Donald Byrd - Street Lady

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 1973
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:38
Size: 98,5 MB
Art: Front

(7:47)  1. Lansana's Priestess
(6:25)  2. Miss Kane
(6:12)  3. Sister Love
(5:40)  4. Street Lady
(9:42)  5. Witch Hunt
(6:51)  6. Woman Of The World

Not so much a fusion album as an attempt at mainstream soul and R&B, Street Lady plays like the soundtrack to a forgotten blaxploitation film. Producer/arranger/composer Larry Mizell conceived Street Lady as a concept album to a spirited, independent prostitute, and while the hooker with a heart of gold concept is a little trite, the music uncannily evokes an urban landscape circa the early '70s. Borrowing heavily from Curtis Mayfield, Isaac Hayes, and Sly Stone, Donald Byrd and Mizell have created an album that is overflowing with wah-wah guitars, stuttering electric pianos, percolating percussion, soaring flutes, and charmingly anemic, tuneless vocals. It's certainly not jazz, or even fusion, but it isn't really funk or R&B, either the rhythms aren't elastic enough, and all of the six songs are simply jazzy vamps without clear hooks. But the appeal of Street Lady is how its polished neo-funk and pseudo-fusion sound uncannily like a jive movie or television soundtrack from the early '70s you can picture the Street Lady, decked out in polyester, cruising the streets surrounded by pimps with wide-brimmed hats and platform shoes. And while that may not be ideal for jazz purists, it's perfect for kitsch and funk fanatics. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine https://www.allmusic.com/album/street-lady-mw0000089538

Personnel:  Donald Byrd - trumpet; Roger Glenn - flute; Jerry Peters - piano, electric piano; Fonce Mizell - clavinet, trumpet, vocals; Fred Perren - synthesizer, vocals; David T. Walker - guitar; Chuck Rainey - electric bass; Harvey Mason - drums; King Errisson - congas and bongos; Stephanie Spruill - percussion; Larry Mizell - vocals, arranger, conductor

Street Lady

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Lyambiko - Out of This Mood

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2002
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 71:48
Size: 165,8 MB
Art: Front

(6:54)  1. Some Other Time
(5:18)  2. If I Were a Bell
(3:36)  3. Chega de Saudade
(6:59)  4. Afro Blue
(3:24)  5. Gone with the Wind
(4:00)  6. Can't Get out of This Mood
(4:25)  7. Our Love Is Here to Stay
(4:05)  8. I Ain't Got Nothin' but the Blues
(6:48)  9. Parakeet Prowl
(4:12) 10. Mean to Me
(6:40) 11. Work Song
(3:17) 12. Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me
(2:19) 13. Miss Celie's Blues
(3:39) 14. You'd Be so Nice to Come Home To
(6:06) 15. Skylark

Not especially active in recording vocalists, German label Nagel Heyer has made a fortuitous exception by hosting vocalist Lyambiko's first album. Definitely out of the cool school, this young German performer sings this play list of mostly standards in slightly accented English which helps to make her delivery even more engaging. Possessing an especially soothing tone, good phrasing instincts, a slight vibrato used judiciously, she shows her obvious like of and respect for classics written by Duke Ellington, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Frank Loesser and Jimmy McHugh, among others. Peppered through are such strictly jazz tunes as John Coltrane's "Afro Blue" and a blues tune or two including a groovy "Miss Celie's Blues". One of the jazz tunes, Nat Adderley's "Work Song", gets A Capella treatment by the singer which showcases the purity and range of her awesome set of vocal chords and she ends this tune by reaching to the heavens with an astonishing high note which she seems to hold onto forever. Quite breathtaking. Lyambiko gets staunch support by an international flavored trio of American Marque Lowenthal on piano, Canadian bassist Robin Draganic and drummer/percussionist Torsten Zwingenberger from Hamburg. This album offers more than 70 minutes of choice vocal jazz combined with excellent jazz instrumental artists and is highly recommended. ~ Dave Natrhan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/out-of-this-mood-lyambiko-review-by-dave-nathan.php

Personnel: Lyambiko - Vocals; Marque Lowenthal - Piano; Torsten Zwingenberger - Drums/Percussion; Robin Draganic - Bass

