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Pee Wee Ellis - A New Shift

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:09
Size: 143,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:41)  1. It's a Funky Thing to Do
(6:44)  2. Chicken Soup
(6:10)  3. What a Wonderful World
(5:33)  4. I'm So Tired of Being Alone
(5:09)  5. A New Shift
(4:21)  6. Back Home
(6:20)  7. How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?
(5:06)  8. Inarticulate Speech of the Heart
(3:47)  9. Spring Like
(6:14) 10. New Moon
(8:00) 11. Come on in the House

Saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis was the architect of James Brown's era-defining soul classics of the late '60s, introducing the dynamic arrangements and punishing rhythms that would define the emerging language of funk. Born Alfred Ellis in Bradenton, FL, on April 21, 1941, he was raised in Lubbock, TX, and was playing professionally by the time he reached middle school. In 1955, his family relocated to Rochester, NY, where he collaborated with classmates (and fledgling jazzmen) Chuck Mangione and Ron Carter. Ellis spent the summer of 1957 under the tutelage of sax giant Sonny Rollins, and after graduating high school he returned to Florida to form his own R&B combo, Dynamics Incorporated. The experience honed his skills as a writer, arranger, and multi-instrumentalist, and after a brief stint with the Sonny Payne Trio he joined the James Brown Revue in 1965. Assigned alto sax and organ duties, Ellis quickly proved himself an invaluable contributor to arrangements and horn charts as well, and when Nat Jones quit the lineup in early 1967, Brown named Ellis his new musical director, resulting in significant refinements to the Godfather of Soul's sound. Ellis channeled the lessons of his jazz background to strip Brown's music to its bare essentials, showcasing bold, precise horns and repetitive rhythms with a minimum of melodic embellishment hits like "Cold Sweat," "Licking Stick-Licking Stick," and "Funky Drummer" redefined the sound and scope of soul, pointing the way for its transformation to funk. Ellis went on to co-write and arrange a series of James Brown smashes, including "Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud" and "Mother Popcorn," as well as issuing a handful of solo singles on Brown's label King, among them "Little Green Apples" and "In the Middle." He resigned from Brown's band in the autumn of 1969, and after settling in New York City he signed to the Nashville-based Sound Stage 7 label and issued the rare groove classic "Moonwalk." Ellis also emerged as a sought-after session player, contributing to dates headlined by everyone from soul-jazz great Brother Jack McDuff to a latter-day blues-rock incarnation of the Blues Magoos. He then served as musical director and arranger for the CTI label's influential fusion imprint Kudu, overseeing sessions for Esther Phillips, George Benson, and Hank Crawford.

Ellis next teamed with the studio group Gotham to record the LP Pass the Butter for Motown's Natural Resources subsidiary before resuming his solo career with his first-ever full-length effort, the 1976 Savoy release Home in the Country. After relocating to San Francisco, Ellis formed a short-lived fusion quintet with soprano saxophonist Dave Liebman, also playing on and producing Liebman's 1977 A&M release Light'n Up Please! With 1979's Into the Music, he was named arranger for blue-eyed soul mystic Van Morrison, a collaboration that spanned until 1986 and included a series of well-regarded albums including Common One and Inarticulate Speech of the Heart.  Ellis spent much of the late '80s touring behind longtime Brown backing vocalist Bobby Byrd in tandem with fellow J.B.'s alums Fred Wesley and Maceo Parker as the JB Horns, debuting on disc with the 1990 release Pee Wee, Fred and Maceo. Subsequent efforts include I Like It Like That and Funky Good Time/Live. After the JB Horns went on hiatus in 1992, Ellis reunited with another Brown alum, drummer Clyde Stubblefield, for the album Blues Mission. He then returned to his jazz roots with 1993's acclaimed Twelve and More Blues, a live set cut in Köln, Germany, with bassist Dwayne Dolphin and drummer Bruce Cox. That summer, Ellis also headlined a week of sold-out dates at Ronnie Scott's in London, an experience that shaped both his movement into acid jazz with 1994's Sepia Tonality and subsequent relocation to western England. With the move overseas, Ellis also resumed his partnership with Van Morrison on the latter's 1995 effort, Days Like This, serving as musical director of Morrison's studio and stage crew for years to follow; Ellis also formed his own band, the Pee Wee Ellis Assembly, for 1996's A New Shift. The group remained active in concert and on record for years to follow, confining most of its activities to Europe and pursuing a direction Ellis dubbed "smunk" -- i.e., smooth funk. ~ Jason Ankeny https://www.allmusic.com/artist/pee-wee-ellis-mn0000305424/biography

