Bob James - Foxie

Styles: keyboards Jazz
Year: 1983
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:18
Size: 77,1 MB
Art: Front

(6:46)  1. Ludwig
(2:50)  2. Calaban
(5:48)  3. Fireball
(6:09)  4. Zebra Man
(4:59)  5. Miranda
(6:44)  6. Marco Polo

Because so many of Bob James' albums have been devoid of integrity and epitomized musical prostitution at its most shameless, quite a few people in the jazz world (both fusionists and hard boppers) dismiss everything he's done since 1974. But it's best to judge the keyboardist on an album-by-album basis and not lump all of his releases together. Not a gem but certainly superior to Touchdown or Sign of the Times, Foxie has its moments. Some of the pop-jazz material is decent, including the delicate "Miranda," the reggae-influenced "Calaban," and the relaxed "Fireball." The playful "Zebra Man" employs David Sanborn on soprano sax; regrettably, he simply meanders and doesn't get a chance to stretch. None of the songs are brilliant, but with the exception of "Marco Polo," none of them are schlocky either. ~ Alex Henderson https://www.allmusic.com/album/foxie-mw0000645797

Personnel: Bob James - keyboards, synthesizer; David Sanborn - saxophone; Steve Khan - guitar; Marcus Miller, Will Lee - bass guitar; Peter Erskine, Steve Gadd - drums; Ralph MacDonald - percussion

Foxie

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Monique Thomas Voices Of Praise - It's Time

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:10
Size: 146,0 MB
Art: Front

( 5:14)  1. Don't Stop Believin'
( 5:07)  2. Ordinary Day
( 5:12)  3. Who ?
( 6:18)  4. It's Time
( 3:50)  5. Praise You
( 0:54)  6. WWYG Interlude
( 4:20)  7. Don't Be Shy
( 6:32)  8. Feel Better
( 5:47)  9. Take Me Higher
( 4:27) 10. God Said It
( 5:02) 11. Where Will You Go ?
(10:22) 12. All I Need

Creativity and tradition are not opposed. Originating from Black American religious chants, Gospel is the major artistic expression of the spiritual culture, and its musical influence has long since gone beyond its religious confines : although we cannot attribute it with the paternity of jazz, it had a strong influence on this music and is at the very root of soul music. Inspired by and rooted in tradition, Gospel defies trends and brings with it a universal profoundness. From Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (USA), Monique Thomas very early joined the chorals of her local Baptist churches and in many of them became lead singer. Immersed in both the radition of spirituals and in contemporary soul, she developed her own interpretation of Gospel. Living in France since 1998, she has finally found the opportunity to lay claim to her culture with an original project in the European Gospel landscape. Voices Of Praise is a thoroughly modern approach to Gospel, both in its respect for tradition and in its intention of faith, and, with a modern orchestration, is directly linked to the blues, funk and R'N'B cultures. https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/moniquethomas

It's Time

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David Murray Octet - Home

Styles: Saxophone, Clarinet Jazz
Year: 1982
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 36:53
Size: 84,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:01)  1. Home
(6:51)  2. Santa Barbara And Crenshaw Follies
(6:11)  3. Choctaw Blues
(9:14)  4. Last Of The Hipmen
(8:35)  5. 3-D Family

Although David Murray has recorded in many different settings throughout his busy career, his octet has always been perfect for his talents. More disciplined than his big band, yet containing more tone colors than his smaller combos, the octet allowed Murray to be exploratory yet occasionally look backwards. This set, his second with the band, has quite an all-star lineup: Murray on tenor and bass clarinet, altoist Henry Threadgill, trumpeter Olu Dara, cornetist Butch Morris, trombonist George Lewis, pianist Anthony Davis, bassist Wilber Morris and drummer Steve McCall. All of the brilliant players have their opportunities to make strong contributions to Murray's five originals (best known of which is "3-D Family"), and the leader's writing is consistently colorful and unpredictable. Recommended. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/home-mw0000649670

