Don Burrows, James Morrison - In Good Company

Styles: Flute, Saxophone, Trombone, Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 121:09
Size: 279,6 MB
Art: Front

( 5:57)  1. (You’d Be So) Easy To Love
( 3:46)  2. A Day In The Life Of A Fool (Manhã de Carnaval)
( 3:44)  3. I Fall In Love Too Easily
( 5:13)  4. Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone
( 7:29)  5. I Thought About You
( 5:55)  6. The One I Love (Belongs To Somebody Else)
( 5:05)  7. Teach Me Tonight
( 6:11)  8. What’s New?
( 8:05)  9. Sweet Georgia Brown
( 7:51) 10. Donna Lee
( 8:00) 11. The 6th Variation
( 3:55) 12. Honeysuckle Rose
( 9:40) 13. Lace Embrace
( 3:48) 14. Squeeze Me
(12:10) 15. Basin Street Blues
( 7:12) 16. There Will Never Be Another You
(10:48) 17. Satin Doll
( 6:11) 18. Essa Cara

James’s latest release “In Good Company” with Don Burrows has remained in the Top 10 of the Aria Jazz Charts since its debut at No 2. After 10 weeks, fans still can’t get enough of this landmark recording. Don Burrows, widely regarded as the Father of Australian Jazz, recently retired from live appearances after a stellar career at the forefront of world jazz for more than 60 years and its fitting that his last recording should be with his protege, James Morrison. As James says “Don has many great sayings but one struck me the most Don loved playing with other people and he said ‘You’re only as good as the company you keep’. In his company, I’ve been at my best.” http://www.jamesmorrison.com/latest-news/in-good-company-with-don-burrows/

Personnel: Don Burrows (alto flute/clarinet/alto saxophone), Morrison (trombone/bass trumpet/trumpet), Phil Stack (acoustic bass) and a range of excellent ensembles.

In Good Company

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Lola Albright - Best Of Lola Albright

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:35
Size: 161,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:26)  1. Dreamsville
(2:56)  2. Straight To Baby
(3:14)  3. Two Sleepy People
(1:55)  4. All Of You
(2:43)  5. Soft Sounds
(2:28)  6. Goodbye My Lover
(2:43)  7. I've Got A Crush On You
(2:36)  8. Slow And Easy
(2:50)  9. You're Driving Me Crazy
(2:36) 10. Aren't You Kinda Glad We Did
(2:19) 11. Put Your Arms Around Me
(3:23) 12. Brief And Breezy
(2:22) 13. How High the Moon
(2:06) 14. Candy
(2:31) 15. Do What You Gotta Do
(2:51) 16. He's My Guy
(2:27) 17. Think Of Me
(3:57) 18. It's Always You
(3:08) 19. Just You, Just Me
(2:44) 20. A Man, A Man, A Man
(3:00) 21. Sorta Blue
(2:45) 22. There's A Man In My Life
(2:20) 23. Here 'Tis
(2:48) 24. They Didn't Believe Me
(3:12) 25. We Kiss In A Shadow

Lola Albright is much better known as an actress than a vocalist. She enjoyed her greatest fame in the late-'50s and early-'60s television series Peter Gunn, playing Edie, the private detective's on-again, off-again love interest. Albright also appeared briefly in the '60s primetime soap opera Peyton Place, temporarily replacing the lead star Dorothy Malone for a few months when Malone became ill in the fall of 1965. Though Albright portrayed a nightclub singer on Peter Gunn, she was never a notable vocalist. Her delivery and style were in the "torch" and light pop mode, somewhat similiar to Julie London though not as effective. Her commercial appeal was directly linked to the popularity of Peter Gunn. ~ Ron Wynn https://www.allmusic.com/artist/lola-albright-mn0000829086

Best Of Lola Albright

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Didier Lockwood - Fasten Seat Belts

Styles: Violin Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:53
Size: 92,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:00)  1. Fasten Seat Belts
(4:20)  2. The Spy
(7:06)  3. Aorta
(2:32)  4. Boîte a musique
(3:56)  5. Aldino
(4:56)  6. Isn't She Lovely
(7:20)  7. He's Still Around
(4:41)  8. Mr. Piflos

Violinist Didier Lockwood's early MPS recordings were made available in the U.S. by Pausa, but are currently out of print. His 1981 quartet (which also includes keyboardist Francis Lockwood, electric bassist Jean-Michel Kajdan and drummer Kirt Rust) is joined on some cuts by tenorman Bob Malach. Other than Stevie Wonder's "Isn't She Lovely," all of the music is by band members. Despite some power by the ensembles and creative ideas, nothing very memorable occurs. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/fasten-seat-belts-mw0000891843

Personnel:  Violin, Mandolin – Didier Lockwood; Bass [Fender], Electric Guitar – Jean-Michel Kadjan; Drums – Kirt Rust; Piano [Fender Rhodes & Acoustic], Synthesizer [Prophet 5 & Minimoog] – Francis Lockwood; Saxophone [Tenor] – Bob Malach

Fasten Seat Belts

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Brian Bromberg - Brian Bromberg

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:21
Size: 150,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:50)  1. Summer Afternoon
(5:16)  2. Bass Face
(5:04)  3. Her Eyes Her Heart
(5:09)  4. My Brother
(5:03)  5. Tunnel Vision
(5:01)  6. I'll Be Around This Time
(5:02)  7. Intimidage
(4:07)  8. Yo!
(4:06)  9. Bern City
(6:54) 10. Sedona
(5:59) 11. The Blessing
(5:06) 12. Her Eyes Her Heart
(3:39) 13. My Bass

On his self-titled album for Nova, bassist Brian Bromberg employs a who's who of smooth jazz and fusion talent for a varied outing that runs the gamut. Kenny Rankin appears on the vocal version of the hit "Her Eyes, Her Heart,"  its instrumental is also included  while guitarist Lee Ritenour, keyboard and programming whiz Jeff Lorber, and Kirk Whalum trade places with the likes of jazz harmonica boss Toots Thielemans and saxophone master Ernie Watts, who get in the groove too. Ivan Lins lends his vocal talents to a few numbers as well. In some ways, this is a very schizophrenic recording, though it works well. 

There are groovers like the opener "Summer Afternoon," which walks the jazz-funk tightrope, smooth cuts like the aforementioned, "My Brother," and "Intimadagé," and knotty fusion workouts such as "Tunnel Vision," and "Sedona," and even big groovers like "Yo!," with Thielemans, and Bob Boykin's "Bern City." What makes the album hold together so beautifully is sequencing. It's a big, glossy production handled by Bromberg's brother David (no relation to the American roots music master), but gives listeners a bit of everything. [Artistry Music re-released the CD in 2005.] ~ Thom Jurek https://www.allmusic.com/album/brian-bromberg-mw0000349618

Brian Bromberg

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Glenn Miller - Jazz Moods - Hot

Styles: Jazz, Swing
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:28
Size: 103,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:36)  1. In the Mood
(2:52)  2. Runnin' Wild
(3:16)  3. A String of Pearls
(3:33)  4. King Porter Stomp
(3:26)  5. American Patrol
(3:02)  6. The Lady's In Love with You
(2:52)  7. Little Brown Jug
(3:01)  8. Glen Island Special
(3:29)  9. Chattanooga Choo-Choo
(3:29) 10. Tuxedo Junction
(2:50) 11. The Rhumba Jumps
(3:26) 12. Song of the Volga Boatmen
(2:33) 13. We Can Live On Love
(2:57) 14. Bugle Call Rag

This CD was released as part of the extensive Bluebird/Legacy Jazz Moods series. There are two ways to look at this release. The 14 selections, other than the fact that most of them are cookers (or, in the parlance of the swing era, solid senders), are reissued in random order. The exact recording dates are not given (just the year) nor is there a personnel listing. The only liner notes, a paragraph on the back cover, informs listeners that "the Miller band was a star-laden organization which at various times featured the greatest soloists...." Nope, Miller's band was famous for its precise ensembles and did not have any famous soloists. The notes also state that "'Moonlight Serenade' is here, of course, are such other Miller mega-hits originally made for Bluebird and Columbia as 'Little Brown Jug'...." "Moonlight Serenade" and "Little Brown Jug" are not on this sampler and Miller's early records for Columbia resulted in zero hits; none of the Columbia recordings are here anyway. On the other hand, the music that is included is quite fun and does stick mostly to the rousing instrumentals, so listeners just wanting a sampling of Miller's jazz side will find these performances enjoyable. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/jazz-moods-hot-mw0000453443

Jazz Moods - Hot

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Don Ellis - Live At Monterey

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1998
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:56
Size: 147,4 MB
Art: Front

( 1:18)  1. Introduction By Jimmy Lyons
( 8:50)  2. 33 222 1 222
( 6:39)  3. Passacaglia And Fugue
( 6:26)  4. Crete Idea
(12:50)  5. Concerto For Trumpet
( 6:35)  6. 27/16
( 9:07)  7. Beat Me Daddy, 7 To The Bar
(12:08)  8. New Nine

