The John Pizzarelli Trio - Let's Share Christmas

Styles: Christmas, Vocal Jazz, Swing, Big Band 
Year: 1995
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:36
Size: 101,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:25)  1. Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow
(3:55)  2. Let's Share Christmas
(3:23)  3. White Christmas
(5:03)  4. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
(4:19)  5. What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?
(2:50)  6. Sleigh Ride
(3:46)  7. Christmas Time Is Here
(3:44)  8. I'll Be Home for Christmas
(3:10)  9. Santa Claus Is Near
(3:48) 10. The Christmas Song
(3:12) 11. Snowfall
(3:54) 12. Silent Night

Let's Share Christmas is an engaging holiday record from John Pizzarelli. Featuring several songs arranged and conducted by Johnny Mandel, Michel Legrand and Claire Fischer, the album isn't just Pizzarelli and his trio  instead, his small combo combines with a series of 40-piece orchestras that give the music a grand, elegant sweep that combines the best of big-band pop and hip, swinging jazz. ~ Thom Owens https://www.allmusic.com/album/lets-share-christmas-mw0000080446

Personnel:  John Pizzarelli – guitar; Martin Pizzarelli – double-bass; Ray Kennedy – piano; Harry Allen – saxophone; Jay Berliner – guitar; Jeff Clayton – saxophone; Andy Fusco – saxophone; Bill Watrous – trombone; Michel Legrand – conductor; The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra; Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra

Let's Share Christmas

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Ronnell Bright - Bright's Spot

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1956
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:05
Size: 71,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:02)  1. Pennies From Heaven
(3:54)  2. Gone With The Wind
(3:54)  3. If I'm Lucky
(4:14)  4. Blue Zepher
(3:52)  5. Struttin' In
(3:49)  6. I See Your Face Before Me
(3:14)  7. Bright's Spot
(4:04)  8. Little Girl Blue

This drummerless piano trio dates from 1956 and is a gently swinging mix of bop and mainstream styles from talented pianist and composer Ronnell Bright. Not a household name, but Bright has worked with Coleman Hawkins, Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Vaughan, and other illuminaries. His compositions have been performed by an equally stellar collection of players. This collaboration with guitarist Kenny Burrell and bassist Leonard Gaskin is a slightly updated variation of the drummer-less Nat Cole and Ahmad Jamal trios, groups that also featured superb guitarists (Oscar Moore and Ray Crawford, respectively). Burrell's presence on this mix of standards and Bright originals is key. 

He is the engine that swings the set, making the date a memorable one with his exquisite ballad work, hot bebop lines, choicely voiced comping on the slower tunes, and driving chord flurries on the up-tempo numbers. Gaskin takes a background role, leaving Bright and Burrell room to maneuver. While this is a fine session from their leader, fans of the guitarist will especially want to seek it out. As with many of his appearances on Savoy dates, Burrell has a way of becoming the focal point. In this case, he does so with playing that stands among his finest recorded performances. ~ Jim Todd https://www.allmusic.com/album/brights-spot-mw0000107877

Personnel: Ronnell Bright - piano;  Kenny Burrell - guitar; Leonard Gaskin - bass

Bright's Spot

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Tim Tamashiro - Drinky

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:21
Size: 86,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:21)  1. I Won't Dance
(3:45)  2. Sunday In New York
(4:00)  3. You've Made Me So Very Happy
(2:23)  4. Have You Met Miss Jones'
(3:46)  5. Dream Weaver
(2:53)  6. I Get a Kick Out Of You
(2:51)  7. Accentchuate The Positive
(2:37)  8. How Do You Like Your Eggs In The Morning'
(3:11)  9. For Once In My Life
(3:25) 10. I'll Never Leave You
(5:04) 11. What A Wonderful World

