Bill Charlap, Ted Rosenthal - Gerry Mulligan Songbook

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 70:31
Size: 162,7 MB
Art: Front

(7:19)  1. Line For Lyons
(5:40)  2. Walkin' Shoes
(7:47)  3. Song For Strayhorn
(2:52)  4. Bark For Barksdale
(7:16)  5. Curtains
(4:49)  6. Rocker
(5:44)  7. Lonesome Boulevard
(5:49)  8. Festive Minor
(7:48)  9. Noblesse
(6:02) 10. Wood On Wood
(9:24) 11. Jazzspeak

Although Gerry Mulligan was once famous for his celebrated "pianoless" quartets, the maestro in later years hired two exceptional, young pianists, Bill Charlap and Ted Rosenthal. The pianists, along with two other Mulligan alumni, bassist Dean Johnson and drummer Ron Vincent, celebrate the memory of their old boss in these bright, spirited, often-witty renditions of 10 of his jazz songs. Charlap and Rosenthal are most empathetic collaborators. Their overlapping voicings are often deliciously reminiscent of Bill Evans' overdubbing of himself on "Conversations with Myself" and "Further Conversations with Myself." The more overlapping, the more interactive and contrapuntal sounding it gets, the more exciting it gets. The music has a spontaneous edge, but never sinks into chaos or the clatter of keyboards colliding. These are high-quality, tasteful servings, certainly not some sort of Mulligan stew casually tossed on the listener's plate. The pianos come out roaring on Mulligan's "Line for Lyons," the opening tune for the session ranging from "Walkin' Shoes" to "Song for Strayhorn." Chiaroscuro's Hank O'Neal has long provided a haven for fine piano music, whether it's Dave McKenna's or Jess Stacy's. Charlap and Rosenthal, although from a much-younger generation, fit into O'Neal's piano pantheon. Anyone, in fact, who likes good piano music, whether jazz or classical, can derive much pleasure from this piano songbook. On the CD's last selection, Jazzspeak a regular feature on Chiaroscuro, in which musicians speak of art, life or whatever the four ex Mulliganites recall their boss/mentor rather fondly, even when acknowledging he was a demanding taskmaster who wanted things done right. Right, they agree, was Always his way. https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-1997-07-31-9708010828-story.html

Personnel:  Bill Charlap, Ted Rosenthal, piano; Dean Johnson, bass; Ron Vincent, drums

Gerry Mulligan Songbook

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Kathie Lee Gifford - Born for You

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:46
Size: 157,4 MB
Art: Front

(6:43)  1. Born for You,  Circle Game
(5:10)  2. It Goes Like It Goes, Sweet Dreams
(3:42)  3. Help Is On the Way
(6:31)  4. Moondance
(4:21)  5. Here's That Rainy Day
(3:15)  6. Before the Parade Passes By,  Don't Rain On My Parade
(5:17)  7. First Time,  Not Exactly Paris
(4:01)  8. I Got Lost in His Arms
(5:03)  9. Only My Pillow Knows
(3:33) 10. Child in Me
(4:57) 11. On My Way to You
(6:07) 12. Sunrise Sunset,  Try to Remember
(3:38) 13. The Journey
(5:21) 14. Born for You

Released in the spring of 2000 to capitalize on Kathie Lee's then-impending departure from the TV show Live with Regis & Kathie Lee, Born for You is a concept album, at least according to Gifford's liner notes. She says in the preface to the album that she wanted to record a soundtrack album, except that it would be a soundtrack to a life, presumably her own. So, she and musical director Christopher Marlowe and producer David Friedman designed an album that was supposed to have the sweep of a life. To use a rock equivalent, it could have sounded like Rod Stewart's Gasoline Alley, Every Picture Tells a Story, and Never a Dull Moment. But, since Gifford's background is show tunes, this is melodramatic and overblown instead of wryly observed. Well, Kathie Lee and her fans wouldn't have it any other way. Nevertheless, it's still a little strange to hear Joni Mitchell and Van Morrison in this context, especially since it doesn't seem to add to the theme very much. Still, it has to be said that Born for You, despite its lack of subtlety, is a better-constructed record than most of her albums, thanks to a solid choice of material, relatively less-mannered vocals, and a focus that must have helped its creators, even if it isn't evident to the audience. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine https://www.allmusic.com/album/born-for-you-mw0000608869

Born for You

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Harold Betters - Out of Sight & Sound

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 30:16
Size: 71,1 MB
Art: Front

(2:40)  1. You're a Sweetheart
(3:10)  2. On a Clear Day
(3:02)  3. One, Two, Three
(2:09)  4. You're Gonna Hear from Me
(2:49)  5. Watermelon Man
(1:39)  6. Cool Dr. D
(2:48)  7. Pretty Flamingo
(3:35)  8. The Shadow of Your Smile
(2:05)  9. Wha-Cha-Ma Call It
(3:11) 10. Unchained Melody
(3:05) 11. When a Man Loves a Woman

Louis Armstrong described his trombone sound as "rich and honest." He toured with Ray Charles. Harold Betters had a jazz career which spans over four decades. 

