Shakatak - Down On The Street

Styles: Jazz Funk
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 55:39
Size: 129,4 MB
Art: Front

(3:20)  1. Down On The Street [1984]
(3:49)  2. Easier Said Than Done [1981]
(4:20)  3. Invitations [1982]
(4:21)  4. Out Of This World [1983]
(4:48)  5. Holding On [1984]
(4:36)  6. Light Of My Life [1982]
(3:16)  7. Lady (to Billie Holiday) [1984]
(4:12)  8. Dark Is The Night [1983]
(3:25)  9. Dr. Dr. [1988]
(3:15) 10. Something Special [1987]
(3:46) 11. Mr Manic And Sister Cool [1987]
(3:44) 12. Turn The Music Up [1989]
(4:25) 13. Bitter Sweet [1991]
(4:14) 14. You'll Never Know [1991]

British crossover jazz, funk, and pop outfit Shakatak are a sophisticated ensemble who have enjoyed a long career. With a sound steeped in contemporary jazz and R&B, they found success with both instrumental albums and pop vocal productions. Formed in London in 1980, Shakatak originally featured keyboardists Bill Sharpe and Nigel Wright, guitarist Keith Winter, bassist Steve Underwood, and drummer Roger Odell. The group quickly scored an underground hit with its debut single "Steppin'." The following year, they cracked the British Top 50 with the singles "Livin' in the UK" and "Brazilian Dawn," both of which were included on their debut album, Drivin' Hard. With their 1982 follow-up Nightbirds, Shakatak (which replaced Underwood with bassist George Anderson) scored their first Top 20 hit with "Easier Said Than Done"; the disc's title track rocketed into the Top Ten. The album also introduced singer Jill Saward, who quickly emerged as the group's lead vocalist, showcased on 1984's Down on the Street and its accompanying hit single "Watching You." After a 1985 live album, the band returned to studio work on Day by Day: City Rhythm, which included the title track single featuring Al Jarreau. A series of largely instrumental albums including Into the Blue, Golden Wings, Da Makani, and Niteflite were then issued exclusively in Japan, where Shakatak enjoyed immense popularity. In the meanwhile, 1988's Manic and Cool was released internationally, highlighted by the singles "Mr. Manic and Sister Cool" and "Something Special."  After 1992's Open Your Eyes topped Billboard's Contemporary Jazz chart, the band supported 1993's Street Level with a tour of South Africa, while the following year's Full Circle expanded into hip-hop beats. In 1997, Shakatak  by then consisting of Sharpe, Odell, Saward, and Anderson  resurfaced with Let the Piano Play, followed by View from the City in 1999. After 1992's Open Your Eyes topped Billboard's Contemporary Jazz chart, the band supported 1993's Street Level with a tour of South Africa, while the following year's Full Circle expanded into hip-hop beats. In 1997, Shakatak  by then consisting of Sharpe, Odell, Saward, and Anderson resurfaced with Let the Piano Play, followed by View from the City in 1999. Along with a busy live concert schedule, Shakatak stayed busy over the next decade, delivering a handful of well-received albums including 2002's Under Your Spell, 2003's Blue Savannah, and 2009's Afterglow. In 2010, they celebrated their 30th anniversary and marked the occasion a year later with the release of Across the World. On the Corner appeared in 2014, followed by Times and Places in 2016. ~ Jason Ankeny https://www.allmusic.com/artist/shakatak-mn0000791326/biography

Down On The Street

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George Adams - Paradise Space Shuttle

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2003
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 41:17
Size: 95,7 MB
Art: Front

( 4:46)  1. Intentions
( 4:27)  2. Send In the Clowns
( 6:55)  3. Metamorphosis For Mingus
( 4:12)  4. Paradise Space Shuttle
( 6:49)  5. City Of Peace
(14:05)  6. Funk-A-Roonie-Peacock

Tenor saxophonist George Adams played with such verve and wit that virtually every solo he played was a delight. Unfortunately, as is the case here, he sometimes participated in contexts that didn't quite match the quality of his performances. Here, he's backed by a decent and sympathetic (if not always inspiring) rhythm section, and some of the tunes  such as the tear-jerking "Send in the Clowns"  are near perfect. Yet, one-third of this short recording is filled by a tune called "Funk-A-Roonie-Peacock," which, while a lot of fun, sounds like commercial filler. The saxophonist contributes a lengthy vocal, suitable for the disco but likely to disappoint many of his followers. Elsewhere, there's a sense of spontaneity that borders on informality, but Adams is excellent throughout. ~ Steve Loewy https://www.allmusic.com/album/paradise-space-shuttle-mw0000900968

Personnel: Tenor Saxophone – George Adams;  Bass – Don Pate; Drums – Al Foster; Piano – Ron Burton

Paradise Space Shuttle

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Yoko Miwa - Canopy of Stars

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:13
Size: 120,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:37)  1. La Estacion
(5:28)  2. Canopy of Stars
(5:09)  3. Solitude
(5:51)  4. Borders
(5:09)  5. Waltz for Willy
(4:34)  6. Tango Soledad
(4:39)  7. Appalachian Trail (North)
(3:07)  8. Behind the Clouds
(4:56)  9. Secret Sources
(4:00) 10. The Silver Screen
(4:38) 11. Appalachian Trail (South)

Japanese-born, Boston-based pianist Yoko Miwa follows up her 2004 release, Fadeless Flower (Polystar Records) with A Canopy of Stars, building on her crisply incisive percussive approach that bubbles with warm melodies and an array of colors, whether on the bright Brazilian-flavored opener, "La Estacion," or the melancholic, dark-hued "Solitude," which features bassist Bronek Suchenek bowing the melody. Miwa takes the same tune and remakes it into a tango handling the melody herself on "Tango Soledad." Miwas's more abstract side is displayed on "Appalachian Trail (North)," with a churning, Brad Mehldau flavor, and its sister tune, "Appalachian Trail (South)," that feels a bit more propulsive. "Canopy of Stars" projects an expansive atmosphere. While "Borders" features one of Miwa's prettiest melodies, her piano work underlain by a sizzling, insistent bass/drum rhythm, Miwa's keyboard work dances with effusive energy. "Waltz for Willie" adds a contemplative mood to the musical proceedings, as does "Behind the Clouds," while "Silver Screen" projects an expansiveness similar to that expressed by the title tune. Miwa writes attractive melodies and plays with a mixture of delicate grace and percussive energy. Canopy of Stars, her third CD release, shows an artist who is clearly coming into her own. ~ Dan McClenaghan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/canopy-of-stars-yoko-miwa-self-produced-review-by-dan-mcclenaghan.php

Personnel: Yoko Miwa: piano; Massimo Biolcati: acoustic bass; Scott Goulding: drums; Bronek Suchanek: acoustic bass (3, 4).

Canopy of Stars

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The Puppini Sisters - The Rise And Fall Of Ruby Woo

Styles: Vocal, Swing
Year: 2007
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 47:11
Size: 110,0 MB
Art: Front

(2:41)  1. Spooky
(2:42)  2. Walk Like An Egyptian
(3:32)  3. Old Cape Cod
(4:29)  4. Soho Nights
(4:31)  5. I Can't Believe I'm Not A Millionaire
(4:48)  6. It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
(3:33)  7. Could It Be Magic
(5:38)  8. Jilted
(3:38)  9. Crazy In Love
(3:15) 10. It's Not Over (Death or the toy piano)
(4:16) 11. And She Sang
(4:03) 12. We Have All The Time In The World

On record you can't see the many costume changes into stunning '30s vintage dresses, or be impressed by the trio's mugging or musical chops Marcella Puppini plays piano and accordion and Stephanie O'Brien plays credible jazz fiddle. This leaves the vocalizing, and while the trio isn't half bad, its members are not spectacular or particularly adventurous singers. On their second album they follow the template of their first. There are a couple of standards including "It Don't Mean a Think If It Ain't Got That Swing," and contemporary numbers "Spooky," "Walk Like an Egyptian"  delivered in '40s vocal trio-style arrangements. Fine as far as it goes, but the joke is wearing thin. The Puppini Sisters' salvation is clearly in their original material. All three Sisters write solid tunes; the sooner they can come up with a full album's worth of original tunes, the better their career prospects will be. Puppini's "I Can't Believe I'm Not a Millionaire" is a blues full of arch humor, and her "Jilted" sounds like it would have been a natural for Peggy Lee, a sultry, sexy tune with a strong hook and a great lyric. O'Brien contributes "Soho Nights" a jump tune with a strong vocal arrangement, a perfect evocation of the era they obviously love. Kate Mullins may be the strongest writer of the three. 

