Dan Barrett Octet - Strictly Instrumental

Styles: Trombone Jazz 
Year: 1987
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:41
Size: 91,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:30)  1. Old Fashioned Love
(3:16)  2. Somebody Loves Me
(3:55)  3. Quasimodo
(2:58)  4. The Minor Infraction
(3:22)  5. No Regrets
(3:34)  6. Moon Country
(3:12)  7. My Honey's Lovin' Arms
(5:08)  8. Strictly Instrumental
(3:24)  9. Sleep
(3:53) 10. Some Other Spring
(3:24) 11. There's Honey on the Moon Tonight

Trombonist Dan Barrett utilizes some of the top younger players of pre-bop in this delightful octet session. In addition to Barrett, the lineup includes cornetist Warren Vache; Ken Peplowski on clarinet and tenor; altoist Chuck Wilson; the late, great pianist Dick Wellstood; guitarist Howard Alden; bassist Jack Lesberg; and drummer Jackie Williams. Together, they play a variety of high-quality standards, including relative obscurities such as "No Regrets," Hoagy Carmichael's "Moon Country," and "There's Honey on the Moon Tonight." The concise solos and Barrett's clever arrangements make this a particularly memorable release. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/strictly-instrumental-mw0000194071

Personnel:  Trombone – Dan Barrett; Valve Trombone – Dan Barrett;  Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar – Howard Alden; Alto Saxophone – Chuck Wilson; Bass – Jack Lesberg; Clarinet, Tenor Saxophone – Ken Peplowski; Cornet – Warren Vaché; Drums – Jackie Williams; Piano – Dick Wellstood

Strictly Instrumental

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Janet Seidel - The Art of Lounge 3

Styles: Vocal, Piano Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 57:49
Size: 132,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:40)  1. Moonglow
(2:16)  2. If They Asked Me I Could Write a Book
(4:01)  3. Always
(4:13)  4. Midnight Sun
(3:32)  5. Miami Beach Rhumba
(4:30)  6. Canadian Sunset
(4:00)  7. Whatever Lola Wants
(3:45)  8. Lullaby of Birdland
(5:11)  9. Cow Cow Boogie
(3:32) 10. Trolley Song
(4:28) 11. Cry Me a River
(3:46) 12. The Breeze and I
(5:43) 13. Somewhere over the Rainbow
(5:06) 14. Dream

Born in Australia's bush country, Janet Seidel emerged as one of that country's leading cabaret and jazz vocalists. She appeared frequently at Australia's top jazz and hotel venues beginning in the early '80s, often working with bassist brother David Seidel. Janet Seidel also performed at jazz festivals in the U.S., working with such jazz notables as Harry Allen, Dan Barrett, Dave McKenna, and Michael Moore. Her first venture into cabaret came in 2000 when she put together and starred in Doris and Me, a tribute to Doris Day's singing career. Often working with saxophone player Tom Baker and with her brother, she has made numerous albums for the LaBrava label. Her double album The Way You Wear Your Hat was named vocal album of the year by Australia's national newspaper and was a finalist for the prestigious ARIA award. Her The Art of Lounge, Vol. 2 was similarly a finalist for that award for the AIRA Jazz Album of the Year. Seidel did not have great range, but she used the tools she possessed with great skill and effectiveness. With her intimate style, great feel for the lyrics of songs she sings, Seidel was one of those vocalists who was as much a story teller as a singer. 

The way she handled the music came off as a fortuitous blend of Blossom Dearie and Doris Day with an occasional nod to Julie London, although she was somewhat jazzier than the latter two. Like Jeri Southern, Shirley Horn, and Diana Krall, she often doubled at the piano.  From the turn of the millennium through the decade of the 2000s, Seidel recorded prolifically, releasing such albums as Love Letters (2000), Doris & Me (2001), Don't Smoke in Bed (2002), Comme Çi, Comme Ça and The Art of Lounge, Vol. 3 (both 2003), Dear Blossom and Hooray for Christmas (both 2004), Moon of Manakoora and Delovely (both 2005), and We Get Requests and Charade: Henry Mancini Songbook (both 2007). In addition, her Live in Taipei DVD was released in 2011. Janet Seidel died from ovarian cancer in Sydney in August 2017; she was 62 years old. The numerous recordings she made evince an exquisite, gentle, and agile voice that honored each tune she sang, from classic standards to pop songs and novelties. ~ Dave Nathan https://www.allmusic.com/artist/janet-seidel-mn0000420852/biography

