Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass - Lost Treasures

Styles: Trumpet Jazz, Easy Listening 
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 60:10
Size: 140,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:36)  1. Up Cherry Street
(2:56)  2. Lazy Day
(2:52)  3. Wailing Of The Willow
(2:44)  4. Fire And Rain
(2:47)  5. And I Love Her
(2:38)  6. I Can't Go On Living Without You Baby
(2:22)  7. (They Long To Be) Close To You
(2:34)  8. Promises, Promises
(1:52)  9. Happy Hour
(1:33) 10. Julius And Me
(4:14) 11. I Might Frighten Her Away
(2:14) 12. Alone Again (Naturally)
(2:33) 13. Tennessee Waltz
(3:03) 14. Tradewinds
(2:02) 15. Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head
(2:06) 16. Flowers On The Wall
(3:45) 17. Popcorn
(2:33) 18. Chris
(3:59) 19. Killing Me Softly
(3:18) 20. I'll Never Fall In Love Again
(1:51) 21. Speakeasy
(3:26) 22. Whistlestar

Early in 2005, Shout! Factory launched an extensive reissue campaign of Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass' '60s catalog. In the first wave of reissues, Alpert's classic 1962 debut, The Lonely Bull, and his third album, 1964's South of the Border, were given upgrades and they were joined by a new compilation of rarities called Lost Treasures. Compiled in large part by Alpert himself, Lost Treasures features a generous selection of 22 tracks, recorded somewhere between 1962 and 1972. It's difficult to discern the exact dates since the otherwise excellent liner notes by Josh Kun (with an introduction by Alpert) do not mention when any of the individual songs were recorded or if they've appeared on other albums (Alpert alludes to the fact that some of the cuts here were album tracks on otherwise "unsuccessful" LPs from the early '70s), nor do they mention recording personnel. This is a bit infuriating for any fan or collector who wants to place the cuts in historical context, but as a listening experience, Lost Treasures is as pleasurable as any of the best Tijuana Brass albums. 

Part of this is that Alpert has cherry-picked the best of the leftover sessions and he admits that he did re-record some trumpet parts in order to complete the tracks, but these overdubs are not really noticeable and he's carefully selected and sequenced these tunes so they flow like a real album. But the main reason that Lost Treasures is so enjoyable is that the songs are strong and the performances are nicely laid-back and breezy. Apart from a limber, rather funky reading of James Taylor's "Fire and Rain" and a silky take on the electro-novelty "Popcorn," this is pretty much the signature Tijuana Brass sound served straight up with no frills but a lot of breezy good vibes. But this is a time when no surprises is actually a good thing, since the compilation delivers what Alpert fans want most of all more high-quality tunes from his commercial and creative peak. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine https://www.allmusic.com/album/lost-treasures-mw0000140435

Lost Treasures

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Hank Mobley Quartet - Hank Mobley Quartet

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1955
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 25:13
Size: 58,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:31)  1. Hank's Prank
(3:47)  2. My Sin
(4:31)  3. Avila And Tequila
(3:40)  4. Walkin' The Fence
(4:32)  5. Love For Sale
(4:11)  6. Just Coolin'

Hank Mobley Quartet is the debut album by jazz saxophonist Hank Mobley released on the Blue Note label in 1955 as BLP 5066, a 10" LP. It was recorded on March 27, 1955, and features Mobley, Horace Silver, Doug Watkins and Art Blakey. The album was released on CD only in Japan, as a limited edition. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hank_Mobley_Quartet

Personnel:  Hank Mobley - tenor saxophone; Horace Silver - piano; Doug Watkins - bass; Art Blakey - drums

Hank Mobley Quartet

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Cecil Brooks III - Double Exposure

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2006
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 46:48
Size: 108,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:45)  1. On the Trail
(6:10)  2. Serenade in Blue
(7:34)  3. Tea for Two
(6:32)  4. Bird of Beauty
(6:35)  5. Double Exposure
(5:07)  6. I Can't Give You Anything but Love
(6:09)  7. You've Changed
(2:51)  8. Cute

The liner notes for Double Exposure recount that the disc was recorded in a few spare hours that drummer Cecil Brooks III and organist Gene Ludwig found themselves with while they were recording another album. That feeling of spontaneity and casual inspiration is very present on this rare organ and drum duo effort. Ludwig is a veteran who has been performing since the early '60s. His style is very much in the same vein as the other more well-known soul-jazz players of the era. He achieves a rich, stately and swinging feel, all at the same time. His work at the end of "Serenade in Blue reveals the majesty of Hammond B-3 in full flight with a long, sustained burst of sound. Elsewhere, on Stevie Wonder's "Black Beauty, Ludwig takes an opposite route, showing off some fast finger work. Brooks' playing throughout is steady and unobtrusive. He seems to sense that the best path to take when backing up an organ player is to keep things simple and make sure the proceedings don't get too abstract or loose. On his own composition, "Double Exposure, Brooks opens with some tensely rhythmic pounding that morphs into a slinking groove. He also gets to strut his stuff with some skittering breaks on Neal Hefti's "Cute.  Double Exposure is a fine, relaxed effort showcasing two musicians who play together with a great deal of comfort and conversational grace. The recording session was definitely a few hours of time well spent. ~ Stephen Latessa https://www.allaboutjazz.com/double-exposure-cecil-brooks-iii-savant-records-review-by-stephen-latessa.php

Personnel: Cecil Brooks III: drums; Gene Ludwig: organ.