Her "It's Not Over (Death or the Toy Piano)" is another song in the big-band mode, but its complex melody and inventive lyric make it one of the album's strongest tracks. https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-rise-fall-of-ruby-woo-mw0000491579

The Rise And Fall Of Ruby Woo                 

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Mimi Fox - This Bird Still Flies

Styles: Guitar Jazz 
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:35
Size: 125,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:37)  1. Get Away Blues
(4:38)  2. Blue Bossa
(5:23)  3. Twilight in the Mangroves
(4:54)  4. Blackbird
(5:56)  5. Textures of Loving
(5:07)  6. Day Tripper
(8:34)  7. You Don't Know What Love is
(4:57)  8. The Bird Still Flies
(3:25)  9. There is Not Greater Love
(3:46) 10. Against the Grain
(4:15) 11. America the Beautiful

Nothing humbles a jazz guitarist accustomed to playing a solidbody or archtop instrument quite like an acoustic flattop, even if it’s a top-tier Taylor cutaway. There are, of course, musicians who can switch-hit with deceptive ease Pat Metheny, for oneand now the same can be said of Mimi Fox with the release of this, her first full-length acoustic outing. It’s a dazzler from start to finish, a resonant mix of pop, jazz, blues, funk, and Americana that reaffirms Fox’s remarkable artistry in a fresh light, thanks in no small part to her skills as a composer, and perhaps even more so as an audacious arranger. Longtime fans won’t be surprised by the virtuosity she often displays while deploying fluid arpeggios or exploiting the Taylor’s robust dynamic range with hammer-ons, pull-offs, palm-muting, hand percussion, chordal propulsion, and crisp, expertly modulated flatpicking excursions. Still, it’s Fox’s inherent musicality that shines brightest. Not just on the familiar tunes she recalls early salvos of the British pop invasion via wonderfully imaginative arrangements of “Blackbird” and “Day Tripper”but also throughout a series of evocative, multifaceted original pieces. The repertoire here is broad enough to appeal to fans of both Joe Pass and Michael Hedges, and yet Fox always seems to be following her own demanding muse. The result? A guitarist’s guitar album, no question, and a treat for casual listeners. But a note of caution: For all its delights, don’t be surprised if This Bird Still Flies triggers self-esteem issues among aspiring and accomplished players alike. It’s that remarkable. ~Mike Joyce https://jazztimes.com/reviews/albums/mimi-fox-this-bird-still-flies-origin/

This Bird Still Flies

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Donald Byrd - Love Has Come Around - Finest Moments

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 128:30
Size: 296,4 MB
Art: Front

(7:52)  1. Love Has Come Around
(6:57)  2. I Feel Like Loving You Today
(4:42)  3. Cristo Redentor
(4:11)  4. Thank You for Funking up My Life
(4:38)  5. Loving You
(5:11)  6. Sexy Dancer (12" Version)
(6:05)  7. Butterfly
(5:47)  8. High Energy (12" Version)
(6:59)  9. I Love Your Love
(4:06) 10. Morning
(6:06) 11. Love for Sale
(5:24) 12. Forbidden Love (12" Version)
(5:06) 13. Pretty Baby
(4:58) 14. Your Love Is My Ecstacy
(5:12) 15. Close Your Eyes and Look Within
(5:35) 16. Sunning In Your Love Shine
(4:00) 17. Marilyn
(5:07) 18. Midnight (12" Version)
(3:01) 19. Falling
(4:14) 20. I'm Coming Home (12" Version)
(5:13) 21. I'll Always Love You
(4:27) 22. Veronica
(4:48) 23. People Suppose to Be Free
(4:39) 24. Have You Heard the News
(4:00) 25. So Much In Love (12" Version)

Donald Byrd was considered one of the finest hard bop trumpeters of the post-Clifford Brown era. He recorded prolifically as both a leader and sideman from the mid-'50s into the mid-'60s, most often for Blue Note, where he established a reputation as a solid stylist with a clean tone, clear articulation, and a knack for melodicism. Toward the end of the '60s, Byrd became fascinated with Miles Davis' move into fusion, and started recording his own forays into the field. In the early '70s, with the help of brothers Larry and Fonce Mizell, Byrd perfected a bright, breezy, commercially potent take on fusion that was distinct from Davis, incorporating tighter arrangements and more of a smooth soul influence. Opinions on this phase of Byrd's career diverge wildly jazz purists utterly despised it, branding Byrd a sellout and the records a betrayal of talent, but enraptured jazz-funk fans regard it as some of the most innovative, enduring work of its kind. In fact, proportionately speaking, Byrd was held in even higher esteem by that audience than by straight-ahead jazz fans who enjoyed his hard bop output. Donaldson Toussaint L'Ouverture Byrd II was born in Detroit, Michigan, on December 9, 1932. His father, a Methodist minister, was an amateur musician, and Byrd was already an accomplished trumpeter by the time he finished high school, having performed with Lionel Hampton. Byrd served a stint in the Air Force, during which time he played in a military band, and subsequently completed his bachelor's degree in music at Wayne State University in 1954. He moved to New York in 1955 to get his master's at the Manhattan School of Music, and soon began performing with pianist George Wallington's group.

In December of that year, he was invited to join Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, filling a chair once held by his idol, Clifford Brown, and Kenny Dorham. Byrd also began his recording career during this period, leading several sessions (mostly for Savoy) and working often as a sideman, particularly at the Prestige label. He left the Jazz Messengers in 1956 and joined up with Max Roach; he went on to play with the likes of John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, and Red Garland, and also co-founded the Jazz Lab Quintet with altoist Gigi Gryce in 1957. In 1958, Byrd signed an exclusive recording contract with Blue Note, and also formed a band with baritonist Pepper Adams, who would remain Byrd's regular partner until 1961. Byrd's Blue Note debut was 1958's Off to the Races, and he and Adams collaborated on a series of excellent hard bop dates over the next three years, including Byrd in Hand (1959), At the Half Note Cafe, Vols. 1-2 (1960), The Cat Walk (1961), and Royal Flush (also 1961), among others. Another 1961 recording, Free Form, found Byrd giving a young Herbie Hancock some of his earliest exposure. Following this burst of activity, Byrd took a sabbatical to continue his studies in Europe, where he spent some time under the tutelage of the legendary French music educator Nadia Boulanger. He returned to the U.S. in 1963 and recorded A New Perspective, a now-classic set that broke new ground by incorporating gospel choirs into its arrangements; its signature piece, "Cristo Redentor," became quite popular.

In the mid-'60s, Byrd focused more of his energies on teaching, and worked diligently to make jazz and its history a legitimate part of the college curriculum. He taught at Rutgers, Hampton, New York University, and Howard in the late '60s, and the last one remained a steady association for much of the '70s. In the meantime, Byrd continued to record occasionally, cutting a final spate of hard bop albums over 1966-1967 that included Mustang! and Blackjack. Byrd also began to study African music, inspired partly by the emerging black-consciousness movement, and became interested in Miles Davis' efforts to woo a younger audience (including Byrd's own students) by experimenting with electronics and funk rhythms. Released in 1969, Fancy Free found Byrd using electric piano for the first time, with a spacy sound that recalled Davis' In a Silent Way. Issued in 1970, Electric Byrd had more of a Bitches Brew flavor, and the jams on 1971's Ethiopian Knights were longer, funkier, and more aggressive. Byrd truly came into his own as a fusion artist when he hooked up with brothers Larry and Fonce Mizell, who began to handle production, writing, and some musical support duties. Their first collaboration was 1972's Black Byrd, an upbeat, funky blend of jazz and R&B. Jazz critics detested the album and called Byrd all sorts of names, but the record was a smash hit; it became the biggest seller in Blue Note history, and just missed hitting number one on the R&B albums chart. 

In the wake of its success, Byrd formed a supporting group, the Blackbyrds, who were culled from the cream of his music students at Howard University and recorded through the rest of the '70s. Byrd went on to release a string of successful LPs in partnership with the Mizell Brothers, including the imaginary blaxploitation soundtrack Street Lady (1974), Stepping into Tomorrow (1975), the much-lauded Places and Spaces (1976), and Caricatures (1977). All made the Top Ten on the R&B album charts, and the Places and Spaces single "Change (Makes You Wanna Hustle)" even got substantial play in discotheques. Jazz-funk fans revere this period in general, but usually reserve their highest praise for Street Lady and, especially, Places and Spaces. As a side note to his musical career, Byrd finished law school in 1976, and went on to teach at North Carolina Central University. Following Caricatures, Byrd parted ways with Blue Note and the Mizell Brothers and moved to Elektra. He recorded several albums over 1978-1983, but even the most commercially successful, 1978's Thank You...for F.U.M.L. (Funking Up My Life), didn't match the infectiousness of his Blue Note jazz-funk outings. In 1982, Byrd received his Ph.D. from Columbia Teachers College. He spent a few years in the mid-'80s away from recording, due in part to ill health, but continued to teach, moving on to North Texas State and Delaware State. In the late '80s and early '90s, Byrd returned to the hard bop of his early days on several sessions for the Landmark label. He participated in rapper Guru's Jazzmatazz project in 1993, and with the advent of the jazz-rap movement and England's acid jazz revival, his '70s albums became hugely popular sources for samples. In the meantime, Byrd continued his activities as a jazz educator. He died in February 2013 at the age of 80. ~ Steve Huey https://www.allmusic.com/artist/donald-byrd-mn0000149946/biography