Personnel:  David Murray – tenor saxophone, bass clarinet; Henry Threadgill – alto saxophone, flute, alto flute; Olu Dara – trumpet; Lawrence "Butch" Morris – cornet; George Lewis – trombone; Anthony Davis – piano; Wilber Morris – bass; Steve McCall – drums

Home

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Cab Calloway & His Orchestra - Swinging 40s

Styles: Swing, Big Band 
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:57
Size: 101,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:17)  1. Russian Lullaby
(3:17)  2. 9:20 Special
(3:44)  3. The Very Thought Of You
(3:37)  4. Foo A Little Bally-Hoo
(2:28)  5. Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby
(3:57)  6. Frantic In The Atlantic
(3:07)  7. Blue Skies
(1:15)  8. Bojangles Steps In
(2:36)  9. Easy Joe
(6:22) 10. Ain't That Something
(1:16) 11. Everybody Dance
(2:57) 12. The Honeydripper
(3:07) 13. Let's Go Joe
(2:50) 14. The Jumpin' Jive

One of the great entertainers, Cab Calloway was a household name by 1932, and never really declined in fame. A talented jazz singer and a superior scatter, Calloway's gyrations and showmanship on-stage at the Cotton Club sometimes overshadowed the quality of his always excellent bands. The younger brother of singer Blanche Calloway (who made some fine records before retiring in the mid-'30s), Cab grew up in Baltimore, attended law school briefly, and then quit to try to make it as a singer and a dancer. For a time, he headed the Alabamians, but the band was not strong enough to make it in New York. The Missourians, an excellent group that had previously recorded heated instrumentals but had fallen upon hard times, worked out much better. Calloway worked in the 1929 revue Hot Chocolates, started recording in 1930, and in 1931 hit it big with both "Minnie the Moocher" and his regular engagement at the Cotton Club. Calloway was soon (along with Bill Robinson, Ethel Waters, Louis Armstrong, and Duke Ellington) the best-known black entertainer of the era. He appeared in quite a few movies (including 1943's Stormy Weather), and "Minnie the Moocher" was followed by such recordings as "Kicking the Gong Around," "Reefer Man," "Minnie the Moocher's Wedding Day," "You Gotta Hi-De-Ho," "The Hi-De-Ho Miracle Man," and even "Mister Paganini, Swing for Minnie." Among Calloway's sidemen through the years (who received among the highest salaries in the business) were Walter "Foots" Thomas, Bennie Payne, Doc Cheatham, Eddie Barefield, Shad Collins, Cozy Cole, Danny Barker, Milt Hinton, Mario Bauza, Chu Berry, Dizzy Gillespie, Jonah Jones, Tyree Glenn, Panama Francis, and Ike Quebec. His 1942 recording of "Blues in the Night" was a big hit. With the end of the big band era, Calloway had to reluctantly break up his orchestra in 1948, although he continued to perform with his Cab Jivers. Since George Gershwin had originally modeled the character Sportin' Life in Porgy and Bess after Calloway, it was fitting that Cab got to play him in a 1950s version. Throughout the rest of his career, Calloway made special appearances for fans who never tired of hearing him sing "Minnie the Moocher."

Personnel:  Alto Saxophone – Andy Brown, Chauncey Haughton, Hilton Jefferson, Jerry Blake; Baritone Saxophone – Greely Walton, Rudy Powell; Bass – Milton Hinton; Drums – Buford Oliver, Cozy Cole, J.C. Heard; Guitar – Danny Barker; Piano – Bennie Payne, Dave Rivera; Tenor Saxophone – Al Gibson, Ike Quebec, Teddy McRae, Walter Thomas; Trombone – Claude Jones, DePrieste Wheeler, Keg Johnson, Quentin Jackson, Tyree Glenn; Trumpet – Irving Randolph, Jonah Jones, Lamar Wright, Paul Webster, Russell Smith, Shad Collins

Swinging 40s

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