The first effort by the Don Ellis big band, as with all of his other orchestral projects, has yet to be reissued on CD. One of the most exciting new jazz big bands of the period, Ellis' ensemble became notorious for its ability to play coherently in odd time signatures. One of the four originals heard on this acclaimed outing from the 1966 Monterey Jazz Festival is titled "33 222 1 222" to show how the band manages to perform in 19/4 time. The other selections are Hank Levy's "Passacaglia And Fugue," "Concerto For Trumpet" (in 5/4) and "New Nine." In addition to the time signatures, Ellis enjoyed utilizing unusual combinations of instruments; the instrumentation on this date consists of five trumpets, three trombones, five saxes, piano, three bassists, two drummers and a percussionist. Among the more notable sidemen are a young Tom Scott (who solos on alto) and tenor-saxophonist Ira Schulman. Highly recommended but unfortunately this album will be difficult to find. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-monterey-mw0000040544

Personnel:  Don Ellis - trumpet, arranger; Alan Weight, Ed Warren, Glenn Stuart, Paul Lopez - trumpet; Dave Wells, Ron Meyers - trombone; Terry Woodson - bass trombone; Ruben Leon - alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute; Tom Scott - alto saxophone, saxello, flute; Ira Shulman - tenor saxophone, alto saxophone, clarinet; Ron Starr - tenor saxophone, flute, clarinet; John Magruder - baritone saxophone, flute, clarinet, bass clarinet; David MacKay - organ, piano; Frank DeLaRosa, Chuck Domanico, Ray Neapolitan - bass; Alan Estes, Steve Bohannon - drums; Chino Valdes - bongos, congas; Hank Levy - arranger

Live At Monterey

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Connie Russell - The Very Best Of

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:22
Size: 158,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:17)  1. Dream a Little Dream of Me
(3:47)  2. Prelude to a Kiss
(2:23)  3. You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To
(2:35)  4. All I Do Is Dream of You
(2:45)  5. You're My Thrill
(2:48)  6. That Old Feeling
(3:34)  7. For Every Man There's a Woman
(2:30)  8. You're My Man
(3:26)  9. Caravan
(4:31) 10. Angel Eyes
(2:13) 11. You and the Night and the Music
(2:19) 12. Close Your Eyes
(2:34) 13. Near You
(2:42) 14. Love Is a Simple Thing
(2:40) 15. Woman's Love
(2:32) 16. I Wanna Be Loved
(3:25) 17. Don't Smoke in Bed
(2:33) 18. The Thrill Is Gone
(3:44) 19. Lonely Town
(2:33) 20. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
(2:26) 21. Take Me in Your Arms
(2:01) 22. Alone With You
(2:26) 23. The Touch of Your Lips
(2:28) 24. You've Changed

Shapely, sultry singer Connie Russell came from show biz parents and was already performing in her parent's song-and-dance vaudeville act by age two. The New York-born Connie, whose musical heritage included well-known vaudevillian and grandmother Marie Russell, traveled both in the U.S. and Europe during her early days. She turned solo at age 11 and, quite mature for her age, began booking her own shows at popular London night spots in her mid-teens. Making her musical film debut in Melody and Romance (1937) while in England, MGM signed her up and she appeared to good advantage in Lady Be Good (1941) in which she sang "Fascinating Rhythm" but, despite her pin-up good looks, did not go on to better things with the studio, appearing in nothing parts in Joe Smith, American (1942) and the Red Skelton/Eleanor Powell musical Ship Ahoy (1942). She also dubbed Claire Trevor's singing voice in the film Crossroads (1942). TV proved to be more viable medium for her when she auditioned for Dave Garroway and became a regular on his Garroway at Large (1949) show. She appeared on a number of variety TV shows for such luminaries as Morey Amsterdam, Ed Sullivan, Steve Allen, Milton Berle and Eddie Cantor, and appeared in New York clubs in the early 50s. Returning to Hollywood she earned a strong showing in the musical film Cruisin' Down the River (1953) alongside Dick Haymes and became a prominent Las Vegas headliner. On the musical stage one of her most popular roles was in 1951's "South Pacific" as Nellie Forbush co-starring Richard Eastham," but hopes for the subsequent film role went down the tubes when the role went to Mitzi Gaynor. A solid recording artist with a jazzy style, her more popular renditions include "That's What a Rainy Day is For" and "You've Changed." Her last films were in This Is My Love (1954), in which she appeared as herself and sang the title tune, and the femme lead in the film noir thriller Nightmare (1956) with Kevin McCarthy and Edward G. Robinson. Marrying agent Mike Zimring, she abandoned her four-decade career after giving birth to her third daughter. She died in 1990 at age 67 of a heart ailment. Eldest daughter Lisa is also a singer.~ IMDb Mini Biography By: Gary Brumburgh / gr-home@pacbell.net  https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0751086/bio

The Very Best Of

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Jimmy Woods Sextet, Elvin Jones - Conflict

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:54
Size: 131,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:47)  1. Conflict
(6:01)  2. Coming Home
(7:57)  3. Aim
(6:44)  4. Apart Together
(5:50)  5. Look to Your Heart
(6:32)  6. Pazmuerte
(4:54)  7. Conflict (Alt. Take)
(7:12)  8. Aim (Alt. Take)
(5:53)  9. Look to Your Heart (Alt. Take)

Jimmy Woods was a talented musician who made few recorded appearances before vanishing into obscurity. Conflict is the second of two '60s solo records on Contemporary, the first already reissued in a previous batch of limited edition releases. It’s tempting to judge Woods solely on the company he keeps certainly the likes of Andrew Hill, Elvin Jones, and Harold Land don’t have to be bothered with middling talent. However, Woods proves he can more than handle the responsibilities on a program consisting entirely of forward-thinking, advanced hard bop originals, which also utilize inventive call-and-response riffs. “Conflict” is a lopsided blues with an edgy vamp from Hill which allows the front line to indulge in some grand exploratory work. On the other hand, “Apart Together” features a complicated head and the type of restless chord progressions that serious musicians love to dig in to. Woods demonstrates his ability to handle the changes and aptly deserves the company he keeps. Elvin Jones fits in his usual thunderous moments, and the rest of the sidemen, Hill and Carmell Jones in particular, are models of creative expression. Contemporary signed Woods after Ornette Coleman’s departure to Atlantic. While not quite an equal replacement, Woods proved that he was a talented musician whose time in the spotlight, for whatever reason, was brief. ~ David Rickert https://www.allaboutjazz.com/conflict-jimmy-woods-fantasy-jazz-review-by-david-rickert.php

Personnel: Jimmy Woods-alto sax; Carmell Jones-trumpet; Andrew Hill-piano; George Tucker-bass; Elvin Jones-drums.

Conflict

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Tex Beneke & His Orchestra - Stardust

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 1956/2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 40:12
Size: 93,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:16)  1. Stardust
(3:15)  2. Georgia On My Mind
(3:09)  3. Lazy River
(3:09)  4. Rockin' Chair
(3:18)  5. Lazy Bones
(3:07)  6. Riverboat Shuffle
(3:17)  7. East Of The Sun
(3:22)  8. Blue Champagne
(3:36)  9. St. Louis Blues March
(2:59) 10. Bye Bye Blues
(3:37) 11. Meadowlands
(3:01) 12. Blues In The Night March

The name Tex Beneke is inevitably linked to that of Glenn Miller, despite the fact that Beneke outlived Miller by over a half-century. As the most popular member of Miller's pre-World War II orchestra, featured on songs such as "Chattanooga Choo Choo" and "Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree," Beneke became a major fixture in the popular culture of the period, and following Miller's death in December of 1944, and the re-formation of the Glenn Miller Orchestra after World War II, he accepted the offer to lead the new band. Beneke, however, had a lot to offer the music world beyond his vocals on some fondly remembered hit songs. He began playing the saxophone at age nine, first the alto and then the tenor, and played in local and regional bands in Oklahoma and Texas during the early and mid-'30s. A gig playing with a band led by Ben Young brought him to Detroit, where he was spotted by Sam Donahue, then a saxman in Gene Krupa's band Krupa was unable to hire Beneke but informed a friend of his in New York of this promising new player. The friend was Glenn Miller, who'd recently begun forming a band of his own, and Beneke was hired, joining the orchestra in the spring of 1938 it was with Miller's band that Beneke picked up the nickname "Tex." The Miller orchestra struggled until the summer of 1939, when an engagement at the Glen Island Casino and a series of radio broadcasts made it a national sensation. Beneke played and sang with the orchestra, and became a star in his own right. He stayed until 1942, when Miller broke up the band to join the U.S. Army Air Force as a bandleader. Beneke was drafted into the navy and led a military dance outfit at a base in Oklahoma.