Love Has Come Around - Finest Moments

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Stan Getz - Work From Home with Stan Getz

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2020
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 172:17
Size: 397,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:46)  1. Doralice - Stereo Version
(3:21)  2. Insensatez
(3:59)  3. Serenade In Blue
(4:39)  4. But Beautiful
(4:44)  5. Early Autumn
(4:11)  6. Desafinado
(6:50)  7. Louise
(3:36)  8. Só Danço Samba
(2:20)  9. Corcovado (Quiet Nights Of Quiet Stars) - Single Version
(4:43) 10. O Grande Amor
(5:16) 11. Pennies From Heaven
(5:46) 12. Ballad
(5:21) 13. Winter Moon
(3:08) 14. Samba Da Minha Terra - Live At Carnegie Hall/1964
(2:29) 15. O Pato
(4:39) 16. I'm Glad There Is You
(4:07) 17. I Was Doing All Right
(3:04) 18. Where Flamingos Fly
(1:47) 19. Carpetbagger's Theme
(3:17) 20. Body And Soul
(6:27) 21. When The Sun Comes Out - Live At The Village Gate, 1961
(5:25) 22. Lover Man
(4:46) 23. Once Upon A Time
(5:07) 24. Here's That Rainy Day
(6:41) 25. It Don't Mean A Thing - 2011 version
(5:26) 26. Madrugada
(3:25) 27. Stars Fell On Alabama
(5:22) 28. Over The Rainbow
(2:59) 29. You Turned The Tables On Me
(3:52) 30. It Never Entered My Mind - Live At The Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, 1957 / Mono Version
(3:29) 31. Love Is Here To Stay - Alternate Take
(3:58) 32. You're Blase
(7:53) 33. Blues For Mary Jane
(2:52) 34. How Deep Is The Ocean
(3:26) 35. I Didn't Know What Time It Was
(5:50) 36. Manha De Carnaval
(5:52) 37. Symptones
(3:39) 38. Goodbye
(5:25) 39. O Grande Amor

Stan Getz (born Stanley Gayetski; February 2, 1927 – June 6, 1991) was an American jazz saxophonist. Playing primarily the tenor saxophone, Getz was known as "The Sound" because of his warm, lyrical tone, his prime influence being the wispy, mellow timbre of his idol, Lester Young. Coming to prominence in the late 1940s with Woody Herman's big band, Getz is described by critic Scott Yanow as "one of the all-time great tenor saxophonists". Getz performed in bebop and cool jazz groups. Influenced by João Gilberto and Antônio Carlos Jobim, he popularized bossa nova in America with the hit single "The Girl from Ipanema" (1964). Getz was born Stanley Gayetski on February 2, 1927, at St. Vincent's Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.[2] Getz's father Al was born in Mile End, London, in 1904, while his mother Goldie (née Yampolsky) was born in Philadelphia in 1907. His paternal grandparents Harris and Beckie Gayetski were originally from the Kiev area of the Russian Empire (now Ukraine) but had migrated to escape the pogroms in the Russian Empire to Whitechapel, in the East End of London. There, they owned the Harris Tailor Shop at 52 Oxford Street for more than 13 years. In 1913, Harris and Beckie emigrated to the United States with their three sons Al, Phil, and Ben, following their son Louis Gayetski who had emigrated to the US the year before.

The Getz family first settled in Philadelphia, but during the Depression the family moved to New York City, seeking better employment opportunities. Getz worked hard in school, receiving straight As, and finished sixth grade close to the top of his class. Getz's major interest was in musical instruments and he played a number of them before his father bought him his first saxophone at the age of 13. Even though his father also got him a clarinet, Getz instantly fell in love with the saxophone and began practicing eight hours a day. He attended James Monroe High School in the Bronx. In 1941, he was accepted into the All City High School Orchestra of New York City. This gave him a chance to receive private, free tutoring from the New York Philharmonic's Simon Kovar, a bassoon player. He also continued playing the saxophone. He eventually dropped out of school in order to pursue his musical career, but was later sent back to the classroom by the school system's truancy officers. In 1943, at the age of 16, he was accepted into Jack Teagarden's band, and because of his youth he became Teagarden's ward. Getz also played along with Nat King Cole and Lionel Hampton. After playing for Stan Kenton, Jimmy Dorsey, and Benny Goodman, Getz was a soloist with Woody Herman from 1947 to 1949 in "The Second Herd", and he first gained wide attention as one of the band's saxophonists, who were known collectively as "The Four Brothers"; the others being Serge Chaloff, Zoot Sims and Herbie Steward. With Herman, he had a hit with "Early Autumn" and after Getz left "The Second Herd" he was able to launch his solo career. He was the leader on almost all of his recording sessions after 1950....More... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stan_Getz

Work From Home with Stan Getz

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George Adams - Hand To Hand

Styles: Saxophone And Flute Jazz
Year: 1980
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 39:48
Size: 91,7 MB
Art: Front

( 9:14)  1. The Cloocker
(10:58)  2. Yamani's Passion
( 8:12)  3. For Dee J.
(11:22)  4. Joobubie

A passionate tenor and flute player who was not shy to break up chordal improvising with an unexpected scream or roar, George Adams was an original voice who (like his friend Don Pullen) crossed over several stylistic boundaries. He started on piano, but by the time he was in high school he was playing tenor in funk bands. In 1961, he toured with Sam Cooke, and in 1963 Adams moved to Ohio where he played with organ groups for the next few years. In 1968, he relocated to New York where he played with Roy Haynes, Gil Evans, and Art Blakey, among others. However, it was his association with Charles Mingus (1973-1976) that gave him his initial fame. After playing a bit with McCoy Tyner, Adams co-led a stimulating quartet with Don Pullen that made many records. Late in life, Adams (who enjoyed taking an occasional raspy blues vocal) teamed up with James Blood Ulmer in the group Phalanx, and occasionally played with Mingus Dynasty. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/george-adams-mn0000804097/biography

Personnel: Tenor Saxophone, Flute – George Adams; Bass – Mike Richmond; Drums – Dannie Richmond; Piano – Hugh Lawson; Trombone – Jimmy Knepper

Hand To Hand

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Kenny Dorham - Swedish Sessions 1964

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 63:35
Size: 146,4 MB
Art: Front

(10:39)  1. Short Story
( 7:37)  2. I Concentrate On You
(10:13)  3. Not Yet
( 6:52)  4. Short Story II
( 7:02)  5. Dorams Epitaph a.k.a. Extension
( 6:59)  6. For All We Know
( 6:25)  7. I Had The Craziest Dream
( 7:44)  8. Skandia Skies

It is a mystery that some musicians do not get the name and wide recognition that is granted to others. Trumpeter Kenny Dorham is one. And although Dorham was in Dizzy Gillespie's big band, Miles replaced Charlie Parker's quintet and Clifford Brown at Max Roach when the former died too early, Dorham had a hard time living his music. Hard to believe when you hear these recordings from Stockholm in 1964. Three songs in studio with Björn Alkes and Bosse Skoglund's hard swinging and forward-leaning rhythm section with Lars Sjösten on piano. The second recording is from the jazz club Gyllene Cirkeln where Göran Lindberg took over the piano stool in front of bassist Göran Pettersson and drummer Leif Wennerström. Dorham is any good at these Swedish sessions, I have to choose it leans on the heat of the studio versions even though Göran Lindberg's piano play in For all we know shimmers. https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/listenin-to-jazz-and-conversation.586956/page-1973

Swedish Sessions 1964

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Alan Barnes, Brian Lemon - Play Harold Arlen: A Sleepin' Bee

Styles: Contemporary Jazz

Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 66:45
Size: 154,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:54)  1. My Shining Hour
(5:02)  2. Come Rain or Come Shine
(4:48)  3. Last Night When We Were Young
(5:49)  4. I've Got the World on a String
(6:34)  5. If I Only Had a Brain
(3:22)  6. This Time the Dream's on Me
(4:47)  7. When the Sun Comes Out
(6:41)  8. A Sleepin' Bee
(4:13)  9. As Long as I Live
(4:57) 10. Ill Wind
(5:12) 11. Don't Like Goodbyes
(5:20) 12. Down with Love
(5:01) 13. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea

Alan Barnes (born 23 July 1959 in Altrincham, England) is an English jazz musician. Between 1977 and 1980 Barnes attended Leeds College of Music, where he studied saxophone, woodwinds and arranging before moving to London. In 1980 he played with the Midnight Follies Orchestra and the following year was with the Pasadena Roof Orchestra, touring Europe until 1983. In that year he left to join the hard-bop band of Tommy Chase, where he attracted attention on the UK jazz scene for the first time. He left Chase in 1986 to co-lead The Jazz Renegades with rock drummer Steve White, with whom he recorded four albums. In 1985 he recorded his first record date as co-leader with Tommy Whittle Straight Eight and as leader of his own quartet in 1987 Affiliation with pianist David Newton, an association that goes back to their days at Leeds College of Music. In 1988 Barnesn was asked to fill the chair recently vacated by Bruce Turner in the Humphrey Lyttelton band where he stayed until 1992. Between 1987 and 1997 he also led the Pizza Express Modern Jazz Sextet with Gerard Presencer and Dave OHiggins. 

