Chet Atkins, Les Paul - Chester & Lester

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1976
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:03
Size: 116,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:30)  1. It's Been A Long, Long Time
(4:43) 2. Medley: Moonglow/Picnic (Theme from "Picnic")
(3:17)  3. Caravan
(3:32)  4. It Had To Be You
(3:12)  5. Out Of Nowhere
(6:31)  6. Avalon
(3:04)  7. Birth Of The Blues
(3:20)  8. Someday Sweetheart
(2:30)  9. Deed I Do
(2:41) 10. Lover Come Back To Me
(2:19) 11. The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise
(2:48) 12. You Brought A New Kind Of Love To Me
(3:15) 13. Caravan - alternate version
(5:16) 14. Medley: Moonglow/Picnic (Theme from "Picnic") - rehearsal version

After eight years away from the microphones, Les Paul joined forces with country music's Chet Atkins in a marvelously relaxed, tasty session of cross-cultural jamming. The sound of the backup band may be Nashville country, but the tunes, mostly drawn from Paul's repertoire, are jazz and pop standards ("Caravan," "It's Been a Long, Long Time," "Avalon," etc.). Both players improvise, duel and converse with the spontaneity of jazz always in the air and unlike almost all of Les' recordings since 1947, there is no overdubbing except on "Caravan" and "Lover, Come Back to Me." You won't have any problem telling Chester and Lester apart on these tracks; Les' bright, almost metallic sound and twirling, yet now more economical flurries are a world away from Chet's mellow fingerpicking, lightly tarted with echo. Yet the two styles play brilliantly off each other; one potent example occurs as Chet superimposes the theme from "Picnic" from his repertoire over Les' statement of "Moonglow." A lot of the between-takes session chatter is intentionally left in, with Les's hotfoot voice trading quips with Chet's Tennessee drawl. On "Avalon," heard in two consecutive takes at different speeds, the dialogue is particularly funny, as Atkins mockingly tries to browbeat his old idol. This album (now on CD) had the effect of putting Les Paul well on the road toward canonization by young rock guitarslingers who noticed his name on Gibson instruments. Richard S.Ginell https://www.allmusic.com/album/chester-lester-mw0000608766

Personnel: Chet Atkins – guitar; Les Paul – guitar; Randy Goodrum – piano; Larrie Londin – drums;  Ray Edenton – guitar; Henry Strzelecki – bass;  Bob Moore – bass

Chester & Lester

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Keri Johnsrud - This Side of Morning

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2015
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:31
Size: 111,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:23)  1. From Here
(4:45)  2. When Morning Dawns
(4:30)  3. If and When
(5:45)  4. Everything's Okay
(0:52)  5. Little Dream
(5:49)  6. Here I Am
(6:30)  7. A Thousand Tears
(4:06)  8. Your Way
(6:04)  9. Fly Away
(5:42) 10. The Chameleon

For her sophomore effort This Side Of Morning, vocalist Keri Johnsrud presents a collection of original material co-written with pianist Kevin Bales. Featuring a powerhouse band of Chicago musicians including guitarist Neal Alger, bassist Larry Kohut, drummer Jon Deitemyer, and vibraphonist Stephen Lynerd, Keri explores a range of emotions in what amounts to a book of poetry set to music. Much of the album evokes a sense of hope in times of loss. Keri describes difficult situations with a depth that recalls tenderness, without coming across as trite or campy. Many of the questions asked in the lyrics read rhetorical, as if the overall melancholy tone of the music provides enough of an answer.  The risk in combining elegies in narrative form with improvised music is that the two competing ideologies will create a final product that sounds forced and unnatural. Keri manages to keep things sounding organic by employing a diverse range of musical styles to accompany her through-composed lyrics. The grooves on "From Here" and "The Chameleon" provide welcome contrast to the free form solo sections featured in "A Thousand Tears" and "Fly Away." Keri's crystal clear voice and impeccable intonation allow her to project true sentiment through dense lyrical material on this gem of an album. ~ Ben Scholz https://www.allaboutjazz.com/this-side-of-morning-by-ben-scholz.php?width=1920

Personnel: Keri Johnsrud: Vocals; Kevin Bales: Piano; Neal Alger: Guitar; Larry Kohut: Bass; Jon Dietemyer; Drums

This Side of Morning

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Bill Allred's Classic Jazz Band - Versatility

