zeger was also offered a 3 year contract with Celine Dion in Vegas but turned it down in favor of various touring opportunities. In the last 2 years, she has performed with legendary world-music duo, Strunz and Farah and Argentinian-born gypsy jazz guitarist, Gonzalo Bergara (gonzalobergara.com) at international music festivals including the Montreal Jazz Festival, Buenos Aires Jazz Festival, Panama City Jazz Festival, SXSW in Austin, and Jazz at the Olympia in Paris. She has also toured with the Trans-siberian Orchestra and was concertmaster/soloist for Kristen Chenoweth (Wicked, Glee).

Zeger's recent recording credits include collaborations with Michael Jackson's former musical director, Michael Bearden, Bear McCreary, composer of "Battlestar Galactica" and "The Walking Dead", Kenny Loggins, and string arrangements/recording for Billy Ray Cyrus' latest album.

Most recently, Leah became a member of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, performed with Miley Cyrus on her live unplugged show, recorded and produced her second album, "Pour Moi", produced and starred in her first major music video "The Man I Love", and toured with five-time Grammy-winner, Cee Lo Green as his solo violinist. She served as concertmaster and solo violinist with Annie Lennox on all of her music videos for the "Nostalgia" album and on Lennox' PBS Great Performances special.

Leah appeared on the 2015 Grammys performing with Electric Light Orchestra and was selected to play a solo with Stevie Wonder during his "Songs in the Key of Life" tour. She is currently on tour as solo violinist with "Hans Zimmer Live 2017".

The Leah Zeger Quartet performs regularly in the greater Los Angeles area, and her album Pour Moi is a perfect demonstration of her virtuosity on the violin, her unique and sophisticated vocal technique, and her multi-cultural approach to music.

Plans Change   

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Joan Chamorro - Joan Chamorro Presenta Joan Codina

Size: 175,6 MB
Time: 75:15
File: MP3 @ 320K/s
Released: 2018
Styles: Jazz, Vocals
Art: Front

01. I Had The Craziest Dream (3:46)
02. You Are Too Beautiful (4:56)
03. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart (4:28)
04. Just In Time (2:57)
05. If I Had You (2:38)
06. Duke Ellington's Sound Of Love (7:46)
07. Claudette's Way (6:10)
08. Airegin (4:51)
09. Vivo Sonhando (4:50)
10. Hip Bones (4:33)
11. Brigas Nunca Mais (4:17)
12. My Old Flame (3:55)
13. Luminescence (4:20)
14. Theme From Picnic (4:18)
15. Codina's Blues (5:47)
16. I've Never Been In Love Before (5:35)

Joan Chamorro keeps woking on his labour of love for music and teaching. After presenting Andrea Motis, Eva Fernández, Magalí Datzira, Rita Payés, Marc Martin, Joan Mar Sauqué and Èlia Bastida, now it’s time for trombonist Joan Codina.

Sant Andreu Jazz Band is a project arising from a music class. Conducted by Joan Chamorro, the big band brings together children between 6 and 18 years old, around a classic jazz repertoire with lots of swing, which gained the public and sold-out some of the most important music auditoriums in Spain.

Joan Chamorro Presenta Joan Codina

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Mike Mainieri - Live At Seventh Avenue South

Styles: Vibraphone Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:11
Size: 124,2 MB
Art: Front

( 4:46)  1. Tee Bag
( 8:02)  2. Flying Colours
(12:21)  3. Song For Seth
(11:55)  4. Bullet Train
( 9:55)  5. Sara's Touch
( 7:08)  6. Crossed Wires

Mike Mainieri, a talented and distinctive vibraphonist, has had a productive and diverse career. He first played vibes professionally when he was 14, touring with Paul Whiteman in a jazz trio called Two Kings & a Queen. He played with Buddy Rich's bands for a long period (1956-1963) and then became a busy studio musician, appearing on many pop records. Mainieri had opportunities to work with Benny Goodman, Coleman Hawkins, and Wes Montgomery (1967-1968), among many others, and played in the early fusion band Jeremy & the Satyrs. During 1969-1972, he led a 20-piece rehearsal group called White Elephant that included the Brecker Brothers and other studio players. In 1979, he formed Steps (which later became Steps Ahead), an all-star jazz-oriented R&B/fusion band that included such players as Mike Brecker, Don Grolnick, Eddie Gomez, and Steve Gadd in its original lineup. Mainieri has revived the group several times since, with such musicians as saxophonist Bendik, Warren Bernhardt, Eliane Elias, Rachel Z, Mike Stern, Tony Levin, Victor Bailey, Peter Erskine, and Steve Smith making strong contributions. 

