Scott Hamilton - Late Night Christmas Eve: Romantic Sax With Strings

Styles: Saxophone, Christmas
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:54
Size: 135,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:44)  1. The Christmas Song (Chestnust Roasting On An Open Fire)
(5:29)  2. I'll Be Home For Christmas
(5:24)  3. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
(6:02)  4. Little Drummer Boy
(5:15)  5. Christmas Waltz
(3:34)  6. Winter Wonderland
(4:46)  7. Greensleeves (What Child Is This?)
(4:58)  8. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
(6:29)  9. White Christmas
(4:47) 10. Bell Carol Blues
(6:22) 11. Christmas Love Song

When Scott Hamilton appeared in the mid-'70s fully formed with an appealing swing style on tenor (mixing Zoot Sims and Ben Webster), he caused a minor sensation few other young players during the fusion era were exploring pre-bop jazz at his high level. He began playing when he was 16 and developed quickly, moving to New York in 1976. Hamilton played with Benny Goodman in the late '70s, but he has mostly performed as a leader, sometimes sharing the spotlight with Warren Vaché, Ruby Braff, Rosemary Clooney, the Concord Jazz All-Stars, or George Wein's Newport Jazz Festival All-Stars. Other than a few sessions for Famous Door and Progressive, Hamilton has recorded a prolific string of dates for many labels often more than two a year that are notable for their consistency and solid swing. Highlights of his 21st century dates include 2010's Live at Nefertiti with the Scandinavian Five and 'Round Midnight in duo with pianist Harry Allen in 2012. In 2014, Fremeaux & Associes released Scott Hamilton Plays with the Dany Doriz Caveau de la Huchette Orchestra one of five albums issued under his name that year. Scott Hamilton Plays Jule Styne was issued in 2015, which also netted a handful of dates. La Rosita, with Dena DeRose, Ignasi González, and Jo Krause, marked his debut for Discmedi in 2016 it was the third year in a row in which he issued five albums. 2017 was right on pace, with three albums by mid-year including Things We Did Last Summer w/Champian Fulton, Ballads for Audiophiles, and his second date for Discmedi, Shadow of Your Smile. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/scott-hamilton-mn0000254879/biography

Late Night Christmas Eve: Romantic Sax With Strings

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Musica Nuda - Musica Nuda

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:35
Size: 117,7 MB
Art: Front

(2:32)  1. Eleanor Rigby
(3:18)  2. Roxanne
(4:20)  3. Prendila Così
(3:56)  4. Run With Me
(3:50)  5. I Will Survive
(2:29)  6. Guarda Che Luna
(0:58)  7. Maledetto Sia L'aspetto
(1:56)  8. Blackbird
(3:38)  9. Sacrifice
(2:36) 10. How Intro - How Insensive
(1:50) 11. Voglio Di Vita Uscir
(3:00) 12. Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head
(1:37) 13. Nessuno
(6:06) 14. Nature Boy
(8:24) 15. Imagine

Comprised of vocalist Petra Magoni and bassist Ferruccio Spinetti, Musica Nuda are an Italian vocal jazz-pop duo whose popularity carried over to neighboring countries, especially France, during the mid-2000s. Born in Pisa, Tuscany, on July 28, 1972, Magoni studied music at the Conservatory of Leghorn and at the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music in Milan. A versatile singer, she performed opera at the Teatro Verdi in Pisa early in her career while at the same time fronting a local rock group, Senza Freni. Petra Magoni (1996) marked her full-length solo album debut and was followed by a second solo album, Mulini a Vento (1997). She subsequently adopted the moniker Sweet Anima and released an eponymous album of English-language songs written by Lucio Battisti in 2000. In addition, she collaborated with Giampaolo Antoni in the electro-pop duo Aromatic, which resulted in the album Still Alive (2004). Most successful among her recording ventures, however, was Musica Nuda, a vocal jazz-pop collaboration with Piccola Orchestra Avion Travel bassist Ferruccio Spinetti that made its critically acclaimed eponymous album debut in 2004. Comprised primarily of well-known standards, many of them in English (e.g., the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby"), the album was later licensed for reissue internationally by the Bonsaï Music label. While the duo's eponymous debut proved successful from a critical standpoint, the follow-up album, Musica Nuda 2 (2006), was internationally successful from a commercial standpoint as well, breaking into the French albums chart for seven weeks. Running two discs and 27 songs in length, Musica Nuda 2 features numerous guests. In the midst of their international breakthrough success, Magoni and Spinetti released a pair of live recordings: a video, Live in Paris (2006); and an album, Live à Fip (2007). A third studio album, 55/21 (2008), followed shortly thereafter. ~ Jason Birchmeier https://www.allmusic.com/artist/musica-nuda-mn0002115936/biography

Musica Nuda

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Tom Grant - You Hardly Know Me

Styles: Piano, Vibraphone Jazz
Year: 1981
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:35
Size: 110,2 MB
Art: Front