Personnel: Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Vocals – Pee Wee Ellis; Drums – Guido May; Electric Bass – Patrick Scales; Guitar – Martin Scales; Keyboards – Roberto Di Gioia; Trombone – Fred Wesley; Trumpet – Till Brönner

A New Shift

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Peter Zak - Standards

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2016
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:55
Size: 158,8 MB
Art: Front

(7:57)  1. Moon and Sand
(7:16)  2. I Loves You Porgy
(5:50)  3. The Night Has a Thousand Eyes
(5:37)  4. I Had the Craziest Dream
(6:48)  5. So in Love
(7:25)  6. The Star-Crossed Lovers
(7:08)  7. I'm All Smiles
(6:54)  8. The Very Thought of You
(7:45)  9. Wives and Lovers
(6:08) 10. Indian Summer

Peter's newly released recording, One Mind, is something of a departure for him. A close collaboration with bassist Marcos Varela, it's a quartet set that also includes Billy Drummond on drums, and acclaimed saxophonist Seamus Blake. The album features several new compositions and arrangements, and veers into some surprising musical paths. Peter's well-received previous release, Standards, remains a culminating example of his efforts as a jazz pianist and bandleader. A trio session that features his recent frequent collaborator, drummer Billy Drummond, and a newer bandmate, bassist Jay Anderson, the recording demonstrates the fluidity, knowledge and command that he has developed over more than twenty years of performing and recording with some of the world's best jazz musicians. Peter Zak was born on May 13, 1965, in Los Angeles and grew up in Columbus and Kent, Ohio. When he was five, his mother taught him the basics of piano playing and reading music, and after six months, he began a decade-long series of private lessons, including a period with internationally renowned concert pianist Margaret Baxtresser. After the family moved to Oakland when Zak was 16, he developed an interest in jazz when his high school band director showed him how to play the chord changes to Stella by Starlight. Studies with Susan Muscarella, now president of the California Jazz Conservatory, followed at UC Berkeley, where he also played in the UC Jazz Ensembles and earned a B.A. in history. He was soon gigging around Northern California with saxophonist John Handy, among others. Since relocating to New York, he has performed and/or recorded with Junior Cook, George Coleman, Jimmy Cobb, Billy Hart, Ryan Kisor, Etta Jones, Scott Hamilton, Peter Bernstein, Al Foster, Eric Alexander, Curtis Stigers, Walt Weiskopf, and Jon Hendricks, among many others. Peter is also a faculty member in the renowned jazz program at New School University. In 2005, Peter received a prestigious $10,000 grant from the Doris Duke Foundation and Chamber Music America to compose and perform a new work for his jazz trio, featuring Al Foster and Paul Gill. The first of two performances of this three-part suite took place at Smoke Jazz Club, and the second at the Jazz Gallery, both in New York City. Since 2005, Peter has released a series of critically acclaimed recordings for the Danish jazz label, SteepleChase Records. His first release for the company, The Peter Zak Trio, featuring drummer Al Foster, and bassist Paul Gill, appeared that year. Subsequent releases include For Tomorrow, featuring Paul Gill and drummer Willie Jones III, in 2006; a solo piano album, My Conception, in 2007; Seed Of Sin, featuring Paul Gill and drummer Quincy Davis, in 2008; Blues on the Corner: The Music of McCoy Tyner, again featuring Paul Gill and Quincy Davis, in 2009; and The Decider, a quartet album including Walt Weiskopf on saxophones, Ugonna Okegwo on bass, and drummer Billy Drummond.