After the end of the war, when a new Glenn Miller Orchestra was formed, Beneke took on the leadership, debuting in January of 1946 at the Capitol Theater in New York City. The orchestra, formed under the auspices of Miller's widow and his estate, was intended to emulate the sounds of the pre-war Miller band and his Army Air Force band this included the presence of 13 string players in the 31 piece outfit, making it, along with Harry James' orchestra, one of the few big bands to include strings. They were an immediate success, compiling an enviable array of hits for five years. One gig in particular stood out in December of 1947, a year after the near-collapse of the big-band business, at the Hollywood Palladium, Tex Beneke and the Glenn Miller Orchestra played to a record-breaking crowd of 6,750 dancers. Despite this extraordinary popularity, however, Beneke wasn't entirely happy with the restrictions placed by the estate on the band's music they were required to stick entirely to the familiar reed-centered sound that Glenn Miller had practically trademarked. Although a reed player himself, Beneke saw other possibilities, but was never allowed to experiment, despite his protests that Miller himself had always been open to the idea of experimentation, and had expressed his intention to move away from his familiar reed sound after the war, having gone as far with it as he felt he could. Finally, at the end of 1950, Beneke left the band and also parted company with Miller's estate. He later organized his own band which, like similar reconstituted big bands led by '40s music icons such as Harry James, managed to thrive amid the rock & roll, folk-rock, psychedelia, disco, and punk eras, right to the present day. More than 60 years after he became a professional musician, he continued to lead big bands, doing the music that he helped popularized two generations ago. Beneke died May 30, 2000 from respiratory failure at the age of 86. https://www.allmusic.com/artist/tex-beneke-mn0000030664/biography

Stardust

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Don Ellis - Live In 3 2/3/4 Time

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 75:11
Size: 173,7 MB
Art: Front

(11:20)  1. Orientation
( 5:41)  2. Angel Eyes
( 5:53)  3. Freedom Jazz Dance
( 4:37)  4. Barnum's Revenge
( 9:03)  5. Upstart
( 8:27)  6. Thetis
( 5:31)  7. Bossa Neuva Nova
( 9:53)  8. Opus Five
( 4:40)  9. Seven Up
( 2:25) 10. Johnny One Note
( 7:38) 11. Freedom Jazz Dance

The Don Ellis Orchestra really came into its own during the period covered by this CD (1966-1967), playing perfectly coherent solos in ridiculous time signatures. At the time, the band consisted of five trumpets, three trombones, five reeds, piano, three basses, two drummers, and three percussionists. "Barnum's Revenge" has the ensemble playing a satirical brand of Dixieland in 5/4, "Orientation" goes back and forth between 7/8 and 9/8, and "Upstart" is in 11/8 (three and two-thirds beats to the measure!). Somehow everything swings with Ellis, Ira Schulman (on tenor and clarinet), Dave Mackay (on piano), and Tom Scott (on saxello) being the main soloists. In addition to the original six selections (recorded at the Pacific Jazz Festival in 1966 and at Shelly's Manne-Hole in 1967), there are five additional cuts, including an alternate version of "Freedom Jazz Dance." Fun music. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/live-in-3-and-2-3-4-time-mw0000067311

Personnel: Don Ellis - trumpet, arranger; Alan Weight, Ed Warren, Glenn Stuart, Bob Harmon - trumpet; Ron Myers, Dave Wells, Dave Sanchez - trombone; Terry Woodson - bass trombone; Ruben Leon - alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute; Tom Scott - alto saxophone, saxello, flute; Joe Roccisano - alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute, clarinet; Ira Shulman, Ron Starr - tenor saxophone, flute, clarinet; John Magruder - baritone saxophone, flute, clarinet, bass clarinet; David MacKay - piano;  Frank DeLaRosa, Chuck Domanico , Ray Neapolitan, Dave Parlato - bass; Alan Estes - drums, timbales;  Steve Bohannon - drums; Chino Valdes - bongos, congas; Mark Stevens - percussion

Live In 3 2/3/4 Time

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Sallie Blair - Hello, Tiger!

Styles: Vocal And Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1958/2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 35:01
Size: 81,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:48)  1. Whatever Lola Wants
(2:37)  2. Early Winter
(2:48)  3. When the World Was Young
(3:04)  4. I'm Through with Love
(2:29)  5. Fever
(4:50)  6. That Old Black Magic
(3:36)  7. Daddy
(2:51)  8. When the Sun Comes Out
(2:21)  9. Don'cha Go 'way Mad
(4:29) 10. Witchcraft
(3:03) 11. Ev'rything I Have Is Yours

Hello, Tiger! pairs Sallie Blair with the great Neal Hefti, whose buoyant, Technicolor arrangements underline the singer's slinky appeal. While the material is predictable and pedestrian, leaning on chestnuts like "That Old Black Magic," "Witchcraft," and "Whatever Lola Wants," Blair's sultry readings revitalize the familiar lyrics. Hefti does similar rehab work on the melodies, mixing and matching elements of jazz, blues, and Latin pop to create the album's sexy, sophisticated ambience. ~ Jason Ankeny https://www.allmusic.com/album/hello-tiger%21-mw0000902467
 

Personnel: Sallie Blair - Vocal; Neal Hefti - Trumpet.

Hello, Tiger!

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The Dave Liebman Big Band - Live As Always

Styles: Saxophone, Flute Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:04
Size: 138,1 MB
Art: Front

( 9:10)  1. A Bright Piece
( 9:32)  2. As Always
(14:37)  3. Anubis
( 7:43)  4. New Breed
(11:24)  5. Philippe Under the Green Bridge
( 7:34)  6. Turn It Around

David Liebman's long list of accomplishments includes working in many different-sized groups in a variety of styles. For this big-band project the soprano saxophonist leads a big band in concert playing his compositions, though with arrangements by others and the band conducted by Gunnar Mossblad (who also plays several reed instruments). "Brite Piece" was first recorded by Liebman early in his career when he was a sideman with Elvin Jones. Although its composer dismisses it as "just a simple ditty with a vamp in the bridge," Andrew Rathbun's arrangement for big band provides Liebman with colorful backgrounds for his improvised flights. Trumpeter and alto flügelhornist Scott Reeves, who took part in the concerts, scored two songs. "Annubis" is an exotic, mysterious piece with the leader playing wooden flute in the introduction, with a solo by oboist Charles Pillow (with a delicious vamp behind him by bass clarinetist Chris Karlic), an understated Middle Eastern-flavored Vic Juris guitar solo, and an ominous synthesizer interlude by Jim Ridl, followed by spots featuring Liebman's piercing soprano sax and Reeves' spacious alto flügelhorn. The second Reeves chart is another early Liebman work, in which the arranger scored Liebman's original solo from his record with Elvin Jones for the sax section. The explosive finale, "Turn It Around," showcases drummer Marko Marcinko and Juris, in addition to the leader. Liebman hasn't been heard in a big-band setting often enough during his career; perhaps the success of Live: As Always will open doors for future recordings. ~ Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/live-as-always-mw0002013852

Personnel:  Soprano Saxophone, Flute [Wooden Flute], Composed By – Dave Liebman; Alto Saxophone, Oboe, Flute – Charles Pillow; Baritone Saxophone, Bass Clarinet – Chris Karlic, Jay Brandford; Bass – Tony Marino; Bass Trombone – Jeff Nelson;  Directed By, Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet – Gunnar Mossblad; Drums – Marko Marcinko; Guitar – Vic Juris; Piano, Synthesizer – Jim Ridl; Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet – David Lown; Tenor Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet – Dave Riekenberg; Trombone – Sam Burtis, Tim Sessions ; Trombone, Flugelhorn [Alto] – Scott Reeves; Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Danny Cahn, Dave Ballou, Patrick Dorian, Bob Millikan

Live As Always

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Urbie Green - The Fox

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 1977
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:44
Size: 89,4 MB
Art: Front

(7:15)  1. Another Star
(2:58)  2. Goodbye
(4:56)  3. Mertensia
(3:59)  4. You Don't Know What Love Is
(6:35)  5. Manteca
(7:26)  6. Foxglove Suite
(5:32)  7. Please Send Me Someone to Love

Smooth and silky jazz funk from trombonist Urbie Green a record that's much more in a mainstream R&B fusion mode than his earlier work yet also arranged by David Matthews in a soulful style that still keeps things pretty real on the best cuts! The group's a good one for the mellow groove of the material – and includes Mike Mainieri on keyboards, Eric Gale on guitar, Jeremy Steig on flute, and Toots Thielemans laying down a bit of harmonica all kicking back in classic 70s CTI styles. Titles include the nice modal groover "Mertensia", plus "Manteca", "Foxglove Suite", "Another Star", and "Goodbye".  © 1996-2019, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/51056/Urbie-Green:Fox