Personnel:  Vocals, Piano – Janet Seidel ; Bass – David Seidel;  Drums – Adam Pache; Guitar – Chuck Morgan; Piano – Kelvin Hunt; Saxophone – Ben Jones

The Art of Lounge 3

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Adrian Cunningham - Walkbout

Styles: Saxophone, Clarinet And Flute Jazz
Year: 2011
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:50
Size: 130,9 MB
Art: Front

(0:55)  1. Prologue: Wanderlust
(6:24)  2. Chasing the Horizon
(4:56)  3. Baby Please Don't Go
(2:20)  4. In Transit
(6:14)  5. Oasis
(7:29)  6. Barcelona
(1:03)  7. Winter
(5:55)  8. Winter's End
(1:19)  9. In Transit #2
(7:08) 10. What I Can't Take with Me
(6:50) 11. Dancing into the Sun
(6:12) 12. The Long Road Home

One of Australia's finest jazz musicians, Saxophonist Adrian Cunningham has been busy leading The Adrian Cunningham Quartet in venues around his country of birth, establishing himself as a fixture in New York's vibrant jazz scene since his relocation in 2008. Recorded in Cunningham's home town of Sydney, Australia, Walkabout is a tasteful slice of modern jazz featuring original statements performed by a core quartet, with backup from a four-piece string section. Known as a multi-instrumentalist, Cunningham adds variety and mix to the music by performing on clarinet and flute, in addition to his saxophones. The album contains a selection of refreshing new material, which is a testament to Cunningham's talents as a songwriter. The music is bold, sophisticated and sometimes edgy but always engaging, drawing inspiration from his many travels and tenure in New York. With titles such as "Baby Please Don't Go (For New Orleans)," "Barcelona" and "Writer's End (For Williamsburg)," a picture emerges as to why this wanderlust's inspiration comes from traveling around the globe. Though swing may not be an appropriate adjective to describe the major contents of the disc, it certainly applies to "Dancing Into The Sun (For Bahia)," where Cunningham, pianist Bill Risby and drummer Gordon Rytmeister swing to a slight Latin rhythm on the burner of the set. Taking the music to the edge of the spectrum, "Oasis (For Central Park)" opens with a structureless free jazz introduction by the string section, then turns a bit avant-garde before developing its eventual fusion-like jazz texture. Cunningham returns to the saxophone on the last few pieces, closing the session with the swing jazz statement of "Dancing Into the Sun (For Bahia)" and the blues-tinged "The Long Road Home," climaxed by a solid, high-pitched solo providing convincing evidence of the reed man's tenor chops. With no covers, vocals or familiar jazz standards, Walkabout runs through a repertoire of original modern music showcasing quality charts by a multi-instrumentalist from down under whose talents as a writer and a performer, are poised to make Cunningham a first-call jazz musician on a world stage. ~ Edward Blanco https://www.allaboutjazz.com/walkabout-adrian-cunningham-new-market-music-review-by-edward-blanco.php

Personnel: Adrian Cunningham: saxophones, clarinet, flute; Bill Risby: piano; Dave Pudney: bass; Gordon Rytmeister: drums; Phillip Harti: violin; Ursula Nelius: violin; Angela Lindsay: viola; Paul Stender: cello.

Walkbout

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Red Mitchell - Giants of Jazz

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 1959
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 73:07
Size: 174,5 MB
Art: Front

( 8:12)  1. Cheek To Cheek
( 5:49)  2. Things Ain't What They Used To Be
( 5:32)  3. Scrapple From The Apple
( 5:22)  4. I Thought Of You
( 5:19)  5. Endless
(10:59)  6. Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea
( 5:35)  7. Sandu
( 4:04)  8. Easy Like
( 7:00)  9. Paul's Pal
( 5:22) 10. Rainy Night
( 6:19) 11. Out Of The Blue
( 3:28) 12. Happy Times

This is a curious collection of recordings, mostly standards save two originals, that Red Mitchell made with a wide variety of artists, primarily West Coast, unfortunately unidentified from track to track. Astute listeners will be able to pick the cuts with Barney Kessel or Jim Hall, definitely Ornette Coleman and Don Cherry ("Endless.") There are rare sessions with Lorraine Geller, James Clay, Buddy Collette, Carl Perkins and Claude Williamson included. Red Mitchell completists or first time discoverers of the brilliant bassist might find this hodgepodge compilation inviting, and it is over 70 minutes in length. ~ Michael G.Nastos https://www.allmusic.com/album/red-mitchell-giants-of-jazz-mw0001071614

Giants of Jazz

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