Down East, a trio date featuring Peter Washington and Billy Drummond, appeared in the spring of 2011. Among the enthusiastic national and international press for this release was a profile in the September, 2011, issue of DownBeat magazine. This release was followed by Nordic Noon, in 2012, The Eternal Triangle, in 2013, and The Disciple in 2014, which reached #2 on the Jazz Week radio chart.Peter remains quite busy as a recording sideman as well. His dozens of credits include the recent albums Day In, Night Out, See the Pyramid, Overdrive, and Open Road by Walt Weiskopf; Pendulum, by Mike Richmond; Another Scene and Back East by Doug Webb; Stephen Riley's Deuce, Lover, Baubles, Bangles and Beads and Haunted Heart; Ryan Kisor's Live at Smalls, and Tom Guarna's Major Minor, among many others. Peter leads his own groups at various venues in and around New York, such as Smalls, Mezzrow, The Kitano, and Smoke, as well as leading national and international appearances, including recent performances at the Copenhagen Jazz Festival, the Zacatecas jazz festival in Mexico, and a tour of Canada as a co-leader with saxophonist Walt Weiskopf. At the same time, he has been performing regularly as a sideman with a host of other artists, including Jim Snidero, Peter Bernstein, Ryan Kisor, Jimmy Cobb, Walt Weiskopf, Carlos Abadie, Doug Webb, and many others, both in the U.S and internationally. In 2011, Peter performed with the Brooklyn Philharmonic as the featured soloist on Gershwin's I Got Rhythm Variations. https://www.peterzakmusic.com/bio

Personnel: Peter Zak - piano, composer;  Jay Anderson - bass; Billy Drummond - drums

Standards

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The Modern Jazz Quartet - Beginnings

Styles: Jazz, Hard Bop
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:04
Size: 100,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:29)  1. Softly As In A Morning Sunrise
(3:39)  2. Love Me, Pretty Baby
(2:57)  3. Autumn Breeze
(3:08)  4. Milt Meets Sid
(3:16)  5. Moving Nicely
(2:56)  6. D & E
(2:31)  7. Heart And Soul
(3:02)  8. True Blues
(2:47)  9. Bluesology
(2:31) 10. Yesterdays
(2:57) 11. 'Round About Midnight
(2:37) 12. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea
(2:48) 13. Bluesology
(4:20) 14. Blues Mood

This album is certain to be placed in the MJQ section of any shop that carries it. In reality though, only four of the cuts here feature the permanent, stand-alone, 1952-vintage Modern Jazz Quartet; the other eight having been done in the summer and fall of 1951, when they were still known as the Milt Jackson Quartet, with Jackson providing all of the original material. The differences are so subtle as to be indistinguishable  Milt Jackson and John Lewis are on every cut, while Al Johns subs for Kenny Clarke on drums, and Ray Brown precedes Percy Heath on four of the tracks. Clarke's drumming is more impressive in its quiet way, but Ray Brown's bass work is simpler and more forceful. The sound is fair, with some hints of distortion that's been repaired, on this otherwise nicely done reissue. [The 2003 reissue on Savoy Jazz changed the title of the original album to Beginnings and added two bonus tracks: a 1949 version of "Bluesology" by Milt Jackson, and a large group featuring Billy Mitchell on sax and Roy Haynes on drums, and a 1954 version of "Blues Mood" by Kenny Clarke with Milt Jackson and Percy Heath.] ~ Bruce Eder https://www.allmusic.com/album/release/beginnings-mr0000319628

Beginnings

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Ola Onabule - It's the Peace That Deafens

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:22
Size: 127,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:05)  1. Dark Matter
(4:20)  2. The Girl That She Was
(4:59)  3. Jankoriko
(5:00)  4. Love Again
(4:54)  5. Patience Endures
(4:28)  6. Herbs for Your Heartache
(4:41)  7. It's the Peace That Deafens
(5:26)  8. The Voodoo
(4:16)  9. Invincible
(4:37) 10. In Your Shoes
(4:37) 11. Orunmila
(3:55) 12. In the End

Success in the music business can offer the artist several choices, to continue doing what is popular, or decide to take music in a personal direction. With a respected discography going back to 1995, and having pushed the edge of soul-pop in the UK and Europe, versatile vocalist Ola Onabule opts for expanding upon his diverse bi-cultural heritage in It's The Peace That Deafens. Creating a dramatic departure from his previous releases, Onabulé explores jazz inclinations, world influences, and personal insights, presented in a sophisticated ambience. Though born in Britain, Onabulé was raised in Lagos, Nigeria, where the inspiration came for this release. Blessed with a voice that spans two octaves, he utilizes his vocal skills in an instrumental manner, offering unique nuances, syncopation, and modulations. Prepared with twelve original compositions, he lays out a conceptual record that flows seamlessly through jazz territory as on "The Girl That She Was," leaving ample space for saxophonist Villu Veski to color the background. There are African stories of tribal justice in "Jankoriko," performed with a strong juju rhythm, and "Orunmila," a reference to the Yoruban orisha (god) of wisdom, knowledge, and divination. Traces of Caribbean reggae are evident in "Love Again," with deft strumming by guitarist Femi Temowo, and an influence of Earth, Wind, and Fire passes through "The Voodoo." 