Out of This Mood

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Alan Barnes & David Newton - Summertime

Styles: Clarinet, Saxophone And Piano Jazz 
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 65:55
Size: 152,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:22)  1. Art's Oregano
(5:57)  2. Summertime
(3:45)  3. Freeman of London
(5:56)  4. Di's Waltz
(3:16)  5. The Bluebird of Delhi
(3:36)  6. Tico Tico
(4:35)  7. Street Of Dreams
(5:05)  8. Black and Tan Fantasy
(4:05)  9. Don't Be That Way
(4:40) 10. Early Autumn
(4:07) 11. The Hawk
(4:15) 12. Autumn Nocturne
(2:44) 13. Charlie the Chulo
(5:59) 14. The Haunted Melody
(4:26) 15. Zoot

Alan Barnes was born in Cheshire in 1959. He studied at Leeds College of Music and became proficient on alto and baritone saxophones and clarinet. Following graduation in 1980, Barnes led several groups, including Pizza Express Modern Jazz Sextet, and recorded with Dave Newton, Tony Coe, Ken Peplowski, and Warren Vache. He dominated the saxophone and clairnet section of the British jazz awards throughout the '90s and performs at major international jazz festivals. Barnes has also spent time teaching. ~ Al Campbell https://www.allmusic.com/artist/alan-barnes-mn0000936422

Personnel:  Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Soprano Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Alan Barnes; Piano – David Newton

Summertime

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Rick Margitza - Hope

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1991
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 66:34
Size: 123,1 MB
Art: Front

(6:59)  1. The Journey
(6:00)  2. Song Of Hope
(8:50)  3. Steppin Stone
(5:08)  4. The Princess
(6:50)  5. Walls
(1:27)  6. Mothers Day
(4:46)  7. Recess
(5:28)  8. Heritage
(8:43)  9. The Old Country
(4:04) 10. We The People
(8:15) 11. Cornfed

Play any three-minute segment from this CD by tenor-saxophonist Rick Margitza and one would swear that this was a Wayne Shorter record from the mid-1970's. Only the superior recording quality and technology would betray the fact that these performances are of more recent vintage. Even though the original songs do not sound familiar, there is nothing on this moody date that stamps it as Rick Margitza's. The young saxophonist tries his best, often overdubbing his tenor and soprano, varying moods in his compositions and sometimes utilizing the voices of Phil Perry and Ed Calle as part of the ensemble, but in general the music is overly dry and Margitza's tones are a near duplicate of Shorter's, especially on tenor. Despite some good playing (especially from guitarist Steve Masakowski and pianist Joey Calderazzo), this was a premature effort from the young saxophonist who was not quite ready to be leading his own record session. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/hope-mw0000314464

Personnel: Rick Margitza - tenor saxophone, keyboards, composer; Jeff Kievit - trumpet; Danny Cahn - trumpet; Steve Masakowski - guitar, banjo; Joey Calderazzo - piano; Marc Johnson - bass; Peter Erskine - drums; Airto Moreira - percussion; Phil Perry - vocals; Ed Calle - vocals, EWI; Charles Pillow - oboe; Richard Margitza - violin; Olivia Koppell - viola; Jesse Levy - cello

Hope

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Biréli Lagrène, Sylvain Luc - Best Moments

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 44:51
Size: 104,0 MB
Art: Front

(4:02)  1. Isn't She Lovely
(7:12)  2. Can't Take my Eyes off You
(4:07)  3. So What
(4:14)  4. Time After Time
(6:37)  5. Wave
(5:43)  6. Stompin' at the Savoy
(0:44)  7. Interlude
(4:12)  8. Zurezat
(3:18)  9. Made in France
(1:58) 10. Looking Up
(2:39) 11. Got a Match

