Allan Holdsworth - Velvet Darkness

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1976
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 30:03
Size: 69,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:23)  1. Good Clean Filth
(2:46)  2. Floppy Hat
(4:21)  3. Wish
(3:06)  4. Kinder
(4:43)  5. Velvet Darkness
(3:10)  6. Karzie Key
(1:37)  7. Last May
(4:54)  8. Gattox

This debut solo release by Allan Holdsworth has an "in the raw," coarsely presented, jam-session quality complete with warts and all, as well as real gems of jazz fusion shining through. A first hearing of this release in its vinyl version might provoke laughter at how really bad it sounds compared to Holdsworth's other releases as well as his playing with other groups. As it turns out, Holdsworth himself abhors this release (considering it "a real terrible disaster"), and has taken legal action and had it removed from production for several reasons. The original label used rehearsal tapes to compile it, deeming it unnecessary to finance real sessions. During the recording session, Holdsworth had to hurry through each song and apparently never obtained the masters to go over before release. In essence, the original release was nothing more than a taped rehearsal, packaged by CTI as an album without Holdsworth's permission. This recording has been bootlegged by label after label, none of the musicians involved ever saw any royalties, and no legal paperwork exists. (The recording's known labels and release/re-release dates include CTI Records [1976], King Records [1976], Epic Associated Records [CD, 1990], King Records [Japanese-only CD, 1994], and CTI Records [Japanese-only CD, 1997]. Velvet Darkness was also released in 1997 on an unknown label in Japan as a bootleg CD; an original copy of the vinyl LP album had been transferred to the CD.) This 1990 release with alternate takes (just more pieces dredged up from the jam-session practice tapes) is indeed an interesting snapshot of young stellar musicians doing their thing in a laid-back but energetic fusion-funk-rock groove. It is for all the above reasons that this is indeed a completist/collectors item nowadays. Included are the now very rare recordings of Holdsworth playing acoustic guitar and violin, which he does very well. The alternate take of "Gattox" is a special treat, featuring Holdsworth soloing with an intensity and emotive power that echoes all the best dynamics jazz fusion could offer in the '70s. Obtaining this release second-hand is probably the only and most proper way to find it now. ~ John W.Patterson https://www.allmusic.com/album/velvet-darkness-mw0000204270

Personnel: Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Violin, Written-By – Allan Holdsworth;  Bass – Alphonse Johnson;  Drums – Narada Michael Walden;  Piano – Alan Pasqua

Velvet Darkness

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Johnny Griffin - The Kerry Dancers and Other Swinging Folk (Remastered)

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1962 /2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:02
Size: 90,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:45)  1. The Kerry Dancers
(6:15)  2. Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair
(4:38)  3. Green Grow the Rushes
(4:56)  4. The Londonderry Air
(4:42)  5. 25 1/2 Daze
(5:11)  6. Oh, Now I See
(4:55)  7. Hush-A-Bye
(3:34)  8. Ballad for Monsieur

Many straight-ahead bop musicians would never consider recording traditional folk songs from the British Isles, but that's exactly what Johnny Griffin does on The Kerry Dancers and Other Swinging Folk and this Orrin Keepnews-produced album just happens to be one of his best releases of the 1960s. Joined by pianist Barry Harris, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Ben Riley, the big-toned Chicago tenor man turns his attention to four traditional folk melodies: "The Londonderry Air" (also known as "Danny Boy"), "Green Grow the Rushes" (a Scottish favorite), "The Kerry Dancers" (an Irish piece), and "Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair" all of which work perfectly well in an acoustic jazz setting. Not everything on this album (which was recorded in late 1961 and early 1962) is a folk song from the British Isles; the other half of the album ranges from Griffin's moody "Oh, Now I See" to the John Coltrane-influenced "25 1/2 Daze." On Riverside's original LP version of this album, Griffin's bop interpretations of folk songs were confined to side one while the other material was placed on side two. But when Fantasy reissued this album on CD in 2001 on its Original Jazz Classics imprint, there was no interruption between the folk and non-folk material you no longer had to get up and turn the record over. And that's just as well, because Griffin brings a jazz mentality to everything on the album; he is as hard-swinging and improvisatory on "The Londonderry Air" as he is on "25 1/2 Daze" and "Oh, Now I See." The Kerry Dancers and Other Swinging Folk is among the many Griffin releases that the Chicagoan can be proud of. ~ Alex Henderson https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-kerry-dancers-and-other-swinging-folk-mw0000016413