The title track is a sensitive ballad, that drifts into an operatic blues, as Onabulé stretches his voice into the emotional horizon. He wrote this tune as a witness to situations beyond control, where inner stability and survival can be achieved through peace, but it's the peace that deafens. "Invincible," is highlighted by the interplay with trumpeter Jukka Eskola, laced with a distinctive African jazz vibe, it is a superb upbeat number. As a message to the young men coming up, "In Your Shoes," is advice from a man who has been there, done that, and came out better for it. This is one where he shows his mastery of the classic soul idiom. After a run of effective soul characterized albums, Onabulé since 2009 has had acclaimed tours and engagements with some of the major European jazz orchestras as the WDR Big Band, and SWR band, both based out of Germany. He is also in high demand on the international concert circuit. The collective years spent in this intense environment, inevitably led to a refined focus in his compositions, and mature approach in his presentations. This record is a substantial convergence of introspection, dedication, and talent, showcasing a consummate performer at the crest of his craft. ~ James Nadal https://www.allaboutjazz.com/its-the-peace-that-deafens-ola-onabule-dot-time-records-review-by-james-nadal.php

Personnel: Ola Onabulé: vocals; Jukka Eskola: trumpet (9); Villu Veski: saxophone (2); Snake Davis: flute (12); Ross Stanley: keyboards, piano, Hammond organ, (3, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12); Pete Adams: piano, keyboards (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7); John Parricelli: guitar (5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12); Femi Temowo: guitar (2, 3, 4); Phil Mulford: bass; Jack Pollitt: drums (5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12); Chris Nickolls: drums (1, 6, 7); Ralph Salmins: drums (2, 3, 4); Will Fry: percussion (1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10).

It's the Peace That Deafens

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Sara Gazarek - Thirsty Ghost

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:41
Size: 148,9 MB
Art: Front

(5:58)  1. Lonely Hours
(3:47)  2. Never Will I Marry
(4:47)  3. I'm Not the Only One
(4:18)  4. Easy Love
(5:43)  5. I Get Along Without You Very Well
(5:43)  6. I Believe (When I Fall in Love)
(4:34)  7. Jolene
(5:27)  8. Gaslight District
(6:59)  9. The River/River Man
(0:33) 10. Intro: Chrysalis
(5:53) 11. Cocoon
(6:11) 12. Distant Storm
(4:45) 13. Spinning Round

Sara Gazarek has been working as a professional jazz singer since 2004. You can find plenty of vintage YouTube clips of her singing Great American Songbook material in a breezy, polished manner. A few years ago, things began to happen in her life. There was near-death tragedy in her family, her marriage fell apart and she began to wonder about her professional future. On this, her sixth album, her reactions to all this have resulted in a broadening and deepening of her art. She sings here with a new-found power and earnestness and draws her repertoire from a wide array of sources including Stevie Wonder, Nick Drake and her own writing. The music on the set includes funky fusion tracks, acoustic ballads and hybrids of differing styles. Hoagy Carmichael's "I Get Along Without You Very Well" gets a simple treatment with wistful voice against a piano trio while Frank Loesser's "Never Will I Marry" is buoyed by a bubbly African rhythm. Cuts like"I'm Not The Only One" and Stevie Wonder's "I Believe When I Fall In Love" have plush electric funk or soul backing and are brought to life through the earnest humanity of Gazarek's singing. She shows a more subtle sensuality on "Easy Love," cooing over sophisticated jazz-pop led by Larry Goldings' organ and Stu Mindeman's piano. The drama really comes out in Dolly Parton's classic country ballad, "Jolene." Over a turbulent rumble of piano and drums, Gazarek's voice starts out intense and gets harder and angrier as the song goes on. By the end she is practically screaming at Jolene to keep away from her man.