Personnel:  Urbie Green - trombone; Joe Farrell - flute, soprano saxophone; Jeremy Steig - flute; Fred Gripper - electric piano; Barry Miles - piano, keyboards; Mike Abene - piano; Eric Gale - guitar; Anthony Jackson - electric bass; George Mraz - bass; Jimmy Madison, Andy Newmark - drums; Mike Mainieri - vibraphone; Toots Thielemans - harmonica, whistle; Sue Evans, Nicky Marrero - percussion; David Matthews - arranger, footsteps

The Fox

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Marc Copland, Dave Liebman Duo - Impressions

Styles: Saxophone And Piano Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:41
Size: 140,0 MB
Art: Front

( 7:05)  1. Cry Want
(11:27)  2. Maiden Voyage
(12:18)  3. Impressions
( 8:33)  4. WTC
( 7:55)  5. Blue in Green
( 3:09)  6. Lester Leaps In
( 3:46)  7. When You're Smiling
( 6:24)  8. Blackboard

The subtle duo of pianist Marc Copland and saxophonist Dave Liebman in a set of great jazz compositions from luminaries including Jimmy Giuffre, Herbie Hancock, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Lester Young, plus original work. "The two may have done little more than talk about the weather before they began playing the largely standards-focused Impressions, but from such mundane chitchat comes a performance that exemplifies the best of what each of these fine musicians does - but also, with the push-and-pull of two different musical personalities, demonstrates the ability and willingness of each to be drawn outside their normal predispositions, to create music that's the best of both, and something a little more, and plenty special."~John Kelman http://www.squidco.com/miva/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=S&Product_Code=14832

Personnel:  David Liebman-soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone; Marc Copland-piano

Impressions

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Louis Smith - Once in a While

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:23
Size: 161,8 MB
Art: Front

( 8:21)  1. Just Friends
(10:32)  2. Once in a While
( 9:22)  3. Over the Rainbow
( 5:36)  4. Tune Up
( 7:42)  5. Don't Blame Me
( 7:36)  6. Once I Had a Secret Love
( 9:47)  7. Sandu
(11:24)  8. There Is No Greater Love

Trumpeter Louis Smith’s only major claim to fame has been two late ‘50s dates he cut for Blue Note. Then his propensity for musical pedagogy led him to the University of Michigan, where he spent many years quietly teaching and inspiring youngsters. Back in 1978, a renewed career as a recording artist came in the guise of a contract with the Danish SteepleChase label, briefly interrupted in the ‘80s by a return to teaching. Now, Smith finds himself retired and that has given him more time to concentrate on his trumpet work once again. Cut in Denmark during Smith’s summer vacation in 1998, Once In a While is representative of the kind of bebop session that is part and parcel of Smith’s time-honored approach, although the line-up is a novel one not used previously by the trumpeter. Guitarist Doug Raney is the ringer in this piano-less group that also includes SteepleChase regular Keith Copeland on drums. The quartet hits a relaxed, but resolute groove on a set of eight golden standards, including a tip of the hat to Louis’ fellow trumpeters- namely through versions of Miles Davis’ "Tune Up" and Clifford Brown’s "Sandu." Never much of a technician, Smith still has the ability to construct intelligent solos that tell a story and his sound is marked by a round and softened timbre. Raney should have received equal billing here, because his rich and melodic lines are some of the best moments to be found among this generous offering of music. Cutting to the chase, this no-nonsense affair is a worthy addition to Smith’s burgeoning recorded career. And who says there ain't life after retirement? ~ C.Andrew Hovan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/once-in-a-while-louis-smith-steeplechase-records-review-by-c-andrew-hovan.php

Personnel: Louis Smith- trumpet, Doug Raney- guitar, Hugo Rasmussen- bass, Keith Copeland- drums

Once in a While

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Ben Paterson Trio - Breathing Space

Styles: Piano Jazz 
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:12
Size: 111,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:20)  1. Wisper Not
(5:39)  2. Alice in Wonderland
(5:23)  3. I Thought You Should Know
(4:01)  4. Hymn of the Orient
(4:17)  5. I Wish I Knew
(8:02)  6. Nardis
(5:20)  7. Dancing in the Dark
(3:47)  8. Manorism
(5:19)  9. Gloria's Step

If Ben Paterson and his trio had come along in a different time, they might have been tagged by Miles Davis as his backing band. In the mid-fifties, Davis was searching for an Ahmad Jamal sound, and settled in with Red Garland in the piano chair to fill that spot. Buoyant swing with the ability to segue into interludes of the light, sparkling touch is what Davis got with Garland, then the more introspective Bill Evans, and later the more effervescent Wynton Kelly. Listening to Breathing Space, the Chicago-based debut of the Ben Paterson Trio, it's no surprise that Paterson cites influences of Bill Evans, Ahmad Jamal and Oscar Peterson. The group swings easy and Paterson sparkles. Opening with Benny Golson's "Whisper Not," bassist Jake Vinsel and drummer Jon Dietemyer lay down a solid foundation and some serious swing behind pianist Paterson. It's a vibrant sound, with lots of interaction and plenty of dancey keyboard zest as well as an assertive bass solo backed by some some relaxed Paterson comping. "I Thought You Should Know," a Paterson original, has a bouncy, gregarious groove; and Gigi Gryce's "Hymn of the Orient" sizzles and pops. Miles Davis' "Nardis" finds Paterson and his trio-mates sounding very incisive and convivial. "I Wish I Knew" showcases the trio in a wonderfully wistful ballad mood; and on Scott LaFaro's "Gloria's Step," Paterson and company invite the inevitable comparison to the Bill Evans Trio of Sunday at the Village Vanguard (Riverside, 1962). Breathing Space is an assured and auspicious debut, a fine set in the classic piano trio mode. ~ Dan McClenaghan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/breathing-space-ben-paterson-oa2-records-review-by-dan-mcclenaghan.php

Personnel: Ben Paterson: piano; Jon Dietmyer: drums; Jake Vinsel: bass.

Breathing Space

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Hubert Laws - Crying Song

Styles: Flute Jazz
Year: 1969
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:19
Size: 77,2 MB
Art: Front

(2:30)  1. La Jean
(3:23)  2. Love Is Blue / Sing a Rainbow
(4:53)  3. Crying Song
(3:21)  4. Listen to the Band
(3:07)  5. I've Got to Get a Message to You
(2:31)  6. Feelin' Alright?
(3:51)  7. Cymbaline
(6:08)  8. How Long Will It Be?
(3:31)  9. Let It Be

A landmark record the first album that flutist Hubert Laws cut for CTI, and the beginning of a very important partnership with the label! The record is a sublime exploration of sound and space very different than Laws' 60s Latin sides for Atlantic, and handled in a baroque mode that has his flute drifting over a mixture of organ, piano, and rhythms augmented with strings easy and jazzy in the same moment, with a hip sophistication that points the way towards a new flute sound in the 70s! Titles include "Crying Song", "Listen To The Band", "Cymbaline", "Feelin Alright", "I've Gotta Get A Message To You", "La Jean", "Love Is Blue/Sing A Rainbow", and "How Long Will It Be".  © 1996-2019, Dusty Groove, Inc. https://www.dustygroove.com/item/60210/Hubert-Laws:Crying-Song

Personnel:  Hubert Laws – flute; Bobby Wood – piano; Bobby Emmons – organ; Bob James – electric piano, organ; George Benson, Reggie Young – guitar; Mike Leech – electric bass; Ron Carter – bass; Gene Chrisman, Billy Cobham, Grady Tate – drums; Ernie Royal, Marvin Stamm – trumpet, flugelhorn Garnett Brown, Tony Studd – trombone;  Art Clarke, Seldon Powell – saxophone;  Ed Shaughnessy – tabla, sand; Lewis Eley, Paul Gershman, George Ockner, Gene Orloff, Raoul Pollikoff, Matthew Raimondi, Sylvan Shulman, Avram Weiss – violin; Charles McCracken, George Ricci – cello; Bob James, Glen Spreen, Mike Leech – arranger

Crying Song

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Richard 'Groove' Holmes - On Basie's Bandstand

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop 
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:02
Size: 124,6 MB
Art: Front

( 9:32)  1. Back Home Again In Indiana
( 7:26)  2. Moanin'
( 5:08)  3. When I Grow Too Old To Dream
(12:18)  4. Rifftide
( 9:10)  5. This Here
( 7:09)  6. Nica's Dream
( 3:16)  7. Night Train

The years 1965 to 1968, during which which Richard "Groove" Holmes recorded for Prestige, comprised his career's best period, and thus a previously unreleased Prestige recording is very welcome. Groove Holmes joined the label in August 1965 with one of the jazz organ's finest albums, Soul Message. The following April, Prestige recorded Holmes at Count Basie's nightclub in Harlem. Five songs were taken from the gig and released in time for Christmas as Living Soul. During the summer of 1966 a truncated version of "Misty" taken from the first album was a radio smash. In early 1967, Prestige released a third album by Holmes, included in it the 45 version of "Misty," and gave it that name. The reissue story for these trio records goes as follows. Fantasy reissued Soul Message and Misty as OJC editions. Living Soul was combined with Holmes' fourth Prestige record, Spicy, on a CD titled after the latter but featuring the cover from the former. For the first time, Fantasy has now made available the remaining seven songs from the April 1966 gig, entitled On Basie's Bandstand. Holmes' style progressed noticeably from the first to the third album, and these tapes provide an interesting look at the midpoint between Soul Message and Misty.Guitarist Gene Edwards appeared on all of these albums. Drummer George Randall replaced Jimmie Smith on the second and remained with the group for the rest. On this album, Edwards takes a lengthy solo on every track. 