Personnel:  Johnny Griffin — tenor saxophone; Barry Harris - piano; Ron Carter - bass; Ben Riley - drums

The Kerry Dancers and Other Swinging Folk (Remastered)

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Bernard Peiffer - Peiffer Interpreys

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1960/2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 32:03
Size: 74,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:32)  1. Come Along With Me
(4:37)  2. It's All Right With Me
(2:27)  3. Just One Of Those Things
(4:31)  4. You Do Something To Me
(5:32)  5. Let's Do It
(4:45)  6. I Love Paris
(2:25)  7. Montmartre
(4:11)  8. C'est Magnifique

Born 23 October 1922, Epinal, France, d. 7 September 1976, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. Following intensive training as a classical pianist, Peiffer began playing jazz in distinguished company. While still a young man he played with Django Reinhardt, Hubert Rostaing and other European jazzmen and also with visiting Americans such as Rex Stewart, Don Byas and Sidney Bechet. By the end of the 40s he had become very well known in his native land, leading small groups and also working alone. Persuaded to visit the USA, he moved there in the mid-50s and thereafter commuted between the USA and Europe. An exceptionally accomplished technician, Peiffer’s solo playing was rich and sometimes florid. He was forward-thinking in his style, despite the swing era resonances of his early associations. He also composed much of his repertoire. His son Stephan Jean-Bernard assembled an album of old home recordings that was released in 2006 under the title Formidable...! https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bernard-peiffer-mn0000760255/biography

Peiffer Interpreys

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Neville Dickie - Strut Miss Lizzie

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:44
Size: 181,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:54)  1. Strut Miss Lizzie
(4:59)  2. Two-Time Dan
(3:08)  3. Harlem Hotcha
(3:45)  4. All Muddled Up
(3:43)  5. Satanic Blues
(3:46)  6. It's Right Here for You (If You Don't Get It - Tain't No Fault O' Mine)
(4:08)  7. Cuddle Up Blues
(3:34)  8. Red Hot Mama
(3:42)  9. I've Got a Cross-Eyed Papa (But He Looks Straight to Me)
(3:22) 10. Candy Lips (I'm Stuck on You)
(3:27) 11. Dancin' Dan
(4:09) 12. Whisper Sweet
(3:30) 13. Gypsy Blues
(3:37) 14. Loose Feet
(3:59) 15. Cry Baby Blues
(2:46) 16. At the Jazz Band Ball
(2:44) 17. Home Again Blues
(3:22) 18. Weary Blues
(3:52) 19. Nobody Knows What a Red-Headed Mama Can Do
(4:01) 20. Virgina Blues
(4:07) 21. I Lost My Heart in Dixieland

Neville Dickie (born 1 January 1937 in Durham) is an English boogie-woogie and stride piano player. He has performed all over Europe and North America. After serving in the RAF, Dickie left Durham and moved to London, where he began playing piano for small wages in various pubs. It was only after Doreen Davies, who was head of BBC Radio 2, noticed him at a BBC audition that he took a notable stride in his musical career. He has played on hundreds of BBC Radio broadcasts. Dickie has produced scores of records and can be heard on hundreds of jazz recordings, as well as several recordings with the French pianist, Louis Mazetier. Dickie had a Top 40 UK hit single in 1969 with "Robin's Return" on the Major Minor Records label (MM 644). It reached number 33 on the UK Singles Chart. His album Back to Boogie (1975) has sold over 100,000 copies. Dickie formed a band called the Rhythmakers in 1985 and continues to perform with that group and with his trio. He appears regularly at festivals in the United States. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neville_Dickie