After leaving the Lyttelton band, he concentrated on a freelance career. In 1993 he recorded again with Newton resulting in the duo album Like Minds and the quartet, quintet and sextet album Thirsty Work, which featured fellow reedmen Andy Panayi and Iain Dixon. Throughout the 1990s he co-led a quintet with be-bop trumpeter Bruce Adams, recording two CDs Side- Stepping and Lets Face the Music. During 199799, Barnes began to record a large number of sessions with pianist Brian Lemon on the Zephyr label including albums with Warren Vache, Ken Peplowski, Tony Coe, Roy Williams and his own octet and nonet. He performed as a member of Clark Traceys Tribute to Art Blakey and was featured on the David Newton/Clark Tracey recording Bootleg Eric. In 1999 he toured America and Europe with Bryan Ferrys band, returning to the United States in early 2000 to record and tour for ten weeks with Warren Vaches eleven-piece band - a project for which Barnes had written most of the arrangements. A band with Don Weller, celebrating the music of Cannonball Adderley, recorded a live album Cannonball which was awarded album of the year in the 2001 British Jazz Awards.

In the same year he received the BBC Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year award. That November Barnes featured on baritone at the Blue Note Clubs in New York and Tokyo with the Charlie Watts Tentet and followed this with a stay in South Africa as a solo artist. A regular broadcaster over a ten-year period with the BBC Big Band and Radio Orchestra, he has toured and recorded with big band leaders, Dick Walter, Kenny Baker, Bob Wilber, Don Weller, Stan Tracey and Mike Westbrook. Other bands he has toured and recorded with include the Gary Potter quartet, playing the music of Django Reinhardt, the Tina May Trio with Nikki Iles, Bill LeSages Genetically Modified Quintet, and Spike Robinsons Tenor Madness. Barnes has also appeared as a session musician on albums by Selina Jones, Björk, Van Morrison, Bryan Ferry and can also be found on film and television soundtracks and jingles such as the Tetley Bitter series of adverts featuring his solo baritone. Barnes has enjoyed considerable success in The Marston's Pedigree British Jazz Awards, having won both the alto and clarinet sections five times and the baritone section three times. To celebrate this achievement a recording, Below Zero, featuring him on baritone saxophone accompanied by the David Newton Trio, was released by Concord Jazz. http://www.radioswissjazz.ch/en/music-database/musician/753398ce901e6d1637fa5fe563706c4a50318/biography

Play Harold Arlen: A Sleepin' Bee

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Wendy Kirkland Quartet - Piano Divas

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 2017
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:50
Size: 105,6 MB
Art: Front

(3:34)  1. Come Dance with Me
(4:01)  2. Bahia
(3:27)  3. Slow Boat to China
(4:43)  4. Some Other Time
(3:45)  5. Hey Good Lookin
(5:15)  6. It's Not Unusual
(1:53)  7. Be Nice
(3:15)  8. Samba Chica
(3:57)  9. Don't Worry Be Happy
(4:07) 10. Cheek to Cheek
(4:12) 11. My Baby Just Cares for Me
(3:36) 12. Meet Me Midnight

This is Wendy’s first recording and the results heard promise a bright future. She has a good jazz voice which she uses to effect on a variety of material here, most of it, as it goes, alien to jazz tradition but she manages to integrate it into the language, so to speak. 'Slow Boat To China' was recorded by Charlie Parker but seen as an unlikely novelty choice at the time; here Wendy gives it a swinging treatment, her voice bright, the piano accompaniment spot on in this version. Paying tribute in a brief sleeve note to other singer/pianists, Wendy mentions Diana Krall, Dena De Rose, Blossom Dearie and Shirley Horn. Her own brand of jazz singing combined with piano accompaniment and soloing seems to me to be closest to Dena De Rose in the way she does both jobs equally well and in her presentation style. The material is not altogether what jazz buffs might expect but it all seems to work well as Wendy takes on 'Hey Good Lookin,’' and 'It’s Not Unusual' although that last named is, fortunately, done as a slow, meditative ballad and never slips into Tom Jones speak. Her crisp, uncluttered solo on this selection is first rate. The notes also point out that these tracks were recorded with Wendy playing piano and singing simultaneously with very little editing afterwards. Ben Sidran’s 'Be Nice', works very well as a jazz piano solo with vocal even if it is an unlikely seeming vehicle for a jazzer. Although they support sturdily throughout the backing trio are brought into focus on 'Samba Chico' where guitarist Sprake plays an inventive solo segment before Wendy returns for some scat and piano gymnastics. Her tribute to Nina Simone and the duet she sings with fellow vocalist, Gary Grace on 'Don't Worry Be Happy' provide variety on a well- planned, straight ahead jazz session that should please all enthusiasts. ~ Derek Ansell https://www.jazzviews.net/wendy-kirkland-quartet---piano-divas.html

Personnel: Wendy Kirkland (voc, p), Pat Sprakes (elg), Paul Jefferies (b), Stevie Smith (d)

Piano Divas

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Chick Corea Elektric Band - Paint the World

Styles: Piano
Year: 1993
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 74:33
Size: 171,1 MB
Art: Front

(3:58)  1. Paint the World
(5:32)  2. Blue Miles
(6:51)  3. Tone Poem
(5:49)  4. CTA
(1:43)  5. Silhouette
(6:08)  6. Space
(7:32)  7. The Ant & The Elephant
(5:58)  8. Tumba Island
(7:37)  9. Ritual
(7:18) 10. Ished
(8:10) 11. Spanish Sketch
(5:01) 12. Final Frontier
(2:50) 13. Reprise

Chick Corea's Elektric Band II found bassist John Patitucci, drummer Dave Weckl and guitarist Frank Gambale going out on their own and being replaced by Jimmy Earl, Gary Novak and Mike Miller. Saxophonist Eric Marienthal was the only sideman from the first Elektric Band to stick with Corea. Although the new members are not as distinctive as their predecessors, the high-quality material played on this release (which includes Jimmy Heath's "CTA," "Blue Miles" and a variety of Corea originals) is very jazz-oriented and occasionally there are straightahead sections. This set is recommended even to listeners who have not yet acquired a taste for fusion. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/paint-the-world-mw0000101865

Personnel: Piano, Keyboards, Programmed By [Synth], Composed By, Mixed By, Liner Notes, Producer – Chick Corea; Saxophone – Eric Marienthal; Bass – Jimmy Earl; Drums – Gary Novak. 

Paint the World

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Dave Weckl - Master Plan

Styles: Jazz Fusion
Year: 1990
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:18
Size: 112,3 MB
Art: Front

(3:59)  1. Tower Of Inspiration
(6:03)  2. Here And There
(4:51)  3. Festival De Ritmo
(5:54)  4. In Common
(4:32)  5. Garden Wall
(4:47)  6. Auratune
(5:00)  7. Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise
(8:13)  8. Master Plan
(4:55)  9. Island Magic

Dave Weckl's recording career as a leader was off to a decent start with Master Plan  not a fantastic start, but a decent one. The drummer had made a name for himself playing with Chick Corea's fusion-oriented Elektric Band and his straight-ahead Akoustic Band, and his admirers greeted this CD with high expectations. But while Master Plan isn't the mind-blowing gem it could have been, it's a competent, enjoyable jazz-rock outing. Weckl has talented guests in keyboardist Jay Oliver, tenor saxman Michael Brecker and Elektric Band colleagues Corea and Eric Marienthal (soprano and alto sax), and he is in good form on pieces that range from the funky "Tower of Inspiration" to the Afro-Cuban-influenced "Festival de Ritmo" and the Brazilian-minded "Auratune." 