Double Exposure

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Pete Zimmer - Chillin' Live @ Jazz Factory

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2008
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 61:45
Size: 142,0 MB
Art: Front

( 8:10)  1. Search
( 9:21)  2. Summer Somber
(13:06)  3. Doxy
( 7:16)  4. Una Mas
(12:05)  5. Common Man
(11:46)  6. From This Moment On

In an era when serving a lengthy apprenticeship in a working band is no longer an option, young players who shun fashionable pop-influenced sounds in favor of traditional jazz styles must be very resourceful. Thirty-year-old drummer/composer/bandleader Pete Zimmer balances a desire to extend the modern straight-ahead mainstream into the twenty-first century and the ability to support his ambitions by taking care of the business that surrounds the music. Shortly after arriving in New York City in 2001, Zimmer put together a band of like-minded peers, found a substantial amount of work, and began releasing records on his Tippin' Records imprint. There's no shortage of people carrying the torch for the range of hard bop styles that originated in the 50s and 60s; Zimmer and company are better at it than most. A stable core of personnel includes significant young voices such as trumpeter Michael Rodriguez, pianist Toro Dodo, and bassist David Wong, as well as veteran tenor saxophonist Joel Frahm. Zimmer's first three releases, Common Man, Burnin' Live at the Jazz Standard, and Judgment are largely comprised of original compositions by the leader and his sidemen. 

"Getting Dizzy," "Common Man," and "Road Taken" are good examples of Zimmer's ability to write memorable melodies and evoke a variety of moods. Whether it's Latin, boogaloo, or straight-ahead swing, a decisive, well-defined groove is the defining characteristic of Chillin' Live @ Jazz Factory, Zimmer's latest release. Trumpeter Jeremy Pelt and guitarist Avi Rothbard join Zimmer and Wong in producing a record that's somewhat more relaxed and spare then the Quintet sides. Pelt and Rothbard are fine soloists who have something interesting to say on every track. However, it's the hookup between Zimmer and Wong that makes Chillin' something special. Zimmer's composition "Summer Somber" is a waltz taken at a slow-to-medium tempo. The bassist and drummer create a pulse that's forthright, unpretentious, and contains just the right amount of grit. The music swings persistently yet gives the impression of open space. On a middling tempo rendition of Sonny Rollins's "Doxy," it's easy to lose yourself in the steady push of Wong's walking line and Zimmer's ride cymbal. The bassist and drummer tighten the groove ever so slightly in the middle of Pelt's solo, and Zimmer doesn't feel the need to jump in and react to a long, repetitive sequence by the trumpeter. The drummer goes full tilt at the onset of "Search." His lively Latin rhythms include moments of silence and they set the tone for the rest of the track. Zimmer's boogaloo treatment of Kenny Dorham's classic line "Una Mas" entails precise straight eighth note patterns on his "wet" and "dry" sounding ride cymbals. While staying in the pocket he executes neat snare and tom-tom combinations behind Rothbard's soulful, effusive melodies. The drummer's snare accents subtly propel the head of an update of "Common Man." Amidst Rothbard's chords and single note lines, Zimmer tucks accents under the dry ping of the ride and shoehorns in some multiple stroke fills. He plays straight, unobtrusive time during Wong's solo on an up-tempo rendition of Cole Porter's "From This Moment On." When the bassist resumes walking in the final sixteen bars, you catch an unvarnished view of their extraordinary rapport. ~ David A.Orthmann https://www.allaboutjazz.com/pete-zimmer-chillin-live-at-jazz-factory-pete-zimmer-by-david-a-orthmann.php
 

Personnel:  Drums – Pete Zimmer; Bass – David Wong; Guitar – Avi Rothbard; Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Jeremy Pelt

Chillin' Live @ Jazz Factory

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Laurie Antonioli - The Constant Passage of Time

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:06
Size: 99,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:35)  1. Longing for You
(4:33)  2. Riverwide
(3:56)  3. Layla
(5:30)  4. Moonbirds
(6:32)  5. Harry's House/The Arrangement
(3:55)  6. Love
(4:21)  7. Highway
(3:15)  8. And so It Is
(5:25)  9. Don't Let It Bring You Down

Laurie Antonioli is one of the era's definitive jazz vocalists, but she's got a little rock 'n' roll in her soul too. Her new album expands her creative purview with an emotionally trenchant program focusing on her collaborations with state-of-the-art jazz composers  including Russell Ferrante and Nguyn L and new arrangements of songs by iconic singer/songwriters Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, and Sheryl Crow. 'The Constant Passage of Time' is her 7th album overall and 3rd created with her American Dreams band, a superlative quintet featuring saxophonist Sheldon Brown, guitarist Dave MacNab, pianist Matt Clark, drummer Jason Lewis, and bassist/recording engineer Dan Feiszli. The arrangements cover a lot of gripping musical ground, making particularly brilliant use of Brown's bass clarinet and the stinging fretwork of MacNab. ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Constant-Passage-Time-Laurie-Antonioli/dp/B07NHQHWWN

The Constant Passage of Time

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