Over its last few tracks, the CD takes a more philosophical turn. "Gaslight District" is a calming combination of jazz and folk impulses with Gazarek's vocal supported by sensitive reeds. The horn section also provides a soothing backdrop to her singing of a Sara Teasdale poem "The River" which segues into Nick Drake's magical "River Man" sung over a gently rocking electric piano. Bjork's typically dreamlike "Cocoon" allows Gazarek to stretch her voice in a weightless atmosphere surrounded by softly pulsing bass and percussion and ghostly electric piano. Finally she sings her own words over the open sky landscapes of Brad Mehldau's composition, "Distant Storm," her voice firm with quiet conviction as she climbs through the folk-tinged melody with help from a rich alto solo by Josh Johnson and an elegant vocal interlude by her friend and mentor, Kurt Elling. This is the finest music of Sara Gazarek's career to date. Her voice is still glossy and polished but now it also has purpose and maturity. She sounds like a woman who has faced challenges and survived. The music on these tracks goes in several different directions but the depth and honesty of Gazarek's singing ties them all together. As the picture on the CD cover suggests, this work comes directly from her heart. ~ Jerome Wilson https://www.allaboutjazz.com/thirsty-ghost-sara-gazarek-self-produced-review-by-jerome-wilson.php

Personnel: Sara Gazarek: voice; Stu Mindeman: piano, rhodes; Alex Boneham: bass; Christian Euman: piano; Josh Johnson: alto saxophone; Danny Janklow: alto saxophone; Ido Meshulam: trombone; Brian Walsh: bass clarinet; Erin Bentlage, Michael Mayo: background vocals; Keita Ogawa: percussion (2); Aaron Serfaty: percussion (6); Larry Goldings: organ (4,8); Kurt Elling: voice (12).

Thirsty Ghost

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Eli Degibri - Israeli Song

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:51
Size: 131,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:51)  1. Unrequited
(6:26)  2. Mr. R.C.
(5:23)  3. Judy the Dog
(5:46)  4. Jealous Eyes
(6:26)  5. Manic Depressive
(4:24)  6. Bebop
(3:51)  7. Liora
(4:18)  8. Look What You Do to Me
(4:19)  9. Third Plane
(4:21) 10. Somewhere over the Rainbow
(4:40) 11. Israeli Song

Saxophonist Eli Degibri's name may be the least familiar one on the cover of Israeli Song. His quartet mates on this superb disc are of the highest level; it would be hard to find higher profile or finer accompanists. With that lineup two legendary stars in drummer Al Foster and bassist Ron Carter and, in pianist Brad Mehldau, a newer huge talent who keeps gathering momentum it becomes a matter, for the leader, of holding his own. He does so with high energy, aplomb and originality, with both his playing and composing. Degibri penned six of the eleven tunes in the set, but the quartet kicks off with Mehldau's "Unrequited," offered originally on the pianist's Art of the Trio, Volume 3: Songs (Warner Brothers, 1998). Degibri, on soprano saxophone, gives the tune a yearning mood in front of Mehldau's adroit accompaniment and extraordinary solo, evolving from pensive sadness and peaking with anguish, before settling, perhaps, into wistful acceptance. Full of smooth flowing jauntiness, Degibri's "Mr. R.C." features the saxophonist on tenor. Another Degibri-penned gem, "Judy the Dog," rushes full speed ahead, with the leader's tenor sending out flurries of notes in a well-told story, beginning with a smolder and gathering into high flames. The saxophonist covers Dizzy Gillespie's classic "Bebop" in a duet with Foster. The pair seems to push each other into new territories two eloquent musicians arguing a point, batting ideas and back and forth, and coming to a tentative agreement in the end. "Manic Depressive," written by Degibri and Barak Mori, wends its way through the bluesy wee hours, on a tune that sounds like something Ben Webster would have dug into a delivery by the leader and his cohorts full of feeling and deep down soul. Foster and Carter each contribute a tune to the set: the drummer's funky and upbeat "Look What You Do To Me," and bassist's quirky and tight-grooved "Third Plane," which gives the leader another chance to stretch out on tenor. Degibri explores the ever-familiar "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," played straight in simple, beautiful glory, with just a hard-blowing tenor horn and Carter's big, solid bass lines. Degibri then wraps things up with the title tune, an inward piece featuring the leader's tenor and Meldau's lovely, near-classical piano explorations. Degibri, with four previous CDs as a leader to his name, has crafted his breakout set with Israeli Song. ~ Dan McClenaghan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/israeli-song-eli-degibri-anzic-records-review-by-dan-mcclenaghan.php

Personnel: Eli Degibri: tenor and soprano saxophones; Brad Mehldau: piano; Ron Carter: bass; Al Foster: drums.