Strut Miss Lizzie

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Christine Tassan et les Imposteures - Django Belles

Styles: Vocal And Guitar Jazz
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:05
Size: 105,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:51)  1. La soirée du hockey / Hiver maudit
(4:05)  2. Mon pays
(3:44)  3. Fleurs de grésil
(4:50)  4. Oggi nevica (Reel Béatrice)
(3:41)  5. Tout l'monde a la grippe
(3:47)  6. Il est né le divin enfant / Joseph Joseph
(4:55)  7. L'hiver, Largo / Marie-Noël
(3:52)  8. Mele Kalikimaka
(4:01)  9. Marche de Casse-Noisette
(5:51) 10. Les neiges de Finlande / En tombant gentiment
(2:22) 11. Medley de Noël

It has been ten years since Christine Tassan et les Imposteures started tending their craft in the gypsy jazz milieu and performing standards, and there is no doubt that they are definitely here to stay. Pioneers in a domain usually reserved for men and precursors of the gypsy wave that swept across Québec, this all-woman quartet continues to reinvent this timeless music while integrating new ideas and influences with an originality and flair we have become familiar with. From standards to original compositions, the Imposteures’ musical arrangements innovate, rejuvenate and leave room for unbridled creativity from four talented and accomplished young women. Since their inception in 2003 the group has solidified their reputation. With more than 400 concerts in various venues and festivals, including numerous appearances in major events and tours across Canada and France, they have cultivated the adoration and loyalty of an ever growing fan base. We have had the chance to see them at the Montreal International Jazz Festival, at the Lévis Jazz Festival, at the Guitar Festival in Rouyn-Noranda, at the April in Paris Vancouver festival and in St-Pierre-et-Miquelon. On two occasions, their show has been taped and broadcasted by CBC Radio as part of the Concerts on demand, in Montreal and Saskatoon. 

Over the years, the band has shared the stage with illustrious gypsy swing musicians, including John Jorgenson, Tchavolo Schmit, Angelo Debarre, Rodolphe Raffalli and David Reindhart. In June 2014, they had the great pleasure to be invited at the Django Reinhardt Festival of Samois-sur-Seine (France), one of the most prestigious gypsy jazz festivals since it takes place in the town where the great manouche guitarist lived his last years. In front of more than 2000 enthusiastic people, they stood out with their “finesse” and “joie de vivre” as the very first women and furthermore Québécois gypsy jazz band to perform on this famous stage ! Their first two albums, De bon matin (2007) and Pas manouche, c’est louche (2010), achieved rapid critical acclaim. Only a few weeks after it was released, De bon matin went to the top of Radio-Canada’s Coup de Coeur hit list and reached number one on the Radio Couleur Jazz top 4. In turn, Pas manouche, c’est louche was nominated for Best Jazz Album Creation at the ADISQ awards, alongside other great artists such as Jordan Officer, Julie Lamontagne and Christine Jensen. On stage, we bear witness to four musicians who have mastered their talents. They improvise with ease, interpret their repertoire with dynamism, and blend their voices together in refined harmonies. 

But it’s their communicative energy and the personal bond between them that hits home the most. Christine Tassan et les Imposteures, are first and foremost four friends who have harnessed their energies and their voices to give rise to, year after year, the fruit of their creativity. Their third album, released in October 2012, follows in the same lively spirit. Like its two predecessors, it weaves together a clever mix of original compositions and standards, songs and instrumental pieces. The album brims with a ripe confidence that clearly reveals the evolution of the group. C’est l’heure de l’apéro marks the beginning of a new chapter for Christine Tassan et les Imposteures, who are once again touring Québec, Canada and the world to showcase their new sparkling and savory show. http://www.christinetassanetlesimposteures.com/en/the-band/

Personnel:  Christine Tassan: lead guitar, rhythm guitar, vocal; Martine Gaumond: violin, podorhythm, back vocal; Lise-Anne Ross: rhythm guitar, back vocal; Blanche Baillargeon: double bass, back vocal; Karine Gordon: trombone; Justine Verreault-Fortin: trumpet

Django Belles

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