Styles: Trombone Jazz, Big Band
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:51
Size: 169,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:14)  1. Tiger Rag
(2:24)  2. Fascinating Rhythm
(7:09)  3. The Beale St. Blues
(4:08)  4. I'm Shoutin' Again
(5:49)  5. On the Trail
(3:34)  6. Si Tu Vois Ma Mere
(4:30)  7. Dardenella
(4:50)  8. The Blues In The Night
(3:29)  9. King Porter Stomp
(5:06) 10. Cherokee
(3:45) 11. Basin Street Blues
(5:13) 12. Gin Mill Blues
(3:39) 13. In The Mood
(4:37) 14. Dark Town Strutters Ball
(4:01) 15. High Society
(2:37) 16. Milenburg Joys
(4:37) 17. Farewell Blues

Veteran trombonist Bill Allred has been leading his Classic Jazz Band for quite a while. Based in Florida, the group often appears at Dixieland and trad jazz festivals, performing a style that is basically swing with improvised ensembles à la Dixieland. This excellent CD has Allred and his son, fellow trombonist John Allred, featured in a five-horn octet along with trumpeters Charlie Bertini and Bob Pickwood, with Terry Myers on reeds. The spirited group romps through such songs as "Beale Street Blues," "On the Trail," "King Porter Stomp," "Cherokee," and "Milenberg Joys," with several of the songs utilizing Matty Matlock's arrangements of the 1950s. Fun music by an underrated band. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/versatility-mw0000008526

Versatility

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Jeff Lorber - Kickin' It

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2001
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:34
Size: 100,8 MB
Art: Front

(4:17)  1. Snakebite
(3:54)  2. Ain't Nobody
(4:25)  3. Happy Endings
(3:58)  4. Chopsticks
(4:33)  5. Keep That Same Ol' Feelin'
(4:40)  6. Reflections
(4:52)  7. The Bijou
(4:08)  8. Kickin' It
(4:05)  9. The In Crowd
(4:37) 10. What It Is

Jeff Lorber's label debut on Samson Records is a typical jazz fusion effort that will sound familiar to fans of his band of the 1970s and '80s, the Jeff Lorber Fusion. Teaming with co-writer/producer/arranger Steve Dubin, Lorber constructs a series of upbeat rhythm tracks over which he plays melodically on either acoustic piano or Fender Rhodes electric. He is joined on nearly every track by a guest saxophonist and/or guitarist. Tenor saxophonist Gerald Albright sits in on "Snakebite," "Keep That Same Ol' Feelin'," and "Kickin' It" (with guitarist Stuart Wylen); soprano saxophonist Dave Koz on "Happy Endings" (with guitarist Michael Landau) and "The Bijou"; tenor saxophonist Steve Cole on "Chopsticks"; soprano saxophonist Gary Meek on "Reflections" (with Wylen) and "What It Is"; and tenor saxophonist Richard Elliot on "The 'In' Crowd." Lorber cedes considerable space to his guests, but he still finds room for his own improvisations. He also brings in a horn section on several cuts, notably "Keep That Same Ol' Feelin'," which sounds enough like a lost Steely Dan track that you keep expecting Donald Fagen to start singing on instead of Siedah Garrett, who intones the repeated lines "Keep on/Keep that same ol' feelin'." "Ain't Nobody" is the 1983 Rufus and Chaka Khan hit, here rendered with an appropriately funky feel, and "The 'In' Crowd" is, of course, the 1965 Ramsey Lewis Trio hit, a nod to an obvious predecessor of Lorber's. The keyboardist slows the pace for "Reflections," but most of these tracks are lively pieces with lots of interplay that is only ended when they fade out. ~ William Ruhlmann https://www.allmusic.com/album/kickin-it-mw0000115527

Personnel:  Jeff plays Yamaha DS6 piano, Fender Rhodes,other keyboards, synth bass, mute guitar; Alex Al – Bass; Dave Koz – Soprano, Alto sax on track 3 and 7; Gary Meek – Soprano, Tenor sax; Gerald Albright – Tenor sax on track 1, 5, 8 Jerry Hey – Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Horn arrangements; John “Little John” Roberts – Drums; Lenny Castro – Percussion; Richard Elliot – Tenor sax on track 9; Siedah Garrett – Vocals on track 5; Steve Cole – Tenor sax on track 4; Tony Maiden – Guitar; Wah Wah Watson – Guitar

Kickin' It

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