The CD's only hard bop offering is "Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise," which finds Weckl forming a trio with pianist Ray Kennedy and bassist Tom Kennedy. Master Plan isn't essential, but it isn't anything to be ashamed of either. ~ Alex Henderson https://www.allmusic.com/album/master-plan-mw0000690080

Master Plan

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Eric Marienthal - Voices of the Heart

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1988
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 51:59
Size: 120,7 MB
Art: Front

(4:00)  1. Voices of the Heart
(4:18)  2. Your Eyes
(4:11)  3. Blue Space
(2:49)  4. Brazilian Dream
(5:04)  5. Premonition
(4:48)  6. Tippin'
(3:54)  7. Being with You
(4:46)  8. Harvest Dance
(4:17)  9. Written in the Wind
(4:26) 10. Walk Like An Emu
(4:31) 11. Someone Said
(4:50) 12. Backstep

Altoist Eric Marienthal's debut as a leader has four notable guest appearances by his employer, keyboardist Chick Corea, and one spot for guitarist Frank Gambale. Otherwise, he is generally joined by a quintet also including keyboardist Jim Cox, the great bassist John Patitucci, drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, and guitarist Pat Kelley. The ten obscure songs (only two by the leader) are worthwhile, if not overly memorable, but Marienthal's soulful solos are always fun to hear. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/voices-of-the-heart-mw0000195867

Voices of the Heart

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Wendy Kirkland - The Music's on Me

Styles: Vocal And Piano Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:02
Size: 122,7 MB
Art: Front

(3:47)  1. The Music in Me
(4:52)  2. Haven't We Met
(8:23)  3. Pools
(3:11)  4. Sandalia Dela
(5:50)  5. Playground
(1:32)  6. Nothing Like You
(7:52)  7. September Second
(4:55)  8. West Coast Blues
(3:14)  9. O Gato Molhado
(4:15) 10. Sunday In New York
(5:04) 11. Travelling Home

It has been two years since Wendy Kirkland released her debut album, Piano Divas, and with the success of the recording and subsequent tours has firmly established herself as a first rate pianist and vocalist, an accolade that has been long overdue as Kirkland has been plying her trade as a professional musician for more than twenty years. Now with the release of her new album, The Music's On Me, there can now be no doubt that she is poised to take her place as one of the very best. Everything about The Music's On Me indicate that Wendy has taken a huge step forward. From the song selection, arrangements, through to performance and recording it is all there, with all the hard work paying off handsomely. Overall the album has a much more contemporary feel than its predecessor, yet there is no mistaking the identity of performer or the development and growth from the earlier recording. The quartet are by now well played in, and in a perfect position to interpret the arrangements, and play as a seamless unit. Bass and drums are rock solid swinging effortlessly, with Wendy and Pat Sprakes bringing their understanding of each others playing to bear so that is often as much a joy to hear how they support each other as the individual solos themselves. From the opening number, 'The Music In Me', written by Wendy and husband/guitarist, Pat Sprakes, there is a confidence and swagger in the performance that is reassuringly affecting. 

The vocals are relaxed and warm with guitar and piano getting in deeply swinging solos. This trick is also repeated on the very next number, 'Haven't We Met' where Wendy accompanies herself on a piano/scat solo that is quite exhilarating. The regular quartet are joined by a couple of special guests, with saxophonist Tommaso Starace and Roger Beaujolais on vibes featuring on two numbers apiece. The vibesman is heard to sterling effect on 'Pools' that I always associate with the stellar, Steps Ahead group, and Russell Malone's 'Playground', that along with Wendy's delightful vocals contributes a solo that is uniquely his own while still being in total empathy with Wendy and the song.  The saxophonist is heard on alto on 'September Second'  with a beautifully languid solo that captures the mood of Michel Petrucciani's lovely composition, switching to soprano saxophone for 'Travelling Home', another Kirkland/Sprakes original, playing sensuously melodic lines accompanying the vocal along with a solo that contributes to bringing the album to a satisfying close. 

The feeling throughout the album is a joyous affair from start to finish, and with Wendy now playing with an assurance that indicates that perhaps she is starting to really believe in herself, and quite rightly so too. With confidence riding high, Wendy is not just content to produce another highly enjoyable album in The Music's On Me, but also has the audacity with her version of Don Grolnick's 'Pools'  to hint at the possible direction of a future album, taking things along an even tougher and modern approach. Adding lyric's to Grolnick's fine contemporary composition, the pianist then delivers another example of her simultaneous piano/scat solo, prior to digging in on piano with a solo that  steals the show and is the highlight of an already impressive album. https://www.jazzviews.net/wendy-kirkland---the-musics-on-me.html

Personnel: Wendy Kirkland (piano & voice); Pat Sprakes (guitar); Paul Jefferies (bass guitar & double bass); Steve Wyndham (drums); Roger Beaujolais (vibraphone); Tommaso Starace (saxophones)

The Music's on Me

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Jacques Loussier - Beautiful Love

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 77:56
Size: 180,3 MB
Art: Front

( 4:37)  1. Andante
( 5:04)  2. Fantasy in C Minor
( 2:43)  3. Mack the Knife
( 4:02)  4. Aie Pitié De Moi, Ô Seigneur Dieu
( 3:26)  5. Air (Orchestral Suite No. 3)
( 2:58)  6. Sarabande
(11:20)  7. Fantaisie Et Fugue En Sol Mineur
( 3:47)  8. Stay Well
( 2:27)  9. Mon Ami, My Friend
( 4:08) 10. Jesu, Joy of Man's Desire
( 6:19) 11. Prelude No. 1
( 2:40) 12. Polly's Song
( 2:00) 13. Le Tango Des Matelots
( 4:38) 14. Concerto After the Italian Taste
( 2:56) 15. Prelude No. 16
( 2:45) 16. Oh, Heart of Love
( 5:05) 17. Fantaisie En Ut Mineur
( 1:59) 18. Minuet 1 & 2
( 4:54) 19. Prelude No. 8

An acclaimed French pianist known for his jazz interpretations of classical works, Jacques Loussier rose to prominence leading his trio in the 1960s. A gifted classical musician in his youth, Loussier gravitated toward jazz and issued a series of innovative, genre-bending albums under the Play Bach title in which he reworked the music of Johanne Sebastian Bach. Over the years, he applied this same approach to works by other classical composers, and even expanded his palette, exploring electronics and Latin-traditions on albums like 1979's Pulsion, 1999's Ravel: Bolero, and 2011's Schumann: Kinderszenen (Scenes from Childhood). He also composed for film and television, working out of his Studio Miraval in Provence. Following a stroke in 2011 he retired from the stage and passed away in 2019 at the age of 84. Loussier was born in 1934 in Angers, France to a banker and homemaker. He first started taking piano lessons around age ten. Soon after, he discovered the music of Bach, including pieces like "Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach" and "Prelude in G Minor." He became entranced, often improvising naturally upon the themes in the pieces. By his teens he had moved to Paris where he studied privately with noted pianist Yves Nat, delving deeper into Bach, as well as composers like Claude Debussy, Gabriel Fauré, and Camille Saint-Saëns. He enrolled at the Conservatoire National Musique and continued to expand his skills outside of class playing jazz gigs at local bars. While at school he began to compose, and further solidified his third stream approach fusing classical with jazz.

Following his graduation, he embarked on a fruitful career as an accompanist, working with a bevy of marquee singers including Charles Aznavour, Frank Alamo, Catherine Sauvage, and others. He was able to travel and soak up the musical traditions of other parts of the world including that of the Middle East and Latin America. He also formed his own trio with bassist Pierre Michelot and drummer Christian Garros. Known for their jazz reworkings of Bach pieces, the trio debuted with a series of albums on Decca beginning with Play Bach No. 1 in 1959 and culminating in Play Bach Aux Champs Elysees in 1965. A major success for Loussier, the trio toured and recorded for 15 years, moving from Decca to Philips/Phonogram in the early '70s and selling over six million albums. The trio gained wider public recognition when their version of Bach's "Air on the G String," which was used in a series of award-winning Benson & Hedges television commercials. Along with leading his trio, Loussier began composing for film and television, issuing soundtracks for projects like 1967's The Killing Game, 1968's The Dark of the Sun, and 1969's You Only Love Once, among others. In the early '70s, he disbanded his trio and settled in Provence, where he opened his own recording studio, Studio Miraval. In addition to producing his own projects there, Miraval has played host to a variety of artists over the years including Elton John, Sting, and Pink Floyd. Away from his trio, Loussier began to expand his musical palette, exploring electronics, funk, and Latin sounds on albums like 1979's Pulsion, and 1982's Pagan Moon. In 1985, inspired by the 300th anniversary of Bach's birth, Loussier formed a second version of his trio, again playing a mix of classical and jazz with many of the added stylistic textures he had adopted since the group's start. Working with his second trio, Loussier continued to find a receptive audience issuing albums like 1996's Jacques Loussier Plays Bach, which landed at number 33 on the Billboard Classical Albums chart.