The CD opens with a very up-tempo "Back Home Again in Indiana." "Moanin'" is slower, as you can imagine, but nevertheless faster than usual. "When I Grow Too Old to Dream" is relaxed yet swinging. In truth, every song here swings hard. There's never a dull moment. The most rockin' song is Coleman Hawkins' "Rifftide," whose melody is reminiscent of "Well You Needn't." Taken at breakneck speed, Groove utilizes his trademark hold-the-high-note-forever technique. His footwork on the bass pedals is not to be believed. How did he do it all at once? The pace returns to normal for "This Here," but the vigor picks up somewhat for the solos. "Nica's Dream" is up-tempo, yet mellow due to the song's harmonies. The album closes with the relatively slow groove of "Night Train." On Basie's Bandstand is a valuable addition to the Groove Holmes canon, not a day too old after waiting 37 years to finally see the light of day. ~ Russell Moon https://www.allaboutjazz.com/on-basies-bandstand-richard-groove-holmes-prestige-records-review-by-russell-moon.php

Personnel: Richard "Groove" Holmes (organ); Gene Edwards (guitar); George Randall (drums).

On Basie's Bandstand

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Chris Connor - I Miss You So

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1956
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 31:19
Size: 72,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:28)  1. I Miss You So
(2:56)  2. Go Away From My Window
(2:19)  3. Trust In Me
(2:41)  4. Past The Age Of Inocence
(2:45)  5. Time Out For Tears
(2:41)  6. I Love You Yes I Do
(2:23)  7. My Heart Is Full Of You
(2:28)  8. My Ideal
(2:53)  9. Mixed Emotions
(2:21) 10. They All Laughed
(2:39) 11. Speak Low
(2:41) 12. Radar Blues

Chris Connor was in her musical prime during the 1950s, but this long-out-of-print LP was a misfire. Essentially a middle-of-the-road pop date, Connor is backed by a string orchestra with voices arranged by Ray Ellis. The jazz content is quite low, even on "My Ideal" and "Speak Low"; only "They All Laughed" swings much. Most of the other numbers were current pop tunes that have been mostly forgotten in the decades since. All of the dozen songs are under three minutes long, and Connor never really gets away from the generally weak melodies. 

A rather forgettable effort, weighed down by Ellis' dull arrangements and a distracting vocal group. In 2001, I Miss You So was reissued on CD as part of the two-fer I Miss You So/Witchcraft. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/i-miss-you-so-mw0000883696

I Miss You So

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Bing Crosby - Bing Sings The Johnny Mercer Songbook

Styles: Vocal, American Popular Song, Swing
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:40
Size: 142,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:10)  1. P.S. I Love You - 1934 Version
(2:39)  2. I'm An Old Cowhand (From The Rio Grande) - Single Version
(3:06)  3. Too Marvelous For Words - Single Version
(2:54)  4. You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby - Single Version
(2:12)  5. Day In, Day Out
(3:00)  6. I Thought About You
(2:40)  7. Mister Meadowlark
(2:56)  8. Skylark
(3:12)  9. Blues In The Night
(2:47) 10. That Old Black Magic
(3:12) 11. On The Atchison, Topeka And The Santa Fe - Single Version
(2:41) 12. Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive - Single Version
(2:56) 13. Lazy Bones
(2:49) 14. Autumn Leaves
(2:01) 15. In The Cool Cool Cool Of The Evening
(3:34) 16. Jamboree Jones
(3:06) 17. When The World Was Young (Ah, The Apple Trees)
(2:48) 18. Glow Worm
(2:01) 19. Jeepers Creepers
(3:20) 20. And the Angels Sing
(1:59) 21. Something's Gotta Give
(3:26) 22. P.S. I Love You - 1953 Version

Bing Crosby was a media superstar during the first half of the 20th century. He was the best-selling recording artist of all time until the rock era hit, having sold over a half-billion records, and he was a movie star, too, the biggest box office draw of the 1940s. None of this would have been possible if he couldn't sing, but he could, defining the very template of a crooner, and his vocal style, warm and natural, was influential everywhere. Crosby had a particular fondness for songs by Johnny Mercer, his friend and frequent collaborator, and he tracked 100 or so of them during his long career. 

This generous set collects 22 of these recordings on a single disc, including several previously unreleased radio performances, and fun duets with the Andrews Sisters, Louis Armstrong, and Mercer himself, among other valuable archival gems. ~ Steve Leggett https://www.allmusic.com/album/bing-sings-the-johnny-mercer-songbook-mw0002570937

Bing Sings The Johnny Mercer Songbook

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Tex Beneke - 1946 Live In Hi-Fi At The Hollywood Palladium

Styles: Jazz, Big Band
Year: 1946/2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:06
Size: 126,1 MB
Art: Front

(4:02)  1. Introduction / Jeep Jockey Jump
(3:30)  2. Falling Leaves
(3:13)  3. A String Of Pearls
(2:44)  4. Here We Go Again
(2:37)  5. Sun Valley Jump
(2:43)  6. Troop Movement
(3:22)  7. Juke Box Saturday Night
(3:53)  8. Anvil Chorus
(3:08)  9. The Volga Boatmen
(3:13) 10. Serenade In Blue
(5:02) 11. Meadowlands
(3:17) 12. Tuxedo Junction
(3:17) 13. St. Louis Blues
(3:20) 14. American Patrol
(3:00) 15. Texas Tex
(3:36) 16. I Hear You Screamin' / Closing

1946 Live in Hi-Fi at the Hollywood Palladium features some fine broadcast remotes from the post-war Glenn Miller Orchestra when it was being fronted by Tex Beneke. Tex was not the first leader to pilot the Miller organization after the major disappeared forever over the English Channel; Jerry Gray performed the unenviable task of filling the big man's shoes in Miller's AEF Band while it was still overseas. When Gray obtained his honorary discharge in November 1945 he decided to take a well-deserved break from the strain of being Glenn Miller's stand-in. Miller's widow, Helen, contacted Beneke, himself only recently discharged from a stint leading a Navy dance band at the unlikely location of Norman, OK, and asked him to take up the job of leading a new Miller "civilian" orchestra. Beneke was an interesting choice; Miller himself had fired him from the civilian orchestra on July 12, 1942. But of all the star soloists and singers who'd appeared with Miller over the years, it was clear that Beneke was the one the public recognized and cherished the most. So in January 1946, the new Glenn Miller Orchestra opened with Beneke at its head, and he would stay in this job through the end of 1949 when he finally decided he was fed up with the Miller Orchestra's management and their policy not to update or change anything about the band's sound. The Hollywood Palladium was one of the Beneke-Miller band's friendliest venues; they first played there on September 5, 1946. In what may have been the last blast of the big-band era, a December 1947 Beneke-Miller show at the Palladium drew a record crowd of more than 6,000 souls. Many of Beneke's appearances with the new Glenn Miller Orchestras of the late '40s were broadcast as remotes on the CBS network. 

These broadcasts have never been properly accounted for or identified, but they seem to survive in great numbers, and have been parceled out in bits and pieces over the years on LPs and through dissemination on tapes in the Old Time Radio underground. This disc claims to represent "the band's first engagement at the Hollywood Palladium in 1946," but it is obviously drawn from at least six or seven remotes, and it is impossible to tell if they are all from the Hollywood Palladium or even all from the year 1946. If some are, then the pianist in the band was 22-year-old Henry Mancini, although the only evidence of his presence is a little piano tinkling heard here and there in quiet passages. Nonetheless this is a choice selection of Beneke-Miller goodies, most played with real verve and fire with only a couple of exceptions, for example a tentative reading of "Tuxedo Junction." Standout tracks include great, swinging performances of "St. Louis Blues March" and rarities such as "Jeep Jockey Jump" and "Troop Movement." The broadcasts used here probably are pretty early due to the heavy reliance on numbers written for the band's book by Jerry Gray. "Meadowlands" is identical to the piece recorded as "Russian Patrol" on the last-known broadcast done by the Miller AEF Band during Miller's own lifetime, on that occasion led by Gray. The sound here varies from source to source, but generally is very good for broadcasts of the period, though not quite "Hi-Fi" as promised on the front cover. There are little bits and pieces missing here and there from certain tracks, perhaps due to imperfections in the sources, but just as likely the result of over-eager "tic" removal. The whole ending of "Falling Leaves" is swallowed up for some reason. About a minute's worth of "Moonlight Serenade" is heard at the end of the disc, but mention of it appears nowhere in the notes. Despite these admittedly minor complaints, 1946 Live in Hi-Fi at the Hollywood Palladium is well worth seeking out, and is a pleasing general representation of the live sound of the immediate post-war Glenn Miller band. ~ Uncle Dave Lewis https://www.allmusic.com/album/1946-live-in-hi-fi-at-the-hollywood-palladium-mw0000055438

1946 Live In Hi-Fi At The Hollywood Palladium

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Grachan Moncur III Octet - Exploration

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 2004
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:04
Size: 124,7 MB
Art: Front

(8:11)  1. Exploration
(5:26)  2. Monk In Wonderland
(8:48)  3. Love And Hate
(9:54)  4. New Africa
(7:34)  5. When?
(6:59)  6. Frankenstein
(2:55)  7. Excursion
(4:13)  8. Sonny's Back!