Drinky is a new philosophy for you to relish jazz. I coined the phrase drinky jazz for a special reason. I've always yearned for people to see that jazz is fun music. But often just the mention of jazz freaks people out. When jazz is brought up in conversation many people react by tensing up. Then they almost always they say, I don't like jazz. When I mention the idea of drinky jazz to people they almost magically open up to jazz. Drinky jazz lets you drop the notion that all jazz is weird or thinky. Drinky jazz is fun because it's designed to be pleasing and interactive. You can bring your funnest friends along to eat, drink and laugh. Talk if you want to. If I'm doing my job singing drinky jazz I will EARN your ears. This drinky jazz philosophy promises you three things: great songs, cold drinks and bad jokes. I hope Drinky is the mark of a new jazz movement where you can discover the joy of jazz. It's incredible music with the most talented musicians anywhere. Let's go on this journey together and most of all let's have fun with a bit of swinging music! ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Drinky-Tim-Tamashiro/dp/B0189FT5SU

Personnel:  Tim Tamashiro - Vocal; Tilden Webb -  Piano; Jodi Proznick - Bass; Jesse Cahill - Drums; Cory Weeds - Saxophone; Vince Mai - Trumpet; Rod Murray - Trombone

Drinky

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Johnny Hartman - Today + I've Been There

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:00
Size: 179,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:59)  1. By The Time I Get To Phoenix
(4:27)  2. Didn't We
(4:27)  3. Games People Play
(4:12)  4. Betcha By Golly Wow
(3:21)  5. Summer Wind
(4:04)  6. Help Me Make It Through The Night
(5:44)  7. Folks Who Live On The Hill
(5:07)  8. We've Only Just Begun
(4:43)  9. I've Got To Be Me
(2:08) 10. 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)
(4:49) 11. Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head
(3:34) 12. If
(3:56) 13. Rainy Days And Mondays
(3:38) 14. You Go To My Head
(4:16) 15. Meditation
(3:56) 16. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
(3:51) 17. Sunday Sun
(4:07) 18. For The Good Times
(2:32) 19. Easy Come, Easy Go

Today and I've Been There were both ill-advised attempts at bringing Johnny Hartman into the pop mainstream in the early '70s. Previously, Hartman's rich voice sounded as if was capable of anything, but these records prove that wasn't the case. Recorded for the Perception label, these two albums find Hartman running through such '70s pop and soul standards as "By the Time I Get to Phoenix," "Games People Play," "Betcha By Golly Wow," "Help Me Make It Through the Night," "We've Only Just Begun," "59th Street Bridge Song," "If," "Rainy Days and Mondays," "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" and "For the Good Times." Although he sounds fine, he doesn't sound comfortable and the slick musical backdrops aren't well-suited for the hushed intimacy of his voice. Occasionaly, as on the lush treatment of "Summer Wind," everything falls together and the music achieves the high standards of Hartman, but for the most part this single-disc pairing of Today and I've Been There is certainly sub-par. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine https://www.allmusic.com/album/today-ive-been-there-mw0000031664

Personnel: Vocal - Johnny Hartman; Arranged By – Tony Monte (2);  Bass – Earl May (tracks: 10-19); Drums – Don Reid (tracks: 10-19); Flute – Jimmy Heath (tracks: 10-19); Guitar – Al Gaffa (tracks: 10-19), Bob Rose (tracks: 10-19);  Keyboards – Ken Ascher (tracks: 10-19);  Tenor Saxophone – Jimmy Heath (tracks: 10-19)

I've Been There

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Simone Kopmajer - Daydreaming

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 25:23
Size: 58,9 MB
Art: Front

(3:30)  1. If We Never Met Again
(4:04)  2. Crazy Moon
(3:35)  3. Day Dreaming
(4:04)  4. Cat Song
(3:56)  5. Time And Time Again
(2:40)  6. Travelling To You
(3:30)  7. You Can Kiss Me

With all audiophile music lovers in mind, Simone Kopmajer presents Daydreaming. It includes brand-new original material in a smooth and relaxing jazzy mood as well as cover songs like Aretha Franklin’s “Day Dreaming”, Merle Haggard’s “Crazy Moon” and Pat Metheny’s masterpiece “Travels” in the vocal version “Travelling to You”. 

The original songs on Daydreaming are the result of Simone’s long-time and fruitful song writing collaboration with lyricist Karolin Tuerk. As a premiere, however, S.K. has brought out the pianist in herself and played all piano parts on this recording. http://www.simonekopmajer.com/news/2017/12/11/6u46n2uv8h7azmxupfn3a9nhj67lqc

Daydreaming

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