More albums followed including 1999's Bach Book: 40th Anniversary Album and Ravel: Bolero, both of which featured his signature classical and jazz mix. In 2000, Loussier paired his trio with Turkish pianists Güher and Süher Pekinel for Take Bach. Baroque Favorites: Jazz Improvisations arrived in 2001 and peaked in the Top 50 of the Billboard Classical Albums chart. There were similarly well-regarded recordings of Beethoven, Mozart, and Chopin. In 2002, Loussier filed a lawsuit against rapper Eminem and executive producer Dr. Dre, claiming that portions of their track "Kill You" were stolen from his composition "Pulsion." The lawsuit was ultimately settled out of court. In 2009, the then-75-year-old pianist issued the trio album Plays Bach: The 50th Anniversary Recording. He then applied his distinctively cross-pollinated voice to Robert Schumann's 1838 composition with 2011's Schumann: Kinderszenen (Scenes from Childhood). Loussier suffered a stroke in 2011 and retired from performing. He died on March 5, 2019 at a hospital in Blois, in France’s Loire Valley. He was 84 years old. ~ Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/artist/jacques-loussier-mn0000122083/biography

Beautiful Love

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Lee Konitz - Classic Konitz

Styles: Saxophone Jazz 
Year: 2018
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:52
Size: 131,5 MB
Art: Front

( 4:10)  1. You're Clear Out of this World
( 3:57)  2. East 32nd
( 2:50)  3. My Old Flame
( 4:29)  4. I Remember You
( 5:20)  5. Round Midnight
( 3:01)  6. Skylark
( 4:04)  7. The Daffodil's Smile
( 3:06)  8. Easy Livin'
( 2:22)  9. I've Got It Bad
(11:14) 10. If I Had You
( 3:40) 11. Froggy Day
( 4:10) 12. You Are Too Beautiful
( 4:22) 13. You Don't Know What Love Is

One of the most individual of all altoists (and one of the few in the 1950s who did not sound like a cousin of Charlie Parker), the cool-toned Lee Konitz has always had a strong musical curiosity, leading him to consistently take chances and stretch himself, usually quite successfully. He was a member of Miles Davis' classic '50s nonet, and his early work alongside pianist Lennie Tristano is often cited as an influence on the "free jazz" movement of the '60s. He built upon Tristano's approach on his own albums like 1950's Subconscious-Lee, 1957's Tranquility, and 1967's The Lee Konitz Duets, all of which showcase his sculptural approach to harmony. A longtime associate of the Creative Music Studio since the '70s, Konitz has continued to record distinctive albums, exploring both standards and forward-thinking original material.  Born in 1927 in Chicago, Konitz studied clarinet early on, eventually switching to alto. Following early work with Jerry Wald, he gained some attention for his solos with Claude Thornhill & His Orchestra (1947). 

He began studying with Lennie Tristano, who had a big influence on his conception and approach to improvising. Konitz was with Miles Davis' Birth of the Cool nonet during their one gig and their Capitol recordings (1948-1950), and he recorded with Lennie Tristano's innovative sextet (1949), including the first two free improvisations ever documented. Konitz blended very well with Warne Marsh's tenor (their unisons on "Wow" are miraculous) and would have several reunions with both Tristano and Marsh through the years, but he was also interested in finding his own way; by the early '50s he started breaking away from the Tristano school. Konitz toured Scandinavia (1951), where his cool sound was influential, and he fit in surprisingly well with Stan Kenton & His Orchestra (1952-1954), being featured on many charts by Bill Holman and Bill Russo.  Konitz was primarily a leader from that point on. He almost retired from music in the early '60s but re-emerged a few years later. His recordings have ranged from cool bop to thoughtful free improvisations, and his Milestone set of Duets (1967) is a classic. In the '70s and '80s, Konitz increased his recorded output, issuing consistently stimulating sessions for such labels as SteepleChase, Philogy, Soul Note, and others.

In 1992, he won the prestigious Jazzpar Prize. He kept a busy release schedule throughout the '90s and dabbled in the world of classical music with 2000's French Impressionist Music from the Turn of the Twentieth Century. The Mark Masters Ensemble joined him for 2004's One Day with Lee, and in 2007 he recorded Portology with the Ohad Talmor Big Band. He has recorded on soprano and tenor but has mostly stuck with his distinctive alto.  In 2011, he released his own trio album, Knowinglee, and appeared on the live ECM date Live at Birdland (recorded in 2009) with pianist Brad Mehldau, bassist Charlie Haden, and drummer Paul Motian. Three years later, he joined Dan Tepfer, Michael Janisch, and Jeff Williams for First Meeting: Live in London, Vol. 1. The quartet date, Frescalalto, arrived in 2017 and featured the saxophonist alongside pianist Kenny Barron, bassist Peter Washington, and drummer Kenny Washington. In 2019, Konitz paired with longtime associate saxophonist/arranger Ohad Talmor for the album Old Songs New, a nonet recording focusing on beloved yet less-often-recorded standards. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/artist/lee-konitz-mn0000227776/biography

R.I.P.
Born: October 13, 1927 Chicago, Illinois, US
Died:    April 15, 2020 (aged 92) Manhattan, New York City, US

Classic Konitz

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Katie Melua - Live in Concert

Styles: Vocal And Guitar
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 85:33
Size: 197,8 MB
Art: Front

(2:33)  1. Tu Ase Turpa Ikavi
(3:42)  2. Plane Song
(4:32)  3. Belfast
(3:33)  4. Nine Million Bicycles
(3:59)  5. Just Like Heaven
(3:41)  6. River
(4:21)  7. Dreams on Fire
(2:07)  8. Cradle Song
(4:37)  9. All-Night Vigil - Nunc Dimittis
(4:52) 10. O Holy Night
(3:15) 11. Diamonds Are Forever
(4:50) 12. Perfect World
(2:12) 13. The Little Swallow
(4:01) 14. I Cried for You
(4:36) 15. The Flood
(4:32) 16. The Closest Thing to Crazy
(3:41) 17. Piece by Piece
(6:37) 18. Wonderful Life
(3:56) 19. Fields of Gold
(5:10) 20. Maybe I Dreamt It
(4:36) 21. What a Wonderful World

Plucked from music-school obscurity by songwriter/producer Mike Batt, Katie Melua quickly became the highest-selling female musician in the U.K., a feat that owed much of its success to her wildly popular 2003 debut. Melua was born in Soviet Georgia in 1984 and later moved to Belfast, Northern Ireland. Her family pulled up stakes several years later and relocated to London, where Melua entered the B.R.I.T. School for the Performing Arts & Technology. The record industry-funded school had a habit of graduating talented artists like Floetry, and Melua became its next success when a 2003 showcase caught the attention of Batt, who'd been looking for a vocalist capable in both jazz and blues styles. Call Off the Search, her debut album, was issued in the U.K. in November 2003 by Batt's own label, Dramatico Records. A comfortable, tasteful blend of jazz vocals, pop style, and adult contemporary sway, the album featured two cuts penned by Melua (including a tribute to one of her biggest influences, Eva Cassidy), as well as covers of material from John Mayall, Randy Newman, and the James Shelton classic "Lilac Wine." The single "Closest Thing to Crazy" hit number one in December, and by January of the following year, Call Off the Search had gone platinum (300,000 units in the U.K.). It continued selling copies for years, eventually going platinum six times.

Gigs in Europe followed, and in May 2004 Melua made her way to the U.S. for a round of club dates in support of the album's domestic release. She achieved even greater success with her 2005 follow-up, Piece by Piece, a heady blend of worldbeat and jazz-pop that topped both the international and British charts before setting its sights on the U.S. market in 2006. The similarly jazz-inflected Pictures followed a year later, and the concert recording Live at the O² Arena appeared in 2009. In 2010, Melua delivered the studio effort The House, which widened her sound with production from techno mastermind William Orbit. Two years later, she returned with the orchestral pop album Secret Symphony, featuring arrangements by longtime producer Batt. Melua finished out her six-album deal for Batt with 2013's similarly orchestral-leaning Ketevan. Named after her given birth name, the album featured the singles "I Will Be There" and "The Love I'm Frightened Of." Well received, it peaked at number six on the U.K. charts. In 2016, Melua returned with In Winter, her first holiday-themed effort and first album after parting ways with longtime collaborator Batt. Recorded in her native country of Georgia with the all-female Gori Women's Choir, In Winter featured original material from Melua alongside a cover of Joni Mitchell's "River" and several traditional classical holiday songs. ~ Johnny Loftus https://www.allmusic.com/artist/katie-melua-mn0000101522/biography

Live in Concert

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Stanley Cowell - Waiting For The Moment

Styles: Piano Jazz 
Year: 1977
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 38:33
Size: 91,0 MB
Art: Front

(3:05)  1. Ragtime
(3:00)  2. Boogie Woogie
(3:32)  3. Parisian Thoroughfare
(7:19)  4. 'Round Midnight
(2:14)  5. Spanish Dancers
(5:14)  6. Sienna: Welcome My Darling
(4:39)  7. Sienna: Waiting For The Moment
(5:16)  8. Coup De Grass
(4:09)  9. Today, What A Beautiful Day

This out-of-print LP is a solo set by Stanley Cowell. The first side has five acoustic numbers which range from the "Ragtime" and "Boogie Woogie" sections of Jimmy Heath's "Afro-American Suite Oof Evolution" to "'Round Midnight" and Bud Powell's "Parisian Thoroughfare." The flip side finds Cowell utilizing both electronics and overdubbing to perform four of his more modern originals. An interesting if not quite essential program. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/waiting-for-the-moment-mw0000871127

Personnel:  Stanley Cowell - piano, electric grand piano, synthesizer, thumb piano

Waiting For The Moment

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Wim Overgaauw Trio - Dedication

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 1978
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 33:56
Size: 78,6 MB
Art: Front