In 1992, Mainieri founded the NYC label and recorded the adventurous An American Diary. Prior to NYC, Mike Mainieri had recorded as a leader for such labels as Argo (1962), Solid State, Arista, Artists House, Warner Bros., and Elektra. ~ Scott Yanow https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/live-at-seventh-avenue-south/161612807

Personnel:  Mike Mainieri: Vibraphone;  Bob Mintzer: Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Bass Clarinet;  Warren Bernhardt: Keyboards, Piano;  Eddie Gomez: Bass;  Omar Hakim: Drums

Live At Seventh Avenue South

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Audrey Lavine - At Home With Arlen

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:31
Size: 114,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:14)  1. Ill Wind
(2:13)  2. As Long As I Live
(3:43)  3. Come Rain Or Come Shine
(3:25)  4. Happy With The Blues
(4:59)  5. I Never Has Seen Snow
(2:47)  6. Look Who's Been Dreaming
(4:18)  7. It Was Written In The Stars
(3:46)  8. Song Of The Gigolo
(4:17)  9. Paris Is A Lonely Town
(3:48) 10. Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive
(2:36) 11. Sweet And Hot
(5:04) 12. Last Night When We Were Young
(3:16) 13. Love Held Lightly

Audrey Lavine is the winner of the 2001 Bistro Award (Outstanding Vocalist) and MAC Award (Female Vocalist), for her shows This is No Dream and Dancing presented at the FireBird Café and Judy's Chelsea, was a featured performer in the 2002 MAC Awards at Town Hall, and a 2002 Nightlife Awards finalist (Outstanding Cabaret Female Vocalist) for her show Simply Lavine, presented at Judy's Chelsea and Don't Tell Mama. Audrey's intriguing theatrical past includes having been tapped to stand by or understudy some of the great leading ladies of our day. First heard on Broadway in Moony Shapiro Songbook, she was understudy to Judy Kaye. She survived covering for both Betty Buckley and Barbara Cook in the infamous Carrie. And in Rags, in which she can be heard as Rosa on the Broadway cast recording, she was understudy for Teresa Stratas. In the 70's and 80's Audrey could be seen at the Ballroom with Alan Menken, Ted Hook's OnStage with Michael Renzi, Freddy's with Michael Abene, the Stage Door Canteen as a featured guest in the Ladies of Off-Broadway series, the King Cole Room with Robert Morse and Lynn Thigpen in a tribute to Frank Loesser, and at the Kennedy Center in a tribute to George Gershwin. Her retrospectives of Harold Arlen and Stephen Sondheim were part of the Citicorp Salute to Great American Songwriters, and led to a stint as a headliner on the s.s. Rotterdam World Cruise. Regional theater appearances are evidence of her vocal and performing range. She won a Carbonnel Award nomination for her portrayal of Jo Carlson in the premiere of Cowgirls, portrayed Anna Held in Tintypes, Rhetta Cupp in Pump Boys & Dinettes, and was Bebe Neuwirth's wife in Happy Birthday and Other Humiliations by Judith Viorst and Shelley Markham. Audrey graduated with a degree in Opera from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Originally from Greensboro, North Carolina, she currently lives in Manhattan with her husband, actor/director H. Clark Kee. Her CD of This is No Dream was released in the fall of 2000, just in time for the first of her critically acclaimed appearances at the Mabel Mercer Foundation's Annual Cabaret Convention at Town Hall. Her second CD, based on her last project of 2001, At Home With Arlen, was released in September 2002. http://www.audreylavine.com/bio.html

At Home With Arlen

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Wayne Shorter Quartet - Beyond the Sound Barrier

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:14
Size: 141,0 MB
Art: Front

(11:50)  1. Smilin' Through (Arthur Penn)
( 6:27)  2. As Far as the Eye Can See
( 4:35)  3. On Wings of Song (Felix Mendelssohn)
( 1:59)  4. Tinker Bell (Wayne Shorter Quartet)
(11:19)  5. Joy Ryder
(12:33)  6. Over Shadow Hill Way
( 6:03)  7. Adventures Aboard the Golden Mean
( 6:24)  8. Beyond the Sound Barrier

When saxophonist Wayne Shorter put together his first all-acoustic group since the '60s for a 2001 tour and live recording, Footprints Live!, it was an important confirmation that even one of the most significant artists of the past six decades could (and, perhaps, should) have something new to say. That first recording featuring pianist Danilo Perez, bassist John Patitucci, and drummer Brian Blade was as much about the thrill of discovery and new ways to look at famous Shorter compositions, including "Footprints" and "JuJu," as it was about the kind of chemistry that rarely occurs for an artist more than once in a lifetime. In the case of Shorter, who shared an equally simpatico relationship with pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Tony Williams as part of Miles Davis' mid-'60s quintet, it's proof that lightning can indeed strike twice. It's too soon to tell if Shorter's quartet will have the kind of lasting impact that Miles' quintet did, but on the strength of Beyond the Sound Barrier, there's certainly evidence that it's one of the most important working groups on the scene today. Like Footprints Live!, the new album was recorded in concert, but this time at shows dating as far back as '02 and as recently as '04. And while some groups who tour as much as this unit can run the risk of becoming complacent, finding their way into patterned behaviour and predictable responses, it's clear from the first notes of Arthur Penn's movie theme "Smilin' Through" that, if anything, this quartet is reaching even further, revelling in a shared telepathy that makes every performance a risk and a reward. Like the magic of planets aligning but far less predictably the members of Shorter's quartet sometimes appear to be circling in the same direction, but in different orbits, until the precise moment where everything converges into remarkable unity. There's an even greater sense of exploration going on this time around, but also a more vivid sense of conjoined interplay you can feel Perez, Patitucci, and Blade hovering expectantly around Shorter's theme on "Smilin' Through" until, more than six minutes in, Blade suddenly breaks into a powerful groove and everyone comes together, only to fluidly and continually dissolve and reconvene until the tune's end. In addition to Penn's tune, the quartet tackles Mendelssohn's "On the Wings of a Song," as well as five Shorter compositions including two tracks from his '88 synth-laden release Joy Ryder, proving that the value of a song is in its essence, not always its treatment. That Shorter should find a consistent working group in his seventies, able to imbue his often cerebral compositions with a visceral energy and completely unencumbered aesthetic, is proof that the humility to accept there are always new things to learn is paramount to the furtherance of any art. Beyond the Sound Barrier is a major step forward for Shorter, an artist who has always placed potential ahead of pandering and bold ideation ahead of conventional thought. ~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/beyond-the-sound-barrier-wayne-shorter-verve-music-group-review-by-john-kelman.php