Ralph Ellison once wrote a great essay in which he seemed to predict jazz's ultimate dependence on a music industry driven (and subsidized) by a star system. The irony, Ellison suggested, is that jazz is largely created by anonymous musicians, who because they are "devoted to an art which traditionally thrives on improvisation [...] very often have their most original ideas enter the public domain almost as rapidly as they are conceived to be quickly absorbed into the thought and technique of their fellows." There is a bittersweet implication here as if it's somehow nobler to be an unknown, poverty-stricken musician, and as if becoming a jazz celebrity inevitably involves selling out. But I don't know if you could convince trombonist and composer Grachan Moncur of either of these propositions. Though he may agree that the star system is a horrible invention, he recently had the opportunity to reestablish his own reputation, and I can almost hear him thanking [insert the deity of your choice here] for that. After all, until this chance came along, Moncur was coming very close to total obscurity and from what I can tell, he wasn't enjoying it, materially or philosophically. In the '60s, he had been a participant and leader in several stellar Blue Note sessions (now collected on a Mosaic box set), but he more or less hadn't been heard from again until, well, last year. Why? It could be that his (smart) impulse to control his own publishing rights got him blacklisted by the Blue Note big wigs. Or maybe that blacklisting had something to do with his turn toward the avant-garde. Or perhaps it was something else altogether something even more painful (see Fred Jung's AAJ interview with Moncur for several moving allusions). 

In any case, here at last is one of the rewards of a jazz culture that has become downright curatorial in recent years (a fact sometimes too-quickly decried by those of us who prefer our music in the clubs): at least we're starting to value the contributions of lesser-known veterans. To be sure, Moncur's new album, Exploration, is markedly different from his '60s output. Here, he is dealing with a much larger ensemble (an octet featuring such varied personages as Gary Smulyan, Billy Harper, and Andrew Cyrille), for which Mark Masters' compelling, dense arrangements are perfectly suited. True to its name, Exploration is not a simple repackaging of Moncur's work, but, rather, a sincere statement of artistic growth (a noble thing any age, but particularly when you're in your late 60s). A brief summary: "New Africa" is a gorgeous suite whose creation was apparently assisted by Moncur's wife, Tamam. "Sonny's Back" weighs in on the "almost-bop" side of things and is named after Moncur's friend, Sonny Rollins. And speaking of friends in high places, Moncur's signature tune ("Monk in Wonderland") is named after another fellow traveler (you-know-who), who I suspect is his biggest influence. (I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the amazing alto solo on this tune, incidentally. Thanks, Gary Bartz.) "Love and Hate" is strangely named; it sounds like all love to me (slow, mellow, sweet). And for the hardcore fan, "Excursion" is a more or less totally free several minutes. I could go on, but you get the idea. Bottom line: welcome back, Grachan. We missed you. ~ Andrew Durkin https://www.allaboutjazz.com/grachan-moncur-iii-exploration-by-andrew-durkin.php

Personnel: Personnel: Grachan Moncur III, trombone; Mark Masters, arrangements; Tim Hagans, trumpet; John Clark, French Horn; Dave Woodley, trombone; Gary Bartz, alto sax; Billy Harper, tenor sax; Gary Smulyan, baritone sax; Ray Drummond, bass; Andrew Cyrille, drums.

Exploration

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Don Ellis - Live in India

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 68:23
Size: 157,0 MB
Art: Front

(13:00)  1. Fine Line
( 6:26)  2. TR'S Theme
( 7:16)  3. Storyville
(12:26)  4. Open Wide
( 8:40)  5. Dark Curved Eyebrows
(10:47)  6. Desire
( 9:46)  7. Image of Maria

A talented trumpeter with a vivid musical imagination and the willingness to try new things, Don Ellis led some of the most colorful big bands of the 1965-75 period. After graduating from Boston University, Ellis played in the big bands of Ray McKinley, Charlie Barnet, and Maynard Ferguson (he was featured with the latter on "Three More Foxes"), recorded with Charles Mingus, and played with George Russell's sextet (at the same time as Eric Dolphy). Ellis led four quartet and trio sessions during 1960-1962 for Candid, New Jazz, and Pacific Jazz, mixing together bop, free jazz, and his interest in modern classical music. However it was in 1965 when he put together his first orchestra that he really started to make an impression in jazz. Ellis's big bands were distinguished by their unusual instrumentation (which in its early days had up to three bassists and three drummers including Ellis himself), the leader's desire to investigate unusual time changes (including 7/8, 9/8, and even 15/16), its occasionally wacky humor (highlighted by an excess of false endings), and an openness towards using rock rhythms and (in later years) electronics. Ellis invented the four-valve trumpet and utilized a ring modulator and all types of wild electronic devices by the late '60s. By 1971, his band consisted of an eight-piece brass section (including French horn and tuba), a four-piece woodwind section, a string quartet, and a two-drum rhythm section. A later unrecorded edition even added a vocal quartet. Among Don Ellis's sidemen were Glenn Ferris, Tom Scott, John Klemmer, Sam Falzone, Frank Strozier, Dave MacKay, and the brilliant pianist (straight from Bulgaria) Milcho Leviev. The orchestra's most memorable recordings were Autumn, Live at the Fillmore, and Tears of Joy (all for Columbia). After suffering a mid-'70s heart attack, Ellis returned to live performing, playing the "superbone" and a later edition of his big band featured Art Pepper. Ellis's last recording was at the 1977 Montreux Jazz Festival, a year before his heart finally gave out. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/don-ellis-mn0000180060/biography

Personnel:  Trumpet – Don Ellis; Bass – Leon Gaer; Drums – Dave Crigger; Piano – Randy Kerber; Voice – Emilie Diehl

Live in India

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Teri Thornton - Sings Open Highway

Styles: Vocal
Year: 1963
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:06
Size: 134,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:52)  1. Open Highway (Route 66 Theme)
(4:21)  2. This Is All I Ask
(3:12)  3. Baby, Won't You Please Come Home
(2:21)  4. You Don't Know
(3:35)  5. Seems Like Old Times
(2:49)  6. Where Are You Running
(2:00)  7. Everytime I Think About You
(3:48)  8. The Day I Stop Lovin' You
(4:03)  9. Goodbye Is a Lonesome Sound
(3:31) 10. Music, Maestro, Please
(3:48) 11. Born to Be Blue
(2:49) 12. You
(2:53) 13. Why Don't You Love Me
(2:23) 14. Won't Someone Please Belong to Me
(2:46) 15. Where Are You Love?
(2:00) 16. To Remember You By
(2:29) 17. Cold, Cold Heart
(2:22) 18. Either Way I Lose
(2:55) 19. The Secret Life

Teri Thornton was a jazz singer on her way at the time of this album's original release; but she plummeted into a world of drug addiction and didn't record another release for nearly 35 years, shortly before her death in 2000 from cancer. Her attractive, rich voice is a highlight of this CD reissue, which has seven additional tracks evidently recorded for a planned follow-up that never saw the light of day. Sadly, this release is plagued by inconsistency in the choice of material and the rather dated arrangements of conductor Larry Wilcox, which make this release seem targeted more to the easy listening crowd. There are relatively few standards present, though her warm rendition of "This Is All I Ask" and the very jazzy (and thankfully string-free) take of "Baby, Won't You Please Come Home," with its almost conversational rejoinders from Clark Terry's muted trumpet, are highlights of the release, while "Born to be Blue" has some of the best orchestral writing on the date. She delves into a Ray Charles-like R&B vein with the campy "Every Time I Think About You" and the uneven ballad "The Day I Stopped Loving You." Nelson Riddle's "Open Highway" (the theme to the television series Route 66) seems like it might have had potential, but the overwhelming strings and Bobby Scott's monotonous piano don't stand the test of time. Particularly disappointing are the lack of solo opportunities for the strong supporting cast (Joe Newman, Ernie Royal, Eddie Bert, Jerry Dodgion, Kai Winding, and Billy Byers) on eight of the first dozen tracks. The additional material has little to recommend it, as most of the songs are extremely forgettable, especially the a hokey treatment of country singer Hank Williams' "Cold, Cold Heart," complete with syrupy strings and corny backing vocals. ~ Ken Dryden https://www.allmusic.com/album/open-highway-mw0000586673