(4:40)  1. Quiet Nights
(2:41)  2. Barney's Blues
(3:19)  3. Dedication
(3:30)  4. Just a Sittin' and a Rockin'
(2:48)  5. Twisted Blues
(2:30)  6. Snipverkouden
(2:31)  7. Monk's Hop
(3:54)  8. Adagio from Concerto d'Aranjuez
(2:19)  9. Old Tough One: Wilde Ganzen / Ouwe Taaie / Als Op Capri / Op De Woelige Baren
(2:52) 10. Footin' It
(2:47) 11. Introduction

Wim Overgaauw ( Hilversum , November 23, 1929 - there, November 30, 1995 ) was a Dutch jazz guitarist .Overgaauw started his career as a violinist and played in a string orchestra for two years. He then switched to guitar and performed with clubs in the US military with Nick Vollebregt . In the 1950s he performed with Wessel Ilcken and later led his own groups. He was best known in the 1960s as a member of the Pim Jacobs Trio and as an accompanist to singer Rita Reys . He also made recordings with, for example, Lee Konitz and accompanied Cannonball Adderley , Sam Jones and Jimmy Raney . Overgaauw received an Edison in 1971 for his first solo album Don't Disturb .For many years he was a teacher at the Hilversum Conservatory , where he included Jesse van Ruller , Martijn van Iterson and Maarten van der Grinten among his students. By nature, he modestly avoided performing in public in his last years. In an interview in 1994 he indicated that he was influenced by his students and by young guitarists like David Gilmore from Steve Coleman 's band . He also composed music for film and television, gave guitar workshops and wrote the textbook "The European Jazz Guitar". https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wim_Overgaauw

Dedication

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George Colligan - Constant Source

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 69:15
Size: 159,3 MB
Art: Front

( 7:57)  1. Tarantula
( 7:10)  2. Saga
( 6:43)  3. I'm Getting Sentimental Over You
( 5:13)  4. Flint Michigan
( 9:12)  5. Pitchrider
(13:27)  6. Void
( 9:25)  7. My Eyes That Cried
(10:05)  8. Constant Source

When it comes to spotting young talent worthy of wider recognition, it’s often those small independent labels who are responsible for giving the youngsters some visibility. This also makes for a good situation in terms of the artist because he/she, more often than not, has more control over the artistic integrity of the final product, something that is not as easily achieved when spending the big corporate dollars. The downside, however, is that the coffers for publicity are on the small side when you’re hooked up with the little independent guy. SteepleChase producer Nils Winther apparently liked what he heard when first checking out George Colligan because he gave the pianist a chance to cultivate his original voice as a vital SteepleChase artist. While not as visible here in the U.S. as those guys with the major label contracts, Colligan shows signs of becoming one of the best pianists and composers of his generation. The last Colligan SteepleChase from the back catalog to see a domestic release, Constant Source is arguably among his boldest statements. With a resonant front line pairing of alto and tenor sax (played by Jon Gordon and Mark Tuner respectively), Colligan and his crack rhythm section pull out all the stops via a ten selection set of originals (albeit a reworking of “I’m Getting Sentimental Over You”). The whole program is made up of beefy and well-developed charts that forgo the trite and customary.

sounds just like its name, with counterpoint between bass and the piano’s low end adding to the mysterious vibe. Perhaps the catchiest of the lot, “Saga” utilizes a captivating piano vamp that launches the head and subsequent solos, ultimately settling into a hybrid bossa groove. The third tune of the program is an atypical ballad entitled “Flint Michigan,” although both the CD label and the tune list on the back have the cut incorrectly listed as track number four. Showing just how adept he is at drastically altering standards, Colligan takes “I’m Getting Sentimental Over You” and turns it into a medium tempo romp in seven, with the bridge alternating between 4/4, 6/4, and a 5/8 tag. Two pieces hint at the impact of Colligan inspiration Gary Thomas. “Pitchrider” speaks in terms of ‘70s fusion, complete with George’s use of Fender Rhodes, while “Void” clocks in at over 13 minutes and contains dense passages of collective interplay that are punctuated by Howard Curtis’ acute drum work. The electric piano shows up again on the slow and spacey “My Eyes That Cried,” with the title track leaving a postscript in regards to Colligan’s compositional gifts, penned in the odd meter of 5/4. For the present, Colligan has proved a valuable sideman to vocalist Cassandra Wilson, saxophonist Don Braden, and trombonist Robin Eubanks. His already impressive oeuvre will be supplemented shortly by a new release on the Fresh Sound label and a forthcoming SteepleChase trio date. In the meantime, Constant Source, not to mention his other SteepleChase sides, finds Colligan speaking with an authority and maturation that belies his youth.~ C.Andrew Hovan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/constant-source-george-colligan-steeplechase-records-review-by-c-andrew-hovan.php

Personnel: George Colligan (piano and Fender Rhodes), Jon Gordon (alto & soprano saxophones), Ed Howard (bass), Howard Curtis (drums)

Constant Source

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La Section Rythmique, Harry Allen & Luigi Grasso - La Section Rythmique +2

Styles: Contemporary Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:55
Size: 117,3 MB
Art: Front

(4:04)  1. You 'N' Me
(7:25)  2. In the Still of the Night
(5:52)  3. Birth of the Blues
(4:54)  4. Day Dream
(4:30)  5. Wes' Tune
(4:42)  6. One for Duke
(6:14)  7. Blues up and Down
(3:06)  8. New Orleans
(5:00)  9. Step Right Up
(5:04) 10. I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You

This rhythm trio (guitar, bass and drums) won awards with its first album in 2015, and has now backed, on concerts and recordings, such memorable jazz artists as Scott Hamilton, Evan Christopher, Lillian Boutté  and Ken Peplowski, amongst others. On this release the trio plays host to seasoned New York tenorist Harry Allen, paired with an exciting and skilful young Italian altoist, Luigi Grasso a new name to me. Guitarist David Blenkhorn and bassist Sébastien Girardot I have heard and enjoyed previously, as key contributors on the fine Django A La Créole albums on Frémeaux. Gillaume Nouaux’s supple and attentive drumming fits in neatly in the closely integrated and tastefully swinging rhythm backing.

Allen’s light-toned, mature and fluent phrasing is complemented effectively by Grasso’s rounded, exuberant and expressive alto. There’s close rapport throughout in ensemble, and some sizzling exchanges in the upbeat Blues Up And Down.Steeped in jazz heritage, the repertoire alternates throughout between upbeat and laid-back. The laudably open-book approach to style salutes classic jazz with a refreshingly re-worked blend ranging from mainstream to bop.The enthusiastic Grasso reins in for the Hodges classic Day Dream, almost rivalling the master himself with an exquisitely nuanced performance. Allen follows on with breathy hints of Ben Webster, and they both reprise Hodges and Webster on the beautifully arranged One For Duke. In The Still Of The Night is another lovely arrangement and performance, but every track appeals. Highly recommended. https://jazzjournal.co.uk/2019/07/08/la-section-rythmique-2-harry-allen-luigi-grasso/

Personnel: David Blenkhorn (g); Sébastien Girardot (b); Guillaume Nouaux (d); Harry Allen (ts); Luigi Grasso (as).

La Section Rythmique +2

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Wallace Roney - Blue Dawn - Blue Nights

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:28
Size: 123,2 MB
Art: Front

(6:13)  1. Bookendz
(5:28)  2. Why Should There Be Stars
(7:54)  3. Wolfbane
(8:13)  4. New Breed
(7:05)  5. Don't Stop Me Now
(9:00)  6. In a Dark Room
(5:15)  7. Venus Rising
(4:15)  8. Elliptical

Wallace Roney's eighth album for the HighNote label, 2019's Blue Dawn-Blue Nights, finds the trumpeter collaborating with a cadre of young lions and balancing dusky after-hours warmth and propulsive post-bop modalism. The album comes three years after the similarly expansive A Place in Time, which featured veterans Gary Bartz, Lenny White, and Patrice Rushen. From that album, only White returns here, playing on half of Blue Dawn-Blue Nights. He and Roney are also joined by an invigorating ensemble including Roney's nephew drummer Kojo Odu Roney, tenor saxophonist Emilio Modeste, pianist Oscar Williams II, and bassist Paul Cuffari. Somewhat of a departure from Roney's past work, Blue Dawn-Blue Nights features songs written by his bandmates, along with a handful of deftly curated covers. The result is a surprisingly cohesive album that benefits from each player's unique yet clearly like-minded point-of-view. Roney opens the album with keyboardist Wayne Linsey's roiling, R&B-inflected "Bookendz." A longtime friend of Roney's, Linsey wrote songs for Miles Davis, and "Bookendz" certainly brings to mind Davis' fusion period with both White and Odu Roney supplying the song's kinetic rhythm. Shifting gears, the band eases into the yearning ballad "Why Should There Be Stars," which works as a showcase for Roney's plaintive lyricism. Contrasting that is White's funky "Wolfbane," a circular groover in which Roney smears and glides against the drummer's dynamic percussion waves. Also compelling is the group's reading of David Liebman's dissonant mid-tempo swinger "New Breed." Originally recorded by Elvin Jones for his 1973 date Mr. Jones, here the melody is played with Harmon-muted intensity by Roney and Modeste. Elsewhere, they sink into "Don't Stop Me Now," a slow-burning R&B slow jam culled from Miles Davis' '80s period, and again evoke Davis' late-'60s quintet on Williams' impressionistic modal piece "In a Dark Room." Closing the album are two of Modeste's compositions, beginning with the driving "Venus Rising" and finishing with the far-eyed "Elliptical," both of which benefit from Roney and his band's burnished harmonic textures. ~ Matt Collar https://www.allmusic.com/album/blue-dawn-blue-nights-mw0003308946

