Art Pepper - Cinnamon

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 2009
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 30:41
Size: 71,0 MB
Art: Front

(2:59)  1. Chili Pepper
(2:54)  2. Surf Ride
(3:10)  3. Cinnamon
(3:15)  4. Nutmeg
(3:14)  5. Susie The Poodle
(3:11)  6. Holiday Flight
(2:52)  7. Straight Life
(3:29)  8. Thyme Time
(3:07)  9. Art's Oregano
(2:26) 10. Brown Gold

Despite a remarkably colorful and difficult life, Art Pepper was quite consistent in the recording studios; virtually every recording he made is well worth hearing. In the 1950s, he was one of the few altoists (along with Lee Konitz and Paul Desmond) who was able to develop his own sound despite the dominant influence of Charlie Parker. During his last years, Pepper seemed to put all of his life's experiences into his music and he played with startling emotional intensity. After a brief stint with Gus Arnheim, Pepper played with mostly black groups on Central Avenue in Los Angeles. He spent a little time in the Benny Carter and Stan Kenton orchestras before serving time in the military (1944-1946). Some of Pepper's happiest days were during his years with Stan Kenton (1947-1952), although he became a heroin addict during that period. The '50s found the altoist recording frequently both as a leader and a sideman, resulting in at least two classics (Plays Modern Jazz Classics and Meets the Rhythm Section), but he also served two jail sentences stemming from drug offenses in 1953 and 1956. Pepper was in top form during his Contemporary recordings of 1957-1960, but the first half of his career ended abruptly with long prison sentences that dominated the '60s. His occasional gigs between jail terms found him adopting a harder tone influenced by John Coltrane that disturbed some of his longtime followers. 

He recorded with Buddy Rich in 1968 before getting seriously ill and seeking rehabilitation at Synanon (1969-1971). Pepper began his serious comeback in 1975 and the unthinkable happened: Under the guidance and inspiration of his wife Laurie, Pepper not only recovered his former form, but topped himself with intense solos that were quite unique; he also enjoyed playing clarinet occasionally. His recordings for Contemporary and Galaxy rank with the greatest work of his career. Pepper's autobiography Straight Life (written with his wife) is a brutally honest book that details his sometimes horrifying life. Art Pepper died of a cerebral hemorrhage on June 15, 1982 at the age of 56. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/art-pepper-mn0000505047/biography

Cinnamon

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Cecil Payne - The Very Best Of

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 64:51
Size: 149,8 MB
Art: Front

(3:50)  1. Man Of Moods
(7:50)  2. Arnetta
(5:29)  3. I'm Gonna Learn Your Style
(3:40)  4. Tall Grass
(6:40)  5. Saucer Eyes
(5:35)  6. Bringing Up Father
(6:21)  7. Like Church
(4:24)  8. This Time The Dream's On Me
(3:50)  9. Dexterity
(4:00) 10. Yes, He's Gone
(4:47) 11. How Deep Is The Ocean
(5:00) 12. Groovin' High
(3:20) 13. Chessman's Delight

Acclaimed by peers and critics among the finest baritone saxophonists of the bebop era, Cecil Payne remains best remembered for his three-year stint with Dizzy Gillespie's seminal postwar big band. Born in Brooklyn, NY, on December 14, 1922, Payne began playing saxophone at age 13, gravitating to the instrument after hearing Lester Young's work on Count Basie's "Honeysuckle Rose." Young's supple, lilting tone remained a profound influence throughout Payne's career. After learning to play under the tutelage of local altoist Pete Brown, Payne gigged in a series of local groups before receiving his draft papers in 1942. He spent the four years playing with a U.S. Army band, and upon returning to civilian life made his recorded debut for Savoy in support of J.J. Johnson. During a brief stint with Roy Eldridge, Payne put down his alto and first adopted the baritone. Later that year he joined the Gillespie orchestra, earning renown for his unusually graceful approach to a historically unwieldy instrument. Payne appears on most of Gillespie's key recordings from this period, including "Cubano-Be/Cubano-Bop," and solos on cuts like "Ow!" and "Stay on It," but despite near-universal respect among the jazz cognoscenti, he remained a little-known and even neglected figure throughout his career. After exiting the Gillespie ranks in 1949, Payne headlined a session for Decca backed by pianist Duke Jordan and trumpeter Kenny Dorham. Following tenures with Tadd Dameron and Coleman Hawkins, in 1952 Payne launched a two-year stint with Illinois Jacquet, and in 1956, he toured Sweden alongside childhood friend Randy Weston. That same year, Payne also headlined the Savoy LP Patterns of Jazz. In 1957, he and fellow baritonist Pepper Adams backed the legendary John Coltrane on Dakar. 