Personnel: Wayne Shorter: tenor and soprano saxophones; Danilo Perez: piano; John Patitucci: bass; Brian Blade; drums.

Beyond the Sound Barrier

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Donald Fagen - Kamakiriad

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:45
Size: 117,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:33)  1. Trans-Island Skyway
(5:07)  2. Countermoon
(5:08)  3. Springtime
(7:11)  4. Snowbound
(6:19)  5. Tomorrow's Girls
(6:04)  6. Florida Room
(8:09)  7. On The Dunes
(6:11)  8. Teahouse On The Tracks

Donald Fagen's second solo album is a song cycle of sorts, following the adventures of an imaginary protagonist as he travels the world in his car, a brand-new Kamakiri. It is an odd concept, and one that is not obvious to the listener, but reflection upon Fagen's liner notes while listening to the album does tend to evoke a vision of a non-apocalyptic near future, where swingers sip cocktails and fresh vegetable juices as they groove to synthesized jazz-rock. Evocative or not, this is not Fagen's best effort. The songs on Kamakiriad are mainly static one-chord vamps, with little of the interesting off-beat hits or chord changes that characterized most of Steely Dan's corpus (although, it must be said, Two Against Nature isn't too far conceptually from what Fagen is doing here). There is a slightly antiseptic feeling to Kamakiriad. Although the drum tracks are not synthesized, they sure sound that way, and even the horns sound electronic at times, a far cry from the lush arrangements of Aja. Another shortcoming of this record is the fact that the verse melodies don't sound very developed. The choruses are as catchy and cryptic as you would expect from Donald Fagen, but the verses are less than memorable. Walter Becker, who produced the record, as well as contributing bass and guitar, also co-wrote "Snowbound." Perhaps not surprisingly, it does the best job at evoking classic Steely Dan. Kamakiriad is pleasant as background music, but in the end it doesn't provide enough interesting moments to rank as a must-have. The static grooves, coupled with the long song lengths, and general lack of dynamic movement makes this record one of the least essential of Fagen's recorded output. However, Steely Dan completists will certainly find enough here to keep them happy. ~ Daniel Gioffre https://www.allmusic.com/album/kamakiriad-mw0000392309   

Personnel: Donald Fagen (vocals, keyboards); George Wadenius (guitar); Lou Marini (alto saxophone, flute); Cornelius Bumpus, Illinois Elohainu (tenor saxophone); Lawrence Feldman, Dave Tofani (tenor saxophone, flute); Ronnie Cuber, Roger Rosenberg (baritone saxophone); Alan Rubin (trumpet, flugelhorn); Jim Pugh, Birch Johnson (trombone); Paul Griffin (Hammond B-3 organ); Walter Becker (bass, guitar); Leroy Clouden (drums, percussion); Christopher Parker, Dennis McDermott (drums); Bashiri Johnson (percussion).

Kamakiriad

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Dr.Lonnie Smith Trio - Purple Haze

Styles: Piano, Post Bop
Year: 1994
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:21
Size: 129,8 MB
Art: Front

(12:23)  1. Voodoo Chile
( 9:49)  2. Up From The Skies
(16:57)  3. Gypsy Eyes
(17:10)  4. Purple Haze - Star Spangled Banner

In the early '70s, Lonnie Smith's recordings frequently exhibited a debt to Jimi Hendrix's groundbreaking fusions, but he waited until 1995 to release Foxy Lady, a full-fledged tribute to the innovative guitarist. Foxy Lady was so successful that Smith decided to make another Hendrix album, again with John Abercrombie and Marvin "Smitty" Smith. Purple Haze is as entertaining as Foxy Lady it's truly remarkable to hear how these blues-rockers can open up into soul-jazz numbers tinged with free jazz influences and confirms not only Hendrix's composing talents, but also Smith's vision. ~ Leo Stanley https://www.allmusic.com/album/purple-haze-a-tribute-to-jimi-hendrix-mw0000180872

Personnel: Lonnie Smith (organ); John Abercrombie (guitar); Marvin "Smitty" Smith (drums)

Purple Haze

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