(3:52)  1. The Imposter
(3:52)  2. Heaven Is Waiting - Radio Mix
(3:58)  3. Whatever Feels Right
(3:47)  4. So Free
(3:45)  5. Workers of the World
(4:00)  6. You Hardly Know Me
(4:35)  7. High School Fantasies
(4:26)  8. Big Charlie
(4:27)  9. Brain Damage
(5:08) 10. Heaven Is Waiting - Extended Edit
(5:41) 11. Heaven Is Waiting - 12" Mix

Tom Grant, who has impressive technique and a likable style, has spent most of his recording career making music that purposely appeals to a wide crossover audience, combining jazz with pop and R&B. His father was a tap dancer who owned a record store and his older brother Mike played piano. When he was four, Grant began playing piano and drums. He graduated from the University of Oregon and then went to New York with Jim Pepper's Pow Wow band. He earned a masters degree in education and was teaching high-school social studies in Portland when Woody Shaw heard him playing at a weekend after-hours gig. Shaw offered Grant a job with his group and the experience soon led to more extensive work with Joe Henderson, Dexter Gordon, Charles Lloyd, and Tony Williams (1979-1981). Grant cut his first solo record in 1976 for Timeless and in 1979 he formed his own band, which was open to the pop music that the keyboardist loved. Starting in 1983 and continuing into the new millennium, Grant has recorded a lengthy series of poppish jazz-influenced dates (for labels including Chase, Verve Forecast, Shanachie, Double Play, and Nu-Wrinkle) that have variously fallen into the categories of new adult contemporary, quiet storm, contemporary jazz, and smooth jazz; all have been best-sellers in the jazz-lite market. In addition, Tom Grant has composed music for TV and radio. ~ Scott Yanow https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/you-hardly-know-me/306061964

Personnel: Backing Vocals, Piano, Synthesizer, Vibraphone, Percussion – Tom Grant ; Backing Vocals – Bob James ; Bass – Lester McFarland; Drums – Gary Hobbs; Guitar – Tod Carver; Saxophone – Gary Clinton; Trombone – Jeff Uusitalo; Trumpet – Laine Larson, Richard Burdell

You Hardly Know Me

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Dick Hyman - Themes & Variations On A Child Is Born

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1977
File: MP3@192K/s
Time: 48:01
Size: 66,8 MB
Art: Front

( 1:01)  1. Theme - A Child Is Born
( 1:39)  2. Cecil Taylor
( 3:20)  3. Art Tatum
( 2:54)  4. Bill Evans
(18:17)  5. Dick Hyman
( 2:07)  6. Scott Joplin
( 2:54)  7. Jelly Roll Morton
( 3:06)  8. James P. Johnson
( 2:43)  9. Earl Hines
( 2:13) 10. Fats Waller
( 3:00) 11. Teddy Wilson
( 3:17) 12. Erroll Garner
( 1:23) 13. George Shearing

This is a unique and rather successful project. Pianist Dick Hyman, who has long had the ability to play credibly in any jazz style (although he tends to stick to prebop), performs Thad Jones' classic ballad "A Child Is Born" in the style of a dozen different pianists, including himself. Hyman infuses his interpretations with occasional humorous song quotes and does a superb job of emulating Scott Joplin, Jelly Roll Morton, James P. Johnson, Earl Hines, Fats Waller, Teddy Wilson, Erroll Garner, George Shearing, Cecil Taylor, Art Tatum and Bill Evans before launching into a 17½ minute version in his own style. The results are utterly fascinating, making one wish that the pianist had also chosen Albert Ammons, Bud Powell and McCoy Tyner. Unfortunately this LP has yet to be reissued but it is certainly a unique gem. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/themes-and-variations-on-a-child-is-born-mw0000897996

Themes & Variations On A Child Is Born

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Burak Bedikyan/Jay Anderson/Adam Nussbaum - New Beginning

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:16
Size: 159,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:53)  1. No Complaints
(9:20)  2. Surya
(1:12)  3. Interlude
(3:50)  4. Epilogue
(8:49)  5. Ayça
(1:35)  6. Prelude
(9:04)  7. Rue Dauphin
(2:50)  8. Leo
(5:05)  9. Blues Me Up
(9:41) 10. Things We Are
(7:56) 11. Stella by Starlight
(5:55) 12. Magic Carpet

A record that bursts with life and energy right from the very first note  thanks to a wealth of original compositions from pianist Burak Bedikyan  an artist who's slowly been building up a great legacy of music on the Steeplechase label over the past few years! Bedikyan works here in a trio with strong Steeplechase rhythm work from Jay Anderson on bass and Adam Nussbaum on drums  to very fluid, compatible players who definitely find the right sort of spirit for Burak's music which partly involves dropping back at all the right points  as Bedikyan's always able to explore space very openly on his own. There's a nice sense of freedom in the music, but never in an avant way  as the tunes always glisten with lots of lyrical colors  on titles that include "No Complaints", "Ayca", "Leo", "Rue Dauphin", "Blues Me Up", "Magic Carpet", "Things We Are", and "Epilogue".  © 1996-2018, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/900097/Burak-Bedikyan:New-Beginning

Personnel:  Burak Bedikyan - piano; Jay Anderson - bass; Adam Nussbaum - drums

New Beginning

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