Sings Open Highway

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Dick Sisto - Spirit of Life

Styles: Vibraphone Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:28
Size: 144,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:04)  1. Angelica
(3:53)  2. Heavan
(4:04)  3. Rain Check
(5:12)  4. Lotus Blossom
(3:38)  5. Don't You Know I Care
(3:58)  6. Ninety-Nine Per Cent
(8:04)  7. Wise One
(5:55)  8. Dear Lord
(6:10)  9. After the Rain
(4:47) 10. Equinox
(6:37) 11. Acknowledgment
(5:00) 12. Resolution

Dick began studying the vibes in Grammar school with marimba master Jose Bethancourt of the Chicago Symphony. He attended Notre Dame H.S., which also produced pianists Jim McNeely, Al Pheeney and trombonist James Pankow. While there he was awarded "best soloist" at the state competition. He attended North Texas State Univ. for one year and took a quartet to the Collegiate Jazz Festival where he was judged, "an excellent player" by Julian "Cannonball" Adderley.( see Press Clips ) The following year he attended Northwestern Univ. playing in the lab band as a soloist along side David Sanborn. He left Northwestern to form The Quartet Four with drummer Maurice White, who later founded Earth, Wind and Fire. After moving to northern California in the 70's Sisto recorded with guitarist Jerry Hahn, drummer George Marsh, saxophonist Rich Fudoli, and pianist composer Bill 'Allaudin' Mathieu on Tom Buckner's ground breaking album entitled Ghost Opera. He receieved a California Arts Council Grant, composing and performing music for the poetry of Gary Snyder and Lawrence Ferlinghetti. He relocated to Louisville Kentucky and played clubs and festivals throughout the midwest including The Jazz Showcase and the Green Mill in Chicago as well as The Jazz Kitchen In Indianapolis and the Blue Wisp in Cincinnatti . He has toured Great Britain five times, where he played prominent venues including the Pizza Express in London, where he received rave reviews. A few of the musicians he performed at Jazz Festivals with are Milt Hinton, David "Fathead' Newman, Willie Pickens, Ira Sullivan, Fred Hersch and Barry Ries. As music director of the famous Seelbach Hotel (as seen in films The Hustler and The Insider), Sisto's trio worked with numerous players including Joe Morello, Joe and Pat Labarbera, Kevin Mahagony. 

Bobby Shew, Fred Hersch, Drew Gress, Barry Ries, Bob Shephard, David Hazeltine, Rufus Reid, Bobby Broom, Dave Samuels, Rich Perry, Andy LaVerne, Walt Weiskoff and many others including gigs with guitarists Larry Koonse in LA and Ben Monder in NYC. Sisto has given clinics and master classes throughout the U.S. including the Univ. of N. Texas, Queens College in N.Y. and at Leigh Howard Stephen's World Vibe Congress in Asbury Pk. New Jersey. He is the author of the popular Jazz Vibraphone Book, which is used as a text in many schools and has been the Vibraphone teacher at the Jamey Aebersold Summer Jazz Workshops for many years. He is a Musser vibraphone artist and has two Signature mallet models with Mike Balter Mallets. As the host of two long-running Public Radio shows for the Louisville Public Media NPR affiliate station, Sisto has interviewed and performed with Phil Woods, Toots Thielmans, Fred Hersch, Kenny Werner , Don Braden, Barry Ries, Rufus Reid, Bob Bodley and many of the others mentioned in other contexts. He has recorded four CD's with Fred Hersch, Drew Gress, Tom Rainey, Kenny Werner, Barry Ries, Bobby Broom, Dennis Irwin, Jim Anderson and Mike Hyman. All the releases received heavy national airplay and were "charted". After releasing American Love Song he was signed with Atlantic Records just before their demise. Sisto appears as a sideman on several albums including Mark Colby's tribute to Stan Getz. The original music on the CD Soul Searching was used as the sound track for the DVD documentary of the same name about the life of the monk, writer Thomas Merton, whom Sisto knew in the 60's. The DVD has been aired several times on PBS. His wife Penny is the internationally acclaimed fabric artist and son Jeremy is the accomplished actor of stage and screen. http://www.dicksisto.com/bio.asp

Spirit of Life

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Urbie Green - 'Round Midnight

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:19
Size: 74,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:23)  1. Round Midnight
(2:32)  2. Baby, Won't You Please Come Home
(2:39)  3. Cherokee
(3:15)  4. Dinner For One, Please James
(3:23)  5. Home, Cradle Of Happiness
(3:33)  6. I Ain't Got Nobody
(3:27)  7. I Won't Dance
(3:16)  8. It Must Be True
(3:39)  9. Let's Face The Music And Dance
(3:08) 10. Little John

A fine jazz player with a beautiful tone who has spent most of his career in the studios, Urbie Green is highly respected by his fellow trombonists. He started playing when he was 12; was with the big bands of Tommy Reynolds, Bob Strong, and Frankie Carle as a teenager; and worked with Gene Krupa during 1947-1950. Green had a stint with Woody Herman's Third Herd, appeared on some of the famous Buck Clayton jam sessions (1953-1954), and was with Benny Goodman off and on during 1955-1957. He played with Count Basie in 1963, and spent a period in the 1960s fronting the Tommy Dorsey ghost band (1966-1967), but has mostly stuck to studio work. Urbie Green recorded frequently as a leader in the 1950s up to 1963 (for Blue Note, Vanguard, Bethlehem, ABC-Paramount, and dance band-oriented records for RCA and Command). He has appeared much less often in jazz settings since then, but did make two albums for CTI in 1976-1977. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/urbie-green-mn0000300013/biography

'Round Midnight

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Dick Hyman & Ruby Braff - Manhattan Jazz

Styles: Piano And Cornet Jazz
Year: 1984
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:43
Size: 101,5 MB
Art: Front

(2:44)  1. Jubilee
(3:26)  2. You're Lucky to Me
(7:13)  3. The Man I Love/How Long Has This Been Going On/He Loves and She Loves
(3:20)  4. I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby, and My Baby's Crazy 'Bout Me
(3:14)  5. Some Day You'll Be Sorry
(4:58)  6. Don't Worry About Me
(4:01)  7. Jeepers Creepers
(4:40)  8. I'm Just Wild About Harry
(6:55)  9. The Man That Got Away/If I Only Had A Brain/Over The Rainbow
(3:06) 10. Blues for John W.

Every duet album by pianist Dick Hyman and cornetist Ruby Braff is magical. The pair of distinctive musicians always seem to react immediately to each other and they consistently play highly expressive versions of prebop standards. This outing has its memorable moments and is highlighted by "Jubilee," "You're Lucky to Me," "I'm Crazy 'Bout My Baby" and "Jeepers Creepers"; Hyman takes "I'm Just Wild About Harry" as an unaccompanied solo. The CD is easily recommended to mainstream collectors. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/manhattan-jazz-mw0000197685

Personnel:  Dick Hyman - piano; Ruby Braff - cornet.

Manhattan Jazz

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Chris Connor - Sings Ballads Of The Sad Cafe

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:46
Size: 87,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:37)  1. These Foolish Things
(3:14)  2. Bargain Day
(3:48)  3. The End Of A Love Affair
(3:30)  4. Glad To Be Unhappy
(5:00)  5. Ballad Of The Sad Cafe
(4:23)  6. Good Morning Heartache
(4:27)  7. Something I Dreamed Last Night
(4:51)  8. Lilac Wine
(4:52)  9. One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)

Chris Connor uses several different musical settings for this album of torch songs, but the main distinction is between the arrangements that employ strings, such as "The End of a Love Affair," and those that use horns, such as "Bargain Day." The backgrounds color Connor's vocal interpretations, and she often interacts with the musicians, notably with flautist Eddy Jaspar in "These Foolish Things," a virtual duet. But her primary goal is to render the lyrics with a combination of precision and emotional distance. In this sense, the heart of the album is "Glad to Be Unhappy," which Connor begins by singing the rarely heard introductory verse, then gives musical coloration to by varying the notes at the end of each line. The listener is not meant to believe the emotions the lyrics describe, but rather to savor them along with the singer. Charles DeForest's "Ballad of the Sad Café," which takes nothing but its title from Carson McCullers' popular 1951 novella, is nevertheless literary in its descriptions of lonely people, and Connor, again through note alteration, gives it a reading that puts it at a further emotional remove. The trick, of course, is that the singer's posture puts her in an even darker position than that of the songwriters; at least they are still feeling something, while she seems to be so far from love that she is denying all feeling. And in that denial, her torch burns all the brighter. ~ William Rulhmann https://www.allmusic.com/album/sings-ballads-of-the-sad-cafe-mw0000478244  