Enjoy this his 9th recording, “Out of Sight and Sound” (1966) produced by Reprise Records, recorded in the way jazz was supposed to be heard! ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/out-sight-sound-HAROLD-BETTERS/dp/B00413A8LS

Personnel: Trombone – Harold Betters; Bass – Chuck Ramsey

Out of Sight & Sound

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Camden Hughes - McCall

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 42:46
Size: 98,5 MB
Art: Front

(6:33)  1. Happenin' You
(6:09)  2. Starting Fresh
(6:46)  3. McCall
(4:52)  4. Be
(6:30)  5. Song for Cara Ann
(5:58)  6. Christmas in July
(5:55)  7. Happenin' You Alt Take

Camden Hughes is a singer-songwriter, jazz multi-instrumentalist, and music educator from Boise, ID. Well-versed in several musical genres, Camden composes and performs in the jazz, funk, soul, and songwriter idioms. The son of two classical piano teachers, Camden grew up immersed in music, starting the piano at the age of 4 and the guitar at age 15.  With years of both jazz and classical training, Camden has a unique perspective on composition informed by a vast array of musical experiences..  In addition to being an in-demand performer in the Boise area, Camden is a passionate educator.  Camden started the website www.LearnJazzStandards.com in 2010, which has grown into a trusted jazz education resource all over the world with over 14 million views and 50,000+ subscribers on the Learn Jazz Standards YouTube page.

Camden teaches Band at Idaho Arts Charter School in Nampa, ID. He also serves as an adjunct music instructor at Northwest Nazarene University, where he received his B.A. in music education and music theory.  He has also served as an adjunct music teacher at NNU since 2007. Camden has played over 1,500 gigs in the past 15 years, working with many great musicians. 

In addition to being the Founder of www.LearnJazzStandards.com, Camden has shared the stage with Bruce Forman, Carl Saunders, John Clayton, Curtis Stigers, Brent Vaartstra, Scott Whitfield, Stanton Kessler, Bill Watrous, Pete Christlieb, Justin Nielsen, Paul Tillotson, Brent Jensen, the Frim Fram Four, Sandon Mayhew, Phil Garonzik, Thomas Hutchings,  Bill Courtial, Clay Moore, the Jazz Angels, and MANY more!  Camden's first album, "IntroSpective," an accessible modern jazz collaboration with New York saxophonist Thomas Hutchings, released August 8th, 2015, with overwhelming support from fans exceeding their goal by 121% on PledgeMusic. Camden's second album, "McCall," released in November, 2017.  It features Portland Guitarist Dan Balmer on guitar, Edwin Wallace Wheeler III on electric bass, Wayne Bliss on acoustic bass, and David Gluck on the drums.  "McCall" is the result of 10 hours of FREE studio time Camden won in a recording contest held by Blissman Studios in Tacoma, WA.  Sixteen different bands entered music in the contest, and Camden was chosen to receive first prize and 10 hours of free studio time! https://camdenhughesmusic.com/bio

Personnel: Dan Balmer on guitar, David Gluck on drums, and Edwin Wallace Wheeler III on bass

McCall

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Dennis Coffey - Down by the River

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:20
Size: 95,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:02)  1. Polka Dots and Moonbeams
(4:18)  2. Sunny
(3:00)  3. The Shadow of Your Smile
(3:47)  4. You Are the Sunshine of My Life
(3:27)  5. Kansas City
(3:56)  6. Little Sunflower
(3:57)  7. Just My Imagination
(3:40)  8. Baby, What You Want Me to Do?
(5:53)  9. Impressions
(4:15) 10. Cherokee

Dennis Coffey is an American original. Only in America (and specifically, only in Detroit) could one man play guitar with a group of legends as diverse as Del Shannon, The Temptations, and George Clinton and Funkadelic. However, the list of iconic artists, producers and writers Dennis has worked with the world over only scratches the surface of what the man has done and the contributions he’s made to the canon of popular music. Dennis Coffey first began to make his mark as a member of The Royaltones, a group which had hits in the late 50’s and early 60’s and who performed sessions with other artists, including Del Shannon. From there, Dennis moved on to a distinguished run as a session guitarist for various labels operating at the peak of Detroit’s influence as a hub of musical innovation and commercial success. He’s perhaps best known for his work as a member of the legendary Funk Brothers, backing a veritable trunk load of hits for Motown, specifically The Temptations’ classics “Cloud Nine,” “Ball Of Confusion,” and “Just My Imagination.” It is in those works that his introduction of the wah-wah guitar sound to Motown (and soul / R&B in general) first reared its head, and the resulting influence on all kinds of popular music continues to reverberate to this day. His work with The Temptations is just the tip of the iceberg, though… he’s on stuff like “War” by Edwin Starr… “Band Of Gold” by Freda Payne…on and on the list goes. In the early 70’s, Dennis struck out on his own as an artist, film scorer and producer. 

He scored the cult classic film Black Belt Jones. He recorded “Scorpio” in 1971 as part of his second solo record and first for Sussex (“Evolution”). “Scorpio” was a million selling single and was a key foundational track in the history and development of hip-hop, totally apart from its status as a funk classic. Dennis has recorded several other solo records, and he has co-produced a million seller in Gallery’s Nice To Be With You as well as cult record Cold Fact by Rodriguez, a release that has gained increasing notoriety over the decades since it initially appeared, and which is now regarded as a rediscovered gem. He also continued session guitar work through the 1970’s, appearing on such disco classics as “Boogie Fever” by the Sylvers. Dennis is also featured in the 2002 film Standing In The Shadows Of Motown, further cementing his legacy as a key contributor to the development of some of the most cherished and important popular music of the 20th Century. So, yeah… the man’s important. This isn’t just a history lesson, though. Dennis has continued to write and perform music. He’s a lifer. Now, it’s time for a new chapter. An opportunity to both remind music fans of what he’s done and show them what’s to come. Dennis is a cast member in the Sony film Searching for Sugarman. He is also co-producer and co-arranger along with Mike Theodore for some of the songs on the soundtrack. He also plays guitar and bass in some of those songs. https://getjazz.net/dennis-coffey-down-by-the-river-2019/

Down by the River

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