Shortly after the session he abandoned the music business to work for his father's real estate firm and did not return to performing until 1960. The following year Payne joined the cast of playwright Jack Gelber's off-Broadway hit The Connection, an exposé of the urban drug culture informed by its on-stage jazz performances. From there, he again toured Europe, this time as a member of Lionel Hampton's band, but returned stateside only to resume his real estate work. Payne recorded just a handful of sessions in the years to follow, most notably Zodiac, a superb 1969 date for the Strata-East label. He nevertheless remained a valued sideman, working with Machito from 1963 to 1966 and spending the next two years with Woody Herman. In 1969, he joined Basie, with whom he played for three years. Payne spent the 1970s on and off the radar, cutting sessions for Xanadu and Muse as well as joining the New York Jazz Repertory Orchestra in 1974. He also toured Europe in conjunction with a musical theater showcase titled The Musical Life of Charlie Parker. During the 1980s, he focused his energies into Dameronia, a band formed by drummer Philly Joe Jones in tribute to the music of Tadd Dameron. Payne continued with the ensemble throughout the decade, assuming an even greater creative role following Jones' 1985 death. He also rejoined Jacquet for an extended stint, and toured the New York City club circuit with Bebop Generation, a sextet he founded and led. During the early '90s, Payne helmed a series of well-regarded albums for Delmark. However, as the decade wore on he seemed to vanish, and eventually friends and admirers found him living in his Brooklyn home, a virtual recluse suffering from failing eyesight and living on a modicum of food. A proud, fiercely independent man, Payne only grudgingly accepted the financial assistance of the Jazz Foundation of America, but his health quickly improved and in time he returned to performing. He continued playing regularly well into his eighties, passing away November 27, 2007, just weeks shy of his 85th birthday. ~ Jason Ankeny https://www.allmusic.com/artist/cecil-payne-mn0000661645/biography

The Very Best Of

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Al Haig - Trio And Quintet!

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:00
Size: 115,2 MB
Art: Front

(5:40)  1. Maxology
(5:53)  2. Prince Albert
(6:10)  3. Yesterdays
(3:37)  4. Maximum
(4:01)  5. Just One Of Those Things
(3:09)  6. Yardbird Suite
(2:43)  7. Taboo
(4:55)  8. Mighty Like A Rose
(3:38)  9. S'Wonderful
(1:51) 10. Spotlight
(5:26) 11. 'Round Midnight
(2:49) 12. The Moon Was Yellow

One of the finest pianists of the bop era (and one who learned from Bud Powell's innovations quite early), Al Haig was quite busy during two periods of his career but unfortunately was pretty obscure in the years between. After serving in the Coast Guard (playing in bands during 1942-1944) and freelancing around Boston, Haig worked steadily with Dizzy Gillespie (1945-1946), Charlie Parker (1948-1950), and Stan Getz (1949-1951); and was on many recordings, mostly as a sideman (including some classic Diz and Bird sessions) but also as a leader for Spotlite, Dawn, and Prestige. However (other than little-known dates in 1954 for Esoteric, Swing, and Period), Haig did not lead any more albums until 1974. He played fairly often during the 1951-1973 period, but was generally overlooked. That changed during his last decade, when he was finally recognized as a bop giant and recorded for Spotlite, Choice, SeaBreeze, Interplay, and several Japanese and European labels. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/al-haig-mn0000604469/biography

Personnel: Piano – Al Haig; Bass – Bill Crow, Tommy Potter ; Drums – Lee Abrams, Max Roach; Tenor Saxophone – James Moody; Trumpet – Kenny Dorham

Trio And Quintet!                  

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David Giardina - Crooning In Public

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:23
Size: 107,3 MB
Art: Front

(2:08)  1. Stairway to Paradise
(5:13)  2. Jeanie With the Light Brown Hair
(3:03)  3. Poor Butterfly
(2:10)  4. Do It Again
(3:12)  5. Glow Worm
(4:12)  6. Danny Boy - Londonderry Air
(2:11)  7. Sympathy
(3:54)  8. Tristesse
(2:55)  9. What More Can I Ask For
(4:22) 10. I'm Always Chasing Rainbows
(3:03) 11. I Want What I Want (When I Want it)
(3:09) 12. None But the Lonely Heart
(3:30) 13. A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody
(3:14) 14. April Showers

“Croon Prince” David Giardina is doing it in public! Crooning that is. Giardina has been a crusader and interpreter of the timeless treasures of Tin Pan Alley since the early 1990’s. His first album “Alive In Tin Pan Alley!” showcased many beloved songs from this golden age of American popular music. In his latest album "Crooning In Public" he has put together some more classic songs that are now in the public domain. The album features selections by tune-writing teams George/Ira Gershwin, Henderson/Brown/DeSilva and Tchaikovsky/Goethe. Can’t make this stuff up! You’ll also hear songs by Irving Berlin, Victor Herbert, Stephen Foster and the last surviving Tin Pan Alley song writer Bernie Bierman plus many others. Some of the tunes are famous, some are..surprises. Special thanks to celebrated concert pianist Paul Bisaccia for his stellar work on most of the tracks. Also thanks to the incomparable Mark York for his fantastic work on "Poor Butterfly" and to Stu Chamberlain (piano) and Susan Mitchell (violin) for their wonderful playing on "What More Can i ask For". Should Crooning in Public be a crime? You be the judge. https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/davidgiardina12

Crooning In Public

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