Personnel:  Vocals – Chris Connor; Alto Saxophone – Marshall Royal, Phil Woods; Baritone Saxophone – Charlie Fowlkes; Bass – Don Payne, Eddie Jones; Cello [Violoncello] – Dave Soyer, Maurice Brown; Conductor, Arranged By – Ralph Sharon; Drums – Billy Exiner, Ed Shaughnessy, Sonny Payne; Flute – Bobby Jaspar; Guitar – Barry Galbraith, Freddie Green, Kenny Burrell; Piano – Stan Free ; Reeds [Saxes] – Bobby Jaspar, Jerry Sanfino, Morton Lewis, Stan Webb, Steve Perlow Tenor Saxophone – Frank Foster, Seldon Powell; Trombone – Al Grey, Eddie Bert, Frank Rehak, Dick Hixon, Wayne Andre,  Willie Dennis; Trumpet – Donald Byrd, Ernie Royal, Harry Edison, Joe Newman, Snooky Young; Viola – Dave Markowitz, Isadore Zir; Violin – Gene Orloff, George Ockner, Harry Katzman, Harry Melnikoff, Harry Urbont, Leo Kruczek, Mac Ceppos, Ray Free, Sam Rand, Sylvan Shulman, Tosha Samaroff;

Sings Ballads Of The Sad Cafe

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Harry Connick, Jr. - Occasion

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:04
Size: 150,4 MB
Art: Front

(4:40)  1. Brown World
(5:13)  2. Valentine's Day
(3:00)  3. Occasion
(5:56)  4. Spot
(5:05)  5. I Like Love More
(5:56)  6. All Things
(6:03)  7. Win
(4:10)  8. Virgoid
(7:07)  9. Remember The Tarpon
(5:50) 10. Lose
(3:15) 11. Steve Lacy
(2:16) 12. Chanson Du Vieux Carre
(6:25) 13. Good To Be Home

While singer/pianist Harry Connick Jr.'s opening performance at this year's Ottawa International Jazz Festival was entertaining in a lightweight kind of way, his two shows the following evening were the most revealing. On this world premiere, and two of only three live performances with his lifelong friend, saxophonist Branford Marsalis, Connick debuted material from Occasion: Connick on Piano 2, an even greater departure from his more widely-accepted crooner image than his '03 Marsalis Music release, Other Hours: Connick on Piano 1. Other Hours was a solid showcase for Connick as a pianist and composer in a group context, but Occasion puts him in the more inherently risky environment of the duo, where there's no safety net and both players are completely exposed. Recorded over three days earlier this year, it was originally intended to combine a handful of duet recordings with Marsalis with whom Connick has played on occasion over the years, most recently on Marsalis' Romare Bearden Revealed with a series of solo piano pieces. But the bond between the two players was so strong that Connick supplemented the pieces brought to the session with further writing done on the fly, and Marsalis ultimately contributed two pieces of his own the appropriately titled "Steve Lacy and the more traditionally-informed title track. 

It's often said that a player's personality is reflected in their music, and when I had the opportunity to see Connick in performance with Marsalis, his levity and often dry humour were in clear evidence throughout. Refreshingly, Connick's roots aren't in the post-Evans school of musical thought; rather, he comes directly and equally from the idiosyncratically irreverent Thelonious Monk and the behind-the-beat stride work of Erroll Garner. While Connick is capable of elegance and delicacy, as he demonstrates on the poignant "I Like Love More, a touch of classical influence on "Valentine's Day, and even a certain degree of abstraction on the dark-hued "Chanson Du Vieux Carre, he's generally more disposed towards a weightier but never overbearing touch. You can almost hear his New Orleans drawl on the bluesy "Good to Be Home and the modernized ragtime of "Spot. As in their live performance, the simpatico between Connick and Marsalis is palpable. Marsalis, always a versatile player, demonstrates a different side to his own roots on "Win and "Lose, which are two sides of the same coin sharing a theme but demonstrating just how far apart two takes on essentially the same piece can be. While Marsalis remains perhaps closer to the centre than in his own work, his ability to play tag team with Connick results in a surprising unpredictability throughout. During the first Ottawa show, Connick bemoaned how he's always wanted to be the pianist in Branford's band. Occasion may not make a strong case for him in that context, but it certainly presents a picture of him as a far more diversely capable player than fans of his crooner material and even his previous instrumental albums could possibly imagine. ~ John Kelman https://www.allaboutjazz.com/occasion-connick-on-piano-2-harry-connick-jr-marsalis-music-review-by-john-kelman.php

Personnel: Harry Connick Jr. (piano); Branford Marsalis (tenor and soprano saxophones)

Occasion

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Rob McConnell Tentet - Music of the Twenties

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:44
Size: 165,4 MB
Art: Front

(8:53)  1. Thou Swell
(6:26)  2. Remember
(8:49)  3. Lover, Come Back to Me
(5:19)  4. Can't We Be Friends
(5:43)  5. Always
(6:12)  6. I Can't Believe That You're in Love With Me
(7:54)  7. Indian Summer/Summertime
(6:54)  8. How Long Has This Been Going On
(4:13)  9. You Do Something to Me
(7:33) 10. With a Song in My Heart
(3:44) 11. What I'll Do

To anyone who may be wondering why Rob McConnell would devote an entire album to music that is almost eight decades old, all I can say is, “listen.” Not only don’t they write ‘em like that anymore, they almost never play ‘em this way either. Irving Berlin, Rodgers and Hart, the Gershwins, Cole Porter, Victor Herbert, Sigmund Romberg, Jimmy McHugh and other legendary Tin Pan Alley tunesmiths have seldom sounded fresher or more fashionable than in this dazzling tour de force by McConnell’s spectacular Tentet, thanks on the one hand to Rob’s bright and imaginative arrangements (and one by Rick Wilkins) and on the other to the ensemble’s scintillating performance. Almost everyone in the all-star Tentet is showcased on at least one number, and everyone gets into the solo act on the hot-blooded opener, Rodgers and Hart’s “Thou Swell” (from A Connecticut Yankee, 1927). “I’ve often wondered how I could feature everyone in this band on one number,” Rob writes. “This is the answer.” And what an answer it is, with McConnell’s nimble valve trombone pointing the way toward shimmering solos by all hands. R&H are also represented by “With a Song in My Heart” (1929; solos by tenor Mike Murley, pianist Dave Restivo), Berlin by “Remember” (1925; chart by Wilkins, solos by Restivo and bassist Steve Wallace), “Always” (1925; featuring Guido Basso, flugelhorn) and “What’ll I Do” (1924; Steve McDade, trumpet). Alto P.J. 

Perry is the headliner on Romberg’s mercurial “Lover Come Back to Me” (1928). Trombonist Terry Promane softly caresses the melody and Murley solos on the Gershwins’ “How Long Has This Been Going On” (1927), while McConnell and Restivo are the main men on McHugh’s “I Can’t Believe That You’re in Love with Me” (1926), tenor Alex Dean and drummer Terry Clarke on Porter’s “You Do Something to Me” (1929). Romberg’s carefree “Indian Summer” (1929) is briefly paired with the only song that doesn’t date from the ‘20s, “Summertime,” written in 1935 by George and Ira Gershwin, DuBose Heyward and Dorothy Fields for the folk opera Porgy and Bess. The soloists are Dean and Wallace (“Indian Summer”) and Basso (muted on “Summertime”). “I decided,” says Rob, “that a small tribute to Miles Davis and Gil Evans with a bit of ‘Summertime’ at the end [of ‘Indian Summer’] would be OK.” And indeed it is. That covers everything except the loosely swinging Kay Swift / Paul James standard from 1929, “Can’t We Be Friends,” on which McConnell states the melody and Wallace is the featured soloist. About the only decision one has to make when listening to McConnell’s Tentet (as was true of the late and grievously lamented Boss Brass) is, which is more impressive, Rob’s arrangements or the ensemble itself? And as is always the case, the “competition” has to be ruled a draw. When all is said and done, it’s simply impossible to choose between perfect and flawless. One thing is sure, and that is that whenever McConnell and his ensemble come together to record, there is more musical talent in that one studio than in all the rock bands in the universe. No matter what the era, the Rob McConnell Tentet makes every song truly irresistible. Another clear-cut winner. ~ Jack Bowers https://www.allaboutjazz.com/music-of-the-twenties-rob-mcconnell-tentet-review-by-jack-bowers.php

Personnel: Rob McConnell, Terry Promane, trombone; Guido Basso, Steve McDade, trumpet, flugelhorn; P.J. Perry, alto sax; Mike Murley, Alex Dean, tenor sax; Dave Restivo, piano; Steve Wallace, bass; Terry Clarke, drums.

Music of the Twenties

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