Blue Dawn - Blue Nights

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Yelena Eckemoff, Manu Katché - Colors

Styles: Piano Jazz
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 79:53
Size: 186,3 MB
Art: Front

(8:15)  1. White
(4:56)  2. Pink
(3:59)  3. Orange
(6:09)  4. Green
(6:20)  5. Violet
(3:04)  6. Indigo
(8:24)  7. Blue
(7:20)  8. Red
(4:01)  9. Brown
(6:37) 10. Bordeaux
(6:07) 11. Yellow
(4:00) 12. Aquamarine
(3:02) 13. Grey
(7:33) 14. Black

Pianist Yelena Eckemoff brings the top drummers into her recording sessions, whether it's Billy Harton Lions (2014), or Peter Erskine on Glass Song (2012) and Desert (2015), or Jon Christensen for Everblue (2014) all of these on her own L & H Production label. The year 2019 finds the prolific Eckemoff presenting her first duo album, Colors, a piano and drums affair with another topline partner sitting at the kit: Manu Katche, a distinctive drumming stylist and a leader in his own right, with eight releases to his name, five of them on ECM Records.  Colors could just as well been called Life, a panoramic set of Eckemoff originals that affixes different colors to life's stages, from "White," an examination of birth's blank slate, to "Orange," a celebration of youthful energy, through "Violet," a nod to the thrill of first love, to "Black," a facing, with equanimity, of death's mysterious void. Eckemoff's music is often complex and cerebral, drawing on her classical studies in her native Russia, and it frequently leans toward the reflective and inward. This is especially true of her early recordings, like Cold Sun (L & H, 2010) and the previously mentioned Glass Song. But with the release of Lions her sound seemed to draw as much from the heart and gut as it did from the head; the energy of life seemed to swim in tandem beside the reveries of the mind. 

Colors presents that mix to perfection. Eckemoff's piano sound is, as always, crisp and clean of touch, intricate and nuanced and complex. It can sound a bit playful, full of wordless wonder ("White"); and it can portray an expanding consciousness with an inward tilt ("Pink"), and it can ROCK OUT, big time, with Eckemoff and Katche digging-deep into a relentless groove on "Orange." Is it Eckemoff prodding and exhorting Katche, or is it Katche elbowing Eckemoff; or is it a balanced pairing, a two way call and response bubbling with the electricity of life? Probably the last choice, given a listen to "Indigo," another animated, jazz-rock, groove-centric sound. Not that moments of reflections aren't present. "Violet," concerning "the thrill of first love" is a reflective interlude of subtle beauty; and "Blue" begins as a lyrical, inward rumination that shifts, two minutes in, into a playful prance that swells to a tempest that then tapers down to tranquility, rolling then to a re-start of the cycle. And "Red" seems to dance with the vibrancy and sassiness and confidence of an attractive woman in her prime (imagery taken from Eckemoff's accompanying poem in the cover booklet). Colors covers a wide range of moods and styles, a mode of operation that can reveal weaknesses in a thematic cohesion. That Eckemoff and Kache avoid this potential hazard over a fourteen song, near-eighty minute set is remarkable.  One of Yelena Eckemoff's finest recordings. ~ Dan MacClenaghan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/colors-yelena-eckemoff-l-and-h-production-review-by-dan-mcclenaghan.php

Personnel: Yelena Eckemoff: piano and compositions; Manu Katché, drums.

Colors

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Isabella Lundgren - Out of the Bell Jar

Styles: Vocal
Year: 2019
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 45:21
Size: 104,4 MB


( 5:25)  1. You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go
( 6:35)  2. The Times Are a Changing
( 8:05)  3. It Ain't Me Babe
( 3:52)  4. Lay Down Your Weary Tune
(10:44)  5. Trouble
( 4:06)  6. Out of the Bell Jar
( 6:31)  7. Forever Young

This release is the newest from Swedish vocalist Isabella Lundgren. It features arrangements of classic Bob Dylan songs, sung with Isabellas exceptional artistry. Isabella Lundgren has a seriousness and a gravity that is unique. It's like she makes time stand still just by being, I guess that's what they call charisma and presence. And then she sings absolutely fantastically, with a natural, flowing time and a low-key but expressive phrasing. The fact the she has something to say with her lyrics, also adds to the magic. She is one of the greatest things that has ever happened to the Swedish Jazz scene. (Swedish Daily News) Lundgrens incisive and agile voice, often reminiscent of Anita ODay and Billie Holiday, came from a formally attired, deceptively slight frame and it thus was less of a surprise than it might have been to discover later that having studied music at New Yorks New School she is now in Stockholm studying to be a priest. She had the congregation in her hand right from the lightly accompanied rubato intro to That Old Black Magic that opened the set. There was also Its Magic and a couple of blues, all delivered with compelling authority and a mischievous sense of swing. (Mark Gilbert, JazzJournal) ~ Editorial Reviews https://www.amazon.com/Out-Bell-Jar-Isabella-Lundgren/dp/B07ZLK56KX

Out of the Bell Jar

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Archie Shepp, Jasper Van't Hof - The Fifth of May

Styles: Saxophone And Piano Jazz
Year: 1987
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:10
Size: 110,4 MB
Art: Front

( 7:50)  1. Down Home New York
( 7:38)  2. The Hunter
( 6:37)  3. Naima
( 5:16)  4. Pulse of the Roots
(15:16)  5. 5th of May
( 5:30)  6. In a Decent Way

This is an unusual CD with Archie Shepp, mostly playing tenor but also contributing a couple of vocals and a bit of soprano, performing duets with the keyboards and synthesizer of Jasper Van't Hof. The music (originals by Shepp or Van't Hof, along with John Coltrane's "Naima") ranges from danceable tracks and mood pieces to explorative works, and generally holds one's interest. A good couple of days for Archie Shepp, who could be quite erratic in the 1980s. ~Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-fifth-of-may-mw0000652903

The Fifth of May

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Vincent Gardner - The Good Book, Chapter Three

Styles: Trombone Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 67:53
Size: 167,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:07)  1. Double Talk
(7:34)  2. Another Hair-Do
(6:27)  3. I Waited for You
(6:40)  4. Compulsion
(6:38)  5. One Bass Hit
(6:57)  6. Darn That Dream
(5:57)  7. Dizzy Atmosphere
(5:48)  8. Charlie's Wig
(7:12)  9. There'll Never Be Another You
(8:29) 10. Sid's Delight

This album is like the cotton of the advertisement, it does not deceive. It is the third volume that trombonist Vincent Gardner edits from his series 'The Good Book' and is dedicated to bebop. So white and bottled ...

Vincent R. Gardner was born in Chicago in 1972 and grew up in Hampton, Virginia. He comes from a family with strong musical roots, it was Mercer Ellington who hired him for his first professional job and from there he went to work with Wynton Marsalis and entered the famous Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra to which he still belongs.

'The Good Book' is a series of CDs that Gardner has dedicated to musicians or styles. The first was dedicated to the music of Frank Foster and Horace Silver, the second entitled 'Now' , was dedicated to the closest composers in time with songs by Marcus Roberts, Kenny Barron, Jeremy Pelt or Anthony Wonsley . Also added some composition of old acquaintances like Kurt Weil, Jimmy Heath or Victor Young . Now it is the turn of the bebop and seeing the wishes of Vincent Gardner we can imagine that he will not do anything wrong.

In this third chapter of the 'Good Book' we find perfect performances of songs like 'Double Talk' by Fast Navarro, 'Another Hair-Do' and 'Charlie´s Wig' by Charlie Parker, 'Compulsion' by Miles Davis or 'Dizzy Atmosfere 'by Gillespie among others. Ten portions of bebop cleanly played by Marsalis string musicians such as Ryan Kisor on trumpet, Peter Washington on double bass or Ali Jackson on drums, Gardner's companions on 'Lincoln', plus the addition of musicians such as Dick Oatts on sax or pianist Peter Zak .If you like bebop do not hesitate, this album will be your favorite of the year, if not, you will enjoy a nice portion of tall bebop. http://www.distritojazz.com/discos-jazz/vincent-gardner-the-book-of-bebop-the-good-book-chapter-three

Musicians: Vincent Gardner (trombone), Ryan Kisor (trumpet), Dick Oatts (alto sax), Peter Zak (piano), Peter Washington (double bass), Ali Jackson (drums).

The Good Book, Chapter Three

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