Israeli Song

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The Dutch Swing College Band - Singles Collection Volume II (1948-1955)

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 1990
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:23
Size: 117,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:58)  1. King Porter Stomp
(3:11)  2. Dutch Swing College Blues
(2:49)  3. Original Dixieland One-Step
(2:43)  4. Absent Minded Blues
(3:04)  5. 1919 Rag
(2:33)  6. Boogietrap
(3:08)  7. Freeze An' Melt
(3:06)  8. Mabel's Dream
(3:09)  9. Buddy's Habits
(3:07) 10. Buddy Bolden Blues
(3:04) 11. Them There Eyes
(2:51) 12. Cake Walkin' Babies Back Home
(2:59) 13. See See Rider
(3:08) 14. Weary Blues
(3:06) 15. Apex Blues
(2:49) 16. Jazz Me Blues
(2:36) 17. Canal Street Blues

The Dutch Swing College Band has endured numerous personnel changes in its more than fifty-year history as one of the Netherlands' top jazz ensembles. Although no members remain from the original group, the latest lineup continues to honor the tradition-rooted approach of the founders. Bob Kaper (1939- ) replaced clarinet player Peter Schilperoort during an illness in 1966, and remained with the band; he has led the Dutch Swing College Band since Schilperoort's death in 1990. The fourth leader in the group's history, Kaper succeeds Frans Vink, Jr. (1945-46), Joop Schrier (1955-60), and Schilperoort (1946-55; 1960-1990). 

Kaper previously led the Beale Street Seven, a group he founded in 1957. An amateur group from 1945 until turning professional in 1960, the Dutch Swing College Band reached their early peak in the late '40s, when they were tapped to accompany such jazz musicians as Sidney Bechet, Joe Venuti, and Teddy Wilson. The New Melbourne Jazz Band recorded an album, A Tribute to the Dutch Swing College Band, featuring music associated with the Holland-based group. ~ Craig Harris https://www.allmusic.com/artist/dutch-swing-college-band-mn0000130996/biography

Singles Collection Volume II  (1948-1955)

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Don Grusin - Laguna Cove

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:39
Size: 99,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:56)  1. Laguna Cove
(3:50)  2. No Tanlines
(4:16)  3. Sunburn
(4:05)  4. Sunset @ Peggy's
(4:05)  5. Cats of Carlsbad
(4:36)  6. Heartbeat
(3:44)  7. Kickin' Back
(5:06)  8. Odalisque
(4:09)  9. Naked Truth
(4:47) 10. Crazy

Contemporary Jazz and World music with classic melodies and deep harmonies soaring over grooves that feel good, all supported by strong acoustic piano playing. This project was recorded in Laguna Beach at Award Records by Mike Hatcher and all my guys came down from Los Angeles to play the spirit of the Laguna Beach air, water, hills, sunsets... These players brought their hearts and musical depth to the party:
https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/dongrusinmusic2

Personnel: Gerald Albright - Sax, Sal Marquez - Trumpet, Walfredo Reyes Jr - Drums, Guitarist Wayne Johnson, and Bassist Armand Sabal-Lecco.

Laguna Cove

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Vivian Buczek, Norrbotten Big Band - A Womans's Voice

Styles: Vocal, Big Band
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:11
Size: 147,6 MB
Art: Front

( 8:56)  1. Throw It Away
( 9:20)  2. Infant Eyes
( 6:54)  3. Lighthouse
( 7:00)  4. Imorron (Estate)
(11:33)  5. Tales
( 6:13)  6. Here's to Life
( 7:53)  7. Yesterdays
( 6:20)  8. I Think It's Gonna Rain Today