An adept French guitarist, Biréli Lagrène has drawn praise for his fertile blend of swinging continental jazz, post-bop, and fusion. Emerging with Routes to Django: Live in 1980, the then 13-year-old guitarist was quickly praised as an heir to the legendary Django Reinhardt. Over time, however, he broadened his approach, exploring artists like Wes Montgomery, Larry Coryell, and Jimi Hendrix, influences he displayed on 1988's Inferno and 2008's Electric Side. Nonetheless, as evidenced by 1992's Standards, 2005's Move, and 2018's Storyteller, Lagrène remains a leading proponent of both the straight-ahead and gypsy jazz traditions. Lagrène was born into a Romani family on September 4, 1966, in Saverne, Alsace, France. Both his father and grandfather had been prominent guitarists, and Lagrène was first introduced to the instrument around age four. Under his father's influence, Lagrène was soon absorbing the music of guitarist Django Reinhardt, as well as recordings by violinist Stéphane Grappelli and the Hot Club of France. By age seven, he was already a gifted performer and garnered increasing attention throughout the 1970s, especially after he won a prize at a festival in Strasbourg in 1978 and performed on television as part of an appearance at a Gypsy festival broadcast. In 1981, he made his solo debut with Routes to Django: Live. The studio-album Fifteen followed a year later, featuring more Reinhardt songs and jazz standards. During his late teens, Lagrène's musical taste began to evolve as he started playing electric guitar and absorbing players like Wes Montgomery, John McLaughlin, Larry Coryell, and Jimi Hendrix. In 1984, he appeared at the Django Reinhardt Tribute at Fat Tuesdays in New York, where he showcased his stylistically expansive sound. He signed to Blue Note and issued a handful of genre-crossing albums: 1988's Inferno, 1989's Foreign Affairs, and 1990's Acoustic Moments. All of these albums found the guitarist exploring a mix of post-bop, fusion, and Reinhardt-style pieces. The straight-ahead Standards, with bassist Niels Pedersen and drummer Andre Ceccarelli, arrived in 1992. With 1995's My Favorite Django, Lagrène returned to his love of traditional gypsy swing. Over the next decade, he made occassional forays into fusion, while continuing to balance his love of Django Reinhardt, straight-ahead jazz and bop influences. 

He also kept a steady live schedule, appearing live at Marciac in 1994 and at New York's Blue Note in 1997 with Larry Coryell and Billy Cobham. In 1998, he issued the Frank Sinatra tribute Old Blues Eyes, with pianist Maurice Vander, bassist Chris Minh Doky, and drummer Ceccarelli. In 2002, he issued Gypsy Project, yet another album that found him returning to Reinhardt and the classic jazz songbook. Similar albums followed, including 2005's Move, 2006's Djangology, and 2007's Just the Way You Are. A year later, he issued the fusion-influenced Electric Side. He then paired with guitarist Hono Winterstein and bassist Diego Imbert for 2009's Gipsi Trio. That same year, he also released his own Summertime. In 2012, he recorded a straight-ahead jazz set for Universal entitled Mouvements with saxophonist Franck Wolf, drummer Jean-Marc Robin, and Hammond organist Jean-Yves Jung. Also in 2012, Lagrène was asked to participate in the 50th career anniversary celebration for violinist Jean-Luc Ponty, during which he appeared in a trio with Ponty and bassist Stanley Clarke. Inspired by their chemistry on stage that night, the trio stayed in touch, and in 2015 paired again for the studio album D-Stringz on Impulse! In 2018, the guitarist issued Storyteller, featuring bassist Larry Grenadier and percussionist Mino Cinélu. ~ Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/artist/bir%C3%A9li-lagr%C3%A8ne-mn0000082316/biography

French guitarist Sylvain Luc has honed his jazz improvisations since the 1980s, when he first discovered jazz as a teenager. He studied at the prestigious Academy de Bayonne as a child, mastering the guitar, cello, violin, and mandolin, but jazz shed a different light on Luc's musical ambitions. He spent time with the Bubble Quartet, discovering an appreciation for South African music in his twenties. Luc combined his love for jazz with worldbeat sounds and carved a career for himself. He issued his first album, Duet, in 2000. Sud followed shortly thereafter. A third album, Trio Sud, was issued in spring 2002 and featured collaborations with Jean-Marc Jafet and Andre Ceccarelli. ~ Mackenzie Wilson https://www.allmusic.com/artist/sylvain-luc-mn0000756290/biography

Featuring :Bireli Lagrene (guitar), Sylvain Luc (guitar),

Best Moments

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