An ambitious project from Sweden: vocalist Vivian Buczek joining forces with the Norrbotten Big Band using song to illustrate life from a woman's perspective. Buczek says: "It's about taking the step from a girl to a woman, looking back in time and then to the future, finding my place in the world and daring to go my own way."  With this album she celebrates some of her main sources of inspiration, artists who have made a lasting impression over the years: Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Abbey Lincoln, Carmen McRae, Wayne Shorter, Sarah Vaughan, Shirley Horn and Sweden's own Monica Zetterlund. She starts with Abbey Lincoln's "Throw it Away," a defiant "no regrets" anthem with a solid, catchy melody, about a woman rummaging through her belongings and trying to make sense of her life. It was by penning such songs that Lincoln celebrated her release from the marital clutches of Max Roach. "Infant Eyes" switches the mood, joyfully celebrating maternity, with lyrics by Jean Carm added to a tune by Wayne Shorter, which amply demonstrates the saxophonist's gift for melody. Buczek draws on her considerable scatting abilities to get the song going, and the big band kicks it into touch with a powerful but sympathetic accompaniment. Next up, "Lighthouse" examines the course of true love from an adult perspective. The imagery is a trifle forced, at times downright pedantic, but its heart is in the right place. "I Morron (Tomorrow)" is about longing for a new start with a new day. It contradicts the nostalgia of Jerome Kern's "Yesterdays" which crops up two numbers further on. "Tales," about an innocent abroad, is musically reminiscent of that awful old chestnut "Nature Boy" and contains some strained imagery concerning "the trenches of your mind." With "Here's to Life" Buczek pays tribute to the late, great Shirley Horn who made the song her own. The closing number, Randy Newman's lachrymose little masterpiece "I Think It's Gonna Rain Today" is unsuited to its big band arrangement. With this Buczek alas! goes out with a rather sad and messy whimper, which is a shame because much of what went before was very good indeed. ~ Chris Mosey https://www.allaboutjazz.com/a-womans-voice-vivian-buczek-prophone-records-review-by-chris-mosey.php

Personnel: Bo Strandberg: trumpet; Jacek Onuszkiewicz, Magnus Ekholm, Dan Johansson: trumpet, flugelhorn; Hakan Broström, Janne Thelin, Mats Garberg, Robert Nordmark, Per Moberg: reeds; Michal Tomaszczyk, Anders Larsson, Christine Carlsson: trombone; Martin Sjöstedt: piano, Fender Rhodes; Petter Olofsson: bass; Johan Löfcrantz Ramsay: drums.

A Womans´s Voice

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Acker Bilk - Clarinet Moods

Styles: Clarinet Jazz 
Year: 1997
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:52
Size: 113,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:09)  1. Stranger on the Shore
(2:52)  2. Summertime
(3:49)  3. Night and Day
(2:47)  4. I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now
(3:43)  5. Long Ago (And Far Away)
(3:00)  6. Fly Me to the Moon (In Other Words)
(2:51)  7. Body and Soul
(4:42)  8. Stardust
(3:10)  9. Embraceable You
(2:39) 10. I'll Get By
(3:43) 11. That Old Devil Called Love
(2:17) 12. Ole Buttermilk Sky
(2:39) 13. Pennies from Heaven
(3:22) 14. South of the Border
(4:02) 15. Try a Little Tenderness

For many, Jazz clarinet is synonymous with one man: Acker Bilk. His unique tone, rich, versatile and as expressive as the human voice, has become a benchmark against which other Jazz clarinetists are measured. In the '60s Bilk became a cult figure, a popularity matched by some stunning chart successes. This collection of great standards was recorded in 1995, and demonstrates that Bilk's apparently effortless delivery of melody, and his ability to draw from the clarinet a wealth of colors and tones, remain apparently unquenchable. EMI Gold. 2007. ~Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Clarinet-Moods-Acker-Bilk/dp/B000MV91QG

Clarinet Moods

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Slide Hampton - American Swinging In Paris

Styles: Trombone Jazz, Swing
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:55
Size: 78,2 MB
Art: Front

(10:01)  1. In Case of Emergency
( 7:14)  2. Last Minute Blues
( 7:55)  3. Chop Suey
( 4:42)  4. Lament
( 4:02)  5. Impossible Waltz

Slide Hampton has been a fine trombonist and arranger since the mid-'50s, helping to keep the tradition of bop alive in both his playing and his writing. After working with Buddy Johnson (1955-1956) and Lionel Hampton, he became an important force in Maynard Ferguson's excellent big band of 1957-1959. He led octets in the 1960s with such sidemen as Freddie Hubbard and George Coleman. After traveling with Woody Herman to Europe in 1968, Hampton settled overseas where he stayed very active. Since returning to the U.S. in 1977, he led his World of Trombones (which features nine trombonists), played in a co-op quintet called Continuum, and been involved in several Dizzy Gillespie tribute projects, recording in the 1990s for Telarc. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/slide-hampton-mn0000748827/biography

Personnel: Slide Hampton, trombone; Joachim Kuhn, piano; Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, bass; Philly Joe Jones, drums

American Swinging In Paris

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